iStock/Thinkstock(SEOUL) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in will be visiting the White House later this month ahead of the historic summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.



The White House made the announcement Friday evening. Moon is scheduled to arrive in Washington, D.C., on May 22.



"President Donald J. Trump will welcome President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea to the White House on May 22, 2018," the White House said in a statement. "This third summit between the two leaders affirms the enduring strength of the United States-Republic of Korea alliance and the deep friendship between our two countries."



"President Trump and President Moon will continue their close coordination on developments regarding the Korean Peninsula following the April 27 inter-Korean Summit," the statement continued. "The two leaders also will discuss President Trumps upcoming meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un."



South Korea's Blue House, the presidential office, said largely the exact same thing as the White House in its statement.



"Mr. Moon and Trump will reaffirm a strong alliance between Korea and the United States and deep friendship between the two countries at this summit," a spokesperson said.



Trump's planned trip to meet with Kim has yet to be announced, but he told reporters on Friday that the date and location were worked out and would be announced soon.



"The trip is being scheduled," Trump said. "We now have a date, and we have a location. Well be announcing soon."



Trump also hinted Friday that good news is coming on the three Americans currently being held as prisoners by North Korea. Kim Dong-chul, a business man in his mid-60s, has been detained in North Korea for two years. Kim Hak Song and Tony Kim, both of whom worked at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, have been detained for about one year.



"We're doing very well with the hostages, we're in constant contact with the leadership, we're in constant contact with North Korea," the president said on the tarmac at Andrews Air Force Base.



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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week, the premier's office said, ahead of a possible US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

The Wednesday meeting will discuss "regional developments", Netanyahu's office said, and follows the Israeli leader's unveiling of "proof" of Iran's alleged past military nuclear ambitions.

A televised presentation by Netanyahu on Monday was followed by phone calls to world leaders, including to Putin, in which the two discussed the Iran nuclear deal, as well as the situation in Syria.

Israel has been accused by Syria of carrying out deadly strikes in its territory, most recently on April 9 and April 30, which killed Iranians as well as Syrian soldiers.

Putin - whose troops are backing the Syrian regime - has called on Netanyahu not to destabilise the situation further, as Israel looks to prevent Iran and its Hezbollah proxy cementing their military presence.

Russia meanwhile has reiterated its support for the Iran nuclear deal, with Putin telling Netanyahu it was "of primary importance for ensuring international stability and security" in their Monday phone call.

US President Donald Trump and his Middle East allies argue that the agreement, approved by Barack Obama, was too weak and needs to be replaced with a more permanent arrangement and supplemented by controls on Iran's missile programme.

Trump has threatened to abandon the agreement when it comes up for renewal on May 12, demanding his country's European allies "fix the terrible flaws" or he will re-impose sanctions.

Netanyahu has repeatedly called for the accord - which Iran signed with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States - to either be altered or scrapped.

He says the agreement does not prevent Tehran from eventually obtaining nuclear weapons and says the lifting of sanctions has increased Tehran's ability to finance proxy militants in the Middle East.

In his elaborate televised presentation, Netanyahu accused Iran of lying about its nuclear ambitions, while not providing evidence that Israel's main enemy had actively worked to obtain an atomic weapon since the 2015 agreement between Tehran and six world powers.

Iran has always denied it sought a nuclear weapon, insisting its atomic programme was for civilian purposes.

Besides Putin, Netanyahu discussed the Israeli findings and the Iran nuclear deal with his Australian, British and Indian counterparts, as well as with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said his government is committed to improvements in agriculture which could help farmers of the state in raising their incomes and ensure that there was at least one dish made from products from the state on every Indian's plate.

Launching a software for advance payment of grants for agriculture input, said to be the first such endeavour in the country, Kumar said that ever since his stint as the union agriculture minister his thrust has been on a 'Rainbow Revolution' which was wider in its scope than 'Green Revolution' and 'White Revolution'.

As part of the scheme for advance payment of agriculture input Rs 6000 each were transferred into the accounts of more than 20,000 farmers for the purpose of organic farming in Patna, Samastipur, Nalanda and Vaishali districts.

The occasion was also marked by inauguration of projects worth over Rs 70 crore, all of them relating to agriculture.

"A lot of progress has been made by the state in agriculture since I took over in 2005. When Manmohan Singh was the prime minister, an agriculture expert had remarked about low productivity in Bihar at a meeting. I had promised that things will look up fast," Kumar said at the function.

With emphasis on replacement of seeds, mechanization of farming and use of compost, Bihar achieved record production of rice and wheat. Further improvements were achieved with stress on better irrigation, he said.

"In our third agriculture roadmap for 2018-23, we are laying stress on organic farming and fresh survey of land holdings. We can confidently look forward to better earnings for farmers and foresee a future where a Bihari dish will be on every Indian's plate", he said.

Kumar said altogether nine districts in the state have been earmarked for organic farming out of which four have been covered under the scheme of advance payment of grants as a pilot project.

"We envisaged the scheme following studies that suggested that it was best to provide help to farmers at the time of cultivation. Gradually, more districts and farmers will be covered and if need arises the amount of grant may also be hiked," he added.

Bihar occupies the third position in the country in vegetable production, Kumar said adding that growth in agriculture must not remain confined to foodgrains or milk, he said.

"That is the reason why during my tenure as the union agriculture minister I used to speak of a rainbow revolution comprising all-round agriculture growth instead of green or white revolution. We are proceeding in Bihar with the same philosophy", he added.

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Chattisgarh Police today said that despite a massive search operation, they were yet to get any clue about the whereabouts of two persons who were abducted by Naxals after the ultras stormed a road construction site in Balrampur district on April 28.

Petrus Dungdung, a sub-engineer attached to the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) and Shankar Bihari, an employee of a private construction firm, were kidnapped by Naxals while they were engaged in the construction of a road between Bandarchua and Pundag villages in the district, around 450km from here.

Another employee, Raju Gupta, who was also abducted, was released by the Maoists later that night.

The Naxals, who had stormed the site, had set ablaze an excavator, a road compactor and three tipper trucks.

"Search operations are underway on a massive scale and the entire forest area of Samri, along the border with Jharkhand, has been cordoned off by security forces," Balrampur Superintendent of Police, TR Koshima, said.

"We are yet to get any information of their whereabouts," Koshima told PTI.

Koshima said that preliminary investigations had revealed that cadres of the Maoist Communist Centre, a proscribed outfit active along the Chhattisgarh-Jharkhand border, might be behind the incident.

He said the group was headed by local leaders Mrityunjay and Vimal.

The official, however, added that there was no confirmation as yet on which group did it because there had been no ransom demand made so far.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA from Samri, Pritam Ram, accused the ruling BJP of making false claims that the northern area of the state had been freed from the Naxal menace.

"I had yesterday visited the spot in Samri from where Naxals had kidnapped them. I have appealed to the Naxals to release them," he said.

The MLA claimed that frequent Naxal attacks in Balrampur itself had belied Chief Minister Raman Singh's claim that north Chhattisgarh was now free of Naxal terror.

The sub-engineer's wife had, earlier, appealed to the Naxals to release her husband.

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Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has confirmed the death sentences awarded to 11 "hardcore terrorists" who were given the capital punishment by special military courts over the killings of 60 people, media reports said today.

The terrorists were involved in the killing of 36 civilians, 24 armed forces, frontier constabulary, police officials besides injuring 142 others, the Express Tribune reported.

Arms and ammunition were also recovered from their possession and were tried by special military courts, it quoted a statement by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan military, as saying.

"The terrorists were involved in heinous offences related to terrorism, including attacks on law enforcement agencies and armed forces of Pakistan, Malakand University and killing of innocent civilians including Imran Khan Mohmind, a member of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly," the ISPR said.

These convicts had admitted their offences before the magistrate and the trial court and were awarded death sentences, it said.

Three other convicts were also awarded imprisonment, the report added.

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Japan's Parliamentary Vice Minister Akimoto Masatoshi today said there was lot of interest among Indians in Japanese cooperation in high speed rail and metro projects, adding that his country had a "bigger responsibility" to respond to these expectations.

Masatoshi, who is the parliamentary vice minister in the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, was here to inspect the sites of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail, popularly called the bullet train, and the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar metro rail projects at Kalupur railway station.

Both these projects have received soft loans from the Japanese government.

Speaking to reporters, Masatoshi said that, after going back to Japan, he'd convey the "enthusiasm, interest as well as expectations" that Indians have shown towards the Japanese government regarding the two projects.

"I have noticed a lot of interest among Indians in Japanese cooperation in high-speed rail and the metro projects. Japan has a bigger responsibility to respond to the expectations of the Indians," he said.

He said that his government would continue to cooperate with its Indian counterpart in the completion of the two projects.

The Japanese vice minister said that the site of the metro rail project near Kalupur railway station was supposed to be one of the most "difficult and complex sites of construction."



He said that project was "very difficult" and stated that Japan would continue to support India to make sure this difficult construction is completed.

He was accompanied by a delegation from Japan and officials of the two projects as well as officials of the Ahmedabad division of the Indian Railways.

Masatoshi also lauded safety measures set in place at the project sites.

"I am very happy and impressed to see that all workers were wearing helmets. Also, we insist on wearing personal safety equipment. I think it is very important to continue to be conscious of the fact that life is important and safety must be of utmost priority," he said.

He said that his government was committed to help India in enhancing the "safety standards of the Indian railways."



"We got immense cooperation from NHSRC (the SPV building the bullet train corridor) and MEGA (Metro Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad) in both metro and high speed rail projects. I'd reiterate Japan's cooperation in successful completion of all these projects," he added.

Masatoshi also visited the iconic Sidi Saiyyed Mosque in the city.

In September last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, launched the ambitious high speed rail project entailing a total cost of around Rs 1.10 lakh crore.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is extending a loan of Rs 88,000 crore for the project at a minimal interest of 0.1 per cent.

JICA has also offered Rs 6,066 crore loan for the first phase of the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar metro rail project, a MEGA official said.

He added that the construction of the underground route near Kalupur was one of the difficult parts and was being done using a tunnel boring machine.

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The Delhi Police today dismissed as "rumours" the controversial quotes written on the door of a chapel at Delhi University's St Stephen's.

Students union president Sai Aashirwaad earlier said inflammatory quotes like 'Mandir Yahi Banega' were found written on the chapel's main door, while an 'Om' symbol along with the words 'I'm going to hell' was found on the cross behind the chapel yesterday.

"The messages, however, were cleared today," he said.

The Delhi Police said no such incident had taken place.

The college administration had announced preparatory holidays for students from April 28, with only those having practical exams attending the college.

Principal John Varghese was unavailable for comments.

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New US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today defended the "muscular diplomacy" practiced by President Donald Trump as a way to solve thorny global issues "peacefully, without ever firing a shot."



Speaking before of a group of American diplomats at the State Department, Pompeo outlined his vision for US foreign policy at a time of "many challenges."



"These times are turbulent. The demands are for strong leadership. It is essential that our team does that, and counter the threats that we face with courage and strength," he said.

"Fortunately, we have a president who believes in muscular diplomacy as well, one that makes full use of the instruments of national power to advance, first and foremost, vital American interests and values."



The hawkish Pompeo had promised a more "vicious" intelligence operation when he took over as chief of the Central Intelligence Agency last year, making unapologetically menacing statements toward North Korea and Iran.

Today, he explained his view that a firm diplomatic hand "increases our chances of solving problems peacefully without ever firing a shot." As an example, he cited the "enormous diplomatic effort to continue to keep the pressure on North Korea and bring them to the negotiating table, to a place where we can successfully eliminate the threat from Kim Jong Un's nuclear arsenal."



Pompeo met Kim over Easter weekend in Pyongyang, ahead of an expected summit between the North Korean leader and Trump, who said yesterday that a date and location would be announced soon.

In the Middle East, where Pompeo traveled on his first trip abroad, he said "strong diplomatic efforts" were needed "to prevent Iran's destabilizing behavior in Syria, in Yemen, and across the region."



In a week, Trump is expected to decide whether the US should remain in the nuclear deal reached with Tehran. The Republican leader has threatened to withdraw from the multinational accord.

"These are all great challenges, but I'm confident that our team can develop strategies and diplomatic footprints capable of resolving them," Pompeo said.

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Underscoring the importance of diplomacy in resolving major global issues, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called for a strong State Department to achieve America's foreign policy goals.

In his first major address at the State Department, Pompeo yesterday said that despite having "strong relationship" with many allies, the US still needed to address the issues of North Korea and Iran, among others.

"..there's enormous diplomatic effort to continue to keep the pressure on North Korea and bring them to the negotiating table, to a place where we can successfully eliminate the threat from Kim Jong-un's nuclear arsenal," Pompeo said.

Pompeo met Kim last month in Pyongyang, in the build-up to a summit between the North Korean leader and Trump, the date and location for which have been decided and "will be announced soon".

Speaking about the US' allies in Europe, Pompeo said apart from the occasional and minor hiccups, these nations had interests similar to America's.

"We're blessed to have so many allies with strong relationships. There are, of course, rough times and places that we disagree. But these countries share our values and our interests, and we all have a common effort in ensuring prosperity for our nations moving forward," he said.

Pompeo called for "strong diplomatic efforts" in the Middle East, especially towards Iran to prevent its "destabilising behaviour".

"We need strong diplomatic efforts there as well to prevent Iran's destabilising behaviour in Syria, in Yemen, and across the region. We have to tackle the threat from jihadist terror and from places with really weak governance," said Pompeo.

"These are all great challenges, but I'm confident that our team can develop strategies and diplomatic footprints capable of resolving them," he said.

Trump is to take a decision on the Iranian nuclear deal on May 12. He has repeatedly criticised the seven-party agreement and long threatened to walk away from the landmark deal unless its European signatories and Congress reconcile his concerns.

America's foreign policy, Pompeo argued, got to be pragmatic while still remaining principled and agile enough to respond to changing circumstances yet anchored in the fundamental ideals and values that ground the nation's history.

Following his remarks, Pompeo took part in a memorial ceremony to honour those who lost their lives in service to the country.

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A private bank employee and his son were killed on the spot while his wife and daughter were seriously injured when the car in which they were travelling rammed into a roadside tree near here early today,police said.

Thrilokchandar (45) and his family were returning home from his native place Tiruvannamalai when the car went out of control and hit the tree, they said.

His wife and daughter have been hospitalised, police said.

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Hoping to repeat the Gorakhpur and Phulpur feat, the Rashtriya Lok Dal will join the united Opposition to contest the upcoming bypolls to two seats in Uttar Pradesh against the BJP, an RLD leader said.

RLD vice-president Jayant Chaudhary held close to a three-hour long meeting with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow yesterday. An understanding was reached that both the parties would jointly contest the May 28 by-elections to Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur Assembly seats, RLD spokesperson Anil Dubey told PTI.

A broad understanding has also emerged that the coming 2019 Lok Sabha elections should be contested together by all Opposition parties, Dubey added.

The Samajwadi Party had caused a major upset in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha by-elections recently, wresting both the prestigious seats -- vacated by Yogi Adityanath and Keshav Prasad Maurya after becoming the state chief minister and deputy chief minister respectively -- with the Bahujan Samaj Party extending support to its candidates.

The victory had shown a way to the Opposition to come together for countering the BJP's victory march, especially in the run-up to the general elections, due to be held in 2019.

As far as the Kairana seat is concerned, where the RLD was keen to field Jayant Chaudhary in the bypoll, the party is understood to have agreed to extend support to a Samajwadi Party candidate, whereas it will field its candidate in Noorpur, a senior RLD leader said.

A formal announcement in this regard is likely to be made in a day or two, he added.

Before making an announcement, the SP and RLD are expected to apprise BSP chief Mayawati -- the other alliance partner -- regarding the names of the candidates, the RLD leader said, adding that all the Opposition parties must be kept united in order to counter the saffron challenge.

Though BSP has already declared that it would not take active part in any by-election, Mayawati will be consulted on the matter, as all the parties want to keep things clear among themselves in order to ensure the longevity of the alliance.

The Kairana and Noorpur seats fell vacant following the deaths of BJP lawmakers Hukum Singh and Lokendra Singh. Hukum had won the Kairana Lok Sabha poll in 2014 by getting 5.65 lakh votes. His closest rival, SP's Nahid Hassan, managed 3.30 lakh votes.

In the state Assembly elections last year, BJP's Lokendra won the Noorpur constituency. He got 79,000 votes, while SP candidate Naim-ul-Hassan managed 66,436 votes.

Kairana Lok Sabha seat has around 17 lakh voters. They include around three lakh Muslims, four lakh backward castes (Jat, Gujjar, Saini, Kashyap, Prajapati, and others) and about 1.5 lakh Jatav Dalits.]



The nomination process for the two seats are currently underway.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 4)  Ten policemen from Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 11 who allegedly extorted money from a drug suspect and their station chief were relieved for command responsibility, officials said Thursday.

The 10 suspects, including the head and nine other members of the station's drug enforcement group, will be held in restrictive custody at Camp Karingal in Quezon City.

They were identified from an investigation conducted by the QCPD Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT).

The CITF received the complaint on Thursday from a certain Lorenzo Soriano, who accused police of extorting his relative.

The officers allegedly demanded P200,000  only to ask for P100,000 more after the family paid.

Topping the list is the station's drug enforcement unit head, Chief Inspector Erwin Guevarra, and nine members of the unit:

Police Officer 2 (PO2) Noel Sanchez

PO2 Dennis Eria

PO1 Edward Ramos

PO1 Michael Eric Ramirez

PO1 Ray John Rodriguez

PO1 Gaudencio Escoton

PO1 Sepzon Suclad

PO1 Leny Atma

PO1 John Ryan Rodriguez

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Camilo Cascolan said Police Superintendent Igmedio Bernaldez, the police chief of Station 11, also known as Galas station, was relieved for command responsibility.

Cascolan urged the men to come clean during investigation. He added that this was part of law enforcement's efforts to clean up their ranks.

"We are very serious with our internal cleansing. Kaya kung nakita niyo kanina, SWAT na ang pumasok dito [If you noticed, SWAT entered the scene] because we do not want undisciplined people in our organization," said Cascolan. "We will weed them out. We will remove them."

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has been under scrutiny since President Rodrigo Duterte launched the war on drugs on July 2016. Human rights watchdogs maintain there have been about 13,000 deaths under the drug war, but government figures maintain only 4,000 have died in police operations.

Newly installed PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde has promised to prioritize internal cleansing of the police force. Some controversies include the killing of Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo in the PNP headquarters; the deaths of teens like Kian Delos Santos at the hands of Caloocan policemen; and Mandaluyong police mistakenly firing at a crime victim.
Russian police today detained several dozen supporters of opposition leader Alexei Navalny as nationwide protests kicked off on the eve of Vladimir Putin's inauguration for a fourth Kremlin term.

Navalny, who was barred from challenging Putin in the March presidential election, had called on Russians to stage a day of rallies across the country ahead of Putin's inauguration.

Protests kicked off in Russia's Far East and Siberia regions, with several dozen demonstrators detained by police, Navalny's team and independent monitors said.

In the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk 15 people including a journalist were detained, said OVD-Info, an independent monitoring group.

"Detentions were conducted in a rough manner," the monitor said, adding that some of the detained had scratches and bruises.

In the Urals city of Chelyabinsk police detained three people before the start of a protest, activist Boris Zolotaryovsky wrote on Facebook.

At least ten protesters were detained in the Siberian city of Barnaul, Navalny's team said.

In Moscow and Saint Petersburg -- where the rallies were to begin at 1100 GMT -- authorities have not granted permission for the demonstrations to go ahead.

A number of Navalny's activists were also detained across Russia ahead of the protests yesterday.

"Craven old man Putin thinks he is a tsar," Navalny said on Twitter ahead of the demonstrations. "But he is not our tsar." Observers have expressed fears that the protests could lead to clashes with police and mass arrests after similar rallies in 2012 led to a huge crackdown on the protest movement.

In May 2012, tens of thousands took to the streets to protest Putin's inauguration for a third Kremlin term.

The rallies descended into clashes with police and hundreds of protesters were detained.

Criminal charges were brought against around 30 demonstrators and many of them were sentenced to prison terms of between 2.5-4.5 years.

Putin, who has ruled Russia for almost two decades, was re-elected for a fourth Kremlin term in March.

He recorded his best ever election performance with more than 76 percent of the vote.

Opposition and independent monitors reported ballot stuffing and other cases of alleged fraud as the Kremlin pushed for a high turnout.

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Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed has filed a petition in the Lahore High Court, challenging a provincial government's decision to withdraw his security.

The provincial government of Punjab in Pakistan last month had withdrawn policemen deployed for the security of Jamaat-ud Dawa chief after the Supreme Court directed inspector-generals of Islamabad and all four provinces to take back security escorts from people who are not entitled to it.

The chief justice, however, later directed the top provincial police officials to ensure the provision of security to all those who face genuine security threats



In a petition filed through his counsel Advocate A K Dogar yesterday in the LHC, Saeed said the Punjab government on the pretext of the apex court order has withdrawn his security.

He said the Supreme Court had ordered that the security of those facing life threat should not be withdrawn.

"But the government made a wrong interpretation of the Supreme Court order in my case and has withdrawn my security despite threats to my life," Saeed said.

The founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, who carries a USD 10 million American bounty for his role in terror activities, accused the government of discrimination in his case.

"I request the court to make it a binding to follow the Supreme Court order in letter and spirit across the board and restore my security," he prayed.

The JuD usually makes an elaborate arrangements for the security of Saeed wherever he goes. Even at home the JuD special squad has been given the task of his security.

Saeed is the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people were killed. JuD was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

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Mumbai Police's Crime Branch has arrested two persons in connection with the killing of a 28-year-old finance manager of a salon, a senior official said today.

The victim, Kirti Vyas, was missing since March 16, said police officials.

Police officials said that Siddhesh Tamhankar(28) and Khushi Sajwani (42) were arrested yesterday night and were remanded in police custody till May 11 after the two were produced before a local court.

Police said the two arrested persons worked as account executive and account manager at a salon chain in suburban Andheri and used to report at work to Vyas.

Vyas was allegedly killed because she had issued a memo to one of the accused for not working properly, an official said.

"The case was cracked after a DNA test was done on blood samples found in the car of one of the accused. The two had picked up Vyas from her residence in that car," an official informed.

Vyas had gone missing on March 16 and her family, after scouring CCTV images of Grant Road and Mumbai Central railway stations to locate her, had filed a missing person's complaint at DB Marg police station.

Vyas, her family had told police, used to board the 9:11am Virar-bound suburban train from Grant Road to get to work at the salon in Andheri.

The case was later handed over to the Crime Branch which made the two arrests yesterday night.

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The CBI today registered a fresh case against arrested journalist Upendra Rai and his associate Rahul Sharma for allegedly extorting Rs 15 crore from a Mumbai-based builder by portraying himself as an income tax "power broker", officials said.

The case comes two days after Rai was arrested by the agency for alleged dubious financial transactions and getting an Aerodrome Access Pass on the basis of false information.

The Central Bureau of Investigation said that one of the directors of Mumbai-based White Lion Real Estate Developers Pvt Ltd, Balvinder Singh Malhotra, had filed a complaint with it against Rai.

The agency alleged Rai approached Kapil Wadhawan, a relative of the promoters of the company, in September 2017, portraying himself as an income tax power broker.

He also gave his credentials as a senior journalist to Wadhawan, who was connected to big media houses, the agency alleged in its FIR.

The CBI claimed Rai told Wadhawan that he had sensitive information from the tax department about possible raids on the real estate firm and associated companies and that action might be initiated against the company under the Benami Act as well.

He then threatened that he had the potential to tarnish the image of the White Lion companies and promoters due to his media connections, the complaint, now part of the FIR, said.

When Wadhawan met Rai at his Greater Kailash-1 residence in Delhi, Rai showed him purported documents of the Income Tax department indicating action was being contemplated against various companies including White Lion., the CBI alleged.

The meeting was followed by calls from media, it claimed.

He demanded a huge amount to "settle" the issue and "manage" media coverage, the agency alleged.

Later, a consultancy agreement was signed on October 3 last year between M/s Upendra Rai and Associates and White Lion for a period beginning October 1 till September 30, 2018 to work out an arrangement to pay the huge amount demanded, it alleged.

According to the CBI, the complainant alleged, "As per the agreement, a sum of Rs 15.19 crore (excluding GST and TDS) was paid from our Axis Bank, Bandra account to Rai's HDFC Bank account between October 2017 and April 2018.

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BJP chief Amit Shah today asked the Congress not to involve foreign nations in India's domestic as he wondered why the party involved Pakistan in such matters.

Shah tweeted screenshots of Pakistan government paying tributes to Tipu Sultan, who ruled parts of present day Karnataka, on his death anniversary yesterday and Mani Shankar Aiyar's reported praise of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the neighbouring country.

"The Congress and Pakistan have amazing telepathy. Yesterday, Pakistan government remembered Tipu Sultan, whose jayanti (birth anniversary) the Congress marks with fanfare and today Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar admires Jinnah. Be it Gujarat or Karnataka polls, I fail to understand why Congress involves Pakistan," he claimed.

Shah, in his tweets, also referred to a meeting of Congress leaders with Pakistani officials during the Gujarat polls last year.

"During Gujarat elections we saw how dinner meetings with topmost Pakistan officials were held to defeat the BJP and now the mutual love for Tipu Sultan and Jinnah. I appeal to the Congress not to involve foreign nations in our domestic Let's keep the discourse civil and positive," he said.

The Congress had then rejected the BJP's charge, voiced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi among others, and accused it of deliberately bringing Pakistan into the election discourse to polarise voters.

The BJP chief's comments come amid a row over the presence of Jinnah's portrait in Aligarh Muslim University, with his party's leaders demanding its removal.

The saffron party has also sought to corner the Congress government in Karnataka for holding events to commemorate the former Mysore king's birth anniversary. BJP leaders have claimed that Tipu Sultan was involved in atrocities against Hindus.

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The state of Sikkim, nestled in the Himalayas, is set to join the aviation network of the country, with the Pakyong airport obtaining license today to start commercial operation.

Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu took to Twitter to announce the development, saying the license would pave the way for direct air connectivity to the state, giving boost to tourism and economic growth.

"The Pakyong (Gangtok) Airport at Sikkim got license today for scheduled operations. It's an engineering marvel at a height of more than 4,500 ft in a tough terrain. Will pave way for direct air connectivity to our lovely state of Sikkim, giving boost to tourism & economic growth," he tweeted.

Pakyong airport, about 30 km from the state capital of Gangtok, will be the 100th operational airport when it begins operation, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha had said on Wednesday.

Low-cost airline SpiceJet has been granted permission to fly to Pakyong from Kolkata under the Civil Aviation Ministry's regional connectivity scheme.

Sikkim was the only state remaining without a functional airport. The airport was built at an estimated cost of Rs 350 crore and was hailed an engineering marvel given the inhospitable terrain and the geographical location of the state.

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The Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Changing has said that his state has set an example for judicious use of its bio-diversity for sustainable development.

Sikkim has only over 12 per cent of the state's area under cultivation, but the state has been able to provide livelihood to 64 per cent of its population by maintaining high agro-genetic diversity, Chamling said here yesterday.

He was speaking at an international conference on biodiversity and sustainable development goals with the theme 'Sustainable Livelihood and Protecting the Planet'.

"We have consciously undertaken measures for judicious use of bio-diversity to create congenial for sustainable development. We may be small in geographical area, but we have given high priority to maintaining rich bio-diversity, designing specific schemes to create payments and incentives for eco-system services" he said.

Sikkim has achieved adequate yield of agricultural and horticultural produces to meet domestic demand by fully practising organic farming, he said.

He said that protection of its forest was a priority of his government.

The state government has laid down Sikkim Forest Tree (Amity & Reverence) Rules, 2017, wherein, any person can adopt a tree as his/her 'mith' or friend inspiring the people to adopt any tree as life-long companion.

"I am a tree lover too and have adopted Rhododendron, the state tree as my mith," he said.

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The situation at Aligarh Muslim University remained peaceful today, days after protests rocked the campus over a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah which hangs at the student union office.

The indefinite dharna and boycott of academic activities by students, however, continued for the third day today.

Police on Wednesday resorted to lathicharge, lobbed teargas shells to disperse AMU students demanding the arrest of protesters who had barged into the campus, agitating over the portrait of the Pakistan founder.

Meanwhile, the president of Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union, Geeta Kumari, today asked the RSS and different saffron groups to "stop interfering in the internal affairs" of different educational institutions in the country.

Addressing the protesting AMU students at their dharna site, Geeta Kumari said, "The AMU and all other universities are autonomous institutions and we will not accept attacks by such organisations in the affairs of different educational institutions."



She asked the saffron groups to stop taunting Muslims and repeatedly asking them to "go to Pakistan".

"India belongs to all and the RSS or any group does not have the right to appropriate the right and to dictate as to who will stay in India and who will not," she said.

Among other prominent visitors to the dharna site was parliamentarian Pappu Yadav. The leader from Bihar told the student protestors that the issue of police "lathicharge on AMU students on Wednesday will be taken up by opposition parties because what took place was not a lathicharge but a premeditated attack on unarmed protesters".

Yadav said, "The RSS wants to rewrite the history of India by tampering with it. I call upon you to change the history of India by inflicting a historic defeat to the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

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Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said today that an inquiry would be conducted into the killing of a police officer in an encounter with militants and to ascertain the quality of bullet-proof jacket worn by him.

Bhaskar Kalita, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bordumsa Police Station, was killed in an encounter with ULFA (Independent) militants yesterday night in Tinsukia along the inter-state boundary with Arunachal Pradesh.

Sonowal told reporters here that a probe would be ordered to verify the quality of the bullet-proof jacket used by Kalita during the operation.

Director General of Police Kula Saikia said investigations would be done as to when the jacket was purchased, who was responsible for procuring it and the supplier involved.

Saikia also said that operations against the ULFA would be intensified to prevent the insurgent outfit from resorting to subversive activities.

The slain police officer's wife Sangeeta Kalita, who also works in Assam Police (Special Branch), questioned how "poor quality bullet-proof jackets were procured without considering the safety of its personnel".

Kalita's body was brought to Guwahati today where his last rites were performed.

On receiving information about the presence of a group of ULFA(I) extremists in a house near Bordumsa, Assam Police and Cobra Battalion of CRPF led by Bhaskar Kalita raided the area near Bordumsa yesterday night.

As the security forces cordoned off the area, the insurgents opened fire and in the exchange of bullets, the OC was shot dead, Additional Director General of Police (Special Branch) Pallav Bhattacharyya said.

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Controversial quotes were reportedly found written on the door of a chapel at Delhi University's St Stephen's college here.

Students union president Sai Aashirwaad said inflammatory quotes like 'Mandir Yahi Banega' were found written on the chapel's main door, while an 'Om' symbol along with the words 'I'm going to hell' was found on the cross situated behind the chapel yesterday.

"The messages, however, were cleared today," he said.

The college administration had announced preparatory holidays for students from April 28, with only those having practical exams attending the college.

Principal John Varghese was unavailable for comments.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 4)  The bones of a Filipino worker were found in a purifying tank in South Korea, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed Friday on CNN Philippiness Newsroom.

DFA spokesman Elmer Cato said South Korean authorities suspect this is a case of murder committed by another Filipino.

The Philippine Embassy in Seoul has actually been working with police authorities there in South Korea regarding the case of the Filipino factory worker who has been missing for two years, said DFA spokesperson Elmer Cato.

Cato said the countrys authorities asked help from the Philippine Embassy in Seoul in identifying the skeletal remains found in the tank early April.

Its DNA matched with samples submitted by the 34-year old victims family in the Philippines, he said.

Cato added that there were four Filipinos suspected to be involved in the killing, but evidence lead to one Filipino as the main suspect.

According to the (South Korean) police, the suspect is in the Philippines and they have requested the assistance of the Philippine National Police and Interpol, he said.

DFA, however, said they have no information yet on the possible motivation in the killing.

CNN Philippines Rex Remitio contributed to this report
The US today termed as "Orwellian nonsense" China's attempts to compel private firms to use specific language of a political nature in their publicly available content and asked Beijing to stop threatening American carriers and citizens.

On April 25, the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration sent a letter to 36 foreign air carriers, including a number of American carriers.

The notice demanded that carriers change how Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao are identified on their websites and in their promotional material so that the references fall in line with the Communist Party's standards, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.

"The United States strongly objects to China's attempts to compel private firms to use specific language of a political nature in their publicly available content. We call on China to stop threatening and coercing American carriers and citizens," she said in a strongly worded statement.

Noting that President Donald Trump ran against political correctness in the US, Sanders said he will stand up for Americans resisting efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to impose Chinese political correctness on American companies and citizens.

"This is Orwellian nonsense and part of a growing trend by the Chinese Communist Party to impose its political views on American citizens and private companies," Sanders said.

"China's internal Internet repression is world-famous. China's efforts to export its censorship and political correctness to Americans and the rest of the free world will be resisted," she said.

Sanders said the US respected the broad freedom private companies have in their interactions with their customers, both in the US and abroad.

"This respect is essential for a robust global marketplace," she said.

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To tackle the effects of climate change, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) today launched a chapter for South Asian countries and urged mayors and commissioners from India as well as local governments across the region to join the coalition and commit to moving towards a low-carbon and climate resilient economy.

The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy-South Asia (GCoM-SA) aims to support the efforts of cities in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make their communities more resilient toward the effects of climate change.

It was launched within the context of the South Asian Cities Summit and with support from the European Union (EU)-funded International Urban Cooperation programme in India and city network partners.

GCoM Vice-Chair and former executive secretary of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Christiana Figueres, who was the architect behind the historic Paris Agreement, said the aim is to let the cities have a reach and voice on how global actions and policies to tackle climate change can ensure benefit for the people.

"Tackling climate change in South Asian cities is about delivering this opportunity for economic development, jobs, growth, long-term resilience and improving quality of life. It is also about ensuring that we reach the global climate turning point to bend the curve of emission downward by 2020 to ensure the long-term resilience of our cities and other areas," Figueres said.

"The leadership demonstrated by participation of cities in the South Asian regional chapter of the Global Covenant of Mayors is an essential part of ensuring that we grab this critical opportunity to create a better world," she said.

Tomasz Kozlowski, the Ambassador of the European Union to India, said, "Through International Urban Cooperation programme, the EU will support the South Asian secretariat, develop context-relevant GCoM material, support the technical assistance tools as well as promote scientific assessment processes inspired by best practices from the European Union and city networks."



According to a release, Surat and Gangtok today committed to join this coalition of cities. Till date, 14 cities in South Asia representing a population of more than 36 million have committed to the covenant.

It said, "Indian cities will host 200 million more people by 2030... The country's future urban planning and implementation will have a decisive influence on global climate and impact international efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions," a statement said.

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Ten Naxals were arrested from separate places in Chhattisgarhs insurgency-hit Bijapur district, police said today.

The arrests were made during search operations launched by security forces in the jungles of Bijapur in view of a bandh (shutdown) call given by Naxals, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Mohit Garg told PTI.

Separate teams of District Reserve Guard (DRG), Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and District Force (DF) were involved in these operations which were underway since yesterday, he said.

Maoists had given a bandh call on Friday to protest against an encounter (on April 22) in Gadhchiroli in neighbouring Maharashtra in which 39 ultras, including senior ranking operatives, were gunned down by security forces.

Today, six Naxals were arrested by a squad of DRG and DF when it was cordoning off jungles of Loded, Dhangol and Dampaya villages under Madded police station area, he said.

Three others were held from Polampalli forest under Basaguda police station limits by a team of the CoBRA's 204th battalion and DF, Garg added.

The official identified those arrested in Madded were identified as Pinnapalli Veera (45), Gaureya Dubba (59), Dubba Shankar (28), Dubba Kanhaiya (40), Kudiyam Ramesh (27) and Shankar Gote (22).

The Naxals arrested from Basaguda have been identified as Sodhi Raju (26), Madkam Pandu (24) and Kamlu Bheema (45), he said.

Another cadre, identified as Aaytu Madvi (22), was arrested from Darbha village under Kutru police station area by the local police, he said.

All those arrested were allegedly involved in attacks on police parties, attempt to murder, loot and other offences, he said.

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A Saudi delegation is on the strategic Yemeni island of Socotra in a bid to defuse tensions which erupted after the United Arab Emirates deployed troops there, Yemeni state media reported.

The UAE is a key partner in a Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting Huthi rebels since 2015 to restore Yemen's internationally recognised government to power.

A Yemeni government source told AFP the UAE deployed forces in Socotra without informing the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, which controls the island.

Socotra, which has been spared the violence that has ravaged mainland Yemen, sits at the exit of a bustling shipping lane that leads from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean.

A site of global importance for biodiversity and sometimes referred to as the "Galapagos of the Indian Ocean", it lies around 350 km off Yemen's southern coast.

The delegation led by Saudi general Ahmed Abderrahman al-Shiri met yesterday with Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher in the presence of an Emirati official, Saba agency reported.

It said the delegation was informed by the Yemeni government and Socotra officials "of what has recently happened on the island".

Talks also focused on "tensions that have existed in Socotra since the prime minister and his delegation arrived" on the island on Wednesday, Saba said.

The government source said the UAE forces arrived in Socotra as the premier landed in the island for a visit.

That sparked anger among residents who argued that there were no Huthi rebels on the island to justify such a deployment, the source added.

Although the UAE has been a pillar of the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Huthis, it has recently taken its distance from Hadi, analysts have said.

The UAE has worked closely with the Yemeni army and trained southern troops, but also backs separatists who wrenched control of the south from Hadi in January.

Meanwhile the UAE state minister for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash on Friday highlighted in a tweet on Friday the "historic links" between his country and Socotra.

"We have historic and family links with the residents of Socotra and we will back them during Yemen's ordeal which was sparked by the Huthis," he said.

The Yemen war has claimed nearly 10,000 lives since Riyadh and its allies joined the conflict in March 2015, triggering what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

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Three men wanted in connection with the alleged attack on a man, who later committed suicide at nearby Varappuzha, surrendered in a magistrate court in Aluva today, police said.

K M Vasudevan allegedly committed suicide after a gang forcibly entered his house and assaulted him last month.

The three men have been sent to 14-day judicial custody, police said.

A 26-year old man, S R Sreejith, had died in police custody in Varappuzha last month after being arrested in connection with the death of Vasudevan.

Talking to a Malayalam channel, one of those who surrendered, said Sreejith was not among the attackers.

The entire case including the suicide of Vasudevan is being probed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the government to investigate the case of custodial death of Sreejith, police said.

Police had earlier arrested 10 persons along with Sreejith in connection with the suicide of Vasudevan.

They were granted bail after police informed the court that they were wrongly arraigned as accused in the case.

Vasudevan, 54, committed suicide after the gang allegedly attacked him and threatened him over a scuffle with a neighbour.

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Following are the top stories from the northern region at 4.30 pm.

SRINAGAR DEL12



Srinagar: A major terror attack was foiled by the Jammu and Kashmir Police today and three Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were killed on the outskirts of Srinagar, police said.

JAMMU DEL17



Jammu: A vehicle in Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta's convoy skidded off the road and fell into a canal here today, killing a photographer of the state's information department and injuring five others, police said.

MUZAFFARNAGAR DES7



Muzaffarnagar The Station House Officer (SHO) of Chhapar police station in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh was suspended for allegedly making a casteist remark against a Dalit MLA of the ruling BJP.

LUCKNOW DEL15



Lucknow: Hoping to repeat the Gorakhpur and Phulpur feat, the Rashtriya Lok Dal will join the united Opposition to contest the upcoming bypolls to two seats in Uttar Pradesh against the BJP, an RLD leader said.

JAMMU NRG11



Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered detention of a former Harkat-ul- Mujahideen (HuM) militant under the Public Safety Act (PSA) apprehending that he may start recruiting innocent youths and provide them arms and ammunition to revive militancy in the Kishtwar district, an official said today.

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Twenty two pilgrims from Rajasthan had a providential escape today when the bus, which was ferrying them to Badrinath in Garhwal Himalayas, skidded off the road after being hit by a truck but was saved from falling into a deep gorge by a roadside tree.

ITBP and police personnel immediately rushed to the spot and rescued the pilgrims, ITBP commandant (Gauchar) Girish Chandra Purohit told reporters.

The incident occurred near Gauchar on Badrinath highway this morning when the bus with 22 pilgrims from Rajasthan was on its way to the Himalayan shrine.

"The bus was hit by a truck coming from the opposite direction. As it skidded towards a gorge about 90-ft deep, it got entangled in a roadside tree which brought it to a halt serving as a safety wall," the official of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) said.

All the passengers were rushed to the ITBP hospital from where five who had sustained serious injuries were referred to another centre, Purohit said.

The rest of them are being treated at the ITBP hospital, he said, adding they were all out of danger.

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US President Donald Trump opened up a new controversy as he defended American gun laws by contrasting them with London's stringent anti-gun legislation, claiming it resulted in one of the British capital's hospitals turning into a war zone due to a rise in knife crime instead.

In a speech to the National Rifle Association (NRA) in Dallas, Texas, yesterday in which he spoke out in favour of liberal gun laws, the US president sarcastically questioned whether vans, trucks and cars, which have been used as weapons by terrorists, should also be banned before turning to knives.

I recently read a story that in London, which has unbelievably tough gun laws, a once very prestigious hospital, right in the middle, is like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds, Trump said.

Yes, that's right, they don't have guns, they have knives and instead there's blood all over the floors of this hospital. They say it's as bad as a military war zone hospital, he added.

He then went on to make a stabbing gesture in the air several times and muttered, Knives, knives, knives".

Trump is due to visit the UK on July 13, after previously cancelling a trip amid calls for mass protests on the streets of Britain. His latest comments also triggered a strong reaction, with London trauma surgeon Dr Martin Griffiths offering to give Trump a tour of his prestigious Royal London Hospital. It is believed Trump was referencing a comment made by Dr Griffiths during a BBC Radio interview earlier this year.

Happy to invite Mr Trump to my (prestigious) hospital to meet with our mayor and police commissioner to discuss our successes in violence reduction in London, Griffiths tweeted, alongside an image which indicated the US president had missed the point of his statement.

At least 38 people in London have lost their lives to knife crime so far this year as the city saw a spike in stabbings, according to Scotland Yard.

Marian Fitzgerald, a criminologist at the University of Kent, said although there had been a spike in knife-related deaths in London, it was a separate issue to gun control.

"It's just politically convenient, in a speech to the gun rights lobby, to try and make those comparisons and they are totally spurious. If he needs reassurance, Donald Trump is going to be much safer in London than he would be at home," she said.

This is not the first time Trump has made a controversial statement related to the British capital's safety record.

Last year, Trump criticised London Mayor Sadiq Khan, hours after a deadly terrorist attack, based on a misinterpretation of an outdated tweet. Khan's office had said at the time that the mayor had more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump's ill-informed tweet that deliberately takes out of context his remarks.

If he comes to London, President Trump will experience an open and diverse city that has always chosen unity over division and hope over fear. He will also no doubt see that Londoners hold their liberal values of freedom of speech very dear, the London ayor said in a tweet last month when Trump's July visit was confirmed.

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President Donald Trump will host South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in for talks at the White House on May 22, as anticipation builds for much-awaited meetings with the North's leader.

"This third summit between the two leaders affirms the enduring strength of the United States-Republic of Korea alliance and the deep friendship between our two countries," the White House said in a statement.

Moon met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last month, and both sides promised to pursue the complete denuclearization of the peninsula and a permanent peace.

North Korea has offered to close its nuclear test site this month -- and invited US experts to verify the move.

"President Trump and President Moon will continue their close coordination on developments regarding the Korean Peninsula following the April 27 inter-Korean Summit," the White House added.

"The two leaders also will discuss President Trump's upcoming meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un." The US president suggested earlier this week that the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas -- scene of the historic Kim-Moon talks -- could also be an appropriate venue for his own meeting with Kim.

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US President Donald Trump will host his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in at the White House on May 22, according to an official announcement today.

During the meeting, Moon would brief Trump on his recent summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Moon met with Kim Jong-un last week at a Korean border village during last week's inter-Korea summit. The two leaders agreed to end hostile acts against each other along their tense border, establish a liaison office and resume reunions of separated families.

They also agreed to achieve a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, but failed to produce specific time frames and disarmament steps.

Trump himself is scheduled to have a summit meeting with Kim Jong-un, the date and venue for which "have been decided and will be announced soon".

"This third summit between the two leaders affirms the enduring strength of the United StatesRepublic of Korea alliance and the deep friendship between our two countries," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.

"The two leaders also will discuss President Trump's upcoming meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un," she said.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 5)  Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno wants Supreme Court (SC) Justice Samuel Martires to inhibit from the quo warranto petition seeking her ouster.

In a motion to inhibit filed Friday, Sereno accused Martires of "actual bias" against her during the April 10 oral arguments on the petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida.

Sereno said she viewed Martires' comments as a "suggestion that the respondent suffers from some 'mental' or 'psychological' illness because of her pervasive belief in God."

"(S)uch position was purely personal to Justice Martires," she said.

The Chief Justice said Martires has used her faith as basis to assess her competence, other than the issue of the Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs)  which were the subject of the quo warranto petition.

"His objectivity and impartiality therefore appears to have been impaired," she said.

Sereno's plea also sought the SC en banc to resolve her earlier motions to inhibit Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, Lucas Bersamin, Diosdado Peralta and Martires from her ouster petition.

All of them except Martires previously refused to inhibit from the ouster proceedings, citing lack of merit.

Calida filed a quo warranto, a legal proceeding where an individual's right to hold office is challenged, before the SC to void Sereno's appointment as chief justice over her alleged failure to file SALNs for 10 years.

The embattled Chief Justice is also facing another ouster in Congress, as the House of Representatives will vote on her impeachment when Congress resumes session on May 15.
President Donald Trump is meeting with supporters and highlighting the benefits of the Republican tax law in Cleveland.

Trump is in Ohio today to attend a fundraiser for the Republican National Committee, meeting first with high-dollar givers and then addressing a larger group of about 250 donors. The RNC says Trump is raising USD 3 million.

Trump is also participating in a roundtable with small business owners who are expected to discuss how the tax law affects them.

Trump's visit comes as Republicans are facing an increasingly challenging midterm election environment.

Ohio has several competitive races this November. The GOP is placing its election hopes on convincing Americans that the tax law is improving their lives, as the party seeks to skirt political headwinds emanating from the White House.

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Four opposition parties in Turkey announced a political alliance today ahead of the country's June 24 national election, aiming to mount a meaningful challenge to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party.

Lawmaker Bulent Tezcan of the main opposition Republican People's Party announced the "nation alliance." His secular party is joining forces with the newly-founded nationalist Good Party, the Islamic-leaning Felicity Party and the center-right Democrat Party in a bid to weaken the ruling party's 16-year dominance in parliament.

The parties have nominated their own presidential candidates to run against Erdogan but will run as an alliance for the parliamentary election, which is scheduled for the same day.

The presidential and parliamentary elections were scheduled for November 2019 but were moved up by more than a year. The vote will usher in a new system of governance, which was narrowly approved in a referendum last year.

The executive presidency will abolish the office of the prime minister and concentrate more powers in the hands of the president.

Tezcan said parliamentary candidates from the Democrat Party would run under the Good Party. The small party has also announced that it would support Good Party leader and presidential candidate Meral Aksener, a former interior minister.

The alliance statement said it brings together "different lifestyles and political opinions" under democratic principles for peace and stability in Turkey.

But the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party the second largest opposition party in parliament has been kept out of the alliance amid heightened Turkish nationalism. Its two former leaders, seven other legislators and nearly 4,700 members are in jail fighting terror charges.

The ruling Justice and Development Party has its own alliance with the Nationalist Movement Party, which was once an opposition party, to jointly endorse Erdogan for the presidency and run together for parliament.

That alliance is supported by the far-right Islamic-leaning Great Unity Party, whose candidates will run under the ruling party's ticket.

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UK Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific Mark Field will be on a two-day visit to India starting May 7 during which he will hold high-level talks on technology, cyber security and energy with his Indian counterpart, the British High Commission said today.

Field is visiting India to follow up on the ambitious set of deliverables that were agreed to last month during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the UK, the commission said in a statement.

I'm looking forward to visiting India once more to discuss a range of bilateral issues and build on the tremendous success of the recent visit to the UK by Prime Minister Modi," Field was quoted saying in the statement.

He said the UK is committed to working with India to unlock the full potential of the trade and investment relationship.

Field will meet Minister of State for Extrenal Affairs MJ Akbar and NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on May 7, it said.

On the same day, he will also visit ASHA, a civil society organisation working for women empowerment and environment.

On May 8, Field will travel to Hyderabad to attend a roundtable on Corporate Green Leadership' and also visit T-Hub, India's largest incubator.

He will also interact with rural girl students at Voice Camp, an event organised by civil society organisation Voice4Girls.

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Britain's Foreign Office minister Mark Field will arrive in New Delhi on Monday on a two-day India visit for high-level talks on strengthening the bilateral tech alliance.

The Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific, who is also in charge of India, will also hold talks on cyber security, energy and girls' education during his visit to New Delhi and Hyderabad.

His visit comes soon after Prime Minister and his British counterpart launched the UK-India Tech Alliance in London last month.

"I am looking forward to visiting India once more to discuss a range of bilateral issues and build on the tremendous success of the recent visit to the UK by Prime Minister Modi," Field said.

"As two countries with a global outlook, the UK is committed to working with India to unlock the full potential of our trade and investment relationship," he said.

The minister said he will be meeting Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar and Amitabh Kant, CEO of Niti Aayog, to follow up on the "ambitious" set of deliverables that were agreed last month during the UK visit of Modi, specifically on the India-UK Tech Partnership.

While in New Delhi, the senior Conservative party MP will also visit ASHA a civil society organisation working for women empowerment and the environment.

On Tuesday, Field will travel to Hyderabad to attend a roundtable on "Corporate Green Leadership" and also visit T-Hub, India's largest incubator housing over 200 start-ups.

He will also interact with rural girl students at Voice Camp, an event organised by civil society organisation Voice4Girls in collaboration with British Deputy High Commission (BDHC) Hyderabad.

Voice4Girls, a social enterprise, partnered with BDHC in a project on sensitisation of college students and adolescent girls on sexual harassment and safety in Hyderabad.
President Ram Nath Kovind today



hailed the University of Madras as a "model" for the country, saying it was institutions such as these that people turned to for direction and leadership.

Delivering the 160th convocation address at the prestigious Madras University here, he said, "Our country is seeking to meet opportunities as well as challenges of the fourth industrial revolution of robotics, genomics and artificial intelligence".

"It is institutions such as these that we turn to for direction and leadership at the beginning of the 21st century. This is an exciting chapter for India," he said.

The president said no other university in the country could boast of the fact that six former presidents had studied in the varsity.

"S Radhakrishnan, V V Giri, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, R Venkataraman, K R Narayanan and A P J Abdul Kalam all studied here before eventually graduating to the highest office in Rashtrapati Bhavan," Kovind said, adding the first governor-general C Rajagopalachari was also an alumnus of the premier university.

Noting that Tamil Nadu has a proud culture of research and innovation in pure science, medicine, engineering and manufacturing, he said, "The state has a well regarded IT sector and a growing digital economy".

"These are complemented by excellence in humanities. It is no surprise that the Tamil language is among the most ancient in the world," Kovind said after presenting degrees to the new graduands.

Paying rich encomiums to the university, popularly known as 'Mother of Universities' in the southern region, the president said, "It is truly a monumental institution".

He said the ability of the University of Madras to incorporate change while keeping basic values intact helped it stay contemporary and relevant to emerging needs of students and society.

Stressing the need to aspire to the next level, the president said the university should bench mark itself against the best in the world and continue to remain competitive for top students and faculty.

Referring to the Centre's programme to promote excellence in higher by building capacities of 20 institutions of eminence, Kovind said, "I am told the University of Madras has prepared an ambitious and detailed plan in this regard. I wish you all the best".

The president also invited the graduates and their parents to visit the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Later, Kovind presided over the graduation day of Guru Nanak College here and inaugurated the Guru Amar Das block and Shaheed Baba Deep Singh auditorium.

Pointing out that one-third of the graduates were girls, he said, "By educating a daughter, we educate not one but two families".

Lauding the college for its 'langar' kitchen that provided free meal to 700 students daily, he said,"Tamil Nadu is the state that gave India the idea of mid-day meal programme in schools".

However, a mid-day meal at the college-level is unique, the president added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A US court today sentenced to life imprisonment a Navy veteran who yelled "get out of my country" before killing Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla in a racially motivated hate crime at a bar in Kansas City last year.

A federal judge in Kansas sentenced Adam Purinton to nearly 78 years in prison as part of a plea agreement reached in March. Purinton would not be eligible for parole until after he turns 100, KSHB reported.

In March this year, Purinton, 52, had pleaded guilty to the charges of murdering Kuchibhotla.

Purinton was charged with first-degree murder of Kuchibhotla, 32, and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the shootings of his friend, Alok Madasani, and a bystander, who chased Purinton after he fled the Austin's Bar and Grill in Olathe city on February 22 last year.

In addition to the state charges, Purinton faces prosecution in federal court. The US Attorney's Office in Kansas filed hate crime charges against Purinton last June.

Purinton, yelled, "get out of my country," before shooting Kuchibhotla, who later died from injuries sustained in the attack.

Federal hate crime charges are pending against Purinton, who is scheduled to enter a plea in that case on May 21.

Kuchibhotla is survived by his wife Sunayana Dumala, who welcomed the court's decision.

"Today's sentencing in the murder of my husband will not bring back my Srinu, but it sends a strong message that hate is never acceptable," Dumala said in a statement.

"I want to thank the District Attorney's office and the Olathe police for their efforts to bring this man to justice," she said.

Dumala also submitted a statement read into the court record in which she described the night of her husband's murder and the knock at the front door by police that brought her the life-changing on February 22, 2017.

Kuchibhotla was an Indian national who worked as an aviation systems engineer and programs manager at GPS maker Garmin.

Kuchibhotla hailed from Hyderabad. He had a master's degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso. He earned his bachelor's degree from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Arsene Wenger will bid farewell to a stadium he helped to build in more ways than one when he leads Arsenal at the Emirates for the final time at home to Burnley tomorrow.

Wenger's final season after 22 years in charge is destined to end in disappointment after Thursday's Europa League semi-final exit to Atletico Madrid.

Sixth-placed Arsenal are already out of the running for a top-four finish, and could even finish below their visitors this weekend in seventh with a poor return from Wenger's final three games in charge.

Tributes will be paid to the Frenchman at full-time on Sunday with Arsenal's players even embarking on an end of season lap of honour.

Once again, though, it will be a parade without a trophy as it often has been since Arsenal moved to the Emirates in 2006.

The success Wenger produced in his first decade at the club, winning two doubles and 'The Invincibles' unbeaten season on course to another Premier League triumph in 2003/04, created the demand to move to a 60,000-capacity stadium from Highbury.

However, whilst the Emirates was intended to give Arsenal the financial resources in the long term to compete with not just England's, but Europe's elite, it significantly hampered Wenger's ability to challenge in the short term.

Wenger claimed it was his commitment to remain with the club that helped to secure bank loans needed to build the stadium.

He was so tied to the move, Wenger even helped in the design of some parts of the stadium such as the dressing rooms.

- 'Most difficult period' -



===========================



However, once the move had taken place, Wenger was often forced to sell his best players to pay back those loans at the same time huge investment poured into Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United.

"In 2006 the most difficult period of my life started. We had restricted finances, we had to pay back a huge amount of money and we had to sell our best players," Wenger told BT Sport ahead of last season's FA Cup final.

"That was, for me, the biggest period of pressure between 2006 and 2014. If you told me today I'd do that again I would say 'no thank you, I'll leave that to someone else.'"



By the time Arsenal were ready to join in the arms race in the last four years, the Gunners were playing catch up and Wenger too far stuck in his ways to enact the change that was needed.

Wenger is finally leaving the job to someone else, albeit it seems against his better judgement having admitted the timing of his departure "was not really my decision".

He also claimed he was going to help unite a fan base that has grown increasingly frustrated at his inability to mould a team capable of contending to win the Premier League.

That has been reflected in dwindling attendances at the Emirates in recent months.

Tomorrow, though, the Arsenal fans have one final chance to gather and thank the most successful ever manager in the stadium that stands for the legacy he leaves behind.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An Islamic organisation questioned today the rationale behind the demand of some right-wing activists for removing a portrait of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah from the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

"What is the rationale behind such a demand after it has been there in public view for the past 80 years? Even if someone has such a demand, they can move courts for the same... Why such a row over it?" asked Jamaat-e-Islami Hind president Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari.

Describing it as a small issue that has been blown out of proportion, Umari said it has long been the practise in AMU to display portraits of its lifetime members of the students' union in the campus.

Jinnah's picture was in the campus since 1938. In all these years, no one had raised any objections or put forward any demand for its removal, he told reporters here.

Umari claimed that even some senior BJP leaders had not disputed Jinnah's role in the freedom struggle.

The JIH leader added it was a matter that needs to be resolved through talks with the students' union.

AMU students have been agitating for the past few days, demanding action against the right-wing protesters, who entered the campus and demanded removal of Jinnah's portrait from the student union's office.

The row started after local BJP MP Satish Gautam wrote to AMU, raising objections to the portrait.

Umari also flayed the policies of the BJP-led government at the Centre and alleged that democracy, secularism and the fundamental rights of the citizens were in danger.

He said the JIH would extend support to those forces that fight the saffron party.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
PARIS (Reuters) - Air France-KLM's board will decide on a management transition plan on May 15, the company said on Saturday, after CEO Jean-Marc Janaillac said he would step down when staff at its French brand rejected a pay deal. More than half of the staff at the French carrier who cast a ballot voted against the offer of a 7 percent salary increase over four years, prompting Janaillac to say he would resign.Strikes over the pay dispute, due to resume on May 7 and May 8, have cost the company 300 million euros ($360 million) so far. Janaillac, who is chairman at Air France as well as ...
By Jessica Toonkel(Reuters) - Shari Redstone, the media heiress whose family controls CBS Corp and Viacom Inc, has offered CBS CEO Leslie Moonves to drop her demands for Viacom CEO Bob Bakish to be his No. 2 following a merger, as long as Bakish sits on the combined company's board, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.The offer is an attempt by Redstone to resolve an impasse in the deal negotiations. Redstone has been trying to put together a deal that will keep Moonves, a 68-year-old media industry veteran credited with turning CBS around, at the helm, while positioning ...
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 5)  President Rodrigo Duterte is blaming the United States and his predecessor Benigno Aquino III for the continuing military build-up in the South China Sea.

He said Friday said that the U.S. and Aquino did not do enough to stop the military build-up. He was reacting to media reports days earlier citing U.S. intelligence assessment that China may have deployed anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles on three artificial islands in the South China Sea during recent military drills in the contested area.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque told reporters Saturday that the government will resort to diplomacy and all peaceful measures available to address the issue.

"You cannot build an island, artificial island on the high seas. That's not allowed. And the only country who could have stopped them was America," Duterte said in a speech in Davao Friday.

He said Aquino failed to confront China with the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, erroneously saying Aquino was still in office when the ruling came out.

"So Aquino filed an arbitration case. We won. He was still there. Bakit hindi niya ginawa kung 'yan talaga ang gusto ng 'yan silang mga yellow. Nanalo kayo. Nandiyan pa si Aquino, not so many months there. Bakit hindi niyo pinuntahan at sinita?" Duterte said.

[Translation: So Aquino filed an arbitration case. We won. He was still there. Why did he not attend to it if the yellows wanted it so much? You won, Aquino was still there. Why did you not head there and call them out?]

Under Aquino, the Philippines brought its disputes with China to international arbitration. The ruling came out on July 12, 2016  a few days after Duterte assumed office  invalidating China's vast territorial claims to the South China Sea on historical grounds and ruling overwhelmingly in favor of the Philippines.

Duterte has refused to demand China's immediate compliance with the ruling, but has promised to take up the tribunal decision with Beijing sometime during his six-year presidency.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Saturday said the Philippine government will resort to diplomacy over the alleged Chinese missile systems deployed in the contested islands of the South China Sea.

When asked how government would address the situation, Roque said, "It includes everything that's provided for in the U.N. (United Nations) Charter, it includes resort to diplomacy, resort to diplomatic protest if the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) deems it fit, but it resorts to all forms of peaceful resolutions of disputes."

China has reportedly deployed missile systems in three islands of the South China Sea during their exercises last month, U.S. defense officials said.

The approach, Roque said, capitalizes on China's relations with the Philippines.

"Dahil ang magkakaibigan naman, di tayo gumagamit ng dahas laban sa isa't-isa," he said.

[Translation: Friends don't use violence against each other.]

Malacanang earlier dismissed claims that the missiles were aimed at the country.
LOGAN  Around 100 people stopped by Mount Logan Middle School Thursday night to drop off expired and unused medications during a prescription drug take back event. The conference was organized by the Cache County Sheriffs Office, Bear River Health Department and University of Utah College of Pharmacy.

Deputy Damian Openshaw told the group that prescription drug abuse is one of the biggest problems in Cache Valley. Many medications are more powerful than street drugs, making them more addictive and dangerous.

Sheriff Chad Jensen has been in law enforcement for 26 years, working in the Drug Task Force before becoming Sheriff. He said it is frustrating to see the same people arrested over and over because of their addictions.

Within the last year, we had three generations of a family in jail at the same time, all for the same addiction type problems, he explained. It is a horrible thing for a family to go through and its a horrible thing for our county to deal with.

Jensen said there have been positives, though. While working for the sheriffs office, he has seen lives changed as people have overcome their addictions.

David Watkins, Prevention Coordinator at the Bear River Health Department also spoke. He said one of the easiest ways for families to protect themselves from addictions is to properly dispose of unused medications.

There is no safe amount of unsaved prescriptions in our medicine cabinets, Watkins told the group. We need to get rid of those. Seventy-four-percent in Utah that are addicted to opioid medication get them from a family member or friend.

He recommended that prescriptions never be thrown in the garbage or flushed down the toilet. Instead, they can be dropped off at the sheriffs office and any of the local police departments.

Jensen said around 17 lbs. of prescriptions were collected Thursday night during the event, including packaging and containers.

will@cvradio.com
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 5)  Philippine Airlines (PAL) flights plying the Manila-Caticlan route will be temporarily suspended beginning May 16 while Boracay Island remains closed.

PAL Spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said in a statement that flights on that route will operate four times weekly until May 15. The suspension will take effect from May 16 to October 26.

Meanwhile, daily flights between Manila and Kalibo will continue to operate to serve the travel needs of residents and the government rehabilitation team.

"The adjusted flight frequency is in support of the government's decision to temporarily close or limit access to Boracay for urgent major environmental rehabilitation of the island," the statement read.

PAL has deployed additional flights between Manila and Cebu, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa and Bacolod.

READ: PAL, Cebu Pacific adjust flights following Boracay Island closure

Passengers of the affected Kalibo and Caticlan flights have the option to rebook, reroute, refund. Passengers may contact PAL Hotline ((+632) (02) 855 - 8888, log on to www.philippineairlines.com or visit the nearest PAL ticketing office or partner travel agent for their concerns.

The decision to close down Boracay from tourists for six months was made in a Cabinet meeting in April, to give way to its rehabilitation. The island was closed on April 26.
Page Content

The next inter-institutional Open Day is scheduled on Saturday, 5 May 2018.

This year again, the European Committee of the Regions will provide a platform to advertise Europe's diversity with a festival of its regions and cities.

In view of the preparation of this event, the first partners' meeting will take place in the European Committee of the Regions (Rue Belliard 101, 1040 Brussels -room JDE 70 (7th floor) onThursday 8 February 2018 at 14.00 pm .
Douala Cathedral W. Musa

The house of the Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Douala came under attack Thursday night breaking Friday May 4, 2018. The men of the underworld visited the locality at unholy hour, shooting and breaking the windows in an attempt to make their way into the parochial house.

The Vicar General who exercises functions as Secretary General at the Metropolitan Archdioceses of Douala, Monsignor Dieoudonne Bayemeg, has confirmed this information stating further in a release that the attack took place at about 9:30 pm local time and that the attackers used a projectile to break the glasses of the windows.

In his release dated May 4, 2018, Mgr Bayemeg said, There was no human casualty as Police arrived the scene shortly after they were notified and together with the Archbishop, the Rector of the Cathedraltook away broken pieces of the windows which had fallen in the bedroom.

He revealed that the Attorney General of the Littoral Appeal Court accompanied by Forces of Law and Order and some investigators descended on the site of incident Friday to get details of the attack on the house of the Archbishop.

Mgr Bayemeg has exalted Christians to continue with their daily activities intensified with prayers at the time when Jesus Christs has just resurrected from death, while investigations take its course.

Some Radio stations in Douala reported that the attackers had fired gun shots in the air when they arrived.

It is not known whether the attackers needed something more than money because their target, being the Archbishops residence leaves much to be desired about the incident.
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Photo: File photo

A Canadian National Railway freight train has jumped the tracks near Boston Bar.

The railway's Andy Cummings says 19 cars from the mixed freight train were involved in the derailment late Thursday.

David Karn, a spokesman with B.C.'s Environmental Ministry, says none of the train cars were compromised and all remained upright.

Cummings says the train was travelling on Canadian Pacific Railway tracks and no one was injured in the derailment.

He says nothing was spilled or leaked into the waterway.

Cummings says an internal investigation has begun into the derailment.
The rural community of Faulder west of Summerland has been dealing with its own flooding challenges due to the spring freshet.

Darke Creek has breached its banks in several areas, swamping fields and contributing to pooling water on some parts of Fish Lake Road.

The area shares its headwaters with Garnet Valley, which the District of Summerland has under a local state of emergency due to a swollen Aeneas Creek.

The watershed was scorched by the 2,200 hectare Finlay Creek wildfire last year, which officials have said can have an impact on how the snowpack melts.

The RDOS wasnt able to comment specifically on the situation in Faulder Friday afternoon, but said it would release a news release on anything urgent for the community.

Snowpack estimates in the area done on May 1 by the District of Summerland place the snow depth at over 200 per cent of normal.
Photo: BC Gov An aerial few of a mudslide that wiped out part of Highway 3A at Yellow Lake on April 13.

Crews are still assessing how to fix the damage from a large mudslide that wiped out part of Highway 3A at Yellow Lake three weeks ago.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said the slide caused serious erosion of the road shoulder along Yellow Lake, and a "detailed engineering solution" is needed to reconstruct it.

"Drilling work will be taking place this week, and the approximate timeline for repairs will be known after the drilling has been completed," the ministry said in an email.

The slide occurred early in the morning on April 13, about 19 kilometres north of Keremeos, and closed the highway for more than four days.

It has been open to single-lane, alternating traffic since April 17.
Photo: VAHA

A non-profit housing society and the City of Vancouver are working together to build more than 1,000 affordable homes on city land, valued at $130 million.

Community Land Trust will work with the Vancouver Affordable Housing Agency to develop 1,039 units on seven sites as affordable rental housing, with occupancy expected by 2021.

The new homes will be operated by several non-profit housing societies and will be designed for singles and families earning between $30,000 and $80,000 annually.

Ninety of the units located in the downtown core will provide self-contained, safe and secure housing for women, while 169 units in the same area will be tailored to the needs of the HIV and LGBTQ community and their families.

The city says in a news release that 40 homes will be added to a townhome complex in Vancouver's River District and roughly 600 remaining units will be operated by other co-op and non-profit partners to be named in the coming months.

Mayor Gregor Robertson says it's the single largest investment in community housing of any city in Canada.

"Today is a big day for over 2,000 Vancouver residents who want to put down roots in our city but are struggling to find long-term affordable housing."

He says the land contribution is the latest step taken in Vancouver to ensure people with low to middle incomes can find a home and build a future in the city.

Work on the first building is expected to begin by the middle of next year, the release says.
Photo: File photo

The Lower Nicola Indian Band has declared a local state of emergency for the Nicola-Mameet Reserve No. 1.

The declaration enables the Lower Nicola Indian Band to undertake whatever works are required to mitigate flood potential including along Guichon Creek.

The band is working with the Thompson Nicola Regional District as Guichon Creek straddles both band land and TNRD Area M properties.

Currently, six residences on Fyall Road have been put on evacuation alert.

All residents are reminded local rivers and streams are rising due to the spring freshet and are warned to keep themselves, children and pets a safe distance of 10 metres from banks.

The local state of emergency at Joeyaska Reserve # 2 has expired and the evacuation alert to those residents is lifted.
Photo: CTV

Powerful winds wreaked havoc in southern and central Ontario on Friday, leaving thousands of people without power, causing flight disruptions and claiming the life of at least two people.

Wind gusts of close to 120 km/h were observed in the wake of a cold front that moved across the province, Environment Canada said.

The weather agency lifted its wind warnings for the most of the region Friday evening except for parts of southeastern Ontario.

Police west of Toronto said a tree fell on two men in Milton, killing one and injuring the other.

"They were working on tree servicing, and as they were doing that, the wind picked up and a tree fell on the two individuals," Staff Sgt. Jeff Foster with Halton regional police said.

He said a 28-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene and a 18-year-old man was rushed to a Hamilton hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Foster said the Ministry of Labour is investigating.

Hamilton police said that just before 7 p.m., a man in his 50s was found unconscious on a road and "in contact with live wires."

Witnesses said the man had been trying to clear downed power lines from the roadway.

Police said the man was pronounced dead shortly after emergency services arrived on scene.

Meanwhile, Pearson International Airport suspended operations for about two hours due to the extreme winds. The airport lifted its "ground stop" by about 8 p.m., but warned travellers of continued delays.

Hydro One said more than 180,000 customers were without power, adding that all available crews were responding to outages.

"Our priority right now is to respond to emergencies and start repairing main lines so that we can get the largest numbers of customers restored as quickly and safely as possible," CEO Greg Kiraly said in an online statement.

In Milton, the winds downed 12 hydro poles, leaving some 10,000 customers without power. Toronto Hydro said about 68,000 of its customers have been affected.

Police forces across the region said they are responding to many calls of downed wires, poles and trees, resulting in multiple road closures.

Peel regional police said a tree came frighteningly close to striking a school bus in Mississauga.

Police said 72 children between the ages of seven and 10 were on the bus at the time, but there were no reports of injuries.
Photo: The Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier KathleenWynne visit Toyota facility in Cambridge, Ont.

The federal and Ontario governments will pitch in a combined $220 million toward a $1.4-billion upgrade at two Toyota Canada manufacturing plants.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement Friday at Toyota's plant in Cambridge, Ont., which, along with a facility in Woodstock, Ont., will see the upgrades.

"The government of Canada will be contributing $110 million in partnership with the government of Ontario, which will match our investment," Trudeau said.

Upon completion of the upgrades, the Cambridge and Woodstock factories will become Toyota's North American manufacturing hub for the RAV4, including hybrid versions.

The investment is expected to result in the creation of 450 new jobs and 1,000 new co-op jobs, and spending of $200 million by Toyota in research and development in Canada over the next 10 years.

The two plants currently employ about 8,000 people and produce more than half a million vehicles each year.

"These measures support Canada's competitiveness and build our capacity to do the kind of advanced automotive research and production that companies like Toyota want to do more of," Trudeau said

The announcement comes against the backdrop of a potential final push for a new NAFTA deal this year where the auto industry has been a crucial part of talks so far.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said she pushed Toyota on a trip to Japan, touting the province's automotive sector.

"It's a vote of confidence in our talented workforce and in our entire province," she said.

The announcement also comes just days before the election campaign officially begins in Ontario.
Photo: CTV Triss Hunter, 16, is not being allowed to attend her boyfriend's prom.

A Lower Mainland teen struggling with a medical condition has been barred from attending her boyfriend's prom because she missed too many school days.

Triss Hunter, 16, lives with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a connective tissue disorder that can cause chronic, unexpected pain which forced her to miss school due to medical appointments.

Triss's mother, Sarah, admits she doesn't always call in to report her daughter's absences.

But those absences are the reason the school has told Triss she can't attend prom.

Triss said she tried to explain to her principal why she missed school.

I have to go to physiotherapy three times a week and I have to go to doctors' appointments at any random time," Triss said.

Mission Schools wouldn't directly discuss Triss's case because of privacy, but told CTV News in a statement that they try their best to accommodate students' needs.

"There's always flexibility and there are always allowances for individual needs and challenges," the statement said.

B.C.'s education minister said Triss's story was brought to his attention Friday, and that he was concerned.

"We are reaching out to the school district to better understand the situation," Rob Fleming said in a statement to CTV.

- with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: Google Maps Guichon Creek has flooded its banks, forcing the evacuation of six homes on Fyall Road.

UPDATE: 1:35 p.m.

All 14 residences in the Guichon Creek Mobile Home Park have been evacuated due to the flooding of Guichon Creek.

The evacuation of the park, which sits just west of the creek, comes shortly after six homes on the other side of the creek were evacuated.

Additionally, the home across Highway 8 from the mobile home park, 308 Merritt-Spences Bridge Highway, has been evacuated.

Any of the evacuees who require accommodation or food can report to 1721 Coldwater Avenue in Merritt.

ORIGINAL: 12:40 p.m.

A creek flooded its banks west of Merritt Saturday morning, prompting the evacuation of several nearby homes.

Guichon Creek flooded over a berm on the east side of the creek at about 10:30 a.m. The Lower Nicola Indian Band issued an evacuation order for the six homes on Fyall Road, which sits just east of the creek.

There is heavy equipment at the scene, working to fix the breached berm.

The LNIB has asked all evacuated residents to check in at the emergency social services reception centre at Shulus Arena at 2164 Neale Road.

The evacuations come just one day after the LNIB declared a local state of emergency for the Nicola-Mameet Reserve No. 1 due to the flood potential of Guichon Creek.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District is currently reviewing whether to evacuate the residents of the Guichon Creek Mobile Home Park.

The LNIB says the area near the breach is congested, and they've asked people not involved to stay away from the area.
Photo: You Tube

All telescopes on Earth are limited to seeing what the atmosphere lets through.

For looking at short-wavelength radio waves  millimetre waves, we choose high sites, above the thickest part of the atmosphere, and dry ones, because water vapour is a great obscurer of data.

One of the driest high places on Earth is the Antarctic Plateau, where most of the water in the air is frozen out. So that is where we find the South Pole Telescope, a 10-metre dish radio telescope dedicated to observing millimetre waves.

This instrument recently picked up something odd. It picked up a radio source that appeared to it as a dot in the sky, but its radiation signature indicated that dot was a cluster of galaxies.

In addition, it was a very long way away. The radio emissions being detected started on their way to us 12.3 billion years ago, only 1.5 billion years after the beginning of the universe, when galaxy and star formation were in full swing.

In order to find out more, the Atacama Large Millimetre Array was pointed at the source. This instrument, also known as ALMA, is an international project, in which Canada is a member.

It is located on the cold, high Atacama Plateau, in Chile. ALMA is a millimetre-wavelength radio imager, and probably the most complex radio telescope in the world.

It resolved that dot into a cluster of 14 galaxies, all heading for each other and for a very big collision.

Galaxies start off small  by cosmic standards  and grow by colliding and coalescing with other galaxies. Then the ones that have become big continue to grow by swallowing the smaller ones.

Our galaxy, the Milky Way is surrounded by stars and shreds of gas left from past meals. There are two nearby galaxies  the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, which are probably destined to be assimilated at some point in the future.

The Milky Way is about 100,000 light years in diameter, and contains about 250 billion stars. In about four billion years, it is going it collide head-on with the Andromeda Galaxy, which is similar to the Milky Way, but a bit bigger.

A collision involving 14 galaxies sounds like a good subject for the ultimate disaster movie. However, as in the case of collisions between just two galaxies, the event will be spectacular, but not disastrous.

On average, stars are many light years apart. The chance of two stars colliding is remote. It is highly unlikely they will even pass close enough to each other to disrupt their planetary systems. Inhabitants of planets in colliding galaxies will probably not see much change over a single lifetime.

Over millions of years the shape of their Milky Way in the sky will change, and so will some of the constellations. The non-astronomical will probably notice nothing much.

The main consequence of the collision is that the ramming together of the clouds of gas and dust in the galaxies will result in instability, cloud collapse and a spurt in the birth of new stars and planets.

Large galaxies usually have black holes in their cores. So this discovery shows a stage set for a collision of fourteen black holes, although probably not simultaneously.

As black holes move they lose energy by making bow-waves in space-time  gravitational waves. This leads to them spiralling together and colliding. These crashes cause strong pulses of gravity waves, which we can detect.

At the moment we see the cluster as it was 12.3 billion years ago. In a billion years or so, when these 14 black holes meet, we will have a grandstand seat.

By then our gravity wave detectors should be a lot better than they are now. We will also get to see the magnificent, huge galaxy that cluster has become.

Venus is spectacular in the west after sunset. Jupiter rises at 9 pm, Saturn at 1 a.m. and Mars at 2 a.m. The moon will be new on the 15th.
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Handing over of Vt110,000 from MP and Minister Warsal to Big Bay VP Chairman and colleagues on Wednesday this week
There was little to separate the sides in the first half as Londons top two clubs met in front of a competition record crowd of more than 45,000 supporters at the national stadium, but Chelseas two frontwomen shone after the interval as Bachmann scored twice in quick succession before Kirby sealed the deal in the 76th minute.

The first goal from Bachmann was simply sensational, as she smashed home a wonderful finish to beat Sari Van Veenendaal at the near post, and that was followed up by a deflected strike on the hour mark to put us in the ascendancy.

Although the Gunners pulled a goal back soon after, there was no stopping us; Kirby magnificently curling home a brilliant third to ensure we left Wembley with the trophy.

For the second time in two seasons, Chelsea and Arsenal met at the promised land of football for the biggest game in the English domestic season, and some sensational attacking meant on this occasion the Blues led from the front to avenge our defeat to the 14-time winners two years ago and win the cup for the second time, following on from our 2015 triumph over Notts County.
West Ham scored its second goal in the 64th and it was a strike worthy of settling any match. Joao Mario's free kick was cleared by Aleksandar Dragovic as far as Noble, who struck the ball first time from 25 yards (meters) out and his shot flew into the bottom corner of the net.
DENVER  Three top figures at The Denver Post, including its former owner, resigned Friday amid budget and staff cuts made by the newspaper's New York-based hedge fund owners.



Several Post reporters tweeted that Dean Singleton had stepped down as chairman and from his position on the editorial board. He owned the newspaper from 1987 until 2013 and saw it through tough economic times and an intense rivalry with the Rocky Mountain News.



"I once told people I wanted The Post to be one of the 10 best newspapers in America, and I think we achieved that," Singleton said in an interview published in the newspaper in October.



Senior editors Dana Coffield and Larry Ryckman also resigned Friday.



"I'm sad to leave, but it was time to go. I will be rooting for those still fighting the good fight," Ryckman tweeted.



The Post published an editorial on April 6 headlined "As vultures circle, The Denver Post must be saved," calling on Alden Global Capital to sell the newspaper after it cut 30 more positions in the newsroom, leaving it at a fraction of its size just a few years ago. Editorial Page Editor Chuck Plunkett did not inform the newspaper's editor or owners of his intentions to publish the editorial.



He resigned Thursday after he said another piece critical of the company was rejected.



Alden owns a controlling interest in Digital First Media, which owns the Post.
Daley Plaza in Chicago will kick off the city's farmers market season Thursday. (Michael Tercha/Chicago Tribune)
I sank into the memory foam mattress on the floor. Annie Hopson, a mama-bear type in her 50s, had put on some new-agey music. Her studio, an upstairs bedroom in her Ellicott City, Md., townhouse, was fragrant with essential oils.



"How would you like to start?" she asked.



I had no idea. How does one start cuddling with a stranger?



In the student co-op in Berkeley where I lived in the 1980s, friends hung out on futons on the floor and casual touch and backrubs were common. Sometimes they led to sex (resulting in everything from morning-after regrets to decades-long marriages) but often the touching was platonic. It was long before the #MeToo movement, and for better or worse I don't recall anyone expressing much concern about boundaries.



Now I live in Washington. It's not a cuddly city. People are highly conscious of boundaries (at least in public) and tend to avoid intentional contact with strangers or acquaintances. Even before the careers of politicians, Hollywood stars and media professionals started imploding right and left, people kept their hands to themselves.



But professional cuddling, an occupation on the rise in our touch-starved culture, is informed by consent. According to the rules established by cuddle parties and cuddling websites, nothing happens that both people don't verbally agree to in advance.



Following the protocol of Cuddlist.com, where Annie received her training, she and I had had an initial get-to-know-you phone call. During it, she urged me to talk to her as a client and not a reporter. Since I am a single mom, she surmised that I am used to giving a lot of care but might not receive much myself, and she told me I might be surprised at feelings that arose.



Right now, the dominant feeling was awkwardness. How would I like to start? Lying on the foam in loose sweatpants and a sweater as the music twanged mildly, I was stumped.



"Honestly," I told her, "when I saw your massage table in the other room, I was kind of wishing I could get a massage. But that would be cheating."



"No, it wouldn't," she said. There was no wrong way to cuddle. So I pointed to trouble spots in my neck and hip. A longtime massage therapist, Annie found the tightness and pressed into it, which felt great.



But this was totally cheating. If I wanted to see what the cuddling experience was about, I couldn't spend the whole hour getting kneaded. I had to plunge into untested waters.



"So," I asked. "What are the most common cuddle positions?"



"Hmm, I'm feeling like you have your reporter hat on now," she said.



Yes and no. As a paying client, I also wanted to know what was possible in an hour of service.



All right, she said. Spooning is popular.



"That sounds good," I said.



"Would you like to be the big spoon or the little spoon?" she asked.



Hmm. Cuddling seemed to require a lot of decisions from the cuddlee. It's not like going to a chiropractor or massage therapist, where you sit back and let the pro handle it. This was more like feeling around in the dark for an object whose shape I was unsure of.



I chose little spoon, and she curled around my back and wrapped her arm around me. After a few minutes she said, "I'm feeling like I want to take your hand. Would that be something you would like me to do?"



I thought that made sense, so I said yes. During the remainder of the session we tried - after discussing - several cuddling positions, including me lying back against her in a sitting-up toboggan position with her arms around me. At 50 minutes a warning buzzer rang, and 10 minutes later the session was over. We chatted a bit, then I paid her and left.



As I drove back to my office I tried to think through what exactly had bothered me about the session. Though my experience with professional cuddling is limited, Annie seemed to be good at it. She's a mom, and she has a physical presence that is both cozy and confident. Likely a regular, non-journalist client would have come in with a more focused set of desires (and no reporter hat). But that wasn't what gave me pause.



It was the consent. Professional cuddling is by definition nonsexual, but the rules of cuddling felt similar to what college students today are taught to follow during sexual encounters. Maybe I'm a horrible retrograde, but I don't want to be asked. If I am lying in someone's arms, whether for cuddling or something else, I want there to be a degree of intuitiveness and faith that it's all good.



Is that something that, in cuddling, would come with time? Does a cuddler get to know what works with a client and what doesn't to the point where she doesn't have to ask? I called Annie to inquire.



The answer was complex. In one sense, yes: As in any relationship, repeat cuddle sessions allow participants to learn each other's rhythms. But even then, she said, "I still like to check in with someone. ... There are some times when a certain kind of touch is OK but a different kind of touch is preferable. So with a regular, I ask, 'Can you check in with your body right now, and what is the piece that most wants to be addressed, and how are you interacting with your body right now?' And that tends to change from day to day and moment to moment."



That applies not only to cuddling, she said, but to life. "My hope is that my clients learn how to express themselves and what their desires are at the moment, so that when they go out and they have relationships with others -- romantic or other intimate relationships -- that they've learned the skill of speaking up. ... You can't really consent to something if you don't know what you want."



Maybe that was my problem. I had not gone in with a particular cuddling desire. I had gone to see -- and report on -- what it was all about. And I'd left my hat on.
I'm not trying to burst the glistening bubble that many seem to have encased Nelson and Robinson when their settlement with the city was announced. Indeed, this entire episode has proved them to be upstanding young men, both in the way they responded to the police at the time of the arrest and in the aftermath.
White. Colonial. This is the whip of the new age. And so the mob howled at Daum for being a racist. It was a pathetic, ugly exercise, racist in and of itself, and depressing. It reveals a pathology in America that some can't even see. But it's real, and it is washes down over our politics.
Officers were called to the 11700 block of South Normal Avenue around 9:35 p.m. Friday for reports of gunfire and found the man, identified as Anthony Dobson, of the 500 block of West 118th Street, in the alley with gunshot wounds to the face and buttocks, according to police. He was pronounced dead on scene.
The first assistant has traditionally played a crucial role in the U.S. attorney's office, not only in providing trial strategy and other advice to less-experienced prosecutors but also as a gatekeeper for the boss in juggling all the moving parts of an investigation and deciding how to pursue certain cases.
My father observed that some people are smarter by accident than they are on purpose. I'm wondering if this could be true of our possible negotiations with North Korea. If Trump's bluster truly made Kim Jong Un reconsider his saber rattling, is that the result of keen foreign relations deal making, or just dumb luck? If a lasting peace results, does it matter why? It wouldn't be the first time luck was better than know-how.
Second man accused of fatally shooting 14-year-old Savanah Quintero on South Side also shot witness to her June slaying, prosecutors say

Second man charged with murder of 14-year-old Savanah Quintero
Police said a short time later, Illinois State Police spotted the Cherokee in the area of I-88 and the Eisenhower Expressway and pursued it going east. The chase ended in a crash near First Avenue, where authorities said Pulley was taken into custody. No one was hurt in the crash, police said.
Bull, who had ingested just enough water to make her cough while she explained what happened at the scene, said she had been on the deck grilling with Puffer. She was getting ready to leave for her shift when they saw the car go into the pond. Puffer called 911 and met up with Bull, who swam to the car.
"Once someone places his order, we get the food out in about a minute or so, and we know something like this isn't as common as say, tacos," Robinson said. "People know about us and we deal directly with a Maine lobster vendor and have a good product. I don't know how many lobster sandwiches we are going to serve tonight, but it's going to be hundreds and hundreds."
"These protections are in place to insure we have no discrimination and, furthermore, Aurora goes above and beyond that to insure fairness and equality regardless of someone's documentation status," Irvin said. "In my discussions with this group, my sense is that they are talking about limiting ICE, or immigration customs enforcement, and that's somewhere where Aurora has no local jurisdiction but is regulated by the federal government."
But she also knows how important it is to speak out if we really want to affect change. Just as it seems to be taking smart, eloquent and outspoken teens to get our attention on controversial subjects like gun control, perhaps it will require more brave youth such as Allie to help us understand that just because you can't see someone's illness does not mean it's not there.
"I was just a kid in Rochester, N.Y., struggling to fit in, just dying for someone to approach me and include me and make me feel welcome," she said. "Something as simple as just sitting with someone at lunch and making them feel that you really care that they're here, that they're alive, that could mean so much. There's probably like 10 Sandras in your community."
"The walk is something I have to do this year, because it meant so much to me and my family to have that burden lifted off of us," she said. "I have to walk to say 'thank you' and to be a part of the group, the other ladies that are going through, or have been through, this."
I was reading the column about how this progressive tax could be good or bad based on how they set the rates. But Illinois Policy Institute writer Austin Berg hit it right on the nose. Once the Democrats get their feet in the door and run the whole state of Illinois more than they do now, they're going to set the rates for the middle class higher because all the people who have money are going to move out of state. I don't see where they're going to save any money. They're just going to tax the middle class like they do to pay these overblown pensions for all these people in the state.
"It's reassuring that it will calm a lot of anxiety of a lot of people," said Jackie Packard, president of the Seventh Avenue School Parent-Teacher Organization. "Kids today are more in-tune with what's going on in the world, and they don't need the extra stress."
Balmes described the spot the man was found as a small drainage pond with about a foot of water in it. She said the pond is not inside the park. The area is just north of Bangs Lake and east of Old Rand Road.
How quickly a police department can rebound from such turnover will depend on the people selected to fill the vacancies, said Christopher Donner, an associate professor of criminal justice and criminology at Loyola University Chicago. Morale can easily be affected by new administrators bringing different leadership styles and different ways of doing things, so how the transition is handled is key, he said.
"It's easy to pontificate about how the city got to its current state of challenge," she said. "It's harder to roll up our sleeves and work together. I can't wait to welcome this family to the neighborhood."
Martinez, a 24-year veteran of the Sheriff's Department, was selected as sheriff in September to fill the remaining term of former Sheriff John Buncich, who was convicted for using the office to solicit bribes from tow operators in exchange for favor. Martinez won the office during the third ballot during the Democratic caucus, edging out eight other candidates.
"It was unexpected because we thought he was doing better," Anderson said. "He had just gotten out of the hospital and came back, but was still using a walker. He was in good spirits."
"I felt if I went somewhere else, I wouldn't get as many opportunities," said Kulesa, who added that getting her degree from Purdue Northwest opened doors for her. "I feel like I got a great experience here."
Two centuries on, despite huge and profound changes in human society, the name of Karl Marx is still respected all over the world and his theory still shines with the brilliant light of truth, Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Friday.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a grand gathering to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth.

The gathering, Xi said, is a tribute to the "greatest thinker" of history and shows "our firm belief" in the scientific truth of Marxism.

Inside the Great Hall of the People, a giant portrait of Marx was hung, flanked by two rows of red flags, facing about 3,000 participants.

On the opposite side, a banner reads "Rally closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, uphold and develop Marxism and strive for the great success of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era!"

Senior leaders including Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng, and Wang Qishan were present. Wang Huning presided over the gathering.

It capped a series of celebrations, held in recent weeks by both the government and the public, young and old, online and offline, to commemorate Marx.

Two days ago, Xi visited Peking University where the story of Marxism in China began.

The People's Daily hailed Marxism's crucial role in China's modernization in an editorial. "While the world has come to a 'crossroad', China is unfazed... Marxism is key to China's stability and development," it said.

"In the new era, Chinese Communists still need to learn from Marx," Xi told Friday's gathering. "Let the wonderful pictures of human society envisioned by Marx and Friedrich Engels keep rolling out in the land of China."

Greatest thinker

Xi said Marx is the "teacher of revolution for the proletariat and working people all over the world, the main founder of Marxism, creator of Marxist parties, a pathfinder for international communism and the greatest thinker of modern times."

"Today, we hold this grand gathering with great veneration to mark the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth, to remember his great character and historic deeds and to review his noble spirit and brilliant thoughts," Xi said.

With noble ideals and no fear of difficulty or adversity, throughout his life, Marx devoted himself to perseveringly striving for the liberation of humanity, scaling the peak of thought in his pursuit of truth, and the unremitting fight to overturn the old world and establish a new one, according to Xi.

Marx is not only a great figure who bore the weight of the world, but also an ordinary person with passion for life, who was sincere and true to friendship.

Xi said the most valuable and influential spiritual asset that Marx left us is the scientific theory named after him -- Marxism. Like a spectacular sunrise, the theory illuminated the path of humanity's exploration of the rule of history, and humanity's search for their own liberation.

"The thought and theory of Marx are of his times and go beyond his times," Xi said. "They are the essence of the spirit of that times and the essence of the spirit of all humanity."

Xi said Marxism is a scientific theory that reveals the rule of human society development in a creative manner.

Having developed the materialist conception of history and surplus value theory, Marx showed how humanity would leap from the realm of necessity to the realm of freedom and the road for the people to realize freedom and liberation, Xi said.

Marxism, the first ideology for the liberation of the people themselves, is a theory of the people.

"Marxism, for the first time, explored the path for humanity's freedom and liberation from the stance of the people, and pointed out the direction, with scientific theory, toward an ideal society with no oppression or exploitation, where every person would enjoy equality and freedom," Xi said.

Stressing that practicality is a prominent characteristic of Marxism that makes it different from other theories, Xi said Marxism is a theory of practices that directs the people to change the world.

It is an open theory that is constantly developing and always stands at the frontier of the times, Xi said. "That is why it is always able to keep young, explore the new issues in the development of times and respond to the new challenges for human society."

The general secretary said that over the 170 years since the publication of The Communist Manifesto, Marxism had been spread around the world, unrivaled in the history of human ideology in terms of the breadth and depth of its influence.

After the end of World War II, a large number of socialist countries were established, Xi said, stressing that the founding of the People's Republic of China, especially, has greatly increased the socialist strength in the world.

"There might be setbacks in the development of socialism in the world, but the overall trend for human society development has never changed, and it will never change," Xi said.

Perfectly right

"Marxism has not only profoundly changed the world, but also China," Xi said.

The reverberations of the October Revolution in Russia brought Marxism-Leninism to China, pointing out the direction forward, offering a brand new choice for the Chinese people in their struggle to survive, and setting the scene for the birth of the CPC.

Since the CPC's birth, it has combined the fundamental principles of Marxism with the reality of Chinese revolution and construction, transforming the Chinese nation from "the sick man of East Asia" to one who has stood up, by uniting and leading the people through long-term struggle.

"This tremendous transformation serves as cast iron proof that only through socialism can we save China," Xi said.

Since reform and opening up, the CPC has combined the fundamental principles of Marxism with the reality of China's reform and opening up, and the nation who stood up has grown rich.

"This tremendous transformation serves as cast iron proof that only through socialism with Chinese characteristics can we develop China," Xi said.

In the new era, the CPC again combined the fundamental principles of Marxism with the reality of China, uniting and leading the people in "undertaking the great struggle, building the great project, advancing the great cause and realizing the great dream."

The Chinese nation has come to embrace a tremendous transformation, as the one who has grown rich now is becoming strong.

"This tremendous transformation serves as cast iron proof that only by adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics can we realize national rejuvenation," Xi said.

"It is perfectly right for history and the people to choose Marxism, as well as for the CPC to write Marxism on its own flag, to adhere to the principle of combining the fundamental principles of Marxism with China's reality, and continuously adapt Marxism to the Chinese context and the times."

Study marxism in new era

In the new era, Chinese Communists still need to learn from Marx, study and practice Marxism to keep the great ship of national rejuvenation sailing in the right direction, Xi said.

"Learning from Marx, we must study and practice his thoughts on the rules of societal evolution," he said, adding that Marx revealed the inevitability of Communism.

"We must grasp the worldview and methodology of dialectical materialism and historical materialism," Xi said, calling for lifelong hard work for Communism.

Xi said that standing with the people was fundamental. "We must make it our fundamental mission to strive for people's wellbeing and our fundamental purpose to serve the people with all our heart," he said.

Freeing and developing the productive forces is essential to socialism, and an issue Chinese Communists have been exploring and addressing generation by generation.

"We must be brave enough to deepen reform in all areas and do more to boost the vitality of productive forces by adjusting the relations of production," Xi said.

He said that the thought on the people's democracy in Marxism must be studied and put to practice. State organs must transform themselves from the society's masters to public servants and be supervised by the people, he said.

"We must unwaveringly keep to the path of socialist political advancement with Chinese characteristics," Xi said.

China will advance socialist democracy under the organic unity of Party leadership, the running of the country by the people, and law-based governance, and continue to strengthen the institutional guarantee to ensure the people run the country and the people's democracy be more effectively practiced, he said.

"We must base our work in China, embrace modernization, the world, and the future, consolidate Marxism as our guiding ideology, develop advanced socialist culture and improve socialist ethical standards," Xi said. "We must imbue core socialist values in all areas of social development and promote the creative evolution and development of fine traditional Chinese culture."

He stressed that development should be people-centered, focus on the most pressing, most immediate issues that concern the people the most, and continue to ensure and improve the people's wellbeing, promote social fairness and justice, and ensure people's access to childcare, education, employment, medical services, elderly care, housing, and social assistance at a higher level, so as to constantly promote well-rounded human development.

"We must learn and practice Marxist thought on the relationship between humanity and nature," said Xi.

Stressing that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, Xi urged mobilization of all social forces to advance an ecological civilization and jointly build the Beautiful China.

Xi called for learning and practicing the thought on world history in Marxism.

He spoke of the need for peaceful development, for remaining firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace, and pursuing a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up, constantly expand cooperation with other countries, vigorously participate in global governance, and realize win-win cooperation and common development in more fields and at a higher level.

China neither depends on others, nor does it pillage, said Xi, vowing to work together with other countries to build a community with a shared future for humanity and a better world.

He spoke of the need to study and practice Marxist party building.

"We should take full charge of our great struggle, great project, great cause, and great dream. We should strengthen our consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment. We should work ceaselessly to ensure full and strict governance over the Party," he said.

Xi pledged to build the Party into a vibrant Marxist governing party that is always at the forefront of the times, enjoys the wholehearted support of the people, has the courage to reform itself, and is able to withstand any test.

Today, the tasks of reform, development and stability are unprecedentedly arduous. Contradictions, risks and challenges are as multifarious as never before, and the test of governance is greater than ever, Xi said.

"We must keep increasing our ability to use Marxism to analyze and solve practical problems, and use scientific theories to guide our work to tackle major challenges, risks, obstructions, contradictions and problems. We must think about and handle major development problems with broader vision and greater far-sightedness," he said.

Society has seen radical changes in the 170 years since the publication of The Communist Manifesto. However, general principles expounded by Marxism, on the whole, remain totally correct, Xi said.

Xi urged all Party members, especially officials at all levels, to study Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development, and the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, in a more purposeful and painstaking manner.

"There is no sole, unchangeable pattern for socialism," Xi said, adding that to turn the blueprint into reality, it is necessary to integrate the basic principles of scientific socialism with the country's reality, history and culture, as well as the call of the day.

It is the sacred duty of Chinese Communists to constantly develop Marxism, Xi said.

"We should open new horizons for Marxism in contemporary China and in the 21st century," Xi said.

The gathering ended with rhythms of "L'Internationale".
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China's agreement on a mutual visa-free regime with Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) will take effect on May 29, 2018, Chinese Embassy in BiH told Xinhua on Friday.

At a meeting in BiH's capital on Friday, Chinese Ambassador to BiH Chen Bo handed the third note to BiH Foreign Minister Igor Crnadak, confirming that both China and BiH have completed internal procedures.

According to the agreement, holders of valid ordinary passports of both countries' citizens shall be exempted from visa requirement for entry into, exit from, stay in or transit through the territory of the other country during the period of stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

The agreement was signed in November of 2017 during the sixth meeting of heads of government of China and 16 Central and Eastern European Countries in Budapest, Hungary.




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Chinese President Xi Jinping and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in talked about bilateral ties and peace development on the Korean Peninsula during a phone talk on Friday.

Xi said China pays great attention to bilateral relations and is willing to enhance communication with South Korea, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and promote cultural exchanges so as to steadily move bilateral relations forward in the common interest of both sides.

Xi pointed out that the relations between the two countries maintain a good momentum of development, and consensuses of the two leaders have been gradually implemented.

Moon said he is delighted at the implementation of those consensuses and South Korea is committed to pushing forward continuous development of bilateral strategic cooperative partnership.

South Korea hopes to maintain high-level exchanges with China on the situation of the Korean Peninsula as well as other major international issues, said Moon.

Moon briefed to Xi achievements of the recent inter-Korean summit.

Moon said that the successful summit has reached broad consensuses on improving the inter-Korean relations, promoting the denuclearization of the Peninsula and establishing a peace mechanism, during which the two sides jointly published the Panmunjom Declaration.

According to Moon, South Korea appreciated China's important role in promoting positive changes of the situation of the Korean Peninsula, thanked China for its firmly support for dialogues between the south and north sides as well as its contribution to pushing settlement of issues through dialogues and negotiations.

Xi pointed out that the recent historic meeting between President Moon and Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has achieved important results in improving the relationship between the two sides, defusing tensions and building durable peace in the Korean Peninsula, and that China thinks highly of the great efforts by South Korea and the DPRK.

Xi said that all parties concerned and the international community should show active support and encouragement to the efforts.

Moon added that South Korea is willing to enhance coordination with China, stay committed to solving Korean Peninsula issues through dialogues and negotiations, and contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and in the world at large.

Xi said the regional situation is at a crucial juncture, which now has an historic opportunity for peace of the Korean Peninsula. China backs the south and north sides of the Peninsula to continue interactions, improving ties, and implement agreements.

Xi also said that China is ready to work with the international community as well as all parties concerned, including South Korea and the DPRK, to comprehensively promote the political solution of the Korean Peninsula issue and play a positive role in the final realization of lasting peace in the region.




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The Bulgaria-United States joint exercise Thracian Eagle 2018, involving a dozen of F-15 jets from the Oregon Air National Guard, kicked off at Graf Ignatievo Air Base on Friday, officials said.

During the five-week drill, the U.S. tactical fighters, together with Bulgarian MiG-29 and L-39 jets and anti-aircraft missile units, would carry out "full range of tasks", Bulgarian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The main goals of the drill were to achieve greater interoperability of the Bulgarian Air Force for participation in operations under the auspices of NATO, enhance training of the personnel, as well as improve the procedures for logistics and maintenance of visiting formations, the statement said.

U.S. F-16 jets from the Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany would relocate to Graf Ignatievo for three days in the middle of May to join the drill, the statement said.

Joint tasks would also be carried out with British Eurofighter Typhoon fighters and crews of the Romanian Air Force, which would operate from the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Romania, it added.

The United States and Bulgaria, a NATO member since 2004, signed an agreement in 2006, allowing U.S. troops to be deployed in Bulgaria. Since then, every year the U.S. and Bulgarian soldiers have worked and trained together at the joint training facilities of Graf Ignatievo, Bezmer and Novo Selo.




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U.S. President Donald Trump will welcome his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in on May 22, ahead of the scheduled meeting between Trump and the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un, said the White House Friday.

The two leaders will discuss Trump's upcoming meeting with Kim, it said in a statement.

Moon's trip followed his ice-breaking talks with Kim on April 27, after which Seoul and Pyongyang confirmed in a joint declaration a common goal of complete denuclearization.

Trump is to meet with Kim in May or early June. He told reporters on Friday that the date and venue of the first-ever U.S.-DPRK summit had already been set and will be announced "soon."

Also on Friday, U.S. National Security adviser John Bolton met here with Chung Eui-yong, visiting top national security adviser to Moon.

Chung provided Bolton with a detailed readout of the Moon-Kim meeting, said the White House in another statement.

The pair also reaffirmed that there are no plans to change the bilateral defense posture in South Korea.

Earlier in the day, Bolton rebuked a New York Times article which reported that Trump was looking for options to scale back the number of U.S. troops in South Korea, calling it "utter nonsense."
A blog about life under, and resisting, a dictatorship
Neil said: So you agree that Mueller is fishing. When a prosecutor goes on a fishing expedition, and it is affecting a politician (specifically, the POTUS), that means it 's no longer just a prosecution, it is now political persecution. Click to expand...

Uh...didn't I STATE that Mueller is fishing?? WHY YES! I did because that's what prosecutors and investigators do. They go after little fish, hoping to reel in the big fish.AND thanks for stating the obvious. You bet it's affecting a politician BECAUSE he is POTUS and a slimy excuse for a human being. Trump is dirty. Everyone KNOWS he's dirty. TrumpHE'S dirty. So what's the problem?Mueller is doing his job and he has uncovered a glut of illegal dealings. Interestingly enough you just don't seem interested in getting to the bottom of little stuff like Russians meddling in our elections, Manafort, Flynn, Papadopoulos, Gates, Cohen, a whole host of Russians, financial crimes, foreign money, lying to federal officials, and a porn star or two or three or.......WHY? Why aren't you interested in prosecuting criminals? Why don't you support Mueller's investigation? IF Trump is innocent--why not support it?Did you support the Bill Clinton investigation? Kenneth Star? Did you support the Benghazi hearings? The email investigations? The Clinton Foundation inquiry? How about Watergate? Did you support that investigation? The Kennedy assassination?? Have you supported any investigations in the past or are you just against ALL investigations and where they lead?Why don't you want to know the truth--or at least as much of the truth as we can uncover?
TNVolunteer73 said: So you are saying being burned by saline and pulled apart limb by limb is a better option, then have your parts sold so Some Doctor in CA can buy a Lamborghini Click to expand...

Was anyone ever successfully prosecuted for this? Was anyone even put up on charges? I don't recall that any of the state attorney generals - & there was a general pitchfork & torches parade of AGs looking for people to prosecute, as I recall - I don't remember that any of them were successful.Surprisingly poor outcome, given the hue & cry that this was a common occurrence, & the media splash in all the usual media outlets. Maybe the AGs were barking up the wrong tree?
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The Korean community of Washington expressed their gratitude for Dr. Paul Shin who retired last month from his position as Senator of the state of Washington. They gathered at Dr. Pauls retirement ceremony to show their thankfulness. Dr. Shin responded to the Koreans of Washington by bowing before them as one would do to his parents, and in turn thanked all those who supported him during his time in office.

Dr. Shin was born in Paju, Korea where he lost his mother and was separated from his father when he was only four years old. He became a servant in the U.S. army during the Korean War. There he was adopted by an army doctor. He arrived in America in 1953 after the war, and eventually moved onto Bringham Young University and U Penn where he acquired a degree for International Relations and later a Ph.D. in East Asian Studies at the University of Washington.

After teaching at various institutes for around 30 years, Dr. Shin was elected a member of the House of Representatives, creating a sensation among the Korean community.

When he was elected senator, Dr. Shin wrote Thank You on the back of his election picket which said Elect Paul Shin, and went out to thank all the citizens while carrying it. He started a lot of policies that would benefit Koreans in the future such as enabling students to choose to learn Korean at their schools, and to open the door of opportunity for future Korean-American politicians.

Dr. Shin has also traveled between America and Korea to speak at various churches. He mainly focused on the younger generation and spoke on topics such as challenge and ambition.
Governor Reynolds Signs Iowa Heartbeat Bill Into Law Heartbeat Law--Most Protective Law in the Nation!



Contact: Janet Porter, 202-241-2ACT (2228)



WASHINGTON, May 4, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed the state Heartbeat Bill into law today, legally protecting unborn babies in Iowa whose beating hearts can be detected.



"We thank Gov. Reynolds and the leaders in the Iowa State Senate and House who worked tirelessly to keep hearts beating," said Janet Porter, President of Faith2Action, who authored the nation's first Heartbeat Bills at the state and federal level.



"We call on Speaker Paul Ryan to follow Iowa's lead and call an immediate floor vote on the federal Heartbeat Bill (H.R. 490), now with 171 co-sponsors--more than any pro-life bill in Congress," declared Porter.



Former Majority Leader Tom DeLay testified for the Iowa Heartbeat Bill in committee and has been leading the team fighting for passage of the federal Heartbeat Bill in Washington, sponsored by Congressman Steve King, from Iowa. "Leaving Congress without ending abortion is my biggest regret--a regret Speaker Ryan doesn't have to have," said DeLay.



"Speaker Ryan can call for a floor vote to end abortion for every baby whose heartbeat can be heard right now--there's nothing stopping him," stated DeLay.



DeLay also offered advice to the Speaker and the Republicans in Congress: "Nothing will bring out the Republican base in the midterm elections more than keeping your pro-life promises by passing the federal Heartbeat Bill, H.R. 490." Leader Delay was fully exonerated from every trumped-up charge against him.



In the last two weeks, more than 300,000 faxes were sent to Speaker Ryan, leadership, and members of Congress calling for a vote of the federal Heartbeat Bill. Porter added, "In addition to Congress, other states will soon be introducing and passing Heartbeat Bills. It's common sense--to ignore a fetal heartbeat is to deny science."



Free faxes can be sent to Speaker Ryan's Washington, D.C. and three Wisconsin district offices by simply clicking the "Free Fax" icon at Faith2Action.org.



Here is the FAX message which has already been delivered more than 300,000 times: "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil:

God will not hold us guiltless.

Not to speak is to speak.

Not to act is to act..."

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer



It is time to act. We implore you to keep your pro-life promises and bring the Heartbeat Bill, H.R. 490, to an immediate floor vote to protect hundreds of thousands of innocent children each year whose beating hearts can be detected. The Heartbeat Bill will protect more lives than any bill ever passed in Congress.





With 170 members of Congress on the bill, the Heartbeat Bill has more co-sponsors than any other pro-life bill.





It is supported by the President and the Vice President.





It is supported by hundreds of national leaders and pro-life organizations.





It is backed by seven out of ten in America, 86 percent of Republicans, and 55 percent of Democrats (George Barna poll, 2017).





We elected pro-life Republican majorities in the House and the Senate to END abortion, not merely regulate it.





President Trump has promised to fill every upcoming Supreme Court vacancy with pro-life justices, who will be ready to uphold the Heartbeat Bill.





After 45 years of microscopic incrementalism, nearly a million American children are still brutally killed by legal abortion every single year.





Just because one organization refuses to act does not excuse inaction on your part.





Every day we delay thousands of innocent babies will be needlessly and brutally killed in our nation, babies the Heartbeat Law will protect.





You have it within your power to act and bring the Heartbeat Bill to an immediate floor vote. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Not to act is to act. God will not hold us guiltless."



This is your chance to make history to call for a vote to save every child whose heartbeat can be heard before you leave office. Please don't miss it. Proverbs 24:11-12 (NLT)

Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die;

Save them as they stagger to their death.

Do not excuse yourself by saying, "Look, we did not know.."

For God understands all hearts, and he sees you.

He who guards your soul knows you knew.

He will repay all people as their actions deserve. Sincerely,

Your name here



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MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio - Brush High School students showed up in their finest outfits for their 2018 prom on Friday night.

Mayfield Heights' Landerhaven event center welcomed groups of students in the evening, arriving for a night of dancing. Fluffy ball gowns, patterned suits and glittery accessories appeared in the outfits entering the building. Two limos even pulled up to the front doors to let out some especially fancy prom attendees.

Click through the photos to see a variety of prom attendees. See our photos from Brush High School's 2017 prom here.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland man is accused of shooting a Parma man and stealing his designer Yeezy sneakers he advertised on Instagram, police say.

Rio Huston, 20, is charged with aggravated robbery. He is not in police custody and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

The robbery and shooting happened about 11:20 a.m. April 4 on Denison Avenue near West 22nd Place in the city's Old Brooklyn neighborhood, according to police.

The 19-year-old man arranged to sell two pairs of Adidas Yeezy shoes after posting them for sale on Instagram, court records say.

Huston contacted him through the social media app saying he wanted to buy the shoes for $800. The shoes are valued at $450 each, according to police.

Huston then arranged for the two men to meet near an apartment complex. Huston and another man showed up to the buy, and Huston pretended that he forgot his wallet, according to court records.

Huston then pulled out a gun and said: "How about I take both," police reports say.

The Parma man put the shoes in the back seat of his car and tried to leave, but Huston leaned into the car and shot the man in the leg, the report says.

The second robber grabbed the shoes from the back seat and both ran off, the report says.

To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A man and woman are accused of attacking a 34-year-old woman outside a Cleveland nightclub and intentionally running over her leg with a car, according to police.

Tyrone Christopher Bell Jr., 29, is charged with kidnapping and Samika Williams, 23, is charged with felonious assault. Neither is in police custody and warrants were issued Friday for their arrest.

The attack happened about 2:30 a.m. April 22 at the Blu Visions Ultra Lounge nightclub on Euclid Avenue and Cliffview Road, according to police.

The woman told police she was sitting in the driver's seat of her friend's SUV when Bell jumped into the passenger seat, according to police reports.

Bell asked her to drive him to a friend's house but the woman refused because it wasn't her SUV, police reports say. Bell left and returned with a gun, police reports say.

Bell pistol-whipped the woman in the face, according to police. Both got out of the SUV. The woman charged at Bell and the two fought over the gun, according to police reports.

The woman ripped the gun away from Bell and Williams ran up from behind her and hit her in the head, police reports say.

The woman ran into the nightclub and got the attention of a security guard as Bell and Williams broke out several of the SUV's windows, police reports say.

The woman ran back outside again and fought with Bell, police reports say. Williams jumped into her car and ran over the woman's leg and ankle, according to police reports.

The security guard fired two gunshots at Williams' car as it sped off, according to police reports. The woman jumped into the SUV, but Bell jumped into the passenger seat, according to police.

The woman said she kept trying to force Bell out of the car as she drove. Bell bit her above the right eye as she drove, according to police. Bell eventually jumped out of the SUV at Euclid and Green Road and ran off, according to police.

The woman drove back to the bar and gave the SUV back to her friend, according to police reports. The woman left with her sister and was treated and released from Euclid Hospital, according to police reports.

Bell was released from prison on May 6, 2017 after serving a two-year sentence for leading Willoughby police on a 100-mile-per-hour chase in a stolen car.

Bell also served five years in prison for a 2009 armed robbery in South Euclid and was previously convicted of carrying a concealed weapon.

To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - What was supposed to be an official White House visit to Cleveland by Republican President Donald Trump quickly morphed into a quasi-campaign event on Saturday just days before the primary election.

Trump hosted a roundtable at Public Hall that included eight people with stories of how the GOP tax plan has positively affected them. But between the official business and the non-sequiturs about immigration and trade, one of Trump's main focuses was the man sitting next to him: U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci.

"We need his vote very badly," Trump said. "He'll be fantastic. I've known him for a long time."

Renacci, a Republican from Wadsworth who is running for U.S. Senate, welcomed the visit and support from the president, but said he wasn't involved in the planning or in asking him to come to Ohio.

Trump openly covets Ohio and sees it as essential to him winning a second term in office. He has already made five trips to the state as president, and Vice President Mike Pence has made several more.

So it's no surprise the president entered the Senate race when he recently tweeted out support for Renacci. Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown's seat, which Renacci is running for, is a pickup opportunity for Senate Republicans. And Brown has been mentioned as a possible 2020 challenger to Trump.

As such, Trump and the Republican establishment have bet everything on Renacci.

The optics of being so close to the president could give Renacci the boost he needs in the primary. He was by the president's side all day - greeting him at the airport, attending a closed-press fundraiser at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Tower City and sitting just to his right during the roundtable.

Renacci was the White House's choice to run for Senate after Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel dropped out without notice in January, citing a health issue with his wife.

While he was running for governor, Renacci positioned himself as the most pro-Trump candidate, and since switching races, he's either appeared onstage with members of the administration or been noticeably in the crowd at Trump rallies.

White House visits are not supposed to involve campaign business, but that did not stop Trump - nor has it stopped him in the past - from campaigning for Renacci or slamming Brown.

"And he's now, as you know, running for the Senate against Sherrod Brown, who does not think the way we think and - when it comes to borders, when it comes to so much," Trump said. "And it's also the vote, because they're going to vote as a bloc. And the Democrats are very weak on borders, very weak on health care."

Preston Maddock, Brown's campaign spokesman, said Trump's attacks were partisan falsehoods.

"Washington Republicans are launching false attacks against Sherrod because they're backing Congressman Jim Renacci, who is drowning under a barrage of negative headlines about straw donor schemes, not paying his taxes, and undisclosed political donations he made while he was a registered lobbyist," he said. "This won't change the fact that Sherrod is fighting for Ohioans every day -- including working with this administration and his Republican colleagues in the Senate when it's best for Ohio workers."

But Renacci still needs to make it out of his primary. Polling has shown him leading the race, but with only 25 percent support and half of voters undecided.

Renacci's also showed depressed fundraising totals. The campaign released details showing he'd raised $4.5 million since he joined the race in January. It turned out that $4 million of that came from Renacci, who is independently wealthy.

His chief rival, Cleveland businessman Mike Gibbons, was in Renacci's hometown of Wadsworth during the president's visit campaigning. Chris Schrimpf, a spokesman for Gibbons, said voters would see through Renacci.

"Voters know that Mike Gibbons is the conservative outsider in the race and was a Trump-Victory co-chair in Ohio," Schrimpf said. "Renacci is a Washington insider who voted to fund Planned Parenthood."

Renacci, who for months was angling for a Trump endorsement while he was running for governor, said in an interview with cleveland.com following the roundtable that the president's kind words for him further solidified he was the true pro-Trump candidate.

"Everyone knows the president supports me - has endorsed me," Renacci said. "At this point, this was just adding - following up with what he said many, many times. He does support me. He'd like to see me in the Senate helping him get his agenda forward."
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When ABC announces its plans for the 2018-19 television season on Tuesday, May 15, we'll see that the network's batch of new series includes a drama starring Nathan Fillion. Titled "The Rookie," it features the "Castle" and "Firefly" star as John Nolan, who casts aside a comfortable small-town life to move to Los Angeles and pursue his dream of becoming a police officer.

That's not a prediction. "The Rookie" was given a straight-to-series order by ABC, guaranteeing it a spot as a rookie show next season.

What else are we sure to see when the networks, starting with NBC on Sunday, May 13, reveal their fall lineups and midseason shows?

Well, CBS, which makes its big announcement on Wednesday, May 16, has given a straight-to-series order for a revival of its 1988-98 comedy "Murphy Brown." Candice Bergen's title character returns to a world of cable news, social media, fake news and a very different cultural climate.

Bergen is reuniting with co-stars Faith Ford, Joe Regalbuto and Grant Shaud. Joining the cast is six-time Emmy winner Tyne Daly ("Cagney and Lacey"), who plays the sister of bar owner Phil (played in the original series by Pat Corley, who died in 2006).

CBS also has given a straight-to-series order to executive producer Dick Wolf's new crime drama, "F.B.I.," set in New York and starring Jeremy Sisto, Zeeko Zaki and Connie Nielsen. This will be the first Wolf-produced network show since 2003 that's not on NBC.

The show given a straight-to-series order by NBC is "The Gilded Age," a drama developed by Julian Fellowes ("Downton Abbey") and set in 1880s New York City. The 10-episode rookie probably will premiere at midseason in early 2019.

So that's four newcomers (or three, depending on how you count "Murphy Brown") certain to make it on air. That still leaves questionable futures for about 70 drama and comedy pilots ordered by the five broadcast networks.

About 20 of these prime-time hopefuls will win spots on the networks' fall lineups. Anywhere from 20 to 25 others will probably get orders for midseason starts. And these decisions often do go to the last minute, with programming executives poring over the schedules, trying to decide what to add, what to jettison and where to put it all.

One philosophy these programmers continue to follow is fueled by the notion that everything old is new again. The revivals of the comedies "Roseanne," "Will & Grace" and now "Murphy Brown" are proof of that. So are the reboots of the dramas "MacGyver," "Dynasty," "S.W.A.T." and "Hawaii Five-0."

The 70 remaining pilots, therefore, include no less than six reboots. CBS could pick up new versions of "Magnum, P.I." (starring Jay Hernandez) and Daly's old show, "Cagney and Lacey" (this time with Sarah Drew and Michelle Hurd). ABC is considering new incarnations of "The Greatest American Hero" (with Hannah Simone wearing the super suit) and "Get Christie Love" (with "Pitch" star Kylie Bunbury in the role played in the 1970s by Teresa Graves). And the CW is thinking about new takes on "Charmed" and "Roswell."

Other intriguing contenders for the 2017-18 season, by network, include:

ABC: "False Profits," a drama with Bellamy Young and Vanessa Williams, about a team of down-and-out women fighting their way to the top of the cutthroat world of a multilevel marketing cosmetics business in suburban Arizona; "Grand Hotel," an upstairs-downstairs drama about the owner, employees and guests of a Miami Beach hotel; "The Mission," a crime drama about San Francisco cops whose captain has been arrested for corruption; "Whiskey Cavalier," a drama with Scott Foley as an FBI agent teamed with a CIA operative played by Lauren Cohan; "Man of the House," a comedy starring Alyson Hannigan and Leslie Bibb as recently divorced sisters; and "Most Likely To," a comedy starring East Cleveland native Yvette Nicole Brown and Lesli Margherita as former high school classmates who become unlikely housemates.

CBS: "The Code," with Mira Sorvino taking top billing in a drama about the Marine Corps' Judge Advocate Division; "God Friended Me," a drama starring Brandon Micheal Hall as an outspoken atheist who is friended by God on Facebook; "L.A. Confidential," with Brian J. Smith, Walton Goggins and Shea Whigham in a series version of James Ellroy's novel; "Main Justice," with Bokeem Woodbine, in a drama based on the life and work of former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder; and "Fam," a comedy starring Nina Dobrev as a woman whose dreams of an upstanding life are dashed by the arrival of her train-wreck sister.

Fox: "Mixtape," a romantic musical drama that looks at a disparate group of interconnected people in contemporary Los Angeles; "Cool Kids," a comedy set in a retirement community and starring Vicki Lawrence, David Alan Grier, Leslie Jordan and Martin Mull, who grew up in North Ridgeville; "Bless This Mess, a comedy about a New York couple (Lake Bell and Dax Shephard) moving to Nebraska; and "Dan the Weatherman," a comedy starring Thomas Lennon as weatherman fired from his cushy job.

NBC: "Guess Who Died," a comedy co-created by 95-year-old executive producer Norman Lear and featuring Holland Taylor, Hector Elizondo and Christopher Lloyd; "Friends-in-Law," a comedy starring Devere Rogers and James Davis as polar opposites whose best friends decide to get married; "L.A.'s Finest," a drama starring Gabrielle Union as a free-spirited former DEA agent starting her new job as an LAPD detective; and "New Amsterdam," a medical drama with Ryan Eggold as the new director of Bellevue Hospital.

The CW: "Dead Inside," a drama starring Lyndon Smith as an underachieving beat cop whose hotshot detective brother (Freddie Stroma) is killed in an explosion and starts appearing to her as a ghost; "The End of the World as We Know It," a drama about a prison spaceship crashing in Southern California; and "Wayward Sisters," the "Supernatural" spinoff with Kim Rhodes as Sheriff Jody Mills.
'I hear Prince Harry has sent a Royal Wedding invitation to the Scotland Yard bodyguard who accompanied him on his infamous 2012 lads trip to Las Vegas'

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas is the famous slogan for Americas Sin City, and Prince Harry seems determined to keep it that way.

For I hear he has sent a Royal Wedding invitation to the Scotland Yard bodyguard who accompanied him on his infamous 2012 lads trip to Las Vegas, Bill Renshaw.

Bill became a close friend of Harry during the years he worked with him so it makes sense that hes been invited to the wedding, a courtier tells me.

Harry always got on with his protection officers, but he formed a particularly close bond with Bill.

Just how close could be seen in the pictures of married Renshaw standing next to a laughing Harry in a Jacuzzi at a 1,000-per-day VIP bungalow at the MGM Grand hotel in Vegas during one of its louche Wet Republic pool parties.

The trip became infamous when an American website published photos of the naked Prince playing strip billiards after inviting friends back to his suite at the five-star Wynn hotel for a private party.

Harry later apologised for his behaviour, saying he knew he had let the Royal Family down, adding: It was probably a classic example of me being too much Army and not enough prince.

Renshaw, who was one of the Metropolitan Polices most experienced officers, retired last summer after a 31-year career and now runs a law enforcement consultancy.

The Duchess of Cambridge is pictured with the Scotland Yard bodyguard who accompanied Prince Harry on his infamous 2012 lads trip to Las Vegas, Bill Renshaw

No doubt Harry is keen to make sure that Renshaw is never tempted to supplement his police pension by writing a memoir of his time protecting the Royals.

It could certainly make for a lively read.

When Harry was 17, he was reported to be sad, angry and bitter after his mothers protection officer Ken Wharfe betrayed her memory by writing a memoir that detailed Princess Dianas romances with art dealer Oliver Hoare and Household Cavalry officer James Hewitt.

TV designer floored by Prince Philip

Flamboyant interior designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen once supplied some flooring at Buckingham Palace and had always been under the impression that the Queen and Prince Philip liked it.

When the former Changing Rooms presenter returned to the palace for a function, the Duke of Edinburgh was, however, quick to disabuse him of the notion.

I said: You probably dont 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.

Lady Diana Spencers red Austin Mini Metro was known as the courting car while the teenager was being romanced by Prince Charles.

Meghan Markle, for her part, has been enjoying her last days of freedom by pootling round London in a blue Mini Cooper Countryman.

She looked a rather uncertain driver, says a pedestrian who spotted her near Kensington Palace.

She could have done with Prince Harry lending her support in the passenger seat.

Princess Charlotte should have received a particularly generous third birthday present from her godfather Thomas van Straubenzee on Wednesday.

Tom has just been appointed head of the new Global Wealth team at Knight Frank.

The estate agent boasts that Prince Williams chum completed nearly 100 deals in his previous job, including six for more than 40 million.

Tom will be pleased with the lucrative new post as hes no longer married to an heiress.

His wife, Melissa Percy, the Duke of Northumberlands daughter, divorced him in 2016 after three years, citing his unreasonable behaviour.

Often overshadowed by her sister and fellow model Cara, 25, Poppy Delevingne was inundated with flowers, cards and a smiley balloon in her New York hotel room on her 32nd birthday.

Spoilt. Rotten, she gushed.
Dame Tessa Jowell is determined to keep living life to the full.

The former Labour Cabinet minister, who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer last year, raised a glass of champagne as she toasted her musician daughter Jess, who turns 37 today.

We dont need much excuse to celebrate life right now, Jess says.

Dame Tessa Jowell with her husband David and her children Jess and Matthew, raising a glass for her daughter's 37th birthday

To celebrate each other, life, love and just being able to take time for the most delicious lunch ever. Everything is the most precious gift.

Baroness Jowell, 70, was joined by her husband, retired lawyer David Mills, and son Matt, 34, who is married to best-selling foodie Deliciously Ella.

Last month, Jess brought forward her wedding to fellow musician, Finn Vine, so that her mother could attend.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson says his wife, Joanne, reckons that hes going through the manopause because he owns a pet tarantula.

My wife thinks its very odd, he admits at a bash at the Irish embassy.

She says its my mid-life crisis, but shed rather me having a tarantula than having an affair.

Oops! Poor Joanne does have reason to be suspicious.

Earlier this year, Williamson, 41, whos touted as a potential PM, said she had forgiven him for a brief office romance with a former colleague.

Darkest Hour filmmaker divorces

The director of Oscar-winning film Darkest Hour ended his marriage in just a few sad minutes yesterday with a quickie divorce at the Central Family Court in London.

Joe Wright, 45, had been married to musician Anoushka Shankar, 36, since 2010 and the couple have two sons.

The daughter of late sitar player Ravi Shankar has spoken of the painful heartbreak she went through when Wright ditched her for the Hollywood bombshell Haley Bennett, 30, earlier this year.

In 2007, he became engaged to Rosamund Pike  who played Jane Bennet in his adaption of Pride & Prejudice  but called off their wedding just two weeks before the big day.

M&S Rosie's brother beats her to the altar

M&S mannequin Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has been engaged to Hollywood hardman Jason Statham since 2016 but they still havent tied the knot.

Now, her younger brother, Toby, who is also a model, is due to beat 31-year-old Rosie down the aisle.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's brother Toby in Notting Hill with his fiancee Cicely Brown

Toby, 28, is engaged to nutritionist Cicely Brown, also 28, and will tie the knot in North Africa.

The wedding will be in Marrakech in June, confirms a friend. Its just going to be a small one with family and friends.

'Rosie will be there, too. Perhaps he can give her some wedding tips.

The smart set's talking about... Duke of Beaufort's new wife

Among the crowds flocking to the Badminton horse trials this weekend, it wont just be the four-legged fillies attracting admiring glances.

I can reveal theres a new chatelaine of 17th-century Badminton House.

This week, the Duke of Beaufort quietly got married for a second time.

Georgia Powell and the Duke of Beaufort in London together last year

On Monday, Harry Beaufort, or Bunter as the rock musician is known to friends, wed journalist Georgia Powell in front of a handful of guests at St Michael and All Angels Church on his 52,000-acre Gloucestershire estate.

It was a private wedding, is all the usually voluble Bunter will say.

Georgia, 49, who has quit her job as a newspaper obituaries editor, is the granddaughter of Anthony Powell, celebrated author of A Dance To The Music Of Time.

Once asked his ambition in life, the novelist replied: To marry a title and to live in a house with a long drive.

He did both and, now, so has his granddaughter. Georgia was previously married to long-haired artist Toby Coke, with whom she has two children.

Bunter, who inherited the dukedom on the death of his father last year, is worth an estimated 315 million.

Keep it to yourself, but... A top sporting figure wants to pay for his grandchildren to attend a 37,000-per-year boarding school but is terrified it could ruin his reputation as a working-class hero and prominent Labour supporter. Advertisement

Badminton, where the sport was invented in 1863, has 38 bedrooms and an art collection that includes two Canalettos.

This weeks ceremony could not have been more different from Bunters 1987 nuptials to actress Tracy Ward, which was the society wedding of the year.

It was attended by Princess Diana, who danced into the early hours. Bunter, who turns 66 this month, was not able to divorce Tracy, 59, until earlier this year.

Generously, his ex-wife Tracy, an animal welfare campaigner, has given the new Duchess her blessing.

I like Georgia a lot, she said, diplomatically. Shes fun and intelligent, perfect for Harry.

(Very) Modern Manners

She is one of the most pictured women in the world and shares her family life on social media, but Victoria Beckham seems to have banned photos in her Mayfair boutique.

One punter who tried to snap a frock on her phone was given short shrift by staff this week.

Someone told me to put it away because no photography was allowed, she tells me.

A spokesman says: Its at the discretion of the store manager if shoppers can take pictures.

How terribly posh.

They have survived decades of hard-living, but the Rolling Stones have been banned from getting in a helicopter as it is too dangerous.

Sir Mick Jagger, 74, and co will travel by road to UK gigs later this month.

They dont do helicopters, one of their friends tells me. The management wont allow it.

Just dont let Keith drive...
Advertisement

The Holly Golightlys of the world can rejoice as Tiffany & Co decorated areas of New York City this week with the brand's signature blue hue to promote a new Audrey Hepburn-inspired jewelry line.

People flocked to the seven participating locations across Manhattan to get their picture in front of blue taxis, bodegas and paper flowers that promoted the lavish jewelry store.

The launch is Chief Artistic Officer Reed Krakoff's first jewelry collection for the brand, and he said it was inspired by 'the juxtaposition of wearing a floor length gown and a tiara while holding a paper bag with coffee and a pastry,' as seen with Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

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Taxi, please! Tiffany & Co launched a new promotion this week for an Audrey Hepburn-inspired jewelry collection

Tiffany blue: To celebrate the new collection, the brand created seven locations across New York City that featured the signature blue hue

Jewel tones: The week-long promotion ends Friday. The company created the different spaces to advertise a new jewelry line

Effortless beauty: Chief Artistic Officer Reed Krakoff's helped design the new jewelry line. He said he was inspired by the juxtaposition of Audrey in a floor length gown while drinking a coffee

The idea behind the jewelry line is that 'luxury doesn't have to be formal,' Krakoff told Vogue.

He felt that Audrey Hepburn exuded an effortless beauty, which he wanted customers to experience when they wore jewelry from the new line.

For those looking to get an Instagramable picture to match that of Holly Golightly, there are coffee carts serving complimentary croissants and coffee in Tiffany Blue cups.

The areas are also decorated with blue and white paper flowers as well as signage to draw in the crowds.

So slide the tiara into your hair, grab a pair of oversized sunglasses and head over to one of the seven locations, all of which can be located on this Google Map.

All of the locations will be gone by May 5 to end the week of promotions.

Tiffany & Co has stepped up its promotions this past year to drive traffic back into its Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York City.

The jewelry store channeled everyone's love for Breakfast at Tiffany's by opening up a cafe for shoppers to have a fabulous bite to eat just feet away from some of the priciest diamonds money can buy.

The Blue Box Cafe opened in November 2017 and has been booked solid since with fans lining up down the block for an opportunity to dine in the Tiffany Blue establishment.

Delicious: The luxury brand was offering complimentary coffee and croissants just like what Audrey is seen sipping on during the famous Breakfast at Tiffany's scene

Beautiful: The company created a large quantity of blue and white flowers for the promotion

Picture perfect! People flocked to the seven locations all weeks so they could get a Holly Golightly-inspired photo

Stunning: Tiffany & Co has stepped up its promotions this past year to bring business back into the store

Everything from the walls to the chairs to the plates have been splashed with the pretty blue hue to entice diners.

The first-ever Blue Box Cafe is on the fourth floor of the store, with windows overlooking Central Park.

Krakoff, who joined the brand last February, designed the space, which features robin's egg blue walls, including one luxe all-marble wall with flecks of blue.

The booths and chairs are all done up in the color, as are the plates and salt and pepper shakers.

Only the tables are not in blue but made with engraved zinc, which vice president creative director Richard Moore told Vanity Fair are meant to be scratched and worn-in.

Set in the walls, too, are displays, set up like the small windows facing the street and filled with Tiffany jewelry and home goods.

The one thing we got: Tiffany & Co has opened up a restaurant at its Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York City

Truly one-of-a-kind! The Blue Box Cafe is the first restaurant of its kind

What a gem: The tables are set with Tiffany silverware and plates dipped in a Tiffany blue gloss

That signature hue! All the walls are blue, including a marble one with blue flecks

The cafe is 'yet another reason to visit our new fourth floor, and we hope it will draw customers up to experience the artfully composed home of Tiffany's new luxury home and accessories collection of elevated everyday objects,' Moore added.

'Design of the space began from the idea of immersion in Tiffany  not only the feeling of being inside a blue box, but surrounded by Tiffany hospitality,' he went on.

Any fans looking to recreate Audrey Hepburn's breakfast might be disappointed to learn that there are no Danishes on the menu, the pastry she eats in the film. There are, however, croissants, which can be ordered as part of a prix fix breakfast.

According to a menu printed by Eater, breakfast will set patrons back $29 and includes coffee or tea, a croissant, and a choice of bagel with lox, avocado toast, truffle eggs, and a buttermilk waffle.

Lunch, which is $39, comes with a choice of starter and entree, the later of which includes flatbread, salad, and salmon. The Tiffany Tea, for $49, includes finger sandwiches and sweets.

Putting his touch on it! Chief Artistic Officer Reed Krakoff, who joined the brand in February, designed the space
Of course, Scott and I preview Game 2 in today's Paw'dcast. But we also spend some time discussing a troubling report published in the Waterloo Region Record in which reporter Josh Brown details racial slurs, threats and abuse levelled at Rangers winger Givani Smith, who is one of a handful of black players in the OHL.

Smith, if you're not aware, was suspended for Game 7 of the Western Conference final for flipping the bird to the Greyhounds bench after setting up the winning goal in Game 6. The Soo went on to win in double overtime.

Brown's story (you can find it here) suggests Smith had been dealing with racist taunts not only in that series but previously in the regular season and during Kitchener's conference semifinal against Sarnia. He was also hassled on social media and the target of a death threat.

Things got so bad, Brown writes, "that the Rangers needed a police escort from the Soo airport to their hotel and from the hotel to the Essar Centre for Game 7. Smith watched the affair from the press box with a security guard posted at the door."

It's unclear at this point whether the OHL or any of the teams involved intend to look further into the issue. But, as I argue in the Paw'dcast, they absolutely should.

Game 2 gets started at 7:07 p.m. If you're in Hamilton, you can find it on Cable 14 or TSN 1150. You can also follow me on Twitter (@TeriatTheSpec)  I'll be covering it live.
Crown Princess Mary has landed in the United States to visit an obesity research centre and lead a panel discussion on women's economic empowerment.

The mother-of-four began her Friday morning in style, donning a navy blue trench coat and similarly matching oriental-style dress paired with nude pumps.

Her hair was styled impeccably as the 46-year-old wandered around the Novo Nordisk Research Centre in Seattle, Washington, before settling into a comfortable panel discussion highlighting the importance of access to care for people with obesity.

Crown Princess Mary (pictured) has landed in the United States to visit an obesity research centre and lead a panel discussion on women's economic empowerment

She was even offered a gorgeous bouquet of flowers from a young girl by the name of Emeila Beck.

While that might usually suffice as a busy day in the royal office, Princess Mary outdid herself as usual by continuing on to the University of Washington as they launched a new chapter of cultural exchange between Denmark and America.

Within the establishment's walls Her Royal Highness led a talk on women's economic empowerment in Seattle and spoke openly about equality.

The mother-of-four began her Friday morning in style, donning a navy blue trench coat and similarly matching oriental-style dress paired with nude pumps

She was even offered a gorgeous bouquet of flowers from a young girl by the name of Emeila Beck (pictured right)

Her hair was styled impeccably as the 46-year-old wandered around the Novo Nordisk Research Centre in Seattle, Washington

'Empowering women economically is a cornerstone of Danish policy. We are therefore excited that Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark will be coming to the University of Washington to discuss this topic,' said Lars Gert Lose, the Danish ambassador to the United States.

'Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark is a true champion of women's rights and a member of the Leadership Council of International Center for Research on Women.

'It is essential to share ideas on how to break down barriers so everyone can fulfill their full potential. We are very excited for the opportunity to have this important conversation with the young students at the University.'

While that might usually suffice as a busy day in the royal office, Princess Mary outdid herself as usual by continuing on to the University of Washington

They launched a new chapter of cultural exchange between Denmark and America

She was in good company alongside Dr. Sarah Kambou, president of the International Center for Research on Women, Sarah Hendricks from Gates Foundation and Margaret Schuler from World Vision

She was in good company alongside Dr. Sarah Kambou, president of the International Center for Research on Women, Sarah Hendricks from Gates Foundation and Margaret Schuler from World Vision.

'It was an honor to host Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark for a conversation with UW students about breaking gender barriers and advancing equality,' said professor Andrew Nestingen, chair of the Department of Scandinavian Studies.

'It's a special opportunity for our UW and Scandinavian studies students to engage with global leaders, and to share their knowledge and perspectives with them.'

The Crown Princess met with university and local officials in Gerberding Hall before walking across Red Square to Kane Hall for the talk.

Danish Royal Guards heralded the royal's procession across campus.

'It's a special opportunity for our UW and Scandinavian studies students to engage with global leaders, and to share their knowledge and perspectives with them,' professor Andrew Nestingen said
One brand of liquid, Candy King Sour, looks similar to packs of Trolli or Sour Patch gummy sweets

E-Cigarette products that look like sweets are being marketed at children, experts warn.

They have raised concerns about refillable e-liquids that are sold separately from the inhaler devices.

One brand of liquid, Candy King Sour, looks similar to packs of Trolli or Sour Patch gummy sweets. Another, Juice Box, looks like a carton of apple juice, and Vnilla Cookies and Milk like a pack of biscuits.

The American drugs watchdog wrote to manufacturers last week warning them against deliberately mislabelling their products.

Scott Gottlieb, a commissioner at the US Food and Drug Administration, said: No child should be using any tobacco product and no tobacco products should be marketed in a way that endangers kids, especially by using imagery that misleads them into thinking the products are things theyd eat or drink.

Companies selling these products have a responsibility to ensure they arent putting children in harms way or enticing youth use and well continue to take action against those who sell tobacco products to youth and market products in this egregious fashion.

All of the products are available in the UK, either via the internet or from vaping stores.

The Department of Health said it would be closely monitoring the situation but has not issued warning letters to manufacturers.

E-cigarettes are being promoted by UK health officials as a safer alternative to tobacco. Yet experts say too little is known about their long-term effects and studies have linked them to cancer, heart disease and lung conditions.

E-cigarettes are being promoted by UK health officials as a safer alternative to tobacco. Yet experts say too little is known about their long-term effects and studies have linked them to cancer, heart disease and lung conditions

They are also worried that the devices are being used by youngsters as a stepping stone to ordinary tobacco cigarettes. The battery-powered devices convert a liquid containing nicotine into vapour. The liquids are sold separately and come in a huge variety of flavours.

Research by Kings College London in March found children who had tried e-cigarettes, or vaped, were 12 times as likely to have also smoked tobacco.

By law, the devices and fillers can only be bought by over-18s. But many are purchased online and customers only have to tick a box saying they are 18 or over without proof.

The availability of the confectionary-like brands in the UK was uncovered by the Pharmaceutical Journal.

One, Breakfast Whipd, looks similar to a can of Anchor squirty cream. Another, Daze Pink Sticks, which can only be bought from US websites, is almost identical to Mikado or Pocky biscuit sticks.

George Butterworth, of Cancer Research UK, said: Vaping in young people in the UK remains very low but industry marketing should be closely monitored to ensure they are not targeting this age group.

The Department of Health and Social Care said: It is against the law to sell e-cigarettes to under-18s and we take advertising or promotion of these products extremely seriously  if there is any evidence of this, local trading standards have enforcement powers to take action.
Kyra Warrell, right, pictured with her mother Rima and sister Mia, was born with one leg shorter than the other

A schoolgirl with one leg shorter than the other has been told by the NHS her only option is amputation.

However, a leading US surgeon claims UK doctors have the training  but not the confidence  to save her limb by lengthening it, and that the NHS lacks the highly specialist rehabilitation services she needs after surgery.

Dr Dror Paley has told the parents of seven-year-old Kyra Warrell, who was born with a rare condition affecting her thigh bone, that her treatment is straightforward.

Kyras case is far less complicated than many others Ive treated, says Dr Paley, of the Paley Institute in Florida, who has operated on more than 3,000 children with Kyras condition in his 30-year career.

She wouldnt even have a limp once her leg-lengthening surgeries are complete.

Kyra was born with PFFD, or proximal femoral focal deficiency, a defect where the hip bone is deformed and the part of the thigh bone closest to the hip joint is missing.

If left untreated, her left leg will be 8in shorter than the right by the time she is an adult.

Kyra wears a prosthetic leg, which makes both limbs the same length. But she is now at an age where a decision must be made about the next stage of her treatment.

Her consultant since birth, Fergal Monsell, a paediatric orthopaedic consultant at Bristol Childrens Hospital, says he does not have the expertise to make Kyras left leg longer, and the only option the NHS can provide is amputation above the knee and a bigger replacement prosthetic leg.

This is despite him having attended a training programme on leg-lengthening run by Dr Paley in the US.

Kyra, 6, is facing having her leg amputated below the knee and being fitted with a prosthesis because NHS surgeons are reluctant to perform a leg lengthening procedure

In a consultation with Kyras family, her mother Rima claims Mr Monsell told them: In my hands, leg-lengthening is not the best option for Kyra.

But Rima, 39, an events manager, has begged for her daughter not to lose her leg. She says: Kyras life as an amputee would be a lifetime of disability. Prosthetics would enable her to walk but would cause pain and secondary medical problems, plus a lifetime of medical treatment.

The NHS has previously paid for patients to have leg-lengthening procedures abroad, with Dr Paley treating nearly a dozen children and adults from the UK, performing 20 operations on patients referred by the NHS.

However, it is understood that clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), who decide whether to fund non-routine treatment, are refusing to refer cases like Kyras because of a lack of funding and insufficient evidence that the treatment works.

Dr Paley claims his success rate for an operation similar to the one Kyra would have is 98 per cent.

The primary failures if they occur relate to the hip and knee and the risk of dislocation during lengthening. Most of this can now be prevented, he says.

Dr Paley has promised Kyra, whose disease affects just one in 50,000 children, that she would have a full range of motion by the time she reached 16.

Rima and husband Neil were prepared to sell their Brighton home in order to pay for Kyra's surgery, however they were able to crowdfund 56,000 to pay for the first proceedure

Determined to give their daughter what they feel is the best treatment option, Rima and husband Neil, who live in Brighton, were faced with having to sell their house until they were able to raise 56,000 through crowd-funding so Dr Paley could carry out leg-lengthening surgery abroad.

This money has paid for the first procedure, which was carried out successfully in February this year to prepare Kyras pelvis, hip and ankle for future operations that will gradually stretch her limb.

The family flew to Israel, where Dr Paley treats patients once a year at a lower cost than in the US.

But they still need to raise tens of thousands of pounds more so that Kyra can complete the treatment. This will involve about five operations in total over the next ten years.

Kyra will require at least five operations in total over the next 10 years

At least three UK doctors including Mr Monsell have been trained in leg-lengthening by Dr Paley. But he claims they are reluctant to put the training into practice because they lack experience and may only see one case a year, whereas he does the procedure every day of the week because he runs a dedicated centre.

Its hard for them even with training to feel confident the patient will be safe, he says. The support infrastructure does not exist in the UK for patients who need not only physiotherapy for an hour once or twice daily but also two-weekly follow-ups with the surgeon, more than for any other operation. In practice, this means the patients family need to move for three to four months to stay near the hospital. Theyre also reluctant to operate because of the risk of infection and other complications following surgery they may not have performed before, he adds.

Leg-lengthening takes advantage of the bones ability to heal itself by generating more bone. During an operation, the leg is broken, then, while supported by a frame or a fixator, it is stretched. This allows new bone to form in the gap between the broken ends, which over time grows stronger and supports the childs weight.

Dr Paleys method employs frames with several stainless-steel or carbon-fibre circular rings that go around the childs leg and are attached to the bone by wires or pins. Kyras family hopes the expertise may be available in the UK over the next few years. Until then, they will have to continue fundraising to ensure she can continue with her life-changing surgery abroad which involves them having to move to Florida for several months at a time.

Its worth whatever it takes for Kyra to be able to keep her leg and foot, says her mother. When we have had such a good prognosis from this specialist surgeon who has reviewed Kyras case and performed tens of thousands of leg-lengthening operations, we simply cannot accept that amputation is the best course of action.

Mr Monsell declined to comment.

Ian Barrington, Divisional Director of Womens and Childrens Services at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, said: PFFD patients and their families from across the country seek the expertise of Mr Monsell and his team.

Evaluating treatment options is not always straightforward. We put the safety of our patients first and discuss with them and their families the best treatment outcome we can provide.

A spokesman for the British Orthopaedic Association said: Perceived reluctance for any individual surgeon to perform any surgical procedure is influenced by a number of factors and should not be attributed to a lack of confidence. The three UK surgeons mentioned in this article perform this type of surgery regularly with excellent results and frequently share a teaching platform with Dr Paley. Clinical Commissioning Boards that have previously referred patients for this type of surgery outside the UK required proof that this surgery could not be offered within the UK and/or that the benefits of surgery abroad exceed those of treatment at home.

To donate to Kyras fundraising, visit justgiving.com and search for Step with Kyra.
Hundreds of British women who have had breast-enhancement surgery are at risk a deadly form of cancer triggered by their implants, say scientists.

New data suggests that the disease is far more common than first thought.

It was once believed that fewer than one in 100,000 breast-implant patients were affected, but the true figure could be one in 3,000 with the riskiest implants, according to findings announced last week.

Breast-implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is not breast cancer but a form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system.

New figures released last week suggested one in 3,000 women could face health complications associated with certain types of textured breast implants

It is seen only in women with certain types of textured implants  prostheses with a rough surface, used in 99 per cent of British breast augmentations. The disease develops on average seven years post-surgery. However, patients have been diagnosed anywhere from two to 28 years after the initial operation.

Although it is curable if caught early, if it is not spotted and is left untreated, the disease can spread throughout the body.

Dr Mark Clemens, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, said: Deaths are rare, but they do occur. Think of BIA-ALCL as like a matchstick. Its easy to snuff out when its still a match. But it can also burn down a house.

The surgeon at the forefront of studying BIA-ALCL, Professor Anand Deva, claimed his team has seen a 50 per cent increase in cases over the past year alone. Prof Deva, of the Australian School of Advanced Medicine, said: We need to be very aware of this disease as we are going to see more of it.

The latest findings were revealed at The Aesthetic Meeting 2018 in New York, the annual conference held by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

There are 529 recorded cases of BIA-ALCL worldwide and there have been 16 deaths, say surgeons.

In the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency is tracking cases and has had reports of 33 women with BIA-ALCL. There has been one confirmed death.

'If I'd known... I'd never have had my implants' Nadine Campbell a 46-year-old mother-of-two, had a 6,000 breast augmentation in 2011, going from a B- to a C-cup. I wasnt happy with my breasts, having fed two children, she says. I didnt want to be bigger, just fuller. And I was happy with the result. Nadine Campbell a 46-year-old mother-of-two, had a 6,000 breast augmentation in 2011, going from a B- to a C-cup Nadine began having problems in October last year. My left breast started to feel sore. In the shower I noticed it was swollen  over a few days it seemed to become almost double the size of the other. In December a biopsy confirmed BIA-ALCL. I couldnt stop crying, says Nadine. I just thought that was it, I was going to die. Professor Deva removed the implants, scar tissue and fluid  and told her the disease had been caught at the earliest stage. Nadine, from Lithgow, Australia, says: I had smooth implants put in three months later as Prof Deva told me this was safe. Ive been reassured the cancer wont come back but it plays on my mind. If Id known the risks, Id never have had a boob job in the first place. Advertisement

But this figure could be the tip of the iceberg, said Prof Deva. In Australia there is a co-operation between surgeons and the bodies tracking the disease so we are picking up cases. In other countries like the UK, there have been lower numbers. If you dont go looking for the disease, you might think there is no problem, but thats a head-in-the-sand approach.

Women with BIA-ALCL first notice swelling, pain and asymmetry in the breast caused by a build- up of cancerous fluid. This mostly happens eight to ten years after the initial surgery. However, it may be mistaken for a more common complication known as late seroma that causes almost identical problems  a build-up of benign fluid that is simply treated by removing it and giving antibiotics. Late seroma is seen in one per cent of all breast-implant patients. The latest studies suggest that one in ten of them actually have BIA-ALCL.

It is thought that 50,000 British women have breast-implant surgery each year, including those who have reconstructive surgery after breast cancer.

The disease is seen only in women who have been given textured implants  rough-surfaced prostheses that are designed to adhere to the bodys tissues. The textured surface stops the implant from moving or rotating, and these are the implant of choice when it comes to breast reconstruction.

There are dozens of types of textured implant. But the rougher the surface, the more ideal a breeding ground it is for the bacteria now generally agreed to be key in triggering the immune-system response that causes the cancer.

Within the past month, two negligence lawsuits have been filed in America against breast-implant makers Allergan and Mentor by US patients suffering from BIA-ALCL. Some doctors are now calling for textured implants to be abandoned altogether. Kansas City-based surgeon Eric Swanson said: To me its obvious that textured implants are unsafe.

However, Prof Deva believes some textured implants are more risky than others, and his team now grades implants depending on the texture of the implant surface.

With implants with the roughest surfaces  grades three and four, made either by coating them in a polyurethane foam or by rolling the soft silicone shell in salt which marks the surface  there is approximately a one in 3,000 chance of developing the disease.

Women given smooth implants or those with a finer grain textured surface  grades one and two  face a low or no risk.

Almost all implants used in the UK are textured, and polyurethane is commonly used, meaning dozens of women are likely to develop the disease each year.

Early-stage disease can be tackled with surgery alone, but patients may also need chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Leading British breast surgeon Fiona Macneill, of the The Royal Marsden Hospital, London, has treated five women with the disease. She says: Patients present with dramatic swelling of the breast. We have been able to treat them all, and in all cases treatment has been curative.
When it comes to reading a novel, Ian McEwan, the countrys foremost man of letters, is just like the rest of us: he casts an imaginary movie version in his head. The only difference is, its his own books he is casting. Take On Chesil Beach, his 2007 Booker-nominated novella. For him there was only ever one person who could play the heroine, Florence: the Irish actress and star of Lady Bird and Brooklyn, Saoirse Ronan. I only see her when I read any page of On Chesil Beach, he says.

Its hard to disagree. Ronan is exactly as anyone who has read the work would imagine the character, a prim young violinist whose 1962 marriage founders after a disastrous first encounter in the marital bed. Her clipped accent is flawless, her decency and kindness compromised by physical coldness and her sad eyes suggest hidden trauma. Shes quite amazing, says McEwan when we meet near his Cotswolds home.

On Chesil Beach is a first for Ian McEwan; previous movie versions of his novels, including the Oscar-winning Atonement, were written by others

McEwan has been fascinated by the process of movie-making for much of his life. Indeed, after completing his first degree, he sought to undertake a PhD on the subject. It was going to be about adapting novels for movie screenplays, he says. It got turned down. At the time I was devastated, but looking back it rescued me from becoming an academic. That would have been the end of me!

Instead he went to East Anglia University to study creative writing. But for many years, running parallel to his literary output, hes been engaged in writing movie scripts, from a film for a young Macaulay Culkin (sadly not Home Alone. If I had, I wouldnt be sitting here. Id be in Barbados) to a sequel to The Fly (the best Ive written  sadly, it never got made because Geena Davis [star of the first film who co-owned the rights] became embroiled in a dispute with the studio). Then after a thriller he wrote became marooned in Hollywood development, he swore hed stick to his day job. I could have written two novels in the time I wasted on those scripts.

Then came an offer he couldnt refuse: the chance to write a script from one of his own books. On Chesil Beach is a first for him; previous movie versions of his novels, including the Oscar-winning Atonement, were written by others. Ive learnt from experience that if you want to have influence, you have to get your hands dirty, he says.

For McEwan there was only ever one person who could play the heroine, Florence: the Irish actress and star of Lady Bird and Brooklyn, Saoirse Ronan

And one of the things his re-engagement with the book has allowed him to do is to improve on his original. I tinker  I cant stop. Theres one scene in the movie I know that if it had occurred to me when I was writing the novel, Id have put it in. Whats also not in the book is the ending, because cinematically its irresistible. Spoilers notwithstanding, its an ending so heart-rending it will require supplies of tissues everywhere its shown.

McEwan says hed love to do this with everything hes written: keep on improving. I write so many drafts, he says. It took me 15 months to get to the final draft of On Chesil Beach. Its slow. When I finally send a book in, I always tell the publisher theyre getting the penultimate draft, not the finished thing. Even at proof stage youre at it, tinkering.

It is a habit hes always had, though he thinks he has got better at it with experience. As he believes he has in every aspect of his craft. None of us wants to admit our best is behind us. I constantly run into people who say, I think youve been in one long decline since your first book, he says, miming slapping his imagined critic round the face. Indeed, McEwan is deep into a new novel and has convinced himself it is his finest yet.

Its important to feel Ive never done better. Otherwise, why go on?

But theres one part of writing with which he still hasnt become entirely reconciled. For him, completing a book remains the toughest part of the process. Which may explain why, at a recent literary festival, McEwan reckoned finishing a novel was the best feeling a person can have  apart from romantic sex.

Emily Watson in a scene from the film. McEwan's publishers are hoping the new movie will boost sales of his original 2007 novella

Saoirse Ronan with Billy Howle in the new film. It has an ending so heart-rending it will require supplies of tissues everywhere its shown

One of the things McEwan's re-engagement with the book has allowed him to do is to improve on his original

Literary fiction is in a curious nosedive sales-wise, down about 35 per cent over the past five years, says McEwan

McEwan has been fascinated by the process of movie-making for much of his life

Achieving something difficult is one of those pleasures we dont quite have words for. Its total concentration, losing track of time, forgetting you exist, living entirely in the moment. When the whole things over and you look back, you can say that was when you used the full extent of your gift of consciousness. That moment is more like euphoria.

And because On Chesil Beach is heading to cinemas, presumably more people will be tempted to pick up his books. His publishers will be hoping so, since writers like McEwan are not selling in the quantities they used to. Literary fiction is in a curious nosedive sales-wise, down about 35 per cent over the past five years, says McEwan. Everyones got a theory: TV box sets, some sort of fatigue, who knows. Maybe its not just good enough. When people ask me who are the amazing writers under 30, Im not in a position to judge. I start a lot of modern novels and dont find myself compelled to continue.

The book is published by Vintage, priced 8.99

One thing that does sell these days is crime fiction, although McEwan insists he is not tempted to plot a series of adventures about a maverick detective. He has other ambitions.

What I want to do is take a history degree. I feel that as Im about to turn 70, I ought to know about more stuff. I feel mental death comes when your curiosity evaporates.

Maybe he should try to revive his PhD subject. There is almost certainly someone out there doing postgraduate research on the screen adaptations of Ian McEwan. His literary output has long been part of the English curriculum, from GCSE to PhD. Not that he is enthused by becoming a staple of study.

I always feel a little dubious about people being made to read my books, he says, especially if its his youngest son, Greg, who, a couple of years back, was obliged to write an A-level essay on Enduring Love.

Compelled to read his dads book  imagine. Poor guy, he says. I confess I did give him a tutorial and told him what he should consider. I didnt read his essay but it turned out his teacher disagreed fundamentally with what he said. I think he ended up with a C+.

He pauses. Actually, that story would be a lot better if I said he got a D...

Thats Ian McEwan  be it his novels, his screenplays or just personal anecdotes, he is constantly in search of a better narrative.

On Chesil Beach opens in the West End on May 18 and is released nationwide on May 25. The book is published by Vintage, priced 8.99
Chess

London Coliseum Until Jun 2 2hrs 45mins

Rating:

This 1986 show by Abba boys Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, with lyrics by Tim Rice, has never really worked except as a concept album. Partly because, as Benny recently admitted, chess is just so boring to watch.

This production squeezes nothing new from the shows laborious musical metaphor about the moral stalemate of the Cold War.

You get, however, English National Operas chorus and a full orchestra, plus a power cast including Michael Ball as Russian chess master Anatoly, Tim Howar as his foul-tempered Russophobic American rival Freddie, and Cassidy Janson (so good as Carole King in Beautiful) as Florence  the Elaine Paige role in the original  whose heart defects from Freddie to Anatoly.

The power cast includes Michael Ball (above) as Russian chess master Anatoly, Tim Howar as his foul-tempered Russophobic American rival Freddie, and Cassidy Janson as Florence

Phillip Browne provides some evil bass notes as Molokov, the sinister KGB agent, and Alexandra Burke plays Anatolys wife Svetlana  the best sung part, even if shes short of stuff to sing.

Anthem is Balls big Act One closer and Howar gets to sing the agonising Pity The Child (you need very tight trousers to hit those notes).

Rices pithy lyrics are inaudible and horrible stadium video projections turn the actors into giants so that you can see mid-warble what they had for tea

Alexandra Burke (above) plays Anatolys wife Svetlana  the best sung part, even if shes short of stuff to sing

The big chart-toppers are One Night In Bangkok and the beautiful female duet I Know Him So Well.

But real emotion takes an early bath in this version, done in Eighties costumes and wigs.

Rices pithy lyrics are inaudible and horrible stadium video projections turn the actors into giants so that you can see mid-warble what they had for tea.

Chess has a great score and this has a good cast. But its a galumphing mess. Abba fans are better off saving their cash for the rumoured reunion tour, if it ever happens.

Present Laughter

Chichester Festival Theatre Until Sat 2hrs 40mins

Rating:

Wit ought to be a glorious treat, like caviar. Never spread it about like marmalade, said Noel Coward. But spread it is here, thick and chunky, in a shouty production that never lets up.

Rufus Hound stars as Garry Essendine (his surname is an anagram of neediness), a self-obsessed thesp tottering insecurely on the cusp of middle age.

The part was written in 1939 by Coward as a bravura role for himself to indulge in some light self-mockery in a silk dressing gown.

Tracy-Ann Oberman (above) is at least quiet as Garrys secretary. Katherine Kingsley, as his wife, has a knowing air, as if shes concluded that her husband should have married a man

Rufus Hound (above) stars as Garry Essendine (his surname is an anagram of neediness), a self-obsessed thesp tottering insecurely on the cusp of middle age

Here, Sean Foleys direction attempts to do the play as Carry On Coward with funny walks, braying laughs and zero restraint. Hound mugs, blubs and chews the scenery but he never nails his best lines.

Tracy-Ann Oberman is at least quiet as Garrys loyal secretary. Katherine Kingsley, as his estranged wife, has a knowing air, as if shes concluded that her Coward-like husband should have married a man.

As the vampy seductress, Lucy Briggs-Owen looks stunning in a black gown and knows how to smoke a cigarette. But mostly the evening is a crass embarrassment.

Robert Gore-Langton

Absolute Hell

Lyttelton stage, National Theatre, London Until Jun 16 3hrs

Rating:

Rodney Acklands play  set in a Soho drinking club on the eve of the 1945 General Election  was considered a frightful orgy of filth when first staged in 1952.

The clubs degenerate members, who can barely stand up, include a gay writer on his uppers, a fat lesbian critic, a sozzled artist and assorted soldiers and prostitutes, all flirting under the purview of big-hearted club owner Christine.

Rodney Acklands play  set in a Soho drinking club on the eve of the 1945 General Election  was considered a frightful orgy of filth when first staged in 1952. Above: Liza Sadovy

Its a squiffy, intermittently funny evening, which feels like the neglected Acklands revenge on a secretly gay theatre establishment that hypocritically crushed any honest stage depiction of homosexuality.

But is it even a proper play? It struck me as just three hours of camping, bitching and boozing. To call the piece even a minor classic seems generous.

Robert Gore-Langton

Mood Music

The Old Vic, London Until Jun 16 2hrs 5mins

Rating:

In this new play from Sunny Afternoon writer Joe Penhall, musician Cat and her hotshot producer Bernard are locked in a legal battle over who owns a hit song.

They recount their woes in parallel to, naturally, their respective psychotherapists, although occasionally the patients break this format to jokily chide one another. So far, so showbiz.

Ben Chaplin is a scene-stealer as control-freak Bernard and Seana Kerslake (above, with Chaplin) oozes energy and intelligence as Cat but the play lacks momentum

But flashbacks to toxic rehearsals mark out Bernard as a manipulative bully.

Then it transpires that after passing out on tour in a drunken stupor, Cat was hauled, unconscious and semi-naked, out of bed and on to a plane to be carted off to the next gig. He's exploited more than her music.

Ben Chaplin is a scene-stealer as twitchy control-freak Bernard and Seana Kerslake oozes energy and intelligence as Cat. But their performances cant conceal the plays dearth of momentum.

The action is barely more than a series of soul-searching exchanges between the duo and their shrinks and lawyers. These volleys wear thin after two hours, never reaching a climax or a convincing resolution.

And while the play has been lent a veneer of modernity by chiming with recent abuse-of-power revelations, its characterisation is backward. The witty one-liners go to the men while the women weepily fret about feelings.

Bernard describes one of Cats songs as so directionless its like waiting for an egg to boil. Almost the same could be said of this frustratingly one-note production.

Gwen Smith

The Moderate Soprano

Duke Of York's Theatre, London Until Jun 30 2hrs

Rating:

This is a play about the creation of Glyndebourne, the Sussex country house where opera gets seriously posh. Deplored by many for its elitism, it remains a paradise for opera-lovers.

David Hare has written a most enjoyable account of its founder, Captain John Christie, a Great War veteran, and his wife Audrey.

Christie is irresistibly played by Roger Allam (so good in ITVs Endeavour) as an overgrown schoolboy with a passion for Wagner and some eccentric dislikes: Mozart is great but is he any good?

Aside from a vivid portrait of a marriage  Nancy Carroll gives Audrey a terrific pent-up passion  theres also a heady whiff of idealism in the creation of a haven of musical joy in a world exploding in hate.

A touching, civilised and often funny evening with some of the best acting on the London stage.

Robert Gore-Langton
Shape Of Light: 100 Years Of Photography And Abstract Art

Tate Modern, London Until Oct 14

Rating:

Surely 350 artworks is a bit excessive when all youre making is a single argument, but thats the scenario with Tate Moderns new show.

Spanning more than a century, from 1910 to today, it argues that abstract art was not restricted to painting and sculpture (as many believe) but extended to photography too.

Numerous big-name photographers feature, from Man Ray to Paul Strand. The latter, with works such as Abstraction, Porch Shadows, Connecticut, 1916, made everyday scenes barely recognisable, through a mix of close cropping and high contrast.

Spanning more than a century, from 1910 to today, the Tate Modern's new show argues that abstract art extended to photography too. Above: Vortograph, 1917 by Alvin Langdon Coburn

Others achieved something similar with female bodies, the curves coming to resemble pebbles or hills.

The abstract movement was born at just the same time as photography started getting artistic  that is, when it ceased to be used solely as a documentary tool.

Some figures, such as the Hungarian great Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, worked as both painter and photographer.

The biggest revelation is Nathan Lerner. His Light Tapestry, 1939 (right), looks like a Jackson Pollock yet it predates the painter by a decade. Left: Maya Rochat's A Rock Is A River, 2017

For me, the biggest revelation in the show is Nathan Lerner, an abstract photographer from Chicago who experimented with light boxes. His Light Tapestry, 1939, looks remarkably like the Abstract Expressionist works of Jackson Pollock (who flicked and flung paint at his canvases)  yet it predates the painter by a decade.

If this exhibition had stuck to the first half of the 20th century, it would have been a success.

However, by dragging things out into the 21st century  in a bid to include the advent of digital photography  it peters out and is twice as long as it should be.

Forgive the pun, but there are only so many formless images one can take before completely losing focus.

ALSO WORTH SEEING

The Silver Caesars: A Renaissance Mystery

Waddesdon Manor Until Jul 22

Rating:

Julius Caesars invasion of Britain, the fall of Jerusalem, a bull being offered in sacrifice to the Egyptian deity Osiris  ancient history is laid out in beautiful detail on the Aldobrandini Tazze, 12 silver standing cups on show at Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire.

The tazze, a triumph of 16th-century craftsmanship, are a series of ornamental platters mounted on stands. Each tazza features the figure of a caesar and four scenes from their life as described in Suetoniuss The Lives Of The Caesars.

No one knows who made these objects, but the evidence suggests that the work was commissioned in the Low Countries as a gift for the Holy Roman Emperor.

Ancient history is laid out in beautiful detail on the Aldobrandini Tazze: each features the figure of a caesar (including Vespasian, above) and four scenes from their life

At some point, the figure of the emperor Titus was parted from its salver and went missing, and some of the other tazze, stands and figures, were mismatched.

After this show, the tazze will be put back in their wrong configurations and returned to their owners.

So this is your last chance to enjoy the collection as the Holy Roman Emperor did.

Well, almost. You might want to check your attic for the missing figure of Titus  a complete tazza is worth at least 1.5 million.

Michael Hodges
These days, the adjective surreal is applied to anything and everything.

If someone on Made In Chelsea takes a sip of still water thinking it will be sparkling, or bumps into a next-door neighbour on the street, she is more than likely to describe both experiences as surreal.

But in the Twenties, when the word was first coined, it was intended to mean something infinitely more rarefied. In the Surrealist Manifesto, Andre Breton, the bossy-boots of the movement, defined Surrealism as psychic automatism in its pure state, by which one proposes to express the actual functioning of thought, in the absence of any control exercised by reason, exempt from any aesthetic or moral concern.

Salvador Dali famously arrived at the 1936 International Surrealist Exhibition in London leading two Russian wolfhounds, carrying a billiard cue and dressed in a deep-sea divers suit

In the visual arts, it gave us impossible objects, such as Dalis melting clocks and Magrittes apple the size of a room. It was, if you like, an assault on the whole notion of common sense, on the idea that anything can be taken for granted. Desmond Morris, the author of this lively, gossipy run-down of its key exponents, describes it as not in origin an art movement but a philosophical concept  a rebellion against the establishment that had given the world the hideous slaughter of World War I.

Others have been less high-minded in describing its origins. An early Surrealist, the Spanish film-maker Luis Bunuel, said: We were nothing, just a small group of insolent intellectuals who argued interminably in cafes and published a journal. One of a handful of female Surrealists, Meret Oppenheim, described her fellow members simply as a bunch of bastards. The rebellious Giorgio de Chirico was even more direct, calling them that group of degenerates, hooligans, childish layabouts, onanists and spineless people who had pompously styled themselves surrealists.

Its hard to read this book without wondering whether de Chirico may have been on to something. Quite a number of the major artists roped in by Morris for his survey  Picasso, Francis Bacon, Henry Moore, Giacometti  were only tangential surrealists, who put their heads around the surreal door while on their way to something bigger. For them, it was less a radical movement than a youthful phase, like acne.

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Many of the others were more notable for the craziness of their lifestyles than for the excellence of their art. Meret Oppenheim used to enjoy walking on the ledges of high buildings. Leonor Finis hobby was visiting mortuaries to look at corpses. She attended her introductory surrealist meeting dressed as a cardinal, explaining that she wanted to find out how it felt to wear the clothes of a man who would never know a womans body.

They were as much pranksters as artists. Salvador Dali famously arrived at the 1936 International Surrealist Exhibition in London leading two Russian wolfhounds, carrying a billiard cue and dressed in a deep-sea divers suit. He was booked to give a talk, but his divers helmet made him inaudible. This meant it was not immediately apparent that he was starting to suffocate. When he collapsed, no one could manage to turn the bolts of his helmet. A spanner arrived just in time to prevent him from dying.

The book might just as aptly have been titled The Sex Lives Of The Surrealists. Desmond Morris makes no apology for devoting so much attention to the extraordinary range and voracity of their sexual pursuits. Knowledge of Picassos amorous activities is of more than passing interest because they provide the explanation for the subject matter of many of his works of art, he writes, but he doesnt hold back on any of the others, either.

According to her husband, Eileen Agar was always trying to do something that cannot be done, such as making love standing up in a hammock. E L T Mesens liked to watch while his wife had sex with younger men, and so too did Salvador Dali. The English grandee Sir Roland Penrose could only get going if handcuffs were involved. And so on.

A diagram of who was having sex with whom would end up looking like a great tangle of rubber bands, with Max Ernst in the middle, linked to virtually everyone. The German surrealist had a menage a trois with Paul Eluard and his wife Gala. Gala then went off with Dali, and Ernst went off with Leonora Carrington, before marrying the wealthy collector Peggy Guggenheim, who had a bet with her sister Hazel as to who would be the first to bed 1,000 men. While married to Peggy, Ernst enjoyed a menage a trois with Peggys daughter Pegeen and the Chilean surrealist Roberto Matta. Keep up at the back! Matta in turn had an affair with Agnes, the wife of the Armenian surrealist Arshile Gorky, as a consequence of which Gorky chased Matta around Central Park with a stick. After Gorky committed suicide, Andre Breton summoned a meeting of the Surrealists, who voted to expel Matta from their group on the rather old-fashioned grounds of moral turpitude.

It is striking how many of the Surrealists were the rebellious children of strict disciplinarians. Perhaps it was inevitable that the naughty-schoolboy side of the Surrealists, dedicated to thumbing their noses at conventional art and morality, required a headmaster. He came in the shape of Andre Breton, himself the son of a policeman. Breton existed in a self-important flurry of rules and punishments and threats of expulsion. He was, says Morris, a pompous bore, a ruthless dictator, an extreme homophobe and a devious hypocrite. At one point, Morris includes a handy list of artists Breton expelled from the movement. Its 20-strong, and includes virtually all the most illustrious names, including Picasso, Ernst, Dali and Giacometti.

Breton even managed to fall out with Rene Magritte, who remains by far the most impressive of the Surrealists. Breton had invited Rene and his wife Georgette to dinner, along with Luis Bunuel and his fiancee. Before the meal was over, Breton had lost his temper. He suddenly pointed at a small cross that Madame Magritte was wearing around her neck, recalled Bunuel, and announced that this cross was an outrageous provocation.

One of Bretons rules, you see, was that religion had no place in the Surrealist movement. When he returned home to Belgium, Magritte spent an evening burning every document he had that related to the French Surrealists, and for the next eight years he refused to speak to Breton.

The Lives Of The Surrealists is an exceptionally lively, crisply written, independent-minded survey of one of the most bizarre groups of misfits who ever lived. Remarkably, its author is now 90. Though still best known from his days as a prolific TV presenter, he has also been a lifelong Surrealist painter.

Understandably, Morris introduces himself (On a personal note) into quite a few chapters. I once made Francis Bacon laugh when I told him that he was the only artist whose work had made me physically sick is the way one chapter opens. When you shook hands with Alexander Calder it did not feel like the clasp of a highly refined artist, but more like the grip of a bearlike steel-worker, begins another.

Morriss most illuminating personal anecdotes concern his days as the curator of London Zoo, when he became fascinated by the paintings produced by a chimp called Congo. They were not random splashes, he says, but visually controlled abstract compositions. Picasso owned one, and Miro wanted one too. When Miro came to see the zoo, Morris let him watch a chameleon as it shot out its unbelievably long tongue to catch a large insect. Miros response was that of an excited child, his eyes lighting up as the chameleon struck. He then arranged for a huge python to be wrapped around Miros body, before presenting him with a painting by Congo. In return, Miro gave Morris two of his own sketches, one for him, and one for his wife. Two Miros for one Congo struck me as amazingly generous, he observes.

Miro once said: When I stand in front of a canvas, I never know what I am going to do  and nobody is more surprised than I at what comes out. Presumably, this is what Congo felt, too, but it was his great good fortune that he was never obliged to sign up to an artistic movement, with its hectic schedule of showing-off and falling-out. Instead, this dedicated chimp just got on with his work.
Zelda reads all your letters but regrets that she cannot answer them all personally

Should I leave my sick husband?

My husband has always been a selfish man. Several years ago, he became nasty and verbally abusive to me. We have been together for 22 years and have two daughters aged 12 and 14. He is terrible with money  despite being a high earner, he has run up a lot of debt. We have little equity in our house as he has remortgaged it many times to pay off his creditors, so we will have to downsize. Our daughters are at expensive private schools. If I divorce him, their lives would take a downturn. Now he has been diagnosed with cancer. I am devastated for my children and surprised by how upset I feel for him. Recently, he has been more loving towards me. Part of me feels as though I should stay and look after him. I seem destined to remain in a loveless marriage. I hope that he will be OK and be there for the girls, who love him dearly. To say that I am in emotional and mental turmoil is an understatement.

This is a difficult situation; I can understand how torn you feel. Some people would say that your husband has been so unkind to you and you should get out now, but this would be hard to do with his illness and the loss of your family home. As your daughters love him so much, they could resent you if you left him when he was ill  especially if it also meant that they had to leave their schools. However, you need to be firm and explain to him that until he became ill, you were thinking of leaving him because you have been so unhappy. Tell him that you will, of course, look after him, but that you need him to change, even while he is sick. Ask him to go to counselling with you, either now or later, at Relate (0300 100 1234, relate.org.uk) or Macmillan (0808 808 0000, macmillan.org.uk); it would also help you both during his illness. If he recovers and nothing has changed, then this would be a much better time to ask for a divorce.

My ex stole money from me

Three years ago, my partner of 26 years and I bought a house in Canada to be near our 24-year-old daughter. My father, who lives in the UK, loaned me a third of the deposit for the house and we wanted him to live with us, but his dementia suddenly worsened. We decided to sell and move back to this country. I gave my partner power of attorney to sell the house and my two cars and returned to look after my father and find a house for us to live in. However, as soon as our house was sold, she banked the money in her private account and emailed me to say the relationship was over. I pursued her for the money and she eventually sent me a cheque that wasnt even a third of what my father had lent me. I am also worried about our daughter.

To end a 26-year relationship by email and take all the money is awful  you must be devastated that your former partner has been so cruel. I wonder what your daughter thinks about it all. As your fathers dementia is deteriorating rapidly, I am afraid that he may not have long to live. When he dies, please remember how much you have cared for him  you have been a lovely son. You may decide to return to Canada to be near your daughter. In the meantime, I am sure that she understands why you had to go back to the UK to look after your father. Parents separating is always hard for children, even adult ones, but you did not have an option. Talk to your daughter and tell her how important she is, that you want to visit whenever you can. Be careful not to criticise her mother, even though she has been unkind. You should also contact Lawyers Online (lawyersonline.co.uk) to find legal representation  they tell me that you should have a good chance of getting back much more of your money.

Im devastated by the loss of my friend

I have always kept in touch with my dear childhood friend. As an adult, she had a difficult time and was widowed at 40, which led to her depression and psychiatric problems. Three years ago, she moved hundreds of miles away to be near her son, but she kept in touch. Then she was diagnosed with a rare genetic brain disorder, Cadasil syndrome. I did my best to support her and travelled to see her at home and in hospital. Then, out of the blue, I received a WhatsApp message from her son saying that his mother had been found dead on a bench. The following day, I received a card from her, telling me how much our friendship meant to her. There was no funeral service. Later, I discovered that she had taken a drug overdose. Given her terrible illness, I understand but I feel overwhelmed by grief.

Your grief is understandable. It is difficult enough to lose a much-loved friend, but to discover that she took her own life is even harder to come to terms with. The important thing to remember is that you have been a lovely friend and a huge consolation to her. Sending you the card that she probably posted on the morning of her death was her way of showing you how much she valued your friendship and saying goodbye. The important thing now is to take care of yourself and also to get some support. Talk to family and friends and also get in contact with Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (uksobs.org, 0300 111 5065) for further help and advice.
Since former fashion buyer Kate Middleton wedded the heir to the throne, Britain seems to have made peace with the notion of normal people marrying into royalty  after all, we have a fair few of them in the royal family. Prince Charles may have initially plumped for aristocrat Lady Diana Spencer, but his siblings have all chosen to marry non-blue-bloods: Princess Anne first with Captain Mark Phillips, then Commander Tim Lawrence; Prince Andrew with Sarah Ferguson, and Prince Edward with the solidly middle class Sophie Rhys-Jones.

But Meghan breaks with royal tradition even further: not only a commoner, an American and a divorcee, she is the first actress to marry into the House of Windsor. For Britain, another royal taboo has been broken. Elsewhere, however, the union of Hollywood glamour and regal lineage is nothing new. Here are the incredible fairy-tale marriages that warmed hearts  and raised eyebrows  across the continent. Meghan, consider yourself warned

THE PERFECT PRINCESS

The fairy tale Hollywood star Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956.

The romance Grace may have been born a commoner, but she certainly enjoyed a life of privilege, growing up in a wealthy Philadelphia family and becoming a successful Hollywood actress, starring in films including Rear Window, To Catch A Thief and High Society.

Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier on their wedding day, April 1956

They had three children, Princess Caroline, Prince Albert and Princess Stephanie, and Grace embraced her royal duties, focusing on cultivating the arts and charity work in Monaco

Tellingly, when asked if she was happy in a 1965 magazine interview, Grace replied: I dont expect to be happy, and I dont look for happiness. So perhaps I am content in life, in a way

But even with her blonde beauty and aristocratic demeanour, her romance with Prince Rainier III, the Stowe-educated ruler of Monaco, came out of the blue. The pair met while Grace was in Europe for the Cannes Film Festival in May 1955 when they posed for photos at the Palace of Monaco for Paris Match magazine. After Grace, 25, returned Stateside, she and Rainier, 32, wrote to each other. In December that year, Rainier travelled to the US, ostensibly on official business, but made time to meet Graces family. After three days he proposed, and preparations for the Wedding of the Century began.

The wedding On 4 April 1956, Grace set sail for Monaco on the ocean liner SS Constitution with her family, bridesmaids, poodle and more than 80 pieces of luggage in tow. Two weeks later she married Prince Rainier in a civil ceremony in the throne room of the palace in front of just 80 guests. The following day, 19 April, the couple said their vows amid the grandeur of St Nicholas Cathedral in an event watched by 30 million TV viewers around the world. Her dress was a confection of 25 yards of silk taffeta, antique rose-point lace and pearls, taking three dozen seamstresses six weeks to make, while a Juliet cap held her 90-yard veil in place. The 700 guests  who feasted on champagne, lobster and a six-tier wedding cake  included Aristotle Onassis, Cary Grant, Aga Khan III and Ava Gardner.

Happy ever after? The couple appeared to live in a state of serenity, with Grace always composed, as though she had been born for the role. They had three children, Princess Caroline, Prince Albert and Princess Stephanie, and Grace embraced her royal duties, focusing on cultivating the arts and charity work in Monaco. But according to Robert Laceys 1994 biography Grace, she and Rainier grew apart over the years: Grace regretted giving up acting (Rainier banned the showing of her films in Monaco) and he was jealous of her celebrity. She also suffered miscarriages, and is rumoured to have had a bad menopause and bouts of depression in later life. Tellingly, when asked if she was happy in a 1965 magazine interview, she replied: I dont expect to be happy, and I dont look for happiness. So perhaps I am content in life, in a way. Her death in a car accident in 1982 at the age of 52 meant that she would always be remembered as the ultimate glamorous princess.

THE REAL-LIFE CINDERELLA

The fairy tale Ex-miners daughter Lilian Davies, from Swansea, captured the heart of Prince Bertil of Sweden.

The romance Born Lillian to a market-stall-owner father and shop assistant mother, her childhood had no joynothing. At 16, having removed one l from her name, Lilian moved to London, first working as a maid, then as a model and appearing in Vogue. She was offered minor film roles, where she met her first husband, actor Ivan Craig. Then, in 1943, she met Prince Bertil.

Lilian Davies with Prince Bertil of Sweden, 1953

There are varying accounts of their meeting. She either saw the regal naval attache to the Swedish Embassy in London at a cocktail party for her 28th birthday, or at the nightclub Les Ambassadeurs, where she was a hostess (when she was told that he was a Swedish prince, she replied: And Im the Queen of Sheba!). The attraction was immediate, and after her home was damaged in an air raid, Bertil took her in. She never left.

The wedding Lilian and Ivan divorced after the war, but as she was a commoner, the Swedish constitution forbade Bertil from marrying her. In 1947 Bertils elder brother died in a plane crash, leaving his baby son Prince Carl Gustaf (the current king) heir to the throne. Suddenly, Bertil  as a potential regent  was of critical importance to the monarchy. So he chose duty over love and asked Lilian to wait to marry him, which she did  for 33 years. The pair lived quietly together in France and Stockholm, and, as the years passed, sacrificing having children. Finally, in 1976, the new King Carl Gustaf gave his uncle, 64, permission to marry Lilian, who was 61. They wed in the chapel at the royal palace of Drottningholm.

As Lilian was a commoner, the Swedish constitution forbade Bertil from marrying her. The pair were finally allowed to marry in 1976

Happy ever after? As Her Royal Highness Princess Lilian of Sweden, Duchess of Halland, Lilian threw herself into her official duties, which she continued after Bertils death in 1997. And although she dedicated her life to Sweden, Lilian, who died age 97 in 2013, never forgot her humble origins: when Queen Elizabeth encouraged her to let her know the next time she was in London, Lilian couldnt bring herself to do it.

THE SEX SYMBOL

The fairy tale Love Goddess Rita Hayworth married Prince Aly Khan, Aga Khan IIIs son, in 1949.

The romance Born Margarita Cansino in Brooklyn in 1918, Rita became one of Hollywoods most desirable film stars. But despite her glamour and fame, her modest roots were in stark contrast to those of Prince Aly Khan, the fast-living playboy son of His Royal Highness Aga Khan III, a fabulously rich spiritual leader to more than 15 million Ismaili Muslims.

Rita Hayworth gets stuck in to the cake at her wedding to Prince Aly Khan, 1949

After watching her 1946 hit film Gilda, Aly became infatuated with Rita, who, by 1948, was single after the collapse of her marriage to Orson Welles. According to historian Anne Edwards, author of Throne of Gold, when Aly heard that Rita was on the Riviera, he asked a mutual friend to introduce them at a lavish party. It seems to have been lust  if not love  at first sight, as Rita, then 29, stayed the night with 36-year-old Aly at his opulent home, Chateau de lHorizon. Later, when she returned to Hollywood, he followed her and rented a mansion across the road. They became inseparable, and soon Rita was pregnant.

The wedding The Aga Khan gave reluctant permission for his feckless son to wed and on 27 May 1949 Rita married Aly in a town hall ceremony, followed by an opulent reception at Chateau de lHorizon. It was her third marriage so she wore a pale blue dress with matching hat from Christian Diors New Look collection. More than 500 guests consumed 600 bottles of champagne and 50lb of caviar, says Edwards. The pool was scented with 200 gallons of eau de cologne, in which floated two huge floral pieces in the shape of an M and A, while Ismailis queued up to kiss Ritas feet.

The couple in Italy, 1949. In September 1951 Hayworth filed for divorce on grounds of extreme cruelty, entirely mental in nature

Happy ever after? Rita gave birth to Princess Yasmin seven months later, but by 1950 Rita was fed up with Alys philandering  as well as the demands of her role. During a three-month tour of the Aga Khans followers in Africa, Rita threw royal duty to the wind and flew back to the US, moving to Nevada to establish legal residence and qualify for a divorce. In September 1951 she filed on grounds of extreme cruelty, entirely mental in nature.

The pair fought a bitter custody battle over their daughter: Aly wanted her to be raised Muslim; Rita insisted she should be a Christian and rejected his offer of $1 million if she promised to raise Yasmin in his faith. In January 1953, the divorce was granted. Aly died in a car crash seven years later and Rita went on to marry twice more, and battle alcoholism and Alzheimers. She could never find a man who really loved her; instead she lived in the shadow of her most famous role: Men fall in love with Gilda, she said, and wake up with me.

Princesses with pasts

When regular girls (and guys) live the fairy tale...

THE SINGLE MOTHER

Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway

Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby met Prince Haakon, both now 44, the heir to the throne of Norway, at a music festival. Stories emerged about her years on the Oslo rave scene, and the father of her son (now 21) was convicted of drug-related offences. But she and Prince Haakon defied convention to marry, and after 17 years are still smitten.

Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby met Prince Haakon, both now 44, the heir to the throne of Norway, at a music festival

THE AD EXEC

Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark

Australian ad executive Mary Donaldson, 46, met Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark at a pub in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics. Mary moved to Denmark and the pair married in 2004. Four children later, the couple are as strong as ever.

Australian ad executive Mary Donaldson, 46, met Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark at a pub in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics

THE OLYMPIC SWIMMER

Charlene, Princess of Monaco South

African Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock met Prince Albert of Monaco at a Monte Carlo swimming competition. Eleven years later they married, amid rumours that Charlene attempted to flee before the big day. Today they are doting parents of twins and Charlene is fluent in French  as well as court protocol.

African Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock met Prince Albert of Monaco at a Monte Carlo swimming competition

THE DIVORCED NEWSREADER

Queen Letizia of Spain

The king and queen of Spain were horrified when their son Prince Felipe fell in love with TV anchor Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano. But their 2004 wedding was watched by 25 million, and when King Juan Carlos abdicated ten years later, Letizia became the first commoner to be queen of Spain.

The king and queen of Spain were horrified when their son Prince Felipe fell in love with TV anchor Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano. But their 2004 wedding was watched by 25 million

THE EMBARRASSING DAD

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands

The wedding of Prince Willem-Alexander to Argentinian banker Maxima Zorreguieta Cerruti was debated in Dutch parliament over her politician fathers role in the Argentine dictatorship. Maximas father was barred from attending her 2002 wedding and her inauguration as queen in 2013.

The wedding of Prince Willem-Alexander to Argentinian banker Maxima Zorreguieta Cerruti was debated in Dutch parliament over her politician fathers role in the Argentine dictatorship

THE PERSONAL TRAINER

Daniel, Prince of Sweden

Gym owner Daniel Westling had to work hard to gain acceptance after he met the heir to the throne, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, during a workout in 2002. King Carl Gustaf was initially against the match, but thanks to a committee of courtiers, Daniel has been groomed to become the perfect royal.

Gym owner Daniel Westling had to work hard to gain acceptance after he met the heir to the throne, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, during a workout in 2002

THE GLAMOUR MODEL

Sofia, Princess of Sweden

She may appear to be the perfect royal, but that wasnt always the case. The wife of Prince Carl Philip (Princess Victorias brother) is a former bikini model and reality-show contestant, with a belly-button piercing and tattoo. But the Swedish royal family accepted her, and she has joked about how princess school made her fit for her new role.
Outspoken, self-made, independent, glamorous, American: the very qualities that make Meghan a hit with the public could prove tricky for The Firm to cope with, argues US-based Brit Jane Mulkerrins

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle following the announcement of their engagement on November 27, 2017 in London

Royal wedding fever has once again hit peak shriek this spring, with acres of column inches and breathless commentary dedicated to Harry and Meghans big day. And, really, who can blame us? After a turbulent and traumatic 18 months  not least for the two nations wholl be united by their nuptials  were all in need of a little Markle sparkle.

But once 19 May has come and gone and the dust has settled  every detail of the dress, ceremony and undoubtedly epic party pictured, priced up and picked over, the bunting packed away  what will the newest royal recruit bring to the family?

Americans tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves to an extent that makes Brits cringe

Lets face it, the last time an American divorcee set her sights on joining The Firm, it didnt work out too well, triggering a constitutional crisis. And Meghan has already strained the traditions of royal neutrality with past TV appearances and tweets discussing politics and feminism, plus her (now closed) lifestyle blog The Tig. If any other public figure expressed a personal opinion, it wouldnt raise an eyebrow. But Meghan isnt any other public figure  shes about to become a duchess. For some critics, its all a bit much. Meghans entry into the royal family, they fear, heralds the end of all that anchors the British monarchy: tradition, reserve and quiet duty.

I, however, would argue the opposite. In an era of doom and gloom, with Britain divided about Brexit and the US tearing itself apart over Trump, this glossy Californian might be the best addition to our dusty old monarchy in decades.

Meghan on on US Deal or No Deal, left, and with ex-husband Trevor Engelson

Who better to repair the ailing special relationship than this highly attractive special envoy in an array of enviable coats? And whats that I hear? Oh, its the sound of billions of tourist dollars thumping down on British soil. An American marrying into royal ranks is akin to having a Briton become First Lady (not that youd wish that fate on anyone right now, but you get the point)  and they will definitely want to cross the Atlantic to see her.

On top of her nationality, Meghan is mixed race: her mother, social worker and yoga teacher Doria, is African-American; her TV lighting-director father, Thomas, white  which makes a more refreshing change from generations of all-white Windsors. A huge number of people relate to Meghan, says Penny Junor, author of numerous royal biographies, including those of Prince Charles, Diana, William and Harry. She is far more representative of modern British society than the daughter of an aristocrat.

Meghan's first official appearance with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Chris Ship, royal editor at ITV News, witnessed this relatability first-hand when Meghan made her second royal visit with Prince Harry to Brixton, a traditionally Caribbean and West Indian part of South London. A couple of people told me: Ive come here to see Meghan Markle, but I wouldnt have come here to see the Queen, Ship reports. She has made the royal family more accessible, relevant and open in a way that none of the others has been able to.

But its not all plaudits. Meghan has been criticised for being too huggy wuggy by columnist Jan Moir, who warned her to give it a rest with the endless Lady Bountiful arm-pats. Princess Dianas biographer Andrew Morton says Meghans ambition makes her a modern-day Becky Sharp. Others have expressed contempt at her indiscreet, wholly un-British emoting, gushing in her Vanity Fair interview in September last year about how in love she is.

Meghan with Harry at a community centre in Cardiff, left, and after their engagement announcement

Meghan and Harry visit a radio station in Brixton

Having lived in the US for almost eight years, I can fully attest to the tendency of our American friends to wear their hearts on their sleeves, sometimes to an extent that makes a still buttoned-up Brit cringe. However, Ive also observed how much and how rapidly Britain is changing.

Last year Harry talked openly about his need to seek counselling to help him deal with the grief after the death of his mother. Having a member of the royal family, who has served frontline in the forces, normalise therapy and mental-health issues speaks volumes about Britains increasing emotional openness. And, of course, it also indicates how well matched he and Meghan appear to be.

Meghan greeting well-wishers in Brixton, London

Both of them embody a new, more youthful style of leadership that celebrates genuine, emotionally honest communication, instead of seeking to stamp out such weakness. While Meghan might be wholly modern, one can imagine eyebrows were raised at the palace over the fact that this is not her first rodeo, as they say stateside.

She was previously married to producer Trevor Engelson but they divorced in 2013 after two years. So, its not a fairy tale  but fairy tales havent generally served women well (think of Diana, Princess of Wales), and separating from ones spouse no longer carries the same stigma it did even 20 years ago.

There are shots on social media that Meghan might now wish she could wipe out

Diana, an aristocratic and supposedly biddable bride, was selected as a suitable wife for Charles. But it didnt work out that way. Even the Queen was forced to admit she learned lessons from Diana. In 2013 author Hilary Mantel reflected  controversially  that Kate Middletons marriage to William was the result of a lesson learned, too.

She wrote in the London Review of Books: Kate seems to have been selectedbecause she was irreproachable: as painfully thin as anyone could wish, without quirks, without oddities, without the risk of the emergence of character. She appears precision-made, machine-madecapable of going from perfect bride to perfect mother with no messy deviation.

Meghan with her mother Doria

Meghan, on the other hand, might well prove to be messier. She publicly backed Hillary Clinton, lamented the departure of David Cameron and criticised Donald Trump and Brexit. Earlier this year she used her and Harrys first official appearance alongside her soon-to-be in-laws the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to voice her support for the Times Up and #MeToo (equal pay and anti-sexual harassment) movements. Though this should hardly be surprising given that shes a former UN ambassador for women, there was if not quite a backlash, then certainly the sound of heavy tutting: Isnt she being a bitpolitical?

The royal familys website royal.uk makes the situation clear: As head of state, the Queen has to remain strictly neutral with respect to political matters. But thats the Queen, which Kate will one day be  undoubtedly the reason she keeps a dutiful silence. Meghan, however, as wife to the spare (Harry is sixth in line to the throne after the recent arrival of the third royal baby), suffers no such restrictions  at least, not officially. As a couple they are likely, I think, to be more open in their opinions than other royals we have seen, predicts Ship.

Meghan on the publicity trail for Suits

And, while that may stick in the craw of some critics, he doesnt believe its actually that dramatic a departure. The Queen has always given the impression of staying the same, but has actually moved the monarchy with the times, he says. Whether thats getting rid of debutante balls or changing the way the royal family pays tax, she knows that as monarch she has to maintain her relevance to society.

Plus, Ship points out, the happy couple are not abandoning tradition entirely. Though there has been talk of Meghans mother walking her down the aisle and of the bride making a speech  both to much bristling from traditionalists  it could hardly be called an unconventional occasion. They will be getting into a carriage pulled by horses and parading through the streets of Windsor. You cant really say that isnt traditional.

The problem is that Meghan and Harry might outshine Will and Kate

The ensuing pictures will, no doubt, be dreamy. But a quick root around on social media reveals plenty of shots that Meghan might now wish she could wipe out. A former Deal or No Deal suitcase girl turned actress, theres a world of cheesy poses that dont really say royal. But they do prove that, like the rest of us, Meghan has worked for a living and has taken the odd job shed have preferred not to.

Plus, her seven-year stint on the drama series Suits has probably prepared her better for royal life than any of the in-house training that comes with the title. Compare Meghans polished, relaxed performance in front of the camera in her post-engagement interview with Harry  in which she seemed to do most of the talking  to Kates (perfectly understandable) nervousness at her and Williams sit-down.

Meghan has lasted the course, in part, because she doesnt mind the publicity, says Junor. The other girls Harry dated were more private and were horrified to find themselves in the newspapers.

Meghan with her on-screen fiance in TV series Suits

Her celebrity status also echoes that of Diana: she was the one with charisma, the showpiece in the household  which, believes Junor, became a problem. Charles would spend weeks crafting a speech about a subject really dear to his heart and then the press would totally ignore it. The papers would instead be filled with pictures of Dianas new hairstyle.

But Meghan and Harry wont face the same conflict, Junor believes. I dont think shell outshine Harry. He has a big personality and is very much loved  they will be a great double act. The issue, however, might be that combined star power itself: I think the potential problem is that she and Harry might outshine William and Kate, warns Junor.

So, as for whether Meghan is too much for the monarchy, I would argue not  for now. But whether shell be too much for future monarchs remains to be seen.
Step behind the scenes at The Berkeley in Belgravia, London, for a masterclass in catwalk-quality baking inspired by the wedding of the year

Coconut cherry shots

The Berkeley  glam sister to Claridges and The Connaught  regularly runs masterclasses with head pastry chef Mourad Khiat to share the secrets behind the hotels famous Pret-a-Portea, fashions favourite afternoon tea. Following the success of the recipe book marking the teas tenth anniversary, these inviting sessions offer baking aficionados the chance to perfect their own Pret-a-Portea skills. Guests learn how to create a selection of Pret-a-Portea classics, including treats inspired by designers such as Moschino, Jason Wu and Manolo Blahnik. And this month the classes take on a special royal wedding flavour with limited-edition bridal couture biscuits and regal handbags  see our exclusive preview here.

The Berkeley's Collins Room, where Pret-a-Portea is served daily

Pret-a-Portea is served daily in the Collins Room (pictured above) from 1pm until 5.30pm and features a seasonal selection of catwalk-inspired bakes and biscuits. Prices from 52 per person; 62 including a glass of Laurent-Perrier champagne. Masterclasses cost 225 per person including a two-hour baking class followed by Pret-a-Portea with a glass of champagne. Visit the-berkeley.co.uk for availability and to book online or call 020 7107 8866 (for Pret-a-Portea reservations) or 020 7201 1619 (for masterclasses).

Two stylish spreads; Pret-a-Portea bridal biscuits

BUY THE BOOK WITH 25% OFF

Pret-a-Portea: High Fashion Bakes and Biscuits, with recipes by The Berkeleys head pastry chef Mourad Khiat, is published by Laurence King, price 12.95. To order a copy for 9.71 until 27 May, visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640; p&p is free on orders over 15. Located in Belgravia, just a step away from Knightsbridge, The Berkeley is the ultimate urban retreat in the heart of London: the essence of contemporary chic, with stunning rooms and suites, two-Michelin-starred cuisine from Marcus Wareing, Pret-a-Portea in the Collins Room, cocktails in the Blue Bar, and the health club and spa complete with rooftop pool. Visit theberkeley.co.uk for more information and reservations.

Feature coordination Fiona McCarthy

Recipes adapted from The Berkeley

Photographs John Carey
In the wake of the meltdown at TSB and the harvesting of personal information from Facebook, people are increasingly nervous about managing their finances online.

Here, The Mail on Sunday looks at how safe our data is and what we can do to protect ourselves from scams and fraudsters.

Data security: Often, just a few details  including a name, address and date of birth  are enough for someone to steal your identity and maybe take out a credit card in your name

ACT ON NEW DATA PROTECTION LAW

A shake-up of data protection rules is being introduced this month aimed at changing the way companies handle personal information given to them.

Under a new general data protection regulation, it should be easier to control how our details are shared. This includes financial facts  such as where we bank, our account numbers and sort codes.

It also encompasses other personal information, including our shopping habits, medical records, email addresses and information that tracks where we are.

In the internet age many companies keep such information  profiting from selling it to other interested parties and using it for targeted advertising.

The new European Union backed laws are rolled out in just under three weeks time to replace the Data Protection Act 1998. The old rules, designed to ensure private information could only be used for specific and stated purposes, has proved ineffective.

Under the new regime, customers will have the right to insist firms do not hold or share information  even if you had earlier authorised it when ticking a terms and conditions box. You can also demand information is permanently erased.

Threat: Facebook users' data has been harvested

Colin Tankard, of Harlow-based data security company Digital Pathways, says: People need to realise how sharing any personal information makes them vulnerable to fraud. Now you will have the right to object to any such sharing, even if you previously gave consent.

Some firms, such as Facebook, are playing hard ball. It has said it will ask customers to opt out if they do not want personal information shared or held.

Lisa McCarthy, of the Information Commissioners Office  a Government-backed body that aims to uphold privacy rights  says: Personal data includes everything from names and addresses to medical records, religious beliefs and political opinions. The new rules build on previous legislation so information held by organisations can be erased in certain circumstances if that is your wish.

ACTION PLAN: Do not tick any box allowing details to be shared if you wish your information to stay private. If you believe you have been victim of a data breach contact the Information Commissioners Office on 0303 123 1113.

BE VIGILANT WITH PERSONAL DETAILS

To fend off online burglars or a cyber-attack you should first ask yourself what a criminal wants. Often, just a few details  including a name, address and date of birth  are enough for someone to steal your identity and maybe take out a loan or credit card in your name.

Paul Giles, of banking trade body UK Finance, says those living in a block of flats with shared post boxes are particularly vulnerable to having personal information stolen. Thieves also use social media to discover dates of birthdays or when people are on holiday. Prying eyes on the high street can also result in PINs and card details being stolen.

He says: Regularly check bank statements for any suspicious payments. If you discover any, contact your bank immediately.

Giles also warns people of the danger of unsolicited calls, texts and emails. For example, if someone over the phone is asking to double- check your bank details  often by claiming you may have been a victim of fraud  simply ignore them.

ACTION PLAN: Resolutely refuse to share bank information to cold-callers  even if they claim to be on your side. Do not reveal personal details on social media websites.

Internet crime: So-called phishing is a common email scam

LEARN TRICKS OF THE FRAUDSTERS TRADE

Despite concerns over high-tech hacking  including attacks masterminded by Russian spies  most internet crime can be combated.

So-called phishing is a common email scam. This involves crooks tricking people into handing over key personal banking information in the hope of then draining your bank account of money.

Variations include vishing (scam phone calls) and smishing (mobile text messages). Some fraudsters manage to download malware  malicious software  on to peoples computers, enabling them to read login details for bank accounts.

Such activities need not keep you awake at night but do require you to be suspicious of anyone contacting you out of the blue. No matter what they say never give out a password or transfer money. Being vigilant is also key because high street banks rarely offer compensation if you have inadvertently authorised a payment that turns out to be fraudulent.

But a new confirmation of payee bank safeguard is being rolled out before the end of the year. This will mean that anyone authorising payment from your bank account will have to prove they are who they claim to be.

ACTION PLAN: Never share a password or transfer money to someone who contacts you out of the blue  by phone, online or in person. Contact your bank immediately.

KEEP GADGETS SAFE FROM VIRUSES

Modern technology offers some great time-saving devices and high-tech gadgets, but they are prone to hacking. Once a cyber-criminal gets into your computer they can use malware that reads or destroys personal information.

It comes in a wide variety of forms  from worms that infect computers to Trojan horses when software looks perfectly innocent but hides a criminal intent.

Not just computers: Your toaster too can be hacked by criminals

A fraudster can also use ransomware so that they can demand money to avoid data being destroyed or shared  and spyware to watch you online.

Colin Tankard, of Digital Pathways, says there is basic free anti-virus software available to detect potential cyber-attacks. Special software can also be bought. Among anti-virus software he recommends  free or paid for  are packages from Avira, Sophos and McAfee. Other providers include Bitdefender and Norton.

It is not just computers, smartphones and wi-fi that criminals use to hack into the home.

Tankard says: You would be amazed at how inventive criminals can be  hacking toasters and computer games.

He explains that the latest toasters can be hacked by criminals to discover your wi-fi password.

There have also been cases of burglars secretly watching and listening to what is going on in a persons home through malware in games downloaded on to a computer.

Tankard also warns against using public wi-fi for transactions such as banking as they are easy to hack.

ACTION PLAN: Install anti-virus software on to your computer. Be aware most high-tech gadgets can be hacked.

SEEK SUPPORT TO TACKLE FRAUD

Help: Rachel Almeida, charity Victim Support

Public body Action Fraud is worth contacting if you are a victim of fraud  but it provides more advice than help in finding financial criminals. In truth, it is a buffer for police forces inundated by calls and only passes on cases if it feels there is something that can be done.

Many financial institutions pass the buck and encourage victims to contact Action Fraud  washing their hands of responsibility. But do not let them off the hook. Demand that they look into fraud and if they are unhelpful complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Also, contact the police directly.

Emily Boneham, of Action Fraud, says: We assess any reported fraud and the viability of it being investigated by police. We pass on information if we believe it can be pursued.

The charity Victim Support recognises that many fraud victims feel frustrated by the lack of redress  accentuating any anxiety caused by the crime. Spokeswoman Rachel Almeida says: Victims of fraud often feel embarrassed and ashamed. We are able to provide specialist emotional support as well as practical help.

ACTION PLAN: Victims should immediately contact their bank and the police with details of any suspected fraud. Get extra help from Action Fraud and Victim Support.

BRACE YOURSELF FOR A BANK SHAKE-UP

New open banking rules have been introduced this year that could provide fraudsters with yet more opportunities.

Major banks are being forced to share customer data with other firms  part of a second payment services directive from the European Union.

The idea is to make banking more competitive and easy to use, but it may also provide opportunities for scammers.

For example, a social media website could use your bank account details to transfer money to a friend under the new legislation  adding convenience but also increasing the risk of fraud.

The idea is that eventually we might be able to manage multiple accounts  for example a bank account, an insurance policy and a savings plan  from one place.

ACTION PLAN: Do not opt into open banking until it has become more established and has been proven to be safe.
BP boss Bob Dudley is a man who bears all the scars of the ruthless oil business

Oil, so the cliche goes, is the earths lifeblood. It is what powers our vehicles, lubricates our machines and helps drive a nations economy.

Our hopeless addiction to the stuff means it has been responsible for more international fisticuffs than any other industry since time began.

The excrement of the devil, was how Opec founder Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzos described it, and he wasnt wrong.

This murkiest of businesses is not for the faint heart. Practitioners must do battle with, among others, ruthless speculators and tinpot regimes, all the while deflecting the constant brickbats of the shouty environmental lobby.

And BPs Bob Dudley, 62, is a man who bears all the scars.

His appointment as boss of BP in 2010 came amid the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the largest oil spill in history.

As thousands of gallons of black ooze pumped into the Gulf of Mexico, the company share price plummeted almost as quickly as its reputation.

Thanks to his predecessor Tony Haywards handling of events, the saga had already turned the British giant into the most hated organisation on the planet barring Al-Qaeda.

But Dudley didnt dither. He plugged the well, ate humblest of pies up on Capitol Hill and despite 47billion in fines and compensation somehow kept BP bouyant. All during a period of record-low oil prices.

If that wasnt tough enough, it was claimed this week that Dudley was once poisoned by Vladimir Putins goons during a particularly hairy period in Russia working for TNK-BP, a joint venture BP entered into with the Russian government. Like I said, this guy carries the wounds of battle.

Not that youd necessarily know it to look at him. Modest and personable, he has none of the bluster of oil men like Exxons Rex Tillerson nor the haughty airs and graces of another predecessor at BP, Lord Browne.

Born on a naval base in New York where his father was a US Navy physicist, Dudley was raised down on the Bayou after Dad took a job at the University of Mississippi.

Long summers were spent swimming and fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, developing an affinity with the area which helped win, if not hearts, then at least a few minds, during the spill.

Keen to see the world, he enrolled at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis until a series of shoulder operations forced him to leave.

Crisis management: Dudley's appointment as boss of BP in 2010 came amid the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the largest oil spill in history

The energy industry seemed the next best way to travel, so he undertook in a chemical engineering course in Chicago before joining mid-west oil giant Amoco.

His talent didnt go unnoticed. When BP snapped Amoco up in 1998, Browne was handed a list of its most talented executives. Dudleys name was at the top.

He moved to London to became one of Brownes assistants dubbed the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles because, like the cartoon characters, they appeared on the scene whenever needed.

In 2003 he was dispatched to oversee BPs operations in Russia.

Hed enjoyed working for Amoco in 1994 during Boris Yeltsins privatisaion giveaways.

Wife Mary, who he met at college and with whom he has two grown up sons, had become involved in charities helping disabled children while in Russia. But this stint for BP was far less pleasant.

Within five years the TNK-BP arrangement had soured, and Dudley was convinced the Russians were bugging his office. After sustained harassment, he departed in haste in 2008 when his visa wasnt renewed.

Dudley remained loyal to BP after Hayward took over from Browne. Three years later when the Deepwater blow-out struck, he was informed he would be Haywards replacement.

His annual pay has become a bone of contention in recent years. His 14million award in 2015 triggered a shareholder revolt.

This year it stands at 9.5million. A fortune, yes. But after BPs tumultuous decade, most rival executives still wouldnt trade places with him. Not for all the oil in the desert.
WHAT IS IT? Strix is the worlds leading manufacturer of kettle safety controls.

These controls shut the kettle off once the water has boiled, the water level is too low or when the kettle is lifted from its base.

The company also has a line of water filtration products, called Aqua Optima, as well as a Turbo Toaster that toasts bread in under 60 seconds.

The Isle of Man-based firm, which employs more than 800 staff, claims to have a 38 per cent share of the globalkettle control market and has sold more than 2bn units.

WHATS THE LATEST? The business reported a 2.9 pert cent increase in revenue to 91.3million last year, while pre-tax profit grew a healthy 5.6 per cent to 28.3million.

In March, the AIM-listed company signed a deal to stock five of its water filtration products in 1,000 Boots stores across the UK and Ireland.

WHO BACKS IT? Neil Woodford, one of Britains best-known fund managers, is the firms largest shareholder, owning more than 9 per cent of its shares.

Other big names include Schroder, Old Mutual Global Investors and Blackrock.

WHY SHOULD YOU INVEST? Russ Mould, of broker AJ Bell, said: It has steady operating margins, good free cash flow and the float last year paid down a lot of its debt.

We are not talking about a massive growth stock but it is a decent income play. Basically, it is a solid business based on intellectual property, in a regulated market that has lots of demand.

....AND WHY YOU SHOULDNT As with any smaller company, there are risks involved. You wont get the depth of reporting that you would with a large, FTSE 100-listed company. And the share prices of smaller companies tend to be more erratic.

WHAT IS IT? Strix is the world's leading manufacturer of kettle safety controls. These controls shut the kettle off once the water has boiled, the water level is too low or when the kettle is lifted from its base. The company also has a line of water filtration products, called Aqua Optima, as well as a Turbo Toaster that toasts bread in under 60 seconds. The Isle of Man-based firm, which employs more than 800 staff, claims to have a 38pc share of the global kettle control market and has sold more than 2bn units.

WHAT'S THE LATEST? The business reported a 2.9pc increase in revenue to 91.3m last year, while pre-tax profit grew a healthy 5.6pc to 28.3m. In March, the AIM-listed company signed a deal to stock five of its water filtration products in 1,000 Boots stores across the UK and Ireland.

WHO BACKS IT? Neil Woodford, one of Britain's best-known fund managers, is the firm's largest shareholder, owning more than 9pc of its shares. Other big names include Schroder, Old Mutual Global Investors and Blackrock.

WHY SHOULD YOU INVEST? Russ Mould, of broker AJ Bell, said: 'It has steady operating margins, good free cash flow and the float last year paid down a lot of its debt. We are not talking about a massive growth stock but it is a decent income play. Basically, it is a solid business based on intellectual property, in a regulated market that has lots of demand.'

...AND WHY YOU SHOULDN'T As with any smaller company, there are risks involved. You won't get the depth of reporting that you would with a large, FTSE 100-listed company. And the share prices of smaller companies tend to be more erratic.
There was no doubting the identity of the week's biggest winner. Bahamas Petroleum (LON:BPC) took that accolade as it advanced 150% on news it is holding substantive talks with an unnamed oil major interested in its licences in the waters off the paradise islands.

The company has inked a three-month exclusivity deal for which it will receive US$250,000 per month, plus the same again each month if the process of assessing BPC's assets overruns.

Naturally, investors are cock-a-hoop at the development. Independent stock picker Malcolm Graham-Wood said the share price movement is justified - but only if the relationship 'takes off'.

Bahamas Petroleum shares rose 150% on news of discussions over oil licenses

'But, as always, shares in Bahamas Petroleum remain highly volatile albeit with huge upside potential should a partner, some money and a drilling rig appear on the horizon, let's worry about finding any oil nearer the time, shall we?' he added.

If it was a good week for Bahamas shareholders, the same could not be said for the backers of Chariot Oil & Gas (LON: CHAR) whose plight underlines the binary response to setbacks. The stock fell 33% after it failed to find oil or gas in Morocco.

This is the nature of the beast with exploration and what you find is the initial reaction tends to be knee-jerk rather than considered; and its one that forgets Chariot owns a bunch of other prospective assets. Eventually sanity will prevail, but it sometimes takes a while for the facts to sink in.

Turning to the broader picture the AIM All-Share Index rose 1.4% over the week, eclipsing the Footsie, which barely moved over the same time period.

It was another disaster of a week for those holding shares in the energy provider Flowgroup (LON:FLOW) as the stock subsided 50%. The issue dragging the price lower was the wrangle between the company and a bloc of investors as to just which of the bidding groups should be allowed to acquire its main asset. It appears to be a messy, time-consuming and value-eroding process.

London's AIM All-Share Index rose 1.4% over the week, eclipsing the Footsie, which barely moved

It was another week to forget for Forbidden Technology (LON:FBT), the cloud-based video specialists. In spite of chairman David Main's reassuring comments over the financial future of the business, which has been through a rocky period, investors bolted for the door, leading to a 20% slide in the share price.

Final results from Porta Communications (LON: PTCM) appeared to fire the starting pistol on further selling activity with the stock falling 19% as the company booked a loss of 3mln on revenues of just over 40mln. It is also carrying around 8mln of debt.

Recent events suggest Porta, which was founded veteran spinmeister David Wright, is slowly getting its house in order. The appointment of Emma Kane as joint chief executive should go down well. The Redleaf PR founder is very highly regarded in the City.

The market turned for Tern (LON:TERN), the investor in technology companies. The shares took flight this week, adding 45%, after it revealed that one of its investee companies had launched an oxygen monitoring product.

It was a good week also for investors in Horizon Discovery (LON:HZD), the gene editing company whose shares were boosted 35% by a bid approach.

Horizon Discovery and Midatech Pharma both has strong weeks with share price rises of 35%

However, potential suitor Abcam, which has tabled a 270mln offer, was sent packing as Horizon said the approach was opportunistic and fundamentally undervalued the business.

It added: 'Having met with representatives of Abcam on 19 April, and having carefully considered the unsolicited proposal, the board of Horizon Discovery Group sees little strategic rationale for combining the two companies.'

Will Abcam come back? Only time will tell. However, it has said it is only interested in doing a deal that has the unanimous backing of the board. Perhaps we'll hear more over the weekend.

Finally, there was the mystery of Midatech Pharma (LON:MTPH), up 35% too and whose shares appeared to spike at almost the same time as Horizon's. Purely coincidental one is forced to conclude, with Midatech saying it didn't have a reason for the movement.
City lawyer Ian Rosenblatt is likely to see his net worth valued at more than 20million when the law firm bearing his name floats on the London Stock Exchange this week.

The firms clients have included embattled former AA boss Bob Mackenzie, fund manager Terry Smith, former Sun newspaper editor Kelvin MacKenzie and Nathalie Dauriac, who was involved in a legal battle with former business partner John Caudwell, the founder of Phones4U.

The company is set to raise 43million from investors including US funds giant BlackRock, valuing the business at 76million.

Stake: Ian Rosenblatt founded his law firm aged 29

Rosenblatt himself will retain a 21 per cent stake valued at 16million and is expected to cash in shares worth millions more.

The Liverpool-born lawyer, who set up his firm in 1989 aged 29, owns a North London music shop, which he says he still works in on Saturdays.

He also co-founded City PR firm Redleaf with his wife Emma Kane, and has an OBE for philanthropic services to music.

Client: Nathalie Dauriac sued Phones 4U founder John Caudwell

He was a major donor to the Labour Party under Ed Miliband, but is a critic of Jeremy Corbyn.

The law firms chief executive is Nicky Foulston, who led motor sport business Brands Hatch when it was floated on the stock exchange in 1996.

New shareholders in Rosenblatt after the float will include Miton Asset Management, Fidelity and BlackRock, which will take stakes of 16 per cent, 7 per cent and 6 per cent respectively.

Rosenblatt worked on Richard Desmonds recent 127million sale of his Express newspaper group to Trinity Mirror.

The firm is also working for the controversial RBoS Shareholders Action Group, which represented 7,000 small investors, but was co-founded by a fraudster.
Investors are staging revolts over executive pay in a wave of protests that threatens to destabilise the boardrooms of some of Britain's biggest businesses.

Analysis by The Mail on Sunday shows influential City advisers are urging shareholders to oppose the pay reports at corporate raider Melrose, rat-catcher Rentokil, drug-maker AstraZeneca and insurers Direct Line and Aviva.

Advisers have criticised pay at a further five blue-chip firms  mining giant Anglo American, outsourcer G4S, broadcaster ITV, Paddy Power Betfair and insurer RSA  but stopped short of recommending that investors vote against their remuneration reports.

Persimmon enraged investors by awarding Jeff Fairburn a bonus worth more than 100m

The shareholder rebellions follow Prime Minister Theresa May's crackdown on excessive boardroom pay, which she called 'the unacceptable face of capitalism'.

The Investment Association will soon announce it has added a further eight companies to its register of businesses where there is more than 20 per cent dissent over rewards.

New entrants to the list of shame include Persimmon, the FTSE 100 housebuilder that enraged investors by awarding chief executive Jeff Fairburn a bonus worth more than 100million.

Following a backlash earlier this year, the firm cut the bonus by 25million and Fairburn pledged to donate an unspecified amount to charity.

Chris Cummings, chief executive of The Investment Association, said investors are 'flexing their muscles and holdings businesses to account'.

He added: 'A strong signal is being sent to boardrooms that investors won't tolerate rewards that are out of line with company performance.'

Another firm in the firing line is Melrose, the company behind the 8billion hostile takeover of engineering giant GKN.

The four top bosses each pocketed more than 42million last year, boosted by payouts under long-term incentive schemes.

Glass Lewis, a leading shareholder advisory firm, said the bonuses were 'excessive' and urged investors to block the remuneration report at Thursday's annual meeting.

Advisory firms Pirc and ISS flagged up concerns about AstraZeneca's bonus scheme, which boosted chief executive Pascal Soriot's most recent total pay package to 9.4million.

ISS said the bonuses 'do not appear to be suitably aligned with performance'. About 40 per cent of shareholders rebelled against the company's remuneration report in 2017.

There are also red flags over the pay packet for Direct Line's new finance chief, Penny James. Her 675,000 base pay is 37.5 per cent higher than her predecessor's.

Investor group Pirc slammed bonus plans for Rentokil's 4.4 million-a-year chief executive Andy Ransom as 'excessive'.

FTSE 250 bookmaker William Hill, where the 600,000 base salary for chief executive Philip Bowcock is nine per cent more than his predecessor's, has also come under attack.

Satellite firm Inmarsat was the first major firm to suffer a pay defeat this year when almost 60 per cent of investors rejected its pay report last week.

Luke Hildyard, director of the High Pay Centre, said: 'Shareholders should be standing up for fairer, more proportionate pay practices at company meetings.'
Fashion website Atterley.com has kickstarted a search for new funds as it eyes growth in the UK and overseas.

Chairman and majority owner Mike Welch said he is looking to raise up to 3million and is considering a range of options including strategic investors and partnerships.

The website offers fashion ranges from more than 100 boutiques across the globe including Britain, France, Italy and the US.

Boutique chic: Tycoon Mike Welch wants to expand the website

Welch said: 'We're growing quickly in the US and Europe, and starting to make a bigger impression in Asia.

'It has taken time to bring on the best independent boutiques with the brands to match our customer tastes, but we've now got an incredible platform to build from.'

He added that cashflow is strong due to the rapid turnover of stock. The tycoon sold his online tyre retailer Blackcircles. com to Michelin for 50million in 2015.

Welch acquired Atterley out of administration.
Campaigners are demanding urgent reforms to stop banks from seizing entrepreneurs' homes if their businesses fail.

Lenders insist company owners must agree huge personal guarantees  putting their homes on the line  as a matter of routine before bank finance will be authorised.

Reformers argue that those seeking business loans have no choice but to sign on the dotted line.

Fury: Businessman Dean D'Eye's elderly father was evicted from his home

Campaigners claim the properties are quickly confiscated as soon as a problem arises. They argue that this is deterring people from starting or expanding their own businesses.

There will be a major House of Commons debate on Thursday about the treatment of small businesses by banks. The issue of personal guarantees is almost certain to be raised.

More than a million small business owners have signed personal guarantees underwriting their bank loans.

Dean D'Eye, a property developer who lives in Beckenham, South East London, was bankrupted in 2012.

He said: 'You can't do anything as an entrepreneur without a personal guarantee. You need them for bank loans  even for a trade account at your builders' merchant  for leases and freeholds.'

Mr D'Eye had loans with RBS and small lender Dunbar. He said that when his business ran into trouble, the banks immediately went after the 2.8million guarantees he had signed rather than allowing him to try to make up the shortfall.

He had to pay fees totalling another 3million  including huge sums to professionals for work on his bankruptcy and charges for defaulting on his loans.

As a result, he says the initial 2.8million debt rocketed to more than 6million. 'You can never catch up,' he said. 'It grows at such a rate.'

His bankruptcy trustee chased him for his 82-year-old father Derek's home, which Mr D'Eye had bought.

Derek, who lives in Orpington, South East London, was evicted and had to move into council accommodation.

The Mail on Sunday has been campaigning for justice for firms mistreated by banks.

Entrepreneurs have little recourse when things go wrong because all but the very smallest are barred from complaints procedures. We want to see a tribunal and an Ombudsman for firms.

Campaigners argue that the system of guarantees means limited liability company status  which prevents creditors from pursuing shareholders for their assets in times of trouble  has been rendered worthless.

Mel Loades, a specialist consultant, believes directors do not always understand what personal guarantees involve. He says they should be forced to seek professional advice before signing them.

A spokesman for UK Finance, which represents the lenders, said: 'In some circumstances personal guarantees are needed to secure a loan. We support the Financial Conduct Authority's proposals to improve the complaints process.'
A Tennessee girl out for a walk around a lake discovered a fossil that's turned out to be a 475-million-year-old rare treasure.

Ryleigh Taylor, 11, of Dandrige, Tennessee, was out fishing with her parents on Douglas Lake when she decided to take a break and go for along the lake's shore.

The walk turned into one heck of a lucky break, as it produced a rare fossil of what was later identified as a trilobite, an extinct arthropod that bear a resemblance to horseshoe crabs.

Ryleigh Taylor, 11, was taking a break during a fishing trip with her parents when she discovered the 475-million-year-old fossil of a trilobite

Ryleigh was walking around a lake when she happened to look down and saw the rare fossil

Ryleigh said she was actually on her way back to the spot where she had been fishing when she made the discovery.

'I was looking down so I wouldnt fall, and I thought it was a bug at first, so I went over to see what it was,' Ryleigh told Knox News.

Ryleigh's mother, Tammy Taylor, told WATE that she 'surprised that it was right on top of that rock, for anyone who could have found it.'

Tammy, who home schools Ryleigh, decided to consult an actual scientist for more details about Ryleigh's find.

Ryleigh hopes that the trilobite will find a home in a museum for others to enjoy

Trilobites are extinct arthropods that bear a resemblance to horseshoe crabs

Ryleigh's parents reached out to University of Tennessee associate professor of paleobiology, Colin Sumrall, who revealed that Ryleigh had discovered a trilobite that was 475-million-years-old.

Sumall said that it was unusual to find a trilobite fossil with all its pieces intact, since trilobite skeletons tend to crumble.

Ryleigh hopes the discovery inspires other children to go out, enjoy nature and see what they can find.

She doesn't plan to keep the fossil because she wants to see it displayed in a museum so other people can enjoy it.
A survey has found Mormon support for gay marriage is growing with 40 per cent of the parishioners in the United States supporting gay marriage in 2017, up from 27 per cent in 2014.

Mormon Alex Landers supports the legalization of gay marriage despite her religion's opposition for a simple reason: She has LGBTQ friends who she loves and respects, including her best friend who is a bisexual man.

'I can't look at him and his boyfriend and tell them that they can't be happy and they can't love each other,' said Landers, 20, of Draper, Utah. 'Heavenly Father loves us for who we are. He wants us to be happy, as long as we're treating people well and we're being who we truly are and we're not hurting anyone.'

She is among a growing number of young Mormons driving the faith's gradual acceptance of same-sex marriages, even though the religion's support still lags well behind national approval and those of Catholics, Muslims and Jews, according to the survey released this week by the Public Religion Research Institute.

Mark Lindsay, left, and Tom Kerns kiss after mailing a resignation letter as Mormons gather for a mass resignation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nov 14, 2015

Among Mormons between the ages of 18-29, the acceptance is 52 per cent. That's up from 43 per cent in 2014.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who are 65 and older have the lowest rate of support at 32 per cent, according a survey based on about 40,000 phone interviews done last year. That's up from 18 percent in 2014.

Nationally, 61 per cent of Americans support gay marriage, up from 52 per cent in 2013.

The Utah-based religion of 16 million worldwide members has held firm to its opposition of gay marriage and homosexual activity while trying to foster an empathetic stance toward LGBTQ people.

Last year, church leaders updated a website to advise that attraction to people of the same sex is not a sin or a measure of their faithfulness and may never go away. But the church reminded members that being in an intimate same-sex relationship is a sin.

Among religious groups included in the survey, only white evangelical Protestants and Jehovah's Witnesses had lower levels of support for gay marriage. Support was higher among Catholics (about 65 per cent), Muslims (51 per cent) and Jews (77 per cent).

The survey found that Mormons had the largest gap between support for gay marriage and support for anti-discrimination laws to protect LGBT people. While only 40 per cent of Mormons favor gay marriage, 69 per cent support anti-discrimination laws.

Luis Miranda, a 30-year-old heterosexual Mormon, said he wasn't surprised by the survey results because he senses a shifting tone among other young Mormons in the singles congregation he attends.

He said he grew up as a Catholic in Guatemala believing that traditional marriage between a man and a woman was sacred and important.

He continued to hold that belief after he moved to Utah as a teenager and converted to Mormonism.

But as he grew older, he realized he needed to meet and spend more time with gays and lesbians. 'I realized they were just as beautiful and loving with each other, and as pure as anyone else,' said Miranda, of Salt Lake City.

Miranda said he sometimes struggles to reconcile his opinion with what church leaders are teaching. He believes Mormon leaders have good intentions.

He is committed to remain in the religion to be a voice of support for gay marriage.

He finds hope in the fact that the religion believes church doctrine can be altered through revelations from God.

That's how the church explained why it lifted the ban on blacks in the religion's lay priesthood in 1978.

'If it's happened before, it could happen again,' Miranda said.
A Muslim extremist has been dubbed 'The Carver' after being blamed for an alleged stomach-churning attack on a fellow prisoner behind bars.

The Carver, who is considered to be one of the state's most dangerous prisoners, has been accused of slicing 'E4E' into the forehead of another criminal in a gruesome 20-minute late night attack.

The alleged offender reportedly poured boiling hot water over the prisoner's body and severed the Islamic symbol - which stands for 'an eye for an eye', into the skin, according to The Australian.

A Muslim extremist who allegedly carved 'E4E' on a prisoner's head during 20-minute ISIS style attack on Michael O'Keefe (pictured) might be person behind horrific whipping attack

Donned 'The Carver', the prisoner allegedly engraved 'E4E' into inmate's head behind bars and is alleged to be behind violent Islamic-style whipping of Sameh Bayda (pictured) late last year

The alleged offender reportedly poured boiling hot water over a prisoner's body and severed the Islamic symbol - which stands for 'an eye for an eye', into the skin at Kempsey jail (pictured)

A razor blade was reportedly used to etch 'E4E' into the front and back of Michael O'Keefe's head, a former Australia soldier, before pouring boiling hot water over him in 2016.

The grim slogan, which was engraved into a prisoner's head at Mid North Coast Correctional Centre, in Kempsy, New South Wales two years ago, is often used by ISIS fighters as a form of punishment.

Now authorities are investigating whether The Carver is the person behind the Sharia whipping of a different inmate late last year.

Accused terrorist Sameh Bayda, who was arrested in 2016, and The Carver were cell mates in Australia's most secure prison when the brutal whipping occurred.

Bayda was allegedly whipped by an electrical cord in an Islamic-style punishment at the Goulburn Correctional Centre.

The accused terrorist was arrested alongside his wife, Alo-Bridget Namoa - who were known as Islam's 'Bonnie and Clyde' - for planning a public stabbing terrorist attack.

The 21-year-old criminal stopped praying and shunned Muslim faith, making him an outcast among extremist inmates, a source told the publication.
President Donald Trump credited rapper Kanye West on Friday with a boost in support among African Americans.

A Reuters poll showed the president with an 11-point bounce in support from black men after West posted pictures of himself wearing a Make America Great Again hat on Twitter and saying they share the same 'dragon energy'.

By the way, Kanye West must have some power. Because you probably saw, I doubled my African-American poll numbers. We went from 11 to 22 in one week. Thank you, Kanye. Thank you, Trump said during a speech to the National Rifle Association.

President Donald Trump credited rapper Kanye West on Friday with a boost in support among African Americans

The Reuters poll Trump referred to showed West helping the president move the needle from 11 percent to 22 percent with black men in a survey taken between April 22 and April 29.

His overall support within the demographic group also close to doubled from 8.9 percent to 16.5 percent, USA Today reported.

Trump referenced West in his remarks as he talked about Aprils jobs numbers, which the federal government had published earlier in the day.

The president said that unemployment is now at its lowest point in 19 years while giving himself a pat on the back for creating 3.2 million jobs since the start of his 14-month old administration.

You know I heard it was about 19 years. I said, Wait a minute, the beginning of the century sounds better, the president said.

Trump said that the unemployment rate for black Americans is especially low, leading him to bring up the Reuters/Ipsos poll and Wests public display of support for him.

The president made similar remarks last Saturday evening during a rally in Michigan.

Broaching the same topic, black unemployment, Trump said: In all fairness, Kanye West gets it!

West said after the 2016 election that he would have voted for Trump if hed voted at all. He has also said he wants to run for president himself in 2024 once Trump has had a chance to run for and serve out a second term.

In late April, the rapper offered his support for Trump on Twitter without solicitation from the president.

The budding bromance has so far been limited to the Internet, the presidents spokeswoman affirmed at an April 25 press briefing, just before the Michigan event where the president praised the entrepreneur who is married to reality television star Kim Kardashian.

West called Trump his 'brother' on Twitter and said they shared similar 'dragon energy.'

'He has good taste,' the president replied a phone interview with Fox & Friends. 'You know, I have known Kanye a little bit. And I get along with Kanye.'

Trump explained that he believed West was impressed with his record on black, Latino and even female unemployment, reminding the Fox & Friends co-hosts how he would tell African-American voters at rallies 'What do you have to lose?'

'He sees that stuff and he's smart,' Trump continued. 'And he says, "Trump is doing a much better job than the Democrats did,"' the president added.

President Trump tweeted a 'thank you' to Kanye West Wednesday afternoon after a reporter asked about positive comments the rapper had made about Trump during the White House press briefing

In a second tweet about Kanye West, President Trump merely wrote 'MAGA!' - which is shorthand for 'Make America Great Again'

The president denied in the interview that Republicans had done a bad job courting black voters.

'You know, I think it was just a custom, people don't realize, if you go back to the Civil War, it was the Republicans who really did the thing,' Trump said. 'Lincoln was a Republican.'

'Somehow it changed over the years and I will say, I really believe it's changing back,' he added.

Despite only receiving 8 percent of the African-American vote in 2016, Trump told Fox & Friends he 'got a lot of support' from black voters.

Compared to the GOP nominee prior to him, Mitt Romeny, who faced off against the nation's first black president, Barack Obama, in 2012. Trump did do better in his own race against Hillary Clinton.

She beat Trump by 80 points in the demographic, while Obama beat Romney by 87 points, according to Pew.

The president thanked West on Twitter, as well, for his support.

'Thank you Kanye, very cool!' Trump wrote, including West's original message in his tweet.

In a second tweet, Trump wrote 'MAGA'  shorthand for 'Make America Great Again' as the president shared the rapper's photo of his signed red Trump hat.

West had said, '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,' West added.

'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,' said the rapper, who is married to reality television star Kim Kardashian.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked about Kanye West's comments at Wednesday's press briefing

In December of 2016, he actually met with President Donald Trump but soon after deleted all his post about the President after he was hit with a wave of criticism

Kanye West continued to show his support for President Donald Trump on Wednesday, even tweeting a picture of himself in a Make America Great Again hat (here with music mogul Lyor Cohen pictured center)

In his next tweet, Kanye wrote that he loved also Clinton and claimed that 'Trump is pretty much a 50 50 split' for the people in his life

Less than an hour later, West tweeted that his wife Kim Kardashian had called him about the Trump tweet.

'My wife just called me and she wanted me to make this clear to everyone. I don't agree with everything Trump does,' he wrote.

'I don't agree 100% with anyone but myself.'

West also tweeted a photo of himself wearing a 'Make America Great Again' hat and referred to himself as a 'future president.'

West's public support for Trump even made its way into the discussion at the White House press briefing on Wednesday, shortly before the president sent out his tweet.

A reporter asked Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders if Trump had reached out to West following the rapper's recent praise.

'I don't know of any conversation that they've had over the last week or so, I'll keep you posted if that changes,' Sanders said, breaking into a smile.

'I know they met during the transition, that's the only meeting I'm aware of that's taken place, or conversation,' she added, noting, 'Before everybody has a meltdown and thinks we had a meeting last week.'

Ivanka Trump also tweeted about Kanye West's praise for her father on the same day.

Less than an hour later, West tweeted that his wife Kim Kardashian had called him about the Trump tweet

Kardashian (pictured with West in a recent family photo) was a vocal supporter of Clinton during the 2016 presidential election campaign

Last year West shared with a Californian concert audience that he would have voted for Trump

West first revealed his support for Trump shortly after the November 2016 election, when he told a California concert audience he would have voted for the Republican.

'I told yall I didnt vote, right? But if I wouldve voted, I wouldve voted for Trump,' he said.

'We live in a racist country. That is a fact. This world is racist, OK? Lets stop being distracted to focus on that as much.'

But in a separate tweet on Wednesday, Kanye wrote that he loved also Clinton, who Kardashian publicly supported in the 2016 presidential election.

'If your friend jumps off the bridge you don't have to do the same,' he began. '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.'

The rapper continued to discuss free thought, saying he loves when 'people have their own ideas'.

'You don't have to be allowed anymore. Just be. Love who you want to love. That's free thought,' he wrote.

'I'm not even political. I'm not a democrat or a republican.'

West (pictured outside an LA music studio on Tuesday) recently came under fire for tweets supporting far right-wing media personality Candace Owens

But on Wednesday West declared that he was 'not scared anymore' and 'not scared of the media' either

West declared that he was 'not scared anymore' and 'not scared of the media'.

'I'm not scared of the past and I'm optimistic about the future,' he wrote. 'This tweet is in love not fear.'

'With love I am invincible,' he continued in a separate tweet.

'Truth is subjective but love is the most powerful force in the world and the world needs to express more of it.'

'No race religion region or political party can argue with the power of love,' another tweet read.

West also began tweeting about love, saying it made him 'invincible' and that 'no race religion region or political party can argue with the power of love'

West's Wednesday afternoon tweets began with a proclamation that 'traditional thinkers' were locked in a 'mental prison'.

'Free thinkers don't fear retaliation for your thoughts,' he wrote. 'The traditional thinkers are only using thoughts and words but they are in a mental prison.'

'You are free. You've already won. Feel energized. Move in love not fear. Be afraid of nothing.'

West told his fans he was hitting them with his 'zig zag thoughts' and encouraged them to 'unlearn linear thinking', 'decentralize', and 'burn that excel spread sheet', phrases that were written in three separate tweets.

The tweets came just hours after West confirmed he had cut ties with his longtime manager Scooter Braun.

At one point during his stream-of-consciousness tweets, West shared a photo of eldest daughter North with a lady bug

The tweets came just hours after West confirmed he had cut ties with his longtime manager Scooter Braun

'I no longer have a manager, I can't be managed,' he tweeted on Wednesday morning.

'I'm nobody's client,' a separate tweet read.

Braun confirmed the news on Twitter this week, writing: 'A man's loyalty is truly tested when he is willing to stand by someone who will never show that same respect.

'Don't show that same love and loyalty waiting for reciprocation .. do it because your integrity demands.'

West also revealed he got rid of his last lawyer 'because he wouldn't come to work full-time'.

'I also asked my last manager to come work full time for Yeezy of course the last lawyer and manager said no,' he explained, seemingly referring to Braun.

'So now I hired a CEO and a CFO and i have two full time lawyers as of now.'

The rapper proclaimed he was the 'single highest paid person in footwear' and said his fashion company Yeezy is the second 'fastest growing company in history'

West then went on to declare himself 'this generation's Ford Hughes Jobs Disney', referring to Henry Ford, Howard Hughes, Steve Jobs, and Walt Disney.

The rapper proclaimed he was the 'single highest paid person in footwear' and said his fashion company Yeezy is the second 'fastest growing company in history'.

'It is a unicorn on its way to becoming a decacorn,' he wrote.

'Yeezy will become the biggest apparel company in human history,' West declared in another post.

West's tweets then turned to the media, as he called out both TMZ founder Harvey Levin as well as People Magazine for recent stories about the rapper.

'Harvey Levin of TMZ your hearing from your future president,' he wrote. 'Let's be friends. Please never use the word erratic to describe a person who is economically and psychologically empowered.'

'People magazine. Watch how you speak my name,' another tweet read. 'You would love a pair of Yeezys. Don't play yourself.'

The Harvey Levin tweet was one of two instances in which West referred to himself as the future president on Wednesday.

In a tweet that followed shortly afterwards, he proclaimed: 'When we become president we have to change the name of the plane from Air Force one to Yeezy force one'.

West then tweeted a number of sales figures for his Yeezy brand, proclaiming 'the Yeezy 700 is adidas most requested shoe' and 'the Yeezy 350s sell 400 thousand pair in four hours. Only thing close to this is the iPhone'.

The rapper also tweeted a picture of eldest daughter North with a lady bug as well as pictures of his home, writing: 'do this look like the sunken place', a reference to the recent hit film Get Out.

At one point West's tweets turned to the media, as he called out both TMZ founder Harvey Levin and People magazine for recent stories about the rapper

He also tweeted more pictures of his home, despite Kardashian's protests, and said he left his emojis 'Bart Simpson color'

As his stream-of-consciousness tweets continued, West revealed he leaves his emojis 'Bart Simpson color', that he'd turn the 'Grammys into the Yammys', and that he was 'nice at ping pong'.

'I'm used to the heat of independent thoughts,' he wrote at one point.

West also revealed that he had songs coming out with A$AP Rocky, Travis Scott and Lil Uzi.

In one tweet he wrote: 'Trav we gotta drop the track with me you and Uzi this week bro. Let's goooooooooooooooooooooooo'.

'Rocky we gotta release our songs ASAP,' he said in another.

'I'm 40 years old and I'm just now becoming my parents child,' another tweet read.

West's latest Twitter tirade comes just a day after popular New York radio host Ebro Darden claimed that rapper had previously battled an opioid addiction.

Sources have claimed that West (pictured in 2015) does not have an opioid addiction but that he does have an acute mental illness and that those close to him are concerned

Darden took to his show Ebro In The Morning on HOT 97.1 in New York City on Monday to share the details of an alleged private conversation between him and West.

He claimed West told him: 'Nobody really showed love for me when I was addicted to opioids and in the hospital.'

It had been thought that the time that West had suffered from exhaustion weeks after his wife Kim Kardashian was robbed of millions in jewelry in Paris.

West famously cancelled his Saint Pablo concert at the The Forum in Inglewood, California on November 20, 2016 before cancelling the rest of the tour the following day.

During the same show, Darden claimed West said 'I love Donald Trump' and complained he 'couldn't get anything done' when Barack Obama was president.

'I reached out to Obama for years and couldnt get anything done, but Trump gave me a meeting,' Darden claimed West said during their private conversation.

Sources denied Daren's claims that West had an addiction and told The Blast on Monday that he had actually been in the hospital for suffering extreme paranoia after not sleeping for over 48 hours.

In the same report, sources close to the rapper claimed that people in his 'inner circle' are concerned with his mental health.

They also claimed West has an acute mental illness which was even used as his defense in the lawsuit against Lloyds Of London over insurance money when it came to his canceled tour at the end of 2016.

One source told the publication: 'We are all worried about his current mental health.'

They said a recent outburst by West at the studio had many worried as he shouted that he didn't need 'titles' and that he could handle his career 'all by himself'.

After saying all business would be 'handled in-house' it is claimed that West finished the outburst by saying 'Yeezy is the new Apple'.

Kanye has had many buzzing since his return to Twitter last week but an insider for the publication said that his comments 'aren't making a lot of sense' to his team.

It was believed that his social media flood were just to promote his upcoming albums, however, the site report that friends and family believe that he may be 'spiraling into a dark place.'

A day after Darden claimed West had an opioid addiction, the rapper called into his show on Tuesday.

And one source claimed that, during a recent outburst in the studio, West shouted that he didn't need 'titles' and that he could handle his career 'all by himself'

But whenever Darden tried to ask him any questions, West would simply reply 'I love you' before breaking out into Stevie Wonder's song I Just Called To Say I Love You.

West then told the radio host: 'Meet me up in person and then we can talk afterwards but I just called to say I love you'.

Rumors have also swirled that West's recent Twitter outbursts have caused him to have 'huge blow-ups' with Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner.

A source told People that Jenner has been upset with how 'erratic' West is acting and that she's concerned about 'her daughter's brand'.

'Everyone is really, really worried,' the source added.

A source said that West has been 'eccentric and erratic' and that he 'genuinely believes he's God and a genius', while another claimed he's 'all over the place'.

But another source close to the rapper said he's just 'being Kanye' and that he likes to 'stir the pot'.

'He's willing to take risks with his public persona,' they said. 'He doesn't take it as serious as the internet takes it.'
Meghan Markle is set to marry Prince Harry in a matter of days  and her widely anticipated wedding dress has finally been revealed.

The former Suits actress will walk down the aisle on May 19,  with an estimated billion TV viewers worldwide watching  as she weds Prince William's brother.

And much like previous royal weddings, such as future sister-in-law Kate Middleton. Harry's mother Princess Diana, and Queen Elizabeth II all eyes will be on the gown.

The stunning Ralph & Russo gown Meghan Markle will wear when she walks down the aisle at St George's Chapel in Windsor on May 19

Kate Middleton

Kate famously wore a Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen lace dress when she married Prince William in 2011 and became the Duchess Of Cambridge.

Harry and William's mother Princess Diana wore a huge puffy gown designed by the Emanuel's when she married Prince Charles in 1981.

However multiple royal and fashion industry sources have revealed that Meghan has selected British couturiers Ralph & Russo to make the first of two gowns she plans to wear on her big day.

Kate Middleton (left) famously wore a Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen lace dress while Princess Diana wore a huge puffy gown designed by the Emanuel's

She will wear the hand-stitched, heavily beaded design to walk down the aisle at St George's Chapel in front of 600 guests, and the reception being held afterwards by the Queen in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle.

Another source revealed that the dress would cost around 100,000, which will be met by Prince Harry and his family privately.

'It sounds a lot but this is the wedding of the year and hundreds of hours of manpower have gone into making it, almost all by hand,' they said.

When Kate Middleton married Prince William (pictured) back in April 2011, the wedding dress cost a phenomenal 250,000

However she has strong competition from future sister-in-law Kate Middleton and Harry's late mother Princess Diana.

When Kate married Harry's brother Prince William back in April 2011, the wedding dress cost a phenomenal 250,000, making it the fifth most expensive dress of all time.

The Duchess of Cambridge's stunning gown was hailed a perfect tribute to Alexander McQueen.

The design, by the late designer's protegee and successor Sarah Burton, also paid homage to another princess bride.

The intricate lace applique bodice and sleeves of Catherine's dress mirrored those on the wedding gown of Grace Kelly, who became Princess Grace of Monaco when she married Ranier III, Prince of Monaco, in 1956.

The intricate lace applique bodice and sleeves of Catherine's dress mirrored those on the wedding gown of Grace Kelly (right image)

Kate's 1936 diamond 'Halo' tiara by Cartier was her 'something borrowed', on loan from the Queen

Both gowns shared a high-waisted, full-skirted silhouette with a long, dramatic train, and were worn with the sheerest of veils and diamond tiaras.

However Kate's vintage headwear was from an era that preceded Princess Grace's marriage - the 1936 diamond 'Halo' tiara by Cartier was her 'something borrowed', on loan from the Queen.

The comparison reveals how very classic Kate's style is, and how timeless Princess Grace's bridal look was.

Princess Diana

The details of Princess Diana's dress managed to be kept a complete mystery until hours before her wedding to Charles, Prince of Wales, at St Paul's Cathedral

Meanwhile Lady Diana Spencer's dress was known as at the time as the 'most closely guarded secret in fashion history.'

The meringue style gown, which was worth 9,000 in 1981 is approximately equivalent to 36,800 today.

Details of the future princess's dress managed to be kept a complete mystery until hours before her wedding to Charles, Prince of Wales, at St Paul's Cathedral.

And the grand unveiling of the gown, which back in 1981 cost 9,000, did not disappoint.

Designed by husband-and-wife duo David and Elizabeth Emanuel, the intricate ivory taffeta gown later saw copycat creations made around the world.

Charles and Diana with Princes Andrew and Edward (back row); pageboys Lord Nicholas Windsor (far left) and Edward van Cutsem; and bridesmaids (l-r) Clementine Hambro, Catherine Cameron, India Hicks, Sarah-Jane Gaselee and Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones

Diana chats to five-year-old bridesmaid Clementine Hambro under the watchful eye of the Queen (left) and travelling from Clarence House to St Pauls in the royal carriage (right)

However with the elaborate embroidery, 10,000 pearls and a 25-foot-long train, it is difficult to even come close to replicating her beautiful bridal look.

For designers Elizabeth and David Emanuel, in their late 20s and not long out of fashion school, it was a career-defining moment.

Months earlier, in March 1981, Buckingham Palace had announced, to widespread surprise, that the Emanuels had been asked to design the dress Lady Diana Spencer would wear to marry Prince Charles.

It was the commission of a lifetime to make the dress of the century.

Princess Dianas Wedding Gown: Details on the Dress of the Century

Prince Charles and Lady Diana's bridesmaids: Where are they now?

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II's Sir Norman Hartnell gown with its fitted bodice and intricate embroidery was perfect for the young 21-year-old princess to marry Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten

Queen Elizabeth II's wedding dress has been hailed as 'fresh and timeless' 70 years on from when she walked up the aisle on November 20, 1947.

The Sir Norman Hartnell gown with its fitted bodice and intricate embroidery was perfect for the young 21-year-old princess to marry Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten.

The Duchesse ivory silk-satin creation took royal couturier Sir Norman and his team three months to finish.

With a heart-shaped neckline with scalloped edge, the gown was decorated with 10,000 seed pearls, glittering crystals and featured an intricate 13ft star-patterned train.

The Duchesse ivory silk-satin creation took royal couturier Sir Norman and his team three months to finish

Embroidered with roses, star-shaped flowers and wheat in pearl, crystal and appliques of transparent tulle, its floral design was seen as a symbol of growth and regeneration after the hardships of the Second World War.

On the day of the wedding at Westminster Cathedral, the seamstresses who worked tirelessly on the gown were given a prime spot outside Buckingham Palace as a reward.

The Queen, like all British brides in the post-war days, was given 200 extra clothing coupons from the Government towards her wedding trousseau.

Women across the UK, keen to ensure Princess Elizabeth would have the dress of her dreams, sent their own coupons to the young royal to help out.

But it was illegal to give coupons away and the gifts had to be returned.

However, The Crown gave a good idea of how much the dress might cost to make today as designers for the BBC programme created an identical gown for the wedding scene, which cost 30,000.

Meghan looks chic in a floor-length navy coat at the Terrance Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair in Nottingham

Harry, sources say, has been kept in the dark about his fiancee Meghan's dress  he doesnt even know who is designing it  because he wants it to be a complete surprise on the day.

He is so excited about the wedding and is being remarkably traditional about everything, the source said.

Ralph & Russo have been odds-on favourite for the commission since Meghan wore a 56,000 semi-sheer black evening dress from the label for her official engagement portrait.
Tens of thousands of Honduras citizens - who have been living in the United States since 1998, have been told to leave or be deported.

About 57,000 people from the Central American country are currently living in the US under Temporary Protected Status [TPS].

A recent decision to end the availability of the TPS for Hondurans by the Trump administration means the group will need to begin heading home to Honduras, and be out of the US by January 1, 2020.

The decision was made in spite of Honduran officials, human rights groups and Democratic congressmen and women all fighting for the protections to be extended.

Nearly 60,000 Hondurans living in the United States have been given until January 1 2020 to leave

The group of 57,000, who have been living in the US since 1999, came as part of the Temporary Protection Status program after their nation was torn apart by a hurricane (pictured)

Secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen, released a statement on Friday explaining because the TPS was put in place because of Hurricane Mitch, which devastated the nation in 1998, circumstances regarding the hurricane were all that were examined in the decision.

Ms Nielsen's statement said because 'since 1999, conditions in Honduras that resulted from the hurricane have notably improved'.

'Additionally, since the last review of the country's conditions in October 2016, Honduras has made substantial progress in post-hurricane recovery and reconstruction from the 1998 Hurricane Mitch.'

Hurricane Mitch killed 11,000 people and caused more than $5billion worth of damage when it hit Central America in 1998, History Channel reported.

In Honduras, entire villages were washed away, and the country lost most of its infrastructure.

Hurricane Mitch killed 11,000 people in Central America, and destroyed most of Honduras' infrastructure

A statement from Trump's Homeland Security Secretary said only the country's recovery from Hurricane Mitch could be considered when deciding to renew the TPS

Some Hondurans may be eligible for an alternative lawful immigration status or other protections under the US immigration system, the statement claimed.

A time period of 18 months for the 57,000 people who re-registered after the last extension of the TPS is also intended to help Honduras prepare for the massive group of people who will need to return home.

While it is not generally possible to obtain citizenship or a green card while under TPS, a lawsuit was filed in the US District Court in New York in February which aims to create a more lenient and consistent policy.

Some TPS holders have been able to qualify for green cards and work visas, but some in another part of the country have struggled due to differing legal interpretations of the holder's immigration status.

Those under TPS cannot typically get a green card or citizenship, meaning avenues for them to stay in the US are limited

The decision to end the TPS for the Hondurans was made against the strong wishes of human rights groups and Democratic Congress members

For current Honduran TPS holders to remain in the US and work until the scheme runs out in 2020, they will need to re-register and apply for work authorization - which costs nearly $500, NBC reported.

President Juan Orlando Hernandez's government expressed regret at the forced removal of Hondurans from the United States.

The foreign relations ministry said in a statement it is a matter for Washington to decide, but added that 'we deeply lament it.'

It said returnees 'are and always will be welcome in their homeland, where they will be received with open arms,' and 'their reintegration into our society will be facilitated.'
A man who allegedly threatened to murder the manager and customers at several gay bars in Chicago was mistakenly released from jail.

Shane Sleeper, 31, was arrested in February for allegedly threatening to shoot up the popular gay club Sidetrack.

He reportedly said that 'Orlando will happen in Chicago', referring to the deadly massacre at the night club in 2016.

He was originally charged with misdemeanor crimes that prosecutors upgraded to felony charges on Monday.

However, a series of communication errors between the courthouse and the Cook County Jail resulted in Sleeper's release on Tuesday.

For two days he was on the loose in the same neighborhood he's been accused of threatening.

Shane Sleeper, 31, is facing felony charges in 13 cases involving alleged threats toward the gay community in Chicago, Illinois. On Tuesday he was mistakenly released from Cook County Jail

Sleeper had been in jail since February 21 when prosecutors dropped the misdemeanor charges against him on Monday.

They then filed felony charges in a total of 13 new cases alleging Sleeper had also threatened to shoot up another nearby bar and harassed a half-dozen people on different occasions dating back to 2016.

The charges include terrorism, hate crimes, stalking, impersonating a police officer and making death threats, among others.

On Tuesday morning officials at the Cook County Jail were notified that the misdemeanor charges were dropped but not that new ones had been filed.

Because of the confusion, Sleeper was released on Tuesday evening and was free until the Sheriff's Fugitive Task Force tracked him down and arrested him on Thursday morning.

Shane Sleeper, 31, was arrested in February for allegedly threatening to shoot up the popular gay club Sidetrack, pictured

The state attorney's office and sheriff's office have each blamed the mishap on the other.

'Preliminarily, it appears that the only cases he was being held on were dismissed and the sheriff's office was never notified of any additional charges that were brought,' sheriff's department spokesperson Cara Smith told the Chicago Tribune.

'We were never notified. Our phones are on 24 hours a day. We complied with the only court order we received.'

A spokesman for the state attorney's office Robert Foley said: 'Mr. Sleeper was in custody when the sheriff's office brought him to court yesterday.

'He was arraigned in a felony trial court room, where he was assigned a no bail status and left in the custody of the sheriff's office.'
A father has revealed the horrific moment he woke to find an allegedly 'ISIS inspired' burqa clad woman screaming in his lounge room before violently stabbing him in the neck.

Roger Singaravelu was hosting Momena Shoma as part of a homestay program when the terrifying incident unfolded in February.

The 24-year-old Bangladesh student allegedly pierced a kitchen knife into the 56-year-old's neck and shoulder as she screamed 'Allahu Akbar', an Islamic phrase meaning 'God is great', in the Melbourne family home.

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A father reveals horrific moment he woke to find an allegedly 'ISIS inspired' burqa clad woman screaming in his lounge room before violently stabbing him in the neck (scars pictured)

Roger Singaravelu (pictured) was hosting Momena Shoma as part of a homestay program when the terrifying incident unfolded in February this year

The 24-year-old Bangladesh student (pictured) allegedly pierced a kitchen knife into the 56-year-old's neck and shoulder as she screamed 'Allahu Akbar' repetitively at Melbourne home

'I'm just scared somebody is going to come and kill me, hurt my daughter as well,' Mr Singaravelu told A Current Affair.

The accused woman, who arrived in the country in February, was reportedly quiet and would feed herself dinner under her burqa at the Mill Park home, where Mr Singaravelu's five-year-old daughter lived.

The father revealed the 24-year-old accused terrorist would hide away in her bedroom using the computer to communicate with people every hour of the day, the program reported.

Earlier this week Melbourne Magistrates Court heard Shoma, who was charged with engaging in a terrorist act, 'practised' the frenzied attack on a mattress.

It was reported the Bangladeshi national, who was going to study linguistics at La Trobe University, was cornered by Mr Singaravelu's neighbours after the wounded father ran out of the house covered in blood and crying for help.

Mr Singaravelu claims a knife the student allegedly used was large kitchen knife similar to this (pictured)

The father (pictured) revealed he is scared someone might hurt his five-year-old daughter

It was reported Mr Singaravelu's neighbours found the wounded father lying in a pool of blood after he ran out of the house crying for help after the alleged attack

Neighbours soon found the man lying in a pool of blood in the garage.

It's also alleged the Bangladeshi student discussed her radicalisation during a police interview and spoke of her motivations immediately after the stabbing.

Shoma will face a pre-trial committal hearing on August 1 to determine if she stands trial.

The 24-year-old allegedly made full admissions to police after the stabbing (scene pictured) and said she was 'acting on behalf of the Caliphate'
Labour yesterday launched a drive for a two-tier system of state-backed regulation of the Press which would go easy on the country's most influential Left-wing newspaper.

Plans put forward by deputy leader Tom Watson would expose all national newspaper groups to punishing legal bills every time someone chose to sue them  even if the newspaper won.

But a clause in Mr Watson's new law would lift the threat from the Labour-friendly Guardian.

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson (left) would expose all national newspaper groups to punishing legal bills every time someone chose to sue them  even if the newspaper won.

The proposal to treat some newspapers differently from others was included in amendments laid down by Labour leaders to the Data Protection Bill which will go before MPs on Wednesday.

Mr Watson has accepted 540,000 in donations from Max Mosley, the former motor racing chief and supporter of state-backed press regulation whose racist past was exposed by the Daily Mail.

The Labour proposal would also introduce a further two-tier system for regional papers. It would remove the threat of special penalties in the courts from some regional newspapers owned by smaller companies  but leave it hanging over others owned by bigger organisations.

Bizarrely, Mr Watson's plans would mean a new legal threat to small publishers who have signed up to Impress, the state-approved press regulator largely bankrolled through a family trust by Mr Mosley.

Mr Watson accepted 540,000 in donations from Max Mosley, former motor racing chief and supporter of state-backed press regulation whose racist past was exposed by the Daily Mail

Another amendment would set up a second round of the Leveson inquiry into the Press which critics say would be pointless and costly.

The proposal from Mr Watson and shadow culture minister Liam Byrne is designed to give special protection to newspapers and websites which sign up to a state-approved regulator.

The only such regulator is Impress which is supported only by a limited number of very small publishers. It revives the heavily-criticised Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act, which Culture Secretary Matt Hancock has refused to implement.

The majority of national newspapers have signed up to independent regulator the Independent Press Standards Organisation. The Guardian and sister paper the Observer, plus the Financial Times, have no independent regulator.

Among thousands of documents the Mail unearthed from his past is a vile pamphlet saying 'coloured immigrants' spread 'tuberculosis, VD and other terrible diseases like leprosy'

The pamphet was made by Mr Mosley (right) for Walter Hesketh (left), unsuccessful British Union Movement candidate in the Moss Side Parliamentary by-election

Under Section 40, members of Impress would be shielded from paying any legal costs if anyone who complained refused arbitration and took them to court.

Those outside Impress would have to pay their own legal costs and the other side's in any complaint that went to court, even if they won the case.

The Watson amendment contains two new clauses. Under Condition A Section 40 would not apply to a publisher who ploughs all profits back into the business.

That would lift the threat of extra legal costs from the Guardian and the Observer which are controlled by the Scott Trust whose rules say that if the loss-making papers move into profit the money would be put back into their newspaper and website operations.

Sir Oswald Mosley, with his son Max (circled) at his shoulder, leads a gang of neo-fascist bully boys into the Jewish East End in 1962 in an act of rank provocation

Condition B would free regional newpapers owned by groups with a five-year turnover of less than 100million from Section 40.

That would also harm small publishers who have signed up to Impress. It would mean they would be freed from Section 40  which would expose them to paying their own costs if anyone took them to court.

Critics of Section 40 believe it would break human rights laws by restricting the free speech of some newspapers.

The News Media Association, which represents the news industry, said the amendments 'would inflict enormous damage on a free press'.

Mr Hancock's Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said the amendments 'would undermine a free press and high-quality, investigative journalism'.
Darren Vann's (Pictured) surprise plea Friday in the killings came after the 47-year-old Gary man's defense team filed a motion Thursday

A former Marine who authorities say preyed on women in an area of Gary, Indiana, known as a hangout for prostitutes and drug users pleaded guilty Friday to killing seven women under a plea deal that will spare him the death penalty.

Darren Vann's surprise plea Friday in the killings came after the 47-year-old Gary man's defense team filed a motion Thursday that scheduled Friday's change of plea hearing.

The usually combative Vann was largely emotionless during Friday's hearing as Lake County Judge Samuel Cappas reviewed the terms of the plea agreement that calls for him to be sentenced to life in prison without parole. Vann is now set to be sentenced May 25.

Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said he hopes Friday's plea agreement brings closure to the victims' families.

Victims' relatives watched quietly during Friday's hearing as Vann uttered the word 'guilty' seven times, once for each murder count read aloud by Cappas.

Aurora resident Afrikka Hardy (L), 19, 36-year-old Kristine Williams (M), and Anith Jones, 35, of Merrillville, Ind. were all murder victims of Darren Vann

The former marine also admitted to killing 53-year-old Sonya Billingsley (L), Tanya Gatlin (M), 27, Teaira Batey (R), 28, and Tracy Martin, 41

Marvin Clinton, who was the longtime boyfriend of one of the seven victims, 28-year-old Teaira Batey of Gary, wiped tears from his eyes outside the courtroom afterward, saying he's relieved that Vann had finally admitted guilt in the killings.

Clinton, who had a son with Batey who's now six, said he's also relieved that Vann will receive a life sentence instead of the death penalty.

'(The death penalty) would have been the easy way out. I want him to suffer. These women will haunt him for the rest of his life,' he told The Northwest Indiana Times .

'I prefer him to stay locked up, so when he goes to bed at night and closes his eyes, he sees these women.'

Vann was scheduled to stand trial in October in the strangulation deaths of Afrikka Hardy, 19, of Hammond, and Anith Jones, 35, of Merrillville. Prosecutors were seeking the death penalty for Vann in their deaths.

Vann was arrested in October 2014 as police in Hammond investigated the killing of Hardy, whose body was found in a bathtub inside a Hammond motel room.

Vann was scheduled to stand trial in October in the strangulation deaths of Afrikka Hardy, 19, of Hammond, and Anith Jones, 35, of Merrillville

According to police, Vann, 43, of Gary, allegedly left the body of Teaira Batey, 28, at this location

When Hammond police arrested him, Vann told them he had killed six women in Gary within the previous year. According to a probable cause affidavit, Vann called the women 'mistakes,' and told police he would lead them to the other victims.

During the next several days, Vann led authorities to the bodies of the six other northwest Indiana women, whose remains had been hidden in abandoned buildings in Gary.

Marvin Clinton (pictured), longtime boyfriend of Teaira Batey, said he want's Vann to 'suffer' for the rest of his life in prison

Vann was also charged with killing Batey and four other Gary women: Tracy Martin, 41; Kristine Williams, 36; Sonya Billingsley, 53; and Tanya Gatlin, 27.

Vann allegedly targeted women who lived near an area of Gary where women gathered to engage in prostitution or take drugs, according to court documents filed in March 2016.

When asked by Hammond detectives why he started killing women in northwest Indiana, an affidavit quoted him as saying, 'Just I guess, anger. 'Cause I feel I shouldn't have went to prison the first time. You see what I'm saying?'

Vann had moved back to Gary after his July 2013 release from a Texas prison where he served time on a sexual assault charge involving a prostitute.

Vann served in the Marines but received an 'other than honorable' discharge in 1993.
Living under a flight path can dramatically raise the risk of a serious heart condition, according to new research.

A study of more than 15,000 men and women found almost a quarter of those who suffered most developed atrial fibrillation (AF).

The disturbance to their heart rhythm was mainly caused by jet engines overhead as they were trying to sleep, say scientists.

The disturbance to participants' heart rhythm was mainly caused by jet engines overhead as they were trying to sleep

It is the first study to investigate the link between noise pollution and AF - and could shed light on rising rates of the disease.

Affecting up to 1.4 million adults in England alone, AF causes the heart to beat irregularly or very fast. It does not pump blood efficiently, leading to clots and strokes.

Senior author Professor Thomas Munzel, a cardiologist at the University of Mainz, Germany, said: 'We have already been able to prove the connection between noise and vascular disease in several studies in healthy volunteers and patients with established coronary artery disease as well as in in preclinical studies.

'To date, there has been no explicit study being published which addresses to what extent noise annoyance can cause cardiac arrhythmia.'

The study identified aircraft as the greatest source of noise pollution. It was responsible for 84 and 69 percent, respectively, during the day and night.

Hearts suffered most when participants were in bed, reports the International Journal of Cardiology.

Increasing annoyance with the racket going on in the sky above was associated with a significant increase in the frequency of AF.

This soared to an alarming 23 percent in subjects experiencing extreme anger. It is estimated prevalence of the condition in the general population is around two percent, or one in 50.

The researchers said just 15 percent of the German men and women aged 35 to 74 - living in Gutenberg, the state capital of Rhineland-Palatinate, and its district Mainz-Bingen, Rhineland-Palatinate - experienced no noise annoyance.

Aircraft blighted the lives of 60 percent of those in Mainz-Bingen, making it a much bigger factor than traffic, trains, construction, trade or noisy neighbours.

Prof Munzel said: 'The relationship between noise annoyance and atrial fibrillation is an important finding that may also explain why noise can lead to more strokes.

Artial fibrillation causes the heart to beat irregularly or very fast. It does not pump blood efficiently, leading to clots and strokes

'However, one must not forget that noise also leads to damage to health without the need for an anger reaction.'

He said noise annoyance is a very important indicator in order to decide levels that may be considered significant, unacceptable and even harmful to health.

Anger, disturbed sleep, exhaustion, and stress symptoms due to noise permanently impair wellbeing, health, and the quality of life.

Project leader Dr Omar Hahad said: 'The study shows for the first time that noise annoyance caused by various noise sources during the day and night is associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation.

'Overall, we were able to demonstrate a stronger influence of annoyance caused by nocturnal noise on the heart rhythm.'

The participants were asked to rate how much they had been harassed in recent years by the various types of noise, both day and night.

Noise annoyance was recorded using internationally accepted, standardised questionnaires.

Atrial fibrillation was diagnosed on the basis of medical history and ECGs (electrocardiograms).

The findings could have implications for the proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport.

Previous research by Imperial College London suggested the risks of stroke, heart and circulatory disease were up to 20 percent higher in areas with a lot of aircraft noise.

The findings were based on 3.6 million residents near Heathrow Airport.

They agreed with other experts that noise was not necessarily to blame and more work was needed.

But they said it was plausible it might be contributing - for example, by raising blood pressure or by disturbing people's sleep.
Former President George HW Bush has been released from a Houston hospital after 13 days of treatment for an infection.

On Friday spokesperson Jim McGrath tweeted that doctors at Houston Methodist Hospital 'report he is doing well' and that the former president is 'happy to return home'.

This summer the great-grandfather hopes to join his family at their home in Kennebunkport, Maine.

The 93-year-old was hospitalized the day after his wife's Barbara's funeral for treatment of an infection that spread to his blood.

Bush suffers from Parkinson's disease and has been in and out of the hospital several times in recent years for respiratory problems and other infections.

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Former President George HW Bush, 93, has been released from a Houston hospital after 13 days of treatment for an infection that spread to his blood, according to reports

The 93-year-old was hospitalized the day after his wife's Barbara's funeral for treatment of an infection that spread to his blood. He is pictured with son George W Bush at the funeral

The 41st president who served from 1989 to 1993 was hospitalized on April 22, a day after he attended the funeral and burial of 92-year-old Barbara, who died on April 17 at their Houston home.

Medical experts say that the stress of losing a loved one can weaken the immune system.

The two had been married for 73 years, making them the longest-married presidential couple in US history.

During the eulogy at the April 21 service Bush's son Jeb, a former Florida governor, indicated that both of his parents had recently been hospitalized at the same time.

He said believed his father 'got sick on purpose so that he could be with [Barbara].'

Barbara's funeral was attended by former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W Bush and their wives, as well as current first lady Melania Trump

In a tweet sent out during his hospitalization, Bush thanked Houston for its 'professionalism and obvious care' during the memorials and services for his wife.

McGrath noted that while he was hospitalized, Bush had been more focused on the Houston Rockets playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves 'than anything that landed him in the hospital.'

The Rockets won the series 4-1 on April 25. Bush, frequently accompanied by his wife, has long been a fixture at Houston sporting events.

Few details were released about Bush's most recent illness, but medical experts say that people in their 90s with Parkinson's disease are often at higher risk of pneumonia and other infections because their swallowing process can be compromised.

Bush is pictured with his family at former First Lady Barbara's funeral less than two weeks ago

Bush spent two weeks in the hospital in April 2017 for treatment of pneumonia and chronic bronchitis, a constant irritation of the lining of tubes that carry air to ones lungs.

His doctors said chronic bronchitis is a condition more prevalent with age and can aggravate the symptoms of pneumonia.

Bush was also hospitalized for 16 days in January 2017 for pneumonia. During that hospital stay, which included time in intensive care, doctors inserted a breathing tube and connected him to a ventilator.

He was also hospitalized in 2015 in Maine after falling at home and breaking a bone in his neck.

In December 2014, Bush was hospitalized for about a week for shortness of breath, and he spent Christmas 2012 in intensive care for a bronchitis-related cough and other issues.
A raccoon caused a scene when it attended a church service at University of San Diego.

Students at the southern California school were left in stitches when they spotted the critter behind the alter during Catholic Mass on Wednesday night.

The pious raccoon had been sitting still until the priest began his homily, at which point it made its way down to the floor.

A hilarious video shows the animal subtly scooting to get a better view of the pulpit as onlookers attempt to suppress their laughter.

A hilarious video shows a raccoon interrupting a church service at University of San Diego. The priest who was giving the homily said he was glad the critter was there for entertainment

When he realized he was speaking to a distracted audience, Father Robert said he was glad the raccoon was in attendance to keep the service entertaining.

In the video he can be heard saying: 'Looks like he's getting ready to make a leap of faith' as the raccoon gets ready to jump down to the floor below.

The critter ultimately made his move to safer ground.

Local news outlets have said they are unsure if the raccoon intends to make an appearance at Mass next week.
An injection that aids weight loss of more than a stone in a month has reportedly been developed by British researchers.

The breakthrough, labelled by the scientists at Imperial College London as the most exciting treatment yet for tackling obesity, is being trialled on humans.

Tests have so far found that patients naturally ate 30 per cent less food after they were treated with the hormone injection which works in a similar way to a gastric band.

Approximately 58 per cent of women and 68 per cent of men are overweight or obese, according to official figures.

An injection that aids weight loss of more than a stone in a month has reportedly been developed by British researchers (file photo)

According to the scientists, the drug has been so successful in trials that some of the subjects were able to stop taking their diabetes medication. The research involved 20 patients who took three hormones through a patch and a pump for 28 days, and lost between 4lb and 1st 5lb  making the treatment almost as effective as a weight loss operation.

The research team will soon publish the findings in a medical journal.

Professor Sir Steve Bloom, lead researcher and head of diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism at Imperial, said the findings gave hope for creating a therapy in five years that could be as effective in promoting weight loss as surgery. Sir Steve told the Daily Telegraph: It is going to be the most exciting agent for improving health that has yet been discovered.

Obesity has become a tremendous burden on our society. It increases your risk of cancer. Your chances of heart disease and stroke increase with obesity. If you are arthritic, it is worse. Almost everything is worse.

We are living longer and longer but that process has come to a halt because we are killing ourselves with obesity.

Patients who undergo gastric band surgery were found to have increased satiety hormones, the chemical signals which are released to control digestion and pangs of hunger. The hormones may also be linked to altered cravings as gastric band patients began to crave less fatty foods.

Tests have so far found that patients naturally ate 30 per cent less food after they were treated with the hormone injection which works in a similar way to a gastric band (file photo)

To create the jab, researchers reproduced the satiety hormones without surgery.

Professor Tricia Tan, a consultant in diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic medicine, who formulated the hormones, said: While wearing the pump, you feel less hungry and you stop eating earlier.

The sensation is like after you have eaten a big meal and you feel really full.

What is even more exciting is that we are able to normalise blood sugar levels and they can come off diabetes medications.

One 38-year-old participant in the trial said he had had an 'instant reaction' to the hormones and that it made sweet food less attractive.
Two hundred years ago today, the most controversial thinker of the modern age was born in the German city of Trier.

When, on May 5, 1818, Heinrich and Henriette Marx welcomed their little boy into the world, they could never have imagined the utopian hopes and blood-soaked horrors that would become associated with his name.

Two centuries later, the very words 'Karl Marx' still carry an unmistakable charge. No modern intellectual, no economist or philosopher can match the combustible power of the rabbi's grandson who fled into poverty-stricken exile in leafy North London.

Most of the regimes based on Marx's ideas may have crumbled, yet his name remains synonymous with violent revolution, idealistic utopianism and the dictatorship of the proletariat.

Karl Marx, founder of communism, was born in Germany 200 years ago today

It conjures up images of chanting crowds and glowering statues, collective farms and prison camps, tanks in Red Square and red flags over the Kremlin.

To his critics, Marx was a fanatic whose ideas inspired some of the cruellest regimes in history, from Stalin's Siberian gulags to the killing fields of Cambodia.

Yet, to his admirers  who include the current Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who recently called him a 'great economist', and the Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, who has named Das Kapital as his favourite book  he remains a visionary prophet whose ideas will, one day, lead mankind to a classless utopia.

His ideology was used as justification for some of history's worst mass murderers like Soviet leader Josef Stalin

If you doubt that Marx's legacy is still with us, just look at what happened yesterday in Trier, where the local authorities held a birthday party.

On hand to unveil a huge bronze statue, donated by the ruling Chinese Communists, was none other than the European Commission's president, Jean-Claude Juncker.

Mr Juncker got a lot of stick from critics, who said that he was insulting Marxism's victims.

The irony is that, since Mr Juncker is a bourgeois conservative politician, the very least he could expect in a Marxist regime would be a long stretch in a labour camp.

Yet, while I rarely have a kind word for Mr Juncker, I understand why he went.

More than thousands of other philosophers and economists put together, Marx still matters.

A colossal historical figure, he remains one of a handful of intellectuals who can claim to have genuinely shaped the way we think about the world.

His most famous books, The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital, are still read in almost every country on Earth.

The Solovki prison camp (SLON), 1927-1928. Found in the collection of Memorial, historical and civil rights society

Construction of the Salekhard-Igarka Railway, so called 'Dead Road', Russia, 1950s. The project was built mostly by Gulag prisoners, thousands of whom died while working in extreme weather conditions of northern Siberia. The railway was never completed and was abandoned after Joseph Stalin's death

And although his ideas  the importance of class struggle, the urgency of revolution, the dream of a socialist society  remain hugely controversial, there is simply no escaping them. Indeed, you could even argue that, to some degree, we are all Marxists today.

That may sound odd, as most people in the UK are more likely to be small-c conservatives than card-carrying Lefties.

Indeed, Thursday's local election results strongly suggest that Corbynmania has peaked at last, which is good news for those of us who shudder at the thought of the hard-Left in power.

Even so, we are all familiar with the concepts of class conflict and class consciousness, the notion of history as a struggle between workers and elites and the idea that apparently trivial things such as films and fashion reflect the economic dynamics of the society that produced them.

We got all that from Marx. Of course, there are plenty of people who think that he was utterly wrong.

Even so, few would deny him a place, alongside other Victorian figures such as Charles Darwin and Sigmund Freud, as one of the genuinely titanic intellectual influences on the modern world.

What is often lost in all this, oddly, is the man himself.

Relocation of kulaks were to work in gulags (prison camps) 1930. Kulaks were Russian peasants, wealthy enough to own a farm and hire labour. Emerging after the emancipation of serfs in the 19th century the kulaks resisted Stalin's forced collectivization, but millions were arrested, exiled, or killed

Marx's acolytes revere him as a political thinker, a radical journalist who fled Germany after a failed revolution in 1848 and ended up as a refugee living in London, where he poured out great torrents of revolutionary rhetoric.

But, as Francis Wheen's brilliant biography points out, Marx was an unlikely candidate for a personality cult.

A hard-drinking, chain-smoking man, scruffy and shambolic, cadging money from his friends and cheating on his wife with his housekeeper, he might have been a great role for the Carry On veteran Sid James.

One detail that sticks in my mind is Marx's terrible trouble with genital boils.

Even as he was working on three volumes of Das Kapital, he was complaining to friends about the 'carbuncles on my posterior and near the penis, the final traces of which are now fading, but which made it extremely painful for me to adopt a sitting and hence a writing posture'.

In his darkest moments, the man who called for a world revolution spent his time attacking the pus-filled boils on his bottom with a cut-throat razor.

There must be a metaphor in there somewhere. Still, turning Marx into a comic figure does him little justice.

Mao Zedong murdered at least 40 million in the Chinese Cultural Revolution and caused many more to starve to death

As anyone who opens Das Kapital will know, his was an intellect of formidable power. Fearless, arrogant, ferociously clever, he never doubted that his work would survive.

There is, of course, another reason why we should take Marx seriously and you probably don't need me to spell it out.

When he died in penniless obscurity in 1883, just 11 people came to his funeral in Highgate Cemetery.

But within barely half-a-century, his reputation had been transformed.

The key factor, I think, was World War I, which shattered the prestige of the old order and opened up space for Marx's admirers to exploit  not least in Russia, where, almost unimaginably, power fell into the hands of the tiny, extremist Bolshevik Party.

In many ways, the story of the 20th century was that of Marxism in action.

From the Russian Revolution in 1917 to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, one regime after another tried to put his revolutionary ideas into practice.

Execution after a 'people's tribunal' in the land reform movement in Communist China Huang, probably a landowner paid for his 'crime' by being shot, taken on January, 1953

Capitalism, Marx argued, was destined to collapse under the weight of its own contradictions.

Instead of bringing prosperity for all, economic growth would only widen the gap between a tiny, greedy elite and a huge, downtrodden and increasingly resentful majority.

Eventually, the working class, encouraged by a revolutionary vanguard, would seize the means of production in a violent uprising.

Then, under the dictatorship of the proletariat, human history would move into an entirely new age: no individual wealth, no class distinctions or economic ones. Mankind would have reached the promised land of communism.

So, how did Marx's vision work out? Well, the death toll speaks for itself. In the Soviet Union alone, his disciple Stalin killed perhaps 12 million people.

In China, Chairman Mao killed even more. Many experts think that, during his purges, collectivisations and massacres in the Fifties and Sixties, 45 million people lost their lives.

In the most chilling example of all, Cambodia between 1975 and 1979, Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge attempted to create a Marxist utopia overnight.

They forced the entire population of Cambodia's cities into the countryside, killed every teacher, merchant and member of the middle-class and even murdered people for wearing glasses.

In their pursuit of Marx's dream, the Khmer Rouge banned private property. Cambodians were limited to the ownership of a single spoon, but they had to eat communally.

Picking wild berries, for example, was seen as private enterprise, punishable by death.

Employees of the Shin Chiao Hotel in Beijing build in the hotel courtyard (background) in October 1958 a small and rudimentary smelting steel furnace during the period of the 'Great Leap Forward' (1958-1959), which was due to mobilize the Chinese population and to emphasize local authority and establish rural communes

In all, these peasant Marxists killed up to two million of their own people, about a quarter of the entire population, in barely four years. Never has there been a more horrifying example of what happens when utopian ideals become bloody reality.

I can already hear the cries of protest from Marx's followers. None of this, they say, was his fault. He had been dead for almost a century. Don't blame the man, blame his followers.

It is true that, as a man who spent his days holed up in the library, Marx was not himself a killer.

And as a perpetual dissenter who never shrank from speaking his mind, he would not have lasted long in the regimes he inspired.

Had he been around in Stalin's Moscow or Pol Pot's Cambodia, he would probably have ended up in a shallow grave with a bullet in the back of his head.

Even so, when I hear his defenders denying any link between Marx and his blood-soaked apostles, I wonder how supposedly clever people can be so stupid.

For all their cynicism and corruption, the men who ran the communist bloc never doubted that they were good Marxists.

The Soviet Union's founding father, Lenin, wrote several books about Marxist thought, which he described as 'the only correct revolutionary theory'.

Mao believed that Marx's ideas represented 'the good, the true and the beautiful'.

Chinese peasants on a communal farm in the 1950's during the 'Great Leap Forward'

Even the Khmer Rouge thought their new Cambodia  a classless society with no elites, no banks and no private property  was the fulfilment of Marx's vision.

The idea they were all guilty of some dreadful misunderstanding, and were not true Marxists at all, strikes me as ludicrous.

The best example is Stalin. As the U.S. historian Stephen Kotkin has shown, the Soviet dictator was not a monster who happened to be a Marxist. He was a monster because he was a Marxist.

As a young man, Stalin studied Marx's theories with obsessive dedication. Then, after winning power, he put them into practice.

Stalin did not kill millions of his own people because he was mad. He did it because he believed Marx's theories required it.

He thought their deaths were a price worth paying for the collectivisation of agriculture, the end of private farms and the coming of a socialist society.

Pol Pot systematically wiped out up to three million in Cambodia

The body of Pol Pot lies on a mattress in a small hut near the Thai-Cambodia border Thursday, April 16, 1998. Pot, according to Thai Military officials, died late Wednesday, April 15, 1998

Although Marx's acolytes will never accept it, Stalin was not perverting his hero's vision.

In fact, violence had formed part of Marx's worldview from the very beginning.

'There is only one way in which the murderous death agonies of the old society and the bloody birth throes of the new society can be shortened, simplified and concentrated,' wrote Marx in 1848, 'and that way is revolutionary terror'.

Here is Marx a year later, addressing his conservative adversaries: 'We have no compassion and we ask no compassion from you,' he writes. 'When our turn comes, we shall not make excuses for the terror.'

The truth is that Marx's vision was inherently violent. How could it be otherwise? How, without bloodshed, would you get your revolution? How would you abolish private property?

Here is a crucial distinction between Marxism  which is often called a 'political religion'  and genuine religions.

Christianity, for example, abjures violence and Christians are supposed to turn the other cheek.

But Marxism is violent by definition. If Marxists turned the other cheek, they would never get their revolution.

The other difference is that most religions venerate the individual.

Racks of human skulls & bones of slaughtered Cambodians, a grisly reminder of the atrocities perpertrated by Pot Pol, ldr. of the Cambodian Khmer Rouge

Kam Muth, a refugee from the Thai-Cambodian border is pictured placing human remains on a platform at the former Trapeang Sva village school. The school is suspected of being used as part of a complex of prisons and execution sites used by the Khmer Rouge during the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia

In Judaism and Christianity, the wellsprings of mainstream Western politics, individual life is sacred, because man is made in God's image.

But, for Marxists, the individual is irrelevant. Man is merely the servant of history. All that matters is the collective, the grand sweep.

And if that means some people  Russian landowners, Chinese merchants, Cambodian teachers, Cuban dissidents  end up in mass graves, prison camps or psychiatric hospitals, that is just their tough luck.

This sort of thinking strikes me as obscene.

Yet, thanks to the sheer force of Marx's intellect, it has attracted some very clever people.

The British historian Eric Hobsbawm, who died in 2012, was, by all accounts, a perfectly civilised man. But even after the truth about Stalin's purges and Mao's atrocities was known, he refused to leave the Communist Party.

Max's supporters say he can't be held responsible for the violence do in his name

When, years later, an interviewer asked Hobsbawm whether the deaths of '15, 20 million people' would have been worth it if they had brought the communist utopia a little closer, he did not hesitate.

'Yes,' he said.

What could possess an intelligent man to say something so monstrous?

There is, I am afraid, an obvious answer. Hobsbawm was a Marxist, pursuing to the bitter end the ruthless logic of his faith.

I understand why people still read Marx and why they take him seriously. What I will never understand, though, is why people put him on a pedestal, grovelling before his statue like worshippers in some weird cult.

How, for example, can Labour's John McDonnell seriously think that Marx, a man born in 1818, has the answers to the problems confronting Britain in 2018?

And how can people ignore the damning evidence of the crimes committed in his name?

On Marx's grave in Highgate, a shrine for his slavish admirers, are inscribed his words: 'The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways. The point, however, is to change it.'

Generations of youngsters have seen those words as a gloriously utopian call to arms.

Supporters of the Frontline Socialist Party display placards with the images of (L-R) Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Vladimir Lenin as they take part on a May Day rally in Colombo

A person dressed as Karl Marx takes part in a mass left-wing rally marking International Workers' Day in Moscow

Who, when they are young, does not dream of changing the world?

But, in their hubris, Marx's followers cast aside not only history and tradition, but tens of millions of lives.

In the name of progress, they slaughtered men, women and children like animals in an abattoir.

And in almost every corner of the Earth, mass graves testify to the diabolical power of Marx's vision.

His ideas belong where they began: behind the doors of the library, in the rarefied world of pure theory, but not in the real world, where people get hurt.

For if the past two centuries have taught us anything, it is surely this. There is nothing so dangerous as a man who wants to change the world.
President Donald Trump argued Friday that he'd brought the world back from the brink of a nuclear confrontation with Kim Jong-un.

'Remember how strong it was, and they were saying, "This is going to be nuclear war," ' Trump said of North Korea during the National Rifle Association's annual conference.

'You know what gets you nuclear war? Weakness gets you nuclear war. Being weak gets you nuclear war. That's what gets you nuclear war,' he asserted.

Trump also mocked former Secretary of State John Kerry, who he routinely hammers as a week negotiator, in his remarks for the Democrat's bike crash in 2015 during a break from talks about a nuclear agreement with Iran.

President Donald Trump argued Friday that he'd brought the world back from the brink of a nuclear confrontation with Kim Jong-un

While in Scionzier, France, Kerry hit a curb and broke his right femur during an embarrassing episode for the country's top diplomat at the time.

'John Kerry  not the best negotiator we've ever seen. He never walked away from the table except to be in that bicycle race where he fell and broke his leg,' Trump said Friday to laughter at the NRA convention in Dallas. 'That was the only time.'

The president says he thought, ' "Don't tell him you broke your leg. Just stay inside. Say you don't want to negotiate. You'll make a much better deal."

'But he broke it And I learned from that, at 73 years old, you never go into a bicycle race. You just don't do that.

He added, 'I'm not 73, he was, OK.'

President Trump, 71, has repeatedly said that he will walk away from nuclear talks that he's about to engage in with North Korea if he thinks they're unproductive and will not let the country's despot jerk him around.

On, Friday he took another step toward those talks, as announced that hes nailed down a date and a location for the summit.

He coyly told reporters that he knew exactly where and when it would be and that hed be making an announcement in the near future.

It will be very soon. I have the date. I have the location. It's all agreed to, he told press aboard Air Force One.

Trump also said Friday that he has a chance of bringing home three imprisoned Americans as part of the negotiations with North Korea to set up talks.

Peace House: The blue-pained building which straddles both Koreas was the venue last month for the meeting between the dictator and the president

Pulling U.S. troops out of South Korea as a concession to Kim was not something his administration was considering, though he said, batting down a report in the New York Times that said otherwise.

The White House dangled a historic meeting with Kim in front of reporters all day on Friday as it was otherwise besieged with questions about the presidents knowledge of a payoff he funded to a porn star who claims she had an affair with him.

Trump reimbursed his lawyer, Michael Cohen, the $130,000 that the fixer and longtime attorney to the president paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels. That revelation came out during an interview on Fox News with Trumps current attorney, Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, on Wednesday night.

Giuliani turned heads again in a subsequent interview on Fox on Thursday morning that was primarily about the Daniels hush-money payment when he announced that the Americans being held prisoner in North Korea would likely be coming home.

The declaration caught the presidents spokeswoman off guard. She told reporters on Thursday afternoon that she wasnt aware that Giuliani and the president had spoken about the prisoners  Kim Hak-song, Tony Kim and Kim Dong-chul.

President Trump told reporters on Friday during a conversation on the tarmac in Maryland before he departed for a day trip to Dallas that the U.S. has a chance of bring the prisoners home.

Were doing very well with the hostages. We're in constant contact with the leadership. We are in constant contact with North Korea, he said. We've actually worked out a time and a place which will be announced shortly and very soon.

Kim Dong-chul, pictured above, left and right, has been detained since 2015. He was arrested for spying and has since been sentenced to 10 years' hard labour

Just prior to that, at the White House, he told press as he made his way to Marine One for transport: We're having very substantive talks with North Korea. And a lot of things have already happened with respect to the hostages. And I think you're going to see very good things.

Tony Kim, also known as Kim Sang-Duk, a Korean-American professor and aid worker

Releasing the prisoners was not a precondition the president had set for his discussion with Kim. The U.S. seemed to be moving in that direction this week as Trump held back on a formal announcement of the summits date and location, despite promising for the third week in a row that one was imminent.

I think a lot of good things are going to be happening over the next short period of time, he said.

Asked about the prisoners on Thursday and the possibility of their release, Sanders said, We can't confirm the validity of any of the reports currently out about their release. But we certainly would see this as a sign of goodwill if North Korea were to release the three Americans ahead of discussions between President Trump and Kim Jong-un.

The North and South agreed to end Korean War and bring peace to the peninsula during talks last Friday. A report in the New York Times today claimed that the U.S. might agree to remove troops from South Korea as part of the negotiations to denuclearize the peninsula.

Trump told reporters on the tarmac that it was not really something he was considering and he would certainly not do it at this time.

No. No. And we haven't been asked to, he said. Now, I have to tell you, at some point into the future, I would like to save the money. You know, we have 32,000 troops there. But I think a lot of great things will happen. But troops are not on the table. Absolutely. 

US citizen Kim Hak-song was detained 'on suspicion of acts against the state'

Trumps national security adviser, John Bolton, also knocked down the Times report on Friday.

The New York Times story is utter nonsense. The President has not asked the Pentagon to provide options for reducing American forces stationed in South Korea, he said in a morning statement that preceded Trumps remarks.

If Trump is able to negotiate North Koreas nuclear disarmament, he should win the Nobel Peace Prize, the presidents supporters and South Korean President Moon Jae-in have said.

I told the president, you're going to get the Nobel Peace Prize. My proudest moment is when you tell him to shove it. Sorry, Giuliani said on Wednesday.

A day before President Trump said it was very nice for Moon to put his name forward but the main thing he wants to achieve is peace with North Korea.

I just think that President Moon was very nice when he suggested it. I want to get peace. It's the main thing. We want to get peace. That was a big problem, and I think it's going to work out well. We'll see, Trump said on Tuesday. We're setting up meetings right now, and I think it's probably going to be announced over the next couple of days -- location and date.

He added, But I thought it was very generous of President Moon of South Korea to make that statement, and I appreciate it. But the main thing is to get it done. I want to get it done.
A $61,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest of a suspect who shot an Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent in Chicago.

The ATF agent was investigating the illegal sale of weapons in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood when he was shot in the face at about 3.15am on Friday by a suspected 9mm handgun.

The agent, the fourth law officer to be shot in the neighborhood in a year, is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery, officials said.

'My message to those responsible is simple: we will find you,' Chicago police superintendent Eddie Johnson said at news conference.

Chicago police superintendent Eddie Johnson (pictured) vowed to hunt down the shooter and anyone else involved at a press conference on Friday afternoon

Federal agents and local police swarmed Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood on Friday after an AFT agent was shot in the face there around 3.15am

'We will knock on every door, talk to every witness, watch every piece of video and analyze every piece of evidence. Believe me, you will not get away with this,' said Johnson.

He said that the neighborhood would be saturated with anti-gang units and specialized gun teams from multiple jurisdictions in the coming days.

Johnson, who described the shooting as 'barbaric' and 'reprehensible,' said the agent was the fourth law enforcement officer shot in the surrounding two blocks in less than a year.

One year ago, two Chicago police officers were wounded by a high-power rife while sitting in the back of a surveillance van. In July, July, another Chicago police officer was shot in the leg while chasing robbers not far from the other attacks.

'You think that escapes us? It doesn't,' a visibly angry Johnson said. 'We're not taking this lying down.'

The Back of the Yards neighborhood, made famous in Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle, is a working-class neighborhood home to many immigrant families from Mexico.

Cops responded before dawn after the AFT agent was shot during an undercover operation

Chicago police work the scene near the area where a federal agent was shot on Friday

A Chicago police spokesman says the ATF agent was working with Chicago officers at the time of the shooting about 3.15am Friday on the city's South Side. No arrests have been reported

The neighborhood has also been the longtime stronghold of the Almighty Saints street gang, which regularly clashes with La Raza, another gang based a few blocks to the south.

'We have some violent individuals in that area. And the group that you see here today, trust me when I tell you that they will have their day in court,' said Johnson.

The agent who was shot has not been publicly identified, but was brought into Chicago through an initiative under President Donald Trump to crack down on rampant gun crime in the city.

Federal agents and local cops have joined together as part of the Chicago Crime Gun Strike Force, which was about 40-strong last June.

Officials declined to describe the circumstances of the shooting other than to say the agent was investigating illegal gun sales.

The shooter reportedly ambushed the agent from a gangway, a narrow walkway between houses, which are often covered with a gate in Chicago.

An example of a gangway between houses is seen in the area of the shooting. Cops say the shooter ambushed the AFT agent from a gangway

Luz Campos, who lives near where the shooting took place, told the Chicago Tribune she was in her kitchen when she heard someone say 'open the door' followed by what she thought was the sound of fireworks.

Sources told the newspaper that 9mm shell casings were found at the scene, believed to be from the shooter's handgun.

'Agents were in the neighborhood of the Back of the Yards conducting their investigation and doing what they do everyday and protecting our community when they were ambushed,' Celinez Nunez, special agent-in-charge of Chicago's ATF field office, said at the news conference.

Nunez pleaded with the public 'to help us bring the assailants who are responsible for this to justice.'

The FBI and ATF have each offered $25,000 toward a reward for information in the case. The US Marshals Service has committed $10,000 and community activist Andrew Holmes contributed $1,000.

Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact Cook County Crime Stoppers at 800-535-7867.
Coronation Street star Michael Le Vell was arrested on suspicion of assault

Coronation Street star Michael Le Vell was arrested on suspicion of assault after police were called to his home late at night.

The 53-year-old was taken to hospital by officers and then spent the night at a Manchester police station.

However police say they will be taking no further action after releasing the troubled star, reported the Mirror.

Officers were called to Le Vells home - which he shares with his partner Louise Gibbons in Timperley, Trafford - at nearly 11pm on Thursday.

Officers have classed it as a domestic incident.

Greater Manchester police said: Officers attended and arrested a 53-year-old man, he was taken to hospital then taken into police custody for questioning.

The actor appeared at the Cheltenham festival two months ago (left) and his 42-year-old partner, Louise (pictured together right) - who he met four years ago - was seen wearing an engagement ring in December

'The man has since been released with no further action.

The actor - who has played mechanic Kevin Webster in Coronation Street since 1983 - has had a turbulent few years recently after battling alcoholism, bankruptcy and child abuse charges.

In March it emerged Le Vell had been declared bankrupt, with a six-figure bill, despite reportedly being offered 250,000 a year in 2017 to stay on the soap.

In 2013 the star was accused of abusing a girl but was later cleared on all charges.

While in court Le Vell admitted to cheating on his then wife Janette Beverley and being an alcoholic.

The star was temporarily axed from the ITV soap a year later after confessing to snorting coke.

He appeared at the Cheltenham festival two months ago and his 42-year-old partner, Louise - who he met four years ago - was seen wearing an engagement ring in December.
Omar Torres, 26, of Houston, Texas, was arrested in June 2016 in connection with the murder of Noe Mendez earlier that year

The district attorney is seeking the death penalty for a suspected MS-13 gang member who ordered a murder when he was already behind bars.

Omar Torres, 26, of Houston, Texas, was arrested in June 2016 in connection with the murder of Noe Mendez earlier that year, the Chronicle reports.

Just a week later and Torres was in jail, waiting for his trial, when police found the dead body of the key witness in the case, 16-year-old Estuar Quinonez, in a Fort Bend County park, surrounded by 25 shell casings.

Assistant District Attorney Colleen Barnett said: 'He was already in jail for murdering a guy; it was an MS-13 gang shooting.

'He arranged to have that witness killed and we believe that was just a really bad act that he committed.'

Torres was charged with the second murder a month after his arrest, in July 2016. Now prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against the suspected MS-13 member.

The body of a key witness was discovered (police on the scene) a week after Torres was arrested

Harris County is the capital punishment capital of the US, but has seen falling numbers of inmates sentenced to death in recent years - in line with national trends.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg is seeking the death sentence - which will be the first initiated by her office since she took over in January 2017.

'Under an Ogg administration, you will see very few death penalty prosecutions,' she told Reuters before the 2016 election.
The daughter of Australia's oldest scientist, who has chosen to end his life in Switzerland at the age of 104, has explained how her father came to the difficult decision.

Karen Goodall-Smith, who alongside her three sons waved goodbye to David Goodall at Perth airport on Wednesday, said that while she is in complete support of his decision, it has still been very painful.

'He blows me away. His work ethic, his attitude, his determination, his independence,' she told the ABC.

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Matt Goodall (far left) on David's 104th birthday, pictured alongside his mother Karen and brother Graham

She also explained it was Dr Goodall's wish to 'go out with dignity and respect' that ultimately saw him choose assisted suicide.

'He's had a really good life, we've had lots of good times together and he's going out with dignity and respect.

'It's hard, but it's also beautiful in some ways.'

She also explained it was Dr Goodall's wish to 'go out with dignity and respect' that ultimately saw him choose assisted suicide (Dr Goodall pictured with his grandson Graham)

Dr Goodall (pictured middle) does not have a terminal illness but greatly regrets having lived to 104

A selection of new photos the Goodall family have been uploading to social media in the wake of their grandfather's departure from Perth tell a story of mutual love and respect amongst men.

His grandsons Matt, 23, Graham, 25, and Chris, 28, have all openly spoken about supporting his choice and are glad it's raising awareness about euthanasia.

'It's really promising seeing this sort of response from the public, knowing that a lot of people are in the same boat with the same concerns. It puts the issue into perspective quite nicely,' Matt wrote on Facebook.

Dr Goodall is expected to leave Perth in early May with long-time friend Carol O'Neil (left)

Dr Goodall is pictured being serenaded by his grandson with a musical piece on the piano

Chris changed his profile picture to one of the boys beaming alongside the great doctor, with a caption 'sharing our last moments with my Grandad #love #family'.

British-born Dr Goodall does not have a terminal illness but on the grounds that his quality of life has deteriorated he secured a fast-track appointment with assisted dying agency Life Circle in Basel, Switzerland.

He got on a plane in Perth late Wednesday surrounded by friends and family saying their final goodbyes, including a heartfelt farewell from his grandson Graham - a picture which has since gone viral.

He got on a plane in Perth late Wednesday surrounded by friends and family saying their final goodbyes (grandson pictured)

Dr Goodall celebrated his 104th birthday in early April and has since decided it is time to access voluntarily euthanasia in Switzerland

Who is Australia's oldest scientist David Goodall? 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. Goodall, an honorary research associate at Perth's Edith Cowan University, made international headlines in 2016 when he was declared unfit to be on campus. Dr Goodall celebrated his 104th birthday in early April and has since decided it is time to access voluntarily euthanasia in Switzerland. Advertisement

'I should be glad when I get on the plane - so far, so good,' he told 9News.

'I have some of my family here - there are three grandsons here, I believe and my daughter Karen... It's very good that they shall be here to see me off'.

He will spend several days with other family in Bordeaux, France, before heading to Switzerland where he is due to end his life on May 10.

'I don't want to go to Switzerland, though it's a nice country,' he told broadcaster ABC before leaving.

'But I have to do that in order to get the opportunity of suicide which the Australian system does not permit. I feel very resentful.'

Assisted suicide is illegal in most countries around the world and was banned in Australia until the state of Victoria became the first to legalise it last year.

Renowned academic David Goodall is travelling to Switzerland to end his life

The Northern Territory briefly legalised euthanasia for the terminally ill in 1996 but it was overturned a year later by the federal government.

Victoria's legislation, which takes effect from June 2019, only applies to terminally ill patients of sound mind and a life expectancy of less than six months.

Other states in Australia have debated euthanasia in the past, but the proposals have always been defeated, most recently in New South Wales last year.

The botanist and ecologist has said that he 'greatly regrets' living for so long

Dr Goodall was born in London on April 4, 1914, but moved to Australia in 1948

Exit International, which helped Goodall make the trip, said it was unjust that one of Australia's 'oldest and most prominent citizens should be forced to travel to the other side of the world to die with dignity'.

It launched a GoFundMe campaign to get plane tickets for Goodall and his helper upgraded to business class from economy and quickly raised more than Aus$20,000 (US$15,000).

Goodall, an honorary research associate at Perth's Edith Cowan University, made international headlines in 2016 when he was declared unfit to be on campus.

After an uproar and support from scientists globally, the decision was reversed.

He came to Australia to in 1948 taking up a lecturing position at the University of Melbourne

Goodall (left), an honorary research associate at Perth's Edith Cowan University, made international headlines in 2016 when he was declared unfit to be on campus

He has produced dozens of research papers and until recently continued to review and edit for different ecology journals.

Goodall told ABC he appreciated the public's interest in his plight and hoped it would spark more discussion about voluntary euthanasia.

'I would like them to understand it,' he said.

'I am 104 years old so I haven't got much time left anyway. I might as well not have (my health) getting worse and worse, making me unhappy as it goes.'
Three-year-old Sadie Grace Andrews died last year after falling into a grease trap outside of an ice cream shop in Auburn, Alabama

The family of a three-year-old girl who died after falling into a grease trap at an ice cream shop last year has filed a lawsuit against the shop and the grease trap cover manufacturer.

On October 14 Sadie Grace Andrews was playing with two of her siblings when she apparently fell through a lid covering one of the grease pits on the property of Bruster's Real Ice Cream in Auburn, Alabama.

The girl evidently drowned in the six-foot-deep sludge.

The heartbroken family is now taking legal action against Bruster's and Tuf-Tite Inc., claiming that the companies are responsible for Sadie's death.

'The Andrews family is a close-knit family. This family outing to eat ice cream turned into a parent's worst nightmare and it never should have happened,' J. Cole Portis of the Beasley Allen Law Firm said in a statement Thursday.

'Sadie Grace Andrews died needlessly, but her death will not be in vain. This lawsuit is being filed to ensure other children do not needlessly die.

'Further, the expectation is that these entities that caused Sadie's death will accept responsibility for their failures and become safer companies.'

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The heartbroken family is now taking legal action against Bruster's and Tuf-Tite Inc., claiming that the companies are responsible for Sadie's death. Sadie is pictured left with her parents and five siblings and right with her uncle

Sadie (front row center) was the third-youngest of six siblings. 'I've never met a more joyful child who loved God with all her heart,' her mother said

Sadie, the third-youngest of six siblings, was a 'little blonde bundle of joy' with an 'infectious smile' who was outgoing and full of faith in God, her mother said in October.

'She would light up a room with her smile; she walked with a skip in her step. I've never met a more joyful child who loved God with all her heart,' grieving mother Corrie Andrews told AL.com.

'She taught me about being happy and loving life and loving people,' Sadie's father Tracy Andrews told the outlet.

'At three years old, there's no preconceived notions. To her, everybody was good. She didn't see the bad. She just loved people and it didn't matter what they did.'

Sadie's parents said that she loved riding her bike, playing outside with her siblings, and hiking with the family at nearby Chewacla State Park.

The family was in the outdoor area of Bruster's Real Ice Cream, where there are picnic tables.

The children were playing on the grass when investigators say Sadie stepped on the unsecured lid of the below-ground grease trap and fell through.

The family was in the outdoor area of Bruster's Real Ice Cream, pictured, where there are picnic tables, when Sadie fell through the lid of the below-ground tank in a nearby grassy area

Sadie's family says that the lid was wooden and had rotted through.

She was initially reported as a missing person, and family searched the area frantically before finding her body in the grease trap.

When police arrived on the scene, CPR was being administered, and the girl was rushed to the hospital, but all attempts to revive her were unsuccessful.

In a statement, the owners of the Bruster's Ice Cream location expressed condolences to the Andrews family.

'They are acquaintances of ours and have been regular customers. We are truly heartbroken that this happened,' said owners Lance and Kara Latham.

When police arrived on the scene, CPR was being administered, and the girl was rushed to the hospital, but all attempts to revive her were unsuccessful

In a statement, the owners of the Bruster's Ice Cream location expressed condolences

The Lathams said that a young employee of the shop had attempted to revive Sadie and was 'quite shaken' by the incident.

'We continue to help local authorities investigate what caused this incredibly sad accident,' the owners said.

Sadie's uncle Chad Vermillion said on a YouCaring campaign to raise money for funeral expenses that the family planned to go to church on Sunday 'to keep life somewhat normal'.

Vermillion said that on the morning she died, Sadie had put her cherished blankie in a bag and told her mother that she wanted to give it as a present to someone else, adding that she didn't need it because she was a big girl now.
Two Romanian computer hackers have been extradited to Georgia on fraud charges, officials said Friday.

Teodor Laurentiu Costea, 41, and Robert Codrut Dumitrescu, 40, allegedly stole personal information from more than 36,000 Americans, causing an estimated $18million in losses.

On Friday US Attorney Byung J 'BJay' Pak announced the two men are facing several charges including wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, computer fraud and abuse and aggravated identity theft.

Two Romanian computer hackers accused of stealing financial information from thousands of Americans have been extradited to Atlanta, Georgia, officials said Friday (stock image)

Between October 2011 and February 2014, Costea and Dumitrescu allegedly installed interactive voice response software in Atlanta, Georgia, that initiated thousands of automated telephone calls and text messages posing as a financial institution.

They directed victims to call a number to resolve a problem with their respective bank accounts.

When they called the number, victims were prompted to enter bank account numbers, PINs, and full or partial Social Security numbers.

The accused hackers from Ploiesti, Romania, then allegedly used or sold the information collected on the fake calls.

When he was arrested, Costea reportedly possessed 36,051 fraudulently obtained financial account numbers.

In August a federal grand jury returned a 31-count indictment against the pair.

Another co-defendant, 28-year-old Cosmin Draghici, remains in custody in Romania awaiting extradition.

'While in Romania, the defendants allegedly targeted victims throughout the US, including in the Northern District of Georgia, stealing personal information and possibly causing millions of dollars in losses,' Pak said in a statement.

'These extraditions send a strong warning to cybercriminals and fraudsters worldwide, that we, along with our law enforcement partners, will work tirelessly to bring you to justice.'
This is the terrifying moment a truck crashed with a Jeep passing a road train and flipped.

The footage of the frightening collision was captured on a dashcam inside the Jeep.

A road train was blocking the vision of the Hilux driver, who turned right onto a highway in the Northern Territory.

A road train was blocking the vision of the Toyota Hilux driver (pictured), who turned right onto a highway in the Northern Territory. Picture: Facebook - Dash Cam Owners Australia

But the driver didn't see the Jeep Grand Cherokee taking on the large road train, and the two vehicles smashed at high speed near Katherine.

The vision shows the Ute completely rolling over on its head as screams were heard in the background.

Miraculously, the driver and passengers in both cars escaped with just minor injuries, according to Jeep driver Paul.

But he didn't see the Jeep Grand Cherokee taking on the large road train, and the two vehicles smashed at high speed near Katherine.

'First day of our trip, 10 km south of Katherine NT, we are in a Jeep Grand Cherokee towing a 2 tonne camper, Hilux driver didn't see us, thought he was doing the right thing by the truck by clearing the intersection,' his post read.

'Everyone walked away with only minor cuts and bruises, side curtain airbags saved his life.'

The video, published on the Dashcam Australia page, went viral on Facebook and was viewed nearly 2,000 times.

The Ute (pictured) completely rolling over on its head as screams were heard in the background.

Social media users questioned the cause of the crash, with some people pointing the finger at the Ute, while others blamed the Jeep driver.

'It's like some of you have never seen a slip lane. The jeep was not overtaking. The truck had moved into the slip lane to turn and the jeep kept going straight,' one person posted.



Another person said: 'The jeep driver crossed the road because by then he thought the Hilux driver would've slammed on his brakes and stopped in time.'
Michael Kelso-Christy, 23, will remain behind bars after trying to appeal his 10-year sentence for handcuffing and having sex with a woman who was blindfolded and believed he was an old school friend

An Iowa man who tricked a woman into having sex with him by pretending to be an old high school friend has lost his appeal and will remain behind bars.

Michael Kelso-Christy, 23, convinced the woman to agree to sex where he would enter her home while she was blindfolded and restrain her, after the pair began to chat on Facebook in April 2015.

Prosecutors said the woman agreed to the encounter after a period of exchanging increasingly sexual messages, and that the man had entered her home, had sex with her, but did not speak while he was there and left her handcuffed and blindfolded.

When the woman was able to free herself, she had a text message from the man she believed was her old friend, which said his brother was in hospital and he had to leave.

Friends were unable to confirm this information, and when the fake Facebook profile became inactive and the woman's text messages went unanswered, she contacted police.

Investigators found the 23-year-old, who was linked to the assault through a phone number he had given the woman and a fingerprint at her home, had acted in a similar way before.

The 23-year-old had spoken to other women during his time using the fake Facebook profile, and had them send naked photographs

Kelso-Christy had messaged multiple women from his high school after creating a fake Facebook profile of a man who had also attended the school.

Court documents revealed he would tell the women his account had been hacked and he'd created a new one, before trying to solicit nude pictures or ask the women for sex.

When police searched Kelso-Christy's home, they found a list of women's names, which included the name of the woman who reported him to police.

The man who Kelso-Christy impersonated said he had never created a secondary Facebook account and had been confronted by other men who were angry with him for asking their wives and girlfriends for sex.

Kelso-Christy was initially charged with sex abuse, but the charge was later dropped. He was later convicted during a bench trial of burglary and sentenced to 10 years in prison, with the judge saying consent inherently requires knowledge of the identity of a sexual partner.

While he was able to initially argue Iowa law does not outlaw sex by fraud or deception, prosecutors were able to charge him with burglary, as it can include entering a home with intent to commit sexual abuse.

Kelso-Christy appealed, arguing that the sexual encounter was consensual and he therefore didn't intend to commit sexual abuse as outlined under the burglary charge.

Kelso-Christy appealed his charge and claimed the sexual encounter was consensual, but lost his claim in Supreme Court

But in the majority opinion released Friday, Iowa Supreme Court justices said Kelso-Christy knew the woman never consented to physical contact with him.

'The identity of a sexual partner is no mere collateral matter. Women, and men, must be free to decide, on their own terms, who their sexual partners will be,' Chief Justice Mark Cady wrote for the majority, further concluding that Kelso-Christy's actions denied the woman 'the freedom of choice that breathes life into our sexual abuse statutes.'

Justices David Wiggins and Brent Appel dissented, saying Iowa's second-degree burglary law does not specifically provide for sexual abuse by fraud or deception. Wiggins wrote: 'We must not write words into the statute.'

Iowa Department of Corrections records show Kelso-Christy is imprisoned in Fort Dodge. His attorney, Assistant Appellate Defender Melinda Nye, said Kelso-Christy was disappointed in Friday's ruling and has 'challenged the applicability of Iowa's sex abuse statutes to his case since he was charged.' She said he'll decide later whether to pursue further appeals.
Cora Weberg (Pictured), 31, is currently being held at the Pierce County Jail on a charge of second-degree assault

Authorities in Washington state said on Thursday that they placed an emergency room nurse accused of stealing powerful narcotics and infecting patients with Hepatitis C under arrest near the Canadian border.

Puyallup Police investigators said, however, that they do not believe Cora Weberg was trying to flee the country, noting that the 31-year-old had purchased a return ticket back home.

Weberg is currently being held at the Pierce County Jail on a charge of second-degree assault.

Bail for her release has yet to be set, according to KOMO News.

Weberg, who officials say is carrier of the Hepatitis C virus, is accused of infecting two patients after stealing their injectable narcotics for her own use then sticking them with the same needle.

The alleged incidents occurred while Weberg worked as a nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Washington.

A investigation conducted by The News Tribune reports that police believe Weberg 'intentionally contaminated medicine or another substance with her own blood; she then administered the medicine or other substance intravenously; Cora Weberg knew or reasonably should have known that her blood was likely to contain one or more blood-borne pathogens; and Cora Weberg's blood did, in fact, contain and transmit Hepatitis C virus.'

The alleged incidents occurred while Weberg worked as a nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Washington (Pictured)

Puyallup police spokesman Ryan Portmann later told the Tribune that 'we feel confident we have probable cause.'

Police said that they first became aware Weberg after an internal hospital audit found that the nurse had been removing an excessive amounts of narcotics from the emergency department's dispensing system.

She later admitted to hospital officials that she had been using the drugs for her own use.

Weberg denies, however, that she infected the patients with contaminated needles she had used on herself, according to her defense attorney Bryan Hershman.

The Tribune reported that when investigators informed Weberg that she carried the Hepatitis C virus, she reacted with 'surprise.'

'We feel confident we have probable cause,' Puyallup police spokesman Ryan Portmann (Pictured) told the Tribune

Good Samaritan Hospital said it is now administering tests to more than 2,600 former patients who received injections of narcotic, antihistamines or sedatives while Weberg was on duty.

Patients that received emergency medical care from August 4, 2017 to March 23, 2018 are urged to contact the hospital immediately.

Hershman says that there is no evidence that concludes his client purposefully injected patients with the infectious disease.

'On the one hand, my heart goes out to these infected people,' he said. 'On the other hand, this investigation has been going on for months.

'If there was a genetic link between these patients and Cora, you would certainly think it would be definitively announced or released by the Department of Health and that hasn't happened yet.

'This is this woman's life. This is a terrible allegation. I hope we all stand back and take a deep breath and really look at what the evidence says,' he added.

The hospital said that they have performed hundreds of tests since an investigation into the incident began in March but are not publicly releasing the results at this time.
President Donald Trump said he would meet on Saturday with US trade officials after their return from a visit to Beijing where they presented Chinese officials with a long list of trade demands.

'Our high level delegation is on the way back from China where they had long meetings with Chinese leaders and business representatives,' Trump said in a Twitter post on Friday night.

'We will be meeting tomorrow to determine the results, but it is hard for China in that they have become very spoiled with U.S. trade wins!' he continued.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin led the delegation, which told China to reduce the trade deficit with the US by $200billion by the end of 2020. Last year, China ran a trade deficit of $375billion with the US.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin (above) led the delegation, which told China to reduce the trade deficit with the US by $200billion by the end of 2020

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross (left) also joined the delegation, which met with Chinese representatives over the course of several days in Beijing

The request was included in a document making that and other requests presented to China ahead of trade talks that ended Friday.

The four-page list also included demands that China immediately stop providing subsidies to industries listed in a key industrial plan.

The list also includes a demand that China end some of its policies related to technology transfers, a key source of tension underlying the dispute.

The Trump administration says US companies lose hundreds of billions of dollars annually to China's theft of trade secrets.

China's Commerce Ministry did not mention the US demands in a comment about the talks Friday.

China's state media says talks in Beijing with US officials ended with an agreement to set up a mechanism to work through an escalating dispute over trade. But it said 'big differences' remain on some matters.

A motorcade leaves the US embassy in Beijing after US officials had trade talks with their Chinese counterparts on Friday

Citing the Commerce Ministry, the official Xinhua News Agency said Friday that the two sides discussed expanding US exports to China, trade in services, the protection of intellectual property rights and how to resolve the use of tariffs and non-tariff measures.

The report says the two sides 'reached consensus in some areas,' but did not provide specifics.

Trump told reporters earlier Friday that there's a need to 'bring fairness to trade between the U.S. and China' and his administration will be 'doing something one way or the other.'

He said on the White House South Lawn that the Trump administration is 'going to have some incredible trade deals announced.'
The inmate who opportunistically stabbed Brett Peter Cowan in the neck and ear has not yet been charged over the attack.

The convicted paedophile, who kidnapped and murdered Daniel Morcombe, was attacked by a fellow prisoner at Wolston Correction Centre, Queensland, who used a sharpened toothbrush to inflict harm.

The 48-year-old criminal received 'very superficial injuries' from the attacker's 'improvised implement' which drew 'no blood', a Queensland Corrective Services spokesperson confirmed.

The inmate who opportunistically stabbed Brett Peter Cowan (pictured) in the neck and ear has not yet been charged over the attack

The convicted paedophile, who kidnapped and murdered Daniel Morcombe (pictured), was attacked by a prisoner at a Queensland jail who used a sharpened toothbrush to inflict harm

'(Cowan) was returned to the secure block a short time after treatment at the prison medical centre,' a spokesperson said Saturday.

A Queensland Police spokesman confirmed the Friday morning attack was still being investigated.

The child sex offender has been targeted by inmates before where Adam Paul Davidson scalded Cowan with boiling water on August 5, 2016.

The prisoner allegedly yelled 'this is for Daniel' when he gave Cowan a 'hot shower', News Corp reported at the time.

A court heard Davidson crept behind the paedophile and tipped a mop bucket full of water over his head while they were behind bars.

Cowan suffered burns to 15 per cent of his body including to the head, face, back, chest but did not need surgery.

The 48-year-old criminal (pictured) received 'very superficial injuries' from the attacker's 'improvised implement' which drew 'no blood'

The child sex offender (pictured) has been targeted by inmates before where Adam Paul Davidson scalded Cowan with boiling water on August 5, 2016

In December 2003, 13-year-old Daniel (pictured) planned to catch a bus to shops at Sunshine Coast to buy Christmas presents for his family but disappeared and wasn't seen again

In December 2003, 13-year-old Daniel planned to catch a bus to the shops at the Sunshine Coast to buy Christmas presents for his family and get a hair cut.

The bus never arrived and the schoolboy was never seen again.

Police created a fake crime syndicate and posed a gangsters to draw out a confession from Cowan, a long time suspect, who then led police to where he dumped the 13-year-old's body.

Cowan received a life sentence in 2014 with a minimum non-parole period of 20 years.
The arrogance was simply breathtaking.

In the run-up to this weeks local elections, Labours London mayor, Sadiq Khan, confidently predicted that his party could oust the Tories from control in the capitals boroughs of Wandsworth and Barnet.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell had claimed that Labour was on the edge of victory in Hillingdon, in West London.

And in the Midlands, Labour MP Chris Williamson said that with the hugely popular Jeremy Corbyn as party leader, he was finding it the easiest time in his life to campaign for Labour.

Arrogant: Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn greets supporters on the Plymouth Hoe, Devon, after a successful night for his party in the city

As they say, pride before a fall.

Despite such hubristic hype, the Tories retained Wandsworth and won Barnet. They increased their majority in Hillingdon. And in Mr Williamsons constituency of Derby, Labour lost control of the city council (for good measure, its council leader and mayor were both toppled).

The brutal truth is that Thursdays results were a disaster for Mr Corbyn.

It started so well. Since becoming leader, in just three years, he has reinvented Labour as a mass political party, with the number of members soaring from 201,000 to 552,000. He has rejected the cynical policies of the Blairite era. He has been courageous and principled in some foreign policy areas.

However, I believe that May 3, 2018, will go down in history as the date that Jeremy Corbyn lost his reputation as an electoral miracle worker.

Yes, he won two Labour leadership elections. Yes, against most expectations, he prevented Theresa May from increasing the Tories majority in last years General Election  in fact, obiliterating their Commons majority altogether.

But Labours bandwagon has now well and truly ground to a halt.

Inevitably, many questions are being asked about Mr Corbyns future. Having reached Peak Corbyn, another factor is that he will be 72 when the next General Election is due in 2022.

Give 'Private Pike' Williamson easier job I had hoped not to mention our hapless Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson, so soon again. First, he made a fool of himself by saying of the challenge to the West from Moscow: Russia should shut up! Russia should go away! Now hes raised the prospect of Britain fighting a war without any allies, saying sometimes it is right to go it alone. No wonder Sir Mark Sedwill, UK Britains National Security Adviser and tipped as the next Cabinet Secretary, said Williamson was talking nonsense. Our military top brass are in despair about the Defence Secretary. Mrs May should give the former fireplace salesman a less demanding job. Advertisement

Is he really the man to lead Labour into the next big electoral test?

Mr Corbyn, if he is wise, may well see his role now to find the right successor, rather than remaining as leader for another four years.

Of course, yesterday, his Labour colleagues put a brave face on their performance, pointing out small mercies such as the fact that they had run neck-and-neck with the Tories in the number of votes cast.

But they should have done so much better.

The Conservatives have been on the ropes in recent weeks: holed by the Windrush scandal which wrongly gave the impression that they treat legal migrants badly; rocked by the enforced resignation of a Home Secretary over her mishandling of the controversy; responsible for what a BBC reporter claimed had been eight years of austerity and with a Cabinet riven by divisions over Brexit policy.

Corbyn will never get a better chance.

Of course Corbynistas will loathe to be reminded. But their hate-figure, Tony Blair, as leader of the Opposition, won more than 1,000 extra seats in the last local elections before going on to triumph in the 1997 General Election triumph.

Corbyn needed that sort of momentum  not the anti-Semitism and extremism of many in his Momentum fan club.

On Thursday, his Labour only won a few dozen more seats.

After eight years of Tory government, that is a poor performance.

For her part, this is all good news for Theresa May.

Voters have come to admire the battling qualities of a Prime Minister who has been written off so many times by sneering commentators who rarely step outside Central London. Never forget, unlike David Cameron  that cheerleader for high-living, metropolitan liberal values  Mrs May is widely loved in the provinces.

Her principles chime with those of the unfashionable majority of ordinary Britons. She puts public duty first  proved by the way that as a former Remainer, she is intent on delivering the Brexit that the majority of the country wants. She abhors the cronyism and sleazy chumocracy that was a hallmark of the Cameron era.

People admire her seriousness about politics  being prepared to make difficult and unpopular decisions.

So as well as the curtain falling on Corbyns time, this week I believe we have witnessed it finally close on the modernising conservatism of Cameron.

Learn from Martin, Mr Bercow Michael Martin, who died last Sunday, was a flawed Commons Speaker but will rightly be remembered with affection. He was a brave man, who fought against the far Left in his constituency of Glasgow Springburn in the early Eighties. And when he quit after losing a vote of no confidence in his handling of the MPs expenses scandal, he did so with honour. His beleaguered successor, John Bercow, should learn a lesson from Michael Martin. Before being elected to his post, he promised MPs that he would step down by July this year. The growing row over allegations that he has bullied staff offers him the chance to see through with that promise. Not only in a bid to salvage his own collapsing reputation but for the sake of British democracy. Advertisement

I felt this very clearly yesterday, talking with a key architect of the Conservatives success this week.

Jonathan Collett is not well known nationally, but as chair of the Nuneaton Conservative Association, he was the mastermind behind one of the Tories biggest successes on Thursday.

In the Warwickshire town at the heart of middle England, he plotted the overthrow of Labour  with the Tories winning 11 out of the 17 wards up for grabs on the borough council.

He explained how the Conservative campaign had concentrated on local issues about which people care strongly such as unwanted new housing developments and putting forward more imaginative alternative proposals.

In Nuneaton, as is the case in many other places, the Conservatives were boosted by the demise of Ukip. As well as many former Tories who had flirted with Ukip returning to the Conservative fold, many former Ukip voters originally from Labour ranks switched to the Tories.

Nigel Farage  who has achieved so much, most notably forcing Cameron to give the British people a referendum on the EU  must take much blame. By stepping down as leader and undermining his successors, he has done permanent damage to Ukip.

The position of Labour isnt nearly so terminal. Despite his many faults, Jeremy Corbyns, leadership has reinvigorated politics with his and his supporters passion. That said, I am convinced this week marked the point of no return for Jeremy Corbyn.
A man left his infant daughter in his unlocked car when he went into the supermarket because he 'forgot' he had brought her along.

Christopher Kile Hiatt, 20, was shopping at Walmart in Cartersville, Georgia, when he was found by police and arrested, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Baby Addison, who is only 11 weeks old, was found in the car park, strapped into her car seat inside Hiatt's 1999 Pontiac Sunfire, when officers arrived.

The police report claimed Hiatt told officers he 'forgot he had his daughter Addison with him'.

Michael Kile Hiatt, 20, was arrested after leaving his 11-week-old daughter, Addison, in his car

The infant was found by police in Hiatt's car in the car park of Walmart about 8.38pm - the new father said he had 'forgot' his daughter was with him

Police were called to the scene about 8.38pm, and records show it had been a warm day, with temperatures hitting about 78 degrees.

When they found Hiatt, he told them he had only been gone about 10 minutes.

An ambulance was called as a precaution for baby Addison, who appeared to be in good health according to police.

She was later released into the custody of her mother, who is believed to have taken her to the local medical center for assessment.

Police called an ambulance for baby Addison but later released her into her mother's (left) custody

His mother, 18, later took to Facebook, detailing the situation as 'the absolute worst night of my life' and praising a sticker she had made for Addison's booster seat with both her and Hiatt's details on it.

'Last night was a situation - this sticker was the only thing the police and EMT had about my baby,' she wrote.

'If this sticker wasnt there I would have never known or been able to get my baby, DFACS would have taken her and i would have no clue of anything.'

Meanwhile, her father spent the evening in the County jail, and was released the next day on a $1000 property bond.

He has been charged with reckless conduct and could face a maximum of 12 months behind bars.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry has reportedly engaged in clandestine diplomacy with a top Iranian official in an attempt to salvage the nuclear deal framework.

Kerry, who brokered the Iran deal for the Obama administration, met with Foreign Minister Javad Zarif about two weeks ago at the United Nations in Manhattan, a person briefed on the meetings told the Boston Globe.

The meeting was their second in two weeks, and came amid a whirlwind of meetings between Kerry and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, European Union official Federica Mogherini, and French President Emmanuel Macron.

President Donald Trump has threatened to reimpose sanctions on Iran at the next deadline for certifying Iran's compliance with the deal, which comes on May 12.

Then-Secretary of State John Kerry (left) is seen with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in 2015. Kerry met with Zarif about two weeks ago for secret talks in New York

Kerry has also been meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (left) and French President Emmanuel Macron (right) in attempts to salvage the Iran deal

Kerry's flurry of clandestine diplomacy highlights his desperation to save the Iran nuclear deal, which he sees as a signature achievement.

The deal, between Iran and the five permanent members of the US security council, plus Germany and the EU, saw Iran agree to halt its nuclear weapons program for a decade in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Kerry's involvement in trying to preserve the deal after leaving office came as a surprise to foreign policy experts.

'It is unusual for a former secretary of state to engage in foreign policy like this, as an actual diplomat and quasi-negotiator,' Michael O'Hanlon, a foreign policy expert at the Brookings Institution, told the Globe.

'Of course, former secretaries of state often remain quite engaged with foreign leaders, as they should, but it's rarely so issue-specific, especially when they have just left office.'

Kerry and Zarif are seen together in 2016. Kerry brokered the Iran nuclear deal for the Obama administration and is desperate to see it salvaged in spite of Trump's threats

The shadowy diplomacy will raise questions of a violation of the Logan Act, which prohibits private citizens acting on behalf of the United States during a dispute with foreign governments.

But the obscure 18th century law has never been used to prosecute anyone - although it was raised to criticize Mike Flynn for his discussions with the Russian ambassador after the 2016 election.

Macron, whom Kerry met with in New York and Paris, in meetings conducted in both English and French, has been actively lobbying Trump to remain in the Iran deal.

The French president said this week that that leaving the deal could mean war.

Meanwhile, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing Trump to take a more aggressive posture toward Iran, Israel's archenemy.

This week Netanyahu gave a presentation claiming he had proof that Iran 'lied' about its past nuclear weapons program.

On Thursday, Zarif threated to withdraw from the nuclear deal, saying Iran will not 'renegotiate or add onto' the deal.

The five-minute video shows Zarif behind his desk, delivering his message on the deal. He offers background first about the deal before laying into Trump and criticizing Europe for offering 'the United States more concessions from our pocket.'

'On 11 occasions since, the U.N. nuclear watchdog has confirmed that Iran has implemented all of its obligations,' Zarif, who studied in the U.S., says in American-accented English. 'In contrast, the U.S. has consistently violated the agreement, especially by bullying others from doing business with Iran.'
James Comey testified to the House Intelligence Committee that FBI agents never found any 'physical indications of deception' by Mike Flynn.

A newly unredacted committee report reveals that Comey said he did not believe the former national security adviser intentionally lied about talks with Russia's ambassador.

Flynn was interviewed by the FBI in January 2017, but was not charged until after Special Counsel Robert Mueller took over the probe months later and found apparent contradictions in Flynn's statements.

'Director Comey testified to the Committee that 'the agentsdiscerned no physical indications of deception,' said the report. 'They didn't see any change in posture, in tone, in inflection, in eye contact. They saw nothing that indicated to them that he knew he was lying to them.'

James Comey testified to the House Intelligence Committee that FBI agents never found any 'physical indications of deception' by Mike Flynn (file image)

'Federal Bureau of Investigation agents did not detect any deception during Flynn's interview,' another one line among the 44 findings of fact in the 253-page, partially classified report released on Friday.

Flynn later pleaded guilty plea int Mueller's probe to making false statements to the FBI and was fired from his security adviser role.

Comey has since claimed that his testimony about Flynn had been misinterpreted.

'Someone misunderstood something I said. I didn't believe that and didn't say that,' he told Fox News Special Report.

The then-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabeis also said to have testified that agents didn't 'detect deception' from Flynn.

'Deputy Director McCabe confirmed the interviewing agent's initial impression and stated that the 'conundrum that we faced on their return from the interview is that although [the agents] didn't detect deception in the statements that he made in the interview  the statements were inconsistent with our understanding of the conversation that he had actually had with the ambassador,'' the report states.

FBI agents detected no deception during interviews with former National Security Advisor Mike Flynn (pictured), according to a new report from the House Intelligence Committee

'The two people who interviewed [Flynn] didn't think he was lying, [which] was not [a] great beginning of a false statement case.'

In December 2017, Flynn agreed to plead guilty to making false statements to the FBI regarding his December 2016 conversation with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak. Flynn's son was spared prosecution as a result of the plea deal.

The conversation, which occurred after the presidential election, related to a UN resolution condemning Israel, which Flynn lobbied in vain for Russia to block.

'According to the charging documents, on or about December 22, 2016, 'a very senior member of the Presidential Transition Team' (PTT) directed General Flynn to contact representatives of foreign governments,' the House Intel Panel report reads.

The senior member of the PTT has been identified as Jared Kushner in other published reports.

'This request concerned a resolution about Israeli settlements submitted by Egypt to the U.N. Security Council around December 21, 2016. Later, on December 22, General Flynn contacted Ambassador Kislyak and 'requested that Russia vote against or delay the resolution,'' the report continues.

The finding was one of 44 included in the partially classified House Intel Committee report

The false statements related to a December 2016 conversation with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak (pictured) whom Flynn wanted to block a UN resolution condemning Israel

'The next day, Ambassador Kislyak informed General Flynn that Russia would not comply with the request,' the report reads.

Flynn's plea agreement states that he had falsely told the FBI that he had merely asked Kislyak how Russia planned to vote on a UN resolution condemning Israel's settlements.

The House Intelligence Committee released their report on its Russia probe, much of which was redacted, and the committee is still fighting over the many redactions, a source told Fox.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes has criticized the FBI's 'excessive and sloppy redactions,' in the report.

The report also states the committee 'received conflicting testimony' from former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, Comey, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mary McCord and McCabe about the purpose of the interview with Flynn.

The implication of the Intel Committee's finding is that the FBI did not initially believe Flynn had intentionally lied, but that Mueller used unintentional contradictions in his interview to force a plea.

The report noted that the committee was unable to interview Flynn or his son after both asserted their Fifth Amendment rights in response to any questions.

The report from the Republican-led committee also says it found no evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia in the 2016 presidential race

President Donald Trump told reporters as he welcomed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House Friday that, 'We were honored' by the report, which he is calling 'conclusive' ''strong' and 'powerful.'

The report's conclusion is fiercely opposed by committee Democrats, who say the committee did not gather enough evidence to support its finding.

Trump has long called the issue a 'witch hunt' and insists there was no collusion between his campaign and Russia.
A Manhattan grand jury is reportedly considering sexual assault charges against disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Top prosecutor Joan Illuzzi is handling the case, and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office has already sent grand jury subpoenas to Weinstein's closest associates, sources told Page Six.

Although its unclear what case and what charges the grand jury might be considering, the subpoenas cover documents dating back to 2004, including phone records, emails and financial documents.

In Manhattan, Weinstein has been accused of forcing actress Lucia Evans, then a college student, to perform oral sex on him inside his Tribeca office in 2004 and of raping 'Boardwalk Empire' actress Paz de la Huerta on two occasions in 2010.

Harvey Weinstein has not been criminally charged, but a Manhattan grand jury is now considering evidence related to claims of sexual assault against the disgraced mogul

Actresses Lucia Evans (left) and Paz de la Huerta (right) have both come forward and claimed that Weinstein forced them into sex acts in Manhattan

Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 80 women, has denied that he ever engaged in non-consensual sex.

Illuzi is a high-profile prosecutor who recently secured a conviction in the 1979 kidnapping and murder of six-year-old Etan Patz.

She also spearheaded the sexual-assault and attempted-rape case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, which was ultimately dropped.

In October, Evans told told The New Yorker that the summer before her senior year in college, Weinstein met her at a club and asked her to come in for a meeting at his Manhattan office.

Top prosecutor Joan Illuzzi (above) is handling the case as a grand jury considers evidence

Soon after she arrived, she claims that Weinstein took of his pants and shoved her face into his crotch, overpowering her until she acquiesced to his demands.

In November, de la Huerta told Vanity Fair that Weinstein had on two occasions barged into her Manhattan apartment and shoved her onto her bed before forcing himself on her. 'Hes like a pig.. He raped me,' she said.

Weinstein, 66, is also being investigated by police in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and London but has yet to be criminally charged in any jurisdiction.
The driver of a car that broke down in the middle of a suburban street returned to her vehicle to find that a disgruntled stranger had left her a less-than-friendly note.

Jodi Shorrock was driving her sick daughter to a doctor's appointment at Queensland's Sunshine Coast on Friday morning when her car began to malfunction.

'[It] sounded like it was running out of fuel,' she said, in conversation with Yahoo7.

'So, it just stopped running and had half a tank.'

Jodi Shorrock was driving down a suburban Queensland street on Friday morning when her car began to malfunction, forcing her to pull over

The mother-of-three (pictured) was taking her six-year-old daughter to a doctor's appointment at the time

With her vehicle suddenly floundering in the middle of Marys Street, Noosaville, Ms Shorrock claims she 'pulled over the safest I could.'

Flicking on her hazard lights, she steered the car into what she described as a 'large shoulder' with 'room to be off the road' and called the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland for assistance.

When she was told it would be more than an hour wait before someone could come and help, Ms Shorrock decided to take her unwell six-year-old daughter to the bathroom at a nearby shopping centre.

She was driving down Marys Street in Noosaville when her car suddenly 'sounded like it was running out of fuel' and started floundering in the middle of the road

By the time she returned, however, a faceless stranger had taken it upon themselves to blast Ms Shorrock for parking like a 'bloody idiot.'

'You are a b****y idiot parking here  the flashing lights don't help,' the note reads.

'You fool!'

Ms Shorrock said she was confounded by the abusive message, since she 'did everything right for being broken down' and 'didn't block anyone in'.

After pulling over and taking her sick daughter to the bathroom, Ms Shorrock returned to find an abusive note left on her car - calling her a 'bloody idiot' for parking there

She shared a snapshot of the note to the Noosa Community Notice Board page on Facebook, and was met with support from other members of the community.

'Don't take one narrow minded persons foolishness make your day worse. I wish I was close by I would be there helping you,' said one.

'Gutless for writing a note,' added another.

'Don't even give it any thought.'
A death row inmate yelled 'it burns!' as he was being executed by the state of Georgia for killing prison off-duty prison guard 22 years ago.

Robert Earl Butts Jr., 40, was put to death by compounded barbiturate pentobarbital injection at 9.43pm on Friday at the state prison in Jackson, Georgia.

When asked what his final words would be, he replied: 'Yeah, I've been drinking caffeine all day.'

Strapped to a gurney with his arms out to his sides, Butts kept his eyes closed throughout the procedure. As the drugs entered his system, Butts groaned: 'It burns, man.'

Georgia death-row inmate Robert Butts Jr (left), 40, was put to death Friday for the killing of Donovan Corey Parks (right), a 24-year-old off-duty prison guard

His feet twitched and he took several deep breaths before laying still.

Prison officials said he had declined to take a sedative.

Butts was pronounced dead at 9.58pm.

His last meal, according to his request, consisted of a bacon cheeseburger with American and cheddar cheese, rib eye steak, six chicken tenders, seasoned French fries, cheesecake and strawberry lemonade, reported Fox 5.

He was convicted, along with 41-year-old Marion Wilson Jr., in the March 1996 slaying of Donovan Corey Parks, an off-duty prison guard.

Parks, 24, gave the men a ride outside a Walmart store in Milledgeville. The men then ordered him out of the car and fatally shot him, prosecutors said.

Juries in separate trials found sufficient evidence to sentence both men to death because Parks was killed during the commission of an aggravating felony, armed robbery. Wilson's case is still pending.

Place of execution: Butts is scheduled to die at 7pm on Friday by injection of the compounded barbiturate pentobarbital at the state prison in Jackson, Georgia (execution chamber pictured)

Butts was put to death after the U.S. Supreme Court, without explanation, denied his final appeal.

The state Board of Pardons and Paroles, the only authority in Georgia with the power to commute a death sentence, voted earlier not to spare his life. He was the second Georgia inmate executed this year; Carlton Gary, known as the 'stocking strangler' for raping and killing three older women, was put to death in March.

Butts' attorneys insisted in a clemency application to the parole board that he wasn't the shooter, and didn't expect Parks to be killed.

They also said he shouldn't be executed because given the nature of the crime, they argued that he likely wouldn't be sentenced to death if he were prosecuted today.

They said a death sentence was 'grossly disproportionate,' and unconstitutional because although he was 18 at the time of the killing, his mental age and maturity lagged behind his actual age, it would be like sentencing a juvenile to death.

His attorneys also said his trial lawyers failed to thoroughly investigate his case or to present mitigating evidence such as childhood abuse and neglect that could have spared him the death penalty. Butts still had several challenges pending in state and federal courts at the time of his death.

Butts was 18 (left) when he and accomplice Marion Wilson Jr (right) were arrested in 1996 for Parks' murder, of which they were later convicted and sentenced to death

Prosecutors said Butts and Wilson targeted Parks after standing behind him in the checkout line of a Walmart store in the central Georgia city of Milledgeville. They asked Parks for a ride, and he agreed.

Authorities said Butts and Wilson were gang members who had gone looking for a victim when they drove Butts' car to the Walmart store.

His attorneys insisted in a clemency application to the parole board that Butts wasn't the shooter and asked to commute his death sentence to life in prison.

A jailhouse witness, Horace May, who testified at Butts' trial that Butts confessed to being the shooter, has now signed a sworn statement saying he made the story up out of sympathy for Wilson, whom he also met in jail, Butts' lawyers wrote.

Wilson also told May that the pair had agreed to steal Parks' car but that Butts believed they would release Parks, according to the statement.

'I think about Mr. Parks and that night every single day, going over it again and again in my mind,' Butts said in a statement included with his petition. 'There's no excuse for what I did, and I'm tremendously sorry for what happened to Mr. Parks.'

Butts' lawyers also argued to the parole board at the clemency hearing that evidence in the case indicates that Wilson consistently had possession of the gun used to kill Parks.

They also said there's no evidence that Butts was a member of a gang or that Parks' killing was gang-related. They wrote that the fact that the two tried to sell the car at a chop shop shows the crime was financially motivated.
The controversial share bike system may be loved by some but there is one loophole that could be costing riders hundreds.

Touted as an affordable, economical and efficient way to get around the city, share bikes have not exploded with popularity like many hoped.

Now one costly loophole in Australia could smack riders with a hefty fine, provoking even less bikes to be used.

Touted as an affordable, economical and efficient way to get around the city, share bikes have not exploded with popularity like many hoped

Riders are legally required to wear a helmet when they are using a push bike in Australia and if they are caught without the protective devise, they could cop a fine of $300 or more

Share bike companies did supply helmets with bicycles when they were first introduced in Australia, but many have been misplaced

Riders are legally required to wear a helmet when they are using a push bike in Australia and if they are caught without the protective devise, they could cop a fine of $300 or more.

'Bicycle riders are required by law to wear an approved helmet securely fitted and fastened ... there are no exemptions,' Transport for New South Wales website stated.

While helmets must be worn, the share bike systems do not always allow for the protective head wear to be available.

Despite the bike share companies supplying helmets with the bicycles when they were first introduced in Australia, more often than not the bikes are dumped across streets, in rivers or in trees without a helmet attached.

Bright yellow bike sharing company, ofo, have a team 'monitoring' the bikes to ensure 'helmets with every bike', their website read.

'You may find a bike that doesn't have a helmet attached every now and then,' ofo stated.

More often than not, bikes are dumped across in rivers or in trees without a helmet attached

Depending on state and territory, fines for not wearing helmet start at $25 up to $300 or more

Fines for not wearing a helmet in Australia QUEENSLAND - $126 NEW SOUTH WALES - $319* VICTORIA - $185* SOUTH AUSTRALIA - $93* WESTERN AUSTRALIA - $50 NT - $25 (only if under 17-years-old) TASMANIA - $119.25 ACT - $132 Source: Australia Government websites * according to 2017 data Advertisement

'To comply with local Australia laws, please do not ride any ofo bike without a helmet.'

Depending on state and territory, fines for not wearing a helmet start at $25.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore spokesperson said helmet use should be up to the rider, not a legality, 9News reported.

'Bike helmets should be an individual decision, not one mandated by the State ... particularly for short trips in the city centre,' the spokesperson said.

While helmets are proven to reduce head injuries by up to 74 per cent, the protective head wear is the main reason people don't use the share bike system.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore spokesperson said helmet use should be up to the rider
Uber passengers lost unusual items including shotgun belts, smoke pipes, LCD TVs and wigs in the past 12 months.

The ride-sharing company revealed at least 60,000 Australians left something behind in one of their cars in one year.

The possession most likely to be left in an Uber was a mobile phone, but many other strange items were left in the cars.

Uber passengers lost unusual items including shotgun belts, smoke pipes, LCD TV's and wigs in the past 12 months

A smoke pipe (pictured), was one of the unusual items found in an Uber

X-rays, an 18k gold smoke pipe, a boom box, gold wedding band, LCD TV, ultrasound scans, a wig and a shotgun belt featured in Uber's Lost and Found Index.

Meanwhile, a New Zealand man left his mate in an Uber and claimed him as lost.

Melinda, a Melbourne wife of an Uber driver, told Leader Community News people are 'careless' with their possessions.

The ride-sharing company revealed at least 60,000 Australians left something behind in one of their cars in one year. An LCD TV was one of the unusual items left in an Uber

'People can be so careless with their possessions and then expect the drivers to go out of their way for no cost to get their stuff returned,' she said.

Driver Bernie told the publication he returned a lost mobile phone to a passenger within 10 minutes.

'I was able to get the phone back to the owner ASAP as I was still in the area,' he said.

X-rays, a boom box, gold wedding band, and an ultra-sound were other possessions left in Uber cars. A shotgun belt is pictured

Melbourne lost more items than any other Australian city, and Saturday was the day a passenger was most likely to leave something behind.

'New Year's Eve wasn't the day with the most lost items, that crown was taken by the weekend of March 26 and 27,' an Uber spokesperson said in a statement.

Uber advised the best way to retrieve a lost item is to call the driver by tapping 'Your trips' and then clicking 'I lost an item' and tap 'contact driver about lost item.
Drivers of self-steering cars such as Teslas will be ordered not to take their hands off the wheel for more than a minute.

The new regulations from the UK government will target drivers who let go of the steering wheel thanks to lane steering, cruise control or emergency braking features.

Motorists who break the new rules will face points on their licence, a potential 1,000 fine and even prison.

It comes after legislation requiring cars manufacturers to install a feature to alert drivers when they have not touched the wheel for 15 seconds, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Drivers of self-steering cars such as Teslas will be ordered not to take their hands off the wheel for more than a minute, in new rules meant to avoid collisions of modern vehicles

The Highway Code states that once a car is moving motorists should 'drive with both hands on the wheel where possible'.

But the rules will be tightened under Government plans to prevent collisions caused by careless use of modern state-of-the-art vehicles.

Last month Bhavesh Patel, from Nottingham, was banned from the road for 18 months amid other punishments for driving on autopilot along the M1 while sitting in the passenger seat.

AA president Ed King told the newspaper: 'Until we have fully driverless cars, we cannot have people going out on their own and experimenting.

'We have to watch how the technology will be used.

We are not at the stage where drivers should be taking their hands off the wheel.'

The rules will be tightened under Government plans to prevent collisions caused by careless use of modern state-of-the-art vehicles

Ministers are also planning to update the Highway Code to reflect technological developments such as remote control parking with a key fob, it is reported.

Incorporating lane steering, the proposed new rules say: 'Do not rely on driver assistance systems such as motorway assist, lane departure warnings or remote control parking.

'They are available to assist but you should not reduce your concentration levels. Do not be distracted by maps or screen-based information while driving or riding. If necessary find a safe place to stop.

'If you are using advanced driver assistance systems, like motorway or traffic jam assist or a remote-control parking application or device, then you as the driver are still responsible for the vehicle and must exercise full control over these systems at all times.'
Fourteen men have been arrested after a 16-year-old girl was raped and burned alive at her home in eastern India, when her family complained of her ordeal.

In the latest case of sexual violence in the country, the teenager was abducted from her home while her family was attending a wedding, and she was raped in a forested area of Jharkhand state on Thursday, a local police officer said.

When her family complained to the Raja Kendua village council on Friday, it ordered two of the accused rapists to do 100 sit-ups and pay a fine of 50,000 rupees (552).

Around 40,000 rape cases were reported in India in 2016, with many more believed to go unreported because of the stigma attached to sex crimes in the deeply patriarchal country

Village councils of local elders often settle disputes in this way, bypassing India's lengthy and expensive judicial system. Although village elders have no legal clout, they exert massive influence over rural life in India.

The victim's father told the Hindustan Times that the men 'got infuriated and started thrashing us. We ran away to save our lives.

'However, when we returned after half an hour, we found our daughter burnt and dead inside our home.'

Ashok Ram, officer in charge of the local police station said: 'The two accused thrashed the parents and rushed to the house where they set the girl ablaze with the help of their accomplices.'

Ram said officers had arrested 14 men over the case so far, although the main suspect was still on the run.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das said he was shocked by the 'gruesome incident' and called for stringent action against the culprits.

The incident comes as India reels under a string of violent sexual crimes despite tightening of laws.

Last month a demonstration was held in the city centre of Srinagar following the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl

On Friday, a 60-year-old man allegedly committed suicide after being accused of raping a nine-year-old in southern Andhra Pradesh state.

Protests have been held across the country since horrific details emerged last month about an eight-year-old girl being gang-raped and murdered in Jammu and Kashmir.

Some 40,000 rape cases were reported in 2016 alone, with many more believed to go unreported because of stigma attached to sex crimes in deeply patriarchal India.
Anna Campbell, from Lewes in East Sussex, died on March 15 in a Turkish missile strike while travelling in a convoy in Afrin

The body of a British woman who died fighting against ISIS in Syria was left lying in rubble because Turkish-backed forces in the area have not yet recovered it.

Anna Campbell, from Lewes in East Sussex, died on March 15 in a Turkish missile strike while travelling in a convoy in Afrin after joining an all-female Kurdish fighting unit.

Her father, Dirk Campbell, has revealed that his daughter's body has not yet been recovered from the house where she was killed by the airstrike.

He accused the Foreign Office of 'inertia' and said officials were unwilling to endanger Britain's relationship with Turkey, The Times reports.

The 26-year-old is the first British woman known to have died in Syria with the YPG or YPJ groups, which have around 50,000 Kurdish men and women fighting in northern Syria.

Dirk Campbell said: 'The FCO won't have done anything specific. They've told me they can't get involved in anything political.

'Basically, they don't want to tread on the toes of anybody or affect Britain's relationship with Turkey.'

He has requested a meeting with Middle East minister Alistair Burt, saying he wants to ask if he is 'happy' that Ms Campbell's body is still in Syria.

Mr Campbell said he would also raise the question of British weapons being sold to Turkey which military forces would use against the Kurdish fighters.

Anna Campbell was one of about 100 British people who have joined the Kurdish forces fighting against ISIS.

She died in a house in Mahmudiya, and was reportedly coming out of the basement when the house was hit. The Kurdish fighters fled the area before her body could be recovered.

Her father, 67, previously paid tribute to his daughter, saying: 'I told her she would be in terrible danger, that she would come under bombardment but she was insistent.

Dirk Campbell (left), pictured with Anna's sister Rose at a vigil in Lewes, East Sussex, has accused the FCO of 'inertia' over its efforts to return Anna Campbell's body

Anna Campbell was one of about 100 British people who have joined the Kurdish forces fighting against ISIS

Mr Campbell said his daughter (pictured) had dedicated her life to the fight against 'unjust power and privilege' and 'put herself on the line for what she believed in'

'It was something she desperately wanted to do and there was no stopping her.'

Mr Campbell said his daughter had dedicated her life to the fight against 'unjust power and privilege' and 'put herself on the line for what she believed in'.

'Anna was very brave, she was very beautiful and was really idealistic, a dedicated idealist,' he said.

'She went there knowing what might happen to her.'

Educated at the independent St Mary's Hall in Brighton, where fees were around 10,000 a year, she went on to study at Sheffield University before moving to Bristol where she worked as a plumber.

It was during her time there that she became more and more interested in the Kurdish cause.

Earlier this year, Ankara-led forces seized Afrin from Kurdish fighters whom Turkey considers to be 'terrorists', after an almost two-month assault that forced tens of thousands of civilians from their homes.
Bill Shorten insists he didn't skip an Anzac Day dinner with a group of Diggers to visit a Dubai shopping mall.

The Labor leader Shorten said he was not aware that he and Liberal Senate President Scott Ryan were expected by the diggers for a dinner.

'Neither I nor Senator Ryan were provided with advice that a small number of staff officers were expecting to have dinner with us in the United Arab Emirates as we transited from Afghanistan back to Australia,' Mr Shorten said in a statement on Friday night to The West Australian.

Bill Shorten (pictured) and Liberal Senate President Scott Ryan missed an Anzac Day dinner

He said that despite News Corp knowing the facts, 'they published an article that suggested Senator Ryan and I stood up some Australian Defence Force personnel in the UAE.

'That suggestion is offensive.'

The Daily Telegraph initially reported that Mr Shorten and Liberal Senate President Scott Ryan skipped an Anzac Day dinner to visit a Dubai shopping mall.

Despite blaming the bungle on a 'regrettable' mix-up, some military personnel weren't too impressed with the decision to overlook the gathering, according to the paper.

'There were a few noses out of joint and a few people disappointed ... he literally came here then wanted to go to Dubai ... maybe he was tired,' said one.

On Friday Senator Ryan apologised 'unreservedly' for the 'misunderstanding'.

The dinner was to be hosted by Rear Admiral Jaimie Hatcher, the head of Joint Task Group who commands all Australian forces deployed in the Middle East, at the end of Mr Shorten's trip to the Middle East.

A number of female officers were among the half a dozen soldiers who were invited to attend.

On Friday Senator Ryan (pictured) apologised 'unreservedly' for the 'misunderstanding'

Mr Shorten and Senator Ryan however were unaware they still had commitments on the ground, and chose to depart Dubai earlier then scheduled after a spot of shopping.

It is understood the defence had organised for the dinner to take place across two tables in a 'discreet corner' of the ADF Middle East headquarters mess room but that plan was later reduced to just one.

Senator Ryan told News Corp: 'It was a privilege to spend Anzac Day with our servicemen and women on active duty. Given this apparent misunderstanding I offer my unreserved apology.'
Malcolm Turnbull has been slammed by former prime minister Tony Abbott for the government's choice of location for this year's First World War centenary commemorations.

The Federal Government has chosen to honour the centenary at the site of the famous Battle of Hamel which took place on July 4, 1918 and saw Australian commander, Lieutenant General Sir John Monash and his troops succeed in a matter of hours.

However Tony Abbott has criticised the exclusion of visiting the site of the Battle of Amiens in which Australian and Canadian forces spearheaded an attack that launched a 100-day offensive to end the war, The Australian reported.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (pictured with French President Emmanuel Macron) is set to visit a World War One battlefields in France this November 11 to commemorate 100 years since the end of the global conflict which reshaped the modern world

The Battle of Hamel took place on July 4, 1918 and saw Australian commander, Lieutenant General Sir John Monash and his troops succeed in a matter of hours (troops pictured in a trench at Hamel)

In an interview with The Weekend Australian Mr Abbott described the choice to exclude the battle site as 'a glaring omission'

'What is the point of remembering if we dont remember our single greatest achievement?' he said.

He called it the most significant battle that any Australian force had fought in up until that point.

'The plan was devised by Monash and accepted by the British commanders. The brunt of the fighting was carried by the Australians and not for nothing did the German commander Erich Ludendorff call this the black day of the German army,' he said.

However the government feels that the commemorations will highlight the Battle of Hamel as well as encompass all other battles that Anzac troops fought during the closing months of the war.

General Sir John Monash lead a successful offensive in the Battle of Hamel which will be the site of the centenary commemorations of the end of World War One

Tony Abbott (pictured) has criticised the exclusion of visiting the site of the Battle of Amiens in which Australian and Canadian forces spearheaded an attack that launched a 100-day offensive to end the war

Mr Abbott went so far as to say Australians could not complain about the 'rewriting of history if they themselves were not willing to honour the history of the Anzac's.

'It is very good that we have plans to honour the victory at Hamel. My point, however, is that Hamel was a dress rehearsal for the battle of Amiens. And if we are honouring the dress rehearsal then why arent we honouring the main event?' he said.

The Battle of Amiens saw Australian and Canadian troops advance more than 10km in a single day which was unprecedented at the time and set the stage of an offensive which ultimately ended the war by the close of 1918.
Pulitzer prize-winning author Junot Diaz has pulled out of the Sydney Writers Festival after being accused of 'virulent misogyny' and sexual misconduct by female writers.

Diaz, who last month detailed how he was sexually abused as a child in a widely acclaimed essay, has been accused by three women since Friday.

Author Zinzi Clemmons, 33, was the first to do so, claiming in a tweet that he 'tried to forcibly kiss' her when she was 26.

The Sydney Writers' Festival said today that Diaz had withdrawn from remaining events 'following allegations of inappropriate and aggressive behaviour towards Zinzi Clemmons and other young women'.

Author Zinzi Clemmons (left) has accused Junot Diaz (right) of forcibly kissing her at a workshop nine years ago

The other authors to accuse Diaz - who wrote The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - were Monica Byrne and Carmen Maria Machado.

They accused him of having an 'unhealthy, pathological relationship with women.'

Clemmons described how she was a grad student when she 'invited Junot Diaz to speak to a workshop on issues of representation in literature.'

'I was an unknown wide-eyed 26 yo, and he used it as an opportunity to corner and forcibly kiss me. I'm far from the only one he's done this 2, I refuse to be silent anymore,' she said.

Clemmons added that she had told 'several' people about it and that she has contemporaneous emails from Diaz which corroborate her story.

The 33-year-old said the alleged incident put her off attending literary events in the years that followed.

Clemmons, 33, made her accusation on Twitter where she said she was 'far from the only one he's done this to'

'I've basically avoided literary functions and posted no photos of myself online in order to avoid people like Diaz.

'I'm sick of talentless a**holes dictating my life. No more,' she wrote.

Diaz, 49, said in statement: 'I take responsibility for my past.

'That is the reason I made the decision to tell the truth of my rape and its damaging aftermath. This conversation is important and must continue. I am listening to and learning from women's stories in this essential and overdue cultural movement.'

In response to Clemmons' tweet, an avalanche of other women responded to say they were not surprised and had 'heard whispers' of such allegations before.

Two aired more specific allegations against him but neither amounted to physical abuse.

Writer Monica Byrne alleged that during a dinner, Diaz shouted 'RAPE' in her face when she disagreed with him about something in one of his books.

'The dinner just got worse from there. I've never experienced such virulent misogyny. Every point I madeABOUT issues women face in publishinghe made a point of talking over me, cutting me off, ignoring me to talk to the other (male) scifi writer at the table, who played along.'

Clemmons said she had emails that he sent her afterwards to back-up her version of events

In response to her tweet, other women shared their own stories about how Diaz verbally abused them

'I was 32 and my first novel hadn't come out yet. I was invited to a dinner and sat next to him. I disagreed with him on a minor point. He shouted the word 'rape' in my face to prove his.

'It was completely bizarre, disproportionate and violent,' she wrote.

She was one of many women to question whether Diaz's essay in the New Yorker last month was an attempt to distract fans or preempt the '#MeToo' stories about him which are now emerging.

In his piece for The New Yorker, he admitted to 'hurting' people and explained how he had sabotaged his own, adolescent and adult romances after being raped by a male relative when he was eight.

'Did no one at The New Yorker think to ask him what 'I hurt people' might mean? F****** really? In this era?' Byrne added.

Carmen Maria Machado levelled similar claims of verbal abuse.

Diaz, 49, (pictured with his partner Marjorie Liu) has not responded to the allegations

She said that Diaz 'went off' on her in front of an audience during one of his book tours when she questioned a theme in his work.

'Junot Diaz is a widely lauded, utterly beloved misogynist. His books are regressive and sexist.

'He has treated women horrifically in every way possible. And the #MeToo stories are just starting,' she wrote.

In his essay last month, Diaz, who won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his book The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, wrote: 'I was raped when I was eight years old. By a grownup that I truly trusted.

'After he raped me, he told me I had to return the next day or I would be 'in trouble.'

Diaz is won the 2008 Pulitzer Price for Fiction with his book The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

'And because I was terrified, and confused, I went back the next day and was raped again. I never told anyone what happened, but today I'm telling you.'

He candidly described how it 'defined and destroyed' him, led him to sabotage his later relationships and drove him to attempt suicide as a teenager.

Diaz told how he was at first unable to have sex because of the trauma but how it later led him to have sex with 'everyone' and cheat on his fiancee.

She discovered his infidelity by checking his emails and ended their romance by confronting him with a print-out of all of the illicit correspondence.

'Because I 'loved' her more than I had ever loved anyone, and because I had revealed to her what I revealed about my past, I cheated on her more than I had ever cheated on anyone.

'[She] decided to go snooping through my e-mails, and since I wasn't big on passwords or putting old e-mails in the trash it took her less than five minutes to find what she was looking for,' he wrote.

He told how he had improved since then, writing: 'I'm neither the brother who can't touch a girl nor the a**hole who sleeps around.'

Diaz finished the piece optimistically by saying he felt he had been given another chance at 'the light' by admitting what had happened to him.

'I think about silence; I think about shame, I think about loneliness. I think about the hurt I caused....In Spanish we say that when a child is born it is given the light. And that's what it feels like to say the words...Like I'm being given a second chance at the light.'

Clemmons was a writer for Lena Dunham's newsletter but resigned when the Girls actress accused someone who claimed to have been raped by one of her colleagues of lying.

In a statement about that, she accused Dunham, who she attended college with, of 'hipster racism'.

'It is time for women of color - black women in particular - to divest from Lena Dunham. She cannot have our words if she cannot respect us,' Clemmons wrote at the time.
Unemployed brand ambassador Paige Bond branded Forest Whole Food's response 'disgusting' after applying for a box packaging role

A job hunter was humiliated when a blundering employee at an organic grocers she applied for work at accidentally sent her an email describing her as 'chavvy'.

Paige Bond of New Milton, Hampshire, branded Forest Whole Food's response 'disgusting' after applying for a box packaging role.

The email read: 'She is probably worth interviewing if you think you can cope with having someone like her around.'

The message also mentioned her pink fingernails adding she 'would probably lift spirits in the packing room'.

It said she was probably 'irritating' and concluded: 'Delete this email in case you took her on and she found it.'

Ms Bond, 48, who has previously worked as a brand ambassador, told MailOnline she thought the email was 'disgusting' and said the worker went on to leave her a grovelling voicemail apology.

'When she left the message she said that the guys would really love to meet me,' Ms Bond added.

'I thought I'm a strong woman, I will go for that interview.

'I wanted to see that woman.'

The message also mentioned her pink fingernails adding she 'would probably lift spirits in the packing room'

Ms Bond says she was told that the email sent to her was written by a woman called Josie. Josie Bickle is listed for being responsible for the firm's commitment to 'protect and respect customer privacy'. Pictured: MailOnline's recreation of the email

She claims she did not receive an apology in person until she brought up the email at the end of the interview

The divorcee also spoke to a man at the store who she believes is the owner and was invited in for an interview.

But Ms Bond claims she did not receive an apology in person until she brought up the email at the end of the interview.

Ms Bond, who never met with the worker who sent the email, added: 'I'm not a violent person.

'If I had met her on the day I would have never ever have gone metal [at her].'

The divorcee also spoke to a man at the store who she believes is the owner and was invited in for an interview'

Ms Bond said she has not heard back from the organic grocers but has no intention of working for the firm

Ms Bond was told that email was written by a worker called Josie. Josie Bickle (right) is listed for being responsible for the firm's commitment to 'protect and respect customer privacy'. She is pictured with boss Kingsley Bickle

Speaking to Sun Online, an employee at Forest Whole Foods acknowledged the blunder and said they had apologised.

Ms Bond claimed the email that was accidentally sent to her was written by a woman called Josie.

Josie Bickle is listed for being responsible for the firm's commitment to 'protect and respect customer privacy'.

Ms Bond said she has not heard back from the organic grocers but has no intention of working for the firm.

She said: 'I think it's disgusting because I am unemployed. I will go for anything.

'If you had someone who was really, really depressed and looking for a job it could tip someone over the edge.'

MailOnline has contacted Forest Whole Foods for comment.
Guy Gibson, pictured, was the leader of the famous Dambusters squadron, despite a difficult upbringing

Guy Gibson is an unlikely hero, just 5 ft 6 in tall, with a messy private life and, at times, a far from friendly relationship with his colleagues and subordinates. Indeed, he is not how most people would picture a dashing pilot.

Yet the commander of the Dambusters raid proved unmatched in his courage, leadership and dedication. And as with so many of our nations heroes, the roots of Gibsons greatness can be traced back to the traumas and challenges of his childhood.

He was born in August 1918 in Simla, India, where his father Alexander worked for the Imperial Indian Forestry Service. Although Alexanders job gave the family a decent lifestyle, complete with servants, Gibsons parents marriage was dysfunctional.

Alexander was abusive, and on his honeymoon he forced Gibsons mother, Leonora, to watch him have sex with a prostitute so that she could learn what was required of her.

The arrival of Guy  the couples third child  provided some joy. He was a bonny baby who grew into an ebullient and occasionally exhaustingly mischievous boy.

Cushions would be thrown into fires, and if his grandparents did not allow him to get down from the table, he would chant Grannys fat! Grannys fat! until they relented.

His mother Leonora was desperately unhappy, and while the family lived in India she descended into alcoholism, from which she would never recover.

In the early Twenties, she left Alexander and the subcontinent, and took her three children to live in Cornwall.

Somehow, she scraped together enough money to send Guy and his brother Alick to a boarding preparatory school. But as her erratic behaviour grew dangerous, the children increasingly feared the holidays.

One night, the three children were woken by Leonora brandishing a knife and yelling at them to get out of the house. They did so, and hid in a field.

On another occasion, Leonoras breakneck driving saw their car career off the road and Guy was knocked unconscious.

There were happier times, however. Down in Cornwall, Guy would play for hours on the beach with his brother, building  of all things  dams. When they had to go home at the end of the day, Alick liked to keep their constructions intact. Guy  presciently  always liked knocking them down.

In 1930, Guy was sent to St Edwards School in Oxford, where, despite his short stature, he was reasonably good at rugby and made it into the 2nd XV. His academic work was passable  but no more  and in his spare time he developed an interest in cinema organs.

Pictured is Wing Commander Guy Gibson as a child, he had a difficult upbringing with his mother eventually leaving his father

Like many young men, he had a keen interest in aircraft, and even had a picture of the World War I flying ace, Albert Ball VC, on his bedroom wall.

Meanwhile, his home life went from bad to worse. His mother was imprisoned for four months for dangerous driving after knocking over two pedestrians. And his father, who was now back in Britain, remained a cruel and perverse influence in his childrens lives.

Determined that his daughter, Guys sister Joan, should be sexually experienced, Alexander Gibson forced her to sleep with one of his friends, which resulted in a pregnancy.

At school, things were better. Guy had joined the Officer Training Corps and had decided on his calling: his heart was set on becoming a test pilot. In his final year, he applied for a job at Vickers, who informed him that he should first apply for the RAF.

Guy did so, but he failed the medical examination on the grounds his legs were too short. However, he persisted, and in November 1936, aged 18, he received a short service commission.

When war broke out in September 1939, Gibson was serving with No 83 Squadron in the RAFs Bomber Command, and flew one of the very first offensive operations of the war, against the German fleet at Wilhelmshaven. Unfortunately, bad weather stymied the attack, and the aircraft had to turn back.

For the next few months, Gibsons war was quiet, and it was not until the following April that it started to heat up. He flew 34 operations in five months, and began to earn a reputation as a fearless pilot.

The toughness he had developed during such a difficult childhood meant he had the perfect temperament for wartime heroics.

In July 1940, Gibson was awarded his first medal  a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)  largely for his attacks against enemy ships, sea walls and harbours, and in August he made his first probable kill after engaging the enemy while returning from a raid.

His determination and guts attracted the attention of the top brass, including no less a figure than the then head of No 5 Group  and now of Bomber Command  Arthur Harris, who stated that Gibson was the most full-out fighting pilot he had.

But while Gibson was earning the respect of his superiors, he had also gained a reputation for being something of a bully.

Commander Gibson had a rocky private life and married actress Eve Moore in 1940, couple pictured together

He would often and publicly berate ground crew for perceived shortcomings, and at one point he threatened to bust a corporal to ranks for failing to salute him. However, it should be remembered that there is a war on. Like every other pilot, Gibson fears for his life daily and all are desperate to have planes in perfect condition.

Furthermore, his private life is also hardly stable. In November 1940, he married Eve Moore, an actress and showgirl some seven years his senior, and their relationship was always rocky.

His mother also died in horrific circumstances at the young age of 46, after her dress had been ignited by an electric fire at her boarding house in Kensington.

Despite the personal troubles, Gibsons career has been meteoric. By the time preparation towards the Dambusters raid began, he had not only won a bar to add to his DFC, but also the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and bar for his leadership qualities.

By his skilful leadership and contempt for danger, he has set an example which has inspired the squadron he commands, read the citation of his second DSO.

Gibson had proved willing to lead his squadron under the heaviest flak. This made him the obvious choice to lead the Dambusters raid. It was a daunting task for the recently promoted Wing Commander Gibson, still just 24 years of age.

Not only would he be expected to lead the bombing raid, in an unusual step he was also given the responsibility of selecting the members of his new squadron. Among them were the finest airmen from across the Empire.

This elite flying force was known initially as Squadron X, later given the title 617 Squadron. The full squadron of 21 crews  a total of 147 men  first properly came together at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire on March 23, 1943.

At the first meeting, Gibson told his men: Youre here to do a special job. Youre here as a crack squadron  youre here to carry out a raid on Germany which, I am told, will have startling results. Some say it may even cut short the duration of the war.

What the target is I cant tell you. Nor can I tell you where it is. All I can tell you is that you will have to practise low flying all day and all night until you know how to do it with your eyes shut.

In an unusual occurrence, Gibson was allowed to handpick his squadron with the elite force known as Squadron X initially

The training they embarked upon was gruelling. The squadron incessantly practised flying low over water, utilising Eyebrook reservoir at Uppingham in Rutland, Abberton reservoir near Colchester, Essex, and Derwent reservoir near Sheffield.

The low-level flying, even for experienced airmen, was a new experience. The turbulence  far more intense than the smoother conditions at 10,000ft that they are used to  meant that airmen suffered badly from air sickness. Some pilots were given medication but in other cases it was so intense that they had to leave the squadron and be replaced.

Another perennial problem was getting enough night-time practice. To simulate this, crews artificially recreated the conditions of moonlight by wearing amber goggles and covering plane windows with blue screens.

By the end of April 1943 the men of Squadron 617 had flown 1,000 hours in training.

Shortly before yesterday mornings raid, Gibson developed a massive carbuncle on his face that a doctor put down to stress, and recommended some time off.

Gibson could only laugh at the idea. Worse than a carbuncle or overwork was a bad omen in the form of the death of his beloved black labrador, who was run over a day before the raid.

The dog used to accompany his master on training flights and drank beer given to him in the officers mess. By the time of the Dambusters raid, he had been adopted as the Squadron mascot and was widely loved among the men. Gibson was devastated at his death, but wisely decided to keep the news from his colleagues for fear of damaging morale.

Despite the death of their mascot, and the sorry fact that crews were lost, the efforts of Gibson and his men were a resounding success. They have earned the gratitude and admiration of the nation during a raid that will be remembered as one of the RAFs finest moments.
A commuter has tragically died at a busy Sydney train station, causing major delays in both directions.

The incident unfolded at Carlton Station in the city's south-east on Saturday afternoon.

A panicked witness, who described the scene as 'chaotic', told Daily Mail Australia bystanders could be heard screaming.

The incident unfolded at Carlton Station in the city's south-east on Saturday afternoon

According to a Sydney Trains Twitter account there were delays in both directions and trains away from the city were not stopping at the station.

Since, trains have began stopping at the station but major delays are expected.

A police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that it was believed to be a self harm incident.

If you or someone you know needs support phone Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25).
More than 1,600 protesters have been arrested in Russia two days before Vladimir Putin will be inaugurated for the fourth time as president.

Demonstrations were held in scores of cities across the country on May 5 and organiser Alexei Navalny was among those carried off by police.

The prominent anti-corruption campaigner had planned to stand against Putin in the election but was barred from taking part because of a previous fraud conviction.

Alexei Navalny is carried off by Russia officers in Moscow. He organised the protest which saw thousands of people gather in the capital ahead of Vladimir Putin's inauguration as president

Russian police detain a protester at a demonstration in St.Petersburg. As many as 1,599 people were reportedly detained at rallies in 26 Russian cities

Protesters clash with police in Pushkin Square as Russians vent their anger about Putin's re-election

A protester is carried off by officers armed with batons in Pushkin Square, Moscow

The same protester being detained by Russian police, who hold his wrists together

A demonstrator sits on a police car to stop it during a protest rally in St. Petersburg

A demonstrator carries a poster with a crossed-out photo of Putin during protests in St. Petersburg

Demonstrators carry posters featuring unflattering depictions of Putin in St. Petersburg

Navalny, whose exclusion from the contest was widely believed to be politically motivated, was seized by officers and dragged out of Moscow's Pushkin Square.

Thousands had gathered there for an unauthorised protest under the slogan 'He is not our czar'. Chants of 'Putin is a thief!' and 'Russia will be free!' could be heard.

Police used batons against the demonstrators, whose sheer number points to the strength of Russia's opposition.

Fighters of National Liberation movement clash with protesters in Pushkin Square

A protester tries to brake through a police line during the demonstration in Pushkin Square

Russian police detain a protester at a demonstration in Pushkin Square

A protester writhes around as he is detained in St. Petersburg

A female protester is detained by officers armed with batons in St. Petersburg

A man is carried away by Russian officers in St. Petersburg ahead of Putin's inauguration

Alexei Navalny speaks using a loudspeaker in Pushkin Square before he was detained by police

Russian police detain a protester in St. Petersburg as angry demonstrations swept the country

Some 1,599 were detained at demonstrations in 26 Russian cities, according to OVD-Info, an organisation which monitors political repression.

It said 702 were arrested in Moscow alone and another 232 in St. Petersburg. But Moscow police claim only about 300 people were detained in the capital.

Dmitry Nikitenko, who was among the crowd in Moscow, said: 'I think that Putin isn't worthy of leading this country.

'He has been doing it for 18 years and has done nothing good for it. He should leave for good.'

Protesters shout anti-government slogans holding small posters reading 'Russia is us!' and 'I'm over it' in Pushkin Square

Russian police block protesters during a demonstration against Putin in St.Petersburg

Protesters shout anti-government slogans behind a police line in Pushkin Square

A protester jumps over a police barrier during the protest in Pushkin Square

Iraida Nikolaeva, whose son was detained in Moscow, ran after police screaming: 'Let my son go! He did not do anything! Are you a human or not? Do you live in Russia or not?'

Navalny is reportedly going to be charged with disobeying police, an offence which could see him jailed for up to 15 days. It is not clear when he will appear in court.

The opposition figure, who frequently publishes anti-Putin blog posts and videos online, has served several multi-week stretches in jail on similar charges.

Russian police block protesters during a demonstration in St. Petersburg

Russian police detain a protester in Pushkin Square during country-wide demonstrations

Russian police carrying batons detain a protester in Pushkin Square

Russian police push protesters back in Pushkin Square as demonstrations swept the country

Protesters shout anti-government slogans behind a police line in Pushkin Square

He has called nationwide demonstrations several times in the past year and their sizeable turnout has rattled the Kremlin.

Putin, who won re-election in March with 77 per cent of the vote, will be inaugurated for a six-year term on May 7.

He has to date served as president for 12 years. His first two terms were from 2000 to 2008 and his third was from 2012 to 2018.

The 65-year-old will now be leader until at least 2024.

Protesters hold a Russian flag and chant anti-Putin slogans in Pushkin Square

Russian police push protesters back in Pushkin Square as they hold up banners and flags

Russian police push protesters back in Pushkin Square as they hold up banners and flags
A father-of-two who went missing nearly two weeks ago still hasn't been found in rural.

Hopes are fading as land and air search continue to search 19-year-old Scott Redman with no luck after he vanished in rural South Australia.

Police believe Mr Redman was the passenger of a black station wagon involved in a pursuit on the Eyre Highway near Kimba on April 21.

Scott Redman, a 19-year-old father-of-two, has been missing in rural South Australia for two weeks

Police believe Mr Redman (pictured) was the passenger of a black station wagon involved in a pursuit

However, the pursuit was terminated due to safety concerns, and the car that Mr Redman is believed to have been in, was found four days later on a dirt road 40km east of Kimba.

Search crews spent Saturday scouting the area near where the car was found.

'The area in which we have been searching in is rural and isolated,' Inspector Mark Hubbard said.

'It is possible that Mr Redman has also caught a lift with someone, but we have no evidence of that at this time.

Search crews (pictured) spent Saturday scouting the area near where the car was found

Mr Redman's family and police are concerned for his wellbeing.

His sister Ms Louise, wrote on Facebook, 'Our hearts are breaking as a family, we just want to know his safe!'

He is described as 178cm tall, with a slim build and blonde hair.

Anyone with information on Mr Redman's whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Salim Mehajer has sold a block of shops to raise money to pay his tax and bail debts.

The block in the Sydney suburb of Auburn, where he served as deputy mayor until 2016, fetched $2,175,000 at auction last week.

One of the shops is leased as a butcher's and the other as a giftware shop.

Salim Mehajer (pictured with his wife) has sold a block of shops to raise money to pay his tax and bail debts

The Mehajer family's block of shops including a butcher's (pictured) shop in Auburn sold this week for $2.175 million

Mehajer has made a tidy profit on the sale of the block which was bought for $810,000 in 2011, reported news.com.

The property developer, who is on bail awaiting trial for allegedly faking a car crash to get out of a court appearance in October, was declared bankrupt in March.

Among his debts is a tax bill for $8.6million. His bail was $200,000.

Last week Mehajer cancelled the auction of his $1.5 million home in Canada Bay only hours before it was set to go ahead.

The words 'withdrawn' were slapped on the sign before Wednesday's scheduled auction. The real estate listing has also been removed.

The property developer, who is on bail awaiting trial for allegedly faking a car crash to get out of a court appearance in October, was declared bankrupt in March. Pictured: His lavish house in Lidcombe

The former Auburn deputy mayor planned to build a mega mansion at the Canada Bay investment property (pictured)

The Mehajer family put the Canada Bay home up for sale only days after a $200,000 bail was set to get disgraced property developer out of jail on charges of allegedly staging a car crash to avoid court.

The Mehajer family's butcher shop in Auburn sold this week for $2.175 million.

Mehajer last week took a stand at his own bankruptcy appeal stating he hopes to develop five more properties.

Auburn's former deputy major said he plans to borrow as much as $82million for the developments in western Sydney.

The hearing on Thursday went in to the late evening and revealed Mehajer owes the Australian Taxation Office $8.6 million and still hopes to get the loan.

The words 'withdrawn' were slapped on the sign before Wednesday's scheduled auction. The real estate listing has also been removed

The 31-year-old claimed ownership of two properties and partial ownership of several others at the hearing.

Mehajer also noted he held full and sole shareholdings in a number of companies.

The controversial businessman joked on his Instagram account 'only God can bankrupt me' after he announced he had lodged an application and was applying for a new builders license.

He said he would continue the construction of five multi-million dollar projects with off-shore funding.

The biggest of the five developments is on John Street in Lidcombe which was the site for many of Mehajer's previous apartment developments.

He said he wanted to dedicate $75 million to the project in Lidcombe.

The property developer's hoped to have his bankruptcy annulled.

Justice Michael Lee refused to grant a temporary stay of Salim Mehajers bankruptcy while he waits for the Court to hear his application for annulment of the bankruptcy.
When Emma Carey embarked on a three-month European tour with her best friend in 2013, it was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime.

But five years later, the 25-year-old can perfectly recall the horrific incident that forever changed her life.

On the fifth day of their trip, Ms Carey decided to skydive in Switzerland, explaining she wasn't at all nervous about jumping out of a helicopter.

'I remember thinking it was the best feeling ever,' she told Daily Mail Australia this week.

When Emma Carey (pictured) embarked on a three-month European tour with her best friend in 2013, it was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime

On the fifth day of her trip, Ms Carey decided to skydive in Switzerland, explaining she wasn't at all nervous about jumping out of a helicopter

But the dive didn't go to plan.

Ms Carey's parachute and emergency chute became tangled and choked her instructor, causing him to pass out.

'He was unconscious the whole time and so he couldnt do anything to help,' Ms Carey said.

The pair fell to the ground so fast Ms Carey was certain it was her last day on earth.

'I didnt think it was possible for someone to survive something like that. I remember thinking "I am not ready to die",' she recalled.

This photo was taken moments before Ms Carey's parachute and emergency chute became tangled and choked her instructor, causing him to pass out

Ms Carey and her instructor fell to the ground so quickly that she thought they were going to die. She told Daily Mail Australia that she remembers thinking that she wasn't ready to die yet

Ms Carey took the brunt of the fall, landing on her stomach, while the instructor landed on top of her.

When she tried to get up to help him, she realised that she couldn't move her legs.

Ms Carey's spine was broken in two places. She also broke her pelvis and shattered her teeth.

'But the main thing was when I broke my back I also got a spinal cord injury so I was a paraplegic,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

She spent four months in hospitals in both Switzerland and Australia.

She fell on her stomach and the instructor strapped to her fell on top of her

She thought he was dead so she tried to get up to help, which is the 'scary' moment she realised she couldn't move or feel her legs

The then 20-year-old had broken her back in two places, as well as having broken her pelvis and shattering her teeth. When she broke her back she got a spinal cord injury - making her a paraplegic

Since she has regained movement in her legs - and stunned doctors when she was able to get on her feet just a year after the accident.

Ms Carey still can't feel her lower limbs, expect for her shins, but now manages to walk short distances with a limp.

Her muscles don't work like they used to. Her bowels also don't work and she has to use catheters and enemas to go to the bathroom.

Ms Carey has openly spoken about this on her Instagram page.

The 25-year-old has posted images of herself covered in urine as her bladder can only hold 100mL of liquid, leaving her with no choice.

She also posted an image of her in hospital after a urinary tract infection due to her use of catheter.

Ms Carey spent four months in hospital and while she has regained movement in her legs her muscles aren't what they used to be. She can only feel her shins and walks with a limp

Since the accident she has had a string of other injuries - including cutting her foot on glass in Bondi that almost resulted in a leg amputation

Ms Carey was again unable to walk and back in a wheelchair. Just as her foot was healing, a wound opened on the other one

Not being able to feel her legs leaves her open to injury. Last year she was painting a mural on Sydney's Bondi Beach and cut the bottom of her foot.

After weeks of antibiotics and time in a cast there were fears that the foot had to be amputated.

Ms Carey was again unable to walk and back in a wheelchair. Just as her foot was healing, a wound opened on the other one.

Ms Carey also tore a ligament in her knee earlier this year - which led to her getting an MRI and finding out she had a tumor which was removed

The cut in Ms Carey's foot took 12 months to heal and put her back in a wheelchair for the majority of the year

She's shared on social media about how since the accident she has had an 'overwhelming fear' something bad will happen - but has tried to conquer her fears

It took 12 months, two weeks and three days until both her feet healed completely.

Then in 2018 she tore a ligament in her knee as she was standing up - before finding out she also had a tumour in her knee that needed to be removed.

But it seems nothing can stop her from doing all she can to raise awareness about spinal cord injury.

Due to the fall Ms Carey also needs to use a catheter and enemas to go to the bathroom, openly sharing on social media how she deals with urinating herself

But it seems nothing can stop her from doing all she can to raise awareness about spinal cord injury and spreading positivity

Emma Carey is taking on the Wings for Life World Run, which she is also an ambassador for. Last year she competed in a wheelchair due to the cut on her foot

On Sunday, May 6, she will be in the Wings for Life World Run, which raises money for spinal cord injury research.

She is also an ambassador for the event.

At 9pm in Melbourne the race will begin and instead of a finish line competitors try to keep in front of a catcher car.

The first year Ms Carey competed she had a friend under each shoulder supporting her.

And last year she did the race in her wheelchair, unable to walk due to the hole in her foot.

This year Ms Carey plans to walk five kilometres - a feat she hasn't done since her fall.

The race raises money for spinal cord research and allows Ms Carey to share the reality of the injury

The first year Ms Carey competed she had a friend under each shoulder supporting her

She explains that before her personal experience with spinal cord injuries she knew nothing about them

But to her, most importantly, she gets to raise awareness about spinal cord injuries.

'Their (Wings For Life) motto is "run for those who can't".

'I just remember thinking all the people doing the run are doing it for people like me so we can walk again.

'Now that I am lucky enough to be able to walk I would just love everyone else in a wheelchair to get that as well.'

She explained that before her personal experience with spinal cord injuries she knew nothing about them.

She said that while she hasn't been able to prepare for the physical side of the event as much as she'd have liked to due to her knee surgery

Ms Carey has shared the reality of a spinal cord injury on social media - and now wants to walk five kilometres to help those who can't run

After the 2017 run Ms Carey wrote on Instagram that the race was 'funnest, most inspiring, uplifting, enthusiastic race on the planet'

'When I saw someone in a wheelchair I just thought their legs didnt work. I didnt know there was a bunch of stuff that came along with it,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

After the 2017 run Ms Carey wrote on Instagram that the race was 'funnest, most inspiring, uplifting, enthusiastic race on the planet'.

She said: 'To all my broken back fam... the world is on our side. With this energy behind us, we're going to do amazing things'.

She said that while she hasn't been able to prepare for the physical side of the event as much as she'd have liked, she has walked every day she has been able to.

The race will be held around the world starting at the same time.
These are the Australian sisters will join one hundred thousand people on the streets of London for the upcoming royal wedding after missing out on an invitation.

Judy Routley and Helen Johnson, from Adelaide, haven't let the non-invite stifle their excitement for the event, with the pair saying they have always enjoyed any chance they can to see members of the royal family.

'I've always enjoyed seeing them, seeing what they're doing, and the fashion that they have, when they would come and visit...we'd go down and have a look too, it's just a fascination really,' Mrs Johnson told ABC News.

Judy Routley and Helen Johnson(pictured) have not let the lack of an invitation stifle their excitement for the event though, the pair said they have always enjoyed any chance they can to see members of the royal family

The sisters sent letters to the Prince of Wales, Kensington Palace, the Duchess of Cornwall and Alexander Downer in hopes of securing a formal invitation to the event.

While they heard back from Kensington Palace, they weren't able to get the invitation, however the sisters will be on the streets of London hoping to catch a glimpse of the historical event.

'It's just an experience that not everybody can say ''oh I did that, or I've done that'', and everybody wants a few of those,' Mrs Johnson said.

'It's just an experience that not everybody can say 'oh I did that, or I've done that', and everybody wants a few of those,' Mrs Johnson (pictured) said

The royal wedding is scheduled to take place on May 19 this year

So avid is their fandom for the royal family they are even prepared to spend the long night before the wedding sleeping out 'on the fence' in order to reserve a good spot.

The sister's mother was the first one to instill love for the royal family into the siblings who said she was 'quite keen' on the royals, a keenness which has been passed on.

Due to that interest the pair are excited to play a small part in the latest royal wedding, managing to put work commitments on hold long enough to travel the 16,254 km from Adelaide to London.

'It'll just be nice, just to soak up the atmosphere, soak up the fun, get involved with everybody around us and just enjoy the day,' Mrs Johnson said.

The royal wedding is scheduled to take place on May 19 this year.
A film-maker was horrifically killed after his skull was crushed by a bull giraffe in an attack at the safari park used to film ITVs popular Wild at Heart series.

Carlos Carvalho had worked on most of the series of the hit family drama that featured a British family building up an animal hospital in the South African bush.

But the 47-year-old was sent flying 16 feet through the air while working on a feature film with Gerald the Giraffe after the animal headbutted him, causing devastating head injuries.

Carlos (pictured with his crew minutes before the attack) was sent flying through the air and left with devastating head injuries after the giraffe headbutted him

He was airlifted from the scene in Broederstroom, South Africa, to the same hospital where British safari park owner Mike Hodge is recovering from a lion attack in Johannesburg but surgeons were unable to save him.

Drikus Van Der Merwe was part of the filming crew and said he was stood next to Carlos when he was attacked.

'He started chasing the boom swinger who joined our unit,' he added. 'The giraffe followed him but we didnt feel threatened because he just seemed to be inquisitive.

'We started shooting close ups of its body and its feet. Then while Carlos was looking through the camera eyepiece Gerald swung his neck and hit him against his head.

Gerald the Giraffe (pictured) crushed the camera man's skull while he was filming in Broederstroom, South Africa

'It came out of nowhere and Carlos didnt even see it coming. He wasnt aware of the danger.'

The tragedy happened at the popular 1,500-acre Glen Afric Country Lodge in Hartbeespoort which is 50 miles north the hospital he was flown to on Wednesday night.

Van Der Merwe said Carloss body lay lifeless on the ground until the on-set paramedic arrived.

'I could see he was unconscious,' he said. 'There was blood coming out of his eyes and ears so I knew he had a severe head trauma. But I never thought he would die.

The Wild at Heart TV series followed the story of a British family who went to South Africa to set up a farm (pictured, the cast of the show)

'Out of all the wild animals we have filmed I cant believe a giraffe killed Carlos. I suppose we get so used to filming animals that we become desensitised in a way.'

Moments before the attack, photographer Van Der Merwe took the final pictures of Carlos alive as he worked on rigging.

Owner of Glen Afric Country Lodge Richard Brooker yesterday told how he was killed.

He said: 'Carlos was standing in front of the giraffe, the animal spread its legs, bent its neck and swung its head at Carlos. It was a terrible accident and we are heartbroken.

The film-maker worked on the ITV Series Wild at Heart (pictured, the show's stars Dawn Steele and Stephen Tompkinson

Carlos (pictured) lay on the floor lifeless for 45 minutes while he waited for an air ambulance to arrive but died in hospital

'Gerald will remain at the lodge. He did nothing wrong.'

Carvalho won a number of awards since he began his career as a runner in 1992.

They included a Silver Lion at the Cannes Film Festival in 2003 for a public service announcement for Childline and a 2014 African Movie Academy Cinematography Award for his work on The Forgotten Kingdom.

Adult male giraffes which stand 18 feet tall and weigh up to 1.2 tons fight with their heads in what is called necking to prove dominance and for the right to access to females.

As the video below shows it can be very violent and can result in serious death or injury.

Carlos had his skull crushed by the horns known as ossicones on the top of the giraffes head .

Gerald the Giraffe (pictured) attacked the film-maker, who worked on the hit TV show Wild at Heart, in which a British family set up a farm in South Africa

The filmmakers Cape Town agent Sandi-Lee Slabbert said: 'The giraffe headbutted Carlos during filming and he was rushed to hospital but died that night from head injuries.

'He was an amazing, amazing man and fabulous to work with. Everyone loved him and loved working with him.

'He was very well known at Glen Afric where he filmed a lot. He is a very sad loss to everyone who knew him and the industry.'

The attack happened in the park where ITV show Wild at Heart was filmed (pictured, the show's star Stephen Tompkinson with elephants on set)

In 2014, Carvalho, who was the director of photography for The Forgotten Kingdom, the first feature film produced in Lesotho, won the Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography at the 14th annual Woodstock Film Festival Maverick Awards Gala held in New York.

He has won a number of awards for TV, documentaries and films over a long career.

CEO at CallaCrew who provide staff for the film world Jan Bowden wrote on Facebook that it was with a very sad heart that they had to announce the passing of Carlos.

She said: 'He was filming a feature at Glen Afric and had a fatal run-in with a giraffe on set.

'He was flown to hospital but succumbed to his injuries. He will be sorely missed. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.'

TVs Wild at Heart on which Carlos worked for many of the seven series of which 65 shows were broadcast bewteen 2006 and 2012 was a favourite with the stars of the show.

Actor Stephen Tompkinson and actress Amanda Holden played the original husband and wife team who set up the veterinary practice and animal hospital in he African bush.

It was filmed at the majestic Glen Afric Country Lodge where Carlos died and a special set was created called Leopards Den in the grounds which is still a a tourist attraction.

The wildlife park is home to elephants, lions, cheetahs, giraffe, hippos and monkeys and overlooks the Magailesberg Mountains and is a popular spot for TV and film programmes.
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Thousands of protesters in revealing outfits have marched through Tel Aviv in a mass protest against the rape and sexual abuse of women.

The so-called Slut Walk saw activists take to the streets of the coastal Israeli city to speak up for women's rights and assert their right to wear what they choose without being blamed for sexual crimes against them.

The global Slut Walk movement is known for its topless protests demanding respect for women's rights.

It was sparked in Canada in 2011 after a police officer caused outrage during a speech to university students by stating that 'women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised'.

Activists in Tel Aviv, Israel, take part in a 'Slut Walk' march to protest against the rape and sexual abuse of women

A large crowd of demonstrators hold up placards in Hebrew calling for an end to sexual violence against women

Many of the protesters came topless or wearing revealing outfits to assert women's right to wear what they choose

Protesters are seen marching, chanting and holding up signs. The placard in Hebrew reads: 'Not guilty'

One of the protesters in Tel Aviv watches as another person draws slogans on her leg with a black marker

A similar protest took place in London later that year and since then there have been topless demonstrations in Australia, the United States and around the world.

Organisers said on a Tel Aviv website: 'This year, again, we could not walk the streets in peace, even though the streets are ours as much as they are theirs.

'This year, again, our body was considered public property. This year, again, we could not refuse without being cursed, whatever we did, whatever we wore, whatever we asked or said they called us "slut".

'We will show them that Slut is a name they invented to make us weak, to blame us for the crimes that we are offended by  and we have no intention of accepting it.'

Two of the women hold up megaphones as they join in the seventh 'Slut Walk' to take place in Israel

Some of the thousands of protesters in Tel Aviv hold up signs during the march against sexual violence

Women hold up signs in the so-called Slut Walk in Tel Aviv, with one of the placards saying: 'Not your toy!'

Slut Walks began in Canada after a police officer said 'women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised'
Fire crews are battling two out-of-control blazes that could threaten lives and properties near in two towns north of Perth.

A watch and act alert has been issued on Saturday afternoon for parts of Muchea, in the Shire of Chittering, with authorities warning residents to leave or prepare to actively defend their homes.

Currently the fire is moving slowly in a south-westerly direction and is considered to be 'out of control' and 'unpredictable'.

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Fire crews are battling two out-of-control blazes that could threaten lives and properties near in two towns, Muchea and Aveley (pictured) north of Perth

Fire crews on their way to battle the bushfire outside Muchea, north of Perth

'There is a possible threat to lives and homes as a fire is approaching in the area and conditions are changing,' a statement from EmergencyWA said.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services also issued warnings at 5:33pm Western Time for people in the eastern parts of the Chittering Shire to 'watch and act'

'A bushfire watch and act has been issued for people south of Timaru Road and north of Bore Road in the Vicinity of Chandala Nature Reserve in Muchea in Shire Of Chittering,' the statement read.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services also issued warnings at 5:33pm Western Time for people in the eastern parts of the Chittering Shire to 'watch and act'

'There is a possible threat to lives and homes as a fire is approaching in the area and conditions are changing, you need to leave or get ready to actively defend,' a statement from EmergencyWA stated

'There is a possible threat to lives and homes as a fire is approaching in the area and conditions are changing, you need to leave or get ready to actively defend.'

The fire started close to the intersection of the Brand Highway and Nolan Road near Muchea, Brand highway was closed for a short time but has been reopened.

The warning also tells residents how they can prepare if they choose to stay in the area including closing all doors and windows and switching off air conditioners, however if it is possible, keep running water into the air conditioning system.

The fire started close to the intersection of the Brand Highway and Nolan Road near Muchea, Brand highway was closed for a short time but has been reopened

The other fire is burning near Aveley but EmergencyWa has issued a statement telling residents there is no immediate danger, but to stay alert and be sure to monitor your surroundings.

Residents have also been given the same safety tips that were issued for those living near Muchea, mainly to read through your bushfire plan and and decide what you will do if the situation becomes worse.

Residents are being cautioned to avoid the area where possible and to report any further information to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services on 13 3337.
Four people have been killed in horror two-car smash in Victoria's south-west.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene in Navarre, near Ararat, on Saturday evening.

A vehicle was travelling southbound on Ararat-St Arnaud Road when it collided with a car travelling west bound on Bains Road, police said.

The four occupants of the car travelling south, died at the scene.

Four people have been killed in horror two-car smash in Victoria's south-west on Saturday

They are yet to be formally identified.

The 62-year-old female driver of the westbound vehicle is assisting police with inquires.

The Major Collision Investigation Unit will investigate the collision.

Anyone with information or dash cam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
A married father was snared by paedophile hunters after he turned up to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old virgin for sex.

Saber Ali, 45 from Sunderland, thought he had been talking to an underage schoolgirl on the Scout social media app.

He bombarded her with explicit messages and even sent her an explicit photo before asking: 'Can I come to your home for sex?'

In the footage, you can see him begging to be let go, promising never to visit the area again.

He has now been jailed for 15 months with a five year sexual harm prevention order and ten years on the sex offenders register.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that despite being repeatedly told he was talking to an inexperienced schoolgirl, the 45-year-old described in shocking detail what he would like to do to her.

When Ali asked her to send a naked image of herself, she refused.

He then told her: 'I'm your BF (boyfriend) now.'

The girl said she was a virgin and Ali sickeningly warned 'it is going to be really painful for you'.

But he promised her she would 'enjoy' having sex with him.

The court heard within seven hours of making contact with the child on July 26 last year, Ali turned up at Chapman Street in Sunderland to meet her but was confronted by Guardians of the North.

Saber Ali was arrested after being snared by paedophile hunters when he turned up to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old girl

The organisation's members pose as children online to snare perverts and had set up the Scout profile under a fake name.

Ali was arrested by police, who had been previously alerted by the group.

He claimed he had no bad intentions and had planned to tell the girl to 'go home'.

He later pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.

The married father bombarded the girl with messages on social media and even sent an explicit photo

Judge Penny Moreland sentenced him to 15 months behind bars with a five year sexual harm prevention order and ten years on the sex offenders register.

The judge told him: 'That person told you they were in fact 14. That was at 3.45 that afternoon.

'By 5pm you were asking that 14-year-old for a naked picture of herself, you were asking to perform oral sex and full sexual intercourse on that girl.

'By 7pm you were asking to go to her house for sex

'You arranged to meet at 10pm.

'I am quite satisfied that what you had in mind that night was to have sexual

intercourse with a 14-year-old girl.'

Judge Moreland rejected Ali's defence team requests for the jail term to be suspended.

The judge said: 'In my view, an immediate custodial sentence is the only appropriate sentence for someone who arranges to have sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl.'

Lee Fish, defending, said Ali has never been in trouble before and has struggled to understand his own behaviour that day.

Pictured is the string of texts between Ali and the supposed 14-year-old virgin he thought he was meeting

The girl, a fake profile run by Guardians of the North, repeatedly said she was underage but Ali didn't mind

Mr Fish said Ali is deeply ashamed of his behaviour and regrets the shame he has brought upon himself and also his family, who he works hard to support.

The court heard Ali has a job and is also a student studying business management.

Mr Fish added: 'He has repeatedly requested I assure the court this is an isolated incident.

'He cannot understand fully quite what a man of his age, with his background, was doing in engaging in conversations of this nature.'
The IT supplier embroiled in a row over breast cancer screening row has denied that its software was to blame for failures which may have seen 270 people die early.

Hitachi Consulting sources said the algorithm that its computers had used met the specifications that health officials had required.

The firm also said it had raised concerns with Public Health England that some women were being denied scans but no action was taken.

One source said the programme was 'doing exactly what it was supposed to' with the instructions given by officials, The Daily Telegraph reports.

The IT supplier embroiled in a row over breast cancer screening row has denied that its software was to blame for failures which may have seen 270 people die early

A different source told the newspaper: 'In March 2017, [concerns] were escalated to senior officials at PHE. They didn't call it up.'

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt revealed on Wednesday that 450,000 women aged 68 to 71 had not been invited to their final routine screening.

An independent review has been launched into the computer error, which Mr Hunt said was discovered in January and dates back to 2009.

However, as early as March 2017, two breast cancer screening centres in London and the West Midlands raised concerns some women were not being invited for mammograms.

Software provider Hitachi Consulting said at the time it was a local problem and the full scale of the issue was not realised until January, Public Health England (PHE) said.

The company has already denied it is responsible for the blunder, which Mr Hunt said may have led up to 270 women to have their lives cut short.

Hitachi Consulting, based in Dallas (office pictured), has had a contract to run the software for the NHSs breast cancer screening programme since 2015

More than 10,000 calls have been made to a dedicated helpline for those affected, while charity Breast Cancer Care said it had also seen increased demand on its own helpline.

Women in England between the ages of 50 and 70 are currently automatically invited for breast cancer screening every three years.

Of those who missed invitations, 309,000 are estimated to still be alive and all those living in the UK who are registered with a GP will be contacted before the end of May.

All women who were not sent an invitation for their final screening will be given the opportunity to have a new appointment.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt revealed on Wednesday that 450,000 women aged 68 to 71 had not been invited to their final routine screening

Dame Elizabeth Anionwu, emeritus professor of nursing at the University of West London, believes she is one of those affected by the error.

The 70-year-old's last mammogram was in 2013, but she did not receive an invitation for her next screening in 2016.

When she called the helpline she was surprised to be told she may have to wait up to six months for a catch-up screening.

'It's not necessarily that I was panicking about getting breast cancer before then, but I had a sort of realisation of the enormity of what must be going on,' she said.

'I could imagine it could cause a lot of anxiety for people who now know they are in this group, but may have to wait until October to get the breast screening appointment.'
Patrick Walders, choir director at San Diego State University, is suing two former students who claim Walders had sex with a female student

A Californian choir director has filed a lawsuit against two former students claiming they maliciously spread false rumors that he was having sex with a female student.

Patrick Walders, the director of choral studies at San Diego State University (SDSU), has been on paid leave for more than a year as officials investigate claims that he drugged a student and then forced her to have sex with him for her degree.

In a lawsuit filed on April 2 in San Diego Superior Court, Walders says the accusations against him are false and were spread by former SDSU music students Michael Sakell and Jess Barrera.

Walders, who is married and has a young daughter, says the rumors have not only defamed him but cost him professional opportunities, the San Diego Union Tribune reports.

According to the outlet, Walders and a group of students were on a SDSU-sponsored trip to Australia in February 2017 when Sakell, Walders former teaching assistant, interrupted a private encounter between the choir director and a female student.

Walders says the accusations fare false and the rumors not only defamed him but cost him professional opportunities

Walders says in the suit that Sakell and Barrera then told numerous people, including potential employers in San Diego's choral community and professional colleagues, that Walders was having sex with the student.

The suit claims the rumors were 'clearly intended to harm (Walders) and his reputation, standing in the community and his economic relationships with employers and others'.

The document states that Sakell sent emails about the alleged sexual encounter to people including the executive director of La Jolla Symphony & Chorus, where Walders works as the choral director.

Sakell is also accused of contacting a professional contact Walders had made at St. Andrews' Episcopal Church and students at James Madison University in Virginia, where Walders once taught.

The 43-year-old choir director claims in the lawsuit that Sakell allegedly sent text messages to James Madison students saying that Walders 'drugged, raped' and 'impregnated' a female student and 'forced her to have sex with for her degree'.

Sakell also contacted 'two local reporters' to spread the rumors even further, Walders writes.

Officials at San Diego State University said Walders is still on the faculty but 'is currently not overseeing the choirs nor conducting'

Walders, pictured at a 2016 graduation ceremony at SDSU, has been on a paid leave for more than a year

Sakell, through his attorney, fired back at the lawsuit against him telling the outlet that 'truth is an absolute defense'.

'We are looking forward to Dr. Walders' deposition where he will have to testify, under oath, about his relationships with students,' a statement read. 'We are confident that the evidence will show that any harm Dr. Walders has suffered is the direct result of his own inappropriate conduct;.

Barrera said he doesn't think there's much of a case against him and the director should look elsewhere to cast blame for his damaged reputation.

A spokesman for SDSU said Walders was still on the school's faculty but 'is currently not overseeing the choirs nor conducting' pending the outcome of the investigation. He's been with the school since 2011.

Diane Salisbury, executive director for the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus, said Walders was on administrative leave until further notice.
This is the man police suspect molested a 19-year-old girl on a park bench after meeting her online

Police have released a picture of a man they suspect molested a teenage girl on a park bench after he met her online.

Detectives say that after chatting on a dating website, they met on a Sunday evening at Walthamstow bus station, east London.

The man then grabbed his date, 19, by the arm and forcibly walked her to a nearby park.

On a terrifying first date the victim was then sexually assaulted on a park bench.

Both the victim and the suspect had initially brought a friend when they met, but the friends left separately soon after the date began on 12 November last year.

The victim was forced to sit on a bench opposite a children's play area as she was sexually assaulted.

After telling her date to stop she left in the direction of the bus stop and was briefly followed before he gave up and went back to the park.

She never saw her attacker again but received several messages from him saying that he was sending his friend to 'get her'.

Police have now released an image of the suspect who is white, with large ears and short dark hair, in a bid for the public to identify him.

Detective Constable Matthew Cron said: 'We continue to actively search for this suspect and hope that someone may recognise him.

'If you know who this male is, please contact police as soon as possible.'

He added: 'The victim, a 19-year-old female, had agreed to meet the suspect, who she had met online, on Sunday November 12th at 8.30pm at Walthamstow Bus Station.

'Both the victim and suspect brought friends with them when they met. Both friends left separately soon after meeting.

'When the friends had left, the suspect grabbed the victim by the arm and walked her into a nearby park where they stopped at a bench by the play area.

'The suspect forced the victim to sit on the bench before sexually assaulting her.

'The victim told the suspect to stop and left in the direction of the bus station.

'The suspect followed the victim briefly, but eventually walked back into the park.

'The victim did not see the suspect again but she received messages from him saying that he was sending his friend back to get her.'
Police have arrested a teenage boy after a 38-year-old woman was attacked with a cordless drill in a suspected homophobic assault.

The victim suffered a 'very serious' head injury and is in a critical but stable condition in hospital, police said.

A 17-year-old boy is being questioned over the incident which took place at around 2am on Saturday morning in the Railway Street area in Strabane, County Tyrone in Northern Ireland.

An official mopped up the pool of blood left at the scene after the brutal attack on the woman (pictured)

The suspect was detained by police a short distance away from the scene.

Officers are continuing to examine the scene and a worker was pictured washing blood stains from the pavement.

Detective Sergeant Brian Reid said: 'This was a brutal attack and the injuries sustained by the victim are extremely grave.

Police have arrested a teenage boy after a 38-year-old woman was attacked with a cordless drill in a suspected homophobic assault in Strabane, County Tyrone in Northern Ireland (pictured)

'We are exploring a possible homophobic motive for the crime and we are appealing for witnesses to get in touch with us.

'We would like to hear from anyone who may have seen a male carrying a drill in the area at around the time of the assault and we would especially like to speak to anyone who may have captured footage, either on mobile phone or dashcam.

'At this time we are satisfied that a single attacker was involved in this incident.'

Sinn Fein West Tyrone Assembly member (MLA) Michaela Boyle said people are shocked at the 'horrific' nature of the attack.

She added that, if there does turn out to be a homophobic motive behind the assault 'then this barbaric attack is all the more reprehensible'.

SDLP assembly member for West Tyrone, Daniel McCrossan, has appealed for information regarding the assault.

He said: 'I am absolutely horrified by this assault. This kind of sickening behaviour has no place in society.

'It is a monstrous attack and one that has sent shockwaves across the entirety of the wider Strabane community today.

'I actually felt sick, that this could happen.

'I would ask the community to give the PSNI the space they need to carry out their investigation swiftly and throughly. I would also appeal to anyone who may have information about this assault to contact crimestoppers immediately.

'My thoughts are with the victim and her family.'
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A Russian monitoring group says more than 1,000 people have been arrested during anti-Putin protests as police detained opposition leader Alexei Navalny in central Moscow.

Thousands of demonstrators denouncing Mr Putins upcoming inauguration into a fourth term gathered on Saturday in the capitals Pushkin Square.

Video showed police carrying a struggling Mr Navalny, who is Mr Putins most prominent foe, out of the square, carrying him by the legs and arms.

Russian police carrying struggling opposition leader Alexei Navalny, center, at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin

Riot police officers detain a participant in an unauthorised opposition protest in Moscow's Pushkin Square

Fighters of National Liberation movement clash with protesters during clashes at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in Pushkin Square

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny addresses supporters during an unauthorised anti-Putin rally on May 5

Pro-Kremlin activists and opposition supporters scuffle during an unauthorized anti-Putin rally called by opposition leader Alexei Navalny

Police in riot gear waded into the crowd on Pushkin Square and were seen grabbing some demonstrators and leading them away. A helicopter hovered overhead to monitor the crowd.

The unauthorised protest was part of a day of nationwide demonstrations. Police made arrests at demonstrations in some other cities.

Russian police arrest participants of a liberal opposition rally organized by opposition leader Alexei Navalny, prior to the official inauguration

News reports and social media postings said protests had attracted hundreds or more in at least 10 cities in the east and Siberia.

Mr Putin will be inaugurated on Monday for a six-year term.

A fighter of National Liberation Movement pushes a protester down, during clashes at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in Pushkin Square today

Russian police move to encompass participants of a liberal opposition rally which was organized by their leader Alexei Navalny, prior to the official inauguration of president Putin

Pro-Kremlin activists gather around a monument of poet Alexander Pushkin some 30 minutes before the start of an unauthorized anti-Putin rally called by opposition leader Alexei Navalny

Policemen detain opposition supporters during a protest ahead of President Vladimir Putin's inauguration ceremony in central Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured with FIFA president Gianni Infantino visit the Fisht Stadium in the Black Sea resort of Sochi two days ago) was criticised at a protest where demonstrators were carried away

A fighter of National Liberation movement, left, clashes with protester during clashes at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in Pushkin Square in Moscow

Policemen detain an opposition supporter during a protest ahead of President Vladimir Putin's inauguration ceremony in the square today

Russian riot police officers detain opposition leader Alexei Navalny during an unauthorized anti-Putin rally on May 5, 2018 in Moscow, two days ahead of Vladimir Putin's inauguration for a fourth Kremlin term

Demonstrator carries a poster depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin during a massive protest rally ahead of his inauguration
A union has paid for a huge billboard expressing 'no confidence' in the embattled Broward County Sheriff months after he was heavily criticized over the Parkland massacre.

The yellow sign on Interstate 95 just north of Sunset Boulevard tells Florida Governor Rick Scott 'there is no confidence in Sheriff Israel'.

It was funded by the Broward Sheriff's Office Deputies Association, which in April passed a vote of no confidence in the Democrat supported by 534 of the 628 of voting members.

The yellow billboard on Interstate 95 just north of Sunset Boulevard tells Florida Governor Rick Scott 'there is no confidence in Sheriff Israel'

The Association wants Governor Scott to suspend or fire Israel. However Scott, a candidate for the US Senate, said he is waiting for the outcome of an investigation into the sheriff's handling of Parkland, the Sun Sentinel reported.

The sheriff's office failed to act on 18 warning calls about shooter Nikolas Cruz before he killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14.

The tips were among a series of what authorities now describe as the clearest missed signals that Cruz, who had a history of disturbing behavior, posed a serious threat.

Explaining the billboard, which will be up for a month and is set to be seen by 500,000 passing motorists, union president Jeff Bell said: 'We are going to continue to speak out loud and make sure our voice is heard.

'It's a strong message to put it right in front of Rick Scott of how serious we are.'

Israel blamed school resource officer Deputy Scot Peterson for staying outside the school building while opened fire with a Cruz AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. Peterson was suspended without pay and chose to retire.

The Broward Sheriff's Office Deputies Association wants Israel (left, on February 21) to be dismissed by Governor Scott (right, on May 4)

Bell said Israel should not have publicly singled the deputy and should have placed him on paid leave until an investigation into his conduct was completed.

He said only deputies accused of crimes are placed on unpaid leave and Peterson has never been charged.

Israel also angered critics after the shooting by boasting about his 'amazing' leadership in a televised interview.

The sheriff issued a statement on Friday saying it is 'unfortunate and appalling' that Bell is using the school shooting 'as a bargaining tactic to extort a 6.5 percent pay raise' for the union's members.

Explaining the billboard, union president Jeff Bell said: 'It's a strong message to put it right in front of Rick Scott of how serious we are'

The 3-year-old union represents the office's deputies who hold the rank of sergeant and below, and its contract expires September 30.

Israel was overwhelmingly re-elected to a second term in 2016. Republican Governor Scott rejected calls from some state legislators to suspend him after the shooting.

Cruz's lawyers have conceded he is the shooter and say he will plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty.
A photo shared on social media of a cow being shot has caused controversy.

A woman shared the image this week explaining that the cow was 'too weak to stand, to feed her calf, and ultimately had to be put down due to starvation'.

She claimed such occurrences are frequent due to the drought in Queensland.

On May 1 a woman shared the image explaining that the cow was 'too weak to stand, to feed her calf, and ultimately had to be put down due to starvation'

The image was shared to prompt a conversation about the proposed vegetation laws by the Annastacia Palaszczuk-led Labor government.

The woman said that during the drought mulga has been her family's 'saving grace'.

Mulga is a small Acacia tree or shrub and is a valuable source of protein, except for the fact that it is 'unreachable for livestock and turns into a woody weed'.

This means that it needs to be managed through pushing and clearing to give animals safe access.

But under the new laws passed this week farmers are required to seek approval to thin vegetation.

However Philip Donato, member of the New South Wales Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party who is trying to retain his seat of Orange, hijacked the image and shared it on his Facebook page.

However Philip Donato, member of the New South Wales Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party who is trying to retain his seat of Orange, hijacked the image and shared it on his Facebook page

Nationals leader and Deputy Premier John Barilaro (pictured) called Mr Donato out for his use of the image, calling it 'deceitful' and saying it was taken in Queensland - not New South Wales

He asked what the Nationals-Liberal government were doing about the drought in New South Wales.

He wrote: 'If this image doesn't describe farmers' plight, then I don't know what would.'

Mr Donato's decision to share the image sparked a debate with Nationals leader and Deputy Premier John Barilaro.

Mr Barilaro told the Daily Telegraph that Mr Donato's use of the image was 'deceitful'.

According to the Bureau of Meterology's latest drought report for southern Australia as a whole had rainfall at the third-lowest on record for April (stock image)

He said the image was more than four years and taken in Queensland, not New South Wales.

Mr Donato defended his use of the image.

He told the publication: 'The picture depicts the desperate plight of farmers in my electorate and in other parts of the State.'

According to the Bureau of Meterology's latest drought report for southern Australia as a whole had rainfall at the third-lowest on record for April.

It said that rainfall rated from below to well below rainfall average for Victoria, New South Wales as well as parts of South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania.
Nick Robinson's political differences with Boris Johnson go back to Oxford University in the 1980s (pictured together at the Oxford Union) when the BBC broadcaster was tipped to be prime minister and was said to consider the current incumbent too left-wing to be a Tory. It came as the BBC decided not to admonish Mr Robinson after he ordered Mr Johnson to 'stop talking' live on air yesterday. Sources at the Corporation have said the 300,000-a-year presenter has not been rebuked by bosses as Radio 4 declined to comment on the incendiary interview that has upset No 10 and Conservative MPs. It is not the first time the men have clashed with Robinson recently comparing him to a 'dictator' and accused him avoiding the scrutiny of journalists. Boris and Nick first met at Oxford University when Mr Robinson was president of the Oxford University Conservative Association and was nicknamed 'Blue Robbo' because of his staunch support for the Tories then led by Margaret Thatcher. He didn't think Boris was a Conservative at all because he appeared too liberal, those who knew them both at university in the 1980s have said, assuming instead that he was a supporter of the SDP/Liberal Alliance at the time, according to The Spectator. Neil Sherlock, who beat the young Johnson to become Oxford Union president in 1984, said recently: 'I always thought at university that Nick Robinson would be the big political star and that Boris Johnson would be a journalist. When I left Oxford, that's what I thought would happen'. He added: 'In 1984-85, if you told me that Boris Johnson was going to be prime minister, I would have been very surprised. If you'd asked me then, I would have said Nick Robinson'.
Lisa Page, one of a pair of FBI lovers who exchanged Trump-hating text messages, has resigned along with another of the agency's senior officials.

Page's resignation was confirmed by an FBI spokesman who said she had decided to 'pursue other opportunities'.

It came at the same time as lawyer Jim Baker, who was accused of leaking the 'dirty dossier' about Trump to the media, handed in his resignation.

His departure was confirmed by ousted director James Comey on Friday night.

Lisa Page resigned from the FBI on Friday to 'pursue' other opportunities. She was fired from the Mueller investigation into Russian collusion after her affair and anti-Trump text messages with her lover were exposed

'A great public servant retired from the FBI today.

'Jim Bakers integrity and commitment to the rule of law have benefitted (sic) our country through 5 presidents, of both parties. We are fortunate he and so many others choose to devote their lives to justice,' he wrote.

In a later statement to CNN, Comey said he 'represents the best of the Department of Justice and the F.B.I.'

'He has protected the country and the rule of law throughout his career and leaves an inspiring legacy of service.

Jim Baker, one of the bureau's top lawyers who was accused of leaking the dirty dossier to the press, also resigned

'He is what we should all hope our kids become, a person of integrity,' he added.

Page was fired from the Mueller investigation after her texts about Trump to her lover Peter Strzok were exposed. She however maintained her security clearance.

Strzok, formerly the deputy head of counterintelligence at the FBI, was reassigned in August last year when their affair was discovered.

He was a member of the investigation into Clinton's email server and was was also responsible for changing the wording in then FBI director James Comey's assessment from 'grossly negligent' to 'extremely careless,' and the probe into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election.

Baker was accused of leaking the existence of the notorious 'dirty dossier', which alleged collusion between Trump and Russia and was put together by MI6 spy Christopher Steele at the behest of the Clinton campaign which hired the research company he worked for.

He will now write for Lawfare, a national security blog issued by The Brookings Institute.

Ousted FBI director James Comey commented on Baker's resignation on Friday

Page exchanged anti-Trump messages with her lover Peter Strzok (right) in 2015 and 2016. The messages and their affair was discovered last year

Baker was unaware of Page's plans to resign and the announcement came as a surprise to him, he told The New York Times.

He said the decision to leave was his own, adding: 'I love the F.B.I.

'I have tremendous respect for the bureau  the F.B.I. was great, is great and will be great.'

Baker was investigated for allegedly leaking the dossier but has never been charged.

Last December, he was reassigned from his position as the bureau's top lawyer to become an adviser to the new director, Christopher Wray. Page maintained her position after news of her affair broke last year.

Among their texts were the comments Clinton 'just has to win' and descriptions of a Trump victory as 'terrifying'.

Both she and Stzok were married when their relationship became public. It is not known if either is still with their spouse.
The mother and brother of murdered Brazilian women Cecilia Haddad have held a touching ceremony to farewell their sister and daughter.

The memorial service was held in Rio de Janeiro with other family and friends attending to pay their last respects.

Family friend, Marina Matosinhos, said Miss Haddad's mother, Milu Muller, had requested mourners bring a rose 'and pray' for her daughter 7 News reported.

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The mother (left) and brother murdered Brazilian women Cecilia Haddad (right) have held a touching ceremony to farewell their sister and daughter

Mourners and family gathered at the church in Rio de Janeiro to pay their respects to Cecilia Haddad

Mourners were still angry at what happened to Ms Haddad as police continue to piece together her final hours.

Kayakers found her fully-clothed body floating in the water near Woolwich last Sunday morning, some six kilometres from her Ryde home in Sydney's north-west.

'What happened to Cecilia is not normal. In the name of her family and friends, we want justice,' family lawyer Olivia Furst said.

Miss Haddad was supposed to meet a disabled client the day before her body was found, but police now believe she had been killed hours earlier.

As specialist police divers searched the Parramatta River on Friday for Ms Haddad's missing personal items - specifically a set of keys to her red Fiat 500 - friends of the dead woman revealed what led them to raise the alarm.

Cecilia Haddad (above) never arrived to meet a disabled client on the weekend

Police have still not made contact with Ms Haddad's ex-lover and business partner Mario Marcelo Santoro who left Sydney on a flight to Rio de Janeiro last weekend.

Daily Mail Australia revealed this week at Mr Marcelo deactivated his social media accounts the day after news broke that investigators were searching for him.

A close friend of Ms Haddad said it was so odd for her to drop off the radar that three separate people reported her missing, while also questioning how her car got to be at West Ryde railway station, claiming she rarely used public transport.

Specialist police divers searched the Parramatta River on Friday (pictured) for car keys belonging to Ms Haddad, who they suspect was murdered

'Three of us that I know of reported her missing within 48 hours, that shows how out of character her disappearance was,' the friend said.

Ms Haddad attended a 'brief' barbeque with friends on Friday night before heading home for an 'early night'.

That was supposed to be followed by a mixture of personal and business events the next day.

Police said Cecilia Haddad's red Fiat 500 was found at Ryde train station on Sunday afternoon but friends have told Daily Mail Australia she rarely caught public transport

'She spent the remainder of Friday evening on the phone to friends sharing her plans for the weekend. This is why we were concerned about her - we knew her plans and should have heard from her,' the friend said.

'The BBQ was brief and ended early. I spoke to her on Friday evening, Cecilia was an open book and an open communicator.'

'Her disability clients loved her because she treated them like real people, never like they were disabled... she had plans to provide assistance to one on the weekend.'

Ms Haddad's body was discovered in the Lane Cove River on Sunday morning, the same day the Brazilian national was reported missing

Police wish to speak to Marcelo Santoro (centre) over the suspected murder of his ex-girlfriend and business partner. Mr Santoro is believed to have flown home to Brazil at the weekend, days earlier than initially planned

Ms Haddad (left, pictured with a friend) had ended her business and personal relationships with Mr Santoro in recent weeks, according to friends

A TIMELINE OF CECILIA HADDAD'S DISAPPEARANCE: Friday, May 27 Ms Haddad 'briefly' attends a BBQ with friends before returning to her home at Ryde, north Sydney. She spends the rest of the evening on the phone to friends discussing their weekend plans. Saturday, May 28 8am-9.30am: The 38-year-old continues to call and message friends. Ms Haddad has several plans with her friends on Saturday, but never turns up. She is also due to meet with a disabled client she cares for, but never arrives. Neighbours recall seeing her unique Fiat 500 outside her St Annes St unit. Sunday, May 29 10.15am: Ms Haddad's body is found floating in the Lane Cove River. Friends report Ms Haddad missing to police. Her car is found at West Ryde railway station. The weekend - unknown time Ms Haddad's ex-lover Marcelo Santoro flies to Rio de Janeiro from Sydney. Advertisement

Ms Haddad's ex-husband (left) flew from Perth to Sydney to help police with their investigation and to identify her body. Her father Jose also arrived in Sydney from Brazil on Friday

Mr Santaro and Ms Haddad began their business partnership in mid-2017, launching the disability service provider D.Care.

The company and its website were registered in the friends' names. The company's principal place of business was Ms Haddad's home in Ryde.

It has not yet been decided if her funeral service will be held in Sydney or Perth, where Ms Haddad lived upon moving to Australia in 2007.
Leumas Moraza, 38, alegedly told police he shot his girlfriend Maria Santiago-Burgos on Thursday

A Hurricane Maria survivor was allegedly shot dead in front of her mother and children by her boyfriend at a Florida motel.

Maria Santiago-Burgos, 43, died in a Kissimmee hospital on Thursday after being shot in the leg, back and face by her boyfriend, police say.

The mother-of-two had been living with her family at the Super 8 motel after the natural disaster devastated her native Puerto Rico.

Leumas Moraza, 38, was charged with domestic homicide and aggravated assault after he called police to turn himself in following the murder, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel.

'I'm walking down [US Highway] 192 in Kissimmee. I was arguing with my girlfriend ... and I shot her,' Moraza said in his 911 call. 'I just want the police to pick me up, that's it.'

According to police documents, Moraza and Santiago-Burgos had known each other for 14 years and recently reconnected when she moved to central Florida after Hurricane Maria.

The mother-of-two had moved to central Florida after Hurricane Maria devastated her native Puerto Rico

Moraza told authorities the shooting happened during an argument between the couple, with him claiming she was being 'distant' and suspecting she was seeing another man.

Santiago-Burgos' family said her son was hiding in the bedroom when Moraza shot her in the lower body. She then tried hiding in the bedroom with her son, locking the door, but Moraza broke it and shot her two more times.

The heated argument happened about a month after Moraza moved into the motel with the family, and Santiago-Burgos was packing up his things when things turned deadly. Moraza claimed she tried reaching for his gun on his waistband when he accidentally shot her in the stomach.

He said he doesn't remember what happened after he fired the first shot but told police Santiago-Burgos challenged him, saying: 'I know you always have your firearm with you, if you want, just shoot me three times.'

Moraza is being held without bail at the Osceola County Jail.
A 29-year-old woman has described her shock after her gynecologist insisted she have kids, leaving the wife 'exposed' and in tears.

After moving to Austin, Texas, a year ago with her husband, Brianna D'Alessio South was in the market for a new OB-GYN, seeking a contraceptive device known as an IUD.

Citing health issues as a factor, the couple had decided that children were not in their plans - a decision that South said continually questions.

But when she told her new gynecologist of her plans the doctor had her own opinions.

'You're educated, you're pretty, you really should. It's up to you to populate society with good people. My generation is counting on it,' the doctor said in the exam room.

Brianna D'Alessio South, 29, and her husband had decided that children are not in their immediate plans

South cites a history of mental health issues as well as ovarian cancer as factors that led to the decision

In an op-ed for the Huffington Post, South revealed the uncomfortable conversation with her new doctor who she said was 'disrespecting my personal choice'.

She wrote that at her first appointment, after going over her general profile- married, female, 29, and same sexual partner for the past nine years, South brought up the option of getting an intrauterine device and was interested in learning more.

However, she said the doctor 'tried to discourage my curiosity' and rushed through explaining the procedure.

Then, while lying down on the table for a pelvic exam, the OB-GYN asked South if she wanted children.

When South said no, the doctor replied: 'Well, you should.'

'Flat on my back, I was being challenged about my choice to not want children. Shocked and confused, I wasn't sure what response she wanted, so I gave an uncomfortable laugh,' South writes.

That's when the doctor responded that it is her generation to populate the society with good people because South appeared 'educated and pretty'.

The doctor added: 'My generation is counting on it.'

South remained silent after the doctors comments and said 'sadness fueled by shame' began to settle in.

'I didnt trust the setting. And I didnt have it in me to repeat the conversation Ive had so many times before,' she said.

When South moved to Austin, Texas, she visited a new gynecologist, seeking a contraceptive device known as an IUD

But when South told her doctor that she did not want children, the OB-GYN insisted she should and said 'my generation is counting on it'

South cites a history of mental health issues as well as ovarian cancer as factors that led to the conversation with her husband of having children.

She said she has heard the same commentary for years.

'When people push back about having kids, I worry that maybe I appear selfish, so sometimes I respond with a smile, a shrug, silence and an effort to steer the conversation elsewhere. Other times, I defend my stance and am met with frowns or disappointment,' she writes.

However, this was not something she expected from a doctor while 'in a setting where we need to feel safe having vulnerable conversations.'

After leaving the doctor's office, South found herself crying in the parking lot.

Though she may have been used to these conversations by a nosy neighbor, she notes that 'a line was crossed between doctor and patient'.

But South regained her confidence in her decision and has penned this as an open-letter the doctor.

'To the OB-GYN who left me feeling exposed, I hope you listen next time before you casually dismiss a patients choice. I hope you recognize the validity of each woman who walks through your door. No ones story is the same.'
A woman was forced to run from her home half naked and leave her husband behind as their house burned around them after not being able to call emergency services.

Mary Ann Gongon, from Sydney, was unable to reach emergency services through triple-0 after a Telstra cable outside of Orange, NSW, was damaged, resulting in her husband Apollo Karanges, 63, suffering burns to 40 per cent of his body.

The wire which was damaged carries triple-0 calls for New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia.

Redfern woman Mary Ann Gongon (pictured left) was forced to run from her home half naked and leave her husband, Apollo Karanges (pictured right), behind as their house burned around them after not being able to call emergency services on triple zero

Ms Gongon had just got out of the shower when she returned to her bedroom to find the bed on fire, she rushed to wake her husband in the other room before they tried to put out the blaze.

'I started calling triple-0 but I just couldnt get through, I tried at least twice. In my frustration, and while half naked, I grabbed the keys and drove to the fire station,' she told The Daily Telegraph.

As Ms Gongon raced to the nearest fire station, 400 metres away, her husband stayed back and battled the flames alone, suffering burns as he did so.

Ms Gongon had to race to the nearest fire station to alert them to the situation, she said it was lucky they had a station as close as they did to the house (stock image)

She said when she arrived at the fire station she was leaning on her car horn until firefighters came rushing out before following her home.

By the time they arrived her husband had suffered burns to his face, arms, back and legs, he was immediately taken to the Royal North Shore Hospital where he is expected to undergo skin grafting surgery.

Ms Gongon believes the lack of any back up for the triple-0 line was the cause of her husband's injuries because she could have alerted emergency services and stayed back to help him battle the blaze.

By the time fire fighters arrived her husband had suffered burns to his face, arms, back and legs, he was immediately taken to the Royal North Shore Hospital where he is expected to undergo skin grafting surgery (stock image)

Ms Gongon believes the lack of any back up for the triple-0 line was the cause of her husband's injuries because she could have alerted emergency services and stayed back to help him battle the blaze (stock image)

After the outage on Friday Telstra CEO Andy Penn told media the impact on customer's was 'intermittent' which was in stark contrast to the impact on Ms Gongon and Mr Karanges.

'Private companies have back-up systems, why cant the government do this? This is our only help line,' she said.

However Mr Penn did attempt to contact the couple directly so he could apologise for to them personally and the company released a statement saying it was deeply concerned when it heard what had happened.

'Any impact to people or property as a result of the situation is extremely concerning, we have commenced a formal investigation into the fire and subsequent disruption to triple-0 services,' a Telstra spokesperson said.
A man who was found unconscious with critical injuries to his head has died after 12 days in hospital.

Adrian Trett, 45, was found on a footpath in a regional town in South Australia, and before he was airlifted to Royal Adelaide Hospital.

'It's hard when you lose a child through illness, but being taken away, it's... I can't even describe it,' his mother Mira told Nine News.

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Adrian Trett (pictured), 45, was found unconscious with critical head injuries on 23 April

'It's hard when you lose a child through illness,' his mother Mira (left) told Nine News

The father-of-two was found unconscious and wrapped in blankets on 23 April.

His scooter was also next to him when his body was found.

Police are yet to explain to the family how their loving son, husband, dad was injured.

However, police have said Mr Treet had been drinking with friends before he left on his scooter.

The family decided to switch off Mr Treet's life support on Friday.

Investigation are continuing and anyone with information is urged to contact police.
Female offenders being turned away at the gates and locked up with men in segregated cells amid an overcrowding crisis in women's prisons.

Bed availability can be at zero some days and the number of women being sent to prison ranges from 'one to 50', according to the Public Service Association.

While there are talks to find solutions Nicole Jess, PSA Prison Officers Vocational Branch chair, said action was needed sooner rather than later as police are threatening to stop 'babysitting' inmates, according to The Sunday Telegraph.

Overcrowding in female prisons is leading to female offenders being turned away at the gates and locked up with men (stock image)

Police are in a Industrial Relations Commission over a dispute as they claim that having to transport prisoners to and from court leaves the streets bare of resources.

NSW Police Association president Scott Weber told the publication that as prisoners were waiting for beds police had to supervise them in their cells.

The reason for that is an increase in women being sent to prison.

According to the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOSCAR) in News South Wales female imprisonment has increased from 682 female inmates in 2011 to 1,021 inmates in 2017.

This is an increase of 50 per cent.

In March 2018 the Executive Director of BOCSAR, Dr Don Weatherburn said: 'The changing criminal history profile of women appearing before the courts was mostly likely a consequence of the increased attention NSW Police were giving to apprehending repeat offenders'.

There has been an increase of more than 50 per cent of women incarcerated in New South Wales since 2011

According to BOSCAR the rise in female imprisonment is being driven by the fact more women are appearing before the courts.

The second reason is that women with a significant criminal history are being 'proceeded against by NSW Police'.

There is no evidence courts are being harsher or female offending is becoming more serious.

A Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman told the publication: 'There has been significant growth in female numbers and this is being addressed with the construction of more than 500 additional beds for women.

'In addition, a new state-of-the-art facility being built in Grafton will create 1700 beds for both male and female inmates.'
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Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged the 'pain of colonisation' as he met with citizens of a South Pacific island.

The French President's visit to New Caledonia comes as it prepares to vote on whether to break free of French rule.

The statesman received a traditional welcome to the island when he arrived today as floral wreaths were wrapped around the statesman's head and neck while he met with citizens.

Mr Macron paid homage to 19 independence activists killed 30 years ago after taking police hostage in the town of Ouvea.

French President Emmanuel Macron kisses the hand of a citizen of the archipelago. The visit forms part of the second leg of the president's trip to the Pacific

The French President held hand with two women as they walked down a road following a remembrance ceremony at Wadrilla Cheffererie

Mr Macron was surrounded by citizens of New Caledonia who were wearing bright, colourful garments as he paid homage to 19 independence activists killed 30 years ago after taking police hostage in the town of Ouvea

The French President received a traditional welcome to the island when he arrived today. Floral wreaths around the statesman's head and neck as he met with citizens

Mr Macron planted a tree with members of the families of the 19 independence activists killed 30 years ago. He said: 'France would not be the same without New Caledonia'

Four soldiers were also killed.

Later, Macron handed over two documents that declared in 1853 that New Caledonia was a French possession, saying that 'we are no longer in a time of possession, but a time of choice, and collective responsibility.'

He said 'France would not be the same without New Caledonia'.

However, he was careful not to openly campaign for the territory to stay French when it holds an independence referendum in November

The nickel-rich island erupted in fighting in the 1980s between supporters of independence and those who wanted to remain French.

Talks on the island's future began in 1988 and a 1998 deal provided for a referendum on independence to be held by the end of 2018.

The vote is set to begin on November 4 and tension has been simmering as it approaches.

'There are elements, those who favor independence, that have threatened to boycott the vote,' said Denise Fisher, a former Australian consul-general in the territory.

'The last vote that happened in 1987 in the thick of the civil war was a disaster because the Kanaks all boycotted it, it wasn't seen a genuine referendum.'

The French President jumps out of a helicopter after landing in New Caledonia. The nickel-rich island erupted in fighting in the 1980s between supporters of independence and those who wanted to remain French

Mr Macron meets citizens of New Caledonia as he received a traditional welcome. Talks on the island's future began in 1988 and a 1998 deal provided for a referendum on independence to be held by the end of 2018

New Caledonia, one of five island territories spanning the Indo-Pacific held by France, is the centerpiece of Macron's plan to increase its influence in the Pacific

French president Emmanuel Macron poses for a photo as he tries Caledonia food and coconut drink after a remembrance ceremony

Kanaks are the indigenous inhabitants of New Caledonia.

New Caledonia, one of five island territories spanning the Indo-Pacific held by France, is the centerpiece of Macron's plan to increase its influence in the Pacific.

Australia and New Zealand have separately warned that China is seeking to exert influence through its international aid program in the Pacific. China denies that.

While not naming China, Macron said in Australia on Wednesday France's expansion in the Pacific was to ensure a 'rules-based development'.

'It's to preserve necessary balances in the region. And it's important with this - precisely this new context not to have any hegemony in the region,' Macron told reporters in Sydney.

Last week, Macron greeted President Donald Trump with a French peck on the cheek Monday as the U.S. leader welcomed him to the White House.

He and his wife Brigitte were greeted by the Trumps outside the West Wing to start the first state visit of the presidency, which featured a lavish state dinner planned by first lady Melania Trump.

Very French greeting: Emmanuel macron leaned in to kiss Donald Trump on the left cheek as the U.S. president greeted him at the White House

French first lady Brigitte Macron (right) leans in and grabs President Trump's shovel as he plants a sapling that was a gift from the French
This is the moment a deer got a bird's-eye view of a hungry foraging jackdaw.

The stag, part of the herd at Richmond Park, London, was snapped by passing photographer Max Ellis, of Richmond, who noted that it looked like a large black visor was covering the animal's eyes, when the large black bird landed on his face.

As the jackdaw bent forward to pluck a tick out of the deer's coat, it completely blocked the animal's eyes from view.

This stag at Richmond Park in London does not seem bothered by the jackdaw, which landed on the animal's face to search for ticks

Feeling peckish - the jackdaw sits on the stag's nose and probes his face for ticks, effectively grooming the animal's coat at the park

The stag did not appear too alarmed by the intrusion, however, with the bird doing it a favour by effectively grooming its coat.

Max, 46, said: 'These jackdaws search for ticks and fleas in the deer's coats.

'The stags must appreciate the attention as they tolerate the invasion.'

Richmond Park, a national nature reserve in the capital, is home to 630 red and fallow deer, which have been roaming freely around the green space since 1637.

While visitors are advised to keep at least 50 metres from deer at Richmond Park, particularly stags, this jackdaw clearly had no fear, as such birds are regularly seen searching for parasites on the animals.
Charlie Rose's former intern is speaking out on the sexual harassment she suffered at the hands of the disgraced anchor.

Reah Bravo was an unpaid intern on Roses PBS program in 2007 when she was asked to organize his library at his Bellport, New York estate.

It was there that she claims she was told to unblock Rose's toilet 'brimming with feces' and he invited her to 'look at the moonlight' as he grabbed her from behind.

Bravo penned her experiences in the New York Review of Books, saying she thought the disgusting and menial tasks would spare her from being sexually assaulted.

Reah Bravo, left, was an unpaid intern for disgraced anchor Charlie Rose, right, in 2007 when he asked her to unclog his toilet 'brimming with feces' and later grabbed her from behind

Bravo, pictured left, wrote an essay on the sexual harassment she suffered as an intern under Rose for the New York Review of Books

The toilet clogging incident and the grope took place at Rose's Bellport home, pictured above

As she put on gloves to unclog Rose's clogged master bedroom toilet she thought to herself 'No man would ask this of a woman with whom he wanted to have sex'.

But later that day she said the anchor asked her to 'join him in looking at the moonlight, clutching me from behind as I did'.

Bravo recounted how the 76-year-old called her late at night to berate her over her reports.

By sunrise he'd phone her again, but this time 'breathing heavily' saying he was thinking about her.

On one occasion Rose introduced Bravo to his airport driver as a table dancer he had picked up the night before.

The anchor would also allegedly get on top of her in airplanes, grope her in cars, and expose his naked body to her as well.

But his antics were no secret at the CBS newsroom, Bravo says, where staff talked about his reputation for harassment.

'During my time working for Rose, there were many who indicated knowledge of his treatment of women. I heard Upper East Side salesclerks gossiping about it; professors in my graduate program discussed it more or less explicitly; one of the shows regular guests gave two of my female colleagues a wink and a thinly-veiled hint about his behavior by way of warning,' she said in the essay.

'I would expect CBS executives to have known. The mans secret was as reliably open as a Waffle House,' she added.

Bravo, who went on to be an associate producer at the CBS show, said she was young and ambitious and rationalized the whispers of harassment as a heads-up rather than an 'insidious normalization of abuse'.

'His misdeeds were systematic and they were enabled at the highest of levels,' she said.

Bad day: Charlie Rose (above in November) is being sued by three former employees who worked with the disgraced host at CBS News

Plantiffs: The women - Brooks Harris (left), Sydney McNeal (right) and Chelsea Wei - were all in their early 20s when the alleged incidents occurred with Rose, who is 76

Her account joins that of 27 other women who accused Rose of sexual harassment in a Washington Post expose published Friday.

Three women have filed a lawsuit against the predator anchor.

Brooks Harris, Sydney McNeal and Chelsea Wei, who previously shared their claims in the Washington Post piece, filed the complaint Friday afternoon in New York Supreme Court.

The complaint reveals that Rose continued to contact the women who accused him of sexual harassment by phone and email after he was fired by CBS.

'For example, on or about November 24, 2017, Mr. Rose sent an e-mail to Ms. Wei stating, among other items, "my relationship with you is the man I am in all my relationships,"' states the court filing.

The complaint also claims that Rose told his staff 'words to the effect of "some of the stories are true"' after the first expose was published by The Washington Post.

Mr. Rose suggested to Ms. Harris and Ms. McNeal that they have sex with each other and told them words to the effect of, 'You just need to become lovers already,' indicating that he was having sexual fantasies about them. -Complaint

All three women, who were in their early twenties when these alleged incidents occurred, allege that Rose would constantly kiss female staffers, caress their thighs, waist, arms and legs, and showed a keen interest in having them detail their sex lives.

The three women are asking that they be awarded consequential, compensatory and punitive damages from Rose, CBS News Communications and CBS News.

One section of the complaint provides 14 examples of what the three women claim is 'unlawful conduct' by Rose.

'Mr. Rose repeatedly sexually touched Plaintiffs, including without limitation caressing and touching their arms, shoulders, waist and back, pulling them close to his body, and kissing them on the cheek,' reads one example.

Two of the plaintiffs (McNeal and Harris) also accuse Rose of 'placing his hands on her thigh and kissing her cheek' while dining out with the host.

'Mr. Rose repeatedly boasted of his sexual conquests, telling Plaintiffs words to the effect of you should have seen the women that I was with when I was younger,"' reads another example stated in the complaint.

'Mr. Rose suggested to Ms. Harris and Ms. McNeal that they have sex with each other and told them words to the effect of, "You just need to become lovers already," indicating that he was having sexual fantasies about them.'

Wei meanwhile was allegedly referred to as 'China Girl' by Rose according to court papers, in which the young woman also says Rose 'caressed [her] arms when she handed him papers and would say "I love the way you do that."'

The three women also share alleged instances of verbal abuse involving Rose in the complaint.

'I didnt know that I hired a f***ing kindergartner,' Rose allegedly told Harris at one point.

McNeal claims Rose told her 'you cant be a f***ing idiot and have this job.'

And Wei was allegedly called a 'f***ing idiot' for booking a flight on a plane that did not have flat folding seats despite claiming she had informed Rose of this fact.

Harris claims that Rose began showing an interest in her after she began working the early morning shift at CBS News and began to take her out to expensive lunches to wine and dine her before eventually offering her a spot on 60 Minutes.

At the same time, Wei said that she became nervous about these lunches, and decided to speak with her boss, CBS This Morning's executive producer Ryan Kadro.

'Im telling you in case you have a lawsuit on your hand,' Wei said she told Kadro at the time.

Rose continued to seek to contact Plaintiffs by telephone and e-mail. For example, on or about November 24, 2017, Mr. Rose sent an e-mail to Ms. Wei stating, among other items, 'my relationship with you is the man I am in all my relationships' -Complaint

Kadro, who is still the executive producer of CBS This Morning, downplayed these claims when reached for comment by the Post.

'Ms. Wei did not tell me about inappropriate behavior by Charlie Rose towards Ms. Harris at any time,' said Kadro.

He also stated that he had no recollection of the word 'lawsuit' being used by Wei.

Harris was eventually given a job on Rose's PBS show, and soon after she began the new position Rose began to make comments about her and another female employee, McNeal.

Rose once suggested the two have sex according to both women, and made a comment about them swimming naked in his pool.

McNeal said that working for Rose was 'toxic,' adding that her job 'made me question my intelligence, dignity and worth as a human being almost every day.'

Harris also that just this past July she was out getting drinks with Rose after an event when he repeatedly tried to get her to come up to his apartment, an offer she declined by making up an excuse to leave.

Denial: CBS did not respond to a request for comment and Rose has called the allegations made by these women and 24 other 'unfair' and 'inaccurate' (Rose and CBS THis Morning executive producer Ryan Kadro above)

Gone quiet: Rose's longtime producer Yvette Vega (above) has not been heard from in the months since the first allegations were published in the Post

Hardwork: Rose is seen interviewing Steve Bannon in one of his last 60 Minutes pieces for CBS this past September (above)

She lost her job four months later when the first allegations against Rose came out, a job that she claims Kadro urged her to take at the time.

CBS did not respond to a request for comment.

The news of Rose's firing was revealed last November in an interview memo sent to staffers by CBS News president David Rhodes, who stated that 'there is absolutely nothing more important, in this or any organization, than ensuring a safe, professional workplace.'

Rhodes also said: 'I've also heard that things used to be different. And no one can change the past. But what may once have been accepted should not ever have been acceptable.'

'CBS News has reported on extraordinary revelations at other media companies this year and last. Our credibility in that reporting requires credibility managing basic standards of behavior. That is why we have taken these actions,' he added.

Rose was initially suspended from the network when the Post first published the accounts of eight women who claimed they were sexually harassed or assaulted by the journalist. That was followed by additional allegations from five other women.

By the end of that week the number had grown to 17 women and Rose was out of a job.

He is now being accused of sexual harassment by an additional 27 women.

Of those women, 14 worked with Rose at CBS News while the other 13 were involved in the production of his longform talk show on PBS.

The women claims that Rose exposed himself to them, groped their buttocks and breasts and in one case asked that a young woman 'ride him' in his hotel room.

A number of women also claim that they told executives at CBS about his behavior, including Chris Licht (the former executive producer of CBS This Morning) and Ryan Kadro (the current executive producer of CBS This Morning).

Rose responded to the new allegations by saying: 'Your story is unfair and inaccurate.'
Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg says the National Rifle Association is scared of the support he and other young gun control activists have received in the months after the Florida tragedy.

In a CNN appearance on Friday, Hogg told Anderson Cooper that president Donald Trump and vice president Mike Pence's appearances at the NRA convention in Dallas serve as proof that the powerful gun lobby is worried about the upcoming midterm elections.

The 18-year-old activist said: 'This is the first time they had the president and the vice president come out to the annual convention for the NRA. What they are saying here is that they are worried because the support we've been getting and the support we'll have in midterms.'

Parkland survivors David Hogg and Cameron Kasky slammed president Donald Trump over his speech at the National Rifle Association's conference in Dallas during a CNN appearance

Hogg told Anderson Cooper that Trump and Pence's appearances at the NRA convention in Dallas serve as proof that the gun lobby is worried midterms

Hogg added that come November, voters pushing for stricter gun control laws won't differentiate between Democrats and Republicans, and will only look at whether candidates have received money from the NRA.

'If you are supported with the NRA, you don't stand with kids you stand with the gun manufacturers and the people making money off this fear and tragedy that is perpetuating itself,' he said.

Fellow Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school student Cameron Kasky, who joined Hogg in Friday's interview, slammed president Trump for striking a different tone now than he did shortly after the school shooting that left 17 dead.

'[Trump] was saying some things that implied that he was stepping forward into the right direction for gun safety in this country and then he had a meeting with some NRA officials, a private meeting, and afterwards he came and claimed that the Second Amendment was under siege and he was going to defend it,' Kasky said.

Kasky, Hogg and other Parkland survivors such as Emma Gonzales have become leading voices in the gun control movement and are working to elect like-minded legislators this November.

Kasky, Hogg and other Parkland survivors have become leading voices in the gun control movement. They're pictured at the March for Life

Hogg added that come November, those who are pushing for stricter gun control laws won't differentiate between Democrats and Republicans, and will only look at whether candidates have received money from the NRA

On Friday, president Trump, on his part, urged NRA members to elect more Republicans to Congress to defend gun rights.

Trump claimed that Democrats want to 'outlaw guns' and said if the nation takes that drastic step, it might as well ban all vans and trucks because they are the new weapons for 'maniac terrorists.'

'We will never give up our freedom. We will live free and we will die free,' Trump said Friday as he tried to rally pro-gun voters for the 2018 congressional elections. 'We've got to do great in '18.'

In the aftermath of the February school shootings Trump had temporarily strayed from gun rights dogma.

During a televised gun meeting with lawmakers in late February, he wagged his finger at a Republican senator and scolded him for being 'afraid of the NRA,' declaring that he would stand up to the group and finally get results in quelling gun violence. But he later backpedaled on that tough talk.

He was clearly back in the fold at the NRA's annual convention, pledging that Americans' Second Amendment right to bear arms will 'never ever be under siege as long as I am your president.'
Hospital bosses have hit back at Donald Trump after he likened a London hospital to a 'military war zone' after a spate of stabbings in the capital.

The US President's comments were branded as 'ridiculous' by the Barts Health NHS Trust, after he spoke at the National Rifle Association convention.

Trump was slammed after he labelled the situation in London as 'knives, knives, knives' and said that guns are part of the solution, according to Sky News.

Defending the use of guns, the US president said: 'Yes that's right, they don't have guns they have knives. They say it's as bad as a military war zone hospital'

He told the crowd: 'A once very prestigious hospital right in the middle is like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds.

'They don't have guns - they have knives. They say it's as bad as a military war zone hospital. Knives, knives, knives.'

While Trump didn't indicate which London hospital he was discussing it is believed to have been St Bart's in the east of the city - and the trust has since responded.

Professor Karim Brohi, a trauma surgeon at The Royal London Hospital, said: 'Knife violence is a serious issue for London. We are proud of the excellent trauma care we provide and of our violence reduction programmes.

'The Royal London Hospital has cut the number of our young patients returning after further knife attacks from 45% to 1%.

'There is more we can all do to combat this violence, but to suggest guns are part of the solution is ridiculous.

'Gunshot wounds are at least twice as lethal as knife injuries and more difficult to repair. We are proud of our world-leading service and to serve the people of London.'

An article was published on the Breitbart website last month, which the US President is known to be a reader of, with quotes from a doctor who worked there.

It was based on comments Dr Martin Griffiths, lead surgeon at Barts Health NHS Trust, where he likened working in the city to their time at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan.

Happy to invite Mr Trump to my (prestigious) hospital to meet with our mayor and police commissioner to discuss our successes in violence reduction in London @SadiqKhan @metpoliceuk @NHSBartsHealth #WindrushAwards pic.twitter.com/G4vYqTkfbL  Martin P Griffiths (@martinpgriff) 5 May 2018

He told the Today programme: 'Some of my military colleagues have described their practice here as similar to being at Bastion.'

Mr Griffiths also responded to Mr Trump, saying he would be happy to invite the president to the Royal London Hospital to 'discuss our successes in violence reduction in London.'

Since the beginning of the year, at least 36 people have been fatally stabbed and 62 overall killed.

London has seen 12,980 knife crimes committed in the capital during 2017 which is up 2,452 on the year before.

On New Year's Eve alone four teenagers were stabbed to death in London and 22 were killed in March.

Donald Trump has described an unnamed London hospital as a 'war zone', with 'blood all over the floors' because of knife crimes

This means the city has a higher murder rate than New York, which had 21 deaths in comparison, where handguns are legal.

A year ago, the US President was slammed by UK politicians for retweeting the far-right group Britain First.

He tweeted a response saying: 'Don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!'

He also pledged that gun rights 'will never, ever be under siege as long as I'm your president'.

Trump's Republicans are battling to keep their majority control of Congress in November's midterm elections.
This is the hilarious moment Jacob Rees-Mogg's son gatecrashed his father's interview while the cameras were rolling in their Somerset mansion.

The Tory MP was in the middle of a sit-down with Sky News' Kay Burley in his kitchen when 11-year-old Peter made his grand entrance.

The wide-ranging chat had echoes of David Cameron and Ed Miliband's infamous, and heavily mocked, kitchen interviews in the lead up to the 2015 General Election.

Scroll down for video

Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg was interviewed by Sky News from the comfort of his Somerset country mansion

Peter Rees-Mogg crashed his father's chat mid-way through while the cameras were rolling

Kay Burley shook the 11-year-old's hand before jumping back into the interview with the MP for North East Somerset

Both Kay and the MP for North East Somerset sipped on hot beverages from delft china tea cups in the swanky kitchen, kitted out with what appeared to be a 300 KitchenAid Artisan food mixer and a large set of very sharp knives.

There were modest appliances like a 85 Morphy Richards microwave and 40 Russell Hobbs cream kettle that were also seen on the counter-tops.

During the chat, Mr Rees-Mogg said it would be 'bizarre' for Theresa May to retreat from her stance on taking the UK out of the customs union.

A delft china tea set can be seen on the table accompanied by a plate of cookies. Modest appliances like a 85 Morphy Richards microwave and 40 Russell Hobbs kettle (both circled, left) sit on the counter-tops and a rack of sharp knives hangs on the wall

The pair sipped from the fancy tea cups while discussing hard hitting topics like Brexit, Donald Trump and abortion

In a message to the Prime Minister that she should stick to her Brexit red lines, the European Research Group (ERG) chairman stressed that it was a manifesto commitment to leave the customs union.

Mr Rees-Mogg also used the major interview to suggest that the 'reddest of red carpets' should be rolled out for Donald Trump and he should be allowed to address MPs and peers in Parliament if he wants to.

Mr Rees-Mogg's ERG has been accused of acting like Vladimir Putin's Russia by wielding a 'veto' over Brexit policy.

But Mr Rees-Mogg, who has previously described the Prime Minister's approach to Brext as 'enigmatic', insisted he backed her approach.

Peter, one of six children, looked shy as he made his way in front of the cameras to his father

The ERG wrote to the Prime Minister setting out their opposition to the proposed 'customs partnership' which would see the UK effectively levy import tariffs on behalf of the EU.

The Brexit 'war cabinet' of 11 senior ministers is subsequently thought to have split 6-5 against the plan, despite the Prime Minister's support for it.

The need to find a solution could lead to parliamentary pressure to accept remaining in a full customs union with the EU.

But Mr Rees-Mogg said: 'I trust the Prime Minister. She has said on so many occasions that she will take us out of the customs union.

'It was in the Conservative Party manifesto.

'That is the platform on which this country is being governed.

'It is bizarre to think that she would retreat from that promise.'

The backbencher, tipped as a future Tory leader, denied wanting to be prime minister and warned colleagues against attempting to oust Mrs May.

'My general view is that the Conservative Party, when it does that sort of thing, when it has those periodic fits, causes itself more problems than solutions,' he said.

'The Margaret Thatcher instance is the best case in point and that left the party damaged for 30 years.'

Ahead of the US president's visit to the UK in July, Mr Rees-Mogg said he should be allowed to address Parliament.

Commons Speaker John Bercow has set out his opposition to Mr Trump being given the honour of speaking in Westminster Hall, the oldest and most prestigious part of the Palace of Westminster.

But peers have suggested that the president could speak in the Royal Gallery - as Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton did - where Mr Bercow's opposition would carry less weight.

Mr Rees-Mogg told Sky News: 'Our relationship with the United States is our most important foreign relationship and whoever the president of the United States is, it is in our interest to treat him with the greatest respect and courtesy.

During the wide-ranging interview the Tory MP restated his strict views on abortion

'If that is what Mr Trump wants to do, of course it would be sensible to lay out the reddest of red carpets for him.

'He is a major ally. We have so many interests in common.'

Mr Rees-Mogg invited the cameras into his Somerset country house for the wide-ranging interview which will do little to diminish speculation about his political ambition.

But asked if he wanted to be prime minister he said: 'No. I like being the Member of Parliament for North East Somerset.'

Speaking to Kay Burley in his kitchen, he restated his strict views on abortion, informed by his Catholic faith.

'It is never licit,' he said.

He said a situation where an expectant mother did not want to be pregnant he said: 'You have got to think about the new life as well as the older life - there are two lives, that's the point.'

But if the mother's life was at risk 'then it's not a question of abortion' because 'the duty of the physician is to preserve life and if the preserving of the mother's life means that the child's life cannot be preserved, that is something that may happen'.
President Trump knew about his attorney Michael Cohen's hush money payment to Stormy Daniels several months before he denied any knowledge of it in April, according to two people familiar with the arrangement.

The issue of whether the President was aware of the $130,000 payment made just before the 2016 election is the subject of a rapidly-evolving scandal, which took a new turn this week after Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said his boss had repaid Cohen.

The insiders told the Times they were unsure exactly when Trump learned about the money transfer - intended to stop Daniels discussing their alleged affair - but he knew about it by the time he made his denial in April.

The issue of whether the President (left, speaking to the press at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on May 4) was aware of the $130,000 payment to the porn star (right, on Friday entering a Pittsburgh strip club) just before the 2016 election is the subject of a rapidly-evolving scandal

Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, signed a nondisclosure agreement with Cohen several days before the presidential election. The porn star has now sued to have it made invalid because Trump never signed it himself.

The lawsuit has now spiraled into questions about whether the payment made to secure Daniels' silence violated campaign laws, as could be the case if the money was sent with Trump's knowledge or to benefit his run for president.

If this was the case then it should have been declared, according to legal experts.

Cohen has insisted he paid the money out of his own pocket without the then candidate's knowledge. Trump, meanwhile, has denied the affair and insisted the agreement was organized by Cohen to prevent embarrassment to his family, not to help his presidential bid.

Asked why Cohen had made the payment on Air Force One in April, he replied: 'You'll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael Cohen is my attorney. You'll have to ask Michael.'

Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, (pictured outside court on April 26) signed a nondisclosure agreement with Cohen several days before the presidential election

The issue resurfaced again on Wednesday after new Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani told Fox's Sean Hannity on Wednesday that Trump had reimbursed Cohen the money.

On Thursday, Trump attempted to clarify his stance in a series of early morning tweets.

The president explained that he paid Cohen a monthly retainer 'from which he entered into, through reimbursement, a private contract between two parties, known as a non-disclosure agreement, or NDA'. He insisted it was nothing to do with the campaign.

But hours later Giuliani appeared to contradict that comment as well during an interview on Fox and Friends.

He said the money had been made to make the controversy 'go away', suggesting that it was intended to aid Trump's election prospects.

'Imagine if that came out on October 15, 2016, in the middle of the last debate with Hillary Clinton,' he said. 'Cohen didn't even ask. Cohen made it go away. He did his job.'

Giuliani also put the repayment at '$460,000 or $470,000', which is far more than the $130,000 the attorney said he wired Daniels.

The President hit back by saying Giuliani had 'only started a day ago' and would 'soon get his facts straight'.

Giuliani appeared to cast doubt on Trump's claim not to have been aware of his attorney's action after he told Fox & Friends on Wednesday that the President had repaid Cohen 'from a personal account'

Trump articulated a new line of defense on Thursday morning, saying his attorney Michael Cohen was repaid for his $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels through an ordinary legal retainer

On Friday, Mr Giuliani then backed away from his previous suggestion that the October 27 settlement had been made because Mr Trump was in a critical phase of his campaign.

'The payment was made to resolve a personal and false allegation in order to protect the president's family,' Mr Giuliani said in a statement released on Friday.

Daniels (pictured on January 27) is suing Trump to have the nondisclosure agreement overturned

'It would have been done in any event, whether he was a candidate or not.'

The Times also quoted sources who said that Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg knew Cohen was being reimbursed for the money in the form of a $35,000 monthly retainer.

The money came from a trust that holds the President's personal fortune, the sources added.

When questioned again on the payments on Saturday, Trump insisted he had remained consistent in his explanations and accused reporters of pursuing a 'witch hunt'.

Mr Trump's irritation was plain when reporters reminded him of his previous denial.

He blasted the media for focusing on 'crap' stories like the Daniels matter and special counsel Robert Mueller's probe over Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

The president claimed 'virtually everything' reported about the payments  which are the subject of legal action and media attention  has been wrong, but he declined to elaborate.
The Texas man who picked up his rifle, chased after and shot Sutherland Springs mass shooter Devin Kelley, was honored by the NRA on Friday.

Stephen Willeford, 55, of Sutherland Springs, Texas, was at the annual National Rifle Association meeting in Dallas, Texas, and spoke to the group's leadership from on stage.

Willeford had been hailed as a hero for his part in stopping mass shooter Kelley, 26, who was attempting to escape from the First Baptist Church after killing 26 people and wounding 20 others with an AR-15 rifle on November 5.

Stephen Willeford, 55, of Sutherland Springs, Texas, was at the annual National Rifle Association meeting in Dallas, Texas, and spoke to the group's leadership from on stage Friday

On that day, Willeford, who was at home, picked up his gun and run barefoot across the street to confront Kelley as he fled the shooting scene. Willeford then hopped into Johnnie Langendorff's truck and the two sped off in pursuit of Kelley.

During the confrontation, Willeford, a plumber with no military experience, was able to shot Kelley, who was wearing tactical gear, in a gap between his body armor, thus wounding him in the side.

Willeford was hailed as a hero for confronting mass shooter Devin Kelley (pictured) while he was attempting to flee the shooting scene on November 5

While on stage at the NRA convention Friday, Willeford said of Kelley, 'He had an AR-15 and so did I,' CBS DFW reported.

Willeford, an NRA member who was certified as a NRA instructor, also said, 'I took care of my community on that day and I'd do it again.'

'We are the people that stand between the people that would do evil to our neighbors. I'm nothing special. Look at you guys, everyone one of you guys would do what I did,' he noted to the crowd.

Willeford was awarded a lifetime membership to the NRA and received an original stock certificate from 1844.

He was also given the opportunity to star in a NRA advertisement, which was posted online on April 30.

In the minute-long recruitment ad, Willeford recounts the day of the shooting with the First Baptist Church in the background of the shot.

'My daughter came into the bedroom and she said, "Dad, theres a man in black tactical gear shooting up the baptist church,"' Willeford says in the ad.

As text on screen calls the Sutherland Springs shooting 'the site of the worst church shooting in American history,' Willeford says, 'Every one of those shots, to me, represented one of my neighbors, one of my friends, and I ran as fast as I could.'

He then describes the volley of gunshots he and Kelley exchanged during their confrontation and says that both he and Kelley had AR-15s.

Willeford, a longtime NRA member, starred in a new NRA ad, recounting how both he and mass shooter Kelley were armed with AR-15s and opened fire on each other the day of the shooting

The First Baptist Church (pictured in November) is seen in the background of the NRA ad

On November 5, Willeford (left) confronted Kelley. After Kelley escaped, Willeford jumped into Johnnie Langendorff's truck and the two sped off in pursuit of Kelley

'Its not the gun, its the heart. It's a matter of the heart,' Willeford says. He then concludes the ad by saying, 'Im not the bravest man in the world or anything, but I was here. I was here and I could do something and I had to do something.'

After Willeford exchanged fire with Kelley outside the church that day, Kelley drove off. Willeford then jumped into Langendorff's truck and they pursued Kelley at speeds reaching up to 90mph.

When Kelley lost control of his car and crashed, Willeford exited Langerdorff's truck, with his gun drawn, and approached Kelley's vehicle. By that time, Kelley was dead from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head.
Sarah Zorn, 21, became The Citadel's first female Regimental Commander Friday

A 21-year-old cadet has become the first female Regimental Commander at The Citadel, a famous military college in South Carolina.

Sarah Zorn officially stepped into the position on Friday in a ceremony during the class of 2018 graduation.

The college junior is the first woman to lead the Corps of cadets at the 175-year-old institution that was previously exclusive to male students until it became co-ed in 1995.

Friday's ceremony saw the exiting Regimental Commander Dillon Graham hand her a sword as they transferred titles as 2,400 people watched on.

Zorn is now the highest ranking cadet at the school with command of over 2,000 cadets.

'I do a lot of strategic planning for the citadel, so it's my goal to look at how we're doing and how we're performing, how we can improve, how we can sustain what were doing,' Zorn said to WCBD.

Zorn, pictured center, officially stepped into the position on Friday in a ceremony during the school class of 2018 graduation

Zorn said she was inspired by her mother who was an Air Force veteran who passed away while she was in high school for instilling a love of country in her.

She won a four-year Army scholarship and will serve for at least five years after graduation, according to the New York Times.

Speaking on her milestone accomplishment that will see her go down in history as the first female Regimental Commander at the prestigious school, she said she never felt limited in her achievements as a woman.

'I think that women are fully embraced as cadets here. You hear a lot of times from fellow cadets, and even from alumni, that having women here has even improved the college,' she said to the New York Times.

'Youre treated as an equal and you are expected to perform as an equal,' she added.

Zorn said it wasn't an easy process to become commander.

'There are a few steps, you go before what they call a Rank Board, it's like a job interview, and you go through different stages of those boards, and eventually you're chosen,' she said.

The ceremony Friday saw Zorn exchange a sword with exiting Regimental Commander Dillon Graham as the graduates watched on

Zorn and Graham shake hands in the center of the field to mark the transfer of power, making Zorn the highest-ranking cadet at the prestigious military school

Day to remember: Students and staff watched on to celebrate the historic milestone

Retiring Citadel President Lt. General John Rosa commended Zorn for her accomplishment.

'I've known Sarah, we've all known Sarah, for four years now. The thing about Sarah is she's not about being the first of anything. She says 'I want to be the best regiment commander I can be,' he said.

When asked if she was worried with the responsibility to oversee more than 2,000 cadets she said: 'Take care of your people and everything else will take care of itself'.

Although Zorn expressed feeling equal to her male peers at the school, it was not always such a welcoming environment.

Shannon Faulkner was the first woman to gain full admission into the college and faced vicious bullying for trying to attend the school.

Shannon Faulkner, pictured above, was the first woman to be offered full admission at the school in 1995, but faced such relentless bullying that she dropped out a week later

Faulkner, pictured center, walks with her company during her first week at The Citadel in August 1995

She was plagued with death threats, sexist phrases were spray-painted onto her parents home, and she had to be escorted to class on the first day by federal marshals.

She enrolled in 1995 after a two-and-a-half year legal battle that forced the males-only school to accept her.

She dropped out one week later.

Zorn's title as the highest ranking cadet is a testament to the school's strides towards gender equality and has inspired other female pupils at the school.

'It says we can. It says we can be with the guys  that we can do this,' Catherine Hill, 18, said.

The school said 10 percent of The Citadel's 516 graduates are women.

Nine percent of all undergraduates are women. Since 1999, 475 women have graduated from the Southern school.
A heartbroken mother has spoken of her torment for the first time after her children were snatched by her husband and taken to war-torn Libya to stop them leading a Western lifestyle.

Tanya Borg last saw her two daughters three years ago just before they were abducted by Mohammed El Zubaidy and taken to his original homeland.

El Zubaidy, who came back to the UK and was jailed for 12 months in March for failing to comply with a court order to return the girls, told her he would rather go to prison than bring his daughters back to Britain, she claims. Despite a long legal struggle, the girls  now aged six and 18  remain with his family in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

Now, speaking exclusively to The Mail on Sunday, Ms Borg, 38, has revealed how she fears her daughters are being forced to live a strict Muslim existence with little or no freedom or education, hardly leaving the decaying flat they share with her mother-in-law in a country where there is little rule of law.

Tanya Borg in 2011 with her husband Mohammed Elzubaidy and their children

She said: It has broken me. Ive got no idea how much danger the girls are in. They have probably been in a house for three years and havent been anywhere. I just want help to get my children home.

Ms Borg first met El Zubaidy when she was 18 in Malta, where the pair were living and working. She is half-Maltese on her fathers side. They were married in 2000.

Before the abduction, Ms Borg and 39-year-old El Zubaidy lived a comfortable life in Pewsey, Wiltshire. They had three children, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Ms Borg, who chose not to take her husbands surname, said when the siblings were younger, El Zubaidy was far from a hands-on father. She also added that, despite being Muslim, he was never devout and did not pray or go to any local mosque.

But as the children got older he became increasingly keen for them to live according to Islamic cultural traditions, she said.

In 2012, El Zubaidy took the three siblings to Libya to see his dying father, leaving Ms Borg behind. Then, in a chilling warning of what was to come, he issued an unexpected threat to their mother that he would not bring them home unless they began attending an Islamic school at the weekends.

Ms Borg was not in favour of this form of education, but agreed to the demand for fear he might carry out this terrifying threat.

On his return, El Zubaidy became particularly strict with their eldest daughter, who had now become a teenager. He wouldnt let her go to a sleepover when she was at an age when she wanted to be with her girlfriends and have a laugh, Ms Borg recalls.

He banned her from speaking to boys. She started an Instagram account, but he made her delete everything. She would come down with a strappy top and hed make her go and get changed.

Hed say, You want her dressing like a slut. She would want to sit in her room listening to music, but he wouldnt let her have a bit of privacy. I believe he didnt want her to live a Western lifestyle.

In contrast, her younger brother was allowed much more freedom and could sit in his room playing computer games.

Despite the increased levels of control being exerted by El Zubaidy, life for the family settled down for some years.

That is until February 2015, when he announced that he wanted to take the children abroad to see his mother, who was apparently staying in Tunisia. As a pre-school teacher, Ms Borg was again forced to remain behind due to her work commitments.

However, without his wife knowing, when El Zubaidy arrived in Tunisia he immediately took his children on the treacherous journey across the border to Libya. Ms Borg then got the phone call that would cause her world to fall apart. I was frantic waiting to hear they had arrived safely and then when Mohammed finally called, he said, Im in Libya at my mums.

I knew as soon as he said he was in Libya that he wasnt bringing the children back.

In 2016, Ms Borg managed to get her husband to come back to Britain with their son by making a false promise that she would sign over custody of all three children to him.

She then took the opportunity to obtain a High Court order for him to return her daughters, which El Zubaidy made little effort to comply with  leading him to be given two consecutive jail terms within the last nine months. Ms Borg has had no contact with her daughters since March 2017, when she had a brief conversation with her eldest, telling her how desperately she missed her.

The mother-of-three has made numerous requests to the Foreign Office for assistance to get the girls out of Libya. But the British Embassy in Libya closed in 2015 as the country descended into civil war and saw an expansion from IS following the downfall of the countrys long-time leader, Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Ms Borg now believes her only hope of getting her daughters back is if she puts her own life at potential risk and goes to Libya herself.
Senator John McCain's inner circle is reportedly planning his funeral and want Vice President Mike Pence at the service - but not President Donald Trump.

Those close to the Republican Arizona senator have told the White House that their current plan is for Pence to attend the funeral, the New York Times reports.

Trump, who once blasted McCain as 'a mess' during his CPAC speech in February, is not on the list. The Times cites McCain's 'rocky relationship' with the president as the reason Trump is reportedly not invited.

McCain is battling an aggressive form of brain cancer. The 81-year-old politician was diagnosed last July, and is undergoing treatment.

In a tweet on Friday, Meghan McCain said she was headed home to Arizona to be with her family.

Those close to the Senator John McCain have reportedly told the White House that the president it not invited to McCain's eventual funeral

A report claims that Vice President Mike Pence (left) was invited, but not President Trump (right), who McCain has a very contentious relationship with

McCain, pictured on Capitol Hill in November 2017, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer last July

'Thank you all again for your prayers, patience, understanding and compassion during this time. It means the world to me and my entire family,' she posted, adding that she will be back on The View, which she co-hosts, on Tuesday.

Last month, the senator was hospitalized with an intestinal infection. Meghan McCain, who flew home to be by his side, shared a photo on Instagram of them together writing that he was in 'stable condition.'

'He continues to inspire me everyday with his intense grit and determination,' she posted. 'Thank you to the doctors at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix and to everyone who is praying for him.'

'He continues to inspire me everyday with his intense grit and determination,' daughter Meghan McCain wrote last month after the senator was hospitalized with an infection

McCain and Trump have had a very contentious relationship. Trump was criticized when he infamously mocked McCain's status as hero in the Vietnam War during a 2015 Family Leadership Summit, saying McCain was only a war hero 'because he was captured'.

'I like people who weren't captured,' he said.

Trump also got the CPAC crowd to boo McCain in February when he mentioned the senator voting against his senate colleagues with a thumbs down when they tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

'Remember, one person walked into a room, where he was supposed to go this way, and he said he was going this way, and he walked in and he went this way and everyone said, "What happened? What was that all about?" Boy, oh, boy,' Trump said avoiding the mention of McCain's name.

McCain tweeted Friday that she was taking a short leave from The View to head home to Arizona to be with her family. She's pictured above with her father, John McCain

'Who was that?' he continued. 'I don't know. I don't want to be controversial, so I won't use his name. Okay. What a mess.'

Trump made the comments after he had called Meghan McCain to say he would not mock her ill father anymore.

According to the Times, McCain is 'still in the fight' despite his ailing health. The politician is still handling conference calls from his Arizona ranch and visiting DC when he came.

The outlet reports that McCain's close friends, including former Vice President Joe Biden, have been spending time with McCain at his home.

'I wanted to let him know how much I love him and how much he mattes to me and how much I admire his integrity and his courage,' Biden told the Times after his hours-long visit. 'I wanted to see my friend.'

The funeral will be held at the National Cathedral in Washington DC, the report claims.
A bullish President Trump has predicted success for the Republican Party in the Midterms as he talked up his tax cuts during an event in Ohio on Saturday.

'We're going to do very well in the midterms,' Trump told a group of small business owners in Cleveland. 'The poll numbers are pretty good. They actually say that I'm popular  can you believe it?'

The round table discussion was intended to highlight the benefits of the new Republican tax law, and saw business owners discussing how they had benefited from a reduced bill.

'We're going to do very well in the midterms,' Trump told a group of small business owners in Cleveland on Saturday. 'The poll numbers are pretty good'

Trump slammed the Democrats for their 'weak' position on immigration and health care, reserving particular ire for Democratic Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, who he urged voters to ditch in favor of Republican candidate Jim Renacci.

The President said Renacci would be 'fantastic', adding that 'we need his vote very badly'. He then criticized Brown by saying she shares the Democrats 'deep-seated' support for looser immigration rules.

Striking a celebratory tone, Trump recounted the successes of his first year in office and quoted a Rasmussen Reports which puts his approval at around 50%.

Trump also looked ahead to his meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. 'We have the time and place all finished,' he said, but he wouldn't predict the outcome of the talks, saying, 'we'll see what happens.'

Trump urged voters to vote for Ohio Republican Senate candidate Jim Renacci, (left) who he called 'fantastic'

The round table discussion was intended to highlight the benefits of the new Republican tax law, and saw business owners discussing how they had benefited from a reduced bill

Turning to immigration, Trump said people entering the U.S. illegally are taking advantage of 'catch-and-release' practices and don't show up for their immigration court dates.

And he again appeared to threaten a federal government shutdown if he did not achieve his aims, adding: 'We may have to close up our country to get this straight.'

He also said U.S. protectionist trade policies and his more isolationist policies would benefit Americans.

Trump pledged a strong stand on trade to achieve 'a level playing field,' saying that 'other countries, they put themselves first. ... The fact is we want to be first.'

'We'll be taking care of our people,' he added.

Turning to immigration, Trump said people entering the U.S. illegally are taking advantage of 'catch-and-release' practices and don't show up for their immigration court dates

Trump slammed the Democrats for their 'weak' position on immigration and health care, reserving particular ire for Democratic Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown (pic on April 14)

Trump also attended a fundraiser for Trump Victory, the joint committee funding his campaign and the Republican National Committee.

He met first with high-dollar givers and then addressing a larger group of about 250 donors. The RNC said Trump raised $3 million during the events.

Trump's visit comes as Republicans are facing an increasingly challenging midterm election environment.

Ohio has several competitive races this November. The GOP is placing its election hopes on convincing Americans that the tax law is improving their lives, as the party seeks to skirt political headwinds emanating from the White House.
Two uncles of new Home Secretary Sajid Javid have been accused of running a cash for visas scam targeting migrants who wanted to get into Britain.

His relatives are alleged to have conned people in Pakistan out of money after promising to obtain documents which did not materialise.

One of the uncles is also understood to have offered to help Pakistanis enter Britain by arranging marriages for cash.

Family of new Home Secretary Sajid Javid (pictured left), including uncle Khalid Abdul Hamid (pictured right) have been accused of running a cash for visas scam targeting migrants

Sajid Javid, far right  then only 25  attending the 1995 wedding of his brother Basit, centre, in the north-eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, where the MoS has been told UK Study had a second office. Basit is now a superintendent with West Midlands Police. On the left is Abdul Ghani Javid, Sajids father, who died in 2012 in Bristol aged 70

Last night, those who handed over money for visas told The Mail on Sunday they had not received the documents  with one saying he was given fake papers instead.

The allegations could be embarrassing for Mr Javid, who was last week appointed Home Secretary with the task of sorting out the Governments tangled immigration policy, after Amber Rudd was forced to resign over the Windrush scandal.

The alleged racket was run by Abdul Majeed, who lived in Pakistan until his death seven years ago, and brother Khalid Abdul Hamid, 69, who now lives in Bristol.

Mr Hamid last night said a few student visas has been successfully arranged  but denied claims of a scam as lies designed to target Mr Javid.

According to some residents in the village of Lasoori in north-eastern Pakistan, where Mr Javids family still own a home, the two men had been arranging visas for would-be migrants since the 1990s. And in 2006, Mr Majeed set up a company called UK Study, based in nearby Rajana.

The Mail on Sunday has been told that, as well as offering English lessons, the firm helped students wishing to travel to Britain and other European countries to get visas.

On one occasion it is alleged that Mr Majeed said he could help people get to Britain by arranging marriages in the UK.

This newspaper spoke to three people who claim they handed over money to Mr Hamid but never received the paperwork they paid for. Retired farmer Muktar Masih, 70, who lives in Lasoori, said he sold his prized tractor to pay the 160 fee but was given documents he was later told were forgeries.

He said: I was told I would be sent to England for better work opportunities, and was duped into paying around 25,000 rupees [160].

I was told I could pay the rest of the visa money once I arrived in England. I was then given some visa documents, but everybody I showed it to said the papers were fake. So I never went abroad.

Retired schoolteacher Abdul Hameed Qasir, 78, said he paid 1,270 in 2006 in the hope of coming to Britain, but no visa materialised.

He said: I was promised a visa and gave the money but I got no visa in the end and no money back. I was angry.

'I sold tractor to pay for a UK Visa' Farmer Muktar Masih, 70, who lives in Lasoori, sold his tractor to pay the 160 fee for a UK visa but claims he was given documents he was told were forgeries. Mr Masih said: I was told I would be sent to England for better work opportunities and was duped into paying around 25,000 rupees [about 160]. I was told I could pay the rest of the money once I arrived in England. I was then given some visa documents but everybody said the papers were fake. So I never went abroad. Farmer Muktar Masih, 70, from Lasoori Advertisement

Businessman Shahid Iqbal, 42, who lives in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, said: Hamid and Majeed spoke excellent English and many students used to go to them to study English.

'I was so angry. I realised I'd lost my cash' Businessman Shahid Iqbal, 42, who lives in Pakistan capital Islamabad, said: Hamid and Majeed spoke excellent English and many students used to go to them to study English. Hamid said he had sent some people to England for work and could also send me if I gave him money. I paid him 320 but he never sent me abroad. He never gave me any receipt or any other document. When I realised I had lost the money, I was very angry. Shahid Iqbal, 42, from Islamabad Advertisement

Hamid said he had sent some people to England for work and could also send me if I gave him money. I paid him 320 but he never sent me abroad. He never gave me any receipt or any other document. When I realised I had lost the money, I was very angry. We are poor people.

'I gave 1,200 but was left with nothing' Retired schoolteacher Abdul Hameed Qasir, 78, who lives in a village near Lasoori, said he paid over 1,200 in 2006 in the hope of coming to Britain but no visa materialised. I was promised a visa and gave the money but I got no visa in the end and no money back. I was angry. I gave Hamid around 200,000 rupees [1,270] and then he vanished. At that time his brother Majeed died and I lost contact with the family. Nobody arranged my visit to England or returned my money. Abdul Hameed Qasir, 78, from near Lasoori Advertisement

Khalid Mehmood, 59, a trader in farming products from Lasoori, claimed Hamid offered to arrange marriages so men could obtain a spouse visa. He said: Hamid told many people he could send them to England. He used to tell youngsters that he would marry them off and get visas for England. But it never happened.

Saifur Rahman, who comes from Rajana and now lives in Bristol, said he had once visited the brothers office in Pakistan where Mr Majeed told him: We are arranging marriage in the UK.

The claims were backed up by Haji Tahir, vice-chairman of Lasoori Union Council, the equivalent of a local council leader, who said he had received complaints against Mr Hamid and Mr Majeed.

He said: People in the area told me that they felt cheated. They said it was a so-called immigration network which has taken money from several people by telling them that they will be sent abroad.

Mr Hamid last night confirmed that his brother Mr Majeed had run a business arranging student visas. He said that at times he had helped his brother  but he strenuously denied any wrongdoing , adding: I never heard my brother cheating anyone.

He claimed that the allegations were an attempt to smear Mr Javid. He said: Its absolutely lies, because they are saying it against my nephew, its all rubbish, I dont believe it, they are telling lies.

Mr Hamid added: My brother ran the business from Rajana and Lahore, helping with student visas  adding that he occasionally worked with him, too.

When asked how many students he helped to send to the UK and other countries, Mr Hamid said that it was just a few, adding that his brother closed the business down about two years before his death.

Mr Hamid added that he once worked at the British consulate in Mirpur in Pakistan and moved to the UK after marrying a British woman he met there.

A spokeswoman for Mr Javid said last night he knew absolutely nothing about the claims concerning his uncles.

Asked if Mr Javid knew they ran an immigration business, and if so, whether he had informed Mrs May on being appointed Home Secretary, the spokeswoman declined to elaborate. She said Mr Javids earlier denial covers it.

Theresa May introduced a tough student visa regime when she was Home Secretary as she believed too many overseas students were illegally overstaying once their courses finished.

The Government has repeatedly tightened the rules, although Mrs Mays tough stance is a source of Cabinet tension.

She has resisted pressure from fellow Ministers including Boris Johnson to remove them from official immigration statistics.

Mr Javid was appointed Home Secretary on Monday after Amber Rudd was forced to resign after unintentionally misleading MPs over deportation targets.

In his first Commons speech in his new post, Mr Javid disowned the Governments controversial hostile environment approach to illegal immigrants  but vowed to continue efforts to curb numbers.

Sympathising with those hit by the Windrush scandal, he said: Like the Caribbean Windrush generation, my parents came to this country from the Commonwealth in the 1960s. They too came to help rebuild this country.

When I heard that people who are outstanding pillars of their community were being impacted simply for not having the right documents to prove their legal status in the UK, I thought it could be my mum, my brother, my uncle  even me.

Student visa system 'is open to abuse'

Overseas students provide a valuable source of income for UK universities but there have long been fears that the system is being abused.

Anyone from outside Europe who wants to study for a degree here has to be offered a place on a course, pay 348 for a Tier 4 student visa, pass an English test and then pay up to 18,000 annually in tuition fees  twice the normal rate.

Latest figures show that 312,660 non-EU students are here, and it has been claimed that all international students contribute 20billion a year to the economy. But in 2014, an undercover BBC investigation alleged that a network of agents was helping people cheat English tests, overstate their qualifications and obtain fake documents.

Suspected bogus colleges were shut down and their students deported, although lawyers and some MPs now claim many were innocent victims of fraud.

Separately, Prime Minister Theresa May warned in a tough conference speech in 2015 that many people were illegally staying in Britain after they graduated.

However, a study published last summer found that just 4,600 students overstayed their visas in a year, far fewer than claimed.

The Prime Minister is under pressure to remove students from immigration figures.
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Meghan Markle's father was spotted at a suit fitting on Friday as the Royal Wedding approaches in just two weeks.

Earlier this week royal aides finally confirmed that the Suits actress will have both of her parents, father Thomas Markle Snr and mother Doria Ragland, at her wedding to Prince Harry on May 19.

On Friday Thomas, 73, was sized up by a tailor near his home in Rosarito, Mexico, to get ready to walk his daughter down the aisle.

Thomas Markle Snr, 73, was spotted at a suit fitting in Rosarito, Mexico, on Friday in preparation for walking his daughter Meghan, 36, down the aisle when she marries fiance Prince Harry on May 19 at Windsor Castle outside London

Thomas was sized up by a backstreet tailor in the small town where he currently lives. Royal sources said Meghan is thrilled to have the former Hollywood lighting director at the wedding along with her mother Doria Ragland, 61

Meghan, pictured with her father Thomas in her younger years, has admitted that she is a 'daddy's girl' even though her father divorced her mother when she was just six

After months of uncertainty, it has finally been confirmed that Thomas and his ex-wife Doria Ragland, 61, will travel to the UK in the week before the ceremony at Windsor Castle.

'Ms Markle is delighted to have her parents by her side on this important and happy occasion. It's very important to her that both her parents have roles in her wedding,' a spokesman for Kensington Palace said.

This week it was also revealed that Prince Harry still hasn't met his fiancee's father - but the pair have already spoken on the phone.

A source told the Sun: 'Thomas cannot wait to fly to the UK to see Meghan and meet Prince Harry for the first time. He will be extremely nervous, but his family are backing him.

'Despite some of the squabbles in the family, he is the one who joins them all together. He still has the respect of virtually everyone.'

Harry is also believed to have called Thomas at his home in Mexico to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage last year.

The full details of the schedule for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's big day have finally been released by Kensington Palace

This week news emerged that Meghan's Ralph & Russo dress will cost the royal family 100,000. Meghan gave the public a sneak peak of what she may look like on the big day when she donned a wedding dress for an episode of the TV show Suits

Harry's brother Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, has been tapped to be the best man. The two are pictured at Pippa Middleton and James Matthews' wedding in Englefield, Berkshire, in May 2017

Sources who saw Thomas at the tuxedo shop on Friday said the father was 'all smiles' as he was fitted.

The former Hollywood lighting director was casually dressed in black trousers and a navy polo shirt.

A young shop worker was seen assessing his arms, neck, waist and legs with a measuring tape.

Sources have said the measurements will be sent on to a top tailor in London.

Thomas is shown cradling Meghan as an infant. Meghan has admitted that she is a 'daddy's girl' even though her father divorced her mother when she was just six years old

Meghan is pictured with her mother Doria Ragland, 61, who is a professional yoga instructor and social worker

Meghan's parents will both be introduced to all senior members of the Royal Family including the monarch, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in the week before the big day.

The palace said the Queen, Charles and William would all be involved in the wedding - but it has emerged that 96-year-old Prince Philip could miss the event as he continues to recover from his hip operation on April 4, with an aide simply saying that they 'very much hope' he will attend.

The page boys and flower girls at the ceremony are thought to include Prince William and Kate's children Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The Duchess of Cambridge will be there on the day, but not with Prince Louis, who was born on April 23.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, pictured with their new son Louis in London on April 23, will also be at the wedding

Princess Charlotte and Prince George, pictured watching the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London on June 17 last year, are expected to be involved in the bridal party later this month. Their new baby brother Louis will not be in attendance

Harry is heartbroken that his own mother, the late Princess Diana, won't be at the wedding, but has reportedly made sure that his late mother's family will play a significant part in proceedings as a way of 'celebrating the memory' of Diana, Princess of Wales.

All three of Princess Diana's siblings  Earl Spencer, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale will be present with their families  and Lady Jane will give a reading during the service.

The spokesman added: 'In addition to having the support of The Queen, his father The Prince of Wales, and his brother Prince William as Best Man, Prince Harry is also keen to involve his mother's family in his wedding.'

Harry is heartbroken that his mother, the late Princess Diana, won't be at the wedding, but is reportedly planning a tribute

Harry and Meghan's wedding ceremony will take place at St George's Chapel (above) on the grounds of Windsor Castle

Preparations for the royal wedding continued in Windsor on the Long Walk this week, with just over two weeks to go

Further details around wedding day were also released by Kensington Palace during a briefing for media Friday including:

The couple will spend, as according to tradition, the night before their wedding apart.

There will be no American-style maid of honor and all of the couple's page boys and bridesmaids  who are expected to include Prince George and Princess Charlotte  will be children.

The couple will not go on honeymoon straight away  and will, remarkably, undertake their first public engagement as man and wife just days after the ceremony.

The couple's guests will arrive at St George's Chapel between 9.30am and 11am on May 19. Guests will be arriving at the Round Tower by coach and will be seen walking to the South Door of St George's Chapel.

Members of The Royal Family will begin to arrive from 11.20am, and enter St George's Chapel via the Galilee Porch. Some will be on foot, and others will arrive by car.

Prince Harry and his brother The Duke of Cambridge, who is his best man, will arrive at St George's Chapel most likely by foot and will enter via the West Steps. This will allow Their Royal Highnesses to acknowledge the 1,200 members of the public invited into the Castle precincts, including the 200 charity representatives gathered in the Horseshoe Cloister at the bottom of the steps.

On the morning of the wedding, Meghan will get ready with her mother and girlfriends at a mystery location. Mother and daughter will be filmed leaving in their car together.

Meghan and Doria will stop just before they get to the venue. Doria will then head on into the chapel through the entrance reserved for members of the royal family, while Meghan will be joined by some of her Bridesmaids and Page Boys before she continues her journey to the church, entering via the West Steps.

The Service will take around an hour and afterwards the newly married couple will process out of the church and acknowledge the 200 representatives of Prince Harry's charities gathered in the Cloister. A spokesman said: 'The couple are delighted that these people who will be such an important part of their official work in the years to come will be the first people they see after their wedding.'

As the couple step into their Carriage, close family members will gather on the West Steps to wave them off on their Procession, which is due to take just under 25 minutes. A spokesman added: 'Prince Harry and Ms. Markle are very much looking forward to this part of the day. It will be their chance to express their gratitude for the goodwill and warm wishes they have received from all quarters in the months since their engagement.'

Members of the congregation will file out of the church onto the grass to see the start of the Procession before walking to the reception at St George's Hall. All guests will be attending the reception at St George's Hall in Windsor Castle afterwards, which will last until around 3.30pm.

Later the bride and groom will be photographed by media departing Windsor Castle for the evening reception at Frogmore House.

Harry and Megan are pictured in one of their engagement photos taken in the UK in December

The couple met in July 2016, started dating publicly in November 2016 and announced their engagement in November 2017

A spokesman for the couple said: 'The bridesmaids and page boys are all children. Ms Markle will not have a maid of honour. She has a very close group of friends and didn't want to choose one over the other.

'They have been actively involved in helping her prepare for the day and will be there with her the day before in London. She will be pleased to have their support on the day but they have no official role.'

Who are the key players in Harry and Meghan's wedding party? Best man : Prince William

: Prince William Father of the bride : Thomas Markle

: Thomas Markle Ushers : Rumoured to be Tom Skippy Inskip, 31; Charlie Van Straubenzee, 29; Tom Van Straubenzee, 35; Adam Bidwell, 42; Arthur Landon, 37; William Van Cutsem, 38; and Mark Dyer, 52.

: Rumoured to be Tom Skippy Inskip, 31; Charlie Van Straubenzee, 29; Tom Van Straubenzee, 35; Adam Bidwell, 42; Arthur Landon, 37; William Van Cutsem, 38; and Mark Dyer, 52. Flower girls : Rumoured to be Princess Charlotte, three; Benita Litt's twin daughters, five; and Jessica Mulroney's daughter Ivy, four

: Rumoured to be Princess Charlotte, three; Benita Litt's twin daughters, five; and Jessica Mulroney's daughter Ivy, four Page boys : Prince George, four; and Jasper Dyer, five

: Prince George, four; and Jasper Dyer, five Dianas siblings : Earl Spencer, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale Advertisement

Kensington Palace said: 'The couple will be going on honeymoon but not straight away and I can say that they will have their first engagement as a married couple the week after the wedding, which we will be making more announcement about soon.

'They will not conduct any more engagements between now and the wedding. '

Asked whether the couple would kiss for the cameras on the steps of the chapel, their spokesman laughed: 'I have no comment on kissing today.'

A Kensington Palace spokesman said: 'On the day itself we expect Windsor to be very busy. The council has worked with partners including Thames Valley Police to plan what will be a fantastic day of celebrations.

'As the Royal Borough of Windsor has said, work is well underway to ensure the occasion is a memorable and joyous one for all involved and they are working closely with a wide range of partners.

'Rail operators will be putting on extra trains and there will be park and walk and park and float services (arriving by boat) to help people get into town.

'Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead and book all travel arrangements early so they can make the most of their trip.

'I would very much appreciate the media's assistance in spreading the message that visitors to Windsor will have a chance to be part of a very special day, but those who will be heading to the town really do need to plan their journeys carefully.'
Held in a loving embrace, the latest addition to the Royal Family receives a gentle kiss from his older sister Charlotte to wake him from his peaceful slumber.

And in a second photograph, the pink-cheeked Prince Louis looks much more alert as he takes in his new surroundings at Kensington Palace.

The touching snaps  taken by his mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, and released yesterday  are the first glimpses of the Prince since he was taken home from St Marys Hospital where he was born 13 days ago.

A touching photograph taken by the Duchess of Cambridge shows Princess Charlotte giving her little brother Louis a tender kiss on the head

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's third child looks adorable in white in the first photographs since he was taken home from St Marys Hospital, where he was born 13 days ago

They strongly resemble those that the Duchess, 36, took of Princess Charlotte as a newborn, when she was cradled by her older brother Prince George.

The new images show Charlotte, who was three on Wednesday, immediately warming to her big-sister role, resting baby Louis in her lap and instinctively placing a protective arm around him.

In a touching nod to the closeness between the siblings, Louis, just three days old, wears a cream jumper and legging set that Charlotte wore for as an infant for her own first portrait. The matching set by Irulea is now called the Princess Charlotte set.

Prince George giving Prince Charlotte a kiss on the head in a snap very similar to the most recent picture of Princess Charlotte with Prince Louis

Prince George cradling his little sister Princess Charlotte when she was a newborn. Like the the newest snaps of Prince Louis, it was taken by the Duchess of Cambridge

Meanwhile Charlotte is seen wearing a navy blue cardigan by royal favourite Fina Ejerique that was sported that George donned for a Vanity Fair family portrait celebrating his grandmother the Queen's 90th birthday.

The last time the public saw Charlotte was when she arrived at the West London hospital to meet Louis for the first time with her father, the Duke of Cambridge, and four-year-old George, who is absent from the latest pictures, possibly because they were taken while he was at school.

The Palace said William and Kate were very pleased to share the photographs, adding that the couple wanted to thank the public for all of the kind messages they have received following the birth of Prince Louis, and for Princess Charlottes third birthday.
Women started to freeze their eggs about a decade ago for so-called social reasons

The frozen eggs of women who are desperate to become mothers are being destroyed because of an appalling and unjust law limiting how long they can be stored.

Women started to freeze their eggs about a decade ago for so-called social reasons, fearing they would become infertile before they had met Mr Right.

As the law stands, eggs that are stored for this reason have to be destroyed after ten years has expired  even though the cells themselves do not deteriorate.

By contrast, eggs that have been frozen because women have an underlying medical issue, such as infertility due to cancer treatment, can be kept for up to 55 years.

Now, Britains top fertility doctors have launched a campaign to scrap what they say is a cruel and outdated law that could affect hundreds of women.

They say it is leading to the heart-breaking situation of women having their eggs discarded simply to comply with a faulty law. When their eggs are lost, so too are their chances of bearing their own genetic child.

Within a few years, hundreds of women will face the same prospect as egg-freezing has become rapidly more popular, fear the medics.

They say the rule is also having the perverse effect of deterring women from freezing eggs in their most fertile years  their 20s.

The medics have been joined by campaigners who have just launched a parliamentary petition.

Last night, gynaecologist Peter Bowen-Simpkins, executive medical director of the London Womens Clinic, said: We have women being told they have to destroy their eggs. Its just appalling.

It seems totally unjustified to allow one set of women to keep their eggs for 55 years and tell another group  who have perfectly good reasons for storing their eggs  they can only keep them for ten.

Dr Gillian Lockwood, medical director of IVI Midland fertility clinics, said the ten-year limit was arbitrary and cruel.

Frozen eggs did not go off, she said, explaining: Whether an egg is frozen for ten days or 20 years makes no difference to its integrity.

Professor Joyce Harper, Professor in Human Genetics and Embryology at UCL Institute for Women's Health, who is running the campaign, said: If women are going to freeze their eggs, it is best to freeze them when they are younger, ideally in their twenties, when eggs are at their healthiest.

But under the current law they would have to use those eggs within ten years. We already treat women up to and over age 50 with donor eggs from younger women, so why shouldn't women of that age be able to use their own eggs, 'donated' to themselves when they were younger?'

The 2009 regulation was drawn up when most women who froze their eggs did so because of underlying premature infertility, she said, typically due to cancer treatment.

Since 2010, egg-freezing has grown six-fold in popularity, with the number of freezing cycles at UK clinics increasing from 200 to almost 1,200 in 2016. While there are no official statistics on the split between medical and social reasons, embryologist Alison Campbell, of Care Fertility, said around 75 per cent of egg-freezings at its clinics were now for social reasons.

Britains top fertility doctors have launched a campaign to scrap what they say is a cruel and outdated law that could affect hundreds of women

Dr Zeynep Gurtin, of the London Womens Clinic, said women who pioneered social egg-freezing around a decade ago were now hitting the legal wall. She said: We have already witnessed the heart-breaking situation of one womans eggs having to be discarded, against her wishes, and we have 19 more patients facing a similar situation.

She added: Its very troubling that womens precious eggs are being discarded against their will.

Mohammed Taranissi, of the Assisted Reproduction and Gynaecology Centre in London, said eggs from several of his patients had been destroyed as well.

Some have applied to take them abroad but he said the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which regulates fertility treatment, had insisted they did so at least six months before the legal expiry date.

Professor Adam Balen, former chairman of the British Fertility Society, described the law as nonsensical. Ideally a women is in her mid to late-20s when she freezes her eggs, which means she would need to use them in her mid to late-30s under the current law.

The HFEA was asked to comment but a spokesman said it was for the Department of Health and Social Care to respond. A DHSC spokeswoman said: There are no plans to reconsider this legislation.
Meghan Markle's cannabis-growing nephew stands to make a fortune from 'Markle Sparkle', a new strain of marijuana created in honour of the royal wedding.

The 206-an-ounce 'extremely potent' blend is as 'unique and individual' as Meghan according to her nephew Tyler Dooley, 25, and is so strong 'it will blow anyone's crown off.'

Dooley, who grows marijuana in Oregon where, it is legal, plans to launch 'Markle Sparkle' on June 2 at the High Times Cannabis Cup in Sonoma, California - the world's biggest celebration of marijuana which attracts tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world each year.

Meghan Markle's nephew Tyler Dooley (left) is selling a special strain of marijuana called Royally Grown, in honour of the wedding

Dooley applied for the patent to the new strain this week: 'It's a secret blend and the high is amazing. It's very potent and smells of blueberries. It is unique and classy like my aunt. She and Prince Harry are welcome to a free sample any time. I know Harry has always enjoyed a good party. I'd like to think he and my aunt will approve of this.'

Tyler and his mother Tracy Dooley, who was married to Meghan's half-brother Tom Markle Jr., have created an umbrella company called 'Royally Grown' and could potentially earn millions from marketing the new strain alongside other products including edible products like Markle Sparkle-infused brownies, oils and tinctures.

There is a 'Royal Relief' oil made up of Cannabidiol (CBD) oil which does not contain any THC, the substance in cannabis which makes users high.

The medicinal marijuana oil is said to help relieve pain and reduce inflammation.

Businesswoman Tracy who is handling the legal and marketing side of the company, says they plan to expand 'Royally Grown' to offer dozens of products including an organic hemp clothing line, make-up, skincare products. jewelry and bath products: 'Everything will be of the highest quality. We want to live up to the royal standard,' Tracy said.

Mr Dooley has applied for a patent for the new strain, saying: 'It is unique and classy like my aunt. She and Prince Harry are welcome to a free sample any time'

'We plan to build a global empire like the Kardashians.'

Tracy, 50, known as 'Mama D.', started her first business at 15 and successfully ran four flower shops, added: 'The company will encompass medical marijuana but also other hemp uses like clothing, paper goods and household items, fashion and beauty. We are all so proud of Meghan and everything she's accomplished in her life. We want our products to live up to the royal standard.'

Tracy, Tyler and Meghan's other nephew T.J.,26, will be in the UK as wedding correspondents for Good Morning Britain.

Tracy, a recovering alcoholic, says she believes Royally Grown will be part of the multi-billion dollar a year legal marijuana business: 'Even though it is not yet legal in England medical marijuana is one of the fastest-growing businesses in the world, particularly here in the States.

'Meghan has done brilliantly and has worked hard to achieve her dreams and now we're hoping to achieve ours.'

Tyler added: 'We're going to make joint papers, accessories, grinders, edibles. In Oregon we produce the premier strains of outdoor, sun grown cannabis and Markle Sparkle is the best of the best. Harry has always enjoyed a good party. I like to think he'd approve.'

Experts predict the product will be a hit.

High Times spokesman Jon Cappetta said: 'If the quality of the strain matches the hype over it's name, Markle Sparkle has the potential to be very lucrative. Title strains like Blue Dream, Sour Diesel, or OG Kush are sought out by name across the world, and in turn can command higher rates. These are decades old strains we're talking about. If this hits in the way they are hoping, it will not only make money for years to come, it actually has the potential to outlast the marriage.'

https://www.cannabiscup.com/sonoma/
Donald Trump and Prime Minister Theresa May held talks amid controversy over the US President's comments on knife crime in London.

A White House statement said both leaders 'reiterated they are looking forward to the President's visit to the United Kingdom in July'.

US President Donald Trump (pictured left) and UK Prime Minister Theresa May (pictured right) held talks amid controversy over his comments on knife crime in London

They also discussed Iran, where the UK is seeking to persuade Mr Trump not to abandon the nuclear deal, and the situation in North Korea.

There was no reference in the White House statement to the president's remarks about 'blood all over the floors' in a London hospital which was like a 'war zone' because of knife crime.

The White House statement said: 'President Donald J. Trump spoke today with Prime Minister Theresa May of the United Kingdom.

'The two leaders discussed the promotion of fair and reciprocal trade, particularly with regard to China.

'As planning continues for his upcoming meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, President Trump emphasised his goal of a denuclearised North Korea.

'He also underscored his commitment to ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. Both leaders reiterated they are looking forward to the President's visit to the United Kingdom in July.'
Former New York City Mayor and President Donald Trump's newest attorney Rudy Giuliani on Saturday called for 'regime change' in Iran.

In a freewheeling discussion on US foreign policy at the Iran Freedom Convention for Democracy and Human Rights in Washington, Giuliani said in order to 'bring freedom to Iran' the country must remove supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from power.

'Freedom for any oppressed people helps all of us,' added the 73-year-old former politician.

Rudy Giuliani (pictured sitting) advocated for the overthrow of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in order 'bring freedom to Iran' on Saturday

The 2018 Iran Freedom Convention for Democracy and Human Rights is an event meant to show support for Iranian citizens (Pictured: Giuliani mocks tearing up the Iran deal)

It's 'the only way to peace in the Middle East' and 'more important than an Israeli-Palestinian deal,' the former politician told reporters after the conference.

The 2018 Iran Freedom Convention for Democracy and Human Rights is an event meant to show support for Iranian citizens who oppose their government, according to CBS News.

Giuliani, who is not a government employee, also commented on the Iran nuclear deal, which the President has called 'insane,' 'ridiculous' and something that 'should have never, ever been made.'

Known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Trump has until May 12 to certify Iran's compliance with the accord

'What do you think is going to happen to that agreement!' Giuliani said of the deal, before pretending to rip a piece of paper apart.

Known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Trump has until May 12 to certify Iran's compliance with the accord or reimpose stifling sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

The deal was first signed between world powers and Iran in July 2015 during the administration of former President Barack Obama.

Giuliani also offered his thoughts on North Korea, which is currently holding three American hostages and is in deliberations with the US on its own nuclear program.

Reiterating a statement he made earlier this week, Giuliani said that there was a 'good chance' the captured US citizens would be released very soon, even though administration officials deny there are any updates on the matter.

Giuliani made headlines this week after saying that the President had 'reimbursed' his personal lawyer Michael Cohen for his $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Legal experts say that the payment, made just weeks before the 2016 presidential election, could be interpreted as an illegal campaign contribution.

Days later, he attempted to clarify his comments on the Stormy Daniels matter by issuing a statement claiming he only referenced his understanding of what transpired when he appeared on Fox News Wednesday, not the President's understanding of the matter.

That clarification came after Mr. Trump said Giuliani is new to the legal team and would need time to 'get his facts straight.'
Lily with a Red Bull energy drink which she bought from Sainsbury's

A ban on selling high-caffeine energy drinks to children is being flouted by some of Britains biggest supermarkets, a Mail on Sunday investigation has revealed.

Waitrose, Sainsburys, Asda and Aldi announced a ban on the sale of Red Bull and similar drinks including Relentless and Monster to under-16s in March.

It followed concerns over the harm being done to youngsters physical and mental wellbeing.

But just weeks later, when the MoS put the policy to the test at one branch of each of the four supermarket giants, cashiers sold the drinks to our 12-year-old shopper without asking for any age ID.

The beverages already come with a warning that they are not recommended for children because they contain high levels of caffeine. UK sales of the drinks  which can also contain 20 teaspoons of sugar  have soared to 2 billion a year. Almost 70 per cent of British teenagers and one in four under-tens regularly consume the drinks, according to the European Food Safety Authority.

Scientists have warned of health risks to youngsters, and British food-labelling rules mean that drinks with more than 150mg of caffeine per litre must carry a message that they are not recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women. Studies have revealed links to sleeplessness, rapid heart rate and seizures. The teachers union NASUWT recently called the energy drinks legal highs that fuel bad behaviour in school and hamper concentration and academic achievement.

In our trial, schoolgirl Lily  with the permission of her parents  visited a branch of each of the leading nine supermarkets to purchase energy drinks, with instructions to admit that she was 12 if asked by staff.

But she was not challenged by cashiers at Waitrose, Asda, Sainsburys and Aldi, and was freely able to purchase the energy drinks.

At a branch of Waitrose in Western Road, Brighton, Lily bought a 473ml can of Red Bull  which contains 13 teaspoons of sugar and 150mg of caffeine  for 1.89, without being asked for ID. At Sainsburys in Hollingbury, near Brighton, she was sold a 355ml can of Red Bull for 1.60. The drink contains 114mg of caffeine  equivalent to two cups of strong filter coffee.

At Asda in Hollingbury she bought a 250ml can of Red Bull, containing 80mg of caffeine, for 1.26. And at an Aldi store in London Road, Brighton, Lily bought a six-pack of Aldis own-brand Red Thunder, which has 75mg of caffeine in each 250ml can. The multi-pack cost 1.29. At no stage did any member of staff at any of the four stores ask the schoolgirl for ID or question her about her age or who the drink might be for. They simply told her the price and took her money.

Lily said: I cant believe it. All the supermarkets said they wanted to ban children like me buying this type of energy drink and yet a large proportion of them are still selling them without asking for ID.

It just goes to show that the supermarkets say one thing and do another.

The stores which refused to sell energy drinks to Lily and requested ID were Tesco, Morrisons, Co-op, Lidl and Iceland. All stores visited were in the Brighton area.

A Waitrose spokesman said: Weve trained all staff to ensure we only sell high-caffeine energy drinks to customers aged 16 or over. Were investigating what happened in this instance.

An Asda spokesman said: We have been working hard to ensure the age restriction is implemented. Were sorry we did not meet our high standards on this occasion and will continue to do the right thing for our customers.

Sainsburys said: We have voluntarily committed to preventing the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s.

Our colleagues have been trained to make sure the age restriction is properly observed and were investigating with the store.

And a spokesman for Aldi said: We are disappointed our voluntary ban was not upheld in this case, and have reiterated to all colleagues our policies regarding the sale of age-restricted products.
PM Phuc made the remark while receiving Fumio Kishida, Chairman of the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan, in Hanoi on May 4th.

The PM stressed that since its inception 45 years ago, Vietnam-Japan relations have recorded comprehensive, strong and practical growth in all fields, while political trust between the two nations stays at high level.

He thanked Kishida for his contributions to the bilateral ties when he worked as Foreign Minister and Secretary-General of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, expecting that Kishida will continue his support to the bilateral cooperation.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) presents a souvenir to Fumio Kishida, Chairman of the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (Photo: VNA)



For his part, the Japanese official said he was happy to see that Japan has become a leading foreign investor in Vietnam again with a record number of over 1,700 businesses investing in the Southeast Asian country.

Praising Vietnams economic growth of 6.81 percent last year, he said Japan wants to contribute to the countrys infrastructure development, including urban railway projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Japanese companies are very interested in the Vietnamese market, Kishida said, adding that Vietnam and Japan should strengthen their cooperation in regional and international matters.

PM Phuc said the room for bilateral collaboration remains large, suggesting the countries enhance political trust by increasing the exchange of delegations, particularly high-level delegations, and deepening ties between their parties and parliaments.

He suggested the two sides coordinate in organizing activities to celebrate the 45th founding of diplomatic ties in 2018, and increase people-to-people and cultural exchanges between their localities to boost mutual understanding.

Having thanked Japan for its effective support to the Vietnamese economy via its official development assistance (ODA), PM Phuc said Vietnam attaches importance to the funds and spares no efforts to carry out its ODA commitments with Japan.

He went on to say that Vietnam wants to continue using Japanese ODA in building major infrastructure projects and training human resources in response to climate change.

The government leader hoped that Japan will maintain its position as the top foreign investor, and invest more in the local supporting industry, new energy, processing industry, and high-tech agriculture.

The PM recommended the two countries push up bilateral trade, and asked the Japanese side to assist Vietnam in improving the quality of goods and logistics services, and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese fruits and aquatic products to enter the Japanese market.

PM Phuc and Kishida also spent time discussing the maintenance of security, peace and stability in the region./.
On a spring morning nearly 60 years ago, a handsome stable lad  who just happens to be shirtless and washing himself in a water barrel  looks up to find the future leader of the Liberal Party eyeing him intently.

This, at least, is how the forthcoming BBC drama A Very English Scandal depicts the first fateful encounter between Norman Scott and Jeremy Thorpe, whose illicit affair led to a Westminster cover-up and a botched murder attempt, culminating in the 'trial of the century'.

But, Scott complains, film-makers invested the scene with an overt sexual edge more redolent of Poldark. 'It wasn't like that at all,' he tells The Mail on Sunday.

Elsewhere in the three-part series, which promises to be one of the TV highlights of the year, Scott says his story is frequently reduced to comedy, with the writers wrongly portraying him as a 'needy weakling'.

'Artistic licence is fine but this isn't my story,' he says. 'And there's nothing funny about someone trying to kill you.'

BBC drama A Very English Scandal depicts the illicit gay affair between Norman Scott and Jeremy Thorpe, starring Hugh Grant as Thorpe and Ben Wishaw as Scott

Scott gave advice where he could on the film and was given a personal screening last month at his Grade I listed farmhouse on Dartmoor.

Starring Hugh Grant as Thorpe and Ben Whishaw as Scott, the drama follows the fantastical events preceding the 1979 trial when the dashing politician was accused of conspiring to murder his former lover because he believed he was hellbent on ruining him.

Four years earlier, Scott had been lured to a lonely moor by a hired gunman who shot dead his dog, Rinka. When he turned the gun on Scott, it jammed.

Scott, 78, says of the film: 'It's not Ben's fault  he is a wonderful actor  but throughout the film I'm portrayed as this poor, mincing, little gay person.

'It's ridiculous. I also come across as a weakling and I've never been a weakling. My friends will be horrified when they see it.

'Sadly they've also turned it into a bit of a comedy. It's far too light, given what happened. They showed selected critics the first episode and the producers were pleased because they laughed through a lot of it. But my story isn't a comedy  it's about the total destruction of a person.'

The month-long Old Bailey trial ended in Thorpe's acquittal, but the verdict could not salvage his glittering career.

But the real Scott (pictured) is angry his ordeal, in which he was almost murdered, is being presented as a comedy

It was, of course, a very different era: his brief affair with Scott was conducted in the early 1960s when homosexuality was illegal.

After the trial, Thorpe retreated from the public stage and the scandal passed from collective memory.

But the new drama from acclaimed writer Russell T. Davies and director Stephen Frears is set to revive the affair for a whole new audience.

Scott believes that while the film is beautifully acted, it reinforces the 'false notion' that he was neurotic and pitiful.

It also freezes him in time as a stable boy when, by the time of the trial, he says he had a varied career behind him.

'In the film I always seem to always have a broom in my hand shovelling s***.

'I am made out to be a mere stable boy for much of it, but that is so far from the truth. I competed in showjumping, I rode at Badminton [Horse Trials] and I taught riding.

I lived in some beautiful houses and ran my own businesses. I had a successful modelling career.'

Of his first encounter with Thorpe at stables in Oxfordshire, Scott says that far from being shirtless that morning, he was dressed 'very respectably'.

The illicit affair between Scott (pictured back in the day) and Thorpe led to a Westminster cover-up and a botched murder attempt, culminating in the 'trial of the century'

He says: 'I was grooming a horse called Harbour Light, and in those days you dressed smartly: shirt and tie, tweed peaked cap and a brown stockman's coat.

'The film shows Ben stripped to the waist with his wet hair dripping after washing himself in a water butt.

That never happened. When they showed me this scene I was absolutely aghast. They've turned it into a very sexual thing. I sat there thinking, 'Oh dear. This is not going to be what I thought it would be.' '

Referring to the much-talked about moment when actor Aidan Turner appears topless in the BBC's brooding Cornish saga, he adds sardonically: 'They've turned me into the new Poldark!

'It is true that I was shy and nervous when I first met Thorpe, and Ben has captured that time. But I didn't remain that person.

'I wasn't a mouse of a character and I wasn't obsequious. There were many years between that first meeting and the trial, and I became a different, stronger person. Yet this is sadly not reflected in my film character.'

'It's ridiculous. I also come across as a weakling and I've never been a weakling. My friends will be horrified when they see it,' Scott said (Wishaw pictured right as Scott)

The drama is based on a book of the same name by John Preston, published after Thorpe's death in 2014.

Scott says: 'I felt it was a huge mistake to use this book. I told the film-makers that what Preston was saying wasn't absolutely right. But they already had an idea in their heads of what I should be like.

Ben was wonderful. Stephen Frears was nice. The producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins was lovely. But they just haven't got it.'

Later, over a pre-production meeting in a Soho restaurant, Scott told Whishaw, who is himself gay, some of his story.

'It absolutely shocked him. He is part of a generation who could grow up in freedom, so far as sexuality is concerned.

I later learned that he cried quite a lot during filming. It must have occurred to him what my generation went through.'

Born in 1980, Whishaw knew nothing of the scandal but says he was drawn to the story on a 'human level' and by 'the strangeness of the situation these men found themselves in'.

Scott also spent an afternoon with wardrobe staff. 'They wanted very precise detail on what I wore at the time, which is why it's so surprising that other factual details in the film are wrong.'

After visiting Thorpe at the Commons, the drama shows the pair driving to the Surrey home of the MP's formidable, monocle-wearing mother Ursula.

Scott is introduced as 'Peter' and Thorpe invents a cover story. Later that night, the MP sneaks into his young friend's bedroom.

'This scene appalled me because it implied that I understood Thorpe, who knew I was vulnerable, wanted sex with me,' says Scott.

'I wasn't expecting him and I didn't know what was happening. All my sexual experiences had been with women.

'He got into bed and waited until I had stopped crying before he pinned me down. But in the film he kisses me a lot in the bedroom then says, 'Get down on all fours'.

'That absolutely did not happen. Why not film what actually happened? This is supposed to be a historical account and it should be right.

'When I saw that, I wished I'd said I didn't want to be involved in the film. But they would have done it anyway.'

Wishaw, as Scott, in a state of undress talks to an unseen man, likely Grant as Thorpe

The film touches on bisexual Scott's relationship with Welsh postmistress Gwen Parry-Jones, who encouraged him to go the Liberal Party with his story.

'She was a tiny, elegant woman but in the film you see her walking up a hill, all blonde and blowsy. Next thing she is in the caravan which is rocking madly because we're having sex. That didn't happen.

'I was living in a lovely mill house at the time. But they invented the caravan and made Gwen out to be a tart.'

The film also installs a newly married Scott in 'a shed in some woods' when in fact he and his wife Sue, an art historian at the Tate Gallery, 'lived in a beautiful Georgian house in Dorset'.

Scott adds: 'When the plot later moves to South Molton in Devon they have me sleeping in a stable loft. The truth is some dear friends were letting me live in a beautiful Robert Adam-designed house.

'These things may seem small in themselves but they feed into a false, needy and embittered theme.

'My friends will tell you it just isn't true. They are going to be horrified. The film never mentions my friendship with Margot Fonteyn, living in a house in Chester Square, London, or the Dakota Building in New York, working for years at shows as a respected horse judge and other successes of my life.

'I'm sure viewers will love it, though.'
Mankind may be good at destruction but weve also created extraordinary works of art, too.

The BBC series Civilisations featured about 500 examples in more than 31 countries  and you can see your favourites on one of these brilliant cultural trips.

Most prices include meals, accommodation and guides.

1. JORDAN

Petra is carved out of rock and came to prominence in about 300 BC

One of the worlds most spectacular sights, ancient Petra is carved out of rock and came to prominence in about 300 BC. An eight-night escorted tour, Jordan: Land Of The Nabateans, includes a candlelit visit to the unforgettable Rose Red City.

From 2,299pp, departing October 26 (toursprestigeholidays.co.uk, 01425 480600)

2. EGYPT

The Colossi of Memnon are among the wealth of unforgettable treasures youll enjoy on a ten-night Classic Egypt tour. The trip includes a Nile cruise and three nights in Cairo with visits to the Pyramids and Egyptian Museum.

From 1,216pp (discoveregypt.co.uk, 020 7407 2111)

3. EASTER ISLAND

A highlight of a 16-day Chile And Easter Island holiday, departing November 12, will be standing in front of the monolithic figures called moai, carved by the Rapa Nui between 1250 and 1500.

From 6,995pp (andantetravels.co.uk, 01722 713800)

4. ITALY

When in Rome: The ruins of the Forum, the hub of the ancient city

A five-day tour, Rome: The Art And Architecture Of Power, departing September 5, takes in everything from the Forum to the Capitoline Hill, plus treasures such as Neros Golden House. Cambridge lecturer Dr Nigel Spivey will join the trip.

From 1,795pp (www.coxandkings.co.uk, 020 3642 0861)

5. CHINA

The Terrocotta Warriors (above) are a collection of sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China

Meet the incredible Terracotta Warriors and one of the farmers who found the buried army in 1974 on a 12-day Highlights Of China trip. You will also visit the Great Wall and Beijing.

From 2,795pp (bambootravel.co.uk, 020 7720 9285)

6. GREECE

Archaeologists Heinrich Hall and Dr Maria Girtzi lead a 14-night Exploring The Peloponnese trip, departing May 2 and October 10. Highlights include Olympia and the extraordinary Hermes of Praxiteles.

From 4,425pp (petersommer.com, 01600 888220)

7. NAMIBIA

See exquisite rock paintings, some more than 4,000 years old, in Namibias Brandberg, Spitzkoppe and Erongo mountains. The 11-night holiday is led by guide Bruno Nebe.

From 3,189pp (expertafrica.com, 020 3405 6666)

8. INDIA

Historian Asoka Pugal leads a 14-day Essential India trip, departing February 23, 2019. It includes three nights at Khajuraho to see the famously spectacular temples.

From 5,780pp (martinrandall.com, 020 8742 3355)

9. ITALY

Head to the beautiful Tuscan city of Florence for three nights for some sightseeing, which can include a private tour of the art treasures of the Accademia Gallery, with Michelangelos magnificent statue of David.

From 768pp (kirkerholidays.com, 020 7593 2283)

10. MEXICO

Follow the Aztecs, Zapotecs and Maya on a fascinating adventure through Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras on a 21-night Mysteries Of The Maya & Aztecs escorted tour.

From 3,095pp (vjv.com, 020 3553 3722)
Continuing our series featuring the holiday memories of famous people, this week actor Nigel Planer, 65, recalls his lifetime of adventures

My first holiday: We went to Watergate Bay near Newquay. Dad joined us for the weekends  he had to work so hard in those days. We tried surfing on the massive long beach, and went to Clovelly, the little cobble-stone village. We drove all the way to Cornwall in Mums Ford Popular, and it took hours. Talk about are we nearly there yet? There was bingo in the hotel and Frank Ifields I Remember You was top of the Hit Parade, so that means it must have been 1962. I was nine.

First trip abroad: A school trip to Brussels, to see the big silver Atomium building built in 1958 which looks like a massive molecular model. Apart from that, I cant remember much of this trip except that it rained the whole time.

Nigel (above) in his favourite place, India. His next trip is to Japan, where he expects to have his 'mind blown'

First school trip: See above. But the second school trip was much more like it! Went on a cruise to Tangier in Morocco and Lisbon and Madeira. That one must have set my parents back a bit. I remember the excitement of the quay at Tangier and seeing a different culture with camels, pointy slippers, fez hats and strange music. I loved it.

My honeymoon: Which one? I have a chequered career in the marriage department. But the latest, and definitively last, was in Corsica  a lovely place, very exciting, exclusive, and er expensive. We had a gorgeous time and ate a lot of fish.

My best holiday ever: As a writer for The Mail on Sunday I have had some amazing trips. But my favourite was going on a Pandaw river cruise in Asia. They treat you so well on these beautiful boats, and you get to visit out-of-the-way places. Another was looking for freshwater dolphins in Cambodia.

Having a laugh: Nigel aged two, with his big brother Geoffrey in 1955

Worst holiday: I can remember being so moody and sulky on several holidays when I was young  it would be fair to say that its the people youre with that make or break a holiday, so Im sure that Ive given one or two people the worst holiday of their lives. But a week in the Canaries when I got food poisoning does spring to mind.

Holiday Ive always wanted to take: I always think its over too soon. Id love to be able to afford the time and money at the end of the two-week trip to say: And now were moving on to Bali, and then a couple of weeks in Australia, before pootling back home via Peru.

My favourite place: Until recently, I would have said India every time, but now Im opening up to new possibilities. Im always the most excited by the next trip, which happens to be Japan, where I have never been. I am reading up like mad, and preparing to have my mind blown.
Jacqueline Jossa has contacted a mystery girl to quiz her over an alleged night of passion with her estranged husband Dan Osborne, MailOnline can exclusively reveal.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, was contacted by the heavily pregnant former EastEnders' star on social media this week, after Jacqueline heard on the grapevine that Dan, 26, allegedly had sex with the woman last summer, just months after their fairytale wedding.

In her message, the actress demanded to know if there was truth in the matter, insisting that she won't be angry with her if there is.

Claim: Jacqueline Jossa, 25, has contacted a mystery girl - who wishes to remain anonymous - after hearing on the grapevine that her husband Dan Osborne, 26, allegedly had sex with her last summer, MailOnline can exclusively reveal

Jacqueline wrote: 'Hi, I've just been told something and I need to hear it from you really. I'm not the type of girl to blame the girl etc and all I want is the truth.

'Did you sleep with Dan Osborne after a night in Brickyard? I don't want things to get ugly... so I am just giving you a chance to tell me so that things don't get that far.

'Again I'm not going to blame you it's just a simple yes or no, I really need to know. Thanks x [sic].'

Speaking to MailOnline, the woman claims she had a one-night stand with Dan last August after being mutual friends for a while, and meeting by chance in an Essex bar.

She alleges the former TOWIE star told her that he was 'on a break from Jacqueline and things weren't working out' when they met.

She wants the truth: Messaging her via social media, the actress demanded to know if there was truth in the matter, insisting that she won't be angry with her if there is

'I won't blame you': Jacqueline poured her heart out in the emotional Twitter message, sent earlier this week, where she appeared to be getting closure on her split from Dan

She revealed: 'At the time I didnt want to split them up and felt sorry for Jacqueline so stayed quiet. I thought no one wants to hear that about the person they love and its not worth them separating over especially as they have a family

'I felt guilty as they were obviously in a relationship, but my friends reminded me that I was told otherwise by him and I was single.

'I felt awful for Jacqueline but didnt want to be the reason they split up. Now they already have, and she has asked me directly I cant lie to her.'

The woman said she felt 'surprised, shocked, and awful' when she heard that Dan was still with Jacqueline and had been consumed by guilt, so felt compelled to tell her story after Jacqueline messaged her.

Coming clean: Speaking to MailOnline, the woman claims she had a one-night stand with Dan last August after being mutual friends for a while, and meeting by chance in an Essex bar - Pictured, Dan and Jacqueline in 2006

Honest: The woman said she felt 'surprised, shocked, and awful' when she heard that Dan was still with Jacqueline and had been consumed by guilt, so felt compelled to tell her story after Jacqueline messaged her

She said: 'Yes I felt guilty as they were obviously in a relationship, but my friends reminded me that I was told otherwise by him and I was single. I felt awful for Jacqueline but didnt want to be the reason they split up.'

On hearing the news of the couple's split, the woman said: 'I thought maybe he had cheated on her again.'

The woman said she felt 'incredibly sorry' for Jacqueline since the split but said: 'She's a smart girl and if she chooses to stand by Dan then that will be her decision.'

MailOnline has contacted Jacqueline and Dan's representatives for further comment.

The couple's split was revealed earlier this week. with reports stating the couple were getting into 'a string of heated rows' and that Dan failed to contact Jacqueline during his recent trip to Marbella, causing their fierce disagreements.

During said trip, Dan is said to have found solace in Love Island star Gabby Allen - but merely as 'a shoulder to cry on'.

Jacqueline appeared on Friday's Loose Women in a somewhat awkward interview, where she refused to divulge any candid details.

She did hint, however, that there is more to her split from her husband of less than a year, than previously thought.

Drama: Reports state that they were getting into 'a string of heated rows' and that Dan failed to contact Jacqueline during his recent trip to Marbella, causing their fierce disagreements

Coy: Jacqueline hinted there is more to her split from husband Dan Osborne than previously thought as she broke her silence on the reports during Friday's Loose Women

With her wedding ring still on during the chat, she confessed she's just trying to focus on their three-year-old daughter Ella and their unborn child.

She explained: 'I'm good, honestly. I think, when stuff goes on at home, it's not normal for it to be everywhere.

'But it's not necessarily true or the reasons why you're not getting on at the moment. That's all I really want to say but I'm all good.'

It has also been claimed Dan has moved out of the marital home and is now living with friends while the couple try to resolve their issues.

Soon after the reports emerged, Dan took to Twitter to vent his frustration at the aftermath as he asked why it was 'men who always get stick whenever a relationship goes through tough times.'

At loggerheads: Dan reportedly failed to text pregnant wife Jacqueline during his trip to Marbella - causing their huge rows

'Worst part': The EX-TOWIE star took to Twitter to vent his frustration at as he asked why it was 'men who always get stick whenever a relationship goes through tough times'

Dan tweeted: 'Whenever a relationship goes through tough times etc.. why is it always the man that gets stick..?

'When in "public eye", worst part is, the people trying to give me stick etc are people that DO NOT KNOW ME, do not know the situation.. so can please p*** off.... appreciated.'

Another tweet followed soon after: 'It had absolutely nothing to do with me working away, going away anywhere or anything to do with me having a laugh with friends on a boat... Suppose it makes an interesting read for the viewers though eh.'

'It kicked off a row': The actress, who is 32 weeks pregnant, was left furious when Dan failed to contact her, while at a holistic bootcamp with Gabby Allen and Stephanie Davis (above)

This comes after The Sun reported that the actress was left furious when Dan failed to reply to any of her messages, while soaking up the sun at a holistic bootcamp with the likes of Gabby Allen and Stephanie Davis.

A source explained to the paper that Dan was not on his phone much, as the Spanish fitness retreat encouraged guests to take a detox from technology.

However, his lack of contact reportedly infuriated Jacqueline, who was back at home caring for their daughter Ella, three, and preparing for the birth of their second child.

The insider said: 'Jacqueline had been trying to get hold of Dan all week at the bootcamp - she was messaging him all the time and he just wasn't messaging her back.

Bad to worse; However, the couple were thrown into more drama when Dan was pictured looking cosy with Love Island's Gabby Allen during his trip to Spain

Not happy: Dan fiercely hit out at fans who brought Gabby into his split with Jacqueline on Instagram

'He wasn't replying to her much because he was either taking a session or joining in with one.

'That's what kicked off a huge row - she was eight months pregnant at home alone and he was busy at work.'

Hitting back fans who brought Gaby into his split from Jacqueline, the reality star wrote fiercely on Instagram: '"Cosy" with another woman. I am speaking and laughing with a friend. But of course, a man and a woman cant be friends in this day and age can they? Also, you dont know me, dont know how I "act".'

United: Jacqueline has since echoed his sentiment on Twitter - and urged her fans to stop sending nasty comments about Dan, as they are still a 'team' despite their issues

Jacqueline echoed his sentiment on Twitter - and urged her fans to stop sending nasty comments about Dan, as they are still a 'team' despite their issues.

She said: 'No one needs to comment and get involved in things they don't know anything about.

'Daniel and I are dealing with things privately as a team, there is always 2 sides to every story. Stop with the nasty comments, no one deserves them.'

It has also been claimed that the pair are simply taking a break from each other - with divorce not an option, as they are still very much in love.
She's the proud mother to six young children with her husband Shannon Bennett.

And Madeleine West has revealed she hopes to steer her kids away from the 'cult of celebrity' as they grow up.

The former Neighbours actress, 37, admitted she doesn't want her brood to pursue a future in acting, which would bestow an 'undeserved sense of entitlement' on them.

Guess she's not a Married At First Sight fan! Madeleine West has blasted 'the cult of celebrity' and fears that children are being encouraged to pursue fame at all costs

'One of the greatest banes of society is the cult of celebrity. Kids are locked into it now, born into it, and they think it's the way to have a successful career - just to be adulated for adulation's sake,' she told the Herald Sun on Friday.

She added: 'There's nothing about hard work and the rewards that come with hard work, about being a success and having a fulfilling career and adding to society and helping other people. It is all about the cult of me, me, me.'

Madeleine explained that she feels the current generation think becoming famous will help solve all of life's problems - a misconception that leaves them vulnerable.

'There is an undeserved sense of entitlement, where it is, "I want it now". Being in the acting industry, it's something I see all the time. I don't want that for my children or for other people's,' she said.

Oh dear: The former Neighbours actress, 37, admitted she doesn't want her brood to pursue a future in acting, which would bestow an 'undeserved sense of entitlement' on them

Madeleine shares six children with her husband Shannon Bennett - Phoenix, 13, Hendrix, 10, Xascha, seven, Xanthe, six, and twins Xalia and Margaux, four.

She is currently promoting the latest installment in her popular children's book series Lily D V.A.P.

Speaking to Yahoo Be last month, Madeleine revealed that she was inspired to put pen to paper after she learned that her eldest, Phoenix, was being bullied.

Busy bee: Madeleine shares six children with partner Shannon Bennett - Phoenix, 13, Hendrix, 10, Xascha, seven, Xanthe, six, and twins Xalia and Margaux, four

'She merely said "I'm fat". When I asked what that meant she shrugged her shoulders and said, "It means I can't run fast or play on the monkey bars",' she told Yahoo.

When Phoenix's teacher told Madeleine 'in this age group there is nothing' in terms of books to help children deal with bullying, she decided to write her own.

'I thought right, I'm going to create a nine-year-old character who is something to aspire to and the kind of girl they want to be like and also have as a friend,' she said.

The actress created 'Lily D', a child method actor who learns to understand people from different walks of life by playing them in her drama classes.
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Earlier this week, The Block co-creator Julian Cress proved his skills as an architect extend beyond constructing smash-hit television shows.

The man who helped launch Channel Nine's long-running series sold his own renovation masterpiece on Thursday - a breathtaking converted warehouse in Annandale, Sydney.

The lavish, four-bedroom pad Julian and his wife Sarah inherited from his Archibald Prize-winning father Fred Cress upon his death in 2009 was sold for approximately $4.5million.

Luxury home: Inside the breathtaking Sydney warehouse sold for $4.5million by The Block co-creator Julian Cress (left) and his wife Sarah (right) after they converted the inherited estate into a modern design masterpiece

Luxury: The lavish, four-bedroom pad Julian and his wife Sarah inherited from his Archibald Prize-winning father Fred Cress upon his death in 2009 was sold for approximately $4.5million earlier this week

Julian told Realestate.com.au that he was 'heartbroken' after realising he would have to sell his 'dream home', but The Block moving production to Melbourne in recent seasons forced his hand.

McGrath Newtown did not disclose the final sale figure, but the publication believed it was close to or above the four-bedroom, three-bathroom abode's $4.5million asking price.

'Hidden at the end of a quiet laneway, this incomparable inner west retreat - the one time studio of Archibald winning artist Fred Cress - assures contemporary luxury of the highest standard, underpinned by a captivating sense of industrial sophistication,' the property listing stated.

McGrath also noted that the sun-drenched, semi-open-planned estate won the MBA's Excellence in Housing Award in 2015.

Start your engines! On the ground floor, a massive garage space was constructed, featuring a car display turntable and enough space for four vehicles

On the ground floor, a massive garage space was constructed, featuring a car display turntable and enough space for four vehicles.

A large, adjacent space also serves as a makeshift art gallery, displaying works from Julian's father, who originally used the warehouse as his studio.

Julian utilised the talents of his friend, architect and The Block co-creator Julian Brenchley, in developing the property, with the pair choosing to rely on the warehouse's existing industrial design elements.

Fit for a King! One of two downstairs bathrooms features a freestanding bathtub, copper metal wash basin, and a seamlessly integrated alcove shower

Exposed brick and copper light fixtures highlight the ground floor, while the upstairs living space was plastered over.

One of two downstairs bathrooms features a freestanding bathtub, copper metal wash basin and a seamlessly integrated alcove shower.

A set of wooden stairs with black metal handrails lead to the second floor living quarters.

Eat your heart out, Josh and Elyse! Huge ceilings give the space a luxurious sense of grandeur, while the glass walls separating the bedrooms retain the open-plan feel of a warehouse

Living it up! Two cosy living room spaces feature plush white couches atop designer rugs. They are adjacent to the third and fourth bedrooms on one end and a massive rooftop terrace on the other

Huge ceilings give the space a luxurious sense of grandeur, while the glass walls separating the bedrooms retain the open-plan feel of a warehouse.

The kitchen features black wooden cupboards and stainless steel appliances. A butler's pantry was also listed on the house plan.

Two cosy living room spaces feature plush white couches atop designer rugs. They are adjacent to the third and fourth bedrooms on one end and a massive rooftop terrace on the other.

Master: The spacious master bedroom has a king bed, outdoor seating area and skylight. Pictured is downstairs bedroom

The spacious master bedroom has a king bed, outdoor seating area and skylight.

Julian Cress and Julian Brenchley co-created The Block in 2003. The debut season was filmed in Sydney's Bondi.

From season four onwards, the show has been filmed in Melbourne - a decision that led Julian Cress to spend increasingly less time at the Annandale property.
Her boyfriend Scott Disick surprised her with the little dachshund pup earlier this year.

And Sofia Richie was every bit the proud pup parent as she cuddled her little canine Hershela during an outing in Malibu on Friday.

The 19-year-old lavished her adorable little pooch with affection as she enjoyed a sunshine-soaked day out in the seaside community.

Puppy love! Sofia Richie was every bit the proud pup parent as she cuddled her little canine Hershela during an outing in Malibu on Friday

Hair scraped back into a little ponytail, Sofia held onto her little guy while clad in a summery outfit that put her physique on full display.

She wore a dark T-shirt, Daisy Duke shorts, and had a leather purse slung on her shoulder.

The daughter of Lionel Richie also sported a small pair of black sunglasses and hoop earrings.

And to finish off the look, she kept her cool in black gladiator style sandals.

Keeping her cool! Hair scraped back into a little ponytail, Sofia held onto her little guy while clad in a summery outfit that put her physique on full display

Legs get going! Richie carried a plate of food after stopping by Vintage Grocers

Sofia introduced her little pooch to fans earlier this year in February.

She then revealed the pooch was a gift from her boyfriend Scott, who was the one to name the dog.

'My boyfriend named her I kind of just ran with it,' she told People. 'It made me laugh. I liked Hershey and he liked Hershela, so it was like a middle ground He wanted the dog for a while, but he ended up surprising me with it.'

Just the essentials! She wore a dark T-shirt, Daisy Duke shorts, and had a leather purse slung on her shoulder

'My boyfriend named her': Richie previously revealed the pooch was a gift from her boyfriend Scott, who was the one to name the dog

Sofia and Scott have been dating for nearly a year.

'I just think he's the male version of me,' Sofia told E! News. 'We have very similar humor.'

The couple were first linked in May last year when they were spotted cosying up to one another during a trip to Cannes, and confirmed their relationship four months later in September.

So in love: Scott and Sofia were first linked in May last year when they were spotted cosying up to one another during a trip to Cannes, and confirmed their relationship four months later in September
She was reportedly 'living in terror' after being stalked by an ex-lover.

But Colin Firth and his wife Livia Giuggioli, 48, put on a united front as they attended a screening for the documentary Forever Tasmania in The New York Edition on Friday.

The 57-year-old Oscar-winning actor looked happier than ever with his wife of 20 years at the event, after court sources reportedly revealed Livia's stalker - journalist Marco Brancaccia - could face up to five years in jail if convicted for the crime by Italian courts.

Closer than ever: Colin Firth and wife Livia Giuggioli put on a united front as they attended a Forever Tasmania documentary screening in The New York Edition on Friday

Colin was effortlessly casual in a black and grey checked look as he posed with Italian producer Livia, who added a pop of colour to her look in the form of yellow and brown printed trousers.

The Bridget Jones star embodied the silver fox with his grey locks as he sported thick-framed glasses to accentuate his look, while Livia added some sparkle to her ensemble with a gold metallic clutch.

The couple were joined at the event by Francesco Carrozzini and fiancee Bee Shaffer, who as the offspring of the late Vogue Italian boss Franca Sozzani and US Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour put on a typically stylish display.

Happy: Colin, 57, put on a casual display as he cosied up to his wife of 20 years at the event, following reports that Livia had been left 'living in terror' by a stalker hell

Livia attended the screening as the mind behind the film, which shows Colin travelling to Tasmania to see the impact that wool production has on the animals living there in a series aiming to raise awareness of environmentalism and sustainability.

Colin and Livia's outing came after prosecutors reportedly revealed they had enough evidence to go to trial with Livia's stalker Brancaccia, and under Italian law the journalist could face up to five years in prison.

After being charged with the crime, the Italian legal system states that a preliminary hearing will decide whether Brancaccia's case will proceed to full trial.

A preliminary hearing on Wednesday was meant to be held in Rome but has been postponed until July due to a lawyers strike.

Tough time: Court sources have reportedly said Livia was forced to 'change her life' following her stalker ordeal with ex-lover Marco Brancaccia after their relationship ended in 2016

Prosecutor Maria Monteleone said: There was evidence of stalking against the victim in the form of messages and emails.

She was very frightened and they were serious persecutory acts against her. She had to change her lifestyle because of the messages.

'She made her complaint in the prosecutors office in Rome and we recovered material from the defendants home.

Livia had a secret romance with Brancaccia while she and husband Colin were temporarily separated, and later accused her 55-year-old lover of a campaign of harassment when their one-year relationship ended in 2016.
Willow Smith was snapped walking in Manhattan on Friday in a casual ensemble of a black crop top with high-water blue jeans, with a rainbow colored wristband, white socks with stripes, and black slip-on Vans sneakers.

The 17-year-old daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith had a black purse over her shoulder and carried a paper bag as she headed to a nearby Apple store.

The Whip My Hair songstress was out and about in the city following her mom's candid reveal in a chat with Vulture about her upcoming Facebook Watch show, Red Table Talk.

Charismatic: Willow Smith, 17, was snapped walking in Manhattan on Friday in a casual ensemble of a black crop top with high-water blue jeans, a rainbow-colored wristband, white socks with stripes and black slip-on Vans sneakers

Jada said she was shocked after learning that Willow had gotten her first exposure to sex after accidentally walking in on her parents.

The Gotham actress said she came to find out about it during a discussion on the program, in which Jada welcomed her daughter along with her mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris.

'I realized she walked in on Will and I. We were doing the sex show, I was like, "What was your introduction to sex?"' the Collateral star told the outlet. 'She was like, "Well, you know, me walking in on you and Dad."'

Jada said she 'had no idea' that her daughter was peeping in on her encounters.

Cute: The daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, 17, had her hair in braids as she made her way through Gotham

iFun: Willow and a pal were headed to the Apple Store when she was snapped

Say what? Willow's mother Jada recently revealed that Willow told her she learned about sex after walking in on her and Will

'How did that happen?! I was like, "Lord have mercy, what did you see? Thank God I have some therapy fund put aside for you."' Jada told the outlet. 'It wasnt funny in the moment.'

Jada said she had no clue what had happened until Willow made the reveal on the show.

'I had never heard that, and she said that what she got from that was that she walked into a private space,' she said. 'She was like, "Thats private time." She said she didnt really see anything. But she knew she had just walked in on a very private moment.'

Shocker: Jada said she 'had no idea' that her daughter had peeped in on her encounter by mistake

Family affair: Willow can be heard with her mother Jada on Red Table Talk via Facebook Watch

Willow said that she has yet to break the news to Will yet, adding, she 'didnt tell him on purpose because [she thinks] itll be so funny.'

Red Table Talk debuts on Facebook Watch show Monday.

In an interview with Access on Friday, Jada  with help from her mother Adrienne Banfield-Jones  admitted Will was still officially married to first wife Sheree Zampino when they started dating.

'I think initially when Will first called you, I think he was still married or he was just separated, or something, and I said, hes not available to you,' Jada's mom recalled.

'He was "div",' Jada replied. 'The orced hadnt happened yet.'
Nick Cummins' sprawling, six-bedroom childhood home in Brisbane has sold for $1million.

The Bachelor star's house, called Chambers Flats Manor, features a saltwater pool with a spa, waterfall and even a fire pit.

The impressive mansion, where 'The Honey Badger' spent his early years, was snapped up by a local resident last Thursday, according to Realestate.com.au.

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You won't see this on hometown week! The Bachelor star Nick Cummins' (pictured) sprawling, six-bedroom childhood home in Brisbane has sold for $1million

Agent Barry Collins of Harcourts Calamvale told the website: 'The new buyers are locals, from out Yatala way. It wasn't bought from anyone interstate.'

He added: 'I had one bloke who was bending over backwards to see the Honey Badger's place. One lady loved him and knew him. Another bloke knew him but it was too late. The house sold itself.'

It comes after the Courier-Mail confirmed that the home had 'gone under contract after negotiations post-auction'.

Features: The property located in Logan includes its own concrete in-ground saltwater pool

Nick's original Bachelor pad! The impressive mansion, where 'the Honey Badger' spent his early years, was snapped up by a local resident last Thursday, according to Realestate.com.au

In light of the accepted offer on Nick's childhood home, a source told the publication that the former Wallabies player will 'have to rule out a home visit for his new love'.

The property in Logan features its own fishing dam, a 'giant man cave for boys' toys', a banquet hall and a concrete in-ground saltwater pool with a rotating umbrella.

It also boasts a spa, waterfall, gazebo, barbecue zone and fire pit.

Bird's-eye view: The mansion boasts a spa, waterfall, gazebo, barbecue zone and fire pit

Childhood pad: The three-bathroom property was bought by Nick's father in 1998 for $80,000

The three-bathroom property was bought by Nick's father in June 1998 for $80,000.

The loss of Nick's childhood home comes after he met his female suitors for the first time at the Bachelor mansion.

The Bachelor Australia will return to Network Ten later this year

Keen: Agent Barry Collins of Harcourts Calamvale told Realestate.com.au: 'The new buyers are locals, from out Yatala way. It wasn't bought from anyone interstate'
On May 3rd, he paid a courtesy visit to Guo Shengkun, Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China, who affirmed his support for strengthened cooperation between the judiciary bodies of the two countries. He said he hopes that the ties will become an exemplary partnership.

Binh, for his part, congratulated the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese people on great achievements they made over the four decades of reform, particularly since the Partys 18th Congress. He also lauded the success of the CPCs 19th Congress.

Delegates pose for a group photo (Photo: VNA)



Vietnam always attaches great importance to the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China and strives to further expand the long-standing relations between the two Parties and States, the Vietnamese chief justice said.

Later on the day, Binh held talks with Zhou Qiang, President of the Supreme Peoples Court, which which he briefed on what Vietnam has achieved in judicial reform in recent years. He also proposed the two sides step up their bilateral cooperation in justice, information technology application and personnel training; and exchange experience in developing a national monitoring committee, corruption combat and e-court.

Welcoming Binh to visit China, Zhou recalled the milestones in the two supreme courts partnership and outlined positive changes of Chinas judicial system alongside challenges it is facing in the new context.

He agreed to foster and deepen the bilateral ties in exchange of judicial precedents, training of judges and application of information technology.

At the end of the talks, the two chief justices inked a new Memorandum of Understanding between their agencies to lay a foundation for increased partnership in the time ahead./.
He has been away for weeks shooting his new film Triple Frontier in Hawaii.

And Ben Affleck cut a casual figure while enjoying a stroll with his three children on Friday in Los Angeles.

The 45-year-old movie star stepped out with his kids Seraphina, nine, Samuel, six, and Violet, 12.

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Back home: Ben Affleck cut a casual figure while enjoying a stroll with his three children on Friday in Los Angeles

Dressed in a burgundy t-shirt and grey jeans, Ben looked buff as he walked his kids to his Bentley.

The superhero dad's salt and pepper beard looked freshly trimmed and his hair looked recently cut.

Violet clasped her father's hand as the kids seemed over joyed at his appearance.

Hugs: The 45-year-old movie star stepped out with his kids Seraphina, nine, Samuel, six, and Violet, 12

Surprise: Seraphina, 9, Samuel, 6, and Violet, 12, wrapped their arms around their father and hugged him tightly

Nice car: Dressed in a burgundy t-shirt and grey jeans, Ben looked buff as he walked his kids to his Bentley

Ben has been in Hawaii filming Triple Frontier.

J.C. Chandor is directing the Mark Boal-penned drama, which is being produced by Charles Roven, Alex Gartner, and Andy Horwitz.

But it has been beset by problems, with original cast members Mahershala Ali pulling out over scheduling issues and Tom Hardy and Channing Tatum walking away from the project at the eleventh hour.

Paramount Pictures, in the midst of a managerial overhaul, later dropped the film over a growing reluctance to develop another political crime drama.

Checkered: The superhero dad's salt and pepper beard looked freshly trimmed and his hair looked recently cut

Holding hands: Violet clasped her father's hand as the kids seemed over joyed at his appearance

According to Deadline, 'Netflix took on the picture after Paramount let go of it after Tom Hardy and Channing Tatum dropped out weeks before production was to begin.'

The script was originally written by Mark Boal for his Hurt Locker partner Kathryn Bigelow to direct.

The film takes its title from its setting in the infamous border zone of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil, however, that area has become less dangerous since the movie was originally penned.

Chandor has updated the script in recent years, and the picture will shoot in Hawaii, Colombia, and California.

Netflix: According to Deadline, 'Netflix took on the picture after Paramount let go of it after Tom Hardy and Channing Tatum dropped out weeks before production was to begin'

Next film: The script was originally written by Mark Boal for his Hurt Locker partner Kathryn Bigelow to direct
Bachelor In Paradise's Sam Cochrane and Tara Pavlovic kept their engagement under wraps for five long months.

But the reality TV lovebirds aren't hiding anymore.

They stepped out for a date in Sydney on Saturday, in their latest sighting since last Monday's romantic season finale.

They're still in Paradise! Tara Pavlovic and Sam Cochrane were spotted holding hands while on a romantic stroll in Sydney on Saturday after getting engaged on The Bachelor spin-off

The pair looked thoroughly loved-up as they strolled hand in hand down the street.

Tara, 28, wore a patterned skirt and a white T-shirt, accessorising with a boho leather bag and high heels.

Meanwhile, her fiance Sam cut a stylish figure in a navy jumper and skinny jeans.

The couple, who recently revealed they're planning a family, even linked arms as they walked down a laneway.

Couple goals! The pair looked very loved-up as they strolled hand in hand down the street

Chic! Tara wore a patterned skirt and a white T-shirt, accessorising with a boho leather bag

The newly-engaged duo wore dark sunglasses, but that didn't stop them from being recognised by members of the public.

At one point, their outing was interrupted by a blonde woman - perhaps a Bachelor In Paradise fan - who had a friendly chat with Sam.

The charming voiceover artist was seen laughing with the young lady, who looked delighted to be speaking to a celebrity.

Looking good, Uncle Sam! Tara's fiance cut a stylish figure in a navy jumper and skinny jeans

Hello, I'm famous! At one point, Sam was spotted chatting to a woman in the street

Sam was later seen preparing to take a photo on the woman's smartphone.

The couple got engaged during last Monday's emotional season finale of Bachelor In Paradise.

After weeks of rumours that it was Jarrod Woodgate who proposed to Keira Maguire, Sam dropped down on one knee for Tara.
Married At First Sight's Nasser Sultan has been treated to a lovely night out with handsome New Zealand social media celebrity Samuel Levi.

Nasser, 51, appeared in several videos and photos shared to Sam's Instagram Story on Friday night.

In a clip captioned 'got this one over', the flamboyant reality TV star was seen pretending to kiss Sam on the cheek.

Where's Eyob? Married At First Sight's Nasser Sultan enjoyed a friendly night out in New Zealand with handsome fashion designer Samuel Levi on Friday

Less than an hour later, Sam shared another video of Nasser walking down a hotel or apartment complex hallway alongside himself and another friend.

The group was having a loudspeaker phone conversation with an unknown woman.

The former MAFS star initially thought his friend was trying to take a picture and was heard asking: 'But you haven't got yourself in it!'

'But it's a video though!' Sam said, adjusting his phone so they were both in frame.

Best night ever, hands down! Nasser, 51, appeared in several videos and photos shared to Sam's Instagram Story on Friday night

'Oh, okay!' Nasser replied, before addressing the woman on the phone with: 'Hello darling! Mwah!'

The trio were later joined by fellow MAFS 2018 contestant Justin Fischer for a dinner at Japanese restaurant Namo.

Justin had flown in New Zealand for a work trip, revealing on Instagram that he caught up with Nasser after finding out he was in the country too.

Poetry in motion: In one video, The Married At First Sight star thought Sam was trying to snap a picture. Upon realising it was a video, he blew a kiss to camera and said, 'Hello darling!'

In the early hours of Saturday morning, Nasser, Sam, and the fashionista's friends Zac and Benjamin were pictured enjoying a drink on his couch.

At midday, the MAFS fan favourite featured in another Instagram Story post with Sam. This time, the pair were seen getting close for a photo at a local bar.

'Showing this one where's good in Auckland,' socialite Sam captioned the photo.

Look who we found! The trio were later joined by fellow MAFS contestant Justin Fischer for a dinner at Japanese restaurant Namo. Justin happened to be in the country for work

When contacted by Daily Mail Australia on Saturday, Sam revealed that he met Nasser through a mutual friend.

'That's about as far as I would like to comment,' he added.

It has been around three weeks since Nasser was last pictured with his friend Eyob Geist, a 20-year-old male fashion student.

Eyob, where art thou? It has been around three weeks since Nasser was last pictured with his friend Eyob Geist, a 20-year-old male fashion student

Images of the men's boozy lunch went viral in April, after an onlooker told NW magazine they appeared to be 'more than friends'.

In February, Nasser responded to gay rumours, after radio presenter Kyle Sandilands asked about his sexuality on the The Kyle and Jackie O Show.

'I am 110 per cent not gay,' he confirmed.
Kate Hudson beat the summer heat in style in Southern California on Friday with some smoothies in the posh community of Brentwood.

The 39-year-old actress donned a green harem-style jumpsuit with slip-on sandals as she picked up at least three smoothies as well as two full bags of extras as the weekend rolled in.

She had a brown belt around her waist and a brown designer purse, with her blonde locks in braids.

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Out and about: Kate Hudson, 15, beat the summer heat in style in Southern California on Friday with some smoothies in the posh community of Brentwood

The mother-of-two - to sons Ryder, 14, and Bingham, six, with her respective exes Matthew Bellamy and Chris Robinson - is expecting her first daughter with boyfriend Danny Fujikawa.

The pair revealed the big news in an Instagram video last month, in which they joined her sons to pop balloons to reveal pink confetti.

The Almost Famous star added the caption: 'We have been trying to keep this pregnancy under the radar for as long as possible but Im a poppin now! And its too darn challenging to hide, and frankly hiding is more exhausting then just coming out with it!

'My kids, Danny, myself and the entire family are crazy excited! A little girl on the way.'

Baby on-the-way: The mother-of-two is expecting her first daughter with boyfriend Danny Fujikawa

In bloom: The fashionista wore a stylish green jumpsuit to pick up the smoothies

The A-list star told People Thursday that she's experienced 'all kind of differences' in her first pregnancy with a girl on the way.

'They say girls make you sicker and that, for me, has been the truth,' Hudson told the magazine. 'Its been interesting so far.'

The How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days star said that a girl will help in 'balancing out the masculine [and] feminine in the house,' adding that she's looking 'forward to having feminine energy' with her little one on the way.

Kate told the publication that she's enjoyed an 'amazing, but slow and steady' pregnancy, balancing out proper rest with walking and 'some amazing prenatal yoga.

'When you become the vessel, when you have the privilege of carrying life and giving life, you have to listen, and so right now I think it is all about taking it easy. So the things that I am doing are quite easygoing,' she said.
She was born in Florida and grew up in Los Angeles.

But Victoria Justice embraced her inner Southern Belle while in Louisville on Friday.

The 25-year-old actress showed off her svelte figure on the red carpet of the Unbridled Eve Gala during the 144th Kentucky Derby on Friday.

Stakes: Victoria Justice embraced her inner Southern Belle while in Louisville on Friday

The Eye Candy star wore a shimmering silver evening gown that dragged behind her on the carpet.

The ball dress hugged the actress' svelte figure and her dark chocolate locks cascaded down one side.

Justice looked like a diamond sparkling in the lights, and added a pair of matching earrings.

Odd-on-favorite: The 25-year-old actress showed off her svelte figure on the carpet of the Unbridled Eve Gala during the 144th Kentucky Derby on Friday

All that glitters is gold: The Eye Candy star wore a shimmering silver evening gown that dragged behind her on the carpet

Mira Sorvino, 50, and her husband Christopher Backus, 36, were also in attendance at the pre race gala.

The Mimic actress wore a black and white dress with a plunging necklace that showcased her bountiful bosom.

The actor opted for an all black pants and jacket combo and donned a white hat with a singular feather.

Unbridled: Mira Sorvino, 50, and her husband Christopher Backus, 36, were also in attendance at the pre race gala

Take the plunge: The Mimic actress wore a black and white dress with a plunging necklace that showcased her bountiful bosom

Paris purse: Paul Sorvino, 79, also attended the event along with his wife Dee Dee

Enjoying the crown: 2018 Miss America Cara Mund showcased her curvy figure in a sparkling black number with a plunging neckline

Paul Sorvino, 79, also attended the event along with his wife Dee Dee.

2018 Miss America Cara Mund showcased her curvy figure in a sparkling black number with a plunging neckline.

The event was also stacked with musical performances, which included a performance from Dennis Quaid, 64.

Rock 'n' roll: The event was also stacked with musical performances, which included a performance from Dennis Quaid, 64

No rookie: Dressed in all black, the Parent Trap actor rocked the crowd

Dressed in all black, the Parent Trap actor rocked the crowd.

Goo Goo Dolls frontman John Rzeznik, 52, also slid onto stage for his own show.

Sir Mix-a-Lot, 54, also made his way onstage and got the crowd going.

Iris: Goo Goo Dolls frontman John Rzeznik, 52, also slid onto stage for the show

The Unbridled Eve Gala wasn't the only star packed event happening in Louisville Friday night.

Terrence Howard, 49, and Mira Pak attended the Trifecta Gala.

Anthony Anderson, 47, also showed up for the affair dressed in a stylish windowpane jacket.

Beyonce's mom, Tina Knowles, also dropped in for the fun.

Night out: Terrence Howard, 49, and Mira Pak attended the Trifecta Gala

Windowpane: Anthony Anderson, 47, also showed up for the event dressed in a stylish windowpane jacket

Party time: Beyonce's mom, Tina Knowles, also came along for the fun

Earlier Larry Birkhead, 45, and a guest attended the 144th running of the Kentucky Oaks.

He dressed in a lavender jacket along with a white shirt and added a classy white pocket square.

Paul Sorvino and his wife were also in attendance.

Lavender: Earlier Larry Birkhead, 45, and a guest attended the 144th running of the Kentucky Oaks

Purple haze: He dressed in a lavender jacket along with a white shirt and added a classy white pocket square
Back in April she returned to campus to celebrate her 20th high school reunion.

And it seems the party is somehow still going on, as Kim Kardashian showed up in Las Vegas on Friday night apparently ready to celebrate the milestone once again.

The 37-year-old reality queen was certainly dressed for the part and obviously perfectly made up, and seemed to put the controversy surrounding her husband Kanye out of her mind.

Back at it! Kim Kardashian showed up in Las Vegas on Friday night apparently ready to celebrate her 20th high school reunion once again

Before even arriving at the venue, she shared via an Instagram story how her wild turquoise eye make-up was applied by one of her stylists.

Finally she showed up for the festivities, which apparently involved watching Cher's show at Caesar's Palace.

Once she entered the theater, she turned the camera on herself, revealing that she had donned an eye catching plunging black top sans sleeves.

Distinctive! Before even arriving at the venue, she shared via an Instagram story how her wild turquoise eye make-up was applied by one of her stylists

The task at hand: The 37-year-old reality queen was certainly dressed for the part and obviously perfectly made up, and seemed to put the controversy surrounding her husband Kanye out of her mind

A theme: She also apparently embraced some local southwestern culture by adorning herself in turquoise earrings, necklaces and two bracelets, which of course keyed off her eye-liner

She also apparently embraced some local southwestern culture by adorning herself in turquoise earrings, necklaces and two bracelets, which of course keyed off her eye-liner.

Even her cyan-hued manicure for the evening complimented her blue bling.

The wife of Kanye West looked to be having a ball at the event, singing along to the Hollywood icon with her friends.

Fun! The wife of Kanye West looked to be having a ball at the event, singing along to the Hollywood icon with her friends

Cher in the house! Kim couldn't help but be excited about watching one of her biggest influences

Back in April, for the celebration that was closer to home, Kim went all out to treat her Marymount alumni friends.

For that event, the mother-of-three revealed that she had rented a party bus for her friends.

Later she gave a tour of her school, and took some selfies in one of her old classrooms.
Former Neighbours star Nicky Whelan has made an impassioned plea for financial help to assist her brother, who is struggling to care for his severely autistic son, 11.

The actress, 36, shared a link to a GoFundMe page calling for $80,000 in donations to help fund 24/7 care for her nephew Max, who has become increasingly violent.

A video shared to the fundraising website shows Max appearing distraught after being told to wait for something by his mother Liz, who he proceeds to punch multiple times.

'It is a matter of time until a member of the family is seriously injured': Nicky Whelan's (pictured) relatives have shared confronting footage of their severely autistic son, 11, having a 'typical' meltdown as they beg for money to help 'fund a solution'

Struggling: Nicky's brother Sean (third from the left, holding severely autistic son Max, 11) his wife Liz (second from left with daughter Georgia, seven) his children (Tom, 13, is second from right and Harrison, 11, pictured far right) and the family dog are facing daily physical violence

'Maxie, stop it, don't hit me! I can't fix it,' Liz is heard pleading in the video. She sounds on the verge of tears as her son screams and batters her with strong jabs.

Liz bravely filmed her son lashing out in the kitchen in order to highlight the devastating reality her family faces on a daily basis.

Nicky, who is listed as the campaign's largest contributor with a $600 donation, put a link to the website on her Instagram page on Tuesday.

'A plea for help; my brother, Sean his beautiful wife Liz and their precious family are in a desperate and impossible situation,' she wrote.

Please help! The LA-based actress, 36, shared a link to a GoFundMe page calling for $80,000 in donations to help fund 24/7 care for her nephew Max, who has become increasingly violent

'Maxie, stop it!' A video shared to the fundraising website shows Max looking distraught after being told to wait for something by his mother Liz, who he proceeds to punch multiple times

'With no options available to them in Australia, they may have to give up their son.'

Nicky's comments reflected some of the more frightening issues outlined in the family's lengthy GoFundMe description.

Max's condition is described as 'severe non-verbal autism'.

Family ordeal: Liz bravely filmed her son lashing out in the kitchen in order to highlight the devastating reality her family faces on a daily basis

'It is a extreme and complex disability which results in him engaging in frequent intense, aggressive and violent meltdowns,' the family wrote.

'He will hit out at anyone who is within his reach, most often his mother but also his siblings and even the familys beautiful dog, Kimba.'

Nicky's nephew has been known to 'tear doors from hinges and anything that is not nailed down becomes a weapon to be hurled across a room.'

Dangerous situation: Nicky's nephew has been known to 'tear doors from hinges and anything that is not nailed down becomes a weapon to be hurled across a room'

Other family members Tom, 13, Harrison, 11 and Georgia, seven, have felt threatened to the point they have installed combination locks on their doors.

'There just aren't any facilities that are catered to Max's needs at his age. There are no facilities or government options equipped to look after Max on a more permanent basis, absolutely nothing,' the family explained.

'This GoFundMe Page is set up to raise money for Liz and Sean to convert their family home into a personalised facility that will meet his specific needs.'

Should the GoFundMe page receive enough donations, the family will employ 24/7 care staff to help look after Max.
She's the PR queen who has proved many-a-time that event planning is certainly her forte.

So when Roxy Jacenko hosted her son Hunter's fourth birthday party on Saturday, a lavish grazing platter was to be expected.

Laid in front of a life-size tractor cut-out, Roxy put on a decadent display of savoury and sweet goods for her son's party guests.

Truck-loads of food! Roxy Jacenko celebrates her son Hunter's fourth birthday by offering guests a lavish grazing platter fit for kings

From meats and cheeses to vegetable sticks, sweet tarts and options for all eaters (picky ones included), a wide assortment of delicious bite-size nibbles were on offer to munch on.

Keeping with Hunter's pick of a truck-themed bash, the soiree was hosted at Nubo Play Centre in Sydney's Alexandria suburb.

With face painting and other activities available for Hunter's playmates to enjoy, parents and friends of Roxy's were met with The Blonde Butler catering company's canapes, while mingling among the masses.

Fit for kings! From meats and cheeses to vegetable sticks, sweet tarts and options for all eaters (picky ones included), a wide assortment of delicious bite-size nibbles were on offer to munch on

The lavish food display was sat behind a truck-themed party table setting.

With 'Danger Kids' signs, tractors, visors and outfits to match the party was elaborately decorated and appeared to be a huge success for both the kids and adults in attendance.

Keeping the vibe joyful, the PR queen also didn't miss the opportunity to provide tunes, hiring a DJ to create the party's atmosphere.

Danger, Kids! The lavish food display was sat behind a truck-themed party table setting for the kids to enjoy

On Friday, Roxy showed off her son's tractor birthday cake when she took a snap to her high-following Instagram account.

'Special arrival from @rubys_events - thank you!' She wrote, while holding the appropriately hued yellow and black tractor cake.

The delicious-looking cake comes after the Roxy took to her Instagram Story to show off the goodie bags she was preparing for Hunter's birthday shindig.
She recently reportedly turned down a role on Love Island.

But Davina Rankin, 27, appears to be lapping up island life, as she continues to enjoy her sun-drenched sojourn in Bali.

On Saturday, the buxom beauty took to Instagram Story to share a number of sizzling snaps of herself in a little white bikini.

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White on the mark! Former reality star Davina Rankin, 27, has flaunted her ample assets in a skimpy white bikini on Saturday

Appearing to be bronzing her lithe frame, the former reality star snapped herself lying on a sun lounge in the skimpy bikini.

Zooming in, the Brisbane socialite flaunted her ample assets while pointing the camera above her bronzed body.

In the sizzling snap, her golden tan was evident while her surgically-enhanced chest was prominent in the frame.

Golden tan! The reality star is currently lapping up a sun-drenched getaway on the Indonesian island of Bali

It's been a big week of bikini snaps for the personal trainer, who took to Instagram again on Thursday to share a picture of herself in a two-piece.

As Davina posed poolside, fans caught a cheeky glimpse of her cleavage and trim, taut and terrific midriff.

She added a playful touch to the ensemble by donning a brown baker boy cap.

Busting out! Former Married At First Sight star Davina appears to be enjoying herself on the idyllic getaway, posting a number of saucy snaps

Earlier this week, Davina revealed she turned down a role on the highly-anticipated dating show Love Island because of her new beau.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph on Monday, Davina confessed she declined a role on the raunchy new dating series because she didn't want to 'risk' her new romance with hunky businessman - Jaxon Manuel.

'I did get asked to go on Love Island and I did think about it,' Davina told the publication.

Ahoy there, boys! Married At First Sight star Davina Rankin shared sizzling bikini snap from Bali

She continued: 'But now we (Davina and Jaxon) are in a relationship, I wouldn't risk it for anything.'

Earlier this year, the brunette beauty made headlines after she 'cheated' on her 'husband' Ryan Gallagher with co-star Dean Wells during her stint on Married At First Sight.

The fitness model told the publication she was 'concerned' her alleged affair would greatly impinge on her love life.

Love Island Australia: Davina previously revealed she turned down a role on the highly-anticipated dating show because of her new beau, hunky businessman, Jaxon Manuel

However, Davina revealed Jaxon was not fazed by her highly controversial stint on the Channel Nine dating show.

'He's been my friend forever, so it was really nice to form something with someone who already knows me, and not what theyve seen on TV,' Davina told The Daily Telegraph.

The pair's blossoming romance appeared to be confirmed last month with a gal pal of the reality star taking to Instagram Story to upload a saucy snap.

In the image, Davina was seen sitting on Jaxon's lap as he lay on a bed covered with rose petals.

The pal added the caption: 'Bf & gf It's official.'

'He's been my friend forever': Davina revealed her new beau Jaxon Manuel was not fazed by her highly controversial stint on the Channel Nine dating show
She is an acclaimed actress and style icon, known for her daring sartorial displays.

And Dakota Fanning oozed fashion finesse as she stepped out at the Prada Resort Collection show in New York City on Friday.

The blonde beauty, 23, showcased her braless cleavage in a plunging black, white, green and yellow gown.

Daring: Dakota Fanning oozed fashion finesse as she stepped out at the Prada Resort Collection show in New York City on Friday

Busty: The blonde beauty, 23, showcased her braless cleavage in a plunging black, white, green and yellow gown

The eye-popping dress featured a figure-hugging top half decorated with mermaid and fish prints, while the elegant handkerchief hem featured panels of mint green and yellow.

She added height with black strappy stiletto sandals.

The War of The Worlds actress wore her blonde tresses in soft, flowing waves, parted in the middle, while her pretty features were enhanced with a light dusting of make-up.

The star was joined by her beau Henry Frye for the show, with the hunk looking dapper in a geometric print shirt, paired with a tan suit.

Work it: The eye-popping dress featured a figure-hugging top half decorated with mermaid and fish prints, while the elegant handkerchief hem featured panels of mint green and yellow

Smitten: The star was joined by her beau Henry Frye for the show, with the hunk looking dapper in a geometric print shirt, paired with a tan suit

Smitten: The couple have been dating since October 2017

The couple have been dating since October 2017.

Dakota discussed her mother's role in her career while doing publicity for her 2013 film The Last Of Robin Hood, a biopic of Old Hollywood star Errol Flynn.

In that movie, Dakota played real-life little-known actress Beverly Aadland - whom the then middle-aged Errol was depicted having an affair with when she was a teenager - opposite Susan Sarandon as Beverly's relentlessly pushy mother Florence.

According to UPI, while promoting the movie, Dakota drew a distinction between Florence and Heather, saying: 'I don't have any experience with stage mothers.'

Showbiz pals: Dakota joined Glee actress pal Dianna Agron at the fashion show

Said she: 'My mom was not....The main difference was Susan's character is totally forcing Beverly to be an actress and Beverly just doesn't really have any desire and she doesn't care one way or another and, with me, it was just the opposite.'

Dakota explained: 'My mom was like: "I'm ready to go home. If you don't want to do this anymore, you don't have to. We can go home to Georgia." When we were in LA, and I was like: "No, I want to stay. I like it!"'

The 2001 film I Am Sam was Dakota's ticket to fame, and she has sustained a career in the movies ever since, including in the forthcoming Oceans 8.
The Vietnam Film Week was launched by the Vietnam Cinema Department on May 3, featuring Co Ba SaiGon (The Tailor), Quyen, Dao Cua Dan Ngu Cu (The Island of Aliens), ToiThayHoaVangTren Co Xanh (I See Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass), and CuocDoiCua Yen (Yens Life).

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina Dang Xuan Dung said that, since Vietnam and Argentina set up the diplomatic ties 45 years ago, the comprehensive partnership between the two countries has been strengthened in all areas, from politics and economics to culture and people-to-people exchanges.

He hoped that the films artistic and cultural values wouldbring people of the two nations closer to each other. He said he expects that through these films, Argentine people will have a fresh look of Vietnam today, a country that is making great efforts to keep up with the world while preserving its traditional culture.

Head of the Vietnam Cinema Department Ngo Phuong Lan said the films are outstanding works by young Vietnamese directors, which have won a number of awards at both local and international film festivals.

The film week will run through May 9.

During this time, the Vietnam Cinema Department delegation is scheduled to meet with leaders of the Argentine Ministry of Culture, the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INACAA), the Argentina  Vietnam Culture Institute (ICAV) and local film makers.
They are proud mothers, who frequently wax lyrical about parental life.

Yet Christine McGuinness and fellow celebrity parents Sam Faiers and Katie Piper changed tact on Saturday as they took to social media to laud their midwifes as part of the Pampers campaign to gain recognition for the medical professionals.

Leading the way, the Real Housewives Of Chesire newbie, who has three children with husband Paddy, shared a throwback snap on Instagram in which she sported a bikini and displayed her eye-popping bum while expecting her twins.

Proud: Christine McGuinness and fellow celebrity parents Sam Faiers and Katie Piper changed tact on Saturday as they took to social media to laud their midwifes as part of the Pampers campaign to gain recognition for the medical professionals

Christine is proud parent to twins Penelope and Leo, now four, and 18-month-old daughter Felicity, all of whom she has revealed have been diagnosed with autism.

Ever the proud mum, she proudly displayed her bump in the throwback snap, in which she sported a stylish cobalt blue bikini while standing on a balcony.

She added a caption on the shot reading: 'Christine McGuinness: TB 6 months pregnant with my twins... I loved my midwives...

'Since late last year @pampersworld has been rallying the nation to say #ThankYouMidwife after it was revealed that 1 in 3 midwives feel under appreciated.'

Proud mama: Leading the way, the Real Housewives Of Chesire newbie, who has three children with husband Paddy, shared a throwback snap on Instagram in which she sported a bikini and displayed her eye-popping bum while expecting her twins

Beaming: TV presenter and philanthropist Katie, shared an image from hospital as she cradled her second child Penelope, while she is also mother to Belle, four

Elsewhere, Sam shared a snap as she cosied up to her beloved seven-month-old daughter Rosie, while pouting into the camera.

The former TOWIE star, who has Rosie and Paul with boyfriend Paul Knightley, added a caption reading: 'I had such an incredible midwife for the birth of Rosie.'

TV presenter and philanthropist Katie, shared an image from hospital as she cradled her second child Penelope, while she is also mother to Belle, four.

The Thank You Midwife campaign was explained by the stars with a description: 'Since late last year @pampersworld has been rallying the nation to say #ThankYouMidwife after it was revealed that 1 in 3 midwives feel under appreciated.

'For every share of the hashtag and for every purchase of the specially created Thank You Midwife @Moonpig cards, 1 will be donated to the Benevolent Fund for the Royal College of Midwives, used to support midwives in need.

Blooming: Pregnant EastEnders star Jacqueline Jossa helmed the campaign as she posed with her midwife, amid her heartbreaking split from husband Dan Osborne

'Today, on International Day of the Midwife, Pampers pledges its ongoing support to the UKs midwives to shine a light on the amazing job that they do through offering staffroom makeovers, to the top 10 most thanked hospitals, and acts of kindness to bring a smile to their faces.

'Let your midwife know how valued she is by saying #ThankYouMidwife or purchasing a card <3 #ad #ThankYouMidwife'.

Pregnant EastEnders star Jacqueline Jossa helmed the campaign as she posed with her midwife, amid her heartbreaking split from husband Dan Osborne.

Speaking about her pregnancy as she got behind Pampers campaign, she said: 'Its been a much more difficult pregnancy this time and I dont think I could have got through those early days without the help and guidance of my midwife.

She continued: 'I love the idea of Pampers helping the country to say thank you and show their appreciation to such a deserving group of men and women.'
Bachelor In Paradise stars Sam Cochrane and Tara Pavolvic celebrated their engagement party in Sydney on Saturday night.

The couple were joined by a number of notable names for the loved-up bash, including Sophie Monk's ex, Stu Laundy, whose wealthy family owns the swanky Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel where the festivities were held.

Sam, 34, and Tara, 27, could hardly keep their hands off each other as they cosied up for photos shared on social media.

'The best is yet to come': Bachelor In Paradise stars Sam Cochrane and Tara Pavlovic celebrated their engagement party at Sydney's Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel on Saturday

In a picture posted by Tara, the bubbly blonde was seen in the arms of her fiance as their nearest and dearest gathered around.

Pub baron Stu, 45, - who appeared alongside Sam on the 2017 season of The Bachelorette - was seen centre-stage in the snap.

Meanwhile, fellow Bachelorette and Bachelor In Paradise alum Luke McLeod was also seen in the far left of frame.

Another of the franchise's former stars, Ryan Jones confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that he was also among the guests, attending alongside his girlfriend Tahlia Rozis and describing the event as 'nice'.

He shared a video to his Instagram Story which was filmed in the sprawling venue, with Tahlia and Luke both visible in the background of the short clip.

Intimate gathering: In a picture posted by Tara, the bubbly blonde was seen in the arms of her fiance as their nearest and dearest gathered around

Aside from that trio of former reality stars, the event seemed to be a relatively intimate and low-key affair.

Queensland-based Tara stunned for the occasion, wearing a white faux Prada tank top teamed with a black maxi skirt.

Dapper Sam stuck to his signature style with his trademark chimney sweep cap atop his head.

He chose a sensible pair of chinos, a white tee and a blue button-down for the celebratory afternoon.

Showing his support: Fellow Bachelorette and Bachelor In Paradise alum Luke McLeod was an attendee at the event

Quirky! The couple showed off their sense of humour by striking a series of comical poses on the balcony outside the venue

The quirky couple showed off their sense of humour by striking a series of comical poses on the balcony outside the venue.

And it appears things are moving fast for the pair, who became engaged late last year on the final day of filming Bachelor In Paradise.

Earlier this week, Sam told Sydney Confidential that he and Tara have already began preparations for their big day.

'We've started planning the wedding,' the voiceover artist told the publication on Monday, declining to give any further details.
She's one of the contestants who took part in this year's dramatic season of My Kitchen Rules.

And now, Kim Tran has revealed irrespective of what happens on the reality show, she plans on opening her own restaurant.

According to Confidential, the 38-year-old reality star will be taking on venture without her on-screen cooking partner, Suong Pham.

'Never mix money and friends': My Kitchen Rules star Kim Tran (left) plans to open a Vietnamese restaurant but on-screen cooking partner Suong Pham (right) WON'T be involved

'I've been taught never mix money and friends - you don't put these three things in one category,' she said.

'You end up losing family and friendship so at this point I'm going in with my husband and it will just be us as a family.'

Kim, who has weathered a number of rocky nights in the kitchen said she's determined to start the business.

'You end up losing family and friendship so at this point I'm going in with my husband and it will just be us as a family': Kim said she won't be opening the restaurant with Suong

The chef, who will be cooking Vietnamese with a modern twist, explained she will open the restaurant in Williamstown, Victoria, where she grew up.

The news comes after a KIIS FM caller rang through to The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Friday, and claimed the Melbourne mothers would win the competition.

Possibly ruining the verdict for hundreds of thousands of expectant viewers, the man dropped the bombshell claims during the interview.

'I pretty much know who the winners are': It comes after a mystery caller said the pair would win the grand final of My Kitchen Rules next week

'I pretty much know who the winners are. Kim and Suong, the Vietnamese mums,' the caller insisted, much to Kyle and Jackie's shock.

He went on: 'I work for one of the top three global logistics companies in the country and we are receiving some stuff here and there - merchandising and whatnot.

'And curiosity killed the cat and I stumbled across some cardboard cut-outs with those two on them. And I know they're one of the two finalists standing.'

Kim and Suong will battle Alex and Emily in the grand final showdown, after the pair beat Jazzey and Stella in a cook-off.

The pair are now in the running for $250,000 prize money.

Big challenges! The pair will go up against fellow My Kitchen Rules stars Alex and Emily (pictured) to try and win the $250,000 prize
She sent temperatures soaring with her sexy pilot-themed Love Island trailer.

Yet Caroline Flack was not content with her sexy uniform in the new advert, as she also took to Instagram to share a sizzling snap in which she wore her pilot jacket loosely opened to display her lingerie underneath behind-the-scenes.

The host, 38, who has just become engaged to Apprentice star Andrew Brady, 27, was feeling super saucy as she displayed her underwear in the sexy snap.

Hot stuff: Caroline Flack was not content with her sexy uniform in the new advert, as she also took to Instagram to share a sizzling snap in which she wore her pilot jacket loosely opened to display her lingerie underneath

Caroline, who has promised Love Island viewers another long hot summer, certainly looked set to deliver as the first promotional pictures have emerged ahead of the teaser release on May 5.

The Love Island Host, 38, donned a pilot's uniform as she perched on a seat in the cockpit of a plane, destined for the Love Island villa.

Caroline sizzled in a gold trimmed jacket and matching thigh-skimming skirt, although later on she made things a little sexier with her underwear-flashing display.

Her ensemble also included a pilot's hat which had Love Island embroidered on the front of the cap.

The presenter's light tan is sure to darken during the summer months as she spends them filming at the programme's set in Mallorca.

Sizzling: The host, 38, who has just become engaged to Apprentice star Andrew Brady, 27, was feeling super saucy as she displayed her underwear in the sexy snap.=

Captain Flack: The Love Island host, who is newly engaged to Andrew Brady, sizzled in a gold trimmed jacket and matching thigh-skimming skirt

Love Island has gained a reputation for broadcasting steamy and intimate sex sessions between contestants.

But according to The Mirror, ITV bosses have allegedly put restrictions on new castmates' passionate liaisons, which includes a ban on full nudity, as well as prohibiting participants in engaging in sex with drunk co-stars.

Contestants of the dating series - which is set to return in June - can also seek advice from counsellors following intercourse.

Controversial: According to The Mirror, ITV bosses have allegedly put restrictions on new castmates' passionate liaisons (Amber Davies, pictured June 2017)

Steamy: Contestants of the dating series - which is set to return in June - can also seek advice from counsellors following intercourse (pictured June 2017)

It was also revealed that the love hopefuls are not allowed to masturbate during their time in the Mallorca villa.

In addition to these rules, participants will be given a handbook on a wide range of topics, featuring sexual consent and protection.

During last series, viewers saw a series of stars take part in sexual activity, including raunchy scenes from Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies, Montana Brown and Alex Beattie, and Olivia Attwood with Chris Hughes.
His estranged wife Katie Price jetted off on a solo trip earlier this week.

And it seems that Kieran Hayler has been left with the babysitting duties after he was seen enjoying a day out in the park with the children.

The 31-year-old took his two children Jett and Bunny Hayler to make the most of the sun, along with Katie's daughter Princess, who she shares with ex Peter Andre.

Day out: Katie Price jetted off on a solo trip earlier this week and Kieran Hayler has been left with daddy duties after he was seen enjoying a day out in the park with the children

The father-of-two looked at ease as he pushed his daughter Bunny in a swing as he chatted to Princess who was sat alongside them.

He kept it casual in a dark grey T-shirt and a pair of ripped black jeans as he played with the youngsters during the day out.

Princess, 10, was holding up her phone as she strolled along with her family, it appeared that she was chatting, possibly to her mother Katie.

Playing in the park:The father-of-two looked at ease as he pushed his daughter Bunny in a swing as he chatted to Princess who was sat alongside them.

Chatting away: He kept it casual in a dark grey t shirt and a pair of ripped black jeans as he played with the youngsters during the day out.

Hands on dad: Kieran showed off his muscular physique in a tight-fitting grey top with floral detailing around the neck

Playing in the park: The 31-year-old took his two children Jett and Bunny Hayler to make the most of the sun, along with Katie's daughter Princess

However the day had a slightly sour end as when they returned to Kieran's car a note that read 'please don't park here' stuck to his windscreen.

Kieran and Princess were seen taking the glimpse at the note that had been left by an irritated resident.

Katie recently posted a cryptic quote on Instagram after her estranged husband liked a bikini-clad snap of Love Island's Kady McDermott.

Talking to mum? Princess, 10, was holding up her phone as she strolled along with her family, it appeared that she was chatting, possibly to her mother Katie

Holding hands: The father-of-two held hands with his daughter Bunny as they strolled along a path to the park

But she appeared to put the drama behind her as she was spotted alone at London's Gatwick Airport on Thursday afternoon.

Katie's appeared to take aim at her estranged husband on Thursday with a cryptic Instagram post, shortly after he liked a racy bikini shot posted by Love Island beauty Kady.

The businesswoman posted the quote saying she had no concern with exes 'downgrading' after eagle-eyed fans noticed he had liked a revealing bikini snap of the reality star posted on Tuesday morning.

Games: Kieran lifted his daughter into one of the parks attractions as Jett and Bunny watched on

Oops: However the day had a slightly sour end as when they returned to Kieran's car a note that read 'please don't park here' stuck to his windscreen.

Kieran returned to social media after the reformed sex addict atoned for cheating on Katie with two of her closest friends, but appears to be back in the dog house with his latest Insta-action.

Katie appeared to brush past Kieran's behaviour, hinting that she is well and truly on another path.

The quote read: 'I don't care if my ex upgrades, downgrades, moves to the left or to the right. What they do after me isn't my business.When I'm past you, I'm past you.' She captioned the snap: 'Fact!!!!'

Kieran had been quick to show his appreciation for Love Island star Kady after the sultry brunette shared a racy throwback snap, in which she models provocative black lingerie, with her Instagram followers.

Parking notice: Kieran and Princess were seen taking the glimpse at the note that had been left by an irritated resident

Irritated: The note which was left on Kieran's car read 'Please do not park here. Thank you'

The former stripper has since devoted his Instagram account to wholesome family photos - including numerous snaps of his wife - as they attempt to get their relationship back on track.

Celebrating his return in a brief video posted on Katie's homepage, he announced: 'Hi guys, check out my new Instagram page! I haven't been on there for four years but you can see me, the wife and all the kids AND all our animals. Woo hoo!'

Kieran's ban was prompted by separate flings with Jane Pountney and Chrissy Thomas, two of Katie's closest friends.

She later revealed that social media played a part in her husband, who has since received treatment for sex addiction, organising secret trysts.

Fact! Katie recently posted a cryptic quote on Instagram after her estranged husband liked a bikini-clad snap of Love Island's Kady McDermott

Cryptic: Katie appeared to take aim at estranged husband Kieran Hayler on Thursday with a cryptic Instagram post, shortly after he liked a racy bikini shot posted by Love Island beauty Kady

'He got their numbers from me or approached them on Twitter and began the process of getting them into bed,' she told the Sun On Sunday.

'It came out in his therapy that he'd been having affairs with Chrissy and Jane at the same time. He usually sh***ed in a lay-by on the way home from his plastering job in Guildford, Surrey.

'He preferred to s**g Jane in a pub car park. The affairs were calculated and evil on his part but also on theirs.'

Katie and Kieran announced plans to divorce last August amid claims of a third fling with their children's nanny, Nikki Brown, an allegation Brown has since refuted.
He's the lovable larrikin who unsuccessfully looked for love on Bachelor In Paradise.

But girlfriend or not, Davey Lloyd isn't afraid to take himself out for a dinner date and poke fun at his single status.

Taking to Instagram on Saturday night, the 28-year-old carpenter posted a picture at a table for two, sitting sans company.

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Quality time! Bachelor In Paradise's Davey Lloyd sits down for a chicken schnitzel and pint of beer alone... while joking about being on a date with an artistically crafted stick figure

With a chicken schnitzel and pint of beer sitting in front of him, Davey and his pub-style meal was met with a hilarious drawing of a stick figure sitting in the chair across from him.

Captioning the post, Davey humorously wrote: 'Date night.'

Continuing to poke fun at himself, the reality star went on to post a video reinforcing his lonesome status.

Riding solo: Continuing to poke fun at himself, the reality star went on to post a video reinforcing his lonesome status

Filming himself, Davey is seen talking to the camera, saying: 'Oh dude, that was so f**king funny. You guys want to see who did it?'

He then flips the camera around to showcase an empty bed, and finishes saying: 'No one. Absolutely nobody, I'm by myself.'

But it's not all dateless nights for Davey, having bonded with fellow loveless Married At Fight Sight reality star Ryan Gallagher since returning from Fiji.

Boys on the town: But it's not all dateless nights for Davey, having bonded with fellow loveless Married At Fight Sight reality star Ryan Gallagher since returning from Fiji

The eligible bachelors have been seen spending time together, frequenting Sydney's hot spots including Pelicano and The Oak in Double Bay.

Also spending time with fellow Bachelor pals, Davey took to Instagram to congratulate newly engaged Sam Cochrane and Tara Pavlovic.

Snapping a selfie with the couple and fellow Bachelor In Paradise star Luke Mcleod, he wrote: 'ConBLOOOODYgratulations to these legends in the middle. You two are perfect for each other in every single aspect. I cant wait to third wheel and watch Wais be the flower girl. Love you guys to death'
He recently revealed to fans that he has had a secret girlfriend for the past year.

And Prince Jackson, 20 and his mystery woman stepped out for the first time together during a day out at Magic Mountain theme park in LA on Friday.

The loved-up couple strolled out of the park together while the unknown woman ate a packet of sweets.

Going public: Prince Jackson, 20 and his mystery woman stepped out for the first time together during a day out at Magic Mountain theme park in LA

The couple cut a relaxed figure as they enjoyed their day out together, with Prince opting for a yellow Mike Tyson t shirt and a pair of navy cargo pants.

The son of King of Pop Michael Jackson gave a glimpse of his tattoo as it peeped through the sleeve of his top, which he accessorised with a heavy set chain.

His make-up free girlfriend oped for a patterned playsuit in muted tones which she wore with a pair of chunky trainers.

The 21-year-old confirmed his relationship status on Instagram, which came as a huge surprise to fans.

Sweet on you: The loved-up couple strolled out of the park together while the unknown woman ate a packet of sweets

Prince shared a photo of himself and his girlfriend smiling while standing in front of the ocean which had been taken during a recent trip to San Francisco.

He captioned the image: 'I had such an amazing time in San Fran celebrating our year together.'

Fans were quick to flock to the comment section to join in on the celebration, congratulating Prince on his newfound happiness.

Others simply expressed their shock that he'd managed to keep such a secret for 12 long months.

Anniversary: Prince shared a photo of himself and his girlfriend smiling while standing in front of the ocean which had been taken during a recent trip to San Francisco

Sister Paris Jackson also posted a comment on the photo, sending a sweet message to her big brother.

She wrote: 'Warms my heart to see how much joy you two bring each other. Happy anniversary love y'all.'

In another photo from his weekend away, Prince's mystery woman can be partially seen seated across from him while the pair enjoy breakfast.

Between them on the table is two massive plates of pancakes and a number of other breakfast items, however he failed to mentioned the women pictured.

According to E! News, the pair met at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. where Prince is majoring in business.
She is cover girl for next month's issue of Women's Health.

And it's clear to see why as Millie Mackintosh lounged on a giant inflatable swan, parading her lithe physique in a barely-there bikini on Saturday.

Millie, 28, who is set marry beau Hugo Taylor,31, later this summer, sported a white bikini top with matching high-rise bottoms.

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Swanning about: She is cover girl for next month's issue of Women's Health and it's clear to see why as Millie Mackintosh lounged on a giant inflatable swan

Her poolside look was accessorised with a straw cowboy-style hay and a pair of cool blue shades.

The former Made in Chelsea star made the most of her idyllic break as she relaxed in the clear azure pool at the Amilla Fushi Resort in the Maldives.

Bride-to-be Millie Mackintosh recently shared her tips for feeling confident in her skin ahead of her forthcoming wedding as she appeared in a stunning cover shoot for the June issue of Women's Health magazine.

The TV personality turned designer discussed her secret anxiety battle, her healthy life with fiance Hugo, 31, and the failure of her fashion brand in a candid accompanying interview.

Managing mental health: Millie, 28, who is set marry beau Hugo Taylor later this summer, recently reveals that she manages her anxiety using yoga

Millie - previously married to rapper Professor Green from 2013 to 2016 - revealed she is happy with her physique and won't be following a special plan in the run-up to the big day.

With her busy schedule, Millie said she relies upon yoga to maintain her mental health and manage her anxiety.

'When my thoughts get a bit out of control and my mind is rushing, yoga just brings everything back down to earth,' she said.

'It's hard to stay calm but you've got to remember that you're not your mind. You are an observer of your mind.'

Arriving in paradise: Millie also opened up on her healthy home life with Hugo - owner of Taylor Morris sunglasses brand - explaining the couple like to cook and workout together.

'I use the app Headspace daily - I'm doing the meditation for anxiety at the moment. With the process I've just been through with my business, it's made a real difference.'

'You know, you can't control certain things that happen to you, but you can control how you react to them - and how they affect you.'

Millie said she has found a new way to workout alongside her trainer Jojo Thompson, mixing things up with a variety of different home exercises.

She said: 'I feel stronger than I did two years ago - in a different way. I've found a really great trainer who comes to my home once or twice a week.

Pretty in pink: She said: 'We both love eggs for breakfast, so one of us will make some for the other - whoever is rushing least. Or we might both go to the gym, get breakfast together and then go about our days.'

Millie also opened up on her healthy home life with Hugo - owner of Taylor Morris sunglasses brand - explaining the couple like to cook and workout together.

She said: 'We both love eggs for breakfast, so one of us will make some for the other - whoever is rushing least. Or we might both go to the gym, get breakfast together and then go about our days.'

'Obviously, being a guy, hes quite tall and can eat a lot more than me. He might have a few more treats He can go to the gym, like, not at all, and the suddenly go three times and come home with a six-pack. Im like, what?!'

Millie also discussed the recent loss of her fashion brand Cammac, which went into liquidation in March, owing over half a million pounds.

Millie has herself lost out on 178,000 through the collapse of Cammac Venture Limited, according to liquidation papers.
She recently broke up yet again with her on-off beau Brooklyn Beckham.

And Chloe Grace Moretz was pap-snapped taking comfort in family when she stepped out in sunny Beverly Hills on Friday.

The blonde 21-year-old actress, who artfully tucked her short-sleeved shirt in only at the front left side, was joined by her brother Ethan Moretz.

Family time: Chloe Grace Moretz was pap-snapped with her brother Ethan Moretz when she stepped out in sunny Beverly Hills on Friday

Chloe's button-down top was orange except for its embroidered Herschel logo, its collar and some slender stripes at its breast pockets and sleeve-ends.

She slipped into a high-waisted pair of pewter grey jeans, shielding her eyes from the rays in aviator sunglasses and pulling on powder blue shoes.

Chloe used to date Victoria and David Beckham's 19-year-old son Brooklyn Beckham, but their latest split went public early last month.

Brooklyn was pap-snapped kissing Playboy model Lexi Wood at a tattoo parlor - and a day later, Chloe posted to her Insta Story that she was listening to Cardi B's scathing new infidelity-themed single Be Careful.

Snappy: Chloe's button-down top was orange except for its embroidered Herschel logo, its collar and some slender stripes at its breast pockets and sleeve-ends

Perez Hilton then tweeted that Chloe had liked a fan's Instagram post that included a photo of the actress nonchalantly flipping off the camera and was captioned: 'Greetings to @brooklynbeckham from me motherf***er'.

It is unknown when exactly Brooklyn and Chloe broke up, so it is entirely possible his tattoo parlor kiss was not an act of unfaithfulness.

Since the breakup, he has been linked to an array of women including the dancer Lexy Panterra, who happens to be eight years his senior.

The way they were: Chloe used to date Victoria and David Beckham's 19-year-old son Brooklyn Beckham, but their latest split went public early last month

Chloe first confirmed her romance with Brooklyn on Watch What Happens Live in May 2016 amid swirls of rumors, but by that September, People reported they'd split.

However, speculation started building late last summer that they were an item again, and by last autumn they were publicly a couple.

Chloe's is co-starring with Tilda Swinton and Dakota Johnson in an upcoming remake of Dario Argento's 1977 ballerina horror film Suspiria.

Legend: Awash in prestige pedigree, Chloe is also playing opposite iconic French actress Isabelle Huppert in Neil Jordan's forthcoming film The Widow

Jessica Harper, who led the cast of the original film, is also putting in an appearance in the new version, which is being directed by Luca Guadagnino.

Awash in prestige pedigree, Chloe is also playing opposite iconic French actress Isabelle Huppert in Neil Jordan's forthcoming film The Widow.

In addition to Ethan, Chloe has three brothers - Trevor, Colin and Brandon. Her older sister Kathleen died in infancy in 1988, so Chloe never met her.
Samantha Armytage is best known for fronting Channel Seven's Sunrise every weekday morning.

But on the weekends, the esteemed journalist shows a far more philosophical side in the columns she pens for Stellar magazine.

After previously pondering subjects such social media and celebrity culture, on Sunday Samantha tackled the topic of national identity, asking: 'What does 'un-Australian actually mean?'

'I drink, swear, punt, and adore a Saturday Bunnings sauso-sandwich': Writing in Stellar magazine on Sunday, Samantha Armytage revealed she was a proud patriot, but was unsure what was 'un-Australian'

In her column, the 41-year-old star professed to being proudly patriotic, listing her love of Vegemite and the fact she 'tries not to judge others' as two of her most Australian attributes.

She also added: 'I drink and swear and punt, and adore a Saturday Bunnings sauso-sandwich.'

However, Sam confessed she was confused about what makes someone 'un-Australian', despite the fact that her 'mates in the media' bandy about the term from time to time.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! The 41-year-old star professed to being proudly patriotic, listing her love of Vegemite and the fact she 'tries not to judge others' as two of her most Australian attributes

She pointedly asked: 'In our multicultural land, and in an era of social media (where everyone has an opinion), what does it actually mean to be un-Australian? Is it un-Australian to admit you enjoy the company of New Zealanders and refuse to make sheep jokes around them? Is it un-Australian to stand up for your 'Mrs'?'

The TV talent didn't come to any specific conclusions, instead inviting readers to mull over the musing.

Sam's column comes a week after she told Stellar magazine about inheriting her 'country values [of] honesty, loyalty, hard work, a good sense of humour' from her mother.

Country girl at heart: Sam's column comes a week after she told Stellar magazine about inheriting her 'country values' from her mum

'There's a strength in country women I see in my grandmothers, in my mother, in my sister and me. It's been bred into us and that's an absolute blessing,' she offered.

'There's not a propensity to wallow, or feel sorry for yourself, or be told you can't do something,' she continued.

Samantha was born in rural New South Wales, but attended high school at the elite Kincoppal Rose Bay School of the Sacred Heart in Sydney's affluent eastern suburbs.
EUNIC Chairman Emmanuel Labrande said that the two-week festival features a wide range of books from Austria, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Czech Republic, Spain, Sweden, Italy and Belgium.

He expressed his hope that book aficionados would find the books of their interest at the event.

The book festival has been in full swing with an array of activities such as book introductions, readings, workshops, exhibitions, films, quiz games, and a discount programme.

Particularly, European literature on Vietnam will be introduced on the occasion, including Les Jungles Moi by Henri Maitre and We have eaten the forest by Georges Condominas.

The European Book Days, which was previously called European Literature Days, has been organised annually in Hanoi since 2011 with support from the Delegation of the European Union.
Kourtney Kardashian has never looked better as she approaches 40.

And on Friday the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star revealed some of her secrets to staying youthful and slender. At age 39, she is only 98lbs.

On her site KourtneyKardashian.com, the sister of Kim and Khloe Kardashian listed the supplements she is taking every day.

She is healthy: Kourtney Kardashian revealed on her pay site on Friday what supplements she takes; seen here in April

Yummy: Her post began: 'At the moment, I'm all about everything in moderation. 'I try to eat healthy when I'm at home in my everyday routine and have a good balance of fresh, organic vegetables and fruits, healthy fats and protein'

Her post began: 'At the moment, I'm all about everything in moderation.

'I try to eat healthy when I'm at home in my everyday routine and have a good balance of fresh, organic vegetables and fruits, healthy fats and protein. I've found the way I eat affects everything from my skin to my mood to my energy levels.'

The mother of three then listed what she puts in her body.

Tricks: 'First thing every morning, I take collagen supplements mixed with a glass of water. I also try to drink a lot of water throughout the dayespecially during my workout. Then, I have my morning smoothie with added supplements like bone broth protein powder, MCT oil and E3Live algae,' she said; seen with Kim, left

'First thing every morning, I take collagen supplements mixed with a glass of water. I also try to drink a lot of water throughout the dayespecially during my workout.

'Then, I have my morning smoothie with added supplements like bone broth protein powder, MCT oil and E3Live algae.'

Then it was back to food.

Gym rat: The eldest Kardashian also trains hard; seen here with Larsa Pippen last week

'For lunch, I focus on eating organic greens and usually have a salad. Lately, I've been having my signature salad with avocado, hard boiled eggs, cucumber and tomatoes.

'In the afternoon, I usually have hot green tea and a little snack. I recently discovered these BBQ chips made with chickpeas that I really like.

'For dinner, I usually have grilled salmon or chicken, mashed cauliflower with garlic, roasted carrots and broccoli, along with white rice. I have been doing white rice at night because it's easier to digest in the evening (my nutritionist said it's best to have brown rice at lunch, then white rice for dinner).'

Kourtney was last seen with her beau Younes Bendjima on Friday at the Syrian American Medical Society event in Beverly Hills.
He hit headlines in January after he broke down in tears on ITV's Lorraine and revealed he had been axed from the BBC One dance show after 13 years.

Yet 'sacked' Strictly Come Dancing star Brendan Cole's next career move has been disclosed as he's set to star in Wycombe Swan theatre's 2018 Christmas panto in High Wycombe.

The dancer, 42, will take on the role of Prince Charming in a performance of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs.

New career: Strictly Come Dancing star Brendan Cole's next career move has been disclosed as he's set to star in Wycombe Swan theatre's 2018 Christmas panto in High Wycombe

Brendan will be performing in the pantomime production from 7 to the 30 of December 2018.

And according to The Sun, the father-of-two is set to be paid a whopping 150,000, which they claim is three times more than what he was paid by the BBC.

The new career move comes after Brendan talked about his shock sacking in January, he said: 'This is hard to talk about. The BBC havent renewed my contract.'

Strictly over: The dancer, 42, will take on the role of Prince Charming in a performance of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs

Emotional: He hit headlines in January after he broke down in tears on ITV's Lorraine and revealed he had been axed from the BBC One dance show after 13 years

He added: 'They have made an editorial decision not to have me back on the show. I have had 15 incredible series on the show, they are a great team.

'I am very disappointed. Its an editorial decision. I will never know the ins and outs.'

A source told MailOnline at the time: 'The judges did not want him back.

Plenty to smile about: According to The Sun, the father-of-two is set to be paid a whopping 150,000, which they claim is three times more than what he was paid by the BBC

'The rows he had in the last series with judges Shirley Ballas and Bruno Tonioli were the last straw.

'Brendan was stubborn and did not back down, which created an atmosphere backstage at the last series.

'The producers believe no one is bigger than the show. Not one judge has reached out to him which says a lot. He was not popular. His time was up and it seemed like Brendan was the last to know.'

Fiery: Brendan hit headlines back in October, when he got into an 'awkward' on-air spat with head judge Shirley Ballas after she accused him of having the banned 'rise and fall' in his tango

'Awkward': With fellow judge, Bruno Tonioli, getting involved and telling the professional dancer to be more 'respectful'

The BBC told MailOnline at the time: 'Wed like to thank Brendan for being part of the show since the beginning - winner of the first series - and for the contribution he has made to its success. We wish him all the very best for the future.'

Brendan hit headlines back in October, when he got into an 'awkward' on-air spat with head judge Shirley Ballas after she accused him of having the banned 'rise and fall' in his tango with Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins - something he strongly denied.

With fellow judge, Bruno Tonioli, getting involved and telling the professional dancer to be more 'respectful'.

While Brendan later apologised on the results show and said: 'I'll be better next week, I'll be quiet, I'll be quiet, I'm sorry.'
She rarely puts a foot wrong when it comes to her fashion choices.

So it's no surprise Alexa Chung showcased her effortlessly chic style as she enjoyed a casual walk in New York City on Saturday afternoon.

The fashion designer, 34, cut a trendy figure a cosy pink jumper, embellished with eccentric patterns throughout.

Style savvy: Alexa Chung showcased her effortlessly chic appearance as she enjoyed a casual walk in New York City on Saturday afternoon

Maintaining her fashion-forward display, the model teamed her ensemble with a pair of dark green bootcut trousers.

The brunette beauty injected a hint of comfort into her look as she wore white canvas trainers.

Upping the ante in the accessory department, Alexa toted a animal print side bag, and protected her eyes from the sun in a pair of classic square-framed glasses.

Making her way: The fashion designer, 34, cut a trendy figure a cosy pink jumper, embellished with eccentric patterns throughout

The Privett-born star accentuated her striking beauty with a slash of rose lipstick, and styled her glossy tresses poker straight.

Alexa was flying solo during her stroll, amid claims she is back together with Big Little Lies actor Alexander Skarsgard.

The It author appeared to confirm her relationship with the Swedish actor is back on after they were seen at St. Pancras International train station after arriving in the English capital earlier this year.

The couple originally confirmed their split in July, with friends claiming the separation was entirely amicable.

Casual chic: Maintaining her fashion-forward display, the model teamed her ensemble with a pair of dark green bootcut trousers

Low-key: The brunette beauty injected a hint of comfort into her look as she wore white canvas trainers

A source told E! Online: 'No one cheated on anyone. It was a clean breakup that was caused by busy schedules and distance.

Meanwhile, Alexa recently laid bare the details of her intimate romance life in a candid interview with PORTER magazine for its Spring 2018 edition.

The style maven divulged she would consider dating women and joked she was 'long overdue' having a same-sex encounter.

She explained: 'I'm long overdue losing my lesbian virginity, but I just think it's super old-fashioned to expect anything from anyone, I think everyone is on a spectrum of whatever they prefer.'
With their wedding just days away, I hear that a cottage on the glorious Great Tew Estate in Oxfordshire has been earmarked as a temporary post-nuptial haven for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Locals tell me that heavy security measures, including cameras, were put in place last week at the Cotswold property on the estate owned by one of David Camerons best friends.

It is just a short walk from the exclusive country club where Meghan hosted her hen party in March. And it is practically next door to the nine-bedroom home recently bought by David and Victoria Beckham, who will be among the guests at the Windsor wedding on May 19.

Harry and Meghan, pictured, will move into a cottage owned by multi-millionaire landowner Nicholas Johnston on the glorious Great Tew Estate in Oxfordshire

The Falkland Arms in Great Tew will be the happy couple's new local once they move in

My source on the estate  owned by multi-millionaire landowner Nicholas Johnston  tells me the cameras, gates and other security measures are being beefed up because the Royal couple plan to rent the property for at least a year while Meghan eases into married life.

A year in Oxfordshire will also allow plenty of time for work to be completed on the home earmarked for them by the Queen  York Cottage at Sandringham  which needs extensive renovation and is said to be haunted.

Says my source: The word is that the couple will retreat to this rented home at the weekends while they wait to be awarded a Sandringham house.

They chose it knowing the Beckhams would be next door. And Harry, being a music fan, will be able to pop down the road to the Cornbury Festival in the summer.

Dipping her toe into English country life with a rural cottage will no doubt help prepare California girl Meghan for the full-on experience of life on the Queens estate.

A two-and-a-half hour drive from London, Norfolk country life revolves around shooting and walks through the famously flat landscape.

By contrast, the cosy Cotswold stone cottage in Great Tew is just a stroll to celebrity hotspot Soho Farmhouse  with its two swimming pools, a spa, several restaurants and a cinema.

A member of staff at Great Tews Falkland Arms pub stayed tight-lipped about the potential of regal new regulars  but cheekily added that pictures of their faces may well decorate two of the beer pumps.

Meanwhile, Harry has been spotted at the KXU gym in Chelsea, where guests can pay 95 for three minutes of torture in its minus 85C cryotherapy chamber.

The cold sauna treatment is said to detox the body, aid sleep, reduce stress and make you appear years younger  perfect pre-wedding prep then!

Quote... unquote

'Im paid to sit on a sofa. Its bananas!'

Louise Minchin cant get her head around being a BBC Breakfast star.

'I knew when I met Paul that he was not a millionaire. When Caroline Aherne asked me what first attracted me to him, she had just married one!'

Debbie McGee hits back at the late Caroline Aherne for her famous line: So what first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?

'My mum says to me: "Cant you just do a rom-com, please?"'

Anna Friel tells me her mother is exasperated by her passion for tortured and really hard.

'My kids are like: "Mummy are you famous?" I I say: "Well I definitely was at one point."'

Lily Allen admits shes not the star she used to be.
Sofia Vergara enjoyed a fun family day on Saturday.

The Modern Family actress looked thrilled to be joining her husband Joe Manganiello and her niece Claudia as well as a friend named Paulina.

The foursome were seen hitting sushi in Beverly Hills.

Family first: Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara hold hands as they are entertained by her niece Claudia and a friend while out for sushi in Beverly Hills on Saturday

Sofia, Claudia and her friend Paulina all wore ripped jeans for their dinner date with Joe.

The actress and Joe held hands as they walked along the street, while Claudia and Paulina were goofing and dancing as they made the couple laugh hysterically.

Sofia looked her usual glamorous self despite being dressed down, wearing a simple black top, ripped jeans and Nike's.

Hee hee: Sofia, Claudia and her friend Paulina all wore ripped jeans for their dinner date with Joe. The actress and Joe held hands as they walked along the street, while Claudia and Paulina were goofing and dancing as they made the couple laugh hysterically.

Joe also dressed down in black pants, a Morrissey t-shirt and a pair of Nike's.

Joe appears to be a big Morrissey fan, he's been seen wearing several different t-shirts over the past few months.

In an interview with Cigar Aficionado, the Pittsburgh native, who's starring alongside his wife in Stano, revealed his 'biggest adjustment in marriage.'

'The biggest adjustment in marriage? Coming to grips with the idea that someone who is not related to you could possibly love you that much. She was it for me.'

So Sofia: Sofia looked her usual glamorous self despite being dressed down, wearing a simple black top, ripped jeans and Nike's

'People say things like, "Marriage and relationships are work." But it's not. Life is hard. Having somebody to help you deal with it is the greatest thing that ever happened.'

Meanwhile, Sofia ex-fiance Nick Loeb has compared their embryo battle to the fight to end slavery.

She has been locked in a bitter lawsuit with the businessman since 2015 when he filed documents to protect, and bring to term, two female embryos, which they had created and planned to use with a surrogate during their relationship.

He loves her: In an interview with Cigar Aficionado, the Pittsburgh native, who's starring alongside his wife in Stano, revealed his 'biggest adjustment in marriage.' 'The biggest adjustment in marriage? Coming to grips with the idea that someone who is not related to you could possibly love you that much. She was it for me'; seen in March

Nick has been blocked from bringing the embryos to term twice by the Modern Family beauty, but he's now filed a third lawsuit claiming the debate over the cells being product or people has happened 'only one other time in United States history from which any legal precedent may be reviewed - the pre-Civil War era.'

According to the documents obtained by The Blast, Nick then went on to give the full legal definition of slavery.

'Under these simple definitions, a human embryo, if believed to be a human being and alive, (which is our contention) would be considered a slave and the parents would be the owners of the slave, particularly in states where they are considered property,' he said.

The judge is yet to make a decision on the matter.
Samantha Cameron, pictured, has launcehd her spring-summer 2018 collection with her Cefinn label clothes

Enter Samantha Cameron the fashion model! She may have been notoriously shy during her Downing Street years, but she is now parading on social media frocks from her Cefinn label, which earlier this year was reported to have had a 400,000 injection of cash.

Samantha, 47, has previously projected herself as the creative mastermind, pictured behind a desk, notebook in hand, for publicity shots.

Now she has put herself centre-stage in her spring-summer 2018 collection, reclining in a model-like pose in the 320 sleeveless maxi dress from her Go Green collection, which is apparently designed to make women feel modern and empowered.

According to Samantha the Cefinn woman is fashionable and professional, feminine and confident.

Clearly it works if she has become a pin-up for her brand.

The moneymen who injected more dosh into her company cannot complain of its founders lack of passion for fashion.

Mrs Cameron, pictured on stage with Fearne Cotton said: 'The Cefinn woman is fashionable and professional, feminine and confident'

The mystery deepens

For several years Superman actor Henry Cavill has been pictured with a flame-haired stunner who has been described on a Hollywood gossip site as a mystery woman, although she has never been never identified  until now.

I learn she is Catherine Collins, an American celebrity stylist.

She describes Henry  who turned 35 yesterday  as a lovely human being, and when she is among friends, calls him her boyfriend.

Henry Cavill, pictured with Catherine Collins, who have been involved in an on-off relationship

But the actors US PR team told me: Henry does not know this woman.

Is she a fantasist? No. Im told the pair, above, have been in an on-off relationship for five years but Catherine prefers to stay out of the limelight.

When I made enquiries she removed pictures of them together from her social media pages.
Caroline Flacks engagement to former Apprentice contestant Andrew Brady after just three months of dating has prompted a flurry of speculation among her friends.

Pals worry that TV host Caroline, 38, is rushing into marriage  and maybe motherhood  in response to the news that her former love Jack Street, the manager of pop star Sam Smith, has just become a father.

The TV presenter, right, teased fans last week by posting: I HAVE MEGA NEWS. SO EXCITING

Turns out it was a business deal, but I wonder if shell soon have even better news to announce

Caroline Flack has prompted speculation among her friends over her recent engagement

Caroline Flack revealed to her fans on Instagram that she had become engaged

Don't mess with TV chef Richard Corrigan when it comes to online reviews  it could be a bad career move.

The Great British Menu star, 54, told me at the GQ Food and Drink Awards how he tracked down a woman threatening bad feedback.

He said: She was trying to get me to pay for a new coat, saying someone spilt wine on it which was a lie. I found out who she worked for and I wrote to her boss. I think she got fired.

That's rich! Murdoch girl says she's broke

Elisabeth Murdochs cheeky daughter Charlotte Freud had her friends in stitches last week when she declared on Instagram that she was a bit broke  and asked should I get a job or get a sugar daddy?

Last year I revealed how her doting PR tycoon dad Matthew organised a lavish 17th birthday party for her, during which U2 star Bono led a sing-song in her honour.

But Charlotte can always ask her grandpa for pocket money  hes billionaire Rupert Murdoch.

Charlotte Freud had her friends in stitches last week after she announced she was 'a bit broke'

His show Motherland  billed as the comedy that captures the dribbling despair of parenthood  was one of the TV hits of last year.

How apt then that Graham Linehan was something of a dribbling wreck when he co-wrote the script!

Describing marijuana as his writing partner, Graham says: I smoke a joint and it just gets written. It loosens something Grass is brilliant for me. I usually start around 11am.

Graham, 49, is also the man behind comedy classic Father Ted, in which Bishop ONeill gives up the church to live as a dope-smoking hippy. I wonder what inspired that episode?
She's preparing to welcome her first baby with billionaire husband Evan Spiegel later this month.

And Miranda Kerr, 35, looked radiant as she showed off her prominent baby bump in a series of flirty feminine dresses for a summery shoot with Stellar magazine.

The supermodel, who also has a seven-year-old son with ex-husband Orlando Bloom, revealed she is still working during her second pregnancy.

Stunning: Miranda Kerr, 35, looked radiant as she showed off her prominent baby bump in a series of flirty feminine dresses for a summery shoot with Stellar magazine

The catwalk star looked every inch the glowing mother-to-be in a dusky-pink floral dress for the magazine cover, before slipping into a chic ivory sundress with a tiered skirt.

Styling her glossy dark tresses in glossy waves, Miranda framed her striking features with a simple taupe lipstick and a sweep of mascara.

Discussing her second pregnancy in an interview at her Malibu home, she explained: 'It's interesting because I'm working just as much, but I'm working differently.

'Before, when I was pregnant with Flynn, I was doing a lot of photo shoots and travel  but obviously I didn't have Flynn to look after.'

Busy mum: The supermodel, who also has a seven-year-old son with ex-husband Orlando Bloom, revealed she is still working 'just as much' during her second pregnancy

Working hard: She explained that she's had to give up on doing yoga during her pregnancy this time round so she can look after Flynn (pictured posing at her Malibu home)

She added: 'So I had more time to do, say, yoga. And I was telling Evan, 'Aw man, I haven't had time to do this pre-natal DVD' and then was like, 'I wonder why?'''

The Sydney-born beauty remained coy about speculation that she is expecting a daughter, saying simply: 'It's funny, isn't it? My husband's a very private guy, so it's best to keep it a surprise.'

The brunette beauty was catapulted to fame when she became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2007.

Discussing her retirement from modelling, she said it gives her time to focus on her family and KORA - her organic skincare range - which is her 'passion'.

Rumour has it: The Sydney-born beauty remained coy about speculation that she is expecting a daughter, saying simply: 'It's funny, isn't it? My husband's a very private guy, so it's best to keep it a surprise'

She added that she never thought she would last as long as she has in the industry, admitted that she always found modelling 'kind of easy'.

The beauty entrepreneur also revealed her plans for Mother's Day this year, explaining that he's going to make toast with Vegemite for her.

Miranda and Snapchat co-founder Evan made their debut as a couple in June 2015 after first meeting at a Louis Vuitton dinner in New York City in 2014.

Any day now! She's preparing to welcome her first baby with billionaire husband Evan Spiegel (pictured) later this month

The couple tied the knot in an intimate backyard ceremony at Evan's home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles in May 2017, in front of just 45 family and friends.

Despite their divorce, Miranda has maintained a friendly relationship with British actor Orlando, who is in an on-off romance with Katy Perry.

The former flames were married in a romantic ceremony in July 2010, but announced that they were going their separate ways in 2013.

For the full interview with Miranda Kerr, head to www.stellarmag.com.au.

Catwalk star: The brunette beauty was catapulted to fame when she became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2007
Jersey Shore's Ronnie Ortiz-Magro has finally shared a photo of his baby girl Ariana Sky, who was born in early April.

This follows an ugly spat with the baby's mother Jen Harley. The two engaged in a brutal social media fight before ending their relationship.

The 32-year-old reality television star captioned a picture alongside little girl, 'good morning beautiful world.'

Good morning: Jersey Shore's Ronnie Ortiz-Magro was back on Instagram, sharing a picture of his daughter, after splitting with the mother of his one-month old in a bitter social media spat

It's over: Jersey Shore's Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and girlfriend Jen Harley split on social media

He looked like he had just woken up in the image, in which he has unkempt hair and a lot of stubble alongside the tiny tot.

Their baby was fast asleep between candy striped sheets.

Last week, Jen spoke out on Instagram following their vicious social media fight. 'My heart hurts,' she wrote alongside a sad face emoji.

Cute: He shared a picture of the adorable baby with filters

But, despite her broken heart, Harley said she remains focused on her one-month-old little girl.

'Having a daughter is such an amazing feeling, changes your whole outlook on life and how you want to be as a person,' she said on Instagram Wednesday.

'I love this girl more than anything and just want to be the best mom I can be to her.'

On Tuesday, Harley spoke out on Instagram following their vicious social media fight. 'My heart hurts,' she wrote alongside a sad face emoji

Despite her broken heart, Harley remains focused on her one-month-old little girl. 'I love this girl more than anything and just want to be the best mom I can be to her,' she said on Instagram Wednesday

Last Sunday, the Jersey Shore star and Harley were heavily engaged in a bitter Instagram war that would later unravel their relationship.

'Note to self, can't turn a natural born HOE, into a HOUSEWIFE. If you find them in the gutter then leave them in the gutter,' Magro said to kickoff the social media rampage.

'Not all people can be saved when they are so far gone. All you can say you did ur best and keep it moving.'

New parents: Ronnie and Jen welcomed their daughter Ariana Sky into the world on April 3

Harley better known as @tt_kittymeow responded: 'Can't turn a coke head into a father! Yeahhh buddy.'

Ron continued the public humiliation by polling his audience.

Harsh words: On Sunday, the Jersey Shore star and Harley were heavily engaged in an Instagram war that would later unravel their relationship

'Can't turn a coke head into a father! Yeahhh buddy,' Jen said in one post on Sunday

'If your significant other keeps sex videos of their ex, shouldn't they show enough respect to delete them, esp after being in a new relationship for over a year?'

Friend and reality co-star Deena Cortese seemed shocked in their private text conversation.

'Wow that's insane,' she said. 'What girl even keeps that lol.'

Ron continued the public humiliation by polling his audience. 'If your significant other keeps sex videos of their ex, shouldn't they show enough respect to delete them, esp after being in a new relationship for over a year'

Friend and reality co-star Deena Cortese seemed shocked in their private text conversation. 'Wow that's insane,' she said. 'What girl even keeps that lol'

But the public fight didn't reach its climax until Monday when an intense Instagram LIVE video led to a physical altercation.

The video begins with Ronnie daring Jen to zoom into his phone, which he claims contained explicit content of Jen.

'If you wanna film, let's zoom in. Let's zoom in,' he said. 'Oh look at that! Let's zoom in! Oh yeah look at that! Oh that's f**king great! Oh yeah, let's zoom in on that! Look at that! Let's zoom in on that!'

'Get out of my face!' Jen can be heard telling Ronnie. 'Stop! Get off of me.'

Poor choices: But the public fight didn't reach its climax until Monday when an intense Instagram LIVE video led to a physical altercation

Ronnie continued to urge Jen to zoom into his phone, telling her: 'Why don't you want to show that? Huh?'

'Show you,' Jen said.

'Show you f**king getting f**ked in your a** like a hooker.'

'Put your hands on me again,' Ron urged.

'Seriously?' Jen said.

'Seriously,' he replied. 'I dare you. I f**king dare you,' he added.

The camera abruptly begins to shake as Ronnie seemingly attempts to wrestle the phone from out of Jen's hands.

'Get off of me!' Ronnie demands.

'Don't touch me Ron!' she can be heard yelling before the recording ended.

The episode comes swiftly after the star declaring unconditional love for his family on social media last month.

On April 18, he posted: 'So excited to be a #Father. Words cant describe the feeling. You live your life not ever really knowing the meaning of true love until you have a child. True unconditional love. You love your Significant other, you love your family. I have to say I understand when everyone said youll understand  when you have a child of your own or when you become a parent I know I have still tons to learn but im excited for this new journey & chapter In MyLife with my beautiful girlfriend & my Daughter #ArianaSkyMagro #CheckOutStoryOnMyIGStory.'
It's a mug's game trying to predict if the High Court will allow Labor Senator Katy Gallagher to remain in parliament, or if she will be the latest victim of the citizenship saga, one of her colleagues says.

The High Court will on Wednesday hand down its decision on a case which could have wider implications for a swag of lower house MPs, and the numbers on the floor of federal parliament.

Labor frontbencher Jim Chalmers hopes Senator Gallagher will be found eligible.

However, he isn't willing to predict what happens if she loses her Senate seat, including whether a number of Labor colleagues will need to be referred to the court themselves.

"Trying to predict or pre-empt the outcomes of the High Court is a mug's game," he said.

"Ideally Katy Gallagher will be part of our team going forward, but there's no use commenting on all the various scenarios which can come out of the High Court on Wednesday."

Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue told the court in March it was clear Senator Gallagher had not complied with renunciation requirements and as a result her Senate seat should be vacated.

Lawyers for Senator Gallagher, who represents the ACT, argue she took every action to sever her citizenship by descent through her father, and it was "incredibly uncertain" how long a person should wait for British officials to approve the decision.

Three Labor lower house MPs - Justine Keay, Josh Wilson and Susan Lamb - are in similar dual citizenship situations.

Senior government figures have said if Senator Gallagher is disqualified they too should stand down.
* Party official: CPV-LDP cooperation crucial to Vietnam-Japan ties

PM Phuc made the remark while receiving Fumio Kishida, Chairman of the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan, in Hanoi on May 4.

The PM stressed that since its inception 45 years ago, Vietnam-Japan relations have recorded comprehensive, strong and practical growth in all fields, while political trust between the two nations stays at high level.

He thanked Kishida for his contributions to the bilateral ties when he worked as Foreign Minister and Secretary-General of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, expecting that Kishida will continue his support to the bilateral cooperation.

For his part, the Japanese official said he was happy to see that Japan has become a leading foreign investor in Vietnam again with a record number of over 1,700 businesses investing in the Southeast Asian country.

Praising Vietnams economic growth of 6.81% last year, he said Japan wants to contribute to the countrys infrastructure development, including urban railway projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Japanese companies are very interested in the Vietnamese market, Kishida said, adding that Vietnam and Japan should strengthen their cooperation in regional and international matters.

PM Phuc said the room for bilateral collaboration remains large, suggesting the countries enhance political trust by increasing the exchange of delegations, particularly high-level delegations, and deepening ties between their parties and parliaments.

He suggested the two sides coordinate in organising activities to celebrate the 45th founding of diplomatic ties in 2018, and increase people-to-people and cultural exchanges between their localities to boost mutual understanding.

Having thanked Japan for its effective support to the Vietnamese economy via its official development assistance (ODA), PM Phuc said Vietnam attaches importance to the funds and spares no efforts to carry out its ODA commitments with Japan.

He went on to say that Vietnam wants to continue using Japanese ODA in building major infrastructure projects and training human resources in response to climate change.

The government leader hoped that Japan will maintain its position as the top foreign investor, and invest more in the local supporting industry, new energy, processing industry, and high-tech agriculture.

The PM recommended the two countries push up bilateral trade, and asked the Japanese side to assist Vietnam in improving the quality of goods and logistics services, and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese fruits and aquatic products to enter the Japanese market.

PM Phuc and Kishida also spent time discussing the maintenance of security, peace and stability in the region.
Lawyers for an Australian missionary nun facing deportation from the Philippines say the country's Bureau of Immigration has "no right to define her missionary work" as she fights the decision.

Sister Patricia Fox, 71, was taken from her house to the immigration bureau in Manila last month where she was detained for "illegal political activities", and has since been ordered to leave the country due to violating her visa.

In a counter-affidavit filed on Friday morning, the nun's lawyers argue the bureau's investigation was "sloppy" and it had "no right to define and delimit what constitute the apostolate and missionary works of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion".
Earlier this week, Trent Barrett stood up in front of his Manly players and told them he wasn't going anywhere.

On Sunday, Sea Eagles players desperately need to stand up for Barrett to stop their season from spiralling out of control on the field.

For all the mountains Manly must climb off the field after the past month, an equally daunting one lays ahead of them on it.

Having already copped four straight losses, Sunday's clash with the Sydney Roosters kicks off a horror two months of travel for the Sea Eagles.

They head to Brisbane and Melbourne in the following two weeks, and also have trips to Auckland, Canberra, Wollongong and Penrith to follow.

They also don't play a team below them on the NRL ladder between now and round 22 when they host Canterbury, and also have just one match at Lottoland in that period against North Queensland in an Origin-affected round.

Round nine is too early to write a team off for the next 13 weeks with the talent of the Trbojevic brothers, Dylan Walker and Daly Cherry-Evans. But there's no questioning things have to change fast.

"I don't think we're far away, but we really have to start winning," Barrett said on Saturday.

"If we don't get some wins on the board we're going to be too far behind."

Manly finally received some good news on Saturday, as their under-16s side won the Harold Matthews Cup - the club's maiden NSW Rugby League junior age title.

But in their NRL squad, players have already vowed to turn it around for Barrett this week.

They've seen the way he's fronted the press and taken the questions for his players regularly during hardship in his two-and-a-half year stint at the club.

Salary cap scandals, disproved match-fixing probes and now the fallout from the disastrous Gladstone trip last month.

And that's before the staff shortages at Brookvale are considered.

Vice-captain Jake Trbojevic even admitted during the week a lesser man would have walked away from the post, while hooker Apisai Koroisau remarked on how Barrett's fortitude had made them closer.

"A lot of the guys that are in the squad I've known for a long time and we're very close," Barrett said.

"A win on Sunday would me a hell of a lot to myself, to the club and to the players.

"We don't like seeing where the club is at the moment and we don't like the position we're in on the table. We want to fix it. I certainly want to see the club up where it should be."

STATS THAT MATTER:

* Manly are the Roosters' bogie side, with 84 wins from 130 games against them.

* Latrell Mitchell is the only player to score points for the Roosters in their past 186 minutes.

* A Manly loss will mark their worst start to a season since 1999.
Angry Tasmanian Liberals are trawling through new Speaker Sue Hickey's past in a bid to find something that will force her to quit parliament.

Ms Hickey blindsided her own party when she voted with Labor and the Greens to make herself Speaker of Tasmania's lower house earlier this week.

She's promised confidence in the government, but also says she won't automatically pass its legislation.

AAP understands her stunning move has angry Liberal party members forensically going through her history as former Lord Mayor of Hobart in a bid to find any questionable decisions.

If they can find any, they hope to force her out of parliament.

Under Tasmania's Hare-Clark system, when an MP quits the votes used to elect them are recounted, usually meaning a candidate from the same party replaces them.

Tasmanian Liberal sources say forcing Ms Hickey out is the government's best hope of regaining its one-seat majority.

It's understood Ms Hickey believed she had been promised a ministry before the election, but was left out of Premier Will Hodgman's cabinet.

So Labor and Ms Hickey agreed to the deal to make her Speaker, with the Greens' support.

Ms Hickey's move left the government's choice for Speaker, veteran MP Rene Hidding, on the backbench after he gave his up ministries expecting to get the job.

The new Speaker has also hired Mervin Reed, a fierce public critic of Mr Hodgman, as one of her advisers.

Ms Hickey told reporters on Wednesday she would "mostly" vote with the government.

"This is a very serious role and I take it very seriously," Ms Hickey said.

"I am not going to abuse that power."

The Liberal government was returned to power in March with a slender one-seat majority of 13 House of Assembly seats to Labor's 10 and the Greens' two.
The Wallabies are breathing a big sigh of relief ahead of their Test series against Ireland, with scans revealing Will Genia's knee injury isn't as serious as first thought.

Genia limped off late in the first half of the Rebels' Super Rugby loss to the Crusaders at AAMI Park on Friday night and the initial diagnosis was a grade two or three medial ligament tear.

That would have kept Genia out for about eight weeks, missing the three-Test series next month against the Six Nations champions and likely the remainder of the Rebels' Super Rugby season.

However, the 30-year-old had a scan in Melbourne on Saturday that revealed more positive results.

"Will Genia is expected to miss the club's next three Super Rugby matches after scans this afternoon revealed a low-grade strain to his medial collateral ligament in his knee," the Rebels said in a statement.

"The injury will sideline Genia for upcoming Rebels matches against the ACT Brumbies, the Blues and the Sunwolves."

Without Genia, the No.9 Test jersey is wide open with Nick Phipps starting on the bench for the Waratahs behind Jake Gordon, while Brumbies halfback Joe Powell is also a contender.

Genia has starred this season for the Rebels, who he joined after two years playing in France, but also missed their two previous games with a hamstring injury.

Melbourne have struggled without him and have lost their past five Super Rugby matches, including the 55-10 hammering by the Crusaders.
A memorial service has been held in Brazil for popular businesswoman Cecilia Haddad, less than a week after her body was found floating in a Sydney river.

NSW Police are continuing to piece together the final 24 hours of Ms Haddad's life after kayakers found her fully-clothed body floating in the water near Woolwich last Sunday morning, some six kilometres from her Ryde home in Sydney's northwest.

At a Rio de Janeiro church, Ms Haddad's mother, brother and friends carried white roses as they gathered to remember the successful and popular 38-year-old.

"What happened to Cecilia is not normal - in the name of her family and friends we want justice," Olivia Furst, the family's lawyer, told Network Seven speaking in Portuguese on Saturday.

"We are counting on the press, the public and the authorities," she said.

"Cecilia was a fantastic girl - very intelligent - for those who saw how far she had gone on her professional life," childhood friend Daniele Suzuki told the network.

Ms Haddad came to Western Australia more than a decade ago before moving to Sydney in 2016 where she worked in mining and logistics.

Her Brazilian mother, Milu Muller, is too sick to fly to Australia after recent surgery.

"I do not know if I will survive this tragedy," Ms Muller said in a statement to Fairfax Media earlier this week.

"Maybe if they arrest the murderer, I may have some relief. Thank you and please do everything to help catch the monster that did this."

There was no sign of Ms Haddad's former lover, Mario Marcelo Santoro, who flew home to Rio De Janeiro last weekend, at the Brazilian church service.

Police say Mr Santoro is a "person of interest" and Brazillian authorities have been engaged to help locate him.

"There are several persons of interest, and no arrest warrants have been issued," a NSW Police spokeswoman told AAP on Saturday.

Mr Santoro and Ms Haddad had lived together in the past but Ms Haddad had asked him to leave her home in Ryde in the weeks leading up to her death

AAP understands NSW Police continued interviewing Ms Haddad's friends in Sydney and Perth on Friday to "establish a more-complete picture" of the popular mining executive.

Detectives are yet to establish how the 38-year-old's distinctive red Fiat came to be parked at West Ryde train station, where it was discovered on Sunday afternoon.

Ms Haddad's ex-husband, Felipe Torres, who detectives believe was in Perth at the time of her death, flew from Western Australia to formally identify her body.

The outcome of the post-mortem examination is being closely guarded by investigators but the results led police to confirm the case was a homicide.
A disability service centre that has helped people in Bathurst for more than 60 years has burnt to the ground with NSW forensic police investigating the blaze.

The Glenray Industries building on Browning St was well alight when several firefighting units arrived in the early hours of Saturday.

Police say no one was injured but the building was totally destroyed and a crime scene has been established.

"Let's hope and pray for all the wonderful people who worked there. Great work by all the emergency services who attended," Bathurst Rural Fire Brigade tweeted on Saturday.

The centre catered to the residential, respite, vocational, community support and day activities for people with disability, Glenray's website says.
An American Pulitzer Prize-winning author has abruptly pulled out of the Sydney Writers' Festival after another female writer accused him of sexual harassment during a live session.

Junot Diaz, 49, whose novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao was awarded a Pulitzer in 2008, was part of a panel at the festival on Friday when Zinzi Clemmons stood up and quizzed him on the way he had treated her six years ago when she was a graduate student at Columbia.

Clemmons, whose debut novel What We Lose was published in 2017, then repeated her sexual harassment accusations against him on social media, which triggered other accusations of abusive and inappropriate behaviour by Diaz, according to the New York Times.

On Saturday, Sydney Writers Festival issued a statement saying the headline guest would be withdrawing from the week-long festival.

"Following the allegations of inappropriate and aggressive behaviour towards Zinzi Clemmons and other women, Mr Diaz has withdrawn from his remaining sessions at Sydney Writers' Festival."

"In his recent New Yorker essay, Mr Diaz wrote, 'Eventually the past finds you'. As for so many in positions of power, the moment to reckon with the consequences of past behaviour has arrived," the statement said.

"Sydney Writers' Festival is a platform for the sharing of powerful stories: urgent, necessary and sometimes difficult. Such conversations have never been more timely. We remain committed to ensuring they occur in a supportive and safe environment for our authors and audiences alike."

Mr Diaz was due to speak on a panel on Saturday titled The Politics of Empathy, and on Sunday about his children's book Islandborn with Australian Children's Laureate Morris Gleitzman.

He has also cancelled an event at Melbourne's Wheeler Centre on Monday.
British billionaire and industrialist Sanjeev Gupta has flown into the NSW Southern Highlands with his wife and children to personally welcome the employees of Tahmoor Mine into his GFG Alliance family.

The coking coalmine, 75 kilometres southwest of Sydney, was acquired by GFG Alliance in mid-April and on Saturday, the Indian-born British businessman welcomed the more than 300 employees and their families to his empire.

"Today is about the strongest value which our group has, which is family," Mr Gupta told the crowd during his whirlwind visit.

"I want to welcome you and all your families and the community at large here in Tahmoor to my family and look forward to working together for many, many decades," he said, alongside his three children, his wife and sister-in-law.

He said Tahmoor Mine is an important supplier of coking coal to South Australia's Whyalla Steelworks, which he bought in August.

Mr Gupta has ramped up production at the troubled steelworks in a bid to produce 1.2 million tonnes of steel per year, and has promised to invest $1 billion to increase production and modernise the plant.

He said the acquisition of Tahmoor and Whyalla makes GFG the only fully-integrated Australian steel producer, whether from iron ore and coking coal to primary steel, or from scrap metal and renewable energy to Greensteel.

"The acquisition of the Tahmoor mine is an exciting step forward in our strategy to create fully-integrated, end-to-end businesses in Australia, from raw materials and energy right through to high-value finished products ready for market," he said in a statement.
Today's birthday, May 6: Australian former politician Fiona Nash (1965 - )

The political career of former Nationals deputy leader Fiona Nash came to an abrupt end in 2017 when she was disqualified from parliament for holding a dual citizenship.

The High Court ruled Nash was ineligible to have been elected due to her British citizenship which she inherited by descent from her Scottish-born father.

After the ruling, Nash decided not to re-contest her seat in the next election.

The former minister was born in 1965 in Sydney and was raised by her mother after her parent's divorced.

Her career in politics began as a staff member for National Party ministers Mark Vaile, Larry Anthony and De-Anne Kelly.

In 2004 Nash was elected to the Senate for the NSW Nationals.

Four years later she was elected Deputy Leader of the Nationals in the Senate and was also appointed as Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Water Resources and Conservation.

Not long after taking up the latter position, she was asked to resign by then Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull when she expressed her support for a motion by the Australian Greens to block the introduction of up-front tax breaks for carbon sinks.

After resigning she crossed the floor with four other National senators to vote for the motion.

Following the 2010 election, Nash returned to the Opposition frontbench as Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Education. Under the Abbott government, she served as Assistant Minister for Health and Minister for Rural Health.

In 2016, Nash became the Deputy Leader of the Nationals in Parliament.

She then served as Minister for Local Government and Territories, Minister for Regional Development and Minister for Regional Communications under the Turnbull government.

Following her departure from politics late last year, Turnbull thanked Nash for her service to parliament, saying she had been "an outstanding minister, passionately devoted to regional Australia and its advancement".

She currently works as Strategic Adviser, Regional Development at Charles Sturt University.

Nash and husband David have two sons and operate a mixed farm in southwest NSW.
Hundreds are expected to rally at South Australia's parliament house over live sheep exports.

RSPCA South Australia is calling on the government to put an immediate stop to long-haul sheep shipments during the Middle East's summer.

The organisation's animal welfare advocate Rebekah Eyers will address the crowd at the rally on Sunday.

"Our federal government cannot keep ignoring the fact that this industry is inherently cruel and unnecessary and no amount of regulation tweaking, increased penalties or reviews will change that," she said in a statement.
Deputy PM Minh expressed his delight at the strong, comprehensive and practical development of the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership, noting that the two countries political trust has been increasingly reinforced through frequent meetings between their leaders, especially five mutual visits by senior leaders of the countries in 2017. Economic cooperation has continued its vigorous development trend and is a highlight in bilateral relations, he said.

The Deputy PM appreciated Japans support for socio-economic development and competitiveness improvement of Vietnam through official development assistance (ODA) and fruitful investment projects.

Minh and the Japanese delegation also exchanged in-depth opinions about Japanese ODA-funded projects in Vietnam. The host affirmed the Vietnamese Governments consistent policy of effectively and reasonably using ODA capital.

For his part, Kishida noted with satisfaction the thriving Vietnam-Japan relations over the past 45 years, including increasing meetings between their senior leaders.

He spoke highly of Vietnams economic development achievements, noting that Japan is ready to continue supporting Vietnam to boost socio-economic development, including building high-quality infrastructure, training manpower, and increasing Japanese investments in the Southeast Asian nation.

At the meeting, the two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern, including the Korean Peninsula situation and the East Sea issue.

Kishida highly valued Vietnams successful organisation of the APEC Year 2017 and its meaningful contributions to global trade liberalisation and maintenance of multilateral trade regimes.

He also expressed his sincere thanks to Vietnam for its close and active cooperation in the negotiations and signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), hoping that the two sides will speed up internal procedures so that the deal can take effect soon.

Deputy PM Minh affirmed that, as the coordinator for ASEAN-Japan relations, Vietnam will coordinate closely with Japan to strengthen cooperation between ASEAN and Japan in a result-oriented manner. He also called on Japan to support Vietnams ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020.
Blink and you will miss it.

That's how fast the Rubik's Cube will be solved at an event in Melbourne on Sunday.

Champions who can solve the puzzle in less than eight seconds are expected to attend the 'Cubes for Cambodia' fundraiser, organised by students at Ivanhoe Grammar School.

The school sends students and teachers to Cambodia each year, where they volunteer, teach English, build fences, paint buildings and plant trees.

The fundraiser was developed in 2015 by student Ethan Pride.

"It was one of the best experiences that I had at my time at Ivanhoe," he said.

Up to 200 participants are expected to take part.
It can be hard to know when a baby or dementia patient is in persistent pain because they either can't or struggle to communicate their level of suffering.

But a breakthrough blood test that identifies chronic pain using colour biomarkers could fix this challenging situation faced by many doctors.

The world-first test, called the 'painHS' test, was developed by a team of Australian scientists after discovering chronic pain is biologically a different colour in immune cells to regular acute pain.

The test is able to differentiate between the colours of pain in the blood using light measurement tools, immediately detecting those in chronic pain.

"We are literally quantifying the colour of pain," said neuroscientist Professor Mark Hutchinson, who will reveal the test at a meeting of the Faculty of Pain Medicine in Sydney on Sunday.

One in five people in Australia suffer chronic pain.

Prof Hutchinson believes this test will be a cost-effective way for doctors to accurately determine the severity of chronic pain in patients with back issues, cancer and migraine.

Those who are unable to describe their pain suffering, like very young children and those with dementia, will especially benefit, he says.

"Self-reporting (by patients) is still going to be key but what this does is that those forgotten people who are unable to communicate their pain conditions such as babies or people with dementia can now have their condition diagnosed and treated," he said.

It also has the potential to revolutionise pain treatment for animals, Prof Hutchinson said.

"Animals can't tell us if they're in pain but here we have a Dr Doolittle-type test that enables us to 'talk' to the animals, so we can find out if they are experiencing pain and then we can help them," he said.

It's hoped the painHS test will be ready for broader use by pain medicine physicians and GPs within 18 months.
Thousands of ecstasy pills have been seized and 13 people, including three young women, charged at a Sydney music festival.

A total of 187 people were searched and more than 3500 MDMA capsules were seized in a large police operation, including sniffer dogs, at the Midnight Mafia Music Festival at the Sydney Showground on Saturday.

Thirteen people were subsequently charged with drug supply while 32 people were issued with court notices for drug possession.

Among those arrested were a 21-year-old woman allegedly found in possession of almost 1600 MDMA capsules and an amount of cocaine; another 21-year-old woman allegedly carrying nearly 550 pills; and a 19-year-old woman allegedly caught with 200 capsules.

During the event attended by 14,000 people, 256 people sought medical treatment and three were taken to hospital for drug-related health issues.

Detective Chief Inspector Gus Viera said he was greatly concerned by the large number of pills seized.

"We saw more drugs seized today than recent events, one of the largest we've seen, which clearly shows our messaging is not getting through," he said on Sunday.
A man has been charged after NSW police linked him to 40 burglaries over a 10-year period.

Strike Force Whitefield was set up to investigate a series of break-ins at licensed premises between 2014 and 2016. In the course of their investigations, detectives linked 40 break-ins at licensed clubs and hotels going back to January 24, 2006.

The trail led them to Queensland where a 54-year-old man was arrested last August.

On Wednesday, police served the man with a court attendance notice for 40 offences and will apply for his extradition to NSW.
NSW Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Phil Donato is under fire for posting a photo of a sick cow about to be shot for political gain.

Mr Donato uploaded to Facebook on Friday a photograph of a farmer aiming a rifle at a sick cow lying in dirt, attached to a post criticising the NSW government's drought relief assistance.

However, the photograph was taken in Queensland four years ago and Mr Donato did not seek permission to use it, the daughter of the photographer says.

Honor Moore, a veterinary science student from Roma, Qld, posted the photograph to her Facebook last week in protest to vegetation laws recently passed by the state government.

"I am disappointed that my personal photo was used not in the context of the post it was attached to," Ms Moore said in a statement.

NSW Nationals MP John Barilaro criticised Mr Donato's use of the photograph.

"Mr Donato has clearly used this highly inflammatory and emotive image out of context, in an attempt to generate an emotional response from his audience, and in turn score cheap political points," Mr Barilaro said in a statement.

Mr Donato has been contacted for comment.
Four women who were killed when the car they were in was T-boned in rural Victoria were returning home from line dancing.

The friends were driving at Navarre on Saturday night when a car driven by a 64-year-old woman hit their car.

"If the message around safe driving isn't getting through, have a look at this scene where you've got four women - friends, wives, mothers and grandmothers, who simply have not made it home after have a great afternoon line dancing in the local community," Assistant Commissioner Doug Fryer told reporters at the scene.
A Sydney woman says she was forced to leave her burning home and drive to a local fire station to get help during a triple-zero system failure.

Mary Anne Gongon says her husband received burns to 40 per cent of his body in a fire that tore through their Redfern home on Friday.

Ms Gongon said she left her husband at home to fight the fire while she drove to a fire station after not being able to call triple-zero.

"I started calling triple-zero but I just couldn't get through," she said. "I tried at least twice. In my frustration, and while half naked, I grabbed the keys and drove to the fire station," Ms Gongon told the Daily Telegraph.

Telstra believes lightning struck the cable pit in the NSW central-west about 2am on Friday, which resulted in "intermittent" issues with calls to emergency services in NSW, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.

Emergency Services Minister Troy Grant said while telecommunication lines were the responsibility of the Commonwealth and Telstra, he planned to work with both parties to investigate the issue.

"Community safety is the number one priority of the NSW government and we will be initiating discussions with both Telstra and the Commonwealth to find a solution to ensure this does not occur again," Mr Grant said in a statement to AAP on Sunday.
Those migrants living in the United States under the soon-to-be-scrapped TPS will have to find other ways to retain legal US residence or face being returned to their countries of origin

Honduras expressed regret Friday that around 60,000 of its citizens living and working in the United States are losing special protection status under tougher migration changes brought in by President Donald Trump.

The US Department of Homeland Security announced in a statement that it was ending the so-called Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Hondurans, but giving 18 months' time, to January 5, 2020, "to allow for an orderly transition."

Trump's government has already announced it is terminating the TPS category for citizens from El Salvador, Haiti, Nepal and Nicaragua. That status will cease to apply for them on different dates next year.

The Honduran Foreign Ministry said it recognized the end of TPS was a "sovereign decision," but added it "deeply regrets the cancellation of the TPS program."

Those migrants living in the United States under the soon-to-be-scrapped TPS will have to find other ways to retain legal US residence or face being returned to their countries of origin.

The United States accepted more than 100,000 Hondurans under the temporary protection status given in 1999, following devastation caused in Honduras by Hurricane Mitch the previous year.

US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said it had "determined that the disruption of living conditions in Honduras from Hurricane Mitch that served as the basis for its TPS designation has decreased to a degree that it should no longer be regarded as substantial."

Trump's administration has taken a harder line against migrants, especially those coming from Latin America over the US southern border with Mexico.

The US president has repeatedly vowed to have a wall built along the border, and last month sent hundreds of National Guard troops to bolster monitoring along the frontier.
Ottawa will support the investment with Can$110 million in Toyota's Cambridge and Woodstock plants in Ontario

Toyota announced Friday it would invest Can$1.4 billion ($1.09 billion) in two factories in central Canada where the Japanese manufacturer plans to build its largest hybrid hub in North America.

Ottawa will support the investment with Can$110 million in Toyota's Cambridge and Woodstock plants in Ontario, a statement from the office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

"Once complete, Canada will be the North American hub for the RAV4 and home to Toyota's largest hybrid vehicle production in North America," said a joint statement from the Canadian government and the automaker.

Trudeau, who paid a visit to the Cambridge plant earlier, hailed the "smart decision that further establishes our country as the place where cars of the future are built."

"We welcome Toyota's decision to invest in our highly skilled workforce and expand its presence in Canada," he added.
A portion of the US-Mexico border fence is covered with images by AFP photographers during the La Frontera exhibit in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

An exhibit of 44 striking images of the US-Mexican border taken by photographers for Agence France-Presse opened Friday in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, with the border itself as a backdrop.

The pictures were taken last year by three AFP photographers who spent 10 days traveling most of the nearly 3,200-kilometer (2,000-mile) border, documenting lives and landscapes on both sides of what has become one of the world's most polemic frontiers.

Ten giant prints of their photos were displayed on the fence dividing Ciudad Juarez from El Paso, Texas, with the rest lining a pedestrian passage that links the two cities.

The pictures were taken last year by three AFP photographers who spent 10 days traveling most of the nearly 3,200-kilometer (2,000-mile) border

American national Jim Watson, who is based in Washington, traveled the US side of the border, while the Mexican side was covered by Salvadoran national Yuri Cortez -- chief photographer at AFP's Mexico City bureau -- and Guillermo Arias, a Mexican based in Tijuana.

AFP launched the project shortly after US President Donald Trump took office vowing to build a massive border wall, following a campaign heavy on anti-Mexican rhetoric.

"There had been so much talk about the border and the wall, but very few people actually knew the border," said Cortez ahead of the exhibition's opening.

The goal of the project, he said, was to document the daily lives of people who live and work on the border.

Ten giant prints were displayed on the fence dividing Ciudad Juarez from El Paso, Texas, with 34 others lining a pedestrian passage that links the two cities

The photos include shots of children playing near the border, but also traces of those who crossed it illegally.

"You can see the remains of campfires where (migrants) spent the night, clothing and shoes they lost. Also lots of crosses and altars where people died," said Cortez.

AFP photographers Jim Watson (left), Guillermo Arias (center) and Yuri Cortez take a selfie at the show's opening

Part of the project, said Watson, was to show that "there's really no reason to have such big walls."

The exhibition comes amid a new rise in tension between Mexico and the United States, after Trump ordered thousands of National Guard troops to the border as a caravan of Central American migrants headed toward the US.

The photos "send a message that people live together in a region like this. There are whole families that straddle the border," said Ciudad Juarez Mayor Hector Armando Cabada.

"These walls don't divide us. The only thing they do is unite us."
Smart Education, a joint project between the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) and the Japan Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), is aimed at primary and secondary pupils in Vietnam. The project applies the latest information technology applications, which have been successfully carried out in Japanese schools, to schools in Vietnam.

On the occasion of his visit to Vietnam, Japanese Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Manabu Sakai visited Archimedes Academy on May 3, which is piloting the Smart Education project.

The project was jointly launched by VNPT and NTT at Archimedes Academy in January 2018 after obtaining approval from the Ministry of Education and Training.

After four months of pilot operations, the project has received positive feedback from teachers, pupils and parents.

VNPT and NTT are working to commercialise this education model so that it can be widely applied at other schools in Vietnam in the academic year of 2018-2019.
The insurgency began in 2016, when activists in the anglophone minority stepped up a campaign for greater autonomy

They call it a "dirty war" -- a silent conflict in Cameroon's anglophone region marked by near-daily attacks by separatists and a brutal army backlash that shows no sign of abating.

Over the past eight months, scores of police, soldiers and civilians have died in the heartland of francophone Cameroon's English-speaking minority.

Homes have been torched, shops looted, complaints of summary arrest and detention are common and, according to UN estimates, tens of thousands have fled their homes.

"In less than two weeks, there were attacks on the motorcades of the chief of staff, the governor and me as well," said General Donatien Nouma Melingui, in charge of military operations in the Southwest Region, which with the neighbouring Northwest Region is home to most of Cameroon's anglophones.

"The attacks come from everywhere. There are many small groups," he said in Buea, the Southwest Region's main city.

Authorities say they cannot guarantee the safety of people who venture beyond the verdant rolling hills outside the city

The insurgency began in 2016, when activists in the anglophone minority, comprising about a fifth of the country's population of 22 million, stepped up a campaign for greater autonomy.

President Paul Biya rejected their demands, prompting radicals to make a full-blown but symbolic declaration of independence last October 1.

Since then, separatists have killed well over 30 members of the security forces, according to an AFP toll based on official figures. But the complete toll from the violence is unclear, and commentators say it is likely to be much higher. Local people, meanwhile, openly describe it as a "dirty war".

- 'French-speaking? You're dead' -

Buea is the last outpost for journalists and non-governmental organisations as far as the government is concerned. Authorities say they cannot guarantee the safety of people who venture beyond the verdant rolling hills outside the city.

Cameroonian general Donatien Nouma Melingui says the attacks 'come from everywhere'

"Armed men emerge from the forest to check vehicles. If you are a French-speaking Cameroonian or French or a soldier, you're dead," said Matthias Ekeke, a rapporteur of the National Commission of Human Rights.

According to UN estimates, tens of thousands of people are internally displaced in Cameroon, a one-time German colony that was divided between France and Britain after World War I.

In 1961, the English-speaking Southern Cameroons joined newly-independent francophone Cameroon, despite complaints that this was a forced marriage.

Today, anglophones complain of marginalisation in education, the judiciary and the economy and having French imposed on them.

Monsignor Emmanuel Bushu, the bishop of Buea, says the situation has almost reached a point of no return

"The government is ignoring the aspirations of the anglophones and the situation is on the verge of the point of no return," said Monsignor Emmanuel Bushu, the bishop of Buea.

"The army has killed a lot of people since October 1," he said. "They fired on people like sitting ducks."

A local priest laid blame on the government for exacerbating the crisis.

"It's the army which has radicalised these youths it is now fighting. If Yaounde had not started killing people, it could have settled the crisis," he said.

- 'Drugged youths' -

General Melingui expressed little but scorn for the separatists, characterising them as "drugged youths armed with talismans" they believe give them magical powers.

But, he admitted "they know the terrain. These are youths from local villages. We try to seek them out but we can't find them. Our men aren't familiar with the forest."

Locals and rights groups say the army's crackdown has alienated many youths

The army patrols some of the arterial roads and highways in the thickly forested area and are often attacked.

The separatists communicate over Whatsapp and use it to launch propaganda while the government issues statements to give its version of events.

"Both sides lie and they say whatever they want," a rights activist said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Since nobody knows the number of civilian deaths or the number of displaced, the media does not speak about it," said a student in Buea, who identified himself as John.

- 'Abandoned by the state' -

Mathias Ekeke, the rapporteur of the National Human Rights Commission, says soldiers often act with impunity

"Both the army and the separatists commit excesses," said Blaise Chamango, the head of a non-governmental organisation called Human Is Right.

"But the soldiers are worse than the opposite camp and refuse to talk about it," he said.

Locals and NGOs accuse soldiers of torching numerous villages in revenge attacks.

"We only burn houses where weapons were found," Melingui said.

Cameroon

But more and more videos are circulating on social media showing Cameroonian soldiers burning houses, lending credence to accounts by fleeing villagers.

"Schools have been empty for the past year and security forces are openly racketeering," said Ekeke from the national rights commission.

Gendarmes sometimes ask families of people detained to pay 30,000 CFA francs (45 euros, $50) to secure their release, he added.

"It's total chaos," he said. "If the youths join the separatists it's because they feel abandoned by the Cameroonian state."
"Our high level delegation is on the way back from China where they had long meetings with Chinese leaders and business representatives," Trump wrote in a tweet

China is "very spoiled" by trade wins over America, US President Donald Trump said late Friday, as a top business delegation headed back to America after high-stakes talks with Beijing.

The two days of talks were aimed at forestalling momentum towards a looming conflict between the world's two largest economies, with both sides prepared to pull the trigger on tariffs that could affect trade in billions of dollars of goods.

"Our high level delegation is on the way back from China where they had long meetings with Chinese leaders and business representatives," Trump wrote in a tweet.

"We will be meeting tomorrow to determine the results, but it is hard for China in that they have become very spoiled with US trade wins," he added.

The American president has accused China of unfair trade practices that have driven up the US goods deficit with the Asian giant. Washington has also alleged "theft" of American intellectual property by China.

The discussions promised a potential off-ramp for the trade conflict. Trump has threatened to levy new tariffs on $150 billion of Chinese imports while Beijing shot back with a list of $50 billion in targeted US goods.

"Both sides recognise there are still big differences on some issues and that they need to continue to step up their work to make progress," China said in a statement released by the official Xinhua state news agency.

"The two sides exchanged views on expanding US exports to China, trade in services, bilateral investment, protection of intellectual property rights, resolution of tariffs and non-tariff measures."

It added that they had reached "a consensus in some areas", without elaborating. The agency said both sides had agreed to establish a "working mechanism" to continue talks.

Beijing has promised reform on several fronts in recent months -- including lifting foreign ownership restrictions for automakers and allowing foreign investors to take controlling stakes in financial firms.

But a list of US demands presented at the talks in Beijing showed these steps fall far short of expectations in Washington.

The demands included cutting China's trade surplus with the US by at least $200 billion by the end of 2020, lowering all tariffs to match US levels, eliminating technology transfer practices, and cutting off state support for some Chinese industries, according to Bloomberg News.

The White House called the discussions "frank" while making no mention of continuing the negotiations.

"There is consensus within the Administration that immediate attention is needed to bring changes to United States-China trade and investment relationship," a White House statement said.
Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle will tie the knot on May 19

Meghan Markle enters the British royal family in drastically different circumstances from the last American to join: Wallis Simpson, a name that still sends shivers through Buckingham Palace.

Although both US divorcees, the times have changed so dramatically that while Simpson's presence threatened to bring down the monarchy, Markle is seen as a figure who can revitalise it in the 21st century.

King Edward VIII was forced to abdicate in 1936 within months of acceding to the throne in order to marry Simpson -- a seismic event that rocked national stability in the years before World War II.

And the shadow of 1936 will be impossible to ignore when Markle and Harry tie the knot on May 19.

The wedding will take place in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, west of London -- the very same church where Wallis's funeral was held in 1986.

The duchess of Windsor, as she became, is buried next to her husband a 10-minute walk away in the Royal Burial Ground outside Frogmore House, where the newlyweds' evening reception will be held.

"Listen very carefully at the choir's singing as Meghan Markle walks down the aisle," said royal writer Andrew Morton, for the faint sound of the nearby king Edward "spinning in his grave".

The monarch had to give up the throne to marry a US divorcee -- now one is welcomed into the royal family with open arms, he noted.

Morton, who has penned biographies of both Wallis and Markle this year, contrasted the twice-divorced Baltimore socialite to the mixed-race Los Angeles television actress.

"Wallis's family were slave owners as opposed to slaves themselves," Morton told AFP, referring to Markle's mother's ancestors.

Edward and Wallis "would have been astonished at the transformation in the British monarchy over the last 80 years," he said.

- Glacial welcome -

Wallis's grip over Edward chilled the royal family. She was deemed politically, religiously, socially and morally unacceptable as a potential queen.

Had Edward married against prime ministerial advice, the British government would have been forced to resign, triggering a crisis.

Edward stepped down and the couple married in a French chateau in 1937.

Their high-profile visit to Nazi Germany's dictator Adolf Hitler that year caused great alarm and suggestions that the couple were Nazi sympathisers.

US-born Wallis Simpson, pictured here in the 1930s, became Duchess of Windsor on June 3, 1937

Their life in exile on the outskirts of Paris saw them essentially living in retirement, entertained by wealthy friends.

However, the ice never fully thawed with the royal family, with contact and trips to Britain rare events.

The monarchy's response to Edward's abdication helped mould it into an institution that Markle, an earnest embracer of public service, is well placed to join.

Edward putting himself before his country was seen as a selfish and irresponsible dereliction of duty.

His successor, his brother king George VI, sought to make the monarchy the exact opposite -- a duty-first mindset continued by his daughter Queen Elizabeth II, now 92, for whom abdication remains a dirty word.

Aged 36, Markle has strong public service credentials, having been United Nations advocate for women's empowerment and a global ambassador for the World Vision Canada relief agency.

"She could have been a diplomat; a politician; a lawyer," said Morton.

"Meghan is certainly ready for the royal family: she's proved herself."

- Era of change -

Markle and Wallis are two bookends to an era of change in both the Windsor dynasty and British society, which is now multi-racial, less tied to Anglican church morality, and where four in 10 marriages end in divorce.

By the turn of the century, the queen's three eldest children had divorced.

King Edward VIII was forced to abdicate and married Wallis Simpson in a French chateau in 1937

Harry's father Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, married his second wife Camilla in 2005. She too was divorced. Their civil marriage was blessed in St. George's Chapel.

The aristocracy, too, is less snobbish towards Americans and marriage outside their own ranks.

"The seismic change in social attitudes over the past decades has been mirrored in the way the announcement of Harry's engagement to Meghan, an American divorcee, was met with such enthusiasm," royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Express newspaper.

Wallis being American was not popular in the 1930s, while Markle marrying Harry is being seen as the "ultimate manifestation of the 'special relationship'" between Britain and the United States, he said.
A NYC Ferry crosses the East River on it's way to the East 34th Street landing May 3, 2018 in New York

In a city beset by transport woes, the ferry from Brooklyn and Queens to Manhattan is a New York success story, pleasing commuters, delighting tourists and outperforming expectations on its first anniversary.

On a swelteringly hot May afternoon, businessmen, school children, families and tourists queue down the pier, waiting to board a boat for the East River with an impressive view of the New York skyline.

At only $2.75 per head, with an onboard bar, it's the same price as a sweaty, frequently delayed and often dirty subway ride, a bargain gratefully snapped up by those living close enough to the water to enjoy it.

"It's been a lot easier to commute," admits Vivian, a 32-year-old designer from Long Island City, who doesn't want to give her last name. "Of course there are times when it gets pretty full, but it is pretty consistent."

"It's a lot less stressful than the subway," agrees Emily Lynch, 22, a recent New York arrival. "There's not as many crazy people on the ferries."

While the city's 8.5 million residents are increasingly fed up with chronic subway delays, complaints about the ferry focus on their popularity: long queues at peak times and services that some want more frequent than once every 25 minutes during the week and once an hour at weekends.

In a US financial capital infamous for its high prices, tourists are also fond of the ferries and the chance to take in the magnificent Manhattan skyline, with trips recommended in guide books for the thrift-conscious.

Ridership reflects such enthusiasm. City hall recorded 3.7 million passengers in the first year. Two new routes plan to take in the Bronx and the Lower East Side by the end of the summer, raising the total number to six.

- Twice as many passengers as thought -

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City officials now predict that ridership could reach nine million by 2023, nearly double initial estimates.

Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio has set aside $300 million over the next five years for new 350-passenger capacity ferries, improvements to piers and docks, and a second homeport where ferries will be maintained.

"New Yorkers have spoken. We are going to need bigger boats. We're gearing up to meet the extraordinary demand," he said Thursday.

Roland Lewis, president and CEO of the Waterfront Alliance who pushed for the ferry service for years, attributes the success to many factors: new boats, the right price and reasonably frequent operations.

"It has really changed people's lives," he said. "It's opening up people's eyes to the city from a whole new perspective: for the first time in their lives hundreds of thousands of people are seeing their hometown from the water."

Supporters say the ferry is helping to rejuvenate coastal communities in outer boroughs, typically former industrial areas, although there are also complaints about rent hikes in a city forever gentrifying.

What remains unclear is whether a less progressive mayor in the future or leaner economic times could spell the end of the hefty subsidies.

The city currently estimates that it spends $6.60 on each journey -- more than double what passengers pay.

Thursday's announcement of the additional $300 million fanned criticism against de Blasio. Some accuse him of favoring the ferries at the expense of the bus or the subway, which serve many areas inaccessible by boat.

Lewis, however, is unapologetic. "I'd like to see a ferry to La Guardia Airport and to Kennedy Airport," he said of the city's two aviation hubs.
"Equality for men and women is a trend of the times," said Katsushi Seki, an official with the Yamakoshi bullfight organisation. "By opening the ring to women, we hope this traditional bullfighting will continue far into the future."

Japanese bullfighting organisers said Saturday they had lifted a long-standing ban on women entering the sport's "sacred" ring, in a bid to modernise the traditional activity for the #Metoo generation.

Japanese sumo wrestling has recently come under fire for its strict men-only rules. In "togyu" bullfighting, women were similarly barred from the ring, which is ritually purified before matches with salt and Japanese sake.

But on Friday, organisers lifted the prohibition and allowed female bull owner Yuki Araki to lead her animal into the ring in Yamakoshi, north of Tokyo, after a fight on the opening day of this season.

"Equality for men and women is a trend of the times," said Katsushi Seki, an official with the Yamakoshi bullfight organisation.

"By opening the ring to women, we hope this traditional bullfighting will continue far into the future," Seki told AFP.

Unlike Spanish style bullfighting which ends with a matador slaying the animal, "togyu" is a bloodless match between two bulls locking horns, with great pains taken to ensure the animals do not gore each other.

"I'm glad that local people openly welcomed us," bull owner Yuki Araki, 44, told Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

One of Japan's other traditional sports, sumo, has found itself in hot water after women, including at least one nurse, were shooed out of a sumo ring as they tried to help a man during a medical emergency.

Just days after that incident triggered scathing national and international headlines, a female mayor in the western city of Takarazuka was barred from delivering a speech inside a sumo ring.

Sumo bosses then came in for further criticism after trying to prevent girls from participating in a children's sumo event in Shizuoka prefecture, citing unspecified "safety concerns".

In an attempt to stop the latest public relations disaster to hit the roly-poly sport, officials met last week, but failed to reach a decision on reversing their men-only rule.

The rings where sumo is practised, known as sumo dohyo, are seen as sacred places.

Sumo is closely interlinked with the native Shinto faith, which considers women to be ritually unclean, meaning they are barred from stepping into the ring.
David Goodall does not have a terminal illness but has said his quality of life has deteriorated and that he wants to die

A member of a Swiss clinic set to help Australia's oldest scientist end his life has said it is an "atrocity" that Australia had not allowed the 104-year-old to die at home.

David Goodall, who caused a stir two years ago when his university tried unsuccessfully to have him declared unfit to be on campus, does not have a terminal illness but says his quality of life has deteriorated and that he wants to die.

"But because he is not terminally ill... he has to travel to Switzerland," said Ruedi Habegger, a co-founder of Eternal Spirit, one of a range of foundations in Switzerland that assist people who want to end their lives.

"This is the atrocity of it all. This old man... should be able to die at home in his bed, like we can do here in Switzerland," he told AFP in an interview.

Goodall is due to end his life at Eternal Spirit's clinic near Basel on May 10.

Assisted suicide is illegal in most countries around the world and was banned in Australia until the state of Victoria became the first to legalise the practice last year.

But that legislation, which takes effect from June 2019, only applies to terminally ill patients of sound mind and a life expectancy of less than six months.

- Assisted voluntary death -

According to Swiss law meanwhile, anyone who is of sound mind and who has over a period of time voiced a consistent wish to end their life can request so-called assisted voluntary death, or AVD.

"If a completely healthy person comes and says, I am of sound mind and I have decided to die, the reason is none of your business, theoretically," Habegger said.

He pointed out though that it was very uncommon for healthy people to ask to die, and said most doctors would balk at taking part in the process if they did.

The vast majority of the some 80 people who turn to Eternal Spirit each year to die are elderly, sick and in pain, he said.

The average age of people who receive AVD from the foundation is 76, with the youngest being 32 and the oldest -- until now -- 99.

- 'Very resentful' -

"I don't want to go to Switzerland," Goodall told broadcaster ABC before he set off on his final voyage last Wednesday, adding that he had to "to get the opportunity of suicide which the Australian system does not permit".

"I feel very resentful," said the honorary research associate at Perth's Edith Cowan University.

He flew first to France, to visit his son, and will travel on to Switzerland next week.

"If all the doctors' appointments and everything goes the way we expect it to go, then he will be able to have his AVD... on Thursday," Habegger said.

Eternal Spirit is advocating for all countries to introduce systems like the Swiss one, allowing people to choose to die "in dignity".

Unlike the largest assisted suicide association in Switzerland, Exit, which only caters for Swiss residents, the foundation counts 75 percent foreigners among its AVD patients.

Exit, with its some 140,000 members, functions fully on annual membership fees and can cover all expenses for those requesting an AVD.

But Eternal Spirit is much smaller and requires patients to pay for any necessary medical examinations and procedures prior to the act, which can be pricey in Switzerland.

But Habegger stressed that the foundation strictly follows Swiss law, which bars any enrichment from helping a person take their own life.

Exit International, which helped Goodall make the trip, launched a GoFundMe campaign to help upgrade the scientist and his helper to business class on their flight to Switzerland, and quickly raised more than Aus$20,000 (US$15,000).

Swiss AVD patients usually choose to end their lives at home, but for foreigners Eternal Spirit has a clinic with homely furnishings and enough rooms for relatives and friends who want to be there in the final moments.

Habegger said Goodall was travelling with a friend, who would be with him until the end.

- 'Short and peaceful' -

In assisted dying, the person must be physically capable of carrying out the final deed themself.

Most Swiss foundations ask patients to drink sodium pentobarbital, an effective sedative that in strong enough doses causes the heart muscle to stop beating.

Since the substance is alkaline and burns a bit when swallowed, Eternal Spirit has instead opted for intravenous infusions.

A professional prepares the needle, but it is up to the patient to open the valve that allows the short-acting barbiturate to mix with a saline solution and begin flowing into their vein.

A video is shot of the patient stating their name, date of birth and that they understand what they are about to do.

The camera keeps rolling as they open the valve and the footage is used as evidence that they willingly took their own life.

"Then we shut off the camera, because the rest is intimate, private," Habegger said.

It usually takes 20 to 30 seconds for the person to fall asleep. "Then they go deeper and deeper, until the heart muscle relaxes," he said.

"It is not a heart attack. It is not a painful process. The heart just stops beating." Within a minute and a half, it is usually over, Habegger said.

"It is short and peaceful."
Six rebel lawmakers were ousted from the legislature in 2016 for inserting protests into their oaths of office

Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmaker Ted Hui was arrested Saturday for common assault and access to a computer with dishonest intent over an incident last week in which he snatched a phone from a female civil servant.

Hui had grabbed the phone from the woman in the Legislative Council and dashed into the men's toilet. The 36-year-old has since apologised and said he did it because he suspected the government was collecting personal information on lawmakers in breach of the Privacy Ordinance.

Despite his apology, Hui has been denounced by government leaders and lawmakers and even sacked by his own party.

Hui is the latest pro-democracy lawmaker to come under fire after six others were disqualified from the legislature.

Pro-democracy lawmakers denounced his arrest as an overreaction.

"The whole case has been blown (out) of proportion and you can't help thinking that the upcoming prosecution is actually persecution with the aim of ousting of one more democratic member of the local legislature, and this is not acceptable," said legislator Claudia Mo.

She said that if Hui was convicted and sentenced to more than three months' jail he would automatically lose his seat.

Six lawmakers including former protest leaders and independence activists were ousted from the legislature in 2016 for inserting protests into their oaths of office after an intervention by Beijing.

After the disqualifications, the democrats lost their veto power and failed to regain it at by-elections in March.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to cease all hostile acts when they met at the border truce village of Panunjom on April 27

South Korean police on Saturday prevented activists from launching anti-Pyongyang leaflets to North Korea, citing an agreement reached at a historic inter-Korean summit last month.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to restore peace and reconciliation and cease all hostile acts when they met at the border truce village of Panmunjom on April 27.

"Hostile acts" include broadcasting through loudspeakers installed along their tense border and distributing propaganda leaflets to each other's side.

Accordingly, the two Koreas removed their propaganda loudspeakers this week.

Some 300 police were deployed at a public park in Paju City near the border where a group of some 20 activists including defectors from North Korea gathered to launch leaflets by gas-filled balloons.

Police kept the activists apart from a rival group of some 40 people who accused them of seeking to ignite confrontation with the North.

"Stop provoking a war," they chanted.

Police surrounded a small truck carrying some 5,000 leaflets, plastic balloons and gas canisters, preventing the activists from unloading them.

Park Sang-hak, a leading activist and former North Korean defector, said South Koreans were "intoxicated by Kim Jong Un's peace offensive" even though the North has not changed at all.

He vowed to continue efforts to send leaflets over the border to "let North Koreans know the truth" and "bring an end to the North's Kim Jong Un regime".
An Iranian woman looks at her mobile phone as she walks past graffiti in central Tehran on December 31, 2014

The Iranian government "does not approve" of the judiciary's recent blockage of the Telegram messaging app, President Hassan Rouhani said Saturday.

"The recent blocking and filtering of Telegram was not implemented by the government and the government does not approve of it," read a post on Rouhani's Instagram account.

A Tehran judge on Monday ordered telecoms companies to "totally block" Telegram after accusations that the app has allowed armed opposition groups to fuel unrest and has not cooperated with counter-terrorism efforts.

The move highlighted differences of opinion between the government of reformist Rouhani, elected to a second term in 2017, and ultra-conservatives who control the judiciary and security services.

Telegram is the Islamic republic's most popular social network with some 40 million users, around half the population.

Iran's telecoms minister responded to the ban by saying it was "impossible to block citizen's access to information".

Social networks Facebook and Twitter are also blocked in the Islamic Republic but accessible via virtual private network (VPN) software which can circumvent internet blackouts.

The judiciary wants to prevent this in the case of Telegram.

Authorities temporarily banned the app during a wave of protests in dozens of Iranian cities early this year, saying it enabled foreign-based "counter-revolutionary" groups to stir tensions.

Rouhani's Instagram post suggested that the judiciary's decision was "contrary to democracy" because it would have ignored some "legal proceedings".

"If at the very top of the system, a decision has been made to restrict or block communications between people... the people must be informed," it read.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in mid-April that he would no longer use Telegram, shifting instead to domestic services.

Rouhani quickly followed suit and issued a directive banning the government and administration workers from using foreign messenger apps to communicate.
On May 3, he paid a courtesy visit to Guo Shengkun, Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China, who affirmed his support for strengthened cooperation between the judiciary bodies of the two countries. He said he hopes that the ties will become an exemplary partnership.

Binh, for his part, congratulated the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese people on great achievements they made over the four decades of reform, particularly since the Partys 18th Congress. He also lauded the success of the CPCs 19th Congress.

Vietnam always attaches great importance to the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China and strives to further expand the long-standing relations between the two Parties and States, the Vietnamese chief justice said.

The same day, Binh held talks with Zhou Qiang, President of the Supreme Peoples Court. The guest briefed on what Vietnam has achieved in judicial reform in recent years. He also proposed the two sides step up their bilateral cooperation in justice, information technology application and personnel training; and exchange experience in developing a national monitoring committee, corruption combat and e-court.

Welcoming Binh to visit China, Zhou recalled the milestones in the two supreme courts partnership and outlined positive changes of Chinas judicial system alongside challenges it is facing in the new context.

He agreed to foster and deepen the bilateral ties in exchange of judicial precedents, training of judges and application of information technology.

The two chief justices signed a new Memorandum of Understanding between their agencies to lay a foundation for increased partnership in the time ahead.
Myanmar's powerful army chief Min Aung Hlaing has said Rohingya refugees who return to Myanmar will be safe as long as they stay in areas 'designated' for them

Rohingya refugees who return to Myanmar will be safe as long as they stay in the model villages built for them, the country's army chief has said, renewing fears they will be kept in settlements indefinitely.

Some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to Bangladesh after the military launched a brutal crackdown on insurgents in August that the US and the UN have called ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed to repatriate refugees to conflict-hit Rakhine state last year but Rohingya are loathe to come back to a country without guarantees of safety and basic rights such as freedom of movement.

The country's powerful army chief Min Aung Hlaing compounded those fears when speaking to a visiting delegation from the UN Security Council in the capital Naypyidaw on April 30.

"There is no need to be worried about their security if they stay in the areas designated for them," he told the delegation, according to a readout of the meeting posted on Min Aung Hlaing's official Facebook page on Saturday.

He referred to members of the stateless minority as "Bengalis", reflecting a widespread belief in Myanmar that the Rohingya are immigrants from Bangladesh despite a longstanding presence in Rakhine.

The army chief also cast doubt on the allegations raised by refugees in Bangladesh, many of whom shared stories of extrajudicial killings, arson and rape.

"Bengalis will never say that they arrive there happily. They will get sympathy and rights only if they say that they face a lot of hardships and persecution," he reportedly said, adding that the issue was "exaggerated".

The UN has said conditions on the ground are not ripe for the refugees to return, despite Myanmar's insistence that it is ready even as no large-scale repatriation has occurred.

The government has built transit camps that can accommodate tens of thousands of people and a much smaller number of new houses to replace fire-blackened villages where Rohingya used to live.

The minority community has been persecuted in Myanmar for decades and Rohingya have lived in what rights groups have called apartheid-like conditions, with severe restrictions on movement and access to health services.

More than 120,000 Rohingya still reside in camps for internally displaced people in the Rakhine state capital Sittwe as a result of intercommunal violence in 2012 that killed hundreds.

Dil Mohamed, a Rohingya leader sheltering on the border, told reporters late last month that refugees do not want to stay in any transit camps due to similar concerns that they will be more than temporary.

"We are waiting here only until we are allowed to go back to our home," he said.
Abdelhak Khiam, director of Morocco's Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ), speaks during an interview in Sale near the capital Rabat on May 2, 2018

Morocco is working hard to detain and place on trial citizens who have returned home after fighting for the Islamic State group, the country's anti-terror chief has told AFP.

"We have arrested and brought to justice more than 200 returnees," Abdelhak Khiam, director of the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), said in an interview.

He said the suspects were serving sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years in prison.

Legislation passed in 2015 allows police to arrest and interrogate returnees before transferring them to the judiciary, he said.

In 2015, an estimated 1,600 Moroccans had joined the ranks of jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria.

"Some died in suicide operations or were shot by (international anti-IS) coalition forces," Khiam said.

"Others fled to other countries."

The North African kingdom has largely been spared jihadist violence since deadly 2003 bombings in Casablanca killed 33 people.

But jihadists of Moroccan origin have been involved in numerous attacks in recent years in France, Belgium and Spain.

Khiam blamed a "problem of religious guidance" in European countries and said "terrorism has no nationality".

Morocco's security efforts have been coupled with major religious reforms, Khiam said.

"This approach based on religious mentoring is important," he added.

Members of Morocco's anti-terror service stand guard outside the headquarters of the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) in Sale near the capital Rabat on May 2, 2018

Since the Casablanca attacks, Moroccan legislation has been strengthened and dozens of people have been handed prison sentences on terrorism charges.

Authorities regularly announce the dismantlement of "terrorist cells", although such announcements have fallen from 21 in 2015 to nine in 2017.

Khiam also praised the role of international cooperation, saying Morocco's security services had prevented attacks in seven European countries.

But he admitted there may be "gaps" and urged authorities to inform "countries of origin" in cases where dual citizens are suspected of preparing attacks.

He also warned that the vast Sahel region on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert had become a "fertile ground" for jihadist groups and was "a time bomb".

He voiced concern over the links between criminal networks and "terrorist movements" funded by crime.

Insurgents remain active across the Sahel and have been linked to drug, arms and migrant trafficking as well as jihadist attacks.
Tensions are brewing in Yemen's Socotra island, a site of global importance for biodiversity conservation, after UAE troops reportedly deployed there without coordinating with the government

A Saudi delegation is on the strategic Yemeni island of Socotra in a bid to defuse tensions which erupted after the United Arab Emirates deployed troops there, Yemeni state media reported.

The UAE is a key partner in a Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting Huthi rebels since 2015 to restore Yemen's internationally recognised government to power.

A Yemeni government source told AFP the UAE deployed forces in Socotra without informing the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, which controls the island.

Socotra, which has been spared the violence that has ravaged mainland Yemen, sits at the exit of a bustling shipping lane that leads from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean.

A site of global importance for biodiversity and sometimes referred to as the "Galapagos of the Indian Ocean", it lies around 350 kilometres (220 miles) off Yemen's southern coast.

The delegation led by Saudi general Ahmed Abderrahman al-Shiri met on Friday with Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher in the presence of an Emirati official, Saba news agency reported.

It said the delegation was informed by the Yemeni government and Socotra officials "of what has recently happened on the island".

Talks also focused on "tensions that have existed in Socotra since the prime minister and his delegation arrived" on the island on Wednesday, Saba said.

Yemen's Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher attends a a high-level conference to raise funds for war-ravaged Yemen on April 25, 2017 at the United Nations in Geneva

The government source said the UAE forces arrived in Socotra as the premier landed in the island for a visit.

That sparked anger among residents who argued that there were no Huthi rebels on the island to justify such a deployment, the source added.

Although the UAE has been a pillar of the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Huthis, it has recently taken its distance from Hadi, analysts have said.

The UAE has worked closely with the Yemeni army and trained southern troops, but also backs separatists who wrenched control of the south from Hadi in January.

Meanwhile the UAE state minister for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash on Friday highlighted in a tweet on Friday the "historic links" between his country and Socotra.

"We have historic and family links with the residents of Socotra and we will back them during Yemen's ordeal which was sparked by the Huthis," he said.

The Yemen war has claimed nearly 10,000 lives since Riyadh and its allies joined the conflict in March 2015, triggering what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Visitors recreate the famous handshake between Kim Jong Un and the South Korean president at a movie set replica of the Panmunjom truce village

With access to the real DMZ restricted, tourists are flocking to a replica of the border truce village of Panmunjom to re-enact the scene of the leaders of the two Koreas shaking hands.

With a low cement block between them marking the "border", they shake hands as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea's President Moon Jae-in did when they met at Panmunjom on April 27.

Many visitors joined hands and hopped over the mock Military Demarcation Line to the "North" and back, re-enacting the scene that was broadcast live.

The movie set became popular after the famous handshake between Kim Jong Un (L) and President Moon at the real border village

"My children urged me to come here after they saw the the famous scene on TV at school class," Park Sook-hyun, a 44-year-old housewife, told AFP.

Chung O-Chul, 46, said he came from the southern city of Changwon to see the replica and "celebrate reconciliation" between the two Koreas.

"But I was overwhelmed by this huge crowd", he said.

Panmunjom, known as the Joint Security Area, is inside the Demilitarized Zone, a 250 kilometre (155-mile)-long swath of land that divides the Korean peninsula.

Despite its name, the DMZ is among the most heavily fortified areas on the planet and the Joint Security Area is the only place where soldiers from the North and South stand face-to-face.

There are only a few weeks left to visit 'Panmunjom' as the sets will be torn down after the end of May ahead of the studio's relocation to the southern city of Busan

The replica was built for the 2000 blockbuster "JSA: Joint Security Area", a mystery thriller by renowned director Park Chan-wook.

The village has UN blue-coloured huts, Panmungak, a drab cement building on the North side, and the Freedom House pavilion on the South side.

But despite the realism there is a complete lack of the tension visitors feel when they set foot on what former US president Bill Clinton once described as the "scariest place on Earth".

The replica of the DMZ border truce village was built as a set for the 2000 blockbuster 'JSA: Joint Security Area'

"It is almost like the real Panmunjom but what lacks here is the tense atmosphere" said Park, adding she had a chance to visit Panmunjom 20 years earlier.

The facility and two other outdoor movie sets belong to the Korean Film Council's Namyangju Studios in the eastern suburbs of Seoul.

"The two other movie sets used to be more popular than Panmunjom replica but following the summit, most visitors want to see Panmunjom set first," a studio official said.

And there are only a few weeks left to visit "Panmunjom" as the sets will be torn down after the end of May ahead of the studio's relocation to the southern city of Busan next year.
The attacks included an assault on Bacha Khan university near Peshawar, in January 2016 that left some 21 people dead

Pakistan's powerful army chief has confirmed the death sentences passed by military courts on 11 militants over various attacks on security forces as well as civilians that left dozens dead, the military said Saturday.

A statement issued by the military said that in total the assault left 60 dead -- "36 civilians, 24 armed forces, Frontier Constabulary and police officials" -- while a further 142 people were injured.

The offenses included attacks on armed forces and other law enforcement agencies, the destruction of various educational institutions and a deadly rampage at Bacha Khan university in the northwest in early 2016 that left 21 dead.

"The army chief also confirmed life imprisonment for three convicts," the statement added.

Pakistan has been fighting a homegrown Islamist insurgency since 2004, when militants displaced by the US-led invasion of Afghanistan began a campaign in border tribal areas.

The military courts allow the army to try civilians on terror charges in secret, despite strong criticism from rights groups.

They were established in the wake of a December 2014 Taliban massacre at an army-run school in Peshawar that killed over 150 people, mostly school children.

Following that attack the government lifted the moratorium on the death penalty. Scores of militants have since been condemned to death.

Security has dramatically improved in Pakistan since then.

But in April 2017, parliament voted to extend the courts for another two years.

Saturday's statement did not give a date for the executions, but hangings have often been carried out within 24-48 hours in the past.
This NASA handout image shows an unmanned SpaceX Dragon cargo craft approaching the International Space Station in August 2017

SpaceX's unmanned Dragon cargo ship splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, the company said, a few hours after leaving the International Space Station Saturday carrying 4,000 pounds (1,800 kilograms) of gear.

"Good splashdown of Dragon confirmed, completing SpaceXs third resupply mission to and from the @Space_Station with a flight-proven spacecraft," tweeted the company owned by Elon Musk around 1900 GMT.

The white supply vessel detached from the orbiting outpost at 1323 GMT, fired its engines three times and slowly began its journey to Earth.

"Release confirmed," commentator Rob Navias said on NASA TV, noting that separation occurred as the ISS was 256 miles (411 kilometers) above the Earth, passing over just south of Australia.

"Dragon is safely on its way."

The spacecraft is bringing back a host of science experiments, including lab mice that were studied in orbit to see how their bones changed in weightlessness.

"Other critical biological samples preserved in science freezers, such as plants, insects and human tissue, have also been transferred into Dragon for retrieval and analysis," said a NASA statement.

SpaceX's Dragon is currently the only cargo ship designed to return to Earth intact. The other US commercial supply ship, Orbital ATK's Cygnus cargo carrier, burns up on re-entry to Earth's atmosphere.

The cargo ship arrived at the ISS April 4 after launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with 5,800 pounds of food, supplies and science experiments to enable the study of thunderstorms, anti-cancer drugs and technology to remove debris in orbit.

The mission was the 14th for SpaceX under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to resupply the space station over multiple years.
Former Malaysian prime Mahathir Mohamad Mahathir is vying to take power in the May 9 polls at the head of an opposition alliance

Malaysia's most powerful political party expelled two key figures for throwing their support behind the opposition just days ahead of a closely-fought election, the state news agency reported Saturday.

Prime Minister Najib Razak's United Malays National Organisation (Umno) sacked the pair after they backed veteran ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad's bid to take power in the May 9 polls at the head of an opposition alliance.

Mahathir, 92, wants to unseat former protege Najib in the toughest poll campaign the country has seen in years.

He has drawn attention to the alleged billions of dollars looted from sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, which Najib founded.

Both Najib and the fund deny any wrongdoing.

Official news agency Bernama reported Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor saying he sacked Daim Zainuddin and Rafidah Aziz -- former finance and international trade ministers respectively -- on Friday for their criticism of the party.

"When she (Rafidah) went on stage at an opposition rally, I immediately asked for the letter of expulsion to be sent to her, as well as to Daim," he said.

Tengku added that a third party stalwart and former information minister, Rais Yatim, was under investigation.

All three served under Mahathir during his 22 year rule as Malaysia's Prime Minister.

As the race tightens, police on Thursday said Mahathir was under investigation for allegedly spreading "fake news" after claiming his plane was sabotaged to prevent him heading to the island of Langkawi to formally register his candidacy for the election.

He made it to the island on another plane and Malaysia's civil aviation authority said there was a technical issue with the aircraft but rejected allegations it had been tampered with.

Kuala Lumpur police said a report had been lodged accusing Mahathir of spreading "fake news" under a controversial new law, which critics say is aimed at cracking down on dissent before the poll.

It punishes dissemination of any news deemed "wholly or partly fake" with up to six years in jail or a hefty fine.

Police have since said that another opposition figure Rafizi Ramli, vice-president of the People's Justice Party, was being investigated for remarks made against government officials on election nomination day.

Rafizi previously said a party candidate was not allowed to file his nomination papers.
Members of Syrian civil defence forces known as the White Helmets evacuate a victim of an air strike in the one-time rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta near the capital Damascus on February 9, 2018

Syria's White Helmets rescue force are facing a "freeze" on funding from the US, its chief told AFP Saturday, saying he was worried President Donald Trump would suddenly cut support.

Raed Saleh said that Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, would continue its programming but that financial support coming from the US was under review.

"We were not formally told of any halt to funding, but what we were informed of was a freeze to some of the Middle Eastern projects by American organisations, in order to review their feasibility," he said.

"Among them are projects linked to stabilisation in Syria, which includes part of the White Helmets' work," Saleh added.

Speaking from Turkey, he told AFP the group's plans were being "completely reviewed."

"This happens every year but this year, no one can predict President Trump's decisions," Saleh said.

The US State Department said in April that funds earmarked for Syria's "stabilisation" were being re-assessed, but did not say whether funding for the White Helmets would stop.

Media reports said the White House had instructed the State Department to freeze over $200 million funds for "recovery efforts" in Syria.

The White Helmets' 3,700 members work in opposition-controlled swathes of Syria, which has been caught up in conflict since 2011.

The first responders rescue civilians trapped under rubble or caught up in fighting. Since they began work in 2013, more than 200 rescuers have died and hundreds more have been injured.

Last year, a Netflix documentary called "The White Helmets" won an Academy Award for best short documentary, while a second film focused on the group, "Last Men in Aleppo," was a 2018 Oscars nominee.

But they have also been the subject of smear campaigns by supporters of Syria's government and its ally Russia, who accuse the White Helmets of being a front group for Al-Qaeda or acting in Western interests.

The White Helmets fund their work through government programmes in the US and Britain, as well as from individual donations.

Saleh said the White Helmets also recently signed contracts with Turkish and Qatari organisations.

In February, the group's vice-president Abdulrahman Almawwas warned it faced a $6 million (five million euros) budget shortfall compared with 2017.

The fall from $18 million to $12 million led the group to delay taking on new workers, Almawwas told journalists.
Washington Police Chief Peter Newsham, seen here in 2014, said Friday that it might take 'several months' to complete testing on the skeletal remains of three unidentified women found in and near a local apartment complex

Skeletal remains found last month in and near an apartment complex in Washington were those of three women, two of whom had been shot and the third who died of "inflicted trauma," officials said.

The manner of death pointed to homicide, the city's chief medical examiner, Dr. Roger Mitchell Jr., said at a news conference Friday.

Contractors working in the basement of an apartment building in the southeast quadrant of the US capital came upon the remains of one woman, including a skull and jawbone, on April 25.

Police with dogs then launched a wider search and found the other female remains, co-mingled in a shallow grave, in a nearby wooded area popular as a play site for local children.

Mitchell said the condition of the remains indicated the three had died at least a year ago. He said it was not yet possible to pinpoint their age range, size or ethnicity.

Police Chief Peter Newsham, speaking at the same news conference, said the Federal Bureau of Investigation would conduct DNA testing of the remains, which could take "several months."

Both men said it was too early to say whether the three deaths were related.

Newsham said there are no suspects. He added that while he knew forensic work at the site was "unsettling" for neighbors, it was not yet complete.

Neither man would specify the exact location of the women's injuries, but Mitchell may have inadvertently offered a hint when he said he was "not confident that we'll be able to generate composite sketches" of the victims.

"These reconstructions require a certain level of intactness of the head or the skull," he said.

Police are offering a $25,000 reward for information in each of the killings.
Warplanes are parked on the deck of the Norfolk-based USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Ocean during war games in October 2017

A top US navy admiral announces the re-establishment of the US 2nd Fleet -- a Cold War command disbanded in 2011 -- to patrol the North Atlantic and face a resurgent threat from Russia.

The chief of US Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson, made the announcement during a change of command ceremony Friday in the Atlantic naval port of Norfolk, Virginia.

"Our National Defense Strategy makes clear that we're back in an era of great power competition as the security environment continues to grow more challenging and complex," said Richardson, according to a navy statement.

"That's why today, we're standing up Second Fleet to address these changes, particularly in the north Atlantic."

The 2nd Fleet command was disbanded as a cost-savings measure in 2011, and its assets and personnel dispersed within the navy.

The new command will be responsible for US naval forces along the US east coast as well as the north Atlantic region, a navy statement said.

Before it was disbanded the 2nd Fleet played a key role during the Cold War years, with operations in the North Atlantic and supporting US naval forces in the Mediterranean.

Russian planes and ships have in recent months made multiple incursions in the north Atlantic close to the airspace and territorial waters of US NATO allies, including Britain.

NATO naval officials in late 2017 also reported Russian submarines probing underseas data cables in the north Atlantic.

- Russian 'threat' -

The 2nd Fleet command currently exists only on paper, but according to USNI News, a publication of the US Naval Institute, the command will open for business on July 1 with 11 officers and four enlisted personnel.

The command will eventually grow to 256 personnel -- 85 officers, 164 enlisted and seven civilians -- USNI reported, citing a memo signed earlier in the week by Navy Secretary Richard Spencer.

The decision to reactivate the 2nd Fleet followed increasing threats in the Atlantic from Russia, officials familiar with the decision told USNI News.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in January the United States is facing "growing threats" from China and Russia, and warned that the US military's advantages have eroded in recent years.

"We face growing threats from revisionist powers as different as China and Russia, nations that seek to create a world consistent with their authoritarian models," Mattis said as he unveiled the Pentagon's national defense strategy.

"Our military is still strong, yet our competitive edge has eroded in every domain of warfare," he added.
He made the affirmation while leading a working group to inspect the preparation of the first level-2 field hospital at Military Hospital 175, including the operation of medical device, electric generators as well as medicine and material preservation and package.

Meeting with the hospitals staff, Vinh expressed his hope that they will overcome challenges to fulfill their assigned tasks, adding that joining in the UN peacekeeping force is part of the Party and States policy to boost intensive and extensive international integration, especially in defence.

He said that the move will open up a new opportunity for cooperation with new foreign partners.

The successful implementation of the level-2 field hospital is a vivid illustration for the blue-beret soldiers growth as well as affirms the countrys image in the international arena, he stressed.

According to Colonel Hoang Kim Phung, Director of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department, in the examination for the hospital in February, an inspection group from the UN spoke highly of the medical staffs capacity and believed that they will complete their mission in the African nation.

After four years of preparation, the UN approved the hospitals personnel list with 69 people in April.

The Vietnam Peacekeeping Department is working with Tan Cang Company, Military Hospital 175, the logistics agency of the UN and the Government of South Sudan to classify the commodities and complete the package in accordance with international transportation principals.

Vietnams first level-2 field hospital is expected to officially join the UN peacekeeping force in South Sudan in late June.
Mozambique's Renamo party fought a 16-year civil war against the ruling Frelimo party until 1992 and then emerged as an opposition party that still retained its armed fighters

Mozambique's Renamo opposition party on Saturday named Ossufo Momade as its interim leader after veteran chief Afonso Dhlakama, who had headed the party for 39 years, died unexpectedly.

Momade, a former secretary general of the party, will take over until Renamo's next congress, which has not yet been scheduled.

Dhlakama's death on Thursday pitched the country's nascent peace process into uncertainty as he had opened face-to-face talks with President Filipe Nyusi after a renewed outbreak of unrest that ended in 2016.

Momade "was unanimously elected as coordinator of Renamo's national political commission," party spokesman Alfredo Magumisse told reporters in the central city of Beira.

Renamo fought a 16-year civil war against the ruling Frelimo party until 1992 and then emerged as an opposition party that still retained its armed fighters.

Momade told reporters that he was committed to Dhlakama's peace efforts.

"We are not going to do anything other than what he initiated," he said.

Dhlakama, who died at aged 65, will be given an official funeral on Wednesday in Beira before being buried in his home village Mangunde, more than 200 kilometres (125 miles) away, the following day.
The cleanup was announced by the President Bio's office last month, two days after a rally in which Bio, a former general who was briefly in power in the 1990s, said he would be a stickler for "discipline"

Sierra Leone on Saturday held its first "national cleaning day" under new President Julius Maada Bio as part of a campaign to improve hygiene and the work rate of civil servants.

In the capital Freetown's largest slum Kroo Bay hundreds of men and women sifted through tons of household rubbish and plastic waste that had been clogging the drainage system.

Trader Adama Kamara who lives in the slum said he was pleased that President Bio was trying to improve the environment "because our country is too dirty".

So much household waste is dumped in gutters that they constantly become blocked causing flooding during the rains, he said.

"After the cleaning, the water can now easily flow through the drainage and empty into the sea, so I appreciate that and Im happy for that," he added.

Michael Aboidu Frazer, a fisherman in his fifties, said the cleanup would have a big effect on the slumdwellers.

The area is "among the disaster prone communities in Freetown with (a) perennial flooding problem which often cause deaths and damage to properties during the rainy season," he said.

The cleanup was announced by President Bio's office last month, two days after a rally in which the new leader, a former general who was briefly in power in the 1990s, said he would be a stickler for "discipline".

Cleaning days will be held on the first Saturday of each month, from 7:00 am to 12:00 noon, a statement issued by the presidency said.

One of the poorest countries on the planet, Sierra Leone wrestles with major problems of infrastructure, such as sewerage, roads and power

Bio added that all civil servants and government ministers would be expected to be at work from 8:30 am until 4:45 pm, and that he and the vice president would carry out snap checks.

"Failure to report for work on time will lead to disciplinary action and potential summary dismissal," the statement said.

Health and Sanitation Minister Alpha Tijan Wurie said there was much work to be done.

"I love the enthusiasm of the people... they clearly want to get their environment very clean," he told AFP during a spot inspection in central Freetown.

"The process is going to continue (and) it will not stop at just once per month," he said.

A monthly National Cleaning Day -- in which public areas are cleaned of rubbish, trees planted and walls repainted -- was brought in during the 1992-1996 junta led by Captain Valentine Strasser, who was overthrown by Bio, then his deputy.

The monthly cleanup was restored from time to time by following regimes.

Bio took office in early April after a tumultuous election campaign, ending a decade-long rule by the All People's Congress (APC).

One of the poorest countries on the planet, Sierra Leone wrestles with major problems of infrastructure, such as sewerage, roads and power.
Muntazer al-Zaidi, an Iraqi journalist famous for throwing his shoes at former US president George W. Bush in 2008, attends a rally in Baghdad on May 4, 2018 as he runs for parliament at upcoming elections

The Iraqi journalist who grabbed headlines around the world by hurling his shoes at then US president George W. Bush is pitching for a seat in parliament at upcoming elections.

"My ambition is to throw all the thieving politicians in prison, make them regret what they have done and confiscate their wealth," Muntazer al-Zaidi, 39, told AFP ahead of the May 12 vote in his conflict-scarred homeland.

Zaidi shot to prominence in December 2008 when he leapt up at a farewell press conference Bush was holding in Baghdad and flung his shoes at the US leader.

While he narrowly missed hitting the man responsible for launching the invasion of Iraq, Zaidi was later jailed for assaulting a head of state and ended up serving nine months behind bars.

After his release Zaidi sought refuge in Lebanon, where he settled and had a daughter.

The protest against Bush saw him hailed as a hero by many around the Arab world, and he remains unrepentant as he pushes for office.

A file picture dated December 14, 2009 shows Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki (R) trying to protect then US President George W. Bush after Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi threw his shoes at Bush during a press conference in Baghdad

"I don't regret what I did, on the contrary, I just regret that at that moment I didn't have another pair of shoes," said Zaidi, who is running for an alliance between Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr and communists.

Placed low down on the Marching Towards Reform list in Baghdad, it appears Zaidi has little chance of actually getting elected -- but he remains defiant.

"It would not be an honour to have thieves as colleagues, and my objective is to take back money that has been stolen," he said, when asked if he feared becoming like other politicians reviled for graft.

Zaidi explained that he chose to represent Marching Towards Reform as he said it is independent and looking to shatter the country's sectarian divide.

As for his view on US involvement in Iraq -- a decade after he took aim at Bush, he remains deeply opposed and wants Washington's troops out of the country.

He rejects the idea that the US military presence has helped Iraqi forces battle back the Islamic State group.

"The US favoured IS, how can you say that they want to get rid of them?" he asked.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Bocharov Ruchei state residence in Sochi on August 23, 2017

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week, the premier's office said, ahead of a possible US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

The Wednesday meeting will discuss "regional developments", Netanyahu's office said, and follows the Israeli leader's unveiling of "proof" of Iran's alleged past military nuclear ambitions.

A televised presentation by Netanyahu on Monday was followed by phone calls to world leaders, including to Putin, in which the two discussed the Iran nuclear deal, as well as the situation in Syria.

Israel has been accused by Syria of carrying out deadly strikes in its territory, most recently on April 9 and April 30, which killed Iranians as well as Syrian soldiers.

Putin -- whose troops are backing the Syrian regime -- has called on Netanyahu not to destabilise the situation further, as Israel looks to prevent Iran and its Hezbollah proxy cementing their military presence.

Russia meanwhile has reiterated its support for the Iran nuclear deal, with Putin telling Netanyahu it was "of primary importance for ensuring international stability and security" in their Monday phone call.

US President Donald Trump and his Middle East allies argue that the agreement, approved by Barack Obama, was too weak and needs to be replaced with a more permanent arrangement and supplemented by controls on Iran's missile programme.

Trump has threatened to abandon the agreement when it comes up for renewal on May 12, demanding his country's European allies "fix the terrible flaws" or he will re-impose sanctions.

Netanyahu has repeatedly called for the accord -- which Iran signed with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- to either be altered or scrapped.

He says the agreement does not prevent Tehran from eventually obtaining nuclear weapons and says the lifting of sanctions has increased Tehran's ability to finance proxy militants in the Middle East.

In his elaborate televised presentation, Netanyahu accused Iran of lying about its nuclear ambitions, while not providing evidence that Israel's main enemy had actively worked to obtain an atomic weapon since the 2015 agreement between Tehran and six world powers.

Iran has always denied it sought a nuclear weapon, insisting its atomic programme was for civilian purposes.

Besides Putin, Netanyahu discussed the Israeli findings and the Iran nuclear deal with his Australian, British and Indian counterparts, as well as with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The United States on Saturday scolded China for attempting to impose 'political correctness' on American carriers by asking them to classify Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as Chinese territories.

A sternly worded White House statement excoriated Beijing for the demands, which it termed 'Orwellian nonsense.'

'President Donald J. Trump ran against political correctness in the United States,' it said.

'He will stand up for Americans resisting efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to impose Chinese political correctness on American companies and citizens.'

The statement added that the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration sent a notice to 36 foreign air carriers, including a number of American carriers, on April 25, asking them to comply with Beijing's standards.

The US is slamming China for forcing American airlines to list Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau as entities belonging to the Mainland. In the 2007 image above, ground crew members wave as United Airlines makes it maiden voyage from Washington Dulles to Beijing

As of Saturday, the website of American Airlines listed Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as entities separate from China.

Rivals United Airlines and Delta listed Taiwan separately but not Hong Kong or Macau.

Taiwan has been self-ruled since splitting from the mainland after a 1949 civil war, maintaining its own government, military and independent foreign policy.

But Beijing has refused to recognize the island, viewing it as part of its territory awaiting reunification with the mainland - by force, if necessary.

The US has maintained a delicate diplomatic balance since 1979, recognizing Beijing's sovereignty as part of its 'One China' policy, while remaining Taiwan's most powerful unofficial ally and main supplier of arms.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong, a British colony until 1997, and Macau, a Portuguese colony until 1999, are now 'special administrative regions' of China.

FOREIGN AIRLINES IN CHINA Airline Lists 'Hong Kong, China' Lists 'Taiwan, China' Lists 'Macau, China' British Airways YES YES (No service) Singapore Airlines YES NO YES Virgin Australia NO NO NO Etihad Airways YES (No service) (No service) All Nippon NO NO NO Korean Air NO NO NO Air Canada YES NO YES Japan Airlines NO NO (No service) Qantas YES NO YES Delta YES NO YES United YES NO YES

The move came after the US and China held high-stakes trade talks in Beijing aimed at forestalling a looming conflict between the world's two largest economies.

In January, Australia's Qantas Airways changed its website classification of Taiwan and Hong Kong from separate countries to Chinese territories, blaming its earlier approach on an 'oversight.'

British Airways was also widely criticized on Chinese social media back in March for listing Taiwan and Hong Kong as separate entities.

BA appears to have 'rectified' the situation on its website. Anyone ordering tickets to breakaway provinces and territories will see that they are listed as part of 'China.'

Now anyone who orders tickets to these areas will see that they are marked as part of China.
Supporters of the Mozambique's main opposition party Renamo take part in a vigil two days after the death of their leader Afonso Dhlakama

Gathered on wooden benches under the shade of a mango tree on Saturday, scores of loyal supporters of Mozambique's rebel opposition leader Afonso Dhlakama could barely believe he has died.

Dhlakama led Renamo for nearly 40 years, through a bloody civil war and into an era where the party has lawmakers sitting in parliament while also retaining armed fighters.

Dhlakama died unexpectedly on Thursday aged 65, leaving his party reeling from shock and struggling to contemplate a future without their talismanic leader.

Outside the party's local headquarters in the small town of Dondo, Renamo supporters and former militants mourned their loss and recalled fighting alongside him.

"We have come together to sing, to pray and to wait for the instructions of the party about the burial arrangements," Bernardo Joao, a Renamo activist told AFP, his voice full of emotion.

"We believe that Dhlakama came to liberate the people who lived in slavery".

Sombre faces at the vigil remembering Afonso Dhlakama

Some of the party faithful cried quietly and held their heads in their hands as they grieved in the choking dust next to the main road from Beira city to Zimbabwe.

Dhlakama was a central figure in Mozambique's history since independence from Portugal in 1975.

He led Renamo, which was then backed by apartheid South Africa, through the deadly civil war against the Marxist-inspired Frelimo government until the conflict ended in 1992.

He then evolved Renamo into an opposition party, which failed to take power from Frelimo in elections and again took up arms between 2013 and 2016.

"If he had fallen during the war, it would have been different, but he survived. He died of an illness," said one mourner, Joao Bernardo. "For us, that is a victory."

- 'Together on the battlefield' -

Mozambican President, Armando Guebuza (l) with Renamo leader Dhlakama at the Presidential palace in Maputo in 2014

Dhlakama -- who died of a suspected heart attack -- had lived for the last two years at a secret location in the remote mountain scrub of Gorongosa, not far from Dondo.

He suddenly fell sick last week and died on Thursday before medical attention reached him.

One female mourner told of her days fighting beside Dhlakama.

"We were together on the battlefield": Luisa Jequecene, a former guerrilla fighter who claims to have been trained under Afonso Dhlakama

"We were together on the battlefield, preparing men to fight against the regime, training them to liberate areas," said Luisa Jequecene, 48.

In December 2016, Dhlakama announced a surprise truce with the government in the major first step towards a formal peace deal, and had recently held talks with President Filipe Nyusi.

Jequecene said she was uncertain whether the peace process would continue, but vowed that Renamo would survive Dhlakama's death.

The party on Saturday named Ossufo Momade as its interim leader until the next congress, which has not yet been scheduled.

Another former militant Carlitos Nhambo Vasco, 44, was unapologetic for the violence committed by Renamo when he was a teenage fighter in its ranks.

"If you find yourself in front of the enemy and you have a weapon, it's up to whoever fires first," he explained, describing Dhlakama as a hero.

Renamo was infamous for its use of child soldiers, but Vasco said "at 16, we were already men. Renamo took care of us."

Dhlakama will be given an official funeral on Wednesday in Beira before being buried in his home village Mangunde, more than 200 kilometres (125 miles) away, the following day.

"It will be difficult to fill the space he left because he planned everything," said Vasco. "There is no one to replace it, it is an immeasurable loss."
Lebanon's President Michel Aoun said he felt confident that the poll would bring about a more proportional government

Lebanon's president said Saturday on the eve of parliamentary elections that he was confident the vote would bring a more proportional government to power, even if his party lost seats.

Sunday's legislative vote will be Lebanon's first since 2009, after parliament agreed on a new system last year that replaced majoritarian mechanisms with proportional ones.

In an interview aired on BBC Arabic Saturday, President Michel Aoun said he was "completely content with the law."

"We may lose some seats in some districts and win others elsewhere," said Aoun, who is 84 and long headed the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM).

But the new law would lead to "100 percent accurate representation," he said.

The FPM has for years been allied with Iran-backed powerhouse Hezbollah, usually against Prime Minister Saad Hariri's Saudi-backed Future Movement.

But Lebanon's major political players have always ruled through consensus, which leaves little to chance and often slows the pace of progress.

That won't change with the new elections, Aoun said Saturday.

"The style we work in is consensual decision-making. This may lead to some slowness but it saves us problems," he said.

"If we win, we all win together. And if we lose, we all lose together," said the head of state.

Despite the reformed law, there is little hope that political newcomers will make a breakthrough against Lebanon's entrenched ruling elite.

Weeks of campaigning passed without major security incidents across a country threatened by spillover from the conflict in neighbouring Syria.

Hezbollah, which stands to hold on to and potentially expand its clout with Sunday's elections, is fighting in the war on behalf of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Some have feared its activities could once again drag Lebanon into a conflict with Israel, which has struck Hezbollah and Syrian government forces several times.

Aoun sought to allay those fears, saying on Saturday: "Responding (to Israel) from here is still rhetoric."

He said the movement, branded a "terrorist" group by the US, is not just Lebanon's problem.

"The issue of Hezbollah's involvement in Syria is linked to the Middle East. Hezbollah can not just leave the conflict, because it is now part of the balance of power," he said.

Aoun dodged a question by the BBC on whether he would visit his Syrian counterpart by saying he had not been invited.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - Low-cost carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle has rejected a takeover offer from British Airways' parent company.

Norwegian Air Shuttle says its board "unanimously rejected" the offer because it "undervalued NAS and its prospects." No financial details were disclosed.

The board said Friday it "remains fully committed to delivering on its stated strategy, for the benefit of all NAS shareholders."

FILE - This Thursday March 5, 2015 file photo shows parked Boeing 737-800 aircrafts belonging to budget carrier Norwegian at Stockholm Arlanda Airport. Low-cost carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle on Friday May 4, 2018, rejected a takeover offer from British Airways' parent company. (Johan Nilsson/TT via AP, File)

Shares in Norwegian Air slumped 10 percent Friday, giving it a market value of around 12 billion kroner ($1.5 billion).

Last month, International Airlines Group said it acquired 4.61 percent of Norwegian Air "to establish a position from which to initiate discussions, including the possibility of a full offer for Norwegian."

Norwegian Air has disrupted the long-haul market with low-cost offers, including a 99-pound ($140) ticket from Edinburgh to New York.
NORTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) - A hungry bear broke into a California home and snacked on bread and fruit before sheriff's deputies were able to chase it away.

The Placer County sheriff's office posted a video of the bear inside the house on its Twitter account Thursday.

Bears are coming out of hibernation and deputies say this particular bear broke into a house at Northstar, North Lake Tahoe for groceries.

The homeowners called for help. In the video, the bear can be seen on a kitchen island.
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - A small amount of radioactive, weapons-grade plutonium about the size of a U.S. quarter is missing from an Idaho university that was using it for research, leading federal officials on Friday to propose an $8,500 fine.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Idaho State University can't account for about a 30th of an ounce (1 gram) of the material that's used in nuclear reactors and to make nuclear bombs.

The amount is too small to make a nuclear bomb, agency spokesman Victor Dricks said, but could be used to make a dirty bomb to spread radioactive contamination.

FILE - In this May 11, 2015, file photo, nuclear waste is stored in underground containers at the Idaho Nation. A small amount of radioactive, weapons-grade plutonium about the size of a U.S. quarter is missing from an Idaho university that was using it for research, leading federal officials on Friday to propose an $8,500 fine. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Idaho State University can't account for about a 30th of an ounce (1 gram) of the material that's used in nuclear reactors and to make nuclear bombs. The plutonium was being used to develop ways to ensure nuclear waste containers weren't leaking and to find ways to detect radioactive material being illegally brought into the U.S. following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the school said in an email to the AP. (AP Photo/Keith Ridler, File)

"The NRC has very rigorous controls for the use and storage of radioactive materials as evidenced by this enforcement action," he said of the proposed fine for failing to keep track of the material.

Dr. Cornelis Van der Schyf, vice president for research at the university, blamed partially completed paperwork from 15 years ago as the school tried to dispose of the plutonium.

"Unfortunately, because there was a lack of sufficient historical records to demonstrate the disposal pathway employed in 2003, the source in question had to be listed as missing," he said in a statement to The Associated Press. "The radioactive source in question poses no direct health issue or risk to public safety."

Idaho State University has a nuclear engineering program and works with the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory, considered the nation's primary nuclear research lab and located about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of the school.

The plutonium was being used to develop ways to ensure nuclear waste containers weren't leaking and to find ways to detect radioactive material being illegally brought into the U.S. following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the school said in an email to the AP.

The university, which has 30 days to dispute the proposed fine, reported the plutonium missing on Oct. 13, according to documents released by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The agency said a school employee doing a routine inventory discovered the university could only account for 13 of its 14 plutonium sources, each weighing about the same small amount.

The school searched documents and found records from 2003 and 2004 saying the material was on campus and awaiting disposal. However, there were no documents saying the plutonium had been properly disposed.

The last document mentioning the plutonium is dated Nov. 23, 2003. It said the Idaho National Laboratory didn't want the plutonium and the school's technical safety office had it "pending disposal of the next waste shipment."

The school also reviewed documents on waste barrels there and others transferred off campus since 2003, and opened and examined some of them. Finally, officials searched the campus but didn't find the plutonium.

The nuclear commission said senior university officials planned to return the school's remaining plutonium to the Energy Department. It's not clear if that has happened.

Energy Department officials didn't return calls seeking comment Friday.

Dricks, the commission spokesman, said returning the plutonium was part of the school's plan to reduce its inventory of radioactive material.

He said overall it has "a good record with the NRC."

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This story has been corrected to show that the missing plutonium is about a 30th of an ounce, not a third of an ounce.
* US President Donald Trump said he would meet on May 5 with US trade officials after their return from a visit to Beijing where they presented Chinese officials with a long list of trade demands.

* Oil prices rose about 2 percent on May 4, with US crude hitting its highest in more than three years, as global supplies remained tight and the market awaited news from Washington on possible new US sanctions against Iran. US light crude settled up US$1.29 at US$69.72 a barrel. Brent crude oil settled up US$1.25 at US$74.87 a barrel.

* The next round of talks to modernize NAFTA could last for 15 days and an agreement will be reached or not depends on the flexibility of the US delegation, said a Mexican business leader on May 4.

* A new international port linking northeast China and Russia was opened on May 4. A water route between Fuyuan City in Heilongjiang Province and Khabarovsk in Russia was launched on the same day. The new port and the water route are expected to further promote the cultural and economic exchanges between the two countries.

* China is stepping up its support for small and micro businesses by offering new tax cuts and better financial services.

Seven new tax policies are expected to save the businesses a total of US$9.45 billion per year, vice finance minister Cheng Lihua said at a press conference.

*Around 10,000 Palestinians on May 4 gathered along the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip for "Great March of Return" protest for the sixth week in a row.

* Gabon's prime minister announced the composition of a new cabinet on May 4, just days after the Constitutional Court ordered him to resign for failing to organise legislative elections on time last weekend.
SAN DIEGO (AP) - The Latest on a legal challenge to U.S. immigration officials' practice of separating parents and children at the border (all times local):

5:10 p.m.

A federal judge did not immediately rule Friday on a lawsuit that seeks to prevent U.S. immigration officials from separating parents and children.

U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw asked an attorney for the Trump administration whether separating parents and children violates constitutional rights to due process and a law that says the government should protect the child's best interests.

He also asked an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union whether a blanket ban on separating parents and children might be overreaching, acknowledging the federal government's broad power to enforce immigration law.

The ACLU lawsuit involves a Congolese woman who was separated from her daughter after claiming asylum at a San Diego border crossing.

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1:30 p.m.

A federal judge will consider arguments to prohibit U.S. immigration authorities from separating parents from their children at the border in a lawsuit on behalf of a Congolese woman who was separated from her 7-year-old daughter for five months after claiming asylum at a San Diego border crossing.

The mother, identified in court documents as Mrs. L, claimed asylum at San Diego's San Ysidro border crossing on Nov. 1 and, four days later, was separated from her daughter. The girl, then 6, was sent to a Chicago shelter overseen by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department's Office of Refugee Resettlement, while the mother was held at a San Diego immigration detention facility until March 6.

The case seeks to halt family separation while the lawsuit proceeds through federal court.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House says President Donald Trump is headed to Ohio to talk about Republican tax cuts and highlight their positive impacts on Ohio families and businesses.

The president is expected to arrive at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland on Saturday morning.

Administration officials say his public appearance is an official visit focused on policy - but politics won't be too far away.

The rally comes just ahead of Ohio's primary election Tuesday. It's been an unusually nasty election year, with many GOP rivals jockeying to prove they're most like Trump. The Republican handily won the bellwether state in 2016.

Republican candidates in the U.S. Senate and gubernatorial primaries are among those expected to be represented at the event.

Trump also is expected to appear at a nearby Republican fundraiser.
NEW YORK (AP) - A New York doctor who says he's done 40,000 abortions is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to criminally negligent homicide in the 2016 death of a woman who was six months pregnant and bled to death.

The case in Queens Criminal Court marks one of the rare legal instances of criminal prosecution of a doctor over a medical error, but Assistant District Attorney Brad Leventhal said that Dr. Robert Rho's mistakes went beyond civil malpractice.

"It's about greed and arrogance," Leventhal told jurors last week during closing arguments in the month-long trial. He said 30-year-old Jaime Lee Morales "bled to death because this defendant did nothing."

In this April 27, 2018 photo, Dr. Robert Rho walks toward the court room for his trial at Queens County Criminal Court in New York. A jury in the Queens borough of New York heard closing arguments Tuesday, May 1, in the manslaughter case against Rho, who presided over an abortion procedure that went horrifically wrong that resulted in his patient bleeding to death. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Rather than call an ambulance, prosecutors said, Rho released Morales for her sister to drive her home in the Bronx, despite signs she was in grave condition and had collapsed in a bathroom of Rho's clinic.

Morales fell unconscious in the car. Medics responding to a 911 call took her to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Rho's attorney reached a plea deal with prosecutors Friday after jurors said they were deadlocked. It spares the 53-year-old physician from facing up to 15 years in prison on the original charge of second-degree manslaughter, equivalent to reckless homicide.

Instead, Rho admitted he was negligent with Morales' abortion, leaving her bleeding uncontrollably with a severed uterine aorta, ripped cervix and pierced uterine wall.

The lesser charge comes with prison time of up to four years. But Rho's attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, says he may end up with only months in prison when he is sentenced on June 26.

Lichtman called it a "monumental victory."

Rho, who lives with his family in the Lake Success section of Great Neck, on Long Island, was arrested in October 2016, three months after Morales died. Morales, who lived in Buffalo, New York, had come to Rho's clinic in the Flushing section of Queens with her sister, desperate to get an abortion, for which Rho charged $6,000, witnesses said. She had only learned a week earlier that she was pregnant.

Profuse post-operative bleeding forced the doctor to perform another procedure that did not fix the damage, prosecutors said.

Lichtman said the botched abortion was a tragedy but was not a crime.

He said Morales never told Rho that she suffered from medical conditions that made her prone to more intense bleeding.

After her death, the doctor closed his clinic and surrendered his medical license.

Americans United for Life, an anti-abortion law firm and advocacy group based in Washington, issued a statement Friday saying that Morales' family "received some measure of justice," but "the truth is that the type of behavior described in the Rho trial - not following best medical practices, using untrained staff, failing to properly monitor vital signs, not maintaining a sterile environment, etc. - are all very common in abortion clinics across America."

Even before Morales' abortion, the doctor had been investigated by state officials over concerns that he was performing procedures improperly and using assistants who lacked medical training, witnesses said at the trial.

The last criminal prosecution in New York over a mishandled abortion was in 1995, when obstetrician David Benjamin was convicted of murder after a patient bled to death from a rip in her uterus during an abortion.

Philadelphia doctor Kermit Gosnell was convicted in 2013 of involuntary manslaughter after a patient got a fatal overdose of sedatives during an abortion. He also was convicted of murder for performing extremely late-term abortions, snipping the spines of infants born alive during the procedures.

In this April 27, 2018 photo, Dr. Robert Rho walks toward a courtroom at Queens County Criminal Court in New York. A jury in the Queens borough of New York heard closing arguments Tuesday, May 1, in the manslaughter case against Rho, who presided over an abortion procedure that went horrifically wrong that resulted in his patient bleeding to death. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
DALLAS (AP) - Months after the horror of the Parkland school shootings in Florida, President Donald Trump stood before cheering members of the National Rifle Association and urged them to elect more Republicans to Congress to defend gun rights.

Trump claimed that Democrats want to "outlaw guns" and said if the nation takes that drastic step, it might as well ban all vans and trucks because they are the new weapons for "maniac terrorists."

"We will never give up our freedom. We will live free and we will die free," Trump said Friday as he tried to rally pro-gun voters for the 2018 congressional elections. "We've got to do great in '18."

President Donald Trump gestures to the audience after speaking at the National Rifle Association annual convention in Dallas, Friday, May 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Activists energized by shootings at schools, churches and elsewhere are also focused on those elections.

In the aftermath of the February school shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which left 17 dead and many more wounded, Trump had temporarily strayed from gun rights dogma.

During a televised gun meeting with lawmakers in late February, he wagged his finger at a Republican senator and scolded him for being "afraid of the NRA," declaring that he would stand up to the group and finally get results in quelling gun violence. But he later backpedaled on that tough talk.

He was clearly back in the fold at the NRA's annual convention, pledging that Americans' Second Amendment right to bear arms will "never ever be under siege as long as I am your president."

Trump briefly referenced the Parkland shootings in his speech, saying that he "mourned for the victims and their families" and noting that he signed a spending bill that included provisions to strengthen the federal background check system for gun purchases as well as add money to improve school safety.

He also repeated his strong support for "letting highly trained teachers carry concealed weapons."

Trump's speech in Dallas was his fourth consecutive appearance at the NRA's annual convention. His gun comments were woven into a campaign-style speech that touched on the Russia probe, the 2016 campaign, his efforts in North Korea and Iran and his fight against illegal immigration.

In strikingly personal criticism of members of Congress, he decried what he said were terribly weak immigration laws, declaring, "We have laws that were written by people that truly could not love our country."

While the president veered wildly off topic at times - speaking about entertainer Kanye West's recent support and former Secretary of State John Kerry's bicycle accident three years ago - he repeatedly returned to the message of the day: his support for the Second Amendment.

Trump said some political advisers had told him attending the NRA convention might be controversial, but, "You know what I said? 'Bye, bye, gotta get on the plane.'"

Trump has long enjoyed strong backing from the NRA, which spent about $30 million in support of his presidential campaign. He was introduced by Vice President Mike Pence, who pointed to his own support for gun rights and accused the news media of failing to tell "the whole story" that "firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens" make communities safer.

One of the Parkland student survivors, David Hogg, criticized Trump's appearance in advance.

"It's kind of hypocritical of him to go there after saying so many politicians bow to the NRA and are owned by them," Hogg said. "It proves that his heart and his wallet are in the same place."

Back in February, Trump had praised members of the gun lobby as "great patriots" but declared "that doesn't mean we have to agree on everything. It doesn't make sense that I have to wait until I'm 21 to get a handgun, but I can get this weapon at 18." He was referring to the AR-15 the Parkland shooting suspect is accused of using.

Those words rattled some Republicans in Congress and sparked hope among gun-control advocates that, unlike after previous mass shootings, tougher regulations might be enacted.

But after expressing interest in increasing the minimum age to purchase an assault weapon to 21, Trump later declared there was "not much political support" for that. He then pushed off the issue of age restrictions by assigning it to a commission.

Gabrielle Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman who was shot outside a grocery store during a constituent gathering in 2011, said Trump had "allowed his presidency to be hijacked by gun lobbyists and campaign dollars." She said Trump had "ignored the pleas of young people demanding safer gun laws."

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Associated Press writer Ken Thomas in Washington contributed.

Young protesters join others as they chant and march from City Hall to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center protesting against the National Rifle Association on Friday, May 4, 2018, in Dallas. The annual NRA convention is being held at the convention center and is scheduled to go on through Sunday. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Rifle Association annual convention in Dallas, Friday, May 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Donald Trump waves to the audience as Chris Cox, right, executive director of the National Rifle Association-Institute for Legislative Action Leadership Forum after Trump spoke at the annual meeting in Dallas, Friday, May 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Human Rights Watch on Saturday asked Dubai's ruling sheikh to reveal the whereabouts of his daughter after a French ex-spy and others say she fled the emirate, only to be arrested off the coast of India.

A statement by the organization marks the latest twist in the cloak-and-dagger drama surrounding the disappearance of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum, who friends believe has been returned to Dubai after fleeing in late February. She was detained March 4 in a seaborne raid, witnesses said.

Sheikha Latifa's father is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai's ruler and the United Arab Emirates' vice president and prime minister.

This undated image from video provided by Detained in Dubai, a London-based for-hire advocacy group long critical of the United Arab Emirates, shows Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum, a daughter of Dubai's ruler, in a 40-minute video in which she says she's planning on fleeing the country in Dubai, UAE. The former spy Herve Jaubert said he tried to help her flee the country in a cloak-and-dagger escape by sea in March 2018, but was thwarted when commandos intercepted their sailboat in the Arabian Sea. (Detained in Dubai via AP)

"Failure to disclose the whereabouts and status of the princess could qualify as an enforced disappearance, given the evidence suggesting that she was last seen as UAE authorities were detaining her," Human Rights Watch said.

Dubai has declined to comment publicly about Sheikha Latifa since The Associated Press reported in April on her disappearance . The government's Dubai Media Office offered no immediate comment Saturday.

"UAE authorities should immediately reveal the whereabouts of Sheikha Latifa, confirm her status and allow her contact with the outside world," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Human Rights Watch's Middle East director.
SRINAGAR, India (AP) - Indian troops killed three suspected rebels during a gunbattle Saturday in the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir, while police blamed insurgents for killing three other men during a day of violence and protests in the disputed region.

Counterinsurgency police and paramilitary soldiers staged a morning raid on a cluster of homes in a densely populated neighborhood of Srinagar after getting a tip that militants were hiding there, police said. Troops asked the trapped militants to surrender but they instead started shooting and sparked a gunbattle, police said.

As the militants and government troops exchanged gunfire, anti-India protests and clashes erupted in several places. Hundreds of demonstrators tried to reach the site of the standoff and threw rocks at troops in a bid to help the rebels escape.

A Kashmiri protester shouts freedom slogans amid tear gas smoke fired by Indian paramilitary soldier near the site of a gun battle in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Fierce clashes erupted when residents in solidarity with the rebels tried to march to the gunbattle site. A vehicle belonging to Indian troops ran over and killed a man as protesters clashed with government forces, residents said. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Police and paramilitary soldiers fired shotgun pellets and tear gas to stop the protesters, and at least one protester was run over and killed by a police armored vehicle. As the anti-India protests and clashes spiraled, shops in the city shuttered and authorities switched off mobile internet services to make organizing protests more difficult.

Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim it in its entirety. Rebels have been fighting Indian rule since 1989, demanding Indian-controlled Kashmir be made part of Pakistan or become an independent country.

Most Kashmiris support the rebels' cause while also participating in civilian street protests against Indian control. In recent years, mainly young Kashmiris have displayed open solidarity with rebels and sought to protect them by engaging troops in street clashes during military operations. Last year, at least 29 civilians were killed and hundreds were wounded during such clashes.

During Saturday's fierce confrontation, demonstrators chanted pro-rebel slogans such as "Go India, go back" and "We want freedom." Police said they were investigating the death of the man killed in what they called a "road accident."

Top separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq called the young man's death a murder and he and others called for a general strike on Sunday in protest of the day's killings.

"How a murder was committed by the forces today and then brazenly denied! Is there no sense of humanity left in India?" Farooq wrote on Twitter, as he also uploaded a video which shows an armored vehicle knocking down a youth.

Injuries were reported to at least two protesters, three journalists, three soldiers and a police officer.

S.P. Vaid, police director-general, told reporters that Saturday's operation that killed the three militants was a "clean" one. The armed confrontation was the first this year in the heart of Srinagar.

Later Saturday, thousands in Srinagar participated in the funerals of a slain rebel and the civilian. While the civilian was buried in his neighborhood graveyard, thousands marched while carrying the rebel's body to Srinagar's main martyr's graveyard, where hundreds of Kashmiri militants and civilians killed in decades of fighting have been buried.

Meanwhile, gunmen abducted two men from their homes in northern Hajin town late Friday. Their bodies, riddled with bullets, were recovered early Saturday.

Gunmen also entered a civilian home in Sopore area and sprayed bullets at the residents, police said, leading to death of a young man. His wife was critically wounded.

Police accused militants for carrying out these killings, though no rebel group has claimed responsibility.

Kashmiris make no secret of their fury at killings by government forces, which regularly trigger bloody protests and demands for freedom from Indian rule. But the reactions are far more complicated, tangled in fear and loyalty, when residents accused of being informers are targeted.

A vehicle belonging to Indian police is engulfed in tear gas smoke fired to prevent Kashmiri protesters from approaching it, near the site of a gun battle in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Fierce clashes erupted when residents in solidarity with the rebels tried to march to the gunbattle site. A vehicle belonging to Indian troops ran over and killed a man as protesters clashed with government forces, residents said. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Kashmiri men inspect a house, damaged during a gun battle, where suspected rebels were holed up, in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Fierce clashes erupted when residents in solidarity with the rebels tried to march to the gunbattle site. A vehicle belonging to Indian troops ran over and killed a man as protesters clashed with government forces, residents said. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Kashmiri men inspect a house, damaged during a gun battle, where suspected rebels were holed up, in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Fierce clashes erupted when residents in solidarity with the rebels tried to march to the gunbattle site. A vehicle belonging to Indian troops ran over and killed a man as protesters clashed with government forces, residents said. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Kashmiri protesters throw rocks and bricks at Indian paramilitary soldiers near the site of a gun battle in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Fierce clashes erupted when residents in solidarity with the rebels tried to march to the gunbattle site. A vehicle belonging to Indian troops ran over and killed a man as protesters clashed with government forces, residents said. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
BERLIN (AP) - A larger than life statue of Communist philosopher Karl Marx was unveiled Saturday on the 200th anniversary of his birth in the western German town of Trier.

The celebratory uncovering of the 4.4-meter (14-foot) bronze statue of Marx, donated by China, sparked criticism by some who blame Marx for crimes committed by social revolutionaries in Russia, China and elsewhere in the name of Communism.

About 200 guests, including a delegation from China, applauded during the anniversary celebrations, when a bright red cover was lifted from the statue which depicts Marx with a frock and his signature bushy beard.

A bronze statue showing German philosopher Karl Marx was unveiled on occasion of the 200th birthday of Marx in Trier, Germany, Saturday, May 5, 2018. The statue was created bY Chinese artist Wu Weishan and is a present of China. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Marx laid the philosophical foundations for Communism, an ideology that aims for shared ownership of the means of production and the absence of social classes. He explained his thoughts in two famous works, the Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital.

The ceremony and speeches in Trier were at times disturbed by the shouting and whistling of different groups of nearby protesters.

"The present from China is a pillar and a bridge for our partnership," said Malu Dreyer, the governor of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where Trier is located.

A German group representing victims of Communism criticized the Marx anniversary celebrations saying they lacked a debate about the philosopher's support of violence in the abolishment of social classes.

"We say yes to a debate about Marx, but no to his worship," the group's leader, Dieter Dombrowski, said in a statement.

When Germany was divided after the end of World War II, the eastern part was under Communist rule from 1949 until the country's reunification in 1990. Some East Germans say they still suffer from the long-term effects of the Communist regime's suppression and violence against its critics.

In China, on the other hand, President Xi Jinping hailed Karl Marx as "the greatest thinker of modern times."

"Today, we commemorate Marx in order to pay tribute to the greatest thinker in the history of mankind and also to declare our firm belief in the scientific truth of Marxism," Xi said during an address Friday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Promoting Marx is seen in part as a way for the Chinese president to strengthen ideological control and counter critics within the ruling Communist Party unhappy with his move in March to eliminate presidential term limits. Xi is also general secretary of the ruling Communist Party, an official that is also not term-limited.

China launched market reforms three decades ago, but the party keeps an iron grip on power.

Karl Marx was born in Trier on May 5, 1818 and lived there until he was 17 years old. He died in exile in London in 1883.

A bronze statue showing German philosopher Karl Marx is unveiled on occasion of the 200th birthday of Marx in Trier, Germany, Saturday, May 5, 2018. The statue was created by Chinese artist Wu Weishan and is a present of China. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

A bronze statue showing German philosopher Karl Marx is unveiled on occasion of the 200th birthday of Marx in Trier, Germany, Saturday, May 5, 2018. The statue was created by Chinese artist Wu Weishan and is a present of China. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

A bronze statue showing German philosopher Karl Marx is unveiled on occasion of the 200th birthday of Marx in Trier, Germany, Saturday, May 5, 2018. The statue was created bY Chinese artist Wu Weishan and is a present of China. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
MOSCOW (AP) - The Latest on anti-Putin protests in Russia (all times local):

6:40 p.m.

A group that monitors political repression in Russia says more than 1,000 people have been arrested in a day of nationwide protests against the upcoming inauguration of Vladimir Putin for a new six-year term as president.

Russian police detain a protester at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in St.Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Russians angered by the impending inauguration of Vladimir Putin to a new term as the country's president demonstrated throughout the country on Saturday. Police arrested hundreds, including protest organizer Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who is Putin's most prominent foe. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

The OVD-Info group said at least 574 people were arrested in Moscow, the Russian capital, where demonstrators on Saturday crowded into one of the city's main squares.

Overall, 1,029 people were arrested in 19 cities, the group reported.

The demonstrations were called for by anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny. He was among those arrested in Moscow and is to be charged with resisting police officers, Russian news reports said.

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4:15 p.m.

Police in Russia's second-largest city have blocked off a large section of St. Petersburg's main avenue and are arresting demonstrators taking part in a protest before President Vladimir Putin's inauguration for a new term.

Video broadcast on the YouTube channel of protest organizer Alexei Navalny on Saturday showed the wide Nevsky Prospekt avenue blocked off around Gostiny Dvor, the sprawling trade complex that is one of the city's landmarks.

A crowd estimated at more than 1,000 had earlier begun marching down Nevsky. There was no immediate tally of the number of arrests.

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3:50 p.m.

A group that monitors political repression in Russia says more than 350 people have been arrested in a day of nationwide protests against the upcoming inauguration of Vladimir Putin for a new six-year term as president.

The OVD-Info group said the largest number of arrests as of Saturday mid-afternoon was in Chelyabinsk, where 97 people were detained. It said in a protest in Yakutsk in the far northeast, 75 were detained but all have since been released.

Thousands of people crowded into Moscow's Pushkin Square for an unauthorized demonstration and OVD-Info said more than 50 people there were arrested. Among them was protest organizer Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who is Putin's most prominent foe.

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2:55 p.m.

Russian police have detained opposition leader Alexei Navalny at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in central Moscow.

Thousands of demonstrators denouncing Putin's upcoming inauguration into a fourth term gathered Saturday in the capital's Pushkin Square.

Video showed police carrying a struggling Navalny, who is Putin's most prominent foe, out of the square, carrying him by the legs and arms.

The unauthorized protest was part of a day of nationwide demonstrations under the slogan "He is not our czar." Police made arrests at demonstrations in some other cities, but there was no overall figure immediately available.

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2:40 p.m.

Thousands of demonstrators crowded into one of Moscow's main squares on Saturday as part of nationwide protests against the upcoming inauguration of President Vladimir Putin to a new term.

Police in riot gear waded into the crowd on Pushkin Square and were seen grabbing some demonstrators and leading them away, but there were no immediate moves to disperse the unauthorized gathering. A helicopter hovered overhead to monitor the crowd.

The protests Saturday under the slogan "He is not our czar" are organized by Putin's most prominent foe, anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny.

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12 p.m.

Demonstrators are holding protests throughout Russia against the upcoming inauguration of Vladimir Putin for a fourth term as Russian president.

The protests Saturday under the slogan "He is not our czar" are organized by Putin's most prominent foe, anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny.

News reports and social media postings said protests had attracted hundreds or more in at least 10 cities in the Far East and Siberia. Some arrests by police were reported, but no overall figure was available.

Larger demonstrations are expected in the afternoon in Moscow, where protesters aim to hold an unauthorized march on one of the capital's main thoroughfares, and in St. Petersburg.

Putin will be inaugurated Monday for a six-year term.

Russian police detain a protester at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in Pushkin Square in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Thousands of demonstrators denouncing Putin's upcoming inauguration into a fourth term gathered Saturday in the capital's Pushkin Square. (AP Photo)

Russian police carrying a struggling opposition leader Alexei Navalny, center, at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in Pushkin Square in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Thousands of demonstrators denouncing Putin's upcoming inauguration into a fourth term gathered Saturday in the capital's Pushkin Square. (AP Photo)

A fighter of National Liberation movement, left, clashes with protester during clashes at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in Pushkin Square in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Thousands of demonstrators denouncing Putin's upcoming inauguration into a fourth term gathered Saturday in the capital's Pushkin Square. (AP Photo)

A fighter of National Liberation Movement, left, clashes with protesters during clashes at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in Pushkin Square in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Thousands of demonstrators denouncing Putin's upcoming inauguration into a fourth term gathered Saturday in the capital's Pushkin Square. (AP Photo)

A fighter of National Liberation Movement pushes a protester down, during clashes at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in Pushkin Square in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Thousands of demonstrators denouncing Putin's upcoming inauguration into a fourth term gathered Saturday in the capital's Pushkin Square. (AP Photo)

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, center, argues with fighters of National Liberation movement during a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in Pushkin Square in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Thousands of demonstrators denouncing Putin's upcoming inauguration into a fourth term gathered Saturday in the capital's Pushkin Square. (AP Photo)

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, center, argues with fighters of National Liberation movement during a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in Pushkin Square in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Thousands of demonstrators denouncing Putin's upcoming inauguration into a fourth term gathered Saturday in the capital's Pushkin Square. (AP Photo)

Russian police carrying struggling opposition leader Alexei Navalny, center, at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in Pushkin Square in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Thousands of demonstrators denouncing Putin's upcoming inauguration into a fourth term gathered Saturday in the capital's Pushkin Square. (AP Photo)

Russian police police carrying struggling opposition leader Alexei Navalny, center, at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in Pushkin Square in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Thousands of demonstrators denouncing Putin's upcoming inauguration into a fourth term gathered Saturday in the capital's Pushkin Square. (AP Photo)

Russian police detain a protester at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in Pushkin Square, Moscow, Saturday May 5, 2018. Police arrested hundreds, including protest organizer Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who is Putin's most prominent foe. (AP Photo)

Protesters push police barriers during a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in Pushkin Square, Moscow, on Saturday May 5, 2018. Police arrested hundreds, including protest organizer Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who is Putin's most prominent foe. (AP Photo)

Russian police detain a protester at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in St.Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Russians angered by the impending inauguration of Vladimir Putin to a new term as the country's president demonstrated throughout the country on Saturday. Police arrested hundreds, including protest organizer Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who is Putin's most prominent foe. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Russian police detain a protester at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in St.Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Russians angered by the impending inauguration of Vladimir Putin to a new term as the country's president demonstrated throughout the country on Saturday. Police arrested hundreds, including protest organizer Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who is Putin's most prominent foe. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Demonstrator carries a poster depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin during a rally in St.Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Russians angered by the impending inauguration of Vladimir Putin to a new term as the country's president demonstrated throughout the country on Saturday. Police arrested hundreds, including protest organizer Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who is Putin's most prominent foe. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Protesters jump over a barrier during a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in St.Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Russians angered by the impending inauguration of Vladimir Putin to a new term as the country's president demonstrated throughout the country on Saturday. Police arrested hundreds, including protest organizer Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who is Putin's most prominent foe. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Russian police push protesters back during a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in Pushkin Square in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, May 5, 2018.Russians angered by the impending inauguration of Vladimir Putin to a new term as the country's president demonstrated throughout the country on Saturday. Police arrested hundreds, including protest organizer Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who is Putin's most prominent foe. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

Russian police detain protesters at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in St.Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Russians angered by the impending inauguration of Vladimir Putin to a new term as the country's president demonstrated throughout the country on Saturday. Police arrested hundreds, including protest organizer Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who is Putin's most prominent foe. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Olusegun Olatunji paid a $40,700 fine, did three months in a halfway house and spent a year on probation for selling counterfeit hats out of an Indianapolis shopping mall. Then, since the Nigerian native had overstayed a work visa 30 years ago, immigration officials detained him to await deportation in 2014.

More than three years later, he's still waiting. He's moved among six immigration detention centers, including his ongoing second stay at a county jail in northeastern Alabama that critics call a black hole for complicated deportation cases.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained more than 100,000 immigrants during the 2017 fiscal year, holding them an average of 34 days before releasing or deporting them, federal records show. Average length of detention was 22 days in fiscal year 2016.

In this undated photo provided by Shelly Covington, Olusegun Olatunji, a Nigerian native, and his son, Micah, pose for a photo at a Denny's restaurant in Bloomington, Ind., in November 2007. Olatunji overstayed a work visa 30 years ago. In 2013, he was convicted of selling counterfeit hats and received a deportation order. Since he was detained by ICE in 2014, he has been appealing to stay in the U.S. for more than three years so that he can support his 15-year-old son's college education. (Shelly Covington via AP)

But some are held for months or years because of pending appeals or delayed deportations - time that could increase after President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown and a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Many of the longest-running cases involve immigrants such as Olatunji who have been convicted of committing a nonimmigration crime but appeal their deportation. Olatunji, who like many in the system has no attorney, said he wants to stay to be able to support his 15-year-old U.S.-born son's college education.

"Until the last moment I'll be fighting for him. I told him I don't care how long it takes, until I've exhausted all the options," Olatunji said by phone last month from the Etowah County Detention Center in a contracted county jail in Gadsden, a facility that advocates have criticized as keeping detainees in poor conditions.

Immigrant advocates argue that detainees have rights equal to criminal defendants awaiting trial in jail, a notion that U.S. courts have generally rejected.

Unlike convicts serving out a defined sentence, however, "these folks are not knowing when their time will be up," said Donald Anthonyson, director of the national advocacy organization Families for Freedom and a former detainee.

In February, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out a lower-court decision that gave detained immigrants the right to a bond hearing after six months; most criminal defendants get such a hearing within days.

An earlier decision still lets detainees with deportation orders petition for release after three months if their deportation will be further delayed. The court said in that ruling the law "does not permit indefinite detention."

ICE declined a request for a phone interview quoting an official but said in an email to The Associated Press that the government can suspend the three-month time limit for deportation if the detainee fails to apply for travel documents or, according to immigration law, "conspires or acts to prevent" their deportation.

Etowah houses an average of 300 male immigrant detainees every day. A majority of them are long-term U.S. residents convicted of crimes who now face deportation.

Etowah has one of the highest national rates of transfers into the detention center and the longest time before the next transfer, according to federal data compiled by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. Federal records show Etowah had the second longest average length of stay - 101 days - of any detention center in the country in fiscal year 2017.

Phone surveys conducted by the national advocacy organization Freedom for Immigrants discovered that around one in six detainees have been detained at least six months. One man said he has been held nearly five and a half years.

Olatunji, who has been detained in Etowah twice, said the center is often the last stop for detainees like him.

"When they bring you here, they really want to deport you. In other places, it's more like a transit detention center," he said.

Nearly 700,000 cases are pending in immigration court, in part a legacy of ICE practices under President Barack Obama. Trump has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to further ramp up arrests and build more detention centers.

Olatunji argues that his case didn't have a fair hearing and that the government changed his charges, which prolonged his detention. An immigration judge ordered he doesn't qualify to petition for release since his deportation hasn't been finalized due to his pending appeals.

As Olatunji continues to appeal his deportation, there is no end in sight for his detention.

FILE-- In this Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, file photo, protesters march in front of the Etowah County Detention Center in Gadsden, Ala. As many as 350 male immigrants are held in Etowah County Detention Center, Alabama's only long-term detention facility housed in Etowah County Jail in Gadsden, Ala. (Sarah Dudik/The Gadsden Times via AP)
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the gathering in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The gathering, Xi said, is a tribute to the "greatest thinker" of history and shows "our firm belief" in the scientific truth of Marxism.

Two centuries on, despite huge and profound changes in human society, the name of Karl Marx is still respected all over the world and his theory still shines with the brilliant light of truth, Xi said.

Inside the Great Hall of the People, a giant portrait of Marx was hung, flanked by two rows of red flags, facing about 3,000 participants.

On the opposite side, a banner reads "Rally closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, uphold and develop Marxism and strive for the great success of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era!"

In the new era, Chinese Communists still need to learn from Marx, study and practice Marxism to keep the great ship of national rejuvenation sailing in the right direction, Xi said.

"Learning from Marx, we must study and practice his thoughts on the rules of societal evolution," he said, adding that Marx revealed the inevitability of Communism.

"We must grasp the worldview and methodology of dialectical materialism and historical materialism," Xi said, calling for lifelong hard work for Communism.

Xi said that standing with the people was fundamental. "We must make it our fundamental mission to strive for people's wellbeing and our fundamental purpose to serve the people with all our heart," he said.

Freeing and developing the productive forces is essential to socialism, and an issue Chinese Communists have been exploring and addressing generation by generation.

"We must be brave enough to deepen reform in all areas and do more to boost the vitality of productive forces by adjusting the relations of production," Xi said.

He said that the thought on the people's democracy in Marxism must be studied and put to practice. State organs must transform themselves from the society's masters to public servants and be supervised by the people, he said.

"We must unwaveringly keep to the path of socialist political advancement with Chinese characteristics," Xi said.

Senior leaders including Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng, and Wang Qishan were present. Wang Huning presided over the gathering.

It capped a series of celebrations, held in recent weeks by both the government and the public, young and old, online and offline, to commemorate Marx.

* Chinese students, scholars who study and work in Manchester and the surrounding areas of the capital of the UK gathered on May 4 at the official residence of China's consul general to Manchester to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx's birth.

"These people are China's great talents and we hope that through this event we can help them learn more about Marxism, the most valuable and influential legacy from Marx," said Sun Dali, Chinese consul general to Manchester.

Around 100 Chinese students, scholars, representatives from the Confucius Institute and officials from the consulate attended the event.

* Three books commemorating the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx's birth have been published, according to a workshop on May 3.

The books, compiled and translated by the Party history and literature research institution of the CPC Central Committee, are respectively a commemorative edition of the Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital, a special collection of works by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, as well as a popular edition of biographical pictures of Marx.

"Publication of the books is of great significance for officials and members of the public to study and apply basic theories of Marxism with a scientific attitude, as well as to gain in-depth knowledge of the accomplishments and contributions of Marx," said a statement released after the workshop, co-organized by the Publicity Department and the Party history and literature research institution of the CPC Central Committee.

The books have been published by the People's Publishing House and Chongqing Publishing Group.
As primary season kicks into high gear, Republicans are engaged in nomination fights that are pulling the party to the right, leaving some leaders worried their candidates will be out of a step with the broader electorate in November.

Primaries in four states on Tuesday, all in places Donald Trump carried in 2016, showcase races in which GOP candidates are jockeying to be seen as the most conservative, the most anti-Washington and the most loyal to the president. It's evidence of the onetime outsider's deepening imprint on the Republican Party he commandeered less than two years ago.

In Indiana, Republicans will pick from among three Senate candidates who have spent much of the race praising Trump and bashing each other. In West Virginia, a former federal convict and coal baron has taken aim at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., with racially charged accusations of corruption.

In this April 30, 2018, photo, Senate candidates from left, Todd Rokita, Luke Messer and Mike Braun speak with each other following the Indiana Republican senate primary debate in Indianapolis. As primary season kicks into high gear, Republicans are engaged in nomination fights that are pulling the party to the right, leaving some leaders worried their candidates will be out of a step with the broader electorate in the November election. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, Pool)

In Ohio, Republicans are certain to nominate someone more conservative than outgoing GOP Gov. John Kasich, a 2016 presidential candidate, moderate and frequent Trump critic. Even Kasich's former running mate, Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, has pledged to unwind some of Kasich's centrist policies, including the expansion of the Medicaid government insurance program following Democrats' 2010 health insurance overhaul.

With Trump's job approval hanging around 40 percent and the GOP-run Congress less than half that, the abandonment of the middle has some Republicans raising alarms.

"The far left and the far right always think they are going to dominate these elections," said John Weaver, a Trump critic and top strategist to Kasich, who has been become a near-pariah in the primary to succeed him.

"You may think it's wise in a primary to handcuff yourself to the president," Weaver said. "But when the ship goes down, you may not be able to get the cuffs off."

North Carolina Republicans will weigh in on the fate of Republican Rep. Robert Pittenger, facing a primary challenger who almost upset him two years ago. Pittenger features Trump prominently in his campaign. Challenger Mark Harris, a prominent Charlotte pastor, has tried to turn the table, saying Pittenger is a creature of Washington who refuses to help Trump "drain that swamp."

Tough primaries certainly don't have to be disastrous. They often gin up voter attention and engagement, and can signal strong turnout in the general election.

Dallas Woodhouse, who runs the North Carolina Republican Party, said candidates benefit because they must "make their arguments and voters become more aware of the election."

Trump and his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton each survived internal party battles in 2016. Clinton won the national popular vote that year, but in the states that mattered most - Ohio and North Carolina, among them - wary Republicans gravitated back to Trump while Clinton struggled to hit the usual Democratic base targets.

Few national Republicans look at West Virginia and see helpful enthusiasm.

Former coal executive Don Blankenship has accused McConnell of creating jobs for "China people" and charges that the senator's "China family" has given him millions of dollars. McConnell's wife is Trump's transportation secretary, Elaine Chao, who was born in Taiwan.

Indiana Senate candidates are trying to appeal to Trump voters by adopting the president's harsh immigration rhetoric and penchant for personal insults. The candidates have even channeled Trump by assigning derisive nicknames to one another: "Lyin'" Todd Rokita, Luke "Missing" Messer and "Tax Hike" Mike Braun.

In several of the Tuesday primaries, Democrats are watching with delight, and having less trouble aligning behind nominees. The chief beneficiaries would be Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Joe Donnelly of Indiana, both sitting on healthy campaign accounts after avoiding their own primary fights.

The leading Democrat for the North Carolina seat, Marine veteran Dan McCready, has raised almost $2 million, slightly more than Harris and Pittenger combined, in a district Trump won by about 12 percentage points. "He will absolutely make this competitive," Harris said.

In the Ohio governor's race, liberal former Rep. Dennis Kucinich and former state Attorney General Richard Cordray have managed to avoid open warfare. Cordray, who also led the federal consumer watchdog agency launched under President Barack Obama, is the favorite.

Republicans watched their state party, led by pro-Trump leadership that replaced Kasich allies after the 2016 elections, endorse state Attorney General Mike Dewine, while Taylor has effectively shunned an earlier endorsement from Kasich.

"If Ohio Republicans are divided into Trump Republicans and Kasich Republicans, the Trump Republicans have won," said the state Democratic chairman, David Pepper. "That helps us."

Gallup measures Trump with an 89 percent job approval rating among Republicans nationally, but 35 percent among independents and 42 percent overall. Historically, presidents below 50 percent watch their party suffer steep losses in midterm elections.

Democrats must flip about two dozen Republican-held seats to reclaim a House majority, and they must do it with Republican-run legislatures having drawn many districts to the GOP's advantage. In North Carolina, Harris said the makeup of the district, which stretches from Republican areas of metro Charlotte east through small towns and rural counties, makes his pro-Trump, anti-establishment message a primary and November winner.

Senate Democrats are just two seats shy of a majority, but must defend 26 incumbents, 10 in states where Trump won, including Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia. Republicans are defending nine seats, just one in a state Trump lost.

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Barrow reported from Washington and Atlanta. Follow Barrow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BillBarrowAP
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - As educational institutions across the country wrestle with their ties to slavery, Dartmouth College is taking a closer look at the darkest corners of its history.

The college plans to launch a "historical accountability" project this summer, which aims to better understand how marginalized groups, including African-Americans and other underrepresented students, have been treated since college was founded in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock.

The institution will award fellowships to three undergraduate students to research the college's historical record. Another team of students will work with faculty to map the archives and figure out ways to incorporate Dartmouth's history into the college's curriculum.

FILE - In this March 12, 2012 file photo, students walk across the Dartmouth College campus green in Hanover, N.H. As colleges across the country confront their ties to slavery, Dartmouth is piloting a historical accountability project in the summer of 2018 as part of an initiative to increase faculty and staff diversity, to build a more inclusive community and to learn from the university's past. (AP Photo/Jim Cole, File)

"We want to dig into the past that we're not as proud of, but that shaped this place and created the culture that is still present," said Jay Satterfield, head of the special collections library at Dartmouth. "By confronting our past failings, we're better moving forward."

The program drew inspiration from other institutions coming to terms with their past. Among the first to do so was Brown University, which exposed its past link to the Trans-Atlantic slave trade in a 2006 report. Four years ago, the Ivy League school celebrated its 250th anniversary and presented a slavery memorial that evoked a ball and broken chain, fashioned from cast-iron, sinking into the Earth.

Dartmouth is approaching the same milestone next year, which was one of the inspirations for taking a closer look at the school's troubled history.

Wheelock was a congregational minister from Lebanon, Connecticut. His legacy lies in having carved the original campus out of the New Hampshire wilderness and teaching Native American students. But according to Morgan Swan, with the Rauner Special Collections Library, some archival discoveries could highlight the role Wheelock's slaves played in building the original campus and how Dartmouth strayed from its mission to educate Native Americans.

Other potential projects could include Dartmouth's first female students after Dartmouth became coed in 1972, transgender and gay students prior to the shift and the treatment of Asian students during World War II.

"While there is a story to tell about slavery and Dartmouth, there are others to tell about Dartmouth and Native Americans, Latinos, women, the LGBTQ community, religious minorities and many other perspectives the students will help to identify," said Christianne Hardy, special assistant to the college's president.

The college is approaching the concept of historical accountability in a more dynamic way than other schools by putting the project into the hands of students instead of historians. Satterfield is confident that by giving students ownership of the project, the impact will be powerful.

The program tackles only one of the goals laid out in a diversity initiative launched two years ago by Dartmouth, but many hope that by confronting its past, the college can work toward creating a more inclusive future.

"If we shy away from these types of stories, we're doing a disservice to education," Swan said.
LONDON (AP) - Some British doctors and legislators reacted angrily Saturday to President Donald Trump's pro-gun comments at an NRA convention comparing a London hospital to a war zone because of knife crime.

Trump's provocative comments are expected to increase concerns about his planned first presidential visit to Britain on July 13.

Dr. Martin Griffiths, a surgeon at the Royal London Hospital, tweeted that he would be "happy to invite Mr. Trump" to visit his hospital and meet with London's mayor and police chief to learn how the city has reduced violent crime.

President Donald Trump departs the White House en route to Cleveland to tout the Republican tax cuts just ahead of Tuesday's Ohio's primary election in Washington, Saturday, May 5, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Dr. Karim Brohi, another Royal London surgeon, said Trump's position makes no sense.

"There is more we can all do to combat this violence, but to suggest guns are part of the solution is ridiculous," Brohi tweeted. "Gunshot wounds are at least twice as lethal as knife injuries and more difficult to repair."

At the NRA convention Friday in Dallas, Trump said Britain has tough gun laws but that one London hospital is awash with blood because of knife wounds.

"They don't have guns. They have knives and instead there's blood all over the floors of this hospital," Trump said. "They say it's as bad as a military war zone hospital ... knives, knives, knives."

Labour Party lawmaker Sarah Jones tweeted that Trump's speech was a disgrace.

"U.K. knife crime nowhere near your off-the-scale gun deaths," she said.

Trump spoke as London is experiencing an increase in knife-related violence.

At the NRA convention, Trump also suggested that a coordinated extremist attack on Paris in 2015 that claimed 130 lives would have been far less deadly if Parisians had been carrying guns to protect themselves.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian expressed his "firm disapproval" of Trump's remarks and vigorously defended France's gun controls.

"Free circulation of weapons in society does not constitute a rampart against terrorist attacks, to the contrary, it can facilitate ... this type of attack," he said in a statement Saturday.

The U.S. president plans a one-day stop in Britain as part of a working visit. He has been invited for a state visit to be hosted by Queen Elizabeth II, but no date has been set for that ceremonial event.

Trump has riled many Britons in the past by suggesting that Muslim extremists have made some British cities unsafe. He also drew criticism from Prime Minister Theresa May, a conservative, and other political leaders for retweeting anti-Muslim videos originally posted by one of the leaders of the far-right Britain First group.

Trump has criticized London's Metropolitan Police and Mayor Sadiq Khan, a Muslim, on several occasions.
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) - A Turkish civilian arrested by Greek soldiers for straying into Greece has been deported to Turkey, police say.

Local police in northeastern Greece said the man was returned to Turkish authorities at the Kastanies border crossing Saturday afternoon. A throng of Turkish media greeted him upon his crossing.

A court had given the 37-year-old a five-month suspended sentence Thursday for illegally entering Greece the previous day. The man was detained while driving an excavator on the Greek side of the border.

The man, who was also fined 1,500 euros ($1,797), said he had been working on the construction of a well at a Turkish customs post. He said he got confused and turned accidentally into Greece instead of Turkey after work.

The Turkish man initially appealed his sentence but later decided against an appeal, his lawyer told The Associated Press.

Turkish authorities arrested two Greek soldiers in the same area two months ago. The two are still detained. Greek officials said they had strayed across the border accidentally while on patrol.

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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - The newspaper widely considered the last independent media voice in Cambodia has been sold by its Australian publisher to a Malaysian investor.

Saturday's announcement by Post Media CEO Bill Clough identified the buyer of the English-language Phnom Penh Post as Sivakumar G., who was described as having an experienced journalist's background and representing a strong investment group from Malaysia. No price was given.

"The recent times have been a challenge, as the worldwide decline in market share for newspaper advertising has also been felt here in Cambodia," Clough, who bought the newspaper in 2008, said in his statement.

Politics has been at least as big a threat to the Cambodian press.

Prime Minister Hun Sen's government has shuttered virtually all independent media and convinced the courts to dissolve the only credible opposition party ahead of a general election this July.

The Post's main English-language rival, the Cambodia Daily, shut its doors last year after being presented with an onerous tax bill, an action that many believe was politically motivated.

The Post in recent months was reported to also have faced a large bill for back taxes, but had denied its survival was at risk. However, it acknowledged that a court had ruled in favor of a former employee that sued it for money allegedly owed, and had issued an order for attaching its property, an action that has been deferred pending a Supreme Court hearing.

The Post was founded in 1992 as Cambodia sought to re-establish stability and democracy after the tumult of genocidal Khmer Rouge rule in the late 1970s.

A third English-language newspaper in Cambodia, Khmer Times, is owned by a Malaysian and is seen as close to the government.
CLEVELAND (AP) - President Donald Trump said Saturday "we want to make everything here" as he promoted his "America First" agenda during an appearance in Cleveland, days before the state's primary election.

Trump spent several hours in Ohio meeting with supporters and participating in a roundtable designed to highlight the benefits of the new Republican tax law. Striking a celebratory tone, Trump listed his poll numbers and recounted the successes of his first year in office. He also looked ahead to his meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

"We have the time and place all finished," Trump said, but he wouldn't predict the outcome of the talks, saying, "we'll see what happens."

President Donald Trumps gestures during a roundtable discussion on tax reform at Cleveland Public Auditorium and Conference Center in Cleveland, Ohio, Saturday, May 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Trump criticized U.S. immigration policy, saying people entering the U.S. illegally are taking advantage of "catch-and-release" practices and don't show up for their immigration court dates. He said: "We may have to close up our country to get this straight."

He also said U.S. protectionist trade policies and his more isolationist policies would benefit Americans. Trump pledged a strong stand on trade to achieve "a level playing field," saying that "other countries, they put themselves first. ... The fact is we want to be first."

"We'll be taking care of our people," he added.

Trump also attended a fundraiser for Trump Victory, the joint committee funding his campaign and the Republican National Committee, meeting first with high-dollar givers and then addressing a larger group of about 250 donors. The RNC said Trump raised $3 million during the events.

Trump sought to boost Republican lawmaker Jim Renacci in his bid for the Senate, saying "we need his vote very badly."

Renacci, a member of the House, is running for the Senate against Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown. Trump predicted: "He'll be fantastic."

At the official taxpayer-funded event, Trump also criticized Brown, saying he shares Democrats' "deep-seated" support for what he claims are looser immigration policies. Renacci greeted Trump on the tarmac in Cleveland and was seated next to the president at the event.

Trump's visit comes as Republicans are facing an increasingly challenging midterm election environment.

Ohio has several competitive races this November. The GOP is placing its election hopes on convincing Americans that the tax law is improving their lives, as the party seeks to skirt political headwinds emanating from the White House.

President Donald Trump gestures as he joins a roundtable discussion on tax reform at Cleveland Public Auditorium and Conference Center in Cleveland, Ohio, Saturday, May 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable discussion on tax reform at the Cleveland Public Auditorium and Conference Center in Cleveland, Ohio, Saturday, May 5, 2018. At right is Rep. Jim Renacci, R-Ohio. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
JOHANNESBURG (AP) - A mining company in South Africa says seven workers died and six were rescued after an earth tremor caused a rock fall at a gold mine.

The Sibanye-Stillwater company said Saturday that 13 miners had been trapped at the Masakhane mine in Driefontein after the 2.2-magnitude quake on Thursday.

The company says the six who were rescued are in stable condition in a hospital. It says the company, the South African mining ministry and others will investigate the incident so that preventive measures can be put in place.

South African labor officials have expressed concern about the safety record at Sibanye-Stillwater facilities. Earlier this year, about 1,000 miners were trapped at another Sibanye-Stillwater gold mine for nearly a day after a power failure.
ORANGE PARK, Fla. (AP) - A bewildered and frightened baby otter that took refuge in a Florida woman's garage is thriving.

The Florida Times-Union reported Friday that Daisy had taken refuge in the garage of the Orange Park woman who called Clay County Animal Service for help.

Clay Humane veterinarian Kali Gennette says Daisy might not have survived if she hadn't been found. Daisy was dehydrated and undernourished. She also had a tiny cut to an ear and superficial scratches on her paws.

But Daisy perked up after being given fluids and diluted formula at the clinic and was transferred to the Wildlife Rescue Coalition of Northeast Florida. Daisy will be vaccinated as a precaution.

Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation due to encroaching development are pushing otters and other Florida wildlife into conflict with people.

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Information from: The (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union, http://www.jacksonville.com
DOVER, Del. (AP) - Authorities say a former NASCAR crew member broke the jaw of a team owner while they were arguing at Dover International Speedway.

A news release from Dover police says 33-year-old Lawrence Hayden of Concord, North Carolina, and 56-year-old NASCAR Xfinity Series race team owner Jerry Hataway were arguing over Hayden's employment Friday when Hayden began punching Hataway.

Hataway was treated at the track before being taken to a hospital with a broken jaw.

Hayden was charged with second-degree assault and issued a $500 secured bond. It isn't clear if he has a lawyer.

Dover is hosting the OneMain Financial 200 XFINITY Series race Saturday, followed by the AAA 400 Drive for Autism Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday.
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - The University of Southern Mississippi will award a posthumous honorary degree to a black U.S. Army veteran who was rejected when he tried to integrate the school decades ago.

Clyde Kennard applied several times between 1955 and 1959 to what was then called Mississippi Southern College. His applications were blocked by state, local and college officials.

In 1960, Kennard was falsely charged with taking part in the theft of chicken feed, and was convicted and sentenced to seven years at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. While there, he was diagnosed with cancer but was denied proper treatment until he was critically ill. Under pressure of bad publicity should Kennard die at Parchman, Gov. Ross Barnett ordered his release in early 1963. Kennard died July 4, 1963. He was 36.

Kennard's legacy will be recognized Friday during commencement on the USM campus in Hattiesburg.

"This will be an important day for The University of Southern Mississippi as we award Mr. Kennard, albeit posthumously, with a degree representing the education he sought and so rightfully deserved," Rodney D. Bennett, who has been USM president since 2013, said in a news release. "As president of the university, and especially as its first African-American president, I am honored to be part of our institution's progress in moving toward this outcome."

On March 30, 2006, Kennard was declared innocent of the crimes that sent him to prison. USM ultimately renamed its student services building in honor of Kennard and Walter Washington, the first African-American to earn a doctoral degree from the university. The university also established a scholarship in 2014 to continue Kennard's legacy. More than 40 students have benefited from the program.

A Mississippi Freedom Trail marker telling Kennard's story was dedicated in February on USM's main campus in Hattiesburg. The Freedom Trail is a series of state-funded signs at noteworthy civil rights sites.

USM has a second commencement May 12 in Biloxi.
BEIJING, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in talked about bilateral ties and peace development on the Korean Peninsula during a phone talk on Friday.

Xi said China pays great attention to bilateral relations and is willing to enhance communication with South Korea, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and promote cultural exchanges so as to steadily move bilateral relations forward in the common interest of both sides.

Xi pointed out that the relations between the two countries maintain a good momentum of development, and consensuses of the two leaders have been gradually implemented.

Moon said he is delighted at the implementation of those consensuses and South Korea is committed to pushing forward continuous development of bilateral strategic cooperative partnership.

South Korea hopes to maintain high-level exchanges with China on the situation of the Korean Peninsula as well as other major international issues, said Moon.

Moon briefed to Xi achievements of the recent inter-Korean summit.

Moon said that the successful summit has reached broad consensuses on improving the inter-Korean relations, promoting the denuclearization of the Peninsula and establishing a peace mechanism, during which the two sides jointly published the Panmunjom Declaration.

According to Moon, South Korea appreciated China's important role in promoting positive changes of the situation of the Korean Peninsula, thanked China for its firmly support for dialogues between the south and north sides as well as its contribution to pushing settlement of issues through dialogues and negotiations.

Xi pointed out that the recent historic meeting between President Moon and Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has achieved important results in improving the relationship between the two sides, defusing tensions and building durable peace in the Korean Peninsula, and that China thinks highly of the great efforts by South Korea and the DPRK.

Xi said that all parties concerned and the international community should show active support and encouragement to the efforts.

Moon added that South Korea is willing to enhance coordination with China, stay committed to solving Korean Peninsula issues through dialogues and negotiations, and contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and in the world at large.

Xi said the regional situation is at a crucial juncture, which now has an historic opportunity for peace of the Korean Peninsula. China backs the south and north sides of the Peninsula to continue interactions, improving ties, and implement agreements.

Xi also said that China is ready to work with the international community as well as all parties concerned, including South Korea and the DPRK, to comprehensively promote the political solution of the Korean Peninsula issue and play a positive role in the final realization of lasting peace in the region.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - Dutch police shot and arrested a man known for "confused behavior" after three people were stabbed Saturday in the center of The Hague.

Police imposed a wide perimeter around the scene close to the city's main train station as the three victims were taken to the hospital.

The Hague police said the suspect was shot in the legs and was known for "confused behavior," allaying fears that it might have been an extremist attack on a key day for the Dutch. He was being treated in a hospital and police said "at this moment, there are no indications that there is more at play."

All across the Netherlands on Saturday over 1 million people congregated in cities and villages to remember the nation's liberation from German occupation at the end of World War II.
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) - An Afghan official says that at least two border policemen have been killed after an attack by a group of suicide bombers in the southern province of Kandahar.

Gen. Abdul Raziq, the provincial police chief, said Saturday's evening attack targeted his house in the Spin Boldak district but that he was not home at the time, and was followed by a gun battle.

Raziq added that two other attackers were later shot and killed by police forces during a gun battle in which one policeman was also wounded.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but Taliban insurgents are active in southern Kandahar, especially in Spin Boldak near the border with Pakistan.
NEWMARKET, England (AP) - Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien won the 2,000 Guineas for a record-extending ninth time as his son Donnacha claimed victory riding on Saxon Warrior on Saturday.

Maintaining his unbeaten record, Saxon Warrior reportedly strengthened up over the winter and duly cruised to the front from over a furlong out. He never looked like being caught, winning by a length and a half in the colts' showpiece.

The 19-year-old Donnacha successfully followed his older brother Joseph, now a leading dual-purpose trainer having left the riding ranks.

Roger Teal's 50-1 chance Tip Two Win ran a stormer to finish second, and the Charlie Appleby-trained 5-2 favorite Masar was third.

The previously unbeaten Elarqam was fourth.
CLEVELAND (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):

1:40 p.m.

President Donald Trump is criticizing U.S. immigration policies during a business roundtable in Cleveland.

President Donald Trump with Rep. Jim Renacci, R-Ohio, left, speaks during a roundtable discussion on tax reform at Cleveland Public Auditorium and Conference Center in Cleveland, Ohio, Saturday, May 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Trump says people entering the U.S. illegally are taking advantage of "catch-and-release" policies and don't show up for their immigration court dates. He says: "We may have to close up our country to get this straight."

Trump says the U.S. has "thousands" of immigration judges, adding, "Do you think other countries have judges," seeming to imply that they have no need for them.

He says of the immigrants that "they never show up to the trial."

Trump is reiterating his call to build a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, and says Mexico should have done more to prevent a large group of Central American migrants from reaching the U.S. border last month.

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1:35 p.m.

President Donald Trump is calling on Ohio voters to elect Republican lawmaker Jim Renacci to the Senate, saying "we need his vote very badly."

Renacci, a member of the House, is running for the Senate against Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown. Trump says: "He'll be fantastic."

Trump's comments come as he hosts a roundtable with Ohio business owners in Cleveland as he looks to highlight the benefits of the GOP tax law.

Renacci greeted Trump on the tarmac in Cleveland and is sitting next to Trump at the event.

___

11:30 a.m.

President Donald Trump is meeting with supporters and highlighting the benefits of the Republican tax law in Cleveland.

Trump is in Ohio on Saturday to attend a fundraiser for the Republican National Committee, meeting first with high-dollar givers and then addressing a larger group of about 250 donors. The RNC says Trump is raising $3 million.

Trump is also participating in a roundtable with small business owners who are expected to discuss how the tax law affects them.

Trump's visit comes as Republicans are facing an increasingly challenging midterm election environment.

Ohio has several competitive races this November. The GOP is placing its election hopes on convincing Americans that the tax law is improving their lives, as the party seeks to skirt political headwinds emanating from the White House.

President Donald Trump disembarks from Air Force One upon arrival at Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport, in Cleveland, Ohio, Saturday, May 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel's prime minister is set to visit Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid Middle East tensions.

Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement Saturday that they will discuss "regional developments."

It said they will meet Wednesday at the Kremlin after attending a Victory Day parade marking the anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany.

The two leaders have met several times to coordinate activities in Syria, where Russia has placed significant forces.

Israel warns it will not tolerate its archenemy Iran establishing a military presence in neighboring Syria.

Israel has been suspected in a pair of airstrikes on Iranian targets in Syria, though it has not confirmed involvement, and Iran has threatened retaliation.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - The militant Islamic group Hamas that rules Gaza says six of its members have been killed in an explosion.

It says the blast occurred Saturday night in the central Gaza Strip.

Gaza media reported the explosion was a "work accident," meaning the militants were killed when explosives they were dealing with went off.

Earlier, a group of Palestinians breached the border fence with Israel and briefly entered its territory.

It came a day after Palestinians staged a sixth weekly mass protest on the border.

The protests are part of a campaign organized by Hamas that is aimed in part at breaking a decade-old blockade imposed since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007.

Since late March, 40 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli army fire.
SAO PAULO (AP) - Brazilian firefighters have found the body a Frenchman who disappeared in a mountainous area in April.

The Sao Paulo state fire department confirmed on Twitter that the man's body was found Saturday. The department said the man disappeared while hiking a trail on Pico dos Marins. The peak is about 150 miles (240 kilometers) from the city of Sao Paulo.

Local media reported dozens of people had been looking for the man since he disappeared in mid-April. They said that a local farmer alerted authorities Saturday to a strange smell and firefighters then found the body. The cause of death is under investigation.
THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) - Bernhard Langer plodded his way to an even-par 72 on Saturday, good enough to maintain the lead at the Insperity Invitational as the leaderboard bunched up behind him.

Langer was at 9-under 135 and had a one-shot lead over three players after he followed up his course-record-tying opening-round 63 by making just two birdies and two bogeys at The Woodlands Country Club. The second bogey was especially painful, following his birdie on the par-5 15th with a missed 2-footer on the par-3 16th.

"It was a tough day, Langer said. "The wind was up and the pins were difficult at times. I played really good for the most part, but I just did make as many birdies, and I missed that really short one there ... three-putted from 12 feet or so. That one hurt. I didn't take advantage of the par 5s, either. I just didn't get much going."

The 60-year-old German, a three-time winner of the Houston-area event, is seeking his first victory of 2018 after seven wins last year. A victory would be his fourth after turning 60, the most in PGA Tour Champions history.

Tom Pernice Jr. (68), Miguel Angel Jimenez (69), Mark Calcavecchia (69) and Scott Dunlap (70) were one stroke behind. Jimenez turned in 32 to join Langer at 9 under, but made two bogeys and just one birdie on the back nine.

Bart Bryant (67) and local favorite Jeff Maggert (71), who lives in this sprawling suburb north of Houston, trailed by two.

"It was a struggle," Maggert said. "I felt my ball-striking was actually better today than yesterday. ... Today I was hitting some pretty good shots but just wasn't making the putts. Today was two-putt after two-putt after two-putt. Putting is everything in this game."

Kenny Perry birdied four of the final five holes for a 65, the low round of the day, and was one of eight players sitting three shots back. This is the second start of 2018 for the 57-year-old Perry, who's recovering from shoulder surgery.

"I'm just trying to work on my game to get ready for the majors," said Perry, who has won four of them as a senior. "I really can't expect much (because of the shoulder), so it was a good day. They threw me in the lion's den with Langer and (Jerry) Kelly. They've been playing great all year. I was a little out of my element."

NOTES: In a 3M Greats of Golf scramble, Annika Sorenstam teamed with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player to shoot 10 under. It was the Swedish Hall of Famer's first time playing in the exhibition. The team of Fuzzy Zoeller, Charles Coody and Bill Rogers tied with Dave Stockton, Larry Nelson and Hale Irwin at 12 under. Tom Weiskopf, David Graham and Tony Jacklin were 10 under.
ROANOKE, Va. (AP) - Two women have come down from tree-top perches where they have been protesting a natural gas pipeline granted eminent domain to run through their property in Virginia.

Sixty-one-year-old Theresa Ellen Terry and her adult daughter, Theresa Minor Terry, came down Saturday afternoon.

A federal judge had given them until midnight to comply with her order giving Mountain Valley Pipeline developers access to a forced easement on their property.

Had the women not complied, they faced arrest by U.S. Marshals.

The Roanoke Times reports that Theresa Minor Terry rappelled down about 3:45 p.m. Saturday, and her mother climbed down a ladder about an hour later.

Roanoke County authorities issued arrest warrants for the women last month, did not try to remove them by force.

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Information from: The Roanoke Times, http://www.roanoke.com
Ukips general secretary Paul Oakley has compared the party to the Black Death as he struggled to find positives from a night of carnage.

The Eurosceptic party suffered near-wipeout in English local elections, with dozens of councillors being axed as voters deserted the party.

And the Greens staked a claim on the title of Englands fourth party as they gained seats in councils all around the country.

Mr Oakley, pictured enjoying a beer with Nigel Farage in 2017 (Victoria Jones/PA)

Former Ukip vice chairman Suzanne Evans openly discussed the prospect that Ukip might crumble altogether, arguing that even if disappeared it would leave behind a record of success in its main objective.

But general secretary Mr Oakley insisted it was not all over, suggesting that Ukip might go dormant like the plague bacillus before reappearing again in the future.

Its not all over at all, Mr Oakley told BBC Radio 4s Today programme.

Think of the Black Death in the Middle Ages. It comes along and it causes disruption and then it goes dormant, and thats exactly what we are going to do. Our time isnt finished because Brexit is being betrayed.

In response to interviewer Nick Robinsons incredulous query over whether he really wanted to compare his party to a plague that killed millions of people, Mr Oakley said: Absolutely. Whats wrong with that?

He pointed to positive outcomes from the Black Death: It also led to economic growth and the Renaissance. It got rid of the whole issue of servitude, basically, and allowed people to go into the towns and escape their landlords and create their own businesses.

The comment was described as the political quote of the century  the most perfectly Ukip-y thing I have ever heard by the partys former chairman Steve Crowther.

But Ukip leader Gerard Batten was less impressed, telling the BBC: It wouldnt have been my choice of medieval historical analogy  Weve certainly been a plague on the houses of Tory and Labour, maybe we can be a plague on them again.

Mr Batten said that Ukips disastrous showing wasnt an entirely surprising result, because when I took over as interim leader two months ago there was no campaign, absolutely nothing had been done when it should have been planned six months or 12 months before.

Im not saying its a good result, Im being perfectly honest with you, Im very disappointed and Id hoped we would do better, said Mr Batten.

But he insisted that Ukip was still a force to be reckoned with, saying: If we can still get 5%-7% of the vote now, in the situation that we have been left in, I think thats a strong base to build on for the future.

Mr Oakley later posted a picture on social media of his raised thumb next to a screen showing that the phrase Black Death was trending, in an apparent effort to claim his bizarre remark as a successful attempt to win publicity for Ukip.

Ukip leader Gerard Batten sparked controversy over his comments on the influence of Islam (Joe Giddens/PA)

The only point of light for the Eurosceptic party in a local election bloodbath was Derby, where it held one seat and gained another, unseating the Labour leader of the council and bringing its total representation to three.

Elsewhere, there was a merciless cull of Ukip councillors, with Conservatives apparently picking up significant numbers of their former supporters in areas such as Basildon.

By contrast, the Greens picked up seats from the Tories and in the south London seat of Richmond, Trafford in Greater Manchester, Sheffield and Peterborough.

Party co-leader Caroline Lucas said: The Green Party has taken a significant step forward with just a fraction of the resources of the bigger parties. We are now established as one of the four major English parties  and an electoral force right across the nation.

From Richmond and the Midlands to Greater Manchester weve had some great results and weve still got more to come.

Lots of results still to come, especially in London, but it was a good night for @TheGreenParty. We're winning in new places across England - and we're now, without doubt, one of the big four parties here.  Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) May 4, 2018

Mr Oakley said Ukip had been hit by the failure of former leader Henry Bolton to start campaigning early enough and by a court order to pay 175,000 to Labour MPs as a result of a libel case.

We were never going to do brilliantly in these elections, we knew that, he said. We accepted that some time ago.

If we had had the money to campaign, we would have done a lot better. We are never going to take over councils all over the country. Four years ago was our high point.

Ukip was defending seats won at a high point for the party in 2014, when it took 17% of the vote and 166 councillors as Nigel Farage stepped up pressure for an EU referendum.

Former Ukip deputy chair Suzanne Evans, who has openly discussed the possible demise of the party (Jonathan Brady/PA)

With the referendum won and the UK on course for Brexit, it appeared that many Ukip voters may have considered the partys job done.

But it was unclear what impact may have been made by the arrival of new leader Gerard Batten, who has sparked controversy with warnings of the influence he believes Islam is having on Britain.

Ms Evans said: I have to say, three councillors in Derby, one of them actually unseating the leader of the Labour council  it might not be Ukips night, but my goodness me, when we do win we do it with style and we really put the cat among the pigeons.

She added: If Ukip does crumble I think you could still arguably make the case that its been one of the most successful political parties in history.
BEIJING, May 4 (Xinhua) -- China and Japan should properly manage their contradictions and differences to bring bilateral relations back on track and strive for new developments, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday in a telephone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

For a period of time, Japan has released positive signals and taken positive actions on bilateral relations and China welcomes what Japan has done, Xi said during the conversation.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan and bilateral relations are in a significant stage when both sides should inherit the past and usher in the future, Xi said.

Xi said that the two countries should go over the spirits of the peace and friendship treaty, abide by the principles of the four China-Japan political documents, implement the four-point consensus, keep promises and comply with rules.

Abe said that Japan attaches great importance to relations with China and is willing to take the opportunity of the 40 anniversary of signing of the treaty to push forward comprehensive improvement and development of bilateral relations.

Xi hopes that Japan can work together with China, bear in mind the overall and long-term interests and make choices which accord with their fundamental interests and benefit regional development, so as to ensure that bilateral relations consistently advance in the right direction.

As requested, Xi explained China's views and propositions on current situations of the Korean Peninsula. The leaders of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and South Korea met with each other at Panmunjom lately and issued a joint declaration, which are welcomed by China. As a close neighbor of the Korean Peninsula, China stays committed to upholding its peace and stability and to resolving issues through dialogue and consultation.

Xi said that China is willing to work with other parties to resolve respective concerns in a comprehensive and balanced way through dialogue and consultation, and jointly push for the long-term stability of the peninsula and the region, in which Xi hoped that Japan can play a constructive role.

Abe said Japan welcomes the positive changes on the Korean Peninsula and supports peaceful solutions to the issues through dialogue. Japan highly values China's important role in solving the Korean Peninsula issue and hopes to enhance communication with China.
Theresa May has hailed Conservative success in English local elections after Tories denied Labour the breakthrough which many in Jeremy Corbyns party had predicted.

Conservatives held on to crown jewel authorities in London including Wandsworth, Westminster and Kensington, as well as the key Labour targets of Barnet and Hillingdon, while picking up votes from Ukip across England.

Ukip suffered a bloodbath, with dozens of councillors culled and its own general secretary comparing the party to the Black Death.

In Barnet, there was clear evidence of voters from the areas large Jewish community turning their backs on Labour after the party became embroiled in allegations of anti-Semitism.

Mr Corbyn sought to put a brave face on overnight results which saw Labour pick up more than 50 seats but gain control of only one council, in Plymouth.

(PA Graphics)

Meeting activists in the Devon city, Labours leader denied that his party has passed the moment of peak Corbyn.

No, no, there is much more to come and its going to get even better, Mr Corbyn told Sky News.

Obviously, I am disappointed at any places where we lost a bit of ground, but if you look at the overall picture, Labour gained a lot of seats across the whole country, we gained a lot of votes in places we never had those votes before.

Labour sources described their results as solid, saying that the party had consolidated advances made at last years general election.

But the impact of its underwhelming performance was amplified by a failure to damp down expectations of victory in Tory strongholds which have not voted Labour in decades.

(PA Graphics)

Mrs May was greeted by cheering supporters in Wandsworth, where she praised their efforts in beating off a Labour challenge which had seen the streets flooded with activists, including members of the Corbyn-backing Momentum campaign.

Labour thought they could take control, this was one of their top targets and they threw everything at it, but they failed, said the Prime Minister.

The message from the elections was that Conservative councils deliver great local services at lower taxes, said Mrs May, adding: We wont take anything for granted. We will continue to work hard for local people and we will build on this success for the future.

Congratulations to @RaviGovindia1 and all the @Wandsworth team for holding control of the council. I know you will continue to keep council tax low and provide great local services. pic.twitter.com/ErEkOssLbs  Theresa May (@theresa_may) May 4, 2018

Labour said that tight results in four Wandsworth wards meant it missed out on victory by just 141 votes.

Other dramatic scenes in the capital saw Liberal Democrats gain 25 seats in Richmond to regain control of the Remain-backing borough for the first time in eight years. Tories lost 27 councillors and were reduced to a rump of just 11.

Visiting the leafy south London suburb, leader Sir Vince Cable said Lib Dems were very much on the way back, with increased vote shares in areas including Hull, Sunderland and Liverpool.

We set out with the objective of holding our ground, winning one or two councils and making a bridgehead in many other places. Weve exceeded that, he said.

In very different parts of the country  Remain, Brexit, Labour-facing, Conservative facing  we are very much on the way back.

(PA Graphics)

Mr Corbyns party lost Nuneaton and Bedworth  a bellwether area that often indicates the colour of the government at general elections  as well as Derby.

And it fell short of gaining control in areas like Swindon, Dudley and Walsall, where it had hoped to establish middle England strongholds.

The Conservatives gained control of councils in Peterborough, Southend and Basildon, and saw a small swing in their favour outside the capital. But they lost Trafford, their flagship council in the North West, to no overall control

In Barnet, former Labour councillor Adam Langleben voiced his anger at the impact which the row over anti-Semitism had on his partys fortunes.

After losing his seat in West Hendon, Mr Langleben tweeted: We must NEVER have another election like this. No community group should have their vote dictated by their safety. That should shame us.

Thanks to all those who voted for myself, Humayune and Agnes today. It was the greatest honour of my life to serve West Hendon.

We must NEVER have another election like this. No community group should have their vote dictated by their safety.

That should shame us @UKLabour.  Adam Langleben (@adamlangleben) May 4, 2018

And he won support from Labour MP and Corbyn critic Wes Streeting, who told him: I am so so sorry. This defeat wasnt yours.

Conservative chairman Brandon Lewis said voters were being turned off by hard abuse from some of the hard left, that anti-Semitism problem that Labour clearly have got and are just not dealing with.

Mr Lewis hailed a good night for Tories, with Labour not gaining a single council in London.

Eight years into a government, Labour was losing 4,000 councillors, whereas we at the moment are holding councils and in some areas making positive inroads, he said.

Ukips general secretary Paul Oakley compared his party to the Black Death as he struggled to find positives in a night of virtual wipeout.

Its not all over at all, Mr Oakley told BBC Radio 4s Today programme.

Think of the Black Death in the Middle Ages. It comes along and it causes disruption and then it goes dormant, and thats exactly what we are going to do. Our time isnt finished because Brexit is being betrayed.

The one point of light for Ukip was Derby, where the party held one seat and picked up another, unseating Labours leader in the city. Former deputy chairwoman Suzanne Evans openly discussed the prospect of the party crumbling.

Across England, more than 4,000 seats were contested in around 150 councils, including all 32 London boroughs, as well as every ward in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle.

Mayoral elections were held in Hackney, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Watford and the Sheffield City region.

Voters in some areas piloting controversial ID trials were reportedly unable to cast their ballot.
Call handlers for the Governments breast cancer screening hotline are not medically trained and are relying on a cheat sheet of symptoms, it is reported.

According to the Guardian, workers have raised concerns that mistakes could be made in the handling of womens cases as they have been given just one hour of training.

The hotline was set up on Wednesday after Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt revealed that 450,000 women aged 68 to 71 had not been invited to their final routine screening.

An independent review has been launched into the computer error, which was discovered in January but dates back to 2009 and could mean hundreds of women have had their lives cut short.

More than 10,000 calls have already been made to the hotline, which is being run by outsourcing firm Serco.

The company said its call handlers had been taking details using information provided by Public Health England (PHE) and that the women would later be contacted by health professionals.

But an unnamed member of staff is quoted in the Guardian as saying: I felt ashamed knowing what had happened to these women, taking these calls when I am not medically trained, have no counselling background and am in no position to help them.

Another said she feared a lack of knowledge from those taking calls would cause more mistakes.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt makes a statement to MPs in the House of Commons over the breast cancer screening programme (PA)

The paper reports that workers were given a booklet which included a list of breast cancer symptoms that they could go through with callers if they asked.

Labours shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the women affected deserved better than this.

In a post on Twitter, he added: Ministers promised distressed women affected by the breast cancer screening failure a dedicated hotline. Instead they have a Serco line with staff who apparently have no medical or counselling training.

Serco said all its call handlers were trained and experienced in providing contact services on behalf of public service customers.

A spokesman for the firm added: They are using information and advice provided by Public Health England and are required to collect details of women who believe they have missed screening, so they can be contacted by health professionals, and to set out the options available.

On Friday, as an example, we were able to answer 99.5% of all calls received at our centres.

PHE said well-trained staff would ensure callers receive the best possible information and support.

A spokesman added: We are aware that the helpline is busy, particularly at peak times. We have built additional resilience into the system to ensure that as many people are able to receive support as possible.

On Friday, it was claimed that concerns over the breast cancer screening programme had been escalated to a senior health official last year.

Two NHS trusts in London and the West Midlands raised concerns some women were not being invited for mammograms as early as March 2017.

Hitachi Consulting said at the time it was a local problem and the full scale of the issue was not realised until January, PHE said.

But according to a source, tests revealed the software was working as designed and the concerns were escalated to a senior PHE official overseeing the programme.

Hitachi Consulting has denied it is responsible for the blunder, while PHE said it was 100 percent focused on providing advice and support to those not invited to their final screening.

Women in England between the ages of 50 and 70 are currently automatically invited for breast cancer screening every three years.

Of those who missed invitations, 309,000 are estimated to still be alive and all those living in the UK who are registered with a GP will be contacted before the end of May.

All women who were not sent an invitation for their final screening will be given the opportunity to have a new appointment.
A mixed set of election results saw Theresa May shrug off a difficult week as Prime Minister as she hailed Conservative success while Jeremy Corbyn pointed to solid progress despite failing to secure key targets.

The Conservatives held on to crown jewel authorities in London including Wandsworth, Westminster and Kensington, as well as the key Labour targets of Barnet and Hillingdon, while picking up votes from Ukip across England.

(PA Graphics)

But despite the ongoing row over anti-Semitism and the lack of eye-catching victories, there were signs of progress for Labour and analysis suggested the two main parties were neck-and-neck overall in terms of national vote share.

Labour gained control in Tower Hamlets from no overall control  and even though it was Labours only gain in the capital, the party claimed the results amounted to the partys best showing in London since 1971.

Labours sweep of 42 of the 45 seats in Tower Hamlets also represented a serious defeat for Aspire, the party backed by disgraced former mayor Lutfur Rahman, which won no seats.

The final results from Tower Hamlets have been announced. Labour take all 3 seats in Whitechapel meaning the makeup of the council is as follows:

Labour 42

Conservative 2

PATH 1#LE2018#THDecides  Tower Hamlets Council (@TowerHamletsNow) May 5, 2018

Ukip suffered a bloodbath, with dozens of councillors culled and its own general secretary comparing the party with the Black Death.

But the Liberal Democrats enjoyed success, ousting the Tories in Richmond upon Thames in south-west London  leader Sir Vince Cables back yard  and neighbouring Kingston while a more unexpected victory came for the party in South Cambridgeshire.

With results in from all 150 councils:

 Labour had a net gain of 82 seats and controls the same number of authorities as before the vote.

 The Tories suffered a net loss of two councils and have 96 fewer councillors.

 The Liberal Democrats put on an extra 76 seats and gained control of four extra councils.

(PA Graphics)

The polarisation within British politics was laid bare by an analysis conducted by election guru Professor Sir John Curtice.

Votes in the local elections equated to a 35% share for both Labour and the Conservatives.

The BBCs projection suggests that if the result was repeated at a general election there would be another hung parliament with Labour on 283 seats in the Commons compared with the Conservatives 280.

Labour had entered the election with high hopes of victories in the capital, but in Barnet, there was clear evidence of voters from the areas large Jewish community turning their backs on the party after it became embroiled in allegations of anti-Semitism.

Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson acknowledged the Jewish community had sent us a message and said the party had to learn lessons when it came to dealing with anti-Semitism in its own ranks.

Mr Corbyn sought to put a brave face on overnight results which saw Labour gain control of Plymouth.

I was delighted to be in Plymouth this morning where Labour took control of the council from the Tories.



Plymouth now has a council that will stand up against Tory austerity and for equality and justice. pic.twitter.com/idObPqfKIW  Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) May 4, 2018

Meeting activists in the Devon city, Labours leader denied that his party has passed the moment of peak Corbyn.

No, no, there is much more to come, and its going to get even better, Mr Corbyn told Sky News.

In an email to supporters, Mr Corbyn said it had been a a solid set of results for Labour and we have consolidated and built on the advances we made at last years general election.

Scrutiny of Labours performance was amplified by a failure to damp down expectations of victory in Tory strongholds which have not voted Labour in decades.

Labour MP Chuka Umunna called for an internal inquiry into the partys campaign, warning that the results cannot leave it confident of success at the next national poll.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hailed `solid progress for the party (Victoria Jones/PA)

For the Prime Minister  just days after suffering the resignation of home secretary Amber Rudd and amid ongoing difficulties over Brexit  the results will come as a relief despite the loss of scores of councillors.

On a visit to Wandsworth she praised campaigners efforts in seeing off a Labour challenge which had seen the streets flooded with activists, including members of the Corbyn-backing Momentum campaign.

(PA Graphics)

Labour thought they could take control, this was one of their top targets and they threw everything at it, but they failed, said the Prime Minister.

Labour said that tight results in four Wandsworth wards meant it missed out on victory by just 141 votes.

Mr Corbyns party lost Nuneaton and Bedworth  a bellwether area that often indicates the colour of the Government at general elections  as well as Derby.

And it fell short of gaining control in areas like Swindon, Dudley and Walsall, where it had hoped to establish middle England strongholds.

Labour MP Dan Jarvis comfortably won the Sheffield City Region mayoralty after a fight with his own party to be allowed to do both jobs.

A huge thank you to everyone who gave their time to our campaign. @Conservatives had a strong night across the country - which means we can continue to deliver great local services while keeping council tax low. pic.twitter.com/MZ6QDEUCf2  Theresa May (@theresa_may) May 4, 2018

The Conservatives gained control of councils in Peterborough, Southend and Basildon, and saw a small swing in their favour outside the capital.

But they lost Trafford, their flagship council in the North West, to no overall control.

Ukips general secretary Paul Oakley compared his party with the Black Death as he struggled to find positives in a night of virtual wipeout.

He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Think of the Black Death in the Middle Ages. It comes along and it causes disruption and then it goes dormant, and thats exactly what we are going to do.

Our time isnt finished because Brexit is being betrayed.
US President Donald Trump has said the time and place has been set for his landmark meeting with North Koreas Kim Jong Un  but kept the world guessing about when and where.

The White House did, however, announce the details of a separate meeting later this month between Mr Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

That was announced as the US administration pushed back on a report that Mr Trump is considering the withdrawal of US forces from the allied nation.

Mr Trump and Mr Moon will meet at the White House on May 22 to continue their close co-ordination on developments regarding the Korean Peninsula following last weeks meeting between Mr Moon and Mr Kim.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met in the demilitarised zone (Korea Summit Press Pool via AP)

They will also discuss the US presidents own upcoming summit with the North Korean leader, a statement said.

Earlier this week, Mr Trump expressed a preference for holding the big event with Mr Kim in the demilitarised zone or DMZ between the two Koreas, where Mr Moon and Mr Kim met.

He also said Singapore was in contention to host what will be the first summit between a US and North Korean leader.

We now have a date and we have a location. Well be announcing it soon, Mr Trump told reporters on Friday from the White House South Lawn before departing for Dallas. He has previously said the summit was planned for May or early June.

A meeting with Mr Kim seemed an outlandish possibility just a few months ago when the two leaders were trading threats and insults over North Koreas development of nuclear weapons.

But momentum for diplomacy has built this year as the rival Koreas have patched up ties.

In March, Mr Trump unexpectedly accepted an offer of talks from Mr Kim after the North Korean dictator agreed to suspend nuclear and ballistic missile tests and discuss denuclearisation.

According to South Korea, Mr Kim has said he would be willing to give up his nuclear missiles if the United States commits to a formal end to the Korean War and pledges not to attack the North.

But his exact demands for relinquishing weapons that his nation spent decades building remain unclear.

Mr Trump said that withdrawing US forces from South Korea is not on the table.

Some 28,500 US forces are based in the allied nation, a military presence that has been preserved to deter North Korea since the war ended in 1953 without a peace treaty.

Now I have to tell you, at some point into the future, I would like to save the money, Mr Trump said later as he prepared to board Air Force One. You know we have 32,000 troops there but I think a lot of great things will happen but troops are not on the table. Absolutely.

The New York Times reported that Mr Trump has asked the Pentagon to prepare options for drawing down American troops.

It cited unnamed officials as saying that was not intended to be a bargaining chip with Mr Kim, but did reflect that a prospective peace treaty between the Koreas could diminish the need for US forces in South Korea.

At the inter-Korean summit last Friday, held on the southern side of the DMZ, Mr Moon and Mr Kim pledged to rid the peninsula of nuclear weapons and seek a formal end this year to the Korean conflict where the opposing sides remain technically at war more than six decades after fighting halted with an armistice.

National security adviser John Bolton, who met his South Korean counterpart Chung Eui-yong in Washington on Friday, called the Times report utter nonsense.

During his presidential campaign, Mr Trump complained that South Korea does not do enough to financially support the American military commitment.

In March, Washington and Seoul began negotiations on how much South Korea should offset the costs of the deployment in the coming years.

Before Mr Trump meets Mr Kim, Washington is looking for North Korea to address another persistent source of tension between the adversaries: The detention of three Korean-Americans accused of anti-state activities in the North.

Mr Trump hinted that the release of Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak Song and Tony Kim was in the offing, but again was sparing on the details.

Were having very substantive talks with North Korea and a lot of things have already happened with respect to the hostages, and I think youre going to see very good things. As I said yesterday, stay tuned, Mr Trump said, referring to an earlier tweet on the issue.
Donald Trump has defended the use of guns in America by comparing a London hospital to a war zone because of knife crime.

Speaking at a pro-gun rally, the US president claimed that knife crime in London is so bad that one unnamed hospital in the capital is like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds, with blood all over the floors.

Mr Trumps comments come ahead of a visit to the UK in July, although a trip to the capital has not been confirmed.

Mr Trump was speaking to National Rifle Association delegates (Susan Walsh/AP)

Mr Trump told the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention in Dallas, Texas: I recently read a story that in London, which has unbelievably tough gun laws, a once very prestigious hospital right in the middle is like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds.

Yes thats right, they dont have guns, they have knives. And instead theres blood all over the floors of this hospital. They say its as bad as a military war zone hospital.

Were here today because we recognise a simple fact. The one thing that has always stood between the American people and the elimination of our Second Amendment rights has been conservatives and congress willing to fight for those rights, and were fighting.

It is not clear which specific story Mr Trump was referring to, but a London surgeon spoke out last month of the problems of both gun and knife crime, saying some of his military colleagues had likened working in the city to their time at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan.

Martin Griffiths, a surgeon at the Royal London Hospital, has spoken about young victims of violence after a spate of deadly crime in the city, which meant the number of suspected murders in March was higher than that of New York.

Thanks to your activism and dedication you have an administration fighting to protect your Second Amendment @realDonaldTrump #MAGA #NRA pic.twitter.com/YHUqnpjMjy  NRA (@NRA) May 4, 2018

As of April 6, Scotland Yard had launched 55 investigations into suspected murders in 2018.

At least 35 of those killed were stabbed to death.

Mr Griffiths told BBC Radio Fours Today programme last month: A quarter of what we see in our practice is knife and gun injury.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has previously clashed with the US president over Mr Khans response to terrorism, declined to comment on Mr Trumps latest comments.

Mr Trump will make a working visit to the UK on July 13, but details of his trip have not yet been confirmed.

The US ambassador to Britain, Woody Johnson, said Mr Trump would definitely be coming to London, despite the warnings of likely demonstrations.
A larger than life statue of communist philosopher Karl Marx is being unveiled on the 200th anniversary of his birth in the German town of Trier.

The celebratory uncovering of the 14ft statue of Marx, donated by China, has sparked criticism by some who blame Marx for crimes committed by social revolutionaries in Russia, China and elsewhere in the name of communism.

The bronze statue of Karl Marx in Trier, Germany (Michael Probst/AP)

The city has invited about 200 guests for the anniversary celebrations.

Marx laid the philosophical foundations for communism, an ideology that aims for shared ownership of the means of production and the absence of social classes.

The revolutionary thinker was born in Trier on May 5 1818 and lived there until he was 17 years old. He died in London in 1883.
Donald Trump has claimed a London hospital has blood all over the floors amid a wave of knife crime.

It is not the first time the US president has made controversial statements about Britain.

 After retweeting anti-Muslim videos posted online by the deputy leader of the far-right Britain First group, Jayda Fransen, last year, Mr Trump responded to criticism from Theresa May by telling her to focus on destructive radical

Islamic terrorism in the UK, rather than on him.

Mr Trump responded to criticism from Theresa May by telling her to focus on `destructive radical Islamic terrorism, in the UK, rather than on him (PA)

 Following the release of official figures in October last year, showing an

increase in recorded crime, Mr Trump controversially linked the rise with the

spread of radical Islamic terror.

The statistics release prompted the US president to tweet: Just out report: United Kingdom crime rises 13% annually amid spread of Radical Islamic terror. Not good, we must keep America safe!

His interpretation of the statistics, which included offences ranging

from burglary to fraud, prompted politicians to describe his comments as inflammatory and ignorant.

 After a bomb partially exploded at Parsons Green in London in September 2017, Mr Trump tweeted: Another attack in London by a loser terrorist. These are sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard. Must be proactive!

The Metropolitan Police said the US presidents comments  which did not

correspond with any information released by the UK authorities  were

unhelpful and pure speculation.

 After the London Bridge terror attack in June last year, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said people should not be alarmed by visibly increased security on the streets of the capital.

Mr Trump sparked a backlash when he tweeted: At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is no reason to be alarmed!

A spokesman for Mr Khan said the tweet was ill-informed and deliberately

taken out of context.

 In 2015, during his campaign for the presidency, Mr Trump told news organisation MSNBC that police were afraid to enter certain parts of London because of radicalisation.

He said: We have places in London and other places that are so radicalised that the police are afraid for their own lives. We have to be very smart and very vigilant.

Then prime minister David Cameron dismissed the view as wrong, his official spokeswoman said.
It would be bizarre for Theresa May to retreat from her stance on taking the UK out of the customs union, influential Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg said.

In a message to the Prime Minister that she should stick to her Brexit red lines, the European Research Group (ERG) chairman stressed that it was a manifesto commitment to leave the customs union.

Mr Rees-Mogg also used a major interview to suggest that the reddest of red carpets should be rolled out for Donald Trump and he should be allowed to address MPs and peers in Parliament if he wants to.

Jacob Rees-Mogg (Stefan Rousseau/PA))

Mr Rees-Moggs ERG has been accused of acting like Vladimir Putins Russia by wielding a veto over Brexit policy.

But Mr Rees-Mogg, who has previously described the Prime Ministers approach to Brext as enigmatic, insisted he backed her approach.

The ERG wrote to the Prime Minister setting out their opposition to the proposed customs partnership which would see the UK effectively levy import tariffs on behalf of the EU.

The Brexit war cabinet of 11 senior ministers is subsequently thought to have split 6-5 against the plan, despite the Prime Ministers support for it.

The need to find a solution could lead to parliamentary pressure to accept remaining in a full customs union with the EU.

But Mr Rees-Mogg said: I trust the Prime Minister. She has said on so many occasions that she will take us out of the customs union.

It was in the Conservative Party manifesto.

That is the platform on which this country is being governed.

It is bizarre to think that she would retreat from that promise.

The backbencher, tipped as a future Tory leader, denied wanting to be prime minister and warned colleagues against attempting to oust Mrs May.

My general view is that the Conservative Party, when it does that sort of thing, when it has those periodic fits, causes itself more problems than solutions, he said.

The Margaret Thatcher instance is the best case in point and that left the party damaged for 30 years.

Ahead of the US presidents visit to the UK in July, Mr Rees-Mogg said he should be allowed to address Parliament.

Commons Speaker John Bercow has set out his opposition to Mr Trump being given the honour of speaking in Westminster Hall, the oldest and most prestigious part of the Palace of Westminster.

But peers have suggested that the president could speak in the Royal Gallery  as Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton did  where Mr Bercows opposition would carry less weight.

Mr Rees-Mogg told Sky News: Our relationship with the United States is our most important foreign relationship and whoever the president of the United States is, it is in our interest to treat him with the greatest respect and courtesy.

If that is what Mr Trump wants to do, of course it would be sensible to lay out the reddest of red carpets for him.

He is a major ally. We have so many interests in common.

Mr Rees-Mogg invited the cameras into his Somerset country house for the wide-ranging interview which will do little to diminish speculation about his political ambition.

But asked if he wanted to be prime minister he said: No. I like being the Member of Parliament for North East Somerset.

Speaking to Kay Burley in his kitchen, he restated his strict views on abortion, informed by his Catholic faith.

It is never licit, he said.

He said a situation where an expectant mother did not want to be pregnant he said: You have got to think about the new life as well as the older life  there are two lives, thats the point.

But if the mothers life was at risk then its not a question of abortion because the duty of the physician is to preserve life and if the preserving of the mothers life means that the childs life cannot be preserved, that is something that may happen.
Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich bounced back from their Champions League disappointment with a 3-1 win at relegated Cologne.

Having missed out on a place in the Champions League final after drawing 2-2 with Real Madrid in midweek, Bayern looked like suffering further disappointment when Niklas Sule put through his own net after 36 minutes to give the hosts a surprise half-time lead.

However, the visitors fought back at the RheinEnergieStadion with two goals in as many minutes in the second half to make it six league wins on the spin.

Thomas Muller provided two assists (Steve Paston/Empics)

Thomas Muller assisted both strikes, teeing up James Rodriguez after 59 minutes and then squaring for Robert Lewandowski in the 61st minute, with Corentin Tolisso adding a late third.

Simon Terodde tried his luck early on for Cologne, but his powerful effort from distance was comfortably saved by Sven Ulreich.

At the other end Javi Martinez headed a Rodriguez corner over the bar, but Cologne, whose fate was sealed when they conceded a last-minute winner against Freiburg last week, continued to pose a threat.

Terodde headed over when unmarked and Simon Zoller fired wide after 11 minutes.

Marcel Risse blazed over after some lapse Bayern defending, but Cologne went ahead when Sule turned a cross from the right into his own net.

Muller shot straight at Timo Horn and the Cologne keeper had to be alert to pull off a fine save to deny Lewandowski as Bayern sought an equaliser before the break.

The visitors finally levelled just before the hour mark, Muller heading the ball back across goal for Rodriguez to convert at the back post.

Muller was again the architect as he set up Lewandowski and the Poland striker rifled a low shot past horn two minutes later.

Tolisso completed the scoring when he headed home Colombia forward Rodriguezs cross with 12 minutes remaining.

The 39-year-old Cologne substitute Claudio Pizarro twice went close to scoring a consolation against his former club in stoppage time, but was off target after a mazy run and then denied by Ulreich.
Demonstrators protesting against the treatment of the Windrush generation have called for Theresa May to resign.

Families of those affected by the fiasco were joined by shadow home secretary Diane Abbott at a rally outside Downing Street.

Campaign group Stand Up To Racism held the demonstration on Whitehall calling for the end of a hostile environment, while people also chanted that the Prime Minister should be deported.

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott (centre) at the rally outside Downing Street (Catherine Wylie/PA)

Demonstrators, including women who spent months detained in Yarls Wood Immigration Removal Centre, held placards that said Solidarity With The Windrush Generation and Windrush Generation: Here To Stay.

Yvonne Williams, 58, was released from Yarls Wood just last week and when she was told of her release she said she was screaming with joy.

Ms Williams, the daughter of a woman who arrived in Britain from Jamaica with the Windrush generation, said she was not given a reason for her release and is still concerned about what her future holds.

Im still worried, because I still have to go and start signing on on Tuesday, and theyre likely to take me back in there, she said.

Yvonne Williams and Simone Daley at the rally on Whitehall on Saturday May 5 (Catherine Wylie/PA)

Ms Williams came to the UK in 2001 to be with her family after her grandmother died in Jamaica, and she has since endured years of having applications to stay refused.

She had been in detention for eight months, and said: I was so happy to be released from that place because its torture.

Reflecting on how difficult it was, she said it leaves people traumatised, adding: Very hard, every day youre thinking, oh, theyre going to come and take me.

Meanwhile, Ms Abbott told the crowd of around 150 people: When it comes to the Windrush scandal, all roads lead back to Theresa May.

Ms Abbott said it was Mrs May who brought in the hostile environment.

Members of Campaign group Stand Up To Racism during a demonstration on Whitehall (Catherine Wylie/PA)

Asked if she thinks the Government is doing enough, Ms Abbott said: We will judge them by what they actually do.

Among the demonstrators was Weyman Bennett, 52, from Tottenham in North London, whose family travelled from Jamaica to Britain between 1958 and 1966.

His mother came to work in the NHS and his father was in the British Army.

Amber Rudd took the blame, but I believe that Theresa May is responsible for it, and she should go.

I honestly think that shes responsible for the inhuman treatment of people.

Im talking about grandmothers kissing goodbye to their children, he said.

Mr Bennett added: I hope that Theresa May is held accountable for what she did, because the peoples voices have to be heard.

The Londoner said he believes the Windrush generation have been betrayed.

Ministers faced a furious backlash over the treatment of the Windrush generation, named after a ship that brought migrants to Britain in 1948.

People who had arrived before 1973 were automatically granted indefinite leave to remain under the 1971 Immigration Act, but the Home Office did not keep a record of those allowed to stay or any documentation confirming their status.

While many of those who arrived have taken British citizenship or have official documents proving their status, others have struggled to source paperwork demonstrating they are lawfully resident.

Those who have been living legally in the UK for decades have lost their jobs, been denied access to NHS treatment, benefits and pensions, had their driving licences withdrawn and been warned they face deportation.

Under emergency Government measures, thousands of people will be offered the chance to obtain British citizenship free of charge and without the requirement to take language tests.

A compensation scheme for those affected by the failings will also be introduced within weeks.

Earlier this week new Home Secretary Sajid Javid revealed that the number of potential Windrush cases reported to a dedicated Home Office taskforce had reached 3,000.

More than 100 people have had their cases processed and now have the documents they need, Mr Javid told MPs on Wednesday.
A Palestinian woman uses a slingshot to hurl stones at Israeli troops during clashes on the Gaza-Israel border, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip, on May 4, 2018. More than 1,000 Palestinians were injured Friday in daylong fierce clashes between hundreds of Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers stationed on the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, medics said. (Xinhua/Yasser Qudih)

GAZA, May 4 (Xinhua) -- More than 1,000 Palestinians were injured Friday in daylong fierce clashes between hundreds of Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers stationed on the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, medics said.

Ashraf al Qedra, a Palestinian Health Ministry spokesman, told reporters that demonstrators were injured by live gunshots, rubber-coated metal bullets, gunshots shrapnel, and tear gas suffocation.

The clashes broke out earlier on Friday afternoon, right at the end of Friday prayers.

The sixth Friday anti-Israel rally is part of what is called by Palestinians the "Great March of Return" that started on March 30 and will culminate on May 15, the day after the 70th anniversary of Israel's declaration of independence but marked by the Palestinians as the Nakba Day, or "the Day of Catastrophe."

Eyewitnesses said that right after Friday prayers, hundreds headed to five different locations along with the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel; they burned tires and clashed with the Israeli soldiers stationed at the border.

The eyewitnesses said the Israeli soldiers stationed at the borderline area between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel are warning young demonstrators to go home and stop rallying, using loud speakers to speak to demonstrators in Arabic.

The witnesses said the soldiers shouted at the demonstrators in Arabic "go home for your safety, go home now, and if you don't, we will shoot you, look here were fired tear gas at you, we are not kidding, go home."

Israeli soldiers fired dozens of tear gas canisters and live gunshots at the demonstrators to prevent them from reaching the fence of the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel.

Sallah Abdul Aati, a rights activist and one of the "Great March of Return" organizers told Xinhua that they "kept the popular participation in a low profile" because it is final exam day of schoolchildren and universities students.

He noted that "the million-participant marches are coming and are expected on May 15," adding "this will be the climax of the Great March of Return."

Later on early evening, dozens of Palestinians stormed the main commercial crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip in what could be an indication of a threatened breach of the border fence later this month.

Palestinian activists joining the rallies announced that they prepared 300 kites carrying fire bombs in tails to be flown into Israeli agricultural fields.

Mahmoud al-Zahhar, a senior Hamas movement leader from Gaza said in a press statement that Hamas warns Israel of targeting the demonstrators at the border, adding "keeping this going on would make everyone get surprised for our response."

Al-Zahar responded to Israeli threats to strike on the Gaza Strip in case demonstrators try to infiltrate through the border into Israel. He said "if a war is imposed on us, we will join it and we will show them our power."
Sale missed out on a European Champions Cup spot after ending their Aviva Premiership campaign with a 35-13 home defeat by Leicester.

England fly-half George Ford scored 20 points with a try, three conversions, two penalties and a drop-goal. Jonah Holmes went over for two tries and Mike Williams also crossed as the Tigers avoided a third successive defeat to end a comparatively disappointing season in fifth place.

Gloucesters defeat at Saracens meant that Leicester were assured of a top-six finish and with it a Champions Cup place but this was an opportunity missed for the seventh-placed Sharks, who came up short despite a valiant effort in front of a 10,015 crowd at a sun-kissed AJ Bell Stadium.

George Ford scored 20 points for the Tigers (Paul Harding/PA)

Already recoiling from their absence from the play-offs for the first time since 2004, Leicester at least had the consolation of finishing on a high and, of course, the 10-time English champions will have another European campaign to look forward to in 2019.

Centre Will Addison and full-back Mike Haley were given the honour of leading Sale out on their final appearances for the club as they head for the Irish provinces.

But Addisons farewell lasted only eight minutes as he went off with a hamstring injury and had barely reached the tunnel when the Tigers opened the scoring.

The visitors attacked down the left and England winger Jonny May came up with a neat offload for Holmes, who had tracked across from the right wing, to force his way to the line for the first of his two tries.

Skipper Ford added the conversion to make it 7-0 but Sale came back strongly and AJ MacGinty cut the deficit to a single point with two penalties.

The Sharks might have been in front after producing clean breaks through centre Sam James and lively scrum-half Faf De Klerk while Holmes came to Leicesters rescue with a timely interception after the latter looked set to score from MacGintys pass.

The Tigers had a clear edge in the scrum and Ford had two chances to reward his forwards for their industry but was unfortunate to hit the uprights with both penalty attempts to leave the score well-balanced at 7-6 at the break.

The Tigers dominated the early stages of the second half to open up a 20-6 lead, courtesy of two penalties and a try from Ford, who finished off a break by his half-back partner Ben Youngs.

But Sale got back into it thanks to a breakaway try from winger Marland Yarde after flanker Sam Curry had pounced on a loose ball following a lively break by Leicester full-back Telusa Veainu.

MacGintys conversion cut the visitors lead to seven points but flanker Williams made sure of Leicesters victory when he got on the end of a midfield break by May for a try converted by Ford, who also added a drop goal.

Holmes then wrapped up the scoring with his second try in the last minute to give the visitors a flattering margin of victory.
Mark Cavendishs hopes of victory in his mothers home county evaporated but there was joy for German Max Walscheid as he won stage three of the Tour de Yorkshire in Scarborough.

The 181-kilometre stage from Richmond came down to a sprint on the North Bay seafront but Manxman Cavendish was not around to contest it, having been dropped on the second of two categorised climbs of the day outside Silpho.

The Team Dimension Data rider eventually finished more than eight minutes after Walscheid pipped overall leader Magnus Cort Nielsen of Astana to the line, giving the 24-year-old his biggest win since he was involved in a head-on collision with a car while training in 2016.

Max Walscheid won the sprint finish on day three of the Tour de Yorkshire (Danny Lawson/PA)

The Team Sunweb rider said he could not have picked a better spot to do it in as huge crowds basked in glorious weather along Royal Albert Drive.

The scenery is incredible and the Yorkshire fans, I think they are the best, there were massive crowds all over the road, he said.

It was a really nice parcours and to win a more difficult stage is good for me because normally I am more for the really flat bunch sprints.

Now I am growing into a sprinter who can win more difficult stages.

Veteran French rider Sylvain Chavanel of Direct-Energie had attacked with five kilometres to go and distanced the pack, looking to replicate his now retired ex-team-mate Thomas Voecklers victory here in 2016, but he was reeled in with the finish line almost in sight.

Huge effort to bring back the solo breakaway and its @TeamSunweb rider @MaxWalscheid to take stage 3. #TDY pic.twitter.com/f4fPIo11Sg  Tour de Yorkshire  (@letouryorkshire) May 5, 2018

Cort Nielsen showed little after-effects from his efforts in winning on the summit finish on the Cow and Calf on Friday as he crossed the line in second to retain his overall lead  which stands at 10 seconds from Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet of BMC Racing going into Sundays tough finale from Halifax to Leeds.

Yesterday was yesterday and it didnt have too much effect, Cort Nielsen said. It was a hard day for everybody.

The 25-year-old said he began the weekend eyeing this stage as much as Fridays, but was happy to emerge safe and sound and in the blue jersey after being caught in the huge crash which marred last years finish into Scarborough.

I knew today would be a good day and I thought it was maybe the day where I had the biggest chance, he said.

Im really happy with second, especially because last year I crashed in the sprint on this stage and broke a collarbone and a couple of ribs. Its really nice to get back in one piece and to have a result on this finish.

With clear skies and bright sunshine over North Yorkshire huge crowds were out in force, and the peloton even passed a wedding early in the stage as Joanne Ridley and Richard Fawcett celebrated their union by cheering on the race outside Ainderby Steeple Church, having shifted the time of the service especially.

When you've got a wedding at 2pm but @letouryorkshire's coming through at 2.30pm .



Congratulations from all at @letouryorkshire to the happy couple! pic.twitter.com/cNByQBTKe9  Tour de Yorkshire  (@letouryorkshire) May 5, 2018

The crowds were amazing, Cort Nielsen said.

There are so many people and they seem extremely excited. You see not only kids jumping up and down but also sometimes adults seem very excited. Its a lot of fun and we had a lot of time to look at it when we are riding on the front (defending the blue jersey).

Im sure my team-mates enjoyed it sitting there pulling the peloton along.
France has sternly rejected US President Donald Trumps argument that if Parisians had more guns they could have stopped the deadly 2015 extremist attacks on the French capital.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian expressed his firm disapproval of President Trumps remarks and vigorously defended Frances gun controls.

La France exprime sa ferme desapprobation des propos du president @realDonaldTrump au sujet des attentats du 13 novembre 2015 a Paris et demande le respect de la memoire des victimes. https://t.co/kTbH0N9FRk  France Diplomatie (@francediplo) May 5, 2018

In a statement, Mr Le Drian said gun violence statistics do not lead us to reconsider Frances choice on this issue.

President Donald Trump (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

Gun violence death rates are much higher in the United States.

Mr Le Drian continued: Free circulation of weapons in society does not constitute a rampart against terrorist attacks, to the contrary, it can facilitate  this type of attack.

Islamic State attackers killed 130 people in Paris Bataclan concert hall, cafes and the national stadium.

President Trump spoke at a National Rifle Association meeting.
The debate on the Judicature (Amendment) Bill will be taken up in Parliament on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Government Whip Ajith Perera said yesterday.

He said this at the opening of the new auditorium of the Divisional Secretariat Office in Milleneiya last morning.

We will enact the Judicature (Amendment) Bill which provides provisions to set up a trial-a-bar despite whatever the obstacles that might come our way. The legislation will make the judiciary efficient as the new trial-at-bar will sit daily and hear cases on corruption. The Judiciary in this county is inefficient and the Judicature (Amendment) Bill will takes this inefficiency away, Mr. Perera said.

Commenting on the arrest of the Presidents Chief of Staff by the bribery commission on Thursday, he said this government had created a culture where action was taken even against high level government officials who are corrupt.

Only politicians were known for corruption earlier but the arrest of the Presidents Chief of Staff had clearly shown that even government officials are corrupt, Mr. Perera said.

Corruption in this could be stopped only if the old thieves and the new ones are brought to book. We will penalise the old thieves and the new alike," he added. (Yohan Perera)
Military personnel of the US and other partner nations of the Pacific Partnership 2018 are seen engaged in renovating two health clinics at Andamkulan and Kappalthurai in Trincomalee. Personnel of the Sri Lanka navy also assisted the visiting counterparts in carrying out construction and renovations. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana
Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Regional Development Minister, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said yesterday that former president Chandrika Kumaratunga told him recently with tears in her eyes that she was unable to get an appointment to meet President Maithripala Sirisena for three months and could not contact him over the phone for two months.

He said the President, who agreed to appoint him Law and Order minister, refused to do so later saying that some people including several DIGs and Buddhist monks opposed the move.

When asked why the President who initially agreed to offer the ministry later changed his mind, the minister said it was a long story and explained what happened.

After the Presidential election on January 8, four of us met at the residence of former President Kumaratunge to discuss the future plans of the government. President Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Chandrika Kumaratunge and the person named Sarath Fonseka were present. Then I was the leader of the Democratic Party (DP). Five speakers were arranged to speak at the election rallies for the 2015 presidential election. Champika Ranawaka, Arjuna Ranatunge, Hirunika Premachandra and myself were in the list of speakers. I had opened 65 party officers throughout the country and I addressed 100 election rallies and my wife addressed 30 rallies when I was absent. That is how we contributed to the election. We got into a fight with the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Our whole family worked in the election campaign taking a great risk. But by today, Ex-President Kumaratunge told me recently with full of tears in her eyes that she was unable to get an appointment to meet President Maithripala Sirisena for three months and could not contact him over the phone for two months,

The idea that the Prime Minister should be removed from the post after the local government elections was first brought up by the President. Then the no-confidence motion was brought against the Prime Minister. It was reported that the SLFPers who voted in favour of the motion were the ones who keep close company with the President. The President was of the view that the Prime Minister should be removed. That was what happened to the two of us who were in the discussion. The third was me. The UNP had proposed to the President that I should be appointed as the Law and order Minister. He told me before I was leaving for Indonesia that I would be getting a powerful ministry. Then I left for Indonesia for a family trip. Presidents parliament secretary and Minister Rajitha Senaratne asked me to return to the country saying that I was to receive a powerful ministry. But I refused to return in a hurry. Later I saw in the websites that the Prime Minister has taken over the ministry for two weeks. But when I returned to the country, the Prime Minister informed me that the President was objected the ministry being given to me. Then I met the President and asked why it was so. The President said about five DIGs had asked him not to give me the ministry as I was serving in the army and was unable to hold the post. Then I explained that I had worked with the police when I was in the army and I had even worked with present IGP. I cannot accept the fact the Presidents decision to refuse to give me the post due to the objection of several DIGs,

I asked if the President told the Prime Minister that several Buddhist monks had objected the post given to me. Then he admitted that he told it to the Premier. But he refused to disclose the names of the monks. He also said several government officials also asked him not to give me the ministry as I have difficulty getting Visas to some countries and I would be unable to attend events in abroad. I am not someone who goes abroad on public money. What he should have done was not to refuse me the ministry on that ground but to discuss with such countries and arrange me to get the visas, he explained the matters behind him not getting the Law and Order Ministry and added that it was a sad reflection on Sri Lanka government if foreign influence plays a role when Cabinet Ministers are chosen.

Addressing the media at his office yesterday, Minister Fonseka stressed that both leaders of the Yahapalana Government President Siriena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe must take the full responsibility for the major electoral setback suffered by the government at the February Local Government polls.

We have miserably failed in the last three years to fulfill the pledges given at two elections in 2015. The people in 2015 voted for President Sirisena in January and to the UNP in August mainly to expose murderers, financial crimes, embezzlements and other misdeeds committed under Mahinda Rajapaksa regime and bring members of the Rajapaks family before the law and punish them. This did not happen as expected. The President should be held responsible for not taking action against the Rajapaksas. People voted en-mass against the government at the LG polls not because they had a special affection to the SLPP but because they had been disappointed over the governments failure. Both the leaders should be held responsible for these failures, Minister Fonseka stressed.

Minister Fonseka expressed his dismay and displeasure on the continuous refusal by courts to give permission to the CID to arrest Gotabhaya Rajapaksa for alleged offences committed by him. He cannot prove his innocence only by retaining big time legal counsel by paying big cash. Can an average citizen have this luxury from the courts? He asked.

It was sad that voters have forgotten the unpardonable crimes committed by under Rajapaksa regime and how they destroyed the economy and country. They must not forget those sins only because the unity government did not perform to their expectations. If a member of the Rajapaksa family becomes the President at the next election, the repercussions would be terrible because he would be an absolute dictator with unrestricted power. He will abolish independent commissions, and take law and order into his hands, Minister Fonseka cautioned.

Those who do politics against Rajapaksas like him will have to go to jail for sure but not under six feet as suggested by some. There must be drastic change in the political culture but not the Constitution if we are to prevent such disasters.

Minister Fonseka held the media, Print, Electronic and Social for the political catastrophic political development taking place in the country right now by distorting the thinking of the people and their attitude. One cant forget the sins and crimes committed by someone only because the one who said he would do the needful to punish them failed in the act, he added.

It is a major distortion and hoodwinking by the mainstream media that highlighted only the Central Bank bond scam and forced the country to forget all crimes of the Rajapaksa regime. If one takes the pain to calculate the total value of frauds, embezzlements, waste of public money and commissions taken by politicians and officials closed to Rajapaksaa, it would exceed the loss of Rs. 10 billion incurred from the CB bond scam, he emphasized.

He said the unity government had passed a stormy period following the local government polls defeat, disintegration of the SLFP and several changes in the cabinet, all were the results of the weak performance of the government. Therefore, the government had to get its act together and work to fulfill pledges and provide relief to the people.

Minister Fonseka said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was the most suitable politician in the UNP to contest the 2020 Presidential election and therefore all UNPers must support him and unite under him.

I protected him from the very beginning and I will continue to do so in then future as well, he added. (Sandun A Jayasekera and Ajith Siriwardana)

Pics by Nisal Baduge
President Xi Jinping stated China's hope for ensuring long-lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula during separate phone conversations with Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday.

During both phone conversations, the meeting last week between Moon and Kim Jong-un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, was discussed, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Moon briefed Xi on his summit meeting with Kim and the outcomes that were made, including the landmark joint declaration that Moon and Kim signed on improving inter-Korean relations.

Xi said the summit achieved key outcomes for improving inter-Korean ties, eased tensions on the peninsula and pushed for lasting tranquility there.

China speaks highly of the efforts made by both sides on the peninsula, and the international community and all parties involved should support and encourage the efforts, Xi said.

Moon said Seoul appreciates Beijing's key role in catalyzing the situation's positive changes, its strong support for inter-Korean dialogue and its major contribution to resolving the issue through dialogue and negotiation.

Xi noted that the situation is at a crucial moment and the peninsula faces a historic opportunity for peace.

China supports further positive interaction by both sides on the peninsula, improvement of their ties and tangible translation into reality of the consensus they have reached, Xi said.

Beijing is ready to work with the two sides and the global community and further play a positive role in advancing the political process of settling the peninsula issue and thus ultimately realizing sustained peace in the region, Xi said.

Speaking on China-ROK relations, Xi said the ties maintain a good and developing momentum, and China is ready to jointly deepen cooperation, boost cultural exchanges and bring the ties forward in the direction that serves the interests of both sides.

As requested by Abe, Xi introduced China's latest position on the peninsula situation during his phone talk with the Japanese leader.

China seeks to address the concerns of all parties in an all-out and balanced approach and push for the peninsula's lasting peace, and Japan is expected to play a constructive role in this also, Xi said.

Abe said Tokyo values Beijing's role in resolving the peninsula issue and looks forward to strengthening their contacts.

Elaborating on China-Japan ties, Xi said China endorses the positive signals sent by Japan recently about its ties with China and the positive measures it has taken.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, and Xi said the ties are at a key point.

Xi said both sides should effectively honor the spirit of the treaty, stay true to the principles outlined by the four key bilateral political documents and honor their consensus.

Both countries should honor their commitments, align actions with rules and effectively manage contradictions and differences to make sure the ties return to the right track and achieve new progress, Xi added.

It is hoped that Japan can make choices that serve the fundamental interests of both countries as well as the region's growth, and ensure that the ties always proceed in the right direction, Xi said.

Abe said he is ready to take the anniversary as an opportunity to push for the comprehensive improvement and development of the relations.

In another development, Vice-Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou told a news conference on Friday that Premier Li Keqiang's upcoming official visit to Japan is important to bringing China-Japan ties back on track and to plan for the ties' future development.

From Sunday to Friday, Li will make official visits to Indonesia and Japan, attend the 7th China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting in Japan and meet with Moon and Abe on the sidelines.
US President Donald Trump reiterated his strong support for gun rights and commitment for mid-term elections during a speech in the Texas city of Dallas.

"Your Second Amendment rights are under siege but they will never ever be under siege as long as I am your president. We cannot get complacent. We have to win the mid-terms," Trump said at the National Rifles Association (NRA) annual meeting in the convention center in Dallas.

During his speech, Trump didn't mention the Florida school rampage a few months ago that killed 17 people, but focusing on the common ground he shares with gun owners who helped deliver the election to him, and whose support Republicans need in November's mid-term elections.

Trump pushed the point by citing a hospital in London, where firearms are illegal but violence still erupts as criminals turn to knives.

"There's blood all over the floors of this hospital," he said. "Knives, knives, knives."

Before Trump, Vice President Mike Pence also reassure NRA members of gun rights.

"You have two friends in the White House. President Donald Trump and I both stand without apology for the Second Amendment and in this administration the right of the people to keep and bear arms will not be infringed," Pence told the crowd.

Meanwhile, gun control advocates accused Trump of bending his knee to the NRA instead of working to curb gun violence.

"It's the job of the president to ensure our public safety, but Trump takes his marching orders from the NRA," Gabby Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman who was badly wounded in a shooting, said in a statement. "Trump has ignored the pleas of young people demanding safer gun laws."
China's Ministry of National Defense Friday refuted the allegations that its base in Djibouti had pointed lasers at U.S. military aircraft there, saying it was in "complete contradiction to the facts."

"We have refuted the false accusations through official channels. The Chinese side has consistently abided by international law and the laws of the local country strictly, and is committed to safeguarding regional security and stability," said the ministry in a statement.
Home prices skyrocket following inter-Korean summit

Businessmen in Dandong, a Chinese city bordering North Korea, warned of risks of irrational investments in the local real estate market, calling it "commercial speculation" by property developers.

After North Korea's recent decision to prioritize economic development and suspend nuclear and missile tests, the China-North Korea border city's real estate prices, especially in Dandong's New City area, have skyrocketed.

For example, apartments in the Kaixuanmen community overlooking the Yalu River, which divides the two countries, reached 7,000 yuan ($1,104) per square meter on Friday, a 40 percent increase from 10 days earlier, a salesman who prefers not to be named told the Global Times on Friday.

"With expectations that the new Yalu River Bridge, which links the area and Sinuiju, North Korea, may open soon, people see a further increase in residential prices," he said, noting that "residential prices in the area are projected to surpass 10,000 yuan per square meter after the bridge opens."

The salesman said that an investor from Beijing bought 20 apartments when the selling began on April 24.

However, local residents and businessmen said these investors are "stupid" because of their disproportionate optimism.

A female resident surnamed Sun told the Global Times on Friday that the New City area resembles a ghost town, full of empty houses. "Local people are not willing to buy apartments here, even when prices were around 3,000 yuan per square meter."

Though people expect an improvement in China-North Korea trade and economic exchanges, especially via Dandong, it would take several years for substantial changes to emerge, a businessman surnamed Li said.

Li has been involved in mining and foreign trade in Pyongyang, capital of North Korea, for 15 years.

"The North Korean side of the new Yalu River Bridge is still mud flat, without roads or railways. An improvement in trade between the two countries through this bridge is unlikely in the near future," Li told the Global Times on Friday.

As for doing business in North Korea, he cited political risks in North Korea.

"For example, most North Korean enterprises are state-owned. If the government does not provide funds to them, they will have no money to pay us," Li said. "I will be more prudent in investing further in North Korea," he noted.

Another businessman agrees, saying he has lost $10 million in North Korea due to North Koreans' lack of credit. "Of course, we wish for the development of the North Korean economy, which could lead to more opportunities for Dandong. But many businessmen in Dandong still hold a wait-and-see attitude because of previous losses."
Kim Jong-un, top leader of the DPRK (left), meets with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Pyongyang on Thursday. (Photo/Xinhua)

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi wrapped up his two-day visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, during which he met with DPRK's top leader Kim Jong-un and Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho.

The trip is among a series of recent high-level exchanges and contacts between China and Pyongyang, including Kim Jong-un's visit to China in March.

Beijing supports the Korean Peninsula's shift from armistice to peace, as well as Pyongyang's shifting focus to economic buildup, Wang told Kim on Thursday.

The visit carried a great deal of interest from overseas media. Let's take a look at what they had to say about this meeting.

North Korea's state-run news agency says leader Kim Jong-un met with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday.

The Korean Central News Agency said Friday that Kim warmly greeted Wang and expressed joy meeting him again after a month.

The report said that Kim and Wang discussed the issue of improving Pyongyang-Beijing relations and cooperation as well as the direction and outlook of situations on the Korean Peninsula.

KCNA: Kim Jong-un Holds Talks with Chinese Foreign Minister -- KBS (Korea Broadcasting System)

Kim's meeting with Wang Yi on Wednesday followed the historic summit held by President Moon Jae-in and Kim last week, at which they reaffirmed the goal of "complete" denuclearization of the peninsula. Kim is also set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump as early as May.

Kim and Wang exchanged opinions on ways to develop the two nations' traditionally friendly and cooperative relations and issues of "mutual concern including the direction and prospect of the development of the situation on the Korean Peninsula."

N.K. leader meets China's foreign minister over ties, inter-Korean issues -- Yonhap News

China is willing to continue playing a positive role to seek a political resolution for the Korean peninsula, its top diplomat, State Councilor Wang Yi, told North Korea's foreign minister as diplomatic efforts gather pace.

China fully supported North Korea's commitment to denuclearization on the Korean peninsula as well as its decision to concentrate its efforts on economic development, Wang said during his trip to Pyongyang.

China says to play positive role as it seeks North Korea resolution -- Reuters

The two-day visit by Wang Yi follows a landmark inter-Korean summit and precedes a meeting between the North's leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump in coming weeks.

The two top diplomats met in Beijing last month, days after Kim travelled to China for talks with President Xi Jinping.

It was Kim's first overseas trip since he took power in 2011 and came amid signs of a diplomatic thaw.

China's foreign minister arrives in N. Korea -- AFP

The visit comes after hopes grew last week for a breakthrough to bring peace to the divided Korean Peninsula, following a historic summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in at which the pair vowed "complete denuclearization."

China's top diplomat Wang Yi to visit North Korea this week-- Reuters

Mr. Wang's two-day trip to Pyongyang, which ended Thursday, was the second such visit by a senior Chinese official since Mr. Kim traveled to Beijing to meet Mr. Xi, easing tensions between the neighbors and allies.

Kim Jong Un Repeats Commitment to Denuclearization to China -- The Wall Street Journal
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Egypt's Education Minister Tarek Shawky said on Saturday that the countrys experimental schools will continue to operate until all currently enrolled students graduate.

Shawky made the statement days after his announcement that experimental schools would be scrapped, which stirred controversy among parents who have children enrolled in these schools.

Last week, Shawky announced that starting the 2019/2020 school year, the ministry would be scrapping experimental schools  which teach subjects including math and science in the English language  as part of a comprehensive plan to overhaul and modernise the country's ailing education system.

Shawky said that under the new plan students in all public schools will be taught science, math, geography and history in the Arabic language from kindergarten until the sixth grade.

The system has been popular among the middle classes due to its advanced English language curriculum, higher quality of education compared to regular public schools, and affordable fees.

In a lengthy statement on Facebook on Saturday, Shawky addressed queries about a number of newly announced education reforms.

The minister said in his statement that Egypt currently has 75,000 schools, 49,000 of which are public schools, 7,000 are private schools, 750 are experimental schools and 250 are international schools.

On the plan to switch to electronic tests for high school students, the minister said that the new system will be implemented for secondary students starting 2018/2019.

The education minister also said that the philosophy and goals of the new ministrys education reform programme involve integrating new subjects into the curriculum while providing quality modern education in different fields.

Shawky also addressed the newly signed loan agreement with the World Bank to help fund education reforms in the country, stressing that this loan will have no impact on the nature of these reforms.

He also stressed that the loan is not intended to finance the newly introduced tablets that will be given to high school students starting the academic year 2018/2019.

The World Bank is providing Egypt with $500 million to help fund a five-year plan to implement education reforms, according to a statement by World Bank.

The education reform programme is part of Egypts 2030 Vision sustainable development strategy, which stresses that education reform is critical to achieving social transformation in the country.

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By Simon Denyer and Annie Gowen

18 April 2018

(The Washington Post)  Nothing like this has happened in human history. A combination of cultural preferences, government decree and modern medical technology in the worlds two largest countries has created a gender imbalance on a continental scale. Men outnumber women by 70 million in China and India.

The consequences of having too many men, now coming of age, are far-reaching: Beyond an epidemic of loneliness, the imbalance distorts labor markets, drives up savings rates in China and drives down consumption, artificially inflates certain property values, and parallels increases in violent crime, trafficking or prostitution in a growing number of locations.

Those consequences are not confined to China and India, but reach deep into their Asian neighbors and distort the economies of Europe and the Americas, as well. Barely recognized, the ramifications of too many men are only starting to come into sight.

In the future, there will be millions of men who cant marry, and that could pose a very big risk to society, warns Li Shuzhuo, a leading demographer at Xian Jiaotong University.

Out of Chinas population of 1.4 billion, there are nearly 34 million more males than females  the equivalent of almost the entire population of California, or Poland, who will never find wives and only rarely have sex. Chinas official one-child policy, in effect from 1979 to 2015, was a huge factor in creating this imbalance, as millions of couples were determined that their child should be a son.

India, a country that has a deeply held preference for sons and male heirs, has an excess of 37 million males, according to its most recent census. The number of newborn female babies compared with males has continued to plummet, even as the country grows more developed and prosperous. The imbalance creates a surplus of bachelors and exacerbates human trafficking, both for brides and, possibly, prostitution. Officials attribute this to the advent of sex-selective technology in the last 30 years, which is now banned but still in widespread practice. []When looking at just the ratio of boys to girls in each country, it may look as if that gap has narrowed, but its effects on marriage have yet to peak. The biggest gap between men and women of marriageable age, defined here as 15 to 29, will come in the next few decades, as the babies of the past decade grow up. And factoring in the large pool of both unmarried older and younger men vying for the same small pool of young women, the gap becomes more of a chasm.
Egypt awaits the anticipated arrival of Russian experts mid-May to discuss the return of flights to Red Sea tourist getaways nearly a month after flights resumed between the two countries' capitals

A committee comprising officials of the Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation (EHCAAN) and Egypt's Ministry of Civil Aviation are inspecting security procedures in Red Sea resort airports ahead of a visit of a Russian security delegation to discuss the resumption of flights to the resorts from Russia.

According to Al-Ahram Arabic news website, the Egyptian experts are visiting Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh airports, to follow up on measures taken to secure passengers and airplanes.

The visits come as Egypt awaits the anticipated arrival of Russian experts in mid-May, to discuss the return of flights to the tourist getaways nearly a month after the resumption of flights between the two countries' capitals.

The recent flight resumption came after a 30-month ban by Moscow on flights between the two countries after a Russian airliner crashed in Sinai in 2015.

In press statements in April, Egypt's Minister of Civil Aviation Sherif Fathy said that the two parties will discuss a future roadmap for the return of Russian flights to Egyptian resorts.

The head of Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency Alexander Neradko said in statements reported by TASS, the Russian news agency, that the resumption of charter flights to Egypt's holiday destinations will only be discussed after Russian and Egyptian aviation security experts strike an agreement on an interaction scheme at Cairo Airport.

Neradko did not provide details about the expected agreement.

In late 2015, Moscow grounded all commercial passenger flights to Egypt over security concerns after a Russian A321 airbus crashed over Sinai shortly after taking off from Sharm El-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board.

Russian travellers had comprised the largest single tourist group in Egypt, contributing about a fifth of foreign vacationers in the country as of 2015, according to official data.

The crash of the Russian flight dealt a blow to Egypt's tourism industry, a major source of hard currency for the country, with the number of foreign tourists visiting Egypt dropping from 9.3 million in 2015 to 5.4 million in 2016.

In 2017, Egypt saw $1.6 billion in tourism revenues from around 1.7 million tourists who visited the country in the first three months of the year, up from 1.2 million tourists in same period 2016.

Tourism revenues jumped to $2.28 billion in the first quarter of 2018 from $826 million year-on-year, according to the Central Bank in March.

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Israeli troops fired live rounds and tear gas at Palestinians thronging the Gaza-Israel border on Friday as part of a long-running protest, injuring about 350 people.

Medics said around 50 people were shot and wounded with live fire, three of them critically, and 300 more treated for gas inhalation and other injuries along the Gaza side of the 40-km border fence, where Palestinians set up tent encampments on March 30 for what they call "The Great March of Return".

Youths rolled burning tyres to within 300 metres of the fence, trying to use the smoke as cover for throwing stones across it while eluding Israeli snipers. Army gunfire has killed at least 43 Palestinians on the frontier over the last month.

Protesters said they used slingshots to down two small Israeli observation drones. The army confirmed the drone losses.

Facing international censure over its use of live fire in the protests, Israel says it is protecting its border and takes such action only when protesters, some hurling firebombs and trying to plant explosives, approach too closely.

On Friday, troops faced "approximately 7,000 Palestinians participating in riots in five locations along the Gaza Strip border," a military spokesman said, adding that one group had tried to breach the fence and enter Israeli territory.

As Israel celebrates its 70th birthday, Palestinians mourn what they call the "Nakba" (Catastrophe) of their people's mass dispossession during the conflict that broke out in 1948.

Two-thirds of the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza are war refugees or their descendants. The protests have seen thousands gather - in greater numbers on Fridays - to demand access to their families' lost homes or lands, now in Israel.

"GIVE US A STATE"

Israel rules that out, concerned it would lose its Jewish majority. Alternatives, such as accommodating refugees and their descendants in a future Palestinian state, have been discussed in peace talks that date back to 1993 but which are now stalled.

"If it wasn't for the occupation we would have lived as free as people like in other countries," Ahmed, 24, said at a protest site east of Gaza City. "If they don't allow us back, at least they should give us a state."

Israel says the protests have been organised by Hamas - an Islamist group that controls Gaza and is sworn to Israel's destruction - to provide cover for attacks, and that most of the dead were militants. Palestinians deny those allegations.

The protests take place at a time of growing frustration as prospects for an independent Palestinian state look poor. While the peace talks are stuck, Israel, which withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza in 2005 after a 38-year occupation, has expanded its settlements in the occupied West Bank.

An added focus this year is President Donald Trump's decision to begin moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem on May 14, the 70th anniversary of Israel's founding.

Trump's moves angered Palestinian leaders, who have refused to talk to his administration, accusing it of pro-Israel bias. Israel's government celebrated the U.S. decision, saying it recognised the "reality" that Jerusalem was the historic capital of the Jewish people.

Visiting the Middle East earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lent his support to Israel's handling of the border protests. "We do believe the Israelis have a right to defend themselves," he said.

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Syria's White Helmets rescue force are facing a "freeze" on funding from the US, its chief told AFP Saturday, saying he was worried President Donald Trump would suddenly cut support.

Raed Saleh said that Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, would continue its programming but that financial support coming from the US was under review.

"We were not formally told of any halt to funding, but what we were informed of was a freeze to some of the Middle Eastern projects by American organisations, in order to review their feasibility," he said.

"Among them are projects linked to stabilisation in Syria, which includes part of the White Helmets' work," Saleh added.

Speaking from Turkey, he told AFP the group's plans were being "completely reviewed."

"This happens every year but this year, no one can predict President Trump's decisions," Saleh said.

The US State Department said in April that funds earmarked for Syria's "stabilisation" were being re-assessed, but did not say whether funding for the White Helmets would stop.

Media reports said the White House had instructed the State Department to freeze over $200 million funds for "recovery efforts" in Syria.

The White Helmets' 3,700 members work in opposition-controlled swathes of Syria, which has been caught up in conflict since 2011.

The first responders rescue civilians trapped under rubble or caught up in fighting. Since they began work in 2013, more than 200 rescuers have died and hundreds more have been injured.

Last year, a Netflix documentary called "The White Helmets" won an Academy Award for best short documentary, while a second film focused on the group, "Last Men in Aleppo," was a 2018 Oscars nominee.

But they have also been the subject of smear campaigns by supporters of Syria's government and its ally Russia, who accuse the White Helmets of being a front group for Al-Qaeda or acting in Western interests.

The White Helmets fund their work through government programmes in the US and Britain, as well as from individual donations.

Saleh said the White Helmets also recently signed contracts with Turkish and Qatari organisations.

In February, the group's vice-president Abdulrahman Almawwas warned it faced a $6 million (five million euros) budget shortfall compared with 2017.

The fall from $18 million to $12 million led the group to delay taking on new workers, Almawwas told journalists.

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Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in Moscow to discuss regional issues, the Israeli prime minister said in a statement on Saturday.

Israel has been lobbying world powers to "fix or nix" a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran as a May 12 deadline set by President Donald Trump approaches.

Israel is also concerned that Iran is establishing a military presence in Syria, and it has attacked Iranian targets there.

Since intervening in the Syrian civil war on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad in 2015, Russia has generally turned a blind eye to Israeli attacks on suspected arms transfers and deployments by his Iranian and Hezbollah allies.

But when Moscow condemned an April 9 strike that killed seven Iranian personnel, and blamed Israel, it set off speculation in Israel that Russian patience might be wearing thin.

On Thursday, Israels defence minister reminded Russia of his governments decision not to join Western sanctions against it, and asked that Moscow reciprocate with a more pro-Israel approach to Syria and Iran.

Netanyahu and Putin spoke by phone on Monday after the Israeli prime minister presented what he said were Iran's secret nuclear files which document it having worked toward developing atomic weapons in the past.

U.S. and Israeli officials said the information showed Iran had lied about its past work to develop nuclear arms but intelligence experts said there was no smoking gun showing that Tehran had violated the nuclear deal under which it curbed its atomic programme in return for relief from economic sanctions.

Trump has given Britain, France and Germany a May 12 deadline to fix what he views as the deals flaws - its failure to address Irans ballistic missile programme, the terms by which inspectors visit suspect Iranian sites, and sunset clauses under which some of its terms expire - or he will reimpose U.S. sanctions.

Moscow has repeatedly said it wants the Iran nuclear deal left intact. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday Russia would deem any changes to the deal to be unacceptable.

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The Israeli military denied involvement in a Gaza explosion that killed six Hamas gunmen on Saturday.

"The IDF (Israel Defence Force) is not involved in this incident in any way," a military spokesman said.

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Related Trump says porn star Stormy Daniels is conning the media

An angry Donald Trump dismissed a growing storm over a hush money payment to an adult movie star as "crap" Friday, as he denied changing his story on the scandal.

After months of claiming he knew nothing of the $130,000 his personal lawyer paid the porn actress Stormy Daniels, who alleges an affair with Trump, the president changed tack this week, admitting he reimbursed his attorney Michael Cohen for the payment.

The president's admission followed the revelation by Rudy Giuliani -- the former New York mayor and new recruit to Trump's legal team -- that the president repaid the sum, intended to stop what Trump called "false and extortionist accusations" against him.

But on Friday the president denied this amounted to a U-turn -- while saying Giuliani still needed to get "his facts straight."

"I'm not changing any stories," he told reporters as he left Washington on a trip to Dallas.

"All I'm telling is you that this country is right now running so smooth. And to be bringing up that kind of crap, and to be bringing up witch hunts all the time -- that's all you want to talk about," Trump said.

"You take a look at what I said," he added. "You'll see what I said."

Trump added that Giuliani was still getting up to speed.

"When Rudy made the statement -- Rudy is great -- but Rudy had just started, and he wasn't totally familiar with every -- you know, with everything," Trump said.

"And Rudy -- we love Rudy, he's a special guy. What he really understands is that this is a witch hunt."

Speaking moments earlier Trump also sought to explain away his attorney's statement, saying: "He started yesterday. He'll get his facts straight. He's a great guy."

Cohen made the payment to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, just before the 2016 election to prevent her from going public with claims she had an affair with Trump a decade earlier.

There had been suggestions it could have fallen foul of campaign finance laws, as an undeclared contribution aimed at preventing negative press for the candidate.

Giuliani has argued that the fact Trump reimbursed the sum should remove any suspicion of campaign finance violation.

Asked by reporters on Air Force One earlier this month about the transaction, Trump said: "You'll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney. You'll have to ask Michael," he said.

Pressed on whether he knew where Cohen got the money to make the payment, he said: "No, I don't know. No."

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One of the world's biggest contributors to the plastic crisis has yet to pass meaningful federal regulation on plastic pollution, but a new bill may change that.
Dear @IlhanMN,



I hear you plan to go on a fact-finding tour of Israel. In fact, Israel is doing pretty well. Its, Somalia, your native country, that could truly use your formidable skills. Maybe you could use your frequent flyer miles and swing by.








By FreeBeacon , May 03 , 2018





The Pentagon confirmed Thursday that Chinese nationals fired lasers near a military base in east Africa against U.S. military aircraft in the region, injuring several pilots.





Pentagon Press Secretary Dana White said the U.S. government made diplomatic protests to the Chinese government over several recent incidents of laser firings near China's first overseas military base at Djibouti.

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An Atlas 5 rocket soared into space early on Saturday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, carrying NASA's first robotic lander designed for exploring the deep interior of another planet on its voyage to Mars.

The Mars InSight probe lifted off from the central California coast at 4:05 a.m. PDT, treating early-rising residents across a wide swath of the state to the luminous predawn spectacle of the first U.S. interplanetary spacecraft to be launched over the Pacific.

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Egyptian PR expert Lamia Kamel was selected amongst main speakers in the conference held under the auspices of the First Lady of the Republic of Cyprus

Egyptian PR expert Lamia Kamel is taking part as a panel speaker in the Creative Women Conference, which kicked off in the Western Cypriot city of Paphos on 4 May under the auspices and with the participation of Republic of Cyprus First Lady Mrs Andri Anastasiades.

The international two-day gathering is designed to support female entrepreneurs from around the world. Kamel, managing director of leading Cairo-based PR firm CC Plus, will be one of 37 speakers and panelists in the annual conference which runs from 4 to 5 May. She is the only Egyptian speaker in this year's round and the second to participate in the previous rounds.

Kamel noted that the event offers a great opportunity to promote Egyptian womens vision on the social and economic levels.

She added, "The conference will help us shed the light on the Egyptian governments achievements on the social and economic spectra, not just on the political level, as well as support high-calibre Egyptians."

She made reference to 2017 that Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi had declared a "Year of Women". The year culminated with the Egyptian cabinet appointing six female ministers, the largest number of women in one cabinet in Egypt's history. These include the portfolios of investment, tourism and social solidarity, which Kamel said have been some of the most successful ministries in recent years.

"We seek to make the Egyptian leadership set a good example of soft power through young formidable talents. We aim to make the world know us not just for our past and our great ancient history but to see that we possess an ambitious vision and remarkable insight for the future through which we connect with Western communities," Kamel concluded.

The Creative Women Conference is an opportunity to re-think business and creativity with influential minds, such as Baroness Anne Jenkin, member of the House of Lords, co-founder with Theresa May of the Women2Win campaign, and member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Women; Dr Amal Daraghmeh Masri, editor-in-chief and founder of Middle East Business News, as well as other notable figures from around the world.

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In the heart of Istanbul and specifically in the famous Istiklal Street, crowds of cinema-goers attended the 37th edition of Istanbul Film Festival. Throughout 11 nights, tens of films were screened the most important of which were in celebration of the 20th century's icons.

Looking for Oum Kalthoum is directed by the Iranian Shirin Neshat. Although Neshat faced obstacles in filming, whenever the film is screened she became more certain that she was right for tackling this legendary figure in the world of Arabic singing.

Although Oum Kalthoums voice wasnt strange to Neshat due to her upbringing, she didnt know Arabic. She settled in the West, leaving her country that was creeping persistently towards the Middle Ages.

The two screenings of her film were a sold out, where the sweeping majority was of the youth generation, who didnt live this era and perhaps didnt even hear Oum Kalthoums name. Here at last they have discovered the tunes without comprehending the meanings of the songs. Undoubtedly, their warm applause at the end of the screenings revealed that they realised the several messages the film bore, along with the challenges that the renowned songstress faced and how she overcame worn-out customs and conventions until she reached this elevated status.

The film wasnt a biopic but it was a film within a film in which the actress playing the director role was stressed and oppressed and who was trying to imitate her subject matter. While not likening herself to Oum Kalthoum, she is deeply fascinated with her as a real icon saying, I am also looking for Oum Kalthoum as an example to follow."

Egyptian actress Yasmin Raeis played ably the middle part of Oum Kalthoums life. This wasnt strange since Raeis was the protagonist of late director Mohamed Khans The Factory Girl which won almost 15 awards.

The festival also showed a documentary titled Maria by Callas directed by Tom Volf about the Greek soprano Maria Callas (1923-1977), who is considered the greatest opera songstress in the post-World War II period. It seems that four decades had to pass after Callas death in order that the world see her speaking about herself in very intimate words and a spontaneous manner reflecting weaknesses in her personality. All this was shown through rare colour clips taken behind the scenes as well as 8mm film, intermingling with live recordings and sorrowful messages.

Maria led an exceptional fiery life; a part of her emotions were vague. It was as if she were an old Greek tragic heroine who was driven to her inevitable downfall. Her marriage was on the rocks after she experienced love at first sight with billionaire Aristotle Onassis. She didnt realise that the world of money cant go hand in hand with her dreams and fragile emotions. Thus, gloom got the best of her which led to her death, her ashes thrown to the Aegean Sea.

Not far away from this period, the documentary Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex, Fashion and Disco, written and directed by James Crump, took us back to one of the most exciting eras on the political, cultural and social levels. It was the 60s which started with the Beatles through the 1968 student movement in France with all the baggage of revolt, absurd ideology, and its stark and wild colours.

The originally Puerto Rican talented American artist Lopez (1943-1987) was the epitome of this period. He was groundbreaking in the world of fashion through his designs and drawings that seemed at the time madness incarnated and drove some to call him the Fashion Picasso in an allusion to the famous Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. He approached the elite whether in Paris or New York. The film showed Hollywood actresses mourning him with sadly emotional words after dying of complications of AIDS.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture



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Hungary PM Orban vows tougher laws on migration

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has announced that his new government would soon bring forward tighter immigration rules.

After an election victory built on a fierce anti-migrant campaign, in a statement on the Prime Ministrys website, Orban said he will not support an EU budget in which funds are taken away from farmers, research and development and regional developments, and are given instead to countries which have let in migrants.

One of the most vociferous opponents of Muslim immigration into Europe, Orban won a third term in power after his campaign resonated with large swathes of the electorate, particularly in rural areas.

"WE ARE BUILDING A CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY"

He told public radio that his main political objectives were unchanged. We are building a Christian democracy. Orban said. An old-style Christian democracy rooted in European traditions, where human dignity is paramount and there is a separation of powers.

We will defend Christian culture and will not surrender the country to aliens. he added.

Orban also said that no foreign population from outside Europe could be settled in Hungary and that the application of European Union laws could not infringe its territorial integrity and population make-up.
X-Force is finally moving forward in development with Ryan Reynolds and the rest of the Deadpool 2 cast expected to appear that is except one. T.J. Miller will not be in the movie.

Reynolds confirmed that Miller will not reprise his Deadpool role as Weasel in Fox's X-Force movie. The actor did not provide details as to why the stand-up comedian will not be returning. However, there have been speculations that Miller's past charges were a factor in his involvement with the film.

Allegations

The 36-year-old American producer and writer was accused of sexual assault by a woman he met in his college days. The woman came forward with the accusations recently after principal photography for Deadpool 2 wrapped up in October. The woman alleged that the sexual encounter happened in 2001.

Aside from the alleged sexual assault, Miller was also charged in April for calling in a fake bomb threat. The actor was traveling on an Amtrak train from Washington D.C. to New York City when he reported the fake threat. If convicted, Miller could face up to five years behind bars.

Reynolds did not comment on the controversies surrounding his Deadpool 2 costar. He also expressed his uncertainty that a Deadpool 3 will happen, which puts Miller's fate with the franchise up in the air.

Deadpool 2 Cast

There have been doubts whether Miller will still appear in Deadpool 2 after the sexual assault allegation became public. Fans wondered whether the writers and director replaced him with another actor. However, it is obvious from the Deadpool 2 trailer that Miller is still in the film.

In the Deadpool sequel, Miller's Weasel plays an important role in helping Wade Wilson put together the X-Force. If Weasel does not appear in X-Force, then it is unclear how his story turns out in the sequel. Perhaps he will be killed off during an encounter with Cable (Josh Brolin).

Despite Miller's absence, X-Force will continue with the Deadpool 2 cast. Brolin, Zazie Beetz (Domino), Stefan Kapicic (Colossus), and Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead), among others, will reprise their respective roles.

Producers are also still deciding what other superheroes they will include in X-Force. Other Deadpool 2 cast with non-superhero roles expected to appear in the film include Morena Baccarin (Vanessa), Karan Soni (Dopinder), and Leslie Uggams (Blind Al).
Jeffrey Tambor will still appear in Arrested Development Season 5. Netflix has not cut ties with the actor amid the controversies surrounding the alleged sexual harassment charges against him.

'Arrested Development' Season 5

A representative for 20th Century Fox Television, the studio behind the show, confirmed Tambor's return on screen with several news outlets. The spokesperson said that the comedian is still a part of the series as the fifth season had been filmed last year before he was hit with sexual harassment allegations.

However, the representative did not provide details on whether Fox and Netflix have discussed pulling out Tambor from the show. The spokeswoman also did not respond to questions if the studio had talked about removing his scenes from Arrested Development.

In Arrested Development, Tambor plays two roles. He plays patriarch George Bluth Sr. and his twin Oscar Bluth. It is unclear though if his return in Season 5 seals his fate with the series.

As of this writing, no information is available whether he only makes a cameo appearance or only has a recurring role in the show. It is not known either if he remains a regular cast of the series.

Sexual Harassment Allegations

Tambor's confirmed appearance in Arrested Development Season 5 comes after news of his departure from Transparent. The actor left the series amid accusations of sexual harassment by fellow cast member Trace Lysette and a former assistant.

In November, Lysette accused the Emmy Award winner of lewd behavior when she was dressed in a lingerie top and shorts. She said that Tambor leaned his body against her and made thrusting motions against her body. She felt his privates on her hips.

Likewise, Tambor's former assistant Van Barnes claimed that he groped her and threatened to sue if she told anyone. The actor has since denied both Lysette and Barnes's allegations, although Amazon still removed him from Transparent.

"I am deeply sorry if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being sexually aggressive or if I ever offended or hurt anyone...The fact is, for all my flaws, I am not a predator and the idea that someone might see me in that way is more distressing than I can express," Tambor said of the sexual harassment allegations.

A few of Tambor's friends and castmates stood behind him amid the controversy. Jason Bateman and David Cross expressed their support for the actor in previous interviews.

Netflix has yet to announce a premiere date for Arrested Development Season 5. Series creator Mitch Hurwitz also has yet to reveal which episode Tambor appears in the series.
The sixth and last chariot of King Tutankhamun is one of the prized artefacts from the Tutankhamun collection now housed at the GEM

Completing a collection of 5,200 Tutankhamun artefacts, the Egyptian Ministry of Defence has offered the Ministry of Antiquities the sixth and last chariot of the boy king.

In a gala ceremony, Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany received the sixth and last chariot of Tutankhamun at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). The others were previously transferred to the GEMs laboratory centre.

El-Enany said that the chariot was discovered in 1922 in Tutankhamun's tomb. He described the GEM as a gift from Egypt to the world. He also thanked the Ministry of Defence for offering the chariot to the GEM and its transport from the Military Museum at Salah Al-Din Citadel to the GEM.

"It is the first time to display the six chariots together since their discovery in 1922," Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, told Ahram Online, adding that it took nine years to assemble and restore the chariots upon their discovery.

This particular chariot was sent to the Military Museum in 1987.

Eissa Zidan, head of restoration at the GEM, said the chariot was padded with special materials to absorb any vibrations during transportation. State-of-the-art technology and modern scientific techniques were used in order to guarantee the safe lifting and moving of the chariot from its display at the Military Museum.

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There's only a month left until actress Meghan Markle weds Prince Harry and one question remains: who will walk Markle down the aisle?

Apparently, her mother will not do the honors anymore but will still have a formal role in the ceremony.

Wedding Updates

Kensington Palace has given an update on the wedding proceedings in a press release. In it, the palace mentioned that Markle's father, Mr. Thomas Markle, will walk his daughter down the aisle at the ceremony which will take place at St. George's Chapel.

Meanwhile, Markle's mother, Ms. Doria Ragland, still has an important role to play in the wedding. On the morning of the wedding, she will ride the same car as her daughter to Windsor Castle.

The former Suits star will wed Prince Harry on May 19. Her parents will arrive in the UK on the week of the wedding. It will allow Prince Harry and his family to get to know his fiancee's family before the big day.

Harry's father Prince Charles, brother Prince William, and sister-in-law Kate Middleton are expected to be there to welcome Markle's parents to Windsor. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the British monarch herself, Queen Elizabeth II, will also be there to meet the future royal's parents.

However, this will not be the first time for Prince Harry to meet Ms. Ragland. He already spent time with her before and according to reports, he even asked her for Markle's hand in marriage.

Royal Wedding Tradition

The update to the wedding proceedings comes after several speculations claimed that Markle's mother will walk her down the aisle on her wedding. This assumption was brought by the fact that Ms. Ragland raised the actress on her own following her divorce from Mr. Markle.

The actress was largely raised by her mother, a social worker and yoga instructor, whom she remains very close with. This is why Markle reportedly lobbied behind-the-scenes for her mother to have a role during her special day.

Traditional royal weddings usually have the father of the bride walk her down the aisle and accompany her to the venue. Prince Harry's wedding to Markle departs from this tradition as both roles have been apparently split between the actress's parents.

"It's always been the father. In a wedding, the mother doesn't have a role. Meghan is making sure her mother does," Dickie Arbiter, a former spokesman for Queen Elizabeth II, said.
Letters

Is World History being taught Dear Editor, I have a question. Is World History being taught in our schools now? Are they being taught about Mao Z-dongs Tiananmen Square Massacre, Japans attack on Pearl 

Dear Editor, I have a question. Is World History being taught in our schools now? Are they being taught about Mao Z-dongs Tiananmen Square Massacre, Japans attack on Pearl Harbor, 

Community paramedicine may be what is needed to save lives The impact of the closure of the hospital in Oakland is already being felt across the area, with patients in emergency situations facing longer wait times before getting to a hospital and receiving 

Community paramedicine may be what is needed to save lives The impact of the closure of the hospital in Oakland is already being felt across the area, with patients in emergency situations facing longer wait times before getting to a hospital and receiving 

Letter to the editor Upon reading the article concerning the junior high football programs at Lyons Decatur Northeast (LDNE) and Oakland-Craig (O-C) I was inspired to write a short note. It gives one a 

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This government cares less for Indias forests and more for forest-based industries.

The government wants to hand over to corporate India not just some historical monuments. It is also contemplating letting them take over lands classified as forests because they are not productive enough. While social media has been abuzz about the governments decision to allow corporate houses to adopt nationally important historical monuments like the Red Fort, hardly any attention has been paid to crucial natural resources like Indias forests that could also be gifted to private business.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is currently looking at suggestions and objections raised to the draft National Forest Policy (NFP), 2018 that it released in March. This NFP will replace the existing one that came into effect 30 years ago in 1988. On the face of it, there is nothing wrong in rethinking a policy, particularly in the light of new information thrown up with the advent of climate change. Forests are an essential part of limiting the release of carbon dioxide, one of the main greenhouse gases, into the atmosphere as they have the ability to absorb it. Yet, while the draft does address climate concerns, its real intent has alarmed many environmentalists and civil society groups.
The national authorities of Belgium, Spain and Germany initiated investigations into an organised crime group (OCG) involved in a large-scale VAT fraud case that targeted numerous individuals and companies in Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Portugal and Romania.

This case, a so-called VAT carousel fraud case, began several years ago with an investigation in Spain. The OCG, mainly composed of German, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese nationals, created a network of computer and electronics companies throughout Europe to divert the illicit profit yielded in Spain. The criminals managed to avoid VAT payments in Spain and yet receive VAT reimbursements through the companies set up in other Member States by simulating their business operations.

After the Spanish Desk opened a case at Eurojust, a coordination meeting was held last month between the national authorities involved to exchange case-related information and plan the common actions, ensuring that the necessary judicial cooperation instruments would be timely and effectively implemented on the action day.

A coordination centre took place at Eurojust on 18 April to coordinate the simultaneous operations in the eight Member States concerned, which led to the arrest of the main suspects, more than 100 searches, the freezing of several bank accounts, as well as the seizure of assets, including cash and luxury cars. One company under investigation was estimated to have defrauded more than EUR 17 million over a two-year period.

On the action day, Eurojust swiftly reacted to evolving judicial cooperation needs by facilitating the execution of European Arrest Warrants, European Investigation Orders and freezing orders on the spot. Europol participated in the coordination centre via a mobile office deployed in Spain, contributing to the successful outcome of the operations.

Results:

Arrests: 1 in Belgium, 3 in Germany, 52 in Spain and 1 in Portugal

Searches: 6 in Belgium, 2 in Bulgaria, 14 in Germany, 62 in Spain, 4 in Italy, 3 in Hungary, 15 in Portugal and 1 in Romania

Interviews/interrogations: 2 interviews in Bulgaria, 10 interrogations in Germany
AGRICULTURE has overtaken mining as the most important contributor to WAs economy, according to a Bankwest business report.

The Bankwest Future of Business: Focus on Agriculture report, published as part of Bankwests Focus on Industry series, listed the agriculture sector as accounting for 2.4 per cent of gross State product last financial year.

It contributed 0.5pc to WAs growth  more than any other industry sector, according to the report compiled from analysis of data provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, IBIS World and other reputable sources.

Gross value of WA agriculture last financial year, according to Bankwest, was $13.4b, a one-year increase of 18.1pc and a five-year increase of 39.4pc.

The States net income from agriculture last financial year was $3b, a 69.8pc annual increase and a massive 156.2pc increase over five years, it said.

Nationally, climate-aided farmers last financial year contributed a record $63.4b in revenue to Australias economy, a 15.6pc increase over the previous year.

Cropping remained the dominant agriculture revenue producer last financial year, accounting for 55.3pc, while strong livestock prices produced profits but without much change in production levels.

WAs farmers led the nation in the year to June 30, producing 18 million tonnes of crops, a 27pc annual increase and more than any other State.

They will continue to lead NSW and South Australian counterparts  the two States closest to WA in agriculture production  this financial year, the report predicted.

Wheat clearly remained WAs major crop with 10,000 kilotonnes produced last financial year, followed by barley at 4200kt, canola at 2200kt and oats at 750kt.

Nationally, there was strong revenue growth despite lower prices, with revenue from wheat production up 57.2pc, barley up 49.2pc and canola up 49pc.

Livestock revenue grew thanks to strong prices, with lamb best at 23.5pc revenue growth, wool revenue up 11.9pc and cattle revenue up 5.9pc.

Price rises are expected to offset a decline in crop production this financial year with malting and feed barley predicted by the report to benefit from the biggest rises.

It also predicted sheep and lamb prices could continue to rise steadily, but cattle prices may fall by up to 13.1pc.

The strong performance of the agriculture sector last financial year had attracted interest from corporate investors, which in turn will help improve its efficiency and returns on investment, the report pointed out.

Falling commodity prices have brought a shift in focus from mining to agricultural investment, the report said.

Corporate agriculture and foreign investment has caused some farmers to invest in technology to drive cost savings and labour efficiencies, it said.

Innovations such as farm management software, satellite mapping systems, soil sensors, yield monitors and automated machinery are helping farmers remain cost competitive through productivity and production gains.

Looking ahead, agriculture is set to attract greater corporate investment as the sector provides diversification against traditional asset classes, the report said.

While corporates have taken a growing interest in the sector, 99pc of Australian agricultural businesses remain family owned and they hold 88pc of agricultural land.

The experience in Canada and the United States suggests family businesses will remain just as relevant in agriculture, the report said.

Just over three quarters of Australias agricultural revenue last financial year came from international buyers, with exports growing by 8.7pc to an estimated $48.7b.

Australia has also benefited from a 15.8pc decline in its trade weighted index during the five years to December 2017, making exports more competitive in international markets, the report pointed out.

This was likely to continue, it said, with Asias middle class projected to increase by 152.9pc by 2030 to 3.5 billion people and rising incomes driving increased demand for Australias premium quality agricultural products.

Bankwest general manager of business banking WA, Richard Bator, said growing WAs share of international trade was crucial.

Access to global markets outside of WAs existing largest export destinations of Indonesia ($940.8m), China ($912.4m) and Vietnam ($833.5m) presents an unmissable growth opportunity, Mr Bator said.

Brokering free trade agreements (FTAs) with major countries importing Australian agriculture has the capacity to unlock more buyers for the industry.

Recent FTAs with China, Korea and Japan have unlocked new revenue streams for parts of Australias agriculture sector.

Promisingly FTAs are already being negotiated with Indonesia, the EU and the UK, he said.

Mr Bator predicted technology would play a role in helping Australian farmers meet the challenge of supplying existing and new markets with quality food products at competitive prices.

The future will be increasingly influenced by the role of agricultural technology and the greater adoption of drones, soil mapping software and driverless tractor technology, he said.

These advances will allow small to medium-sized farms to perform farming operations with lower risk.

But as always, climate volatility and commodity prices will continue to have the greatest impact on farming bottom lines.
A DESIRE to better understand the soils across 40,000 hectares of its cropping and grazing land through New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia has led agribusiness Hassad Australia to conduct more than 2500 soil tests across its aggregations over the past 18 months.

Its all about boosting our productivity by getting a better feel for what we have in terms of soil types and fertility, said Hassad Australia senior agronomist Scott Ceeney.

Because the farms are aggregations, our Coonamble, NSW, farm is an aggregation of 19 properties you can get a massive variation in what you find in the soil tests just according to the paddock history, he said.

Paddocks that have been cropped are generally a lot more fertile than those that have been unimproved grazing country or other paddocks have had a much stronger fertiliser history than others, all of which creates variability.

When we decided to embark on this program of extensive soil testing it was because of this desire to really get a handle on what we had.

Mr Ceeney, based in Dubbo, said from here the business wanted to identify productivity gains, primarily through understanding the capabilities of the various soil types present across the farms.

For instance, in the Central West of NSW there are areas we have found with high chloride levels, which can be a constraint for cropping so we are investigating as to whether these areas would be better utilised under perennial pasture, Mr Ceeney said.

In other cases, weve changed crop rotations because the soil profile and crop type werent compatible.

Were also targeting a larger range of fertiliser products and seeing some promising responses.

He said in some cases the soil tests had revealed obvious solutions and in others more research work was needed, but overall he felt the program was a worthwhile investment.

As an investment, were confident it will pay for itself over time with increases in long-term productivity.

Mr Ceeney said down the track the company would investigate concepts such as zone management, where inputs were put out in line with areas of similar soil types.

Water holding capacity, fertility, productivity potential, theyre all things were going to be looking at.

The soil tests were conducted in locations recommended by Precision Cropping Technologies (PCT) who worked with Hassad Australia to map changes in soil profile conditions using electromagnetic (EM) and gamma radiometric surveys.

Collecting the data involved PCT staff driving up and back across the properties on 36 metre widths, continuously taking readings with the electromagnetic and gamma radiometric sensors.

The recordings from the survey were used to create surfaced maps of each of the four depths of sensitivity from the DualEM and four bands from the gamma radiometrics.

The maps indicate changes in the soil profile conditions which can be driven by both physical and chemical soil characteristics, including changes in texture, depth of soil and subsoil constraints like excessive sodicity and chloride.

Michael Wells from Precision Cropping Technologies said PCTs agCloud soil sensor maps were an excellent guide to soil variability.

When were working with customers like Hassad Australia, were helping them learn more about their farms and the nature of variability, and how it affects production and profitability, Mr Wells said.

With Hassad Australia, for example, the initial scanning and mapping process provided a very clear guide for testing.

PCT provided Hassad Australia with a detailed prescription for soil sampling, down to individual GPS points for each soil core.

It showed how many samples we needed to take for each test to be representative and exactly where they should be taken from, Mr Ceeney said.

Hassad and PCT are using Incitec Pivot Fertilisers Nutrient Advantage laboratory for soil testing on the east coast, a National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited laboratory specialising in soil, water and plant tissue testing for farmers.
WE need to be extremely careful about how we, as a nation, respond to the distressing incident that occurred on the Awassi Express last August.

Any proposal to shut down part or the whole of Australias live export trade is a totally disproportionate response in the context of an industry that, the majority of the time, operates in an ethical and humane fashion.

I welcome the debate about higher standards of animal welfare  I think the industry accepts that weve got to do better and we cant have these sorts of incidents occurring.

Clearly this is an emotive issue underlined by the disappointing acts of vandalism on my office front in Narrogin  not once, but twice.

The footage we saw from the Awassi Express is undoubtedly shocking and its the sort of conduct that every Australian would consider unacceptable.

But lets consider, for a moment, the industry as a whole and the implications of a ban on live exporting.

There are more than a million sheep exported out of Australia every year and were seeing a very miniscule percentage of these sheep caught up in incidents similar to the Awassi Express.

As a lifelong livestock farmer from Katanning, Im appalled by these images and knowing the care that most farmers put into their animals in preparation for sale, that sentiment would be held almost unanimously throughout the agricultural community.

There are thousands of families in my electorate whose livelihoods, at least in part, depend on the live export trade.

It is a vital part of the regional economy and to effectively punish those families in response to an isolated incident would have profound consequences for regional WA.

This is a terrible incident, but it represents a very small portion of the overall trade.

The general community dont see that every year, millions of animals are moved around humanely and proper welfare standards are upheld.

There are 106 countries around the world that export live animals.

Of those nations, Australia is the only one that requires World Organisation for Animal Health welfare standards to be met as a minimum for exported livestock.

We are setting a much higher standard in many of our destination countries that is lifting the standard for our competitors across the globe.

Our supply chain systems that are being implemented in our export countries are leading to much better animal outcomes around the world.

The final point I would make is that weve seen the disastrous consequences of shutting down the live export trade in recent history.

The Gillard governments spontaneous shutdown of live exports to Indonesia in 2011 was a move from which some farmers never recovered.

Those farmers are seeking $600 million in compensation for damages because of the previous governments actions  bid that, if successful, would ultimately be shared by all taxpayers.

Lets crack down on operators who breach the standards Australians expect of the industry.

I endorse the measures proposed by the Australian Livestock Exporters Council, including an independent observer and reduced stocking density for voyages bound for the Middle East in the northern hemisphere summer period.

But to shut down a vital component of the industry would undoubtedly threaten the livelihoods of rural Australians.

Its a proposal that Ill be vehemently opposing, and Ill be making that case if this matter is discussed in the party room.

- Rick Wilson, Federal Member for OConnor and chairman of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Water Resources
AS producers across the State turn their minds to seeding, many have also been thinking about how to make their cropping programs and livestock operations integrate more effectively.

Recently teams from Farmanco have been out and about sharing Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) benchmarking data from a national survey of mixed enterprise farmers to demonstrate where the avenues for improving profitability are.

Attendees at the profitable integration of cropping and livestock workshops recently presented in places including Moora, Pingelly, Dowerin and Kojonup were given a business shapshot of the producers who participated in the MLA benchmarking survey, which took place between 2013 and 2016.

The focus of the workshops was on the top 20 per cent of the most profitable producers which were compared to the remaining 80pc of their peers throughout the workshops, with the gaps and differences in their operating costs and priorities demonstrating the areas in which a management change could make a significant profitability difference for the average mixed enterprise producer.

Those who attended the workshops included producers, consultants and students, all keen to fill gaps in their knowledge about putting cropping and livestock together effectively.

Farm Weekly attended the last workshop in the series which was held at Kojonup last week where Farmancos Richard Brake, James Macfarlane and Stacey Bell gave presentations.

One of the key points made throughout the workshop was about the misconception that total cropping operations are more profitable than mixed farming enterprises.

There is a lot of misinformation out there  100pc croppers are not necessarily more profitable than mixed farmers, Mr Brake said.

There are certainly challenges associated with running a multi-focused enterprise, but profitability ultimately comes down to the management of both sides of the business.

Demonstrating ideas through benchmarking data isnt a new concept, but it certainly makes looking through charts and graphs more accessible when it is clear the figures related to the top 20pc of producers arent made up numbers, but rather a group of producers actually performing in the top 20pc profitability wise and achieving the figures on the Powerpoint screen.

Establishing the figures on screen during the workshop as achievable goals for mixed-enterprise producers, the presenters looked at what the key drivers of profit can be.

Identifying ways to optimise gross margins, utilise low cost models while managing people and risk effectively came up as those key profit drivers.

Mr Brake said though it might be easy to over-complicate a multi-faceted farming enterprise, simplicity is the key to a successful cropping and livestock business.

Just keep it simple, effective and efficient, he said.

This is one of the main things the top 20pc of producers are able to do.

Mr Brake and Mr Macfarlane discussed the key principles behind an effective low cost business model with the main driver of both the cropping and livestock sides of the business being asset utilisation (including machinery, labour and land).

From the discussion on labour came one of the major differing factors between the top 20pc of producers and the rest, which was people and time management.

This was probably the biggest difference between what the top 20pc of producers are doing in comparison to the remaining 80pc of producers, Mr Brake said.

The top 20pc effectively implement new practices and new ideas quickly, they up-skill their workers, they make sure the equipment their staff are using is well-maintained and modern so they can be as productive as possible.

The presenters also noted the value of looking at the personal strengths of the people at the head of a business with the results from a qualitative survey conducted by Farmanco.

It showed the top 20pc of producers demonstrated management characteristics including the ability to prioritise critical tasks, to be accountable for key business decisions, flexibility within the business plan, effective decision-making skills, effective time management of essential tasks and a strong desire to integrate cropping and livestock enterprises.

The significance of an effective workforce came up regularly throughout the workshop, as did the importance of time management.

Timeliness is crucial, Mr Brake said.

If youre running a mixed enterprise, you need to be able to allow time within your livestock operation to focus on the cropping side of the business when it needs the focus in order to be profitable, for example, during seeding.

But also dont get hung up on what other people do  if you have space in your business for a livestock manager and a cropping manager and can afford to be shearing during harvest or crutching during seeding, then by all means do that.

But it is absolutely crucial to be able to prioritise the time sensitive sides of your on-farm operations in order to be profitable.

Mr Brake said the top 20pc of producers were good at managing their time but also light on their feet when it came to the layout of their year-to-year operations.

Flexibility can play a big role in profitable integration of cropping and livestock operations, he said.

Markets arent fixed and neither should the set up of your operation be.

If you can make the most of opportunities in the market when they arise, thats when youll be looking at additional profit.

For example, if I have space in my enterprise to be able to keep an additional mob of ewe hoggets when the wool and sheep markets are strong, then I can take advantage of those market opportunities, in the same way that I might decide to alter my cropping program if it doesnt rain when I need it to around seeding time.

Mr Macfarlane spoke more about the livestock side of things during the workshop and it became clear the top 20pc of mixed enterprise producers spend more money in their livestock businesses then their peers.

Key indicators for gross margin optimisation in your livestock business include setting up your stocking rate to target 1.5-2 Dry Sheep Equivalent/hectare/100 millimetres of annual rain, optimising weaning percentages, adult fleece values and heavy grassfed turn off weights, he said.

But perhaps the most interesting thing to take away and certainly one of the more controversial points to note, is that the results of the survey showed that profitability doesnt necessarily have a strong correlation to high stocking rates.

The results came up on a scatter chart which just shows that so many factors play into the profitability of a multi-enterprise, not just the number of sheep you can run.

Its more about setting a sustainable stocking rate, understanding your environment and managing your business effectively.

Those key indicators also factor into where we see the top 20pc of producers spend money on their livestock operation to make money.

Investing in the livestock side of your business will help you get to goal weights, weaning percentages and dollar values down the line.

But also focusing on details such as mob size, shelter paddocks during lambing, keeping up condition scores and harsh culling will have a positive impact on the productivity of your livestock operation.

The presenters gave attendees a target to aim for with their sheep enterprises which has been determined to be the profitable sweet spot, which was 120pc weaning:$120/head:$60/head adult fleece value.

Further key indicators for best practice integration of both cropping and livestock were given as being able to retain 30pc of turnover as net profit, having fodder crops sown and seeding completed by set dates, operating with a legume based pasture phase, keeping variable costs at less than 50pc of turnover and total plant, machinery and labour costs ideally at 25pc of turnover.

If youre not achieving that, then its all about improving management, management, management, Mr Brake said.

The workshop finished up with a group discussion on the positives and negatives behind running both livestock and cropping enterprises within the same business.

The list of positives was long, as was the list of potential negatives which largely recognised the need for good overall business management in order for an integrated cropping and livestock business to be profitable.

As many producers know, sheep can help with weed management, stubble utilisation, disease control, moisture retention and soil health in a cropping enterprise, though if not managed closely, can also create weed issues, impact on time sensitive parts of the enterprise and stretch the workforce too thin.

So though the workshop discussed a lot of interesting data on where the top 20pc of producers spend their money and effort within their mixed enterprises, it was clear by the end of the day that effective management right through the cropping and livestock businesses was the principal factor in running a profitable mixed enterprise.
Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany escorted members of the media on a tour of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza to show that the fire that broke out at the museum last week did little damage to the museum.

The visit included a tour of the museum buildings as well as the display of the King Ramses II colossus and artefacts at the GEMs conservation centre.

Last Sunday, a minor fire broke out on the wooden scaffolding on the museums rear facade.

No one was harmed and no artefacts were damaged in the fire.

One hour after the fire broke out, the museums fire station, with aid from Civilian Security fire trucks, succeeded in extinguishing the flames, Mostafa Waziri Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities said at the time.

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.

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Chloe Green is set to give birth in June and is already planning her wedding.

Chloe Green and Jeremy Meeks

The 27-year-old Topshop heiress and her "hot felon" model boyfriend Jeremy Meeks are believed to be expecting a boy together and friends have claimed that they will tie the knot as soon as his divorce from his first wife comes through.

A source told the Daily Mail newspaper: "The family are fully on board planning a wedding, and [Chloe's mother] Tina is looking forward to being a grandmother. She is due to give birth soon after the Monaco Grand Prix. Chloe has been telling everyone that she is having a little boy."

Jeremy found fame in 2014 when his mugshot went viral after he was arrested for possession of a firearm.

He had previously been a member of the North Side Crips street gang in California and was described as "one of the most violent criminals in the Stockton area".

However, he claimed in 2016 that he had found God during his time in prison and Chloe's family are said to be charmed by the former jailbird.

Her parents, Sir Philip and Lady Tina, are believed to be happy for Chloe, with a source saying: "They think he's a great influence on Chloe. He is very polite, quiet, almost shy, and seems to really love her. They think he is a nice boy. Everyone gets along with him."

Jeremy is currently seeking to bifurcate his divorce from his first wife Melissa Meeks, i.e. split it into two parts, with the divorce itself coming first and other issues, including custody of their son, to be sorted out later.

This would leave Jeremy free to marry again.

Melissa Meeks' attorney, Lisa Bloom, said: "The divorce is not final yet and there is no word on when that is going to happen.

"Everything is fine and stable as far as she is concerned, and she is getting her child support.

"They have a custody arrangement worked out and her primary concern has always been her child.

"There is a hearing coming up in June and we are not opposing it and that is to bifurcate the issues of the divorce and the property."
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The Ethiopian government continues to ignore Egypts historical rights to Nile water and has refused to recognise its concerns over the building of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

The Ethiopian government has been evasive with regards to Egypts demands for negotiations over the building of the massive Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile in Ethiopia.

Since President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi came to power in 2014, he and his government have been treading carefully and diplomatically to repair the frictions caused by the former regime of Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi.

However, the Ethiopian side seems to have ignored those efforts, and it still maintains that Ethiopia will not cease building the dam regardless of Egypts complaints.

The new dam will be the seventh-largest hydroelectric plant in the world, with a power output of 6,450 MW. It is projected to have severe effects on the ecological balance of the Nile Basin and particularly on Egypt.

From the early construction of the dam in April 2011, which coincided with the eruption of the 25 January Revolution in Egypt, the Ethiopian side has been ferocious in its pursuit of building the dam and has nullified treaties controlling the distribution of Nile water including the 1929 and 1959 Treaties.

The latter guaranteed an annual flow of 55 billion square metres of water to Egypt and 18 billion to Sudan, and Ethiopia now considers this to be null and void. In this way, it has committed an act of aggression by ignoring internationally recognised treaties.

The Ethiopian government has utilised the building of the GERD as a mega-project, claiming that it will change the lives of the Ethiopian people and as a show of power against its northern neighbour.

This unwarranted provocation started during the time in office of former Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi, and it did not change greatly during the rule of former prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

The new Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has shown little sign of changing direction.

Yet, against such odds Egypt has kept the disagreements on the diplomatic level and has insisted that they need to be settled diplomatically.

Nevertheless, the Ethiopian government continues to ignore Egypts historical rights to the Nile water, and it has refused to accept almost all Egypts concerns during the building of the dam.

While Egypt clearly recognises Ethiopias right to build the dam and its right to development, it has presented its concerns about the negative effects of the building of the dam and the period of filling it on numerous occasions.

These effects include worries presented by many international experts, to the effect that during the period of filling the dam, which will take years, there will be a reduction in the flow of water in the Nile to an extent that may cause the hydroelectric turbines at the Aswan High Dam in Egypt to stop functioning.

Some experts have also warned of the structural weakness of the new dam in its current location, which could cause a huge disaster should it collapse for Sudan and possibly also for Egypt.

However, such concerns have been rejected by the Ethiopian government.

Even calls for a convention to reinitiate the negotiations between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia have fallen on deaf ears, as the latter countries have not replied to Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri regarding urgent negotiations.

Meanwhile, the Ethiopian government is playing a waiting game and testing Egypts patience on an issue that represents a matter of life and death for all Egyptians.

The water from the Nile represents over 90 per cent of the needs of the Egyptian population, now standing at 95 million, and this makes it crucial for Egypt to act.

Yet, Ethiopian officials want to place Egypt between a rock and a hard place, forcing it to accept their terms and maybe later forcing it to buy water supplies from Ethiopia, a notion that is completely inacceptable to all Egyptians.

This farce cannot continue, but before resorting to other options, all forms of diplomacy must be utilised to put pressure on the Ethiopian government and its allies including Qatar and Turkey.

Whatever the Ethiopian governments delusions, Egypt still holds its ground as a regional power and one that will not sit idly by in the face of Ethiopian provocation. It is also time for Egypts allies to realise that Egypt is not taking this matter lightly and that it will pursue its interests.

This message must reach the Ethiopian government and its Sudanese supporters who may think that because Egypt is fighting a war against terrorism on multiple fronts it cannot afford to give them its full attention.

They could not be further from the truth on this, however, because the Egyptian state cannot ignore the sudden loss of its water supplies as this is an existential matter for Egypt.

The reactions of the Ethiopian government resemble those of the early gold prospectors in the American west during the 19th-century Gold Rush.

This took place when immigrants and locals alike headed for the mountains of the Western states to dig for gold, unfettered by the dangers and blinded by the prospect of quick riches despite the huge risks involved.

It seems that the Ethiopian government is blinded by water fever, not recognising the realities of the world and the fact that the Egyptians, who have lived in the Nile Basin for seven millennia, will not allow any other country to tamper with their livelihoods.

The ancient Greek historian Herodotus called Egypt the gift of the Nile, and he could not have been more accurate in describing the importance of this great river as the lifeline of Egypt from the earliest beginnings of its civilisation.

The Nile is Egypts lifeline, and it is an irreplaceable source of water, regardless of other options such as desalination.

As a result, Egypts leadership will not be deterred by obstacles in its bid to ensure that the flow of the Nile remains unhindered, as it has been for millennia.

The writer is a political analyst and author of Egypts Arab Spring and the Winding Road to Democracy.

*This article was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly

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Evan Rachel Wood called out Grammy-nominated DJ and producer DJ Khaled for saying in a recently resurfaced interview from 2015 that he doesn't perform oral sex on women because the man is king.

In an old interview with "The Breakfast Club" radio show, Khaled made controversial statements regarding women, saying that they needed to "praise" their men, especially if he is the breadwinner of the family.

A woman should praise the man  the king, the 42-year-old music producer said. If you holding it down for your woman I feel like the woman should praise. And a man should praise the queen. But you know, my way of praising is called, ha-ha, How was dinner?, You like the house you living in?, You like all them clothes you getting? Im taking care of your family, Im taking care of my family You know, Im putting in the work.

When asked to clarify his statement, Khaled revealed that he doesn't perform oral sex on women and said, Nahhh. Never! I dont do that.

After the interview resurfaced on social media on Friday, Wood quickly lashed out at the music producer's comments. The "Westworld" actress took to Twitter to share her thoughts and wrote, "You're seriously missing out man," she tweeted. "Take it from someone who has pride and thoroughly enjoys pleasuring women. You should grow up."

Although the actress, who came out as bisexual in 2011, didn't directly tag Khaled in the quote, she retweeted an article from The Root about the DJ's statements.

Khaled continued on to say in the interview that though he would "never" perform oral sex on a woman, he does expect women to continue to "praise" the man and perform oral sex on him.

"It's different rules for men. You gotta understand, we the king," he said. "There's some things that y'all might not wanna do, but it got to get done. I just can't do what you want me to do. I just can't."

Khaled's resurfaced comments have made new headlines prompting responses from more celebrities.

Popular 90s rock band Smashmouth called out the DJ in a Twitter post, clearly disagreeing with his ideas and said, "A King who doesn't is no king at all."

"Roseanne" producer and comedian Whitney Cummings said, "I know everyone is upset DJ Khaled wont go down on his wife, but i feel like that isnt close to the biggest disappointment his wife has around sex with him? Im basing this mostly on the times Ive seen him in a hot tub."

And comedian and actor Billy Eichner wrote, "Sending thoughts and prayers to DJ Khaled's wife's vagina."

Khaled has been with his wife, Nicole Tuck, for 11 years. In 2016 they had their son, Asahd.
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Researchers just discovered a simple way to fight obesity, heart disease, and mental illness  by giving people puppies.

That may sound barking mad. But a new round of medical research shows that dogs, cats, and other four-legged friends can significantly boost people's physical and mental health  to the point where interacting with pets can actually be an effective form of therapy.

Consider how pets could help the 75 million Americans who suffer from high blood pressure, which increases the likelihood of experiencing a heart attack or stroke. In one study of more than 1,500 people aged 60 and over, dog owners had systolic blood pressure that was 3.34 milligrams of mercury lower than that for non-owners. Systolic blood pressure is the pressure in a person's blood vessels when his heart beats  the first number in a blood pressure reading.

A difference of just over 3.34 milligrams of mercury may not sound like much. But for each milligram of mercury decline in blood pressure, a person's risk of stroke goes down by 5 percent.

After five months, those who adopted dogs had significantly lower blood pressure than those who did not. When the remaining patients eventually adopted companions, their blood pressure also dropped.

Another analysis examined 30 patients at risk of high blood pressure. Some of the patients adopted dogs right away; others waited. After five months, those who adopted dogs had significantly lower blood pressure than those who did not. When the remaining patients eventually adopted companions, their blood pressure also dropped.

Pet owners are also more likely to exercise regularly. A study conducted by Australian researchers found that dog owners were physically active for an hour more each week than those who didn't have dogs.

My own research aligns with these findings. In a survey of people in Grenada  home to St. George's University, where I teach  my team found that less than 13 percent of pet-owners were obese. By contrast, 50 percent of the people in our sample who did not own pets were obese.

Keeping blood pressure low and staying active is great for the heart. One analysis of 3.4 million people spanning 12 years revealed that those who owned pets had a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who were pet-less.

Research shows that pets also improve people's mental health.

In one Israeli study, scientists deliberately elevated participants' stress levels by telling them that they might have to hold a tarantula. Then, to calm the participants down, researchers gave them either toy rabbits, toy turtles, real rabbits, or real turtles. The toys did nothing to relieve stress. But petting both the hard shell of real turtles and the soft fur of real bunnies calmed participants effectively.

A survey of veterinary school students produced similar results. Investigators asked students to report their stress levels on a scale from one to ten, as well as whether they had a pet at home. Six in ten people who did not own pets reported stress levels of eight or higher; only four in ten pet-owners said that they were similarly stressed.

Another review of 17 studies found that people with mental illnesses  including post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder  derive health benefits from owning pets.

Some hospitals and schools are acting on this research. At Indiana University Health North Hospital, dogs wander the hallways and spend time with patients who request a visit. Jon Goble, president of IU Health North, noted that when patients go in for surgery, "the dog will completely take their mind off what's happening or about to happen."

Virginia Commonwealth University offers therapy dogs to students during finals week. Experts there found that the dogs significantly reduced pre-exam jitters.

All this research exemplifies the interconnection between human health, animal health, and the environment. That interconnection is the foundation of the One Health movement, to which a number of universities, including St. George's, adhere in their teaching and research efforts.

Medical research shows that pets are the perfect antidote to all sorts of illnesses and ailments. It's time to unleash this knowledge across our healthcare system.
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Its Cinco de Mayo once again! Or, for those of you who dont know any Spanish, its the 5th of May.

Cinco de Mayo is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico. But in the U.S. the day has become a time to celebrate the Mexican heritage and culture of many Americans, particularly in areas where many Mexican-Americans live.

The day is also a time for misinformed, insensitive nitwits to justify celebrating tired stereotypes about Mexican history, culture and the Latino community in general.

Dont be one of them.

Resist the urge to put on a sombrero. That fake mustache isnt funny. And that wannabe Mexican accent isnt either. But, yes, by all means do have a shot of tequila.

Here are cinco ways you can celebrate Cinco de Mayo  the right way:

1. Know the History

Cinco de Mayo isnt Mexicos Independence Day  though a lot of American assume it is. The holiday commemorates the Battle of Puebla where on May 5, 1862, the longshot Mexican army defeated a larger and better-equipped invading French army. But while the victory was a morale boost, Mexico ultimately lost the war.

A century later, U.S. corporations commercialized the date (adopted by Mexican-American activists in the 1960s) in order to market to Latino consumers. Ah capitalism  transforming meaningful holidays like Christmas, Easter, St. Patricks Day and so on into money-making ventures.

By the way, Sept. 16 is Mexicos Independence Day.

2. Visit Puebla

Pack your bags and head south to where the Cinco de Mayo battle took place  Puebla. The charming capital city of the state of Puebla is just over two hours away from Mexico City

When I visited Puebla I enjoyed walking through history at the citys center and admiring the many Spanish colonial buildings with walls adorned with painted Talavera tiles.

The process to produce the pottery known for its traditional blue and white patterns hasnt changed since being introduced more than four centuries ago.

3. Sample the Food

Food is a great way to learn about a communitys culture. So, skip going to the local bar serving poor imitations of Mexican food and treat yourself to an authentic meal at a real Mexican restaurant in your neighborhood.

One of my favorite dishes from Puebla is mole poblano  a thick, rich, chocolate-tinged sauce that is good on just about anything. I usually have it with chicken, rice and beans.

The most popular legend associated with mole is that 16th century nuns were inspired by an angel to come up with the thick, sweet, rich sauce by mixing different types of chiles together in order to satisfy the taste buds of a visiting archbishop. Hallelujah, sisters!

For an even more divine culinary experience, I suggest you try chiles en nogada  a walnut-based cream sauce dish that is another source of pride for the people of Puebla.

4. Jarabe Tapatio

Dont put on the sombrero. Dance around the sombrero!

One of the most popular Mexican folk dances is the Jarabe Tapatio, better known as the Mexican hat dance. The traditional dance basically tells a story about how boy meets girl, girl disses boy and eventually boy wins girl over.

Women performers dress in colorfully embroidered blouses and billowing skirts made popular by another well-known Puebla legend, the China Poblana. The men dress in charro, the silver trim decorated suits used by mariachi bands.

5. Sip Tequila

Finally, of course it is more than appropriate to celebrate Cinco de Mayo by drinking tequila. Just change your game plan. Dont be like most people who just shoot it down as fast as they can after a lick of salt and sucking on lime. Tequila is meant to be sipped.

I visited the Jose Cuervo distillery in the town of Tequila near the city of Guadalajara. It was amazing to see the entire process from the jimadores harvesting the blue agave plants from fields to the ovens where the pinas are slowly baked to tasting the finished product.

Try the Bandera de Mexico, a three-shot glass drink celebrating the colors of Mexicos flag. One shot of lime juice (green), one of tequila (white) and one of Sangrita (red), a spicy tomato-based chaser.

Viva el Cinco de Mayo!! Viva Puebla!! Viva Mexico!!
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Most Americans are sick and tired of the leaky, slow-motion drama that Special Counsel Robert Muellers so-called Russia collusion investigation has become.

Mueller has mounted an all-out effort, funded by your tax dollars, to find something  anything  that he can use to accuse President Trump of illegal conduct. The goal is clear: getting the president either convicted on criminal charges (if such a thing is even possible for a president) or impeached and removed from office.

This may be as close to a coup as weve ever come in the United States. Unhappy with the 2016 election results  attributable to Americans who Hillary Clinton called a basket of deplorables  President Trumps opponents are now arrayed against him and want him out of the Oval Office.

The precedent being set by these post-election machinations is constitutionally damaging, and genuinely deplorable. Investigations of future presidents by their political opponents, as a means to force them from office, may become the norm.

Tying up any president  Democrat or Republican  in investigation after investigation after unwieldy, God-forsaken investigation would make it almost impossible for someone to effectively carry out the demanding job.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis hammered the point home Friday, addressing prosecutors working for Mueller at a hearing in Virginia on financial fraud charges against former Trump presidential campaign manager Paul Manafort.

"You don't really care about Mr. Manafort's bank fraud," Ellis told the prosecutors. You really care about getting information that Mr. Manafort can give you that would reflect on Mr. Trump and lead to his prosecution or impeachment or whatever.

Then the judge opened up the throttle. "We don't want anyone in this country with unfettered power, he said, and it's unlikely you're going to persuade me the special prosecutor has power to do anything he or she wants," since "the American people feel pretty strongly that no one has unfettered power."

Right he is! Already, the special counsels anti-Trump crusade has imposed incalculable costs on our country  creating distrust and disunity, unnecessary stress, emotional and mental fatigue, millions of wasted taxpayer dollars and rolling ill-will.

Lets remember one thing: The American people elected Donald Trump because we wanted him to tackle the nations serious problems  not be forced to devote endless time to an investigation thats more debacle than disclosure, waste than haste, and increasingly arrogant.

Whatever the original intent, the Mueller investigation has begun to consume people, eroding bonds that make us one. That is why it has to wrap up.

Now, on top of everything else, we face a constitutional crisis, as the Department of Justice challenges long-established congressional oversight authority.

To what end? To preserve a clutch of second-tier convictions? For that, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is gambling Americas institutional trust and longstanding inter-branch relationships.

Members of Congress recently requested documents from Rosenstein, including the full scope memo explaining exactly what the Mueller probe was assigned to investigate. Thats a reasonable request, since theres a great deal of confusion surrounding the Mueller investigations scope, duration, motives, authorities, personnel and selective focus.

Congress wants to understand  as do many Americans  whether Muellers wide-ranging investigation has gone beyond its scope, and when the investigation nightmare will end.

But Rosenstein refused to produce the scope memo without redactions, arguing that it pertains to an ongoing criminal investigation. This is a weak excuse, given the flood of recent leaks about the Mueller probe.

Congress constitutional oversight authority is supported by six express constitutional clauses and 18 separate laws  as well as Congresss historic power to subpoena, grant immunity, take testimony, hold executive officers in contempt, and impeach.

So Rosenstein is on shaky ground in telling Congress that it has no right to see what it needs to exercise oversight.

Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., who is chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, said earlier this week: "Valid investigative requests from Congress have been slow-walked, stonewalled, and impeded at each step of the way under his (Rosensteins) watch." That should not happen.

In response to Rosensteins refusal to produce key documents, some House members have prepared articles of impeachment against him as a last resort. They want accountability. They are right to want it.

Maybe Rosenstein just wants to be left alone  or to give Mueller more time for rummaging around for something on the president. Perhaps Rosenstein is allied with forces that want to avoid further congressional scrutiny.

Either way, Rosenstein said Tuesday: "I can tell you there are people who have been making threats privately and publicly against me for quite some time and I think they should understand by now: The Department of Justice is not going to be extorted."

Extorted? By members of Congress? Men and women elected by the American people to seek truth and assure accountability? What a curious, inapt and constitutionally disparaging reference by Rosenstein  a man trained in careful use of words like extorted.

Aiming to put himself in the right, Rosenstein added: "Were going to do what is required by the rule of law and any kind of threats that anybody makes are not going to affect the way we do our job."

Someone needs to slow this train down, or turn the burner back to simmer. No personal threats are contained in congressional insistence that executive branch officials comply with constitutional oversight. That is what the law requires. Refusing to comply doesnt uphold the law  it ignores the law.

In fact, the Justice Department has often been forced to disgorge documents to Congress that compromise cases. Whether Rosenstein likes it or not, that is the law. He is not exempt from legitimate congressional oversight, which can at times impinge on individual cases.

Constitutional oversight is paramount. In a head-to-head battle over what is produced, Congress always wins. Absent executive privilege, the deputy attorney general cannot bar Congress from the documents it seeks.

I was a principal counsel in the Waco investigation by Congress in 1995, which examined a disastrous siege by federal law enforcement officers against members of an armed religious cult in Waco, Texas. Some 86 people died  including four federal agents.

The committee I served compelled the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Immigration and Naturalization Service; and Justice Department to provide us with hundreds of thousands of documents that later resulted in criminal referrals.

Like today, tricks were played by political actors at the Justice Department. Our committee was stiff-armed, slow-rolled and flayed in the media. Documents were over-redacted, under-produced, and dumped on the eve of hearings, hiding critical things in a massive pile of nothing important.

But we got them. Such shameless legal games, in that day, distressed average Americans. They still do. These antics do a disservice to the pursuit of truth, disaffect regular people, and create unnecessary suspicion and distrust around institutions that work on trust.

Complying with lawful congressional oversight is central to upholding rule of law in a democracy. Obstructing Congress should not be a policy for any department, especially not the Justice Department.

No wonder that President Trump tweeted, in response to Rosensteins obstruction: A Rigged System - They dont want to turn over Documents to Congress. What are they afraid of? Why so much redacting? Why such unequal justice? At some point I will have no choice but to use the powers granted to the Presidency and get involved!

President Trump would be within his rights to get involved. Ironically, presidents have been criticized in the past for not providing information to Congress. But no modern president has been harangued by the opposition party for saying a department should provide Congress with material sought pursuant to constitutional oversight.

Heres the bottom line: Rosenstein has a responsibility  indeed, a duty  to give Congress the full scope memo explaining what Mueller is investigating and other information Congress needs to carry out its oversight responsibilities. America has a right to know.

And Mueller and his team have a responsibility to wrap up their investigation, so President Trump and his administration can get on with the important work he was elected to do.

To borrow a phrase from failed Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont: Enough is enough!

At a certain point, words run out, and action is required.
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Nearly two years ago, the British people voted for Brexit. They rejected the arguments of the political, business, academic and media establishment, which were united in their support for the European Union and its elitist agenda that favors the rich. Instead, voters chose populism, voting for Britain to become a self-governing, independent nation outside the EU.

You can say they were wrong; you can lament their decision. But you cant deny the facts of what happened.

But guess what? Denying the facts is exactly what the elitists are trying to do.

Right now, the political debate in the United Kingdom is about whether, after Brexit, the UK should ... kinda, sorta, stay in the EU really. Or whether in fact there needs to be a second referendum. Because, you know, the people got it wrong the first time.

Well, I suppose the Brits should be thankful for small mercies. At least in the UK theyre talking about a second vote.

Nothing so democratic is happening in the equivalent situation here in America, as the establishment seeks to overturn the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. But how can that happen? In the U.S., the chosen path to remove President Trump from office has become the Russia probe led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and its tabloid offshoot, the Stormy Daniels imbroglio.

The elitists in Washington (including  frighteningly  current and former leadership in our law enforcement and security bureaucracy) are monumentally aggrieved that the people had the temerity to elect a populist outsider to the White House. And theyre not prepared to wait for the 2020 election to try to replace populist Donald Trump.

Thats why this week I described the Mueller probe as a political counter-revolution.

Think back to the investigations origins. It was set up after President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey and told NBCs Lester Holt that it was because of the Russia thing.

Yes  it was because of the Russia thing; not because theres any basis to the Russia thing but precisely because there isnt  and because Comey refused to say that.

Where did the Russia thing itself begin? The Hillary Clinton campaign.

The Clinton campaign paid for the dodgy dossier that tried to smear the Trump campaign for supposedly colluding with Russia to win the election. When that didnt work  Clinton lost the election anyway  her supporters jumped on the Russia thing as the reason for her defeat.

You can imagine the supporters all saying: How could she possibly lose to him? There had to be foul play!

Because, of course, it couldnt possibly be the case that Clinton lost the election on the merits  that working Americans were sick of the policy failures of the establishment and wanted a change from the disastrous elitism of the last few decades.

No  of course that couldnt be true. It had to be the Russia thing. Anything else was too awful to contemplate.

And so in the days and weeks after the election  after the shell-shocked Democrats and their elitist allies in New York and Washington picked themselves off the floor  the drumbeat of the Russia thing got louder and louder.

The FBI investigation that was prompted by the Democrats dodgy dossier became public. The establishment, as intended, jumped on that too, embracing the belief that the Russians did it!

The Russia thing took over all political debate and became a huge distraction to the new Trump administration. The president wanted it to go away  hence the request to Comey to confirm publicly that President Trump wasnt under investigation. And then when Comey wouldnt do that he was fired. Which led to Mueller.

Whats the point of going over all this ancient history? To remind ourselves that the origin of the Russia thing  at least the part that relates to President Trump - was 100 percent political.

And thats how we need to see it today. The Mueller probe is political warfare through legal means  not surprising when you consider that the Democrats are the party of lawyers, funded by lawyers.

When James Comey, in an extraordinarily partisan remark even for him, said this week that he thought Hillary Clinton believed in the rule of law, what he really meant was that she  like him  believes in the rule of lawyers. Like them.

They dont care how their political counter-revolution gets President Trump out  whether its proving the original, fabricated claim about collusion; or by some legal process misstep by the president and his team; or by something to do with Stormy Daniels. As long as it gets President Trump out of the Oval Office before 2020, its fine with the counter-revolutionaries.

But this all-out effort by the establishment to remove a president who was legitimately elected according to the Constitution is doing terrible damage to the United States. Not just because its such a massive distraction from the bold policymaking thats needed to help address the very real problems in our economy, in our society  inadequate skills and family breakdown to name just two. But because it undermines democracy and the rule of law.

How do you think people will feel if they vote for an outsider  and the insiders just turn around and say: Sorry, you got it wrong. You cant do that.

In a nutshell, thats what the Mueller investigation is all about.

Former Trump campaign aide Michael Caputo, recounting his own (and his familys) ordeal at Muellers hands this week, put it well when he said:

I think they want to destroy the president, they want to destroy his family. They want to destroy his businesses. They want to destroy his friends so that no billionaire in lets say 50 years wakes up and tells his wife, You know this country is broken and only I can fix it. His wife will say, Are you crazy? Did you see what happened to Trump and everybody around him? Thats what this is about.

Caputo is absolutely right. And thats why this political counter-revolution must be confronted and defeated  in the name of democracy and the rule of law.

Well be debating all this with my guests, including Katrina Pierson, senior adviser for Trump 2020, this Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT on The Next Revolution on Fox News Channel  hope you can join us!
An FBI official says the bureau is not working to collect messages between anti-Trump FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, despite the request to do so from a top Republican senator as well as evidence suggesting they communicated about work-related matters on non-FBI accounts.

In a letter this week to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, Charles Thorley, the acting assistant director of the FBIs office of congressional affairs, said FBI employees are required to adhere to record keeping policies in place where communications constitute records under the Federal Records Act.

But Thorley said the FBI is not otherwise obligated to collect and/or retain all communications between its employees.

Thus, the FBI has not requested from Ms. Page or Mr. Strzok any information from their personal email accounts, nor as the FBI conducted searches of non-FBI-issued communications devices or non-FBI email accounts associated with Mr. Strzok or Ms. Page, he said.

In a Friday letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray obtained by Fox News, Grassley encouraged the bureau to obtain the messages.

The work-related communications on nongovernment systems could shed more light on how the FBI handled the Clinton investigation and would constitute federal records that the FBI would be obligated to retrieve and preserve under the Federal Records Act, Grassley said.

The Justice Department last week released a series of redacted Strzok-Page text messages to congressional committees. The messages show the FBI officials repeatedly referring to personal accounts, like gmail and imsg  short for the text message system on iPhones, iMessage.

Can I imsg a work q? Strzok texted Page on April 5, 2017.

The following day, Strzok texted: Hey clear gmail

Strzok added in a later text, Sent something to your gmail, work-related. Think Im going to pull here and send to [Michael] Kortan

Kortan, a confidant of former FBI Director James Comey and longtime head of public affairs, retired from the FBI in February.

Strzok also texted on April 16: Can I imsg something work-related?

Again, on April 27, Strzok texted Page: Am I ok to imsg you a Q? Wont be able to for an hour or so.

And on May 4, 2017: Can I imsg a work q?

In January, Grassley, R-Iowa, penned a letter to Wray after flagging similar text messages between Strzok and Page.

It appears that Strzok and Page transmitted federal records pertaining to the Clinton investigation on private, non-government services, Grassley wrote.

He asked whether the FBI has sought additional communications from their personal accounts and devices. Grassley, referencing the bureau's probe of Hillary Clinton's private email server use as secretary of state, also questioned whether their own similar conduct was a factor in not focusing on and developing evidence of similar violations by Secretary Clinton and her aides.

Strzok was a top figure in the bureaus Clinton investigation.

STRZOK-PAGE TEXTS REVEAL FRUSTRATION, SCRAMBLE AFTER COMEY FIRING: DYING DOWN HERE

Retired FBI special agent John Iannarelli told Fox News that Strzok and Page communicating on personal devices could pose a problem.

Specifically saying this is work related means you want to write something that is not discoverable by the FBI. They routinely check devices and they can be looked at, at any time, for any reason as part of FBI policy, Iannarelli said.

Iannarelli said it was improper practice, and seemingly on purpose.

If youre using your personal account, there would need to be an investigation and a subpoena [to obtain those messages], which could be forthcoming, Iannarelli said. There is a serious problem with an FBI agent purposefully wishing to take bureau-related matters to an unsecure platform for the purposes of not being discovered by their employee, Iannarelli told Fox News.

Iannarelli told Fox News that FBI policy is to communicate solely on FBI-issued devices for work-related matters.

It is unclear, at this point, whether congressional committees plan to request or subpoena personal communications between Strzok and Page.

Strzok and Page both joined Special Counsel Robert Muellers team in 2017.

Strzok was removed from Muellers team in August, following revelations that Strzok and Page were romantically involved and exchanged politically charged texts. Lawmakers have since obtained messages revealing anti-Trump sentiments.

A spokesman for Mueller told Fox News in July that Page was only on staff for a 45-day detail and, upon concluding work, returned to the FBIs Office of the General Counsel.

Strzok currently serves in the FBIs human resources division.
Former FBI Director James Comey testified to the House Intelligence Committee that FBI agents did not believe that Michael Flynn, who was national security adviser, intentionally lied about talks with Russias ambassador, according to a newly unredacted report from the committee.

Director Comey testified to the Committee that the agentsdiscerned no physical indications of deception," said a new version of the report obtained by Fox News on Friday. "They didnt see any change in posture, in tone, in inflection, in eye contact. They saw nothing that indicated to them that he knew he was lying to them.

But Flynn later pleaded guilty plea in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe of alleged Russian election meddling to making false statements to the FBI. He also lost his White House job over the Russia contacts controversy.

Fox News on Friday asked the special counsels office for comment, and about whether it had uncovered new evidence against Flynn. There had been no response by the time of publication. Fox News will update the reporting if a response becomes available.

Comey, who has been on tour promoting his new book, has suggested his testimony about Flynn had been misunderstood.

No, I saw that in the media, Comey said last week on Fox News Special Report. Someone misunderstood something I said. I didnt believe that and didnt say that.

But the House report also states that then-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe said FBI didnt detect deception from Flynn in the interview.

INTEL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN BLASTS 'SLOPPY REDACTIONS' IN RUSSIA REPORT

Deputy Director McCabe confirmed the interviewing agents initial impression and stated that the 'conundrum that we faced on their return from the interview is that although [the agents] didnt detect deception in the statements that he made in the interview  the statements were inconsistent with our understanding of the conversation that he had actually had with the ambassador,' the report states.

McCabe then acknowledged that "the two people who interviewed [Flynn] didn't think he was lying, [which] was not [a] great beginning of a false statement case."

Last week, the Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee released their report on its investigation of Moscow's role in the 2016 election. Much of the detail was redacted, providing no information to back up its conclusion about Flynns interactions with the agents.

A congressional source told Fox News the committee is still fighting over dozens of redactions in the report and, with the Flynn section now public, the source questioned why it was redacted in the first place.

The new version also reveals that Flynn met alone with two FBI agents at the White House following a call from McCabe to Flynn, at Comeys direction.

The report states the committee received conflicting testimony from then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, Comey, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mary McCord and McCabe about the purpose of the Flynn interview.

It listed several possible reasons for the interview, including whether the FBI was investigating Flynns "potentially misleading" statements to Vice President Pence, a possible violation of the Logan Act or to obtain more information about the Russia counterintelligence investigtion.

Earlier this week, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes blasted the FBI and the Department of Justice for excessive and sloppy redactions, amid efforts to unseal the redacted section having to do with Flynn.

The excessive and sloppy redactions applied to the House Intelligence Committees Russia report deny the American people the opportunity to know and understand the reports full findings and conclusions, Nunes told Fox News.

Fox News Judson Berger contributed to this report.
The White House announced Friday that President Trump will host the South Korean president in late May, as plans progress for a meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Trump and President Moon Jae-in will meet on May 22, the press release from Press Secretary Sarah Sanders' office said, marking the third summit for the pair.

The meeting affirms the enduring strength of the alliance and deep friendship between our two countries, the press release said.

It went on to say that the two leaders would continue their close coordination of developments regarding the Korean Peninsula following the April 27 inter-Korean Summit, referring to the recent historic meeting of North and South Korean leaders.

KIM JONG UN WALKS INTO SOUTH KOREA TO SHAKE HANDS WITH MOON JAE-IN

Trump and Moon are expected to talk about the presidents upcoming meeting with Kim, the leader of the Hermit Kingdom, the press release said.

The president on Friday shared new details about that meeting but without specifics. "We now have a date and we have a location, Trump told reporters prior to leaving for Dallas, where he was set to speak at the National Rifle Association annual convention. We'll be announcing it soon.

Trump has previously said the summit with North Korea will unfold in May or early June.

KIM JONG UN ORDERED NORTH KOREAN HIT SQUAD TO HUNT HIGH-RANKING DEFECTOR WITH NUKE SECRETS, REPORTS SAY

A possible meeting between Trump and Kim came to light following a trip then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo took to the rogue nation over Easter weekend.

Trump later acknowledged that Pompeo, who has since been confirmed as secretary of state, had met with Kim.

Mike Pompeo met with Kim Jong Un in North Korea last week. Meeting went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed, Trump tweeted. Details of the Summit are being worked out now. Denuclearization will be a great thing for World, but also for North Korea!

Fox News Tracey Bree, Nicole Darrah, Samuel Chamberlain and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Two FBI officials who worked closely with embattled former bureau director James Comey have left the agency, Fox News has confirmed.

Jim Baker, a top FBI lawyer who was reassigned in late 2017 after being linked to a journalist who wrote about the so-called "Trump dossier," is reportedly looking to join the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.

Lisa Page, whose electronic communications with another FBI employee drew accusations of political bias, "resigned" Friday to "pursue other opportunities," an FBI spokesperson told Fox News.

Comey acknowledged Bakers departure in a tweet, commending his former colleagues integrity and commitment to the rule of law.

Baker had been the subject of a Justice Department investigation on suspicion of leaking classified information about the so-called Trump dossier  a document that supposedly contained evidence about the Trump campaign's connection to Russia.

He had been reassigned in December as an adviser to current FBI Director Christopher Wray.

I love the FBI, Baker told the New York Times. I have tremendous respect for the bureau. The FBI was great, is great and will be great.

Page, who was previously a member of Robert Muellers special counsel team, came under fire for allegedly sending anti-Trump text messages to a colleague.

She was one of Comeys advisers in 2016 when the former director announced the bureau would not pursue criminal charges against Hillary Clinton for her handling of classified emails.

Comey has said he would have removed Page from any relevant investigations had he known of her anti-Trump bias.

Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Rudy Giuliani, the newest member of President Trumps legal team, on Saturday declined to answers questions about the simmering Stormy Daniels controversy, sticking to foreign policy issues like the Iran nuclear deal. But he also suggested that he'll address the Daniels issue on a Sunday-morning political show.

I dont mix my roles, Giuliani said at the Iran Freedom Convention, in Washington, D.C.

Giuliani, who was also scheduled to appear Saturday night on Fox News Justice with Judge Jeanine, said he thinks North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will release U.S. hostages in the coming days -- ahead of a planned summit between Kim and Trump that is apparently set for spring or early summer. However, Giuliani made clear he has no privileged information on the matter.

Im praying like everyone.  The less said about it, the better, said Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, who called working for Trump a great honor.

He also made clear that Trump remains unsupportive of an international deal led by the former Obama administration to ease sanctions on Iran in exchange for the country curtailing its nuclear program.

"What do you think is going to happen to that agreement?" he asked, before pretending to rip a piece of paper.

Trump named Giuliani to his legal team last week, shortly after attorney Ty Cobb announced he was leaving. Within hours, Giuliani found himself embroiled in controversy over his comments on the incendiary topic of Donald Trump and pornographic film star Stormy Daniels.

Giuliani said Trump knew about a $130,000 payment made to Daniels tfor her silence about allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump.

The payment was allegedly made by Trump personal lawyer Michael Cohen, who had said the president didnt know about the payment. Giuliani also said Trump repaid Cohen, a transaction thats also been in dispute. (And Trump has denied a tryst with Daniels.)

Trump on Friday suggested Giuliani, hired in an apparent attempt to conclude the special counsel Russia investigation, needed to "get his facts straight" about the payment.

Hours later, Giuliani backed away from his previous assertion that the Oct. 27 settlement had been made because Trump was in the last stretch of his presidential campaign.

"The payment was made to resolve a personal and false allegation in order to protect the president's family," he said in a statement. "It would have been done in any event, whether he was a candidate or not."

Giuliani at first also insisted Trump until recently didn't know the specifics of Cohen's arrangement with Daniels. And he told "Fox & Friends" on Thursday that the president was unaware of all the details until "maybe 10 days ago."

Giuliani told The New York Times that Trump had repaid Cohen $35,000 a month "out of his personal family account" after the campaign was over. He said Cohen received $460,000 or $470,000 in all for expenses related to Trump.

While Giuliani suggested Trump knew something about the payments, even as a monthly retainer, Trump had told reporters on Air Force One last month that he hadn't known about a settlement with Daniels.

Trump's irritation was plain Friday when reporters reminded him of his previous denial. He blasted the media for focusing on "crap" stories such as the Daniels matter and the special counsel's investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump visited Ohio on Saturday for a roundtable discussion with small-business owners about the recent GOP tax cuts. But as often the case, he turned the public event into a freewheeling discourse on such key issues as illegal immigration and U.S. trade policy.

He said people entering the U.S. illegally are taking advantage of Democrat-backed "catch-and-release" policies and fail to show up for their immigration court dates.

"We may have to close up our country to get this straight," Trump said at the Cleveland Public Auditorium, while also suggesting that the Democratic incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown supports open borders.

We have to have borders, Trump said. If you dont have borders, you dont have a country.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPREHENSIVE FOX NEWS COVERAGE OF THE MIDTERMS.

Trumps 2020 presidential campaign is backing Ohio Rep. Jim Renacci in the GOP bid to unseat Brown.

"Hell be fantastic, the president said of Renacci, who attended the event. "We need his vote very badly."

The primary is Tuesday.

Trump also repeated his call to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and said Mexico should have done more to prevent a large group of Central American migrants from reaching the U.S. border last month -- the so-called "caravan."

Trump while in Ohio also attend a fundraiser for the Republican National Committee, meeting first with high-dollar givers and then addressing a larger group of about 250 donors. The RNC says Trump is raising $3 million.

Trump won battleground Ohio in 2016 by 8 percentage points, and the state has had a Republican governor for roughly 23 of the past 27 years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry is under fire over a report claiming that he has been engaged in shadow diplomacy with officials from Iran and Europe as part of a final attempt to save the seemingly doomed 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

The Boston Globe reported Friday that Kerry sat down twice with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in recent months to strategize in a bid to save the deal, as part of what the Globe described as an aggressive yet stealthy mission to put pressure on the Trump administration to keep the deal in some form.

Trump faces a May 12 deadline to review the deal, and Kerry has been ramping up his meetings ahead of that deadline. He reportedly met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier -- who was foreign minister of Germany when the deal was negotiated. He has also met with French President Emmanuel Macron twice and spoken by phone with European Union foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini.

The Globe reported that Kerry was quiet in his campaign as he believes that a high-profile defense of the deal by prominent Democrats would only make Trump more likely to pull the U.S. out of the deal.

Kerrys reported actions immediately sparked criticism and raised claims that such dealings with Iranian and European officials could violate the Logan Act -- which prohibits private citizens from negotiating on behalf of the U.S. government without authorization

While no one has ever been successfully prosecuted under the law, the Logan Act was raised last year over former national security adviser Michael Flynns negotiations at the United Nations over a resolution with Israel during the Trump transition.

John Kerry helped craft a flaccid deal that granted the terror regime in Tehran vast monetary and geopolitical concessions, even as it put them on the glide path to nuclear weapons by its own terms, Sohrab Ahmari, senior writer at Commentary magazine, told Fox News. The biggest public service he can render now is to go away.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said Kerrys move certainly raises Logan Act questions.

He pointed to an alleged double standard, suggesting there would be a bigger outcry if Bush-era Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had done the same during the Obama administration.

There was a significant outcry from Democrats and the Obama administration in 2015 when Republicans -- led by Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton -- wrote to Iranian leadership explaining the difference between an executive agreement and a treaty.

The letter suggested that any deal without a congressional vote could be modified by a future Congress or revoked with the stroke of a pen by whoever replaces President Obama.

At that time, Kerry slammed Cotton's move as an unconstitutional, un-thought-out action by somebody who has been in the United States Senate for 60-something days."

Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz said Saturday that Kerry is lucky that no one has been prosecuted under the Logan Act or else he could be in trouble.

Fortunately for everybody, the Logan Act [is a] dead letter but if it were in existence, my friend John Kerry would be violating the Logan Act, Dershowitz said on Fox & Friends.

Although Kerry would not likely be prosecuted into the Logan Act, Dershowitz said that there are real problems with what Kerry is doing.

He is negotiating, though he is not in the administration, and there are real problems with doing that, he continued.

According to The Globe, Kerry has also been trying to get Congress on his side by placing dozens of phone calls, including to House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Kerry is reported to have coordinated his push with a group of former top State Department advisers who helped negotiate the Iran deal -- named Diplomacy Works. The group has reportedly chosen to focus on Europeans, Israelis and non-partisan experts to try and salvage the deal.

This isnt President Obamas agreement. Its the worlds agreement, David Wade, a longtime Kerry adviser and advisor to Diplomacy Works, told The Globe. Maybe Macron, Merkel, and Great Britain can persuade the administration, but if they cant theyll be even more essential to protecting the deal absent the United States. We know these voices are powerful. They have an audience with the president and our allies are popular at home.

Diplomacy Works did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.

Trump has been critical not only of the Iran deal but also Kerrys role in negotiating the deal in particular. He has repeatedly called him the worst negotiator Ive ever seen.

On Friday, Trump mocked Kerry at the National Rifle Associations annual conference in Dallas, Texas, describing him as not the best negotiator weve ever seen and mocking Kerry for breaking his leg during 2015 negotiations.

He never walked away from the table, except to be in that bicycle race where he fell and broke his leg, he said to cheers from the crowd. That was the only time.
As U.S. Sen. John McCain recovers from recent brain cancer treatment and surgery, the Arizona Republican has finished a memoir and been receiving visitors at his Sedona ranch, including from one of his daughters.

Meghan McCain tweeted Friday that she was heading to her fathers side.

"Going home to Arizona to be with my family," she tweeted. "Thank you all again for your prayers, patience, understanding and compassion during this time. It means the world to me and my entire family."

Previous visitors included former Vice President Joe Biden last Sunday, and longtime friends U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and former U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman two weeks ago.

McCain, 81, had hoped to return to the Senate, where he's served for more than 30 years. He has been unable to do so after cancer treatment and surgery for an intestinal infection last month.

Despite that, he's finished work on a new book being released May 22, "The Restless Wave." And he continued to advocate for a return to the days when partisans could disagree without demonizing each other.

"I'd like to see us recover our sense that we're more alike than different," McCain said in audio excerpts from his book, NPR reported.

McCain was a Vietnamese prisoner of war who served nearly 30 years in the U.S. Navy. He has limited use of his arms due to torture as a POW.

The Senate's self-styled "maverick" has amplified his call for more civil politics since his diagnosis of glioblastoma last July. It's the same rare and aggressive brain cancer that felled his friend, Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy, at age 77 in 2009, and former Vice President Joe Biden's son Beau at 46 in 2015.

McCain knows the odds and even said he might not live to see his book published, in his excerpt reading on NPR.

I don't know how much longer I'll be here.  I hate to leave it. But I don't have a complaint. Not one. It's been quite a ride, McCain said. I made a small place for myself in the story of America and the history of my times."

I don't know how much longer I'll be here.  I hate to leave it. But I don't have a complaint. Not one. It's been quite a ride.  U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Meghan McCain remains hopeful.

Hes made this really incredible comeback, she told Politico in February. I think its a very high likelihood hell come back to D.C. at some point.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump could address the U.K.'s Parliament in July, as members of the House of Lords reportedly look to outflank the anti-Trump speaker of the House of Commons -- who nixed a Trump address last year in protest of the White House's controversial travel ban.

Details of Trumps visit to the U.K. have yet to be announced, although he is to meet with Prime Minister Theresa May on July 13. It will be a working visit rather than a state one -- a move that was floated when Trump took office but has since been delayed.



The U.K. Independent reported this week that peers in the House of Lords -- Parliaments second chamber -- are pushing for Trump to be invited to address members of both houses in the ornate Royal Gallery, where Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton have addressed members.



The lavish room, which features several portraits of monarchs including Richard I and Edward III, is used for occasions such as state receptions and parliamentary ceremonies.



My own personal views on him are completely irrelevant  we should give him the opportunity to speak to both houses, Lord Cormack, a Conservative peer, told the news outlet. He should be received with proper good manners, and as far as a speech is concerned ... he would speak where most other presidents have spoken  in the Royal Gallery.

The U.K. Telegraph reported that House of Lords authorities would be "broadly sympathetic" to the request if it came from the U.K. government.



Lord Fowler, the lord speaker, said in a statement that no conversations have taken place between the Lords and the U.K. government regarding a Trump address at the Royal Gallery. However, he did not rule out such a move, noting that since he had become lord speaker both the king of Spain and the president of Colombia had spoken at the Royal Gallery.



Any request for [Trump] to speak in the Royal Gallery would be discussed if and when it were received, he said in a statement before noting, The United States is a longstanding ally and friend of the United Kingdom.



The White House said it had nothing to announce at this time



But such an address would likely infuriate Trumps critics, both outside Parliament and within. A number of left-wing lawmakers, as well as some in Mays Conservative Party, objected to a state visit by Trump, and mass protests are believed to be planned for the visit in July.



House of Commons Speaker John Bercow took the unusual step last year of ruling out an address to Parliament by Trump, citing the travel ban in particular.



Bercow made a dramatic speech in which he said he strongly opposed Trump's speaking.

UK SPEAKER BERCOW MOCKED, CALLED A HYPOCRITE OVER TRUMP SNUB



I feel very strongly that our opposition to racism and to sexism, and our support for equality before the law and an independent judiciary are hugely important considerations in the House of Commons, he said.



While Bercow was applauded by left-wing members of the House, he was mocked by right-wing lawmakers and media outlets.



"No doubt this latest act of self-indulgent attention-seeking is another part of his legacy-building. In fact, he will go down in history as a speaker whose arrogance and self-regard besmirched his great office," an editorial in The Telegraph said.



While Bercow has vetoed the use of Westminster Hall, where President Obama spoke in 2011, The Independent reports that Bercow has less say over the Royal Gallery -- and could therefore be bypassed.

Bercows office declined to comment for this story.

The move would likely be supported by some members of the House of Commons, too. Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg told Sky News this week that Trump should be given "the reddest of red carpets" and be allowed to speak if he would like.



The announcement of the Trump visit came shortly after French President Emmanuel Macron visited the White House, with both Trump and Macron using the phrase special relationship -- a phrase normally reserved to the U.S.-U.K. relationship.

One Conservative peer told The Independent that Bercow had interfered with the diplomatic interests of the country.



You have to accept that in the democratic world you do business with whoever is elected, and in this instance, in relations with the US, Britain has let France steal a march on it, he said.


The White House on Saturday slammed the Chinese government for engaging in Orwellian nonsense after Chinese officials demanded that U.S. airlines change how they refer to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.



"President Donald J. Trump ran against political correctness in the United States, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. He will stand up for Americans resisting efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to impose Chinese political correctness on American companies and citizens.

The White House said that the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration sent a letter to a number of air carriers, including American ones, demanding changes to how the Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao are referred to on websites and promotional material.



Reuters reports that they were told to remove references suggesting that the three are separate countries, a claim the Chinese government has long disputed.



But the White House said it would resist that it described as efforts to export its censorship and political correctness to Americans and the rest of the free world.



The statement also called on China to stop threatening or coercing American carriers and citizens.



A U.S. delegation led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin met this week with business and government leaders in China. Trump has repeatedly sought to take a hard line on China, while at the same time praising President Xi Jinping.



On Friday, Trump said he would meet with the delegation, and added that it is hard for China, in that they have become very spoiled with U.S. trade wins!
A 6.9-magnitude earthquake rattled the Big Island of Hawaii on Friday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, following a recent volcanic eruption.

The quake hit roughly 10 miles southwest of Leilani Estates, the USGS reported. It was centered near the south flank of Kilauea volcano, which erupted Thursday and continued to spew lava into Friday.

"This last one was scary," state Sen. Russell Ruderman of Keauu told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. "It starts rocking and keeps on going. It's very frightening. We're rattled."

"This last one was scary. It starts rocking and keeps on going. It's very frightening. We're rattled."  State Sen. Russell Ruderman of Keauu

The seismic event -- reportedly Hawaii's biggest earthquake since the 1970s -- was preceeded by reports of a 5.4-magnitude earthquake that struck roughly 11 miles southwest of the same area, the USGS said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the earthquake wasn't powerful enough to cause a tsunami, according to the Associated Press. No tsunami threat or advisory is in place, they added.

Maj. Jeff Hickman, spokesman for the Hawaii National Guard, told the Associated Press that neither the Hilo airport nor the highways were damanged amid the quake.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation previously tweeted that there had been no reported damage to roadways.

"Crews are continuing to conduct inspections and are monitoring conditions," the agency said.

The earlier Kilauea volcano eruption forced officials to issue evacuation orders to more than 1,700 residents.

Aerial drone footage showed a line of lava snaking its way through forest land and bubbling up on paved streets near the town of Pahoa on the Big Island. Elsewhere, lava spurted into the sky from cracks in the road.

Fire officials warned that they had detected extremely high levels of sulfur in the area and reiterated that people should leave until the threat had passed.

Asta Miklius, a geophysicist with the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, told the Associated Press that the volcano has "quite a bit of magma in the system."

"It won't be just an hours-long eruption probably, but how long it will last will depend on whether the summit magma reservoir gets involved," Miklius said. "And so we are watching that very, very closely."

Fox News' Amy Lieu, Lucia I. Suarez Sang and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
NASA launched its InSight spacecraft bound for Mars on Saturday morning from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, marking the first interplanetary mission ever to depart from the West Coast.

The spacecraft's trip will last approximately seven months and cover some 301 million miles, with arrival in the Elysium Planitia region of the red planet in late November.

According to NASA, it is "the first mission dedicated to understanding the internal structure of Mars."

After its arrival to Mars, the lander will begin a two-year experiment designed to enhance scientists understanding of Mars deeper interior.

The lander will dig deeper into Mars than ever before  nearly 16 feet or 5 meters  to take the planet's temperature. It will also attempt to make the first measurements of marsquakes, using a seismometer placed directly on the Martian surface.

"This mission will probe the interior of another terrestrial planet, giving us an idea of the size of the core, the mantle, the crust and our ability then to compare that with the Earth," said NASA's chief scientist Jim Green. "This is of fundamental importance to understand the origin of our solar system and how it became the way it is today."

Scientists say they hope the experiment will provide them with clues about what Mars was like in the past and if those conditions could have accommodated life.

Also aboard the Atlas V rocket: a pair of mini satellites, or CubeSats, meant to trail InSight all the way to Mars in a first-of-its-kind technology demonstration.

The $1 billion mission involves scientists from the U.S., France, Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

"I can't describe to you in words how very excited I am ... to go off to Mars," said project manager Tom Hoffman from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. "It's going to be awesome."

NASA normally launches from Cape Canaveral but decided to switch to California for InSight to take advantage of a shorter flight backlog. This was the first U.S. interplanetary mission to launch from somewhere other than Cape Canaveral.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
California is expected next week to mandate that most newly constructed homes include solar panels starting in 2020.

The California Energy Commission will vote on the new solar energy standard Wednesday, Southern California News Group reported.

California is about to take a quantum leap in energy standards, Bob Raymer, technical director for the California Building Industry Association, told the newspaper. No other state in the nation mandates solar, and we are about to take that leap.

The proposed solar standards would add about $25,000 to $30,000 to the cost of home construction, said C.R. Herro, Meritage Homes' vice president of environmental affairs, according to the report.

But the cost should result in a savings of $50,000 to $60,000 over 25 years, he said.

California has previously imposed mandates, or attempted mandates, on auto emissions standards, retirement savings for private-sector workers, teaching gay history, water usage, vaccines, teen privacy and other issues.

The new solar mandate would apply to all houses, condos and apartment buildings up to three stories tall that obtain building permits after Jan. 1, 2020, the report said.

The mandate originated in 2007 when the state energy commission adopted the goal of making homebuilding so efficient that newly constructed buildings can be net zero energy by 2020 for residences and by 2030 for commercial buildings, SCNG reported.

But new thinking has made the net-zero goal obsolete, state officials told the news outlet.

Zero net energy isnt enough, said Andrew McAllister, one of five state energy commissioners voting on the new homebuilding standards. If we pursue (zero net energy) as a comprehensive policy, wed be making investments that would be somewhat out of touch with our long-term goals.

If the mandate is approved as expected, solar installations on new homes would also skyrocket, the report said.

But the mandate has its critics.

Bill Watt, a former president of the Orange County Building Industry Association, said the added costs can put home prices further out of reach for many would-be buyers, the News Group reported.

Were not building enough housing already, Watt said. Why not just pause for a little while, focus on the affordability and housing issues, then circle back?

Builders would prefer California move slower in imposing the solar mandate, but most nonetheless should be prepared by mid-2020, Raymer said.

On the contrary, environmentalists approve of the new standards.

The technology is developing so fast, we think the timeline was a bit slow, said Kathryn Phillips, director of Sierra Club California.

Pierre Delforge, energy efficiency program director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, told the News Group that the proposed update was another important step toward the environmentally-friendly, healthy and affordable home of the future.

Texas, in contrast, is taking a free-market approach that former California state Assemblymember Chuck DeVore said is increasing the use of clean renewable energy as well lowering electricity bills.

DeVore is now a vice president with the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Former President George H.W. Bush was released from the hospital on Friday after being admitted last month with an infection shortly after the death of his wife, Barbara, his spokesman said.

President @GeorgeHWBush was discharged from @MethodistHosp after treatment for an infection, the tweet from spokesman Jim McGrath said. His doctors report he is doing well and is happy to return home.

The 41st president, 93, was admitted to the Texas hospital on April 22, one day after the funeral of his wife, former first lady Barbara Bush, who died on April 17 at age 92. The two had been married for 73 years.

FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH HOSPITALIZED ONE DAY AFTER WIFE BARBARAS FUNERAL, SPOKESMAN SAYS

He had contracted "an infection that spread to his blood," McGrath said at the time, but was responding to treatments and was on the mend.

The family spokesman continued to provide updates on Bushs condition throughout his time in the hospital, previously sharing that the former president was in great spirits and looking forward to going home.

GEORGE HW BUSH EAGER FOR DOCTORS OK TO LEAVE TEXAS HOSPITAL

Bush has used a wheelchair and an electric scooter for mobility since developing a form of Parkinson's disease, and he has needed hospital treatment several times in recent years for respiratory problems.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, son of the former president, tweeted about his dad on Friday.

Thanks for all of your prayers, Jeb wrote. Dad is doing well and headed home soon.

Bush served as president from 1989 to 1993 and as vice president under Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1989. He also served as a congressman and as director of the CIA.

Fox News Matt Richardson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Georgia man convicted of murdering an off-duty prison guard 22 years ago was executed by lethal injection Friday evening.

The lawyers for Robert Butts Jr., 40, launched a last-minute appeal Friday with the U.S. Supreme Court but were rejected.

Butts twitched briefly as the lethal injection flowed into his body and groaned, "It burns, man."

He was declared dead by a prison warden at 9:58 p.m. after the compounded barbiturate pentobarbital was injected into his body. Prison officials said he had declined to take a sedative.

Strapped to a gurney with his arms out to his sides, Butts kept his eyes closed throughout the procedure. A tube that delivers the killing drugs through a wall appeared to pulse soon after the warden left the death chamber at 9:42.

His feet, in white socks visible under a blanket, briefly twitched. He yawned, then a short time later, opened his mouth again, noiselessly. His chest rose high as his back arched. Then he took about nine deep breaths, and after that, he lay still.

The State of Georgia argued that Butts had been justly convicted and faced a fair sentence.

Butts was the second inmate put to death in Georgia this year, and 10th overall in the United States.

According to court records, Butts and his accomplice, Marion Wilson, had asked Donavan Parks, 25, for a ride at a local Walmart in southeast Atlanta in 1996. Parks obliged.

Later, Wilson pulled Parks out of the car by his tie before Butts shot him in the back of a head with a sawed-off shotgun, court records say. After failing to sell the car at a pawn shop, Butts and Wilson set the car on fire.

Butts lawyers argued against the death sentence, and insisted that Wilson, not Butts had been the shooter, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The lawyers cited jail house informants who claimed Butts had told them he had not murdered Parks.

According to a clemency petition, two of Butts cell mates admitted to lying when they said he had confessed to the murder.

The lawyers last-minute launching of an appeal on Friday with the U.S. Supreme Court was rejected. The State of Georgia argued that Butts had been justly convicted and faced a fair sentence.

Butts was the second inmate put to death in Georgia this year, and 10th overall in the United States.

Wilson, who has also been sentenced to death, is appealing his case.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
School officials in Southern California this week ordered part of a mural to be covered because the artwork showed President Donald Trump's severed head on the end of a spear.

After complaints from the community, the mural was initially covered with plastic Wednesday, then later covered with plywood, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Obviously theres a lot of concern over what is depicted, Manny Rubio, public information officer for the Sweetwater Union High School District in San Diego County, told the paper.

Obviously theres a lot of concern over what is depicted.  Manny Rubio, public information officer, Sweetwater Union High School District

Artist Sasha Andrade has agreed to change the painting to better align with the schools philosophy, MAAC Community Charter School director Tommy Ramirez said in a statement, the paper reported.

MAAC is a nonprofit that oversees the school, which is independently run, not governed by the districts board of trustees, according to the paper.

Andrade took to social media to defend the work, which shows three warriors  one gripping a sword, another grasping a heart, and a third clutching the spear with the presidents severed head.

They can try to #censor it but here it is guys! she wrote in a post on Facebook, with a photo of the mural. She added: lets make this viral.

Francia Baluca, marketing and communications manager for MAAC, said school officials were checking whether Andrades concept was communicated before officials became aware of the mural.

It was far from the first time that Trump has been depicted in controversial artworks.

Actor Jim Carrey stoked the fire in March after he tweeted a photo of his painting of an open-robed Trump rubbing his hairy chest in front of a bowl of ice cream.

"Its called, 'You Scream. I Scream. Will We Ever Stop Screaming?'" Carrey, 56, wrote in a tweet.

In its latest prank, Indecline, an artists group known for erecting naked statues of Trump in various cities across the U.S., recently transformed a room in the Trump International Hotel & Tower hotel in New York City, adding live rats and a Trump impersonator wearing golden handcuffs.
The final group of caravan-traveling Central American migrants who arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, last week -- after a month-long journey to flee violence and seek asylum in the U.S. -- have crossed into California, beginning a lengthy immigration process that often ends in rejection.

Of the roughly 400 migrants from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, 228 have sought asylum in the U.S.  while many others decided to stay behind, Reuters reported.

"Where is the wall? I want to climb Trump's wall," a 4-year-old boy said as his mother laughed, Reuters reported.

President Donald Trump has cited the caravan to illustrate what he called weak & ineffective U.S. immigration laws."

"Our Southern Border is under seige," the president tweeted earlier this week.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the caravan arrival at the border a deliberate attempt to undermine our laws and overwhelm our system."

The 2,000-mile trek began with more than 1,000 people, but only a few hundred remained by the journeys end.

About 70 made their way across the border into the U.S. Port of Entry around 9 a.m. Friday morning, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The asylum process can take months, sometimes years to complete, and applicants from Central America are often immediately detained, then eventually denied entry and deported, according to Reuters.

Between 2011 and 2016, 75 percent of asylum-seekers from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador have been denied, FOX 5 reported, citing Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.

Also on Friday, the White House announced the end of temporary protections for 57,000 Honduran immigrants who sought refuge in the U.S. after Hurricane Mitch two decades ago. The end will take effect Jan. 5, 2020, according to Reuters.
Immigration officers have arrested a Guatemalan national who mowed down and killed an FBI agent and a fire marshal on a Maryland highway last year.

Roberto Garza Palacios was accused of being unlawfully present in the U.S. after overstaying a work visa that expired in 2009, Fox 5 DC reported Friday. He was arrested Thursday in Gaithersburg, Md., where he was living.

The station reported that after an arrest in 2015 on local charges, Montgomery County released Garza Palacios from custody despite an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer to hold him.

The 28-year-old man, who worked in landscaping and construction, was charged Tuesday with negligent driving in the deaths in December of FBI agent Carlos Wolf, 36, and Maryland fire marshal Sander Cohen, 33.

Wolf had crashed his vehicle on Interstate 270, and Cohen stopped to help him. Both men were off-duty. Garza Palacios drove up, swerved to avoid their vehicles and plowed into them on the shoulder.

He spoke at the scene to investigators who ruled out alcohol, drugs or speed as factors in the crash, the station reported.

The negligent driving charge is punishable by a $280 fine and the loss of three points on a license.
A veteran Indiana police officer was fatally shot in an exchange of gunrfire with a homicide suspect who later died from injuries suffered during the shootout, authorities said.

The Terre Haute Police Department announced the death of Patrolman Rob Pitts Saturday. He had been a member of the department for 16 years.

Rob is deeply missed, but we are grateful for the time we had with him," Terre Haute police spokesman Ryan Adamson said Saturday. Thank you for your continued prayers.

It is another tragic loss for the Wabash Valley and the Terre Haute Police Department."  Sgt. Joe Watts, Indiana State Police

The suspect opened fire Friday from the second floor of a Terre Haute apartment building after he was approached by four investigators, police said in a news release. The suspect had been linked to a homicide earlier Friday.

After being shot, Pitts was taken to Terre Haute Regional Hospital, where he died, police said.

It is another tragic loss for the Wabash Valley and the Terre Haute Police Department," Sgt. Joe Watts of the Indiana State Police said.

Terre Haute Police Chief John Plasse said the suspect barricaded himself inside the building and was shot and killed in the standoff with officers from the city and other agencies.

Pitts is the first Terre Haute officer to die in the line of duty since July 11, 2011. Officer Brent D. Long was serving an arrest warrant with a U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force when he was killed.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Authorities in Chicago continued their search early Saturday for a suspect who shot a federal agent in the face during a joint operation with the citys police force in what officials called a pre-dawn ambush.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is offering a reward of up to $61,000 for information leading to the suspects arrest and conviction in the wounding of one of its agents.

"We will find you," Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said at a Friday news conference. "We will knock on every door, talk to every witness, watch every piece of video and analyze every piece of evidence. Believe me, you will not get away with this.

"We will find you. We will knock on every door, talk to every witness, watch every piece of video and analyze every piece of evidence. Believe me, you will not get away with this.  Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson

The ATF special agent was wounded around 3:15 a.m. Friday while working with the Chicago Police Department and Illinois State Police as part of a newly formed joint task force investigating the flow of illegal firearms entering the city, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The agent, in his late 20s, was rushed to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, but was later stabilized with a facial injury close to his eye, police told the newspaper. The agent has not been identified, but was expected to make a full recovery.

No other officers were hurt, but he was the fourth law enforcement officer shot in the city's Back of the Yards neighborhood in the past year, the Tribune reported.

Officer hit, we need an escort to the hospital now! an officer is heard saying in police scanner traffic in the moments after the shooting. We need an ambulance as soon as possible. Find someone to meet us. He may be hit in the head.

The shooting prompted a massive manhunt for the gunman, as hundreds of officers from specialized gang and organized crime units were reassigned to take part in the search for the suspect. The gunman has not been identified.

Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the area of the South Side neighborhood will be on "lockdown" through the weekend while officials combed through video of the scene as the manhunt continued.

Officials declined to release details on the task forces investigation.

The Back of the Yards neighborhood has become a hotbed for gang-related shootings in the last two years, leading to the deaths of 50 people out of the more than 140 that have been hit by gunfire, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Previously in the area, two Chicago police officers were shot with a high-powered rifle while in an undercover van about a year ago, while another officer was shot in a leg last July while chasing down robbers, the Chicago Tribune reported.

"You think that escapes us? It doesn't," a visibly angry Johnson said at the Friday news conference. "We're not taking this lying down."



Fox News Greg Norman and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
A teenager in Memphis stabbed her classmate with a pair of scissors after he pulled up her dress, local authorities said.

A male student allegedly pulled up his schoolmate's dress in a classroom at Central High School. The girl then grabbed a pair of scissors and eventually stabbed him after various attempts, according to FOX13.

A school nurse treated his injury, the news station reported. Its not immediately clear where the male was stabbed.

Both students, whose names have yet to be revealed, were issued juvenile summonses, police said. The male was issued a summons for sexual battery, FOX13 reported, while the female was issued one for aggravated assault.

The male student told police that he was only playing and never exposed the victim, FOX13 reported.
A Texas woman shot and killed herself in front of a Walmart on Wednesday just hours before she was slated to be sentenced for embezzling $1.2 million.

Paige Moody Bisher, 43, of Spring, Texas, was facing up to life in prison after admitting to stealing $1.2 million from a small Houston company, where she was employed as a part-time administrative assistant, the Houston Chronicle reported.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Science said Bisher shot herself in the chest in the parking lot of a Walmart in Humble, Texas. The medical examiner ruled her death a suicide.

TEXAS TEEN KILLED IN CRASH AFTER UNBUCKLING SEAT BELT TO TAKE SELFIE

Bisher admitted to embezzling the money in January and was slated to be sentenced by District Judge Nikita Harmon on Wednesday. Prosecutor Lester Blizzard said he was planning on asking for a lengthy prison sentence for the first-degree felony theft of more than $300,000, the Houston Chronicle reported.

The womans plan was uncovered after the owner of the company asked Bisher to see the books and records but she quit instead. An audit was carried out and discovered Bisher was writing checks to herself from the companys strongbox. The Harris County District attorneys office was handed the case and obtained an indictment against the woman.

Bisher and her husband opened a restaurant in Magnolia last year, but it has closed. It was not immediately clear why it closed.

TEEN GIRL, 16, BURNT ALIVE AFTER RAPE IN INDIA, 14 PEOPLE ARRESTED

Bryan Vaclavik, of the Harris County district attorneys office who investigated Bisher, called the case unique.

The abuse of trust in this case was unparalleled in the 24 years Ive been investigating white-collar crimes, he said.
An award-winning South African filmmaker died Wednesday after he was head-butted by a giraffe.

Carlos Carvalho, 47, was at the Glen Africa Country Lodge in South Africa shooting a series about a British family in a game lodge when he attempted to get a close-up shot of Gerald, the giraffe, Deadline reported.

While Carvalho was trying to get his shot, Gerald head-butted the filmmaker and sent him 16 feet in the air. Carvalho suffered massive head injuries as a result. The filmmaker was airlifted to Johannesburgs Milpark Hospital where he died.

WOMAN CRITICALLY INJURED AFTER DRILLED IN HEAD; HOMOPHOBIC MOTIVE PROBED

Carvalhos film crew agency, CallaCrew, announced the filmmakers death on its Facebook page.

It is with a very sad heart that we have to announce the passing of Carlos Carvalho one of our favorite DOPs. Carlos was filming a feature at Glen Afric and had a fatal run-in with a giraffe on set. He was flown to Milpark Hospital but succumbed to his injuries 20:50 last night. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Carlos family and friends during this very sad time. He will be sorely missed, the film crew agency.

MORE THAN 1,600 ARRESTED IN RUSSIA AMID ANTI-PUTIN PROTESTS

Deadline.com said Carvalho won the Silver Lion at the Cannes Film Festival in 2003 for a public service announcement for "Childline." He was also honored in 2014 with an African Movie Academy Cinematography Award for his work on "The Forgotten Kingdom."

Richard Booker, whose family owns the lodge, told The Telegraph that Gerald would not be put down.

"Gerald will remain at the lodge. He did nothing wrong, Booker said.
The militant Islamic group Hamas that rules Gaza says six of its members have been killed in an explosion.

It says the blast occurred Saturday night in the central Gaza Strip.

Gaza media reported the explosion was a "work accident," meaning the militants were killed when explosives they were dealing with went off.

Earlier, a group of Palestinians breached the border fence with Israel and briefly entered its territory.

It came a day after Palestinians staged a sixth weekly mass protest on the border.

The protests are part of a campaign organized by Hamas that is aimed in part at breaking a decade-old blockade imposed since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007.

Since late March, 40 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli army fire.
Israel's prime minister is set to visit Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid Middle East tensions.

Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement Saturday that they will discuss "regional developments."

It said they will meet Wednesday at the Kremlin after attending a Victory Day parade marking the anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany.

The two leaders have met several times to coordinate activities in Syria, where Russia has placed significant forces.

Israel warns it will not tolerate its archenemy Iran establishing a military presence in neighboring Syria.

Israel has been suspected in a pair of airstrikes on Iranian targets in Syria, though it has not confirmed involvement, and Iran has threatened retaliation.
The Latest on anti-Putin protests in Russia (all times local):

2:55 p.m.

Russian police have detained opposition leader Alexei Navalny at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in central Moscow.

Thousands of demonstrators denouncing Putin's upcoming inauguration into a fourth term gathered Saturday in the capital's Pushkin Square.

Video showed police carrying a struggling Navalny, who is Putin's most prominent foe, out of the square, carrying him by the legs and arms.

The unauthorized protest was part of a day of nationwide demonstrations under the slogan "He is not our czar." Police made arrests at demonstrations in some other cities, but there was no overall figure immediately available.

___

2:40 p.m.

Thousands of demonstrators crowded into one of Moscow's main squares on Saturday as part of nationwide protests against the upcoming inauguration of President Vladimir Putin to a new term.

Police in riot gear waded into the crowd on Pushkin Square and were seen grabbing some demonstrators and leading them away, but there were no immediate moves to disperse the unauthorized gathering. A helicopter hovered overhead to monitor the crowd.

The protests Saturday under the slogan "He is not our czar" are organized by Putin's most prominent foe, anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny.

___

12 p.m.

Demonstrators are holding protests throughout Russia against the upcoming inauguration of Vladimir Putin for a fourth term as Russian president.

The protests Saturday under the slogan "He is not our czar" are organized by Putin's most prominent foe, anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny.

News reports and social media postings said protests had attracted hundreds or more in at least 10 cities in the Far East and Siberia. Some arrests by police were reported, but no overall figure was available.

Larger demonstrations are expected in the afternoon in Moscow, where protesters aim to hold an unauthorized march on one of the capital's main thoroughfares, and in St. Petersburg.

Putin will be inaugurated Monday for a six-year term.
A Latvian womans decomposed body was found more than a month after she went missing from a yoga retreat in India, and two men have been arrested for allegedly raping and killing her.

Liga Skromane, 32, a Latvian woman who lived and worked in Dublin, Ireland, went to Kerala, India, on Feb. 3, 2018, to treat her depression, CBS News reported. She was receiving treatment at Dharma Ayurveda Healing Centre and was reported missing on March 14 after she did not show up for yoga classes.

Her belongings and personal information were found in her room. The head of the center told police Skromane went to Kovalam, a place known for its beaches.

Officers put up fliers of the woman and spoke to people who worked in the area asking if they saw Skromane. Investigators interrogated drug peddlers, anti-socials and persons having shady characters, police said in a statement.

IRAN VOWS NOT TO RENEGOTIATE AS TRUMPS KEY DECISION ON NUCLEAR DEALS FUTURE LOOMS

However, Skromanes badly decomposed body was found hanging from a tree and her detached head nearby on April 20 in the Thiruvallam area, a popular tourist area. Her body was identified by matching her DNA with her sister's.

"After a few days, when the body decomposed, the head fell to the ground," Manoj Abraham, inspector general of police told CBS News.

Police said Skromane died from blunt injury sustained on the neck.

Two men, Umesh and Udayan, both known drug peddlers were arrested in connection with Skromanes death. Police were able to pinpoint the suspects through their phone records. The Irish Times reported the two men posed as tour guides.

Police believe the suspects gave the victim cannabis before sexually assaulting her but killed her when she resisted, Kerala Police Chief Loknath Behera said in a press conference.

POPE URGES NEOCATECHUMENAL MISSIONARIES TO RESPECT CULTURES

Officials said the suspects disposed of her body in a manner to make people believe Liga had committed suicide.

Police did not immediately confirm Skromane was raped but Abraham said they had circumstantial evidence confirming rape.

Police have not ruled out other suspects and conducted tests on Skromanes body for poison. She was cremated Thursday and a public prayer was slated for Sunday.

"She loved Kerala and had received a lot of love and support," Ilze Skromane, the victims sister, told NDTV. "We don't want to leave India with only bad memories."
Indian police announced Saturday 14 arrests in the horrific murder of a teen girl who was set on fire after her parents complained to village elders that she had been rapedthe latest outrage in a string sexual attacks against women in India despite new tougher laws.

The 16-year-old girl from Chatra, a village in eastern Jharkhand state, was attending a wedding ceremony Thursday when she was abducted and then raped, according to reports.

She told her parents who complained to village council leaders. They next day they imposed a $750 fine on each of her alleged attackers. The BBC reported that the accused were also ordered to do 100 sit-ups.

The BBC reported that they were so enraged they beat the girls parents and then burned her to death. They found her alone at home on Friday, the Associated Press reported.

District Magistrate Jitendera Singh said police were searching for the main suspect in the case.

India has been shaken by a series of sexual assaults since 2012, when a student was gang-raped and murdered on a moving New Delhi bus. That attack galvanized a country where widespread violence against women had long been quietly accepted.

While the government has passed a series of laws increasing punishment for rape of an adult to 20 years in prison, it's rare for more than a few weeks to pass without another brutal sexual assault being reported.

Responding to widespread outrage over the recent rape and killings of young girls and other attacks on children, India's government last month approved the death penalty for people convicted of raping children under age 12.

The BBC reported that councils of village elders are often called on to settle disputes in many parts of rural India without resorting to countrys expensive judicial system.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Some schools in the United Kingdom are ditching analog clocks because students reportedly cant tell time.

Teachers have replaced analog clocks in testing halls with digital ones after students complained that they were struggling to read the correct time on an analog clock while they were taking high-level tests, The Telegraph reported.

The current generation arent as good at reading the traditional clock face as older generations, Malcolm Trobe, deputy general secretary at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and a former headmaster, told The Telegraph.

School officials would instead prefer students focus solely on the exam rather than worry about how much time is left because they have trouble reading an analog clock.

Trobe said that one hopes that we will be teaching youngsters to read clocks." And ideally, students should be able to read analog clocks by the time they reach secondary school, The Telegraph noted.

But that is often not the reality, partly thanks to present-day technology.

They are used to seeing a digital representation of time on their phone, on their computer, Trobe said. Nearly everything theyve got is digital, so youngsters are just exposed to time being given digitally everywhere.
A woman in Northern Ireland was in critical condition after she was attacked using a cordless drill Saturday, as police are investigating a homophobic motive.

The 38-year-old victim, who was not immediately identified, sustained a very serious head injury after she was allegedly attacked with a drill on the street in Strabane, County Tyrone, Sky News reported. A 17-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the attack.

Daniel McCrossan, a member of the Legislative Assembly for West Tyrone, called the attack one of the most horrific incidents" he had learned of during his time as a politician.

UK SCHOOLS REPLACE ANALOG CLOCKS WITH DIGITAL BECAUSE STUDENTS REPORTEDLY CANT TELL TIME

"It is a monstrous attack and one that has sent shockwaves across the entirety of the wider Strabane community today," he said. "I actually felt sick, that this could happen."

Detective Sergeant Brian Reid said they were exploring a possible homophobic motive for the crime and we are appealing for witnesses to get in touch with us.

HUNDREDS OF PROTESTERS ARRESTED IN RUSSIA AHEAD OF PUTIN INAUGURATION

"We would like to hear from anyone who may have seen a male carrying a drill in the area at around the time of the assault and we would especially like to speak to anyone who may have captured footage, either on a mobile phone or a dash cam, he added.

Police and officials have urged anyone with information to come forward.
More than half of Washington state cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy are hospitalized or treated in the emergency room for side effects such as nausea, pain, fever or fatigue.

To health care economists and physicians alike, this is a disturbing statistic and shorthand for preventable suffering and unnecessary cost.

This week, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and its Seattle-area neighbor Microsoft Corp. announced a unique collaboration agreement to develop and pilot test technology to help cancer patients avoid the emergency room through better management of their chemotherapy side effects.

For Fred Hutchs Dr. Scott Ramsey, director of the Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research, or HICOR, the agreement is an opportunity to marry the Hutchs experience in clinical and data science with Microsofts expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning. The idea is to identify patients who are getting into trouble early, he said.

Dr. Peter Lee, corporate vice president for Microsoft AI + Research, said that the new pilot project with HICOR has the aim of better predicting distressing episodes and enabling clinical intervention before complications become emergencies.

Closer monitoring of symptoms, quicker administration of the right anti-nausea or pain drugs, and timely counseling can often avoid emergency room visits, or signal the need for more intensive intervention sooner, when it can be more effective.
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My wife and I recently returned from a trip to the Great War battlefields of France and Belgium. Its something that Ive planned for a number of years and ties in with the centenary of the end of the war in November of this year.

Standing underneath the Menin Gate in Ypres, which holds the names of 54,613 Commonwealth soldiers lost in Flanders with no known grave, while the last post was played, was among the most moving experiences of my life.

See also: We farmers just bottle up our worries

My great-grandfather, like so many rural lads at the time, was among the first rush of volunteers in autumn 1914, answering Lord Kitcheners famous call to arms a few weeks short of his 18th birthday.

Will Evans farms beef cattle, arable crops and a free-range egg unit on 200ha near Wrexham, North Wales. Will Evans farms beef cattle, arable crops and a free-range egg unit on 200ha near Wrexham, North Wales.

What an adventure it must have seemed for them back in those heady days, when it was all supposed to be over by Christmas.

He returned home a very different man four years later, having been badly wounded first at Loos, and then the Somme, and having seen a staggering number of his friends and comrades lost.

He was one of the lucky ones. More than a million British lives were lost during the Great War, and only 52 villages in the entire country have no war memorials.

An estimated 170,000 farmers and agricultural labourers served in uniform, and the impact on rural communities lasted for generations, with so many fathers, sons, husbands, and brothers gone, and the country changed forever.

It was an eerie feeling standing on the spot where my great-grandfather and his fellow 9th Royal Welsh Fusiliers left their trenches on the morning of 2 July 1916 and charged up the gently rolling slope, over the shattered remnants of the 34th Division and into the German guns.

What must these men from sleepy rural villages and farms have thought? The noise and turmoil would surely have been beyond their comprehension as the impact of millions of high-explosive shells shook the ground beneath their feet.

At the last moments they must have thought of their farms and worried about how their families were managing without them.

Did they wonder how the crops were doing? Did hearing the skylarks singing far above the trenches, during the lulls in the bombardments, bring back happy memories of a more peaceful time?

In my research, I found the following quote from private Leslie Bell, a 19-year-old farmers son, serving with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, who described his thoughts as he waited for zero hour:

It was hard to know what the mens feelings were. Everyone was in a daze with the heavy gunfire. I myself sadly thought of home.

At this time, it would be milking time. The cows would be coming in from the meadows. And everything would be lovely and peaceful in our village.

If you get the chance this centenary year, I urge you to find out more about family members, or local lads who served. Get beyond the grainy black and white photo in the bottom of a drawer.

Its never been easier to research a soldier, with countless online resources available.

Visit the village war memorial and put a poppy there. Its the very least that any of us can do. They deserve our eternal thanks and remembrance.
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Bay Area Regional Medical Center to close, file for bankruptcy

kelseywalling / KELSEY WALLING/ The Daily News Bay Area Regional Medical Center announced to their employees and patients that they will be declaring bankruptcy Friday, May 4, 2018. The hospital plans to close this month. kelseywalling / KELSEY WALLING/ The Daily News Madrilla Hampton reflects on the closing of Bay Area Regional Medical Center in Webster on Friday, May 4, 2018. Hampton has been in housekeeping at the hospital for two years and plans to apply for jobs at rehabilitation centers. kelseywalling / KELSEY WALLING/The Daily News Certified nursing assistants Victoria Toscano, left, and Amelia Lopez stand together at Bay Area Regional Medical Center on Friday, May 4, 2018. Toscano and Lopez have been working at the hospital since it opened nearly four years ago. Both were devastated and surprised by the closing of the hospital.

WEBSTER

The Bay Area Regional Medical Center, a hospital facility in Webster that opened in 2014, will file for bankruptcy and close its door, officials said Friday.

The abrupt announcement left some of the 900 employees at the hospital worrying about what their futures will be after the apparent failure of the hospital.

Im going to go try to figure out whats going on, said Emmanuel Malone, an environmental services technician at the hospital, minutes after learning about the decision. Then I guess Ive got to go put in an application somewhere.

Following the sudden announcement, the hospital immediately stopped accepting new patients and was in the process Friday of transferring patients to new hospitals in the community, said Santiago Mendoza, spokesman for the company.

Employees were informed about the bankruptcy as they arrived at work on Friday.

It is with a heavy heart that I announce that Bay Area Regional will close its doors on May 10, 2018, said Stephen Jones Jr., CEO at Bay Area Regional Medical Center in a prepared statement. We want to thank our staff who worked tirelessly, physicians who chose to practice medicine and patients who received care at our hospital.

Employees of the hospital werent immediately sure what the plans were, said Madrilla Hampton, a house keeper for the hospital.

I would have hoped there would be at least a months notice, Hampton said. But we havent been told for sure. The doors are supposed to be locked May 10.

The 373,000-square-foot facility was home to more than 900 employees before Fridays announcement. The hospital is operated by Houston-based developer Medistar, officials said.

Confused patients lined up outside the hospital Friday in anticipation of being transferred, while others came to pay their last visit.

This hospital is top-notch, said Paula Villeneuve, who said she and her husband were frequent visitors. Its the best in Clear Lake. All of my doctors were here and I felt safe. And now its closing.

It was not immediately apparent why the decision was made to close the hospital, which opened in July 2014, and file for bankruptcy. Hospital officials Friday hung up the phone when questioned about the reason.

Medistar officials did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

The decision was a surprise to Betsy Giusto, the economic development director for Webster, and she was hopeful another group could buy the facility, she said.

The company invested $200 million during construction and operation of the facility over the past five years, officials said.

The center opened in 2014, with officials saying that they wanted to serve people who were seeking quality health care in a local environment. When it opened, the hospital had more than 100 patient beds. By 2017, the hospital had expanded to hold 191 beds. The hospital included surgery suites and a neonatal unit.

The hospital opened as the Clear Lake region was seeing a surge in medical care facilities of all kinds, including a patient tower at the Clear Lake Regional Medical Center and an expansion at the Texas Medical Branchs Victory Lakes facility.

The hospital is in the midst of working with lenders on a closing process, including satisfying payroll obligations, officials said.

Employees Friday said they were trying to figure out details about payment, but that they hadnt yet been compensated for the days work by about 1 p.m.

Its sad, Hampton said. There are people with mortgages and kids to take care of.
On Monday morning, dozens of workers in hazmat suits could be seen picking up globs of oil from the shoreline at Huntington State Beach.
Police officers attacked in Lannesdorf : Salafist from Bonn deported to Turkey

Bonn The Salafist Murat K., who injured two police officers with a knife during a demonstration against the anti-Islam group Pro NRW in Lannesdorf six years ago, has been deported to Turkey.

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The man who is considered to be a potential Islamist attacker used to live in Sontra in Hesse, after already serving a jail sentence for several years. The state of Hesse deported him on Friday, according to a report from the ministry of the interior. The newspaper Die Welt had reported on the deportation first.

In October 2012, the radical Islamic Salafist was found guilty of grievous bodily harm, serious breach of the peace and resistance against police officers in this particularly serious case. He was sentenced to six years in prison.

On May 5, 2012, a Pro NRW demonstration took place outside the King Fahad Academy in Lannesdorf. At the same time, a counter rally by Salafists was held. The situation escalated when members of Pro NRW held up a Mohammed caricature.

First the police officers were pelted with stones and flower pots. Then Murat K. broke through the barrier and attacked a police woman and her colleague with a 22-centimetre kitchen knife. Both police officers needed surgery on their thighs and were later awarded compensation.
bohlah at 5-05-2018 08:00 PM (3 years ago) (m)

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye, says if the killings in the country is not stopped immediately, Nigeria may not exist again. Adeboye made this statement while speaking at the monthly Holy Ghost service of the church which held at the RCCG camp ground last night May 4th.

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye, says if the killings in the country is not stopped immediately, Nigeria may not exist again. Adeboye made this statement while speaking at the monthly Holy Ghost service of the church which held at the RCCG camp ground last night May 4th.

The clergyman also warned that unless the killings stopped, there may not be elections in 2019 in Nigeria.



He said the recent killing of two Catholic priests and 17 parishioners in a Catholic chirch in Benue state last month, should be a wakeup call to the Federal government. Accoridng to him, when he heard the news of the attack, he was unusually quiet.



I said there is no father who would lose 19 children in a day that will not be quiet. She said what do you mean, because she hadnt heard the news that in a church, somebody went in and shot 19 people. It doesnt matter the denominationby the special grace of God, all Christians in Nigeria call me daddy. So when any of them dies, its my son or daughter that is dead. I am going to ask you to join me in prayer, because unless these killings stop, and stop immediately, even Nigeria may not live. I am not talking about individuals now, I am talking about Nigeria itselfa bishop asked me not too long ago, Daddy, has God told you who win the next election? I said, Sir, I am not even sure yet there will be an election. Because unless these killings stop there may be no elections next year. Are you prophesying , Daddy? No, no! I am not prophesying. I am just reasoning. Because nobody will want to go out to vote if they are not sure they will be able to return home safely, he explained.



The clergyman went further to say that no nation can survive a religious war.



''Its a terrible thing. A nation may survive a civil war, but no nation can survive a religious war a remain the same. That Nigeria may live these killings must stop. So all of you who love Nigeria, I want to rise on your feet, and cry to God with all your heart, and say: Father, let the killings stop that Nigeria may live, please God let the killings stop. he said The clergyman also warned that unless the killings stopped, there may not be elections in 2019 in Nigeria.He said the recent killing of two Catholic priests and 17 parishioners in a Catholic chirch in Benue state last month, should be a wakeup call to the Federal government. Accoridng to him, when he heard the news of the attack, he was unusually quiet.he explained.The clergyman went further to say that no nation can survive a religious war.he said

Post Reply I have been reporting on latest news from Nigeria for almost 10 years now. I report on every possible news area I come across, but always ensure my reports are compiled with dignity and fact to uphold my personal values and duty as a journalist Posted: at 5-05-2018 08:00 PM (3 years ago) | Addicted Hero
bohlah at 5-05-2018 08:11 PM (3 years ago) (m)

Tanzanian President Magufuli, has likened looting of public funds to consuming poison and wants public officers in the country to detest from it.

Tanzanian President Magufuli, has likened looting of public funds to consuming poison and wants public officers in the country to detest from it.

John Magufuli, who is known for his no nonsense approach to corruption has issued a stern warning to government officials who embezzle public funds.



Magufuli issued the notice after it emerged some unscrupulous government contractors have been misappropriating public funds, saying it is tantamount to taking poison and may lead to their death.





According to reports by Global Publishers on Saturday, May 5, the Tanzanian president who was speaking Kidatu, Morogoro, said contractors who have pilfered public money, have taken poison.



There are some areas where contractors have embezzled funds for government projects, they have taken poison. Funds for the fifth government aren't to be misappropriated, it's they would rather have taken lethal poison instead,"



"Those who have swindled government funds should start preparing themselves to give it back and implement the projects or face the full wrath of law," warned Magufuli

He said he would not allow corrupt officials to rob tax payers fund as he toils to build the country.



"It's not possible that I toil looking for funds and you just sit there embezzling funds, you are very wrong. If those contractors will run away, our security forces and police will ransack every place to find them. They will vomit those funds they are chewing,"he sensationally said.



The vocal president said justice will be served without caring which political party one belonged to or even if the culprit was a foreigner, saying he will deal with them accordingly.



President Magufuli has on several occasions won admiration due to his firm stand against corruption which includes cracking the whip on non-performing state agents and government overspending, traits that have long characterised many African nations including Kenya. John Magufuli, who is known for his no nonsense approach to corruption has issued a stern warning to government officials who embezzle public funds.Magufuli issued the notice after it emerged some unscrupulous government contractors have been misappropriating public funds, saying it is tantamount to taking poison and may lead to their death.According to reports by Global Publishers on Saturday, May 5, the Tanzanian president who was speaking Kidatu, Morogoro, said contractors who have pilfered public money, have taken poison.warned MagufuliHe said he would not allow corrupt officials to rob tax payers fund as he toils to build the country.he sensationally said.The vocal president said justice will be served without caring which political party one belonged to or even if the culprit was a foreigner, saying he will deal with them accordingly.President Magufuli has on several occasions won admiration due to his firm stand against corruption which includes cracking the whip on non-performing state agents and government overspending, traits that have long characterised many African nations including Kenya.

Post Reply I have been reporting on latest news from Nigeria for almost 10 years now. I report on every possible news area I come across, but always ensure my reports are compiled with dignity and fact to uphold my personal values and duty as a journalist Posted: at 5-05-2018 08:11 PM (3 years ago) | Addicted Hero
The marine environment is critical to Grenadas economy and closely linked to the islands income generating tourism sector. Grenadas tri-island ocean state is not just a hub of maritime activity, but also home to unique marine biodiversity
(TNS)  Toyota plans to open a 60-acre site to test and develop autonomous vehicle technology in October at the Michigan Technical Resource Park in Ottawa Lake, Michigan.One of its key uses will be replicating "edge case" driving scenarios that are too dangerous or risky to perform on public roads, according to the Japanese automaker. It will also serve as a proving ground to accelerate the development of its Toyota Guardian automation mode.The automaker revealed the plans in a Thursday morning, May 3 news release, and said that construction of the closed-course facility is underway. Ottawa Lake is in deep southeast Michigan just miles from the Michigan-Ohio border and northeast of Toledo."By constructing a course for ourselves, we can design it around our unique testing needs and rapidly advance capabilities, especially with Toyota Guardian automated vehicle mode," Ryan Eustice, Toyota Research Institute senior vice president of automated driving, said in the release."This new site will give us the flexibility to customize driving scenarios that will push the limits of our technology and move us closer to conceiving a human-driven vehicle that is incapable of causing a crash."Toyota says it will build the new facility inside of the Michigan Technical Resource Park's 1.85-mile oval-shaped test track. As part of Toyota's work, it will replicate congested urban environments, slick surfaces, and a four-lane highway complete with high-speed entrance and exit ramps.The automaker says it will lease the land from the resource park, but Toyota is responsible for its own design, construction and maintenance of the facility once it is up and running. As part of the partnership, though, Toyota will have access to the existing oval track, on-site facilities and services.The Michigan Technical Resource Park launched as a proving ground for auto manufacturers back in 1968. It was reportedly sold to a private developer back in 2010, and now serves as a testing site available for testing and advanced engineered technology development.
The U.S. Senate Weighs in

States should rapidly replace outdated and vulnerable voting systems. At a minimum, any machine purchased going forward should have a voter-verified paper trail and no Wi-Fi capability. If use of paper ballots becomes more widespread, election officials should re-examine current practices for securing the chain of custody of all paper ballots and verify no opportunities exist for the introduction of fraudulent votes.

States should consider implementing more widespread, statistically sound audits of election results.

Department of Homeland Security should work with vendors to educate them about the vulnerabilities of both the machines and the supply chains.

5 States Use All-Electronic Voting Systems

Georgias Secretary of State office is facing a lawsuit over its use of an all-electronic voting system with no paper ballot verification backups, one of five states that currently use such a system.The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia is holding proceedings for Donna Curling v. Brian Kemp. Plaintiff attorney David Cross said his clients are asking the judge for a preliminary injunction to stop Secretary of State Brian Kemp from using Georgias current all-electronic voting system in the November elections.The lawsuit stems from the alleged 2016 discovery of cybersecurity vulnerabilities in Georgias Direct Recording Equipment (DRE) voting system. The plaintiffs claim that the Secretary of States ignored repeated warnings from cybersecurity experts and told them, in essence, to go away, according to a copy of the amended complaint. The complaint asserted that there is an incompatibility between the functioning of the current electronic voting system and the voters right to cast a secret ballot and have that vote accurately counted."The group behind the report is the Coalition for Good Governance, a North Carolina-based nonprofit that describes itself as a defender of individual rights, especially those in the First Amendment.Cybersecurity researchers were able to peer into personal information submitted by Georgia voters, as well as access key components of the states electronic election system without entering a password, the complaint alleges.The central server was wide open for anyone to enter the system and readily access personal data of Georgia voters," the complaint alleges. "Furthermore, such an intruder could also easily manipulate the servers data and voter registration software, and thereby render legitimate voters ineligible, add fictitious voters to the list, and switch votes so as to increase the numbers for the candidate of the intruders choosing."The complaint touts the benefits of using modern balloting equipment that simultaneously issues a paper version of the ballot results as a voter is entering their electronic vote, which aids in the verification of election results in an audit.We hope to get a preliminary injunction in early to mid-September, so we would have 30 days before the early voting takes place, Cross told. Then there would be enough time to have everyone use [paper] absentee ballot to cast their vote for early votes and at the polls.Rep. Hank Johnson, a Democrat representing Georgia's Fourth District, has been pushing for years to get Congress to outlaw Internet-connected voting machines and require equipment to have a paper trail.The Secretary of State's office referred interview requests to its attorney, John Salter, but he did not immediately respond to emails and phone calls.Following the controversy over the 2016 U.S. elections and evidence that Russian actors attempted to target states election infrastructure, the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence issued several recommendations to guard against hostile nation states and safeguard the nations democracy. Its recommendations for voting systems were, verbatim:In addition to Georgia, four other states use electronic voting systems without any paper ballot backup, according to Cross and several state spokespeople: Delaware, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Louisiana.However, in the case of South Carolina and Louisiana, efforts are currently underway to set up capabilities to verify votes with paper ballots.In South Carolina, which has voting equipment that dates back to 2004, the state is seeking funding to procure a new statewide voting system and hopes to have one in place before the 2020 general election, Chris Whitmire, a spokesperson for the South Carolina State Election Commission, toldAlthough a new voting system would run South Carolina an estimated $50 million, Whitmire said the state legislature and federal government are contributing $17 million toward that cost.Louisiana, meanwhile, expects to replace some of its older voting machines in a couple of months with modern ones that will leave a voter-verified paper trail, said Meg Sunstrom, press secretary for Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler.Georgias SB-403 died in the state legislature in March, Cross said, noting it would have required the use of a combination of electronic and paper ballots.Secretary of State Kemp has a commission looking at this issue [of paper ballots] now, but I think its just window dressing, Cross says.
BYD is partnering with US Hybrid Corporation to develop a hydrogen-fuel-cell range-extended battery-electric bus. The bus will utilize BYDs battery-electric platform, integrating hydrogen fuel cell technology to eliminate operational dependency on charging.

The bus will serve Honolulus Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the United States with more than 21 million passengers per year.





The new bus is being developed as part of Hawaiis Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI) to meet sustainable energy objectives of decreasing dependency on imported oil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The initiative is a central component of the states goal to be powered 100% by renewable energy by 2045.

Roberts Hawaii, the states largest employee-owned tour and transportation company, will serve as the bus operator, shuttling passengers between the airports terminal and car rental facility.

Hawaii is positioned as a global center for the advancement of hydrogen and other alternative fuels. The Federal Highway Administration has designated multiple alternative fuel corridors with electric vehicle chargers or hydrogen fuel stations.

Additionally, as part of an agreement between the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the Hawaii Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies, the U.S. Air Force has been demonstrating hydrogen as an alternative fuel at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

In February, SunLine Transit Agency in California put into service a El Dorado electric bus with a US Hybrid fuel cell range extender. (Earlier post.) US Hybrid said that the advanced fuel cell design lowered the overal cost of the bus by 70%. BAE Systems is the overall system integrator and provider of the powertrain and electronics.

In 2014, US Hybrid was awarded a contract by the Hawaii Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies (HCATT) to design, integrate, and deliver its H2Ride Fuel Cell Plug-In Shuttle Bus for operation by the County of Hawaii Mass Transit Agencys (MTA) HELE-ON Big Island bus service. The project is funded by the State of Hawaii and Office of Naval Research via the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI).

Integrated at US Hybrids Honolulu facility, the 25 passenger shuttle bus utilizes a 30 kW fuel cell fueled by a 20 kg hydrogen storage and delivery system. The fuel cell and 28 kWh lithium-ion battery power the vehicles 200 kW powertrain, air conditioning, and auxiliary systems. Onboard batteries are recharged by regenerative braking.
ASRock a few weeks ago in April, launched its Phantom series AMD Radeon graphics cards. From what we understand some cards are available in the Asia region right now, however aside from that, it all remains silent. And there might be a reason for that, Phantom Gaming cards may not be sold in Europe.

So as it looks now, in Europe, Phantom Gaming graphics cards may not be sold. My always friendly colleague from Toms Hardware noticed there is no EU availability, they got their hands on a card. An ASRock employee noticed this, and that representative was surprised. He reported that AMD is apparently not allowing ASRock to sell their cards here in the EU, and maybe even USA? That last bit is speculation though I did some searches, you'll not find these cards in either region.

Here's what ASRock replied:

"The problem for me is that AMD has not agreed us to sell in EU, that is really a pity."

So like, we just had the NVIDIA GPP program end yesterday right?, let that sink in for a minute okay, AMD is invoking a regional sales ban for certain brands in favor for others?










Haiti - Politic : Moise visit the sites





Thursday, President Jovenel Moise, accompanied by a delegation of the Inter-American Development Bank (donors), visited the construction site of the section of road linking Hinche to Thomassique (Central Dept.) to see the progress of the work.



This visit was an opportunity for Moses to instruct the site managers to make all the arrangements to meet deadlines. The construction of this stretch of road of 24 kilometers, designed to facilitate the movement of people and goods between the two communes, should be completed in a little over 4 months, according to the engineer Jean Yvon Dagulte.



The Head of State took the opportunity to reiterate his willingness to multiply its efforts to interconnect all the communes of the country, with a view to revive the economy and to make the Central Plateau an important pole in the grand project of development of Haiti.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Politic : $3M project for young people in Jeremie





Friday, the Town Hall of Jeremie, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program in Haiti, launched a $ 3 million project, focusing on youth participation and the reduction of violence.



It is a joint project of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), UN Women and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), implemented in cooperation with the Town Hall of Jeremie, the Ministry of Planning, the Ministry of Youth, the Ministry of Women's Affairs as well as local youth and women's organizations.



"The project aims to strengthen the skills of young people and their active and equitable participation in public affairs. Because we are convinced that the increased involvement of young people in local governance and the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence will lead to more social cohesion and a more peaceful and productive city for all," said Ms. Yvonne Helle, UNDP country director in Haiti. This project will enable 500 young women and men between the ages of 15 and 25 to acquire skills to participate in the public affairs of the municipality in synergy with local authorities and actors.



Awareness campaigns will be conducted to mobilize, reorient and build the capacity of youth in school and non-school environments : ethics, leadership, non-violence, informed migration and family planning, emphasizing the need for them to be fully involved in the population as agents of change.



Claude Harry Milord, Mayor of Jeremiah, said he hoped that this project will be an inspiration for other cities in Haiti to make youth a positive force for the Nation.



At the end of this initiative, which will ensure the equal participation of young women, participants will receive certification on gender equality, leadership, the adoption of positive values for women and citizen participation.



At the same time, 150 justice actors, teachers and administrators of high schools and universities, as well as local authorities will be equipped and mobilized to prevent and fight against violence against women. These interventions will help make Jeremie a safe and non-violent city against women.



The contribution of the United Nations Fund, will also support the participation of young people in the upcoming elections and will help nearly 2,500 of them to obtain an identity document.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - FLASH : 3 suspects apprehended by the Police in the disappearance of Vladjimir Legagneur





Friday at press conference, Inspector Gary Desrosiers deputy spokesman of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) reported on the investigation of the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ) on the disappearance since the 14 last March of the journalist Vladjimir Legagneur https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23931-haiti-security-the-mystery-remains-around-the-disappearance-of-journalist-legagneur.html in reportage at Grand-Ravine, in the district of Martissant.



He confirmed the arrest of Francois Merissoit (36), who had called Vladjimir on March 13 to confirm an interview on March 14 with the gang leader of Grand Ravine "Burgundy". In addition, two other suspects involved in this case were apprehended Gaslin Franstamard (26) and Nazaire Paul (28) aka "The Best" found in possession of the telephone of Legagneur a few days after the disappearance of the journalist,



Recalling that a dozen other individuals were actively sought after in this case, including the Burgundy and Anel gang leaders.



Despite the progress of the investigations, Garry Desrosiers can not say anything yet about what happened to Legagneur explaining "We are still talking about disappearance. At the DCPJ, before saying if someone is murdered, his body must be found. Since it is not yet established, we are still talking about disappearance. Moreover, he recalled that the police are still waiting for the results of the DNA comparison carried out in the FBI laboratories, between the bones found at Grande Ravine on the Palmera field and the DNA taken from a toothbrush belonging to Legagneur.



Recall that last Thursday, Guyler C. Delva the new Minister of Communication had declared that there was very little hope of finding Vladimir Legagneur alive.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24129-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24008-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23991-haiti-flash-the-hat-found-is-that-of-the-journalist-vladjimir-legagneur.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23952-haiti-case-legagneur-bones-of-a-body-without-head-found-in-grand-ravine.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23931-haiti-security-the-mystery-remains-around-the-disappearance-of-journalist-legagneur.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23928-haiti-news-zapping.html



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Landslide at Carrefour-Feuilles

Early Friday morning, a landslide occurred at Carrefour-Feuilles, several homes were destroyed or damaged and assessments are underway. Intense rains are still expected in almost all the country's departments https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24283-haiti-flash-the-torrential-rains-make-their-first-victims.html



States General 5th resignation

Former Prime Minister Evans Paul resigns in turn from the Steering Committee of the States General Sectorial of the Nation (EGSN). Recall that this is the 5th resignation after that of : Monseigneur Kebreau, Chairman of the Steering Committee https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24160-haiti-flash-mgr-louis-kebreau-resigns-from-the-steering-committee-of-the-estates-general.html , former Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis, former Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis and Professor Claude Moise.



Petit-Goave : Head of State's flash visit

On Friday, President Jovenel Moise and the Director General of Planning Jacques Stevenson Thimoleon jointly visited La Digue River. This flash visit was part of an assessment to determine the types of urgent interventions that will be required in Petit-Goave on the La Digue and Barrettes rivers.



Ambassador Sison, honors our missing journalists

As part of World Press Freedom Day, US Ambassador to Haiti Michele J. Sison "[...] honor the memory of all Haitian journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of this noble profession that they have chosen and defended so valiantly, "while alluding to the disappearance of photojournalist Vladimir Legagneur "We have a special thought for the friends and colleagues of Mr. Legagneur and we offer them our prayers."



Report of the PNH

On Friday, Inspector Gary Desrosiers, deputy spokesperson for the National Police of Haiti (PNH) presented the April report of the operations carried out by officers of the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ). Operations that have led to numerous arrests for rape, homicide, arms trafficking, illegal possession of weapons and vehicle theft. He also mentioned the seizure of 7 firearms, 894 rounds, 9 vehicles and 2 boats.



Regional Program of Border Security

The Identification and Formulation Workshop of the Regional Program of Border Security between Haiti, Dominican Republic and Jamaica, was held on May 3 and 4, 2018 in Santo Domingo.



HL/ HaitiLibre




















Legislators Act to Save Government Employees Union Bosses from Suffering 30 Days Under not-yet-written Janus Decision

by Andrew Walden

Its not easy to write a law sidestepping a US Supreme Court decision which hasnt yet been issued. But Hawaii legislators found a way.

A US Supreme Court ruling--expected this summer in Janus vs AFSCME--may require unions to allow members to stop paying so-called 'agency fees'.

Worried about maintaining a favorable political and social environment legislators have approved two bills and one resolution designed to force union members to keep paying dues and allow the Hawaii Labor Relations Board write new regulations as soon as a decision is handed down.

Courts in Hawaii sometimes take over a decade to rulebut for the bosses of HGEA, UPW, and other public employees unions, they may be saved from the clutches of the not-yet-written Janus decision by Legislatively pre-authorized administrative regulations issued by the Labor Board with only 30 days notice.

Hawaii legislators and all the department heads are completely beholden to the government employee unions. Among them the only debate will be how to most effectively preserve the unions' cashflow by preventing individual workers from exercising their right to quit paying union dues.

HB1725, signed into law by Governor Ige as Act 007 on April 24, 2018, limits union members to a 30-day window each year in which they can end further payment of their union agency fees.

SCR111 directs departments " to enable exclusive representatives to maintain financial viability and organizational capacity...."

And HB1932 allows for emergency regulations on 30-days notice.

* * * * *

SCR111 :

Measure Title: URGING THE HAWAII LABOR RELATIONS BOARD, AND OTHER CONCERNED AGENCIES OR JUDICIAL BODIES, TO TAKE NOTICE OF THE LEGISLATURE'S INTENT TO ENABLE EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVES TO MAINTAIN FINANCIAL VIABILITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY AND EFFECTIVELY REPRESENT PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, AND TO REMOVE OR REDUCE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR EMPLOYEES TO "FREE RIDE".

Report Title: HLRB; Janus Case; Free Ride

Key Lines:

Hawaii's collective bargaining in public employment law, chapter 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes, was enacted to promote labor-management harmony in the public sector by  Maintaining a favorable political and social environment.

WHEREAS, in Janus v. American Fed'n of State, County, and Mun. Employees, Council 31,  (Janus) the petitioner is asking the United States Supreme Court to overrule Abood, and the Court has accepted the case, arguments have been submitted and presented, and a decision is expected by the end of June, 2018; and  most commentators expect that Abood will be overruled and traditional agency fees will be banned  (and) such a ruling would fundamentally undermine the Legislature's consistent efforts to bar "free riders"( and) the United States Supreme Court may issue a ruling in Janus after the Legislature has adjourned, leaving public sector employees and the State and counties of Hawaii uncertain of their rights without immediate legislative recourse.

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Hawaii Labor Relations Board, and other concerned agencies or judicial bodies, are urged to take notice of this body's intent to enable exclusive representatives to maintain financial viability and organizational capacity and effectively represent public employees, and to remove or reduce financial incentives for employees to "free ride".

* * * * *

HB1932 : (Gut n Replace)

Measure Title: RELATING TO EMERGENCY RULES BY AGENCIES.

Report Title: Emergency Rules; Administrative Procedures Act; Superseding Law

Description: Authorizes agencies to adopt emergency rules to account for changes in controlling and superseding federal statutes or state or federal case law, subject to public hearing and at least 30 days notice. Provides for expiration no later than adjournment sine die of the next regular legislative session following adoption. (HB1932 CD1)

Key Lines: if an agency finds an imminent peril to the public health, safety or morals. an agency may, in a similar manner, adopt emergency rules where new federal legislation or federal and state court decisions disrupt prior practice under any statute administered by the agency.

* * * * *

HB1725 : (Signed into law as Act 007 April 24, 2018)

Measure Title: RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.

Report Title: Collective Bargaining; Employee Payroll Deductions

Description: Requires public employees in collective bargaining units to provide written notification to the exclusive representative to discontinue payroll assignments within a certain time period. Requires the exclusive representative to forward the notification to the employer within ten business days of receipt. (HB1725 HD2)

Limits union members to a Thirty-Day Window to Quit Paying Union Dues:

The employer shall continue all payroll assignments authorized by an employee prior to July 1, 1970 , and all assignments authorized under subsection (b) until the employee provides written notification [ is submitted by an employee ] within thirty days before the anniversary date of the employee's execution of the written authorization under subsection (b), to the employee's exclusive representative to discontinue the employee's assignments.

---30---

Anti-Janus Bills Alive:

HB1932: Text, Status (Enrolled to Governor)

HB1725: Text, Status (Act 007 as on April 24, 2018)

SCR111: Text, Status (Passed March 27, 2018)

Anti-Janus Bills Dead:

HB1929/SB2372: Text, Status

HB1930/SB2369: Text, Status

SB2360: Text, Status (Companion to HB1725)

HCR122/HR106: Text, Status (Companion to SCR111)

Commentary:

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Janus?

Janus: Abolishing mandatory fees could help unions

Supreme Court Justices Excoriate Union Lawyers Defending Forced Dues

VIDEO: What happens if Hawaii becomes a Right-to-Work State Tomorrow?

Other States:

Unions circumventing the Supreme Court, before its even ruled

A Look at Unions in Michigan, Five Years After Right-to-Work

Friedrichs, 2016:
HAWAII MAKES STRIDES IN TESTING SEX ASSAULT KITS

News Release from Hawaii Attorney General, May 3, 2018

HONOLULU - Attorney General Russell Suzuki would like to recognize the efforts and accomplishments of the Hawaii Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Multi-Disciplinary Team (HISAKI MDT). The HI-SAKI MDT, made up of Hawaii's law enforcement, prosecutorial, and victim advocacy agencies, continues its efforts to serve sexual assault survivors in a victim-centered manner.

In March 2018, members of the HI-SAKI MDT were invited to speak at the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Grantee meeting in Arlington, Virginia, to showcase Hawaiis progress in the testing of sexual assault kits. The HI-SAKI MDT recently completed the submission of the 1,513 previously untested sexual assault kits to accredited, approved forensic laboratories for DNA testing. Those kits had been collected statewide prior to July 1, 2016, and were determined to require testing. Going forward, the test results are being obtained and evaluated, eligible DNA profiles are being uploaded to the federal DNA database, and appropriate follow up measures are being taken by law enforcement.

Information is available through the Project Malama Kakou: Hawaii's Solution for Sexual Assault Evidence Kits publication, which documents the states efforts to test previously untested sexual assault kits and to test future sexual assault kits. The status of sexual assault kit testing and other useful information about Project Malama Kakou can be found on the updated and expanded information dashboard on the website: http://ag.hawaii.gov/hisaki.

Attorney General Suzuki said, The HI-SAKI team has done a great job in getting the previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits tested. This is a crucial step in the ongoing process to address the devastating impact sexual violence has on victims and the community as a whole.

We are proud to be part of this multi-disciplinary team and its efforts to serve sexual assault survivors, said Adrianna Ramelli, Executive Director of Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, The Sex Abuse Treatment Center. The accomplishment of the Hawaii Sexual Assault Kit Initiative is attributed to the collaboration of team members who developed a comprehensive, victim-centered approach to address the untested sexual assault kits.

Representative Linda Ichiyama added, "I strongly support the work of the SAKI team and their efforts to bring justice and healing to sexual assault survivors. The more rape kits that we test, the more opportunities we will have to solve cold cases and take predators off our streets."

The HI-SAKI MDT is made up of representatives from:

Department of the Attorney General

Honolulu Police Department

Hawaii Police Department

Maui Police Department

Kauai Police Department

Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, City and County of Honolulu

Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Hawaii County

Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, Maui County

Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Kauai County

Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, The Sex Abuse Treatment Center

Child and Family Service, Maui Sexual Assault Center

YWCA of Hawaii Island, Sexual Assault Support Services

YWCA of Kauai, Sexual Assault Treatment Program

###

Background:
Most Diverse Cities in America

From WalletHub, May 3, 2018

America is undergoing an extreme makeover, thanks to rapid demographic diversification. By 2050 , you wont even recognize her. But Americas transformation is more than skin-deep  its economic, too. Not only have waves of immigration changed the face of the nation, theyve also brought in fresh perspectives, skills and technologies to help the U.S. develop a strong adaptability to change.

Economies generally fare better when they openly embrace and capitalize on new ideas. Conversely, those relying on old ways and specialized industries tend to be hurt more by changes in the market.

This article is the final installment in WalletHubs diversity study series. It combines household diversity and religious diversity with our previous reports on socioeconomic diversity , cultural diversity and economic diversity . WalletHub tallied the scores across the five major diversity categories for 501 of the largest cities across 13 metrics.

read  Full Report

City 'Income Diversity' Rank 'Educational-Attainment Diversity' Rank 'Racial & Ethnic Diversity' Rank 'Linguistic Diversity' Rank 'Birthplace Diversity' Rank 'Industry Diversity' Rank 'Occupational Diversity' Rank 'Worker-Class Diversity' Rank 'Marital-Status Diversity' Rank 'Age Diversity' Rank 'Household-Type Diversity' Rank 'Household-Size Diversity' Rank 'Religious Diversity' Rank East Honolulu, HI 239 73 66 180 263 219 465 37 485 368 495 221 349 Pearl City, HI 59 358 75 159 378 16 296 23 440 200 460 46 349 Hilo, HI 230 323 29 207 472 208 306 5 199 102 180 220 105 Waipahu, HI 47 461 230 69 302 182 165 240 330 202 239 1 349 Kailua, HI 189 105 38 290 128 253 436 10 408 81 437 92 349 Kaneohe, HI 65 283 23 257 447 163 252 34 393 44 422 42 349 Kahului, HI 52 481 76 73 316 218 181 161 257 226 303 5 255 Mililani Town, HI 124 365 20 222 390 142 237 16 467 169 487 64 349 Ewa Gentry, HI 137 425 9 107 176 72 191 79 437 307 441 15 349

2018s Cities with the Most & Least Diversified Economies

From WalletHub, May 3, 2018

Dont put all your eggs in one basket, say the wisest investing experts. But that wisdom applies to the economy, too. During the Great Recession, local economies that diversified, tapping into new ideas and innovations, proved to be more resilient than the cities that stuck to their old tricks.

Some researchers have found that greater professional and industrial variety increases a citys productivity, a pattern in growing and large urban areas in the U.S. and around the globe.

In other words, diversification helps an economy the way it protects an investors portfolio: Over time, job gains in some sectors will offset the losses in others. And that was exactly the outcome at the end of the financial crisis, when the number of professions in health care and social assistance multiplied while construction and manufacturing occupation rates declined.

In order to determine the most diversified local economies  and therefore the least susceptible to the changes in the market  WalletHub compared the 501 largest cities across three key metrics: industry diversity, occupational diversity and worker-class diversity.

read  Full Report

Overall Rank* City Total Score 'Industry Diversity' Rank 'Occupational Diversity' Rank 'Worker-Class Diversity' Rank 2 Pearl City, HI 77.58 16 296 23 7 Hilo, HI 77.23 208 306 5 10 Mililani Town, HI 77.17 142 237 16 22 Kaneohe, HI 76.43 163 252 34 25 Ewa Gentry, HI 76.28 72 191 79 60 Kailua, HI 75.54 253 436 10 71 Honolulu, HI 75.3 162 323 84 124 Kahului, HI 74.51 218 181 161 160 East Honolulu, HI 74.12 219 465 37 166 Waipahu, HI 74.05 182 165 240

2018s Cities with Most & Least Economic Class Diversity

From WalletHub, May 3, 2018

Where is perhaps no simpler method of categorizing Americans than by economic class. The top 1 percent and the bottom 99 percent have grown apart. One estimate suggests that the top 1 percent owns 40 percent of the countrys wealth.

In an ideal world, no American would live in poverty, yet nearly 47 million do. But increasing diversity may be able to help improve socioeconomic conditions for people from all backgrounds.

Consider education dollars, for instance, which flow traditionally from local taxes. The more tax dollars that higher-income-earning families can contribute to the local economy, the more a city can invest in public schools. This ensures children from low-income households receive an equal shot at a good education.

To recognize the cities where economic class diversity is most balanced or mixed, WalletHub compared 501 of the largest U.S. cities based on two key metrics, Income Diversity and Educational-Attainment Diversity.

read  Full Report

Main Findings

Overall Rank* City Total Score 'Income Diversity' Rank 'Educational-Attainment Diversity' Rank 72 Honolulu, HI 75.91 82 139 102 Kailua, HI 74.68 189 105 112 East Honolulu, HI 74.47 239 73 147 Kaneohe, HI 73.82 65 283 175 Pearl City, HI 73.1 59 358 197 Mililani Town, HI 72.22 124 365 250 Waipahu, HI 71.21 47 461 252 Ewa Gentry, HI 71.16 137 425 270 Hilo, HI 70.87 230 323 276 Kahului, HI 70.63 52 481

Highest & Lowest Concentrations by Category
Funds for Treating Individuals with Mental Illness: Is Your State Generous or Stingy?

New study reveals dramatic eight-fold difference in percentage of state funds allocated to helping mentally ill.

News Release from MentalIllnessPolicy.org December, 2017

PDF: Read full report

The most generous states for mental health are Maine, Pennsylvania and Arizona. The stingiest states are Arkansas, West Virginia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Delaware.

(New York, NY, December 12, 2017) Mental Illness Policy Org released the first study to rank all fifty states based on the percentage of state-controlled funds each state spends on mental illness. States that spend a higher percentage of their budget on mental illness are ranked as generous and those that spend a lower percentage are ranked as stingy. This study found the most generous states in mental health spending are Maine, Pennsylvania and Arizona. The stingiest states are Arkansas, West Virginia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Delaware. The most generous states, Maine and Pennsylvania (5.6%), allocates eight times more as a percentage of total state spending than the stingiest state, Arkansas (.7%).

Percentage of Total State Expenditures Allocated to Mental Illness

Reports by others that have ranked states based on total mental health spending or per-capita spending do not allow an accurate comparison of states commitment to mental health services relative to a states overall spending because they fail to account for the fact that richer states have more to spend. Funds for Treating Individuals with Mental Illness: Is Your State Generous or Stingy? was researched by DJ Jaffe, executive director of Mental Illness Policy Org and author of Insane Consequences: How the Mental Health Industry Fails the Mentally Ill and Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, founder of the Treatment Advocacy Center . Mr. Jaffe said that this report describes which states have been naughty or nice to the mentally ill.

Equally important as the percentage of funds allocated to mental health services is whether the states allocate the funds effectively. Jaffe said that New York and California allocate a respectable proportion of their budgets to mental health, but New York and California waste the funds on programs that do not help persons with serious mental illness.

The authors urge legislators to allocate a higher percentage of their state budgets to mental health services and insure the funds are allocated to programs proven to reduce meaningful metrics including homelessness, arrest, incarceration, hospitalization and suicide in people with serious mental illness.

The full report is available at LINK

MORE STATE-by-STATE INFORMATION

MIP: REPEAL OF THE INSTITUTIONS FOR MENTAL DISEASE EXCLUSION

Standards for Involuntary Commitment (Assisted Treatment) State-by-State

More Mentally Ill Persons Are in Jails and Prisons Than Hospitals: A Survey of the States

How many individuals should be on Assisted Outpatient Treatment and how much money would be saved?


Kim Jong-un, top leader of the DPRK (left), meets with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Pyongyang on Thursday. [Photo/Xinhua]

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi wrapped up his two-day visit to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, during which he met with DPRKs top leader Kim Jong-un and Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho.

The trip is among a series of recent high-level exchanges and contacts between China and Pyongyang, including Kim Jong-uns visit to China in March.

Beijing supports the Korean Peninsulas shift from armistice to peace, as well as Pyongyangs shifting focus to economic buildup, Wang told Kim on Thursday.

The visit carried a great deal of interest from overseas media. Lets take a look at what they had to say about this meeting.

North Koreas state-run news agency says leader Kim Jong-un met with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday.

The Korean Central News Agency said Friday that Kim warmly greeted Wang and expressed joy meeting him again after a month.

The report said that Kim and Wang discussed the issue of improving Pyongyang-Beijing relations and cooperation as well as the direction and outlook of situations on the Korean Peninsula.

KCNA: Kim Jong-un Holds Talks with Chinese Foreign Minister -- KBS (Korea Broadcasting System)

Kims meeting with Wang Yi on Wednesday followed the historic summit held by President Moon Jae-in and Kim last week, at which they reaffirmed the goal of complete denuclearization of the peninsula. Kim is also set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump as early as May.

Kim and Wang exchanged opinions on ways to develop the two nations traditionally friendly and cooperative relations and issues of mutual concern including the direction and prospect of the development of the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

N.K. leader meets Chinas foreign minister over ties, inter-Korean issues -- Yonhap News
Kenneth Bae, a one-time prisoner in North Korea, on Thursday recalled his own release in 2014 amid reports that the North is freeing three American citizens of Korean descent.

"If a senior American official visits, the regime relocates American hostages to a hotel or hospital for treatment in advance," Bae told the Chosun Ilbo on Thursday. "They're trying to make it look as if the prisoners are well treated even though they are under detention on some criminal charge."

Bae, an evangelical pastor who was arrested in North Korea for proselytizing, said he too "was relocated to hospital for treatment and rehabilitation six weeks ahead of my release."

"Though his efforts failed in the end, I was able to take a good rest for three weeks at hospital ahead of a visit by Robert King, the then U.S. State Department's special envoy for North Korea human rights, in August 2013, he added.

Bae was arrested because he had a storage device with a documentary film on the North when he visited in November 2012. He was finally freed when then National Intelligence Director James Clapper visited Pyongyang in November 2014.

"When I was in prison there, I was forced to do hard labor from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, working in a field of beans or carrying coals," he recalled. "I lost 24 kg in just three months because I was given a paltry amount of food but had to work hard."

He said the regime deliberately holds Americans hostage "to use them as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the U.S." "North Korean investigators made me write letters to my family in the U.S. to persuade them to ask the U.S. government to 'save' me and they also released footage of me asking for help."

"The regime didn't conceal its ulterior motives," he added. "During the trial, North Korean prosecutors openly said, 'Everything depends on what attitude the U.S. takes,'" he said.


United Nations aviation agency directors will visit North Korea next week to discuss an earlier request by Pyongyang to open new air routes to South Korea, the organization said in a statement on Friday.

North Korea's request to establish the new routes to South Korea is now under "consideration," the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said.

"This request will be further discussed among other air navigation and safety matters," during the visit by ICAO Asia and Pacific Regional Director Arun Mishra and Stephen Creamer, head of the agency's Air Navigation Bureau.

According to its website, North Korea's state-owned carrier Air Koryo flies to cities in Russia and China, two countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Pyongyang.

It's the latest sign of practical reconciliation measures taken since North Korean and South Korean leaders met last month at their first historic summit in decades, where they signed a pledge to pursue peace on the peninsula.


U.S. President Donald Trump has not asked the Pentagon for options to reduce U.S. forces based in South Korea, U.S. National Security adviser John Bolton said in a statement on Friday.

His comment comes after the New York Times, citing several people briefed on the deliberations, reported on Thursday that the president was seeking options to curb the number of American troops stationed in South Korea.

"The New York Times story is utter nonsense. The president has not asked the Pentagon to provide options for reducing American forces stationed in South Korea," Bolton said.
A total of $1.6 million will be assessed to companies for

failing to keep track of customers' orders, the regulatory body said Thursday.

FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, issued a statement yesterday saying that it has fined three companies, including CIBC World Markets Corp., TradeStation Securities, Inc., and E*Trade Securities.TradeStation Securities was fined US$750,000 for failing to report approximately 23.5 million reportable order events relating to orders received. E*Trade was fined US$500,000 for failing to report new order reports and route reports. CIBC was fined US$350,000 for failing to report to OATS over 28 million orders which were generated by an affiliate. FINRA also found that the three firms did not have adequate systems of supervision in place to monitor their OATS reporting compliance."Firms must be vigilant in monitoring the accuracy and completeness of the data they provide to regulators and each firm must ensure that it reports all required order information, no matter which desk receives or handles the order," said Tom Gira, executive vice president of FINRAs Market Regulation department.
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Tyer Releases Proposed FY19 Budget

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Mayor Linda Tyer has put forth an FY19 budget calling for a 1.8 percent increase in total expenditures.

On Friday, the mayor released her proposed $167.6 million spending plan. That reflects a $2.8 million increase from the current year. The City Council will be asked to raise and appropriate a total of $159.9 million of that.

"In FY19 we continue to be challenged in the form of a levy ceiling constraint. However, the FY19 budget renews our commitment to strategies that will foster increased property values and inspire new growth through private investment. Safe neighborhoods that are free from blighted conditions, competitive public schools that prepare our students for a global economy and engaged citizenship, and streamlining strategies for advancing economic growth are top priorities," Tyer wrote as a preface to the budget.

"The success of these initiatives is one of the key components to overcoming the constraints of the levy ceiling. We have witnessed the beginnings of an upward trend. The FY18 re-valuation showed an overall increase in property values across most categories and the city's real estate market is trending positively."

The proposed operating budget is requested to be $148,465,621, which is $3.4 million more than last year, and the enterprise account budgets are eyed to be $11,531,024, which is a $154,529 increase. Those account for the $159,996,645 the City Council needs to appropriate.

Meanwhile, other expenditures will be dropping from $8,331,641 last year to $7,656,831 this year - a decline of $674,810 or 8.1 percent. The other expenditures line consists of a number of items such as assessments, school choice, and other cherry sheet offsets to state aid. Typically these are items charged against the city's state aid prior to disbursement as well as retained earnings from the enterprise funds.

The city is seeing a $1.4 million boost in state aid, most of which is in the form of Chapter 70 school aid. Some $52.4 million is expected in state support and local receipts are expected to make up just short of $12 million. The mayor is also asking the City Council to use $1 million in free cash to offset the tax rate.

"This proposal includes increases in the following fixed costs: 1) a $525,000 increase in health insurance; 2) a $1,112,324 increase in retirement contribution; 3) a $1,285,809 in long-term debt payments, principal, and interest; and 4) a $94,787 increase is solid waste collection and disposal," the mayor wrote.

The largest driver of the operating budget is $60,492,869 for the School Department. That represents a $426,531 increase, which is specifically eyed to bolster the therapeutic program at the elementary school level and bring back paraprofessionals to the kindergarten classrooms, which were cut last year.

The school had asked for about a $900,000 increase but the mayor opted to shift about a $500,000 payment for school buses from the school budget and into the municipal side - thus equating for at least some of the increase in debt payments.

"This budget proposal supports staffing a full and comprehensive elementary therapeutic program. The therapeutic program of the Pittsfield Public Schools is a specialized program that services students with individualized education plans who will also benefit from specialized, focused social and emotional learning opportunities, both as individuals and within a group setting," Tyer wrote.

"This program will serve students in grades K-5 by providing a safe, personalized learning experience in a setting that includes school adjustment counselor support, licensed academic and special education teachers, paraprofessional support where needed, and an in-house director to case management students and to serve as a direct communication link among the school, outside agencies, and families."

The budget was significantly helped by a recent agreement between the Public Employees Committee and the city regarding health insurance. The city was looking at a $2 million increase in health insurance if no changed had been made to the health insurance plans during negotiations with all of the city's unions. The new six-year agreement is expected to save the city $1.5 million this upcoming year - thus mitigating the expected increase to around $500,000.

"Reaching this agreement reflects the shared responsibility, the deep commitment, and the good faith collaboration between the city and its employees. The anticipated savings over the six-year agreement will be vital to the long-term sustainability of the city's finances by gradually shifting more out-of-pocket costs for direct services, such as co-pays, to the employees," Tyer wrote.

The budget does not call for any reductions in staffing and Tyer said 11 departments are either level-funded or seeing a reduction.

The proposal isn't absent of all new initiatives. The mayor is asking for a new diversity and inclusion initiative in the Personnel Department.

"The mission of this initiative is to ensure that the city's workforce reflects the diversity of the city's citizens with a strategic focus on recruiting, retaining, and promoting diverse talent," Tyer wrote.

"Outstanding service in our citizens depends upon our organization's commitment to ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees feel respected, valued, and empowered to maximize their skills and talents. This initiative includes marketing and advertising, an internship program, training and development, and inclusion practices."

That new line is proposed to be funded at $5,000 and even with that included, the Personnel Department will still be seeing about a $200,000 decrease. The biggest cutback on that departmental budget is $6,500 for assessment centers, which were used during this past year to fill the ranks of top positions in the Police Department. Now that those are filled, the city will need to run fewer assessment centers this coming year.

Looking forward, the mayor said her administration is looking to complete an efficiency study to implement increase operations and develop a home improvement initiative to help residents increase home values.

"I am optimistic that we can survive and thrive beyond these existing fiscal conditions through strategic action. The actions we take today will yield steady returns toward the city's long-term fiscal stability," Tyer wrote.

The City Council will hold a series of meetings throughout the rest of the month to debate the budget. The mayor's budget proposal is available below.

Pittsfield FY19 Proposed Budget by iBerkshires.com on Scribd




iciHaiti - Social : Winners of the Music Contest on the flag





Friday at the Villate in Petion-ville, the 12 groups of young finalists of the Music Contest on the flag, whose theme was "Drapo nou fyete nou, Ayitise pa nou, An n mete men" https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23943-haiti-social-launch-of-a-music-competition-around-the-flag.html who gave at the show their best, amazed the audience and made the final choice of the jury very impressed by the potential of these young people.



Despite the problems of our society, the young sing unity, fraternity, love of the Fatherland, respect for the flag for the renewal of Haiti, said the jury members: Belo, Tamara Suffren, BIC and Raoul Denis Jr. (who had to lend a hand in the absence of Jean Jean Roosevelt).



After deliberation, the Jury chose the first three winners.



Winners :



1st , College St Francois d'Assises ;

2nd : College Evangelique Salem ;

3rd : College Mission de l'espoir.



Pierre Josue Agenor Cadet the Minister of National Education praised the quality of the texts and the talent of these young people who took part in the final phase of the Competition on the flag and invited young and old to take inspiration from the beautiful ideas conveyed by these young people for the new of our dear Haiti and citizen values.



Laptops, scholarships, books and a CD with the 12 works of the finalists are among the prizes offered to the winners.



Note that the first laureate will perform on May 18 at Arcahaie in the presence of the highest authorities of the country during the flag day.



IH/ S/ iciHaiti






















This week, Rhode Island Superior Court judge Jeffrey A. Lanphear heard arguments from attorneys representing over 30 parents in a lawsuit attempting to overturn Gov. Dan McKee's executive order requiring students in Rhode Island schools to wear masks while in the classroom. In the lawsuit, the parents argue mask-wearing poses harm to students and negatively impacts their physical and mental health. They are attempting to overturn McKee's executive order on the grounds that it unconstitutional. Do you agree that the mask mandate should be overturned by the courts? Why or why not? Let us know in this week's poll question below.

You voted:
Indian American students at the University of California, Davis, held a candle-light vigil April 24 in memory of Asifa Bano, an 8-year-old girl who was gang-raped and strangled near Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir last month. (Organization for Minorities of India photo)
Anil Kumar, 18, looks at the debris after his house was damaged by heavy storm winds in Kheragarh on the outskirts of Agra May 4. Kumar and his uncle Dharamveer Singh, 36, survived the accident but lost his grandfather. A series of powerful super storms that tore through India this week have killed 143 people, as officials warned May 4 the death toll could rise with more extreme weather expected. (Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images)
By Paul Street May 04, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Signed by the United States and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on Dec. 10, 1948, the document was a great and shining step forward in the articulation of how human beings might organize their social and political systems in accord with democratic and civilized ideals. The U.S. has long wielded the Universal Declaration (UD) as a weapon to brandish selectively against officially designated enemies. But seven decades after its signing (and trumpeting) the document, American society stands in rarely noted gross violation of the declarations key principles. Take the UDs firsts article: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. The United States falls far short here. Someone born into one of the 57 percent of U.S. households with less than $1,000 in savings will not enjoy remotely the same amount of dignity and rights as those enjoyed by someone born into the top 1 percent of households, which together possess as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent of U.S. citizens. Access to basic means of comfort, dignity and freedomlike quality housing, quality education, strong legal representation, leisure, travel, health care, quality food and recreationis filtered by the militantly disparate distribution of wealth and income in the U.S., the most savagely unequal nation among all Western capitalist democracies. Like the polarized and nasty political culture to which it is merged, the nations extreme socioeconomic imbalance is inconsistent with calls for conscience and brotherhood. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Article 2 of the UD proclaims, among other things, that everyone is entitled to human rights and freedoms without distinctions of race, color and national or social origin. Here again, the U.S. stands in stark contravention. Median white wealth is 12 times higher than median black wealth in the U.S.a reflection of persistent anti-black discrimination and segregation built into the nations social structures and institutions. Reflecting stark racial disparities in arrest, prosecution, legal representation and sentencing, black and Latinos make up 56 percent of the nations 2.2 million incarcerated people though they comprise roughly 32 percent of the U.S. population. One in three adult black males is saddled with the crippling lifelong mark of a felony recorda critical barrier to opportunity and full citizenship (even the right to vote in many U.S. states) on numerous levels. Thanks to the racially disparate waging of the so-called war on drugs, one of every 10 U.S. black men in their 30s is in jail or prison on any given day. African-Americans and whites use drugs at similar rates, but the imprisonment rate of African-Americans for drug charges is almost six times that of whites. Millions of undocumented immigrant workers and residents are unwilling to fight for their universal human rights in the U.S. because they reasonably fear arrest and deportation. The UDs fourth article declares, No one shall be held in slavery or servitude. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. prisonersthe modern-day and very disproportionately nonwhite human chattel that provides the essential raw material for the self-declared Land of Freedoms curiously gigantic prison-industrial complexperform labor tasks for tiny levels of compensation and often for no payment at all. The Global Slavery Index estimates that 57,000 people are victims of human trafficking, the modern form of slavery, with illegal smuggling and trading of people, for forced labor or sexual exploitation, in the United States. Hundreds of millions of nominally free Americans are de facto slaves and servants to employers (upon whom a shocking number of Americans absurdly depend for health coverage), financial institutions, insurance corporations, retail corporations, credit agencies, property associations, government tax collectors, gambling agencies (including state lottery systems), health care providers, lawyers and drug dealers. The UDs fifth article says, No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Torture and such treatment is endemic across the United States vast prison system, the largest in world history. One particularly widespread and egregious form of cruel and inhuman treatment inside that system is solitary confinementa punishment well known to cause grave damage to its victims mental and physical health. The American Civil Liberties Union reports that: Over the last two decades, the use of solitary confinement in U.S. correctional facilities has surged  44 states and the federal government have supermax units, where prisoners are held in extreme isolation, often for years or even decades. On any given day in this country, its estimated that over 80,000 prisoners are held in isolated confinement. This massive increase in the use of solitary has happened despite criticism from legal and medical professionals, who have deemed the practice unconstitutional and inhumane. Other forms of torture and cruel and inhumane treatment that are common in the nations vast archipelago of racially disparate mass incarceration include widespread beatings, rape, ignoring cries for help, overcrowding, underfunding, forcing inmates to fight, dehydration, starvation, denial of medical care, executions (including botched executions) and forced scalding showers. Article 7 of the UD proclaims, All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. This principle, too, is brazenly violated in the purported homeland and headquarters of global freedom and democracy. Many Americans are familiar with the old working-class aphorism that money talks and bullshit walksmeaning that the wealthy few hire high-priced lawyers to enhance their chances and power in the courts while everyday people do far less well with fewer resources to pay for legal representation. Its no joke. As the Georgia gubernatorial candidate and former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams noted last February, people with money artfully navigate the criminal justice system and maybe even avoid it altogether, but those who are poor are overwhelmed. Wall Street chieftains who threw millions of Americans out of work and destroyed billions of dollars in lost savings through their reckless and often criminal practices have escaped prosecution while the nations jails and prisons are loaded with disproportionately black, Latino and poor people serving long terms for comparative small-time drug offenses. Hundreds of thousands of Americans rot in jail prior to conviction for the simple reason that they lack the financial resources to make bail. Abrams reports, The majority of Georgians incarcerated in local jails have never been convicted of crime. They are simply too poor to pay their bail. The UDs ninth and 10th articles say that [n]o one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile and Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him. The 11th article says, Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence. The land of freedom contravenes these core civil-libertarian principles without the slightest hint of embarrassment. The U.S. National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) authorizes the indefinite military detention, without charge or trial, of any person labeled a belligerentincluding an American citizen. The legislation overrides habeas corpus, the critical legal procedure that prevents the government from detaining you indefinitely without showing just cause. In addition, the federal government has used the post 9/11 Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) law to justify the direct killing (without a trial or verdict) of anyone proclaimed an enemy combatant in the global war on terrorism. The AUMF is unbound by geographic or time limitations. U.S. citizens are not exempted, nor is U.S. territory. Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported last January, For the third year in a row, [U.S. local and state] police nationwide shot and killed nearly 1,000 people.  Police killings, disproportionately inflicted against poor people and people of color, amount to executions, without trial or verdict. The presumption of innocence does not prevent hundreds of thousands of American from experiencing the torture of incarceration simply because they cannot pay bail while awaiting trial. The UDs 12th article proclaims, No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence. So what? Americans are subject to a vast private and public surveillance apparatus that has essentially abolished privacy in the name of national security. As the ACLU reports: Numerous government agenciesincluding the National Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, and state and local law enforcement agenciesintrude upon the private communications of innocent citizens, amass vast databases of who we call and when, and catalog suspicious activities based on the vaguest standards.  Innocuous data is fed into bloated watchlists, with severe consequencesinnocent individuals have found themselves unable to board planes, barred from certain types of jobs, shut out of their bank accounts, and repeatedly questioned by authorities. Once information is in the governments hands, it can be shared widely and retained for years, and the rules about access and use can be changed entirely in secret without the public ever knowing. Article 15 of the UD says, Everyone has the right to a nationality and No one shall be deprived of the right to change his nationality. Millions of illegal immigrants in flight from impoverished and repressive regimes supported by the United States are stateless people, too afraid of deportation to declare their foreign citizenship or to fight for decent conditions inside the U.S. They are not free to change their nationality by becoming U.S. citizens. The UDs 19th article declares, Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference. Thats nice. Millions of U.S. citizen-subjects know very well that they cannot write or say (or sing or post or march on behalf of) what they believe without putting their livelihoods at risk by offending or otherwise concerning their employers and other authorities. And in the United States, where health insurance is strongly and absurdly tied to place of employment, putting ones job at risk also endangers a persons and his or her familys access to health care. Freedom of expression is strictly qualified, to say the least, in the hidden and despotic abode of the capitalist workplace, where most working-age Americans spend most of their waking hours under managerial supervision. Even tenured academics can be fired for expressing their opinions. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign fired tenured professor Steven Salaita over his personal tweets criticizing Israels mass-murderous 2014 assault on Gaza. The prolific radical Native American author Ward Churchill was stripped of his tenured professorship on trumped-up grounds because of political comments he made on the 9/11 terror attacks. Article 20 of the UD says, Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. These rights are strictly qualified in the U.S., where public assembly is controlled by onerous permitting processes and fees and peaceful protest gatherings commonly face militarized police forces that make random arrests, infiltrate marches and meetings, target organizers, give protesters petty charges (and deadly criminal records) and rough-up protesters. Numerous Republican-controlled states have passed bills that increase penalties for public protest in the wake of the many protests that accompanied Donald Trumps election and inauguration. Workers are fired for trying to organize unions in the U.S., where once union-friendly labor laws have been eviscerated. The UDs 21st article proclaims that Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures. The reality of U.S. politics and policy stands in brazen defiance of this universal human right. As the distinguished liberal political scientists Benjamin Page (Northwestern) and Marin Gilens (Princeton) showed in their expertly researched book, Democracy in America? last year: [T]he best evidence indicates that the wishes of ordinary Americans actually have little or no impact on the making of federal government policy. Wealthy individuals and organized interest groupsespecially business corporationshave had much more political clout. When they are taken into account, it becomes apparent that the general public has been virtually powerless.  The will of majorities is often thwarted by the affluent and the well-organized, who block popular policy proposals and enact special favors for themselves.  Majorities of Americans favor  programs to help provide jobs, increase wages, help the unemployed, provide universal medical insurance, ensure decent retirement pensions, and pay for such programs with progressive taxes. Most Americans also want to cut corporate welfare. Yet the wealthy, business groups, and structural gridlock have mostly blocked such new policies [and programs]. Elections alone, Page and Gilens note, do not guarantee democracy. Majority U.S. opinion is regularly trumped by a deadly complex of forces in the nations politics, including: The campaign finance, candidate-selection, lobbying and policy agenda-setting power of wealthy individuals, corporations and interest groups The special primary election influence of full-time party activists The disproportionately affluent, white and older composition of the active (voting) electorate The manipulation and restriction of voter turnout The widespread dissemination of distracting, confusing, misleading and just plain false information Absurdly and explicitly unrepresentative political institutions like the Electoral College, the unelected Supreme Court, the over-representation of the predominantly white rural population in the U.S. Senate and the one-party rule in the House of Representatives The fragmentation of authority in government Corporate ownership of the reigning media, which frames current events in accord with the wishes and world view of the nations real ownersits unelected dictatorship or money Americans get to vote but mammon reigns nonetheless in the United States, where, Page and Gilens find, government policy  reflects the wishes of those with money, not the wishes of the millions of ordinary citizens who turn out every two years to choose among the preapproved, money-vetted candidates for federal office.

You wouldnt know a thing about these and other brazen violations of the UD (you can find supplemental text on U.S. homeland violations of UD articles 22, 23, 24, 25, 27 and 28 on my website) by reading the U.S. State Departments recently released annual Country Reports on Human Rights Abuses. Beyond two disturbing noveltiesthe deletion of most prior reporting on womens rights and reproductive rights and the redaction of the term Occupied Territories from the reports description of Israel and its, well, occupied territoriesthe Trump-era rendering of the annual State Department document (this years is the first put together entirely by the Trump State Department) runs in four familiar grooves. Consistent with previous versions, it fails to acknowledge the United States longstanding political, economic and military backing of governments whose human rights abuses it mentionsas if Washington had nothing to do with them. We learn, for example, that Saudi Arabia kills civilians in Yemen and carries out unlawful killings, including execution for other than the most serious offenses and without requisite due process; torture; arbitrary arrest and detention, including of lawyers in its own territory. The report says nothing about how Washington considers the Saudi regime one of its most prized allies. Or that it equips the absolutist Saudi state (whose crown prince was recently hosted by Donald Trump, who boasted during the royals visit of U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia) with tens of billions worth of lethal military equipment. Nor does it say anything about the United States own direct egregious abrogation of human rights through things like its horrific torture camp at Guantanamo Bay and its ongoing arch-criminal drone war program of targeted assassination (execution without trial) Noam Chomsky has called the most extensive global terrorism campaign the world has yet seen. The world has every reason to respond to the State Departments report with another old maxim: Dont piss on my boots and tell me its raining. The Country Reports document continues the United States longstanding practice of selective criticism, playing up violations in rival and enemy nations over those in allied nations. Relying on just the documents country-level write-ups, one would think that human rights are no better in Iran and Cuba than they are in Saudi Arabia and Honduras. Youd never know that the Saudis make Iran look like a bastion of civil liberties, womens rights and democracy by comparison. Or that ordinary Cubans enjoy remarkable guaranteed incomes and access to educational resources and health care services that are unrivaled across Latin America and especially in right-wing Latin American states like Honduras, where a vicious right-wing regime was installed with no small help from the U.S. nine years ago. The State Department report vastly understates the scale of the Saudis U.S.-backed and U.S.-equipped crimes in Yemen. It gives no sense that the U.S.-Saudi war on that small nation has created there one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes (replete with a mass outbreak of deadly cholera) in recent history. In rolling out the report, John Sullivan, Trumps then-acting secretary of state, singled out Russia and China as leading threats to global stability, claiming that their poor human rights records put them in the same dastardly club as evil Iran and North Korea. Where, one might well ask, should we rank U.S. allies like Saudi Arabia, Honduras, Egypt and Israel? The last country has recently and openly slaughtered unarmed Palestinians who were peacefully protesting along its border with Gaza, which is essentially an open-air Palestinian prison subjected to a vicious blockade by Israel and Egypt since 2007. What about other U.S.-allied states like the Philippines, whose strongman president Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the death-squad killings of drug dealers and drug users and been praised by Trump for doing an unbelievable job on the drug problem? It has not been lost on properly critical observers that that the Trump administration has curiously designated the American Empires top strategic rivalsChina, Russia, Iran and North Koreaas the worlds worst human rights violators. As per usual, the latest State Department global human rights report ignores positive human rights accomplishments of states on the wrong side of Uncle Sams division of the world into friend and enemy. It has nothing to say, for example, about Cubas remarkable achievements in reducing poverty, providing health care, educating its citizens and developing its economy and society with a low-carbon footprint that reduces its contribution to the greatest problem of our times, one whose advance is being led by the United States: anthropogenic climate change. Last, but not least, this years version of the report has, as usual, absolutely nothing to say against or about egregious and endemic human rights abuses carried out by (both at home and abroad) and inside the United Statesthe supposed beacon to the world of the way life should be, to quote former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (currently Trumps permanent representative to NATO) in a fall 2002 speech in support of Congress authorizing George W. Bush to criminally invade Iraq if he wanted to (he did). The State Departments Country Reports on Human Rights Abuses covers every country on the planet but one: The most powerful nation on earth, the headquarters of a historically unparalleled global empire that most of the worlds politically cognizant populace has long and with good reason identified as the leading threat to peace and stability on earth. Fully 194 countries are covered in the reports, just not the worlds only superpower, itself home to 4.4 percent of the worlds population but 22 percent of the worlds prisonersquite an accomplishment for the self-declared homeland and headquarters of global freedom and democracy. As far as the State Department, Washington and the nations reigning corporate, financial, and imperial power elite is concerned, the violations of the UD outlined at the outset of this article (and in my linked supplemental text) belong down George Orwells memory hole, consistent with the principle that history is written by and for the winners and Big Bothers maxim: He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past. Its nothing remotely new or distinctive to the Trump era. The United States sees itself as an inherently splendid and humanitarian City on a Hill, fit to judge other nations, particularly those it deems as rivals and enemies, while giving itself an exceptionalist free pass because, as Bill Clintons Secretary State Madeleine Albright once explained, The United States is good. Thats no way to get its human rights reports taken seriously by world citizens familiar with the timeworn adage that people who live in glass houses shouldnt throw stones. Uncle Sam, the Human Rights Hypocrite Paul Street holds a doctorate in U.S. history from Binghamton University. He is former vice president for research and planning of the Chicago Urban League. Street is also the author of numerous books. This article was originally published by "Truthdig " - ===== 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.
May 04, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - The Iran nuclear deal is on the verge of sinking on May 12, when Donald Trump will decide whether or not to waive the nuclear-related sanctions, as the deal calls for. While the world is cheering the upcoming meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (including Trumps fans calling for a Nobel Peace Prize), Trump is needlessly and recklessly driving our nation down a path toward war with Iranand neither Congress nor the American people seem to care.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, fearing the consequences of a broken deal, visited the White House. Macron tried to appease Trump by suggesting new agreements to the deal, something Irans government views as ludicrous. According to Iranian president Hassan Rouhaniwho has been subjected to enormous domestic criticism for striking a deal with Washington only to see the U.S. threaten to back out so quickly: We will not add anything to the deal or remove anything from it, even one sentence. The nuclear deal is the nuclear deal.

Instead of appeasing Trumps irrational stance, European leaders could have declared that they would side with Tehran by invoking a dispute resolution mechanism in the agreement, which could buy another 45 days to convince the United States to stay in the deal. They would have done better warning Trump they would invoke trade penalties if the United States tried to enforce sanctions on oil imports from Iran.

Instead, they left empty-handed and remained quiet when the U.S. president, in their presence, continued to call the agreement insane and ridiculous. At a news conference with Merkel by his side, Trump virtually threatened to bomb Iran if it tried to develop nuclear weapons.

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This is something Trumps new National Security Adviser John Bolton advocated in a 2015 New York Times opinion piece entitled To Stop Irans Bomb, Bomb Iran, where he proposed a U.S. or Israeli bombing of Irans nuclear reactors. An attack [on Irans nuclear facilities] need not destroy Irans entire nuclear infrastructure, but by breaking key links in the nuclear-fuel cycle, it could set back its program by three to five years, Bolton mused, adding, The United States could do a thorough job of destruction, but Israel alone can do whats necessary.

How would Iran respond? Iran and its allies, such as Hezbollah, could retaliate by attacking both Israeli and U.S. troops stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and on military bases throughout the Middle East. The conflicts that have consumed the Middle East for the past 16 years would get infinitely worse, and drag the United States deeper into the abyss.

This is precisely where Trumps team seems to be headed. Newly installed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in his first week on the job, traveled to Saudi Arabia and IsraelIrans greatest adversaries and opponents of the nuclear dealcalling for concerted international action against Iran.

While Saudi Arabia just bombed a Yemeni wedding as part of its relentless, three-year attacks that have been killing, maiming and starving millions of Yemenis, Pompeo ignored Yemen and instead concurred with the Saudi rulers that Iran destabilizes this entire region. Pompeo also failed to mention that it is the Saudis extremist Sunni ideology, not Irans Shiism, that forms the theological underpinnings of radical terrorist groups from al-Qaida to Islamic State.

In Israel, Pompeo and Benjamin Netanyahu complained that the nuclear deal does not do enough to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear-weapons capability, saying nothing about Israels totally illegal nuclear arsenal. Israel has been advocating for the U.S. military to bomb Irans nuclear facilities, even though Israel has several hundred nuclear weapons of its own and Iran has none. And while Israel has refused to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty and would never allow inspections of its nuclear facilities, Iran has joined the treaty and has agreed to the most intrusive inspections ever devised.

Israel immediately followed Pompeos visit by striking an Iranian-linked target in Syria on April 30, killing 11 Iranians and ratcheting up regional tensions.

The great tragedy of the horrifying specter of another Middle East war is that it is wholly fabricated by the U.S. administration. The Iran deal is a good one (it would be amazing if Trump could negotiate as good a deal with North Korea), and Iran is fully complying with its end of the bargain. The International Atomic Energy Agency has said so in 10 consecutive reports. Americas European allies have said so. So has a recent State Department report and Trumps own Defense Secretary James Mattis, who, by the way, told a congressional committee that keeping the nuclear agreement intact was in the U.S. national interest.

The party that has not been in compliance is actually the United States. The deal requires that the signatories allow Irans reintegration into the global economy. At a NATO summit last May, Trump tried to persuade European partners to stop making business deals with Iran. The Trump administration has also been blocking permits for companies to engage in commercial transactions with Iran.

Just the lack of certainty over U.S. support for the deal has already scared off potential investors. While Irans trade with Europe has increased slightly over the past few years, very few major deals have been signed. The one large deal by the French oil company, Total, is now under threat because of uncertainty over U.S. sanctions. There is still no major European bank willing to finance trade with Iran because of fear of possible U.S. penalties.

The Iranian currency has taken a tremendous hit in the last six months, losing a quarter of its value. The precipitous drop was attributed in large measure to Trumps appointment of hardline anti-Iran figures Mike Pompeo and John Bolton to senior posts in his administration.

The economic crisis in Tehran has the hardliners in Trumps cabinet smelling blood, thinking that with enough pressure on the economy, the regime itself could fall. Both John Bolton and Mike Pompeo have made no secret of their desire to see regime change in Iran. This is the ultimate goal of Trumps war cabinet, but it doesnt have the slightest idea of the chaos that would follow a collapse of the Iranian government.

Technically, it is not up to Trump to end the deal, as it is a political agreement between Iran and six world powers: Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States. Iran could certainly remain in the deal without the United States. But if it gets no economic benefit, the hardliners in Iran will get the upper hand, pushing Iran to end the intrusive inspections and accelerate its nuclear program. That will provide justification for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as John Bolton and Mike Pompeo, to press for a direct military attack or support for an Israeli attack on Iran.

As long-time Iran analyst Trita Parsi has noted, Iran has boxed itself into a corner by negotiating a deal before obtaining nuclear weapons, and then by complying, while North Korea will likely be rewarded for its aggressive actions. North Korea tested bombs and ballistic missiles capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. Iran, on the other hand, went to the negotiating table after only having enriched uranium at 20 percent. It had no nuclear weapons nor missiles capable of carrying them. Now, North Korea appears set on a path toward striking a deal with Trump and getting the recognition it has long sought. Iran, on the other hand, is about to see its nuclear deal collapse because the U.S. has been led to believe that Iran has run out of options.

The New York Times has called out the administrations reckless and hypocritical stance toward Iran. Its curious, notes its April 30 editorial, that while the United States is now preparing to extend an olive branch to the North Koreans, it has placed itself on a collision course with Tehran. Before the Trump administration takes a wrecking ball to the best global foreign policy achievement in the last decade, the American peopleand the Congress that is supposed to represent their interestsbetter wake up and stop it.

Medea Benjamin is co-founder of the women-led peace group Code Pink and the co-founder of the human rights group Global Exchange. She has been an advocate for social justice for more than 40 years.
===

Reality Check: Who's Funding the White Helmets?

Watch Follow the money and you will find numerous ties to government funding from not only the U.S., but the U.K., Netherlands, Denmark and Germany.



We untangle these ties to the White Helmets in a Reality Check you won't get anywhere else.

Posted May 04, 2018

Salisbury attack: Chemical weapons watchdog backtracks on '100g of Novichok' claim

Novichok Chemical Weapon Developer Says Half a Cup Would Have Killed Skripal and Entire Town

Zeman: Novichok was produced, tested, destroyed in CR

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=====

Join the Discussion
May 04, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - As I write, with over 75% of all yesterdays English local election results in, Labour has a net gain of 55 councillors compared to the high water mark of the 2014 result in these wards, while the Tories have a net gain of one seat against a 2014 result which was regarded at the time as disastrous for them, and led the Daily Telegraph to editoralise David Cameron Must Now Assuage the Voters Rage.

Yet both the BBC and Sky News, have all night and this morning, treated these results, in which the Labour Party has increased by 3% an already record number of councillors in this election cycle, as a disaster. What is more, they have used that false analysis to plug again and again the anti-Semitism in the Labour Party witch-hunt. It was of course the continuous exacerbation of this mostly false accusation by Blairite MPs which  deliberately on their part  stopped the Labour Party doing still better. The Blairites are all over the airwaves plugging this meme again today.

What is more this Labour result has been achieved despite the complete collapse of the UKIP vote, which collapse had been expected to boost the Tory Party. In fact the net loss of over 100 UKIP seats has not resulted in overall net gains for the Tory Party, even though those ex-UKIP voters demonstrably did mostly split to Tory. The very substantial UKIP voter reinforcements simply saved the Tories from doing still worse. The Liberal Democrats are showing some signs of life.

Yesterday was World Press Freedom Day, and the tendentious media misrepresentation of the election results reminds me why I could not get excited about it. A media with the extremely concentrated ownership we see in the UK can never be free, and certainly does not represent a wide spread of political opinions. Even the views of the official Leader of the Opposition are almost entirely deemed to be outside the Overton window. In Scotland the Scottish government is subject to unreasoning mediaattack, day in and day out, which contrasts strikingly with the treatment of Westminster ministers and issues.

There is a seriously worrying example from Leeds of the decline of free speech, where disgracefully a meeting discussing the bias of the corporate and state media has now been banned by Leeds City Council because of its content. We are not allowed even to get together to discuss media bias. Retired Ambassador Peter Ford, Professors Piers Robinson and Tim Hayward, Vanessa Beeley and Robert Stuart were to address the meeting at Leeds City Museum entitled Media on Trial. I cannot sufficiently express my outrage that Leeds City Council feels it is right to ban a meeting with very distinguished speakers, because it is questioning the government and establishment line on Syria. Freedom of speech really is dead.

British society truly has changed fundamentally if a former British Ambassador to Syria is banned from speaking in public premises on his area of expertise. What is still worse is the tone of this sneering report from Huffington Post, now firmly a part of corporate media, in which Chris York libels the speakers as Assad supporters, interviews none of the speakers and nobody to make the argument for free speech, but does manage to interview the founder of the jihadist White Helmets. In terms of banning dissent while simultaneously ramping up the official narrative, York has won himself top establishment brownie points. The man  and I use the term loosely  is unfit for polite company.

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.
May 04, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - This is the moment when a newspaper claiming to uphold that most essential function in a liberal democracy  acting as a watchdog on power  formally abandons the task. This is the moment when it positively embraces the role of serving as a mouthpiece for the government. The tell is in one small word in a headline on todays Guardians front page: Revealed.

When I trained as a journalist, we reserved a Revealed or an Exposed for those special occasions when we were able to bring to the reader information those in power did not want known. These were the rare moments when as journalists we could hold our heads high and claim to be monitoring the centres of power, to be fulfilling our sacred duty as the fourth estate.

But todays Guardians exclusive story Revealed: UKs push to strengthen anti-Russia alliance is doing none of this. Nothing the powerful would want hidden from us is being revealed. No one had to seek out classified documents or speak to a whistleblower to bring us this revelation. Everyone in this story  the journalist Patrick Wintour, an anonymous Whitehall official, and the named politicians and think-tank wonks  is safely in the same self-congratulatory club, promoting a barely veiled government policy: to renew the Cold War against Russia.

It is no accident that the government chose the Guardian as the place to publish this exclusive press release. That single word Revealed in the headline serves two functions that reverse the very rationale for liberal, watchdog-style journalism.

First, it is designed to disorientate the reader in Orwellian  or maybe Lewis Caroll  fashion, inverting the world of reality. The reader is primed for a disclosure, a secret, and then is spoonfed familiar government propaganda: that the tentacles of a Russian octopus are everywhere, that the Reds are again under our beds  or at least, poisoning our door handles.

British diplomats plan to use four major summits this year  the G7, the G20, Nato and the European Union  to try to deepen the alliance against Russia hastily built by the Foreign Office after the poisoning of the former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in March.

This  and thousands of similar examples we are exposed to every day in the discourse of our politicians and media  is the way our defences are gradually lowered, our critical thinking weakened, in ways that assist those in power to launch their assault on democratic norms. Through such journalistic fraud, liberal media like the Guardian and BBC  because they claim to be watchdogs on power, to defend the interests of the ruled, not the rulers  serve a vital role in preparing the ground for the coming changes that will restrict dissent, tighten controls on social media, impose harsher laws.

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The threat is set out repeatedly in the Guardians framing of the story: there is a self-evident need for a more comprehensive approach to Russian disinformation; Moscow is determined systematically to divide western electorates and sow doubt; the west finds itself arguing with Russia not just about ideology, or interests, but Moscows simple denial, or questioning, of what the western governments perceive as unchallengeable facts.

Tom Tugendhat, son a High Court judge, a former army officer who was honoured with an MBE by the Queen in his thirties, and was appointed chair of the Commons important foreign affairs select committee after two years in parliament, sets out the thinking of the British establishment  and hints at the likely solutions. He tells the Guardian:

Putin is waging an information war designed to turn our strongest asset  freedom of speech  against us. Russia is trying to fix us through deception.

Second, there is a remedy for the disorientation created by that small word Revealed. It subtly forces the reader to submit to the inversion.

For the reasons set out above, a rational response to this front-page story is to doubt that Wintour, his editors, and the Guardian newspaper itself are quite as liberal as they claim to be, that they take seriously the task of holding power to account. It is to abandon the consoling assumption that we, the 99 per cent, have our own army  those journalists in the bastions of liberal media like the Guardian and the BBC  there to protect us. It is to realise that we are utterly alone against the might of the corporate world. That is a truly disturbing, terrifying even, conclusion.

But that sense of abandonment and dread can be overcome. The world can be set to rights again  and it requires only one small leap of faith. If Russian president Vladimir Putin truly is an evil mastermind, if Russia is an octopus with tentacles reaching out to every corner of the globe, if there are Russian agents hiding in the ethers ready to deceive you every time you open your laptop, and Russian cells preparing to fix your elections so that the Muscovian candidate (Donald Trump, Jeremy Corbyn?) wins, then the use of that Revealed is not only justified but obligatory. The Guardian isnt spouting British and US government propaganda, it is holding to account the supremely powerful and malevolent Russian state.

Once you have stepped through this looking glass, once you have accepted that you are living in Oceania and in desperate need of protection from Eurasia, or is it Eastasia?, then the Guardian is acting as a vital watchdog  because the enemy is within. Our foe is not those who rule us, those who have all the wealth, those who store their assets offshore so they dont have to pay taxes, those who ignore devastating climate breakdown because reforms would be bad for business. No, the real enemy are the sceptics, the social media warriors, the political activists, even the leader of the British Labour party. They may sound and look harmless, but they are not who or what they seem. There are evil forces standing behind them.

In this inverse world, the coming draconian changes are not a loss but a gain. You are not losing the rights you enjoy now, or rights you might need in the future when things get even more repressive. The restrictions are pre-emptive, there to protect you before Putin and his bots have not only taken over cyberspace but have entered your living space. Like the aggressive wars of humanitarian intervention the west is waging across the oil-rich areas of the Middle East, the cruelty is actually kindness. Those who object, those who demur, do so only because they are in the financial or ideological grip of the mastermind Putin.

This is the moment when war becomes peace, freedom becomes slavery, ignorance becomes strength.
Israel Has Issued an Ultimatum to Russia





Does Russia Know Whats Up?



By Paul Craig Roberts

May 04, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - I find myself wondering if Russia understands the Washington criminal with whom Russia is so desperate to negotiate peace and understanding.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov is excited that Trump has invited Putin to the White House to jointly curb the arms race.

Of course the US military/security complex wants to curb an arms race in which Russia is 30 years ahead. Will the Russian government in all its delusions and romanticized view of the US and its vassals again be sucked into meaningless agreements that leave Russia exposed to annihilation?

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How can Russia expect any agreement with Washington or any European country to mean anything when in front of Russias very eyes the US, alone in the world, is breaking the agreement the US made with Iran with regard to Irans enrichment of uranium?

Why does Lavrov want to negotiate another agreement with Washington that Washington will break as it has every other negotiated agreement with Russia since the Clinton regime. Does the Russian Foreign Ministry find it difficult to learn from experience?

Russia has the winning hand, but does not know how to play it. The caution with which the government operates encourages more provocations, whereas a more decisive policy would discourage provocations.

Washington interprets Russias conciliatory behavior as weakness, and now also so does the tiny country of Israel. Believe it or not, Israel has issued an ultimatum to Russia . Israel, a country so small that it can be wiped out by conventional weapons alone has now ordered the worlds primary military power to get out of the way of Israels illegal military attacks on Syria.

A country that can be given an ultimatum by Israel, whose army was twice routed and utterly defeated by a small Lebanese militia, has no respect in the West. This is Russias problem. Even the militarily impotent British talk about going to war with Russia as if that is a riskless undertaking.

As long as the Russian government conveys indecisiveness and weakness in its responses to extreme provocations, the provocations will continue to push the world to World War 3.

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West , How America Was Lost , and The Neoconservative Threat to World Order .

Cuomo presses Netanyahu on Israel's nuclear capability
May 04, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - What characterizes American government today is not so much dysfunctional politics as it is ruthlessly contrived governance carried out behind the entertaining, distracting and disingenuous curtain of political theater. And what political theater it is, diabolically Shakespearean at times, full of sound and fury, yet in the end, signifying nothing.

Played out on the national stage and eagerly broadcast to a captive audience by media sponsors, this farcical exercise in political theater can, at times, seem riveting, life-changing and suspenseful, even for those who know better.

Week after week, the script changesDonald Trumps Tweets, Robert Muellers Russia probe, Michael Cohens legal troubles, porn star Stormy Daniels lawsuit over an alleged past affair with Trump, Michelle Wolfs tasteless stand-up routine at the White House correspondents dinner, North and South Koreas detente, the ongoing staff shakeups within the Trump administrationwith each new script following on the heels of the last, never any let-up, never any relief from the constant melodrama.

The players come and go, the protagonists and antagonists trade places, and the audience members are forgiving to a fault, quick to forget past mistakes and move on to the next spectacle.

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All the while, a different kind of drama is unfolding in the dark backstage, hidden from view by the heavy curtain, the elaborate stage sets, colored lights and parading actors.

Such that it is, the realm of political theater with all of its drama, vitriol and scripted theatrics is what passes for transparent government today, with elected officials, entrusted to act in the best interests of their constituents, routinely performing for their audiences and playing up to the cameras, while doing very little to move the country forward.

Yet behind the footlights, those who really run the show are putting into place policies which erode our freedoms and undermine our attempts at contributing to the workings of our government, leaving us none the wiser and bereft of any opportunity to voice our discontent or engage in any kind of discourse until its too late.

None of the dangers posed by the government and its henchmen have dissipated.

They have merely disappeared from our televised news streams.

In the interest of liberty and truth, heres an A-to-Z primer to spell out the grim realities of life in the American Police State that no one is talking about anymore.

A is for the AMERICAN POLICE STATE. A police state is characterized by bureaucracy, secrecy, perpetual wars, a nation of suspects, militarization, surveillance, widespread police presence, and a citizenry with little recourse against police actions.

B is for our battered BILL OF RIGHTS.

C is for CIVIL ASSET FORFEITURE, which allows government agents to seize and keep private property whether or not any crime has actually taken place.

D is for DRONES equipped with lasers, tasers and scanning devices, all aimed at we the people.

E is for ELECTRONIC CONCENTRATION CAMP, a.k.a., the surveillance state.

F is for FUSION CENTERS that serve as a clearinghouse for information shared between state, local and federal agencies.

G is for GRENADE LAUNCHERS, part of the more than $18 billion worth of battlefield-appropriate military weapons, vehicles and equipment distributed to domestic police departments across the country.

H is for HOLLOW-POINT BULLETS, which have been stockpiled by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration.

I is for the INTERNET OF THINGS, a connected industry that propels us closer to a future where a persons biometrics can be used to track their movements, target them for advertising, and keep them under perpetual surveillance.

J is for JAILING FOR PROFIT, a $70 billion private prison industry that relies on the complicity of state governments to keep their privately run prisons full by jailing large numbers of Americans for inane crimes.

K is for KENTUCKY V. KING, a Supreme Court ruling that gives police the green light to break into homes, without a warrant, even if its the wrong home as long as they think they have a reason to do so.

L is for LICENSE PLATE READERS, which enable law enforcement and private agencies to track the whereabouts of vehicles, and their occupants, all across the country.

M is for MAIN CORE, a database of names and information to be used by the government in times of national emergency or under martial law to locate and round up Americans seen as threats to national security.

N is for NO-KNOCK RAIDS, of which more than 80,000 are carried out every year.

O is for OVERCRIMINALIZATION, which renders every American a criminal.

P is for PATHOCRACY: tyranny at the hands of a psychopathic government, which operates against the interests of its own people except for favoring certain groups.

Q is for QUALIFIED IMMUNITY, which allows officers to walk away without paying a dime for their wrongdoing.

R is for ROADSIDE STRIP SEARCHES and BLOOD DRAWS.

S is for the SURVEILLANCE STATE.

T is for TASERS, which have been used by police as weapons of compliance more often and with less restrainteven against women and childrenand in some instances, even causing death.

U is for UNARMED CITIZENS SHOT BY POLICE.

V is for VIPR SQUADS, which carry out soft target security inspections whenever and wherever the government deems appropriate, at random times and places, and without needing the justification of a particular threat.

W is for WHOLE-BODY SCANNERS, which are being used not only to see through your clothes but to spy on you within the privacy of your home.

X is for X-KEYSCORE, one of the many spying programs carried out by the National Security Agency that targets every person in the United States who uses a computer or phone.

Y is for YOU-NESS. Facial recognition software promises to create a society in which every individual who steps out into public is tracked and recorded as they go about their daily business.

Z is for ZERO TOLERANCE in which young people are increasingly viewed as suspects and treated as criminals by school officials and law enforcement alike, often for engaging in little more than childish behavior.

As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, the reality we must come to terms with is that in the post-9/11 America we live in today, the government does whatever it wants, freedom be damned.

We have moved beyond the era of representative government and entered a new age.

You can call it the age of authoritarianism. Or fascism. Or oligarchy. Or the American police state.

Whatever label you want to put on it, the end result is the same: tyranny.
Davidos assurance investment on the love of his life, Chioma has left both of his baby mamas green with envy.

Davidos 2nd babymama, Amanda has been quoted stating on her Instalive that she wants to get pregnant again.

She wrote: I want that my pregnant glow back in a throwback footage shared on her social media page.

Davido met the 25-year-old lady while he was on a business trip to the United States.

We cant tell much about Amanda or their romance talks, but what we can tell about her is that she is a student at Georgia State University and she lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Amanda made headlines her babys birth, following a shade directed at Davido.

The shade came after Davido who was in Ghana with his crew went back to his hotel room with a girl he met at show where he performed.

This apparently didnt go down well with his Atlanta based babymama, Amanda, who then threw shade saying Got a good girlbut hoes is his choice.

Davidos first babymama Sophia Momodu who saw the post and presumed she was among those Amanda called hoes, which made her drop a post in response.

She wrote; Shes throwing a shade? I dont play fetch with bitches. Besides, one more post and Ill drag you to the ends of the earth you dont know! Try me! Sophia Momodu however in a new post, denied the fight.

Shortly after the incident, Davidos second baby mama also disclosed that she found motherhood stressful, as she took to her Snapchat account to lament on her new found motherly role.

The US based lady revealed that she employed the use of technology to help pacify her daughter, Hailey.

However, the second daughter of Davido prefers her mothers touch and doesnt not like the substitute pacifier.

The young mother wondered why technology cant give her baby the motherly touch she desperately desires.

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Ghanaian actress Juliet Ibrahim has shown signs that her love affair with Nigerian musician Iceberg Slim has hit the rocks.







Juliet and Iceberg announced their relationship with a bang. Matching tattoos, photo shoots and even money deals made us call the couple goals, however, recently, the actress has showed signs that all was not well in this paradise.

From posting cryptic relationship quotes, to asking rhetorical relationship questions, there had been guesses that the love boat was sinking or at least shaking.

Well, Juliet has iced the cake after deleting all photos from her page. The loving photos that were carefully posted with sweet captions are nowhere to be found on the page of the actress.



Just recently, the beautiful actress and Iceberg had taken time off on a vacation for two to celebrate Juliets birthday!

What could have gone wrong Still we cant help but notice one of Juliets many posts recently where she asked how to satisfy a man! Could her man be cheating on her?

If this relationship is really over, then it is sad!
The Sun

The Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has said that just as Christians mobilized against corruption in the 2015 presidential election, the Christendom is going to mobilize against continued corruption and insecurity in the 2019 election.

Punch

Trying to put on a smiling face as he ushered our correspondent into his modest apartment, his blue disposition and near inaudible voice showed he had yet to recover from the trauma of the past few days.

Vanguard

The Kano State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says it is fully prepared to hold congresses in the 484 wards in the state on Saturday, May 5.

Thisday

By now, you may have read that after his spectacularly underwhelming US visit, President Muhammadu Buhari decided to have a technical stopover in London on his way back to Nigeria.

Daily Times

Kwara State government has pledged N5m reward for information that will lead to the arrest of four Offa bank robbers that were declared wanted by the police.

Guardian

The Bayelsa Police Command on Friday smashed a gang of robbers terrorizing Igbogene-Yenagoa and its environs and arrested six of the gang members.

Daily Trust

President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived his home town, Daura ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ward congress on May 5.

Tribune

TODAYS primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State to produce its standard-bearer for the July 14 governorship election in the state appears to be another opportunity for a test of popularity between a national leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu and certain ministers and two governors from the South-West.

The Nation

One person died in Port- Harcourt on Friday as unidentified persons, suspected to be political thugs vandalised the Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) located at the Old Government Residential Area in Port Harcourt, Rivers.
INVERARY, Ont.  May 4, 2018  Multi-time Brockville Ontario Speedway track champion and 32-year dirt racing veteran Danny OBrien is set to begin his 2018 season this weekend at Fulton Speedway in Fulton, NY. OBrien will be back behind the wheel of his familiar black and yellow No.17d DIRTcar 358 Modified carrying support from 1000 Islands RV Centre, Happy Green Acres Campground, Bob FM, Pats Auto Centre and Bicknell Racing Products.

While OBrien will once again make Brockville his home track for his 32nd season in the cockpit and will make regular appearances at Can-Am Motorsports Park in Lafargeville, NY, he will start his season one week earlier by making a trip to Fulton in Central New York.

With Fulton, I dont race there a lot and I havent been there in a long time, so well have to take it as we go, OBrien explained ahead of Saturdays event. The real season will start when we get back up here when Brockville and Can-Am open up. Were going to go down (to Fulton), have some fun and try to learn some stuff before we come back for the openers.

In addition to running at Brockville and Can-Am, two tracks which are within a reasonable drive of his Inverary, Ont. shop, OBrien also plans to make a few special trips outside his home region.

I hope to hit a couple of different tracks throughout the summer, OBrien explained. I wouldnt mind going down to Utica-Rome once or twice throughout the summer. If were not racing somewhere weekly on Fridays, it gives you the opportunity to do something else once in a while and to race in the fall.

After 31 seasons of dirt track action, OBrien still has plenty of motivation entering the new campaign. While he still wants to be competitive at the track and win as many races as possible, he maintains its the fun away from the track and in the garage that often keeps him going.

I just love doing it. We have as much fun in the garage during the week as we do racing it, OBrien said. I have a good bunch of guys and we enjoy doing it together. I have enough people that we dont have to work too hard and we dont work every night. When its fun, its enjoyable.

OBrien had a successful 2017 campaign on the track and will return with largely the same package for 2018, consisting of Pat Morrison Engines under the hood of his Bicknell Racing Products chassis. However, OBrien and his team were far from stagnant over the off-season.

We fine tuned everything, OBrien stated. We had a good package, but you cant sit idle. We made sure we had everything we needed, upgraded some parts and changed some to what we wanted. We got our engine program hopefully a little bit better, our car program a little bit better and well see how it goes.

OBrien is also welcoming back all of his marketing partners for the 2018 season, including 1000 Islands RV Centre, Happy Green Acres Campground, Bob FM, Pats Auto Centre, Bicknell Racing Products, Heather-Lynn Topping, Integra Shocks, Number One Speed Shock Service and Kenneth Topping.

We want to thank all of our sponsors for returning this season, OBrien said. Theyre a big part of what were able to do as a team and allow us to compete at the level that we do all summer.

After nearly six months of off-season preparation, OBrien is certainly eager to hit the throttle when the first green flag drops. He continues to stress that having fun is a top priority again this year. Naturally, winning is fun and winning big races at fast tracks is even more fun.

You pick the tracks you want to go to where we have fun, OBrien said. After 32 years, it gets pretty routine, but theres some good paying races in this area. Theres a 110-lap (and $10,000-to-win) race on a Wednesday night (in August) at Brockville, so its nice to have some good money right in your backyard this year.

SEASON STATS

Danny OBrien  0 Starts: 0 Wins, 0 Top-5s, 0 Top-10s

First Race: Saturday, May 5  Fulton Speedway, Fulton, NY

DANNY OBRIEN MEDIA

Website: dannyobrien.ca

Facebook: facebook.com/DannyOBrienRacing

Danny OBrien is proud to partner with several dedicated marketing partners for the 2017 race season, including 1000 Islands RV Centre, Happy Green Acres Campground, Bob FM, Pats Auto Centre, Bicknell Racing Products, Heather-Lynn Topping, Integra Shocks, Number One Speed Shock Service and Kenneth Topping.
Today

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 69F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 69F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Mainly cloudy. High 91F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
By CALEB JONES and MARCO GARCIA , Associated Press

PAHOA, Hawaii (AP)  The Kilauea volcano sent more lava into Hawaii communities Friday, a day after forcing nearly 1,500 people to flee from their mountainside homes, and authorities detected high levels of sulfur gas that could threaten the elderly and people with breathing problems.

The eruption that began Thursday spewed molten lava that chewed through forests and bubbled up on paved streets. One resident described the scene as "a curtain of fire."

After a week of earthquakes and warnings that an eruption could be imminent, steam and lava poured out of a crack in the community of Leilani Estates near the town of Pahoa on the Big Island, officials said.

Video showed lava spurting into the sky from a crack in a road and a line of lava snaking through a forest. On Friday, the activity continued, with reports of eruptions from volcanic vents on two streets.

Civil defense officials cautioned the public about high levels of sulfur dioxide near the volcano and urged vulnerable people to leave immediately. Exposure to the gas can cause irritation or burns, sore throats, runny noses, burning eyes and coughing.

Jeremiah Osuna, who captured the drone footage, described the scene as a curtain of flame roaring through the vegetation.

"It sounded like if you were to put a bunch of rocks into a dryer and turn it on as high as you could. You could just smell sulfur and burning trees and underbrush and stuff," he told Honolulu television station KHON.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, but at least 100 people were staying in shelters Friday, with many more evacuees believed to be with relatives and friends.

The Hawaii governor activated the National Guard to help with evacuations and provide security to about 770 structures left empty when residents sought shelter.

Kilauea has erupted periodically for decades, and scientists said they have no way of predicting how long the eruption will continue.

A key factor will be whether magma reservoir at the summit starts to drain in response to the eruption, which has not happened yet, said Asta Miklius, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

"There is quite a bit of magma in the system. . It won't be just an hours-long eruption probably, but how long it will last will depend on whether the summit magma reservoir gets involved. And so we are watching that very, very closely," Miklius said.

County, state and federal officials had been warning residents all week that they should be prepared to evacuate because an eruption would give little warning.

The geological survey on Thursday raised the volcano's alert level to warning status, the highest possible, meaning a hazardous eruption was imminent, underway or expected.

Henry Calio said the first sign that something might be wrong happened when cracks emerged in the driveway of his home in Leilani Estates. His wife, Stella, then received a call from an official who told them to get out immediately.

The two feared they might lose their house.

"This is our retirement dream," Henry Calio said.

Geologists said new ground cracks were reported Thursday. Hot vapor emerged from a crack and spattering lava began to erupt.

Areas downslope of the erupting vents were at risk of being covered by lava. Leilani Estates appeared to be at greatest risk, but scientists said new vents and outbreaks could occur, and it's impossible to say where.

Kilauea's Puu Oo crater floor began to collapse Monday, triggering the earthquakes and pushing the lava into new underground chambers. The collapse caused magma to push more than 10 miles (16 kilometers) downslope toward the populated southeast coastline of the island.

The magma later crossed under Highway 130, which leads to a popular volcano access point. Civil defense authorities closed the area to visitors and ordered private tour companies to stop taking people into the region.

Most of Kilauea's activity has been nonexplosive, but a 1924 eruption spewed ash and 10-ton (9-metric ton) rocks into the sky and killed one person.

A 1983 eruption resulted in lava fountains soaring over 1,500 feet (457 meters) into the sky. In the decades since, the lava flow has buried dozens of square miles of land and destroyed many homes.

___

Jones reported from Honolulu. Associated Press writers Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu and Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska, contributed to this report.
ASHLAND, Ore. -- Students who were a part of Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group (OSPIRG), a student ran, student lead organization at Southern Oregon University (SOU); gathered together today to hold a rally against the proposed Jordan Cove LGN Pipeline.

The pipeline would move compressed natural gas through the state to an export facility in Coos Bay.

The Students today were focused on getting the attention of Governor Brown in hopes that she will make moves against the Pipeline project.

Wen asked why they were against the pipeline, this is what they said, It cuts through about 400 different waterways, including the Rogue River. It cuts through wildfire-prone-zones and since its in a gaseous form at that point, one little spark and we have more wildfires that we did last summer, said the OSPIRG chapter chair, Darcy Obrien.

OSPRIG is also concerned about the multiple species of wildlife and different habitats that would be affected and the lands that would be in the direct path of the pipeline.

This pipeline also cuts through indigenous land, including sacred land and burial grounds, explained Obrien.

According to the Jordan Cove LNG Pipeline website, the pipeline would provide economic growth to the area, along with temporary and permanent jobs to southern Oregon. The website also states, the proposed Jordan Cove LNG facilities will be subject to stringent environmental review to ensure that the construction and operation of the facilities will have minimal environmental impact.

The students against the pipeline say they plan to send a petition to the Governor to take action to stop the pipeline.
The economy remains a top concern for Canadians and constituents often write to me looking for assurance that our government is doing all it c
FILE -- In this March 23, 2008 file photo, color runs from the feathered helmet of a Swiss guard, during a rainy mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. The worldAos oldest standing army is getting some new headgear. The Swiss Guards plan to replace their metal helmets with plastic PVC ones made with a 3-D printer, giving the pope's army cooler and more comfortable headgear when standing guard for hours at a time. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)
Aeneas Creek in Summerland has breached its banks, and municipal crews have erected berms and tiger dams to control the rising water and prevent it from flooding the centre of town. This photo was taken looking south down Garnet Avenue at the corner with Blair Street.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with Ontario Premier KathleenWynne, tries his hand at leather stitching with instructor Kyle McCaig during their visit to the TMMC Toyota Manufacturing facility in Cambridge, Ont. on Friday, May 4, 2018. The federal and Ontario governments will pitch in a combined $220 million toward a $1.4-billion upgrade at two Toyota Canada manufacturing plants. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter Power
A Starbucks sign is pictured in downtown Vancouver on March 20, 2015. Starbucks will close all its Canadian company-operated stores and offices for an afternoon next month to provide training about creating a "culture of warmth and belonging." The announcement comes nearly four weeks after the Seattle-based company publicly apologized for the arrest of two black men who had been refused permission to use the washroom of a Starbucks coffee shop in Philadelphia. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2017 file photo, Tom Barrack, chairman of the inaugural committee, speaks with reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York. The Associated Press has learned that investigators working with special counsel Robert Mueller have interviewed Barrack. Two people familiar with the probe tell the AP that Barrack met with federal investigators working on the Russia inquiry. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. Barrack spokesman Owen Blicksilver declined comment. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
In this photo released Saturday May 5, 2018, by the UK National Crime Agency announcing the capture of one of Britain's most wanted fugitives Jamie Acourt, who was detained in Barcelona, Spain, in joint operation carried out by UK and Spanish police. A statement from UK National Crime Agency, says Acourt was detained on a European Arrest Warrant and Auis believed to be involved in the large-scale supply of drugs.Au (UK National Crime Agency via AP)
President Donald Trump tells reporters a time and place for his meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un has been set and will be announced soon, as he leaves for Dallas to address the National Rifle Association, in Washington, Friday, May 4, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Stormy Daniels holds a meet-and-greet with patrons during her appearance at the strip club Gossip on Saturday, May 5, 2018, in Melville, New York. President Donald Trump suggested Friday that Rudy Giuliani, the aggressive new face of his legal team, needed to "get his facts straight" about the hush money paid to porn actress Daniels just before the 2016 election. The money was paid to Daniels to keep her quiet about her allegations of an affair with Trump. (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen)
Kashmiri men inspect a damaged house where suspected rebels were holed up, after a gun battle in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Fierce clashes erupted when residents in solidarity with the rebels tried to march to the gunbattle site. A vehicle belonging to Indian troops ran over and killed a man as protesters clashed with government forces, residents said. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
FILE - In this April 21, 2018, file photo, former presidents George W. Bush, left, and George H.W. Bush arrive at St. Martin's Episcopal Church for a funeral service for former first lady Barbara Bush in Houston. George H.W. Bush has been hospitalized in Houston with an infection, just after attending the funeral of his wife, Barbara, a spokesman said Monday, April 23. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, participates in a question and answer session at a Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Winnipeg, Wednesday, April 4, 2018. Canada's foreign minister found out today why there might only be a few days left to get a NAFTA agreement in 2018.THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods
FILE - In this April 16, 2018, file photo, adult film actress Stormy Daniels, left, stands with her lawyer Michael Avenatti as she speaks outside federal court in New York. The story told by President Donald Trump and the White House about payments made to Daniels has evolved over time. The White House has consistently denied Trump had an affair with Daniels, but statements from the president and his aides about a hush money payment made just before the 2016 election have changed. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
A fallen tree lays lays across a road after a windstorm in Toronto on Saturday, May 5, 2018. Environment Canada said wind gusted at close to 120 kilometres per hour on Friday in the wake of a cold front that moved across Ontario and Quebec.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
ROSEBURG, Ore.  Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin is opposing a proposed statewide ballot measure that would ban some assault weapons and high capacity magazines.

Hanlin said he fully supports the Second Amendment and believes Initiative Petition 43 would threaten Oregonians constitutional rights.

RELATED: Community members hold meeting opposing assault weapon ban

He said having experienced the Umpqua Community College shooting, he understands the concerns people have about mass shootings and school violence.

However, Hanlin said the proposed gun restrictions would not have changed the tragic outcome of the UCC shooting that left nine people dead in October 2015.

He said officials need to enforce Oregons existing gun control laws and focus more on mental health.



Read Hanlins full statement opposing Initiative Petition 43 below:

As the Sheriff of Douglas County I am asked regularly about my position on the Second Amendment. Recently those questions have been directed towards my opinion of Initiative Petition 43. There is a growing number of Oregon Sheriffs whom are voicing their concerns about IP43, which if passed, would ban certain assault weapons as well as high capacity magazines. Many Oregon Sheriffs, including myself, and Sheriffs all across this country are sharing their stance on our Second Amendment rights as they continue to be subject of attack.



As your Sheriff, I took an oath to support the Constitution of the United States of America and the State of Oregon. In addition, I swore to perform the duties of Douglas County Sheriff to the best of my ability. Without hesitation, I fully support and defend the Second Amendment and I oppose IP 43. IP43 is a significant threat to one of our most fundamental Constitutional rights and would force legal gun owners to surrender or register certain firearms, or face felony charges.



I serve the 108,000 citizens of this remarkable county. The safety of all the citizens and visitors of this county is a tremendous responsibility that I take seriously. Our office has issued over 15,000 concealed handgun licenses and I firmly believe that every responsible and accountable law abiding citizen who wishes to legally own a firearm should do so. Firearms have their lawful place in society and are an important tool in personal protection and ensuring public safety in our county.



Having experienced the Umpqua Community College shooting tragedy in 2015, I, as well as anyone, understand the concerns of mass shootings and school violence across the country and the role law enforcement plays. That being said, the restrictions on firearms proposed by IP 43 would not have changed the heartbreaking outcome and loss of lives at UCC.



Oregon has a number of laws on the books regarding background checks and age restrictions pertaining to the purchase of a firearm. These laws prohibit the sale of firearms to convicted felons, those convicted of misdemeanor crimes involving violence, those adjudicated as mentally ill, those who have been committed as the result of a Mental Commitment Hearing, those with an active felony warrant, active out of state misdemeanor warrant and those on pretrial release for a felony. Emphasis needs to be placed on enforcing these existing violations of law, as well as focusing on improving a system that adequately identifies and intervenes with our growing mentally ill populations. Gun-control alone will not solve the problem of guns and extreme violence.



This office takes all threats seriously and we appropriately vet them in partnership with our DAs Office, mental health professionals, other law enforcement agencies, our schools, and others in the public safety sector. We immediately respond to investigate threats of violence or danger, and hold people accountable. We are committed to serving mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the Constitutional rights of all.



As always, our priority is in keeping our children safe, our vulnerable population safe and our community safe. Deputies of the Douglas County Sheriffs Office will always respond to assist and protect the citizens we serve, but your right and ability to be effectively prepared to protect you and your family until we arrive is not only essential, but a God-given right and liberty that this great country provides to its free people.



Respectfully,

John W. Hanlin

Douglas County Sheriff
NORTH BEND, OR. -- U.S. Senator Ron Wyden held two of his annual town hall meetings on Friday, one of which was at North Bend High School.

At the town hall meeting at North Bend High School, community members, skilled workers, and high school students all asked questions about things theyre most concerned about in their community and across the nation.

The questions asked by several of the nearly 150 people at the town hall covered a variety of topics.

High school students asked questions about the opioid epidemic here in Oregon, and what could be done to help.

Another student asked about illegal immigration here in the United States.

A North Bend student asked, With respect to being a nation of laws, should we arrest and deport illegal immigrants, and prevent the hiding of illegal immigrants and let ICE do its job?

Wyden responded by saying he doesnt think the answer is to round them up and send them back to where they came from.

Rather, he said we should strengthen our borders, find them paths to citizenship if theyre contributing to society, and make sure they understand and pay a penalty for breaking the law.

Im for people, Im for technology, but Im not for spending $25 billion on a wall. But, Im for strengthening the border. Number one. Number two, you enforce the laws that are on the books.

Another big topic at the town hall was skilled workers.

The need for more skilled workers and apprenticeships was discussed, as well as the need for more projects like the Jordan Cove Pipeline.

These types of projects are incredibly important to our members and all of the other trades, to be able to have continuity to bring these numbers of apprentices through, said Lou Christian, Business Manager of the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 290.

Wyden replied by saying, I want you to know Im going to continue to support them. As you know, we have had a back and forth with the Trump administration because of the possibility they may cut some of those programs. Im going to use my seat on the budget committee to force square support for training programs, apprentice programs, and others.

Senator Wyden will be holding a third town hall meeting in at Driftwood Elementary School in Port Orford on Saturday at 9:30 in the morning.
CRATER LAKE, Ore. -- A new National Park Service report shows that in 2017 visitors to Crater Lake spent $59.9 million in communities near the park, supporting 981 local jobs.

That spending, by the almost 712,000 people who visited last year, had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $80.6 million, according to a news release from Crater Lake National Park.

Park visitor spending in 2017: Lodging/camping: 32.9 percent

Food and beverages: 27.5 percent

Gas and oil: 12.1 percent

Souvenirs and other expenses: 10.1 percent

Admissions and fees: 10.0 percent

Local transportation: 7.5 percent

Crater Lake National Park welcomes visitors from across the state, country and around the world, said Acting Superintendent Sean Denniston. We are honored to protect this special park and share its story and the experiences it provides. We also feature the park as a way to introduce our visitors to southern Oregon and all that this region has to offer. National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service, and its a big factor in our local economy as well. We appreciate the partnership and support of our neighbors and are glad to be able to give back by helping to sustain local communities.

Economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service conducted the peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis.

The report shows $18.2 billion of direct spending by more than 330 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 306,000 jobs nationally with 255,900 of those jobs in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $35.8 billion.

The lodging sector received the highest direct contributions with $5.5 billion in economic output to local gateway economies and 49,000 jobs. The restaurants sector received the next greatest direct contributions with $3.7 billion in economic output to local gateway economies and 60,500 jobs.

To learn more, visit https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm.
FAIRBANK, Iowa (AP)  Northeast Iowa residents have won a fight to remove three large wind turbines as the state Supreme Court declined to hear a wind energy company's appeal.

Tuesday's decision leaves in place an order that Mason Wind and Optimum Renewables must take down the 445-foot (136-meter) turbines built in 2016 for an estimated $11 million, The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported.

"This is the end of the line in the appeals process and reaffirms our original argument that these industrial wind turbines were installed illegally," leaders of the Fairbank Citizens Against Industrial Wind Turbines Near Our City group said in a Facebook post.

Mason Wind attorneys declined to comment.

A 1973 Fayette County zoning ordinance was at the heart of the issue. The ordinance lacked specific language regarding the construction and location of modern industrial-sized wind turbines.

County zoning officials said the towers near Fairbank were "electric and gas transmission and regulating facilities" that didn't need special permitting from the board of adjustment.

Neighboring property owners and the city sued Mason Wind and the county alleging the interpretation was incorrect. The turbines violate county zoning laws, the lawsuit said.

Mason Wind was permitted to continue building and operating the turbines during the case's proceedings.

District Court Judge John Bauercamper ruled in 2016 that the turbines are electrical generating devices requiring board of adjustment approval.

The County Board of Supervisors has since clarified the zoning ordinance. The ordinance now requires commercial wind energy projects to receive approval from the Board of Supervisors and bans construction within a mile of an incorporated city without written permission from the city.
MASON CITY, Iowa- With the Highway 122 reconstruction project in full swing, those with the Mason City Fire Department say they are seeing drivers using their emergency exit/entrance.

In a Facebook post May 2nd the Fire Department said they understand people are still learning the new routes because of the project, but ask people not to drive in this area. They say this is for emergency vehicles only and cars being there can slow down response times.

Kathy Demaris is one of those confused drivers. While she says she personally hasnt driven on the emergency driveway, she said she does worry about first responders getting to those in need.

Thats going to make it hard for them to get to the people that need their help, she said. I just try to stay clear of that area.

Those with the Iowa Department of Transportation say they are monitoring the project for the publics safety. They say they will be putting in additional signs as well as changing the timing of the lights and repositioning them.
CRESCO, Iowa  A teacher is facing a felony charge for allegedly having sexual conduct with a student on at least four occasions.

Tiffany Ranweiler-Oblander, 29, is facing a charge of sexual exploitation by a counselor, therapist or school employee. She was employed by the Howard-Winneshiek School District.

The Howard County Sheriffs Office said they received a cell phone belonging to a student, a USB with recorded interviews and determined that on four occasions on four different days the student and Ranweiler-Oblander were engaged in sexual conduct at the students residence.

Upon arrest, Ranweiler-Oblander was taken to the Winneshiek County Jail.
FOREST CITY, Iowa  Trials are now set for all three defendants in a March 20 drug bust.

Chelsea Harp, 31 of Forest City, and Brian Barthollomeu Matthias, 30 of Mason City pleaded not guilty Friday to drug possession and promoting a gathering where drugs are used. Those two were arrested along with Zachary Allen Monsen, 29 of Forest City, after Forest City police searched Monsens home and say they found marijuana, methamphetamine, two drug pipes, and hypodermic needles.



Brian Matthias Brian Matthias

Zachary Monsen Zachary Monsen

Harp and Matthias are scheduled to stand trial on July 18. Monsens trial on child endangerment and promoting a gathering where drug are used is set to begin on June 6.
Recognised global geopark title to become a driver for Cao Bang tourism: expert

The Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark in the northern province of Cao Bang has been declared as a new member of the UNESCO Global Network of National Geoparks, which will open up a great opportunity for Cao Bang to fuel its tourism growth if the locality can take full advantage of the exceptional values of the geopark, according to Prof. Dr. Ta Hoa Phuong.









A corner of the Thang Hen Lake









Prof. Dr. Ta Hoa Phuong, Head of the Subject of Natural Resource Management and Development under the Faculty of Geology, VNU University of Science, held a talk with Nhan Dan on the Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark and gave several suggestions for Cao Bang to make the most of the geopark.

"Only concerning the area of geoheritage, the park luckily possesses dozens of unique destinations, which contain outstanding and premier values," said Prof. Dr. Phuong.

"Magnet" has yet to be exploited

Non Nuoc Cao Bang is the second global geopark of Vietnam to be recognised by UNESCO but the name Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark remains unknown, even to Vietnamese people. Can you tell us more about the outstanding and special values of this geoheritage?

Non Nuoc Cao Bang Global Geopark is located in the north-eastern region of Vietnam. With a total area of over 3,000 km, the park covers the entire administrative boundaries of the six districts of Ha Quang, Tra Linh, Quang Uyen, Trung Khanh, Ha Lang, and Phuc Hoa and part of three districts of Hoa An, Nguyen Binh and Thach An. Like Dong Van Karst Plateau in Ha Giang province, before being recognised as a global geopark, Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark was developed as a provincial-level geopark. Perhaps because of inefficient communications, the title of the provincial geopark remains unknown.

Non Nuoc Cao Bang Global Geopark was formed over a vast period, having experienced the three Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. It is also home to the largest number of karst caverns and the most beautiful caverns, such as Nguom Ngao and Dong Doi, which were formed from the Givet limestone about 387-382 million years ago - the oldest type of limestone compared with other famous caves in Vietnam including Phong Nha - Ke Bang, Ha Long Bay, Dong Van Karst Plateau, and Trang An tourism site.

Non Nuoc Cao Bang also possesses a lot of geological and geomorphological heritages (also called geoheritage) - the most important type of heritage among natural heritages. These geoheritages meet all of the criteria set for a geoheritage including beautiful, unique and exceptional landscape; special geoheritage of scientific significance and national and international importance; the heritage needs to be protected from the threat of destruction by nature or humans; and heritage sites are meaningful for education and tourism development.

Could you provide some specific examples?

The 3km Nguom Ngao cave is a good example with part of it having been opened for tourists. The cave is famous for its stalactites, which make up the Thap Vang (golden tower), Thap Bac (silver tower), and the magnificent Cay San Ho (coral tree). In particular, the cave also possesses a stalagmite in the shape of a perfect upside-down lotus which is said to be the most beautiful one compared with other caves in Vietnam.

The Dong Doi (Bat Cave) in Ha Lang district is also a very rare cave which includes three interconnected floors, in which the first floor is a river cave and the upper two floors are fossil caves. In addition to the diverse and unique stalactite system, this cave also possesses a tremendous amount of cave pearls. Moreover, the cave has Vietnam's largest reef of marine organisms (which are mainly Stromatoporoidea, Coral and Brachiopoda fossils) with their remains on the wall and ceiling of the cave, stretching tens of metres. Such a beautiful three-storey karst cave with a unique stalactite system and a rare reef of marine creature is not seen anywhere else in Vietnam.

In addition, the Ghi Rang cave and the Thang Hen Lake system are also among the must-see destinations for visitors when exploring the Non Nuoc Cao Bang geopark. Ghi Rang is a fossil cave that is divided into two large chambers with stalactites in special shapes, while Thang Hen is the most beautiful and widest lake in the system of 36 interconnected lakes in the karst topography of Tra Linh district. The lakes are interconnected through a system of underground caves, cracks and siphons, which only occur in the karst topography.

Besides a few of the caves that have been opened for tourists, a large number of karst caves of the Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark have not been fully researched. However, only preliminary reviews can see the huge potential for exploration and adventure tourism.

It would be a mistake without mentioning Ban Gioc - the world's fourth largest cross-border waterfall and also the largest and most beautiful natural waterfalls in Southeast Asia. The Quay Son River (Guichun River) originates in China and when it reaches Dam Thuy commune in Cao Bang province, it divides into many branches and lowers its flow by 35m to form the spectacular Ban Gioc waterfall.

After many years of remaining in the land of magnificent scenery and cultural and historical richness I now understand the magnetic attraction of the nature here that has featured in many famous folk-songs. Unfortunately, the pace of tourism development in Cao Bang has yet to meet its potential. If the locality knows how to make the most of the global values recognised by the UNESCO, Cao Bang would probably become a magnet for a large number of domestic and foreign visitors.

Practical suggestions

"If the locality knows how to make the most of the global values" sounds simple but it is not easy to realise. With the view of a leading expert in the field of geological tourism, what should Cao Bang do "to make the most of the acclaimed global values"?

Being over 300 km from Hanoi to the natural heritage sites in Cao Bang is likely to be a significant obstacle as it takes visitors five to eight hours to travel from Hanoi to Cao Bang. Moreover, tours for visitors to Cao Bang are not designed reasonably, in the way that tourists travel from the central city of Cao Bang to tourist destinations in remote areas. Therefore, tourists do not spend the night at tourist sites, creating little opportunities for tourist spots to develop, thus not improving the economic conditions for the localities.

To overcome this shortcoming, Cao Bang should invest more in tourism infrastructure in its localities, especially roads and tourist accommodation and services at tourist sites. On this basis, tours should be reorganised in a more rational manner including tours connecting tourist sites.

The opening of tourist routes linking prominent tourist spots in a closed circle as proposed by Vu Van Ha and Dang Minh Tuan or the idea of building thematic tours based on the clusters of heritage or clusters of cultural - historical heritage as advised by other experts are also practical suggestions so that Cao Bang will develop more tourism products that are worthy of the recognised global geopark title.





The UNESCO Executive Board approved a resolution during its 204th session held in Paris, France on April 12 (local time) to recognise the Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark as a new member of the UNESCO Global Network of National Geoparks. With the acclaimed title, Non Nuoc Cao Bang has become the second Vietnamese geopark to be awarded the title, following the recognition of Dong Van Karst Plateau in Ha Giang province in December 2010. So far, a total of 127 global geoparks have been recognised by UNESCO which are located across 35 countries in the world.





Thank you very much!

Nhan Dan
By Hwang Jae-ho





Gaoyue Fan
Employees of Korean Air Lines and other protesters wearing masks, participate at a rally in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, May 4, 2018. / AP



Hundreds of Korean Air Lines Co. pilots, cabin crew and other workers staged a rally Friday night in Seoul saying they can't take any more abuse from the company's founding family.



One of the protesters was Park Chang-jin, a crew member who was forced off of a Korean Air aircraft at John F. Kennedy International Airport in 2014, when the company chairman's daughter threw a tantrum over the way nuts were served.



''I'm proud of Korean Air. I love Korean Air. Let's protect Korean Air,'' Park told the roaring crowd.





Korean Air Lines Co. pilots, cabin crew, other workers and citizens wearing masks, shout slogans during a rally in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, May 4, 2018. / AP



Authorities are investigating multiple charges against Chairman Cho Yang-ho's family, including smuggling and tax evasion. Another of Cho's daughters is under investigation for allegedly throwing a drink at ad agency officials, an allegation that she denies.



Such a protest by employees of a ''chaebol,'' the family-controlled big businesses that dominate the South Korean economy, is rare. It reflects growing resentment against perceived outlandish behavior by the elite founding families and the view that they treat publicly listed companies as their private firms.



Hiding their faces with identical masks to obscure their identities, the protesters shouted slogans against the Cho family. Many pilots were wearing uniforms and ties.??



''We cannot take any more curse and power abuse by the Cho family,'' they shouted in unison. They waved banners that read ''Cho, you are fired.'' Another banner read: ''We want to be treated like a human, not a slave." (AP)




#stocks Seoul stocks skid for 3rd day to this year's low South Korean stocks fell nearly 2 percent Wednesday, while the Korean won fell to a 14-month low against the U.S. dollar amid ongoing investor concerns over the debt crises of Chin...

#Hyundai Doosan Infracore Hyundai Doosan Infracore sells large-scale excavators in Philippines South Korea's construction equipment maker Hyundai Doosan Infracore Co. said Wednesday it has signed deals to sell 44 excavators and 18 dump trucks in the Philippines. Under th...
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Rome, April 27 - Italy is "clearly improving in many sectors" but is not in line with its EU partners "especially in the South", ISTAT said in its 'Noi Italia' report Friday. It said the Mezzogiorno was among the worst areas in the EU for unemployment, especially youth unemployment. There are more poor people in the south of Italy, ISTAT said Friday in the report on 2015-2016 but the "intensity" of poverty is more marked in the north (20.8%) than in the south (20.5%). Some 7.3 million Italians are in "grave economic hardship", ISTAT said. It said the quota rose to 12.1% in 2016, with the south triple the north. Life expectancy in the northern city of Trento is three years longer than that in the southern region of Campania, ISTAT also said. ISTAT also said that Italy is third last alongside Bulgaria in the EU for education spending, with 4.0% of GDP, compared to to the EU average of 4.9%. In another finding, the statistics agency said one out of four people in Sicily are in grave economic hardship, "really struggling to get by." Italy also has the highest share of the elderly in the population in Europe, ISTAT said in its 'Noi Italia' report Friday. On January 1, 2017 there were 165.3 elderly people to 100 young people and 55.8 people of non working age to every 100 people of working age in Italy. The two indexes were significantly higher in central and northern regions, at 174.3 and 57.8 respectively. Italy came second to last in Europe for female employment in 2016, ahead only of Greece, ISTAT said in its 'Noi Italia' report Friday. In that year Italy remained 13.7 percentage points below the European average for female employment and 9.4 percentage points below the average for employment overall. In other findings, ISTAT said the number of young people who abandon their studies in Italy was growing steadily year upon year. It also said the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) had dipped below 2.2 million but was still the highest in Europe. There were 16.3 divorces per 10,000 inhabitants in Italy in 2016, up from 13.6 the previous year, ISTAT said. The increase was due to the introduction of a new law allowing 'quickie divorce' in May 2015, the national statistics institute added. The marriage rate in Italy remained low with 3.2 marriages celebrated per 1,000 inhabitants, ahead only of Portugal and Slovenia.
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Welcome to the books newsletter! Im the L.A. Times books editor, Carolyn Kellogg, and this is whats going on in books this week.

THE BIG STORY

I cant think of a better person to write about Rumaan Alams new novel, That Kind of Mother, than critic at large Rebecca Carroll. Alam, who is Bangladeshi American, is raising two black sons with his white husband; interracial adoption partially inspired his novel. Carroll, herself an adoptee, incisively looks at the many dimensions of the characters particularly the mothers blindness to privilege  that Alam sets up to tell this multifacted story.

Rumaan Alams new novel is That Kind of Mother. (David A. Land )

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A RETURN TO WARTIME

Best known for his novel The English Patient, set in the waning days of World War II, Michael Ondaatje has returned to that conflict and its effect on one family in his new novel, Warlight. Two teens are left behind in England when their parents depart for Sinagpore, and years later the son tries to piece it all together. Each layer of this unusual familys history arrives via flickers of memory, writes Bethanne Patrick in our review.

Michael Ondaatjes new novel is Warlight. (Barbara Zanon / Getty Images )

BESTSELLERS

The No. 1 fiction book on our bestseller list this week is Circe by Madeline Miller, now in its second week on the list. The novel retells the story of the goddess from the Odyssey with a new, feminist slant. What would this epic story look like if it were based upon a womans life? Miller asked when she talked to The Times last month.

Holding steady at No. 1 on our nonfiction bestseller list is A Higher Loyalty by James Comey for the second week. Comeys tale of his years at the FBI, which ended when he was dismissed by President Trump in May 2017, have been flying off shelves, selling more than 600,000 copies nationwide in its first week.

You can find all the books on our bestseller lists here.

Madeline Millers novel Circe is the No. 1 LA Times fiction bestseller this week. (David Levenson / Getty Images )

MORE IN BOOKS

The Nobel Prize in Literature will not be awarded this year, the Swedish Academy announced Friday, due to a sexual harassment scandal that has thrown its committee into chaos.

And acclaimed writer Junot Diaz, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and was one of the most popular authors at the Festival of Books in April, has been accused of sexual misconduct by Zinzi Clemmons, a novelist whom The Times wrote about in 2017. Clemmons wrote on Twitter, I was an unknown wide-eyed 26 yo, and he used it as an opportunity to corner and forcibly kiss me. Im far from the only one hes done this 2, I refuse to be silent anymore. In response, in a statement issued by his agent, Diaz said, I take responsibility for my past.

The Locus Awards finalists were announced; they include N.K. Jemisin, George Saunders and Times critic at large John Scalzi  for not one but two prizes.

Samantha Irby is frank and funny, and she sat down in real life to talk about We Are Never Meeting in Real Life and Meaty, her two essay collections, with The Times Jessica Roy.

Samantha Irbys essay collections are We Are Never Meeting in Real Life and Meaty. (Eva Blue )

Thanks for reading!

carolyn.kellogg@latimes.com

@paperhaus
Im always more interested in playing characters with flaws, Julia Ormond says. I always look for great writing, because without great writing, you really are stuck. A great story is something you recognize when you see it, and it either resonates with you or it doesnt.

The British actress, 53, has a history of great stories about women with a lot of issues, but shes always tried to keep each character and project distinct and unique.

For a long time, I felt like there were themes in the characters I was given that I had to resist  I always seemed to cry and die, she notes. And then for a while, particularly in American films, I was playing a woman who was between more than one man, which I really had to fight against in terms of being typecast.

Ormonds latest project is a four-part remake of Howards End for Starz, which was directed by Hettie Macdonald and adapted by Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea.). She plays Mrs. Wilcox, a matriarch caught in the tradition of the times.

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Next, Ormond is shooting a comedy, which is a purposeful effort to veer in a new direction. I look for something that shakes off any preconceived ideas, she says. Youre almost looking for the thing that would not be expected for you.

Here Ormond discusses some of her most memorable work, including Legends of the Fall and Mad Men.

(L-R) Matthew MacFadyen (Henry Wilcox), Bessie Carter (Evie Wilcox), Julia Ormond (Mrs. Wilcox), Jonah Hauer-King (Paul Wilcox), Joe Bannister (Charles Wilcox), Philippa Coulthard (Helen Schlegel) in Howards End on Starz. (Laurie Sparham / )

Howards End, Mrs. Wilcox (2017)

What I loved about Howards End was this dynamic [E.M.] Forster has in his novels of human connection being something that is present in every era. In particular, in this story, Margaret and Mrs. Wilcox really are quite strange friends. They have different political views, but they have this human connection that I believe is a big part of what the storys about. And its quite challenging to play somebody who doesnt believe in votes for women and who is just going along with her husbands viewpoint.

Julia Ormond as Marie Calvet and John Slattery as Roger Sterling in Mad Men. (Ron Jaffe/AMC / AMC )

Mad Men, Marie Calvet (2012-2015)

Mad Men was one of my favorite shows, so it was like being a kid at Disneyland going to work every day. It was a huge compliment to be cast in it, and I can honestly say that Marie was one of the most interesting characters Ive ever gotten to play  and one of the most fun. You have this fear of Oh, my God, whats going to happen to me when I get relegated to mother roles? And now I was playing a grandmother. But she was one of the most exciting characters Ive been asked to play.

Julia Ormond stars in the movie My Week With Marilyn. (LAURENCE CENDROWICZ / THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY )

My Week With Marilyn, Vivien Leigh (2011)

She was in her 40s rather than her 20s, so that gave me a little bit of license. I think you have to do your research. I learned that there was a difference with Vivien in terms of her public, acting voice and her personal, private voice. There were different levels of how she projected herself. My regret in the storytelling of that is that it was never revealed that it was actually Vivien who suggested that Marilyn should play her. I dont think it was covered in the script  that it was her idea.

Temple Grandin, Eustacia (2010)

I loved playing it, and I still have a relationship with Eustacia Cutler, who is Temples mom. I connected with her after the filming. What I remember about that role was leaning into the tough decisions she had to make as a mother. Claire [Danes] was so exceptional in the way she delivered this performance. I remember on a daily basis this courageous journey she went on. There was this living grace of hope for your relationship with your child. Theres this extraordinary moment when your child is able to acknowledge that you as a parent were giving them tough love or doing the right thing by them even though it felt like it sucked at the time.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Caroline (2008)

What I loved about that [was that director David] Fincher got to show me the entire movie, start to finish, without my bit. He cut the whole thing together into an edit and showed it to me so that we had a sense of This is what we come out of when we come into the Caroline bit. I had this very intense time of just filming the hospital stuff with Cate [Blanchett]. She was so powerful that people, after the film came out, asked who played the elderly woman.

Ormond played the lead role in the 1995 remake of Sabrina. (Myles Aronowitz /  1995 Paramount Pictures )

Sabrina, Sabrina Fairchild (1995)

Coming from England, we have a different sense of rigor around remakes, and I think its because of our relationship to theater. Theres nothing wrong or taboo about remaking a classic. I came from that perspective when this job offer came along with Sydney Pollack and Harrison Ford. I was really eager to do something that was more of a romantic comedy than a tragedy. It was only after, in America, when I got to New York to film, that people were like, Oh, youre doing a remake of Sabrina. You realized the extent to which it was going to be challenging for people. It was a lot of pressure, but I learned so much from working with Sydney. Even knowing the level of pressure, I would probably do it all over again.

Ormond starred with Sean Connery in First Knight. (Frank Connor )

First Knight, Guinevere (1995)

I had a lot of fun with Sean [Connery], who has the arrested development of a 6-year-old, and is very, very funny. I loved working with him. Im a sucker for any film that has horse riding in it. And my paternal family is from Wales, and of all the locations [director] Jerry Zucker looked at for the film, he selected a valley in Wales Id visited growing up. It felt like there were some strange connections in it for me.

Ormond in Legends of the Fall. (KERRY HAYES / BPI )

Legends of the Fall, Susannah Fincannon (1994)

What I remember about that was this extraordinary setting and having a blast with a very fun, very warm cast. I have three brothers, so there was something very familiar about these three guys. And we all got on really well. I was living in London at the time and got flown out to Canada to this Native American reserve that was this beautiful countryside. We each had our own horse in the barn, so every time there was downtime from filming, they would let me go ride. They would give us a walkie-talkie and tell us when we were in the shot. It was the most extraordinary time.

calendar@latimes.com
James Patterson, the wildly popular author of books for small fry and big folks, has created a preteen childrens show, Kid Stew, whose four half-hour episodes may be seen locally beginning Saturday on KCET. (More episodes are planned.) Produced out of South Florida PBS, it has a shaggy, shoestring, regional charm  there are banyan trees  absent from slicker, bigger productions. Which is exactly why Im recommending it to you.

A mix of quasi-educational sketches, musical numbers, magic tricks, silly riddles, interviews with creative adults and young people, the show advertises itself, in each episodes cold open, as being by kids, about kids and for kids. (Its about books, and arts and creativity  and fun, they add.)

Now, I would watch, and watch fanatically, a show made entirely by kids, about kids and for kids. Kid Stew isnt that  the adult hand is obvious. But some of it does have at least the flavor of being written by a clever 12-year-old, and perhaps was. In any case, I am grateful for that flavor, artificial or natural.

The cast is appealing, the ones who cant really act as well as the ones who can. No one is cute in a professional manner  this is not the School of Disney, just upstate  though Luke Nappe, who can rock a fake mustache and presents a series of commercials for awful things reminiscent of Dan Aykroyd on early Saturday Night Live, could have a career if he wants it. As correspondents, they are natural and at ease.

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There is a historical segment in which kids in a time-traveling phone booth  possibly in homage to Bill & Ted or Doctor Who, or perhaps an unconscious lift or even a coincidence  meet a famous person from the past (another kid, in costume) and make suggestions that fulfill the future, as Mr. Peabody did.

There are international travel segments that, except for stock footage, never get out of South Florida. There are interviews with area authors (humorist Dave Barry and novelist Carl Hiaasen, from Pattersons generation; comic book scripter Brad Meltzer). There are visits with artists, fine and popular, young and old; trips to a dark-ride studio and a museum of pinball; a piece on cosplay and a demonstration of competitive stacking, which is done with cups and was news to me.

The cast dresses in appropriate costumes and mimes to songs that were old before any of them, or quite possibly their parents, were born  Communication Breakdown, Shining Star. (There are some original musical numbers as well.) They present Breaking Ewws!, the news show where the truth is always gross.

There is a giant brain with the soul of a Borscht Belt comic that makes jokes like, How do neurons talk to each other? Cellphones, between giving up real information on how a brain works. And there is a dog called Ozzie, whose only job seems to be to jump off a chair when someone says, Come on, Ozzie.

It is enough.

ALSO

In kids shows The Dangerous Book for Boys and Craig of the Creek, imagination takes flight

Lets get animated: The cartoons well keep watching in 2018

TV Picks: Thunderbirds, Incredible Crew, UCB does Seinfeld

Kid Stew

Where: KCET

When: 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday

Rating: TV-G (suitable for all ages)

robert.lloyd@latimes.com

Follow Robert Lloyd on Twitter @LATimesTVLloyd
TBS Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, Netflixs 13 Reasons Why and One Day at a Time were among the seven programs recognized for the 11th annual Television Academy Honors, the academy announced Friday.

Saluting shows that leveraged the dynamic power of television to inspire social change, the honors also recognized the Disney Channels comedy-drama Andi Mack, the four-part Netflix documentary Daughters of Destiny, the Logo documentary Forbidden: Undocumented & Queer in Rural America and LA92, a look at the L.A. riots that aired on the National Geographic Channel.

The teen-suicide drama 13 Reasons Why returns for its second season May 18, and One Day at a Time, a reboot of the 1970s series that has been re-imagined as a timely comedy about a Cuban American family, was renewed for a third season in March.

Our dynamic television landscape is a catalyst for raising awareness of relevant issues around the globe, said Television Academy Chairman and CEO Hayma Washington in a statement released Friday. We are proud to be part of an industry that spreads understanding, uncovers truth, encourages compassion and shines a light on darkness.

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The seven shows will be honored May 31 with a reception at Hollywoods NeueHouse.

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

chris.barton@latimes.com

Follow me over here @chrisbarton.

ALSO:

One Day at a Time writers walk through pivotal episode

One Day at a Time offers star Rita Moreno new insight into immigration
Good morning. Im Paul Thornton, and it is Saturday, May 5, 2018. If you were up early enough in Los Angeles this morning, you might have caught one of the most spectacular shows put on by NASA in recent memory; if you werent awake, congratulations on a good night of sleep. Lets take a look back at the week in Opinion.

Crime is at historical lows in Los Angeles, only the most well-off can afford a house anywhere in this city right now, and we exist at the center of the enlightened universe known as the Trump resistance  but if youre on Nextdoor.com, your street is overrun by suspicious-looking pedestrians and black Audis casing the neighborhood to  well, do not much of anything, really.

To Joel Stein, his Nextdoor neighborhood page resembles a local news show anchored by George Zimmerman. Awkward run-ins with unfamiliar people get written up as harrowing encounters with dangerous vagrants. Everyones package deliveries are stolen, in broad daylight, every time. Stein shares one of his experiences that could have easily been widely shared among Nextdoors neighborhood watchers:

Last week, I went for a walk at 8 p.m. to try to impress my Fitbit. I blasted an audiobook biography of Theodore Roosevelt on my headphones to try to impress my father. A guy lying in Griffith Park looked at me as I walked by and said something like, Want to party? that I couldnt hear over the tales of Western cattle ranching. I shook my head to let him know I was not interested in whatever rough riding he was suggesting. Two blocks later, I walked up my driveway, opened the door to my unattached home office and turned around to see the guy next to me. I directed him back outside, wielding a broom that I grabbed. He backed up, possibly asking, You dont like to party? though it got mixed up in my ears with and spurred his horse Lightfoot to prodigious feats of endurance, including one 20-mile gallop. So it sounded like the guy was asking me to do something even worse than hed intended. I locked the door behind me  but then opened it again to make sure he didnt head into my house to see if Cassandra or our son were in a partying mood. Then I spent an hour agonizing over whether to tell Cassandra. And  if I did  if the news would be better delivered in person or by posting it on Nextdoor where she would see it more quickly? I decided to be honest. I started my story with, Believe it or not, this thing just happened, but it actually wasnt scary. Which is exactly how I wish all Nextdoor entries started. Nevertheless, there was more talk of moving. But thanks to Nextdoor, I know it won't help. All L.A. streets, I fear, are terrorized by gangs of roving black Audis. >> Click here to read more

And whats so wrong with neighbors connecting on Nextdoor? Nothing, say a few Los Angeles Times letter writers: I too find my Nextdoor group focuses excessively on crime sometimes. It's definitely a place unconscious racism has to be called out on occasion. But it's also a place where two neighbors responded to my request to borrow a Pack 'n Play collapsible crib when my great-grandson visits and one that helps neighbors reunite with lost pets, join forces to combat blighted nuisance properties and remind each other to lock the doors of their cars and homes. L.A. Times

The LAUSD has a new superintendent  and (surprise!) not everyones happy about it. It turns out that Austin Beutner, the former investment banker and deputy mayor of Los Angeles, also happens to be our former boss at the L.A. Times, so the editorial board has seen how the new superintendent works. This gives the board reason to be hopeful: He has an ability to focus on the big picture, which differentiates him from his L.A. Unified predecessor, Michelle King, a well-liked and very capable manager with a talent for calling all hands on deck. But clear and bold vision wasn't her strong suit. L.A. Times

Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat from Burbank, doesnt want to talk about impeaching President Trump. The ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee believes there may be enough evidence to show that Trump has indeed committed impeachable offenses, but he warns that talking about removing the president from office will be seen by too many people as an attempt by Democrats to nullify the 2016 election  and Trump doesnt need help arousing his voters. New York Times

Its an outrage that migrant kids are being separated from their parents at the border. Since October, more than 700 children have been taken from their parents as they entered the United States, a cruel and unnecessary act by our government that goes against everything we know about child welfare. Appallingly, the practice continues even though the American Academy of Pediatrics has written to the secretary of Homeland Security on at least five occasions opposing it. L.A. Times
If you studied her acrobatics in the tiny kitchen at Teddys Tacos in City of Industry, the truth about Elena Castro would not be apparent.

She bends, stoops, stirs, chops, slices, dices and spins around co-workers in a dance that looks like a cross between roller derby and ballet.

You would not guess she started working 70 years ago at her parents business in Nayarit, Mexico.

You would not believe she is 81.

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When Castro took a short breather Thursday afternoon, I asked how much longer she intended to keep up this pace.

Until God says its enough, she told me, looking up to the heavens. When she got no response from up there, she went back to work.

Castros problem, unfortunately, is that while shes been able to defy time, the clock has been ticking on Teddys.

Lesly Madrid, from left, Veronica Juarez and Teddy Castro work behind the counter at Teddys Tacos in City of Industry. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times )

If things go as planned, a bulldozer will one day demolish the small restaurant and the few patio tables where loyal customers enjoy the fresh ingredients and special touches Castro puts into every meal, working with recipes and techniques developed over a lifetime.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is coming soon.

Before I explain why, let me back up to the beginning of Teddys, which never would have existed if not for the housing crash.

Castros daughter Adriana and son Ted were mortgage lenders who had to find a different line of work. They both tried this and that, then found out several years ago that the little taco stand in the shopping center at Valley Boulevard and South Hacienda Boulevard was available.

We just thought, How hard is it to sell tacos? said Adriana.

Harder than they thought. They took over from a guy who had called the restaurant Iguanas, Ranas and Tacos and Beer  and business was slow at first. Adriana toiled for several months to put some kick into the food, customers heard about it, and then their mom decided to jump in full time.

It was gangbusters, said Teddy.

Customers would taste the food and know whether Elena was in the kitchen or not, said Adriana.

Whats her secret?

Love, Elena told me.

And she has a lot more energy than all of us put together, said Teddy.

Her husband died young after working as a foreman at an ice company, so Elena  a seamstress, housekeeper and deli operator at various points  worked long and hard so her family could continue to enjoy middle-class living in Rowland Heights.

Silvia Martinez, left, and Veronica Juarez prepare orders at Teddys Tacos in City of Industry. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times )

But at the taco stand, Teddy and Adriana worried, along with some of their four siblings, that their mom was working too many hours. She insisted she wanted to. If you own a business, she said, you have to be there to make sure everything is done just the way you like. Besides, staying home was boring.

The only reason were not open Sundays is to keep her from coming to work after church, said Teddy.

But the Castros never had a lease from the owner of the property, and when their arrangement with the Iguanas and Ranas guy ended, they began a month-to-month deal with the owners of the land and the building  Auerbach Realty Holdings. And they were informed that Teddys and the vacant former Pizza Hut next door might be demolished to make way for a Chipotle restaurant.

As the likelihood increased, the Castros looked for other locations but didnt find anything. Lorna Auerbach, owner of the real estate company, told me Teddys was offered a chance to move into the Pizza Hut space before the Chipotle deal was struck, but the Castros dont remember it that way.

When their business looked doomed late last year, Adriana and Teddy began looking for full-time jobs elsewhere and the Castros withheld rent payments to save money for relocation costs. The landlord took them to court and a settlement was reached allowing them to stay, for now, on a month-to-month basis, as long as they pay the back rent.

There are no hard feelings, said Adriana, who is working as a real estate agent and understands that business is business. Still, shes disappointed the end is near, and so is the rest of the family. They havent given up on finding another spot, or maybe getting a taco truck. But starting and running a small business in Los Angeles  with high rent, stiff competition and all the usual bureaucratic nightmares  is daunting, especially when you need to pull a big enough profit to pay ridiculous housing costs.

Lorna Auerbach told me she doesnt run a great big evil corporation, but a modest business she inherited from her parents  Ernest and Lisa Auerbach. They worked hard their entire lives and toiled as janitors by night while they tried to build up their business, she said.

They had high ethical standards and they were incredibly philanthropic, Auerbach said.

She told me shes no fan of a generic terrain in which every block you go to looks the same, but in real estate, pressures from lenders often dictate land use decisions. When Pizza Hut quit its lease, she said, brokers and bankers came into play, land values, risks and returns were calculated, and Chipotle was ready to go.

But consumers also play a role in the homogenization of the culture and the landscape. For too many of us, comfort kills curiosity and the familiar trumps the unknown, authenticity be damned.

Frequent customers Omar Vasquez, from left, Olivia Vasquez, 3, Carlos Vasquez, Bill Lopez and Eddie Ruiz eat at Teddys Tacos. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times )

On Thursday at Teddys, two diners talked about nearby Rainbow Donuts while they ate lunch. Hard to believe, said one, but a Dunkin Donuts had just opened practically next door.

Hey, I said, I wrote about Rainbow two years ago, and last I knew, the West Covina Planning Commission had rejected Dunkin Donuts. But it turns out the city finally said yes.

I drove over to have a look. And sure enough, if you stood at the entrance to Rainbow, you could fling a buttermilk bar and hit Dunkin Donuts. Its that close.

It just breaks my heart, said Rainbow owner Sing Yam, who fled the Khmer Rouge, moved to California and opened Rainbow 30 years ago. Somebody has to stick up for mom and pop. But, knock on wood, its not as bad as I thought it would be. My customers are still coming in.

For now, theyre still coming to Teddys, too.

Cinco de Mayo was slated to be the last day (with free margaritas), but a sign at the entrance informed customers  hundreds of whom have signed up to be notified if Teddys finds a new location  that an agreement on a monthly deal means the restaurant will remain open a while longer.

The lunchtime crowd outside Teddys Tacos in City of Industry. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times )

Over two days, I talked to more than 20 customers  from construction workers to white-collar types. Nobody had a problem with Chipotle, and many had eaten at the chain. But regulars Marvin Holmes and Vidal Cortes, among others, said the generic cant stand up to a true original like Teddys. They and others raved about the barbacoa, the al pastor and the fish tacos, with prices starting at $1.95.

All of this as the smoky scent of the tinga wafted over the patio while Elena Castro stirred chipotle chilies into the shredded chicken bubbling in a giant kettle, and jalapenos sizzled on the grill.

Rudy Estrada ordered four tacos and a chicken torta Friday, and when I asked if he was going to eat all of that, he said no, he was going to visit his 97-year-old mother in a convalescent home and she loved Teddys food. His mother would eat the four tacos, he said, and hed eat the torta.

If they move, Ill go wherever they go, said Estrada, who called out a thank you to Elena. Id go eat at her house if I could.

Get more of Steve Lopezs work and follow him on Twitter @LATstevelopez
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo officials have asked the state attorney generals office to investigate after a new photo of a white student in blackface surfaced on a fraternity groups private Snapchat.

I am outraged, Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong said in a video address Friday to the campus. These vile and absolutely unacceptable acts cannot continue. We must not allow these acts to define us as an institution.

Armstrong said the latest photo was intended to imitate an incident last month in which a white member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity was photographed at a party wearing blackface.

Others at the party, which took place during a Cal Poly multicultural weekend celebration, were photographed wearing baggy jeans, fake tattoos and gold chains while flashing gang signs.

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Photos also emerged of a party earlier this year at which members of the Sigma Nu fraternity wore ribbed tank tops and gold chains, with an accompanying caption on social media that referred to la familia.

The frat-party photos caused an uproar  and sparked an ongoing discussion about the treatment of minority students  on the the predominantly white campus, where less than 1% of students are African American.

Cal Poly is the least diverse of the 23 California State University schools, with a student body that was 54.8% white in fall 2017, system data show. Cal State campuses are 23.5% white overall.

Cal Poly also has a higher percentage of white students than all 10 University of California campuses.

In his video address Friday, Armstrong sought to reassure the campus community.

To all students, faculty and staff, regardless of your race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, I want you to know that we care about you, he said. To those who are Muslim, Jewish, Christian, other beliefs or no belief, please know that our campus is for you. It is for all Cal Poly students.

Not all were receptive.

Iliana Salas, president of the Hispanic Business Student Assn., said Armstrongs message struck her as little more than an empty apology.

Its like, Were sorry, but were not going to do anything about it,  she said, adding that she thinks students involved in the earlier racially charged photos should have been expelled.

Cal Poly officials said at the time that the students were protected by their constitutional right to free speech and could not be expelled.

Salas said she was not surprised that another blackface incident had occurred. Many on campus still refuse to think there was anything wrong about it, she said.

Even after that first blackface incident, I heard remarks from people who just didnt see the problem with it, she said.

Last month, citing the racially charged incidents and referring to earlier problems involving hazing, sexual assault and the alcohol-related death of a freshman in 2008, Cal Poly officials announced an indefinite suspension of all Panhellenic sororities and Interfraternity Council fraternities.

The latest blackface photo, which was not made public, was brought to campus officials attention by other fraternity members as an act of accountability, Armstrong said.

Cal Poly officials did not identify the student in the latest photograph or his fraternity affiliation, citing the attorney generals probe. It will determine whether the incidents violate Cal State policy on discrimination and harassment.

This incident, the entire Lambda Chi incident, as well as reports from several other fraternities and sororities, has been turned over to the California attorney general for investigation, Armstrong said. We will report the results as permissible by law once the investigation is complete.

kim.christensen@latimes.com

Twitter: @kchristensenLAT

Times staff writer Hailey Branson-Potts contributed to this report.
Walt Teague had given up hope of making an arrest in the Koreatown triple murder.

The suspect, Tai Zhi Cui, had fled Los Angeles for his native China, which has no extradition treaty with the United States.

If Chinese police would confirm that Cui was indeed in China, Teague could at least close the almost decade-old case. In a cavernous room off Tiananmen Square, he met with nearly two dozen Chinese police officials.

The highest-ranking officer then made an unexpected offer to Teague, a Los Angeles Police Department lieutenant: Were very interested in trying him in our courts.

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Late last year, Cui was found guilty by a panel of three Chinese judges. There has been no word from China on his punishment.

American crimes, Chinese trials: Heres how it works 

Teague and other American authorities said they would have preferred to prosecute Cui in the U.S. but believed that working with the Chinese was better than letting him go free. They believe he was treated fairly, they said.

The Chinese legal system, however, has a reputation for coerced confessions, speedy executions and politically motivated arrests. Many trials are not public, and court files are generally not available for public review. In the U.S., Cuis trial would have likely lasted weeks. In China, it took 90 minutes.

Chinese prosecutors appear to have made significant use of evidence the LAPD handed over. The cooperation was approved by L.A. County prosecutors, who weighed concerns about Chinas judicial system against the violent nature of Cuis crimes. It is unclear what role federal officials played in the decision.

The Times examined the Cui case and two others in which a defendant was prosecuted in China for a crime committed on American soil. The cases are among the first of their kind and could open the door for similar prosecutions, especially in Southern California, with its large Chinese immigrant population.

The U.S. doesnt want to say, No way, no how, we never cooperate,  said Margaret Lewis, a professor at Seton Hall Law School who researches Chinas criminal justice system. But once we open the door for that  where do we draw the line?

::

Investigators quickly zeroed in on Cui after a man walked into a Koreatown restaurant in October 2006 and blasted execution-style shots into the heads of three people: one of the restaurants owners, an employee and the employees boyfriend.

Cui had dated the employee, Kyung Hee Kang, in what was later described to police as a volatile relationship.

Hours before the murders, Cui argued with Kang and her new boyfriend, Seong Ung Kim. When Cui returned, he confronted the couple and the co-owner, Jae Woong Cho.

Investigators found the blood-spattered murder weapon in Cuis apartment. By then, Cui, then 55, had fled to Mexico. His trail went cold for two years, until a Koreatown businessman contacted the LAPD.

The man had recently been to Shenyang, Cuis hometown in China. He had read about the murders in the Koreatown press and thought Cui might have been the cab driver who picked him up from the airport.

It seemed plausible to Greg Stearns, lead investigator on the case. Detectives had long suspected that Cui might return to China. He had also driven a bandit cab in L.A.

The LAPD reached out to Chinese authorities, hoping to verify that Cui was in Shenyang. The LAPD asked the U.S. Marshals Service for help, then the FBI.

No response from China.

It was radio silence for several years, Stearns said.

LAPD Det. Greg Stearns, left, and Lt. Walt Teague investigated a 2006 triple murder that happened in L.A. but was ultimately prosecuted last year in China. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times )

::

Teague, the lieutenant, had deep connections to China. He studied in Beijing in the mid-1980s and met his wife there, earning a masters degree in Chinese before becoming a cop.

He went to China once a year to see his in-laws. Why not try to meet with Chinese police and ask if Cui was there?

In 2014, using the FBI as a go-between, Teague made a last-ditch effort.

This time, the Chinese responded.

A few months after his first meeting in Beijing, Teague returned, along with Stearns and Joy Roberts, an L.A. County prosecutor who outlined the case to Chinese officials, much as if she were making a closing argument in an American courtroom.

The Americans described some of the evidence they had gathered: Cuis fingerprint and a victims blood on the murder weapon, as well as casings from the same gun outside the restaurant.

After arresting Cui, the Chinese visited L.A., touring the murder scene and watching as LAPD detectives reinterviewed key witnesses. The Americans sent the gun, DNA and other physical evidence to China before returning themselves to observe Cuis interrogation by Chinese officers.

Cui initially admitted to the killings, then recanted and named other people he said actually pulled the trigger. Stearns spent weeks trying to find those people, he said, only to learn they didnt exist.

This was no quick kangaroo court, Teague said.

In late October 2017, with only a few days notice, the L.A team hurriedly returned to Shenyang for the trial.

Cui confessed to the killings, the officials said. His attorney argued that he was drunk and angry over a debt that his ex-girlfriend supposedly owed him.

The handgun used by Tai Zhi Cui in a 2006 triple murder in L.A. (Los Angeles Police Department )

::

The Chinese legal system draws on many traditions, including those of countries such as France and Germany, where trials are sometimes decided by a three-judge panel and the role of attorneys is less central than in the American system.

Experts on Chinese law say that reforms in recent decades have provided defendants with more protections. But the system still heavily favors the prosecution.

Judges answer to the Communist Party, making the process inherently political. Concerns about torture and coerced confessions remain, especially when the defendant is charged with a political crime. And the conviction rate is extraordinarily high  in recent years, fewer than 1% of defendants have been acquitted at trial.

The vast majority of Chinese defendants go to trial without a lawyer, though publicly funded lawyers are usually provided for defendants facing the most serious charges, including murder.

Cui had an attorney at his trial. But Times reporters in the U.S. and Beijing were not able to obtain the lawyers name or documents related to the case  information that is readily accessible in U.S. courts.

The L.A. County district attorneys office considered the fact that the victims families had no other recourse before greenlighting the collaboration, spokesman Greg Risling said.

Our job is to pursue justice, no matter how much time has passed or how far the distance may be, Risling said. Our office exhausted all possible remedies, and we felt this decision would ultimately result in a conviction.

Because of the multiple victims, Cui could have faced the death penalty had he been tried in the U.S., according to Roberts, the L.A. County prosecutor.

Officials from the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. State Department declined to comment about whether their agencies were involved in the case.

Authorities in Shenyang either declined to discuss the case or did not return calls seeking comment. In a written statement, a spokesman for the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles said that China has complete judicial jurisdiction over its citizens who are accused of committing crimes abroad.

::

Teague, whose Mandarin was good enough to understand the proceedings, watched Cuis trial from the courtroom. Stearns and Roberts were in another room with interpreters, keeping tabs through a live video feed.

The conclusion  and seeing Cui face-to-face  was satisfying for Teague, who once thought the case would end without a trial, he said.

When he walked in, he saw me as a representative of justice here, Teague, who is now retired, said of Cui. He didnt get away with it. You cant kill three people like that and get away with it.

Times staff writers Jessica Meyers and Nicole Liu in Beijing and Victoria Kim in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

kate.mather@latimes.com

cindy.chang@latimes.com

For more LAPD news, follow us on Twitter: @katemather and @cindychangLA.
As Los Angeles police worked with Chinese authorities to build a triple murder case against Tai Zhi Cui, two similar cases were heading for trial in Chinese courts.

The body of Tong Shao, a 20-year-old student from China, was found in the trunk of her car in Iowa City, Iowa, in 2014. Investigators focused on Shaos boyfriend, Xiangnan Li, after learning that he had flown to China on a one-way ticket shortly after she was last seen alive.

The lead investigator, Iowa City Police Det. David Gonzalez, was concerned about handing over evidence to the Chinese, which could have disrupted an American prosecution if Li ever returned to the U.S.

But then, a delegation of Chinese officials came to Iowa to discuss the case. Gonzalez became convinced that a Chinese prosecution was the best option.

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Ideally we would like to prosecute here, but when it comes down to it  we wanted to get some type of justice served, one way or another, he said.

An L.A. triple-murder suspect was tried in China, and his case could open the door for similar prosecutions 

Li pleaded guilty during a roughly six-hour trial in the Chinese city of Wenzhou and was sentenced in 2016 to life in prison.

The other international prosecution began with the murder of Tianmei Gao, whose body was found in a trash can floating in a lake at L.A. Countys Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in early 2007.

By the time investigators gathered enough evidence to charge Gaos husband, Bo Li, he had moved back to China.

Officials from the district attorneys extradition unit asked the prosecutor, Lisa Coen, not to give any evidence to the Chinese until they had researched the Chinese legal system and felt assured that Li would not be mistreated while in custody.

Obviously, we also want to stay true to our principles in the U.S., Coen said. If we found that they had an unjust system, then its not something we would have wanted to participate in.

Coen attended the three-hour trial in China last May and thought Li was treated fairly.

Everyone was like, Oh my God, hell be executed an hour after the verdict,  she said. It was very different from that.

In the Chinese legal system, the defendant can pay monetary restitution in hopes of a reduced prison term. Li paid 100,000 yuan  about $16,000  to the victims family, Coen said. Prosecutors asked for a 12- to 15-year sentence, and Lis attorneys asked for 10 years.

In December, the court sentenced Li to life in prison, Coen said.
A San Diego jury this week awarded a former insurance company employee upward of $18 million for firing him following an arrest that ultimately saw the dismissal of all charges.

The jury found Allstate Insurance Co. liable for about $2.6 million in actual damages Thursday, and the following day, added nearly $16 million to the award for punitive damages to the plaintiff, Michael Tilkey.

The verdicts came after a nearly weeklong trial in San Diego Superior Court.

An Allstate spokeswoman said the company plans to appeal.

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Tilkey, who had worked for Allstate for 30 years, said he feels vindicated after three years battling this.

Now I feel like I have justice, he said Friday.

His attorney, Joann Rezzo, said firing Tilkey violated state labor law, which she said prohibits employers from considering arrest records that dont result in a conviction in a decision to fire an employee.

It sends a message to corporate America that if you are going to do biz in California, you must comply with California law, Rezzo said.

Tilkey, now 55, lives in Riverside County. He was responsible for overseeing about 30 independent agents in San Diego, Riverside and Orange counties when he was fired in 2015.

His termination came nine months after he was arrested in Arizona following an argument with his then-girlfriend. According to court records, the woman had called police because she had locked Tilkey out her home after an argument and he was banging forcefully on the door.

Police arrived and arrested him for possession of marijuana paraphernalia and two domestic violence counts, according to court filings in the civil case.

Two charges were dismissed in January 2015. The third charge, alleging domestic violence disorderly conduct, was dismissed about six months later, after Tilkey attended an anger-management course as part of his plea deal, according to a pre-trial ruling issued by Judge Katherine Bacal in February.

Allstate learned of the arrest after Tilkeys ex-girlfriend sent him an email at work discussing the criminal case. The email was flagged as part of a compliance review for employees who are subject to financial industry regulations.

Allstate began an internal investigation, and in December 2015, Tilkey admitted to the arrest and to his agreement to attend the counseling classes. As of February 2016, the company investigator found no violation of company policy and had no plans for further action, according the statement of facts in Bacals February ruling.

Then in March 2016, Tilkeys ex-girlfriend sent an email to the company leadership, accusing him of threatening her during the Arizona incident and asking for an investigation.

Allstate fired Tilkey less than three months later, alleging he had violated company policy by engaging in threatening behavior that led to his attending counseling classes.

In court documents, Allstates attorneys describe the company as having an ethos of caring for and about people  both its employees and customers.

The company has a strict policy that allows for the immediate firing of employees who engage in threats or acts of physical harm or violence. Tilkey, the company said, was an at-will employee who knew that the company took threatening or potentially violent behavior seriously.

Tilkey said his subsequent attempts to get other jobs were stymied when potential employers learned why he had been fired.

Figueroa writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com
One morning in August 1951, at a $1-a-night hotel in Florence, Italy, two American women came face to face in the hallway.

One was Ruth Orkin, a promising 29-year-old photojournalist who was seeking a subject for a magazine photo spread about the experiences of women traveling abroad alone  a rare thing to do at the time.

The other was Ninalee Allen, a 23-year-old adventure-seeking graduate of Sarah Lawrence College who had been traveling solo for months through France, Spain and Italy. She went by Jinx because she thought it sounded exciting.

She was beautiful, luminescent and, unlike me, very tall, Orkin later told the New York Times. Allen agreed to the photo shoot as a lark, and off they went through the streets of Florence.

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Imagining she was Beatrice from Dantes Divine Comedy, one of her favorite books, Allen held her shawl, stood straight and strode past more than a dozen men leering at her from all directions at the corner of Piazza della Repubblica. Orkin ran ahead, Allen recalled, and took one picture, asked me to back up, and took a second. Thats all that was done at that location, two pictures. It took about 35 seconds.

I spoke only to the two men on the motor scooter, she told The Times in 1995. I yelled to them to tell the others not to look at the camera.

In less than one minute, Orkin had captured what would become one of the more indelible photographs of the era, titled American Girl in Italy.

Ninalee Allen Craig, 90, who went on to marry a Venetian count and a Canadian steel industry executive, died Wednesday at a hospital in Toronto of complications from lung cancer, said her stepson Alex Passi.

The photo appeared in Cosmopolitan magazine as part of a 1952 photo essay titled When You Travel Alone . . . and included advice on money, men and morals to see you through a gay trip and a safe one.

The caption with the photo of Allen read: Public admiration . . . shouldnt fluster you. Ogling the ladies is a popular, harmless and flattering pastime youll run into in many foreign countries. The gentlemen are usually louder and more demonstrative than American men, but they mean no harm.

Over the decades, the photo was reprinted and hung in dorm rooms, became artwork for homes, appeared in calendars and on postcards and, to some, captured the reality of street harassment or catcalling long before it was part of the public consciousness. One man, with his hand over his crotch, was airbrushed out in some reproductions.

Oh, and that poor soul touching himself? I was used to it, Allen wrote in the Guardian in 2015 under her married name, Ninalee Craig. It was almost like a good luck sign for the Italian man, making sure the family jewels were intact. When it was first published, that was occasionally airbrushed out but I would never consider it to be a vulgar gesture.

The photograph invited many interpretations, each adding to its meaning and power. It accompanied stories about harassment, victimhood and the feminine psyche. In November 2017, a Philadelphia restaurant removed the photograph after complaints from customers.

It all began to grate on Craig, who said the image represented nothing more than admiration and curiosity and was a symbol of a woman having an absolutely wonderful time. That she stood 6 feet tall, she added, may also have explained the gawking.

Women look at that picture and feel indignant, angry, she told The Times. They say, That poor woman. We should be able to walk wherever we want to and not be threatened. As gently as I can, I explain I was not feeling fear. There was no danger because it was a far different time.

Ninalee Allen was born in Indianapolis on Nov. 6, 1927. Her father was the personnel director for L.S. Ayres, a department store, and her mother was a homemaker. She studied art history at Sarah Lawrence in Bronxville, N.Y., and graduated in 1950.

After her months-long travels in Europe, she settled in New York City and became a copywriter at the J. Walter Thompson advertising company.

One day, she wrote in the Guardian, she saw the Orkin photo blown up in Grand Central Station, used as part of a promotion by Kodak, which horrified my father. He had no idea I was walking around Italy in that way.

She married Achille Passi, a Venetian count, in 1959 and raised her stepson. She lived on the Passi family villa in Treviso, near Venice, and once described his family as a very old family where youre only in the newspaper twice in your life  once when youre born and once when you die. Period.

Nine years after the photo of her appeared in Cosmopolitan, it ran in a Time-Life picture book about Italy. The caption identified her, and her mother-in-law was apoplectic, Craig told the Toronto Star in 1995. The man on the scooter who appears to be gazing at her backside was a cousin of her husband. Her name was not included in future publications, at the Passi familys request.

After divorcing Passi in the 1970s, she returned to New York and met Robert Ross Craig  who coincidentally also had a connection to the Orkin photo: He knew one of the two men sitting on the scooter parked near her. My God, he told her, thats my business partner in Italy. Thats Carlo Marchi! 

I wouldnt say the picture has changed my life but Ive had so much amusement from it over the years, Craig wrote in the Guardian in 2015. And more free meals at Italian restaurants than youll ever know.

She is survived by three stepsons, one stepdaughter, 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Silverman writes for the Washington Post
President Trump was greeted with cheers, applause and standing ovations Friday when he joined Vice President Mike Pence at the National Rifle Assn. annual meeting in Dallas.

Trump acknowledged that his last-minute decision to attend was controversial. But he insisted it was the right thing to do as he attempted to reassure NRA members troubled by a national gun control movement in the wake of the February mass shooting in Parkland, Fla.

Thanks to your activism and dedication, you have an administration fighting to protect your 2nd Amendment, Trump told the crowd. Your 2nd Amendment rights are under siege, but they will never, ever be under siege as long as I am your president.

Trump noted that he met with relatives of the 17 Parkland shooting victims as well as survivors, and was inspired like all of you were by their incredible courage.

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President Trump speaks at the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum on May 4, 2018, in Dallas. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images )

But instead of advancing the gun control measures that some Parkland students and their families have advocated, Trump said he was working to improve early warning systems so that when the community sees red flags, which they saw in Parkland  swift action is taken by authorities to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.

Trump also endorsed arming highly trained teachers, a proposal that drew cheers and applause.

There is no stronger deterrent for a sick individual than the knowledge that an attack will end their life and end in total failure, he said. We support the 2nd Amendment not only because we believe in freedom, but we trust in everyday talented people that love our students. Theyre not going to let anybody hurt their students. But you have to give them a chance.

The mood in the nearly-packed arena, which holds about 9,200, was exuberant, with some chanting USA! and shouting I love you. NRA organizers expect more than 80,000 to attend the convention, despite rain and tornado warnings.

Retirees Ronnie and Connie Lance, both 68, drove six and a half hours from the Texas Panhandle to hear Trump speak, and were pleased to hear him endorse arming teachers.

Safety in schools really resonated with us because our son is a high school English teacher, Ronnie Lance said. It still baffles me how anyone could blame the NRA.

Although their son carries a concealed handgun, he cant bring it to school to defend his students because its a gun-free zone, and that bothers the Lances.

Its an invitation for a bad guy with a gun to come in, Ronnie Lance said, echoing the presidents speech.

Lance was a hesitant Trump voter, but said, Hes accomplished more than hes promised.

Wed support him again, Connie Lance said.

Bob Clausen stood to applaud at various points during Trumps speech.

Clausen, 67, an accountant from northern Illinois, said he left feeling encouraged.

Its always a concern, the left encroaching on gun rights. If they could have been in here and heard the reaction of the crowd " he said, and paused, shaking his head. Youre not going to change these peoples minds.

Lois Fox was impressed Trump spoke at the convention after the Parkland controversy. She called his speech rousing and uplifting.

Signs in the Dallas convention center indicate the Leadership Forum is sold out. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times )

Fox, 68, a retired middle school science teacher, said she agreed with Trumps comments about increasing school security and mental health services.

We need to get people with mental problems away from guns  we saw that in Florida, in Sandy Hook, she said.

No gun control protesters appeared outside the convention center after the speech, but about 100 gathered outside City Hall late Friday to speak out for gun control measures and against the NRA.

They have the right to voice their opinions, Fox said, and she didnt expect fellow NRA members to object either, noting, We are a law-abiding people.

At the protest, teenagers and grandmothers, teachers and other professionals brought handmade signs saying, When did AR 15s become more valuable than 15 year olds? And my school is for learning not lockdowns. Some NRA members walked by, taking in the scene.

Theres too many kids dying in school. We need to pass reasonable gun legislation and the NRA is a hindrance to that, said local high school teacher Mike Alves, 47.

The Rev. Jane Lawrence, a retired United Methodist minister, brought two signs listing mass shootings since the University of Texas shooting in 1966. Lawrence, 72, of Athens, Texas, had spent the day inside the NRA convention with a colleague, talking to gun owners about why they oppose assault weapons.

I think part of the distress in our country right now is we dont talk to each other, said her colleague, Judy Gould, 68, of Gilford, N.H.

Lawrence wasnt as encouraged. Im not sure were reasoning with each other, respecting each other, she said.

Hearing Trump advocate for expanded gun rights and militarizing police made Dominique Alexander, executive director of Next Generation Action Network, worry that he could turn American soil into a war zone.

You have a president trying to give people more access to guns who doesnt understand the rule of law, Alexander said.

The convention runs through Sunday. A protest was also planned Saturday outside City Hall by Parkland survivors and relatives, as well as a counter-protest by Texas NRA supporters.

molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com

Twitter: @mollyhf

UPDATES:

5:25 p.m.: This article has been updated with protest taking place at City Hall.

4:35 p.m.: This article has been updated with Trump speech, reaction.

9:20 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details, including comments from attendees lining up to hear Trumps speech.

This article was originally published at 3 a.m.
Happy Saturday and happy Cinco de Mayo, for which, of course, we have recipes. A reminder that Mothers Day is next weekend, so if youre wanting brunch reservations, we have a guide to 63 local restaurants that can set you (and your mom) up. If youre doing the cooking, we have recipes (47 of them) for that too. (If you havent made a giant fruit-filled Pavlova, I highly recommend that; its a lot less work than it looks, and very impressive. Also: cherries.) What else is going on? Food Bowl, our second annual food festival, runs the entire month of May.

As part of this months progressive dinner party, not only do we have food but also movies about food. To help with that, this week our restaurant critic lists 10 of his favorite high-calorie films. If you want food on your plate rather than your screen, we tour four pretty great local fried chicken joints. We have the announcement of this years Restaurant of the Year. And, perhaps most importantly, we have a story about those for whom getting food at all is a constant issue. As we celebrate the dining scene in this city, lets not forget that there are many, many folks who cant access the restaurants we champion or the kitchens we take for granted. Have a good weekend.

 Amy Scattergood

10 MOVIES ABOUT FOOD

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The Grand Budapest Hotel, one of Jonathan Golds favorite food movies. (Fox Searchlight Pictures )

Yes, theres Tampopo. And Ratatouille. And Babettes Feast. But Jonathan Golds taste in food movies is rather less predictable, as you can tell from his most recent list of film favorites. For starters, it turns out that hes seen more than his share of cannibal movies. Of course he has.

THE 2018 RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

One of the tacos at Carlos Salgados Costa Mesa restaurant. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times )

The second annual Restaurant of the Year award goes to Taco Maria, chef Carlos Salgados high-end Costa Mesa taqueria. (Last years was Locol, if youre keeping track.) As Jonathan writes: By regarding tortillas with a seriousness familiar to any fanatical French baker, by using perfect seasonal produce and by treating regional Mexican dishes with both imagination and respect, Salgado has propelled California-Mexican cooking into the jet stream of abstracted modernist cuisine.

A PAEAN TO FRIED CHICKEN

Fried chicken in L.A. is crispier than ever. ((Clockwise from top left: Alen Lin; South City Fried Chicken; @shamoothefoodie; @HungryHugh) )

This town is having a fried chicken renaissance, which you know if youve spent any time in the Far East Plaza, watching the hours-long lines at Howlin Rays. There are a lot of terrific fried chicken joints (my personal favorite: Tokyo Fried Chicken in Monterey Park) in and around L.A., and if you need a guide to four you might not know about, deputy Food editor Jenn Harris has one.

FEEDING THE HOMELESS

Thanksgiving at the Midnight Mission. ((Steven James Collins) )

Los Angeles is in the midst of a homelessness crisis, and if you dont have a home you do not have a kitchen  or, too often, anything to eat at all. The folks at Midnight Mission have been on the front line of this crisis since 1914. Test Kitchen director Noelle Carter talks with the Missions Georgia Berkovich about what they do  and what we can do as well. (The Midnight Mission is also a charity beneficiary of this months Food Bowl.)

MORE FOOD GOINGS-ON ABOUT TOWN

The Banh Oui fried chicken sandwich. ((Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times) )

For this weeks food and drink news column, deputy Food editor Jenn Harris gets the info on four upcoming food events  you know, ones that were not hosting. Is there more fried chicken? Yes, there is, as well as the return of Taste of the Nation, an Israeli food festival, and a dinner pop-up inside a cube art installation.

L.A. Times Food Bowl is happening now. We hope youll join us for our month-long food festival, with events celebrating L.A.'s food and drink scene and helping promote sustainability and raise awareness and funds to fight food waste, hunger and food insecurity. We have guest chefs doing dinners and panel discussions, a vegetable feast supporting the advancement of young girls and the empowerment of women in the hospitality industry, the return of our Night Market and tons more. For more info and tickets, go to lafoodbowl.com.

Jonathan Golds 101 Best Restaurants, the authoritative annual guide to local dining, is online for subscribers featuring his 2017 Best Restaurants. If you dont have a copy of the booklet, you can order one online here.

Check us out on Instagram at @latimesfood.

And dont forget the thousands of recipes in our California Cookbook recipe database.

Feedback? Wed love to hear from you. Email us at food@latimes.com.
Los Angeles County Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Hilda Solis are progressive icons who at the time of their election four years ago were hailed on the left as harbingers of a new era and feared by moderates as likely free-spenders who would give away the store to public employee unions. The Times supported both of them in 2014, albeit with some hand-wringing over fiscal responsibility.

Today, though, the county appears fiscally sound (although it has yet to be tested by an economic downturn), and Kuehl, Solis and their three colleagues on the Board of Supervisors have set an ambitious agenda for addressing the most vexing challenges of residents most in need, especially the homeless. The board has persuaded voters to fund landmark efforts to expand services for tens of thousands of homeless, sick and addicted residents, and to bring parks and recreation to underserved neighborhoods. We breathe a sigh of relief and consider whether Kuehl and Solis each deserve another term. They do.

Lets begin with Kuehl, who represents a district that includes the sparsely populated Santa Monica Mountains and a host of mostly wealthy cities  Beverly Hills, Malibu, Santa Monica, a huge chunk of the city of L.A. Those cities see to their own municipal services, leaving Kuehl free to focus on systemic county issues.

Kuehl was the originator or a key mover in a number of long-needed improvements  to the representation of juveniles accused of crimes, to the treatment of young offenders in probation camps and to the functioning of the civil service appeals system. As reform of an unjust bail system has slogged through the state Legislature, Kuehl (along with Solis) launched an overhaul of the county bail system. Yes, these programs are works in progress, with outcomes still uncertain. The point is that Kuehl got them started.

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Kuehl was the primary mover behind the countys Community Choice Energy program to provide an alternative to Southern California Edison  allowing consumers to sign up for environmentally sustainable energy options, while at the same time appealing to ratepayers pocketbook issues by giving them lower-priced options.

There are times when Kuehl has stood alone. She was the sole no vote on a motion to revamp mental health laws to allow officials to more easily treat mentally ill people against their will. The countys bill is moving through Sacramento, but the questions Kuehl raised are sound and must be addressed.

From Solis, as well as from Kuehl, were looking forward to seeing the follow-through on probation, the jails, foster care and other county services.

Kuehl was skeptical of  but ultimately supported  a plan to replace the decrepit Mens Central Jail. Activists argue that the (at least) $2 billion it would cost to build new facilities ought to be spent instead on mental healthcare and other services.

Opposition to the jail project has been a primary plank in the campaign of one of Kuehls opponents, Eric Preven, who ran four years ago. It is a worthy and complex topic of discussion, but Preven has not made the case that Kuehl has failed in her first term or that he would perform better.

Preven is also a critic of county secrecy, and he makes a valid point. Under Kuehl and her colleagues, obtaining documents and other information that ought to be public is at least as difficult as it has ever been. Kuehl, who currently chairs the Board of Supervisors, should work harder to make the county more transparent. We are also expecting action on those works in progress  bail and juvenile justice reform, but also getting services to the homeless, the mentally ill, the addicted and other too-often-marginalized members of society.

Also challenging Kuehl is Daniel Glaser, who presents little in the way of argument as to why he would do better than either Kuehl or Preven.

Solis also deserves another term on the county Board of Supervisors. She glided onto the board in late 2014 with the benefit of an unusual six-month head start, having won the June primary race so overwhelmingly that she didnt have to face a runoff election. That gave her the opportunity to spend months mastering the details of the massive county bureaucracy, assemble a first-rate staff and hammer out an agenda.

But she squandered her good fortune. When she took office alongside Kuehl that December, she still hadnt assembled her permanent staff, and her tenure continued to be marked by turmoil for two years as aides came and went in rapid succession. Even now, Solis has the boards least stable staff, and that may have had an impact on her productivity.

Still, Solis has stood out by refusing to be an automatic vote in favor of whatever item is being pushed on her by her progressive supporters and colleagues.

She was a thorn in the side of campaigners for a $15 county minimum wage when she delayed a vote and demanded changes for small businesses and nonprofits. She angered backers of a county legal assistance fund for residents facing deportation by insisting that it not be available to people accused of violent crimes. She nearly scuttled a county effort to fund homeless services by focusing instead on a parks tax.

The backroom wrangling was messy, but the outcomes were good. The county got the wage, the legal fund and the programs for homelessness and parks, arguably in better shape than they would have been without Solis. She has on these occasions and several others demonstrated a laudable measure of political courage, if perhaps also an exasperating style of legislating.

Her task is made more difficult by an awkwardly drawn district that takes in northeast Los Angeles and the countys southeast cities, and then cuts through the middle of the San Gabriel Valley and hangs on, by a thread, to Pomona and Claremont. Solis is a beloved figure in much of her district, in part because of her pioneering role as a Latina pol, but also because she is said to excel at constituent services.

No one is running against Solis and thats lamentable, not because voters ought to oust her  she shows signs of coming into her own as a supervisor  but because the lack of competition means less discussion of the countys challenges.

From Solis, as well as from Kuehl, were looking forward to seeing the follow-through on probation, the jails, foster care and other county services. And, when the economic downturn comes, as it inevitably will at some point, an ability to slow down spending without sacrificing the progress the county has made over the last four years.

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Nothing stays above politics forever, not even the Holocaust.

Earlier this week, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas was caught spewing anti-Semitic vitriol, including the notion that Jews were responsible for the Holocaust. The denunciations from American Jewish leaders were swift and unequivocal. But they also rang hollow.

In February, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki publicly said there were Jewish perpetrators of the Holocaust. Morawieckis remark  which scholars condemned as a form of Holocaust denial  came in the wake of Warsaws new memory law, which made it illegal to claim that Poland had participated in the Holocaust. The law triggered a wave of anti-Semitism in Poland that shows few signs of abating. Indeed, just last month a senior Polish lawmaker tweeted that the Jews are not humans, they are animals!

Yet American Jewish leaders reaction to Morawieckis remark was exponentially more muted than the outrage over Abbas. Their responses were cushioned with words such as unfortunate and misstatement, stunning euphemisms considering Morawiecki is the prime minister of a nation where 60,000 people took the streets in November chanting, Pure blood.

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This strangely restrained response of U.S. Jews is, unfortunately, all too common when it comes to the Holocaust distortion surging across Eastern Europe. On April 28, a thousand Ukrainians marched in honor of a local SS unit. The demonstration, which included Nazi salutes, capped off a week in which a Holocaust memorial was firebombed, the tomb of a rabbi was desecrated, and neo-Nazis conducted anti-Roma pogroms in the heart of Kiev. Surely these events deserve denunciation too, yet once again, American Jews were mostly silent.

American Jewish leaders reaction to Morawieckis remark was exponentially more muted than the outrage over Abbas.

There is an explanation for this reticence. American Jewish organizations spent decades campaigning for the liberation of Soviet Jews who, like the Poles and dozens of other national groups, were trapped in what President Reagan called the Evil Empire. For your freedom and ours! was the battle cry of those fighting communism. It was obvious that the success of any liberation movement  Jewish, Polish, Baltic  was a blow to Moscow and a victory for everyone yearning to cast off the Kremlin yoke. A lingering nostalgia for that common struggle is what keeps U.S. Jewish leaders and lawmakers from speaking out now.

My Jewish family came to America as political refugees from the Soviet Union in 1990, so I can certainly relate to the sentiment. I was in Estonia during the 1989 Singing Revolution, when hundreds of thousands took to the streets there and in Lithuania and Latvia, peacefully demonstrating for freedom. I remember the thrill of hearing news of the communist bloc falling apart, and the fierce joy later of visiting cities like Prague and marveling at how democratic nations had risen out of decades of communist oppression.

But the 1990s are gone. An illiberal ultra-nationalism is replacing that democratic impulse across Eastern Europe, particularly Poland, Hungary and my homeland Ukraine. Nearly every week, some new outrage emanates from the region. Lithuania is considering a draconian book ban aimed at whitewashing its Nazi collaborators. And with the resounding victory last month of Hungarys prime minister, Viktor Orban, and his anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim Fidesz party, we can be sure Budapest will redouble its own campaign of glorification of Nazi collaborators.

In this disturbing climate, nostalgic equivocation and selective outrage are dangerous. When Holocaust denial is treated differently depending on which world leader utters it, politics has trumped history and remembrance. And when people who should know better are more upset about how much time an African American city councilman (Trayon White of the District of Columbia) spent in a Holocaust museum than they are about Europeans celebrating Nazi collaborators, something has gone terribly wrong.

On April 19, 1985, Elie Wiesel, the voice and soul of Holocaust survivors, demonstrated the meaning of righteous chutzpah. Wiesel was at the White House to receive the Congressional Gold Medal from Reagan, who was about to commemorate VE Day by visiting a German military cemetery where members of the SS were among the dead. That place, Mr. President, is not your place, Wiesel publicly admonished the leader of the free world. Your place is with the victims of the SS.

Wiesel died in 2016, and the number of survivors of the Nazi camps wanes every year. But as the Holocaust transitions into history, the battle over victims and perpetrators of World War II is only heating up. Indeed, one of Wiesels last major public acts was to renounce an award he had received from Hungary in protest of Budapests whitewashing of its collaboration with the Germans. That was in 2012; since then, Holocaust denial and Nazi whitewashing has only spread.

Your place in that battle, American Jews and especially American Jewish leaders, is still with the victims, the ones who never got the chance to walk the halls of Congress, and sit on boards of foundations, and thrive in the United States. Your place is not on the sidelines, and its not alongside those defiling the memory of the Holocaust.

Lev Golinkin is the author of the memoir A Backpack, a Bear, and Eight Crates of Vodka.

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Friedrich Trump, the sickly barber who fled military service in Germany to run restaurant-brothels during the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s, might have used them.

Friedrichs father, Christian Johannes Trump, who stayed in Bavaria, almost definitely did.

And Friedrichs grandson  currently of Washington, D.C.  uses them too, subject to presidential whim. When youre a star, they let you do it.

Im talking about initial capital letters for nouns. In German, all nouns  proper and common  are capitalized. In English, only proper nouns get that honor. But President Trump, whos known for turbulent diction and orthography, makes especially erratic choices when it comes to capitalization.

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On Wednesday, he treated Twitter to a rocky road of up-and-down letters. There was no Collusion (it is a Hoax) and there is no Obstruction of Justice (that is a setup & trap). What there is is Negotiations going on with North Korea over Nuclear War, Negotiations going on with China over Trade Deficits, Negotiations on NAFTA, and much more. Witch Hunt!

North Korea and China, OK. Nations are proper nouns. And Trump, in this tweet anyway, leaves other parts of speech  verbs, adjectives, prepositions  lowercase. But hes a loose cannon on common nouns. Hoax and not setup? Hunt and not trap?

The goal seems to be to punch the capitalized favorites hard. This brings to mind Trumps distinctive speech patterns, and moves him into the oral tradition, where Trump, who is said to dislike reading, may be more comfortable.

Of course Trump over-leverages his words, over-capitalizes them. Exaggerating the value of common things is a way of life with him.

Recall his echolalic repetition of no collusion in speech  one of his most insistent stock phrases. He puts his whole tongue and palate into rolling out those Ls, often emphasizing the words further by affixing absolutely and outwardly slashing his palms. With all the mental muscle Trump brings to that particular doggerel of denial, it is maybe no surprise that collusion gets the capstone.

But maybe Trump opts to put the word collusion up, as copy editors say, for other reasons.

In New York State, for example, where Trump might have seen a legal document or two, criminal charges are not infrequently styled Trumps way: Sale of Concentrated Cannabis, or Patronizing a Person for Prostitution. That could explain why both Collusion and Obstruction of Justice look familiar to him. This practice persists, it should be said, in spite of New York States commitment to reflect the modern practice to avoid excessive capitalization as stated in its official style manual.

Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III comes from a more lowercase tradition of making his case. Defendants knowingly and intentionally conspired with each other (and with persons known and unknown to the Grand Jury) to defraud the United States by impairing, obstructing, and defeating the lawful functions of the government through fraud and deceit for the purpose of interfering with the U.S. political and electoral processes, including the presidential election of 2016, Mueller wrote in his indictment of 16 Russian entities in February.

(Please ignore the content of this eye-popping charge above. I reproduce it in its entirety solely to illustrate the typographical differences.)

But if Trump is capitalizing criminal charges  and thus calling more attention to them  how to explain the caps on Trade Deficits, Nuclear Weapons and Negotiations?

This week, journalist-turned-media critic Heidi N. Moore suggested on Twitter that Trump may be getting Germanic, reverting to the capitalized nouns of his forebears. She called this the Herr Drumpf tradition. And then, also on Twitter, came the proposition that Trump is replicating the pious style of our nations founders: They are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Both hypotheses have merit. Thomas Jefferson, who said he had nothing but contempt for anyone who can spell a word only one way, might have liked Trumps verbal iconoclasm. (Or not.) The Trumps in Bavaria were unconcerned with consistency even with regard to their own name, spelling it variously, Drumb, Tromb, Tromp, Trum, Trumpff and Dromb. It doesnt appear they ever lowercased it though.

Which brings me to my very own hypothesis. I think the presidents wacko caps may be a default to self-branding bravado, as in Trump International Hotel & Tower Panama, which was overseen by Ivanka Trump, not a mere daughter but the Executive Vice President of Development & Acquisition at the Trump Organization.

What Trump has  more than money, more even than his temporary office in the White House  is his family name. That name is what he has spent his whole life cultivating, spinning the tall tale that his name can turn water into wine, schmatte into couture, common nouns into nouns so much stratospherically better than common that they are autocrat nouns. Oligarch nouns.

Of course he over-leverages his words, over-capitalizes them. Exaggerating the value of common things is a way of life with him. You could almost call it a Hoax.

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Austin Beutner hasnt been on the job as the Los Angeles Unified School Districts superintendent a week, but he already has one group of vocal critics: teachers who write letters to the Los Angeles Times.

The new schools chief has an impressive resume by any measure (the former investment banker has served as a deputy mayor of Los Angeles and The Times publisher), but he lacks one important quality that even John Deasy, the embattled former LAUSD superintendent who faced unrelenting criticism from teachers, had in spades: prior experience in education.

Most of the letters weve received express skepticism over the LAUSDs new hire, although a few defend the districts unorthodox pick. Here are some of those letters.

Teacher Shelley Rivlin of Encino encourages the Los Angeles Police Commission to take a cue from the LAUSD:

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Im impressed with the careful search for Los Angeles next police chief and the quality of the candidates, but I wonder why the Police Commission doesnt consider making what the L.A. Times called a bold move equal to the LAUSD Board of Educations selection of a new superintendent.

Has the panel considered a selecting a candidate who has never worn the uniform but has great business acumen?

Retired teacher Mark Elinson of Los Angeles notices a pattern in the school boards hiring:

The lengths that the LAUSD board will go to select superintendents with no educational experience is truly amazing.

A list of recent school chiefs sounds like the cast of a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta: a Navy admiral, a state governor, and now a major businessman.

Edward A. Sussman, who served as the Downey Unified School District superintendent from 1986 to 2003, encourages Beutners critics to ease up:

I truly believe that the LAUSD does not get credit for many of its outstanding accomplishments and its many high-performing schools. We often just hear negative comments that are many times based on opinion and are reported in the media as factual.

The position of superintendent requires leadership and communication skills; the person who holds it must command the respect of community members and school personnel. Beutners success or failure will depend on the performance of his students, the confidence given to him by the people he leads and his ability to surround himself with outstanding educators. He must listen to all stakeholders.

Before we cast judgment, lets give the new superintendent the opportunity to lead.

Santa Monica resident Stu Bernstein advises Beutner to listen humbly:

My advice to those who rail against Beutners hiring is to get over it. Hes there now, so lets get on with it.

My advice to Beutner is that 51% of being smart is knowing what youre dumb at. Theres a difference between listening and hearing. I encourage the new superintendent not to assume he knows right now what needs to be accomplished.

After he hears what the real issues are, he will begin to know what he doesnt know, and thats when his work will begin.

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Newsoms budget proposes $3 million for Alzheimers research, brain task force By Melody Gutierrez Amyloid plaques, shown here in human brains, are a hallmark of Alzheimers disease. (UCLA School of Medicine) Gov. Gavin Newsom will call for the creation of a brain health task force and dedicate $3 million annually from the states general fund to Alzheimers disease research in the budget proposal he will release Thursday, a source close to the administration said. The money for Alzheimers research would target the new grants at understanding why the disease is more prevalent in women and people of color. Former California first lady and Alzheimers activist Maria Shriver pushed for the funding to be included in the state budget. Shriver said in a statement Wednesday that the funding would make California the first state to make understanding our brains a priority. The states former first lady, whose late father Sargent Shriver was diagnosed with Alzheimers, founded the Womens Alzheimers Movement, an advocacy group raising awareness about womens increased risk for developing the disease. In 2011, she wrote a comprehensive assessment on the disease, to which Newsom  then mayor of San Francisco  contributed a portion called What one city is doing. This is personal to me, just like it is to millions of California families, Shriver said. Alzheimers is one of the largest medical, social and economic crises in our state, and of our time. I am so proud that, once again, California is leading the way. Wiping out Alzheimers is going to require bold thinking, and there is no doubt in my mind that California is home to bold thinkers who can make this happen. Facebook

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Gov. Gavin Newsom orders reinvention of troubled California DMV By Patrick McGreevy A line of people stretches around the South L.A. location of a California Department of Motor Vehicles Office on Aug. 7. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday ordered an overhaul of the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which has been plagued by hours-long wait times at field offices, computer crashes and voter registration errors involving tens of thousands of customers. Just a few days after taking office, Newsom appointed a top advisor to a new DMV Reinvention Strike Team to revamp the beleaguered agency over the next six months. By any metric, California DMV has been chronically mismanaged and failed in its fundamental mission to the state customers it serves and the state workers it employs, Newsom said in a statement, adding Its time for a reinvention. The governor appointed state Government Operations Agency Secretary Marybel Batjer to lead the strike team with a goal of modernizing the agency and enacting changes that improve customer satisfaction, employee performance and transparency. Newsom also ordered an accelerated review of initial findings of an ongoing audit ordered last year by Gov. Jerry Brown. The action was welcomed by lawmakers who have been critical of the DMV, including Assemblyman Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield). The egregious management failures of the DMV have been self-evident, which is why I have been calling for new leadership and a comprehensive independent audit of this troubled state agency over and over again as the problems grew significantly worse, Fong said. Last summer, Californians seeking new driver licenses complained of wait times of four to six hours at DMV offices, which the agency blamed partly on snafus caused by a rush of people trying to get Real IDs, a new identification card design required for airline passengers starting in late 2020. Delays were also blamed on computer crashes at DMV offices as the agency struggled to update its aging automation systems. The DMV also admitted that there were an estimated 23,000 errors as people either were unknowingly registered to vote or mistakes were made in their registration status as part of the states new motor voter program. The agency registered to vote as many as 1,500 people with legal U.S. residency but no citizenship. Last month, DMV Director Jean Shiomoto retired from the agency. Legislators were angered earlier this week when the DMV said it needed an additional $40 million to prevent the return of long lines at its field offices. In addition, the agency has been under fire for issuing driver licenses in the last year that do not comply with the federal Real ID standards requiring two forms of identification by applicants. Facebook

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California police unions are preparing to battle new transparency law in the courtroom By Maya Lau Just as a landmark police transparency law is going into effect, some California police agencies are shredding internal affairs documents and law enforcement unions are rushing to block the information from being released. The new law, which begins to unwind Californias strictest-in-the-nation protections over the secrecy of law enforcement records, opens to the public internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. But the lawsuits and records destruction, which began even before the law took effect Jan. 1, could tie up the release of information for months or years, and in some instances, prevent it from ever being disclosed. The fact that police unions are challenging this law is on some level not surprising, said Peter Bibring, director of police practices at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, one of the principal supporters of the new law. They have a long history of fighting tooth and nail against transparency. Read More Facebook

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Secretary of State Alex Padilla begins second term with challenge to ensure every Californian is counted By Jazmine Ulloa Secretary of State Alex Padilla takes the oath of office as his family stands by his side on Monday in Sacramento. (Jazmine Ulloa / Los Angeles Times) Secretary of State Alex Padilla was sworn in for a second term on Monday, saying he would continue the battle to protect the right to vote at a time when voter suppression efforts, online disinformation campaigns and interference from foreign adversaries have polarized the public and threatened to undermine trust in U.S. elections. I am doubling down on our fight here in Sacramento and in Washington, D.C., to defend our democracy, he said. Working on the front lines with so many of you, I know that our collective resolve has never been stronger. But the loudest applause came when Padilla promised to fight back against the Trump administrations changes to the U.S. census, saying he will ensure every Californian gets counted. Padilla, a former state senator and Los Angeles City Council member from the San Fernando Valley, led the cause for a new motor voter registration law in 2015, and a new system for online business registrations. But the programs have had experienced problems: More than 23,000 Californians were registered to vote incorrectly by the state DMV, the agency reported last year. On Monday, Padilla said he would continue to push back against false claims of voter fraud in California and pointed to the states voter turnout as proof that his office was involving more people in the democratic process, a promise he made when he was first sworn in four years ago. More than 12.7 million voters cast ballots in the Nov. 6 midterm election, representing roughly 65% of the states registered voters, the highest number of any midterm election since 1982, according to state certified results. I made that promise based on a shared belief that we are a stronger democracy and a better California when we hear all voices from all corners of California, and when those voices are not just heard but counted, Padilla said. Facebook

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Ricardo Lara, Californias first statewide officeholder to come out as gay, sworn in as insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara on the floor of the state Senate in 2016. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Ricardo Lara took the oath of office as California insurance commissioner on Monday, pledging action to boost healthcare coverage and combat climate change. Lara, a Democrat from Bell Gardens, is the first elected statewide officeholder in California who has come out as gay. He began his speech in downtown Sacramento by thanking LGBTQ leaders who came before him and celebrated the occasion. Today, because of you, weve shattered the pink ceiling, Lara said. In his inaugural speech, Lara announced the creation of an executive position in his office to address climate change. There is no other industry that has the necessary expertise to ensure that California is prepared to mitigate and reduce risk to our communities and our environment, Lara said. Our planet cant wait. Im ready, and I hope you are too. Lara served as a state legislator and in 2017 introduced a bill to create a single-payer healthcare system in the state. He promised to work with new Gov. Gavin Newsom to expand coverage across California. Lara was sworn in by retired U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who declared unconstitutional Californias Proposition 8 gay marriage ban. State Sen. President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) was on hand for the ceremony along with multiple other state lawmakers. Facebook

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New California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis says she will help expand access to universities in the state New Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, center, is shown in June talking with attendees at the Power to the Polls rally in Sacramento. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) More Californians should be given access to public universities, Eleni Kounalakis said as she took the oath of office Monday to become the states first woman elected lieutenant governor. Kounalakis was given the oath of office by Gov. Gavin Newsom, her predecessor in the job, who pledged they would work together. As lieutenant governor, Kounalakis serves on the University of California Board of Regents and the California State University Board of Trustees, she noted in a speech at her swearing-in ceremony at the main Sacramento Library. In that role, she said, she will be committed to expanding access to affordable public higher education here in our state. Its wise, its smart and it is the best way to address our rapidly changing digital economy. Kounalakis is former president of a development company founded by her father, Angelo Tsakopoulos, and served during the Obama administration as the U.S. ambassador to Hungary. In November, she won her first run for statewide office. Also attending the ceremony were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm. Facebook

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California meets Dutch Newsom, who steals the show at his fathers inauguration By Taryn Luna Gov. Gavin Newsom gives his inaugural address while holding his youngest son, Dutch. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) In the California political world, all eyes were on Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday until his 2-year-old son stole the show. Dutch, the youngest of four children in the Newsom brood, climbed onstage in the middle of his fathers inaugural address in a tent outside the Capitol on Monday. The unplanned moment saw the 51-year-old governors big day interrupted by the toddler, bringing levity to the ceremony. Newsom was recounting Gov. Jerry Browns last inaugural speech and reference to the Sermon on the Mount, a biblical story about two men who built separate homes on sand and rock, when Dutch approached his father, a pacifier in his mouth and blanket in hand. Now more than ever we Californians know how much a house matters and children matter, Newsom said, improvising as he scooped the boy into his arms. The governor kissed Dutch on the cheek and held him for several minutes as he continued with the speech. This is exactly how it was scripted, Newsom joked. Newsom eventually put his child down and Dutch walked to the edge of the stage before retreating behind the podium to hide from his mother, First Lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom. The crowd roared. Siebel Newsom was able to briefly divert her son only for him to return to the stage minutes later. She grabbed him again and this time, the crying toddler did not reemerge. When fires strikes, when kids cry and the earth shakes, well be there for each other, Newsom said. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who said the moment humanized Newsom, threw cold water on any theories that Dutchs cameo was planned. No, I know it was not, Garcetti said with a laugh after Newsoms speech concluded. I could see that look of absolute abject terror [on Newsoms face]. Weve all been there. Kids always think its about themselves and theyve proved it. California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) agreed. I worked in early childhood education for 20 years and theres no way you can ever get a child to do anything when you want them to do it, Rendon said. Facebook

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Fiona Ma takes oath as Californias new treasurer By Liam Dillon State Treasurer Fiona Ma. Fiona Ma took the oath of office in Sacramento on Monday as the states 34th treasurer, promising to boost Californias economy. Ma previously served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, in the state Assembly and on the California Board of Equalization. I want to thank everyone for entrusting me with this important job. I understand my role here as your state treasurer is to build that financial wall around California so that we will remain the fifth-largest economy, Ma said in brief remarks. That is my promise to you. California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye administered the oath to Ma. Following the ceremony, Ma held an ice cream social for guests. On Wednesday, she will host a public event in San Francisco to celebrate her swearing-in. State Treasurer Fiona Ma takes the oath of office. (Liam Dillon / Los Angeles Times) Facebook

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Expectations are high for newly sworn-in state schools chief Tony Thurmond Tony Thurmond shakes hands with retired Alameda County Superior Court Judge Gordon Baranco after taking the oath of office. (Melody Gutierrez / Los Angeles Times) Tony Thurmond took the oath of office as Californias state superintendent of public schools on Monday, promising a labor-friendly agenda before the teachers, students and Democratic officials who filled an auditorium at McClatchy High School in Sacramento to watch him being sworn in. We cant close the achievement gap without a great teacher at the head of every class, Thurmond said Monday to applause. We have to make sure we provide quality compensation and support to our teachers and our classified staff and all the educators who support our kids. Thurmond, a Bay Area Democrat who served in the state Assembly, won a hotly contested and expensive race with the help of labor leaders against charter school executive Marshall Tuck. The race took several days to sort out after Tuck held an initial lead in early returns on election night before falling behind thereafter. Thurmond was sworn in Monday by retired Alameda County Superior Court Judge Gordon Baranco. He was joined on stage by labor rights leader Dolores Huerta and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount). Thurmonds former colleagues in the state Assembly took turns praising him and promising to be an ally in improving schools. Many said they expected Thurmond would be a strong leader focused on improving student outcomes. We know we are going to work hard to give you the money you need and the budget you need to fully fund education and our schools so we can put our money where our mouth is and make sure our children have everything they need, Assemblywoman Connie Leyva (D-Chino Hills) said. As state superintendent, Thurmond will oversee the education of 6.2 million students at 10,000 schools. Thurmond was a member of the West Contra Costa County School Board and a Richmond city councilman before he was elected to the state Assembly. Tony is the right man at the right time to fight the federal, Donald Trump, Betsy DeVos anti-child, anti-education, anti-civil and -human rights agenda, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said. Tony is going to do that for us. Facebook

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State Controller Betty Yee takes oath of office with call for more affordable housing and healthcare State Controller Betty Yee California Controller Betty Yee took the oath of office Monday for a second term, saying she still has work to do addressing problems that include a lack of affordability in housing, healthcare and higher education. A San Francisco native, Yee is the chief financial officer of California  the fifth-largest economy in the world  having first won election to the post in 2014 before winning reelection in November. No region is spared from the widening inequality and increased poverty that plague our state, fueled by the lack of affordable, stable housing, the cost of healthcare and transportation, limited educational opportunities, student loan debt, displacement caused by disasters and more, she said. Yee was administered the oath of office by California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento before an overflow crowd that included state Senate leader Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and San Francisco Mayor London Breed. As a public official it is about governance that delivers results and stays accountable while upholding the underlying value of dignity for all, Yee said. Facebook

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California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra begins new term promising to fight Trump policies California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra ( (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra on Monday took the oath of office for a new term, saying he would continue his role as a leading challenger to Trump administration actions that he believes are counter to the states interests. Becerra, a former 12-term congressman, has become a national opposition figure to Trump, having sued the federal government 45 times since he was appointed as the states first Latino attorney general in 2017. Weve been a little busy stopping the dysfunction and insanity in Washington, D.C., from infecting California, Becerra told an audience during a swearing-in ceremony at the California Museum in Sacramento. Whether its the criminals on our streets or the conman in the boardrooms or highest office of the land, Becerra said, the California Department of Justice, well, weve got your back. Becerra won his first statewide election as the states top cop in November, two years after he filled the post vacated when predecessor Kamala Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate. He has peppered the Trump administration with lawsuits challenging federal policies on healthcare, the U.S. census, the environment and immigration. Our state builds dreams, not walls, he said in a direct criticism of Trumps proposal to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. Just last week, Becerra led a coalition of 17 Democratic attorneys general in announcing an appeal of a federal judge in Texas that ruled the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. The ACA has been the law for nearly a decade and is the backbone of our healthcare system, Becerra said last week. This case impacts nearly every American  workers covered by employers, families, women, children, young adults and seniors  so we will lead the ACAs defense as long and far as it takes. Facebook

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California Democratic Party Vice Chairman Daraka Larimore-Hall announces bid to lead group By Christine Mai-Duc Daraka Larimore-Hall. (Dominic Parisi / Courtesy of Daraka Larimore-Hall) Daraka Larimore-Hall, a top official at the California Democratic Party, said Monday hes running to replace former chairman Eric Bauman, who resigned abruptly in November after being confronted with allegations of sexual misconduct. Larimore-Hall, a longtime state party activist and former chairman of the Democratic Party of Santa Barbara County, was one of the party leaders who urged Bauman to resign following the allegations. In an email to supporters announcing his bid, he urged both structural and cultural change at every level of our Party. He also repeated his call for a top-to-bottom investigation of the allegations, the party and its culture. In a Times investigation, 10 party activists and staff members said Bauman made crude sexual comments and engaged in unwanted touching and physical intimidation in professional settings. In order to be where we need to be for 2020, we have to confront the culture of abuse and fear that allowed someone to behave in such a vile way for so long, Larimore-Hall said in an interview. We cant brush it aside or think that our activists or our candidates or our donors are going to forget about this overnight. Larimore-Hall said his first priority would be to fully investigate the allegations and restore rank-and-file confidence in the partys leadership. The second would be to refocus the party on political priorities as the 2020 presidential election nears. The Bauman episode, Larimore-Hall said, threatens to derail the Democrats plans to help defeat President Trump and keep the seven congressional seats gained in the midterm elections. Its definitely a crisis, Larimore-Hall said. But the component parts  the energy, the enthusiasm, the volunteers, the infrastructure  its still there. We just need to direct it toward something. Larimore-Hall was elected vice chairman of the state party in February following Baumans razor-thin victory over Bay Area activist Kimberly Ellis. Ellis has announced another bid for the chairmanship and former state Senate leader Kevin de Leon is also mulling a run. The vote will take place at the partys May convention in San Francisco. Facebook

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Newsom will vow to seize this moment, and swipe at Trump in Monday inaugural address By Melanie Mason Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and his family attend an Inauguration Family Event at the California Railroad Museum in Sacramento on Jan. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Building on the theme of California exceptionalism that defined his campaign, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will depict the state as a guardian of progressive values and a counterweight to President Trump in his inaugural address Monday, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks. What we do today is even more consequential, because of whats happening in our country, read the excerpts obtained by The Times. Peoples lives, freedom, security, the water we drink, the air we breathe  they all hang in the balance. The country is watching us. The world is waiting on us. The future depends on us. And we will seize this moment. The speech casts Californias political stakes in a decidedly national scope, promising an agenda that will unify and be an example to the rest of the country. It contrasts the governing goals of Newsom, a Democrat, with that of Trump, the incoming governors perennial foil. We will offer an alternative to the corruption and incompetence in the White House, the excerpts say. Our government will be progressive, principled, and always on the side of the people. Newsom campaigned on an ambitious and wide-ranging platform, promising sweeping solutions on housing, healthcare, education and other issues that rank among Californians top concerns. In the weeks after his election, he struck a more muted tone, taking pains to emphasize his fiscal caution and need for patience in achieving those goals. The inaugural excerpts indicate a return to lofty pledges. While Newsom will vow to prepare for uncertain times ahead by building budgetary reserves and paying down debt, the prepared remarks quickly turn to a vow to be bold. Newsom has already floated several proposals for his first budget that carry significant price tags, including a nearly $2-billion plan to boost early childhood development for low-income families and a dramatic expansion of paid family leave from six weeks to six months. When asked for a preview of his inauguration speech during a news conference Sunday evening, Newsom predicted pundits would criticize his address as short on specifics. Well, of course, Im at an inaugural, Newsom said. But Ill be very detailed in the budget, a few days later. And then we will architect, in much more nuance and detail, in state of the state. I really see this as three opportunities  to communicate over the next few weeks our agenda, our vision for the state. Times staff writer Taryn Luna contributed to this report. Read More Facebook

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Newsom-hosted benefit concert raises nearly $5 million for wildfire victims By Taryn Luna Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom speaks at a concert to benefit wildfire victims at the Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento on Jan. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) On the eve of the gubernatorial inauguration, Californias political class rubbed elbows in Sacramento for a benefit concert hosted by Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and headlined by the rapper Pitbull. Newsom told the crowd gathered at the Golden 1 Center on Sunday evening that the fundraiser brought in nearly $5 million for the California Wildfire Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that supports the families of fallen firefighters and communities affected by wildfires. You know, a lot of folks feel anxious about not just politics, but government, Newsom said on stage before introducing the rapper and activist Common. But those firefighters, they are the antidote to the fear and cynicism; they are the manifestation of why government matters and why you should care. Top sponsors, including Salesforce, Kaiser Permanente and other interest groups, paid up to $1 million each to support the cause and curry favor with the new administration. Nathan Click, a spokesman for Newsom, said organizers sold more than 7,000 tickets. Several state lawmakers attended the concert alongside Capitol staff, lobbyists and business types, who mingled on the floor of the arena and offstage in private VIP areas. The rock band X Ambassadors and a duo called the Cold Weather Sons from the town of Paradise, which was destroyed by fire in November, were among several performers who entertained the crowd during the four-hour event. The California Rises concert is the final in a series of festivities held Sunday to celebrate the inauguration of Californias 40th governor. Earlier in the day, Newsom attended a private brunch at Sacramentos Crocker Art Museum and his inaugural committee hosted a free party for families at the California State Railroad Museum at the Old Sacramento Waterfront. Newsoms inauguration is set to begin at 11 a.m. Monday on the steps of the Capitol. Facebook

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Inauguration fever hits Sacramento as Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom prepares to take office By Phil Willon Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom holds his son, Dutch, as he and his family attend an inaugural event at the at the state Railroad Museum Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Incoming Gov. Gavin Newsom doesnt officially take the oath of office until Monday, but the parties celebrating his inauguration were in full swing all day Sunday. Newsom and his family were mobbed by well-wishers at the California State Railroad Museum at the Old Sacramento Waterfront in the afternoon, where his inaugural committee hosted a free party for families. He just has charisma. Hes able to really connect with people, said Rosielyn Pulmano, an attorney from Elk Grove who came to see Newsom with her husband, two sons and her niece. I think he cares about working Californians and a lot of their issues. Newsom arrived with his wife, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and their four young children, and the governor-elect spent a good deal of his time wading through crowds, taking selfies with supporters and signing autographs as music boomed in the background. As the family toured the inside of the museums locomotives and the bevy of exhibits, Newsoms two-year-old son, Dutch, was wide-eyed, impressed by all the train cars and seemingly a little overwhelmed by the crowd. Newsom said that for his son, all that was missing from the museum was Thomas the Train, popular fictional locomotive in childrens books and cartoons . If theres one thing I can contribute to Sacramento maybe its getting a Thomas the Train exhibit for the two years olds, Newsom joked when talking with reporters afterward. Newsom said he wanted to include such an event in his inaugural festivities to highlight families and children, whose wellbeing will be among the top priorities of his administration. Youll see that not only as a preamble to the inaugural and the budget that well be submitting next week, but I think itll be a big part of the administration, Newsom said. The museum event followed a private, high-dollar brunch at Sacramentos Crocker Art Museum. A steady rain failed to dissuade as many as 200 guests who sipped wine and dined on chicken and salmon while waiting for a photo with Californias new first couple. Seen at the event were representatives of some of the states most powerful political interests, among them organized labor, healthcare companies and tribal gaming interests. A few other high-profile guests attended, too, including Larry Baer, CEO of the San Francisco Giants, and Erika Jayne, a singer and cast member of the reality TV show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Im excited to see someone like Gavin  young, vibrant  taking over the state and leading us into the future, Jayne said after attending the brunch with her husband, attorney Tom Girardi. Hes got a lot of great plans. Attendees said the event, which was closed to reporters and held under a tent in the museums outdoor atrium, did not include prepared remarks by Newsom. Among those seen leaving the event were representatives of AT&T, the California Medical Assn., Uber, Kaiser Permanente and the State Building and Construction Trades Council. A fundraising invitation obtained by The Times offered bundled tickets to all of the inauguration events, including those on Sunday and the Monday ceremony, ranging in price from $25,000 to $200,000. The money will be collected by a committee specifically organized to pay for Newsoms inaugural weekend. Sundays festivities are scheduled to end with a benefit concert headlined by Pitbull at the Golden 1 Center, home of the NBAs Sacramento Kings, to raise money for the victims of Californias recent deadly wildfires. Among the attendees at @GavinNewsoms pre-inaugural leadership brunch: Real Housewife of

Bev Hills @erikajayne. Im excited to see someone like Gavinyoung, vibranttaking over the state and leading us into the future. Hes got a lot of great plans. pic.twitter.com/561NHiy2XQ  Melanie Mason (@melmason) January 6, 2019 Facebook

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As Newsom inaugural events begin, he unveils more state budget promises on education and paid family leave Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, seen here last April, will propose new state budget efforts on paid family leave and education subsidies. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Californias incoming governor, who must send his first state budget plan to the Legislature this week, has already signaled a significant new focus on programs to help families and children from infancy to college. Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom campaigned on a platform that included a number of child-focused efforts specifically aimed at helping lower-income families. The price tag for the initial efforts is expected to approach $2 billion  a cost paid out of an unrestricted tax revenue windfall that could be one of the largest in state history. Newsom may also seek help for families through new subsidies paid by California employers. The governor-elect is expected to propose a dramatic expansion of paid parental leave  from six weeks to six months  according to an internal document provided by a source close to the Newsom transition team, first reported on Sunday by the New York Times. The document doesnt offer a full explanation for how the program will be funded, saying instead that the budget will set a goal of ensuring that all newborns and newly adopted babies can be cared for by a parent or a close family member for the first six months. Employers across the state are currently assessed a payroll tax that helps offer a subsidy to parents who temporarily leave their job to care for a newborn. Newsoms plan, according to the document, would pay for some of the new costs by shrinking the mandated cash reserve of the state fund that administers the program, allowing more of the money to be paid in benefits. The increase in paid leave would not all happen at once but instead be phased in over a multi-year period. A task force to help implement the expanded care plan is also envisioned, according to the document. It would determine whether two parents could split the six months of paid leave and whether an extended family member could be enlisted to help care for the child of a single parent over the six-month period. The incoming administrations focus on young children will also include $1.8 billion in new spending on early childhood education programs, with a particular focus on training childcare workers and pushing for more California schools to offer full-day kindergarten. Those costs, according to an overview memo obtained by the Los Angeles Times, are considered to be a one-time expense while leaving the long-term costs of the effort to be determined later. More community college students would get free tuition under a third initiative expected in the new governors budget plan. Newsom will propose spending $40 million to offer a second year of tuition-free college to California students, according to an outline provided by a transition official, first reported by Politico. Students are already eligible for a single year of paid tuition under a plan agreed to by Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers in 2017. The incoming governor embraced the idea of free community college during the 2018 campaign as part of a broader focus on additional investments in higher education. Education is an economic development strategy, Newsom said at a higher education forum last spring. We need to significantly increase the investment from the general fund of this state on higher education. Theres no greater higher return on investment. Whether the proposal would be targeted to students based on a familys financial need is unclear. Many low-income students are already eligible for fee waivers at community colleges. The new governor must submit his full state budget plan to lawmakers no later than Thursday. Facebook

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Gavin Newsom and his family decide Sacramento is the place to be The Old Governors Mansion State Historic Park in Sacramento. Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will move his family into the mansion. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and his family will give up the Marin County life and move to the Victorian-style governors mansion in Sacramento after he takes the oath of office Monday. Newsom and his wife, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, had debated whether or when to relocate to the state capital since his election in November. The couple have four young children and expressed reservations about moving in the middle of a school year. To best serve the people of California while also maximizing family time together, the Newsoms have therefore decided to move to Sacramento, said Newsoms spokesman, Nathan Click. On Monday, they will move into the Governors Mansion  along with their four children, their two family dogs, and their family bunny rabbit  and reside there for the immediate future. The Newsoms currently live in Marin County. Gov. Jerry Brown and his wife, Ann Gust Brown, moved into the grand house in 2015 after it underwent $4.1 million in renovations to update electrical and plumbing systems, as well as to remove lead-based paint and install a fire sprinkler system and other security features. The mansion was built in 1877 and has been home to 14 governors, but before Brown it had not housed a California governor for nearly half a century. The state bought the mansion from a wealthy Sacramento hardware merchant, Albert Gallatin, in 1903 for $32,500. It was one of the few California homes at that time to have indoor plumbing. Facebook

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Newsom announces top labor, business liaisons as he prepares to take office Julie Su will be secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency for Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom on Friday named two advisors on issues related to the California economy, each recognized for their expertise on business and labor. The incoming governor will appoint Julie Su as secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency and Lenny Mendonca as chief economic and business advisor and director of the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development. Su, 49, has served as state labor commissioner under Gov. Jerry Brown since 2011 and has led an office tasked with the enforcement of Californias labor laws. She won a MacArthur Foundation genius grant in 2001 and previously worked as a civil rights attorney representing low-wage workers. In her new position, Su will be tasked with coordinating the work of several workforce departments in state government, including those that administer unemployment benefits and oversee the relationship between agriculture workers and employers. Mendonca, 57, has been a longtime advocate for rethinking government operations as co-chairman of the nonprofit organization California Forward. Previously, he was partner at McKinsey & Co., a global management consulting firm. While he will be a key advisor to Newsom on the states economy, Mendonca will also lead the office often referred to as Go-Biz, designated as a high-level way to encourage job growth and economic development. In his new role, Mendonca will help ensure that California is rolling out the welcome mat to current and future California businesses and growing a sustainable economy for every Californian, said a statement from the Newsom transition team. Newsom will take the oath of office as governor Monday. He has previously selected key advisors on the state budget, legislative affairs and the executive branchs wide array of agencies and departments. Facebook

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Joshua Groban, aide to Gov. Jerry Brown, sworn in to California Supreme Court By Taryn Luna California Supreme Court Justice Joshua Groban gives remarks after he is sworn into the court by Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday. (Taryn Luna) California Supreme Court Justice Joshua Groban, a lawyer and longtime aide to Gov. Jerry Brown, was sworn into the states highest court Thursday in Sacramento. The ceremony marked Browns fourth appointment to the state Supreme Court and gave the seven-member bench a Democratic majority. We live in a highly chaotic, ever-changing and ever-confusing world, Groban said in prepared remarks at the Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Building. But Im happy to report that Im joining an institution whose fundamental purpose, at core, is to provide stability and consistency amidst this chaotic place we live. I look forward to doing that with a sense of reflection, respect, fidelity to the law and compassion. None of Browns appointees, Groban included, have judicial experience. Groban served as legal counsel to Browns 2010 gubernatorial campaign and joined the administration as a senior advisor to the governor, overseeing the appointments of some 600 judges over the last eight years. Prior to working with Brown, Groban, 45, practiced law for more than a decade. In perhaps his final public appearance before his successor, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, takes office next week, Brown pushed back on notions that he stacked the court. I dont want this to be known as a Brown court, the governor said before administering the judicial oath of office. First of all, the so-called Brown appointments do not agree with themselves and nor should they. They are individuals. They will differ. Its not anybodys court. The governor called the court a high calling and said Groban possesses the values for the job. Probably, next to my wife, Ive talked to no person as much as Ive talked to Josh Groban, Brown said. I think youve talked to him more, Californias First Lady Anne Gust Brown interjected. I cant tell you what the hell hes going to do, Brown later quipped. I warned him, dont screw up, at least not at first. Facebook

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California campaign watchdog agency seeks law barring use of campaign funds to fight harassment claims Former state Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia). ( (Steve Yeater / Associated Press)) Elected officials accused of harassment or discrimination would be barred from using political contributions to cover their legal defense costs under legislation proposed by Californias campaign watchdog agency. The state Fair Political Practices Commission has agreed to pursue a law change to clear up confusion after an attorney for one former state lawmaker argued political funds could be used in such legal defenses. Commission Chairwoman Alice Germond said putting a prohibition into the law would provide some much needed clarity. As chair, I would like to show the public their lawmakers are held to a standard that is above reproach, Germond said in a statement. People dont give money to campaigns for lawmakers to use it to defend their own bad behavior, so lawmakers shouldnt be able to use it in that manner. The issue came up a year ago when an attorney for former Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) sought a formal opinion from the FPPC after the Senate launched an investigation that later concluded Mendoza likely engaged in a pattern of harassment against female aides. Mendoza resigned in February under threat of expulsion by the Senate. In a Jan. 10, 2018, letter, Cassandra Ferrannini, an attorney for Mendoza, wrote to the FPPC that she believed Mendoza should be allowed to establish a legal defense fund able to defray his legal expenses in defending himself against the allegations. The use of campaign funds for attorneys fees under these circumstances would fall squarely within the scope of legislative matters, since it involves the alleged conduct of a legislator with regard to legislative staff that he supervised, Ferrannini wrote. The commission staff originally issued an advice letter that said Mendoza may use campaign and legal defense funds to defend himself from claims of sexual harassment that arose directly out of his activities or status as a candidate or elected officer. But the panel later rescinded the letter after some members questioned using campaign funds to fight sexual harassment claims. That left uncertainty about what was allowed, which Germond said could be cleared up by a new law. The FPPC is still looking for a legislator to carry the bill, a spokesman said. Facebook

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Californias landmark police transparency law takes effect after court denies police union effort to block it California Supreme Court building (Eric Risberg / Associated Press) A new state law allowing the public disclosure of internal police shooting investigations has gone into effect after the California Supreme Court on Wednesday denied a bid by a police union to block it. The law opens to the public for the first time internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Employees Benefit Assn. challenged the law last month, asking state Supreme Court justices to decide that the law only apply to incidents that occur in 2019 or later. The court rejected that request Wednesday, allowing members of the public to seek all applicable records held by police departments. Union president Grant Ward said in a statement that his organization was disappointed with the decision and is now seeking other legal options. We feel this is a statewide issue and should be considered accordingly, Ward said. Last month, the city of Inglewood authorized the destruction of more than 100 police shooting investigations and other records in advance of Jan. 1, when the disclosure law was scheduled to take effect. California law requires police departments to keep such records for five years, and Inglewood City Council voted to destroy records older than that. Mayor James T. Butts has said the decision had nothing to do with the new law. In Los Angeles, Police Chief Michel Moore has said that complying with the new disclosure rules could take hundreds of thousands of hours of work. State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), the author of the transparency law, has said she has no immediate plans to propose changes to it. Facebook

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Few complaints of racial profiling are sustained by police agencies in California, state panel finds CHP Officer J. Nelson stands outside the office of Gov. Jerry Brown as activists in 2015 support requiring the tracking of police stops. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Law enforcement agencies in California sustain few citizen complaints of racial or identity profiling, according to a report Wednesday by a state panel set up to help reduce bias in policing. The states Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board recommended in its annual report that law enforcement agencies improve training and adopt clear guidelines for tracking and reporting data on who is stopped by officers. The panel said that 453 law enforcement agencies in the state received 9,459 civilian complaints in 2017, including 865 complaints alleging racial or identity profiling. Of the racial and identity complaints that reached a disposition that year, 1.5% were sustained, 14.6% resulted in officers being exonerated and 83.9% of complaints were not sustained or were determined to be unfounded, the report said. A clearer picture of the issue is expected from a 2015 law that requires police agencies to report demographic data on all detentions and searches. The first reports by the eight largest agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, are due to be submitted in April. California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, whose office oversees the board, said tracking of all detentions and searches will be helpful to understand the scope of the issue. The Boards recommendations will help make our law enforcement agencies more transparent and promote critical steps to enhance, and in some cases, repair the public trust, Becerra said in a statement Wednesday. Facebook

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California housing crisis podcast: What Minneapolis decision to end single-family zoning might mean for California A view of downtown Minneapolis in 2014 (Stephen Maturen / Getty Images) Theres a national movement brewing to roll back zoning rules in cities that only allow one house on a plot of land. The epicenter of that movement is Minneapolis, which passed a plan last month to eliminate single-family zoning citywide and let landowners build duplexes and triplexes on residential property. On this episode of Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast, we talk about the reasons why Minneapolis leaders took this action, including their desire to combat a history of racial exclusion and spur more housing density to fight climate change. We also debate how Minneapolis decision might affect housing politics in California. Our guest is Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender, who helped shepherd the new zoning rules to passage and a former San Francisco city planner. The episode also crowns 2018s Avocado of the Year  the most ridiculous story exemplifying Californias housing woes  and includes our predictions for the most under-the-radar important themes in housing politics in 2019. Gimme Shelter, a biweekly podcast that looks at why its so expensive to live in California and what the state can do about it, features Liam Dillon, who covers housing affordability issues for the Los Angeles Times Sacramento bureau, and Matt Levin, data and housing reporter for CALmatters. You can subscribe to Gimme Shelter on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Google Play and Overcast. Facebook

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How young immigrant Dreamers made flipping control of the House a personal quest By Jazmine Ulloa Gabriela Cruz, who was brought to the U.S. illegally when she was 1, couldnt vote, but in the final hours before the Nov. 6 election, she was making one last run to get people to the polls. The sun was setting in Modesto when she found Ronald Silva, 41, smoking a cigarette on a tattered old couch behind a group home. He politely tried to wave her off until she reminded him he had a right that she as an immigrant without citizenship didnt have. It could really make a change for us, said Cruz, 29. Read More Facebook

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Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will propose almost $2 billion for early childhood programs (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Seeking to frame his new administration as one with a firm focus on closing the gap between children from affluent and poor families, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will propose spending some $1.8 billion on an array of programs designed to boost Californias enrollment in early education and child-care programs. Newsoms plan, which he hinted at in a Fresno event last month, will be a key element in the state budget proposal he will submit to the Legislature shortly after taking office Monday, a source close to the governor-elects transition team said. The spending would boost programs designed to ensure children enter kindergarten prepared to learn, closing what some researchers have called the readiness gap that exists based on a familys income. It would also phase in an expansion of prekindergarten and offer money to help school districts that dont have facilities for full-day kindergarten. The fact that hes making significant investments with his opening budget is really exciting, Ted Lempert, president of the Bay Area-based nonprofit Children Now, said Tuesday. Whats exciting is the comprehensiveness of it, because its saying were going to focus on prenatal through age 5. A broad overview document reviewed by The Times on Tuesday shows that most of the outlay under the plan  $1.5 billion  would be a one-time expense in the budget year that begins July 1. Those dollars would be a single infusion of cash, an approach favored by Gov. Jerry Brown in recent years. Most of the money would be spent on efforts to expand child-care services and kindergarten classes. By law, a governor must submit a full budget to the Legislature no later than Jan. 10. Lawmakers will spend the winter and spring reviewing the proposal and must send a final budget plan to Newsom by June 15. Though legislative Democrats have pushed for additional early childhood funding in recent years  a key demand of the Legislative Womens Caucus  those actions have typically come late in the budget-writing season in Sacramento. Quite frankly, to start out with a January proposal that includes that investment in Californias children reflects a new day, state Sen. Holly J. Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) said. The governor-elect will propose a $750-million boost to kindergarten funding, aimed at expanding facilities to allow full-day programs. A number of school districts offer only partial-day programs, leaving many low-income families to skip enrolling their children because kindergarten classes end in the middle of the workday. Because the money would not count toward meeting Californias three-decades-old education spending guarantee under Proposition 98, which sets a minimum annual funding level for K-12 schools and community colleges, it will not reduce planned spending on other education services. Close behind in total cost is a budget proposal by Newsom to help train child-care workers and expand local facilities already subsidized by the state, as well as those serving parents who attend state colleges and universities. Together, those efforts could cost $747 million, according to the budget overview document. An expansion of prekindergarten programs would be phased in over three years at a cost of $125 million in the first year. The multiyear rollout would, according to the budget overview, ensure the system can plan for the increase in capacity. Lempert said the Newsom proposal is notable for trying to avoid the kinds of battles that in recent years pitted prekindergarten and expanded child care against each other for additional taxpayer dollars. The reality is we need to expand both simultaneously, he said. Another $200 million of the proposal would be earmarked for programs that provide home visits to expectant parents from limited-income families and programs that provide healthcare screenings for young children. Some of the money would come from the states Medi-Cal program, and other money from federal matching dollars. Funding for the home visits program was provided in the budget Brown signed last summer; the Newsom effort would build on that. Emphasizing a policy area with broad appeal in his first state budget could reflect Newsoms political sensibility about the challenges ahead. Democratic lawmakers and interest groups will be especially eager to see how Newsom addresses the demand for an overhaul of healthcare coverage in California  especially after a 2017 effort to create a single-payer, universal system fizzled. The path forward on healthcare is complex and costly, making early childhood education a more achievable goal in the governor-elects early tenure. Newsom is likely to face considerable demands for other additional spending. In November, the Legislatures independent analysts projected that continued strength in tax revenues could produce a cash reserve of some $29 billion over the next 18 months. Almost $15 billion of that could be in unrestricted reserves, the kind that can be spent on any number of government programs. Kim Belshe, executive director of the child advocacy organization First 5 LA and a former state health and human services secretary, said the initial Newsom budget proposal suggests the next governor will focus on a comprehensive approach to improving outcomes for children from low-income families. School-ready kids deserve quality early learning, strong and well-supported families, and access to early screening services, Belshe said. Newsom understands the whole child, multifaceted needs of our kids and is clearly ready to lead. Mitchell, the chair of the Senate budget committee, said shes eager to see the details of the governor-elects proposal to determine whether it might signal the beginning of an even broader expansion of early education efforts. Similar efforts have been hindered by a lack of money and ongoing debate over which services to help children 5 and younger need state funding the most. Universal preschool, in particular, has been debated for more than a decade. California voters rejected a ballot measure to fund a full prekindergarten system in 2006. Its clear theres a new movement afoot trying to engage on investment for universal preschool, Mitchell said. How we invest, and how we prioritize that investment, is going to be a great conversation for the coming months. Facebook

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California Politics Podcast: A final conversation with Gov. Jerry Brown No Californian has served longer as governor, signed more laws, granted clemency to more felons or waged more high-profile campaigns than Gov. Jerry Brown. Brown will leave behind a unique legacy when he packs his last belongings for the trip from the governors mansion in Sacramento to his Northern California ranch. His final two terms in office could be his most consequential. The governor reviewed some of the more notable moments from the past eight years in a far-reaching interview with The Times on Dec. 22. This weeks podcast episode includes extended portions of that conversation. Facebook

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A sagging economy could doom a 2020 ballot measure to raise commercial property taxes, Gov. Jerry Brown says Gov. Jerry Brown, at his Colusa County home on Saturday, said a ballot measure to raise commercial property taxes could struggle in 2020. (Randall Benton/For The Times) An effort to remove commercial property in California from the tax limits imposed by the landmark Proposition 13 could be felled by an economic slowdown, Gov. Jerry Brown said. In a Saturday interview with The Times at his Northern California ranch, Brown said liberal activist groups that have successfully placed the proposal on the November 2020 statewide ballot shouldnt read too much into early poll numbers showing support for the plan. That isnt as easy as you think, Brown said. Because youre going to be in a downturn of the business cycle. And youre talking many kinds of business. And the cost of doing business in California is already high. The ballot measure would allow counties to more frequently assess the market value of commercial property in California than allowed under Proposition 13, a 1978 ballot initiative that amended the state constitution to place strict limits on assessing property values and taxation for both homeowners and businesses. An analysis of the new measure, which qualified in October for the 2020 ballot, estimates it could bring in some $10.5 billion a year in new tax revenue. The business community will fight it, Brown said. And the minimum wage, the family leave, the environmental rules  business[es] have left California, thats going to be the big argument. And I think thats something you really have to think a lot about. The governor, who leaves office early next month due to term limits, declined to either endorse or oppose the ballot measure. He said Californias economic health in two years time could be a key factor in how voters weigh the proposal. Well be in a recession by then, Brown said. So its anybodys guess. Facebook

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Inglewood to destroy more than 100 police shooting records that could otherwise become public under new California law By Jack Dolan Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts (Maria Alejandra Cardona / Los Angeles Times) The city of Inglewood has authorized the shredding of more than 100 police shooting and other internal investigation records weeks before a new state law could allow the public to access them for the first time. The decision, made at a City Council meeting earlier this month, has troubled civil liberties advocates who were behind the state legislation, Senate Bill 1421, which takes effect Jan. 1. The law opens to the public internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. The legislature passed SB 1421 because communities demanded an end to the secrecy cloaking police misconduct and use of force, Marcus Benigno, a spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, said in a statement. Inglewood PDs decision to purge records undermines police accountability and transparency against the will of Californians. California law says police departments must retain records of officer shootings and internal misconduct investigations for five years. The city of Inglewood, however, had kept records longer than that, including case files of police shootings dating to 1991. State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), the author of SB 1421, intended for her bill to allow public access to all qualifying records held by a department, no matter the date of the incident. Inglewood City Council approved the destruction of records that have been in the police departments possession  more than 100 cases  longer than required by law. The city staff report and council resolution describing the action makes no mention of the new police transparency law. Instead it says the affected records are obsolete, occupy valuable space, and are of no further use to the police department. It added the traditional method of destroying such records is to shred them. It is unclear whether the records have since been destroyed. A spokesman for the Inglewood Police Department along with Inglewoods city manager, attorney, clerk, four council members and Mayor James T. Butts, a former Santa Monica police chief, did not respond to requests for comment. Inglewoods City Hall is closed the last two weeks of December. The Inglewood Police Department has a reputation for secrecy and using excessive force. In 2008, the departments officers fatally shot four men in as many months, three of whom turned out to be unarmed. The U.S. Department of Justice launched a civil rights probe and found significant flaws in the way the department oversaw use-of-force cases and investigated complaints against officers. Civil rights advocates still question why Inglewood police opened fire on a couple found sleeping in a car in 2016, killing them both. California police have a long history of shredding records to avoid scrutiny of their actions. In the 1970s, the LAPD famously destroyed more than four tons of personnel records after defense attorneys began requesting them as part of criminal cases against their clients. The move resulted in the dismissal of more than a hundred criminal complaints. In response, the Legislature demanded that records be preserved but then took other measures, supported by police unions, to ensure the public had very little access to them, making California the most secretive state in the nation when it comes to police misconduct. Skinners legislation begins to unwind those laws, which have been on the books since 1978. No video or audio of the Dec. 11 council action is available on the citys website and neither are meeting minutes or any record of the decision. A city spokeswoman, Courtney Torres, confirmed that the council had voted in favor of the police records purge, and said all the relevant reasons for the decision were included in the city staff report. The Jan. 1 implementation for SB 1421 has prompted other police officials to act. A police union in San Bernardino is asking the state Supreme Court to determine that Skinners bill only applies to incidents that occur in 2019 or later. Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore sent a letter to Skinner earlier this month warning that complying with the law in regard to older records in the departments possession could take hundreds of thousands of work hours. Facebook

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Federal officials question California DMVs process for issuing Real IDs (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has notified the California Department of Motor Vehicles that its process for providing residents with federally recognized identification cards is not adequate. DMV spokesman Armando Botello said Friday that 2.3 million residents who received Real IDs under the current process will have to submit additional documentation when their cards are renewed in five years but will be able to use them in the meantime. The DMV is developing a way for residents to submit more documentation online or via email to comply with the stricter federal requirement, he said. But some state legislators are upset about delays in notifying them of the problem and say Homeland Security could eventually require additional documentation provided by current holders. The DMV has known for a month that millions of Real IDs theyve been dolling out are potentially invalid, Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) said. The DMVs only hope is that the Department of Homeland Security takes pity on California and gives the DMV more time to fix this mess. Real IDs are a new kind of driver license and identification card that federal law will require legal residents to present when boarding domestic flights or visiting military bases and other federal facilities starting Oct. 1, 2020. The DMV has only been requiring one form of documentation, including a current lease or utility bill, to verify the residence of a card applicant. But the federal government said in a Nov. 21 letter to the agency that two such documents are needed. On Friday, DMV Director Jean Shiomoto released a letter defending the current process but said her agency will start requiring a second document to prove residency in April. In order to minimize confusion among our customers, the CADMV will work to inform individuals who have been issued a Real ID under the current process that their card will be accepted for official federal purposes, even if their renewal occurs after the October 1, 2020, final enforcement date for Real ID, Shiomoto wrote to the federal agency. Legislative officials worry there is still a possibility that those issued Real IDs in the past might be required to present a second document to have their cards designated as compliant. The more complex process for obtaining Real IDs has led to hours-long waits for customers at DMV field offices this year, although wait times have been reduced recently by an increase in staffing. Shiomoto last month announced that she is retiring amid problems with the motor voter registration system and after the governor ordered an audit of her agency in response to the long wait times. On Friday, Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron of Escondido blasted the DMV for waiting a month to tell legislators of the problem. This is unacceptable and flies in the face of security for our citizens, which is what Real ID was created for in the first place, she said in a statement. Facebook

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Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom taps Keely Bosler to be his finance director Keely Bosler, the director of the California Department of Finance, will continue in that role under Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom. (California Department of Finance) Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom on Friday appointed Keely Martin Bosler as director of the California Department of Finance, continuing the role she has served under Gov. Jerry Brown since August. Bosler will become Newsoms chief fiscal advisor, and will play a pivotal role in shaping Newsoms spending plan for the state that will lay the foundation for his top policy priorities. Newsom must roll out his first budget plan within days of taking office on Jan. 7. Californias brighter future depends on a strong, stable fiscal foundation, Newsom said in a statement released Friday afternoon. Keely is an accomplished public servant of sound fiscal judgment. She understands that state budgets are more than numbers on a page  they are value statements affecting the fate and future of millions of families reaching for the California Dream. We are fortunate to have her on our team. Prior to being appointed finance director, Bosler served as Browns cabinet secretary for two years and, before that, as the chief deputy director for budget in the Finance Department for three years. Earlier this year, Brown picked Bosler to lead an audit of the Department of Motor Vehicles, which had come under fire for long wait times at DMV field offices and numerous computer problems, including errors in the new motor voter program that registered Californians to vote. As we have discussed, long wait times at the Department of Motor Vehicles do not reflect the high standards of service that Californians expect from their state government, Bosler wrote in a letter in September to DMV Director Jean Shiomoto. The audit is still ongoing, but Shiomoto has since announced she will retire at the end of the year. Facebook

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Californias legislative analyst, after decades of nonpartisan research for lawmakers, calls it a career Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor, who has led the state research unit since 2008, will retire on Dec. 31. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Only five people have led the independent research office of the California Legislature since its creation in 1941. And each of them has had a pretty simple mantra to live by in reviewing public policy proposals and government programs: Call it like you see it. The job of any analyst, to me, is you maintain that nonpartisanship, Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor said. Taylor, 65, will retire from the post at the end of December after a four-decade career with the research team that began, as he likes to tell it, just after the passage of the landmark property tax rollback, Proposition 13, in 1978. He became the leader of the office, with the title of legislative analyst, in October 2008. Two months later, state government found itself in arguably the worst fiscal crisis in its history  a projected shortfall that ultimately grew to $42 billion by the following winter. There were forces beyond our control, Taylor said of that time. But dont underestimate the policy changes that were made afterward. Those changes, most notably a boost in taxes paid by high-income earners and a robust state budget cash reserve fund, have helped lead to successive years of fully funded government services. The state is projected to have some $24 billion in reserves by the end of the current fiscal year. Taylor announced his intention earlier to step down this year. Leaders from both houses of the Legislature select the analyst, who leads a staff of almost five dozen researchers. The office provides in-depth reports on pending legislation, as well as on broader policy topics like education and healthcare, and produces an independent analysis for every proposed ballot measure. A succession of lawmakers and governors alike have praised or panned the work of the Legislative Analysts Office based on their own political worldview. Taylor said his staff is mindful that they work for legislators, but try to ignore the rhetoric that follows the release of a major report. People are going to do what theyre going to do with our information, he said. They dont always like it, but they appreciate that we give them our best advice. Taylor oversaw a transformation in the way the Legislative Analysts Office distributes its information, embracing the release of research reports through social media instead of relying on traditional printed copies and journalist roundtable events. But he said the work of the researchers has remained largely unchanged through the decades. Having an independent take on things, I think, is good for the Legislature, he said. No replacement for Taylor has been announced, which means a short transition for his eventual successor before Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom sends his first budget proposal to lawmakers in early January. Taylor, who lives in the Sacramento suburbs, said he will honor the tradition of his predecessors in stepping away from public policy debates in order to give the new analyst space to lead the team as he or she sees fit. He said he hopes to travel in the coming years and spend time with his children who have moved to the East Coast. Forty years in state government, Taylor said in why he was stepping aside now. Isnt that enough? Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown sues to save California sentencing laws By Don Thompson, Associated Press (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown sued Thursday to protect one of his signature actions in office, a voter-approved measure that allows most prison inmates to seek earlier release and participate in rehabilitation programs. His administration filed a lawsuit challenging a pending 2020 initiative that seeks to toughen criminal penalties as part of an effort to roll back reforms adopted by voters within the last decade. Browns lawsuit in Sacramento County Superior Court contends the measure lacked enough valid signatures to overturn a previously approved constitutional amendment. County officials and California Secretary of State Alex Padilla certified the signatures in July but said they were submitted too late to qualify for last months election. The lawsuit names Padilla and the ballot measures official proponent, Nina Salarno Besselman, president of the advocacy group Crime Victims United. Padilla said the measure exceeded the required roughly 366,000 valid signatures, equal to 5% of votes cast for governor in 2014. Browns lawsuit says he used the wrong threshold. It says changing the state Constitution requires 8%, or more than 585,400 signatures. That makes the pending initiative more than 150,000 signatures short, the lawsuit says. Hes wrong, said Jeff Flint, a spokesman for the campaign backing the measure. He predicted a judge will be reluctant to reject a measure that already has qualified for the ballot. The secretary of state told us how many signatures are required, and thats how many we collected, Flint said. Padillas office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The measure would reverse reforms adopted by voters through Proposition 47 in 2014 and Proposition 57 in 2016. Proposition 57 allows most inmates to seek earlier paroles, and Proposition 47 reduced some drug and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. The combination has helped keep Californias inmate population below a population cap set by federal judges. Corrections department spokeswoman Vicky Waters said the measure gives corrections and parole officials broad discretion to protect our communities and fashion a rational system of rehabilitation and punishment. This new initiative unlawfully seeks to supplant the departments constitutional authority to implement these critical reforms to our criminal justice system. The pending initiative would shorten the list of crimes that qualify for earlier parole and change some theft crimes from misdemeanors back to felonies. It would also increase the number of crimes for which DNA is collected, a list that was limited when some crimes went from felonies to misdemeanors. Those supporting the tougher penalties say easing criminal penalties has increased the number of dangerous criminals on the streets, but those backing the changes say they have helped reduce mass incarceration and rehabilitate convicted criminals. Facebook

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California Supreme Court orders records unsealed in pardon of ex-state Sen. Roderick Wright Former state Sen. Roderick Wright (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times) The California Supreme Court has granted a request to unseal court records involving Gov. Jerry Browns decision last month to pardon former state Sen. Roderick Wright for felony convictions involving lying about living in his legislative district, officials said Thursday. The court order was in response to a request by the nonpartisan First Amendment Coalition, which argued that the public has a right to know what information went into the governors decision to grant clemency to Wright. This is an important victory for public access to court files involving the exercise of executive clemency, said coalition spokesman Glen A. Smith. We are gratified the court has recognized that these decisions should be subject to the same public access rules that apply to other judicial records under California law. The court gave Browns office until Jan. 2 to redact confidential material before giving the court documents that can be released to the public. The court files submitted by the governors office include letters of support for a pardon and an internal review of Wrights case. The court denied a motion to unseal the records of all clemency cases but left open consideration of requests on other individual cases. Browns office is currently evaluating the courts decision, said spokesman Brian Ferguson. The governor argued against unsealing records in a recent court filing that said confidentiality is consistent with historical practice and is supported by state law. In pardoning Wright on Nov. 22, the governor wrote: He has shown that since his release from custody, he has lived an honest and upright life, exhibited good moral character, and conducted himself as a law abiding citizen. Facebook

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California political watchdog agency fines BART, urges prosecution over using public funds for campaign A Bay Area Rapid Transit train leaves the station in Oakland in this 2013 file photo. (Ben Margot / AP) Californias state political watchdog agency on Thursday imposed a $7,500 fine against the Bay Area Rapid Transit District and called for a possible criminal or civil prosecution over allegations the district used public resources to campaign for a 2016 bond measure. The state Fair Political Practices Commission levied an administrative fine against BART for its failure to disclose spending on YouTube videos, social media posts and text messages to promote Measure RR, which authorized $3.5 billion in general obligation bonds. Though the panel lacks authority to seek criminal charges over the misuse of public funds, it also urged county district attorneys in the BART service area and the state attorney general to pursue possible criminal or civil charges over the spending of taxpayer dollars for campaign purposes, Commission Chairwoman Alice Germond said. It is the concept of misusing public funds that I think we all here are very disturbed about, and we want to send a warning and not create a precedent that is a minor, little slap on the wrist, Germond said, adding that the referral to criminal prosecutors would further send a message that this is wrong. Commissioner Brian Hatch also called for the state Legislature to consider granting the FPPC power to go after public agencies that spend taxpayer money on campaigns. Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Orinda) called on the agency to increase the fine to the maximum level of $33,375. The proposed $7,500 fine represents a slap on the wrist for a very serious violation of the law and the publics trust, Glazer said in a letter to the panel. In supporting the fine recommended by the staff, Germond said BART has agreed to pay the penalty. Somebody did something wrong and they have admitted it, she said. A staff report said there were factors in favor of a fine below the maximum. Although the Commission considers BARTs violations to be serious, the absence of any evidence of an intention to conceal, deceive, or mislead; the voluntary filing of the delinquent campaign statement; and the absence of a prior record are mitigating, the report said. Facebook

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California police union seeks state Supreme Court review of new law disclosing internal investigation records Los Angeles Police Department officers. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) A police union is asking the California Supreme Court to block the release of internal officer investigations before a new state law takes effect next year. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Employees Benefit Assn. filed a petition Tuesday asking justices to rule that only investigations of incidents that occur after Jan. 1 would be available under the law  and not those the department has on file from years prior. The litigation comes after this years passage of Senate Bill 1421, which opens to the public for the first time internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. The law goes into effect Jan. 1, and the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department has told the union it intends to make available in response to public records requests all the information it has. The union is very concerned about any plans to retroactively apply Senate Bill 1421, Grant Ward, the unions president, said in a statement. We believe retroactive application violates our members rights and we hope the California Supreme Court will consider the serious issues raised by our legal challenge. The bills author, Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), does not agree with the unions interpretation. She has said her legislation should apply to all the records in a police departments possession because the law simply declared that affected records were no longer confidential. If the record exists, its disclosable, Skinner said. A decision on what records will be available under the law is key to how far-reaching it will be. If the court restricts access to incidents that occurred prior to 2019, those cases will not be subject to public scrutiny. The police union in San Bernardino County is not the only one raising concerns about the law. Earlier this month, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore sent a letter to Skinner expressing concern that his agency would be overwhelmed if the law required the department to disclose older incidents. Even if the law only applied to the previous five years, Moore wrote, it could take nearly 300,000 hours of work to comply with its provisions. The LAPD operates with a guiding principle of Reverence for the Law; as such, we will diligently comply with SB 1421, Moore wrote. We maintain, however, that a retroactive implementation of SB 1421 will be exceptionally burdensome and would require significant reallocation of front-line investigative personnel. Skinner said if complying with the law becomes untenable for law enforcement agencies that maintain records for a long time, she would consider modifications. But she said agencies did not raise this concern during discussion over the bill. SB 1421 went through multiple committee hearings, multiple floor debates, extensive opportunity for all parties to weigh in on concerns with its structure, she said. That was not an issue that was raised by law enforcement at the time. Facebook

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Gov. Brown warns of backlash for Republicans in 2020 if Obamacare repeal is upheld Gov. Jerry Brown at the National Press Club in April. (Alex Wong / Getty Images) Gov. Jerry Brown warned Republicans on Tuesday that repeal of the Affordable Care Act would devastate the partys political chances in the 2020 election. Brown, speaking at a Sacramento Press Club event moderated by Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton and Brown family historian Miriam Pawel, said a federal judges ruling last week to strike down the 2010 law  if upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court  will build such a backlash that the Democrats will not only take over the Senate, theyll win the presidency and will win with the kind of momentum, particularly on the issue of healthcare, that [the law] will be replaced probably with something even better. The governor, who leaves office in less than three weeks, said he did not believe the ruling by a Texas judge would ultimately prevail. I think the decision will probably be overturned, Brown said. Few states have embraced the law championed by former President Obama more than California, both through its healthcare exchange, Covered California, and by expanding access to government-funded services under Medi-Cal. Some 12 million Californians now receive healthcare through Medi-Cal, and Brown said a final ruling affecting the federal dollars that subsidize that care would be a serious blow. California would not be able to afford it without the subsidy, the governor said. Facebook

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Bars in Los Angeles, San Francisco could stay open until 4 a.m. under new bill A bar in Sherman Oaks (acuna-hansen) For the third year in a row, a California lawmaker is trying to keep bars open until 4 a.m. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is reintroducing legislation that would allow Los Angeles, San Francisco and seven other cities to extend the sales of alcohol in bars, clubs and restaurants by an additional two hours. Nightlife brings people together, fosters creativity and innovation, supports small businesses, and creates middle-class jobs, Wiener said in a statement. Its time to embrace our nighttime economy and give our cities the tools they need to foster the best nightlife possible. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill by Wiener, writing: I believe we have enough mischief from midnight to 2 without adding two more hours of mayhem. Should this years measure, Senate Bill 58, advance through the Legislature, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom would decide whether to sign it into law. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has endorsed SB 58, saying the city should have more flexibility than it does now. Every community has its own needs, and cities should be able to make informed decisions about what nightlife hours make sense for residents, visitors, and neighborhoods, Garcetti said in a statement. The bill would create a five-year pilot program where Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Coachella, Cathedral City and Palm Springs could decide to allow restaurants and bars within their cities to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. with the approval of the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Facebook

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Bars in Los Angeles and San Francisco could stay open until 4 a.m. under new bill A bar in Sherman Oaks. (Acuna-Hansen) For the third year in a row, a California lawmaker is trying to keep bars open until 4 a.m. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is reintroducing legislation that would allow Los Angeles, San Francisco and seven other cities to extend the sales of alcohol in bars, clubs and restaurants by an additional two hours. Nightlife brings people together, fosters creativity and innovation, supports small businesses and creates middle-class jobs, Wiener said in a statement. Its time to embrace our nighttime economy and give our cities the tools they need to foster the best nightlife possible. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill by Wiener, writing: I believe we have enough mischief from midnight to 2 without adding two more hours of mayhem. Should this years measure, Senate Bill 58, advance through the Legislature, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom would decide whether to sign it into law. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has endorsed SB 58, saying the city should have more flexibility than it does now. Every community has its own needs, and cities should be able to make informed decisions about what nightlife hours make sense for residents, visitors and neighborhoods, Garcetti said in a statement. The bill would create a five-year pilot program where Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Coachella, Cathedral City and Palm Springs could decide to allow restaurants and bars within their cities to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. with the approval of the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Facebook

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Californias DMV director announces retirement amid problems with motor voter program (Kent Nishamura/Los Angeles Times) The director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles will retire at years end with a number of questions unanswered about the implementation of a major voter registration system and long wait times experienced by customers for much of the past summer. Jean Shiomoto will not continue in her current role as Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom takes office, and announced to staff several weeks ago her intent to retire at the end of the year after 38 years in state service, spokesman Armando Botello said in an email to The Times on Friday. Newsoms transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on who might lead the department in 2019. Shiomoto was appointed DMV director by Gov. Jerry Brown in the fall of 2013, having served in prior leadership roles with the department. DMV officials have been sharply criticized by lawmakers in recent months for delays in serving customers at its field offices across the state. Last week, DMV officials revealed errors in registering California voters for the November election  mistakes that followed a series of problems in the rollout of the states new motor voter registration system. Secretary of State Alex Padilla last week said he had lost confidence in Shiomotos leadership as a result of the voting registration problems. Facebook

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New law could break the stalemate over housing on the site of a near-vacant Cupertino mall By Liam Dillon For more than a decade, developers have tried to build new housing on the site of an all-but-empty mall in Cupertino, a city in the heart of Silicon Valley and home to Apple headquarters. A well-organized group of neighbors, upset about traffic, building heights and the potential loss of the communitys suburban lifestyle, turned away every plan. Now, for the first time, the stalemate might be broken  thanks to a decision made in the state Capitol. In an effort to address Californias housing affordability problem, legislators passed a law last year that requires cities and counties to approve housing projects if they comply with local zoning rules and other standards, forcing some resistant communities to agree to new homebuilding. In September, the city of Cupertino, citing the state law, approved developer Sand Hill Property Co.s proposal to build an office park and more than 2,400 homes where the Vallco Shopping Mall sits. Read More Facebook

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Local government was a last bastion for struggling California Republicans. Not anymore By Mark Z. Barabak Theres no shortage of watery metaphors to describe the disaster that befell California Republicans this midterm election. A blue wave. A Democratic tsunami. But the most apt may be a flood, with the casualties steadily rising as the vote count climbed in the days and weeks following Nov. 6. Eventually half the GOP congressional delegation was washed away, along with the entire slate of statewide Republican candidates. In Sacramento, Democrats claimed 29 of 40 state Senate seats and seized three-quarters of the 80-member Assembly  the largest number since 1883, when Chester A. Arthur was serving in the White House. Read More Facebook

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For the Republicans left in Californias Legislature, fewer lawmakers will have to do more work By John Myers From January to late summer every year, the California Legislature is a perpetual motion machine. And in the new year, the people most likely to struggle in keeping up will be Republicans, vastly outnumbered but still responsible for representing millions of the states residents. There are 22 standing committees in the state Senate, plus at least a dozen more subcommittees or special committees. And after Novembers election, only 11 Republican senators will be left to divvy up the work. To the victors go the spoils. To the vanquished go the extra assignments. Read More Facebook

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Californias DMV failed to finish registering 329 new voters before November election (Los Angeles Times) Officials at the California Department of Motor Vehicles said Friday that the agency failed to send information for 329 new voters to state elections officers in time for the November election, the latest revelation in a string of mishaps regarding voter registration. Secretary of State Alex Padilla responded with a blistering letter, calling on Gov. Jerry Brown or Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom to replace Jean Shiomoto, the DMV director. The Director of DMV has lost my confidence and trust, Padilla wrote. In all, the agency revealed that 589 mailed voter registration records that should have been processed under election deadlines werent sent to Californias secretary of state until late November, including forms from 260 drivers who had intended to update their address on existing voter registration records. The DMV had been instructed to not send registration forms that came in after Oct. 22, but the voters in question had forms that were postmarked before the deadline. In some cases, when the postmark wasnt legible, the agency said, documents inside indicated the voter had intended to finish their registration in time for the Nov. 6 election. The DMV recognizes the pause in transmittals was an error and affected the timing of the registration of the 589 individuals referenced above relative to the November election, Shiomoto wrote in a letter to Padilla on Friday. The pause was due to a misunderstanding on the part of the department, for which we take responsibility. Those who were trying to update their address for voter registration would not have been blocked from casting ballots. But officials said its unclear whether any of the 329 new voters were able to participate in the election. Shiomoto said in her letter that DMV will work with elections officials. The errors were not related to previous DMV mistakes about registering voters, problems associated with the rollout of the states new motor voter law. In those cases, multiple registration forms were sent to local elections offices for some voters, some people were assigned the wrong political party preference and others who are noncitizens were incorrectly placed on the list of registered voters. DMV officials have yet to respond to questions posed by The Times over the last several weeks about who knew of those mistakes and when. Facebook

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Newsom appoints a labor advocate and a former staffer as his chief deputy Cabinet secretaries By Taryn Luna A labor advocate and a San Francisco political operative have accepted positions in Gov.-elect Gavin Newsoms new administration. Angie Wei, a Capitol insider with deep ties to organized labor in California, will serve as a chief deputy Cabinet secretary with a focus on policy development. As a legislative director and chief of staff at the California Labor Federation, Wei has represented more than 1,200 unions and 2.1 million workers in Capitol fights over a host of policy issues, including drug-pricing transparency and paid family leave. The governor-elect also tapped Jason Elliott, a policy advisor to Newsom during his time as mayor of San Francisco and a chief of staff to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, as another chief deputy Cabinet secretary overseeing executive branch operations. Elliott and Wei will serve under Ana Matosantos, Newsoms previously
Two local students were named grand prize finalists in the Music Centers 30th annual Spotlight program, which provides scholarships and arts training for teenagers.

In total, 14 students from across Southern California were named finalists in seven categories ranging from ballet to classical voice. Khalil Powell of Burbank, an 18-year-old student at John Burroughs High School, was named a finalist in the acting category, while 17-year-old Ethan Moffitt of Glendale, who attends Verdugo Academy, is a finalist in jazz instrumental.

Finalists receive a $5,000 scholarship and the opportunity to perform at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on June 5 as part of the programs grand finale. Tickets for the performance can be purchased online at the Music Centers website, musiccenter.org, and cost $26 with fees included.

Performing at Disney is a big deal for any performing artist anywhere, Moffitt said.

Additionally, the students in the months-long program take master classes with professionals in their respective categories.

Both Powell and Moffitt said the experience helped them grow as performers.

It helped me with my audition techniques  just finding my own confidence and building my craft, Powell said.

He said it was a great experience to see how he and other finalists progressed in their abilities throughout the program.

Moffitt also pointed out that the performers supported on each other during their time together.

Being with these people that Ive become great friends with  its just a community of support that happened, Moffitt said.

In the fall, Powell will head to Pepperdine University, where he plans to continue acting, double majoring in theater and business.

So I can handle the financial side of being in the [acting] industry, he said.

Meanwhile, Moffitt said hell be going to USCs Thornton School of Music to major in double bass performance.

andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_Truc
A 23-year-old man who was killed in a three-car crash in Costa Mesa early Tuesday had attended Vanguard University and wanted to become a math teacher, according to a university representative and his family.

Enrique Orlando Marquez, a Tustin resident, was a year shy of graduating from the Christian university in Costa Mesa with a bachelors degree in mathematics, his family wrote on a crowdfunding website to raise money for his funeral costs.



For the record: A previous version of this article stated that Enrique Orlando Marquez was a Vanguard University student. He was a former Vanguard student.

The fundraiser, posted Wednesday on the website YouCaring, had raised more than $15,000 by Friday afternoon.

A Vanguard University representative confirmed Marquez was enrolled at the school from fall 2015 to fall 2016 and was a junior.

Our faculty and Enriques classmates will remember him for his sense of humor, laughter and thoughtfulness. He was a wonderful part of our campus community during his time here and he will be greatly missed. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Marquez family, Mike Wilson, associate provost and dean of Vanguard University, said in a prepared statement.

Marquez, nicknamed Quique, built homes in Tijuana and traveled to orphanages in El Salvador as part of missionary work he completed each year, according to his family.

He had a big heart. He had a calling from Christ to help others, his family wrote.

Marquez attended Mission Bible Church in Tustin and was a drummer on the worship team, the family said.

Enrique shined for the glory of his savior and now walks with him forever, the church stated in a Facebook post. As the family of God, we come alongside [father] Enrique Sr., [mother] Berenice and siblings to mourn this deep loss and rejoice at the stewardship of Enriques gospel-centered life.

Costa Mesa police received a report of the crash at about 12:20 a.m.

Witnesses said a Honda, which authorities said Marquez was driving, was traveling west on Mesa Drive near Santa Ana Avenue when a Volkswagen SUV with two people inside went through a red light at high speed and struck the Honda.

Marquez was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of a third vehicle involved was not hurt.

The SUVs driver, identified as Kimberly Rene Martin, 24, of Costa Mesa, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, police said.

Martin was released from custody so she could receive medical treatment at a hospital. Her injuries were not life-threatening, police said.

The Orange County district attorneys office said Friday that prosecutors are waiting for reports from the Police Department and have not filed charges against Martin.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN

UPDATES:

5:30 p.m. May 7: This article was updated with information and comment from Vanguard University representatives.

This article was originally published May 4 at 4:55 p.m.
A Huntington Beach woman alleged to have referred to minorities as colored people in a YouTube video has been removed from a second school district committee, this time in the Huntington Beach City School District.

Gracey Larrea-Van Der Marks removal Tuesday from the districts Measure Q Citizens Bond Oversight Committee came a week after the Ocean View School District board voted to remove her from its Citizens Oversight Committee for Measure R.

Both committees oversee expenditures related to voter-approved bond measures for school facility improvements.

Huntington Beach Citys superintendent, Gregg Haulk, decided to remove Larrea-Van Der Mark after hearing concerns from parents and other community members, according to Jimmy Lambos, administrative assistant to the superintendent.

Based on the allegations made against her, he didnt want that to be a distraction to the district, Lambos said Friday.

Lambos said the superintendent emailed Larrea-Van Der Mark to notify her of her removal.

He later said there was a misunderstanding and that Haulk did not contact her.

Larrea-Van Der Mark did not respond to requests for comment Friday.

She was assigned to the committee in 2016 by the Orange County Taxpayers Assn. Lambos said the district requested a replacement from the association because rules say a member of the association has to serve on the committee.

Larrea-Van Der Mark came under fire in April after she reportedly made the comment in a post with a video she uploaded to YouTube in 2017 showing protesters crashing an anti-racism workshop in Santa Monica by a group called Committee for Racial Justice.

According to the OC Weekly, Larrea-Van Der Mark wrote: This meeting was being ran by the elderly Jewish people who were in there. The colored people were there doing what the elderly Jewish people instructed them to do.

Since the allegations, community members and Ocean View School District leaders had called for Larrea-Van Der Marks removal from that districts bond oversight committee and the city of Huntington Beachs Finance Commission.

City Councilman Patrick Brenden, who appointed Larrea-Van Der Mark to the Finance Commission in 2017, said last month that he would investigate the allegations after he received pressure from residents, school board members and the Anti-Defamation League.

The Ocean View board removed Larrea-Van Der Mark from its bond committee on a 4-1 vote last week after trustee Gina Clayton-Tarvin, who appointed her last year, called for her removal, saying the colored people comment promotes bigotry and does not reflect the school district.

Larrea-Van Der Marks online activity has received heightened attention since she spoke in support of Huntington Beachs plan to file a lawsuit against California to challenge the legality of state mandates that expand protections for undocumented immigrants.

The OC Weekly reported on the colored people comment days after the City Council approved the lawsuit early last month.

Priscella.Vega@latimes.com

Twitter: @vegapriscella

UPDATES:

2:35 p.m. May 10: This article was updated with additional information from Jimmy Lambos.

This article was originally published at 5:50 p.m. May 4.
Huntington Beach planning commissioners will determine Tuesday whether to approve a proposal to build a three-story, 12-suite boutique hotel along Pacific Coast Highway whose approval by the city zoning administrator was previously appealed by a commissioner concerned about parking.

The Sunset Beach Hotel project, planned for 17145 Pacific Coast Hwy., would require demolition of an onsite car wash that stopped operating in 2015.

The proposal includes 1,800 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor, with the hotel units on the second and third floors. The luxury units would have three or four bedrooms and private kitchens and balconies.

The second floor would also contain guest amenities, such as a pool and fitness center. The units would be available for rent on a weekly basis, though daily rentals could be accommodated.

The project also proposed 32 parking spaces, 12 which are compact, on the ground level, accessible from Pacific Coast Highway and Pacific Avenue.

The plan, which was approved by the city zoning administrator March 7, was appealed a week later by the Planning Commissions vice chairman, Pat Garcia, who cited concerns related to its retail parking and setback requirements.

Because the site is in the non-certified Sunset Beach Specific Plan, where development standards vary with other parts of the city, the project would require the California Coastal Commissions approval for a coastal development permit to move forward.

Commissioners learned more about the project during a study session April 17, where they asked staff technical questions and directed them to conduct more research in time for the public hearing.

Parking and traffic concerns were reccurring topics of discussion by commissioners, including Los Angeles-based applicant Cliff Neimans plan to create a mobile app that would enable guests to access certain amenities and suites during slower times when hotel staff is not onsite.

Plans are to have full-time staff present from Memorial Day through Labor Day, Neiman explained during the study session. He added that the hotel would hire security.

Proposal to create four-story mixed-use project along PCH

This rendering shows a proposed four-story mixed-use project along Pacific Coast Highway. The project includes commercial use on the ground floor and residential use on the three floors above. (Courtesy of city of Huntington Beach )

In other business, commissioners during a study session will review a proposal to develop a four-story mixed-use project along Pacific Coast Highway.

The project, located between 6th and 7th streets, requires a conditional use permit for its proposal of 10,495 square feet of commercial use on the ground floor and residential use on the three floors above.

The residential area would include 29 condominium units, which would range from 1,424 to 2,062 square feet of living space with two to three bedrooms each, that requires a tentative tract map. Public open space would be provided on the ground floor next to restaurants and retail shops.

It provides 117 parking spaces on the ground floor and two levels of subterranean parking. There would be one level of commercial and guest parking and one level of gated residential parking. Cars can access the site from the alley located in the back of the property.

Because the proposed building height is at 53.5 feet, a variance is needed to accommodate mezzanines and decks for two residential units.

The project, proposed by Houshang Moghimi of Los Angeles-based Euro26 Inc., would also need a special permit because its proposed central courtyard/paseo is required to be a minimum of 8 feet wide and open to the sky. This paseo is proposed at 2,558 square feet and only partially open.

A public hearing for the proposed project is slated for May 22.

Tuesdays study session begins at 5:30 p.m. and planning commission meeting at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 2000 Main St.

Priscella.Vega@latimes.com

Twitter: @vegapriscella
Newport Beach City Councilman Jeff Herdman might have run afoul of state campaign regulations when he used his city email account to explicitly advocate for the election defeat of council colleagues who he and others believe forced City Manager Dave Kiff out of his job.

In several emails between Herdman and constituents last month, the first-term Balboa Island councilman responded to people upset about Kiffs impending departure by saying that a majority of the seven-member council  Kevin Muldoon, Scott Peotter, Mayor Pro Tem Will ONeill and Mayor Marshall Duffy Duffield  conspired to achieve a long-term goal of ridding the city of Kiff, who has served as the top administrative official for nine years. As a consequence, he said, voters should choose the challengers lined up against Muldoon, Peotter and Duffield when the three are up for reelection in November. ONeills seat is up for election in 2020.

The Daily Pilot obtained the emails Friday through a public records request.

Since Kiff announced his departure in March, Newport Beach council meetings have been fraught with accusations of collusion among a cabal meeting secretly. Last month, Councilwoman Diane Dixon blasted ONeill and Duffield in particular, accusing them of ambushing Kiff.

The four accused council members have denied the allegations of a conspiracy.

But Herdmans emails, written around the time of Dixons comments, hold firm to the assertion.

The rumors are completely accurate! he wrote in one message using the account jherdman@newportbeachca.gov. Voting Muldoon, Duffy and Peotter out of office in [November] is the only solution to rid our city of these dishonest and self-serving council members.

California Government Code 8314 bans elected local officials from using public resources for campaign activities.

Herdman declined to comment Friday.

In response to someone who wrote that her regard for the council has totally eroded, Herdman said in another email that this is a perfect example of why Peotter, Muldoon and Duffield should be voted out of office in November.

He called the council members actions regarding Kiff a very deceitful and illegal act!

To a woman who asked the council to find a way to keep Kiff on staff, Herdman told her that his removal was a long-term goal for Peotter, Duffield and Muldoon.

I hope you will express your extreme dissatisfaction by voting them out of office this November. The firing of probably the most outstanding city manager in the country (illegally) must have consequences. Please vote for Joy Brenner and Tim Stoaks!

Kevin Muldoon, Marshall Duffy Duffield, Diane Dixon and Scott Peotter, from left, are pictured upon their inauguration to the Newport Beach City Council in 2015. (File Photo )

To a woman who, in addition to being upset about Kiff, was frustrated because she said Duffield had not responded to her requests for a neighborhood traffic study, Herdman wrote:

He cares nothing about his constituents. I have had to step in several times to help out his constituents. Come to a council meeting and request the study during public comments. Dont reelect him in November. If you want a responsible councilman for your district, vote for Tim Stoaks.

In another email, he called Peotter a liar.

Just read Peotters response to you on Dave Kiffs alleged retirement. Let me assure you that Peotter knows all of the details surrounding the departure. He is outright lying to you. Dave is being forced out by the council majority. He has no intention of retiring. This is a perfect example of why Peotter should have been recalled. That failed, so vote him out of office in November!

Herdman has been at odds with Peotter before. In 2015, before Herdman was elected to the council the following year, he alleged several municipal code and Political Reform Act violations against Peotter related to his 2014 campaign fundraising.

Peotter said Friday that council members are going to disagree with one another. But he said Herdman is wrong about Peotter having any prior knowledge of Kiffs departure.

Obviously he shouldnt be using government resources to campaign, Peotter said. But I look forward to a spirited debate in the election on issues.

Muldoon declined to comment.

Duffield said he was shocked by Herdmans comments, saying Herdman has been nonconfrontational and respectful in person.

Duffield said he is disappointed with the current discord toward and within the council.

I dont see the need, he said. We all love Newport Beach.  Im just hoping it all calms down and we move forward. Right now its not fun. Not fun at all.

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD
Newport Beach city staff is recommending that the City Council formally commit to not violating the state open meetings law in the transition to a new city manager  a response to allegations that a majority of council members had done just that regarding the impending departure of City Manager Dave Kiff.

But the proposed commitment letter also emphasizes that such surreptitious meetings never took place.

In a complaint to the council April 10, resident Lauri Preedge leveled accusations of violations of the open meetings law, known as the Brown Act. Rather than issue an outright rejection of the allegations, which could leave room for Preedge to file a lawsuit, Kiff and City Attorney Aaron Harp recommend the council issue the commitment letter, which also does not admit fault.

The council will consider the matter at its meeting Tuesday.

The letter explicitly does not acknowledge the presence of a Brown Act violation and instead is designed to conserve public resources and avoid unnecessary litigation by agreeing to comply with the law, which the city already does, Kiff and Harp wrote in a memo in advance of the meeting. Although we strongly disagree with the allegations in Ms. Preedges letter, to conserve city resources and avoid unnecessary litigation, we recommend following the process outlined in [state law] and approving the letter.

Preedges complaint alleges that a majority of the seven-member council met secretly to plot Kiffs ouster months earlier than the April 2019 expiration date of his contract. Kiff plans to leave in August after 20 years with the city and nine as its top administrative official.

In its meeting of March 27, 2018, four members of the Newport Beach City Council conspired to, and did, take action to terminate the employment of City Manager Dave Kiff by acknowledging an alleged request by Mr. Kiff, apparently made under duress and threat of termination without cause, to have his current employment renegotiated and prematurely concluded, her complaint reads. The action taken was not in compliance with the Brown Act because it occurred as the culmination of discussions over a period of weeks by a majority of the City Council members in private, either directly or through intermediaries. The act does not allow for this type of clandestine activity, either in closed session or outside of a properly scheduled meeting.

In a suggested response, the city staff offers this solution: In order to avoid unnecessary litigation and without admitting any violation of the Ralph M. Brown Act, the City Council hereby unconditionally commits that it will cease, desist from and not repeat the challenged past action as described above.

Kiffs supporters have accused council members Kevin Muldoon, Scott Peotter, Mayor Pro Tem Will ONeill and Mayor Marshall Duffy Duffield of conspiring to force Kiff out. The four have denied the allegations.

Preedge, a real estate agent, said Friday that the suggested solution is incongruous.

The council majority  and the City Attorney Aaron Harp seem confused about what they are doing, she said. Their words about an early retirement of Mr. Kiff certainly contradict with the $200,000 severance package being paid to him. Their Brown Act cease and desist is also contradictory  they agree to no longer violate the Brown Act, but claim they didnt do it. An honest person will stand up and do the right thing, even if it is not the easiest path. If they did nothing wrong, that is what they should say, future litigation be damned. Of course, any rational person can see that the Brown Act was violated with these secret negotiations, which excluded three members of the City Council yet included the city attorney, whose job it is to protect the city and limit litigation.

Community survey

Also Tuesday, the council will hold a brainstorming session on what qualities the next city manager should have.

Members of the public will be able to give their input on who should succeed Kiff, focusing on experience, values and related qualifications. The city also has released an online survey asking residents to rank potential candidates personal style and attributes, along with community issues such as Newport Harbor and water quality, traffic and John Wayne Airport relations. The survey is at newportbeachca.gov/communitysurvey.

The council meeting starts at 4 p.m. with a study session, followed by the regular session at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive.

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD
The Newport Beach City Council apparently has a leaker.

City Atty. Aaron Harp is requesting that the council waive attorney-client privilege in regards to two E-mails between the City Attorney and an individual Council Member because the two E-mails have been shared with a third party, Harp wrote in a memo to the council ahead of Tuesdays meeting.

Waiving privilege would allow city officials to discuss the alleged leak in an open meeting. Because the council as a whole is Harps client, a majority of the council needs to approve sharing the information with the public even though one member has allegedly already shared information with an outside person.

The subject matter and council member in question, or how the alleged leak was discovered, were not revealed. The staff report attached to the agenda, released Thursday, was brief and offered no further detail.

Harp said Friday he couldnt add to it.

Tasting room ordinance

In other business, the council could give initial approval of a zoning code amendment to allow craft breweries, wineries and distilleries in the industrial area on Newports west side to offer small tasting rooms for onsite consumption.

The city Planning Commission approved the amendment in March.

Harbor issues

The council will also hear several harbor-related issues.

Harbor Commissioners will discuss charters, boat operations and potential changes to paddleboard safety regulations with the council during a study session. In a separate item, the council will consider passing along proposed exceptions to the 5-knot harbor speed limit for races and practices to the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways for review.

The city must consult the state before it can change the speed limit.

The Harbor Commission gave a thumbs-up to the speed exception, a longtime off-and-on issue, in April.

Budget preview

Also at the study session, city staff will go over several key items in the proposed fiscal 2019 budget and construction plan.

The fiscal year starts July 1.

The city plans to hold at least one more meeting for community input on the budget later this month.

Tuesdays council meeting starts at 4 p.m. with the study session, followed by the regular session at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive.

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD
The Orange County grand jury told area school districts Thursday to report within 90 days on how they have studied and improved safety at their campuses.

Jurors specifically recommended that all school districts require their schools to conduct site safety assessments, identify security deficiencies, determine what is needed and recommend improvements to control potential risks.

Every student, teacher and parent is entitled to a safe school, the grand jury said in a statement. Every school district in Orange County wants to ensure this. But wide disparities exist among schools in the way they control access to their campuses, and some schools are not as safe as they could be.

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District had already decided last month to conduct a risk assessment at its 32 campuses and has completed at least a third of the visits, according to Deputy Supt. Russell Lee-Sung, who is spearheading the study and is looking to strengthen partnerships with the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach police departments.

Newport-Mesa spokeswoman Annette Franco said Friday that our district has received a copy of the [grand jury] report and we intend to respond by the deadline. We are pleased to already have many of their recommendations in place and in progress.

Ocean View School District Supt. Carol Hansen said the Huntington Beach-based district is reviewing the grand jurys findings.

We will address the grand jurys recommendations before the summer deadline, Hansen said. Our board of trustees and district staff are proud of the safety measures we have put in place and of our recent updates, including a comprehensive safety perimeter fencing plan that was adopted in March 2018. Additionally, our teachers and other staff are trained in run, hide, fight strategies, in cooperation with our local law enforcement. And we are now teaching these important safety measures to our students. Our board of trustees sets a high priority on student and staff safety.

Fountain Valley School District Supt. Mark Johnson said his district received the report and will closely review its findings and recommendations over the next several weeks.

Coast Community College District spokeswoman Letitia Clark said that although this report speaks to the K-12 system directly, continuous dialogue about school safety is important to the entire community.

The Coast Community College District takes safety on its campuses seriously, she said. After reviewing the grand jury report, we can confirm that our colleges and district offices have processes in place that address a majority of the security measure priorities outlined in the report.

Officials from the Laguna Beach Unified, Huntington Beach City and Huntington Beach Union High school districts did not respond to requests for comment Friday.

DANIEL LANGHORNE is a contributor to Times Community News.

Twitter: @DanielLanghorne
Glendale City Council introduced a draft ordinance Tuesday that would extend a 45-day moratorium on residential development projects in and around downtown Glendale by more than 10 months.

In March, the council voted 4-1 to temporarily halt the issuance of permits or entitlements for residential developments in the Downtown Specific Plan area in order to ease the rate of development of dense apartment projects.

Incentives are designed to encourage developers to create projects with public benefits, such as providing open space or including affordable housing. Qualifying projects are given a bonus in the form of additional height or density.

If a project already had a building permit at the start of the moratorium in March, the citys practice is to allow the project to continue even if the rule has changed for ease of enforcement, according to City Atty. Michael Garcia.

At the suggestion of Councilman Ara Najarian, city staff members were instructed to prepare a version of the moratorium that would include an exemption, or carve-out, for adaptive reuse projects  those that convert an existing commercial building to residential use.

The adaptive reuse projects could also add up to 50 additional residential units, as long as the projects do not cause significant impacts to traffic, air quality or noise.

Councilwoman Paula Devine said she supported a moratorium with no exemptions and added that any adaptive reuse residential project in the downtown area can wait for 10 months.

These are not going to be affordable units, Im sure, if theyre on Central [Avenue] or Brand [Boulevard], Divine said. What are we helping with, how are we making this better for our residents by allowing a carve-out? Lets be fair  A moratorium is a moratorium.

Although Mayor Zareh Sinanyan was the single vote against the 45-day moratorium in March, he said he would support the extension if it included Najarians suggested carve-out.

I consistently argued against the moratorium. My position hasnt really changed  I think were meddling with the market at a time when we recognize theres a housing crisis, but the carve-out makes it palatable to me to actually vote for what ends up being a limited moratorium, he said.

A final version of the moratorium will return to City Council for a vote, likely before May 11, when the current moratorium expires.

jeff.landa@latimes.com

Twitter: @JeffLanda
At a City Council meeting on Tuesday, Glendale public works director Roubik Golanian was unanimously appointed to be assistant city manager.

Golanian will take on the former job of Yasmin Beers, who in February became the first woman appointed to the Glendale city manager position.

According to a profile by the city, Golanian has been with Glendale the past 18 years, first as a city engineer and then as director of public works in 2014.

Golanian acknowledged family and his late father after his appointment and promised he would not take the new role lightly.

I will continue the pursuit of excellence in the delivery of high quality of services and the implementation of [city] policies and vision, he said.

Both Beers and Mayor Zareh Sinanyan praised Golanians track record of accomplishments, which includes overseeing the Glendale Narrows Riverwalk project and railroad quiet zone along San Fernando Road.

Todays promotion is a sign of appreciation, in a sense, for all your years of service to Glendale, Sinanyan said. Theres a lot to be done in the future.

jeff.landa@latimes.com

Twitter: @JeffLanda
Some British doctors and legislators reacted angrily Saturday to President Trumps pro-gun comments at an NRA convention comparing a London hospital to a war zone because of knife crime.

Trumps provocative comments are expected to increase concerns about his planned first presidential visit to Britain on July 13.

Dr. Martin Griffiths, a surgeon at the Royal London Hospital, tweeted that he would be happy to invite Mr. Trump to visit his hospital and meet with Londons mayor and police chief to learn how the city has reduced violent crime.

Dr. Karim Brohi, another Royal London surgeon, said Trumps position makes no sense.

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There is more we can all do to combat this violence, but to suggest guns are part of the solution is ridiculous, Brohi tweeted. Gunshot wounds are at least twice as lethal as knife injuries and more difficult to repair.

At the NRA convention Friday in Dallas, Trump said that Britain has tough gun laws but that one London hospital is awash with blood because of knife wounds.

They dont have guns. They have knives, and instead theres blood all over the floors of this hospital, Trump said. They say its as bad as a military war zone hospital ... knives, knives, knives.

Labour Party lawmaker Sarah Jones tweeted that Trumps speech was a disgrace.

U.K. knife crime nowhere near your off-the-scale gun deaths, she said.

Trump spoke as London is experiencing an increase in knife-related violence.

At the NRA convention, Trump also suggested that a coordinated extremist attack on Paris in 2015 that claimed 130 lives would have been far less deadly if Parisians had been carrying guns to protect themselves.

The U.S. president plans a one-day stop in Britain as part of a working visit. He has been invited for a state visit to be hosted by Queen Elizabeth II, but no date has been set for that ceremonial event.

Trump has riled many Britons in the past by suggesting that Muslim extremists have made some British cities unsafe. He also drew criticism from Prime Minister Theresa May, a conservative, and other political leaders for retweeting anti-Muslim videos originally posted by one of the leaders of the far-right Britain First group.

Trump has criticized Londons Metropolitan Police and Mayor Sadiq Khan, a Muslim, on several occasions.
Bangor Area High School students celebrated their prom Friday night at SteelStacks at Bethlehem.

If these photos have you looking for more prom, check out the photos from last year.

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Saed Hindash may be reached at shindash@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @SaedHindash. Find lehighvalleylive on Facebook.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Is Congress a Muslim Party, is it against the interests of Hindus?

by Ram Puniyani

Currently there is propaganda from the BJP combine that the Congress is an anti-Hindu party. On every conceivable occasion it states that the Congress is insulting Hinduism. In the wake of the verdict of the Mecca Masjid blast cases as the accused got released, BJP spokespersons went hammer and tongs saying that Rahul Gandhi-Congress have defamed the Hindu religion, they should apologise for that. In the ongoing campaign for the Karnataka elections (2018) the BJP has taken out a yatra against the so-called anti-Hindu policies of the Congress. The propaganda has gone to such an extent that even Sonia Gandhi, the ex-Congress President, had to say that the Congress is perceived as a party for Muslims!

How should we understand the policies of a party for any religious community? The BJP is propagating that it is a party which is taking care of Hindu interests. Is it true? It has taken up issues like the Ram temple, Holy cow, Article 370, Love-Jihad etc. Have Hindus at large benefited from it? We see an economic slide in the conditions of farmers, workers, Dalits and increasing atrocities against Hindu women. The claim that these emotive issues are for the benefit of Hindus is a pure make-believe propaganda which has led to polarisation, increased hate and a rise in the acts of violence. The major victims of these policies are not only the Muslims but Hindus in large numbers.

What about the Congress being anti-Hindu, against Hinduism? Lets take the case of Mecca Masjid blast. The major part of investigation was initially done by Hemant Karkare, who was killed in the 26/11 act of terror on Mumbai. Swami Aseemanand, the accused, himself had confessed of his crime in front of a Magistrate, which was not under duress, and his confession was legally valid. Most of the investigations pointed fingers at Aseemanand, Sadhvi Pragya, Lt. Col Purohit et al. During the last four years of BJP rule the case has been so presented by agencies as to exonerate them all and put the blame of wrong investigation on the part of the Maharashtra ATS. While Karkare was proceeding with the investigations, Modi and Thackeray had called him anti-Hindu. Karkare felt so much pressured by these intimidations that he sought the advice of his distinguished elder, Julio Reibero, who advised him to carry on with his honest work, ignoring the pressures.

While the anti-Hindu image of the Congress has been constructed around such issues, its pro-Muslim image has been constructed in the last few decades more so after the reversal of the Shah Bano issue by the Congress Government, which apparently was a flawed decision. Still it was just yielding to retrograde elements within the Muslim community. The Muslim community as a whole did not benefit from it. Dr Manmohan Singhs statement Muslims have a first claim on national resources, is yet another statement circulated to assert that the Congress is pro-Muslim. What is hidden from the public view is that this statement came in the wake of the Sachar Committee Report. This report had debunked the claim that Muslims have been appeased; it concluded that the economic condition of the Muslims has got a big slideback while they are also victims of communal violence, and that the only place they are over-represented is the jails!

As such the attempt to walk on the path of secularism in our country, which has suffered from the impact of the divide and rule policy of the British, is not easy. With the rising Indian consciousness, Indian nationalism, the Indian National Congress came up with people from all religions. Badruddin Tybaji presided over the Congress session in 1887. It also had Presidents who were Parsis, Christians, and Hindus. This time around the Congress faced criticism from Muslim communalists (Sir Syed for example), as being a Hindu party, while Hindu communalists (like Lala Lalchand) dubbed that Congress as appeasing the Muslims at the cost of Hindu interests. All through the Congress had to face criticism from these elements, as it had the primary focus on Indian nationalism; it was actually practising secularism with some slips here and there.

The criticism of Muslim communalists, the Muslim League, culminated in the formation of Pakistan. Hindu communalists, Hindu Mahasabha, RSS criticism was that Gandhi was appeasing Muslims, it is due to Gandhi that Muslims have raised their head, due to which Pakistan was formed. The sharpest articulation of this came in the action of Nathuram Godse, who was a trained RSS pracharak and also became the Secretary of the Pune Branch of the Hindu Mahasabha in 1936. In his statement in the Court (May it please your honour), he says that Gandhi was responsible for the formation of Pakistan, he compromised the Hindu interests and had been pro-Muslim!

The present criticism of the Congress, it being called a Muslim party, it being against Hindu interests seems to be a continuation of the arguments, which began with the Hindu communalists in the 1880s, via the articulations of the Hindu Mahasabha-RSS-Godse, which have become intensified during the last couple of decades. Surely the condition of Muslims has worsened during the last several decades and during the last four years, its status is having a free fall, while those in power, making these accusations, anti-Congress propaganda are having a field day with emotive issues in which Hindus are as much the losers as the other sections of society.

Walking the secular talk is becoming more difficult by the day. Gandhi was killed for this and his disciple Nehru is being the subject of vilification and calumny for the same. The Muslim communalists rejoiced at the formation of Pakistan, where development and amity are missing. With the Congress-Gandhi-Nehru we could make a small journey towards fraternity and progress. The criticism of the Congress as being a Muslim party, as being against Hindus, reflects more about the sectarian agenda of those propagating it rather that the nature of the Congress, which despite all the flaws has been trying to protect secular values, in the face of massive limitations!

The author, a retired Professor at the IIT-Bombay, is currently associated with the Centre for the Study of Secularism and Society, Mumbai.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Sachar Saheb: A Unique Personality with Socialist Vision

by Prem Singh

He had forbidden us to call him Justice Sachar. So I began to call him Sachar Saheb. Four days after his death, I have sat down to write this tribute. The personality of Sachar Saheb was like a masterpiece, epic in its dimensions. A classic personality in this absurd period! In a tribute like this, written for the media, there is little scope to remember him in that ethereal form. It could be only an attempt to understand his thoughts, concerns, anxieties and work in a pragmatic perspective.

Sachar Saheb passed away on April 20, 2018. He would have been 95-years-old this December 22. My friend Ravikiran Jain used to say with much assurance that Sachar Saheb will live to be a hundred. Considering his strong desire to live, it seemed very likely. Before the last bout of illness, he was capable enough to take care of his health on his own whenever he fell ill. But for the last three months, it seemed that he had made up his mind that it was time for the abandonment of the body. Now he will live among us through memories, thoughts and work.

Tributes to Sachar Saheb have appeared continuously after his demise in newspapers, magazines, portals and condolence meetings. In these tributes he is remembered as a capable and successful lawyer and the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court who made unabated efforts and waged constant struggles in order to protect civil rights, human rights, constitutional and democratic institutions and the interests of deprived and oppressed sections of the society. Sachar Sahebs name had become more well known during the last 10-12 years due to the Sachar Committee Report and its recommendations. While paying him tributes, most peoplefriends, colleagues and admirersdo not forget to mention and discuss this unique contribution by Sachar Saheb.

In my knowledge, hardly any written or verbal tribute to Sachar Saheb has discussed his role in contemporary political thought and political activism. (An exception to this trend is the tribute by Tanveer Fazal, published in The Wire.) It cannot be said that journalists and scholars are unaware of his political ideology and activism. Then, what could be the reason that associates who profusely praise his work happen not to mention his political affiliations? Why this omission?

In the event of his illness in the recent past, Sachar Saheb wrote his last article India Needs Draupadi and Not Savitri, which was published in the English weekly Janata on April 1, 2018. Just a few days prior to this article, he wrote No Conflict Between Hindi and State Regional Languages on March 3. The subjects of these two articles relate significantly to Dr Lohias contemplation. Sachar Sahebs writings and work are often perceived to be rooted and inspired by Dr Lohias political philosophy and struggle. It would be pertinent to mention here that in most of his articles and statements, the earlier ones as well as the last two, Sachar Saheb referred to socialist leaders, Dr Lohia in particular. His deep commitment to the cause of the PUCL had its genesis in the fact that JP had established it.

Sachar Saheb became a member of the Socialist Party from the time of its formation in 1948. He was also the Secretary of Delhi Pradesh unit. He played an active role in the programmes organised by the party. In May 1949, while participating in a demonstration in front of the Nepali Embassy in Delhi, he was arrested along with Dr Lohia and stayed in jail for one month-and-a-half. He used to say that during his tenure as a judge, he took leave from the Socialist Party, and renewed the membership after his retirement. In 2008-09, several senior and young socialist leaders/activists from across the country, including Sachar Saheb, Surendra Mohan, Bhai Vaidya, Pannalal Surana, Professor Keshav Rao Jadhav, Balwant Singh Kheda, held meetings in different cities for the re-establishment of the Socialist Party. Consequently, in May 2011, the Socialist Party was reinstated as the Socialist Party (India) in Hyderabad. Represen-tatives from 21 provinces of the country participated in the formation convention. Since then, Sachar Saheb had worked tirelessly for the expansion of the Socialist Party. He, along with Bhai Vaidya and Pannalal Surana, worked day and night despite their senior position and age.

In sunshine, rains, storm and cold, he used to walk on the streets with the party workers and participate in demonstrations/meetings/conventions organised by the party. He used to call the workers all over the country to get information about party activities. Any party worker could meet him at his home at any time without prior information. In the previous Assembly elections in Delhi, the Socialist Party had fielded a candidate from the Okhla legislative constituency. Sachar Sahebs house falls in the same area. He addressed street meetings for the candidate and distributed pamphlets walking through crowded streets. During my candidature from East Delhi, he was active throughout, from filing of the nomination to the last day of the election campaign. In politics like life, Sachar Saheb was trustful and a believer. However, many, including Socialists, with whom he interacted, were not always trustworthy. Like Kishan Patnaik, he also had a naive belief that the NGO people can be a part of transformative politics!

Sachar Saheb had immense faith in socialism, secularism, democracy, civil rights, individuals freedom and the nonviolent mode of protest against injustice. Behind Sachar Sahebs multi-faceted role was his deep faith in democratic socialism and socialist vision. The report and recommendations of the Sachar Committee should also be understood from this perspective. Without considering this perspective of his life, there is no meaning in praising his personality.

What then is the reason that many journalists and scholars who pay homage to his memory, forget to mention the shade of his political inclination? The main reason for this omission seems that Sachar Saheb was against the present neo-liberal policies of the governments, on which there is almost a general consensus in the civil society. The Socialist Party (India), of which Sachar Saheb was a founding member, has repeatedly stated through its policy document and resolutions that if the public sector is destroyed for establishment of the private sector then the constitutional and democratic institutions too will be destroyed. Secularism and democracy cannot be saved by abandoning the value of socialism contained in the Constitution. Blind adherence to neo-liberal policies promotes communalism, superstitions and idiocy on the one hand, whereas on the other hand it promotes blind nationalism. This understanding and analysis of the Socialist Party is inconvenient for most secular intellectuals and leaders. They take leave of all their own responsibility by merely placing the blame on the RSS for fascism. In doing so they free the neo-liberalist/neo-imperialist forces to wreak havoc on the working masses of the country.

Within a fortnight, two stalwarts of socialism have passed away. This is not the loss of the Socialist Party only. It is an irreparable loss to the politics of values instilled and nurtured from the freedom movement, the Constitution of India and the socialist movement. The struggle will continue! With this resolution the Socialist Party salutes its revolutionary leader.

The author teaches Hindi at Delhi University and is the President of the Socialist Party (India).
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Hitler, Nehru and a Worthless Bose

IMPRESSIONS

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 Banerji in the 2016 elections.

Poor Chandra Kumar Babu. He got 26,299 votes, less than half of Mamata Banerjis 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. C.K. 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 Hitler of 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 the Congress leaders. There are strong reasons to believe that he did not die in an aircrash 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 Fauj 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.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Rajindar Sachar  the Man who Spoke for the Voiceless

Rajindar Sachar, the former Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, passed away on April 20; he was 94. His cremation was attended by many of his admirers, as he was a man who always stood by principles and who remained an indefatigable crusader for democratic and human rights. At a time when minority rights have taken such a beating in our country, his passing away is indeed a profound loss for the human rights movement. Sachar was known for his honesty and courage; he took a stand against the Emergencyboth his father, Bhimsen Sachar, and brother-in-law, Kuldip Nayar, were arrested and placed in jailand worked for the freedom of press and the independence of the judiciary.

He, however, became known for the Sachar Committee report that documented the status of the minorities in contemporary India. The report brought to light the abysmal situation the Muslims are in, both in terms of education and employment. It documented the growing social and economic insecurity that had been imposed on Muslims since independence and revealed how grossly under-represented they were in the bureaucracy, military and in politics. Muslims were more likely to be poor and illiterate and were accused of being against the Indian state as they were being falsely dubbed as terrorists. The Sachar Committee recommen-dations aimed to promote the inclusion of the minorities in India and became a landmark in the debate on the status of Muslims in India.

Born in Lahore on December 22, 1924, Sachars father was the freedom fighter, Bhimsen Sachar, who later became the Chief Minister of Punjab. His mother, Lalita, a home-maker, was also involved in the freedom movement. Sachar studied law in Lahore, where alongwith his classmate and close friend, Kuldip Nayar, they imbibed the spirit of the freedom struggle and together attended rousing rallies. He later married Kuldip Nayars sister, Raj, and Kuldip Nayar married Rajindar Sachars sister, Bharti. Both Nayar and Sachar remained steadfast to their commitment to human rights and were always seen at every protest in the Capital. Their respective wives supported them from the home with a great deal of empathy.

Sachar was the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court from August 6, 1985 until his retirement on December 22, 1985. He was also appointed the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court. He was known for his progressive judgements. He was a signatory against the US invasion against Iraq and against the Section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code which outlaws disaffection against the state, and allows for penalties of life imprisonment. Rajindar Sachar said, For having a democratic society, it is necessary that these laws go. He participated in the Indian Peoples Human Rights Tribunal inquiring into a massive slum clearance drive in Mumbai. The demolitions in January 2000 had been under-taken despite a notification from the State Government to stay the demolitions. The poor had not been allowed to take their precious belongings from their homes, which had been demolished. Sachar described the scene as barbaric, savage adding: Its as if a bomb has fallen here.

Undeterred by age, Sachar continued his relentless activism and was detained by the police at the India Against Corruption protests, at the age of 87. His short-statured and frail figure packed with accurate, hard-hitting speeches pervaded all democratic rights meetings illuminating them with his knowledge and commitment. He could be seen at Jantar Mantar, lighting a candle at India Gate or speaking at the Gandhi Peace Foundation with erudition. However simplicity and humility remained his hallmark. He always gave space and time to the younger generation saying, You have to lead now.

Once when I expressed concern at his being in the pell-mell of demonstrations at his age, he looked at me, baffled. When I explained his sister, Bharti Nayar, was concerned for his health and had asked me to convey that he should reduce his visits, he smiled and said, When I come to the movement, its like a blood transfusion. Sachar brought a blood transfusion to the movement as well.

He was also the President of the Peoples Union of Civil Liberties, founded by Kuldip Nayar and Justice Tarkunde in the aftermath of the Emergency. The PUCL is a vanguard institution and has taken up innumerable cases that tampered with the essence of democracy and the rights of the poor. He is survived by his son, Sanjiv, daughter, Madhavi, and three grandchildren and though he led a long and full life, he will be terribly missed by those of us who were inspired by his humble, unassuming style and consistently high standards of commitment.

Warm salutations to this noble soul who always spoke for the voiceless!

(Courtesy: Sunday Guardian)

The author is a film director and social activist.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Two Recent Supreme/High Court Verdicts

Some recent developments in the domain of the Indian judiciary give alarming signals. In January 2018, four senior judges of the Supreme Court alleged: There have been instances where case having far-reaching consequences for the nation and the institution had been assigned by the Chief Justice of this Court selectively to the benches of their preference without any rational basis for such assignment.

The situation has become more complicated after the above allegation was carried in the media. On April 19, 2018, a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra dismissed petitions seeking a probe into the circumstances of the death of the CBI Special Judge B.H. Loya. Justice Loya was presiding over the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case when he died. The present BJP President, Amit Shah, was one of the accused in the case. In its judgment, the Supreme Court Bench concluded that Justice Loya died of natural causes, and criticised the petitioners harshly: The conduct of the petitioners and the intervenors scandalises the process of the court. The Bench reportedly observed: ...the petition is a veiled attempt to launch a frontal attack on the independence of the judiciary and to dilute the credibility of judicial institutions.

The eminent Supreme Court advocate, Prashant Bhushan, reacted sharply in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict on the Loya case. To put it in his own words: Public questions about the death of judge Loya will certainly not subside just because of this judgment... I have received hundreds of calls. People are calling this a murder of the rule of law, and a murder of democracy...This will certainly be another blow to the credibility of the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice.

It should be noted in this connection that on April 20 the Congress, supported by six other Opposition parties, took the unprecedented step of moving an impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India on grounds of misbehaviour, and levelled five charges against him. The Rajya Sabha Chairman, M Venkaiah Naidu, rejected the unprecedented notice submitted by seven Opposition parties on a motion for impeachment of Chief Justice of India, citing absence of credible and verifiable information which gives an indication of misbehaviour or incapacity.

What is remarkable is that the day on which the Opposition parties launched the unprece-dented move to impeach the Chief Justice of India, a two-judge Division Bench of the Gujarat High Court acquitted former BJP Minister, the doctor-turned-politician Maya Kodnani, and 17 others in the Naroda Patiya massacre case, in which 97 Muslims were reportedly killed in 2002. In 2012, a trial court held Kodnani as one of the principal conspirators in the case, and she was sentenced to 28 years in jail. In fact, the trial court reportedly termed Dr. Kodnani as a kingpin of the Naroda Patiya riots. But, the Division Bench of the Gujarat High Court observed that the testimonies of the witnesses against her were unreliable, and gave Kodnani benefit of doubt.

We have no locus standi to comment on the sanctity of the aforesaid verdicts of the Supreme Court/High Court. But, we should keep in mind the warning given by a scholar of jurisprudence, Alok Prasanna Kumar, in a different context: ...a judiciary and executive on the same page is disastrous for constitutional government and human rights.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > The BJP Wants a Subservient Judiciary

The ugly truth, suspected for long, is out in the open now: the BJP wants a subservient judiciary. The litany of objections raised by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to the appointment of Justice K.M. Joseph as a Supreme Court judge is as flimsy and faulty as an objection can be. Justice Joseph, now the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court, struck down the Centres decision to dismiss the Congress Government of Uttarakhand by imposing Presidents Rule. His name, along with that of a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, Indu Malhotra, was unanimously recommended for appointment as Supreme Court Judges by the Collegium of five senior judges of the Supreme Court. But the BJP Government could not stomach the idea of Justice Joseph being elevated to the Supreme Court because he had incurred the displeasure of the powers that be.

In raising objections to Justice Josephs appointment to the Supreme Court, Ravi Shankar Prasad committed several impro-prieties. First, he made public his letter to the Chief Justice of India in which he had spelt out his reasons for objecting to Justice Josephs appointment. A letter from the Law Minister to the CJI is a privileged communication that should be treated as such. It may be recalled that when Venkaiah Naidu as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha rejected the privilege motion against the CJI moved by 64 Opposition members of the Upper House, one of the reasons cited by him was that the members had disclosed their charges against the CJI at a press conference. The disclosure was held to be an impropriety on the part of the Opposition members of the Rajya Sabha. But when the same impropriety was committed by the Law Minister, everybody in the BJP kept mum

In his letter to the CJI, Prasad maintained that Justice Joseph ranked 42nd in the all India seniority list and that his elevation would mean there would be two Supreme Court judges from Kerala. Also,. Justice Joseph is placed at number 42 in the All India High Court Judges seniority list and there are presently 11 Chief Justices of various High Courts who are senior to him.

First, there is no quota system restricting the number of judges from a State who can be elevated to the Supreme Court. There are now four judges in the Supreme Court from the Bombay High Court and three from the Delhi High Court. So, Prasads objection on this count is untenable. Second, the point about seniority ranking. Seniority is not the only criterion taken into account by the Collegium when recommending a High Court Judge for appointment in the Supreme Court. The recommendation of the Collegium clearly says::

The Collegium considers that at present Justice K. M. Joseph, who hails from the Kerala High Court and is currently functioning as Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court, is more deserving and suitable in all respects than other Chief Justices and senior puisne Judges of High Courts for being appointed as Judges of the Supreme Court of India. While recommending the name of Justice K. M. Joseph, the Collegium has taken into consideration combined seniority on all-India basis of Chief Justices and senior puisne Judges of High Courts, apart from their merit and integrity.

After this clear and unambiguous observation of the Collegium, does Ravi Shankar Prasad have any ground to raise the seniority question and cavil at Justice Josephs elevation to the highest judiciary of the land? It only betrays his and his governments intention to have judges to the liking of the ruling party. It is this attitude which threatens the independence and integrity of the judiciary and is subversive of the justice delivery systemnot the motion for the impeachment of the CJI in the Rajya Sabha.

If the Collegium re-confirms the name of Justice K.M. Joseph and sends it back to the Centre again, as seems likely at the time of writing, Ravi Shankar Prasad and his boss will have to accept it. It will mean loss of face for them which was quite avoidable and should have been avoided.

What is noteworthy is that several retired Chief Justices of India and other senior judges have criticised the Centres move to prevent the elevation of Justice Joseph to the Supreme Court. Senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan has said the Centres move has become a public scandal, particularly because of extensive media coverage of the medical college scam case, the Loya case and the coverage of the four judges press conference about the CJI misusing his power as Master of the Roster, etc.. Bhushan has raised the question: Should we just sit by and watch the entire SC being eroded from within? He believes: The judiciary has already come under disrepute.

When a party in power, commanding a comfortable majority in the legislature, tries to erode the authority and independence of the judiciary for subserving its narrow political objectives or to settle scores with individual members of the judiciary, it amounts to subversion of the entire edifice of the judiciary.

If, eventually, the BJP Government succeeds in stalling the appointment of Justice Joseph, it will only lose its credibility with the people. It is precisely to immunise the judiciary against unwarranted executive interference that the separation of the executive from the judiciary was done. Article 50 of the Constitution says: Separation of judiciary from executive. The State shall take steps to separate the judiciary from the executive in the public services of the State.

The Constitution has created three arms of the Statethe Legislature, the Executive and the Judicature. Their respective jurisdictions have been defined. It is expected that the three institutions will work in harmony and respect each others sphere of authority. In case of any controversy, the decision of the Supreme Court will be binding on all. The founding fathers of the Constitution did not visualise the possibility that future governments might insidiously attempt at reducing the judiciary to an appendage of the executive.

In India today, the court is the last resort of the citizen to seek redress against the arbitrariness of the Executive and for enforcing the fundamental rights given by the Constitution. Any attempt to subvert the freedom of the judiciary is tantamount to subverting the democratic edifice of our Republic. Such an attempt has to be resolutely fought and defeated.

The author was a correspondent of The Hindu in Assam. He also worked in Patriot, Compass (Bengali), Mainstream. A veteran journalist, he comes from a Gandhian family and was intimately associated with the RCPI leader, Pannalal Das Gupta.
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Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Impeachment, a Serious Matter

Its sheer arrogance. True, Chief Justice Dipak Misra denied permission to Allahabad High Court judge Nayaran Shukla to prosecute a Lucknow-based Prasad Education Trust, which runs a medical college. But this is not such a violation of law which should invite impeachment of the Chief Justice of India.

The Congress Party was divided but since its President, Rahul Gandhi, decided to move against the Chief Justice, even the balanced Kapil Sibal had to fall in line. Ashwini Kumar, another senior Congressman and an advocate, has made it clear that he was uncomfortable with the move for impeachment. Even people like former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, P. Chidambaram and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, also lawyers, did not sign the motion.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, also a senior Congress leader, was reading the impeachment motion at the behest of Rahul Gandhi in the Rajya Sabha and collected signatures of its members. It is mandatory that such a motion has to be moved in the Upper House. The fact that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not have a majority in the Rajya Sabha also came in handy to the Congress and six other Opposition parties.

Despite the required number of signatures, Chairman of the Rajya Sabha M. Venkaiah Naidu, originally from the BJP, rejected the motion out-rightly. Vice-President Naidu, in his 10-page note, explained the swiftness of his decision, ascribing it to the seriousness of the charges and unnecessary speculation.

All facts as stated in the motion dont make out a case which can lead any reasonable mind to conclude that the Chief Justice on these facts can be ever held guilty of misbehaviour, said Naidu. He had apparently consulted legal, constitutional experts and took notice of the media opinion, which has vehemently criticised the impeach-ment move.

Union Minister Arun Jaitley has, under-standably, called the impeachment notice a revenge petition, accusing the Congress and its friends of using as a political tool the impeachment notice against the Chief Justice, who retires in six months. The Constitution says the Chief Justice of India can be impeached only on grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity.

The Opposition backed its demand listing five grounds, which, the Congress said, equals misbehaviour. These included the assigning of sensitive cases to handpicked judges, raised publicly in January by four top judges who accused the Chief Justice of abusing his position as master of the roster. Subsequently, the next five topmost judges also held a press conference to air their views as the trigger was the Judge B.H. Loyas death case. It has since been reassigned.

This was an unprecedented move. Similarly, the impeachment proceedings have never been taken up against a Chief Justice of India. The Chairman forwards such a notice to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to verify two factorsthe signatures of the members who signed the petition and whether rules and procedures have been followed. Obviously, Naidu was not convinced.

The debates of the Constituent Assembly indicate that the framers of the Constitution comprising all political parties were very cautious in laying down the impeachment clause. The members did not want the impeachment to be taken lightly. I am sorry to say that the Congress Party has thrown all cautions to the wind which the party itself was very careful about. Rahul Gandhi, by his behaviour, has disrespected the wishes of the Congress stalwarts at that time.

But one thing is clear. The Chief Justice has, indeed, compromised his position and the stature of his office. As pointed out by the topmost five judges, he has abused his exercise of power in choosing to send sensitive matters to particular Benches by misusing his authority as Master of the Roster with the likely intent to influence the outcome. In addition, the Chief justice had acquired land when he was an advocate by giving a false affidavit. Of course, he did surrender the land in 2012 after he was elevated to the Supreme Court. But then he took so much time to do so despite the allotment having been cancelled years earlier.

Of course, there are a few cases of High Court judges against whom impeachment moves were made. But before the moves could be made, they themselves resigned. For instance, Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court avoided the ignominy of becoming the first judge to be impeached by Parliament by tendering his resignation. He did so after the Rajya Sabha had passed the motion making him the first judge to have been impeached by the Upper House for misconduct. Justice Sen was found guilty of misappropriating Rs 33.23 lakhs under his custody as a court-appointed receiver in the capacity as a lawyer and misrepresenting facts before a Calcutta court in a 1983 case.

Similarly, Justice P.D. Dinakaran, Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court, against whom the Rajya Sabha Chairman had set up a judicial panel to look into allegations of corruption, resigned in July 2011, before impeachment proceedings could be initiated against him. Corruption, land-grab and abuse of judicial office were among the 16 charges framed against Justice Dinakaran.

However, Justice V. Ramaswami is the only example with the dubious distinction of being the first judge against whom impeachment proceedings were initiated. In 1993, the motion was brought up in the Lok Sabha, but it failed to secure the required two-thirds majority. Justice Ramaswami was caught in a controversy for spending extravagantly on his official residence during his tenure as the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana in 1990. The Supreme Court Bar Association even passed a resolution calling for his impeachment.

Impeachment is a serious matter. It should never get politicised. Rahul Gandhi has done so. And, to that extent, he has weakened the judiciary. Since he heads an influential all-India party, he should be extra careful about his action. His mother, Sonia Gandhi, may not be familiar with the intricacies of politics. But then she should have advised his son to respect the spirit of the Constitution.

The author is a veteran journalist renowned not only in this country but also in our neighbouring states of Pakistan and Bangladesh where his columns are widely read. His website is www.kuldipnayar.com
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Chinese Perfidy

Sino-Indian relations have been marked by Chinese perfidy since the time we attained political independence in 1947 and the so-called Chinese liberation in 1949. Barely had the Chinese achieved political freedom that they attacked and annexed the whole of Tibet in 1950.

From the very beginning of our political relations, Jawaharlal Nehru went out of his way to befriend the Chinese. When the UN Security Council was set up in 1948, Nehru had urged, indeed argued with, the Western powers (the USA, UK and France) and the Soviet Union to make China a Permanent Member of that Council with a veto, like the other four. That was despite the Western powers being very keen that Democratic India and not Communist China should be the fifth veto-holding member of the Council. This was despite none of the three Western powers having even recognised China diplomatically at that time.

The Brief that Nehru gave our three ambassadors to ChinaK.M. Pannikkar, K.P.S. Menon and R.K. Nehruwas that they should go all out to befriend China. What is more, he directed them to do so, even if the Chinese did not reciprocate. However, the Chinese were hostile right from the beginning. It was with the greatest of difficulty that Nehru was able, following his first visit to China in 1952, to get the Chinese to agree to conclude in 1954 the path-breaking Panch-sheel Agreement, that is, a Bilateral Agreement which contained a set of Five Principles to govern Sino-Indian relations.

At this point, I must back-track in my narrative to mention two important events. Firstly, that as far back as in 1949, the then US President, Harry Truman, sent to Delhi his Secretary of State (Foreign Minister) Dean Acheson and the then Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Robert Frost. Their mission was to offer to Nehru a Bilateral Military Alliance, which was tailor-made, politically and security-wise, to be acceptable to Nehru. After careful consideration Nehru declined the offer. He told Acheson: We have not fought Colonial and Imperial Britain for almost 80 years and finally thrown them out to get you, the USA, as our new Masters.

More significant perhaps was the offer made by Josef Stalin in 1951 for a Bilateral Military Pact with contours and character to be defined solely by Nehru himself. While not accepting Stalins remarkable offerthe Soviet Union did not have such an Agreement even with their fraternal ally Communist ChinaNehru told Stalin during a visit to Moscow soon after Stalins offer: We in India seek the closest possible allround friendship with the USSR, but a set of relations which does not infringe or restrict our Freedom of Action either at home or abroad.

To return to Sino-Indian relations, the period starting immediately after the signing of the Panch-sheel Agreement to the end of 1958, was characterised by considerable cordiality. However, more of that later.

In March 1958 Nehru decided to appoint one of his closest aides, G. Parthasarathi, as the Ambassador to China. G.P., as he was well known both at home and abroad, was then our Ambassador to Indonesia. On getting Nehrus orders to go to China, G.P. made the rounds of the top echelons of our government. He met all the four Secretaries in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Defence Minister V.K. Krishna Menona close mentor during G.P.s student days at OxfordDefence Secretary S.S. Khera, the three Defence Service Chiefs and finally that formidable personality in Nehrus government at that time, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) responsible then for both Internal and External Intelligence, B.N. Mullick.

Finally he called on Nehru at 11 pm on March 18, 1958, the night before he (G.P.) was leaving for Peking (as it then used to be called). After disposing of a couple of files he was dealing with, Nehru put his pen down, leant back in his chair, looked at G.P. in the eye and said: So G.P., what has the Foreign Office told you? Hindu-Chini Bhai Bhai? Dont you believe it. I dont trust that Chinese one bit. They are an arrogant, opinionated and hegemonistic imperial power. Eternal vigilance has to be your watchword. You should send your important telegrams only to me directly. He then went on to say: A word of caution. You should not mention a word about these instructions of mine to Krishna (meaning Krishna Menon). I say this because all of usyou, me and Krishnaall share a common worldviewbroadly Left-of-Centre. However, Krishna erroneously believes that a Communist State (meaning China) would never attack a Non-Aligned Country (meaning India).

It was a sobered G.P. who left the Prime Ministers Office at 1 am on March 19, 1958 and went back to the house of his cousin, S. Ranganathan, then the Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The next morning he flew, alongwith with wife Subur, to Madras (as Chennai was then called). At Chennai the couple boarded the flagship of the Indian Navy, the Cruiser, INS Mysore, which was to proceed to Shanghai (Chinas largest port city) from where the couple would fly to Peking.

G.P. started work in the Embassy in Peking on April 1, 1958. A week later, there was a major function in the Great Hall of the People at which G.P. formally presented his credentials to the President of China, the great Chairman Mao-tse-Tung. Speaking briefly on the occasion (the perfidious) Mao referred to India and China being two great civilisations which had been in contact with each other for over 3000 years and how he looked forward to G.P.s tenure in China being a pleasurable and cordial one.

G.P. soon got into the swim of things in Peking. He worked out with his counterpart, Mr Chiang-wen-Chin, the Director of the Asia Division in the Chinese Foreign Office, a schedule of twice-a-week meetings. Chiang was well known in Pekings diplomatic circles as a close confidant of the famous Chou-En-lai, the venerable Prime Minister of China. However, an important measure which G.P. took to build up and consolidate his position in the Chinese Government was to get to know quite well the famous Foreign Minister of China, Marshal Chen Yi (Chiangs boss).

As my parents were getting into Pekings governmental and diplomatic circles, as a budding physicist, I visited the famous Technical University of Tsing Hua and got to know both the Faculty and students there.

Particularly enjoyable for me was getting to know quite well a young First Secretary in the Yugoslav Embassy, called Vlado Sestan. Vlado, though only 35 years of age, had already become quite a Sinophile, speaking fluent Mandarin (the official Chinese language). He was also fond of trekking, particularly to many Buddhist and Taoist temples in China. As at home, most of these exquisite temples were located on mountain tops. So led by Sestan, I trekked to mountain Tai Shan (7000 feet altitude) and located close to the port city of Tienstin, and to Omai Shan (12,000 feet altitude) at the other end (western end) of China. Vlados ability to speak Mandarin Chinese fluently and also to read it to a fair extent enabled us to converse with the common people of China and got to know their hopes and fears and their perception of the pluses and minuses of the Chinese Communist Party which ruled them. Vlado was also a superb photographer and his pictures of various aspects and views of the temples and the carvings on them were excellent.

As if all this was not enough, Vlados wife Yerka was a superb cook and so I was spoilt with lovely Serbian food and wine.

Those were some of my happiest days in Peking.

By early 1959, it became clear the year ahead would be a difficult one for India and Indians in China. The year opened with the first incursions by Chinese troops in the western sector of the Sino-Indian border. Our far less well equipped troops began to die like flies. Simultaneously, the Chinese also started major incursions in the east (Arunachal Pradesh). These incursions, behind which our reconnaissance aircraft could see large formations of Chinese troops specially trained for mountain warfare, indicated the seriousness of the situation.

The political and ideological dimension of the major Sino-Indian conflict looming ahead was also serious. The two official dailiesPeking Daily, the organ of the Communist Party of China, and Red Flag, the organ of the Peoples Liberation Armycarried daily diatribes against Nehru personally and India in general.

Then came the coup dgracea long 10,000-word article entitled: On Nehrus Socialism in Peoples Daily with the authors name inscribed merely as A Socialist. From start-to-finish, the article was a savage diatribe of Nehru and all that he stood for. It undertook an almost sociological analysis of Nehrua leader of the Indian bourgeoisie, born with a silver spoon in his mouth. That all his pretensions of being a socialist were fake. That so was the claim of him and his cohorts to be building a Socialistic Pattern of Society in India. And so on and so forth.

Minute reading of the text of the article including the phrases used, led our own China analysts and those of the Western embassies in Peking to the unmistakeable conclusion that the author was Mao himself.

It was only to be expected that in such an overall situation, G.P.s predicament in working with officials of the Chinese Government would be very difficult. Chiang-wen-Chin went cold as a cucumber. So did Chen Yi. The only person who continued to be as warm and accessible as ever to G.P. was Chou-En-lai. The whole of 1959 proceeded this way.

Meanwhile, the Sino-Soviet split, which was running in parallel with the Sino-Indian one, got intensified. What was galling to the Chinese was the frequent reference in Pravda and other organs of the Soviet Communist Party and the frequent calls in those publications for our Chinese Brothers and our Indian Friends to bury their differences and work together amicably whether it be in regard to the Border or State-to-State relations in particular.

By the time mid-1960 came although the level of Border skirmishes and conflicts had not come significantly down, Khrushchev put huge pressure on Mao to let Chou-En-lai go to Delhi. G.P. as our Ambassador to China accompanied Chou-En-lai not only to Delhi but on each of Chous calls not only on Nehru but on Nehrus senior MinistersGovind Ballabh Pant, the Home Minister, Morarji Desai, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Krishna Menon, the Defence Minister etc.

A very significant fact that G.P. learnt in Delhi was that Nehru had been informed by Khrushchev via a top secret route that it was the estimate of Soviet Intelligence that the Chinese had started preparing for a war against India in late 1962, as far back as in 1956, that is, even during the bonhomie period of 1954-1958!

To return to Chous visit to Delhi, every top Minister he metas indicated earliertook a hard line insisting that (a) China should return to India all the 15,000 sq. kilometres of territory in Tibet which China had acquired through Catographic Aggression undertaken by the Chinese over 1955 to 1959furthermore an aggression which was still continuing; and (b) China should make a public statement that they were committed to settling the Border dispute with India peacefully and only through negotiations.

Chous response to Nehru and all his senior Ministers regarding (a) and (b) above, was one of stonewalling. His one-point refrain to (a) and (b) was for both countries to accept a Package Deal under which all the territories China was possessing as of that day (including the 15,000 sq. kms. acquired through Cartographic Aggression) would remain with China, while the whole of Arunachal Pradesh would come to India. Such a formula was unacceptable to Nehru and his Ministers, because it would be unacceptable to the Indian people. So, it was stalemate and after three days in Delhi, Chou returned to Peking at the end of September empty-handed.

Meanwhile, Nehru, who had been informed by the Soviet Ambassador to Delhi that Chous visit itself was due to massive pressure put by Khrushchev on Mao, rang up Khrushchev, thanked the former for his positive intervention and then recounted to Khrushchev the outcome of Chous visit.

The period from Chous return in September 1960 and the onset of the Sino-Indian War of October-November 1962, was characterised by a steady worsening of relationsboth political and military.

In June 1961, G.P.s term of duty in Peking came to an end. G.P., his wife and I were to leave for Delhi on the morning of June 21 via Hong Kong.

Most unusually G.P. got an invitation from Marshal Chen Yi, the Foreign Minister of China, to a small dinner for the two families at 7 pm on the 20th evening. The fact that Chen Yi was hosting the dinner and not Chiang-wen-Chin and that the dinner was to be at the residence of Chen Yi rather than on one or other official guest-house of the Foreign Office, reflected how highly G.P. was held in top Chinese Government circles.

When the three of us arrived at Chen Yis residence we found that Chiang-wen-Chin was already there alongwith his wife. Both the wives Chen Yis and Chiang-wen-Chinswere obviously there because my mother had been invited.

Over 7.00-7.30 pm, a desultory conversation took place between the three men on one side and the three women on the other.

However, exactly at 7.30 pm in walks Chou-En-lai. As he comes into the room he goes straight to G.P., hugs him warmly and then says: You are a great friend of China. Your stay with us has been extremely successful. I hope to see you again in China soon.

Chou then joins the conversation in a very jovial mood. However, exactly at 8 pm Chou stands up, hugs G.P. again, gives the latter a very expensive present and then leaves.

The dinner is then served and the atmosphere is convivial with even Mrs Chen Yi and Mrs Chiang-wen-Chin speaking in English!

However, no sooner than the dinner ended Chen Yi, Chiang-wen-Chin, my father and I moved into another room. There, over the strong Chinese rice wine Maotai and Cuban cigars Chiang opens the conversation with a grave face. He tells G.P. that according to Chinese sources, Nehru was to be going on a state visit to the USA in August 1961 at the invitation of President Kennedy, just before Nehru was to give his usual address at the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. Chiang said then that as G.P. was leaving for Delhi the next day, the Chinese Government would greatly appreciate if Nehru could used his good offices with Kennedy to undertake the following:

(a) request Kennedy to reduce the patrolling of the Taiwan Strait by the US Seventh Fleet, and

(b) urge Kennedy to seriously consider the admission of China not only into the United Nations in general but making China a Permanent Member of the Security Council in particular.

G.P. was flabbergasted and indeed outraged at Chiang-wen-Chins two requests coming as it did from a countryChinawhich had been vilifying Nehru and India in their media for at least two whole years.

However, G.P. also kept a straight face and said that as soon as he reached Delhi he would convey the Chen Yi-Chiang-wen-Chin requests to Nehru.

When G.P. returned to Delhi towards the end of June 1961, he, as usual, first went to see Nehru. Nehru welcomed him warmly. He then showed G.P. a six-page hand-written letter from President Kennedy which the US Ambassador to India, John Kenneth Galbraith, had brought to him (Nehru) a few days earlier. Nehru asked G.P. to read the letter carefully. After G.P. had done so, Nehru asked him for his views. G.P. said that he would like to think about the matter for a day or so. After doing so, G.P. went back to Nehru the next day and said his advice would be not to accept Kennedys offer. G.P. gave Nehru three reasons for not doing so. First, Nehru was seen in the eyes of the world as a crusader for Disarmament in general and Nuclear Disarmament in particular ever since the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. For such a person to suddenly going for a nuclear test would result in his (Nehrus) credibility being severely compro-mised. Secondly, the whole world knew that India did not have the capability to undertake a nuclear test on its own. So, a test by us would totally lack credibilitythe world would ask: who gave you the nuclear device and taught you how to detonate it? The needle of suspicion would clearly point to the USA. Thirdly, and finally, it would lead to a nuclear weapons programme by Pakistan. For all these reasons, G.P. advised Nehru not to accept Kennedys offer. Incidentally, this was despite Bhabha, the head of our nuclear programme, B.N. Mullick, the Director, Intelligence Bureau, and even Indira Gandhi all being in favour of accepting Kennedys offer.

The next major event was the 1962 Sino-Indian War. So much has been written about it by numerous authors that I do not propose to deal with it here.

I will proceed directly to what happened in June 1979 when Atal Behari Vajpayee as the Foreign Minister of the Janata Government headed by Morarji Desai made an official visit to China. Chinese perfidy was again at work and the Chinese insulted Vajpayee in two ways. First, they undertook a very large Nuclear Bomb Test with an explosive power of 10 Megatons. Secondly, they launched a major attack on Vietnam, their south-eastern neighbour and another fraternal communist country. The 14-day war ended with the Vietnamese roundly defeating the Chinese while inflicting heavy casualties on Chinese troops.

The next occasion when Chinese perfidy came to the fore was in 2003 when Prime Minister Vajpayee of a 24-party coalition of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) made a state visit to China. The key matter to be decided upon that visit was the status of Sikkim. Sikkim had all along been an integral part of India, but for decades the Chinees had refused to accept that. However, this time, Brajesh Mishra, the Principal Secretary to Vajpayee and one who had been Number Two to G.P. when G.P. was our Ambassador to the UN over 1965-69, had done such superb back-channel work with the Chinese before the Vajpayee visit that the Chinese finally gave in and agreed to Sikkim being an integral part of India. Moreover apart from being included in the Agreed Minutes of the Vajpayee visit, the Chinese Ambassador in New Delhi held an International Press Conference at which he displayed a map of the entire area around Sikkim including a finger-like geographical formation protruding from the Indian landmass into the Chinese territory. Furthermore, when a foreign correspondent asked the Ambassador to confirm that the finger was an integral part of India or not, the Ambassador confirmed that it was. Yet, within six months of that Press Conference, the finger was infested by Chinese troops in large numbers. So much for the sanctity of Chinese commitments.

Finally, there is the matter of Arunachal Pradesh. G.P., as the Chairman of the Indian Council of Social Science Research, led a large delegation of our social scientists to China in June 1982 to meet their counterparts in Chinese universities. Our delegation visited several major Chinese universities and Research Institutes to give lectures there and get to know each others counterparts viewpoints.

However, the real purpose of G.P.s visitas he was Prime Minister Indira Gandhis closest aide and adviserwas to meet and have extended discussions with the Chinese supremo, Deng Xiaopeng, on Sino-Indian relations. That top secret meeting was arranged by A.P. Venkateswaran, then our Ambassador to China.

The G.P.-Deng meeting lasted one hour and 40 minutes. Deng opened the meeting by referring to the longstanding cordial relations which had prevailed over centuries between India and China. He said that against such a background, the deterioration in Sino-Indian relations which had occurred in the second half of the 1950s that had finally led to the tragic Sino-Indian conflict of 1962, must never be repeated. Deng then asked G.P. to convey his cordial good wishes to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Against the above background, Deng said that, after much reflection, he had come to conclude that the only way the Sino-Indian Border Disputethe most serious difference between the two countriescould be resolved was by adopting a package deal approach, namely, China keeps all the territory it was currently holding in the western sector of the border, that is, that adjoining Tibet, while India kept the whole of Arunachal Pradesh.

G.P., who had been expecting such a proposal from Deng, reacted very positively to the proposal. This being the case, and after further discussion, Deng and G.P. decided to proceed as follows:

On his return to Delhi, G.P. would report in detail to PM Indira Gandhi about his talks with Deng. Thereafter, Indiraji would write a letter to Deng setting out her agreement to taking Dengs approach. Such a letter would reach Deng through diplomatic channels in three weeks time. Deng would respond his affirmation of Indirajis proposal also in three weeks time. He would also indicate the name of the Chinese Representative at the senior level who would deal with the border talks from the Chinese end.

With the complete operational modalities sown up, G.P. and Deng spent sometime on reviewing the world situation. Thereafter G.P. (and Venkateswaran who had accompanied G.P. to the talks with Deng), took leave of Deng.

After returning to the Indian Embassy (in Peking) they reviewed the whole meeting and concluded that it had gone well.

The next day (June 27, 1982) G.P. and the rest of the ICSSR delegation left Peking to return to Delhi.

On the very day he arrived back in Delhi, G.P. met Indiraji and briefed her in detail about his talks with Deng. Indiraji congratulated him for having accomplished a very difficult task so well.

The next step was Indirajis letter to Deng which G.P. did the next day and, after some minor corrections by her, it was sent off to our Embassy in Peking by a special Diplomatic Bag.

As he had promised, Dengs reply accepting Indirajis letter in toto and naming the seniormost Deputy Minister in the Chinese Foreign Office as the Chinese Governments nominee for the border talks came around the agreed time-frame.

Having found Dengs reply in order, Indiraji asked G.P. who should be the Indian Representative. G.P., who had already given some thought to the matter, said: We should bring A.P. Venkateswaran back to Delhi as Secretary (East) in External Affairs and designate him simultaneously as our Representative for the talks. Mrs Gandhi accepted G.P.s advice and the necessary administrative arrangements were made. However, the PM asked G.P. to keep a close watch on how the talks were progressing and ensure that they stayed on the rails.

The bilateral talks on the border between the Special Representatives of the two governments started in December 1982 and were held alternatively in Delhi and Beijing. Over the next nine monthsmuch of 1983three rounds of talks were held and they went off well.

Then came the spanner in the works. The senior Indian Foreign Service officer who had succeeded Venkateswaran as our Ambassador to China, K.S. Bajpai, suddenly told the Chinese side that it was unlikely the talks would continue as Mrs Gandhi had lost interest in the Ideaof Border Talks. Bajpais communication to the Chinese was totally unauthorised and false. So angry was Indiraji when she learnt what he had done, that she promptly transferred Bajpai as our Ambassador to an insignificant African country. She also saw to it that the talks continued.

The core of the Deng-Indira Agreement was that China would lay no claims whatsoever to Arunachal Pradesh. That State would, for all time to come, be an unfettered State of the Indian Union. Perfidiously, however, Dengs successors did not hold to that position. Quite the contrary. Every time the Prime Minister or our President or the Dalai Lamathe Head of the Buddhist Community worldwidevisited Arunachal, there would be a shrill outcry of criticism from not just the Chinese media but the Chinese Foreign Office as well. Over time, we came to ignore such perfidious and baseless opposition and go about our business as usual! But the perfidy remains and with it a total lack of confidence and dependability of the Chinese.

The author is a former S & T Adviser to the late Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > The Wuhan Informal Summit

POLITICAL NOTEBOOK

Beyond the hype, the hoopla and the high-voltage publicity, what is the tangible outcome of the Informal Summit between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, held on April 27 and 28? Nobody knows because except for the two interpreters taking detailed notes of their informal talks, there was none present at the one-to-one meeting. What the officials of the two sides told the media after the summit was based on the briefing given to them by the two statesmen. And these were the usual diplomatic sweet nothings that are fed to the media after every summit that has failed to break the ice or break new grounds.

The two countries have reportedly decided to undertake a joint project in Afghanistan. What project? Where? At what cost? And how the cost will be shared between India, China and maybe Afghanistan? Nobody knows because the officials did not say anything, perhaps because they themselves do not know. The other thing that is being highlighted is that military-to-military contact would be established between the two sides at a higher levelinstead of the present low and middle levelsso as to prevent recurrence of Doklam-type confrontation in future by building better confidence-building measures.

It is not known whether the Chinese Army will restore the status quo ante at Doklam, withdraw their troops and dismantle the structures they have build after the 73-day stand-off. Obviously, China has shown no intention of changing its plans on Doklam; no intention of withdrawing its troops to pre-confrontation position; no intention of dismantling the trenches and bunkers and helipads and other structures that have been built.

As the initiative for holding the informal summit was taken by India and not China, it is obvious that India was negotiating from a position of weakness.

Narendra Modi is now functioning as the de facto Foreign Minister. The External Affairs Ministry is being remote-controlled by the PMO. In the last four years, Indias neighbourhood policy has failed to counter the growing Chinese influence. On the contrary, Nepal has gone closer to China, thanks to our ham-handed handling of Nepal. Maldives stamped out democracy, imposed national emergency and imprisoned all Opposition leaders. Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed was deposed and sent to exile. When, following the emergency, Nasheed sought Indias help, Maldives issued a strong warning to India not to intervene in its internal affairs even though India did nothing. China echoed the Maldives warning. In Sri Lanka, China has acquired a strategic asset in the form of the Hambantota port. Even Seychelles said No to India when the latter wanted to take on lease an island in the archipelago to build a naval base.

Modis foreign policy has driven India closer to the US and Israel, alienating our time-tested friend Russia and raising suspicion in our Arab friends. Today, Washington is bent on severing the Indo-Russian defence cooperation and making India dependent entirely on the US and its Western allies. Sanctions imposed by the US on Russia are now proving a stumbling block to our acquiring high value military hardware from Russia like the $6 billion state-of-the-art Triumf S-400 missile defence system urgently needed by the Indian Air Force.

The UPA Government had finalised the deal for acquiring 126 Rafale Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) from France. Modi cancelled the deal and personally negotiated a deal for buying 36 Rafale aircraft in a fly-away condition. The Congress has alleged that under the new deal the cost per aircraft will be much more than settled by the UPA Government. Meanwhile, the IAFs fleet strength has been reduced to an alarming level.

Chinas long-term objective is to supplant the United States as the sole superpower in the next five decades. Its military and economic policies are directed toward that end. In Asia, India poses the biggest challenge to Chinas unquestioned supremacy. China will always look upon and treat India as an adversary. This basic truth has to be realised by Indias policy-makers. Talks between Modi and Xi Jinping, whether formal or informal, whether structured or non-structured, whether with or without an agenda, will not change this stark reality. We should negotiate for peace but be prepared for any eventuality.

May 3 B.D.G.
China announced a huge government reshuffle programme. The sweeping government restructuring programme was said to be the largest reform since the end of the Mao Zedong era in the 1970s. The number of ministerial-level bodies was reduced significantly. The entire structure reflects the aim of streamlining governance, in key areas such as environmental protection, taxation, financial regulations and the legislature system on the administrative side.

In the intellectual property world, the most relevant change is the establishment of a super State Market Regulatory Administration (SMRA). This combines the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC), the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). The antitrust divisions of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) will also be merged into this super ministry. The patent and trade mark offices will be combined and housed under one roof - the SMRA. The responsibilities of the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ)  for patents, trade marks and geographical indications respectively  will all be governed under the SMRA.

Placing the patent and trade mark offices under the new mega ministry SMRA is something that has been discussed before, but the extent of this new authority's powers comes as a surprise. With regard to how it will affect the capabilities of the patent and trade mark functions, it seems the change might be more administrative in nature and cause no major disruptions. It is not necessary that the reorganisation will impact either office negatively, as it will still be the same group of people working at both offices. Both offices should function in the same way as they have done previously.

The restructuring also raises bigger picture questions such as who will now guide the overall direction of IP policy in China and whether there will be a redistribution of resources. Traditionally, the SIPO has been deeply involved in nurturing IP innovation policy and shaping the law, and it reports directly to the State Council, the highest level of authority in the country. SIPO plays an instrumental role in the new patent law amendments and inventor remuneration regulations. Now, any policies to be initiated by SIPO will be checked first by the new SMRA and, if approved, forwarded to the new Ministry of Justice, which is reinvigorated by including the former State Council Legislative Affairs Office. It is believed that before long the SMRA will dictate patent-related policies.

Regarding the SMRA, what is mostly notable is its new leader. Bi Jingquan, former head of the CFDA was just appointed to lead the new regulatory body as party secretary general, together with Mr Zhang Mao, former head of the SAIC, as minister of the SMRA. Bi Jingquan is widely regarded as a hands-on pro-reform and pro-innovation leader who has, for example, been playing a critical role in introducing the pharmaceutical patent linkage system in China. The reform he led in the pharmaceutical area is unprecedented and is clearly part of the foundation for his promotion. He might continue instigating reforms at this new ministry. The progress he will initiate in the area of patent linkage, regulatory data protection and patent term extension will be signals of future reforms in the IP field.

The impact of the consolidation at the central government level remains to be seen at the local level. In fact, in recent years local SMRAs have been established in many cities, starting from Shenzhen. Patent administrative enforcement has already been tried out at some of the local SMRAs. The consolidation of the enforcement powers in both the trade mark and patent area might arguably increase effectiveness and deterrence. What is also notable is the consolidation of the antitrust departments in the SMRA, as it may have some impact on IP-related antitrust regulations. The NDRC and SAIC arguably both have jurisdiction over IP-related antitrust issues. The consolidation, which aims to achieve uniform antitrust law enforcement will probably put an end to this dual jurisdiction.



He Jing Chen Zhixing

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Singapore finance minister Heng Swee Keat delivered the Budget Statement to Parliament on February 19 2018. In his speech, Heng Swee Keat emphasised the importance of encouraging pervasive innovation throughout the economy and how crucial intellectual property (IP) has become for companies competing in a fast-paced business environment. To this end, the Budget Statement unveiled several initiatives such as tax deductions and funding aimed at boosting research and innovation.

To support businesses as they buy and use new solutions, existing grants supporting the adoption of pre-scoped, off-the shelf technologies will be merged into a single Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG). PSGs provide funding support of up to 70% of qualifying costs. Additionally, tax deductions on licensing payments for commercial use of IP are raised from 100% to 200% for the first S$100,000 ($76,000) of qualifying IP in-licensing costs incurred each fiscal year.

In addition, businesses building their own innovations can enjoy cheaper IP registration costs through tax deductions. Such tax deductions are enhanced from 100% to 200% for the first S$100,000 ($76,000) of qualifying IP registration costs (for example, patenting costs) incurred each year. Also, tax deductions for expenditures such as staff costs and consumables incurred on research and development activities in Singapore will be raised from 150% to 250%, capped at S$100,000 ($76,000) per fiscal year and will be available from 2019 to 2025.

Also, to assist businesses in finding partners to co-create solutions, the government will pilot a virtual crowdsourcing platform called the Open Innovation Platform (OIP) where companies can list specific challenges that can be addressed by digital solutions. The OIP matches companies seeking solutions for their problems with info-communications and technology (ICT) firms or research institutes which have appropriate expertise to co-develop solutions.

The government also seeks to harness Singapore's national research capabilities to enhance its global economic competitiveness. The National Research Foundation (NRF) and Temasek Holdings will launch a S$100 million ($76 million) investment venture called the NRF-Temasek IP Commercialisation Vehicle. This venture will bring together Temasek's global investment networks and NRF's connections with the local research and development community to grow companies that generate IP from publicly funded research.

Finally, in a bid to drive greater adoption of digital technologies, automation and robotics, the government will launch an Aviation Transformation Programme (ATP) and a Maritime Transformation Programme (MTP) this year to strengthen the nation's status as an air and sea hub. These programmes allow Singapore's airport and seaport to become platforms for companies to develop, test and use new technologies. The government further provides funding of up to S$500 million ($380 million) for these two programmes with additional matching investments from industry partners.

The launch of these initiatives by the Singapore government during 2018 and 2019 is a welcome boost for businesses and an incentive for increasing innovation by providing funding support for research projects and IP acquisition.



Wu Zhexuan Daniel Collopy

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According to the World Economic Forum 2016, the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), building on the third industrial revolution, i.e. the digital revolution of information and communication technologies (ICT), is characterised by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological fields. 4IR issues have been a hot topic in many countries and territories around the world. As key technologies of the 4IR, the internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing, big data, robotics and cyber-physical systems (CPS) have been extensively addressed in most expert reports. These 4IR technologies are expected to create up to $3.7 trillion in value by 2025, and global competition to be the leader in 4IR technologies is heating up.

In the era of the 4IR, intellectual property in the form of patents, designs, trade marks and copyrights can be especially valuable. It is well known that global companies have utilised intellectual property as economic moats. This trend can be easily understood from the statistics showing a steep 12-fold increase in worldwide patent registrations for 4IR technologies from 2010 to 2015.

According to the 2017 EPO Report Patents and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the USA, Europe and Japan have been the top innovators in 4IR technologies, and EP applications from South Korea and China have been on the rise in recent years. Furthermore, the report shows that core technology innovation is largely concentrated in a limited number of large ICT companies, such as Samsung, LG, Sony, GE and Google.

Statistical data from the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) also shows that the number of Korean patent applications for 4IR technologies is rapidly increasing.

To keep pace with the 4IR, the KIPO has recently introduced and implemented new IP policies geared toward 4IR technologies.

New technology classification system for seven core 4IR technologies

Patents related to 4IR technologies have problems in that they cannot be clearly sorted according to the existing patent classification system due to their innovative characteristics such as super-connection, super-intelligence and convergence.

In order to resolve these issues and establish suitable patent examination guidelines reflecting the attributes of the 4IR, the KIPO has established a new technology classification system for seven core 4IR technologies: AI, Big Data, IoT, 3D printing, autonomous driving, intelligent robotics and cloud computing. From January 2018, the KIPO has begun using this classification system for these seven core technical fields.

This new classification system is expected to be useful in dealing with the 4IR for various government policies in industry, science and technology sectors, as well as in patent examination.

Expedited examination

Designs

The KIPO has revised the Enforcement Decree of the Korean Design Protection Act (effective as of January 2 2018) to expand eligible subjects for expedited examination so that applicants can request expedited examination for design registration applications directly related to the fourth industrial revolution, such as AI or robot technology. If a request for expedited examination is filed, the examination period, which is generally more than five months, can be shortened to two months. For example, designs related to AI-based personal robots and conferencing hub devices based on IoT and unified communications can enjoy the benefit of expedited IP registration.

Patents

Expedited examination will be available for patent applications related to the seven 4IR technologies above from around May 2018. A request for accelerated examination can speed up the examination, allowing one to receive a patent within about 5.7 months on average, which is shorter than the normal examination process of about 16.4 months. In consideration of the unique characteristics of the 4IR (super-connection, super-intelligence, convergence), the KIPO plans to actively carry out the three-examiner consultation system.

In the era of the 4IR, it is more important to secure intellectual property quickly since different technologies are converging and innovation is occurring rapidly. Therefore, these changes in the KIPO's IP system will provide greater opportunities for applicants.

Updates to examination guidelines with regard to 4IR technology inventions

The KIPO's patent/utility model examination guidelines, revised in January 2018, present specific cases for determining the inventiveness of inventions related to the fourth industrial revolution.

4IR technology inventions differ from those in other technical fields in that they are achieved through the convergence of different technologies, or are characterised by super-intelligence or super-connection on existing technologies. In principle, the general jurisprudence of judging the inventive step of an invention, which is based on technical difficulty and remarkable effects, also applies to these inventions. The revised guidelines, disclosing 14 example cases, have added that the inventive step can be recognised if there are any special difficulties in convergence, super-intelligence, or super-connection of technologies, or if there is an advantageous effect beyond effects predictable from the prior art.

For example, for inventions of IoT-related technologies, if there is an advantageous effect over the prior art resulting from the utilisation of information obtained by connecting the object to the network, the advantageous effect can be positively considered when determining an inventive step.

It is expected that the revised guidelines will be able to support more accurate, consistent and unbiased patent examination for fourth industrial revolution technologies in the future.

Min Son

Partner, Hanol IP & Law



HANOL Intellectual Property & Law

6th Floor, Daemyung Tower, 135, Beobwon-ro, Songpa-gu

Seoul, 05836

Republic of Korea

Tel: +82 2 942 1100

Fax: +82 2 942 2600

hanol@hanollawip.com

www.hanollawip.com

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"Real talk: Daniel Rubin has a great little piece up wherein he chats with The Field Negro, the Philly-based blogger who sharply ponders all things black on a daily basis. (Seriously, if youve never checked in with TFN, you should: Its author, Wayne Bennett, is a fantastic read who can cut through bullshit like a hot knife through butter, which is a far grosser analogy than I wanted to make, but there you have it.)"

~Philebrity~



"One of the most precocious and hilarious Black political minds on the net. Ive been a long-time fan!" ~Asad Malik~









"..While most of what he writes is tongue-in-cheek, his space is a safe house for candid discussions about race, especially in the comments section, where people of all colors meet."



~~Daniel Rubin, "The Philadelphia Inquirer"~~



"To white people, Bennett's musings are like kitchen-table talk from a kitchen they may otherwise never set foot in. To African Americans, he is part of a growing army of black Internet amateurs who have taken up the work once reserved for ministers and professional activists: the work of setting a black agenda, shaping black opinion and calling attention to the state of the nation's racial affairs."



~~Richard Fausset, "L.A. Times"~~~











~Erik Hare, "The Twin Cities Daily Planet"~



"That's why I love the blog " Field Negro " so much. Field, as he's known to his fans, has the sense of reality that it takes to call out the ( CowPuckey ) of blame beating by those who are in positions of power and their lackeys. Because of his handle and his unabashed way of writing about racial issues, Field is often cited as a "Black blogger." What he is, however, is a first-class detector of blame deflection and an excellent student of history. If you want to write about the past and future of repression there's really no other perspective to take - which is why everyone should read Field."~Erik Hare, "The Twin Cities Daily Planet"~





411 On The Field field negro Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Raised in the house, but field certified. Jamaica is the land of my birth, but I consider myself a citizen of the world. I currently practice law in the city of "brotherly love". View my complete profile



"Half a century after Little Rock, the Montgomery bus boycott and the tumultuous dawn of the modern civil rights era, the new face of the movement is Facebook, MySpace and some 150 black blogs united in an Internet alliance they call the

AfroSpear.



Older, familiar leaders such as Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton and NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, are under challenge by a younger generation of bloggers known by such provocative screen names as Field Negro, thefreeslave

and African American Political Pundit. And many of the newest struggles are being waged online."



~Howard Witt-The Chicago Tribune~



"I had no idea, for example, of the extent of the African-American blogging world out there and its collective powers of dissemination.But now, after reading thousands of anguished, thoughtful comments posted on these blogs reflecting on issues of persistent racial discrimination in the nation's schools and courtrooms, what's clear to me is that there's a new, "virtual" civil rights movement out there on the Internet that can reach more people in a few hours than all the protest marches, sit-ins and boycotts of the 1950s and 60s put together." ~Chicago Tribune Reporter, Howard Witt~

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SPRINGFIELD -- The fountain at Monarch Place in downtown Springfield will flow again on the day Starbucks opens its new coffee shop with outdoor dining on the adjacent plaza.

Monarch is shooting for May 29 as the big day, said Paul Picknelly, president of Monarch Enterprises and owner of both the office building and adjacent Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel.

But the decision as to when to open is up to Starbucks, Picknelly said.

Starbucks executives will visit the new store Wednesday and inspect it, he said.

"They always have a punch list of items they will need taken care of before we can open," he said Friday.

May 29 is also the afternoon Starbucks will close its more than 8,000 company-owned stores in the United States so staff can undergo training to combat racial bias. The training is Starbucks's reaction to an incident in Philadelphia where Starbucks staffers called the police on two black men simply because they had yet to order and had asked to use the restroom.

A spokesman at Starbucks headquarters in Seattle couldn't say this week how the day of training might change plans in Springfield.

The Starbucks and restored fountain, a feature Picknelly called a "water wall," completes a renovation project in the heart of Springfield's downtown. Work began last summer.

"What we think of as the plaza is actually a roof," Picknelly said. "It's a roof over our parking garage. There is no dirt behind any of it. What's behind it is all the mechanical systems."

The water wall had leaked over the years and caused quite a bit of damage.

Renovations included fixing the fountain and putting down a new patio with planters.

The Starbucks will occupy the remaining portion of the old Bank of America office. Bank of America closed the branch in 2016 as part of a nationwide thinning of its office network.

United Bank moved its downtown Springfield branch into part of the old Bank of America space in January.

Picknelly said Friday that the Cornerstone Cafe coffee, soup and sandwich shop in Monarch Place will continue operating.
SPRINGFIELD -- The city's License Commission has approved two package store licenses for MGM Springfield that will allow the sale of closed bottles of wine and beer at the casino hotel and at the Cal Mare restaurant opening on site.

The beer and wine licenses allow the retail sale of the bottles to patrons as well as to the public, Commission Chairman Peter Sygnator said Friday. It is unique for a restaurant in Massachusetts to sell bottles, he said.

"The retail package store license for the Cal Mare Restaurant is very unique and I am looking forward to seeing the selections of wines offered by MGM," Sygnator said.

MGM Springfield has scheduled its grand opening on Aug. 24, culminating a $960 million construction project.

The licenses were approved Thursday night by the commission, meeting with MGM Springfield's vice president of food and beverage, Anthony Michael Caratozzolo.

An MGM Springfield spokesman said the company is pleased with the approval from the License Commission and Planning Board.

"The vision of incorporating Main Street store fronts into our resort allows us to naturally blend with the unique existing, historic atmosphere that is so important to the community," said Saverio Mancini, MGM Springfield spokesman. "Building in a high-end wine shop as an element of our Cal Mare restaurant creates an amenity that can be enjoyed by our guests, as well as Main Street visitors, business people, and residents."

MGM expects the shops will create "memorable moments for our guests. It is an added-benefit to create a way for them to take a piece of that experience home."

Caratozzolo said Cal Mare anticipates having high-end wines, ranging in cost from $50 to $900, according to Sygnator. Beyond service at the table with a meal, a patron might wish to bring a favorite wine home, Sygnator said.

MGM had conferred in advance with the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission because on-site consumption licenses (restaurants and bars) are not allowed to occupy the same licensed premises as off-site consumption licenses (package stores), Sygnator said.

The ABCC said it was permissible in the case of MGM because the on-site consumption is a Massachusetts Gaming Commission-issued license and the package store license is issued separately by the city and ABCC, Sygnator said.

The package store license in the hotel lobby will be at a sundry shop, with the retail sales available to guests and the general public, as approved.

MGM Springfield announced in February that award-winning celebrity chef Michael Mina would be introducing Cal Mare to the casino as a restaurant that will feature coastal Italian cuisine. The menu will include brick-oven pizzas, handmade pastas and seafood.

In other action, the commission approved a farmers winery license for the Outlook Farm Winery, specifically for the weekly Farmer's Market at Forest Park.

The license is approved for every Tuesday from May 8 through Oct. 30.

In a separate matter, the commission postponed a hearing with the Fat Cat Bar and Grill, of 232 Worthington St., regarding alleged license violations at the business on several dates. The hearing is rescheduled to May 17. Meetings begin at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.
The shooting deaths of two men in Jamaica Plain Friday night are under investigation by Boston Police.

Police say officers on patrol rushed to 277 Centre Street in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood after hearing several gunshots around 9:41 p.m. on Friday. The officers reported two men, one believed to be in his 50's and another in his 20's, suffering apparent gunshot wounds.

The two victims were transported to local hospitals, where they were later pronounced dead. Their identities have not been released.

Boston Police say the deaths are under active investigation and ask anyone with information to call the Boston Police's Homicide Detectives or anonymous tip line.
South Burlington, Vermont police officers discovered the body of a South Burlington woman late Thursday afternoon after receiving a tip from Falmouth police, the Cape Cod Times reported.

According to Falmouth police, a man arrived at police headquarters to report a relative of his had telephoned and said he had shot and killed his girlfriend and was going to shoot himself.

Falmouth authorities contacted Vermont police officials who found the body of Anako Lumuna, 33, dead from an apparent gunshot wound in her Southview Drive home.

Vermont officials are looking for 36-year-old Leroy Headley, the relative of the Falmouth informant. Headley 's whereabouts are unknown and Burlington police are asking for the public assistance in locating him.

"This appears to be a specific targeted crime. At this time Mr. Headley is a suspect in an active homicide investigation. He should be considered armed and dangerous and we ask the community to exercise normal daily caution and to call 911 immediately if Mr. Headley or his vehicle is located," South Burlington police said in a statement.

Headley is believed to be driving a blue 2017 Nissan Pathfinder with Vermont registration plates HBR 281.

While he has family in the Cape Cod area, local police do not believe he is headed to the Falmouth area.
NORTHAMPTON - The 37th annual Northampton Pride parade took place Saturday, bringing around 40,000 people into the city's streets.

The annual event draws huge crowds, with families, local residents, and organizations from throughout the Pioneer Valley coming together for an afternoon of color, fun, and celebration of the LGBTQ community.

The city's first pride parade took place in 1981, when the United States was a very different place and homophobia was much more prevalent. Four decades later, the event is bigger and more vibrant than ever.

The parade is put on by Northampton Pride, a local non-profit.

Operations organizer for Northampton Pride, Cid White, 55, said that this year's theme--"Unbreakable"--was about encouraging LGBTQ community members to "keep fighting."

White, who has helped organize the parade for the last nine years, said it is important to "keep doing what you're doing, no matter what it is," whether a person is contributing to gay rights in an overtly political or a purely personal way.

White's wife, Stephanie Quesnel, 38, who has been working with Pride for the last three years, said that her favorite part of the event was that it appealed to such a diversity of people. "My favorite part is when we see families," Quesnel said. "There's so much we have here that is fun for people of all ages," she said. "My favorite part is what kids will walk away from this day with."

Parade attendees Saturday said they valued the way in which the event drew the community together and cut across divisions.

Tyler Ironside, 27, of Holyoke, and Cameron Naglieri-Prescod, 25, of Belchertown, said the day was a lot of fun.

"This is my first pride," said Naglieri-Prescod, explaining that Ironside had introduced him to it. "I've lived here my entire life but I've never had the opportunity to come out and experience this," commenting he'd had a great time.

Ironside said his favorite part about Northampton Pride is "the community coming together, everyone banding together and spreading love, not hate."

Mindy and Heather Lewis, both of Enfield, said this was the first time they had attended the celebration; the couple said they "loved it."

Benjamin Keisling, 27, of Northampton, said this was also his first year attending the parade.

"It was just really fun to see all of the community institutions that came out," Keisling said, referencing the more than 30 local companies and organizations that helped to sponsor the event.

Keisling also said he liked the fact that people of all ages were involved.

"There's kids being pushed in strollers to also older folks," he said. "It's just a good vibe--everyone's really happy, saying hello to one another and encouraging each other."

When asked about the political atmosphere for gay and trans rights in the country, many attendees said they felt that it was in a downturn currently, but also expressed cautious optimism.

"I think it's a complicated question," Keisling said. "I'm glad that there have been some federal decisions that have given LGBTQ people more rights and more visibility, but I there's a lot of work to do in our own communities to make sure that those people feel safe in where they live and where they work."

Windsor, 24, of Northampton, said she felt that LGBTQ rights had advanced in recent years but that there was still room to improve. "We've made progress but there's work to do," she said. "I think everyone could learn from the atmosphere from today--everybody's just supporting and respecting each other. We need more of that up at the top," she said, referring to the federal government.

"He's not my favorite guy, I could do without him," she said, of President Donald Trump.

A number of other people at Saturday's celebrations also spoke poorly of the President.

One person who was at Saturday's event for the purposes of both fun and politics was Lorelei Erisis, 45, a veteran of pride parades, LGBTQ activism, and trans-pageantry.

Erisis, who walked in Saturday's parade, and is also former Miss Trans New England, said Saturday that she has been attending and participating in Northampton Pride for nine years now.

Erisis, who also annually marches in Boston Pride, said she usually marches to "raise awareness of transgender rights," but this year was out protesting the passage of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA)--a bill she said seems to target sex trafficking, but is actually criminalizing sex work.

Erisis said she was "standing with sex workers" today, as she marched in the parade and shouted "repeal SESTA now!"

Erisis won the Miss Trans New England pageant in 2009. That pageant was organized by Christa Steele-Knudslien, a trans-woman and longtime Pioneer Valley resident who was murdered earlier this year. Her husband, Mark Steele-Knudslien, has been charged with her murder.

Erisis was friends and colleagues with Steele-Knudslien. "We were pretty close," Erisis said, while noting that they sometimes had a "contentious relationship."

"She was a really, really strong person," she said. "She was a really powerful organizer. There's so much she got done almost by sheer force of will than anything else," she said.

"If she had a particular message for trans-people, I would say that it was to be proud of ourselves, to stand up and celebrate being transgender," she said.
CHICOPEE - A 40-year-old city man accused of breaking into a vacant home and trying to steal copper wiring was arrested Thursday.

Brett Philbrick, of 22 Abbey St., was charged with breaking and entering in the nighttime to commit a felony, said Michael Wilk, police public information officer.

Police were alerted to a potential break-in at about 1 a.m. on Fuller Street. When officers Missy Lyman and Steven Sawyer arrived, they were directed to a vacant home on 31 Fuller St., which is next to TL Antiques, a business badly damaged by fire in February, Wilk said.

The two investigated and found a shattered glass on the basement floor. "Just outside of the window was copper wiring, which appeared to have been pulled from the home and left there," Wilk said.

While continuing to investigate, the officers heard a loud bang coming from the second floor and then heard more noises coming from the upper floor, he said.

The two, who were joined by Officers, Pat Hurst and Sean Livingstone with his K9 Finn, told the suspect repeatedly to come outside. When he did not they entered the house they did a brief search and the suspect came out of hiding, Wilk said.

Philbrick was held on $500 bail overnight and arraigned in Chicopee District Court on Friday, he said.
Updated at 2:43 p.m. Saturday, May 5, 2018 to clarify in the first paragraph the level of opposition to the Community Preservation Act.

HOLYOKE -- Over 44 percent of voters opposed adoption of the Community Preservation Act -- but opposition is no longer the point, a city councilor said.

Voters adopted the Massachusetts Community Preservation Act (CPA) in November 2016, meaning the program that is funded with property tax surcharges and state funding exists.

Now residents should get involved in deciding how the money is spent, Councilor at Large Michael J. Sullivan said Tuesday. He discussed the first public forum that was held by the Holyoke Community Preservation Act Committee April 18.

"The meeting was very sparsely attended. I think there were maybe 50 people. Even though not everyone was in favor of this program, it is going forward, the monies are going to be available and we should take advantage of it," Sullivan said.

Sullivan is the City Council representative on the nine-member CPA committee, which will advise the City Council on how the money should be spent, and he gave an update at Tuesday's Council meeting.

Voters approved a ballot question on Nov. 8, 2016 by a margin of 8,641-6,900, or 55.6 percent to 44.4 percent, to establish the CPA.

The CPA surcharge adds 1.5 percent of a property owner's bill, but exemptions of the first $100,000 of a property's value and for elderly and poor property owners would reduce the surcharge.

Adoption of the CPA is a way to raise additional revenue in the form of the money from the surcharge and, with adoption of the CPA, triggering of access to a state fund. The money can be used only for projects in three areas: open space and recreation, affordable housing and historic restoration and preservation.

The CPA fund would amount to about $460,760 annually, based on Fiscal 2016 information, according to the Community Preservation Act Committee page on the city website.

"The program's moving forward," Sullivan said.

Sullivan urged councilors to keep constituents informed about CPA proceedings and encourage them to get involved as key dates are marked. Applications for CPA funding will be due sometime in October, he said.

Applicants will pitch for funding in February. By March 30, the CPA committee will recommend which projects should get funded to the City Council, which will decide and announce awards in June 2019, he said.
NORTHAMPTON -- An international student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is suing the college and two deans for an alleged civil rights infraction, court documents show.

Zhaozhong Du, a Chinese citizen and third-year undergraduate architecture student at UMass, filed a civil complaint against the school in Hampshire Superior Court on April 12. In addition to the university, Patricia Cardoso-Erase, the associate dean of students, and Louis Ward, the assistant dean of students, are listed as defendants.

After an incident earlier this year in which a criminal charge was brought against him, Du was placed on interim suspension from UMass on March 28.

The lawsuit alleges that following the incident, a language barrier kept Du from properly communicating with college faculty and that he was suspended from the school without being given an opportunity to "be heard in his own defense - formally or informally - with the assistance of an interpreter."

At UMass, cases of alleged student misconduct are handled through a Code of Student Conduct Process carried out by faculty from the Dean of Students Office.

The lawsuit alleges that Du was not provided with the resource of an interpreter so that he could be "heard in his own defense" and that the school treated him differently than "native English speakers" by not providing him proper access to the Conduct Process.

"In denying the Plaintiff access to the university's disciplinary process on equivalent terms as native English speakers, violates the Plaintiff's right to equal protection under the law as guaranteed under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments," the lawsuit states.

"The Defendants' actions," the complaint goes on, "violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ... prohibiting discrimination on the basis of national origin, by a public system of higher education that accepts federal funding."

The suspension made it impossible for Du to finish work for classes in preparation for his graduation in May, the lawsuit states.

Du is being represented by Northampton attorney Dana Goldblatt.

Goldblatt said in an interview Friday that she didn't think the school would have treated an American student the same way. "They're assuming he wouldn't litigate, because he's going to be out of here in the summer and in another country and they don't have to worry about accountability," she said.

According to the lawsuit, the incident leading to Du's suspension began around 2 a.m. on March 27, when he was awakened in his dorm room by loud noises.

Believing there was an "intruder" in his dorm, Du grabbed a boxcutter that he had been using for a school project. The noises turned out to be caused by his roommate, who was brushing his teeth when Du approached with the boxcutter.

"Do you know what time it is?" he said, the lawsuit states. "Whoa whoa sorry man," the roommate allegedly responded.

After his interaction with the roommate, Du then allegedly went back to sleep, but was awakened later that night by police, who arrested him. Later that day, he was charged with assault in Eastern Hampshire District Court, where he was provided with a public defender and interpreter, documents show.

The lawsuit states that during subsequent Code of Student Conduct meetings with Cardoso-Erase and Ward, the services of an interpreter were not made available to him.

The lawsuit further claims that Du, whose first language is Mandarin, "struggles to communicate in English," and that he did not understand most of the meetings with Cardoso-Erase and Ward, and that he also struggled to understand police questioning on the night he was arrested. His inability to communicate rendered him "unable to explain" that he had believed his roommate was an intruder, the lawsuit says.

But Cardoso-Erase, in an email to Goldblatt dated April 10, wrote that when she met with Du on March 28, he indicated that he did not need an interpreter, and that during Du's meeting with Ward he discussed the recent incident in English and did not indicate that he "needed an interpreter or had difficulty communicating in English."

"Zhaozhong has been enrolled at the University for seven semesters which is indicative of his proficiency with the English language," Cardoso-Erase wrote in her email to Goldblatt.

The lawsuit mentions Du's fear of being unable to graduate due to his suspension. However, Du has enough credits to graduate, Goldblatt said.

Goldblatt said that Du had still been kept from completing school work he cares about. "Yes he has the ability to graduate," Goldblatt said, explaining that Du has "architecture projects" that he had put in a lot of work into that he wasn't able to complete as a result of the suspension.

Du's case in Eastern Hampshire District Court is still an open criminal matter, Goldblatt confirmed.
JetBlue Airlines is lending a helpful hand to public officials who want to fly into New England to attend the memorial service for fallen Sheriff's Deputy Eugene Cole.

Cole, 62, was killed and shot while on patrol in Norridgewock, Maine on April 23. The shooting death led to a massive manhunt for the alleged suspect, John Williams, who was captured four days later.

Those who knew and worked with Cole said he was an exemplary police officer who treated all people, including those he arrested, humanely and with respect.

A memorial service will be held for Cole on Monday in the Skowhegan and Bangor communities in Maine, and more than 8,000 attendees are expected. The nearest airports are Logan International Airport in Boston and Portland International in Maine.

JetBlue spokespeople told Bangor Daily News that their airline company will continue its tradition of offering free flights to any public official who wishes to fly in and attend the memorial for Cole. Tickets have reportedly been offered to officials in distant cities like Chicago, Orlando and Phoenix.
BOURNE -- A 53-year-old Rhode Island man was arrested and charged with operating under the influence of alcohol after Massachusetts State Police say he drove in the wrong direction on Route 25 in Bourne early Saturday.

State police said officers responded to reports of an erratic driver traveling from the Bourne Rotary northbound over the Bourne Bridge just after midnight.

Police say the driver, later identified as Scott Koziol, of Rumford, Rhode Island, was heading westbound on Route 25 East when Trooper Jeremy Lockwood spotted his pickup truck.

Lockwood reportedly placed his cruiser in the middle travel lane to alert Koziol to stop. The driver, police said, continued past, narrowly avoiding to the cruiser.

According to state police, Lockwood then crossed over to the westbound side and paralleled the wrong-way driver before crossing back over to the eastbound side and getting in front of the stopping truck to protect ongoing traffic.

Koziol then allegedly hit the front bumper of the cruiser, resulting in minor damage but no injuries, police reported.

State police said they arrested Koziol on charges of: operating under the influence of liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and marked lanes violation. He was booked at the State Police barracks in Bourne and released on $40 bail.

Koziol will be arraigned in Wareham District Court on Monday, state police said.
The Boston Herald made it a point to remind Massachusetts voters than the current two-year term of the State Legislature began with lawmakers promptly voting themselves a pay raise.

Since then, the Herald reports that "the House and Senate have been generally meeting only once a week, if at all, on a formal basis." Ouch.

The current formal session ends on July 31. That's not that far away, and the Legislature faces a long list of important and undone work on major legislation.

They owe it to the citizens to get to their task promptly and seriously, and settle these issues. With no excuses.

The business of government can move at a maddeningly slow and labyrinthine pace, and the current Legislature has been further stalled by the controversy surrounding Sen. Stanley Rosenberg of Amherst. The ethics investigation and subsequent exit from Rosenberg, first from the Senate presidency and then from the Legislature altogether, has undeniably caused delays to important work.

Decisions await on legislation affecting immigration, taxes, gun safety, opioid treatment and health care. A $41 billion budget should be completed by the end of the fiscal year on June 30, which would show improvement from last year, when the budget was not finalized and signed by Governor Charlie Baker until July 17. The pressure is building and will continue to grow as deadlines approach.

Lawmakers began this term by declaring they deserved more pay. It was done almost immediately after the election and long before the voters would have another chance to speak at the polls.

The best way they can show their merits, and really the only way, is to deal with these issues in ways that do not leave citizens wondering what was thrown together at the last minute and what was left out because time didn't allow complete examination. Priorities will need to be set and clear-headed decisions will need to be made.

Some of those decisions will be more popular than others. Legislators did not accept their jobs simply to be popular, though.

They pledged to serve the needs of the public. Now is their chance. The people of Massachusetts deserve nothing less than to know the most pressing issues of the state were not hammered out in haste or from expedience, but were given proper consideration by their elected officials - hopefully before the final ticks on the clock in the final minutes of the fiscal year or the current session.
President Donald Trump is suggesting Rudy Giuliani, the aggressive new face of his legal team, needed to "get his facts straight" about the hush money paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election. Giuliani quickly came up with a new version.

Trump on Friday chided Giuliani even while insisting "we're not changing any stories" about the $130,000 settlement paid to Daniels to keep quiet about her allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump -- a tryst Trump has denied. Hours later, Giuliani backed away from his previous assertion that the Oct. 27 settlement had been made because Trump was in the stretch run of his campaign.

"The payment was made to resolve a personal and false allegation in order to protect the president's family," Giuliani said in a statement. "It would have been done in any event, whether he was a candidate or not."

A day earlier, Giuliani had told Fox News: "Imagine if that came out on October 15, 2016, in the middle of the last debate with Hillary Clinton."

Trump said Giuliani was "a great guy but he just started a day ago" on the defense team, and the former New York mayor was still "learning the subject matter."

Giuliani disclosed this week that Trump knew about the payment to Daniels made by Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, and the president repaid Cohen.

Giuliani insisted Trump didn't know the specifics of Cohen's arrangement with Daniels until recently, and he told "Fox & Friends" on Thursday that the president was unaware of all the details until "maybe 10 days ago."

Giuliani told The New York Times that Trump had repaid Cohen $35,000 a month "out of his personal family account" after the campaign was over. He said Cohen received $460,000 or $470,000 in all for expenses related to Trump.

While Giuliani suggested Trump knew something about the payments, even as a monthly retainer, Trump had told reporters on Air Force One last month that he hadn't known about a settlement with Daniels.

Trump's irritation was plain Friday when reporters reminded him of his previous denial. He blasted the media for focusing on "crap" stories such as the Daniels matter and the special counsel's investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

The president claimed that "virtually everything" reported about the payments has been wrong. He declined to elaborate.

It was the Trump team's own missteps that yielded another day of headlines about Daniels. In his statement, Giuliani said his previous "references to timing were not describing my understanding of the president's knowledge, but instead, my understanding of these matters." He didn't elaborate on that either.

Giuliani's statement correcting himself came just a day after he said, "You won't see daylight between me and the president."

The about-face came amid concern in the White House that Giuliani's comments could leave the president legally vulnerable.

Giuliani repeated his belief that the payment did not constitute a campaign finance violation. But legal experts have said the new information raises questions, including whether the money represented repayment of an undisclosed loan or could be seen as reimbursement for a campaign expenditure. Either could be legally problematic.

The episode also revived worries in Trump's inner circle about Giuliani, who enjoys the media limelight and has a tendency to go off script. He had been widely expected to join Trump's administration but was passed over for secretary of state, the position he badly wanted.

His whirlwind press tour this week bewildered West Wing aides, who were cut out of the decision-making process when Giuliani first revealed that Trump, who often boasts about signing his own checks, had some knowledge about the payment to Daniels.

No debt to Cohen was listed on Trump's personal financial disclosure form, which was certified on June 16, 2017. Asked if Trump had filed a fraudulent form, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday: "I don't know."

Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, is seeking to be released from a nondisclosure deal she signed in the days before the 2016 election to keep her from talking about a 2006 sexual encounter she said she had with Trump. She has also filed defamation suits against Cohen and Trump.

Her attorney, Michael Avenatti, tweeted Friday that "Mr. Giuliani and Mr. Trump are making it up as they go along." He added: "How stupid do they think all of us are?"

Trump is facing mounting legal threats from the Cohen-Daniels situation and the special counsel's investigation of possible Russian coordination with the Trump presidential campaign.

Cohen is facing a criminal investigation in New York, and FBI agents raided his home and office several weeks ago seeking records about the Daniels nondisclosure agreement.

Trump has been playing down his relationship with Cohen but did acknowledge last week that Cohen represented him in the "crazy Stormy Daniels deal."
YPSILANTI, MI - Eastern Michigan University has appointed Kenneth Lord as its new dean of the College of Business, the university announced Friday, April 27.

Lord joins EMU from Cal State Northridge, where he served as dean of the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics from 2013 to 2017 and most recently as accreditation advisor and professor of marketing.

"Dr. Lord has an outstanding background in academic business leadership," said Rhonda Longworth, Eastern Michigan Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs in a news release. "His leadership in strengthening and developing relationships with external constituencies and in accreditation make him an ideal individual to lead our College of Business."

Lord has been in the field of marketing with 30 years of experience. He also served as associate dean of in the Kania School of Management at the University of Scranton (Pa.) from 2006 to 2013. He was a professor of marketing at Mercer University in Macon, Ga. from 1998 to 2006.

Lord received his bachelor's in English and master's in communication from the University of Utah and his doctorate in marketing from Ohio State University.

He takes over for Anne Balazs, who was appointed interim dean in 2017. Balazs will return to her previous position as interim assist vice president of graduate studies at Eastern. Former EMU College of Business Dean Michael Tidwell was named President of the University of Texas at Tyler in fall 2016.

Lord will assume the dean post on July 1. His salary will be $218,000.
ANN ARBOR, MI - Students pass through metal detectors when they arrive for classes in the Detroit Public Schools Community District - the only district in the state with its own police department.

Forty miles away, with 33,000 fewer students, Ann Arbor Public Schools doesn't have officers or metal detectors in any of its schools.

The two districts take very different approaches to school security, but their leaders agree on the best way to make students feel safe at school: strong relationships between students and adults.

"The best metal detector is a relationship between children and adults," said Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District. "As a head dean of discipline, as a teacher, as a principal, what I have found is we have prevented violent acts and having guns or weapons in schools when children feel safe enough and comfortable enough to report that to an adult."

As Americans continue to debate if more or fewer guns in schools will help prevent mass shootings, Vitti joined Jeanice Swift, superintendent of Ann Arbor Public Schools Schools; Elizabeth Birr Moje, dean of University of Michigan's School of Education; and Christine Stead, Ann Arbor Schools board president, at a panel discussion on school safety Friday, May 4, at Zingerman's Roadhouse in Ann Arbor.

Violence at suburban schools tends to spark more outrage than violence at urban schools that enroll more low-income or minority students, Vitti said.

"A lot of our children face that level of fear and violence on a day-to-day basis, just walking to and from school, and we don't have this sense of urgency and outrage over the fact that our children in this country still cannot go to school every day and feel safe," he said.

In the 2016-17 school year, 113 Detroit Schools students were victims of violent crimes at school or school-sponsored activities, according to the Michigan Center for Educational Performance and Information. That equates to a rate of 2.5 per 1,000 students, which matches the violent crime rate for Dearborn City School District.

Statewide, the violent crime rate at schools was 0.5 per every 1,000 students in 2016-17. For every 1,000 Michigan students, 11 reported being bullied.

Ann Arbor Public Schools did not have any victims of violent crime at school in 2016-17, and the district reported 52 instances of bullying - or 3 per every 1,000 students.

The table shows the number of incidences of bullying and victims of violent crime in the 2016-17 school year at the 10 largest school districts in Southeast Michigan, according to the Center for Educational Performance and Information. Bullying refers to written, verbal or physical acts with the intent to harm another person. Violent crimes refer to incidences that took place on school property or at school-sponsored events.

The panelists agreed making more social-emotional supports available in schools will help address the post-traumatic stress and anxiety some students experience, which can be a factor in bullying, violent behavior or self-harm.

Teachers and their principals also need more support in order to meet students' complex needs, Moje said.

"It's unprecedented the kind of stress and anxiety we are seeing in very young children. ... This is across the socioeconomic spectrum," she said. "We're seeing kids who are completely stressed out - not only about school violence or the potential for it, but about things like test scores, things like college entrance."

Detroit Schools' 2018-19 budget calls for hiring a guidance counselor for every school, Vitti said. Like other districts across the state, Detroit is emphasizing restorative practices as alternatives to out-of-school suspensions or expulsions.

The table shows the enrollment and number of expulsions related to weapons at each school district in the 2016-17 school year, according to the Michigan Center for Educational Performance and Information.

Ann Arbor Public Schools added ninth-grade dean positions this school year to help students transition from middle to high school. The district has seen fewer suspensions at schools where Behavior Interventionists work individually with students who are prone to behavioral issues, chronic absenteeism or lower academic performance.

On the broader issue of gun control, Vitti said restricting access to guns would help reduce mass shootings. The panelists also rejected the idea of arming teachers as a way to deter people from opening fire in a school.

Ann Arbor Schools' three-year legal battle to remain a weapons-free zone recently reached the Michigan Supreme Court.

"Schools are very busy places, and we feel like the presence of a gun in a school is a detriment to that," Swift said. "It's frightening for children, and children cannot learn when they're scared."
Hazel Park elected officials, the city manager, clerk and attorney, are withholding details of a lawsuit settlement reached with two women who claim they were forced by police to expose and shake their breasts during a 2016 traffic stop.

Several municipal and Freedom of Information Act attorneys say the settlement should be public information, based on the state's Freedom of Information Act.

Hazel Park City Manager Edward Klobucher told MLive on Thursday, May 3 that he didn't know the settlement amount, didn't possess a copy of the settlement agreement and wasn't going to "hunt it down."

Klobucher and city attorney Janet Drumm offered multiple reasons why the settlement couldn't be released: the city doesn't possess a copy; it was a confidential agreement and therefore protected by attorney-client privilege; and insurance company attorneys approved the settlement without the city's prior approval.

The attorneys "basically settled it without checking with us first" and "we were not happy," Klobucher said.

Jan L. Crawford of Berkeley and Michelle Jaeger of Shelby Township sued Hazel Park police in federal court, claiming they were subjected to improper searches during a traffic stop along Interstate 75 about 2 a.m. June 5, 2016.

Crawford and Jaeger claim Hazel Park Police Officer Ryan McCabe ordered them to expose and shake their bodies while another officer recorded with a cellphone.

McCabe, an officer since 2014 and an honorably discharged U.S. Army sergeant, denied asking the women to expose their chests, and denied that another officer recorded them, while testifying in an April 28, 2017 deposition.

The lawsuit was filed in Detroit federal court on Sept. 9, 2016, and was dismissed on April 11 after a confidential settlement agreement was reached outside the courtroom.

Hazel Park did not have to enter a confidential agreement, but municipalities often do, for various reasons, when it comes to resolving civil lawsuits.

Some of those reasons explained to MLive by various attorneys include: to conceal settlement amounts in order to protect future negotiations; to satisfy plaintiffs who seek a confidential settlement; or to keep unfavorable details from the public.

Whatever the reason, there are court rulings on the matter that maintain financial conditions of a settlement entered into by a public body cannot be confidential.

"There are situations that a judge might order that the amount not be disclosed ... that's the only way they can keep that out of the Freedom of Information Act," said Cooley Law School Auburn Hills campus professor Gerald Fisher, who's previously worked as the city attorney for Novi and in other Metro Detroit communities. "The local government is established under the state and the local government has to operate under the laws of the state of Michigan."

Hazel Park's city attorney denies that the settlement is in fact a public record.

MLive filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the settlement agreement on April 16. City Clerk James Finkley denied the request on April 23, claiming the "record does not exist."

MLive appealed to Hazel Park City Council, which unanimously upheld the denial during a special meeting on May 2.

Despite numerous attempts to reach each of the Hazel Park City Council members and Mayor Michael Webb, MLive had not received any comment from the elected city officials.

Klobucher told MLive that attorneys for the insurance company representing Hazel Park told the city the lawsuit would go to trial, "which we were fully supportive of."

"The next communication indicated they settled the case" for less than originally projected, Klobucher said.

After that, the city manager says the amount was approved by City Council following a closed meeting, but he didn't immediately recall the amount approved and declined to inquire about the figure.

The city attorney said those discussions would be protected by attorney-client privilege.

"The Open Meetings Act allows public bodies to meet in closed session to consult with an attorney regarding settlement strategy for pending litigation if discussing it during an open session would have a detrimental effect on the settlement position, but public bodies can never vote on anything in closed session," said attorney Joseph E. Richotte of Butzel Long law firm, which advises MLive on open records issues.

"By law, votes must take place during open meetings."

MLive on Thursday, May 3, sent a request for minutes from the meeting at which the council approved a settlement amount.

"People often think that the attorney-client privilege protects everything involving a lawyer from disclosure," Richotte said. "Not so. The privilege covers communications between lawyers and their clients made for the purpose of obtaining and providing legal advice.

"Every now and then, we hear public bodies claim that they can't release settlement agreements because they're confidential. A settlement agreement is a contract, and court decisions are clear that public bodies cannot contract out of FOIA. So unless there is some other basis to exempt the settlement agreement from production, it should be produced."
GRAND BLANC, MI -- About 252 students attended the Flint Powers Catholic High School prom on Friday, May 4, at Atlas Valley Country Club in Grand Blanc.

With a theme of "Beauty and the Beast ball" students entered on a long red carpet, surrounded by parents and siblings with cameras and phone at the ready to take photos while they strutted in like celebrities.

The Flint Journal and MLive.com have photographed the special moments from proms across Genesee County, including Burton Bendle, Swartz Creek, LakeVille and more throughout the state.

Have a look at MLive's prom coverage here.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - City High students celebrated their "City of Stars'' prom Friday, May 4, at John Ball Zoo's Bissell Tree House.

They arrived to the venue in style, riding the zoo's funicular and trolleys in fancy gowns and sharp tuxedos.

They picked an elegant, picturesque venue. The Bissell Tree House, situated on one of Grand Rapids highest points, is designed to showcase the sweeping view toward downtown.

Students enjoyed the breathtaking views, mingled and danced the night away. As the third 2018 Prom of the Week winner, MLive's The Grand Rapids Press was there to capture images of their special night.

Prom season is underway in West Michigan through the end of May and MLive will cover as many as possible to highlight the high school milestone.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Police have identified a 2-year-old child killed in a Northeast Grand Rapids house fire as Jazelle Sa'mone Thomas-Whitfield.

The cause of the fire, in the 200 block of Dale Street NE, is still under investigation.

Grand Rapids fire officials say they were called at about 7:30 p.m. and arrived at the scene to find heavy fire in the rear of the home.

Jazelle Sa'mone Thomas-Whitfield in a GoFundMe page photo

Fire Chief John Lehman said two adults and several children escaped the lower level of the home -- the house is split into upper and lower apartments -- but the adults could not reach the child because of the heavy fire.

She was found in a rear back bedroom.

Lehman said it's believed the fire started near the rear of the home.

A GoFundMe page has been established to help the family.
SAGINAW, MI -- Nearly 200 students and guests of Carrollton High School danced the night away Friday, May 4, at the Temple Theatre in downtown Saginaw.

The prom's theme was Mardi Gras, and each table featured a masquerade mask. The prom featured dancing, professional photos and a buffet-style dinner.

Check back with MLive as we provide coverage of proms across the region.
SAGINAW - For the first time since 2012, Michigan's largest Cinco De Mayo parade actually took place on the official date of the holiday - May 5.

For the 39th year, La Union Civica Mexicana hosted Saginaw's 2018 Cinco De Mayo Parade, the largest of its kind in the state. As always, it took place on the first Saturday in May, which normally falls either before of after the fifth of the month.

New for this year was a reversal of the usual parade route. Low-riders, floats and revelers in red, white and green marched from Ojibway Island to Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy rather than heading in the opposite direction as they had in years past.

This year's theme was "La Vida De Artes," meaning "The Life of Arts." The Cinco De Mayo festival, which runs from the end of the parade until 5 p.m., was moved from Ojibway to Huntington Event Park, 300 Johnson St. in Downtown Saginaw.

Those who are accustomed to making separate plans for Cinco De Mayo and Saginaw's first-Saturday festival should savor the occasion - the holiday won't fall on a Saturday again until 2029.
A compact-sized nuclear reactor aimed at aiding long-terms stays on other planets such including missions to Mars and the moon passed a key test on the ground, NASA reports Wednesday, May 2.

The Kilopower project is a mini nuclear reactor will help astronauts on other planets' surface with electricity, lighting, water and oxygen and even for "producing fuel for the long journey home." The Kilopower hopes to provide 10 kilowatts of electrical power "continuously for at least 10 years."

NASA reports that the successful demonstration showed that the compact nuclear reactor could do exactly what it sets out to do. The test was performed at the Nevada National Security Site from November 2017 through March of this year.

LIVE NOW: Discover how we tested our kilopower project to see if this new @NASA_Technology could provide the energy needed for future missions to explore the Moons surface. https://t.co/ZuxLDtRxxM Questions? Use #askNASA pic.twitter.com/rbczcRaZMy  NASA (@NASA) May 2, 2018

"Safe, efficient and plentiful energy will be the key to future robotic and human exploration," Jim Reuter, the space agency's acting associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate, said in the release.

"I expect the Kilopower project to be an essential part of lunar and Mars power architectures as they evolve."

The recent demonstration focused on whether or not the Kilopower could create electricity with fission power, and to show that it will remain stable "no matter what environment it encounters." One of its chief designers said that the team "threw everything we could at this reactor" during tests.

Marc Gibson, the Kilopower project's lead engineer, believes that the reactor is ideal for stays on our moon thanks to its lunar nights being the equivalent to two weeks here on Earth.

"The Kilopower project is a near-term technology effort to develop preliminary concepts and technologies that could be used for an affordable fission nuclear power system to enable long-duration stays on planetary surfaces," NASA said in a past release.

The space agency explains that fission power is the one used due to the harsh weather on the Mars' surface. NASA claims that its innovative reactor is light, reliable and efficient even in the challenging environment of another planet.

"Kilopower gives us the ability to do much higher power missions, and to explore the shadowed craters of the Moon," Gibson said in the release.

"When we start sending astronauts for long stays on the Moon and to other planets, that's going to require a new class of power that we've never needed before."

NASA's goals for the next few years revolve around sending the space agency back to the Moon with the intention to move on to Mars with a manned mission. The U.S. has not put a person on the Moon since 1972.

NASA says that the project will remain with its development program with the hopes of taking on a demonstration mission during fiscal year 2020.
May 05, 2018

The Historic Background of China's Perception of the West - by Carl Zha

Carl Zha publishes the Clash of civilizations and empires podcast.

This illustrated history was originally tweeted yesterday, May 4th 2018. It is slightly edited and republished here with the author's permission.

How the Wests betrayal of China in Versailles after World War I led to the long Chinese Revolution that shaped today's Chinese perception of the West



(Click on the pictures to enlarge)

99 years ago, on May 4th 1919, the original Tiananmen student protest broke out. The students protested the Allied Powers' betrayal at Versailles: The German Shangdong colony was given to Japan instead of returning it to China. This despite China's sending of 140,000 men to work on the Western front.

The story begins with the first Sino-Japanese War 1894-95. Japan, after going through a full westernization program, decisively defeated China which had a half-hearted 'Self-Strengthening' modernization program that tried to preserve Confucian traditions while adopting Western technology.

Japan defeating China triggered a new round of Imperial Powers scramble to carve up China. Germany was particularly eager to not be left out.

Germany took the port city of Qingdao (Tsingtao) on the Shangdong Peninsula where they brought over beer tech giving birth to Tsingtao Beer.

Qingdao(Tsingtao) became the major German base for its newly acquired Pacific colonies until the eve of World War I.

In 1890 Germany played a leading role in attacking the Chinese capital Beijing to suppress the Boxer Rebellion together with the 8 Nation Alliance of Britain, France, United States, Germany, Italy, Russia, Japan and Austria-Hungary.

Britain viewed German presence as threat to its colonies in China. After World War I broke out, Britain allied with Japan to besiege Qingdao. 23,000 Japanese and 1,500 British troops attacked 3,650 Germans and 324 Austro-Hungarians. Woodblock print and the Japanese flagship Suwo.

Britain promised the German Pacific colonies to Japan including Qingdao. Students explore a scale model of the Qingdao area depicting the city during the siege of the city by British and Japanese forces in October and November 1914.

As World War I wore on longer than anybody expected, the Allied Powers faced acute labor shortages. Britain came up with a scheme to recruit Chinese labors. But China was neutral so she had to be persuaded to join the war

China wanted to have the German Shangdong colony returned. Entered U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. Wilson asked China to join the war and promised support for China to gain Shangdong back after Germanys defeat.

While the young republican China sees Britain and France as ruthless Imperial Powers, it has an enormous regard for the U.S. which it hopes to model itself after. Top Chinese diplomat was the American educated Wellington Koo. Madam Koo, an international style icon, popularized Cheongsam/Qipao dresses.

China did as Wilson asked, entered the war against Germany and send 340,000 men to help with the Allied war effort. 140,000 went to the Western Front, 200,000 went to Russia. Chinese comprised the largest non-European labor force on the Allied side during World War I.

On the Western front, the 140,000 Chinese labor were know as the Chinese Labour Corp. They dug trenches, worked in timber yards, build steamers, repair railroads. 6,000 were even sent to Iraq to work in Basra.

Chinese Labour Corp men load 9.2-inch shells onto a railway wagon at Boulogne for transport to the front line, August 1917.

Chinese Labour Corps men and a British soldier cannibalize a wrecked Mark IV tank for spare parts at the central stores of the Tank Corps, Teneur, spring 1918.

Chinese Labour Corps workers washing a Mark V tank at the Tank Corps Central Workshops, Erin, France, February 1918.

In other cases, Chinese workers staffed munitions factory during World War I.

Chinese Labour Corp men practice martial arts with swords in Crecy Forest, 27 January 1918.

200,000 Chinese men toiled in Russia. 10,000 Chinese build the Murmansk railway in the Arctic Circle. After the October revolution, 40,000+ Chinese would join the Red Army in the Russian Civil War.

The bulk of the 340,000 Chinese men sent to work in the World War I frontlines were recruited from Shangdong province, where Germany's colony of Qingdao was located. The map shows British and French transport routes for Chinese workers to Europe. Little is known about routes to the Middle East and Russia.

Unbeknownst to China, while China joined the war on the allied side at the U.S. urging, hoping to gain back Shangdong province, the U.S. and Japan signed the secret Lansing-Ishii Agreement in 1917 where they recognized each others special 'interests' in China. Japans interest is the German colony Qingdao.

Fully believing Woodrow Wilsons promise of self-determination, the top Chinese diplomat Wellington Koo, who won the Columbia-Cornell Debating Medal in his American school days, argued passionately for the return of the Shangdong Peninsula at the Paris Peace Conference.

Opposite of Wellington Koo is the Japanese diplomat Baron Makino, a skilled go player. Makino played his hand tactically. He knew Wilsons baby is the League of Nations. He proposed a racial equality clause knowing full well that the U.S., with its Jim Crow Laws, would oppose it.

Japan then threaten to veto the League of Nations, which would not work without Japan, unless ... the U.S. agreed to give Germanys former Shangdong colony to Japan. Wilson dutifully complied and decide to honor the Lansing-Ishii agreement, selling the Chinese down the river.

Wellington Koo is not the only Chinese diplomat in Paris. There is Trinidad born Eugene Chen who does not speak Chinese but represent another Chinese government because China was divided between a Beijing government in the north and a Canton(Guangzhou) government in the south.

Eugene Chen was a Hakka Chinese born in Trinidad to a former Taiping rebel who fled to the Caribbean. Eugene became a lawyer and married the French creole girl Agatha Alphosin Ganteaume. But he 'returned' to China after the 1911 Revolution overthrew the Qing Imperial government.

Growing disappointed with the Beijing government, Eugene Chen went to join Sun Yatsens Canton (Guangzhou) government in the south. Here is Sun Yatsen with a very young Chiang Kai-shek.

The October Revolution broke out towards the end of World War I. Suddenly an alternative political model appeared to the Chinese.

40,000 Chinese labor trapped in Russia joined the Red Army in the Russian Civil War. A White Army propaganda poster depicts Trotsky as Satan wearing a Pentagram, and portrays the Bolsheviks' Chinese supporters as mass murderers. The caption reads "Peace and Liberty in Sovdepiya".

The Soviets saw a chance to draw China away from the West and into their camp. They leaked details of the secret U.S.-Japan Lansing-Ishii agreement to Eugene Chen in Paris, who then leaked it to the Chinese press. Furious Chinese students took to street to protest at this betrayal especially by the U.S.

Previously young Chinese had looked up to the U.S. as a beacon of democracy. The Versailles Treaty made them realize that the U.S. only pays lip service to freedom and democracy while ruthlessly pursuing its self-interests.The May 4th movement is born to protest the weakness of the Chinese government and calls for reform.

Young people wanted to make China strong so it would not be bullied. They demand fundamental cultural and political changes to make it happen. There is a sense that Confucian traditions had failed China. China must welcome democracy and science and embrace modernity to move forward.

The seminal May 4th movement witnesses an upsurge of Chinese nationalism. New Chinese nationalists call for a rejection of traditional values and the selective adoption of the Western ideals of "Mr. Science" () and "Mr. Democracy" () in order to strengthen the new nation.

Disillusioned with the West and seeking for an alternative political model leads some to look to the newly found Soviet Union. Two leading intellectuals of the May 4th movement, Li Dazhao (left) and Chen Duxiu(right), co-founded the Chinese Communist Party.

While heading the Peking University library, Chinese Communist Party co-founder Li Dazhao would influence a young student working there. His name was Mao Zedong.

The other leading intellectual of the May 4th Movement is Hu Shih, a classical liberal, who parted ways with the Communists. But the bourgeois soil upon which liberalism thrives is scarce in China, limiting their impact to the small number of educated urban elites.

The anti-traditionalism of the May 4th movement eventually reached its logical conclusion during the campaign to eradicate Old Customs, Old Culture, Old Habits, and Old Ideas in the Cultural Revolution starting in 1966 which aimed to destroy all aspects of traditional Chinese culture.

The 1989 Tiananmen Square students protest was the last echo of the May 4th movement, and of the century long Chinese revolution. Students demanded political change to make the nation strong and prosper. Afterwards pragmatism would replace idealism.

China has come full circle. New found confidence enables the people to embrace tradition again. In 2011, a Confucius statue even appeared in Tiananmen Square. But the controversy remained. It was removed after 100 days without explanation.

After the Cultural Revolution, China experience a brief honeymoon with the West in the 1980s. Chinese youth hungered to learn about the outside world. There was a lot of goodwill towards the U.S. This period lasted beyond the Tiananmen protest of 1989.

A big turning point in Chinese public opinion was the 1999 U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade where three Chinese journalists were killed. No one in China believed the U.S. claim of an accidental bombing due to faulty maps.

Adding fuel to the fire was the collision of a U.S. spy plane near Hainan Island with a Chinese PLA J-8 fighter plane which caused the J8 to crash and an emergency landing of U.S. spy plane on Hainan Island. Previous pro-American sentiment of Chinese youth decidedly turned.

After the Arab Spring, many Chinese viewed the U.S. just as their elders in the May 4th movement did: paying lip service to freedom and democracy while ruthlessly pursuing naked self-interests. Many sympathized when the Geneva conference on Syria had no Syrians (except the waiter) because that was Chinas lot 99 years ago.

May 4th is now the official Youth Day in China. A relief on the Monument to the People's Heroes in Tiananmen Square depicting the May 4th movement.

Thank you for reading this long thread.

May the 4th be with you!

Posted by b on May 5, 2018 at 17:39 UTC | Permalink

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After the week's biggest dose of intraday volatility this morning, rates ended up almost perfectly unchanged. Charts suggest an uncommonly high amount of indecision with 3 out of the 5 trading days seeing overall ranges that were at least 4 times wider than the gap between opening and closing levels.

Indecision was evident today as the jobs data prompted 2 separate reactions. The first read focused on the modest miss in the headline and the wage component. It only needed to motivate a few bond buyers to do its trick. Once yields fell by a few thousands of a percent, short-covering kicked in (traders who'd previously sold Treasuries short who were now compelled to buy them back in order to close the trade, thus protecting themselves from further potential gains).

It's not that those traders were incredibly concerned about further gains. Short-covering is generally more automatic, based on objective levels that were determined prior to finding oneself in the heat of the moment.

After the short-covering ran its course, we were left with jobs data that really wasn't too far off the mark--especially in light of the big, disconcerting "miss" last month. We were also left with a deficit of buying demand because the short-coverers were one-and-done. With that, sellers took control and pushed yields back above the 2.95% pivot point--albeit briefly. Yields calmed down by the close, but didn't stray far from 2.95%, effectively doing everything in their power to give us absolutely no indication of their underlying trend.
DENVER (AP)  Police body camera footage and telephone recordings captured an incident in which two Native American teenagers were pulled from a Colorado college tour and questioned after another tour member reported "odd" behavior by "creepy kids."

The camera footage released Friday by Colorado State University shows two police officers searching the teens' pockets and questioning whether they were part of the tour.

The officers eventually determined that 19-year-old Thomas Kanewakeron Gray and his 17-year-old brother, Lloyd Skanahwati Gray had done nothing wrong and let them go after about five minutes.

But the incident last Monday has caused an outcry as a case of racial discrimination and prompted the university to apologize and try to make amends.

The video footage shows the brothers  one wearing a T-shirt and the other a hooded sweatshirt  walking in a group and down a set of stairs when an officer approaches and directs them to step aside, saying he and another officer  who is not visible in the video  are going to check the teens' pockets.

The younger brother has his hands in his pockets, and police officers ask him to take them out.

At first, the officer visible in the video asks the Grays short, focused questions, including whether they were part of the tour group and why they didn't "cooperate" when others asked them their names.

"The reason we stopped you and talked to you is because someone from the group called and said you guys just kind of came into the group," the officer said. "They also said they tried to ask you guys questions and you didn't want to answer questions."

The older teen quickly responds, explaining that they had arrived late for the tour and that his younger brother is shy. The younger teen offers to retrieve the email confirming their tour reservations.

"Yeah, yeah, do that, and then we'll get you out of here," the officer shown in the video said.

The other officer adds: "People were just worried because you guys were real quiet and they didn't know who you were because you guys didn't show up with parents or any of that stuff."

By then, however, their tour group had moved on without them and the brothers left the campus in Fort Collins, a city of about 160,000 and 65 miles (105 kilometers) north of Denver, and returned home to New Mexico.

"I think it's pretty discriminatory," Thomas Kanewakeron Gray said Thursday. "Me and my brother just stayed to ourselves the whole time. I guess that was scaring people; that we were just quiet."

According to a police recording from a woman on the tour that started the incident, the caller told a dispatcher that the teens arrived late in the tour and wouldn't respond to questions about their names or what they wanted to study at the school.

"They are not, definitely not, a part of the tour," said the woman, identified in a police report as a 45-year-old white woman from Colorado. "And their behavior is just really odd. And I've never called, ever, about anybody. But they joined our tour. They won't give their names."

The woman also said during the call that the teens were "lying the whole time," but doesn't offer specifics to support the claim, except to say that one of them laughed when she asked what they were studying. She also repeatedly told the dispatcher that her concern could be "completely paranoid" and apologized "if it's nothing."

"They're probably fine and just creepy kids," she said.

Other than saying the teens were wearing all black clothing with "dark stuff on it," the caller did not physically describe them until questioned by the dispatcher. She said she believed they were Hispanic, and described their clothing as having a "weird symbolism or wording on it."

It appears at least one of the brothers was wearing a T-shirt of a death metal band called Cattle Decapitation. On its Facebook page, the band offered the teens "free guest list spots to our shows for life."

The caller's name was redacted in the police report, along with the teenagers' names.

The teens' mother, Lorraine Gray, said Friday that she remained infuriated over the incident, and questioned the police handling of it, as well as the caller's decision to report her sons.

"What do their clothes have to do with anything? Why would you be worried about a person's clothes?" the mother said.

Gray says one of the officers who questioned her sons later told her in a phone call that maybe the incident would teach the teens to "speak up for themselves" in the future.

She said the family has received apologetic messages from the university and an offer to return to the school for a VIP tour. However, she said they are not ready to respond, given that she and her sons have not had the opportunity to fully discuss the situation.

The school also said it would refund the money that the teens spent on travel and take steps to prevent a similar situation from happening again, including the use of lanyards or badges to identify tour guests.

"Two young men, through no fault of their own, wound up frightened and humiliated because another campus visitor was concerned about their clothes and overall demeanor, which appears to have simply been shyness. The very idea that someone  anyone  might 'look' like they don't belong on a CSU Admissions tour is anathema," university president Tony Frank wrote in an email to students and staff Friday.

The younger son is a senior at Santa Fe Indian School, which is about a 30-minute drive from the family home and where he stays in a dorm during the week with other Native American students from tribes across the United States.

The older brother is a student at Northern New Mexico College in Espanola and hoped to transfer.

The siblings saved until they had enough money to drive the roughly seven hours from the family's home in Santa Cruz, New Mexico, to Fort Collins for the tour.

The older brother said the school was their first choice, because of its proximity to Denver, where they could attend concerts. The brothers, both Mohawk, are musicians, and study contemporary and traditional music.

The brothers' ordeal marks the latest in a series of incidences nationwide spotlighting treatment minorities often face in everyday circumstances, including the arrest of two black men at a Starbucks in Philadelphia who were handcuffed and taken to jail after a worker said they had refused to buy anything or leave.

___

Hudetz reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP)  Prosecutors have filed eight new charges against a California father accused of shackling and starving some of his 13 children, alleging that he lied on government forms about their schooling.

The Riverside County district attorney's office said Friday that David Turpin was charged with eight felony counts of perjury related to paperwork he filed yearly with the California Department of Education certifying his children were receiving a fulltime education in a private day school.

John Hall, a spokesman for the district attorney's office, said one charge was filed for each year the paperwork was completed from 2010 to 2017.

Turpin and his wife Louise previously pleaded not guilty to torture, child abuse and other charges in a case that has drawn international attention since the couple's 17-year-old daughter escaped the family's Perris, California, home in January and called 911.

Authorities said evidence of starvation was obvious, with the oldest sibling weighing only 82 pounds, and the children were shackled as punishment, denied food and toys and allowed to do little except write in journals.

Turpin, who appeared in court briefly Friday wearing a sage green button down shirt and yellow tie, didn't enter a plea to the new charges during a brief hearing in Riverside. His attorney declined to comment after the hearing.

The couple, who are each being held on $12 million in bail, is due back in court May 18 and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 20.

State records show Turpin listed the family's home address in Perris, California, as the site of a private day school.

The children, who were removed from the home and initially hospitalized, ranged in age from 2 to 29.

___

Associated Press reporter Michael Balsamo in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korea readjusted its time zone to match South Korea's on Saturday and described the change as an early step toward making the longtime rivals "become one" following a landmark summit.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised to sync his country's time zone with the South's during his April 27 talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. A dispatch from the North's Korean Central News Agency says that promise was fulfilled Saturday by a decree of the nation's Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.

The Koreas used the same time zone for decades before the North in 2015 created its own "Pyongyang Time" by setting its clocks 30 minutes behind South Korea and Japan. It said at the time that it did so to root out the legacy of Tokyo's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, when clocks in Korea were changed to be the same as in Japan.

"Pyongyang Time" was created as tensions between the authoritarian country and the U.S. grew over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program and international sanctions aimed at dismantling it. But in recent months relations between the Koreas have warmed dramatically, with Kim and Moon pledging at their summit to rid their peninsula of nuclear weapons.

The meeting produced many steps toward reconciliation, including an agreement to resume reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, though it lacked a breakthrough in the nuclear standoff. Those details await Kim and President Donald Trump, who are expected to meet in the coming weeks.

KCNA earlier said Kim proposed returning North Korea to the South's time zone because it was "a painful wrench to see two clocks indicating Pyongyang and Seoul times hanging on a wall of the summit venue."

The news agency said resynchronizing North and South Korean time was "the first practical step" since the summit "to speed up the process for the north and the south to become one and turn their different and separated things into the same and single ones."

According to South Korea, Kim has said he'd be willing to give up his nukes if the United States commits to a formal end to the war and pledges not to attack the North. But his exact demands for relinquishing weapons that his nation spent decades building remains unclear.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
MAITLAND, Fla. -- As the Holocaust Center in Maitland eyes expansion and a big move into downtown Orlando, Ellen Lang wants to ensure her mother's legacy lives on.

Ellen Lang wants her moms legacy to live on

Maitlands Holocaust Center eyes expansion, move to Orlando

Langs mother founded the Maitland museum in 1980s

PREVIOUS: Holocaust center eyes new home in downtown Orlando facility

She has faith that people will step up if they know the importance of not waiting until its too late," she said.

Growing up, Lang said that her mother, Tess Wise, didn't tell stories of her past. Born in a small town in Poland that boasted a large Jewish community, Wise's family were tanners.

But when Nazis invaded the country, the family scattered. Both of Wise's parents were sent to camps and died there.

Wise, too -- healthy and young -- was sent to a work camp but managed to escape.

There was a young Polish woman who came one day and brought clothing from another young worker who was ill," Lang explained. "Mom went into the bathroom, changed into this girls clothes, had false papers and walked out of camp.

The rest of the war, Wise posed as a Polish woman.

Ellen Lang on her @holocaustcenter founder mother, Tess Wise: Shes extremely proud of her legacy of bringing this to the light  to be sure no one forgets, so no other group is ever targeted. @MyNews13 @citybeautiful #JewishHeritageMonth #Orlando pic.twitter.com/7VjxmxAPp4  Julie Gargotta (@juliegargotta) May 4, 2018 <_script charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js">

Years later, Wise began a new life in New York, then Florida, learning English and later marrying. She soon got involved with Jewish organizations and eventually, following her coordination of two conferences on global issues, founded the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida in Maitland in the late 1980s.

She wanted to be sure that history was taught," said Lang of her mother. My mom was the driving force for sure.

Lang said that her mother didn't want the stories of the Holocaust to be forgotten, rallying support around her from nonprofits and schools.

People will tell you, you dont say no to Tess," Lang said with a smile.

Out of room

For the past 30 years, the center has focused on education, sharing stories of not only Holocaust survivors but rescuers who put their lives at risk to save others.

But the Maitland museum was out of room, outgrowing their 7,000 square feet of space.

"When we bring in a class of seventh- or eighth-grade students, they fill up our entire center," Lang said. So when other people come, as they have more and more, either from our local community or visitors around the world, theres no place for them to go if theres a classroom of students there.

After months of searching, they found the perfect spot: the old Regional Chamber of Commerce building in downtown Orlando, now vacant.

PAST STORY: Holocaust center eyes new home in downtown Orlando facility

The city of Orlando signed a Memorandum of Understanding, and the details of the long-term lease continued to be hashed out.

For Lang and her family, it was a proud moment, imaging their museum expanding and reaching more visitors in the heart of The City Beautiful.

We want to be at the center. We want people to understand this is a broad, universal mission we have," she said.

This week, the museum revealed renderings of the new look and a shortened name, as well: The Holocaust Museum for Hope and Humanity.

Those glass shards that let in the light represent the heroes and rescuers," Lang said of the design, glass piercing through the building's facade.

The museum needs to raise about $25 million in order to move and renovate, adding 30,000 square feet.

Lang said that so far, they have about $2.5 million committed and are researching grants.

They hope theyll reach their goal in coming years, then take up to two years to build a museum more than five times their current size.

Its exciting to be able to shepherd my familys legacy, my parents' dream, particularly Moms dream," Lang said. "To be sure no one forgets, so no other group is ever targeted.
MOUNT DORA, Fla. -- The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says it's conducting an investigation to determine whether there's a link between a missing Lake County teen and a body found in Volusia County.

Justis Garrett, 16, disappeared in mid-April

Several days later, woman's body found in DeLand

Investigators looking into possible link between cases

Mount Dora Police say 16-year-old Justis Garrett was dropped off at Mount Dora High School on April 13 and never came home.

The following week, on April 18, a woman's remains were found on Gasline Road in DeLand.

Police say Garrett was living in New Smyrna Beach before moving back to Lake County.

"Apparently, they moved to Sorrento from New Smyrna Beach about a month ago and they believe that maybe she went back to New Smyrna Beach, so we've been in contact with authorities there to try and find her," said Lisa McDonald a spokeswoman for the city of Mount Dora.

"Detectives tried calling the cell phone that the mother provided, and it just keeps going to voicemail," McDonald said.

Garrett's family members say some of them were asked to provide DNA to FDLE investigators.

If you have any information on the case, you're asked to call Mount Dora Police at 352-735-7130.
Cockroaches are bad enough invading the home, but it's even worse when they crawl inside the body, which is exactly what happened to Katie Holley.

The experience, the Florida resident says, is just as horrifying as one would imagine.

Finding A Cockroach In The Ear

Holley shared the experience in a self-penned essay in Self magazine, revealing that it began when she woke up in the middle of one night to a strange feeling in her ear. Knowing that a foreign object was lodged in her ear, she used a cotton swab to try getting it out, but only ended up with two little legs stuck on the tip.

Since cockroaches in the house are quite common in the humid climate of Florida, Holley knew immediately that it was one of these crawling insects that was in her ear. Her husband tried pulling out the cockroach from her ear with tweezers, but only managed to wrench another pair of legs from the insect trying to burrow its way deeper.

After another unsuccessful attempt at solving the problem themselves, the couple decided to go to the emergency room to get medical attention. At this point, Holley was in even more discomfort.

"Think of that humming sound you hear when you plug your ears and press really hard-that's what I heard and felt, on the left side of my head as the roach tried to crawl. It was bizarre," she describes in the essay.

At the hospital, the doctor used Lidocaine, a topical numbing agent, to kill the cockroach before pulling the insect out piece by piece. Afterward, Holley was given a prescription for antibiotics, both oral and topical.

Not Done Yet

The trip to the hospital wasn't the end of the ordeal, though. Throughout the following week, Holley did not see an improvement in the soreness of her ear and she remained unable to hear properly.

When she visited her physician to renew her daily meds nine days after the ER trip, it was discovered that six more pieces of the cockroach's carcass was still inside her ear. The physician proceeded to make an ENT emergency appointment for Holley, since there might be more pieces left out of her reach.

Later the same day, the ENT extracted more pieces from Holley's ear: the head, upper torso, other legs, and the antennae among them.

More Common Story Than You Think

As the doctor told Holley, insects inside the ear is a more common experience than one would think.

A study published in the South African Medical Journal revealed that the Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town removed 23 insects from patients' ears in just a two-year period.

In 2017, doctors even found a live cockroach inside a woman's brain, having crawled there through the nose.
April marked a worrying development for the environment as the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere hit its highest average ever recorded.

Making History In Carbon Dioxide

It's the first time in recorded history that the carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere averaged over 410 parts per million (ppm).

A report from University of California San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography reveals that the Keeling Curve measurement series from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii put the month's average CO2 concentration at 410.31 ppm.

The number marks a 30 percent increase in the global atmosphere's carbon dioxide concentration since the Keeling Curve began in 1958. Before the Industrial Revolution, carbon dioxide levels never exceeded 300 ppm in 800,000 years despite fluctuating throughout the different millennia.

"We keep burning fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide keeps building up in the air," Ralph Keeling, a geochemist and the son of the late Keeling Curve creator Charles David Keeling, says in the report. "It's essentially as simple as that."

Keeling is director of the Scripps CO2 Program.

Katharine Hayhoe, climate scientist, took to Twitter to express her dismay at the rising carbon dioxide levels.

"As a scientist, what concerns me the most is what this continued rise actually means: that we are continuing full speed ahead with an unprecedented experiment with our planet, the only home we have," she wrote.

Why It's Important

Greenhouse gases trap solar radiation within the atmosphere, contributing to heating up the planet's temperature. Among these gases, carbon dioxide is the most rampant due to the continuous burning of fossil fuels.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes that while carbon dioxide absorbs less heat than other greenhouse gases, it is also a lot more abundant and lasts in the atmosphere far longer than the rest. It also has a marked effect on the ocean, lowering the water's pH level and increasing acidity, which is harmful to a number of marine creatures.

The effects of the rising carbon dioxide concentrations are alarming, from melted ice caps and rising sea levels to the destruction of marine environments.

"We probably have to go back 5 to 10 million years at least to find a time when CO2 levels were naturally that high," Michael Mann, climate scientist from Penn State University, said. "So we are indeed playing an unprecedented, uncontrolled experiment with the one planet in the universe we know that can support life."
By IANS

ALIGARH: The simmering discontent triggered by the demand for removing a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah from a hall, has now blown up into a full-scale confrontation between Hindutva elements and the agitating students of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

The controversial portrait is hanging in AMU Students Union Hall archive building.

Internet services have been suspended. Teachers affiliated with the AMUTA and women students have joined the protest marches.

Noted historian Irfan Habib has said Jinnah was part of history and by removing his portrait one could not alter history. Other senior faculty members and office bearers of the teachers' body have also echoed similar sentiments.

ALSO READ | Aligarh Muslim University tense as protest continues, students from other varsities join stir

The AMU students union leaders spearheading the current agitation have demanded firm action against those who vandalised the premises and entered the campus to create tension, resulting in violence that injured a dozen students.

The whole campus has become a cantonment with heavy deployment of PAC, RAF and the local police. The additional director general of police held several rounds of talks with senior district officials on Friday. The dharna and demonstrations continue as Hindutva groups are adamant on their demand which is being opposed by the AMU students and teachers.

Meanwhile, AMU has clarified that the students are protesting to press for their demand for immediate action against the so called Hindutva activists who barged into the campus and for judicial enquiry into incidents of Lathi-charge and other demands as contained in their memorandum given on May 2. A spokesperson said that the students' agitation is not related to the portrait of M.A. Jinnah.A

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Tariq Mansoor, along with his wife, Dr Hameeda Tariq, for the second time visited the injured students admitted in the University's Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC) and enquired about their treatment and health. The students were injured in a police lathi-charge while they were on their way to lodge an FIR at the Civil Lines Police Station against those who barged into the campus and disturbed the peace.

The Vice Chancellor also visited Bab-e-Syed where students are staging a sit in for fulfillment of various demands.

The state government, according to a prominent ex-student Jasim Mohammad, former media adviser to the VC, has already ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incidents. Jasim said the Indian Muslims or the AMU community has no relations with ideology of the Muslim League or Jinnah and they were against the division of the country.

Jasim Mohammad told IANS the episodes began with a letter written by Aligarh MP Satish Kumar Gautam where had demanded the Vice Chancellor to remove Jinnah's portrait. "Later a group of 10-14 armed activists of the Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV), accompanied by policemen, came to the University Circle and moved towards the Bab-e-Syed where they attacked security guards and students. Extra police force came and took the HYV cadres into custody but released them from the Civil Lines Police Station. When the AMU students moved towards the police station to get their FIR registered and protest against the release of the HYV cadres, the police lathi-charged them and fired teargas shells, due to which many students received serious injuries," Jasim Mohammad said.

Hesaid that UP Chief Minster Yogi Aditya Nath has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the entire incident. He said that the police officers who released the HYV cadres should be identified and punished. "The inquiry should also find out whether the former Vice President of India, Mohammad Hamid Ansari, was also a target of Hinduvadi goondas," he said

Meanwhile the AMUTA observed black Friday. In a resolution, after considering the seriousness of the situation arising out of "malicious acts of fringe elements spreading hate and communal harmony," it condemned the police brutalities and excessive use of force on peaceful AMU students, and demanded transfer of the police officers involved in the episode.

The local MP, Gautam and the Hindutva groups continue to press their demand for immediate removal of the Jinnah portrait.

The situation continues to remain tense as both sides appear poised for a long-drawn battle.
On the 3rd day of her Seattle visit, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark attended the official opening of new Nordic Museum together with representatives of other Scandinavian countries. Crown Princess Mary is responsible for the official opening of Seattle Nordic Museum. The Princess gave a speech at the opening event. New museum's project has been designed by Mithun Inc. and the source of inspiration for the design has been Nordic fjords. The foundation of new Nordic Museum was laid in 2012.
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(Newser)  An international team of researchers has discovered a 700,000-year-old butchered rhinoceros on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, forcing scientists to radically adjust current estimates about when humans first occupied the archipelago. Previously, a 67,000-year-old foot bone found in a cave in northern Luzon was the oldest evidence of human habitation in the area, reports the Guardian. The team also found 57 stone tools, as well as two possible hammer stones, near the animal, according to a Phys.org news release. Scientists arent certain who these early humans were, but they werent modern day Homo sapiens. The study, published in the science journal Nature, was co-authored by Dr. Gerrit van den Bergh, a palaeontologist at the University of Wollongong.

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Van den Bergh tells the Australia Broadcasting Company that the humans at Luzon could be a distinct sub-species, but were probably Homo erectus. Homo erectus are believed to have migrated to China and southeast Asia as much as a million years ago. The original story for human evolution was very basic, that maybe there was one single migration into places like southeast Asia, Gilbert Price, paleontologist at the University of Queensland tells the Australia Broadcasting Company. But its becoming so much more complicated now. Price was not involved in the study. The find begs a tantalizing new question: How on earth did the early humans get to Luzon? Early humans presumably didnt have boats to cross large bodies of water. Thomas Ingicco, lead author of the study, says they could have arrived accidentally during typhoons or tsunamis, per the Smithsonian. (New discoveries also are altering human history on Africa.)
(Newser)  North Korea readjusted its time zone to match South Korea's on Saturday and described the change as an early step toward helping the longtime rivals "become one" following a landmark summit. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised to sync his country's time zone with the South's during his April 27 talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. A dispatch from the North's Korean Central News Agency says that promise was fulfilled Saturday by a decree of the nation's Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly. The Koreas used the same time zone for decades before the North in 2015 created its own "Pyongyang Time" by setting its clocks 30 minutes behind South Korea and Japan, per the AP.

story continues below

The North said at the time that it did so to root out the legacy of Tokyo's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, when clocks in Korea were changed to be the same as in Japan. "Pyongyang Time" was created as tensions between the authoritarian country and the US grew over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program and international sanctions aimed at dismantling it. The news agency said resynchronizing North and South Korean time was "the first practical step" since the summit "to speed up the process for the north and the south to become one and turn their different and separated things into the same and single ones." (Kim Jong Un may be changing a longtime habit.)

(Read more North Korea stories.)
(Newser)  Sputtering lava, strong earthquakes, and toxic gas jolted the southern part of the Big Island of Hawaii as magma shifted underneath a restless Kilauea volcano. The trifecta of natural threats forced stressed out residents to evacuate and prompted the closure of parks and college campuses on Friday. Multiple new vents, from which lava is spurting out of the ground, formed in the same residential neighborhood where molten rock first emerged Thursday. At midday Friday, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struckthe biggest of hundreds of quakes this week and the largest to strike the state in 43 years, per the AP. Residents were also warned to watch out for dangerous levels of sulfuric gas, but no injuries have been reported so far, reports KHON.

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Hawaiian Volcano Observatory spokeswoman Janet Babb said the earthquakes reflected the volcano adjusting to the shifting magma. "The magma moving down the rift zones, it causes stress on the south flank of the volcano," Babb said. "We're just getting a series of earthquakes." The lava lake at Kilauea's summit crater dropped significantly, suggesting the magma was moving eastward toward Puna, a mostly rural district of forests, papaya farms and lava fields left by past eruptions. Officials ordered more than 1,700 people out of Big Island communities near the lava, warning of the dangers of spattering hot rock and high levels of sulfuric gas that could threaten the elderly and people with breathing problems. Two homes have burned.

(Read more volcano stories.)
(Newser)  Now Kanye West has a choicewhether or not to visit former slave routes in Africa. Barraged with criticism over his remark that 400 years of slavery "sounds like a choice," the rapper was invited Friday to learn about the slave trade that once existed in Nigeria, CNN reports. "If Kanye West thinks slavery was a choice, we will offer him a free ticket and tour guide to visit slave routes and camps in Badagry, Lagos, Ouida, Benin Republic, Ghana and Goree Island in Senegal to 'experience the choices in chains,'" tweeted outspoken Nigerian lawmaker Shehu Sani. "Kanye defecated on the graves of victims." West has since backtracked on his remark but says he's being criticized "for presenting new ideas." No word yet on whether he'll visit West Africa. (Read more Kanye West stories.)
(Newser)  A woman visiting India to undergo treatment for depression was apparently lured away by two men who drugged, raped, and murdered herand then tried to make her death look like suicide, CBS News reports. Indian police have made two arrests in the death of Liga Skromane, 32, who went missing March 14 and was found last month in a marshy area hanging from a tree. "After a few days, when the body decomposed, the head fell to the ground," says Manoj Abraham, a police general inspector. The suspects allegedly posed as guides and gave her cannabis, the Irish Times reports; when she resisted sexual assault they killed her by "blunt injury sustained on the neck," per a police statement.

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The two suspects are Udayan and Umesh, drug peddlers known only by their first names with a history of "sexual predation," says Abraham. Skromane, a Latvian woman who lived in Ireland with her boyfriend, had gone to India with her sister Ilze for a holistic ayurveda treatment that included yoga and meditation. Skromane was last seen traveling on a rickshaw to a nearby beach. "On April 19 I was praying and praying to God to grant me one birthday wish," Ilze wrote recently on social media, per the Irish Mirror. "Please let me know where my sister is, please let us find her, this not knowing is so hard to bear." Two boys found her sister only a day later. Now the family is focusing on her public memorial Sunday and the ongoing police investigation, Ilze tells NDTV. (Read more murder stories.)
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New Delhi:

With just a week left for the Karnataka Assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intensified its campaign across the state. As a part of the third leg of his campaigning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed four public rallies in poll-bound Karnataka on Saturday.

The prime minister will address election rallies in Tumkur, Gadag, Shimoga and Mangaluru.

According to reports, the BJP, which is looking to wrest control from the Congress, may increase Modi's election rallies to 21 from the scheduled 15.

After addressing the rallies in the day, he will stay back in Mangaluru tonight and take up campaigning again on Sunday in Chitradurga, Raichur, Jamkhandi and Hubli.

Apart from the earlier schedule, he may also address three public meetings each on May 6 and May 9.

Karnataka BJP president and party's chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa will accompany Modi in some of the rallies.

In addition, BJP national president Amit Shah is also leading road shows in Mysuru district on Saturday while Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be addressing four public rallies in Kalburgi district.

Karnataka goes to polls on May 12 and 2,655 candidates, including 219 women, are in the poll fray to secure 224 seats up. The results will be declared on May 15.

Data provided by the Chief Electoral Office in Karnataka has indicated that the BJP will contest all 224 seats, while the Congress will contest 222 seats. The HD Devegowda-led Janata Dal-Secular will contest on 201 seats.

Highlights:

# 7:30 PM:A Our karyakartas were brutally murdered just because of political differences. Is this the democracy that Congress practices? People would give a strong reply to the Congress on 12th May : PM Modi

# 7:25 PM:A Congress spreads lies and hence is unable to digest if anyone speaks the truth. People are well aware of their tactics : PM Modi

# 7:25 PM:A Congress mocked the Swachhata Abhiyan. Is it not right that we think about their welfare? Be it any subject, Congress objects : PM Modi

# 7:20 PM:A Result of Karnataka election is clearly written on the walls. BJP will form government in the state with absolute majority : PM Modi

# 07:15 PM:A Congress that once ruled from Panchayat to parliament is now confined to few states only. Due to their ego, they lost election one after other elections : PM Modi

LIVE : More pictures from BJP President Shri @AmitShah's road show in NR constituency, Mysore, Karnataka. Watch at https://t.co/kvVdYQpP0V pic.twitter.com/v7jrPGG5iL a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 05:30 PM:A Congress has a secret tender system to give tickets to its candidates and to even select Chief Minister on the basis of their abidsa. People of Karnataka needs to be alert about this system : PM Modi.

# 05:24 PM:A Coconut export has increased by more than 60% after our govt came into power at the centre. We installed a food processing plant in Tumakuru in just Rs. 150 crore that helped around 6,000 farmers in doing trade and generated 6,000 employments : PM Modi.

# 04:59 PM:A Shameful that Congress leaders are using abusive language for @BSYBJP Ji. This is not acceptable at all. Yeddyurappa Ji is a respectable leader: PM Modi.

Shameful that Congress leaders are using abusive language for @BSYBJP Ji. This is not acceptable at all. Yeddyurappa Ji is a respectable leader : PM Modi #PPPCongress a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 04:50 PM:A There is no difference between the 'C' of Congress and 'C' of Corruption. Even now they cry foul of demonetisation: PM Modi.

There is no difference between the 'C' of Congress and 'C' of Corruption. Even now they cry fowl of demonetisation : PM Modi - Dial 9345014501 to listen LIVE. #PPPCongress pic.twitter.com/j6uQDgMwSm a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 04:49 PM:A Spreading lies has become a business for the Congress. Wherever they go, they spread lies among people, says Modi.

Spreading lies has become a business for the Congress. Wherever they go, they spread lies among among people : PM @narendramodi #PPPCongress pic.twitter.com/r23LsqHmSN a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 04:46 PM:A Congress believes in divide and rule philosophy. They divide people on the grounds of caste. And shockingly, they even classify criminals on the grounds of caste: PM Modi.

Congress believes in divide and rule philosophy. They divide people on the grounds of caste. And shockingly, they even classify criminals on the grounds of caste : PM Modi #PPPCongress a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 04:38 PM:A I can never forget the affection of people of Shivamogga. When we had launched the Tiranga Yatra, back then I had got the opportunity to address a gathering here, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

I can never forget the affection of people of Shivamogga. When we had launched the Tiranga Yatra, back then I had got the opportunity to address a gathering here : PM @narendramodi #KannadigasWithModi a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 04:26 PM:

After 15 May when they lose Karnataka election, Indian National Congress will be reduced to PPP (Punjab, Puducherry and Parivaar) Congress : PM Shri @narendramodi #PPPCongress pic.twitter.com/CNEtnB3azN a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 04:24 PM:A PM Narendra Modi is addressing public meeting at Shivamogga, Karnataka.

# 03:57 PM:A In 2007, Madam Sonia Gandhi made a speech in Goa saying Congress party was committed not to allow diversion of Mahadayi waters to Karnataka. Now when they are out of power in Goa, they are now inciting people of Karnataka on the same issue: PM #PPPCongress.

In 2007, Madam Sonia Gandhi made a speech in Goa saying Congress party was committed not to allow diversion of Mahadayi waters to Karnataka. Now when they are out of power in Goa, they are now inciting people of Karnataka on the same issue : PM #PPPCongress pic.twitter.com/suFYGcMuNu a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 02:36 PM:A It is the people of Karnataka who are going to make the Congress into a regional Party called PPP Congress (Punjab, Puducherry and Parivar Congress), says Modi.

It is the people of Karnataka who are going to make the Congress into a regional Party called PPP Congress (Punjab, Puducherry and Parivar Congress) : PM @narendramodi #PPPCongress a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 02:27 PM:A Congress is misleading people in the name of Mahadayi. What the Congress is doing is showing its true character and people should know about it: Narendra Modi.

Congress is misleading people in the name of Mahadayi. What the Congress is doing is showing its true character and people should know about it : PM @narendramodi #PPPCongress a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 02:26 PM:A I wish the Karnataka CM would have asked Sonia Gandhi Ji about her 2007 promise on Mahadayi. If he would know of that promise he would not be misleading the people, says Modi.

I wish the Karnataka CM would have asked Sonia Gandhi Ji about her 2007 promise on Mahadayi. If he would know of that promise he would not be misleading the people : PM @narendramodi #PPPCongress a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 02:25 PM: PM Modi takes a jib at Congress, says after the Karnataka results, Congress will become PPP Congress- Punjab, Puducherry and Parivar Congress.

After the Karnataka results, Congress will become PPP Congress- Punjab, Puducherry and Parivar Congress : PM @narendramodi #PPPCongress a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 02:16 PM:A Congress can only loot Karnataka, they cannot do anything else for the state, says Modi.

After the Karnataka results, Congress will become PPP Congress- Punjab, Puducherry and Parivar Congress : PM @narendramodi #PPPCongress a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

Congress can only loot Karnataka, they cannot do any thing else for the state : PM @narendramodi #KannadigasWithModi a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 02:15 PM:A Congress is worried about losing Karnataka and there is a reason behind this. Leaders & ministers here have made a huge tank. This tank stores money and a pipeline takes money straight to Delhi: PM Narendra Modi.

Congress is worried about losing Karnataka and there is a reason behind this. Leaders & ministers here have made a huge tank. This tank stores money and a pipeline takes money straight to Delhi : PM Modi https://t.co/1VlS9i1Jov #KannadigasWithModi pic.twitter.com/fqy8tWI9VL a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 02:12 PM:A Congress has lost in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, UP, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, people across India have rejected the Congress, says PM.

Congress has lost in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, UP, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, people across India have rejected the Congress : PM @narendramodi #KannadigasWithModi a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 02:11 PM:A No one knows Congress policies and intentions better than the people of Gadag: PM Modi.

No one knows Congress policies and intentions better than the people of Gadag : PM @narendramodi, dial 9345014501 to listen LIVE #KannadigasWithModi pic.twitter.com/86R58s5sK9 a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 02:10 PM:A Congress is not bothered about the depletion of natural resources here. As long as the pockets of their leaders are full, Congress is happy. Congress sees corruption opportunities in the forests of Karnataka. Corruption is key to the existence of the Congress: PM Narendra Modi at Gadag.

Congress is not bothered about the depletion of natural resources here. As long as the pockets of their leaders are full, Congress is happy. Congress sees corruption opportunities in the forests of Karnataka. Corruption is key to the existence of the Congress : PM at Gadag pic.twitter.com/Ihn1AX1E2z a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 02:02 PM:A PM Modi is addressing a public meeting at Gadag, Karnataka.

LIVE : PM Modi is addressing public meeting at Gadag, Karnataka. #KannadigasWithModi https://t.co/RUEW9GRBQr a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 02:01 PM:

Thank you Karnataka. Overwhelmed by the support today! pic.twitter.com/azlG0aBx9m a Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 3, 2018

# 01:37 PM:A For years, the Congress kept chanting 'Gareeb'. However, when a poor mother's son became PM, they changed their slogan and started chanting afarmersa: PM Modi in Tumkur, Karnataka.

For years, the Congress kept chanting 'Gareeb'. However, when a poor mother's son became PM, they changed their slogan and started chanting afarmersa : PM Modi in Tumakuru, Karnataka, #KannadigasWithModi pic.twitter.com/RexeK6UoCn a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 01:12 PM:A Glimpses of BJP National President Shri Amit Shah's road-show in Periyapatna, Karnataka.

# 01:00 PM: BJP presidentA Amit Shah holds road-show in Karnataka.

# 12:05 PM:A Congress government prefers to loot money rather than work for people's welfare in Karnataka: PM Narendra Modi.

# 12:05 PM:A Resources have been allocated for Tumakuru's development under Smart Cities project, says Modi during the public meeting in Tumkur.

Resources have been allocated for Tumakuru's development under Smart Cities project. These resources are aimed at transforming Tumakuru but Congress government prefers to loot money rather than work for people's welfare : PM @narendramodi #KannadigasWithModi a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 11:51 AM:A Who can deny that there is a collision between JD(S) and Cong when they are fighting in Tumukura but are in alliance with Bangalore Municipal Corporation. They should stop making fool out of people of Tumkur and Karnataka, says Modi in Tumkur.

Who can deny that there is a collision between JD(S) and Cong when they are fighting in Tumukura but are in alliance in Bangalore Municipal Corporation. They should stop making fool out of people of Tumukura and Karnataka : PM #KannadigasWithModi a BJP LIVE (@BJPLive) May 5, 2018

# 11:50 AM:A Our Government at the Centre has worked on irrigation projects on which no work had happened for 30 years. Some of these key projects are also in Karnataka: PM

Our Government at the Centre has worked on irrigation projects on which no work had happened for 30 years. Some of these key projects are also in Karnataka: PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/9EVwngF55f a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 11:41 AM:A Congress is trying to offer false rhetoric and empty promises to the farmers. The Congress' neglect of the agriculture sector is very well known. I wish they were serious about the welfare of the farmers: PM Modi.

Congress is trying to offer false rhetoric and empty promises to the famers. The Congress' neglect of the agriculture sector is very well known. I wish they were serious about the welfare of the farmers : PM Modi #KannadigasWithModi a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 11:40 AM:A From the time of Indira Gandhi, Congress party has only fooled poor people of the society to win elections: Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

From the time of Indira Gandhi, congress party has only fooled poor people of the society to win elections : PM @narendramodi Watch at https://t.co/jLXV5qREof #KannadigasWithModi pic.twitter.com/RIsAUdgHtV a BJP LIVE (@BJPLive) May 5, 2018

# 11:38 AM:A For years, the Congress keeps saying - Gareeb, Gareeb, Gareeb. Congress failed to transform the lives of the poor of India, says Modi.

For years, the Congress kept saying - Gareeb, Gareeb, Gareeb. Congress failed to transform the lives of the poor of India : PM @narendramodi #KannadigasWithModi pic.twitter.com/2nJktvZeoV a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 11:35 AM:A Saints, Seers and Mutts have played a strong role in the development of our nation. We are deeply inspired by them: PM Modi

Saints, Seers and Mutts have played a strong role in the development of our nation. We are deeply inspired by them : PM @narendramodi #KannadigasWithModi a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 11:35 AM:A This land of Tumakuru is home to several greats. After becoming PM I had come here to Tumakuru and sought the blessings of Sri Sri Sri Sivakumar Swami Ji at the Sree Siddaganga Mutt.

This land of Tumakuru is home to several greats. After becoming PM I had come here to Tumakuru and sought the blessings of Sri Sri Sri Sivakumar Swami Ji at the Sree Siddaganga Mutt : PM @narendramodi #KannadigasWithModi a BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

# 11:26 AM:A PM Narendra Modi addresses a public meeting in Tumakuru, Karnataka. #KannadigasWithModi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who was scheduled to address rallies in Sedan and Balki on Saturday, cut short his trip. He went to visit the rain and dust storm affected people at a hospital in Agra.

The massive storm claimed 73 lives in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. Opposition parties slammed Yogi for campaigning in Karnataka instead of overseeing relief operations in the state.

The UP CM was also scheduled to visit Balehonnur Math in Karnataka on Saturday.
New Delhi:

A 500-year-old tomb reportedly a resting place of an unknown person from Tughlaq era has been converted into a temple at Safdarjung Enclaveas Humayunpur village.

The heritage structure from the 15th Century was painted saffron and white in March with idols placed inside it. Now, Deputy CM of Delhi Manish Sisodia has ordered an enquiry into the alleged change.

In 7-8 months our team visited 5-6 times for conservation, with state archaeology team & Police, but locals say its personal property as they've revenue records: A.Kumar, Director-Projects, Indian Ntn'l Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (INTACH) on structure in Humayunpur #Delhi pic.twitter.com/PUNwr0P7hr a ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2018

aIt is the duty of the state archaeology department to ensure the protection of heritage monuments listed under them and take strict action in case of a lapse,a Sisodia said in his order.

aThe reported incident should be handled with zero tolerance by the department as it not only violates heritage related laws but is also an attempt to disturb peace and harmony in the area,a the letter stated.

The two saffron-coloured benches with the name of BJP councillor from Safdurjung Enclave, Radhika Phogat were placed inside it, as per a leading daily.

aSecretary (ACL) to provide a detailed report to me by tomorrow (Saturday) with details of the incident and action taken by her,a the deputy chief minister added.

One member from the restoration team told a leading daily that till 2-3 years ago, the agomtia was used to keep old furniture and remained locked, it was used as a store room.

aIt was full of old furniture and other discarded stuff. There was a ashivlinga like structure inside. But as per Zafaras listing, it is a tomb. It was locked and hence the restorers needed police protection as no one could enter a locked premises,a he said.

It wasnat painted until two months ago, he added.

aWhenever the department tried to take over its possession, residents opposed. The police were informed several times but that did not help also,a he said.
New Delhi:

Almost seven decades after his death, Pakistan's founding father Mohammad Ali Jinnah continues to spark controversies over a portrait of him hanging on Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) wall.

Be it the ugly battle between BJP and Congress members over the portrait or Samajwadi Party comparing Jinnah to India's iconic figures - Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, it seems like the controversies regarding the Pakistani leader have simply refused to die down at AMU.

Meanwhile, scores of agitated students on Saturday continued their protest at the AMU's main gate - Baab-e-Sayyad seeking a judicial inquiry against members of right-wing groups along with BJP MP Satish Gautam.

As many as 3000 students from Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Allahabad University joined the protesters and are raising slogans against Satish Gautam for allegedly communalising the campus environment.

They have been also joined by teaching and non-teaching staff at AMU and demanded the suspension of the Station House Officer of Aligarh's Civil Lines Police Station, and a magisterial inquiry into Satish Gautam.

Read | Muhammad Ali Jinnahs portrait inside Aligarh Muslim University, BJP MP raises objection

Vice Chancellor Tariq Mansoor has been requested to formally take up their demands.

Tensions triggered at the varsity campus after Satish Gautam on Tuesday wrote a letter to Mansoor asking him to explain why a portrait of Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah was hanging inside the campus.

"I have heard a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah is hung inside the campus. Kindly gather more details on this and give reasons behind it," Gautam wrote.

"It's a part of AMU's history. And, whether good or bad, History cannot be erased," a senior AMU official replied.

Giving it a political angle, the opposition Congress accused the BJP of doing "dirty politics of sensationalism, divisiveness, polarisation" and said this needed to be condemned.

The BJP is provoking sentiments and communalising the atmosphere by raking up an "artificial" issue of Jinnah's picture at Aligarh Muslim University, which has led to violence in the Uttar Pradesh town, said Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi.

Read | Pak founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah's daughter Dina Wadia dies in New York

According to sources, the varsity has contacted the Union Human Resource Development Ministry for a judicial inquiry into the matter. Tariq Mansoor visited the students, who were injured after police restored lathi charge on Wednesday.

The administration on Friday suspended internet services in the communally sensitive place to prevent the rumour mongering.

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New Delhi:

Security forces on Saturday gunned down three terrorists in an ongoing encounter with militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar, according to police.

CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in Tabela Chattabal in Safakadal following inputs about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.

"The search operation turned into an encounter after the hiding militants fired upon the search party of the security forces, who retaliated," the official said.

"The gunfight is still on," he added.

Here are the LIVE updates on Chattabal encounter:

# 01:24 PM: 3 terrorists have been killed, 3 security personnel have been injured. It was a clean operation, there has been no damage to the building. I thank the people of Srinagar for their cooperation, ANI quoted Ravideep Sahi, IG CRPF on Chattabal encounter #JammuAndKashmir.

3 terrorists have been killed, 3 security personnel have been injured. It was a clean operation, there has been no damage to the building. I thank the people of Srinagar for their cooperation: Ravideep Sahi, IG CRPF on Chattabal encounter #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/iEVMNBj3kG  ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2018

# 12:58 PM: Chattabal encounter: Total of 2 CRPF personnel and 1 Policeman injured. Bodies of 3 terrorists recovered along with 3 AK rifles and ammunition #JammuAndKashmir.

#Update on Chattabal encounter: Total of 2 CRPF personnel & 1 Policeman injured. Bodies of 3 terrorists recovered along with 3 AK rifles & ammunition. #JammuAndKashmir https://t.co/BKKrUvfLtq  ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2018

# 12:50 PM: Total of 3 terrorists gunned down in Srinagars Chattabal. Operation over. #JammuAndKashmir.

#FLASH: Total of 3 terrorists gunned down in Srinagars Chattabal. Operation over. #JammuAndKashmir  ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2018

# 12:30 PM: 3 militants killed in an encounter on the outskirts of Srinagar: Police

# 10:52 AM: Encounter underway between terrorists and security forces in Chattabal area of Srinagar. #JammuAndKashmir.

#SpotVisuals: Encounter underway between terrorists and security forces in Chattabal area of Srinagar. #JammuAndKashmir (Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/8psfjoM8oL  ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2018

# 09:37 AM: One terrorist gunned down during encounter with security forces in Chattabal area of Srinagar. #JammuAndKashmir.

#UPDATE: One terrorist gunned down during encounter with security forces in Chattabal area of Srinagar. #JammuAndKashmir  ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2018

# 08:00 AM: One CRPF personnel injured during the encounter with terrorists in Chattabal area of Srinagar. #JammuAndKashmir.

#UPDATE: One CRPF personnel injured during encounter with terrorists in Chattabal area of Srinagar. #JammuAndKashmir  ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2018

# 07:53 AM: Encounter started between terrorists and security forces in Chattabal area of Srinagar. More details awaited. #JammuAndKashmir.

#SpotVisuals: Encounter started between terrorists and security forces in Chattabal area of Srinagar. More details awaited. (Visuals deferred by unscientific time) #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/QTcQcV7dql  ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2018

Read | LeT militants abduct and kill civilians in J&K's Bandipora

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, terrorists fired upon a Special Police Officer, named Showkat Ahmad Dar, near his house in Pulwama's Rahmoo. The officer was rushed to a hospital.

#JammuAndKashmir: Terrorists fired upon Special Police Officer, named Showkat Ahmad Dar, near his house in Pulwama's Rahmoo, shifted to hospital. More details awaited.  ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2018

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New Delhi:

The Madras High Court has allowed the termination of pregnancy of a 14-year-old rape victim.

The girl was allegedly raped five months ago by a man known to her, and her parents had approached Kancheepuram collector with the complaint. Following the complaint, the Child Welfare Committee in Chengalpet filed a petition.

During the hearing of the petition from the Child Welfare Committee recently, Justice T Raja of the Madras High Court directed the dean of Chengalpet Medical College and Hospital to terminate the pregnancy of the girl and preserve the foetus.

When the incident was reported, the girl was admitted to the Christ Faith Home for Children at Manapakkam in Chennai. A doctor's report then had confirmed that the girl was raped. She was then shifted to the Chengalpet Medical College and Hospital and a case was registered.

The home had sent a letter on April 12 to the Chengalpet Medical College, seeking medical advice on the continuation of pregnancy of the girl.

A medical test had confirmed that she had a "single intra-uterine pregnancy of around 18 weeks' gestational age".

The girl and her mother were given counselling to give consent to the termination of pregnancy. The home had also suggested that the pregnancy be terminated to secure the girl's health and life. As action needed to be taken immediately, the home had moved the high court.

Also Read | Court asks JNU professor not to take charge of women hostels

On April 28, V Vanitha, Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Chengalpet Medical College, had told the court that it was advisable to terminate the pregnancy at the earliest as adolescent pregnancies were prone to a higher risk of complications such as pregnancy-induced hypertension and increased infection.

The court had informed the girl and her mother about the doctor's advice and they had agreed to the termination of pregnancy.

In his order, the judge said, "In view of the above, this court directs the Dean, Chengalpet Medical College Hospital, Chengalpet, Kancheepuram district, to do the needful by terminating the single intra-uterine pregnancy of about 18 weeks' gestational age."

(With inputs from PTI)

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on claimed theres a secret pact between the Janata Dal-Secular and the Congress and said that Deve Gowda's party was protecting the Congress, but only the BJP can change the government in Karnataka.



"Poll surveys, political pundits...everyone is saying the JD(S) cannot defeat Congress. They cannot form government. If anyone can change the government in Karnataka, it is the BJP, Modi said as he addressed an election rally in Karnatakas Tumakuru.



"If anyone is protecting the Congress, it is the JD(S)... Congress and JD(S) have a secret understanding...an understanding behind the curtains," he said, taking a U-turn on Gowda and the JD-S.



Only on at a rally in Udupi, Modi showered praises on JD-S chief and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda and castigated Congress president Rahul Gandhi for "insulting" the former prime minister.



And, two days later, at a rally in Bengaluru, Modi asked people not to "waste" their votes by backing the JD-S as it was going to finish "a poor, distant third" in the elections.



Modi then demanded the Congress to make it clear its deal with the JD-S.



"Why are you hiding this? The Congress should have the courage to speak the truth to people," he said.



Modi said the Congress, which ruled the country for decades, neglected the poor and farmers.



"Garibi, garibi, garibi (poverty, poverty, poverty) was their constant rant. But once the son of a poor mother became the prime minister, they clammed shut...now they don't talk about poverty," he said.



Blaming the Congress for the backwardness of Tumakuru, Modi said the farmers were suffering because of the policies of successive Congress governments at the Centre and in the state.



Modi, however, said he respects Gowda and that when he came to the southern state of Karnataka for campaigning during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he said the JD-S leader should live for 100 years and serve the society. Gowda then had announced before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls that he would commit suicide if Modi became the prime minister.

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New Delhi:

An Islamic organisation on Saturday questioned the rationale behind the demand of few right-wing activists for removing a portrait of Pakistans founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah from the famous Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

"What is the rationale behind such a demand after it has been there in public view for the past 80 years? Even if someone has such a demand, they can move courts for the same... Why such a row over it?" asked Jamaat-e-Islami Hind president Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari.

Stating it as a small issue that has been blown out of proportion, Umari said it has been a long practise in AMU to put up portraits of its lifetime members of the students union in the campus.

Since 1938, Jinnahs picture was in the campus. No one had raised any questions regarding it, he told the media.

Umari claimed that even some senior BJP leaders had not questioned Jinnahs role in the freedom fight against the British.

It was a matter that needs to be resolved through talks with the students union, the JIH leader added.

The row started after local BJP MP Satish Gautam wrote to AMU, objecting the display of the portrait.

Umari also questioned the policies of the BJP-led central government and alleged that secularism, democracy and the fundamental rights of the people of India are in danger.

He added that JIH would extend their support to those who are ready to fight the saffron party.

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New Delhi:

Rohingya refugees returning to Myanmar will be safe as long as they stay in the areas designated for them, the country's Army Chief Min Aung Hlaing has said.

"There is no need to be worried about their security if they stay in the areas designated for them," the Army Chief told a visiting UN delegation, according to a post on Min Aung Hlaing's official Facebook page on Saturday.

The Army Chief met the visiting delegation from the UN Security Council in the capital Naypyidaw on April 30.

The remark sparked off renewed fears the Rohingyas refugees will be kept in settlements indefinitely.

As many as 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to Bangladesh after the military launched a brutal crackdown on insurgents in August 2017.

The US and the UN termed the crackdown ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed to repatriate refugees to conflict-hit Rakhine state in 2017 but Rohingyas fear to return to a country without guarantees of safety and basic rights such as freedom of movement.

Myanmars Army Chief referred to members of the stateless minority as "Bengalis", reflecting a widespread belief in Myanmar that the Rohingya are immigrants from Bangladesh despite a longstanding presence in Rakhine.

He also cast doubt on the allegations raised by refugees in Bangladesh, many of whom shared stories of extrajudicial killings, arson and rape.

"Bengalis will never say that they arrive there happily. They will get sympathy and rights only if they say that they face a lot of hardships and persecution," he reportedly said, adding that the issue was "exaggerated".

Conditions in Myanmar not ripe for Rohingya refugees to return.

The UN has said conditions on the ground are not ripe for the refugees to return, despite Myanmar's insistence that it is ready even as no large-scale repatriation has occurred.

The government has built transit camps that can accommodate tens of thousands of people and a much smaller number of new houses to replace fire-blackened villages where Rohingya used to live.

The minority community has been persecuted in Myanmar for decades and Rohingya have lived in what rights groups have called apartheid-like conditions, with severe restrictions on movement and access to health services.

More than 120,000 Rohingya still reside in camps for internally displaced people in the Rakhine state capital Sittwe as a result of intercommunal violence in 2012 that killed hundreds.

Dil Mohamed, a Rohingya leader sheltering on the border, told reporters late last month that refugees do not want to stay in any transit camps due to similar concerns that they will be more than temporary. "We are waiting here only until we are allowed to go back to our home," he said.

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NORFOLK, Va., May 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Landmark Foundation in Norfolk will donate $5 million to Old Dominion University for scholarships to in-state undergraduates based on need. Nearly 500 students will receive scholarships of $2,000 each in the 2018-19 school year.

"The idea was to respond to the University's stated need for money to bridge the gap between the resources that people had versus how much they needed," said Frank Batten Jr., the president of the foundation. "I hope that this will help more students stay in college and not have to drop out because they were short by a little bit of money."

The Bridge the Gap campaign is part of Old Dominion's $250 million Legacy in the Making fundraising initiative. The University estimates that even after financial aid, students are short an average of $1,700 a year. That means that some may go without a meal or a textbook or, in the worst case, will leave Old Dominion before graduating.

"I appreciate the Landmark Foundation's significant generosity and the enduring commitment of the Batten family to Old Dominion and the well-being of its students," Old Dominion President John R. Broderick said.

About 475 students will receive the scholarships, to be known as Landmark Foundation Opportunity Scholarships, in the 2018-19 academic year. They can be renewed for up to $2,000 per year.

The Landmark Foundation supports education, human services and environmental causes in Hampton Roads. The foundation was created by Landmark Communications, the predecessor of Landmark Media Enterprises. Landmark Media Enterprises owns businesses including Dominion Enterprises and The Virginian-Pilot.



Frank Batten Jr. is a former rector of ODU's Board of Visitors. He serves as chairman, CEO and president of Landmark Media Enterprises and Dominion Enterprises. Batten House, a residence hall near Powhatan Avenue, is named after him.

Batten's father, Frank Batten, who died in 2009, was the first rector of Old Dominion's board. In 2003, he donated $32 million to the University. The Batten Arts & Letters Building and Batten College of Engineering & Technology are named after him.

Attachment
A Chinese court has ruled that a character registered in the country is a copyright infringement of the popular Japanese anime robot cat Doraemon.

The court has ruled that the trademark given to the Chinese character is invalid.

A company in Fujian Province reportedly registered a robot cat character in 2015.

The following year, a Shanghai-based company, which is a licensed user of the Doraemon character, filed a complaint with a government agency, saying the Chinese character closely resembles Doraemon.

The agency decided that the trademark is invalid.

The firm in Fujian filed a lawsuit in January this year with the intellectual property court in Beijing to protest the decision.

The firm argued that its character bears little resemblance to Doraemon and said it is a completely different creation.

The judge in the case reportedly read Doraemon comics to prepare for the trial.

The ruling comes amid concerns about protection of intellectual property rights in China. Japanese brands have been trademarked in the country without permission from the rights holders.
The population of children under 15 years old in Japan stood at an estimated 15.53 million as of April 1, down 170,000 from a year earlier and falling for the 37th consecutive year, the internal affairs ministry said Friday.

The child population rewrote a low since 1950, when comparable data became available, the ministry said before Children's Day on Saturday.

According to the latest data, boys totaled 7.95 million and girls 7.58 million, accounting for 12.3 pct of the overall population on a combined basis. The proportion of children dropped 0.1 percentage point, down for 44 years in a row.

The number of children aged 12 to 14 stood at 3.26 million, followed by 3.23 million for the age range of 9-11, 3.13 million for 6-8, 2.98 million for 3-5 and 2.93 million for the youngest range.

Among the country's 47 prefectures, only Tokyo saw its child population rise, by 7,000 to 1,542,000 as of Oct. 1, 2017. Besides Tokyo, Kanagawa, Aichi and Osaka had over one million children.
NEW ORLEANS, May 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until May 11, 2018 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against BRF S.A. (NYSE:BRFS), if they purchased the Companys securities between April 4, 2013 and March 2, 2018, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.



Get Help

BRF S.A. investors should visit us at https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-brf-sa-securities-litigation or call to speak to our claim center toll-free at (844) 367-9658.

About the Lawsuit

BRF S.A. and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (i) BRF employees bribed regulators, among others, to unduly influence results of inspections to conceal unsanitary practices at the Companys food processing plants; (ii) the discovery of the foregoing conduct would foreseeably subject the Company and its officers to heightened regulatory enforcement and/or prosecution; and (iii) as a result of the foregoing, BRFs financial statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. ClaimsFiler's team of experts monitor the securities class action landscape and cull information from a variety of sources to ensure comprehensive coverage across a broad range of financial instruments.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.
NEW ORLEANS, May 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (KSF) and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until July 2, 2018 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against LendingClub Corporation (NYSE:LC), if they purchased the Companys securities between February 28, 2015 and April 25, 2018, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.



What You May Do

If you purchased securities of LendingClub and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-lc/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by July 2, 2018.

About the Lawsuit

LendingClub and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On April 25, 2018, the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against the Company based on multiple charges of wrongdoing including falsely promising loans to consumers with no hidden fees and subsequently applying hundreds or even thousands of dollars in hidden up-front fees from the loans; misleading consumers as to the approval status of their loan applications; and improperly withdrawing funds from consumer accounts.

On this news, the price of LendingClubs shares plummeted $0.49 per share, or over 15%, to close at $2.77 per share on April 25, 2018.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

Contact:

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
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The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye on Friday warned the current Nigerian government to urgently end the unending orgy sectarian killings in different parts of the country, stressing that Nigeria as it is presently constituted may cease to exist if the murderous attacks continue.Adeboye, who made the declaration at the May 2018 Holy Ghost service with a theme: Stronger Than Your Enemies 5 with a subtitle, Habitation of the Almighty, also warned that unless the killings stopped there may not be elections in 2019 in Nigeria.The cleric made the admonition while leading the large crowd of worshippers at the Redemption Camp and in several viewing centers across the globe, in a prayer for the survival of Nigeria, re-echoed the fact that a nation may survive a civil war but no nation can survive a religious war and remain the same.Narrating how he felt in far away Germany when yet to be identified herdsmen stormed St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Ukpor-Mbalom Parish, Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State, killing two Catholic priests and 17 parishioners, he told the large crowd that he was unusually quiet and his wife of over 50 years was curious.I said there is no father who would lose 19 children in a day that will not be quiet. She said what do you mean, because she hadnt heard the news that in a church, somebody went in and shot 19 people.It doesnt matter the denominationby the special grace of God, all Christians in Nigeria call me daddy. So when any of them dies, its my son or daughter that is dead, Adeboye said.It will be recalled that on April 24, 19 persons, including Reverend Fathers Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha, who were conducting the morning Mass were gunned down in cold blood, while many sustained injuries, including bullet wounds.He therefore called on the Buhari led government to urgently end the killings before it dovetails into a religious war.Continuing, Pastor Adeboye said: I am going to ask you to join me in prayer, because unless these killings stop, and stop immediately, even Nigeria may not live. I am not talking about individuals now, I am talking about Nigeria itselfa bishop asked me not too long ago, Daddy, has God told you who win the next election?I said, Sir, I am not even sure yet there will be an election. Because unless these killings stop there may be no elections next year. Are you prophesying, Daddy? No, no! I am not prophesying. I am just reasoning. Because nobody will want to go out to vote if they are not sure they will be able to return home safely, he explained.According to him, he has seen war at close quarters and knows that there is nothing good about war, its a terrible thing. A nation may survive a civil war, but no nation can survive a religious war a remain the same. That Nigeria may live these killings must stop.So all of you who love Nigeria, I want to rise on your feet, and cry to God with all your heart, and say: Father, let the killings stop, and the response was spontaneous.. that Nigeria may live, please God let the killings stop.
Femi Fani-Kayode, former Aviation Minister, on Friday warned Nigerians against voting President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term.The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain warned that if Buhari returns as President in 2019, Nigeria will be soaked in blood.In a tweet, Fani-Kayode insisted that Buhari will be resisted from becoming president for a second term.Describing Buhari as a killer of Christains, the former Minister stressed that the president cant rule Nigeria again.He wrote: If @MBuhari returns to power next year this country will be soaked from top to bottom in blood and she will burn.A killer of Christians, southerners and Middle Belters cannot rule our nation and slaughter our people for another 4 years.We will resist it and we will stop him.
The Presidency has presented documents and a letter from the United States Government to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Legal Mat...

The Presidency has presented documents and a letter from the United States Government to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters on why it decided to pay $496 million for 12 Super Tucano fighter jets in anticipation of approval by the National Assembly.It said the US Government gave a February 20, 2018 deadline to effect the payment or wait for another two years to renegotiate.The Presidency also gave a list of precedents by past governments which embarked on similar purchases or expenditures due to exigencies.The Minister of Defence, Gen. Manir Dan Ali; the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN); the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and all other ministers connected with the payment for the jets have either responded to enquiries from the committee or appeared before the Senate team.Investigation revealed that the Presidency insisted that it acted in the national interest and that no cash was diverted or shared under the table.It explained that there was no trace of scandal because it was purely a government to government transaction.One of the documents was a letter from the United States Government, which indicated a February 20 deadline to pay for the Super Tucano jets.A top source in the Presidency said: The payment of the $496 million for the Super Tucano jets was not ill-motivated or scandalous as being painted.It was effected in the interest of the nations security and not an attempt to undermine the National Assembly in any form.If you go to Section 82 of the 1999 Constitution, it says the President may authorise withdrawal of money from the Consolidated Revenue of the Federation for the purpose of meeting expenditure necessary to carry on the services of the Government of the Federation for a period not exceeding six months until the coming into operation of the Appropriation Act.There were also past precedents by some ex-Presidents, including Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the late Mallam Umaru Musa YarAdua and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.The source gave insights into such expenditures on exigencies by past presidents as follows:$17.7 billion withdrawn by Obasanjo from the excess crude account to pay the Paris Club and fund two projects without the National Assemblys approval.Excess Crude Account (ECA) depleted by the YarAdua-Jonathan administration from $20 billion in 2008 to less than $4 billion in 2010 without input by the National Assembly.$5 billion taken from ECA by the administration of YarAdua for power generationOver $2 billion withdrawn in 2014 by the Jonathan government for the purchase of equipment to fight Boko Haram. There is no evidence of consultation with the National Assembly.The source added: The Presidency has provided a list of similar expenditures by past Presidents to the Senate Committee to prove that there was no constitutional violation to warrant the so-called impeachment motion.Speaking with our correspondent on the latest development, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Sen. Ita Enang said: The Senate Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters looking into the payment of the $496 million to the US Government raised some questions for relevant ministers to answer.Some of these questions have been answered and are being answered to the satisfaction of the Legislature.We have provided many documents and a letter from the US Government which stated that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has until February 20 to pay for the jets.The letter said if this administration defaulted on the deadline, it would cancel the request for the purchase of the jets and Nigeria would have to wait for another two years to renegotiate.We have also laid in evidence President Donald Trumps admission of the sale of the $496 million Super Tucano jets to the Federal Government and what he said on the integrity of President Buhari.Responding to a question, Enang said: We are doing a lot of rapprochement with the National Assembly for an enhanced understanding and collaboration between the two arms of government.We are actually reaching out to the Senate and the House of Representatives.We are doing everything to stave off any issue relating to impeachment.Following the approval of $1 billion by the National Economic Council (NEC) to address security emergencies in the nation, the Federal Government had withdrawn $496 million out of the sum to pay for 12 Super Tucano Jets.Buhari, in a letter to the National Assembly, said in part: I wish to draw the attention of the Senate to the ongoing security emergencies in the nation.These challenges were discussed with the state governors and subsequently at the meeting of the National Economic Council on the 14th of December 2017 where a resolution was passed with the council approving that up to $1 billion may be released and utilised from the Excess Crude Account to address the situation.In the expectation that the National Assembly would have no objection to the purchase of this highly specialised aircraft, which is critical to national security, I granted anticipatory approval for the release of US$496,374,470.00.But the National Assembly faulted the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for engaging in anticipatory withdrawal when the National Assembly was yet to approve the $1 billion request.They accused the President of violating sections 80, 81 and 143 of the 1999 Constitution.On Thursday, Sen. Matthew Uroghide, Edo State, said President Buharis move was a violation of the constitution.While Uroghide urged the Senate to invoke Section 143 to start the Presidents impeachment process, Senator Chukwuka Utazi, who seconded the motion, declared: This is an impeachable offence.But President Buhari said he gave approval for the withdrawal of the fund because he believed the National Assembly would have no objection to his action.In the House of Representatives, Hon, Kingsley Chinda (Rivers State) raised a constitutional point of order based on the provisions of sections 80 and 81 of the 1999 Constitution.He said: There is nowhere in our law that talks about anticipatory approval. We cannot sit down and allow this to take place. It is an impeachable offence.There is no infraction that is worse than this. Let us not continue to sleep. I propose that we commence the impeachment of Mr. President.Backing the motion, Hon. Sunday Karimi (Kogi State) asked Buhari to be prepared to face the consequences.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday in Kaduna inaugurated two Mi 35m combat helicopters to boost the attack capabilities of the Nigeri...

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday in Kaduna inaugurated two Mi 35m combat helicopters to boost the attack capabilities of the Nigeria Air Force (NAF).The helicopter gunships were delivered to Nigeria by Russia in April.The President was represented by the Minister of Defence, Brig-Gen Muhammad Dan-Ali (Rtd) at the NAF base in Kaduna during celebrations to mark the 54th Anniversary of the Air Force.The theme of the year 54 event was, Enhancing Nigerian Air Force Operational Capacity for Timely Employment of Air Power in Response to Contemporary Security Challenges.Buhari said the NAF was established in April 1964 to achieve the full complement of the countrys military defence system.As a young Army officer, I took part from the beginning to the end in our tragic civil war and I know the role the young NAF played in the prosecution of the civil war.NAF has undergone several developmental stages and the government over the years acquired various weapons system to enable the NAF to effectively perform its roles.He said the most recent platforms added to NAF inventory by the current administration include, Super Mushsak, the recently delivered Mi 35 Helicopters, the Diamond and various helicopters.We have also approved the purchase of Super Tucano aircraft.He added: With the acquisition of these new weapons platforms, there arose the need to train personnel to man and maintain the new aircraft types.The President also disclosed that within the last two years NAF enlisted and recruited over 5,000 personnel to adequately boost its human capacity, which was in line with his administration efforts of creating jobs for unemployed youths.Buhari said the role of the military as an enabler of national development cannot be overemphasized as the efforts would be futile if national security is not first guaranteed.Let me once more commend the gallant men and women of the Nigerian armed forces and other security agencies for their tireless efforts in defeating Boko Haram and other threats to our nation.The President saluted the efforts of the current leadership of NAF for performing its assignments wonderfully well.Earlier the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar said the growth of the NAF since the inception of the current administration has been particularly outstanding.Abubakar said 12 grounded aircraft have been reactivated and personnel strength increased by 7,500 men and 400 officers.Two Commands and two new Branches have been established and new platforms acquired and inducted into service to meet the evolving security challenges we are faced with.The air chief said the gap between force projection and fence protection has been substantially bridged with 79 training of about 1000 Special Forces.He said the special forces have been deployed as part of the intervention force to deal with the lnternal Security challenges of the North Central geopolitical zone.Some of the forces are deployed in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara, working with other security agencies to deal with Internal Security challenges. By next week, another batch of the special forces will be deployed to the newly established Quick response wing at Nguroje in Taraba State.In addition, we are putting finishing touches to infrastructure in Keran Plateau State, lpetu ljesha in Osun state, Doma in Nasarawa and Agatu in Benue State to deploy elements of these forces.he said.Abubakar said NAF remain committed to supporting the vision of the government of ensuring a secured and prosperous Nigeria
President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the party executives elected in his Sarkin Yara A electoral ward to discharge their responsibilities with fear of God and in accordance with the party constitution.Nigerias President Muhammadu BuhariBuhari made the call in Daura on Saturday after participating in the APC Ward Congress in his constituencyHe said throughout his political career he had been a loyal party member who respected the rules and the regulations of his political party.I call on you to fear God in whatever you do as we would transit to the next world and account for our deeds before our creator.He said his administration was determined to uphold the provisions of the constitution and the rule of law, stressing the need to play politics with decency and decorum.Earlier in his remarks Gov Aminu Masari,commended the president for finding time to attend the congress in spite of his tight schedule.He described the presence of the president as a clear demonstration of his commitment to party rules and the regulations.He called on Nigerians to continue to pray for peace and stability of the nation as well as respect the constituted athourities for socioeconomic progress of the nation.Alhaji Ahmad El-Marzuq, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney -General of the state, who organised the ward congress said the election of officials was done through consensus, which is in line with the partys constitution.Marzuq commended the president for ensuring strict adherence to party rules,.Malam Aliyu Mani, the incumbent ward Chairman, was returned as the Chairman, Ibrahim Halilu as Deputy chairman, and Rufai Aliyu as Secretary, among others.The congress was conducted under the supervision of INEC officials.The Sarkin Yara A comprises 15 polling units.
SAN DIEGO, May 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sober Living Homes in San Diego are not currently linked with hospitals or prisons. They are a superior version of addiction recovery facilities. Their presence is in the vicinities of local community living and is duly recognized and licensed for de-addiction services. They also have access to the right funding to provide a high standard of care to their residents. Few of them are highly specialized. Today, Sober Living San Diego partners with SoberLivingLocal.com to reach out to more people struggling with addiction.



Sober Living San Diego take a zero-tolerance approach to drugs for the people suffering from drug addictions. These people with addictions are also required to stay away from their past environments where they may have contacts which could induce drug addiction habits.

When a drug addict arrives at a Sober Living Homes in San Diego, he and his family have high expectations of the de-addiction recovery program, free from the use of drugs or alcohol. The persons living here have access to great resources, but their agreement is that they cannot be allowed to live independently without halting them in their path of progress.

The halfway houses available in San Diego is a terminology of the present times, but this concept is more than two centuries old, which has been modified in relation to the present day need. Persons staying there are very confident that the right atmosphere which is available shall have a significant effect in ensuring that there are no relapses of addiction. It is very important in drug de-addiction that the person leaves the old living environment as well as the so-called old friends.

The Sober Living Homes in San Diego provide all the necessary support to the person undergoing de-addiction. It eliminates the challenges, which one can face living in the real world, which may include old friends and environments which can remind a person of good times they may have had with drugs or alcohol.

A matchstick within the matchbox is safe, outside it can sometimes prove to be hazardous. Same is true of a Drug addict within the halfway houses where it is safer than outside.

A person undergoing de-addiction needs the protective environment of a Sober Living Homes in San Diego and active support of the family as well as other persons undergoing the de-addiction process.

In the past halfway houses were usually far away from the main town, and the surroundings were not conducive, because these were the areas, where criminal activities were hatched and implemented. A person undergoing de-addiction is not safe in far off locations, because there is an influence of criminals and they are experts in looking for an associate among the vulnerable persons (such as those recovering from addiction).

The new concept of halfway houses has established such homes in suitable locations and forms an essential part of de-addiction therapy and are professionally managed to find association treatment.

Persons during their post-recovery period usually require the help of halfway houses, but it is not necessary. One can be a patient at a Sober Living Homes in San Diego, without reference from de-addiction centers.



Author: William Leonard

Organization: SoberLivingLocal.com

Address: 402 West Broadway, #400, San Diego, CA 92101

Phone: 888-325-2454

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/756f6f41-5549-4ec4-bc19-3b967c582cc5
The Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja yesterday granted an interim order for Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West be moved t...

The Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja yesterday granted an interim order for Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West be moved to the National Hospital ,Abuja.That was 24 hours after a Senior Magistrate Court in Lokoja denied him bail and ruled that he be remanded in police custody for 39 days.He had been stretchered before Senior Magistrate Suleiman Abdulahi and charged with supplying illegal arms to two suspects with a view to committing various crimes in the state.In Abuja on Wednesday, the embattled senator was charged with causing damage to government property, attempted suicide and escape from lawful custody.The Chief Justice of Kogi State, Justice Nasir Ajanah, said the order on Melayes transfer to the National Hospital, Abuja, was on account of accused persons critical health conditions as espoused by his counsel, Mr. Mike Ozekhome (SAN).Ozekhome said Melaye is a chronic asthmatic patient who gasped for breath on Thursday while being arraigned and had to be given his inhaler in the courtroom and in the presence of Senior Magistrate Abdulahi.The high court adjourned till Monday for continuation of hearing in a written bail application filled by Ozekhome in which he is asking for variation of the remand order placed on Melaye.Soon after his arraignment in Lokoja on Thursday, Melaye was moved to the Police Clinic, New Layout, Lokoja.Ozekhome and other counsel for Melaye drove in a Mercedes Benz 500 on the trail of the ambulance that took the accused from the magistrate court to the clinic on Thursday.However,unlike last week when Melayes fellow Senators rushed to pay him a solidarity visit at the National Hospital,Abuja, none had showed up yesterday in Lokoja to see him.It was gathered that the senator was allowed to see his lawyer and relations in the five-room police clinic.Melaye had protested being arraigned anywhere in Kogi, saying his life would not be safe.He was charged along with two others, Kabiru Seidu (31) and Nuhu Salihu (25), before the Senior Magistrate Court 2, Lokoja.They were arraigned on a seven-count charge of criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of firearms, contrary to Section 97 (1) of the Penal Code and Section 27 (1) (a) (1) of the Firearms Act CAP P28, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004.
Human rights activist and lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, has urged the National Assembly to urgently pass the Whistle-blowing Policy Bill to tackle corruption and protect whistleblowers.Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, stated this on Thursday in Lagos, while serving as the first speaker at the 2018 public lecture of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria.The theme of the lecture was entitled: Whistle Blowing Policy: Issues, Benefits and Challenges.Falana said that the policy was an invitation to citizens to participate in the anti-corruption policy of the government.According to him, the constitutional right of a citizen is to impart information, knowledge and ideas as the Constitution provides for the protection of the citizens right to freedom of expression.Anybody who tells the people in authority about illegal practices is protected by the Constitution. Section 39 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and that includes freedom to impart knowledge, information and ideas to people.Section 24 of the Constitution stipulates that every citizen is legally bound to assist law enforcement agencies to expose crime in the society to promote law and order in the society, he said.The human rights lawyer had earlier said that he and several other lawyers, including Mr. Festus Keyamo and Mr. Monday Ubani, who were speakers at the ICSAN lecture, were ready to protect genuine whistle-blowers in the country.We will protect any Nigerian who is ready to give the people in authority useful information about looted funds and other corrupt practices, without collecting a dime, he said.Meanwhile, Falana called on Nigerians to elect technocrats and professionals into the National Assembly during 2019 general elections, and not core politicians.He said that the current National Assembly members had not made any impact because they are mostly professional politicians who will not pass any bill into law if it would not serve their personal interests; even if such could be of immense benefit to the country.He added, It takes a professional to appreciate the value a good bill, when passed into law, will have on the economy and on the common person.Another speaker at the ICSAN public lecture and a consultant on management and financial issues, Dr. Biodun Adedipe, recommended that a legal framework should be created to solve the challenges of rewarding and protecting whistle-blowers.A rate chart for reward should be developed and comprehensive legal protection for the whistle-blower must be provided, he said.Adedipe said research and advocacy on whistle-blowing had blossomed, especially in countries where the policy had been formalised and proven successful in curbing greed that motivates financial crimes and other forms of errant behaviours.He said reports from Transparency International revealed that Nigerias whistle-blowing scorecard had 8,373 enquiries, while 1,231 tips had been received.
Femi Fani-Kayode, former Aviation Minister, on Friday revealed why President Muhammadu Buhari should be impeached.He claimed that Buharis impeachment will avert another impending civil war in Nigeria.The former Minister stated this while disagreeing with the stance of former military Head of State, Yakubu Gowon that impeaching Buhari would lead to another civil war.Faulting Gowons stance, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain insisted that Buharis impeachment would also avert what he termed the coming conflagration.In a tweet, Fani-Kayode wrote: I respectfully disagree with former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon when he said that impeaching @MBuhari would lead to civil war.Ironically impeaching Buhari may well be what will save Nigeria from such a civil war and what can best be described as the coming conflagration.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday said his quest for second term was not borne out of personal gain.Rather , he said his decision to seek re - election was as a result of a deep passion to serve Nigerians.According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity , Garba Shehu, the President spoke at the All Progressives Party s Ward Congress held at Bayagida Model Primary School , Daura, Katsina.He said the driving force for seeking public office should be to serve the people , and see their lives improved , not for frivolity or personal ambition.Buhari said the passion to serve and see real changes in the lives of Nigerians informed his choice to join partisan politics in the first place.This , he said , further inspired him to contest elections in 2003 , 2007 , 2011 and 2015.Buhari noted that his administration had already started the process of ensuring fairness , justice and equity , in spite of challenges , and would work hard to consolidate on the gains.I am not in politics for fun, frivolity or to amass wealth , I have always been driven by a deep sense of commitment to make a difference to the lives of our people. After my retirement from the army , or forceful retirement, I sat back and watched as events unfolded on the political turf , and realised the country needed an intervention for fairness , justice and inclusion of Nigerians in the issues that affect their lives ,  he said.The President called for patience , maturity and orderliness as the 2019 elections calendar begins to unfold.
The Police have declared four gang leaders and principal suspects allegedly responsible for the bank robbery in Offa, Kwara State...

The Police have declared four gang leaders and principal suspects allegedly responsible for the bank robbery in Offa, Kwara State wanted.No fewer than 17 people including policemen were killed in the bloody attack on five banks on April 5.Though the names of the suspects are unknown for now, the police also released the CCTV photographs of the suspects to enable the public assist in identifying them and reporting the suspects whereabouts for arrest.The police have also promised to reward anyone with useful information, in addition to the N5 million bounty promised by the Kwara State government.Giving update of investigation conducted so far, the Force Spokesman, Mr Jimoh Moshood in a statement, said: The Nigeria Police Force is making significant progress in the investigation into the Offa Banks robbery in Kwara state that occurred on 5th April, 2018.So far, more than 20 principal suspects have been arrested and their details were released to the public including the following exhibits that were recovered from them; two Beretta pistols, 20 rounds of live ammunition, four phones and SIM cards belonging to victims, some of whom were killed during the attack. All the suspects are cooperating with the Police in the investigation into the incident.On the outcome of the recent investigation, Moshood said: Currently, some of the other gang leaders and principal suspects at large are being identified and their pictures obtained for further investigation.To this end, the photographs of these wanted suspects are now being released to the public for assistance from public spirited individuals and general public for information to arrest them.They are also being placed on INTERPOL watch list and Red Alert. Other sister security and safety agencies are equally implored to arrest them and hand over to the nearest Police Station or Formation across the country or avail the Police with any information they may have or come across about these suspects.The police urged members of the public with useful information on the suspects to call the following Phone numbers; 08062080913, 08126285268, 08032365122, 07056792065, and 08088450152.The police also promised to protect would be informants.Protection of the informant will be guaranteed by the Police and handsome rewards in addition to the pledge of N5million by Kwara State Government await anyone whose information leads to the arrest of these wanted suspects.
The $322m alleged to have been looted by the late Nigerian military Head of State, Sanni Abacha and repatriated by the Swiss Government t...

About N500bn had been set aside in this years budget to implement various social intervention programmes of the Federal Government.Some of the intervention programmes are the Home Grown School Feeding Programme, Government Economic Empowerment Programme, N-Power Job Creation Programme, Conditional Cash Transfers and Social Housing Fund.Investigations revealed that the $322m Abacha loot would be spent in accordance with the intervention programme which had been agreed between the Federal Government and the World Bank Group.It was gathered that the Federal Government had decided to ensure that the money, which is still being kept in a special account with the Central Bank of Nigeria, is spent to reduce the level of poverty in the country.This is expected to be achieved through targeted spending on social safety net programmes.A top government official revealed that one of the areas where the fund would be channeled into are the Conditional Cash Transfer programme, which is a social safety net programme for the poorest in the society.Under the programme, the government would be supporting families that send their children to school with a monthly stipend of N5, 000.Findings also revealed that part of the fund would be used to address some of the human capital challenges facing the country, such as reducing the number of out of school children, poverty reduction and maternal health, among others.The official, who pleaded not to be named, said, The $322m is in a specific account and it has been set aside for our Conditional Cash Transfer programme, which is a social safety net programme for the poorest.Those are the sorts of projects that we are focusing on. We are taking back these funds to those who need them, and to families that have nothing. It is expected that a poor family should get a stipend of N5, 000 if they send their children to school.The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, had last month said that funds had been earmarked for the National Social Safety Nets programme of the government.The objective of the National Social Safety Nets Project for Nigeria is to provide access to targeted transfers to the poor and vulnerable households under an expanded national social safety nets system, Adeosun had stated.
Four suicide bombers attacked Mainari Kanuri and Shua villages, both in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State early Friday morning.

Four suicide bombers attacked Mainari Kanuri and Shua villages, both in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State early Friday morning.It was gathered that seven persons, including the bombers, were killed during the attacks while seven others were injured.The incidents, which sent panic among residents, have since seen security being beefed up in the areas.Confirming the attacks in a statement on Friday, the spokesperson for the Borno Police Command, DSP Edet Okon, said, At about 12.04 am today [Friday], four suicide bombers detonated Improvised Explosive Devices strapped to their bodies in Mainari Kanuri and Mainari Shua villages in Konduga local government areas.Three of them detonated the IEDs, killing themselves only, while the fourth person killed herself and three others.Seven other persons were injured and have been evacuated to the hospital. Security has also been beefed up in the areas and all around the Maiduguri metropolis.Meanwhile, Okon said there was a failed suicide attack in Bama on Thursday, stating that the suicide bomber was sighted by security agents and was promptly neutralised.No casualty was recorded, he said.
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has accused the three senators representing the state of working against a World Bank loan requ...

The governor made the comment on Friday, five weeks after the senators  Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central), Sulieman Hukunyi (Kaduna North), and Danjuma Leah (Kaduna South)  blocked a $350m loan request by the Kaduna government, according to a report by The Cable.The state had sought to get the facility from the World Bank but the federal lawmakers said the loan would erode the economic viability of the state.But el-Rufai, while speaking at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress campaign for the local government election in the state at the Kaduna Township Stadium, described the lawmakers as the enemies of democracy.The governor, who spoke in Hausa, told the thousands of people at the venue that the senators conspired to stop his government from obtaining the loan to build infrastructure and develop the state.He said, The senators from the state who worked against the World Bank loan are useless; they came out and said this loan should not be given. What is their reason for rejecting the loan? It is because they are haters of the masses in Kaduna State.If a road project is initiated in your town, they dont want it to be completed. If we start renovating a hospital, they dont want it to be completed. If five schools are renovated and 10 are remaining, they will not want the remaining 10 to be renovated.Today, there are no haters of the masses of Kaduna State like Shehu Sani, Suleiman Hunkuyi and Danjuma Laah, God will curse them. God will reward their wickedness against the masses, may God never bless them. All members of the House of Representatives from this state, God bless them, may God return them to their seats in 2019.Members of our state (House of) Assembly who gave us their cooperation before the World Bank approved the loan to us, may God bless them and may God return them to their seats in 2019. But those ones that are cursed, if they come to Kaduna, shave their heads and beard. They have shown that they are bastards, they have no origin, therefore, it is important to tell them that they did not originate from this state.If the time for election comes, answer them with votes, show them that you dont like them Let them go back to where they come from. Let them go to the people they are working for to vote for them.I want my people to comprehend the simple logic that the three senators representing my state at the Senate are starkly ignorant of the real indices of development and progress in a democratic setting.El-Rufai also said his administration had invested considerably in electronic voting because he believed that votes must count during elections.
Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, has mocked the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the disagreement between Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi and the Senator representing Rivers South East, Magnus Abe, has sparked a fresh crisis in the state chapter of the party.Some aggrieved members alleged to be loyal to Abe, vandalised the partys secretariat located on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt on Friday.While ransacking offices in the building, the supporters reportedly carted away some materials needed for the congress.The protesters claimed that the names of delegates for the exercise had been illegally compiled, alleging that forms were not sold to Abes candidate.Wike in response to the incident, wondered why the APC could not put its house in order over ordinary congress.He accused security agencies of lacking professionalism, saying if they could be could be negatively used during a party congress, Nigerians should expect electoral mischief, masterminded by security agencies in 2019.In an ordinary party congress, over a platoon of soldiers and more than 200 F-SARS personnel have been handed over to one man (referring to Amaechi).The operatives are to protect just one man, while other people are left without protection.On his part, Abe said it would not be reasonable to hold the exercise, when a faction of the party has allegedly hijacked the process.He called on the leadership of the party to intervene.Up till now, nobody has heard anything from the officials that will conduct the congresses. None of the stakeholders has been called to any meeting. Those who have paid to get forms dont know where to go or who to issue them form, but we here some forms have been issued at Intels in Port Harcourt.We would like to appeal to the national secretariat of the party to do something about the situation. Forms have not been given to those who bought forms. They protested when they heard that forms were being distributed at Intels. I think know how you can conduct the exercise under such an atmosphere, Abe said.
It was a night to remember for Buena Regional High School students as they celebrated their prom at Masso's Crystal Manor in Glassboro on Friday night.

Prom-goers arrived in style as they socialized, posed for photos and danced the night away.

Check back at nj.com/south for other local high school prom coverage. And be sure to check out our complete prom coverage at nj.com/prom.

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Are you one of the people pictured at this prom? Want to buy the photo and keep it forever? Look for the blue link "buy photo" below the photographer's credit to purchase the picture. You'll have the ability to order prints in a variety of sizes, or products like magnets, keychains, coffee mugs and more.

Tim Hawk may be reached at thawk@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Instagram @photog_hawk and Twitter @photogthawk. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.
SAN DIEGO, May 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sober living in San Diego has become a generalized term adopted because of a lot of popularity attached to it. It pertains to specially created houses free from the access of alcohol and drugs to the residents. These environments play a very crucial role in the recovery of people undergoing the drug and alcohol de-addiction process. They are of great help to individuals in maintaining their alcohol and drug-free living and are willing to get rid of their habit.



Sober living San Diego means remaining clear and sober and free of all alcohols and drugs. The literal meaning of word Sober is alcohol and drug abstaining from them forever. To stay safe from the horrible effects of alcohol and drug going sober is the first and foremost step. It can be interpreted as the real better life and is often respected and endeared by society. The next outcome of sober living is a loving relationship, satisfaction in the work environment, good health and time to play favorite games and activities for recreation.

There are many sober living facilities in San Diego which are available to provide drug and alcohol de-addiction help. These establishments do not allow alcohol and drugs and provide de-addiction services to the residents living there.

Sober living establishments organize self-help meetings and discussions but do not have any in-house facilities for providing professional de-addiction, detoxification or recovery services. Usually, persons have already taken the services of de-addiction at other licensed and authorized centers, and come here to live in an alcohol and drug-free environment.

Because of the general nature of sober living facilities, no licensing is required to run such a service. Because they do not undertake any activity requiring the services of a qualified professional, they are not under control of any department governing facilities of alcohol and drug de-addiction. It is necessary that persons living at sober living establishments are persons, who compulsorily are in a position, to completely take care of them self.

Residents of sober living in San Diego organize self-help meetings and other activities that help them with sober living. Further to what has stated above, the following guidelines should be followed by persons living at such sober living facilities:

It provides a single family residence facility as a duplex or multi-unit. The governing rules are to be strictly followed any violation can mean fine imposing or eviction from the establishment.

It observes Zero tolerance to drugs and Alcohol.

It provides a single family residence facility as a duplex or multi unit. The governing rules are to be strictly followed any violation can mean fine imposing or eviction from the establishment. It observes Zero tolerance to drugs and Alcohol. Checking of the inmates possessions is a regular feature to detect any concealed items. There may be randomized or surprise searches. Violence or any fighting by the inmates is also not tolerated and everyone has to live in a cooperative manner. Each resident has to be self supportive in paying the establishment rents and procuring food articles etc.

Checking of the inmate's possessions is a regular feature to detect any concealed items.

There may be randomized or surprise searches.

Violence or any fighting by the inmates is also not tolerated, and everyone has to live cooperatively.

Each resident has to be self-supportive in paying the establishment rents and procuring food articles etc.

If you or someone you know needs help with drugs or alcohol and needs treatment, please call our 24-hour confidential helpline at (888) 325-2454.

Author: William Leonard

Organization: SoberLivingLocal.com

Address: 402 West Broadway, #400, San Diego, CA 92101

Phone: 888-325-2454

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/44d72b84-0890-44ab-af88-0f1553472a64
An early-morning fire Saturday in Camden County left a family homeless and two firefighters injured, authorities said.

The blaze was first reported in a house in the 700 block of Upton Way in the Broadmoor development in Blackwood at 4:48 a.m., according to Gloucester Township Police.

When officers arrived, the garage and basement of the home were fully engulfed in flames, police said.

A family in the house escaped safely, authorities said, but two firefighters received minor injuries battling the blaze. They were treated at the scene and declined any further medical care.

Fire departments responded from Chews Landing, Magnolia, Bellmawr, Deptford, Somerdale and Hi Nella, authorities said. Once on the scene, firefighters quickly brought the fire under control.

Representatives from the Gloucester Township Office of Emergency Management and the American Red Cross assisted the displaced family.

There was no word on the cause of the fire.

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips
The way Jack O'Byrne has it figured, a treasure trove of artifacts unearthed in Camden, some dating back to 2900 BC, should find a home here on the shore of the Delaware River.

"I got a call two months ago saying the New Jersey State Museum was not accepting anymore artifacts and would I want to display the items found here," said O'Byrne, executive director of the Camden County Historical Society. "I said 'hell yeah.'"

The items were found during a pair of excavations in downtown Camden in 2015-2016 during a development project.

The artifacts include fragments of an early soapstone, lug-handled ceramic vessel, a side-notched projectile point, stone tool and heated rocks from hearths. Other items include over 100 ceramic fragments and and the discovery of a ditch structural of hearths, heated rock clusters and hearth remains.

The historical society has a lecture scheduled Sunday with the senior archeologist who found the artifacts, Ilene Grossman-Bailey. It will be held at 2 p.m. at the society, located at 1900 Park Boulevard, Camden. It is free and open to the public.

Indian artifacts, some up to 4900 years old, were found during two excavations near the Camden Delaware River Waterfront in 2015-16, including the current site of Holtec International, an industrial manufacturer.

Grossman-Bailey will describe the items that belonged to tribes of the native inhabitants of New Jersey dating back 10,000 years ago. The descendants of those native people are known as the Leni Lenape Indians.

The discovery of 7,400 artifacts, ranging from 2900 BC to 1650 begin to tell the story of how these people lived in agrarian societies with vibrant trade among neighboring tribes in the mid-Atlantic region.

But the discoveries don't end there.

The primary excavations were on the site of the former New York Shipbuilding Co. which has its own rich recent history from 1899 to 1967. More than 600 ships were built there, including the aircraft carrier Kittyhawk and the USS Indianapolis, a WWII ship sank by the Japanese in the South Pacific in which most of its crew were attacked and killed by sharks while waiting for capture.

There is a famous reference to it in the blockbuster movie Jaws.

Grossman-Bailey said she remains excited about finding artifacts in highly-developed cities like Camden, Trenton and Newark.

"Increasingly, we're finding urban settings little pockets not as disturbed as many think," Grossman-Bailey said. "It's not just the artifacts, the main thing is finding them all together gives detailed info about how native Americans were living, what they were eating, what they were wearing."

Teams of archeologist worked for months using hand tools at the excavation site north of Morgan Boulevard and east of Broadway. They dug to depths of 1 to 2 feet at one of the sites and dug down as far as 4 feet at the shipyard site, located north of the Newton Creek and west of Broadway.

Workers spent weeks on the Camden Waterfront in 2015-16 unearthing artifacts, including some that date to 2900 BC.

Archeologists identified starch grains on four artifacts including maize, legume, barley and wild rye, Grossman-Bailey said. Some of the plant resources may have been used for food, medicine, fuel, fibers, or other uses. Burned animal bones and protein residue on one tool indicated that the site occupants were engaged in hunting, as well as the processing and cooking of deer and other mammals, turtle, and wild fowl.

"The Camden County Historical Society has been telling the story of our area from 1600s forward," O'Byrne said. "Getting these artifacts that date almost 5000 years, we're able to tell a much more expansive story."

Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bduhart. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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A driver who led authorities on a chase using an all-terrain vehicle faces charges after two police cars crashed in Belleville, sending four officers to the hospital, officials said Friday.

Police tried to pull over the ATV rider, Wilfredo A. Soto, on Washington Avenue around 10 p.m. Thursday, but he did not stop, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

"The first unit pursued him and called for backup," the prosecutor's office said in a statement. "In the vicinity of Greylock Parkway and Washington Avenue the ATV collided with a car driven by a civilian."

Two police cars that were headed to assist collided into each other, according to the prosecutor's office. Four officers from those cruisers were taken to University Hospital in Newark. The motorist from the initial crash with the ATV was also sent to a hospital.

All of the injured were treated for non-life threatening injuries and released, the prosecutor's office said.

Authorities charged Soto, of Nutley, with five counts of aggravated assault, second degree eluding, contempt and unspecified motor vehicle offenses. Records show the 21-year-old remained held at the Essex County jail as of Friday night.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Poland's consul general visited the Katyn monument in Jersey City yesterday to make an appeal to city officials to keep the controversial statue at Exchange Place.

Consul General Maciej Golubiewski said the monument, which critics say is not relevant to Jersey City, is of "absolutely universal significance" to all veterans. The city is mulling whether to move the statue from its longtime home.

"This is not a parochial monument," Golubiewski told The Jersey Journal. "This is not something that interests only a very narrow group of people. This is a testimony to the sacrifice of all veterans who fought in the second World War."

Golubiewski was in Jersey City to speak to a Polish television station about the statue controversy.

The 34-foot-high memorial depicts a bound-and-gagged soldier stabbed in the back by a bayoneted rifle. It commemorates the 1940 massacre of over 20,000 Polish soldiers and others in the Katyn forest, killings ordered by the Soviet Union as an effort to eliminate Poland's elite.

The statue was placed in Exchange Place in 1991. The city's initial plans were to designate the area the Katyn Monument Plaza.

During an upcoming renovation of the city-owned plaza, it will be moved into storage. The city is not saying whether it will return to its current location, while Mack-Cali CEO Mike DeMarco, who heads the Exchange Place business group funding the plaza renovation, has said he would like the city to find the "gruesome" statue a new home.

Golubiewski said he opposes any effort to place the Katyn monument somewhere else in Jersey City. "We believe that because of its non-parochial status it deserves a very prominent central location," he said.

News that the monument may be moved created an international stir. Polish Senator Stanislaw Karczewski described the situation to a radio station on Wednesday as "scandalous." Mayor Steve Fulop responded Thursday by calling Karczewski an anti-Semite and an "a**hole" (Fulop is Jewish). The radio station yesterday said Karczewski would not respond to Fulop's insults except to say he may pursue legal action against the mayor.
With Trenton's municipal elections this Tuesday, election officials on Friday worked to remedy a snafu in which about 21 homes on two city streets got the wrong sample ballots.

That meant voter records listed them in the wrong city ward, and could affect who they voted for.

Late Friday, Mercer County Superintendent of Elections Cathy DiCostanzo said her office's investigators had taken care of the issue - even though it's not her office's responsibility.

DiCostanzo said two residents reported the issue to her staffers late Thursday, and even though it was not her office's issue, she has more employees than the other two agencies that deal with elections, and she knew her investigators could fix it.

"It was the right thing to do," DiCostanzo said.

None of it, she said, had to do with voter suppression or fraud, like some charged on social media.

"If anything, we're trying to make sure these residents can vote," DiCostanzo said.

Three, and possibly four, agencies can be involved in a local election - each municipality's clerk's office, the Mercer County Board of Elections, the Mercer County Superintendent of Elections, and the Mercer County Clerk's Office.

Basically, DiCostanzo said, 21 homes on Furman and Federal streets which are in the South Ward received sample ballots for the North Ward.

The city's election is for mayor and city council seats, four of which are ward-specific.

The two streets were formally in the city's North Ward, and for some reason, a state computer system listed them in the North Ward.

Maintenance of these records, though, is one of the duties of the Mercer County Board of Elections, DiCostanzo said. That board also does redistricting and trains poll workers.

But the ballots were printed at the request of the Trenton City Clerk, and that means the poll books election workers use would have the wrong information, DiCostanzo said.

Realizing this, DiCostanzo's investigators visited each home Friday with a letter to explain the issue, and put notes in all the affected poll books so anyone who shows up to vote can do so - by using a provisional ballot.

And investigators spoke to people in 15 of the 21 homes to explain it.

And fortunately, DiCostanzo said, the polling places for the two affected ward subdivisions - North Ward 9 and South Ward 2 - are both at 640 S. Broad Street - the Mercer Country Administration Building. It's also where DiCostanzo's office is located.

So one of DiCostanzo's employees will be dedicated to smoothing out any issues that might arise on Election Day.

The computer voter records that caused the problem, which DiCostanzo's office had access to, have been adjusted correctly, she said.

All the other offices - the county election board, and the city and county clerks' offices - are aware of the issue, DiCostanzo said.

The office of the Superintendent of Elections', a state-appointed office DiCostanzo holds, main duties are custody of voting machines, and voter registrations.

The Mercer County Clerk's Office, among other duties, prints ballots for some elections, counts votes cast by electronic machines and issues vote-by-mail ballots. They also post election results.

The Trenton City Clerk is the chief administrative officer of all city elections, and chief registrar of voters in the city.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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by Allison Pries | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

In less than three months, the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the county SPCAs will hand over enforcement of the state's animal-cruelty laws to county prosecutors and municipal police departments.

Yet some police departments haven't even appointed a humane law enforcement officer who will take over that role, and training for those officers is still being developed.

Many county prosecutors are also still struggling with where to shelter animals and how to provide manpower for the investigations without going over the 2 percent budget cap, according to members of the New Jersey Association of Counties and the state's Prosecutor's Association

As a result, some officials are now pressing state legislators to amend the new law and delay its start, moving it from Aug. 1 to next year.

"We believe the law needs to be revisited in order to address these real world, day-to-day concerns," Angelo J. Onofri, the Mercer County prosecutor and head of the County Prosecutor's Association of New Jersey, said at a March 12 Assembly committee hearing.

A spokesperson for the Essex County Prosecutors Office said it shares the concerns of the prosecutors association, and that officials hope the issue of animal housing can be resolved before the handover of enforcement powers.

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What's this new law?

The State Commission on Investigations reported in 2017 multiple abuses by the NJSPCA and its county chapters, including not responding to some serious complaints of animal abuse, spending more cash on legal bills than on animal care and being a haven for gun-toting wanna-be cops.

As a result, the legislature passed, and Gov. Chris Christie signed in January, a law stripping the 150-year-old nonprofit state group and county SPCAs of their ability to investigate cases of animal abuse. Instead, local police will handle smaller infractions and county prosecutors will adjudicate harsher crimes.

"This empowers the law enforcement that's already in place," said Brian Hackett, the New Jersey state director for The Humane Society. "Animal cruelty is really treated no differently than any other law under the new structure."

This means, Hackett said, that citizens can hold local elected officials responsible if they feel a complaint is not being properly addressed -- rather than having to take up the issue within the maze of a non-profit NJSPCA organization.

Local law enforcement agencies must designate who their humane officers will be by May 1. Those officers, once trained, will handle the calls and investigations, beginning Aug. 1.

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Monmouth County SPCA

But many questions remain

Amy Guidroz, a 30-year animal rescuer, said she's worried that police won't have time to handle the new duties. She said a Hillside family recently called several times about two dogs left out in extreme weather. The police told them they were too busy, she said.

"Hillside police are hopping 24/7," Guidroz said. "Police can't handle it all. SPCA can't handle it all. Why couldn't they merge together and work somehow."

Hillside Police Chief Vincent Ricciardi said questions about the storage of animals, manpower to handle the investigations and training for officers still haven't been resolved.

"Some of these investigations for animal cruelty can be quiet extensive," Ricciardi said.

During a meeting last month with the Union County Prosecutor's Office, police chiefs were shown an entire binder of information collected in a "fairly simple" case as an example of what animal cruelty investigations can entail.

Ricciardi said he's in the "planning stages" of deciding who's going to handle animal cruelty complaints in Hillside, but that it will likely be a detective because of the investigative work involved.

"Whatever the law requires us to enforce, we'll handle it," Ricciardi said. "I'm not opposed to it, we just need clarification on training and what the duties are of this officer."

Last year, the department had about 100 animal-related calls.

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Who will train these new officers?

The state's Police Training Commission is still reviewing and updating courses "to bring them in line with the new statute," said Peter Aseltine, a spokesman in the Attorney General's Office.

"We expect that to be completed in the near future," he said.

Once the officers are trained, the public should be educated about animal-related laws, Ricciardi said, such as tethering, to cut down on complaints.

"This wouldn't be a burden if we were supplied with an additional detective," he said.

Money from the state through a grant would help departments more easily absorb this new duty, he said.

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Allison Pries | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Some counties don't need a delay

Two counties that have strong ties to their SPCAs  Bergen and Monmouth  are ready for the transition.

Robert Anzilotti, chief of detectives for the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said he doesn't anticipate the change will add much to their duties.

Bergen County saw the fewest number of animal cruelty calls in the state over the past 5 years -- at 117.

"It's no different than the changes in bail reform or domestic violence laws," said Mahwah Police Chief James Batelli, whose department sees 1 to 3 calls per year.

Monmouth County, which saw the highest number of animal calls over the past 5 years with 2,475, has entered into an agreement with their local SPCA to continue to provide their services to the county. That means the experience of nearly 100 staff members will still be used to help animals.

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Monmouth County SPCA

A model for how to protect animals

When tenants evicted from a Red Bank home left behind three pigs and some chickens.

"They were stuck in a quagmire and didn't know what to do with them," said Ross Licitra, the chief humane law enforcement officer and executive director of the Monmouth County SPCA.

His organization swooped in and found homes for the animals within its network of SPCA-approved fosters and farmers.

After Aug. 1, those same people will continue to do the same work in Monmouth.

Licitra, who is also a retired detective lieutenant from the county prosecutor's office, and second-in-command Tom Nuccio, a retired detective sergeant from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office gang unit, will now be the prosecutor's office's new humane officers, under the memorandum of agreement.

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Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

How they pay for it all

Licitra, along with the other employees of the Monmouth County SPCA, are funded by donations, adoptions and veterinary fees. The organization also provides a wealth of services to the public, including spay/neuter, microchipping and dog training.

The agency also earns money by providing animal control (think dog catcher) services to about a dozen towns. The county currently gets the SPCAs service for free as part of a shared services agreement in lieu of the equipment the county provides.

The freeholders has provided the SPCA with trucks, gas and vehicle maintenance. The sheriff's office supplied the Monmouth County SPCA with 911 communications and radios. "Our freeholders always saw the importance of the SPCA," Licitra said.

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Alex Napoliello| NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The pay makes a difference

One of the differences is that Licitra is paid, but many SPCA workers historically were not.

Licitra said he realized that to do his job correctly he couldn't be a volunteer, like others who work for the SPCA. He had to be "tied to a bona fide law enforcement agency."

"When the phone rings at 2 a.m., I answer it because that's my job," he said.

Some other municipalities don't have a handle yet on how to pay for this new responsibility.

Lebanon Township Committeewoman Beverly Koehler, who also serves as the committee's liaison to animal control, wonders if her rural town police have to seize 35 cows how would they re-home them. Or would one hoarding situation put a big dent in the municipality's meager budget.

"I'm just afraid of what's going to happen logistically and monetarily for municipalities," she said, speaking for herself not the committee. "I would like to be reassured that the back-end implementation of this bill has been figured out."

On the state level, New Jersey paid the mostly volunteer NJSPCA nothing to investigate animal abuse cases, Steve Shatkin, former president of the NJSPCA, told lawmakers. But he estimated it would cost each county about $70,000 a year  or a total of $1.5 million.

That total excludes municipal costs that would be incurred, he said.

"The fact is, the new law is an unfunded mandate that will place unnecessary financial strains on prosecutors and municipalities statewide," said Matt Stanton, a spokesman for the NJSPCA.

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Future of NJSPCA uncertain

Under the new law the Attorney General is supposed to decide if and how to reincorporate the NJSPCA, according to an NJSPCA spokesman.

David Gaier, a former board member of the NJSPCA, is concerned about the orgnization's assets if the NJSPCA disbands, given its history of poor money management and record keeping.

"We're all thrilled it was disbanded because it was mired in waste, fraud and corruption," he said. "But it needs to be unwound properly."

The NJSPCA owns a building in New Brunswick, cars, two paramilitary trucks, and a command trailer, he said.

"What's going to happen to all this and the unaccounted for donations they're sitting on," Gaier asked. "Does it go to the state? Do they get to walk away with it?"

A spokesperson for the Attorney General's office declined to comment on the future of the NJSPCA and its assets.

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Thomas Moriarty contributed to this post.

Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonPries. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Don't Edit

Monmouth County SPCA

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-- More than 2 dozen puppies taken by SPCA from van in parking lot

-- Mayor blasts back at SPCA over alleged slow response to emaciated dog
By Raymond Lesniak

"Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it" is not an empty statement. That's why memorials like the Katyn massacre statue in Jersey City are dedicated.

Yet, Mike DeMarco, chair of the Exchange Place Special Improvement District wants the memorial removed because "I don't think the statue's appropriate for a major metropolitan area. It's a little gruesome. ... I can't imagine how many mothers go by and have to explain it to their children."

Memorials are designed exactly for that purpose: to explain history to children and adults.

In April and May 1940, the secret police of the Soviet Union, led by Joseph Stalin, massacred 22,000 Polish Army Officers and the Polish multi-ethnic state intelligentsia which included Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Jews, including the chief rabbi of the Polish Army, Baruch Steinberg. It's referred to as the Katyn massacre after the Katyn Forest, where some of the mass graves were first discovered.

In 1991, a dramatic statue created by Polish-American sculptor Andrzej Pitynski to memorialize the massacre was dedicated at Exchange Place in Jersey City, near the mouth of the Hudson River along the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway.

It depicts a bound-and-gagged soldier impaled in the back by a bayoneted rifle. It is hardly the only piece of art that evokes a truly deep meaning.

The crucifix of Jesus' suffering and death on the cross, a principal symbol of many Christian groups, could also invoke children's questions to be explained by their mothers.

The statues of the Holocaust at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem are most gruesome, as was the Nazi Final Solution which killed six million Jews.

Statues of slaves in the Alabama Legacy Museum depicting slavery and lynchings invoke a terrible time in America's history, as they are designed to invoke.

Guernica is a mural-sized oil painting on canvas by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. The painting, which uses a palette of gray, black, and white, is regarded by many art critics as one of the most moving and powerful anti-war paintings in history. It shows the suffering of people wrenched by violence and chaos. Prominent in the composition are a gored horse, a bull, and flames. The painting became famous and widely acclaimed and helped bring worldwide attention to the Spanish Civil War.

The gruesome sides of history should not be hidden from children or adults. Nor should we forget those from other countries who helped America from the Revolutionary War and throughout the history of our young nation, including our allies in World War II.

The statute of the Katyn massacre overlooking the Hudson River Waterfront is more than a reminder of that massacre.

It's also a reminder of the ties between America and Poland that began with two Polish Revolutionary War heroes. Gen. Casimir Pulaski created the Pulaski Cavalry Legion and reformed the American cavalry as a whole. At the Battle of Savannah, while leading a daring charge against British forces, he was gravely wounded, and died shortly thereafter.

Gen.Thaddeus Kosciuszko was a colonel in the Continental Army. An accomplished military architect, he designed and oversaw the construction of state-of-the-art fortifications, including those at West Point, New York.

Four national flags -- of the U.S, U.K, Australia and Poland -- are on display on the beaches in Normandy honoring the D-Day invasion force that was the beginning of the end of Hitler's plan for a whole new world.

The Katyn statue should stay because it's also a reminder of the brutality of the Soviet Union, for which Russia's current president, Vladimir Putin, served as a foreign intelligence officer.

The chairman of the Exchange Place Special Improvement District said, "The notion that Russians are backstabbers is not exactly a politically correct idea nowadays." Tell that to Sergei V. Skripal, a former Russian double agent, and his daughter, Yulia, who were recently poisoned by Russian agents.

The Katyn statue should stay prominently in the center of Exchange Place in Jersey City. Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Raymond Lesniak is a former longtime Democratic state senator from Union County. He was also a former grand marshal of the Pulaski Parade and a member of the Polish Legion of American Veterans.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
Many New Jerseyans are asking themselves a hard question: Just who is Phil Murphy?

Not in the existential sense. They're not wondering about his thoughts and dreams or wether he has a deep and rich interior life. They literally don't know who Phil Murphy is. Couldn't pick him out of a lineup.

More than 100 days into his tenure allow me to spread some light on the issue with some Phil Facts:

-Phil Murphy is our current governor

-Phil Murphy is a democrat

-Phil Murphy is rich

That's it. That's all I know, and this is my job.

Why hasn't our relatively new governor entered the public consciousness the way Chris Christie did? Well, there are a host of reasons, first and foremost is that Chris Christie is big, loud and mean. Murphy is pretty tall, I guess, but he's neither boisterous or an unrepentant bully, two strikes against him in the recognizability game.

The second reason is that Phil hasn't dome much yet. He made some big promises during the campaign like legalizing recreational marijuana and raising taxes on rich folks to fund public education and free community college. None of those things have come to pass quite yet so for the most part Phil has been flying under the radar for the past 100 plus days. It's going to take some time for any of his 'signature' legislative goals to advance through the pock marked hellscape of the legislature so I'd like to offer Governor Murphy some tips from a keen eyed observer of state politics on how to get noticed:

-Yell at some teachers and post it on Youtube

That's it. It worked for the last guy, might as well give it a shot.
After the release of two videos this week that appear to show two New Jersey teachers union presidents explaining how they protect teachers who commit criminal acts, education advocacy groups have called for a state investigation into practices.

The directors of JerseyCAN and Better Education for Kids said in a letter sent to state Sen. Teresa Ruiz, D-Newark, and chairwoman of the Senate Education committee, that the videos raise questions about how easy it is to manipulate the teacher disciplinary system.

JerseyCAN and Better Education for Kids often advocate for education reforms opposed by teachers unions.

"These videos highlight that there may be weaknesses in teacher disciplinary procedures that unethical insiders can exploit to protect teachers accused of wrongdoing," the letter says.

Project Veritas, a conservative group that produces undercover reports aimed at exposing bad behavior by groups associated with liberals, released the undercover videos of the teachers this week.

In the videos, the teachers, Union City Education Association President Kathleen Valencia, and Hamilton Township Education Association President David R. Perry, say they will protect teachers, with Perry saying, "I'm here to defend even the worst people."

In the Union City video, Valencia references a teacher who she says had sex with a student but was not charged criminally because the student had no proof. Both teachers have been suspended.

Project Veritas has been criticized for using selective editing to create false impressions about what people in academia, government and social service organizations have said during undercover audio or video conversations.

The New Jersey Education Association dismissed the videos.

Many are saying this shows that the teachers unions will do anything they can to protect their teachers and that it's not about the students.

Do you think the unions have too much power?

Vote in our informal and unscientific poll and tell us why in the comments.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
By Virginia Ochoa-Winemiller, Ph.D.

On May 5, 1862, Mexican troops under the leadership of Commander Ignacio Zaragoza defeated the French Napoleonic Army at the city of Puebla de los Angeles, Mexico.

In 1861, the French had invaded Mexico after Benito Juarez' government defaulted on international debt payment. French emperor Napoleon III used this opportunity to establish a monarchy under Maximilian of Austria.

As the first Mexican victory over the French invaders, this battle and subsequent victories helped to consolidate Mexico's autonomy as a country.

Today, this historic event is sparsely celebrated in the cities of Puebla and Veracruz, but remains unnoticed by most in Mexico. Just another federal holiday but without the relevancy surrounding Mexico's Independence festivities on Sept. 15 and 16.

So, why do we celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the United States?

In his book "El Cinco de Mayo: An American Tradition," Davis Ayesta-Bautista describes the earliest documented celebration of Cinco de Mayo taking place in California on May 25, 1863. After the Mexican-American War of 1848, many Mexican Californios were dismayed by the imposition of the United States constitution containing race-based provisions for citizenship and the exercise of civil rights.

By 1861, the advent of the Civil War and subsequent defeats of the Union army alarmed Californios, prompting the development of Juntas Patrioticas Mejicanas, a network of community-based organizations that ,in collaboration with a Spanish-language press, supported the Union army and the defense of freedom and democracy in the United States and Mexico.

For both the Juntas and the press, Cinco de Mayo was a festivity celebrating freedom, civil rights, democracy and Hispanic-American unity. The holiday aimed to channel resources, motivate and bind the collective efforts of California's Latino communities.

In the late 1800s, population growth and the influx of a new wave of Mexican migrants to California redefined Cinco de Mayo, shifting the event to be more Mexican-centric. In the 1960s, another wave of Mexican migrants rediscovered this strange new festivity but could not explain its true meaning or origin.

For Ayesta-Bautista, the current celebration derived from big businesses discovering again Cinco de Mayo as an opportunity to commercially expand into the Latino market.

Today, devoid of its original meaning, Cinco de Mayo remains as a national festivity conflicted on its celebration of an imagined Mexican identity: Kudos to the fiesta, the tacos and the tequila but build a wall to keep those Mexicans away.

Editor's note: Virginia Ochoa-Winemiller, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies at New Jersey City University in Jersey City.
SAN DIEGO, May 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sober Living Orange County California is necessary for people seeking drug rehabilitation facilities for their family members suffering from drug Addiction. The need for these facilities is required to provide help and support for the affected person.



The people responsible for selecting a drug rehab center for their loved ones suffering from chronic drug or alcohol addiction are required to know some details of drug addiction and alcoholism.

The following informative details have been given to them to help them understand:

To completely understand the type of Sober Living Homes, most suitable for meeting the persons need for undergoing de-addiction of drug or alcohol abuse, it is necessary to know the details on how these rehabs function. Persons with chronic alcohol addiction also require such a facility to get rid of their problems.

One vital causing factor related to drug and alcohol addiction is the brain functions which modify themselves in relation to the drugs and alcohol present and self-adjusts based on the quantity and nature of drug consumed.

Such chemical alterations occur in the brain in cases of continuous use of specific drugs or alcohols. Eventually, the addicted person decides to stop the consumption of the drug or alcohol used, and the brain indicates by a signal that drug or alcohol is required to function. It is the main reason for drug or alcohol craving to occur, and why people become addicted.

Drug and alcohol addiction is described as; continuous and merciless activity to take drugs or alcohol just to feel the change in the feelings and perception of a person making use of them.

Prolonged abuse of drugs and alcohol leads to the person feeling a craving for some time after the use of drug or alcohol has stopped. The craving shall eventually get reduced over a period of time when the brain is in a position to read just itself to circumstances with no consumption of drugs or alcohol.

Drug and alcohol addiction also alters the persons regular routines or values to the company they are having and place they remain and quite often might result in crimes being committed in relation to the taking of the drugs or alcohol.

During the first two weeks, the treatment often looks the most difficult. The personality is based on the habits and realizing that they should stay away from what is not good for them.

Even teaching people to alter their lives for the good of them can be difficult, as to stop such thoughts as a drug craving goes against how the persons brain is not programmed to work.

Because of these reasons selecting a drug rehab center near to the home is usually not the best decision. The outcomes are usually more successful when the person addicted is moved to a facility away from where the persons past environments and contacts are. Because of the quality of Sober Living Homes in Orange County California, we recommend the sober living that is available there.

If you or someone you know needs help with drugs or alcohol and needs treatment, please call our 24-hour confidential helpline at (888) 325-2454.

Author: William Leonard

Organization: SoberLivingLocal.com

Address: 402 West Broadway, #400, San Diego, CA 92101

Phone: 888-325-2454

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/96fe7075-e5c7-4c43-b328-58b2a5649487
You know Gov. Phil Murphy is pretty much a rookie when it comes to local politics. State legislators and political personalities were sending email messages questioning Murphy's decision to make an appearance in Bayonne just days before that city's election.

Max Pizarro's people at InsiderNJ.com picked up on Murphy trying to downplay his appearance in the Peninsula City yesterday when they quoted the state's chief executive as saying, "today is about good government. No politics today." Really. The Murph must have received an earful and eyeful on the Internet asking if he was taking sides.

What everyone is appalled about is that on the face of it, it appears that it is a default endorsement of incumbent Mayor Jimmy Davis. Look for the fliers with photos of Murphy and Davis this weekend.

Supposedly the governor was there to highlight the state's role in giving Bayonne $1 million for a small park and waterfront walkway that will be built at a proposed ferry terminal for Manhattan-bound commuters who have yet to live in those luxury units that will be constructed in the city. Few folks can regularly afford taking the ferry.

Then again who knows how voters will respond, if at all? The Peninsula City had a good number of Trump voters and they may not be impressed by a super progressive like The Murph. Remember when Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy received an endorsement from President Barack Obama in 2013. It didn't help. Let's call the Bayonne visit a nonevent.

As to the Hudson County Democratic Party civil war, you can bet that Union City Mayor and state Sen. Brian Stack did not go out of his way to seek the chairmanship of the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO or better the HCDeadO). Stack would be very happy staying put. No one in the county could persuade him to become chairman but someone in Trenton could. It comes down to The Murph or Senate President Steve Sweeney.

With the governor appearing in Bayonne yesterday -- where Stack and his partner, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, are planning to harvest party committee people in the June primary and would prefer Davis rival Jason O'Donnell for mayor -- it now appears that the driving force behind Stack is probably Sweeney.

The criticism of the HCDeadO is that it wins elections by a majority but never tallies huge numbers that eclipse other counties like a Middlesex. In other words Hudson likes to fight as a featherweight when it can at least move up to middle weight class.

Stack is the one person who state Democratic Party people believe can boost the vote totals in Hudson in future statewide elections. The Union City boss, while receiving universal promises of support before the DeGise blowup, is convinced there are elements in the party that historically fail to carry their weight and even drag their heels for their own long time benefits or issues - think Stack's natural enemies in North Bergen and what he sometimes believes is a predominantly unresponsive county government.

FULOP AS IAGO

The favorite explanation for the explosion by the DeGise side of the civil war is that it's not Stack who is at fault here but rather Fulop. There's the belief that no matter what happens Stack will abide, he'll survive and remain a dangerous adversary. On the other hand Fulop is seen as vulnerable. Thus the attempt to isolate the county seat mayor - by claiming, like a scene in a Shakespeare drama, the Jersey City mayor was whispering evil thoughts into Stack's ear.

When Menendez made that post-trial speech about how he knows "who you are," most folks believe he was thinking of Fulop as the person interested in replacing Menendez. Perhaps, but Fulop was not the only person desiring a Menendez downfall. Everyone believes Menendez bring peace by having Stack named chairman and convince Stack to back DeGise - easy pease. I don't think Stack will change his mind and will continue to take a knee for change.

Menendez has been great for Hudson County but he has tried to keep county politics at arm's length while in Washington. He hated being a mayor and the daily drudgery at dealing with the political infighting. Becoming a state and federal legislator couldn't come fast enough.

After his federal indictment and trial, Menendez had to practically reintroduce himself to locals. With a rich Republican Bob Hugin trying to block to his re-election bid, Menendez needs home county peace.

So I ask the heretical question, does Hudson County need Menendez or does Menendez need Hudson County? In other words what does the senator do should Stack refuse to walk back his rejection of DeGise for 2019? Or does Menendez care, should he wins another six-year term as U.S. senator this November.

The position of county executive is one of the weakest in the state. He or she serves at the pleasure of the mayors. The Hudson variety is not as strong as say in Essex County where Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. is a power by himself. So if it was decided that Stack is the chairman, why question his decision to change the county executive?

It's simple. Despite demands of loyalty, an elusive concept, the civil war came about because some people are afraid to give Stack so much influence in the private club. Status quo means the HCDeadO prefers to remain a New Jersey flyweight. Hope they have enough air-sick bags to go around, at least through 2018.

INSIDER NOTES

-- BTW, those hoping to replace senior citizen Sacco at the top of the North Bergen ladder may have to wait longer than they expect. Like most politicians, the older they get, the more they want told on to power.

Still, I expect one hopeful future boss, Hudson County Board of Freeholder Chairman Anthony P. Vainieri, to take the first step to being heir to the North Bergen throne by becoming a member of the Sacco slate in the 2019 township election - before his term as freeholder expires. It's his only move if he wants to get out of the dead-end county post and in position to move up the township totem pole. You don't have to deny it freeholder. I understand.

-- Peter Stuyvesant is now hidden and irrelevant. The Katyn memorial is in the crosshairs. You know Chris Columbus is going to disappear once the Journal Square redevelopment is completed. Abe Lincoln seems safe but he was a Republican.

-- This item is from the old business reporter in me.

Hank Sheinkopf, once described as a New York City area bare-knuckle political consultant, is a key note speaker at an international conference on real estate management hosted by the New Jersey City University School of Business, the City of Jersey City and Burgos University in Spain. It will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday on the city's waterfront financial district.

The event will be housed in the business school, in Harborside Plaza 2, 200 Hudson St. It will promote international business by focusing on commercial property management practices around the world with speakers from the United States, Europe and the Middle East with the theme of "Connecting Bridges and Borders in Real Estate Property Management."

Sheinkopf, president of Sheinkopf Communications Ltd., will speak on the first day. He is credited with working on more than 700 political campaigns in the United States and around the world.

On Wednesday, the keynote speaker will be Jeevan D'Mello, the former property manager of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest mega-skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, who is also recognized as a pioneer of community management in the Middle East.

It'll cost you bucks ($85/day) to attend and it runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., each day. Most of you have no interest but it gives you an idea of how far this city has come from say a generation ago when we only thought about the Jersey shore.

Well, we think about the shore more these days.

-- Mint Julep and My Boy Jack should be the order for today.

-- See you Tuesday evening after the Bayonne polls close.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Agustin C. Torres' columns appear on the nj.com opinion website on Saturdays and occasionally in the print edition of The Jersey Journal. Submit letters to the editor and guest columns at jjletters@jjournal.com.
A judge's review of a State Police lab scandal affecting more than 20,000 drunken driving cases found "substantial doubts" about the reliability of DWI test results across five New Jersey counties.

In a 200-page report released by the state judiciary Friday evening, Judge Joseph Lisa wrote that the likelihood that the alleged misconduct of a state trooper undermined DWI convictions over an eight-year period was "not great, but it is reasonably plausible."

The findings could place in jeopardy 20,667 DWI cases.

The report, sent to the state Supreme Court, concerned the case of Sgt. Marc Dennis, a coordinator in the State Police Alcohol Drug Testing Unit whose job included testing the accuracy of breath-testing devices used by local police.

In 2016, Dennis was accused of lying on official documents about performing a legally required temperature check while calibrating just three machines, known as Alcotest devices, which gauge the blood-alcohol level of accused drunken drivers.

The accusations called into question any test result involving a machine the sergeant handled, including devices used by local police in Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset, and Union counties between 2008 and 2016.

State prosecutors notified the judiciary in September 2016 of the accusations and requested a special judge be appointed to review the tens of thousands of cases involved.

County prosecutors began notifying defendants in October that their cases could be tossed because of the scandal.

Officials at the Attorney General's Office maintained that while the temperature check Dennis was accused of skipping was required under Supreme Court rules for the use of breath-testing devices, it wasn't scientifically necessary.

Judge Lisa's report, however, found that the state had "failed to clearly and convincingly prove" that the skipped step didn't undermine the test results.

That could call into question the 20,667 cases involving breath-testing machines Dennis handled. The state Supreme Court will still have to hold formal proceedings in the case.

A spokesman for Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, Peter Aseltine, said Friday that his office was "reviewing the report and will be preparing to address this before the Supreme Court."

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
State Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin has this message for Gov. Phil Murphy: You simply can't slice the popular Homestead property tax credits that go to hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents.

Murphy's state budget proposal included $143.5 million for Homestead credits, only enough to give homeowners half of the assistance they received under Gov. Chris Christie.

In a tweet sent Wednesday, Coughlin, D-Middlesex, vowed he would restore the popular rebate, which goes to about 600,000 homeowners.

"I've been listening to concerned citizens throughout Middlesex County and the state," he tweeted. "Rest assured: on my watch, the General Assembly will pass a budget that restores the homestead rebate to ease the tax burden on seniors and middle-class families."

I've been listening to concerned citizens throughout Middlesex County and the state. Rest assured: on my watch, the General Assembly will pass a budget that restores the homestead rebate to ease the tax burden on seniors and middle-class families.  Speaker Craig Coughlin (@SpeakerCoughlin) May 1, 2018

Coughlin's tenure as speaker and the third party in New Jersey's three-man state leadership that includes fellow Democrats Murphy and state Senate President Stephen Sweeney has been off to a quiet start.

But the speaker may have found a fight.

"My first priority is to ensure that seniors and working middle-class families can afford to stay in their homes," Coughlin told NJ Advance Media. "We have a property tax crisis in this state and our first order of business should be to staunch the bleeding and ensure that no one is priced out of their homes as we grapple with a long-term solution."

Murphy's administration has said it's the state Legislature's doing.

In a scramble to find money during last year's budget negotiations, Christie and the Legislature slashed funding for the program from $291.9 million to $147.3 million (it's since been boosted to $156 million).

The previous average benefit of $515 for seniors and disabled homeowners fell to $256, and the average benefit of $401 for all other eligible homeowners fell to $199.

Lawmakers expected the state, under Murphy, to pony up the rest of the money in the next fiscal year. But now that bill comes due, and Murphy's budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 doesn't include enough cash to pay the full credit in 2018 and 2019.

Coughlin says the Legislature will fix it, pledging to double the funding in Murphy's budget.

"The Assembly will pass a budget that provides a full year's property tax credit to help ease the burden on seniors and working families," Coughlin said in a statement.

Finding money to make that happen could prove a challenge. Murphy's $37.4 billion budget is balanced with the help of more than $1.5 billion from a new taxes that Democratic leaders are loathe to go along with.

Murphy said Wednesday he's open to boosting funding for the program, "if we can figure it out."

"Let's put it this way. I know what I inherited, which was a fiscal mess. And this is a priority, along with some other mouths that we have to feed."

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.
Tinted windows and an oversized license plate bracket prompted police to stop a car that the daughter of Port Authority commissioner Caren Turner was riding in. That led to Turner's video confrontation with two officers, which last month brought about her removal from her position and widespread vilification online.

But were the reasons for the traffic stop valid in the first place?

Experts say that depends whether the tinted window and license frame laws currently on the books are written broadly enough to apply to all vehicles -- or just to those registered and garaged in New Jersey.

Tenafly police stopped the car from Nevada during Easter weekend for a license plate frame that covered the name of the state and tinted front driver and passenger side windows. Turner arrived after her daughter called her for a ride.

That escalated to a now-viral video of Turner flashing a Port Authority badge, dropping the mayor's name and cursing at the officer. She resigned from the authority on April 23.

Tinted glass is legal on driver and passenger side front windows in Nevada, but not in New Jersey. Similar to New Jersey, Nevada also permits license plate frames, if they don't obscure the state name, according to the state DMV website.

So should police have pulled the car over at all? After all, it's not as if someone could un-tint their legally-tinted windows before crossing over a state border.

New Jersey's tinted window law was written to apply to all vehicles, not just those registered or garaged in state, said Kenneth Vercammen, a criminal defense attorney in Edison. The state law's scope is broad so as to prevent residents from circumventing the law by registering the vehicle in a neighboring state, he said.

There is also a vast difference between tinted glass installed by the vehicle manufacturer and darker aftermarket windows, which state laws regulate.

This BMW shows tinted windows that are legal in New Jersey. (NJ.com file photo)

"The stuff people install (aftermarket) is so no one can see in the car," he said. "For the safety of police, they need to see in car."

Attorney David W. Polsky of Wayne agreed with that assessment.

'You can drive it in New Jersey, (but) you can be subject to a ticket," he said.

Some other laws are written to only apply to vehicles registered in New Jersey and to spare out-of-state drivers from a ticket, if their state has different legal requirements.

That's why drivers of vehicles registered in Pennsylvania aren't ticketed for not having a front plate when driving in New Jersey. Pennsylvania law only requires a rear license plate. New Jersey's law requiring two license plates was written by the legislature to apply only to vehicles registered in the state, said attorneys and police.

Tinted window regulations vary from state to state, according to AAA. New Jersey and Minnesota have the toughest laws that banning aftermarket tinted windshields. Some other states allow the entire windshield to be tinted, others permit a band near the top of the glass.

"Certain tinting materials on windshields, (front passenger and front driver) windows of motor vehicles, are prohibited, unless for medical reasons," said Mairin Bellack, a state Motor Vehicle Commission spokeswoman.

Drivers can legally have the glass in the rear doors and back window tinted in New Jersey, if it meets regulations for how dark or reflective the glass is.

Last year, 58,590 drivers received tickets in New Jersey for glass violations, which includes tinted window violations, according to the state judiciary.

"There are legitimate reasons for enforcement of the law," said Major Brian Polite, a State Police spokesman.

Drivers risk being stopped if they drive through the state in an out-of-state vehicle with tinted windows, Vercammen said.

"Many police will pull them over for it and give a warning that it's not permitted," he said. "A lot depends on people's attitude when they're pulled over. Police don't deserve to be abused, they're just doing their job."

Vercammen said police can use tinted windows, or a license plate bracket as a reason to stop a vehicle.

"Police do it as a pretextual reason to stop cars," he said.

State law allows people with certain skin and vision problems to apply to the MVC for a medical certificate allowing them to have tinted windows.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.


Three years ago, Oscar Antonio Martinez-Alvarez's body lied near a stretch of railroad tracks in Elizabeth.

The 18-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene, sparking a search for the people responsible for his death.

Those people were sentenced Friday, prosecutors said, after three men admitted to aggravated manslaughter in the gang-related killing on Court Street.

Superior Court Judge Robert Kirsch sentenced Felix Rivera, 19, and Juan Barraza, 22, to 25 years in prison, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. Juan Delgado, 19, was sentenced to 17 years.

All three must serve at least 85 percent of their sentences before they are eligible for parole, and each defendant then will be deported to his native El Salvador under Kirsch's ruling.

Prosecutors believe Barraza was the leader of an MS-13 gang operating in Elizabeth and ordered the killing because he thought Martinez-Alvarez was associating with a rival gang. Delgado on April 22, 2015, lured the victim to the railroad tracks, where Rivera fired four shots into his chest at close range.

Barraza and Delgado were arrested without incident at their Elizabeth homes in June of that year, while Rivera fled the area. He was caught in Virginia and extradited back to New Jersey, prosecutors said.

Assistant Prosecutor Colleen Ruppert told Kirsch at the sentencing that MS-13 is "the most violent street gang operating in our area" and recruits from high schools, according to the prosecutor's office.

Defense attorneys argued the three men were too young to understand their seriousness of their actions and had joined MS-13 to gain a sense of belonging after moving to the United States with family members, the prosecutor's office said.

Although Rivera and Delgado were 16 years old at the time of the shooting, a judge waived them up to adult court.

"Your actions in this case besmirch and insult ... the desperate measures others (from Central America) take to find their way here - and for that, you should be ashamed," Kirsch told Rivera, according to the prosecutor's office.

Barraza expressed remorse and called the killing a "mistake," prosecutors said. They said neither of the other defendants spoke at the sentencing.

Olivia Rizzo may be reached at orizzo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LivRizz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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File photo

By Brendan Kuty | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

NEW YORK  Picture this: Matt Harvey. Champagne everywhere. Everyone is going bananas. It's past midnight in New York City.

No, Harvey isn't at 1Oak again. He's in the Yankees' clubhouse. It's just after Game 7 of the 2018 World Series. His redemption story from Mets star to flameout and back is complete, and it all happened in pinstripes.

Sounds nuts, right? Yeah. It probably is.

But, for this fleeting moment, its entirely possible that Harvey ends up with the Yankees.

Lets break down why it should and why it shouldnt happen.

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First, some background

On Friday, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said the team would designate Harvey for assignment because he refused a minor-league assignment. Since it's unlikely any team will claim Harvey and the remainder of his $5.6 million salary for 2018 or trade for him, he'll quickly become a free agent.

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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Why the Yankees should sign Harvey

Lets start with the easy stuff. Harvey has wanted to be a Yankee his whole life. Growing up in Connecticut, he idolized the team. When Harvey was at the height of his powers as the Dark Knight, he did nothing to quiet the idea that one day he might end up in the Bronx. If he signed with the Yankees, Harvey would be as determined as ever not to screw it up  at least youd think.

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Why they shouldn't

On Friday, a source with knowledge of the Yankees personnel decisions told NJ Advance Media, Dont bet on it, when asked if the Yankees would sign Harvey. The most obvious reason why? Imagine the circus hed bring. It would be like Alex Rodriguez, the sequel. Instantly, all eyes would be on the Yankees, and for the wrong reasons. Harveys hard-partying, celebrity status has long been a hot-button topic. First-year manager Aaron Boone doesnt need the distraction.

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Lynne Sladky | AP

Why the Yankees should sign him

Hes just 29 years old. Yes, his fastball is down. It's averaged just 93 mph  down from its 96.5-mph peak when Harvey was Harvey in 2013. But he touched 98.63 as recently as last year and hes still working his way back from thoracic outlet syndrome. So, two things: Maybe hell never recover his velocity, but that doesnt mean he cant figure out how to be effective. And maybe he will recover some of it. The Yankees may think they can get it back.

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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Why they shouldn't

Its not just velocity with Harvey, Alderson told reporters. There are flaws in his delivery, the GM said. It sounds like Harvey has a lot to figure out and who knows how long it might take. The Yankees wouldnt want to keep Harvey, considering the scrutiny he brings, if they dont think hes on the verge of correcting himself. After all, hes a free agent at seasons end, and the Yankees could put all this effort into fixing him just to have him leave.

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Why the Yankees should sign him

They could use the depth. With Jordan Montgomery out for two months, Domingo German  a talented but unproven rookie  will step into his spot. That robs the Yankees of a impressive mid-game arm that chew innings. Maybe the Yankees think Harvey could work out his problems as a long man? Maybe! Its not crazy.

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Why they shouldn't

Always seems like a fine idea to sign someone to a minor-league deal, right? His agent, Scott Boras, has reportedly said Harvey would accept a minor-league contract. Cant do any harm at Triple-A, right? Well, thats where the Yankees two most advanced pitching prospects are. Would the Yankees really want the Harvey circus possibly distracting Justus Sheffield or Chance Adams?

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Verdict

Dont do it. Harvey doesnt appear to be better than German at the moment and he wouldnt be worth the headache, overall. Watch more in the video below.

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Andujar's walk-off beats Indians

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Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.
Four New Orleans men are accused of conspiring to deal heroin, along with various other drug- and gun-related charges, according to a federal indictment handed up Thursday (May 3).

The 20-count indictment charges 25-year-old Terrance Morgan, 20-year-old Kendall Celestine, 26-year-old Eric Robinson and 28-year-old Richard Green, also known as "Blue" and "Bam," with participating in the drug-trafficking scheme.

The document alleges the four men conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute at least 100 grams of heroin over a four-year period, roughly between June 2014 and April of this year. The indictment also accuses the men of conspiring to possess guns in furtherance of drug-trafficking crimes during the same time period.

The indictment is the sixth indictment in the case.

The original indictment, handed up in November 2015, charged Morgan and another man, Nolan "Tweet" Cason, with one count each of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Subsequent indictments tacked on more gun-related counts for Cason and Morgan and added Quinton "Q" Cooks of California, charging him with two counts of illegally possessing a firearm after a domestic-violence conviction. In one instance, Cooks was accused of participating in an April 2015 shootout on Earhart Boulevard.

Cason and Cooks both pleaded guilty last year to federal gun charges, with each sentenced to three years and five months in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Orleans.

In February of this year, a fifth indictment added charges for Green and Celestine. Robinson was added in this week's sixth superseding indictment, after federal investigators found him with Green during Green's arrest in Houma.

According to court documents, after an arrest warrant was issued for Green, deputies with the U.S. Marshals Service learned that he was at a hotel in Houma with a woman and Robinson.

According to a recent federal complaint filed against Robinson, investigators discovered that Green and his co-conspirators, including Robinson, "routinely sold narcotics out of hotel rooms and possessed firearms."

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On April 3, authorities raided two rooms at the Ramada Inn in Houma, arresting Green, Robinson and the woman, who exited one of the rooms while carrying an infant.

In the room where Green was found, investigators found one pill of a muscle-relaxant, three pain pills and a digital scale, the complaint said. In the neighboring room where Robinson and the woman were found, officers recovered about 1.5 grams of crack cocaine, nine plastic baggies containing about 2.1 grams of heroin, a plastic bag containing MDMA pills, one pill of an amphetamine, marijuana and a digital scale, according to the complaint.

Investigators also found two pistols, both inside of a Spiderman diaper bag, according to court documents.

A federal complaint filed separately against the woman, Albreaun Joseph, accuses her of aiding and abetting a felon in possession of firearms and aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute heroin and MDMA. Joseph has not been indicted.

Along with the conspiracy charges, Thursday's indictment also accuses Morgan, Green and Robinson with illegally possessing firearms as convicted felons. Morgan faces four counts of this charge stemming from various occasions in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Green and Robinson face two counts of this charge, with the document alleging they had weapons in July 2017 and on April 3 of this year.

Green and Robinson are charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin and MDMA, also stemming from the April 3 raid at the Houma hotel.

Green is additionally charged with six counts of distribution of heroin between April 2017 and October 2017.

The indictment also charges Morgan and Celestine with possessing with the intent to distribute a Schedule I controlled substance known as "U-47700" in January 2017. They are also charged with possessing several guns in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime on the same date.

Celestine is additionally charged with two counts of possessing a gun, specifically an "AK-47-style pistol," in furtherance of drug-trafficking crimes on two dates in January of this year.

The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New Orleans Police Department, the Louisiana State Police and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office.
CALGARY, Alberta, May 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the AFL will be launching a new campaign that will make Albertas economic future a central issue in the upcoming election. Alberta Federation of Labour President Gil McGowan will share the details of the campaign, including the release of a new video, with the media.



Details:

Saturday, May 5 at 2:45pm

Where: Casio A (room),2nd floor of MacEwan Conference Centre, U of C, 402 Collegiate Blvd NW, Calgary, Alberta

Contact:

Janelle Morin, Director of Communications, Alberta Federation of Labour

jmorin@afl.org, 780-278-3640
As if Louisiana hasnt had enough of tropical weather this summer, Gov. John Bel Edwards was told Saturday that the states residents need to brace themselves for the possibility of another system coming ashore perhaps as early as next Friday.
Boston, MA, May 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seaborn Networks (Seaborn), a leading developer-owner-operator of subsea fiber optic cable systems, announced today the appointment of David Zimmer as Seaborns Chief Sales Officer. As Seaborns new CSO, Dave will be responsible for all of Seaborns direct sales, channel strategies and inside sales. Dave is also being added to Seaborns board of directors.



Dave most recently served as Senior Vice President  Carrier Services Business Unit for Earthlink (acquired by Windstream). Before that, he rose through the ranks at Level 3 Communications (now CenturyLink) over a 13-year period, culminating in his serving as Vice President of Sales  Wholesale Markets. During his more than 27 years of network services sales experience, Dave has led large sales organizations with a primary focus on wholesale markets, including in the US, Latin America, Asia-Pac and rest of world. He has a proven track record of achieving top sales results selling to and through telecom, wireless, internet and cloud companies.

In a related announcement, Jim Olson of Seaborn now serves as Vice President, Corporate Development. In this role, Jim will focus on Seaborns portfolio of new-build opportunities, including ARBR (Argentina to Brazil; RFS H1 2019), SABR (South Africa  Brazil; RFS H1 2020), and Seabras-1 branches for Virginia Beach, Miami, USVI/BVI, Fortaleza and Brazil South.

We are very pleased to add Dave to the Seaborn executive team, said Larry Schwartz, Chairman & CEO of Seaborn. His expertise is an invaluable resource to lead the continued growth of our Sales organization. Dave brings with him well established and secure relationships with major telecom service providers, hyper-scalers and large enterprises. And he has a stellar track record of leading strong sales organizations. In addition, Jim Olson fills a critical role driving our ever-growing portfolio of new-build projects that feed into Seabras-1; his experience in new-build system sales and wholesale carrier sales provides the ideal background for our corporate development initiatives. Both of these new appointments are critical building blocks as Seaborn continues to ramp up its Sales organization.

The Seaborn team is attending International Telecoms Week (ITW) 2018, taking place May 6 through May 9 in Chicago. To meet with Seaborn at ITW, please email meeting@seabornnetworks.com.

About Seaborn Networks

Seaborn Networks is a leading developer-owner-operator of submarine fiber optic cable systems, including Seabras-1 between Sao Paulo  New York, ARBR between Sao Paulo  Buenos Aires (RFS H1 2019) and SABR between Brazil  Cape Town, South Africa (RFS H1 2020). Seabras-1 is the only direct POP-to-POP network between Sao Paulo and New York. For more information, please visit www.seabornnetworks.com.

Attachment
A UN security council resolution requiring the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to withdraw by 2021 is causing a lot of debate among the AMISOM commanders in regard to the preparedness of the Somali National Army (SNA) to take on the challenge.

AMISOM started downsizing its troops last year, reducing the numbers from 22,000 to 21,000.

Brig Paul L'Okech, the commander of the Ugandan contingent in Somalia says the Somali army isn't ready yet to take over. Photo: Nicholas Bamulanzeki

Each of the troop contributing country reduced its presence by at least 250 soldiers according to Col Richard Omwega, the AMISOM force spokesman. Omwega belongs to the Kenya Defence Forces.

"After 10 years of presence, the UN wants us to power to the Somali National Army but the transition is condition based; that as we move, there must be a stable and secure country," Omwega said.

According to the withdraw plan, another 1,000 troops will be withdrawn in October this year which comes with a closure of a forward operating base (FOB) for each of the troop contributing countries. Besides Uganda and Kenya, AMISOM has troops from Burundi, Ethiopia and Djibouti.

The big debate among the AMISOM commanders is whether the UN wish is achievable within three years.

"The transition must be shaped in such a way that the SNA is well trained and prepared. They are well trained but not well prepared to take over the challenge," said Brig Paul L'Okech, the commander of the Ugandan contingent in Somalia.

"It needs to be well handled otherwise we may go back to square one," he added.

SNA TRAINING

Currently, there are 75 SNA cadet officers undergoing training in Uganda. These will join an earlier force of 4,000 SNA officers who were trained by Uganda.

Turkey is training another force of about 1,000, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) trained about 500 troops plus some more being trained separately by the US and European Union.

"Getting fighters is easy but how do you maintain them? Somalia for a quite a long time didn't have an army, we are trying to build one but we need to put a lot of effort in training, re-organisation and preparation," L'Okech said.

AMISOM is also selling to the Somali government the idea of an LDU-like force to manage security in the villages.

This has led to the incorporation of clan militias into the security system although the peacekeepers have to deal with the challenge of underage warriors.

"AMISOM mandate is to support the government; we can't interfere with local arrangement, we can only advise them not to arm young boys below 18 years," said Col Bonny Bamwiseki, the brigade commander of the UPDF force based at Ceeljalle in Lower Shebelle region.

AMISOM created by the African Union's Peace and Security Council of January 2007 with an initial six-month mandate. This mandate has since been extended to date with the United Nations giving the troop contributing nations up to 2021 to withdraw.
Oh, the ideal of the beach house. A place to escape -- either physically or mentally -- to sand-laden bliss. While most of us will only dream of owning a house on the shore, the ocean has long lured architects and nature appreciators.

In this week's real estate galley, we look at homes on the market or recently sold that have a front-row view of the water.

Here's one example: In the early 1970s, employees of Travers/Johnston Architects in Portland brainstormed the design of a communal retreat on a spit of land that divides Siletz Bay from the Pacific Ocean.

To satisfy sleeping quarters for several families at a time, architect Ron Travers drew an octagon for the main lodge area. Nearby are three detached cabins that are shaped like hexagons and form a circle. Inside the circle is a central courtyard with a sunken fire pit, all protected from coastal winds by glass partitions wedged between the cabins.

Needless to say, when it was completed, the compound known as the Salishan Spit Retreat got attention.

An article in the Architecture of Adventure publication reported that the design "uses its own forms to mitigate the unpredictability of the weather." The result, the writer stated, is a shelter for the firm's friends, families and clients to experience a "bracing seaside escape."

The contemporary cluster of houses on the Oregon coast is unconventional in many ways.

The interior of the main lodge starts with supportive poles, then fans out from there. The living area has a large rock fireplace and vaulted wood ceilings. Beyond the lounge space are a kitchen and dining areas. Interior walls have smooth cedar. Above, resawn hemlock covers the ceiling.

Pole construction and many of the main lounge's materials are duplicated in the cabins.

According to an article in Architectural Record in 1973, "at the angles of each unit [exterior] are fins extending outward," that unify the buildings clad in resawn cedar and crowned with a roof of cedar shingles.

Decks on the ocean side offer views of dunes, pines, native grasses and water.

Today, the property at 399 Salishan Dr. in Gleneden Beach is listed at $799,000. The dwellings, built in 1971 on 0.55 acres, has three bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths and 1,781 square feet. That breaks down to $449 a square foot.

"The interior takes you to a place when Oregon featured some of the most innovative homes of the time," says listing agent Karla Kuhlenbeck of Windermere/Distinctive Coastal Properties.

-- Janet Eastman



jeastman@oregonian.com

503-799-8739

@janeteastman




WASHINGTON -- That unpleasant odor wafting from the direction of the White House is the sour smell of panic, as the president's lies threaten to unravel -- and the law closes in.

The new public face of President Trump's legal defense, Rudy Giuliani, looked and sounded like a man in need of an intervention Wednesday night as he went on Sean Hannity's Fox News show -- the friendliest possible terrain -- and revealed that what Trump has tried to make the nation believe about a $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels is a total crock.

You will recall that last month, when asked aboard Air Force One if he knew about the payment, Trump emphatically said no. He added, "You'll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney." Trump gave the impression of having no idea where Cohen got the money to pay Daniels.

Not true, Giuliani told a puzzled Hannity: "That money was not campaign money. Sorry, I'm giving you a fact now that you don't know. It's not campaign money. No campaign finance violation. ... [It was] funneled through the law firm and the president repaid it."

Just a suggestion, but if Giuliani wants to convince special counsel Robert Mueller that there's nothing here to see, he probably should avoid using words like "funneled."

In the Hannity interview, Giuliani said of the $130,000 payment that Trump "didn't know about the specifics of it, as far as I know. But he did know the general arrangement, that Michael would take care of things like this, like I take care of things like this with my clients. I don't burden them with every single thing that comes along. These are busy people."

That makes me curious about Giuliani's client list. But I digress.

Trump offered elaboration but not clarification Thursday morning on Twitter. The original story -- I know nothing, go ask Michael -- morphed into a three-tweet exercise in trying to thread a needle with a hunk of rope:

"Mr. Cohen, an attorney, received a monthly retainer, not from the campaign and having nothing to do with the campaign, from which he entered into, through reimbursement, a private contract between two parties, known as a non-disclosure agreement, or NDA. These agreements are ... very common among celebrities and people of wealth. In this case it is in full force and effect and will be used in Arbitration for damages against Ms. Clifford (Daniels). The agreement was used to stop the false and extortionist accusations made by her about an affair, ... despite already having signed a detailed letter admitting that there was no affair. Prior to its violation by Ms. Clifford and her attorney, this was a private agreement. Money from the campaign, or campaign contributions, played no roll [sic] in this transaction."

So many words, so much squirming, so little truth.

One thing, and only one thing, is clear from this orchestrated attempt to change the narrative about Daniels. Trump is worried that the payment -- which prevented a potential scandal just days before the 2016 election -- might constitute an illegal campaign donation if Cohen used his own funds, as he has claimed, and was not reimbursed.

Some experts say there may have been a violation even if Trump's carefully worded (for him) tweetstorm is true. But if Cohen's "retainer" was really an attempt to hide the payment and structure the reimbursement so as not to rouse suspicion among banking regulators, Trump and Cohen may be in more legal jeopardy from the new story than from the old.

Nice work, Rudy.

This latest development on the Daniels front is just one of several signs that the investigation of Trump and the pushback against it have entered a new, more acrimonious phase.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the Mueller probe, vowed this week that "the Department of Justice is not going to be extorted" by Republican House members who threaten to impeach him for not shutting Mueller down. It was revealed that Mueller has warned that he can serve the president with a grand jury subpoena if Trump does not agree to a voluntary interview. And the loudest voice on the president's legal team advocating a conciliatory approach, attorney Ty Cobb, announced Wednesday that he is "retiring." His replacement, Emmet Flood of the powerhouse Williams & Connolly firm, represented Bill Clinton in his battle against impeachment.

There is no reason to believe Mueller's investigation is anywhere near its end. But the ground rules have changed: From now on, it seems, biting and gouging are allowed.

-- Eugene Robinson's email address is eugenerobinson@washpost.com.
By Dinah Adkins

The unmitigated elitism of so-called "progressives" and their animosity to tradition and conservation are on full display in The Oregonian's April 29 op-ed by John Tapogna, Lorelei Juntunen and Mike Wilkerson, "A wake-up call for equality warriors."

Topogna and the others characterize neighborhood proponents as NIMBY ("not-in-my-backyard") activists and equate them with supporters of the GOP tax plan, both guilty of "wealth hoarding in an era of steep inequality."

"Soaring property values and rents" require recognition that Congressional tax cutters and NIMBY activists are "equally to blame for ... rising wealth inequality," they say, asking that neighborhoods mitigate homelessness by "building housing, and lots of it." Yet they utterly fail to shore up their claims by pointing to any communities that have built their way out of housing crises. In fact, untempered growth in Seattle and the Bay Area is sending hundreds of people to Portland and Oregon each year. It is simply too expensive to live in those booming areas.

The authors glancingly mention "legitimate" concerns about "overcrowded schools and parks, strained water, sewer and road systems," saying they can be "quantified and require investment or other remedies." But they assault, with curled lips, proponents of historic preservation, noting, "We have a surprising amount of history weaved into our relatively young neighborhoods." As progressives they are opposed to conservation. We should all be able to see "cranes" and "Tyvek building wrap" from our front porches, they claim; then we'll know our neighborhood is "helping to curb costs."

They are like the '60s and '70s proponents of urban renewal, a planning philosophy that razed historic buildings and city centers and paved minority neighborhoods, putting former home owners into dangerous public housing towers. The new progressives fail to account for the costs of unmitigated growth in terms of lost livelihoods, torn neighborhood fabric, destruction of meeting places and community support infrastructure. They bolster themselves by adopting the title "equality warriors."

The distinction between the terms "liberal" and progressive" matters, says New York Times op-ed (April 13) contributor Greg Weiner, a senior aide to former Sen. Bob Kerrey. "A liberal can believe that government can do more good or less, and one can debate how much to conserve. But progressivism is inherently hostile to moderation because progress is an unmitigated good.... Unlike liberalism, progressivism is intrinsically opposed to conservation."

Back to historic preservation. There are few nationally recognized historic districts in Portland's Eastside, just Irvington, Ladd's Addition and tiny Peacock Lane. It is likely that only two other Eastside neighborhoods -- Eastmoreland and Laurelhurst -- have sufficient historic character to qualify. Much of the rest of the city has already been transformed by densification. City and state panels in 2017 approved Eastmoreland, an exemplar of the nation's early 20th Century "City Beautiful" movement, for historic status. The National Park Service said it meets other requirements but asked the State Historic Preservation Office to certify homeownership in the neighborhood. This is important since federal rules require 50 percent plus one owner object to historic district status in order to prevent Historic Register listing.

Share your opinion

Submit your essay of 800 words or less on a highly topical issue or a theme of particular relevance to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Portland area to commentary@oregonian.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification.

But on April 25, the State Historic Preservation Office found that owners of four Eastmoreland properties who recently put their homes into 5,000 trusts, could add these "paper-only" owners to the 2,188 human homeowners. Thus, suddenly, historic district opponents who had previously represented only 43.5 percent of homeowners suddenly came to represent 82.8 percent. Simply put, when historic district opponents couldn't win fairly, they decided to "stuff ballot boxes," with the state's support.

Whether the National Park Service will agree to ballot box stuffing - and giving owners of four properties 5,000 votes -- remains to be seen. Perhaps it will depend on whether the park service is liberal, progressive or what...?

As Weiner said in his op-ed, "Progressivism, by its very definition, makes progress into an ideology. The appropriate label for those who do not believe in the ideology of progress but who do believe in government's capacity to do good is 'liberal.'"

In the case of Eastmoreland, a liberal neighborhood by most measures, the majority could be overruled by progressives who seemingly can justify anything: destruction of neighborhoods and historic architecture, dividing single family homes into 1,000 and 2,000 trusts, and stuffing ballot boxes. It appears, for those individuals, the ends justify the means. All in the name of the God Progress.

-- Dinah Adkins lives in Southeast Portland.
When President Donald Trump says "no collusion" and "no obstruction," he means he won't be indicted or impeached. From his point of view, if he isn't impeached then he did nothing wrong, and he will tell us so. We know much about the June 2016 meeting with Russians and the May 2017 firing of former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey. But the Republicans are not going to impeach this Republican president. They are doing everything they can to protect him.

Nick Oatman, Clackamas
A case worker's premature conclusion that the children were safe shaped Oregon's investigation into allegations that Jennifer and Sarah Hart abused their six children. At no point did a child welfare supervisor sign off on the decisions made in the case, newly released records show.

Before a doctor examined six Oregon siblings for signs of neglect, the case worker tasked with keeping them safe wrote that he or she planned to leave them in the care of their parents, according to case notes released to The Oregonian/OregonLive after a public records appeal.

The plan didn't change even after the doctor reported five of the children were smaller than the 5 percent of smallest children their age.

All eight members of the Hart family are now dead or presumed to be, after Jen Hart drove their vehicle off a California cliff. Investigators described the March crash as intentional.

New emails and internal documents released by Oregon's Department of Human Services show the agency's investigation into the family was officially open for nearly a year. But within weeks, the case worker wrote that he or she planned not to place the children in foster care.

The agency says it has no record that a supervisor ever reviewed or approved the decisions made along the way: to extend the case several times beyond the initial 30-day deadline or to close it without a definitive finding whether neglect occurred.

The official conclusion was "unable to determine," which means the agency's ultimate finding was inconclusive.

The case worker decided that outcome without written review or approval from a supervisor at a time when the office that handled the case was roiled by a personnel investigation. Human resources officials ultimately found unprofessional conduct by three workers.

The Department of Human Services refuses to release the names of the case workers and supervisors involved in the Hart case or the osteopathic doctor who examined the children and said she had "no concerns whatsoever" about the children's well-being, despite their bodies being extremely small.

The Oregonian/OregonLive appealed the redaction of the names. On Thursday, Deputy Attorney General Frederick Boss sided with the agency, saying Oregon law allows the agency to determine whether releasing the information could help improve its future oversight of vulnerable children.

Spokesman Jay Remy said the agency has now released all records involving the Harts.

The investigation into their welfare was spurred by an anonymous caller in July 2013. She reported that she had witnessed the Hart parents emotionally abusing and withholding food from their six children: Markis, Hannah, Devonte, Jeremiah, Abigail and Sierra.

The investigation's original due date was August 17, 2013. The deadline passed. Case records provided by the state child welfare agency show spaces for the supervisor's name, the reasons and dates he or she signed off on each extension, and the date the supervisor approved the case decision. All are blank.

In a Sept. 24, 2013, email, apparently to his or her supervisor, the case worker described the investigation as "relatively new" to explain why basic details remained unknown. The worker wrote that he or she was unsure how to correctly spell Sierra Hart's name and added, "I don't plan on removing" the children from their home.

It would be several more weeks before the kids were evaluated by a doctor. The last two exams were completed November 5.

The doctor's reports showed all of but one of the children were smaller in both weight and height than 95 out of 100 girls or boys their age. The sixth child, Jeremiah, was smaller than 90 percent of boys.

The case worker noted that the doctor said in a phone conversation that she did not have any previous history to see how they had grown over time.

The case worker's notes do not say that Oregon's child welfare agency requested medical records from Texas or Minnesota, two states that were involved in the adoption of the children from foster care.

Oregon officials knew Minnesota officials had investigated several abuse reports involving the Harts before they moved to Oregon. The Oregon case worker also was aware Sarah Hart was convicted of misdemeanor domestic assault stemming from injuries inflicted upon the middle daughter, Abigail.

After Oregon officials received the anonymous call about the Hart children, the case worker spoke to at least two other women who knew and interacted with the Harts. The women told the case worker that abuse continued after the family moved to Oregon. They said the children were served only tiny portions of food, were afraid to speak without their mothers' approval and were made to lay for hours on a bed or the floor as punishment.

The case worker interviewed Jennifer and Sarah Hart about the allegations five weeks after the family was reported to the child-abuse hotline. At the same time, a colleague interviewed the children and noted they all denied any abuse.

As the case dragged on, Sarah Hart offered explanations for the delays, according to the case worker's notes. She said the family traveled often, so they were not able to meet with the two case workers until one month after the abuse report was made. She said the family had to get medical insurance for the children, then secure appointments for all six of them, so the visits to the doctor did not begin until three months after the abuse report.

Ultimately, the case worker cited the doctor's lack of concern as the rationale to close the investigation in December 2013 without any formal action, despite the evidence of past abuse and the children's refusal to disclose what others had witnessed, such as being forced to lie silently for hours.

In evaluating their safety, the case worker found them to be highly vulnerable. "The children are completely dependent upon their caregivers and do no(t) have regular contact with mandatory reporters, as they are home schooled," he or she wrote.

The case's official outcome was "unable to determine," meaning the case worker found some evidence that abuse occurred, but not enough to conclusively say that it had.

The case worker informed Sarah Hart of that decision in December, the worker wrote in case notes the same day.

Yet the Hart family case was not technically closed until June 2014, after a routine report showed the case was 319 days overdue -- longer than any other on the case worker's workload.

A worker officially marked it closed the next week.

Remy said that a supervisor was likely aware of the case before June 2014, because case workers frequently print out and discuss their "caseload report" with their supervisors.

He said the delay was caused by a common paperwork issue caused by the agency's chronic understaffing, which the agency is working to fix.

"Generally, in the case of overdue assessments, children are being seen and served in a timely fashion but the lag is in completing the steps to formally close them out," he said in an email.

Jerry Buzzard, who oversaw Department of Human Services' operations in Clackamas County at the time, said he did not remember the case and retired as the investigation was underway.

As the Hart family case dragged into 2014, the Oregon City office that handled the Hart case became embroiled in its own internal investigation.

State officials ramped up their investigation into Carrie Nash, a former Oregon City child welfare supervisor who was promoted to a child welfare manager's position in Bend in 2012. The investigation focused on what the agency deemed to be unprofessional, insubordinate and profane emails and chat messages to her colleagues, including several in Oregon City. It ultimately culminated in her firing in March 2014.

At least three employees in the Oregon City office were ensnared in the investigation. The other supervisor involved, identified only by initials "TY," received a letter of discipline, records from Nash's challenge of her firing show. A state employee directory from February 2014 lists Tammy Young as a child welfare manager in Oregon City.

Messages left at numbers listed for Nash and Young Tuesday have not been returned.

-- Molly Young
Jen Hart | Facebook

Jen Hart posted this photo of her six adopted children on Facebook. From left, they are Sierra, Abigail, Devonte, Jeremiah, Markis and Hannah. When a doctor measured the children at the request of Oregon child welfare workers in 2013, all were found to be a size of typical children years younger than they were.

By MOLLY YOUNG

The Oregonian | OregonLive

At 11, Hannah Hart was the size of a girl roughly half her age. Four of her five siblings who lived in West Linn with their adoptive parents also appeared much younger than they were.

But after seeing all six kids, a Clackamas doctor concluded she had "no concerns whatsoever" about their wellbeing, according to medical records released this week in response to a public records appeal by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

The doctor's office faxed the records to Oregon's child welfare agency, which took no action after its 2013 investigation into whether Jen and Sarah Hart abused their children and denied them food. The case worker received only height and weight charts plus two-sentence letters about each child from the doctor, the records show.

Medical experts say measuring a child's height and weight offers only a snapshot of a child's health. To understand what a child's position on a growth chart truly indicates, it must be compared to earlier points in time, say experts including Dr. Sharon Cooper, a developmental and forensic pediatrician at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

The doctor who saw the Hart children told the case worker she had no prior records. The case worker did not request them from Minnesota or Texas child welfare officials, despite knowing the agencies had been involved in the children's lives.

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via Jen Hart / Facebook

Jennifer Hart was the dominant figure in the eight-person Hart family. Shown in this photo she posted on Facebook during the time the family still lived in Minnesota are, in front from left, Hannah, Abigail, Jeremiah, Devonte, and Sierra and, in back, Markis, Sarah and Jen Hart.

Jennifer and Sarah Hart had come to child welfare officials' attentions after a report in summer 2013 that they had denied their children food and subjected them to excessive discipline. The women explained the children struggled with food because they had been exposed to trauma before they were adopted and developed psychological issues as a result. Sarah Hart said Hannah's growth hormones were once checked due to her small size and were shown to be normal.

Medical records, not parent's statements, are the key to knowing whether a child is truly healthy, Cooper said.

"The person who has to make that determination cannot be the mother," Cooper said. "It has to be the agency. They're the professionals."

She said child welfare officials regularly examine children who are neglected and should know that food issues that may stem from a child's early childhood experiences typically go away within a year. At the time of the 2013 investigation, all of the children had lived with the Hart parents for at least five years.

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Jen Hart | Facebook

Jen Hart posted on social media this photo of her children appearing to meditate at the foot of Oregon's scenic Painted Hills. Shown from left are Markis, Hannah, Sierra, Jeremiah, Devonte and Abigail.

All the Hart children are known or presumed to be dead, after Jen Hart drove the family SUV off a California cliff in late March. The deaths came days after Washington child welfare workers knocked on the family's door, trying to investigate new reports the children had been abused and denied food by their parents.

The 2013 Oregon medical evaluations showed all six children were the sizes of boys or girls many years younger than them.

Hannah, at 50 pounds and 3'9", was the size of a typical 6-year-old girl. Fifteen-year-old Markis, 90 pounds and 4'9", was the size of an 11- or 12-year-old boy. Eight-year-old Sierra, 44 pounds and 3'9", appeared to be 6.

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Jen Hart | Facebook

Jen Hart posted this photo of three of her children on a trip to Oregon on her Facebook page. Jeremiah, Abigail and Devonte all were measured by a doctor in 2013 as being shorter and lighter than 90 percent of children their age. Abigail, then nearly 10, was the height of an average 6-year-old girl.

Sierra was adopted by the Harts with her biological older brothers, Jeremiah and Devonte. An aunt tried to adopt them and appealed when she lost the right to become their parent. Court documents from that case say that Jeremiah, but not his brother or sister, was born with drugs in his system.

Jeremiah, however, was the lone Hart child whose height and weight fell within the range for his age -- and just barely. At 55 pounds and 4'2", he was still smaller than 90 percent of boys his age, the medical records show.

"He has been evaluated and at this time I do not have any medical concerns regarding his stature," the doctor wrote, echoing similar phrasing for the other children.

Someone in her office wrote a note that said the children's heights and weights were not troubling because they were proportionately small.

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Molly Young | The Oregonian/OregonLive

The physician, whose name the state child welfare agency redacted, is as an osteopathic doctor who worked at a Providence clinic in Clackamas. A message left for a Providence spokesperson has not been returned.

Determining whether the children were malnourished would require previous records to see to what extent a child had grown, said Dr. Jeffrey Blomze, a Pennsylvania pediatrician who has testified during child abuse trials.

It's impossible to make that determination based on a single point in time, he said, speaking generally about the use of growth charts in pediatric medicine.

"You can't pick one point and say they were malnourished," he said.

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Jen Hart | Facebook

Devonte, left, Abigail and Jeremiah Hart were extremely small for their ages, as were their three siblings, even though they came from two different biological families. A developmental pediatrician said it was unlikely that all six children had medical conditions that would explain their extremely small bodies.

Seeing six siblings who all appeared very small would prompt him to look further into their histories, he said.

Medical records would discuss any genetic conditions, family predispositions or additional factors that might explain their body sizes, Cooper said. Because the children were all adopted through foster care, it's clear those records exist, Cooper said. Yet the case worker wrote in her notes that "being adopted, no medical history is known for each child."

Cooper said it's not likely that all six children would all have medical conditions that explain their extremely small bodies.

"One would want to consider, 'Are they OK, really? Or are there some growth problems here?'"

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Molly Young | The Oregonian/OregonLive

The X shows that Devonte was nearly 4 feet 2 inches tall when a doctor measured him in October 2013. The growth chart doesn't show heights below 4 feet 4 for boys his age, and the typical 11-year-old boy stands 4 feet 8 inches.

Chronic stress can diminish children's growth hormones, Cooper said. Extreme stress can block children from growing, even if they are given enough food, she said. When such children are no longer exposed to their stressful environments and are receiving adequate nutrition, they often start to thrive, she said.

She said a battery of lab tests would help pinpoint genetic or environmental causes. Many of the tests could be performed in one day, she said.

The doctor's notes about each child were written on the day she examined them. That indicates that such tests were not done, Cooper said.

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Facebook

This photo of the Hart children with an unidentified man was posted to Facebook. The family was attending a 2013 Minnesota festival celebrating the Earth. From left, Markis, Hannah, Devonte, Jeremiah, the man, Sierra and Abigail.

Although the state did not request previous medical records about the Hart children, case workers did know about previous child welfare investigations in Minnesota. Several involved allegations that the Harts withheld food from their children. School officials said they saw the Hart children scrounging for food from the garbage or classmates so often that they stopped telling their parents because they did not want the children to be disciplined. The parents withdrew the children from public school in April 2011 and moved the family to West Linn in April 2013.

While children who experience trauma or food insecurity often exhibit issues surrounding food once they are adopted, behaviors such as overeating or food hoarding typically abate once they are in stable environments, Cooper said.

"If you have children who are food searching at school," she said, "that's a really big risk factor."

Oregon's investigation into the family ended in December 2013 with a recommendation that the children be checked again by the doctor. Sarah Hart called six months later to say the family followed through on those appointments.

The case worker never checked.

-- Molly Young

myoung@oregonian.com
By Dean Bibens III

That fateful day in 1981 changed Carolyn Pratt's life forever and has shaped who she is today. In the days following her mother's murder, Pratt feared leaving her home. "I was scared to go to work [after this happened]," she said. "I don't know why but it was just really hard."

Pratt credited her family, friends and coworkers for getting through what she described as the most difficult time in her life. "Staying busy was important," Pratt said. "Don't sit around and think about it too long because it just hurts [more]."

Gary Haugen was convicted of killing her mother. He later received the death penalty for killing a fellow inmate but then-Gov. John Kitzhaber placed a moratorium on executions while he was in office. Gov. Kate Brown has continued it.

A source of happiness in Pratt's life now comes from her two children. She has a 25-year-old son and a 29-year-old daughter, both from her ex-husband, who she was married to for 22 years.

She also has a passion for visiting new places and trekking across the United States, but wishes she had more time to explore the country. Most recently, she journeyed to the Midwest with a couple of her friends. "It's a lot of fun being out in the open and just enjoying nature," Pratt said. "It lets your mind relax and it's just a huge stress relief."

Pratt wants to catch up with friends she hasn't seen in years. "I've been wanting to go to Rocky Point, Oregon, to visit my best friend from high school, and Lodi, California, where I lived for a year and a half and made lots of friends," she said. "Springfield, Missouri, is another place I want to visit because my best friend moved there.

Above all, Pratt cherishes every day that she has on Earth, but she misses her mother tremendously. "I hate that any time I think of her, the first thing that comes to my mind is the horrible thing that happened to her," she said. "I know she's watching down on me from heaven, but I miss her every day."

Dean Bibens III is a senior at Marquette University.
By Eben Pindyck

To cope with his dread, John Kitzhaber opened his leather-bound journal and began to write.

It was a little past 9 on the morning of Nov. 22, 2011. Gary Haugen had dropped his appeals. A Marion County judge had signed the murderer's death warrant, leaving Kitzhaber, a former emergency room doctor, to decide Haugen's fate. The 49-year-old would soon die by lethal injection if the governor didn't intervene.

Kitzhaber was exhausted, having been unable to sleep the night before, but he needed to call the families of Haugen's victims.

"I know my decision will delay the closure they need and deserve," he wrote.

The son of University of Oregon English professors, Kitzhaber began writing each day in his journal in the early 1970s. The practice helped him organize his thoughts and, on that particular morning, gather his courage.

Kitzhaber first dialed the widow of David Polin, an inmate Haugen beat and stabbed to death in 2003 while already serving a life sentence for a prior murder. Haugen received the death penalty for Polin's killing.

The widow was merely stunned, not hostile, in response to Kitzhaber's unexpected call.

The next call would be more challenging.

In 1981, Haugen raped and killed Mary Archer, a young mother. Kitzhaber dialed Ard Pratt, her ex-husband and the father of their three children. The former Multnomah County sheriff's deputy answered the call at his home.

Kitzhaber told him he couldn't go through with the execution. Haugen would live.

In Pratt's mind, the governor was copping out.

Kitzhaber would have to live with the decision for the rest of his life, Pratt warned. "This has torn our family apart. It has ruined our lives," Pratt said. "We want closure."

"Be a man," barked Pratt. "Do what's right."

After he hung up, Kitzhaber remained at his writing desk.

John Kitzhaber, M.D., had dealt with angry, grieving family members before. As a young doctor, he had cried the first time a patient died on his watch. That death  of a young man fatally injured in a motorcycle crash  haunted Kitzhaber.

But the calls that November morning were the most difficult of his life.

With the family calls behind him, he began to cry.

The state of Oregon last executed a death row inmate more than 20 years ago this month.

He understood Pratt's warning. Kitzhaber was already living with decisions that preyed on him: allowing the executions of two death row inmates during his first term. Then Haugen unexpectedly gave up his appeals, putting Kitzhaber's conscience in the crosshairs again.

This month marks more than two decades since Oregon's last execution, but the death penalty continues to cast a long shadow in the state. For Kitzhaber, his internal struggle drew on his deep emotional response to his role in putting two men to death and brought him to his eventual moral reckoning, which he revealed to Oregonians that November day.

AN UNWANTED REPRIEVE

Arriving at the last minute for his public announcement in Salem, Kitzhaber was so emotionally frayed that he was trembling.

"Oregonians have a fundamental belief in fairness and justice  in swift and certain justice," he told the waiting press. "The death penalty as practiced in Oregon is neither fair nor just; and it is not swift or certain. It is not applied equally to all. It is a perversion of justice that the single best indicator of who will and will not be executed has nothing to do with the circumstances of a crime or the findings of a jury. The only factor that determines whether someone sentenced to death in Oregon is actually executed is that they volunteer.

"It is time for Oregon to consider a different approach. I refuse to be a part of this compromised and inequitable system any longer."

Kitzhaber granted an unwanted reprieve to Haugen. The governor also stated his own desire to have the death penalty replaced by a sentence of life without the possibility of parole  "true life" as it's called. Kitzhaber had the right to commute Haugen's sentence to true life. He, in fact, had the right to commute the sentences of all 37 inmates on Oregonian's death row, but he decided not to.

"The policy of this state on capital punishment is not mine alone to decide," he said.

Like Kitzhaber, Oregonians have long had an ambivalent relationship with the death penalty. Oregon voters decided to abolish capital punishment in 1914, and then again in 1964. Twice reinstating it in subsequent years, clearly their minds had changed, too.

John Kitzhaber was emotionally drained when he announced his decision to impose a moratorium on the death penalty in 2011.

Hours after the conclusion of the press conference, Kitzhaber returned to his writing desk and the solace of his journals. "I am numb," he began.

He had followed his oath as governor, to uphold Oregon's constitution, twice. With Haugen, no longer would he do so. He turned instead to his physician's oath. First, do no harm.

"It is so unfair to them," Kitzhaber wrote of the victim's families. "And yet I believe I made the right decision."

THE GUN AND KNIFE CLUB

Kitzhaber knew what it was to have blood on his hands.

To win a regional science competition during his senior year of high school, Kitzhaber put together a device that kept organs  like the heart and lungs  alive outside the body. Of course, the device required a supply of blood, so Kitzhaber would stop by a nearby slaughterhouse in the mornings before class.

"My blood collection process would make me late for school, and my sort-of blood-spattered arrival during first period math class cemented my reputation as a nerd and probably a dangerous one," he said.

Young John had always gravitated instead toward the sciences. After graduating from South Eugene High School and then Dartmouth, he returned to Oregon for medical school.

His internship in emergency medicine took him to the largest trauma hospital in Denver  a place sarcastically referred to as the gun-and-knife club.

Despite it all, he loved practicing medicine. His patients  frightened, confused, in pain  automatically put their trust in him.

"I know what it feels like to have someone come into the ER and you actually save their life," he said. "It's an incredibly deep, spiritual feeling of gratitude and accomplishment. It's humbling."

Simply put, death was failure, an "adverse outcome" as doctors say.

He came to fear the process of informing loved ones that a relative had died on his watch. He referred to it as "walking across the hall."

For Kitzhaber, calling Ard Pratt and Polin's widow felt a lot like walking across the hall. Paradoxically, the message was not death, but life.

A VOLATILE RELATIONSHIP

There is another person equally intertwined with Oregonian's ambivalence toward capital punishment  Gary Haugen himself.

He was born with fetal alcohol syndrome in March of 1962 to a mother who stripped at a local bar and a father who suffered from PTSD.

"My dad used to beat me with his fists  my brothers and I  like we were grown men," he said during a telephone interview, one of several. "I'm surprised I ever made the age of 7 let alone 18, 21 or the age I am now."

The situation in Haugen's childhood home got bad enough that he and his siblings were eventually removed by the police and placed into foster care. Haugen was living in a foster home near Mount Tabor when he met Ard Pratt's daughter, Carolyn. "We were, I think, in 10th grade or something, and it was  it was young love," says Haugen. "It was, like, my first love."

But like his own father, Haugen was an alcoholic and physically abusive. Carolyn decided to end their on-again, off-again relationship after one episode during which Haugen hit her in the head with a brick, but not before she got pregnant at 16 with their child.

"He was trying to control me basically, and I'd fight back," Carolyn says of the abuse. "He was just angry all the time."

Although her parents might not have known the extent of the violence, they knew enough to want Haugen away from their daughter. Of Ard, Haugen says, "I can't tell you how many times the guy put me on the ground with a 9 [millimeter handgun] in the back of my head saying, 'If you keep going out with my daughter ...' and I'm like, 'Dude your daughter is the one coming over to my place  wherever I'm at  coming to me. Come on, quit it. And I'm like 'What's so bad with me? I've never done anything to anybody.'"

Ard denies doing this, but added, "I probably should have."

At 17, having walked away from his foster home, Haugen was homeless. He slept on friends' couches and stole things large and small, but his life revolved around the activities that, he felt, provided a release for his anger and pain: getting high, having sex, and fighting. A regular at neighborhood house parties, Haugen would simply start a fight "if I wasn't feeling it," he remembers.

The end result was a house in ruins. "It's not cool, nothing I'm proud of. It's just the way I was," he says. "I guess deep down, as a kid, I just wanted to be loved, and I couldn't find it the way that I felt I wanted it  true love; so I found it through drugs and sex and fighting."

When Carolyn decided to give their daughter up for adoption, Haugen was in the military, having recently enlisted, though he quickly went AWOL. He received just a small photograph of her in the mail, he remembers bitterly. It's the only knowledge Haugen has of her. Carolyn, however, has recently begun to forge a relationship with that daughter. The girl, now grown, has a family of her own, and Haugen's blue eyes.

THE RAPE AND MURDER

On May 21, 1981, a Thursday, the 19-year-old Haugen decided to go over to the house where Carolyn lived with her mother. He was jealous and had been drinking. He wanted to see if he could find evidence Carolyn was dating someone else. He figured the house would be empty.

When he arrived at the small bungalow on Northeast Hoyt, Haugen broke in and started to go through his ex-girlfriend's things, becoming more and more distraught.

He vowed that he would pummel the other guy, should he find anything. Who do I got to smash out now? he remembers thinking.

A white 1970 Ford sedan pulled into the driveway, catching Haugen off-guard. Pratt's mother was driving.

"I'm like I can't have a confrontation with her right now. I just can't," Haugen recalls. "I've been sitting there crying for I don't know how long."

Haugen was familiar with the layout of the house. He was expecting that she would enter it by walking up the steps next to the driveway, so he dashed the other way  into the foyer.

Instead, the front door opened.

Shocked and angry, Pratt's mother, Mary Archer, demanded to know what Haugen was doing in her home.

"I hit her. I hit her with this bat you know. And I think I hit her with pretty much everything in the house," he says.

Haugen also raped and sodomized Archer.

"I just blamed Mary Archer," he said, "for everything that had gone wrong in my life."

NOWHERE TO RUN

Early that evening, Archer's son, James, called the police, having found his mother's bloodied, pummeled corpse. Ard Pratt was the second to arrive on the scene of his ex-wife's murder, although he never actually went inside the house.

That day, driving Archer's stolen car, Haugen briefly thought about heading to his grandparents' place in California.

"I got to the on-ramp and I'm like, really, are  why are you running? You just destroyed a human life and you just destroyed an entire family  any relationship with your daughter. You destroyed your own future, your own history. I mean where you going to run to?" Haugen says.

He ultimately bought some liquor and just drove around Portland.

At 1:24 a.m., Portland police spotted Archer's car on 57th and Mitchell, a few miles south of her home, after Haugen turned in front of a squad car.

He remembers the arresting officer placing a shotgun to the back of his head.

To this day, he wonders why he didn't make a move, forcing the officer's hand.

From the Multnomah County jail, Haugen called Ard Pratt's home and reached his ex-girlfriend.

He apologized to her repeatedly.

"I didn't know what else to do," Haugen says.

Held without bail, Haugen initially pleaded innocent to all the charges against him, but, eventually, he agreed to a guilty plea for murder in exchange for dismissal of the four other charges, which included rape and burglary. He would be eligible for parole in his mid-30s after serving 15 years.

Haugen remembers the sentencing judge's advice: "You should still be a young man when you get out of prison. I just hope you make the best of your time while you're in there."

THE SECOND KILLING

Instead he would kill again in prison, and this time get the death penalty.

Although Haugen relished fighting at house parties, he found that, in prison, fighting was a necessity from the moment he entered. In this world, Haugen did what he had to.

"It got to the point where I ended up hooking up with a bunch of old-school cons," he says. "All we did is drive iron: work out."

As the years passed, Haugen took advantage of opportunities in general population at the state penitentiary in Salem. He built a music department with his close friend Jason Van Brumwell.

Van Brumwell received a life sentence for his role in what became known as the "Dari Mart murder." He and some accomplices robbed a Eugene convenience store and beat the workers on duty. One of them died.

Inside the pen, Van Brumwell played the guitar, while Haugen played the drums.

The two men enjoyed smoking smuggled pot. Prison officials, however, ultimately found out, and they suspected that another inmate, David "Sleepy" Polin, had been the informant.

About 8 a.m. on Sept. 2, 2003, security cameras captured images of Haugen and Van Brumwell with Polin near the music room. Haugen's T shirt hid some sort of object.

Polin was stabbed 84 times; his skull was also fractured. A camera recorded Haugen and Van Brumwell dragging Polin's lifeless body into the music room. Nearby, an alcove was smeared with blood.

Haugen has long maintained he acted in self-defense, a story that jurors rejected.

"That could've been me on the floor. People don't get it, and people didn't want to hear it," says Haugen. "The only people who know what went down in that room were David and me, period. We were the only two in that room."

Haugen and Van Brumwell were convicted of aggravated murder, which, unlike mere murder, allows for a sentence of death in Oregon. The criteria for aggravated murder includes the murder of a child or a police officer, torturing a victim before killing him or her, using an explosive, or, like Haugen and Van Brumwell, having been previously convicted of murder.

Both were sentenced to death. Both remain on death row.

'IT STILL HAUNTS ME'

Years before Kitzhaber's first term, Oregon's death penalty had bedeviled previous governors.

Devoutly religious Mark O. Hatfield personally opposed capital punishment. "Having been governor when we had an execution, I can tell you it still haunts me," he told the Mercury in 2000. "However, when you swear to uphold the constitution of the State of Oregon you swear to uphold all of the laws  not just the laws you agree with."

Hatfield, who served two terms as governor, allowed the 1962 execution of LeRoy McGahuey, a 40-year-old logger who had killed his girlfriend and her 2-year-old son.

Mark O. Hatfield allowed an execution as governor but came to regret it and worked to repeal the death penalty in Oregon.

Hatfield felt that he played an important role in the repeal of the death penalty a little over a year later, telling the Mercury, "I had my press secretary have as many press people there to witness it as possible; reporting it in all its gory detail. By making it a broadly based experience for all people  by not having it at midnight  we were able to garner enough support to get it repealed."

Hatfield was the primary sponsor of another attempt, which proved unsuccessful, to repeal capital punishment  which had been reauthorized by Oregon voters.

Even before Hatfield, Gov. Robert Holmes was well-known for commuting death sentences to life in prison in the 1950s, based on his own moral opposition to capital punishment.

However, aware of Holmes' feelings, the parents of a murdered 14-year-old boy filed a civil action in circuit court to prevent the governor from commuting the death sentence of their son's killer. The Oregon Supreme Court sided with Holmes. The court ruled that the Constitution conferred to the governor unlimited power to grant reprieves, pardons, and commutations.

In characteristic fashion, Holmes commuted the killer's sentence to life in prison, but decades later the court's decision would help John Kitzhaber and haunt Gary Haugen.

In regard to capital punishment, Oregon stands out in one way  its sustained ambivalence.

"Most other states long ago settled the question one way or the other," read a 2016 report commissioned by Gov. Kate Brown. "Only Oregon voters spent the twentieth century reversing themselves."

During the early decades of statehood, Oregon allowed local executions by hanging. Only men were supposed to attend these public spectacles. After women watched a double execution from a Portland rooftop in the early 20th century, hangings were brought indoors into the state penitentiary. In 1912, voters overwhelmingly struck down an attempt to repeal capital punishment. Not long after, women were granted suffrage, doubling the number of Oregon voters.

This new electorate abolished capital punishment in 1914 by the thinnest of margins: 157 votes. Just five years later, however, voters reversed themselves on the issue, electing to restore capital punishment.

Executions continued into the 1960s. But after Leroy McGahuey was gassed to death by dropping pellets of sodium cyanide into a container of sulfuric acid below his metal chair, Oregon voters again chose to ban the death penalty.

In 1978, reversing themselves once more, Oregonians voted in favor of capital punishment  only to have it declared unconstitutional a few years later. McGahuey's 1962 execution, the one pro-life Gov. Mark O. Hatfield had allowed, was the last before the 1984 vote.

'I'M HURTING'

The collision of John Kitzhaber's moral reckoning and Gary Haugen's desire for execution would not have occurred except for the murder of a 14-year-old girl that sparked so much outrage it solidified Oregon as a death penalty state, once again.

On the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 10, 1980, Charmel Ulrich, a 14-year-old cheerleader and softball player, and her friend Laurie Leach went for a walk around their Sherwood neighborhood.

"There weren't robberies. There weren't shootings. It was a safe, pleasant place to be," Sue Leach, Laurie's mother, says. "I'm the one who let them go for a walk. They should be able to go for a walk."

On the country road bisecting the quiet neighborhood, a white station wagon pulled up to the girls. Inside were three young men, claiming to need directions.

The passengers quickly got out of the car. Laurie, who ran track, sprinted away. One of the abductors tried but failed to catch her. Charmel, however, was forced, kicking and screaming, into the car, which drove off. The man who captured the girl raped her in the car.

Laurie reached a neighbor's home and called her mother. "My daughter just escaped by her own gut instincts. She was a good runner," Sue says. When her husband arrived home, he grabbed a hunting rifle, got in his car and gave chase, along with several other fathers from the neighborhood. By then, the white station wagon was long gone.

Two hours later, the kidnappers allowed Charmel to call her parents' home from a pay phone in front of a grocery store near Lincoln City. Her parents weren't home, so the hysterical girl tried Sue Leach, who answered the call.

In tears and disoriented, the 14-year-old said, "I'm hurting."

Unable to get out the word "raped," Leach instead asked Charmel if she had been abused.

The girl confirmed that she had, before being forced to hang up the phone.

For 11 days, there was no sign of  or word from  Charmel Ulrich.

Keith Ulrich, Charmel's father, leaves her memorial service surrounded by relatives.

She was found dead next to a dirt road in the Coast Range, east of Waldport. One of her kidnappers had agreed to lead the police to Charmel's body.

Her throat had been slit. The driver of the white station wagon, Gary Allen Smith, told police that because the young teen didn't die fast enough, he stabbed her in the back.

A DEATH PENALTY CHAMPION

During that brutally long, 11-day waiting-period, Delight Louise Streich, a young mother of three, passed the small farm of her neighbors, Keith and Patricia Ulrich.

Dedi, as she was known, barely could stand to imagine what the Ulrichs were going through. Their pain must have surely been unbearable. She was comforted by the fact that Oregon had the death penalty, even though it hadn't been used in 18 years.

She felt sure, though, whoever did this to Charmel Ulrich would be executed.

However, Smith decided to waive his right to a trial by jury the day after the Oregon Supreme Court unanimously ruled in 1981 that capital punishment was unconstitutional. The prosecution had been planning to seek the death penalty for Smith, but the judge had no choice but to give him a life sentence. His accomplices received life sentences, too.

Dedi Streich was appalled by the Supreme Court's ruling. And she became even more so after watching a news segment about the murder of a 3-year-old from Scappoose. Indignant, Streich sat down to write a letter with her then-husband. The letter, meant only to be read by their Sherwood neighbors, championed capital punishment.

Unexpectedly, the letter gained momentum and was ultimately distributed statewide  becoming the basis for Streich's petition to change Oregon's Constitution to allow for capital punishment.

With the help of other death penalty supporters, Streich gathered enough signatures to place two measures on the ballot. Measure 6 would make capital punishment exempt from two sections of the Oregon Constitution that contained core tenets of human rights.

It passed by nearly 130,000 votes. Measure 7 required either the death penalty, or life without the possibility of parole for especially heinous murders. In her argument in favor of the measure, which appeared in the voters' pamphlet, Streich wrote, "The deterrent value of capital punishment in Oregon should save lives of all our citizens."

It was overwhelmingly approved. Capital punishment was again made legal.

'PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR CODE WORD'

Twenty-seven years later, when Kitzhaber's attorney Liani Reeves walked into his office to tell him that Gary Haugen was dropping his appeals, the governor was flabbergasted. Really? Kitzhaber thought. Not again.

During Kitzhaber's second year as governor, death row inmate Douglas Wright had dropped his appeals. Wright had committed the so-called "Warm Springs Murders," killing three adults and a 10-year-old boy. He dumped their bodies on a remote corner of the reservation.

Douglas Wright was executed after he dropped his appeals.

Morally, Kitzhaber was opposed to the death penalty, having voted against Measure 6 and Measure 7. As the date of Wright's 1996 execution grew nearer, Kitzhaber remained conflicted.

"I never expected to be in the position to put somebody to death, given what I'd been doing for the last 20 years," said Kitzhaber, who had just stopped practicing medicine.

The situation with Wright didn't seem entirely real until a few weeks before the execution, when workers came to install two old-fashioned landline phones in Kitzhaber's office. One reached the attorney general; the other provided a direct line to the execution chamber.

Using either phone, Kitzhaber could immediately stop the executioners.

On the night of the execution, Kitzhaber was alone in his office within earshot of protesters outside. The two newly installed phones were regularly tested ahead of the scheduled time of midnight.

Kitzhaber answered the phone to the attorney general's office when it was tested at 8 o'clock, 9'o'clock, 10 o'clock, and 11 o'clock, but he had to answer the phone to the execution chamber even more frequently: every half-hour.

"I'd never ever been in that situation or felt those feelings before," Kitzhaber said. "It's pretty easy to support the death penalty in the abstract, but when you're sitting there and you have to make that decision, it takes on a different nature."

At 11:52 p.m., the execution chamber phone rang. It was the head of the Department of Corrections.

"Governor, please give me your code word," he said.

"Tredway," Kitzhaber responded. Luke Tredway was the 10-year-old boy who was Wright's final victim.

"Wright," replied the corrections official, using his own code word. "This is to inform you that we are about to proceed with the execution of Douglas F. Wright by lethal injection."

"I understand," Kitzhaber said.

Because of his medical training, Kitzhaber began to think about what was happening: the gauge of needle being used to transfer the lethal drugs, the progression of how the organs shut down.

After almost half an hour, the last call was made. Kitzhaber was informed that Douglas Wright had just been pronounced dead at 12:16 a.m. on Sept. 6, 1996.

Phones near the execution chamber connected to the governor's office.

THE HARRY MOORE CASE

Among legal scholars who study capital punishment, Douglas Wright is what's known as a volunteer  a death row inmate who allows execution by dropping his or her appeals. Approximately 11 percent of inmates executed in the United States are, in fact, volunteers. The data has uncovered an interesting phenomenon: one volunteer can beget another.

So it's not surprising that less than nine months after Wright's execution  Oregon's first in nearly 34 years  Kitzhaber's in-house counsel again showed up to inform him that another death row inmate, Harry Moore, was dropping his appeals.

Moore, who, in the course of his life, was in marriages with two separate relatives (his nieces), shot and killed his half-sister and her ex-husband.

That spring, the process in Salem repeated itself. There was the installation of the phones, the test calls, the code word, and Kitzhaber's own moral calculus.

"With Moore, I really began to sort of juxtapose my medical training, which really had been to save lives, with what was going on, and the fact that I'd also taken an oath when I became a physician. In a sense, I was violating that oath to uphold another oath," Kitzhaber says.

On May 16, 1997, Moore was put to death. Alone in his office after receiving the final call at 12:23 a.m., Kitzhaber wept.

"I feel like I killed those two guys just as much as the person who pushed the plunger," says Kitzhaber. "I made the wrong decision."

'HE'S JUST DYING'

Seven years after the executions of Douglas Wright and Harry Moore, Kitzhaber, traveled to one of his favorite places in the world  a remote, roadless section of the Rogue River, where he had time to think. He had just completed his second term as governor.

Accompanied by an East Coast friend, Kitzhaber floated downstream and camped along the bank. It was a familiar scene for Kitzhaber, who had long had an affinity for rivers.

"One of my earliest experiences is my dad took me down to a place called Boulder Flats on the North Umpqua River and that's the first time I actually saw a wild salmon spawning," he remembers. "I've always felt that the life cycle for the salmon was such a beautiful metaphor, not only for the relationship between life and death, but also the relationship that each generation has for the next."

For his companion, however, everything was new.

The friend spotted a big male Chinook  its fins torn, its back blotched with the fungus of decay. "My god what's wrong with that fish," he exclaimed.

"Nothing," Kitzhaber instinctively responded. "He's just dying."

That simple exchange proved to be seminal, forcing the then-former governor to rethink capital punishment.

Although death was viewed as an adverse outcome in medicine, Kitzhaber realized that there's a difference between dying as a part of the life process and dying prematurely because of a wreck  like the first young patient he had lost after a motorcycle crash or death row inmates injected with lethal drugs.

Kitzhaber never thought that he'd return to politics. "I was pretty bruised," he says. "I'd had eight years of Republicans controlling both houses. I was given the name of Dr. No for vetoing 400 bills  more than all previous governors combined."

But he found himself campaigning again in 2010. At a debate in Salem, he was asked about capital punishment. "You just don't know what it's like," he tried to explain, "to sit there and know you can stop it."

For the first time, he said publicly what he'd long known privately. "I wasn't going to let another one go through."

With Haugen, he kept his promise.

LEAVING OFFICE

Kitzhaber's return to politics was surely not as surprising to him, however, as his forced exit in February of 2015, having only a month earlier sworn to uphold the Constitution as Oregon's governor for an unprecedented fourth time.

John Kitzhaber was elected to a fourth term but he resigned after questions arose about conflicts of interest.

By allowing his fiancee, a green energy consultant, to advocate environmental policies as an official adviser in his administration, Kitzhaber violated Oregon law, the state ethics commission found. Kitzhaber maintains that he didn't intend for Cylvia Hayes to benefit financially from the arrangement, but ethics laws don't consider intent, according to the commission.

"What I vigorously dispute, however, is that any of this was done for the purpose of gaining a financial benefit or avoiding a financial detriment, or for the benefit of her clients," Kitzhaber told the commission.

Whereas Kitzhaber freely, if painfully, admitted responsibility for the deaths of Douglas Wright and Harry Moore, he bristled at the perceived conflict of interest involving Hayes.

In announcing his resignation, Kitzhaber, mired in an ethics scandal, listed his accomplishments in office: "I am proud that Oregon has not invoked the death penalty during the last four years on my watch."

AN UNEASY LIMBO

For his part, Haugen remains in existential limbo on death row. Younger than many of his fellow condemned inmates, Haugen is now 56. He believes Oregonians need to make a choice. "You either get rid of the death penalty or you start killing people," he says.

The system of capital punishment has not stopped in Oregon, despite Brown's decision to extend the moratorium invoked by Kitzhaber.

"The bottom line is between her (Brown) and Kitzhaber, it's been seven years since they put a hold on the death penalty, on the actual murdering of people, and they're continuing to charge people, try people, and convict people, and everybody's getting paid," Haugen said. "My last attorney was getting paid $287 an hour. That's just for him, for me  let alone all the mitigation specialists and the investigators."

A 2016 Lewis and Clark Law School study found that capital cases cost Oregon $800,000 to $1 million more, on average, than other aggravated murder cases without death as a sentencing option.

Thirty-five inmates are on Oregon's death row. Twelve have been there since Harry Moore's execution. The longest-serving is Randy Guzek. He's spent more than 30 years on death row. The average stay is over 16 years.

But those inmates are unlikely to be executed. The last four inmates to die on death row in Oregon succumbed natural causes. Many more have had their sentence reversed in court or commuted by the governor.

Since 1930, only 21 people have been executed in Oregon. By comparison, of the states that have had capital punishment at some point during that time, the average is 121.

To Haugen, the fact that the industry of capital punishment no longer even produces an execution is evidence of corruption. "It's just a money-making scheme for everybody. I mean everybody's getting paid from the judge, the secretaries, the lawyers, even the paperboy's getting paid when he's delivering the news to the house," Haugen says. "It is fruitful for them to not kill people but get paid."

He can't fathom why all his fellow death row inmates don't drop their own appeals. "Force this thing on these people," he says. "Force them to bring attention to a systemically flawed death penalty statute."

Haugen insists that his crusade for his own execution wasn't about wanting to die. His goal is to have capital punishment abolished. Kitzhaber shares that goal, even though he and Haugen were diametrically opposed in terms of how to advance it.

For Haugen, it was through his own execution. For Kitzhaber, it was stopping Haugen's execution  and all others.

-- Eben Pindyck

Pindyck is a freelance journalist who was supported for this article by an O'Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism at Marquette University. Marquette senior Dean Bibens III contributed to this story.
With just over a week until the May 15 primary, Gov. Kate Brown is on an easy path to win the Democratic nomination.

Neither of the two candidates running against her has reported raising any money or actively campaigned. With no public debates, Brown's stay-the-course agenda has gone unchallenged by other Democrats who could make the case for a different direction.

It's not unusual for Oregon's Democratic governors to run opposed in primaries. Some political players and observers say governors' willingness to keep key constituencies happy combined with the power of incumbency often clears the way in primaries.

Ted Kulongoski was the most recent incumbent governor to face a serious primary challenger, during his 2006 reelection bid. Several public employee unions, upset that he trimmed pensions during his first term, set out to recruit a Democratic challenger, Kulongoski said in an interview Friday. They ultimately backed former state treasurer Jim Hill in the primary.

"The interest groups within the Democratic base are very, very important both in numbers and in funding," Kulongoski said. "If you get them upset there's a consequence to pay ... Most politicians seem to learn that rule."

Kulongoski retained the support of other key factions including environmentalists and ultimately won both the primary and general election.

Jim Moore, director of the Tom McCall Center for Policy Innovation at Pacific University, said there's a simple explanation Brown's essentially uncontested primary.

"This is what we call in political science the power of the incumbency," Moore said. A serious contender typically won't challenge an incumbent, he said, unless "there's somebody who says 'I have the ego and I'm not going to pay attention to who else is running'" or if the incumbent upset his or her base.

Oregon's pension shortfall remains a central issue this election year, with rates paid by schools and other public employers expected to take another significant step higher next year. Brown, 57, is under pressure to address the problem but she's been careful around what some call the political third rail for Oregon Democrats.

Brown has long counted public employee unions among her largest campaign supporters, going back to her years as Oregon's secretary of state. In 2016, her second-largest campaign contributor  after billionaire Michael Bloomberg  was the political action committee for the state's largest public employee union, Service Employees International Union Local 503. Teachers unions were also among Brown's biggest monetary supporters. That year, she supported the unions' unsuccessful initiative for a $3 billion a year tax on companies' sales, Measure 97.

This cycle, Brown's second- and third-largest contributors are the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union and the Association of Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees, which have poured a combined $125,000 into her campaign. SEIU and the teacher's unions have yet to spend significantly in the governor's race.

After claiming during the 2016 election that significant pension reforms had been ruled out by the Supreme Court, Brown now says current employees should begin contributing around 1 percent of their pay to the pension fund. Legislative Democrats made that pitch last year. But she insists this can only happen as part of a comprehensive compensation review that could include pay raises and higher state taxes.

A CEO can't separately negotiate salary and retirement and health care benefits, Brown said during an interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive. "It's part of a whole package ... If we have a solid revenue package that adequately funds key essential services, I truly believe that public employees will step up to the plate."

Under Oregon's generous retirement plan, public employees receive a defined benefit pension, a separate defined contribution benefit similar to a 401(k), plus Social Security, a combination that doesn't exist in many other states. Public employees do not currently make any contribution to the pension fund. In states where employees receive social security, the average employee contribution to the pension fund is 6 percent.

Brown was back on the campaign trail immediately after her election in 2016 and has been aggressively fundraising. She's raised more than $4 million according to state campaign finance records.

The two candidates running against Brown, Candace Neville, 68, and Ed Jones, 49, haven't reported raising any money and are not actively campaigning.

Brown's top contributor so far this campaign cycle is a building trades political action committee, the Laborers' Political League, which pitched in $150,000. The Laborer's International Union supports the Jordan Cove natural gas pipeline and export project in southern Oregon. Brown has remained silent on the issue despite pressure from opponents.

The governor also received $50,000 from Steve Silberstein, a Californian who co-founded a library computer systems company. The Register-Guard in Eugene reported last month that one-third of the governor's contributions came from out of state. The health care industry has also donated heavily to the governor, including contractors in the state's Medicaid program.

Brown said her two proudest achievements since taking office are getting the Legislature to pass a $5 billion transportation funding package last year and a $550 million health care tax package to provide temporary funding for the state's Medicaid program. Four lawmakers, two of them Republicans, were widely seen as doing most of the heavy lifting to get the transportation deal approved.

Elements of the transportation law remain controversial, such as rush-hour tolling and highway improvements in the Portland area, but a wide variety of interests and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agreed it was a priority.

Although she didn't mention it in the interview, Brown also had a central role in the state's 2016 law for a tiered minimum wage increase that received national attention.

During her state-of-the-state address earlier this year, the governor said one of her signature 2019 policy initiatives will be to boost spending for hands-on career and technical education by $300 million in the next budget with the goal of raising the state's poor high school graduation rate.

Brown insisted during the 2017 legislative session that the state couldn't afford to commit as much money to that cause as called for in a measure voters handily approved in 2016. Her new pledge "is essentially full funding for ballot Measure 98," Brown said recently.

LITTLE CAMPAIGNING BY OPPONENTS

Neville, a real estate developer and broker from Eugene, said she largely agrees with Brown and is partially running for governor because of her opposition to the Jordan Cove natural gas project. Like the governor, Neville grew up in Minnesota and moved to Oregon several decades ago.

Jones owns an excavation contracting business that currently does much of its business grading and digging trenches for solar energy projects. A conservative Democrat, Jones said he wants to cut state taxes although he has not identified which ones. He is just now paying off some of his own back taxes, after going through bankruptcy as a result of the housing and construction industry crash.

He also wants to reform Oregon's justice system and cites his personal experience when, as a young man, he felt pressured by a prosecutor to plead guilty after he was arrested for transporting stolen four-wheelers purchased by his friends. "There's not been a day since I didn't regret that decision," Jones said of his guilty plea.

-- Hillary Borrud

503-294-4034; @hborrud
A national expert on police encounters with people in mental health crisis has resigned from the team of Chicago academics hired by the city to oversee reforms to Portland police stemming from the city's settlement agreement with the federal Justice Department.

Amy Watson sent a brief email announcing her resignation to the city attorney, police chief and U.S. Department of Justice lawyers on April 14, just five days before city officials and federal lawyers returned before a federal judge to update him on the status of reforms.

Part of what prompted Watson's resignation from the city team was a "professional difference of opinion'' regarding the team's review of police compliance with Paragraph 99 of the extensive settlement, according to Dennis Rosenbaum, who leads the team. The settlement stemmed from a 2012 federal investigation that found that Portland police used excessive force against people with mental illness.

That paragraph deals with how Portland police respond to mental health-related calls, one of the most critical and central parts of the settlement. It called for the bureau to create a separate team of crisis intervention officers who work together, report to one high-ranking supervisor and respond to most mental health-related calls based on a Memphis model.

Amy Watson's email announcing her resignation from compliance team

Two weeks before the court hearing, the city-hired compliance academic team completed a draft report that gave the Portland police an unusual, but sought-after green rating of "Substantial Compliance,'' adding a hyphen with the word, "Conditional.''

The positive rating came despite that fact that the bureau hadn't adopted new dispatch criteria the compliance team recommended to expand the number of mental-health related calls requiring the dispatch of the bureau's Enhanced Crisis Intervention officers. The bureau's enhanced crisis intervention officers are scattered among the three patrol precincts, report to different supervisors and have not been dispatched to all mental health calls. The bureau suggested it would create its own expanded dispatch criteria, which hasn't been reviewed yet.

The draft report in April marked a significant change from the compliance team's prior report in December, which gave the bureau a yellow "partial compliance'' rating, finding the bureau didn't have the data yet to show whether its Enhanced Crisis Intervention Team of officers is a more effective alternative than the settlement's requested Memphis model.

Rosenbaum acknowledged that the bureau clearly isn't in compliance yet with that section of the settlement agreement, but said the conditional rating was given to "inform future reports.''

The rating should be interpreted as, "'Should these particular conditions be met, we would recommend Substantial Compliance,'" Rosenbaum said.

Jo Ann Hardesty, a community activist running for City Council who has monitored the settlement agreement and the city's responses, said she thought Watson was the strongest of the Chicago-based compliance team of academics, and most knowledgeable about mental health issues. She said she's concerned about the timing of Watson's departure.

"I thought she was the most responsive to community concerns,'' Hardesty said.

Dan Handelman, of the police watchdog group Portland Copwatch, said he believes the team's ratings for the bureau in its April draft report were "far too generous'' to the police bureau, and questioned whether that prompted Watson's resignation.

Watson declined to discuss why she resigned. "At this point, I am not in a position to elaborate on this,'' she said by e-mail.

Rosenbaum wouldn't discuss the matter in more detail, calling it an internal personnel matter for his consulting group "Rosenbaum & Associates,'' once called "Rosenbaum & Watson.''

"We are grateful for her service for more than three years, but she is a very busy person,'' Rosenbaum said. "Her decision was based in part on a professional difference of opinion on one issue, but in general, all of us were on the same page, and acknowledge that PPB has made significant progress with its response to mental health crises. However, there is still room for improvement.''

Lawyers from the U.S. Department of Justice's civil rights division also declined to comment about Watson's departure, calling it an "internal matter'' for the city-hired compliance team.

Mayor Ted Wheeler, who serves as police commissioner, was informed by the city attorney of Watson's departure, said Michael Cox, the mayor's spokesman.

"The Mayor appreciates Amy Watson's expertise and wishes her well. The City will continue to work collaboratively with the COCL and DOJ to achieve full compliance under the Settlement Agreement,'' Cox said. "The mayor is also aware of the reason behind Amy Watson's resignation, but doesn't feel it's his place to share that publicly.''

Watson was the lead person on the team of Chicago academics focused on police encounters with people with mental illness. She's a professor at Jane Addams College of Social Work at University of Illinois at Chicago, and has conducted research funded by the National Institute of Mental Health on the experiences of police encounters by people suffering from mental illness. She has completed several federally funded studies of the Crisis Intervention Team model and is currently studying Chicago's Crisis Intervention Team. Watson also has worked as a probation officer on a specialist mental health team.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian
DALLAS -- Months after the horror of the Parkland school shootings in Florida, President Donald Trump stood before cheering members of the National Rifle Association on Friday and implored them to elect more Republicans to Congress to defend gun rights.

Trump claimed that Democrats want to "outlaw guns" and said if the nation takes that drastic step, it might as well ban all vans and trucks because they are the new weapons for "maniac terrorists."

"We will never give up our freedom. We will live free and we will die free," Trump said, as he sought to rally pro-gun voters for the 2018 congressional elections. "We've got to do great in '18."

Activists energized by shootings at schools, churches and elsewhere are also focused on those elections.

In the aftermath of the February school shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which left 17 dead and many more wounded, Trump had temporarily strayed from gun rights dogma.

During a televised gun meeting with lawmakers in late February, he wagged his finger at a Republican senator and scolded him for being "afraid of the NRA," declaring that he would stand up to the group and finally get results in quelling gun violence. But he later backpedaled on that tough talk.

He was clearly back in the fold at the NRA's annual convention, pledging that Americans' Second Amendment right to bear arms will "never ever be under siege as long as I am your president."

Trump briefly referenced the Parkland shootings in his speech, saying that he "mourned for the victims and their families" and noting that he signed a spending bill that included provisions to strengthen the federal background check system for gun purchases as well as add money to improve school safety.

He also repeated his strong support for "letting highly trained teachers carry concealed weapons."

Trump's speech in Dallas was his fourth consecutive appearance at the NRA's annual convention. His gun comments were woven into a campaign-style speech that touched on the Russia probe, the 2016 campaign, his efforts in North Korea and Iran and his fight against illegal immigration.

In strikingly personal criticism of members of Congress, he decried what he said were terribly weak immigration laws, declaring, "We have laws that were written by people that truly could not love our country."

While the president veered wildly off topic at times -- speaking about entertainer Kanye West's recent support and former Secretary of State John Kerry's bicycle accident three years ago -- he repeatedly returned to the message of the day: his support for the Second Amendment.

Trump said some political advisers had told him attending the NRA convention might be controversial, but, "You know what I said? 'Bye, bye, gotta get on the plane.'"

Trump has long enjoyed strong backing from the NRA, which spent about $30 million in support of his presidential campaign. He was introduced by Vice President Mike Pence, who pointed to his own support for gun rights and accused the news media of failing to tell "the whole story" that "firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens" make communities safer.

One of the Parkland student survivors, David Hogg, criticized Trump's appearance in advance.

"It's kind of hypocritical of him to go there after saying so many politicians bow to the NRA and are owned by them," Hogg said. "It proves that his heart and his wallet are in the same place."

Back in February, Trump had praised members of the gun lobby as "great patriots" but declared "that doesn't mean we have to agree on everything. It doesn't make sense that I have to wait until I'm 21 to get a handgun, but I can get this weapon at 18." He was referring to the AR-15 the Parkland shooting suspect is accused of using.

Those words rattled some Republicans in Congress and sparked hope among gun-control advocates that, unlike after previous mass shootings, tougher regulations might be enacted.

But after expressing interest in increasing the minimum age to purchase an assault weapon to 21, Trump later declared there was "not much political support" for that. He then pushed off the issue of age restrictions by assigning it to a commission.

Gabrielle Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman who was shot outside a grocery store during a constituent gathering in 2011, said Trump had "allowed his presidency to be hijacked by gun lobbyists and campaign dollars." She said Trump had "ignored the pleas of young people demanding safer gun laws."

--The Associated Press
When "NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt" took a road trip around the country in 2017, "it was more to take the political pulse," as Holt says. "So, the conversation was largely about politics. This time, we want to get out and tap into other issues that are being felt in other cities across the country."

That explains why Holt will be anchoring the "NBC Nightly News" from Portland on Monday, May 7, as well as reporting on issues that the city is facing.

The "NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt" begins its busy week of cross-country shows in Portland, and will also broadcast from Denver, Colorado; Chicago, Illinois; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Raleigh, North Carolina.

In a phone interview, Holt says deciding what cities to visit "was the hard part. Obviously, we wanted to touch different corners of the country to the extent that we could."

While the ordinarily New York-based "NBC Nightly News" often broadcasts from California, Holt says, "We don't get to Portland a lot. And it's an important city, in the forefront of a lot of issues."

In terms of deciding what to cover in a limited time, Holt says, "One of the things we do on a trip like this, is we tap into our local NBC stations (KGW-TV, in Portland), to hear what people are talking about, and what should be on our radar."

Holt, who also anchors "Dateline NBC," says "NBC Nightly News" is planning a report on how Portland, like many other cities, has been dealing with the opioid crisis. "We'll be looking at some of the intervention programs," in Portland, Holt says.

"I'm a big believer that we are a less divided country than people sometimes talk about," Holt says, and "NBC Nightly News" regularly includes stories that celebrate positive achievements.

"There's a lot of good out there, and we're going to find some of that in Portland."

Holt says, "I hope to get on a bike, because I love the fact that in Portland, bike commuting is such a common thing. I occasionally ride to work on a bike, but you do it in such a big way in Portland."

At this stage, Holt says he plans to do the "NBC Nightly News" Portland broadcast from somewhere on the Eastbank Esplanade, along the Willamette River.

"The whole idea is to get me out of the studio," says Holt. "We like to be in a place where people can come by, and watch us. We travel a lot, but often we go to cities because something horrible has happened. I can't tell you how often people have looked at me, and said, 'We hope you come back during nicer times.'"

"NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt" airs at 5:30 p.m. weeknights on KGW/8.

-- Kristi Turnquist



kturnquist@oregonian.com

503-221-8227

@Kristiturnquist
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Bowing to pressure from teachers and parents, Ruzanna Azizyan, principal of Yerevans P.S. 11 resigned today.

Yesterday, pupils, parents and teachers staged a noisy demonstration at the school, named in honor of Monte Melkonian, demanding that Azizyan resign. A petition calling for her resignation was signed by some 100 teachers.

The press has periodically written about Azizyans heavy handed tactics at the school  dismissing teachers without cause, campaigning for the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, getting parents to pay for school items, etc.

It is said that Azizyan went to University with Serzh Sargsyan, who resigned as prime minister on April 23.

Students at the school claim she barred them from leaving class and joining the anti-government protests recently taking place in Yerevan.




A month after penning a widely celebrated piece for The New Yorker about the negative impact trauma from childhood sexual abuse has had on his adult life and relationships, author of best sellers like The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and This Is How You Lose Her Junot Diaz is being called out on Twitter for his own alleged sexual misconduct and verbal abuse of several women in the literary world.

Author Zinzi Clemmons, who was recognized as one of the National Book Foundation's '5 Under 35' for her 2017 novel What We Lose, tweeted last night:





Then, author Carmen Maria Machado, a National Book Award finalist for Her Body and Other Parties, shared her own Twitter thread about a time Diaz "went off on her" during a book tour. Diaz's novels often portray male characters who are openly misogynistic and deceptive toward women, though up until now that have been lauded for this reason, as they appear to interrogate toxic masculinity from the inside out. Machado says that when she asked him about this, he responded aggressively. "What really struck me was how quickly his veneer of progressivism and geniality fell away," Machado wrote, "how easily he slid into bullying and misogyny when the endless waves of praise and adoration ceased for a second."





























Monica Byrne, author of 2014's acclaimed sci-fi novel The Girl in the Road, shared a story on Facebook where Diaz shouted the word rape in her face while seated at a dinner party, followed by an uncomfortable evening that she eventually left halfway through. "I've never experienced such virulent misogyny in my adult life," she wrote. "He made a point of talking over me, cutting me off, ignoring me."





Via his literary agent, Diaz responded to the claims with a statement provided to the New York Times: "I take responsibility for my past. That is the reason I made the decision to tell the truth of my rape and its damaging aftermath. This conversation is important and must continue. I am listening to and learning from women's stories in this essential and overdue cultural movement. We must continue to teach all men about consent and boundaries."

The conversation around Diaz has resulted in a discussion about how victims become perpetrators, whether trauma excuses bad actions (it doesn't), and how toxic masculinity can be discussed without enabling it.

Image via Getty


On Friday, the Trump administration made the announcement that it will stop granting the Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The Secretary of Homeland Security Kiirstjen M. Nielsen specifically targeted Honduras migrants who have lived in the United States since Hurricane Mitch hit the country in 1998.

The official statement found on the Department of Homeland Security website says:

"The Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen has determined that termination of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Honduras is required pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act. To allow for an orderly transition, she has determined to delay the effective date of the termination for 18 months. The designation will terminate on January 5, 2020."

According to the statement, this decision was made after "a review of the environmental disaster-related conditions upon which the country's original 1999 TPS designation was based and an assessment of whether those originating conditions continue to exist, as required by statute." However, the government did not take into consideration the gang violence and other civil disturbances continually occurring in the country.

According to a report by CNNwhich draws from data found on the US Citizenship and Immigration Services websitethis leaves 86,000 Honduran TPS recipients scrambling to find either other grounds to stay, or ultimately leave the country.

This isn't the Trump administration's first big TPS termination announcement. Last month, 9,000 Nepalese migrants were also relieved of their rights to stay. And so other TPS recipients from Haiti, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen are worried with their statuses hanging in the balance.

Image via Instagram


Armenian President Armen Sarkissian today met with representatives of the countrys Syrian-Armenian community for what his press office describes as a frank and open discussion on many of the problems facing the community.

The issues broached related to social integration, education and the business sector.

Also present was Syrias Ambassador to Armenia Muhammad Ahmad Haji Ibrahim.

The sides agreed to hold similar meetings in the future.

Sarkissian expressed the hope that once the conflict in Syria ends, Armenians would fully devote themselves to developing their two homelands.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, paid an unannounced visit to the Passport Office in Accra, where she expressed concern about the rate at which foreigners, especially Nigerians, are acquiring Ghanaian passports.



She said from the account of the Director of Passports at the Accra office, Mr Habib Iddriss, not a day passed without a foreigner attempting to acquire a Ghanaian passport, but the verification process always gave them out.



Ms Botchway was of the view that the national identity card system, when fully operational, would go a long way to address the situation of foreigners attempting to obtain Ghanaian passports.



The purpose of the visit was for the minister to acquaint herself with the operations of the Passport Office and to obtain first-hand information on challenges confronting the operations of the office.



Apart from attempts by foreigners to acquire Ghanaian passports, the minister said she was also unhappy about the hassle some passport applicants had to go through in their efforts to secure passports.



To facilitate acquisition of passports, therefore, she disclosed that the ministry would soon set up new passport application centres in Tema in the Greater Accra Region, Koforidua in the Eastern Region, Cape Coast in the Central Region, Bolgatanga in the Upper East and Wa in the Western Region.



Validity



Ms Botchway also gave an indication that the validity of the Ghanaian passport would be extended from the current five to 10 years in line with international standards, especially when Ghana was about to introduce a new passport regime that would utilise the chip-embedded passport technology.



She explained that the extension of the validity of the Ghanaian passport was also intended to address the situation where people had to apply for passport renewals within a relatively short time.



Interactions



During her interactions with potential passport applicants, Ms Botchway learnt at first hand that some applicants had to queue as early as 1 a.m. in order to be part of the first 100 people whose applications are processed for the day.



One applicant, Kofi Nyamekye, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, recounted how he had to queue as early as 1 a.m. to become the 36th person in the queue after he had paid GH50 to an agent.



He related that by the time the Passport Office opened for its daily operations, he had jumped from being the 36th person in the queue to being the 98th.



Asked how that could happen, he said people came late and paid more and were subsequently smuggled into the queue.



One other observation that came up during the ministers visit was the fact that people paid for expedited service to obtain their passports in two weeks, but some had to grapple with the acquisition of their passports months after they had opted for the expedited service.



It also came to light that there were some applicants whose passports were ready, but, for some unexplained reasons, certain officials kept them only to tell the applicants that the passports were not ready.



One applicant had come to pick up his passport under expedited service but was told to come back in two weeks but Ms Botchway took his slip and submitted it to the collection office again and the official returned with the passport. Two others, including a lady, had their passports printed for them instantly after they had failed to secure them despite several attempts.



Mixed feelings



After the visit, Ms Botchway told the media that her experience from the visit was one of mixed feelings, saying the online process appeared very smooth and posed less challenges, but the manual system was fraught with problems which compelled some applicants to queue for long hours.



But how can anybody, a Ghanaian, applying for a passport, queue from 3 a.m? It is not right. What I will say is to humbly ask Ghanaians  those who can  to please use the online system because when we went to the online office, things were moving smoothly, she stated.

Source: Graphic.com









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Two individuals chasing their passports since 2017 have now gained access to their travel documents within minutes thanks to the intervention of Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey.



Charity Tinka and Justice Adjei applied for their passports in November and December last year, respectively. They were supposed to receive their passports at least two weeks after putting in their applications.



Two weeks turned into months without issuance of the passports. According to the two, whenever they came to the Passport Office, they were told it was not ready.



However, when the Foreign Minister paid an unannounced visit to the Passport Office in Accra, Tinka and Adjeis documents were made available and issued immediately.



As Joy News Elton John Brobbey describes it, the passports were issued under strange and dramatic circumstances.



Charity Tinka presented her receipt for the passport, but was told to come back in two weeks because it was not ready. On seeing Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, she made a complaint to her, and within ten minutes after entering the office, the Minister returned with the passport, Brobbey reports.



It is not clear yet how a passport that was not ready for several months suddenly became available within ten minutes on the orders of the Minister.



The Minister's intended visit to the office was to observe conditions there, where operations are key to her ministry.



According to Elton John Brobbey, the minister was unhappy with the large number of people who were queued at the office for their passports.



She also warned that criminal foreigners holding Ghanaian passports illegally will be prosecuted when arrested by police.





Source: myjoyonline.com









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Prophet Emmanuel Badu Kobi, Head Pastor and Founder of Glorious Wave Church International has revealed that a prophecy he gave out after the 2016 general elections, indicating that Ghanaians will regret six months into President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's administration, is in the process of coming to fruition.



Prophet Kobi, who is mostly attributed to controversial pronouncements about political figures, said on Kofi TV that, the current happenings in the country under the new administration is evident Ghanaians are not happy.



I prophesied after the 2016 elections that I give this government only six months, after six months, Ghanaians will start complaining. If I am lying, look for yourself. I dont hate him but I speak the truth, he told host Kofi Adomah.



He quizzed the feasibility of the Free SHS program and the One District one Factory project, saying despite the numerous projects the government may embark on, Ghanaians will end up complaining till the next general elections.



Nana Akufo-Addo and I see spiritually that his coming to Ghana to rule doesnt go well for Ghana. And I can say so boldly anywhere and explain. His coming is never good for Ghana. I am not saying they wont do anything. They will do a lot but by 2020, Ghanaians will be complaining.



Have they paid all the Free SHS? What has happened to the One District one Factory? I am not saying they wont do anything, I am saying after their six months in power, *Ghanaians have will regret (sic)*, he mentioned.



He went on to condemn the Free SHS policy saying everything about the project was just wrong, touching on the view that free things always come at a great cost.



One thing I really hate is the Free SHS. Anything free doesnt change people. Look at the end of countries that did free things, they did not become productive. God did not create us for free things. He created us to earn and do what we want with what we gain. And the government is going to feed and take care of my child? With what? Any free thing doesnt give you room to think. It doesnt give you room to be productive."



He said the notion that he is affiliated to a particular political party when he makes assertions about their style of governance was uncalled for, as being non-partisan, he seeks to speak the truth and leave the rest to the masses.



When President Mahama was president I was always advising him to sack Seth Terkper, he does not do well. He is a tax man. But we are at a point where people think because I am always descending on the NPP, I must be an NDC member. I have nothing to say. Time will tell. It will get to a point they will realize I am non-partisan, I am nationalistic. That time will come, he stated.

VIDEO-

Source: ghanaweb.com









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Amnesty International Ghana has bemoaned what it describes as the culture of silence on the campus of the University of Education, Winneba.



The human rights organization said at a news conference in Accra that authorities in the school have constantly abused the rights of lecturers and students to the extent of illegally evicting some officers of the university.



According to Amnesty International, Ghana it has followed happenings within the university since 2017 and started investigations into reported cases of victimization, wrongful dismissal and intimidation.



It insisted there are ongoing cases of withholding of staff salaries, rejection of authentic excuse duties and attempts to dismiss some staff members.



Samuel Agbotsey, Campaign and Fundraising Coordinator, Amnesty International Ghana, for instance, alleged that two lecturers of the University of Education, Winneba have been forcibly evicted from their official residence.



He was surprised a university that should known better can blatantly violate human rights of citizens.



Dr. Ofori Bekoe was dismissed on allegation that he was being investigated by the police, when that investigation has not been concluded, he cited as a case in point.



The lecturer who was the local chapter President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana, Agbotsey said, was asked to vacate his official bungalow, and the university authorities ensured that he was evicted from the bungalow with force at a time it was raining.



The human rights based organization has therefore pledged to compile and issue a report about happenings in the university soon.







Source: 3news.com









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Prophet Emmanuel Badu Kobi, Head Pastor and Founder of Glorious Wave Church International has descended on former President Jerry John Rawlings for being one of the reasons why Ghana seems to be in an unending state of poverty.



In an interview on Kofi TV, Prophet Kobi argued that the state of poverty in the country goes deep into a culture that has been inculcated in Ghanaians right from colonial rule, a situation he said was buttered by Former President Jerry John Rawlings.



He mentioned that if he had the opportunity to meet Mr. Rawlings, he would not hesitate to explain to him why he is the cause of some of the nations current problems.



He took a swipe at the Ghana Beyond Aid theme chosen by the Akufo-Addo-led government, saying it simply was not a feasible vision.



The Head Pastor and Founder of Glorious Wave Church International was appalled at the fact that Ghana has rich natural resources to help grow the economy and make the standard of living more favourable and yet poverty seems to be thriving.



Responsibility is non-existent because *Ghanaians we are poor. A country that has everything and yet depends on IMF is not a proper country. And there is Ghana beyond Aid. That too will not work. The reason is because the structures have not been put in place. It is not time. Ghana beyond aid? Where is the mindset to go beyond aid? He quizzed.



He added that there is a certain culture that Ghanaians were indoctrinated into by the British and the second person to have continued this is ex-President Rawlings. If I see him anywhere, I will tell him, he is one of the problems of Ghana. And I will explain to him, and by the time I am done, he will sit up and say something better before he leaves the earth. He did not do well.



Prophet Kobi also expressed pure disgust at the poverty levels in some parts of the country and noted that the state of needing basic human necessities to survive is a disgraceful and dehumanizing position to be in.



Without the slightest sign of empathy for people living in penury, the man of God without mincing words cited poverty as one of the things he disliked most in the world.



One thing I dont like is poverty. When you look at the repercussions, it is difficult. Poverty will disgrace you, poverty will not give you glory, poverty will not make you worthy to be seated where humans are, poverty will make you miserable, he said.



Video-

Source: ghanaweb.com









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Former President John Dramani Mahama has described the current New Patriotic Party government as intolerant and unable to take criticism.



This comes on the heels of what he says are attacks on his person for criticizing the approach adopted by the government in the fight against illegal mining.



He believes there are many other things that government is doing in an ad-hoc manner, describing the Akufo-Addo regime as a government as you go one.



Speaking at the ninth Unity Walk of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Upper East regional capital Bolgatanga, he said a good leader must be able to listen and tolerate criticisms. When I was President I was probably one of the most criticized and insulted Presidents, but the mark of good leadership is that you maintain your calm and your focus.



Unfortunately, it looks like the current people in government cannot take criticismswhe you offer any decision, they call you all sorts of unprintable names, he said.



Mr Mahama said he was not raised to use such words on his political opponents as the language one uses in his/her political discourse is a reflection of your upbringing.



Addressing party supporters at the eighth Unity walk-in Kumasi last week, the ex-President said he will not go after the illegal miners in the way the government was doing.



This pronouncement drew some heavy backlash from government appointees including Land Minister, Peter Amewu, who described the former President as a "conman".



The incensed minister said attempts by the Mr Mahama to criticize governments anti-galamsey activities is dishonest and a dent on his own reputation.



It is rather an unfortunate statement that is coming from some political leadershe cannot use galamsey at this time, thinking he can come back to power.



I respect that man so much but for today I am disappointed in the kind of words he used in KumasiI am telling the small-scale miners this gentleman is a conman; he is deceiving them. If they dare go for him just because of galamsey this country will go down, Mr Amewu fired.



But the former President has responded to the comments at the Unity Walk saying "you can call me any name, the simple point we have made is that we have tried it before, we have gone after these young people with soldiers but it didn't work."



He suggested that the way to go is that while government stops the illegal miners from engaging in such activities, it should be working on providing them with alternatives.





Source: myjoyonline.com









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State officials say employees and customers in two Pennsylvania stores may have been exposed to an individual with measles.

The individual with the confirmed case of measles was part of a tour bus traveling from Niagara Falls, New York, to Washington D.C., according to a news release.

Exposures may have occurred at the following locations on Wednesday, May 2:

Wegman's, 201 William Street, Williamsport, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Weaver's Farm Market, 8160 Susquehanna Trail (Route 15), Port Trevorton, from 2:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

"This traveler was diagnosed with measles, which can be highly contagious," said Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine in a news release. "However, if you have been properly immunized against measles, your risk of getting the disease is minimal."

Measles is a highly contagious, but vaccine-preventable, disease that spreads through coughing, sneezing or other contact with the mucus or saliva of an infected person. Symptoms typically appear 1 to 3 weeks after infection and include rash, high fever, cough, and red, watery eyes.

People who are susceptible to measles may get sick if they were in the same room as the traveler, even up to 2 hours after the traveler left, according to the news release.

Those who are most at-risk, according to the Centers for Disease Control, include:

Infants less than one year of age who are too young to have received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine

Individuals who refused vaccination

Individuals from parts of the world where there is low vaccination coverage or circulating measles

If you were vaccinated, you may still be at risk if:

You were vaccinated with an inactivated vaccine, which was used from 1963 through 1967, and have not been revaccinated

You were born after 1957 and have only received one dose of MMR vaccine

Officials ask anyone who is unsure about the measles vaccination status, or believe they are experiencing symptoms, to contact their health-care provider or call the Department of Health's toll-free hotline at 1-877-PA-HEALTH (1-877-724-3258).
The owner of 717 Armory, a state-of-the-art indoor shooting range that opened in January in a former skating rink on Derry Street in Swatara Township, had his request to add automatic weapons to his list of services denied Thursday night.

Patrick Connaghan asked the township's zoning hearing board to grant his business an exception from the township's zoning regulation that prohibits the use of automatic weapons.

Zoning board chairman Philip Bear said the hearing was not intended to be a public forum on automatic weapons, a national hot-button issue, especially since the school shootings in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14.

Bear said the board's task was to apply state law that outlines when a prohibited use can be overturned.

He warned that the bar for granting what's called a use variance had been set high by state court decisions.

Connaghan and his lawyer, Justin McShane, described how 717 Armory is at a competitive disadvantage because two indoor ranges in the region allow customers to shoot automatic weapons. The closest one is Trop Gun Shop in Elizabethtown.

Connaghan said he and his staff get requests nearly every day from customers looking to scratch off firing an automatic weapon from their personal bucket lists.

"There's been a need for this in Dauphin County," said Connaghan.

He described the attention to detail in the shooting range's building to minimize gun noise that would bother neighbors in nearby businesses and residences.

In addition, Connaghan, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, explained the extra safety procedures that would be used for customers who shoot automatic weapons owned by his business.

Robert Ihlein, the township's zoning officer, questioned whether 717 Armory's proposal met a requirement that the company's property on had to be in some way causing a hardship.

"Because [Connaghan] has a pretty nice size lot and a pretty good-sized building to work with, he does at the current moment have a reasonable use of the property without the [automatic weapons]," Ihlein said.

The only public comment made during the hearing came from a woman who wanted to know if Connaghan had considered starting his business where automatic weapons could be fired at shooting ranges.

READ MORE:

Connaghan, who grew up in Swatara Township, said looking elsewhere was not part of his business plan.

After nearly an hour of testimony and 30 minutes of behind-closed-door deliberation, the zoning board voted 3-0 to deny the use variance.

"An economic hardship is not the appropriate means or the appropriate standard for which a use variance should be granted," said Bear.

Connaghan and McShane had no comment on whether they would appeal the decision or look for another path to offer automatic weapons at the shooting range.

____

Bill Bostic publishes Linglestown Gazette, an online news service that focuses on Lower Paxton Township and Central Dauphin School District.
By Matthew Krupp

People with disabilities deserve equal access to state jobs.

Over the past three years, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry's Office of Vocational Rehabilitation has helped more than 27,000 people with disabilities find competitive integrated employment in the private sector.

Matthew Krupp (Dauphin County photo)

Despite OVR's success in the private sector, only 200 of the office's customers with disabilities have been able to land state government jobs over the same period.

That disparity in hiring reflects both a disconnect between the commitment of Pennsylvania's lawmakers to expand state employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and an antiquated, inefficient civil service system that creates barriers to state employment for people with disabilities.

Legislation sponsored by state Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon, which makes reforms to the Pennsylvania Civil Service Commission, is a good first step in addressing those barriers.

Although Folmer's proposal (SB1037) fails to specifically address hiring people with disabilities, it proposes streamlining the civil service hiring process by shifting it to the Governor's Office of Administration.

Despite this laudable attempt to reform the civil service hiring process, reactions from the state Office of Administration and the Pennsylvania Civil Service Commission have been entirely predictable.

Rather than working together to ensure that Folmer's bill includes language that meaningfully addresses state agency hiring of people with disabilities, leadership from the Office of Administration and the Civil Service Commission have engaged in a bureaucratic power struggle over who gets control of the state hiring process.

Unfortunately, as is too often the case, people with disabilities are collateral damage.

While the Civil Service Commission claims it is doing everything it can to accommodate people with disabilities, the numbers -- and Senate hearing testimony on the Folmer bill from people with disabilities -- suggest otherwise.

Additionally, the Office of Administration is paying lip service to the disability community, by suggesting a "wait and see" approach and promising to address the hiring of people with disabilities in the future.

Making people with disabilities wait for government bureaucrats to come up with a solution to hiring is not a good strategy.

For Folmer's bill to succeed, it must include a path to state employment for people with disabilities that overcome the current barriers they face. People with disabilities have waited long enough.

Matthew Krupp is the Dauphin County Prothonotary, an attorney, and a former employee of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Residents transport sandbags to their homes cut off by flood waters in Rothesay, N.B. on Saturday, May 5, 2018. Swollen rivers across New Brunswick are still rising, flooding streets and properties and forcing people from their homes in several communities. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Mekayla Bali is shown in a family handout photo provided by her mother Paula Bali. The mother of the teen who went missing from her home community of Yorkton, Sask., two years ago says Canadian authorities need to do more in searches for children. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ HO-Paula Bali MANDATORY CREDIT
FILE - In this April 15, 2018 file photo, an Indian protestor stands with a placard during a protest against two recently reported rape cases as they gather near the Indian parliament in New Delhi, India. Indian police on Saturday, May 5, arrested 14 people suspected of kidnapping, raping and burning to death a teenage girl, the latest in rising crimes against women in India despite toughening of laws. Responding to widespread outrage over the recent rape and killings of young girls and other attacks on children, India's government last month approved the death penalty for people convicted of raping children under age 12. (AP Photo/Oinam Anand)
This undated photog provided by the Gray family shows 17-year-old Lloyd Skanahwati Gray. Gray was with his brother Thomas Kanewakeron Gray on Monday, April 30, 2018, when Colorado State University officials say police pulled the teens from an admissions tour because a parent in the group was nervous about their presence. (Gray Family via AP)
This image provided by NASA, InSight spacecraft launches onboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas-V rocket, Saturday, May 5, 2018, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)
Perryville soccer coach Jerry Fulton has been approached about how good his team is, because according to the results, they have to be pretty good.Perryville claimed first place in the Hillsboro 

The St. Vincent cross country teams made a statement. The boys finished first, while the girls took second place at the Perryville High School Invitational on Tuesday in the Perryville City Park.It 

St. Vincent football has asserted itself the past few years when it comes to matchups with their crosstown rival Perryville. The Indians had won three straight contests against the Pirates. St. 

Roth to help raise money for cancer society During last years Perryville homecoming game, the football coaches donned pink hats and pink pants in honor of a noble cause. They hope to do so again this year.Perryville football head coach 

Pirates play to win against Blackcats Perryville football has had a flair for the dramatic this season. This past week was no different as they held on late for a 21-14 victory over Fredericktown on Friday at Pirate Stadium. Perryville 

St. Vincent keeps foot on the gas in victory St. Vincent made quick work of Herculaneum in week four. The Indians got off to a quick start and kept it rolling as they dispatched of the Blackcats 49-0 on Friday at Herculaneum High School. That 

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Clifford Krauss: 'Mexico First' campaign

could end welcome for U.S. oil giants



Alejandro Cegarra/Bloomberg





A Petroleos Mexicanos refinery in Tula, north of Mexico City. The leading presidential

candidate has proposed building two refineries to process crude oil for domestic

consumption, a move that would reduce imports of American gasoline.

HOUSTON  As President Trump moves to recast trade and border relations with Mexico, American oil companies are worried that the prospective winner of Mexico's presidential election will play his own nationalist card.

The leading candidate, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador , wants to reverse policies that have tied a knot between Mexico and the United States in recent years in energy production and consumption. And he has promised to make sure that oil never falls back into the hands of foreigners.

In addition to threatening refinery profits in the United States, his proposals could slow oil production in Texas and impede deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico by international oil giants like Exxon Mobil and Chevron. They would also jeopardize the United States' energy trade surplus with Mexico, which reached roughly $15 billion last year.

Mr. Lopez Obrador, a former mayor of Mexico City with leftist leanings, has a comfortable lead in the polls ahead of the July 1 vote. He has moderated his tone since losing the presidential race six years ago, but he has proposed a sweeping reorientation of the nation's energy policy with an emphasis on independence from the United States.

He has pledged to end oil exports, nearly all of which go to the United States, by 2022, and to instead spend $6 billion on building two refineries that would process crude for domestic consumption. That would sharply reduce American exports of gasoline to Mexico.

Mr. Lopez Obrador and his top energy adviser, Rocio Nahle, a former legislator who is in line to become energy minister, have called for a freeze on future deepwater drilling auctions and a review of contracts with international oil companies.

We cannot irresponsibly deliver our oil reserves to the transnational companies, Ms. Nahle, who was trained as a chemical engineer, wrote on Twitter this month, summing up her message to a gathering of oil workers in the Mexican oil town of Poza Rica. This July 1, this town will end the looting of Mexico.

Ms. Nahle has said she wants the government to slash the price of electricity and gasoline, and to reduce Mexico's dependence on natural-gas imports from the United States by investing more in hydroelectric power. Any reduction in sales to the No. 1 foreign customer for gas from the United States would increase a glut that has depressed prices in America over the last four years.

Such positions hark back to the 1930s, when Mexico nationalized its oil industry. Under the current government, a constitutional change enacted in 2014 let foreign companies invest in exploration, drilling, pipelines and even gas stations, and to team up on projects with the state oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex. The move allowed companies like Exxon Mobil to invest billions of dollars to develop vast fields offshore.

Mr. Lopez Obrador's nationalistic policies are resonating in Mexico as the Trump administration vows to curtail Mexican immigration into the United States and threatens to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The election outlook has caused concern among American oil executives.

Mexico is very critical as an energy partner of the United States, so a retreat from current policies would be a tragedy for both countries, said Scott D. Sheffield, chairman of Pioneer Natural Resources, a major Texas oil and gas producer. It's going to hurt Mexico long term and the United States long term.

Mr. Sheffield and other Texas oil executives are particularly worried that Mexico could slow its importing of American gas.

In recent years, Mexico has replaced coal and diesel with cleaner American natural gas to produce about 30 percent of the nation's electricity. The shale-drilling revolution north of the Rio Grande has yielded an abundance of cheap natural gas for American and Mexican consumers, and Mexico announced a five-year plan in 2015 to increase imports.

About 20 pipelines carry 4.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas a day to Mexico, and more are being built or planned.

The gas sales to Mexico are an important source of revenue for American oil and pipeline companies, and they relieve a bulge of gas that is bubbling up with oil from the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico, the nation's most prolific shale field. California is switching from natural gas to renewable energy sources, while a shortage of pipelines and export terminals for liquefied natural gas means that if sales to Mexico dwindle, there will be excess gas with nowhere to go.

That gas will have to be flared, or oil drilling and production will need to decrease, a choice between increasing climate-warming carbon-dioxide emissions or decreasing profits.

American refineries also face problems. Before the boom in shale oil production, refineries along the Gulf of Mexico were designed to process heavy oil grades from Canada, Mexico and Venezuela. Imports from Canada continue to increase, but they are limited by scarce pipeline capacity. Production in Venezuela is plummeting, and an expected ratcheting up of sanctions by the Trump administration could further hamper imports.

That makes Mexico, which accounts for about 8 percent of American crude-oil imports, an even more critical source. American refineries can process lighter grades of oil but much less efficiently, or they can undertake expensive overhauls of their equipment. Either way, profits would slump.

Mexico, for its part, has been importing higher-quality transportation fuels from the United States, in an effort to clean up its cities' air. Last year, Mexico bought more than one million barrels of American petroleum products a day, providing $23 billion in revenue to American energy companies.

Ms. Nahle, Mr. Lopez Obrador's energy adviser, has said Mexico's own refineries can be retooled to handle a changeover from American gasoline and diesel.

Mexican oil officials, expecting at least a slowdown of their policies, are holding offshore auctions as fast as they can to lure investment before President Enrique Pena Nieto, who is barred by law from seeking a second term, leaves office in December. More than 100 development contracts have already been awarded. The nation's oil production remains in decline, but officials hope they can reverse the trend as international companies begin to produce large amounts of oil in the Gulf of Mexico over the next two years.

Independent energy analysts have viewed Mexico's moves as a model for economic development, and some worry about a reversal. To make a U-turn from the current reforms would be detrimental to the Mexican economy, said Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency.

Some oil executives and energy experts say they are not overly worried that the new contracts will be overturned. They note that Mr. Lopez Obrador will almost certainly not have the congressional support to entirely rescind the constitutional energy change. Campaign oratory could give way to the realities of governing, especially when the oil industry offers financing for more social services. The government has earned signing bonuses of $525 million from investors so far this year as a result of its efforts.

Mexico needs this change more than anybody else, said Ali Moshiri, who retired last year as Chevron's top executive in Latin America and is forming his own oil company to seek international opportunities. Pemex has been a disaster, so they have to continue with the reform, though they could slow things down.

If necessary, international companies could focus less on Mexico and more on other Latin American countries, like Brazil, which also has huge offshore potential, or Colombia, which has significant potential for shale drilling. Both countries also have elections this year in which major candidates have expressed either opposition to giving foreign companies control over natural resources or environmental concerns about developing fossil fuels at all.

That creates a lot of uncertainties for energy policy, said Lisa Viscidi, an energy expert at the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington think tank. Around Latin America, there are serious contenders who want to make big changes in the oil sector and want to reverse previous reforms. Lopez Obrador particularly represents a lot of direct threats.





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Clifford Krauss is a national energy business correspondent based in Houston. He was previously the bureau chief of The New York Times's Buenos Aires and Toronto bureaus, and has reported in recent years from North Africa and the Middle East. In 2016, he shared the Society of Publishers in Asia Award for explanatory reporting.Petroleumworld does not necessarily share these views.

Editor's Note: This commentary was originally published by The New York Times on April 25, 2018. Petroleumworld reprint this article in the interest of our readers and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Petroleumworld and its owners.



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Petroleumworld News 05/07/2018
Oil hits highest since Nov. 2014 on Friday as Iran tensions mount

By Jessica Resnick-Ault



NEW YORK

Petroleumworld 05 04 2018

Oil prices rose about 2 percent on Friday, with U.S. crude hitting its highest in more than three years, as global supplies remained tight and the market awaited news from Washington on possible new U.S. sanctions against Iran.

Bob Yawger, director at Mizuho, noted the looming May 12 deadline that U.S. President Donald Trump had set for Europeans to fix the deal with Iran over its nuclear programme or he would refuse to extend U.S. sanctions relief for the oil-producing Islamic Republic.

You have the May 12 Iran and Trump headlines that support the market, he said.

U.S. light crude settled up $1.29 at $69.72 a barrel. It touched a session peak of $69.97 for the first time since November 2014. It was on track to gain just over 2.3 percent on the week.

Brent crude oil settled up $1.25 at $74.87 a barrel. The global benchmark was set to end the week up 0.3 percent.

Iran's foreign minister said on Thursday that U.S. demands to change its 2015 agreement with world powers were unacceptable. Trump has said European allies must rectify terrible flaws in the international accord by May 12.

European powers want to hand Trump a plan to save the Iran nuclear deal next week. But they have also started work on protecting EU-Iranian business ties if Trump makes good on his threat to withdraw.

Iran resumed its role as a major oil exporter in January 2016 when international sanctions were lifted in return for curbs on Tehran's nuclear program.

ANZ analysts Daniel Hynes and Soni Kumari said Brent could reach $80 a barrel by the end of this year, attributing recent strength to rising geopolitical risks and tighter global supply.

We expect the market to tighten even further in second half 2018, they wrote in a note to clients.

Still, growing U.S. crude supplies have been capping price gains.

Surging production in the Permian shale basin is outpacing pipeline capacity, while local refining issues have exacerbated oversupply.

The United States now produces more crude oil than top exporter Saudi Arabia, and two weeks of U.S. inventory builds have limited the oil market's upside. U.S. energy companies added oil rigs for a fifth straight week, with higher crude prices boosting profits and pushing nationwide production to record highs. [RIG/U]

Drillers added nine oil rigs in the week to May 4, bringing the total to 834, the highest since March 2015, General Electric Co's Baker Hughes energy services firm said.

Hedge funds and other money managers cut their net long U.S. crude futures and options positions in the week to May 1, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said on Friday.



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The family of Alejandro Rojas-Garcia in front of the Criminal Justice Center in Philadelphia during a break in the murder trial of the man charged with killing Rojas-Garcia in 2015. Read more

Four days after going to police to turn in a man they had known since they were kids in Puerto Rico, Antonio Vicenty and Valery Diaz left. The couple left jobs, pulled their kids out of school, and fled the city that was home, only to return for the preliminary hearing and last week's trial.

Of all the reasons that keep people from reporting a murder in Philadelphia, no other story I've heard brings it home quite like this.

I spent the week at the trial of Leonaldo Rivera, the man charged with killing 34-year-old Alejandro Rojas-Garcia in 2015.

Three years is a long time. For both sides. For the family of the victim, but also for the man on trial.

When Rivera's attorney, Patrick Link, said that his client had been placed on a conveyor belt of a broken criminal justice system, it was hard to disagree.

It was heartbreaking to watch friends and family in Courtroom 1007 sit through clinical details of the death of a loved one, how more than a dozen bullets were pumped into his car, five striking him, one piercing his face and shattering some teeth before lodging in his tongue. Another passed through a lung before hitting his heart. A friend, who sat in the passenger seat, was also struck. He lived, but the bullet remains in his chest.

As I sat in the courtroom, I couldn't help but study the faces of family members of other homicide victims who came to support the Rojas-Garcia family  mothers and sisters of lost loved ones who haven't found justice.

Who might never.

The ties that bind in this city are close; familial and neighborhood connections can often cut off any chances of justice.

On the night of Garcia's death, Vicenty and Diaz were with Rivera at a late-night concert at Tierra Colombiana, a Latin restaurant and club on North Fifth Street. Rivera was dating Diaz's cousin, who also was there.

Later, they all went to an after-hours club nearby on Macalester Street.

As they were leaving about 4:30 a.m., Vicenty testified that he saw Rivera fire into Rojas-Garcia's car. (Why is still a mystery  maybe because Rojas-Garcia flirted with Diaz's cousin.) Diaz testified that later at the couple's house Rivera admitted to it.

How Vicenty and Diaz acted toward Rivera after he confessed was one of the more bewildering details of the case. Why would they let him into their home after the shooting? Why would Valery Diaz serve him a plate of food? Why not go directly to the cops?

The couple waited until they saw themselves in surveillance video released by police before they came forward.

Rivera's lawyer insisted they were trying to distance themselves from what really happened out there.

The couple had another reason: Fear.

"Honestly, you don't get to see s like that and call the cops, you don't do that," Vicenty said. "It's not good, man. I got kids. I got to stay away from this as much as I can."

But then they saw themselves on TV, and saw Rojas-Garcia's mom, Aleida, pleading for someone to come forward.

"I just feel really bad for the kid, the one who got killed and his family," Vicenty said, choking up. "I saw his mom on the news. I felt so bad."

The courtroom was full on most days, largely with family and supporters of the Rojas-Garcia family. But there were a handful there for Rivera too, including Jose Rivera, a relative who said he was like a father to the defendant.

Every day, the elder Rivera sat nervously. And every day he brought the defendant a fresh shirt, one brighter than the next, for him to wear in court.

"I promised," he said.

On the other end of the courtroom, Wilfredo Rojas, the victim's father, said he felt for Jose Rivera. Except that no matter what happened, Rivera's loved one would still be alive. No verdict would bring Rojas'son back.

On Friday, a jury found Rivera guilty of murder. Rojas-Garcia's family was relieved and grateful, especially to Vicenty and Diaz.

Rojas-Garcia's mother said she was sorry their lives were destroyed along with her family's. But if others showed their courage, she said, maybe more people would hesitate before so recklessly taking another person's life.

Vicenty and Diaz weren't there to hear the verdict that came with a mandatory life sentence or to hear the family's appreciation for helping them get justice.

As soon as they were done testifying, the couple were gone.
Truman High School students watch as classmate Marlee Jardine is loaded into the back of a hearse and Kyam Lewis hovers as the Grim Reaper during the annual mock car crash at the school. Read more

The gruesome images will be tough to erase for the hundreds of kids who poured out of Harry S. Truman High School in Levittown on Thursday.

Three wrecked cars right in front of their Bucks County school. The anguished screams of "Somebody please help!" The grisly sight of wounded classmates like 17-year-old Marlee Jardine drenched in blood. The sounds of police sirens and the thumping blades of a medical chopper. Finally, watching a silver hearse arrive.

"I grew up with these people," said Olivia Burgo, 17, while a local rescue squad used the Jaws of Life to pull her friends from the wrecked cars on the sunny and hot morning. "It's hard to see them like this. My stomach hurts." Other students looked just as stunned.

School officials certainly hope Truman's seniors won't forget the trauma. Holding onto those feelings of shock and nausea is the main idea behind the annual mock car crash at the 1,500-student Bristol Township School District high school, one of many similar fake-blood-spattered events staged this prom season around the Philadelphia region, aimed at scaring teenagers away from drunken or, increasingly, distracted driving.

It's fitting that one of the most dramatic of these events takes place at Truman  the "Drama High" whose award-winning theater program inspired the hit NBC show Rise! Painful lessons are driven home through an elaborate daylong program in which  in addition to the gruesome wreck  a hulking classmate dressed as the Grim Reaper yanks students from classrooms as the remaining kids hear fake obituaries written by the kids' parents, most composed over real tears.

"We have had kids show up years later saying, 'We never forgot. We talk about it all the time,'" said Jill Saul, a special education teacher who's directed the annual mock crash  which costs about $4,000 to stage  for much of its 20-year history. Over that time, the rites  from buying cheap "prom dresses" at a thrift store to selecting popular kids to play the dead and the dying  have become as much a part of May as the prom itself. The formal will be held May 18 at the Radisson Hotel in Trevose.

But amid the screams and sirens, there's an increasingly loud debate among the drunken-driving-prevention community about whether the core premise of the phony crashes  that seeing the carnage and experiencing pangs of grief will frighten teenagers into avoiding alcohol or arranging safe rides  actually works.

Some advocacy groups, including Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), have come out against mock crashes as a prevention tool, citing research showing that their psychological impact on teenagers' decision-making may fade as soon as summer, the deadliest season for teen auto fatalities.

SADD and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) have called for comprehensive ongoing programs to combat drunken and distracted driving, as opposed to the shock value of a one-time event. Critics also worry that the morbid mock crashes will do psychological damage to some teenagers, outweighing any driving-safety benefits.

"From a public health perspective, we have learned that shock and awe methods of prevention do not lead to long-term change," said Kim Everett, trauma prevention coordinator for St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne. The Bucks County health center used to donate $500 or $1,000 every year to defray the cost of Truman's production, but stopped two years ago, about the time that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said state funds shouldn't go for such events but rather for evidence-based programs, according to Everett.

Still, the popularity of mock crashes grew during a period when teen traffic deaths plunged sharply  by more than half from 2005 to 2014, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. But the Washington group then saw a 10 percent spike in 2015 that experts link to a rise in teen drivers distracted by texting or other devices, and car crashes remain the No. 1 cause of teen death. Advocates say more focus is needed not just on distracted driving but a lack of teen awareness that driving while high on marijuana is also dangerous.

Any caution flags from advocates and highway-safety experts don't seem to have slowed the growth of mock crashes at Philadelphia suburban high schools. Two years ago, Main Line Health heralded a $45,000 grant from State Farm Insurance to expand its program to include 11 high schools in the western suburbs, including Penncrest, Ridley, Garnet Valley, and Villa Maria Academy.

"I think it's really trying to have the kids stop and think about the consequences," said Main Line Health's Deborah Mantegna, manager of community health services. Its program also includes a speaker who warns about the consequences of drunken driving  not just injuries and death, but the financial costs and how a DUI arrest might thwart college admission.

"Our feeling is, if it saves one kid, then it's effective for us," said Carole Roskoph, activities coordinator and English teacher at Cherry Hill High School West, where kids  along with those from crosstown Cherry Hill East  have been staging mock crashes for about 15 years with help from township police.

Saul said there has not been a drunken-driving death among their students for many years. (A couple of years ago, a Truman student who participated in the mock crash died a few months later in a drag-racing incident that didn't involve drinking.)

Over the years, the event has been expanded or tweaked. "Injured" or "dying" kids are actually taken to hospitals, by ambulance or helicopter, and police arrest the "drunk" driver, who goes before a judge, then to jail.

Every year, after the trauma of acting out their own deaths, the victims and other participants retreat after school to a local hotel to relax and decompress, before enduring another emotionally grueling experience: hearing speeches from family members affected by drunken-driving crashes. The students stay the night and the next day share what they've learned from the experience with their classmates at an assembly.

"Most kids are receptive to it," said Truman principal Lyndell Davis, a strong proponent. "Some kids, like most teenagers, think they're invincible."

Shakira Alford  whose 17-year-old daughter, Brianna Cliney, was tapped by the Grim Reaper to become a "ghost" in the Truman exercise  said she recently lost a nephew in a car crash. Although she called it "a little scary" to write a tribute as if her daughter had died, Alford said she came around to support an event that "will be an eye-opener when it comes to getting in a car."

On the morning of the fake crash Thursday, Truman kids were whipsawed between the theatricality of the event and its grim message. "I think we're laughing it off to hide the fact that we're shook," said Manilyn Lalo, 17, while getting made up with wounds and gashes to become a victim in the "sober car" walloped by a drunk driver.

Even if the blood was fake, the emotions were undeniably real.

"I want you to know how much I love you," Saul said, tearing up as she addressed students after the "victims" had left for the hospital where traumatized parents would get the news that their child had died, and the hearse slowly drove away with the body of a student who had been killed at the scene. "I don't want to ever go to your funeral. Please make good choices and healthy choices."
The first voice heard on Janelle Monae's new album Dirty Computer that is not her own belongs to Brian Wilson.

Yes, that Brian Wilson. The 75-year-old Beach Boy arrives in full multi-tracked glory in an angelic chorale that meshes with Monae's own vocal on the title track.

Right off the bat, on the song in which she introduces the future-tech concept that we're all flawed "dirty computers" whose glitches and imperfections should be celebrated, not denigrated, Monae is already multi-tasking by also issuing a nerd-alert to music geeks. Hey, here's a supercool collaboration for you: Bet you didn't see that coming.

But by kicking the album off with the "Teenage Symphonies to God" sound of the artist who brought California surf music to its creative peak, Monae is doing more than just showing off the genre-splicing eclecticism of her taste.

She's also sending a signal about the scope of her ambitions and her intention to make an artistic statement on her third album, her first since raising her celebrity profile with featured roles in two prestigious 2016 films, Hidden Figures and Moonlight.

With Dirty Computer (Wondaland/Atlantic *** 1/2), she means to deal with all sorts of American archetypes in making an album of party-starting protest music that denounces intolerance and embraces inclusivity in all its forms, while arguing irresistibly that it is this diversity that always has and will continue to make America great.

Those points are underscored in red, white and blue on the next song. "Crazy, Classic, Life," begins with a spoken interlude from a sermon by Dr. Sean McMillan in which he quotes Martin Luther King talking about the Declaration of Independence in a way that would make the document with which the nation was founded in Philadelphia in 1776 apply to all citizens, and not only white men.

"You told us these we hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men and women are created equal; and that they are endowed by their Creator by certain unalienable rights, among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Later in the song, she announces: "All of my friends are kings" and stakes her claim as an embodiment of the democratic values at the heart of the American experiment: "I'm not America's nightmare, I'm the American dream." And on that track, which is one of many on Dirty Computer that plays out as a stylistic homage to Prince, she adds a simple plea: "Just let me live my life."

From that point on, Dirty Computer takes Thomas Jefferson's "pursuit of happiness" words to heart. The theme of being free to live your life as you so choose, no matter what your color, creed or orientation is ever present. The attention paid to to the album during its roll out has mostly focused on personal and sexual liberation and feminist empowerment, and it is very much about all of that.

In a Rolling Stone cover story, the Kansas City-raised Atlanta-based 32-year-old songwriter-bandleader-actress came out as pansexual  though while identifying as "a queer black woman in America" she also said that above all "I consider myself to be a free-a [12 letter expletive].

>> Read more: Janelle Monae's 'Pynk' is the female call to arms we need now

And the album's best advertisement for itself so far has the video for "Pynk," the collaboration with Canadian songwriter-producer Grimes who referred to Monae in a recent tweet as "benevolent android overlord."

That clever, catchy, light-on-its-feet pop song famously features Monae's rumored paramour, actress Tessa Thompson, emerging through an opening n Monae's "vagina pants" as if being born for the first time. Monae has described the song as "a celebration of creation, self-love, sexuality and [] power! Pynk is the color that unites us all."

As a conceptual work, Dirty Computer  which is also the name of a 48-minute "emotion picture" with a sci-fi plot line about the persecution of nonconformists in a totalitarian state that you can watch on YouTube  is not quite as complex of an endeavor as Monae's two previous albums, 2010's The ArchAndroid and 2013's The Electric Lady.

That's in part because this time she's less interested in commenting on identity via an elaborate Afro-Futurist narrative and more inclined to reveal herself as a vulnerable human being.

Back in 2010 when she was wearing her hair in a Grace Jones pompadour and dressing as if she was going to work waiting tables, she talked to me in an interview about her working class roots, and how she feels a responsibility "to the people who are going though everyday life's obstacles, and are felling oppressed and depressed and suppressed. I definitely want to create music that empowers and uplifts them. This is my job."

Monae is still working at that task, but thing are much looser and more sexualized now. There's a sense of freedom and ease on that comes with coming out. It's really apparent on the pop funk jams that run deliciously together in the middle of the album, such as "Django Jane," "Screwed,"which is a simple but fun exploration of sex and power politics featuring Zoe Kravitz, and "I Got the Juice," an enticing team up with the over exposed Pharrell Williams that nonetheless manages to sound fresh. And feisty: "If you try to grab my pussy cat," Monae raps. "This pussy grab you back."

Best of all, perhaps is "Make Me Feel" a song that Monae has said she started working on eight years ago but she wasn't comfortable with because "a lot of the things that I knew I needed to say were very deep, very personal from the heart." The song is a conscious update of Prince's minimalist funk classic "Kiss," an almost blatant remake that perhaps sounds so on-the nose because Prince himself is rumored to have played on it before his death in 2016.

On Dirty Computer, those kinetic expressions of self-realization and nods to Monae's heroes  there's also a shout out to TLC, and Stevie Wonder makes an appearance  tell a story of individual and collective empowerment.

And they also demonstrate how the personal is political in the way that the best protest music functions.

Monae isn't one to express fiery rage in song in the manner of embittered classics such as, say, Nina Simone's "Mississippi Goddamn" Public Enemy's "Fight The Power" or Rage Against The Machine's "Killing in the Name Of."

She's too positive and optimist in nature to go there. Which is not to say she's isn't tough-minded. Dirty Computer closes with a song that is plain and simply called "Americans."

It's a patriotic protest song that bounces to a beat that marries old school Motown with 1980s synth-pop and lyrical feels like it grows out a folk protest tradition. The songs it immediately brought to my mind were Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" and Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A."

Those songs found plenty of fault in the way the country treats its citizens  in Guthrie's case, workers ravaged by the Great Depression, in Springsteen's, indignities suffered by Vietnam vets. But they nonetheless chose to plant their flag in the only place they knew to call home.

That's also the case with "Americans," which was inspired by Barack Obama's "A More Perfect Union" speech that was delivered in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center in March 2008. In the song, Monae sings about women making 79 cents for every dollar earned by a man. And she includes a spoken catalog of injustices that need to be addressed that includes "until same gender loving people can be who they are" and "until black people can come home from a police stop without being shot in the head. Until then, the song says: "This is not my America."

But along with that list of demands comes a pride of place, and a "This land is my land" and, even more so "our land" combative attitude that connects to the patriotic protest tradition. "Don't try to take my country, I will defend my land," she sings on the chorus, in conclusion. "I'm not crazy baby / Naw, I'm American."
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders points to reporters to take questions during the daily news briefing at the White House, in Washington, Thursday, May 3, 2018. Read more

WASHINGTON  The West Wing shouting match was so loud that more than a dozen staffers heard it.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders cursed and yelled at White House counsel Donald McGahn during the February confrontation, according to two people familiar with the episode. Misleading statements about the domestic abuse scandal that felled staff secretary Rob Porter had dragged the administration into a maelstrom of chaos and contradictory public statements.

Exasperated, Sanders told McGahn she would not continue to speak for the administration unless she was provided more information about Porter's situation.

The dispute, which erupted in a hallway outside deputy chief of staff Joe Hagin's office, was resolved after Sanders received the clarity she sought, the people familiar with the argument said. Hours later, Sanders returned to her lectern to field queries from a skeptical press corps, though her answers still left reporters with more questions.

The moment illustrates the precarious role Sanders has chosen to fill as the public face of the Trump administration  and the doubts about her credibility in representing a president who proudly traffics in mistruths and obfuscations.

Sanders was thrust into an especially harsh limelight over the past week. She was the subject of an acerbic broadside about her "bunch of lies" by comedian Michelle Wolf at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Then she was forced to explain the seemingly inconsistent accounts from her, President Trump and his new personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, about the hush money paid to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. The week was punctuated by an onslaught of commentary about Sanders' character.

By virtue of her position, Sanders is inextricably bound in the mistruths of the Trump administration. She is a willing warrior for Trump, and her critics believe she should be held accountable for his utterances  from the untruthful to the racist to the sexist. Since taking office, Trump has made more than 3,000 false or misleading claims, according to an analysis by The Washington Post's Fact Checker.

"When the president blithely admits to lying, it makes all those who are paid to repeat and defend his stories liars, as well," said David Axelrod, a senior White House adviser under former president Barack Obama. "Their credibility is tied to his. It's a high price to pay for a job, even in the White House."

Sanders, 35, is no political ingenue. She was raised in the wild-and-wooly politics of Arkansas, the only daughter of former governor Mike Huckabee who grew up to work on his two unsuccessful presidential campaigns.

By the time she took over as White House press secretary from Sean Spicer last July, the administration's penchant for misleading the public at the president's direction was well-established. At his very first press briefing, Spicer vigorously misrepresented the size of Trump's inaugural crowds, soaring to national fame as a laughingstock.

Those in Trump's orbit argue that the attacks on Sanders have been more sustained and more personally vicious than those faced by press secretaries in previous administrations. They argue that in a hyper-polarized nation  and amid the frenzied environment nurtured by a president who is at war with what he calls the "Fake News" media  Sanders has become an unwitting Rorschach test for the opinions of Trump's critics.

Allies of Sanders say she often pushes back on Trump, who wants her to attack the media even harder and more frequently, and that other administrations have also faced credibility issues.

"It doesn't matter who holds this job for President Trump, they're going to be unfairly attacked and ridiculed," said Jason Miller, a former Trump campaign adviser. "Since Sarah Huckabee Sanders works for President Trump, it seems to be open season on her professionally and personally."

Sanders declined to be interviewed for this story.

Fresh trouble for Sanders arose Wednesday night, when Giuliani, in a freewheeling interview with Sean Hannity, told the friendly Fox News host that Trump had reimbursed his longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen for the $130,000 in hush money he paid to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. The payment helped secure her silence shortly before the 2016 election about an alleged sexual affair with Trump a decade earlier, which the president has denied.

Giuliani's disclosure appeared to be at odds with Sanders' repeated insistence that Trump was not aware of Cohen's payment to Daniels. The interview, which Sanders did not coordinate, left her in an untenable position, she told colleagues.

So did Giuliani's proclamation that three American prisoners soon would be released from North Korea, a development the White House had not confirmed.

Reporters pressed Sanders on Thursday, was she a liar or simply in the dark? And why was the president's personal attorney authorized to announce news about sensitive hostage negotiations?

"I've given the best information I had at the time," Sanders said, a line she repeated in general six times. "Some information I am aware of and some I'm not."

Sanders said she first learned that Trump had reimbursed Cohen by watching Giuliani's interview with Hannity. At another point in her briefing, she repeated her assertion that she does not intentionally mislead the public, but acknowledged that she is not always provided the most accurate or complete information about her boss.

Sanders also offered a general criticism of peddling untruths  or, as White House counselor Kellyanne Conway once memorably dubbed them, "alternative facts."

"I would always advise against giving false information," Sanders said. "As a person of human decency, I do my best to give the right information."

Sanders' defenders say she spends considerable time crafting talking points that convey the president's wishes but also are technically truthful. If she is guilty of anything, they say, it is providing incomplete information.

In the Daniels episode, for instance, Sanders has largely cited the president's own statements and referred questions to his outside attorneys.

Before most briefings, she meets with Trump in the Oval Office to discuss how he would like her to answer news-of-the-day questions, White House officials said. The president sometimes dictates lines for her to read or orders her to use precise words on particularly sensitive matters.

Sanders routinely dodges questions on hot topics by telling reporters she has not asked the president about it  a deliberate strategy to avoid having to wade into delicate issues, according to a Sanders confidant.

She deflects nearly every question about the Russia probe, unless she has a prepared statement from the president to read  a protective move against creating legal exposure for herself with extemporaneous answers.

"Sarah has done a fantastic job of keeping in line with understanding how to effectively communicate what the president's thoughts are at any given time, recognizing that it is a very dynamic and fluid situation in many cases," Spicer said. "What she has done is she has realized, you can't get in trouble for what you don't say."

Behind the scenes, Sanders has joked with colleagues that she has no idea who the president will fire, what he will tweet or when he might change his mind. Unlike the more pugilistic Spicer, Sanders has privately displayed a gallows humor.

Sanders sometimes finds herself out of the loop and is not the ubiquitous presence that former communications director Hope Hicks was in the president's daily life.

When Trump offered John Bolton the job as national security adviser, the president had already begun configuring his own press strategy before Sanders was alerted, according to White House officials. Sanders was soon hustled into the Oval Office shortly before Trump tweeted about the hiring.

After Trump revealed that he was urging states to send troops to the U.S.-Mexican border, Sanders scurried to figure out why he had said that and how it would work, only to learn he had been briefed on a proposal the week before, officials said.

In a West Wing riven by infighting and a revolving door, Sanders is one of the only senior officials who does not generally draw arrows. She has lasted longer than some of her colleagues expected.

During the Porter saga, colleagues say they frequently saw Sanders upset as she managed the fallout. She helped craft a statement that defended Porter and that later became an embarrassment to the administration. But, officials said, she was careful not to betray the administration's missteps publicly like her deputy Raj Shah had when he said that "we all could have done better"  which attracted criticism from the president.

Although combative with reporters on camera, Sanders is largely regarded as more pleasant and helpful behind the scenes. She works to provide reporters answers to their questions, including hunting down colleagues for help.

Sanders often mentions her three small children during her briefings, reminding the millions of viewers tuning in on television that she is a mother. She sometimes makes hokey jokes to leaven the mood in the briefing room, and is known to wish some reporters a happy birthday from the lectern.

"Sarah has always been coolheaded and professional and always gives our arguments for greater transparency and openness a respectful hearing," said Olivier Knox, the chief Washington correspondent for SiriusXM, who will assume the presidency of the WHCA this summer.

Last Saturday night, she sat next to Knox at the head table for the correspondents' dinner. She did not stand up to congratulate the journalists who were presented awards  including a team from CNN, which Trump has assailed as "fake." And as Wolf mocked her, joking that she "burns facts, and then uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye," Sanders sat stoic.

Later that evening, Sanders and her husband, Bryan, were spotted at the invite-only MSNBC after party, greeting friends and reporters well after midnight.
Ella Mae Smith, 86, of Evans City, holds up a publicity photo from Night of the Living Dead. Its turning 50 this year. Read more

In the summer of 1968, Ella Mae Smith's skin went pale, and an unholy hunger sent her shuffling through verdant fields in search of human flesh.

Smith, now 86, said it was "pretty easy" to be dead that summer in Evans City, a blip of a town in Butler County, 25 miles north of Pittsburgh. She received a check for $25 for the work. Her late husband, Phil, was paid to be dead, too.

"We were ghouls back then," Smith recalled at her kitchen table last month. "They didn't say zombies at all."

Today, the whole world's got zombies, ghouls, walkers, creeps, reanimated corpses on the brain, and for the most part, this undead business began when the Smiths and others in Evans City agreed to be in a low-budget horror film that a bunch of guys from Pittsburgh were making: Night of the Living Dead.

"When I first saw it, I was terrified  in a good way," Kevin Kriess said inside his Living Dead Museum on Main Street in Evans City.

"I grew intrigued when I began to realize it all started in this little town."

Kriess, who runs an online toy store, is still planning the Living Dead Weekend: Evans City, a celebration later this year to honor the 50th anniversary of the film. Known as the "City of Black Gold" for a brief oil boom in the early part of the 20th century, Evans City has learned to love zombies and the black-and-white film's hardcore fans.

It wasn't always like that in this little town of 1,755.

"Lot of elderly in the town, and also churchgoing people," Mayor Dean Zinkhann said. "We have like five churches, and everybody would say, 'Doesn't this scare you a little bit with the ear piercings and the tongue piercings, and tattoos?' Now, they're used to it, and they see that these people from Night of the Living Dead are absolutely beautiful people. There's no flak today at all."

Zinkhann was sitting in his car on a sunny Saturday morning last month, preparing to wed a couple wearing red and black by the Evans City cemetery's stone chapel. The film opens in the cemetery, and tourists from as far away as Japan have tiptoed between the headstones over the decades to take photos and whisper the film's most famous line.

"They're coming to get you, Barbara."

When the chapel grew dilapidated, fans raised money to repair it.

"It was ready for the bulldozer," Zinkhann said.

Down a hill, in town, zombie-lovers wearing fake blood and tattered clothes pose by the glossy black plaques honoring the film and its director, George Romero, that stand by the police station. On Main Street, old-timers jaw about the Penguins and Steelers over coffee beside the Living Dead Museum, where bloody hand prints, life-size zombie figures, and other beloved gore deck the walls.

"You get some strange looking characters," resident Dave Jesperson, Ella Mae's son-in-law, said in the coffee shop. "They dress that way every day. Holy smokes."

Night of the Living Dead premiered at Pittsburgh's Fulton Theater on Oct. 1, 1968  Smith still has her invitation  and was released nationwide three days later. A clever ad for the movie in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at the time said an insurance company would cover any moviegoer who had a heart attack while watching it. On Oct. 11, the newspaper dubbed the film a "jackpot."

The International Movie Database estimates the film's budget at $114,000 and its total worldwide gross at $30 million.

Ella Mae said she and Phil, a cabinet maker, were sipping iced tea on their lawn one afternoon that summer when a car crossed over Connoquenessing Creek and stopped in front of their home on Ash Stop Road. Romero and his crew had come to Evans City because they needed an abandoned farmhouse to film in and found one nearby.

"Want to be in a movie?" a woman asked.

Phil Smith, said no, at first. Ella Mae talked him into it.

"Before you knew it," he recalled, "they were slapping all kinds of stuff on our face."

The film crew didn't give the Smiths and other ghouls much direction. There was no method school for being a zombie, at least not in 1968.

"They just sort of told us to act like we were dead," Smith said.

Their children were jealous.

In the decades that followed, thousands of zombie films have been pushed up from the graves, along with video games, novels, comic books, commercials, and a wildly popular television series. Italian directors loved them, and in South Korea, a 2016 zombies-on-a-train flick has become one of the highest grossing Korean films ever.

Romero, who remains dead after dying last year, spent most of his career in horror. In 1973, he made The Crazies in Evans City, a film about "a man-made combat virus that causes death and permanent insanity in those infected, as it overtakes a small Pennsylvania town," according to IMDB.

Kriess hopes to celebrate Night of the Living Dead's birthday in October, its month of release, but the closure of a city park, for renovations, has stalled definitive plans and there's nowhere else in town that's big enough to host a horde of fans.

"I'm going to have to get creative with a venue," Kriess said.

First, Kriess and Western Pennsylvania will toast the movie's sequel, Dawn of the Dead, at the shopping mall where it was filmed, 12 miles east of Pittsburgh. Romero released the zombies-in-a-mall flick in 1978, and it went on to gross $55 million worldwide.

Kriess, 55, has scheduled Living Dead Weekend: Monroeville at the mall for early June, bringing back actors from the film, hosting tours and hawking merchandise. Kriess' museum was housed in the mall for five years, but he said management moved him around too much.

"Now they want us to move the museum back," Kriess said.

On a Sunday afternoon last month, the mall was devoid of customers, with many storefronts empty and up for lease. Employees at Zombieburgh Lazer Tag just shrugged when asked how the business got its name. At Sokool, a store that sells tapestries and incense, a woman behind the counter didn't know the story behind the Dawn of the Dead shirt on the rack.

"You'd have to ask my manager," she said.

Monroeville Mall honors the movie with deadpan enthusiasm. A few framed photos hang on a wall by a side entrance near a Macy's in an alcove where real corpses could probably go unnoticed for a few hours. On this day the photos were blocked by an insurance company kiosk.

"They should kind of embrace it more," said James Lunsford, 20, a clerk at Cash-In Culture, a pop culture store at the mall. "I guess they're trying to be more modern."

Cash-In Culture had entire shelves filled with shirts, lunch boxes, and some small posters. Lunsford hasn't seen the movie.

"A lot of people come here looking for memorabilia, and this is pretty much it," he said.

All three films  Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and The Crazies  have been remade, and at least one of the remakes was filmed in Pennsylvania. John Russo, a screenwriter on the original 1968 film, said Evans City just happened to get lucky 50 years ago  it had a farmhouse ready to be demolished and a handful of residents with spare time.

"We weren't out to put Evans City on the map," Russo said. "I do think Evans City should be the Roswell of zombies, though."
Upper Merion police say these five suspects stole several purses on Dec. 13, 2017, April 4, and April 24 from the King of Prussia Mall. The purses had a collective price tag of around $112,000, police said. Read more

Five people are being sought in a series of designer-label shoplifting sprees at the King of Prussia Mall that resulted in a loss of handbags with a collective price tag of about $112,000, according to Upper Merion police.

The crimes are thought to be related, authorities said, adding that a suspect threatened a store employee with violence during one of the thefts. Township police did not specify the date of the threat, but said the suspects stole handbags from several stores on Dec. 13, April 4, and April 24. The handbags were priced from $1,000 to $2,500, with some costing more.

Surveillance footage provided by police shows they are looking for four men and a woman.

Upper Merion Detective Sgt. Patrick Krouse said police would not release the names of the stores involved "out of respect and courtesy to them," and had no other information to provide. Krouse said the suspects struck between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. He did not specify the exact number of purses the suspects stole from the stores or how the crimes were committed. Management at the mall referred all queries to the Upper Merion police.

Krouse said the suspects did not break any display cases or do smash-and-grabs.

Surveillance images provided by police show three cars the suspects allegedly used to escape, according to police. Those cars appear to be a newer-model gray or silver Chevrolet Camaro, a dark gray Chevrolet Malibu, with a possible model year from the last five years, and a white older-model Buick.

Some of the entrances and exits of the King of Prussia Mall are within the mall's upscale department stores: Bloomingdale's, Lord & Taylor, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom. Not too far outside Neiman Marcus in particular, the mall is clustered with luxury shops, such as Saint-Laurent, Philipp Plein, Hugo Boss, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, and Jimmy Choo. Within Neiman Marcus, a purse prominently displayed for sale Friday retailed for more than $4,000.

Anyone with information about the crimes can call Upper Merion police at 610-265-3232, or the department's anonymous tip line at 484-636-3888.
An unidentified man leaps onto the stage as Bernie Sanders speaks during a John Fetterman for lieutenant governor rally at Phila. City Hall in Phila., Pa. on May 4, 2018. Read more

Two self-styled progressives who had campaigned for higher office promising reform  if not a political revolution  met for the first time Friday in Philadelphia.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (Ind., Vt.), who ran in the Democratic primary for president, and Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, who was sworn into office in January, sat side by side in a Center City television studio, participating in a panel discussion that centered on criminal justice reform but also touched on the similar political forces that propelled both men into the national spotlight.

The appearance before a studio audience  the first time the political firebrands have appeared together  was the first in a series of events around the region this weekend for Sanders, who challenged Hillary Clinton for the 2016 presidential nomination and attracted attention for proposals including a $15 minimum wage and universal health care.

Sanders also spoke Friday night at a City Hall rally for John Fetterman, a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, where a protester with a bullhorn climbed onto the stage and berated the senator.

The man, wearing a white T-shirt, black bandanna, and sunglasses, approached within 6 feet of Sanders and shouted something about Russia. He was on stage for at least 30 seconds before Philadelphia police apprehended him after a brief struggle.

Police officials said Friday night they were unable to provide any information on the suspect.

Sanders was scheduled to appear Saturday with two Democratic congressional candidates in Allentown.

Although Sanders had expressed support for Krasner during the district attorney's race  and Krasner did not shy away from comparisons to the senator  Krasner's office said the two men had not previously met despite their shared appeal among left-leaning voters.

The panel discussion also featured Premal Dharia, director of litigation at Civil Rights Corps, an advocacy group, and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. It was moderated by journalist Daniel Denvir and broadcast live on Facebook.

The talk centered on familiar themes for Krasner: making changes to cash bail, sentencing recommendations, and specifying the cost of incarceration. Sanders was complimentary of those efforts, saying they constituted the beginning of a national wave to bring about change to a system that all panelists described as broken.

"We have a broken criminal justice system that is begging, begging for real reform," Sanders said. "And the good news [is]  we are seeing here in Philadelphia, and all around the country, the beginning of an effort to bring about significant reform."

Staff writer Tom Avril and staff photographer Elizabeth Robertson contributed to this article.
MOSCOW  A joke I heard repeatedly during two weeks in Russia hints at what we should expect from Vladimir Putin's fourth term as president, which begins Monday.

One Russian academic admitted, "This joke isn't really funny." But it does reveal the difficulties America will face in dealing with Putin in the coming six years (compounded by Donald Trump's strange affection for the Russian strongman).

Angry at new Western sanctions, the joke goes, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov tells the minister of defense, "Bomb London."

"But my daughter is studying there," the minister complains.

"OK, bomb New York."

"But my son is working there," another cabinet minister interjects.

"Then bomb Voronezh," Lavrov finally snaps, referring to a Russian provincial city.

Among the Russian intelligentsia, the meme "Bomb Voronezh" means that Putin's reactions to sanctions hurt ordinary Russians more than they do the West.

On the surface, Moscow doesn't look as though it is hurting. Throughout the city, glitzy malls feature high-end Western brands of clothing and furniture. A wall plaque of Lenin not far from the Kremlin sits next to a huge glass window splashed with the Valentino label. Fancy restaurants and coffee houses are full.

But the Russian ruble has slid as sanctions have taken hold, badly hurting ordinary Russians. A professor may make only around a thousand dollars a month, with salaries in the provinces far lower.

>> READ MORE: Generation Putin: Young Russians, who have never known life without him, imagine their future

During my stay, the Russian Duma proposed banning the import of Western medicines in retaliation to sanctions, although many of these meds are essential for Russians. (In retaliation for previous sanctions imposed by Congress, the Duma banned U.S. adoptions of Russian orphans.) Truly, perfect examples of "Bomb Voronezh."

Moreover, Putin's hostility to Facebook and Twitter  which he views as U.S. tools to overthrow autocrats  encourages those in the Kremlin who want to take full control of social media and ban foreign internet servers. "For Putin, the internet is the enemy," says Alexander Baunov, editor-in-chief of Carnegie.ru. "He has no internet account, never."

That kind of thinking led to the Russian government's disastrous attempt last month to shut down the Telegram messaging app.

The "Bomb Voronezh" meme also hits at the hypocrisy of top Kremlin officials and pro-Putin oligarchs whose kids work or study in Western capitals. Ordinary Russians  academics, students, business people, those with relatives in America  must now wait for many months to get a U.S. visa. That's because of Russia's imposition of massive staff reductions at the American embassy, which was Moscow's response to last year's congressional sanctions over Russian election meddling in 2016.

>> READ MORE: Can Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny use social media to combat Putin's presidency-for-life?

But the meme also has a bigger geopolitical meaning.

Putin's anger has grown at what he considers Western disrespect for Russian sovereignty and greatness. "Putin is after something he can never get," says Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center. "He wants to be respected as a co-equal of the United States. There is a bit of obsession in his mind about the U.S."

In his search for Russian greatness, the Russian leader has enmeshed his country in foreign ventures  Ukraine, cyber-trolling, election meddling  that have boomeranged badly. The resulting Western sanctions, along with much lower energy prices, have fueled economic stagnation in Russia.

"The non-oil sectors of the economy are going down," says Andrey Movchan, director of the Economic Policy Program at Carnegie Russia. "Entrepreneurs, businessmen, don't invest because no one knows what comes next. Banks don't loan. Many companies are sold to the state. "

The real problem, says Movchan, is the sanctions' impact on Russian access to needed technologies for oil extraction, avionics, lasers, extraction of shale, and other uses. This will impact Russia's future.

In his State of the Union speech after Russian elections in March, Putin promised to advance high-tech and private business. But just about every Russian expert with whom I spoke said Putin has been making similar promises for his entire 18 years as president and prime minister, but has yet to deliver. Such modernization is even more unlikely if the Russian president further isolates Russia from the West.

>> READ MORE: Report from Moscow: Russian TV news exacerbates disconnect between Putin and the U.S.

The bottom line: Putin's foreign adventures  and the resulting sanctions  have undermined Russia's economy and threaten its future modernization.

Yet there is little sign that the Kremlin is ready to back off  or admit to  the behavior that led to sanctions: whether the continued military venture in Ukraine, or cyber-meddling, or murdering opponents.

So far, the Russian public accepts Putin's behavior. Focus groups by reputable pollsters such as the Levada Center find that 80 percent approve of the activities of the current president, seeing him as a symbol of Russian resurgence. This despite 41 percent, mainly among poorer Russians, saying they want a radical change in the economy to give them a better life.

Aided by state television and intense internet propaganda, Putin has created the impression that there is no alternative to him, and that he is pushing back against Western efforts to destroy Russia.

But that raises the question of how he will distract Russians if his overseas ventures continue to alienate the West and result in more sanctions. Someone has to be blamed for economic stagnation. Putin can't admit he is hurting his own.

>> READ MORE: Report from Moscow: After missile strike, will Trump or Putin be seen as the winner?

"No one knows how anti-Americanism in such a high degree, combined with World War III rhetoric, combined with a stagnating economy, will work in the next year," says political analyst Konstantin Gaaze.

More educated, urban Russians may joke about "Bomb Voronezh." But Putin needs to give the hinterland a better reason for its problems. That means not only repressing "enemies" at home, but seeking them abroad. So we should expect deepening tensions between Russia and the West.
Claire Hart, of Grassroots PR, assesses the potential for balcony housing systems to take off in the UK.

In the UK, 92% of pig production comes from about 1,600 assured farms, including 10 corporate companies.

British pig production systems range from indoor units, straw-based and slatted, to a whole range of outdoor units. The systems preferred in the UK are very different from those used worldwide, where balcony systems are finding favour, particularly in the Netherlands and Scandinavia.

However, this could be about to change with interest in the system growing in the UK. Significantly, at the end of April, Red Tractor issued new guidance for members wishing to install them.

What is a pig housing balcony?

A housing deck provides a balcony structure within the pen and a ramp, which allows pigs to easily access the upper area, which is made from one of three materials: concrete, composite and plastic.

All manure produced on the balcony is collected underneath and directed into the tank below the room.

This system increases the floor area for pigs and effectively provides a lying/resting area within the pen, in addition to being a cost-effective way to gain extra space allowance per pig without increasing the overall pen footprint.

The first balcony systems were introduced in the Netherlands around 20 years ago, although their use dwindled as it became easier to build outwards. That was until expansion options became more limited, and, amid a sharper welfare focus, balconies were resurrected in continental Europe.

Dutch manufacturer Van Osch Uden reported that 40 farms have installed the system in the last two years.

Company director Bart van Osch said: With the introduction of the star rating for animal welfare, it became necessary to give stock more space. Many farmers could no longer extend outwards so this system was a good option. We have spent many years perfecting the system, working with a group of 10 farmers and other stakeholders, such as equipment manufacturers, to get more specific information, which helped us to fine tune our system and iron out problems.

Differing welfare regulations stipulate a larger surface area per pig is required in the Dutch systems, where 0.8 sq.m per pig weighing up to 110kg is required for growing and 1 sqm per finishing pig, as opposed to the smaller 0.6 sq.m set as an EU minimum requirement. This has led some farmers to find practical ways to increase space within existing buildings rather than decreasing herd size.

The balcony system also provides a more interactive and varied environment for the pigs, with all the benefits of improved welfare and productivity, according to the team at the Sterksel Swine Innovation Centre, which is part of the Wageningen University in central Netherlands. The SIC team have been looking at developing the optimum balcony system since 2000, working closely with farmers, researchers, animal protection agencies and the government.

The latest design was launched in 2015 and is a system that has also now been trialled in Ireland and the UK.

Environment enrichment

Initially, the Sterksel trials found that 95% of pigs in the pen used the balcony, with no negative impacts reported on animal health and performance, including growth, feed conversion ratio, meat quality or lameness. In addition, it was easier for pigs to avoid aggression. They quickly learned how to use the balcony and evade the bullies.

The balcony system also allowed for provision of enrichment, such as scratching devices, and the team at Sterksel is now investigating the benefits of providing straw and other types of enrichment on the balconies. Such materials should be edible, chewable, investigable and manipulable, (objects such as floor toys, hanging toys and chains do not meet the requirements).

This has the added benefit of dealing with the issue of tail-biting. Although no scientific research has been done, anecdotal evidence shows definite advantages. A set-up in Germany split piglets into two groups in the same indoor building, the balcony system pigs had no issues with head butting or tail-biting at all, while the traditionally housed half did not fare so well.

Possible pitfalls

In most cases, as the system is retro-fitted into an existing house, the ventilation system may not be designed for an increase in the number of pigs within the house. The balcony can cause issues with air movement within the house (dead air pockets), and a higher number of pigs can affect the rate of air turnover/temperature control, making the pigs more vulnerable to respiratory diseases.

It is important to get the ventilation system and capacity right and ensure a good climate in the building. This can be achieved by having some slatted areas in the balcony in order to allow airflow to reach areas underneath and avoid stagnation.

That said, with a good ventilation system installed, it is possible to create temperature differences above and below, further enhancing welfare conditions.

Some farmers feel that because of these issues, the balconies should be used to increase space allowance per pig rather than the number of pigs per room. There also needs to be a system to prevent manure and urine falling to the floor below. In the system offered by GE Baker (Quality Equipment) in Bury St Edmunds, there is a 5% slope towards the back wall with a manure opening (5cm for piglets, 8cm for fatteners) to enable waste to fall down

the back.

Farmers also reported that it was a more labour intensive system and took longer to check stock, clean and fold up the balconies.

For anyone considering this option, there needs to be a minimum of 4 metres in depth to allow for the ramp/stairs, and the width is in 3m sections.

Cost and welfare standards

It is evident that a farmer would not be able to build the same square metre increase in space (even if they had the land available) without planning permission.

In the Netherlands, the cost to install the system is approximately 100 to 150 (89 to 133)/sq.m for finishers and 70 to 90 (62 to 80)/sq.m for weaners (excluding VAT).

The balcony system is recognised and approved by the Dutch Society for The Protection of Animals and producers can obtain a better Leven Star Quality mark as a result.

A couple of UK building suppliers have this type of system available already, but producers considering installing a balcony system are advised to check that they meet assurance scheme requirements. It is advisable to speak to the certification scheme before installing.

Is it approved in the UK?

The Red Tractor scheme, covering 90% of UK production, has just issued new guidance on balcony systems, after the pigs schemes Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) considered the suitability of the Dutch system in relation to scheme standards.

If you are considering changing your pig housing, please ensure you remain compliant with the standards, a Red Tractor spokesperson said.

NPA chief executive Zoe Davies, who worked with the TAC to develop the new standard, said: The balcony system looks very interesting and certainly has the potential to deliver economic benefits for producers, without comprising on animal welfare.

In principle, I think it could provide a useful solution to people who are looking to reduce their stocking density and provide the pigs with an added dimension to the pen. They are already being used in other EU countries and so it is important UK producers can take advantage of the system if they want to, provided they follow Red Tractors installation guidance.

Detailed guidance can be found on the Red Tractor website.

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Unlikely tragedies occur every day, but some of these devastating scenarios can be preventable with the proper knowledge.

The Cape Coral Police Department, Cape Coral Fire Department, Cape Coral Yacht Club Pool and Parks and Recreation are sharing information to decrease aquatic-related accidents with the seventh annual Water Safety Day on Saturday.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Yacht Club Beach Pavilion at 5819 Driftwood Parkway.

Cape Coral Fire Department spokesperson Andrea Schuch said water-related tragedies are a real concern in Lee County and across the state of Florida.

Drowning is the second leading cause of death in children ages 1 to 14 after motor vehicle accidents. Florida has the highest unintentional drowning deaths in ages 1 to 4 in the country. Lee County is No. 3 in child drowning deaths in Florida. Florida has more pools per square mile than any other state, said Schuch.

Various presentations will be put on by CCPD and CCFD including a CPR demonstration, paddling safety, sun safety, safety precautions around the pool, drowning prevention, life jacket fittings and rescue dive gear.

A big part of this awareness day is making it fun for the kids.

We will have lots of hands-on activities for children, Schuch said.

Passport cards will be passed out to be completed at each table where children learn a water safety lesson.

Prizes and giveaways will also be part of the day, including a poster contest, passport card winners and a raffle for free swim lessons.

Kids fingerprinting is another activity in which kids can take part.

This is a fun, family-friendly event. There are demonstrations including CPR and kayak self-rescue. The CCPD will have their Jet Skis and the CCFD will have a fire truck for visitors to tour. The CCFD fire boat will also spray water from offshore for visitors to see. There will be a number of tables with water safety displays for guests to visit. There are also door prizes and a poster contest. Kids can draw a water safety poster and enter it in the contest to win prizes, Schuch said.

Each year more than 150 residents attend Water Safety Day, and they hope to see the turnout continue to grow.

If you are not able to attend this event, Schuch has some advice for parents and children alike.

Practice the ABCs of water safety: A  Adult supervision. It is important to have a designated water watcher. B -Barriers. Barriers include door alarms and pool gates. C  CPR and Emergency Response. We recommended everyone learn CPR.

This event is made possible by donations from the Police Benevolent Association and the Fraternal Order of Police.
Registration is now open for middle and high school students who wish to take virtual summer courses through Lee Virtual School.

Lee Virtual School Principal Al Shilling said they are offering virtual courses for original credit in grades 7 through 12, which are the core academic areas of English, math, science and social studies. In addition, drivers education and HOPE (health, occupation and physical education) are also available as summer courses.

The single most requested virtual course in Lee County is HOPE because students do not have to change for the course. Shilling said the course centers around a fitness log, doing exercises while keeping track of executing it the correct way through videos and images. In addition, HOPE explores an in-depth look at physiology, as well as topics relating to what one should eat and behave.

Theres a lot of information about unhealthy choices, lifestyle type of stuff, he said.

The second most requested course is drivers education because students have the ability to take the drug and alcohol portion, which is required for a license, online for $40, as well as take one stab at doing their permit test free online.

Students who are interested in signing up for the courses must do so no later than Monday, May 14, through their guidance counselor, or online at lvip.leeschools.net.

Schilling said the courses will be taught by 12 teachers.

Within our program for the summer we do have a cap based on the number of teachers for what we have for a program, he said of how many students can register for one course. We are a franchise for Florida Virtual School. We are able to overflow the students to Florida Virtual School.

Unfortunately with this option, students have to get in line with every other student in the state of Florida to get the same class.

When a student takes a course from Florida Virtual School a portion of the FTE, one-twelfth, which is about $430, never comes here. It goes to Florida Virtual School. It is deducted from money here, he explained. We are trying to do what we can to have better due diligence to save money.

Lee Virtual School typically has about 350 full-time students and just under 2,000 part-time students. The part-time students consist of middle school and high school students taking one or more of their scheduled classes online.

Throughout the school year, Shilling said the part-time students are taking classes that are either not offered at their school, taking an advanced course, or retaking a class.

Schilling said next year they are coordinating with fourth and fifth graders at the Alva School to offer a middle school keyboarding course to teach them about typing and organizing files.

The virtual courses are an online interactive workbook with a very high degree of teacher, student interaction. He said there are no textbooks.

A student works and reads through material, as well as various exercises, such as projects, quizzes and essays. At the end of the module, the student has to complete a discussion-based assessment.

Its one of the ways we have to make sure the students are doing the work, Shilling said.

The students are provided with a pace chart, which deciphers how much work they need to complete in a week. For a regular semester its typically three or four assignments a week over the 16-week course.

For summer classes, which are eight-week courses, students are responsible for six to eight assignments a week to finish a full course.

The summer semester begins Monday, June 4, and ends July 24.
A cowboy service will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday at Cherry Grove United Methodist Church.

Cowboy church is nondenominational and another way of spreading Gods message through music. The service includes a mix of country, Christian country, cowboy, southern gospel and bluegrass music.

New musicians are welcome, but should contact Cindy Seabright at seabright.cindy@gmail.com or 507-272-1682 one week prior to the service, which usually is the first Sunday of the month.

Cherry Grove United Methodist Church is at 18183 160th St., in the small community of Cherry Grove in rural Spring Valley. Cherry Grove Church is handicapped accessible.

Salad luncheon set for Sunday

CHATFIELD  The Pilot Mound WELCAs annual salad luncheon will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at Pilot Mound Lutheran Church.

The menu includes scalloped potatoes with ham, assorted salads, rolls, dessert and beverages.

Cost is $10 for adults and $3 for children 6-12. Children younger than 6 are free.

Interfaith prayer service set

An interfaith prayer service will be held 4 p.m. Sunday in the Lourdes Chapel at Assisi Heights Spirituality Center.

Sponsored by the Rochester Interfaith Immigrant Rights Coalition, the public is invited to join prayer for justice and compassion for all immigrants.

Using the theme, "Your prayer is our prayer  we are all brothers and sisters," the prayer service will begin with personal testimonies, time for silent reflection, music and special prayers offered by a number of different faith traditions.

Assisi Heights Spirituality Center is at 1001 14th St. NW in Rochester.

Where does Bible come from?

Part two of a four-part discussion entitled "Where Did the Bible Come From?" begins 5:30 p.m. Monday at St. James Coffee, 4156 18th St. NW, in Rochester.

Facilitated by Katherine Letellieron, the discussion will continue on four successive Monday evenings. Among the questions addressed are what is the Bible and when was it created? Who created the Bible and how were the books selected? What about the translations: Greek, Hebrew and Latin?

Spend Ten Months at border

The public is invited to "Ten Months at the Border," a presentation about living in solidarity with the poor on the U.S.-Mexican border.

The program runs 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at Assisi Heights Spirituality Center, 1001 14th Street Northwest, in Rochester.

Jane Greiling, a Rochester area resident and retired nurse, will discuss her service at Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas, which has provided accompaniment and advocacy to the poorest of the migrants and refugees.
W isconsin Dells, a premier Midwest tourism center that attracts some 4 million visitors a year, is known as the Waterpark Capital of the U.S., with more than 40 outdoor and indoor venues. And it isnt resting on his laurels for the 2018 summer vacation season.

The Dells is making a big splash in debuting a new waterslide at the Noahs Ark waterpark, which already is the countrys largest featuring more than 50 rides and attractions spread out over 70 acres.

The new slide will be the longest and tallest of its kind in the world  titled "Raja: the Worlds Largest King Cobra."

According to the Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau, the new attraction will make for a spectacular visual, with a vivid cobra design embedded right in the fiberglass. Riders will race side-by-side on two-person tubes from six stories up, snaking through more than 335 feet of twists and turns at speeds of up to 30 mph, with a sudden 37-foot plunge into the mouth of the massive king cobra serving as the rides finale.

Also, according to the Convention Bureau, there are several other new attractions on tap for this year.

A new wedding venue  the Vennebu Hill Wedding Barn and Event Venue  is set on a hill with views of the Baraboo Bluffs and Wisconsin River. Another project is a 40,000 square foot addition to the Sunday Inn and Spa. A grand opening in the summer will be a highlight of Sundaras 15th anniversary year.

Yet another project is the new Fairfield Inn and Suites which offers 105 rooms and amenities, including conference space. And, into the future, Kalahari Resorts and Conventions has broken ground on a 112,000 square-foot expansion to its convention center and sthe International Crane Foundation has announced a $10 million expansion to include a new visitor enter expanded crane exhibits and renovations.

Space enthusiasts book hotel rooms

Wealthy space enthusiasts are paying $80,000 deposits to secure spots in the solar systems first-ever space hotel which could accept guests starting in 2022, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

Aurora Station, the brainchild of Orion Span based in Houston and Silicon Valley sold four months of reservations within 72 hours of being announced recently. Te modular space station would allow guests to float in zero gravity, grow food to take home as a souvenir and see 16 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours.

The hotel will host six people at a time and guests would get a 12-day journey for $9.5 million. The refundable deposit of $80,000 is required to reserve a spot in the yet-to-be-built 43-1/2-foot-long hotel. Before strapping into a spaceship, tourists would visit Houston to train, according to the newspaper article.
Caroline Glick makes a point about Israels haul of Iranian documents that I havent seen expressed elsewhere: The physical seizure and removal of these documents by Israeli forces exposed not only the Iranian regimes perfidy, but also its weakness.

Put simply:

The Jews breached [the regimes] vaunted defenses and made off with a half ton of incriminating documents without being discovered. There can be no greater humiliation.

That Israel intended to humiliate the regime is clear from the fact that it went to the trouble of removing hard copies. Glick explains that Israels enemies acknowledge its technological prowess, but claim that Israel resorts to cyber warfare and other indirect assaults because it is too afraid to have its soldiers face the enemy on a physical battlefield.

This narrative is undercut by the fact that Israels most impressive military victories predate its large technological edge. But myth or not, the narrative is capable of inspiring Israels enemies.

The physical seizure and removal from Iranian soil of so much top secret paper required great courage and resourcefulness. Thus, it is likely to demoralize the Iranian regime and the internal forces that back it. By the same token, its likely to improve the morale of the regimes opponents. Indeed, says Glick, there are reports that the Arab world responded with glee to Prime Minister Netanyahus speech.

What about the regimes internal opponents? According to Glick, anti-regime protest, widely covered in December and January, have not ended. Rather, they are ongoing  and spreading.

The seizure and removal of the documents does not alter the imbalance for force in Iran between the regime and the protesters. But, Israels stunning intelligence coup and Netanyahus humiliation of the regime might well boost protester morale.

It might also cause the regime to lose confidence in itself, or at least cause important forces previously loyal to the mullahs to lose confidence in the regime. A reevaluation my be in order, one that should also take into account the shift in U.S. attitude and policy wrought by President Trump.

Glick describes the new landscape:

The day before Netanyahu made his presentation, massive air strikes attributed to Israel destroyed bases in Hama and Aleppo, Syria, that housed major Iranian assets. One base was a recruitment and training center for Iranian-organized Shiite militias. The other housed 200 precision-guided Iranian missiles. Whereas Iran responded with threats of retribution after Israel attacked the T-4 airbase outside Palmyra on April 7, its response to Sundays attacks was muted. Between the two attacks, a new reality presented itself to the Iranians. Since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the U.S. consistently shielded Iran and its proxies from Israel. In 1982, the US compelled Israel to remove its forces from Beirut. In 2006, the US insisted that Israel accept cease-fire terms in the war with Hezbollah that left Irans Lebanese proxy in charge of south Lebanon and paved the way for its takeover of the government in 2008. During the Obama administration, the U.S. shielded Iran from Israel on multiple fronts. . .[T]he Trump administration has made clear that it has no intention of restraining Israel.

(Emphasis added)

Glick says, and I agree, that the only way to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power without a major war is to overthrow the regime. She believes Netanyahus presentation advanced that goal in a profound way.

Lets hope so.
Tim Ellis was a young partner at the law firm I started with when I left the government in the early 1980s. I worked with him briefly on a pro bono matter. The matter wasnt active long enough for me really to get to know Ellis, but there was no doubting his inquisitiveness, thoroughness, doggedness, and strong sense of justice.

I dont think Ellis would have won any popularity contests among associates at the firm. Years after he left to become a federal judge, former colleagues were still telling Tim Ellis stories. Not all of the stories were flattering or told with affection. However, Im pretty sure everyone who told them respected Ellis. It was hard not to.

I never appeared in Judge T.S. Ellis courtroom across the river in Alexandria, Virginia, but know many litigators who did. He wouldnt have won any popularity contests among these attorneys either, but again, he was well respected.

On the bench, Ellis inquisitiveness, thoroughness, doggedness, and strong sense of justice were on display for all to see. He also favored lengthy, scholarly opinions on a court long known for brevity.

It seemed to me that Ellis was likely to end up on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He would have made a fine appellate judge, but the call never came.

Yesterday, Team Mueller appeared in Judge T.S. Ellis courtroom, the case against Paul Manafort having landed there. I would have paid admission to be present.

From the Reuters account:

A federal judge on Friday sharply criticized Special Counsel Robert Muellers criminal case in Virginia against President Trumps former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and openly questioned whether Mueller exceeded his prosecutorial powers by bringing it. I dont see what relationship this indictment has with anything the special counsel is authorized to investigate, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III in the Eastern District of Virginia said. At a tense hearing at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, the judge said Mueller should not have unfettered power in his Russia probe and that the charges against Manafort did not arise from the investigation into Moscows alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. Its unlikely youre going to persuade me the special counsel has unfettered power to do whatever he wants, said Ellis. . . .

There was more:

During the oral arguments, Ellis repeatedly chided Muellers $10 million budget. He also asked whether [Rod] Rosenstein, who oversees the probe and is considered an important witness into whether Trump tried to obstruct justice, is recused from the case. And he repeatedly claimed that the indictment appeared to serve as a way for Mueller to assert leverage over Manafort. The vernacular, he said is to sing.

Ellis was blunt, as always. You dont really care about Mr. Manaforts bank fraud, he told Dreeben. Rather, the prosecution is interested in Manafort because of his potential to provide material that would lead to Trumps prosecution or impeachment.

Ellis clearly isnt eager to be enlisted for this purpose. Though he did not issue a ruling on Manaforts motion to dismiss the indictment, he did ask why a run-of-the-mill bank fraud case with no reference to any Russian individual or Russian bank could not be handed over to the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Eastern District of Virginia.

As an example, he pointed to the FBIs probe into Trumps personal lawyer Michael Cohen. In that case, he noted, the special counsel turned that matter over to prosecutors in Manhattan.

Dreeben declined to discuss the Cohen case, but said that Muellers probe into Manafort was authorized by Rosenstein. No one who has worked with or litigated before Ellis would have been surprised by what happened next:

Ellis balked, saying Dreebens answer essentially means the Justice Department was not really telling the truth about the probe and invites someone to respond by saying, Come on, man! Dreeben also stressed that Rosenstein wrote another memo two months later, in August 2017, explicitly granting Mueller the power to investigate Manaforts Ukraine dealings years before the 2016 election. Ellis complained that the bulk of that August memo he has received was highly redacted. He directed Muellers office to take two weeks to consult with U.S. intelligence agencies to see if they will sign off so that he can personally review a sealed, unredacted version of the memo. Dreeben told him the redacted portions did not pertain to the Manafort case. Ill be the judge, Ellis said.

James Freeman of the Wall Street Journal summarizes the situation this way:

The judge is not just searching for an explanation as to how the Manafort prosecution relates to Russia and the 2016 election. He also wants to know just how far the special counsels authority extends. Team Mueller doesnt want to tell him.

After all these years, Ellis remains as inquisitive, thorough, dogged, and outraged by the hint of injustice as ever. Its about time Team Mueller had to explain itself to someone like that.
This Boston Globe story about John Kerry offers a perfect window into the constellation of forces that are determined to frustrate President Trumps policies: Kerry quietly seeking to salvage Iran deal he helped craft.

John Kerrys bid to save one of his most significant accomplishments as secretary of state took him to New York on a Sunday afternoon two weeks ago, where, more than a year after he left office, he engaged in some unusual shadow diplomacy with a top-ranking Iranian official. He sat down at the United Nations with Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to discuss ways of preserving the pact limiting Irans nuclear weapons program.

This is remarkable. John Kerry is a former Secretary of State, now out of office, while Javad Zarif is the current Foreign Minister of Iran. They are allies, obviously, but does the Globes reporter not understand the deep weirdness of what Kerry is up to?

It isnt just Kerry, either:

With the Iran deal facing its gravest threat since it was signed in 2015, Kerry has been on an aggressive yet stealthy mission to preserve it, using his deep lists of contacts gleaned during his time as the top US diplomat to try to apply pressure on the Trump administration from the outside.

***

Kerry also met last month with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and hes been on the phone with top European Union official Federica Mogherini, according to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to reveal the private meetings. Kerry has also met with French President Emmanuel Macron in both Paris and New York, conversing over the details of sanctions and regional nuclear threats in both French and English.

So Kerry is meeting with a number of foreign officials in order to frustrate President Trumps foreign policy. The Globe acknowledges that Kerrys diplomacy, conducted in opposition to United States foreign policy, is rare and unusual, but hastens to assure us that it doesnt violate the Logan Act.

What is most revealing, I think, is the constellation of forces arrayed against our president:

Kerry is coordinating his push with a group of officials who were his top advisers at the State Department, and who helped craft and negotiate the Iran deal in the first place. The group, called Diplomacy Works, has an advisory council that includes lead Iran-deal negotiator Wendy Sherman, former State Department chief of staff Jon Finer, and former spokeswoman Jen Psaki. The group claims to be responsible for 100 news articles, 34 television and radio hits, and 37 opinion pieces on the Iran question. They do fact checks of criticisms of the agreement and blast them out to an e-mail list of nearly 4,000 policy makers and foreign policy experts. But the group determined that the most influential voices would not be Democrats, and instead would focus on Europeans, Israelis, and nonpartisan experts to try and salvage the deal, according to a person involved in the effort. As a sign of the their success, Kerry has pointed to an April 25 letter signed by 26 former top-ranking Israeli military and security officials urging the United States to stay in the agreement. Our effort is self-aware, said David Wade, a longtime Kerry adviser who was chief of staff at the State Department and is helping advise Diplomacy Works. We are in uncharted waters. The bipartisan, traditional foreign policy community remains on the presidents enemies list from 2016. This isnt President Obamas agreement. Its the worlds agreement, he added. Maybe Macron, Merkel, and Great Britain can persuade the administration, but if they cant theyll be even more essential to protecting the deal absent the United States. We know these voices are powerful. They have an audience with the president and our allies are popular at home. The president doesnt listen much to the voices of the foreign policy establishment. And they dont really know how to reach him through conservative media.

That sentence is pretty funny if you think about it. Meanwhile, some are asking, where is President Obama?

Its a legitimate question to ask why is Obama not out front with the cognoscenti. But those arent the ones Trump cares about anyway, Kurtzer said. My guess is the phone has been ringing off the hook between European leaders and Obama. The Europeans are trying. Theyre giving it their best shot. A spokeswoman for Obama declined to comment on whether the former president is doing anything to preserve the Iran deal.

The Globe feels obliged to mention Prime Minister Netanyahus presentation on the captured Iranian nuclear documents, but only long enough to quote Kerrys absurd assertion that the documents are nothing new and show that the Iran agreement is working. Actually, the agreement required Iran to come clean about its nuclear program as a condition for the Western states entering into it, and the documents show that Iran lied. In the law business, we call this fraud in the inducement, and it entitles a partyi.e., usto rescind an agreement.

The Globe happily positions itself on the side of John Kerry, the American Left, various Europeans and the Iranian mullahs in endorsing the farcical Iran deal. (We give Iran $100 billion and sanctions relief today, in exchange for Irans promise not to develop nuclear weapons until such time as they change their minds.) The only rays of hope in the Globes account are its references to the president:

A former Obama White House official said there is little to be gained by aiming the effort directly at Trump. At least from our network, youre not going to find messages aimed at him directly, said the official. It would be counterproductive. Anything with our brand attached to it, hell run in the opposite direction.

Good God, I should hope so!
John Kerry has colluded with the Iranian regime to preserve the Iran deal from its prospective undoing by the president of the United States. Matt Viser calls it shadow diplomacy in his Boston Globe article breaking the story. Isnt this the kind of thing for which then Acting Attorney Sally Yates sicced the FBI on Michael Flynn? Because it allegedly violated the Logan Act? Why, yes, it is. (I requested a comment from Yates this morning via email.)

Yates wont be talking to me, Im pretty sure, but we can to turn to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes on this one. Im with him.

OMG! Logan Act violations!! Send in the G Men https://t.co/FA1dydJGQb  Devin Nunes (@DevinNunes) May 4, 2018

My purpose here, and I do have one, is to note the figure in the carpet of Kerrys career. I am grateful that Seth Lipsky has written the column Kerrys collusion saving me the trouble. Seth writes:

This has been Mr. Kerrys modus operandi since, as a young lieutenant just out of the Navy and in the middle of a war, he began freelancing foreign policy. Back then, he snuck off to Paris and met with, among others, representatives of our active wartime enemy, the Viet Cong. Then he came back to America and plumped for their talking points. Later, he testified against American troops before the Senate Foreign Relations committee. Thats how Mr. Kerrys career was launched. Now hes using the same modus operandi to treat with Mr. Zarif to save a deal that even the New York Times concedes was opposed overwhelmingly by the United States Congress. And that was tested in the recent election. It pitted, in Hillary Clinton, a one-time state secretary who supported the articles of appeasement with Iran. Mr. Trump opposed the deal and threatened to tear it up. America thought about this carefully and elected Mr. Trump. He has refused to certify Iranian compliance, and now he is deciding his next step (weve long since endorsed withdrawal). The baldness of Mr. Kerrys breach, though, is in particularly sharp relief, because it takes place amid an effort by the Democrats to overturn the election on the allegation  yet to be leveled in court  that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. Mr. Kerry is not working entirely in secret. The Boston Globe reports that he has briefed members of Congress, among others, on what he is doing. These, it reports, include the Speaker, Paul Ryan, an opponent of the deal. Mr. Kerry is, though, working with our adversary, Iran, and with various Europeans, who joined President Obamas envoy at the United Nations in voting for the Iran appeasement, though they knew both houses of Congress were against it. So what word would one use in respect of Mr. Kerry than collusion? And with whom? In Iran, it is an undemocratic state, run by an anti-Semitic camarilla of religious extremists who are preparing an arsenal to deliver weapons of mass destruction against Israel and an America they like to call Satan. So one can put Mr. Kerry down with the rest of the never-Trump faction that seeks to resist  or, in Mr. Kerrys case  suborn a democratic decision by Americas states.

It is probably not out of place to add here that Kerry had been wrong on just about every foreign policy issue he has addressed in the course of a long public career, stretching back to 1971. As an undergraduate, I saw him speaking at Dartmouth on the second floor of Hopkins Center peddling the vicious lies that turned him into a national celebrity. Lo, these many years later, his treachery continues unabated.
Senior United States District Judge T.S. Ellis III has been assigned one of the pending criminal cases  the one transferred to the Eastern District of Virginia  brought by the Special Counsel against Paul Manafort. In a hearing on the motion brought by Manafort to dismiss the charges as beyond the authority of the Special Counsel, Judge Ellis unloaded. As James Freeman puts it in his Best of the Web column this afternoon, Judge Ellis is old enough to remember when Justice Department special counsel Robert Muellers investigation was about alleged Russian collusion. Now the judge wants to know why Mr. Muellers signature prosecution doesnt appear to have anything to do with it. FOX News reports on the hearing here, Reuters here, Bloomberg here, Politico here, CNN here.

The case before Judge Ellis consists of tax and bank fraud charges that not only have nothing to do with alleged Russian collusion, but also predate the 2016 presidential campaign by a decade. It turns they have also previously been under investigation by the United States Attorney for the District, though not brought until they turned out to be of use to Mueller.

I dont see what relationship this indictment has with anything the special counsel is authorized to investigate, Judge Ellis said. He decried Muellers apparently unfettered power. He did not find the power to prosecute Flynn in the May 2017 appointment order, which directed him to pursue links between Russia and the Trump campaign, as well as any matter that arose or may arise directly from the investigation. He said that Mueller improperly took over existing Justice Department investigations into Manafort without adequately explaining what connection it had to the Russia probe.

Freeman derives this observation from the news reports The judge is not just searching for an explanation as to how the Manafort prosecution relates to Russia and the 2016 election. He also wants to know just how far the special counsels authority extends. Team Mueller doesnt want to tell him.

Judge Ellis doesnt find what hes looking for in the May 2017 memo by Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein. Team Mueller was represented at the hearing by former deputy solicitor general Michael Dreeben. At the hearing Dreeben took a drubbing. Asserting that Muellers authority is even broader than the mandate given 2017 memo, Dreeben claimed that national security precluded a full accounting of Muellers authority.

Dreeben cited Rosensteins August 2017 memo  covered by Andrew McCarthy in this NR column  explicitly granting Mueller the authority to investigate Manaforts Ukraine dealings years before the 2016 election.

Mueller must have given Judge Ellis the same highly redacted copy of the August 2017 memo that is linked above. Judge Ellis wanted to see the whole thing. He gave Mueller two weeks to consult with intelligence agencies to determine whether they can confide a sealed, unredacted version of the memo with him.

Dreeben told him the redacted portions did not pertain to the Manafort case. Ill be the judge, Ellis said.

CNN quotes Judge Ellis: You dont really care about Mr. Manaforts bank fraud. Judge Ellis demonstrated his grasp of what Ive been calling the Mueller Switch Project. He said prosecutors were interested in Manafort only because of his potential to provide material that would lead to President Trumps prosecution or impeachment.

I dont know where were going here, but Im enjoying the ride. I am immensely gratified to find a responsible judge giving voice to his revulsion over the production engineered by James Comey, Rod Rosenstein, and Robert Mueller.

Judge Ellis was appointed to the bench by President Reagan in 1987. He reminds us in his own way of the importance of President Trump appointing judges to current judicial vacancies and gutting out the Democrats obstruction of judicial appointees as quickly as possible.
MERAPATIENT APP PLANS

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Udaipur  Jaipur based, MeraPatient app, one of its kind aggregator platform in healthcare industry, plans to expand its presence in ten more cities of the country including Delhi and Mumbai.

The apps pilot was launched in Jaipur in August last year has 10000 users and the company is looking for investment of Rs. 20 crore for human resource and infrastructure development in metros and mini-metros. Currently company is in talks with venture capitalists to raise the required funds. In the first phase the app will be launched in 10 cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune and three more cities till 2019, its founder Manish Mehta said.

With the nation-wide network of certified chemists shops and diagnostic centers, the app creates a demand and supply situation on the Smartphone screen that empowers users to buy medicines and conduct tests at diagnostic labs as per the choice, he said.

The user of the app can search the nearby chemist shops and diagnostic centers and can purchase medicines as well as book appointments for the tests by uploading doctors prescription on the app. On the other side, the chemists and diagnostic labs get alerts on the demand from the users and they have to offer a combination of availability, price-discounts and home delivery options.

The app also features a panic button which provides a chance to overcome users in trouble or in panic situation as an alert along with location of the person in trouble is sent to pre-filled five family members mobile numbers. Mehta said that the alert sound is audible even if the phones are on vibration so that the person can respond immediately.

With e-pharmacies coming up in a big way in the country, livelihood of about 8.5 lakh offline pharmacies are at risk of losing business. MeraPatient app is empowering such pharmacists by helping them reaching out to their own regular patients/customers more effectively and serve them at their doorstep, said Mehta.







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Foreign exchange market

Bitcoin Exchange Rate Goes Up Rapidly, Over $9600 Already

Over the last few days, the Bitcoin exchange rate has been going up continuously. On Thursday, the rate conquered two strong levels of resistance at 9300 and 9400 dollars respectively. On Friday morning, the rate changed to 9600 dollars and continued its way up to new local highs. All in all, Bitcoin has appreciated by more than 4% over the last 24 hours. Its market cap is well over 163 billion dollars at this point, which is over 36% of the total cryptocurrency market cap. CoinDesk experts say that in a couple of days the BTC exchange rate may well exceed 10000 USD/BTC for the first time in several months. At the same time, experts say that it was Goldman Sachs who helped Bitcoin grow in value. The thing is that one of the worlds biggest investment banks announced the launch of Bitcoin futures, which was confirmed by New York Times. The futures will become available for trading in a few weeks.

You are free to discuss this article here: forum for traders and investors 



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VWAP Indicator. Usage Peculiarities. In order to get a competitive edge over others and simplify the process of reaching the trading goals, many traders take advantage of a number of helper tools like trading strategies and indicators. Today, we are going to take a closer look at the indicator named Value-Weighted Average Price (VWAP). What are the benefits of using it and why do they recommend using it? Read more 

Forex Consolidation. EUR/USD and GBP/USD The stock market has been ambitious in its attempt to eliminate September's retracement and take the "blue wave" into account but the forex market has been more conservative recently in terms of restoring risky bets. However, when it comes to the stock market, each and every scenario out there eventually boils down to the smart money, which cannot but affect the international currency market. Still, there are many questions to be answered yet, which makes it really difficult to make more or less clear predictions. Read more 

Tape Patterns Indicator Traders often use various kinds of technical indicators these days. The list can be rather long, from popular ones like RIS, MACD etc. to less popular ones like Tape Patterns. Read more 

Bitcoin's Getting Ready For a Strong Rally While Bitcoin could have been more volatile over the recent weeks, the king of cryptocurrencies stoped in the range between 10K and 11K dollars per coin. Do BTC miners know in which way the coin is going in the near future? Read more 

Bloomberg: Crypto Is Better Than Gold In 2020 According to the recent Bloomberg report, cryptocurrencies are way better than gold in terms of investments in 2020. Which is interesting, most cryptocurrencies have been growing much faster than gold this year. It's not a secret that gold is considered a safe-haven asset amid crises. Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index (BGCI) has gained 66% this year,while gold has gained only 20% over the same period. Read more 

Gold Prices Drop Below $1860/oz, Seeing A Major Downtrend On Thursday morning, the spot price of gold dropped roughly down to $1850/oz withing the scope of a strong downtrend started earlier this week, with a strong gap from the consolidation level. The key factors contributing to the price drop was the sudden strengthening of the U.S. Dollar. Read more 

Texas Authorities Spot New Crypto Scams The TSSB, which is the financial regulator of Texas, is reported to have revealed a couple of potential scams in the international market of cryptocurrencies. These are named Forex Birds and PEK Universe. From now on, both of these projects cannot work in Texas anymore. These projects were banned on September, 3rd. Read more 

Cryptocurrencies On Sale: ChainLink and TRON Go Down, Bitcoin Is Stable Wednesday's session is bringing a retracement in the market of digital assets, which is affecting the entire crypto market cap. Chainlink (LINK), TRON (TRX), and Tezos (XTZ) have been the biggest losers over the last 24 hours. They lost 9,7%, 8,7%, and 5,5% respectively. Bitcoins remains stable and one of the very few tokens among the top 20 that are still showing some gains, though modest ones. Read more 

What's Next For Bitcoin? Some analysts argue the future of Bitcoin, also known as the digital gold. Last week, the Winkelvoss brothers stated that the BTC price may skyrocket all the way up to 500.000 dollars per coin in the near future. This opinion is shared by Bloomberg analysts. But on the other hand, Bitcoin may see the opposite scenario, which is a major crash to make it as cheap as dirt. Read more 
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Cryptocurrency users will be able to purchase digital gold straight from the Olympus app by buying DGX tokens from Olympus Labs, thereby being able to hold a traditional asset-backed token using the latest blockchain technology.

DGX will be included in the Olympus crypto index, allowing the crypto users to purchase DGX as part of a larger portfolio with a single tap. The portfolio will include DGX, MOT, KNC, and other tokens supported by Kyber Network, giving cryptocurrency users the ability to easily acquire a diversified portfolio of crypto tokens. The importance of including DGX in an index is that it serves as a relatively uncorrelated asset to the other tokens in the portfolio, potentially reducing overall portfolio volatility, which may protect portfolio values during crypto sell-offs.

With DGX integrated into the Olympus Protocol, DGX tokens can now be included in any custom crypto indexes on the Olympus platform, whether made by the Olympus team, or third-party developers using the Olympus protocol.

We are very excited to partner with Digix, the first few blockchain companies pioneering on Ethereum and creators of DigixDAO, to push the boundaries of blockchain technology and the cryptocurrency revolution. We are honored to be working with such an amazing and forward-thinking team, and we cant wait to see what amazing financial products and D-applications will come from our partnership! said Kai Chen, CEO, Olympus Labs.

DGX is a real-world asset-backed stablecoin, rather than a fiat-backed one, ensuring stability not only during cryptocurrency market turmoil, but also during traditional economic slowdowns. Having a non-fiat backed stablecoin being accessible to Olympus clients and developers would assist in hedging risks and provide the cryptocurrency trading market with a powerful alternative to traditional fiat pairs.

We stick to our ethos in creating a gold backed ERC20 token, namely DGX, as the de-facto stablecoin on the Ethereum blockchain ecosystem. With it being accessible through new dApps such as Olympus Labs encourages adoption and awareness of its stablecoin properties. KC Chng, CEO, DigixGlobal

####

About Olympus Labs:

Olympus Labs is a protocol for the decentralized creation of cryptocurrency financial products with a one-stop-shop mobile application that offers investors the financial products built using the Olympus Protocol.

The Olympus Ecosystem integrates financial product creators, third-party applications, exchanges, and price oracles, and we encourage third-party developers to build their own financial products and D-apps using Olympus Protocol.

About Digix:

Digix is an asset tokenization platform on Ethereum, with physical gold on the Ethereum blockchain being its first use case.

Digix created the Proof of Provenance Protocol (PoP) to track physical assets on blockchain and the DGX token on a fully allocated basis, on which 1 token represents 1 gram of gold bullion from LBMA-approved refiners stored in the vaults in Singapore. The entire asset explorer of gold bullion is publicly accessible by anyone via the Digix Marketplace.

Digix and Olympus Labs believe that such a partnership is timely in propagating a safe haven asset into the crypto-financial ecosystem.

####

For more information about Olympus Labs:

To learn more about the project, please visit http://www.olympuslabs.io.

To invest in the project, you can buy MOT on Kyber and Olympus app, as well as on OKEx, Bibox, FuBT and BTCGO

To support the project, you can join us on social media:

Telegram chat: https://t.me/olympuslabs

Twitter: twitter.com/olympuslabsbc

Wechat: OlympusLabs

For more information about Digix:

Please see our website: https://digix.global
Dont forget to serve. Dont ever take away hope. And I want to remind them how important it is for physicians to take care of themselves.

When Deepa Halaharvi, DO became a breast cancer surgeon in 2014 she said a prayer asking God how she could best serve her patients.

Her prayer was answered, she says with a breast cancer diagnosis of her own.

Being a patient and a physician will teach you a lot, Halaharvi said.

Halaharvi has made national news sharing her story with patients; on May 5th, 2018 Halaharvi will share some of what she has learned with the graduating classes of doctors and students earning a masters in biosciences at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (KCU).

She returns to Kansas City to give the keynote address 10 years after she graduated from KCU with a degree in osteopathic medicine.

I hope to leave them with a little bit of what I have learned since my own graduation day, she explained. Dont forget to serve. Dont ever take away hope. And I want to remind them how important it is for physicians to take care of themselves.

Halaharvis speech will take students through her childhood; one of four children and the only daughter of immigrant parents who arrived from India in the 1980s. She plans to share her story of hard work and sacrifice that finally resulted in a fellowship in breast cancer surgery at Ohio Health. Her speech outlines the thrill of fulfilling her dream of practicing medicine, the fear and suffering that followed her diagnosis and how her experience helps her relate to patients.

As part of the ceremony she will be awarded another degree; a doctorate of humane letters.

I cannot think of a better person to provide the keynote speech at KCUs commencement, said Marc B. Hahn, DO. She represents the values of the university from which she graduated, and has a unique insight on compassion that our graduating physicians and scientists will want to hear.

A total of 250 KCU students from the college of medicine will graduate with degrees in osteopathic medicine. An additional 96 will be awarded masters degrees from the college of biosciences.

Halaharvi wants all of them to remember they will be treating real people, not just symptoms of a disease.

KCUs commencement ceremonies can be viewed live via the KCU YouTube and Facebook page Saturday, May 5, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

About Kansas City University

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, founded in 1916, is a fully accredited, private health sciences university, with a College of Biosciences and a College of Osteopathic Medicine. The College of Osteopathic Medicine is the oldest medical school in Kansas City, Missouri, and the largest in the state. It is the second-leading provider of physicians within the states of Missouri and Kansas.

KCU opened a second medical school in Joplin, Missouri, in 2017 to help address the growing need for primary care physicians in the regions rural communities.

The university also added a doctoral program in clinical psychology in 2017 to meet the growing demand for behavioral health providers in the region.
Author Lawrence King takes H. P. Lovecrafts themes to the next level in his Miskatonic University series of novels. The second book in the series, "Haunted Hills", is now available for review and purchase.

Haunted Hills follows new professor Mac Mackenzie northwest to Vermont in search of a stolen Necronomicon and the secrets it contains. Are the round hills of Vermont really haunted? Is his best friends grandfather really an alien? Mac undertakes an unexpected journey to help the university and, just possibly, save the world.

Exactly 80 years ago, author H. P. Lovecrafts essay on The Necronomicon was posthumously published. The essay contained the fictitious source, but not the delightful horror of this book of spells and demons. The Necronomicon was conceived as an ancient grimoirebut its a book that has outlived its creator to become an enduring part of popular culture. From its shared origin in pulp horror fiction of the 1920s and 1930s, it now has a permanent and contemporary place in TV, stage, film, gaming and fan-fiction. Lovecraft has never been more popular than he is today.

In Haunted Hills, gay protagonist Mac tracks the Necronomicon to Vermont, and beyond, with his best friend Ally. Amid a backdrop of myth and science, he tries to have a summer adventure, pay off student loans, avoid formal dinner parties, and learn the art of applied witchcraft.

Lawrence Kings novels of urban fantasy combine his love of gothic suspense, humor, speculative science, and characters that matter. Haunted Hills is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble in paperback and for electronic readers. You can find Lawrence online at http://www.miskatonic.us. Email him at lawrence@miskatonic.us to request a review copy of the book or for more information.

Praise for Kings first book, Witch Tower:

Witch Tower is amazingly delightful! It is clever and fun the way it mixes science, spirituality, history and love. Its all tied together with fantasy, the power of our dreams, and the scary past of our nations Salem Witch trials. I can't wait to read Lawrence King's next book. He is an author that brings pure joy back to reading. Kevin Rex

this romp through classic sci-fi-horror themes hit the spot! I was fascinated with the physics lab, and was delighted to find [explanations for] the otherwise inexplicable developments. A mystery within a sci-fi world, a re-explanation of a horror world, and further adventures to be revealed in what I hope will be future books. fantasy author Laura Perry

Find out why the themes of H.P. Lovecraft have reanimated a new generation of readers.
Diversified Maintenance received three safety awards for its commitment towards maintaining safety in the workplace. The awards were presented at a luncheon held by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce on April 3, 2018. The ceremony acknowledged companies that demonstrated a successful safety record in the past year.

These awards add to Diversifieds growing list of commendations received in recognition for its excellent safety record. Apart from the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce  from which the company has previously won a Commendation of Excellence Award  Diversified Maintenance has also received the Alabama Department of Labor Award of Superior Achievement, the Oklahoma Department of Labor Safety Award for Excellence, the Georgia Department of Labor Safety Award and the Building Service Contractors Association Overall Safety Award. The criteria for nomination of each award ranged from no lost-time injuries for a period of 24 or more consecutive months and the achievement of a commendable Lost Workday Case Rate to the implementation of an effective health and safety program and the maintenance of overall company and vehicle safety throughout the year.

Safety has always been our top priority at Diversified, stated Renee Robitaille, Director of EHS at Diversified Maintenance. By giving our employees training on the safest and most effective ways of handling chemicals and equipment on-site, we prepare them for worst-case scenarios and create a company culture that places emphasis on the health and physical safety of its workers. In response to the awards received in recognition of the companys safety record, she added, It is an honor to be acknowledged for our efforts; initiatives such as these underscore our commitment towards ensuring that our employees stay safe on the job.

About Diversified Maintenance - RWS, LLC

Established in 1973, Diversified Maintenance  RWS, LLC provides client-focused, facility maintenance solutions to industrial manufacturing plants, multi and single tenant office buildings, company headquarters, distribution centers, educational institutes, logistics facilities, call centers, and data centers. Driven by its strategic principles, the Company goes above and beyond to make sure its operational excellence and specialized facilities maintenance services help businesses run smoothly and seamlessly. For more information, visit http://www.diversifiedM.com. Contact: Ben WeilSenior Director, Marketing & Regional Sales at (205) 251-9249 or bweil@diversifiedM.com
Commercial Truck Trader As they help Commercial Truck Trader continue to grow our OEM relationships, dealers will have more dynamic avenues for inventory exposure and buyers will have more options as they search for products that impact their businesses and livelihood.

Commercial Truck Trader is pleased to announce the addition of industry experts Mike Jennings and Mike Hyde to their team as Regional OEM Managers.

These roles were specifically created to expand Commercial Truck Traders relationships with OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) by ensuring that manufacturers and their dealers are provided with prioritized, personal attention. Jennings and Hyde will work directly with regional representatives for major manufacturers and will also work in conjunction with our Strategic Initiatives Team to grow and foster relationships with existing OEM partners. The creation of these positions highlights the intentional focus and careful consideration Commercial Truck Trader is placing on forming and developing relationships with OEM dealers.

Our new Regional OEM Manager positions will be instrumental in expanding opportunities for dealers and consumers alike, and were thrilled to have Mike Jennings and Mike Hyde join our team, says Shalynn Haddox, Senior Director of Sales. As they help Commercial Truck Trader continue to grow our OEM relationships, dealers will have more dynamic avenues for inventory exposure and buyers will have more options as they search for products that impact their businesses and livelihood.

Jennings and Hyde bring extensive knowledge and experience in fostering industry relationships and supporting dealers using advertising solutions. Jennings joins Commercial Truck Trader after many years at Ford Motor Company, and will support the Northeast, Southeast, and the Eastern part of the country. Hyde has been with Commercial Truck Trader for approximately 14 years and will support the Midwest, Central, and the Western part of the country.

With growing focus on OEM relationships, it's an exciting time to join Commercial Truck Trader, says Jennings. I am very much looking forward to building and strengthening our OEM and dealer partnerships, which are so important.

Says Hyde. I started my career at Commercial Truck Trader as a Sales Account Executive, and look forward to utilizing my dealership and OEM experiences in my new position to build OEM relationships that will ultimately connect more buyers with our sellers.

About Commercial Truck Trader

Commercial Truck Trader is the industry leader serving sellers of light, medium, and heavy duty trucks and trailers. With over 1,000,000 monthly unique visitors to CommercialTruckTrader.com, our main purpose is to bring buyers and sellers together. Commercial Truck Trader is also committed to providing innovative products that help manufacturers and dealers generate leads, drive sales, and maximize profits. For more information about Commercial Truck Trader, please visit http://www.CommercialTruckTrader.com.

About Trader Interactive

Trader Interactive, headquartered in Norfolk, Va., is the leading online classifieds marketplace and marketing software solutions provider to commercial and recreational vehicle dealers. The company, building on decades of success as a marketplace for buyers and sellers, joined a private equity portfolio in 2017 led by Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking and Eurazeo Capital. Trader Interactive has a robust group of business-to-consumer brands including Cycle Trader and RV Trader, and a suite of industry-leading business-to-business brands including Commercial Truck Trader and Equipment Trader. Trader also represents a growing segment of commercial and recreational vehicle dealers through its Commercial Web Services and RV Web Services platform. Trader Interactives marketplace sites attract more than seven million unique visitors monthly. The company supports dealers and manufacturers by providing innovative products that generate leads, drive sales and maximize profits. Trader Interactive has 11 businesses and approximately 300 employees in 26 states.
In its second blockbuster year, G. Edward Griffins Red Pill EXPO will convene in Spokane Washington from June 21 through June 23 to bring to account fake news and fake history.

The EXPO will feature over 24 nationally-known speakers, including G. Edward Griffin, Robert Kiyosaki, Lord Christopher Monckton, Tom DeWeese and Patrick M. Wood.

In addition, the kickoff on Thursday night will feature the world premiere of LAVOY: Dead Man Talking, a film produced by the Center for Self Governance to chronicle the wrongful homicide of Arizona rancher LaVoy Finicum at the hands of Federal and Oregon State Troopers on January 26, 2016.

Red Pill EXPO intends to set the record straight on many false narratives that are causing great harm to our society, according to organizer G. Edward Griffin. Our speakers are widely-acclaimed experts in their respective fields and highly qualified to address topics like the Second Amendment, the deep state, failing education and the buildup of the total surveillance state, he said.

People are coming from all over North America and from several foreign countries, noted Debbie Bacigalupi, the EXPOs Event Coordinator, This is a place where people can network together, hear great speakers and discover that they are not alone, she continued.

Although several hundred people will attend the EXPO in person, the entire event will be live-streamed over the Internet to people around the world. We have tickets to fit every budget and need, said Bacigalupi, including a low-cost streaming option for those who cannot attend in person.

When asked if the organizers are concerned about protestors at the conference, Bacigalupi responded, We expect to attract protestors just like we did last year, but we will work closely with local law enforcement to ensure a safe and uneventful experience for our attendees.

Tickets, travel and lodging information for Red Pill EXPO are available at http://www.RedPillExpo.org.

Red Pill EXPO is a function of Red Pill University and a creation of G. Edward Griffin, founder of Freedom Force International and editor of Need To Know News.

If you would like more information about this topic, please call Victoria Hargreaves at (805) 497-0685

or send email to staff(at)redpillexpo.org.
"As we recognize Skin Cancer Awareness Month, we must continue to ensure everyone, including students, can protect themselves from the suns skin damaging ultraviolet radiation." -ASDSA President Lisa Donofrio, MD

On Thursday, Oklahoma became the third state this year to pass a law ensuring children can possess and apply sunscreen at school without a note from their doctor.

Governor Mary Fallin approved SB 950, a bill based on ASDSAs model legislation known as SUNucate, to eliminate barriers that prohibit students from possessing and using over-the-counter sunscreen in school. Unfortunately, sunscreen is often inaccessible at school due to broad reaching medication bans that include sunscreen because it is considered an over-the-counter medication by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). SB 950 was introduced by State Senator Gary Stanislawski and was approved with strong bipartisan support in both chambers.

As we recognize Skin Cancer Awareness Month, we must continue to ensure everyone, including students, can protect themselves from the suns skin damaging ultraviolet radiation, said ASDSA President Lisa Donofrio, MD. Oklahoma is taking a great step towards raising awareness of skin cancer and promoting sun-safe behavior by allowing students to apply sunscreen at school.

This legislation arose after concerns were raised by dermatologists and reports in the national media about students being required to provide a physicians prescription in order to possess or use sunscreen at school. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Preventive Services Task Force agree children should be permitted to reduce the risk of skin cancer at school by having access to sunscreen and other sun-protective measures.

ASDSA was pleased to work with the Oklahoma Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery Society and the Oklahoma State Medical Association in advocating for passage of this common-sense law. To learn more about SUNucate, visit asds.net/SUNucate.

About the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association (ASDSA)

With a membership of 6,400+ physicians, ASDSA is a 501(c) (6) association, dedicated to education and advocacy on behalf of dermatologic surgeons and their patients. For more information, visit asds.net/ASDSA-Advocacy.

Follow @ASDSAdvocacy on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!
Bottom line: when it comes to the hiring process or any other life event that requires a background check, it's better to be upfront right at the start.

"Oh, that's not too bad... after all, it's only a misdemeanor."

Defense attorneys cringe when they hear those words from clients. While some misdemeanors are indeed far less serious than others, any criminal charge (unless expunged) will stay on your record forever. And, in this internet age, it's easier than ever for employers, landlords, other police agencies or anyone with $50 (sometimes less) to access those records and make your life miserable.

Yes, it comparison to felonies, misdemeanors are "less serious" but with criminal offenses, "less serious" is a relative term, isn't it? For example, misdemeanors often include crimes like petty theft, disorderly conduct, vandalism, public intoxication as well as:

Domestic Battery

Battery

Criminal Damage to Property

Criminal Trespass to Residence

DUI

Possession of Marijuana (more than 10 grams but less than 30 grams)

Prostitution

Public Indecency

Reckless Conduct

Resisting a Police Officer

Retail Theft (shoplifting)

In Illinois, all of these crimes are Class A misdemeanors and come with a sentence of up to one year in jail and a fine up to $2500.

Background Checks

Whether or not a misdemeanor will show up on a background check is entirely dependent on how thorough the check is. But just imagine someone is applying for a job and a "public indecency" or a "battery" conviction does indeed pop up during the pre-employment background check. Would it be a deal-breaker? Perhaps - it would probably depend on the job. But it certainly wouldn't help that applicant's chances, would it?

Now misdemeanors are usually prosecuted at the county level, so if an employer is running a state background check on an applicant and the state's records don't include that particular county, the applicant has caught a break. But anyone who has sweated out such a background check will say they wished fervently they didn't have any criminal conviction on their record.

Generally speaking, if someone has a misdemeanor on their record that dates back several years, it's less of an issue for potential employers or landlords. It also depends on the crime and when you were convicted. For example, if someone has a misdemeanor conviction for underage drinking that's several years old, it's more likely a background checker will be lenient. Conversely, if the same applicant has a DUI misdemeanor conviction from last month, well...

Bottom line: when it comes to the hiring process or any other life event that requires a background check, it's better to be upfront right at the start. Background checkers would rather hear about a criminal conviction from the applicant first than discover it during their research. If handled correctly, it can even work to the applicant's advantage: the background checker will come away with an impression of the applicant as an honest, if flawed, person. (And who among us, is not flawed?)

Conversely, if an employer asks whether or not a potential employee has any convictions and they say no, the employer could terminate them years later when they finally discover it. That's because, while your employer might not care about the time the cops arrested you for underage drinking at 16, they likely will care that you lied to them.

Often when I speak with clients about all the negative effects of misdemeanors, they sit up and pay attention. In their eyes, it's not "just a misdemeanor" anymore. And that's a good attitude to take.
Shareholder Charles B. Leuin and associates Ian Burkow and Kyle L. Flynn at global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP received the Excellence in Pro Bono Service award from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, in conjunction with the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, at the 19th Annual Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service Award Ceremony, May 1, in Chicago.

The award honors attorneys who have provided outstanding pro bono and public interest representation in civil and criminal matters before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Leuin, Burkow, and Flynn were selected for their exceptional pro bono work on behalf of their client, Charles McClendon. Leuin, Burkow, and Flynn represented McClendon, who is African-American, in asserting race-based retaliation and discrimination claims against both his employer and two of McClendons former supervisors. Leuin, Burkow, and Flynn managed the case through significant discovery, including numerous depositions, and they were successful in defeating defendants summary judgment motion in 2015. In 2017, they tried the case to a jury and after a deliberation of four hours, the jury returned a verdict in favor of McClendon and against his former employer for retaliation and discrimination and against both individual defendants for retaliation. McClendon was awarded $1.75 million in compensatory damages. The case was subsequently resolved by settlement prior to the Courts determination of additional categories of damages.

About Greenberg Traurigs Pro Bono Program: Greenberg Traurig lawyers across the firms offices provide pro bono legal services to the indigent and working poor, as well as to numerous civic and charitable organizations dedicated to assisting them. The firm focuses its resources on specialized and interrelated issues including civil rights and affirmative action, anti-human trafficking, family law matters, criminal appeals, immigration and political asylum, and housing and homelessness.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and is among the Top 20 on the 2017 Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.
More and more new ICO Projects has been created. 2017 ICO and blockchain is a hot trend which has attracted many investors. And this trend is predicted to be mainstream from 2018 and the following year, even though media giants like Facebook and Google have banned crypto content on their platforms. Wading through a sea of ICO's to invest in and find the right one can be such a challenge for the investor. This require patience, a ton of research and sometimes a little luck.

We hope this top 5 website will help you a lot in researching and selecting the best opportunity for your investment!

1.ICO bench

A website allows to evaluate the ICO project for the expert in financial, and cryptocurrency. ICO bench use the algorithm for a specific evaluate, based on 20 criterium. An ICO is marked accordingly to this algorithm. After that, this score is combined with the experts evaluation for calculating a final mark.

2. ICO rating

An extremely exciting website while mark a potential ICO by: the investors level attraction (base on the social media page), the risk (cheating), long-term investment potential (strength and weakness, Financial plan, marketing)

3. ICOchannels

One of the most trusted site is ICOchannels, a website which contained every information about ICO, review the projects and even the Airdrop/Bounty. With clean user interface and objective evaluation methodology (weighted average of all popular review site scores), ICOchannels is a favorite of many investor on the world. Another advantage of ICOchannels is ICO support services that helps ICO projects cover their social media weakness.

4. Top ICO List

Top ICO list is a good destination for discovering new potential ICO on the cryptocurrency market. TOP ICO supply a list contained all ICO project and more than that, it classifies ICO for synthesizing a best upcoming ICO list

5. ICO mark

ICO marks supply a detail information about some most active ICOs and the past ICOs for you to study and evaluate the potential of the ICOs that you interest.
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He said: I prophesied after the 2016 elections that I give this government only six months, after six months, Ghanaians will start complaining. If I am lying, look for yourself. I dont hate him but I speak the truth."

He added: Nana Akufo-Addo and I see spiritually that his coming to Ghana to rule doesnt go well for Ghana. And I can say so boldly anywhere and explain. His coming is never good for Ghana. I am not saying they wont do anything. They will do a lot but by 2020, Ghanaians will be complaining.
"When they are out of government, even when you are not doing family and friends, they say it is a family and friends government," he said in Bolga after leading a Unity Walk on Saturday.

"Then when they come into government they appoint all their relatives into government and when you talk, they say 'oh it doesn't matter, it is whether they are qualified.'

He quizzed: "Who doesn't have relatives who are qualified?"

"I have plenty relatives who are qualified who could have served in my government but they fact that you are president does not mean you must laod your government with your relatives."

In the lead-up to the 2016 polls, leading figures of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) accused Mr Mahama of running a "family and friends" government.
The Kremlin said the substance had been produced by the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Sweden when denying allegations by London and its allies that Moscow was behind the March 4 incident.

"The Czech Republic produced and tested Novichok, though in a small amount, and then destroyed it," Zeman, a 73-year-old veteran leftwinger, said in a television interview on Thursday.

Zeman cited a military intelligence report but acknowledged that the country's civilian intelligence and a military history institute denied that Novichok was produced on Czech soil.

Zeman said "a paralytic poison marked A230 was tested" in the Czech Republic last November but for reasons that are unclear later cited the report as "explicitly labelling A340 as Novichok."

The foreign ministry confirmed on Friday that Czech labs had tested substances similar to Novichok through micro-synthesis, a process which it insisted is not regarded as production under international agreements.

"The paralytic poison used in the attack in Britain is marked A234 and so it's a different variety from that tested by the Czech Military Research Institute," it said, adding that the substance was immediately destroyed.

The Kremlin hailed Zeman's comments.

"The Czech Republic has acted honestly and courageously, officially recognising and revealing this information," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.

Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, said Zeman's words highlighted the "inconsistency" of the British government's claims that Russia was behind the Skripal attack.

"It's a new confirmation that the entire Skripal story is an absolute provocation," Peskov told reporters.

Josef Mlejnek, a political analyst at Charles University in Prague, said Zeman's claim reflected his staunchly pro-Russian stance.

"They (Russia) have already started using Zeman's claim in a media battle," he told AFP, going so far as to argue that "this confirms that he (Zeman) is working for the Kremlin".

According to Frantisek Bublan, who heads the senate commission in charge of defence and security, Zeman's remarks were a "pro-Kremlin act, pure and simple".

Senate president Milan Stech for his part called them "dangerous for our country".
The proposed statement expressed the council's "serious concern" about Abbas's remarks, which "included vile anti-Semitic slurs and baseless conspiracy theories, and do not serve the interests of the Palestinian people or peace in the Middle East."

It called on him to "refrain from anti-Semitic comments."

Security Council statements are adopted by consensus of all 15 members.

The Palestinian leader triggered global outrage after he suggested that hostility toward Jews in Europe was not linked to religious intolerance, but stemmed from their "social function related to banks and interests."

Abbas made the remarks at a meeting of the Palestinian National Council on Monday, but on Friday he offered an apology and said he condemned the Holocaust "as the most heinous crime in history."

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman immediately rejected the apology and said Abbas was a "pathetic Holocaust denier."

US Ambassador Nikki Haley said the council's failure to agree on the statement "only further undermines the UN's credibility in addressing" the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"Disgusting anti-Semitic statements from the Palestinian leadership obviously undermine the prospects for Middle East peace," she said.

The United States has twice blocked draft statements at the council expressing concern about the violence in Gaza, in which nearly 50 people have been killed by Israeli forces.
Ogunnbodede said this in a statement he signed on Friday in Ile-Ife, Osun, adding that the vexed issue would not be allowed to damage the harmonious relationship between the university and the Government of Osun State.

Members of the university and other stakeholders no doubt are embarrassed by the event of Wednesday, 2nd May, 2018, when the Osun State Government sealed off the main Gate of the University and the University Secretariat due to an alleged tax default by the University.

 It has become necessary to react to the claims of the state government and misinformation/total falsehoods making the rounds in the community in the aftermath of that unfortunate incident.

In particular, the university authorities note the claim that the university was owing N1.84 billion of tax and has refused to negotiate with the government as false, malicious and total misrepresentation of the truth on this matter.

The vice-chancellor debunked the claims made by the state Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

He said that the past tax liability, which represented the sum the IRS claimed that the university under-deducted from staff salaries for the period 2015 and 2016 for Pay As You Earn (PAYE), had been a subject of negotiations between the university and the IRS.

He further said that the university administration vehemently disputed the figure of N1.844 billion submitted by the IRS and insisted that if there had been under-deduction at all, only the sum of N287 million was the amount by which PAYE was under-deducted from staff salaries.

He said that the matter had been referred to the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, following a letter personally signed by the Governor to the President of the Federation.

Both the Osun State Government tax authorities and the university officers had attended the PICA session where the matter was resolved.

According to him, the Accountant General of the Federation, after examining the claim of the Osun IRS and that of the university, by a letter reference number INV/0089/844/II dated Jan. 19, 2018, concluded that universitys outstanding tax liabilities was N384 million only, being the under-deducted PAYE from staff salaries.

Parties agreed to this conclusion, and the recommendation that this sum could be paid in monthly instalment of N5 million.

It is, therefore, with total shock that the university community woke up on Wednesday, 2nd May, 2018 to find the university main gate as well the university secretariat sealed up by the Osun State Government.

Ogunbodede urged members of the public to note that the past tax liabilities of 2015 and 2016 in dispute was never deducted from staff salaries as being erroneously claimed.

He further explained that the university had never failed at any point in time to remit PAYE deducted from staff salaries to the tax authorities.

He added that it was a case of under-deduction and not of non-remittance of tax.
The deceased identified as Prabhu Bhatara, was reportedly on his way from a wedding he had attended in Kotapad to Papadahandi with some other people in an SUV when he stopped near a forest to pee.

According to the reports, Bhatara spotted an injured bear and instead of running in the opposite direction like most people would, he decided to take a selfie with the animal.

Indian Times reports that despite warnings from the others in the car, Bhatara insisted and got too close to the injured animal who chased him down and mauled him.

Watch the clip below:

Bhatara's fellow passengers who may have been able to save him, watched the entire incident unfold and even recorded it on tape.

The video clip shows a dog trying to save the man but to no avail as it was too late.

3-week-old baby mauled to death by dog

The mother of a newborn baby who was mauled to death by the family dog was at a family event following a bereavement, according a family member.

Three-week old Reggie was rushed to hospital following the attack by the Patterdale terrier  but doctors were unable to save him.

His family have said they are "trying to cope" with the immense tragedy of losing little Reggie, who lived at Falkland Road with his parents Maria Blacklin and Ryan Young, a builder.

The parents are said to be distraught after the tragedy which happened at their home at 4.15am yesterday.

A family member who spoke to the Chronicle outside Ryan's family's home nearby said: "We are trying to cope with this the best we can."

Their family dog, called Tricky, is being kept in kennels and is expected to be destroyed.

Northumbria Police said a 30-year-old man had been arrested in connection with the incident.We are carrying out enquiries to establish the circumstances.

A family member, who did not want be identified, said the babys mother was not in the house at the time of the attack, and added that she never left her son alone with the dog.

The source said she had been at a family event following a bereavement, and had returned to find the distressing scene.

Neighbours yesterday spoke of their shock at the death of Reggie, who is believed to have four brothers and sisters.

One, who did not wish to be named, said: I know terriers very well. I think the dog had become jealous of the baby and that is why this has happened.

It was Ryans dog as far as Im aware. He is a lovely lad, hard-working and an excellent father. He will be devastated.

Criminal psychologist Paul Tweddle, 50, who lives opposite the family in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, said: They are a caring couple in their 30s and are a lovely family. This is a complete tragedy.

I see the terrier from time to time. Sometimes I see it clambering at the fence and it gets out so I shout to Ryan and he comes and gets it.

It is a tiny dog and I cannot say whether or not it is dangerous. Sometimes appearances can be deceptive.

I am so shocked. It should be such a happy time with a new baby. I have children myself, so you can imagine how I am feeling.

Another neighbour, Denise Haley, 59, is grandmother to a six-week-old baby called TJ.

She said: Maria was in the house a few weeks ago with Redgie. She is a lovely girl and I simply do not know how she will cope with this tragedy.

I am scared of any dog but that dog seemed okay. It is a tiny dog and brown in colour.
Instablog9ja reports that two suspects, including the Manager of the guest house, were arrested during the operation.

ALSO READ: NAPTIP rescues 50 victims of human trafficking

According to the reports, one Hafeez Abdulsalam who has been on NAPTIP's watch list as a suspected trafficker in the South-West and is notorious for trafficking young girls to Saudi Arabia was reportedly responsible for bringing the girls from various states to Abuja.

One of the victims identified as Rokibat, 22, from Oyo state, disclosed that her aunt in Saudi Arabia asked her mother to bring her to Saudi through Abdulsalam, promising to get her a job as a housemaid.

Another victim, Rodiya, aged 23, from Lagos state, stated that Abdulsalam who is a family friend had promised to take her to Saudi Arabia to earn a living since she was not currently employed.

Abdulsalam, however, claimed that the company he worked for, Western Royal Manpower Solution, was legal and is a registered company known to the Federal Government.

Agency to deploy modern technology in tracking human traffickers  DG

The Director-General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP), Mrs Julie Okah-Donli, said it would adopt modern technology to tackle the menace of human trafficking.

Okah-Donli told journalists on Wednesday in Lagos that the Agency would adopt proactive measures in identifying and apprehending human traffickers.

My tenure will see to the adoption of modern technology, skills and expertise in investigation and prosecution.

Human trafficking is a global phenomenon of serious concern that requires collective effort.

It is a known fact that human trafficking has moved from the era of analogue and person-to-person recruitment to a well-orchestrated criminal network.

A network that is designed to deceive even the very best of operatives.

Surveillance and intelligence teams will be increased around known endemic communities and crime clusters, Okah-Donli said.

For the perpetrators of the heinous crime, it is time to close shops.

With hot pursuits by NAPTIP, they should give up on this evil trade and look for new and genuine business, said the DG.
The man reportedly told police that he made every effort within his powers to get the load off his head, including lying on the ground, but to no avail.

Fearing to be lynched if members of the public got to know about his ordeal, Frank Buhet thought it wise to hand himself over to the police who would be more professional in dealing with him.

READ MORE: Maid arrested for breaking the head of her boss who tried to rape her

Even at the police station where the thief was hoping to have some relief, the said mysterious bag still hanged on Frank Buhets head; the police could not help him.

According to reports, the man walked from one road to another, spent a lot of time in town with the hope of getting help, but it all proved futile.

He thought surrendering himself to the police could lead to identification of the said old woman so he could also have some respite.

A video of the incident has gone viral online.
Very graphic photos shared online by Instablog9ja shows the headless body of the young girl.

ALSO READ: Trailer crushes soldier to death

The tipper smashed the head of the child, leaving a putrid pulp in its place.

The circumstances surrounding the terrible accident remain unclear and the identity of the child was yet to be discovered as at the time of the report.

Sadly, there have been similarly disheartening occurences. May the soul of the deceased rest in peace.

Grandma cries over pupil beheaded by BRT

We fed Ezekiel at 7:15am but picked up his corpse two hours later, at about 9:45am, says Mrs. Oyesanya, the grandma of Daniel Ezekiel, a pupil who was killed by a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Lagos.

On Monday, March 5, 2018, the deceased made to go to school after having a belly-filling breakfast at the residence of his grandparents, but unfortunately did not make it for his daily learning.

He reportedly died on his way to school in Ogolonto, Ikorodu.

But we didnt know that was the last time we will see him, Oyesanya told Vanguard News in tears. She was described as one who hasn't come to terms with the death of the pupil who wore an excited mood before leaving home for his school of learning.

"And on that fateful day, he left home to school. But I was alerted of the incident that happened by someone who told me to find out if Ezekiel was safe. Immediately I started calling his teacher, but she refused to pick my call.

"I thought they were on assembly ground so I called the school director who also didnt pick my calls. At that moment, I knew there was a problem.

"I was confused and my husband also called to inform me to proceed to his school. On my way, someone told me that Ezekiel had been rushed to Ikorodu General Hospital.

"When I got to the hospital premises, I was told to identify the lifeless body of Ezekiel; at that moment, I knew I had lost our dear child. I couldnt believe my eyes that the child I fed at exactly 7:15am had become a corpse for me to pick at exactly 9:45am, she said amidst tears.

We are only two in this house, my husband and I. Since we are getting old and all our children are grown up, we thought it will be nice to have a small child that can keep us company. So we contacted a lady in our community to help us find someone to stay with us.

"They eventually helped us to get Ezekiel from the Northern part of the country; that was around August last year.

"Our initial plan was to enroll him in school by October this year but due to the fact that it was late to do so, we decided to enroll him in January this year, a decision I now regret.

"He was 15 years when they brought him to us, and they told us that he was in JSS3 in Kaduna State before he came to Lagos. But when we took him to school, they told us that he should start from Primary Four," says Oyesanya who thinks the BRT driver cut short her grandson's dreams.

How death of Daniel Ezekiel occurred

An eyewitness, Mr. Akin Adeolu, mentioned that the sad event occurred around 07:45 AM, a time when school children make their way down to school.

Reports gathered stated that the deceased, Daniel Ezekiel, 16, had made to cross the road when the vehicle hit him, severing his head upon impact.

ALSO READ: Dad mistakenly crushes 2-yr-old son to death with car

This happened at Ogolonto bus-stop, says Vanguard.

It appeared to be a sad error by the victim who reportedly mistimed his run. The fear of experiencing mob justice encouraged the BRT driver to make a run for it.

We have commenced initial investigation into the ugly incident to determine the cause for further action.

However, we commiserate with the family and colleagues of the deceased, God will give them the fortitude to bear the loss," a statement by Primero Transport, the owner of the BRT buses reads.
In a poignant Instagram post, the model of the moment shared a photo of her and her family in Ghana where the campaign was shot.

She and four members of her family including her grandmother and aunts are shown wearing traditional Ghanaian attire designed by her aunt but made of vintage Burberry fabrics. In the caption, Adwoa shares her relationship to her heritage in Ghana where her father was born, and how it has shaped her.

Adwoa writes in the post:

Going home, back to the motherland. A place where I felt like an outsider but always wanted to belong. Growing up differently, never knowing the mother tongue." She goes on to talk about how most people have only seen one side of Ghana, and how she now wants to put a spotlight on the beautiful country. She goes on, "I want the world to know that there are two families, both that mean the world to me, two sides to my story. I want the world to see the beauty and Ghana to have that moment in the light, one that it has always deserved. I have been claimed by Ghana, told to go and show the world, make them proud. I belong. So thats what this is, a message of love and pride to my family and the people of Ghana.

This photo project is just part of a three-part collaboration between Adwoa and British brand Burberry.

For the full project with Burberry, Adwoa shot initially in her hometown of London, then in New York where she currently resides.

Speaking exclusively to Vogue magazine, Adwoa talked about why Ghana holds a very special place in her heart, "It feels like home because I have so many lovely memories from there. I think it feels like home, more so because it was where my dad grew up and it is very much a part of him. He is such a family man and he has really taken that into our family and had such a presence in mine and my sister's life. Although we didnt grow up in a completely African household, there have been certain hints throughout our whole life. Even though I have felt like an outsider, I always secretly felt like it was home."

Her work on this project shows how fashion can allow for meaningful cultural appreciation rather than approporiation.
Premium Times obtained the lengthy telephone call on Friday, May 4, which it said was placed by Carlamaria Rumor of RAI Television in Italy to Adoke. The reporter was seeking more insight into the questionable 2011 Malabu deal.

Adoke, who had previously denied knowledge of crucial aspects of the deal, reportedly admitted that he knew all along that the Malabu deal was a "presidential scam".

The telephone conversation reportedly held on November 5, 2015 and lasted for 1hr 17 mins.

Dan Etete's involvement

Adoke was said to have revealed thatDan Etete, a former minister of petroleum, "collaborated with some Italian oil workers" to "divert some funds to foreign accounts" in an "illegal" move that "betrayed" the spirit of a tripartite agreement which the Nigerian government entered into with Italian oil giant Agip-Eni and Royal Dutch Shell on the one hand and Malabu Oiland Gas on the other.

Adoke also admitted that Etete, who had been convicted a few years before in France for money laundering, was actively involved in the talks held between Nigerian government officials, representatives of Agip-Eni, Shell, and other players.

This indicates that Adoke ignored Etete's criminal past and other red flags raised about him and Malabu to authorise the deal.

This is the first time Adoke will be caught admitting personal knowledge of the monumental corruption that saw the embezzlement of $1.3 billion which Agip-Eni and Shell paid to the Nigerian government for onward transmission to Malabu Oil for the purchase of OPL 245 oil field in offshore Nigerian waters.

According to the Premium Times report, the telephone call has been admitted in a Milan court as exhibit that could form a major part of Italian authorities' prosecution of the case.

ALSO READ: 5 things you should know about Malabu Oil deal

Barely three weeks ago, a Federal High Court in Abuja had ruled that Adoke could not be held liable for some presidential powers he exercised while the Malabu Oil deal was being perfected between 2010 and 2011.

The EFCC, however, could still try the former AGF on other criminal charges that might have occurred during the deal, especially on allegations that he received $2.2 million in bribes.
Mrs Sadiya Umar-Farouq, Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), disclosed this during the opening ceremony of the distribution of the items in Bama, Borno.

Umar-Farouq said it was the duty of the commission to ensure that lasting solution was provided for persons displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency through meaningful skill acquisition programmes.

She said that the IDPs were supported with irrigation farming implements, sewing and grinding machines, maternity kits as well as foodstuff.

We are donating 500 cartoons of Soya milk and 200 of Soya kunu; 150 irrigation farming machine; 100 each of sewing and grinding machines; and 400 maternity kits to enhance health care delivery system, among others, she said

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Falmata Bulama, commended the Federal Government for the gesture.

Bulama said that this would go a long way in supporting their immediate family needs.

I am very grateful to President Muhammadu Buhari and the people who brought this to us.

But one of the problems we are facing now is lack of jobs to do especially for our men, but with this sewing machine, I am hopeful that I will get something out of it that will help me to carter for my needs, she said.

Malam Babagana Yusuf, another beneficiary, also commended the federal government for providing adequate security to protect returning IDPs.

This gesture had rebuilt our confidence in President Buhari, the federal government, the military and the Borno government.

We enjoy cordial relationship with the military personnel here in Bama as they are always around whenever we need their attention, Yusuf said.
According to NNPCs DG, the approved companies were picked out of 35 firms.

Premium Times reports that the NNPC DG, who was the guest of honour at the event, also won an award.

Baru revealed that the NNPC and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources will create jobs in the Niger Delta through the establishment of the modular refineries.

He said that the dream of transforming Nigeria from a net exporter of crude oil to a net exporter of petroleum products would in the months ahead transform into a reality

ALSO READ:NNPC to resume oil exploration in Nasarawa State

This model is expected to be a self-sustaining financial model with near zero reliance on the federal government funds. For smooth running and implementation, we are also changing the operating and commercial framework of the refineries to make them work efficiently and be commercially viable, he added.
Osinbajo, who was represented by the Administrator, Aso Villa Chapel, Rev. Peter Ambi, said this during the National Peace and Leadership Summit organised by the Youth For Peace and Good Leadership Initiative International in Abuja.

The theme of the Summit is `The Role of the Youth in Nation building.

He said peace was important for any peaceful development in the country, saying the killings in parts of the country must stop.

Nobody is happy about the killings in parts of the country, this administration is working to ensure that peace is restored to those communities.

The killings in mosques, churches and other public areas for one reason or the other must be stopped, Osinbanjo said.

He called on the youths across the country not to allow themselves to be used to cause havoc in the country, saying the youths should be peace ambassadors.

The Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), 19 Northern states and FCT, Rev. Yakubu Pam, said the religious leaders are tired of conducting mass burials in affected areas in the country, saying there should be quick intervention.

We need people with different and positive thinking and not people who think of vengeance, he said.

The National Chairperson of the Women Wing of CAN, Mrs Oyin Sowoolu, advised the youths to use their talents positively to move the nation forward, adding that the role of youths in the country should not be undermined.

The Founder of the Youth For Peace and Good Leadership Initiative International, Mr Simon Dolly, said the purpose of the summit was to educate the youths as they were mostly the key actors of social vices in the country.

Dolly said the youths should be able to complement the role of government in ensuring peace and contribute their quota in nation building.

He said the summit would be replicated in the six geo-political zones in the country, saying that the youths would be given certificate as peace ambassadors of Nigeria in order to encourage peace in the various areas.

One of the youths at the summit, Stella Francis-Utah, said the youths needed to contribute to peaceful coexistence, adding that they should stop thuggery and any form of violence.
Melaye was reportedly moved back to the Hospital on Friday shortly after the ruling.

The senator is reportedly being treated for spinal cord injury which he allegedly suffered when he jumped out of a moving police van while attempting to evade arrest.

A Senior Magistrate Court in Lokoja had denied Melaye bail and ordered he be remanded in police custody.

But the State Chief Judge, Justice Nasir Ajanah gave an interim order in his ruling on two motions filed by the prosecution and the defendant challenging the May 3 Magistrate court's ruling.

Legal battle

The prosecution, led by Theophilus Oteme Esq, the officer in charge of legal unit, Kogi police command, in its motion sought that the lower court ruling be varied and the defendant be remanded in prison custody as originally sought.

The other motion filed by defence, led by Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), applied for the granting of bail to the Senator and as well urged the court to order that he (Melaye) be remanded at the National Hospital, Abuja in view his health challenges.

Arguing the motion Ozekhome prayed the court, to in the interest of justice, abridge the time both motions would be taken because of the critical health condition of the defendant applicant.

"He was taken to the lower court yesterday on a stretcher and as we speak, he is still on the stretcher,"he said.

Ozekhome said that the life of the applicant is in danger since the police in the state has no medical facility to take care of him while in their custody.

The Chief Judge, in his ruling on the applications, said that while both parties were on the same page in their call for variation their destinations on the issue of bail were different.

Ajanah said he was inclined to grant the prayers of the two parties in which they sought variation of the court order on the custody of the senator.

He, however, conceded that it was only a fit person that could stand trial, saying, "infact, that is why it is called, Standing Trial.

"In the circumstance therefore, I hereby vary the order of the remand of the third defendant as made by the lead counsel.

"I hereby order that the third defendant be kept at the National Hospital, Abuja under the custody and close watch and supervision of the complainant, the Inspector General of Police.

"The application for the bail in this case will be heard on Monday, the 7th of May, 2018", Ajanah declared.

ALSO READ: Communication expert says Melaye deserves everything coming his way

Last Thursday, Melaye was remanded into police custody until June 11, by Mr Sulyman Abdullah of the Lokoja Senior Magistrate Court.

The senator was arraigned along with Kabiru Seidu, aka Osama, and Nuhu Salihu, aka Small.
PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, inaugurating the committee at the partys national secretariat in Abuja, said the committee was necessary considering the present situation of the party and Nigeria.

He added that the committee was in line with the commitment of PDP leadership to continue to implement vital reform processes that would take the party to the desired level.

The mission of this committee is specific in a trying period like this in the history of our country and our party.

You will agree that this country is in crisis and eminent persons whether in our party or outside our party must be concerned with what is going on in this country.

One of the greatest reasons why PDP National Executive Committee took the decision to set up this high power committee is to look into ways and means to bring in everybody.

Every stakeholder whether within or outside PDP, or other political groups, and stakeholders so that we can form a united front to be able to rescue our country from eminent collapse, he said.

Secondus advised the committee members to put in their best and mobilise for the party.

Your committee and your nomination is therefore a well-articulated decision of the party leadership to bring our open door policy to fruition.

Just as your name connotes- Contact, you are to deploy your well versed network to help open the space and allow into our party, all those whose union with us can help in rescuing this country.

Like we always say in this party, this umbrella is big enough to accommodate all people of patriotic ideals.

Secondus called on all Nigerians to join hands with PDP in desirous of taking the country to the next level, saying it is now clear that the All Progressives Congress cannot lead Nigeria.

Secondus condemned the prevailing situation in Nigeria where citizens were being killed on daily basis.

It is amazing the blame is now being placed on the shoulders of late President Maummar Ghadaffi who passed on six years ago.

While so far, not a single arrest has been made of any of the perpetrators said to be from Libya.

The current situation is without a doubt a confirmation of the lack of coordination of our own Security System.

He said that in the face of all these, PDP had resolved to do whatever was necessary to save the hard earned democracy which the party nurtured for 16 years.

The Chairman of the committee and former governor of Cross River, Sen. Liyel Imoke responding, commended efforts by Secondus-led PDP leadership in ensuring that the party was vibrant.

Imoke pledged that the committee would swing into action to achieve its mandates within the two weeks time frame it was given.

We will put in our best effort within the time constraint that we face. We will reach out and of course comply with the terms of reference given to us.
The chairman spoke on Saturday morning in Abakaliki at a meeting with party faithful, stakeholders and the electoral committee team from the APC national secretariat, Abuja .

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that APC holds a nation-wide elective wards congresses on Saturday to elect new wards executives and delegates for the local government congresses.

Nwachukwu promised that the exercise would be open, peaceful and devoid of manipulation.

He called for support and cooperation of members to make the exercise hitch  free, noting that the success of the local government and state congresses were largely dependant on the outcome of the wards congresses.

We assure you of commitment of the party to conduct transparent, peaceful wards congresses devoid of manipulation or imposition.

We must put aside all differences and collectively work for overall success of the exercise because our victory in 2019 begins with the party congresses,  Nwachukwu said.

The chairman charged party leaders and stakeholders to ensure that the outcome and integrity of the exercise was not compromised in their various wards.

He told the committee members that adequate security arrangements had been put in place to ensure their safety and the safety of other party faithful during the exercise.

He said: Mr chairman, we want to assure you that the congress in Ebonyi will be the most peaceful and transparent, and that we are prepared for the exercise.

We want to assure you that all hands will be on deck to achieve a resounding success in the exercise and put enemies of the party to shame.

We welcome you on behalf of the party to Ebonyi, Salt of the Nation, and we assure you of adequate security.

The chairman of the electoral committee, Chief Nicolas Adekunle  Ajayi, who spoke commended the unity and peace existing in the Ebonyi chapter of APC.

He assured that the congresses in the state would be peaceful, transparent and credible.

He said that participation in the exercise was open only to APC card-carrying members, adding that every aspirant was entitled to his or her aspiration.

Adekunle-Ajayi said that he would ensure that every eligible aspirant who had met the guidelines, paid nomination fee would collect his or her nomination form.

The nomination forms are with the party chairman, we have extra forms and we assure you that we will ensure that every eligible aspirant who has paid for the nomination form will be given form.

We are going to make the exercise so fair and transparent, so that at the end of the day everybody will be happy, we demand that you make the exercise easy for us.

If we get it right between this morning and the next one week, be sure we are winning Ebonyi by 70 per cent of declared votes.

But we must get it right, we must do what is right on this assignment, we call for your cooperation and we will do it to the satisfaction of the majority of the party faithful, he said.
The protesting delegates accused one of the candidates the Minister of Mines and Steel, Kayode Fayemi, and his supporters of compromising the process.

According to Premium Times, voting was ongoing and a good number of delegates had cast their votes when suddenly some delegates started disrupting the process.

This reportedly forced security agents to start shooting sporadically as they secured the ballot boxes and papers.

It was gathered that the Chairman of the organising committee, Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa made efforts restore peace but it was unsuccessful as at 5.00pm.

Blame game

Fayemi's representative, Abejide Adewumi, reportedly said the process was disrupted because the Minister was leading in the poll.

But Ranti Adebisi, the director-general of the Babafemi Ojudu campaign, another candidate, insisted that the process has been compromised.

"The process has been compromised. When there was a rule that you can only bring in two people. He (Fayemi) brought in 18 observers. He cannot come here and disrupt what is going on in Ekiti State", he said.

ALSO READ: Tinubu says he has no anointed candidate in Ekiti guber primaries

The aggrieved delegates also alleged that some security operatives close to the voting area were telling delegates how to vote for Fayemi.
The Senators - Shehu Sani (Kaduna central), Sulieman Hukunyi (Kaduna north), and Danjuma Leah (Kaduna south) - had blocked a $350 million loan request by the Kaduna government.

The state had approached the World Bank for the loan but the lawmakers said the facility would erode the economic viability of Kaduna.

According to The Cable, el-Rufai said the three senators are enemies of the masses and democracy, adding that they are ignorant of the real indices of development and progress in a democratic setting.

The Governor stated this as he flagged off the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign for the local government election in the state which held at the Kaduna Township Stadium.

'Shave their beard'

He was quoted to have told the thousands of people at the venue to assault the senators when they sight them in Kaduna.

"...shave their heads and beard..." el-Rufai told the gathering.

He said, "The senators from the state who worked against the World Bank loan are useless; they came out and said this loan should not be given. What is their reason for rejecting the loan? It is because they are haters of the masses in Kaduna state.

"If a road project is initiated in your town, they dont want it to be completed. If we start renovating a hospital, they dont want it to be completed. If five schools are renovated and 10 are remaining, they will not want the remaining 10 to be renovated.

"Today, there are no haters of the masses of Kaduna state like Shehu Sani, Suleiman Hunkuyi and Danjuma Laah, God will curse them. God will reward their wickedness against the masses, may God never bless them. All members of the house of representatives from this state, God bless them, may God return them to their seats in 2019.

"Members of our state assembly who gave us their cooperation before the World Bank approved the loan to us, may God bless them and may God return them to their seats in 2019. But those ones that are cursed, if they come to Kaduna, shave their heads and beard. They have shown that they are bastards, they have no origin, therefore, it is important to tell them that they did not originate from this state.

"If the time for election comes, answer them with votes, show them that you dont like them Let them go back to where they come from. Let them go to the people they are working for to vote for them.

"I want my people to comprehend the simple logic that the three senators representing my state at the senate are starkly ignorant of the real indices of development and progress in a democratic setting.

"Their major concern is to amass money at the expense of their people. The electorate are at liberty to call their buff, and this is the right time.

"I really commend all our legislators serving satisfactorily at the house of representatives and equally thank all the legislators at the state assembly for their absolute commitment and sacrifice. I believe that with the confidence of the electorate they are earning, they are poised to surmount every obstacle."

ALSO READ: How el-Rufai demolished property of a political opponent
Speaking on Saturday, May 5, at the All Progressives Partys Ward Congress held at Bayagida Model Primary School, Daura, Katsina, Buhari said seeing real changes in the lives of Nigerians was the reason he joined politics in the first place.

The President's comments are contained in a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

He said the reason for anyone to seek public office should be to serve the people and not for personal gains.

'Not in politics for fun'

Buhari said this ideology inspired him to unrelentingly contest elections in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015.

He said, "I am not in politics for fun, frivolity or to amass wealth, I have always been driven by a deep sense of commitment to make a difference to the lives of our people.

"My decision to seek a second term in office was borne out of a deep passion to serve Nigerians, and not for personal gains.

"After my retirement from the army, or forceful retirement, I sat back and watched as events unfolded on the political turf, and realised the country needed an intervention for fairness, justice and inclusion of Nigerians in the issues that affect their lives".

Contrary to popular opinions of critics, Buhari noted that his administration had already started the process of ensuring fairness, justice and equity in the country.

ALSO READ: 7 reasons why Buhari declared for 2nd term

Many prominent Nigerians, including former president Olusegun Obasanjo and former military head of state Ibrahim Babangida, have at different times criticised the Buhari government over alleged impunity, economic failure and disregard for the rule of law.
Sheriff said this in Maiduguri during his reconciliation meeting with Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima on Friday, May 4, 2018.

He urged other members of the APC who had left to return to the party.

I rejoined my great party, APC following the misunderstanding we had in PDP when I was the national chairman, Sheriff said.

I have to come back home and rejoin the APC which is my party I helped to form in the past. I am joining APC as an ordinary member, and I want to call on all and sundry to support the leadership of governor Kashim Shettima and APC in the state, he added.

In his remarks, Governor Shettima thanked Sheriff for returning to the APC.

The governor maintained that he would not interfere with Saturdays congress at the ward level.

National assembly members, defectors from the PDP were part of those who were present at the meeting.

The APC had rejected Sheriffs bid to publicly dump the PDP for APC in April.
In what it said was its final statement released Thursday to announce it was disbanding, ETA presented itself as a "Basque socialist revolutionary organisation for national liberation".

"Left-wing pro-independence people will work for this to lead to the establishment of a Basque State," the statement added.

But ETA's legacy is a poisoned chalice for the Basque region's leftist nationalist parties, which are gathered in EH Bildu, the second largest grouping in the Basque regional parliament.

Since its emergence in the 1970s, the Basque Country's "Izquierda Abertzale", or Basque Patriotic Left, has been accused of being close to ETA.

EH Bildu's leader Arnaldo Otegi was a member of ETA during his youth before in 2000 he came out against the group's use of violence to achieve Basque independence.

Leftist Basque separatists "must assume the responsibility of their past, because if ETA existed for so long, it is because this world provided it with social support," Patxi Lopez, the former Socialist head of the Basque regional government, said Friday.

ETA in effect backed the former separatist coalition Herri Baratuna, for example by ceasing its attacks just before elections so as to not hurt them at the polls.

For its part, leftist Basque nationalist parties took ETA's demands into the political sphere, such as for jailed ETA militants to be moved to jails in the Basque region so as to be closer to their families.

"They tried to cover up and legitimise ETA. They were the civil branch of the terrorist organisation," said Gaizka Fernandez, a researcher with Spain's Memorial Center for the Victims of Terrorism.

Bright future?

Now that ETA has disbanded, there is a "very bright future" ahead for leftist Basque separatist parties, said Swiss political scientist Oliver Strijbis.

"They have less of a legitimacy problem. ETA is no longer in their way to achieve their political goals," he told AFP.

In addition, since the more moderate nationalist PNV party, which heads the Basque regional government, now only defends the "right to autodetermination", the Izquierda Abertzale has a virtual monopoly on voters who back independence for the region.

"The different examples in Europe show that the end of armed activity and the subsequent dissolution of an armed group benefit the party which is closest to its ideological plan," said Eguzki Urteaga, a sociologist in the French Basque region.

He cited as examples Ireland's Sinn Fien and nationalist parties in France's Corsica.

The Izquierda Abertzale rose in the polls in a general election held in Spain in 2011 after ETA announced it had given up violence, winning 24.1 percent of the vote in the Basque Country.

In regional elections the following year, it won 24.8 percent of the vote, making it the second largest grouping in the Basque parliament.

Some analysts feel ETA's last step will have less of an impact.

"What has been made official is the burial of the corpse but the body was already there, the monster was already dead," said Fernandez.

'Treat like heroes'

The ghosts of the past continue to haunt leftist Basque separatists.

EH Bildu is calling for the roughly 300 ETA militants held in jails across Spain and France to be incarcerated in the Basque Country to support the "peace process", a move rejected by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government.

This is a step backwards for leftist Basque separatist parties which have long demanded an amnesty for ETA prisoners, said Urteaga.

At the same time, they continue to stage welcome ceremonies for ETA members who leave prison, angering victims' groups.

"They have a hard time recognising that ETA's 60-year history has been a mistake... so instead of treating terrorists as criminals, they continue treating them like heroes," said Fernandez.

Strijbis predicted this would continue.
Trump's government has already announced it is terminating the TPS category for citizens from El Salvador, Haiti, Nepal and Nicaragua. That status will cease to apply for them on different dates next year.

The Honduran Foreign Ministry said it recognized the end of TPS was a "sovereign decision," but added it "deeply regrets the cancellation of the TPS program."

Those migrants living in the United States under the soon-to-be-scrapped TPS will have to find other ways to retain legal US residence or face being returned to their countries of origin.

The United States accepted more than 100,000 Hondurans under the temporary protection status given in 1999, following devastation caused in Honduras by Hurricane Mitch the previous year.

US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said it had "determined that the disruption of living conditions in Honduras from Hurricane Mitch that served as the basis for its TPS designation has decreased to a degree that it should no longer be regarded as substantial."

Trump's administration has taken a harder line against migrants, especially those coming from Latin America over the US southern border with Mexico.
The first occurred last Friday, when four vessels carrying 20 crew members from Suriname and neighboring Guyana were attacked by assailants carrying guns and cutlasses.

Five survivors have so far been rescued or found their way to shore, while three dead bodies have been recovered. The fate of a dozen is still unclear.

Then on Wednesday, attackers struck another vessel, killing its captain, according to Colonel Jerry Slijngard, in charge of the Suriname coast guard.

The whereabouts of the vessel, the number of crew it was carrying, and their fate are all unknown.

Suriname's President Desi Bourterse termed the attacks a tragedy but said fishing gang rivalry, as opposed to piracy, may have been the cause.

"We empathize with the families and as government we will do everything to find the right information," he told reporters late Thursday.

Authorities in both Suriname and its western neighbor Guyana have arrested several fishermen in connection with the attacks.

Darmandew Persaud, a survivor of last Friday's attack, said the assailants were armed with curved blades and firearms.

"They chopped and beat the fishermen with bamboo sticks before robbing them," he said, adding he had survived by drifting in the deep sea before being found by an air rescue mission.

The fifth survivor swam ashore and walked for five days along the morass to reach help.

The attacks have had a chilling effect on Suriname's fishing industry, which is worth around $45 million annually.

Mark Lall, secretary of the Fisheries Collective Association, said all fishing vessels have been recalled.

He added that dwindling fish stocks were creating frictions between fishermen, exacerbated by authorities handing out too many fishing licenses.
At the center of the dispute are expansive plots spread across Machakos, Kitui and Makueni as well as palatial homes once shared by the two including one in the leafy suburbs of Westlands.

Mutua had moved to court seeking to have the property divided between them but left empty handed after Justice William Musyoka dismissed the suit and ordered him to bear costs for the suit.

The two married in 01 June 2000 and were blessed with 3 children. However, they began living separately in 2012 as their union descended on a downward spiral.

Thitu, a pharmacist by profession and based in Australia preferred to stay away from the limelight as Mutuas public service career sky rocketed, first as a government spokesman then afterwards as the governor of Machakos county.

As things fell apart in her marriage, Thitu reportedly flew to Australia with their 3 children to take a break from stress and a failed marriage.

Shortly afterwards, Mutua reportedly seized the couples home in Grevilla Park 32 and stationed police at the gate with strict orders not to allow anyone in.

Their differences found their way to Australia with Thitu reportedly recording statement with Australian Authorities due to Dr Mutuas criminal behaviour in Kenya.

I have been hounded out of my home and country by endless intimidation, mental torture and anguish by Dr Mutua. My children and I have been subjected to intense public humiliation, lack of privacy, inadequate security and media scrutiny for two years. Thitu disclosed.

Their union could not weather the storm and the two parted ways over irreconcilable differences on 19 August 2015 in Australia.

Mutua who was then newly elected Machakos governor found new love in Lilian Nganga who he fondly introduced as The First Lady of Machakos.
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'With Make in India coming into play in defence, we want to get ahead of the curve.'

'The Tatas will start manufacturing parts for our LEAP engines.'

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

From healthcare to transportation and technology, GE Indias presence across all its verticals has been consistently growing.

Six months into his new role, Vishal Wanchoo, below, president and chief executive officer, South Asia, speaks to Jyoti Mukul about how its horizontal business lines of additives and digital are playing across GEs verticals in South Asia, giving a push to advance manufacturing.

From the time you took over, what are the growth areas for GE in South Asia?

The year 2017 has been the best for the South Asian region. We were strong not on the back of any single order -- like the big railway order we got in 2015 -- but every business contributed to growth.

We got orders worth $4 billon from $2.8 billion in 2016. Revenue grew 20 per cent. The fastest-growing business was gas power systems, owing to orders from Bangladesh.

We are now looking at revenue growth in the range of 15-20 per cent in 2018.

In energy, we expect a lot of investment in equipment and services in the upstream sector in India.

We will exercise our capabilities with a combination of GE and Baker Hughes (which GE took over last year).

The thermal sector has been soft in growing but the focus has to be on retrofitting, which will increase efficiency and the life of plants.

On the gas-based power side, there are booming opportunities in Bangladesh. We see green shoots in India in gas-based generation.

We are aggressive on renewable energy and have fully localised our solar manufacturing.

Storage will play an important role. Having a macro long-term plan for the grid so that renewables can be incorporated is something we are advocating.

The only sector in which growth has been slow is wind energy, where there was migration from feed-in tariff to a tariff-based regime. But that too has picked up.

What is the status of your aviation partnership with the Tatas?

We are bullish about aviation since India is the fastest-growing market.

We are working with the Tatas to localise LEAP engines. We are looking at using their platform for aviation and then use it as a feeder for the defence business.

With Make in India coming into play in defence, we want to get ahead of the curve especially for single-engine fighters.

The Tatas will start manufacturing parts for our LEAP engines at their Hyderabad facility next year.

Both for air-framers and engines, Make in India in defence will require 50 per cent localisation, for which we will be ready.

GE globally is transforming into a digital-manufacturing company. How are you doing it here?

A big part of our business is technology push. There are emerging trends like advance manufacturing and use of 3D printing or additives.

We see this as something that will make sense to sectors such as aviation, automotive and health.

We are offering industrial scale 3D printing of metals. The benefit of it is redesigning. It reduces complexity and cost, and increases reliability.

The other aspect is digital, where we monitor assets we supply for the purpose of reliability and then redesign based on data.

This is part of transforming all our businesses towards digital.

Do you think there is enough government investment and push in the sectors in which your company is present?

The long-term trajectory is extremely positive from a macro perspective. We are in all growth sectors except thermal.

But I think investment in emissions will unlock growth there if we get renovation and modernisation off the ground.

The new insurance scheme will help in putting investment in the health sector.

We expect some movement later this year. This market grows every year. We are providing affordable products in the market.

They were slow to start but now we are implementing 150 projects under public-private partnership in 12 states in India, such as Assam, West Bengal, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

We would like the defence business to move faster. No doubt theres progress but should we not do it quicker? There is no doubt about it.

On commercial aviation, there are bottlenecks and so more needs to be done. Regional airports and health need more injection (of funds).

Rural electrification is another right step.

Do you think the government has addressed regulatory and policy issues?

Broad reforms like the GST are huge positives. There is some complexity in implementation. For instance, there is no GST in power but all equipment suppliers like us pay the GST.

Things like these need to be simplified. With the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, we are making progress on stressed assets.

Progress has been made in ease of doing business but most of the focus has been on setting up businesses.

We need to take a more holistic approach on ease of doing business while industry is operating or moving goods and factories, which is where labour reforms come in because if companies invest in Make in India, they would like more flexibility.

Foreign companies, and GE itself last year, have faced concerns on reversal of policies and contracts. Is that worrying?

We are mindful of all these things. Sanctity of contracts and stability of law and reforms are incredibly important.

When you deal with things that are retroactive in nature, it shakes your trust.

It is not that the government is not aware of this. It is trying to improve things.
As cess levied under GST isnt shared by states, most states oppose it on the ground that it would set a wrong precedent and distort the GST structure.

The idea of a cess on sugar of around Rs 3 a kg to fund the Centres scheme for helping cane farmers had state governments differing at Friday's meeting of the Goods and Services Tax Council.

The major sugar producing states of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, with Bihar -- all ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party directly or in alliance -- seconded the proposal. It would enable the Centre to get the Rs 15.4 billion required to fund the Rs 5.5 a quintal for cane growers, announced by the central government this week.

The idea was to help both sugar mills and the farmers. With sugar prices below the cost of production, mills' payment arrears to cane farmers is over Rs 200 billion.

However, as a cess levied under GST isnt shared by states, most others opposed it on the reasoning that it would set a wrong precedent and distort the GST structure.

Kerala has a big plantation sector, also hit by a sharp drop in realisations due to falling prices. Its government argued that if something is being done to benefit cane farmers, why not levy a cess on rubber to benefit its growers?

"Sugarcane farmers must be protected. The three per cent GST cess will fetch only Rs 70 billion. Why can't it be met from central budgets, rather than through distorting GST? I shall agree to a cess only if a similar treatment is offered to rubber, said the state's finance minister, Thomas Isaac.

Andhra Pradesh finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said levy of cess by the Union government is against the spirit of GST.

Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka together account for over 80 per cent of the countrys sugar production. Also, 28 per cent of the Lok Sabha's seats come from these three states, with a general election due in a year.

In Uttar Pradesh, almost 20 per cent of the sugarcane crop is still standing in the fields, as millers have simply refused to issue indents (parchis in local parlance). Indents are a commitment from the mills to purchase a specified quantity of cane from farmers.

Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Modi, in supporting the central proposal, said GST law allowed the Council to decide on such a cess; there was no legal breach. West Bengal's Amit Mitra strongly argued otherwise.

The idea of collecting cess for supporting farmers is noble but the government should consider allocating funds from its existing revenue collections rather than introducing a new levy.

By bringing in additional cess on GST, the entire purpose of simplifying GST and reducing multiplicity of taxes gets defeated, said Abhishek Rastogi, partner in legal firm Khaitan & Co.

Photograph: PTI Photo.
'Would you as the PM go through all the elaborate trouble of an interview, face all the tough questions from dogged journalists, who know what they are talking about, and yet end up with a result where more people are talking about the journalist than you?'

'It begs the question: Why go with an amateur when you can draft a professional?'

'Hence, I suspect, an adman.'

'In other words, let's cut to the chase: Thanda matlab Coca Cola!' notes Udit Misra.



IMAGE: Prasoon Joshi, left, quizzes Prime Minister Narendra D Modi at the Bharat Ki Baat event in London, April 18, 2018. Photograph: Press Information Bureau

I just do not get why so many people have been so harsh on Prasoon Joshi for his recent interview of Prime Minister Narendra D Modi in London.

One fellow I met kept referring him to "Bassoon" Joshi. And there are more than a few articles panning him.

For my part, I just find that people are barking up the wrong tree. For many who are criticising him now, Mr Joshi was a great wordsmith, a poet even -- "was", mind you -- who had no reason to, for the lack of a more accurate phrase, "stoop to this level".

But this sentiment seems to conflate Mr Joshi's ability to evocatively articulate different emotions and views, either in verse or in prose, with hardcore political journalism.

In that sense, focusing on Mr Joshi is missing the wood for the trees.

With so much focus on him, ironically, no one seems to be talking about the PM, who incidentally, declared that he was not a fakir (a mendicant) as he had previously thought he was -- because, as he has realised, "fakir is a big word" -- and instead called himself an auliya.

That's Urdu for a saint (or at the very least a saintly fellow).

My respect for PM Modi's nuanced understanding of history just went up -- he perhaps knows that when it comes to Delhi, auliyas had it better than most rulers.

Nizam-ud-din Auliya's Hunuz Dilli dur ast comment being a case in point.

Coming back to the interview, one could, of course, be forgiven to wonder: Has the Indian PM already run out of journalists to get interviewed by?

It is a valid question; we are still in the fourth year of the tenure. Although it is well known that despite occupying the highest public office in the world's largest democracy, PM Modi has not shown any overwhelming desire to answer questions from everyday journalists.

But let that not be misunderstood; already, there is way too much to do in this country. Moreover, there are many journalists who would give their right arm to interview the PM even today.

But perhaps the PM just doesn't want any more journalists. In the past, Mr Modi had agreed to being interviewed by some of the most well-respected journalists in India, each of whom has come to be seen as the true reflection of the best that this great and vast country has to offer in the name of journalism.

But, if anyone has watched those interviews carefully, they would agree that the PM did not seem to enjoy his time -- he appeared too embarrassed facing those questions.

What's worse, some people -- possibly one of those renegade anti-national journalists who can't but spread pessimism in the country -- have even suggested that the interviews were staged.

Utter rubbish, I say.

Still, there was bad press and most would agree, it was just not worth it anymore.

I mean, would you as the PM go through all the elaborate trouble of an interview, face all the tough questions from dogged journalists, who know what they are talking about, and yet end up with a result where more people are talking about the journalist than you.

It begs the question: Why go with an amateur when you can draft a professional? Hence, I suspect, an adman.

In other words, let's cut to the chase: Thanda matlab Coca Cola!

I would be honest, in the past, it was not easy to sit through the PM's interviews. It was just a shame to see a popularly elected PM being cornered on every issue.

Although one must give credit where it is due -- Mr Modi no longer stops abruptly in the middle of an interview, nor does he get up and leave, as we have seen him do when he was not the PM.

Now, you simply cannot unsettle him.

I am sure it must be the ashirwaad of the sawa sau crore Indians, give or take a few million illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar -- although we are told the wheels are in motion to set right such historical injustices.

This time, of course, I thoroughly enjoyed the interview.

It was a feat that few world leaders have achieved in the past: It was an extempore interview even though an untrained eye would have been tricked into thinking that it was completely choreographed.

What changed, I ask? Not Mr Modi, but Mr Joshi. And yet, he is the one being pilloried.

What a travesty, I say.
'Can he be the statesman that a divided nation needs?'

'Not remotely, but by following his gut, he may yet surprise the scores upon scores of naysayers,' says Vikram Johri.



IMAGE: Marvel Comics turned Donald Trump into a comic book character in a Spider-Man spin-off. Kind courtesy: Marvel Comics

One of the hallmarks of the Trump presidency has been the near-constant sense of chaos it seems to reel under.

From the national security adviser to the press secretary, and most recently Rex Tillerson who was the secretary of state, close to 20 senior officials have either resigned or been fired by Trump since he took over the presidency a little over a year ago.

Combined with allegations of Russian meddling in the polls that brought him to the White House and his barrage of criticism against what he terms the 'fake news' media, the picture that emerges is one of an administration struggling not just to govern but survive.

Yet, Trump has also been consistent on the promises he made to the electorate, especially the vast swathes of the Midwest that elected him to power. One universally applauded policy measure is the rationalisation of the tax code.

Similarly, the trade war with China, notwithstanding what it may lead to, is meant to signal that he means business when he talks about reviving old industrial towns that have borne the brunt of globalisation.

How then does one read this administration? Is it falling apart, as the dominant media narrative would have us believe, or is it on course to fulfil the agenda it set itself, as Trump and his supporters would argue?

There are worse places to look for an answer than a new documentary on Trump, streaming on Netflix.

Titled Trump: An American Dream, the documentary was produced by Britain's Channel 4 after Trump unexpectedly won the presidency.

It charts four decades in the life of the businessman who first found success in the New York City real estate, building upon his father Fred Trump's legacy.

The documentary begins in the 1970s, a time of great social unrest in New York. Crime had peaked and a bankrupt administration had failed to provide even basic services.

One scene depicting archival footage has streets overflowing with garbage after the city's sanitation workers refused to go to work because they had not been paid their wages.

Trump, the documentary suggests, used this opportunity to return the city to its former glory by offering to refurbish the iconic Commodore Hotel.

Fred Trump had made his fortune in low-cost housing designed mainly for the city's poor. His son, however, looked to upscale and whatever he built, from the Trump Tower in NYC to the Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, had the stamp of glitz written all over it.

The documentary presents the story of Trump's rise in the construction business as a corollary of the man's remarkable ability to strike the best deal.

Not just for Commodore Hotel but even for the Trump Tower, which was marketed as a home for the super rich, Trump managed to extract mega tax breaks from the city with the plea that these 'projects generated employment and boosted the citys image.

This brought him in the crosshairs of the then mayor, Ed Koch, who had been elected in 1978 on a platform of honesty and corruption-free government.

Trump attacked Koch personally, using his media appearances to paint him as a Luddite who could not look to the future.

If it were not for the graininess of the footage, these scenes could have been plucked from his Presidential campaign.

They give us an early glimpse of the aggressive, hyperbolic personality that Trump has perfected over a lifetime.

Trump's focus on the big and the grand has not always succeeded.

The Taj Mahal, which according to some reports, was built for a billion dollars and opened in 1990, was unable to recoup the investment and was ultimately bought by the Hard Rock Hotels group after years of struggle.

Trump may not have lost his reckless streak, if more recent events are any indication.

The documentary also looks at his personal life, his first, 15-year-long marriage to Ivana Trump which broke down, it is suggested, when Ivana, who had always helped with the business, grew too ambitious and began stealing Trump's limelight.

His second marriage to Marla Maples lasted six years and he married Melania in 2005.

If the documentary tells us anything, it is that there is nothing truly remarkable about Trump's ascendancy.

Many have baldly speculated that he decided to run when Barack Obama poked fun at him at the 2011 White House correspondents dinner -- but this may well be true.

Trump comes across here as a creature of impulse, one who happens to possess the tenacity and gumption to convert that momentary throb into reality.

Battling Koch for that tax break, Trump told a reporter back in 1979, 'I'll wait for a more progressive administration and more importantly, I'll wait for bad times. When bad times come, then I'll get whatever I want.'

Nearly 40 years after he made that statement, Trump got his bad times, and then some.

He can be disgraceful, oh yes, but he is also incredibly lucky, and he now has a platform bigger than any dealmaking he has ever done.

Can he be the statesman that a divided nation needs? Not remotely, but by following his gut, he may yet surprise the scores upon scores of naysayers who are still wondering how America elected this man President.
'Nobody in AMU supports Jinnah's two-nation theory.'

'It is shameful we are debating Jinnah and not education or employment.'

IMAGE: Aligarh Muslim University students protest at the gates of the university campus. Photograph: PTI Photo

On Wednesday, May 2, a row was triggered over Mohammed Ali Jinnah's portrait at the Aligarh Muslim University.

Following protests and violence, Internet services were suspended on Friday, May 4, in Aligarh district.

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Satish Gautam flagged off the controversy when he wrote to AMU raising objections to the Jinnah portrait.

Portraits of all life members of the students union, the university pointed out, were displayed and Jinnah, a founder member of the university court, had been accorded this honour long before Partition.

"The trouble did not occur due to Jinnah's portrait. The trouble occurred because of former vice president Hamid Ansari's visit to AMU. That photo was just an excuse," Maskoor Ahmad Usmani, president, Aligarh Muslim University Students Union, tells Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf.

What seems to be the problem at AMU?

People belonging to the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) and RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) came to the university on Wednesday and tried to instigate the students.

They chanted slogans like 'Agar desh mein rehna hai toh Ram Ram kehna hai (If you want to stay in India, then chant Ram Ram).' They did it on the day when Hamid Ansari, the former vice president of India, visited AMU.

We had invited him and they shouted slogans against him.

The saffron goons got illegal weapons into the university, beat up the security guards and students.

Didn't the problem occur because of Jinnah's portrait in AMU?

The trouble did not occur due to Jinnah's portrait.

The trouble occurred because of Hamid Ansari's visit. That photo was just an excuse.

Wasn't the issue triggered by Jinnah's portrait in AMU, as Satish Kumar Gautam, the BJP MP from Aligarh, has claimed?

He is diverting the issue by bringing up Jinnah's portrait. It is a non-issue and he is trying to make an issue out of it.

When we went to file an FIR with the police against the saffron goons, our complaint was not lodged.

I was beaten up very badly by the police.

This is the first time in AMU history that students were beaten. The police should not have attacked us. We want a judicial inquiry.

Don't we have right to file an FIR? Don't we have democratic rights?

Right now 10,000 students are protesting inside the campus.

What is your demand?

We want an FIR (first information report) filed against all the saffron goons and they must be arrested.

Hamid Ansari has 'Z' (class) security and his security too was breached.

He was our guest and he was not given security, therefore, these saffron goons entered the university.

IMAGE: Uttar Pradesh police personnel deployed outside the AMU gates during the students' protest. Photograph: PTI Photo

Why do these "saffron goons", as you call them, have a problem with Hamid Ansari?

He was the vice president of India and a former student of AMU, which they do not like.

You are now spinning another story altogether. I read your statement where you clearly say you will not remove Jinnah's portrait from AMU.

The Aligarh Muslim University Students Union is an autonomous body and we have said that for historical fact this photo of Jinnah has to be preserved.

This picture has been put up 80 years ago. In the last two days, this controversy has been created unnecessarily by BJP MP Satish Kumar Gautam as he has not done any work in this constituency.

Jinnah gave the two nation theory and divided the nation. I do not support his ideology, but for historical preservation his photo has been put up, so let it be there. It is wrong to define nationalism in this manner.

The 2019 elections are coming and therefore he wants to polarise voters and communalise the situation.

Jinnah ek bahaana hai, Aligarh Muslim University nishaana hai aur 2019 mein BJP ko vote paana hai (Jinnah is an excuse to target AMU and win the 2019 elections).

Javed Akhtar says AMU must remove Jinnah's portrait.

We have not put up Jinnah's photo. The AMU students union is an autonomous body and Jinnah was a life member of that students union. Therefore, his photo has been put up. There is no other reason.

Mahatma Gandhi's photo has been put up, so also Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's.

The BJP is trying to dilute the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes Act and tomorrow they can say that they want to remove Dr Babasaheb's picture, too.

So shall we start removing it?

Jinnah house is in Mumbai, why don't they remove that?

(Uttar Pradesh minister) Swami Prasad Maurya has said 'Jinnah was a great freedom fighter.'

I say this clearly: Jinnah gave the two-nation theory and divided the nation. I do not support his ideology, but for historical preservation his photo has been put up, so let it be there.

It is wrong to define nationalism in this manner. Where is our country heading?

You insist on not removing Jinnah's portrait. However, you won't allow RSS member Ameer Rashid to open a shakha on the AMU campus. Why?

They never participated in the freedom movement.

(Vinayak Damodar) Savarkar, whom they call 'Veer', was an accused in Mahatma Gandhi's killing.

You are wrongly accusing Savarkar. He was acquitted of the charge of killing Gandhiji.

But he was an accused. You cannot deny that. And you tell me which organisation did Nathuram Godse belong to?

History shows us the RSS was banned thrice in India. This is the same RSS that wants to rewrite history.

There are black and white chapters in history and whatever happened in history cannot change.

For 70 years nobody must have noticed Jinnah's portrait in AMU. Now someone has noticed it. So why can't you remove it?

Even now nobody saw it. They just want to target AMU and therefore they are doing all this in the name of Jinnah.

Sometimes they want to remove Jinnah's portrait, sometimes they want to open an RSS shakha, and sometimes they want to protest against Hamid Ansari.

They are doing it intentionally.

Why would they oppose Mr Ansari?

Some false rumours of Ansari's statements were circulated by these saffron goons and therefore they came to protest against him.

IMAGE: AMU students will boycott classes for the next two days as part of their protest. Photograph: PTI Photo

It is alleged that the BJP wants to change the character of AMU by diluting its Muslim ethos. Is that true?

Non-Muslim students make up 40 per cent of the population at AMU. It is wrong to say only Muslims study at AMU.

Is Jinnah's portrait that important for you?

Jinnah is not important, but history is.

His photo is in the central hall and it has been preserved for many years.

If the BJP wants to remove his portrait, then they must change the name of Jinnah's house in Mumbai too.

After Jinnah died, Parliament mourned his death for two minutes. Why did they do that?

There is a photograph of Jinnah in the Nehru Museum (New Delhi).

In India, there are many books where Jinnah's photo is published. Remove all pictures of Jinnah in India, only then will we remove Jinnah's portrait from AMU.

We will not remove Jinnah's portrait on someone's order. We don't need diktats.

If the government wants to remove Jinnah's picture, let them bring a law on this issue.

Remove all British photos and statues also, as they looted India for 200 years.

If they want to change history, let them change everything.

Doesn't this come across as AMU students supporting Jinnah by not removing his portrait?

Nobody in AMU is supporting Jinnah's two-nation theory. It is very clear.

I have said this many times. But nobody can dictate terms to us.

AMU students are getting beaten up because of Jinnah.

Students are not getting beaten up because of Jinnah's photo. They are getting beaten up because they were supporting Hamid Ansari.

The students demanded that these saffron goons must be arrested for protesting against Hamid Ansari and causing trouble in AMU, but the police did not register an FIR against them.

Forty students are still admitted in hospital. I was beaten up and my mobile was broken.

Democracy is being killed in India. I want (Prime Minister Narendra D) Modi and (UP Chief Minister Ajay Singh Bisht aka) Yogi Adityanath to talk on education, not on Jinnah.

Why you don't remove the Jinnah portrait and end the controversy?

Why should we remove (the portrait) when someone is dictating to us?

Tomorrow they will change the name of AMU. They are targeting us purposely.

I believe the Jinnah portrait has been removed.

No, it has not been removed.

The university was being painted and so all the photos were removed.

Now all the photos are back, so Jinnah's photo too has come back.

As president of the AMU students union, shouldn't you educate students on future job prospects and employment opportunities rather than get into the Jinnah issue?

I agree. I am saying the same thing to the government.

It is shameful we are debating Jinnah and not education or employment. The government wants to divert attention by bringing up such issues.

If you remove Jinnah's portrait, this issue will die.

Tomorrow, you will tell me to allow the RSS shakha and that will be the end of the issue.

Next day you will come and say put up a VHP shakha, then that too will end the issue.

Till when you will go on?

Is this how the law in this country works?

Bring a law that Jinnah's photo cannot be displayed. We will remove his photo everywhere.

We condemn Partition. The BJP brought Jinnah alive with this AMU controversy.

This is their job. They always bring dead people alive to provoke us.

But why do you get provoked?

We only want action against the people who attacked AMU. The government must set up a judicial inquiry on this matter.

Till that time, our struggle will continue.
The eruption of Kilauea volcano has sent lava flowing into residential areas on Hawaiis Big Island, with residents ordered to abandon their homes. Hundreds of small earthquakes preceded the eruption.

Here are glimpses of the eruption and the aftermath.

A plume of ash rises from Kilauea Volcano, one of five on the island, after a series of earthquakes over the last couple of days, in Hawaii. The Kilauea volcano is the youngest and most active on the island of Hawaii, and has been erupting almost continuously since 1983, according to the US Geological Survey. It's in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a major tourist attraction.. Photograph: USGS/Reuters

Area near the Kilauea Volcano is seen in this aerial image after the volcano erupted following a series of earthquakes. The spewing lava set trees ablaze and threatened homes in the areas nearby. US Geological Survey seismologist Jana Pursley said there have been 119 earthquakes on the Big Island since Thursday afternoon. The USGS said Friday's 6.9 quake was the most powerful on the island since 1975. Photograph: USGS/Reuters

The Kilauea Volcano's Pu'u 'O'o crater is seen in this aerial image. Destructive molten flows aren't the only concern. Volcanic eruptions can release potentially dangerous sulfur dioxide -- and fire department personnel have detected high levels of the gas in the evacuation area, the civil defense agency said. Photograph: USGS/Reuters

Several schools have been ordered shut and temporary flight restrictions have been put in place. Past volcanic eruptions, some that occurred decades ago, have caused lasting damage to parts of the region. An eruption from the Puu Oo cone of Kilauea in 1983 has continued to flow, destroying houses in the Royal Gardens subdivision. In 1990, more than 100 homes in the Kalapana community were destroyed by lava flow. Now residents worry that more structures could be threatened in the area, which is one of the fastest-growing in the state. Photograph: USGS/Reuters

Steam cracks are shown before a fissure opened on Kaupili Street in the Leilani Estates subdivision caused by an eruption of the Kilauea Volcano. Photograph: USGS/Reuters
Last updated on: May 05, 2018 11:07 IST

A United States court on Saturday sentenced to life imprisonment a Navy veteran who yelled get out of my country before killing Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla in a racially motivated hate crime at a bar in Kansas City last year.

A federal judge in Kansas sentenced Adam Purinton to nearly 78 years in prison as part of a plea agreement reached in March. Purinton would not be eligible for parole until after he turns 100, KSHB reported.

In March this year, Purinton, 52, had pleaded guilty to the charges of murdering Kuchibhotla.

Purinton was charged with first-degree murder of Kuchibhotla, 32, and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the shootings of his friend, Alok Madasani, and a bystander, who chased Purinton after he fled the Austin's Bar and Grill in Olathe city on February 22 last year.

In addition to the state charges, Purinton faces prosecution in federal court.

The US Attorney's Office in Kansas filed hate crime charges against Purinton last June.

Purinton, yelled, get out of my country, before shooting Kuchibhotla, who later died from injuries sustained in the attack.

Federal hate crime charges are pending against Purinton, who is scheduled to enter a plea in that case on May 21.

Kuchibhotla is survived by his wife Sunayana Dumala, who welcomed the court's decision.

Today's sentencing in the murder of my husband will not bring back my Srinu, but it sends a strong message that hate is never acceptable, Dumala said in a statement.

I want to thank the District Attorney's office and the Olathe police for their efforts to bring this man to justice, she said.

Dumala also submitted a statement read into the court record in which she described the night of her husband's murder and the knock at the front door by police that brought her the life-changing news on February 22, 2017.

Kuchibhotla was an Indian national who worked as an aviation systems engineer and programs manager at GPS maker Garmin.

Kuchibhotla hailed from Hyderabad. He had a master's degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso.

He earned his bachelor's degree from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad.
Controversial quotes were reportedly found written on the door of a chapel at Delhi Universitys St Stephens college.

Students union president Sai Aashirwaad said inflammatory quotes like Mandir Yahi Banega were found written on the chapels main door, while an Om symbol along with the words Im going to hell was found on the cross situated behind the chapel on Friday.

The messages, however, were cleared today, he said.

The Delhi Police dismissed the report as rumours. The Delhi Police said no such incident had taken place.

The college administration had announced preparatory holidays for students from April 28, with only those having practical exams attending the college.

Principal John Varghese was unavailable for comments.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Launching a fresh attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday questioned his silence on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders facing corruption charges.

"Dear Modi ji, You talk a lot. Problem is, your actions don't match your words. Here's a primer on your candidate selection in Karnataka," Gandhi tweeted along with a video asking if the Prime Minister will speak for five minutes on the eight tickets to the "Reddy brothers gang".



The video plays like an episode of "Karnataka's Most Wanted".



"Making someone who has 23 cases of corruption, cheating, forgery your CM candidate? When will you speak on your top 11 leaders facing corruption cases," it questioned.

Dear Modi ji,



You talk a lot. Problem is, your actions dont match your words. Here's a primer on your candidate selection in Karnataka.



It plays like an episode of "Karnataka's Most Wanted". #AnswerMaadiModi pic.twitter.com/G97AjBQUgO  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 5, 2018



The clip named B. Sriamulu, G. Somashekara Reddy, T.H. Suresh Babu, Katta Subramanya Naidu, C.T. Ravi, Murugesh Nirani, ES EN Krishnaiah Shetty Malur, K. Shivanagouda Naik, R. Ashok, and Shobha Karandlaje as the 11 BJP candidates facing crimnal cases.



"Putting a lid on the Rs 35,000 crore illegal iron ore mining scam of the Reddy brothers. Waiting your reply. PS: You can refer to a paper for answers," it said.



The attack came ahead of polling for the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, to be held on May 12.



The results will be declared on May 15.
Faaloloi Ah Ping Sio has expressed disappointment over the laxity of the Police services in Samoa.

Ms. Sio claims she was assaulted by a Village Mayor and her attempts to file the complaint with the Police department were not taken seriously.

In an interview with the Weekend Observer, Ms. Sio said a man in his 50s, a Village Mayor, allegedly assaulted her in a nightclub.

But when I attempted to file a complaint against the Village Mayor, I was given the run around by the Police officers on duty, last Saturday 28 April, 2018, she said.

Contacted for a comment, the Police Superintendent and Media Spokesperson, Auapaau Logoitino Filipo, assured that the Police are looking into this matter.

He told the Samoa Observer the complaint lodged by Ms. Sio regarding the Village Mayor is being investigated and as of now no one has been charged.

In relation to her claims (against the Police) that matter has been referred to the Police Professional Standard Unit for investigation, explained Auapaau.

Attempts to get a comment from the village mayor in question have been unsuccessful.

But Ms. Sio expressed her frustration with the Police department.

On Saturday, out of nowhere, a Village Mayor slapped me twice on my face.

To be honest, I dont know this man, other than the fact I know he is a Village Mayor of my neighbouring village.

I called the Police and upon their arrival, they asked the Village Mayor to go down to the Police Station. I jumped into a taxi and followed them.

I arrived at the Police Station only to be told to go home as I was under the influence of alcohol.

I dont understand this. They should have given me a breathalyzer test to determine the level of alcohol in my body prior to concluding that I was drunk.

My summation of what the entire situation is the fact that the accused is a Village Mayor and I am just another civilian who does not matter, she said.

The officers who handled my case were all men and all gave me the look as if I was the one who committed the crime. I was crushed inside, thinking I am here to seek justice and this is what I get.

A slap is assault and it there is no way around it.

I guess because the accused is the Village Mayor and I am just another female. I am saddened with the gender inequality existing within the Police, she said.

Ms. Sio further noted she returned on Sunday morning, but only to be insulted by another officer that day.

I was told to go freshen up first in the restroom and only then I can make my statement against the Village Mayor.

Do you know how insulting that was for me, said Ms. Pio.

She said she then left the Police Station and returned on Monday.

I came back on Monday and asked to see the Commissioner but I was not allowed, so then I filed my complaint with the Samoa Victim Support Group.

Afterwards I went directly to the Police Professional Standard Unit and filed my complaint against the Police for their unprofessionalism and discrimination.
Since the recession in 2010, exporting of Samoas scrap metal and earnings from the exports have slowly picked up again.

According to Samoa Roofing & Supplies Owner and Manager, Silafau Ioane Sio, they didnt halt the exporting of scrap metal during the recession, but they only decreased the number of containers they exported.

For example, we used to export like five to six tons of container per month with 120 tons of scrap metal, average of 20 tons per container. When we had the recession, we dropped down to like one container a month with an average of 20 tons per container.

Now the market price is starting to pick up again a little bit, which we managed to start our exports again, Silafau said.

He explained their markets  Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Taiwan  determine the price and the variety of scrap metals they export.

Its a very tough business because basically it all depends on your overseas markets, so thats why I am saying its very tough. Overseas markets dictate the price.

We havent been to China and other parts of Asia, but those are the main markets that are closer to us, especially Australia and New Zealand.

Weve tested all the markets around. It seems that Australia and New Zealand are the most effective for us in terms of costing, freights and things like that. Even though there are also markets around in Singapore and all those Asian countries, it all depends on the cost.

What weve learned is that wed rather go to Australia and New Zealand.

Silafau explained the costs in their overseas markets vary.

It all depends on the market price. For instance two years ago, the price dramatically dropped, pass even the breakeven point. This happened back in 2008 or 2010 when we had the recession. The recession had a huge impact on the business in terms of exports.

Silafau admitted they have yet to reach the peak of their exports since their inception in 2006 before the recession.

We still export scrap metal, but instead of exporting 120 tons, we are now exporting only 40 tons or 20 tons when it comes to bad times. But now we are increasing our exports again to gradually 60 tons a month with an average of 20 tons per container. Its now between 60 and 80 tons per month  four containers.

He explained: Scrap metal it has two parts. One is called the ferrous metal and the other one is called non-ferrous metal. Ferrous metal is more like the steel, which is a low value material, whereas the non-ferrous metal, you have materials like copper, which has a bit higher value. So it depends on what you put in the container. Sometimes what we put in the container varies.

If we put in the container 60 tons of ferrous of materials, its not a big return because the ferrous is like 220 a ton thats gross and you net it off, minus the expenses and stuff, so maybe you end up like $90 tala per ton, net a month. It ranges from $90 tala to $200 tala per month. So its up to you, you have to be smart to put in a mixture so you can get something.

The good thing about Australia and New Zealand is that they accept anything and a mixture of things we export to them in the container, whereas in Asia, if they want only one material like 20 tons of copper, then I tell you what in Samoa it takes you the whole year to get 20 tons of copper or even like aluminum cans, if they want us to ship 20 tons of aluminum cans, it takes you months to fill that 20 tons. Its because theyre very big markets.

We export every month to Australia. We requested to Australia to export a variety of scrap metals and they have been very good to us, but basically if you think of it from the other end, its a bit of expensive for them, compared to us where it is cheaper here. But thats how you look for some markets and some people who can help clear our waste.

Silafau explained the main reason for their existence is not so much to make profit, but to help Samoa, in particular the Tafaigata landfill, clear recyclable scrap materials for exports.

He also noted that they also provide for families in Samoa through employment and trading of scrap materials for money.

People sell us their materials as well. Whatever they bring in, we pay them. What we pay them depends on the price of each material. For example, for aluminum cans, we pay 90 sene a kilo. If they have 10 kilos we pay them $10 tala. For copper, the price is very high but for steel its very low.

For steel, we only pay 10 sene per kilo, so it ranges from 5 senefor steel to $5 tala per kilo, which is copper.

We also bring in the cars as well and its also part of assisting the environment because normally, its very difficult for us to process that. So we use an excavator to dismantle all the cars and get steel.

Sometimes we go out to get materials from the people. We also sell materials to people. Most of the time we dont, we may just charge a fee to cover the cost of bringing it in. Its because what may be useless to one person, maybe useful to another. If someone comes in looking for a door of a car, we give them a door for the car.

Silafau explained: Its very expensive to dismantle the cars because we use the excavator. Expenses wise, dismantling a car, depending on the size, for a small taxi it will cost you $80-$100 tala to dismantle it alone.
Women micro-entrepreneurs from the rural areas were honoured yesterday at the 17th annual South Pacific Business Development (S.P.B.D.) Business Woman Awards.

The key note address was delivered by the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Labour, Lautafi Purcell, who congratulated all the women business owners present.

I wish all the very best to all the businesses and their aspirations not only for today but also in the long term and remember as Gregory said earlier always keep the dream alive, said Lautafi.

Congratulations to all the award nominees as well as the award winners for this programme. I acknowledge and applaud the strength and the contribution of women in the development of our country and in all aspects of life.

I am also confident of your commitment and perseverance to sustain the development of your businesses for the benefit of your families, church and communities. As I said to you last year do not underestimate your great contribution to the economic development of Samoa.

I would also like to congratulate S.P.B.D. for organising this prestigious award programme and also to acknowledge their services and lending facility that caters for the development needs of women entrepreneurship.

I understand men are also now considered for the development and establishment of micro and small businesses including community initiatives. However it is crucial, as beneficiaries that you honour your obligations under this arrangement.

From my office yesterday I watched as the women who were displaying their market goods out the front of the government building, dancing clapping and singing and I thought to myself  that is a very good sign, it shows that something has been achieved and the women ought to celebrate their success.

The shield award for Best Centre went to the Satitoa Tauatiaii Aleipata centre with their President, Ioata Togafau, accepting their prize on their behalf.

All glory and thanks goes to God for this honour of winning Best Centre. O lea matou te omai male igoa o Satitoa, O le mea foi lea matou te fia sola ai male mea atoa, Ioata said proudly to the Samoa Observer.

The Satitoa Aleipata centre was founded in 2012. It has been five years in the making. The fundraising that we do is for the welfare of our families, the community and the church as well as the young ones.

I am very proud to say that this centre is representing our village which has always been a priority for us. We are thankful that we won first place, we praise God for everything he has done, he has given us everything and it was not easy to develop the centre.

We try to develop the centre with the goal to help all mothers have a good future but also the children, the church and the community of Satitoa.

The winner of the Small to Medium Enterprise Business Women was Maria Levi and Best Micro-business women went to Tutulu Meafou.

Following an early morning march of S.P.B.D. members and centre managers to the Tuutuuileloloto, the ceremony began with a welcome by Luapene Lefau.

The opening remarks were given by S.P.B.D. President Gregory Casagrande.
Lets see. Two weeks ago, the Minister of Justice and Courts Administration (M.J.C.A.), Faaolesa Katopau Ainuu, flatly denied allegations he was the recipient of Land and Titles Court files removed from the Courts premises.

Said Minister Faaolesa when he was asked for a comment: That is not true. I cannot respond to the questions if you will not tell me who said these things to you.

Well we did tell him. The source was named in the story titled Minister of Justice denies removing Court files claims published on the front page of the Samoa Observer.

He was none other than the Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration employee, Tulima Pio. Working as the driver for the Chief Executive Officer of M.J.C.A., Papalii John Taimalelagi at the time, he claimed to have delivered the files to the Ministers Office, accompanied by Papaliis Secretary.

Ironically, when the Minister was queried, he referred all questions from the Samoa Observer to the C.E.O.

Papalii, who like his boss, vehemently denied the allegations. He too did not know who the source was at the time. Still, he was adamant that nothing of the sort had taken place, at all.

This type of allegation questions the integrity of the Ministry and that is why I want to make it clear that these are not true, Papalii said.

There was never a time that Court documents have left the Court house.

According to Papalii, there is a long-standing policy that prohibits the removal of any Court records from the Courthouse.

It has been a long-standing policy since the establishment of the Court, this is not allowed. Everyone and I mean everyone has to go through the process.

Even his Highness the Head of State, Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers or Members of Parliament, C.E.O.s if they want to conduct research on any Court filings, they have to file a request form to me.

And keep in mind these records are not public records and so if you want to see these files, you have to prove in your request form your eligibility to view any file.

Okay then. Lets park Papalii, Minister Faaolesa and Mr. Pio there for a second.

Lets fast forward to last Thursday when another story titled P.M. says Court files claim nothing new was published on the front page.

This time, the person being questioned was Faaolesa, Papalii and Mr. Pios big boss, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi.

The story starts off with a reminder from the Prime Minister that Land and Titles Court files should not be moved from the Courts premises.

But then he goes on to that the allegations are nothing new.

Now this needs to be explained. For instance, what does he mean by nothing new? Is the Prime Minister saying that it is not unusual for confidential files to walk from Land and Titles Court? Or is he saying the allegations against the Minister are nothing new?

And if its nothing new, why has it been allowed to continue for so long when clearly it is a breach of policy.

And now that Prime Minister Tuilaepa has been reminded again, why has nothing being done to stop this madness once and for all? Are certain people above the law?

Now according to the Prime Minister, the Government has invested in digitising files.

Everything nowadays is computerized, he said. I dont know what those files are but everything is computerised and you cannot carry out a computer, which is quite heavy.

It takes three people to carry a computer and I am shocked as to who will carry out a computer. That is why I find it hard to believe such things.

Hogwash, hogwash, hogwash. Absolutely nonsense.

If there is anything hard to believe, it is the idea the Prime Minister thinks that the people of this country are idiots they cannot read between the lines and decipher rubbish from the truth.

And what is the truth?

Its quite simple really. Even a fool, a kid or an idiot can see that something does not make sense in this saga. And the attempts to justify such wrongdoing are becoming more bizarre by the day from everyone involved.

Weve asked this before and we will ask again today; Dont you think it is time for Prime Minister Tuilaepa to launch an independent investigation to find out exactly what is going on down at the halls of justice in Samoa today?

Have a peaceful Sunday Samoa, God bless!
Supreme Court Justice Leiataualesa Darryl Clarke has expressed concerns about the poor effort being made with regards to legal citation among lawyers appearing before his Court.

Legal citation is the practice where lawyers credit authoritative documents and sources, such as Court decisions (cases), statutes, regulations, government documents, treaties, and scholarly writing.

From the bench last week, Justice Leiataualesa reminded lawyers about their vital role when they appear before the Court.

His concerns were expressed during the incest case of the father and daughter, whose identity has been suppressed by the Court.

Lupematasila Iliganoa Atoa prosecuted the matter; Diana Roma represented the father, while the daughter was represented by Maiava Visekota Peteru.

Justice Leiataualesa said there is a growing practice amongst lawyers who do not to cite any authority at all.

This is of no assistance at all or to cite authorities drawn from earlier submissions not particularly relevant to the matter before the Court, he said.

He said in submissions for the incest case no counsel could refer the Court to any authorities involving sentencing on a single charge of incest.

More importantly no counsel referred to the relevant Court of Appeal judgment in Attorney General v Mr. A [2012] W.S.C.A. 2 (31 May 2012) where the Court of Appeal asked itself the essential question relevant to this matter, what approach should be taken by the courts of Samoa to sentencing the parties to incest between a father and his mature daughter.

Justice Leiataualesa reminded: I want to reiterate that sentencing is a critical part of the criminal justice system and in which counsel have an important role to play.

He then cited the case of Copland v Smith & Anor [2000] 1 All ER 457, Buxton LJ stated at p.459: I cannot draw back from expressing my very great concern that the judge was permitted by those professional advocates to approach the matter as if it were free from authority when there was a recently reported case in this Court directly on point, which was reported not in some obscure quarter but in the official law reports.

It is not only extremely discourteous to the judge not to inform him properly about the law, but it has also been extremely wasteful of time and money in this case because not only did the judge have to deal with the matter, but it has also formed an issue in the appeal to this Court.

In that same judgment at p. 462 - 463, Brooke LJ stated: The English system of justice has always been dependent on the quality of the assistance that advocates give to the bench.

This is one of the reasons why in contrast to systems of justice in other countries, English judges are almost invariably in a position to give judgment at the end of a straightforward hearing without having to do their own research and without the state having to incur the cost of legal assistance for judges because they cannot rely on the advocates to show them the law that they need to apply.

Justice Leiataualesa then pointed out the Justice system is derived from and based on the English system of justice also dependent on the quality of the assistance advocates give to the bench.

Counsel appearing therefore should cite relevant authorities for the reasons referred to in Copland v Smith & Anor.

I raise this because there is a growing practice amongst lawyers not to cite any authorities at all, which of course is of no assistance at all or to cite authorities drawn from earlier submissions not particularly relevant to the matter before the Court.

Such a practice from the bar, if it were to become enshrined, would be a disservice to clients, the Courts, the profession and the community.

Justice Leiataualesa also urged the Samoa Law Society to utilise their advocate mandates.

The Law Society can and should also play an active role in this area of advocates duties that I have raised by way of continuing legal education.
A former Cabinet Minister and leader of the Opposition, Vaai Papu Vaai, has added his voice to the ongoing debate about customary lands.

Speaking to the Sunday Samoan as the Sao of his family, Vaai reminded that Constitution is clear.

And that is a referendum is needed to determine the usage of customary lands  especially when it involves the risk of alienation.

He said the most dangerous outcome of the law as it stands is its ability for a single person to be given a freehold title, while the extended family is excluded in the decision-making.

This is why there should be a referendum. The Sao doing something with the land without consulting all the sulis is the most dangerous part of what this Act allows, he said, referring to the Land Titles Registration Act 2008.

What will happen is there is a big difference within our culture, when we talk about lands it is owned by the Sao."

And the selecting of the Sao, you have to choose the suli (heirs) before any further actions, all the sulis should agree. Ill give you an example of what happened at Tiavea Village."

I am not sure how many acres there are, 50 or 40 acres and the Government wants to build an airport there. There are also some people of this village that want to sell these land but what they should do is put it on lease to the Government."

Its safer to put it on lease than sell it off because what will happen is they will have sell their land to the Government and the Government has the right to do whatever they want with the land."

The Government should never encourage the selling of land.

Vaai said there are a lot of lessons to be learnt.

Looking at this case here, I think they are getting $6 million tala to Tiavea Village and the Government does not have the money."

So the Government is now searching for someone to get this money from and we have got to pay that money back. Its like a mortgage but with customary land you cant lease it because it belongs to the Government. That is whats scaring everyone. It can happen.

Vaai laments that the current Government lacks fair representation and does not reflect the diversity of voters that exist in this country.

That is the thing nowadays with the H.R.P.P., he said. All the laws and regulations is tied to them so that there will be only one person that rules.

All these M.Ps within Parliament they are all under H.R.P.P., there should be another party.

With the changing of the M.Ps in Parliament, every time there is a renewal of Faipule, there will always be a change."

There is no consistency and nothing meaningful is ever completed. That is the other thing with most M.Ps they rarely come to their district, if they do, they just wave farewell on their way past. They are meant to be the voice of the whole district.

Asked about the decision by the former Head of State, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi, to raise his concerns about the issue, Vaai said he hasnt read the full paper yet.

But with my own understanding, I agree with what he means when he puts forward the question o fea alofa because love is what grounds us all and we must always return to that.
A Romanian man, who came to Samoa and used counterfeited cards to steal money from the Bank of South Pacifics Automated Teller Machines (A.T.M.) as part of a sophisticated operation, has been found guilty by the District Court.

Catalin Raazvan has been convicted of 30 charges in connection with the theft.

They include 10 charges of theft, 10 charges of accessing electronic system without authority and 10 charges of using electronic system for a dishonest purpose.

The ruling was delivered by District Court Judge Alalatoa Rosella Papalii on Friday.

But it turns that Samoa is not the only country to have become a victim of Raazvans offending. The Court was told that on 16 June 2017, the Bank South Pacific (B.S.P.) received an alert from Tonga with a photo of the suspect regarding suspicious transactions there.

Apparently he had taken off before B.S.P. Tonga could launch an investigation into his behaviour. The Samoa branch was alerted about some of the types of cards he was using.

One of the banks A.T.M. officers found a similar card swallowed at their Main Beach Road branch. The matter referred to the Operational Risk Team.

In the meantime, B.S.P. viewed the camera at A.T.M. 01 where it was noted that the same guy in the alert from Tonga resembled 18 June, 2017, but the transaction he carried out was unsuccessful.

The matter was then referred to the Ministry of Police for assistance.

Judge Alalatoa stated the Police immediately conducted a search of the suspect around the hotels in town.

Queries with Tanoa Tusitala Hotel found that Mr. Razvan was staying there.

The Police then took him into custody for questioning before a search warrant was executed on the room he occupied. He was later charged.

Judge Alalatoa noted the defendant stole $3,750 from the banks A.T.M's.

The District Court Judge ruled that shes satisfied that prosecution has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that it was the defendant, Mr. Razvan, who carried out each of the theft transactions.

I must say that the modus operandi by the defendant here was more than sophisticated, she said.

He had in his possession six cell phones. I mean who does that? Also found in his possession as well were the sticker dots.

During the hearing, the Prosecution called evidence from the Transnational cyber-crimes unit. Corporal John Fanualii explained that the polka dot stickers on the smartphone are to prevent the face of the person using it from being picked up.

The same stickers are stuck on the top of the counterfeit card evident on the camera footages and still photographs. The use of the sticker can also mean colour coding linked to another device or data."

It seems the overall rationale for using these sophisticated systems is to prevent the person from being identified and enable the fraudulent activities to be carried out.

In her verbal ruling, Judge Alalatoa noted the same person also underestimated that B.S.P. bank in Samoa have moved with the changes in digital age and its aim to protect its customers from unwanted predators tapping into their customers accounts.

Confiscated by Police were 22 electronic cards. Of the 22, two had magnetic stripes, which according to Police evidence can be used by fraudsters to steal money from A.T.M. machines. Then there is the six cellphones with stickers blocking the camera, which is also evident on the video footages."

It is also evident from the times Mr. Razvan used the A.T.M. machines that these were not from his own visa/ master cards. I have checked his card details against the trial balances and none is shown. He says it is not him, but the evidence is overwhelming to this effect."

The photo sent from Tonga to B.S.P. produced as exhibit depicted the clothing the person was wearing and tattoos clearly evident on the nape of his neck."

The same clothing and cap was produced as evidence. The same counterfeit card depicting Palasia Hotel he evidently used on the machines here was the same as that depicted in the Tongan alert."

Although I am mindful that the defendant was not charged at all in Tonga, I am satisfied on the uncontested evidence before me, that he is the same person referred to in the alert, said Judge Alalatoa.

She said on the evidence taken in its totality, shes satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that it was the defendant who carried out these illegal and fraudulent activities on the A.T.M.s.

I venture further to say that he had studied the locations of each A.T.M."

It is far too incredible that the same person would know so much about the location of each A.T.M. machine throughout our small country in such a short time."

He even hired a vehicle to get there. In fact he kept himself busy with these activities. Why would he need to go through all these A.T.M's to get money when he could have done so from one A.T.M?"

It is also far too coincidental that it is the same person who carried out these transactions wearing almost the same type of clothing each day."

Although it is true that the sums withdrawn were not that significant, I am entitled to conclude that this is because he did not want to be detected as bigger portions could have easily attracted attention."

Again he underestimated the advance security measures that B.S.P. has had to put in place having learnt the hard way from the other two convicted Chinese fraudulent who committed similar offending and now doing time at Tafaigata.

Judge Alalatoa concluded that the defendant intentionally used a counterfeited card to steal monies.

The whole modus operandi you undertook was dishonest and fraudulent. These 10 charges are also proven beyond reasonable doubt, she said.

Mr. Raazvan will be sentenced on 18 May 2018.
Business System Limited (B.S.L.) has introduced a new kind of Universal Serial Bus (U.S.B.)

Their Intel Compute Stick, also known as a MINI PC, can house entire operating systems onto something just a little larger than a U.S.B. drive.

The companys I.T. Manager, Ajay Prakash, said the new product will make life easier for Samoans and it is also affordable.

Nowadays everyone has a LED television or a smart television, so what you can do is buy the wireless keyboard and mouse, also at a cheaper price, Mr. Prakash told the Sunday Samoan.

For the people of Samoa, not everyone could afford a laptop or a desktop especially when it comes to a student. But nearly every house has a big smart television. With a very small computer stick, you will get yourself a whole computer.

It is also useful for those who are training and also conferences. For those in the ministries all you will need is a projector. If the compute stick was not introduced, then you would need to work with your laptop, that is the benefit of this new product, he said.

Mr. Prakash explained: We are getting a smaller version of the H.D.M.S. screen that has a plug on the side. That screen is also five volts powered.

So you need battery, like the power battery that we use, such as the power banks for charging our phones, if you have a good power bank that will last you two hours maximum, so that is 5 volts into your screen.

Then the computer stick will go into the other side of the screen. So it is only one power source is powering the screen, but the screen is powering up the compute stick.

It has a microphone and an audio as well. As I mentioned for the cooling fan, Intel claims that the cooling fan is running at a pin drop silent.

B.S.L. also focuses on helping the community of Samoa to access latest products.

This will be profitable for both the B.S.L. and the community of Samoa. We are providing the latest technology to the clients and the consumers out there. They will also be benefiting. Instead of buying a laptop that is $1,500 or $2,000 they will get a small compute stick for $650.

We are not limiting ourselves when it comes to I.T. We want to move on with the rest of the world. We dont want to just stick to one place. We want to bring all the latest products with a very cheaper and full packed service, he added.

Through their partnership with Intel, the Intel Compute Stick was made available in Samoa.

It was easy to get this here because the moment we received our partnership with the Intel and B.S.L. It took us two to three weeks to discuss having the compute stick here. And if the demand goes high then we can get more of the compute stick for less than 14 days.
The publisher and president of the San Diego Business Journal is stepping down this summer to move to North Carolina for family reasons.

Huntley Paton, who took over as head of the publication 20 months ago, is leaving to be closer to children and grandchildren, according to the Business Journal.

Paton, 55, spent more than three decades in the business journalism field -- most of them with American City Business Journals, which owns 43 publications nationwide.

He was a former publisher of the Dallas Business Journal and also worked as executive online editor for American City, which is based in Charlotte, N.C.

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The San Diego Business Journal -- owned by a California Business Journal -- hired Paton in September 2016. CBJ also owns publications in Los Angeles, Orange County and the San Fernando Valley.

Through his career, Paton worked as a reporter, editor, publisher and corporate executive. While in San Diego, Paton introduced new features such as the San Diego 500, the Military Veteran Entrepreneur Awards, the Best Real Estate Deals of the Year and a Life Sciences book.

Armon Mills, former publisher of the San Diego Business Journal, will lead the nationwide search for a new publisher.

Mills ran the Business Journal from 2004-2010, and from 2012-2016. He will be active in the organization during the transition, according to the Business Journal. Paton will continue to head the Business Journal until his departure.

Business

mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com;

Twitter:@TechDiego

760-529-4973
San Diegos popular Patio restaurant group is branching out into North County with a planned opening in Encinitas next month.

The Patio on 101, as it is being called, will take the place of the recently closed Open House Food + Drink, which debuted just a year ago.

The Open House location, on South Coast Highway 101, had 2,800 square feet of outdoor space, an ideal fit for the Patio Group, known for its ample patio dining at its Pacific Beach, Mission Hills and Liberty Station locations.

Paul Ahern, the broker handling the sale of Open House, reached out to Patio Group CEO Gina Champion-Cain knowing of the restaurants signature outdoor dining, said Hilary Rossi, senior vice president of food and beverage.

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We came down on a Monday and Gina had been wanting to move one of the Patio brands into North County, recalled Rossi. The space seemed perfect for the Patio brand. Well do little tweaks to make it look like our other restaurants, and Im going to add some elements of the ocean with more blues, and the decor will reflect the charm of Encinitas.

Other features of the restaurant include an outdoor lounge and kids play area. One of the two bars inside will be named in honor of the late Joey Himmelberg, who was a very close friend of Champion-Cain.

The Patio Group acquired the Open House business and liquor license for an undisclosed price but will be spending about $200,000 on decor changes, new furnishings and a security system, Rossi said.

The menu will be similar to the other Patio restaurants, although there may be some seafood dishes unique to the Encinitas venue.

Wade Hageman, who owned Open House with his wife Kristi, said they spent about $1 million to open the ambitious eatery. It was an amalgam of multiple concepts, including an Asian restaurant, two bars and an all-day brunch venue that also featured burgers.

I think that anytime you try a new concept youre taking a chance no matter where you are, said Hageman, who currently operates Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria and The Craftsman New American Tavern, both in Encinitas. The Hagemans also opened a pasta-centric restaurant in 2013 that closed after a little more than a year.

My entire career has been doing my best to push the boundaries of food and what our idea of a restaurant can be, he said. We have amazing customers and we are thankful for each and every one of them. It is a sad day for us as Open House just didnt work out the way we had hoped.

Ahern of Next Wave Commercial said Open House did fairly good business when it first opened but with the challenge of operating multiple concepts within the one restaurant it became difficult to build the momentum needed to sustain the operation.

The Patio Group is also in expansion mode with its Surfrider Pizza concept, which Rossi originated in 2010 in Ocean Beach before joining the Patio Group a few years ago. Opening this summer will be new locations in Mission Beach and Crown Point and in the fall, a third will open in La Mesa.

Other Patio Group venues include Saskas Steakhouse and Harvest by the Patio.

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lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com

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Twitter: @loriweisberg
Pledging to report unauthorized entries into the United States  and shame any state leaders who welcome them  about 20 border security supporters assembled Saturday morning near Jamul.

The group, including members of the Minuteman patrol movement, coordinated volunteers to watch designated border regions for 24 hours.

Their vigil, starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, was meant to help federal officers, Minuteman leader Tim Donnelly said.

By reporting unauthorized border crossings, the observers hope to help outnumbered border officers, Donnelly said. He is a Republican candidate for the 8th congressional district, which covers much of the desert area north of Imperial County.

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The border-watching exercise was in part a reaction to the caravan of Central Americans who traveled through Mexico to enter the U.S. at the border between San Diego and Tijuana, said Donnelly, a former assemblyman.

1 / 18 A group of border security supporters put on their gear in preparation for heading to the U.S. - Mexican border to observe and report any signs of illegal immigration to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 18 A border security supporter loads a shotgun into a vehicle before he and fellow supporters head to the U.S. - Mexican border to observe and report any signs of illegal immigration to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 18 A helmet and other gear is placed on a table as a group of border security supporters prepare to go to the U.S. - Mexican border to observe and report any signs of illegal immigration to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 18 A group of border security supporters gather for a briefing before they head to the U.S. - Mexican border to observe and report any signs of illegal immigration to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 18 A border security supporter put on his gear in preparation for heading to the U.S. - Mexican border. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 18 One member, center, speaks during a briefing before he and a group of border security supporters head to the U.S. - Mexican border to observe and report any signs of illegal immigration to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 7 / 18 One member speaks during a briefing before he and a group of border security supporters head to the U.S. - Mexican border to observe and report any signs of illegal immigration to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 / 18 A group of border security supporters gather for a briefing before they head to the U.S. - Mexican border to observe and report any signs of illegal immigration to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 9 / 18 Tim Donnelly, who is a congressional candidate for the 8th Congressional District, speaks to a group of border security supporters as they gather for a briefing before heading to the U.S. - Mexican border to observe and report any signs of illegal immigration to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 10 / 18 A group of border security supporters gather for a briefing before they head to the U.S. - Mexican border to observe and report any signs of illegal immigration to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 11 / 18 Food and medical first aid items sit at the medics table as a group of border security supporters prepare to go to the U.S. - Mexican border to observe and report any signs of illegal immigration to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 12 / 18 First aid items at the medics table as a group of border security supporters prepare to go to the U.S. - Mexican border to observe and report any signs of illegal immigration to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 13 / 18 A group of border security supporters gather for a briefing before they head to the U.S. - Mexican border to observe and report any signs of illegal immigration to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 14 / 18 Tim Donnelly, right, who is a congressional candidate for the 8th Congressional District, talks to a border security supporter before he and a group of other border security supporters head to the U.S. - Mexican border to observe and report any signs of illegal immigration to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 15 / 18 Tim Donnelly, center, who is a congressional candidate for the 8th Congressional District, poses for pictures with a group of border security supporters before they head to the U.S. - Mexican border to observe and report any signs of illegal immigration to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 16 / 18 A group of border security supporters carry their gear to their vehicles before heading to the U.S. - Mexican border. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 17 / 18 A border security supporter stands next to his vehicle before he and fellow supporters head to the U.S. - Mexican border to observe and report any signs of illegal immigration to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 18 / 18 The lead driver signals to fellow border security supporters as they line up their vehicles on Otay Lakes Road before heading to the U.S. - Mexican border to observe and report any signs of illegal immigration to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune)

It was also meant as a warning to Gov. Jerry Brown, who signed the California Values Act, which limits law enforcement in the state from certain kinds of cooperation with federal immigration officials. The law has been criticized as an effort to make California a sanctuary for unauthorized immigrants.

My hope is that we will reignite the (Minuteman) movement and that people will again be aiding (border agents) for longer periods of time, longer musters, Donnelly said.

The camouflage-dressed volunteers, wearing boots, bringing backpacks and other wilderness gear, were instructed on safety such as avoiding rattlesnakes before heading out from Pio Pico campground.

Volunteers were told to avoid confrontations with border crossers if possible, and to help those in distress.

There is no animus toward those who are crossing desperate, you know, to escape oppression, Donnelly said. But at the same time, among those people come through wolves, people who mean harm people like Luis Bracamontes, who was just recently sentenced to death here in California for executing two sheriffs deputies up in Sacramento.

While expressing sympathy for plight of border crossers, Donnelly and others blasted Brown, who they said has violated his oath of office.

This is not about waving American flags, Donnelly said. This is about actually securing the border and sending a message to the political authorities, to Jerry Brown.

I dare Jerry Brown to come down and arrest me, because you might get arrested down here for being a tyrant, for being a traitor, for aiding and abetting illegal aliens and harboring them in violation of federal law, which is the supreme law of the land when it comes to immigration.

Lisa Collins of Orange County said she had been a member of the Minuteman group since 2005, when illegal immigration surged.

There were so many illegals that were coming across the border, and Im one that believes you cant complain about a subject unless youre willing to do something about it, Collins said.

Supporter Ben Bergquam said he was there to show solidarity with the group, although not taking part in the border watch. He is co-founder and spokeman for the Fight Sanctuary State Movement.

I represent the angel parents whove lost their loved ones to criminal illegal aliens that are protected by the lawless politicians like Jerry Brown, Berqguam said.

The group is preparing to launch a statewide initiative to repeal Californias sanctuary state legislation, Bergquam said.

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The final remnants of the Central American caravan began to disappear in Tijuana Friday after the last group of asylum seekers entered the United States.

Volunteers and migrants who plan to stay in Mexico slowly dismantled tents and canopies, picked up trash, folded blankets and swept dirt from the ground they slept on since arriving to the U.S.-Mexico border Sunday.

As the last members of the caravan entered the U.S.  about 70 of a total of 228  some said goodbye to loved ones. Those staying behind include people who need more legal help before crossing into the U.S. and those who have already been deported and have slim changes of asylum.

Mario Mejia, 34, of El Salvador, said farewell to his wife. The couple planned to claim asylum together, but lawyers told Mejia his case for asylum is weak.

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Mejia was deported from the U.S. five times between 2010 and 2013 after getting caught crossing the border illegally in the Arizona desert.

The last time I was deported I spent a year and a half in prison, he said. The judge told me if I tried again Id serve twice as much.

Apart from his deportations from the U.S., Mejia has been deported from Mexico eight times. Hes applied for asylum in both countries but has been denied.

Mejia left El Salvador when he was 14 after members of MS-13 threatened to kill him if he didnt join their gang.

Its a hard life, he said. Ive never had a stable place to live in.

As his wife walked toward the San Ysidro border crossing Friday, Mejia told her to keep moving forward and promised to call her brothers, who live in the U.S., to make sure they take care of her.

Later, as he packed his belongings into a backpack and helped clean up the caravans makeshift tent city, he pondered his future. He said he plans to stay in Tijuana and hopes to find a job in construction until he makes enough money for a bus ticket to Mexicali, where he has friends and better job opportunities.

From there? I dont know, he said.

Another caravan member who said good-bye to a loved one was Brenda Leticia De La Cruz Figueroa of Guatemala. She and her husband left their country to evade gang violence, leaving behind their children with relatives when they embarked on the month-long journey to the U.S.-Mexico border.

The couple decided last-minute that it was best for her stay behind and work with attorneys and the consulate in Tijuana to apply for a humanitarian visa for her and their children.

Honestly, I feel bad, because everyone is leaving and I stayed, she said as tears filled her eyes. I separated from my husband.

She planned to move to a shelter in Tijuana until she finished her legal paperwork. She linked up with another woman whose husband crossed into the U.S. to claim asylum and the womans two children.

Others had less definite plans.

Mirna Enriquez, a native of Guatemala, still had a strong desire to claim asylum in the U.S. as soon as possible with her family  two sons, ages 10 and 13, a 25-year-old daughter, a 4-year-old granddaughter and 9-month-old grandson. Enriquez became a single parent after her husband was killed last year.

Her family tried to join the caravan in Tijuana. But it was too late so they joined another group of mostly Mexican immigrants who set up tents next to the caravans encampment. About 200 members of that group were still waiting to enter the U.S.

The Enriquez familys trip to the U.S.-Mexico border took almost five months, in large part because her granddaughter has asthma that requires a lot of attention and care. The family travels with inhalers and a nebulizer, which administer medication when it is inhaled into the lungs.

Enriquez held hope her family could enter the U.S. Friday with another group of migrants  a notion that was unlikely after the last group of caravan members departed. Their back-up plan was to move to a shelter.

At one point, as others migrants gathered their belongings around her family, she broke down in tears.

I want to faint, she said later, but when I look at them, I make myself strong.

Elena Alderman, an organizer with Pueblo Sin Fronteras, which helped manage the caravan, said her groups efforts were not over. Their work will continue both south and north of the border, she said.

She said volunteers would coordinate with Tijuana shelters and attorneys to provide help for the migrants who plan to stay in Mexico for some time.

Were going to re-organize now that its a smaller group with specific needs, she said.

On the U.S. side, she said, the Pueblo Sin Fronteras plans to work with other organizations to address the needs of migrants who are in detention or otherwise awaiting for their case to move through the asylum process, such as providing them legal representation.

She said she believes the caravan succeeded in bringing attention to both the plight of migrants and the conditions from which they flee.

She said the tent city served to make a statement that they were not going to leave until they were processed.

Now that the large majority are in, they feel that they got what they asked for, she said.

The caravan began its journey through Mexico in the southern border city of Tapachula on March 25. The group grew to include more than 1,000 immigrants and attracted the attention of President Donald Trump, who criticized the Mexican government of failing to stop the caravan.

Although the caravan members entered the U.S, there is no guarantee theyll be allowed to stay. The asylum process takes months, if not years, to complete. For applicants from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, their denial rates are high, records show.

Alex Mensing, another organizer with Pueblo Sin Fronters, said the caravan that came to Tijuana did not mark the end of a flow of Central Americans who flee violence or other dire conditions.

The caravan is just a drop in the ocean of people who are trying to escape violence, he said. With this caravan, I hope they have been able to be the voice of so many others who find themselves in a similar situation and that society becomes conscious that we have to change our laws, our treatment and our way of thinking.

Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com

Phone: (619) 293-1876

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A San Diego jury this week awarded a former insurance company employee upwards of $18 million for firing him following an arrest that ultimately saw the dismissal of all charges.

The jury found Allstate Insurance Co. liable for about $2.6 million in actual damages Thursday, and the following day added nearly $16 million more to the award for punitive damages to the plaintiff, Michael Tilkey.

The verdicts came after a roughly week-long trial in San Diego Superior Court.

An Allstate spokeswoman said the company disagrees with the jurys verdict and plans to appeal.

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Tilkey, who had worked for Allstate for 30 years, said he feels vindicated after three years battling this.

Now I feel like I have justice, he said Friday.

His attorney, Joann Rezzo, said firing Tilkey had violated state labor law, which she said prohibits employers from considering arrest records that dont result in a conviction in a decision to fire an employee.

Rezzo said she and partner attorney L.C. Chip Edleson are thrilled for our client for both verdicts.

It vindicates him, it vindicates his reputation, she said. It sends a message to corporate America that if you are going to do biz in California, you must comply with California law.

Tilkey, now 55, lives in Riverside County. He was responsible for overseeing about 30 independent agents in San Diego, Riverside and Orange counties when he was fired in 2015.

His termination came nine months after he was arrested in Arizona following an argument with his then-girlfriend. According to court records, the woman had called police because she had locked Tilkey out her home after an argument and he was banging forcefully on the door.

Police arrived and arrested him for possession of marijuana paraphernalia and two domestic violence counts, according to court filings in the civil case.

Two charges were dismissed in January 2015. The third charge, alleging domestic violence disorderly conduct, was dismissed about six months later, after Tilkey attended an anger-management course as part of his plea deal, according to a pre-trial ruling issued by Judge Katherine Bacal in February.

Allstate learned of the arrest after Tilkeys ex-girlfriend sent him an email at work discussing the criminal case. The email was flagged as part of a compliance review for employees who are subject to financial industry regulations.

Allstate began an internal investigation, and in December 2015, Tilkey admitted to the arrest and to his agreement to attend the counseling classes. As of February 2016, the company investigator found no violation of company policy and had no plans for further action, according the statement of facts in Bacals February ruling.

Then in March 2016, Tilkeys ex-girlfriend sent an email to the company leadership, accusing him of threatening her during the Arizona incident and asking for an investigation.

Allstate fired Tilkey less than three months later, alleging hed violated company policy by engaging in threatening behavior that led to his attending counseling classes.

In court documents, Allstates attorneys describe the company as having an ethos of caring for and about people  both its employees and customers.

The company has a strict policy that allows for the immediate firing of employees who engage in threats or acts of physical harm or violence. Tilkey, the company said, was an at-will employee who knew that the company took seriously threatening or potentially violence behavior.

Tilkey said his subsequent attempts to get other jobs were stymied when potential employers learned why he had been fired.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

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UC San Diego hospitals moved Friday to significantly reduce the number of emergency, trauma, heart attack and stroke patients they see this weekend in anticipation of a three-day strike next week by three unions.

At 1 p.m. Friday, UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest and Jacobs Medical Center in La Jolla both entered whats known in the health care industry as bypass or diversion, a status that directs the regions emergency medical system to significantly reduce their ambulance traffic.

Usually, hospitals go on bypass for a few hours at a time, asking that dispatchers send emergencies to other hospitals in the region as a kind of pressure-release valve when their beds and waiting rooms are packed with patients. But in this case, UC San Diego Health is using bypass as a preventive measure.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents thousands of UCSD hospital support staff, plans to strike Monday through Wednesday.

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Nurses represented by the California Nurses Association and the University Professional and Technical Employees Union have made it clear they intend to walk out in sympathy on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Three groups of workers striking at the same time, said Patty Maysent, UC San Diego Healths chief executive officer, leaves administrators looking for ways to reduce the number of patients in beds early next week.

The most obvious way is to reschedule elective surgeries early next week. So far, about 200 procedures have been moved to dates outside the Monday-through-Wednesday strike window.

But hospitals also regularly must admit patients for multi-day stays when they enter through the emergency department. By limiting emergency traffic through the weekend, Maysent said, planners hope to avoid admissions from the emergency department to the hospital.

Patients dont all come into and out of the emergency department the same day, Maysent said. Many end up having multi-day stays, so we have to be strategic and thats why were on bypass.

But reducing traffic to two of the regions largest hospitals, including UC San Diego Medical Center, one of the regions two level-one trauma centers, comes with an extra dose of anxiety given that Saturday is Cinco de Mayo, a celebration that can involve lots of drinking and hard partying.

It would be hard to justify telling ambulances with injured patients that they cant go to university hospitals if the need was great and neighboring facilities were already inundated with patients.

Dr. Kristi Koenig, medical director of the countys emergency medical services system, said Friday that shes confident the system will be able to handle the emergency flow through the weekend.

The county, she said, has activated a virtual emergency operations center and will have a duty officer monitoring emergency traffic in real time 24 hours per day.

Were monitoring it on a second-to-second, minute-to-minute basis, and diversion decisions can be changed based on the best interests of the patients, Koenig said.

Its also important to note that UCSD hospitals will still treat anyone who walks through the doors of their emergency departments, and ambulances will still transport patients to university hospitals by patient request.

Meanwhile, planners scrambled Friday to figure out just how many employees theyre likely to have on hand next week. Managers are allowed to ask employees if they intend to strike, but those employees dont have to answer.

In the final few days of the week, Maysent said, word reached hospital management that some nurses intended to strike Monday through Wednesday rather than Tuesday through Wednesday, the days specified on the unions strike notice.

The university, she said, has been working with health care staffing companies to line up temporary nurses for Tuesday and Wednesday but had not planned on back filling the ranks on Monday.

With some nurses saying theyre not coming to work Monday, weve got a request in for an extra pool of nurses that we can bring on Monday if necessary, Maysent said.

State law requires health care workers to give their employers 10 days notice before a strike to make sure there is enough time to bring in replacements so that patients dont go unattended.

California Nurses Association spokesman Chuck Idelson said in an email Friday afternoon that nothing has changed about nurses plans to strike on Tuesday and Wednesday as the strike notice indicated. But he did not respond when asked whether the union is actively telling its members to show up Monday and/or stop telling managers theyre staying home on the first day of the week.

The union and the university are at loggerheads on several issues, including pay and outsourcing of service jobs.

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Organizers of nonprofit events like San Diego Pride, Earth Day and neighborhood street fairs say proposed city fee increases for security and other services would damage their finances and jeopardize the future of some events.

Nonprofit events get charged less for such services than events staged by commercial organizations, but San Diego officials want to slowly shrink those subsidies to help balance the city budget.

Starting in July 2019, events staged by nonprofits face a 27 percent increase in city fees, and another spike in July 2020 that would bring the increase to 36 percent.

The proposed spike would cost a large event like Pride, which requires significant security and many street closures for its parade, somewhere between $10,000 and $15,000 per year.

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Event organizers are asking city officials to reconsider imposing the increases and potentially create a tiered system, under which large nonprofit events like Comic-Con and Pride would pay more than smaller events generating less revenue.

Councilman Chris Ward of University Heights wants city officials to consider contributing some hotel tax money to cover fees for events that attract tourism, similar to how the city subsidizes events such as the Holiday Bowl.

Ward also wants to create an appeals process that would allow nonprofits to challenge the fees charged by the city when they think the estimates of security needs have been overblown.

Nonprofits sometimes complain that while city officials meet with them to discuss their events each year, there is no opportunity to request revisions once the city decides what fees it will charge them.

Event organizers say the citys quest for more revenue might end up killing some events.

Its getting beyond what we can afford, Carolyn Chase, organizer of the 30-year old Earth Day event held each April in Balboa Park, said by phone. You have to look at whats fair and reasonable in any situation. If their goal is making more money off of special events, I dont know that the money is there for them to make.

Fernando Lopez, organizer of Pride, said by phone that city officials might be making shortsighted decisions they will regret.

These seemingly small impacts to the nonprofits have the ability to damage what makes San Diego so great, he said. If neighborhood culture and community events begin to get stripped away because of these fees, then were not going to be this destination city that I think all San Diegans enjoy being.

Ward and other members of the council have asked city finance officials to calculate how much it would cost the city to cancel the proposed increases, shrink them or replace them with a tiered system.

All of our nonprofits that do great community events are operating on shoestring budgets, Ward said by phone. We need to find the sweet spot between competing objectives.

Councilman Georgette Gomez of City Heights is lobbying for a tiered system.

Not all nonprofit budgets are the same, so Im wondering if theres a potential to do tiered pricing, she said during a hearing on the proposed fee hikes last month. Its not apples to apples.

Carolyn Wormser, director or special events for the city, said during the hearing that previous efforts to explore tiers have been bogged down by the wide variety of events in San Diego.

Factors can include the size and shape of the street grid around an event, whether it includes alcohol or music and whether its inside a small or large park.

Our goal is to work with every event organizer, whether its commercial or nonprofit, and to look at the unique nature of the event, Wormser said.

Tracy McCraner, the citys financial management director, said she will provide the costs of canceling the proposed fee increases during a May 21 hearing at which the council is scheduled to adopt them and hundreds of other city fee changes.

Councilman Chris Cate of Mira Mesa, while expressing sympathy for the nonprofits, reminded his colleagues that any money used to maintain the subsidies would have to come from somewhere else in the citys tightening budget.

Thats one reason Ward is lobbying for use of hotel taxes. He said the goal and effect of commercial events that receive money from the citys Tourism Marketing District is the same as events like Pride: they draw tourists and provide a large economic impact.

Studies have estimated the annual economic impact of Pride, which draws many out-of-town visitors to local hotel rooms and restaurants, at anywhere between $11 million and $34 million.

Lopez said keeping people safe during big events should be partly the citys responsibility, not just the obligation of organizers.

Safety is, and has always been, our No. 1 priority, he said. We simply believe it is the citys moral, ethical and financial responsibility to tend to the safety of its citizens without putting the burden of the costs on the backs of small nonprofits.

Lopez said the appeals process Ward has requested could also make a difference.

He said nonprofit organizers support local police and appreciate the opportunity to meet before an event to discuss logistics. But many end up feeling frustrated and dictated to when the city decides what fees they will pay, he said.

We do have a meeting, but from there we are sort of told these things will happen, Lopez said.

City officials are legally restricted by state law from charging more than it costs them to provide services, but they are allowed to subsidize nonprofits by charging less.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
Running a tough race in a district where Democrats outnumber Republican voters nearly 2 to 1, Republican House candidate Morgan Murtaugh has an ice-breaker that she found connects with people of all political stripes.

Its a great conversation starter and its easy, Murtaugh said.

Shes referring to the ballot initiative to repeal Californias recent 12-cent hike in gasoline tax and increase in vehicle registration fees. The state expects to raise $5.4 billion per year from the increases and plans to use the money for transportation projects.

Republicans say their polls show the tax and fee hike are unpopular across party lines and voters, especially conservative ones, will turn out to polls if they know if they have a chance to repeal them.

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The gas tax was kind of a death tax for Democrats in the state, Murtaugh said in an interview at the California Republican Convention at the Sheraton on Harbor Island. Shes running for the 53rd Congressional District, a seat held by Rep. Susan Davis, D-San Diego, where 43 percent of voters are registered as Democrats, and 23 percent are Republicans.

Republicans sincerely want to repeal the tax and fee hike, but the pocketbook-conscious initiative has the added benefit of increasing conservative voter turnout in a general election where there might not be Republican candidates for governor or the U.S. Senate at the top of the ticket to help candidates down-ballot. The GOP is also encouraging candidates to run on the issue to increase the initiatives and candidates odds of success alike.

What I will say is that Republicans have a turnout problem, and this initiative could save them, said former San Diego Councilman Carl DeMaio in an interview.

Now a conservative talk radio host, DeMaio is coordinating the effort to amend the constitution to repeal the tax and fee increases.

Similarly, Republicans have found through their polling that conservative voters are energized over Senate Bill 54, a state law that restricts how local police agencies can cooperate with federal officials to enforce immigration laws. The Trump Administration sued California over this policy. Several cities and counties, including the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and the Escondido City Council, have supported the federal governments lawsuit.

Its a prairie fire that, politically, like Proposition 13, can and will create a wave, Shawn Steel, the state GOPs former chairman, said during a presentation at the convention. He was referring to the 1978 voter initiative that rolled back property tax increases and limited future hikes.

Steel  who praised Escondido Mayor Sam Abed, an immigrant from Lebanon  said the GOP needs to be careful about who champions the anti-sanctuary movement.

Wed like to have immigrants, women, minorities, beating the charge on this because it goes right to the Democrat playbook that its just angry white guys, he said.

Fred Whitaker, a councilman in the City of Orange, said that the issue is emotionally charged, and recalled he and his colleagues were derided as racists when they passed a measure to support the Trump Administrations lawsuit against California over SB 54.

I lost one of the council members who in closed session voted to do an amicus brief and we had to change a resolution on the fly, he said.

In a presentation at the convention DeMaio said that the repeal effort will partner with candidates across the state and include guerrilla marketing at gas stations, complete with stickers posted on pumps urging motorists to vote against the tax. While the initiative will rescind both the fuel tax hike and the vehicle fee increase, the campaign will probably emphasize the gas tax, he said.

This past week DeMaio and other repeal supporters submitted more than 940,000 signatures to put the initiative on the ballot with about 204,000 coming from San Diego County. DeMaio said the campaign will emphasize the proposition number as soon as one is assigned by the Secretary of State.

Meanwhile, transportation officials this past week also outlined $311 million in projects to be funded in San Diego County by the tax and fee increase, including rail and highway improvements across the region.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841
As his ninth and final term in the House approaches its sunset, Rep. Darrell Issa was honored at this weekends state Republican convention in San Diego for prodding and probing Obama administration scandals, but the outgoing congressman said he hopes his efforts to create more transparent government will be his lasting legacy.

After he received praise from the state Republican Party for his work running the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee  an often combative and partisan assignment  Issa, R-Vista, said he hopes that his work on bipartisan efforts to improve the Freedom of Information Act and increasing access to government data will endure.

Hopefully some of those things will cause, after I am gone, after I am not the good one fighting and after the torch has been handed to the next generation, we will still have some improvements in the fundamental structure of the federal government and maybe passed onto states that will allow us to know more about what our government is doing for us and to us, Issa said in his acceptance speech.

He said that government transparency laws were crucial to his work on the Oversight Committee, a group that probed government affairs, including the Fast and Furious gun scandal, IRS audits of conservative organizations and the attack on a diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya.

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In some cases the Freedom of Information Act was able to provide answers to questions faster than the committee could through its own means, Issa said.

FOIA discovery got things in many of these cases faster than I did, Issa told reporters afterward.

One of his most recent transparency bills, the bipartisan FOIA Improvement Act of 2016, makes government records available in electronic format, make records that are requested more than three times readily available to the entire public. It mandates that the government presume documents should be released unless there is a compelling reason not to and waives fees for people requesting documents if the government misses deadlines.

In March the American Library Association honored Issa for his efforts to increase government transparency.

But Issa said there are still things he would have liked to change, such as the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the judicial body that gives the government warrants to monitor and wiretap spies and national security threats inside the United States. The court has been criticized as an un-checked rubber-stamp for government surveillance requests.

Issa said he would like the warrant application to include an adversarial process in which someone can make an argument against giving the federal government a surveillance warrant. Issa said that he believes the court can be overhauled without compromising national security in the process.

Its that balance we have to find, he said

Issa, a businessman who made his fortune largely through a consumer electronics empire, was sworn into the House in 2001. On Jan. 10, after a close 2016 election, he announced that he would not seek another term. The 49th District runs from La Jolla to Dana Point.

1 / 25 This 1992 file photo shows Darrell Issa, president of Directed Electronics Inc., with the company Viper brand radar detectors. Issa bought a struggling Cleveland electronics business and within a decade transformed it to produce the popular Viper automobile anti-theft device, with Issas voice as the warning to would-be thieves to stand back. He and his wife, Kathy, moved to Vista in 1985. (Tony Doubek / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 25 February 28, 1997 -- Darrell E. Issa, President and CEO of Directed Electronics, Inc. in the production area of his business. Photo credit: Howard Lipin/San Diego Union-Tribune file photo Location: Directed Electronics, Inc., 2560 Progress Road, Vista User Upload Caption: Union-Tribune file photos of Darrell Issa, president and CEO of Directed Electronics, Inc. in the 1990s. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 25 On Feb. 2, 1998, Darrell Issa speaks before a crowd in his companys warehouse as he announces his candidacy for U.S. Senate. After years of backing other Republican candidates, Issa spent $9 million of his own money in his first bid for public office, only to lose the GOP primary in part due to news reports that he had been arrested for car theft decades earlier (charges were dropped) and allegations that he benefited from a suspicious fire in 1982 at his Ohio factory and lied when taking over his car alarm company. He lost to then-state Treasurer Matt Fong, who in turn lost to incumbent Barbara Boxer. (David Carlson / U-T file) 4 / 25 x.issa1.0207.dc photo by david carlson Darrell Issa speaks before a crowd in his companys warehouse as he announces his candidacy for U.S. Senate. User Upload Caption: 02.07.1998 Darrell Issa speaks before a crowd in his companys warehouse as he announces his candidacy for U.S. Senate. (U-T File photo by david carlson/north county times) (David Carlson / U-T file) 5 / 25 Congressman-elect Darrell Issa (bottom left), a Republican from Vista, and other new representatives assembled on the steps of the nations Capitol for their formal portrait in November 2000. Two years after his failed Senate run, Issa was elected to the 48th Congressional District, replacing Rep. Ron Packard, R-Carlsbad, who had retired. (KENNETH LAMBERT / AP) 6 / 25 Rep. Darrell Issa, with his wife, Kathy, choked up on Aug. 7, 2003, as he announced he would not be a candidate for governor. Issa bankrolled the successful petition drive to recall Democratic Gov. Gray Davis. (Bill Wechter/U-T file photo) 7 / 25 Rep. Darrell Issa, R-calif., left, embraces former California Secretary of State Bill Jones during a rally at the California Republican Convention, in Burlingame, Calif., Saturday Feb. 21, 2004. Jones is running for U.S. senate as a Republican. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) (MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ / AP) 8 / 25 President George W. Bush prepares to sign H.R. 5683, to preserve the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in San Diego, Calif., Monday, Aug. 14, 2006, at a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House, which will provide for the immediate acquisition of the memorial by the United States. Joining President Bush at the signing, from left to right, Bill Kellogg, president of the Mount Soledad Association; Philip Thalheimer, chairman, San Diegans for Mt. Soledad National War Memorial; U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Calif.; U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.; U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R- Calif.; and Chuck LiMandri, chief counsel, San Diegans for Mt. Soledad National War Memorial. White House Photo by Paul Morse (Paul Morse / White House Photo Office) 9 / 25 OCTOBER 4, 2006, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, USA_ .................................. Congressmen Brian Bilbray and Darrell Issa get an up close look at the tunnel that crosses the U.S. border into Mexico. The tunnel was discovered by I.C.E. back on January 25, 2006, and travels about 1/2 mile to the border, where it crosses into Mexico about a 1/4 mile. Mandatory Credit: photo by Nelvin C. Cepeda/San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Press,. Copyright 2006 San Diego Union-Tribune (Nelvin C. Cepeda / Getty Images) 10 / 25 October 19, 2006_San Diego, CA_ A five member San Diego congressional delegation -- Reps. DUNCAN HUNTER, R-Alpine, left, BRIAN BILBRAY, R-Carlsbad, DARRELL ISSA, R-Vista, center, SUSAN DAVIS, D-San Diego and BOB FILNER, D-San Diego, assemble at Spanish Landing on Harbor Drive, across from the entrance to San Diegos Lindberg Field, with the No-on-Prop-A campaign group, to denounce the Miramar civilian airport proposal. _Mandatory Credit photo by Laura Embry/San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Press, copyright 2006 San Diego Union-Tribune (Laura Embry / San Diego Union-Tribune) 11 / 25 September 2, 2009, Vista, California, USA Representative DARRELL ISSA hosted a health care town hall forum Wednesday at Rancho Buena Vista High School. About 3,500 people attended, asking questions on many sides of the issue. (Peggy Peattie/Union-Tribune) Mandatory Photo credit: PEGGY PEATTIE/Union-Tribune/ZUMApress (Peggy Peattie / Peggy Peattie/Union-Tribune) 12 / 25 FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2014 file photo, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Issa says he will not seek re-election. (AP Photo/Molly Riley, File) (Molly Riley / AP) 13 / 25 cadiu--Nuclear Plant Problems--April 6, 2012, San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station---San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station plant manager Tom McCool (right) discusses steam generator issues at the plant with Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Ca., (L) and Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko. Also pictured is Southern California Edison executive Ron Litzinger. The SCE plant is currently closed beause of unexepected wear on new steam generators in the two reactors on the site. The issue is being investigated by the NRC, the plant and industry experts. Photo by Lynn Sakamoto of Southern California Edison. 14 / 25 FILE -- Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 9, 2015. Facing what some rated as one of the most competitive races in the country, Issa on Jan. 10, 2018 announced that he would not seek re-election. (Zach Gibson/The New York Times) ** Usable by Chicago DigitalPlus and SD Only ** (ZACH GIBSON / NYT) 15 / 25 Rep. Darrell Issa, left, greeted then-presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally at the San Diego Convention Center on May 27, 2016. (San Diego Union-Tribune) 16 / 25 Incumbent Darrel Issa for the 49th Congressional District sits during a television interview at Golden Hall on election night. Issa won a ninth term by roughly 1,600 votes, a narrow 0.6 percent victory margin, after fending off an unexpectedly strong Democratic challenger in former Marine Col. Doug Applegate. Issa had gotten at least 58 percent of the vote in his eight previous campaigns. Applegate and others had made Issas support of Trump a central issue. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 17 / 25 Debbie Boyd, left, a retired deputy sheriff, came to the Jan. 31 rally outside Issas Vista office as a storm trooper, with her sister Cathy Chrystal. The protest drew more than 125 people. The demonstrators held signs that covered many issues - health care, immigration, the cabinet nominees - but the common theme was resistance to the actions and agenda of the new president. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 18 / 25 May 9, 2017_Vista, California_USA_| Anti-Issa and Trump protesters assemble along Thibodo Road in front of the office building where Darrell Issas offices are located. At lower right is Reverend Dr. Beth A. Johnson, of the Palomar Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Vista. |_Photo Credit: Photo by Charlie Neuman (Charlie Neuman / ) 19 / 25 SAN DIEGO, CA June 2nd, 2017 | Congressman Darrell Issa speaks to a crowd of people outside his office during a time scheduled for open office hours on Friday in Vista, California. | (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune) 20 / 25 June 3, 2017_San Juan Capistrano, California_USA_| Darrell Issa speaks at the Town Hall Meeting in the theater at San Juan Hills High School. |_Photo Credit: Photo by Charlie Neuman (Charlie Neuman / ) 21 / 25 U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) attends the annual Congressional Picnic on Thursday, June 22, 2017 on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. Issa will not run for a 10th term in Congress. (Ron Sachs/CNP/Zuma Press/TNS) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, TCN - OUTS ** (Ron Sachs/CNP / TNS) 22 / 25 August 15, 2017, Months after the inauguration, hundreds of protesters still rally weekly on a Vista side street outside the office of the Republican congressman. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 23 / 25 SAN DIEGO, CA.- Sept. 20, 2017, Duncan D. Hunter, right, Darrell Issa, left. US Attorney General Jeff Sessions visited the Coast Guard Cutter James at the 10th Avenue Terminal in San Diego to see more than 25 tons of cocaine and heroin taken from smugglers in the waters off of Central America. PHOTO/JOHN GIBBINS, Staff photographer, San Diego Union-Tribune) copyright 2017 (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 24 / 25 From left, Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., Rep. Steve Knight, R-Calif., House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., and Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., speak with media after a meeting in the West Wing of the White House, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017, in Washington. The meeting with Vice President Mike Pence was concerning the wildfires in California. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (Alex Brandon / AP) 25 / 25 Congressman Darrell Issa, shown in his Vista office in July, announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election in November. (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841
The district attorneys race in San Diego is heating up with news that billionaire George Soros is making television ad buys in support of Democratic candidate Genevieve Jones-Wright.

A review of Federal Communications Commission records shows that the Soros-funded California Justice and Public Safety PAC is planning to air commercials on at least two San Diego-area news stations. Federal documents show that the political committee has made plans with Fox 5 to broadcast commercials, as well as with KUSI. The KUSI deal was worth $39,660. Its unclear if a deal has been finalized with Fox 5.

State campaign finance records show that the California Justice and Public Safety PAC has received $275,000 in contributions, all of which came through two donations by Soros.

A new website launched by Republican Summer Stephan, the appointed incumbent, associates Soros with the far-left group Antifa. The website ThreatToSanDiego.com features a photo of Soros superimposed over an image of Antifa demonstrators. Also on the sites homepage, under the headline Who does Soros support? is another photo of what appear to be Antifa demonstrators burning an American flag.

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Antifa, short for anti-fascist, is a fairly disorganized group which gained notoriety in the U.S. after violent clashes with the so-call alt-right in Berkeley last year.

The website says Soros is supporting Jones-Wright as the anti-law enforcement candidate for D.A.

At a news conference Friday, Stephan and supporters stood with community members and crime victims as they talked about the incumbent district attorneys track record as victims advocate.

Some held signs expressing opposition to Soros. One such sign said Outside money doesnt buy justice. Another said, $oro$.

The new anti-Soros website says it was paid for by Stephans campaign, but she would not say whether she believes Soros to be a member or supporter of Antifa.

I dont know anything about that, she said. The point of the website was to inform the public that he has been able to overwhelm local elections with money.

Mary Latibashvili, Jones-Wrights campaign manager, said the campaign is glad of the new developments.

We are excited about the fact that criminal justice reform is getting attention and that we are able to talk about things that we want to talk about, she said. We couldnt be happier to be able to do it.

Latibashvili slammed the website for its tone and a number of news articles it highlighted.

(Its) taking quotes out of context, she said. All this is just fear-mongering. Our opponent touts herself as non-partisan, yet released this website.

Stephans campaign spokesman, Jason Roe, declined to answer questions about the site, but said any inference that the campaign was implicating Soros as being tied to Antifa was in the eye of the beholder.

Thats just your impression, he said.

GOP operatives have been positioning for Soross involvement in the race for almost a year, to make a campaign issue of it.

Soross agenda is not overtly partisan but rather an effort to elect prosecutors who oppose the death penalty and refuse to enforce drug laws, Roe wrote in a June memo to Republicans.

Soross PAC is not the only outside money group eyeing the San Diego district attorneys race.

Real Justice PAC, founded by activist and writer Shaun King, has also supported criminal justice reform-minded democratic candidates in several races across the U.S. He announced in March that the organization would help elect a reform-minded DA in San Diego.

Staff writer Joshua Stewart contributed to this report.

andrew.dyer@sduniontribune.com

@adyer619
A federal court judge in San Diego will decide whether or not to issue an injunction ordering federal immigration officials to stop automatically separating children from their parents when they are taken into immigration custody at the nations border.

U.S. District Court Judge Dana Sabraw said he would issue a ruling later on a case filed by the American Civil Liberties Union that seeks to halt the practice by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of separating families.

The suit contends the agency splits parents from children without a compelling reason, like doubts about whether the adult is the actual parent of the child, or if the parent is otherwise legally unfit to have custody.

Sabraw seemed to be leaning toward granting the injunction, and certifying a class action that would encompass children and parents  known as family units in immigration parlance  taken into custody, most of them who are seeking asylum.

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But the judge also seemed to want to carefully fashion an injunction that would not intrude on the federal governments broad authority over immigration enforcement.

The Trump administration has indicated in the past that it would consider separating families at the border as a deterrent to other families coming to the U.S., but has not made it official policy.

While its not exactly known how many families have been separated, a government lawyer at the hearing did not dispute an estimate of 700 minors currently in custody and separated from parents.

The issue largely turns on the interplay of several legal issues  laws governing asylum seekers, a federal law known as the Trafficking Victims Protection and Reauthorization Act, and issues of due process rights under the law.

The ACLU is asking parents and children to be detained together, and wants an order prohibiting ICE from splitting up families when there is no legal reason to separate them.

ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt said that when family units are taken into custody the government does not have any procedure to determine if they can stay together. That violates the due process rights of the families, he said. In addition he said that the trafficking victims law requires the government to consider the best interests of the child when deciding where to place them.

If there is no reason whatsoever to keep them apart, he argued, you cant do this to these little children.

Department of Justice lawyer Sarah Fabian contended that there is no right for families to be detained together under the law. She also said families are separated not as a matter of policy, but often as a result of another lawful and legally authorized decision  such as when an agent decides to take a mother into custody, leaving the minor children technically unaccompanied under the law.

When that happens the government is required to turn the children over quickly to Health and Human Service agency which then houses the children.

Sabraw focused many of his question on the process the government goes through when dealing with a family unit. He questioned Fabian about whether the government is required to make determinations about parentage and whether a child would be safe with the adult before separating them.

He also questioned if the trafficking laws emphasis on considering the best interest of the child should also be considered by immigration officials. Gelernt had argued that experts say separating children from the family causes great trauma and anxiety to children, already spooked by fleeing from their home country.

Twitter: @gregmoran

greg.moran@sduniontribune.com
A car flew off state Route 78 in Oceanside onto a frontage road, where it caused a five-vehicle pileup and demolished a boat being towed Friday afternoon, authorities said.

The driver, a 20-year-old Escondido woman, suffered a severe cut on her face and was trapped inside her wrecked Buick, Oceanside police and a California Highway Patrol official said.

Firefighters got her out of the sedan. A medical helicopter landed on Vista Way and took the woman and her front passenger to a trauma center. A second passenger in her car suffered minor injuries.

The crash occurred about 4:45 p.m. when the Buick  for unknown reasons  veered off westbound freeway lanes east of El Camino Real. It plowed through a fence and landed on Vista Way in front of the iFly Oceanside skydiving center near Valley Glen Drive, authorities said.

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The womans car smashed head-on into a Ford Thunderbird and sideswiped a Nissan van going east on Vista Way. The van was towing a 15-foot fishing boat that came loose and fell off its trailer, CHP Officer Mark Latulippe said.

The boat landed in a westbound lane and hit a Toyota Prius and a Chrysler 300. The boat was demolished in the impacts.

Debris and battered vehicles were scattered across the roadway. The Thunderbird driver, a 47-year-old Oceanside woman, complained of pain but none of the other drivers were injured, Latulippe said.

The cause of the crash was under investigation by the CHP.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard
Two teens who fired off three rounds near the San Carlos Recreation Center Friday night sped off when they realized police were nearby, but were arrested a short distance away.

The pair crashed near Golfcrest and Jackson drives, where an officer quickly caught the passenger and held him at gunpoint about 10 p.m., San Diego police said.

Officers then spread out through the neighborhood, with a police helicopter overhead, and searched nearly half an hour for the driver. He was found near or inside the Woodlands apartments on Caminito Montanoso shortly before 10:30 p.m., police said.

Police said no one was injured and no property was damaged when the two, ages 17 and 19, each fired a revolver into the air at the recreation center about 9:50 p.m. At least one officer happened to be nearby and saw them.

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The two sped away, heading west in a short pursuit until they crashed. Both ran from the vehicle, leaving the gun on the seat.

Officers had police dogs with them as they started to search the Woodlands apartments for the driver. They said that when he knew the dogs were there, he surrendered.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard
Police have arrested three people suspected of shooting a driver in the head, killing him, in Chula last month.

The victim, Mario Serhan, 59, of Chula Vista, was slumped over the wheel of his vehicle as it rolled across Industrial Boulevard and L Street and crashed into a storage business, police Lt. Dan Peak said.

Witnesses went to help the man and saw that he was dead from a gunshot wound to his head. They called police shortly before 1 p.m. on April 11.

Peak said that detectives collected evidence, reviewed surveillance video and located key witnesses over the next several weeks.

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The results were the arrests of Britney Canal, 29, of Chula Vista, Cesar Alvarado, 39, of National City, and Michael Pedraza, 27, of San Diego. All were booked on murder charges on April 14, three days after the shooting.

Jail records show that National City police made the arrests.

Canal was booked on additional felony charges of kidnapping for ransom, robbery, causing death or harm to an elder, attempted murder, assault with force, assault with a firearm, evading police and transporting a controlled substance.

Alvarado and Pedraza face similar charges. All three are held without bail.

No information about the extra charges was available Friday night.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard
President Trump further confused his legal strategy on Friday and undermined his credibility, disputing an account from his attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani that Trump paid $130,000 in hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels, just a day after hed confirmed the remarks.

The presidents public rebuke  Hell get his facts straight  forced Giuliani within hours to issue a clarification that cleared up little.

Trump, his legal worries seemingly mounting, also stepped up his attack against the special counsel investigating him and his associates, and hinted strongly that he would not submit to an interview with prosecutors  a decision that could provoke a constitutional contest that goes to the Supreme Court.

Giuliani had told multiple reporters this week that he had Trumps backing when he disclosed, starting Wednesday night on Fox News, that Trump reimbursed his personal attorney Michael Cohen for money given to Daniels just before the 2016 election, to silence her about an alleged tryst. Trump last month had told reporters he was unaware of the payoff.

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Legal experts had questioned Giulianis move to reveal the new information, which Trump himself affirmed in tweets on Thursday morning. Their disclosures created additional political problems for Trump, suggesting hed lied previously and possibly violated federal law on reporting campaign and personal finances.

He started yesterday, Trump said Friday of Giuliani, who joined the presidents legal team two weeks ago. Hell get his facts straight. Hes a great guy.

The president, speaking three separate times to reporters as he left for Dallas to address a National Rifle Assn. convention, said Giuliani agrees with him that the federal investigation of Trump and his associates is a witch hunt. Yet even as Trump went on to contest Giulianis other statements, he declined to specify which facts were wrong or to clarify any inaccuracies.

Well, youre going to find out, because, you know, were going to give a full list, Trump said to reporters, adding that there has been a lot of misinformation, really.

He went on: I say, you know what, learn before you speak. Its a lot easier.

The president bristled when a reporter asked why hed changed his story on Daniels.

Im not changing any stories, he snapped. All Im telling you is that this country is right now running so smooth. And to be bringing up that kind of crap, and to be bringing up witch hunts all the time  thats all you want to talk about.

Giuliani later issued a statement intended to clarify the views [he] expressed over the past few days. It did little, however, to change his original version of events.

During an NRA speech before a raucous and friendly crowd, Trump seized on comments made earlier in the day by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis in a federal courthouse in Virginia, to reinforce his own argument that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and his team are exceeding their investigative mandate in a desire to implicate the president in wrongdoing.

Ellis seemed to side in a court hearing with Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who is challenging his indictments for bank fraud and tax evasion. Manafort argues that they relate to his lobbying work long before he joined the Trump campaign and therefore are unrelated to Muellers mandate to investigate Russian efforts to manipulate the 2016 election.

In Dallas, Trump pulled from his suit pocket copies of what appeared to be media accounts of the judges criticisms, citing the Wall Street Journal and fake news CNN.

On CNN, they have a headline: Judge in Manafort case says Muellers aim is to hurt Trump, the president said. You believe that? he asked the vocally supportive audience, adding, Its called a witch hunt.

Let me tell you folks, he continued, were all fighting battles. But I love fighting these battles. Its really a disgrace.

Trump rambled freestyle through a number of topics at the NRA event, but didnt comment on the Daniels payoff or his and Giulianis remarks and reversals about it this week, which have stunned even the presidents own senior aides and others on his legal team.

Giulianis accounts were surprising in their detail. He said on Wednesday that Trump had reimbursed his longtime personal attorney, Cohen, for the $130,000 payment to silence Daniels, in a series of monthly $35,000 installments that also covered other, unspecified legal services, for a total payment of as much as $460,000. Giuliani didnt say how Cohen spent the bulk of the money.

Giulianis comments, if true, opened both Trump and Cohen up to possible legal liabilities over violating federal laws on reporting campaign-related finances and, in Trumps case, personal finances, including outstanding obligations to Cohen.

To counter suggestions of campaign finance law violations, Giuliani denied in interviews that the payments were an effort to protect Trumps campaign. He asserted instead that they were intended to shield Trumps marriage and personal reputation from what Trump has called a false allegation.

Yet one of Giulianis public comments about the alleged tryst with Daniels, and the hush money, undercut that argument. Imagine if that came out on Oct. 15, 2016, in the middle of the, you know, last debate with Hillary Clinton, Giuliani said on Fox & Friends on Thursday morning.

Giuliani had said the president didnt know the details of the payments to Daniels until the last two weeks  a timeline that could account for Trumps previous denial and failure to report the expenditures.

In Fridays clarification statement, Giuliani wrote, My references to timing were not describing my understanding of the Presidents knowledge, but instead, my understanding of these matters.

Giuliani, in an interview late Thursday on NBC, said, I dont think the president realized he paid [Cohen] back for that specific thing until [his legal team] made him aware of the paperwork, Giuliani said.

Trump has been increasingly outspoken and angry about the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign, possible Trump campaign complicity and whether Trump has attempted to obstruct the probe.

The president said on Friday that he would love to speak with Mueller but cast doubt that he actually would, citing his lawyers advice.

I have to find out were going to be treated fairly, he said. Right now, its a pure witch hunt.

The president also used his encounters with reporters to counter repeated stories of a soured relationship between him and his White House chief of staff, John F. Kelly, who reportedly has called Trump an idiot.

Trump escorted Kelly over to reporters about to board Air Force One and said, Gen. Kelly is doing a fantastic job. There has been such false reporting about our relationship. We have a great relationship.

He invited Kelly to reply and the former Marine general said its an absolute privilege to work for Trump, whose record to date is nothing less than brilliant.

Follow the latest news of the Trump administration on Essential Washington 

noah.bierman@latimes.com

Twitter: @noahbierman
Republican party faithful are flocking in droves to San Diego this weekend.

The city is hosting the California Republican Partys annual state convention, a gathering important for many reasons, including discussion of the partys platform amid a politically turbulent year and consideration of candidates for endorsements in statewide races. That includes the gubernatorial race in which businessman John Cox and Assemblyman Travis Allen are hoping to win support of their fellow Republicans.

California Republican Party conventions are first and foremost a business meeting of the state party, but they are also a chance to reconnect with friends and activists from around the state, talk with Republican elected officials, learn new skills and hear from inspiring speakers, says the partys website.

Why are so many Republicans coming to San Diego? What will they do here?

We have the answers to those questions and more for you below.

What is the California Republican State Convention?

The Republican Party and Democratic Party both hold annual conventions across the state. This year, Democrats also hosted their annual convention in San Diego.

The gatherings typically include speakers, presentations, parties and many candidates who are running for office attend to raise support.

When is it?

Events begin Friday and run through Sunday.

Where is it?

The main events will be at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina, located at 1380 Harbor Island Dr.

What will Republicans do at the convention?

Political conventions like this are a chance for party members to meet candidates, network and attend a bevy of meetings and receptions.

On Saturday, there will be a candidates forum for the opportunity to hear from candidates who are running for statewide office and have qualified for endorsement by the party. Delegates from across the state will vote on endorsements.

Who will be there?

Republicans from across the state will travel to San Diego to attend, but must be registered.

Some of the bigger political names who are confirmed to speak or attend include:

Businessman John Cox

Assemblyman Travis Allen

Linda McMahon, Administrator of the Small Business Administration

Rep. Mimi Walters

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst

For more information on the convention, visit the partys website here.

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin


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Srinagar, May 05: Indian troops in their fresh anti-fighters operation killed four in Srinagar, today.

Three youth were killed during a gunfight in Chattabal area of Srinagar. The fourth one identified as Aadil Ahmed was killed when a vehicle of Indian forces deliberately hit him at Noorbagh. Three Indian soldiers were injured at Chattabal operation.

Massive protests erupted in several localities of Srinagar soon after the killings. Indian police and troops used force to disperse the protesters, injuring many people including three photojournalists. The authorities snapped internet services in the city to prevent people from sharing information about the situation in Chattabal.

Complete shutdown was observed in Dialgam area of Islamabad district, today, against the arrest of youth by the Indian forces during nocturnal raids. The students held protests at the Kashmir University in Srinagar against the disappearance of an Assistant Professor.

[Cops take the body of a slain youth Adil Ahmad in their possession outside Srinagars SMHS hospital on Saturda]In Muzaffarabad, a big rally was held at Shaheed Burhan Chowk, today, under the auspices of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Freedom League condemned India for trying to play down the rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua area of Jammu to save the culprits. The participants holding placards, banners and black flags demanded withdrawal of Indian troops from occupied Kashmir and implementation of the UN resolutions on Kashmir. The rally was led by senior Hurriyat leader and Peoples Freedom League Chairman Muhammad Farooq Rehmani which was also addressed by AJK leaders and Muhajir leaders and students.
valley cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/04/2018 -- Data Center Rack Server Market: Overview



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Data Centre Rack Server Market: Drivers and Restraints



In present era, every business houses, establishments are relying on data generated through various modes. Across of globe zillionth of data are being stored and transferred in a blink of an eye through data center rack server. In addition, data centers across globe are multiplying at a same speed at which it can accumulate all those data, which are being generated every second. Such data centers are fitted with hundreds of data center rack server for executing data related task. Banking business, e-commerce business, cloud-based services etc. has increased in recent years. This service, for online purposes or web-based services, requires ample number of server to transfer and receive data from every nook and corner possible in this planet. Growth in such business is fuelling the demand for data center rack server. The market is facing all-time high in demand for need of high functioning servers as well as product that can help in lessening operational expenditure. The data center rack server is the most apt system available in market to meet such needs.



Data center rack server market has least of possible restraint now unless any disruptive technology is invented which eliminates the use of servers from IT systems.



Data Centre Rack Server Market: Market Segmentation



Based on product type, Data Centre Rack Server market can be segmented into:



Single processor Quad core

Single processor Xeon

Dual processor Xeon

4-way server

N-way server

RISC servers



Based on end user type, Data Centre Rack Server market can be segmented into



Banking Institutions

E-commerce Businesses

Cloud Services

Cyber Security Firms



Global Data Center Rack Server Market: Regional Outlook



Based on the geographic regions, global data Centre rack server market is segmented into seven key market segments namely North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. Among the aforementioned regions, North America will dominate the data center rack server market over the forecast period owing to the fact that North America has the largest data centers in world and it has been foremost in developing and producing data center rack server products for convenience. In APEJ countries such as China, India, and Thailand will be the key contributor to the growth of data Centre rack server market due to the very fact IT industry and subsequent data centers are increasing in these countries. Western Europe region will come next to APEJ with respect to growth of data center rack server market. In Eastern Europe, the market of data center rack server has also gathered momentum in recent years. MEA and Latin America data center rack server market is yet to see progress as large scale data center rack server are in minimum numbers owing to a very meagre growth in data center businesses. However, over the forecast period it is anticipated that data center rack server market will grow in this specific region.



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Data Centre Rack Server Market: Key Players



The major players identified in the global data center rack server market includes:



com

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP

Lenovo

FUJITSU

NEC Corporation

Selrack Pvt. Ltd
Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/04/2018 -- Market Highlights: The global logistic software market can be bifurcated as software type, end-user, and region. Based on software type, the market is segmented into warehouse management, labor management, transportation management and data management.



The global logistic software market is highly competitive. Various established international brands, domestic brands and as well as new entrants form a competitive landscape. The key players are nonstop increasingly seeking market expansion through various strategic mergers and acquisitions, innovation, increasing investments in research and development and cost-effective software portfolio. The logistic software market is highly competitive due to the presence of several large vendors.



Regionally, Asia Pacific accounted for the largest market share from countries such China, India, and Japan among others. The reason is attributed to growing demand for high technology adoption and growing electronic industry in the region. However, Asia Pacific is expected to grow over the forecast period, 2017-2023.



The applications covered by the logistic software include automotive, government & defense, healthcare, telecommunication and it, industrial, engineering and manufacturing, oil & gas and others. Geographically, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. The regional segment is further bifurcated into U.S., Canada, Mexico, UK, France, Germany, China, Japan and India. The booming healthcare and telecommunication & IT industry in North America helps to grow the logistics software demand in North America. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing market due to the increasing industrialization and digitalization in the emerging countries like India and Japan.



Furthermore, factors such as benefits if using Logistics Software Market such as cost and time saving, proper management of labors and emergence of digital technology in developing regions is growing demand of logistic software market at fast pace. However, some security and safety issues are the factors hampering the growth of the overall market.



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Major Key Players:

- Advantech Corportion

- Digilogistics

- UTI Worldwide Inc

- Hexaware Technologies

- IBM Corporation

- JDA Software

- Oracle

- Samsung Electronics Co

- SAP AG

- Tech Mahindra



Regional Analysis:

The global logistic software market is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period, 2017-2023. Logistic software segment market globally drives the market majorly due to growing industries like automotive, oil & gas etc. Technological advancement in logistic as well as manufacturing field coupled with increasing digitalization are expected to grow the market at fast pace.



The global logistic software market segmented into four main regions such as North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Rest of the World. These regions are further bifurcated into various countries including U.S., Canada, Mexico, UK, France, Germany, China, Japan and India.



North America region hold the largest share of the total logistic software market in terms of revenue followed by Europe. It is due to the presence of some high technology adoption in the region. U.S., Canada and Mexico are countries mainly contributing in the North America logistic software market. The North American system of transportation and logistics is emerging as an outcome of changes in trade and industries. The development of a globally oriented production and distribution system coupled with growing import export activities in countries increases the need of logistic software market.



Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, The United Kingdom and Sweden are the leading logistics countries in Europe as consider to the quality of transport infrastructure, efficiency of clearance process and the timeliness of shipments. The development in relationship among European countries and the international import export activities will affect the European logistics market in coming year. This will affect the demand of logistic software's in Europe positively.



Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow over the forecast period due to the emerging countries like India and Japan. China is the world's largest automobile production country due to which Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the global logistic software market in coming years. The rapid industrialization in Asia Pacific, particularly in China helps to grow the logistic software market in Asia Pacific. Furthermore, launch of the Make in India Initiative, India is poised to become the next global design and manufacturing hub which will expand the logistic software market in Asia Pacific. 'Make in India' program is providing lot of job opportunities in the country. India is notes as a one of the fastest growing economy in the world.



Segments

For the purpose of this study, Market Research Future has segmented the market of Logistic Software into software type, end-users and region.



By Software Type

- Warehouse management

- Labor management

- Transportation management

- Data management



By End-user

- Automotive

- Government & Defense

- Healthcare

- Telecommunication and IT

- Industrial, Engineering and Manufacturing

- Oil and Gas

- Others



By Region



North America

- U.S.

- Canada

- Mexico



Europe

- UK

- France

- Germany

- Rest of Europe



Asia-Pacific

- China

- Japan

- India

- Rest Of Asia Pacific



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Intended Audience:

- Device manufacturers

- Network Operators

- Mobile manufacturer

- Government Agencies

- Security Agencies

- End-user sectors

- Communication operators

- Defense



Table of Contents

1 Market Introduction

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Scope of Study

1.2.1 Research Objective

1.2.2 Assumptions

1.2.3 Limitations

1.3 Market Structure

2 Research Methodology

2.1 Research Network Technology Software

2.2 Primary Research

2.3 Secondary Research

2.4 Forecast Model

2.4.1 Market Data Collection, Analysis & Forecast

2.4.2 Market Size Estimation

Continued..



About Market Research Future

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.



MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.
Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/04/2018 -- Market Research Future published a half-cooked research report on Global Rough Terrain Crane Market that contains the information from 2017 to 2023. Global Rough Terrain Crane market is expected to grow with the CAGR of approximately 4.30% from 2017 to 2023.



Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 85 market data tables and figures spread in 140 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on "Global Rough Terrain Crane Market Information from 2017 to 2023"



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Crane is primarily used for lifting heavy loads and transporting them to other places. Rough terrain crane is the type of mobile crane. A rough terrain crane is mounted on an undercarriage with four rubber tires, and is designed for pick-and-carry operations and for off-road and "rough terrain" applications. Technological innovations in crane models have resulted in lighter and more energy efficient cranes. These factors have been positive influences on the growth of the market. However, high initial investment is the factor that may hamper the growth of the market.



On the basis of capacity, the market has been segmented as Upto 25 T, 26 T - 74 T, 75 T-100 T, and Above 101 T. 26 T - 74 T rough terrain cranes segment is projected to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period. 75 T-100 T rough terrain cranes cater to all major lifting operations and are versatile in performing both on-road and off-road construction projects. Based on applications, the construction segment accounted for the largest market share. Due to increasing population and urbanization, there is seen a shift in the population in the urbanized areas, especially in developing nations.



Hence, global rough terrain cranes market has been expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.30% during the forecast period.



Asia Pacific region dominates the global Rough Terrain Crane market



Geographically, the global rough terrain crane market has been divided into four major regions, and they are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. Asia Pacific, of all the regions, has accounted for the largest market share, in 2016, followed by Europe and North America. Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Increase in construction activities in countries such as China, Japan, India, and Indonesia, is the major factor fuelling the growth of the Asia Pacific market. Additionally, increase in industrialization, rising urbanized population, and growth in spending capacity are the factors strengthening the growth of the market in Asia Pacific region. China is one of the leading markets in the Asia Pacific region. The Chinese Government issued several favorable policies for lowering the proportion of down payment for second house loans and exempting of sales tax for ordinary housing. This helped the recovery of commercial housing market. This will be a positive influence on the growth of the market. Increasing up gradation, repair & rehabilitation of the existing infrastructure and power grids & distribution networks, drive the growth of the market in Europe. Germany and the U.K. are the major markets in Europe. In U.K., construction values of both, public and private sectors, are increasing, continuously. This will increase the demand for the market in the future. North America is another major region for the market. U.S. is a major markets in North America. Steady developments in commercial and residential structures in the U.S., is anticipated to fuel the demand for the market in the region.



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? Liebherr Group (Switzerland)

? The Manitowoc Company, Inc. (U.S.)

? Terex Corporation (U.S.)

? Tadano Ltd. (Japan)

? Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co., Ltd. (China)

? KATO WORKS CO., LTD (Japan)

? TIL Limited (India.)

? ENTREC Corporation (Canada)

? Manitex International Inc. (U.S.)

? SANY GROUP (China)

? Broderson Manufacturing Corp. (U.S.)

? Maxim Crane Works, L.P. (U.S.) .



This research report provides insights, on various levels of analysis such as industry analysis, and market share analysis for the leading players along with their profiles. It also helps in studying the target segments by providing views on emerging & high-growth segments. The market data comprises the basic assessment of the competitive scenarios & strategies in the global construction lift market, including high-growth regions and/or countries, and political, & economic environments. The project report, further, provides views on both the historical market values and pricing & cost analysis.



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About Market Research Future

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.



MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.



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Between two points, a gulf of understanding

Between Two Points was a recent exhibition of works by Yajyu Manandhar and Michael Gordon held at the Gallery Mcube in Patan. The exhibit dealt with themes of impermanence, abstraction, and the potential for spontaneity.
British minister arrives tomorrow

Mark Field, a UK minister of state for Asia and Pacific, is arriving in Kathmandu on Sunday. He will meet political and business leaders of Nepal and discuss ways to grow bilateral trade between the two nations during his two-day stay, the British Embassy in Kathmandu said on Friday.
Conflict victims submit advocacy paper to minister

Conflict victims on Friday unveiled their advocacy paper on reparation and submitted it to the government. Reparation is one of four important pillar of transitional justice and yet the government has not made any substantial effort to redress the atrocities committed against innocent civilians by both the Maoist insurgents and the government troops throught a decade-long war.
Court notes statements of five murder suspects

The Morang District Court has taken statements from five suspects held in connection with the 33 kg gold smuggling case and the murder of an alleged smuggler, Sanam Shakya.
With a little over a week to go for the Karnataka polls, the two heavyweights Prime Minister Modi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi are campaigning hard. Modi hit Rahul on his 15 minute dare with a counter of asking him to recite the achievements of the current Karnataka government under chief minister Siddaramaiah.

Political maneuvering between other party chiefs is under way. JD(S) chief ministerial candidate H.D. Kumaraswamy has reiterated that there isnt and will be no alliance with the BJP in the case of a hung assembly. This came despite the Prime Minister praising Deve Gowda. The JD(S) could play the spoiler in the state. The Hindustan Times editorial calls JD(S) the X factor in the state 

.

.

Karnataka has been a tough nut to crack for the BJP, much like the South India in general for the party. In 2013, the BJP lost over 70 seats in the State. There is a lot to play for in the state.

Given the back and forth on the trail; the issues that matter most are wide ranging.

The BJPs main hit against the Congress is that the metropolitan city with a vibrant population has been crumbling under the current government. With a city that is growing in size, congestion is a major problem. The Congress has promised welfare programmes for the urban poor; Indira canteens providing subsidized food a la Amma canteens in Tamil Nadu and housing as well.

Last August, after heavy rainfall, many areas in the city were under water. Residents were angry at the lack of civic preparedness of the administration in anticipation of the monsoon, while accusations were traded among political parties.

However, there has been pushback from citizens on some major infrastructure projects such as steel flyover project, which was dropped after allegations of corruption. The state of the polluted Bellandur Lake is another reason why there has been increased civic activism and the administration acing anger from its citizens. The issues facing the countrys IT capital are fairly simple ones at the end of the day  better roads, water and power supply.

On May Day, the Prime Minister hit out at the current administration for showing indifference towards the plight of farmers in the state. He criticized the government for not implementing the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. He pledged to double the income of farmers by 2022. He urged the partys Kisan Morcha Karyakartas, those who are specifically tasked with speaking to farmers, to communicate to them that their issues matter and there should be a government that understands their problems.

Over the last 4 years, more than 3500 farmers committed suicide in the state; a majority of them taking their own life due to drought and farm failure. The government did take some relief measures in asking banks not to force farmers to repay their dues and to turn their some of their loans into long term loans with waiver of interest.

BJP chief Amit Shah faced tough questions from farmers while addressing a meeting in the northern part of the state. Farmers were upset with the central government and their failure to follow up on specific promises made during the 2014 campaign with respect to farmer income, minimum support prices and waiver of corporate loans.

A mainstay of Indian politics; its no different in the run up to the Karnataka polls. With the usual jabs made by each party against each other over corruption, Rahul Gandhi, in response to Modis criticism of the current government, questioned Modi on why his party gave poll tickets to the tainted Reddy brothers. The brothers of the mining scam tainted Janardhan Reddy were given tickets to contest in the elections.

When in power, Yeddyurappa and Reddy Brothers looted Karnataka. Our Govt. brought them to justice.



Now Mr Modi is trying to take 8 of them from jail, into the Vidhan Sabha.



This is an insult to every honest citizen, to Karnataka and to the spirit of Basavanna.  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 25, 2018

Theres plenty of blame to go around with both parties fielding candidates who have dubious pasts to say the least when it comes to corruption. In an interview with the Hindu, Former Lokayukta Justice N. Santosh Hegde states that corruption has become a non issue in the state elections. His report on illegal mining in 2011 was instrumental in toppling then Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa from office 

.

With regards to the law and order situation in the state, the Siddaramaiah government might be on the defensive. There have been several high profile incidents in the past 3 years - Karnataka Lokayukta P Vishwanatha Shetty was stabbed multiple times in his office in March and journalist & activist Gauri Lankesh was murdered last year with the case still going on.

The government has come under criticism from Modi and the BJP is not doing enough to protect BJP and RSS workers. There have been lynchings of BJP and RSS workers in the state. In the past, the issue of crime and law & order hasnt been on the forefront of the minds in contesting elections in the state.

However, this issue could be a nullifying factor for voters due to a lack of differentiation between the two parties

While capitalizing on their core Hindutva message has worked for the BJP in many states, its a tougher ask in Karnataka and cold be said of the southern part of the country in general if results in past elections are any indication. The chief minister invoked the pride of Karnataka by unveiling its own state flag. Another important development is recognition of Lingayats as a separate religion from Hinduism.

Another issue hanging over the elections is the Cauvery water dispute. The state and centre have effectively punted on the issue at regular intervals. The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked Karnataka to be ready to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu or face the consequences. The central government essentially told the court that the Prime Minister is busy with the Karnataka elections in response to criticism directed at it by the apex court.

This plus a host of other issue will face the incoming government, whoever they may be. The stakes for both parties are high as each state election could provide a picture as to what happens in 2019.
Government to freeze strikers bank accounts

Continuing its broader crackdown on the transport syndicate, the government has decided to freeze bank accounts of various transport committees running syndicates and to subject transport entrepreneurs to probe by the Department of Money Laundering Investigation to see if they have earned money illegally.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The "power of prayer" was celebrated Thursday evening at Gateway Cathedral, at an event that drew several hundred congregants to the Richmond Valley worship center to mark The National Day of Prayer.

The annual church service was sponsored by the Staten Island Association of Evangelicals at Gateway Church in Richmond Valley.

"If any part of this land needs healing and revival it is Staten Island," said Dr. Dan Mercaldo, the Association's president. "With...a booming epidemic of drug abuse, and many struggling churches and ministries, we need to pray together. The National Day of Prayer gives us that unique opportunity."

Unity was the theme of this year's day of worship. Special guest worship leader during the evening was Scott Wesley Brown who has been at the forefront of Christian music for more than 30 years.

Local pastors from the Staten Island Association of Evangelicals led those in attendance in prayer for Staten Island, New York City, New York State and the nation.

Pastor Dave Watson remarked:

"The event is a prayer meeting for the entire nation and for the borough. We have a terrible opioid crisis going on. And we pray for all our political leaders, and national and local leaders, and for the special programs going on on Staten Island."

Prayers were designated for political leaders including Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Staten Island's state and City Council representatives, Congressman Daniel Donovan, Borough President James Oddo and District Attorney Michael McMahon.

In addition to government, prayers were also offered for six other centers of influence in America: the military, media arts, business, education, church and family.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

"The National Day of Prayer was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman," Dr. Mercaldo explained.

In 1988, the law was unanimously amended by both the House and the Senate and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on May 5, 1988, designating the first Thursday of May as a day of national prayer. Every president since 1952 has signed a National Day of Prayer proclamation.

As tradition dictates, on May 3, hundreds of churches and tens of thousands of Christians take part in the event.

For further information on the event visit http://www.gcny.org or phone 718-966-4500. And for more information on The National Day of Prayer visit http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Responding to an accusation from his primary opponent, Rep. Daniel Donovan maintains that two men associated with his campaign never impersonated Board of Elections (BOE) investigators when they questioned Conservative Party voters who had signed a petition supporting Michael Grimm.

Donovan (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) told NY1 that the two unidentified men worked for his campaign and were going door-to-door checking to see if the signatures were correct, but denied any voter intimidation or harassment.

This is the latest development in a heated race to the primary election on June 26. On Tuesday, the BOE voted to refer the actions of a Grimm campaign operative to local, state, and federal prosecutors after Grimm's aide, Joe Shikhman, filed an extra petition for Donovan that could have gotten the incumbent thrown off the Reform Party Line.

CAMPAIGNS TAKE AIM

"Apparently, Dan is so baffled that his anti-Trump voting record has alienated conservative voters that he's sending out campaign operatives posing as government investigators to find out why," former Congressman Michael Grimm said in a statement.

"While most of Desperate Dan's stunts, like his post office art legislation or shameless flip-flopping on sanctuary cities, are simply embarrassing, in this case he has allowed his failing campaign to cross the line into outrageous voter intimidation," the statement went on to say.

Donovan campaign spokesman Nate Soule fired back saying, "Once again, Convict Congressman Grimm's desperation is showing. In an effort to deflect from his liberal voting record, he's turned to lying about Dan Donovan's campaign's actions."

"Perhaps he should worry more about his own record of intimidating constituents and reporters alike than Donovan's efforts to represent the people of our great district, who deserve far better than Convict Congressman Michael Grimm," Soule said.

CRIMINAL COMPLAINT FILED

Robert Zahn, a registered Conservative Party member, filed a criminal complaint with the 122nd Precinct after one of the campaign employees knocked on his door and spoke to him and his wife.

He alleges that they identified themselves as BOE investigators and provided identification.

Zahn said the incident "is not only dirty politics, it's illegal and calls for a full investigation."

He said that he was advised by the BOE to file the criminal complaint.

"Donovan said that the constituents are too stupid to figure out how to file ethics complaints, so maybe Dan needs to realize that his constituents are smarter than that," Zahn told the Advance.
STATEN ISLAND -- Staten Island, again, will not be getting a controversial new facility.

Last time, the mayor gave the Island a pass on a new jail.

This time, City Hall confirmed the Island will definitely not be getting a safe injection site, even after the city determines whether it's four pilot program sites are a success.

City Hall cited Island District Attorney Michael McMahon's opposition as the reason.

While Island officials are pleased to be the "Forgotten Borough" in this case, the decision has infuriated Bronx Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr., whose turf was recommended in the report to get a 1-year pilot program site in Longwood.

"First, the Mayor wants to close Rikers Island - House of Detention. In order to do that, our beloved Mayor plans to build houses of detention in different boroughs. He will build one in the Bronx, one in Manhattan, one in Brooklyn, and one in Queens, but none in Staten Island. My question is - Why not Staten Island?" Diaz said.

"[O]nce again the Mayor is proposing to open these 'shooting galleries' in only four boroughs of the City. The Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, but for some unknown reason, the Mayor once again proposes to exempt Staten Island," Diaz continued.

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis responded: "Just like residents and elected officials in the Bronx are now protesting plans to build a jail, the four boroughs that voted for this Mayor's agenda will now be subjected to heroin injection sites in their own backyards.

"At least Mayor de Blasio had the sense to leave Staten Island, which overwhelmingly rejected his agenda, out of these two plans. For once it is a RELIEF to be the forgotten borough," she added.

STUDY RELEASED; ISLAND EXCLUDED

Following the release of his long awaited $100,000 feasibility study on safe injection sites late Thursday evening, the mayor was asked on the "Brian Lehrer Show" why the city had not chosen to locate a pilot site on Staten Island -- the borough with one of the highest rates of overdoses in New York City.

The report recommends opening four 1-year pilot program sites known as "Overdose Prevention Centers" in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Midtown West and Washington Heights.

De Blasio said that the city would first need to prove the pilot sites are successful and not harmful to surrounding neighborhoods before deciding "where to go from there," indicating the city could still consider bringing them to other parts of the city and Staten Island.

STATEN ISLAND D.A. OPPOSITION CITED

"Either it's working or it's not and we can make other decisions," the mayor said. "But really the point here is we needed a scenario where there were providers who were able to provide this capacity for overdose prevention and were willing to come forward."

But de Blasio's spokesman Eric Phillips later clarified, explaining that because McMahon is opposed to the facilities, the city will not consider bringing injection sites to Staten Island.

"The DA isn't supportive. That's a requirement," Phillips to the Advance. "It's not being considered."

In order for the sites to open, the city outlined a number of hurdles it would need to clear in its report at the local, state, and most challenging -- the federal level.

At the local level, the report said that each borough would need the support of its district attorneys to protect clients and operators from arrests, as well as support from the borough's councilmen.

VIRTUALLY ALL ISLAND POLS OPPOSED

But virtually all Island politicians across the political spectrum and addiction treatment advocates are against injections sites in the borough.

"Staten Island families have seen first-hand the devastation that is caused by addiction, so it is unfathomable that government would be both encouraging illegal drug use and funding the acceptability and accessibility of heroin," McMahon, a Democrat, said in a statement following the release of the city's report.

De Blasio said the district attorneys from Manhattan and Brooklyn were supportive of the sites, while the Bronx's District Attorney Darcel Clark was "open" and "going to study it."

He also said some councilmen representing the boroughs where the four pilot sites will launch were for the facilities, while others either said they planned to study the concept or he had not yet spoken to.

1,441 ODs CITYWIDE IN 2017 -- DEADLIEST YEAR ON RECORD

The city's recommendation comes as New York City saw 1,441 overdose deaths in 2017, according to preliminary data in the report, making 2017 the deadliest year on record.

The city said the injection facilities could prevent between 67 to 130 overdose deaths annually in the city, while opening them in neighborhoods with the highest rates of OD death citywide could prevent between 19 to 37 overdoses a year.

In 2016, Staten Island saw 116 fatal overdoses making it along with the Bronx, the boroughs with the highest rate of fatal overdose in the city that year.

The Island saw a drop in overdoses in 2017 as the number of saves rose sharply.

And at an event earlier this week, McMahon said the borough had already seen 32 overdose deaths since the start of the new year, and 82 saves as a result of the OD-reversal medication naloxone.

Injection sites are meant to provide a safe and hygienic space for people to inject pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of health workers. There are currently no such facilities in the U.S., but there are about 100 around the world in places like Canada and Europe.

Locations like San Francisco, Philadelphia and Vermont are considering them too.

Advocates of the facilities say the sites link drug users to treatment and provide a safe and sanitary place where overdoses can be prevented and people can be saved if they do. While opponents believe the sites promote drug use instead of linking people to treatment and worry that they attract crime and drug use.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As part of a crackdown on illegal vehicles, police from the 121st Precinct confiscated an illegal motorized scooter from a 27-year-old man in Port Richmond on Thursday.

On May 3 at about 5 p.m. a 27-year-old male was seen operating an unregistered, uninspected and uninsured scooter at Forest and Richmond avenues, according to police.

The scooter operator was issued summonses and the motorized scooter was confiscated, police said.

You can't register a motorized scooter in New York, and it's illegal to operate one on city roadways, sidewalks or highways, according to the NYPD.

"Motorized self-balancing devices, such as Segway's, hoverboards, and other 'personal transporters,' are prohibited in New York City by New York State law," according to the NYPD office of Public Affairs.

The seizure is the latest in more than a dozen bicycles, dirt bikes and other vehicles confiscated so far this spring by police on Staten Island.

Great job by Patrol getting this illegal scooter off our streets #UseItAndLoseIt pic.twitter.com/kMy3wLa1NG  NYPD 121st Precinct (@NYPD121Pct) May 4, 2018

Last week the 122nd Precinct seized an illegal dune buggy.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- The trial for the controversial trial-by-combat attorney indicted in a scrap-metal fraud scheme has been moved up.

Richard Luthmann and his co-defendants, George Padula III and Michael Beck, were set to go to trial on July 9, but it was rescheduled for June 25, according to federal court records.

There will be a hearing a week before the trial begins to decide what evidence will be presented at trial. U.S. District Judge Jack B. Weinstein previously said he was concerned about admitting evidence regarding mob allegations.

The Staten Island men are charged with various counts of wire fraud, money laundering, kidnapping and extortion conspiracy.

During a conference last month, federal prosecutor Moira Kim Penza said there are on-going plea negotiations with Padula and Beck. Beck is charged with kidnapping and extortion, but not yet in connection to the scrap-metal scheme, although prosecutors said they plan on adding those charges in a superseding indictment.

There are no current plea discussions with Luthmann, his attorney, Arthur Aidala, previously said.

Luthmann and Beck are out on bail, while Padula remains held at the Metropolitan Detention Center without bail.
IED goes off in Dhangadhi

An improvised explosive device (IED) went off near the office of Gauriganga Municipality-10 in Dhangadhi on Saturday morning.
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PHILIPSBURG:--- On Wednesday April 25, 2018, the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers on behalf of the Council of Ministers hosted an interactive information session and expo for civil servants that fall within the job function of administrative support staff in honor of National Administrative Professionals day.

Welcoming words were expressed by the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports, Ms. Jorien Wuite who highlighted the importance of professional/human capital development through focusing on collective skills, knowledge, or other intangible assets of staff. Today, the Government of Sint Maarten recognizes you, your value to the organization, your hard work and the contributions that you make to enhance the development of a professional governmental organization that has as its purpose to serves our country and its residents as clients to our organization, being it students, businesses, organizations or residents in need for services such as drivers licenses, passports just to name a few of our core activities. We are conscious of your hard work and we therefor take this moment with this event to express our gratitude and say THANK YOU, for every effort, contribution, task and result you accomplished, each day, each week at a time. For those of you that therefor initiated opportunities for further learning to perfect your skills, knowledge or learn a new area or innovative subject I say THANK YOU once more for,  said Minister Wuite.

Ms. Clara Reyes, Head of the Culture Department, also gave a presentation that incorporated key skills, such as EFT tapping points that can be utilized as a tool to deal with post-Irma stress as professionals in the workplace. Civil servants from several ministries attended the event, some of which were not familiar with each other, which created a perfect opportunity for the last presenter Ms. Ife Badejo, the founder of Experience PWR, to engage with them, in her networking segment.

Throughout the event, attendees were able to win several prizes that were sponsored by Telcell, the Princess Juliana Airport and the Tourism office. Also a part of the event were several booth holders for the information expo which included the Soualiga Toastmasters Club, EH Image Consulting, Experience PWR and the University of St. Martin. The Council of Ministers thanks all sponsors, persons that attended and all individuals and businesses that took the time out to be a part of the event.

Opening words Administrative Professionals Day, April 25, 2018

Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, Drs. J. Wuite

Where would we be without the administrative professionals in government: secretaries, administrative assistants and other critical support staff. Spare a thought to all of the paperwork such as agendas for the Council of Ministers or Ministers or other management within the governmental organization that would never be done, documents that would not properly be registered or processed to the relevant departments, the phone calls that would never be taken or made to relevant stakeholders, the highlights in the newspaper that would not be shared or....

Today our government of Sint Maarten joins the international observance of Administrative Professional Day on April 25 this year which originated from 1952 and is now observed in numerous countries as one of the most celebrated workplace observances, together with of course International Labor Day on May 1 every year. Administrative professionals Day is observed on the Wednesday of the last full week in April.

Today, the Government of Sint Maarten recognizes you, your value to the organization, your hard work and the contributions that you make to enhance the development of a professional governmental organization that has as its purpose to serves our country and its residents as clients to our organization, being it students, businesses, organizations or residents in need for services such as drivers licenses, passports just to name a few of our core activities.

We are conscious of your hard work and we therefor take this moment with this event to express our gratitude and say THANK YOU, for every effort, contribution, task and result you accomplished, each day, each week at a time. Personally I dare to acknowledge that without Michnella Eugenio I cannot function which resulted in sometimes the unfair treatment of postponing a day off or taking her after 5 PM time away from her young daughter that needs her personal and dedicated time.

It is more than appropriate to recognize the organizers of this wonderful event with a wonderful information expo, a key note speaker from the Toastmasters club and other introductions such as post Irma stress management and art of Networking by Ms. Clara Reyes and Ms. Ife Badejo.

Our Prime Minister, Mrs. Leona Romeo-Marlin is a strong woman just as many of us here in the room and while she unfortunately had to apologize due to an important meeting of Parliament, she shares with me the importance of continuous education and professional or human capital development.

While we acknowledge the impact that Irma still has on our daily life and the environment in which we work, live and play, we should always continue to be committed to fostering and stimulating an environment that encourages employees and you, our administrative professionals to seek out opportunities for learning, whether for career development or for personal fulfillment.

I have personally been amazed, appreciative, supportive and also encouraged by the many personal initiatives I have seen from many of our professional support staff to develop their careers and seek ways to improve their lives with a challenging and inspiring work environment and salaries that can assist to help and support your families. While we have seen workshops and trainings being offered by Personnel Affairs other entities such as Legal Affairs & Legislation recently, you did not wait for an offer, and sometimes continued in your own way, following your own path and therefor displaying that

- you dare to dream;

- you make effort to improve in order to make your weakness your strength;

- you have a strong sense of self-motivation in everything you do.

For those of you that therefor initiated opportunities for further learning to perfect your skills, knowledge or learn a new area or innovative subject I say THANK YOU once more for.

I hope others will be encouraged by you as well as this will help our important slogans such as

- to lead by example,

- to sow and so shall you reap,

- that true motivation comes from achievement, personal development, job satisfaction, and recognition.

Those that know me will probably agree with me and know that I deeply believe in the power of development and mobility and that therefore human capital development of our entire country will bring us even further then what we have accomplished thus far over the last 30 years in recognition that we stand on the shoulders of our ancestors. I would like to close off with some words of inspiration:

The first step towards power is clarity.

Powerful people do not want to be like anyone else.

Powerful people know that getting there is all the fun.

Powerful people always have other powerful people to help them achieve their goals.

Powerful people know how to find their niche.

Powerful people enjoy the process of research; then they act on the information they have.

Powerful people know how to make long lasting relationships.

Powerful people trust their instincts.

Powerful people know that freedom is the result of self-discipline.

Powerful people know when they get there.

- Nancy Anderson *

Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire.

 Oprah Winfrey

Ladies and gentlemen, be that administrative professional power as this contributes to a wonderful professional organization that our country and its people so dearly deserves.

Happy Administrative Professionals Day 2018

God bless you and Thank you.
Indian aid to pass through Nepals budgetary channel

Indian aid received in the form of small development projects (SDPs) will be channelled through the budgetary system of federal government from now onwards.
SpaceX's Dragon cargo ship heads back to Earth



Tampa, May 5 (AFP) May 05, 2018



SpaceX's unmanned Dragon cargo ship left the International Space Station Saturday carrying 4,000 pounds (1,800 kilograms) of gear and prepared to splash down in the Pacific Ocean by mid-afternoon, NASA said.

The white supply vessel detached from the orbiting outpost at 9:23 am (1323 GMT), fired its engines three times and slowly began its journey to Earth.

"Release confirmed," said commentator Rob Navias on NASA TV, noting that separation occurred as the ISS was 256 miles (411 kilometers) above the Earth, passing over just south of Australia.

"Dragon is safely on its way."

A parachute-assisted splashdown is expected off the coast of California around 3 pm (1900 GMT), but will not be broadcast on NASA TV.

The spacecraft is bringing back a host of science experiments, including lab mice that were studied in orbit to see how their bones changed in microgravity.

"Other critical biological samples preserved in science freezers, such as plants, insects and human tissue, have also been transferred into Dragon for retrieval and analysis," said a NASA statement.

SpaceX's Dragon is currently the only cargo ship designed to return to Earth intact. The other US commercial supply ship, Orbital ATK's Cygnus cargo carrier, burns up on re-entry to Earth's atmosphere.

The cargo ship arrived April 4 after launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with 5,800 pounds (2,600 kilograms) of food, supplies and science experiments to enable the study of thunderstorms, anti-cancer drugs, and technology to remove debris in orbit.

The mission was the 14th for SpaceX under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to resupply the space station over multiple years.
SpaceX's Dragon cargo ship returns to Earth



Tampa, May 5 (AFP) May 05, 2018



SpaceX's unmanned Dragon cargo ship splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, the company said, a few hours after leaving the International Space Station Saturday carrying 4,000 pounds (1,800 kilograms) of gear.

"Good splashdown of Dragon confirmed, completing SpaceX's third resupply mission to and from the @Space_Station with a flight-proven spacecraft," tweeted the company owned by Elon Musk around 1900 GMT.

The white supply vessel detached from the orbiting outpost at 1323 GMT, fired its engines three times and slowly began its journey to Earth.

"Release confirmed," commentator Rob Navias said on NASA TV, noting that separation occurred as the ISS was 256 miles (411 kilometers) above the Earth, passing over just south of Australia.

"Dragon is safely on its way."

The spacecraft is bringing back a host of science experiments, including lab mice that were studied in orbit to see how their bones changed in weightlessness.

"Other critical biological samples preserved in science freezers, such as plants, insects and human tissue, have also been transferred into Dragon for retrieval and analysis," said a NASA statement.

SpaceX's Dragon is currently the only cargo ship designed to return to Earth intact. The other US commercial supply ship, Orbital ATK's Cygnus cargo carrier, burns up on re-entry to Earth's atmosphere.

The cargo ship arrived at the ISS April 4 after launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with 5,800 pounds of food, supplies and science experiments to enable the study of thunderstorms, anti-cancer drugs and technology to remove debris in orbit.

The mission was the 14th for SpaceX under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to resupply the space station over multiple years.
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Britain backs French plan for European defence force: minister



Sofia, May 5 (AFP) May 05, 2018



Britain is backing a French plan to create a European military intervention force as a way to maintain strong defence ties with the EU after Brexit, a minister told AFP on Saturday.

British junior defence minister Frederick Curzon said London was "very keen to support" French President Emmanuel Macron's plan for a force that could be deployed rapidly to deal with crises.

The force, known as the European Intervention Initiative, would be separate from other EU defence cooperation, meaning there would be no obstacle to Britain taking part after it leaves the bloc.

"We're very keen to support President Macron in this initiative," Curzon told AFP as he arrived for a meeting of EU defence ministers in Sofia.

"We look forward to sitting down with our French colleagues to work through the ideas that they have formulated for a more efficient and joined up security and defence system across Europe. We think it has a real part to play."

Twenty-five EU countries signed a major defence pact in December, agreeing to cooperate on various military projects, but it is not clear whether Britain would be allowed to take part in any of them after it leaves the bloc.

London has always resisted moves to create anything resembling an "EU army" but it has also stressed it wants to continue to have close security ties with the EU after Brexit.

Curzon said the intervention initiative could play an important role in this.

"It certainly will help to achieve what we are looking for, which is a deep and special partnership with our European colleagues in defence and security," he said.



- Small and decisive -



The EU this week announced plans to spend nearly 20 billion euros on defence in its budget for 2021-2027, most of which will go on research and developing new military technologies for the bloc.

But December's defence cooperation agreement, known by the acronym PESCO, did not include plans for an intervention force.

The EU has had four multinational military "battlegroups" since 2007, but political disagreements have meant the troops have never been deployed.

Paris hopes that by focusing on a smaller group of countries its new initiative will be able to take act more decisively, freed from the burdens that sometimes hamper action by the 28-member EU and 29-member NATO.

"The initiative is a way of cooperating between countries with the right operational or support capacities and which are willing to use them wherever it seems necessary and useful," French Defence Minister Florence Parly told AFP in Sofia.

Parly used Saturday's meeting to detail the plan to fellow defence ministers and held one-on-one talks with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to assure her it would not compete with PESCO.

"We had to explain in concrete terms what it involves and reassure some of our partners about the way this initiative is being coordinated with everything the EU is in the process of doing," she said.

The nine countries that have expressed interest in joining France in the initiative, which reportedly include Germany, Italy, Spain and Estonia, will meet in June to formalise the plan, Parly said.

France has been keen to build a multinational force that could intervene abroad as it did in Mali in 2013.

But Parly said that missions could also include evacuating nationals from hotspots, and that countries unwilling to commit troops to combat could contribute with logistics.

The initiative stands outside PESCO, but Mogherini was at pains to stress that it would be complementary.

"There is full coordination, there is full coherence," Mogherini said.

"What I see is the intention from the French side to make the future initiative they have in mind perfectly coherent with the work we're doing on PESCO."
Cuba to host Colombia-ELN rebel peace talks



Bogota, May 5 (AFP) May 05, 2018



Cuba will host peace talks between the Colombian government and leftist ELN rebels aimed at ending a five-decade conflict after Ecuador bowed out as host, negotiators said Saturday.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is trying to conclude a peace agreement with the country's 1,500-strong last active rebel group, similar to the one signed with the larger FARC guerrillas in November 2016. The FARC has since become a political party.

"After jointly examining the options to renew dialogue as soon as possible," Colombian government and ELN negotiators will resume talks "in Havana starting next week," a joint statement read.

On April 18 Ecuador said it was suspending its role as guarantor of the peace talks between Colombia and the National Liberation Army guerrillas, which have been hosted in Quito since early 2017.

Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno told Colombia's RCN television that he wanted to end Ecuador's role following a flareup of violence along their common border.

Moreno's remarks came as Ecuadoran and Colombian troops pressed a hunt along their respective sides of the border for a small band of ex-FARC rebels turned criminals responsible for the kidnapping and murder of a three-man Ecuadoran journalist team.

However peace talks with the ELN are being held against the backdrop of a more hostile political context in Colombia, after hardline conservatives opposed to peace with the rebels have gained ground in recent legislative elections.
Crafting the right collaboration in space







McLean VA (SPX) May 04, 2018





Recent media articles have taken a negative tone regarding how the government procures commercial technology in space. Last month SpaceNews went as far as stating in a Crafting the right collaboration in space that the military "can't decide what to buy." We think that's an exaggeration. Certainly, the government needs to streamline its acquisition processes, and it is exploring how best to do so. An example of these efforts will come in May with the release of the highly anticipated DoD wideband ... read more
Kanchanpur veggie farmers export Rs1 million worth of produce daily

Vegetable farmers of Kanchanpur district are exporting fresh vegetable worth Rs 1 million daily to other districts. Production has surged due to the influx of locals who see vegetable farming as an attractive income source. This has allowed the district to export the surplus vegetables to other districts.
Brussels, May 5, 2018 (SPS) - Sahrawi Minister for Europe Mohamed Sidati described Friday the Moroccan allegations on a so-called military support of Iran to the Polisario Front via Lebanese Hezbollah as cynical political opportunism aimed at undermining the United Nations efforts for the settlement of the conflict in Western Sahara.



Moroccos accusations emanate from a cynical political opportunism aimed at undermining the efforts of the United Nations, he told APS.



Mohamed Sidati who categorically denied any military presence of any foreign strength alongside the Sahrawi peoples liberation army, pointed out that these allegations the last of a series of provocative and unfounded assertions, are meant to discredit the Polisario Front and hijack the peace process in Western Sahara.



Morocco tries to take advantage of the current international trends in an attempt to strengthen its illegal occupation of Western Sahara, he added, underlining that there is no evidence to support Moroccos unfounded claims.



In this regard, Sahrawi minister said that Rabats accusations were made shortly after that the UN Security Council adopted a resolution 2414 extending the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) by six months.



The resolution sent a clear and strong message to Morocco: It must resume negotiations without prerequisites, affirmed Sidati.(SPS)



062/SPS/APS
Kathmandu, New Delhi announce Modis visit

The foreign affairs ministries of Nepal and India have announced the two-day state visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Nepal.At the invitation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Modi is visiting Nepal on May 11 and 12.
Modi again!

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (NaMo) is coming to Nepal next week. We are not really excited like we were the first time around. Let us hope NaMo is prepared with witty one-liners, jokes and mix-masala guff to change our views on his government and its natak during the blockade.
Police detain husband and father-in-law in dowry death

Police in Rautahat are investigating into the death of a 23-year-old woman who was found hanging in her in-laws home on Friday. Superintendent of Police Yangya Binod Pokharel said they have opened an inquiry after 23-year-old Sugandhi Devi Das was found dead in her in-laws home at Narakatiya of Brindaban Municipality-5.
President inquires about Dr Devkotas health

President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Saturday visited the Neuro Hospital in Bansbari to inquire about the health condition of senior neurosurgeon Dr Upendra Devkota, who is undergoing treatment of gall bladder cancer.
Neil Batchelor, Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Richard Warren, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Hub, Helen Barge, Risk Evolves, Philip Seccombe, Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Louie Augarde, OmniCybersecurity, and Alexeis Garcia-Perez, Centre for Business in Society at Coventry University.

BUSINESSES are being urged to switch on to the increasing dangers of cyber crime in order to survive.

Around 8.8 million has been lost by residents across Warwickshire, according to the Warwickshire Cyber Crime Survey 2017, and there have also been 15,000 successful email scams reported in the region.

Experts in the field gathered at the Everyman Cinema in Stratford-upon-Avon to discuss with businesses how big the problem is and how it can be tackled.

The event was organised by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, as part of the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme.

Among the organisations represented were the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Coventry University, the Federation of Small Businesses, Warwickshire County Councils business watch team, Coventry City Council, along with West Midlands Police and Warwickshire Police.

Louie Augarde, senior security consultant at OmniCybersecurity, demonstrated the hacking of a simulated website to the audience and outlined what approaches cyber criminals are currently using.

This includes baiting, where criminals leave confidentially-labelled USB sticks in public places in the hope that somebody will plug it in to their own computer, thus enabling the hacker access to their computer.

Other approaches included the cloning of website pages to obtain log-in details from people, and pretexting, where a hacker creates a believable yet fabricated scenario in order to successfully obtain a persons identity.

Advice ranged from visiting websites such as haveIbeenpawned.com and spycloud.com to check if peoples accounts have been compromised, through to using password managers such as LastPass or 1password to securely store unique passwords.

Presentations were also made by Risk Evolves on the importance of businesses having a plan in place for the new General Data Protection Regulations that come into effect on Friday, 25th May.

Philip Seccombe, police and crimecommissioner for Warwickshire, opened the event with a rallying cry for the public to report anything they feel is suspicious.

He said: The impact of cyber crime is devastating, which is why it is a core part of our on-going agenda where we are working with key intelligence agencies to combat this criminal activity.

The more that suspicious activity is reported to us, the better chance we have of catching the perpetrators.

We can all help ourselves when it comes to protecting ourselves from cyber crime, and events such as this hosted by the CWLEP Growth Hub are key to helping people to spot the signs of a cyber attack.

Richard Warren, account manager and business mentor at the CWLEP Growth Hub, added: Cyber crime is a potential hidden killer for SME businesses and action is needed to support them to guard against this type of lethal activity, which is why we decided to hold this event.

This is an on-going problem that is forever evolving, so we are also looking into initiating a network that helps businesses to come together to share their ways of tackling this cyber problem.
Madness, Tom Jones, and Il Divo perform at Ragley Hall this summer.

THE Herald is teaming up with new music event, Summer House Sounds to offer three lucky winners the chance to win a pair of tickets to Warwickshires newest music festival.

This July, Ragley Hall near Alcester, will play host to headline concerts from music legend Tom Jones, British pop icons Madness, and the worlds most successful classical crossover group Il Divo, all over three consecutive nights.

And were given three readers the chance to win a pair of tickets to the concert of their choice.

Presented by live music promoters Cuffe and Taylor, Summer House Sounds is about bringing music to the people in unique and beautiful locations.

The series will also see headline concerts at some of the UKs most historic and beautiful stately homes and castles further afield, in Berkshire, Northumbria, Suffolk, Hampshire and Leicestershire.

Ragley Hall will host Tom Jones on Thursday, 12th July, Madness on Friday, 13th July, and Il Divo on Saturday, 14th July.

Cuffe and Taylor director, Peter Taylor, said: Were delighted to be presenting Summer House Sounds across the UK this July and are especially delighted to be doing so at Ragley Hall, bringing such a stellar line-up to this most magnificent location this year is very exciting.

To be in with the chance of winning tickets, pick up a copy of the current edition of the Stratford-upon-Avon Herald. The closing date is midday on Wednesday, 9th May.
Registration of IP to go digital: Govt

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies has started work to offer online registration and management of intellectual property (IP) in a bid to facilitate patent, trademark, design and copyright protection. The Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965 and the Copyright Act 2002 govern IP cases. Violators face a maximum fine of Rs500,000.
CB intervenes to arrest rupee depreciation View(s):

Sri Lankas Central Bank (CB) this week intervened in the local money markets, for the first time in 16 months, to halt pressure on the rupee against the US dollar.

The last time such intervention happened was in January 2017. Money market dealers on Friday confirmed comments to a foreign news agency by CB Senior Deputy Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe that the banking regulator pumped dollars on Tuesday and Wednesday to control the volatility of the currency.

Yes intervention happened and will continue to happen in the future as the rupee is under pressure, one dealer said.

The rupee has been under pressure and hit a high of Rs. 158 per dollar earlier in the week. On Friday it was selling at Rs. 157.80.

The CB, which has been reluctant to intervene in the market and artificially prop up the rupee, has come under criticism for allowing the currency to depreciate at levels which impact on the cost of living.
CCD bulldozes Presidential orders By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s):

Sri Lankas coastal protection agency is determined to tear down illegal structures on the beaches of Negombo, Dehiwala, Mt. Lavinia and Mirissa according to plan amidst Presidential orders to temporarily suspend such operations on the Southern belt.

We are planning to go ahead with it (removing illegal structures) and it will be on the coasts of Negombo, Dehiwala, Mt. Lavinia and Mirissa, Coast Conservation Department(CCD) Director General Prabhath Chandrakeerthi told the Business Times on Friday. No date, however, has been fixed for the demolition assignments.

Mr. Chandrakeerthi said that he had suspended the order to demolish the illegal structures in Mirissa in a bid to allow those owning these places to voluntarily remove them as per requests from those owning these structures.

Hoteliers have rung alarm bells over the menace of beach boys and the growing concern of unauthorised constructions on the coast of Sri Lanka that has particularly affected the countrys tourism industry due to the recent attacks against tourists both physically and sexually on April 8.

This has led to authorities engaged in cleaning up the coast to become actively involved despite political pressure to refrain from removing the livelihoods of so-called small entrepreneurs.

However, following complaints from government politicians, Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga said this week that the President had issued orders to suspend the removal of the illegal structures in Mirissa which were scheduled to be carried out on May 1.

The Minister also noted that this suspension was likely to be in place until the said unauthorised constructions were removed by their owners and registrations of these places were undertaken by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

The unauthorised restaurant whose owner was questioned by the tourism authorities following the attack on tourists has been issued instructions to close the surf bar called Water Creatures Restaurant and Surf Bar on the orders of the SLTDA until investigations were concluded.

Nine persons have been arrested in connection with the case and produced before the Matara Magistrate and remanded.

Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara told the Business Times that the removal of unauthorised constructions in Mirissa had been postponed by the CCD on May 1 and that police was unaware of the reason; and added that they had agreed to send the required police personnel when requested.

The decision to suspend the removal of unauthorized Mirissa structures, angered the trade.

The Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) said in a statement that it was disturbed to learn, that days (after the decision to remove these structures), the Coastal Conservation Department (CCD) has decided to suspend the removal of illegal constructions on the Mirissa and Weligama coastal belt until further notice, going against assurances given to the tourism industry, the previous week.

SLAITO said its members were disappointed to hear about the suspension as this issue is being monitored by tour operators who are waiting to see a swift response from authorities as they are responsible for the safety of tourists they send to Sri Lanka.

New weapon against tourism mafia New beach-friendly police vehicles appear to be Sri Lankas response to problems faced by tourists in Mirissa and other areas. Tourism Minister John Amaratunga with Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators President Harith Perera watch a policeman display its functions at the 2-day, annual Sancharaka Udawa tourism fair on Friday. Pic by Amila Gamage.
South Asia Press report lauds journalists courage

Journalists have shown tremendous courage for reporting despite violence, killings, and suppression in many countries, according to the South Asia Press Freedom Report 2017-2018.
CSE told of director resignation, 18 months later View(s):

The resignation of a board director of a listed Sri Lanka company has been announced to the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), more than a year after he stepped down, probably the first instance where there has been a long delay in such a disclosure.

AFA Corporate Services Ltd, secretaries to troubled Blue Diamonds Jewellery Worldwide PLC, said Xia Liqland, a former chairman, resigned as board director with effect from September 30, 2016. We apologise on behalf of previous company secretaries for the delay in forwarding the announcement, it said in an April 27 communication to the exchange.

CSE officials said no action was being taken against the company for the delayed disclosure as it has explained the reasons for the delay.

The company is currently under investigation by the SEC over mismanagement and the misuse of Rs. 165.25 million raised through a rights issue. Mr. Xia stepped down from the chairmanship in June 2016 to take up the mantle as Deputy Chairman/Managing Director of Blue Diamonds Jewellery Worldwide PLC. Dr. Dayanath Jayasuriya, PC was then appointed as chairman with effect from June 20, but in less than 24 hours after the appointment he tendered his resignation.
Hutch-Etisalat merger will ease competitive pressure: Fitch View(s):

The merger between Hutchison Telecommunications Lanka (Pvt) Ltd and Etisalat Lanka (Pvt) Ltd is likely to relieve some competitive pressures that have undermined Sri Lankan telecom companies revenue and EBITDA growth in recent years, says Fitch Ratings.

But it is unlikely to affect the ratings on market leaders Sri Lanka Telecom PLC (SLT) and Dialog Axiata PLC. This is because SLTs B+ Long-Term Issuer Default Rating will continue to remain constrained by the Sri Lanka sovereign rating, while the AAA(lka) National Long-Term Ratings on SLT and Dialog are at the highest level of the scale, the ratings agency said in a media release on Tuesday.

The long-overdue industry consolidation, announced on April 26, is likely to provide some relief from pricing pressure, especially in the data segment, where telcos have not been able to fully capture the strong growth in data traffic. However, Dialog and SLTs free cash flows will continue to be negative, despite potential of larger cash generation, because they need to invest to expand their fibre networks and infrastructure to address fast-growing data demand.

We expect the merged Hutchison-Etisalat entity to also accelerate its 4G capex investment to strengthen its network position to catch up with Dialog and SLT. The Hutch-Etisalat merger will create the third-largest telco and reduce the number of participants in the mobile market to four from five. The merged entity will rank behind Dialog and SLT in the mobile market and ahead of Bharti Airtel Ltds (BBB-/Stable) Sri Lankan subsidiary, Airtel Lanka. The combined entity will benefit from greater revenue share of around 10 -12 per cent in the mobile market, below the 24 per cent of second-ranking SLT. It will boost its spectrum portfolio to 50MHz, higher than Dialogs mobile spectrum portfolio of 47.5MHz but the same as SLT. Importantly, it will have 15MHz of spectrum in the cost-efficient 900MHz band, compared with 7.5MHz each for SLT and Dialog, which it will likely use to roll out 4G networks, Fitch said.

We do not foresee the Hutchison-Etisalat merged entity threatening more price competition or taking significant market share from Dialog and SLT in the short to medium term as they each have struggled to make meaningful EBITDA profits and have high capex requirements. Both Dialog and SLT benefit from entrenched market positions, backed by solid network positions and established customer bases. Hutchison-Etisalat may lose some market share in the process of integrating their operations, as it is natural when such large telcos combine. The merger requires regulatory approval and is expected to complete in 2H18, it added.

Sri Lankas telco industry is characterised by intense competition, with mobile operators fighting for a share of the relatively small addressable population of 21 million people. Smaller telcos have struggled to gain meaningful market share as a regulatory-mandated tariff floor on voice at Rs. 1.5 per minute provides them with little flexibility to compete in the voice segment. Further, telcos have faced frequent bouts of tax increases, which have hastened the industry consolidation, Fitch said.
India remains Sri Lankas major trading partner followed by China in 2017 By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):

Sri Lankas exports surpassed US $1 billion for the fifth time propped up by apparel which topped $5 billion and considerable growth of 42 per cent in seafood, the Central Bank (CB) said in its 2017 report. However a year-end increase in imports hiked the trade deficit to over $1 billion for the first time since 2012, CB sources said.

India remained Sri Lankas major trading partner last year, followed by China and the US  all these three countries contributed to around 40 per cent of total trade with island nation. Trade between Sri Lanka and India surpassed $5 billion in value in 2017 recording a share of 16.1 per cent of the countrys external trade, CB statistics showed.

Trade with China and the US exceeded $4 billion and $3 billion respectively during the same period. In addition trade with countries like UAE, Singapore, the UK and Japan exceeded $ 1 billion.

Trade between Sri Lanka and countries like India, Singapore, the UAE, Japan and the US increased in 2017 compared to the previous year while trade with China and UK declined.

Continuing the trade patterns observed in previous years, western countries especially the US and the UK continued to be the main destinations for Sri Lankan exports, while India and China in Asia dominated local exports.

Despite a double-digit growth in exports surpassing $1 billion for the fifth time in the year, Sri Lankas trade deficit also widened to exceed $2 billion mark in December 2017, according to the CB data released in its External Sector Performance Review.

On a cumulative basis, exports earnings during 2017 was up by 10.2 per cent (year-on-year) to $11.36 billion, with higher earnings from tea, rubber, garments, seafood exports, spices, petroleum products and minor agricultural products.

Last year the trade deficit increased by 8.4 per cent to $9.62 billion from $8.87 billion recorded for 2016.

Despite earnings from exports rising at a higher rate, the increase in import expenditure has resulted in a widening trade deficit in December 2017 by 7.5 per cent to $1.029 billion.

Earnings from exports increased by 18.7 per cent in December 2017 to $1.02 billion from $ 859 million in December last year. Earnings from textiles and garments exports contributed largely for this growth.

Revenue from textiles and garment exports continued to increase significantly in December 2017 with increased exports to the European Union (EU) following the restoration of the GSP+ facility in May 2017.
Move over Miami Vice, new-look tourist police to help safeguard foreigners By Alvin Sallay View(s): View(s):

It will not be exactly Armani, but our tourist police will soon be wearing more public-friendly uniforms and they will have gear to match, including jet-skis, as the government attempts to raise its game in the face of growing criticism from the tourism sector that the industry lacks the infrastructure to provide visitors a safe and friendly environment.

The sartorial overhaul for the long arm of the law was one of the few nuggets of information to come out of a long-winded seminar titled Managing Issues, Change and Reputation for the Future of Tourism in Sri Lanka organised by advertising agency Bates Strategic Alliance and its consultancy NGage, last week.

The recent sexual harassment and assault of Dutch tourists in Mirissa had prompted Nimal Gunewardena, chief executive of Bates to take on the onerous task of highlighting the challenges facing the tourism industry. Nine stakeholders, including Bates who have been involved in the promotion of tourism in this country for a long time, addressed a packed seminar at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute.

Each speaker  many leaders from the industry  was given a seven-minute time limit to make their presentation. Many went over the allotted time. Nine times seven minutes is more than an hour. Yes, the seminar dragged on and it was hard to pick out the rare gems of information for most were calls for the government to act. Action plans are many, but whether it will be implemented is another matter was the cry from the audience.

But one plan which will be implemented shortly will be the refurbishment to the wardrobe of the tourist police. Goodbye khaki, instead the Cops will be attired in a less-threatening uniform, according to Kavan Ratnayaka, chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.

It will not be Armani or any Italian style, but we will get help from Hameedias who will provide the uniforms which will be more attractive and look less threatening, Mr. Ratnayaka revealed.

Apart from looking good, the Tourist Police -to be bolstered by 300 officers  will also feel good as they will soon learn the rudiments of key languages spoken by the majority of visitors to Sri Lanka with the British Council giving a helping hand (in English) as well as the Indian and Chinese embassies providing lessons of Hindi and Mandarin.

We have also bought equipment which will help the Tourist Police in their duties, things like jet-skis, Mr. Ratnayaka disclosed.

Miami Vice move over. Mirissa Vice is on the scene. But will our lawmen be as good as Don Johnson? Many foreigners, and indeed locals, feel there is no rule of law in this land and that on some occasions, they are indeed hand-in-hand with the local government officials and toughs of the area.

How to get rid of the political influence and implementation of well-meaning plans was the chorus from the audience. Already Mirissa has come under the microscope.

The perpetrators of the Dutch assault are under custody, the restaurant where the incident happened has been closed and the beach is patrolled by police diligently.

Sanath Ukwatte, president of The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL), welcomed the damage limitation and called to strengthen the rule of law. The recent incident in Mirissa has left a bad impression on the country but having said that Sri Lanka is safer than most other tourist destinations, Mr. Ukwatte, chairman and managing director of Mount Lavinia Hotel said.

We have to impose severe punishment on the culprits (Mirissa incident) as an entire livelihood is at stake. There are more than 200,000 people employed in the tourism industry and they have to be educated too. But I feel Mirissa is also a blessing for it has created awareness that we need to act fast on getting so many things right, Mr. Ukwatte added.

Hiran Cooray, chairman Jetwing Hotels, called for a positive attitude from the movers and shakers in the industry. We have to talk positively of our country, not doom and gloom. We need people to come and invest in the tourism sector and they must go into areas where tourists are not going at the moment.

Addressing the subject of uncontrolled over-visitation and inadequate facilities, Srilal Miththpala, a past-president of THASL and a wildlife enthusiast pointed out that the countrys tourist hotspots Sigiriya, Kandy and Yala had reached a plateau and saturation point in terms of numbers of visitors.

The leopard in Yala is now so used to vehicles that he even comes out and powders his nose in front of them. Every day 340 vehicles enter the park and this number reaches 700 on holidays. In 2016, 273,000 people visited Yala and the revenue earned was Rs. 7.4 billion with six billion going to hotels in the area. Rs. 500 million was earned by drivers so we cannot just close shop as an entire community is dependent on tourism, Mr. Miththpala disclosed.

Sri Lanka should take lessons from Kenyan wildlife parks according to Mr. Miththpala. In Kenya there is a sighting protocol. When an animal is sighted, a jeep is given 10 minutes so that the tourists can take photos then they have to move on. In some parks in Costa Rica, they allow 50 people to go in only when 50 people come out.

Harith Perera, president of Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators revealed how digitalisation had turned the industry upside down. There are 2,131 hotels listed by the SLTDA but on Bookings.com the number is 12,500. SLTDA has 36,000 registered rooms while this number is 90,000 online.

The Mirissa incident could be used as a launching pad by tourism authorities in the country, according to Jean-Marc Flambert who used his years of experience in Saint Lucia as a case point. Mr. Flambert said the tiny Caribbean island had turned around its industry despite a number of bad events including killings of tourists. There was a lot of bad publicity but despite this the island has a vibrant tourist industry. Sri Lanka can also use Mirissa as a turning point to help more this countrys tourism industry into the future.

Hotelier Amal Goonetilleke said Sri Lanka had a lot to do if it was to sell itself as a luxury destination saying: We lack proper destination branding and there is no marketing strategy.

On the same subject, former Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau chairman Rohantha Athukorala said that despite all the advantages the country had  diverse, compact size and authenticity  it had never been innovative. The last good product we had was brought out in 1972, the Pinnawela elephant orphanage. We have got to tell our story to the world and be innovative like the tea and apparel industry, Mr. Athukorala said.

The last word came from Nimal Gunerwardene, whose company is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. This is a huge subject and the Sri Lanka Tourist Development Authority has brought out a four-year strategic plan which requires close collaboration between the private and public sectors.

And in this plan is a new-look tourist police force. Suave, sharp and smart. Hope they can keep those beach boys in place  and allow the tourists to roam free.

Tourism industry dismayed by reversal in order to dismantle illegal Mirissa structures Sri Lankas premier group of travel agents have expressed concern and dismay over a decision to suspend the announced removal of unauthorized structures in the southern coast town of Mirissa after attacks on tourists. The Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) said in a statement that it was disturbed to learn, that days (after the decision to remove these structures), the Coastal Conservation Department (CCD) has decided to suspend the removal of illegal constructions on the Mirissa and Weligama coastal belt until further notice, going against assurances given to the tourism industry, the previous week. SLAITO members are disappointed to hear about the suspension as this issue is being monitored by tour operators who are waiting to see a swift response from authorities as they are responsible for the safety of tourists they send to Sri Lanka. It said that in the wake of the brutal attack on Dutch tourists at a beach bar in Mirissa, Tourism Minister John Amaratunga proactively called all stakeholders to meet together without delay. The Sri Lanka Police, the Ministry of Law and Order, the SLTDA and the CCD were present at the meeting where the Minister assured them and the tourism fraternity as a whole, that swift action would be taken to ensure the removal of unauthorised constructions in the area, the association said. On receiving his assurances, SLAITO in turn assured foreign tour operators that the issue was under control and is being appropriately managed by the relevant authorities. Days later came the suspension order. The illegal establishments identified for removal are a compliance and safety risk and have resulted in creating a dangerous and unsafe perception of Sri Lanka tourism. This is probably the worst public relations for the country at a time when the government is relying on the tourism sector to bring in precious foreign exchange, SLAITO added. The association urged the Government to proceed with the initial decision, as not coming down hard and strong on such attacks against tourists will effectively kill the industry and keep tourists away for fear of more such attacks. Undoubtedly, by suspending the effective and punitive measures that were taken, other disruptive elements will be emboldened to copy such attacks which go against the culture and hospitality of Sri Lanka itself, it said. Any leniency in implementing the law, especially in a high profile case such as this; which has received worldwide attention, will result in negative word-of-mouth publicity that will take years to correct, the association added.
A festering sore on the face of the Supreme Court View(s):

As one of New Delhis renowned constitutional lawyers commented acerbically if not ominously to me, the matter will not end with thisit is a festering sore on the face of our Supreme Court which needs swift surgical treatment, not political tinkering.

A stunning judicial mutiny

This remark was made in the course of a casual discussion in that city this week where the annual soaring temperatures appear to match the soaring passions of its legal community, excited over the recent decision of Indias Vice President to dismiss an impeachment motion brought against the Chief Justice for abuse of public office.

Indeed, the tone of that impeachment had uncanny echoes of the failed impeachment motions brought against ex-Chief Justice Sarath Silva during the time of the Kumaratunga Presidency. In both instances, the allegations related to the distribution of sensitive cases, charges that rulings by the Chief Justice had been unfairly supportive of the government and questions raised as to judicial conduct.

One significant difference however was that, in the ongoing controversy over the Chief Justice of India, the country was shaken at its root when four senior judges of the Supreme Court staged a stunning mutiny as one colourful headline had it (The Economic Times, January 12, 2018) when they held an extraordinary joint press conference pointing out that they had no choice but to go public in the interests of the health of the judicial institution.

Regime change for its own sake

In the case of Sri Lanka, it would have been difficult if not impossible to even contemplate a situation where fellow Justices of the Supreme Court, at the time of the impeachment of ex-Chief Justice Sarath Silva or for that matter, the impeachment of ex-Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, would have braved the political odds to publicly declare their concerns with the impact that these developments were bound to have on the judicial institution.

In a sense, this is what distinguishes Sri Lanka from India, both in terms of the judicial system and the legal profession. In contrast to Indias top lawyers who spoke out forcefully in regard to the travails of the Court, the complicit silence or the open collaboration that Sri Lankan lawyers exemplified in the face of the turbulence that gripped the Court during 1999-2009 was striking. Where the impeachment of ex-Chief Justice Bandaranayake was concerned, as became evidenced later, the political utilizing of that impeachment to bring regime change without actual institutional reforms in the judicial institution is now clear.

In contrast, the rebelling Indian judges who warned that the mismanagement of the apex court could destroy Indian democracy included Justice J Chelameswar, the second senior judge after the Chief Justice of India. In a letter written to Chief Justice Dipak Misra which they said, went unheeded, the dissenting judges referred to their great anguish and concern in regard to certain judicial orders passed by this court which has adversely affected the overall functioning of the justice delivering system and the independence of the high courts besides impacting the administrative functioning of the office of the Chief Justice of India.

As that letter stated further; There have been instances where cases having far reaching consequences for the nation and the institution have been assigned by the chief justices of this court selectively to the benches of their preference without any rational basis for such assignment. Cautioning that this selective bench distribution must be guarded against at all cost, the judges said that if this continued, Indian democracy itself could be imperiled.

The importance of critique of judges

Again raising an unmistakable sense of deja vu with events in Sri Lanka surrounding the impeachments of ex-Chief Justice Silva under the Kumaratunga Presidency which were foiled by political action, the call for impeachment of Indian Chief Justice Misra has been circumvented by the Modi Government on the basis that this as a revenge petition resulting in a favourable ruling to the Government, handed down by the Supreme Court in another case.

These developments are interesting in the midst of renewed debates on the nature of Sri Lankas judiciary and the legal profession. Undoubtedly it must be recognized by judges and lawyers that public criticism of the judiciary is part of the fundamental right of expression, excepting of course vicious personal attacks on judicial officers that are carried in some online media. Employing the law of contempt to stifle criticism can only be a short-term measure inclined to aggravate public resentment in general.

And for those who are inclined to think otherwise, I can only point to the sterling warning issued by Lord Denning (R. Vs. Commr. of Police, 1968, 2 QB 150) where, observing that the judiciary will never use contempt to uphold our own dignity, he pointed out that this must rest on surer foundations. As he rightly said, that power will not be used to suppress those who speak against us, adding we do not fear criticism, nor do we resent it.

Restoration of judicial integrity is paramount

In Sri Lanka, judges struggled from the seventies thereafter, to protect their integrity in the face of devastating attacks from politicians intent on shaping the new Republic to their expedient will and saw the independence of the judiciary as an acute danger to their authority. Even so, those perils paled into insignificance compared to the devilish internal subversion of the judicial institution with political controversy swirling around the Office of the Chief Justice during the Kumaratunga Presidency.

From that point, it was a steep slide downwards, notwithstanding the convenient illusion fostered by lawyers groups and the then leadership of the Bar allied to the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe alliance in 2015, that the independence of the judiciary was restored by a change in political regime. The profound paradox of this argument rested in the fact that actions greatly offending the Rule of Law such as the removal of a sitting Chief Justice through a Presidential letter on the basis of an executive decision that the appointment was not legally valid, was offered as validation thereof. The falsity in this approach is well seen three years later. The only factor that has been removed from the political equation (an important one, it must be conceded) is that the President no longer summons the Chief Justice to his residence to order the outcome of a particular case and some piffling local politician does not call a District Judge to rule in a particular way. But that by itself is insufficient to argue that the integrity of Sri Lankas judicial institution has been restored.

That distinction must be made very clear.
Even more significant than his ministerial reshuffle, President Maithripala Sirisena made clear days ago will be his Tuesdays policy statement  a virtual common programme for his governments remaining tenure.

It assumes greater importance in the light of remarks he made during an address to Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) candidates for the last local polls for the Matale District the previous Saturday (April 28). Although no proper assessment has been made over his governments defeat at the February 10 polls, he declared, it was due to his coalition partner, the United National Party (UNP)-led economic policies leading to a crisis. He charged that these policies made the Government unpopular. He told the meeting held at the Grand Mountain Hotel that the UNP was now set to undergo reforms and his SLFP too would follow suit. As for the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Sirisena said its pohottuwa (or their symbol, the bud of the Lotus flower) would never blossom. His predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa, the de facto the SLPP leader, laughed at the claim and said our support base is increasing and we have already bloomed.

A lot of water has flown under the bridge since the politically devastating defeat both for the SLFP and the UNP at the February 10 local polls. A recurring issue, however, has been on the economic front. The Sri Lanka rupees depreciation vis-a-vis the US dollar continues at unprecedented levels. It has triggered a virtual price rise tsunami that has hit mostly the poorer and middle class sections. Sirisena has now taken over the running of the economy. He ordered the closure of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) then chaired by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The Central Bank and the Securities and Exchange Commission were removed from him. So were several functions vested in him as Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs. That included formulation of monetary policies and macroeconomic management in liaison with the Central Bank and co-ordination between public and private sectors in the latters economic development. How Sirisena will steer the ship of economy in this storm is the question.

Ahead of the policy statement, this turns the spotlight on him. He will now have to set the broader parameters of the economic agenda. That is not only for his government. It will also be for his jumbo 42-member cabinet. That includes the 18 who were sworn in last Tuesday. That programme, no doubt, will become the binding thread between the SLFP and the UNP for the continuation of their national unity or coalition government. This is particularly in the absence of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two sides at present. The MoU that saw the two major political parties in the country coming together expired in September last year.

For both, those in the SLFP and the UNP, there was considerable heartburn after the reshuffle. In his brief speech after the swearing-in ceremony, Sirisena underscored this reality. He said during such occasions some would be happy and the others unhappy. All of them usually turn up with expectations and that was a natural thing to happen. Even when he was a minister, he had turned up for reshuffle events not knowing what portfolio he would receive. Now that the portfolios have been apportioned, it was up to all the recipients to work together and deliver.

This is the fourth re-shuffle Sirisena has effected in his three and a half years in office. The first was on May 22, 2017 when he swore in nine ministers and a state minister. The highlight was an exchange of portfolios between Mangala Samaraweera (then Foreign Minister) and Ravi Karunanayake (then Finance). In addition Samaraweera received the subject of Mass Media. Others were Mahinda Samarasinghe (Ports and Shipping), S.B. Dissanayake (Social Empowerment, Welfare and Kandyan Heritage), John Seneviratne (Labour, Trade Union Relations and Sabaragamuwa Development), Gayantha Karunatilleke (Lands and Parliamentary Reform), Arjuna Ranatunga (Petroleum Resources Development), Chandima Weerakody (Skills Development and vocational Training) and Tilak Marapana (Development Assignments).

It was followed on February 25, 2018 with six ministers, three state ministers and a deputy minister. In this Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed the new Minister of Law and Order. He took over from the previous incumbent Sagala Ratnayake who was appointed as the Minister of Youth Affairs and Southern Development. Lakshman Kiriella was appointed as the new Minister of Public Enterprises and Kandy Development. Kabir Hashim was appointed Minister of Higher Education and Highways.

Harin Fernando as Minister of Digital Infrastructure and Foreign Employment, Ravindra Samaraweera as Minister of Wildlife and Sustainable Development (replacing senior UNP member Gamini Jayawickrama Perera). Piyasena Gamage was appointed the State Minister of Youth Affairs and Southern Development, Ajith P Perera State Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation and Drug Prevention, Harsha de Silva the State Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs and J.C. Alawathuwala as Deputy Minister of Home Affairs.

The next reshuffle came on April 12, 2018 when he temporarily assigned four different portfolios to other Cabinet ministers. This was after these ministers resigned together with 11 MPs since they voted for the no-faith motion on Premier Wickremesinghe. The last was on May 1 when he swore in 18 ministers. The next day (May 2) he also swore in a group of state and deputy ministers.

Though it was announced on May 22 last year that a reshuffle of SLFP ministers were to follow within two weeks, it did not materialise. Sirisena has dropped the idea. As a further step he also chose to retain the ministerial strength at the present levels instead of filling the vacancies caused by the resignation of four of the SLFP ministers. Answering criticism by opposition parties that there was nothing scientific in the most recent reshuffle, Sirisena told some ministers that the Gazette notification which would contain the various subjects of ministers would show that the reshuffle had been done systematically. That notwithstanding, there appeared to be some anomalies.

Other than that, portfolios like Regional Development, Southern Development, Rural Economy, Wayamba Development and Kandy Development collectively raise an all-important issue  the resources to sustain them. In other words, it is the taxpayers money at a time when bribery, corruption and waste are rampant. These establishments are on top of a multiple tier  the local councils that govern an area, the Provincial Councils, the different District Co-ordinating Committees made up of ministers and parliamentarians among others. The absence of any scientific rationalisation of tasks has led to duplication of work and overlapping of functions. As a result there is more the burning of more public funds. That it has also spawned corruption at different levels is no secret. The question is whether such ministerial titles are being showered on MPs due to the absence of any other subjects.

On the SLFP front, only two ministers have come unscathed with their portfolios untouched. They are Nimal Siripala de Silva (Transport and Civil Aviation) and Mahinda Samarasinghe (Ports and Shipping). Two others who have been in the eye of controversies have been hit with changes. One is SLFP General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake who held the Agriculture portfolio. He came in for strong criticism over the distribution of fertilizer to cultivators. This, some SLFPers complain, was one of the causes for their local polls defeat. He was sworn in as Minister of Irrigation, Water Resources Management and Disaster Management. Another is Mahinda Amaraweera who held the portfolio of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. He was named the new Minister of Agriculture. He, however, lost the position of State Minister for Mahaweli Development and Environment, a position that signified his closeness to President Sirisena. This Ministry is held by him. He named Weerakumara Dissanayake, Wimal Weerawansas National Freedom Front (NFF) member, who crossed over, as the new Deputy.

One of Amaraweeras first tasks since becoming the new Agriculture Minister was to declare he would not go into occupation of a multi storeyed building along the Parliament Road in Kotte. It belonged to a film actress. It was rented by the Agriculture Ministry when Dissanayake was the Minister. The then Parliamentary Affairs and Media Minister Gayantha Karunatilleke told Parliament in March last year that the building had remained unused for a very long period though a rent of Rs 25 million had been paid every month. Ameraweera, the General Secretary of the UPFA, in making those remarks, was serving a serious indictment on his ministerial colleague and General Secretary of the SLFP. Earlier, both ministers had taken part in meetings with other sponsors for a vote of no confidence against Premier Wickremesinghe. However, they were marked as abstained after they were absent during sittings of Parliament that day.

Besides the two ministers  Nimal Siripala de Silva and Mahinda Samarasinghe  whose portfolios remain unchanged, five more SLFPers were sworn in as ministers. They are Vijith Vijithamuni Zoysa (Fisheries, Aquatic Resources Development and Rural Economy), Faiszer Musthapha (Sports, Provincial Councils and Local Government), Duminda Dissanayake (Irrigation, Water Resources Management and Disaster Management) and Sarath Amunugama (Science, Technology, Research, Skills Development, Vocational Training and Hill Country Heritage).

There were no newcomers from the SLFP to be ministers. Nine Ministers of State and ten Deputy Ministers were also sworn in on Wednesday. All were existing office holders receiving new assignments barring two new Deputy Minisers  Ali Zahir Mowlana (National Integration, Reconciliation and Official Languages) and Muthu Sivalingam (Social Welfare and Primary Industries). Thus, the entire reshuffle this week has only seen the inclusion of two new faces as deputies.

It is President Sirisena who made the decisions in respect of the SLFP. However, in the case of the UNP, their leader Premier Wickremesinghe formulated his list of ministers, state and deputies in consultation with Sirisena. One rather contentious nominee who passed muster was Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe who was appointed as Minister of Higher Education and Cultural Affairs. The former Justice and Buddha Sasana Minister had been removed by President Sirisena from his portfolio at the request of the UNP in August last year. It came following a Working Committee decision that he had violated collective responsibility. A UNP statement over the removal had accused Rajapakshe of criticising ministers and government policies by violating the collective responsibility of a cabinet minister. The statement added, The UNP Working Committee last week (in August last year) decided to allow Rajapakshe till yesterday to correct, false statements made by him. Rajapakshe, however, says that he does not have any intention of resigning from the ministerial post just yet. His re-instatement to the Cabinet of Ministers comes just five weeks after he voted against the no-confidence motion on Premier Wickremesinghe. It seems a case of rehabilitating a member and parliamentarian whom the party accused earlier of being untruthful, who did not follow accepted cabinet norms.

A name that did not pass muster, contrary to his own assertions, was that of Ravi Karunanayake who held the post of Foreign Minister until he was forced to resign in August last year. According to an authoritative source, Premier Wickremesinghe asked Sirisena whether he had consented to Karunanayakes inclusion as a Minister during the reshuffle. He replied somewhat assertively that he had not done so. That put paid to the inclusion of Karunanayake as a new Minister. In the days that followed, Wickremesinghe had been consulting party seniors on their views on the issue  whether Karunanayake should be a Cabinet Minister or not. This week he was set to meet Karunanayake together with two UNP seniors to discuss his claims for a ministerial portfolio. It is immediately not clear whether the meeting took place or not. However, Karunanayake told colleagues and friends that he hoped for a ministerial appointment within the next ten days. Naming him as Assistant Leader of the UNP has already generated controversy among sections.

The same source said meetings between Sirisena and Wickremesinghe over ministerial nominees have been both friendly and very cordial. Though it was not within his purview to tell the UNP leader whom to pick, the source said, Sirisena took the liberty of making some suggestions in good faith. One such instance was when he said that the UNP should have new talent to take the party forward and help in governments development work. The source revealed that Sirisena suggested four UNPers, who in his view, were suitable to become Cabinet ministers. The foursome were Ajith Perera, Ruwan Wijewardene, Eran Wickremeratne and Harsha de Silva. In the event of a non-availability of designated positions Sirisena had declared they could be given the same or similar titles, the source revealed. Whether he was alluding to ministers without portfolio or not is unclear.

Even after the reshuffle, Sirisena met with Wickremesinghe on Thursday night and later on Friday morning. Though details of these meetings were unavailable, they are learnt to have spoken on matters related to the upcoming policy statement. Party leaders who met Speaker Karu Jayasuriya on Thursday decided that there should be a debate on May 10. On May 9 Parliament is set to debate amendments to the Judicature Act. The Supreme Court has already ruled that some provisions contravene the Constitution and would require a two thirds majority to be passed in present from. Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code are also to come up for debate on the same day.

Hardly a week after the reshuffle of ministers, state and deputy ministers, there is considerable displeasure among sections of the UNP membership. For the SLFP, it is relatively less. In the UNP some would-be aspirants have been left out. That has become an unenviable task for Wickremesinghe. The likelihood of a few more state and deputy ministers from the UNP is not being ruled out. Another contributory factor for the increasing displeasure are the recent changes in the UNP, including the appointment of Akila Viraj Kariyawasam as the General Secretary.

Barely three days after he was named and the appointment was endorsed by the Working Committee, Kariyawasam made a public announcement that Wickremesinghe would be the candidate for the 2020 presidential election. This is when none of the party organs has so far discussed the matter or taken a formal decision. That has compelled some members of the party to allege that the recent changes are linked to plans to ensure that Wickremesinghe is the UNP presidential candidate. They allege that a process of consultation within different arms of the party should have been carried out before a formal announcement. Some of the members Wickremesinghe named for top positions including Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa, National Organiser Navin Dissanayake and secretary (Trade Unions) Ajith Perera were critical of this move.

Last Sunday, in the wake of critical media comments over changes in his party, Wickremesinghe issued a two-page statement. He said, We also intend to create new posts by appointing a Secretary and Assistant Secretary to further strengthen and organize the party. We hope to give more opportunities to young Members of Parliament to help drive forward the Partys mission. We are aiming to give specific responsibilities to each of the Members of Parliament and with this in mind we are developing an initial procedure to do this. These assurances have not gone down well with sections of the UNP. One of them who did not wish to be identified said, Such impending changes have been promised to us for years by our leader. Our concern is that nothing happens. What we are seeking is a democratic change in the party.

Other UNP (albeit United National Front) members who took their oaths last Tuesday were Ravindra Samaraweera (Minister of Labour and Trade Union Relations), Sarath Fonseka (Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Regional Development), Daya Gamage (Social Welfare), Mano Ganesan (National Co-existence, Reconciliation and Official Languages), Sagala Ratnayake (Project Management, Youth Affairs and Southern Development  NOTE Project Management is an additional subject), D,M, Swaminathan (Rehabilitation, Resettlement, Northern Development and Hindu Religious Affairs), Thalatha Athukorale (Justice and Prison Reforms), Ranjith Madduma Bandara (Public Administration, Law and Order), Kabir Hashim (Highways and Road Development), P. Harrison (Social Empowerment), S.B. Navinna (Internal Affairs and Wayamba Development), and Lakshman Kiriella (Public Enterprise and Kandy Development).

Last Tuesdays oaths ceremonies were reflective of the withdrawal mode the Government has gone into. Other than official media outlets, the private media was debarred from covering the oaths taking ceremony for the second time in succession. The Presidential Media Unit seems to have taken a cue from US President Donald Trump. Every time a minister was sworn in, they tweeted his name and title. The same withdrawal mode is reflected elsewhere too. One is tomorrows postponed May Day rallies. Particularly for political parties in Sri Lanka, it is an occasion to demonstrate their strength by drawing large crowds. This is what the Joint Opposition did when it held its May Day rally at the Galle Face grounds last year drawing a record crowd. Though politicians in the government did not read the signals from this turnout and pooh-pooed it, it was made clear during the February 10 local polls.

This time the SLFP May Day rally is being held at Eravur in Batticaloa. The UNP has chosen a closed area, the Sugathadasa Stadium fro their rally today whilst the Joint Opposition will gather at the ramparts in Galle tomorrow. In the case of UNP, some of its members want to keep away. One is former Minister Ranjith Aluvihare, Matale District MP. He told the Sunday Times, Despite the good performance at the last Presidential and Parliamentary elections, the Matale district has been ignored. Even in this cabinet reshuffle the district has been ignored. As a result we will not be taking part in the May Day celebrations. The people are questioning me whether they are only needed to attend UNP meetings and rallies. Therefore we feel it is a useless effort to attend. We have issues in the district and we have not been able to address them. The unemployment issue is one of them.

The Governments communications machinery also appears to have collapsed or is working tardily. They have not been able to respond, leave alone effectively, to the issues raised by the opposition. Perhaps, with three different official spokespersons, one may be feeling it is the others responsibility. The only exception is to parrot out the decisions made at the weekly ministerial meetings. Here again, the versions could vary depending on who is giving the news. That no doubt has contributed heavily to public confusion not to mention the ill effects on the Colombo-based diplomatic community.

In the coming week, the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe coalition, which has won a new lease of life, would have to get down to business within a time frame of a year and seven months. That is to win back the hearts and minds of the people who ensconced them into power. At least in military terms it would be a do-or-die battle with many of the solemn promises made at the 2015 presidential and parliamentary elections remaining unfulfilled.

Weeratunga, Mahendran allege political witch-hunt Police team to fly to Paris to brief Interpol on allegations against the suspects

A delegation comprising top officers from the two main investigative arms of the Sri Lanka Police will fly to France to brief their Interpol counterparts on the investigations into two high profile cases  the procurement of MiG-27 fighter jets in 2006 from Ukraine and the massive bond scam at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL). The move follows an Interpol request for a detailed briefing with regard to the two cases where they have issued Red Notices on wanted suspects. One is in respect of Udayanga Weeratunga, a former Ambassador to Russia. He is a principal suspect in the probe now being conducted by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID). The other is Arjuna Mahendran, the former Governor of the Central Bank, a Singapore national, who is wanted for questioning by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over the CBSL bond scam. Both Weeratunga and Mahendran have filed appeals with Interpol over the red notices issued on them. A Red Notice is a request to locate and provisionally arrest someone pending extradition. It is issued at the request of a member country of Interpol or an international tribunal based on a valid national arrest warrant. An Interpol Review Board reviews appeals filed by those named in a Red Notice by closely examining the evidence and other details related to a case. The Sunday Times has learnt that both Weeratunga and Mahendran, on whom open warrants have been issued by courts in Sri Lanka, have taken up the same position  that investigations against them were politically motivated and termed them witch hunts. Weeratunga, originally a resident of Ukraine where he ran a restaurant serving Sri Lankan cuisine, is now being held in detention in Abu Dhabi. He was arrested for being in that emirate without valid travel documents. The government in United Arab Emirates (UAE) turned down a Sri Lanka request to hand over the former Russian Ambassador to face charges in Sri Lanka. The UAE Government has advised the Sri Lankan Government to initiate extradition proceedings. Though a UAE-Sri Lanka Extradition Treaty exists for well over 15 years, it has not been ratified by the Sri Lanka Parliament. In the case of Mahendran, CID detectives who flew to Singapore to deliver the warrant could not locate him at his given address. However, later reports received by the CID had confirmed that he was present in Singapore. A high ranking source said yesterday that efforts to get down Mahendran to Sri Lanka were moving slowly due to several pressure moves, both in Colombo as well as in Singapore. We have to surmount hurdle after hurdle, he said.
May Day: Distress slogan more appropriate View(s):

Marxism and Buddhism have had a somewhat unholy relationship in years gone by, at least in Sri Lanka. There was a period some decades ago when Marxism was the flavour of the times globally and Sri Lanka was not immune to its appeal.

An unfortunate remark by its proponent, Karl Marx that religion was the opium of the masses did not go down well with the established religions, and in Sri Lanka it was also inexorably linked with the establishment of local political parties.

The LSSP (Equal Society Party) had just been formed on the back of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the teachings of Leon Trotsky. The more Establishment oriented young up-and-coming politicians of Sri Lanka of the then Ceylon National Congress, however, met the radical youth head-on. To drive a wedge between the people and the Marxists, they said that these Marxists were going to dismantle the sacred Ruvanweliseya Temple in Anuradhapura and make houses for the poor with the bricks.

So, when some trade unions, which continue to owe their allegiance to the fading Marxist ideology defiantly pledged to ignore the Government diktat to postpone the traditional May Day (May 1) till tomorrow (May 7) because it clashed with the Vesak celebrations, their move did not get the public sympathy they expected.

The fact that the trade union movement is now, like most other aspects of the socio-economic life of the country taken over by political parties is a major factor in May Day being postponed without a whimper. These party affiliated trade unions know only too well the public mood and agreed to hold their parades tomorrow. The trappings that Vesak offers clearly outshine what the May Day rallies have in store.

Those trade unions that tried to defy the Government call also entertain a misconception about May 1st being sacrosanct to the workers. Their rallying call was that they will not betray the day that is dedicated to commemorating the struggle that saw the legalising of the eight-hour work day.

As every trade unionist knows, it was in 1884 in Chicago, USA that workers banded together and demanded an 8-hour work day after May 1, 1885. When it was not granted, a demonstration the next year turned violent and indiscriminate police fire killed several. Red became the colour of the workers symbolising the blood that was spilled and the dead became known as the Haymarket Martyrs. Today, the United States, where it all began, marks this historic event in September as Labour Day. So much for May 1 being so sacrosanct.

As the political parties bow to the wishes of the wider population and hold their rallies tomorrow, it is going to be another year of the workers marching to different drums; not a case of solidarity, but a case of workers of the world divide  not unite. This day in honour of the working class, in many countries including Sri Lanka brings home the stark reality that there is a sizeable section of the adult population who do not belong to the working class because they are without work.

The Central Banks official statistics put the current unemployed figure at 4.2 per cent of the adult population. The Census and Statistics Department gives it as 4.0 per cent. These are official data and therefore do not take into account the number unregistered as well as those under-employed  i.e, those doing menial jobs merely to eke out a living rather than what they are best suited to do. On the other hand, we find some, like Municipal workers who clock-in and no sooner clock-out doing two jobs, and those security guards who sleep at night on the job and have a day job as well.

Each year, this occasion also brings to focus, alas only to be soon forgotten, the hundreds and thousands of Sri Lanka workers abroad. Even the recent Cabinet reshuffle did not recognise their importance. While there are dedicated ministries for Agriculture and Social Empowerment  for those who live below the poverty line  as there should be, and the Cabinet has a record number of ministers, theres no dedicated minister for this group who bring US dollars seven billion into the country every year and help prop up the Treasury.

The portfolio of Foreign Employment has been lumped with the Ministry of Telecommunications and IT. Talk of the scientific Cabinet portfolio arrangement. Agriculture and Social Empowerment (Samurdhi benefits) have political significance. Foreign employment does not because workers abroad have no vote. They are, in effect, disenfranchised and inconsequential to the politicians.

Successive Governments have shown stepmotherly treatment to the interests of foreign workers, only interested in the trillion rupees they bring into the country. There have been repeated calls for the strengthening of Lankan missions abroad, especially in the Gulf countries of West Asia where thousands of Sri Lankan women face numerous issues in their working and living conditions. A recent incident in Kuwait should be a lesson for Sri Lanka.

The Philippine Government announced a permanent ban on Filipinos going to Kuwait after a row erupted over Kuwaits deportation of the Filipino ambassador. The ambassador and his staff videoed houses where Filipino housemaids were being ill-treated following the discovery of a Filipino maids body in her employers freezer. The Kuwaiti Government accused the ambassador of interfering in its sovereignty though conduct unbecoming of a diplomat may have been more to the point.

But the Manila Government did not take the deportation lightly. The ban came despite foreign remittances amounting 10 percent of the Philippine economy. Kuwait quickly recanted and moved to pacify the authorities in Manila to see the ban did not take effect. The question is whether any Sri Lankan Government has what it takes to do what the Philippine Administration did.

There is the 12-member state Colombo Process which brings together the providers and the recipients of migrant labour to the Gulf region to protect these workers from exploitative practices in recruitment and employment. This years UN agency ILO theme the 3 Ds (Dirty, Difficult, Dangerous) jobs, which account for millions of deaths while in employment is no less relevant to migrant workers than to any other category of workers in blue collar jobs.

As political parties parade the streets tomorrow shouting slogans, they must spare a thought for their absent comrades toiling away in inhospitable climes. And the Government, on whom the ultimate responsibility rests needs to do more for them. A good start could be for the Foreign Ministry to send its new recruits to Sri Lankan missions in the Gulf to see to the welfare of Sri Lankan workers abroad.
The Portuguese make maximum use of the Dutch delay This article is part of a continuing series on Sri Lankan history View(s): View(s):

The area from York Street up to Bay Front belonged to Fort. This area was surrounded by a strong wall and at the end of the wall was an outer wall. The old city stretched from the Front Street to the 4th Cross Street and from Maliban Street to the sea.

The Fort and the city proper were separated by a stretch of land, which had no vegetation whatsoever. At one stage, this strip of land, was converted to a pool  to be filled by water from the lake. The road from the Old City up to the Fort ran on top of a dam.

Up to date, these two areas are named Fort and Pettah. If you were to consider the meaning of these words, there is no sense at all. However, the Dutch concentrated their effort to chase away the kings soldiers from the area they had captured and make them free.

Therefore the Dutch did not have the chance to capture the two forts  Mannar and Jaffna  which were under the Portuguese. This lapse on the part of the Dutch gave the Portuguese a chance to make maximum use of the situation.



They got organized for a face to face battle with the Dutch. Once Colombo was captured by the Dutch, the Portuguese Governor of Jaffna  Antonio de Amaral de Meneses was free so he went to Naga Pattana. There he met the prisoners who had been set free.

By Halaliye Karunathilake

Edited and translated by Kamala Silva

Illustrated by Saman Kalubowila
Ideas for Ammas day For those who are brainstorming for mothers day gift ideas read on for some inspiration on how to celebrate you mother in an extra special way View(s): View(s):

With Mothers Day around the corner

Tarini Pilapitiya looks at possible gift and voucher options that mums will appreciate

A High Tea for Two  Pinkies up!

With countless places open to serving top notch high tea  from the whimsical Dotties English Tea Room, to the elegant classic high at the Mt. Lavinia Hotel we have the ideal tete-a-tete for you and your mom. An annually celebrated experience, Mothers Day has become a gala brew at the T-Lounge by Dilmah.

This year comes as no exception as Dilmah is hosting a personal tea party for two all day!

Available at all t-Lounges  Arcade Independence Square, Chatham Street, Negombo, the tea party will include a welcome drink, a high-tea platter of three savory and three sweet selections, Hot or Iced tea (for two) and a scrumptious take-away gift for your mum! Priced for two at Rs. 1,900 (net) this gastronomical experience must be pre-booked through their Facebook event page or hotline.

All three t-Lounges open at 8.30am. The Arcade and Chatham Street outlets close at 11 pm whilst Negombo is open only until 9 pm.

For more information check out-facebook.com/ tLoungeByDilmah/

Take the Load off her Feet

Handing your mother a gift card from Spa Ceylon for a luxury wellness Ayurvedic spa treatment is another way of saying thank you.Guaranteed to give mothers a relaxing and indulgent experience with the finest products to purify, soothe, treat and hydrate .

Spa Ceylon also offers a myriad of holistic ayurvedic treatments all priced at Rs. 3000 and above.

Other possible places to purchase vouchers include Nail Anatomy or Nail Talks.

Indoor Plants and Customized Pots

We happily stumbled upon some interesting presents to deviate from the usual flower giving tradition at Bud  Let Love Grow

Make other moms green with envy this mothers day by gifting your mom a potted plant from Bud  Let Love Grow. The seeds of starting Bud were planted in 2015 by two creative interior designer buddies with a blooming passion for nature and innovation. Officially launching themselves on Instagram and Facebook in 2017 the two young entrepreneurs have grown their business into a lucrative affair.

Offering a variety of plants namely Succulents, Cacti, Sanseveria, Aloe, Jade plant, ZZ Plant/ Lucky plant, Bamboo, Money plant and Larger indoor plants like Monstera deliciosa, Elephant ears, Calethea, Peace lily, Birds of Paradise etc. these two young ladies customize potted plants to make homes brighter. The plants are little to no trouble, some requiring water once a week and majority are able to sustain indoors.

Unlike an ordinary bouquet of flowers which will gradually wilt in time, the plants are able to live longer making them a great option for home or office decor for a space.

The pots are priced between

Rs. 400 (2.5 Diameter) to Rs. 3000 (6Diamter) and are subject to changes depending on the level of customization to your pot and plant type.

For more information be sure to check them out at @bud.letlovegrow on instagram and @bud.letlovegrow on Facebook



Edible Gifts 

It took motherhood to really make me appreciate my mother a lot more, laughs Nimasha Peiris the face behind Munchies by Nims. This Mothers day home baker, Nimasha will be teaming up with Windya Wickramsuriya from the home decor venture Wingaling to give a home touch to a commercial experience, Nimasha shares.

This mothers day Wingaling will capture personalized hand painted, customized quotes or artwork on canvases whilst Munchies by Nims will create an assortment of 6 cupcakes  from double chocolate, Chocolate and mint, Mocha, Coffee, Rainbow, Strawberry, red velvet, vanilla etc. for Rs. 1500 (Orders need to made before May 9)

For more information check out Wingaling and Munchies by Nims Instagram at instagram.com/by_wingaling/ and instagram.com/munchiesbynims/.

Another edible gift option would be from Brown Sugar. Home baker Diarra Wickremasinghe (19) of Brown Sugar started her business in 2017. Diarra (known as Brown Sugar Treats on Social Media) has changed festive celebrations with innovative edible gift ideas.

Her food style is inspired largely from her grandmothers recipes and street style food. Items on her Instagram feed are eyegasmic! Confections like her deconstructed mousse tart and Donut Bouquets have created much popularity for this innovative baker.

For this mothers day, Diarra has teamed up with her older sister Deshani Berhadt, a Melbourne based graphic designer/ photographer/ stylist/ interior designer known on Instagram as Wild Hart.

Brown Sugar along with Wild Hart have created a box of goodness. Priced at Rs. 4500, the box includes artisan elements  the wooden box itself handmade by the girls father. The boho-rustic inspired box includes a coconut and lavender infused candle, Brown Sugar and Coconut body scrub, a choice of a Narang curd tart or Mocha Chocolate tart, a choice of White Chocolate and coconut meringue or Hazelnut meringue and a Linen robe designed by Deshani (Wild Hart).

If the price point of the Mothers day box is over budget for some, Brown Sugar offers a myriad of topped and cream filled Donut Bouquets priced at Rs. 1,100 and above.

Brown Sugar is accepting orders for the Mothers Day boxes until May 9 and Doughnut Bouquet orders must be made two days advance notice.

Follow them on

instagram.com/brown_sugar_treats/

A unique experience  Paint with a twist

More fun art than Fine art, Sips & Dips Mothers Day Special will be hosted on May 12 at the Sooriya Village by founder Chasity Williams.

Sips & Dips Paint Nights is an event hosted once or twice a month, Chasity elaborates adding its a chilled space where people can come after work to paint, listen to live music, and have a glass of wine to unwind. With a seating arrangement of 30 the event is aimed at being an intimate and laidback affair.

Born and bred in the US, Chasity flew down to Sri Lanka in December 2017 for a holiday, later making a life changing decision by deciding to stay on in the country.

Art has always been a part of me since I was a kid, she shares. In her time back in the US, Chasity dipped her fingers into acting, modeling, and explored a myriad of business avenues, she says I found that at the end of the day Im simply passionate about creating.

Initiating Sips & Dips in February after an impromptu painting session at the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo garnered a crowd, Chasity started paint nights which she then thought would be a fun experience for groups. In the US paint nights are quite a popular activity for friends, Chasity tells us.

The Mothers Day Special of Sips & Dips allows families to come out and create something together, Chasity shares.

With all ages welcome, the event has been broken up into 2 sessions. Session one (2.30 pm  4 pm) will host parents and younger children (preferably those above 5 years of age or children who can concentrate for a prolonged time). Session one will be a fun filled experience of freestyle painting, with soft background music.

Participants will also be served natural pink coloured tea and juice. Session Two (5.30 pm  8 pm) is designed for older teens/adult children. This will be an instructed paint night.

Seat reservations can be made online on the Sips & Dips Mothers Day Special Facebook event page, or through their Instagram page @sipsanddipslk.

Cash payments only will can be made at the entrance  Rs. 500 per person (Ages 9 and below) and Rs. 1000 per person (Ages 10 and above)
Half a billion dollars spent on gold imports, much of it smuggled to India View(s):

Sri Lanka spent more than half-a-billion dollarsor 0.8 percent of the countrys GDPon tax-free gold imports last year, with much of it being smuggled to India. Gold was Sri Lankas second largest import in 2017 in monetary terms after petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals (not crude), according to the UN Comtrade database. It included gold plated with platinum, unwrought or in semi-manufactured and powder form.

The total quantity imported was 15,834kg at a staggering US$ 649,921,536 (more than Rs 102 billion) in foreign exchange that Sri Lanka could ill afford to lose. Sri Lanka also spent $479,468,032 (Rs 75.5 billion) on importing telephones last year. This includes telephone sets, including telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks; other apparatus for the transmission or reception of voice, images or other data (including wired/wireless networks). These came eighth on the list of imports, in monetary terms.

In twelfth place were 16 aircraft (the relevant HS category includes helicopters, aeroplanes, spacecraft including satellites, and suborbital and spacecraft launch vehicles) at a cost of US$ 325,316,027 or Rs 51.25 billion. The gold was brought without duties under a scheme Ravi Karunanayake, the former Finance Minister, introduced in 2016 awarding 50 licences through the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) to import the precious metal tax free.

While the objective was to encourage foreign investors to set up businesses in Sri Lanka and to encourage jewellery production, there are no signs of that having happened, a CBSL source said. Exports did not pick up and, to the best of my knowledge, nobody came from Dubai or Singapore to set up business here, he said.

There was also no corresponding increase in domestic jewellery production or rise in local consumption. And, while bleeding out foreign exchange in the import of all that gold, Sri Lanka gained nothing by way of duties. In the first three months of 2018 alone, another 8,000kgs were brought in. This is nearly equal to the total amount of gold imported during the whole of 2016. In April this year, the Government imposed a 15 percent tax on gold imports, bringing it on level with the duty in India. This caused the domestic price of the precious metal to rise significantly, hitting the Sri Lankan consumer.

In recent days, law enforcement authorities on both sides of the Palk Strait have detected hordes of smuggled gold making its way into India from Sri Lanka. A massive 32.249kgs of gold was seized in Chennai over 24 hours this week, with Indian media saying it all came from Sri Lanka.

The top ten imports in monetary terms are petroleum (excluding crude), gold, fabrics, petroleum (including crude), motor cars and other motor cars including station wagons and racing cars, Portland and other types of cement, telephones, medicines and iron or non-alloy steel.
The test of time

Built by Kaji Abhiman Singh Basnyat in 1777 AD, the Paltan Ghar in Balkumari, Asan, is a house that distinctly stands out but also melts into its surroundings at the same time. Its imposing white facade and its vaulted windows are caked with thick layers of dust; and cable wires and election posters dangle hither-thither. Here, brass pots and butter lamps spill out into the street from their tiny, box stores and thousands of people walk by each day without noticing a traditional Ayurvedic store that dates back to the early sixteenth century.
Kantale sugar factory bribery scam: Top officials deals exposed By Namini Wijedasa President's Chief of Staff tried to block machinery transfer, allegedly angling for a massive bribe View(s): View(s):

A Presidential Secretariat official at the centre of Thursdays bribery scandal had allegedly blocked the transfer of machinery, scrap metal and other assets belonging to the Kantale sugar factory to a joint venture company that had signed a US$ 100 million deal to revive the facility.

I.H.K. Mahanama, the Chief of Staff of the President, in his previous role as Secretary to the Ministry of Lands had secured Cabinet approval to auction the assets, which M G Sugars Lanka (Pvt) Ltd was claiming under the agreement. The company then filed arbitration proceedings in a Singapore tribunal to stop the Government of Sri Lanka from selling the machinery and scrap.

In October last year, the Singapore International Arbitration Centre granted M G Sugars Lanka an interim award barring the Ministry of Lands from disposing of the machinery and other assets pending a final decision. The joint venture is made up of the Sri Lanka Government, Shri Prabulingeshwar Sugars and Chemicals Ltd of Bangalore and SLI Development Pvt Ltd of Singapore.

Investigations have now revealed that Dr Mahanama was allegedly angling for a bribe from the investors, authoritative sources said. The machinery was valued at Rs 540 million. This is the amount he is initially said to have solicited, before agreeing to settle for Rs 100 million. His accomplice P. Dissanayake, once a secretary to former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, was State Timber Corporation Chairman at the time of their arrest on Thursday. He was more of a go-between, sources familiar with the case said, with Dr Mahanama being the alleged mastermind.

The sources praised sleuths from the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) saying that several meetings had taken placesome of them at a bakery opposite the National Eye Hospital in Colombobetween the investors and one or both the suspects before the first Rs 20 million instalment of the bribe was given.

These meetings were observed by CIABOC investigators. Only the last two discussions were attended by Dr Mahanama. The others were handled by Mr Dissanayake. The two suspects have been remanded till May 9.

The Kantale deal has been dragging on since August 2015 in a textbook case of the agonies faced by foreigners seeking to set up business in Sri Lanka. That month, M G Sugars Lanka signed the Board of Investment (BOI) and shareholder agreements for the revival and restructuring of the factory.

The 30-year deal was structured as a build, operate and transfer project with 51 percent of shares held by the Government. For their total investment of US$ 100 million, the foreign parties would get the remaining 49 percent. The operation was expected to generate around 1,200 jobs and meet a large percentage of the countrys sugar requirement. M G Sugars Lanka was to receive 500 acres for its nursery, housing and other facilities. This transaction, too, was also significantly delayed with the transfer taking place only last year.

Meanwhile, a total of 20,000 hectares was to be cultivated by farmers under a tripartite agreement with the company guaranteeing a market for their produce. But a dispute then arose over the machinery and scrap metal. The investors maintained that it is explicit under the relevant agreement that these must come to them. Dr Mahanama disputed that. The matter was referred to the Attorney Generals Department which initially gave an opinion in favour of M G Sugars but later reversed it.

This cleared the way for Dr Mahanama to call for tenders to sell the machinery for scrap ironand the investors went for international arbitration, obtaining an interim order to prevent the auction. In the meantime, the two suspects have been approaching the investors soliciting a bribe to clear the deal, the sources said. Ultimately, the investor had no choice but to fall in line and initiate discussions with Mahanama through Dissanayake.

But parties from the investors side met Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Kantale when he attended election meetings there earlier this year. They told him about their dilemma and were advised to send it in writing to his office. A letter was accordingly sent to the Prime Minister, the Presidents Office and Lands Minister Gayantha Karunatilleka.

The PMs office then encouraged the investor to lodge a complaint with CIABOC. This was done on the assurance that the informant would not face victimisation.

Once CIABOC had the complaint, its sleuths sprang into action. On Thursday, when the bribe was to be paid, Dr Mahanama, Mr Dissanayake and an investor first had tea in the lobby of the five-star Taj Samudra Hotel. The money had been brought in four bundles and the suspects had wanted three in one bag and one in another. When the investor said he brought only one bag, they had suggested asking for a bag from the hotel. They then went to the car park and the suspects got into the investors vehicle and started counting the money. It was at this moment that CIABOC officers arrested them.

Meanwhile, Mr Mahanama was immediately interdicted from his position as Chief of Staff by Secretary to the President Austin Fernando. Mr Dissanayake was also sacked from the State Timber Corporation. A statement attributed to the President said that the incident confirms the importance of establishing independent commissions and implementing the policies of the Government against bribery and corruption.

Leaving a comment on the social media site Facebook, Mr Fernando said it was time to support the proposed Judicature Bill and that recent actions for legal changes mooted by CIABOC were totally, practically and even operationally backed by the Presidential Secretariat

We want total political support for the changes, he said.
Lesters lifetime award found on bus rack View(s):

A lifetime achievement award belonging to Dr Lester James Peries that went missing during the funeral of the renowned film maker was found abandoned on an overhead rack of an airconditioned private bus plying from Kollupitya to Kaduwela yesterday morning, police said. The award had apparently gone missing on Wednesday no sooner the coffin was removed from his residence at Dr Lester James Peries Mawatha,Thimbirigasyaya.

The driver and conductor of the bus had noticed an unattended parcel on an overhead rack when the bus reached the terminal at Kollupitiya around 7.30 p.m. On inspection it turned out to be the life time achievement award, that had been awarded to Dr. Peries by the Indian Government in 2000.

The driver and conductor informed the Kollupitiya police who are carrying out further investigations.

Earlier on, leading artists had appealed for the return of the award soon after they heard about its disappearance.

Initially it was widely reported that what had gone missing was the Golden Peacock award that Dr. Peries won in 1965. However veteran actor Ravindra Randeniya later clarified that what had been stolen was the lifetime achievement award given by the Indian government. He said that the Golden Peacock award which had been kept at the Film Corporation in Colombo 07, had gone missing about 15 years back and had not been recovered.

Meanwhile, five wallets of popular film personalities and a mobile phone had been stolen during the funeral, police said.
Met Dept warns: Beware of the heat and stay hydrated View(s):

The Meteorology Department has issued a severe heat wave advisory in the upcoming weeks for the northern, eastern and north-central provinces as southwesterly winds pass through the region, a senior official of the department said. Currently the temperature in some parts of the country is recorded as 36 degrees. There wont be a sudden increase but the public should take early precautions, the departments duty meteorologist Janaka Kumara said.

According to the Probabilistic Temperature Forecast prepared by Meteorological Department for May, there is a high chance of the country experiencing a temperature slightly above the average maximum temperatures (30.1) in Anuradhapura, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Puttalam, Ratnapura, Trincomalee, Vavunia and Kurunegala districts and slightly below average Maximum Temperatures (26) in Badulla, Batticaloa, Colombo, Galle and Hambantota Districts.

The department also warned the public that as a result of the heat they could suffer from cramps and heat exhaustion and in extreme cases heat stroke if subjected to the heat wave for a long duration. The public are asked to stay hydrated and seek shade whenever possible when outdoors during the day.

Gampaha hospital Senior Consultant Physician Prof Aruna Munasinghe told the Sunday Times that people are feeling the heat excessively because the high humidity hinders the evaporation of sweat obstructing the natural cooling of the body.

He said because Sri Lanka does not experience extreme heat waves as India does, there are reports of people feeling great thirst, fatigue and suffering from skin conditions due to excessive sweating.

Prof Munasinghe advised the public to use umbrellas to ward off the burning sun and avoid engaging in heavy labour activities during day time. People should drink more water since thirst is the sign that one needs to replenish lost water in the body .
Minority parties oppose 20th Amendment View(s):

The minority parties in Parliament are up in arms, vowing to oppose the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, to be moved by the Peoples Liberation Front (JVP), when Parliament reconvenes on Monday. The primary intention of the Amendment is to abolish the Executive Presidency (EP).

Four political parties, namely Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) and All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) which represents 19 Parliamentarians collectively, decided that all the proposed Constitutional amendments such as abolishing the EP, introducing a new electoral system and power devolution to the provinces, should be brought as a single package in the new Constitution making process, rather than selective amendments brought in by parties with vested interests.

We are of the view that the EP should be retained, as the Presidential election is the only polls in the country when the whole country is considered as a single electorate, and an individual is given the mandate of the people, TPA Leader Mano Ganesan told the Sunday Times.

However, the JVP held that a Private Members Bill (PMB) titled 20th Amendment to the Constitution will be moved in Parliament shortly after it reconvenes tomorrow, as it recognises the EP as the deep rooted cause for all the issues in the countrys politics.

JVP MP Dr Nalinda Jayatissa told the Sunday Times that the main reason for the JVP to bring this amendment as a PMB to Parliament is because, all past Presidents who pledged to abolish the EP failed to do so over time, including incumbent President Maithripala Sirisena who was elected under the same slogan.

After the recent Local polls, it seems that the possibility of formulating a new Constitution is fading. Therefore, the JVP has decided to move this PMB, before this Governments term lapses, explained MP Dr Jayatissa.

The JVP is of the view that, once the PMB is moved in Parliament, it hopes to hold discussions with the other political parties to get their support and pass it.
President advises PUCSL to approve more coal power plants View(s):

The Presidents Office has asked the independent Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) to approve the Ceylon Electricity Boards (CEB) long-term generation plan which includes multiple coal power plants.

The advice was given in a letter from his Secretary Austin Fernando to PUCSL Chairman Saliya Mathew. It was issued after an April 25 meeting at which President Maithripala Sirisena claimed he had never opposed more coal power plants being built. The PUCSL is expected to convene on Wednesday to discuss the development.

The CEB Engineers Union (CEBEU) is locked in a protracted standoff with PUCSL over its refusal to approve the utilitys original Least Cost Long-Term Generation Expansion Plan (LTGEP) on grounds that coal-power plants are against policy. Instead, the regulator prevailed upon the CEB to draft a fresh proposal that excluded coaland was based on major hydro, mini hydro, solar, wind, biomass, natural gas, furnace oil-based power and gas turbine powerand approved that last year.

But the CEBEU is battling to have its original plan sanctioned by the regulator. The unions efforts have now received impetus from the Presidents office. The meeting on April 25 was convened to discussion the generation plan and was attended by three Ministers and officials of the Ministry of Power and Energy, PUCSL, CEB and CEBEU.

The President asked PUCSL Chairman why the CEBs LTGEP was rejected, said an official who was present. The Chairman quoted a CCEM (Cabinet Committee on Economic Management) decision stating that there will be no more coal power plants in the country as decided by H E the President. The CCEM was headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Visibly angry, President Sirisena shot back that he had decided no such thing; and that it was wrong for him to be quoted in CCEM minutes without his written commitment or the facts being verified from him.

He also said, for the second time, that he is not against hi-tech [Japanese], environment friendly coal power so long as these are built in keeping with the countrys environmental laws and regulations, the official said. The first time he said this was in May 2017, at a meeting with the CEBEU.

While the Presidents office may have advised the PUCSL to take action, the regulator is an independent commission whichat least legislativelyis protected from political interference. However, the CEBEU is now intensifying pressure on Mr Mathew to sack Director General Damitha Kumarasinghe, blaming him for bringing the PUCSL to gradual disrepute.

This week, the union wrote to Mr Mathew saying it will launch a non-cooperation action with PUCSL from Tuesday until staff members with an unblemished record and highest professional integrity are appointed to the topmost paid posts of the PUCSL.

The CEBEU will boycott all meetings with PUCSL, not respond to letter or requests and not keep any sort of communication with you, the letter said. It will also keep away from any other meetings that are attended by Mr Kumarasinghe.

The union will also start a work-to-rule campaign on the same day demanding approval of the CEBs LTGEP and Mr Kumarasinghes removal. This means engineers will not carry out maintenance after 4.15 pm and, if their demands remain unmet, withdraw from night duty in control centers of power stations. The most critical effect of this will be prolonged outages, a spokesman said.

Meanwhile, activists decried pressure tactics being used by CEB professionals to reverse the no-coal policy. They said engineers, in a note to CEBEU membership on April 18, had claimed that the price of coal-based generation was Rs 7.90 per kilowatt hour (kWh) when compared with Rs 14.80 per kWh for gas-based power.

However, according to the latest bulk supply tariff (BST) submission made by the CEB to PUCSL for October-December 2017, the cost per unit of coal-based generation from Lakvijaya is Rs 14.53 to 14.74 per kWh.

The same submission states that the energy cost for Norochcholai is Rs 8.87 per kWh. This indicates that CEBEU figures merely refer to energy cost, said one analyst. Coal power plants carry significant fixed and variable overheads.

The cost cited for gas-based generation (Rs 14.80 per kWh) is based on the Kerawalapitiya LNG-powered electricity generation tender. But this figure includes fuel, operational costs, finance costs and profit for the power plant owner based on the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) methodology, the analyst explained. Thus, comparing this figure with the un-sourced figure of Rs 7.90, which appears to be a projected fuel cost, is inappropriate.

The PUCSL also published actual generation costs for September 2017 based on CEB submissions, indicating that Lakvijaya coal based generation is Rs 14.00 per kWh. It said these did not include debt-servicing since the loan for the plant sits with the Treasury.
Regulator tells illegal hoteliers: Beach is public property By Kasun Warakapitiya View(s): View(s):

Illegal structures and hotels on the coastal areas will be demolished after a grace period, the agency that acts as the custodian and administrator of Sri Lankas beaches says.

Director General of the Department of Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management, B K Prabath Chandarakeerthi said although hoteliers had agreed to remove the structures, there was not much progress.

We will not announce a date of removal since the hoteliers seek help from influential people and protest against removal of their constructions, he said.

He further explained that they have identified hotels that had not been approved by the department in Mirissa, Negombo, Dehiwela, and Galle.

He said 18 unapproved hotels were identified at Mirissa while 17 were found in Negombo. Twelve unauthorised hotels are on the coast between Dehiwela and Galle.

The beaches and the coastline are public property and also government property, therefore the hoteliers have no right to build on the coastline. Even if a film is recorded, or a wedding photo shoot takes place, the parties who use the beach have to take temporary permission from the department.

Mr Chandrakeerthi said even a beach party should only be arranged with permission.

He said action against non-compliance is being taken to ensure safety of buildings and to reduce the damage to the coastal ecology.

Some hotels have been built on coastal land affected by the 2004 Tsunami, he said.

The department will consider amendments to the act to strengthen the laws against unapproved hotels.

There are only 100 field officers to examine illegal buildings on the coast, he said, adding that staffing should be increased.
Sri Lanka bids adieu to the Doyen of Sinhala cinema View(s):

The Doyen of the Sinhala cinema Dr. Lester James Peiris was laid to rest amidst a large and distinguished gathering at the Independence Square in Colombo on Wednesday.

The funeral was conducted with state patronage and President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa were among those who gathered to bid farewell to the renowned film maker.

Colombos Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith led the funeral service while members of the Buddhist clergy too were part of the funeral ceremony. Dr. Peiris passed away Sunday night at the age of 99.

Several speakers including the President and the Prime Minister extolled the contribution by the late film maker to Sinhala cinema.

The Government also declared the day of his funeral as a Day of National Mourning as a mark of respect.

Dr. Peiris was born on April 5, 1919. His debut film Rekawa was made in 1956 after which he went on to direct many films that were considered landmark productions in the history of the Sinhala cinema.
Underworld gangster dies in shootout with STF View(s):

An underworld gang member was shot dead during a shootout with the Special Task Force (STF) in Miyalapitiya, off Kandy yesterday evening, a senior police officer said. He said the suspect, identified as Dilip Rohana Rodrigo from Hekitta, Wattala, was wanted in connection with several drug cases.

Following a tip-off, the STF surrounded a house before moving into accost the suspect. The suspect had fired at the STF team, prompting the officers to shoot him in self defence. The suspect was injured and was pronounced dead on admission to the Kandy hospital.

The officer said the suspect was allegedly operating a drug business previously handled by D. Manju who was shot dead in the Wattala area a few months ago. The STF also arrested a woman who was in the house and recovered a 9 mm gun
VAT a way to attract tourists By Damith Wickremasekara View(s): View(s):

Tourists, while leaving the country, will be entitled to obtain refunds on Value Added Tax (VAT) payments for goods they buy in Sri Lanka from next month, a senior official said. The Inland Revenue Departments Deputy Commissioner General, Nadun Guruge, said the Tourist VAT Refund System (TVRS) was aimed at attracting tourists and generating income by sale of products.

He said that from June 1, the tourists would be able to obtain the VAT refund 15 percent of the value of the good  at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and other ports after the bills were produced. Mr. Guruge said that on arrival itself the tourists would be informed about the locations where they could purchase goods such as clothing, electronic items and imported items available for sale.

The official said there was a similar scheme in Singapore where there was now fully automated system tax repayment for tourists. This had been done manually till 2011. He said Sri Lanka would initially introduce the VAT refund manually but hoped to automate it in a year or two.Mr. Guruge said that with the opening of the Colombo Port City, tourist arrivals were expected to increase significantly and that was another reason for the VAT bonus being offered to them.

A Singapore firm is currently helping the IRD in the automation of the tax collection system.
World RTI conference in Colombo A collaboration between the SLPI and the Norwegian Embassy View(s): View(s):

The international conference on the Right to Information (RTI), themed Empowering Citizens with RTI  the 1st Year, will be held in Colombo from May 8-9, in view of the 1st anniversary of the implementation of the RTI Act in Sri Lanka and World Press Freedom day. It is organised by the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI), in collaboration with the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

The two-day conference, to be held at the Institute of Policy Studies, Independence Avenue, Colombo 7, will cover a series of thematic sessions on risk and safety of information seekers, privacy data protection, the role of civil society and media, future of RTI Law and technicalities in information disclosure. RTI experts from Norway, India, Mexico, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar, along with Sri Lankan experts from the RTI Commission, advocates from civil society organisations, good governance promoters and leading journalists are scheduled to address the thematic sessions.

Ministry representatives, civil society organisations, internationally and locally renowned RTI activists will be in attendance, creating a platform for civil society organisations, the public sector and the media to interact and create the way forward for RTI in Sri Lanka.

The RTI Act was implemented in Sri Lanka on February 3, 2017, and the Bill was passed by the Cabinet of Ministers in August 2016. By organising the international conference, the SLPI hopes to capture the lessons learned of the RTI practice in the country, during its 1st year of implementation.
Tiempo y espacio

When you wake, sunlight is streaming through the gaps in the blinds of your room. From the netherworld that is your half-conscious mind, you hear a staccato drumbeat and the sound of trumpets, rising with the sun. It takes you a second before you are able to collect yourself. Then, you remember. It is the first of May and you are in Madrid. There is a parade, one of many, outside.
Appreciations View(s):

A politician who brought about a cultural awakening

E. L. B. Hurulle

In 1977, E. L. B. Hurulle, the then MP for Horowpothana was appointed Minister of Cultural Affairs in the government of Prime Minister J. R. Jayewardene.

Although the Cultural Affairs Ministry was perceived to be inactive, Mr.Hurulle took it upon himself to give importance and value to the Ministry by embarking on several activities to bring attention to his ministry nationally.

Thus, a major project was initiated by his submitting project proposal No.19 to the World Congress of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris proposing the conservation of Sri Lankas main cultural monuments.

Minister Hurulles proposal was accepted by UNESCO including the creation and funding of six projects identified as the Cultural Triangle encompassing a distance of 100 miles to cover the ancient cities of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy.

The six projects approved were the Jethavana Temple and Abhayagiri Monastery in Anuradhapura, the Sigiriya Water Park, Alahana Pirivena at Polonnaruwa, the Rock cave temple in Dambulla and the heritage sites in Kandy.

As such, excavation work commenced at these sites funded by UNESCO. Discoveries of cultural and historical value were made. In addition neglected Buddhist temples around Sri Lanka benefited by way of development and the increased attention of both local and overseas devotees was seen.

Mr. Hurulle was born in January 1919 in the village of Morakewa, Horowpothana in the district of Anuradhapura as the second son of Tikiri Banda Hurulle Rate Mahatmaya and Alice Bulankulame. He had his education in Trinity College, Kandy and St.Patricks College, Jaffna after which he joined the Government Service in 1938 as a Divisional Revenue Officer (DRO) in the Moneragala District. Thereafter he served the people in Vavuniya North, Matale North and Kahatagasdigiliya in the Hurulle Palatha of the NCP.

Having seen his honest and dedicated service to the people as a DRO, the then Prime Minister, Sir John Kotelawala, invited E.L.B. Hurulle to be the candidate of the United National Party (UNP) for Horowpothana at the Parliamentary General Election of 1956.

Although the UNP at this election was reduced to a mere eight seats in Parliament, Mr. Hurulle won his seat comfortably and in the two Parliamentary elections that followed in 1960 as well.

Following the Parliamentary General election of 1965, he was appointed Minister of Transport in the Government of Dudley Senanayake and played a pivotal role in the development of transport in Sri Lanka.

The importation of quality vehicles for the taxi service, land vehicles for estates, lorries for the transport of produce and materials throughout the country were a few economically beneficial activities initiated by him. In addition, it was during this period that Ceylon was able to purchase a Trident passenger jet plane for Air Ceylon which allowed the airline to fly international air routes and put the country on the international air map. The Railway Department too was supplied with modern diesel engines and carriages.

With Mr. Hurulles appointment as Minister of Cultural Affairs in 1977, a whole new awakening of Sri Lankas cultural and religious heritage was seen. Mr. Hurulle being a descendant of the lay retinue who accompanied Theri Sangamitta who carried the Sacred Bo tree sapling from Dambadiva to Anuradhapura facilitated the bringing of the sacred Kapilawastu relics of Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka for the first time and made arrangements for the relics to be taken to all parts of the country for exhibition and worship over a period of 60 days.

He also arranged for a Tripitaka Dharma Sangayanawa at Mihintale, facilitating Buddhist devotees to make pilgrimages to India and Nepal, ensuring the distribution of books on Buddhism to students attending Dhamma schools around the country, and arranging for the Department of Examinations to conduct Dhamma examinations and Dharmachariya examinations.

The Department of Buddhist Affairs of the Cultural Affairs Ministry played a principal role in these activities. It was during this period that significant amendments to the Temple and Devala Ordinance were made and action taken to increase the income of Temples and Devalas from their properties.

From an international perspective, in 1980 Minister Hurulle attended the sessions of the World Fellowship of Buddhists in Thailand and proposed that a new organization be set up consisting of world Buddhist leaders and professionals which was approved unanimously. As a result, the first sessions of world Buddhist leaders was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1984.

At the same time, Mr. Hurulle ensured that his Ministry assisted and facilitated activities of other religions to ensure their development while having an excellent rapport with their religious leaders. He treated and respected all people alike, irrespective of race, religion and caste.

Being an honest politician from a respected family, E.L.B. Hurulle had a contented life up to the age of 90 years having lived and worked for the people of our country sans allegations of dishonesty or fraud.

I wish and pray that he attains the supreme bliss of Nirvana!

(E.L.B. Hurulles 9th death anniversary fell in April)

H.M.Wimalaratne

Unsung hero of NLDB who knew his livestock like no other

LESLIE FONSEKA

It is not always that a childs love becomes his profession through his entire life, with no deviation. This is how it was in the case of Leslie Edgar Arnold born to George Arnold and Grace Fonseka on May 8, 1918 at Lily Lawn in Rawatawatte, Moratuwa, a 100 years ago. Leslie Fonseka was a lover of animals, livestock in particular, cattle and poultry being his real love, from childhood.

Leslie Fonseka spent his formative years at Prince of Wales College, was a senior cadet and a school prefect. His first love, however, were his pets, cattle and poultry. When eggs hatched, he did not go to school, when a calf was about to be born he did not go to school, in fact when any animal fell sick, he cut school. Homework was also of secondary interest. It is said that on critical days in his farm his sisters pitched in with his homework. He had four of them to call on, in addition to his elder brother.

Leslie sat for his Cambridge Junior and London Matriculation, public exams of the time. On leaving school, it was a Diploma from the School of Agriculture and the first appointment at the Maha Illuppalama Farm in the North Central Province. Malaria was the scourge of many in those regions and though the family tried to make Leslie change course he never wavered. When as the Assistant Livestock Officer at the Ambewela Farm, there was no assigned residence, he lived at Black pool in Nuwara Eliya. The daily routine started at 4.30 a.m. In a region not known for its warm weather at that time of day, he walked over 12 kilometres to work, and at the end of day a similar trek was needed and the much awaited warm water bath, a luxury.

He married on April 10, 1944, just after a bout with Malaria, losing weight and then in his ill-fitting new suit, stitched for the purpose. No wedding photographs could be seen in later years.

In 1946 Leslie was assigned as the Farm Manager in the Livestock Farm at Ridiyagama, over the years clearing over 800 hectares of jungle land for pasture and with wild boar, elephants, leopard, other animals and reptiles, sharing the land. He with his wife and infant daughter lived in a wattle and daub hut with woven coconut palm (cadjan) for a roof. There were times when they slept with a roof over their head but got up sans the roof as the elephants had decided otherwise. The disruption by one rogue elephant to the progress in the farm was impossible for even the always patient Leslie and his written request to shoot the animal was dispatched to Colombo. The reply was received asking for the height of the elephant. Leslie responded, if I can get that close to the animal to measure its height I will not be asking approval to shoot. It is said that each of the more experienced persons who read the response nearly fell off their chairs with laughter. What was required was to measure the circumference of the elephants foot print, left behind and apply a formula. The circumference was sent to Colombo for calculation and approval for shooting.

A herd of 1300 Murrah Buffaloes helped to make not less than 1200 pots of curd per day at the Ridiyagama Farm, the first pot being made by his wife Freda. Three windmills to supply water were installed, this was a first in the island. The nearest town and medical care was 32 kms away.

As a young man Leslie was adventurous and ventured out hunting with friends but tragedy struck when one friend shot another by accident. They kept vigil over the body of the friend with bonfires through the night until the Police arrived. These are but a few of his farming experiences and adventures.

In 1952 he was awarded a Junior Fellowship under Colombo Plan Technical Assistance Scheme to the Ontario Agricultural College, in Canada. On his return he was appointed Manager to the Livestock Farm Bopathalawa and had the distinction of rearing the South East Asia Champion Friesian cow (Z 1992) which produced 9962 litres of milk in 305 days lactation. A daily average of 32.7 litres!

A Livestock Officer in 1958, his good work enabled him subsequently to be the General Manager in charge of 14 major farms.

He became a Deputy Director of Agriculture in Animal Husbandry and established Stud Centres in the Dry Zone. With development experience he was appointed the Project Director Sri Lanka / IDA Dairy Development Project financed by the World Bank and the Netherlands Government.

He was a Management member of a team to Delhi to purchase 1000 Murrah Buffalo heifers for the Condensed milk project. He transported them by train to Bombay and accompanied the animals in the cattle ship to Sri Lanka without any deaths and eight births that took place on board. He was commended by the Minister of Agriculture, the late M.D.Banda for this great work.

In 1977 Friesian heifer calves were airlifted from Australia. When one shipment of cattle had many deaths, Leslie decided to go and select the animals himself, for he knew his cattle.

It was a time of great happiness when step by step with real dedication, often missing many events of family and friends, he reached the pinnacle of his career. In 1980 Leslie was appointed Chairman of the National Livestock Development Board (NLDB) where he held office for many years. He served the state for 50 long years, an achievement recognised with a Presidential Award. He was a true Public Servant.

His ambition and dedication had no boundaries. He wished to see Sri Lanka become self-sufficient in milk production. Fresh milk is now available in tetra packs and poly packs and many make use of it. Sadly he is not with us to see it all. During his tenure as Chairman he closely monitored the funds. The Board generated its own income for its capital and recurrent expenditure.

The NLDB office was maintained at Ward Place on rent and he had a vision. The Head Office at Nawala Road was constructed utilizing Board funds at a cost of Rs.4.5 Mn with its own resources without the help of the Treasury or other lending institutions either foreign or local. Milking machines at the Ambewela farm were introduced by him, a first in Sri Lanka. Going back to his career from 1958  1980 he organised and supervised the unloading from ship and plane, the transport to farms by rail and road. A special train from Colombo to Pattipola took a herd of cattle to the New Zealand farm. Importations of pigs, breeds of cattle, buffaloes and goats from New Zealand, Australia, Netherlands U.S.A, Pakistan and India were undertaken with minimum loss and injury.

In the 80s this man of faith gave of his time and knowledge to supervise the construction of a Church in Moratuwa.

He was a strict disciplinarian and did not tolerate misuse of funds or any irregularities. He punished the wrong doers in order to correct them. When a former Government Minister tried to acquire land from a Government farm for his personal gain Leslie sought legal action and was able to win the case against the Minister.

Although strict, he had a tender heart. He was always there to help anyone in need, be it family or any other, in any situation, official or personal. He enjoyed life and was fun-loving. All the nephews loved his company and wanted to travel in his Austin 50, Austy Putha on family trips  one had to see the packed car, to believe. At every gathering he was requested to sing the Farm school song, Farm School eke Kollo Vasai.. which all enjoyed and joined in. He was loved by all. His wife Freda and he celebrated their Golden wedding in 1994 and he was called home three months before their 60th wedding anniversary.

Leslie Fonseka was a Farm Manager from his school days, later in life, still working, he also became a true Shepherd to his Flock, not only by name, being responsible not only to livestock, but also to his colleagues, friends, his church, his family, in fact to all those who came in contact with him.

I am grateful that I knew Punchi Mama, and that I knew him well.

Hiran Fernando
Curating critique By Jyoti Dhar View(s): View(s):

We were meant to be looking at her; at the way she moved, slowly striking a pose against an antique chair or mirror, demonstrating the control she held over her sari-clad body. How, hand on hip and leaning into the crowd, she drew focus to the authority of her stance. But it was the way she met our gaze, with her puckish stare only visible through a ninja-like mask, that made it uncomfortable for us to look at her for too long.

Venuri Pereras See you, See Me (2018), performed at the opening of the Em-[body]-ing Power exhibition this February, upturned the usual dynamic of women, and objects of art, being the ones on display (or for sale). What made this reversal of gaze all the more powerful, however, was the performances positioning within a room full of paintings of curvaceous women wearing saris, by George Keyt.

The room was one of many in the Sapumal Foundation; once the home of painter Harold Pieris and the haunt of the modernist 43 Group,and temporarily the site of this two-day pop-up art exhibition. It was clear that contemporary artworks such as Pereras, placed in conversation with those from over 50 years ago, such as Keyts,were able to activate and engage with the Sapumals existing archive in surprising and profound ways.

For example, See you, See Me could be viewed as a feminist critique of Keyts approach, reclaiming the sari-clad body, from those orientalist and nationalist fantasies. Now, the female subject represented her own sense of self and code of conduct. Just one of the many clever pairings by curators Tamara Fernando and Sandev Handy, it seemed the entire show could be understood through the lens ofcurating critique.

Angela Dimitrakaki, in her 2013 book Gender, artWork and the global imperative, suggests that the Danish collective Kuratorisk Aktion curates critique, rather than art. It may be useful to consider how the collectives curatorial approach, which Dimitrakaki says breaks with institutionally-based curating, and is often an intervention in the form of public pedagogy, resonates with Fernando and Handys own in this case.

For example, just as Kuratorisk Aktions interventionist pedagogy is positioned as openly feminist, anti-capitalist, anti-colonialist and queer, Fernando and Handys intervention also questioned notions of intersectionality via an assembly of voices. Pasan Jayasinghes idyllic Sri Lankan landscapes, illustrated using soft watercolours and simple outlines in a style similar to childrens storybooks, was exemplary of this.

Closer inspection of these tropical scenes, titled Indecent Paradise (2018), revealed that they were populated by many different groups and individuals, including same-sex couples. Foregrounding intimacy and joy, over explicitly sexualised signifiers, Jayasinghe led us to question why this kind of ordinary fantasy still remains such an extraordinary reality. Queer people are just not able to exist publicly, he said.

While it may have been obvious to speak about the ambiguous legal position, or the persecution of queer people by the police (particularly in resort towns and beaches in Sri Lanka) the artist shed light on their subtle erasure from everyday life instead. Again, the positioning of this series in the same room as homoerotic portraits by iconic photographer Lionel Wendt, brought about several realizations and discussions.

If Jayasinghes series lamented the hidden nature of queer life, Wendts photographs were an overt celebration of the personal and private. However, taking another look at the monochromatic, rippled torsos and glimmering, faceless bodies he portrayed, the images seemed to speak more of the man than of the time. How different was life back then for gay men?Also, what of Wendts own male gaze and exoticization of the body?

It was reverberating questions like these which made Em-[body]-ing Power such a layered and fascinating exhibition. No longer able to be a passive audience in this oft-over looked museum-like space, we were suddenly having to rethink our staid and flattened notions of the43 Group. Bringing in contemporary anxieties had somehow served to highlight that the historical move toward modernity and tradition had been fraught with complexity and flaws.

Splicing the modern identity open with his very postmodern deconstruction of self was photographer Abdul Halik Azeez. Placed in an area usually used to display Harold Pieriss paintbrushes, the quintessential sign of the artist, Azeezs installation,Myself (2018), repurposed one of Pieriss tables to display passport photographs, sketches, selfies, receipts, diary excerpts, a zine and a toothbrush instead.

Azeez started taking photographs of himself just over a year ago, as he became increasingly troubled by the reductive labels that capitalist society and a post-9/11 worldimposed on him, both when he travelled and at home. This curatorial context allowed Azeez to push his conceptual practice, use different media, and explore the construction of his identity through presenting multiple, partial reflections of himself.

In creating a unique and autonomous exhibition platform that was not reliant upon state funding or corporate agendas, Fernando and Handy gave artists such as Azeez, Jayasinghe and Perera the space to produce unconstrained proposals, and the time to distil these ideas down into tightly curated artworks. As Dimitrikaki describes, this kind of curatorial approach can hone in on the most critical of narratives and allow for socially transformative action.

Fernando and Handy did not prompt conversations on the body to turn toward gender, queerness and capital, rather they sensitively tuned into frequencies already being emitted by a current crop of artists. Ultimately, it was the way they astutely brought the old avant-garde together with the new, through a polyphony of perspectives on the body as a site of identity and power and created meaningful linkages across time, from pre-colonial to post-conflict, that made this exhibition truly stand apart.
Japanese gourmet treat at Shangri-La Colombo View(s):

On May 10 and 11, Chef Kenjiro Hatch Hashida will host an elegant evening of dining on Japanese delicacies. The collection includes family recipes, passed down from Chef Hatchs father, a celebrity chef himself. With over 25 years experience, Chef Hatch is known for his innovative yet traditional approach to Japanese cuisine.

Chef Hatch will work with Chef Paul Lenz, Executive Chef of the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo, in crafting dishes to satisfy Colombos gourmets.With her passion towards good food founder of the Colombo Supper Club (CSC) Naserah Tyebally is adding more eagerly anticipated events to Colombos food calendar.

A second-generation celebrity chef from Tokyo, Chef Hatch is a graduate of LEcole Tsuji Tokyo (Tsuji Culinary Institute), Japans top culinary school. From age 14, he apprenticed under his influential father, Master Chef Tokio Hashida, who opened one of Japans premier sushi restaurants, Hashida Sushi.
Messiah returns By Tarini Pilapitiya View(s): View(s):

George Friedric Handels music lives on 259 years after the renowned composers death. On May 10 the choral group OKTAVE, under the baton of Dr. Lalanath de Silva, will present Part 2 and 3 of one of Handels greatest compositions, the Messiah at St. Marys Church, Bambalapitiya.

The Messiah will be performed with soloists Anagi Perera (Soprano), Trevis de Silva (Tenor), Peshali Yapa (Mezzo Soprano) and Laknath Seneviratne (Baritone). The choir will be backed by a talented group of handpicked instrumentalists along with organist Neranjan de Silva and Shanthi Dias on the continuo.

There is no entrance fee, the concert being supported by the Deva Surya Sena Trust Fund . A voluntary contribution can be made during the dedication if one wishes.

Its been over two decades since the Messiah was performed in Sri Lanka and this performance was divided into two concerts. Part one, which was presented on December 21 last year, celebrated the prophecy of the birth of Jesus Christ, in time for Christmas.

Part 2 which exalts the Messiahs sacrifice for humankind and Part 3, the final section which proclaims his Resurrection will be presented on Thursday, May 10. The date holds much significance as it marks the day of Ascension of Jesus Christ.

Reinventing the music of the Baroque period, the Messiah was originally composed as an Easter offering. At present Handels Messiah has become a staple in the Christmas repertoire. Although the composition became one of Handels most famous, its modest presentation and underlying messages made the composer anxious about the initial reception of the London crowd leading him to instead hold the premiere of the Messiah in Dublin, Ireland in 1742.

Currently, leading organist and founder of OKTAVE Neranjan de Silva and renowned composer/conductor Dr. Lalanath de Silva, who have been spearheading the Messiah concerts are excitedly anticipating the reception to Part 2 and 3. The one hour and 10 minute performance, Neranjan reveals features 22 instrumentalists and 25 vocalists. In Part 2 and 3 the audience can bask in the powerful choruses of Hallelujah and Worthy is the Lamb as Handels Messiah unfolds.

OKTAVE, founded in 2009 has come a long way from its beginnings as an intimate group of eight choristers. Now home to over 20 members, the choristers are from diverse professional and personal backgrounds  extremely busy people who have come together for their love of singing, Neranjan says.

A majority of the musicians have been handpicked by Neranjan,Im a bit fussy with the standards of musicians I want singing in our group.

It is not a heavy composition, Neranjan clarifies, however adding that their chosen Messiah arrangement makes it taxing for the voices. Lalanath who lives overseas arrived in Sri Lanka on May 1 and is at intense practice with the choir. In this arrangement Neranjan and Lalanath have taken off choruses which they feel werent essential to the performance. This oratorio, will be an opera without the props of lighting, costumes and acting, says Lalanath.

Lalanath wears many hats; an acclaimed composer and conductor he is also an experienced public interest and environmental litigator. Joining the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka (SOSL) in 1974 as a flautist and later taking on the role of deputy conductor in 1991, he has shared the stage with the SOSLs famed conductor Dr. Earle de Fonseka on many occasions. Appointed as a conductor of the SOSL in 2000 he held the position for two years before his work took him overseas.

The initial reception to Part one of the Messiah was astounding Lalanath shares, chuckling I never expected a packed church! The crowds enthusiasm and appreciation of the music struck a chord with the conductor as he recalls the vast representation of communities in the audience.

One lady had travelled from Polgahawela by train to see their performance. Lalanath further recalls a cancer patient who was wheeled in to the church as she was adamant to make it to the production.

The reception took the choir too by surprise. Over 20 people joined in the chorus, some even having printed the lyrics in advance, Neranjan adds. It became a Messiah sing-a-long of sorts, Lalanath laughs.

Given the recent political and social climate of the country, a significant line from Part 2 of the Messiah Why do the nations so furiously rage together? coupled with the vigorous almost violent supporting instrumentals, allows the performers to bring the words to life for a relatable piece  making Handel a true music painter in Lalanaths words.

The choir itself is made up of individuals from diverse religions and ethnic backgrounds as Neranjan elaborates, People come for the beauty of the music adding the standard audience for performances of this nature are those with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge of unknown subjects and pulled by the magnetism of a musical appeal.

When the Messiah was performed last in the country Lalanath then in his early 20s was a flautist in the SOSL. Although he was present at every practice Handel doesnt use the flute or recorder in the Messiahs instrumentals so there was no part for me to play and his place in the audience allowed him to feel the message of music making it an impactful and inspirational performance, he reminisces. Taking on the baton in the current Messiah performance, he is able to truly appreciate the special memories of the past.

Each part of the Messiah is significant with the performers and audience uplifted by the emotion resonating through the music and lyrics  a testament to Handels mastery. Save the date- May 10, at 6.30 p.m. at St. Marys Church.
The End By D.C. Ranatunga View(s): View(s):

I have faith in the cinema and in the country. I owe my life to the cinema. I would have been in exile if I did not come back to my homeland and get back my identity. Id like to be reborn in this country even with all the problems around us. There is no other country like Sri Lanka. This was Lester James Peries speaking at the Presidential Awards in February 2000.

While he felt local cinema was facing a grave crisis he said it was not peculiar to Sri Lanka. Every country has faced this situation. Cinema being a combination of three factors  its a commercial entity, an industry and an art form  it is a difficult task to reconcile all three, he commented.

Lesters departure marks the end of a long line of greats in Sri Lanka in art and culture. In the not too distant past we lost writer Martin Wickremasinghe, dramatist Professor Ediriweera Sarachchandra, dancer Chitrasena, musicians Pandit Amaradeva and Premasiri Khemadasa, photographer Nihal Fernando and painter George Keyt, to name a few who made an immense contribution in their fields.

Journalist turned film director, Lester James Peries gave the lead in making films which helped Sri Lankan cinema gain recognition in the international arena. His films won critical acclaim, both nationally and internationally. Young film-makers were inspired by him and produced quality films. He was always available for advice and guidance. He gave confidence to local actors and actresses and guided them to perform award-winning roles.

His social background, in an important sense, inflected his work and is closely tied to his undoubted strengths and failures. He comes from an Anglicized, upper middle-class family which was more conversant with Western culture than the wellsprings of indigenous forms of life. He had his early education in English. His father was a physician who was trained in Scotland. Lester James Peries, from his young days, evinced a deep interest in literature and imaginative writing. He later left for London where he began a career as a journalist. While in England he pursued his interest in journalism and at the same time studied carefully the art of European cinema, and the modes of literary and cinematic criticism. His interest in cinema began to dominate his thinking, and after returning to Sri Lanka he was able, as an employee of the Government Film Unit, to work on a number of documentaries side by side with a number of gifted European filmmakers.  Profiling Sri Lankan Cinema Wimal Dissanayake and Ashley Ratnavibhushana (2000)

I knew Lester for over five decades. When I first met him during my days at Lake House, the first thing he told me was that I should know the proper spelling of his name  Peries and not in any other way. My entire clan  my father, uncles and everybody else  used to spell the name this way. I dont know why, he told me once when I reminded him of our first meeting. I believe it originated as a Portuguese name around Negombo, he said.

I admired his methodical ways and attention to detail. Just as much as he wrote beautifully expressing himself so perfectly, his handwriting was also beautiful. Whenever I asked for his autograph on books written about him, he always added a short comment. When I wanted a copy of the book  The Formidable Genius I wrote as a tribute on his 87th birthday, autographed, he wrote: From the Formidable Genius to the formidable critic and commentator who has been our artistic conscience over the years. He signed as Lester J. Peries legibly and never failed to put the date below the signature.

LJP was most fortunate in maintaining sound health throughout his life. He was careful about his meals. When I was at Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC), I took him along to Soragune off Haputale to do a documentary of the companys sugarcane project. He insisted on taking his can of water to drink and the specially prepared chillie-less curries from home.

He has told me that he had been pretty lucky in being able to lead a very happy family life. His wife Sumitra, a renowned film director herself kept him company and looked after him for 54 years.

During the trip to Soragune I observed his working pattern. He was so precise, clear in his mind as to what had to be done, and he was never in a hurry.

He was disciplined in every way  the way he dressed, the way he went about his work, the way he handled his players and crew and the way he made films.

It was a treat to listen to his talks. He had a fine memory and spoke off the cuff. The way he remembered even the minute details of the happenings during shooting films was amazing.

During my long stint in writing the Kala Korner column to the Sunday Times, there was plenty of interesting copy on Lester and his work. In addition, many were the feature articles I wrote on him.

Possibly there isnt any other artiste in Sri Lanka about whom so much has been written. Apart from articles in newspapers, film journals and other publications, several books about him have been published in English and Sinhala. Starting with The Lonely Artist (1970) by journalist Philip Coorey, among the more academically based ones are LJP by A. J. Gunawardene (with Lester and Prasad Pereira contributing additional material), published by the Asian Film Centre  Sri Lanka (2005) and Lester by Lester as told to Kumar de Silva (2007) . Sunil Ariyaratnes Lester  a pictorial biography was released in 2004 as an elegant coffee table book. It is the best publication in Sinhala to date. Other books have been written about some of his films.

In his Dickmans Road (later named Lester James Peries Mawatha) residence Lester had two favourite places to sit and chat. One was his front office room (in the old jargon) and the other the easy chair in a corner behind the dining table. He was always quite relaxed. He used to be in a long- sleeved shirt and longs and in the front room he sat at his small writing table close to the window where he could see the greenery outside. Whenever we met we had plenty of things to talk about  from his journalistic days in London to the GFU days, right through the film career. Sumitra would pop in and move away after a Hello.

Meeting Lester for a chat was always a most rewarding experience. He had such a charming personality, was a most interesting conversationalist, a vastly knowledgeable artiste and a fine human being.

It was only three and a half weeks back that Sumitra gave him a fine gift for his 99th birthday in the form of a film based on a story he had written. Lester was too weak to go for the premiere of Vaishnavee.

Sumitra has lost her dear husband. The country has lost a great artiste, a treasured citizen. We will miss him but lets not forget the valuable service he has rendered towards the development of cinema in Sri Lanka.

May his path be smooth and serene!
Toasting a new partnership By Shakya Wickramanayake View(s): View(s):

Synonymous with luxury throughout the world with luxury brands from Dior to Bulgari, Moet & Chandon, Dom Perignon and Hennessey in their portfolio, the House of Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) gave Lankan guests a fine dining experience.

It was a gourmet dinner conceptualised by the The Lifestyle Co. at Sri Lankas premier French restaurant, Cafe Francais to celebrate the groups Indian subsidiary, Moet Hennessey Indias (MHI) partnership with Lanka Premium Beverages (LPB).

Curated by 3 star Michelin Chef and owner of Cafe Francais, Jacques Pourcel on April 26, as part of the launch, the meal showcased and highlighted the French aspect of the Moet & Chandon brand according to MHI Director Stephane de Meurville, who described Chef Pourcel as an embodiment of excellence with a touch of creative genius. Chef Pourcel himself was enthusiastic about the collaboration. Having been in the industry for over 35 years, he stated that he has always pairs his dishes with wine or champagne. I cant think of a good meal without it! Its natural, he says.

Pourcel notes that in his four years in Sri Lanka, tastes have refined and consumers now know more about cuisines and thus are more discerning as well as demanding.

To highlight the various champagne pairings Chef Pourcel utilized subtle yet complementary flavours throughout the eight course meal. I worked every dish with something sparkling and fresh, he adds. Ranging from quintessential French dishes such as foie gras to more daring dishes such as crab accompanied by a Bloody Mary sorbet and champagne emulsion, Chef Pourcel beautifully presented the merger of food and drink as part of a holistic dining experience.

Adding to the experience of the night, Singaporean illusionist Alexander Yuen wowed diners with amazing illusions done with the aid of an Ipad.

Country Manager for LPB, Michael Wimmer said the company will be taking a selective approach into the Sri Lankan market. Which is why to start things out they introduced the champagne brand Moet & Chardon. Champagne is seen as only for celebrations here. But it should be used to celebrate every dinner, says Wimmer, adding that the latter concept is still new to Sri Lankans.

We are changing the way we work. Consumers (will now) experience the brand differently, Wimmer said. This different experience will be facilitated by edutainment events according to de Meurville. Consumers want to be connoisseurs. They want to know the history and the innovation behind it, its authenticity, and who made it, he said, adding that consumers are eager to learn about the right way to consume. These events will consist of trainings, tastings and exclusive dining events for their clientele.
Two straps and a knot: On a shoe trail to the past Kumudini Hettiarachchi goes in search of the slippers especially handcrafted for Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike from the early 60s, that are still in demand View(s): View(s):

Slippers fit for a queen, nay for the very first woman Prime Minister in the world!

Handcrafted in leather, to match any colour of osariya (Kandyan saree) that she wore, with the toes peeping out from the two-strap elegant footwear, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, most probably would have slipped on these comfortable slippers with a teeny-weeny wedge-heel before discussions with many a statesman from across the world or making momentous decisions for Sri Lanka.

Tales of footwear have fascinated the world since the fairytale of the handsome Prince finding Cinderella through a sparkling glass-slipper or the hoard of 2,700 glamorous shoes that were found in the wardrobe of Imelda Marcos of the Philippines.

Having got wind of who crafted Mrs. Bandaranaikes slippers which she possibly wore to meetings with the then Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri before signing the Sirima-Shastri Pact or at a tete-a-tete with Indira Gandhi; as she posed for photographs with Yugoslav President Marshal Josep Broz Tito or Chinese Leader Mao Zedong, we arrive at a tiny corner shop on the second floor of the Sausiri Building on High Level Road at Nugegoda to seek confirmation.

Seated amidst shelves packed with womens shoes and slippers in all their variety, is Kameela Nizar, the wife of one of the partners who run Pearlrich, Fazlie Nizar, who willingly allays our curiosity.

Yes, I have heard this story from my father-in-law I.L.M. Nizar, smiles Kameela guiding us to the shelf with the slippers that Sirimavo had ordered back in the early 1960s. It would have been soon after she took up the mantle as Prime Minister, having faced the tragedy and trauma of losing husband S.W.R.D. to an assassins bullet.

We gaze at the slippers in their varied hues  nine in all, as Kameela says that they have not changed the pattern.white, black, red, blue, brown, gold, rose-pink, beige and bronze. The slipper has two simple straps with a knot adorning the top where they would fit between the big toe and the second toe.

The tiny holes along the straps are hand-punched, she says, explaining that since the time Mrs. Bandaranaike ordered these slippers, Pearlrich has never stopped producing them. With the changing times, the colours have varied, sometimes being bright and at others taking on pastel shades to enamour the young. In keeping with modern trends, Pearlrich has also ventured into metallic tones.

Even now comfort, durability and reasonable pricing are the hallmark of Pearlrich one of the early ladies footwear manufacturers in the country, which started off as a family business and remains so to this day.

While Fazlie and Kameela run the shops in Nugegoda and Mount Lavinia, Fazlies brothers Fowzil Ameer and Fowzil Nawaz manage the Liberty Plaza outlet and the Pettah one respectively.

Directed by Kameela, we proceed to the bustling heart of Mount Lavinia and coincidentally as we walk into Pearlrich there, a customer is trying on the very slippers modelled on those worn by Sirimavo.

Yes, Ill take these, says the customer as we request her for a photograph, to which she willingly obliges. On holiday in Sri Lanka, she will be taking three pairs, blue, red and black, back home to England when she leaves.

These fit well and even in my childhood I used to buy my shoes from Pearlrich, she says.

It is once the brisk sale is done that we chat to Fazlie who recalls the tale told by his father, Mohamed, and eldest brother, Fowzil Hussain, who are both no more.

Two ladies would come on behalf of Mrs. Bandaranaike in the early 1960s to the very first shop begun by my father way back in 1956 on 1st Cross Street, Pettah, says Fazlie who was a small boy then. His father had left home and hearth at Galle as a 12-year-old to relocate in Colombo, to help his brother and gradually moved into the shoe-trade. It was truly a family business, because even Fazlie and his brothers spent much time in the Pettah shop, after their lessons at Wesley College, getting paid 10 to 50 cents.

The first time Sirimavos aides visited the shop, they brought with them a pair from India  it was an Indian 11. Sirimavo wanted Pearlrich, leading people in ladies leather shoes to make similar pairs for her and thats what their cobblers did, handcrafting the footwear of the then Prime Minister.

Smilingly, Fazlie who later went onto the London School of Arts to learn shoe designing  where the likes of Jimmy Choo (a Malaysian fashion designer based in the United Kingdom who co-founded Jimmy Choo Ltd, gaining popularity for handmade womens shoes) had also learnt the art  says that there were no imports of shoes to Sri Lanka then and Sirimavo was supporting local industry in every way possible.

Fazlie says that their handcrafted shoes were earlier hand-cut but now moving with modern times, they use standard cutters, while keeping the old moulds which are still very popular.

Nothing else needs to be said, for there is proof right before our eyes, as the expatriate from London literally slips into the charming blue pair of slippers of a Prime Minister from a bygone era, priced at Rs. 750.
Norway-Lanka university cooperation promoting clean energy solutions By Thorbjrn Gaustadsther, Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka & Maldives and Dhayalan Velauthapillai, Professor, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences View(s): View(s):

Fourteen Norwegian companies are coming to Sri Lanka this week to discuss the opportunities of clean energy with Sri Lankan counterparts. The gathering is a part of the collaboration between the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and the University of Jaffna on clean energy.

Businesses and industry need interdisciplinary research approaches to societal challenges, such as energy, climate change, food and water supply  which are key to new markets for products and services. Universities are the main source for new knowledge, innovative thinking and skill development on such societal needs. Increasingly too the partner universities research networks, with their international links, are privileged pools for the people-sourcing that industry and businesses conduct on a local and global basis. Businesses recognise the high value of this expertise.

Over the coming days the collaborating universities will establish a clean energy consortium that includes academics, researchers and private enterprises from Norway and Sri Lanka. The consortium will facilitate research on clean energy technologies, which will be useful for the industry and beneficial for students, staff, educational institutions and private enterprises.

Creates innovation

The collaboration between Norwegian and Sri Lankan universities has yielded positive results. It provides a closer connection between education, research and innovation  adapting to the evolving needs of the labour market and improving the quality of human resources  and promotes the flow of knowledge from the universities to companies, regions and society at large.

Benefits extend beyond the partnerships themselves. University-industry collaborations can deliver innovative commercial products. The university benefits, not only because supporting clients of the laboratories provides valuable experience for students in working in real business situations, but also because businesses can see immediate and tangible advantages working with the laboratories. Some of the contacts made this way can turn into long-term research collaborations.

2,700 school students involved

A competent work force is the prime factor for successful implementation of new technologies. Attracting young students, the future work force, to scientific research is important for technological, economic and social development. The collaboration has successfully reached more than 2,700 school students in the Jaffna district through a clean energy awareness campaign and has provided a platform for innovative ideas. Making science and research attractive to young people will define the future of research and related technologies. Science and technology have an increasing influence on individuals and societies. It is equally important for young people to understand the problems and challenges, and hands-on experience with the technologies will contribute to a better understanding of them.

International cooperation and involvement of expatriates

Development of formal, effective and sustainable institutional cooperation across borders will significantly increase the quality of research, and allow expatriates to contribute to the overall development of their countries of origin in a sustainable and large-scale manner. Enhanced institutional cooperation can also facilitate the integration process within the country and with the expatriate community.

It is encouraging to see Norwegians of Sri Lankan origin taking a lead in strengthening the relationship between Sri Lanka and Norway, as well as between institutions. The ongoing collaboration is an example of commitment and constructive approach towards building a sustainable future. It involves not only the two universities mentioned above, but also the University of Peredenyia and Universities of Bergen and Agder in Norway.

Clean energy for the future

Research on clean energy is the key to address the global challenge, which Sri Lanka too, is facing. Developing clean energy sources contributes to alleviating poverty, fuelling industrial production and transportation, expanding rural development and protecting health while promoting sustainability and environmental quality.

Employing clean energy faces economic, policy, structural and social challenges. It requires not only further technological development and investment, but also a deeper understanding of both the success factors and the obstacles to accomplish widespread adoption.

The main characteristic that influences the acceptance, spread and sustainability of clean energy approaches is the desire for economic development and a constant trade-off between growth and environmental protection. High quality research for the local needs and the investments from private sector can constructively influence pro-clean energy policies.

Technological innovation and capacity in renewables result from a broad range of factors, and not merely from effective research and development efforts. These include the technological capability of a country, innovation-friendly regulation and market conditions that favour adaptive learning. This research collaboration is one of its kind in trying to bring academia and private sector together to achieve longstanding research and entrepreneurial partnerships on clean energy technologies in Sri Lanka.

Overall, the ongoing cooperation between the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and the University of Jaffna is a practical example of how the private sector and research institutions can complement each other, and the positive aspects of the contribution from Sri Lankan expatriates in the field of technical cooperation.
Round Table International world meeting to be held In Sri Lanka View(s):

Round Table Sri Lanka (RTSL) has won the bid to host the Round Table International (RTI) world meeting in 2018 from September 5-9, the groups members said at a news conference attended by Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga.

The world meeting will have more than 500 delegates from 45 countries. RTSL has chosen Negombo as the location for the event and have partnered with Jetwing Hotels for accommodation, with George Steuarts Holidays being the travel partners. The delegates will be visiting Wilpattu, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Sigiriya and Dambulla as part of a tour showcasing the history, culture and natural beauty of Sri Lanka.

The group said that hosting a major international event of this magnitude will raise the profile of Round Table in Sri Lanka and help the organisation grow and spread its ideals to cities all over the island. The groups ultimate goal is to develop understanding and fellowship across the different cultures, races and religions in Sri Lanka.

Round Table was formed in Norwich, England in 1927 and rapidly spread throughout the world. Round Table Sri Lanka was set up in 1993 under the auspices of the then President J.R. Jayewardene. Round Table is a non-political, non-religious, non-sectarian organisation for young men. Through their motto Adopt, Adapt, Improve, Round Table cultivates the highest ideals, business, professional and civic traditions and aims to develop the fellowship of young men through community service and business activities. Current membership stands at more than 35,000 across 45 countries worldwide.

The RTI World Meeting is the most important event in the RTI calendar. It is an annual four-day conference for delegates from 45 countries to discuss, plan and exchange ideas. RTSL came into the spotlight during the 2004 tsunami by mobilising its international network to raise more than US$ 2.4 million. These funds were utilised for immediate relief in affected areas and later to rebuild schools and homes.

Since then community service has been an important part of RTSL. Its projects of note include:

1. Funding the Emerge Centre for the social reintegration of abused girls

2. Tying up with Asiri Surgical Hospital to conduct surgery for children with Hole in the Heart conditions

3. Setting up a resource centre in Kilinochchi for children with cerebral palsy

4. Funding the Heroes resource centre for children affected by autism
Victory or reprieve? The way ahead for post-NCM UNP By G. Dasanayaka View(s): View(s):

Let me preface what follows with a brief statement explaining why the subject is of broader interest and concern to the Sri Lankan public than just to the United National Party leadership.

From a public perspective, the overarching concern is that the UNP leadership by commission or omission is pushing the voter and the country back to the near despotic regime that was rejected by a majority of the people three years ago. The UNP has been a political force that has catered to the interest and welfare of a large constituency for over seven decades. People of many a race and faith still look to the UNP for political refuge and national stability. Thats why, perhaps, the party has earned for itself the sobriquet of Grand Old Party. It cannot be left to an individual or an inner circle to let the party drift into oblivion and create a political vacuum that cannot easily be filled. Such a vacuum can also lead to social upheaval in our country.

Just when I thought that the April 4 no-confidence motion (NCM) against the Prime Minister had now been relegated to the dustbin of history, I could not help but revisit the subject on seeing colourful banners in outstation towns proclaiming the defeat of the NCM as a great victory for Our Prime Minister. These banners obviously put up by Sirikotha appointed organisers, many of whom lost the local council elections to the Phottuwa, are a reflection on the sorry state the UNP and the party leadership have fallen into.

Its folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss and it may well be that those responsible for these banners in their blissful state, believe that the defeat of the NCM has cleared all hurdles for the entrenchment of Ranil Wickremesinghes power for the next decade. Or can it be that such people are just self-centred and concerned only with whatever short term benefits they could reap from the current UNP leadership?

While these Sirikotha oragnisers hail the defeat of the NCM as a great victory for Our PM the more discerning and politically savvy public, view it more as a reprieve. At best, they see it as a Pyrrhic Victory leaving the party bruised and battered, warranting immediate introspection and remedial action. Such introspection and remedial action are required within the Unity Government but more within the UNP; as millions of Sri Lankans still rely on the UNP for national political stability.

Govts positives

The days of the Unity Government are numbered. The Constitution dictates that the Presidential election be held before January 8, 2020. General Elections will follow not much later. With a tired and frustrated electorate, especially the 6.2 million who voted the previous regime out of office still looking for a genuine change in governance, what matters most now, is not what the Unity Government can deliver in the next 17 months. Instead, it relates to what is in store for us when the people elect a new leader and Government in 2019/20. Should Messrs Sirisena and Wickremesinghe wish to continue in the turbulent seas of the Unity Government, so let it be. In the process let Mr Wickremesinghe will also achieve the distinction of serving a full term as Premier in his fourth attempt. Whatever good the Unity Government may achieve in this remaining short period will be a positive and I, for one, hope the Government will have some positives to speak of by the end of 2019. What thereafter, however, is the million dollar question.

As for the next presidential and parliamentary elections, it is reasonable to assume as at now that the key contenders will be a UNP-led front on the one hand and a group whether under the Pohottuwa or the SLFP-led by Mahinda Rajapaksa on the other. This is regardless of who the Presidential candidates will be. Any major change in this equation within the next 17 months appears highly unlikely.

Meanwhile, the underlying causes for the rejection of the MR regime and the victory of the UNP-sponsored common candidate in January 2015, continue to niggle in the minds of the voter; especially the 6.2 million who voted for change. The MR group has done nothing constructive since its defeat to convince voters that it has the capacity to re-position itself as a clean government, committed to democratic values and national prosperity. Neither have the people around the MR leadership changed. Yet, in their unbridled favour has been the virtual chaos that has reigned in governance under the MS-RW leadership.

This chaos, particularly at the level of the rural and working class voter, has led to a yearning for MR times notwithstanding all the vulgar negatives it was associated with. This yearning was evident in the results of the February local polls. Given this background, the critical question for the UNP must necessarily relate to its ability to convince the national electorate in 2019, that the party deserves another term in office. That effort must also target a UNP-led government and not a shaky coalition  a truly formidable challenge!

In fairness to the Unity Government, much has been done primarily in the area of strengthening democratic institutions and overall freedom of the individual. This, however, is more of intrinsic value and the average voter when in dire need asks: Are we to eat and live on freedom alone? Regrettably, neither has the Government been able to successfully market with the public whatever good it has achieved in terms of macro-economic long term stability; whereas the governing chaos has overwhelmingly overshadowed the achievements.

One may argue that the attitudes of our voter smack of political immaturity and the problem lies therein. Any political leadership worthy of its salt, however, needs to understand reality and average voter expectations. The average voter looks for more direct tangible benefits in which area this Government has little to boast of, apart from what was done during the period January-August 2015. In an electorate with a short term memory what was done then counts for little now and will count for even less by late 2019.

The post-local poll scenario and the run up to the NCM led to a revamped sense of enthusiasm among UNP supporters. This enthusiasm was prompted by the repeated assurances given by the party leadership that radical changes would be made to the party, enabling younger people to take charge of party affairs. More than a hint was made of a change in party leadership. The positive impact this enthusiasm had on the rallying call to support the PM and defeat the NCM cannot be gainsaid. Even the most pessimistic of UNPers seemed to entertain a glimmer of hope in the promise of change. The month for change was April. April has come and gone. What a damp squib the so-called radical change has been? Not only among many involved in the party machinery at different levels but thousands and more foot soldiers of the party feel they have been shortchanged and brought to square one. Meanwhile, the pessimists sneeringly say out loud: we told you so!

The so-called change has been a shifting of persons (all men at that with no women) among the key offices under the party constitution. The only outgoing has been the chairman who continues to retain heavy political clout. The general secretary was appointed chairman. The deputy was appointed general secretary with no unanimity  and a reluctant deputy brought in to fill the gap. A new national organiser, with no defined role, and a few other insignificant moves among old faces have also been made. The obvious deputy leader remains unchanged and so does the highly controversial assistant leader.

The only sense one might draw from the spirit of these changes is that the leader will also remain! I would not guess as to how satisfied the UNP leadership is of this change. There is, no doubt, however, in the minds of the UNP voter and the public at large that the changes made reveal that the UNP will remain unchanged. No doubt there are some good and efficient people among the new party office bearers. Regardless, the image of a party in the eyes of the public is reflected in the persona of the leader. To that extent, the party will continue to be associated with a failed leader and the expectation of a UNP-led government by end 2019 is even more diminished now than what it was before the Change Month of April 2018.

Cry of the UNP foot soldiers

Interestingly, as a wag put it in a Colombo watering hole the other day  Only if RW when contesting national elections displays the same tenacity he does when protecting his party leadership, he would certainly have been a winner many moons ago! But then, clinging to party leadership within the context of a tight pro-leader constitution and fighting a national election in the public domain are two different ball games. Unless the numerous committees in the UNP wake up to this reality, the drift from victory to oblivion will be very fast.

If the party leader cannot be changed under the complexities of the present constitution, change the constitution is the cry of the party foot soldier. The very least one could expect from the UNP in preparation for the 2019/20 election, though certainly not the best, is to declare the Partys Presidential candidate sooner than later. The UNP voter does not expect it to be RW and hopefully the party will not snoop around in secret conclaves for a third party candidate either. The declaration of a candidate can still permit RW to continue as party leader and make way for a new leader when the party candidate hopefully wins the Presidency.

We can be reasonably assured (or can we?) that RW the loyal party man will in the, meanwhile, extend unstinted support for the victory of the party candidate. Such an arrangement, however, will necessarily require the declared candidate to take operational charge of the party machinery and build a strong team to face the hustings. That requirement too needs to be facilitated. In the prevailing atmosphere within the party it is questionable, however, as to whether the current leadership will be far sighted and courageous enough to walk this path.

Assuming without conceding that the April Changes can galavanise the party into election mode, a political analyst may still legitimately ask whether party and government should not be delinked as far as it is possible, for mutual good.

It is useful to consider in this regard how J.R. Jayewardene addressed this aspect. JRJ is credited with bringing the party twice into power after humiliation at the polls. The most notable was the UNP victory in 1977 which routed the then mighty SLFP. If the current UNP leadership is really serious about strengthening the party machinery why not take a leaf from the thoughts of JRJ?

It was his thinking that the party executive; to work with efficiency, needed a degree of independence from the politicos. His thinking was manifested in the appointment of the highly respected accountant and polls strategist N.G.P. Panditharatne as the party chairman. He was not in the public eye but a professional master strategist, loyal to the party and what it stood for. JRs appointment of the young, energetic and affable Harsha Abeyawardene as General Secretary was another good example. Harsha who was ruthlessly gunned down in his prime by cowardly terrorists was not burdened with nursing an electorate. Instead, he focused full time on party work and facilitated with great acceptance the activities of the politicians.

Now, contrary to the thinking of JRJ all the key office bearers of the UNP are not mere politicians but those holding powerful cabinet/ministerial responsibilities. Party office bearer meetings may well amount to mini cabinet meetings! I wonder as to whether these men have sufficient hours in a day to get through their ministerial duties and wonder even more as to how they would find time to discharge the obligations they owe the party and its membership.

I ask, against this backdrop, as to why not in the minimum, rid the burden of high governmental responsibilities from the General Secretary? Or will sacrificing cabinet office be too high a price to pay for holding key party office? The party had an exceptionally good choice in Imthiyaz Bakeer Markar for General Secretary but for reasons unexplained, that was not to be. No doubt those responsible for appointing the current office bearers and the holders of these offices consider themselves equal to the task: truly supermen!

An arrangement to delink the party as much as possible from the politicians can also be of practical value when in government and more so in a coalition government; as it enables a degree of flexibility to draw a distinction between compromised government decisions and party policy. This cannot easily be done when government ministers hold key party office. A very simple but clear example would relate to President MSs decision to continue with a ban on selling alcoholic beverages to females. The UNP very likely has a different view on the subject. Yet, how could the General Secretary of the party who is a senior Minister in a cabinet presided over by the President speak out for the party without breaching the norms of collective responsibility?

To revert to the issues at hand, the NCM, its aftermath and the impending national elections in 2019/20. The defeat of the NCM was at best a pyrrhic victory for the UNP. If the UNP is to retain the faith of the voting masses it must constructively address the challenges ahead in a politically mature manner.

The level of disillusionment among the party rank and file has reached an all-time high. This disillusionment alone is enough to reverse the result of the 2015 elections. The writing on the wall is clear and time is running out fast. Hopefully, I am not just a proverbial violinist as the Sinhala saying goes; playing music to a pack of deaf elephants. It was the erstwhile Israeli diplomat politician, Abba Eban who said many years ago of the Palestinians: They never lose an opportunity to lose an opportunity. Being an incorrigible optimist, I still believe that history will not have to say the same of the Grand Old Party.
Yellow lentils being smuggled into India

Yellow lentils imported from China and Singapore are being smuggled into India, a recent seizure of 20 tonnes of the pulses from near the southern border by a Federal Police Unit showed.
NATICK, Mass. -- The new Wegmans supermarket at the Natick Mall in Massachusetts is no ordinary grocery store.

For those who want to experience a wine tasting or tequila bar alongside their grocery shopping, a supermarket haven has arrived in the form of a new 146,500-square-foot megastore where a J.C. Penny once lived.

"We've sort of given up on counting how many people are in line," said Jo Natale, Wegmans' vice president of media relations.

Natale said the store saw upwards of 2,000 customers within the first few hours of its opening on Sunday, April 29. The supermarket is attached to the Natick Mall and has five entrances total, as well as an enclosed walkway that leads to a parking garage with 1,800 spaces.

It took several years and tens of millions of dollars for the century-old Rochester, New York, chain to complete the project, its first-ever supermarket to have two stories.

The final product was the sixth Wegmans in Massachusetts: an impressive combination of traditional supermarket, restaurants, cafes, and specialty food sections that offer a variety of natural and international dishes. It boasts having 45 checkout lanes -- 12 of which are self-checkout -- and carrying over 70,000 items.

The lower floor is where typical shoppers will find the everyday necessities and discounted bulk items, as well as an expansive section for craft beers, liquor and wines of all prices. Against one wall sits both a wine tasting room and a fine wine room for collectors.

Upstairs is where the grocery store turns into more of a foodie's playground: The upper level carries three different restaurants, a market cafe area with nearly a dozen options, a cheese shop and Mediterrenean bar, a deli and charcuterie, a fresh seafood station with local catches, an in-house bakery and a large produce section.

On Friday, the supermarket's new Mexican restaurant, the Blue Dalia Restaurant & Tequila Bar, opened its doors to customers. In addition to the Blue Dalia, there are over 200 open seating spots throughout the various cafes and shopping areas. On any given morning there are customers plugging away at their laptops in the lounge area between Buzz Coffee Shop and the Burger Bar.

"It's overwhelming," said Kerry Dinneen of Framingham after shopping at the Natick store for the first time with her son Jameson.

"I was leery at first having a store at the mall...but I think it's fabulous," Dinneen said. She added that she especially liked the separate escalators for grocery carts, before jokingly warning, "Don't come here when you're hungry."

Dinneen said she would likely come to the Natick store maybe twice a month to buy things in bulk. For smaller things, like a gallon of milk, she said she would probably stick to her local Stop & Shop.

That pattern is common for some shoppers, according to Natale, though she said there are also regular customers who drive up to 25 miles each week to shop at a Wegmans.

"We monitor our competitive pricing closely on items we know families buy every week," said spokeswoman Jo Natale. She said unlike other wholesale sellers, there is no paid membership necessary to buy bulk items, or "family packs," at a Wegmans store.

Natale said the store is still looking for new hires, but said the opening so far has been a success.

"Lunch and dinner have been quite busy," Natale said. "We've been very pleased."
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

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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 ...
Posted on Friday, May 04, 2018

Dr. Terisa Riley, Senior Vice President for Student Affairs and University Administration at Texas A&M University-Kingsville was ranked on the Tweet the Veep: 30 Vice Presidents to Follow on Twitter ranking, published by the Josie Ahlquist blog.

The ranking highlights administration officials from divisions across campuses that embody digital leadership in higher education.

When tweeting with our Javelina students, alumni, parents, and friends, I hope to keep everyone informed about great events happening on campus as well as answering questions and helping them to solve problems. I want to instill in them the same pride I have for this outstanding university, and I want all students to know, without doubt, that they are respected, valued, and deserve the very best we can offer at A&M-Kingsville, Riley said.

Engaging on social media is critical for administrators because it is one of the best ways to meet students where they are and where they feel safe and comfortable, she added.

Riley says her most engaging posts are the ones in which she asks students about their needs and opinions.

Honestly, I want Texas A&M University-Kingsville to be the very best campus in the country, and the only way I can help us to reach that goal is by really listening to the needs, desires, passions, and occasional frustrations of students. I want to encourage those things that make A&M-Kingsville great and help to fix those barriers to success that students sometimes tell me exist, she said.

In essence, I do for my students what I would hope someone would do for my four kids who are in collegeoffer an ear to listen, help when needed, encouragement, and kudos frequently!

Riley is active on various social media platforms. You can follow her on Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat @TerisaRiley.

Read more about this award: http://www.josieahlquist.com/2018/04/25/tweettheveep/
Barely out of its data privacy scandal rut, Facebook might have another issue on its hands: Instagram. Or more specifically, how it collects photos for enhancing its in-house artificial intelligence.

Facebook just revealed that it uses 3.5 billion photos publicly shared on Instagram to train its image recognition software. The method works incredibly well too  Facebook says that thanks to this model, it was able to yield an 85.4 percent accuracy rate when testing its software on ImageNet, a popular benchmark dataset.

That effectively renders Facebook's AI model the best image recognition system in the world, according to Facebook's director of applied machine learning, Srinivas Narayanan.

The results were unveiled onstage during the company's F8 developer conference in California, the same event where it announced the budget Oculus Go along with a bunch of updates headed to Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and others.

Facebook's Image Recognition AI

Facebook's research makes its image recognition technology go beyond recognizing objects. It can specify subsets too. For instance, a photo of a food isn't just food  it's Indian or Italian food. Same goes for birds, for people in costumes or uniform, and other objects. This level of intelligence could make for a better experience on Facebook, says computer vision research lead Manohar Paluri.

"You can put it into descriptions or captioning for blind people, or visual search, or enforcing platform policies."

So how does Facebook do it? First, it had to develop systems for finding relevant hashtags on Instagram, which ultimately led the team in creating what they call a "large-scale hashtag prediction model." Facebook essentially relies on hashtags to comb through billions of images, and that's a challenge because not all hashtags are representative of the actual content of the photo. For example, a person can tag their post with #GoldenGateBridge even if the bridge itself isn't clearly seen.

As a result, Facebook chose to go with what's called weakly supervised learning, which employs a mix of labeled and unlabeled datasets. It constructs predictive models by learning from a vast amount of training examples.

But What About Privacy?

Let's discuss the elephant in the room here: privacy. Going through people's Instagram posts to train its image recognition technology sounds like another potential data scandal. Interestingly, Facebook only uses public photo data. That means private accounts are excluded, but think of this: when a user posts a photo, do they know their content could be used to train deep learning models?

That's a crucial question to ask the social network, especially at a time of great crisis owing to the company's failure to handle data properly. Better image recognition is, of course, something that will lend users better tools moving forward, but they also have to ask at what cost.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
HTC just announced a launch event for a new smartphone later this month, May 23, and the HTC U12+ flagship will likely be the star of the show.

The company touts that it will unveil "a phone that is more than the sum of its specs," indicating that a new flagship is on the way. The teaser also includes an image showing the upcoming phone's internals, including four cameras and a dual SIM slot.

Coming Soon. A phone that is more than the sum of its specs. pic.twitter.com/m2skJSK0qt  HTC (@htc) May 3, 2018

HTC U12+ Rumored Specs

The HTC U12+ is expected to come as a top-notch powerhouse with high-end specs and features all around, ready to compete with other flagships from Samsung, Apple, LG, and more.

Based on leaks and rumors so far, the HTC U12+ should feature a 5.5 or 5.6-inch display with a QHD+ resolution of 2,880 x 1,440 pixels and Gorilla Glass 5 protection for extra scratch resistance.

Under the hood, the device is expected to pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform, paired with Adreno 630 graphics and 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM, along with 64 GB or 64 GB of native storage space. MicroSD card support should allow for additional storage of up to 2 TB.

The HTC U12+ is further expected to come in single-SIM and hybrid dual-SIM options, with the latter consisting of a nano-SIM card slot and another slot that can house either a microSD card or a second nano-SIM. On the software side, the smartphone will launch with Android 8.0 Oreo on board out of the box, with HTC's own Sense UI on top.

HTC U12+ Cameras

Just like in HTC's teaser image, the HTC U12+ is rumored to boast dual cameras on both its front and back, for a total of four cameras. On the rear, it would have a 12-megapixel UltraPixel 4 sensor with an f/1.5 aperture, optical image stabilization, and dual LED flash, and another 16-megapixel camera.

On the front, the handset is expected to sport two 8-megapixel cameras with optical image stabilization and real-time bokeh effects for the perfect selfies.

Other HTC U12+ Specs And Features

The upcoming HTC U12+ should feature IP68 certification for dust and water resistance, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner for extra security, USB-C audio, HTC BoomSound Hi-Fi edition, 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 5, NFC, and GPS with GLONASS.

Lastly, the smartphone should pack a 3,420 mAh battery with Qualcomm's Quick Charge 4+ rapid charging technology, as well as wireless charging support.

None of these rumored specs are confirmed so far, but it should all become official later this month, at HTC's May 23 event. We'll keep you up to date as soon as we learn more, so stay tuned.



 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A report from a reliable source revealed the status of two major Samsung Galaxy S10 features and the smartphone's codename, giving a glimpse of what customers can expect from next year's version of the device.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 was just released in March, but rumors are already trickling in for the 2019 edition of the Samsung flagship smartphone. Will The Galaxy S10 fare better in the market than the Galaxy S9?

Samsung Galaxy S10 Codename: 'Beyond'

South Korean news website The Bell, which carries a glowing track record when reporting on Samsung leaks and unannounced plans, reported that the Galaxy S10 codename is "Beyond."

Samsung tends to use codenames that describe their goals for their smartphones. For example, the Galaxy S8 was given the codename "Dream" because at the time, Samsung was dreaming to surpass Apple in the smartphone market. The Galaxy S9 was then given the codename "Star" because Samsung believed that the device will be star of the industry this year, though that did not pan out in the face of competition with the iPhone X.

For the Galaxy S10, the "Beyond" codename is apparently a promise that the smartphone will offer features and capabilities that are beyond anything currently in the market.

Samsung Galaxy S10 Features: In-Display Fingerprint Scanner, 3D Face Scanning

The Samsung Galaxy S10 design will reportedly be similar to the Galaxy S9. However, as the "Beyond" phone, it may feature an in-display fingerprint scanner, as well as a 3D face scanning feature similar to what Apple offers for its Face ID system.

The report by The Bell claims that it will have the long-awaited in-display fingerprint sensor. The question, however is whether it will be the first Samsung smartphone to accommodate the feature, as they have been conflicting reports on whether or not the Galaxy Note 9 will debut the Samsung in-display fingerprint scanner.

Fans might not have to wait long for the answer though. Reports claim that the Galaxy Note 9 release date may be earlier than expected, perhaps as soon as July. This means that we may know in a couple of months if Samsung will launch its in-display fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy Note 9 or push it back to the Galaxy S10.

Meanwhile, Samsung is believed to have been looking to incorporate 3D face scanning technology to the Galaxy S10, but according to The Bell, the inclusion of the feature is uncertain. It appears that the feature, seen in the iPhone X, will not be ready by the time that the Galaxy S10 goes into production.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Comedian Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski have been expelled from the Film Academy, the organization confirmed on May 3.

The move reflects the Academy's new procedure for enforcing Standards of Conduct, which were adopted in light of the accusations against film mogul Harvey Weinstein. The board of governors voted to expel Cosby and Polanski at its meeting on May 1.

Two Sexual Offenders Expelled From Film Academy

"The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy's values of respect for human dignity," the Academy said in a statement, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Polanski has been nominated for five Oscars in his entire career, winning the Best Director trophy in 2003 for The Pianist, which he couldn't accept in person as he fled the country after pleading guilty to raping a 13-year-old girl.

Polanski has been on the run for 40 years since fleeing the country, and his case has undergone a number of bizarre twists over the decades, as the LA County District Attorney's office has repeatedly failed to extradite him, and Polanski has also repeatedly failed to fix his case remotely.

Cosby, on the other hand, was recently found guilty of molesting Andrea Constand in 2004. The verdict, made on April 26, was the first major criminal conviction since the beginning of the #MeToo movement and a vindication for the dozens of women who accused the comedian of drugging and then sexually abusing them.

Oscars In The Age Of #MeToo

As part of the Academy's new code, which was adopted in January, the Membership and Administration Committee can request a response from accused parties, who are then given 10 days to provide it in written form. After which, the committee makes recommendations to the board on how best to discipline the accused.

Weinstein himself was expelled from the Academy in 2017 after The New York Times and The New Yorker published eye-opening reports about the executive's sexual misconduct over the years, ranging from assault to violent rape.

The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements are forcing Hollywood to enter a much-needed period of reckoning. Victims, survivors, and whistleblowers are continuously exposing the wrongdoing of bigwigs, executives, and all sorts of people who hold power, revealing a dark underbelly beneath the glamour of the film industry.

Cosby, Polanski, and Weinstein join a very short list of people booted out of film world's most prestigious organization. An actor named Carmine Caridi completes the list, whom the Academy blamed for piracy in 2004 after he sent VHS screeners of films to a friend, who allegedly distributed them online.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A review of 23,000 birth records sheds light on why mothers eat placentas and whether consumption of it brings danger to their babies.

The study, which researchers claim to be the largest of its kind to focus on placentophagy, found that the practice brings no increased risk to babies, even if compared to infants whose mothers were not keen to eat their placentas.

The joint study conducted by researchers from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Oregon State University also found that mothers who tend to practice placentophagy were those who suffered from anxiety and depression in the past. Hence, the most common reason women opted to eat their placenta was to prevent postpartum depression.

Who Practices Placentophagy?

The researchers led by Daniel Benyshek, a professor of anthropology at UNLV, examined the birth records from Neonatal Intensive Care Unit admissions in the first week of life, neonatal hospitalization in the first six weeks, and neonatal/infant death in the first six weeks.

One-third of the women from these records consumed their placentas after giving birth. The analysis also showed that most of these women were more likely from a minority racial or ethnic group or from the Western or Rocky Mountain states. They also acquired a bachelor's degree and most likely having their first babies.

The most common way for them is to have the placentas in capsules. It can either be cooked or raw, or dried and ground as well.

The researchers noted that placentophagy has become widespread in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, and the United States. It has been getting popular among women who give birth at hospitals.

Contrasting CDC

In June 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned against consumption of placenta. The center highlighted that there is no scientific evidence to support the benefits of placentophagy.

The warning was made following a case of a newborn who contracted streptococcus agalactiae infection after the mother's consumption of an allegedly infected placenta. The case was notable as the baby was born healthy and only developed the infection a few days after going home.

It was found that her mother was ingesting placenta capsules after giving birth and the infection was being transferred to the baby through breastfeeding.

While there have been no guidelines set on the preparation involved in the encapsulation of placentas, CDC believed that the process might not have reached the sufficient amount of heat needed to kill bacteria.

Benyshek, however, maintained that their new findings published in the journal Birth offer insufficient grounds to caution women against human maternal placentophagy as far as the baby's health is concerned.

Postpartum Depression

Although their analysis of birth records showed that mothers are likely to consume placenta to prevent postpartum depression, the researchers have yet to prove this point.

Melissa Cheyney, co-author of the study and medical anthropologist and associate professor at the Oregon State University's College of Liberal Arts, said there is no evidence to support that placentophagy is effective as a treatment for mood disorders.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A video shows a tourist carrying a dying dolphin over his shoulder. The man has reportedly placed the animal in his car and drove away.

The incident took place at Hailing Island, a famous tourist destination in China's Guangdong province. According to local reports, the video was recorded during labor holiday on May 1.

China's Public Security Department highlighted dolphins are protected animals in China.

Tourist To Be Punished

The man in the video is seen walking nonchalantly while he had the dolphin over his shoulder. He was being followed by a woman. It was not immediately cleared if they were together.

The authorities received reports from concerned beachgoers about a stranded dolphin on the beach. The said dolphin was apparently already fighting for his life while it lay on the beach sand.

Witnesses told a local fishery authority official that the man in question carried the struggling dolphin to his car and went away.

The authorities assured that punishment will be implemented against the man as soon as he is identified. They added that whether the dolphin was dead or alive, the appropriate thing for the man to do was to call the authorities for help.

Backlash Over Chinese Social Media

Chinese social media users were not pleased about the tourist's behavior. The video has since been widely shared by enraged Chinese netizens. One commenter assumes that the tourists brought the dolphin home to eat it, adding that the act was "simply disgusting."

Another likened the tourist to "savages" and hoped that the man is punished and be asked to pay thousands of yuan.

Protected Species

While the kind of the dolphin in the video could not be immediately determined, a majority of dolphin species are already at the brink of extinction under the Endangered Species Act.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora had already listed the Chinese River dolphin and the Indus River Dolphin as endangered.

Also protected under CITES are the snubfin dolphin, the Amazon River dolphin, the Indo-pacific humpbacked dolphin, and the Atlantic humpbacked dolphins. These species are prohibited from being commercially traded.

All other dolphin species are allowed to be traded for commercial purposes given that such activities will not threaten the species survival.

All dolphin species, meanwhile, are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Dolphins generally endure numerous threats caused by human activities, including climate change. The animals can be trapped in commercial fishing gears. Infrastructure such as dams and waterfront recreational areas also destroy their natural habitat.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Humans shooting laser beams from their eyes may seem like science fiction, but a group of researchers tested out some technology that could make this a reality.

What Did The Researchers Discover?

According to the researchers from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, the technology would allow humans to shoot lasers from their eyes. Through the use of laser stickers, the researchers believe that it would be safe for humans to use.

The study of the research was published on May 1 in the journal Nature Communications.

"The intensity of the laser beam and the amount of energy it requires is so low that you can put it in the eye without damaging the eye," said Malte Gather, co-author of the study. "I would be willing to try it."

A newspaper report claiming that humans could emit lasers from their eyes inspired Gather to research the subject. His team used an ultra-thin membrane laser with organic semiconductors to test the technology.

"Our work represents a new milestone in laser development and, in particular, points the way to how lasers can be used in inherently soft and ductile environments, be it in wearable sensors or as an authentication feature on bank notes," said Gather.

How Did They Create The Technology?

Researchers relied on banking notes to create the technology last year. Using organic semiconductors, the researchers made sure that the film for the laser stickers had only one-fifth of the minimum thickness of bacteria, which is 200 nanometers. The stickers, which were originally made on glass substrate, were then attached to eye contacts.

The membrane laser was intentionally made to be thin so that humans could safely wear the technology in the eye. Despite the size, the technology is durable.

Although a human has not tested the actual laser, researchers were able to test it out on a cow's eyes. The experiment with the cow was successful, and the animal was not harmed.

What Is The Purpose Of The Lasers?

Researchers say that their device could allow a user to shoot a laser beam up to 20 inches away. The uses of the actual technology are still being debated.

Lasers could be used as a wearable security tag for an authentication with an iris scan. The beams have the potential to form a light-based bar code that a security scanner can read. The scientists found that the lasers could also be used for biophotonics and photomedicine.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The latest beta version of Gboard is rolling out now, carrying a feature that's long been in development for the Android version: the ability to create custom GIFs.

That option has actually been live on Gboard for iOS since this past January, and for some odd reason, Google left it out of the Android version without explaining why.

Gboard version 7.2 also gets minor visual tweaks, such as a better layout for search cards, and a brand-new sticker gallery.

How To Make A GIF Using Gboard

To make a GIF on the updated Gboard app for Android, simply navigate over to the new "My GIFs" tab to the right of "Recently used." This section now features a "Make a GIF" button indicated by a plus sign.

Tap that to launch the camera interface, which shows a simple layout with three buttons: a shutter on the bottom, a "rotate" toggle beside it, and a button to show/hide a carousel of filters. There are currently seven filters available, ranging from question marks to breaking news to flowers. GIFs can be up to three seconds long and they loop by default, just like on Instagram's Boomerang mode. GIFs can be saved in the tab for later use.

Search Cards

Search cards on Gboard get minor visual tweaks. There's now a "View more" text in the bottom right corner of every card, and clicking this opens it in a browser. It's less confusing than the previous layout, which only featured an icon.

Sticker Gallery

Gboard now features a massive gallery of stickers. Head over to the "Stickers" tab, tap the plus icon, and choose "Get stickers" to access a library of over 500 stickers, some of which have previously appeared on Allo, Google's alternative messaging platform. Some of the stickers are animated, which should help users express certain emotions that can't be articulated with a simple emoji. Sticker packs can be saved to the favorites tab for later use.

Gboard version 7.2 is still in beta, so some of these features, if not all, might be absent on majority of Android phones. Android Police notes that the GIF creator is already live on Pixel phones, but not on the Samsung Galaxy S9. Expect the app to undergo a few more rounds of testing before finally rolling out in stable form.

Gboard is available on iOS and Android. Thoughts about the new features? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A group of researchers concludes that a gene variant commonly linked to migraines may have spread because early humans needed it to thrive amid cold climates.

The World Health Organization estimates that a migraine is one of the common headache disorders suffered by one in every seven adults in the world. The organization noted that for some unknown reason, the condition appears less common in the Far East region consisting of East Asia, Russian Far East, and Southeast Asia.

The recent study, headed by Felix Key of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, noted that a migraine is highest in individuals of European descent. This is also the population that possesses the highest frequency of the TRPM8, the gene that helps humans adapt to a cold environment.

TRPM8 gene is also associated with a variant, which in return, is commonly attributed to migraines.

Early Human Population

The researchers noted that ancient population migrated from Africa to colder locations in Asia, Europe, and other parts of the world within the last 50,000 years.

"This colonization could have been accompanied by genetic adaptations that helped early humans respond to cold temperatures," explains Aida Andres, who supervised the study published in the journal PLOS Genetics.

Key and his team suspected that this particular adaptation to the freezing environment may have added to the factors that made migraines prevalent in a particular group of the population. To support this hypothesis, the team examined the TRPM8, a gene that allows people to detect and respond to cold temperatures.

Their analysis revealed that a genetic variant upstream from the TRPM8 developed progressively more common in people living in higher altitudes during the last 25,000 years. This detail remains observable at present with the gene variant commonly carried by people living in higher altitudes and with a colder environment.

Interestingly, only 5 percent of people with Nigerian descent possess the gene variant while 88 percent of those with Finnish lineage carry the trait.

"This study nicely shows how past evolutionary pressures can influence present-day phenotypes," Key highlights.

What Triggers Migraine

WHO says that a migraine is three times more common in women than in men, probably due to hormonal factors. While the condition mostly affects those aged between 35 and 45, it can also affect children.

According to the American Migraine Foundation, storms, excessive heat, and changes to barometric pressure are also common causes of a migraine.

The condition might also be triggered by stress with one recent study showing that 50 to 70 percent of people with migraines showed a correlation between daily stress and frequent attacks.

A migraine can also be triggered by irregular sleep, caffeine and alcohol consumption, as well as food containing histamine and MSG.

Chocolate, cheese, artificial sweeteners, and cured meats also commonly trigger migraines, as well as dehydration, medication overuse, perfumes, food with strong smells, and the stench of chemicals, and gasoline.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Ocular melanoma is in the news as separate groups from Alabama and North Carolina reportedly got the same disease, which, in turn, baffled doctors.

Not Quite Common

Melanoma in itself is a type of cancer involving the cells, which give different human body parts its distinct colors. Cells such as those found in the eyes, hair, and skin are capable of the production of melanin that gives people different hair, eye, and skin color.

This kind of cancer is commonly experienced by people on the skin but when it occurs in the eye, its identified as ocular melanoma. Medical experts claim that cancer of this type is quite rare with a six in one million odds of acquiring it.

Description And Detection

Depending on the form and location of the ocular melanoma, it could immediately cause some vision problems for some patients. If left unchecked and untreated, cancer cells could spread to other organs, which makes it fatal.

Doctors reveal that it is difficult to detect outright due to its propensity to form in areas of the eye, which are not immediately visible when a patient looks on a mirror. Moreover, it supposedly does not produce early signs that make it easier to identify.

Causes And Symptoms

Until now, medical experts have barely narrowed down the exact causes as to why people get ocular melanoma. Studies show that those with light-colored eyes, fair skin, and red or blond hair, are also the same type of people that are susceptible to skin cancer, and are prone to this rare eye cancer.

Continued research also reveals that ultraviolet ray exposure is not one of the causes as there's lack of evidence to support it. People with atypical mole syndrome are also likely to get same cancer. For now, it has not been established that the risk factor might be hereditary in nature.

Reported symptoms include a sensation of flashing lights, blurry or poor vision, pupil changes in shape, a dark spot of the iris that grows, peripheral vision loss, and sometimes, floaters.

Known Treatment

Once identified, patients are encouraged to see a specialist who can recommend a treatment as early as possible. Early treatment of ocular melanoma also decreases the possibility of this type of cancer to spread to other organs.

Depending on the severity of the case, the different treatment options offered by medical professionals include radiation treatment, laser, and surgery.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Seven Polish miners missing after quake hits coal pit



Warsaw, May 5 (AFP) May 05, 2018



Seven Polish miners were missing Saturday after a quake hit a coal mine in the country's southern Silesia region, the national mining office said.

The quake, whose cause was not yet clear, hit the Zofiowka mine at 11:00 am (0900 GMT) about 900 metres (3000 feet) below ground level, and all the other miners have been rescued, Anna Swiniarska-Tadla, a spokeswoman for the WUG mining office told PAP news agency.

Rescuers have not been able to access the area due to high levels of methane.

Coal is the main energy source in Poland with 65.5 million tonnes mined in the country last year.
Six hours after Kemper Roach was born, it grew clear something was wrong.

Jitters took over his 6-pound body. Wails rose from his throat. Nothing could comfort him.

It got horrific, his father remembered.

It was the addiction taking hold. Less than a day old, Kemper was suffering from opioid withdrawal.

Doctors at Slidell Memorial Hospital diagnosed him with neonatal abstinence syndrome, which happens when babies are exposed to drugs in the womb and are dependent on them after they are born. They wrote in medical records that he was jittery and fussy, and had an elevated temperature and loose bowel movements.

Kempers agony has become more common among Louisiana newborns amid a national opioid addiction epidemic. The rate of Louisiana babies diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome quadrupled between 2005 and 2015, the most recent year on state records.

In 2015, at least 384 newborns in the state were diagnosed with the condition, according to hospital discharge data. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that every 25 minutes, an infant is born with neonatal abstinence syndrome in the United States.

They only represent a sliver of infants who have been exposed to drugs and alcohol in Louisiana. At least 1,681 newborns last year had valid allegations of this exposure, according to the state Department of Children and Family Services.

Compounding the problem, those who treat addiction say options for pregnant women trying to get clean in south Louisiana can be hard to come by. Some doctors fear the liability of treating an addict when birth defects could be involved, according to a former state medical examiner.

OB-GYNs and neonatologists also acknowledge that some prenatal care providers are hesitant to take on addicted patients. State health officials and hospital administrators have discouraged providers from cutting off prenatal care for pregnant addicts, worried that turning away mothers will result in more unhealthy children.

The shame for a pregnant woman who is also an addict can be overwhelming, said Lindsay Carrier, who was in that exact position one year ago. Before she found help, Carrier said she could hardly stomach the knowledge that she was pregnant but unable to stop using drugs. She started a medication-assisted treatment program that replaced her heroin habit with Suboxone, a prescription drug meant to temper the withdrawal. Her son, Liam, was born in November with no signs of addiction, and she has been clean for 10 months.

Suboxone, a combination of the opioid buprenorphine and the anti-overdose drug naloxone, is the same drug that Kempers mother told doctors she used during her pregnancy, according to his medical records.

Regardless of the type of drug being used, medical professionals say the increased numbers of neonatal abstinence syndrome should be preventable. The costs of treating the withdrawal are also skyrocketing, as a new study in the American Academy of Pediatrics estimated that hospital costs in 2014 for neonatal abstinence syndrome births covered by Medicaid reached $462 million.

"When we are having to treat a baby for withdrawal, that's a system failure, said Dr. Steven Spedale, the chief of neonatology at both Woman's Hospital and Ochsner Health System in Baton Rouge.

We are at the tail end of the process, he added. This isn't a disease we're treating; this is a byproduct of someone else's medical illness. These are unnecessary admissions. These babies should never be in this position to begin with."

'Uneasy about everything'

After he was born in 2014, Kemper spent 11 days in the hospital. Doctors documented intrauterine drug exposure and transferred him to the neonatal intensive care unit, according to his medical records.

During the height of his pain, NICU staff treated Kemper with morphine every three hours. Spedale said morphine is often used when babies score high on tests meant to measure neonatal abstinence syndrome. Not all babies who go through withdrawal need it.

"The babies just don't go from being this nice, calm kid to being out of control, said Spedale about neonatal abstinence syndrome. It's usually a graduated process. They're irritable and inconsolable.

Using small doses of morphine can help newborns reach a steady plateau of comfort before doctors begin to wean them off, he said.

After Kemper finally was released from the hospital, his father said his troubles did not end.

He was uneasy about everything, said 31-year-old Tyler Roach. He was really hard to get to sleep at night, just screaming and crying for no reason whatsoever.

Now age 3, Kemper likes Hot Wheels and ice cream. He takes some time to warm up to new people but immediately takes to dogs. He likes to see the big trucks at the concrete crushing yard where his dad works, and he likes to go crabbing with his aunt who watches him during the day.

Kemper has two older siblings, but their mother is mostly out of their lives, Roach said. A lawsuit he filed in St. Tammany Parish on behalf of Kemper against prescription drug companies says she became addicted to opioid painkillers after being injured in a 2011 car crash. His filings in their 2015 divorce proceedings said she continued to use drugs around that time.

Kemper's mother, whom The Advocate interviewed for this story, asked not to be identified. She said it was horrifying to watch her son go through the pain of withdrawal after he was born.

She said she became hooked on oxycodone after the car crash but said she started going to the Addictions Counseling and Education Resources treatment clinic in Slidell and switched to taking Suboxone after she became pregnant. She said she did not understand until late in her pregnancy that her baby could go through withdrawal for the opioid replacement as well.

Morris Hawkins, the chief executive officer of ACER, said he could not confirm or deny that she was their patient without her written consent. But he did say the clinic has pregnant women sign consent forms confirming they understand their babies could go through withdrawal from Suboxone.

When Kemper came home from the hospital, his mother said they spent a few wonderful months together before she relapsed. Since then, she has been in and out of jail and said she has not been able to stop using drugs. Being isolated from her kids and her family has made it harder for her to want to get clean, she said.

I just feel like I have nothing to live for," she said. But she said she dreams of living a normal life with my kids, working a full-time job.

Kemper has not seen his mother in months.

Right now, on occasion, hell see another female and hell say, Is that Mommy?  Roach said about Kemper. I try to change his thought, but theres going to be a point in time where hes going to ask me and Im going to have to answer it.

In some cases, state officials intervene to prevent parents who are drug users from taking home their babies diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome. The states childrens code describes prenatal neglect as exposure to unlawful, dangerous substances that are present in a newborn. Realizing last year that some addicted infants were born to mothers legally using opioids as well, state laws were updated to include infants withdrawing from drugs that were used legally.

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In cases that seem to fit prenatal neglect, child protective services workers usually investigate the safety of the child and create a plan of safe care. Last year, at least 935 newborns that had valid allegations of drug or alcohol exposure were overseen by state caseworkers within 60 days of their initial report, according to Louisiana's Department of Children and Family Services.

Kempers medical documents said his parents were both attentive and understanding of the importance of closely monitoring his health. His mother said caseworkers visited their house multiple times after Kemper was born.

Overwhelming guilt

When she was looking to kick heroin, Carrier also turned to ACER. The for-profit clinic has locations in Slidell, Metairie, and Chalmette, and plans to open one soon in Baton Rouge.

Around 70 percent of the clinic's patients are on Medicaid, and they accept private insurance as well, Hawkins said.

At the start of treatment, patients visit in three-hour timespans for four days a week over two to three months. They meet with doctors, go to group therapy and take Suboxone. They taper down the dose over time to help addicts to effectively quit, but it can be a lengthy process, said Hawkins, who is also a registered nurse.

"The one thing that almost everyone would agree to is it's certainly safer to have these women in a medically supervised narcotic replacement program than to have them acquiring drugs illicitly on the street, said Ochsners Dr. Joseph Biggio about Suboxone use in pregnant women. Biggio oversees maternal-fetal medicine for Ochsner.

Biggio added that he has changed his mind over time about pregnant women quitting drug use completely during their pregnancies. Although doing so would mitigate the effects of neonatal abstinence syndrome, he also has learned that the short-term fix can increase their likelihood of relapsing. And he said doctors have been trained that the stress from a woman going through drug withdrawal while pregnant could result in a stillbirth, though new research may challenge that belief.

Carrier, 24, is one success story of medication-assisted treatment.

Depression and family problems fueled her addiction in high school in Kentwood. She said she started using Xanax, Lortabs, oxycodone and eventually heroin. Shed develop panic attacks when she wasn't high, and brief stints in rehab and jail did not help, she said.

Carrier said she was using heroin three times a week when she found out she was pregnant last year. She told herself she was going to stop doing drugs because she didnt want to hurt her baby, but she felt lost, she said.

The guilt I felt was so overwhelming, she said. I didnt know how to quit; I didnt know how to reach out. I was embarrassed, and getting high consumed my thoughts.

Dr. Louis Cataldie, a Baton Rouge addiction specialist and former state medical examiner, said its important to understand that addiction is a brain disease. His clinic also treats pregnant women who are addicted to drugs and said it's better for them to go through a "controlled detox" rather than quit cold turkey. He prescribes them Subutex, which also has buprenorphine as its active ingredient but does not have naloxone in it.

Mom is not choosing to pump opioids into her child, Cataldie said. It's much more complicated than that from a neuropsychological perspective."

When Carrier went to her first doctors appointment, her obstetrician asked if she had any addiction problems that could affect the baby. Carrier confessed that she needed help, and her doctor referred her to ACER.

Exactly how to find out if pregnant women have a drug problem that needs treatment is something obstetricians are still working through, said Dr. Dore Binder, the chief quality officer for Womans Hospital in Baton Rouge.

At Womans, hospital officials are trying to create a system where a nurse and social worker can help connect pregnant women to drug treatment. Although they discourage doctors from cutting off pregnant women who are drug users from prenatal care, Binder said Womans cannot control what their private physicians do in their office settings. He said they are trying to create an alternative to rejecting patients that doctors can choose to participate in.

Carrier said she worried about her baby going through drug withdrawal, but Liam, born in November, did not exhibit signs of neonatal abstinence syndrome. He has big blue eyes, likes the sound of womens voices and smiles a lot.

As Carrier kissed his forehead and stood him up on her thighs inside of ACER, she said her baby boy has taken away her urge to use drugs and said other pregnant women need to know help is available. Hawkins said although ACER prescribes Suboxone to pregnant patients, their outcomes can differ. Some babies do withdraw, while others do not.

Carrier and her son live together at a sober house for women and children in Mandeville, and she regularly attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. She recently started a job at a gas station, and she hopes to go to college one day.

Long-term effects

Researchers have not necessarily caught up to the national surge in neonatal abstinence syndrome diagnoses, and its long-term effects are still uncertain, said Dr. Tina Stefanski, a state Department of Health medical director for the Acadiana region. Spedale added that the lingering effects could depend on how late in a pregnancy a mother used drugs and how it affected brain development.

"We're learning as we go on this," he said.

Roach said Kemper did not speak until his was 2 years old and said the boy has had behavioral issues. He said he believes those are the long-term effects of Kempers neonatal abstinence syndrome.

He filed a lawsuit in February on behalf of Kemper, pinning the blame for his young sons struggles on companies that manufacture and distribute opioids. He is asking the drugmakers and distributors to pay for Kempers medical expenses as well as his future medical needs. It was filed by his attorneys as a potential class-action suit.

Opioid companies have, for the most part, denied their responsibility in the many lawsuits being filed against them.

Asked about Roach's lawsuit, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, which is part of Johnson and Johnson, responded that its marketing and promotion of opioids has been appropriate and that "the allegations made against our company are baseless and unsubstantiated." Still, the company added that it is committed to finding ways to address the opioid crisis.

The McKesson Corp., which distributes pharmaceuticals, responded that it is "deeply concerned about the impact the opioid epidemic is having on families and communities across our nation." The company added that it maintains strong programs to prevent opioid misuse and said it is starting initiatives to help address the epidemic.

Drug manufacturer Teva said it is "committed to the appropriate use of opioid medicines" and said it recognizes "critical public health issues" that happened via both illegal and legally prescribed opioids. Purdue Pharma also added that it is "dedicated to being part of the solution" of the opioid crisis.

+14 Baton Rouge grandmother becomes one of many newfound guardians amid state, national opioid crisis Avas blonde hair sticks straight up in the air after she whizzes down her favorite slide at the playground.

Roach wants to start Kemper at preschool this year but worries about how he will do around the other children. Aside from speech therapy and pediatrician visits, Roach said he has not been able to afford much more help for his son. He said they are all still trying to heal from what addiction has done to their family.

It bothers me, still, on a daily basis, Roach said. But I learned to let go, and I moved on with life.
La. Attorney General Jeff Landry speaks, Tuesday, March 27, 2018 to report his office's findings, that there are no state criminal charges to be pursued against Baton Rouge Police Dept. officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, who were involved in the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old black man, in July 2016 outside a convenience store. The U.S. Department of Justice declined to bring federal civil rights charges against the two white police officers last May. Attorneys for family members still plan on pursuing civil charges, though.
The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday suspended the search for the founding pastor of LSUs Chapel on the Campus, whos been missing since a deadly boating accident Wednesday morning on the southern tip of Plaquemines Parish.

But the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries was still searching the water for the Rev. Donald Tabb, 85, as of late afternoon, officials said.

Tabb was headed out to fish with two friends at a spot in the Gulf of Mexico known as the Mud Humps when a large wave near the area of Port Eads and South Pass capsized their 27-foot boat, authorities have said. Tabb directed friend Patrick Anderson to find their other companion, 86-year-old Jack Frey, and take him to shore, those close to the group have said.

Anderson did. But Frey, of Magnolia, Texas, had drowned; and Anderson could no longer see Tabb when he turned his attention to the overturned boat.

The Coast Guard search lasted for more than two days before it was called off about 3:35 p.m. Friday. The effort involved crews on boats, a plane and helicopter, agency officials said.

They were joined by deputies from the Plaquemines Parish Sheriffs Office and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The Sheriff's Office said it suspended its search effort on Thursday evening.

Tabb founded The Chapel on the Campus in 1972 and led the growing church until 2001 when he became pastor emeritus, according to the church's website.
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Tara High School began taking applications this past week for as many as 60 incoming ninth-graders from across East Baton Rouge Parish to start a multi-year training program for potential computer science jobs at IBM.

Brusly and Port Allen high schools are expecting about 20 ninth-graders from across West Baton Rouge Parish to be interested in potential jobs in process technology at Dow Chemical.

IBM looks to bring job training program to Louisiana IBM is looking at introducing to Louisiana a program that prepares high school students for careers in technology by allowing them to earn col

These companies have all agreed to give job interviews to students at these three Capital region high schools who complete the program, which lasts four to six years. Along the way, they will have the chance to earn an associates degree in applied sciences even as they are earning a high school diploma. And all of it, including the college courses, which they will take at Baton Rouge and River Parishes community colleges, is free.

IBM and Dow signed on the dotted line with those parish school districts and announced the partnership Wednesday with other parties to the agreement, including the Governors Office, the Louisiana Department of Education, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, as well as groups like Southern States Scholars Collective Impact Group, which helped bring the parties together.

We know that a high school diploma is not enough in and of itself for the vast majority of people, said Gov. John Bel Edwards.

Edwards said he likes that students in the program can earn no-cost college degrees in high demand science and technology fields.

It makes all the sense in the world, he said.

IBM pioneered the concept in 2011 at a high school in Brooklyn. Known as P-TECH  Pathways in Technology Early College High School  the technology giant has since launched programs at 90 high schools across seven states, as well as Australia and Morocco, and the company is predicting that number to top 120 by next school year.

Jennifer Crozier, president of the IBM International Foundation, also spoke Wednesday. She said Louisiana is the eighth state to adopt P-TECH.

We see students getting not just jobs, but careers, she said. Thats what we care about. Thats what we want at IBM.

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At Brusly and Port Allen high schools, Dow is adapting and expanding its existing process technology pathways at Brusly and Port Allen high schools, now in its third year, to mirror the format of IBMs program.

Tara High is likewise expanding an existing program in cyber engineering, which its now calling Cy-TECH Academy.

The online application period at Tara High ends May 18, barely two weeks after applications opened. And while the 2018-19 school year doesnt start until Aug. 9, students admitted to Cy-TECH wont be able to wait that long. A required summer bridge program starts June 4 and ends June 28. Since IBM insists on no minimum admission standards, some incoming students who are behind will receive extra help on foundational skills, while students who are on level can start taking algebra and geometry early.

Tara students who participate will be mentored by IBM employees, and the company is paying to have a full-time liaison to work with the school. By junior year students in the program will go to Baton Rouge Community College and senior year they will take all their classes at the community college, said Taras Principal Karen Triche.

Well expose them to the world and give them the opportunity to soar, Triche said.

IBM agrees to launch early college program with Tara High and BRCC This fall, dozens of ninth-graders at three Capitol region high schools are slated to start a six-year job training program that will put them

Triche, however, is not sugar-coating whats ahead. She said she saw it first-hand when she visited IBMs original P-TECH school in Brooklyn in February.

Its difficult. You have to work hard, Triche said. You have to be tenacious and high school is stressful in general.

On Wednesday, IBM flew down one of its newest employees, Jaylen Jones, to speak. Just 21 years old, Jones was one of the original students at P-TECH in Brooklyn and earned an associates degree in five years, a first in his family. Jones will soon join Big Blue  a nickname given to the company because of its long-term high performance as a blue chip stock  and work a cognitive tester with Watson, IBMs famous supercomputer. Jones credits P-TECH for the chance.

Its giving kids opportunities they didnt have before, he said.

Edwards said hes eager as well for P-TECH to expand: This is nowhere near mission accomplished. Theres not a finish line here. This is the beginning.
President Donald Trump may not want the U.S. to participate in international climate initiatives, but the leader of one small Louisiana city on the Mississippi River thinks thats a mistake and is urging other mayors to weigh in on the threat posed by climate change as well.

After Trump pulled the country out of the Paris climate agreement about a year ago, many American cities, non-profits, universities and corporations banded together and vowed in their own practices to uphold the spirit of the Paris accords, a worldwide collaborative effort to slow the advance of global warming.

The We Are Still In campaign reports they have over 2,700 signatories, but participation in Louisiana has been lackluster. The state has only seven members, the most notable of which are the city of New Orleans and Loyola University.

St. Gabriel Mayor Lionel Johnson wants to change that. He wants his own town and others in Louisiana to sign the We Are Still In pledge so all can perform "our little part in climate action."

+2 St. Gabriel's mayor heading efforts to encourage eco-friendly investment along Mississippi River Leaders of cities along the Mississippi River have chosen St. Gabriel Mayor Lionel Johnson Jr. to head up efforts to encourage ecologically-co

Johnson was elected to lead the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative last year, and from his new perch, he's argued for more green investment. At a recent environmental conference in Boston, he shared the story of Louisiana's devastating 2016 floods. They are proof that humans need to live harmoniously with the rest of nature, he said in an interview.

"Climate issues are something we really need to start addressing. ... God has given us two things. He's given us life and he's given us this planet to live on," Johnson said.

Draft report says extreme storms in U.S. driven by climate change WASHINGTON (AP)  Directly contradicting President Donald Trump, a draft report produced by 13 federal agencies concludes that the United Stat

It's time to move past political rhetoric and begin examining what local governments can do to pitch in, he continued. Along the Mississippi, cities are doing their part to peaceably cohabitate with the river, building reservoirs in Arkansas and floodable parks near St. Louis, restoring tributaries in Iowa and fixing wetlands in Illinois.

Johnson said cities don't necessarily need to pursue grand infrastructure projects, they just need to be mindful of the environmental impacts of their decisions, such as the effect of new developments on the floodplain.

East Baton Rouge is currently weighing changes to its building codes and floodplain construction standards. A concentrated grass roots effort could compel the state to build infrastructure to the level of the 500-year flood rather than the 100-year standard that has washed so many buildings out in recent memory, said Carl Pope of Bloomberg Philanthropies, one of the We Are Still In organizers. While Louisiana is at it, they can demand more efficient heating and cooling machines and more environmentally sound buildings with features like reflective roofs, he continued.

The groups leaders believe a coalition of locals can dream big.

"There's tremendous power when you bring cities together," Pope said.

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For example, Pope said, municipalities in Illinois have banded together as a purchasing block so they can demand cheaper prices on electricity fueled by renewable resources, which reduces the reliance on coal-fired plants that release deleterious chemicals into the environment.

Some Louisiana leaders have made their own pledges, emphasized Jodie Van Horn of the Sierra Club, another leader of the We Are Still In organization.

Abita Springs has committed to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030, and New Orleans plans to halve emissions by the same year. The news out of Abita Springs was especially heartening for Van Horn, because the mayor there is a Republican. Climate change has become such a "tribal marker," but both sides of the political aisle have to breathe the air thats polluted when refineries aren't held to the appropriate standards, Pope said.

+8 Abita Springs aims to run on 100% renewable energy by 2030 In just 13 years, Abita Springs' elected and civic leaders hope to be able to say that everything in the town, from homes and businesses to pu

"What we're really concerned about is what people do, not what label they use while they're doing it," he continued.

Loyola Prof. Bob Thomas sees his role as facilitating discussion.

As a teacher of both biology and communications, Thomas said researchers must explain the scientific consensus on climate change as they would to their friends: in a way that is respectful and which addresses critics' concerns, gaps in information and evolving understanding of the issue. As a Jesuit institution, the school is compelled to be stewards of the environment and champion sustainable practices, Thomas said.

While the professor teaches respect and understanding for individuals unconvinced of climate change, he was sharply critical of a federal government run by denialists.

"We need to chain our arms together and stand up to the government ... and let Washington know that this is totally unacceptable," he said.

The outgoing Mitch Landrieu administration in New Orleans declined to comment for this story. East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome released a brief, non-specific statement.

+4 New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu unveils plan to cut carbon emissions in half by 2030 Mayor Mitch Landrieu unveiled a plan Friday to cut New Orleans greenhouse gas emissions by half over 13 years  an effort to combat at the lo

"As Mayor-President, I am certainly committed to an environmentally sound community. This is a goal of businesses and the citizenry of Baton Rouge. I join other local leaders who support a clean energy future for our community," she wrote.

Cherelle Blazer, of the Sierra Club, said Louisiana is brimming with opportunities for sustainable practices like solar-powered electricity. She hopes local governments and electric co-ops use their numbers to affect change, since the state is already ground zero for land loss caused by the rising seas associated with climate change.

"If there's anywhere people should be signing on to We Are Still In, it should be Louisiana," she said.
Letters: Believe it or not, Bill Cassidy was right about jambalaya; here's a few recipes that call for roux
Lunches for Catholic and other non-public school students are being threatened because the House-passed budget would slice state aid for the program by 53 percent, officials said Monday, April 23.
Maria Pavlovna the Younger wears her Aunt Ellas emerald set (Wikimedia Commons)

One of the most easily-recognizable tiara styles from the late nineteenth century is the kokoshnik. The halo-shaped tiaras were designed to mimic the headdresses worn by Russian women, and accordingly, they were popularized by the women of the Romanov court. Todays striking diamond and emerald kokoshnik started off in imperial Russia, but the upheavals of 20th century history led it on a very interesting journey.

Grand Duchess Ella wears her emerald suite (Wikimedia Commons)

The lovely cabochon emeralds that formed the centerpiece of the tiara originally belonged to Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna (nee Princess Ella of Hesse and by Rhine), who was the sister of Tsarina Alexandra. The gemstones were presented to Ella by her mother-in-law, Tsarina Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, as a wedding gift.

Grand Duchess Ella wears her emeralds, ca. 1887

The gems were part a complete parure of jewels, which you can see Ella wearing above. The set included a kokoshnik, an elaborate necklace, earrings, and an impressive stomacher. In 1887, she posed for a series of court portraits wearing the complete emerald set.

Grand Duchess Ella wears her emeralds, ca. 1887

Youll note, though, that the kokoshnik Ella wears in photographs is quite different from the tiara as we know it today. At some point, the tiara was modified. The piece is often attributed to Bolin; Im not sure if it was originally made by Bolin and then later remodeled (by Bolin or another jeweler), or just remodeled by Bolin. Either way, the Russian court jeweler is said to have played a part in the kokoshniks construction at some point.

Maria Pavlovna the Younger wears the emeralds (Wikimedia Commons)

In 1908, Ella gave the emerald set as a wedding present to her niece (and de facto adopted daughter), Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, who married Prince Wilhelm of Sweden. Maria Pavlovna was generally called the Younger to distinguish her from the other Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (the one who was the first owner of the Vladimir Tiara). And then what happened to the Romanovs happened, and MP the Younger ended up in exile in Romania, where she decided to sell the tiara.

Mignon wears the kokoshnik with the remodeled sautoir (Wikimedia Commons)

About the same time  1922, to be precise  Princess Maria of Romania was preparing to marry King Alexander I of Yugoslavia. Her mother, Queen Marie of Romania, had heard that MP the Younger (who happened to be Queen Maries first cousin) was planning to sell her jewels, and she encouraged Alexander to buy the tiara as a wedding gift for Maria, who was called Mignon. He did just that, and the tiara became one of the pieces that Mignon wore most often during her queenship. (It was also later worn by her daughter-in-law, Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia, who reportedly disliked the tiara because of its uncomfortable weight.) The necklace from Ellas parure was remodeled for Mignon, transforming into this massive, fashionable sautoir.

Mignon wears the emeralds (Wikimedia Commons)

But then things got bad for the royal family in Yugoslavia, too. King Alexander was assassinated in 1934, and Mignons young son, Peter, became King Peter II. He was then deposed during World War II, and the entire family went into exile. In 1953, was Mignons turn to sell the tiara. This time, the buyer was Van Cleef and Arpels. In a move that recalled their earlier treatment of the emerald tiara of Empress Marie Louise of France, the jewelry house removed the valuable Romanov emeralds, sold them to an unknown buyer, and replaced them with paste.

Mignon wears the emeralds (Wikimedia Commons)

One more Serbian princess got the chance to wear the tiara after the emeralds were removed; Van Cleef loaned the kokoshnik to Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Prince Paul and Princess Olga. And youll sometimes see the tiara  but sadly not the emeralds  on display today, as the jewelry firm occasionally also loans it out to various exhibitions.

Note: This is an updated version of an earlier post, with new text/images.
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Linkedin EDITORIAL (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 5, 2018 16:16 1250 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e2251de 2 Editorial public-facility,intimidation,politics Free

It was a devastating weekend at the National Monument (Monas) and its nearby areas, the heart of the countrys political and business orbits. Only a few hundred meters from the State Palace, and a few minutes walk from City Hall, two children lost their lives at Monas Square on Saturday.

Mahesa Junaedi, 12, and Muhamad Rizki Syaputra, 10, reportedly died of dehydration as they were bustled about in a crowd of thousands of people who had gathered at a social outreach event featuring musical performances and free food packages.

The next day, a mother and her son were intimidated by a group of Car Free Day (CFD) revelers at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle. The largely cheerful occasion, which has become a popular family destination on Jl. Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin, was disrupted by the political activities of groups who support and oppose President Joko Jokowi Widodo. The scuffle is feared to be a small foretaste of what is to come ahead of next years presidential election  Jokowis last chance for another term.

Monas and the main thoroughfares have long been part of the nations political struggles, having hosted various protests involving people from all walks of life.

Therefore, former Jakarta governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama and later Djarot Saiful Hidayat banned the square, also known as Merdeka Square, from being used for religious rites and political activities, citing public order concerns. Ahok cited Presidential Decree No. 25/1995 on the development of the Medan Merdeka area, including Monas, which mandates that the area must remain a neutral zone without commercial or political activities.

Governor Anies Baswedan lifted the ban shortly after taking office, arguing that it should be open for all. The administration has since sponsored several religious and cultural events in the square, encouraging all parties to utilize it for religious and cultural activities.

That is why it is highly regretful that the Jakarta administration and the police have refused to take responsibility for the chaos that took place at Monas and on CFD. The two events were far from political and involved many people, especially children, and occurred at a very public, open place, next to government offices.

The violence, and even deaths, that occurred last weekend showed a glaring lack of security provided by the police and public order officials, who are supposed to guard such large events.

Police are investigating how opposing groups could have come into such close contact on Sunday. The lack of security has shown that authorities were negligent and incapable of maintaining public order.

This is very alarming, considering that the country will hold its regional elections in June and general election in April next year. If security officials cannot maintain security at relatively small and regular events, how can they assure the safety of Indonesians attending larger events?

It does not really matter which party holds the event or who the victims are  the authorities have the responsibility to protect all citizens at all costs.
Local fashion brand Cottonink has released a new fashion line for children, Cottonink Mini, to mark its 10th anniversary in the Indonesian fashion industry.

Launched on Wednesday at Buumi Playscape in Pacific Place mall, South Jakarta, the first collection of Cottonink Mini consists of 26 pieces for babies and kids up to 4 years old. The collection comprises onesies, t-shirts, outerwear and dresses designed with the twinning with parents concept, and in the brands simple, casual, effortless and versatile style.

Cottonink Mini collection consists of 26 pieces for babies and kids up to 4 years old. (Cottonink/File)

The purpose of the collection is to present baby and kid versions of Cottoninks regular collection, said Carline Darjanto, CEO and creative director of Cottonink, in a released statement.

She added that the challenge was to adjust Cottoninks unique cut and design to the childrens collection. Of course weve adjusted from the design side and added more bold colors, so the collection is more colorful and fun.

Moreover, the collection has details that bear resemblance with Cottonink collections in general, such as basic stripes and gingham patterns but with more colors. Unlike the general collection, we created the baby and kids versions as free as possible, thats why weve presented many designs with characters that children will love, like cute-looking animals, Carline said.

Read also: Raisa, Cotton Ink launch second collaboration

Cottonink Mini can be purchased via the brand's official website. (Cottonink/File)

Carline then explained why they decided to create the fashion line. She and Ria, cofounder of Cottonink and the labels brand and marketing director, like to play dressing up with their kids and even their friends kids. After experiencing how fun it is to be mothers, we became certain that the initial idea to create Cottoninks kids collection had to be realized. From there, we started to prepare all resources needed, from sketches and designs to production, Carline said.

Ria added that they wanted to pass on the message from Cottonink that less is more. With Cottonink Mini, we want to convey the same message for kids. You can be as stylish as your mom and dad with your own personal style, Ria said.

Cottonink Mini aims to inherit the same message as Cottonink: Less is more. (Cottonink/File)

The collection can be purchased online with prices starting from Rp 49,000 ($3.50). (wir/mut)
Glamorous and elegant, Meghan Markle is set to freshen up the British royal family dress code, while tailoring her outfits to suit her new role.

As she prepares to wed Prince Harry on May 19, the US former television actress is unlikely to be seen again in ripped jeans, hotpants or a plunging neckline.

As a sign of her new responsibilities, the 36-year-old has already closed her Instagram account, where she often posed in the sexy or dishevelled outfits befitting a TV celebrity -- but not necessarily a royal spouse.

In tying the knot with Queen Elizabeth II's grandson, she is also marrying into an institution where age-old traditions govern virtually all aspects of the royals' lives -- including the clothes they wear.

"Royal dress codes are very traditional, especially when the family member is carrying out royal duties," said Grant Harrold, a former butler in the House of Windsor.

The etiquette expert, who used to work for heir to the throne Prince Charles and his sons Princes William and Harry, said Markle could follow the example set by William's wife, the former Kate Middleton.

"As we have seen with the Duchess of Cambridge, hats are part of the royal dress code and it is likely that we will see Meghan Markle wearing hats more often," he told AFP.

And the royal newcomer will also have to get used to wearing neutral-coloured tights, ditch any eccentric nail varnish and watch the hemlines.

"The outfits are more of a personal decision, but dresses should always be the correct length of on or below the knee, and never above," said Harrold.

The makeover is already under way.

At Harry's side at public events since their engagement was announced in November, her style has been one of refined elegance: long dresses, turtlenecks, classic coats and unflashy colours.

There have been some exceptions: black jeans here, bare legs there, but hardly enough to trigger a palace revolution.

After all, Markle has not yet married into "the firm" -- as royals call the family in private -- and will still be learning the ropes as she goes along.

Read also: Commoners who have married into royal families

Passion for fashion

A keen fashionista, Markle has long cultivated a casual Californian look that is a nod to her Los Angeles upbringing: comfortable in shorts and flip-flops.

But after landing a starring role in 2011 in the US legal drama "Suits", where she played a senior paralegal, her look became symbolic of business chic.

"The fashion on 'Suits' is gorgeous, so it also became my education of designers and really knowing what fits my body well," Markle told outnet.com.

"On a normal day, I love a shift dress with flats and a little cropped jacket.

"I would probably wear jeans, a nice top and a blazer."

She cites Emmanuelle Alt, the editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris magazine, and US actress Gwyneth Paltrow as her inspiration -- two influential fashion figures whose outfits are studiously copied by their stylish fans.

Markle is "a hint of Grace Kelly, a dose of Alicia Keys, a touch of Amal Clooney and a lot of Kate Middleton," said French magazine Madame Figaro.

Christine Ross, who edits the Meghan's Mirror blog, dedicated to Markle and her wardrobe, said the star's style was "modern and on-trend while still maintaining a classic elegance".

"Meghan will definitely bring a youthful, vibrant change to the royal family," Ross told AFP.

"She is very different from the other royals, being an American with a diverse upbringing, and this will naturally give her a different outlook."

Her wedding dress is a closely-guarded secret that will be kept until the day itself -- and it could provide a hint about the sort of styles she might adopt once married into the royal family.

For several weeks, London has been bristling with rumours about who will design the dress, with names like Burberry, Ralph and Russo, Victoria Beckham, Roland Mouret, Erdem and Alexander McQueen swirling around.

On May 19 at Windsor Castle, the world will have its answer.
North Korea went forward in time by 30 minutes on Saturday, state media said, to match its clocks with those of the South following last week's inter-Korean summit.

Leader Kim Jong Un promised the move during the meeting at Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula, when he and the South's President Moon Jae-in pledged to pursue denuclearisation and a peace treaty.

"The time-resetting is the first practical step taken after the historic third north-south summit meeting to speed up the process for the North and the South to become one," said the official KCNA news agency.

In Panmunjom, Kim had said he found it a "painful wrench" to see clocks at the summit venue showing different times for the two neighbours, KCNA reported earlier.

Kim expressed "his resolution to unify the two times... as the first practical step for national reconciliation and unity", it said, and the North's parliament on Monday adopted a decree to put the move into effect from Saturday.

Seoul welcomed the decision as a "symbolic move" towards better inter-Korean ties.

North and South are now vastly different societies, one a democratic member of the OECD club of developed countries, and the other an impoverished, hereditary one-party state left isolated by its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

But it was only in 2015 that the Koreas' clocks diverged, when Pyongyang put itself back 30 minutes to return to the time zone used in the peninsula before Japan colonised it in 1910.

As of Saturday, Seoul, Pyongyang and Tokyo are all in the same time zone.

Read also: North Korea provides state-of-the-art technology for future teachers

North Korea is not the only country to have used time 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 officially keeping to Beijing time despite the sun rising and setting two hours later than in the capital.

Most time zones around the world are an hour apart, but some have smaller differences - Myanmar is half an hour behind next-door Thailand, while Nepal sets itself 15 minutes ahead of India to assert a difference from its giant neighbour.

And despite lying on Europe's western edge, mainland Spain has been in the same time zone as central Europe since 1942, when Francisco Franco's fascist government adopted it to line itself up with Nazi Germany.
The London Symphony Orchestra, one of the world's most widely traveled classical institutions, announced Friday that it would tour South America for the first time.

Led by star conductor Simon Rattle, the leading British orchestra will travel in May 2019 to Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru.

The orchestra will perform 60 concerts overseas in the 2018-19 season and plans a new major tour of Asia this year. But it had held off on South America, a decision that in the past was partly linked to security concerns.

The orchestra made the announcement in New York where it will perform all three late symphonies by Gustav Mahler starting Friday.

"For me, Mahler was what first made me want to be a conductor. I'm of the generation who can remember when Mahler was new and wonderful," Rattle told reporters ahead of the concerts.

The 63-year-old said that Mahler was little played in Britain until the 1960s and that, on hearing his momentous Symphony No. 3, "All of us just thought that the heavens had opened."

Mahler wrote his last three works -- Symphony No. 9, Symphony No. 10 and "Das Lied von der Erde" ("The Song of the Earth") -- in his final years after he fled anti-Semitism in Vienna for the United States, where he led the New York Philharmonic.

One of the last of the great Romantic composers, Mahler wrote the three pieces in despair as he suffered heart illness and mourned his daughter who had died in Austria of scarlet fever.

Read also: France says to help Saudi Arabia set up orchestra, opera

Mahler, who died in 1911 before any of the three works was performed, was influenced as he composed by the sounds of New York, with a policeman's funeral inspiring the percussion at the end of Symphony No. 10 and Chinese music infusing "Das Lied von der Erde."

Rattle, who said he has conducted Symphony No. 10 more than 100 times, found it "extraordinary" to perform the works in New York.

"They were conceived in New York, they have so much to do with new York, but yet he never heard a note," Rattle said.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 5, 2018 07:45 1251 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e2197f2 1 City odd-even-license-traffic-policy,Tangerang,postponement Free

The Greater Jakarta Transportation Body (BPTJ) has postponed plans to implement the odd-even license plate policy at the Karawaci 2 and Karawaci 4 tollgates in Tangerang, Banten, initially scheduled for Monday.

The body said it first wanted to improve traffic circulation at the Tomang intersection in West Jakarta, before expanding the policy to other tollgates entering the capital.

BPTJ implemented on April 16 the odd-even policy at Kunciran 2 and Tangerang 2 tollgates for vehicles entering Jakarta to reduce heavy traffic congestion in the capital.

If, someday, we need to implement the policy at Karawaci 2 and 4 , we will enforce it, especially when it comes to anticipating traffic congestion during the upcoming Asian Games [in Jakarta], BPTJ head Bambang Prihartono said in a statement on Friday.

The Asian Games will take place in the capital and Palembang, South Sumatra, from Aug. 18 to Sept. 2.

According to BPTJ data, the odd-even policy at the Kunciran 2 and Tangerang 2 tollgates has successfully reduced vehicles volume by 24.9 percent and increased the average speed to 27.6 kilometers per hour from the previous 22 km per hour. (vny)
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 5, 2018 14:22 1250 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e223346 1 Politics Democratic-party,KPK,graft,Susilo-Bambang-Yudhoyono,politics Free

The Democratic Party is seeking confirmation from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) about reports that one of its senior members has been arrested on graft allegations.

The KPK announced that it had arrested nine people, including one lawmaker, in a raid on Friday evening. The commission declined to identify the lawmaker, only saying that he or she was a member of House of Representatives Commission XI on financial affairs.

Media reports, however, quoted a source within the KPK as saying that the lawmaker in question was a Democratic Party politician from West Java.

Were checking it [the allegation] with the KPK, the partys spokesperson, Imelda Sari, said.

She said the party would punish any of its members charged with corruption. If they are proven [guilty], they will have their legislative seat revoked. We hope such an incident won't happen again, Imelda said.

The Democratic Party, led by former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is the second-largest opposition party after Gerindra. It is now deciding whether to support President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's reelection bid or challenge the incumbent candidate in 2019.

The party garnered the most votes during the 2009 legislative election when Yudhoyono was seeking a second term. The partys popularity sank in 2014 following a series of graft allegations that plagued its members. (ahw)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 5 2018

The Greater Jakarta Transportation Agency (BPTJ) has postponed plans to implement the odd-even license plate policy at the Karawaci 2 and Karawaci 4 tollgates in Tangerang, Banten, initially scheduled for Monday.



The agency said it first wanted to improve traffic circulation at the Tomang intersection in West Jakarta, before expanding the policy to other tollgates leading to the capital.



The BPTJ implemented on April 16 the odd-even policy at Kunciran 2 and Tangerang 2 tollgates for vehicles entering Jakarta to reduce heavy traffic congestion in Jakarta.



If someday we need to implement the policy at Karawaci 2 and 4, we will enforce it, especially when it comes to anticipating traffic congestion during the upcoming Asian Games, BPTJ head Bambang Prihartono said in a statement on Friday. The Asian Games will be held in Jakarta and Palembang, South Sumatra, fr...
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Linkedin Veeramalla Anjaiah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 5 2018

President Xi Jinping (Courtesy of Chinese Embassy in Jakarta)

The rise of China from an underdeveloped country to the worlds second-biggest economy in such a short span of time in the history of mankind is unique. With 1.41 billion people and a record US$13.1 trillion GDP (2017), China is indeed the greatest trading nation on the planet.



In 2017, based on data from Chinas General Administration of Customs, with $2.26 trillion worth of total exports, China is the number-one exporter in the world. In the same year China imported $1.84 trillion worth of goods. Overall, Chinas total trade was a record $4.1 trillion.



Chinas main exports are electrical machinery, equipment, computers, furniture, clothing, knitted accessories, optical and medical equipment, plastics, cell phones, shoes, vehicles, iron and steel and toys and games.



For thousands of year...
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Linkedin Jusuf Wanandi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 5 2018

JP/Jerry Adiguna

Welcome, Premier Li Keqiang. This visit is a special moment for promoting Indonesia-China bilateral relations and for promoting better understanding and cooperation on strategic developments in the Asia-Pacific.



For our bilateral relations, it is an opportunity to overcome residual misunderstandings and prejudices between China and Indonesia due to history and 23 years of a hiatus in our relations. Hopefully, Indonesians will see the resulting benefits through our cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects, done transparently.



China responded positively when the Indonesian government, represented by Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut B. Pandjaitan during his trip to Beijing, presented a series of important points on Indonesias interest in implementing the projects. His key points were that Indonesians should also benef...
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Linkedin Allysha Nila (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 5 2018

Populo Batik, Lekat, Batik Berkah, Parang Kencana, Iwan Tirta Private Collection

A handful of contemporary Indonesian designers are paired with big batik brands to put a spin on what is typically perceived as traditional fabrics.

On day five of the Plaza Indonesia Fashion Week in March, a special curated show was titled Kain (cloth) to inspire the use of batik for various occasions and establish batik as the star of ones closet. Kain presented the designers take on a number of established brands.



Parang Kencana x Wilsen Willim



This collaboration with Parang Kencana was the perfect avenue for designer Wilsen Willim to do something different  with color for starters.



I only do white clothes, usually; [theyre] not even monochromatic, he said.



In this collection however, he played with black, gray, purple,...
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Linkedin Kharishar Kahfi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 5, 2018 10:39 1250 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e21fcad 1 Politics KPK,house-of-representatives,lawmaker,graft Free

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested nine people, including one lawmaker, in a raid in Jakarta on Friday evening.

There were nine individuals arrested. They consist of one House of Representatives member overseeing financial affairs, businesspeople and government employees, KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said on Saturday.

He added that KPK officials confiscated hundreds of millions of rupiah from one of the arrestees during the operation.

Febri, however, refused to reveal further details on the arrests, saying investigators would gather more information and evidence before naming any suspects in the case.

Fridays arrest was the ninth operation carried out by the antigraft body this year.

On April 11, a KPK investigation team arrested West Bandung Regent Abu Bakar, who was suspected of asking for money from a number of regency administration officials to fund the political campaign of his wife, Elin Suharliah, who is now running in the upcoming election for the West Bandung regent seat. (ahw)
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Linkedin Alice Ritchie (Agence France-Presse) London  Sat, May 5, 2018 09:37 1251 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e21ca36 2 World Theresa-May,England,UK,election Free

British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party fared better than expected in local elections in England, results on Friday showed, in her first test at the polls since losing her parliamentary majority last year.

The centre-right party held on to key London councils despite a big push by the Labour main opposition, which failed to live up to its own hype.

The ruling party also scored highly in areas that voted in favour of Brexit in the 2016 referendum, while losing some ground in more pro-EU heartlands.

The UK Independence Party (UKIP), which has seen its support collapse since cheerleading the 2016 vote for Brexit, was all but wiped out while the pro-European Liberal Democrats made the biggest gains.

Labour's leftist leader Jeremy Corbyn had sought to build on momentum from last year's June general election, when an unexpected surge for his party deprived May of her majority.

But Labour admitted "mixed" results despite a tough week for May, who has been plagued by cabinet divisions over Brexit as well as a row over immigration that toppled one of her top ministers.

"We've done better than expected," Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis told Sky News television.

"We have seen Labour -- who thought they would be sweeping the board in London... not gaining a single council in London."

Matt Singh of Number Cruncher Politics noted: "Opposition parties are supposed to do well in mid-term contests, and these aren't the results of one that's about to storm the next general election."

The votes equated to a 35 percent national vote share for both Labour and the Conservatives, though such projections are an inexact science.

A BBC projection suggested that such results at a general election would mean a hung parliament, with Labour on 283 seats compared to the Conservatives' 280, both well short of the 326 needed for a majority in parliament.

- London battlegrounds -

The Conservatives appeared to have benefited from the collapse of UKIP, which was instrumental in the Brexit vote but has since lost its way.

On a victory tour in London, May said Labour "threw everything at it, but they failed", while adding: "We won't take anything for granted."

Labour's goal to win Conservative strongholds in London like Wandsworth or Westminster always seemed a stretch, though it did gain seats in those councils.

Its failure to take Barnet, a suburb with a large Jewish population that was Labour's top target in the capital, is likely to be more heavily scrutinised in the context of an ongoing row over anti-Semitism in the opposition party.

"I think there are lots of voters, Jewish people in London, who don't feel comfortable voting Labour," London's Labour mayor Sadiq Khan told the BBC.

Corbyn said he had secured a "solid set of results".

"Labour has won even more council seats than at our high watermark of 2014 and we are on course to secure our best results in London since 1971," he said.

Two results for Labour stood out: Labour lawmaker Dan Jarvis won a mayoral election in Sheffield in northern England, while the party retained control of Birmingham council in Britain's second-biggest conurbation.

- Brexit vote -

The Conservatives held Kensington and Chelsea, where the council had faced severe criticism over last year's devastating Grenfell Tower fire that killed 71 people, with a slightly reduced majority.

However, they lost the southwestern city of Plymouth to Labour and lost control of Trafford, the Tories' flagship council in northern England.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson pointed to the party's success in Brexit-voting areas, remarking that Corbyn's promise to keep Britain in the EU customs union "means he is not trusted to deliver Brexit".

The Conservatives lost the strongly anti-Brexit London borough of Richmond upon Thames to the Liberal Democrats, who had courted EU citizens' votes.

The Lib Dems also won neighbouring Kingston upon Thames from the Conservatives.

Lib Dem leader Vince Cable, whose centrist party has struggled in recent years after losing support for going into government with the Conservatives, said: "We are very much on the way back."
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 5, 2018 20:34 1250 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e228f1f 1 City Car-Free-Day,jakarta,Jakarta-police,intimidation,police,report Free

The Jakarta Police have vowed to strictly enforce a ban on political activities at the Sunday morning Car Free Day (CFD) events and to take stern action against violators.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said the force would be on guard to assure that people obeyed Jakarta Gubernatorial Regulation No. 12/2016, which only allows for activities related to sport, culture or the environment at CFD events.

It is not allowed to hold activities related to [sectarian] issues, he said on Saturday, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

He added police would coordinate with the Jakarta administration to assure that the regulation was enforced. He also called on all parties to avoid political activities during the Sunday events.

At the Car Free Day event last Sunday, a woman and her son were intimidated by a group of campaigners opposed to President Joko Jokowi Widodos bid for re-election, as shown by the slogan #2019GantiPresiden (#2019ChangePresident) printed on their T-shirts.

The woman has reported the case to the police.

(Read also: Woman intimidated during Car Free Day)

While denying involvement in the intimidation incident, the #2019GantiPresiden pressure group has announced plans for a large event to be held this Sunday. (wit)
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Linkedin Sita W. Dewi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 5, 2018 16:38 1250 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e225743 1 National AJI,hoax,Google Free

In an unprecedented move, 22 national and regional news media organizations and a number of associations have launched a website to debunk false news and hoaxes ahead of the 2019 elections.

The name of the website, cekfakta.com, translates to fact check in English.

The joint project was initiated by the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the Indonesian Cyber Media Association (AMSI), the Indonesian Anti-Slander Society (Mafindo), Internews and Google News Initiative.

The news media organizations--most of which are online news media or the digital version of established dailies--comprise tirto.id, viva.co.id, swara.com, detik.com, kompas.com, liputan6.com, merdeka.com, katadata.co.id, beritajatim.com, kbr.co.id, bisnis.com, beritasatu.com, kabarmedan.com, kabarmakassar.com, antaranews.com, timesIndonesia.co.id, riauonline.co.id, thejakartapost.com, republika.co.id and mafindo.or.id, which is run by the Mafindo association.

Representatives of the organizations signed a memorandum of understanding on the collaboration during the 2018 Trusted Media Summit, held on Saturday and Sunday at the Gran Melia Hotel in Jakarta.

AMSI believes that the initiative is a breakthrough that this country needs to fight hoaxes and disinformation, especially ahead of regional elections this year and legislative as well as presidential elections next year, AMSI chairman Wenseslaus Manggut said in Jakarta, adding that the initiative was the first of its kind in Indonesia.

The collaboration also marked a new era in digital journalism, added AMSI secretary-general Wahyu Dhyatmika.

Its time to work together instead of competing with each other. Fighting hoaxes cant be done individually, Wahyu said.

To date, several online news outlets have a feature to report and debunk hoaxes on respective websites, but they were operating individually.

Wahyu mentioned predecessors Frances award-winning crosscheck and Taiwans cofacts as inspiration as well as models of the project.

Misinformation and disinformation in Indonesia are alarming. According to Communication and Information Ministry Public Communication and Information Director General Niken Widiastuti, 90 percent of false news or hoaxes circulating online were shared by readers, while only 10 percent of them were shared by the producers themselves.
In a city beset by transport woes, the ferry from Brooklyn and Queens to Manhattan is a New York success story, pleasing commuters, delighting tourists and outperforming expectations on its first anniversary.

On a swelteringly hot May afternoon, businessmen, school children, families and tourists queue down the pier, waiting to board a boat for the East River with an impressive view of the New York skyline.

At only $2.75 per head, with an onboard bar, it's the same price as a sweaty, frequently delayed and often dirty subway ride, a bargain gratefully snapped up by those living close enough to the water to enjoy it.

"It's been a lot easier to commute," admits Vivian, a 32-year-old designer from Long Island City, who doesn't want to give her last name. "Of course there are times when it gets pretty full, but it is pretty consistent."

"It's a lot less stressful than the subway," agrees Emily Lynch, 22, a recent New York arrival. "There's not as many crazy people on the ferries."

While the city's 8.5 million residents are increasingly fed up with chronic subway delays, complaints about the ferry focus on their popularity: long queues at peak times and services that some want more frequent than once every 25 minutes during the week and once an hour at weekends.

In a US financial capital infamous for its high prices, tourists are also fond of the ferries and the chance to take in the magnificent Manhattan skyline, with trips recommended in guide books for the thrift-conscious.

Ridership reflects such enthusiasm. City hall recorded 3.7 million passengers in the first year. Two new routes plan to take in the Bronx and the Lower East Side by the end of the summer, raising the total number to six.

Read also: Take a walk on New York's wild side

Twice as many passengers as thought

City officials now predict that ridership could reach nine million by 2023, nearly double initial estimates.

Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio has set aside $300 million over the next five years for new 350-passenger capacity ferries, improvements to piers and docks, and a second homeport where ferries will be maintained.

"New Yorkers have spoken. We are going to need bigger boats. We're gearing up to meet the extraordinary demand," he said Thursday.

Roland Lewis, president and CEO of the Waterfront Alliance who pushed for the ferry service for years, attributes the success to many factors: new boats, the right price and reasonably frequent operations.

"It has really changed people's lives," he said. "It's opening up people's eyes to the city from a whole new perspective: for the first time in their lives hundreds of thousands of people are seeing their hometown from the water."

Supporters say the ferry is helping to rejuvenate coastal communities in outer boroughs, typically former industrial areas, although there are also complaints about rent hikes in a city forever gentrifying.

What remains unclear is whether a less progressive mayor in the future or leaner economic times could spell the end of the hefty subsidies.

The city currently estimates that it spends $6.60 on each journey -- more than double what passengers pay.

Thursday's announcement of the additional $300 million fanned criticism against de Blasio. Some accuse him of favoring the ferries at the expense of the bus or the subway, which serve many areas inaccessible by boat.

Lewis, however, is unapologetic. "I'd like to see a ferry to La Guardia Airport and to Kennedy Airport," he said of the city's two aviation hubs.
The white dress and the flowers. The speeches and the laughter. The vows and the rings. Everybody loves a good wedding, right?

Well, from the plethora of news articles, TV specials and cut-out-and-keep souvenir brochures, its certainly taken for granted that everybody loves a royal wedding. Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement back in November, barely a week has gone by without another 'revelation' about their nuptials or their names bouncing into the top trends on social media. I feel like I know more about their upcoming wedding than I did about weddings Ive actually attended.

Now, Im not one to complain. Im the sort of person who gets text messages from their mother to alert me to royal baby announcements and who actually has favourite outfits the Duchess of Cambridge has worn. I have Queen-themed socks, for goodness sake, so I am actually looking forward to 19th May and all the attendant specials. My joy when I found that Channel 5 are planning to show Lifetimes Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance was, frankly, unnecessary and embarrassing.

So I dont say what Im about to say out of a hatred of the royals, weddings, royal weddings, or the couple in particular. I mean, knowing that I definitely have to return to work in September because Harry is definitively off the market is a bit of a blow, but aside from that, Im all good with the wedding and marriage itself.

The constant media drip-feed of tiny details, however, I have some more issues with.

A post shared by Theworldinhereyes (@theworldinhereyes31) on May 3, 2018 at 9:58am PDT

Let me give you some examples. In the past week, I have learned the following things about the wedding of Prince Henry of Wales and Miss Rachel Markle (I mean, thats one thing for starters): Prince William will be his brothers best man; post-ceremony, the couple will take a turn around Windsor in an Ascot landau (its a kind of carriage); Prince Harry has lost half a stone in preparation for the big day; the Queen is likely to gift them a house and may make them Duke and Duchess of Sussex or Clarence.

Apart from the speculative mess of that final fact, there are other issues here. For one thing, I cant imagine anyone thought that Prince Williams wouldnt be stood by his brothers side, whilst if anyone knew what an Ascot landau was before that little nugget was shared, I want them to raise their hands now.

The fact is that were being given too many facts, and inconsequential facts at that. Day by day, the gossip columns fill up and it overspills into the editorials and the actual news. Anger over the Windsor councillors desire to clear the towns streets of homeless people was discussed on magazine and politics shows alike. Between that and the birth of Prince Louis, actual news has been rather thin on the ground recently.

A post shared by @ducotedechezkate on May 3, 2018 at 1:56am PDT

Which is absolutely ridiculous, when you consider what has been going on in the past few weeks, let alone months. Windrush. Cambridge Analytica. Violence on Londons streets. The Syrian bombings. And these are the things weve actually heard about, so goodness knows what has been flying underneath the radar, buried underneath bunting, confetti and Union Jacks. Through almost no fault of their own  because who is seriously going to begrudge another human being love and children?  the royal family have been giving our country plenty of good days to bury bad news.

I dont want to rain on anyones parade, least of all Harry and Meghans, but Im concerned that in this wedding fever, some real societal illnesses are being covered up. As I write this, a sixty-second news round-up has taken up ten seconds to tell us all about that fancy carriage. This is the kind of information I should have to hunt for, read in Buzzfeed listicles and the Sidebar of Shame. This is not vital.

So I will absolutely be in front of my TV on 19th May, desperate for that first glimpse of the dress, the bridesmaids, the kiss. But Ill also be looking for what isnt taking over eight hours of mainstream television, the parties nobody is invited to, because thatll be the very best of days to bury the very worst of news.
Panel to vet allegations of nepotism levied against Gov. Noem

The Attorney General's Office on Wednesday announced it was referring the complaint to the South Dakota Government Accountability.
MARK FLANAGAN is a retired Sun Chronicle editor. He can be reached at mflanagan754@gmail.com.
TheLegal, Compliance and Risk Officer (LCR Officer) follows-up on all legal issuesby liaising with legal counsel and/or company lawyer. In addition, the officerensures the company is compliant with internal policies and procedures, butalso with relevant local and international regulations. Finally, the officer minimizes and mitigatesrisks the company might be exposed to.
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.

C.G. writes: Portland Investment Group has been in contact several times regarding land it says I own in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, even though I definitely do not own it.

I was told the land could be sold for 17,500, but Harry Park of Portland asked for 2,700 as a fee to allow the release of the deeds to me.

I have no intention of handing over money, but I asked a solicitor friend to look into this. He was told Portland employs 300 people at its London office, yet he could not establish that the company is even registered.

I believe this is a large-scale scam. If it obtains 2,700 out of just one person every day, it is not a bad earner.

Bizarre: The website of the bogus firm, with the term 'Done professional'

There is a company called Portland Investment Group Limited, but it is in Sheffield.

Not in Wood Street in the City of London, which is where the people who contacted you claim to be based. It is a fake which has stolen the identity of the genuine company.

The fraudsters have set up a website at portlandinvestmentsgroup.com. Note the extra letter 's' which is barely noticeable but is enough to steer victims away from the real Portland and towards the crooks.

The content of the website has also been stolen. It says: 'Our investment house teams deliver high quality strategic advice and creative financing solutions to our clients, including mergers, acquisitions, financing and risk management transactions.'

This has been copied word for word from the Goldman Sachs website.

The fake Portland also claims to have 70 offices in 15 countries and more than 7,400 staff. This is copied from the website of RBC Capital Markets.

Contract terms you were sent by the crooks say the business is registered at Companies House under number 4504939.

This is actually the number of the real Portland in Sheffield, which controls a staff recruitment business.

Director Matt Davison told me he had received a number of enquiries from people who thought they had spoken to whoever is behind the London-based fake. He has notified Action Fraud.

The genuine Sheffield company is not the only victim in this.

When the crooks were trying to swindle you they sent you a letter signed by Keri Negron-Jennings who is supposedly one of its directors. She is not.

But she does run a housebuilding business in Shrewsbury. Its name is Portland Investments Limited  close enough to the fake Portland Investment Group to trick most people into thinking they are one and the same.

She told me: 'I am going to report this to the police immediately.'

You are not the only potential victim to be contacted by Harry Park and his mates who share his phone number (0207 856 0438).

People who lost money in the flood of carbon credit scams have also been told that if they pay an upfront fee, their money can be recovered.

Park has also been busy on a separate number (0207 129 7316) claiming to be from Keystone Investment Trust. I warned two weeks ago that this phone number was being used by crooks.

I rang Park last Thursday to ask if I could pop round to wherever he is really based and bring one or two friends from the Fraud Squad. Sadly, whoever answered the phone hung up as soon as I gave my name.

Bank still has a charge over my late son's home

In the dark: NatWest removed the charge  but failed to tell anyone

J.W. writes: I am dealing with the estate of my deceased son. I am having great difficulty getting NatWest to remove a charge the bank holds over property he owned, so it can be sold.

My son built a house for himself and the land was covered by two separate Land Registry title numbers.

The bank registered a charge against both in 2002, but I have found that when my son later remortgaged the charge was only removed from one title number.

It is unusual for two title numbers to apply to what is one property after your son bought the land in North Wales and built on it.

This probably explains why one legal charge slipped through the net while the other was cancelled.

I asked staff at NatWest's head office to look into this.

They told me: 'We recognise this is a difficult situation and we deeply sympathise with Mr W.'

It turns out the bank removed the second charge last July, but did not tell you or the solicitor handling your son's estate. I have checked with the Land Registry and there are now no charges registered.

Energy firm has been a bit economical with its credit Mrs D.M. writes: My husband and I are hoping you can get back money owed by Economy Energy. We overpaid for our gas and electricity. We are pensioners and this money is important to us. We have sent emails, but they were ignored. We have made many phone calls and were told the matter would be dealt with within 12 days, but it was not. In the latest call, we were told the payment was 'in the system', but we have heard this before. The problem started last October when you switched to a different supplier for your gas and electricity. A spokesman told me: 'A smart meter exchange on October 13 delayed the final bills being issued as Economy Energy first had to wait on the industry flows to be received before the change of supplier was processed.' Soon after the company told me this, you received 63 in to your bank account which was a lot less than you expected. Ironically, you also told me that the reason you switched away from Economy Energy was that you found it hard to get accurate bills. I contacted the company again and you were then sent an electricity bill showing a credit of 54. This still did not make sense so I asked Economy Energy to have another go at its sums, and this time it told me: 'Unfortunately, Mr M's original 70 payment for his gas supply was not applied to the final bill, in error.' This has now been repaid to you.

Ms C.D. writes: I have been letting property through booking.com since 2014. Last November I had a guest staying in the apartment I own.

But booking.com has informed me the guest cancelled, even though he has since confirmed to me he did stay. I have contacted booking.com and it has admitted it made an error, but I am still battling to be paid.

According to booking.com, the guest arrived at your apartment but there was nobody there to let him in. He contacted booking.com which treated this as a cancellation and offered to help him find somewhere else to stay.

Meanwhile, your guest succeeded in getting into the apartment, but booking.com did not know this so still had his reservation listed as cancelled. This is why you were not paid the 80 due.

The company has now paid and you have confirmed receipt of the money.

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
Although recent performance numbers may be underwhelming, International Biotechnology Trust is enjoying something of a renaissance.

Nine days ago the trust's board, chaired by chartered accountant John Aston, confirmed a double-digit increase in the dividend it paid to shareholders earlier this year.

It also announced that the next half-yearly dividend, payable at the end of July, would be of the same size (13.5p per share), resulting in an annual dividend equivalent to four per cent.

The trust invests in biotech companies that do not pay dividends

For a trust that invests in biotech companies that do not pay dividends, this may seem somewhat strange.

But the board took the decision in 2016 that an income  paid from the trust's capital reserves (profits)  would widen the fund's appeal at a stroke, making it attractive to income investors. It was right.

It took a while for wily manager Carl Harald Janson  a 60-year- old Swedish former doctor and pharmacist  to be convinced by the board's move but he has now been won over.

Talking from his home in Stockholm last week while enjoying two consecutive bank holidays  Walpurgis Night followed by Labour Day  he told The Mail on Sunday: 'Yes, initially I resisted the board's suggestion that the trust should pay a dividend but there is no doubt that 99 per cent of the shareholders I have spoken to since are positive about the move.

'Together with a separate decision to change the way we invest in some of the world's unquoted biotech stocks, we seem to have come up with a magic brew.

'Everyone  the board, our investors and me  is happy.'

Strategy: The portfolio's emphasis on large biotech companies has been toned down

The evidence of overwhelming shareholder approval can be seen in how the trust's discount  the gap between the value of the fund's assets and the valuation the market puts on them  has narrowed.

As high as 12 per cent prior to the income move, it has now reduced to around five per cent, indicating greater demand for the shares.

Janson has also been quietly making adjustments to the trust's portfolio.

Slowly but surely, direct holdings in unquoted biotech companies are being reduced (they now stand at 5 per cent) with exposure to the sector now increasingly obtained via a stake in a specialist venture capital fund run by SV Health Investors, the same company Janson works for.

He says the fund provides a 'more practical and diversified' investment option than direct holdings.

Change of heart: Manager Carl Harald Janson initially rejected the decision to pay a dividend

The portfolio's emphasis on large biotech companies  the likes of Gilead and Regeneron  has also been toned down.

Janson believes better value lies in the 'mid cap' space  companies with market capitalisations of between $1billion and $10billion.

The result is that large cap exposure has come down in the last eight months from 50 to 36 per cent.

'We have tickled up our exposure to companies such as Array, Exelixis and Genmab as a result,' adds Janson.

'They are all developing drugs and antibodies to combat different forms of cancer. They have drugs that have been approved for use.'

Janson accepts that there may be future hiccups. President Trump has already vowed to bring down drug prices which would hit the revenues of most biotech companies  the trust's portfolio is primarily invested in US and Canadian stocks.

But he is encouraged by the stream of new drugs coming on to the market.

'Over the last 20 years, exposure to biotech stocks has generated average annual returns of 12 per cent,' says Janson.

'If repeated, there is no reason why we cannot generate an average annual return of at least that amount.'
The Royal wedding later this month is likely to prompt a surge in demand for Royal memorabilia, with the most sought-after pieces soaring in value.

Yet before dusting off any mugs sitting on top of the sideboard, be aware that a lot of Royal collectables are no more than worthless junk.

It is only rare and older artefacts relating to the Royals  not mass-produced 'limited edition' cups, coins, plates and novelty tea towels  that make collectors any money on their investments.

Antiques trader and Royal memorabilia collector Ann Parker believes the main motivation for any collector should be a wish to commemorate a Royal occasion. Making a profit, she says, is simply a bonus.

Cherished: Memorabilia collector Ann Parker with some of her artefacts

The 61-year-old, from Hungerford in Berkshire, says: 'I am a big fan of Queen Elizabeth II but I do not expect to get rich quick collecting items relating to her reign  I do it for pleasure.

'It is only the rarest limited edition pieces, something historic or unexpected mistakes in the manufacturing process that hold any investment appeal.'

Among her Royal favourites are loving cups. These have two handles that are easily broken and cracked ceramics are worthless. But even rare surviving cups tend only to keep their value rather than rise in price.

Ann says a Spode limited edition loving cup to celebrate the Queen's silver wedding anniversary in 1972 may only command 200.

An equivalent loving cup produced to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 might fetch 175.

Unexpected Royal events can be good for boosting demand and values. For example, a May 1937 coronation mug for Edward VIII is worth just 20 but an altered 'abdication' mug  after he stepped down in December 1936  can easily fetch 100.

Unpopular Monarchs can also increase prices.

After 'mad' King George III died in 1820, his unpopular philandering son George IV took over. No one wanted his mugs and rare survivors today are valued at 3,500.

The commemorative market in Royal memorabilia only really took off under the reign of Queen Victoria.

It enabled subjects to have an idea of what she looked like on a piece of pottery which then took pride of place on the mantelpiece.

Cups for her 1838 coronation are rare and command prices of 1,000 but later Diamond Jubilee mugs from 1897 are worth just 20  as by this time the mass-production Royal commemorative industry was thriving.

Highly valued: Diana's famous Versace dress

As cherished as commemorative mementos of Prince Harry and Meghan's betrothal may well be, they are unlikely to ever be worth in the future more than they cost.

But Paul Fraser, who runs a collectables business in Bristol, believes that a knock-on effect of the impending wedding could be a surge in the value of items once owned by the Royal Family  for example, dresses.

Fraser says: 'Mass production of Royal memorabilia means the market will be saturated for years to come.

'If you really want to profit from Royalty then it makes sense to buy something different.'

He says items that once belonged to Princess Diana  who died aged just 36 in 1997  are particularly collectable with prices recently jumping in value.

A blue Raleigh Traveller Bicycle she was ordered to stop using when she became engaged to Prince Charles in 1981  dubbed the 'shame bike'  sold for 9,200 earlier this year, having previously exchanged hands in 2008 for 211.

Clothing once worn by the Princess is also highly valued and sought after.

Renae Plant, from Los Angeles in California, owns two Princess Diana dresses.

These include a burgundy wool Caroline Charles she bought for $125,000 (92,000) in 2014.

The other is a bejewelled Versace that the Princess of Wales wore for a Harper's magazine photo shoot a month before her death. It cost Renae $209,280 (153,000) in 2015.

Renae says: 'I grew up in Australia and Princess Diana visited in 1982 when I was a schoolchild in Queensland. Ever since the Royal wedding the year before I had been in awe of her  her rise to become a Princess was such a fairytale.

'She was the first Royal to remove her gloves and shake the public's hand, and amazingly she shook mine. She made people feel close to her even though they did not know her. To share a piece of her tragically short life is a privilege.'

Renae, who runs a nursery, believes the two dresses are worth 1million because of their iconic status. She has lent the Versace dress to a special exhibition Diana  Her Fashion Story currently being held at Kensington Palace in West London.

Those who cannot afford to invest in such Royal garments might instead consider snapping up an autograph.

Fraser says: 'Protocol prevents the Royal Family from signing autographs, so signatures are scarce.'

Interest surrounding the latest Royal marriage has led to the price of Prince Harry's signature doubling over the past year to 1,500.

A Christmas card from 1982 that was signed by Prince Charles and Princess Diana can now sell for 2,000.
Tens of thousands of people, many waving the Saltire flag and beating drums, marched through the streets of Glasgow on Saturday in support of Scottish independence.

Police estimated around 35,000 people turned out for the five kilometre march from Kelvingrove Park to Glasgow Green, while organisers "All Under One Banner" put the attendance around 60,000.

The annual march has been growing in size since Scotland voted against independence by 55 percent in 2014, from a few thousand to around 20,000 last year.

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland\s nationalist First Minister, has threatened to hold a second independence referendum if Scotland\s powers are curtailed after Brexit.

Keith Brown, one of Sturgeon\s most senior allies who is standing to be deputy leader of the Scottish National Party in June, attended Saturday\s march.

"I\ve been on these kind of marches for the best part of 35 years and I\ve never seen a crowd like this," he told AFP.

Brown suggested a second independence referendum could be held as early as 2019.

"We have to wait and see what Brexit brings and we will know that very soon  perhaps in October," he said.

"At that point, we need to make sure that we are working non-stop for whenever the referendum happens.

"I have said it could happen in a year\s time or two years time. The crucial point is that we are ready for it when it comes."

Veteran nationalist Bobby Watt, 73, brought his 13-year-old granddaughter Holly Noble to march.

"I joined the SNP in 1966 and now we\re coming to a head," he said.

"You could see on the march that it\s the youngsters that are here so it looks good for the future."

Clutching a Scottish piper teddy bear, Elaine Thomson, 53, told AFP: "I\m not here campaigning for myself, because I don\t think I\ll benefit, but my grandchildren possibly could and I am out doing this for them."

SOURCE: AFP
Diversity A Key Question In Selecting The Interim Jackson County Sheriff If members of a select committee have their way, a more diverse workforce will be coming to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. The committee, which was appointed by Jackson County Executive Frank White to give him a recommendation, interviewed five candidates Friday.

Take a look at advocacy along with courthouse reporting as public radio weighs in on the selection process for the new Jackson County Sheriff which includes a broad spectrum of candidates who, according to the logic of this article, should be considered on the merits of identity politics rather than proficiency, qualifications or work history.Read more:
No Price On Freedom

Lamonte McIntrye rebuilds his life, says 'money can't make it right' Lamonte McIntrye is rebuilding his life after spending his youth behind bars for a crime he didn't commit. He said compensation won't fix what happened to him, but that it's a start. "I'm grateful for lawmakers and the people who voted for this bill," he said.

Consequences In Kansas

Kansas Tax Cut Bites The Dust, Lawmakers Brace For Political Fallout The Kansas House killed a tax cut bill on its way out the door Friday, ending the 2018 session with yet another signal that this isn't the same conservative-dominated body of just two years ago. This is the Legislature that voted last year to expand Medicaid and end then-Gov.

Show-Me Good Government???

Clean Missouri petitioners turn in about 347,000 signatures Volunteers on Thursday turned in almost 347,000 signatures to the Missouri Secretary of State's Office for a petition aimed at increasing government integrity, transparency and accountability. More than 1,600 volunteers for the Clean Missouri Initiative gathered 346,956 signatures from Missourians who are ready to have their voices heard, said the Rev.

Golden Ghetto High Alert FAIL

Johnson County emergency manager explains tornado warning failure OLATHE, Kan -- Reports have been pouring into Johnson County Emergency Management that tornado sirens in some areas did not sound during the tornado warning Wednesday night. "I got like an alert on my phone, which was a very unusual alert," said Doncy Eapen.

Sound Of Local High Class

After Helzberg Sell-Out, Kansas City Civic Orchestra Eager For 'Rolls Royce' Of Concert Halls When the Kansas City Civic Orchestra decided to call its first performance in Helzberg Hall - Kansas City's premiere concert hall - its "Surround Sound" concert, they didn't realize they would end up literally surrounded. In keeping with Civic's 59-year mission, the tickets were free.

City College Study In Job Insecurity

From emphasis to potential major: Will Anthropology claim its own title at UMKC? Ally Hanson While scrolling through a UMKC course catalog, you can find sociology as a popular major offered at UMKC. Although many students are currently pursuing this degree, some want to deepen their study. That's where anthropology comes into play.

Kansas City Cruelty Tonight

Puppy killed by hit and run driver A family wants justice after their 8 week old puppy was killed by a hit and run driver. It happened on Wednesday at the intersection of E. Sea and S. Raymond in. independence. Devon Henson was across the street in his friend's driveway when he notice a car speeding down the road.

Hottieis our parody hero on this corporate consumer content holiday.Closer to home we're checking this Kansas City news:And this is thefor right now . . .
KCPS to consider plan to reopen Southwest High School KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Officials in the Kansas City, Mo. School District are reviewing plans that could lead to the reopening of the former Southwest High School. Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell met with community leaders Friday to discuss the district's plans to reopen the school.

Longstanding plans to reopen this somewhat controversial institution are back on the agenda for the KCPS. Remember that neighbors celebrated the shut down amid a slew of complaints about after school petty crime and more serious misdeeds includingpreceded its closing.Read more:
The special service was held in a former Orthodox Church in the town of Moudania (Mudanya) situated in todays north-western Turkey

A Turkish town has heard its first Orthodox liturgy after 96 years at a special religious service attended by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

The special service was held in a former Orthodox Church in the town of Moudania (Mudanya) situated in todays north-western Turkey.

Moudania was a thriving, chiefly Greek, town before the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey in 1923.

A new town called Nea Moudania was created near Thessaloniki in northern Greece by the refugees who were forced out of Turkey.

St. Georges Church is currently used as a local cultural center.

Even though the exact date of the construction of the church is unknown, there is a seven-line epitaph dated to 1834 on one of windows on its northern facade, reading:

In order to be commemorated and due to his piousness, Iordines, son of Anastasiou and our good fellow-citizen, has donated all sculpted stones on the facades of this holy church from his olive grove in Palaikhorio. Mudanya expresses gratitude for him.

The building was restored in 2007 and nowadays hosts social and cultural activities, meetings, conferences, music and theater shows.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: User:Darwinek License: CC-BY-SA

Source: greekreporter.com
Two major Chinese companies - PowerChina and Norinco International - have won the contract to build an oil refinery at the Iraqi port of Fao on the Arabian Gulf, said a report.

The refinery in Fao will have the capacity to produce 300,000 barrels per day and will include a petrochemical plant, reported Reuters, citing a senior official.

Iraq is Opec's second-largest oil producer, after Saudi Arabia. Its refining capacity was curbed when Islamic State overran its largest oil processing plant in Baiji, north of Baghdad, in 2014.

The country now relies on the Doura refinery in Baghdad and the Shuaiba plant in the Basra region, it added.
State oil giant Saudi Aramco has inked 16 purchase agreements worth more than SR26 billion ($6.92 billion) with some of the country's top pressure vessel manufacturers under the In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) programme.

Saudi Aramco has further expanded the programme and strengthened its relationship with local industry players by awarding these deals, said the company in a statement.

The agreements, carrying a procurement value of more than SR26 billion, further enhances the companys ongoing support and commitment to empower local companies within the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) realm under IKTVA, in tandem with Saudi Vision 2030, it added.

The companies are: Al Zamil Process Equipment; Al Zamil Heavy Industries; Arabian CBI; Hesham Al-Sewedy; Geyad Factory; Olayan Descon Engineering; Saudi Arabian Fabricated Metals; Gulf Steel Works; Bemco Steel Industries; Natco Al Rushaid Middle East; Al Zamil Metal Works; Titanium & Steel Manufacturing Company (TSM Arabia); Petron Saudi Industrial Commpany; Inma Steel Oil and Gas and Gulf Sky Factory Company.

These pacts will enable these 16 Saudi companies to build up their capabilities and competitiveness in a span of 10 years under the IKTVA programme, it stated.

These big contracts are testimony to Saudi Aramcos solid ongoing commitment in ensuring development of local capabilities and content percentage enhancement among Saudi SMEs under IKTVA, in tandem with Saudi Vision 2030, it stated.

The purchase agreements, signed on May 1, will focus on the supply of pressure vessels by local manufacturers, mandated under IKTVA goals as well as to actively pursue Saudization targets.

Abdulaziz A. Al Abdulkarim, Saudi Aramco VP of Procurement and Supply Chain Management, commended the manufacturers for developing robust IKTVA action plans that will increase the number of Saudi jobs and avail more business in pressure vessels components to local SMEs.

Al Abdulkarim set the expectations with the manufacturers to work closely with Saudi Aramco to increase the percentage of Saudization under these agreements at all levels and disciplines including engineers, welders and other professional skilled workers.

"These agreements, set for 10 years, will expand the local industrys capability and provide high quality supply of materials and services to Saudi Aramco," he remarked.

IKTVA is a cornerstone of Saudi Aramcos procurement process which will expedite localization, promote locally-based SMEs and help economic diversification in support of Saudi Vision 2030. SMEs are the engine of innovation for economic growth and development.

"They have the agility, the know-how, the market expertise, and the products the oil and gas industry requires," said Al Abdulkarim.

"That is why Saudi Aramco recognizes the huge potential of SMEs and we believe the companies chosen under this agreement will step up to the challenge and meet the required expectations," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 5

Farm experts opined to find a solution to current problems of farmers by turning them sellers of their produce at the concluding day of a seminar organised by the PHD Chambers of Commerce and the district administration.

A progressive farmer, Karamvir Singh Sidhu, said farmers needed to become businessmen to turn the farming into a profitable venture.

He said the crops produced in Punjab were in great demand in European countries, Middle East, Australia, Malaysia, Japan and Russia. Farmers should upgrade the quality of their produce, set up cold storages and package their production, he said.

RS Sachdeva, chairman of the PHD Chambers of Commerce, Punjab, said, China, Thailand and other countries are giving a tough competition to India in terms of production of agricultural commodities. There is a good scope in farm fresh export from the state.

Agriculture expert Dr VK Mahajan said the state lacked in cold storages for storing fruit and vegetables, barring potatoes. He stated that there was need of investing Rs 150 crore to store 150 lakh metric tone of vegetables and fruit.

PEPSICO Food General Manager Rajesh Kanojia said there was a widespread quality deficit in potato being produced by farmers in the state so the firm had to procure the crop from Gujarat.

Deputy Commissioner KS Sangha said he would forward the suggestions on improving the farming to address its contemporary crisis to the state government.
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Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 5

Nearly 150 years after the Privy Council observed that the difficulties of a litigant in India begin when he has obtained a decree, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has on the administrative side taken a unique initiative to alleviate the miseries of the decree-holders.

Soon after taking over as Acting Chief Justice, Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal has called for details of pending execution cases from subordinate courts in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to ensure expeditious disposal.

Obtaining a decree from lower courts seldom comes with a sense of triumph, for the real battle begins in getting it executed. The entire process takes years. Execution is considered to be the final stage of civil litigation, which begins with the institution of a suit, followed by its adjudication and implementation. Rather, the implementation of the order or decree in civil litigation is termed as execution. It has often been referred to as a method by which a decree-holder forces his opponent judgement-debtor to implement the mandate of the decree.

The High Court had three years ago asserted that nothing much had changed since the Privy Council observations. Taking note of the existing conditions, the Bench had called upon the courts entrusted with the task of execution to prevent compounding of troubles for the decree-holders.

It had referred to Supreme Courts judgment in the case of Satyawati versus Rajinder Singh and another, wherein reference was made to the Privy Council observations in 1872 on difficulties faced by a decree-holder. The Bench had observed that even in 2013, the situation had not improved.

It is evident from the law laid down in these authorities that the courts are to alleviate the miseries of the decree-holder and are not to compound the same, it had noted.
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Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 5

City residents are facing tough time with short supply of water even as the Municipal Corporation is making tall claims of providing 24X7 water supply and plans to increase the tariff.

In most parts of the city, water is being supplied at very low pressure even on ground floors. Those on second and third floors are not getting water supply.

Besides the inconvenience, the situation is also burning a hole in the pocket of the residents. They have to call private water tankers as the MC facility is not provided on time.

MC officials said around 275 complaints were received on Saturday and by the evening, 240 water tankers were sent to different places in the city to meet the demand for water. Tankers were sent to sectors 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 35, 39, 38, 41, 42, 7 and 8.

We pay more taxes to the corporation as they say we live in prime sectors. But when it comes to provide the basic amenity, it fails to do the needful. In our area, there is no water supply even on the ground floor for the past one week. They always say the problem is due to some repair work, lamented RS Gill, president of Householders Welfare Association, Sector 8.

Mohinder Partap Singh, a resident of Sector 34-C, added, We had guests visiting us the other day and they were surprised to see water issue in Chandigarh.

We have to get up early morning to take bath as after that, there is no supply, shared Dalvinder Saini, president of Residents Welfare Association, Sector 40-A.

Sandeep Bhala, secretary, Residents Welfare Association, Sector 21, said, A large number of students reside in PGs in our area and they are the most hit due to the poor water supply.

MC officials said due to some repair work, the supply would remain affected till May 6, adding that the situation would improve later.

Mayor Davesh Moudgil said he had convened a meeting of all officials concerned in the coming week to streamline the process of water supply and arrange additional water from Kajauli.

Notably, there is no chance of the city getting additional water of 40 million gallons per day (MGD) through a new pipeline from the Kajauli waterworks this summer as the work on connecting pipelines is yet to be completed.

At present, the water availability in the city is 83 MGD. However, the demand rises to 110-115 MGD when summer is at its peak.

In winter, the demand remains at 70 MGD.
ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Tribune News Service

Mohali, May 5

The decomposed body of an unidentified woman was found from a house at Mataur village here on Saturday morning.

The police suspected that the woman, believed to be in her thirties, died three-four days ago.

Neighbours called up the police after noticing foul smell emanating from a locked room on the ground floor of the house. A police party broke into the room and found the victims maggot-infested, bloated body lying on the bed.

Sources said the womans hands were tied. A green dupatta was found tied around the neck. She was wearing a blue shirt and a pair of blue denims.

Sub-Inspector Rajiv Kumar, SHO, Mataur police station, said prima facie, it seemed that the woman had been strangled to death. He said, On the statement of her landlady, a case has been registered against unknown persons under Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the IPC.

Sources said four-five bottles of beer and some condoms were recovered from the room.

The police said a man from Bihar and the woman, claiming to be a couple, had taken the room on the ground floor of the house on rent last week.

The house owner, Raj Rani, who stays upstairs, told the police that the couple was yet to submit an identity proof to her. The man claimed that he was working as a mason at Nayagaon and the woman told her that she worked in Ludhiana and her children were studying at a residential school.

On Wednesday morning, the man allegedly locked the room from outside and went to work but did not return. The man, who was missing, was the prime suspect. The police called up on the mobile phone number that the man had given to the landlady but it was found switched off.

Area councillor Harpal Channa said he received a call at 8.30 am from a neighbour complaining about odour emanating from a house. Since the tenants had recently moved in, we do not know their identity, he said.

The body has been kept in the mortuary of the Civil Hospital, Phase VI, for identification.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Washington, May 5

A US Navy veteran was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla in a racially motivated hate crime at a bar in Kansas City last year.

A federal judge in Kansas sentenced Adam Purinton to nearly 78 years in prison as part of a plea agreement reached in March. Purinton would not be eligible for parole until after he turns 100, KSHB reported.

In March this year, Purinton, 52, had pleaded guilty to the charges of murdering Kuchibhotla.

Purinton was charged with first-degree murder of Kuchibhotla, 32, and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the shootings of his friend, Alok Madasani, and a bystander, who chased Purinton after he fled the Austins Bar and Grill in Olathe city on February 22 last year.

In addition to the state charges, Purinton faces prosecution in federal court. The US Attorneys Office in Kansas filed hate crime charges against Purinton last June.

Purinton, yelled, Get out of my country, before shooting Kuchibhotla, who later died from injuries sustained in the attack.

Kuchibhotla is survived by his wife Sunayana Dumala, who welcomed the courts decision.

Todays sentencing in the murder of my husband will not bring back my Srinu, but it sends a strong message that hate is never acceptable, Dumala said in a statement.

I want to thank the District Attorneys office and the Olathe police for their efforts to bring this man to justice, she said.

Kuchibhotla hailed from Hyderabad. He had a masters degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso. He earned his bachelors degree from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad. PTI
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Sumedha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Gurugram, May 5

A question on 'bad omens' asked by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) in the JE recruitment exam has angered the Brahmin community even as a state minister has promised a probe into the matter.

The question paper given to applicants for recruitment as Junior Engineer on April 10 had a question about 'bad omens prevalent in Haryana'. The options reportedly included: seeing an empty pot, a casket, a black Brahmin or a Brahmin girl.

This has left the community in rage with Brahmin Sabha lodging its protest in Gurugram.

"It is shocking that engineers are chosen on the basis of their level of superstition rather than skill. Terming it as a bad omen is an insult to the Brahmin community. We want strict action against the culprit and also an apology from the government," said a local representative of the Sabha.

Taking umbrage to the question, state PWD Minister Rao Narbeer promised a prompt action.

"It's shocking. A candidate should be judged on the basis of his mental ability and professional competence rather than superstition and communalism being the selection criteria. We will look into the matter and fix responsibility. Whoever is found guilty will be punished," said Rao Narbeer.
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Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, May 5

The gunman of a magistrate was booked for killing a migrant labourer under the influence of liquor in Chhuchhakwas village here on Saturday. The accused, identified as Krishan of Charkhi Dadri, fled the spot. The deceased has been identified as Budhsain (23) of Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh.

Sheshraj, in charge, Chhuchhakwas police post, said Krishan came to the rented house of Budhsain in the village on Friday. He along with Budhsain and some other labourers consumed liquor in the night and slept there.

In the morning, Krishan again consumed alcohol and started telling Budhsain and others about the functioning of his revolver. Suddenly, Krishan pressed the trigger of the revolver and shot Budhsain who was rushed to the Civil Hospital in Jhajjar city where he was declared brought dead, Sheshraj said.

He said the body had been handed over to the victims family members after a post-mortem and a case under Section 302 and Arms Act had been registered against Krishan on the complaint of Budhsains uncle Pradeep.

Sheshraj said raids were being conducted at possible whereabouts of Krishan to trace him.
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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 5

On the occasion of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattars birthday on Saturday, Industries and Commerce Minister Vipul Goel honoured meritorious students of 27 government schools of the Faridabad Assembly constituency by presenting them mementos that he had received during his tenure. The students, who had secured the first, second and third positions, were also given cash prizes of Rs 3,100, Rs 2,100 and 1,100, respectively.

The CM interacted with students through video conferencing. Children also cut a 65-kg cake and wished him a happy birthday. Khattar prayed for a better future of the children and praised Goel for the initiative.

Goel said Antyodaya is the vision of the Chief Minister and it would only be possible when government school students also receive equal facilities and opportunities. It would be his target to make schools in the Faridabad Assembly constituency number one in terms of employment-oriented education and facilities, he added.

Goel had auctioned his mementos and gifts at Surajkund in Faridabad on January 14 this year in which various industrial organisations and other institutions of Haryana, Delhi and other states had participated. A draft for Rs 2.52 crore raised through auction was received in the name of Prime Ministers National Relief Fund and was donated for the Namami Gange project.
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Sumedha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Gurugram, May 5

An 18-year-old BAMS student of Lal Bahadur Shastri Ayurvedic College in Yamunanagar was allegedly abducted from outside her college by her former classmate and was raped in a PG accommodation in Gururgam for three days.

The April 13 incident came to light after the girl came home on holidays and narrated her ordeal to her family. An FIR was registered on Saturday.

The accused was nabbed in the evening and had reportedly confessed to the crime.

According to police, accused Dharmender Gujjar alias Dhaman, a milkman by profession and a resident of Shakt Nagar area, was the victim's classmate in school in Jaipur three years ago. The two had become friends and were in touch on phone after that. While the accused had dropped out, the victim went to Yamunanagar to pursue her studies. The accused was allegedly forcing her for marriage but she was insisting on completing her studies, the police added.

In her police complaint, the victim's mother said, "On April 13, the accused reached my daughter's college and threatened to kill all of us if she did not come outside to meet him. Scared, she came out as Dhaman was waiting in a Scorpio with his friends Manan and Honey. They pushed her inside the car and brought her to Gurugram. Dhaman took her to a PG accommodation where he held her hostage for three days and repeatedly raped her. On April 17, Dhaman and Manan dropped her at college in the same car. He again threatened her of dire consequences if she spilled the beans. She did not tell anyone about the incident till she came home for holidays."

Claiming that Dhaman threatened to murder her, the girl said, "My parents phoned me when I was held captive and he made me talk normally so that they didn't suspect anything. I knew he was keeping an eye on me so I did not say anything till I came home."

The medical examination of victim has confirmed rape and her statement has been recorded. An FIR has been registered against Dharmender Gujjar alias Dhaman, Manan and Honey under Sections 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC at Women police station, Gurugram.
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Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, May 5

The Saraswati Sugar Mill, Yamunanagar, one of the largest sugar mills of India, has stopped making payments for cane to farmers due to a financial crisis.

The mill authorities took the decision recently and informed the Cane Commissioner, Haryana, about it in a letter on May 2.

According to information, the mill authorities have procured 157 lakh quintals of sugarcane worth Rs 518 crore up to May 4. However, they have paid Rs 441 crore to farmers till date. The payments have been made to those farmers who had supplied sugarcane up to April 12. The mill owes Rs 77 crore to farmers against the cane procured up to May, 4.

Sources said that crushing operations would continue in the mill at least for 15 more days and the mill would owe more than Rs 100 crore to farmers by the end of the crushing season.

The letter written by SK Sachdeva, Chief Operating Officer of the mill, to the Cane Commissioner reads that sugar price was about Rs 3,675 per quintal during November 2017 but it came down to Rs 2,715 per quintal in April 2018, a fall of about Rs 950 per quintal.

The unexpected decline in sugar price has adversely affected our drawing power from banks and the capacity to pay for cane to farmers during the current crushing season, resulting in discontinuation of cane payment after April 12, said Sachdeva in the letter.

DP Singh, Senior Vice President (Cane), Saraswati Sugar Mill, said that the mill was facing a crisis and unless the state government provides financial assistance, it would be very difficult for them to make payments to farmers during the current season for the remaining period.

The cost of production of sugar is Rs 3,350 per quintal against which sugar mills are realising Rs 2,725 per quintal, a loss of Rs 600 per quintal, said DP Singh.

Rambir Singh Chauhan, district president of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, said that they had called a meeting in Yamunanagar on May 8 to discuss the issue. Om Singh Dahiya, state president of the Sangh, would chair the meeting.
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Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 5

Two civilians were abducted on Saturday and later shot dead by suspected militants in Hajin village of Bandipora, taking the number of such killings to six this week.

The two civilians have been identified as 45-year-old Ghulam Hassan Dar and his 26-year-old nephew Bashir Ahmad Dar, both residents of Gulshan Mohalla of Hajin, a police official said.

The official said militants barged into their house on around 3:30 am on Saturday and abducted them. Their bodies were later found in a nearby locality, Raheem Dar Mohalla, the police said.

The police said preliminary investigation suggested involvement of the Lashkar-e-Toiba militants in the killings. A case has been registered and investigations have started, a police spokesman said.

The killing of the duo came within hours of a similar incident in Sopore, where suspected militants shot dead a civilian, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, and injured his wife.

The three killings have taken the number of such civilian killings, suspected to have been carried out by militants, to six in a week in the north Kashmir region. Earlier this week, three civilians were shot dead in evening hours near Baramulla town in north Kashmir.

Hajin has emerged as a stronghold of militants affiliated to the Lashkar-e-Toiba. The village had remained the headquarters of a dreaded counter-insurgency militia, which killed militants and their sympathisers.

In the past months, militants are suspected to have carried out several killings of civilians in the area on suspicion of their links with security forces. Last month, militants were suspected to have beheaded a young man in Hajin and left his body in an orchard on the village outskirts.

Cop shot at by militants

Anantnag: A policeman was shot at and critically injured by militants in Rohmoo village of Pulwama district on Saturday. He has been identified as Showkat Ahmad Dar, a special police officer (SPO), a resident of Rohmoo village in Pulwama. A senior police officer from the district said: Dar was intercepted near a local petrol pump by militants and shot at. He was taken to the Pulwama district hospital and then to Armys Base Hospital in Srinagar. He was in a critical condition when he was referred to Srinagar, a doctor at the district hospital said. In a statement, the police said the injured SPO was in a critical condition at the base hospital. oc
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 5

Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF personnel foiled a possible terror strike on Saturday killing three Lashkar-e-Toiba militants in the outskirts of the city after a five-hour operation, officials said.

Four security personnel were injured in the gunfight but all of them are stated to be stable.

The militants, according to the police, were planning to carry out the strike ahead May 7, when state government offices were to reopen in Srinagar after shifting from Jammu, the winter capital of the state.

Protesters clashed with security forces to disrupt the counter-insurgency operation.

The gunfight was triggered by a cordon and search operation launched by security forces at dawn in the citys Chattabal locality.

Locals said they heard intense exchange of gunfire in the morning as a large number of security forces rushed to the scene and sealed off the locality.

The firefight continued for nearly five hours and ended with the killing of three militants. Immediately after the gunfight erupted, mobile internet services were shut down and restrictions imposed in volatile pockets of the city.

The operation was swift and over in four hours with no collateral damage, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Range) Swayam Prakash Pani said here after the operation.

"On the basis of the materials recovered from the site, it was found that the terrorists belonged to the outlawed Lashkar-e-Toiba," he added.

One of the three militants was identified as Fayyaz Ahmed Hammal, who has been active for past one year.

Officials said he is an illiterate, about 30 years of age and a resident of Khanka-e-Mohalla in downtown of the city. He was involved in some cases related to weapon snatching and terrorising people.

Police officials believe that Hammal, who was earlier working at a printing press and an active stone-pelter, had been tasked to bring the two other militants, believed to be Pakistanis, to the city for carrying out an attack.

The other two, according to doctors, were suffering from gangrene, a disease which is a result of frosbite that militants get while infiltrating from across the region in extreme cold conditions.

The police said the second militant killed in the encounter has been identified as Showkat Ahmad Tak of Panzgam, a category A++ militant linked to LeT.

Besides three AK rifles, a huge quantity of ammunition, including five magazines each, and a medical kit were recovered from the militants, police said.

As the gunfight raged with intermittent pauses in Chattabal, a densely populated neighbourhood on edge of the city, clashes erupted between locals and security forces. The protesters tried to disrupt the counter-insurgency operation and pelted police and paramilitary forces with stones.

A civilian identified as Adil Ahmad Yadoo, who was wounded in unclear circumstances at Noorbagh near the site of gunfight, was rushed to hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, the police said.

The police said the youth died due to a crush injury in a road accident. The protesters, however, alleged that the youth was run over by a vehicle of security forces during clashes at Noorbagh.
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Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 5

Three Lashkar militants were on Saturday killed in a fierce gunfight that raged for hours in Srinagars densely populated Chatabal locality, even as a teenager pelting security personnel with stones was mowed down by an armoured police vehicle. This triggered a shutdown. The situation turned tense and clashes spread rapidly to volatile pockets.

The Chatabal locality was sealed in the wee hours and Internet services were suspended following credible leads, the police said. During the search operations, the militants opened fire and a gunfight ensued.

Lashkar-e-Toibas Fayaz Hamaal, a resident of Srinagars Khanqah-e-Sokhta locality, and Showkat Tak of Pulwama district were among those killed.

Hamaal is the fifth militant from Srinagar to have been killed in an encounter in recent months. The states summer capital was once considered free of militants. But the gunfight in the old city clearly points to the insurgencys widening footprint in the Valley.

Four security personnel too were injured in the gunfight. They were said to be out of danger.

Even as the gunfight raged in Chatabal, protests erupted in neighbouring areas. As locals clashed with security personnel to disrupt the counter-insurgency operation, teenager Adil Ahmad Yadoo was run over by a police vehicle.

The police initially claimed the boy had died in a road accident. It changed its stand after a video on the social media showed the teenager being mowed down by an armoured police vehicle.

Police officials believe that Hamaal, who earlier worked at a printing press and was an active stone-pelter, and his two accomplices were planning a major strike in the city.

Three assault rifles, a huge quantity of ammunition and a medical kit were recovered from the militants, the police said. Our first objective was to ensure that civilians in the vicinity were not harmed, IG (Kashmir Range) SP Pani said. The operation was swift and was over in four hours with no collateral damage, he said. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has condemned the killing of civilians in the past 24 hours in various parts of the Valley, reiterating that nobodys interests were served by such killings.

Taking note of the death of teenager Adil Ahmad , she asked the police to take cognisance and punish the guilty.(With PTI inputs)
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Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 5

Only two of the five BJP MLAs in Kathua district attended the District Development Board (DDB) meeting on Saturday.

The three-hour meeting held in Kathua, a BJP bastion, was chaired by BJPs Sham Choudhary, Minister for Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Flood Control.

The absentee MLAs comprised newly inducted Cabinet minister Rajeev Jasrotia, who is the Kathua MLA, former Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, who is the Billawer MLA, and former minister Choudhary Lal Singh, who is the Basohli MLA.

The two BJP legislators who attended the meeting were Hiranagar MLA Kuldeep Raj and Bani MLA Jeevan Lal. The lone Congress legislator from Kathua Balbir Singh also skipped the meeting.

In the past, the DDB meetings used to last 12 to 15 hours without any break, but todays meeting ended in just 3 hours. The DDB meeting is a platform where the MLAs can raise matters concerning the public but the absence of elected representatives shows their non-seriousness towards public grievances, an official, who attended the meeting, said on the condition of anonymity.

A senior BJP leader lashed out at the party MLAs for skipping the meeting. He said: They have personal issues and ego problem which have been costing Kathua dearly. Most of the BJP MLAs are not even on speaking terms with each other.

Sources said Rajeev Jasrotia preferred a public darbar at the party headquarters over the DDB meeting while former minister Lal Singh, who had to resign from the Cabinet last month for attending a Hindu Ekta Manch rally, was busy holding rallies in support of his demand for a CBI probe in the Kathua rape-murder case.

Party activists close to Nirmal Singh said he was not happy with the high commands decision to remove him from the post of the Deputy Chief Minister and had not ventured out in public domain since April 30 when the Cabinet reshuffle took place.

Despite repeated attempts to reach him on phone, Nirmal Singh was not available for comment.

The BJP, while riding high on the Modi wave, had won all five Assembly seats of Kathua district in the Assembly elections in 2014. A strong resentment has, however, been brewing against the BJP in Kathua for its dubious approach in dealing with the Kathua case.

Rasana villagers block ministers convoy

Kathua: Residents of Rasana village blocked the motorcade of Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Sham Choudhary and showed him black flags at Kootah Morh on the Jammu-Pathankot highway on Saturday. The minister was on way to attend a District Development Board (DDB) meeting in Kathua. Villagers have been protesting for the past over three months demanding a CBI probe into the Kathua case. After seeing people on the left side of the highway from a distance, the drivers shifted their vehicles to the right lane but the protesters blocked it too. Later, the BJP minister faced another protest on the Kalibari-Kathua road, where the agitating anganwadi workers blocked the traffic in support of their demands. The ministers motorcade diverted through another route to reach the Deputy Commissioners office in Kathua for the DDB meeting. OC
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Baramulla, May 5

Militants on Friday attacked the wife of a civilian, whom they had killed earlier in the day, in Baramulla district.

The victim has been admitted to the hospital and is in a critical condition.

Earlier, the civilian was shot dead by the militants in Baramullas Sopore area.

The civilian was identified as Mohammad Ashraf.

Earlier on Saturday, militants hurled a grenade at a police station in Pulwama district.

The grenade exploded just outside the station.

Police inside the station fired a few shots in the air to deter the attackers.

A search operation has been launched. No casualties have been reported yet. ANI
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Jammu, May 5

The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered detention of a former Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) militant under the Public Safety Act (PSA), apprehending that he may start recruiting innocent youths and provide them with arms and ammunition to revive militancy in the Kishtwar district, an official said on Saturday.

Kishtwar District Magistrate Angrez Singh Rana has issued order under the Act against Mohd Abdullah Gujjar, alias Dullah, alias Sher Khan, be detained for the maximum period, he said.

Gujjar is a resident of Sigdi Bhata village of Kishtwar district.

The Senior Superintendent of Police Kishtwar has submitted the dossier and material record in respect of Sher Khan for issuance of detention order under the provision of PSA, the order of DM reads.

After perusal of the record submitted by the SSP Kishtwar, the main activities of the subject are summarised, including that the subject remained an active militant of Harkatul Mujahideen (HuM) organisation from 2001 and have been named in more than nine FIRs, the DM said.

He was involved in motivating local youths to participate in their ulterior motives. He imparted training in handling arms and ammunition and recruited them in the said militant organisation, it said.

Gujjar was put in jail for the maximum period and was granted bail by a court in Kishtwar on April 28.

If Gujjar remains free, it will cause great danger to the security of the state as there is apprehension that he may again start recruiting youths and provide them arms and ammunition to revive militancy in the district and pose a threat to the sovereignty and security of the state, the order said.

The DM said I am satisfied with the view to prevent Mohd Abdullah Gujjar from such activities which are harmful to the security of the state and maintenance of public order in any manner.

The order of the DM Kishtwar stated that it is necessary to detain Gujjar under the provision of the J&K Public Safety Act. PTI
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Rifat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 5

Protests erupted at the University of Kashmir on Saturday over the disappearance of a contractual Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology.

Chief proctor of the university Naseer Iqbal said Assistant Professor Rafi Bhat from central Kashmir had held a class on Friday but did not reach home.

He held one class and left the university. He had called his family but did not reach home, the chief proctor said, adding that the professor had also met one of his friends after leaving the campus.

The official said the family of the missing teacher approached the university on Saturday morning. We have lodged a missing report with the police. They are investigating, he said.

Iqbal said the professor was working at the university for the past one year.

The students from the Department of Social Work and Sociology held a protest at the varsity on Saturday, demanding the whereabouts of the teacher.

We want the university to intervene and find the professor. As usual, he attended a class on Friday. The incident needs to be probed, said one of the protesting students.

Officials at the University of Kashmir have held a meeting and asked the police to speed up the process of finding the teacher.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Srinagar, May 5

Two men were kidnapped and later shot dead allegedly by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Saturday.

Militants barged into the houses of Ghulam Hassan Dar alias Hassan Rassa and Bashir Ahmad Dar--both residents of Gulshan Mohalla, Shahgund Hajin in north Kashmirs Bandipora districton Friday night and kidnapped them, a police official said.

At about 3.30 am on Saturday, the militants shot both of them dead, he said.

The bodies were found by the locals near a mosque at Raheem Dar Mohalla, Shahgund, the official said.

Hassan (45) was reportedly an uncle of Ahmed (26), a driver by profession.

Preliminary investigation suggests the involvement of outlawed terror outfit LeT in the incident, the official said.

A case has been registered and investigations taken up, he said. PTI
shalender@tribune.com

Actress Mahira Khan will be representing Pakistan at the 71st Cannes Film Festival later this month. The actress, who was named the first Pakistani brand ambassador for make-up giant L'Oreal last year, took to Instagram to share the news. Mahira shared a photograph of Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger at the 1977 Cannes and captioned it: "Cannes 2018, Let's do this!" She also took to Twitter and wrote: "My name is Cannes and I'm not a..." IANS
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Tribune News Service

Lucknow, May 5

Students of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) on Saturday protested near the Mahila Mahavidhyala road, seeking cancellation of FIRs registered against 12 students on the complaint of BHU chief proctor Royana Singh.

The FIRs have been filed under IPC Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 307 (attempt to murder) and 395 (dacoity) at the Lanka police station on Thursday night.

The confrontation between students and the chief proctor is related to Royana Singhs interview to a news channel describing last Septembers agitation against sexual assault on the campus as fostered by outsiders. She had reportedly said truck loads of pizza and cold drinks were supplied to sponsor the protest against the administration.

Following her interview, a delegation of students on Thursday went to meet the chief proctor. They wanted her to either give evidence to substantiate her claims or apologise for a baseless statement. However, the students claimed she did not meet the delegation. Sources said later, the students protested outside her office. When they were knocking at her office door, a piece of glass broke.

Royana Singh said she had quoted a section of the Justice VK Dikshit report (on the September campus violence) in the interview to the channel. The report has observed that outside elements saw an opportunity to stage the agitation.

She alleged students called on her without an appointment and attempted to barge into her office, broke the door glass, used derogatory language against her and threatened to get her thrown out.

Jinnahs portrait found in college washroom
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Mumbai, May 5

While most judges in the Bombay High Court tried to wrap up the pending matters and urgent hearings by 5 pm on Friday, the last working day before the summer break, one judge presided over his court until the wee hours of Saturday, hearing pleas that sought urgent interim relief.

Justice Shahrukh J Kathawalla presided over a packed courtroom till 3.30 am, hearing arguments and passing orders on petitions.

The courtroom was packed with senior counsels, lawyers and litigants, whose matters were being heard. There were over 100 civil petitions that had sought urgent interim relief, a senior counsel, who was present in the court till the judge rose from his seat, said.

While this is the first time Justice Kathawalla sat in the court till so late, two weeks ago, he had heard matters in his chamber till midnight.

Justice Kathawalla, even at that hour (3.30 am), was as fresh as one would be in the morning. My matter was one of the last ones to be heard. Even then the judge heard our arguments patiently and passed orders, another senior counsel, Praveen Samdani, said.

Justice Kathawalla often begins the court proceedings at 10 am, an hour earlier than the other judges, and hears matters beyond 5 pm, when the court shuts for the day.

A staff member of the courtroom said the judge was back in his chambers on Saturday morning to finish pending work.  PTI
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Banda (UP), May 5

A 35-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly hacked to death by an unidentified person in Uttar Pradeshs Mahoba district, police said on Saturday.

The incident took place on Friday at Gyodi village which comes under the jurisdiction of Khanna police station, SP N Kolanchi said.

Girija was attacked while she was working in the cattle shed at the house of a former village head, he said.

The axe used in the crime was found lying near the body, the SP said, adding that a case was registered. PTI
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London, May 5

Britain's Foreign Office minister Mark Field will arrive in New Delhi on Monday on a two-day India visit for high-level talks on strengthening the bilateral tech alliance.

The Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific, who is also in charge of India, will also hold talks on cyber security, energy and girls' education during his visit to New Delhi and Hyderabad.

His visit comes soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Theresa May launched the UK-India Tech Alliance in London last month.

"I am looking forward to visiting India once more to discuss a range of bilateral issues and build on the tremendous success of the recent visit to the UK by Prime Minister Modi," Field said.

"As two countries with a global outlook, the UK is committed to working with India to unlock the full potential of our trade and investment relationship," he said.

The minister said he will be meeting Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar and Amitabh Kant, CEO of Niti Aayog, to follow up on the "ambitious" set of deliverables that were agreed last month during the UK visit of Modi, specifically on the India-UK Tech Partnership.

While in New Delhi, the senior Conservative party MP will also visit ASHA - a civil society organisation working for women empowerment and the environment.

On Tuesday, Field will travel to Hyderabad to attend a roundtable on "Corporate Green Leadership" and also visit T-Hub, India's largest incubator housing over 200 start-ups.

He will also interact with rural girl students at Voice Camp, an event organised by civil society organisation Voice4Girls in collaboration with British Deputy High Commission (BDHC) Hyderabad.

Voice4Girls, a social enterprise, partnered with BDHC in a project on sensitisation of college students and adolescent girls on sexual harassment and safety in Hyderabad. - PTI
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Sultanpur (UP), May 5

Sending a strong message of communal harmony, a Muslim family in a nondescript village here got special cards printed for the Hindu invitees to their daughter's wedding.

Two sets of cards were printed separately for the Hindu and Muslim invitees for the wedding of Mohammad Salim's daughter, Jahana Bano, with Yusuf Mohammad on April 29 in Baghsarai village here.

"Around 250 to 300 cards were printed for the Muslim guests in traditional Islamic style, while 130 to 140 cards were printed for the Hindu invitees in the shape of a calendar (scroll) with the pictures of gods and goddesses," Mohammad Salim's son and the brother of the bride, Azad, told PTI.

Besides the pictures of Ram and Sita, the invitation card also had a "kalash" (pitcher), "diya" (earthen lamp), banana leaves and even a "pooja thali" (plate) with coconut, flowers and fruits -- all auspicous symbols for Hindus -- printed on it.

"It was the idea of the entire family...we have friends among the Muslims as well as the Hindus and the invitations had to be sent to them," Azad said.

"There was no objection to the special cards either from our relatives and friends or the groom's family," he added.

To a question on whether the family would follow the practice in the future, Azad said, "There is nothing wrong in it...it's only a gesture, welcoming them..."

Mohammad Salim said he would be happy if this gesture helped bridge the gap between Hindus and Muslims.

"It is a goodwill gesture for my Hindu brothers. If we show respect to their gods, they will definitely show respect to the Muslim community," he added. PTI
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Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 5

Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Saturday accused the state government of misusing Central funds while stating that the government which could not earn anything in a year was not fit to be given anything. She said the Congress regime should first fulfil the promises it made to the people before demanding anything from the Centre.

She said this while replying to a query whether Punjab would get anything on the lines of proposed Rs 13,650-crore package for Maharashtra to deal with the agrarian crisis. She was here to inaugurate a Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK).

The minister said, The state is already getting a lot of funds from the Centre, but where they are going? The state government employees are not getting salaries. Besides, the welfare schemes like pension, atta-dal and shagan scheme have been adversely hit. Apart from the Central grants, the state itself is generating revenue from various resources. They have also imposed professional tax on the salaried class and increased power tariff, but still they say their coffers are empty.

Talking about the PMKK, Harsimrat said these skill centres were being opened in 600 districts of the country. In Punjab, PMKKs would come up in Bathinda, Mansa, Sangrur, Barnala and Patiala. She inaugurated these centres at Bathinda and Mansa.
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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 5

Punjab affairs incharge of the AAP Manish Sisodia on Saturday announced a rich NRI, Rattan Singh Kakkar Kalan, as candidate for the Shahkot bypoll before leaving the media conference midway over barrage of questions on party chief Arvind Kejriwals apology to former Akali minister Majithia on the drugs issue.

Sisodia tried to defend Kejriwals apology saying it was a tactical move but chose to leave in a huff after more questions followed. Sisiodia said while leaving that he was addressing the press conference to reply to questions but not to enter in a debate or an argument.

Rattan Singh owns transport and construction companies in Dubai. He has been associated with the AAP since 2015. Sisodia said Rattan Singh had worked on the ground and party volunteers from Shahkot have chosen him.

Sisodia inaugurated partys state office in Mohali. He later held a meeting with party workers and zone leaders besides MLAs.

Barring two MLAs  Kanwar Sandhu and Manjit Bilaspur  others were present in the meeting.

In a press release, Sisoida said the party structure in the state would be expanded in the coming days to prepare for 2019 and 2022 elections.

Addressing the volunteers, office-bearers and legislators, Sisodia said it was great to see that just a five-year-old party was running a successful government in Delhi and performing the duty of an aware Opposition in Punjab that raised the voice of unheard. He said it was due to the pressure created by the AAP that a corrupt minister, Rana Gurjeet, had to resign in the first year of the formation of the government.
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Sumeer Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 5

Notwithstanding the change of guard at the helm and increase in drug prices, the menace of addiction continues unabated, as the availability of drugs in the interiors of the district has the youth as well as elderly still in its grip.

The prices of intoxicants and drugs are reported to have surged by more than 100 per cent in the past couple of years, but there is also a rise in the number of peddlers, particularly in the rural belt. As seizures and arrests spiralled, the peddlers who were into supplying poppy husk (bhukki) and opium conveniently switched to medical and synthetic drugs.

Most admissions at the state-run de-addiction centre in Bathinda are of either people hooked to intravenous drugs (injecting heroin directly to veins) or tramadol tablets (used for treating addicts), or even both in a few cases.

Talking to The Tribune, Gurpreet Singh (23), from a village situated on the Bathinda-Mansa road, said, "More than 70 per cent of males (mostly youngsters) in my village are into consuming tramadol tablets, while others are into 'chitta' (heroin). Until 2016, the price for 1 gm of heroin was around Rs 2,500, which has increased to more than Rs 5,000 now, but only a few addicts have managed to switch to alternative drugs. The price of tramadol has also increased from Rs 30 to Rs 100. The only change they have made is switching from sniffing 'chitta' to injecting it, as even a small quantity in taken this manner has greater effect."

Gurpreet had spent more than Rs 8 lakh in two years for purchasing heroin and marijuana, which he took as loan against his landholdings.

Another heroin addict under treatment, Harmanpreet Singh (27) from Chak Fateh Singhwala village, said, "Despite becoming more expensive, drugs are available easier now than before. Government claims on checking the drug menace are questionable as both availability and number of peddlers have increased. Harmanpreet, who is in the final stages of recovery from addiction, said, "I would only suggest to fellow addicts to visit a de-addiction centre."

More seek treatment

An annual increase of more than 2,000 addicts was recorded at the de-addiction centre in Civil Hospital, Bathinda. Many believe it is because of the increase in drug prices over the past year or so. Data from the centre reveals that while in 2016 as many as 5,773 addicts visited the centre, the number went up to 7,889 in 2017. Summer season is considered the peak time when addicts come to the centre. As many as 1,462 addicts sought treatment in May 2017, against 892 in May 2016. More than 80 per cent of them are from rural areas. They are into consuming tramadol tablets, heroin, poppy husk or alcohol.

Young bite the dust

Youths aged up to 25 years, and even some boys of 11, are hooked to either heroin or tramadol among other intoxicants. In 2016, as many as 64 youngsters visited the de-addiction centre at the government hospital for treatment, but in 2017 the number touched 98; most in the age group of 18 to 25. "We used to see five to seven young addicts seeking treatment on a quarterly basis until 2015, but the number has risen sharply in the past three years. And the majority of these young addicts are drop-outs of prominent academic institutions in the district. The actual number of young addicts, i.e., those not seeking treatment, would be quite high," said an employee of the centre.

Pleading anonymity, a former drug peddler told The Tribune, "Availability is not an issue if an addict is ready to shell out money. Increased prices don't deter addicts who can afford it. Most of those hooked to heroin have turned to injectible drugs. However, those who cannot afford even small quantities are left with no choice but to switch to cheaper drugs or go for de-addiction."

The kingpins of heroin smuggling are operating from New Delhi. Many of them are Nigerian nationals. The Bathinda police have arrested three Nigerians in the past. Besides, opium smuggling is also reported in the district.

Similar stories of easy drug availability are reported from Sangrur also. Mohan Sharma, director of Sangrur Red Cross de-addiction, said they had been receiving addicts from across the state. "I do not see any decline in the supply of drugs."

According to the Bathinda police, the cases registered under the NDPS Act doubled in 2017 as compared to 2016, but the quantity of material recovered dipped. In 2017, 546 cases were registered, against 246 in 2016. Heroin recovered in 2016 was 4.626 kg, which declined to 2.992 kg in 2017. However, the recovery of opium has gone up from 9.5 kg in 2016 to 15.9 kg in 2017.

Meanwhile, it has also come to light that the addicts are now mostly hooked to intoxicating pills and syrups, as these are easily available in chemist stores. In 2017, the Bathinda police recovered 3,26,185 intoxicating pills. Besides, the seizure of poppy husk stood at 2,758 kg in 2017.

The government may want to take note of the fact that despite increased efforts, a consistent picture is emerging - that of drug availability being as easy as ever.

(With inputs from Gagandeep Sharma in Bathinda and Parvesh Sharma in Sangrur)
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Our Correspondent

Tarn Taran, May 4

Nirvair Singh, a debt-ridden farmer of Bakipur village near here, reportedly attempted to strangulate himself when a team of bank officials came to auction his land.

A large number of farmers gathered at the spot and forced the officials to return without auctioning the land.

The farmer, along with his brother Sukhchain Singh, had taken a loan of Rs 3 lakh in 2005 for constructing a godown by pledging their land in the name of The Tarn Taran Agricultural Developmental Bank. The brothers had been paying the loan installments, but Rs 7 lakh was still pending.

The bank had issued a public notice for the auction of the land of the farmers at Government Elementary School in the village on Friday. When the team, led by Assistant Registrar (AR) Tejinder Kumar, came to the village to auction the land, Nirvair Singh attempted to commit suicide by strangulating himself, but was saved by his associates.

Farmers, who had gathered at the spot, raised slogans against the state government for not waiving their loans. The bank team returned without selling the farmers land.
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Tampa (US), May 5

SpaceX's unmanned Dragon cargo ship left the International Space Station today carrying 1,800 kilograms of gear and prepared to splash down in the Pacific Ocean by mid-afternoon, NASA said.

The white supply vessel detached from the orbiting outpost at 9:23 AM (local time), fired its engines three times and slowly began its journey to Earth.

"Release confirmed," said commentator Rob Navias on NASA TV, noting that separation occurred as the ISS was 411 kilometers above the Earth, passing over just south of Australia.

"Dragon is safely on its way."

A parachute-assisted splashdown is expected off the coast of California around 3 PM (local time), but will not be broadcast on NASA TV.

The spacecraft is bringing back a host of science experiments, including lab mice that were studied in orbit to see how their bones changed in microgravity.

"Other critical biological samples preserved in science freezers, such as plants, insects and human tissue, have also been transferred into Dragon for retrieval and analysis," said a NASA statement.

SpaceX's Dragon is currently the only cargo ship designed to return to Earth intact. The other US commercial supply ship, Orbital ATK's Cygnus cargo carrier, burns up on re-entry to Earth's atmosphere.

The cargo ship arrived April 4 after launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with 2,600 kilograms of food, supplies and science experiments to enable the study of thunderstorms, anti-cancer drugs, and technology to remove debris in orbit.

The mission was the 14th for SpaceX under a USD 1.6 billion contract with NASA to resupply the space station over multiple years. - AFP
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Manisha Gangahar

Offbeat, certainly, but quite alluring. Turning away from the regular tourist track in Kashmir, through the town of Sopore, is the drive into a very exquisitely rustic valley of Lolab. That it is a block of Kupwara district  the backward frontier district  might be a little ruffling but locals would help settle any fear in no time. Almost a two-hour drive from Srinagar, Lolab valley is well connected to the states capital city, and it could be just a day visit and back. But a better plan would be to go ahead, right up to the last village on this side of the LoC and return by another route.

Locally known as Wadi-e-Lolab and traversed by the Lahwal stream, the valley is a treat of nature. Forests of pine, deodar and fir, orchards of apples and apricots, fields of rice and gushing hotsprings, with Himalayas looking down from the horizon, one could just wander endlessly. A quick halt at Seemab valley, at the entry point of Lolab, serves as a preface to the narrative that shall unfold. A natural graphic splendour and enduringly spurting water of Daal Kul is quite welcoming. The narrow road, though nicely carpeted, twirls around the wooden, humble abodes of villagers. A kiosk opened in one of them would offer the basics to nibble and the special loon chai of Kashmir.

A query to a passerby would surely lead to a chat  where from, how long, what all seen  and finally directions to the next spot. A discerning traveller ought to make the most of such conversations picked up by the road, for along with vital information comes indigenous tales, some true, some perhaps not  Lolab is named after Maharaja Lolo, and there are caves that open into Russia. While the former could be a dry history note, the latter whets the appetite for the unexplored.

Just a wonderland tale, or perhaps a local myth, but the caves of Kalaroos certainly exist as one drives up a steep, narrow, rugged village road that ends at a meadow. A climb of another 3 km on foot brings one to a colossal monumental rock called Sattbaran. The seven doors, as it means in Kashmiri, are clearly chalked out, though not more than 3 ft in height, but there is no entry. The architectural piece, half-buried, is a ruin, yet a marvel, with more than one fable wrapped around it. For some, the seven doors lead to seven routes to Russia; for others, it is a reminder of the past when Pandavas travelled through these landscapes, and there are a few who say it is the debris of an ancient Pattan temple. Nevertheless, it is the awe-striking structure that stands alone and the idyllic Lolab is spread across.

A walk ahead into the Madmadav jungles leads to the Kalaroos caves. Nobody knows where does the other side open, or if it opens at all. Could there be water bodies inside? But standing just at the entrance, the cool breeze and a peculiar sound leave you wondering. Again, there are stories of people who have tried to discover the way through the caves but the mystery remains.

The return to less perplexing landmarks ends at Chandi Gham, a fascinating camping site amid the lush forests. Trekking and mountain biking are distractions for the more adventure-loving. A few kilometres away from Chandi Gham is another peculiar spot, Dooruswani, which offers a glimpse into the innate lifestyle of villagers, contended in their thatched-rood houses.

The Lolab valley may not be as majestic and overwhelming but it excels in idyllic and sylvan beauty  land of love and beauty, as it has often been referred to by poets and writers.
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Eesha Duggal

In February 2010, Bua Sr of the Andaman Islands took to her grave Bo, an ancient tribal language spoken in the Andaman Islands. She was the last person to speak Bo, which was among the 10 great Andamanese languages thought to be as old as the pre-Neolithic human settlement of South-East Asia.

It is said every 14 days, a language dies. Like Bo, thousands of world languages are hanging by a thread or worst still, have already disappeared into thin air. A loss of a language to a culture is like loss of a mother, thats why a Census Directorate report and a list prepared by Unesco recently calling 42 Indian languages and dialects endangered is so worrying for the country.

Of these, four dialects  Sirmauri, Baghati, Hinduri and Pangwali  are from Himachal Pradesh. The report has evoked a mix of shock and surprise, but above all, it has alerted the authorities to buckle down.

The crusaders

In Himachal, the dialect changes every few miles. Though the official language is Hindi, there are more than 30 dialects spoken in the state. Among the four dialects in crisis, Sirmauri is spoken in Sirmaur, Pangwali in the Pangi valley of Chamba, Hinduri in Nalagarh and Baghati in Solan. Each one is heading towards the uncertain because of varied reasons.

Vidyanand Sarek is a popular Pahari litterateur and folk artiste from Rajgarh, Sirmaur. Though he agrees that there has been some decrease in the number of Sirmauri speaker, he says the surveys conducted at their own level indicate that Sirmauri is still spoken in the region by a large number of people. Sirmauri is the first language of not just the people of Sirmaur, but it is also spoken in some parts of Uttarakhand, adds Sarek.

The 78-year-old expert has dedicated his life to the cause of Sirmauri culture. In January, he received a national award from President Ram Nath Kovind for his contribution to folk culture.

Sarek has been an important figure in the promotion of the dialect for decades. Besides translating over 20 poems of Rabindranath Tagore and Ramayana in Sirmauri, he has written many books and several thousand folk songs. With his undying inclination towards folk culture, he has played a critical role in the preservation of two dance forms  Bharaltu and Singhtu.

Even as his prowess in Sirmauri folk dances, music and literature has earned him a name at the national level, his contribution to the Sirmauri art and culture is what he will be remembered for the generations to come.

Besides Sarek, more than 10 NGOs are working for the preservation of Sirmauri. Prominent among them are the Chudeshwar Loknritya Mandal, Rajgarh, and Sadhna Kala Manch, Sirmaur district.

Commit to paper

Any dialect would die if it is not preserved in the form of a written word. In the study and conservation of Baghati, work of late Dr Ishwari Dutt Sharma will remain an important document. An acharya of grammar at Government Sanskrit College, Solan, Sharma did his PhD in Baghati from Panjab University in 1979. His thesis The lexical study of Baghati is not only a rare document, but it is also said to be the first doctorate study in the dialect. He was also the co-author of a Pahari dictionary compiled by the Himachal Government. His son, Vimal Sharma, technical director at National Informatics Centre, Shimla, says his father's rare work in Baghati should be taken care of by the authorities for future references. One department alone cannot save our dialects. Besides the language and culture department, tourism and education departments must join hands and find ways to promote the state dialects, says Vimal.

Preserving the mother tongue of the Pangwals is Tubari, a monthly Pangwali magazine being published in the remote and rugged Pangi valley for seven years. It also has an online portal, which publishes works of Pangwali writers and poets while also promoting the folk music of the region.

Why are dialects dying?

One of the many reasons why a dialect dies is simply because people stop speaking it.

KR Bharti, who was the SDM, Pangi, from 1986 to 1989, says, Pangi is a very small place and sparsely populated. As per the 2011 census, the population was about 17,500, so as such the language is spoken by very few people. Now, even that small population has started moving out. People from Pangi are getting settled in Chamba, Kullu or Jammu for job prospects or other reasons. Their children grow up and adapt the language of those areas.

English has become the lingua franca in all private schools across the state. How will our native languages survive when our dining table conversations are in English and not our local dialects?

Another reason for the dying dialects is immigration from other places, like in the case of the Solan and Nalagarh regions where Baghati and Hinduri are spoken, respectively. Solan is the fastest growing city of HP and is witnessing settlement of people from neighbouring states. Nalagarh, being an industrial area, has also been a magnet for people from all over the country. The population of these regions has become bilingual. This hotchpotch of languages has led to a tremendous cultural transformation, says Bharti.

Government efforts

The State Language, Art and Culture Department has taken cognisance of the fact that some Himachali dialects are under threat and need urgent attention.

Rupali Thakur, Director, State Language, Art and Culture Departmen, says the Unesco report is a matter of concern for the state and its culture. She says as a quick response, the department organised a 'Pahari Saptah' from March 19 to 24 this year, the focus of which was the endangered dialects of Himachal. "Participants from all four regions, where these dialects are spoken, presented research papers and discussions were held on the need for having a common script. The suggestions given during the event will be compiled in a report and sent to the Government of India. We need to have a statutory body and a scheme for the prevention of dialects, she says.

Vinod Bhardwaj, senior editor of Giriraj Weekly, a newspaper of the Himachal Government, says the paper has been publishing works of Pahari writers for many years. Himbharti, another publication, has also been instrumental in promoting Pahari writers.

Anil Harta, language officer at Nahan, Sirmaur, says the State Language and Culture Department has been organising declamation competitions in schools and colleges to encourage students to speak in their first language. Every year on November 1, we organise Pahari Kavi Sammelan in schools. The state government has recently directed the educational institutes to organise interactive programmes for students where Pahari languages are encouraged. The HP Languages, Art and Culture Academy has been directed a compile a Pahari dictionary and send it to schools and colleges, so that the vocabulary of state dialects can be preserved, says Harta.

He says many NGOs are also collaborating with government to give an impetus to Himachali dialects. Besides, All India Radio, Shimla, has a dedicated air space for programmes in dialects in question, including Pangwali and Sirmauri.

When a language becomes extinct, it takes with itself an entire culture, its idiosyncratic sense of humour, a way of living, its people's unique identity and an entire knowledge system. Even as the world is witnessing a tragic death of some rare languages, it is also seeing the revival of some. Through the concerted efforts of people and governments, vulnerable languages and dialects can regain their lost glory. A language is a culture's pride and it should be worn like a crown by its people. May no language be abandoned. Let there never be the last speaker.

TANKRI REVIVAL

Tankri script, in which Pahari languages were written, fell into disuse after Independence. Since then, its revival has been a major challenge for the state. Understanding the collective responsibility, Harikrishan Murari, a writer, has taken up the task of resurrecting Tankri. The 65-year-old resident of a Kangra village learnt writing the script in 1986 at a workshop along with a few other young men. He was the only one to pursue his interest with passion and kept finding variations in the alphabets. One of his most illustrious works have been translating centuries-old Tankri land deeds into Devanagari, including those found from Bhootnath and Naina Devi temples of the state. Murari has also made a Tankri primer, which is with the HP Languages, Art and Culture Academy. Though he has been contributing to various magazines and weekly newspapers, at least five to six of his own books haven't been published due to financial reasons. If printed, his work can go a long way in reviving the script.

RESCUE THE MOTHER TONGUE: WHAT CAN BE DONE

Encourage use of mother tongue at home

Include regional languages and dialects in school curriculum

Organise music, dance, literary competitions and youth fests at regular intervals

Encourage setting up of more community radio stations as these target a small population and can go a long way in promoting the use of local dialects

All India Radio can conduct field visits in far-flung areas of the state and record traditional 'sanskar geet'

Short films in regional dialects can play a vital role in drawing the attention of youngsters to their first language

UNESCO ON LANGUAGES
Saba Naqvi

Saba Naqvi

In a private conversation, a figure in the Karnataka BJP whom I have known for some years told me that the state unit is a mess, the main figures are talentless (one of whom he described as a fool), everyone is potentially or actually corrupt, but the party he says will still do well. Why I asked. Because we have Narendra Modi, he said, and that is why the BJP has been sweeping the country.

His thesis, therefore, is that the BJP is currently a one-man show and Modi has an image and an aura that insulates him from the sheer mediocrity of his co-travellers in the states. The state leaders, from the new CM in Tripura (who landed his foot in his mouth last week) to the hopefuls in Karnataka, he described as sub-standard. From the Modi campaign conversely there are great expectations: in rallies in different regions of Karnataka, hell be picking up different themes to give fresh news pegs, amplify the message and press all the subliminal buttons about the many sub-regions of Karnataka, ethnicity, history and identity. India is Modi and Modi is India, this individual told me.

Two days later, I went to Ahmedabad for a public function and later visited an old friend Achyut Yagnik, co-author of the seminal work, The Shaping of Modern Gujarat. Since he had observed the evolution of the Modi persona in Gujarat, I asked how the leadership template established in Gujarat by the current PM when he was CM, got carriage in the rest of India. Yagnik saw it as a result of the ever-expanding Hindu middle class across India that he believed buys the messaging that the BJP and media has been putting out relentlessly. This middle class should not be presumed to be upper caste, as OBCs and Dalits, too, are entering the strata, he added. They like the idea of a strong leader who they believe give them the much craved for respect across the globe.

I agreed. Beyond the traditional Varna system there is now the spread of several mass-based large religious sects that have enhanced a certain idea of congregational Hinduism. Karnataka is full of religious sects and orders besides those run by Lingayats. Travelling there I found that some non-BJP voters thought well of Narendra Modi even in seats where they thought poorly of the local BJP candidate.

Within the Karnataka BJP I found two types of state leaders. The traditional middle of the road constituency politician and those who succeed because of communally loaded politics. Take a figure such as Jagadish Shettar, five-term sitting MLA of Hubli-Dharwad central, who was chief minister for a brief spell at a time when BS Yedyurappa had to leave the chair due to corruption cases. Shettar is from a Jan Sangh and ABVP background yet says that communal posturing does not work for him. He admits that there is a section in the party that responds to pitched rhetoric and finds use for it, but it would not go down well with his voters in Hubli. The town he pointed out had been very communally sensitive during the era of the Ram temple movement and he does not find it prudent to play with such issues. (The Hubli Idgah maidan riots, it may be recalled, had in 1994 landed several local BJP figures and Uma Bharti in long drawn cases).

Caste is now more central to the campaign in the seat. All the three parties have fielded Lingayat candidates in the Hubli-Dharwad seat but Shettar takes the position that the granting of minority status is not an attack on Hindu unity but a non-issue. We are all united and it is the media that raises such issues, he told me. One can only presume that Shettar is at variance with the rhetoric of other BJP leaders, because in his constituency there would be some Lingayats who gain from getting a minority status.

On the other side of the pole that exists within the BJP is the three-term sitting MLA from Chikmagalur, CT Ravi. His main pre-occupation seems to be with what he calls Hindu issues. He talks of Tipu Sultan being a disputed personality and informs that he used Persian in his courts (as evidence of anti-Hindu instincts). There are more lessons and conspiracies about local history. A popular Sufi shrine known locally as Baba Budan Giri, he insists is a Hindu temple and gives a lecture on the documentation he claims to have. Broadly, he wants a popular Sufi figure should be declared as part of the Hindu pantheon. Hindus, he says, must assert their identity at every opportunity.

When the results are out the BJP would assess whether the more measured leaders delivered the goods or those who brought long dead Muslim sultans and Sufis into the discourse. On that too will depend the calibration of ideology or what the cadre calls emotional issues in the state elections that now lead up to the 2019 national election. Being a pragmatist, Narendra Modi will pitch the deliveries accordingly.
The Independent, Reuters & IANS

Indians are the third most frequent travellers in the Asia-Pacific region, with an average 7.6 flights a year, according to the Expedia Flight and Hotel Etiquette Survey 2018.

The online travel agency has released the results of the 2018 Flight and Hotel Etiquette study, an annual survey on flight and hotel behaviour of travellers across 23 countries.

The survey was conducted online across North America, Europe, South America and Asia-Pacific using an amalgamated group of best-in-class panels. The study covered 18,229 respondents  793 from Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune.

The survey results pointed out that Indians were at the top spot - with 59 per cent globally - of those who often engage in a conversation when sitting next to someone they dont know. It revealed that 70 per cent Indian travellers also dread sitting next to someone who talks too much.

Indian travellers prefer big chain hotels (29 per cent) followed by vacation/holiday rental (22 per cent), boutique hotel (15 per cent) and short-term room rental (11 per cent) the most.

The least preferred accommodations include hostels (39 per cent) and bed and breakfasts with shared bathrooms (29 per cent).

The findings are a testimony of the growth in traffic being experienced by the aviation industry as Indians are the third most frequent travellers in Asia-Pacific region, with average 7.6 flights per year after Thailand and Japan, said Manmeet Ahluwalia, marketing head of Brand Expedia.

Some other findings of the survey are that majority of Indians (79 per cent) prefer window seat. Also, 53 per cent of Indians recline their seats only when they are going to sleep and 48 per cent recline if it's a long flight (3 hours or more).

Greece starts up

Greek student Stavros Tsompanidis was walking on a beach when he saw a business idea in dried-up seagrass. He decided to recycle it to make iPhone cases, sunglasses and gift boxes.

Four years on, his startup, PHEE, sells its products across Greece and abroad. He represents a change in mindset among young Greeks who are turning to entrepreneurship as a result of the crisis.

If we dont act, in the next five years well be saying the same things: that Greece isn't going well, that there are no jobs ... that we have a new programme by the International Monetary Fund and European Union to support us, the 25-year-old said.

Like India, which saw an addition of over 1,000 startups in the last fiscal and their number swell to 19, 000 (Economic Survey), Greece, too, is witnessing a startup revolution.

Only just recovering from the great financial crisis of 2008, the Greek economy has shrunk by a quarter and cut off traditional routes to employment. During the crisis thousands of firms shut and unemployment peaked at 27.9 per cent, with six in 10 young job-seekers out of work. About 223,000 Greeks aged 25-39 emigrated in 2008-13 to richer countries, central bank data shows.

But things are changing, with startups creating jobs and offering some hope that Greece can reverse an exodus of its highly skilled youth. It can take a cue from Indias burgeoning startup ecosystem, which according to talent assessment firm MeritTrac, will create three lakh employees by 2020. Indian startups employed about 50,000 to 60,000 people in the last financial years itself.

Even though Greece has no official startups register, several private databases show they number between around 600 and 1,100. The earliest count of startups, made in 2010 by non-profit advisory Endeavour Greece, stood at just 16.

Bhutan the carbon sink

Most countries in the world have a positive carbon footprint, meaning that they emit more CO2 than their forests absorb. But one country is different. Yes, only one.

Nestled between China and India, Bhutan is the only carbon-negative country in the world. This means that their forests are able to absorb more carbon dioxide than is emitted.

The sovereign state is made up of about 800,000 citizens, and the countrys commitment to sustainable energy is part of its national identity.

Bhutans prime minister Tshering Tobgay said in a 2016 TED Talk via National Geographic: Our enlightened monarchs have worked tirelessly to develop our country, balancing economic growth carefully with environmental sustainability all within the framework of good governance.

In fact, sustainability is built into the countrys constitution, and legislation commands that a minimum of 60 per cent of the countrys total land area must be forested at any one time. In 2015, a team of 100 Bhutanese set a world record by planting 49,672 trees in one hour.

The country also has a detailed river network that is used to generate much of the countrys electricity, and its policy of decarbonisation makes this landlocked country at the forefront of honouring the Paris climate agreement.

Trumps excellent health

A doctors letter lavishing praise on Donald Trumps astonishingly excellent health was not written by the Republicans physician at the time, according to claims in US media.

Dr Harold Bornstein, who was Trumps doctor for 35 years until he entered the White House, told the CNN his billionaire patient actually dictated the whole letter in December 2015 before the Trump campaign released it to the media.

At the time, the language of the letter  which claimed Trump would be the healthiest president ever elected  raised eyebrows.

He dictated that whole letter. I didnt write that letter, Dr Bornstein told the CNN. I just made it up as I went along.

The White House has not yet commented on Dr Bornsteins allegation, but it comes following a separate interview with NBC News in which the physician claimed his offices were raided by White House officials in 2017, and that Mr Trumps original medical records were all seized.

The new claims are the opposite of what Dr Bornstein said just over two years ago, when he put his name and signature to the hyperbolic letter. Of Trump, it said: His physical strength and stamina are extraordinary.

Bdesh cyber heist

Bangladesh would consider an out-of-court settlement with a bank in the Philippines over $81 million stolen from its accounts in New York by hackers who wired the money to Manila, Bangladesh central bank officials have said. In one of the world's biggest cyber heists, the hackers stole the Bangladesh Bank money held at the New York Fed in February 2016 using fraudulent orders on the SWIFT payments system and sent it to Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.

From there, it disappeared into the casino industry in the Philippines. No one has been charged for the heist despite an international investigation. "There is an option before us to settle the issue out of court," a senior official at Bangladesh's central bank said.

The official, who declined to be identified, cited as a precedent an out-of-court settlement in February reached by Ecuador's Banco del Austro and Wells Fargo over a 2015 cyber heist.

Bangladeshs finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith recently met Carlos Dominguez, Finance Secretary of the Philippines in Manila to discuss the cyber heist, said two senior central bank officials close to the issue.

Sources: The Independent, Reuters & IANS
Manmeet Singh Gill in Amritsar

Manmeet Singh Gill in Amritsar

An extra Rs 110 per day that they get for preparing a mat from water hyacinth, an aquatic weed, means a lot for 14 women from Churian village near Harike wetland. The womens group has recently got their first biggest commercial order to prepare 200 file folders from Punjab Energy Development Agency. Sometime back the women had completed an order for 40 file-folders for the forest department and received Rs 10,000 as remuneration at a rate of Rs 250 per file.

In 1999, the aquatic weed common in water bodies had necessitated Operation Sahyog by the Army at Harike to clear the wetland as it had covered almost the entire area.

Now PEDA has given them Rs 25,000 as advance. The remaining amount (Rs 25,000) would come as soon as the order is complete, said Kusum Nehra, a community development officer with tourism department who is responsible for upgrading the skills of these women.

Now we have Rs 35,000 in our groups account. We would use it only to buy adhesives, colours and other materials. No one would get any money unless we get another order, says Kulwinder Kaur (40), the eldest member of the group. We can make one mat per day along with attending to kitchen, children and animals. We cannot ignore other works, says Baljinder Kaur, another member.

With only 40 families in this village of marginal farmers, many of whom have turned truck drivers and are in other such jobs to supplement their income, the women are entrusted with the job to look after vegetable crops, animals and poultry. We can make more mats, file folders and other artefacts if we were to do only this. But it is better this way, doing it in free time, says Manpreet Kaur.

From coastal Kerala

In rural areas, women hardly have any control and accessibility to cash. A little cash in hand enhances their self-esteem. And if they have earned it themselves, they feel empowered, says Baljit Singh, the community organizer with the department.

The craft of making artefacts from water hyacinth travelled to Harike for the first time from coastal Kerala with Atma Singh, a beldar with wildlife department. He was sent by the wildlife department for training in 2013. The purpose was to find use for weed which threatened to kill the wetland. For years, with support from officials, Singh imparted training to local women to make artefacts.

The truth is nobody is going to come to Churian and buy these goods. These have to be marketed. These women cannot do it on their own, he says, adding that he had gone to to Jalandhar for a three-day sale-cum-exhibition, but had to return earlier as all items were sold the same day. Singh says a good market is needed to sustain the effort.

A similar initiative to make artefacts from water hyacinth is also underway at Keshopur Chamb. But the length of water hyacinth in Harike is better than Keshopur Chamb which makes it better for making artefacts, says Atma Singh.

While Atma Singh and women from Churian are concerned about the next order, KL Malhotra, forest conservation specialist with Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board, is confident. We have prepared a catalogue of items being crafted by these women. Shortly we would also launch a website to promote the craft, says Malhotra. He says there are plans to supply slippers made from the weed to hotels.

Many hotels have started using cloth chappals in hotel rooms. If we are able to convince them to use our eco-friendly slippers, there would be a lot of work for these women and we would have to train more hands, he said. Malhotra says 16 people are trained for Assam; they are now training others.

A popular craft in north-eastern states and coastal Kerala, the artisans in these areas are skilled to even make furniture items using the weed.

Water hyacinth

It is scientifically known as eichhornia crassipes and called Kalali in local parlance. It is one of the fastest growing weeds but it has no use for local population; it is either used as fodder or fuel. Apart from obstructing the water flow, it is also threatens the aquatic life as it blocks the sunlight from reaching down to aquatic plants and starving the water of dissolved oxygen, which leads to death of aquatic life.

In handicraft industry due to its soft petiole and spongy natural fibre with great affinity to basic colours and natural dies, it can be put to wider use. A highly invasive species with its origin in Brazil, it is believed first to be brought to West Bengal by a British woman as an ornamental plant.

About Harike

It lies at the confluence of Satluj and Beas. The sanctuary (also known as Hari-ke-pattan) is spread over 86 sq km in three districts  Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Ferozpur. With thousands of migratory birds coming here every winter, the wetland also shelters Indus Dolphins and Seven Star Turtle. As per official records, the wetland has so far recorded 242 species of migratory birds visiting the area in a year. The number of species has decreased drastically in the last two decades due to environmental degradation, poaching and encroachments.
shalender@tribune.com

Dehradun, May 5

As many as 20 pilgrims from Rajasthan got injured in a bus-truck collision at Gauchar in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. They were on their way to Badrinath shrine.

The mishap took place on Saturday morning when a bus (UK 07 PC 0410) carrying pilgrims from Rajasthan to Badrinath shrine collided with a truck and a tree at Gauchar, resulting in injuries to around 20 passengers.

The injured were rushed to the nearest Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force hospital. Three persons, who suffered serious injuries, have been referred to Rudraprayag government hospital.  TNS
editorial@tribune.com

Dehradun, May 5

Over 700 villages in Uttarakhand have been deserted and more than 3.83 lakh people have left their villages in the last 10 years with half of them going out in search of livelihood, according to an interim report prepared by the Rural Development and Migration Commission.

Fourteen villages, situated close to the border with Nepal and Tibet, have been abandoned owing to lack of education, health and livelihood opportunities, it says.

In all, 734 villages (Tok in the hilly areas and Majra in non-hilly areas) have become de-populated, says the report on the status of migration in gram panchayats of Uttarakhand, released on Saturday by Chief Minister TS Rawat.

In the last 10 years, 1,18,981 people have permanently migrated from their villages, while 3,83,726 persons from 6,338 gram panchayats were forced to leave in search of jobs. However, they continue to visit their villages on and off, says the report. It says that in the panchayats that were surveyed, 50 per cent of the inhabitants had left their villages in search of jobs, another 15 per cent for lack of education and 8 per cent for health facilities.

Equally, around 850 villages have been populated by people who have migrated from other villages and towns in the last 10 years. Then, there are 565 revenue villages where the population has been reduced to 50 per cent after the 2011 census. Out of these, six villages lie close to the international border.

Significantly, around 42 per cent of the inhabitants who have migrated are in the age group of 26 to 35 years.

Rawat said his government is focusing on education, health and providing jobs. We have appointed 1,131 doctors and introduced telemedicine; in the next few years, we plan health facilities within a 10-km radius.

Commission vice-chairman SS Negi said a team of three undertook a door-to-door survey.  TNS
sanjiv@tribunemail.com

Vikas Datta

A huge statue of Karl Marx was unveiled in his birthplace in the German city of Trier to mark his 200th birth anniversary on May 5  and it was donated by the Chinese government. But wasnt Chinas move towards market capitalism, even more than the Soviet Unions demise, the final epitaph for this political economist who had sought to warn us of the crisis of capitalism?

Evidently not. As the 2008 crisis and the subsequent backlash against globalisation, the fears of unbridled capitalism and the apprehension over the virtual economy and technology shows, Marx (1818-83) may have been wrong on a lot of things, but right on others. As such, his relevance has only increased, not decreased in our neo-liberal age.

For one, his theory that society has economic drivers, not just by the ownership of the means of production but also by the relationship between the owners and workers, has been validated. So has been his view of capitalisms propensity for monopolyborne out by the spate of acquisitions of smaller companies, by bigger ones, especially technology firms.

And then we have long owed to Marxeven though indirectlybenefits like minimum wages, worker protection, welfare systems and social security, unions, paid holidays, scholarship and a progressive income tax, among others.

He is also considered to be one of the founders of modern social sciences, and as a talented economist, helped the world understand capitalismconceded by no less than billionaire businessman George Soros.

The spectre he warned of in the 19th century may not have come true when his and his associate Friedrich Engels The Communist Manifesto came out in 1849, for capitalism then was still foundering, local, fragmented and timid, as former Greek Finance Minister Yannis Varoufakis wrote in an article for The Guardian.

And yet Marx and Engels took one long look at it and foresaw our globalised, financialised, iron-clad, all-singing-all-dancing capitalism. Anyone reading the manifesto today will be surprised to discover a picture of a world much like our own, teetering fearfully on the edge of technological innovation, said Varoufakis.

He also contends that the manifesto proved itself albeit belatedly as it took the Soviet Unions decline and fall and the insertion of two billion Chinese and Indian workers into the capitalist labour market for its prediction to be vindicated.

Even The Economist, otherwise no fan, terms Marx a brilliant thinker and holds his diagnosis of capitalisms flaws is surprisingly relevant, for the post-war consensus that shifted power from capital to labour and produced a great compression in living standards is fading and capitalism is again out of control.

And it is also obvious why China still venerates him. Its rise from one of the worlds poorest countries to an economic powerhouse, even before it labelled its new approach socialism with Chinese characteristics, was more on Marxist linesas Linda Yueh argues in the The Great Economists (2018)  than what Lenin and his party did in Russia.

It was actually Marxs identification with his works initial but most long-lasting practical manifestationthe Soviet Unionthat accounts for most of the opprobrium with which he was, and is, viewed. However, this was a modified form of Marxism, for Lenin, who was an immensely gifted political theorist but intensely practical too, had majorly transformed it.

Marxism-Leninism changed the focus from an industrialised state to a developing one, conceived a party to serve as a vanguard for the peasants and workers to seize power, and in the process, gave an entire new meaning to the dictatorship of the proletariat. Consequently, Marx became identified with a totalitarian system.

But, he was more of a theorist than a man with a definite vision (as like Lenin or Mao were), and he did change his mind on various issues, especially his dismissal of bourgeois democracy as a means to ameliorate the lot of the proletariat.

And then Marx was not only about economics. Among his talented group of defenders, Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci and the Frankfurt School of sociologists and cultural theorists showed his theories also explained culture and mass media.

There is much we still need to learn from Marxand (paraphasing him) have nothing to lose but our ignorance.  IANS
editorial@tribune.com

Trier, May 5

Germany marked the 200th anniversary of Karl Marxs birth on Saturday, but celebrations risked being marred by protests as the revolutionary philosopher remains a divisive figure almost three decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Marxs birth city of Trier led commemorations, with 600 events planned around the 19th-century scholar hailed for foretelling the ills of capitalism.

The centrepiece was the unveiling of a 18-foot tall statue  a gift from communist China. But it is also before the statue that the association representing victims of communism have called protests against the thinker they blame for inspiring Stalinist regimes.

Born on May 5, 1818, Marx developed his theories as the Industrial Revolution gathered pace. His works subsequently became compulsory course material in communist regimes.

Due to Marxs reputation as the Father of Communism, he was largely derided in the former capitalist West Germany during the Cold War. But since reunification, and particularly over the past decade, unbridled capitalism and its discontents have fuelled renewed interest in Marxs work. His theories on inequality and oppression of the working class find resonance today as societies once again see social and political upheaval.  AFP
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Dubai, May 5

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has criticised the ban imposed on popular messaging app Telegram by the conservative-run judiciary, saying the move was the opposite of democracy.

Iran blocked Telegram  widely used by Iranians, the state media, politicians and companies  earlier this week to protect national security, state television said, weeks after a similar move by Russia.

Iran had been considering the ban since January when protests over economic grievances erupted in more than 80 cities and later turned into demonstrations against the clerical and security elite.

Some officials said protesters used Telegram to organise rallies, which were ultimately contained by the Revolutionary Guards and their affiliated volunteer Basij militia. The app was temporarily blocked in January.

Failure to follow legal procedures and the use of force and judicial means is ... the opposite of democracy, Rouhani, a pragmatic cleric who has advocated expanding social freedoms, said in an Instagram post late on Friday.

The filtering and blocking of Telegram was not carried out by the government which does not approve of it, said Rouhani, who has opposed restricting access to social media.

Rouhanis powers are dwarfed by those of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who is close to conservatives and hardliners.

Irans Shiite Muslim clerical rulers are wary of any revival of anti-government unrest should President Donald Trump refuse to extend U.S. sanctions relief on Iran on May 12, a deadline he set for European signatories of Irans 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers to fix flaws in the accord.

Government filtering prevents Iranians from accessing many internet sites on the official grounds that they are offensive or criminal. But many Iranians evade the filtering through the use of VPN software, which provides encrypted links directly to private networks abroad, and can allow a computer to behave as if it is based in another country. Reuters
uttara@tribuneindia.com

Moscow, May 5

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and more than 1,000 anti-Kremlin activists were detained by police on Saturday during street protests against Vladimir Putin ahead of his inauguration for a fourth term as president.

Navalny had called for demonstrations in more than 90 towns and cities across Russia against what he says is Putin's autocratic, tsar-like rule.

"We will force the authorities, made up of swindlers and thieves, to take into account the millions of citizens who did not vote for Putin," Navalny said beforehand.

Putin overwhelmingly won re-election in March, extending his grip over Russia for six more yearsa tenure of 24 years that would make him Moscow's longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

Navalny, who was barred from running in the election on what he says was a false pretext, was detained soon after showing up on Moscow's Pushkin Square, where young people chanted Russia without Putin! and Down with the Tsar!.

Video footage showed five policemen hauling him to a waiting van by his arms and legs, a scene that was repeated dozens of times with his supporters. Moscow police said he had been detained for organising an unsanctioned rally.

Nothing will change

Navalny, who has been detained and jailed numerous times for organising similar protests, had managed to address his supporters briefly, saying he was glad they had shown up.

One protester in Moscow, donning a rabbits mask with the legend Tsar of the Animals said he was unsure what the protest would achieve.

I have the feeling that people are gathering just to let off steam and that nothing will change, said the 31-year-old man called Alexander, who declined to give his surname.

OVD-Info, a rights organisation that monitors detentions, said it had received reports of police detaining over 1,000 people across Russia, nearly 500 of them in Moscow. It cited its own sources at the Moscow protest as saying pro-Kremlin Cossacks had beaten protesters with leather whips, sparking a fight.

A police spokesman said around 1,500 people had protested in Moscow, the Interfax news agency reported. Reuters reporters estimated the crowd numbered several thousand.

Protests also took place in the Far East, Siberia and St Petersburg. In the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, around 1,500 km (900 miles) east of Moscow, a Reuters reporter saw more than 1,000 people protesting, some shouting Down with the Tsar!

Father of the nation

Putin, 65, has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000.

Backed by state TV and the ruling party, and credited with an approval rating of around 80 per cent, he is lauded by supporters as a father-of-the-nation figure who has restored national pride and expanded Moscows global clout with interventions in Syria and Ukraine.

The authorities regard most of the protests as illegal, arguing that their time and place was not approved beforehand, and that the police have a duty to protect public order.

Putin has dismissed Navalny as a troublemaker bent on sowing chaos on behalf of Washington. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, a close Putin ally, has called Navalny a political charlatan.

Putin is due to be inaugurated on Monday in a Kremlin ceremony heavy on pomp.

With more than 56 million votes, almost 77 per cent of the total, his March election win was his biggest ever and the largest by any post-Soviet Russian leader, something he and his allies say gave him an unequivocal mandate to govern.

European observers said there had been no real choice in the election, and complained of unfair pressure on critical voices.

Critics like Navalny accuse Putin of overseeing a corrupt authoritarian system and of annexing Ukraines Crimea illegally in 2014, a move that isolated Russia internationally. Reuters


sanjiv@tribunemail.com

SEOUL/PAJU, May 5

Days after a historic inter-Korean summit Lee Min-bok, a defector who has been flying anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the North for 15 years, received a call from an official at Seouls Unification Ministry urging him to halt his balloon campaign.

It was a plea by South Korea not to jeopardise the recent thaw, engineered by the leaders of the two Koreas who agreed to cease all hostile acts along the border, including the distribution of leaflets, from May 1. On Saturday, the police prevented a planned release of balloons by a defector group after a confrontation with anti-leaflet protesters.

For Lee, the campaign is personal. He says reading such leaflets as a young man in the North brought an awakening moment in 1990 that helped him realise how oppressive and destitute his homeland was at a time when the South was emerging as an economic powerhouse. In 1995, he escaped to South Korea.

I really believed that Kim Il Sung was the centre of the world and he was making everything right and great for us, Lee said, referring to North Koreas founding father, the grandfather of current leader Kim Jong Un.

Pyongyang has in the past blamed Seoul for failing to stop previous leaflet launches, calling them an act of war. The two Koreas even traded fire in 2014 after the Norths military shot machine guns at balloons launched by defector activists.  Reuters

Trump to meet Moon at White House on May 22

Ahead of his much-awaited summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, US President Donald Trump will host his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in at the White House on May 22, according to an official announcement on Saturday. During the meeting, Moon would brief Trump on his recent summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Trump himself is scheduled to have a summit meeting with Kim Jong-un, the date and venue for which have been decided and will be announced soon.
uttara@tribuneindia.com

London, May 5

US President Donald Trump opened up a new controversy as he defended American gun laws by contrasting them with London's stringent anti-gun legislation, claiming it resulted in one of the British capital's hospitals turning into a war zone due to a rise in knife crime instead.

In a speech to the National Rifle Association (NRA) in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday in which he spoke out in favour of liberal gun laws, the US president sarcastically questioned whether vans, trucks and cars, which have been used as weapons by terrorists, should also be banned before turning to knives.

I recently read a story that in London, which has unbelievably tough gun laws, a once very prestigious hospital, right in the middle, is like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds, Trump said.

Yes, that's right, they don't have guns, they have knives and instead there's blood all over the floors of this hospital. They say it's as bad as a military war zone hospital, he added.

He then went on to make a stabbing gesture in the air several times and muttered, Knives, knives, knives".

Trump is due to visit the UK on July 13, after previously cancelling a trip amid calls for mass protests on the streets of Britain. His latest comments also triggered a strong reaction, with London trauma surgeon Dr Martin Griffiths offering to give Trump a tour of his prestigious Royal London Hospital. It is believed Trump was referencing a comment made by Dr Griffiths during a BBC Radio interview earlier this year.

Happy to invite Mr Trump to my (prestigious) hospital to meet with our mayor and police commissioner to discuss our successes in violence reduction in London, Griffiths tweeted alongside an image that indicated the US president had missed the point of his statement.

At least 38 people in London have lost their lives to knife crime so far this year as the city saw a spike in stabbings, according to Scotland Yard.

Marian Fitzgerald, a criminologist at the University of Kent, said although there had been a spike in knife-related deaths in London, it was a separate issue to gun control.

"It's just politically convenient, in a speech to the gun rights lobby, to try and make those comparisons and they are totally spurious. If he needs reassurance, Donald Trump is going to be much safer in London than he would be at home," she said.

This is not the first time Trump has made a controversial statement related to the British capital's safety record.

Last year, Trump criticised London Mayor Sadiq Khan, hours after a deadly terrorist attack, based on a misinterpretation of an outdated tweet. Khan's office had said at the time that the mayor had more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump's ill-informed tweet that deliberately takes out of context his remarks.

If he comes to London, President Trump will experience an open and diverse city that has always chosen unity over division and hope over fear. He will also no doubt see that Londoners hold their liberal values of freedom of speech very dear, the London Mayor said in a tweet last month when Trump's July visit was confirmed. PTI
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Washington, May 5

US President Donald Trump will host his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in at the White House on May 22, according to an official announcement on Saturday.

During the meeting, Moon would brief Trump on his recent summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Moon met with Kim Jong-un last week at a Korean border village during last weeks inter-Korea summit. The two leaders agreed to end hostile acts against each other along their tense border, establish a liaison office and resume reunions of separated families.

They also agreed to achieve a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, but failed to produce specific time frames and disarmament steps.

Trump himself is scheduled to have a summit meeting with Kim Jong-un, the date and venue for which have been decided and will be announced soon.

This third summit between the two leaders affirms the enduring strength of the United StatesRepublic of Korea alliance and the deep friendship between our two countries, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.

The two leaders also will discuss President Trumps upcoming meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, she said. PTI
Agartala, May 5 (UNI) Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb sought attention of Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to promote investment from Bangladesh to Tripura as part of the implementation of Act East Policy (AEP).

While taking part in review meeting of AEP, Deb mentioned that there has been no any significant investment from Bangladesh Northeastern states especially in Tripura despite having huge potential and scope but it was not happened as of now.

He urged MEA to persuade the matter with Bangladesh government to improve bilateral trade between the two countries for benefitting Northeast region under AEP.

Regarding implementation of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement, he requested MEA to take up initiatives for free movement of vehicles from Agartala to Kolkata via Dhaka, movement of cargo vehicles from Agartala to Ashuganj, Belonia and Sabroom to Chittagong.

Reiterating the demand to operationalise Chittagong port, only 75 Km from Sabroom (South Tripura), Chief Minister asked to resolve the issues related to customs formalities, motor vehicle permits, transit arrangements etc with Bangladesh, official release said here today.

A bridge is already under constructed by NHAI over Feni River at Sabroom to connect Chittagong port to give optimum benefit of direct access to the port but unless Silchar-Sabroom stretch of the National Highway is upgraded to a 4-lane the state would not be able to reach at the goal, Chief Minster told Sushma Swaraj.

I requested her to look at the connectivity issues of Tripura for strengthening bilateral relation with South East Asian countries, Deb said adding that MEA was requested to take necessary steps to start air connectivity between Agartala and Dhaka to facilitate trade and commerce between two countries.

Tripura had earlier proposed for establishing river network through Gomati of Tripura and Meghan of Bangladesh and the proposal has been pending with Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), which need to be followed up with Bangladesh for alternative connectivity, Deb added.

He has also contemplated for removal of Port Restriction imposed by Bangladesh that to improve the export in Tripura to Bangladesh. He argued that in 2016, total volume of trade between Tripura and Bangladesh was Rs 304. 83 Crore and export from Tripura was only Rs 4.60 Crore. Thus, there is severe trade deficit being faced by Tripura.

Appropriate measures need to be taken to remove trade restrictions on 27 items from Tripura to Bangladesh so as to improve the trade of Tripura with Bangladesh and to reduce the trade deficit significantly, Deb stated.

He also demanded to setup two more border haats at Kamalpur of Dhalai District and Ragna (Palbasti) of North Tripura, as only two border haats at Sabroom and Kamalasagar have been in operational now that reduced informal trade volume substantially in Tripura-Bangladesh border.

Seeking immediate action on hassle free passengers movement, Chief Minister stated that at present any Bangladeshi citizen with valid visa can enter India through any of the designated land ports or international airports of India but special permission is required if a Bangladeshi citizen with valid visa uses Akhaura and any other land port of Tripura as the entry point.

Being a friendly country why Bangladeshi citizen should take special permission for using land ports in Tripura that I wanted to resolve as soon as possible. Moreover, it is necessary to shift wire fencing towards zero line at Manughat LCS so as to allow development of Integrated Check Post/Land Custom Stations within 150 yards of zero line, Deb explained in the meeting.

UNI BB RN
In the Boston area this past week we have experienced a blast of heat and definitely got me into the mood for some whites, which is the highlight of our Italian Food, Wine & Travel groups feature this month as we discuss the white grape of Italy, vermentino.



Vermentino is a grape that can be found in a number of regions within Italy and as if it's not hard enough to learn about all the indigenous grapes of Italy, but in certain regions it is known under a different name. This grape can be found in Tuscany, Piedmont where it's known as Favorita, Sardinia and Liguria where it's known as Pigato.



Vermentino is a dry, light-bodied aromatic white wine with refreshing acidity, floral and citrus notes and a finish at times that includes almonds. Jancis Robinson calls vermentino a grape that is " racy, citrus, often mineral and sometimes marine character of refreshing dry wine, usually unoaked and moderate in alcohol".



I opened a 2015 Aia Vecchia Vermentino of Tuscany that I had on hand last week and days later happened to receive an invitation to meet one of the members of the Pelligrini family that produces the wine so it all happened at just the right time.

Elia Pelligrini

The winery began in 1996 with their first vintage in 1998. Their aim was to produce wines of high quality from small plots that were Super Tuscans. Prior to producing their own wines most of their grapes were sold to other historic estates in the area. Aia Vecchia is located between Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci and lies oalong the Tyrrhenian Sea.The winery began in 1996 with their first vintage in 1998.Their aim was to produce wines of high quality from small plots that were Super Tuscans.Prior to producing their own wines most of their grapes were sold to other historic estates in the area.



Of their 104 acres of vines planted, 74 of those are under the Bolgheri DOC. Within Bolgheri youll find more international varieties like merlot and cabernet sauvignon vs. the more indigenous grapes of Italy. Aia Vecchia grows Bordeaux grapes including cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, merlot and petit verdot which are showcased in their wines "Sur Ugo and Lagone" that I tried at the event this week and will share in an upcoming article. They have vineyards in both the Maremma and Bolgheri areas of southern Tuscany.Of their 104 acres of vines planted, 74 of those are under the Bolgheri DOC.Within Bolgheri youll find more international varieties like merlot and cabernet sauvignon vs. the more indigenous grapes of Italy. Aia Vecchia grows Bordeaux grapes including cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, merlot and petit verdot which are showcased in their wines "Sur Ugo and Lagone" that I tried at the event this week and will share in an upcoming article.

Tuscan wine regions including Bolgheri and Maremma copyright of Wine Folly



There is a small percentage, 5%, of this wine that includes viognier for weight and florals. The 2015 Aia Vecchia Vermentino Toscana IGT was straw colored with lemon and citrus notes in the glass. A dry white light on the acidity and a round mouthfeel with some tropical notes and a hint of almond. I enjoyed the 2016 that I had at the tasting more than the 2015 due to its salinity and citrus notes, but I personally feel with a lot of these white wines the fresher the better. SRP $14. 13% ABV. The vermentino Im sharing today grows on their estates known as Magiano in Toscana and Orbetello located in Grosseto.There is a small percentage, 5%, of this wine that includes viognier for weight and florals.The 2015 Aia Vecchia Vermentino Toscana IGT was straw colored with lemon and citrus notes in the glass.A dry white light on the acidity and a round mouthfeel with some tropical notes and a hint of almond.I enjoyed the 2016 that I had at the tasting more than the 2015 due to its salinity and citrus notes, but I personally feel with a lot of these white wines the fresher the better.13% ABV.




During his visit to Sydney, French President Emmanuel Macron said that France, India and Australia shared a responsibility to protect the region from "hegemony" - in a remark widely interpreted as a stab at China. (Photo: AFP/Ludovic Marin)

During his visit to Sydney on Wednesday, Macron said that France, India and Australia shared a responsibility to protect the region from "hegemony" - in a remark widely interpreted as a stab at China.

"What's important is to preserve rules-based development in the region ... and to preserve necessary balances in the region," Macron said then.

"It's important with this new context not to have any hegemony," Macron added through an interpreter.

But Beijing shot back on Friday, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying saying that while she had not seen Macron's comments, any fears about Chinese hegemony amounted to "groundless accusations".

"In the eyes of the world, which country could be said actually to be exercising hegemony in the world nowadays? Who has also long exercised military or economic hegemony of every kind in the region?" Hua said to reporters during a regular press briefing, in a thinly veiled reference to the United States.

"Before making such comments or groundless accusations, you should clarify these facts," Hua added.

China's nationalist tabloid Global Times also criticised the French leader, accusing him of staging an "opportunistic show in (the) Indo-Pacific".

"As France is in decline, opportunism is rising within its diplomacy," the newspaper said.

France has a number of island territories in the Pacific Ocean.

Australia has become increasingly alarmed at China's push into the Pacific, while neighbouring New Zealand has also voiced concerns about "strategic anxiety" - diplomatic code for Beijing's influence among the region's island nations.

Reports last month - which were denied - said Beijing wanted to establish a permanent military base in Vanuatu.

Macron signed several agreements while in Australia, including on defence and cybersecurity.

Australia's Lowy Institute estimates China provided US$1.78 billion in aid, including concessional loans, to Pacific nations between 2006-16.
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Junot Diaz. Photo: Leigh Vogel/Getty Images

After being called out in person for sexual misconduct at a Sydney Writers Festival event, The Guardian reports that Junot Diaz, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, has withdrawn from the festival entirely. While at a panel Q&A yesterday, Diaz was confronted by author Zinzi Clemmons. Later on social media, Clemmons explained that, after inviting him to a writing workshop at Columbia University, Diaz allegedly cornered and forcibly kissed her, an incident subsequently followed by a series of unwanted emails from the author. Fellow writers Carmen Maria Machado and Monica Byrne also took to social media to recount their own allegedly misogynistic run-ins with the author, accusing Diaz of verbally berating them during different incidents. In a new statement, the Sydney Writers Festival says Diaz has withdrawn from the rest of the festival following the accusations of inappropriate and aggressive harassment.

Sydney Writers Festival is a platform for the sharing of powerful stories: urgent, necessary and sometimes difficult, the festival announced. Such conversations have never been more timely. We remain committed to ensuring they occur in a supportive and safe environment for our authors and audiences. Guardian Australias Steph Harmon posted the festivals statement on Twitter, which continues: In his recent New Yorker essay, Mr. Diaz wrote, Eventually the past finds you. As for so many in positions of power, the moment to reckon with the consequences of past behavior has arrived.

Last month Diaz published an essay in The New Yorker revealing the life-long impact of his childhood sexual abuse. In a statement made in response to Clemmonss sexual harassment allegation, Diaz told the New York Times, I take responsibility for my past. That is the reason I made the decision to tell the truth of my rape and its damaging aftermath. This conversation is important and must continue. I am listening to and learning from womens stories in this essential and overdue cultural movement. We must continue to teach all men about consent and boundaries.
Photo: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Buckingham Palace is in the midst of a very-real crisis: The upcoming May 13 Lifetime movie about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle  appropriately titled Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance  contains a sex scene, and the Palace is reportedly seriously worried about it! According to Vanity Fair, Queen Elizabeths press office has apparently already viewed the movie, and they arent too pleased that the made-for-TV movie depicts the royal couple in bed together. The movies director Menhaj Huda told the magazine, What Ive heard is that theyre seriously worried about the sex scene.

But how did he hear about this concern? Was it an official complaint from the Queen? Did the government issue a formal sanction against him? No. My wifes best friend has been dating the press secretary of the palace, Huda told Vanity Fair.

Related Stories Meghan Markle Also Gets Married in Her Last Episode of Suits

Harry & Meghan  a film with a script that was written in only two weeks  not only features, well, Harry & Meghan in bed together, but also apparently traces other milestones in the couples relationship. Theres a scene where Prince Harry fights with the Palace about letting Meghan keep her lifestyle blog The Tig and the couples secret dates in Toronto. But the thing Im definitely looking forward to most (other than the sex scenes) is a scene in which Prince Harry apparently confronts Princess Michael of Kent about the racist brooch she wore around Meghan.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that the safety of State Department diplomats and their families will be a top priority for him as he paid his respects to fallen foreign service officers and the culture of sacrifice that defines the agency.

"I promise I'm going to do everything I can to keep every one of our team members safe," he said at a ceremony for foreign service officers who died in the line of duty, their names engraved on the wall behind him.

Pompeo said that even before he was confirmed by the Senate, he was thinking about safety.

"The very first briefing I received after I was nominated was on the issue of security," the new secretary said Friday. "I take this mission incredibly seriously."

But the issue of safety is fraught, both for the secretary and the agency he now leads.

Pompeo made his mark as a lawmaker on the House select investigative committee probing the 2012 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that led to the deaths of four Americans.

Calling for renewed 'swagger'

During that time, he was a vocal critic of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's leadership of the State Department, rebuking her and others in the Obama administration for failing to better protect its personnel and respond to the attack as it unfolded.

Many in the diplomatic community believe the House Select Committee on Benghazi's investigation led to a culture of greater risk aversion in the agency, which has since hampered its efforts. Diplomats in certain posts are forbidden from traveling outside the embassy without guards, curbing their ability to connect with people. In some countries, they're forbidden from entering certain areas for security reasons.

That's an issue Pompeo will have to grapple with as he makes a call for diplomats to regain their "swagger" and do their jobs "in every corner of the world," as part of President Donald Trump's "muscular diplomacy."

At his formal swearing-in ceremony at the State Department on Tuesday, Pompeo said that "we need our men and women out at the front lines, executing American diplomacy with great vigor and energy, and to represent the finest nation in the history of civilization. We should be proud of that, and I'm counting on you all to help communicate in every corner of the world."

But "swagger" might be hard to align with an emphasis on security, observers point out.

Ambassador Ronald Neumann, president of the American Academy of Diplomacy, says the select committee's investigation did contribute to a culture of risk aversion at the State Department that continues to this day.

The committee's investigation came after seven other congressional probes and lasted longer than investigations into the Sept. 11 attacks, Pearl Harbor or the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, two former Obama administration security officials noted in a recent op-ed. It produced more than 75,000 documents.

And yet Pompeo felt the committee's work was "incomplete," wrote Derek Chollet, a former Pentagon official, and Ben Fishman, former North Africa director for the National Security Council. "So he co-authored fifty more pages of 'additional views' " about the attack, the two write.

"By persistently attacking the State Department and questioning its mission, the committee undermined the legitimacy of the institution and the competence of its personnel," Chollet and Fishman wrote in Foreign Policy magazine. "The result is a diplomatic corps that is bruised, demoralized, and risk-averse."

The State Department couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Neumann noted the irony, saying that aversion to risk is "one of the challenges he's going to have to tackle if he wants to get people out to do their job."

That said, Neumann and others stress that the diplomatic community is looking forward to having Pompeo at the helm and wants to focus on the future as it recovers from a year of morale-busting hiring freezes and proposed budget cuts.

"After the last year with [former Secretary of State Rex] Tillerson, people are a lot more focused on rebuilding the State Department and stopping the beating than they are looking back to Benghazi," Neumann told CNN, noting that Pompeo is "saying the right things" to staff so far.

"I think generally people are looking forward to having him there overall," he added.

Neumann wants to see Pompeo focus on restaffing the agency and elevating experienced career professionals to top-tier jobs, along with political appointees. The State Department is signaling that Pompeo wants to move quickly to fill vacant positions.

"The secretary has acknowledged and highlighted the importance of filling vacant positions," spokesman Heather Nauert said Wednesday. "As many of you know, we have a lot of them, and so he will be working very hard in filling up those positions."

Several State Department officials say the newly minted secretary is being well-received among the agency rank-and-file. They point to Pompeo's remarks to State employees and at his swearing-in ceremony, his emphasis on his respect for the department and his declared intention to be accessible and a good listener.

And Pompeo's first official act as secretary -- lifting a hiring freeze on family members of overseas diplomats, imposed by Tillerson -- was a hugely popular move. He announced the decision in an email to State Department employees, obtained by CNN, in which he addressed them as "team" and signed off as "Mike."
Thousands of Warren Buffett acolytes descended on Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday for Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting, otherwise known as the Woodstock of Capitalism.

Buffett and longtime business partner Charlie Munger fielded questions for about five hours from journalists and investors.

Here are some of the highlights.

Buffett loves Apple's stock buybacks

"We very much approve of them," Buffett said.

As Apple takes shares off the market, it'll boost the value of the stock that Berkshire Hathaway holds.

Buffett revealed this week to CNBC that Berkshire bought 75 million more shares of Apple stock during the first three months of the year, adding to the 165 million shares it already owned.

Related: Apple rewarded its investors with a record cash giveaway

"I love the idea of having our 5% or whatever it may be grow" to 7% or more "without us laying out a dime," Buffett said.

Buffett said Saturday that stock buybacks are a sensible use for Apple's massive cash stockpile. Apple could spend some money acquiring another company, but Buffett said it would be "extremely hard" to find suitable takeover target.

He added that his praise for Apple's buyback program "does not mean we approve of every buyback" program.

Why Berkshire will never own Microsoft shares

Berkshire clearly has an appetite for tech stocks. So why has it never touched Microsoft?

"In the early days, the answer is stupidity," Buffett responded when asked on Saturday why he never invested in the company.

He also refuses to dive in now because he is close friends with Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who still serves on the company's board.

Related: These super-rich families are investing their fortunes to help others

If Berkshire were to purchase Microsoft shares, and the company were to make a big announcement shortly after that drove the stock price up, it could raise insider trading suspicions, Buffett said.

"I stay away from a few things just totally because the inference would be drawn," he said.

Sticking by Wells Fargo despite 'cardinal sin'

Buffett said Wells Fargo creating millions of fake accounts was a "cardinal sin" by Berkshire's standards.

But, he noted that other banks have done bad things, too. Some companies emerge from scandals stronger than ever, Buffett said.

Related: Warren Buffett on the Wells Fargo scandal

"I see no reason why Wells Fargo as a company - from both an investor standpoint and a moral standpoint going forward - is in any way inferior to the other big banks with which it competes," Buffett said.

"If I had to say which bank is more likely to behave the best in the future," Munger added, "it might be Wells Fargo."

US and China won't be 'foolish' on trade

Buffett brushed off looming concerns about a trade war between the United States and China.

"We will have disagreements with each other. We'll have disagreements with other countries on trade. But it's just too big, and too obvious that the benefits are huge and the world's dependent on, in a major way, for its progress," he said.

Related: China says 'big differences' remain after US trade talks

The United States and China have traded threats of steep tariffs in recent months. But Buffett doesn't think the countries would "do something extremely foolish" by allowing the rhetoric to escalate to an all-out trade war.

"We will not sacrifice world prosperity based on differences that arise in trade," he said.

Update on the plan to lower health care costs

Berkshire, Amazon and JPMorgan want to team up to launch a health insurance company that they say will be "free from profit-making incentives and constraints." The surprising proposal was made public in January.

Buffett didn't offer many more details about the joint venture on Saturday. But he said the new company will have a chief executive in the next "couple months."
A man wanted for the January shooting death of a man at his Huntsville apartment has been arrested in Florida.

Kason Christopher Grady, 28, was arrested at a hotel in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Thursday, Huntsville police said. He was being held in the Pinellas County Jail until he can be extradited back to Huntsville.

Grady faces a capital murder charge for the Jan. 28 shooting death of Raemon Ross.

Ross told police two men knocked on his door and tried to rob him before shooting him. Ross died a short time later.

Police already have two other men in custody for Ross's murder. Charles Anthony Mosby, 28, was arrested March 6 in New Orleans and brought back to Huntsville. Fotino Davis, 24, was arrested in Memphis in late April.

Police have not released the identity of their fourth suspect.
Predicting Derby Day weather is, thankfully, more accurate than picking the winner of the country's most storied horse race. Springtime in Louisville, Kentucky is a volatile time of year. Violent thunderstorms can have spectators up to their mint juleps in mud in a matter of minutes, running for cover faster than the track announcer can say, "Down the stretch they come!" Temperature swings can be extreme. Late season cold fronts can send temperatures plummeting more than 30 degrees from one day to the next. In 1957, the horses approached the gate in near-freezing 36 degree weather. Two years later, it was a sweltering 94 degrees on race day.

The National Weather Service Office in Louisville is calling for rain for the 2018 Run for the Roses, coming up Saturday, May 5th. The official forecast calls for a fifty percent chance for showers, mainly after 11 am, with a high near 72 degrees. That's pretty close to what can be called "normal" for early May at Churchill Downs, which is a high of 74 and slightly less than .20" of rain.

But the weather on race day can been as different year to year as the colors of the silks worn by the jockeys.

Just for fun, the NWS office compiled a few weather extremes for Derby Days past.

Coldest temperature: 36 May 4, 1940 and May 4, 1957

Coldest high temperature: 47 May 4, 1935 and May 4, 1957

Coldest average daily temperature: 42 May 4, 1957

(The cold temperatures on May 4, 1957 were accompanied by 20 to 25 mph north winds!)

Warmest temperature: 94 May 2, 1959

Warmest low temperature: 72 May 14, 1886

Warmest average daily temperature: 79 May 14, 1886

Wettest: 2.31" of rain May 11, 1918

Frozen precipitation: On May 6, 1989 sleet was observed from 1:01pm to 1:05pm.

Out of the 143 Derby Days, 67 (47%) experienced rain at some point during the day.

Longest stretch of consecutive wet Derby Days (24-hr): 7 (2007-2013)

Longest stretch of consecutive wet Derby Days (1pm-7pm): 6 (1989-1994)

Longest stretch of consecutive dry Derby Days (24-hr): 12 (1875-1886)

Longest stretch of consecutive dry Derby Days (1pm-7pm): 12 (1875-1886)

(The above records, unless otherwise noted, are for the entire calendar day -- not necessarily race time)

the National Weather Service Office in Louisville, KY compiled a list of all the past Kentucky Derby winners, weather, and track conditions dating back to 1875. Take a look at it here.
By Khushbu Shah and Leyla Santiago, CNN

(CNN) -- Gabriela Hernandez, the pregnant mother of two who was one of the first migrants from a recent caravan through Mexico to enter the United States to request asylum, remains with her children, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement official told CNN on Friday.

CNN has followed for weeks the trek of Hernandez, who traveled from Honduras with her two sons, ages 6 and 2. During their long journey they have battled hunger, exhaustion and chronic illness.

Now they are in the US immigration system after crossing the border Monday and seeking asylum because of the danger to their lives in their home country.

Nicole Ramos, a lawyer working with Pueblo Sin Fronteras, said she thinks Hernandez is likely transiting from the processing center at the San Ysidro Port of Entry near San Diego to an ICE family facility in Texas or Pennsylvania if she is allowed to remain with the children.

Hernandez left her husband after suffering domestic abuse, but gang members found her one day, demanding to know where her ex was. They said she had 12 hours to give him up or they would kill her 6-year-old.

She left that night, with her sons.

She has said she doesn't have the energy to think what would be next if she is not granted asylum.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," she said. "I cannot go back to my country."
The US will need to hire 2.3 million new health care workers by 2025 in order to adequately take care of its aging population, a new report finds.

But a persistent shortage of skilled workers -- from nurses to physicians to lab technicians -- will mean hundreds of thousands of positions will remain unfilled, according to research by global health care staffing consultancy Mercer.



"Few other industries are racing the clock to find a future-ready workforce like today's health care administrators," said Jason Narlock, senior consultant with Mercer.

The largest number of new job openings -- about 423,200 -- will be for home health aides, the report found.

Becoming a home health aide requires less education and training than other health care jobs. Typically, an entry-level position requires a high school diploma, for example. However, aides don't earn much, with median pay of about $11 an hour, or $23,130 a year, according to the Labor Department.

That low pay makes it hard to attract new talent to the field. And with more workers retiring, Mercer projects there will be a shortage of 446,300 home health aides by 2025.

Nurses will also be in hot demand.

Mercer estimated that there will be 400,000 new nursing assistant positions and nearly 51,500 new nurse practitioner openings, but there will not be nearly enough skilled workers to fill those roles.

Not only are experienced nurses retiring at a rapid clip, but there aren't enough new graduates to replenish the workforce. Hospitals and other medical facilities are getting so desperate to recruit and retain nurses they're offering pricey perks and incentives, including five figure signing bonuses.

"When there are fewer nurses available to handle a bigger volume of patients, it adversely affects patient outcomes because of nursing burnout," said Narlock. "Patients are more likely to be readmitted after 30 days of first being seen. They can also be at a higher risk of a hospital acquired infection."

The cascading effect of this is seen down the chain. "When patients are readmitted, it puts more pressure on physicians who are already handling a heavy patient load," he said.

Physicians and surgeons are already stretched thin. But by 2025, there will be nearly 103,000 new openings for these positions and a shortage of 11,000 skilled professionals for these roles.

Elsewhere, Mercer found that medical and clinical lab technicians and technologists will see more than 110,000 new job openings by 2025, but face a shortage of nearly 98,000 trained professionals.

A shortage of lab technicians can cause treatment delays. "It creates a backlog to process lab and other diagnostic tests," said Narlock.

He said health care worker shortages are more pronounced in rural areas, where it's historically been harder to recruit doctors and nurses.

Narlock said health care systems have to be innovative in order to address the labor imbalance. "Look at an industry that has faced disruptions where there is an available labor pool that can be retrained to fill these positions," he suggested.

In Ohio, for example, one health care system retrained workers who had lost manufacturing jobs to fill jobs as diagnostic technicians. "These workers already had some skills that prepared them for this training," he said.

Retail is another area where ongoing layoffs could provide available labor.

"In local economies, the retail industry could present one of the largest pools of labor for health care systems to effectively retain workers for jobs such as home health aides," he said.
Click here for updates on this story

NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -- Metro Police said one person died after being shot inside Opry Mills Mall after a dispute on Thursday afternoon.

Police said two or three people were involved in a physical dispute. One of the men fired at least two shots, striking the victim in the hallway across from the Old Navy store.

Police said Demarco Churchwell, 22, of Nashville, died after being taken to Skyline Medical Center. Police said the suspected shooter was Justin Golson, 22, of Antioch.

Police said the suspect fled the mall and ran to a ticket booth across the street near the Grand Ole Opry and placed the gun on the counter.

A retired California police officer was inside the ticket booth and ordered the suspect outside the building and ordered him to the ground until Metro Police arrived.

Golson was taken to Hermitage Precinct for questioning.

Opry Mills announced on Facebook that it would be closed on Thursday evening. It asked customers and mall employees to check back on Friday morning for updates.

The mall also issued a statement after the shooting.

"Opry Mills Management would like to take a moment to thank the swift and courageous response of the Nashville Police Department with respect to a situation that took place earlier today on our property. We are cooperating fully with investigators and offering any assistance we can. We would direct any additional questions regarding todays incident to law enforcement."

The Nashville Fire Department tweeted that the victim was transported to Skyline Medical Center.

Police are sweeping the mall as a precaution.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol was utilizing the parking lot at Bass Pro Shop for motorcycle training. Troopers immediately responded to assist the Metro Nashville Police Department.

The ATF has also responded to the scene as part of the investigation.

Police are in the process of evacuating the mall.

Metro Schools said three students were still inside the Academy at Opry Mills at the time of the shooting. Those students were evacuated to McGavock High. Five nearby elementary schools, Two Rivers, Pennington and McGavock elementaries, Stanford Montessori and Litton Middle, were placed on lockout due to the active shooting situation. Buses from those schools were also held. Metro Schools announced at 3:44 p.m. all students had been dismissed after the lockout status was lifted.

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Young Australians will live lives more impoverished than their parents, thanks to the disappointing debt legacy of successive federal governments.

That's the fresh budget-eve warning from Tony Shepherd, the head of the Coalitions 2014 National Commission of Audit.

Speaking to Fairfax Media, Mr Shepherd said the Treasurer, Scott Morrison, should deliver only modest personal income tax cuts in Tuesday night's budget, devoting the substantial portion of windfall revenue gains to budget repair.

Without action now, future generations would end up shouldering a higher tax burden, which would reduce their standard of living, Mr Shepherd warned. Were going to have to pay for it. Some time or another, youre going to have to pay the piper.
Comedian, Joel Creasy, 27 shares his day on a plate.

Joel Creasy

10am Throw out last night's pizza box en route to a cafe for a long black plus avocado, eggs and feta on toast, with a side of hash browns.

11.30am Head to the gym. I have another coffee while I train. 1pm Leave the gym and question why I bother going as I hate all forms of physical exercise. I get a fruit juice on my way home.

2pm Lunch is leftovers: usually pizza. If not, I will just sit on social media and self-loathe for a few hours, which tends to fill me up.
By the time the Royal Commission into banks has completed its rounds, it may well be that banks are not the primary victims. Sure, they will be confirmed as bastards, as if that was ever in any serious doubt. But the big political and economic effect may well be on business, particularly big business generally, made to seem as if it is guilty of the same contempt for the public and the public interest, the same capacity to treat the interests of senior management as if it were the interest of the shareholders, and the same ruthlessness in making a dollar.

It will not be entirely the fault of big business, and it may even be unfair, given that the commission will not be allowing representation for the collateral casualties of the severe, and probably lasting, reputational damage brought on ordinary old, and by modern standards, not necessarily particularly rapacious, business practices. But it will prove a signal lesson for those who have argued that business has no particular duties of public citizenship, and that the highest duty of the managers of capital is to maximise the return to shareholders. Perhaps thats true, in fact as well as principle, so long as one understands that one is in business for the long as much as the short term, and continuing success in business depends on the trust and support of customers, suppliers and staff, a reputation for respect for the spirit as much as the letter of the law, involvement in the community and the confidence and respect of regulatory institutions. Those who treat any of this with contempt, particularly by way of having the company or a high executive misappropriating a dollar that rightfully belongs to someone else, will see that the long term value and profitability of a corporation can collapse.

The reputations of the big four banks has taken an awful beating.

Australian banks remain solid and well run, and, even without the government guarantees and support that reinforce the idea that they owe more to society than being profitable for the shareholders, there is no risk of collapse or ruin. But the reputations of their managements has taken an awful beating, and it will take more than slogans, or payouts, or perhaps a few signal sackings, or criminal prosecutions, for trust to be restored.

It may well be the same trust and confidence in the major regulatory authorities, and not only in the Securities and Investment Commission, whose reputation has taken the biggest battering so far. Only a few months ago, the prime minister and the treasurer were claiming that among the reasons why a royal commission was unnecessary was that there was a tough cop on the block, one whose powers and resources has recently been strengthened (even if that was only after a significant reduction in its capacity to enforce its will in the early days of the Abbott government.
But they dont and it isnt because theyre not thinking about it. The BT research suggests they are more disciplined about budgeting than Baby Boomers and Generation X and theyre adept at saving. More than one in six millennials have savings equal to six months income, 11 per cent have equal to four to six months income and nearly one in four have equivalent to one to three months income. That's cumulative, so it's a little over half of all millennials who have at least one month's income saved.

Is that one reason the younger generation is so confident about money even though two out of five of them are in the midst of financial insecurity right now? Because they recognise the value being disciplined about money will deliver over time? Perhaps but saving is only possible when a gap can be created between income and expenses: uncertainty around employment and the rising cost of living means thats not always going to be feasible. Even the best savers will struggle to save without work.

Perhaps the real reason millennials are confident about money is because they dont attach the same significance to financial freedom that previous generations have. In a study of 1000 Australian millennial workers by the global HR think-tank Reventure fewer than half the cohort believed financial security was important to their overall wellbeing. This compared with three out of five baby boomers.

Forty-two per cent of workers define wellbeing as balance in physical, mental, social and spiritual life and only 12 per cent said it is having their desire for a house, income and success met, lead researcher Dr Lindsay McMillan said. What is interesting is that despite this, millennials are highly driven towards success  twice the rate than that of baby boomers  yet do not seem to be motivated by financial security.

By contrast women are thinking about it and what theyre seeing isnt pretty. BTs study shows nearly seven out of 10 women acknowledge that superannuation is critical to secure their financial future but more than half of women believe they wont have enough for retirement and almost a third are unsure. Is it any wonder they dont share the millennial positivity?
American author Junot Diaz has withdrawn from events at the Sydney Writers' Festival and at The Wheeler Centre in Melbourne after he was accused of forcibly kissing the writer Zinzi Clemmons.

A headline guest at this year's festival, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author was scheduled to discuss his children's book Islandborn with Australian Childrens Laureate Morris Gleitzman on Sunday as part of the festival's family program.

Novelist Junot Diaz is facing allegations of sexual misconduct from a fellow author. Credit:AP/File

A panel he was due to join on Saturday, titled The Politics of Empathy, was also cancelled.

When Diaz appeared in a Friday session at the festival, Clemmons questioned his treatment of her as graduate student, before repeating her accusation on social media.
Athens: Greece has broken up a criminal gang that stole cancer drugs from hospitals and smuggled them to other European countries for resale at a premium, potentially depriving patients of life-saving medicine, police said.

Greek police have a gang trafficking cancer drugs into Europe.

Twenty-one people aged between 22 and 70 have been arrested, among them doctors and nurses, according to the police.

They are suspected of using forged prescriptions to get hold of the drugs which they then sent to warehouses in Italy, Germany and Switzerland where they were sold at a big mark-up.

The nature of the crime suggested "particular contempt for society", police spokesman Theodoros Chronopoulos said. "They were guided by nothing but profit."
Chancellor Angela Merkel pressed her conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) on Saturday to attract more women to their ranks or else lose their status as one of Germany's two big popular parties, or 'Volksparteien'.

Speaking on the 70th anniversary of her conservatives' women's union, Merkel said the CDU needed to boost the proportion of women in its membership above some 25 per cent if it wanted to win more than 40 per cent of the vote.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, talks to Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen.

"That's why this is not just a question of women who want to make a career, but it is a survival matter for this Volkspartei," she said.

Both the mainstream political blocs - the CDU and their Bavarian allies, and the left-leaning Social Democrats (SPD) - suffered their worst post-war election results in last September's national election - 33 and 21 per cent respectively.
Los Angeles: Never mind nuclear fears about North Korea and Iran. Set aside concerns about Russian cyber attacks. World leaders today are racing to harness a different source of power to tip the geopolitical balance in their favor.

From Moscow to Pyongyang, from Paris to Jerusalem, presidents, prime ministers and dictators-for-life are seeking to weaponise Donald Trump's vanity.

Different leaders are using different approaches. South Korean President Moon Jae-in gave Trump credit for a diplomatic breakthrough with North Korea, to ensure Trump saw peace as a potential legacy issue.

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, shows his affection for US President Donald Trump at a news conference in Washington. Credit:Bloomberg

French President Emmanuel Macron literally and figuratively stroked Trump, with the goal of getting him to preserve the Iran nuclear deal.
McCracken Rescue Squad Prepares for Busy Season

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By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 04, 2018 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 04, 2018 | 05:48 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Warmer weather and summer vacations, while providing fun and relaxation for most, can lead to an extremely busy time for rescue squads. It is certainly no different for the McCracken County Rescue Squad.



Ed Duff, chief of the McCracken County Rescue Squad, explained Friday on the Greg Dunker Show that the increased activity on the river and waterways often leads to an increase in calls for their assistance. He said that in addition to these calls, they also help law enforcement with traffic control and general disaster management. These situations can be anything from a boat sinking to an earthquake. As a result, the rescue squad members continually train for all situations.



David Shepherd, captain of the rescue squad, spoke of how it is a goal of the squad to serve the community by helping keep the public and first responders safe. They usually receive approximately 200 calls per year.



The chaplain of the rescue squad, A.J. Sales, told how he can be of service to those that have suffered loss in a disaster, in that he serves as a liason between those that have been affected by the disaster, and their personal minister, The Red Cross, The Salvation Army, or other organizations. He also ministers to first responders during a time of disaster.



Duff explained that the members of the rescue squad are volunteers with many different backgrounds, including members of the Paducah Police Department, the McCracken County Sheriff's Department, physician assistants, and pilots.



The rescue squad is part of the Office of McCracken County Emergency Management.



Duff encouraged anyone that has an interest in being part of the rescue squad to attend a meeting. No prior experience is needed as they will properly train all volunteers for the duties. The training will include boat safety, weather spotting, first aid, CPR, AED, and general safety.



The squad meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month at the McCracken County Emergency Management complex located at 3700 Coleman Road in Paducah.
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McConnell Discusses Benefits of Legalizing Hemp

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By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 04, 2018 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 04, 2018 | 06:10 PM | PADUCAH, KY

On Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell elaborated on the bill he introduced three weeks in the Senate to legalize hemp.



McConnell told West Kentucky Star that most people now realize that the hemp plant is not the same as the marijuana plant, regardless of its appearance. He said Kentucky farmers are looking for crops to replace tobacco, and he believes pilot programs put in place 3-4 years ago are working.



"Hemp is an incredible plant. Products developed out of hemp could end up in your car dashboard, in your food or in your medicine. It's an extraordinarily diversified crop. So, I'm going to put that in the farm bill, which we need to pass this year. Congressman (James) Comer is going to carry the ball on the House side, and we're hopefully that we can now legalize hemp, have the regulation of it handled at the state level all across America, and have a new opportunity for something that Kentucky's young farmers are particularly enthusiastic about," McConnell said.



The Senator said he doesn't know how big hemp could be as a cash crop in the Commonwealth, but he and Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles held a round table discussion a few weeks ago that generated a good turnout, including farmers who have been involved in the pilot programs.



McConnell said, "We think we know how to grow it and how to market it. You know, Americans are using hemp all the time. It's imported into various products that are in the global economy. There's no reason in the world why that hemp shouldn't come from the United States of America."
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Warren Buffett said on Saturday that Wells Fargo committed a "cardinal sin" by turning a blind eye to the bad behavior caused by its horrible incentive system.

But, the billionaire Wells Fargo shareholder defended the scandal-ridden lender, arguing its misdeeds aren't much worse than what other big banks have done.

Buffett said at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, that Wells Fargo had the "wrong incentives."

Wells Fargo's wildly unrealistic sales goals led workers to create millions of fake accounts and the bank has admitted to charging customers for auto insurance they didn't need and mortgage fees they didn't deserve.

"That was bad," Buffett said. "But then they committed the much greater error" by "ignoring the fact that they had a faulty incentive system." He said unrealistic sales goals encouraged workers to do "crazy" things, like opening millions of fake accounts.

"That is the cardinal sin at Berkshire," he said.

Despite Wells Fargo's 20-month nightmare, Berkshire Hathaway has largely stood by the bank. Buffett's holding company still owns more than 458 million shares, a 9% stake.

Buffett reiterated his support for Wells Fargo and its embattled management team even though the bank's legal troubles have persisted.

"I see no reason why Wells Fargo as a company - from both an investor standpoint and a moral standpoint going forward - is in any way inferior to the other big banks with which it competes," Buffett said.

He pointed to the legal problems that plagued American Express in the 1960s, noting that the company emerged stronger.

Yet a Berkshire Hathaway shareholder noted that Buffett has famously said that if you find yourself in a "chronically leaking boat," it would be more productive to devote energy to "changing vessels" than "patching leaks."

"At what magnitude of leakage would Berkshire consider changing boats?" the shareholder asked Buffett about Wells Fargo.

Related: Wells Fargo will pay $480 million to settle securities fraud lawsuit

While Wells Fargo made a "big mistake," Buffett said "all the big banks have had troubles of one sort or another."

"I like Tim Sloan as a manager," Buffett said of Well Fargo's CEO, who has had to fight off calls for his resignation. "He is correcting mistakes made by other people."

Just a day earlier, Wells Fargo agreed to pay $480 million to settle claims it misled shareholders about its fake-account scandal. Wells Fargo denied the allegations in the securities fraud class action, but said it agreed to pay to "avoid the cost and disruption of further litigation."

Wells Fargo's troubles aren't limited to the fake-account scandal. Last month, federal regulators fined Wells Fargo $1 billion for auto insurance and mortgage abuses.

And in February, the Federal Reserve slapped Wells Fargo with unprecedented sanctions for "widespread consumer abuses." The penalties prevent the bank from growing any bigger until it cleans up its act.

Wells Fargo remains under investigation from the Department of Justice, Department of Labor and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Federal regulators also recently urged Wells Fargo's board to probe whether the bank made inappropriate recommendations to customers about their 401(k) plans.

Charlie Munger, Berkshire's vice chairman, argued that it's precisely because of all of these legal problems that Wells Fargo will be stronger in the future.

"I think Wells Fargo is going to be better going forward than it would have been if these leaks had never been discovered," Munger said.

"If I had to say which bank is more likely to behave the best in the future," Munger said, "it might be Wells Fargo."
Former Vice President Joe Biden recently took a trip to Arizona to visit Sen. John McCain, who is battling brain cancer, and says McCain is "concerned about the state of the country," The New York Times reported Saturday.

Biden described the visit, which took place last Sunday, to the Times, saying, "John knows he's in a very, very, very precarious situation, and yet he's still concerned about the state of the country." Biden told the newspaper that he and McCain "talked about how our international reputation is being damaged and we talked about the need for people to stand up and speak out."

McCain was diagnosed with brain cancer last year and is at home in Arizona recovering from side effects associated with his treatment.

Former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama have been asked to deliver eulogies at McCain's funeral, people close to both former presidents and a source close to the senator confirmed to CNN. McCain unsuccessfully challenged Bush for the GOP presidential nomination in 2000 and Obama in the 2008 general election.

President Donald Trump is not expected to be invited to the funeral service, a source close to McCain confirmed.

Another person close to McCain said, "we don't know how much time he has ... but let's pray he hangs on to be a conscience for this country."

NBC News previously reported the Bush and Obama invitations.

The New York Times reported that Trump was not expected to be invited to McCain's funeral. The Times said Vice President Mike Pence is expected to attend the funeral, which is set to be held at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.

The Times also reported that some McCain associates hope to see a "McCain person" take his Senate seat, and that Cindy McCain could be one such person.

The senator's wife, Cindy McCain, recently tweeted about Biden's visit, saying, "Enjoyed a wonderful visit from @JoeBiden yesterday. Such good family friends. Enjoyed catching up!"

Biden's eldest son Beau, a former attorney general of Delaware, died of brain cancer in 2015, upending the then-vice president's planned 2016 presidential campaign. Biden told the Times that during his conversation with McCain, the Arizona senator urged him to "not walk away" from politics, but Biden declined to discuss the possibility that he might run for president in 2020 with the newspaper.

McCain recently wrote a memoir, "The Restless Wave," which will be released later this month. In it and a forthcoming documentary, McCain expresses his regret over not choosing former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman as his vice presidential running mate when he ran for the presidency in 2008, the Times reported. McCain's running mate in the 2008 presidential campaign was then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
NEW HARTFORD- Congresswoman Claudia Tenney called out her congressional opponent, Anthony Brindisi, for accepting contributions for his campaign from Nancy Pelosi. Tenney said, Brindisi doesn't support Pelosi and believes he shouldn't be accepting money.





Brindisi told NEWSChannel 2 he did accept the money, but said Tenney is trying to distract from her voting record in Washington. He also confirmed he does not support Nancy Pelosi. He said there needs to be change.

Tenney said Brindisi accepted a total of $14,000 from Pelosi. Tenney said she thinks Brindisi should give that monay back. "He should turn back the $14,000 to Nancy Pelosi, turn back the money and refuse to take the money to ads going out to the house majority PAC," said Tenney.

Brindisi responded with, "The true issue is an attempt by the Congresswoman to try and draw attention away from her disastrous record on things like healthcare."

The election is in six months.
UPDATE- New Hartford Police have confirmed Shawnna Lopez has been located and is safe.

The investigation is still ongoing and more information will be released as soon as it's made available.

NEW HARTFORD  New Hartford police are asking for the publics help locating a missing girl who they say may have run away from home.

Police say Friday morning 13-year-old Shawnna Lopezs mother discovered she was missing from the family's home. Police say Lopez left the house with several personal items leading investigators to conclude that she was not intending on returning home. Police say Shawnnas cell phone is off, and friends and family are unable to reach her.

Police say Lopez is considered an endangered runaway because she appears to have met with someone after she left home.

Lopez is described as standing 55 tall and weighing 130 pounds. She has dark brown hair with purple highlights, brown eyes, and black and pink Nike sneakers. She was last seen at home around midnight Friday.

Police ask anyone who has information about Lopez to call 911.
ILION - Ilion's police chief confirms that the suspect who's allegedly responsible for the lockdown at the Ilion gunmaker on Thursday is a former employee.

Matthew Spaman allegedly made a Facebook post THursday afternoon, talking about a bomb and about Remington Arms. The post read, in part, "With a LIVE BOMB in my vehicle, and a countdown in place or the return or destruction of my vehicle due to being in the possession of terrorists and treasonists to God and Country at Remington Arms in Ilion, NY".

Police caught up with Spaman, 30, at his home in Ilion Thursday evening. He's charged with falsely reporting an incident. Utica College threat suspect Fahrudin Omerovic, who's accused of setting in motion a similar chain of events at the college in March, is charged with making a terroristic threat. The Herkimer County District Attorney explains the difference.

"For making a terroristic threat, you generally have to have the intent to commit a further offense - a specified offense. For example, if you say 'there's a bomb in the school and I'm gonna kill the students.' There's additional elements that weren't present for this particular charge," said Herkimer County DA Jeff Carpenter Friday afternoon.

Whether or not a psychiatric defense or disposition is indicated in this case is currently out of Carpenter's hands.

"If his defense team decides they want to have him evaluated, that's up to them. I have no control over that. We'll deal with that as it comes. RIght now, it's being pursued criminally," said Carpenter.

Spaman is due in Town of German Flatts court Monday at 2:00 p.m. for a felony hearing. He's currently being held in the Herkimer County Jail on $15,000 bond.
By Betsy Klein and Jeremy Diamond, CNN

(CNN) -- President Donald Trump sought to reassure National Rifle Association members at their 2018 annual meeting Friday that their Second Amendment rights are safe in the midst of a national conversation on gun law reform.

"Thanks to your activism and dedication, you have an administration fighting to protect your Second Amendment and we will protect your Second Amendment," he said. "Your Second Amendment rights are under siege, but they will never ever be under siege as long as I am your president."

Trump also urged the crowd not to become "complacent" heading into the midterm elections as he sought to galvanize the base.

"Don't be complacent. Don't be complacent," Trump urged the crowd. "History says that when you win the presidency, you get complacent. You know the feeling? Like 90% of the time you win the presidency and for whatever reason you lose the midterm. We can't let that happen. And the word is complacent."

"We cannot get complacent," Trump said again.

Still, Trump predicted that Republicans will do well in 2018, arguing "the Democrats are very concerned."

"You watch how well we do in '18, you watch," Trump said.

Russia investigation

Trump lamented the ongoing special counsel investigation into Russian election meddling during his speech and referenced the case against Paul Manafort, while calling attention to a CNN article.

After calling attention to a CNN report about a federal judge's comments on special counsel Robert Mueller's probe, Trump argued that the investigation is a "witch hunt" and praised his former campaign chairman as a "good person."

Trump quoted comments from a federal judge who suggested on Friday that the special counsel was aiming to hurt Trump by prosecuting Manafort.

"Let me tell you folks, we're all fighting battles, but I love fighting these battles," Trump said.

Trump also once again downplayed Manafort's time at the helm of his campaign, saying he's "a nice guy, but you know he worked for me for a very short period of time -- like what, a couple months?"

"Manafort was there for a short while but he's a good person, I really believe he's a good person," Trump said.

Gun debate

This is Trump's fourth consecutive address to the NRA's annual meeting, but his first remarks to the group since the tragic Parkland, Florida, high school shooting that left 17 dead and sparked a national student-led push for gun law reform.

"The world is watching and we're going to come up with a solution," Trump assured a group of people affected by the nation's deadliest school shootings during an emotional White House listening session one week after the attack.

In a separate meeting with lawmakers following the shooting, Trump vowed to get tough on guns, potentially expanding background checks, taking guns away from the mentally ill, and raising the minimum age for purchase.

Trump at the NRA convention called attention to the "red flags" that were present before the Parkland school shooter carried out his attack.

"There has never been a case where more red flags have been shown," Trump said, as he promised his administration was "working to improve early warning systems."

Trump called attention to the modest measures he signed into law in the wake of the Parkland shooting, but made no mention of the series of changes he called for in its immediate wake, which the NRA opposed, such as raising the age of purchase for certain firearms, his calls for "comprehensive" gun law revisions and his support for expanding background checks.

Instead, he focused on the bill he signed into law which included $2 million in school safety funding and improvements in reporting to the background check system -- all measures supported by the NRA.

Trump also said more needs to be done to "harden certain schools" and reiterated his support for "allowing highly trained teachers to carry concealed weapons" and for security guards in schools.

The NRA spent more than $30 million to help elect Trump in the 2016 presidential election, according to the Center of Responsive Politics, and provided a boon of conservative bona fides at a time when Trump's candidacy was met with skepticism by many who doubted his conservative credentials.

(The-CNN-Wire &  2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.)
CROWN POINT, Ind. (AP)  An Indiana man has avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty in the deaths of seven women and instead faces life in prison without parole.

Darren Vann of Gary, Indiana, entered the guilty pleas during a surprise court hearing Friday. He will be sentenced May 25.

The 47-year-old was arrested in October 2014 as police in Hammond investigated the death of 19-year-old Afrikka Hardy of Hammond. Vann then led authorities to the bodies of the other women. The remains had been hidden in abandoned buildings in Gary.

Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Vann in the deaths of Hardy and 35-year-old Anith Jones of Merrillville. He was also charged with murder in the killings of five other northwest Indiana women in a separate case.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - The Purdue University community is still mourning the loss of one of its own, after a student died earlier this week in a bicycle crash. Now, West Lafayette police are cautioning bicyclists and motorists to keep an eye out for each other.

"Unfortunately, we do see our share of accidents where cyclists and motorists are meeting," said Patrol Lt. Art Choates.





Choates said crashes like these are becoming way too common. Just this Tuesday, Lucas Shanker, 19, was riding his bike and failed to stop at the intersection of Lindberg Road and 400 West.

Police said he flipped over the handle bars as he was braking and flew into the path of a truck.

"Obviously, the car is going to win that every time," said Choates. "Sometimes when we get inside our vehicles, I think we tend to forget that there's bicyclists out there."

Choates said the tragic incident is a powerful reminder of the responsibility of both the driver and the bicyclist to look out for each other.

"The state of Indiana allows bicyclists to share the road with motorists. So, that's a great reminder for motorists that they need to know bicyclists are allowed to share the road," said Choates.

Police said drivers need to keep safe distances in between in cyclists and to slow down when passing by.

"We also have an ordinance here in West Lafayette that requires motorists to allow three feet between them alongside the road," said Choates.

He said bicyclists also need to obey the same rules as cars.

"Now, there is signage for the bicyclists specifically. That becomes very important for bicyclists to pay attention to that signage," said Choates.

Another important reminder for both, is to never drive or bike while distracted.




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North Smithfield resident Mike Rapko, right, stands to speak out during the public comment portion of a North Smithfield Planning Board meeting this week, held to decide whether solar farms would fit the towns comprehensive plan.
Flags of BASF are pictured in Monheim. (File Photo)

LUDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY: BASF SE and Solenis have signed an agreement to join forces by combining their paper wet-end and water chemicals businesses.

The goal is to create a customer-focused global solutions provider for the industry. For the paper industry, the product portfolio of the combined enterprise will cover the entire range of functional and process wet-end chemicals, solutions for the water cycle for paper mills, as well as comprehensive service capabilities.

For the water treatment industry, the customers of the joint organization will benefit from Solenis high-quality service capabilities and BASFs broad water treatment chemicals platform.

The closing of the transaction is anticipated for the end of 2018 at the earliest.

BASF will hold a 49 percent share of the combined entity that will operate under the Solenis name and be headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, US. BASF will nominate three out of seven shareholder representatives of the joint entity that will continue to be led by current president and chief executive officer (CEO) John Panichella of Solenis. 51 percent of the shares will be held by funds managed by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.

The transaction comprises BASFs global paper wet-end and water chemicals business with 2017 sales of around 800 million and around 1,300 employees globally.

The transfer includes production sites and plants of the paper wet-end and water chemicals business in Bradford and Grimsby, UK; Suffolk, Virginia, US; Altamira, Mexico; Ankleshwar, India, and Kwinana, Australia.

BASFs paper and water chemicals production plants strongly embedded in the Verbund in Ludwigshafen, Germany, and Nanjing, China, are not transferred and will deliver products and raw materials to the combined entity under mid- to long-term supply agreements.

BASFs paper coating chemicals portfolio is not part of the transaction.

The transaction underlines BASFs active portfolio management and enables us to share in the future success of this promising joint entity, said Dr Markus Kamieth, member of the board of executive directors of BASF SE and responsible for the performance products segment.

We will remain committed to the paper and water treatment industries through our 49 percent ownership of the combined entity and bring our excellent technologies, products, and production processes. Combined with Solenis service capabilities, we will create additional value for our customers. They will benefit from our joint innovation activities, complimentary state-of-the-art product portfolios, and dedicated service and application support, added Anup Kothari, president of BASFs performance chemicals division.

Together, we have a unique opportunity to create a customer-focused global speciality chemical company with an enhanced focus and expanded offerings. I am pleased that our cultures are closely aligned and that our companies share a strong common desire to create value for our customers. Together, as one team of experts, we will continue to strive towards excellence in innovation, sustainability and safety, said John Panichella, CEO of Solenis.

BASF and Solenis will continue to operate as independent companies until the completion of the transaction.

 Worldofchemicals News
3 People have died on spot following an accident that involved a bus and a saloon car along the Kampala Masaka road.

The accident occurred at Bukulula trading center in Kalungu district when a Mbarara-bound bus belonging to Savanna Bus company registration number UAK 283X collided with a Toyota corolla registration number UAP 174J.

Police has identified the dead people as Kennedy Mwanje the driver of the salon car, Tom Mugenyi and Jane Nassuuna all residents of Lukaya town council in Kalungu district.

The other occupant of the saloon car who is yet to be identified has been rushed to hospital in critical condition.

According to eye witnesses the driver of the saloon car Mwanje and other occupants were last seen at a bar in a place known as Kibizzi, before driving into the main road where they crushed with a speeding Mbarara bond bus.

Lameck Kigozi the Southern Region Police Spokesperson has confirmed the accident saying that it was caused by reckless driving by Mwanje the salon car driver who was drunk driving.

Kigozi says that police has taken the deceaseds bodies to Masaka regional referral hospital for postmortem as investigations into the cause of the accident goes on.

He has however, warned drivers against drink driving saying that traffic police in the region is going to intensify on operations to fight violating traffic rules and regulations among drivers.

The vehicles that were involved in the accident have been towed to Lukaya police station as investigations into the accident goes on.
Open day at North Wales conference centre aims to attract organisations from across region

This article is old - Published: Saturday, May 5th, 2018

Businesses and organisations across the region looking for conference facilities are being offered the chance to see what a landmark building has to offer.

The OpTIC Conference Centre Open Day, to be held on Thursday 17th May, will give people the chance to meet with the Glyndwr Innovations and Ffres Catering teams who are based at the centre and see what they have to offer.

Business and Innovation Centre Manager Debbie Davies said: The Day is open to and targeted at all businesses and organisations  large and small  who are looking to hold a meeting, conference, interviews, events and more.

Its designed to show new customers what we have to offer  and to give them the opportunity to view some of our facilities and try the food. Our onsite caterers Ffres Catering, also run the cafe which is open to the public  and proves quite popular with those in the know!

We already have a range of customers from across North Wales, including large organisations and businesses of all sizes. We can offer a large conference room that seats up to 120 people theatre style, and exhibition space too  as well as AV equipped rooms catering for a range of group sizes.

Our conference facilities are very easily accessible  we are only a minutes drive off junction 26 of the A55. Once people are here, we have free parking too  and all in a flagship North Wales building.

For more information about the day, or to discuss your needs, please contact the OpTIC team on 01745 535100 or email opticreception@glyndwr.ac.uk. If you or someone in your organisation are interested in attending the Open Day, you can book online here.
RBS bank closure plans criticised by North Wales AM

This article is old - Published: Saturday, May 5th, 2018

Plans to close more banks across north Wales  including in Wrexham  have been criticised by a North Wales Assembly Member.

Last week the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) announced that it would be closing 162 branches across the UK, citing recent changes to the world of banking as its decision.

On Tuesday it was confirmed that the RBS branch on Lord Street in Wrexham town centre would close on July 26th 2018.

RBS in Llandudno and Colwyn Bay will also close  leaving Prestatyn as the only branch in north Wales.

The closures have been criticised by Llyr Gruffydd, Plaid Cymrus North Wales AM, who says the decision by RBS shows that Wales need a community bank that serves communities and small businesses.

The decision by the RBS to close three of its four branches in north Wales is just the latest in a long line of bank closures our communities have suffered, said Mr Gruffydd.

After years of encouraging customers to bank online they claim there is little footfall to justify these closures.

The fact is that theyve abandoned all pretence to be community banks, despite being bailed out by taxpayers. Customers  in particular small businesses that need to cash up at the end of the week  will rightly feel abandoned as RBS effectively disappears from the North.

It shows once again that Wales needs a community bank that serves local communities and small business rather than one driven by profiting shareholders.
The Trump administration announced yesterday that it is ending temporary protected status (TPS) for 86,000 Hondurans who have lived in the United States for nearly 20 years. To date, the Trump administration has terminated TPS status for 425,000 immigrants, which will lead to a mass deportation roughly equal to the population of Minneapolis, Cleveland or Oakland.

Protections for these immigrants will now expire in 2020, at which point those in the US under TPS will be forced to return to their war-torn, impoverished home country.

The TPS program is intended to provide temporary respite from deportation to immigrants from countries devastated by natural disaster or war. Yesterdays decision signals that the government is effectively ending it. Including the Hondurans, 97.4 percent of all TPS beneficiaries will now see their protected status end.

In its decision announcing the policy change, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the DHS is determined that the disruption of living conditions in Honduras from Hurricane Mitch that served as the basis for its TPS designation has decreased to a degree that it should no longer be regarded as substantial.

Roughly 10,000 people died in the 1998 hurricane, from which the impoverished Central American nation has never recovered. Though TPS has been extended every 18 months since the hurricane, yesterdays decision fails to indicate what has changed in the last year and a half. In reality, there is no legal basis for the TPS revocation.

Conditions in Honduras have only further deteriorated since the last extension of TPS. After the right-wing National Party led by incumbent presidential candidate Juan Orlando Hernandez committed blatant election fraud in the November 2017 general elections, mass demonstrations broke out across the country.

The government declared a curfew and a national state of exception, and dispatched the military to suppress the protesters, killing 38 and arresting nearly 1,700. Even the imperialist-dominated Organization of American States appealed to the National Party to call new elections, but the Hernandez regime ignored the request and inaugurated itself on January 27.

The National Party has ruled Honduras since the 2009 US-backed military coup overthrew then-President Manuel Zelaya. The coup was carried out with the approval of the Obama administration and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. A number of protesters were killed in the demonstrations following the coup. Disappearances of oppositional figures and activists like the indigenous rights leader Berta Caceres are increasingly common. Caceres was murdered by elite government soldiers, two of whom were trained at Fort Benning, Georgia, the former site of the School of the Americas.

In the aftermath of decades of destruction wreaked by US imperialism on Honduras, gangs collaborate with the police and the state to terrorize the population. A 2015 Guardian study found that 35 Hondurans deported from the US were murdered over the span of the prior year.

San Diego State University Professor Elizabeth Kennedy told the Guardian: These figures tell us that the US is returning people to their deaths in violation of national and international law. Most of the individuals reported to have been murdered lived in some of the most violent towns in some of the most violent countries in the worldsuggesting strongly that is why they fled.

The violence that pervades Honduran society has deep roots, including the USs decision to station thousands of members of its contra deaths squads in the country in the 1980s. From bases in Honduras, the contras not only conducted its anti-Sandinista and ethnic cleansing activities in Nicaragua, but also assassinated left-wing activists and carried out brutal repression in Honduras itself.

About 80 percent of all participants in this years Stations of the Cross caravan are from Honduras. An estimated 1,200 people made the 3,000-mile journey from Central America through Mexico to the US-Mexico border. Two hundred people were forced to camp at the border crossing between Tijuana and San Diego for days before being allowed to submit asylum applications.

Throughout Trumps first year and a half in power, the Democratic Party has not lifted a finger to stop the attack on TPS recipients. One by one, Trump has cancelled protected status for hundreds of thousands of residents of what he referred to as shithole countries in Africa, Central America, and the Caribbean, and the Democrats have waged no serious opposition. Instead, they have spent their political capital denouncing foreign meddling and Russian interference, cultivating a xenophobic climate that facilitates Trump and his fascist aides attack on immigrants.
By Benjamin Jumbe.

President Yoweri Museveni has pledged to support the Inter Religious Council with Shs.5bn to facilitate the promotion of wealth creation among the believers.

He made the commitment while meeting a 60-man strong delegation of members of the Inter-Religious Council in Uganda, led by their Chairman, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje who is also the Mufti of Uganda.

He said faith organizations are also affected by poverty among their congregations adding that there is no way development projects of religious groups can prosper when the followers are wallowing in poverty.

He called on the Members of Parliament to think more about the promotion and development of the welfare of 40 million Ugandans instead of working to increase their remunerations, stressing the crucial need to budget in a disciplined manner.

The Inter-Religious Council Chairman, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje, stressed the need to consolidate the prevailing peace in the country.

The meeting was a follow-up on a recent familiarization tour by the religious leaders to the Districts of Ibanda, Kiruhuura and Masaka that involved the monitoring of the NRM Governments Operation Wealth Creation Programme.
The revelation that US special forces have been operating secretively on the ground in Yemen since December underscores once again Washingtons reckless drive towards a regional conflagration with Iran.

Coming just a week before President Donald Trump is due to announce whether he will abrogate the 2015 nuclear accord with Tehran, Thursdays report in the New York Times that Green Berets are fighting alongside Saudi forces in their genocidal war against the Yemeni people demonstrates that US imperialism will stop at nothing to consolidate its hegemony over the Middle East. Having supplied the Saudis with intelligence and weaponry to continue their murderous assault on the impoverished country, resulting in the deaths of at least 13,000 civilians, the United States has now become a direct participant in the ground conflict.

Riyadh launched the war in March 2015 with the aim of reinstalling the US-backed puppet government of Abd-Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who was driven from power following an offensive by the Houthi rebels. The Saudi regime views the Houthis as a proxy for Iran and is determined to destroy the rebel group as part of its broader plans to push back Iranian influence across the Middle East.

US aircraft have refuelled Saudi jets, allowing them to carry out continuous air strikes with munitions supplied by the US, Britain, France, and other Western powers. American ships have helped enforce a blockade of the country, restricting the delivery of critical food and medical supplies.

The Saudi military has waged the war with extreme brutality and an utter disregard for civilian casualties. Last month, an air strike on a wedding in the north of the country claimed 33 lives, including many women and children. Less than a week later, an air strike targeted a medical facility in the capital, Sanaa.

Washington has carried out its own air strikes in the country, chiefly aimed at the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula group.

But US forces, notorious for such war crimes as the destruction of Fallujah in Iraq, the bombing of hospitals in Afghanistan, and the virtual flattening of Mosul and Raqqa in Iraq and Syria, are being drawn ever more deeply into the Yemeni bloodbath.

Nobody should buy the claim by the Times that the deployment of the Green Beretscarried out behind the backs of the American people and with no knowledge of, much less authorization by, the US Congressis merely for the purposes of operations on the border aimed at protecting Saudi territory. Something closer to the truth was revealed May 3 when reports emerged that the Pentagon is seeking contractors to provide two fixed-wing aircraft and two helicopters to rescue US special forces in and around Yemen.

Similar self-serving arguments have been deployed in the past to cover up the predatory character of secret US special forces operations elsewhere, including in the West African country of Niger, where they are engaged in a counterinsurgency war against Islamist rebels. After four Green Berets were killed in a firefight with militants last October, it was revealed that they were involved in an assassination mission when the gun battle occurred.

In Iraq and Syria, special forces ostensibly serving as advisers to Iraqi troops and Kurdish militias fired thousands of shells into densely populated areas of Mosul, helping push the death toll into the tens of thousands.

Washingtons involvement in the Yemen war, which was initiated under the Obama administration, is part of US imperialisms broader agenda of securing its unchallenged predominance over the energy-rich and strategically vital Middle East. The driving force behind this is the economic decline of American imperialism, which the US ruling elite has unsuccessfully sought to offset by employing military violence.

The main regional impediment to Washingtons predatory ambitions is Iran, which is being targeted for war preparations by a US-led alliance encompassing Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Sunni Gulf sheikdoms.

In March, the US political and media establishment extended a warm welcome to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who, as the architect of the Yemen war, bears chief responsibility for butchering the civilian population. Trump, who called in a speech in Riyadh last May for the construction of an anti-Iranian alliance, gave flesh and blood to this proposal during bin Salmans visit by unveiling plans to sell billions of dollars of military equipment to the despotic regime.

The central focus of US imperialist aggression in the region over the past seven years has been Syria, where Washington has waged a brutal war for regime change with the support of Islamist proxies since 2011. The Syrian conflict has increasingly assumed regional dimensions, pitting US, French, and British forces against military personnel from Iran and Russia, the main backers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

With its efforts to expel pro-government forces from the east of the country, which is home to important oil fields, and the launching of missile strikes on the basis of unsubstantiated claims of the use by Assad of chemical weapons, Washington has proven its determination to recklessly escalate the conflict, even at the risk of a direct military clash with nuclear-armed Russia. Such a conflict would rapidly draw in the major European imperialist powers, who are all seeking to obtain their share of the spoils as the Middle East is redivided by means of violent inter-imperialist conflict.

Washingtons aggressive actions have emboldened its allies, above all Israel and Saudi Arabia, to target Iran ever more openly. Israeli aircraft have bombed a series of targets in Syria over recent months, killing dozens of Iranian personnel, while the Saudi regime has deepened its collaboration with US forces in the Yemen conflict in preparation for cooperation in a much broader and bloodier war. There can be no doubt that the public revelation that US forces are on the ground in Yemen will accelerate this process.

With the deadline looming for Trump to decide whether to cancel the nuclear accord, which Iran has implemented to the letter, all indications point to the growing danger of a US-led war against Tehran. Trump appears to have rebuffed attempts by his ostensible European allies to stick with the deal. Even in the unlikely event he decides prior to May 12 to maintain the agreement, such an announcement will be tied to conditions that Tehran will be unable to accept, setting the stage for a breakdown of the deal and a resort to open hostilities sooner rather than later.

The imminent prospect of such a catastrophic conflict, which has been brought a step nearer with the US ground intervention in Yemen, must be taken as a serious warning by workers in the United States, the Middle East and internationally.

The threat of a region-wide and even global war can be averted only through the construction of an international anti-war movement to unite workers in the United States and Europe who are opposed to another round of imperialist bloodletting in the interests of the capitalist elites, with the workers and oppressed in the Middle East and internationally. The building of such a movement requires the adoption by workers and youth of a socialist and internationalist programme to unite the struggle against war with the fight against its sourcethe capitalist profit system.
In an editorial published on May Day, Spains El Pais newspaper warned the trade unions they are losing influence and must respond to the growing class struggle, expressed in escalating strikes and social protests, which have erupted outside their control.

That El Pais, closely allied with the PSOE and the largest newspaper in Spain, issues such a warning is a powerful indicator that a fundamental change is taking place in the political situation on Spain and globally with revolutionary consequences. The more thoughtful sections of the ruling elite are deeply concerned that a fundamental tool for the suppression of social discontent has lost its authority and that something must be done about it.

The commemoration of today, May 1, El Pais opined, is surrounded and conditioned by unique political and economic circumstances. There are facts that the unions have to accept: social protests are being channelled by activists or groups that have nothing to do with the union organisations.

The repeated and angry demonstrations of the pensioners or the tidal demands of women have transcended the limits of the major unions (UGT and CCOO) or even of any type of trade union association to look for more forceful forms of public presence. The unions have lost, so to speak, their dominance of the protest movement and a benign reading of this fact leads to the conclusion that they are not capable of channelling social conflicts, which is the task of representation to which they are called. At the same time, they have also lost much of the capacity for institutional influence they had since the 1980s.

Since the global capitalist crisis erupted in 2008, the CCOO and UGT have lost around 600,000 of their members. They represent just 1.8 million mainly elderly public sector workers, just 10 percent of Spains 18 million-strong workforce.

During this period, the working class has faced relentless attack on its living conditions through austerity measures in education, healthcare and pensions, unemployment, precarious jobs and wage cuts. Unemployment, which peaked at 27 percent in 2013, still stands at 17 percent. Youth unemployment is at 36 percent. Nearly half the workforce, around 8 million workers, earn just 1,000 or less a month, and another third (6 million workers) do not even take home the minimum wage of 735 ($880) per month.

The unions have been active participants in this onslaught, which has only been outstripped by Greece in its ruthlessness. They have betrayed one strike after another and participated in collective agreements and labour reforms resulting in deteriorating working conditions for workers and fat profits for the employers and shareholders.

Wage adjustment has caused us and other Spanish companies to increase competitiveness and efficiency, Rafael Vazquez, vice-president of production at Conesa, an industrial tomato processing plant in Extremadura, told the Financial Times last month. The company has tripled sales to 200 million over the past three years and helped Spains economic growth rise by over 3 percent over the same period, well above the Eurozone average.

For these services to big business, the unions have been showered with millions of euros in subsidies from the state budget, regional and local governments, universities and think tanks. They have profited directly from the misery imposed on the working class, netting millions from training programmes for workers and the unemployed, while promoting private pensions schemes, some of which they manage.

The unions have been mired in corruption scandals, including union-appointed bank executives siphoning off millions through phantom credit cards and the creaming off of subsidies for state-sponsored redundancy schemes making it easier for companies to cut working hours and sack workers.

In the face of this record, El Pais blames the loss of influence of the unions over the working class on their inclination to represent the interests only of workers with employment and not of those who lack a job or seek it with despair.

Moreover, The trade union intelligentsia has not been able to articulate a coherent discourse for those affected by the financial crisis and the recession. They are the ones that today form the spearhead of social protest and those who are most in need of an institutional negotiating force; precisely, what unions should be doing.

El Pais makes a wistful call to the unions to restore their credibility by providing an answer to the excessive extension of precariousness employment, wage depression and the stagnation of the youth unemployment rate and that of workers over 45 years of age.

The editorial concludes by appealing to the unions to ponder on their responses to the serious disorder that has taken place in the labour market and warns, It is not enough to appear on May 1; you have to participate in the economic changes every day and recover your lost influence.

The El Pais editorial is a remarkable and devastating exposure of the right-wing, anti-working-class character of the trade unions  and of the pseudo-left groups that tail after them.

While the unions, year in, year out, stand by or actively collaborate in the imposition of austerity, the pseudo-left insist these bankrupt organisations are the voice of the working class, save for the problem of a few bad leaders.

These privileged middle-class forces populate the union bureaucracy and the labour studies departments of universities and receive well-paid jobs and pensions in return. They too have published numerous articles bemoaning the loss of influence of the unions, urging, like El Pais , that they put up some sort of pretence of opposition.

The Pabloite Anticapitalistas propose that the current exhausted trade union model must be replaced by an open, feminist, class, militant and assemblyist unionism. Calling for trade unions that mobilise on the streets, they make clear that such posturing is meant only to reinforce collusion between the trade union bureaucracy, the employers and the state in a new legal framework for labour relations.

Revolutionary Left, the Spanish affiliate of the Committee for a Workers International (CWI), forlornly complains that the leaders of CCOO lack an atom of will to mobilise workers and are missing the opportunity offered by the historic mobilisations of the pensioners to push for a general strike instead of dividing them with the sole purpose of trying to preserve their prominence and preserve some authority.

The Morenoite Workers Revolutionary Current (Corriente Revolucionaria de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras) looks for salvation in the syndicalist CGT and CNT unions. According to them, the left trade unions have the opportunity and the responsibility to move forward in a reorganization of the workers movement if it unifies its efforts, abandons all sectarianism, deploys a policy of exposures and demands towards CCOO and UGT and puts itself at the head of the organization of the most important precarious sectors.

In all the column inches written about the declining hold of the unions over the working class, no one addresses the main reasonthat the globalisation of production has undermined the framework of all nationally based programmes. While the trade union bureaucracy in the past could apply pressure on companies and achieve at least partial improvements for the workers while still carrying out a defence of capitalism, today the trade unions work with big business and the state to impose cuts to wages, benefits and working conditions to secure a competitive advantage for their company and state against others.

The El Pais editorial is a confirmation of the perspective of the International Committee of the Fourth International.

On the day that it appeared, the World Socialist Web Site published May Day 2018, pointing out that the conflict between workers and the unions is a defining feature of the growth of the class struggle in 2018.

These developments represent only the initial stage of an international process of expanding and explosive class struggle. They refute the reactionary nostrums of the petty-bourgeois pseudo-left, which wrote off the working class as a revolutionary social force and claimed that the struggles in modern society would be centered on race, gender and sexual orientation.

Those who rejected the revolutionary role of the working class did so to justify their alliance with and allegiance to the reactionary bureaucracies of the trade unions. No position of the International Committee of the Fourth International has been more bitterly attacked by the pseudo-left than its exposure of the right-wing role and anti-working-class character of the trade unions.
Less than three months after a gunman walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, killing 17 students and teachers, seniors on Saturday night will celebrate their prom -- with a little help from their community.

The event will entail all the hallmarks of a typical American prom: eye-grabbing decorations, lots of flowers and a dance floor packed with students dressed to the nines.

"We definitely want students to just walk in there and just be like, 'wow,' " senior class president Julia Cordover told CNN affiliate WPLG. "Definitely sparkles. Definitely popping colors."

Still, the Parkland, Florida, high school prom will be far from ordinary.

Not only will it be held under tight security, but there will be a tribute honoring the lives of Nicholas Dworet, Joaquin Oliver, Carmen Schentrup and Meadow Pollack, the four seniors killed during the February 14 massacre.

Students also will remember two other classmates who passed away before the shooting.

"It's going to be the first thing they see when they walk in and it will be nice to remember them that way," senior class vice president Lauren Hetzroni told WPLG.

With some students still grieving and emotions running high, local businesses, vendors and community members have come together to offer products and services at cost or even free of charge, in hopes of relieving students of their burdens -- even if just for a night.

Donated ballroom helps to lower ticket costs

The biggest contribution came from the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, which has donated a ballroom and catering for the evening, according to WPLG.

"We knew that the right thing to do was to step up and do something special for them," hotel manager Danny Estevez told the Miami TV station.

When hotel staff notified the owners about the prom, Estevez said, they were told right away the hotel would cover the cost.

The money saved allowed the prom planning committee to charge as little as $30 per ticket -- down from the usual of about $100.

"Everyone deserves it," Cordover told WPLG, "so we just hope that everyone will have a new positive memory for their senior year."

Small businesses step up

Other businesses also stepped up, offering hairstyling, makeup, photography and even prom dresses.

Gabriela Miller, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas alumni and salon and spa owner, said she felt compelled to help out after being shocked about the school shooting.

"This can't be my Douglas," the 2004 graduate recalls thinking. "This is Parkland. How is this happening here?"

"Today," Miller says, "it seems like a bad dream, like a nightmare."

To help ease students' pain, Miller asked her staff to donate their time and services to girls preparing for the prom. They enthusiastically agreed. Before she knew it, other hairstylists and makeup artists in surrounding communities said they'd help, too.

"I couldn't even keep up with the emails and the messages," Miller said.

On Saturday, Miller and dozens of beauty experts will do hair and makeup for more than 230 girls, she said. Her event will also offer spray tans, and a florist company will be on site to donate corsages and boutonnieres.

"Parkland has always been a really close community," Miller said, "but after this, it's just made everyone closer. Everyone is extending a hand out to help."

'Our whole community was affected'

It wasn't just business that donated money, time and energy to help the seniors celebrate. Neighbors also did their part.

Shawn Rosenthal, who lives in Coral Springs, a few miles south of Parkland, said she felt so moved by the attack that she organized a collection to provide free prom dresses to senior girls.

She was in her daughter's closet and saw a number of her old prom dresses when she had the idea to collect and donate the dresses to students of the Parkland high school.

"Our whole community was affected," Rosenthal said. "It was heartbreak for everyone."

Such a community effort, she said, could help the students "heal for a moment."

"They're going through so much right now," Rosenthal said. "I figured they didn't want to go into stores. It's just a lot of stress for them."

Within days, with the help of her friends, they'd collected more than 100 prom dresses of all colors, shapes and sizes. They caught the eye of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Alumni Association, which was also gathering dresses, and pooled their efforts.

Besides donations from the area, Rosenthal said, they also heard from folks in far-flung places such as Washington, California and Massachusetts. Soon, Rosenthal's home was filled with racks and racks of dresses.

On April 17 the women opened a popup shop and gave away the dresses to girls. The leftovers were donated to Becca's Closet, a national nonprofit organization that donates dresses to girls and their families who can't afford them.

The girls were grateful, Rosenthal said, "just to be able to go into a safe space and be able to look around and see beautiful things, not have to worry about something for a minute.

"It was a feel-good moment for the community to remember."
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - It was a somber journey for the dozens of law enforcement officers transporting fallen patrolman Rob Pitts.

Dozens of people lined the street to show their support for the fallen Terre Haute Police Officer.

Many law enforcement agencies were present for Pitts' escort as well.

Several officers traveled many miles to take part.

Saturday's procession took Officer Pitts from Regional Hospital, where he was last treated, to DeBaun Funeral home.

Several people that came to show their support didn't know Officer Pitts personally but still wanted to pay their respects.

"These men and women who serve for us, I mean they protect us, they don't know if they're coming home or not. I'm prior military and you know and, yeah it hits, it hits hard," James Francis said.

"Especially when it happens in your hometown, it's like a realization of this is actually happening and it's sad because people are just getting crazier and crazier it feels like and a lot of people are losing their families because of it," Cody Eller told us.

So far, no other funeral arrangements have been released.

We expect that to happen in the coming days.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - May is Mental Health Awareness month, which is why several organizations are joining together in the community.

One in five Americans suffer from mental health issues.

"That's over 43 million people in America," said Greg Mitchell, mental health walk organizer.

That statistic is why it's so important to shed light on the illness.

The Hamilton Center in Terre Haute is hosting events all month, trying to stop the stigma on mental health.

"We know that there are far more people that need services than reach out and receive those services. Part of that is stigma, and part of that is access," said Margie Anshutz, chief development officer of the Hamilton Center.

Other folks like Patty Mitchell are working to take matters into their own hands, by hosting a mental health awareness walk.

She and her husband are working to remember their son who they lost due to mental illness.

"We want to come together to raise awareness. It touches everybody's family in one way or another," said Patty.

Greg Mitchell says it's important to remember his son, and others in the community.

"I'm glad we're remembering him and getting the message out there," said Greg.

The walk will begin at 9th and Ohio Street just outside of the WTHI station on Saturday May 5.

It will continue down Ohio Street and end at the Vigo County court house.

The Mitchell's are asking the community to participate, and wear green.

"Any color green, just go green and join in," said Patty.

The main missio of the month is to let the community know there is help available.

"We want everyone to know that's either suffering from a mental illness, or friends and family of those suffering, that there's help out there. There's hope, and there's healing. Recovery is possible," said Anshutz.

The community is welcome to participate in the walk.

It will begin at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

If you cannot participate, the Hamilton Center is encouraging the community to wear green on Thursday May 10.
Seven miners were killed in a cave-in this week at a South African gold mine, the nation's President and the mining company said Saturday.

The collapse took place at the Masakhane mine west of Johannesburg at the Sibanye-Stillwater's Driefontein operations.

An earthquake Thursday led to a cave-in that trapped 13 miners underground.

Six of the miners were rescued and are in stable condition at a hospital, Sibanye-Stillwater said Saturday.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Sibanye-Stillwater expressed their condolences to the miners' loved ones.

Ramaphosa said he hopes an investigation will identify the causes of the incident and lead to solutions that will address the "unacceptable" death rates at South African mines.

"As government and South Africans at large, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased workers, among whom are workers from neighboring states including Mozambique," he said.

Sibanye-Stillwater said a "thorough investigation" by management, the Department of Mineral Resources and others will be undertaken.

"All efforts will be made to ensure to prevent incidents of this nature occurring in the future," the company said in a statement.

Mine safety is an ongoing concern in South Africa.

In February, more than 900 miners were rescued after being trapped in a mine for at least 24 hours following the loss of power after a storm. The rescue efforts were in Theunissen in the province of Free State.




Four South Korean tourists have been killed and four others injured in a car accident in Antalya Province, Turkey, the foreign ministry said Friday.







A rented mini bus carrying eight South Koreans bumped into a passenger van in Turkey's Kemer at around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday (Turkey time). Four of them were killed at the scene, and the other four were hospitalized for injuries.







Two of the survivors were then sent home on the same date, but the other two are still undergoing treatment, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.







The South Korean Embassy in Turkey has immediately requested the local government and the police agency's support for dealing with the aftermath of the accident and is currently providing consular services to the victims and their families back home, it said. (Yonhap)


GADSDEN COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - Gadsden County Commissioners look to reach a win-win solution for Florida Highway Patrol and local Landowners, but it's looking to be a tough sell.

"The dilemma is that they proposed to build a high speed test to train policeman how to drive at high speeds 57 feet from my property line," said landowner Paul Hoppes.

Paul Hoppes plans to build 200 single family homes on 300 acres of land. Florida Highway Patrol wants to build a specialized track.

"We've been working to build a driving track and a larger driving facility out at the Florida Public Safety Institute where we're co-located and conduct all of our training," said Mark Brown of FHP.

FHP would use the track to teach state troopers how to speed safely. Its presence would mean transient funds for the county, when the visiting officers stay in hotels for training.

"It happens to be adjacent to the most viable part of my property for single family affordable housing," said Hoppes.

Adding affordable housing to Gadsden County gives families more options to live in Gadsden County, and it brings the much needed revenue that comes with new residents.

"It would make a dramatic difference to the Gadsden County community to have the residential housing available to them, that is affordable and it is currently unavailable," said Hoppes.

Having the two next-door to each other is what developers call incompatible.

The commission wants the parties to reach a suitable compromise without them having to intervene.

The parties have agreed upon adding a vegetative buffer, a hedge of trees, to lessen the sound of the sirens. There's also been talk of limiting the number of days the track could be used as well as its operating hours.

FHP even offered to revisit the idea of not using sirens until after the housing development breaks ground. Still, the two were unable to reach an agreement.

Gadsden County Commissioners are giving them more time to work together before they reconvene for a decision next month.

If FHP is permitted to build the track, it will be utilized by roughly 1,600-1,700 members of their patrol.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Two buildings at Florida State could be renamed and a statue could be removed, if President John Thrasher approves recommendations from a panel that represents the FSU community.

It's graduation time at Florida State so, the Westcott Fountain is a popular place for pictures, but could a landmark just a few yards away disappear?

That's the recommendation of a panel that has spent months debating the issue and more.

The statue of Francis Eppes recognizes the former mayor of Tallahassee and grandson of Thomas Jefferson as the founder of FSU.

"Some of that information has come into question, so the panel gave a lot of thought to that in deciding whether he still warranted such significant recognition on the campus," said Panel Chair Renisha Gibbs.

Eppes also owned slaves, a big issue for one student group.

"I don't see any reason why you would keep a statue of a slave owner on campus if he made no contributions to this university," said Katherine Draken, member of Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society.

The panel voted to remove the statue and to replace it with something that credits the group of founders, the slave labor to build part of campus, and the Native Americans that were there before.

The panel also voted to erase Eppes' name from a campus building, but to provide context to his contributions somewhere on campus.

The Florida Legislature named the College of Law's headquarters after Supreme Court Justice B.K. Roberts.

He supported blocking a black man from getting into law school at the University of Florida.

The panel voted to recommend removing his name from the building, but to include something inside to remember him.

"B.K. Roberts deserves recognition for his contributions to the state and to the university for the law school," said Alumni Panel member Janet Stoner.

FSU President John Thrasher released a statement Friday saying:

I appreciate the attention paid by the panel to these important issues, and I want to thank them for their hard work. I also appreciate all of the public comment and feedback provided during the year. I look forward to receiving the panels report and recommendations, and I anticipate announcing a decision to the university community in a few weeks time.
THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WALB) - Summertime is rapidly approaching and Second Harvest of South Georgia is going the extra mile to make sure that kids will be well fed during the summer break from school.

One in three children in South Georgia are food insecure. But Second Harvest of South Georgia is working to counteract the issue for students who rely on school lunch as their main meal of the day.

Second Harvest plans to research what areas throughout South Georgia need the most help, when pertaining to food.

With nearly 51,000 kids in South Georgia not knowing where their next meal is coming from, Second Harvest is trying something new this year, mobile sites.

Director Eliza McCall encourages community members to make financial donations as one dollar can provide at least two meals.

"We're the largest feeding program in Southwest Georgia and we're only feeding between 3000 to 4000 children a day, so we're not even coming close to the need that's out there," said McCall.

The USDA and its state partners are working to get a website up and running that will allow people to simply text "food" and put in their zip code to receive a listing of every place in their area that provides help for those in need.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 02:05:54|Editor: Chengcheng

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DAMASCUS, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The inspectors of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) finished their work in inspecting alleged chemical attack in the Syrian capital Damascus' eastern Douma district, the OPCW said in a statement on Friday.

The statement said the initial deployment of the fact-finding mission of the OPCW to gather facts in Douma is completed, adding that the collected samples were sent to the organization's laboratories for analysis that could take "at least three to four weeks."

Meanwhile, the OPCW said it cannot determine the timeframe on when its report about its findings in Douma will be presented to the States Parties.

The arrival of the OPCW team last month to Damascus came after the Syrian government invited the OPCW to investigate the April 7 incident, in which the rebels and activists accused the Syrian forces of using chlorine gas in an attack on Douma.

At the time, the Syrian government denied the allegations and said the rebels and their foreign backers were fabricating events to attract foreign military action.

On April 14, the United States, France, and Britain launched a series of missile strikes on Syrian positions over the allegations, and the OPCW team arrived on the same day after the strikes were over.

However, the Syrian government maintained that it demands an inspection into the allegations to "expose the lies of the Western powers."
MANCHESTER, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese students, scholars who study and work in Manchester and the surrounding areas gathered Friday at the official residence of China's consul general to Manchester to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx's birth.

"These people are China's great talents and we hope that through this event we can help them learn more about Marxism, the most valuable and influential legacy from Marx," said Sun Dali, Chinese consul general to Manchester.

Around 100 Chinese students, scholars, representatives from the Confucius Institute and officials from the consulate attended the event.

"Chinese people like me who work in a foreign country can still see China's rapid development and its influence in the world, and all these can help us get to know more about Marxism and the path China has undertaken," professor Lin Li from the University of Manchester told Xinhua.

During his years studying and working in Britain, Li has visited many sites related to Marx, especially in Manchester, which is one of the crucial stops where Marx and Friedrich Engels developed their theories.

Zhang Qianwen, president of Liverpool Chinese Students and Scholars Association, also likes to visit these sites.

"Marx's theories are a good enlightenment for many Chinese students, and I really think students should read more about his works," Zhang told Xinhua.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 05:56:46|Editor: Lifang

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European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the Karl Marx exhibition, at the Basilica of Constantine in Trier, Germany, on May 4, 2018. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Friday that Karl Marx was a forward-looking philosopher and his works changed the world, as Marx's hometown Trier is marking the thinker's 200th birthday. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

TRIER, Germany, May 4 (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Friday that Karl Marx was a forward-looking philosopher and his works changed the world, as Marx's hometown Trier is marking the thinker's 200th birthday.

Karl Marx was a philosopher, who thought into the future had creative aspirations, said Juncker at Trier's historical Constantine Basilica, when delivering a speech for the opening ceremony of the Karl Marx exhibition held by the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate and Trier City.

Juncker added that his works, like the Das Kapital and the Communist Manifesto, had changed the world, and inspired the people widely.

Remembering and understanding could contribute to a future with more certainty. From Marx's ideas people learned freedom, emancipation and independence, according to Juncker.

Drawing on the philosopher's legacy, Juncker said the EU's instability could be addressed by focusing on social welfare, which had been a neglected part of European integration so far.

Karl Marx was born in Trier on May 5, 1818. In a bid to memorize the great thinker and one of the most famous figures in the history of the city, Trier and the Rhineland-Palatinate State are preparing a series of events, including exhibitions, concerts, book-reading events, symposiums and others.

The opening ceremony of the exhibition that Juncker attended Friday is themed Karl Marx 1818-1883, Life, Work and Time, which is the first big exhibition about Marx.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 07:07:01|Editor: Lu Hui

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MINSK, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on Ukraine has called for ceasefire around the Donetsk filtering station, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) Special Representative Martin Sajdik told local media Friday.

"Although the sides pledged and strengthened patrols of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, the ceasefire regime was still violated there," Sajdik said following the Contact Group meeting in Minsk.

At the same time, the station supplies water for hundreds of people on both sides of the contact line, he said.

In addition, Sajdik told media that the subgroup for humanitarian issues continued discussing the exchange of detained persons.

The next meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine will take place in Minsk on May 16.

The TCG is a group of representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE that was formed to facilitate a diplomatic solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 07:07:02|Editor: ZX

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Participants watch a video of an interview of U.S. billionaire investor Warren Buffett in Omaha, the United States, May 4, 2018, one day prior to the Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholders meeting. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

OMAHA, the United States, May 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. billionaire investor Warren Buffett has expressed his interest in expanding investment in big markets including China.

"We want to invest money intelligently," Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, said in an interview with Yahoo Finance Editor-in-Chief of Andy Serwer.

That's why his company is looking to "find big things to do" in big and growing economies that hold potential, such as China, Buffett said.

The video of the interview was released Friday at the U.S.-China Investor Forum held one day prior to the Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholders meeting.

Speaking of Berkshire's investment in China's automobile manufacturer BYD, Buffett said it "has been doing so well lately."

Buffett spoke highly of China's growth over past decades, saying that China has unleashed the potential of its citizenry in the past 60 years or so.

For centuries, China "did not progress that much economically for an overwhelming portion of the population," he said.

What China has undergone in the last 50 or 60 years is "a total economic miracle," Buffett said. "I never would have thought it could have happened."

Chinese people are smart, hard-working and are "destined for a fine economic future," the investor said, stressing the main thing that a country has to do is unlock the potential of its people, as it is happening in China right now.

The U.S.-China Investor Forum was hosted by Yahoo Finance, and co-hosted by the China General Chamber of Commerce U.S.A. and the Asian Cultural Center U.S.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 07:22:06|Editor: Lu Hui

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LOS ANGELES, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a particular bridge toward better relations between the United States and China, experts said at the 2018 California-China Business Summit, which was held in Los Angeles on Thursday.

"There are multiple bridges that are connecting and strengthening the partnership between China and U.S. of the bilateral agreement, and AI is one of them," Sid Voorakkara, deputy director for external affairs, California governor's office of business and economic development, told Xinhua at the summit.

While the ongoing trade disputes between are grabbing headlines, it is the tussle for dominance in the AI space that could shape the economic fortunes of the two world powers.

Home to tech behemoths like Google, Microsoft, IBM and Apple, the United States is where the bulk of AI innovation has taken place.

In the United States, AI industry and research are led by academia and the private industry. Individual projects are funded by military and paramilitary departments like DARPA and IARPA.

Overshadowed by the dazzling AI advances made by the United States so far, China has been silently but resolutely building an ecosystem that is feeding and fueling its ambition to become a world leader in AI by 2030.

"The two markets have distinctive advantages, in terms of AI," Winston Ma, managing partner and chief investment officer of China Silkroad Investment Capital (CSIC), said to Xinhua.

"Right now, what you see is, the U.S. is very strong on original innovation, and China side is much stronger in application and consumer experience. Both sides have accumulated very good base of users, data and infrastructure. From China side you can see the advantage on the data side because of the massive user group," said the author of "China's Mobile Economy: Opportunities in the Largest and Fastest Information Consumption Boom."

A State Council document, issued last year, resolved to position China as the world's pre-eminent AI practitioner in both research and application within the next 12 years.

The plan stated that the AI industry will serve as a new major economic growth engine and help improve people's lives by 2020, and the plan sets the target of China becoming a major center for AI innovation and leading the world in AI technology and applications by 2030.

By 2030, Chinese universities may be the core of the world's main AI innovation centers, capable of providing China with technical support and professionals, according to China's Ministry of Education.

"Over the past decade, China has become a leading global force in several areas of the digital economy," said "China's Digital Economy: a Leading Global Force," published by McKinsey & Co.'s think tank.

"In the future, the entire Chinese economy will be a digital economy," said Ma. "For the next billion users, those emerging market is more like China." Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 07:55:30|Editor: Chengcheng

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Rescuers transfer an injured man to a hospital in Kharan district of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, on May 4, 2018. At least six laborers were killed and one was injured when unknown gunmen sprayed bullets at them in Kharan, local media reported on Friday. (Xinhua/Asad)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 07:47:08|Editor: Lu Hui

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CHICAGO, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) agricultural commodities traded lower on Friday, with soybean futures dropping over 1 percent as investor were worried about trade war between China and the United States.

The Weekly Export Sales Report by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) showed China not only didn't buy old-crop U.S. soybeans last week, but also they ended up canceling shipments totaling 133,700 tonnes.

Corn and wheat futures were also lower, following soybeans.

The most active corn contract for July delivery went down 1.75 cents, or 0.43 percent to close at 4.05 dollars per bushel. July wheat delivery fell 2.5 cents, or 0.47 percent to close at 5.2675 dollars per bushel. July soybean delivery dropped 10.25 cents, or 0.97 percent to close at 10.43 dollars per bushel.

The Central U.S. weather forecast is dry for the western U.S. Plains with warm temps to allow farmers back in the fields to plant this weekend. USDA looks for some 34-38 percent of the U.S. corn crop to be planted through Sunday.
A shareholder takes a selfie with a picture of Warren Buffett at the Berkshire Hathaway Inc annual meeting, the largest in corporate America, in its hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., May 4, 2018. (REUTERS/Rick Wilking)

OMAHA, the United States, May 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. billionaire investor Warren Buffett has expressed his interest in expanding investment in big markets including China.

"We want to invest money intelligently," Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, said in an interview with Yahoo Finance Editor-in-Chief of Andy Serwer.

That's why his company is looking to "find big things to do" in big and growing economies that hold potential, such as China, Buffett said.

The video of the interview was released Friday at the U.S.-China Investor Forum held one day prior to the Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholders meeting.

Speaking of Berkshire's investment in China's automobile manufacturer BYD, Buffett said it "has been doing so well lately."

Buffett spoke highly of China's growth over past decades, saying that China has unleashed the potential of its citizenry in the past 60 years or so.

For centuries, China "did not progress that much economically for an overwhelming portion of the population," he said.

What China has undergone in the last 50 or 60 years is "a total economic miracle," Buffett said. "I never would have thought it could have happened."

Chinese people are smart, hard-working and are "destined for a fine economic future," the investor said, stressing the main thing that a country has to do is unlock the potential of its people, as it is happening in China right now.

The U.S.-China Investor Forum was hosted by Yahoo Finance, and co-hosted by the China General Chamber of Commerce U.S.A. and the Asian Cultural Center U.S.
CANBERRA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Treasurer Scott Morrison promised to limit spending ahead of delivering the nation's budget, local media reported Saturday.

Scott Morrison will announce the federal budget for the next year, his third as treasurer, on May 8.

It is expected to contain tax cuts for Australians on low and middle incomes while reaffirming the government's commitment to slashing the company tax rate.

In a major interview ahead of the budget, Morrison said he wants the budget to define the country's economy for the next decade with a strong focus on pay packets.

"I want it to be an economy where (Australians) get a job, where they can earn more, where their job will be secure, where they'll be working in a business that's growing, expanding their markets, and they're benefiting from a more buoyant economy," he told Fairfax Media on Saturday.

Morrison made key promises to keep the overall tax burden below 23.9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and to match every new spending decision with a saving made elsewhere in the budget.

Spending decisions already announced mean that Morrison will have to save at least 7 billion Australian dollars (5.27 billion U.S. dollars) elsewhere in the budget to keep that promise.

Those spending decisions include 500 million Australian dollars to save the Great Barrier Reef from climate change, 140 million Australian dollars to attract film productions and 50 million Australian dollars to establish Australia's first space agency.

Morrison said he believes money can be saved through a crackdown on tax avoidance.

"There will always be more to be done in that space, because things keep changing - the economy keeps changing," he said.

"The tax system, the welfare system - you've got to protect their integrity every year.

"Those who wish to undermine the integrity of both, they never rest. Neither should the government. You've got to keep moving on it because the field keeps changing, so there are always things you need to do." Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 10:52:34|Editor: Yurou

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BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- A tweet of three photos of 18-year-old American student Keziah Daum wearing a qipao as a prom dress was enough to create an international storm.

Daum's April 22 tweet was criticized by a number of netizens, including several of ethnic Chinese origin, who said that wearing the traditional body-hugging one-piece dress was "cultural appropriation."

Despite negative comments saying it was inappropriate for her to wear the traditional Chinese dress, the vast majority--including many Chinese-- supported the teenager from Utah.

"As a Chinese, I think this girl looks great in that qipao," said the top comment in a popular article about the debate on China's social network WeChat.

"Shouldn't such a beautiful dress be popularized and known by more people?" another comment read.

According to a poll in the South China Morning Post, 96 percent of readers thought it was okay for non-Chinese people to wear a "cheongsam," another name for the qipao.

For many, the incident merely showed the growing popularity of the qipao in recent years.

"While some aspects of the incident could be further discussed, there is no doubt that qipao has now become one of the popular cultural signs internationally," said Zhang Yiwu, professor at Peking University.

From Keziah Daum to high-level international exchanges, numerous occasions have showed the qipao a much loved fashion item.

At the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in April, a specially designed ethnic Chinese style qipao was chosen as the costume for assistants.

The dress is on China's National Intangible Cultural Heritage. In February, a large qipao exhibition was held in Paris, with various traditional qipao displayed and French models wearing the qipao on stage.

"The qipao is the clothing with the most prominent Chinese characteristics for foreigners," Yan Zhenquan, director of the China Cultural Center in Paris, told Xinhua. "The qipao fashion presented the crowd with a vivid image of traditional Chinese clothing that never stops innovating."

Often regarded as a symbol of traditional Chinese culture, the tightly-fitting dress in its modern form was created in Shanghai in the 1920s and has always adapted with the times.

"A qipao can fully show the beauty of female curves and make them look more elegant," said Qiu Liming, chairman of Manloulan, a famous qipao manufacturer.

The Shanghai-based brand aims to attract more women to wear the qipao in their daily lives, and has made a series of adjustments to the dresses such as modernizing the patterns, embellishing them with crystals and collaborating with foreign designers.

"We also added a lot of fashionable and youthful elements to our designs, and even started to teach our customers on how to match their qipaos with western clothes to make them look smarter," he added.

Modern qipao styles, such as bright-colored plaids pattern, cuffs with lace, and much shorter dresses than traditional ones can found in many online stores in China now. After all, it is down to its inclusiveness that the qipao has become so popular worldwide.

"While it perfectly fits the body shape of oriental females, it also fits anyone with a slender body," said Zhang Yiwu.

Qiu Liming believes that although the qipao is a cultural symbol of China, it should not limited to certain people or cultures.

"The qipao shows the beauty of the oriental world, and it welcomes anyone who likes to embrace such beauty," Qiu said.
SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, May 5 (Xinhua) -- A gunfight between militants and Indian troops broke out Saturday in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.

The gunfight erupted at Chattabal locality of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"A gunfight has started just now between militants and government forces in Chattabal locality here," a senior police official posted in Srinagar told Xinhua. "The gunfight broke out while the area was being cordoned off."

On Wednesday a civilian was killed and many others wounded during a gunfight and subsequent protests in adjacent Pulwama district. However, militants managed to break the cordon and escape.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 4 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese American, who had worked for a U.S. government agency and had been falsely accused of economic espionage for foreign interests, on Friday lashed out at the U.S. government's unfounded prejudice against naturalized Asian people like her.

Sherry Chen, a U.S. citizen from China, made her first public appearance at a press conference in Santa Clara, about 62 km south of downtown San Francisco, on the eve of a major annual conference of the Committee of 100 (C100), a non-profit leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans, after she won a lengthy legal battle against the U.S. government.

Chen criticized the U.S. Department of Commerce for having prejudice against Asian Americans like her.

She had been working for the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) in Wilmington, Ohio, where she forecast flood threats along the Ohio River, before she was wrongly charged with "economic espionage" for a foreign country in 2014.

Chen, 59, finally won her legal battle after prosecutors dropped all charges against her in 2015.

Nevertheless, she lost her job at the NWS, but she continued to fight for her lawful rights through the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), an administrative system meant to protect hard-working public employees such as her.

Last month, the MSPB ruled that Chen be returned to her work at the NWS on behalf of the public and be given back pay, which was viewed as a resounding victory for her.

"The FBI (Federal Bureau Investigation) took out all my records at NWS over the past 20 years, but found nothing that needs 'improvement'," Chen told Xinhua on Friday.

"If it is not surprising to find a person to be praised for doing a good job for some days or even months, it's by no means easy to find one like me that has been commended for her on-job performance over two decades running," she said.

Chen has been supported by C100 through its Legal Defense and Education Fund during her campaign for fairness.

She will attend the 2018 C100 annual conference as an invited VIP guest Saturday, when a few prominent leaders and experts will give keynote speeches on political, trade, economic, and technology issues, including U.S.-China relations and Chinese-American advancement.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 12:57:50|Editor: ZD

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by Xinhua writers Zheng Kaijun, Peng Tianxiao, Shang Jun

BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's official visits to Indonesia and Japan from May 6 to 11 are expected to inject fresh impetus into regional cooperation and reset China-Japan relations.

The six-day trip will also rally support for free trade amid the rising tide of protectionism.

During the Japan leg of the tour, the premier will attend the 7th China-Japan-South Korea leaders' meeting, which will reboot the high-level interaction among the three Asian nations after two-and-a-half-years' suspension.

BACK ON NORMAL TRACK

Li's visit to Japan will be the first in eight years by a Chinese premier, coinciding with the 40th anniversary this year of the signing of the treaty of peace and friendship between the two countries.

In a telephone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping lauded the recent positive messages and actions from Tokyo concerning the development of bilateral ties.

He called for joint efforts with Japan to bring the ties back on normal track and make sure that they consistently advance in the right direction.

Li will meet with Japanese Emperor Akihito and hold talks with Abe. He is expected to reach consensus with the Japanese side on building mutual trust, promoting pragmatic cooperation and properly handling differences, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou said Friday.

While pressing the reset button, the Chinese premier is also expected to urge Tokyo to re-honor the spirit of the treaty of peace and friendship and match words with deeds.

This year also marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up. Since Beijing began to embrace the outside world in 1978, the economies of China and Japan have been closely intertwined.

In spite of cooling ties, bilateral trade jumped to some 300 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, up over 10 percent year on year. Last year, the number of tourists going to Japan from the Chinese mainland touched 7.3 million, an annual rise of 15 percent. Japanese investment in China has also reached an unprecedented level.

In his keynote speech at this year's Boao Forum for Asia annual conference, Xi voiced China's determination for further reform and opening up, and announced some concrete measures, including lower tariffs for automobiles and fewer restrictions on foreign ownership in the auto industry.

Li is scheduled to travel to Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, where he will tour a high-tech exhibition at a local Toyota factory.

Li's visit takes place at a time when China is set to open up wider, faster and in a more determined manner, Chen Zilei, director of the Research Center for Japanese Economics at Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, said.

This signifies that the development of bilateral relations is at a turning point, Chen said, anticipating further improvement of ties and deepened cooperation, especially in trade and economy.

BOOST TO FREE TRADE

Li's visit is also expected to showcase the region's adherence to free trade at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump's unilateral tariffs are creating an international trade discord and alienating even Washington's own allies.

Li, Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, during their meeting in Tokyo, are expected to make substantial headway in the six-year-old trilateral free trade agreement (FTA) talks.

The recent positive developments in Northeast Asia have created a more solid foundation for the talks. The possibility of achieving tangible outcomes on a comprehensive and mutually beneficial FTA, which can be a powerful bulwark against protectionism, has increased, analysts say.

"The importance of the three sides returning to the negotiation table at the current phase cannot be overemphasized," Jiang Yuechun, director of the Department for World Economy and Development Studies at China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), said.

China, Japan and South Korea are the world's second, third and 11th largest economies respectively. If an FTA is signed, the giant common market in Northeast Asia will be a strong driver of regional economic integration, trade and investment growth, and can eventually breathe new life into the world economy, Jiang said.

In Jakarta, Li will also push for free trade and regional integration with Indonesia and the broader Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

China and the ASEAN have been benefiting from their strategic partnership for 15 years, with their trade volume exceeding 500 billion U.S. dollars last year.

China-ASEAN cooperation should be carried out at multiple levels, through all kinds of channels and at different speeds, Song Junying, deputy director of the Department for Asia-Pacific Security and Cooperation Studies at CIIS, said.

NEW IMPETUS TO BELT AND ROAD

Jakarta is where the Chinese president first proposed the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road five years ago. The plan, part of the Belt and Road Initiative, synergizes with Indonesia's Global Maritime Fulcrum strategy, which seeks to ensure Jakarta's maritime interests.

Indonesians will soon be able to travel on the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, which is under construction with China's help.

In Jakarta, Li will meet with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, and witness the signing of multiple deals on alignment of their development strategies, e-commerce and agricultural cooperation among others, Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian said in a signed article.

Japan has been voicing its openness to the Belt and Road Initiative since May 2017.

Abe said early this year that Tokyo would "properly respond to" individual cooperation programs related to the initiative that aims at achieving common development. Under the initiative, third-party market cooperation will be a focal point in China-Japan collaboration, analysts say.

Feasible areas of collaboration include infrastructure construction, high-speed railway, artificial intelligence and energy exploitation, CIIS's Jiang said.

The Japanese media said Tokyo plans to work with Beijing on the initiative by financially supporting private-sector partnerships. The cooperation will center on areas like the environment, industrial modernization and logistics.

"With the government's attitude turning supportive, Japanese enterprises can start to find more direct ways of participation," Jiang said.

Kiyoyuki Seguchi, research director of the Canon Institute for Global Studies in Tokyo, also said that economic interactions with China will expand business opportunities for Japanese companies.

"If projects with good content are effectively implemented, they can be expected to promote the globalization of many Japanese companies whose response to globalization is delayed," Seguchi added.

(Xinhua reporter Yan Lei in Tokyo also contributed to the report.)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 12:57:51|Editor: Lu Hui

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Photo taken on Feb. 20, 2018 shows Karl Marx's tomb at Highgate cemetery in London, Britain. (Xinhua/Tim Ireland)

by Xinhua writer Tian Dongdong

BRUSSELS/BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- In September 1999, the BBC launched an online poll to find the greatest thinker of the millennium. Karl Marx, a great German philosopher and pioneer of the international communist movement, topped the list, leading Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton and even Charles Darwin with a clear margin.

Born in the Rhineland city of Trier on May 5, 1818, Marx lived in an era of drastic transformation. In that year, Britain was planning to build the world's first railway, Prussia initiated the establishment of a customs union, and French peasants continued to flee their homes into cities because of heavy taxation.

In the decades after his death, bourgeois governments introduced numerous reforms designed to improve the living standards of working people, including labor laws, minimum-wage legislation, and welfare benefits, which would have been labeled "socialism" in Marx's day.

Though repeatedly being dispelled in his life, Marx has become more and more recognized in today's world, especially after the 2008 financial crisis. People want an explanation. So they turn to Marx for the answer -- he is not out; he is in.

"READ KARL MARX ONCE MORE"

The 1972 Nobel literature laureate, German writer Heinrich Boll, once said, without the workers' movement, without the socialists, without their thinker Karl Marx, more than five-sixths of those living today would still be living in a dull state of half-slavery. Boll may have found few followers in the West, but their number has been slowly yet steadily growing ever since.

In Marx's motherland, Wolfgang Gehrcke, deputy chairman of the DIE LINKE in the Bundestag and member of the party executive of DIE LINKE, found more people now in Germany are talking about Karl Marx after the 2008 financial crisis.

"Many people went to the library and bookshop, and said please give me a Communist Manifesto, or a Das Kapital ... They wished to read something about Marx," Gehrcke told Xinhua recently.

"Also in our party, people said please read Marx once more; we must look into the society of Germany and Europe," he added.

The film "The Young Karl Marx" was very popular in Germany. Gehrcke said when he went to see the film, he found the cinema was crowded with young people.

Meanwhile in Manchester, a British city which Marx visited almost every year since 1845, the zeal for things related to Marx or Friedrich Engels has been on the rise.

Tours about Marx and Engels' footsteps in Manchester were very popular. The two tours scheduled for May 5, Marx's birth anniversary, were sold out two months in advance, said tour guide Jonathan Schofield.

Having entered the tour business 21 years ago, Schofield said his tours have drawn an increasing number of young people.

The increasingly widening gap between the rich and the poor has apparently revived public interest in communist ideals, he said. "Maybe sometimes we think that this is just an old story, but no, it has a real echo, a real resonance for today as well, and young people appreciate that," he told Xinhua.

In Paris, where Marx first met Engels, Raoul Peck, director of "The Young Karl Marx," told Xinhua that Marxist thinking remains a perfect instrument for understanding the world today.

"Every day, there is an article on Marx. Is it that Marx is outdated or not? We realize that Marx is relevant as long as there is a capitalist society," he said.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOU WERE RIGHT!"

For Piotr Gadzinowski, editor-in-chief of Polish Tribune daily newspaper, Marxism is a philosophy through which people can understand the most important social and economic issues.

At the same time, it provides methods to solve these problems, he told Xinhua.

Michael Heinrich, professor at University of Applied Sciences Berlin, told Xinhua that "Karl Marx gave us a general theory of capitalism ... And this general structure is still working today, and therefore the example looked old-fashioned, but the core, the theory is very up-to-date today."

Besides, "Marx made a basic distinction between social form and material content ... In the early 19th century what was changed was agriculture, in the late 19th century industrialization. Now it is digitalization. All these have changed on the side of the material contents, but the social form, to be a commodity, always remains the same," said Heinrich, an exponent of what is known as the "New German Reading of Marx."

In the opinion of renowned Cuban philosopher Isabel Monal, "Marxism has not been surpassed" by any other existing socioeconomic theory.

She said that Marxism is not written in stone. Rather it is a work in progress, "in permanent evolution with rectifications, enrichment and the appropriation of new knowledge" gleaned from studies and recent historical experiences, she said.

Cuba's current reform program is an evidence of Marxism's evolutionary process, "an evolution of the previous society -- not a denial of what we have done so far, but a development leap," she added.

Days before the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth, The New York Times published a story titled "Happy Birthday, Karl Marx. You Were Right!" written by Jason Barker, an associate professor of philosophy at Kyung Hee University in South Korea and the author of the novel "Marx Returns."

"Marx ... does not offer a one-size-fits-all formula for enacting social change. But he does offer a powerful intellectual acid test for that change. On that basis, we are destined to keep citing him and testing his ideas until the kind of society that he struggled to bring about, and that increasing numbers of us now desire, is finally realized," wrote Barker.

"CHINA IS A PERFECT MODEL"

Two centuries on, despite huge and profound changes in human society, the name of Karl Marx is still respected all over the world and his theory still shines with the brilliant light of truth, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at a grand gathering that marks the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth.

Today's world is faced with multiple challenges, ranging from wars and conflicts, poverty, climate change to extremism and terrorism. Countries across the globe have been seeking solutions to these challenges.

"Modern China is a perfect example," said Gadzinowski. "Under the guidance of Marxism, Engels and the ideology of many other Marxists, not only does the Chinese Communist Party interpret the world problems, but also changes it by building socialism with Chinese characteristics, while, at the same time, enriching Marxism thought through Chinese experience and characteristics."

Roland Boer, professor at the School of Humanities and Social Science of Newcastle University in Australia, attributed the superiority of socialism to the emphasis on justice and equality for everybody.

"I think that's the wisdom of China's reform and opening-up to realize the importance of that," he said, while praising the achievements China has made in poverty reduction over the past 40 years.

Sun Xiguo, executive director of the school of Marxism, Peking University, said the ultimate goal of discussions on Marxism in modern China is to look for theoretical methods and practical approaches for facilitating people's pursuit of happiness, rejuvenating the Chinese nation and building a shared future for the world.

Sun said one of the fundamental questions that need to be answered in the modern study of Marxism is how to address the social imbalance in development and how to turn people's longing for a better life into reality.

"If Marxism in the 21st century can achieve this, it will surely be revived with enormous vitality," he added.

(Xinhua reporters Zhai Wei, Ren Ke, Wang Zichen, Shen Zhonghao, Zhang Yuan in Trier, Gu Zhenqiu, Jin Jing, Zhang Dailei in London, Zhang Man in Paris, Pan Geping in Brussels, Zhu Sheng in Berlin, Han Mei in Warsaw, Ovidio Acosta, Raul Menchaca in Havana and Yang Dingdu, Liu Si in Beijing also contributed to the story.)

(Video editors: Zhao Yuchao, Zhu Jianhui, Mu Xuyao)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 13:07:54|Editor: Yurou

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By Zhang Jianhua, Phouthaphone Sirivong

VIENTIANE, May 5 (Xinhua) -- In the central Laos' scorching sunshine in May, 35-year-old Xu Zhou was busy mapping design and inspecting the process of construction in the sixth section of the China-Laos railway construction project.

Xu Zhou was just awarded as one of the ten "Most Handsome Workers" ahead of this year's International Labor Day, selected nationwide by the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and All-China Federation of Trade Unions. After attending the honoring ceremony on April 28 in Chinese capital Beijing, Xu Zhou appeared on the construction site at the suburb of Lao capital Vientiane on April 29.

"My daily job is mapping the construction design, drawing up and approve technical scheme, monitoring and managing the field work," Xu Zhou felt not much special of his job as a project manager of the China Railway No. 2 Group (CREC2) when talking to Xinhua on May 2.

"I am quite happy to be awarded as a nationwide Most Handsome Worker, which is a honor, but also a solid responsibility. Sure, I will carry on the responsibility as a fresh impetus, to do a better job, try to be a model, a professional model."

The CREC2 is in charge of the construction of the sixth section of China-Laos railway project, including the construction of Nam Khone super major bridge, the longest bridge in the China-Laos railway project and the longest under-construction bridge in Laos so far, with a length of 7,506 meters.

Xu Zhou's main job in the railway project is to assure a perfect construction work of the Nam Khone Bridge, the key control project of the China-Laos railway.

Just in one year since he came to Laos from the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway construction site in Ethiopia in May, 2017, Xu Zhou has conquered the difficulty of rainy season construction.

In the last rainy season in Laos, Xu Zhou and his team have accomplished many a mission impossible, such as planting the first bridge pile and the first bridge pier of China-Laos railway, building a steel processing factory in 12 days, completing the China-Laos railway exhibition hall and safety demonstration museum in 20 days, building 2.7-kilometer standardized example section in one month, etc.

Now in the railway's sixth section construction site near Vientiane, the railway roadbed is formed, bridge piles and piers are sprouting out of the ground, and especially the Nam Khone Bridge is due to be an example of Chinese standard and Chinese technology.

"Standing fast at the post, fulfilling my duties, is to accomplish my responsibility as a Chinese engineer, is to stay true to a man's very initial goal and beginning mind of achieving long-range ambitions," Xu Zhou said to Xinhua.

"I have just done what I should for the Belt and Road Initiative, but was awarded with a much bright honor, which will inspired me to build a highly-efficient, safe and best-qualitied China-Laos railway, to strive for a new China Railway legend on Belt and Road."

Xu Zhou, himself has become a legend among the workers on the China-Laos railway construction sites.

"Xu Zhou has been working with me since his internship," Gong Pingchang, the Communist Party of China in-field secretary of the CREC2's construction site, might be the one who knows best how Xu Zhou has become the Most Handsome Worker.

"He was quite dedicated and hardworking at that time, and then went to Ethiopia, now in Laos, full of hardship. However, going abroad to experience more difficulties opens the youth's mind wider."

In Gong's eyes, Xu's success lies on his endurance, dedication and great efforts, as well as being good at learning from the experienced colleagues. Gong hopes Xu to make more efforts so as to better complete the railway project, while also hopes more young staff can grow up in the major Belt and Road project.

"To be a handsome worker lies on what the handsome do. Loving the job, quick to learn and assiduously making the job well done may be what a handsome young Chinese engineer should do," Zhou Xiaoxia, the superintendent of the China-Laos railway construction project's sixth section said to Xinhua on Friday.

In the sixth section construction sites, there are not lacking such young figures, such as the in-field party secretary Gong Pingchang fainted twice in the bridge construction site for overworking last year.

What's more, when Xinhua reporters were in the construction site on Wednesday, the survey technician Bai Guisong was seen busy in fieldwork no matter exposing to the burning sun or the heavy rains; in the non-airconditioned factory, technician Luo Jin was teaching workers how to process the reinforcing bars, office staff Liu Shiqi was sorting the document in off hours; Liang Jingyu lost 24 kg weight during his six years work in Ethiopia and Laos, etc.

The China-Laos railway is being promoted by the leaders of the two countries as a project of interconnectivity. Since the commencement of construction in December 2016, the building of tunnels, bridges, roadbeds and other sections has progressed smoothly along the route.

The China-Laos railway has a total length of more than 414 kilometers comprising 60 percent of bridges and tunnels, linking Mohan-Boten border gate in northern Laos and the capital of Vientiane.

The operating speed of trains on the route is designed to be 160 km per hour. The railway is expected to be fully operational in December 2021.
FAIZABAD, Afghanistan, May 5 (Xinhua) -- At least three members of pro-government local militia were killed and two others wounded after Taliban laid an ambush attack in northern Afghan province of Badakhshan Friday night, local police said Saturday.

"The incident occurred in Keshoo locality of Darayim district when a group of pro-government local uprising fighters were travelling to neighboring Tashkan district. The gunfight triggered by the ambush attack also killed and wounded several militants," provincial police spokesman, Sanaullah Rouhani, told Xinhua.

The group was travelling as reinforcing to support security forces and local uprising fighters in Tashkan which was seized by Taliban militants on Thursday.

The mountainous province has been the scene of heavy clashes within the past months.

Taliban militants, who ruled the country before being ousted in late 2001, renewed armed insurgency, killing government troops as well as civilians.

They have intensified armed attacks against security forces across the country since April 25 when the Taliban's so-called yearly rebel offensive started.
WASHINGTON, May 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump will welcome his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in here on May 22, ahead of the scheduled meeting between Trump and the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un, said the White House Friday.

The two leaders will discuss Trump's upcoming meeting with Kim, it said in a statement.

Moon's trip followed his ice-breaking talks with Kim on April 27, after which Seoul and Pyongyang confirmed in a joint declaration a common goal of complete denuclearization.

Trump is to meet with Kim in May or early June. He told reporters on Friday that the date and venue of the first-ever U.S.-DPRK summit had already been set and will be announced "soon."

Also on Friday, U.S. National Security adviser John Bolton met here with Chung Eui-yong, visiting top national security adviser to Moon.

Chung provided Bolton with a detailed readout of the Moon-Kim meeting, said the White House in another statement.

The pair also reaffirmed that there are no plans to change the bilateral defense posture in South Korea.

Earlier in the day, Bolton rebuked a New York Times article which reported that Trump was looking for options to scale back the number of U.S. troops in South Korea, calling it "utter nonsense."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 13:53:02|Editor: Yurou

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BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China backs two Koreas to continue interaction and earnestly implement agreements, and is ready to join others to play a due and active role in pushing for a political resolution to the Peninsula issue, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday.

Xi made the remarks when holding phone talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in about bilateral ties and peaceful development on the Peninsula.

The recent historic meeting between Moon and Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has achieved significant results in improving the two sides' relationship, defusing tensions and building durable peace on the Korean Peninsula, Xi said, noting that China thinks highly of the great efforts made by South Korea and the DPRK.

Kim crossed the inter-Korean border on April 27 and met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in the demilitarized zone of Panmunjom, the first meeting between the two countries' top leaders during a decade.

In the border village, Moon and Kim pledged to end the Korean War and reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in the Panmunjom Declaration.

Xi said the regional situation is at a crucial juncture, where the Korean Peninsula faces a historic opportunity to realize peace.

He noted that China backs the south and north sides of the Peninsula to continue active interaction to improve ties, and fully implement consensuses reached by the two countries.

Calling on all related parties and the world to show more support and encouragement to the two sides' efforts, Xi said China is ready to work with the international community as well as all parties concerned to push for a political resolution to the Korean Peninsula issue and play a positive role in efforts to finally realize lasting peace in the region.

Moon said the successful summit yielded broad consensuses on improving inter-Korean relations, promoting the denuclearization of the Peninsula and establishing a peace mechanism on the Korean Peninsula.

Speaking highly of China's important role in promoting positive changes in the Peninsula situation, Moon thanked China for its firm support for inter-Korean dialogues as well as its contribution to the efforts to solve problems through talks and negotiations.

When it comes to China-South Korea ties, Xi said China attaches great importance to bilateral relations and is willing to enhance communication, deepen pragmatic cooperation and promote cultural exchanges with South Korea, so as to steadily move forward bilateral ties in a way that serves the common interests of both sides.

Xi pointed out that development of China-South Korea relations maintains a good momentum, and consensuses reached by him and Moon have been gradually implemented.

Moon said South Korea is committed to pushing forward the continuous development of bilateral strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.

South Korea hopes to maintain high-level and close exchanges with China about the situation on the Korean Peninsula as well as other major global issues, said Moon.

Moon added that South Korea is willing to enhance coordination with China, stay committed to solving the Peninsula issue through dialogues and negotiations, and contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the region as well as the world at large.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 14:13:07|Editor: Yurou

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BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Overseas scholars applauded China's creative practice of Marxism by adapting the theory to its changing reality, which ensures its vigor and vitality.

Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism With Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which embodies Marxism in contemporary China, would push the development of Marxism, they said.

The scholars made the remarks after Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the grand gathering held in Beijing on Friday to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of German philosopher Karl Marx.

During his speech, Xi commended Marx as the "teacher of revolution for the proletariat and working people all over the world...the greatest thinker of modern times," and Marxism an open, scientific theory which is able to respond to the new challenges for human society.

"Marxism, for the first time, explored the path for humanity's freedom and liberation from the stance of the people, and pointed out the direction, with scientific theory, toward an ideal society with no oppression or exploitation, where every person would enjoy equality and freedom," said Xi, who is also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

Xi said "Marxism has not only profoundly changed the world, but also China" over the 170 years since the publication of The Communist Manifesto.

Do Tien Sam, former head of the Institute for Chinese Studies of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, said the adaptive application of Marxism has made history in China, and "would help China develop further and realize its dream of national rejuvenation."

He said he expected that "by practicing Marxism, the CPC will lead China to tackle various challenges in the future."

China expert Pierre Picard from the University of Paris VIII said that facing a different world more than a century after its birth, "many methodologies of Marxism remain to be effective approaches to analyzing and solving social problems."

The Chinese communists have found a right path for national development by staying with Marxism, he added.

"The Chinese version of practicing Marxism involves Marxist principles as well as new theoretical thinkings such as building a community with a shared future for mankind, reflecting China's own wisdom," said Vladimir Avtonomov, professor at the Moscow-based Higher School of Economics,National Research University.

China has developed and enriched Marxism, he said, attributing the achievements in China's socialist construction to its Chinese characteristics.

Alexander Lomanov, East Asia expert at the International Valdai Discussion Club, said China sees its realities and prospects as well as makes development policies from Marxist standpoints, thus combining Marxist principles with its national conditions.

"Such explorations have been hugely fruitful, securing growth and setting an example for other socialist countries," said the expert of the discussion club, a well-known Russian think tank.

Xi's commemorative speech highlighted a far-reaching influence Marxism has on the theoretical thinking in China since the 20th century, as well as on Xi's thought, said William Jones, the Washington Bureau chief for Executive Intelligence Review news magazine.

Jones said China's remarkable achievements in development made under the guidance of Marxist principles have ignited curiosity and interest worldwide in Marxism.
SEOUL, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Four South Korean ministers planned to visit border islands to discuss with residents over the maritime peace zone with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which the leaders of the two sides agreed to form at the third inter-Korean summit, Yonhap news agency reported Saturday.

Defense Minister Song Young-moo, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, and Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kim Young-choon planned to visit Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong islands in western waters near the Northern Limit Line (NLL).

The ministers would communicate Saturday with residents about how to resolve military tensions and ensure safe fishing activities near the border islands.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un met on April 27 at the border village of Panmunjom, agreeing to turn the western waters near the NLL into a maritime peace zone to prevent accidental military clashes and ensure safe fishing activities.

The NLL has served as a de facto inter-Korean sea border, but Pyongyang denied it as it was drawn by the U.S.-led UN Command after the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

Naval skirmishes happened between the two sides in the past, escalating military tensions on the peninsula.

The leaders of the two countries agreed to alter the current armistice agreement into a peace treaty by the end of this year. The peninsula remains technically at war as the Korean War ended with armistice.
by Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, May 4 (Xinhua) -- While U.S. President Donald Trump continues to see low approval ratings, the bombastic billionaire is unlikely to be forced from office via impeachment, experts said.

Trump has been a highly controversial figure since even before he clinched the White House over a year ago, and charges of alleged collusion with Russia continue to dog the president, sparking an open feud between Trump and Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is spearheading a probe into any alleged wrongdoing on the part of Trump's team in the Russia fiasco.

But despite the continued controversy, experts said impeachment is highly unlikely, and polls indicate the same.

NOT BEST CHOICE FOR DEMOCRATS

It could be a risky political move for democrats. "Democratic leaders are not eager to encourage impeachment talk because they worry it will energize the GOP base and make it more difficult to do well in November," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua.

According to a Rasmussen poll released Friday, voters do not believe pursuing impeachment is the best strategy for Democrats running in this year's mid-term elections. A paltry 15 percent of likely U.S. voters believe focusing on the president's possible impeachment is a better campaign strategy for Democratic congressional candidates than focusing on policy areas where they disagree with Trump.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 70 percent think focusing on policy differences is a better political strategy, the polling company reported Friday.

Forty-one percent now believe the president will be reelected in 2020, up from 34 percent in late December, Rasmussen reported Friday. Twenty-six percent still think Trump will be defeated by the Democratic nominee, but 31 percent felt that way four months ago. Twenty-five percent say the president will be impeached before serving his first full-term in office, comparing to 29 percent in the previous survey.

Experts also argued that impeachment would be challenging for Democratic lawmakers.

"It would be politically challenging for Dems to take two-thirds of the Senate and maintain the political momentum throughout impeachment," Dan Mahaffee, senior vice president and director of policy at the Center for the Study of Congress and the Presidency, told Xinhua, speaking up the 2018 Congressional elections.

LONG, COMPLICATED PROCESS

Impeachment is a long and complicated process. It is difficult to impeach a president for simply being unpopular, incompetent or foul-mouthed.

"It is a very rare process in American history for a reason," Mahaffee said. "I don't think impeachment will do anything to further Democratic policies or achieve their goal of demonstrating that 'Trumpism' is a political dead end. Losses at elections will be the only way to demonstrate that an ideology does not enjoy the support of the broader public," .

Historically, impeachment is rare. The United States, unlike many other countries worldwide, is a country where the rule of law is king. The last two presidents to be impeached were Richard Nixon in 1974 and Bill Clinton, initiated in 1998. The charge against Nixon was obstruction of justice, a specific charge based on very specific breeches of the legal code. Clinton was charged with perjury -- willfully and knowingly lying to a court of law about his affair with an intern.

Moreover, an impeachment trial does not mean a president will be found guilty and removed from office. In the case of Clinton's impeachment, lawmakers in Clinton's party did not feel his perjury was serious enough to justify being removed from office. After all, the lie was about an affair, not about national security, illegal use of funds or anything of the sort. Clinton was subsequently acquitted.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 14:38:12|Editor: Chengcheng

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by Luis Rojas

MEXICO CITY, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Latin America's two largest economies Mexico and Brazil face the risk of polarization in their upcoming elections, says one expert.

Mexicans will vote on July 1. The country has seen the rise of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, known as AMLO, a left-wing candidate and former mayor of Mexico City.

Brazil's elections are scheduled for October, and among the candidates with increasing popularity is Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing populist who has spoken fondly of the country's former military dictatorship.

"There is a a very strong degree of polarization in them and that is a great risk," said Marcos Casarin, an expert on Latin America for Oxford Economics. "The major point in Latin America is to understand...if either of the two economies, or both, will go to the extremes and how shaken the region will be."

The economist said Brazil might face a situation similar to 2014 when Dilma Rousseff, the candidate for the Workers' Party, won in the second round.

According to Casarin, polarization pushed Rousseff to make ever more extreme campaign policies.

"The economy was not being represented. To maintain the growth of the time, they had to double public spending and protect employment, measures that were not sustainable in the long term," he said. "The result: Brazil sank into the worst recession of its history."

Rousseff was impeached in 2016 for violating Brazil's federal budget laws.

In Mexico, polls show Lopez Obrador is a clear favorite. However, Casarin warned that the third-time candidate could make unattainable pledges.

"While he seems more moderate, he is of a party that historically has been on the extreme left," he added.

Lopez Obrador has worried some in the Mexican business community by saying that should he win he might undo some of the structural reforms passed by the current administration of President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Meanwhile, Casarin said Lopez Obrador would have to deal with not having a majority in Congress, which will prevent him from raising public spending too suddenly and maintain the autonomy of the central bank.

Regarding the election, "Mexico will live through another moment, but it will not necessarily be any better or worse," Casarin said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 14:48:15|Editor: Chengcheng

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CARACAS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Friday reopened the Hotel Humboldt as a pilot project where services can be paid with the country's newly-launched virtual currency Petro.

There will be a currency exchange inside the hotel for customers to get Petro, said Maduro. "You can come from Italy, Germany, Argentina and come to know the beauty of our lovely Venezuela."

The president added that he wanted the Petro to be used as the preferred cryptocurrency in the country's entire hotel system. "Each hotel should have a currency exchange to improve the ecosystem of the Petro," he said.

The Hotel Humboldt, located in the Waraira Repano national park near Caracas, was built in 1956. First known as a luxury hotel with 70 rooms, it was abandoned for many years until its reopening.

"We will show this marvelous hotel, as in the original plans of the master architect Tomas Sanabria, who led its construction in the 1950s," said Maduro as he visited the venue.

The government has signed an agreement with the franchisees of Marriott Hotels in Venezuela to run the hotel.

Maduro said that he wanted tourism to become the second source of foreign currency for Venezuela after oil.

Caracas launched the oil-backed cryptocurrency in February with a pre-sale stage, during which the government said it had raised 5 billion U.S. dollars.

The Venezuelan move is an attempt to overcome economic difficulties caused by sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union.
PHNOM PENH, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Five villagers had died and 18 others hospitalized in eastern Cambodia's Kratie province after drinking contaminated water, a local police official said Saturday.

The incident occurred at an indigenous people's village in Chitborey district since Thursday, said Om Phy, deputy police chief of Kratie province.

"Two men and three women were confirmed dead on Friday and 18 others had been admitted to hospital after they reportedly drank water from a canal in the village," he told Xinhua.

He said the victims had the same symptoms such as chest pain, dizziness, vomit, stomachache and eye irritation.

According to Om Phy, it was suspected that the water was contaminated with insecticide that farmers used on their crops planted along the canal.

"It's just the start of rainy season, and there is rain these days, I suspect that rain water has flown insecticide from the farms into the canal," he said.

Om Phy said a sample of the water in the canal had been sent to a health laboratory in Phnom Penh for examination, and the result was unavailable yet.
Photo taken on Feb. 20, 2018 shows Karl Marx's tomb at Highgate cemetery in London, Britain. (Xinhua/Tim Ireland)

by Xinhua writer Tian Dongdong

BRUSSELS/BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- In September 1999, the BBC launched an online poll to find the greatest thinker of the millennium. Karl Marx, a great German philosopher and pioneer of the international communist movement, topped the list, leading Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton and even Charles Darwin with a clear margin.

Born in the Rhineland city of Trier on May 5, 1818, Marx lived in an era of drastic transformation. In that year, Britain was planning to build the world's first railway, Prussia initiated the establishment of a customs union, and French peasants continued to flee their homes into cities because of heavy taxation.

In the decades after his death, bourgeois governments introduced numerous reforms designed to improve the living standards of working people, including labor laws, minimum-wage legislation, and welfare benefits, which would have been labeled "socialism" in Marx's day.

Though repeatedly being dispelled in his life, Marx has become more and more recognized in today's world, especially after the 2008 financial crisis. People want an explanation. So they turn to Marx for the answer -- he is not out; he is in.

Photo taken on April 17, 2018 shows different English editions of "The Communist Manifesto" at the Working Class Movement Library in Salford, Britain. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

"READ KARL MARX ONCE MORE"

The 1972 Nobel literature laureate, German writer Heinrich Boll, once said, without the workers' movement, without the socialists, without their thinker Karl Marx, more than five-sixths of those living today would still be living in a dull state of half-slavery. Boll may have found few followers in the West, but their number has been slowly yet steadily growing ever since.

In Marx's motherland, Wolfgang Gehrcke, deputy chairman of the DIE LINKE in the Bundestag and member of the party executive of DIE LINKE, found more people now in Germany are talking about Karl Marx after the 2008 financial crisis.

"Many people went to the library and bookshop, and said please give me a Communist Manifesto, or a Das Kapital ... They wished to read something about Marx," Gehrcke told Xinhua recently.

"Also in our party, people said please read Marx once more; we must look into the society of Germany and Europe," he added.

The film "The Young Karl Marx" was very popular in Germany. Gehrcke said when he went to see the film, he found the cinema was crowded with young people.

Meanwhile in Manchester, a British city which Marx visited almost every year since 1845, the zeal for things related to Marx or Friedrich Engels has been on the rise.

Tours about Marx and Engels' footsteps in Manchester were very popular. The two tours scheduled for May 5, Marx's birth anniversary, were sold out two months in advance, said tour guide Jonathan Schofield.

Having entered the tour business 21 years ago, Schofield said his tours have drawn an increasing number of young people.

The increasingly widening gap between the rich and the poor has apparently revived public interest in communist ideals, he said. "Maybe sometimes we think that this is just an old story, but no, it has a real echo, a real resonance for today as well, and young people appreciate that," he told Xinhua.

In Paris, where Marx first met Engels, Raoul Peck, director of "The Young Karl Marx," told Xinhua that Marxist thinking remains a perfect instrument for understanding the world today.

"Every day, there is an article on Marx. Is it that Marx is outdated or not? We realize that Marx is relevant as long as there is a capitalist society," he said.

Photo taken on Feb. 7, 2018 shows an interior view of the restaurant "La Maison du Cygne" (the Home of Swan), where Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote the "The Communist Manifesto", in Brussels, Belgium. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan)

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOU WERE RIGHT!"

For Piotr Gadzinowski, editor-in-chief of Polish Tribune daily newspaper, Marxism is a philosophy through which people can understand the most important social and economic issues.

At the same time, it provides methods to solve these problems, he told Xinhua.

Michael Heinrich, professor at University of Applied Sciences Berlin, told Xinhua that "Karl Marx gave us a general theory of capitalism ... And this general structure is still working today, and therefore the example looked old-fashioned, but the core, the theory is very up-to-date today."

Besides, "Marx made a basic distinction between social form and material content ... In the early 19th century what was changed was agriculture, in the late 19th century industrialization. Now it is digitalization. All these have changed on the side of the material contents, but the social form, to be a commodity, always remains the same," said Heinrich, an exponent of what is known as the "New German Reading of Marx."

In the opinion of renowned Cuban philosopher Isabel Monal, "Marxism has not been surpassed" by any other existing socioeconomic theory.

She said that Marxism is not written in stone. Rather it is a work in progress, "in permanent evolution with rectifications, enrichment and the appropriation of new knowledge" gleaned from studies and recent historical experiences, she said.

Cuba's current reform program is an evidence of Marxism's evolutionary process, "an evolution of the previous society -- not a denial of what we have done so far, but a development leap," she added.

Days before the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth, The New York Times published a story titled "Happy Birthday, Karl Marx. You Were Right!" written by Jason Barker, an associate professor of philosophy at Kyung Hee University in South Korea and the author of the novel "Marx Returns."

"Marx ... does not offer a one-size-fits-all formula for enacting social change. But he does offer a powerful intellectual acid test for that change. On that basis, we are destined to keep citing him and testing his ideas until the kind of society that he struggled to bring about, and that increasing numbers of us now desire, is finally realized," wrote Barker.

Photo taken on May 3, 2018 shows a sculpture of Karl Marx at the backyard of Karl Marx House in Trier, Germany. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

"CHINA IS A PERFECT MODEL"

Two centuries on, despite huge and profound changes in human society, the name of Karl Marx is still respected all over the world and his theory still shines with the brilliant light of truth, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at a grand gathering that marks the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth.

Today's world is faced with multiple challenges, ranging from wars and conflicts, poverty, climate change to extremism and terrorism. Countries across the globe have been seeking solutions to these challenges.

"Modern China is a perfect example," said Gadzinowski. "Under the guidance of Marxism, Engels and the ideology of many other Marxists, not only does the Chinese Communist Party interpret the world problems, but also changes it by building socialism with Chinese characteristics, while, at the same time, enriching Marxism thought through Chinese experience and characteristics."

Roland Boer, professor at the School of Humanities and Social Science of Newcastle University in Australia, attributed the superiority of socialism to the emphasis on justice and equality for everybody.

"I think that's the wisdom of China's reform and opening-up to realize the importance of that," he said, while praising the achievements China has made in poverty reduction over the past 40 years.

Sun Xiguo, executive director of the school of Marxism, Peking University, said the ultimate goal of discussions on Marxism in modern China is to look for theoretical methods and practical approaches for facilitating people's pursuit of happiness, rejuvenating the Chinese nation and building a shared future for the world.

Sun said one of the fundamental questions that need to be answered in the modern study of Marxism is how to address the social imbalance in development and how to turn people's longing for a better life into reality.

"If Marxism in the 21st century can achieve this, it will surely be revived with enormous vitality," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 16:33:30|Editor: ZX

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People visit "The Power of Truth", an exhibition marking the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx's birth, at the National Museum of China in Beijing, capital of China, May 5, 2018. The exhibition was opened here on Saturday. It features Marx's life, sinicized Marxism and Marxism-themed contemporary art. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The National Museum of China on Saturday opened an exhibition to mark the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx's birth.

"The Power of Truth" features Marx's life, sinicized Marxism and Marxism-themed contemporary art.

On display are manuscripts by Marx, Engels, Lenin; documents, books, photos; and 70 Marxism-themed art pieces.

The exhibition was sponsored by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, a history research institute under the department and China Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

The exhibition will run for three months.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 18:18:46|Editor: Lifang

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An Afghan injured girl receives medical treatment after a blast at a local hospital in Mehtarlam, capital of Laghman province, Afghanistan, May 5, 2018. Some 11 Afghan civilians were injured in a blast in eastern province of Laghman on Saturday, the provincial government said. (Xinhua/Saifurahman Safi)

MEHTARLAM, Afghanistan, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Some 11 Afghan civilians were injured in a blast in eastern province of Laghman on Saturday, the provincial government said.

"An explosion occurred at round 11:30 a.m. local time in Hajji Ayoub Market in provincial capital Mehtarlam city. A total of 11 civilians were wounded following the blast and the injured were shifted to a hospital in the city," it said in a statement.

Those among the injured were five women and two children, the statement said, adding none of the injured suffered life-threatening wounds.

The city police has launched an investigation into the incident and no group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.

The country has witnessed waves of terror attacks by Taliban insurgents and Islamic State outfit over the past few months.

A total of 188 civilians were killed and 306 injured in April elsewhere in the country, according to the Civilian Protection Advocacy Group (CPAG), an independent monitor group.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 18:28:48|Editor: ZX

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TOKYO, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China's Belt and Road Initiative offers great opportunities for Japanese enterprises and will help the country restructure its economy, say experts.

Proposed by China in 2013, the B&R Initiative aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe, Africa and beyond based on ancient land and maritime trade routes.

Jin Jianmin, a senior fellow at Fujitsu Research Institute in Tokyo, said that with population aging and low fertility, Japan is particularly dependent on global free trade for its economic development.

The infrastructure projects along the Belt and Road route will present great business opportunities for Japanese enterprises, especially with efficient access to rising Eurasian economies, he said.

"Japan has been trying to reach free trade agreements with Europe and countries in the Asia-Pacific region, but lacks efficient access to the Eurasian area which now enjoys relatively fast development," said Jin, adding that the initiative can provide Japan with a chance to share in Eurasian growth.

He said that Japanese companies could also benefit from the expertise of Chinese enterprises in exploring emerging markets through cooperation under the B&R framework.

Eiichi Shindo, emeritus professor at University of Tsukuba, said that with emerging economies gradually overtaking their developed counterparts, Japan should grasp opportunities in the B&R to help grow its economy.

"The B&R Initiative embodies the trend of structural change in the Asian economy, and in face of the new circumstances in Asia, we should ride the trend and achieve win-win cooperations between China, Japan and South Korea and then expand such cooperation to the whole Eurasian area," he said.

In the eyes of Kiyoyuki Seguchi, research director of the Canon Institute for Global Studies in Tokyo, effective B&R projects will contribute to the medium and long-term economic development of the region and thus benefit the Japan.

"If projects with good content are effectively implemented, they can be expected to promote the globalization of many Japanese companies whose response to globalization has been delayed," Seguchi said.

Analysts point out that the Japanese government is increasingly aware of the benefits of the B&R. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said earlier this year that Japan would "properly respond" to individual projects related to the B&R.

Japanese media say that Tokyo plans to work with Beijing on the initiative by financially supporting private-sector partnerships. Cooperation will center on areas like the environment, industrial modernization and logistics.

Japan's new cooperative stance would also help improve bilateral ties with China, experts noted.

"With the government's attitude turning supportive, Japanese enterprises can start to find more direct ways of participation," said Jiang Yuechun, director of the Department for World Economy and Development Studies at China Institute of International Studies.

According to Seguchi, Japan has been suffering from economic stagnation since the 1990s. "If the Japanese economy could get out of this stagnation through cooperation with China and recover its vitality," Jiang said, "it would also make a greater contribution to the world economy."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 18:33:49|Editor: ZX

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Photo taken on May 1, 2018 shows the scene of the 123rd session of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)

BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The world was watching when China and the United States held economic and trade consultations in Beijing Thursday and Friday.

What signals have the talks sent? What did the two sides discuss and what does the future hold?

GREATER GLOBAL GOOD

Stable economic and trade ties between the world's two biggest economies benefit not only themselves, but also the greater global economy.

During the talks, the two sides agreed that a sound and stable China-U.S. trade relationship is crucial for both, and they are committed to resolving relevant economic and trade issues through dialogue and consultation.

They had thorough exchange of views on issues including increasing U.S. exports to China, bilateral service trade, two-way investment, protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), as well as resolving tariff and non-tariff issues, reaching consensus in some areas.

"It was a good time to reduce China-U.S. trade frictions," said Song Guoyou, deputy director of Fudan University center for American studies.

The meetings showed both sides willing to address economic and trade issues and narrow their disagreements through dialogue, Song said.

By proposing a trip to China for consultations, the U.S. side demonstrated the importance it attaches to China-U.S. trade and economic issues, and its sincerity for addressing them.

China and the United States can tackle trade frictions "in a rational, prudent manner," said Zhao Longyue, a professor at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. "From the view of long-term development, win-win cooperation is the fundamental way to resolve these kinds of issues."

"China and the United States are natural partners. Their economies are strongly complementary," said Wang Yong, a professor with Peking University school of international studies.

For example, more U.S. exports to China creates opportunities for U.S. firms and products, while meeting the demands of Chinese consumers with better incomes for greater quality of life, Wang said.

VIGOROUS DEFENSE

Talks like these, while candid and pragmatic, necessarily involve disagreements and bargaining.

The Chinese side vigorously struck back at unsubstantiated accusations on issues including IPR and the unreasonable demand that it is up to China to reduce the U.S. trade deficit, sources close to the talks said.

Chinese negotiators firmly defended the interests of the nation and its people throughout, the sources said.

China lodged solemn representations with the United States concerning the ZTE case during the consultations, a spokesperson with China's Ministry of Commerce said Friday. The U.S. side said they attach importance to China's representations and will report China's stance to the U.S. president.

Li Yong of the China Association of International Trade, said that if agreement could be reached on the ZTE case, it would set an example for further high-tech cooperation between Chinese and American enterprises.

"In this age of globalization, frictions are not solved by crippling others, a negative mindset, through coercion or by unilateral thinking. These approaches will hurt both Chinese and American enterprises. The world's industrial chains will also be damaged," said Li.

Tu Xinquan, a professor with the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said all negotiations need to be egalitarian. China never bows to pressure and maintains a principled stance. Equality, frankness, rationality and pragmatism are prerequisite to future consultations, he said.

PATIENCE AND RESPECT

Both sides of the talks recognized that given that considerable differences still exist on some issues, continued hard work is required for more progress. They also agreed to stay in close communication on relevant issues and establish a corresponding work mechanism.

Dong Yan with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences believes structural problems in the China-U.S. economic and trade relationship are unavoidable, judging from the perspectives of history and international relations.

"It's normal to have disparity and even friction, but these factors should not be allowed to set the direction of China-U.S. cooperation," Dong said.

Zhao Longyue said that China and the United States need to take a long-term view from the perspective of development.

Instead of being burdened by trade deficits, both sides can exploit their respective advantages in different sectors in an active and cooperative manner, realizing resource complementarity, common development, mutual benefit and win-win results, he suggested.

"We must not imagine one brief consultation will solve all our problems. Apart from sincerity, both sides need to show patience, and respect the policy environment of each other," said Li Yong.

Both sides need frank, rational and pragmatic exchanges, to seek common ground and put their disagreements aside, maximize their converging interests, and be responsible to their people and the world at large, Li said.
KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's political parties are stepping up their campaign efforts over the weekend before the general election on May 9.

More than 270,000 police and military personnel and their spouses were registered for the early voting on Saturday. Postal voting is also available for voters overseas and those who would be on duty on the polling day like journalists.

Leaders of the incumbent ruling coalition of Barisan Nasional (BN) and the opposition have been touring the country to meet voters since the dissolution of parliament on April 7, despite the official campaign period only started a week ago on the nomination day.

When campaigned in the northern state of Penang, an opposition stronghold on Saturday, Prime Minister Najib Razak hailed his predecessor and former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as a "true statesman" "in contrast to another former party leader who wants to burn down our house that we have built together," in reference to former prime minister and now opposition leader Mahathir Mohamad, according to the state news agency Bernama.

Najib has been in office since 2009.

Barisan Nasional, or the National Front, a multi-party coalition led by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), has been in power since Malaysia's independence in 1957. But the BN is facing increasing challenges from the opposition in recent years, being denied a long-held two-third parliamentary majority in the 2008 election and lost the popular votes in 2013.

BN is banking on Malaysia's strong economic performance as the country registered an impressive growth of 5.9 percent in 2017.

"The Barisan Nasioanl is confident of equaling or even doing better in this coming election compared to the last one in 2013," said Eric See-To, BN's Strategic Communications deputy director.

"We are among one of the strongest growing countries in the world," he told Xinhua in a recent interview, "The income inequality is now at all time the lowest, and income is growing across all segments."

The opposition of Pakatan Harapan, or the Alliance of Hope, is led by the 92-year-old Mahathir who has been a one-time mentor of Najib. Mahathir fell out with the prime minister and accused him of corruption over the state investment fund 1MDB, while Najib has denied any wrongdoing.

Mahathir quitted UMNO in 2016 and joined the opposition, becoming its candidate for prime minister ahead of the election. The opposition hoped Mahathir, who is still admired by many in the country, could weaken the strong support that UMNO enjoys in the rural areas.

At a campaign event in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week, Mahathir concentrated his criticism against Najib, urging voters to give him a chance to correct his mistakes in office.

BN is criticizing the opposition for making unrealistic promises like the abolishing of Goods and Services Tax that would imperil the country's economy, as well as voicing false allegations to gain support.

The opposition accused the ruling coalition of pushing through a redelineation of parliamentary seats ahead of the election to gain an edge, an allegation which See-To said was "unfounded".

"For the opposition, to continue narratives or their propaganda that this election is unfair, is merely to serve their purpose to gain sympathy votes," he said.

Polls and analysts still favors BN to win the election by citing the split in the opposition. The result will be unveiled following Malaysian voters casting their ballots on the polling day of May 9.
NAIROBI, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Private sector engagement in refugee settings can promote self-reliance and socio-economic integration between refugees and host communities, thus empowering them, according to a UN refugee agency-backed study.

The study conducted by International Finance Corporation (IFC) with the support of UNHCR reveals that refugee communities represent a promising opportunity for private investment in sub-Saharan Africa.

The study has also identified a growing 56 million U.S. dollar consumer market in just Kakuma refugee camp in northwestern Kenya.

Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said very often refugee camps are associated with aid dependency but the study reveals Kakuma's vibrant economic and commercial life offering opportunities for both refugees and local communities.

"I am confident that this cooperation with IFC will stimulate additional private sector interest," said Grandi in a study released on Friday evening.

The study examined the Kakuma refugee camp and town through the lens of a private sector firm looking to enter a new market. The camp mainly hosts refugees from neighboring South Sudan.

The study argues that private investment could be stirred by introducing new models of financing including co-financing that uses matching funds to enable a combination of interest-free loans and grants to benefit both refugees and local host communities.

The IFC study found that household spending in the 25-year-old camp and the neighboring town totals at least 56 million dollars -- half of which is spent on consumer goods such as food and personal-care items.

"The camp, home to 180,000 refugees as of March also has a vibrant, informal private sector including more than 2,000 shops run by refugees and local Kenyans," says the study.

Nearly seven out of 10 residents own a mobile phone, making it a potentially attractive market for mobile banking, according to a report.

Philippe Le Houerou, IFC Chief Executive Officer,said conflict, violence, and persecutions are driving more people from their homes than at any time since World War Two.

"Government aid to tackle the challenge is limited. Private sector investment could make an important difference -- by creating jobs and opportunities for refugees," Le Houerou.

But, said the IFC CEO, investors often lack the critical information they need to venture into these markets. This study is a key first step to boost private investment into an untapped market.

The study notes that although many refugees in the camp still rely primarily on humanitarian aid, attracting new private investors could provide long-term solutions for refugees by supporting local businesses and thus increasing work opportunities.

"Engagement of the private sector could further expand the prospects for providing sustainable improved services in the areas of healthcare, energy, education and also reduce prices, provide more choices and strengthen self-reliance among refugees," it says.

Researchers surveyed 1,400 refugee and host-community households to collect data on consumption levels, consumer preferences, financial literacy, access to finance, telecommunications, and business ownership.
PORI, Finland, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Works of German philosopher Karl Marx were read aloud at the market square of the Finnish city of Pori On Saturday morning, commemorating the 200 anniversary of his birth.

Juha-Pekka Vaisanen, chairman of Finnish Communist Party, told the market place shoppers that neoliberal economic policies have decisively contributed to the "resurrection" of Karl Marx as a popular phenomenon.

Vaisanen along with artist Riitta Hakala has been touring Finland this spring giving public readings of Karl Marx. In his address in Pori, Vaisanen referred to Chinese leader's suggestion days ago that reading of Marx could become a habit. "Marx talks through art as well," Vaisanen said.

Finnish Communist Party has recently published again in Finnish language parts of the book Capital written by Marx. "Students told us that the books were in libraries but sold out in stores for decades," Vaisanen said.

Vaisanen underlined that Marx is not only for the economists, but for everyone at a time "when the robots may snatch your job", and "the robots do not need social security".

Marx was born in the German city of Trier on May 5, 1818. He died in London in 1883.

Pori is a location of old heavy industries and it was hit hard by the recession of the early 1990s. The unemployment rate once reached the height of 25 percent, and now remains at eight percent.

The latest development in Pori is educational plans that would bring Asian students to Pori. Esa Kohtamaki, the director for education and culture in Pori, said he has high hopes for the development. As a start, a hundred students from India study here.
TRIER, Germany, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The Karl Marx House, in which the German thinker was born and later was turned into a museum, reopened after full renovation on Saturday, to mark the 200th birthday of the man whose ideas are still influencing the world.

The gate of the museum re-opened after Karl Marx's descendants cut off a red band on a ceremony Saturday morning, after about five months of renovation.

Besides the full renovation, the museum also presents a new permanent exhibition named From Trier to the world: Karl Marx, his ideas and their impacts until today.

The new exhibition gives more spaces to the impacts of Marx and his ideas, especially the world after the 2007 global financial crisis.

"We want to show these ideas are still alive, these ideas up to date," Elisabeth Neu, head of the museum, told Xinhua.

Among the new exhibits included an armchair in which Marx died on March 14, 1883.

The very first edition of Communist Manifesto in 1848, and a Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith, which supposedly inspired Marx for writing Das Kapital.

Marx was born in this house in Trier on May 5, 1818 and spent the first 17 years of his life here. He died in London in 1883.

The city is now holding a series of ceremonies to memorize the great thinker.
by Olatunji Saliu

ABUJA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Last month, some Nigerian youths were about to round off their mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program after graduation from local universities when a Chinese firm held a job fair inside their camp.

The job fair, which has now provided 50 of the fresh graduates their first jobs, was organized on April 12 by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Nigeria Limited.

It had established itself as a top international brand in Nigeria after more than 30 years of localization efforts.

Fredrick Okagwa, a fresh graduate of the Nigerian Law School, said he didn't expect to have the opportunity at first, but it later turned out that he was selected after "a very tough but transparent process."

"I sent my CV (curriculum vitae), and I was called for an interview. That was how I got the job," Okagwa told Xinhua.

On Friday, barely a month after the job fair at the Abuja NYSC camp, he and 49 others were formally inducted as CCECC staff in Nigeria.

The induction ceremony was organized for the new local employees, by the CCECC management, after a short training introducing the goals and objectives of the construction firm in Nigeria.

The training was also to teach the new workers how to manage the Nigerian construction industry.

"I never thought I could get my first job so easily, let alone working for such a big company immediately after my mandatory NYSC program," said Okagwa, who got a placement in CCECC's legal department.

The objective of my department is to reduce the liability of the company, he noted.

"I intend to grow in the company to a senior managerial position, and also see how I can influence the company to consider Nigerians for reputable positions in times to come," he said.

At least 2,000 fresh graduates of various disciplines had applied for jobs in CCECC following the job fair, said Li Jianhui, managing director of the Chinese construction firm.

"The management of CCECC is not only interested in engaging thousands of workers, we are talking about the localization of the management team," Li said at the induction ceremony.

The Chinese firm has well over 20,000 local workers in Nigeria, handling mainly road, bridge, and railway projects.

Local employment has made a great contribution to the company's rapid development in Africa's most populous country.

Abu Joseph, one of the trainee staff who studied political science at the University of Abuja, told Xinhua he sees a bright and rewarding future in working for the Chinese firm, although he is new on the job.

"I am glad that I have been given this opportunity to serve. As an executive assistant, my position is going to help me inform the company on policies in Nigeria.

"I am very passionate about this company. I want to grow with it, and see the company as one of the strongest engineering construction firms in the world in the nearest future," Joseph said.

Sharing their experiences so far, the young trainee staff said many instructors who spoke with them inside a CCECC camp in Idu, a new industrial area in Abuja, had taught them how to add value to the company through passion, loyalty, focus, and humility.

"I have just been given a platform toward realizing my dreams in life," said Mary Chinanza Dimejesi, a graduate of English Language from the University of Nigeria in the southeastern city of Nsukka.

"The best way to give back to CCECC is to give hard work and show passion toward the company's goals," Dimejesi said, adding "this company has shown a great interest in the growth of Nigeria through its goal of localizing its management team."

Some of the newly employed workers have already been posted to different states in Nigeria, to work on CCECC's projects across the country.

Jonathan Obafemi Olopade, an engineering professor and Honorary President of CCECC's Abuja Training School, told Xinhua he and his team will ensure a bright future for new and older staff of the company in Nigeria, as the Chinese construction firm had been providing a good platform for local workers who have the capacity and willingness to prove their abilities in various areas.

The Chinese firm regularly sent Nigerian employees with potential to China to receive training so they could catch up with the latest technology in the construction industry.

"This enhanced their sense of belonging to CCECC and many of them had risen from assistants to project managers," Olopade added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 19:28:55|Editor: Yurou

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A man walks past a building of National Bank in Athens, Greece, on May 5, 2018. Athens warmly welcomed on Saturday the announcement that all four of Greece's largest banks successfully passed the latest European Central Bank (ECB) stress tests. (Xinhua/Lefteris Partsalis)

By Maria Spiliopoulou

ATHENS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Athens warmly welcomed on Saturday the announcement that all four of Greece's largest banks successfully passed the latest European Central Bank (ECB) stress tests.

According to the results National Bank, Piraeus Bank, Alpha Bank and Eurobank passed the exercise, even the most adverse macroeconomic scenario which sees GDP at -1.3 percent this year, -2.1 percent in 2019 and 0.2 percent in 2020.

According to the latest forecast on the prospects of Greek economy released by the European Commission this spring Greece will post a 1.9 percent growth rate in 2018 and 2.3 percent next year.

"The results of the 2018 stress test of Greek significant institutions show that the average capital depletion under the adverse scenario, which covered a three-year period and assumed static balance sheets, was 9 percentage points, equivalent to 15.5 billion euros (18.6 billion US dollars)," read an emailed ECB Press statement.

"The capital depletion stood at 8.56 percentage points for Alpha Bank, 8.68 percentage points for Eurobank, 9.56 percentage points for the National Bank of Greece (NBG) and 8.95 percentage points for Piraeus Bank," the statement added.

Saturday's results showed that after eight years of acute debt crisis, despite difficulties, the Greek banking system is now resilient to turbulence and will not need a new recapitalization, as Greece exits the third bailout program this August.

Greek banks have been recapitalized three times since 2010 with bailout funds.

Despite improvement they still need to make more progress in reducing the volume of non performing loans. The Greek banking system is still burdened with more than 90 billion euros of bad loans which should be reduced by 30 percent next year.

"The stress tests results confirm that conditions in Greece improve even under the most conservative scenario. We remain committed to the implementation of the Agenda 2020 to further enhance Piraeus' position and support the country's economic recovery," commented Christos Megalou, Piraeus Bank CEO, in a bank statement.

"Alpha Bank's excellent performance in the stress tests verifies our strong capital basis and our ability to achieve our strategic goals," said Alpha Bank CEO Dimitris Mantzounis in a press release.

Fokion Karavias, Eurobank CEO also expressed satisfaction with the results. "They confirm that despite the strict requirements of the adverse scenario Eurobank is resilient to negative factors," he said in a bank statement.
BUJUMBURA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The Burundian National Media Council (CNC) said it has suspended the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the Voice of America (VOA) radio stations from broadcasting on the Burundian territory.

"Programs of the BBC and the VOA radio stations have been suspended on the whole Burundian territory for a period of six months. The decision will take effect as of May 7," said Ramadhan Karenga, chairman of CNC, in a statement on Friday.

According to him, the BBC is accused of violating principles of "balance of information" and "rigorous verification" of sources.

"Despite a warning given to the BBC following a report on Burundi aired on March 12, the BBC has again violated the principles of information balance and rigorous verification of sources provided in the Burundian press law," said Karenga.

He said the VOA has been suspended for continuing to disseminate programs on a local radio station that was suspended in 2015. Besides, the VOA has hired a Burundian journalist who is facing an international arrest warrant, he added.
LOMPOC, the United States, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) sent off InSight, its robotic lander, from the central coast of California at pre-dawn on Saturday to explore the deep interior of the red planet.

The lander blasted off at 4:05 a.m. local time (1105 GMT) atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base.

"Mars, here I come! 6 months and counting to the Red Planet," the mission team tweeted.

InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, will study how rocky planets and their moons were formed.

"I am so excited! This is my first time watching a rocket launch on the West Coast," said Jennifer Ma, who drove here from San Diego on Friday to view the launch.

"Most of the hotel rooms in town sold out weeks ago. I had to stay in the car, waiting for the launch," she told Xinhua.

Missions to other planets are normally launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center and fly east, over water. That's because the eastward direction adds the momentum of Earth's eastward rotation to the launch vehicle's own thrust.

But the Atlas V is powerful enough to fly south toward the sea from the Vandenberg Air Force Base. Besides, the air force base had greater availability to accommodate InSight's five-week launch window.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 21:39:21|Editor: ZX

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BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China's securities regulator has approved new IPO applications from two companies, which will raise up to 1.1 billion yuan (about 170 million U.S. dollars) in the A-share market.

One company will be listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and the other will be listed on the ChiNext board in Shenzhen, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) said Friday.

The firms and their underwriters will confirm IPO dates and publish prospectuses following discussions with the exchanges.

Under the current IPO system, new shares are subject to approval from the CSRC. China is gradually switching from an approval-based IPO system to a more market-oriented one based on registration.
LILONGWE, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The State of Nation Address made by Malawian President Peter Mutharika on Friday during the opening of the 2018/19 Budget session of Parliament has received mixed reactions from commentators including opposition and international dignitaries.

In his 30-page State of the Nation Address, titled Delivering Sustainable Development, President Mutharika mentioned diverse issues including economy, mining, energy, health, education, rural development, tourism and culture, gender and women development amongst other things.

But reacting to the statement in an interview with local media at the New Parliament Building in Malawi capital, Lilongwe, leader of opposition in Parliament and President for Malawi Congress Party, Lazarus Chakwera, has described Mutharika's address as "dreamy and illusionary" saying it shows the Malawian leader "has lost touch with the reality on the ground where the majority of Malawians are suffering."

Chakwera said Mutharika's address does not cleary instill hope in Malawians and explain how the leadership plans to bail Malawians out of poverty.

But the U.S. ambassador to Malawi, Virginia Palmer said the president's massages on issues of corruption, about Malawians having national Identity Cards and moving forward with development are important for the nation.

She, however, expressed worries over issues of drug theft in public hospitals saying it is a sign of corruption as the drugs are found at the open markets.

She said ordinary Malawian in the village needs to be vigilant enough to know when the supplies are available in public hospitals and when they have finished and be able to stand up when things have gone wrong.

According to President Mutharika his Cabinet has already approved the Pharmacy and Medicines Regulation Bill, 2018, which provides stiffer penalties for offenders in drug supplies.

Norwegian Ambassador to Malawi Kikkan Haugen, who is also the dean of the diplomatic corps and heads of diplomatic missions in Malawi observed that Mutharika touched on important areas including corruption and economic growth which is at 4 percent and expected to be at 6 percent next year.

"The president also mentioned the issue of women participating in politics which we fully support, we launched the 50-50 campaign just yesterday and it's our hope that the 2019 election will be better from gender perspective than the 2014 elections," said Haugen.

Emily Banda of the (Malawi) Professional Women Board said while the message is clear on the issue of women empowerment from the president, it will be nothing if the political parties in the country will not put deliberate strategies to ensure that women participate in politics.

During his speech President Mutharika said his government is taking necessary steps to ensure increased participation of women in the 2019 tripartite elections.

"We have mounted the 50-50 campaign in line with our aspirations and international agreements on gender equality and we have adequate legal and policy framework to guide implementation of gender programs and safeguard the rights of women," said Mutharika.

Currently the Malawi Parliament has 32 women parliamentarians out of 193 parliamentarians.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 22:04:33|Editor: ZX

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BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- New green cars drew wide attention at the 15th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition.

A total of 174 new models of new energy vehicles (NEVs) were presented at the expo, which concluded Friday. Of the models, 124 were developed and manufactured in China.

"BYD sold 130,000 NEVs worldwide in 2017, and we plan to sell 200,000 this year," said Wei Xing of new energy automaker BYD.

Wei said BYD is focused on new energy cars, and more models will be unveiled later.

NEVs are popular in China, the world's largest auto market, as they reduce fossil fuel consumption and air pollution.

The country's stock of NEVs is over 1.6 million, about half the world's total. About 143,000 NEVs were sold in Q1, up 154 percent year on year.

Problems of cars' short ranges, long charging time and a shortage of charging stations are gradually being addressed.

"We have a new ternary battery in our latest model," said Li Yujun, technical director of BAIC BJEV. "It has high energy density and better performance at low temperatures."

Charging station network needs to be expanded, Wei Xing said.

"BYD plans to build 30,000 charging poles this year in more cities," Wei said.

Many marques, including NIO, Singulato and Byton, brought new models or concept cars to the exhibition.

"Competition increases public awareness and understanding of NEVs, and encourages more traditional car makers to venture into the sector," said BAIC BJEV general manager Zheng Gang.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 22:24:37|Editor: ZX

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BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China is reflecting on Marxism as the country observes the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth Saturday, when the Second World Congress on Marxism opened in Peking University, where Marxism started to spread in China.

More than 120 Marxist scholars from 30 countries gathered at the university and shared their ideas on Marxism.

The first World Congress on Marxism was held in the university in 2015.

"Marx was a giant thinker, not for the 19th century, but even more for understanding our contemporary times," said Egyptian economist Samir Amin at the congress, set to conclude Sunday. "No other attempt to develop an understanding of society has been as fertile."

The development of China in recent decades is a remarkable example of how only the creative adaptation of Marxism to specific national conditions can solve the great problems of contemporary societies, said Emir Sader of Rio de Janeiro State University.

"China's successes in this direction are a central reference for other nations to face their problems, not only from the results achieved by China but also by the need of each nation to apply Marxism appropriately to its own conditions," Emir said.

During the congress, scholars are expected to discuss topics including Marxist theory and global cooperation and governance, Chinese philosophy, China's modernization.

Marxism also got the nation thinking, as a series of activities were held to mark 200th anniversary of Marx's birth.

On Saturday morning, the site of the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Shanghai was full of visitors eager to catch a glimpse of the first Chinese translation of The Communist Manifesto.

"Marxism lit the way for the entire humankind, and now in this new era, Marxism combined with the reality in China still gives us the strength to strive forward," said Xu Ming, deputy curator of the site-based museum. "We should apply the scientific principles and spirit of Marxism in our great causes and dreams."

Gulufuhaali Abduwali, a Uygur student at Xinjiang Normal University in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, said that he is an enthusiastic participant in classes on Marxism. He particularly remembers his experience of visiting Jinggangshan, the heartland of the CPC's early revolutionary activities in east China's Jiangxi Province.

"I was thrilled to see how Chairman Mao led the Red Army towards victory with Marxism as his belief," he said. "Step by step, they laid a solid foundation for a good life for the future."

Gulufuhaali said he wants to become a college teacher.

"I want to help ethnic students understand the essence of Marxism so as to make contributions to our country, and to the stability of Xinjiang," he said.

On Friday, a grand gathering was held in Beijing to pay tribute to the "greatest thinker" of history. The People's Daily hailed Marxism's crucial role in China's modernization in an editorial. "While the world has come to a crossroads, China is unfazed... Marxism is key to China's stability and development," it said.
ADDIS ABABA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The second China Trade Week held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa came to a close on Saturday with around 50 Chinese firms showcasing their wares to eager Ethiopian customers.

The first edition of China Trade Week in Ethiopia was held in Addis Ababa from July 4-6, 2017.

The China Trade Week in Ethiopia is supported by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

The three-day event has drawn Chinese companies engaged in construction materials and machinery, electronics, food and beverage, furniture, packaging and plastics, print, daily necessities and animal healthcare.

One such Chinese firm is Divine New Energy firm which supplies solar products and solar system solutions for households and commercial customers around the world.

Zhong Ta, Deputy General Manager of Divine New Energy, told Xinhua the company's solar products are suitable for the estimated 80 percent of Ethiopians living in rural areas with little access to regular electricity.

"We focus on providing solar light system, solar home system and solar pumping system ranging from 3 U.S. dollars to about 8,000 U.S. dollars" he said.

Zhong, a first-time visitor to Ethiopia, said while he hasn't sealed a deal with an Ethiopian agent yet, he has found several potential agents who have good sales and distribution channels in the country.

Zhong mentioned Ethiopia's large population of around 100 million could even prompt his company to open a solar plant in Ethiopia in the future to reach a wider customer base with greater efficiency.

Another Chinese firm was Henan Tense Bio Tech Company Limited (HTBTC), engaging in production of agricultural animals feed and medicine.

Zhao Ying, Overseas Business Unit Head, HTBTC, said she saw that Ethiopia is at a moment where China was 30 years ago, ready for economic takeoff and her company wants to be a participant in the development of Africa's fastest growing economy.

"Ethiopia is at a stage China was 30 years ago, where small family businesses grew to be later integrated into a wider agricultural system, HTBTC with its two decades old company experience would like to work with the Ethiopian government to share knowledge," she said.

Zhao mentioned her company's top officials meeting with former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, in May 2017, during the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, which prompted HTBTC's participation in the trade fair.

Though, its not hard to find Chinese products in the Ethiopian market and about 50 Chinese firms participated in the 2018 edition of Chinese Trade week, Abiy Getachew, Marketing Personnel at Zerihun Worku General Electrical and building Company, said more trade shows should be organized to promote Ethiopia-China trade ties.

Getachew told Xinhua he appreciated the increase in Chinese firms showcasing their products in this year's China trade show, but said given the size of Ethiopian market more needs to be done.

"My company imports Chinese machineries and spare parts and sells it in the Ethiopian market, the increase in Chinese trade shows in Ethiopia can help me provide a variety of high quality products at reasonable price to my customer," he said.

China is already Ethiopia's biggest trading partner, with Ethiopia exporting 144.5 million U.S. dollars of goods to China in the first six months of the current Ethiopian Fiscal Year 2017/18, statistics showed.
A Sich special volonteer battalion member holds his children on August 26, 2014 during an oath-taking and farewell ceremony in Kiev. (Xinhua/AFP)

KIEV, May 4 (Xinhua) -- About 200,000 school children in eastern Ukraine are forced to live and learn in the militarized environment due to the armed conflict that has been underway in the region since April 2014, the UN children's fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.

Children residing in the conflict-affected area face dangers due to unexploded ordnance and the proximity of military sites, such as bases, storage facilities and security checkpoints, the UNICEF said in a statement.

"For many children, frontlines are just meters from their homes, combat soldiers are seen throughout their towns, and armed guards are in their schools," the statement said.

More than four-year-old conflict has taken a devastating toll on the education system of the region, damaging or destroying more than 700 schools, it said.

The UNICEF has called on the conflicting parties to respect the international humanitarian law and ensure that schools are safe places for children to learn.

The conflict in eastern Ukraine started when the Ukrainian government launched a military operation against armed groups, who seized cities and towns in eastern Donbas region and declared independence from Kiev.

According to the Ukrainian authorities, the confrontation has claimed the lives of about 10,000 people, including 138 children.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 22:39:44|Editor: Yamei

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NANJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China's tracking ship Yuanwang-6 departed from a port in east China's Jiangsu Province Saturday to monitor Queqiao, the Chang'e-4 relay satellite.

The Chang'e 4 lunar probe will be launched at the end of this year on a mission to land on the far side of the Moon. A relay satellite named Queqiao is responsible for transmitting signals between the Earth and the far side of the Moon, essential for the lunar probe.

The maritime monitoring and control of Queqiao will be performed by Yuanwang-6 and Yuanwang-7 in the Pacific Ocean. Yuanwang-7 has just completed a monitoring mission for the APSTAT-6C communication satellite and is already in the new mission area.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 22:49:46|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TEHRAN, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Breach of Iran's 2015 international nuclear deal will "bring disgrace for the United States," a senior Iranian security official said on Saturday, Press TV reported.

"Any violation of or threat to violate the JCPOA (the nuclear deal) by the United States will practically tarnish the country's international credibility and will prove that Washington cannot be trusted in the international scene," said Alaeddin Boroujerdi, Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission.

The Islamic republic is fully committed to international agreements and is honoring the JCPOA as well, he was quoted as saying.

Iran has envisaged necessary measures based on U.S. decisions after the May 12 deadline, Boroujerdi said, adding that the U.S. president would lose the "game" if he pulls out the nuclear accord.

Boroujerdi made the remarks as the deadline looms for U.S. President Donald Trump to decide whether to leave or to stay in the deal.

The nuclear deal was designed to limit Iran's nuclear weapons program in exchange for the easing of international sanctions on Iran; however, Trump has been criticizing the "sunset clauses" in the deal, which allow Iran to restart its uranium enrichment program after 2025.

In January, Trump said he extended sanctions relief on Iran under the deal for the last time, threatening to withdraw from it if U.S. Congress and his European allies cannot fix the alleged "disastrous flaws."

Iran has ruled out renegotiating the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal or holding talks over its missile program.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 23:04:51|Editor: Yurou

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SEOUL, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China, South Korea and Japan can achieve peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia based on mutual trust and understanding, an expert said ahead of a key trilateral leaders' meeting.

The May 9 meeting in Japan will be attended by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

"The three countries are advocating peace, stability and prosperity. They should step up efforts to cast away doubts (of) each other's diplomatic strategy," Lee Jong-heon, secretary-general at the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS), told Xinhua Friday.

Lee said the trio should try to understand one another's policy and strategy more deeply.

Mutual trust and understanding as well as diplomatic efforts will be important to deepen their cooperation, as Northeast Asia has been relatively unstable for several reasons such as the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and the U.S. influence on the region, he said.

Territorial and historical issues remain the most serious dilemmas since they are politically sensitive and emotionally unacceptable to the people of the three countries, he pointed out.

The political leaders should show their foresight and determination, while the people of the three countries should try to understand one another and increase communication, he said.

Regarding the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, Lee said it has been one of the biggest factors impeding a deeper trilateral cooperation. However, now with detente on the peninsula, Northeast Asia is facing an "enormously good opportunity" to deepen cooperation.

South Korean President Moon and Kim Jong Un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), met on April 27, agreeing to complete denuclearization and transform the current armistice agreement into a peace treaty by the end of this year.

Based on political trust, the three countries can deepen economic cooperation, including the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and resolve the rising unemployment rate, the TCS chief said. China, Japan and South Korea are the world's second, third and 11th largest economies respectively in terms of GDP.

The trilateral cooperation can also boost cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Lee said.

"Northeast Asia and the ASEAN will inevitably follow a process of mutual connectivity, mutual interaction and mutual positive influence ... to eventually form an East Asia Economic Community," he said.

Lee said the three countries have benefited from free trade and their growth has been driven by export. They should support free trade with one voice to help Asia maintain its growth momentum though the United States was retreating from free trade.

Noting that the cooperation among the three countries has developed rapidly despite challenges, he forecast that they would be able to bring trust and cooperation to Northeast Asia though it would take time.

"The three countries, being geographically close, have taken (crises) such as the 1997 Asian foreign exchange crisis and the 2008 global financial crisis, as an opportunity to come together and discuss ways to overcome them," he said.

The trilateral cooperation was launched under the ASEAN Plus Three mechanism in 1999, when Asia was mired in a foreign exchange crisis.

Lee said foundations for the cooperation were laid in 1992 when China and South Korea set up diplomatic relations.

China and Japan established diplomatic relations in 1972. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship.

South Korea and Japan normalized diplomatic ties in 1965.
PHNOM PENH, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Australian tycoon Bill Clough announced on Saturday that he had sold the Post Media Co., Ltd, which includes daily English-language Phnom Penh Post and Post Khmer publications, to Malaysian investor Sivakumar G. in an undisclosed sum.

Bill, who is chairman and publisher of the Post Media Co., Ltd, said in a statement that Siva is a well respected newspaper man, with an experienced journalist background, and represents a strong investment group from Malaysia.

"The recent times have been a challenge, as the worldwide decline in market share for newspaper advertising has also been felt here in Cambodia," he said in the statement.

The Phnom Penh Post was founded by American Michael Hayes in 1992. Bill purchased the bimonthly English-language newspaper from Michael in 2008, and immediately launched the current daily English-language edition and published daily Post Khmer edition a year later.

Currently, there are two daily English-language newspapers in the Southeast Asian country. The other is Khmer Times, which is owned by Malaysian businessman T. Mohan.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 23:19:57|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TEHRAN, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Oman will hold joint rescue and relief drills in the Persian Gulf in coming days, Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday.

The Iranian Navy, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Iran's Border Police, the Royal Navy of Oman, and the Royal Oman Police will partake in the exercises.

The decision to hold the joint drill was made during the 14th meeting of the Iran-Oman joint commission on military and security cooperation, held in Iran's capital Tehran on Saturday.

Since 2010, naval forces of Iran and Oman have held several joint rescue drills off the coast of their waters.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 23:29:59|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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GAZA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- At least six Palestinians were shot and wounded by Israeli soldiers' gunfire after they cut the fence of the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel and infiltrated into Israel, medics reported.

Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the health ministry in Gaza, told reporters that six Palestinians were shot and wounded by Israeli soldiers' gunfire at the border east of al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip with Israel.

He added that one Palestinian paramedic was shot in his leg as he tried to rescue one of the injured.

Meanwhile, Al-Jazeera Satellite Channel of Qatar aired a short video showing young Palestinians covering their faces cutting the fence of the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel and infiltrating several meters into Israel.

The video clip played the voice of a young man saying "here we cut the fence and we entered into our occupied lands," and "come in with us, we are at our occupied lands."

Then an Israeli army force arrived at the scene and dispersed the infiltrators with gunfire, wounding six of them, while the others got back through the cut fence into the Gaza Strip.

Israel has warned that it would use excessive force against any attempt of infiltration from the Gaza Strip into Israel.

Infiltration of demonstrators from Gaza into Israel is part of the activities of the "Great March of Return," which started on March 30 and is expected to peak on the Nakba Day on May 15.

The health ministry in Gaza said that since March 30, the Israeli army has killed 45 Palestinians, and another five corpses were still held by the Israeli army, and wounded around 7,000.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 23:40:03|Editor: Yurou

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BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's official visit to Indonesia next week, experts said stable ties between the two major developing economies will also enhance China's cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In recent years, China and Indonesia have seen frequent high-level exchanges, enhancing political mutual trust. Li's visit would help maintain the momentum of development of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, which was established five years ago.

DOVETAILING DEVELOPMENT PLANS

The two sides' political and security cooperation has progressed, as well as cultural and humanitarian cooperation, Xu Liping, a senior research fellow with the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said.

Their diversified economic interactions include infrastructure projects like the Jatigede Dam in Indonesia and scheduled construction of cooperative industrial zones.

From the annual session of its top legislative body in March to the Boao Forum for Asia conference in April, China has used every important podium to reiterate its commitment to opening up further as well as supporting economic globalization.

The opening up has benefited Indonesia, which is a participator of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Xu said the Chinese premier's visit is expected to advance pragmatic cooperation through the dovetailing of BRI and Indonesia's development strategies, including the Global Maritime Fulcrum.

DEEPENING CHINA-ASEAN TIES

As the largest economy in ASEAN, Indonesia's stable relations with China would bring additional benefits to entire Southeast Asia.

Premier Li plans to visit the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. It has been 15 years since China and ASEAN established their strategic partnership. China has been the largest trading partner of ASEAN for nine consecutive years, with bilateral trade totalling a record high of 514.8 billion U.S. dollars last year.

"China-ASEAN cooperation is the most successful and dynamic in the Asia-Pacific region," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in March.

China-ASEAN ties have been strengthened through sub-regional mechanisms, such as the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) mechanism between China and the five Mekong River nations of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

ASEAN could be a perfect platform for China to deepen sub-regional cooperation, as it has its own comprehensive development plan, the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025, and thus provides a coordinative foundation for third parties, Song Junying, deputy director of the Department for Asia-Pacific Security and Cooperation Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said.

The East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) framework could also join the LMC for collective development efforts from the sea, Song added.

The BIMP-EAGA was launched in 1994 by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, to accelerate and balance their economic development.

UPHOLDING FREE TRADE

Asian countries have always embraced globalization and free trade through bilateral and multilateral channels.

While China and ASEAN are working on an "upgraded version" of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area and building the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, BRI is consolidating the economic integration of Asia through investment and a transportation network.

China hopes ASEAN would keep promoting free trade in Asia, Song said.

Besides working on political and security issues, the two should also come up with new economic practices for win-win results, he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 23:45:03|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HARBIN, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Saturday released 2 million salmon fry into the Heilong (known as the Amur in Russia) River on its border with Russia in a bid to protect the rare fish.

The Heilong River and its tributary -- the Wusuli River -- are the major birthplaces of salmon. The fish migrate to the Pacific Ocean and return to spawn after sexual maturity in three to four years.

The fishery authorities in the city of Fuyuan on the intersection of the Heilong and Wusuli rivers released the fry to boost the fish stocks and improve the ecosystem.

Since late 1980s, authorities in Fuyuan have released about 30 million salmon fry into the rivers to curb the shrinking of fish stocks.

Amid other efforts to increase fish stocks, China will impose a total 55-day fishing ban on the Heilong and Wusuli rivers this year.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-05 23:50:06|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MADRID, May 5 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona striker Luis Suarez dropped a big hint on Saturday about who could be his side's big signing of the summer.

Speaking on Uruguayan radio station, Radio Rincon, Suarez was asked about possible signings for this season's Liga Santander and responded as if a deal had already been agreed for the Atletico Madrid forward, Antoine Griezmann.

"It makes the club proud to be able to bring in players of this quality such as Antoine, like (Ousmane) Dembele and (Phillipe) Coutinuho," said Suarez when asked about the Frenchman.

Griezmann has a buyout clause of 100 million euros, which these days is accessible for a club such as Barcelona, who have already paid more for Coutinho and Dembele.

"He is a player who brings a lot to a club. He has spent years playing at the top level and he always fights in every game," continued the Barca striker, who added that Griezmann is "vital in attack for Atletico."

"He is not coming here to take anyone's place, but with the ambition to win important titles and he will be very welcome," concluded Suarez.
| 2018-05-06 00:07:20|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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SANAA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- At least eight civilians were killed on Saturday in Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in Yemen's provinces of Saada and Hodeidah, Yemeni provincial security officials said.

In the northern province of Saada, which borders Saudi Arabia, airstrikes hit a house and a car in Bakim district, killing at least six, including two women and two children, and injuring three others, a local security official said.

In the Red Sea eastern province of Hodeidah, an airstrike targeted a mango farm in Jarbah area in al-Jarrah district, killing two farmers, a local security official said.

The two officials all spoke on condition of anonymity.

The attacks were the latest in a series of deadly airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition which has been fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen for more than three years.

In April, a coalition airstrike hit a wedding party in the Red Sea province of Hajjah, killing at least 20 and injuring 40 others, mostly women and children.

The Saudi-led coalition started to intervene in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015, in order to support the internationally-recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi against Shiite Houthi rebels.

The rebels have been controlling much of northern Yemen since September 2014, including the capital Sanaa, and forced Hadi and his government to flee to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

The conflict has killed more than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, and displaced three million others, triggering one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-06 00:15:13|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Overseas experts and scholars hailed China's wise practice of Marxism by adopting the theory to its changing reality as the key of its development success, while talking about Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech commemorating German philosopher Karl Marx on Friday.

Harro von Senger, a professor at Swiss Institute of Comparative Law, said the key to China's development success lies in its capability to implement Marxism and enrich the theory with its vigorous and ample practice of Marxism.

Marxism is not only a scientific worldview, but also a scientific methodology, he added.

Von Senger stressed that the key to China's success is that it did not take Marxism merely as a doctrine, instead combining it in a flexible way with national conditions and formulating correct guidelines and policies.

On Friday, Xi commended Marxism as an open, scientific theory able to respond to the new challenges for human society in his speech at a gathering in Beijing to mark the 200th birth anniversary of the pioneer of the international communist movement.

"Marxism, for the first time, explored the path for humanity's freedom and liberation from the stance of the people, and pointed out the direction, with scientific theory, toward an ideal society with no oppression or exploitation, where every person would enjoy equality and freedom," Xi said.

Li Renliang, an expert at the National Institute of Development Administration in Thailand, said China's wise practice of Marxism in accordance with its reality shows that the scientific theory has guided China's development and the latter, in return, has enriched the profound thinking.

Midhuam Saud, vice president of Maldives China Trade and Cultural Organization, said socialism with Chinese characteristics demonstrates how China has adopted Marxism to its own development.

China has proved the feasibility of Marxism through practice, Saud added.

Gai Lin, secretary-general of the European Parliament's EU-China Friendship Group, pointed out that the Communist Party of China has the same spirit of consistently striving for ideals that Marx possessed.

Gai said this spirit has motivated China to initiate socialism with Chinese characteristics and introduce the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, in a bid to achieve the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and build a better world.

Stephan Ossenkopp, a senior fellow of Schiller Institute in Germany, a think tank, said Xi's speech impressed him with China's emphasis on people-centric development.

Socialism with Chinese characteristics, derived from Marxism, has lifted millions of people out of poverty and propelled China's striking economic success, he added.
ISLAMABAD, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The Bank of China has officially launched its services in Pakistan for clearing and settlement mechanism of Chinese yuan (CNY) for bilateral trade, investment activities, imports, exports and financing transactions, a statement said on Saturday.

The Bank of China (BOC) had already commenced operations through its first branch in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi in November last year.

Earlier in January, the central bank of Pakistan declared Chinese currency renminbi or yuan as an approved foreign currency for denominating foreign currency transactions in Pakistan, declaring that Chinese yuan is at par with other international currencies such as U.S. dollar, euro and Japanese yen, and other currencies.

The launching ceremony was held in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Friday, which was attended by officials, several chiefs and executives from the banking industry and corporate sector.

Li Tao, country head and CEO of BOC Pakistan Operations, highlighted the global recognition, importance and increasing utilization of Chinese yuan and said that the yuan settlement amount of China's cross-border trade exceeded 4.36 trillion yuan last year.

According to the statement, the BOC serves as yuan clearing bank in France, Australia, Malaysia, Hungary, South Africa, Zambia, the United States and in several other places, occupying 11 seats in 24 clearing banks designated by the People's Bank of China.

Wang Yu, Counsel General of Chinese Consulate in Karachi, said the BOC's operations for yuan will build another financial artery in China's Belt and Road Initiative as well as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

On the occasion, the BOC's staff introduced yuan products and solutions and vowed to provide prime services to governments, financial institutions, corporates as well as individuals in Pakistan, China and all countries in the world.

Pakistani bankers hoped that yuan clearing and settlement mechanism will boost the transactions, including trade settlement and direct investment with the increasing demand for yuan from enterprises and financial institutions in the two countries.

Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan Jamil Ahmad hoped that the BOC can provide liquidity in the interbank market and offer different yuan-denominated financial products to cater the need of the financial industry and the business community in Pakistan.

Hussain Lawai, head of the Institute of Bankers Pakistan, believed that the launching of yuan clearing and settlement mechanism can definitely help to enhance the cross-border trade between the two countries and consequently benefit the enterprises and banks of either side.

The yuan clearing and settlement in Pakistan will effectively reduce the exchange rate risk, which will help further reduce transaction costs, enrich investment and financing options, and better meet the needs of enterprises, individuals, and financial institutions, the statement said.

Muneer Kamal, chairman of the board of Pakistan Stock Exchange Limited and director of Engro, called on the Pakistani financial institutions and corporates to grab the chance of yuan and further improve the development of the two countries.
by Raul Menchaca

SAGUA LA GRANDE, Cuba, May 5 (Xinhua)-- With new hotels, a cinema, a central park and other attractions, Cuba is jazzing up a bicentennial coastal city to become a new destination for international tourists.

Sagua La Grande, about 360 km east of Havana, was founded in 1812. Though many of its buildings are in a state of decay, it is still a picturesque city with a sunshine beach and historical heritage sites.

On Friday, the promotion kicked off at the 38th International Tourism Fair in Villa Clara Province in central Cuba.

Besides investments to revitalize the city's hotel industry, the local authority is also boosting "recreational and gastronomic services", Minister of Tourism Manuel Marrero said at the fair.

As part of the presentation, the 84-room Hotel Sagua and smaller Palacio Arena with 11 rooms reopened on Friday, along with a bar-cafeteria, a nightclub and two tourist shops.

The two hotels have preserved the neoclassical architecture that dominates the historical city, home of Cuban painter Wifredo Lam (1902-1982), who was born to a Cuban-Chinese family and whose work reflects the beauty of the city.

The historical center of Sagua La Grande was declared a national monument in 2011 because of its architectural value. The 158-year-old Parochial Church is also among the must-see places of the city.

Besides its historical sites, the city boasts a mixed culture due to a diversified population of Spaniards, Africans and Chinese. Foreign visitors would appreciate that, according to the local tourism authority.

Chilean writer Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957) described the city as "warm and friendly".

Tourism official Dayami Armenteros said for foreign tourists, the most important thing is the local people.

Sitting on the Sagua La Grande River, the city with a population of about 22,000 will have more service facilities, Marrero said.

During the tourism fair, German travel agency Thomas Cook said it would put Sagua La Grande in its catalog, while French company Louvre Hotels signed a letter of intention with a local company to manage new facilities.

Tourism, the country's second source of income, grew 16.2 percent last year. The goal for 2018 is about 5 million visitors.
SKOPJE, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The Macedonian ruling Social Democratic Party's talks with small parties on a possible reshuffle have entered their final phase and the outcome is expected to be announced within the next few days, local media reported.

Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has hold parallel talks this week with the two opposing branches of the small BESA party as well as with Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA).

According to media reports, talks focused on aligning the party platforms with that of the government as well as on the role they would take in the cabinet, meaning ministerial and other managerial posts.

Zaev's first dilemma is the split between two opposing camps inside the small ethnic Albanian BESA party. Both claim that they are the party's true representatives.

"BESA will probably get one ministerial post -- but at the moment we do not know which one," said Orhan Murtezani, from the branch led by Afrim Gashi, which controls three seats in the Macedonian parliament.

Meanwhile, Zaev is negotiating with the other branch of the party, which controls two seats and is led by Bilal Kasami.

Zaev's government stands on thin majority, with the support of just 61 of the 120 MPs in the assembly. However, several other MPs who are not officially part of the ruling alliance have said they would support his administration.

Zaev's government will have a majority of 68 votes if he can convince the two MPs from the DPA, as well as all five BESA MPs to join.

"I would like these days to wrap up this topic. Everyone of course has their expectations about the proposals that mostly originate from my side," Zaev said.

Zaev first announced a mini-reshuffle intended to widen support for the government at the start of this year.

This would be the first reshuffle since Zaev came to power on June 1 last year. On April 12, Zaev's government pulled through the vote of no confidence requested by the largest opposition party VMRO-DPMNE.
NICOSIA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The Cypriot Finance Ministry has prepared a strategy to effectively and swiftly cut down non-performing loans (NPLs), the most serious residual problem from the 2013 financial crisis, Finance Minister Harris Georgiades said on Saturday.

"Developments up to now show things are moving towards this direction," he told state radio when asked whether the target of reducing NPLs by 40 percent at the end of this year could be met.

This means red loans could be brought down from 20.6 billion euros to 12.4 billion euros at the end of 2018, or just below 24 percent of the banks' loan portfolios.

NPLs represented 43.7 percent of the loan portfolios at the end of 2017, and cut deep into the profitability of all banks, which are formed to make increased provisions for contingencies and deleverage.

NPLs was one of the most notable effects of the March 2013 crisis, from which Cyprus was helped out under a 10-billion-euro 3-year economic assistance package by the Eurogroup and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Finance Ministry said in a statement that it has submitted a stability program to the European Commission for the 2018-2021 period, providing for measures to bring down NPLs.

It includes additional legal measures to manage non-performing loans, such as the introduction of electronic auctioning of mortgaged properties and the creation of a secondary market for MPLs, a more transparent, efficient and effective foreclosure framework, and enhancing of the capabilities of the government's insolvency service.

The state has already pumped an additional 2.5 billion euros into the nationalized Cyprus Cooperative Bank, acquiring all of its non-performing loans. The government has put the lender on sale as a whole or in part and it expects firm offers by prospective investors by the middle of May.

It has also implemented a plan called "Estia", named after the Greek goddess of domesticity, under which a fund will help debtors with a mortgage on their primary residence to gradually repay their loans and salvage their homes.

"Through burden sharing, the incentive scheme aims at supporting vulnerable households, enabling them to meet their obligations to the extent possible, thus contributing to the stabilisation of the banking sector and the creation of conditions for sustainable growth," the statement said.

The strategy will cost taxpayers up to 0.4 percent of annual economic output and add 11.7 percent to the sovereign debt, according to the ministry estimates.
LOS ANGELES, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Consulate General of China in Los Angeles issued an alert message Saturday morning, warning Chinese citizens not to stay in dangerous zones in Hawaii's Big Island, which has been suffering strong volcano eruptions and earthquakes since Thursday.

The message posted on the official website of the consulate said that according to reports of the Hawaii State government, eruptions of the Kilauea Volcano had forced the evacuation of thousands of people, and part of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park had been closed.

Chinese citizens should notice the news about volcano eruptions and earthquakes, follow the directions of the local government, and keep out of very dangerous zones, the consulate warned.

After three eruptions of the Kilauea Volcano since Thursday, two strong earthquakes occurred Friday noon in one hour, and the latter one of 6.9-magnitude quake was the state's strongest since a 7.1-magnitude quake hit "almost exactly the same location" in 1975.

United States Geological Survey (USGS) data showed that lighter earthquakes continued into Saturday morning as a result of volcanic activities in the island.

Although there was no report of casualties, the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency warned in a notice posted on Friday afternoon that the biggest threat continued to be the high levels of sulfur dioxide found in the evacuation area.

The evacuated areas in the island, which about 1,500 residents fled, "continues to be unstable with multiple volcanic eruptions happening," the notice read. "No one is allowed into the area. Do not attempt to return to your home at this time."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-06 03:00:43|Editor: Yurou

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U.S. billionaire investor Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, visits an exhibition on his invested companies before the Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, the United States, on May 5, 2018. Berkshire Hathaway held its 2018 shareholders meeting on Saturday, attended by tens of thousands of people from all over the world. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

OMAHA, the United States, May 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. billionaire investor Warren Buffett said Saturday that the world depends on the United States and China for progress, dismissing concerns that the two countries' trade tensions could potentially escalate into a trade war.

Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, made the remarks in response to a Chinese investor's question about U.S.-China trade relations at the Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholders meeting.

"The United States and China are going to be the two superpowers of the world, economically and in other ways, for a long, long, long time," Buffett said.

"We have a lot of common interests, and like any two big economic entities, there are times when there'll be tensions, but it is a win-win situation when the world trades," the investor said.

Both Democrats and Republicans in the United States believe in the benefits of free trade, he said.

The benefits of free trade are huge, and the world is dependent on it in a major way for its progress, Buffett said.

Speaking of the U.S. trade deficit, Buffett said he would not like the gap to get too wide, but "when you think about it, it's really not the worst thing in the world to have someone send you the goods that you want and for you to send a piece of paper."

The only problem is when one side may want to win a little bit too much, he said, adding the world will not sacrifice its prosperity based on differences that arise in trade.

The investor also implied that he is willing to invest more in China this year.

He is turning 88 this August, and eight, he said, is a very lucky number in China.

This could be the time to acquire something in China, Buffett said.

While the primary focus of his company remains on U.S. businesses, investment opportunities in other parts of the world, including emerging markets, will also be taken into account, according to Buffett.

Berkshire Hathaway is looking to "find big things to do" in big and growing economies that hold potential, such as China, Buffett said in a video released at the U.S.-China Investor Forum held one day prior to the shareholders meeting.

In the video, he called China's growth in the past 60 years or so "a total economic miracle." "I never would have thought it could have happened," Buffett said.

Berkshire Hathaway currently has a stake in China's automobile manufacturer BYD. Buffett said the investment "has being doing so well lately."
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny addresses supporters during an unauthorized rally in Moscow, Russia on May 5, 2018. (AFP PHOTO)

MOSCOW, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Around 300 people, including Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, were detained during an unauthorized rally in central Moscow, Moscow City Police said Saturday.

"About 300 people were detained and brought to territorial police departments for violations of public order during an uncoordinated public event in the center of Moscow," the police's press service said in a statement.

Navalny and his ally Nikolai Lyaskin were detained for organizing the event and were taken to the district police department to "resolve the issue of bringing them to justice in accordance with the law", it said in a separate statement.

About 200 people were detained in St. Petersburg during another unauthorized rally held by Navalny's supporters and will face administrative charges, the local police department said.

A total of 3,500 people attended unauthorized actions in Moscow and St. Petersburg and another 2,000 in similar rallies in more than 20 cities across the country with the aim to "draw attention to the rights and freedoms of citizens", according to the Russian Interior Ministry.
KAJIADO, Kenya, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's First Lady Margaret Kenyatta on Saturday called for urgent and bold actions to restore and protect the country's diminishing forest cover.

Margaret said it will require the collective resolve and resilience of all Kenyans to recover what has been wiped out through human actions and the devastating effects of climate change.

"This is no longer a waiting game. Our actions require urgent, bold, decisive response from all stakeholders, both private and public to promote behavioral change to address the threats posed by our human actions," she said at Kibiku forest, Ngong in Kajiado County.

According to the environment ministry, the country's forest cover currently stands at 6.2 percent and the government has intensified efforts to reach the UN target of 10 percent in the near future.

President Uhuru Kenyatta in December 2013 launched 80 million U.S. dollars commercial tree growing project to help expand forest cover in the country.

The First Lady had joined scores of female members of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) and Ministry of Environment officers in planting thousands of trees to restore the 125ha forest.

Kibiku forest is among five conservation areas adopted by the KDF for restoration. The others are Ngong Hills, Thogoto and Oloolua forests and Mareba Wetlands.

Under the KDF Environmental Soldier Programme (ESP), security officers have so far planted over 23 million trees in various forests across the country including Kamae, Kipipiri, Mount Kenya, Suam, Mount Elgon and Mau Eburu.

This financial year alone, together with its partners, the KDF has planted 1.7 million trees and the ongoing activity targets to plant 3 million seedlings by the end of the current long rains, specifically in Kibiku forest.

Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko said his ministry had planted another 20 million trees since March and the country hopes to meet the 10 percent, globally accepted tree cover by 2022.

He said there is a direct connection between the environment, livelihoods and security, hence the involvement of the KDF in conservation efforts.
CAPE TOWN, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Saturday expressed outrage at the gruesome murder of two pensioners.

The ANC is saddened to learn of "the brutal, callous and cold-blooded" killing of 84-year-old Rosalie Bloch and 96-year-old Aubrey Jackson, who were found murdered in their Rosebank home in Cape Town earlier Saturday.

The two pensioners were the parents of education expert Professor Graeme Bloch.

The elderly couple, who were declared dead on the scene, had been tied up.

"The ANC is dismayed and shocked at this evil deed. We strongly condemn the cowardly act visited on the defenceless and elderly," ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe said in a statement emailed to Xinhua.

"It is disheartening to note that we still have amongst us, those who are determined to trample on other people's right to live driven by selfish and cruel intentions," Pale said.

The motive for the killing is still being investigated. Previous investigation indicated that it appears to have been a burglary that turned into a murder.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana said the provincial detectives were investigating a case of murder and house robbery following the incident.

These are elements that must be isolated and locked away to rid our society of heartless criminals, said Mabe.

"Law enforcement agencies must indeed leave no stone unturned in their quest to ensure that perpetrators of this heinous crime are caught and face the full might of the law," he said.

The ANC, he said, further calls on all South Africans to act in concert to ensure that criminals have nowhere to hide wherever they seek refuge.

The killing highlights the seriousness of rising crimes in South Africa which is among countries that have the highest crime rate in the world.

South Africa has seen a rise in violent crimes in the 2016/2017 financial year, with murders up 1.8 percent, or 9,016 murders being recorded, official figures show.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-06 03:55:54|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TEHRAN, May 5 (Xinhua) -- A senior Iranian security official on Saturday ruled out the possibility of any war against the Islamic Republic by Israel or the United States, Press TV reported.

"As the official in charge of the country's national security body, I am explicitly and confidently announcing that the possibility of a war (against Iran) is ruled out," Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said.

The reason is "enemies assessment of the Islamic Republic's political strength, its military and security preparedness in domestic and foreign aspects as well as their lack of determination, coherence and operational capability," Shamkhani said.

On April 26, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that his country will hit Iran in response to any attack from the Islamic state.

If Iran attacks Tel Aviv, Israel "will strike Tehran and destroy every Iranian military site that threatens Israel in Syria, whatever the price," he said.
DAR ES SALAAM, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Two Tanzanian university students on Saturday emerged outstanding winners of the Chinese language proficiency competition held in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

Mato Eglon, 22, a second year chemical engineering student with the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), emerged overall winner in the 17th Chinese Bridge-Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students organized by the Confucius Institute at the UDSM.

Speaking shortly after he was declared overall winner, Eglon said: "I am looking forward to studying my master's degree in chemical engineering in China."

The young student said it was high time Tanzanians learned Chinese language because China was now a global leader in business, economy and technology.

And 23-year-old Ayubu Tewele, a third year student pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Education also at the UDSM, emerged second winner and quipped: "My dream is to teach Chinese language to my fellow Tanzanians."

Tewele said since Chinese investments were mushrooming in Tanzania, Tanzanians were better placed to get jobs in Chinese companies if they spoke the Mandarin.

The overall winner will represent Tanzania in the global Chinese Bridge finals in China in August this year, and the second winner will also go to China to watch the competition.

The competition themed "One world one family" attracted four students from the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), four students from the Confucius Institute at the University of Dodoma (UDOM) and two students from the Confucius Institute classroom at University of Zanzibar's Mass Communication Department.

The competition assessed the proficiency of the students in various skills of Chinese language such as Chinese speech, knowledge about China as well as talent show.

Liu Yan, the Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at the UDSM, said the 17th Chinese Bridge-Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students attracted students from 110 countries across the world.

He said the competition, jointly sponsored by Tecno Mobile Limited and Sunshine Group Limited, was aimed at providing Tanzanian students with a stage to show their Chinese language proficiency.

"The competition also creates a space for their mutual study and communication in order to encourage them to keep their enthusiasm and interest in Chinese language study and understand Chinese language and Chinese culture," said Liu.

Aldin Mutembei, the Tanzanian Director of the Confucius Institute at the UDSM, said knowledge of the Chinese language by Tanzanian students will minimize the gap between China and Tanzania, and will also enhance understanding between the two friendly countries.

Bonaventure Rutinwa, the UDSM Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic, commended the Confucius Institutes in Tanzania for promoting mutual understanding of friendly cooperation between China and Tanzania.

"These Institutes are instrumental in offering cultural exchange and Chinese language learning as an effective approach to further development of Sino-Tanzania ties," said Rutinwa.

The Chinese Bridge-Chinese Proficiency is a large scale international Chinese competition hosted annually by Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban), China.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-06 05:41:10|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JERUSALEM, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on May 9 to "discuss regional developments" amid rising tension over Iran.

According to a statement by Israeli Prime Minister's Office on Saturday evening, the meeting is a continuation of their telephone conversation on April 30, during which they decided to meet soon.

The meeting will come just days before the May 12 deadline when U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to decide on whether or not to pull out of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal.

On April 30, Netanyahu revealed Iran's secret nuclear archive obtained by the Israeli spy agency, which he said could prove Iran's lies about its nuclear program.

It will be the eighth meeting between the two leaders in the past two years, in addition to at least 12 phone talks, according to Israeli media.
TRIPOLI, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The international conference on the reconstruction of the Libyan city of Benghazi kicked off on Saturday, with participation of investors and economic experts from 14 different countries, according to a local official.

"The conference started in Benghazi to discuss rebuilding the city after years of fighting against terrorists. It is time to start its reconstruction and wipe out the dust of destruction," Mohamed Abdullah, member of the eastern-based parliament, told Xinhua.

"There was a broad international participation of 14 Arab and foreign countries in the conference. It will enable businessmen and investors to discuss reconstruction opportunities by improving the infrastructure," Abdullah added, confirming that the conference is supported by the parliament and a number of businessmen in Benghazi.

He also said the conference will continue until the end of the week, stressing optimism about the success of the conference "as it reflects the interest and the sense of everyone of the importance of starting reconstruction of Benghazi and improve the conditions of its people."

The parliament member said the international reconstruction exhibition was postponed "in order to enable as many foreign companies as possible to participate in the exhibition and to see models and proposals of companies for the reconstruction of the city."

Benghazi, Libya's second largest city, was severely damaged by more than three years of violent war between the army and terrorist groups, which ended by the army taking over the city and expelling the terrorist groups last year.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-06 05:56:13|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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GAZA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Six militants of Islamic Hamas movement armed wing killed and three injured Saturday evening in an explosion in a house in the town of Zawayda in central Gaza Strip.

Ashraf al-Qedra, the Gaza health ministry spokesman told reporters that six were killed and three wounded, adding that doctors managed to identity the six dead people as Taher Shahin, Wesam Abu Mahroog, Musa Salman, Mahmoud al-Ustz, Mahmoud Tawashi and Mahmud Qishawi.

Meanwhile, a source close to al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas armed wing, said the six dead are militants, members in the engineering unit of al-Qassam Brigades.

Police forces of Hamas and crews of civil defense arrived for investigating the explosion, where several neighboring houses had also been damaged.

Later, al-Qassam Brigades said in a short press statement that "a serious crime was committed against our militants in Zawayda town in central Gaza Strip as they followed up a serious security event prepared by the Zionist enemy against Palestinian resistance."

The statement also said that "more details are to be published later on the intelligence security operation which is very complicated and caused a big crime."

Meanwhile, the Israeli media quoted an Israeli army spokesman as saying that the Israeli army is not behind the incident in the Gaza Strip.

In the past few days, the Israeli army has threatened to strike targets deep into the Gaza Strip after every Friday, during which marches, protests and rallies are organized along with the eastern border of the Gaza Strip with Israel.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-06 06:26:18|Editor: Yurou

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Guests unveil the Karl Marx statue during the unveiling ceremony of the Karl Marx statue in Trier, Germany, on May 5, 2018. A China-donated statue of German philosopher Karl Marx was unveiled on Saturday in his birth town on the 200th anniversary of his birth. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

BRUSSELS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- People in European cities paid homage to Karl Marx on Saturday, marking the 200th anniversary of the great thinker's birth.

Marx was born in the German city of Trier on May 5, 1818. He died in London in 1883.

GERMANY: UNVEILING OF STATUE

A China-donated statue of Marx was unveiled on Saturday in Trier to commemorate the late bushy-bearded local.

The statue's height, 5.5 meters (18 feet), was designed in accordance with his birthday -- May 5, its creator Wu Weishan said.

Weighing 2.3 ton, the bronze figure was mounted atop a pedestal in front of a former Marx family home.

Marx, the son of a Jewish lawyer, spent 17 years in Trier, before becoming one of the most influential thinkers in the world.

Marx's ideas are of great value to the world, and in particular had far-reaching influence on China," Guo Weimin, deputy director of the State Council Information Office of China, said in a speech to mark the unveiling of the statue.

Malu Dreyer, the governor of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, in which Trier is located, called the statue from China "a pillar and a bridge for our partnership".

BRITAIN: INT'L CONFERENCE

In London, the Marx Memorial Library organized an international conference celebrating Marx's work and exploring the significance of Marxism in the world today.

Speakers at the conference include John McDonnell, British Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. His speech subject is Marxism as a force for change today.

Ben Fine, an economics professor at School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London, told Xinhua at the margin of the conference that what Marx put forward over 100 years ago still has far-reaching impact.

For westerners, Marx's analysis of capitalism is worth studying, the professor said, underlining that it's of great significance to stage the conference in London, where Marx was laid rest after living for many years.

BELGIUM: SEMINARS ON MARX

In Brussels, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the Belgium-China Association Saturday jointly organized a seminar marking the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth.

The seminar, circling around the topic of Marxism in the world and in particular in China, brought together about 20 experts and scholars who studied Marxism in Belgium, France, Switzerland, and China.

Hans Van Duysen, chairman of the Belgium-China Association, pointed out that despite the world entering a new modern era, Marxism is not out of date and the West must reflect on its own crises.

"China has opened up a development model that is different from the West, and has found a suitable development path for itself which has led to extraordinary achievements," said Duysen.

"I believe that the Chinese model will have the resources to help the world overcome possible future crises," he added.

Separately, the Belgian Workers' Party (PTB) held a multinational event in downtown Brussels on Saturday night.

With the attendance of hundreds of party members and people who are interested in Marxism, the event aimed to "bring back Marx in the news, to bring back him into the spirits of the people," David Pestieau, vice president of the PTB, told Xinhua.

"This evening we attributed to Marx. So we have speakers from Ireland, Germany, France and Belgium...We want to bring the importance and also the diversity of the ideas of Marx (to the audience)," he added.

FINLAND: READING MARX'S WORK

In the Finnish city of Pori, works of Karl Marx were read aloud at the market square.

Juha-Pekka Vaisanen, chairman of Finnish Communist Party, told the shoppers that neoliberal economic policies have decisively contributed to the "resurrection" of Marx as a popular phenomenon.

Vaisanen has been touring Finland this spring giving public readings of Karl Marx.

In his address in Pori, Vaisanen referred to Chinese leader's suggestion that reading of Marx could become a habit.

Vaisanen underlined that Marx is not only relevant for the economists, but for everyone at a time "when the robots may snatch your job", and "the robots do not need social security".

Finnish Communist Party has recently published again in Finnish language parts of Das Kapital, the masterpiece of Marx.

"Students told us that the books were in libraries but sold out in stores for decades," Vaisanen said.
A Yemeni malnourished girl lies on a bed receives medical treatment at a hospital in Sanaa, Yemen, on May 05, 2018. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)

ADEN, Yemen, May 5 (Xinhua) -- About 16 fighters of the Shiite Houthi group were killed in airstrikes and ongoing armed confrontations with pro-government forces in Yemen's southwestern province of Taiz on Saturday, a military official told Xinhua.

The local military source, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the government forces air-covered by warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition heavily attacked the Houthi-controlled area of AlBarh in the western part of Taiz.

"The Houthi group lost 16 fighters either in the air bombing or by the ground battles with the national forces in AlBarh area," the source said.

He added that "the pressure against the Houthis in the Taiz and the western coast areas rapidly increased and several areas were liberated in the past days."

Local military analysts said that the Houthis are facing a real difficulty in recruiting new fighters particularly in the port city Hodeidah, as most of the young fighters preferred to join with the forces loyal to the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

In recent weeks, elite forces from the Republican Guard started to establish new brigades with the support of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), vowing to seize control over Hodeidah province.

Saudi Arabia is leading a mostly Arab military coalition to fight Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen since March 2015.

Houthis have been controlling much of Yemen's north by force, including the capital Sanaa since 2014.

The war has killed more than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, and displaced over 3 million, according to humanitarian agencies.
Visitors gather in front of the Karl Marx statue in Trier, Germany, on May 5, 2018. A China-donated statue of German philosopher Karl Marx was unveiled on Saturday in his birth town on the 200th anniversary of his birth. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

BRUSSELS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- People in European cities paid homage to Karl Marx on Saturday, marking the 200th anniversary of the great thinker's birth.

Marx was born in the German city of Trier on May 5, 1818. He died in London in 1883.

GERMANY: UNVEILING OF STATUE

A China-donated statue of Marx was unveiled on Saturday in Trier to commemorate the late bushy-bearded local.

The statue's height, 5.5 meters (18 feet), was designed in accordance with his birthday -- May 5, its creator Wu Weishan said.

Weighing 2.3 ton, the bronze figure was mounted atop a pedestal in front of a former Marx family home.

Marx, the son of a Jewish lawyer, spent 17 years in Trier, before becoming one of the most influential thinkers in the world.

Marx's ideas are of great value to the world, and in particular had far-reaching influence on China," Guo Weimin, deputy director of the State Council Information Office of China, said in a speech to mark the unveiling of the statue.

Malu Dreyer, the governor of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, in which Trier is located, called the statue from China "a pillar and a bridge for our partnership".

BRITAIN: INT'L CONFERENCE

In London, the Marx Memorial Library organized an international conference celebrating Marx's work and exploring the significance of Marxism in the world today.

Speakers at the conference include John McDonnell, British Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. His speech subject is Marxism as a force for change today.

Ben Fine, an economics professor at School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London, told Xinhua at the margin of the conference that what Marx put forward over 100 years ago still has far-reaching impact.

For westerners, Marx's analysis of capitalism is worth studying, the professor said, underlining that it's of great significance to stage the conference in London, where Marx was laid rest after living for many years.

Meirian Jump, Marx Memorial Library archivist, speaks to begin proceedings during the Marx 200 Conference, organized by the Marx Memorial Library on the bicentenary of Karl Marx's birth, at SOAS university in London, Britain, on May 5, 2018. (Xinhua/Tim Ireland)

BELGIUM: SEMINARS ON MARX

In Brussels, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the Belgium-China Association Saturday jointly organized a seminar marking the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth.

The seminar, circling around the topic of Marxism in the world and in particular in China, brought together about 20 experts and scholars who studied Marxism in Belgium, France, Switzerland, and China.

Hans Van Duysen, chairman of the Belgium-China Association, pointed out that despite the world entering a new modern era, Marxism is not out of date and the West must reflect on its own crises.

"China has opened up a development model that is different from the West, and has found a suitable development path for itself which has led to extraordinary achievements," said Duysen.

"I believe that the Chinese model will have the resources to help the world overcome possible future crises," he added.

Separately, the Belgian Workers' Party (PTB) held a multinational event in downtown Brussels on Saturday night.

With the attendance of hundreds of party members and people who are interested in Marxism, the event aimed to "bring back Marx in the news, to bring back him into the spirits of the people," David Pestieau, vice president of the PTB, told Xinhua.

"This evening we attributed to Marx. So we have speakers from Ireland, Germany, France and Belgium...We want to bring the importance and also the diversity of the ideas of Marx (to the audience)," he added.

Photo taken on May 3, 2018 shows the entrance of the exhibition "Karl Marx 1818-1883. Life. Work. Time." in the City Museum Simeonstift Trier in Trier, Germany. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

FINLAND: READING MARX'S WORK

In the Finnish city of Pori, works of Karl Marx were read aloud at the market square.

Juha-Pekka Vaisanen, chairman of Finnish Communist Party, told the shoppers that neoliberal economic policies have decisively contributed to the "resurrection" of Marx as a popular phenomenon.

Vaisanen has been touring Finland this spring giving public readings of Karl Marx.

In his address in Pori, Vaisanen referred to Chinese leader's suggestion that reading of Marx could become a habit.

Vaisanen underlined that Marx is not only relevant for the economists, but for everyone at a time "when the robots may snatch your job", and "the robots do not need social security".

Finnish Communist Party has recently published again in Finnish language parts of Das Kapital, the masterpiece of Marx.

"Students told us that the books were in libraries but sold out in stores for decades," Vaisanen said.
Ian Minielly/Daily Globe

BESSEMER STUDENTS erect a 17-foot Eiffel Tower on the stage in the Ironwood Memorial Building Friday. The school's prom theme for tonight is "Spring Time in Paris" and the kids said they spent 20 hours building the different components of the tower out of cardboard, glue and lots of tape. From the left are Bethany Novascone, Andy Aspinwall and Devon Byers. Kiah Hollenbeck is in the back on a ladder, masked by the tower.
Coun Perez reiterates warning to barangay leaders involved in drugs

07 Aug 2017 Hits:37 Comments(0)

Liga ng mga Barangay President, Councilor Jerry Perez yesterday reiterated his warning to all barangay officials from using or selling drugs. Perez said he is closely monitoring the activities of all the barangay officials and vowed sanctions against erring leaders. Aqui gane na mio barangay ya quita ya iyo na puesto cunel dos barangay leaders quien mas temprano ya sale positivo na...
New Delhi: Bhojpuri film industry witnessed its biggest awards nightsScreen and Stage Bhojpuri Cine Awards in Kolkata's Netaji Indoor Stadium. The who's who of the showbiz world attended the big night. From Ravi Kishan, Pawan Singh, Dinesh Lal Yadav aka Nirahua, Amrapali Dubey to Khesari Lal Yadav, Anjana Singh, Akshara Singh etcall made their presence felt.

The show was organised by Arun Ojha and Vikas Singh Veerappan. Bhojpuri film industry's two biggies--Manoj Tiwari and Ravi Kishan were the two guest performers who grabbed the maximum eyeballs and cheers from the audience. Several actors were given top honours and the audience enjoyed some enthralling performances.

Check out all the live updates here:

*Best Producer-Abhay Sinha

Out Standing Contribution to Bhojpuri Cinema-Durga Prasad Majumdar

Best Film- Mehendi Laga Ke Rakhna

Best Critic film- Nirahua Hindustani

Best Actor-Khesari Lal Yadav

Best Popular actor- Dinesh Lal Yadav

Best Actress-Kajal Rajdhani

Best Popular Actress- Amrapali Dubey

Best Director - Manjul Thakur

Best Debut Director-Rajnish Mishra

Best Villain-Sushil Singh

Best actor in negative role-Sanjay Pandey

Actress Poonam Dubey bagged the Best Supporting Actress award for her film 'Rangdari Tax'

Actor Awdhesh Singh bagged the Best Supporting Actor award for his film 'Mehendi Laga Ke Rakhna'

Manoj Tiger bagged the award for Best Comedian

Uday Bhagat and Ranjan Sinha bagged the Best PRO award.

* Check out how the Bhojpuri stars set the stage on fire with their dance performances.

* Ravi Kishan and Manoj Tiwari's energetic performance keeps the audiences entertained.

* Best PRO award went to Uday Bhagat and Ranjan Sinha

*

* The audience has gathered in huge numbers to attend the awards show. Watch a glimpse of it here:

* The event begins with Ganpati Vandana and an enthralling dance rendition to the lord.

* Uday Bhagat took to his Facebook account and shared a selfie with Bhojpuri superstar Khesari Lal Yadav minutes ahead of the big event.

Check it out here:

* Bhojpuri stars practised hard to ace their stage performances for the awards night. Here's a glimpse of Poonam Dubey's scintillating dance rehearsal video. She will be performing on the song tonight.

* Not many know but Bhojpuri film industry churns out around 70-80 films each year. It is currently undergoing revival and filmmakers are experimenting with various genres.

* Besides actors such as Pawan Singh, Ravi Kishan and Manoj Tiwari, around 150 technicians will be present in Kolkata to make this night a memorable one.

* The starry event is going to kickstart at 4 pm, Netaji Indoor Stadium. This is the first time that the event is taking place in Kolkata.
PATNA: A Pakistani girl featuring as the "brand ambassador" on the cover page of a booklet meant to promote 'Swachh Jamui Swasth Jamui' initiative in Bihar`s Jamui district has triggered a controversy following which the state government has ordered a probe into the matter.

Taking cognisance of the matter, state's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered an inquiry to ascertain how the error occurred and why it went unnoticed.

#Bihar: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered an inquiry in the matter in which a Pakistani girl was featured as the "brand ambassador" on the cover page of a booklet meant to promote 'Swachh Jamui Swasth Jamui' initiative in Jamui district.  ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2018

According to reports, the picture shows a smiling Pakistani girl, aged about five, sitting on a chair and sketching a map of her countrys flag on the cover page of a booklet that was then used for the promotion of the 'Swachh Jamui Swasth Jamui' initiative.

The incident that came to light on Friday and apparently didn't go down well across various spheres.

The booklet was printed by Suprabh Enterprises Printing Press in Patna.

Jamui District Magistrate (DM) Dharmendra Kumar had ordered a probe to ascertain how the photograph came to be printed on about 5,000 notebooks that were distributed among school children in December last.

After the initial investigation, it also came to light that the photograph was earlier used by UNICEF in Pakistan to spread awareness about the importance of educating girls.

However, a blame game has already begun.

It is a grave error, and it was not spotted earlier. The proposal to print the notebooks was approved by the then district magistrat.e Dr Kaushal Kishore, said Sudhir Kumar, the district coordinator of Swachh Bharat campaign.

The Patna-based printing press, Suprabh Enterprises, which is under the scanner for printing the Pakistani girl's picture, claimed that there was prior approval from the district administration to use the picture.
Patna: Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) is expected to announce Bihar Board Class 12th Results 2018 and Bihar Board Class 10th Results 2018 in the third week of May.

BSEB is likely to declare the Bihar Board Class 12th results 2018 and Bihar Board Class 10th results 2018 between May 16 to 20, as per reports. The BSEB Intermediate examination results would be released for all three streams - Arts, Sciences and Commerce at once.

Steps to check your BSEB results 2018:

1. Visit official website - biharboard.ac.in.

2. Click on 'Bihar board results 2018'.

3. Click on BSEB class 12th results 2018.

4. Enter roll number and other relevant details.

5. Click on 'submit'.

Over 17 lakh students reportedly appeared for the class 10 exams in 2018. The exams were held from February 21 to 28, 2018. Class 10 exams were held at 1,426 centres across the state.

In 2017, the result for BSEB Intermediate examination was released on May 30, 2017. The BSEB result for class 10th was declared on June 22, 2017.

About BSEB:

The Bihar School Examination Board was established for holding and conducting an examination at the end of the secondary school stage, for prescribing a course of studies for such examination and for carrying out such other objects and duties as may be considered necessary for the purpose as stated in the act, rules and regulations of the board.

Normally every year the Bihar School Examination Board conducts annual secondary school examination in the month of February/March and supplementary school examination in the month of August/September on the basis of course/syllabus as prescribed by the state government.

Apart from the aforesaid Secondary School Examination, the board also conducts departmental examinations (not on yearly basis) such as diploma in Physical Education, Certificate in Physical Education and Teachers Training Examination on such terms and condition as laid down by the state government.
The Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education (CGBSE) may announce the results of Class 10 and class 12 board exams in the coming week on the CGBSE's official website: results.cg.nic.in. It is likely that the results of Class 10 will be released on 8 May, 2018. The results of Class 12 are likely to be declared by next week.

The Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education (CGBSE) had conducted the Class 10 examination from 5 March to 28 March, 2018. The Class 12th exams of the Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education (CGBSE) were held between 7 March to 2 April.

Here is how you can check the CGBSE Result 2018:

1) Log on to results.cgbse.nic.in

2) Click on the link for CGBSE 10th Result 2018 or CGBSE 12th Result 2018

3) Enter your roll number and press submit.

4) The result will be displayed on the screen.

5) Download and take a print for future reference.

The official dates of the results have not been announced yet. Any updates on the same will be updated on zeenews.india.com.

Over 6 lakh students appeared for the CGBSE 10th and 12th examination. Last year, the Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education (CGBSE) had announced the results of Class 10th on April 20. The results of Class 12th were declared on April 26. The pass percentage for Class 10 last year was 61.04 per cent while the pass percentage was 76.36 per cent for Class 12.

The Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education (CGBSE) is responsible for conducting Senior Secondary Certificate (Class 10), Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC), and Diploma in Education (D.Ed) exams for all students in Chhattisgarh. The board was established in 2001. It started conducting the examinations independently from the next year onwards.
New Delhi: A restored Dakota joined the Indian Air Force on Friday in an induction ceremony at Hindan air force station, more than four decades after the aircraft fleet was phased out following an illustrious service record. The Dakota DC-3 VP 905 was formally inducted into the IAF at a grand ceremony at Hindan where a key was received by the Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal B S Dhanoa from Air Commodore (retd) M K Chandrasekhar whose son and Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar bought and restored the aircraft.

Dhanoa dubbed Dakota as a "special" aircraft in the history of the Indian Air Force and added that its "reliability and ruggedness" were proved by its journey back home from the UK where it was restored. The Dakota was accepted by the Chief of Air Staff from the Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar on February 13 this year. The aircraft was bought by the MP from "scrap" and got restored in the UK.

The restored Dakota rechristened as 'Parashuram' will join the 'Vintage Fly' of one each of Tiger Moth and Howard raised at Hindan air force station. The aircraft commenced its journey from the UK on April 17 to India with a joint crew of IAF and Reflight Airworks.

It flew a total of 9,750 km during its ferry en-route halts in France, Italy, Greece, Jordan, Bahrain and Oman, and finally landed on Indian soil at air force station Jamnagar on April 25. It reached its final destination Hindan on April 26. Air Commodore(retd) MK Chandrasekhar was granted special permission by the Defence minister to fly on board the aircraft from Jamnagar to air force station Hindan.

"This historic flight of the Dakota DC-3 VP 905, across seven countries, was a commemoration of the service provided by this venerable aircraft to the nation," the Air Force said in a statement. The Dakota popularly known as the Gooney Bird was the first major transport aircraft inducted in the fledgling Indian Air Force. It was at the forefront of operations from 1947 to 1971.

The aircraft played crucial role in Kashmir operations in 1947 war and Bangladesh war. After 1971, the Dakota was replaced by Avro HS-748. The Dakotas were phased out and some of them were handed over to the BSF that used them up to 1978.
KOCHI/NEW DELHI: A leading Islamic body on Saturday jumped into the ongoing controversy over the demands for removing a portrait of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah from the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

Joining the issue, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind today questioned the rationale behind the demands to remove the portrait of Pakistan founder from the AMU history.

"What is the rationale behind such a demand after it has been there in public view for the past 80 years? Even if someone has such a demand, they can move courts for the same... Why such a row over it?" its chief Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari asked.

Umari said that it was a small issue that has been blown out of proportion.

Siding with the AMU students, Umari said that it has long been the practice in AMU to display portraits of its lifetime members of the students' union in the campus.

''Jinnah's picture has been in the campus since 1938. In all these years, no one had raised any objections or put forward any demand for its removal,'' he said.

The JIH chief claimed that even some senior BJP leaders had not disputed Jinnah's role in the freedom struggle and called for resolving the matter through talks with students.

Umari also flayed the policies of the BJP-led government at the Centre and alleged that democracy, secularism and the fundamental rights of the citizens were in danger.

The JIH president said that he would extend support to those forces that fight the saffron party.

Meanwhile, responding to it, BJP hit back saying those standing with Jinnah also stood for terrorist Afzal Guru.

The BJP spokesperson Sudanshu Trivedi said that those who are standing for Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah also stood for terrorists like Afzal Guru.

Speaking to ANI, Trivedi castigated sympathisers of Jinnah, who was responsible for country's partition.

"People who are standing with Jinnah today, are the same people who stood with terrorist like Afzal Guru. It is unfortunate that certain people are standing by the side of a person who was responsible for the division of this country," Trivedi said.

Interestingly, the Muslim Mahasangh in Rampur had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for burning the photo of Muhammad Ali Jinnah which has created a massive uproar at the Aligarh Muslim University.

Blaming Jinnah for having broken the country at the time of partition, Farhat - the national head of All-India Muslim Mahasangh - announced that the reward would be given to anyone who burns Jinnah's photo which created ruckus at AMU earlier this week.

AMU students have been agitating for the past few days, demanding action against the right-wing protesters, who entered the campus and demanded the removal of Jinnah's portrait from the student union's office.

The row started after local BJP MP Satish Gautam wrote to AMU, raising objections to the portrait.

On Thursday, 28 students and 13 cops were injured in a clash which broke out between AMU students and the police, forcing the administration to take several preventive measures.

(With ANI inputs)
NEW DELHI: "Harry Potter" star Emma Watson has tweeted her support to Deepika Singh Rajawat, the lawyer representing the family of the girl who was raped and murdered in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir."All power to Deepika Singh Rajawat," tweeted Watson while reacting to a photo article on the lawyer.

Rajawat had claimed that she received death threats, including lawyers from the Jammu and Kashmir Bar Association, for representing the case. The rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl from the Bakarwal tribe of Jammu and Kashmir had sparked widespread outrage in the country.

The Supreme Court had directed the Jammu and Kashmir government to provide security to the family of the eight-year-old Kathua gangrape and murder victim, their lawyer and a family friend assisting them in prosecuting the case. It was reported that Rajawat, who is the lawyer for the victim's family in trial court, has filed a petition on her own name seeking protection as she was receiving threats for representing the affected family. However, later, it was clarified that the father of the victim filed the petition and another petition was filed by the Delhi-based advocate seeking a CBI probe into the case.

The top court had on April 13 taken strong note of some lawyers obstructing the judicial process in the gangrape and murder case and initiated a case on its own record, saying such impediment "affects the dispensation of justice and would amount to obstruction of access to justice". In a stern warning, the SC had said it would transfer the Kathua gangrape and murder case from the local court in Jammu and Kashmir in the "slightest possibility" of lack of fair trial, saying the "real concern" was to hold proper prosecution.

The minor girl had disappeared from near her home in the forests in Kathua, on January 10. Her body was found in the same area a week later. The Crime Branch of police which probed the case filed a main charge sheet against seven persons and a separate charge sheet against a juvenile in a court in Kathua district.
Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa has made attempts to reach out to India with an aim to restart talks, but it is New Delhi that has been refusing to meet him halfway, a commentary by a leading British think tank has said. The article further said the Pakistan Army leadership has come around to the position that the path to peace depends on peace with India.

The analysis of Bajwa's overtures was carried by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), and was written by Kamal Alam, RUSI's visiting fellow on Pakistan. However, the RUSI commentary came with the disclaimer that the opinion was not its own position.

"Senior Pakistani officers, led by Army Chief of Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, realise that the way to peace and prosperity is through military cooperation with India Despite continued tensions and fire-fights in Kashmir at their fiercest for a decade, Pakistan's generals want to talk and feel the ball is in India's court," read the article.

The author listed a number of steps that Bajwa has taken in recent months seemingly in a bid at rapprochement with India. He pointed out that the defence attache at the Indian embassy in Islamabad had been invited to the Pakistan Day military parade in March, for the first ever time. Bajwa had said two weeks later that the Pakistan military wanted peace and dialogue with India.

The author posits that the change in the tone of the Pakistan military's view on India began with Bajwa's ascent to the leadership of the Pakistan Army in November 2016, combined with the easing of internal pressures on the Rawalpinidi GHQ.

"A siege mentality in the Pakistani General Headquarters in Rawalpindi has meant that that there has been practically no major defence diplomacy between the arch-rivals. However, since the army launched antiterror operations Zarb-e-Azb in 2014 and Radd-ul-Fassad in 2017, Pakistan has seen a turnaround in its security," read the commentary.

"With growing security and stability on the western border, the army understands that talking to India will help the country's upward economic trajectory and allow regional trade flourish," it added.

The author then places the ball firmly in India's court. "India has so far rejected Pakistan's offer of a transit trade dialogue on Afghan-Indian commerce. But with a sustained approach by Pakistani officers to India, it could only be a matter of time before Delhi agrees to at least talk to Islamabad," he said.

Alam ended his commentary saying there is a long way to go in this process of rapprochement.

India had shut its door on talks with Islamabad after terrorists from Pakistan attacked an Indian Air Force base in Pathankot. The attack had come just a week after Prime Minister's surprise stopover in Lahore for detente with then Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif.
Students continue to protest outside the main gate of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) pressing for a judicial inquiry into BJP MP Satish Gautam for allegedly communalising the campus environment. The protesting students have been joined by representatives from a number of other prominent institutions from across northern India.

Twenty-eight students were injured in a lathi charge by the police. The protesters have been joined by student representatives from varsities like Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia and Allahabad University on Friday, DNA reported.

Around 3,000 students offered Friday prayers at the protest site. They were also joined by teaching and non-teaching staff of the AMU. Representatives of the AMU student union said they had met Vice Chancellor Tariq Mansoor and urged him to formally take up their demands.

The students union's demands include the suspension of the Station House Officer of Aligarh's Civil Lines Police Station, and a magisterial inquiry into BJP MP Satish Gautam. He had barged onto the campus on Wednesday and created a ruckus. They were demanding that a portrait of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah be removed from the office of the AMU students union.

University officials however pointed out that the AMU students union had a tradition of bestowing an honorary membership on legal and political luminaries, and that it was the accepted practice to hang the portraits of the honourees in the students union office.

"It's a part of AMU's history. And, whether good or bad, History cannot be erased," a senior AMU official said.

Sources said that the AMU administration told DNA that the varsity has contacted the Union Human Resource Development Ministry and demanded a judicial inquiry in the matter. AMU vice chancellor Mansoor stayed away from the protest site, but visited the students who were injured in the lathi charge at the hospital.
New Delhi/Jaipur: The doppler radar in the Jaipur Met office, a critical component in the accurate forecasting of weather events, was not working the night of May 2 when a high velocity dust storm cut a swathe of destruction through parts of Rajasthan, killing at least 35 people, an IMD official said.

The doppler, a product of Finnish company Vaisala, has been dysfunctional for the last 10 days, said Devendra Pradhan, additional director general of the India Meteorological Department. "The doppler radar of Jaipur has been dysfunctional for the last 10 days due to some technical issues. The engineers of Vaisala, a Finnish company, are here. The problem will be rectified in the next two-three days," Pradhan said. Besides doppler radars, the IMD depends on observatories and satellites for accurate weather forecasts.

A doppler radar helps in better assessment of the severity of a hailstorm, thunderstorms, wind movement and also helps in nowcasts, weather alerts issued for two-three hours, Pradhan explained. "It is an important tool for disaster management," Pradhan, who looks after doppler radars across the country, said.

Of the 27 IMD doppler radars in the country, two, in Jaipur and Karaikal, are not working, Pradhan said. "We had been issuing alerts since April 29 using our doppler radar from Delhi. Had the Jaipur radar been working, we would have been in a much better position," he said.

There was a fault in the doppler radar on May 2, which was rectified the next day, said Himanshu Sharma, acting director, IMD Jaipur. "However, we had issued a warning to the relief department about the dust storm that affected three districts of Rajasthan," Sharma added.

More than 100 people were killed as the dust storm whipped through parts of Rajasthan, including Dholpur and Bharatpur, and Uttar Pradesh, bringing down houses, uprooting trees and electricity poles and flattening crops.

A fresh warning was issued today about a possible thunderstorm accompanied with squall which may hit West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, a home ministry spokesperson said. A doppler has a radius of 250 km and the alert issued by the Jaipur IMD today was based on the doppler radar in Delhi, officials said.

However, several places in the Agra division, where more than 40 people were killed, and areas like Dholpur fall beyond the radius. Dholpur, for instance, is much closer to Jaipur than Delhi. There is a doppler at Lucknow but the dust storm that hit parts of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh was beyond its range.

The importance of doppler radars was felt after the 2005 Mumbai floods, in which hundreds of people were killed, following which the process was fast-tracked.
NEW DELHI: Northern India is likely to continue facing severe weather conditions over the coming few days. A weather warning bulletin issued by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted thunderstorms with strong winds for Punjab, Delhi, Western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan. The eastern and northeastern parts of the country are slated for heavy rain.

The IMD has warned of thunderstorms accompanied by squalls in parts of Uttarakhand, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim and SubHimalayan West Bengal. It also predicted thunderstorms with gusty winds in parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Gangetic West Bengal. Western Rajasthan is likely to continue with its dose of dust storms, while heavy rain has been deemed 'very likely' in parts of Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura.

Sunday seems set to bring heatwave conditions back to Vidarbha, after a few days of respite. However, the northernmost pocket of the country - Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand - could face thunderstorms with squalls and even hail on Sunday. Assam and Meghalaya have been slotted for more rain.

The IMD has also predicted Monday blues for most of the north. "Thunderstorm accompanied with squall very likely at isolated places over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh, SubHimalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, South Interior Karnataka and Tamilnadu," read the Met Department's bulletin.

"Dust storm/ Thunderstorm very likely at isolated places over Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Heat wave conditions likely at one or two pockets over Vidarbha," the forecast added.

Parts of northern India have been reeling under the effect of sudden and heavy bursts of rain combined with very windy conditions. The combination of these factors have claimed the lives of over a 100 people and injured over 200, with the majority of cases in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
CHATRA: Fourteen people have been arrested in connection with the alleged gangrape of an 18-year-old girl in Jharkhand on Thursday. After she was gangraped, she was burnt alive inside her home on Friday, as the family had complained about the incident to the village panchayat.

Bokaro range IG Shambhu Thakur along with other top officials visited the village and met the relatives of the victim on Saturday. There is a sense of fear among villagers after the horrific incident took place in Rajakendua village under Itkhori police station in Chatra district.

Taking cognizance of the issue, Jharkhand Chief Minister assured that strict action will be taken against the culprits. "I am disturbed by the incident. There is no place for such barbaric acts in a civil society. The administration has been instructed to take immediate action. The culprits will not be spared," the CM said.

                                      Raghubar Das (@dasraghubar) May 4, 2018

According to reports, the girl was abducted by four youths from near her house and raped when her family members had gone to attend a marriage. The woman's family lodged a complaint with the local panchayat about the incident.

The villagers had convened a panchayat and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the accused. The panchayat had also ordered the accused to do 100 sit-ups before it. "Panchayat said that settle the matter by making accused do 100 sit ups and paying the victim's family Rs 50,000," a victim's relative said. However, the accused reportedly refused to obey the panchayat directive and instead barged into the house of the woman, along with his friends. They assaulted her parents before allegedly setting her on fire.

Police are investigating if the woman was in a relationship with the accused. They also said that they are probing the case from all possible angles. "Probe is underway," assured District Collector Jitendra Singh.

In another rape incident in Palamau district, the village Panchayat asked the rape accused to pay Rs 15,000 to settle the issue. A minor was allegedly raped by her maternal uncle in the district on Wednesday night when she had gone to her maternal uncle's house to attend a marriage.

The victim returned home on Thursday and informed her family members. The issue was taken to the village Panchayat which asked the maternal uncle to pay the fine.
Belagavi: Bharatiya Janata Party's chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa on Saturday asked party workers to plead with people to come and vote in favour of Mahantesh Doddagoudar, BJP candidate from Kittur in the Karnataka Assembly elections.

Addressing a public gathering in Belagavi, he also told party workers to fall at the feet of people if necessary and request them to come and vote.

At the same time, Yeddyurappa claimed that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will lose both in Badami and in Chamundeshwari. "Siddaramaiah will lose in Chamundi he will also lose in Badami against Sri Ramulu, Congress is now was sinking ship. That is why I am requesting you to vote in favour of the BJP," he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday mounted a scathing attack on the Congress over corruption and asserted it will become "Punjab, Puducherry, Parivar" Congress after its defeat in the Karnataka Assembly polls.

Upping the ante against the Siddaramaiah government, he alleged that it has become a "corruption tank" for the Congress with a pipeline connected to Delhi, "where the money reaches directly". PM Modi also accused the top Congress leadership of auctioning tickets, party positions and even the CM's post.

"After May 15, Indian National Congress will be reduced to 'PPP Congress' - P for Punjab, P for Puducherry, and P for Parivar (family)," he told an election rally in Gadag, where he predicted the state's ruling party would be decimated in the elections.

Karnataka will go to polls on May 12 and the results will be out on May 15.

(With Agency inputs)
TUMAKURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday yet again attacked the Janata Dal Secular claiming that former PM HD Deve Gowda's party was "protecting" the Congress. Hitting out at Deve Gowda, Modi said that the JDS chief did all he could to prevent him from coming to power. "Deve Gowda threatened to commit suicide when I came to Karnataka for campaigning during the Lok Sabha elections but despite that, I only have respect for him," he said adding that the JD(S) leader should live for 100 years and serve the society.

While addressing a rally in Tumakuru, the PM also claimed that the Congress and the JD(S) have entered into a "secret" pact for the Karnataka Assembly polls. "Poll surveys, political pundits...Everyone is saying the JD(S) cannot defeat Congress. They cannot form government. If anyone can change the government in Karnataka, it is the BJP. If anyone is protecting the Congress, it is the JD(S)... Congress and JD(S) have a secret understanding...An understanding behind the curtains," Modi said.

Modi said that the Congress needs to make it clear if it had a secret understanding with JD(S) or not. He added that it was with the support of Deve Gowda's party that the Congress had its mayor in Bengaluru. "Why are you hiding this? Congress should have the courage to speak out the truth to people."

For years, the Congress kept chanting 'Gareeb'. However, when a poor mother's son became PM, they changed their slogan and started chanting farmers : PM Modi in Tumakuru, Karnataka, #KannadigasWithModi pic.twitter.com/RexeK6UoCn  BJP (@BJP4India) May 5, 2018

Modi's remarks are an apparent U-turn from his stand last week where he had showered praise on Deve Gowda at a rally in Udupi. He had then castigated Congress president Rahul Gandhi for "insulting" the former prime minister. However, Deve Gowda called it a way to gain the sympathy of people.

Just two days later at a rally in Bengaluru, Modi asked people not to "waste" their votes by backing Deve Gowda's party as it was going to finish "a poor, distant third" in the elections.

Modi also alleged during the rally on Saturday that the Congress, for years, spoke about poverty eradication only to garner votes, while neglecting farmers and the poor. Modi said the Congress, which ruled the country for decades, with "one family" in power for most part, neglected the poor and farmers.

"Garibi, garibi, garibi (poverty, poverty, poverty) was their constant rant. But once the son of a poor mother became the prime minister, they clammed shut...Now they don't talk about poverty," he said. He alleged the Congress was responsible for the backwardness of Tumakuru.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed an election rally in central Karnataka's Gadag on Saturday, in which he mocked the Congress for its string of electoral defeats since 2014.

Here are the top quotes from his speech:

* At the time of independence, mantra was Khadi for nation and now it's Khadi for fashion.

* To popularize khadi and handloom among the youth, the government has done a lot of work.

* Congress has lost in every state and the supporters of BJP have wiped the Congress out from every nook and corner of this country.

* No one knows Congress policies and intentions better than the people of Gadag

* Congress declared Kappatagudda forest as reserve and after one year they had to overturn their decision due to protest by people.

* Congress has destroyed the Kappatagudda forest and its mineral resources.

* Just recall the days before 2014, Congress was popular among Indians for their corruption, be it 2G scam, coal scam.

* Be alert, and make sure Congress doesn't come to power to loot you anymore.

* After May 15, it won't be Indian National Congress party anymore rather it would be PPP party, i.e, Punjab, Puducherry and Pariwar Party.

* Congress has lost in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, UP, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura. People across India have rejected the Congress.

* Congress has proved that "Baap bara na bhaiya, sabse bara rupaiyaa. Congress is a 'rupaiyaa sarkar'.
New Delhi: BJP chief Amit Shah on Saturday asked the Congress not to involve foreign nations in India's domestic politics. At the same time, he wondered as to why the party involved Pakistan in such matters.

"The Congress and Pakistan have amazing telepathy. Yesterday, Pakistan government remembered Tipu Sultan, whose jayanti (birth anniversary) the Congress marks with fanfare and today Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar admires Jinnah. Be it Gujarat or Karnataka polls, I fail to understand why Congress involves Pakistan," he tweeted.

The BJP chief also referred to a meeting of Congress leaders with Pakistani officials during the Gujarat polls in 2017.

"During Gujarat elections, we saw how dinner meetings with topmost Pakistan officials were held to defeat the BJP and now the mutual love for Tipu Sultan and Jinnah. I appeal to the Congress not to involve foreign nations in our domestic politics. Let's keep the discourse civil and positive," he said in another tweet.

The Congress had then rejected the BJP's charge, voiced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi among others and had accused it of deliberately bringing Pakistan into the election discourse to polarise voters.

During Gujarat elections we saw how dinner meetings with topmost Pakistan officials were held to defeat BJP and now mutual love for Tipu Sultan and Jinnah. I appeal to Congress not to involve foreign nations in our domestic politics. Lets keep the discourse civil and positive.  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 5, 2018

I thank people of Narasimharaja and Chamaraja assembly constituency of Mysore district for their massive support during the roadshow. #CongressMuktKarnataka pic.twitter.com/j1iueEVtrB  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 5, 2018

Amazing support to BJP across Karnataka, people are all set to dethrone the corrupt Siddaramaiah government. Sharing pictures from the road show in Krishnaraja assembly constituency, Mysore. pic.twitter.com/CaQ5pgVk6B  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 5, 2018

Meanwhile, escalating his attack on the Congress over "corruption and arrogance", PM Modi said on Saturday that the party whose flag once fluttered "from Panchayat to Parliament" will become "Punjab, Puducherry, Parivar" Congress after its impending defeat in Karnataka.

With the D-day for the polls drawing closer, he upped the ante against the Siddaramaiah government, alleging it has become a "corruption tank" for the Congress with a pipeline connected to Delhi, "where the money reaches directly". PM Modi also accused the top Congress leadership of auctioning tickets, party positions and even the CM's post.

"After May 15 (when poll results will be declared), Indian National Congress will be reduced to 'PPP Congress' - P for Punjab, P for Puducherry, and P for Parivar (family)," he told an election rally in Gadag, where he predicted the state's ruling party would be decimated in the elections.

PM Modi further said that despite a string of electoral losses in Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Tripura the Congress was not as worried as it is now when defeat stares it in the face.

"I tell you why... Because their ministers and leaders in Karnataka have built a tank here. A part of money looted from people is taken home and the rest is put in that tank. The tank is linked to Delhi through a pipeline which carries the money directly to Delhi," he said.

PM Modi, who addressed four back to back rallies at Gadag, Tumakuru, Shivamogga and Mangaluru, said it was because of Congress's arrogance that the party, which ruled almost the entire country, was losing ground.

In Mangaluru, he said opposing him was the Congress's only agenda. "They even opposed my Clean India campaign. They mock all institutions... The RBI, Indian Army, Parliament... It is yet to recover from the shock of demonetisation as bundles of ill-gotten currency notes of its leaders were seized... Their anger does not go away," PM Modi said.

(With PTI inputs)
Mumbai: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who has worked with director Shoojit Sircar in various feature and ad films, is all praise for his creativity.

Their latest collaboration is for a new Tata Sky's '#HarSceneKaMazaaLo' campaign, which features Amitabh playing a critic in a nine-series ad film.

"It was quite an experience to enact so many famous movie characters with the Bengali twang. I am glad to see that everything fell into place so beautifully. It is always a pleasure to work with Shoojit Sircar, his creative instincts are phenomenal," the veteran actor said in a statement.

The ethos of the campaign lies in how binge watchers firmly believe that they are critics in their own way. Amitabh is seen demonstrating the same by critiquing stars of the movies that he is enjoying.
The long-delayed sequel to 'Vishwaroopam' that stars Kamal Haasan an Indian spy, has been passed with U/A certificate by Central Board of Film Certification and the film may hit the screens during the summer.

The movie is the sequel to the 2012 film titled  Vishwaroopam and was scheduled to release in 2013. However, due to some financial hurdles, the production work of the film stopped and had come to a standstill. Now, after almost five years, the film is all set to hit the screens. The Tamil version has already been censored with a U/A certificate.

However, as per reports in India Glitz, the Censor Board demanded 17 cuts for the Hindi version for it to be passed with a 'U' certificate. The report further stated that the board advised the cuts in the Kamal Haasan-starrer because of religious and political satire in the film.

It is to be noted that the Kamal Haasan starrer was shot as a single film, but due to its length, the makers planned to release the film in two parts. The first part was lauded for its high-octane action screenplay. The second part, according to multiple sources, will be more intense than the first as it is loaded with action and will be high on emotions.

The film also stars Andrea Jeremiah, Pooja Kumar and Shekhar Kapoor and Rahul Bose in pivotal roles.

Kamal Haasan has written, directed and co-produced the spy thriller which will simultaneously be released in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. The music has been given by Ghibran.

'Vishwaroopam 2' is expected to be a mega-budget and as per reports, Ulaga Nayakan has bankrolled the film under his home banner Rajkamal Films.
New Delhi: The master of his craft Ranveer Singh has added a yet another feather to his glorious hat by topping the 'Most Desirable Men List' which featured Prabhas, Virat Kohli, Hrithik Roshan and Sidharth Malhotra in the top five. Overwhelmed by the honour, Ranveer took to social media to thank the publication but more than his coveted title, what caught our attention was his Twitter interaction with rumoured girlfriend Deepika Padukone.

Taking to Twitter, Ranveer Singh thanked everyone who voted for him and wrote on Twitter, Most Desirable! Sweet! A big Thank you to @timesofindia ... and to everyone who voted for me !

Most desirable! Sweet! A big Thank you to @timesofindia ... and to everyone who voted for me ! https://t.co/Z4eh1ZmkyU  Ranveer Singh (@RanveerOfficial) May 4, 2018

Just then, his rumoured lady love Deepika Padukone, who probably couldn't contain her happiness re-tweeted his post and wrote, "your welcome (sic)." To support her tweet, she posted a heart emoji as well as a tongue-out smiley that depicted her true emotions.Deepika and Ranveer have been for the longest time now but they have never opened up about their relationships.

 Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) May 5, 2018

However, their actions don't support their words as the two never shy away from indulging in PDA's. Rumours have been doing the rounds that Ranveer and Deepika will tie the knot by the end of this year but the couple has not given a word of confirmation. With Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja finally tying the knot, we can't wait to see our DeepVeer as bride and groom!
Los Angeles: '13 Reasons Why', 'One Day at a Time' and 'Andi Mack' are among the recipients of the 11th Annual Television Academy Honors.

Selected from a "record number" of submissions, the 2018 honorees represent "some of the most meaningful and relevant series, programmes and documentaries of the past year", the organization said on Friday.

The other honorees are "Daughters of a Destiny", "Forbidden: Undocumented & Queer in Rural America", "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" and "LA 92".

"Our dynamic television landscape is a catalyst for raising awareness of relevant issues around the globe," Television Academy Chairman and CEO Hayma Washington said in a statement to variety.com.

"We are proud to be part of an industry that spreads understanding, uncovers the truth, encourages compassion and shines a light on darkness."

These honorees will be celebrated at a special presentation and reception on May 31 in Hollywood, California, hosted for the 10th consecutive year by actress-producer-activist Dana Delany.

"Every year I learn something new and am inspired by the work that is recognized," Delany said.

This year's honorees specifically represent programming that depicts a spectrum of issues ranging from sexual harassment to LGBTQ prejudice and acceptance to veterans' healthcare, teen mental health and suicide, racial discrimination, immigrant rights and social justice.
Daria Olifer, the Press Secretary of Leonid Kuchma, stressed that the escalation in Donbas is strengthening, as in terms of the number of attacks and the types of the weapons used

Russia refused to provide the Trilateral Contact Group with the security guarantees for the staff of Donetsk Filtration Plant during the repair and refurbishment work and for the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission observers, as Daria Olifer, the Press Secretary of Leonid Kuchma, wrote on Facebook.

Regardless of a constant insistence of the Ukrainian side, Russias delegation refused to provide the security guarantees for the Donetsk Filtration Plant staff during the repair and refurbishment work and for the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission observers, Olifer wrote.

According to her, the Ukrainian side agreed on all the standards of the reconstruction works of the bridge crossing in Stanytsia Luhanska and passed them to the representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

As Olifer stated, the deployment of efforts and resources near Stanytsia Luhanska can happen provided that a 7-days ceasefire will be observed. In its turn, the Ukrainian side is completely fullfiling its obligations.

Olifer stressed that the escalation in Donbas is strengthening, as in terms of the number of attacks and the types of the weapons used.

34 days before the so-called Easter ceasefire was declared (April 30, 2018  May 2, 2018) the Ukrainian side recorded one firefight and 1,512 shootings from ORDLO side, almost all the shootings were adjusted. There were four attacks at the localities. As of April 25, 2018, the ceasefire was violated most during the Easter ceasefire  76 shootings, Minsk-banned weapons were used 43 times, including BM-21 Grad, tanks, artillery, and mortar launchers, she said.

At Friday session, the Trilateral Contact Group stressed the importance of the mobile communication restoration by 70% in uncontrolled Donetsk region part.

Earlier, the Donetsk filtration plant restored the water supply of Avdiivka fully.

As it was reported earlier, the DFP vehicles convoy was shot at on April 17, five staff members were injured. Donetsk filtration plant restored the operation on April 18. Due to the suspension, the water supply to Avdiivka, partially Donetsk and Yasynuvata, Krasnyi Partyzan, Kruta Balka and Verkhniotoretske.

The representatives of Donetsk conflict HQ are convinced that the leaders of ORDLO militants staged and triggered the current situation. The U.S. State Department condemned the attacks at the Donetsk Filtration Plant and stated that Russia was responsible for the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in East Ukraine.

As it is known, the water supply of the occupied territories (including Donetsk) and the territory of Donetsk region controlled by Ukraine depend on the operation of the station. The DFP is located in the so-called grey area, this territory is frequently coms under attacks.

Ukraine news on 112.international
112 Agency

Ukrainian soldiers captured an insurgent of illegal armed units during the raid in Donbas and transferred him to the employees of the Security Service of Ukraine. This is reported by the press center of the Joint Forces Operation on the page in Facebook.



"Today, May 5, 2018, during the raid, one of the units of 25 separate motorized infantry battalion of a separate mechanized brigade of the United forces captured a militant of the 3rd Battalion of the 7th Motorized Rifle Brigade of Russian-Terrorist Troops. The detainee is now transferred to the Security Service of Ukraine", the report says.



There is no losses among the personnel of the ukrainian unit.



Servicemen who participated in the raid, the command of the United forces will receive the awards.



We recall that yesterday Iryna Herashchenko, President's Humanitarian Envoy at the Minsk peace talks regarding the War in Donbas and First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, stated that the militants demand to pass them 80 convicted in exchange for 15 Ukrainian prisoners, as she wrote on Facebook.



Related: Beating of Ukraine's MP Nayem: fourth suspect detained
On the other hand, significant economic expansion is expected in Spain  the figure has been revised from 2.5% to 2.9% in 2018 and from 2.1% to 2.4% in 2019.

UK GDP growth forecast risen to 1.5% in 2018, 1.2% in 2019. Despite this, the UK economy is among the slowest-growing nations in Europe. Similar is the expected GDP growth of Italy  1.5% this year and 1.2% next year.

At the same time, the economic growth of Germany, the largest economy in the Eurozone, is confirmed at 2.3% in 2018 and 2.1% next year.

Expectations for the French economic growth have fallen from 2.6% to 2%, while remaining unchanged at 1.8% for next year. On the other hand, significant economic expansion is expected in Spain  the figure has been revised from 2.5% to 2.9% in 2018 and from 2.1% to 2.4% in 2019.

The European Commission has lowered the forecast for the economic growth of Greece  from 2.5% to 1.9% for this year, and from 2.5% to 2.3% due to the weak consumer sector of the countrys economy. Greeces economic growth in 2017 exceeded 1% for the first time since 2007.

France and Germany, according to the European Commissions forecast, will finally meet two crucial criteria of stability. France is expected to lower its budget deficit to less than 3% of the countrys gross domestic product, whereas Germanys debt is expected to drop below 60% of its GDP and will reach 56.3%.
Facebook Olha Lappo

The Generalized System of Preferences, which allows for duty-free importation of more than 3,500 types of goods from Ukraine to the United States, has suspended 155 types of Ukrainian goods since April 26. This is reported on the website of the Ministry of Economic Development of Ukraine.



"Under the restriction are 155 types of goods, in particular, some food products, light and woodworking industry, engineering, some electrical appliances," noted the Ukrainian department.



The Office of the US Trade Representative enacted these restrictions on April 26 this year - 120 days after the publication of the relevant US President's proclamation of December 22, 2017.



"The Ministry of Economic Development is in constant dialogue with the US government and is working to resolve the problem, but at the same time, the lifting of the restrictions largely depends on the adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of the draft law No. 7466 known as the bill" On the Organization of Collective Management," the Ukrainian department stresses.



It recalls that the bill aimed at establishing an effective and transparent system of collective management of property rights in the field of copyright and related rights in Ukraine was adopted on first reading on March 1, and on April 19 people's deputies began its consideration in the second reading.



As previously reported, the White House earlier said that Ukraine is not providing sufficient protection of intellectual property rights.



We recall, from July 2015, companies from Ukraine were able to export to the US about 5 thousand products without paying duties. This took place within the framework of the special governmental program of Generalized System of Preferences.



Related: Ukraine ready for 2018 Champions League Final  Presidential Administration
The second quarter of 2018 will probably be decisive in determining the fate of Nord Stream 2.

Open source

The European Commission has suggested expanding the application of the gas directive on pipelines from third countries. If such decision is made, Russias Nord Stream 2 pipeline project will need additional negotiations between Germany and Russian on the conditions of the pipeline operation, and, hence, a significant extension to the commissioning date. Also, there is a necessity to set tariffs higher than previously anticipated. In the best case scenario for Ukraine, Gazprom may face such challenges that would seriously threaten the realization of the project.

The European Commission has suggested expanding the provisions of the gas directive of the Third energy package on pipelines from third countries into European Union member states and vice versa. The gas directive (2009/73/EU) regulates access to third parties, tariffs, requirements towards unbundling and transparency.

The president of the European Union Jean-Claude Juncker addressed the issue on 13 September 2017. Later on, the commission submitted the suggestions to the Council and to the European Parliament. The head of the EU Directorate on energy affairs, who visited Ukraine in mid-April, said that the European Parliament had already voted in favor of expanding the directive. In March 2018, members of the EU parliaments energy committee supported the legislation effective of 1 January 2017. Now, the ball is on the Councils side.

The pipelines shall be subject to the following requirements:

Access to pipelines for third parties;

Use of equal, reasonable and non-discriminatory tariffs. The suggestion mentions that the first EU nation the pipeline passes may choose not to apply the directive to this pipeline if it doesnt harm the competition, the operation of the market and secure shipments into the European Union.

The amendments will create the need for separate negotiations between Germany and Russia on the conditions of operating the pipeline. In any case, this would push its commissioning date to a later day.

The application of the unbundling process specified in the directive may force Gazprom to sell its share in the project. Another possibility is the unbundling of the Russian gas monopoly, which is obviously fictional. The condition is rather tough. Third parties access to the pipeline. In such case, a condition, which has been used in the case of the OPAL pipeline, may be applied to this project also  to reserve around 50% of the capacity.

Theoretically, this could allow other Russian suppliers of natural gas (for example, the NOVATEK companies) to ship gas to the European Union towards that amount of 50%. Economically reasonable, non-discriminatory tariffs will mean that, should the gas directive be applied to the calculation of the tariff, Decree 715/2009 and Decree 2017/ 460 would also have to be applied, which would, in turn, cause the tariff to rise even further. As far as I know, Nord Stream 2 AG intends to exclude the investment component from the tariff in order to enhance the economic attractiveness of the route. The introduction of new EU standards will not allow Gazprom to lower the tariff.

If the gas directive ends up being approved, the best case scenario for Ukraine is that no Nord Stream 2 construction will happen. Facing a 50% load, the necessity for Gazprom to sell its shares to third parties, rising transit tariffs, Gazprom may refuse to realize the project.

What will it bring for the Ukrainian gas transportation system? If Nord Stream 2 does not emerge, it will allow saving significant (65-75 billion of cubic meters annually) amount of the gas that is transited through Ukraine. If the gas directive be applied with amendments, and Nord Stream begins operation, it will enable saving of the transited gas (approximately 45-60 billion of cubic meter annually).

How probable are the amendments to the gas directive to be introduced? In order for these amendments to be approved, the Council of Europe needs a qualifying majority (16 out of 28 EU member states or support from countries with over 65% of the Unions population). At the same time, the situation is very different at the Council of Europe. The Councils legal service considers it appropriate to apply Russian and German laws respectively at points of exit from Russia and points of entry into the German territory, whereas the underwater section should be regulated by the UN legal convention on maritime justice. Such was the conclusion reache by the legal service of the Council of Europe, according to data from Reuters, confirmed this on 1 March 2018, adding that the question needs to be researched more.

The European Union is providing Ukraine with billions of euros, and should support Nord Stream 2?

It should be noted that the corporate pressure on European governments is rather strong. Almost all of the largest oil and gas companies on the continent participate in projects linked to Nord Stream 2. Engie, Royal Dutch Shell, Uniper, Wintershall and OMV are directly involved in Nord Stream 2, whereas Fluxys, ONTRAS and Gasunie act as shareholders in the EUGAL pipeline, which is an extension of Nord Stream 2 to Germany (similar to OPAL).

As part of public hearings, the commission has turned to corporations and civil organization for the support of amending the gas directive. Just 12 companies (and organizations), of which 11 are Polish (only 33 were surveyed), were in favor of such amendments.

The second quarter of 2018 will probably be decisive in determining the fate of Nord Stream 2. Therefore, Ukrainian producers, we think, should consider paying more attention to this issue with gas associations and organizations of Europe like EFET, Business Europe, Eurogas.
112 Agency

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that anti-Semitic provocations are often inspired by the Kremlin regime, which with the help of instruments of hybrid aggression is trying to shake the political situation in Ukraine. The corresponding statement was spread by the press service of the Foreign Ministry.



"Such shameful provocations are often inspired by the Kremlin regime, which uses the tools of hybrid aggression to shatter the political situation and once again cast a shadow of anti-Semitism on Ukraine. Thus, in October 2017, the National Police of Ukraine exposed the criminal grouping coordinated from Russia, which attacked religious pilgrimage, monuments of architecture and religious buildings, including carried out the desecration of synagogues, "the Foreign Ministry said.



The statement says that Ukraine rejects any insinuations and accusations that the manifestations of anti-Semitism on the territory of our state are allegedly growing.



The ministry said that the response to any provocation would be punishment for violators and organizers.



"Ukraine consistently condemns any manifestations of intolerance or public anti-Semitic appeals, and law enforcement agencies investigate and bring to justice everyone guilty of such violations," the Foreign Ministry assured.



We recall that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko condemned any manifestations of intolerance and anti-Semitism in Ukraine and said that the Ukrainian authorities will resolutely respond to any attempts to sow enmity in Ukrainian society.



On May 2, in Odesa, commemorative events were held timed for the 4th anniversary of the tragedy at Kulykove Field and the House of Trade Unions.



Tatyana Soykina, leader of the Right Sector organization in Odesa, said at the rally: "We believe in the future, we are confident that we will lead the Ukrainian order in Odesa and Ukraine will belong to Ukrainians, not jews, not oligarchy. "



The police opened case on part 1 of Art. 161 "Violation of race, national equality of citizens."



As reported, more than 50 US congressmen appealed to the US State Department with a letter expressing concern over the growing anti-Semitism - the distortion of the Holocaust in Europe, especially in Poland and Ukraine.

Related: Balakliya: Two fires are being quenched
President Petro Poroshenko is convinced that the process of creating an Anti-Corruption Court will be completed already in the first half of this year. He said this in an interview to Focus magazine during the discussion of the issue of Ukraine's cooperation with the International Monetary Fund, the press service of the head of state reports.



"We are striving to accelerate the process of creating an Anti-Corruption Court, and I am confident that we will succeed in the first half of the year, possibly in May, and then we will receive the next tranche," the president said.



At the same time, Poroshenko stressed that, along with the position on the need to further strengthen the fight against corruption, the IMF notes significant economic growth and the implementation of reforms in our state. "I am proud of the fact that we managed to improve the investment climate, for these four years we reached more than 25 years ago," he said, noting that this is not only an assessment of the IMF, but also of the World Bank.



We recall that the Verkhovna Rada supported in the first reading the presidential bill number 7440 on the Anti-Corruption Court on March 1. Since that day, the head of state has called upon the people's deputies to speed up the work on the adoption of the full document.



As is known, this bill provides that the Anti-Corruption Court will consider cases if the subject of the crime or the damage caused is at least 500 times higher than the subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons (from January 1, this is UAH 881 thousand). This is the basic condition. And it does not matter who considered the case - the National Police, Prosecutor General's Office or NABU. Some of the articles describe violations related to drugs or weapons, but there is no articlrs regarding electronic declaration.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko expects close cooperation between the United States and the European Union in the matter of creating a UN peacekeeping mission in Donbas and sanctions against the Russian Federation.





He stated this in an interview with the German edition Focus, which was posted on Twitter by the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany , Andriy Melnyk.

"I expect close cooperation between the US and the EU on the creation of a UN peacekeeping mission and better coordination of sanctions, they are an important lever to draw Russia to the table of negotiations and implementation of the Minsk process," said the head of the Ukrainian state.





At the same time, Poroshenko emphasized that a breakthrough is needed in the peace process, which the peacekeeping mission can provide.





The President of Ukraine is confident that it would bring the necessary security and ensure the holding of free and fair elections in Donbas.





It is noteworthy that earlier President Petro Poroshenko stated that he had asked the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to send a special mission to Donbas to assess the cost, number and necessary time for the deployment of peacekeepers.





The possibility of introducing a peacekeeping mission to Donbas has been under discussion for several years.

The main obstacle on this path is that the Ukrainian and Russian sides see the tasks of peacekeepers in the region in different ways.
Jana Herasymova, the coordinator of Navalnys HQ, was detained in Krasnoyarsk before the protest. She is accused of organizing an unresolved activity

Protest under a slogan He is not our Tsar organized by the supporters of Russian member of opposition Alexei Navalny started in Russia, as Meduza reported.

It was noted that the planned protests were held in Vladivostok, Khabarovsk and Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the evening.

Besides, there is information that people in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Magadan and Irkutsk showed up at such protests, but it remains unknown whether they were agreed with the authorities.

The start of the He is not our Tsar protest was planned to be held in Moscow at 9:00 today. Protests started in several Siberian cities, including Novosibirsk, Tomsk and Ulan-Ude in the morning.

It is expected that 90 cities of the Federation will join the all-Russian protest.

It was reported that some protesters were detained. For instance, He is not our Tsar protest was held in Barnaul Hyde Park and did not require being agreed. Yet, several people were detained.

Jana Herasymova, the coordinator of Navalnys HQ, was detained in Krasnoyarsk before the protest. She is accused of organizing an unresolved activity. After this, the detentions became mass.

It should be noted that He is not our Tsar protests are dedicated to the inauguration of Russias President Vladimir Putin, which is to be held on May 7.
112 Agency

On the site of the fire in Balakliya (Kharkiv region) on the territory of military depots, two fire focuses are being quenched. This is written in the message of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.



It is reported that as of 08:00 on May 5 on the technical territory of the "65 Arsenal" military unit in Balakliya there is a slight smoldering of 2 separate fires. Explosions of munitions are not observed.



It is also reported that the day before the fire in Balakliya was localized on an area of about 35 hectares. Within the technical zone, three fire brigades of the Armed Forces and aviation were working. Since the beginning of the fire extinguishing, aviation has carried out 23 discharges of water. The temporary prohibition of the use of airspace within a radius of 30 km and a height of 6 km continues.

As we reported the fire occurred at the armament depot in Balakliya, Kharkiv region on May 3. According to the Defense Ministry, the fire tank ran over some explosive device during the execution of the technical works.

According to the press service of the General Staff of Ukraine, the dry grass caught fire at 13:55 at the former technical territory of the 65th arsenal in Balakliya. The works on the cleaning and demining of the armaments' debris that did not explode during the previous fire took place and the new fire has begun.

As at 19:30 on May 3, the firemen succeeded to localize the fire. The police investigates the incident due to the negligence to the military service.

As 112 International reported, a series of powerful blasts took place at an ammunition storage facility in Kharkiv region on late March 23. The incident occurred near the town of Balakliya. Many of the locals were evacuated from the town and its vicinities. The fire caused by the blasts was finally extinguished the day after that, by the evening of March 24. Numerous casualties and even a fatality were reported.
Three people involved in this were served with charge papers for the commission of a group vandalism

The law enforcers detained a 29-years-old man suspected of beating of Ukraines MP Mustafa Nayem, as it stated in the Internal Ministry press-office statement referring to Arsen Avakov, Ukraines Internal Minister.

As we remember, the incident happened in Kyiv on April 30. Three people involved in this were served with charge papers for the commission of a group vandalism. The Court decided on the restrictive measure. The fourth participant  in 20 minutes after the incident booked a plane ticket and went to Baku in 2,5-3 hours. His identity was not defined at the moment of the border crossing, but he was informed about the suspicion on several articles in absentia and was put on the wanted list. He was detained by our Azerbaijanian colleague, the message says.

As it was reported earlier, in the area of Bessarabska Square in Kyiv on April 30, a people's deputy Mustafa Nayem was beaten. He himself informed about the incident and stressed that the incident is not connected with his political activities.

One of the participants in the beating of the People's Deputy Mustafa Nayem on Bessarabska Square, wanted by the police, flew to Baku (Azerbaijan) 2 hours after the incident. It was reported that he was the one who broke the jaw of the deputy.

The three detainees were charged under Art. 296 Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the sanction of which provides for up to 4 years of imprisonment, which is a more severe punishment than that of Article 122 Part 1.
In general, according to Iryna Herashchenko, President's Humanitarian Envoy at the Minsk peace talks regarding the War in Donbas, the Friday session of the humanitarian subgroup was ineffective

Open source

Iryna Herashchenko, President's Humanitarian Envoy at the Minsk peace talks regarding the War in Donbas and First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, stated that the militants demand to pass them 80 convicted in exchange for 15 Ukrainian prisoners, as she wrote on Facebook.

ORDLO (Separated District of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, - ed.) representatives completely controlled by Russia, include Russians into the lists of militiamen, demand the Ukrainian side to immediately release Berkut officers, terrorists, Russians, demand to pass then more than 89 criminals and claim that they will pass us 15 Ukrainians. This is unacceptable, Herashchenko wrote.

According to her, the Ukrainian side has not received Russias response to the initiative to pass 23 Russian imprisoners kept in Ukrainian prisons in exchange for Ukrainians kept in Russian prisons for political reasons.

She has also stated that at the Friday session the Ukrainian side made a compromise proposal to release Ukrainian prisoners, but it did not specify what exactly.

If another side wanted, the next step of the release would happen really fast, we are ready to that, Herashchenko said.

In general, according to her, the Friday session of the humanitarian subgroup was ineffective.

As it was reported, at the session of the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk Ukraine claimed its readiness to exchange 23 Russians for its political prisoners kept in Russia.

The hostages' exchange between Ukraine and ORDLO took place on December 27, 2017. 73 Ukrainian prisoners came back home. 233 people were transferred to the occupied territory.

Earlier, Bogdan Mertsonya and Igor Dziubak, Ukrainian border guards came back home on March 2. Russian special services kidnapped them near the state border in Sumy region in October 2017. Ukraine transferred to Russia Vladimir Kuznetsov and Askar Kulub, servicemen of the Russian Federal Security Border Service, arrested in Kherson region in summer of 2017.
The session on the foreigners case will take place in Pavlohrad District Court in Dnipro region on June 6, 2018

The Prosecutors Office will insist on taking into custody Rafael Lusvarghi, former DNR militant, at the pending in court, as it is reported on Kyiv Prosecutors Office Facebook.

Kyiv Prosecutors Office during the preparatory meeting on the consideration of the indictment for the Federative Republic of Brazil citizen Rafael Lusvarghi, who is accused of participating in a DNR terrorist organization and recruiting the mercenaries, will introduce a request for choosing a restrictive measure for the convicted in the form of detention in custody, the message says.

The session on the foreigners case will take place in Pavlohrad District Court in Dnipro region on June 6, 2018.

The term of the chosen preventive measure for Lusvarghi expired in February this year and could not be prolonged as the court was considering the question of territorial jurisdiction of this criminal proceeding for a long period of time.

For today the law does not provide any legal basis for the consideration of the request on choosing the preventive measure for Lusvarghi, the message says.

As it was reported earlier, SBU officers detained Lusvarghi in October 2016 when he was crossing Ukraines border in D terminal of the Boryspil airport.

A couple of months later, in January of 2017, Kyiv Pechersky District Court found the Brazilian guilty of the formation of a terrorist organization, of the creations of illegal armed formations and sentenced him to 13 years of imprisonment with a confiscation of property. He became the first non-Russia foreigner sentenced by Kyiv for the participation in Donbas war.

Kyiv Court of Appeal canceled the sentence on August 2017 and returned the Lusvarghi case for a retrial.

Later, the pre-trial restriction for Lusvarghi was changed. The militant will be released on personal commitment, according to which he cannot leave Kyiv and has to inform the court about the change of residence and appear in court on the first request.

Igor Volk, the prosecutor on the case, initiated the change of the preventive measure. He applied to the court with this request on December 15. In around two weeks before the hostage exchange, when Ukraine passed 233 people, 73 prisoners came back to the territory controlled by the Government.

The nationalist caught Lusvarghi and brought him to SBU building on May 4.
The detention of the boat by Russia is a usurpation of sovereign affairs of Ukraine regarding this water area and a violation of UN Convention on Law of Sea and of the international law, - Foreign Ministry

Open source

Ukraine protests against the detention of Ukrainian fishing boat near annexed Crimea by Russias border guards and demands to release the boat, as Foreign Ministry press-office reports.

Ukraine declares a strong protest against the illegal detention of a Ukrainian fishing boat and its crew by Russian Federation near the Crimean shoreline, the press-office reports.

Ukraine demands to release the fishing boat and its crew immediately.

The representatives of Ukraines Foreign Ministry state that according to UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262 as of March 27, 2014 illegal Russias aggression does not change the status of Crimea as a part of a sovereign territory of Ukraine.

Ukraine remains a littoral state in relation to the water area adjacent to Crimea, including the territorial sea, which extends over 12 nautical miles from its coastal area.

The detention of the boat by Russia is a usurpation of sovereign affairs of Ukraine regarding this water area and a violation of UN Convention on Law of Sea and of the international law, the Foreign Ministry stated.

Earlier today, it was reported that Ukraines fishing boat registered in Ochakiv was detained for allegedly illegal fishing of plaice. Five people are detained, they were all taken to Crimea.
Oksana Zheleznyak, Ukrainians lawyer, stated that the sentence will be appealed against

Gagarinsky District Court in occupied Sevastopol sentenced Igor Movenko, accused of extremism, to two years of imprisonment in a penal settlement, as Krym Realii reports.

Movenko asked the Court to make a fair decision before the sentence was announced.

According to the Courts decision Movenko was charged with Russias Criminal Code article on public calls for extremist activities for a few commentaries in a VK group Crimea-Ukraine.

He will be moved to Simferopol penal settlement.

Oksana Zheleznyak, Ukrainians lawyer, stated that the sentence will be appealed against.

Earlier, Russias prosecutor requested two years for Movenko conditionally accused of extremism.

Ukraines Foreign Ministry protested against the courts decision in Sevastopol.

We express protest against the decision of the occupational authorities to sentence Igor Movenko to two years in a penal settlement. It is a political decision. We fight for the liberation, Mariana Betsa, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, wrote on Twitter.

Earlier, Movenko was detained in Sevastopol on December 16, 2016. Besides, local police detained five Ukrainians in occupied Simferopol during a raid on one of the markets.
At the beginning of April 2018, it was reported that the U.S. aircraft carrier group, led by Harry Truman, was to be deployed in East Mediterranean

Open source

A group of U.S. Navy combat ships, including Harry Truman aircraft carrier, started air operations in Syria, as the press-office of the U.S. Navy reported.

The message confirms that the operation is aimed against the terrorist grouping ISIL on the territory of Syria.

The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) commenced air operations May 3, 2018, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), the message says, stating that strike fighter squadrons conducted sorties over Syria.

At the beginning of April 2018, it was reported that the U.S. aircraft carrier group, led by Harry Truman, was to be deployed in East Mediterranean.

The series of official statements informed that the group will be deployed in Europe and the Middle East. A guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy and four destroyers are included in the membership.

It should be noted that earlier mass media reported that Pentagon considered a possibility to use a Carrier Strike Group in East Mediterranean to counterwork escalating challenges from Russia and China in this region.

Earlier, a chemical attack happened in Douma in East Ghouta on April 7, when 70 people died as a result. The West blames Bashar al-Assad and Russia for the attack. The U.S. President Donald Trump on April 13 ordered missile attacks at the territory of Syria as a reaction to chemical weapon use in Douma. Britain and France joint them.
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!)
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. As the Armenian political crisis escalated during the past two weeks and the country was under global media spotlight, many foreign news agencies and journalists were dispatched to Armenia to cover the developments. Over 100 foreign journalists were accredited to cover the May 1 vote, which eventually failed to elect a Prime Minister. A second round of voting will be held May 8.

President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian, who took office April 9, was greatly involved in trying to de-escalate the crisis and mediate dialogue between the parties. Sarkissian numerously called for constructive dialogue and constitutional solution.

British online newspaper The Independent had an interview with President Sarkissian ahead of the May 8 election.

The president told The Independent that he often reverts to logic models for political guidance, taking into account that the president is one of the scientists behind Tetris. However, Sarkissian says there was little in this crisis, or in his words in the democratic change, that he could have predicted with math.

Humans are not machines, he tells The Independent. They are much more complex.

It was quite hard work bringing the sides together, says President Sarkissian. I did things that are not usually expected of a president, such as going into the crowds. But you couldnt do your job by simply sitting in an office, Sarkissian said, referring to his surprise April 21 visit to the heavily overcrowded Republic Square in Yerevan amid raging protests when he walked into a crowd of few thousands to negotiate with opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan.

Many protesters voiced suspicions regarding the British citizenship issue of the President, which was a subject of doubts and concerns from the opposition before Sarkissian took office. But later on April 27, Pashinyan himself released a statement saying that he had met with the President who showed him documents proving the renunciation of British citizenship.

President Sarkissian told The Independent that he enjoyed the fantastic experience of visiting the square. He described his relations with Pashinyan as constructive.

During the April 21 meeting in the central square of Yerevan, which had become the main rally site of the opposition, the President told Pashinyan he would arrange a meeting with Prime Minister Sargsyan the next day.

The one thing I emphasised was that this must be decided by dialogue and within the constitution, the Armenian president said.

The opposition leader and then-Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan eventually met in the highly anticipated televised meeting on April 22. The meeting lasted only about three minutes, and the PM walked out  accusing the opposition leader for blackmailing the state.

Hours later Pashinyan and two other fellow opposition MPs were detained by police.

The Armenian president told The Independent that the incident was not a development that he welcomed. Sarkissian says he responded by arranging a meeting with PM Sargsyan and other leading officials the next day.

Confidential meetings will remain confidential, but you can make your judgments from the results, Sarkissian told The Independent.

Straight from the meeting, the deputy prime minister went with a warrant to release the parliamentarians. And a couple of hours later, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned.

We are all learning, and Im ready to get involved again if things go wrong, he says. Im ready to stand between police and protesters if I have to.

Mr. Pashinyan has shown himself to be a very talented politician, with an acute sense of public opinion, he says.

But running the government provides a completely a different challenge. He will have to provide answers to all the questions he has asked. And people will have to realise that not everything that went before was black, and not everything will be white tomorrow.

The President said he is confident that Armenia is finally heading for less choppier waters.

The second round of the vote for electing a Prime Minister will take place May 8 in the Armenian parliament after lawmakers failed to make the election on May 1. Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan, head of the Yelk (Exit) faction, was the sole candidate in the election. Pashinyan, the MP who spearheaded massive demonstrations throughout the country for about two weeks, failed to be elected by a 56-45 vote. He needed at least 53 votes to be named Prime Minister.

The opposition leader has already been officially nominated as a candidate for the second round. Pashinyan is endorsed by the Tsarukyan and ARF factions, in addition to his own faction  Yelk.

There are 4 factions in the Armenian parliament. The Republican Party (HHK) faction, the ruling party of Armenia, has 58 seats in the 105-seat unicameral parliament of Armenia  known as the National Assembly. The ARF faction  (Armenian Revolutionary Federation aka Dashnaktsutyun), has 7 seats. The Tsarukyan alliance has 31 seats, and the Yelk faction has 9 seats.

According to the Constitution, if a Prime Minister isnt elected in the second round also, the parliament is dissolved by virtue of law.

The ruling party said it will not nominate their own candidate for the second round, just like in the first round. However, the HHK said it will not block the election.

ENGLISH: Editor/Translator - Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Turkeys Peoples Democratic Party, HDP, has announced that its candidate for president in the upcoming election is Selahattin Demirtas, the lawmaker who is jailed since 2016 pending proceedings over terror related charges, Diken reports.

It is unclear if the electoral board will accept the nomination but seemingly there are no legal obstacles for Demirtas to run for office.

Selahattin Demirtas is not only the candidate of Kurds, he is the candidate of Armenian, Assyrians, and Alevis living in this country, HDP co-chair Pervin Buldan said.

The Peoples' Democratic Party ,is a pro-minority political party in Turkey. Generally left-wing, the party places a strong emphasis on participatory democracy, radical democracy, feminism, minority rights, youth rights and egalitarianism.

Ethnic Armenian Member of Parliament Garo Paylan, who represents Istanbul, is a member of HDP.

After the nomination, HDP co-chair Sezai Temelli read the letter of Demirtas, who addressed his supporters saying he will do everything to win the elections. But my arms and legs are tied up here. Now, you are my arms, my voice, Demirtas said.

The jailed lawmaker faces up to 142 years imprisonment if found guilty on terror related charges.

Demirtas ran for office in the 2014 elections also, garnering 7% votes.

Turkey will have both presidential and parliamentary snap elections on June 24. The country will transition into a presidential system from its current parliamentary system after the elections.

Incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been nominated for the elections by the Republican Alliance  a bloc comprising the ruling Justice and Development party and the Nationalist Movement Party.

The polls will be the first since a referendum last year that transformed Turkey's parliamentary democracy into a powerful executive presidency and will hand the president sweeping new powers after the elections.

ENGLISH: Editor/Translator - Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Ruzanna Azizyan, the principal of Yerevans Monte Melkonyan public school who was in the center of a protest demanding her to step down from office, has filed for resignation, Yerevan City Hall official Anna Stepanyan said during a meeting with teachers and parents in the school.

Stepanyan said that the principals resignation has been handed over to Mayor Taron Margaryan for further proceedings.

I talked with the Mayor. He gave his agreement. If the staff and students of the school arent accepting this principal, then she will not work there, Stepanyan, head of the City Halls Department of Public Education, said at the meeting.

A heated protest involving school children, parents, and staff took place May 4 in Yerevans Monte Melkonyan school. The protesters were demanding the resignation of the principal  Ruzanna Azizyan.

School children were chanting Azizyan Go Away outside the school.

Teachers were also involved, claiming to have been treated unfairly because of their participation in the latest demonstrations. Teachers claim the principal had even locked the exits of the school in order not to allow the teachers to join the protests.

Members of the opposition Yelk faction of Yerevan City Council were also present. They said they will insist Mayor Taron Margaryan to fire the principal.

The principal denies the accusations.

I have never seen my students this way. This is organized, she said.

ENGLISH: Editor/Translator - Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian held a telephone conversation with President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Kazakh Presidential office said, reports Armenpress.

During the phone talk the Presidents of the two countries discussed the current domestic political situation in Armenia. Nursultan Nazarbayev expressed confidence that the friendly Armenian people will find the right way to get out of this situation within the frames of constructive dialogue and legal field, the statement says.

English translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. The situation in the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact continued to be tense during the week.

Mobilization and movement of Azerbaijani manpower and military equipment was observed from April 30 in various parts of the line of contact.

OSCE carried out a monitoring mission on May 3 to assess the tactical situation. No violations were observed and the monitoring proceeded according to the schedule, the defense ministry of Artsakh told ARMENPRESS.

Overall, Azerbaijan made more than 200 [individual] ceasefire violations from April 29 to May 5, firing nearly 3000 rounds in the direction of Artsakh soldiers, the defense ministry said in a statement, adding that Artsakhs military continue confidently carrying out their service.

Azerbaijani manpower and military equipment mobilizations were first observed April 21 along the line of contact, then again on May 1.

ENGLISH: Editor/Translator - Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Yerevan Wine Days will once again gather wine connoisseurs and enthusiasts in the Armenian capital.

2018 Yerevan Wine Days will take place May 11-12. The festival has a unique outdoor format and will take place in the intersections of downtowns Saryan, Tumanyan and Pushkin streets, where local winemakers will present more than 200 types of wines from Armenia and Artsakh.

Mr. Mekhak Apresyan, first deputy chairman of the state tourism committee, says although this is the second time that the event is being organized the festival has huge potential of becoming a traditional fest.

The event enables to present our cuisine, traditions, opportunities of wine tourism. Armenia is presented to the world with a sustainable, safe, attractive and diversified result for tourism, Mr. Apresyan said.

Yerevan City Hall tourism department Chief Mr. Gevorg Orbelyan highlighted the festival and mentioned its positive feedback.

As you know, our capital is marking the 2800th anniversary of its foundation this year. The Yerevan City Hall is supporting this process by highlighting the development of even tourism, he said, thanking the organizers of Yerevan Wine Days. We can confidently say that this is an anticipated event in the capital.

Ms. Mary Badalyan, co-founder of EVENTTOURA, the organizer of Yerevan Wine Days, says this year the date of the festival was changed, but according to her it will not impact the celebrative mood.

Badalyan said this year visitors will be offered to buy a coupon-book which enables to taste products of 27 winemakers. Visitors will keep the book, available in Russian and English, as a souvenir after the event. The price of the coupon-book will be roughly 10 dollars.

Areni Festival Foundation direction Ms. Nune Manukyan highlighted Armenias great potential of wine tourism development.

Armenia is known as a country of brandy in the world, but we have all opportunities for presenting high quality wines also, she said.

The event is expected to attract tourists from Russia, Canada, USA and Europe.

Commenting on the possible impacts of the recent domestic political developments on the festival, Manukyan mentioned that although several cancellations took place among tourists because the initial date of the event was May 4 -5, the cancellations were very few. The new date of the event is May 11-12 and organizers say the cancellations might be restored.

ENGLISH: Editor/Translator - Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. The peaceful process of political developments and the sufficiency of Armenias currency reserves contributed to the maintenance of the stability of the Armenian dram in the conditions of current domestic political tension, economist Atom Margaryan told reporters, Armenpress reports.

Our economic system has a stability reserve, in budgetary, deficit financing terms, as well as in terms of stabilizing the dram exchange rate and positioning of the Central bank and the banking system. I think in such circumstances there will be no major risks in connection with the dram and the exchange rate, the economist stated.

He said the same applies to the countrys foreign current bonds. In this regard he highlighted the stability of the curve of the exchange rate and profitability of Armenias Eurobonds.

The expectations among foreign donors  international financial structures, corporations, which take the Eurobonds and finance our foreign debt and state budget deficit with attractive terms, have not changed. There are no such changes as of now. Quite the contrary, if we look at the reactions of international rating organizations, we will see a very positive reaction, the expert said.

According to Atom Margaryan, in case of the peaceful course of the situation, there will be no occasion for financial markets to suffer shocks.

English translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenian opposition MP and candidate for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says he has met with Argentinas Ambassador Gonzalo Urriolabeitia on May 5.

I conveyed my friendly address to the people and government of Argentina and I expressed hope that the ongoing changes in our country will bring new Argentine investments to Armenia, especially when even at this moment Argentine investments are successfully being developed and will certainly continue developing, Pashinyan said on Facebook.

The second round of the vote for electing a Prime Minister will take place May 8 in the Armenian parliament after lawmakers failed to make the election on May 1. Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan, head of the Yelk (Exit) faction, was the sole candidate in the election. Pashinyan, the MP who spearheaded massive demonstrations throughout the country for about two weeks, failed to be elected by a 56-45 vote. He needed at least 53 votes to be named Prime Minister.

The opposition leader has already been officially nominated as a candidate for the second round. Pashinyan is endorsed by the Tsarukyan and ARF factions, in addition to his own faction  Yelk.

There are 4 factions in the Armenian parliament. The Republican Party (HHK) faction, the ruling party of Armenia, has 58 seats in the 105-seat unicameral parliament of Armenia  known as the National Assembly. The ARF faction  (Armenian Revolutionary Federation aka Dashnaktsutyun), has 7 seats. The Tsarukyan alliance has 31 seats, and the Yelk faction has 9 seats.

According to the Constitution, if a Prime Minister isnt elected in the second round also, the parliament is dissolved by virtue of law.

The ruling party said it will not nominate their own candidate for the second round, just like in the first round. However, the HHK said it will not block the election.

ENGLISH: Editor/Translator - Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. President Armen Sarkissian on May 5 received a group of representatives of the Syrian-Armenian community resettled in Armenia, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

During the meeting the communitys issues of concern and their solution ways were discussed. The meeting was also attended by Mohammed Haj Ibrahim, Ambassador of Syria to Armenia.

Issues relating to the integration, education, healthcare of Syrian-Armenians, as well as issues relating to economy and business spheres in Armenia were discussed. The Syrian-Armenians highly appreciated the irreplaceable assistance of the Armenian government during the crisis. The meeting also touched upon some issues relating to boosting the Armenian-Syrian commercial cooperation, creating more favorable conditions for Syrian investments in Armenia and facilitating movements of businessmen.

An agreement was reached to continue the discussions at different formats on these matters in the future.

The Armenian President expressed hope that after the settlement of the Syrian crisis Armenians will completely launch the process of developing their two homelands.

English translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. President of the Republic of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan received representatives of several youth NGOs on May 5, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

Issues relating to the state-public sector ties, the countrys domestic and foreign policy were discussed.

The Artsakh President attached importance to such discussions, expressing satisfaction that they are being held on regular basis.

English translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. The largest part of Armenias financial system is the banking system, according to 2017 data. The banking system has 85,5% assets of the sector.

According to the data, the bank assets in 2016 were 87,2%.In case of the other participants of the financial system the assets either increased or remained the same in 2017 against 2016.

Assets of credit organizations in 2017 totaled 9,3% against 2016s 8.6%. Insurance companies has 1% assets  the same as in 2016.

Assets of investment companies comprised 1,3% - a growth of 0,4%. Net assets of mandatory pension funds are 2,1% against the previous years 1,4%. Other financial organizations had 0,9% assets.

In 2017, the asset/GDP ratio of the financial system and the loan/GDP ratio provided to businesses comprised 91,4% and 49,8% respectively, the central bank said in a report.

ENGLISH: Editor/Translator - Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian held a meeting Saturday with Syrias Ambassador Mohammed Haj Ibrahim, the presidents office said.

During the meeting the President and the Ambassador praised the friendly relations between Armenia and Syria and expressed hope that peace and stability will eventually be established in Syria.

The role of the Syrian-Armenian community, which is an inseparable part of the Syrian society and has had great contribution in the development of the country for many decades, was highlighted in the relations between the two countries.

The Syrian Ambassador assured that the Armenian community in Syria, which is greatly respected in his country, was and continues being in the focus of the government.

ENGLISH: Editor/Translator - Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenian political parties of Lebanon have nominated 8 candidates for the upcoming May 6 parliamentary elections in Lebanon.

Aztag Daily editor-in-chief Shahan Gantaharyan told ARMENPRESS that the ARF (Dashnaktsutyun) has nominated 4 candidates, the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (Ramgavar) has nominated 3 candidates and the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party has nominated 1 candidate.

This year for the first time Lebanese citizens living abroad were enabled to take part in the vote. Lebanese-Armenians living in different countries can also have active participation, he said.

Gantaharyan says there are Armenians who have been nominated by other parties also. He says that Lebanon is a country built on a community system, therefore communities, i.e. national minorities, all have certain number of seats in the parliament and the government. The Armenian community has 6 seats.

The Armenian parties have an agreement that in the event of being elected the ethnic Armenian lawmakers will display concord in issues relating to the Armenian community and Armenia-Lebanon relations.

More than 10 parties are running for office in the parliamentary elections in Lebanon. The Lebanese parliament has 128 seats.

ENGLISH: Editor/Translator - Stepan Kocharyan
Cuba will host peace talks between the Colombian government and leftist ELN rebels aimed at ending a five-decade conflict after Ecuador bowed out as host, negotiators said Saturday. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is trying to conclude a peace agreement with the country's 1,500-strong last active rebel group, similar to the one signed with the larger FARC guerrillas in November 2016. The FARC has since become a political party. Five other countries -- Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Norway and Venezuela -- have vouched for the dialogue. "After jointly examining the options to renew dialogue as soon as possible," Colombian government and ELN negotiators will resume talks "in Havana starting next week," a joint statement read. "We hope to move forward quickly," added Santos. On April 18, Ecuador said it was suspending its role as guarantor of the peace talks between Colombia and the National Liberation Army guerrillas, which have been hosted in Quito since early 2017. Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno told Colombia's RCN television that he wanted to end Ecuador's role following a flareup of violence along their common border. Moreno's remarks came as Ecuadoran and Colombian troops pressed a hunt along their respective sides of the border for a small band of ex-FARC rebels turned criminals responsible for the kidnapping and murder of a three-man Ecuadoran journalist team. However, peace talks with the ELN are being held against the backdrop of a more hostile political context in Colombia, after hardline conservatives opposed to peace with the rebels have gained ground in recent legislative elections. A member of the "Omar Gomez" Western War Front of the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla is photographed in a camp on the banks of the San Juan River in Colombia on November 21, 2017
They call it a "dirty war" -- a silent conflict in Cameroon's anglophone region marked by near-daily attacks by separatists and a brutal army backlash that shows no sign of abating. Over the past eight months, scores of police, soldiers and civilians have died in the heartland of francophone Cameroon's English-speaking minority. Homes have been torched, shops looted, complaints of summary arrest and detention are common and, according to UN estimates, tens of thousands have fled their homes. "In less than two weeks, there were attacks on the motorcades of the chief of staff, the governor and me as well," said General Donatien Nouma Melingui, in charge of military operations in the Southwest Region, which with the neighbouring Northwest Region is home to most of Cameroon's anglophones. "The attacks come from everywhere. There are many small groups," he said in Buea, the Southwest Region's main city. The insurgency began in 2016, when activists in the anglophone minority, comprising about a fifth of the country's population of 22 million, stepped up a campaign for greater autonomy. President Paul Biya rejected their demands, prompting radicals to make a full-blown but symbolic declaration of independence last October 1. Since then, separatists have killed well over 30 members of the security forces, according to an AFP toll based on official figures. But the complete toll from the violence is unclear, and commentators say it is likely to be much higher. Local people, meanwhile, openly describe it as a "dirty war". - 'French-speaking? You're dead' - Buea is the last outpost for journalists and non-governmental organisations as far as the government is concerned. Authorities say they cannot guarantee the safety of people who venture beyond the verdant rolling hills outside the city. "Armed men emerge from the forest to check vehicles. If you are a French-speaking Cameroonian or French or a soldier, you're dead," said Matthias Ekeke, a rapporteur of the National Commission of Human Rights. According to UN estimates, tens of thousands of people are internally displaced in Cameroon, a one-time German colony that was divided between France and Britain after World War I. In 1961, the English-speaking Southern Cameroons joined newly-independent francophone Cameroon, despite complaints that this was a forced marriage. Today, anglophones complain of marginalisation in education, the judiciary and the economy and having French imposed on them. "The government is ignoring the aspirations of the anglophones and the situation is on the verge of the point of no return," said Monsignor Emmanuel Bushu, the bishop of Buea. "The army has killed a lot of people since October 1," he said. "They fired on people like sitting ducks." A local priest laid blame on the government for exacerbating the crisis. "It's the army which has radicalised these youths it is now fighting. If Yaounde had not started killing people, it could have settled the crisis," he said. - 'Drugged youths' - General Melingui expressed little but scorn for the separatists, characterising them as "drugged youths armed with talismans" they believe give them magical powers. But, he admitted "they know the terrain. These are youths from local villages. We try to seek them out but we can't find them. Our men aren't familiar with the forest." The army patrols some of the arterial roads and highways in the thickly forested area and are often attacked. The separatists communicate over Whatsapp and use it to launch propaganda while the government issues statements to give its version of events. "Both sides lie and they say whatever they want," a rights activist said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Since nobody knows the number of civilian deaths or the number of displaced, the media does not speak about it," said a student in Buea, who identified himself as John. - 'Abandoned by the state' - "Both the army and the separatists commit excesses," said Blaise Chamango, the head of a non-governmental organisation called Human Is Right. "But the soldiers are worse than the opposite camp and refuse to talk about it," he said. Locals and NGOs accuse soldiers of torching numerous villages in revenge attacks. "We only burn houses where weapons were found," Melingui said. But more and more videos are circulating on social media showing Cameroonian soldiers burning houses, lending credence to accounts by fleeing villagers. "Schools have been empty for the past year and security forces are openly racketeering," said Ekeke from the national rights commission. Gendarmes sometimes ask families of people detained to pay 30,000 CFA francs (45 euros, $50) to secure their release, he added. "It's total chaos," he said. "If the youths join the separatists it's because they feel abandoned by the Cameroonian state." The insurgency began in 2016, when activists in the anglophone minority stepped up a campaign for greater autonomy Authorities say they cannot guarantee the safety of people who venture beyond the verdant rolling hills outside the city Cameroonian general Donatien Nouma Melingui says the attacks 'come from everywhere' Monsignor Emmanuel Bushu, the bishop of Buea, says the situation has almost reached a point of no return Locals and rights groups say the army's crackdown has alienated many youths Mathias Ekeke, the rapporteur of the National Human Rights Commission, says soldiers often act with impunity Map of Cameroon locating English-speaking regions and their capitals, Bamenda and Buea.
Philippe Lognonne has waited three decades to hear the heartbeat of Mars. With a little luck and some help from NASA, the instrument he designed to take the Red Planet's pulse will land before the year's end and press a high-tech ear to its dusty surface. As principal investigator for the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS), a multi-sensor seismometer, Lognonne will have a front-row seat for the scheduled launch on Saturday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in central California of NASA's InSight mission. But he's keeping the champagne corked: three times in the past, Mars space missions featuring his ultra-sensitive seismometers have faltered, failed or been scrapped. Lognonne's cherubic features are framed by a mop of shoulder-length auburn hair, a grizzled beard and white sideburns. He has just turned 55, and has a weakness for Hawaiian shirts. A researcher at the Institute of Earth Physics in Paris, Lognonne has explored the dynamics of tsunamis and deciphered data from 1970s Apollo missions. But from the start, his true passion and unwavering mission was to build the tools that could detect what's going on under Mars' red surface. "This planet was habitable four billion years ago, and I want to understand why, bit by bit, it stopped being so," Lognonne said in an interview at the Paris university where he teaches. Soon after completing his PhD in 1989, the young scientist focused on designing a suite of seismometers -- used on Earth to detect and measure earthquakes -- that could probe deep beneath the Martian surface in search of answers. - 'Don't give up' - His first crack at securing passage to Mars for his instruments came in 1996, when France's National Centre for Space Studies joined a Russian mission that included an orbiter and two landers. But two small seismometers on board never made it past Earth's atmosphere -- the launch failed, and the mission was aborted. Lognonne got another shot at his goal seven years later. Working with US engineer Bruce Banerdt -- who 15 years later would become the scientific director for InSight -- he helped prepare instruments for the European NetLander mission, which sought to set up a network of four small stations on the surface of Mars, including a seismometer. A launch date was set for 2005. But the mission got mired in red ink and was axed in 2003. "That was a bit of let-down," Lognonne said flatly. What kept him going? Why didn't he give up at that point? "I've always told my students, if you really believe that a project is scientifically important, the only reason to not carry on is if someone else is already doing it," he said. Banerdt and Lognonne went their separate ways but stayed in touch, linked in part by the dream of putting a seismometer on Mars. "We knew that the scientific consensus was that it must be done," Lognonne said. - A small leak - In 2012, NASA invited bids under its Discovery programme for relatively low-budget space exploration projects, and the duo decided to try once again. They were up against 26 other projects in their category. In August of that year, they got the call from NASA saying they had been selected for a 2016 Mars launch. "Four years is very short!" Lognonne recalls thinking, as they threw themselves into the task. The SEIS seismometer that will -- with any luck at all -- leave Earth on Saturday measures ground motions in a wide range of frequencies, using an array of six sensors. It will detect and record "marsquakes" and other sources of ground motion, such as meteorite impacts and the faint gravitational effects of Phobos, a Martian moon. The sensors are in a temperature-controlled and vacuum-sealed box housed within a domed, three-legged pod that resembles an autonomous vacuum cleaner. The ensemble -- protected by a wind and thermal shield -- is to be placed on Martian soil by a robot arm, and is connected to the lander by a flexible tether with power and data lines. But three months before the scheduled launch in early 2016, the French team detected a tiny leak in the tether. NASA canned the launch. "That was a shock," said Lognonne. But this time the cancellation was not final. The mission was rescheduled for May to June 2018, the next window of opportunity for a Mars launch. The champagne is on ice. Philippe Lognonne, the principal investigator for the SEIS experiment on the NASA InSight Mission, has always wanted to know what's going on under Mars' famously red surface Graphic on NASA's new Mars lander Philippe Lognonne worked on the SEIS seismometer that can measure ground motions in a wide range of frequencies, using an array of six sensors
St. George's Chapel, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will tie the knot, is a royal church steeped in centuries of British history. The final resting place of kings and queens and the epicentre of English chivalry, the Windsor Castle chapel has witnessed multiple royal weddings and state occasions. When the couple wed on May 19, they will be surrounded by great ancestors, priceless relics and heraldry dating back to the Middle Ages. Inspired by King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, King Edward III founded the Order of the Garter, the most prestigious order of chivalry, in 1348. He made Windsor's chapel its mother church and rededicated it to St. George, England's patron saint. In an annual ceremony which still continues, knights walk to the chapel in a grand procession, dressed in their garter robes: heavy blue velvet capes and black velvet hats with elaborate white ostrich plumes. The order is limited to 24 living companions, whose banners hang in the chapel. Each knight has a plate depicting their coat of arms on their seat. Current members include 1990s prime minister John Major, former Bank of England governor Mervyn King, and ex-MI5 chief Eliza Manningham-Buller. Foreign knights include the kings of Spain, Norway and Sweden, and Japan's Emperor Akihito. Harry's brother and best man Prince William is the 1,000th knight. - Gothic masterpiece - The chapel was radically rebuilt between 1475 and 1528 into the grand feat of Gothic architecture seen today. Its fan-vaulted ceiling, intricately-carved stonework and stained glass windows make it one of the finest examples of its kind in England. King Edward III's sword, 2.03 metres (six feet and eight inches) long, hangs in one of the aisles. The roof is lined with 76 statues of the Queen's Beasts, depicting 14 heraldic animals including the golden lion of England, the red dragon of Wales and the silver falcon of York. The chapel has a door from the original building which has been standing since the mid-13th century. It is only used by the royal family when attending services. Harry, Queen Elizabeth II's grandson, was baptised in the chapel in December 1984 with the names Henry Charles Albert David. And when he and former US television star Markle marry before 600 guests, they will stand metres from a host of monarchs. Kings Edward IV, Henry VI and Edward VII are buried to the sides of the altar. Henry VIII and the executed Charles I are in the choir. Beneath the bride and groom in the chapel's royal vault lie kings George III -- the last to reign in Markle's homeland -- George IV and William IV. King George V lies near the west door, while his son and Queen Elizabeth's father, King George VI, has his own memorial chapel. His wife, also called Queen Elizabeth, and the ashes of their daughter princess Margaret, were buried next to him in 2002 -- the last royals laid to rest in the chapel. - Wedding list - Besides burials and funerals, the chapel also has a more joyous history of royal weddings, which peaked in Queen Victoria's reign. The trend has been revived in recent decades. Queen Elizabeth's youngest son Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones in the chapel in 1999. When Harry's father Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, remarried in 2005, the wedding could not take place in church as both Charles and Camilla were divorced. Instead they married at Windsor Guildhall and a blessing was held in the chapel in the sovereign's presence. In the chapel's last royal wedding in 2008, Queen Elizabeth's eldest grandchild Peter Phillips married Canadian management consultant Autumn Kelly. They sold their wedding pictures to a magazine -- much to the monarch's irritation. St. George's is set to host another royal wedding later this year. Princess Eugenie, the younger daughter of Queen Elizabeth's second son Prince Andrew and ninth in line to the throne, is due to marry her socialite fiancee Jack Brooksbank on October 12. St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, west of London, where Britain's Prince Harry and US actress Meghan Markle will wed later this month St. George's Chapel was radically rebuilt between 1475 and 1528 into the grand feat of Gothic architecture seen today
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was detained along with nearly 1,600 of his supporters on Saturday during nationwide rallies against Vladimir Putin as police and paramilitary activists used force to break up rallies in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Riot police beat protesters with truncheons, dragged them along the ground and threw them into police vans in Moscow, in an attempt to disperse a huge crowd that packed Pushkin Square to protest against Putin's swearing-in ceremony for a fourth Kremlin term on Monday. Police grabbed Navalny, 41, soon after he showed up at the rally, as some shouted "Shame" in Ukrainian, a famous slogan of the Kiev uprising that ousted a Kremlin-backed regime in 2014. Scuffles also broke out between Navalny's supporters and pro-Kremlin activists who showed up in an apparent effort to sabotage the opposition demonstration. Some of the pro-Putin activists were dressed as Cossacks, a paramilitary class who served as tsarist cavalrymen in imperial Russia. Amnesty International said its representatives saw the 'Cossacks' pummel protesters with whips and fists as police looked on. Anti-Kremlin protesters chanted "the fourth term -- in prison" and "sick of you," in a reference to Putin, as a helicopter hovered overhead. Two AFP journalists said some sort of gas was also briefly used but it was not immediately clear who used it. - Over 700 detained in Moscow - Navalny, who was barred from challenging Putin in the March presidential election, had called on Russians to stage a day of rallies across the country under the catchy slogan "Not our Tsar." Protesters also rallied in dozens of other Russian cities including in the Far East and Siberia and some of those protests were violently broken up. Independent monitoring group OVD-Info said nearly 1,600 people had been detained by police in 26 cities. Of them, more than 700 were detained in Moscow and more than 230 in second city Saint Petersburg. Police put the Moscow turnout at 1,500, adding that some 300 people were detained in the Russian capital. Authorities said some 200 people were detained in Saint Petersburg. In the former imperial capital, several thousand people marched along Nevsky Prospect, Saint Petersburg's main thoroughfare, chanting "Putin is a thief" and "Down with the tsar". When police tried to stop the unsanctioned march, protesters pelted them with eggs and water bottles, an AFP reporter said. - 'Putin not a tsar' - "The country needs changes," a 20-year-old protester, Stepan Duvanov, said in Saint Petersburg. "Putin is not a tsar to be sitting (at the Kremlin) forever." Elsewhere, many protesters were also detained in a rough manner, observers said. In the Urals city of Chelyabinsk more than 160 people were detained, while more than 60 were arrested in the eastern Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, said OVD-Info. Seventy five people were detained in the northern city of Yakutsk and more than 40 people were arrested in the southern city of Astrakhan, the monitor said. "Craven old man Putin thinks he is a tsar," Navalny said on Twitter ahead of the demonstrations. Observers have expressed fears that the protests could lead to mass arrests and criminal cases after similar rallies in 2012 led to a huge crackdown on the protest movement. In May 2012, tens of thousands took to the streets to protest Putin's inauguration for a third Kremlin term, with rallies descending into clashes with police. Criminal charges were brought against around 30 demonstrators and many of them were sentenced to prison terms of between 2.5 years and 4.5 years. The 65-year-old Putin, who has ruled Russia for almost two decades, was re-elected for a fourth Kremlin term in March. He recorded his best ever election performance with more than 76 percent of the vote. Independent monitors said the election was marred by a lack of genuine competition even though fewer irregularities were reported than in previous years. - 'Journey of an invader' - This year Putin's minders are planning a fairly low-key inauguration ceremony that will not include a lavish Kremlin reception in an apparent effort to eschew any bad publicity, TV Rain, an independent channel, reported Friday, citing informed sources. In 2012, Putin's black cortge raced through the deserted streets of Moscow on the way to his third Kremlin inauguration with authorities cordoning off roads, in what many saw as a major faux pas. This time Putin will instead meet with volunteers who took part in his election campaign, the television channel said. Speaking on radio, prominent political analyst Stanislav Belkovsky said that throwing a Kremlin banquet for the elites "when the number of poor people is sharply rising due to Western sanctions and counter-sanctions" is now seen as an unaffordable luxury. Belkovsky said many people saw Putin's sweeping through deserted streets in the capital in 2012 as a "journey of an invader." Police officers detain a protester at a rally in Moscow called by opposition leader Alexei Navalny which saw him and hundreds of others arrested Navalny addresses supporters prior to being detained as baton-wielding police sought to disperse the gathering Riot police stand in line blocking access to an unauthorised anti-Putin rally in Saint Petersburg as a woman holding a Russian flag looks on Opposition supporters wave slogans bearing the legend "I am against corruption"
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was detained on Saturday at an unsanctioned rally in central Moscow, two days ahead of Vladimir Putin's inauguration for a fourth Kremlin term. The 41-year-old protest leader was detained along with a number of his supporters as a huge crowd packed a central square in Moscow to protest Putin's swearing ceremony on Monday. As police grabbed Navalny some supporters shouted "Shame" in Ukrainian, a famous slogan of the Kiev uprising that ousted a Kremlin-backed regime in 2014. Scuffles broke out between Navalny's supporters and pro-Kremlin activists who also packed Moscow's Pushkin Square in an apparent effort to sabotage the opposition demonstration. Police warned it would use force and "impact munition" to disperse the rally. Protesters shouted "the fourth term -- in prison" and "sick of you," AFP correspondents reported. In Russia's second city of Saint Petersburg, several thousand people turned up for another unsanctioned protest, chanting "Russia will be free" and "Down with the tsar". Some carried placards reading "Another six years of degradation" and "For freedom of internet". Earlier Saturday protesters took to the streets in towns and cities in Russia's Far East and Siberia, with dozens of them detained, Navalny's team and an independent monitor said. Navalny, who was barred from challenging Putin in March's presidential election, had called on Russians to stage a day of rallies ahead of Putin's swearing-in ceremony. photo-mak-as/dl Russian police detain opposition leader Alexei Navalny during an unsanctioned anti-Putin rally on Saturday
Depicting the object of their ire as Napoleon, Dracula, Jupiter, a banker-king and Margaret Thatcher, tens of thousands marched through central Paris on Saturday to protest against President Emmanuel Macron's sweeping reforms, a year after he took office. Some 2,000 security forces including riot police were deployed just in case a generally good-natured rally went the same way as May Day protests hijacked by anarchists. Marchers gathered from midday in warm early summer sunshine in the central Opera square for a protest dubbed a "Party for Macron", a tongue-in-cheek "celebration" of the 40-year-old centrist and former Rothschild banker's first anniversary in power. Paris police put the number of marchers at 40,000 but organisers said it was 160,000. "It was not the huge influx that they had predicted," Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said, denouncing what he called an "attack" on an outside broadcast van of Franceinfo radio in the eastern quarter of Bastille, where the march ended. One of its windows was smashed and a smoke bomb thrown inside the vehicle. "Luckily no journalist was inside when the smoke bomb was thrown," Collomb said. One policeman was slightly injured by a projectile following the incident but there were none of the scenes of violence seen days earlier at a May Day rally and the atmosphere was festive ahead of a concert planned in the evening. Eight people were arrested throughout the day, police siad. Smaller rallies took place in the southern cities of Toulouse and Bordeaux while the Paris one kicked off with a mass picnic which drew numerous families. Organisers had urged participants to attend in a party mood -- but the high security owed much to hundreds of black-clad youths having torched cars and a McDonald's restaurant during traditional May 1 demonstrations in the capital, prompting fears that more "black bloc" protesters could hijack Saturday's event. One protester held aloft a placard with the words Mac-ron is disgusting," a play on words to show his feelings about the president and the fast food chain. - 'Worried about violence' - Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux had expressed fears Friday that the demonstration could turn violent, hence the high security. He noted that the protest's name, the "Fete a Macron", can have a double meaning in French -- either celebrating someone, or trying to do them harm. Some supporters of the left-wing populist La France Insoumise party (LFI) brandished anti-Macron banners with slogans including "down with the president of the rich", "no to a social coup d'etat" and "for a Sixth Republic". The protest is the latest in a series of large street demonstrations against Macron, whose overhauls of everything from the education system to the state rail operator have been causing friction with various groups. It was organised by firebrand LFI lawmaker Francois Ruffin and other ex-members of the Nuit Debout (Up All Night) leftist movement that staged nocturnal rallies across France in 2016. Ruffin told AFP this week that Macron may have won a democratic election last May but "democracy does not mean shutting up for five years". "People have the right to challenge him," said Ruffin, a journalist whose documentary "Merci Patron", about a poor couple who take on France's richest man, captured an angry zeitgeist and filled cinemas in 2015. Some university faculties remain blocked by protests against Macron's plans to make university access more selective, causing major disruption to students starting their summer exams. - New rally on May 26 - Friday marked the latest in a series of rail strikes as train drivers and other staff took a stand against Macron's overhaul of the SNCF, aimed at reducing its massive debts and making it more competitive. Many French leftists have called for Macron's opponents, from students to striking rail workers, to join forces in a re-run of the massive May 1968 protest movement that shook France exactly half a century ago. LFI leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said Saturday that many French people wanted to see "deep societal change". Saying that "a new cycle of mobilisation has begun", Melenchon also lauded public sector workers who he said deserved more credit. Since he was elected a year ago, Macron has set about transforming France, taking on the unions and the employment laws. Addressing supporters from a bus bearing the slogan "when everything is privatised we shall be deprived of everything", he warned Macron many people were sickened by "endless gifts for the rich (given) the difficulty of the French people to make ends meet". Melenchon said Saturday was just the "first stage" of protests, announcing a new rally on May 26 and exhorting people to "turn up in their millions to become a human sea that will change history". bur/ach/pvh . A protester holds a figure mocking Emmanuel Macron at the "The party for Macron" rally to protest the policies of the French president on the first anniversary of his election One protester combined his feelings about his president and a certain fast food chain -- one of whose restaurants youths torched during May day demonstrations Macron was the target of widespread mockery, a "king-like" figure distant from ordinary people Protesters and leading leftist politicians see Macron, a former banker with Rothschild, as pursuing policies to favour the elite and the well-off -- this banner likened him to late British leader Margaret Thatcher Far left lawmaker and former presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon (second left), addresses marchers in Paris
AUSTIN, TexasCocks Not Glocks, a college- and university-based protest movement that started in 2015 at the University of Texas-Austin, is looking to spears its message through a documentary feature.

Cocks Not Glocks, a hard-hitting documentary focusing on a graphic but effective protest against the open carry laws in Texas and other states, has begun a Kickstarter campaign to secure funds for completion of the film project, producer David Bukstein announced today.

The documentary follows Jessica Jin, Ana Lopez and Rossie Zander as they protest the campus carry law. They fight this by mounting the largest ever dildo-based protest in history, garnering international attention, support and anger from all sides of the political spectrum. Their goal was simple: illustrate the absurdity that anyone can bring a gun to school, but brandishing sex toys are still a class C misdemeanor. During and after the protest, the women endure a wave of sexism, misogyny, death threats and racism. Over time the internet vitriol takes an emotional toll, but through the tight bonds of sisterhood and shared experience, these young activists find their voice and the will to take on the patriarchy.

Audra Webbe, 23, is directing Cocks Not Glocks: A Documentary, her first feature-length film. Having filmed the protest during her senior year at the University of Texas, Webbe felt compelled to tell a story that explores and affirms the complex inner lives of young women today. Beyond the doc, she is currently writing a feminist thriller feature script, and is collaborating on a musical with her artist friend Ellyn Puckett, in association with the Los Angeles-based disco band Capyac.

I've always wanted to tell stories about women and I'm so proud that my first feature effort does exactly that. Growing up, I was always on the honor roll, and never got in trouble and I'm so proud that this project breaks so many rules. Webbe says. In the last three years Ive been working on the film, its only become more relevant with #MeToo Movement and the Parkland school shooting. Our documentary is in a way a confluence of these two cultural movements and provides an alternative way to access the activism thats present in todays current social and cultural climate.

As of August 1, 2016, students with concealed carry licenses were permitted to take loaded handguns into public university classrooms in Texas. The minimum requirement to obtain a license for any of these activities is 4 hours of instruction. Dozens of states across the nation are battling similar legislation.

Some women students on campus discovered that, according to Texas laws, it is illegal to openly brandish a harmless dildo in public. In contrast, loaded guns (concealed or otherwise) capable of inflicting instant death are often legally welcomed and encouraged. In response to the law, these students organized what was hailed as one of the largest anti-gun rallies in Texas history, starting the first day of classes, Aug. 26, 2016. The event was satirically named Campus (Dildo) Carry to mock the new Campus Carry law.

The Kickstarter for the film opened May 1 and will run until May 30. With all principal photography completed, the documentary is now entering post-production. All contributions go toward the completion of the film and submission to festivals.

For more on the movie, visit CocksNotGlocksDoc.com. To donate to the Kickstarter, visit here.
MELBOURNE, AustraliaDoc Johnsons Main Squeeze race of strokers took home the award for Best Male Product Range at the recent 2018 AdultEx Awards.

All of us at Doc couldnt be more thrilled with the success of the Main Squeeze range, and how it has taken off in the Australian marketplace! said Doc Johnson Account Executive Steven Guarino, who was on hand to accept the award. Thank you to Calvista for being such a wonderful business partner, and a huge thank you to all the retailers who have always and continue to show support for Doc Johnson.

The Main Squeeze line features a range of UltraSkyn hard-case strokers with a unique squeeze plate design and adjustable base that allow users to control the pressure and suction, for unmatched pleasure.

The 14th annual Adultex Trade Exhibition was held at the five-star, beachfront Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Port Douglas, Queensland, May 2-4.

The Main Squeeze line has surpassed even our highest expectations for its success, and will continue to grow in popularity thanks to all the praise that its currently receiving, Guarino said.  We will continue to grow this popular collection with more crowd-pleasing product additions that will further strengthen and drive demand for our retail and distributor partnersstay tuned!

For more information on Main Squeeze by Doc Johnson, click here.
writes W.E.B. DuBois in The Souls of Black Folk . Three recent works with policy suggestions echo some aspect of DuBois and his work and show how hard it is to bring about advancement.The most self-conscious is The Souls of Poor Folk , which is intended asbut which cannot rise above blame and bad data. In misrepresenting, misinterpreting, and misidentifies those conditions and trends, they do a disservice to the eloquent originality of the report they intend to honor.For example, the report claims thatBetween 1968 and 2015, however, national defense spending shrank from 46 percent of federal spending to 16 percent (a 65 percent decrease) while spending on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and income security programs grew from 24 percent of federal outlays to 62 percent. Looking more closely, in 1968, the newly created Medicare and Medicaid programs together were just 4 percent of federal outlays, but by 2015 they were 23 percent of the budget, a 552 percent increase.Myron Magnet, writing in City Journal where he is editor-at-large, compares Teach for America participants to white New England teachers during Reconstruction as described by DuBois. He sees education as a critical component of ending welfare, together with work and family. Magnet says too many single momsMagnet writes,His is a mixed bag of policy and practical prescriptions. Among the bright spots, he suggests "group homes for both the babies and the mothers, where the babies can get the moral and cognitive nurture they need, while the young women learn the life skills to be good parents and productive citizens, so they can ultimately take their children to their own self-supporting homes." Something like this model already exists (more or less) in organizations like Cities of Refuge Pharaoh's Daughter , and InterAct that provide short- and long-term housing for women and their children.In contrast to Magnet's call to end welfare and the new Poor People's Campaign to expand it, the U.S. Partnership on Mobility from Poverty provides an approach that is more modest in its initial approach, but ambitiously seeks toThe five strategies it proposes to begin with seeing people in poverty as human, recognizing there are structural and institutional aspects of poverty, andOther strategies call for government to help in different ways with work, community, education, and family support. The work question raises the slightly unrealistic suggestion that all jobs can and should provide stable hours, high wages, and generous benefits.The final strategy focuses on data, which is related to research and initiatives that advance evidence-based or evidence-informed policy the authors write,While they advocate for better data across the board, they ultimately suggest starting with willing states, local governments, and communities How do we provide sympathy and cooperation to a data point? We get to know the person behind the number. Experience is important; stories are important. It is why DuBois wrote about individual people and places. It is why Hillbilly Elegy did more to highlight the challenges of poor white communities than did Coming Apart . Poverty and advancement are not easy to describe, the spark that immolates one person can provide the fuel another to great heights. Human touch can help make the difference.
The Physical Safety and Security working group - a subset of the House Select Committee on Safer Schools - met briefly Wednesday, May 2 to approve recommendations on improving school security.Seven recommendations - from more money for school resource officers to vulnerability assessments of school facilities - will go to the full committee for consideration. The full committee meets May 10.Before voting on the recommendations, lawmakers heard about increasing penalties for students who threaten schools. Kimberly S. Robb, a district attorney and president of the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys, gave a brief presentation on how the severity of felonies or misdemeanors could be stiffened for intentional school threats or bringing a firearm on school grounds.Rep. Michael Speciale, R-Craven, questioned whether increasing these penalties would have made any difference in the shooting at a Parkland, Florida school.Probably not.Robb said.The working group opted to continue looking into the possibility of increasing penalties in future meetings, instead of recommending the idea to the full committee.Committee Chairman Rep. John Torbett, R-Gaston, said.Of the recommendations approved, most of them revolve around SROs. During the most recent meeting , presenters discussed the security role and how more extensive, realistic training is needed.One recommendation from the working group proposes setting clear standards for training and continuing education requirements for SROs. Draft legislation would require the N.C. Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission and the N.C. Sheriffs Education and Training Standards Commission to work with the Center for Safer Schools to establish what that training would look like.Another recommendation calls for local education boards to report annually on the number and placement of SROs to the Center for Safer Schools.The working group also proposed an additional $1.8 million in SRO grants for middle and elementary schools. Numerous schools are without an SRO of their own and often have to share an officer with their neighbors.Lawmakers suggested further studies on expanding the volunteer SRO program, which has gained momentum since Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page announced plans to implement the program to address shortages in his county.Other recommendations include requiring charter schools, regional schools, and UNC lab schools to develop a school safety plan and hold drills. Schools may also be required to complete a facility vulnerability assessment for every building at least once a year.
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.
Steinburg bucks conservatives on incentives, energy policy; winner will face Democrat Phelps in November

Republican primary, state Senate District 1, (Dare, Currituck, Camden, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Gates, Hertford, Chowan, Washington, Tyrrell, and Hyde counties)Bob Steinburg. Education: Associate degree in Retail Business Management from Corning Community College. Bachelors in Business Administration from Upper Iowa University. Occupation: Retired, former businessman and newspaper columnist. Career highlights: Member N.C. House of Representatives since 2013. Former president of the Albemarle-Pamlico Republican Club. Former president of Edenton Emergency Aid. Chairman of the Chowan County Republican Party.Clark Twiddy. Education: Virginia Military Institute. George H.W. Bush School of Government at Texas A&M. Occupation: Realtor at Twiddy & Company real estate in the Outer Banks. Career highlights: Retired lieutenant commander, U.S. Naval Intelligence. Member N.C. State Board of Community Colleges.Rep. Bob Steinburg, R-Chowan, a veteran politician and controversial figure, is looking to swap his seat in the N.C. House for one in the Senate. Clark Twiddy, a realtor and self-proclaimed politics newbie, hopes to beat Steinburg - and given broad support from Raleigh's political establishment, Twiddy may do just that.Twiddy told Carolina Journal.The former naval commander is the first to admit he has no political resume, but that hasn't slowed him from gaining traction among leading members of the Republican majority. Twiddy received the endorsement of seven General Assembly members, including retiring 1st District Sen. Bill Cook, R-Beaufort. Sen. Bill Rabon, R-Brunswick, who chairs the powerful Senate Rules Committee, is also backing Twiddy.Rabon said in his endorsement letter.Economic growth and protections for natural resources top Twiddy's list of legislative priorities. Infrastructure is another issue not receiving proper attention, he said.CJ made multiple attempts to get comment from Steinburg, but received no response by press time.The N.C. FreeEnterprise Foundation, which tracks voting patterns, rates the district as "competitive."Steinburg's more prominent endorsements include N.C. Right to Life, a political action committee. The organization usually distances itself from primary elections, but is offering support based on Steinburg's strong pro-life record, said PAC President Barbara Holt.Steinburg also prioritizes education reform."[Bob] will fight for more local control, along with accountability, so that our schools can improve each year," his website states.While taking many socially conservative stances, Steinburg clashes with many Republicans on issues such as renewable energy. His support for taxpayer funded business incentives and other subsidies has caused fiscally conservative lawmakers to question his loyalty to free-market principles.He disagrees with the assessment.his website reads.Steinburg has faced other turbulence during his three-term stint at the General Assembly.The lawmaker is known for his temper. During his 2012 campaign, Steinburg was charged with assault during an altercation with his opponent's campaign manager.Such a combative legislator is hard to work with and unfit for office, Cook said in a recent statement.he said.Twiddy claims better diplomatic skills.he said.The winner will face Democrat Cole Phelps in the Nov. 6 general election. Richard Steve James is also listed on the ballot as a Democrat, but he was deemed ineligible to run after a panel of election officials ruled he does not live in the district.
"It's a sad day in eastern North Carolina that liberal Bobby Hanig is making a victim of domestic violence relieve her suffering and pain that occurred nearly thirty years ago. This is the lowest of the low, personal and shameful attacks that have been run by a desperate candidate in North Carolina. Bobby Hanig has taken the same play right out of the failed liberal, democrat playbook that was used against Representative Boswell in 2016."

"I call on Bobby Hanig to apologize for his shameful attack on Representative Beverly Boswell and all women who have suffered as victims of domestic violence across North Carolina. There should be no place for these types of attacks in politics in eastern North Carolina, and we should show respect and care to the millions of women who are victims of domestic violence."

"Bobby Hanig has resulted to shameful politics by making a victim relieve her traumatic past in a failed attempt to hide the fact that he stands with Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer and their pro-choice, anti-gun, and anti-Trump liberal agenda."

"Representative Boswell is a fighter that has an amazing story of courage and commitment to victims of all crimes. Her record in the General Assembly as an 'Values Champion' award winner by the NC Values Coalition; her work with AT&T to provide additional funding to the OBX Hotline that provides crisis intervention, safe house, and prevention education services to victims of domestic violence or human trafficking in the Northern Outer Banks; and history of sponsoring bills to protect the rights of victims in all crimes has made an incredible impact on the lives of thousands of North Carolinians."

"In the 40 years that I have covered politics, I thought I had witnessed the worst of the worst when it came to this kind of negative political advertising and character assassination. However, these mailings set a shocking new low."

"Local and state Democratic Party officials should be ashamed of these ads and disavow them instead of hiding behind the fact they are produced by third parties over whom they say cannot control or cooperate with an official capacity."

"There is nothing stopping them from asking them to refrain from future such ads and asserting that they do not support the message or the content."

"There was more to her story, including having been a victim of domestic violence, that Ms. Boswell did not want us to publish the details about. But suffice it to say that her's is an amazing story of courage and commitment to doing what is right.

"They hypocritically claim to be working for families and then pull a despicable stunt like this against a woman who is the essence of a 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps' American success story."

"This kind of crap is exactly why good, ordinary folk refuse to run for office."

"It is junk like this that has turned millions of people off to politics and government."

Contact: Luke Stancil

Luke Stancil luke@lookoutstrategies.com

KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. (May 3, 2018) The Beverly Boswell for N.C. House Committee responds to Bobby Hanig's shameful, personal attacks against Representative Boswell - making her relive her history as a victim of domestic violence.Representative Beverly Boswell's Spokesperson, Luke Stancil, stated the following:Despite nearly a $425,000 smear campaign by the Democrats in 2016, the voting electorate rejected the slime and sleazy attacks against then candidate Beverly Boswell. In 2016, four urban House Republican lawmakers fell short in the general election - and if it wasn't for Representative Boswell's victory and the three other Republican victories picking up seats that were wins for the Democrats in 2014 - the House Republican caucus would presently be two members short from retaining the super-majority, thus, the 72 that is required to override a veto.Likewise, because of Representative Boswell's successful win in 2016, House Republicans were able to override 10 vetoes issued by liberal Democrat Governor Roy Cooper during the 2017 legislative session. And not only did Representative Boswell's 2016 victory solidify the conservative agenda, she also become the first Republican ever elected to represent Dare County in the N.C. House of Representatives.Here is an excerpt from Representative Boswell's interview regrettably reliving her traumatic experience as a victim of domestic violence with the Beaufort Observer in September of 2016 after a liberal Super PAC (NC Families First) spent approximately $75,000 on despicable and ethically egregious mailers:But the irony here is that what Beverly Boswell experienced as a single mom without a good paying job was what thousands of other single moms and fathers have faced. She was a single mom trying to make ends meet and keep her children fed and clothed.Here are articles from The Outer Banks Voice and The Beaufort Observer about similar attacks against Representative Boswell in 2016 from the Families First PAC:The Outer Banks Voice - October 5th, 2016 - Click Here for the Link The Beaufort Observer - September 20th, 2016 - Click Here for the Link In the 2017 General Assembly legislative session, Representative Boswell sponsored or co-sponsored the following bills that have assisted victims who suffer in silence, living in fear for themselves and their children. House Bill 125 - Threatened Weapon Inc. in First-Degree RapeAN ACT to add the threatened use of weapon to one of the elements of First-Degree forcible rape and of First-Degree forcible sex offense. House Bill 343 - Enforcement of DVPO on AppealAN ACT to ensure that domestic violence VICTIMS are protected by clarifying that a valid protective order remains in effect at the trial court level throughout the pendency of an appeal by the AGGRIEVED party unless the court finds that a stay is necessary in the interest of justice. House Bill 551 - Strengthening Victims' RightsAN ACT to amend the law and Constitution of North Carolina to provide better protections and safeguards to victims.
When requested to do so: Should President Trump submit to an interview /interrogation by Robert Mueller, and his crack team of core Democrat investigators? Yes: What does Mr. Trump have to hide? No, Mueller is setting a perjury trap for the President, and lost all interest in investigating Russia meddling in our elections many months ago. I'm with Rudy ... or Kimmel ... or ... I don't know enough to really care ... "yeah, that's the ticket". 194 total vote(s) What's your Opinion?



The Mueller Investigation took a sorry turn today, with the Federal Judge T.S. Elliot III admonishing Swamp Dweller Mueller for overstepping his DOJ Directive in the Paul Manafort Case; even accused this core Democrat advocacy team of blatant Lying.Additionally, documents stonewalled from Congress's purview for oversight by the corrupt (still) Obama Justice Department revealed that no FBI agents believed that General Mike Flynn lied when interrogated; after Hussein Obama directed that the patriotic General, and his boss, Donald J. Trump, be "wire tapped" for "Democratic" political purposes before and after the election, thus forced to plead guilty to Lying to FBI Agents to avoid further financial ruin by Mueller's merry band of corrupt Democrat Lawyers ; desperately seeking to reverse an election. An election fomenting a Resistance Movement by Liberals, Socialists and Swamp Dwellers; a movement embraced by the activist Mueller team so as to placate their Snowflake constituency of Obama loving idiots.What happens next?What Liberals, Socialists and Swampy Republicans don't understand is that this is not really about Trump, his family, or his associates that non patriots, and their owned Fake News , wish to destroy; this is about America, the America made up of real Americans that understand that Fascism is creeping into our body politic, and the propagandized Socialist press; by those who would intentionally, or unintentionally, because of their abject stupidity, destroy our Republic.Mueller has abused his Never-Trump power to the point that the President will probably not allow the office of the President to be toyed with any further, ergo, no interrogation, no interview. Don't be surprised if he tells Mueller to "Pound Sand", go ahead; indict this president, and see how far it gets Mueller and his protege - the Lying Leaking, and utterly incompetent, James Comey. Shame is a sorry way to finish your days as a very well paid "public servant", but shame you shall deserve.In the mean time, all of these whining Socialists and intellectually simple Liberals can do is publicly protect what they take from the rest of us. Go ahead: Impeach this President if you can. Impeach us, the "Deplorables", the real Americans who may yet save this Republic from your unmitigated "Idiocracy."
Contact: White House

White House Press Office

Mr. President, how's Rudy doing?When did you find out?I tell you what - Rudy is a great guy, but he just started a day ago. But he really has his heart into it. He's working hard. He's learning the subject matter. And he's going to be issuing a statement too. But he is a great guy. He knows it's a witch hunt. That's what he knows. He's seen a lot of them. And he said he's never seen anything so horrible.As an example, 33,000 emails requested by Congress with a subpoena, and they get burned, they get deleted. And nobody says anything. Give me a break.So Rudy knows it's a witch hunt. He started yesterday. He'll get his facts straight. He's a great guy. But what he does is he feels it's a very bad thing for our country, and he happens to be right.When did you find out what the retainer was being spent on?Well, you're going to find out, because we're going to give a full list. And people know. And virtually everything said has been said incorrectly, and it's been said wrong, or it's been covered wrong by the press - just like NBC and ABC yesterday covered the story wrong.But you'll be finding out. It's very - it's actually -Mr. President, are you -Wait a minute. It's actually very simple. It's actually very simple. But there has been a lot of misinformation, really. People wanting to say - and I say, you know what, learn before you speak. It's a lot easier.Mr. President, when are these Americans going to be released from North Korea?We're having very substantive talks with North Korea. And a lot of things have already happened with respect to the hostages. And I think you're going to see very good things. As I said yesterday, stayed tuned. I think you're going to be seeing very, very good things.And also, the trip is being scheduled. We now have a date and we have a location. We'll be announcing it soon.Mr. President, have you changed your mind at all about being willing to sit with Robert Mueller?Well, the problem with sitting is this: You have a group of investigators, and they say that I am not a target. And I'm not a target. But you have a group of investigators that are all Democrats. In some cases, they went to the Hillary Clinton celebration that turned out to be a funeral. So you have all these investigators; they're Democrats. In all fairness, Bob Mueller worked for Obama for eight years.If you look at the statements that were made, if you take a look, as an example, at the Rod Rosenstein letter to me, prior to the firing of James Comey, just read it; put it in the air. Your viewers don't know about it. Put that letter on the air. It very much speaks very loudly, and that's just one thing.So I would say this: If I could be - I would love to speak. I would love to. Nobody wants to speak more than me - in fact, against my lawyers, because most lawyers, they never speak on anything. I would love to speak, because we've done nothing wrong. There was no collusion with the Russians. There was nothing. There was no obstruction.You know, very funny - if you fight back, because you people say something wrong, or they say something wrong, or they leak, which they've been doing; if you fight back, they say, oh, that's obstruction of justice. If somebody says something wrong, and you fight back, they say that's obstruction of justice. It's nonsense.So let me just -Are you -Wait, wait. Let me just tell you. So I would love to speak. I would love to go. Nothing I want to do more, because we did nothing wrong. We ran a great campaign. We won easily. We won that easily: 306 to - I think, it was 223. We won it easily. That was a great victory. That was a great day for this country.We just had new jobs numbers out. You saw we broke 4 - 3.9 percent. I would love to go. I would love to speak. But I have to find that we're going to be fairly.Are you sure -Wait, wait. I have to find that we're going to be treated fairly, because everybody sees it now, and it is a pure witch hunt. Right now, it's a pure witch hunt. Why don't we have Republicans looking also? Why aren't we having Republican people doing what all these Democrats are doing? It is a very unfair thing. If I thought it was fair, I would override my lawyer.(Inaudible) the jobs report today?I thought the jobs report was very good. The big thing to me was cracking four. That hasn't been done in a long time; you'll tell me how long. But it hasn't been done in a long time. We'll full employment. We're doing great. The stock market is doing - I guess it's up 35 percent since the election.And now I think, really, they're waiting to see what's going to happen on trade, because we're going to have some incredible trade deals announced. My people are coming back right now from China, and we will be doing something, one way or the other, with respect to what's happening in China.And let me say this: I have great respect for President Xi. That's why we're being so nice. And we have a great relationship. But we have to bring fairness into trade between the U.S. and China. And we'll do it.
After listening to tons of racist and ignorant horseshit from NRA conference attendees, the owner of Dallas-area eatery Ellen's decided to donate a portion of this weeks proceeds to groups pursuing reasonable gun legislation. The NRA asked its members to eat elsewhere.

Everyone wins except the people dead of gun violence.

Via Share Blue:

Ellen's, a restaurant in downtown Dallas where the NRA is holding its annual convention, had a message printed on its customer receipts: "Thanks for visiting Ellen's! A portion of this week's proceeds will be donated to organizations dedicated to implementing reasonable and effective gun regulation."

Most Americans consider that a sensible message  especially following the mass shootings at Columbine, Sandy Hook, Aurora, Parkland and the daily murders all around the country. But it angered the NRA.

The group tweeted an image of an Ellen's receipt. "Attn @AnnualMeetings attendees. Steer clear of Ellen's in downtown Dallas! Why go there when there are so many other great choices."

Joe Groves, the owner of Ellen's, said he added the message because of what he heard from NRA convention attendees. "I'm making a list of the vile, racist, moronic conversations overheard from NRA attendees eating at the restaurant," he wrote on Facebook. "They don't even speak softly."

He told the website Eater that the attendees have insulted his wait staff with racial epithets. One person reportedly asked a Latino staff member, "Your illegals are kept in the kitchen, right?"

Another NRA fan reportedly told black employees they "don't sound black" and asked if they were from India.

"The only reason we need our guns is because of the blacks," another attendee reportedly declared.

But these repugnant statements are part of a pattern for the NRA and its supporters. The group has embraced racism and bigotry as part of its pro-gun advocacy.


In the decade since the UK rolled out its Great Firewall, the project of somehow dividing the entire internet into "good" and "bad" (or even "all-ages" and "adult") has run into a series of embarrassing gaffes, blocking rape crisis sites while letting through all sorts of ghastly porn  and at every turn, the Conservative government's response has been to double down on internet censorship, expanding it from a parental filter to an opt-out porn filter, whose biggest backers have repeatedly demonstrated their technical incompetence.



It's not surprising that the loudest voices clamouring for an accurate and comprehensive list of all the world's adults-only material are also technological incompetents  the UK porn firewall is a classic example of the "nerd harder" school of technology policymaking, in which a politician insists that the reason that all the technical experts have called their plans unworkable is that they're just not nerding hard enough.

Torrentfreak has used the Blocked Initiative from the UK Open Rights Group (disclosure: I helped found this group and am an unpaid volunteer for it) to probe the "harmful content" blocklist that UK ISPs are using to keep UK children safe.

Unsurprisingly, the list is full of embarrassing false positives, including disney.co.uk (the official UK site of the Walt Disney Company), as well as Disney's disneymoviesanywhere.com. More awkward: the UK's largest ISPs are blocking internetsafetyday.org, a website that teaches kids to use the internet safely; also blocked is kidsandcode.org, which teaches children to write software.

The list goes on and on: playkidsgames.com (games for kids), vikingsword.com (a website about Viking swords), and a raft of VPN providers, whose tools allow users to evade privacy-violating trackers and filters.

You can use the Blocked Initiative to check whether your favourite sites are blocked by your UK ISP, and pitch in to keep the site running.



UK Internet Filters Block Disney Sites, Internet Safety Tips, and More

[Ernesto/Torrentfreak]
Anarchist anthropologist David Graeber made a landmark contribution to the debate about inequality, money, and wealth with his massive 2012 book Debt: The First 5,000 Years (a book that helped inspire my 2017 novel Walkaway).

In 2013, Graeber published an influential essay called On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs, in which he charted the way that market economies were employing an ever-larger slice of the workforce in socially useless busywork that everyone  including the holders of bullshit jobs  knew to be a tremendous waste of time.





Graeber has a particularly good trick of pointing out the ways that late-stage capitalism has reinvented every institution that western states reviled the USSR for; his 2015 book "The Utopia of Rules" discussed how the west once demonstrated its superiority to the Soviet Union by pointing out the variety of shops on its streets; the lack of meaningless, bureaucratic paperwork; and the absence of endless security lines staffed by hostile, petty government employees. In the years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the shops in great western cities have been replaced with outlets of the same chains selling the same goods; low-waged and unemployed workers now only survive by navigating a bureaucratic benefits thicket that is rivaled by the paperwork that Americans lucky enough to have health insurance must plow through every time they receive medical care; and even the privileged slice of us who can afford to fly frequently have learned to leave 1-2 hours extra so we can queue up to be humiliated by the TSA (but if you're lucky enough to have disposable income left after buying your plane ticket, you can also buy your way to the front of the line by submitting a personal dossier similar to the ones that the Stasi maintained on millions of East Germans).

Bullshit Jobs is definitely part of Graeber's shrewd ability to put his finger on the ways that 21st century markets have produced the kind of meaninglessness, emptiness and absurd inefficiencies that they were supposed to protect us from.

Graeber has expanded Bullshit Jobs into a forthcoming book that will be published on May 15 (he'll be touring the book, too  I'm interviewing him at an event for Skylight Books in LA on June 13). The Guardian has just published a fabulous excerpt that makes an excellent case for pre-ordering the book.

Guarding an empty room "I worked as a museum guard for a global security company in a museum where one exhibition room was left unused. My job was to guard that empty room, ensuring no museum guests touched the, well, nothing in the room and ensure nobody set any fires. To keep my mind sharp and attention undivided, I was forbidden any form of mental stimulation, like books, phones, etc. As nobody was ever there, I sat still and twiddled my thumbs for seven and a half hours, waiting for the fire alarm to sound. If it did, I was to calmly stand up and walk out. That was it." Copying and pasting "I was given one responsibility: watching an inbox that received emails in a certain form from employees asking for tech help, and copy and paste it into a different form. Not only was this a textbook example of an automatable job, it actually used to be automated. There was some disagreement between managers that led to a standardisation that nullified the automation." Looking busy "I was hired as a temp but not assigned any duties. I was told it was very important that I stay busy, but I wasn't to play games or surf the web. My primary function seemed to be occupying a chair and contributing to the decorum of the office. At first, this seemed pretty easy, but I quickly discovered that looking busy when you aren't is one of the least pleasant office activities imaginable. In fact, after two days, it was clear that this was going to be the worst job I had ever had. I installed Lynx, a text-only web browser that basically looks like a DOS [disk-operating system] window. No images, just monospaced text on an endless black background. My absentminded browsing of the internet now appeared to be the work of a skilled technician, the web browser a terminal into which diligently typed commands signalled my endless productivity."

Bullshit Jobs: A Theory [David Graeber/Simon and Schuster]



'I had to guard an empty room': the rise of the pointless job

[David Graeber/The Guardian]
Every time a conservative jackass accuses a high school kid of being "a crisis actor" remember this: someone hired actors to support an energy company's proposal. The actors were required to sign non-disclosure agreements. Some of the actors talked anyhow.

Via The Lens NOLA:

At least four of the people in orange shirts were professional actors. One actor said he recognized 10 to 15 others who work in the local film industry.

They were paid $60 each time they wore the orange shirts to meetings in October and February. Some got $200 for a "speaking role," which required them to deliver a prewritten speech, according to interviews with the actors and screenshots of Facebook messages provided to The Lens.

"They paid us to sit through the meeting and clap every time someone said something against wind and solar power," said Keith Keough, who heard about the opportunity through a friend.

He said he thought he was going to shoot a commercial. "I'm not political," he said. "I needed the money for a hotel room at that point."

They were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements and were instructed not to speak to the media or tell anyone they were being paid.



But three of them agreed to talk about their experience and provided evidence that they were paid to endorse the power plant. Two spoke on the condition that they not be identified, saying they didn't want to jeopardize other work or get in trouble for violating the non-disclosure agreement.

Another attendee, an actor and musician who played a small role on HBO's "Treme," told WWL-TV he was paid to wear one of the orange shirts at a meeting of the council's utility committee.

Paying people to create the illusion of grassroots support is known as astroturfing. Although it's misleading, it appears to be legal. The Lens couldn't find any prohibition against such activities, and Louisiana's lobbying laws only cover money spent directly on public officials.

But Councilwoman Stacy Head called what happened in those meetings "disturbing." Councilwoman Susan Guidry, the only member of the Utility Committee to vote against the plant, called it "morally reprehensible," saying, "I think it had a phenomenal impact on public opinion."

The two men who recruited and organized the actors, Garrett Wilkerson and Daniel Taylor, appear to be from out of town. In our story about the October hearing, Wilkerson offered an apocalyptic prediction about what would happen to New Orleans if the power plant weren't built.

It remains unclear who was behind the effort, but Guidry has a guess. "How can you not link Entergy to this?" she asked. "Who else would have paid all these people to come there and say they want a gas-fired power plant?"

Entergy New Orleans did not respond to repeated requests for comment. The company told WWL-TV, "Entergy New Orleans did not pay anyone to attend."
News / Africa

by Byo24News Reporter

Four Zimbabweans have been arrested in Ekurhuleni, South Africa on allegations of kidnapping.The four, conniving with a domestic helper kidnapped a baby who has been found safe and reunited with his parents.In a statement on Saturday afternoon, Gauteng police said "An effectively executed tactical take-down by a multi-disciplinary team of the South African Police Service [SAPS] in Gauteng province has led to the arrest of five suspects for the kidnapping of 13-month-old Eden Laird of Brackendowns [in Ekurhuleni]," police said in a statement.The baby was reported missing on Wednesday.It was reported to police that the domestic helper had taken the child from his Brackendowns home for a walk from which they both never returned.Police immediately launched an intelligence-driven operation, keeping close tabs on the numerous phone calls where suspects demanded a R6 million ransom from the parents in return for the safe release of the child.Taking their cue from the police hostage negotiator, police arrested the initial two suspects at the ransom drop-off point in Ekurhuleni West. Further investigations led police to Windmill Park where the domestic worker and another suspected co-conspirator were also arrested. The fifth suspect was arrested in Katlehong, where a vehicle was seized on suspicion of having been used in the commission of the crime.Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Deliwe de Lange had now sanctioned an immediate further investigation by the family violence, child protection, and sexual offences unit (FCS) aimed at securing a successful conviction by the court. The baby had been reunited with his parents."Of these five suspects, four are Zimbabwean nationals while the fifth suspect is South African. It is important in this instance to mention the nationality of the suspects in cautioning members of the public against recklessly employing people without conducting the necessary background checks," De Lange said.She applauded the multi-disciplinary team whose determination and dedication had seen to the successful reunion of the missing child with his parents.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has described President Emmerson Mnangagwa as one of the pioneers of the second Chimurenga which demystified the invincibility of the white colonial regime a move which inspired other combatants like him (VP Chiwenga) to join the struggle for independence.Addressing thousands who witnessed the launching of the Zanu-PF 2018 election campaign and manifesto in Harare today, Dr Chiwenga spoke about President Mnangagwa's past before the struggle, during the struggle and after independence saying with Zanu-PF and his leadership, Zimbabwe is in safe hands.Vice President Chiwenga said the President is a tried and tested cadre who witnessed the colonial masters pilfering black man's land, livestock and even grain from his parents' generation and he experienced the Smith regime's brutality first hand when he was given a life imprisonment sentence and then incarcerated.Dr Chiwenga said Cde Mnangagwa is a conduit that links the old generation that waged the second Chimurenga with the new generation.He also commended the President for his vision which aims at attaining a middle class society by year 2030.The launching of the manifesto and campaign marks the beginning of the work among Zanu-PF cadres to persuade the Zimbabweans to vote for the ruling party in the elections which the President said should be free, fair, credible and transparent and that violence will not be tolerated.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Harare mayor Bernard Manyenyeni has been tasked by councillors to follow up on the delivery of refuse compactors that were purchased last year.According to ordinary council minutes, acting town clerk Hosea Chisango visited the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) to inquire on the disbursement of foreign currency to cover the city's needs.Of the 30 refuse trucks that were purchased from South African firm FAW in September last year, only 18 have been delivered."Council resolved that His Worship, the Mayor and the acting town clerk institute immediate follow-up action on the supply and delivery of the refuse compactors and graders and ensure the delivery of such equipment without any further delay and update the environmental management committee on progress at its subsequent meeting," read the minutes.Chisango said that initial foreign currency for the graders had been released, but they were now making follow-ups for more to be disbursed to complete the delivery."The governor of the RBZ (John Mangudya) had agreed to release $300 000 per week towards payment of the refuse trucks that were being manufactured by FAW in South Africa," he said.The issue of the refuse compactors comes as Harare is yet to receive the full consignment of trucks and road maintenance equipment which were bought under a $30 million loan facility accessed from various banks.From the loan, Harare is supposed to have received 30 garbage trucks, 10 skip trucks, 10 tipper trucks, three graders, one chip spreader and one jet-patcher.Harare has a refuse collection fleet of 47 trucks. However, less than 20 are functional, leaving many suburbs to go for weeks without garbage collection.In December last year, council decided to engage private truck companies to collect refuse on behalf of council, despite the purchase and delivery of some new trucks.According to environmental committee minutes, the private truck owners would be sourced from the community.A pilot project into refuse collection was conducted in August and targeted Mabvuku, Tafara, Arcadia, Braeside, Hillside, St Martins, Kambuzuma, Dzivaresekwa and Warren Park suburbs."The city has already written to the SPB for approval to engage individual truck owners in local communities and was awaiting a response."Once the approval is granted by the SPB, an advert to call bids would be advertised to engage owners of seven tonne caged trucks from local communities for the provision of door-to-door refuse collection services in Harare," read the minutes.The move to engage private refuse collectors, however, irked councillors who argued that the city should utilise the existing fleet instead.
News / National

by Staff reporter

President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday wished Vice President Kembo Mohadi a speedy recovery amid reports he is critically ill in hospital in South Africa.Mohadi and Retired General Constantino Chiwenga were sworn in as vice presidents by Chief Justice Luke Malaba on December 28 in a brief ceremony at State House.Mohadi, 68, previously a member of the National Assembly as the Zanu-PF MP for the Beitbridge East constituency, has been receiving treatment in Johannesburg since March.Mohadi missed yesterday's Zanu-PF election manifesto launch at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC)."The vice president and second secretary ...Mohadi, in absentia, he is not feeling too well. We wish him a quick recovery," Mnangagwa said at the launch.Mohadi will continue to hold office until the assumption of office as president by the winner of the next presidential election in July-August.Mines and Energy committee chairperson Temba Mliswa was the first to disclose to legislators that Mohadi was indisposed after he failed to make it for a parliamentary hearing."VP Mohadi is not feeling well and is outside the country so he will not be appearing before the Mines and Energy committee today."We wish him well," Mliswa said.Reached for further clarification soon after the committee meeting, Mliswa said Mohadi had not been feeling well for some time now."He has not been around for some time now. That is (according to) a letter that we received," Mliswa told the Daily News.Presidential spokesperson George Charamba could neither confirm nor deny the developments.He said: "I am not aware. You could check with (Regis) Chikowore".Chikowore, who is a principal director in the Information ministry, was also coy."Sorry, I can't help you on that one," he said.Mohadi had been summoned to brief members of the Mines and Energy committee on his previous role as former State Security minister during the time when the country was said to have lost diamond revenue estimated at a staggering $15 billion through illicit dealings.Other high-ranking officials who include Home Affairs minister Obert Mpofu, former Mines minister Walter Chidakwa and ex-Finance minister Ignatius Chombo have already appeared before the same committee.In 2016, Mohadi appeared at South Africa-based Malawi prophet, Shepherd Bushiri's Enlightened Christian Gathering church where he sought divine intervention.During the service, Bushiri singled out the Beitbridge East legislator, warning him that he was under attack from unnamed detractors.Bushiri went on to hand the former Home Affairs minister a white handkerchief saying "anytime you feel something happening around you use this handkerchief to pray."Miracles will begin to happen around you."
News / National

by Staff reporter

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed David Hamadziripi as Zimbabwe's new ambassador to South Africa.Hamadzirpi will replace Isaac Moyo, who is now the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) boss.Moyo took over as head of CIO after it had run for a few months without a substantive head following the elevation of Happyton Bonyongwe to a Cabinet post in former President Robert Mugabe's last reshuffle before his ouster in November last yearIn a notice in the government gazette yesterday, chief secretary to the president and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda said the president has appointed the ambassador in terms of the Constitution."It is hereby notified that His Excellency the president has, in terms of section 110(2)(i) and 204 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (no. 20) Act 2013, appointed Mr David Douglas Hamadziripi as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Republic of South Africa."Hamadziripi is the former acting secretary in the Foreign Affairs ministry.
News / National

by Staff reporter

LESS than a month after sacking a reported 5,000 nurses and under a week before teachers embark on what threatens to be a crippling strike, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has promised to review the working conditions of civil servants.Mnangagwa told Zanu-PF officials attending the ruling party's manifesto launch in Harare that teachers, nurses and are critical to the country's future."The Labour force is pivotal is shaping our destiny. The service of teachers, nurses and doctors will be reviewed for the betterment of their service," President Mnangagwa said Friday.He, however, did not give a timeline of when this will happen.
Opinion / Columnist

There was no way that ZEC was ever going to produce a verified voters' roll in the time allowed. The Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) should have started by January 2015, at the very latest, it was delayed until September 2017. First, ZEC officials announce at the end of the main voter registration exercise, in mid February 2018, that they have managed to register only 5.3 million voters out of the expected 7 million. So nearly 25% of the voters were being denied the vote. Now ZEC tells us even more bad news."The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Chairperson, Priscilla Chigumba has blocked members of the public from accessing the electoral roll's database," reported Zimeye."Speaking this week, Justice Chigumba made these statements while announcing that the electoral roll is now at about 5,4 million people"She also made a strong apparent admission that so far already there are duplicate entries in the database as she said that Zimbabwe is incapable of solving the problem and it will require new laws to remove them."There two key issues worth noting here:1) The credibility of the whole voting exercise depends on the whole system being seen to be transparent and open for all to see what is happening. Having a verified voters' roll is one of the key requirements to a credible process. How can the voters' roll be verified if access to it is denied?2) If the data collected in the field was down loaded onto the main system the basis of the biometric key, the finger print or the eye iris or both to make it a double key, then it is impossible to have duplicate entries. ZEC must explain how that happened?3) If the fault is the parent parliamentary law that allowed the down loading of the data to be done in such a way that it allowed duplicate entries, as Justice Chingumba is suggesting here. This was a very serious oversight on the part of parliament but given that this oversight is so fundamental, i.e. it is allowing the data to be down loaded without the biometric keys and thus defeating the whole purpose of having the biometric system. There can only be one conclusion; this was a deliberate and calculated move.As part and parcel of the voters' roll verification process ZEC will be producing a provisional voters' roll which will be available for inspection from May 19 to 29, ten days."It is referred to as Provisional Voters' Roll because it may undoubtedly contain some errors that the public may pick out for correction during inspection before it is gazetted as the final voters roll," explained Justice Chigumba."In fact, the inspection of the provisional voters' roll is in itself a cleaning process as it will assist in removing errors related to addresses, date of births, wrong ID numbers, polling station postings and names."How many, people will be able to inspect the provisional voters' roll check the address, date of birth, etc., etc. and, most important of all as regards these elections, polling station postings are correct, in TEN DAYS?Nearly one million voters in 2013 were denied the vote because their details were not in the constituency voters' roll they expected it to be. This year even more voters could be denied the vote since individual details will be available in only ONE polling station. So once the definitive voters' roll has been produced, even if the voter's details are in the right constituency, it could be any one of the 25 polling stations! A lot more than one million will be denied the chance to vote by the simple act of polling station postings alone!There is no way ZEC is going to produce verifiable voters' roll, many of us have said this as far back as 2015 when the cut-off date of starting the BVR was missed. It is IMPOSSIBLE to have free, fair and credible elections without a verified voters' roll!
Opinion / Speeches

Zanu-PF First Secretary and President Mnangagwa addresses delegates at the ruling party's manifesto and election campaign launch in Harare yesterdayAddress by the President and First Secretary of Zanu-PF E.D. Mnangagwa, on the occasion of the launch of the party's Election Manifesto and Campaign yesterday.I warmly welcome you to this historic occasion as we officially launch the party's election manifesto and campaign, ahead of the watershed 2018 harmonised general elections in the sense of our desire to consolidate the gains of our revolution, independence and modernisation of both the party, Government and our great nation. This momentous and grand event which unveils "The People's Manifesto 2018", The Party Regalia and candidates, heralds the official start of our election campaign and the beginning of hard work towards sealing a thunderous victory for our revolutionary party.Today I feel honoured to stand before you as the Party's Presidential Candidate, following my nomination at the Extra-Ordinary National People's Congress held in December 2017. Today, however, I am joined by many esteemed men and women, members of our revolutionary Party from across the four corners of the country, who have answered to the call to serve our Party Zanu-PF and the people of Zimbabwe, by offering themselves as candidates in the upcoming elections. I say to you candidates, welcome to the call to selflessly serve, putting the needs and aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe ahead of everything else.Comrades we are, all of us, as party candidates, honoured to have been selected to represent our colossal Party during these defining Harmonised General Elections. We are indeed cognisant of the immense task that is before us and the expectations of not only our Party, but the multitudes of our people both at home and abroad. We are equally alive to the fact that from today, as we go forth full throttle, it is not only to humbly request the people of Zimbabwe to cast their votes for ourselves and most importantly our Party, but also a commitment and pledge to pull up our sleeves to rebuild every facet of our country. We carry the hope of Zimbabwe!Ladies and Gentlemen, Comrades and friends;The theme of this year's Manifesto and Campaign launch "UNITE, FIGHT CORRUPTION, DEVELOP, RE-ENGAGE AND CREATE JOBS", is most appropriate in the context of internal transformation of the Party as well as the current national socio-economic vision to transform our country to a middle income status by 2030.Comrades, the last few weeks have seen our Party undergo processes to strengthen its internal democratic systems and culminated in the holding of the primary elections from April 29 to May 3, 2018, under the newly-created Zanu-PF National Elections Commission. As I exhorted in my statement on the conduct of primary elections issued on Monday 30 April 2018, "whatever teething problems we have experienced so far, we have noted them closely. We remain convinced that the democratic course we have started in the management of our party affairs is the correct one". We must thus never deviate from the bold decision we took to deepen and strengthen our internal democratic systems. World over, systems once established get strengthened and fine-tuned over time with all the patience.Comrade Delegates,Zanu-PF has the responsibility to shape and reshape the national body politic, its practices, democratic behaviour and electoral ethos. As a party we must never flinch from this responsibility. Indeed, it is our responsibilities together, you and me, shoulder to shoulder as responsible cadres of the party.Let us never forget that Zanu-PF has the special status and standing of being the party of national liberation; making it a national heritage and courier of our national legacy and, above all, a definer of our country's future.We widened the playing field and general right of members to choose and be chosen through democratic internal electoral processes. The right of universal suffrage is sacred and is enshrined in the party constitution. It must be seen from the onset as having a genesis in the party. Leaders must always come from the people! This is a principle, together with fairness, justice, right to freely elect leaders and to stand in any party elections must be entrenched into our party's internal democratic tenets and never deviated from. The days of imposition, chicanery and favouritism in our internal electoral processes are dead and buried; never to be resurrected no matter the person's status or standing. We have always been and will always be obligated to do everything in the interest of the people and rely on their strength, and carry out the principle of the people to the people. We must fully respect their wishes, experience, rights and roles. We should cherish the power conferred on us by the people and our party membership and exercise it discreetly and welcome their supervision. The "voice of the people is the voice of God".Distinguished Guests; Comrade Delegates;The primary elections have come and gone, although we may have to direct a few re-runs, the task ahead is much greater; hence the call in our 2018 manifesto theme to "UNITE" must be loud and unequivocal.Furthermore, as we reflect on the recent primary elections, and ready ourselves for a united, solid and formidable campaign ahead, I encourage us to be guided by our party constitution, which obligates each and every one of us to be loyal to the party and to observe and abide by its policies, rules and regulations. Equally, as demanded by the constitution, each member must strengthen, promote and defend the party and popularise its policies among the people.The party is bigger than its individual members; it is a mass party, the people's party! Zanu-PF ihomwe, tose tinokwana mu pocket ye Zanu-PF. Asi iwe ukada kutora Zanu-PF uchiisa muhomwe yako inokupisa ugotsva, uchingotsva, kusvika wayibudisa muhomwe mako."IZanu-PF yisikhwama, sonke siyakwana kuZanu-PF, ayikwani esikhwameni somuntu".As such, we as members of the party must recognise the enormousness of the party and its rich ideology. As we enter the next phase of our election preparation, I call upon us to be honest and honourable in our dealings both with the party and public. Let us continually thrive to tow the party line at all cost. Let us put our differences aside and campaign for the thunderous victory of our revolutionary party; the party of our heritage, our future and posterity. Let us shun the propensity for bickering, an unfettered sense of entitlement and general indiscipline. A house divided cannot stand and indeed where there is unity God commands His blessings.Comrade Delegates;Today we launch the 2018 people's manifesto under the theme, "UNITE, FIGHT CORRUPTION, DEVELOP, RE-ENGAGE AND CREATE JOBS". This election blueprint will guide us as we prepare for elections and equally guide the next Government in the implementation of its policies and programmes. This launch therefore marks the beginning of honest, people-centred, hard work, to win the hearts and minds of the electorate; not as an end in itself, but because we know that Zimbabwe is safe in our hands; Zimbabwe is safe in the hands of Zanu-PF.To this end, the focus of our party, as I outlined at the Extraordinary session of the National People's Congress in December 2017, is no longer politics, politics and politics; but politics and economics. The days of politics without action are dead and gone. We must now more than ever before be determined to rebuild our country through resuscitating and modernising all sectors of our economy.Ladies and Gentlemen;As we launch this campaign manifesto, the party and its Government have taken bold decisions under my administration to implement a raft of measures aimed at creating a conducive environment for economic growth and development. We have thus taken the steps to transform our economic model to that which is open, transparent and inclusive; guided by the mantra "Zimbabwe is Open for Business" this was informed by the realisation that sustainable development cannot be inward and isolationist. We need win-win partnerships and foreign investment to catapult our country to the levels of development we must attain in the shortest possible time. While every coin has two sides, it is paramount that we recognise both the advantages and possible challenges that may arise from this strategy and prepare appropriately for it, always striving for the best possible result.To this end, the party will ensure that Government continues with the robust re-engagement process with the international community, through consolidating the relations with our friends and neighbours who have stood with us through thick and thin over the years, while also creating new partnerships and friendships to propel national socio-economic development. The need to attract foreign direct investment must therefore be understood in this light. I am pleased to report that to date, we have over $11 billion worth of investment commitments. We as the party, going forward, will ensure that these are consummated, have in-built mechanisms to strengthen value chains and improve the quality and standard of living of our people throughout all provinces.As outlined in the manifesto, we will continue to improve the investment climate in the country through instituting the requisite macro-economic reforms, expediting the ease of doing business reforms; industry competitiveness, infrastructure development, technology and innovation, as well as enhancing public sector accountability and transparency; simplifying business procedures, removing inhibitive and exorbitant fees and levies and increasing efficiency at all levels.Distinguished Guests;Through this manifesto and election, the party must champion inclusive growth through full and properly planned and coordinated utilisation of the abundant natural resources that are abound in our country and remain largely untapped. Agriculture is the mainstay of our economy and we must consolidate our position in this regard through an aggressive and accelerated modernisation and mechanisation drive as well as the use of new scientific methods to increase productivity in every sector.We must therefore move speedily from focusing on primary production to value addition and full exploitation of our produce through the creation of the related industry-chains, such as cotton to cloth, soya to cooking oil and hide to leather.In this regard, the party will ensure that the Command Agriculture programme is broadened and adequately financed to increase support of our farmers in cropping, livestock, fisheries and wildlife. Furthermore, we will continue the financing of the Presidential Input Scheme. These initiatives will undoubtedly increase land utilisation, productivity as well as skills and technical knowledge in the agriculture sector.In the quest to ensure perpetual food self-sufficiency and increase export capacity of our farmers, plans are in place for dam construction and the acquisition of equipment for increasing irrigation capacity. Institutions of higher learning will continue to be encouraged to exploit the opportunities that are available in the agriculture-engineering and equipment manufacturing sub-sectors.The party going forward, will also champion the production and export of horticulture, livestock and organic agriculture produce. In addition, the promotion of agro-processing and canning of fruits and vegetables, oil processing as well as leather tanning will be prioritised with greater involvement of SMEs, women and youths.Related Stories:The mining sector continues to be one of the leading sources of investment and export earning with a huge impact on employment opportunities and the economy. Gold mining, a key contributor to our economy, continues to recover, while platinum, lithium and other minerals have equally experienced increased investment to date. We, however, must ensure sustainable mining practices which recognise the need to protect and preserve the environment for posterity.Tourism, manufacturing and all other economic sub-sectors will continue to be given the requisite attention.The party recognises the role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector as the vital engine for economic growth. Experience has shown that SMEs are more dynamic, require relatively less capital, are flexible and responsive to changes in the market place. We note that this sector has continued to generate significant levels of employment for skilled and semi-skilled labour. The party is fully committed to the development of the sector and availing the decent infrastructure and operating legislative framework that will ensure the sector grows, harnessing new technologies to grow their business and improve the quality of their products for both the domestic and export markets.Due to wear and tear of our key infrastructure as well as the anticipated economic boom, the rehabilitation and construction of key infrastructure such as roads, bridges, railways and airports have become a priority. While to date meaningful inroads have been made to secure investments into this sector, the implementation of agreed projects will be accelerated with definitive and clear timeframes for completion. In addition, the party remains committed to ensure implementation of investments in energy, transport, housing and water and sanitation.The implementation of Special Economic Zones will be accelerated as a strategy to speed up industrialisation as well as attract FDI. These will be designated around geographical areas and specific strategic products. Both local and foreign businesses are encouraged to utilise these zones and benefit from the attendant incentives not only for our local, regional consumption, but for the broader global markets.Ladies and Gentlemen;Zanu-PF, the people's party, is committed to improve the people's livelihoods and quality of life as well as the achievement of common prosperity, we will in this regard attend to the revitalise the strained conditions in all our social services sector with focus on the health delivery system; improving the quality and relevance of education; and the need for water and sanitation provision.To this end, the Zanu-PF Government will continue to prioritise the access of affordable and quality health care; the rehabilitation of public health care infrastructure and construction of new healthcare facilities, particularly in rural and resettlement areas. In addition, the importance to supporting operational research and also developing, a vibrant pharmaceutical industry to increase the availability and affordability of drugs, are areas which will be boldly addressed.Housing is an integral issue in our lives and relates not only to people's livelihood, but also to the development of the country. As such, the Zanu-PF Government is alive to the need to provide decent housing for all communities, especially women, youths, and vulnerable members of our society. In this regard, plans are underway to increase housing provision, leveraging on new technologies through both Government and private sector participation.Noting the haphazard unplanned and often chaotic sprouting of urban developments over recent years, plans are also in place to ensure the realignment of service provision standards in all areas such as water reticulation, electricity, roads, water and sanitation among other support infrastructure. Although these may not be achieved overnight, we are more resolved to address all the problems standing in the way of decent housing supply. Meanwhile, the party has a zero tolerance for land barons and those found on the wrong side of the law will be brought to book without fear or favour.Comrades, the party is mindful of the plight of the rural populations and the need to develop and create rural economies and improve the overall quality of lives of our people at the grassroots level. Through the initiatives from the Government as well as the goodwill from friendly countries, we shall increase the availability and access of clean water through the drilling of more boreholes; accelerate the electrification of our rural areas; and ensure development based poverty alleviation programmes which enhance use of locally available resources resulting in increased employment creation at community level. These are aspects my Government will be addressing going forward.Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests;Education is the foundation of national development and is key to raising a new generation that will create a better future through the passing on of culture, knowledge and skills. The last 37 years of our independence have witnessed an unparalleled increase in the number of schools and institutions of higher learning as well as learners attending school.Going forward, the provision of quality education will be a key focus of the Zanu-PF Government in order to lay a firm foundation for the development of quality human resources for the country's socio-economic requirements. In this regard, we are determined to achieve quality, inclusive and equitable education encompassing all aspects of education.We have, however, noted the shortages of educational infrastructure within primary, secondary and institutions of higher learning. Government will directly ensure expansion of available infrastructure and will also in some instances pursue investments into this sector through different financing models such as joint ventures, Build Operate and Transfer or PPPs.Equally, we remain concerned that many deserving learners prematurely end their academic journey due to lack of finance. To this end, the Zanu-PF will continue to provide vulnerable learners with education assistance under the Basic Education Assistance Model (BEAM). In addition, the need for flexible and affordable student loan financing is imperative and Government will facilitate the development of innovative, responsive and affordable credit facilities to ensure sustainable education financing of higher education.The Zanu-PF Government is committed to do everything possible to ensure that education remains relevant. The implementation of the updated competence-based curriculum will be accelerated. In addition, institutions of higher learning will be urged to increase collaboration with industry as well as encourage research and development, innovation and ICT-based knowledge growth to ensure that the whole spectrum of the education is relevant to our economic growth agenda and supports and sustains the transition from school to the world of work.Ladies and Gentlemen;The country's demographics show that the women and youth constitute a larger percentage of our population, as such to ignore this all important sector will be to incapacitate the potential of our great nation. The Zanu-PF Government will thus continue to accelerate strategies that increase the participation of women and youth in both the economy and governance. Of equal importance is the plight of workers, people living with disabilities as well as veterans of our liberation struggle.The youth are the future of Zimbabwe and the Zanu-PF Government will continue to create an environment that will help them to fully participate in the country's development. More importantly, we must ensure that sustainable and broad-based youth empowerment programmes and policies are advanced and implemented as a matter of extreme urgency.The party will continue to strive towards the achievement of gender equality in all political and socio-economic spheres. In addition, the Government will speed up plans that will facilitate women ownership and control of productive resources as well as their participation in the value chains in key economic sectors.The labour force is pivotal in shaping our destiny and as the economy expands it is our pledge that the plight and rights of workers will be always be guaranteed and protected. The condition of service of our teachers, health workers, security forces and general civil servants will be reviewed with the view of improving them. Meanwhile, our Government is putting in place a raft of measures to address the challenges of cash shortages.Comrade Delegates;Our Party Constitution in Article 2 Section 9 obligates the party "to create conditions for the establishment of a democratic, political and social order which guarantees in perpetuity that the Government of the state shall be answerable to the people through periodic free and fair elections based on universal adult's suffrage". We are here to prepare for the elections in fulfilment of this fundamental provision.Before this revolutionary gathering is Team Zanu-PF, who are the party candidates to the upcoming senatorial, parliamentary, provincial, and council elections. I now appeal to my fellow candidates to now go out and humbly canvas for the vote of the people of Zimbabwe. Ours is a call to be servants of the people. Let us thrive to go out there to win the hearts and minds of the people for them to vote for our party. Victory is certain.Distinguished guests, ladies, Gentlemen, Comrades and Friends; with these words I declare the Zanu-PF 2018 Election Manifesto and campaign officially launched.I thank you.
By Susan Taylor TORONTO (Reuters) - Aluminum producer Alcoa Corp said on Friday that management at its Quebec smelter have notified the provincial labor ministry they are ready to resume mediated contract talks with the United Steelworkers union. The smelter, which produces some 430,000 metric tonnes of aluminum annually, has been operating at reduced capacity by non-union workers since Jan. 11, when 1,030 unionized workers were locked out after their contract expired. Aluminum markets, roiled for weeks by U.S. sanctions on Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska and the massive Rusal aluminum producer he controls, calmed with the extension of a sanctions deadline to Oct. 23. Prices, which hit a seven-year high of $2,718 per tonne on April 19, were down at $2,350 a tonne Friday. The United Steelworkers welcome a return to contract talks, a spokeswoman said. Union workers rejected the company's final contract offer because it included a new, member-funded pension plan for all workers and concessions on seniority rights, the Steelworkers said. Quebec appointed lawyer and former politician Lucien Bouchard as special mediator to the talks on April 23, saying it was very concerned about the dispute's economic impact. Bouchard and another mediator, appointed in November, will set dates for future negotiations. Alcoa, which holds its annual meeting May 9, owns 74.95 percent of the Becancour, Quebec smelter and Rio Tinto holds the remainder. (Reporting by Susan Taylor; Editing by Susan Thomas)
A raccoon stuck inside an Air Canada jet delayed a Toronto-bound flight for several hours on Thursday at Saskatoon's airport.

The animal was apparently, according to the airline, hidden inside the hose of an air conditioning unit when a ground crew connected the unit to the plane.

The raccoon then "scampered up and into the duct system," of the Embraer E190, said spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick in an email to CBC News.

Flight AC1126 was supposed to take off at 2:50 p.m. CST.

Instead, passengers like Damien Lee watched the drama unfold from the terminal.

"For the first hour, it was really novel," said Lee, a University of Saskatchewan assistant professor headed to Toronto to hunt for a new apartment. "No one's ever seen anything like this."

But after three hours people were "starting to get a little more cranky, a little less interested," he said.

Panels removed from plane

Lee noticed something was up when the bags from the previous flight were being unloaded.

A member of the ground crew was "kind of wide-eyed; you could see that he was really surprised and not sure what to do."

Within an hour, up to 15 people were huddled outside the plane, including flight staff and members of an animal control unit, according to Lee.

Eventually some panels were taken off the plane.

At 8:27 p.m., Lee texted CBC News.

"The raccoon is out. Alive," he said. But it had also escaped.

Lee sent a photo of a man holding an animal carrier on the tarmac.

The unidentified man did "a lot of the work" trying to get the raccoon out, said Lee.

But, he said, "the raccoon is NOT in the kennel It ran off."

Stephen Maybury, the president and CEO of the Saskatoon Airport Authority, said the incident is certainly unusual but not unprecedented  last year bees delayed a WestJet flight at the same airport.

Lee said he has no ill will against the airline, which gave out $10 food vouchers to passengers mid-way through the wait.

"They're doing really all they can do," he said. "This is not human error, I would say."

Customers were also offered a discount on a future flight.
This Canadian artist is shining a light on Somalia with a photo tribute to his grandmother

A thousand little lines etched onto her face quietly tell a story of struggle and resilience, of dreams fulfilled and not  of a life not to be forgotten.

In the eyes of a woman he met halfway around the world in Somalia, Canadian artist Yasin Osman saw his own grandmother.

Only it wasn't. Osman's own ayeeyo (grandmother) had just passed, her words echoing in his mind, inspiring him to use his photography to show a part of Somalia most of the world had never seen or bothered to see.

"Remember me," the woman told him as they parted.

A chance to shine a light

Just months earlier, Osman was sitting with his grandmother in the United Kingdom where she lived during their first visit together in nearly a decade. They spoke of the future, Osman weighing leaving his job as an early childhood educator to pursue photography full time.

His grandmother motioned to the television screen, where a Somali journalist was telling a positive story about her home country.

"I will pray for you," Osman's grandmother told him, on one condition. She would support his career choice if he promised to use his gift of photography to do good for Somalia.

It was to be one of their final conversations.

Traveling to Somalia wasn't in Osman's immediate plans. But when he returned to Toronto following his grandmother's death, he quit his job and set about looking for ways to fulfil his promise.

It wasn't long before he came across the an online famine relief campaign a called Love Army for Somalia and started messaging back and forth with Jerome Jarre, one of the social media celebrities involved, sending samples of his work. Jarre, remembers Osman, was immediately drawn to his work, and invited him to come to Somalia to help document the effects of the drought.

It was a chance to shine a light on stories of Somalis that rarely made headlines.

Shoot For Peace

An only child raised by a single mother in Toronto's Regent Park neighbourhood, Osman knew all too well the dark shadow cast by negative stereotypes, teasing about Somalis being pirates, the assumptions that his was a community infiltrated by gangs.

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"When I grew up, there was a lot of gun violence in Regent Park and so how I wanted to tackle that issue was by using my gift  I believe every single person in this world has a gift  and I wanted to share my gift by teaching young kids about photography."

That desire is what sparked Shoot For Peace, a weekly program for children in Osman's childhood neighbourhood to learn to express themselves through the art of photography. Every Sunday beginning in the fall of 2015, Osman would get together with a group of kids, letting them take snaps of things and people that mattered to them.

"It didn't cost us money to just walk around the neighbourhood with a camera... And it was amazing because the kids were slowly opening up."

But it was when one of the young boys came up to Osman and said he didn't realize he could do anything besides what he'd learned in school, that he might want to become a photographer, that Osman realized how powerful the program could really be.

"Just for him to have that choice, that option of doing something other than what he knew about... It made me really feel like I did the right thing."

'We are all your brothers'

Fast forward to 2017, Osman found himself on a flight to Mogadishu for his very first visit to Somalia to in his own way to put a human face to a country so much of the world associated with crisis.

"I remember being on the plane and it was a really emotional flight for me because I remember thinking how happy my grandmother would have been if she knew that I fulfilled my promise of going back," he said.

The Somalia he saw was nothing like the stereotypes he'd heard growing up  there were engineers, doctors, teachers, mothers, elders, children, ordinary people that looked like Osman and were working to support their communities.

"When I first got out of the plane and I went into one of the vehicles, the man asked me, 'How many siblings do you have back in Toronto?'"

"I don't have any siblings," Osman remembers replying. "Then he grabbed my hand and he said, 'Stop, don't say that, I am your brother and we are all your brothers.' That really touched me."

"That's what I wanted to show... I wanted to show the beautiful and amazing and resilient people that we are because a lot of times that's not what's translated into the media."

Then there was Amir, about six or seven years old. Osman had brought along some treats for the kids and Amir was handing them out to his friends, so Osman said to him, "Why don't you take some to keep for yourself?"

"And he said to me, 'Why would I keep them for myself when we don't know if tomorrow's coming?'"

And of course there was the ayeeyo who looked so much like his own  a reminder of who and what all this was for.

"So creating this exhibit and making this a tribute to her... this was kind of like a love-letter to her, to say, 'I did what you told me. And I hope you're proud of me.'"
The Abbotsford Police Department says fraudsters are passing fake $20 bills at local businesses.

Officers say the fake bills are computer-printed and have a clear plastic fake hologram taped to them.

"Businesses are likely to be targeted during busy periods or when less experienced staff is working," said a release from APD.

Police are asking people to look closely at the bills and watch for the following criteria:

- Make sure the denomination in the hologram matches the denomination on the banknote; the hologram of the fake currency is blank.

- Feel the bill: counterfeit currency is rough whereas the authentic polymer bill is smooth.

- Ensure that the edges of the bill are straight and that it has the same dimensions as other bills; fake bills are often poorly cut and are not of uniform size.

- Images on the bill should be crisp and well defined; the images on counterfeit bills are sometimes unclear.

For more information on how authentic Canadian currency should look visit the Bank of Canada web site.

No reimbursement

Police say that if a business suspects a $20 bill it is being offered is not legitimate, employees should refuse the bill, ask for a different one and advise the person offering it to have it checked at a bank or with police.

"When requesting an alternate bill, be polite; the person in possession of the bill could be an innocent victim who does not realize that the bill is counterfeit," said APD.

The force says only to ask for an alternative bill if doing so does not put an employee at risk.

However, once a fake bill is in the possession of a business, it is their responsibility to surrender it to the bank or police. Businesses surrendering counterfeit bills do not get reimbursed.

"The best defence against this type of fraud is vigilance at the time of the transaction," said police.
High winds in southern Ontario area leave 2 dead, and more than 100,000 without power

Powerful winds wreaked havoc in southern Ontario's Golden Horseshoe region on Friday, leaving 100,000 people without power and claiming at least two lives.

Just before 7 p.m. in Hamilton, a man in his 50s was found unconscious on a road and "in contact with live wires," a release sent out by Hamilton police said.

Witnesses told police they saw the man trying to clear the wires from the roadway.

Shortly after emergency services arrived the man was pronounced dead.

Halton Regional Police say a man was killed while working to clear trees near Fourth Line and 20 Sideroad in Halton Hills just before 5 p.m.

Police said a tree fell on two men. One was pronounced dead at the scene while another was rushed to hospital in life-threatening condition. The Ministry of Labour is investigating.

'We've got a long night ahead of us,' fire chief says

Between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday evening, Toronto fire crews responded to 685 calls, Toronto fire Chief Matthew Pegg said.

The high volume of calls sparked a "severe weather protocol," said the chief. That means fire services will "significantly reduce" the number of trucks and crews that respond to each incident, he said.

Crews are prioritizing calls, which means  as of 10 p.m.  more than 100 lower-priority calls are being kept in a queue waiting for crews to become available.

"We've got a long night ahead of us, for sure," Pegg said.

Most of the calls coming in are related to the "extraordinary wind" that brought down trees and wires and sent debris flying, he said. Numerous other calls were for people trapped in elevators due to power outages.

Pearson flights back up after grounding

Pearson airport has resumed flights after grounding planes for over an hour because of high winds.

But the strong winds continue to be a factor, which means travellers may still experience delays, a tweet by the airport says.

A severe thunderstorm warning for Toronto has ended, but the city remains under a wind warning with gusts of 90 to 100 km/h, and thousands are without power as a result.

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The weather was also to blame for a tree narrowly missing a school bus in Mississauga on Friday afternoon.

Peel police were called to the area of Sayers and Clarkson roads just before 3:30 p.m. Several students were on board, but no one was injured, police said.

Several disruptions for TTC and GO

The TTC is experiencing a number of suspensions and route diversions due to debris on tracks and roadways.

Service on sections of Line 2, between Kipling and Islington stations, and at Victoria Park to Kennedy stations, was suspended due to debris and a fallen tree on the tracks, but service had resumed as of 8 p.m.

A fallen tree at Exhibition loop, which diverted the 509 Exhibition and 511 Bathurst streetcars, has been cleared.

Signs which fell on wires and closed the main entrance of St. Clair station, and diverted the 512 St. Clair streetcar, have also been cleared and the vehicles have resumed regular routing.

For all other diversions and delays, check the official TTC Twitter page.

Expect delays if you're taking a GO train or bus. Most lines were affected by the weather on Friday, with traffic at many crossings throughout the region needing to be manually stopped due to power outages or broken train crossing gates, said Metrolinx spokesperson Vanessa Barrasa.

"We still have major general delays. There are a lot of cancellations throughout the entire network," she said. "Mother Nature was really against us."

The UP Express train is back in service after being suspended for a few hours because of high winds causing mechanical problems and debris on the track.

Thousands in the dark

Meanwhile, Hydro One says the high winds and thunderstorms are to blame for over 126,000 of its customers being in the dark across the province.

In Milton, the winds downed 12 hydro poles in the First Line and Britannia area, leaving some 10,000 customers without power.

Nearly 68,000 Toronto Hydro customers are also without power. The utility says it is experiencing "scattered" outages throughout the city, and it says restoration times are expected to be lengthy.

High Park and the roads around it have been closed temporarily, Toronto police tweeted.

Winds will make driving difficult, Environment Canada says

Rob Kuhn, a severe weather meteorologist at Environment Canada, said the winds "could make driving rather difficult," especially during the afternoon and on exposed highways.

"You'll feel it tugging on the wheel," he said.

A thunderstorm warning had been issued for Toronto on Friday afternoon, but has since ended.

In a tweet, Toronto police explained that construction cranes would be left "in neutral positions" to prepare for the storm, and will be allowed to swing in the wind.

The areas in the path of the storms also include Hamilton, Mississauga, Burlington, Brampton, Oakville, Vaughan, Newmarket, Uxbridge and Oshawa.

The afternoon saw a high of 25 C, with a humidex of 29 C, but by late evening, temperatures will drop down to about 7 C.
Will putting warning stickers on opioid medications and giving patients leaflets each time they get a prescription filled make a difference in overdose prevention? There's research suggesting it may, but the rollout could be an experiment in the midst of a crisis.

Opioid pain relievers include oxycodone, morphine, hydromorphone, fentanyl and codeine. Canadians are increasingly using both prescription and illegal versions, Health Canada says, which has contributed to opioid addiction and deaths.

Starting in October, Health Canada's new regulations will include three main changes:

- Require prescription opioids to come with a yellow, rectangular warning sticker saying opioids can cause dependence, addiction and overdose.

- Add a one-page handout that aims to provide concise and consistent information on the risks of opoids.

- Require drug companies to make risk-management plans.

Petra Schulz, co-founder of Moms Stop The Harm, a coalition of Canadian mothers who have children affected by addiction, applauded the warning stickers and information handout, but said she'd like an extra step: a sheet highlighting how to respond to overdoses to help save lives.

Part of the problem is that first aid courses don't show you what an overdose looks like, Schulz said.

"So many times I hear, 'I thought he was sleeping it off. He was snoring. She was sleeping," said Schulz, who lost her 25-year-old son Danny to a fentanyl overdose in 2014. "If you don't get the information in the hands of people, you're leaving them at risk."

Too many loved ones are started on an opioid prescription without being aware of the harms the drugs can caused if not used correctly, Schulz said. What's more, every individual responds differently. An opioid overdose suppresses breathing, and the longer the brain lacks adequate oxygen, the greater the risk of suffering damage.

"I feel that everyone who receives opioid pain medication for any reason, especially those who get long-term prescriptions should be made aware of all risks, including drug dependence and overdose risks, so the patient can make an informed decision and explore alternate pain relief whenever possible."

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The stickers will act as reminder of the risks to patients every time they go to use the drugs, said Dr. Supriya Sharma, Health Canada's chief medical adviser in Ottawa.

"We want patients to have ongoing conversations with their health-care providers and pharmacists about the risks and the benefits of prescription opioids," Sharma told reporters on Wednesday. "These stickers and handouts will help continue those conversations."

Leaflets promote dialogue

Prescribed medications in Canada carry several warning stickers and most are unregulated, Sharma said, making it difficult to have information on their effectiveness.

"But there are a number of studies showing how provision of information at point of sale in the form of a patient leaflet actually helps both the dialogue that the patients have with the pharmacists as well as provide consistent information. There's some studies that were done in the U.K. that talk about the effectiveness of that practice as well as in the United States."

The other new aspect places conditions on drug makers, such as requiring and detailing how they need to monitor for adverse events.

Watch for vested interests

"Practically all of the opioids were actually approved at a time when we didn't have risk-management plans, so this is a way to have manufacturers have the obligation that they put these plans in place," Sharma said.

Dr. Abhimanyu Sud is director of the Safer Opioid Prescribing Program and a family physician in Toronto. He's one of many physicians Health Canada canvassed about the opioid stickers, which he called a no-brainer to help patients.

But Sud is weary of the pharmaceutical industry developing and delivering risk management plans, because he says they have a vested interest in manufacturing, distributing and profiting off the use of the drugs.

"If Health Canada believes opioid prescribing education is wanting in Canada and in the public interest, they should fund development of high quality programs using taxpayer dollars, rather than looping in the pharmaceutical industry," Sud said in an email on Thursday.

Alberta's College of Pharmacists said it supports the need for individuals who use opioid medications to be informed, monitored and supported.

"Our college is developing our own opioid information pamphlet to be available through pharmacies. That said, discussions about the risks and benefits of using opioid medications must start at the point of prescribing."

In a statement, the Ordre des pharmaciens du Quebec, which includes pharmacists in that province, said patients who use opioids need support and follow-up on their drug therapy "that is adapted to their needs." For instance, people taking opioids such as methadone or Suboxone to manage an addiction may need different information.
The relentless screech and hiss of heavy machinery slicing and moulding steel plates are signs that business is booming at Estampro Inc., a metal parts plant in Saint-Evariste-de-Forsyth, 130 kilometres south of Quebec City.

Above the cacophony, Idir Merakeb, 34, belts out a laugh when another employee tells him a joke.

Merakeb is a project manager and cost estimator for the company that supplies parts for windmills, trucks and military vehicles.

The native of northern Algeria's Kabylie region feels right at home amid the noise and camaraderie, transplanted in the village of 540 tucked away in Quebec's southern Beauce.

"It's a little bit colder in winter," he admits.

For as long as he can remember, Merakeb has had his heart set on living in North America, to "live the American dream  and why not the Canadian-Quebecois dream?" he asks.

Canada, he says, is "a country of freedom, safety and equal chances for everybody, regardless of their origins, religion, sexual orientation."

Diploma not recognized

However, when Merakeb first landed in the province in the fall of 2016, the life he had imagined for himself seemed a dream, indeed.

The only job he could land was at a Montreal call centre.

As a mechanical engineer who's worked in Russia, Jordan and Qatar for an international oil-field service company, not being able to work in his field in Quebec was difficult to accept.

"I was an engineer doing calculations and plans for wells in the middle of the sea," explained Merakeb, "and then all of a sudden, I'm in Montreal  it's a beautiful city, but I'm not working. I'm not using my skills."

Merakeb said one of the stumbling blocks in his job hunt was his lack of contacts.

He said lots of companies depend on networking to find employees, but as a newcomer, he had no network.

As well, Quebec didn't recognize his engineering diploma and skills.

"You cannot just go and see an employer and say, 'Yes, I'm an engineer!,'" Merakeb said.

Story continues

Test to find skilled workers

Merakeb's circumstances changed after he attended a job fair in Montreal and met Francois Lefort, an industrial psychologist and Estampro's human resources manager.

Lefort realized the work experience Merakeb had could be put to use in his region.

"We need skilled workers in the Beauce," Lefort said.

In order to determine Merakeb's skill level, Lefort had him undergo a test he'd developed which determines people's aptitudes to work in highly computerized and roboticized factories.

Called ERPS 360, the test quantified Merakeb's skills. The results are recognized by companies in Quebec, even if his diploma is not.

Ultimately, that's what led him to his current job with Estampro.

67 job interviews

For Youcef Moulahcene, too, Lefort's ERPS 360 test proved to be a game changer.

Without it, he thinks it would have taken him years to find his job as project manager with MCM Integration, a Montreal firm that designs and manufactures charging stations for electric cars and urban telecom infrastructure.

Moulahcene, a university classmate of Merakeb's, worked in China and all over Europe before immigrating to Canada.

"I spent most of my time living on planes," he said. He wanted a job that would allow him to spend more time at home, and Canada beckoned.

"In the sixth grade, I had a test on world flags and I chose to draw the Canadian flag," he explained.

"It stayed with me."

However, after arriving in the summer of 2016, Moulahcene realized the new life he'd imagined for himself and his family might not come with the job he wanted.

"I went through 67 job interviews," he said  and that was only for jobs in his field.

He had countless more for work in the customer service sector, but until he reconnected with his old friend Merakeb in Montreal, accompanying him to the job fair where they crossed paths with Lefort, the only employment he could find was as a telemarketer.

Moulahcene said on top of having him undergo the ERPS 360 test, Lefort helped him fine-tune his resume and prepared him for interviews.

The rest is history.

'We can build something great'

"Sometimes we look at a diploma coming from elsewhere than Canada or the States and say, 'They're probably not as strong as we are,'" Lefort said.

Lefort says often, newcomers end up having to go back to school to redo their engineering studies.

"That's why I offered them ERPS 360," he said, "to make sure that the future employer would know how skilled they are."

As the province grapples with a major labour shortage, Lefort says, the test could become a great tool for companies looking to hire any worker that may have fallen through the cracks  not just newcomers.

Merakeb says being recognized for his skills has made him feel empowered.

He thinks the government should make it easier for people to have their skills recognized, regardless of where they were born or where their diplomas are from.

"Let people show you that we can build something great," Merakeb said.

In the end, he said, that will help Quebec companies to compete  "not only in North America, but around the world."
The threat of fentanyl-laced drugs has Islanders talking after a public alert issued by P.E.I.'s Department of Health warned that fentanyl was found in cocaine seized by Charlottetown Police.

Green Party leader Peter Bevan-Baker asked in the P.E.I. legislature Friday what government is doing to make naloxone  a life saving opioid antidote  available to Islanders at risk of overdose.

"It's important for us as a department to put that information out there for Islanders that may indeed be using street drugs, so they are aware of this and this is a caution to them," replied Robert Mitchell, minister of Health and Wellness.

"Today naloxone is available at all needle exchange sites, province addictions centre, and provincial correctional centres. Island EMS have kits as well as all police forces," Mitchell said.

Kits are also available at UPEI through campus security, as well as in hospitals, and can be purchased for approximately $50 at most Island pharmacies.

One fentanyl-related death in P.E.I.

Bevan-Baker then asked whether the Minister was aware of any fentanyl-related deaths on the Island.

Mitchell didn't have the answer on hand, but his department later released a statement.

"Of the six accidental apparent opioid-related deaths reported in P.E.I. since 2016, one has included fentanyl in the mixed toxicology," the statement said.

Mixed toxicology means that one or more opioids were combined with one or more non-opioid substances like alcohol, a spokesperson explained.

According to the department, surveillance of overdoses and deaths started in 2016, and is reported quarterly on the Health and Wellness website.

'Less than other jurisdictions'

Referencing the opioid crisis and thousands of fentanyl-related deaths in Canada, Bevan-Baker asked what P.E.I.'s Department of Health intends to do to take a proactive approach to protecting the lives of Islanders addicted to drugs.

"Prince Edward Island is not immune to opioid use in our wonderful province," responded Mitchell.

Story continues

"But our occurrences are significantly less than other jurisdictions, and this is in part because of our methadone program that we recently put in in the past few years."

Mitchell also credited close families with helping Islanders struggling with addiction, as well as existing addictions facilities.

'Scary situation'

Politicians aren't the only ones giving more thought to the presence of fentanyl in the province and what can be done to keep Islanders safe.

Some P.E.I. businesses and community groups are considering having the kits on hand.

"It's definitely a scary situation and it's something that people have to be aware of, that's for sure," said Mike MacDonald, manager of the Upper Room Food Bank in Charlottetown.

"And with our organization, we figured we'd better take some steps in protecting our clients."

MacDonald plans to stock a couple kits at both the food bank and the soup kitchen and is currently looking into costs and training.

"We hope that it would never be needed," said MacDonald. "But I think it would make myself and our staff and volunteers that much more comfortable knowing we do have the kits. The individuals that use our services are dear to our hearts, and we'll do whatever it takes to help them."

"It's important to be prepared for hopefully a situation that will never happen," MacDonald added.

More P.E.I. News:
New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant says he has not ruled out declaring a state of emergency or calling in the army to assist with unprecedented flooding in the province, which is expected to continue for at least the next five days.

He made the comments Saturday in response to criticisms as floodwaters continued to rise in the southern part of the province, forcing more than 800 people from their homes and closing roadways, including the Trans-Canada Highway between Fredericton and Moncton, and Route 10 in Chipman.

Gallant said he did call in the Canadian Coast Guard earlier this week, which equates to requesting naval support.

"If we need additional resources, whether it be with the Canadian Coast Guard, or whether it be with the army, we are definitely prepared to ask for it.

"But we are going to listen to the officials and the experts that are saying that at this point they feel the resources we have with the Canadian Coast Guard support is exactly what we need to keep people safe."

The flooding is already into its second week and once water levels stop rising, the water likely won't recede for several days.

The Canadian Red Cross has announced an appeal for donations to support ongoing relief efforts, long-term recovery, resiliency and preparedness. Anyone interested in donating can call 1-800-418-1111 or visit www.redcross.ca.

On Saturday, the St. John River swelled to 5.5 metres, well above the flood stage of 4.2 metres, and emergency officials warn the flooding is expected to get worse along the southern regions with rain in the forecast and continuing spring melt.

Residents in those regions should "exercise extreme caution [and] remain alert," New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization director Greg MacCallum advised during a 2:30 p.m. news conference.

"There's areas where there's still time for people to self-evacuate safely on their own over open roads, but they'll need to make that decision soon in many cases because we continue to have road impacts and closures," he said.

Story continues

Anyone who hasn't taken any precautions "should be now seriously considering evacuating," because there are reported instances of people running out of critical supplies, he added.

As of Saturday afternoon, 851 people from across the province had registered as evacuees with the Red Cross. All evacuees are urged to register, even if they don't require assistance.

EMO doesn't want to direct responders to locations to check on people who have already left, said MacCallum. The information is also helpful when it comes to disconnecting power in homes threatened with flooding.

Winds hamper efforts

High winds Saturday have further complicated flood response, whipping up waves in already high water and causing floodwaters to gush over some of the estimated 350,000 sandbags distributed, resulting in additional damage to property and possessions.

The winds, which are gusting up to 70 kilometres an hour in some areas, are affecting rescue and evacuation efforts, particularly in the Grand Lake region, where boating is increasingly difficult in the choppy conditions, he said.

Some road barricades have also been knocked down or blown away, said MacCallum, urging motorists to be extra vigilant until crews can anchor down the barricades or replace them.

Up-to-date road closure information is available on the Department of Transportation's 511 website.

Widespread power outages

NB Power was reporting nearly 7,000 customers still without electricity across the province, as of 9:50 p.m. AT, due to broken branches and trees coming into contact with power lines and infrastructure.

The outages are widespread, but the bulk of them are in the Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe area, where more than 5,000 homes and businesses are without power.

No estimated restoration times are available, but crews are working to get customers back online as soon as possible and the utility is hoping to bring in extra crews from other provinces.

The Canadian Coast Guard launched three boats in Grand Bay-Westfield around 11 a.m. AT to assist the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization with flood relief.

Keith Laidlaw, deputy superintendent of environmental response for the Atlantic region, said crews will be patrolling the area and offering assistance, including evacuations.

Two boats, when not involved in evacuations or providing support ot emergency operations, are devoted to assisting Darlings Island residents, whose only road to the mainland has been blocked for days.

- On mobile? Follow our live coverage here.

- New Brunswick flood: Water levels by community  and what to expect

Fisheries and Oceans Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who is the minister responsible for the coast guard, said a total of seven vessels have been deployed and at least another seven are on standby.

Fisheries conservation and protection officers will also be providing patrol services to help alleviate concerns of people forced to leave their homes.

"We're standing ready to increase as is necessary to increase that support we can provide," he said.

The premier announced on Thursday that the province had enlisted help from the Coast Guard during the worst spring flood in more than 80 years.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement that's in effect for New Brunswick this weekend.

Another weather system will approach the region late Sunday evening. Environment Canada said between 10 and 20 millimetres of rain is possible for the southern part of the province.

This comes after New Brunswick saw up to 30 millimetres of rain and scattered thundershowers over central areas overnight.

"Due to the generally saturated soil conditions for most of the province, and remaining snowpack in the northern part of the province, last night's rainfall and the additional rain expected Sunday night could cause water levels to rise or at least stay constant into early next week," the weather agency said in a statement.

5-day water level predictions

Water levels in the Fredericton and Maugerville area are forecast to remain relatively stable at around eight metres, or 1.5 metres above flood stage, for the next two days. They could then "start to slowly decline," said Jasmin Boisvert, a water resources specialist with the Department of Environment and Local Government.

In Jemseg, the water is expected to rise to about 6.8 metres from the current 6.6 metres and before starting to decline around the fourth day, he said.

Similarly, levels in Grand Lake are predicted to reach 6.9 metres and then start to decline around the fourth day.

In the Sheffield-Lakeville Corner region, the forecast indicates water levels will stay stable around 6.9 to 7 metres and start to decline on the fourth day.

Water levels in Oak Point are forecast to rise to six metres over the next 48 hours and then start to decline a few days later.

Meanwhile, the Quispamsis-Saint John area is expected to hit 5.8 metres over the next two or three days and then start to decline.

"These forecasts are subject to change depending on upcoming day-to-day weather," said Boisvert. "Four days is long ways off and a lot can change in the meantime."

He also stressed the declining floodwaters "will not disappear overnight.

"It will take several days or longer before waters levels recede below flood stage so please plan accordingly."

'Mother Nature  has a mind of her own'

Officials urge anyone in communities such as Grand Lake, Jemseg, Gagetown, Hampstead, Belleisle, Oak Point, Grand Bay-Westfield, Quispamsis and Saint John to be on high alert.

"Right now, keeping people out of harm's way is the priority," the premier said on Saturday morning. "Mother Nature  has a mind of her own and we'll have to deal with what comes at us."

Gallant encouraged people to be vigilant and leave their homes, stay with family and friends and avoid closed roads.

"This is a flood we have never seen before," he said.

- Anticipated Westfield Road closure could isolate 800 homes Saturday, city warns

- Flood waves crash wedding, send ceremony to higher ground

Earlier this week, Saint John issued a voluntary evacuation notice affecting about 2,000 residents in several neighbourhoods, and the province on Friday encouraged people to leave their homes before the weekend.

"Anyone who's not acted to take necessary precautions should prepare and heed warnings from local officials, including those in at-risk areas that have never experienced flooding," said Shawn Berry, spokesperson for the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization.

Roads closed because of flooding

Saint John EMO officials had warned Friday night that they might have to close all of Westfield Road on the city's west side, affecting about 1,400 residents. But they announced Saturday afternoon that city crews, with help from Galbraith Construction, are in the process of temporarily building up the road near Mellinger Crescent in order to keep it open.

Randolph Bridge, however, has been closed to all through traffic. Police are stationed at the barricade.

The Trans-Canada Highway between Fredericton and Moncton, which was closed in both directions Thursday shortly after 7 p.m., is expected to remain closed until early to mid-next week.

Motorists will be detoured to Route 1 at River Glade and to Route 7 at Oromocto.

Westbound traffic is being detoured to Route 1 at River Glade and eastbound traffic to Route 7 at Oromocto.

More than 140 provincial roads, bridges and culverts have been affected by flooding, including about 80 road closures.

Additional road closures are expected as water levels rise, EMO said.
David M. Weinberg is vice president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies, jiss.org.il. His personal website is davidmweinberg.com

Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

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..Israel Hayom..04 May '18..A new exhibit opening this month at the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington DC asks the question: What did Americans know in real time about the Nazi slaughter of Jews in Europe?Turns out that ordinary Americans, and certainly government decision-makers, knew a lot about Nazis and the Holocaust as it was happening  and quite early in the war.But this was based on partial information. There was no absolute proof, and nobody wanted to be branded an alarmist. Moreover, few wanted to pay the price of moral action.Turning a blind eye was somewhat easy, because there were no YouTube videos or satellite feeds, and no Facebook, WhatsApp or Twitter messages with pleas for help from Jews about to be gassed and incinerated.So people preferred to pretend they didn't know, or they could tell themselves that they weren't sure enough to act, or they could accept denials of the emerging atrocities at face value.You might say: There was no smoking gun.In today's world, none of these exculpations holds water. In today's world  with live feeds and social media everywhere  everybody knows everything instantaneously. It's hard to take refuge in denialism when atrocities occur or when threats are building up.And yet, in relation to the Middle East, people have preferred to pretend they didn't know, or to tell themselves that they weren't sure enough to act, or to accept denials of the atrocities and threats at face value.This applies to the seven-year-long war in Syria and to massive human rights violations in Turkey. The community of democracies has done nothing to stop Assad's slaughter; few have protested Erdogan's dictatorial takeover.It applies to the Hezbollah missile buildup in Lebanon, and to Yasser Arafat's and Mahmoud Abbas' anti-Semitic leadership of the Palestinian national movement, and so much more. People have preferred to look the other way or pretend they didn't fully know  and thus they are not compelled to act.The same goes for the Iranian drive to build nuclear weapons.Up until now, the argument could be made  barely  that the evidence for Iran's two-decade drive for a working nuclear bomb was based on partial information. Nobody really knew for sure; there was no absolute proof. And in this situation, nobody wanted to be branded an alarmist or pay the price of moral action to truly stop Iran.It was more comfortable to accept Iran's denials and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's smiles.And thus President Barack Obama could impute credibility and honesty to the Iranian leadership. As justification for his softball approach to Tehran, Obama referred in 2013 to a supposed fatwa by the Iranian supreme leader against the development of nuclear weapons and to President Hassan Rouhani's promise that "Iran will never develop a nuclear weapon."See-no-evil Secretary of State John Kerry similarly testified to Congress in 2015 that he believes the "sincerity of the Supreme Leader." (Kerry could see no evil in Iran, only in Israeli settlements.)Consequently, these American leaders forgave Iran on the demand that it come clean on the "possible military dimensions" of its previous nuclear program, and decided to forgo the demand that Iran categorically allow anytime-anywhere inspections of its military nuclear installations.So now that Israel has provided a smoking gun that proves the definite military dimensions pursued by Teheran  original official documents retrieved from an atomic archive with the stamp of the Iranian regime  the question is, will the dissimulators and disbelievers repent?Will they admit that they were wrong about Iran's intentions, that they willingly allowed themselves to be duped by Teheran, that the Iranian regime never took nuclear weapons option off the table?Because if they knew everything the Iranians were up to  as Kerry and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and some French and German leaders are now retroactively claiming  the weakness of the nuclear deal is even more indefensible.Alas, repentance by American and European boosters of the deal doesn't seem to be in the cards. Instead, they sneered this week at Israel's intelligence coup, pointing to Prime Minister Netanyahu's ostensible failure to produce evidence of current Iranian accord violations. "Israel produced nothing new," they guffawed.This is both untrue and beside the point.It's untrue, because there are apparently massive amounts of new information in the treasure trove secured by Israel about the details and scope of the Iranian nuclear effort, the people involved in it, locations of hidden nuclear development sites, front organizations Iran set up to pursue nuclear parts and know-how within the framework of the deal, records of Westerners who collaborated in smuggling components for the nuclear effort, and so much more.It is also beside the point. Israel's central contention all along has been that the deal is so badly constructed that the Iranians have no reason to violate it today.Under the terms of the accord, Iran can continue to develop centrifuges for enrichment and ballistic missiles for delivery of nuclear weapons, and just wait a few years before all sanctions are lifted and limits on uranium enrichment expire.In short, the deal was based on Western charity for Iranian lies (as well as additional misrepresentations like "the need to strengthen moderates in Iran" that the P5+1 peddled to overcome opposition to the accord). It relied upon Western predilections to look away and pretend that one didnt really know. After all, there was no smoking gun.Until now.After Israel's intelligence coup, the question becomes this: Will the boosters of the deal continue to deny reality and accuse Israel of being alarmist? Will they continue to pretend they didn't know, and to accept Iran's blatant denials? Can they possibly continue to defend the weak verification regimes and early sunsets of this inadequate accord?Let's hope that President Donald Trump calls the global bluff and reinstates crippling sanctions on Teheran alongside a credible threat to use military force. It's time to ensure that Iran genuinely rips to shreds every aspect of its nuclear program, in perpetuity.
Georgia executes killer of off-duty prison guard





Georgia has executed a man convicted of robbing and killing an off-duty prison guard 22 years ago.





Authorities say the death sentence of 40-year-old Robert Earl Butts Jr. was carried out at 9:58 p.m. Friday.





Butts and 41-year-old Marion Wilson Jr. were convicted and sentenced to death in the March 1996 slaying of Donovan Corey Parks.





Prosecutors say Butts and Wilson asked Parks for a ride outside a Walmart store in Milledgeville on March 28, 1996, and then ordered him out of the car and fatally shot him a short distance away.





Wilson's case is still pending.





Butts becomes the 2nd condemned inmate to be put to death in Georgia this year and the 72nd overall since the state resumed capital punishment in

1983.





Butts becomes the 10th condemned inmate to be put to death this year in the USA and the 1,475th overall since the nation resumed executions on

January 17, 1977.





Only Texas (550), Virginia (113), Oklahoma (112), Florida (96), and Missouri (88) have carried out more executions since the death penalty was re-legalized in the USA on July 2, 1976.

"It burns, man," Georgia man says during execution for killing prison guard

JACKSON, Ga. --The state of Georgia executed a man on Friday for the killing of an off-duty prison guard who offered him a ride 22 years ago. Robert Earl Butts Jr., 40, was declared dead by a prison warden at 9:58 p.m. after the compounded barbiturate pentobarbital was injected into his body.





Butts kept his eyes closed throughout the process. Asked if he had any final words, he said simply, "Yeah, I've been drinking caffeine all day."





The warden then left the room. It was 9:42. About a minute later, a tube that administers the killing drugs through a wall appeared to pulse. Shortly thereafter, Butts groaned and said "It burns, man."





Then his feet, in white socks visible under a blanket, briefly twitched. He yawned, then a short time later, opened his mouth again, noiselessly. His chest briefly rose as his back arched. Then he took about nine deep breaths, and after that, he lay still.





Butts was convicted along with 41-year-old Marion Wilson Jr. in the March 1996 slaying of Donovan Corey Parks, who gave the men a ride outside a Walmart store in Milledgeville on March 28, 1996. The men then ordered him out of the car and fatally shot him, prosecutors said.





Juries in separate trials found sufficient evidence to sentence both men to death because Parks was killed during the commission of an aggravating felony, armed robbery. Wilson's case is still pending.





Butts was put to death after the U.S. Supreme Court, without explanation, denied his final appeal. The state Board of Pardons and Paroles, the only authority in Georgia with the power to commute a death sentence, voted earlier not to spare his life . He was the second Georgia inmate executed this year; Carlton Gary, known as the "stocking strangler" for raping and killing three older women, was put to death in March.





Butts' attorneys insisted in a clemency application to the parole board that he wasn't the shooter, and didn't expect Parks to be killed.





They also said he shouldn't be executed because given the nature of the crime, they argued that he likely wouldn't be sentenced to death if he were prosecuted today. They said a death sentence was "grossly disproportionate," and unconstitutional because although he was 18 at the time of the killing, his mental age and maturity lagged behind his actual age, it would be like sentencing a juvenile to death.





His attorneys also said his trial lawyers failed to thoroughly investigate his case or to present mitigating evidence such as childhood abuse and neglect that could have spared him the death penalty.

Robert Butts executed for 1996 murder. Final words: It burns, man

JACKSON, GA  Robert Earl Butts Jr. was put to death by lethal injection Friday at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison. He was pronounced dead at 9:58 p.m.





When asked for a final statement, Butts replied, Ive been drinking caffeine all day. Then he declined an offer for a prayer.





Butts kept his eyes closed from the moment he was placed on the gurney.





He never looked at the father and brother of his victim, sitting on just the other side of the window that separates the witness area from the execution chamber. Nor did he look at Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee or Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills, who was chief deputy in Baldwin County at the time of the murder.





Two minutes after the pentobarbital began to flow into the vein in his arm, Butts mumbled, It burns, man. After that, he yawned and took a series of deep breaths until there was no movement about a minute before he was pronounced dead.





Butts, 40, was sentenced to death for the March 1996 murder of 25-year-old Donovan Corey Parks in Milledgeville. Butts and his co-defendant, Marion Wilson Jr., asked Parks  an off-duty correctional officer  for a ride from a local Walmart store, then minutes later ordered him from the car and shot him in the head. Butts was 18 at the time.





The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Butts request for a stay of execution about 45 minutes prior to him getting the needle.





That followed the Georgia Supreme Courts unanimous decision Friday afternoon to deny a stay of execution.





Although the lethal injection was scheduled for 7 p.m., Georgia does not proceed until all courts have weighed in on last-minute appeals for mercy.





In addition to denying Butts motion for a stay of execution, the Georgia Supreme Court denied his request to appeal rulings by the Butts County Superior Court and the Baldwin County Superior Court, which both issued an order denying a stay and rejecting Butts challenge to his death sentence.





Butts spent his final hours with two relatives as the courts weighed his lawyers last-minute appeals, and he ate his last meal  a hamburger with bacon and two kinds of cheese, a rib-eye steak, chicken tenders, seasoned french fries, cheesecake and strawberry lemonade.





Nearby, on death row, Butts partner in the murder sat in a cell. The day after Butts execution warrant was signed on April 16, the U.S. Supreme Court returned Marion Murdock Wilsons case to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, telling the judges in Atlanta to take another look.





And in another part of the prison, the father and brother of Butts victim waited for an end to their emotional roller coaster, which had run parallel to Butts over the past three days.





Wednesday night, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles granted Butts a 90-day stay of execution so the parole boards five members could have more time to review a considerable amount of additional information about the case.





That stay halted the lethal injection set for 7 p.m. Thursday. Then the parole board lifted the stay Thursday afternoon and Butts execution was rescheduled for Friday night.





Parks brother, Christopher, wrote to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution to express his despair:





I have suffered along with my father, Freddie L. Parks, for 22 years since Donovan was brutally murdered, Christopher Parks wrote in an email Thursday. I spoke at the clemency hearing yesterday, only to receive word that a stay of execution for up to 90 days has been ordered by the parole board. Needless to say, I was distraught and frustrated and so is my dad. We feel as victimized by the system as we were by the offenders.





Butts is the second man Georgia has put to death this year.





Butts lawyers asked the parole board to consider his troubled childhood, caused primarily by a mother who was an alcoholic and a drug user who frequently brought different men home. They also argued before the courts and the board that Wilson, not Butts, actually pulled the trigger on the sawed-off shotgun that blasted a hole into the back of Parks head. And they argued that if Butts were tried today for the same crime, he most likely would not get a death sentence because of evolving attitudes.





Butts and Wilson encountered Donovan Corey Parks at a local Walmart the night of March 28, 1996.





Prosecutors  who contend that the two were members of the FOLK Nation gang in Milledgeville  said Butts and Wilson were at the store shopping for a victim.





Parks, a Jehovahs Witness, had just left Bible study at the Freedom Hall across the street from the house he shared with his father, and went to the Walmart to buy cat food, soap and cocoa.





As Parks checked out, Butts got in line behind him with a 20-cent pack of gum.





Parks and Butts knew each other from when they both worked at Burger King, so Butts asked Parks for a ride for himself and his friend.





Witnesses saw Butts get into the passenger front seat of Parks 1992 Acura, and Wilson get into the back. Prosecutors said Butts was wearing a black jacket that concealed a sawed-off shotgun.





Sixteen minutes later, Parks was walked to the rear of his car, where he was shot in the back of the head.





According to trial testimony, Butts and Wilson drove off, planning to sell the Acura for parts in Atlanta. Hours later, the plan unsuccessful, the two returned to Middle Georgia, where they doused the car with gasoline and set it on fire behind a Macon Huddle House.





Butts and Wilson were arrested four days later. Law enforcement had surveillance video from places where the two had stopped after the murder. They found the sawed-off shotgun under the mattress on Wilsons bed. According to prosecutors, Wilson claimed he was a FOLK Nation enforcer, and the walls of Butts bedroom were covered in FOLK Nation gang graffiti.





That night, they extinguished the life of a young man whose life was full of promise; a young man who was sensitive, caring, and compassionate, Christopher Parks wrote, describing his brothers decision to help the two by giving them a ride.

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde

Associated Press & Rick Halperin, May 4, 2018 CBS News , The Associated Press, May 4, 2018 acj.com , Rhonda Cook, May 4, 2018
DETAILS of Bali Nine kingpins final hours after signing their death warrants have been revealed in a harrowing new book about their execution.





2.50pm, Anzac Day, 2015, Besi Prison Nusakambangan Island, Java, Indonesia:





MYURAN Sukumaran had just refused to sign his own death warrant.





There was a stunned silence inside Besi prison.





No other prisoner transported to so-called Death Island to be shot by firing squad before Sukumaran had ever refused to sign his or her execution warrant.





As soon as he did, he had 72 hours left alive.





The 34-year-old and his Bali Nine cohort Andrew Chan had been brought to the stark confines of Besi seven weeks earlier as condemned men.





Handcuffed, bundled into a Barracuda tank at dawn they had left Kerobokan jail in Bali, a six star resort by comparison, on the last flight they would ever take.





At Besi, the two Australians shared a stifling five-by-six metre caged cell where they were being readied for death.





As journalist and author Cindy Wockner reveals in her fascinating but intense account of the Bali Nine kingpins last days on earth, leaving Kerobokan for isolated Nusakambangan had stunned the two Australians.





TERROR ON DEATH ISLAND





For the first time in a decade, they were completely shut off from the outside world, Wockner writes.





They had nothing. Andrew and Myuran were terrified.





Wockner, an Indonesia specialist since she first went there to report on the 2002 Bali bombing which killed 88 Australians, had covered drug arrests from Schapelle Corby, to the Bali Nine and many Australians thereafter.





In The Pastor and The Painter she recounts Chan and Sukumarans decade behind bars in Bali and their final journey to their death on a floodlit field behind a Nusakambangan police station.





Only five months earlier when their clemency pleas had returned rejected by Indonesian president Joko Widodo, Sukumaran had bitterly recounted his feeling let down by Australia.





Public opinion had supported Schapelle Corby but not the Bali Nine, Wockner writes.





Sukumaran wrote Wockner a hurt letter, wondering, If I was white, blonde hair, blue eyes? or a megapin drug lord who could afford to pay millions in bribes, could he have avoided execution.





But when Indonesia decided to execute six other drug dealers in late January everyone knew it was a bad sign and Sukumarana said, I think we are close to the end.





At Besi prison, officials acceded Sukumarans request regarding his execution warrant.





The document was retyped, Sukumaran signed it and was immediately handcuffed.





Next was Andrew Chan. He too demanded the documents be retyped with his final requests before he would sign.





CARAVAN OF DEATH BEGINS





The families of the condemned would be allowed to visit for the next three days, Wockner writes. But she had to urge Sukumarans brother Chinthu to get to Cilacap, the port town to Nusakambangan.





Drop everything and get on the plane, I urged him, they are serious this time, Wockner writes. You all need to get there. Its going to happen.





All the Bali prosecutors had been ordered to Cilacap. The caravan of death had begun.





The logistics of the execution were now in full swing.





The next morning, the mens families left Cilacap by boat for the island.





... Plastic chairs and corrugated iron sheeting went across to the island on a ferry, Wockner writes. The iron sheeting was to construct a temporary roof over the area where the nine prisoners would be shot.





The chairs were for officials, family members, lawyers and embassy staff ...





That night at Besi. the eight men and one woman  now the walking dead  had Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner.





THE LAST DAY





On April 28, the last day, visitors were limited to the island.





Back at Cilacaps port, preparations intensified.





Nine ambulances with numbered windshields drove towards Wijaya Pura dock carrying coffins shrouded in smocked whited satin and crosses already painted with the condemneds names and dates of death.





By 2pm over on the island, it was time to say the final goodbyes.





Wockner writes that Sukumarans mother and sister Raji and Brintha were moaning guttural howls.





Chans mother Helen draped herself around Andrew, sobbing and sobbing.





Melbourne pastor Christie Buckingham had been appointed Myuran Sukumarans spiritual adviser while Andrew Chan had chosen Salvation Army chaplain, Major David Soper.





She had a list of things Myuran wanted to do on the field during the time he was tied up before the execution. Wockner writes.





In his cell at Besi, Sukumaran was showered and ready on his floor mat and together they read from the Bible; Genesis, Exodus, Micah and Psalm 121, the Lord will keep you from all harm.





They prayed and she anointed him with oil, which he asked her to anoint him with in Australia where his body would be returned to for his funeral.





The wardens formed a guard of honour to say goodbye, Wockner writes. Myuran and Andrew threw their handcuffed arms over their heads ... in one final goodbye.





The shackles were put on. [Myurans] hands were cable-tied behind his back.





He stepped outside and glance up at the night sky.





When Christie was escorted to Myuran ... he was already strapped to a wooden cross that was mounted on a platform, Wockner writes.





His arms were bound to a cross at the elbows ... his feet were tied.





Andrew was strapped to the cross next to Myuran.





Each prisoner wore a white T-shirt. They all began singing.





Christie whispered to Myuran, you are a reformed man, and after three minutes with him had to step away.





The prisoners sang Hallelujah, the version from the movie Shrek, and then Amazing Grace.





Chan exhorted them all to sing up! We can do better than that.





Everyone sang until they were interrupted by the firing squad.





A shocking boom ripped through the air, Wockner writes.





It was like nothing any of the witnesses had ever heard before. The sound of a hundred high-powered rifles firing simultaneously.





 The Pastor and the Painter: Inside the lives of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran  from Aussie schoolboys to Bali Nine drug traffickers to Kerobokans redeemed men by Cindy Wockner is published by Hachette Australia and available now for $32.99.

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
Rating:

Cast: Allu Arjun, Anu Emanuel, Arjun, Sarath Kumar, Bomman Irani, Rao Ramesh, Vikram and others

Director: Vakkantham Vamsi





Allu Arjun, one of the most-sought-after actors in South India, has joined hands with debutant director and veteran writer Vakkantham Vamsi for Naa Peru Surya Naa Illu India. Since the actor delivers hit films constantly, this one is set to become a big craze. Anu Emanuel is the female lead. Surya (Allu Arjun) is a soldier in the Indian Army, but his angry temperament lands him in trouble frequently. He beats up a ministers son at a pub, and shoots a terrorist in a jail cell because he feels feeding and keeping him was a waste of money! His Colonel (Bomman Irani) suspends him from the Army and Suryas dream of fighting against the enemies at the Indian border goes down the spout.

He has a godfather (Rao Ramesh), an ex-army officer, who persuades the Colonel to take him back. This is done on one condition: a top psychology professor, Rama Krishna Raju (Arjun Sarja), who lives in Vizag must certify that Suryas temper is under control. Rama Krishna turns out to be none other than Suryas father! Moreover, it turns out that Surya left home at the age of ten because of the same problem. Now, the anger management sessions start with the father putting a 21-day deadline. In the meantime, a local goon Challa (Sarath Kumar) wants to grab land from an ex-serviceman Mustafa (Sai Kumar).

Surya dealings with the don form the crux of the story. Vakkantham Vamsi is a successful screenwriter  Kick, Yevadu, Race Gurram, Temper are among his oeuvre  and now he has turned to directing. The point that due to some corrupt people, some Indian youth are attracted to terrorism, and the Indian Army is fighting with the same young people is valid, but Vakkanthams lack of experience shows in the narration of the film. The second half of the film is slow paced and sometimes tests your patience. The climax is very interesting and emotional with a good patriotic message.

For Vakkantham Vamsi, as a debutant director, this is a very big film to handle, and his inexperience shows. The emotional connect is missing and also the romantic thread is a bit boring. When it comes to performance, it is Allu Arjun all the way. Definitely this film is his best performance and he perfectly fits into the role. Also, the hard work and his sincere efforts are visible on the screen. He is excellent especially in the military scenes in the beginning of the story. There are many good supporting actors like Sai Kumar, Sarath Kumar, Arjun Sarja and Charu Haasan, but there is no intensity in their characters. Anu Emanuel looks beautiful and glamorous, but her role is reduced to songs and a couple of scenes.

Lagadapati Vikram, son of producer Sridhar, has got a meaty role and he is very impressive. Bomman Irani plays a cameo as does Rao Ramesh. Vennela Kishore provides a few laughs. Nadia plays Arjuns mother in a few scenes. Music by Vishal Shekar is average; a couple of songs are good. The cinematography is excellent, and especially the military backdrop is a visual treat. The dialogues are well-written and some of them are thoughtful too. A good subject but an inexperienced director means that some of the scenes here and there are excellent, but when you look at the overall film, it wont appeal much.
Motihari (Bihar): A day after it was reported that 27 people had died after a bus fell into a ditch and caught fire in Bihar's Motihari, the state's Disaster Management Minister, Dinesh Chandra Yadav, on Friday delivered a shocker. He said there were no casualties in the accident.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had expressed their grief over the accident and assured all possible help to the families of the deceased.

However, Dinesh Chandra Yadav told news agency ANI, "The information of deaths was wrong. Yes, I said 27 people have died, it was based on information from local sources, but I also said that only the final report will be considered."

Also Read: 27 charred to death as bus topples over, catches fire in Bihar's Motihari

He added that only 13 passengers had boarded the bus. Eight of them were taken to the hospital, but there was no sign of the remaining five. "No bodies were found. They might have left the spot on their own," he said.

The mishap happened around 3 pm on Thursday afternoon when the driver of the bus attempted to avoid a crash with a two-wheeler and overturned. It fell into a pit and caught fire near Belwa village of Bihar's west Champaran district.
There are two entirely separate issues for consideration in the ongoing unrest at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) regarding the portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah hanging since 1938 in the student unions office. First, should a portrait of a man who actively worked for the Partition of India, created Pakistan, and stoked hatred between Hindus and Muslims, be hung in the university? And, second, if not, what is the best way to have an earlier wrong rectified? I say these are separate issues because if you dont make the distinction you are likely to fall like a ripe apple in the lap of the Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) goons who protested against Jinnahs portrait. In fact, Samajwadi Party MP Praveen Nishad, who just won the Gorakhpur byelections, did exactly that. Protesting the behaviour of HYV members, he began, on TV, to praise Jinnah, comparing him to Gandhi and Nehru. This was music to the musclemen of the HYV. It was precisely the reaction they wanted. It fulfilled their principal agenda to establish that they were nationalists, and those opposing them were anti-nationalistic followers of Jinnah, and quite deserving to be banished  as they often say to all those who oppose them  to Pakistan.

Whether AMU should have a portrait of Jinnah can be debated without unnecessarily glorifying the founder of Pakistan. Some people can argue that this portrait was installed in 1938, when Jinnah was given a life membership of the universitys students union. This was prior to his becoming such a prominent pawn in the British game of divide and rule, and the proponent of Pakistan. It is also true that until the communal fires were ignited by Jinnah and his ilk, the gentleman was a prominent name among those fighting for Indias independence  a fact acknowledged then by no less a person than Mahatma Gandhi. In fact, even in the midst of the current turmoil in AMU, Swami Prasad Maurya, a BJP minister in UP, lauded Jinnah saying that his contribution to the freedom struggle cannot be ignored. History, even when it deals with people whom we now denigrate, cannot be entirely erased. There is, for instance, a prominent building in Mumbai still called Jinnah House, and a portrait of the Quaid-e-Azam hangs even now in the hallowed precincts of the Mumbai high court, in recognition of his being one of the leading lawyers of his times. If this is the case, why remove a portrait metaphorically gathering dust since 1938 in AMU?

Equally, however, there can be good reasons for AMU to consider whether the portrait needs to be removed. Whatever Jinnahs earlier contributions may have been, he is, for most Indians  even if not for all historians  the main villain in the movement for the Partition of India. In achieving this goal, he spewed communal venom, and happily colluded with the British. He is not by any stretch of imagination someone who deserves a place of respect for Indians. As distinguished poet Javed Akhtar tweeted, it is a matter of shame that AMU still honours him with a portrait. There can thus be two ways to look at what the HYV protestors were demanding. But there are no two ways in strongly condemning the manner in which they acted. Consider the facts. On May first, BJP MP Satish Gautam wrote to the vice-chairman of the AMU asking why a portrait of Jinnah was adorning the walls of AMU. The letter itself cannot be faulted, but what followed certainly can. The very next day hoodlums of the HYV  an organisation founded by Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of UP  barged into the AMU campus, and clashed with university students, leading to 41 people being injured  some seriously  of which 28 were students and 13 policemen. By most accounts, these goons were armed, including with lethal weapons. Most shockingly, eyewitnesses say that the police stood as mute spectators as these thugs ran amuck. After all, how could they act to reign in members of an organisation set up by the chief minister himself?

Whatever the merits of the case with regard to the Jinnah portrait, who has given the license to the HYV to take the law into its own hands? Why have its members suddenly made an issue of a portrait installed since 1938? Is the timing entirely coincidental, or is it part of a larger agenda to stoke communal hatred and division? And, even if their cause has legitimacy, why could they not wait until the university provided a reply to the letter sent by Mr Gautam? Why has not a single FIR been registered by the police against those who perpetrated this violence? Why has Yogi Adityanath not strongly condemned this hooliganism by members of his own organisation? Has he forgotten that he is now the chief minister of a state, not an activist of an ultra-right wing organisation of self-anointed protectors of Hinduism? And, was it a coincidence that the violence was unleashed inside the campus just moments before former vice-president Hamid Ansari was to visit the university?

These are exceptionally important questions. Jinnah may have been an enemy of the nation, as UPs deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya indignantly proclaimed. But, so are members of organisations like the HYV, if they believe that they have the ordained right to usurp the law and resort to violence against anybody who disagrees with them. There are reports that HYV worthies have stormed into churches in Gorakhpur and elsewhere and disrupted services. In Gurgaon, Haryana Muslims offering namaz on Friday were stopped by Hindutva outfits that went around the city shouting slogans like Jai Shri Ram and Bangladesh wapas jao. Jinnah died long ago. But are we seeing the spirit of communal divisiveness that he represented being reincarnated in the behaviour of right-wing goons in the name of Hinduism, even as authorities mandated to uphold law and order remain mute spectators? What kind of anarchy is this, and where will it lead to? That is the central issue in what is unfolding now at AMU.
Following that attack the government lifted the moratorium on the death penalty.

Islamabad: Pakistans powerful army chief has confirmed the death sentences passed by military courts on 11 militants over various attacks on security forces as well as civilians that left dozens dead, the military said on Saturday.

A statement issued by the military said that in total the assault left 60 dead  36 civilians, 24 armed forces, Frontier Constabulary and police officials  while a further 142 people were injured.

The offenses included attacks on armed forces and other law enforcement agencies, the destruction of various educational institutions and a deadly rampage at Bacha Khan university in the northwest in early 2016 that left 21 dead.

The army chief also confirmed life imprisonment for three convicts, the statement added. Pakistan has been fighting a homegrown Islamist insurgency since 2004, when militants displaced by the US-led invasion of Afghanistan began a campaign in border tribal areas. The military courts allow the army to try civilians on terror charges in secret, despite strong criticism from rights groups.

They were established in the wake of a December 2014 Taliban massacre at an army-run school in Peshawar that killed over 150 people, mostly school children.

Following that attack the government lifted the moratorium on the death penalty. Scores of militants have since been condemned to death. Security has improved in Pakistan since then. But in April 2017, parliament voted to extend the courts for another two years.
The Cabinet decided to reduce the number of recipients of social assistance for utilities, having introduced new criteria for their provision; agrarians sowed 90% of the target area with early grains and leguminous crops; the Government committee decided on a list of large-scale state enterprises to put up for sale; and infrastructure minister Volodymyr Omelyan traveled in a second class rail car to inspect Ukrainian Railways - these are the main economic news of the outgoing week.

Having completed another heating season, the government is already thinking about the coming winter, new utility tariffs, and compensation for the low-income part of the population of the growing cost of these services. Last year, a record UAH 70 billion in budget funds was allocated for subsidy payments (while total revenues of the State Treasury amounted to UAH 720 billion). Now the Cabinet reasonably judged that such exorbitant expenses should be reduced as soon as possible and that the issue of subsidies should be brought to order. To this end, the government has introduced new rules for obtaining subsidies starting May 1. These criteria are expected to weed out recipients whose well-being allows them paying their bills on their own.

According to the new rules, starting May, subsidies shall be canceled for owners of apartments larger than 120 square meters and houses - over 200 sq. m (except for family-type orphanages and foster families), as well as for families who recently purchased a new car.

The Cabinet also took measures to identify "shadow" incomes of citizens, introducing an obligation to indicate in their tax reports the income from renting their apartments, while all those who are officially unemployed will be required to register with employment centers, otherwise - social protection agencies will automatically consider their income at a rate of three subsistence minimums (UAH 5,286).

Besides, the government once again lowered energy consumption standards (on which subsidies are calculated). Since early May, the gas consumption standard has been reduced to 4.5 cubic meters per 1 square meter of living space, and for electricity - to 30 kWh per square meter.

In connection with the introduction of new criteria, the question immediately arose of the need to reissue subsidies. In response, the Ministry of Social Policy reported that most citizens will have their assistance package extended automatically and only 15-20% of recipients will have to re-apply.

Commenting on the innovations, Oleksandr Serhienko, director of Institute of the City research and analysis center, said that the only purpose of introducing new rules is to somehow curb the monstrous number of subsidy recipients that has reached 9.62 million households, that is, two-thirds of Ukraine's population.

"Innovations will yield no positive result. First, someone will lose their subsidy, but then another heating season will come, and the tide of new applications will hit again," Serhienko said.

The expert also drew attention to another problem, which is closely related to the provision of subsidies. Despite the support of low-income categories from the state, the population's debt on utility bills has never stopped growing, having already reached a record UAH 42.7 billion. It is better to deal with this debt before the heating season starts, which will apparently become one of the main "summer tasks " for Volodymyr GroYsman's government.

Another important objective will be to complete negotiations with Ukraine's key creditor, the International Monetary Fund, on the next tranche of the stabilization loan.

The main stumbling block in the negotiations is the issue of raising gas tariffs to the market level, on which the Fund insists. Speaking about gas, it is worth noting that Ukraine last month stopped taking it from underground storage facilities and intensified efforts to pile up reserves. As of May 2, gas was being pumped in USFs at a rate of 54 million cubic meters per day, while its volume already accumulated exceeded 8 bcm.

Sowing campaign completing

The unusually hot start of May accelerated the completion of the sowing campaign by Ukrainian farmers. According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, agrarians already sowed early spring grain and leguminous crops in the territory totaling 2.2 million hectares, that is, 90% of the areas planned for these crops.

According to the ministry, 1.4 million hectares of spring barley were sowed (91% of the forecasted figure), 174,000 ha (85%) of oats, 152,000 ha (86%) of wheat, and 398,000 ha (94%) of peas.

In addition to early crops, the sowing of late spring crops is underway. As of May 2, 2.3 million ha (49% of the forecasted figure) of maize was sowed, 263,000 ha (87%) of sugar beet, 3.3 million ha (59%) of sunflower, and 439,000 ha (23 %) of soy. This year, farmers plan to sow crops on the territory totaling 27.2 million hectares.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's grain exports have been increasing steadily. According to the agrarian ministry, from the start of MY 2017-2018, 33.8 million tonnes of grains was exported from Ukraine, including 15.1 million tonnes of wheat, 14.3 million tonnes of corn, 4.1 million tonnes of barley, and 32,700 tonnes of rye.

"Export deliveries are going according to plan, there are no problems. This year we had slightly smaller crops, but it's still enough for domestic needs and for the foreign market," a ministry official told UNIAN.

Large-scale privatization

In the outgoing week, PM Groysman stated that the Cabinet intended to start serious and systemic work in the area of privatization. In support of these words, on May 3, acting head of the State Property Fund Vitaly Trubarov boasted that the government committee had approved a list of large enterprises whose state-owned shares are set to be offered for sale before the end of this year.

The list includes five regional energy companies (Ternopiloblenergo, Zaporizhiaoblenergo, Kharkivoblenergo, Mykolayivoblenergo and Khmelnytskoblenergo), power generating companies (Kherson TPP, Dniprovska CHPP, Kryvyi Rih HPP, Severodonetska CHPP, and Centrenergo), and other large industrial facilities such as Zaporizhia Titanium Magnesium Works, Turboatom, Electrotyazhmash, Azovmash, Odesa Portside Chemical Plant (OPP), and Sumykhimprom.

According to Trubarov, privatization of the three enterprises - Centrenergo, OPP and Sumykhimprom - will take place in accordance with the final provisions of Law "On privatization of state and municipal property" saying that "large" privatization should take place exclusively with the involvement of an investment adviser - a representative of an investment bank, which will provide an independent assessment of the asset being sold.

Such an approach should not allow repeating privatization experience of the 1990s, when most tidbits were sold for a pittance and often  through corruption-stained schemes.

The new legislation also cuts off from participation in biddings companies from the aggressor state, Russia.

Ministerial inspection

Minister of Infrastructure Volodymyr Omelyan decided to start the working week from a trip to the southern regions of Ukraine. On May 1 he took a second class ticket on a train from Kyiv to Mariupol, having noted upon arrival a clean bed, clean railcar, and friendly service. At the same time, the official drew attention to the age-old problem of the lack of air conditioning.

"The only thing that bothers me is the lack of air conditioning (at +27 it's still tolerable, but it's not whenever it gets hotter), and WCs where you can see railway sleepers if you look down the toilet (no matter how many vacuum toilets cost, this should be dealt with)," the minister said.

The next day, Omelyan visited the Mykolayiv Railway Station where he was horrified to see that the building last saw major repairs a really long time ago. Impressed by what he saw, Omelyan announced plans to inspect all railway stations across Ukraine.

The minister recalled that the capital expenditures of Ukrzaliznytsia total UAH 26 billion, with part of the sum to be used for repairs of railway stations and railroad tracks. It was on the day of the ministerial inspection that Ukrzaliznytsia miraculously found money to allocate for the repair of the Mykolayiv station. According to the minister, the city will be able to rejoice over the renovated railway station as early as 2019.

Dmytro Sydorov

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"Shocking" 97% shortfall in humanitarian funding for Ukraines conflict-affected  IOM

With the conflict in eastern Ukraine entering its fifth year, 1.5 million people are registered as IDPs.

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For decades the Iranian regime claimed it had no interest in and no program for developing nuclear weapons. On April 30 Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly presented a huge file of information explicitly outlining such a program, retrieved from Iran in an Israeli intelligence operation.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States has assessed that the documents presented by Israel are authentic, and show beyond any doubt that the Iranian regime was not telling the truth.

Israel provided the United States with the material to review. Secretary Pompeo said the work of U.S. nonproliferation and intelligence officials who are analyzing the material will continue for many months.

Israels public presentation of information from Irans nuclear weapons archive came less than two weeks before the May 12 deadline President Trump had fixed for announcing whether the United States would stay or withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA.

Secretary Pompeo noted that Iran had many opportunities over the years to turn over its files to the International Atomic Energy Agency and admit its past nuclear weapons work. The regime also lied about its previous weapons program to the six nations who negotiated the Iran nuclear deal.

We are therefore assessing what the discovery of Irans secret nuclear files means for the future of the JCPOA, Secretary Pompeo said.

Secretary of State Pompeo said that as the deadline to fix the nuclear deal approaches, he will be consulting with our European allies and other nations on the best way forward, in light of what we now know about Irans past pursuit of nuclear weapons and its systematic deception of the world.
On his recent visit to NATO headquarters in Belgium, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stressed the United States is eager to continue to lead the alliance.

The United States commitment to the collective defense under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty remains ironclad, declared Secretary Pompeo.At the same time, he urged greater burden sharing by all members, calling for an increase in defense spending by all member countries to 2 percent of gross domestic product by 2024. Its now up to each Ally to make good on that promise by presenting a credible plan before the summit in July, urged Secretary Pompeo.

Russia threatens Allies and partners both militarily, as seen through its invasions of Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014, through an aggressive campaign to undermine western democratic institutions, and the use of military-grade nerve agents in Britain.

As such, the United States has made clear that NATO should not return to business as usual with Russia until Moscow fulfills its commitments under the Minsk agreements, withdraws its forces and support in the Donbas, and returns control of the Crimea peninsula to Ukraine.

Fighting terrorism must be a major focus of NATO. The alliance should work with its partners in North Africa and the Middle East to address conditions and activities that enable terrorism, such as trafficking of weapons, irregular migration, and regional instability.

Secretary Pompeo congratulated South Korea and North Korea on their historic meeting, and the Korean peoples aspirations for peace and prosperity. Let there be no doubt, said Secretary Pompeo, we would not be where we are today without President Trumps maximum pressure campaign and the work that has been done all around the world to apply pressure to North Korea.

Our objective remains unchanged, declared Secretary Pompeo. Were committed to permanent, verifiable, irreversible dismantling of North Koreans weapons of mass destruction programs without delay. Until then, the global maximum pressure campaign will continue.

As always, the United States will continue to coordinate closely with [its] allies, the Republic of Korea and Japan, on [a] unified response. North Korean promises are good, said Secretary Pompeo, but transparent, verifiable action is essential.
According to the latest State Department report on human rights around the world, China is one of the nations whose government violates the rights and fundamental freedoms of people within its borders on a daily basis.

During a briefing marking the release of the report, Michael Kozak, Senior Bureau Official in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, said the United States is extremely concerned about the growing level of repression in China.

In terms of the increase over the last year, its been a bad situation for Falun Gong for a long time; its been bad for Uighurs; its been bad for Tibetans. But there seems to be amping of the level of repression against those groups and against society in general as well.

The State Department report notes that in 2017 arbitrary arrests and forced disappearances remained a serious problem in China, especially for lawyers, human rights activists, journalists, religious leaders, and former political prisoners.

Human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng went missing in August; his family was reportedly told he was in police custody at an undisclosed location. Lawyer Wang Quanzhang, detained in the July 2015 709 roundup of human rights lawyers and legal associates, remained missing as well; his family has neither seen nor heard from him since his detention.

Another area of concern is the level of repression reported in Xinjiang and Tibet, which combines high tech surveillance and vastly increased policing. Hundreds of thousands of people have been detained or disappeared, often for no reason other than their Islamic or ethnic identity.

Additionally, the State Department reported other rights violations, including the governments tight control of the media and the internet; its severe repression of organizations and individuals involved in human rights advocacy and ethnic minority issues; its birth-limitation policy that in some cases included coerced sterilization or abortion; and its significant restrictions on freedom of speech, assembly, association, and movement.

Senior Bureau Official Kozak said the United States continues to express the same message for Chinas leaders: If you want to realize the full potential of the Chinese peopleopening up is the way to do it, not clamping down.
Head of the State Space Agency of Ukraine (SSAU) Pavlo Degtiarenko has said that Canada's MDA is responsible for contract liabilities to launch the first Ukrainian telecommunications satellite Lybid in 2018.

"The only hindering factor is the absence of payments to complete the launch vehicle (LV) by Pivdenmash [Dnipro] for the launch. The general contractor of the project  Canada's MDA  is to solve the task as part of the resumption of works in the project," he told Interfax-Ukraine.

Earlier the SSAU said that the launch of the Ukrainian satellite was scheduled for 2018.

"The launch was to take place in around eight months after the resumption of works under the contract. They have not yet been resumed," he said.

Degtiarenko said that Ukraine has finished its part of the contract, producing the Zenit LV in 2017.

"As a year ago, the LV is in the state suitable for the installation of the first stage engine and the control system," he said.

Russia's Information Satellite Systems recently said that the technical state of the satellite allows demothballing the satellite in the short period of time and prepare it for the launch. Degtiarenko said that this is true.

He said that assumptions of Russian media that the Zenit LV could be replaced by Russia's Proton LV to launch the Lybid satellite are speculations.

"The problem is not in the LV and not in its manufacturer. The problem is that Pivdenmash did not receive the entire sum from the customer for production of the LV," he said.

As reported, the satellite was created under a contract signed by SSAU and Canada's MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) in December 2009. A loan worth $254.6 million was raised from Export Development Canada (EDC) against government guarantees to build the satellite on the Express 1000NT platform, developed by Russia's Information Satellite Systems  Reshetnev Company. Since summer 2014, the satellite has been in safe custody at the Russian developer, as was instructed by the Canadian general contractor.

The implementation of the project was under a threat of a failure due to the annexation of Crimea and the loss of land infrastructure involved in the project by Ukraine. Taking additional financial liabilities, Ukraine has overcome force majeure: in 2014-2015 a new spacecraft control center was built on Ukraine's mainland.

Ukraine's government in October 2017 supported SSAU's proposal for additional financing of the project in the amount of $17 million, taking into account increased costs.
The countries of the Black Sea basin, including Russia, have recognized the closed status of seaports located in the territory of the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Volodymyr Omelyan has said on the air of Channel Five.

"Within the framework of regular meetings of the Black Sea basin countries held in April this year, the committee on ports in the Black Sea region by a memorandum decided to recognize the status of Crimean ports as "closed." For the first time, the Russian side recognized this status - by mistake, or not having read the document - but we have the official signature of Moscow, which in fact is the recognition of the occupation of the Crimean peninsula," he stressed.

Omelyan stressed that Russia's signature on this document will have all the international legal consequences.

The minister also said that Ukraine will seek the recognition of no violation in this decision.

As reported, during the period from April 1 to April 30, 2018 some 26 cargo ships violated the ban on entering the ports and terminals closed by Ukraine in Crimea annexed by Russia.
The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine (SAPO) has sent to Kyiv's Pechersky District Court a crime bill against two former directors of the companies that, in the opinion of the prosecution, are involved in the so called "gas case" in connection with theft of gas produced under the agreements on joint activities with PJSC Ukrgazvydobuvannia in December 2015.

The SAPO said on Facebook the indictment was sent to court on April 27, 2018 on the basis of the pre-trial investigation conducted by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).

"According to the indictment, these persons held the posts of directors in the companies that won the auctions for the sale of natural gas at underestimated prices and subsequently sold the gas at market prices and committed actions to legalize the revenues earned in such a way," the report states.

The accused are charged with committing crimes under Part 1 of Article 255, Part 5 of Article 91, Part 2 of Article 205, Part 2 of Article 366, Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (participation in a criminal organization and the crimes it committed, complicity in money laundering, misappropriation, embezzlement of property or possession of it by abuse of office, fictitious entrepreneurship, forgery).
The judge of the Solomiansky District Court of Kyiv, Viktor Fomin, on May 4 passed a resolution on to arrest the apartments, parking spaces and shares belonging to the son of Interior Minister Oleksandr Avakov, the Judicial Reporter online resource has reported.

There is yet no text of the judgment in the database of court rulings, and according to the Internet resource it applies to three parking slots and an apartment in Kyiv, an apartment in Kharkiv and 43.7% of shares in the PJSC Investor.

The Interfax-Ukraine agency has not yet been able to receive a comment from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) on this matter.

According to the court rulings' database, similar rulings about the arrest of assets of Oleksandr Avakov were already passed by the judges of the Solomiansky court Vitaliy Ukrainets and Olena Mozolevskaon on November 2, 2017 and February 23, 2018, respectively, following the petition of NABU detective Andriy Melnyk, but then there were no shares of PJSC Investor on the list.

The first time the ruling to arrest the assets was abolished by the ruling of the panel of judges of the court chamber to review criminal cases of Kyiv Court of Appeals dated December 19, 2017, and therefore the property was not under arrest from November 2, 2017 to February 23.

The second time the arrest was canceled by the ruling of the judge of the Solomiansky court, Liudmyla Kyziun, on April 17 of this year, who came to the conclusion that the arrest was unjustified and noted that the suspect had not previously taken measures to alienate this property.

As reported, the NABU is investigating the criminal proceeding about embezzling more than UAH 14 million for the purchase of backpacks for the needs of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry in late 2014 - early 2015. Detectives find out the circumstances associated with the forgery of warehouse documents for the delivered backpacks.

Two individuals detained on October 31 as part of the investigation into the so-called 'backpack case' were notified on the same day of suspicion of committing a crime under Part 5, Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (appropriation, embezzlement or taking possession of property through abuse of power). These two are former Deputy Interior Minister Serhiy Chebotar and Oleksandr Avakov, the son of Interior Minister Arsen Avakov.

Later NABU detectives notified the third detainee of suspicion in committing a crime during the purchase of backpacks for the Interior Ministry in late 2014 and early 2015. Bloc of Petro Poroshenko MP Serhiy Leschenko said earlier, referring to his own sources, that NABU detectives had detained in Kharkiv head of IT firm Turboseo Volodymyr Lytvyn, who also runs a company that had to produce a batch of backpacks for the Interior Ministry.

On November 1, Solomiansky District Court of Kyiv chose for Oleksandr Avakov and two other defendants of the 'backpacks case' the measure of restraint in the form of a personal obligation.
Three U.S. Senators have appealed to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko with a request to clarify the information in an article appearing on May 2, 2018 in The New York Times about efforts by Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) to block the criminal investigation into the "Black Ledger case" involving disgraced former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's Party of Regions. According to the ledger, former head of Donald Trumps 2016 U.S. presidential campaign Paul Manafort received payments from Party of Regions.

"Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko in an interview with the British edition of Reuters, called for closer cooperation between the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation on the Paul Manafort case. Three U.S. Senators from the Democratic Party then asked Lutsenko to clarify the NYT's information about blocking the Manafort investigation. The senators, of course, are unfamiliar with position of the PGO on this matter, as well as with PGO's response to the NYT publication, dated April 20, 2018, which was included in the NYT article," PGO Spokeswoman Larysa Sarhan said on her Facebook page on Saturday.

Earlier on Saturday, the Kyiv-based Ukrayinska Pravda e-zine reported that an open letter from Senator Robert Menendez, Patrick Leahy and Richard Durbin, addressed to PGO chief Lutsenko was posted on the U.S. Senate's website. The letter seeks to clarify information in the NYT article about PGO attempts to block the investigations in Ukraine involving Manafort.

"We are concerned about information that your department has taken steps that hamper the investigation headed by U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller," the senators' letter says.

The senators in their letter say bilateral cooperation in legal matters between the United States and Ukraine should be expanded.

"The joint investigation of the Manafort case matters not only to Mueller's investigation, but also to expose the corruption schemes during the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych," the letter says.

The letter asks Lutsenko to confirm or deny allegations made in the NYT's article.

On Friday, May 4, the PGO on its Facebook page posted its 3-page response, dated April 20, 2018, to questions asked by NYT journalists. The response was not included in the NYT's article, which was published on May 2, 2018.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has expressed his confidence that the process of creating an Anti-Corruption Court will be completed in the first half of 2018, possibly in May.

"We are trying to speed up the process of the formation of the Anti-Corruption Court. I am convinced that we will succeed in the first half of the year, possibly in May, and then we will receive the next tranche [of the IMF]," Poroshenko said in an interview with the German newspaper Focus, which is quoted by the Ukrainian president's press service on Saturday.

The president said that along with the position about the need to further strengthen the fight against corruption in Ukraine, the International Monetary Fund noted the significant economic growth in the country and the implementation of reforms.

"I am proud that we managed to improve the investment climate. We've achieved more than was done over the past 25 years," Poroshenko said noting that this is not only the IMF assessment, but also that of the World Bank.

He recalled that in the Doing Business ranking, Ukraine climbed from 137th position in 2013 to 79th position. "The pace of economic growth this year is likely to grow by 3.5%." Show me another country that has managed to do so in the conditions of war, "the Ukrainian president also stressed.
Ukraine's SBU Security Service cannot reveal the whereabouts of Rafael Lusvarghi, the 33-year old Brazilian man who fought for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, but said it would ensure he appears at trial," SBU Spokeswoman Olena Hitlianska has said.

"Because Lusvarghi is registered at the Pavlohrad city court of Dnipropetrovsk region, only that court can decide whether to remand him to custody," she said.

She canceled that SBU had already informed the prosecutor's office about the circumstances that must be taken into account when choosing a preventive measure. .

Kyiv-based 112.Ukraine TV said the court rescheduled consideration of a hearing on pretrial confinement from June 6 to May 7.

As earlier reported, members of radical nationalist groups, including National Corps and C14, on May 4, 2018 escorted Lusvarghi to SBU headquarters in Kyiv. Members of the groups looked for and found the Brazilian days after U.S. government-funded Radio Free Liberty/Radio Europe published a feature story about the former so-called separatist, including his living arrangements in Kyiv.

Kyiv's prosecutor's office said on May 4 that it would ask the court to remand Lusvarghi to pretrial confinement.
At the request of the Ukrainian investigation, law enforcers of Azerbaijan have detained a 29-year-old suspect of beating MP Mustafa Nayyem of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction, an extradition procedure has been launched, Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has said.

"As we remember, the incident took place in Kyiv on April 30. Three participants of the beating were informed of suspicion of group hooliganism. The court has already chosen a preventive measure. The fourth participant ordered a plane ticket 20 minutes after the incident and in 2.5-3 hours left for Baku. At the time of crossing the border, his identity was not yet established, but he was reported in absentia a suspicion on several counts and put on the wanted list. Today, he has been detained by our Azerbaijani counterparts," the Interior Ministry's Communications Department quoted Avakov on Saturday.

The minister recalled that the 29-year-old man, who beat the lawmaker, was detained by law-enforcement officers in Kyiv on May 2.

In turn, Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yevhen Yenin said on his Facebook page that after the detention of the suspect Saitov in Azerbaijan, the local court will select a preventive measure against him on Saturday, May 5.

"The request for Saitov's extradition will be sent shortly," he added.

As reported, Nayyem was attacked by unidentified individuals as a result of a road conflict in the center of Kyiv on Monday, April 30. As a result of the beating, the lawmaker was diagnosed with a jaw fracture and a concussion.

On May 1, Kyiv local prosecutor's office No. 10 announced suspicions to people involved in beating Nayyem. "Three of the participants in the conflict involved in the attack on the deputy were detained in accordance with Article 208 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine: men of 1999 and 1996. Two of them have Russian citizenship and are on the territory of Ukraine on the basis of temporary residence certificates, another is a citizen of Ukraine," the press service of the prosecutor's office in Kyiv said.

Nayyem said on May 1 that one of the road hooligans who participated in the attack on him had managed to leave Ukraine and flown out to Baku.

On May 2, Kyiv's Shevchenkivsky District Court remanded three suspects involved in the assault on Nayyem to home arrest.

Kyiv's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) told the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Thursday that Russian citizen Magomed-Salikh Arbuevich Saitov, born 1996, a second year student at Kyiv's Polytechnic Institute, was put under 24/7 house arrest. The suspect has been in Ukraine since April 2, 2018, and possesses a temporary residence permit.

The court also remanded Russian citizen Umolt Ruslanovich Temerbulatov, born 1996, temporarily unemployed, to home arrest during night hours. According to the PGO, he has been in Ukraine since April 16, 2018, possesses a temporary residence permit and is seeking employment.

Ukrainian citizen Akhmed Abubakarovich Saitov, born 1999, unemployed, was also remanded to home arrest during night hours.
On Monday, May 7, at 12.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference "Corruption in Coal Industry and Illegal Pressure of Security Agencies on Miners and Their Independent Trade Unions." The participants: chairman of the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine Mykhailo Volynets; chairman of the trade union of miners at Novovolynska mine No. 9 of Volynvuhillia state enterprise Vasyl Hura; chairman of the local trade union organization in the towns of Selydove and Novohrodivka in Donetsk region Viktor Trifonov; chairman of the trade union of miners at Novohrodivska 1/3 mine of state enterprise Selydovevuhillia in Donetsk region Serhiy Pavlov (8/5a Reitarska Street). Press accreditation by phone: (067) 935 0573, vkstog@gmail.com (Olha Stoyan), (068) 085 9640 (Ihor Kazmirchuk), (067) 917 0779 (Olesia Briazgunova).
Iran is determined to reject demands by U.S. President Donald Trump for changes to its nuclear accord, which amount to bullying, a senior Iranian security official said on Saturday.

Trump has said that unless European allies rectify "flaws" in Tehran's 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers by May 12 he will refuse to extend U.S. sanctions relief for Iran.

"This is an international agreement ... and we certainly have the capacity to defeat your bullying," Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Irans Supreme National Security Council, said in remarks broadcast on state television.

"You are saying that you do not accept something that was set up under the last president and it should be changed," Shamkhani said, addressing Trump. "Who, then, guarantees that if something is done with you, the next president won't come and refuse to accept it?"

Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insist that the nuclear deal signed with Iran has major shortcomings and will not prevent Tehran obtaining nuclear weapons in the future.

They also say that Iran's meddling in Syria and other regional countries shows that the Islamic Republic cannot be trusted and poses a danger to others.

In recent weeks a host of Iranian officials and lawmakers have reiterated that the Islamic Republic will refuse to make changes to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, known as JCPOA.

Shamkhani and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif have repeated Iran's position several times.

Reporting by Reuters
Qatar has agreed to take a 19 percent stake in Rosneft, rescuing the Russian state oil giant after its hopes of selling a major stake to a Chinese company fell through.

Qatar's sovereign investment fund QIA initially bought 19.5 percent of Rosneft jointly with Swiss trading giant Glencore for $12.2 billion during the Russian company's partial privatization in 2016.

But last year the consortium agreed to sell a 14.16 stake in Rosneft to CEFC China Energy in a $9.1 billion deal that was seen as key to helping expand relations between Russia -- the world's top energy exporter -- and China -- the top energy consumer.

That deal ran into trouble after CEFC Founder Ye Jianming was put under investigation by Chinese authorities over suspected economic crimes this year.

Glencore said on May 4 that its consortium with QIA to sell the Rosneft stake was dissolved, and Qatar and Glencore will now own the Rosneft stake directly.

It said QIA will control an equity stake of 18.93 percent and Glencore will hold some 0.57 percent.

"China's purchase of a stake in Rosneft has ended in a debacle. Russia's pivot to the East now feels more like a pivot to the Middle East, with Qatar coming to the rescue," Christian Boermel, an analyst at energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie, told the Reuters news agency.

Rosneft has been hit hard by U.S. sanctions on Russia over Moscow's aggression in Ukraine.

Currently, Reuters reported that the giant firm's stock is valued at only $65 billion despite producing more crude oil than U.S. ExxonMobil, which is valued at $324 billion.

Rosneft said it continues to consider China a strategic market, but welcomed the prospect of pursuing new joint international energy projects with Qatar.

Based on reporting by Reuters and TASS


Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The government of Peru has appointed Maria Castanon Seoane as the countrys ambassador to Azerbaijan.

The appointment was made official by Supreme Resolutions published May 4 in the official gazette El Peruano.

Additionally, credentials and full powers have been granted to the diplomat.

The ministerial resolution will set the dates on which the new envoy will take up duties.

The document was signed by Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra and Foreign Affairs Minister Nestor Popolizio.

The diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Peru were established on June 25, 1996.

Peruvian embassy started functioning in Azerbaijan in June 2017.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Ganja, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Azad Hasanli - Trend:

Azerbaijans Ganja city hosted the 2nd National Forum of Industrial Engineering.

The event was organized by Azerbaijan Technological University (UTECA), Lean Consulting company and Baku Engineering University.

Heads of many leading industrial facilities of Azerbaijan, representatives of higher educational and scientific institutions, as well as foreign experts, took part in the forum dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the national leader Heydar Aliyev.

The forum participants first visited the monument to the great leader Heydar Aliyev and laid flowers at the foot of the monument.

The state anthem of Azerbaijan was played at the opening of the event, and then a video footage Heydar Aliyev and Azerbaijani Industry was shown.

Rector of UTECA, Professor Akif Suleymanov, speaking at the opening of the forum, noted that holding the second forum in the largest regional center and the second biggest city of Azerbaijan, Ganja, is not accidental.

He noted that the role and commitments of the Azerbaijani districts in the development of the non-oil sector of Azerbaijans economy are quite big.

Historically, strategic industrial facilities were located in both Ganja and its environs, he said. Today, their number is growing, the activity of the former facilities is being restored and strengthened. The Azerbaijan Technological University, one of the organizers of the event, plays an important role in this process. The most effective model of university-industrial relations, created by UTECA, serves both to increasing efficiency of industrial facilities and improving the quality of staff training in universities.

In his speech, Suleymanov also touched upon the role of the national leader Heydar Aliyev in the development of industry in Azerbaijan. The rector emphasized that the radical development of this sphere is connected with the name of the great leader.

In 1969, after Heydar Aliyev came to power in Azerbaijan SSR, a new stage of industrial development began in the republic, Suleymanov said. As a result of the measures implemented by the great statesman, the development of all spheres was ensured, new industrial spheres were created, the petrochemical industry was modernized, new machine building and metallurgical complexes were commissioned. In 1993, after Heydar Aliyev returned to power, the implementation of systematic and consistent measures to revive Azerbaijans economy started. The implementation of the concept of Azerbaijans industrial development, the basis of which was laid by the national leader Heydar Aliyev, was confidently continued during the leadership of Ilham Aliyev. The state projects of investment and production purpose ensured the development of the industrial sector of Azerbaijans economy.

Then, President of the Azerbaijan National Confederation of Entrepreneurs` (Employers) Organizations Mammad Musayev, Executive Director of the Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) under Azerbaijan's Ministry of Economy Orkhan Mammadov, Chairman of Azerbaijans Parliamentary Committee on Economic Policy, Industry and Entrepreneurship Ziyad Samadzade and representatives of a number of leading companies of Azerbaijan addressed the forum.

Following the forum, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between UTECA and the Agency for Development of SMEs under Azerbaijan's Ministry of Economy, and an agreement on the intention of cooperation was signed between the High Tech Park of Azerbaijans National Academy of Sciences and UTECA. The last agreement provides for the creation of a Technology Transfer Office in UTECA.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @AzadHasanli
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

Kyrgyzstan and the Republic of Korea discussed the possibility of launching direct flights connecting the capitals of the two countries, the press service of the Kyrgyz Embassy in Korea said in a message.

Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to South Korea Kylychbek Sultan met with deputy of the National Assembly of Korea, chairman of the friendship group of Korean-Kyrgyz cooperation, Lee Jong Bae.

During the meeting, the ambassador informed the counterparts about the internal political situation in Kyrgyzstan, the increasing role of the countrys parliament and the form of parliamentary government in the Kyrgyz Republic as a whole.

The sides also exchanged views on further strengthening of inter-parliamentary cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the Republic of Korea and concluded an agreement on a joint solution to emerging issues, including an increase in the number of labor migrants from Kyrgyzstan to Korea and the opening of direct flights between the capitals of the two countries.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Ali_Mustafayev
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 5

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline is carried out according to the plan, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported on May 5.

This issue was discussed at the government meeting.

Turkmen section of TAPI, the construction of which started in December 2015, would be 205 kilometers. Then the pipeline will pass through the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar (816 km), then on the territory of Pakistan, through the city of Quetta and Multan (819 km), and will reach the settlement of Fazilka in India.

On February 23, 2018, has begun the construction of the Afghan section of the TAPI gas pipeline, which will export gas from the Galkynysh field in Turkmenistan.

The possible costs of the TAPI project vary to the extent $8-10 billion.

The consortium, with the participation of the Asian development Bank (ADB), continues active negotiations with all interested parties. Various options of participation in the project, such as participation in the company's share, project financing, financing through international development banks and with the help of export credit agencies from around the world are being examined.

As the leader of TAPI Pipeline company Limited, Turkmengas State Concern, which has a controlling stake, acts as the main financier and project manager.

The consortium also includes the Afghanistan Gas Corporation, Inter State Gas Systems (Private) limited and Indian GAIL.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Azad Hasanli - Trend:

Azerbaijans Azericard processing center has announced a tender for the purchase of services for the development of website design and applications for the iOS and Android operating systems.

Those willing to participate in the tender should send an application and other documents until 18:00 (GMT +4) May 11, 2018.

For more information, please call: (+994 12) 505 21 51 (ext. 8051).

Address: Bulbul Avenue, 54, Baku.

Contact person: Jahangir Mammadov.
President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbai Jeenbekov held a telephone conversation, Kazinform reported citing Akorda press service.

The sides debated the current state and prospects for bilateral cooperation, progress of realization of the earlier achieved high level agreements and cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union.
Tehran, Iran, May 5



By Kamyar Eghbalnejad - Trend:



Iran and the Netherlands signed two documents to develop cooperation in the sector of agriculture.



The agreements were inked on May 4 during Iran-Netherlands Joint Agricultural Commission meeting in The Hague with senior officials from the two countries in attendance, IRNA reported.



The meeting was presided over by Eskandar Zand, the head of Irans Agricultural Research, Education and Promotion Organization. The Netherlands deputy minister of agriculture and deputy rector of Wageningen University & Research were also present at the session.



The two sides also reached a number of comprehensive agreements in the fields of research, education, joint investment, and soil and water management.



They further agreed to increase their cooperation in various other sectors, including food security, fisheries, potato cultivation, genetic resources and dairy products.



In 2017, senior ministerial officials of Iran and the Netherlands signed a joint plan of action on expansion of bilateral economic ties in 2018.



The two sides signed the plan of action for 2018, which entailed cooperation in the fields of energy, water management, agriculture, shipping, banking, technology and airport development.



Tehran and Amsterdam have ramped up efforts to broaden trade ties after the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. Trade turnover between the two countries stood at $650 million 2017, more than $600 million of which pertain to Iranian imports from the Netherlands.
Tehran, Iran, May 5

By Kamyar Eghbalnejad - Trend:



Iran and Kurdish regional government (KRG) in northern Iraq signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on expanding economic cooperation.



The cooperation document was signed on May 3 in the presence of Iran's Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Mohammad Shariatmadari and a number of KRG regional officials in Erbil.



"The MoU could be a good opportunity for both sides to develop mutual cooperation," Shariatmadari told reporters following the signing ceremony on Thursday.



He added that Tehran and Erbil have set up a joint commission to pursue the implementation process of the agreements signed between the two sides earlier.

We are here in Erbil to explore business opportunities in Iraq, particularly in the KRG, he said.



Heading an economic delegation, Shariatmadari is in the Iraqi city of Erbil to attend an economic conference about the business opportunities of the two countries.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

Trend:

Iranian and Omani military officials discussed mutual cooperation during a meeting in Tehran on May 5.

The two sides met within the framework of the14th joint military commission, the state-run IRINN TV reported.

Brigadier General Hamad bin Rashid al Balushi, Assistant SAF Chief of Staff for Operations and Planning of Oman, is heading the Omani sides delegation to Tehran.

During the meeting the two parties discussed the progress of agreements and transactions between Oman and Iran. The officials also negotiated plans for further development of military ties and international police cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries.

Iranian Armed Forces General Staff Deputy for International Affairs General Ghadir Nezami said on the sidelines of the meeting that Iran-Oman joint military commission shows the two countries resolve to establish peace and stability across the region and the world.

General al Balushi is scheduled to hold separate meetings with senior Iranian military officials including Defence Minister Brigadier general Amir Hatami, Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi, the Islamic Republic Navy commander, Brigadier General Hassan Shahsafi, commander of the Iranian Air Force and Ali Fadavi, commander of Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

The parliamentary and presidential election to be held in Turkey on June 24 this year is, one might say, of a fateful nature.

Before the announcement of the date of the parliamentary and presidential election in Turkey in February, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) created a political bloc called "People's Unity" (Cumhur Ittifak), and on April 24, they were joined by the Great Unity Party (BBP).

All three parties signed a Protocol that the acting Head of State Recep Tayyip Erdogan will become the single presidential candidate from the "People's Unity" bloc.

The day before, all political parties officially nominated their candidates for the presidency.

A candidate from the newly created "Iyi Parti" was Meral Aksener, and from the "Saadet" party (SP) - Temel Karamollaoglu.

But the most unexpected was the candidacy of the People's Republican Party (CHP)- a 54-year-old MP Muharrem Ince.

The day before, Ince delivered a grandiose appeal to the people of Turkey and promised to do everything possible to gain votes.

Earlier, the leader of the CHP Kemal Kilicdaroglu stated that the CHP candidate will be the person who is moderate in his views and is familiar with the economy.

But given the identity of Ince, it can be stated that his candidacy is completely contrary to what was said by Kilicdaroglu. Undoubtedly, Ince has many advantages, he is very ambitious, communicative, has a good reputation in the ranks of the party. But he lacks popularity among the people.

"Ince has always been one of the most aggressive politicians in modern Turkey," local media wrote.

The question arises: why Kilicdaroglu nominated Ince? The answer to this question is inside the CHP itself.

The fact is that Klcdaroglu knows that he can't be elected President of the country, and on this basis the candidacy of Ince had been nominated, which, in fact, may be an alternative to Klcdaroglu in terms of leadership within CHP.

And if Ince will not be able to become president, which seems very likely, then all the responsibility for such failure falls on Klcdaroglu. This strategy of Klcdaroglu is wrong, because if Ince cannot become president, he will in any case further strengthen his position within the CHP.

It can be stated that with the nomination of Ince, Kilicdaroglu in some way recognized the fiasco of the CHP in the future presidential election.

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Rufiz Hafizoglu, Deputy editor-in-chief of Trend

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
On Saturday the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia invites all inhabitants and visitors of Tbilisi to celebrate Europe Day 2018, Agenda reports.

Rike Park in central Tbilisi will be transformed into "Eurovillage" for a day, taking all visitors on a journey to the European Union with fun activities taking place throughout the day.

Come and meet various EU Member States and find out more about how the EU is helping create more opportunities for Georgian citizens. Children will enjoy fairy tales and games from different countries, parents may sample food from diverse European nations, and everybody can dance to the lively music of Natia Todua and Nino Katamadze and Insight in the evening, the EU Delegation to Georgia wrote.

The aim of Europe day in Georgia is to raise the peoples awareness about the Georgia-EU relations.

A range of activities are being held for the event like meetings in the regions, trainings for local administration employees, information meetings at schools and municipalities, holding exhibitions and debates.

The events dedicated to Europe Day 2018 will last until May 22, organised by the Information Centre on NATO and the EU of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the EU representation in Georgia.
An informal meeting of EU defense ministers has started in Sofia on Saturday within the Bulgarian chairmanship in the EU. Upon arriving to the forum, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini stated that one of the central issues on the agenda is coordination of NATO and EU military missions to prevent possible conflicts, TASS reports.

Mogherini expects "a discussion with the deputy secretary-generals of the United Nations and NATO - they are both here with us - on how and what we can do better in the world together coordinating our missions, cooperations on peacekeeping, prevention of conflict, crisis management, so will be a broad range of, lets say, 360 degrees look at the world to see where cooperation is already working and working well," she said.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov took part in the forums opening. He stressed that peace should be discussed at a defense ministers meeting.

"Here is the best place for talking about peace. The issue is sacred here, in the Balkan region, and I am grateful to the EU representatives that the Balkan issue is again in the center of Europes attention. The challenges that the Balkans face require constant monitoring of the situation for immediate response. I am asking for support, because you, like no one else, understand the military threats in the Balkan region," the Bulgarian prime minister noted.

The forum in the Bulgarian capital will take one day and will focus on the global security and defense strategy and relations between EU and NATO.
Czech President Milos Zeman will attend a VE-Day reception at the Russian embassy in Prague on May 9, Zemans press secretary Jiri Ovcacek said, TASS reports.

"The president will visit the Russian embassy on May 9 to remember soldiers who liberated our country," he said. "On May 8, when the Czech Republic celebrates the national holiday, Mr. President will take part in a ceremony in Prague to pay tribute to the memory of Czechoslovakian soldiers who fought against the Nazi."

Zeman took part in a number of VE-Day receptions at the Russian embassy. Zemans predecessor, Vaclav Klaus, also attended VE-Day receptions at the Russian embassy when he was Czech president.

Almost 140,000 Red Army soldiers were killed and more than 400,000 were wounded liberating the Czech Republic and Slovakia during World War II.
A protest action against the socio-economic policy of French President Emmanuel Macrons government started on Saturday afternoon in Paris. It marks the first anniversary of Macrons presidency, TASS reported.

The main event of the action is a rally that started on the Place de l'Opera in the center of Paris at 12:00 Paris time (13:00 Moscow time). A large group of protesters is expected to head for the Place de la Bastille soon. Double-decker buses are also running through the city today, in which protest organizers are shouting out slogans to "join efforts for the common goal and go the whole way."

According to Paris prefect Michel Delpuech, about 2,000 policemen and gendarmes are keeping order on the city streets today. The decision to tighten security was taken after protests had sparked on May 1 in the French capital during a march. Then, a group of 1,200 masked anarchists and extreme leftists clothed in black joined a group of peaceful demonstrators and started smashing shop windows and setting cars, bicycles and dustbins on fire.

According to Delpuech, "security was tightened under the direct government order." The prefect said that the new demonstration organizers also beefed up security at their events, increasing the number of participants to 150 people.

Similar demonstrations are taking place in almost all large French cities today. Mass rallies are planned in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Strasbourg and Rennes. A protest rally was earlier held in Nice.
"Opening the skies above Saudi Arabia represents an important achievement that cannot be taken for granted, "Minister of Transport and Intelligence Yisrael Katz told an Aviation Conference, organized by the Israel Pilots Association, Globes reports.

Katz revealed that the Saudi authorities gave permission for Air India's first flight in March between Delhi and Tel Aviv to fly over the kingdom but refused permission for the return flight to fly over its airspace. Only after negotiations was he flight eventually allowed to fly back over Saudi airspace on the shorter route to Delhi.

Following the flight El Al Israel Airlines Ltd.(TASE: ELAL) petitioned the High Court demanding equal terms to its rivals in flights between Israel and Asia.

Katz said, "I believe that the skies will be open to all Israeli companies. Israel doesn't want to find itself in a situation whereby an Israeli company is at a disadvantage to other companies. There is no opposition in principle. The flight above Saudi Arabia, despite open skies agreements, harms Israeli companies and we must find a solution for this. Otherwise this reflects fair competition for developing the sector. Flights will be faster and can cover significantly more distances with direct flights to Japan, Singapore and more places, which will strengthen transportation. It will allow businesspeople and tourists to enjoy all possibilities."
President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela has explained for the authorities interference in the operations of the countrys largest private bank Banesco, TASS reports.

Union Radio said Maduro said the bank was siphoning monies finances out of the country.

"We had to interfere in Banescos operations [], to place it under provisional outside administration for 90 days and to launch an investigation because the bank had been siphoning off money," he said.

Maduro promised that "all the economic mafia will end up in jail" if he won the presidential election on May 20.

On Thursday, the Office of Venezuelas Attorney General asked the court to issue the warrants for arresting eleven top executives at Banesco. Juan Carlos Escotet described it as "an exceptionally political decision."
About 6,000 people from more than 20 US cities are expected to take part in the Immortal Regiment public action in the coming days.

The most populous procession will be held on Manhattan on Saturday, Igor Kochan, the president of the Russian Youth of America society and the coordinator of the action told TASS.

"The Immortal Regiment processions will be held in different American cities on different days, since May 9 [Victory Day in Russia and in most parts of the former Soviet Union - TASS] isnt a day off here," Kochan said. "But the biggest processions are expected on May 5 and May 6."

The list of the cities where the Immortal Regiment will be held includes some places where the action has been held previously, too. They are New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, and Miami. The new places are Kansas City, Birmingham, Houston, Phoenix, and Vancouver in Canada.

"We expect the most populous action this year since the Immortal Regiment first appeared on American soil," Kochan said. "We hope some 6,000 people will come."

He recalled that people from neighboring areas would come to big cities to join the processions. For instance, residents of Oregon, Alaska, and Vancouver would come to Seattle.

"We expect about 2,000 people in New York - descendants from the former USSR, Americans and, quite naturally, the veterans of World War II. It will begin on the bank of the Hudson and will end by the monument to the soldiers fallen during WW II that is located in Battery Park, in the southern part of Manhattan in front of Liberty Statue."

"Participants in the procession will lay flowers at the monument, present flowers to the veterans and release hundreds of white hot air balloons into the sky to the sounds of the famous Russian song Cranes," Kochan said.

On May 5, the processions will also be held in Washington, Boston, Denver, and Phoenix.

"WW II veterans will join the Immortal Regiment rallies in all large cities in the US," Kochan said. "The veterans who fought on the Soviet front of the war live in each big American city and they really wish to join the ranks with other at the Immortal Regiment action although all of them are quite advanced in age."

"Some of them will be on wheelchairs and others, on special vehicles," he said. "In New York, the veterans will join the procession at the last stage but anyway they will cover the last several hundred meters together with the rest of the participants. And they, too, will bring the portraits of their fellow soldiers, the ones who didnt live through to today."

"The Americans showing an increasing interest in the Immortal Regiment from one year to another, although we dont engage in any loud advertising," Kochan said. "We talk to our colleagues in the offices and our children speak to their American schoolmates about what the Immortal Regiment is and Americans join us gladly."

"The Americans agree with us its important to remember the price that the world paid of the victory," he said. "Like the Russian brother-soldiers, the Americans will also bring portraits of their relatives who are WW II veterans. Also, members of the Chinese community have shown interests towards the Immortal Regiment for the first time."

Associations of Russian-speaking Americans organize the processions in most cities in the US.

"In some cases, its unindifferent people who take on the role of coordinators," Kochan said. "They make arrangements with the authorities and help others make portraits of relatives and friends."

"The Immortal Regiment is turning to an increasingly grassroots action, and not only in terms of the numbers of participants," he said. "People understand the definite financial problems, which the organizational matters involve, and they make personal contributions to enable the Immortal Regiment rallies in their cities."

"The American authorities dont put up any obstacles to us," Kochan said. "We can even see an opposite tendency, namely, that the local authorities often take steps contravening the official position of the federal government."

"While we can see the deterioration of US-Russian relations at the official level, the local politicians are seeking to tap ways of communications and rapprochement with the Russian-speaking communities, all the more so that the Immortal Regiment isnt a Russian action," he said. "Its a tribute to the Russians, Americans and representatives of other peoples who fought with Nazism and emerged victorious from that fighting."

The first Immortal Regiment rallies took place in the US in 2015 at the initiative of the Russian Youth of America society. Processions were held in New York, San Francisco and Atlanta then and they brought together several hundred participants.

Steering the Immortal Regiment rallies at present is the Coordination Committee of the Associations of Russian Compatriots.
U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Britains Prime Minister Theresa May on Saturday on issues including the Iran nuclear deal, a week before the president is to decide whether Washington will leave the pact, the White House said, Reuters reported.

Trump is set to decide by May 12 whether to withdraw from the 2015 Iran deal, in which the Islamic Republic agreed to curb its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump has all but decided to withdraw White House officials said on May 2.

Still, Trump could figure out a way to stay in the deal between the Islamic Republic and six world powers including Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.

Britain, France and Germany agreed that the deal is the best way of stopping Tehran from getting nuclear weapons, Mays office said in late April.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who met with Trump in Washington last month, urged the president to stay in the deal.

In the call with May, Trump underscored his commitment to ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon, the White House said.

The two also talked about nuclear issues in North Korea. As planning continues for his upcoming meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, President Trump emphasized his goal of a denuclearized North Korea, the White House said. Trump is slated visit the United Kingdom in July.
KYODO NEWS - May 5, 2018 - 13:36 | Feature, All

Major retailers and manufacturers in Japan are beginning to pay greater attention to consumers who identify themselves as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in serving customers and developing products.

According to a survey conducted by ad giant Dentsu Inc. in 2015, one in every 13 people is estimated to be a member of the country's LGBT community.

The size of consumption by community members and spending by their supporters on products and services provided by companies friendly to sexual minorities is estimated at 6 trillion yen ($55 billion), Dentsu said, referring to such expenditures as "rainbow consumption" after the colors often used in LGBT social movements.

A department store operated by Marui Group Co. in central Tokyo's Yurakucho district held an event for LGBT people in February to give them tips on choosing and buying suits, with members of ReBit, a civic group supporting them, joining the store's sales staff in waiting on visitors.

The store prepared garments with wider size and design choices in consideration of sexual minorities, including transgender people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth.

(March in Tokyo for LGBT awareness in May, 2017)

"I always felt reluctant to go buy suits at shops, but today I enjoyed choosing," said a 26-year-old transgender man after having his waist measured.

The retailer said it has been promoting diversity-related efforts for several years so that all customers can enjoy shopping at its stores.

Kirin Holdings Co. held the first LGBT workshop for its employees last year in which participants discussed prejudice, including the assumption that beer is a beverage for middle-aged men, in an effort to eliminate discrimination against LGBT individuals.

The beverage maker said it aims to improve employees' understanding of issues related to sexual minorities through such efforts and apply the increased awareness to product development and sales promotion strategies.

Shiseido Co. has offered advice on makeup and skincare to LGBT people at events since 2015. "It may be difficult for people to go to buy cosmetics at stores if they have male bodies, but there is certainly demand (for cosmetics from such customers)," a public relations official of the cosmetics maker said.

The companies' moves catering to LGBT people are in sync with the recent recognition of same-sex partnerships by some local governments, including the Tokyo wards of Shibuya and Setagaya.
KYODO NEWS - May 5, 2018 - 04:06 | World, All

North Korea on Saturday returned to the same time zone as South Korea as the first step to follow up on last week's inter-Korea summit, the North's official news agency reported.

The standard times in North and South Korea had differed by 30 minutes since August 2015, when the North set its clocks back by half an hour.

"The time-resetting is the first practical step taken after the historic third north-south summit meeting to speed up the process for the north and the south to become one and turn their different and separated things into the same and single ones," the Korean Central News Agency said.

The action came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un proposed it to South Korean President Moon Jae In during their talks on April 27 at the border truce village of Panmunjeom.

Kim remarked at the time that seeing clocks with two different times at the facility where the inter-Korean summit was held "made my heart heavy," according to the South Korean government.

KCNA had reported that the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, North Korea's top legislative body, adopted on Monday a decree to change Pyongyang time back to its previous standard.

Until August 2015, North Korea was in the same time zone as Japan and South Korea, nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. It was established during Japan's colonization of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.
KYODO NEWS - May 5, 2018 - 10:17 | All, World

Senior U.S. officials reassured a Japanese Cabinet minister on Friday that President Donald Trump will raise the abduction issue firmly during his planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Katsunobu Kato, minister in charge of the abduction issue, quoted the officials as telling him that Trump has a deep understanding of Pyongyang's kidnapping of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s, and that the president will respond to the issue in a resolute way.

(President Trump, center, and kins of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea)

Kato held separate talks in Washington with Matt Pottinger, senior director for Asia at the National Security Council, and Thomas Shannon, undersecretary of state for political affairs, ahead of the Trump-Kim meeting that is likely to occur by early June to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

During a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last month in Florida, Trump promised he will do "everything possible" to bring the abductees back to Japan.

Speaking to reporters after the talks with Pottinger and Shannon, Kato said he handed the men letters addressed to national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, respectively, in which he sought increased coordination with the United States in addressing the abduction and other human rights issues involving North Korea.

"We will firmly collaborate with the international community, including the United States, to continue to impose pressure on North Korea so as to entice concrete action from North Korea toward the earliest possible resolution of the abduction issue," Kato said.

Kato said he told Pottinger and Shannon that the Japanese government -- and the kin of abductees -- has never accepted Pyongyang's claim that the issue has been resolved.

"Our definition of the resolution of the abduction issue is that all abduction victims return as soon as possible," he said. "The government of Japan is determined to take every possible measure to achieve that objective."

Japan officially lists 17 citizens as abduction victims and suspects North Korea's involvement in many more disappearances. While five of the 17 were repatriated in 2002, Pyongyang maintains that eight have died and the other four never entered the country.

In a meeting Friday in Washington, Abe's national security adviser Shotaro Yachi and Bolton affirmed the significance of the Japan-U.S. alliance and trilateral security cooperation with South Korea as Trump prepares to hold talks with Kim for the first-ever U.S.-North Korea summit, according to the Japanese government.

Yachi and Bolton vowed to ensure close coordination in achieving a complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of all of North Korea's weapons of mass destruction, including biological and chemical weapons, missiles -- such as short- and medium-range missiles capable of hitting South Korea and Japan -- as well as related facilities, it said.
The viral video clip shows a black SUV - which belongs to the union minister according to his own admission - ploughing into an unarmed group of protesters at great speed.
(Permanent Musical Accompaniment to the Last Post of the Week From The Blog's Favourite Living Canadian)

Yeah, it was just about as bad as you imagined it would be.

This president*, after a week of calamitous news regarding his alleged relationship with an adult-movie actress, and in desperate need of both a distraction and a friendly audience, goes to Dallas to addressthe national convention of the NRA. It's like the boob-bait-a-lanche of all time.

"Thanks to your activism and dedication, you have an administration fighting to protect your Second Amendment and we will protect your Second Amendment. Your Second Amendment rights are under siege, but they will never ever be under siege as long as I am your president."

You just said they were already under siege, Knocko.

"Kanye West must have some power, because you probably saw, I doubled my African-American poll numbers. We went from 11 to 22 in one week, thank you, Kanye. When I saw the numbers I said that must be a mistake, how did that happen?"

If Kanye West showed up unannounced on their lawns, most of this audience would call the police.

"Senate Democrats like Jon Tester, you saw what happened there, what he did to one of the finest people in our country, what he did to the admiral? What he did was a disgrace."

That cinches it. Jon Tester has no chance of being re-elected to the Senate from Texas.

Sometimes, I think Lewandowski's job is to pull the string in the back of the president*'s neck so he can speak.

I don't know what the hell is going on here, but, given the track record of Scott Walker, the goggle-eyed homunculus hired by Koch Industries to manage their midwest subsidiary formerly known as the state of Wisconsin, I'm fairly sure that, at some level of the government, there's some penny-ante graft afoot. From the WaPo:

And to independent economists, it's a mystifying piece of tax policy that has no clear long-term economic purpose and few, if any, recent comparable examples, given that tax breaks are traditionally incorporated for tax filing season  not in the months before an election. "This is really weird. I have never heard of anything like this," said Richard Auxier, who tracks state tax policy for the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank. Scott Drenkard, a tax expert at the Tax Foundation, a right-leaning think tank, was also puzzled. "This is definitely odd and unique. I haven't seen anything like it before," he said. "It's political catnip, but it's hard to see how it improves economic outcomes."

"It's literally a guy saying, 'I'm Scott Walker running for reelection, have some money!'" said Mandela Barnes, a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor in Wisconsin. "Everyone I've talked to sees it as a blatant payoff."

Well, yeah. And your point is?

Getty Images

Major kudos to Nancy Kaffer of The Detroit Free Press for catching Michigan's government at some serious finagling regarding the state's proposed work requirement for Medicaid. They have managed to find a way to knuckle poor minority citizens while appearing to be generous.

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Because although HB 897 threatens to end Medicaid benefits for hundreds of thousands living elsewhere in the state, it includes exemptions for people who live in counties with an unemployment rate of more than 8.5%, like the ones Schmidt represents. Live in Detroit? You're out of luck. The city's unemployment rate is higher than 8.5%, but the unemployment rate in surrounding Wayne County is just 5.5%  meaning Detroiters living in poverty, with a dysfunctional transit system that makes it harder to reach good-paying jobs, won't qualify for that exemption. The same is true in Flint and the state's other struggling cities. Get that? Rural residents of up-north counties with high unemployment are protected; urban Michiganders who live in high-unemployment cities in more prosperous counties are left to twist.

What's the most obvious difference between the people in rural, up-north Michigan and the citizens of Detroit? Hmmm, lemme get back to you on that.

Weekly WWOZ Pick To Click: "Fine Brown Frame" (Nellie Lutcher): Yeah, I still pretty much love New Orleans.

Weekly Visit To The Pathe Archives: Here's something from the Geneva Peace Conference in 1954, and a look at the man who was going to bring peace to Indo-China. Here he is meeting with John Foster Dulles, to allay our fears that "France was going to give way to the Reds too easily." This video did not age well, but history is so cool, anyway.

If you read nothing else this weekend, read Jamelle Bouie's moving account of the recent opening of the National Memorial For Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. The guy behind the memorial, which attempts to honor all those who were killed through extrajudicial murder, is Bryan Stevenson, who has done more of god's work in this country than any three other people you can name. We need a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in a lot of areas in this country, but we're never going to get one because, you know, Exceptionalism.

But, as Jamelle points out so eloquently in Slate, maybe this quiet place is what we'll have to pass for one.

Why dwell on this painful period of American history? Why fight to bring this unspeakable violence into the national consciousness? And why work to integrate it into public memory when lynching remains an incredibly fraught metaphor for racial conflict, with heavy symbolic baggage that weighs on any conversation around the subject?

The answer is straightforward. We live in a moment when racismexplicit and unapologetichas returned to a prominent place in American politics, both endorsed by and propagated through the Oval Office. And in that environment, a memorial to racial terrorismone which indicts perpetrators as much as it honors victimsis the kind of provocation that we need, a vital and powerful statement against our national tendency to willful amnesia. The victims of lynching and racial terrorism deserve a memorial that makes plain the scale of the offense and the magnitude of the crime. The communities in question deserve a chance to reckon with the weight of their history. And Americans writ large need an opportunity to grapple with this period as we struggle to understand a present that contains disturbing echoes of our not-too-distant past.

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Is it a good day for dinosaur news, Guardian? It's always a good day for dinosaur news!

Thought to have lived between 66 and 100m years ago the gull-like bird, known as Ichthyornis dispar, was first written about in the 19th century by American palaeontologist Othniel Marsh after fossil remains were unearthed in the US. These revealed that the animal's body was similar to modern birds in many respects. But there was a startling difference: it had jaws which housed sharp teeth. The findings astonished experts who recognised that the creature offered crucial insights into how today's birds came to be. However, the skull was far from complete.

"It was flying around eating probably fish, shellfish and other things, plucking them out of the water with its abbreviated little pincer-tip beak and then tossing them back into its mouth and crunching down on them with its powerful dinosaur-like jaws," said Bhullar. The animal's brain meanwhile was relatively large compared to its body size, a feature found in birds today. That, said Bhullar, scotches the idea that a large brain evolved at the expense of space for jaw muscles. "I think the reason the bird brain is large basically is to deal with the demands of flight," he said.

Anybody who's ever stumbled into Joe's Crab Shack has seen allegedly evolved humans eating shellfish in much the same waya vestigial reminder that dinosaurs lived then to make us happy now.

The Committee had no doubt that this week's Top Commenter of the Week would come from the post about Willard Romney's most recent tussle with human speech. And Top Commenter Dan Gauss, who is only pawn in game of life, did not disappoint, drawing inspiration from a cinema classic:

him love hot dog and Sheriff Bart

A laurel and hardy handshake, and 81 Beckhams to you, Hedy.

I'll be back on Monday to see whether Rudy Giuliani has finalized arrangements for the president* to begin serving his sentence. Be well and play nice, ya bastids. Stay above the snake-line, or I'm sending you for BBQ with Willard.

Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook page here.
Plant scientists have taken the crucial last steps in a 60-year quest to unravel the complex chemistry of Madagascar periwinkle

Plant scientists have taken the crucial last steps in a 60-year quest to unravel the complex chemistry of Madagascar periwinkle in a breakthrough that opens up the potential for rapid synthesis of cancer-fighting compounds.

The team in the laboratory of Professor Sarah O'Connor at the John Innes Centre have, after 15 years of research, located the last missing genes in the genome of the periwinkle that are devoted to building the chemical vinblastine.

This valuable natural product has been used as an anti-cancer drug since it was discovered in the 1950s by a Canadian research team.

A potent inhibitor of cell division and used against lymphomas and testicular, breast, bladder and lung cancers, it is found in the leaves of Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus).

Until now, the complex chemical mechanisms the periwinkle uses in the production of vinblastine have not been fully understood. Consequently, access to its life-extending chemistry has been laborious - it takes approximately 500 kg of dried leaves to produce 1g of vinblastine.

But the new study - lead author Dr Lorenzo Caputi - which appears today in the peer-review journal Science, uses modern genome sequencing techniques to identify the final missing genes in the pathway.

This research also identifies enzymes that build vinblastine precursor chemicals, which include catharanthine and tabersonine. These can be readily chemically coupled using synthetic biology techniques to give vinblastine.

"Vinblastine is one of the of the most structurally complex medicinally active natural products in plants - which is why so many people in the last 60 years have been trying to get where we have got to in this study. I cannot believe we are finally here," said Professor O'Connor.

"With this information we can now try to increase the amount of vinblastine produced either in the plant, or by placing synthetic genes into hosts such as yeast or plants."

Its attractive white or pink flowers have made the Madagascar periwinkle a popular ornamental plant in homes across the world.

But for decades it has been the focus of increasingly competitive research probing its natural chemistry and potential pharmacological activity.

Professor O'Connor also pointed out that this new study builds on the work of numerous other research groups around the world who contributed to the elucidation of the vinblastine pathway over the years.

Having assembled the genetic pathway and the formidable chemical structures, the team are now in a position to use the information to create more compounds much more quickly using synthetic biology techniques.

Professor O'Connor anticipates that her group or another in this competitive field will be able to produce microgram quantities of vinblastine or its precursors vindoline or catharanthine in the next 12 to 18 months.

The John Innes Centre team were joined in the research by the Courdavault group based at Tours, France.

They employed modern sequencing and genomic techniques along with some traditional chemistry relying on a blend of intuition and some literature dating back to the 1960s and 70s.

In total the team counted 31 steps in the chemical chain from the primary chemical precursor to the final product, vinblastine.

One molecule in the chain so volatile that Dr Caputi came to know it as "angry-line" instead of its true scientific name dihydroprecondylocarpine acetate.

The full findings can be found in the paper: Biosynthesis of the Vinblastine and Vincristine Precursors, Caranthine and Tabersonine, in the journal Science.

###

Pictures/Media and captions:

Photographs: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1otKHNTWnjD_EBIwBFx_DTT0uo_HbBJJo

Notes for Editors

Contacts

Press Contact: Adrian Galvin - Adrian.Galvin@jic.ac.uk Tel: 01603 450238 Out of Hours Tel: 07881 255193

About the John Innes Centre

The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant science and microbiology.

Our mission is to generate knowledge of plants and microbes through innovative research, to train scientists for the future, to apply our knowledge of nature's diversity to benefit agriculture, the environment, human health, and wellbeing, and engage with policy makers and the public.

To achieve these goals we establish pioneering long-term research objectives in plant and microbial science, with a focus on genetics. These objectives include promoting the translation of research through partnerships to develop improved crops and to make new products from microbes and plants for human health and other applications. We also create new approaches, technologies and resources that enable research advances and help industry to make new products. The knowledge, resources and trained researchers we generate help global societies address important challenges including providing sufficient and affordable food, making new products for human health and industrial applications, and developing sustainable bio-based manufacturing.

This provides a fertile environment for training the next generation of plant and microbial scientists, many of whom go on to careers in industry and academia, around the world.

The John Innes Centre is strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). In 2015-2016 the John Innes Centre received a total of 30.1 million from the BBSRC.

The John Innes Centre is also supported by the John Innes Foundation through provision of research accommodation and long-term support of the Rotation PhD programme.

The John Innes Centre is the winner of the BBSRC's 2013 - 2016 Excellence with Impact award.

For more information about the John Innes Centre visit our website http://www.jic.ac.uk

About BBSRC

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is part of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government.

BBSRC invests in world-class bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public. Our aim is to further scientific knowledge, to promote economic growth, wealth and job creation and to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond.

Funded by government, BBSRC invested 469 million in world-class bioscience in 2016-17. We support research and training in universities and strategically funded institutes. BBSRC research and the people we fund are helping society to meet major challenges, including food security, green energy and healthier, longer lives. Our investments underpin important UK economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceuticals

For more information about BBSRC, our science and our impact see: http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk

For more information about BBSRC strategically funded institutes see: http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/institutes
By Cate Cadell

BEIJING (Reuters) - Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA.N) reported better than expected top line results on Friday, driven by strong sales in its commerce and cloud computing units, even as margins were squeezed by flurry of investments.

The company's March-quarter revenue grew 61 percent to 61.9 billion yuan ($9.73 billion) from a year earlier, beating analyst estimates of a 53 percent increase.

The results mark two years of continuous quarterly revenue growth above 50 percent for Alibaba, even as new business investments in offline retail, cloud computing and overseas expansion continue to weigh on margins.

Alibaba's operating margin for the quarter was 15 percent, down from 25 percent a year earlier.

The internet giant announced in March that it will invest an additional $2 billion in Southeast Asian e-commerce firm Lazada Group, adding to a run of recent investments in China including brick-and-mortar stores, microchips and logistics.

The spending comes as Alibaba faces increased competition from Chinese rival JD.com Inc (JD.O), which has partnered with social media and gaming giant Tencent Holdings Ltd <0700.HK> on offline retail, marketing and payments.

During a conference call with analysts, Chief Executive Daniel Zhang said the firm "will continue to invest aggressively" with a goal of surpassing $1 trillion in gross merchandise volume (GMV) by 2020.

Alibaba's core commerce business grew 62 percent year on year to 51.3 billion yuan, while its cloud computing business grew 103 percent to 4.4 billion yuan, buoyed by new overseas data centers.

It also forecast a strong revenue increase of 60 percent for the year to March 31, 2019, versus 58 percent in 2017-18.

Last quarter Alibaba announced it will acquire a one-third stake in payment affiliate Ant Financial, replacing an earlier profit share agreement, under which Ant paid royalty fees to Alibaba equivalent to 37.5 percent of its pre-tax profits.

Story continues

The deal, which is expected to close in the second half of 2018, is likely to tamp profit in the short term as the payments company invests heavily to stave off competition in the Chinese market.

Alibaba's net income attributable to shareholders was 7.6 billion yuan in January-March, down 29 percent from the same quarter in 2017. The drop was due in part to gains from the sale investments during the same quarter in 2017, the company said.

The company posted 61.9 billion yuan ($9.73 billion) in revenue for January-March, versus an average estimate of 58.9 billion yuan from 23 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

March quarter sales are seasonally slow for Alibaba following its bumper sale event, Singles' Day, in November. Sales for the period were also affected by fewer working days due to the Chinese New Year holidays.

($1 = 6.3595 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Arjun Panchadar in Bengaluru and Cate Cadell in Beijing; Editing by Mark Potter/David Evans)
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Tim Cook

Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Apple shares hit an all-time high Friday after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway upped its stake in the company by 75 million shares.

Berkshire's total stake is now worth almost $44 billion.

Watch Apple stock trade in real time here.

Apple shares spiked to an all-time high of $183.65 Friday, up almost 4% on the day, after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway upped its stake in the tech giant.

Buffett told CNBC Thursday evening that Berkshire bought an additional 75 million shares of iPhone maker. "If you look at Apple, I think it earns almost twice as much as the second most-profitable company in the United States," Buffett told the cable network, calling it an "unbelievable company."

After the purchases Berkshire now holds approximately 240.3 million shares. At a price of $183 per share, that's a total stake of almost $44 billion.

Apple's market cap is now $898.76 billion.

Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting will take place on Saturday, May 5, and you can follow Business Insider's coverage here.

Apple is up 6.24% on the year.

Screen Shot 2018 05 04 at 10.50.18 AM

Markets Insider

NOW WATCH: Wall Street's biggest bull explains why trade war fears are way overblown

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The bitcoin price is less than $100 away from surpassing $10,000 after demonstrating a strong week of momentum and volume. In Hong Kong and South Korea, the bitcoin price has already reached $10,000.

Whats Next After $10,000?

For many months prior to November 2017, the $10,000 threshold was considered an important psychological support level for most traders, because it marked an important milestone for bitcoin. But, once bitcoin surpasses the $10,000 mark, investors will look towards the $12,000 and $14,000 mid-term support levels and anticipate a potential move from the $10,000 region to the all-time high price at $20,000.

In less than three weeks, the bitcoin price has increased from $6,500 to $9,900, after a 30-minute candle pushed the value of bitcoin from $6,500 to $8,000. The daily trading volume of bitcoin has increased to nearly $8 billion but the daily trading volume of the entire market has declined by more than $6 billion over the past two days, which signifies that the interest towards alternative cryptocurrencies (altcoins) and tokens have moved to bitcoin and Ethereum, two of the most valuable cryptocurrencies in the market.

In periods of extreme volatility, market change, and recovery, major cryptocurrencies tend to outperform tokens, because investors try to minimize risk. But, if bitcoin and Ethereum continue to sustain their strong momentum, it is likely that the altcoin season will emerge in the short-term, as investors start to take more risks and place large orders on tokens.

Over the past 24 hours, tokens such as WanCoin, ICON, Decentraland, and Ontology, which have demonstrated large gains against both bitcoin and the US dollar throughout the past 3 weeks, have recorded losses in the range of 3 to 10 percent.

As CCN reported on May 4, traders and investors are already looking towards the mid-term, expecting the price of bitcoin to cross key levels in the upcoming weeks. If the price of bitcoin surpasses the $10,000 mark, given that bitcoin has moved gradually over the past three weeks without major spikes, it is likely that bitcoin continues to build momentum until $12,000.

Story continues

Brian Kelly, an investor and a contributor to CNBCs Fast Money, stated that the bitcoin price will continue to surge in the short-term as more banks like Goldman Sachs start to trade bitcoin futures on behalf of their clients.

More to that, as non-profit organization Coin Center recently reported, the government has clarified that bitcoin is not a security, reassuring investors that trading bitcoin as a currency and an asset does not require an approval from the SEC.

Its a complicated area. Because, as you said, there are different types of cryptoassets. Let me try and divide them into two areas. A pure medium of exchange, the one thats most often cited, is Bitcoin. As a replacement for currency, that has been determined by most people to not be a security, said SEC chairman Jay Clayton.

Featured image from Shutterstock.



The post Bitcoin at $9,900, Whats Next For Bitcoin Price After $10,000? appeared first on CCN.


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It is reasoned that taking a gun away from someone who is deemed potentially dangerous reduces chances for the commission of violent crime.[/caption] Two Connecticut lawmakers who dont often agree are urging the adoption of gun seizure laws throughout the country modeled on Connecticuts 1999 statute, CGS 29-38c, also known as the state's Gun Seizure Law. State Rep. Arthur ONeill (R) is contacting legislative leaders in the 46 states that dont have similar legislation. He is urging them to consider adoption of a gun seizure statute, also called a risk warrant, in each of their states, modeled on the Connecticut law. In the meantime, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D) announced he will propose federal legislation also modeled after Connecticuts Gun Seizure Law. Connecticut was the first state in the nation to pass a law to allow police to obtain a court order to seize guns from anyone who presents an imminent risk of harming himself or someone else. This statute was passed in response to the 1998 Connecticut Lottery shooting rampage, in which a disgruntled employee shot and killed the president of the lottery and three employees before killing himself. Under the provisions of Connecticut's Gun Seizure Law, police, after investigating and determining probable cause, may apply for a warrant to seize an individual's firearms. Following the entry of a seizure order, the court must hold a hearing within 14 days and, after the hearing, may order the retention of the weapon or weapons for as long as one year. A 2008 report by the Office of Legislative Research (OLR 2008-R-0280) determined that, by 2008, police had applied for 222 warrants and seized 1,713 guns. The report pointed out a great variance in the use of the seizure law among Connecticut towns. Only 54 towns used it, with West Hartford the most frequent user at 23 times. The large cities of Hartford and Bridgeport reported no use of the law. The OLR report did not present any reasons why the towns and cities would vary in their use of the Gun Seizure Law. Of the 222 applications, only two were denied (one for lack of probable cause and the other because the guns had already been seized). The information collected for the report indicated further that the most frequent reason for the use of the statute was the threat of suicide (40 percent of cases). This is consistent with the fact that the majority of gun deaths in America are by suicide. The next most common reasons were threat of murder (14 percent), mental illness (12 percent), violence (12 percent), threat of murder/suicide (9 percent), reckless gun use (4 percent) and other (9 percent). When the seizure law was being considered by the Legislature, its opponents called it the "turn in your neighbor law, claiming it would be used by disgruntled neighbors to get even. This clearly hasn't been the case. The report pointed out that while the statistics on complainants was not comprehensive, their data suggests 32 percent of the cases were initiated by spouses, 15 percent by relatives other than spouses, 14 percent by law enforcement (including probation and parole officers), and 10 percent by health care professionals. The report indicated that in 95 percent of the cases where the police had a seizure order, they were actually able to seize weapons. Also, the courts kept seizure orders in place after hearings in 81 percent of the cases. In the majority of cases, police were ordered to hold the weapons for up to a year. In some cases, the guns were ordered transferred to someone else, destroyed or sold. A more recent report, prepared jointly in 2014 by Duke University, Yale University and the University of Connecticut, indicated the Gun Seizure Law had been used to seize guns from Connecticut residents in 764 cases since its passage in 1999. In addition, data confirmed that use of the law increased following the December 2012 mass shooting in Newtown. While it is impossible to tell how many lives have been saved by this law, we can tell from the OLR report that the law has been used effectively to seize guns in dangerous circumstances. In very serious cases, the seizure law has successfully focused on removing guns from the hands of high-risk individuals. Connecticut is safer because of the passage of this statute. Seizing guns from individuals who lawfully obtained them is a serious action and the Legislature should be vigilant to be certain that such a law is not misused. Initially, the OLR did a good job of reporting on the use of the law. It issued reports in 2002, 2006 and 2008. But it has been 10 years since the last report was issued. We continue to need to know about the use and effectiveness of the Gun Seizure Law. In 2014 this editorial board expressed its support for the Gun Seizure Law and suggested the Legislature take a closer look at its uneven use by some towns, and an explanation as to why it is not used at all in other towns. Also, we noted the importance of having the Legislature require the OLR to issue future reports on a regular, periodic basis. Now that 46 other states and the federal government may be considering adoption of laws modeled on Connecticuts, it is time we review what is working and what could be improved.
A man walks past the Deutsche Bank offices during a snow storm in Manhattan's financial district in New York January 21, 2014. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

(Reuters) - Deutsche Bank AG will shift its New York headquarters from Wall Street to a location midtown, at a time when Germany's largest bank is scaling back its U.S. operations.

The bank will relocate to One Columbus Circle from 60 Wall Street, according to an internal memo to employees.

The move is expected to start in the third quarter of 2021 and will be completed in 2022, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The new location will consolidate the bank's New York presence and would reduce its commercial presence in the city by 30 percent, according to the memo.

Chief Executive Officer Christian Sewing said last month that the bank would cut back bond and equities trading and would invest in German retail banking and asset management in Europe.

The bank is expected to cut around 1,000 jobs or 10 percent of its workforce in the United States, Reuters reported last month.

(Reporting by Diptendu Lahiri in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
(Reuters) - Top officials from China and the United States reached a consensus on some aspects of the countries' trade row, but disagreements over other issues remain "relatively big", according to the Chinese government on Friday.

The talks over the past two days have involved a high-level U.S. trade delegation led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and senior Chinese officials, and followed months of threats and counter-threats from both sides in a series of disputes over trade practices.

Below are some key points from framework proposals put forward by the two countries at the start of the talks, according to sources with knowledge of the matter, and what is known of the outcome:

TARIFFS AND NON-TARIFF BARRIERS:

Chinese proposal: Said it would lower tariffs on some U.S. products, including cars.

U.S. proposal: Asked China to cut tariffs on all products to levels no higher than that of the United States. Washington will impose additional tariffs if China fails to comply with agreed-upon commitments.

What we know of outcome: The two sides exchanged opinions on solving tariff issues, Xinhua said. BILATERAL TRADE

Chinese proposal: China proposed increasing imports from the United States; asked U.S. to let its government and companies freely buy and use Chinese technology products and services; asked the U.S. to resume imports of cooked poultry from China.

U.S. proposal: Asked China to cut trade imbalance immediately and cut its trade surplus in goods with the United States by at least $200 billion (148 billion pounds) by 2020; asked China not to distort trade through investment restrictions and ensure any investment restrictions or conditions imposed by China were "narrow and transparent".

What we know of outcome: The two sides exchanged opinions on expanding U.S. exports to China and bilateral services trade, said Xinhua. BILATERAL INVESTMENT:

Chinese proposal: Asked United States to treat Chinese investments equally under national security reviews; asked United States to stop issuing restrictions on new investments; agreed to implement its commitment to open up its financial and manufacturing sectors; proposed discussion on increasing film import quotas with U.S. and further opening up its Hainan free trade zone.

Story continues

U.S. proposal: Asked China not to oppose, challenge, or otherwise retaliate against the United States' imposition of restrictions on investments from China in sensitive U.S. technology sectors or sectors critical to U.S. national security, in light of China's investment restrictions and state-directed investment in sensitive U.S. technology sectors, including industrial plans such as Made in China 2025; asked China to give U.S. investors in China fair, effective and non-discriminatory market access and treatment.

What we know of outcome: the two sides exchanged views on expanding two-way investment, according to Xinhua. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY:

Chinese proposal: Requested United States terminate its Section 301 IP probe, not implement proposed 25 percent tariffs.

U.S. proposal: Asked China to protect U.S. IP by immediately ceasing market-distorting subsidies and other types of government support that can contribute to excess capacity in industries targeted by the Made in China 2025 plan; asked China to eliminate "specified policies and practices" with respect to technology transfer; asked China to agree to immediately cease the targeting of U.S. technology and IP through cyber operations, economic espionage, counterfeiting, and piracy, and abide by U.S. export control laws.

What we know of outcome: the United States and China exchanged views on IP protection, said Xinhua. ZTE:Chinese proposal: United States should listen to ZTE's appeal on sanctions.

U.S. proposal: No mention

What we know of outcome: China lodged solemn representations on ZTE, the United States attached great value to those representations, Xinhua said.

AGRICULTURE:

Chinese proposal: China offered to consider new information provided by U.S. firms on Beijing's anti-dumping probe on sorghum imported from the United States.

U.S. proposal: Asked China not to take any retaliatory action directed at imports of U.S. agricultural products in response to any U.S. actions, including any new U.S. restrictions on investments or imports; asked China to improve market access for U.S. agricultural products and U.S. services "in specified ways".

What we know of outcome: No mention by Xinhua

(By Michael Martina and Shu Zhang; Writing by Ben Blanchard and Ryan Woo; Editing by Alex Richardson)
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Rudy Giuliani[/caption] Rudolph Giuliani has spent days on newspaper front pages and dominating cable news this week, with some suggesting he has placed his own client, the president of the United States, in fresh legal jeopardy. Among those closely watching Giuliani's performance, it's certain, are his fellow shareholders at Greenberg Traurig. In a move that legal ethics experts suggest is uncommon, Giuliani has remained with the firm but taken a leave of absence to represent President Donald Trump. After joining Trump's legal team last month, the former New York City mayor initially remained on Greenberg Traurig's website as senior adviser to Greenbergs executive chairman and as the firm's cybersecurity practice chair. His firm profile was taken offline this week, amid the furor sparked by his comments on Fox News about payments to the woman known as Stormy Daniels, and after ALM sent Greenberg questions on Wednesday about the affiliation. Several legal ethics experts said they couldnt recall another law firm partner leave arrangement quite like Giulianis. Firms are paid to take on client cases and when theres a conflict, the client usually finds a different law firm, as one lawyer put it. Some close to Greenberg have suggested Giulianis absence was related to the firm's business image. The current head of the American Bar Association, Hilarie Bass, a co-president of Greenberg, has issued statements about her concerns over some Trump administration actions and has called for no interference in special Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Greenberg shareholder Barry Richard, without taking a leave, represented George W. Bush in the Florida litigation that determined the presidency. But in a statement about the arrangement, a Greenberg spokeswoman pointed to potential conflicts and noted Giuliani is not being paid during the leave. The opportunity for Mr. Giuliani arose suddenly and, due to potential conflicts and the need for a quick decision, an unpaid leave of absence made sense to both Mr. Giuliani and the firm, rather than making a long-term decision, the Greenberg spokeswoman said. She added that other Greenberg attorneys have taken leaves of absence for many different reasons on a case-by-case basis.

Story continues

Taking 'a Hiatus'

Even though Greenberg has represented Trump entities in the past, the leave of absence effectively means Greenberg is not taking on Trump as a client for the Mueller investigation, confirmed several legal ethical experts. Thats apart from any public relations headaches or business and recruitment concernsreasons why other firms may have turned down representing the president. A leave, said New York University legal ethics professor Stephen Gillers, can achieve the same level of separation, for conflict purposes, as a resignation so long as the lawyer on leave has no access to the database of the firms matters and the lawyer gives up any financial interest in the firms income during the leave. If an absence is due to a conflict, Gillers said the lawyer on a leave can receive money to which the lawyer is already entitled but has to be excluded from future income. It would seem you would have to structure it so he doesnt get paid for the period theres the conflict, said Ronald Minkoff, a partner at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz who focused on professional responsibility and who spoke generally on leave situations as a result of conflicts. The former mayor also took a leave of absence from the firm in October 2016, during the late stages of the campaign. Even after he had apparently returned by early 2017, firm leadership distanced itself from his work on Trumps executive order on immigration. Greenberg executive chairman Richard Rosenbaum issued a firm letter making clear that the firm was not retained to advise Trump on this executive order and that the firm values diversity. When asked about Giulianis leave and whether the firm was concerned about an association with the president, a Greenberg spokeswoman said the firm has a long history of representing high-profile clients without regard to their political views which have covered a wide spectrum. Greenberg hired Giuliani in early 2016, after the former mayor left Bracewell, taking his name off the door from that firm. Giuliani became chair of the firm's cybersecurity, privacy and crisis management practice at Greenberg, while still leading a security and consulting business under Giuliani Partners. But Giulianis work for foreign governments and his role as Trump's television and political rally supporter has overshadowed any recent legal work. Marc Mukasey, who said he is not following Giuliani on the presidents legal team, acknowledged in a newspaper interview that Giuliani is "not often in the courtroom these days. Still, Giulianis Rolodex, his political and consulting experience and his business experience around the world boost Greenberg, which has an extensive lobbying practice. Greenberg, a Florida-founded firm that now has 38 offices across the world, earned $1.48 billion gross revenue in 2017, making it the 14th highest-grossing law firm in the United States, according to ALM affiliate The American Lawyer. We dont comment on individual attorneys' performance, even high-profile figures like Mr. Giuliani, a firm spokeswoman said. At the beginning of his second leave of absence, Giuliani said in interviews he was hoping for a resolution in a matter of weeks. He also said in interviews that his role on Trumps legal team will be limitedremarks that now appear contradictory to his May 2 television interview that set off a new round of questions and controversy about payments to Stormy Daniels. Ethics experts said leaves of absence from firms are typically taken when the lawyer has health issues to address, is helping with a campaign, or when there is misconduct that needs to be investigated. Ive heard of this happening when family matters or illness, not a client representation, is the cause of the leave, Gillers aid. As some legal ethics experts said in interviews, a leave indicates the attorney still has keys to the office and is welcome back after the commitment is over. Two lawyers close to the firm said Giuliani is a sui generis situation. Its a unique circumstance. For whatever reason, Rudy Giuliani and the firm have not decided to permanently part ways, said one attorney. Its a hiatus.

A Lot of Tentacles

Meanwhile, Giulianis former colleague at Greenberg, Manhattan federal prosecutor Geoffrey Berman, has recused himself from perhaps the most high-profile matter in the Southern District of New York U.S. Attorneys Office: the criminal investigation of Trumps longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen. A conflict relating back to Bermans time at Greenberg may have given rise to his recusal, according to several former federal prosecutors and white-collar defense experts who did not have direct knowledge of the circumstances. The recusal has been reported as occurring soon after Berman assumed the Southern District position. His deputy, Robert Khuzami, is now overseeing the matter. It seems like the source of the conflict predated his arrival to the U.S. Attorneys Office, which leads me to continue to believe the most likely explanation is something to do with his prior law firm, said Paul Krieger, a former federal prosecutor who now leads a white-collar defense boutique, Krieger Kim & Lewin. The Mueller investigation and likely the Southern Districts probe into Cohens business dealings have a lot of tentacles, and it seems like theres a lot of areas and therefore a lot of entities and individuals that are in need of legal services as a result of those investigations, Krieger said. The New York Times and Washington Post have reported that Cohen is being investigated for possible bank fraud. According to court filings, Greenberg represents several banks in various regulatory, litigation and corporate matters. It seems that a U.S. attorney who in his prior life, Krieger said, worked at a major international law firm with a significant roster of institutional or individual clients, could run into conflicts. Greenberg has represented both Trump in litigation and Kushner Cos. in real estate. For instance, the firm represented Trumps company in suing a Florida city over enforcement of noise regulations in 2015. And a year later, Greenberg represented Kushner Cos. in a Brooklyn real estate deal. Public records do not show Berman was involved in those matters. Other personal factors may be at play in the recusal. According to media reports, Berman volunteered for the Trump transition team, donated to the Trump campaign and at one point was interviewed by the president for the U.S. attorney job. Its not inconceivable he crossed paths with Cohen as another supporter of Trump, one source said. Also, Berman hasnt been nominated by the president, but was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, meaning that "one might question his decisions as being potentially influenced by the desire to be nominated, even if at all not true, said Harry Sandick, a former federal prosecutor and now a partner at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler. Any recusal by the U.S. attorney, no matter how unusual, could stem from an abundance of caution. The appearance is almost as important as the actual bias issue, Sandick said. Longtime colleagues in the New Jersey bar praised Bermans integrity. Berman is a completely straightforward and honorable person, said Kevin Marino, of Marino, Tortorella & Boyle. William Palatucci, an attorney at Gibbons and former general counsel to Trumps presidential transition committee, said, "Ive known Geoff Berman for many years. He's a person of the highest integrity and so I trust his judgment completely." Contributing to all the speculation surrounding Bermans recusal is that he and Giuliani shared the same firm. Several members of the bar have privately wondered the extent of any communications between Giuliani and Berman when they were still at Greenberg. Was he [Giuliani] giving advice to Trump throughout this whole process, maybe not public, and did Berman have some part in that advice? Sandick said about the speculation. We dont know. A spokesman for the Southern District U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment, stating "the reason for recusals in this or any other case are not public information."
Industrial names generally suffer from deep cyclicality which can affect companies operating in areas ranging from machinery to aerospace to construction. Hence, considering economic volatility is of paramount importance when thinking about an industrials companys profitability. Availability of cash flows also determines the level of dividend payout. In times of growth, these industrial companies could provide opportune income through dividend. Here are my top dividend stocks in the industrials industry that could be valuable additions to your current holdings.

Lonking Holdings Limited (SEHK:3339)

3339 has a substantial dividend yield of 4.42% and is currently distributing 54.54% of profits to shareholders . While theres been some fluctuation in the yield over the last 10 years, the dividends per share have increased in this time. Lonking Holdings is a strong prospect for its future growth, with analysts expecting the companys earnings to increase by 56.67% over the next three years. Interested in Lonking Holdings? Find out more here.

SEHK:3339 Historical Dividend Yield May 5th 18

China Machinery Engineering Corporation (SEHK:1829)

1829 has a juicy dividend yield of 4.48% and their current payout ratio is 40.00% . Besides capital gain prospects, just the yield is higher than the low risk savings rate  enticing for investors with goals of beating their bank accounts. Plus, a 4.48% yield places it amidst the markets top dividend payers. Dig deeper into China Machinery Engineering here.

SEHK:1829 Historical Dividend Yield May 5th 18

Shanghai Industrial Holdings Limited (SEHK:363)

363 has an alluring dividend yield of 4.69% and the company has a payout ratio of 32.43% , with the expected payout in three years being 32.84%. Dividends per share have increased during the past 10 years, but there have been a couple hiccups. However, they have historically always picked up again. Continue research on Shanghai Industrial Holdings here.

SEHK:363 Historical Dividend Yield May 5th 18

For more solid dividend paying companies to add to your portfolio, explore this interactive list of top dividend payers.



To help readers see pass the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price sensitive company announcements.



The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned.
An Atlas 5 rocket rises from its fog-shrouded launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, sending NASAs Mars InSight lander toward the Red Planet. (GeekWire Photo/Kevin Lisota)

NASAs Mars InSight lander and two piggyback probes were lofted through Californias coastal fog into space before dawn today, beginning a six-month, 300 million-mile journey to study the Red Planets mysterious interior.

It marked the first interplanetary mission to be launched from the U.S. West Coast.

The launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base was shrouded in murk when the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket lifted off at 4:05 a.m. PT. Near the pad, the typically foggy weather blocked the view, but not the sound.

We really heard it, NASA chief scientist Jim Green said after liftoff. Car alarms went off in the parking lot.

Spectators across a wide swath of the Southern California coast got a good look at the rockets red glare as the Atlas ascended to orbit.

After going into a pole-to-pole orbit, the Atlas Centaur upper stage boosted NASAs car-sized lander through a left turn and onward to Mars.

Vandenberg was selected for todays launch because NASAs traditional interplanetary launch site in Florida was facing a space traffic jam, Scott Messer, ULAs program manager for NASA missions, said during a pre-launch briefing. The Atlas 5 provided more than enough oomph to get its payload into deep space.

Just after the lander was sent on its way, the upper stage deployed two nanosatellites, each the size of a cereal box, which will make parallel trips to Mars and test miniaturized systems for spacecraft propulsion and communications during a flyby.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, who was sworn in less than two weeks ago, passed along his thanks to the Mars InSight team in a congratulatory phone call. This is a big day, he said. Were going back to Mars.

At the end of its long cruise, InSight is due to light up its thrusters and land on a Martian plain known as Elysium Planitia on Nov. 26.

Story continues

That happens to be right after Thanksgiving, on Cyber Monday, said Tom Hoffman, InSight project manager at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. If youre shopping online  and you want to see something else, you can put that on your other screen, he joked.

The lander will deploy a super-sensitive seismometer as well as a heat probe thats designed to hammer its way as much as 16 feet beneath the Martian surface. It will also use its radio antenna system to make precise measurements of Mars wobble on its axis.

All those readings are expected to give scientists unprecedented insights into the planets Marsquakes, its interior structure and the composition of its crust, mantle and metallic core. That could help them flesh out their understanding of the solar systems origins, and help NASA anticipate what its astronauts will eventually face.

The $1 billion mission is a joint effort involving NASA as well as partners in France, Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

Todays launch was originally supposed to take place in 2016, but problems with the French-built seismometer forced a 26-month delay.

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Anti-Putin protests sweep across Russia James

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User ID: kaput

05-05-2018 02:20 PM



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Post: #1 Anti-Putin protests sweep across Russia

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International Jewish Banking Oligarchs/'Financiers' Inc. having another go at a "Russian" Color revolution/Jewish Bolshevik Invasion.



Anti-Putin protests sweep across Russia



Quote: Under the banner "He is not our tsar," Russians have taken to the streets to decry a fourth term by President Vladimir Putin. Police have arrested opposition leader Alexei Navalny along with dozens of other protesters.

http://www.dw.com/en/anti-putin-protests...a-43665431



All Western Globalist ZOG propaganda platforms giddy with excitement with their manufactured, potentially profitable prole slaughter and cheer-leading like demons for their internal destruction of Nationalist Russia.... Their wrong outweighs their right

but how can I fight,

when they threaten my life?

Two and two equal five.

In the place full of light.



Under the spreading chestnut tree

I sold you, and you sold me.

There lie they, and here lie we.

Under the spreading chestnut tree.



- Eric Arthur Blair, The Prole Song Bit of a copy pasta....but urgency dictates:International Jewish Banking Oligarchs/'Financiers' Inc. having another go at a "Russian" Color revolution/Jewish Bolshevik Invasion.All Western Globalist ZOG propaganda platforms giddy with excitement with their manufactured, potentially profitable prole slaughter and cheer-leading like demons for their internal destruction of Nationalist Russia.... (This post was last modified: 05-05-2018 02:24 PM by James .) LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 02:28 PM











Post: #2 RE: Anti-Putin protests sweep across Russia

Success of the protests will green light bombing of Iran and takeover of syria.



It's all linked. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 02:32 PM











Post: #3 RE: Anti-Putin protests sweep across Russia

That's just the opposition bemoaning there loss and his new term. e.g. sour grapes. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 02:32 PM











Post: #4 RE: Anti-Putin protests sweep across Russia

LoP Guest Wrote: (05-05-2018 02:32 PM) That's just the opposition bemoaning there loss and his new term. e.g. sour grapes.

* their. * their. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 02:37 PM











Post: #5 RE: Anti-Putin protests sweep across Russia

The US and Israel will weaponize them if at all possible ! James

Registered User

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 02:41 PM



Posts: 8,470









Post: #6 RE: Anti-Putin protests sweep across Russia

LoP Guest Wrote: (05-05-2018 02:28 PM) Success of the protests will green light bombing of Iran and takeover of syria.



It's all linked.

People in the West just refuse to see the threadbare criminal machinations of that old international Criminal Bankster Clique...



Quote: International Jews



In violent opposition to all this sphere of Jewish effort rise the schemes of the International Jews. The adherents of this sinister confederacy are mostly men reared up among the unhappy populations of countries where Jews are persecuted on account of their race. Most, if not all, of them have forsaken the faith of their forefathers, and divorced from their minds all spiritual hopes of the next world. This movement among the Jews is not new. From the days of Spartacus-Weishaupt to those of Karl Marx, and down to Trotsky (Russia), Bela Kun (Hungary), Rosa Luxembourg (Germany), and Emma Goldman (United States), this world-wide conspiracy for the overthrow of civilisation and for the reconstitution of society on the basis of arrested development, of envious malevolence, and impossible equality, has been steadily growing. It played, as a modern writer, Mrs. Webster, has so ably shown, a definitely recognisable part in the tragedy of the French Revolution. It has been the mainspring of every subversive movement during the Nineteenth Century; and now at last this band of extraordinary personalities from the underworld of the great cities of Europe and America have gripped the Russian people by the hair of their heads and have become practically the undisputed masters of that enormous empire.



- Winston Churchill People in the West just refuse to see the threadbare criminal machinations of that old international Criminal Bankster Clique... Their wrong outweighs their right

but how can I fight,

when they threaten my life?

Two and two equal five.

In the place full of light.



Under the spreading chestnut tree

I sold you, and you sold me.

There lie they, and here lie we.

Under the spreading chestnut tree.



- Eric Arthur Blair, The Prole Song (This post was last modified: 05-05-2018 02:42 PM by James .) James

Registered User

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 02:48 PM



Posts: 8,470









Post: #7 RE: Anti-Putin protests sweep across Russia

Counter Anti-Soros Cabal Protests underway.



Breaking on RT. Their wrong outweighs their right

but how can I fight,

when they threaten my life?

Two and two equal five.

In the place full of light.



Under the spreading chestnut tree

I sold you, and you sold me.

There lie they, and here lie we.

Under the spreading chestnut tree.



- Eric Arthur Blair, The Prole Song James

Registered User

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 03:06 PM



Posts: 8,470









Post: #8 RE: Anti-Putin protests sweep across Russia





https://www.reuters.tv/l/tXb/2018/05/05/...-in-moscow Live feed.... Their wrong outweighs their right

but how can I fight,

when they threaten my life?

Two and two equal five.

In the place full of light.



Under the spreading chestnut tree

I sold you, and you sold me.

There lie they, and here lie we.

Under the spreading chestnut tree.



- Eric Arthur Blair, The Prole Song engineering

Banned

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 03:10 PM



Posts: 5,299









Post: #9 RE: Anti-Putin protests sweep across Russia

James Wrote: (05-05-2018 02:20 PM) Bit of a copy pasta....but urgency dictates:



International Jewish Banking Oligarchs/'Financiers' Inc. having another go at a "Russian" Color revolution/Jewish Bolshevik Invasion.



Anti-Putin protests sweep across Russia



Quote: Under the banner "He is not our tsar," Russians have taken to the streets to decry a fourth term by President Vladimir Putin. Police have arrested opposition leader Alexei Navalny along with dozens of other protesters.

http://www.dw.com/en/anti-putin-protests...a-43665431



All Western Globalist ZOG propaganda platforms giddy with excitement with their manufactured, potentially profitable prole slaughter and cheer-leading like demons for their internal destruction of Nationalist Russia....

Last I checked it was Russia behind #resist & many political rallies against Trump & also antifa along with BLM Last I checked it was Russia behind #resist & many political rallies against Trump & also antifa along with BLM Laserz

let there be light

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 03:15 PM



Posts: 40,916









Post: #10 RE: Anti-Putin protests sweep across Russia

Don't you think the opposition has been a calculated strategy all along?



War is the goal... period. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 03:19 PM











Post: #11 RE: Anti-Putin protests sweep across Russia

Throw the sunny bastard out! LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 04:56 PM











Post: #12 RE: Anti-Putin protests sweep across Russia

Make no mistake,



The CHOSENS can depose Putin WHENEVER THE HELL THEY WANT



HOWS THAT FEEL, cattle? Krampus

Registered User

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 06:18 PM



Posts: 10,188









Post: #13 RE: Anti-Putin protests sweep across Russia

:rofl:They just realize Vlad was also a banker puppet!

It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.  Mark Twain LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 06:26 PM











Post: #14 RE: Anti-Putin protests sweep across Russia

He's the godfather of the oligarch mafia.
















LILONGWE (Reuters) - Malawi's economy will grow by as much as 6 percent in 2019 from a 4 percent expansion expected in 2018, President Peter Mutharika said on Friday, in remarks ahead of the presentation of the national budget in parliament. Malawi, which is heavily reliant on financing from foreign donors, mostly Britain, other European Union countries and the United States, has restored economic stability after a period when the siphoning off of funds by government officials led to donors freezing budgetary support in 2013. A former justice minister and scores of other government officials were convicted of complicity in the "Cashgate" scandal. "It has taken us three years to turn around the economy from the devastation of Cashgate, and through national disasters of floods, drought and hunger," Mutharika said. Landlocked Malawi is a net importer of fuel and other essential commodities, mainly agricultural inputs and drugs. "This month, four years ago - we were speaking of a broken economy, stagnated projects and smashed hopes. Today, we have the economy fixed, confidence regained, projects moving, and hopes rising," said Mutharika. Malawi, which is experiencing power rationing due to inadequate generation, aims to more than double power supply from the current 360 Megawatts (MW) to 1,000 MW by 2023, by diversifying from hydro electricity generation to coal, wind, solar and gas, Mutharika said. Mutharika said Malawi planned to build an international airport along Lake Malawi, as part of ambitious plans to turn the country's tourism industry into a major source of revenue. The lake, which has also been subject of oil exploration in recent years, covers more than half of the country and is a major tourist attraction. Elections are due in Malawi in May 2019 and Mutharika has declared that he will seek a second term, despite recent criticism of his age. He will be 79 next year. (Reporting Frank Phiri; Editing by James Macharia and Toby Chopra)
Saturday, May 5, 2018

Watch live today

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A, BRK-B) is holding its 2018 Annual Shareholder Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska Saturday starting at 9:45 a.m. ET. Tune into Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger as they share their views on the company, market, economy and more.

Buffetts remarks will likely move markets. Just yesterday Apple (AAPL) shares hit a record high after Berkshire disclosed that it bought 75 million shares in the first quarter of this year.

Watch the livestream here

Our exclusive with Buffett

How you couldve turned $114 into $400,000 with a simple long-term investment: Many of us know the magic of investing money in the stock market  just letting it sit and watching it grow  but few of us really grasp just how powerfully enriching this can be. Not surprisingly, Warren Buffett, the worlds greatest investor, has a vivid example of this which he shared with Yahoo Finance Editor in Chief Andy Serwer.

Good habits may be more important than IQ: When asked if young people  who are often saddled with student loan debt and high rents  should be expected to start saving and investing, Buffett said, I think the habits you develop are terribly important. They may be more important than IQ or something.

Why Buffett is not afraid of the stock market: The Berkshire Hathaway CEO is one of the most ardent bulls when it comes to the U.S. stock market and the economy at large. But its his steadfast belief in the U.S. economy that ultimately bolsters Buffetts view on our financial markets. And why Buffett doesnt fear the sometimes scary volatility that can come to the market.

Buffett: Women make me very optimistic about this country: Buffett is bullish on the potential of women in the U.S. to boost the economy. I have two sisters that are absolutely smart as I am and better personalities, Buffett told Yahoo Finances Editor in Chief Andy Serwer in a wide-ranging interview.

Story continues

Driverless cars will dramatically reduce insurance premiums: By now, the question for driverless cars is when, not if. For Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, which owns Geico, that prompts the question: what does this mean for car insurance?

Buffett on buying bitcoin: When Warren Buffett speaks, investors listen. And Buffett is still not sold on bitcoin. Theres two kinds of items that people buy and think theyre investing, he says. One really is investing and the other isnt. Bitcoin, he says, isnt.

For more of the latest news, go to Yahoo Finance



Like what you just read? Get the Morning Brief sent directly to your inbox every Monday to Friday by 6:30 a.m. ET. And feel free to share it with a friend!

The Morning Brief provides a quick rundown on what to watch in the markets, top news stories, and the best of Yahoo Finance Originals.
Photo credit: Naval Analyses

From Popular Mechanics

A new infographic shows the underwater might of the Russian Navy and its fleet of 72 submarines, one more than the U.S. Navy at the time of this writing. Split between nuclear missile submarines, cruise missile submarines, attack submarines, and unique special mission and test submarines, the Russian Navy is no slouch.

Once again, the excellent website Naval Analyses (Twitter), creator of the United States Navy Submarines 2018 infographic, has released a new image (full size) that shows off the various classes of submarines in service with the Russian Navy.

Photo credit: Lev Fedoseyev - Getty Images

The graphic starts off with some of the newest submarines at the top, the four ballistic missile submarines of the Borei class. These nuclear powered submarines each carry sixteen Bulava submarine launched ballistic missiles, each with a range of 5,800 miles and armed with six 150 kiloton nuclear warheads. Eventually, Russia will build eight Borei submarines. Rounding out Russias ballistic missile submarine force are seven Delta III/IV submarines carrying Sineva missiles and the last gigantic Typhoon-class submarine, Dmitri Donskoy, currently serving as a missile test boat.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Next up are the eight enormous Oscar-II-class guided missile submarines. Five hundred feet long and displacing 24,000 tons underwater, Oscar-IIs were originally commissioned by the Soviet Union to destroy U.S. Navy aircraft carriers with swarms of large, powerful cruise missiles. Each carries 24 P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles.

Unlike the United States, Russia has both nuclear-powered and diesel electric-powered attack submarines. Russia has twelve Akula I, II, and III-class, three Victor III class, and four Sierra I and II class nuclear attack submarines. All three classes date back to the Soviet Navy and the Cold War, although a handful were built after the fall of the USSR. More recently Russia has commissioned a pair of Yasen-class submarines, cruise missile submarines that could eventually replace the aging Oscar boats.

Story continues

Photo credit: Getty Images

On the diesel electric submarine front, Russia has 21 Kilo-class submarines and one Lada-class submarine. Kilos are meant to operate closer to home, in places like the Black Sea and Mediterranean, and the boats in service range from Cold War-era builds to boats like the Rostov-on-Don, commissioned in 2014. The Lada class was built to replace the Kilos and submarine expert HI Sutton claims Russia is planning at least five boats.

Russia has a comparatively large fleet of special mission submarines. The Russian Navy has two enormous motherships, based on the Delta III and Delta IV hulls, for ferrying deep diving midget submarines. It also has one Losharik, three Nelma, and three Kashalot-class submarines designed for deep ocean ocean engineering work.

One submarine on this list is particularly ominous, the Sarov, a test platform for the Kanyon/Status-6 apocalypse torpedo, a nuclear-powered torpedo designed to attack coastal targets such as ports and cities with an enormous 100 megaton thermonuclear warhead. Status-6 is designed to bypass U.S. missile defenses, destroying entire coastal regions with nuclear blast, tsunamis, and rendering the area uninhabitable with long-lasting nuclear fallout.



The Russian Navy, at least on paper, has one more submarine than the U.S. Navy, although the U.S. submarine force is composed entirely of ballistic missile, cruise missile, and attack submarines. In other words, a pure fighting force. The U.S. Navys submarine fleet, unlike the Russian Navy, is entirely nuclear powered, although if the U.S. had neighbors as potential adversaries it would probably invest in non-nuclear submarines also.

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FILE PHOTO: The Nestle logo is seen during the opening of the 151st Annual General Meeting of Nestle in Lausanne, Switzerland April 12, 2018. REUTERS/Pierre Albouy/File Photo

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss food group Nestle (NESN.S) has clinched an agreement with European retailers to settle a months-long pricing row and get its products back on sale, the world's biggest packaged food maker said on Wednesday.

"We are pleased that a balanced agreement has been reached and that Nestle products will soon be back on the shelves of the six members of the European retail alliance AgeCore," a company spokesman said, confirming a report by Germany's Lebensmittelzeitung.

Nestle, whose brands include KitKat chocolates and Thomy sauces, has for months faced off with AgeCore, a Geneva-based group representing six European retailers.

The group, which included Germany's Edeka and Switzerland's Coop, had boycotted Nestle products as they sought better supply terms.

An Edeka spokesman confirmed the settlement but said details of the accord were confidential. "We are switching back to normal operations with Nestle," he added.

Edeka, Germany's largest supermarket group, had last month recommended its stores expand the boycott of some Nestle products, escalating the pricing row that broke out in September.

Switzerland's Coop had also broadened its boycott, banishing more Nestle products from its stores.

Coop said on Wednesday it would pass on results of the negotiated deal to customers as it puts Nestle products back on sale in the days ahead.

Coop would launch a two-week sale from mid-May offering up to 30 percent discounts on more than 500 Nestle products such as Nescafe instant coffee, Smarties sweets and Moevenpick ice-cream.

Another such Nestle brands promotion was planned for the months ahead, it said.

The dispute was the latest outward sign of tension between European retailers and suppliers at a time of changing consumer tastes and new online competition.

Nestle, under the leadership of new Chief Executive Mark Schneider, last year posted its weakest annual sales growth in at least two decades, which has prompted shareholder pressure to boost revenue and profit margins.

Story continues

Its first-quarter sales growth was driven almost entirely by volume, illustrating how hard it is for consumer products makers to raise prices in a competitive retail environment.

Nestle shares were down 1.2 percent by midday, while the Stoxx European retail sector index (.SX3P) was down 0.4 percent.

(Reporting by Angelika Gruber in Zurich and Matthias Inverardi in Dueseldorf, writing by Michael Shields, editing by John Revill)
An oil well is seen at the Sindbad oil field near the Iraqi-Iranian border in Basra, Iraq April 23, 2018. Picture taken April 23, 2018. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani

By Jessica Resnick-Ault

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rose about 2 percent on Friday with U.S. crude hitting its highest in more than three years as global supplies remained tight and the market awaited news from Washington on possible new U.S. sanctions against Iran.

Bob Yawger, director at Mizuho, noted the looming May 12 deadline that U.S. President Donald Trump set for Europeans to "fix" the deal with Iran over its nuclear programme or he will refuse to extend U.S. sanctions relief for the oil-producing Islamic Republic.

"You have the May 12 Iran and Trump headlines that support the market," he said.

U.S. light crude (CLc1) settled up $1.29 at $69.72 a barrel. It touched a session high of $69.97, its highest since November 2014. It was on track to gain just over 2.3 percent on the week.

Brent crude oil (LCOc1) settled up $1.25 at $74.87 a barrel. The global benchmark was set to end the week up 0.3 percent.

Iran's foreign minister said on Thursday that U.S. demands to change its 2015 agreement with world powers were unacceptable. Trump has said European allies must rectify "terrible flaws" in the international accord by May 12.

European powers want to hand Trump a plan to save the Iran nuclear deal next week. But they have also started work on protecting EU-Iranian business ties if Trump makes good on his threat to withdraw.

Iran resumed its role as a major oil exporter in January 2016 when international sanctions were lifted in return for curbs on Tehran's nuclear programme.

ANZ analysts Daniel Hynes and Soni Kumari said Brent could reach $80 a barrel by the end of this year, attributing recent strength to rising geopolitical risks and tighter global supply.

"We expect the market to tighten even further in second half 2018," they wrote in a note to clients.

Still, growing U.S. crude supplies have been capping price gains.

Surging production in the Permian shale basin is outpacing pipeline capacity, while local refining issues have exacerbated oversupply.

Story continues

The United States now produces more crude oil than top exporter Saudi Arabia, and two weeks of U.S. inventory builds have limited the oil markets upside. U.S. energy companies added oil rigs for a fifth straight week, with higher crude prices boosting profits and pushing nationwide production to record highs. [RIG/U]

Drillers added nine oil rigs in the week to May 4, bringing the total to 834, the highest since March 2015, General Electric Co's (GE.N) Baker Hughes energy services firm said. (RIG-OL-USA-BHI)

(Additional reporting by Meng Meng in BEIJING and Henning Gloystein in SINGAPORE and Christopher Johnson in LONDON; Editing by Marguerita Choy and David Gregorio)
Op Ed: Can Solar Power Drive Bitcoin Mining in Africa?





While many in the West often overlook Africa as an emerging blockchain innovation center, a deeper look across the continent tells a very different story. The Blockchain Africa Conference came to a close last month in Johannesburg, South Africa. Around the same time, the Kenyan government set up a task force to study the impact of the technology. There are plenty of other blockchain communities growing around Africa too, in places like Nigeria, Sudan and Algeria.



Although not without difficulties, the growing connectivity and an advancing computer science field  especially at institutions like Makerere University in Uganda  show the African blockchain ecosystem is evidently building agency.

And it has the potential to make a massive impact on local economies and communities alike. During a speech, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Managing Director of the IMF Christine Lagarde noted, So [blockchain] is not just about saving money, it is also about creating more transparency, promoting stronger accountability, and in the end, delivering a better life for every citizen.

For many, cryptocurrency mining is providing a big leap forward. Communities have sprouted up across the region. But with global bitcoin mining using more power than most African countries (only South Africa, Egypt and Algeria consume more), its hard to see how its going to be sustainable on the continent. On the flipside, solar power just might have the force to push bitcoin mining in Africa to the next level. Heres how.

A Snapshot of the Bitcoin Mining Community in Africa

Bitcoin mining farms have begun popping up around the world to mine bitcoin in bulk. But while Egypts hot climate seems like an unfavorable place to do so, a community has developed to mine bitcoin in secret.

According to the Bitcoin Africa article linked above, many miners keep a low profile for fear of being charged for working with black market foreign currencies. Still, bitcoin mining farms are spreading across Cairo. One of the main reasons for the boom is that electricity is cheaper compared to other economies. With lower overheads paid out in the local currency, miners get more back in bitcoin.

Story continues

Bitcoin mines are spread throughout other countries, too. IT Software company Ghana Dot Com (GDC) opened what it claims to be the countrys first bitcoin mine back in 2016, for example. (GDC is a descendant company of Network Computer Systems, which introduced internet in Ghana in 1993.) In South Africa, bitcoin mining hardware store Bitmart just opened in 2018. Theres also active communities in Nigeria, Gambia, Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya.

One Nairobi-based miner, Eugene Mutai, has received a fair share of press for the mining facility in his apartment. He told Bloomberg that, in the global market, bitcoin mining has leveled the playing field for him. Without a college degree, hes been able to move into the Kenyan middle class.

Solar as a Viable Mining Alternative

Certainly, parts of Africa arent exactly the ideal place to be mining bitcoin due to the hot climate  the average temperature in Ethiopia, for example, is 93 F year round. Even more significantly, about 600 million people living in Sub-Saharan Africa dont have access to electricity. And, while nearly 1 billion people in the region might gain access to electricity by 2040, an estimated 530 million people will still not have electricity access due to population growth.

Each country in Africa has its own nuanced problems and solutions; however, in a good handful of African countries, solar power is emerging as a viable option for combatting these electricity woes  and there are already several solar projects on the go.

In Morocco, for example, theres the 800MW Noor Midelt solar complex. According to Reuters, the estimated $2.4 billion (2 billion) project has been supported by the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Union and the European Investment Bank, among other institutions. In addition, Seychelles just announced theyre planning to install Africas first floating solar project, which is expected to contribute 5.8 GWh annually to the country. There are also giant solar farms in South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Morocco and Burkina Faso. Many produce so much energy, in fact, they hope to one day export solar energy to Europe.

This investment in energy infrastructure could eventually help make bitcoin mining in Africa a more sustainable endeavor which, if implemented on a large scale, might actually help push Africas industry forward.

In an article on Greentech Media, author Tam Hunt writes: It can make good financial sense to use solar power to mine bitcoin. Solar plants can provide power that is cheaper than grid power in areas with good insulation and low construction costs. The price of power is also known with some certainty over time because there are no fuel costs and thus no volatility.

Not only can mining with solar energy drive the bitcoin industry in many African countries forward, but it will give greater parts of the population across the continent access to the global market. Instead of being held back by highly inflated currency or local tenders impacted by government turbulence, bitcoin mining is enabling many Africans to get ahead. And if solar power is brought into the mix, it can prove to be a truly sustainable leap forward for economies and individuals alike. After all, in parts of Africa there is a huge necessity for it. The power requirements to mine bitcoin are globally unsustainable. And since access to electricity in Africa is already problematic, solar power could be the answer.

This is a guest post by Nabyl Charania, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Rokk3r. Views expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Media or Bitcoin Magazine.







This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.
Teachers across Arizona will return to school on Friday, six days after beginning their statewide strike.

The end to the strike follows the signing of new legislation by Gov. Doug Ducey that addresses some, but not all, of their demands. The state House and Senate "pulled an all-nighter" to get the bill to his desk, according to The Hill.

The measure will give teachers a 20% raise by 2020 and provide an additional $371 to education funding over the next five years, restoring in part the funding cut during the recession.

Nevertheless, the legislation did not include provisions for pay increases for other support staff such as librarians and counselors, nor does the increased funding reach the requested $1 billion.

Ralph Quintana, president of the Arizona American Federation of Teachers, told The Wall Street Journal that "even though the economy has recovered, they're refusing to give us the restoration of our yearly funding. It's a step in the right direction, but it's not going to fix the problem."

At the peak of the strike, more than 1,000 schools were closed, affecting more than 850,000 students.

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
[caption id="attachment_15394" align="alignnone" width="620"]

Virginia Supreme Court in Richmond, Virginia/Photo by Diego M. Radzinschi/THE NATIONAL LAW JOURNAL.

Virginia Supreme Court in Richmond, Virginia/Photo by Diego M. Radzinschi/THE NATIONAL LAW JOURNAL.[/caption] The Virginia Supreme Court may soon block law enforcement agencies from taking random photos of license plates using high-speed cameras and then storing that information in a database. The court on April 26 ordered a trial judge to determine if those license plate photos, taken randomly by "automated license plate recognition" (ALPR) devices attached to the bumpers of patrol cars or to the bases of traffic signs, are ultimately tied to specific individuals. If that turns out to be the case, the practice may run afoul of the state's Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act, which restricts information law enforcement officials may gather on individuals who are not the subjects of criminal investigations, said Justice Cleo Powell, writing for the court in Neal v. Fairfax County Police Department. "The case will be remanded for a determination of whether the total components and operations of the ALPR record-keeping process provide a means through which a link between a license plate number and the vehicle's owner may be readily made," Powell said. The litigation began in May 2014 when a Virginia resident, Harrison Neal, submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the Fairfax County Police Department demanding to know whether one of its ALPR cameras recorded his license plate number. Fairfax County is a largely wealthy, sprawling suburban community located just west of Washington, D.C. It is home to the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Counterterrorism Center and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In response to Neal's request, the Fairfax County Police Department sent Neal two photos of his license plate, taken with ALPR cameras, along with the times, dates and GPS locations where the pictures were taken, according to the court. Neal then filed a complaint in Fairfax County Circuit Court, seeking to enjoin the Fairfax police from continuing to collect and store license plate information. According to the Virginia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, state Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli had, in 2011, told law enforcement authorities that they could not record and store ALPR pictures without violating the Data Act unless they were involved in a specific and ongoing criminal investigation. Neal's lawsuit, however, alleged that police departments, particularly those in heavily populated Northern Virginia, ignored that directive and continued to collect and store that information. Fairfax County responded that the ALPRs were engaged in both "active" and "passive" collection of license plate information, and added that license plate numbers did not amount to "personal information" about particular individuals, according to the decision. Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Robert Smith dismissed Neal's lawsuit on summary judgment, saying that a "license plate number is not personal information." On Neal's appeal, the court ordered Smith to conduct further fact-finding hearings, and suggested that if a license plate number could be traced to a specific owner or driver, the collection of those pictures may violate the Data Act. Nearly all states, according to the ACLU, employ some sort of ALPR technology. The Virginia ACLU issued a statement in response to the ruling. "Everyone should be able to move about freely in public without fear of the government collecting and retaining information about their comings and goings," the ACLU said. "[W]e are glad that the court recognized that an information system linking this information to the name of the vehicle owner would be subject to the [Data] Act. "The indiscriminate collection and retention of sensitive location information like ALPR data poses grave risks to civil liberties. Long-term storage of such information can create a virtual 'time machine' of individual movements, ripe for abuse," the ACLU said. Neal was represented by Edward Rosenthal of Rich Rosenthal Brincefield Manitta Dzubin & Kroeger in Alexandria, Virginia. Fairfax County Senior Assistant County Attorney Kimberly Baucom and County Attorney Elizabeth Teare represented the police department. None returned calls seeking comment.
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Record number of Russians seek asylum in Europe and the United States REC

Registered User

User ID: kaput

05-05-2018 03:13 PM



Posts: 9,286









Post: #1 Record number of Russians seek asylum in Europe and the United States

Advertisement



Last years 2,664 new Russian asylum applications in the United States represent a 268-percent increase since 2012.



Germany alone saw 4,885 first-time applicants, roughly a third of the 12,600 Russians who sought a toehold on the European continent.



Successful candidates must provide proof of an immediate threat to their well-being as a result of discrimination based on race, religion, sexual orientation or affiliation with particular social or political organizations.







https://www.voanews.com/a/moscow-draconi...78802.html





Russian political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin attributed the 40 percent uptick in Russian asylum-seekers since 2017, the highest since the earliest years of the post-Soviet era, to a dramatic tightening of restrictions on everything from social media dialogue to personal lifestyle choices.Last years 2,664 new Russian asylum applications in the United States represent a 268-percent increase since 2012.Germany alone saw 4,885 first-time applicants, roughly a third of the 12,600 Russians who sought a toehold on the European continent.Successful candidates must provide proof of an immediate threat to their well-being as a result of discrimination based on race, religion, sexual orientation or affiliation with particular social or political organizations. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 03:16 PM











Post: #2 RE: Record number of Russians seek asylum in Europe and the United States

Going back decades my autocad class was about half Russian but they're kool. They all believed in hard work and were trying to get better jobs. REC

Registered User

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 03:18 PM



Posts: 9,286









Post: #3 RE: Record number of Russians seek asylum in Europe and the United States

LoP Guest Wrote: (05-05-2018 03:16 PM) Going back decades my autocad class was about half Russian but they're kool. They all believed in hard work and were trying to get better jobs.

Oh, yes. I'm happy to welcome Russians to England. And anyone fleeing tyranny. Oh, yes. I'm happy to welcome Russians to England. And anyone fleeing tyranny. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 03:19 PM











Post: #4 RE: Record number of Russians seek asylum in Europe and the United States

US is also tightening their internet freedoms and ramping out their spying on their citizens. And their media is partisan and corporate and their politicians are all bought too.



Why don't we see an uptik in Americans asking asylum? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 03:22 PM











Post: #5 RE: Record number of Russians seek asylum in Europe and the United States

REC Wrote: (05-05-2018 03:18 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (05-05-2018 03:16 PM) Going back decades my autocad class was about half Russian but they're kool. They all believed in hard work and were trying to get better jobs.

Oh, yes. I'm happy to welcome Russians to England. And anyone fleeing tyranny.

fleeing tyranny? throw yer tv away.......



oh wait...we're being set up for a future war with Russia..... fleeing tyranny? throw yer tv away.......oh wait...we're being set up for a future war with Russia..... LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 03:26 PM











Post: #6 RE: Record number of Russians seek asylum in Europe and the United States

The low oil price and sanctions means Russia has less money to bribe its population with. The answer from the Kremlin is increasingly autocratic rule along with some anti-western sabre rattling. TicklePickle

Registered User

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 03:28 PM



Posts: 1,352









Post: #7 RE: Record number of Russians seek asylum in Europe and the United States

LoP Guest Wrote: (05-05-2018 03:16 PM) Going back decades my autocad class was about half Russian but they're kool. They all believed in hard work and were trying to get better jobs.

What about the muslim and african immigrants?

What's their work ethic like? What about the muslim and african immigrants?What's their work ethic like? REC

Registered User

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 03:29 PM



Posts: 9,286









Post: #8 RE: Record number of Russians seek asylum in Europe and the United States

LoP Guest Wrote: (05-05-2018 03:19 PM) US is also tightening their internet freedoms and ramping out their spying on their citizens. And their media is partisan and corporate and their politicians are all bought too.



Why don't we see an uptik in Americans asking asylum?



264 US asylum seekers in 2016 vs 34,964 Russian.



https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs...estination





Mainly non-AMericans facing hostility leaving for Canada.





"Last year, 20,593 asylum seekers crossed between official border checkpoints."



https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contribu...anada.html 264 US asylum seekers in 2016 vs 34,964 Russian.Mainly non-AMericans facing hostility leaving for Canada."Last year, 20,593 asylum seekers crossed between official border checkpoints." REC

Registered User

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 03:31 PM



Posts: 9,286









Post: #9 RE: Record number of Russians seek asylum in Europe and the United States

LoP Guest Wrote: (05-05-2018 03:22 PM) REC Wrote: (05-05-2018 03:18 PM) Oh, yes. I'm happy to welcome Russians to England. And anyone fleeing tyranny.

fleeing tyranny? throw yer tv away.......



oh wait...we're being set up for a future war with Russia.....

Turn off your shitty Kremlin propaganda.........



I have no desire to see Russians obliterated........ Turn off your shitty Kremlin propaganda.........I have no desire to see Russians obliterated........ REC

Registered User

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 03:32 PM



Posts: 9,286









Post: #10 RE: Record number of Russians seek asylum in Europe and the United States

AFP news agency

Verified account @AFP

15 minutes ago



Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny detained at rally in Moscow, two days ahead of Vladimir Putin's inauguration for a fourth term, while at least 350 held at protests across Russia. REC

Registered User

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 03:34 PM



Posts: 9,286









Post: #11 RE: Record number of Russians seek asylum in Europe and the United States





Russian police arresting protesters in St. Petersburg, including what appears to be a child. The crowd chants Fascists! Fascists! REC

Registered User

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 03:36 PM



Posts: 9,286









Post: #12 RE: Record number of Russians seek asylum in Europe and the United States





If you still Kremlin horseshit...always call it out. Gotta rush.If you still Kremlin horseshit...always call it out. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 03:44 PM











Post: #13 RE: Record number of Russians seek asylum in Europe and the United States

Not sure Russia can permit being open and democratic.



US and UK are out for it's collapse.



Russia has to balance freedom with national security, just like any other nation.



And having the US breath down your neck is no small matter. James

Registered User

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 03:56 PM



Posts: 8,470









Post: #14 RE: Record number of Russians seek asylum in Europe and the United States

religion , sexual orientation or affiliation with particular social or political organizations .



(((Russians)))



Successful candidates must provide proof of an immediate threat to their well-being as a result of discrimination based on race,, sexual orientation or(((Russians))) Their wrong outweighs their right

but how can I fight,

when they threaten my life?

Two and two equal five.

In the place full of light.



Under the spreading chestnut tree

I sold you, and you sold me.

There lie they, and here lie we.

Under the spreading chestnut tree.



- Eric Arthur Blair, The Prole Song (This post was last modified: 05-05-2018 03:57 PM by James .) LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

05-05-2018 04:06 PM











Post: #15 RE: Record number of Russians seek asylum in Europe and the United States

TicklePickle Wrote: (05-05-2018 03:28 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (05-05-2018 03:16 PM) Going back decades my autocad class was about half Russian but they're kool. They all believed in hard work and were trying to get better jobs.

What about the muslim and african immigrants?

What's their work ethic like?

that's where the problem lies........ that's where the problem lies........ Advertisement


















Garnering the approval of Wall Streets most prolific investors is one of the most coveted prizes in the business world.

Pampered Chef CEO Tracy Britt Cool was able to impress Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett enough that he handpicked the Harvard Business School graduate as his protege.

I just tried to be myself, Cool told FOX Business Liz Claman during an interview Friday in Omaha, Nebraska, a day before the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting. Im committed to Berkshire and Berkshire is an amazing place.

The Pampered Chef chief is one of seven female CEOs at Berkshire Hathaway, and she has pushed for other women to advance in the corporate world.

Its the year of the woman, and I think we are doing a great job at a lot of different companies and I think Berkshire is no different, she said.

Berkshire Hathaway currently has three women, Susan Decker, Charlotte Guyman and Meryl Witmer, on its board of directors.

I think theres a lot of change happening in the industry for women, and I think thats really great, Cool said. And we see that at Pampered Chef with our consultants and their wonderful businesses.

Related Articles
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A, BRK-B) held its annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. Led by chairman and CEO Warren Buffett and vice chairman Charlie Munger, the meeting draws around 42,000 investors, both young and old, seeking wisdom from the investing legends.

Buffett kicked things off by addressing Berkshire Hathaways Q1 net loss of $1.14 billion, which the company reported on Saturday morning. This was largely due to an accounting change that forced the company to report $6.2 billion in unrealized losses in its stock portfolio. The key word here is unrealized, which means that these were just paper losses. This is unlike realized losses which are booked from actually selling stocks.

It really is not representative of whats going on in the business at all, Buffett said.

This speaks to Buffetts philosophy on investing in general. Sure, therell be what Buffett described as truly wild and capricious swings in prices in the short term. But what matters is where you are in the long run.

Buffett and Munger talked about investing, cybersecurity, health care, China, trade policy, Wells Fargo, and firearms, among other things.

China gives the US goods it wants in exchange for a piece of paper

Trade policy has been dominating the headlines. Team Trump recently traveled to China in an effort to negotiate trade terms that would be more favorable to the U.S. Trumps primary negotiating tactic has been the threat of tariffs, which most economists agree is a lose-lose option.

The United States and China are going to be the two superpowers of the world, economically and in other ways, for a long, long long time, Buffett said. We will have disagreements, [but] the benefits are huge and the world is dependent on [that relationship.]

One metric Trump complains about is the trade deficit the U.S. has with China. Buffett, however, doesnt see this as a major issue right now.

When you think about it, its really not the worst thing in the world to have someone send you the goods that you want and for you to send a piece of paper, Buffett said of the trade deficit.

Story continues

Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger

It is a win-win situation, Buffett said on trade, noting you only run into trouble when one side wants to win a little more.

Buffett acknowledges that free trade and globalization, while beneficial, have come with costs. He stressed that Americas leaders need to get better at communicating the benefits of trade. You really need an educator-in-chief as president, Buffett told Yahoo Finances Andy Serwer in March. Thats what [Franklin Delano] Roosevelt was so good at. We needed an educator-in-chief in 1933. And that, you could argue, was the most important part of his presidency.

Buffett and Munger exhibited a lot of restraint when talking about the Trump administration, opting to focus more on business and economics instead.

[Read More: Warren Buffett explains why trade with China is a win-win]

Cyberthreats are uncharted territory

Cybersecurity is top of mind for Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway. As an insurance company, Berkshire must suss out the risks that go with underwriting a policy that covers cyberattacks.

Frankly, I dont think we or anybody else really knows what theyre doing, Buffett said of covering these risks. Its just really, really early in the game. We dont know the interpretation of the policies will be.

Buffett said that cyber is a risk that could cause a super-cat, which is insurance jargon for super-catastrophe.

Shareholders watch a video feed of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger preside over a Q&A session during the annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, May 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

[Cyber] is uncharted territory, and its going to get worse not better, he said. Youre right in pointing that out as a very material risk that didnt exist 10-15 years ago and will get more intense as time goes on.

[Read More: Warren Buffett says cyber risk will get worse, not better]

Sticking with Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo (WFC) has been one of Berkshire Hathaways largest investments for a long time. So, when news broke in 2016 that Wells Fargo employees were incentivized to set up millions of fraudulent accounts for customers, Buffett came under pressure to either dump his position or take action as a major shareholder.

Wells Fargo is a company that proved the efficacy of incentives, and its just that they just had the wrong incentives, Buffett said.

At this point, Buffett and Munger see Wells Fargos worst days largely behind them.

Eight-year-old Daphne asked one of the toughest questions of the day. It was about the capital intensity of Berkshires recent investments.

I see no reason to think that Wells Fargo  going forward  is anything other than a very, very large well-run bank that had an episode in its history, Buffett said. GEICO came out stronger, American Express came out stronger.

We have a large unrealized gain [in the stock], he said. I like it as an investment. [CEO Tim Sloan] is correcting mistakes made by other people.

[Read More: Why Warren Buffett is sticking with Wells Fargo]

Single-payer health care is coming, Munger predicts

Munger says he expects to see single-payer health care in the United States. He said this after a question about the Berkshire-Amazon-JPMorgan enterprise that is intended to provide healthcare to its 840,000 employees.

I suspect that eventually when Democrats control both houses of Congress and the White House, that we will get single payer medical care and I dont think itll be much more friendly than any of the PBMs, Munger said.

[Read More: Buffett: Berkshire-Amazon-JPMorgan healthcare initiative to have a CEO in a couple of months]

Buffett takes controversial position on guns

An investor expressed disappointment in Buffetts unwillingness to take a more forceful position on gun control. As some big companies have distanced themselves from doing business with pro-gun advocates, Buffett and Berkshire has largely been mum.

Buffett hit every tough question head on.

I dont think that we should have a question on the GEICO policyholder form, Are you an NRA member?,  he said. If you are, you just arent good enough for us.'

I do not believe in imposing my political opinions on the activities of our businesses, he said. If we get into what companies are pure and which ones arent pure, I think it is very difficult to make that call.

[Read More: Warren Buffett wants to keep business and his politics separate]

It seemed like a good idea at the time

In his opening remarks, Buffett went way back and reflected on the investing environment in 1942. He shared newspaper clippings of that showed World War II headlines dominating the front page of the New York Times.

We were in trouble, big trouble, in the Pacific, he said.

But at the time, he saw an opportunity to cheaply buy the preferred shares of a company called Cities Service. On March 11, 1942, he bought three shares at $38.35. Immediately, prices started to fall. But four months later, he was able to sell at $40 for a quick profit.

This is not a happy story, he said, noting that in a just a few years the share price went to $200.

Buffett went on to remind folks of the importance of having patience and thinking long term with investments.[Edited by Sam Ro, Michael Kelley, Aarthi Swaminathan]



More of Yahoo Finances coverage of Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway:



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Stay with Yahoo Finance for comprehensive coverage of Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway.

Warren Buffett, a legendary investor in both the U.S. and China, was inevitably asked about the recent trade tension between Washington and Beijing at Saturdays Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A, BRK-B) annual shareholder meeting.

Buffett, like many economists, doesnt necessarily see the trade deficit as a bad thing. When you think about it, its really not the worst thing in the world to have somebody send you a lot of goods that you want and hand them pieces of paper, Buffett said. The balancing item is if you have a surplus or a deficit in your trade, youre going to have a surplus of investments.

Its a win-win situation

In the 1970s, U.S. exports and imports both contributed to about 5% of the GDP. Now the imports account for about 15%, with exports accounting for about 12%. The gap has caused a trade deficit, especially with major exporters like China. President Donald Trump has repeatedly complained about the deficit, seeing it as a result of bad policy from previous administrations. The Trump administration has asked China to reduce its trade deficit with the U.S. by $200 billion by the end of 2020.

In an earlier interview with Yahoo Finance, Buffett said the U.S. needs an Educator-in-Chief as president, to explain to people why free trade is good for the country. The Berkshire Hathaway chairman and CEO says he thinks China and the U.S. have done remarkably well with the trade.

The United States and China are going to be the two super-powers of the world  for a long, long, long time. We have a lot of common interests  There will be times when there will be tensions. But it is a win-win situation basically when the world trades in China.

Buffett added, later on: The only problem gets to be when one side or the other may want to win a little bit too much, and then you have a certain amount of tension.

I think were getting along fine

Story continues

Charlie Munger, Warren Buffetts longtime business partner, and right-hand-man, believes Chinas tradition of having a high savings rate among households plays a role in the trade gap. Chinas savings rate, as a percentage of GDP, is over 50%, while the U.S. rate is less than 20%. Munger was behind Berkshire Hathaways investment in BYD, a Chinese battery and electric car maker.

Of course a country [like China] that was mired in poverty for a long long time and assimilates the advanced technology of the world and has a big savings rate, is going to advance faster than some very mature country like Britain or the United States, Munger said. But I think were getting along fine and Im very optimistic that both nations will be smart enough to realize that the last thing they should do is have any ill will for the other.

Stay with Yahoo Finance for comprehensive coverage of Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway.

Krystal Hu covers technology and economy for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.

Read more:

Trump: The stock market wouldve been up 60%, but I have to do things

Why the soybean could be Chinas trump card in the trade war

What Elon Musk missed in his China tariff tweets
IOHK Partners With Ethiopia to Explore Blockchain Applications





Blockchain technology holds great promise in Ethiopia, the largest coffee producer in Africa, but getting a foothold in the country is a challenge due its constraining bureaucracy. One blockchain company is finding inroads by directly collaborating with the government.



IOHK, the company behind the Cardano blockchain, has announced a partnership with the government of Ethiopia to explore how blockchain technology could benefit the country. As part of that, IOHK is offering to train up to 100 Ethiopian software developers in the Haskell programming language.

On Thursday, May 3, 2018, Charles Hoskinson, CEO at IOHK, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Minister Getahun Mekuria Kuma, representing an official partnership with the Ethiopian Ministry of Science and Technology. The signing took place during a blockchain forum held at the ministry.

Today is a great day in Ethiopia, the minister said in speaking to forum attendees. He hinted that the greatest use case for blockchain technology would be tracking the countrys main export. In Ethiopia, we have been working on the possibility of adopting blockchain for marketing of agricultural products, especially for coffee, he said.

Government buy-in is crucial to establishing any large scale business or technology in Ethiopia. If you dont have it, it is not really going to happen, John OConnor, director of African operations at IOHK, told Bitcoin Magazine. The Ministry and Dr. Getahan have been integral in the work we have done so far.

While IOHK will provide free Haskell training, the ministry will help IOHK recruit students for the course and aid IOHK in navigating the business environment in the country.

Haskell Training

Cardano, which launched in October 2017, is written in Haskell, a functional programming language. Although Haskell is more challenging to learn than more popular languages, like Java or C++, it is a good match for formal verification, which is a method for ensuring that mission critical code behaves the way it is intended.

Story continues

Last time IOHK taught a Haskell course, all of the students were male. This time, the tables will turn. The minister wants the first batch of students from Ethiopia to be women to promote and highlight the importance and participation of women in coding. The ideal applicant will be a recent graduate from an Ethiopian university with a computer science or related degree, he said.

Hoskinson told Bitcoin Magazine, that the next Haskell course could start as soon as July 2018 and would likely be in IOHKs Blockchain Research Lab in Edinburgh, Scotland. IOHK, which has previously held Haskell courses in Athens and Barbados, says it plans to hire promising graduates of the course as full-time developers to work with IOHK.

Coffee Connection

Coffee is a crucial export for Ethiopia, home to 100 million people. In fact, coffee is thought to have been first discovered in Ethiopia in the 15th century, later spreading far and wide through the Ottoman empire. Unlike in Brazil and other areas of the world, coffee grows freely in the plateaus of Ethiopia.

This is the only place in the world where coffee just grows, said O'Connor, a 27-year-old, who is half Ethiopian and half Irish. You dont need to do anything. It is just there. You can literally just forage around and pick it off the ground. Because of that, little investment has been made in improving production efficiency of coffee, he said.

Ninety-five percent of the coffee grown in Ethiopia comes from small holdings and rural farms, and there are a number of things that can be done to increase coffee yield and improve marketing. One of the biggest challenges, for instance, is proving the origins of coffee. That is where the blockchain steps in.

The idea is that blockchain technology (specifically, a private or permissioned version of the technology, such as Cardano Enterprise) would allow all participants in the supply chain to trace and track coffee as it makes its way from rural farms to wholesale buyers.

Once data is stored on the blockchain, purchasers will know with certainty if the coffee is pure and where it came from, and regulators will be able to gain information about any pesticides used in production, for example.

Blockchain applications also have the potential to make payments and extend loans to farmers. Coffee drives the economy here and there is so much potential to improve it; hopefully with blockchain products, OConnor said.

IOHK is not the first company to contemplate tracing coffee on the blockchain. Starbucks is working on a blockchain-based project to trace coffee with producers in Costa Rica, Colombia and Rwanda, while Colorado-based startup bext360 is using blockchain technology to trace coffee coming from Uganda.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.
Ship Finance International Limited ("Ship Finance" or the "Company") (NYSE: SFL) today announced the underwriters in its underwritten public offering of $150 million aggregate principal amount of Convertible Senior Notes due 2023 (the "Notes") have exercised a portion of their option to purchase additional Notes to cover over-allotments and are purchasing an additional $14 million aggregate principal amount of Notes. The over-allotment option was granted to the underwriters by the Company in connection with the previously consummated offering of $150 million aggregate principal amount of the Notes. Settlement of the sale of additional Notes is expected to occur on May 4, 2018, subject to customary closing conditions. The Notes pay interest quarterly in arrears at a rate of 4.875% per annum, and will mature on May 1, 2023, unless earlier repurchased, redeemed or converted. The Notes are convertible into, at the Company's election, cash, common shares, or a combination of cash and common shares, as further described in the offering prospectus. The conversion rate for the Notes is initially 52.8157 common shares per $1,000 principal amount of the Notes, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $18.93 per common share, and is subject to adjustment under the terms of the Notes.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds received from the offering of the Notes for general corporate purposes, including working capital. The Company continuously evaluates potential transactions that it believes will be accretive to earnings, enhance shareholder value or are in the best interests of the Company. Any funds received may be used by the Company for any corporate purpose, which may include pursuit of other business combinations, the acquisition of vessels or related businesses, the expansion of its operations, repayment of existing debt, share repurchases, short term investments or other uses.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Jefferies LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering of the Notes. DNB Markets, Inc., Seaport Global Securities LLC, BTIG, LLC, ABN AMRO Securities (USA) LLC and ING Financial Markets LLC are acting as co-managers.

The offering of the Notes is being made by means of a prospectus supplement to the prospectus forming a part of the Company's effective shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on September 26, 2016 and other related documents. You may obtain these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement may be obtained from Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10014, Attention: Prospectus Department; Jefferies LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY, 10022, by email at Prospectus_Department@Jefferies.com or by phone at +1 877 821 7388, or Citigroup Global Markets Inc. c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, at +1 800 831 9146. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus along with other documents that the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Company and this offering.

This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, the Notes, the Company's common shares or any other securities, nor will there be any sale of convertible notes, the Company's common shares or any other securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

The Company further announced that the Company's board of directors has awarded 83,000 options to employees as part as of the management incentive program. The options have been issued pursuant to the Company's Share Option Scheme and will have a five-year term with a three-year vesting period. The initial strike price is $14.67 and the first options will be exercisable from April 2019.

May 3, 2018

The Board of Directors

Ship Finance International Limited

Hamilton, Bermuda

Investor and Analyst Contact:

Harald Gurvin, Chief Financial Officer: +47 23114009

Andre Reppen, Senior Vice President: +47 23114055

Media Contact:

Ole B. Hjertaker, Chief Executive Officer: +47 23114011

About Ship Finance

Ship Finance International Limited (NYSE: SFL) has a unique track record in the maritime industry, being consistently profitable and paying dividends every quarter since 2004. The Company's fleet of more than 80 vessels is split between tankers, bulkers, container vessels and offshore assets, and Ship Finance's long term distribution capacity is supported by a portfolio of long term charters and significant growth in the asset base over time.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward looking statements. These statements are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including Ship Finance management's examination of historical operating trends. Although Ship Finance believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond its control, Ship Finance cannot give assurance that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or intentions. Important factors that, in the Company's view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in this presentation include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions including fluctuations in charter hire rates and vessel values, changes in demand in the tanker market as a result of changes in OPEC's petroleum production levels and worldwide oil consumption and storage, changes in the Company's operating expenses including bunker prices, dry-docking and insurance costs, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, and other important factors described from time to time in the reports filed by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
OTTAWA, May 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. (Tetra or the Company) (TSX-V:TBP) (OTCQB:TBPMF), and Azevedos Industria Farmaceutica, S.A. announced that they have signed a binding term sheet for the marketing and distribution of PPP001 in Portugal. This binding term sheet will pave the way towards signing a Definitive Distribution Agreement.



Tetra is eligible to receive an upfront payment, milestone payments and will be paid a share of the profits generated by the sales of PPP001 in Portugal. Azevedos will also be responsible for registering the product, as well as all marketing and distribution in Portugal.

We are honored to partner with Azevedos, a company established in 1775, rich in tradition, and a major player in the Portuguese pharmaceutical market. This Partnership deal provides Tetra with its foray into the European market. stated Dr. Guy Chamberland M.Sc., Ph.D., Interim CEO and Chief Scientific Officer.

These partnerships are very important for Azevedos Industria Farmaceutica and mean that international entities recognize our history, values, work and our technology know-how. Although having a long past, Azevedos is a pharmaceutical company turned to the future and focused on new challenges, says Thebar Miranda, CEO of Azevedos Industria Farmaceutica, S.A.

About PPP001

On April 4, 2018, Tetra officially started the Phase 3 trial for PPP001 indicated for terminal stage cancer patients with a goal to improving the quality of life of these patients as well as minimizing their pain. PPP001 is being developed to be the first smokable cannabis product for advanced cancer pain available under prescription.

About Azevedos Industria Farmaceutica, S.A

Azevedos Group is a two-century Portuguese pharmaceutical brand, whose wide scope of activity ranges from development to distribution, leading manufacturing and exports to more than 60 regulated countries worldwide. Azevedos owns more than 300 MAs for the most relevant therapeutic areas covering all technology forms manufactured at its state of the art plant holding the most recognized certifications.

About Tetra Bio-Pharma: Tetra Bio-Pharma (TSX-V:TBP) (OTCQB:TBPMF) is a biopharmaceutical leader in cannabinoid-based drug discovery and clinical development. Tetra is focusing on three core business pillars: clinical research, pharmaceutical promotion and retail commercialization of cannabinoid-based products. Tetra Bio-Pharma is currently developing a pipeline of five cannabinoid-based products using different delivery systems such as smokable pellets, oral tablets, eye drops and topical ointments.

More information at: www.tetrabiopharma.com

Source: Tetra Bio-Pharma

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements

Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, the inability of the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, GrowPros MMP Inc., to obtain a license for the production of medical marijuana; failure to obtain sufficient financing to execute the Company's business plan; competition; regulation and anticipated and unanticipated costs and delays, the success of the Company's research strategies, the applicability of the discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion and uncertainties related to the regulatory process, the timing of clinical trials, the timing and outcomes of regulatory or intellectual property decisions and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. While no definitive documentation has yet been signed by the parties and there is no certainty that such documentation will be signed The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities legislation.

For further information, please contact:

Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc.

Dr Guy Chamberland, interim CEO and CSO

guy@tetrabiopharma.com

514-220-9225

Robert (Bob) Bechard, MBA, MSc., BA,

Vice-President Finance and Business Development

bob@tetrabiopharma.com

514-817-2514

For media information, please contact:

Daniel Granger

Daniel.granger@acjcommunication.com

ACJ Communication

O: 1 514-840-7990 M: 1 514-232-1556
There are mnany agricultural regions in North America where the growin [ #permalink

There are many agricultural regions in North America where the growing season is long enough to allow pumpkin production well into autumn with no risk of frost. Nonetheless, pumpkin production in North America is concentrated in regions with long, cold winters, where the growing season is delayed and pumpkin crops are exposed to risk of damage or destruction by early autumn frosts.



Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the information above?



(A) Pumpkins are usually grown to reach maturity in autumn. Okay. But it does not explain why the pumpkin production is still concentrated in the long winter regions

(B) Pumpkins depend on bees for pollination, and bees are active only in warm weather. Again, this new info does not explain why they still grow pumpkins in the cold winters

(C) More pumpkins are sold to consumers in regions of North America with long growing seasons than to those in regions with short growing seasons. This does not explain why the growers cannot produce it in the short season and sell it to consumers in the long winter season regions.

(D) Prolonged cold temperatures kill soil-borne fungus and other sources of disease that would kill or seriously damage pumpkins. Hmm. This explains why the pumpkin production is still concentrated in the long, cold winter regions.

(E) Most of the pumpkin seed used by growers in North America is produced in areas where the growing season is long, and plants used for seed production are protected in greenhouses. This does not explain the paradox why the growers still produce them in the long winter regions.
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Ankara, May 5 (IBNS): At least 4,376 militants have been neutralised since the launch of Operation Olive Branch by Turkish military, said country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.

The neutralisation has mostly taken place in Syria.

"Number of terrorists that were neutralized in Afrin was 4,376. In northern Iraq 379, while 297 in [Turkey's] Cudi, Gabar and Tendurek," local Anadolu Agency quoted Erdogan as saying.

Neutralised is a term often used by the national military to mean that the terrorist in question either surrendered and arrested, or were killed during combat.

Olive Branch was launched on Jan 20 in Afrin, Syria, to drive away the YPG/PKK and ISIS terrorists from the region.

According to the Turkish General Staff, through the operation, the country wants to stabilise its border and also protect Syrians from terrorists.

The Turkish military has also said that it is striking only terrorists and 'utmost' care is take to ensure no civilians are harmed during the course of the operation.



Image: Image: twitter.com/olivebranch
Kabul, May 5 (IBNS): At least 1,000 families have been living in make-shift shelters in Afghanistan's Kunduz province, after conflicts between the Taliban and the national forces displaced them a fortnight ago, local media reports said.

According to local officials, these displaced families are facing several problems, including the scarcity of basic necessity of food and water.

"Almost 1,000 families have been displaced following clashes between security forces and the Taliban in Qala-e-Zal district," Tolo News quoted member of Kunduz provincial council Aminullah as saying.

He added, "Their situation is concerning."

Most of the displaced families are presently residing in the outskirts of the Dasht-e-Abdan area in the outskirts of Kunduz City.



The outlet quoted a resident as saying, We left our houses in search of safety when clashes intensified between government forces and the Taliban.

Another said, "We have chosen to live in Dasht-e-Abdan as we left our homes due to heavy conflicts. We need food. We are living in a desert. We need governments assistance."



Image: Wallpaper
Kabul, May 5 (IBNS): At least 10 civilians, who were kidnapped by ISIS militants from Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, have been rescued, local Khaama Press reported.

The abduction took place six days ago from Chaparhar district of the province.

Later, they were moved to Haska Mina district.

According to a statement released by the provincial government, all 10 hostages have been rescued safely and have returned to their homes.

The ISIS hasn't commented on the report so far.



Image: Wallpaper
Kabul, May 5 (IBNS): At least one person was killed and eight injured in an explosion which shook Afghanistan's Laghman province, reports said.

The incident took place on Saturday morning at around 11:30 am in a market in Mihtarlam City, the provincial capital.

The deceased has been identified as a woman, while two children were among the ones injured.

The others have been identified as four women and two men.

No group has claimed responsibility for carrying out the attack so far.
Islamabad, May 5 (IBNS): Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has confirmed death sentence for 11 terrorists in the country, officials said.

As per a statement released by country's ISPR: "Chief of Army Staff confirmed death sentences awarded to 11 hardcore terrorists."

Besides, 3 convicts have also been awarded imprisonment.

"These terrorists were involved in heinous offences related to terrorism, i.e. attacking Armed Forces/ Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan, Malakand University, destruction of various educational institutions and killing of innocent civilians including Mr Imran Khan Mohmind, a Member of Provincial Assembly (KPK)," read the statement.

"On the whole, they were involved in killing of 60 persons including 36 civilians, 24 Armed Forces/Frontier Constabulary/ Police Officials and injuring 142 others," it said.

Arms and explosives were also recovered from their possession.

These convicts were tried by special military courts.
Dhaka, May 5 (IBNS): Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday urged Organisation of Islamic Cooperation members to stand beside Rohingya people who have been forced to leave Myanmar last year.

She urged members took look into the crisis.

"My appeal to the OIC is to stand solidly beside the forcibly deported Rohingyas in safeguarding their dignity and security. The Holy Prophet's (SAW) message for us was to stand beside the distressed humanity. When the Rohingya community of Myanmar is being subjected to 'ethnic cleansing', the OIC fraternity cannot overlook it," she was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.

Hasina made the comment at the inaugural session of the 45th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of OIC.

The theme of the meeting is "Islamic Values for Sustainable Peace, Solidarity and Development".

She said Bangladesh stood beside Rohingya people who have escaped Myanmar to reach her nation out of humanity.

"Rohingyas deserve the right to life, dignity and existence like us!" she said.

Meanwhile, after seeing for themselves the conditions facing Rohingya refugees in the camps of southern Bangladesh as well as homes they fled in Myanmar, Security Council members called on Tuesday for them to be allowed a safe return.

Speaking to the press at the end of a four-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh, Council members highlighted the need to establish conditions within Myanmar that allow the safe, voluntary and dignified return of refugees as well as accountability for the human rights violations that prompted the exodus.

I think it's impossible not to be deeply moved by what we heard in Coxs Bazar [southern Bangladesh] and particularly the scale of it, Karen Pierce, the United Kingdoms Ambassador to the UN, told reporters at a press conference in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar.

One can tell stories and those stories are very moving but in order to have accountability you need a proper investigation with evidentiary standards.

Pierce added that during the Councils meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the State Counsellor urged all concerned to produce evidence that would help the country undertake a proper investigation.

Also speaking at the press conference, Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi, the Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the UN, called for the full implementation of the agreement between the Governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh concerning the return of refugees.

We saw that the Government of Myanmar took many steps to implement the agreement but I think much more needs to be done, he said. What we really want is to speed up the process of the return of refugees in a safe and voluntary and dignified manner, he added.

Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, the Permanent Representative of Peru, reiterated the need to ensure refugees security and recalled previous statements made by the Council on the crisis.

Basically the message that we conveyed was that it was very important to improve the security conditions of the return of the refugees, he said, recalling the visit.

Joanna Wronecka, Polands ambassador to the UN  which holds the Presidency of the Security Council for the month of May - said that the visit was vital for the Council to gain a good understanding of the situation on the ground.

I would like to pay tribute to my colleagues who prepared this visit, especially the previous Presidency, Peru, and Kuwait, which initiated our preparation as well as the UK for a very substantial contribution to this visit, she said.

Security Council members also urged the international community to continue supporting the work being undertaken by the UN and humanitarian agencies in southern Bangladesh, on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of vulnerable refugees living there.
This was previously the focus of a comprehensive assessment published in Modern Diplomacy. That piece also examined some of the defining slogans of the protests, which it described as demonstrating an outright rejection of the status quo and the regime in its entirety. The IranWire analysis more or less agrees with this assessment and adds a quantitative element by calculating the supposed frequency of some of the most prominent chants. According to that analysis, roughly a quarter of all the observed slogans could be categorized as expressions of opposition to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Indeed, those slogans included the simple death to the dictator, an unusually bold chant in a nation where insults against the ruling cleric are considered a crime and can even be punished by death. But other chants and protest banners took a broader view, highlighting apparently endemic corruption and mismanagement within the regime that holds Khamenei as its ultimate authority. According to IranWire, about one-tenth of all slogans were explicit statements of opposition to the regime itself; but according to prominent Iranian dissidents and other keen observers, this was the subtext of entire protest movement.

IranWire arguably lent support to this conclusion through its analysis, which confirms that there were a range of economic, social, and political grievances being voiced by the demonstrations, and that these were often tightly interwoven. That is to say, while rampant unemployment was a major driver of the protests, large numbers of the participants recognized this problem as being rooted in the regimes mismanagement and its wasteful spending on conflicts in Syria and elsewhere, which was also a target of oft-repeated slogans.

Furthermore, as smaller-scale protests continue to the present day, it is perhaps increasingly clear that opposition to the policies of the supreme leader is virtually inseparable from opposition to the structure of the regime as a whole. Al Jazeera reported on Friday that some of the most recent rounds of activism are being driven by frustration over Tehrans announcement of a ban on the wildly popular Telegram instant messaging app. And while this is further channeling anger at Khamenei, who directly appoints the officials responsible for such things, it is also directing some of that anger at the reputedly pragmatist government of President Hassan Rouhani, who promised to safeguard Telegram but has failed to stand up to hardliners.

Already, the January uprising was characterized by citizens widespread expressions of regret over their former embrace of Rouhanis apparently false promises of moderation and reform. His administrations unwillingness or inability to prevent the Telegram ban compounds the previous failure to make any progress toward securing release for the Green Movement leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who have been under house arrest without charge or trial since 2011.

Al Monitor reported upon the publics reaction to the Telegram ban on Wednesday, reiterating the familiar observation that most Iranians see through the regimes efforts to direct their social media activities toward domestic alternatives like Soroush. The report quoted an internet security expert as saying there is no doubt that those alternatives include backdoor access through which the government will be able to easily monitor and censor communications. The same expert also suggests that for persons who were serious about using Telegram for activist and dissident activities, the ban will likely be little more than an inconvenience, as they will begin to access the service through virtual proxy networks, just as many Iranians do with Twitter.

In view of the publics technical capabilities in this area, an optimistic assessment of the current situation may lead to the conclusion that its greatest impact will be further amplification of popular resentment for the existing regime, both for its hardline and reformist factions. This would also be in line with another familiar refrain from the December and January protests, which addressed both those factions by name and said the whole game is over. This slogan presumably made up a portion of those that were identified by IranWire as being explicitly opposed to the regime.

To the extent that the Telegram ban reflects poorly on the Rouhani government, that effect is no doubt made worse by the fact that the stepped-up efforts to monitor domestic communications have been accompanied by stepped-up efforts to hack international communications with an eye toward expanding the regimes persecution of dual nationals and persons with supposedly pro-Western worldviews. In April alone, at least two British-Iranian dual nationals were arrested by the intelligence wing of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and information just came to light regarding the arrest of another in March.

The IRGC Intelligence Organization was also identified by the Center for Human Rights in Iran as the likely architect of the recent hacking measures, which involved attempts to gain access to the accounts and contact lists for prominent academics and charity workers, as well as known activists. According to Fridays report, several such phishing attacks were observed just in the first two weeks of April, providing further evidence of Tehrans increasingly aggressive use of information technology.

Yet this trend is arguably a direct response to an equivalent increase in the Iranian activist communitys aptitude for using similar technologies in its organizing. As Al Monitor and various other outlets point out, the ban on Telegram has been a long time coming but the final push came from the regimes readiness to blame it for the rapid spread of the nationwide protests at the start of the year.

In fact, the uprising was not the only example of effective online organizing from that same time period. Just one day before the first protests in Mashhad, a woman named Vida Movahed stood on a public utility box to remove her legally mandated head covering and hold it up like a banner. The viral spread of that image on line led to the gesture being repeated by dozens of women and a handful of men, which in turn led to 30 arrests and an evident increase in public debate about the countrys forced veiling laws.

The latest monthly human rights report by Iran Human Rights Monitor strongly suggests that this unwanted debate is as much a threat to the theocratic regime as the protests in which a quarter of the slogans called for the supreme leader to step down. This is the implication of remarks by government-linked religious scholars like Nasser Makarem Shirazi, who said that forced veiling laws, if undermined will deal a blow to the Islamic nature of the regime and undercut the Islamic aspect of the Islamic Republic; then the country will turn into a republic without Islam.
Norman Roule, senior advisor at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and former National Intelligence Manager for Iran for the US government, writes in his article for Euronews, The priority for Europe and the US should therefore be to develop an incentive architecture that ensures responsible behaviour.

Roule believes that without a coordinated US-EU approach focusing on Irans regional expansion, the regimes adventurism in countries ranging from Bahrain and Iraq, to Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen will continue. As well, it leaves Irans human rights record unchecked  including the detention of a growing number of foreign nationals.

The JCPOA temporarily halted the expansion of Irans nuclear program. The sanctions relief it provided also showed the Iranian people that the West was not responsible for their economic problems. Instead, it is the leadership of its regime.

Still, there are weaknesses in the deal that need to be strengthened. The US and Europe must define consequences that will force Iran to act as a responsible member of the international community.

The the sunset clauses that allow Iran to gradually expand its enrichment program after year 15 of the agreement, are one such weakness. The JCPOA mandates that the United Nations conventional arms embargo will expire in 2020, allowing Iran to purchase a vast assortment of armaments. Missile restrictions will also expire in 2023. This is a cause for concern, as many in the US and Europe worry that these clauses make only minimal contributions to regional stability.

Another area USEuropean cooperation should focus on is the political wing of Hezbollah, which Europe has been reluctant to do. An FTO designation for Irans deadly Quds Force is also an important step toward stopping Irans interventions in the region.

The US, with its European partners, must focus on the future and protect strategic equities. Meaningful and urgent measures must be taken against Tehran. We must stand together and hold Iran accountable for its actions.
Job Overview/Summary:

The Senior Coordinator Operations is a part of Senior Management Team and oversees the field and support operations of the IRCs program in Thailand. Reporting to the Country Director, the role ensures the effective, efficient and compliant provision of HR, Supply Chain, ICT and transportation support services to achieve program goals while ensuring that all the necessary systems, policies and procedures are rolled out, understood, and implemented by the relevant staff in all program areas. In addition, the Senior Coordinator Operations will supervise the site management element of programming include transit site based transportation, warehouse operations, procurement and logistics.

Major Responsibilities:

Supply Chain

Lead and manage the field and support Supply Chain teams to deliver timely, effective and compliant procurement, transport, warehousing and facilities support and services aligned with program requirements;

Oversee processes and ensure compliance with IRC policies and donor regulations;

Collaborate with Country Director in the reviewing of contracts to ensure validation and compliance by regional and headquarters-level review;

Oversee the implementation of logistics policies and procedures for purchasing, delivery, storage, communications and transport; and update/design procedures as necessary.

HR Management & Development

Supervise the functional leads; ensuring that all tasks are completed in a timely manner.

Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.

Ensure timely submission of monthly timesheets, probations reviews and annual performance reviews.

If/as required identify staff performance issues and work with Human Resources to document and address these in accordance with the employment policies.

Take responsibility for discussing job expectations, performance and objectives as necessary with staff and as a part of the annual Performance Review and Planning Process.

Adhere to and act in accordance with the IRC Global HR Policies and Procedures.

Adhere to and serve as a champion of the IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct.

Information Technology

Ensure the provision of reliable IT/ICT systems and equipment including internet, computing and telecommunications and application of IT/ICT policies and procedures; and

Ensure that all IT equipment is maintained and secure and an appropriate replacement schedule is in place;

Ensure that IT team follow and implement IRC Global IT related policies and procedures.

Programmatic

Lead and manage the transit site operations and transportation elements of IRCs programming in country;

Continually assess operational risk, conduct regular risk reviews and ensure risk is managed, mitigated and mainstreamed into decision-making and daily activities;

Manage field and operations support budget and ensure timely and compliant spending.

Safety and Security

Serve as Security Focal Point for the Thailand country officer;

Review and update the annual Security Management Plan;

Ensure security orientations for new staff and visitors;

Ensure reports are submitted as required to the Regional Safety and Security Advisor (RSSA)

Enforce all policies relating to safety and security (including vehicle and transport policies);

Ensure staff calling tree is updated and distributed each month;

Administration

 Ensure safety standards are applied to all leased properties and facilities.

Budget and Fiscal Management:

 Review and/or authorize financial documents as per the IRC Authorization Schedule.

 Working closely with CD and Financial Controller to develop annual Operations budget in coordination with functional heads.

 Participate in monthly BvA meetings, grant opening and closing meetings as necessary

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Country Director IRC Thailand





Job Requirements:

Degree in logistics, management, administration or related field.

At least 7 years experience in operational management including with an international NGO and in field locations preferably with experience in designing and managing complex transportation systems.

Experience working with rules and regulations of major international donors.

Experience working in complex and rapidly changing operating environments.

Systems-focused, results-driven, positive attitude, strong interpersonal skills, and a focus on team building.

Professional proficiency English and Thai.

Working Environment:

The position will be based in the IRC office in Bangkok, occasionally required to travel to field offices

HOW TO APPLY:

Application letter and most recent CV in English stating qualifications and experience should be submitted to the IRC Human Resources Department at Thailand.HR@rescue.org

All applications will be treated confidentially and not returned. The IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, national origin, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or physical or mental disability. The IRC is an equal opportunity employer.


Our story today is called The Boarded Window. It was written by Ambrose Bierce. Here is Shep ONeal with the story.

In 1830, only a few miles away from what is now the great city of Cincinnati, Ohio, lay a huge and almost endless forest.

The area had a few settlements established by people of the frontier. Many of them had already left the area for settlements further to the west. But among those remaining was a man who had been one of the first people to arrive there.

He lived alone in a house of logs surrounded on all sides by the great forest. He seemed a part of the darkness and silence of the forest, for no one had ever known him to smile or speak an unnecessary word. His simple needs were supplied by selling or trading the skins of wild animals in the town.

His little log house had a single door. Directly opposite was a window. The window was boarded up. No one could remember a time when it was not. And no one knew why it had been closed. It surely was not because of the mans dislike of light and air. Sometimes, he could be seen lying in the sun on his doorstep. I imagine there are few people living today who ever knew the secret of that window. But I am one, as you shall see.

The man's name was said to be Murlock. He appeared to be seventy years old, but he was really fifty. Something other than years had been the cause of his aging.

His hair and long, full beard were white. His gray, lifeless eyes were sunken. His face was wrinkled. He was tall and thin with drooping shoulderslike someone with many problems.

I never saw him. These details I learned from my grandfather. He told me the man's story when I was a boy. He had known him when living nearby in that early day.

One day Murlock was found in his cabin, dead. It was not a time and place for medical examiners and newspapers. I suppose it was agreed that he had died from natural causes or I should have been told, and should remember.

I know only that the body was buried near the cabin, next to the burial place of his wife. She had died so many years before him that local tradition noted very little of her existence.

That closes the final part of this true story, except for the incident that followed many years later. With a fearless spirit I went to the place and got close enough to the ruined cabin to throw a stone against it. I ran away to avoid the ghost which every well-informed boy in the area knew haunted the spot.

But there is an earlier part to this story supplied by my grandfather.

When Murlock built his cabin he was young, strong and full of hope. He began the hard work of creating a farm. He kept a gun--a riflefor hunting to support himself.

He had married a young woman, in all ways worthy of his honest love and loyalty. She shared the dangers of life with a willing spirit and a light heart. There is no known record of her name or details about her. They loved each other and were happy.

One day Murlock returned from hunting in a deep part of the forest. He found his wife sick with fever and confusion. There was no doctor or neighbor within miles. She was in no condition to be left alone while he went to find help. So Murlock tried to take care of his wife and return her to good health. But at the end of the third day she fell into unconsciousness and died.

From what we know about a man like Murlock, we may try to imagine some of the details of the story told by my grandfather.

When he was sure she was dead, Murlock had sense enough to remember that the dead must be prepared for burial. He made a mistake now and again while performing this special duty. He did certain things wrong. And others which he did correctly were done over and over again.

He was surprised that he did not cry  surprised and a little ashamed. Surely it is unkind not to cry for the dead.

"Tomorrow," he said out loud, "I shall have to make the coffin and dig the grave; and then I shall miss her, when she is no longer in sight. But now -- she is dead, of course, but it is all right  it must be all right, somehow. Things cannot be as bad as they seem."

He stood over the body of his wife in the disappearing light. He fixed the hair and made finishing touches to the rest. He did all of this without thinking but with care. And still through his mind ran a feeling that all was right -- that he should have her again as before, and everything would be explained.

Murlock had no experience in deep sadness. His heart could not contain it all. His imagination could not understand it. He did not know he was so hard struck. That knowledge would come later and never leave.

Deep sadness is an artist of powers that affects people in different ways. To one it comes like the stroke of an arrow, shocking all the emotions to a sharper life. To another, it comes as the blow of a crushing strike. We may believe Murlock to have been affected that way.

Soon after he had finished his work he sank into a chair by the side of the table upon which the body lay. He noted how white his wife's face looked in the deepening darkness. He laid his arms upon the table's edge and dropped his face into them, tearless and very sleepy.

At that moment a long, screaming sound came in through the open window. It was like the cry of a lost child in the far deep of the darkening forest! But the man did not move. He heard that unearthly cry upon his failing sense, again and nearer than before. Maybe it was a wild animal or maybe it was a dream. For Murlock was asleep.

Some hours later, he awoke, lifted his head from his arms and listened closely. He knew not why. There in the black darkness by the side of the body, he remembered everything without a shock. He strained his eyes to see -- he knew not what.

His senses were all alert. His breath was suspended. His blood was still as if to assist the silence. Who  what had awakened him and where was it!

Suddenly the table shook under his arms. At the same time he heard, or imagined he heard, a light, soft step and then another. The sounds were as bare feet walking upon the floor!

He was afraid beyond the power to cry out or move. He waitedwaited there in the darkness through what seemed like centuries of such fear. Fear as one may know, but yet live to tell. He tried but failed to speak the dead woman's name. He tried but failed to stretch his hand across the table to learn if she was there. His throat was powerless. His arms and hands were like lead.

Then something most frightful happened. It seemed as if a heavy body was thrown against the table with a force that pushed against his chest. At the same time he heard and felt the fall of something upon the floor. It was so violent a crash that the whole house shook. A fight followed and a confusion of sounds impossible to describe.

Murlock had risen to his feet. Extreme fear had caused him to lose control of his senses. He threw his hands upon the table. Nothing was there!

There is a point at which fear may turn to insanity; and insanity incites to action. With no definite plan and acting like a madman, Murlock ran quickly to the wall. He seized his loaded rifle and without aim fired it.

The flash from the rifle lit the room with a clear brightness. He saw a huge fierce panther dragging the dead woman toward the window. The wild animal's teeth were fixed on her throat! Then there was darkness blacker than before, and silence.

When he returned to consciousness the sun was high and the forest was filled with the sounds of singing birds. The body lay near the window, where the animal had left it when frightened away by the light and sound of the rifle.

The clothing was ruined. The long hair was in disorder. The arms and legs lay in a careless way. And a pool of blood flowed from the horribly torn throat. The ribbon he had used to tie the wrists was broken. The hands were tightly closed.

And between the teeth was a piece of the animal's ear.

The Boarded Window was written by Ambrose Bierce. It was adapted by Lawan Davis who was also the producer. The storyteller was Shep ONeal.

______________________________________________________________

Try this Listening Quiz to check your understanding.

Quiz - Boarded Window Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

Now it's your turn to use the words in this story. What do you think it would be like to live all alone in the woods? What kinds of scary stories are famous in your country?Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

For Teachers

Download activities to help you understand this story here.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

frontier  n. a border between two countries

doorstep  n. a step or series of steps leading up to one of the doors that is used to enter or leave a building

lifeless  adj. Having no life

rifle  n. A gun that has a long barrel and that is held against your shoulder when you shoot it

unconscious  adj. not awake especially because of an injury, drug, etc.
Applying for admission to a college or university in the United States can be a long and difficult process.

Each step requires hard work and careful consideration. Even after applicants submit all the required materials to their schools of interest, there is still much to do.

Hebe Fuller says what comes next depends greatly on the first steps the applicants took. Fuller is the director of international admissions at Elon University, a private liberal arts university in Elon, North Carolina. She spoke to VOA about different ways to seek admission to U.S. schools.

Fuller said many American colleges and universities let applicants choose one of three admissions paths. The possible paths are early decision, early action and regular decision. Usually, all three require the same kinds of application materials, she said.

Most high school students in the U.S. apply to college in the first half or fall of their last year of high school. Fuller said most students should apply to several colleges and universities. But if an applicant knows exactly which school they want to attend, he or she should consider requesting early decision.

Schools that offer early decision expect students to complete and submit their applications several months before the regular deadline. The schools also make their decisions about those candidates early.

But, Fuller noted, early decision candidates must understand they have entered a binding agreement to attend the school if accepted.

Early action is a little different. Students also submit their applications earlier and schools answer earlier. But, the student is not bound to to attend the school if accepted.

So, why do early decision or early action? Fuller said boths path will improve the chance of acceptance.

We like to offer admissions to students that will accept our offer, she told VOA. So those that apply early decision  have the highest level of acceptance.  Early action, we understand that students are applying to multiple schools, but they are also demonstrating more interest.  So, we dont necessarily pay more attention, but we recognize that they are considering us.

Fuller also said that some schools will still consider students for regular decision even if they were rejected from early decision or action.

Most American universities inform regular decision candidates of acceptance or rejection in the spring. Then, Fuller said, accepted students must pay a deposit to the school they most want to attend.

The deposit amounts to a small percentage of the cost of the first year of study at the university or college.

Fuller said even at this point some students still may not be sure about which school they want to attend. Most schools that offer admission give applicants several months to decide to accept or not. So, Fuller suggests applicants visit or re-visit the schools to help them decide.

Students and their families can also use this time to do more research on the schools, Fuller suggested. They can learn about the community in which the students would live and about the environment. They can also consider how much financial aid each school is offering.

However, Fuller said students should not take too long to make their decision. Students who provide deposits might be put on the list for housing at some schools. The earlier the deposit, the higher on the list and, possibly, the better the housing choices.

Fuller said the universitys housing department will ask students who plan to live on campus for information about their personalities. This will help department officials decide which students live together.

Students who will not live on campus should use this time to research other housing in the area, Fuller advised.

Fuller said the next major step on the path to college is the process of orientation.

Orientation is a series of informational events for new students. It starts about a week before classes open.

Fuller said orientation can be very helpful, especially for international students.

Sometimes a college or university will not accept or reject an applicant. Instead, closely competitive candidates will be placed a wait list.

This is a safety measure for schools. They know that some applicants to whom they offer admission will decline it. So, the school will offer that admission space to a student on the wait list.

Wait list applicants are usually close competitors to those offered admission.

When were looking at  the wait list, were not necessarily looking at whos number one, two or three, Fuller explained. Its more of, What kind of student will complement the class that were trying to form?

When it comes to facing total rejection by a given school, Fuller urges to students to remember that things do not always go as they expect. That is why they planned ahead and made sure to apply to several schools and keep their choices open.

I always try to tell them to picture themselves four years from now, she said. Wherever they end up, its pretty much guaranteed that they will have had a great experience. They will look back and say this was the right choice.

Im Caty Weaver. And Im Pete Musto.

Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. What other steps do you think are important for students to consider once they learn they have been accepted by one or more schools? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

______________________________________________________________ QUIZ Quiz - Colleges Admissions: Finishing as Strongly as You Start Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

apply(ing)  v. to ask formally for something, such as a job, admission to a school, or a loan, usually in writing

submit  v. to give a document, proposal, or piece of writing to someone so that it can be considered or approved

regular  adj. normal or usual

deadline  n. a date or time when something must be finished

binding  adj. forcing or requiring someone to do something because of a promise or agreement

multiple  adj. more than one

deposit  n. money that you give someone when you agree to buy something

financial  adj. relating to money

campus  n. the area and buildings around a university, college, or school

personalities  n. the sets of emotional qualities, or ways of behaving that make people different from one another

complement  v. to complete something else or make it better


00:00:09 MAYA ANGELOU: I grew up in a town in Arkansas smaller than the exposed part of this stage.

00:00:16 And I was small and strange because I stopped talking from the time I was seven-and-a-half until I was twelve-and-a-half.

00:00:27 ALICE WINKLER: The cadence is unmistakable. It only takes a few words to know when youre listening to the voice of Maya Angelou.

00:00:36 MAYA ANGELOU: I was known to be weird, but black Americans didnt call me weird. People would see me in the road. My grandmother owned most of the land behind the town, most of the land the poor whites lived on, most of the land the blacks lived on, and the only black-owned store in the town. And so people had many reasons to be angry with Mama, since Mama was severe. So people disliked my grandmother.

00:01:06 I understand that. Theyd see me in the street and say, "Mm-mm. Its a shame Sister Hendersons California granddaughter has gone mental."

00:01:16 Or "Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm! Shame Sister Hendersons California granddaughter, you know."

00:01:27 So they didnt actually say I was weird, but I was pretty weird, and I understand that. However, Mama explained to me all the time, "Sister, Mama doesnt care what these people say about you being an idiot, about you being a moron."

00:01:48 "Mama knows, when you and the good Lord get ready, sister, youre going to be a preacher." I used to sit there and think, "Poor, ignorant Mama."

00:02:01 I mean, really...

00:02:05 ...I will never speak! What does she mean, preach? Oh, what a shame and disappointment Mama has in store for her.

00:02:19 ALICE WINKLER: Well, she didnt exactly become a preacher, but her mother was right. Words became her divine instrument, her poems, her memoirs, and her performances a kind of benediction. Maya Angelou, who died in 2014, was a sage and officially a national treasure. President Obama gave her the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom. When he introduced her, he mentioned that his own sister was named after her, and he said Angelou had risen with unbending determination and spoken to the conscience of our nation.

00:02:58 PRESIDENT OBAMA: By holding onto her humanity, she has inspired countless others who have known injustice and misfortune in their own lives. I won't try to say it better than Maya Angelou herself, who wrote that: "History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, and if faced with courage, need not be lived again. Lift up your eyes upon the day breaking for you. Give birth again to the dream."

00:03:29 ALICE WINKLER: This is What It Takes, a podcast about passion, vision, and perseverance from the Academy of Achievement. On this episode, we mine the Academys vast vault of recordings to bring you Maya Angelou.

00:03:46 Im Alice Winkler.

00:03:48 OPRAH WINFREY: "Hattie Mae, this child is gifted," and I heard that enough that I started to believe it.

00:03:53 ROGER BANNISTER: If you have the opportunity, not a perfect opportunity, and you don't take it, you may never have another chance.

00:04:00 LAURYN HILL: It all was so clear. It was just, like, the picture started to form itself.

00:04:04 DESMOND TUTU: There was no way in which a lie could prevail over the truth, darkness over light, death over life.

00:04:12 CAROL BURNETT (quoting CARRIE HAMILTON): Every day I wake up and decide, today I'm going to love my life. Decide.

00:04:20 JOHNNY CASH: My advice is, if they're going to break your leg once when you go in that place, stay out of there.

00:04:25 JAMES MICHENER: And then along come these differential experiences that you don't look for, you don't plan for, but boy, youd better not miss them.

00:04:38 ALICE WINKLER: Maya Angelou was a member of the Academy of Achievement, and she spoke at a number of Academy events during the 1990s. During those talks, she didnt give much detail about the traumas of her early life or, for that matter, about her extraordinary years as a writer, a performer, and a civil rights activist.

00:04:57 All that had been documented already very well in her seven memoirs, starting with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Instead, she talked about the lessons shed learned from overcoming odds that were clearly stacked against her, lessons that might help others. These Academy of Achievement events were for students from around the country, and Ms. Angelous heart was never bigger than when she had the chance to inspire young people.

00:05:28 As you listen, you'll occasionally hear a question from someone in the audience, but we'll start with Maya Angelou herself, here explaining why, as a child, she suddenly fell silent.

00:05:40 MAYA ANGELOU: I spoke until I was seven-and-a-half. And then, at seven-and-a-half, I was raped, and the man  I told the name of the rapist to my family. He was put in jail. He was out the next day, and the next day he was found dead. And I thought that my voice had killed him, so I stopped speaking for almost six years.

00:06:03 I had voice, but I simply refused to use it. So I was what was called a volunteer mute. After two or three years, I forgot why I stopped speaking. I just didnt talk, and it was the love of poetry and a mentor who drew me out of myself. She told me I loved poetry. I wrote about it. I wrote it, bad poetry, admittedly  the worst west of the Rockies  bad, bad poetry.

00:06:32 But I had a tablet, which I kept in my belt, and I wrote everything. Anytime anybody asked me anything, my answers were written, and this woman told me  Mrs. Flowers in Arkansas. She said, "If you really loved poetry, you would speak it." She was the one who had started me to reading it, and then she said, "Until you feel it come across your teeth, over your tongue, through your lips, you will never love poetry, so I dont want to hear you speak. I dont want you to tell me. I will not read anything you write."

00:07:08 And I wept for six months, and I mewled around and pewled around, and she kept harassing me until, finally, I went under the house with a book of poetry, and I tried to speak, and I had voice. And as you see, Ive almost not stopped talking.

00:07:33 ALICE WINKLER: Maya Angelou was not the name she was born with. Her given name was Marguerite Annie Johnson. Her brother nicknamed her Maya. The rape she describes was in 1935, and the man who assaulted her was her mothers boyfriend. It was her uncle who killed him in revenge. Years after Angelou rediscovered her voice, she won a scholarship to study dance and drama at the California Labor School. Thats also where she got her first taste for political activism. Angelou graduated at sixteen, just weeks before giving birth to a son named Guy.

00:08:13 She wouldnt take money from her mother, and she wouldnt go on welfare, so she began the life of a single mother, working as a waitress and a cook and making herself read, she says, a lot. She also spent time, its worth mentioning, as San Franciscos first black female cable car conductor. Somehow, at her core, she felt she was destined for success.

00:08:38 MAYA ANGELOU: I did. I thought I was going to be a successful real estate broker.

00:08:44 I wanted to have a briefcase and wear high heel shoes and carry gloves. That was...

00:08:50 ...really my dream. That would have made me successful, I thought, at about eighteen or nineteen.

00:08:55 ALICE WINKLER: The jobs she did go on to have, by the 1950s, included singing in a nightclub, acting in the European tour of Porgy and Bess, dancing with Alvin Ailey on television, and recording an album called Calypso Lady.

00:09:12 MUSIC: RUN JOE

Mo and Joe run the candy store

Telling fortunes behind the door

The cops grabbed Mo, and as Joe ran out

Brother Mo, he began to shout

Run Joe, hey, the Man's at the door

Run Joe, the Man, he won't let me go

Run Joe, run Joe, as fast as you can,

Run Joe, these police, holding me hand

00:09:32 ALICE WINKLER: For years, she had been composing song lyrics and poems. And by the end of the 1950s, still not yet 30 years old, she moved to New York, where she joined the Harlem Writers Guild and took her place alongside James Baldwin and the other young African American writers and artists connected to the Civil Rights Movement. She appeared Off-Broadway with James Earl Jones, Lou Gossett Jr., and Cicely Tyson.

00:09:59 She produced and performed a cabaret for freedom with comedian Godfrey Cambridge to raise money for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Maya Angelou reveled a little in her own achievements before this audience of students, not out of a lack of humility but to show what was possible.

00:10:18 MAYA ANGELOU: When you know you are of worth  not asking it but knowing it  you walk into a room with a particular power. When you know you are of worth, you don't have to raise your voice. You don't have to become rude. You don't have to become vulgar. You just are, and you are like the sky is, as the air is, the same way water is wet. It doesn't have to protest.

00:10:58 You know, it is said that the young people have become cynical. Darlings, let me tell you something. One of the saddest things in the world is to see a cynical young person because it means that he and she have gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing. It is so sad.

00:11:24 We need you so desperately. Not enough adults have told you, "You are all we have. Everything we've done, negative and positive, has been for you. You are all there is for us." And not enough adults tell you that, but we should tell you that every morning, while you're brushing your teeth, while you're pulling on your jeans, while you're having your breakfast, while you're on the bus, on the streetcar, on the subway. Some adult should be telling you, "Darling, you're the best we've got, and we need you."

00:12:06 Young men and women, it is important for you to know that you are worth it. In fact, all of your lives have already been paid for. It is imperative that you know that. Singly know it. It is wonderful to be a part of this marvelous group, but each of us is always and finally and painfully alone at certain times of our lives. And when we're young  we can never be so alone again as we are when we are young.

00:12:43 So in your aloneness, know that you have already been paid for  whether the ancestors came from Ireland in the 1840s, 1850, trying to escape the potato blight; whether they came from Eastern Europe, trying to escape the pogroms; whether they came from Asia in the 1850s to build a country, to build the railroads, and were not allowed legally to bring their mates for eight decades; whether they came from South America, trying to find a better place, a better land, so that they could make a better life or better lives for themselves and their progeny; whether they came from Africa, lying spoon fashion in the filthy hatches of slave ships 

00:13:34 They have already paid for you without any chance of ever knowing what your faces would look like, what personalities you would carry, what dreams, what magnificent breakthroughs you would make. You have already been paid for. So in your silence, in your solitude, it is imperative that you know, when you face the microscope which doesn't reveal immediately your request; when you look at the yellow pad if youre trying to write a piece of poetry and know that all youve got to do is get some nouns, pronouns, a few adjectives, some adverbs, and so forth, and they wont come together for you 

00:14:20 No matter what you do when you are absolutely alone, go inside yourselves, I encourage you, and understand that you have already been loved. And then, all you have to do is prepare yourselves. Always prepare yourselves so that you can go out and pay for someone who is yet to come.

00:15:00 STUDENT: Have you ever been mistreated because of your color? And if so, what do you think about it?

00:15:05 MAYA ANGELOU: Well, yes, indeed, yes. A black person grows up in this country  and in many places  knowing that racism will be as familiar as salt to the tongue, and that, also, it can be as dangerous as too much salt. I think that you agree that you must struggle for betterment for yourself and for everyone.

00:15:34 It is impossible to struggle for civil rights  equal rights for blacks  without including whites. Because equal rights, fair play, justice, are all like the air. We all have it or none of us has it. That's the truth of it.

00:16:00 I was very young in that little village in Arkansas, and there was a movie house downtown. Downtown consisted of one paved street, and there was a movie house. And the girl who worked selling tickets lived on land my grandmother owned, and I knew for a fact that she and her family hadn't paid any rent for three years.

00:16:30 They lived behind the town on our land. I went up to get a ticket. I may have been about eight or nine. My grandmother was very religious and didn't believe in the movies, but once, she allowed me and my brother  every now and again. We went up to get a ticket, and the girl took my dime, and she wouldn't put her hand on it. I put it down. She had a cigar box, and she took a card and raked my dime into the cigar box.

00:17:06 Now the white kids got tickets. She took their money, and she gave them little stubs. She didn't give us anything. She just motioned, which meant that we had to go up the side steps  outside steps  and crawl through a really crummy little door and sit pitched on these three or four benches to watch the movie  and all because I was black. And I thought, "Well, I don't think I'll be going to the movies a lot." So I decided to boycott the movies.

00:17:47 But that was the first time I can remember, and I must have been about eight or nine. I cried a lot, and my brother, who was  well, he's always been the genius in my family. My family came closest to making a genius when they made my brother. He was a year-and-a-half older than I, and he told me they were stupid. They were ignorant. They were foolish.

00:18:12 It didn't really  I mean I agreed with all that because I knew he was smart; he would know. But it didn't diminish the hurt.

00:18:23 MS. WALLACE: And you knew it was  you did not take this personally? You knew it was because you were African American?

00:18:29 MAYA ANGELOU: Yes, but that's personally. Absolutely. I knew that if I was blonde and white-skinned that that wouldn't happen to me. It happened to me, Maya, who was black. There's a poem. Listen to this: it was written by Countee Cullen. It's called Incident.

00:18:49 "Once riding in old Baltimore, head filled, heart filled with glee, I saw a Baltimorean keep looking straight at me. Now I was eight and very small, and she was no whit bigger, and so I smiled, but she stuck out her tongue, and called me, nigger, nigger, nigger. I saw the whole of Baltimore, from May until December, and of all the things that happened there, that's all that I remember."

00:19:37 STUDENT: My question is for Maya Angelou: Were you influenced by other African American speakers, such as Frederick Douglass?

00:19:45 MAYA ANGELOU: Yes, I certainly was. I love Frederick Douglass, and I teach him. I teach his work now in North Carolina, where I live, at Wake Forest University. I love the fact that Frederick Douglass said, "He who says he wants freedom, and does not want to work for it, wants the ocean without the awful roar of its mighty waters, wants to have harvest without the turning over of the soil."

00:20:16 So what that told me and tells all young people today is if you want freedom, you must work for it. If you want a good life, you must work for it. Don't expect anybody to give it to you. Now that doesn't mean that we don't owe you, as young people, clean streets and good housing, but you have to work, too. You must.

00:20:44 ALICE WINKLER: Maya Angelou's own work against racism in America took off in those heady days as an artist in Harlem, but she developed a more international perspective during her many years living in Africa as a journalist and a teacher. When she returned, she joined Martin Luther King Jr.'s movement in an official capacity. She also marched in the Women's Movement, and she advocated for marriage equality in the Gay Rights Movement.

00:21:12 MAYA ANGELOU: The truth is very important, no matter how negative it is. It is imperative that you learn the truth, not necessarily the facts. I mean that can come, but the facts can stand in front of the truth and almost obscure the truth. It is imperative that students learn the truth of our history. However sad, however mordant, however terrible, we must know it.

00:21:41 The only way out of something is all the way through it. You must see it, read it, study it, and then you can pass through it, you see. It is imperative that young white men and women study the black American history. It's imperative that blacks and whites study the Asian American history. You should know that the Asians built these railroads, that they were brought here, as Maxine Hong Kingston said, to Gold Mountain in the 1850s and 1840s, unable legally to bring their mates for eight decades.

00:22:19 It's important that you know that. Otherwise, how can you make friends? Only equals make friends. You see?

You need to know the pogroms. You need to know what happened in Russia and in Poland and in that area. You must know it because you are living next door to, being taught by, or going to teach or marry somebody who is a descendant from that group of people. You need to know it. Don't hesitate to learn the most painful aspect of our history.

00:22:54 My heart is so heavy when I see the reality of the Indian reservation. And as an American, I know I'm, too, responsible. I am an Indian. I am everything. And so, at once, I feel for the poverty and take great delight in the woman who says, "I want to raise my children in the traditional way so that they will love the earth."

00:23:35 I see us in the most complex, enigmatic puzzle, which, of course, is life. The need we have to see ourselves in each other and admit what we see is so great. The Native American will only be able to break that cycle when the larger society says, "These people are Americans and deserve everything all Americans have."

00:24:16 The black American will only be able to break this cycle of poverty and violence and child abuse and early death through drugs when the larger society and the African Americans say, "I and they deserve everything, everything good." And until we do that, we are putting Band-Aids on somebody's throat which has just been cut.

00:24:46 I hope these young men and women will take this moment to try to talk together. Many of you can hardly articulate what you really feel, and yet your hearts are full. Talk. Use the language, men. Use the language, women. That is the only thing which really separates us from the rats and the rhinoceros.

00:25:10 It is so that  the ability to say how we feel. "I believe this. I need this." Start to talk. Please. Well, you know, I love you, and I am really overcome.

00:25:31 CALLER: Hi, Dr. Angelou. I was wondering...

00:25:32 MAYA ANGELOU: Good morning.

00:25:32 CALLER: ...as a black woman, is there any one scripture or poem or saying that has been able to sustain you in moments of challenges or adversities or difficulties?

00:25:43 MAYA ANGELOU: Well, yes. Some of them are mine, of course  And Still I Rise, which is a poem of mine that is very popular in the country, and a number of people use it. A lot of black people and a lot of white people use it  which, it begins, "You may write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lies. You may trod me in the very dirt, but still, like dust, I'll rise."

00:26:14 So there is that poem, and it goes on, and then a poem just for women, which is called Phenomenal Woman, and I love the poem. I wrote it for black women and white women and Chinese women and Japanese women and Jewish women. I wrote it for Native American women, Aleut, Eskimo ladies. I wrote it for all women, very fat women, very thin, pretty, plain.

00:26:47 It says, "Many people wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size. When I try to show them, they think I'm telling lies. I say, It's in the reach of my arms, the span of my hips, the stride of my step, the curl of my lips. I'm a woman, phenomenally."

00:27:15 CALLER: Would you consider running for political office? Because I feel your talents are being wasted if you're not helping our country in a politic form.

00:27:24 MAYA ANGELOU: Thank you very much for the statement. I still have not realized my talents. I believe that each of us comes from the Creator trailing wisps of glory. So at this wonderful, young age of 65, I don't know yet what the Lord has for me to do. I try to live up to the energy and to the calling. But I wouldn't dare say I have even scratched the surface yet.

00:28:00 As for political office, I am not qualified, really. I am an artist. I am a poet.

00:28:09 ALICE WINKLER: But as a poet, Maya Angelou was honored at the highest levels of American politics, not just by President Obama when he gave her the Medal of Freedom, but also by President Ford, who appointed her to the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, and by President Carter, who invited her to serve on the Presidential Commission for the International Year of the Woman.

00:28:32 And then there was President Clinton, who asked her to write a poem for his first inauguration in 1993. It was only the second time a poet had ever taken part in a presidential inauguration. The first was Robert Frost, reading at John F. Kennedy's. Angelou's poem for the occasion, On the Pulse of Morning, wasn't a favorite of literary critics, but it wowed the public, and it brought Maya Angelou broader and even greater renown.

00:29:03 Here she is reciting it in her navy blue cloth coat on the dais, with Bill Clinton glowing behind her. It's six minutes long, so I'll just play you the end.

00:29:14 MAYA ANGELOU: Lift up your eyes upon this day breaking for you. Give birth again to the dream. Women, children, men, take it into the palms of your hands. Mold it into the shape of your most private need. Sculpt it into the image of your most public self. Lift up your hearts. Each new hour holds new chances for new beginnings. Do not be wedded forever to fear, yoked eternally to brutishness.

00:29:46 The horizon leans forward, offering you space to place new steps of change. Here, on the pulse of this fine day, you may have the courage to look up and out and upon me, the Rock, the River, the Tree, your country. No less to Midas than the mendicant. No less to you now than the mastodon then. Here, on the pulse of this new day, you may have the grace to look up and out and into your sister's eyes and into your brother's face, your country, and say simply, very simply, with hope, Good morning.

00:30:32 ALICE WINKLER: Maya Angelou was feeling optimism that cold January morning in 1993, but then again, part of what was so stirring about listening to her voice was the quiet sense of power and righteousness and love she always spoke with. She was not naive. She had endured some of the worst in her own life and in the life of our country, and she had come out the other side.

00:31:00 For the next 20 years, until her death at 86, she kept writing, kept teaching, kept speaking. She inspired another generation of poets, too, including a lot of the biggest names in hip-hop and R&B, who felt a kinship with her message and the rhythm of her speech. And even through the infirmities of her old age, Maya Angelou kept fighting for the dignity and equality of humanity, all of it.

00:31:28 When she was asked during this Academy of Achievement event whether she had hope that that would be achieved in her lifetime, this is how she answered.

00:31:39 MAYA ANGELOU: Well, we have to want it. I don't mean say we want it. I don't mean like it. But we have to need it, understand that we need it. There's a Zen story about a man who studied with a master  or mistress  for a while, and told the master, "I want the truth." And the master said, "All right." And he lived with him, and he sent him out, and he cut trees. He said, "Now, cut trees for a while."

00:32:13 So the fellow cut trees for about six or eight months, and he finally said to the master, "I've been asking you for the truth." He said, "Oh, that's right." He said, "You haven't told me anything." He said, "That's right." So he said, "Now, go out and turn all those trees into charcoal." So he did that for about six months, and the man never spoke to him. Finally, at the end, he said, "Listen, Master, I'm leaving you. I told you I wanted the truth." The master said, "Let me walk with you a way."

00:32:41 He walked with him until they came over a bridge. Under, there was rushing water. The master gave him a shove. He went over. The guy went down once. He said, "I can't swim!" Down again, "I can't swim!" The third time, the master pulled him up onto the side and said, "Now, when you want truth the same way you wanted that breath of air, you've already got it."

00:33:06 ALICE WINKLER: Truth-teller, writer, professor, poet, and performer, Maya Angelou.

00:33:12 MUSIC: CALYPSO BLUES

00:33:16 ALICE WINKLER: The recordings you heard in this episode were made in 1991, '94, and '97 by the Academy of Achievement. Our next episode will also feature Ms. Angelou. We could listen to her forever. She'll be paying tribute to her friend Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy. That episode will be released in two weeks in time for the 30th observance of the MLK holiday. I'm Alice Winkler, and this is What It Takes from the Academy of Achievement.

00:33:46 Thanks to the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation for funding What It Takes, and thanks to you for listening.

00:33:52 MUSIC: CALYPSO BLUES

END OF FILE
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California has been a leader in restricting offshore oil drilling since the infamous 1969 Santa Barbara spill that sparked the modern environmental movement, and the latest spill off Huntington Beach is prompting fresh calls for an end to such drilling. That's easier said than done, even in California.

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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.

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IMI plc, a specialist engineering company, designs, manufactures, and services engineered products worldwide. The company operates through three divisions: IMI Precision Engineering, IMI Critical Engineering, and IMI Hydronic Engineering. The IMI Precision Engineering division develops motion and fluid control technologies for industrial automation, commercial vehicle, life sciences, energy, and rail applications. This division offers actuators, air preparation products, pressure switches, and fittings; pneumatic, hydraulic, electric, and vacuum motion solutions; solenoid valves, angle-seat valves, motorized valves, NAMUR valves, and systems for dust filters; miniature fluid control solutions; precise and accurate syringes, syringe pumps, and rotary valves; and high-pressure control valves, nuclear valves, and pressure transmitters, as well as hydraulic solutions. It provides its products under the Norgren, Bimba, Buschjost, FAS, Herion, Kloehn, Maxseal, and Thompson Valves brands. The IMI Critical Engineering division offers flow control solutions, such as specialized valves and actuators to the fossil power, oil and gas, petrochemical, nuclear, marine, and pharmaceutical markets under the IMI Bopp & Reuther, IMI CCI, IMI Fluid Kinetics, IMI InterAtiva, IMI NH, IMI Orton, IMI PBM, IMI Remosa, IMI STI, IMI TH Jansen, IMI Truflo Marine, IMI Truflo Rona, IMI Truflo Italy IMI Z&J, and IMI Zikesch brands. The IMI Hydronic Engineering division provides products for hydronic distribution systems, which deliver heating and cooling systems to the residential and commercial building sectors. This segment offers balancing and control solutions, thermostatic control and pressurization systems, dirt and air separators, and pressure step degassers under the IMI Pneumatex, IMI TA, IMI Flow Design, IMI Heimeier, and IMI Aero-Dynamiek brands. The company was founded in 1862 and is headquartered in Birmingham, the United Kingdom.

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KAZ Minerals PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and processing copper and other metals primarily in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. It operates through Bozshakol, Aktogay, East Region and Bozymchak, and Mining Projects segments. The company operates the Aktogay and Bozshakol open pit copper mines in the east region and Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan; three underground mines in the east region of Kazakhstan; and the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan. It also develops greenfield metal deposits; operates Koksay deposit in Kazakhstan, and the Baimskaya licence area in the Chukotka region of Russia; and produces and sells various by-products, such as gold, silver, molybdenum, and zinc. In addition, the company supplies and distributes heat, water, and electricity; and offers construction, project management, financing, management, sales and logistics, and repairs and maintenance services. The company was formerly known as Kazakhmys PLC and changed its name to KAZ Minerals PLC in October 2014. KAZ Minerals PLC was founded in 1930 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

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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.

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1 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Tenaga Nasional Berhad in the last twelve months. There are currently 1 hold rating for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "hold" Tenaga Nasional Berhad stock. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in TNABY, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.

View analyst ratings for Tenaga Nasional Berhad or view top-rated stocks.
Findings from a new study reveal at-risk adolescents are less likely to post about depressive symptoms on social media as they age. The research suggests that adolescents with a diagnosis of depression may feel less stigmatized describing depressed mood on social media than previously hypothesized. The research will be presented during the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2018 Meeting in Toronto.

Social media use can provide important information on the mental health of adolescents, including their own descriptions of their experiences. The purpose of this study was to analyze the patterns of social media posting describing depressive symptoms among an at-risk cohort of adolescents at two time points.

The study measured Facebook posts by participants at two time periods, labeled Time 1 as adolescents and Time 2 as young adults. Content analysis applied the Diagnoses and Statistical Manual (DSM) criteria for depression to identify displayed depression symptoms on Facebook.

The study found that the average number of references to depression among displayers was 9.30 at Time 1 and 4.94 at Time 2, showing a dramatic decrease in posts between adolescents and young adults.

"Considering differences between posts in Time 1 and Time 2, it is suggested that as teens develop, the likelihood to express depressive symptoms is lowered," said Dr. Kathleen Miller, one of the authors of the study. "This may be related to the development of the prefrontal cortex which plays a role in inhibiting impulsive decisions."

Examples of posts referencing depression included "Basically at the point of giving up" and "Feeling the worst right now, just wanting to cry." The average number of references to suicide or self-harm was .34 at Time 1 and .08 at Time 2.

Dr. Miller will present the abstract, "Social Media Posting in At-Risk Adolescents: Content Analysis of Facebook Posts Describing Symptoms of Depression," during the PAS 2018 Meeting on Sunday, May 6 at 5:45 p.m. EDT.

Explore further Disordered eating among teens tied to future depression

Provided by Pediatric Academic Societies
Broken concrete, not coffee, was served at St. Helenas Sogni Di Dolci on Monday morning.

Workers from Pacific Surfacing Inc. from Fremont were using a Bobcat to break up the concrete patio in front of the closed cafe Monday morning, the first part of a renovation of the facade at the St. Helena Plaza, from 1136 to 1154 Main St.

Planning Director Noah Housh said the applicants received a building permit to bring the property into compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

According to an application from owner Steve Robertson and applicant Allen Gee, the exterior renovation included nine items, including changing the color of the buildings; removing the existing awnings and installing new ones; adding lighting above the awnings and on the facade; adding string lights above the front patio area; and installing a cohesive and uniformed railing across the front of the plaza.

The St. Helena Planning Commission approved the scope of work Tuesday evening.

The exterior renovation is not the only change to the businesses on that part of Main Street. After 40 years, the Big Dipper ice cream shop closed on Saturday; and a new owner has bought Sogni Di Dolci and will change its name when it reopens in mid-May.

Saturday was the last day of business for The Big Dipper at 1136 Main St. Thank you for your support, a notice on the front door said.

Owning this business was a dream come true for owner Martin Kirkham, who added that he went to The Big Dipper when he was young.

But he said last Octobers fires and building rent were a lot to deal with. The notice added that Kirkham will focus on chasing my children around for a while.

Villa Corona remains open

Daniel Villasenor, owner of Villa Corona, said the front of his business is expected to be closed to traffic starting Monday, May 7.

But, he added, customers can still order food for take-out by going to the back door of the restaurant, which is down an alley off Hunt Avenue next to the Napa Valley Wine Train tracks.

Villasenor has been in business for the past 19 years at the Main Street location.

New owner, name for cafe

On mid-afternoon on Friday, business at St. Helenas Sogni Di Dolci was a bit slow, as it had been since morning, but bartender Cristian Benitez said he hoped it picks up for happy hour.

One last good night of tips, he said, as the cafe and bar was scheduled to close Friday night for two weeks, prior to opening in mid-May with a new name and new owner.

Benitez, who lives in St. Helena, has been at Sogni Di Dolci for the past four and a half years and added, It will be fun to say goodbye to the regulars and those who have supported us in the past few years, and people who like me personally.

The fact that Sogni Di Dolci was closing on Friday and that a new owner had bought the business from John Lockwood was no surprise as the counter staff have been letting regulars know the news for more than the past week. On Friday afternoon, Benitez said hes excited for the changes coming up.

Those changes include a new owner, Tim Terrell, who owns two cafes, Aroma di Roma and Aroma di Roma Centro in Long Beach.

In an email, Terrell said he will be living between the two cities. He added he plans to open Caffe della Valle (Coffee of the Valley) as soon as May 14, but added it could fall a bit later as nothing seems to go as planned in the industry.

During the closure, Terrell and his crew will do some slight construction and work to enhance the menu, operations and staffing and interior design.

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1935  2018

Rosa Lee deLeuze passed away at home surrounded by her loving family on April 30, 2018. She was born in Oklahoma and was the only child of Jack and Pearl McCracken. Shortly after her birth the small family moved to Oakland, California where she grew up.

Rosa Lee met her husband Norman at church one fortuitous day before attending the University of California at Berkeley together. She went on to work as a Copy Boy for the Oakland Tribune where both her wit and her copy skills were honed. Marriage and the birth of her three children shortly afterward meant Rosa Lee was busy raising a family. This was during a time that coincided with the formation of ZD Wines. She also became a partner in a small antique collective in Santa Rosa. Not long afterwards, channeling her inner Julia Child, Rosa Lee taught food and wine appreciation for a short period in the early 1970s. Her focus was always on the family and the winery.

Rosa Lee was charismatic with an easy presence and a quick laugh, always ready to interject an alternative and fun view. From bridge to rummy, she loved playing card games with family and friends. Entertaining was a key part of the lives of Rosa Lee and Norman, creating memories that will last with many of us for a lifetime.
The Sierra Club and Center for Biological Diversity are appealing Napa Countys approval of the Walt Ranch vineyard project in the mountains between the city of Napa and Lake Berryessa.

Walt Ranch vineyard development would lead to 316 acres of the 2,300-acre ranch being disturbed. Several groups challenged the county's December 2016 approval in Napa County Superior Court. The court in March ruled in favor of Napa County and the latest appeal is going to the 1st District Court of Appeal.

The two groups in a press release said the appeal is prompted by destruction of habitat for such wildlife as the California red-legged frog, the cutting down of 14,000 trees and the potential for groundwater draw-down.

A environmental impact report prepared for the county said the Walt Ranch project would, with mitigations, have no significant impacts as defined by California environmental law. Opponents of the project have criticized that document.

The local community and wildlife shouldnt have to pay the price so that another luxury vineyard can be planted in Napa County, said Aruna Prabhala of the Center for Biological Diversity in a press release.

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Napa County is exploring whether tourists staying at local hotels might help pay to create housing for the areas workforce.

The idea is to ask voters to increase the transient occupancy tax by 1 percent. That could raise as much as $5 million annually for housing, if the county and all five of its cities participate.

Napa County supervisors are scheduled to talk about the possibility at 9:35 a.m. Tuesday at the county administration building, 1195 Third St. in Napa.

My intention is to jump start the conversation, working with Visit Napa Valley and the cities to look at the possibility of creating a regional solution to this, Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza said on Friday.

Such details as when a ballot measure might be attempted would emerge from the conversations among community leaders. Visit Napa Valley is the tourism marketing organization for Napa County.

I think the majority of our lodging partners are supportive of this, said Clay Gregory, president and CEO of Visit Napa Valley.

The median home price in Napa County is more than $600,000. A recent report received by the county said that average 2017 apartment rents were $1,000 for a studio, $1,713 for one bedroom and $2,085 for two bedrooms.
Following almost two years of renovations, the doors and taps will finally open Sunday at the historic Borreo building on Third Street, as Stone Brewing  Napa opens for business.

Stepping in at the 2 p.m. opening on Sunday, visitors will be met with a broad reimagining of the 1887 building, from the newly cut windows in the west wall, to the brewing equipment at work behind glass panels, to a wide patio with views of downtown across the Napa River.

The site marks one of the latest expansions from Stone, which has grown its reach in recent years beyond its Southern California base to include locations in Richmond, Virginia and Berlin. The brewery also plans to open a new taproom in Shanghai this July.

The choice of downtown Napas Borreo building and its reimagining was driven in large part by the interest of Stone Brewing co-founder Greg Koch, a self-described historical building nut. The site adds to the roster of Stone locations in San Diego, Richmond and Berlin that are each housed in renovated historic buildings.

Musing on that pattern, Koch told the Register last October as renovations at the Borreo building were well underway, Its the overlay of the DNA of the property itself, meshed with the DNA of the city and the region, meshed with the DNA of Stone.

As a brewery-restaurant, the site will offer a food menu built on ingredients from local purveyors and, of course, the characteristically powerful beers that have been Stone Brewings calling card since its 1996 founding. Though the Stone staples on its Napa menu will be brewed and shipped in from its Escondido headquarters, the sites 10-barrel system will also regularly yield a range of beers exclusive to Napa.

With opening day drawing near and final inspections of the space having wrapped up around noon on Thursday, Steve Gonzalez had just begun the first steps of brewing at the new location.

As head brewer at the Napa site, Gonzalez, who has been senior manager of brewing and innovation for Stone since 2012, is the man now charged with crafting the beers that will be made just for drinkers in downtown Napa.

For Gonzalez, The fact that were coming to Napa at this time when theres just so much more going on in downtown Napa, in an old building with heart and soul in it, its huge for me.

Speaking at Palisades Saloon on Main Street during a brief break in the brewing process Thursday afternoon, Gonzalez offered a glimpse of the beers awaiting Stones Napa visitors and sipped on one of his own creations from the Palisades menu, Stones Scorpion Bowl.

Due to the inspections this week, Gonzalez said, brewing at the Borreo building was slated to begin later than Thursday. But the team conferred Wednesday night and decided that if the site gained the inspectors signoff by noon the next day, the brewing could begin ahead of schedule.

Even so, he pointed out, none of the beer being made that day would be ready for the sites opening on Sunday.

The ideal would have been having beer brewed on site ready for the opening, he said. But that usually doesnt happen.

Gonzalez instead brewed roughly eight kegs each of what are effectively mock-ups of the beers that will eventually grace the Napa taps, preparing them on Stones pilot system in Southern California.

For its inaugural round of brewing, the Napa site will yield seven beers from its 10-barrel system, the smallest setup of any of Stones brew houses. Among the forthcoming beers is a spiritual successor to Stones 21st Anniversary Hail to the Hop Thief. The new beer will be lower on alcohol, with three of the Hop Thiefs four hop varieties, plus a new variety of hops and minus the former beers malted wheat, likening a cherry candy and orange flavor.

The first brewing will also yield The Cardinal and the Wolf, a combination of the beers two namesake hops, as well as two fruit beers, the yuzu-incorporating Professor Monster, and a cherry blonde using Michigan sour cherries. Fruit IPAs like Professor Monster are a specialty for Gonzalez, whose brewing credits include Stones best-selling Tangerine Express IPA.

A Riverside, California native, Gonzalezs new post in Napa is a return of sorts to the Northern California roots of his brewing career. Beginning with a position at Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Gonzalezs path to Stone even brought him for a time into the Napa wine industry, working for E & J Gallo at Louis Martini and William Hill Estate.

I think it was my time in the wine industry really that taught me to always ask, Is our portfolio differentiated enough? he said. Today, that take-away is apparent in his plans to brew beyond Stones renowned IPA style. Several lagers will also make their way to the Napa taps, as will darker beers like the Doom Metal stout made with malted rye and English malts. The stouts rye will lend a taste of spice and kind of a menthol, almost, component, Gonzalez said. But in a good way, I promise.

According to Gonzalez, Napa harbors its own secret ingredient for brewing here. The water. I like the water quality, he said. Napa provided Stone Brewings water quality department with a water profile gleaned from monthly analyses of the citys water.

Using Napa water, the brewery will apply only carbon filtration, Gonzalez said, removing the chlorine but otherwise using it to brew as is.

The real terroir of brewing is the water, he said. Its kind of an undiscovered gem, in my opinion.

Though in Southern California the brewery legally discharges small amounts of brine into the Pacific Ocean, the site here will be zero discharge, he added.

In brewing, hell employ brewing salts and opt for using calcium chloride, which imparts a softer palate than the calcium sulfate used in the beers brewed at Stones Escondido headquarters.

Gonzalez will also forgo using Stones house yeast in any of the Napa-brewed beers. I know that yeast very, very well, he said. I just want to do something different.

Even though I pilot-brewed a lot of these, even though some of them are homages to other things Ive done, expect a very different palate.

Ultimately though, he said, I just want people to be able to drink my beer.

Indeed, after Gonzalez left to continue brewing, two Palisades patrons were overheard ordering Scorpion Bowls.

Stone Brewing  Napa will be open seven days a week. Following the opening at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Gonzalez will take part in a meet the brewer event from 4  5 p.m., with the sites first round of brewing well underway.

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However, after launching a signature drive, the sponsors abruptly shifted from the 2018 ballot to 2020.

Therefore, true to form, this years ballot will likely feature two anti-tax measures. One, sponsored by business interests, would make the enactment of local taxes, such as those on retail sales and soft drinks, more difficult. Meanwhile, the states Republican Party wants voters to repeal increases in fuel taxes and auto fees that Brown and the Legislature imposed last year.

Local governments, especially cities, have been flooding recent ballots with tax increases, usually fractional hikes in sales taxes but also new levies on soft drinks that contain sugar and other high-calorie sweeteners.

Local taxes for general purposes need only simple majority approval by voters, while those for specific purposes require two-thirds votes. The pending measure would essentially require all new local taxes to be for specific purposes and require two-thirds votes.

Its a response, in part, to the spate of soft-drink taxes, and big soda makers are putting up much of the money for a petition drive to qualify the measure. It also responds to a state Supreme Court decision last year implying that local specific-purpose taxes proposed by initiative need not comply with the two-thirds vote requirement.
Well, it was a three hankie night when I read several letters supporting Measure C. It looked like most of them were written from some standard set of "talking points" designed to frighten voters - not help them. Writers, be careful that you are not co-opted by nefarious special interests.

Vote No on Measure C. It is a serious overreach and a land grab. Throw away your laborious "talking points" and remember that only 9 percent of Napa County's land is in grape vines. Nine percent of the county land just cannot have all the ills attached to it that caused my moist handkerchiefs.

In fact, ask St. Helena's Stuart Smith, a Boy Scout Leader, about "no on measure C." Boys Scouts are dedicated to the truth.

Bill Ryan

St. Helena
I am aghast at the lunacy of a pleasure copter landing in a residential neighborhood strictly for the inconvenience of a 20-minute commute from the Napa airport. This large, noisy, invasive machine should never have been an item on the county agenda, but it seems that Mr. Palmaz deemed it necessary to waste weeks and days of tax dollars bringing this issue into contention.

Senator Dodd has made the argument that there is currently no problem with helicopters in Napa, and that crisis situations would prevent PG&E and hospitals from using helicopters to do their existing jobs. This could not be further from the truth.

The operative words here, 'private use', have no bearing on the rights of public utilities and emergency helicopters that are already in place.

This is a crucial moment for the Napa Valley, where we already have seen uncontrolled growth, excessive winery development, and traffic congestion from the influx of visitors and workers who spend hours getting in and out of this town only to find traffic snarls an indicator of things to come. There are many communities in California who have felt the result of misguided judgement and live with the noise and disruption of private helicopters daily and in the middle of the night.
Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) is in the pocket of the nation's beet and cane sugar cartels. Thompson continually votes to maintain the U.S. Sugar program. Why? It is really quite simple, Congressman Thompson received well over $96,000 in political donations from the sugar cartels since coming to Washington in 1999.

Thanks to Rep. Thompson and others, the U.S. Sugar Program continues. The Sugar Program is a Soviet style command and control scheme that restricts planting and imports. This inflates the price of sugar in the United States to almost double the world price. So, when you go to the store to buy a snack cake or anything sweetened, you pay more. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the program means Americans pay $3.5 billion every year in increased grocery costs, which breaks down to upwards of $50 per family.

In Rep. Thompson's 18 years in office, he repeatedly voted against sugar reform costing each California family an additional $900 for groceries. You have to ask yourself, is my congressman really fighting to make life better, or is he just another politician in it for the campaign contributions? It's time for Congressman Thompson to step up and end this costly government giveaway to the cartels.
An Oregon wine that was not at the state dinner but should have been: Lingua Franca. Its made by master sommelier and former Napa Valley resident Larry Stone. His first vintage, the 2015 Mimis Mind Pinot Noir, won a double gold medal at the Six Nations Wine Competition in Australia.

Stones greatest feat may be that he launched the label for less than $8 million.

Stones path to Lingua Franca began at the age of 13, when he began fermenting apple juice into riesling. By 15, he was collecting wine. In the late 90s, he made San Franciscos Rubicon restaurant one of the countrys premier wine destinations and then began producing vintages for Francis Ford Coppola in Sonoma.

When Stone saw the 148-acre parcel in the Eola-Amity Hills, he recognized the neglected farm as prime real estate. It was like buying a grand cru Burgundy, he says. He bought the property in 2012 with a simple plan to grow grapes for sale-building his own winery would be cost-prohibitive; for a sommeliers bank account, the land was expensive enough in itself.
Armenia health minister: Out of 2,446 hospital beds for coronavirus patients, 2,300 are occupied

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Armenia President: We welcome pro-Artsakh documents adopted by nearly 50 regional and city councils of Italy

Armen Sarkissian meets with President of Italian Senate

Nikol Pashinyan: Armenia to build new nuclear power plant, negotiations have been launched

Italy's Quirinal Palace hosts exhibition featuring works of Aivazovsky, Saryan and other Armenian painters

Armen Sarkissian meets with President of Italy's Chamber of Deputies Roberto Fico

Catholicos of All Armenians meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican

Armenia ex-Ambassador to The Netherlands Vigen Chitechyan dies

Armenia PM again says he is guilty for all the failures of the Armenian side during last year's war

FM: Discussion on occupied territories of former NKAO will create new threats to Armenia

Karabakh emergency situations service: Rescue squad finds remains of another Armenian soldier in Jrakan

Mattarella: Armenia and Italy can boast about their friendly relations

Nikol Pashinyan: Armenia agreed to stop the hostilities on October 7, 2020

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Armenia FM says his Indian counterpart will visit Yerevan in the next few days

Deputy PM: A comprehensive study of documents agreed by Armenian and Azerbaijani is necessary

Digest: Azerbaijan using Armenia's airspace, Baku says it's ready to mend relations with Yerevan

Health minister: All coronavirus vaccines in Armenia meet quality standards

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Armenia Deputy PM announces name of another POW returned from Azerbaijan

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Lavrov: Russia, Iran discussed 3 + 3 format concept with Turkey, Caucasus countries participation

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Armenia to host event with companies having made investments worth over $2,000,000,000

Aliyev announces start of process of opening communications with Armenia

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Azerbaijan lodges complaint with ECHR for review of case of assassination attempt against Lapshin

Armenian MP also on list of Erdogan's petition to strip several Turkey lawmakers of parliamentary immunity

Armenia Deputy PM Suren Papikyan has new advisor

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Italy President to Armen Sarkissian: OSCE Minsk Group is the format for sustainable and peaceful solution

Armenia ombudsman emphasizes to Vatican Secretary of State urgency of returning Armenian captives in Azerbaijan

Aliyev: Azerbaijan is ready to launch negotiations with Armenia for normalization of relations

Armenia Parliament Speaker meets with Russian State Duma chairman

Ruling faction MP: Armenia airspace has never been closed to Azerbaijan civilian air transportation

New France ambassador visits Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan

Opposition MP: Not only is there no security system in Armenia but there is no one who wants to maintain that system

Not first time that reports are made on opening of Armenia airspace to Azerbaijan

Armenia flag raised on Italy presidential palace

Armenia Competition Protection Commission chief heads for Greece, memorandum of cooperation to be signed

It is snowing with large flakes in Armenias Vanadzor

Civil Aviation Committee silent on issue of allowing Baku-Nakhchivan flights through Armenia airspace

Armenia State Revenue Committee hosting meeting of council of CIS tax authorities heads

Fall forward: Gurgen Khachatryan, Co-Founder of Galaxy Group of Companies, addresses message to Armenia youth

Gas price in Europe exceeds $ 1,600 per thousand cubic meters

Those displaced from Artsakhs Hadrut again protesting outside Armenia government building

World oil prices stabilizing

1,155 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Baku starts using Armenia airspace for flights to Nakhchivan

Armenia National Assembly passes important law initiative

Russia peacekeepers monitoring ceasefire in Karabakh

Snow falls at Armenias Dilijan road bends

Greece-Turkey arms race: France frigates vs. Germany submarines?

Armenia legislature continues regular sessions

Newspaper: Armenia employees to pay considerably for tests if not vaccinated against coronavirus

Newspaper: Court denies Armenia parliament speakers petition for opposition MP

Hundreds of kilograms of cocaine found in Scotland historic castle ruins

Iran FM to discuss developments in Caucasus with his Russian counterpart

Armenia FM receives Special Representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in South Caucasus

Karabakh emergency situations service: Remains of 2 more Armenian servicemen found in Jrakan

330,000 children were sex abuse victims in French Catholic Church

Armenia ex-defense minister: We need to ask Pashinyan what he agreed with Aliyev with regard to mine maps

Belgium returns to Egypt artifacts that were illegally exported from country

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff vows to continue military operations to counter Iran

Opposition MP: Turks are pressuring Armenia more and more since there is no response from Yerevan

Greece proposes pan-European hedging mechanism against sharp fluctuations in gas prices

ARF-D member: I am certain that there will be rallies in Armenia in November

Czech Republic signs deal to buy new air defense system from Israel

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

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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?

Louise Mushikiwabo: International Organisation of La Francophonie is very sensitive to Armenia's political issues

Louise Mushikiwabo to Pashinyan: You have much more difficult issues to manage for the country and the region

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

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Aliyev threatens Iran, advises not to pry its nose into Azerbaijans affairs

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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 health minister: Out of 2,446 hospital beds for coronavirus patients, 2,300 are occupied

China-Taiwan military escalation reaches peak in past four decades

Armenia President: We welcome pro-Artsakh documents adopted by nearly 50 regional and city councils of Italy

Armen Sarkissian meets with President of Italian Senate

Nikol Pashinyan: Armenia to build new nuclear power plant, negotiations have been launched

Italy's Quirinal Palace hosts exhibition featuring works of Aivazovsky, Saryan and other Armenian painters

Armen Sarkissian meets with President of Italy's Chamber of Deputies Roberto Fico

Catholicos of All Armenians meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican

Armenia ex-Ambassador to The Netherlands Vigen Chitechyan dies

Armenia PM again says he is guilty for all the failures of the Armenian side during last year's war

FM: Discussion on occupied territories of former NKAO will create new threats to Armenia

Karabakh emergency situations service: Rescue squad finds remains of another Armenian soldier in Jrakan

Mattarella: Armenia and Italy can boast about their friendly relations

Nikol Pashinyan: Armenia agreed to stop the hostilities on October 7, 2020

Iran, EEU begin talks to reach agreement over permanent treaty on free trade zone

An abundant TechnoFall with Inecobank - NFC payments and more

Armenia FM says his Indian counterpart will visit Yerevan in the next few days

Deputy PM: A comprehensive study of documents agreed by Armenian and Azerbaijani is necessary

Digest: Azerbaijan using Armenia's airspace, Baku says it's ready to mend relations with Yerevan

Health minister: All coronavirus vaccines in Armenia meet quality standards

Armenia health minister: Those who recovered from COVID-19 also need to get vaccinated

Armenia Deputy PM announces name of another POW returned from Azerbaijan

Armenia and Italy Presidents hold personal talks at Quirinal Palace

Armenian FM: MFA welcomes Iran's stance on inviolability of Armenia's borders

EU ready to share experience with Azerbaijan and Armenia in borders demarcation and delimitation

Dollar dropping in Armenia

Lavrov: Russia, Iran discussed 3 + 3 format concept with Turkey, Caucasus countries participation

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian: Iran won't accept geopolitical changes in the Caucasus

Armenia Ambassador meets with Iranian Deputy FM

Armenia Parliament Speaker visits Armenian church of Russia and New Nakhijevan Diocese

Armenia to host event with companies having made investments worth over $2,000,000,000

Aliyev announces start of process of opening communications with Armenia

Civil Aviation Committee confirms Baku-Nakhchivan flight through Armenia airspace Wednesday

Armenia government programs under EU assistance package are discussed

Azerbaijan lodges complaint with ECHR for review of case of assassination attempt against Lapshin

Armenian MP also on list of Erdogan's petition to strip several Turkey lawmakers of parliamentary immunity

Armenia Deputy PM Suren Papikyan has new advisor

Armenia State Revenue Committee chief has new deputy

Italy President to Armen Sarkissian: OSCE Minsk Group is the format for sustainable and peaceful solution

Armenia ombudsman emphasizes to Vatican Secretary of State urgency of returning Armenian captives in Azerbaijan

Aliyev: Azerbaijan is ready to launch negotiations with Armenia for normalization of relations

Armenia Parliament Speaker meets with Russian State Duma chairman

Ruling faction MP: Armenia airspace has never been closed to Azerbaijan civilian air transportation

New France ambassador visits Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan

Opposition MP: Not only is there no security system in Armenia but there is no one who wants to maintain that system

Not first time that reports are made on opening of Armenia airspace to Azerbaijan

Armenia flag raised on Italy presidential palace

Armenia Competition Protection Commission chief heads for Greece, memorandum of cooperation to be signed

It is snowing with large flakes in Armenias Vanadzor

Civil Aviation Committee silent on issue of allowing Baku-Nakhchivan flights through Armenia airspace

Armenia State Revenue Committee hosting meeting of council of CIS tax authorities heads

Fall forward: Gurgen Khachatryan, Co-Founder of Galaxy Group of Companies, addresses message to Armenia youth

Gas price in Europe exceeds $ 1,600 per thousand cubic meters

Those displaced from Artsakhs Hadrut again protesting outside Armenia government building

World oil prices stabilizing

1,155 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Baku starts using Armenia airspace for flights to Nakhchivan

Armenia National Assembly passes important law initiative

Russia peacekeepers monitoring ceasefire in Karabakh

Snow falls at Armenias Dilijan road bends

Greece-Turkey arms race: France frigates vs. Germany submarines?

Armenia legislature continues regular sessions

Newspaper: Armenia employees to pay considerably for tests if not vaccinated against coronavirus

Newspaper: Court denies Armenia parliament speakers petition for opposition MP

Hundreds of kilograms of cocaine found in Scotland historic castle ruins

Iran FM to discuss developments in Caucasus with his Russian counterpart

Armenia FM receives Special Representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in South Caucasus

Karabakh emergency situations service: Remains of 2 more Armenian servicemen found in Jrakan

330,000 children were sex abuse victims in French Catholic Church

Armenia ex-defense minister: We need to ask Pashinyan what he agreed with Aliyev with regard to mine maps

Belgium returns to Egypt artifacts that were illegally exported from country

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff vows to continue military operations to counter Iran

Opposition MP: Turks are pressuring Armenia more and more since there is no response from Yerevan

Greece proposes pan-European hedging mechanism against sharp fluctuations in gas prices

ARF-D member: I am certain that there will be rallies in Armenia in November

Czech Republic signs deal to buy new air defense system from Israel

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
Pashinyan has shown himself to be a very talented politician, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian said in an interview with The Independent.

According to him, even as one of the scientists behind the Tetris computer game, he could not predict the latest developments in Armenia.

Humans are not machines, they are much more complex, Sarkissian noted.

Asked to comment on his role as a mediator, Sarkissian said: It was quite hard work bringing the sides together. I did things that are not usually expected of a president, such as going into the crowds. But you couldnt do your job by simply sitting in an office.

During the protest actions, Armenian President visited the Republic Square to talk with opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan.

According to the President, he convened a meeting with Serzh Sargsyan and officials the next day after the protest leader and two fellow MPs were detained by police.

Confidential meetings will remain confidential, but you can make your judgments from the results, says Sarkissian.

Asked to speak about future developments, Sarkissian noted, that he intends to stay on in his role.

We are all learning, and Im ready to get involved again if things go wrong. Im ready to stand between police and protesters if I have to, added the President.

According to him, the new leadership may face a lot of problems in the near future.

Mr Pashinyan has shown himself to be a very talented politician, with an acute sense of public opinion. But running the government provides a completely a different challenge. He will have to provide answers to all the questions he has asked. And people will have to realise that not everything that went before was black, and not everything will be white tomorrow, Armen Sarkissian noted.
IS Claims Bombing Oil Facility Guards in Libya, Ambushing Soldiers in Naba 130 "Exclusive"
Home | News | General | History made in military as Nigerian Air Force wings 9 engineering/armament personnel

- Activities to mark the 54th anniversary of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) started today, Friday, May 4

- Nine engineering/armament personnel of the NAF were winged as part of the anniversary activities

- Prominent among them is the Director of Public Relations and Information of the NAF, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya

Nine engineering/armament personnel of the Nigerian Air Force were winged today, Friday, May 4, as part of activities marking the Service 54th anniversary.

In a brief ceremony at the Nigerian Air Force Base Kaduna, the newly decorated officers were hailed for their contributions to the successes of the NAF.

Some of the engineering/armament personnel winged during the ceremony.

Among those decorated is the Director of Public Relations and Information of the NAF, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya.

READ ALSO: NAF @54: Inter-denominational church service holds in Abuja, other units

Speaking at the event, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Saddique Baba Abubakar, announced that the NAF aircraft engineering and armaments facilities will be re-positioned in line with global best practices.

The Director of Public Relations and Information of the NAF, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya, was one of those winged at the ceremony.

He said: A board of officers was constituted to categorise engineering and armament personnel according to their skills to enhance career planning and maximize productivity. The board recommended three categories, namely; basic, intermediate and senior levels based on knowledge and experience.

Today, we are opening a new chapter in the history of NAF aircraft and armament engineering specialties with the official launching of the aircraft engineering wing as a mark of recognition for personnel in the different categories.

Personnel are hereby authorized to wear the appropriate wings for their category as part of the approved dress code for NAF aircraft maintenance and armament engineers.

The CAS and some special guests at the ceremony ceremony.

NAIJ.com gathered that the board recommended 42 personnel for the senior category. The personnel in the category are to wear half wing with red laurels while the 66 others in the intermediate category are to wear half wing with blue laurels.

At the moment, there are a total of 216 personnel who are qualified to wear aircraft and armament engineering wings. Commissioned officers are to wear golden half wing while non-commissioned officers are to wear silver half wing.

The categorization of NAF engineering and armament personnel is to be reviewed annually.

Cross section of NAF personnel at the winging ceremony.

Since assumption of office, the Abubakar-led administration has accorded high priority to the development of aircraft and armament engineering infrastructure and manpower to be at par with internationally acclaimed standards.

The NAF leadership has consistently focused on human capacity development which is geared towards producing knowledgeable and skilled manpower that can respond effectively to modern volatile, complet and ambiguous security environment.

Technology plays an important role in the planning and conduct of modern military operation and the ability to shape the battle space goes beyond the mere acquisition of military hardware.

It is therefore incumbent on us to strive for self-reliance by developing appropriate technology required to enhance our operational effectiveness, the CAS said.

The NAF in the last years has trained over 288 officers and airmen/airwomen overseas in different fields of aircraft and armament engineering.

The leadership have also been ensuring that NAF engineering/armament units are appropriately equipped to carry out their assigned roles.

READ ALSO: Nigerian Air Force acquires new airplanes from Pakistan military

Earlier this year, 11 young officers were on Wednesday, January 17, winged by the NAF.

The officers successfully qualified at 401 Flying Training School in Kaduna in November 2016 and were later sent to Westline Aviation School where they commenced their course from January 16, 2017 to December 16, 2017.

Nigerian Air Force winged 10 flying officers - on NAIJ.com TV

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Lyceum of the Philippines University - Laguna is hosting the first Certified Guest Service Professional Train the Trainer workshop in the Philippines

LYCEUM of the Philippines University - Laguna, in collaboration with Asia World Hospitality, is hosting the first CGSP Train the Trainer Workshop in the Philippines. The workshop, which will take place at LPU Laguna CITHM on June 6 to 8, will showcase all three AHLEIs popular customer service segments: Making Connections, Golden Opportunities, and the newest CGSP Tourism program. The three-day CGSP or Certified Guest Service Professional workshop is intended for educators and practitioners across all levels, which include front office, revenue management, food and beverage, housekeeping, maintenance, security, human resources, and sales. This designation provides recognition for achievers in the field of hospitality and tourism who are able to deliver exceptional service through guest engagement and making experiences memorable for the guests.Furthermore, it is recognized worldwide and is considered the highest of its kind for award-winning guest service for employees in the lodging industry. This program also has a unique way to market regions as a tourist destination.The workshops are part of Asia World Hospitalitys mission to equip hotels and related establishments with the necessary training programs to enhance professional services. The specialized training programs are envisioned to boost people development and support continuous learning. First 10 participants to register get 10 percent discount. Promo is valid until June 6. To sign up, email [email protected] or call (02) 729-6865 or 0917 523-2128.
Home | News | General | Edo PDP gives APC youths 14-day ultimatum to apologize to Senator Urhoghide

By Gabriel Enogholase

LEADERSHIP of the Edo South Senatorial District of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has given a 14-day ultimatum to the All Progressives Congress (APC) youths who ambushed Senator Matthew Urhoghide at Benin Airport last weekend, harassed and assaulted him to go round the streets of Benin and beg for forgiveness.

Senate Urhoghide

Meanwhile, the senatorial zone has passed a vote of implicit confidence on Senator Matthew Urhoghide for his effective representation of the zone in the National Assembly. A communique signed by the PDP Senatorial chairman, Deacon Mike Ehima at the end of a meeting of the leaders and executive members of the party in Benin yesterday condemned in the strongest terms the ambush laid at the Benin Airport by some APC agents to assault Senator Urhoghide.

According to the communique, The actions of the hooligans are sacrilegious to the Benin nation as ,Okhaivbo and a celebrated Odion is not allowed to be humiliated in our land, not to talk of removing cap from his head.

We also regret that while the evil doers in Edo South prompted our youths to humilate our own Senator, his counterpart heading same Committee in the House of Representatives, Hon Kingsley Chinda, as well as Hon Baballe from Kano State were celebrated by their people. We hold that an assault on him is an assault on the entire people of Edo South Senatorial district he represents.

Finally, we pass a vote of implicit confidence on Senator Matthew Urhoghide in his representation of the Senatorial district since his election to Upper Legislative chambers. In particular, we endorsed his latest contributions on the floor of the Senate in furtherance of achieving the goals of the Committee he heads (Public Accounts Committee)

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Home | News | General | Private schools in Enugu endorse Ugwuanyi for 2nd term

Proprietors and teachers of private schools in Enugu State under the aegis of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) have unanimously endorsed Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for a second term in office for his good works in the state and the remarkable achievements of his administration in the education sector.

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi

Rising from a colourful and well-attended solidarity rally, which was tagged: 2019 Total Mandate for Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi  A time with His Excellency and attended by NAPPS national leadership led by its President, Dame Dr. Sally Adukwu-Bolujoko, the proprietors, teachers, students and others assured the governor of our unflinching support in 2019.

The jubilant private schools proprietors, teachers, others in an address by the State Chairman of NAPPS, Nonye Enemuo said they were pleased with the all-inclusive governance of the governor anchored on infrastructural development, welfare, healthcare, peace, education and promotion of both public and private institutions, adding: If we look back at your achievements so far, it would seem you have spent eight years already in office.

They described Gov. Ugwuanyi as an efficient leader whose listening ear and humility have benefited the masses including National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Enugu State chapter, stressing that the governors good works in all sectors including education touch the big and small, rich and poor, public and private.

The proprietors stated that Gov. Ugwuanyis transformational programmes in the education sector were responsible for the remarkable feats they have recorded, saying: The testimonies are already with us that private schools in Enugu State now produce children who do not just make Nine distinctions (As) in SSC exam but Nine distinctions of all distinctions (A1).

According to them, a student who currently represents the entire country in physics competition in Portugal after winning the first position in the national competition is from NAPPS school.

NAPPS Enugu State chapter is here today to support our Governor for good governance. We therefore, wish to remind you that the reward of a good job is more responsibilities, as we assure you of our unflinching support come 2019, they unanimously declared.

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Home | News | General | Come out, take your rightful positions in governance, Ekweremadu tells Nigerian Youth

States why NASS passed the not too young to run Bill

By Henry Umoru

AHEAD of 2019 Presidential and general elections, deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday gave the Nigerian youth, a matching order to step out to take their rightful positions in governance and national development as well as to remain focused in realizing their goals and never lose self-confidence.

Ekweremadu

Ekweremadu also gave insight into why the National Assembly passed the constitution amendment bill, which sought to reduce the age qualification for various political offices in order to give the Nigerian youth their rightful place in the political leadership of the country.

Ekweramadu spoke in Enugu on Friday while addressing the 7th Enugu State Annual Youth Summit.

The Senator, who cited so many examples of both Nigerian and foreign leaders, who became very politically relevant early in life, also took the youth on a brief tour of his personal history, including the civil war experience, and political huddles he had faced, assuring them that if I could succeed, you too can succeed.

He urged the youth to step out to take their rightful place in governance and national development and to remain focused on their goals and never lose self-confidence.

He said: The Nigerian youth have demonstrated their industry, intellect, creativity, resilience, energy, ingenuity, and entrepreneurial prowess and deserve the chance to assume leadership positions at all levels of governance.

It is for the above reasons that the National Assembly agreed that the youth deserved a better deal and bigger role in the governance and development of the country. We readily bought into the Not Too Young To Run project to enlarge the political opportunities for the youth.

We altered Sections 65, 106, 131, and 177 of the Constitution to reduce the age qualification for the office of the President, House of Representatives, and State Assembly.

He said although the amendment would only come into effect if assented to by the President, he was very positive that the President would assent to the amendment.

If you are old enough to vote, it is only natural that you should be old enough to be voted for, he emphasised.

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Home | News | General | Enugu Assembly probes non-prosecution of Fraudulent Syndicate

Syndicate allegedly defrauded Ekwueme, AVM Alfa, others

THE Enugu State House of Assembly has commenced inquiry into the failure of successive administrations in the State to prosecute persons indicted by a State Judicial Commission of Inquiry into alleged fraudulent activities in the States Ministry of Land and Housing between 1993 and 1999.

The probe by the House of Assembly is sequel to a petition by an Enugu-based civil society organization (CSO), the Centre for the Advancement of Literacy and Leadership (CALL), calling on it to direct the Attorney-General of the State, Mr. Miletus Eze, to prosecute those indicted by the Enugu State Government White Paper on the Enugu State Judicial Commission of Enquiry into Land Allocations and Other Related Matters from 1st January 1994 to May 1999 chaired by the former Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Innocent Umezulike.

The CSO recalled that the White Paper indicted an Enugu-based lawyer, Barrister Tagbo Ike and three others of allegedly faking tax receipts and land documents to defraud the government and unsuspecting members of the public.

According to a copy of the White Paper presented, The Commission found that there existed a close-knit fraudulent syndicate, which operated in the Ministry of Land and Housing between 1993 and 1999. That the syndicate specialized in faking (forging) tax receipts and certificates, notices of revocations, letters of allocation, etc. The syndicate specialized in dispossessing people of their land allocations through the above mechanism.

It observed that the gang had, among other activities, used one tax receipt in their respective names to secure allocation of plots of land between 1994 and 1999.

The Commission, therefore, recommended that the Hon. Attorney-General/Commissioner for Justice should prosecute the above-named members of the syndicate for fraud and that he also prosecutes for offences disclosed by other applications, particularly the presentment of fraudulent Tax Clearance Certificates.

Barrister Tagbo Ikes file number, according to the White Paper, is identified by the White Paper as LEN: 19470, while the number of the single tax receipt he allegedly used in securing plots of land between 1994 and 1999 for several people is given as 004396.

Prime victims of their alleged illegal acts include Late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, AVM Ibrahim Alfa (Rtd), Late Hon. Justice Augustine Nnamani, and Col Patrick Anwuna (Rtd).

Executive Director of CALL, Ikechukwu Oji, told the Committee that his group was concerned that indicted persons had been shielded from justice for nearly 20 years.

However, the Attorney-General, Mr. Miletus Eze, informed the Committee that his Office was still searching for the White Paper as it was issued long before he assumed office.

He explained his office could only possibly prosecute the indicted persons after studying the document.

The Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, Public Petitions, Ethics and Privileges, Hon. Philip Nnamani, and other members of the Ad Hoc Committee treating the CSOs petition, expressed surprised at the Attorney-Generals excuse.

I would have been more comfortable if you told us that you had gone through the White Paper and that there was no prima facie case against the indicted persons than to tell us that the White Paper was thrown into the dustbin after taxpayers money was spent on a Commission of Inquiry, Chairman of the House Committee on Works, Land, and Housing, Hon. Chima Obieze told the Attorney-General.

The Committee has asked the Attorney-General to immediately fetch both the full report and the White Paper and report back in a few days time.

Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Philip Nnamani, has however, assured that justice would be done.

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The Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja yesterday granted an interim order for Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West be moved to the National Hospital ,Abuja.

That was 24 hours after a Senior Magistrate Court in Lokoja denied him bail and ruled that he be remanded in police custody for 39 days.

He had been stretchered before Senior Magistrate Suleiman Abdulahi and charged with supplying illegal arms to two suspects with a view to committing various crimes in the state.

In Abuja on Wednesday, the embattled senator was charged with causing damage to government property, attempted suicide and escape from lawful custody.

The Chief Justice of Kogi State, Justice Nasir Ajanah, said the order on Melayes transfer to the National Hospital, Abuja, was on account of accused persons critical health conditions as espoused by his counsel, Mr. Mike Ozekhome (SAN).

Ozekhome said Melaye is a chronic asthmatic patient who gasped for breath on Thursday while being arraigned and had to be given his inhaler in the courtroom and in the presence of Senior Magistrate Abdulahi.

The high court adjourned till Monday for continuation of hearing in a written bail application filled by Ozekhome in which he is asking for variation of the remand order placed on Melaye.

Soon after his arraignment in Lokoja on Thursday, Melaye was moved to the Police Clinic, New Layout, Lokoja.

Ozekhome and other counsel for Melaye drove in a Mercedes Benz 500 on the trail of the ambulance that took the accused from the magistrate court to the clinic on Thursday.

However,unlike last week when Melayes fellow Senators rushed to pay him a solidarity visit at the National Hospital,Abuja, none had showed up yesterday in Lokoja to see him.

It was gathered that the senator was allowed to see his lawyer and relations in the five-room police clinic.

Melaye had protested being arraigned anywhere in Kogi, saying his life would not be safe.

He was charged along with two others, Kabiru Seidu (31) and Nuhu Salihu (25), before the Senior Magistrate Court 2, Lokoja.

They were arraigned on a seven-count charge of criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of firearms, contrary to Section 97 (1) of the Penal Code and Section 27 (1) (a) (1) of the Firearms Act CAP P28, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004.
Finally allocating P50 to P100 million for preparatory activities and transition projects, the core political administration of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is ready for dissolution in June after 27 years of existence, officials said. ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman said he had already issued a memorandum for the creation of a transition team, which would bind regional agencies, including those operating under local funds, to comply with submission of accomplishment reports for common compilation by the Regional Planning and Development Office. Under the proposed BBL drafted by the Expanded Bangsamoro Transitional Commission, the present-day ARMM will be replaced by a Bangsamoro Transitional Authority. Hataman said the ARMM has allocated its savings to provide some P50 to P100 million in preparation for an expected BTA succession of the ARMM, which includes construction of buildings. He said a self-imposed Presidential deadline on Congress to pass of the Bangsamoro Basic Law proved too heavy for an indication that the law will be passed before the end of May. If the BBL is passed by end of May, a plebiscite [to ratify it] would then be held. To my mind a June target for a countdown would be fair enough, Hataman said. In his speech last April 25 in Buluan, Maguindanao, President Rodrigo Duterte said Congress should pass the BBL before the end of May or he might as well resign as president. That came too heavy for a presidential statement, thats why I am 100 percent sure the BBL will be passed into law. Moreover, if we go over the Presidents previous statements on BBL, he has been consistent on it, Hataman said in Filipino. Hataman was with members of Bangsamoro media in Darapanan, Maguindanao, following the presidential visit hosted in Buluan by Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu for the turnover of loose firearms to authorities by officials and residents of the provinces 36 municipalities. A BTA setup will be basically the ARMM minus the regional governor, the regional vice-governor, and members of the Regional Legislative Assembly, including the peer-elected RLA Speaker. Members of Bangsamoro Parliament, six per district, will be appointed by the President under a transitional BTA administration, with a three-year lifespan to evolve into a Bangsamoro Government.Appointed Members of Bangsamoro Parliament in a BTA period will elect a Parliamentary Speaker, and an Acting Chief Minister among themselves, to replace the regional governor in the present setup as the head of the autonomous government. ARMM Executive Secretary Laisa Alamia said the Moro people were hopeful of gaining lasting peace and development with the coming passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law. For her part, Alamia philosophically explained the evolution of the Moro experience in a Catholic school commencement exercises on April 29. She said the road (from conflict) to peace and recovery starts with resilience: We build resilience into ourselves; we build resilience into the people we love; and we build resilience together as a community. Thats called collective resilience. Its an incredibly powerful force which our country, the Philippines, and the world right now need a lot more of, Alamia said as speaker of the recent commencement exercises of the Ateneo de Davao Graduate. But in spite of Hatamans assurances of a smooth turnover to a BTA transition, many employees have raised civil service concern on possible massive displacement of employees initially at the level of the regional government, including its line agencies. Some employees, asking that they be not named in a news story, said they might support options that provincial and district levels of ARMM agencies would be reverted back to Provincial local government units (PLGU) to prevent breaks-up in basic education, health and social services. They explained that the provisions on the devolution of agencies in the Local Government Code (LGC) would automatically apply, when exigency of service so requires, as soon as the ARMM law is repealed. Under the LGC, the national government has devolved to LGUs certain functions of the Departments of Health, Social Welfare and Development, Agriculture, Education, Environment, and Interior and Local Governments. As in the past, permanent structure of a Bangsamoro regional government can always take back the administrative and operational supervision of provincial and district offices once the governing structure is completed and established, a mid-level executive told the Manila Standard.
Home | News | General | Buhari has managed Nigerian economy better than GEJ, OBJ, others - Gov Ajimobi

- President Buhari has been hailed by Governor Ajimobi of Oyo state for his integrity

- According to the governor, Nigeria is lucky to have a president like Buhari

- Describing the APC as the greatest party in Africa, he promised that the congress committee would not be influenced

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state has stated that no other president in the country has managed the nations economy better than President Muhammadu Buhari.

The governor spoke in Ibadan on Friday evening, May 4, while receiving members of the National Congress Committee of APC at the Government House.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the committee led by Alhaji Musa Aliyu were in the state for the ward congress of the APC scheduled to hold on Saturday.

I read Economics and Finance, and there is no economic theory that we have not read. The most important part of all the economic theory is leadership.

And Nigeria is lucky to have that leadership. There is no president in Nigeria that has ever managed the economy like Buhari, he said.

READ ALSO: El-Rufai blasts Kaduna senators over $350m World Bank loan

Ajimobi, who described the APC as the greatest party in Africa, said Buhari was the most credible president that Nigeria has ever produced.

I was in one of Buharis delegation to London and when he was asked to speak he said I have no money to distribute. All I have been selling is my integrity, he said.

The governor said that Buhari has been able to maintain that integrity till date.

Politics is just a game that if God plays it, some people will abuse Him no matter the performance. I use to tell the president anytime I meet him not to worry people are abusing him.

I told him that people abused Prophet Muhammed and Jesus Christ, who are godsend not to talk of us ordinary human beings. That is why God has created the world a binary one, he said.

Ajimobi promised that the congress committee would not be influenced, assuring them of their support.

Earlier, Aliyu said the committee was in Ibadan on a national assignment of the party, which he said the committee would do satisfactorily.

He said that the party was known for internal democracy, adding such was the cardinal principle preached by Buhari, the leader of the party.

We intend to work closely with the local chapters in achieving the desired success, so that the party will come out strongly, he said.

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NAN reports that on the committee were Hon Usman Ibrahim, Hon Mohammed Ibrahim, Hadjia Halima Jabiru and Fola Olasehinde.

Also in attendance were Chief Akin Oke, Oyo state APC chairman and some House of Representative members from Oyo state.

The ruling party fixed Saturday, May 5, for the ward congress while it fixed the local government area (LGA) and state congresses for May 12 and May 19 respectively.

NAIJ.com earlier reported that President Buhari on Friday, May 4, arrived his country home, Daura to participate in the party's ward congress at Sarkin Yara A ward slated for Saturday, May 5. Sarkin Yara A consists of 15 polling stations and 26 party executives.

The presidential jet conveying him touched down at Umaru Musa YaAdua Airport, Katsina state at exactly 4:28 pm and shortly after, President Buhari was conveyed in a police chopper to Daura.

President Buhari on 2019 presidential election: will you vote for him? - on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Dinos failed recall and 2019: Has power returned to the people? By Buchi Obichie (Opinion)

Editors note: The writer, Buchi Obichie, opines that events of Sunday, April 29, when the people of Kogi West Senatorial District refused to recall Dino Melaye, shows that the nations political landscape is changing. She points out that the will of the people cannot always be subverted or subdued, and expressed optimism that things may just be different in 2019 if this will prevails, as it did in Kogi!

I woke up on Sunday, April 29, to the headline: Dino Melayes recall attempt fails as INEC verifies only 5.34 percent of signatories and my heart skipped a bit. The gist was that the recall process witnessed a low turnout as only 5.34% of the 351,146 registered voters in the Kogi west senatorial district showed up.

I was joyful; not because I have any affinity for the character in question  personally, I think most of our politicians are the same  but then, my emotions stemmed from the fact that the people of the state had taken a stand.

READ ALSO: Killings and 2019: At this rate, would there be anyone left to preside over? By Buchi Obichie (Opinion)

Before the exercise was conducted, there were already allegations that names of people who did not agree with the recall, had been compiled, and signatures affixed. Some even alleged that names of deceased persons had been included as well! So, Sunday was the chance to prove or disprove those allegations; and the citizens made their true feelings known.

In various polling units, only a handful of people could be seen. The Cable reported that no single person had been attended to, as at 12:35pm, at Polling Unit 21, Ward B. At that unit, the INEC staff were pictured sitting idly; in some others, they were asleep! At the Ayere/Arimah Ward, less than 60 people, out of about 846, said yes to the recall. I heard that at a certain unit, only two people allegedly showed upnot to vote yes, but to question how their names had made it to the list in the first place!

See, Nigerians are not as politically docile and subservient as they appear to be sometimes; and it seems like with each administration of squalor and failed promises, citizens have gotten wiser.

To me, it seems like the battle to recall Dino from the Senate was not about his constituents, but more personal  between him and certain person(s) whose feathers he had ruffled.

There is no denying the fact that Dino Melaye is a troublemaker and rabble-rouser. At some points, he has even acted like a thug. As a woman, I cringed when he had the fight with Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and made off-color remarks about her. And according to the details of other personal matters splashed across the internet, the senator has not had a very stellar persona so far.

Despite this however, he has shown that as a politician in this present dispensation, he is not afraid to speak out against authority; and that seems to have been the root of his recent travails.

I am not from Kogi, and I do not know how well Dino has worked for his constituents  I reckon not so much; I mean, there is a difference between constructing a culvert and a constructing a bridge  however, with Sundays results, the people showed that they would not be used as pawns to settle scores on the chessboard of feuding overlords! And for that, I applaud them.

If this is a democratic dispensation as we claim, then there should be no reason why people should be witch-hunted because of their opinions. I mean, if a man makes a claim, instead of conjuring all sorts against him, there should be an objective, transparent investigation into the matter; at the end of which, appropriate action can be taken. If the allegations prove true, then amends can be made to undo the wrongdoing and get things back on the right track. And if the allegations prove false, then the individual who made them would then explain himself.

But a disregard of this healthy process would make it seem like the person accused is subverting justice because he has something to hide. And it looks like this is what happened in Kogi; where Dino went after his chief executive, and all hell broke loose.

But then, Sunday happened!

So, where does Dino go from here? Well, he is not out of the woods yet, and I do not think this would be the end of his travails. I think theres more to come; afterall, he still has the case of alleged gun-running to answer to, and is presently in custody of the Police, as per a Kogi Magistrate Court's ruling. And as sure as daylight breaks out after dawn, Dino would certainly say more things to offend people in future - if he makes it through this criminal allegation!

However, when it comes to his political career, the mans fate should be determined by his people  constituents  and thats that!

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So Dino Melaye overwhelmingly escaped recall; but his story is not just a victory for the Kogi people, but one for Nigerians as well. On a wider scale, the events of that fateful day have given me some measure of optimism and hope about 2019. Based on past antecedents in our countrys history, I still tread with caution; however, for some reason, it seems like our electoral landscape is shifting in the right direction  albeit very slowly.

There is such a thing as the will of the people; and Sundays events showed me that this will cannot always be subverted or subdued! So as 2019 approaches, i think power 'may' just have returned to the people...or maybe not?

This opinion piece was written by Buchi Obichie.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of NAIJ.com.

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Home | News | General | INEC spent over N100m on Melayes failed recall  Yakubu

Abuja  The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday in Abuja said its voters register was not substantially used in the Feb. 10 Kano State local government election.

INEC National Chairman, Mahamood Yakubu addressing pressmen on new release of 2019 Election Time Table and Schedule of Activities for 2019 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections while at INEC Office Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the Commissions Investigation Committee report on the alleged participation of under aged voting in the election.

This came on heels of the wide spread allegations of under aged voting which the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) used as a springboard to declare the election as fraudulent and lacked legitimacy.

INEC on Feb. 21 set up an investigation committee under the leadership of its National Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Nahuche.

The committee was mandated to look into the allegations of under aged voting during the election, whether the voters register was given to the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) by INEC as prescribed by law.

Yakubu said though the commission did not receive any formal complaint on the matter, the committee was set up to address concerns that could create doubt about voters register in preparations for 2019 general elections.

The chairman said that the committee had since submitted its report and INEC had carefully considered and accepted its finding and recommendations.

Based on its terms of reference, there are four key points in the findings and recommendations of the committee, which may be summarised as follows:

KANSIEC requested for and received from INEC the Kano state register of voters for the election.

The register was produced for use for the election. However, the register was only sighted in a few polling units. In other words, the register was not used in most of the polling units.

 In fact, accreditation using the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) largely did not take place.

Given that the register was substantially not used to accredit voters before voting, it is logical to conclude that if under aged voting occurred in the election, it was not due to any presence of under aged registrants on the register of voters.

However, after examining some of the images in circulation, the committee found that they have been in existence long before the Kano Local Government election.

The few images and video clips from Kano show no accreditation of voters or any relationship with the register of voters,  he said.

Yakubu added that the committee also recommended that there was need and ample chance for collaboration between INEC and all stakeholders to continue to update and improve the national voters register.

This according to him, was important to eliminate all ineligible registrants from it, including dead persons, aliens and under aged registrants.

It also recommended that INEC should work with the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) to ensure continuous improvement in the quality of all elections conducted in Nigeria.

He said since after the 2011 general elections, the commission had been updating the register in accordance with the law, saying the current commission believed that it inherited a register that met a high standard of biometric registration.

Let me reiterate that this commission is convinced that we now have a dependable register, even if it is not perfect.

We believe that it is a huge national asset, easily the largest database of Nigerians in existence today containing over 70 million entries of names, addresses, photographs, ten fingerprints, telephone numbers etc.

Yakubu implored all Nigerians to see the register as national asset and work with the commission to continue to improve it, considering that there were few if any perfect voters roll anywhere.

Yakubu also listed some of the efforts by INEC to continue to update the register and remove ineligible entries from it including presentation of the copies of the register to political parties.

Only recently, on Feb. 28, we gave each of the 68 political parties a copy of the register containing names of the 3.9 million new voters registered in 2017.

We urged them to use the register not only to reach out to voters, but also to check whether there are ineligible persons on the list and draw the attention of the commission to them.

Unfortunately, since this commission was inaugurated in 2015, there has not been a single report from any political party of ineligible voters on the register,  he said.

Yakubu noted that INEC had also been working with the Nigerian Immigration Service to eliminate aliens from the register by confiscating PVCs from aliens who were not entitled to vote.

He pledged that INEC would continue to collaborate with the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FORSIECON) toward establishing robust pathways to improving the quality of all elections in the country.

As we have consistently promised Nigerians, as a commission, we shall continue to be open to criticisms, accept our shortcomings and take bold corrective steps whenever necessary.

Fielding questions from newsmen; Yakubu said that the commission had spent little over N100 million on the aborted recall of Sen. Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West Senatorial District.

The substantial part of it went to the payment of ad-hoc staff and logistics. He also disclosed that the commission was not creating new polling units ahead of the 2019 general elections, as there was no time to do so.

The logistics and arrangements for doing so cannot be accommodated before the 2019 general elections. he added.

On Friday a Kogi High Court in Lokoja presided over by Justice Nasir Ajanah ordered that Sen Dino Melaye be moved from Police custody to the National Hospital Abuja for further treatment.

Ajanah gave the order after the Senator s counsel Mike Ezekhome (SAN) sought for his bail.

The embattled Senator was charged for causing damage to government property, attempted suicide and escape from lawful detention. (NAN)

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Home | News | General | There is goldmine in beauty pageantry Nigeria fails to see  Princess Agunbiade

Princess Agunbiade, from Ekiti State and the current Miss Grand Nigeria 2017 has had high hopes of becoming a beauty queen since she was a child. But she was to win her first beauty crown at the age of 17, having started at 16. Then there was a lull, that saw her battling to win the confidence of her parents and the knocks of the pageantry world itself. However, she won the crown of Miss Grand Nigeria after having lost the first time she tried. She represented Nigeria at the Miss Grand International pageant in Vietnam in 2017 but failed to bring the crown home. Here, she speaks of her experiences, expectations and projections.

By ADETUTU ADESOJI

What is the Miss Grand beauty pageant about and what does it stand to achieve?

The Miss Grand beauty pageant is a contest with the advocacy that focuses on Stop the War and Violence. Miss Grand International queens go to countries that have been affected by war and violence to donate relief materials to people that have been affected. They also promote peace and spread happiness. At the end of the contest all the national queens, whether they win or not are expected to go back to their countries and do something to stop war and violence or help people who have been victims of war and violence. That is why every queen must go back to her country and start a personal pet project. I will focus on education. I think education is not our major problem, there are other problems in Nigeria other than lack of education, but I feel that if people are educated enough they wont feel hopeless enough to be used easily as political thugs or shipped away to foreign countries to be used as slaves or prostitutes. I will provide something called the basic back to school starter pack that consists of school bag, sandals, stockings and books and writing materials , free education does not include these things. I will enroll them in schools so that they will be on their way to becoming a part of us and will not feel hopeless and will not pose a threat to other citizens of the country. I will not stop there, after enrolling these kids I will also empower at least one person from their families, either the father, mother or siblings in order to support the family and also meet the needs of these children so that they can complete their education and not stop half way.

How would you get funds to execute this?

I work, so I intend to use a part of my money but of course I dont have enough money to do everything. With the help of my management, the office of Miss Grand Nigeria, we will reach out to some well-meaning organizations, some government and non governmental organizations also.

Will this project be done in one year or will you continue after your reign?

I will continue the project even after my reign as queen but Im going to start now because using the office of the Miss Grand Nigeria to get the project done is the idea of having a title and a crown in the first place. I will kick start with this platform, it will be a great start.

Princess Agunbiade

What do you think was the key factor that made you lose the crown at the Miss grand International?

The first thing is lack of preparation in every aspect. In any pageant there is a whole lot they look out for before crowing their queen. They look out for physical fitness, which is very important, that is why they have the swim suit segment. It is not just to show girls clad in bikinis, it is to know how fit they are and see how much work they have put in for the contest. They also want to see advocacy, they want to know what you have done back in your country. They want to see how you relate with your fellow contestants , the way you behave in camp and all that. They also want to see how prepared you are for any interview. You wouldnt know if it is the organization or other stations, these interviews are to show how prepared you are and how much you know about their international contest and also how much you know about your country because you will be asked about your country as well. They look out for styling as well. Lack of preparation was my undoing. I arrived for the contest ten days late and I was also unfit, I should have registered with a trainer. There are pageant workouts that I should have done. This is not just about me but about every Nigerian girl that is sent out to an international contest. I was in the midst of about 76 other contestants and I was among the least prepared contestants, what was my chance really? There was poor media coverage and I also had a fan base that was not enough, other people put in more work in these areas. They have managers that handle their social media pages. People dont even know about the Miss Grand pageant in Nigeria, beauty pageants are not paid attention to generally in Nigeria. People still do not see the need for pageants, they feel it is a waste of time but it is not, I must say. Other countries do not see pageants as a waste of time but in Nigeria we see it that way. There is a goldmine in beauty pageantry that we need to uncover.

You talked about Nigerians not seeing the goldmine in pageantry, what exactly are you referring to?

Im referring to the importance of beauty pageants in our country. It is a goldmine because it can contribute to the economy of the country through tourism. It is also a way to empower young ladies in Nigeria, for instance when I went for Miss Nigeria in 2015 although I didnt win, I learnt a lot from the contest. There was a Bank of Industry summit and I learnt a lot about entrepreneurship. That formed a huge part of my entrepreneurship quest today. All my businesses that I have done till date, I have used the experience I got from that summit. It also strengthens relationships between countries, for example, Thailand strengthens their relationship with other countries because they have their own beauty pageant. Miss Grand International is a Thailand based pageant. Other countries are friends with Thailand because of Miss Grand International pageant. It increases the visibility of a country, Nigeria is a popular country but most people know Nigeria for the wrong reasons, pageants can be used to change the face of Nigeria, it can showcase Nigeria in a better light.

What are most memorable from your experience of participating in the pageant in Vietnam?

Winning Miss Grand Nigeria made me to participate in the International contest that took place in Vietnam in 2017. The highlight for me was everyone calling me Nigeria, being called Nigeria as oppose to being called Princess made me realize that I was not only wearing my countrys band but I was a window through which people saw Nigeria. 76 others girls and chaperons have probably not been to Nigeria before, I had to make them see Nigeria through me. I had to coordinate myself in a way that showed Nigeria in a very good light. It was a responsibility that was not very easy because there were times I was stressed in camp and just wanted to snap but I couldnt because I was Nigeria and Nigeria doesnt snap or frown. In everything I did I made sure I did it well so that people would see my country as that country where everything is all good and great. I also noticed that everybody had different perceptions about Nigeria and Africa, they think Africa is all ancient and filled with camels.

People were asking me all sorts of funny questions. They didnt know we have make-up brands in Nigeria and I told them we have amazing makeup brands in Nigeria, I mean we dont just wear makeups, we produce makeups. I had to correct so many wrong impressions, they even told me that they didnt know there were girls like me in Nigeria, they expected black and very fat girls. I was very proud that people called me Nigeria, it was big deal for me.

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Home | News | General | $496m withdrawal from ECA: Buhari acted in national interest Lawmakers

By Joseph Erunke

Following the controversies over the failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to seek the consent of the National Assembly before withdrawing $496m from the Excess Crude Account to purchase fighter jets from the United States, the president has received the backing of two national lawmakers. House of Representatives member, Hon Ibrahim Isiaka and Senator Abu Ibrahim argued that instead of vilifying the president, he should rather be applauded as he acted in national interest.

Hon Isiaka, in his submissions conceded that though the president erred when he failed to abide by the constitutional mandate to seek the approval of the National Assembly as spelt out in sections 80 and 81 of the 1999 constitution, President Buhari did not commit any offence to warrant any punishment for the violation.

He argued that before the impeachment process could be carried out the national assembly must muster the support of two third majority of its members which he argued would be difficult to achieve.

According to him, since the House of Representatives has 360 members, not less than 240 members must append their signatures for any motion seeking such action. And how is it possible to garner this number, especially in the seemingly wide division among members along party lines as well as ethnic and religious sentiments in the country?

The 51-year old representative of Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency of Ogun State on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, said notwithstanding what President Buhari did, he remains the most transparent of all the nations leaders. After all, others did similar withdrawals of money from the same treasury in the past but neither admitted now informed the legislature as Buhari did. And any impeachment motion brought by any of the two chambers of the legislature on account of the removal of money to buy the fighter jets will fail because the president acted to beat the deadline for the payment of the money.

Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari

He further said, one thing everybody should appreciate in this country is that this is somebody who came out boldly to say he approved the withdrawal out of exigency of time. And this is the first time in the history of Nigeria that this is happening. Successive governments had also dipped hands into the Excess Crude Account and they never accounted to anyone. But this is a man full of transparency who came out boldly to say what he has done. Some people may ask why did he do it but if he did not, who else should do it?

So, I think we should look at the merit and the transparency of the president in writing to the National Assembly to admit what he did. None of his predecessors ever came to the National Assembly to say they ever did anything of such. That means hes a man of integrity.

We should just admit and move forward. Im not saying the president should bypass the Constitution but admitting alone is courageous. So, we should accept the fact and move forward and save Nigeria from these calamities going on. The terrorists who are carrying out attacks know what they want and they go straight for it. So as a father, you dont just sit down when there is fire in your house because when you waste time it will get out of hand.

In a similar vein, senator representing Katsina South, Buharis home state, Abu Ibrahim said the president should rather be applauded as he acted in national interest.

He said contemplating the presidents impeachment was out of fashion and should be immediately jettisoned as what the president did was not for pecuniary gains.

According to Senator Ibrahim, the president authorized the payment based on national interest. As far as Im concerned, this is the first time that money drawn from excess crude account was brought to the National Assembly. Since they began to operate this account, I have never seen any expenditure that was brought here for approval.

$17.7 billion was withdrawn by Obasanjo from excess crude account to pay the Paris Club and to fund two projects without National Assembly approval. Obasanjo left $943 billion in excess crude account but former President Goodluck Jonathan frittered away the money with no recourse to the National Assembly. The Excess Crude account increased from $5.16 billion in 2005 to over $20 billion in 2008 but went down to less than $4 billion in 2010 during Jonathans tenure. It never came to National Assembly for approval.

Like I said on the floor of the Senate when the presidents letter explaining the reasons for the action was tabled before us, if this is a PDP conspiracy to tarnish the image of Muhammadu Buhari, they will not be able to do it because we are coming out with figures. So as far as Im concerned, the issue of impeachment of Mr President over the removal of money from the Excess Crude Account to buy fighter aircraft considered to be for national interest, is dead on arrival, he boasted.

However one looks at the issue and the intrigues trailing it, those who are not new to the politics at the National Assembly will readily admit that impeachment has always been a recurring threat deployed by the legislature to tackle any acrimonious relationship with any sitting president each time there was one. Since the return of the democratic dispensation in 1999, impeachment threats have always been issued by the legislature, both at the Senate and the House of Representatives against presidents. The only president who escaped the threat as recorded in Nigerias history was late President Umaru YarAdua. The reason for this may be his short stay in office owing to his health condition which later resulted in his death.

As frequent as impeachment threats against sitting presidents have always occurred in the parliament, the presidents who were the targets have always escaped because the required number of legislators needed to invoke the action as contained in Section 143 of the 1999 Constitution was either not secured or due to the intervention of prominent leaders in the country.

Between September and October 2002, during the tenure of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the House of Representatives headed then by Alhaji Ghali NaAbah slammed a-17 counts charge against the president as basis for his impeachment.

Most of the charges of breach of the constitution, released at a news conference by Farouk Lawan, then Chairman of the House Committee on Information, revolved around claims of non-implementation of budgets for three years, as contained in the appropriation laws.

Besides, the legislature took Obasanjo to task over internal military operations he authorised at Odi, in Rivers State in 1999, and Zaki Biam in Benue State in 2001, during which hundreds of civilians were killed by military troops deployed. Obasanjo had failed to obtain the consent of the legislature before giving orders for such military operations, as required under the constitution, according to the House.

Members of the House representing the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which had a comfortable majority in both chambers of parliament, forwarded details of the alleged breaches of the constitution to the party leadership, preparatory to impeachment proceedings against him.

After the ultimatum expired, the PDP-controlled Senate gave its backing to the lower house of parliament, further deepening a crisis that divided the ruling party and raised fears about the survival of democracy in Nigeria.

The president survived the threat at the instance of some prominent Nigerians including former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, former President Shehu Shagari among others who intervened in the matter

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Home | News | General | Why I cant join forces with Gov Okowa  Dr Ojougboh, APC guber aspirant

Raises dust on new Delta Secretariat, Asaba Airport projects

What Okowa told reporters on the controversial projects

ALL Progressives Congress, APC, governorship aspirant in Delta State, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, who hails from the Ika-speaking area of Anioma (Delta north senatorial district) as the governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has sworn that he would never collaborate with him because the latter is a conservative and a leopard who can never change its spot.

Ojougboh, a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, until his defection, last year, was one of the Anioma sons who worked for Okowas emergence as governor in 2015, but had since disclaimed him, saying he was a total failure.

The aspirant in an encounter with Saturday Vanguard at Agbor, stated pointedly: He is a conservative and I am a progressive, his method of thinking is anathema to my own method of thinking. His behavior is unacceptable to me.

Why we fought for Anioma gov in 2015

He admitted that it was because of the Anioma agenda that made him work for his emergence in 2015, but times have changed.

Dr. Cairo Ojugboh,

His words: Yes, because it was an Anioma agenda to fight and see that an Anioma man became governor in 2015. The traditional rulers of Anioma came together, about 55 of them, gave me the chieftaincy title of Akinowa of Anioma and pleaded that whatever we do, we must secure the gubernatorial position for an Anioma son. In fact, the Asagba of Asaba singled me out to say that I am the King of Truth. I still remember vividly his address on that day that the entire traditional rulers in Delta north conferred me with that Chieftaincy title.

And with that in mind, we all sheathed our swords and said let us fight for Anioma, but I did warn them that the leopard can never change its spot, that Okowa can never change. And today, I have been proven right.

Okowas alleged sins

I will not belong to a government where a governor will run government for two years without budget. I will not support a government when I know that the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC law in the state has been completely flouted. If I were the governor of Delta state today, I will obey the law of DESOPADEC and give the oil producing areas their due.

Today, Okowa runs DESOPADEC from his pocket. If I were governor, I would not enmesh myself with the scandal that is associated with the secretariat the government is building. A scandal that is unheard of.

He hollered: These are the things that as an Agbor man, a humble Agbor man, I cannot work with him. Look at our hospitals, they are in a mess and he is a medical doctor. The hospital where I was born, if you go there today, there is no power. Doctors carry out operations in the night with candle light, women and children are dying.

Road projects

Again, look at the issue of roads, the man has no project at all to show, he patches a pothole, he would say he has commissioned a road, you mean the government cannot even do a road, take the Lagos-Asaba road for instance, that road had been done, it was Uduaghan who did the road, but Okowa came one day and started putting road markings, the next thing, he was commissioning it as his project and that is what he is doing all over the state.

He will commission schools built by Uduaghan, this woman is still alive, this former Millennium commissioner, Ashikodi or so, all her projects under Uduaghan are what Okowa says are his projects and what has he done with our money. He has received close N1 trillion since he came into office, but people are suffering, civil servants are suffering and salaries are not paid. I will not as a solider of truth join hands with such a person.

 If I talk, his people will say it is a hate campaign. Hate campaign because I am telling you the truth, this man has no capacity as governor. I say this because for two years, he has no budget; he was running the state as out of pocket expenditure process. Today, the budget of Cross River state is N1.4 trillion, Akwa-Ibom is N1.3 trillion, Lagos state is N1.6 trillion, Rivers state is N1 trillion, small Bayelsa is N600 billion, Delta state has smaller budget, what is he doing with our money?

Delta already mortgaged

Delta is the highest earning state as far as federal allocation is concerned and yet we have the smallest budget because our internally generated revenue that will shore up our earnings cannot be accounted for. So with the internally generated revenue not accounted for, the little one that is reported, he has now gone to mortgage it for four years to a fictitious Asaba project. Is that the government you want me to belong to; is that you want me to team up with the man; I will not team up with corruption, he said. .

The issue of no budget has been a recurring matter between you and the Okowa government, but the House of Assembly has consistently passed his budget in the last three years and a DESOPADEC Commissioner told me recently that the governor was not shortchanging the Commission, so are you sure of your information?

In 2016, 2017, there was no budget. When I raised the issue that there was no budget, he forgot 2016 and produced what is at best a fraud for 2018. The Isoko nation has been protesting that budget because there is nothing for anybody there; it is for his own personal use.

As a Deltan, are you saying that you are unaware that the Delta House of Assembly passed the 2016, 2017 and 2018 Budgets, which were duly signed by the governor?

What was presented to the House of Assembly in 2016 and 2017 was a budget summary, the body of the budget was not there. That is what I have been educating people. In 2018, he brought an empty budget summary. The budget summary is law, that is the most important thing, but like I told you before, the Isoko people looked at it and said there is nothing here in the document for us.

Now, the oil producing communities have not seen their budget for three years, nothing there.

Coming back to the secretariat project, Governor Okowa at his last quarterly meeting with reporters in Asaba, said that he was not the person doing the project through cronies as alluded, Saturday Vanguard informed him.

Ojougboh interrupted: Which is a very big lie, adding, And let me tell you about that, the firm North China Construction Company has no business with the government of China. The governor was very economical with the truth. It is a purely Nigerian company. We took the name go and check the name at the Corporate Affairs Commission and see the owners of the company. The company belongs to one man in the bank.

Chinese government has nothing to do with the ownership of the company.

What Okowa said

On the airport and secretariat projects, Governor Okowa told journalists:: I do not know how many of us have been to that secretariat that is being built, I am sure that you are proud of what is going on there. If Dr.Okowa has the competence to own a company to build that kind of project, I would be very proud of myself, unfortunately, I do not own such company.

His words: And the company is not hidden, it is a Chinese company, and those who went with us then saw the Chinese who are there. But I must commend the management because out of the over 160 people working on that site, only 11 of them were brought from China, the other 150 are Nigerians. And the level of organization, the quality of the work is something that we must be proud of, I am actually proud of them.

When they first came in, I was scared initially until we actually proved from their embassy that they were very competent, and truly with the speed, level of work and organization at the work site, they are actually people to be proud of. I am convinced from what I have seen at this stage that it is something that will come out well.

Probably, I am part of the Chinese government because the company is Chinese- owned firm. If I have that level of connection in China, I am sure I would have been able to do much more for Deltans, I wish I could but I am not, he said.

Ex-contractor of Asaba Airport in court

Speaking on the disagreement between the state government and ULO Consultants, the former contractor handling the Asaba Airport project, who dragged the government to court after his contract, was terminated, he said: ULO asked for repudiation of contract and we did and gave it to somebody else. He is already in court with us. It is already a subject of litigation, so we have to go the full hug of the court.

We are aware that he owes us some money, but he said no, that the state owes him. We have done our calculations and we know that he owes us. We will meet in court and we are quite convinced that it is only a matter that he will pay back our money, the governor said.

Complete letdown

Despite the governors catalogue of achievements, Ojougboh commenting on how he rates Okowas performance, asserted: In fact, if I am to rate him, it is zero. A man who cannot pay salaries, a man who is owing local government workers, a medical doctor who cannot put hospitals in the state in good condition. The only thing he does is to repair potholes and inaugurate them and that is what he is doing all over the place.

A man who says he has trained 3,000 people in skills acquisition while they are selling the kits and has now formed a cartel duping our people. His people organizing the cartel have sold the kits to the easterners. What else can you ask me to assess him, there is nothing to assess because he is a total failure, he said.

Apparent support of APC leaders

Speaking on the noticeable support of his ambition by notable APC leaders on the state, he said: The position of APC leaders in Delta State is that anybody who is able to win the governorship primaries will be supported by the leaders and the party, especially persons of proven integrity. I am a democrat and soldier of truth, all my battles of life politically have not been about myself. They have been for the people and I did not even know that leaders have been following these events. I have come to notice that they appreciate the little I have been able to do and I thank God for that. Really, I believe I can govern the state and govern it very well and I thank the leaders of the party for their confidence in me and I will not betray it.

Meetings with Kachikwu

On the meetings of Delta north governorship aspirants with the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, he asserted: Delta north people are desirous of securing the next term of governorship in the state and they do know if they miss this opportunity and it leaves Delta north, it will be very difficult for another Delta north man to become governor in the state. Therefore, Delta north APC met to identify one so that they have interaction with other senatorial districts who will sit together and look at all the aspirants from the district and pick one person so that when they have interaction with other senatorial district, they can present their best to the other districts and that is what the meeting has been all about. About two to three meetings have been held in the house of the Minister of State for Petroleum. Not long ago, a meeting also held at the residence of Engineer Enuha at Ogwashi-Uku, where the Committee of Eight interacted with all the aspirants. Most of the aspirants were present and it was a very good meeting. The idea is not that the Committee of Eight is going to screen and present candidate, they just want to know the persons who are serious about their ambition and who to support during the primaries of the state so that we do not scatter our votes. That is exactly what that meeting is all about.

Delta north doesnt have final say on APC Guber candidate

To me, it is a noble idea and I support it. However, it is the state that has a say on who becomes the candidate of the party, it is not the exclusive preserve of Delta north. It is not Delta North that will say this is our candidate, the candidate has to emerge from the entire state and in this regard, it is expedient that Delta north must meet and of course, the gathering of the aspirants, some persons do not particularly like it, but of course, brethrens must fellowship and for those who do not like it, I implore them to reconsider their stand because in this country especially, there are groups that are based on ethnic interest, religious , political objective. For instance you have the Ijaw Progressives Union, Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, Ohaneze Ndigibo, Arewa Consultative Forum, all manner of organizations useful to them. So if Delta north decides to form a group because they have an interest to pursue, I believe they have the right to do so and it is constitutionally guaranteed- the right to free association, Ojougboh said.

What Emerhor, Delta APC leader told us

What of the meeting with Delta APC leader, Olorogun Otega Emerhor? He disclosed: It also went very well, the idea of the meeting with the state leader; Otega is to make sure that the campaign for the primaries by the respective gubernatorial aspirants is conducted in the most decorous way. He admonished aspirants to respect each other; he warned that he would not tolerate acts of brigandage or thuggery.

My 2009 protest against Uduaghan

Saturday Vanguard asked: You protested against former governor Emmanuel Uduaghans victory in the PDP governorship primaries in 2006; will you keep to agreement in APC?

He responded: You will recall in that particular incident that after series of meetings, the party met and I was told that my ticket back to the House of Representatives should be given back to me and I said no, that I told my people earlier that I would do only one term and we all would work for the party, PDP, to succeed.

Of course, protest is a democratic instrument but it must not be violent, intractable and unreasonable. There are methods of appeal, even going to court is a protest, which is why the court is established, it is for dispute resolution. If you are not happy, you have the right to appeal, the right to protest. This protest must be constitutional, civil and decorous. So that was what happened in 2006.

This time around, if I do not emerge the candidate of the party, I will not go to court, I will not protest, I will adopt whoever emerges and work for the person. That has been my position, I am a party man and I believe that the party is supreme and of course, I have grown in the party politics in Nigeria.

I am experienced enough to know how a political party is run and I also know when I see booby traps in the process. Because of my experience, if I see booby traps, I will try to address them before people fall victim, he said.

APC is my root

On the rumour that he is a strange bed fellow in APC and might soon return to PDP, he expressed amusement, saying: Water comes from a source, when I joined partisan politics in 1998, I entered through the ranks of the progressives, I was a founding member and chairman of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, Delta state. In fact, that name AD was coined by my humble self in Abuja. So abi intio, my political orientation is progressivism, so if you say I have returned to my root, from the conservative PDP to the progressives, APC- that is correct. By action, manner and attitude, I am a progressive, so nothing will take me back to the conservative and corrupt system that PDP represents, I will never go back there.

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Home | News | General | Ekiti APC gov primaries: Police urge contestants to embrace peace

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

AS 33 aspirants are getting ready for todays governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Abdullahi Chafe has urged aspirants in the party and other political parties to embrace peace before, during and after their primaries elections.

Addressing a press conference on Friday at the Commands headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, Chafe who is retiring from the service today after attaining the age of 60 years disclosed that police are ready to provide sufficient security for the APC delegates and other political parties.

APC

He noted that Ekiti was one of the states with the lowest crime rate in the country, adding that people must sustain the peace being enjoyed by making vital information to the police on activities of criminals in the state.

He called on officers and men of the command to avoid materialism, saying materialism was the main cause of corruption and various problems in the country.

Chafe advised the Nasarawa State Governor, Alhaji Tanko Al-makura-led Governorship panel to extract commitment from all the aspirants through agreement on the delegates list.

His words, I will only advise that , Alhaji Almakura should meet with all the aspirants before the primary and allow them to reach agreement on the list of delegates.

As regards security, our men will be on ground and we shall ensure adequate security for all leaders and delegates.

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Home | News | General | Just in: President Buhari shares some secrets about himself, 2019 ambition (photo)

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Saturday, May 5, in Katsina state emphasized that the driving force for seeking public office should be to serve the people, improve their lives and not for frivolity or personal ambition.

In a statement signed by Malam Garba Shehu, one of his spokespersons, Buhari spoke at the on-going ward congress of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) held at Bayagida Model Primary School, Daura, Katsina state.

According to the statement, the president also maintained that the passion to serve and see real changes in the lives of Nigerians informed his choice to join partisan politics in the first place, and this, he said, inspired him to contest elections in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015.

READ ALSO: Pro-Buhari govs, Sarakis group reportedly reach agreement with Oshiomhole

The president added that his decision to seek a second term in office was borne out of a deep passion to serve Nigerians, and not for personal gains adding that his administration had already started the process of ensuring fairness, justice and equity, in spite of challenges, and would work hard to consolidate on the gains.

I am not in politics for fun, frivolity or to amass wealth, I have always been driven by a deep sense of commitment to make a difference to lives of our people.

After my retirement from the army, or forceful retirement, I sat back and watched as events unfolded on the political turf, and realised the country needed an intervention for fairness, justice and inclusion of Nigerians in the issues that affect their lives, he said while calling for patience, maturity and orderliness as the 2019 elections calendar begins to unfold.

He urged political parties, candidates and the electorate to put the country first and always remember that victory ultimately belongs to God.

After going to the court so many times to challenge results of elections in 2003, 2007 and 2011, and going up to the Supreme Court, I concluded that ultimately it is God who determines who will win elections, and in 2015 I got here, NAN quoted him as saying.

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In his own remarks, Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina state said the process of electing the leaders of the party at the ward level was hitch-free, orderly and based on the constitution of the APC.

What we have here are our leaders that were chosen based on consensus and we are happy that it reflects the will of the people and the APC constitution.

We followed the process to also ensure that there is affirmation, he said.

NAIJ.com earlier reported that President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday, May 5, urged the party executives elected in his Sarkin Yara A electoral ward to discharge their responsibilities with fear of God and in accordance with the party constitution.

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Home | News | General | As APC elects ward executives, President Buhari passes message to party officers

- President Muhammadu Buhari says he has remained a loyal party member meeting the rules of his political organisation

- Buhari wants the newly elected ward executives of the APC to work with the fear of God

- Governor Aminu Masari commends Buhari for finding time to attend the congress

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday, May 5, urged the party executives elected in his Sarkin Yara A electoral ward to discharge their responsibilities with fear of God and in accordance with the party constitution.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Buhari made the call in Daura after participating in the APC ward congress in his constituency.

The report quoted him as saying that throughout his political career he had been a loyal party member who respected the rules and the regulations of his political party.

READ ALSO: Pro-Buhari govs, Sarakis group reportedly reach agreement with Oshiomhole

I call on you to fear God in whatever you do as we would transit to the next world and account for our deeds before our creator, he urged the elected officials adding that his administration was determined to uphold the provisions of the constitution and the rule of law, stressing the need to play politics with decency and decorum.

Speaking earlier, Governor Aminu Masari, commended the president for finding time to attend the congress in spite of his tight schedule.

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The governor described the presence of the president as a clear demonstration of his commitment to party rules and the regulations.

He called on Nigerians to continue to pray for peace and stability of the nation as well as respect the constituted athourities for socioeconomic progress of the nation.

NAIJ.com earlier reported that President Muhammadu Buhari had arrived the polling unit Sarkin Yara A Ward of Daura local government area of Katsina state for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ward congress.

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Home | News | General | Self-confessed fake lawyer in Oyo lands in police net for making N6m from victims

- A fake lawyer, identified as Olawale Falola, has been arrested by the police command in Oyo state

- Falola confessed to the force that he made not less than N6m from 100 persons by promising to secure jobs for them from NNPC and security agencies

- The state's commissioner of police, Leye Oyebade, said Falola will be arraigned upon conclusion of investigations

Olawale Falola, a self-confessed fake lawyer, has admitted that he made N6m from his naive victims whom he gave juicy promises of securing jobs for at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The Punch reported that the suspect who was arrested by the police command in Oyo during a stop-and-search in Ibadan recently, claimed to be a dropout of a university in Osun State. Falola further said that he had deceived more than 100 people with his fake identity.

READ ALSO: Breaking: Nigerian Air Force unveils two MI-35M helicopter gunships

Upon noticing a Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) sticker pasted on Falola's car windscreen, policemen interrogated him about his identity, but he failed to convince them of his claim of being a legal practitioner.

Falola words: "I parade myself as a lawyer and I have taken money from more than 100 persons. I promised to get for them at NNPC and security organisations. I have made up to N6 million from the practice out of which I bought a car.

I paraded a Toyota Corolla car. I lived in Osogbo. I came t Ibadan to visit my family when I was arrested by the police."

The car, priced at N2m, has the number plate, FST 298 AY. Leye Oyebade, the state's commissioner of police said Falolas car had been seized and that he would be arraigned as soon as the command is through with investigations on his activities.

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Oyebade said: "There is no place for such people in our society. In our renewed effort to completely rid the state of criminals, the state police command will not give room for criminals to thrive."

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com reported that a suspected fake lawyer who had been parading himself as Barrister Chris Elisha, practicing for the past fifteen years had been arrested by the police.

The alleged imposter was arrested in February at Ojo magistrate court, Lagos where he appeared on behalf of an accused person but found it difficult to move a motion for the variation of the bail condition of his client.

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Flag carrier Philippine Airlines has announced that it would continue its flight operations to and from Caticlan four times weekly until May 15 as the government enforced the temporary closure of Boracay due to environmental problem in the famous island. PAL flights between Manila and Caticlan will operate four times weekly until May 15, said PAL Corporate Communications Department head and spokesperson Ma. Cielo Villaluna in her Facebook account. She said that from May 16 until Oct. 26, PALs Manila-Caticlan service will be temporarily suspended but will resume when Boracay Island reopens on Oct. 27. Villaluna also said daily flights to and from Kalibo will continue to operate during the entire Boracay closure period in order to serve the travel needs of residents and visitors in the city as well as the government Boracay rehabilitation team. The airline management came up with the adjusted flight frequency in support of the governments decision to temporarily close or limit access to Boracay for urgent major environmental rehabilitation of the island. PAL has expanded flights to a number of other Philippine tourist and provincial destinations to help ensure the continued growth of domestic tourism. PAL has deployed additional commercial flights on routes between Manila and Cebu, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa in Palawan and Bacolod. It also increased flights between Cebu and Busuanga (Coron), Cebu and Siargao as well as between Clark and Busuanga and between Cebu and Clark. On May 1, PAL also came up with additional flights between Manila and Dumaguete as well as Manila and Cagayan de Oro. As we re-direct our passenger market flows to these other key destinations, PAL anticipates that the additional flights will help increase demand and spur economic activity for the benefit of the travel and tourism communities in various regions of the country, said Villaluna.PAL president Jaime Bautista said the airline is supporting the government with the program to rehabilitate Boracay. Boracay is a national treasure. We fully support the governments intention to make Boracay fully safe and environmentally friendly. Sustainable development is of critical concern, and we are one with the laudable goal to revert the island to a balanced eco-tourism paradise, he said. Bautista added We seek the understanding of our passengers as your flag carrier and the aviation industry cooperate in this multi-sectoral endeavor. In the long-term, a safe and revitalized Boracay will benefit all stakeholders in the travel and tourism sectors, and the Filipino people as a whole. PAL said it would continue to coordinate with the Department of Tourism in an effort to optimize the tourism generating value of any route calibrations and mitigate any adverse impact on both international and domestic tourism flows from the Kalibo and Caticlan cutbacks. The flag carrier is also coordinating directly with the Civil Aeronautics Board, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and the airport authorities in Manila, Clark and Cebu The government formed a task force to address the environmental problem besetting the world-famous Boracay Island. The Department of Tourism reported that of the 150 Boracay business establishments recently inspected by the government, only 25 were connected to the sewage line and a number of establishments drained their sewage directly into the sea. But businessmen and other stakeholders in Boracay appealed to the government to reconsider its decision closing the world famous island, saying the move would only result to massive unemployment among residents and revenue losses. Boracay, with at least two million visitors yearly, brings in P56-billion in annual revenues.
Home | News | General | Man who might have become president instead of late YarAdua opens up

Donald Duke, the former Cross River state governor, has disclosed some of the intrigues that led to the appearance of Alhaji Shehu Musa YarAdua as the PDP presidential flag bearer and how he came to be replaced by ex-president Goodluck Jonathan as Yar'Adua's running mate.

The former governor discussed this in the first edition of a magazine, The Interview, published by the former group managing director of Leadership Newspapers.

Duke recounted how YarAdua never sought to be president and that the late president had contacted him on three occasions seeking his agreement to be his running mate.

He said: You dont give authority to an unwilling person, particularly in a country like Nigeria. Umaru never wanted to be president. He was dealing with his health issues and wanted to retire and go lecture in a university. He was really offered an appointment at the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria. Jonathan, on the other hand, had just been re-elected to be governor of Bayelsa and when he was picked, he was not so pleased. He said to Obasanjo and me, I dont want this job.

READ ALSO: 8 years after: 13 touching tributes to late Yar'Adua

If these two men never aspired to the office but were recruited to take on a responsibility as daunting as the management of Nigeria without mentally preparing for the office and having a grand vision of where they wanted to take Nigeria to, then there is a problem. The mental preparation is absolutely important. The vision can be scripted for you, but if you are not prepared and you have no capable team to help you follow through, it is grossly unfair. It is like converting a passenger on an aircraft to a pilot.

Duke clarified that the serious mistake of saddling men who were unprepared with the duty of running the country is what has brought the country to its present state.

After the 2007 resolution that made the late YarAdua and Goodluck Jonathan the PDP aspirants for president and vice president, Duke was cited as saying that Nigeria would regret the decision.

Duke explained the remark by saying: It is one prophecy I wish never came to pass. Some people regretted it while others came out looking really good.

I put myself forward for the presidency in 2007. Umaru YarAdua approached me thrice to run along with him and thrice I agreed. The third time, he came with Ibrahim Shema, who later became governor of Katsina State, asking me again. I was exasperated and I said, Look, Umaru, we have agreed on this, but it is still your decision to make. He said, Gladly, I would think so, but I would discuss with President Obasanjo. I said, Very well, do that and let me know. That was the last I heard of it. Then, I got word from party operatives that we should go into a party convention with one candidate for unity of purpose. At that point, it was inconceivable that I would win the primaries; I would only spend money and still lose. I backed out. The rest is history. There is a story making the rounds that I rejected it.

READ ALSO: 10 amazing photos of late Umar Musa Yar'Adua

I never did. Umaru is not alive today, but I did not. Later on, Obasanjo said to me that he thought I had a personality that was so strong and would be in conflict with Umaru who appeared so weak. I said it was all spilt milk. Umaru could appear weak, but he was not, which we now know. Secondly, he said he didnt want a repeat of the conflict he had with Abubakar Atiku, his vice president at the time.

YarAdua was the president of Nigeria and the 13th head of state. He was announced the winner of the controversial Nigerian presidential poll held on 21 April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May 2007.

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Home | News | General | Ekiti APC primary: What Tinubu said about candidates

- Senator Bola Tinubu has said that he has no special candidate for the Ekiti APC primary

- Tinubu remarked that he is rest assured that all the candidates deserve the chance to lead

- He urged members of the party in the state to maintain peace and orderliness throughout the polls

As aspirants sweat it out for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in the partys primary election in Ekiti on Saturday, May 5, the party's national leader, Senator Bola Tinubu said in Lagos that he had no anointed candidate.

Tinubu on Saturday, May 5 spoke with newsmen in Ikeja as the APC held its ward congresses in Lagos. The winner of primary election will fly the partys flag in the July 14 Ekiti governorship election, in which the APC is seeking to oust the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

READ ALSO: My ambition for 2019 has nothing to do with personal gains - Buhari makes some revelations

Tinubu stated: "I believe those in charge of the primary in Ekiti will do the right thing. I have put my own political gear in neutral. I have no anointed candidate. Everyone there aspiring and contesting are very dear members and they deserve the right to participate.

"About 33 of them in all, and we only need one seat for governorship. We have had leadership discussions. I like the fact that they showed up respectfully and committed to the peace and stability of the party in that state.

We have responsible leadership around there. Sincerely, I had wanted to be in Ekiti but when you have this situation where Congress is holding the same time their primary is holding, charity begins at home; I must stay in Lagos to ensure that I help them.

"There are capable leaders over there that will see to the smooth exercise of the primaries in Ekiti."

Speaking on the ward congresses in Lagos, Tinubu urged party members to conduct themselves peacefully to help the country grow and progress democratically.

He also urged them report any complaint at the party headquarters, rather than take laws into their hands.

He said: "Until the various officials conducting the congresses write their reports, my own decision is to continue to appeal to the party to conduct themselves peacefully and comply with the rule of law.

"If they have any complaints, they should write to the party headquarters and just dont take laws into their hands.

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"I am proud of what is happening. I am very proud of the leadership. The leaders are for everybody; no biases, and they should move on peacefully and help the country to grow and progress democratically.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com reported that one of the aspirants for the ticket of the APC in the governorship election in Ekiti, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, had disclosed some of his plans for the state, if he eventually becomes the state's next governor.

Ojudu spoke on the position of things in the state, adding that Governor Ayodele Fayose will not be a hindrance to his expected victory. The senator said that he is ready to battle for the love and approval of the Ekiti people.

Governor Fayose warns Nigerian youths ahead of 2019, tells them what to do - On NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | APC convention: Why Oyegun may beat Oshiomhole in chairmanship race

- The APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has secured the support of some top members of the party in the battle to retain his chairmanship

- Not less than four out of the six south-south states have firmly stood behind Oyegun for the national chairmanship office of the ruling party

- However, Oyegun advised his supporters not to relax but fight for victory till the end

There were indications on Saturday, May 5 that the incumbent national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, might have crossed a major hurdle in the battle against Adams Oshiomhole to keep his position.

This was following the fact that at least four out of the six south-south states have firmly stood behind Oyegun for the national chairmanship office of the ruling party.

READ ALSO:Boko Haram members will leave the forests and surrender - Hajiya Aisha Wakil reveals

Leadership reported that apart from Edo and Delta states who are supporting Oshiomhole, members in the remaining state chapters of the party in the geo-political zone have separated themselves from the ex-governor who is backed by the the Bola Ahmed Tinubu camp and threw their weight behind the incumbent leader.

The party chairmen of state chapters in the zone who openly declared their support for Oyegun are as follows: Chief Davies Ikanya (Rivers), Deacon Joseph Fafi (Bayelsa), Etim John (Cross River) and AmaduAttai (Akwa Ibom).

Added to this, the deputy national secretary of the party, Hon.Victor Giadom, who is from the zone have indicated his interest to back the party chairmen.

However, Oyegun urged his supporters not to rest on their oars under the delusion of belonging to the ruling party, adding that the 2019 elections will be quite difficult.

Oyegun said: I am passing the buck over to you today. At the end of this exercise, I want to see a reunited APC under whatever leadership your exercise brings up. We have a tough election ahead of us and we must prime ourselves for that election.

"We must not cuddle ourselves with any false sense of being the party in power. Our population today is much more aware of their rights than they have ever been before. So, as you proceed, please ensure that all these views and opinions are brought together into a one United APC.

The task that you have undertaken to perform is a heavy and tough one. The APC is known, in spite of induced controversies, for the cleanest primaries and congresses. Our last presidential primary was by all account one of the best ever held and I dare say anywhere.

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It was a convention that was watched worldwide and you are supposed to repeat the feat. I have no doubt that this one, given the controversies that have preceded it, will also be a most watched convention. So, you have the task of producing a convention that is free, fair and provide a level playing field for anybody who wants to aspire to any position.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com reported that Oyegun on Sunday, February 25, was passed a vote of confidence by 20 governors on the partys platform.

The governors reportedly endorsed the party chairman, at a meeting. They also urged the partys national leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to reconcile any difference he has with Odigie-Oyegun.

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Home | News | General | Breaking: Jonathan remembers late YarAdua, reveals what he knows about ex-president

Nigeria's former president, Goodluck Jonathan, on Saturday, May 5, spoke glowingly about Umaru Musa YarAdua, the man he worked closely with between 2007 and 2010 before taking the baton of leadership in the country.

Yar'Adua died on May 5, 2010, an incident which tested the political space in Nigeria and brought in the emergence of Jonathan through the doctrine of necessity.

Jonathan, who was the vice president to YarAdua then, remembered the late politician calling him a great democrat and saying Nigeria owed him a debt of gratitude.

Today, I remember the late President Umaru Musa Yaradua, a great democrat and servant leader, whose leadership Nigeria was blessed to have if even for a brief period.

READ ALSO: Saudi Arabia agrees with Vatican to build churches

Your legacy of fostering peace and progress in Nigeria and beyond is worthy of emulation.

You raised the bar of governance and put the nations needs above yours, for which this nation owes you a debt of gratitude.

May God continue to keep the family you left behind even as we pray that you continue to find peace in al jannah firdaus. Thank you for your services to Nigeria, he said in a post on his social media wall.

NAIJ.com earlier listed some lessons to be learnt from the late former president, who took over from Olusegun Obasanjo at the peak of the Niger-Delta crisis.

The late Nigerian president was commended by many for being the first leader to publicly declare his personal assets when taking office - setting up a benchmark for comparison later to see if he misappropriated funds.

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Yar'Adua admitted that the elections that produced him as president "had shortcomings" and vowed electoral reforms to correct the system. The polls were widely criticized by local and foreign observers as flawed.

Barely 30 days after late president YarAdua took office, he voluntarily declared his assets and made a detailed list and worth of the assets.

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Home | News | General | Just in: End of Boko Haram near? Hajiya Aisha Wakil says insurgents will leave the bush and surrender

Popularly referred to as Mama Boko Haram, a human rights lawyer and mediator, Hajiya Aisha Wakil revealed on Saturday, May 5, that insurgents that have terrorized parts of Nigeria will someday surrender their arms and return home.

Daily Sun reports that Wakil spoke at a fund raising for her NGO in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, saying the insurgents were willing to give up their arms.

READ ALSO: Cleric makes prediction about Buhari 2019 re-election

She assured that they will soon return home.

All my sons in the bush will come home and surrender for peace, she reportedly said assuring that she will continue to support efforts to return peace to the troubled state.

I will not relent in my mediating role to ensure everybody in Boko Haram bondage is released, she promised.

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She said the Complete Care and Aid, her organisation, was established to care for victims of the insurgency, including orphans and displaced persons.

According to the report, Wakil said that the foundation would always intervene in the areas of education, health care and psycho-social support.

NAIJ.com earlier reported that Wakil said the Boko Haram group was ready to dialogue with the federal government.

Since I came back, I have been on their neck. They have now agreed to come out and discuss with the government and bring back the girls.

I am for the Chibok girls and all the captives. They are ready for peace. This is what they told me.

I think they might post some information on YouTube within 24 hours," she had said.

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Home | News | General | Kinsmen after me for refusing to be Ogun priest, lawyer alleges

Urges police to act fast on his petition

A lawyer, Mr. Tunde Ebenezer Omobobami, alleges that family members in Temidire, Odolua Quarters, Ile-Oluji in Okeigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State are insisting that he must lead devotees of Ogun in the town during the annual festival scheduled for August.

His father, the late Chief Ogundayo Bamutula Omobobami, according to him, was a devotee of Ogun, the Yoruba god of iron, rising through the ranks to become the chief priest and the Olori Ode (head of hunters) of Ile-Oluji.

Tunde

Five years ago, when his father died, he said the lot fell on any of his elder brothers to carry on with the family tradition of being the custodian of Ogun in the community. But the siblings, on the grounds of their religious leaning, fled the town one day.

Consequently, he said he was caught by surprise when some elders of his family came to inform him of their decision to make him the next chief priest of Ogun!

But having become a committed Christian, Omobobami, who is a deacon in a church based in Iju, Lagos, the Prevailing Christian Mission, declined the offer.

The lawyer explained that since them, he and his family had been hunted allegedly by some devotees of the god of iron.

He claimed that unidentified persons had been stalking him, forcing him to keep changing residence and hiding his wife and children.

The lawyer, therefore, appealed to the police in Ile-Oluji to urgently save him.

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Home | World | Africa | 'Mnangagwa is a tried, tested cadre,' says Chiwenga

Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has described President Emmerson Mnangagwa as one of the pioneers of the second Chimurenga which demystified the invincibility of the white colonial regime a move which inspired other combatants like him (VP Chiwenga) to join the struggle for independence.

Addressing thousands who witnessed the launching of the Zanu-PF 2018 election campaign and manifesto in Harare today, Dr Chiwenga spoke about President Mnangagwa's past before the struggle, during the struggle and after independence saying with Zanu-PF and his leadership, Zimbabwe is in safe hands.

Vice President Chiwenga said the President is a tried and tested cadre who witnessed the colonial masters pilfering black man's land, livestock and even grain from his parents' generation and he experienced the Smith regime's brutality first hand when he was given a life imprisonment sentence and then incarcerated.

Dr Chiwenga said Cde Mnangagwa is a conduit that links the old generation that waged the second Chimurenga with the new generation.

He also commended the President for his vision which aims at attaining a middle class society by year 2030.

The launching of the manifesto and campaign marks the beginning of the work among Zanu-PF cadres to persuade the Zimbabweans to vote for the ruling party in the elections which the President said should be free, fair, credible and transparent and that violence will not be tolerated.

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Home | World | Africa | Matabeleland Culture Day in the UK

We caught up with the group Bambanani Association which is based in the UK, in Hastings and they had an interesting development to share with us. They are organising a Matabeleland Culture Day in the United Kingdom and they are inviting all Matabele nations to this inaugural event. They encouraged all different ethnic groups from Matabeleland to come I number to showcase their cultural wares, but also to display their other services which they offer to their various communities in the UK, it could be business, performing arts, etc.

Present in the studio for the interview was Dr Ralph Mguni who manages the education portfolio for Bambanani, Nick Sibanda who is the Chairperson of Bambanani; Christopher Maphosa the very person which the theatre play called The Rain that Washes is based, Dave Carrey is the author of The Rain That Washes and Ashley Driver is actor of the play.

After the introductions Dr Mguni then introduces us to an interesting development that they are working on. They are seeking to introduce a day called The Matebeleland Culture Day which will be hosted in Hastings East Sussex on the 2nd of June 2018.

The aim of this day being the revival of the strands of culture of the Matebele which in his words the people are losing.

UK hosts quiet a sizeable community of the Matebeles from Zimbabwe therefore became a befitting location to use for this culture event.

On the day a play called The Rain That Washes is set to be the highlight of the event. Written by Dave Carrey who however basically gives all the credit to Christopher Maphosa whom he says is the heart of the tales that led to the penning of the play. He says the tales, conversations and experiences of Christopher are what prompted him to take an account of such events and create a play. It is a collection of the experiences of this man growing up in Zimbabwe or rather before and after Zimbabwe was born, his experiences as a part of Dr Joshua Nkomo's movement and the transition of Rhodesia to Zimbabwe. Dave terms himself an interpreter rather than an author of the story.

Dr Mguni encourages people to just come in and experience for themselves especially the play which is an amazing show performed by Ashley Driver who apparently does justice to the tale. He assures that it is certainly something to look forward to as he has seen it before, actually many times before.

Christopher Maphosa also had a few things to share with us. He feels that it is important to indicate that the play is a tale of the history of torrid times in Zimbabwe.The quest for the liberation and the time immediately after independence of the country was a difficult time which should always serve as a mirror or a reflection point for current and future leadership that if they are still subjecting people to the same hardships then they must know they are committing a crime, he said.

The actor himself who was present at the time of the interview feels that its a great honour to be playing this role as he says it is bigger than himself as an actor and a person. Not being of a Zimbabwean descent being a big learning curve for him but he enjoys the representation and portrayal of this character.

Dr Mguni who assured of regular updates on the build up to this event also added that looking at this narrative of the history of the people it is important for people to always look into that mirror Maphosa was stressing on and ask themselves is this what we fought for?

In conclusion he said part of the difficulties experienced in and by the current generation is lack of touch with their culture. He said the present generation has nothing to look up to, hold onto or to be proud of as a people. Quoting Bob Marley he says...you got to know where you are coming from to know where you are going...

"Our culture has undergone an unprecedented attack alongside the deliberate deprivation and persecution of our Region; Signs of revival are evident everywhere, what with the efforts to bring back our monarchy and make the people know who they really are; Our revival poses no threat to anyone; instead; a people at peace with their culture" said Dr Mguni.

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Home | World | Africa | Zimbabwe rolls out online visa payment system

Government has rolled out the online visa payment facility as part of efforts to facilitate travel in line with the objective of improving the ease of doing business through harnessing information communication technologies.

The Government of Zimbabwe which has prioritised e-governance in order to modernise the public sector systems and processes to improve service delivery has rolled out the online visa payment facility which will allow visitors to the country to pay the visa fee in advance.

Department of Immigration principal director Mr Clemence Masango said the system is up and running adding that the government arm is targeting to go paperless in most of its services in order to facilitate smooth movement of people and promote business.

"We believe that as an authority we have an important role to play in promoting investments and tourism. We are glad to announce that the online visa payment facility is now up and running," he said.

As part of efforts to promote investments, the authority said it now is a position to issue resident permits within 24 hours to Zimbabwe Investment Authority (ZIA) approved investors.

On the other hand online visas application can now be processed within 48hours.

Meanwhile, the Department of Immigration said it is pleased with the benefits being derived under the Kavango-Zambezi UNIVISA project between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

According to the government arm, work is now underway to integrate the UNIVISA into the main national border management systems of both countries.

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The leadership crisis has deepened in the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC-T party with Mr Felix Magalela Mafa Sibanda accused of being impatient and improperly campaigning for the post of vice president.

Following MDC-T decision to expel Thokozani Khupe, the race to ascend to the vice presidency post has taken another twist as Felix Magalela Mafa Sibanda, Ms Dorcas Sibanda and Dr Bekithemba Mpofu are allegedly in a fierce wrangle to land the post.

Mr Sibanda had to urgently call a press conference to confirm that all is not well at MDC-T headquarters and tried to distance himself from those campaigning for him.

"As an intelligent person, I can feel that the atmosphere is not normal in our party because of these mushrooming campaigns done for me. It does a lot of harm to the party, to me and my friends, hence am preempting these so that my leaders see that am not part and parcel of these campaigns.

"I feel disturbed because it seems I have a hand in this. I'm clean ladies and gentlemen," said Mr Sibanda.

Flanked by his son, Mr Sibanda, however, could not suppress his ambition as he made a swift U-turn to confess to journalists.

"Politicians by nature are ambitious when you become a journalist, you wish one day you become an editor, when you become a lawyer you wish to be a chief justice so surely as I have alluded to my achievements, I qualify for any position," he added.

The embattled MDC-T Bulawayo spokesperson could not help it but thanked all those behind his campaign as he claimed that all is happening because his good deeds are following him.

"I'm very thankful to the people who have done this but I am telling them it's not the time," Mr Sibanda said.

MDC-T has split a number of times because of power squabbles and the current developments show that leadership solutions are far from sight for the beleaguered party.

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THE White House warned Thursday that China would face consequences for its military buildup in the contested waters of the western Pacific as the Philippines expressed concern over the reported installation of Chinese missiles on Fiery Reef, Subi Reef and Mischief Reef in the Spratly archipelago that Manila claims as its territory. Were well aware of Chinas militarization of the South China Sea, said US Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. Weve raised concerns directly with the Chinese about this and there will be near-term and long-term consequences. Sanders did not say what the consequences would be. Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said the Philippines was taking the report of new missile installations seriously and was verifying the information. In a statement from Malacanang, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque expressed confidence that the missiles were not aimed at the Philippines. We are concerned with the reported Chinas missile deployments over the contested areas in the West Philippine Sea. With our recently developed close relationship and friendship with China, we are confident that those missiles are not directed at us, he said in a statement. He assured the public that the government would explore all diplomatic means to address the issue. Cayetano said his department has already coordinated with the Defense Department, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency. The South China Seawhich sits between Vietnam, the Philippines, China and several other countries is subject to a myriad of competing territorial claims. The South China Seawhich sits between Vietnam, the Philippines, China and several other countries is subject to a myriad of competing territorial claims. But in recent years, China has upped the ante, seizing islets and atolls in the face of protests and bellicose warnings. Beijing Thursday reasserted its right to build defense facilities in the disputed region, but declined to confirm reports it had installed new missiles on artificial islands it had built. Beijing sees the area as key to pushing its defenses beyond Chinas coast and securing oil supply routes. The US network CNBC reported Wednesday that the Chinese military installed anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems on three outposts in the region also claimed by the Philippines and Vietnam over the last 30 days, citing sources close to US intelligence. If the information is verified, it could provoke renewed tensions between countries bordering the strategically vital maritime region. At a regular briefing on Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying neither confirmed nor denied the deployment. Chinas peaceful construction in the Spratly archipelago, including the deployment of necessary national defense facilities, is aimed at protecting Chinas sovereignty and security, she said. Those who dont intend to violate [this sovereignty] have no reason to worry, she said. The South China Sea issue has been brewing for years, with China, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam making competing claims in waters with vital global shipping routes and what are believed to be significant oil and natural gas deposits. In addition to land-reclamation efforts on reefs it controls and building civilian facilities there, China also has air bases, radar and communications systems, naval facilities and defensive weaponry in place including landing strips able to accommodate military planes. The new Chinese missiles were reportedly deployed on Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef and Mischief Reef, according to CNBC.They are all in the Spratly archipelago located in waters south of mainland China between Vietnam and the Philippines. Beijings territorial claims, based on its own historical records, have also pitted it against the United States. While Washington takes no position on the sovereignty claims, it has raised concerns that Beijing is militarizing the South China Sea. The US Navy itself frequently sends warships and aircraft carriers to patrol the area. China has to realize that theyve benefited from the free navigation of the sea, and the US Navy has been the guarantor of that, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said. We will continue to do our operations. Chinas defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment but has previously stressed that the islands were part of Chinese territory and that it was up to China alone to decide what it does there. Based on the CNBC report, the land-based anti-ship cruise missiles, designated as YJ-12B, allow China to strike surface vessels within 295 nautical miles of the reefs. The long-range surface-to-air missiles, designated as HQ-9B, have an expected range of targeting aircraft, drones and cruise missiles within 160 nautical miles. Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said President Rodrigo Duterte should leverage his warm personal relationship with Chinese leaders to convince them to stop militarizing the illegally claimed islands of the West Philippine Sea. The President, he added, needs to cash in whatever political capital he has with Beijing and ask it to honor its pledge to keep the West Philippine Sea a zone of peace and freedom of navigation. He also said the President can serve as a peacemaker and get all major powers to de-escalate the tension in the area and prevent it from being a flashpoint. Now that positive steps are under way to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, the same must prevail in the WPS. We cannot defuse tension in one place in Asia only to heighten it in another, said Recto. In the House, lawmakers condemned the installation of missiles on territory claimed by the Philippines. ACT Teachers Party-list Reps. Antonio Tinio and France Castro demanded the Duterte administration assert the countrys claims over Kalayaan group of islands, and to enforce the July 2013 International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea decision favoring the Philippines. We strongly condemn the installation of anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems in the West Philippine Sea, Tinio said. The Chinese has also set up missiles in the Mischief Reef, which, according to the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, is part of the exclusive economic zone [EEZ] of the Philippines. The Duterte administration must not ignore the deployment of the first Chinese missile in the Spratly island where several Asian countries have rival claims and leave it without protest. We demand immediate withdrawal of the missiles and the dismantling of Chinese bases in Philippine territories. We also demand President Duterte to protect the sovereignty of our country, stress our claims in the West Philippine Sea and enforce the July 2013 ITLOS decision, Tinio added. Magdalo Party-list Rep. Gary Alejano said the actions and continuous aggression of China in the West Philippine Sea are obviously threats to our national security. I call on the Duterte administration to wake up from its long doze, silence and inaction. Let us not let Chinas sweet talk of investments and loans lull us into a false sense of security. Their actions clearly belie their pronouncements, Alejano, an opposition lawmaker, said. We must raise this matter in all possible forums as a grave concern not only to us, but to the whole region. The recent events also heighten the need to have a legally binding Code of Conduct as soon as possible, Alejano added.




Like, why wasn't I born into that family.



Growing up in the NW the most exotic places we'd go were once to Vancouver and one time my parents were fighting and so my mom took me and my sister to live with her dad in Pennsylvania. Same. When I worked at a cruise line (call center) some guy would call in to pay off the final bill for his family of 14 he's taking on a week long mediterranean cruise.Like, why wasn't I born into that family.Growing up in the NW the most exotic places we'd go were once to Vancouver and one time my parents were fighting and so my mom took me and my sister to live with her dad in Pennsylvania. #lugzerie

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Right? I wouldnt have even considered my family poor but our save up vacations were Mrytle Beach, South Carolina. Lol

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My family never took an overseas vacation when I was a kid. Ever. Of course, we lived in Alaska, so even visiting family in the Lower 48 was pretty spendy. There was no way we were going to another country on a public university professor and RN's income.

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yes and i dont even know who is the guy

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My exact reaction lmao

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HAHA me exactly

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lmao same

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same lol

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Same lol

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YES

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Yes. Always a fan of bringing a man down.

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Always here for taking down men

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I do not know who this person is but YES! I want a take-down.

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That you'd even ask.

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Please yes, hes so annoying

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Yes please. I just want him to be pretty and not talk because reality ruins the fantasy

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Do it!!!!

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Yes please. I fucking hate him. Deepika needs to run. Didnt he also claim to lose his virginity at a super young age in an attempt to show what a stud he is? I remember reading that but it couldve just been some bollywood trash site lol

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PLEEEAASE

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Yes omg

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Dooo eeet!

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YESSSSSSSSSSSSS.

I can't stand him.

DO IT.



I mean do it if you feel up to it, I will support you.

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LOL ranveer. also indiana university? lol

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Right? Im like nobody at IU is wearing designer clothes.

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oh my god. he's so ridiculous lmaooo. Like, I get that he's not technically a "star kid" but I mean... it's not like he pulled himself up by his bootstraps.

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At least his parents had the choice to save for vacations. My sister's and I thought going to the movies once or twice a summer was considered the high life when I was growing up.



Is he saying that he had to work hard for what he has without nepotism?

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But just ONE big trip! Except for decembers in Goa, but I don't know the travel (costs)of that.

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Goa in December is sf expensive

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lmao right?

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Awww poor guy! I really relate to this because my family also had to save so we could go on our annual vacation to Winnipeg.

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Lord have mercy, this clown.

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I never had a holiday abroad when I was a kid. We could only afford holidays in England and they were never too far away from home.

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same, only i live in the US. i am going on my first real vacation for my b-day in january (wizarding world in florida) and i've already started saving. i have to save for like 6 months just to go somewhere that's 6 hours away on a plane.

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Worth it. Don't be cheap and skip out on a park hopper because the Hogwarts Express train is everything. I honestly enjoyed that train to each park more than the HP rides.

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same. we went to butlins because it wasn't too far from us.

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same except i live in the us. i've never left the country. unfortunately, i'm one of the only ones that wants to travel but can't afford it yet.

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Girl please

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yeah I'm like ??? at that quote. I went to a bigger private university that was like 85% upper middle class kids and no one was a designer snob. Literally no one gives a single fuck about clothes in college

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The only kids that care about designer clothes in college are usually loaded international students, maybe that's who he was hanging around?

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I'm pretty sure that's correct. No one else gave a fuck. Roll up out of bed and into some pj's, jeans if you're feeling fancy.

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This! I'm in grad school right now and all the international students are driving BMWs, Porsches, etc. and wearing all designer clothing.

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Yep. Insanely wealthy Arabs at my school. Everyone else did their own thing. Which was . . . extremely varied in Portland.

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I just had a conversation with my younger brother about how, when we were kids, Target was basically a luxury store, and we didn't even start going there until I was in high school (I'll be thirty this year). Back to school shopping at *Old Navy* was an EVENT that my mom's rich friend insisted on paying for when we would travel to visit her. I cannot with this guy.

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I remember getting my first pair of Gap pants. I thought I was balling 

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Lol this was me in 5th grade with my Limited Too jeans. I thought I had arrived, haha.

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i feel you so much on the Target thing. it was the ~fancy~ store, and only for special occasions. cause we were so fucking poor. i think i was 14 when most of my school clothes stopped coming from kmart and goodwill. which ok, nbd. but i laugh at the international trips and designer clothes dude trying to play himself off as poor.

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Lmaooo I remember going to school with rich kids who were "so poor" they couldn't stay in France for the ENTIRE summer vacation.

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It's a hard knock life.

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He's saying he's poor while being extremely rich in India?? I hate him so much omg. He's such an egotistical asswipe. Always has been. And he's a terrible actor. Screw off.

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Lol yeah ikr. I don't know this guy but it sounds like the typical new money among old money "poor" insecurities lmao

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His paternal grandfather is the brother of Sonam's maternal grandmother, so essentially second cousins. No relation to Anil and Sonam didn't really acknowledge him till he got successful after his 3rd or 4th film.

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Can Deepika leave his dumbass

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Honestly, I always thought he was the least funny part of the show anyway. They could have just written him out entirely.



Also, David Cross sure is an embarrassment hiding as a "liberal", huh?

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I couldn't even get through season 4. I gave up. I hated the disjointed storyline and how obvious it was they couldn't get everyone together at once.



But to me, George Sr was just always the least funny character. Not unfunny, just not a character I was that excited for. I also never cared for his twin storyline either.

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I feel like a good thing about season 4 is it made me realize what characters I actually think are funny and which ones only work for me with other characters cause yeah he really wasn't great in large doses.

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I liked season 4 but IA, his episodes were a chore to watch.

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David Cross is an embarrassment but TBH, the producers like Ron Howard need to be blamed more.

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I agree. He doesn't add much to the show and he felt like more of a chore being there in the later seasons. He's not an integral part of it. The only quotes that come from his character are from season 1.

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Outspoken male liberals strike again. Progressive right up to the point where they can no longer treat sexual assault victims and women like shit.

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Did anything really happen after that thing with Charlyne Yi? I know he "apologized" by saying he "didn't remember it" and then Amber Tamblyn showed her ass for him. I think it just got dropped after that. I wish people faced real consequences even a little bit.

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bloop

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Yup it's true

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Of course you do, David across

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"From the LIMITED amount we know, we stand behind Jeffrey" - what? I can't? Like this is nonsensical



You know what? I always thought Amber Tamblyn being with him was puzzling but boy if there was a couple who clearly fit like old ass puzzle pieces - it's these two

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I always got sort of.........feeling about her. I don't know how to describe it really. I initially liked them together because I thought they were smart and cool(and their wedding was GORGEOUS tbh), but I guess I should have listened to that gut instinct. If you're willing to show your ass for a man that ugly, something has to be wrong.

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mte @ that line, it sounds like "Of course I stand by my buddy... but I'll cover my ass just in case".

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Sexually harassing women on the set of Transparent. He was getting accolades for his portrayal of a transwoman on Transparent while simultaneously sexually harassing them behind the scenes.

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Hypothetically, if it were me and it were false, I still wouldnt even be comfortable staying on a project where people arent sure if Im a sexual harasser or not.

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David Cross is a creep.

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loved this show :( kill him off tbh

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MTE, the heart of this show was his as being away in prison and the family coping with the fall-out.

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yea, like, if there were ever a show that could pull that off in a funny way...

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true. they did toy with him dying before already anyway. not to sound cynical about the misconduct allegations and such but maybe this announcement could be a gimmick to promote the show but then they premiere it and he's killed off in the first episode and it's wah-wah an "asses of fire" fake-out LoL. you never know. that's always been part of the show's charm: its self-awareness and self-parody.

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With Michael driving around a hearse as his new form of transportation.

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Seriously, he's a really boring character to begin with.

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George Sr./Oscar are the two characters whose roles could be so easily minimalized or used as an off-screen plot point so this is a choice.

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THE Department of Foreign Affairs is taking a three-pronged approach in dealing with the diplomatic crisis in Kuwait, stressing the four officials holed up inside the Philippine embassy there were safe but with limited movement. Refusing to name the foreign officials stuck inside the embassy, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said the agency was pushing for a 24/7 hotline to the ministry and the police in handling the welfare of the 260,000 overseas Filipino workers there. Right now, the people who are there are doing very well, Cayetano said. But their families are informed, and were doing everything. Its nowhere like a hostage situation. Just restricted movement. To be fair to the Kuwaiti side, theres no threat, he added. Cayetano said the Kuwait government was asking them for a list of Filipino officials who are involved in the uncoordinated rescue mission. He said that, as part of the security of the Philippine embassy there, the Philippines would not provide any list. In Malacanang, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said talks between the Philippines and Kuwait continued as the two sides tried to mend ruffled ties following the controversial rescue of Filipino migrants. Roque said discussions were ongoing between the two nations after Kuwait took offense at the recent rescue of distressed Filipino workers by Philippine embassy officials from employers homes in the Gulf state. Cayetano said the Kuwait government was now conducting an investigation and look at possible charges of kidnapping against the identified senior officials there. In an earlier report, a Foreign Affairs insider revealed that the three senior officials, who had limited movement and could only stay within the premise of the Philippine embassy, were DFA-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs executive director Raul Dado; DFA-Office of the Undersecretary for International Economic Relations officer Muammar Hassan; and DFA-Assistance-to-Nationals officer Francis Baquiran. The athree were part of the Rapid Response Team headed by DFA-OUMWA Sarah Lou Arriola, who were able to leave Kuwait via Riyadh before the Kuwaiti government filed warrant arrests against officials involved in the alleged uncoordinated rescue operation. The RRT was formed by the office of the Secretary and OUMWA to augment the team of the Philippine embassy in any conflict areas. He selected the top minion for that office who put together the RRT. Considering rank, his office should be dealing with the irascible spin doctors, the insider said, who spoke under condition of anonymity. It is this aspect of operations that shows the weakness in the command and control protocol that they were observing, the insider said. But a foreign affairs official, speaking anonymously, said the RRT instead led the said rescue mission where videos were uploaded by some DFA officials. The Rapid Response Team are (sic) formed from Manila and was deployed to Kuwait. On top of the operation, who gave them the authorization [to operate]...when an Undersecretary said yes, you have to follow, the insider said.However, during the past interviews, Cayetano said that he asked his legal people to review the policies of uploading videos. He also said President Rodrigo Duterte encouraged the DFA to use the social media to expose cases of abuse against Filipino workers around the world. Immediately when I found out about the video, I told them can you review the policies, take out everything, why is it there? But how come Im not being harsh in punishing people right away? Remember how many times [has] the President said, lets be aggressive, if there are cases of abuse, use the social media, Cayetano told reporters in Singapore. Asked if the DFA would hold accountable those officials who uploaded and released the videos, DFA-Office of Public Diplomacy officer in charge director Geronimo Suliguin remained mum. A text message was also sent to Cayetano, but the latter has yet to respond. The Foreign Affairs insider noted that the DFA held its own protocols pertaining to the documentation of highly-sensitive work and situation, including rescue missionsand that uploading videos was a violation of the agencys protocol. DFAs spin doctors and megaphones really follow that never deny, seldom affirm, and always distinguish line, the insider said. So far, Cayetanos spin doctors, the source alleged, were playing the heroic or tragic victim card. Cayetano has been in the limelight for the past few weeks where some of the diplomats were calling for his resignation for gross incompetence, but the DFA denied such petition existed. Cayetano said he was actually inspired by the criticism as long as his agency was able to take care of the OFWs. Were actually inspired because when there is a commotion, that means either you are doing something very wrong or youre doing your job,'' he said. Tension between the Philippines and Kuwait increased after the DFA uploaded the rescue video where diplomats, consisting of the Rapid Response Team, were seen helping Filipinos to flee from their allegedly abusive employers in Kuwait. The videos, which angered the Kuwait government, showed a woman running from a home and jumping into a waiting vehicle while another depicted a person sprinting from what looked like a construction site and then speeding off in a black sport utility vehicle. Kuwait had branded the rescue a violation of its sovereignty, adding fuel to a simmering diplomatic row between the two nations sparked by the murder of a Filipino maid. The controversial rescue video resulted in Kuwaits decision to recall its envoy in Manila; expel Philippine ambassador Renato Villa and handed arrest order against three involved diplomats.
8 new books recommended by critics and editors at The New York Times https://t.co/gNeb3oHVMm  New York Times Books (@nytimesbooks) May 4, 2018











THE MARS ROOM

Its 2003 and Romy Hall is at the start of two consecutive life sentences at Stanville Womens Correctional Facility, deep in Californias Central Valley. Outside is the world from which she has been severed: the San Francisco of her youth and her young son, Jackson. Inside is a new reality: thousands of women hustling for the bare essentials needed to survive; the bluffing and pageantry and casual acts of violence by guards and prisoners alike; and the deadpan absurdities of institutional living, which Kushner evokes with great humor and precision.Acclaimed for the grace, wit, and magic of her novels, Ramona Ausubel introduces us to a geography both fantastic and familiar in eleven new stories, some of them previously published in The New Yorker and The Paris Review. Elegantly structured, these stories span the globe and beyond, from small-town America and sunny Caribbean islands to the Arctic Ocean and the very gates of Heaven itself. And though some of the stories are steeped in mythology, they remain grounded in universal experiences: loss of identity, leaving home, parenthood, joy, and longing.Crisscrossing the pages of Awayland are travelers and expats, shadows and ghosts. A girl watches as her homesick mother slowly dissolves into literal mist. The mayor of a small Midwestern town offers a strange prize, for stranger reasons, to the parents of any baby born on Lenin's birthday. A chef bound for Mars begins an even more treacherous journey much closer to home. And a lonely heart searches for love online--never mind that he's a Cyclops.Wrestling with the Devil, Ngugi wa Thiongos powerful prison memoir, begins literally half an hour before his release on December 12, 1978. In one extended flashback he recalls the night, a year earlier, when armed police pulled him from his home and jailed him in Kenyas Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, one of the largest in Africa. There, he lives in a prison block with eighteen other political prisoners, quarantined from the general prison population.In a conscious effort to fight back the humiliation and the intended degradation of the spirit, Ngugithe world-renowned author of Weep Not, Child; Petals of Blood; and Wizard of the Crowdecides to write a novel on toilet paper, the only paper to which he has access, a book that will become his classic, Devil on the Cross.Written in the early 1980s and never before published in America, Wrestling with the Devil is Ngugis account of the drama and the challenges of writing the novel under twenty-four-hour surveillance. He captures not only the excruciating pain that comes from being cut off from his wife and children, but also the spirit of defiance that defines hope. Ultimately, Wrestling with the Devil is a testimony to the power of imagination to help humans break free of confinement, which is truly the story of all art.The true story of a beekeeper who risks his life to rescue enslaved women from DaeshSince 2014, Daesh (ISIS) has been brutalizing the Yazidi people of northern Iraq: sowing destruction, killing those who wont convert to Islam, and enslaving young girls and women.The Beekeeper, by the acclaimed poet and journalist Dunya Mikhail, tells the harrowing stories of several women who managed to escape the clutches of Daesh. Mikhail extensively interviews these womenwhove lost their families and loved ones, whove been sexually abused, psychologically tortured, and forced to manufacture chemical weaponsand as their tales unfold, an unlikely hero emerges: a beekeeper, who uses his knowledge of the local terrain, along with a wide network of transporters, helpers, and former cigarette smugglers, to bring these women, one by one, through the war-torn landscapes of Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, back into safety.In the face of inhuman suffering, this powerful work of nonfiction offers a counterpoint to Daeshs genocidal extremism: hope, as ordinary people risk their own lives to save those of others.The Space Barons is the story of a group of billionaire entrepreneurs who are pouring their fortunes into the epic resurrection of the American space program. Nearly a half-century after Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, these Space Barons-most notably Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, along with Richard Branson and Paul Allen-are using Silicon Valley-style innovation to dramatically lower the cost of space travel, and send humans even further than NASA has gone. These entrepreneurs have founded some of the biggest brands in the world-Amazon, Microsoft, Virgin, Tesla, PayPal-and upended industry after industry. Now they are pursuing the biggest disruption of all: space.Based on years of reporting and exclusive interviews with all four billionaires, this authoritative account is a dramatic tale of risk and high adventure, the birth of a new Space Age, fueled by some of the world's richest men as they struggle to end governments' monopoly on the cosmos. The Space Barons is also a story of rivalry-hard-charging startups warring with established contractors, and the personal clashes of the leaders of this new space movement, particularly Musk and Bezos, as they aim for the moon and Mars and beyond.Sources: 1
Prestone, a leading innovator of cutting-edge coolants, brake fluid, and motor oils, recently announced the nine recipients of the Anak ng Mekaniko Scholarship Program.

In line with Prestones 90th anniversary, the Anak ng Mekaniko Scholarship Program was launched last year to give back to its loyal customersthe auto mechanics. The nationwide search aimed to provide a free college education to deserving children of local auto mechanics to help them achieve their dreams and ensure a brighter future.

For parents, education is the best gift they can give to their children and Prestone resonates with this message, said Monique Gonzales, brand manager of Prestone. We hope that in the future, these nine deserving scholars will become successful individuals in their chosen endeavors.

The nine Anak ng Mekaniko Scholars were selected through their submitted essays with the theme I am a Proud Anak ng Mekaniko. Their essays were based on their Content50 percent, Grammar and Syntax20 percent, and Style and Originality30 percent. Aside from the full tuition to a four-year course of their choice in any STI Colleges campus nationwide, the scholarship grant also includes miscellaneous fee and a stipend.

There were 44 entries for the essay writing and was shortened down to 27 entries before choosing the nine scholars. The nine Anak ng Mekaniko Scholars who were chosen were: Jaime Kent AbesamisMatina, Davao; Christian DiamanteTagoloan, Misamis Oriental; Helen Joyce MaquincioDagami, Leyte; Jojo PenadaBurauen, Leyte; Keith Bryan PerezSan Isidro, Antipolo; Edmajea AguinaldoBangkal, Makati; Kristina EnalesBolton, Davao; Aulinda BubanSan Isidro, Antipolo; and Melver MasangkayBauan, Batangas.

As we officially present the grant to them, Prestones commitment to supporting them is only the beginning. We will still continue to be there to help them every step of the way as they embark on this new chapter of their lives, said Gonzales.

Since the program was initiated, Prestone held pocket events in Antipolo, Makati, Quezon City, Tacloban, and Davao, to inform the auto mechanics about the scholarship grant and to also present ways on the proper application of Prestone products, which will be helpful in fixing their customers vehicles.

The post Prestone Introduces Anak ng Mekaniko Scholars appeared first on Carmudi Philippines.
South Korean police on Saturday prevented activists from launching anti-Pyongyang leaflets to North Korea, citing an agreement reached at a historic inter-Korean summit last month. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to restore peace and reconciliation and cease all hostile acts when they met at the border truce village of Panmunjom on April 27. "Hostile acts" include broadcasting through loudspeakers installed along their tense border and distributing propaganda leaflets to each other's side. Accordingly, the two Koreas removed their propaganda loudspeakers this week. Some 300 police were deployed at a public park in Paju City near the border where a group of some 20 activists including defectors from North Korea gathered to launch leaflets by gas-filled balloons. Police kept the activists apart from a rival group of some 40 people who accused them of seeking to ignite confrontation with the North. "Stop provoking a war," they chanted. Police surrounded a small truck carrying some 5,000 leaflets, plastic balloons and gas canisters, preventing the activists from unloading them. Park Sang-hak, a leading activist and former North Korean defector, said South Koreans were "intoxicated by Kim Jong Un's peace offensive" even though the North has not changed at all. He vowed to continue efforts to send leaflets over the border to "let North Koreans know the truth" and "bring an end to the North's Kim Jong Un regime".
Phuket, Thailand  5 May 2018: JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa in collaboration with 6 Marriott hotels & resorts hosted Marriott Junior Chefs Cooking Battle for their interns and talented chefs to showcase its culinary skill at the cook-off event as part of the Marriott Internationals Journey Week, the initiative event held on May 4, at Marriott Cafe.

After spending a couple years cooked behind the stove, trained in the past six months and learned the culinary tips and technique in the hospitality business with Marriott International. To The Journey continued with a few months of competing with their internally culinary associates and won over hundred contestants to become the representative team of their hotel. There were 7 representative culinary teams from JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa, Marriott Resort Phuket Merlin Beach, Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort, The Naka Island Resort & Spa Phuket, Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa and The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa Phuket who battled its grand final out at the culinary challenge.

The official opening ceremony led by the guest of honour, Mr. Norraphat Plodthong, Phuket Governor who took priority to attend the culinary challenge in order to encourage and support the new generation of these young chefs to showcase their kitchen skills at their best.

Every dynamic chef was in action at chefs cooking stations with fully equipped, ingredients, herbs, spices all sources for their efforts in the kitchen. The secret and main ingredients were set with a core focus on locally sources and sustainability which were Prawns from Sarasin bridge, Phuket; soft shell crabs from Phang Nga and famous Thai fruit, Mango. It was a fun-filled culinary challenge that the young culinarians had an hour to create 3 dishes, brainstormed, prepared, cooked and presented to the judges for sampling their creative dishes afterwards.

The judge panel were Khun Junjira Sittabut, President of Phuket Reporters Association; Marriott Internationals General Managers and invited hotel guests who got the opportunity to observe and taste all of the food at the cook-off and praised those finalists for their work creativity, inspiration and story-behind the dishes.

Putting People First  Take care of associates and they will take care of the customers. This is our founder, Mr. Marriotts philosophy and it has made Marriott International a great place to work for more than 85 years. Giving associates opportunities to grow and succeed is part of the companys DNA. As a people-first company, our core focus is definitely our associates. The culinary challenge today is one of a great opportunity to showcase and reinforce our commitment, said Mr. Matthias Y. Sutter, General Manager, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa.

The Winner was JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa. The 1st Runner Up went to Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa Merlin Beach and the 2nd Runner Up was Renaissance Phuket Resort and Spa.

The grand prize is the roundtrip air ticket and 3 days 2 nights stay at the Marriott hotel in Bali. Prizes and trophies also awarded to the 2nd and 3rd place, all contestants received the certificate and hotel vouchers as the recognition and appreciation.
If the complexities of booking flights is making you long for a road trip, some robot relief is on the way.

Miami-based Farelogix and Florida International University are creating airline booking technology to deliver "dynamic offers" tailored to the evolving needs of fliers choosier than ever.

"Consumers are starting to dictate what they want in a travel package," Farelogix CEO Jim Davidson said. While travelers once simply searched for the lowest fare, they are now asking for amenities like more leg room, priority boarding and additional carry-on luggage.

More options means a more complicated booking process. That's where Farelogix comes in. It is crunching the data created by those extra choices to suggest air-ticket combinations that will appeal to each passenger.

"Our program will say, 'This looks like a leisure-trip booking.' " That will allow the airline to suggest a flight that might be different from a business flier, he said. "Or if it looks like (the flier) is a college kid, we're going to discount a middle seat to see if they'll buy that."

For airlines, the payoff is in creating more loyal customers. The technology is not about finding ways to increase prices on travelers by jamming in more perks, he said. Instead, he said, customers will be more likely to see more precise results.

To help meet the data demand, Florida International is forming the Data Science for Airlines Informatics (DSAI) program. Students will study and apply advanced predictive analytics specific to the airline industry. The results are enhanced with machine learning and artificial intelligence. Farelogix will serve as the principal corporate partner, working with students to develop new data models for optimizing airline revenue management.

Farelogix has already hired at least five FIU grads. That success led to a longer discussion about setting up the permanent program. Several major carriers have already signed up to use the new data-driven booking technology.

Surprisingly, there has been little academic research to date in this specific field, said Steve Luis, IT and business relations director for FIU's Computing & Information Sciences program.

"Researchers have just started looking at this problem," he said. "It's blue sky."

Explore further Outsmarting the airlines on price could get harder

2018 Miami Herald

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Sexy office perks like free food, gym classes and tropical retreats are so last year. These days, a growing number of companies are offering employees a more practical incentivehelping them pay off their student loans.

San Mateo-based Coupa Software this year rolled out a new program that contributes $50 a month toward eligible employees' student debt, and other local companies including Nvidia, Chegg and Hewlett-Packard have similar perks. It's a service in high demand as Americans owe nearly $1.5 trillion in student loan debt, and paying down those loansespecially in the pricey Bay Areacan make it difficult to afford rent or to buy a home.

"You can't imagine saving for a house," said Scott Thompson, CEO at San Mateo-based student loan repayment startup Tuition.io. "Forget saving for retirement, if you're struggling on a daily basis with paying off the debt."

Many companies already contribute money to their employees' 401(k) plans, but student debtnot future retirementis often a more pressing issue for today's young workers. Tuition.io's platform, launched about three years ago, helps companies figure out how much student debt their employees have, set up loan-repayment plans and facilitate the payments. It announced a deal in February with Coupa Software, and so far, 62 out of Coupa's 475 U.S. employees have signed up.

Justin Stern, a 25-year-old financial analyst at Coupa, expects the new program will help him pay off his debt up to two years faster. Stern pays about $250 a month toward his student loans, on top of the $2,200 he pays monthly for the 500-square-foot apartment he shares with his girlfriend in San Mateo. The student loan payment has a major impact on his finances, Stern said.

"It definitely is another expense that is hindering moving forward on any other financial goalsbuying a house, getting a new car," he said.

Stern isn't alone. According to a national renter survey conducted by Apartment List, recent college graduates without debt will spend eight years saving for a 20 percent down payment on a condobut those saddled with student debt will take 12 years.

The situation is even more daunting in the Bay Area. A smaller Apartment List survey of young renters in the San Francisco metro areaincluding Alameda, Marin, Contra Costa and San Mateo countiesfound recent college grads with no debt will spend 12 years saving for a home. Recent college grads with debt will spend 27 years.

"Even for college grads without debt, they're still in a pretty tough spot," said Apartment List housing economist Chris Salviati. "And then adding student loans on top of that really makes it an untenable position for a lot of these Millennials."

The amount of money Americans owe in student loans nearly tripled between 2006 and 2017from $500 billion to almost $1.5 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Meanwhile, salaries and housing prices are not keeping pace. Since 1980, the median family income in the U.S. has increased by 25 percent, while the median home price has jumped by 60 percent and the average cost of undergraduate tuition has increased by 160 percent, according to Apartment List.

In California, the average 2016 graduate had almost $22,744 in debt, according to the Institute for College Access & Success. But many grads have much more. One employee using the Tuition.io platform owes a whopping $563,000 in student loansthe highest amount on the platform, Thompson said.

As the student debt burden grows, more companies are taking notice. Tuition.io has seen its client base increase by 20 times this year compared to the year before, Thompson said.

Nvidia, the Santa Clara-based chip company known for its graphics and self-driving car technology, offers to reimburse employees who have graduated within the past three years up to $6,000 a year for student loan payments using a platform powered by EdAssist. The reimbursements are taxable, according to the company's website.

Fidelity Investments in September launched a similar pilot program for employers who want to help workers pay off their debt.

Santa Clara-based education-tech company Chegg offers employees $1,000 a year toward loan repayment through the Tuition.io platform. About 20 percent of Chegg's 450 U.S. employees have student debt, and nearly all take advantage of the company's repayment program, Chegg chief people officer Jenny Brandemuehl said.

"We have people in their early 30s that have families that are still paying off student debt," she said.

The program also is a major draw for job candidates, Brandemuehl said.

Loan repayment perks can even reduce office turnover, said Tuition.io's Thompson. In workplaces where at least 100 employees have used the Tuition.io platform for 12 months, the average turnover is 40 percent lower for workers who receive the debt assistance compared to those who do not, Thompson said.

Coupa's launch of its student loan repayment program stemmed in part from a realization by upper management that "it's really hard to work here," said Coupa executive vice president Ray Martinelli.

"Whatever we can do to reduce costs on a monthly basis for employees, regardless of who they are, we believe helps with affordability in the Bay Area," he said, "because it's just so outrageous."

Explore further New report details experiences of graduates with student loan debt during the Great Recession

2018 The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The call of President Rodrigo Duterte for a permanent ban against the deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait is good news. Its about time the Philippines ended the practice of sending gullible and desperate Filipinos to Kuwait for virtual slavery in the hands of inhumane Kuwaiti employers. Past presidents pledged to protect overseas Filipino workers, but to no avail. Only President Duterte has made good on his promise to do so. Being a desert, Kuwait has a very hot climate all-year round. There is no truth to the claim that since Kuwait is a desert, the nights there are cold. That is true only if one lives in isolation in the middle of the desert itself. Nights in Kuwait City may be less uncomfortable compared to the days, but they are not cold. Most homes and offices in Kuwait are air-conditioned, but the temperature outside can cause nosebleeds. One cant stay indoors all the time in Kuwait; one has to travel under the sun every now and then. The exposure from extreme heat to extreme cold, and back, can create a tremendous strain on ones health. In contrast, it is warm in the Philippines only during the summer months. The summer heat in the Philippines is bearable, compared to the daily suntan in Kuwait. The ancestors of todays Kuwaitis were Arab desert bedouins who engaged in the slave trade. These bedouins also kept slaves for their own personal use. According to bedouin tradition, anyone outside the family who took orders from family members are slaves. Sadly, the discovery of oil in Kuwait after World War II did nothing to civilize the Kuwaitis of the late twentieth century and the present century. Although petro-dollars realized from petroleum exports made all Kuwaitis wealthy overnight, their wealth gave Kuwaitis a sense of misplaced entitlement and a lofty status over other peoples who were not so financially endowed. Kuwaitis may not have considered themselves as privileged as the Europeans and the North Americans, but they came to look down on Asians and Africans. When petroleum exporting countries like Kuwait placed quotas on oil production in the mid-1970s, economies of many nations, the Philippines included, were adversely affected. Many unskilled Filipinos who could not obtain employment at home were enticed to seek work in the Middle East. Inevitably, recruitment agencies mushroomed in the Philippines, offering desperate Filipinos jobs with high wages in the Middle East. At first, reports about the maltreatment of Filipino domestic helpers in the Middle East were minimal. By the 1980s, however, the figures were reaching alarming proportions. Filipino domestic helpers were systematically murdered, or abused enough for them to commit suicide. Others were raped, and subjected to physical and verbal abuse, starvation, and other forms of inhumane treatment. Almost all of them are made to work under miserable conditions. There are many instances when they are made to work for more than one household, and with very little time given to them for rest, and with barely enough food given to them. At times, the food is spoiled or suitable only for animal feed. Many workers went insane. Almost all Filipino domestic helpers working in Kuwait are hostages of their own employers. Because their passports are confiscated from them upon their arrival on Kuwait, they are unable to leave their employment even when their personal safety is already at risk. Aside from the abuses Filipino domestic helpers are made to suffer in Kuwait and other countries in the Middle East, there is a social price they pay for their overseas employment. Many of these domestic workers are parents who have to leave behind their respective spouses and children in the Philippines for the duration of their stay abroad. More often than not, this unnatural arrangement where lonely spouses are tempted to be unfaithful and under-supervised children turn to drug abuse for companionshipleads to broken families. At the end of the day, it is the nations social fabric that bears the brunt of these consequences.By the 1990s and on to the first decade of the21st century, Filipino domestic helpers were getting systematically maltreated by their Arab employers in the Middle East. The term maltreatment is stating the problem mildly because they were treated as virtual slaves. The slave treatment consisted of murder, rape and sexual assault, physical abuse, starvation, miserable working conditions, and other instances of inhumane treatment. In many instances, the domestic helpers are made to work for numerous households, with very little time for rest. Many workers go insane, for obvious reasons. Employers in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were the most notorious in the maltreatment of Filipino domestic helpers. Past attempts to stop the deployment of Filipino domestic helpers to the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in particular, have been abject failures. Influential recruitment agencies in the Philippines have always lobbied, openly and clandestinely, against any deployment ban. These recruitment agencies make millions of pesos every month sending gullible and desperate Filipinos to slavery in Kuwait and other destinations in the Middle East. The bulk of that money comes, not from the employer, but from the numerous fees the Filipino worker has to pay the recruitment agency for the opportunity to be a slave of an Arab master. The saddest cut of all is that the money paid to the recruitment agency is often borrowed by the Filipino domestic worker, usually from usurious creditors. At the end of the day, its a lose-all proposition for the Filipino domestic helperan arrangement that influential recruitment agencies in the Philippines have millions of reasons to sustain and defend. So far, only Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines favor the continued deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait, despite the compelling reasons against it. Fortunately, President Duterte has made the deployment ban permanent. Its for the good of the country.
A TIME Magazine cover story puts President Rodrigo Duterte in the company of world leaders like President Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, and Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary. The story is headlined The Strongman Era is Here. Heres What it Means for You. According to the author, Ian Bremmer, the strongman is a tough-talking populist who promises to protect us from them. But them could take on different meanings, depending on who is talking, Bremman says. It could pertain to the corrupt elite or the grasping poor; foreigners or members of racial, ethnic or religious minorities. Or disloyal politicians, bureaucrats, bankers or judges. There is demand for the strongman archetypemuscular, assertive leadershipbecause of changing times. For example, Dutertes electoral success is attributed to his promise of wiping out the drug trade that has caused a rising tide of violent street crime. Mr. Duterte talked more like a mob boss than a President, Bremmer said.

But the President rejected the strongman label, saying he still thinks of himself as a government worker, whom ordinary people can criticize and bullsh*t because he is their employee.The rules change, however, when it is foreigners who do the criticizing. In support of the President, the Palace said in a statement that however TIME Magazine intended the story, Filipinos appreciate Dutertes strong and decisive leadership. Since when did the word strong begin to mean something negative? Certainly its oppositeweakis a much less desirable trait in a leader. The countrys ills are so overwhelming that any type of leadership other than strong will not do the job. But even mere strength, in conventional terms, is not enough. Leaders will ultimately be judged by the wisdom they use to guide their strong decisions and actions. By the fairness and justice they go by in ensuring that the law is observed and applied in equal measure to each citizen. By the honesty with which they conduct themselves. By the humility with which they accept their shortcomings and accept constructive input from others. Strongman is a label that is easy to use or reject. Being a genuinely strong, inspiring and transformative leader, on the other hand, is a constant, ongoing challenge.
Explore Island Philippines Expo at the Vanderbilt Hall of New Yorks iconic Grand Central Terminal.

AT THE start of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, from May 9 to12, an exciting four-day event is about to happen in the largest train station in the world: the Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Explore Islands Philippines focuses on bringing the best of the Philippines to the world. From the beauty of its 7,641 islands to its dynamic, growing economy, the Philippines rich cultural heritage as a cornerstone of its development will be showcased. Unlike any expo, the entire event  representing every category of the Philippine culture, products, and industrieswill take place inside the Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal, where more than 770,000 commuters pass through every day.Explore Islands Philippines Expo is organized by JS Productions Inc. under acclaimed event designer and book author Jerry Sibal, with the support of the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT), Tourism Promotions Board Philippines (TPB), Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Philippine Airlines (PAL) and ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel (TFC).Explore Islands Philippines Expo is envisioned to bring together the shakers and movers in tourism and investments from the Philippines and the United States. It will showcase the Philippine agenda in tourism, tourism infrastructure, manufacturing, logistics, business process management, infrastructure, energy, manufacturing, agri-business, and medical tourism. I am confident that the Expo will successfully present the Philippines as a premier tourism and investment destination, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel G. Romualdez said in a statement. To participate, visit http://exploreislandsphilippines.com/
The following companies are subsidiares of Sealed Air: AFP (Shanghai) Limited, AFP Inc. (Branch), AFPTOH LTD, Aconcagua Distribuciones SRL, Air Ride Pallets Hong Kong Limited, Austin Foam Plastics Inc., Auto-C LLC, Automated Packaging Systems, B+ Equipment, B+ Equipment SAS, Beacon Holdings LLC, Biosphere Industries, BluPack (New Zealand), Blue Dot Packaging Pty Ltd., CPI Packaging Inc., CPI Packaging Systems Inc., Cactus (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Cactus Shanghai Trading Co. Ltd., Ciras C.V., Ciras C.V. - Luxembourg Branch, Ciras C.V.  Luxembourg Branch, Cleanwise Inc., Cryovac (Malaysia) SDN. BHD, Cryovac (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Cryovac Brasil Ltda., Cryovac Chile Holdings LLC, Cryovac Holdings II LLC, Cryovac Inc., Cryovac International Holdings Inc., Cryovac LLC, Cryovac Leasing Corporation, Cryovac Londrina Ltda., Cryovac Packaging Portugal - Embalagens Ltda., Cryovac Packaging Portugal Embalagens Ltda, Cryovac Sweden AB, Cryovac-Sealed Air de Costa Rica S.R.L., DELTAPLAM Embalagens Industria e Comercio, Deltaplam Embalagens Industria e Comercio Ltda, Diversey, Diversey Australia Pty. Ltd., Diversey Austria Trading GmbH, Diversey B.V., Diversey Belgium BVBA, Diversey Brasil Industria Quimica Ltda., Diversey Canada Inc., Diversey Centroamerica S.A., Diversey Danmark ApS, Diversey Hungary Acting Off-shore Capital Management Limited Liability Company, Diversey J Trustee Limited, Diversey Trustee Limited, Diversey Ceska republika s.r.o. clen koncernu Diversey, Entapack Pty. Ltd., Fagerdala (Chengdu) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Chengdu) Packing Co. Ltd. (Chongqing Branch), Fagerdala (Chongqing) Packaging Co. Ltd. (Branch), Fagerdala (Huiyang) Packaging Co. Ltd, Fagerdala (Huiyang) Packaging Co. Ltd. (Branch), Fagerdala (Shanghai) Foams Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Shanghai) Polymer Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Shenzhen) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Suzhou) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Suzhou) Packing Co. Ltd. (Hefei Branch), Fagerdala (Thailand) Limited, Fagerdala (Xiamen) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Leamchabung Limited, Fagerdala Leamchabung Ltd., Fagerdala Malaysia Sdn Bhd., Fagerdala Mexico S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Mexico S.A. de C.V. (Chihuahua Branch), Fagerdala Mexico Supply Chain S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Packaging Inc. (Indiana), Fagerdala Shanghai Foams Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Singapore Pte Ltd, Fagerdala Singapore Pte Ltd (Branch), Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Limited, Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Limited (Taiwan Branch), Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Ltd., Fagerdala Suzhou Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Suzhou Packaging Co. Ltd. (Hefei Branch), Fagerdala Thailand Ltd., GEIE VES, Getpacking.com GmbH, Indonesian Rep Office of Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited, Invertol S. de R.L. de C.V., JCS Sealed Air Kaustik, JSC Sealed Air Kaustik, Kevothermal LLC, Kevothermal LLC, Kevothermal Limited, Nelipak Holdings, Pack-Tiger GmbH, Packaging C.V., ProAseptic Technologies S.L., Producembal - Producao de Embalagens Ltda., Proxy Biomedical Ltd., Reflectix Inc., SLD Air Packaging Paketleme Malzemeleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Saddle Brook Insurance Company, Sealed Air (Asia) Holdings B.V., Sealed Air (Barbados) S.R.L., Sealed Air (Canada) Co./CIE, Sealed Air (Canada) Holdings B.V., Sealed Air (China) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air (China) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air (China) Limited, Sealed Air (China) Ltd., Sealed Air (India) Limited, Sealed Air (Israel) Ltd., Sealed Air (Korea) Limited, Sealed Air (Latin America) Holdings II LLC, Sealed Air (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sealed Air (New Zealand), Sealed Air (Philippines) Inc., Sealed Air (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Sealed Air (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Sealed Air (Thailand) Limited, Sealed Air (Ukraine) Limited, Sealed Air Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Sealed Air Africa (Pty.) Limited, Sealed Air Americas Manufacturing S. de R. L. de C. V., Sealed Air Argentina S.A., Sealed Air Australia (Holdings) Pty. Limited, Sealed Air Australia Pty Ltd., Sealed Air Australia Pty. Limited, Sealed Air B.V., Sealed Air Belgium N.V., Sealed Air Central America S.A., Sealed Air Chile S.P.A., Sealed Air Colombia Ltda., Sealed Air Corporation (US), Sealed Air Denmark A/S, Sealed Air Embalagens Ltda., Sealed Air Europe Holdings C.V., Sealed Air Europe Holdings LP, Sealed Air Finance B.V., Sealed Air Finance II LLC, Sealed Air Finance II LLC (Sucursal Mexico), Sealed Air Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l. Luxembourg (L) Root Finance Branch, Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l. US Finance Branch, Sealed Air Funding Corporation, Sealed Air Funding LLC, Sealed Air General Trading LLC, Sealed Air Global Holdings C.V., Sealed Air Global Holdings I C.V., Sealed Air Global Holdings I LLC, Sealed Air GmbH, Sealed Air Hellas S.A., Sealed Air Holding France S.A.S., Sealed Air Holding France SAS, Sealed Air HoldingS I LLC, Sealed Air Holdings (New Zealand) Pty. Ltd., Sealed Air Holdings I C.V., Sealed Air Holdings LLC, Sealed Air Holdings South Africa Proprietary Limited, Sealed Air Hong Kong (Jakarta Indonesia Branch), Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited, Sealed Air Hungary Ltd., Sealed Air International Holdings LLC, Sealed Air International Holdings LLC , Sealed Air Investment and Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Investment and Management Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Japan G.K., Sealed Air Korea Limited, Sealed Air LLC, Sealed Air Limited, Sealed Air Luxembourg (I) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg (II) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Management Holding Verwaltungs GmbH, Sealed Air Multiflex GmbH, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) I B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V. - Deutsche Zweigniederlassung, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V. - Deutsche Zweigniederlassung, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) III B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) III B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands Holdings V B.V., Sealed Air Nevada Holdings Limited, Sealed Air Norge AS, Sealed Air OY, Sealed Air Packaging (India) Private Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Shanghai) Co. Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Packaging LLC, Sealed Air Packaging Materials (India) LLP, Sealed Air Packaging Materials (India) LLP, Sealed Air Packaging S.L.U., Sealed Air Paketleme Malzemeleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Sealed Air Peru S.A.C., Sealed Air Polska Sp. Zoo, Sealed Air Pty Limited, Sealed Air S.A S., Sealed Air S.A.S., Sealed Air S.r.l., Sealed Air South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Sealed Air Svenska AB, Sealed Air Taiwan Limited, Sealed Air US Holdings (Thailand) LLC, Sealed Air Uruguay S.A., Sealed Air Venezuela Corporation, Sealed Air Verpackungen GmbH, Sealed Air de Mexico Operations S. de R.L. de C.V., Sealed Air de Venezuela S.A., Sealed Air s.r.o., Shanklin Corp, Shanklin Corporation, Soinpar Industrial Ltda., TART s.r.o., TART s.r.o. Joint Venture, TTS-Ciptec, TXAFP Asia Pacific Ltd., TXAFP GP LLC, TempTrip LLC, Trigon Industries, and Vietnamese Rep Office of Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited.
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Shirley Contreras lives in Orcutt and writes for the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society. She can be contacted at 623-8193 or at shirleycontreras2@yahoo.com. Her book, The Good Years, a selection of stories shes written for the Santa Maria Times since 1991, is on sale at the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society, 616 S. Broadway.
Promoters previewed the Central Coast AirFest, a two-day airshow, which will take place on the weekend of October 6th and 7th at the Santa Mar
The countrys strong domestic economy and the growth of e-commerce have attracted local conglomerates to enter into the logistics industry. Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Henry Sys SM Investments Corp and Dennis Uys Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp. are expanding their business into logistics for future growth. MPIC acquired a number of small logistic firms, while SMIC and Chelsea have taken in the 2GO Group Inc., the countrys largest shipping and logistics company. Metro Pacific ventured into the logistics and distribution business in May 2016 when it acquired the assets of mid-sized corporate logistics provider Basic Logistics as it saw a strong demand for logistics services in the country. It then formed a new company called Metro Pacific Movers Inc. in a joint venture with the shareholders of Basic Logistics to provide logistics, shipping, freight forwarding and e-commerce services. In January 2017, Metro Pacific through its subsidiary Premier Logistics Inc. acquired some of the assets and business of Ace Logistics worth P280 million. We want to build up a significant substantial logistics group  I think its a very basic need of the country, to have a more efficient logistics infrastructure because the cost of moving goods back and forth between Manila and for example, Mindanao, is, we understand more expensive than moving the goods from here to Europe for example. Thats something we should cure, Pangilinan said. In 2014, the World Bank reported a lower logistics performance index (LPI) for the Philippines, 57th out of 160 countries, down from 44 out of 155 countries in 2010. The country was behind Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia in 2014. The logistics sector  part of transportation and storage under the Philippine Standard Industrial Classification (PSIC)  contributed 6.1 percent to the countrys economic growth during the third quarter of 2014. The sectors impact on economic growth is certainly extensive considering logistics cost, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), accounts for 24 percent to 53 percent of the wholesale price of goods in the country. Pangilinan said its new venture will complement with its existing businesses. The group as a whole moves quite a bit of goods and equipment throughout the country so this will help the group as well in facilitating how we operate. PLDT, Meralco, the tollways and to some extent, Maynilad and so forth, he added. Metro Pacific committed to invest P5 billion in the logistics business over a five-year period. Chelsea, meanwhile, is working toward becoming the prime mover of vital goods, cargoes, and passengers in the Philippines and eventually a regional player by expanding organically and creating synergies with 2Go Group Inc. and affiliates within the Udenna Group. Udenna started its shipping business in 2006 through Chelsea Shipping Corp. to support the operations of the countrys leading independent and fastest-growing oil company, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc. It currently has the largest tanker fleet in terms of capacity with a total of 39,271.64 gross registered tonnages. Chelsea acquired a 28.15-percent indirect economic interest in 2Go Group in March and subsequently took over its management. Chelsea also acquired Worklink Services, Inc. (WSI) to expand its logistics business. WSI will augment our logistics and manpower businesses as well as create additional synergy within the group, Chryss Alfonsus V. Damuy, Chelsea president and chief executive said. The acquisition will prove even more valuable in steering CLC to greater heights by bringing in an experienced and competent management and staff, who have been in the logistics business for more than 20 years, he added. WSI was established in 1994 for the primary purpose of providing efficient, effective and reliable courier, forwarding, trucking, and logistics services to a growing domestic industry. In every investment put into expanding our operations, we strive to ultimately provide better shipping and logistics services to Filipino businesses and consumers as well as create more jobs and support the economys growth, Damuy said.Despite optimism from local conglomerates, state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), in a study, said the government must reduce regulatory burdens in the logistics industry to boost the countrys export competitiveness. In 2016, the Philippines overall logistics performance index was way below those of the older members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the study said, adding that it was even lower than Vietnamone of the transition economies in Southeast Asia.In the field of logistics, the Philippines has one of the most restrictive set of regulations which, together with other factors, are responsible for its relatively poor logistics performance, PIDS said. PIDS identified various regulatory issues and challenges in the sector, particularly in the implementation aspect. The study revealed that the lack of awareness about the importance of integration and coordination in the logistics chain has resulted in inconsistent, overlapping, and sometimes contradictory policies. This issue, according to the authors, has caused loss of major logistics providers and foreign investors in the country. Furthermore, the uncoordinated logistics system in the country can also be attributed to the absence of a single coordinating agency. At present, various agencies have different sets of regulations for the transport, logistics, and distribution sectors in the PhilippinesLand Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and Land Transportation Office for road transport, Maritime Industry Authority and Philippine Ports Authority for maritime transport, and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines for air transport, among others. This remains to be a hindrance for prospective investors to do business in the country as there are many regulations and business licenses covering all aspects of logistics services under the jurisdiction of different government agencies, the authors explained. Maritime transport is one of the most important modes of transport in international trade especially for archipelagic countries like the Philippines. However, the poor quality of port management in the country has led to higher logistics costs on the part of service providers. In terms of the logistics industry, the authors noted the lack of effective enforcement of important regulations on the part of implementing agencies. An example of this is the continuous operation of old and outdated delivery trucks and vehicles in the country. The same issues persist in the local government level, with different local government units (LGUs) implementing varied, inconsistent, and unpredictable regulations, the authors pointed out. These regulations include the use of different stickers for passage to different areas, the inconsistency of operating permits, and different number coding schemes between cities and provinces.To address this regulatory issue, the authors proposed that the Department of Transportation, along with Congress, should disallow the collection of pass-through fees in LGUs to prevent abuse of authority from happening in the grassroots. The authors also suggested introducing more foreign competition and improving access to the most efficient transport and logistics service providers to accelerate the countrys overall trade performance. The study also recommended the creation of a lead agency to oversee the sector and ensure that the flow of information between relevant stakeholders is maintained and is responsible for getting the full cooperation and support from other government agencies involved.The Export Development Councils Networking Committee on Transport and Logistics also said a major logistics concern is the traffic congestion near Manila ports. Hence, the Terminal Appointment Booking System (TABS) is implemented by port operators in Manila to help ease port traffic. TABS regulates the number of trucks plying Metro Manila, going to and from the ports, avoiding the recurrence of port congestion and addressing corruption and extortion of some brokers/fixers. Trucks registered under TABS are exempted from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority truck ban at limited hours. To further reduce logistics costs in the domestic shipping, the efficiency of the roll-on, roll-off (Roro) network will be enhanced by the recent approval of Executive Order 204, expanding the Roro network policies to chassis Roro (Charo). With Charo, the cost of cargo handling will be lesser by 15 percent to 20 percent. It will allow truckers to be more productive since their trucks will not go with the container in the Roro vessels anymore. For air transport, the Dual Airport Policy, such as Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) and Clark Airpot, is very critical for the logistics industry.
Take a look through "Mission to Mars" coverage that has been published so far. We will have new stories everyday and we have videos, photos, a
More recently Boeing set up a website known as Watch Us Fly in order to make promotions of its spaceflight efforts. There was an interesting section in there which was noted to be making bold claims regarding the SLS rocket of the company.

The page read that the Falcon Heavy launch turned heads in the month of February, but the rocket of SpaceX is a smaller type of rocket, which cannot meet the deep space needs of NASA. Further, the page read that once the SLS, developed by Boeing is operational it would be the most powerful rocket that has ever been developed.

The company that is yet years away from the initial iteration of its hardware is acting to be buoyant on the idea of it to be the solution of the deep space exploration quandary of the world. The aircraft manufacturing company is supporting its own touting by quoting Bill Gerstenmaier who was reportedly been involved in a recent discussion of the differences between the rockets of SpaceX and Boeing at a meeting.

Gerstenmaier stated that the SLS featured some unique capabilities which the Falcon Heavy did not possess or never showed. When the spaceflight head was asked for a further explanation regarding the same, he found it tough to detail out as to why NASA even had any requirement of the SLS, seeing because nothing necessitating a rocket of that size has ever been developed by the space agency.

The website created by the company for the promotion even offered a few pretty suspect assertions. For an instance, it has written on its website regarding the SLS, which appears as if it would be here soon in no time. Nevertheless, in accordance with the received reports, an operational SLS may not actually arrive until post to a couple of years. On top of that, that version of the rocket in all probabilities would not be anywhere even close to the most powerful rocket that has ever been developed.

In fact, nothing yet has ever been able to surpass the Saturn V rocket owned by NASA that ferried the astronauts in the 1960s and 1970s at the time of the Apollo missions. While the long old Saturn V is capable of carrying near about 118 metric tons to the low Earth orbit, the SLS booster could only be capable of lifting 70 tons.

A 105-ton configuration variant of the SLS is eventually being developed that might lead it to be the most powerful operational rocket. However, that would not turn up until the late 2020s and also an undertaking like the same would demand a cost of billions of dollars.

SpaceX launched its Falcon Heavy earlier this year, in the month of February, and titled it as the most powerful operational rocket in the world. However, it seems the significant accomplishments of SpaceX have got into the eyes of its rival Boeing who is now reacting a bit offensive and reportedly has termed the Falcon Heavy as a spacecraft too small. Boeing has claimed that the Falcon Heavy was not able to impress the NASAS spaceflight department and said that the spacecraft is way too small for the deep space explorations carried out by the space agency.

Boeing is now under a contract with the government of the United States for designing the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket platform for NASA, which the spacecraft agency has, plans to use in the future missions.

Boeing Official Press Release

Boeing [NYSE:BA] will host a televised downlink with astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on May 10 featuring the Genes in Space STEM competition and students who are participating in the research contest. The event will originate from the nonprofit Space Center Houston in Texas and be shown on Facebook Live through NASAs Johnson Space Center Education Office.

The full program will begin at 10:30 a.m. Central time on Facebook Live, at https://www.facebook.com/jsceducation. NASA TV will join the downlink from 11:05 to 11:25 a.m. The program will conclude at 11:30 a.m. with a demonstration of Boeings Starliner virtual reality training system.

The astronauts aboard the ISS will take questions from the two Genes In Space students whose experiments recently were conducted aboard the station, plus other contestants and from the audience. About 200 students from Houston-area middle and high schools will attend the event.

Guests will include the chief scientist for the ISS, a biologist, a leader of Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, and a Boeing Starliner engineer.

Founded by Boeing and miniPCR, the Genes In Space competition offers students in grades 7 through 12 the opportunity to develop DNA-based experiments that could be performed on orbit by astronauts aboard the ISS. A panel of scientists evaluates the proposals to select the finalists and then a winner.

Those taking part in the May 10 program are:

Drew Feustel, NASA astronaut, International Space Station Expedition 55

Scott Tingle, NASA astronaut, International Space Station Expedition 55

Julie Robinson, NASA chief scientist for the International Space Station

Zeke Alvarez-Saavedra, co-founder, miniPCR

Ken Shields, director of Operations, CASIS

Tony Castilleja, Boeing Starliner

Steven Siceloff, Boeing Communications (Host)

For more information on Defense, Space & Security, visit www.boeing.com. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

About miniPCR:

miniPCR was founded in 2013 by Ezequiel Zeke Alvarez Saavedra and Sebastian Kraves, graduates of MIT and Harvard respectively, who sought to make access to DNA analysis more accessible. miniPCRs portable, inexpensive device can replicate specific sections of DNA, in a process called polymerase chain reaction, or PCR. Scientists and doctors use miniPCR each day to accelerate research, diagnose Ebola and other infectious diseases, assess food safety, and to teach essential biotechnology in schools. The Harvard-based team is constantly working to further expand access to hands-on biology. The company worked with Boeing to co-create the Genes in Space student competition in order to instill the love of science and engineering in the next generation.
Cuba will host peace talks between the Colombian government and leftist ELN rebels aimed at ending a five-decade conflict after Ecuador bowed out as host, negotiators said Saturday. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is trying to conclude a peace agreement with the country's 1,500-strong last active rebel group, similar to the one signed with the larger FARC guerrillas in November 2016. The FARC has since become a political party. Five other countries -- Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Norway and Venezuela -- have vouched for the dialogue. "After jointly examining the options to renew dialogue as soon as possible," Colombian government and ELN negotiators will resume talks "in Havana starting next week," a joint statement read. "We hope to move forward quickly," added Santos. On April 18, Ecuador said it was suspending its role as guarantor of the peace talks between Colombia and the National Liberation Army guerrillas, which have been hosted in Quito since early 2017. Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno told Colombia's RCN television that he wanted to end Ecuador's role following a flareup of violence along their common border. Moreno's remarks came as Ecuadoran and Colombian troops pressed a hunt along their respective sides of the border for a small band of ex-FARC rebels turned criminals responsible for the kidnapping and murder of a three-man Ecuadoran journalist team. However, peace talks with the ELN are being held against the backdrop of a more hostile political context in Colombia, after hardline conservatives opposed to peace with the rebels have gained ground in recent legislative elections.
Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmaker Ted Hui was arrested Saturday for common assault and access to a computer with dishonest intent over an incident last week in which he snatched a phone from a female civil servant. Hui had grabbed the phone from the woman in the Legislative Council and dashed into the men's toilet. The 36-year-old has since apologised and said he did it because he suspected the government was collecting personal information on lawmakers in breach of the Privacy Ordinance. Despite his apology, Hui has been denounced by government leaders and lawmakers and even sacked by his own party. Hui is the latest pro-democracy lawmaker to come under fire after six others were disqualified from the legislature. Pro-democracy lawmakers denounced his arrest as an overreaction. "The whole case has been blown (out) of proportion and you can't help thinking that the upcoming prosecution is actually persecution with the aim of ousting of one more democratic member of the local legislature, and this is not acceptable," said legislator Claudia Mo. She said that if Hui was convicted and sentenced to more than three months' jail he would automatically lose his seat. Six lawmakers including former protest leaders and independence activists were ousted from the legislature in 2016 for inserting protests into their oaths of office after an intervention by Beijing. After the disqualifications, the democrats lost their veto power and failed to regain it at by-elections in March.
Intricate craftsmanship from the 17th to the 20th century takes center stage in the 2nd anniversary auction of Casa de Memoria on May 5. The latest collection reveals lots that include paintings, furniture, glass and crystal, metalwork, silver, and ivory.

It is an exciting time for art collectors and enthusiasts. It has been two years since we first hit the auction gavel, and now we are celebrating our 11th auction with one of our most comprehensive collections to date. These pieces have been part of private collections from Europe and Asia that have been passed to the care of one generation to the next, said Camille Lhuillier, Casa de Memoria marketing manager.

The recently concluded anniversary preview was graced by the newest ambassador of the auction house  renowned artist and art enthusiast Heart Evangelista-Escudero. During the introduction, Heart revealed that she was often intimidated by auction houses, but felt right at home at Casa de Memoria.

The evening also gathered some of Metro Manilas avid art enthusiasts and collectors for a sneak peek of the carefully-selected pieces from across the European continent and a few exquisite ones from Asia.

Standing out in the collection are a pair of Sevres-style porcelain hand-painted vases rising to approximately two feet, an assortment of great antique silver, a fall-front secretaire with marquetry in wood and ivory of Edwardian period design, an intricate sterling silver palitera, and the early-day portrait studies of Filipino artist Romeo Tabuena.

One of the best-selling objects in every auction at Casa de Memoria is the paliteraor metal toothpick holder that completes every lavish banquet. With its sophisticated detailing, one of thepaliteradesignsin the collection is that of a Roman soldier with a raised sword and shield, with the latter being perforated to hold the toothpicks. Made with Portuguese silver, the palitera bears the assay mark dated in the 20th century. One of the best-selling objects in every auction at Casa de Memoria is the paliteraor metal toothpick holder that completes every lavish banquet. With its sophisticated detailing, one of thepaliteradesignsin the collection is that of a Roman soldier with a raised sword and shield, with the latter being perforated to hold the toothpicks. Made with Portuguese silver, the palitera bears the assay mark dated in the 20century.

Another interesting piece is a late 19th century rectangular silver tray in Napoleon III style from Portugals most popular silversmiths of Leitao&Irmao. Other Portuguese silver pieces in the lot are from the coastal trading town of Porto in Portugal, with all pieces bearing their makers mark.

The ivory pieces in the collectionbring together a rare mixture of sculptures of Greek mythical gods Artemis and Apollo, ameticulously detailedsculpture of a Chinese family in a traditional house, and a diptych with horsemen carved in the interiors with geometric carvings on the exterior, all dating back from the 19th century, and a rare 17th century Hispano-Filipino depiction of the Santo Nino Peregrino.

Leading the glass and crystal collection of the lot is a rococo revival gilt wooden mirror filled with history from France. Combing through the pieces, one would chance upon a pair of ornate Napoleon III-style glass cornucopias on ormolu basea decorative sculpture made of agate depicting a vegetal and fish motif, and a cameo glass vase by Galle.

The collection has a total of 193 heritage pieces that are living proof of the expertise of the artists of a different time.

Casa de Memoria will auction off this collection at its showroomalong Jupiter Street in Makati City on May 5. For inquiries, visit casadememoria.com or call (02) 7720414. Collection catalogues are available.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was detained along with nearly 1,600 of his supporters on Saturday during nationwide rallies against Vladimir Putin as police and paramilitary activists used force to break up rallies in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Riot police beat protesters with truncheons, dragged them along the ground and threw them into police vans in Moscow, in an attempt to disperse a huge crowd that packed Pushkin Square to protest against Putin's swearing-in ceremony for a fourth Kremlin term on Monday. Police grabbed Navalny, 41, soon after he showed up at the rally, as some shouted "Shame" in Ukrainian, a famous slogan of the Kiev uprising that ousted a Kremlin-backed regime in 2014. Scuffles also broke out between Navalny's supporters and pro-Kremlin activists who showed up in an apparent effort to sabotage the opposition demonstration. Some of the pro-Putin activists were dressed as Cossacks, a paramilitary class who served as tsarist cavalrymen in imperial Russia. Amnesty International said its representatives saw the 'Cossacks' pummel protesters with whips and fists as police looked on. Anti-Kremlin protesters chanted "the fourth term -- in prison" and "sick of you," in a reference to Putin, as a helicopter hovered overhead. Two AFP journalists said some sort of gas was also briefly used but it was not immediately clear who used it. - Over 700 detained in Moscow - Navalny, who was barred from challenging Putin in the March presidential election, had called on Russians to stage a day of rallies across the country under the catchy slogan "Not our Tsar." Protesters also rallied in dozens of other Russian cities including in the Far East and Siberia and some of those protests were violently broken up. Independent monitoring group OVD-Info said nearly 1,600 people had been detained by police in 26 cities. Of them, more than 700 were detained in Moscow and more than 230 in second city Saint Petersburg. Police put the Moscow turnout at 1,500, adding that some 300 people were detained in the Russian capital. Authorities said some 200 people were detained in Saint Petersburg. In the former imperial capital, several thousand people marched along Nevsky Prospect, Saint Petersburg's main thoroughfare, chanting "Putin is a thief" and "Down with the tsar". When police tried to stop the unsanctioned march, protesters pelted them with eggs and water bottles, an AFP reporter said. - 'Putin not a tsar' - "The country needs changes," a 20-year-old protester, Stepan Duvanov, said in Saint Petersburg. "Putin is not a tsar to be sitting (at the Kremlin) forever." Elsewhere, many protesters were also detained in a rough manner, observers said. In the Urals city of Chelyabinsk more than 160 people were detained, while more than 60 were arrested in the eastern Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, said OVD-Info. Seventy five people were detained in the northern city of Yakutsk and more than 40 people were arrested in the southern city of Astrakhan, the monitor said. "Craven old man Putin thinks he is a tsar," Navalny said on Twitter ahead of the demonstrations. Observers have expressed fears that the protests could lead to mass arrests and criminal cases after similar rallies in 2012 led to a huge crackdown on the protest movement. In May 2012, tens of thousands took to the streets to protest Putin's inauguration for a third Kremlin term, with rallies descending into clashes with police. Criminal charges were brought against around 30 demonstrators and many of them were sentenced to prison terms of between 2.5 years and 4.5 years. The 65-year-old Putin, who has ruled Russia for almost two decades, was re-elected for a fourth Kremlin term in March. He recorded his best ever election performance with more than 76 percent of the vote. Independent monitors said the election was marred by a lack of genuine competition even though fewer irregularities were reported than in previous years. - 'Journey of an invader' - This year Putin's minders are planning a fairly low-key inauguration ceremony that will not include a lavish Kremlin reception in an apparent effort to eschew any bad publicity, TV Rain, an independent channel, reported Friday, citing informed sources. In 2012, Putin's black cortege raced through the deserted streets of Moscow on the way to his third Kremlin inauguration with authorities cordoning off roads, in what many saw as a major faux pas. This time Putin will instead meet with volunteers who took part in his election campaign, the television channel said. Speaking on radio, prominent political analyst Stanislav Belkovsky said that throwing a Kremlin banquet for the elites "when the number of poor people is sharply rising due to Western sanctions and counter-sanctions" is now seen as an unaffordable luxury. Belkovsky said many people saw Putin's sweeping through deserted streets in the capital in 2012 as a "journey of an invader."
Posted Saturday, May 5, 2018 5:15 am

Arrests

The following arrests were reported by the Webster County Sheriffs Office and are not meant as an indication of guilt.

April 3

 Kenneth E. Cargill, 48, was placed on a 12-hour detox.

 Jonathan T. McGinnis-Crocker, 17, was arrested for peace disturbance.

 Daniel G. Williamson, 34, was brought in on a Webster County warrant for theft.

April 4

 Rocky R. Young, 40, was placed on a 24-hour hold.

 Monica E. Edmonds, 31, was arrested on Webster County warrants for second-degree burglary and forgery and a Benton County warrant for driving while revoked.

 Tina M. Esquivel, 39, was brought in on a Webster County warrant for third-degree domestic assault.

 Rhett D. Wilson, 20, came in on a five-day commitment sentence.

April 5

 Kenneth A. Cline, 32, was arrested for driving while revoked.

 Mitchell L. Cox, 53, came in on a 96-hour commitment sentence.

 Lacey J. Evans, 31, was placed on a 12-hour detox.

 Norma V. Rabun, 46, was brought in on a writ for court.

 Michael C. Uchtman, 28, was brought in on a writ for court.

 Abigail L. Thompson, 28, was brought in on a writ for court.

 Rhiannon J. Rymer, 27, was brought in on a writ for court.

 Justin J. Wright, 36, was arrested on Polk County warrants for no insurance and no valid license, and placed on a 24-hour hold for possession of a controlled substance, tampering with evidence, driving while revoked, failure to yield and no insurance.

 Cordell A. Tunnell, 22, was arrested for driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident.

April 6

 Jared E. Lowder, 26, came in on a 48-hour commitment sentence.

 Walter J. Wilson, 35, was brought in on a hold for Kentucky.

 Jennifer M. Ramos, 40, was brought in on a Webster County warrant for non-support and a Greene County warrant for possession of drug paraphernalia.

April 7

 Jessica R. Jensen-Choate, 39, was arrested on a Webster County warrant for fourth-degree domestic assault.

 William E. Millard, 64, was arrested for driving while intoxicated.

 Ashley M. Russell, 22, was arrested on Niangua warrants for no insurance and speeding.

April 8

 Travis T. Henson, 29, was arrested on a Greene County warrant for no insurance.

 Jim A. Shaffer, 34, was arrested on a Webster County warrant and placed on a 12-hour detox.

April 9

 Kimberly A. Hance, 21, was arrested for driving while suspended.

 Boshawn K. Thomas, 43, was placed on a 24-hour hold.

 Aaron P. Merritt, 32, was arrested for driving while revoked.

 Austyn J. Hyder, 25, was arrested on a Webster County warrant for no seat belt violation.

 Gregory M. Long, 37, was arrested on a Republic Police Department warrant for possession of drug paraphernalia.

 Larry W. Staples, 37, was brought in on Webster County warrants for driving while intoxicated and possession of a controlled substance.

Filings

Contract - other

April 11

 21st Mortgage Corporation v. Mary A. Ball et al

Declaratory judgment

April 13

 David A. Jones et al v. Missouri Department of Revenue

Replevin

April 11

 Selene Finance LP v. Dawn E. Kee et al

Personal injury - other

April 11

 Joyce Napier v. Webco Manor et al

Wrongful death

April 12

 Stephanie Emmerson et al v. Shelly Bilyeu RN FNP

Change of name

April 11

 In re: Linda L. Box

Dissolution with children

April 16

 Rheannon C. Steinkamp v. Michael C. Steinkamp

Dissolution without children

April 12

 Shannon M. Dobbs v. Darren A. Dobbs

April 16

 Roberta G. Rowe v. Dale I. Rowe

Motion to modify

April 13

 Chad Perkins v. Alicia Perkins

Felony

April 17

 State of Missouri v. Donald E. Mincks

 State of Missouri v. Samuel H. Medlock

 State of Missouri v. Nicholas M. Sanna

 State of Missouri v. Timothy A. Kring

 State of Missouri v. Jeffrey A. Moore

 State of Missouri v. Kelly A. Claxton

 State of Missouri v. Larry Dykes

 State of Missouri v. Ronald L. Peters

Certificate of lien - Department of Revenue taxes

April 13

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Ethan Shelton

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Michael D. Jones

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Shelley R. Bright et al

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Derek Kaneer

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Muriel K. McAnninch

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Anthony S. Johns et al

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Alfred V. Ward Jr. et al

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Matthew T. Bridges

Transcript judgment

April 13

 J. Kevin Checkett, trustee in bankruptcy v. Karen Garcia

Dispositions

The following dispositions were reported by the Webster County Circuit Clerks office.

Transcript judgment

April 13

 J. Kevin Checkett, trustee in bankruptcy v. Karen Garcia - Other final disposition.

Certificate of lien - Department of Revenue taxes

April 13

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Ethan Shelton - Other final disposition.

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Michael D. Jones - Other final disposition.

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Shelley R. Bright et al - Other final disposition.

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Derek Kaneer - Other final disposition.

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Muriel K. McAnninch - Other final disposition.

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Anthony S. Johns et al - Other final disposition.

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Alfred V. Ward Jr. et al - Other final disposition.

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Matthew T. Bridges - Other final disposition.

Felony

April 16

 State of Missouri v. Jarian W. Gipson - Guilty plea.

 State of Missouri v. Scott L. Hancock - Guilty plea.

April 17

 State of Missouri v. Justin Diehl - Guilty plea.

Breach of contract

April 12

 Flinn v. Plaza Home Mortgage Inc. - Dismissed by court with prejudice.

Motion to modify

April 11

 Stephanie E. Kalman Ragsdale v. Christopher S. Kalman - Consent judgment.

Judgments

The following judgments were reported by the Webster County Circuit Clerks office.

April 11

 State of Missouri et al Guadiano v. Leonard L. Gaudiano. Court registers foreign judgment.

 Stephanie E. Kalman Ragsdale v. Christopher S. Kalman. Court grants modification.

April 13

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Matthew T. Bridges. Certificate of tax lien - individual income tax. Judgment for petitioner in the amount of $743.44.

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Shelley R. Bright et al. Certificate of tax lien - individual income tax. Judgment for petitioner in the amount of $815.69.

 J. Kevin Checkett, trustee in bankruptcy v. Karen Garcia. Judgment entered against Garcia in the amount of $18,903.15.

 State of Missouri v. Nichole Hart. Defendant found to have violated conditions of probation, which is continued with additional conditions. Defendant to serve 120-day court ordered detention sanction with Missouri Department of Corrections to provide drug treatment during said sanction.

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Anthony S. Johns et al. Certificate of tax lien - individual income tax. Judgment for petitioner in the amount of $427.72.

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Michael D. Jones. Certificate of tax lien - individual income tax. Judgment for petitioner in the amount of $586.17.

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Derek Kaneer. Certificate of tax lien - individual income tax. Judgment for petitioner in the amount of $1,611.23.

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Muriel K. McAnnich. Certificate of tax lien - individual income tax. Judgment for petitioner in the amount of $155.15.

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Anthony S. Johns et al. Certificate of tax lien - individual income tax. Judgment for petitioner in the amount of $427.72.

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Ethan Shelton. Certificate of tax lien - individual income tax. Judgment for petitioner in the amount of $287.98.

 Department of Revenue - CE v. Alfred V. Ward et al. Certificate of tax lien - individual income tax. Judgment for petitioner in the amount of $243.32.

April 16

 State of Missouri v. Sean T. Falk. Defendant found to have violated conditions of probation, which is continued with additional conditions. Defendant to serve 120-day court ordered detention sanction pursuant to RSMo. 559.036.

 State of Missouri v. Jarian W. Gipson. Guilty plea entered by Gipson for distribution of a controlled substance, sentenced to seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, concurrent with any other cases.

 State of Missouri v. Scott L. Hancock. Guilty plea entered by Hancock for unlawful possession of a firearm, sentenced to four years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, concurrent with any other cases (credit for time served).

 State of Missouri v. Daniel G. Williamson. Defendant found to have violated conditions of probation, which is revoked and sentence of four years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for theft/stealing previously imposed but suspended is ordered executed, concurrent with other sentences, with credit for time served.

 State of Missouri v. Joshua L. Woods. Defendant found to have violated conditions of probation, which is revoked and is sentenced to five years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for possession of a controlled substance. Court suspends execution of sentence, with condition that defendant service 120-days in institutional treatment program, pursuant to RSMo. 559.115.

Marshfield P.D.

The following calls were handled by the Marshfield Police Department.

March 9

 Responded to theft in the 900 block of Banning.

 Assisted paramedics in the 400 block of Locust.

 Checked suspicious subject in the area of Spur Drive and Vivian.

 Checked well being of person in the 300 block of Marshall.

 Assisted citizen in the 700 block of Washington.

 Checked suspicious subject in the 1200 block of Spur Drive.

 Responded to disturbance in the area of Jackson and White Oak.

 Checked suspicious activity in the 14000 block of Highway 38.

 Assisted agency in the area of Route OO. One subject arrested.

 Responded to disturbance in the area of Jackson and White Oak.

 Responded to disturbance in the 14000 block of Highway 38.

 Checked suspicious vehicle in the 1300 block of Washington.

 Checked suspicious vehicle in the area of Smith Avenue.

 Assisted paramedics in the 500 block of Church Street.

 Responded to alarm in the 1000 block of Spur Drive.

 Checked well being of person in the 100 block of Madison.

 Responded to animal complaint in the 1200 block of Spur Drive.

 Assisted motorist in the 800 block of Jackson.

 Assisted motorist in the area of Interstate 44.

March 10

 Responded to 911 call in the 800 block of Lewis.

 Responded to alarm in the 600 block of Locust.

 Checked suspicious subject in the 200 block of Jackson. One subject arrested.

 Assisted motorist in the 1100 block of Spur Drive.

 Responded to disturbance in the 500 block of Commercial.

 Responded to juvenile complaint in the 700 block of Washington.

 Responded to theft in the 1300 block of Spur Drive.

 Assisted motorist in the 700 block of White Oak.

 Assisted motorist in the 14000 block of Highway 38.

 Checked well being of person in the 700 block of Washington.

 Responded to theft in the 1300 block of Spur Drive.

March 11

 Responded to alarm in the 200 block of Washington.

 Checked well being of person in the 400 block of Haymes.

 Checked well being of person in the 200 block of Walnut.

 Assisted motorist in the 1600 block of Washington.

 Responded to noise complaint in the 500 block of Madison.

 Responded to report of property damage in the 800 block of Joann.

 Assisted motorist in the 700 block of McVay.

 Responded to alarm in the 200 block of Route W.

 Checked suspicious vehicle in the 100 block of Route W.

 Checked suspicious subject in the 500 block of Church Street.

 Checked suspicious vehicle in the 1300 block of Spur Drive.

 Assisted citizen in the 300 block of Buffalo.

 Checked well being of person in the 200 block of Walnut.

 Responded to alarm in the 200 block of Route W.

 Responded to alarm in the 200 block of Washington.

 Responded to juvenile complaint in the 400 block of Haymes.

 Responded to alarm in the 14000 block of Highway 38.

 Assisted paramedics in the 100 block of Route W.

March 12

 Responded to disturbance in the 1100 block of Estate Drive.

 Responded to report of property damage in the 400 block of Madison.

 Responded to 911 call in the 500 block of Mill.

 Assisted motorist in the 200 block of Jackson.

 Responded to juvenile complaint in the 200 block of Elizabeth.

 Assisted agency in the area of Hubble and Pine.

 Responded to noise complaint in the 500 block of Madison.

 Checked suspicious vehicle in the 1300 block of Spur Drive.

 Responded to motor vehicle wreck in the 400 block of Mill.

 Checked suspicious subject in the area of Washington and Blair.

 Responded to juvenile complaint in the 200 block of Commercial.

 Responded to motor vehicle wreck in the 400 block of Mill.

 Assisted motorist in the 100 block of Route W.

 Assisted citizen in the 500 block of Olive.

 Checked suspicious activity in the area of Blair and Washington.

 Responded to juvenile complaint in the 200 block of Commercial.

 Responded to disturbance in the 200 block of Second Street.

March 13

 Checked suspicious vehicle in the 800 block of Jackson.

 Checked suspicious subject in the 600 block of Sellview.

 Assisted motorist in the 900 block of Woodhurst.

 Assisted agency in the 1300 block of Spur Drive.

 Assisted motorist in the 14000 block of Highway 38.

 Checked suspicious subject in the 14000 block of Highway 38.

 Checked well being of person in the 300 block of Walnut.

 Assisted paramedics in the 1500 block of Pine.

 Assisted motorist in the 700 block of Haymes Court.

 Responded to 911 call in the 300 block of Ash.

 Assisted citizen in the 800 block of Washington.

 Responded to juvenile complaint in the 600 block of McVay.

 Assisted motorist in the 500 block of Washington.

 Checked well being of person in the 400 block of Clay.

March 14

 Assisted motorist in the 1300 block of Spur Drive.

 Checked suspicious vehicle in the 1300 block of Spur Drive.

 Checked well being of person in the 1400 block of Glenwood.

 Responded to 911 call in the 400 block of Olive.

 Responded to 911 call in the 200 block of Jackson.

 Assisted paramedics in the 1400 block of Glenwood.

 Checked suspicious subject in the 800 block of Washington.

 Checked suspicious subject in the 14000 block of Highway 38.

 Responded to theft in the 14000 block of Highway 38.

 Assisted agency in the 500 block of Hubble.

 Checked well being of person in the 1300 block of Spur Drive.

 Responded to disturbance in the area of Spur Drive and Vivian.

 Responded to disturbance in the 1300 block of Spur Drive. One subject arrested.

March 15

 Checked suspicious activity in the 800 block of Commercial.

 Checked suspicious vehicle in the 1200 block of Spur Drive.

 Responded to 911 call in the 700 block of Marshall.

 Checked well being of person in the 500 block of McVay.

 Responded to noise complaint in the 400 block of Creekside.

 Assisted motorist in the 100 block of Senior Drive.

 Responded to theft in the 1100 block of Washington.

 Responded to animal complaint in the area of Spur Drive and Washington.

 Responded to motor vehicle wreck in the 1200 block of Spur Drive.

 Assisted motorist in the 800 block of Joann.

 Assisted agency in the 600 block of Church Street.

 Assisted citizen in the 300 block of Crittenden.

County commission

The following are minutes from recent meetings of the Webster County Commission.

March 5

 A meeting was held concerning obstacles encountered at the construction site of the new jail. Also present were: Mike Sturdefant, road and bridge department supervisor; and Craig Ericson, Septagon Construction Management, Inc. Dorisel Bennett, Fordland crew chief, joined the conversation midway.

Ericson reported that while the county road department had largely completed the rough excavation of the site, additional excavation (mainly rock breaking) continued to be necessary to accommodate the concrete, plumbing and electrical contractors. He estimated the amount of rock breaking would require the ongoing commitment of the countys large track hoe excavator and one dump truck for eight (40-hour) weeks. This delay would put the contractors (and project in general) far off schedule. Therefore, he suggested the county rent an additional excavator to devote to the project. The alternative, he pointed out, was to allow each contractor to perform its own rock breaking at the varying rates provided in their bids (some, substantially higher than what it would cost for the county to perform the work itself).

Sturdefant stated the ongoing commitment of equipment and operators was putting the road department off its schedule. He stated an additional piece of equipment was needed merely to complete a number of pressing road projects (including a new bridge on North Iron Mountain Road), as well as commence the extension of Elm Street north of State Highway CC on behalf of the city of Marshfield.

The commission expressed frustration that the construction manager had underplayed the road departments expected commitment, and that they were not informed until last week that the project was falling behind schedule. After discussion, the commission agreed to: rent an additional piece of equipment to enable the road department to get back on its project schedule; authorize overtime to road personnel in order to allow the current excavator at the site to run 60 hours per week; and to authorize the electrical contractor to conduct their own breaking/excavation at an estimated cost of $13,000. In this way, it was believed the eight-week delay could be shortened by more than half of that time.

 Shelly Clift, deputy county clerk, presented invoices against funds under commission supervision. Said invoices were reviewed and approved.

 Mary Clair, treasurer, presented invoices paid against officeholder side funds for commission review.

 Associate commissioner Dale Fraker moved to transfer $1,683 from the General Revenue Fund to the PACARS Fund (aka (Prosecuting Attorneys Retirement Fund) to cover required contributions for the time period JanuaryJune 2018. This is calculated upon the rate of $280.50 per month. Associate commissioner Randy Owens seconded. The vote in favor was unanimous; motion carried.

 The commission reviewed and approved reports of property tax changes made during the month of February 2018 by the assessor and collectors office, including: personal property additions; and personal property abatements.

 Dale Hartwell, maintenance supervisor, requested consideration and received approval of the purchase of a tractor-mounted brush to use for snow removal and maintenance of county facilities and parking areas.

 Nathan Morris, IT supervisor, reported on progress on a number of issues, including: communication wiring improvements in the courthouse; implementation of a new phone system; and proposals for boring under Jefferson Street to connect the new jail to the existing courthouse via fiber optic lines.

 The commission inspected the following: Farmland Road, Hardwood Road, Bell Springs Road, Liberty Road, New Hope Road, Black Oak Road, Twelve Point Road and the shop building at the former Diggins Road Maintenance Facility.

 King Coltrin, representing CJW Transportation Consultants LLC, dropped off a letter of interest in response to the countys Request for Qualifications  scheduled to be opened the following day at 11 a.m.

 Spencer Jones, representing Great River Engineering, dropped off a letter of interest in response to the countys Request for Qualifications.

 Bids for aggregate (opened Feb. 20) were reviewed. No action was taken.

March 6

 Bids were received for the purchase of bulk fuel at the Marshfield and Fordland Road Maintenance Facilities. Four bids were received: Carter Energy; MFA Oil Company; Ozark Mountain Energy (OME); and Rex Smith Oil Company. Commissioner Owens moved to award the bid to the lowest bid (OME). Commissioner Fraker seconded. The vote in favor was unanimous; motion carried.

 Mike Sturdefant, road and bridge department supervisor, gave a department update.

 Steve Walsh, field staff for U.S. Representative Vicky Hartzler, offered assistance with any issues facing the county in its dealings with the federal government. Delays in receiving reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were among the topics covered.

 Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) were opened for general engineering services. Three complete proposals were received: CJW Transportation Consultants; Cochran Engineering & Survey; and Great River Engineering. A fourth proposal, from Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc. (CMT), was submitted electronically but was incomplete. Also present were: King Coltrin, of CJW; and Sally Bartnett Bothmann, of Cochran. No action was taken, pending further review.

 Dennis Wiggins, representing the Missouri Career Center, requested the countys participation in a town hall meeting to inform the public and the business community about the services provided by the agency.

 Kelly Vaught and Cody Stice, representing The Pavement Store and Hutchens Construction, presented information about a new pavement sealing product marketed by their firm.

 Mike Sturdefant and Wayne Turner, special projects manager for the road and bridge department, met concerning recent damage to a low water crossing at Bell Springs Road. The structure was damaged by storms in December of 2015. It has been approved by FEMA for an improved project, and is on the schedule to be replaced by a larger bridge structure in 2019. The commission debated whether to change those plans, in light of a change in interpretation by the Missouri office of the Federal Highway Administration regarding eligibility of such projects for soft match credit under the Bridge Replacement-Offsystem (BRO) program. Also, they wondered whether recent damage would necessitate moving the project forward on an already crowded schedule. Brief consideration was given whether to close the road until a determination could be made, but no action was taken.

A revised bridge policy was also reviewed. Fraker moved to adopt the new Webster County Bridge Policy as presented. Owens seconded. The vote in favor was unanimous; motion carried.

 Dustin Ross inquired about specifications for a new road to connect Hillside Loop and East Commerce Road (south of the city of Marshfield).

 Commissioner Fraker moved to execute a contract for fiber optic internet service through Sho-Me Technologies. Terms include a 60-month commitment, and bandwidth of 50 Mbps. Commissioner Owens seconded. The vote in favor was unanimous; motion carried.

 Chris Young, representing Murphy Tractor & Equipment Company, presented draft bid specifications for the purchase of a tractor and/or brush cutter.

 Aggregate bids from Feb. 20 were reviewed. The low bidder in all categories was Hostetler Quarry, located in Dallas County. However, due to the additional cost of transportation, it was deemed that Hostetlers bid is lowest and best only for projects in the far north and west corner of Webster County. For all other projects, rock will be purchased from one of the three quarries located in Webster County.

During the previous weeks discussion, the commission reaffirmed its preference to continue the policy from prior years of asking the remaining three bidders (Ash Grove Aggregates, Double Eagle Aggregates and Lile Quarry) to match the lowest in-county bid for each category. However, not all bidders were agreeable to doing so in every category. Therefore, a schedule was created, showing the lowest bidder by vendor and type of product.

Commissioner Owens moved to approve the negotiated schedules as presented. Commissioner Fraker seconded. The vote in favor was unanimous; motion carried.

Food service inspections

The following are Webster County restaurant and food service inspections.

Restaurants are graded using a state-issued matrix that rates restaurants according to current health codes. Violations are categorized as either priority or core. Priority items are more likely than other violations to contribute to food contamination, illness, or an environmental health hazard. A priority items application supports, facilitates or enables the elimination, prevention or reduction of hazards associated with foodborne illness or injury to an acceptable level. Core items may lead to conditions favorable for food contamination, illness or environmental health hazards. Core items include general sanitation, operational controls, sanitation standard operating procedures, facilities or structures, equipment design, or general maintenance.

The Webster County Health Units environmental public health specialist is in charge of restaurant inspections, along with the inspection of schools, gas stations and senior citizen centers.

In an effort to make this report more reader friendly, verbiage in this report may differ slightly from the exact wording used by the inspector on the official inspection report form. For a copy of official inspection forms, please contact the Webster County Health Unit at 859-2532.

Red Apple Tea Room

301 Hwy C, Seymour

Type of inspection: Routine

March 28

Priority violations

 No priority violations observed.

Core violations

 No core violations observed.

Caseys General Store

103 W. Clinton, Seymour

Type of inspection: Routine

March 28

Priority violations

 Food stored in back walk-in freezer uncovered and being dripped on by fan unit. Recommend to discard food item. Corrected at the time of inspection.

 Chemicals stored next to canned drink items. Corrected at the time of inspection.

Core violations

 Unshielded light bulbs in display walk-in cooler. Correct by next routine inspection.

 Uncovered food items in display walk-in cooler. Correct by next routine inspection.

 Single serve items stored face up under prep table. Correct by next routine inspection.

 No lid on wastebasket in public restroom. Correct by next routine inspection.

 Missing ceiling tiles in food prep area. Corrected at the time of inspection.

Food Mart

219 W. Clinton, Seymour

Type of inspection: Routine

March 28

Priority violations

 No priority violations observed.

Core violations

 No core violations observed.

Seymour Senior Center

205 Commercial, Seymour

Type of inspection: Routine

March 29

Priority violations

 No priority violations observed.

Core violations

 Missing ceiling tiles in back storage. Correct by next routine inspection.

Marriages

The following marriage licenses were issued by the Webster County Recorders office.

 Terrill Lee Van Zante, 74, Springfield, and Barbara Kay Maness, 59, Marshfield.

 Daniel Lee Lewis, 23, Bolivar, and Julian Elizabeth Lawson, 22, Tallahassee, Florida.

 John Christian Anderson, 61, Heppner, Oregon, and Lori Leigh Bennett, 53, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

 Terry Shane Kindred, 45, and Rose Ann Chambers, 52, both of Marshfield.

 Joshua B. Mitchell, 32, and Cheyenne Cheri Jordan, 33, both of Fair Grove.

 Crista Dawnell Pambianco, 43, and Amanda June Beckley, 28, both of Fordland.

 Willis Albert King, 49, and Janie Irene Glenn, 45, both of Fordland.

 Christian N. M. Schwartz, 19, and Priscilla E. P. Schwartz, 18, both of Seymour.

 Dylan Michael Kruse, 20, and Sierra Marie Scott, 18, both of Springfield.

 Armond Eugene Pitts, 38, and Misty Dawn Shahan, 37, both of Springfield.

 Michael Garrett Harleman, 22, and Rebecca Jo Luebbert, 19, both of Marshfield.
The London Symphony Orchestra, one of the world's most widely traveled classical institutions, announced Friday that it would tour South America for the first time.

Led by star conductor Simon Rattle, the leading British orchestra will travel in May 2019 to Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru.

The orchestra will perform 60 concerts overseas in the 2018-19 season and plans a new major tour of Asia this year. But it had held off on South America, a decision that in the past was partly linked to security concerns.

The orchestra made the announcement in New York where it will perform all three late symphonies by Gustav Mahler starting Friday.

"For me, Mahler was what first made me want to be a conductor. I'm of the generation who can remember when Mahler was new and wonderful," Rattle told reporters ahead of the concerts.

The 63-year-old said that Mahler was little played in Britain until the 1960s and that, on hearing his momentous Symphony No. 3, "All of us just thought that the heavens had opened."

Mahler wrote his last three works -- Symphony No. 9, Symphony No. 10 and "Das Lied von der Erde" ("The Song of the Earth") -- in his final years after he fled anti-Semitism in Vienna for the United States, where he led the New York Philharmonic.

One of the last of the great Romantic composers, Mahler wrote the three pieces in despair as he suffered heart illness and mourned his daughter who had died in Austria of scarlet fever.

Mahler, who died in 1911 before any of the three works was performed, was influenced as he composed by the sounds of New York, with a policeman's funeral inspiring the percussion at the end of Symphony No. 10 and Chinese music infusing "Das Lied von der Erde."

Rattle, who said he has conducted Symphony No. 10 more than 100 times, found it "extraordinary" to perform the works in New York.

"They were conceived in New York, they have so much to do with new York, but yet he never heard a note," Rattle said.
Jonathan Lemire

NEW YORK, US.- Rudy Giuliani, once known as Americas Mayor and hailed for helping unite a wounded city after Sept. 11, has become the aggressive face of President Donald Trumps forceful new legal team.

Giuliani, who is bonded with the president by a particular brand of New York bravado, has escalated Trumps attacks on the Department of Justice, pushed for strict limits on special counsel Robert Muellers Russia probe and upended White House legal strategy.

Donald Trump said Giuliani was a great guy but he just started a day ago and that he was still learning the subject matter.

Giuliani and Trump cut out senior West Wing aides this week as they hashed out plans to combat what they see as an existential threat to his presidency. But on Friday, Trump suggested that Giuliani may have stepped out of line  at least in one area.

The president told reporters that the former New York City mayor still needed to get his facts straight on one of the legal fronts facing Trump, the $130,000 payment that his personal attorney Michael Cohen made to porn actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 to buy her silence about a sexual tryst with Trump.

Trump said Giuliani was a great guy but he just started a day ago and that he was still learning the subject matter. It remained to see what impact Trumps brushback would have on Giuliani, who had quickly become the dominant figure on the presidents reshuffled legal team as his political inner circle is stocked with familiar, TV-ready faces.
Elliot Spagat | Mark Stevenson

TIJUANA.- The group that organized a monthlong caravan of Central Americans seeking asylum in the United States wanted to draw attention to the plight of people fleeing violence. If headlines are any measure, it has been a smashing success.

President Donald Trump and Cabinet members have called the caravan a deliberate attempt to overwhelm U.S. authorities and proof that more must be done to secure the border with Mexico, including construction of a wall.

Tambien te puede interesar: Arizona approves big teacher raises, could end 5-day strike

The rhetoric from the White House and its allies has also fueled an outpouring of support from Mexicans and Americans, with food and other staples, financial contributions, free legal advice and offers of a place to live in the U.S. Roberto Corona, founder of Pueblo Sin Fronteras, considers the intense spotlight a mixed blessing.

It has raised public awareness of the toll of violence in Central America, but he said it may sharpen a crackdown by the U.S. government. We want to show the humanity of this, not the politics, Corona said. Its not about the wall.

Caravan organizers have been pilloried by the Trump administration. Vice President Mike Pence said during a California border tour Monday that the asylum seekers were being exploited by open-border political activists and an agenda-driven media.
En Thomas

Washington, US.- Vice President Mike Pence is postponing a planned trip to Brazil this month as President Donald Trump prepares for a historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Pence had been expected to visit Brazil in late May. But his office says the trip is being postponed to avoid pulling national security resources away from Trumps planned meeting with Kim.

Trump has not yet announced a date or location for the meeting. But he has said he favors holding the meeting at the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea.

Pences office says by remaining in the U.S. the vice president will be able to support the president and the national security team as the North Korean meeting approaches. Trump is pushing to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.
CATHERINE LUCEY

Dallas, US.- Months after the horror of the Parkland school shootings in Florida, President Donald Trump stood before cheering members of the National Rifle Association on Friday and implored them to elect more Republicans to Congress to defend gun rights.

Trump, speaking on Air Force One on the way to the event in Dallas, called the NRA a truly great organization that loves this country.

Trump claimed that Democrats want to outlaw guns and said if the nation takes that drastic step, it might as well ban all vans and trucks because they are the new weapons for maniac terrorists.

We will never give up our freedom. We will live free and we will die free, Trump said, as he sought to rally pro-gun voters for the 2018 congressional elections. Weve got to do great in 18.

Activists energized by shootings at schools, churches and elsewhere are also focused on those elections.

In the aftermath of the February school shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which left 17 dead and many more wounded, Trump had temporarily strayed from gun rights dogma.

During a televised gun meeting with lawmakers in late February, he wagged his finger at a Republican senator and scolded him for being afraid of the NRA, declaring that he would stand up to the group and finally get results in quelling gun violence. But he later backpedaled on that tough talk.

He was clearly back in the fold at the NRAs annual convention, pledging that Americans Second Amendment right to bear arms will never ever be under siege as long as I am your president.

Trump briefly referenced the Parkland shootings in his speech, saying that he mourned for the victims and their families and noting that he signed a spending bill that included provisions to strengthen the federal background check system for gun purchases as well as add money to improve school safety.

He also repeated his strong support for letting highly trained teachers carry concealed weapons.

Trumps speech in Dallas was his fourth consecutive appearance at the NRAs annual convention. His gun comments were woven into a campaign-style speech that touched on the Russia probe, the 2016 campaign, his efforts in North Korea and Iran and his fight against illegal immigration.

In strikingly personal criticism of members of Congress, he decried what he said were terribly weak immigration laws, declaring, We have laws that were written by people that truly could not love our country.
CALEB JONES |MARCO GARCIA

Pahoa, Hawaii.- The Kilauea volcano sent more lava into Hawaii communities Friday, a day after forcing nearly 1,500 people to flee from their mountainside homes, and authorities detected high levels of sulfur gas that could threaten the elderly and people with breathing problems.

The eruption that began Thursday spewed molten lava that chewed through forests and bubbled up on paved streets. One resident described the scene as a curtain of fire.

After a week of earthquakes and warnings that an eruption could be imminent, steam and lava poured out of a crack in the community of Leilani Estates near the town of Pahoa on the Big Island, officials said.

Video showed lava spurting into the sky from a crack in a road and a line of lava snaking through a forest. On Friday, the activity continued, with reports of eruptions from volcanic vents on two streets.

Civil defense officials cautioned the public about high levels of sulfur dioxide near the volcano and urged vulnerable people to leave immediately. Exposure to the gas can cause irritation or burns, sore throats, runny noses, burning eyes and coughing.

Jeremiah Osuna, who captured the drone footage, described the scene as a curtain of flame roaring through the vegetation.
Earlier this week, I published an article asking whether Robin Hanson was the creepiest economist in America. The George Mason University professor had become Twitter-notorious for a blog post in which he used a recent misogynist murder spree in Canada as an opportunity to ponder a world in which sexually frustrated young men might form a political movement to try to redistribute sex, and compared those who might want to do this to progressives who want to redistribute income. The reaction was not kind, and Hanson found himself trying to explain that he hadnt intended to advocate for rape or violence against women, or to suggest support for violent incels. It didnt help matters that the professor has a history of controversial writing on gender issues and has written supportively of the mens rights movement.

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The reaction to Hansons post was swift and appalled. We are now in the reaction to the reaction phase, after Ross Douthat wrote his own piece exploring the idea of sex redistribution. In response to my piece, however, Hanson did something a bit unexpected: He embraced the label I gave him, writing a blog post titled, Why Economics Is, And Should Be, Creepy. In it, he spent some time reviewing the academic literature on creepiness and concluded that the term seemed apt, but not necessarily bad, in his view, since it represented the fields willingness to be intellectually adventurous.

Economists often consider language and policies that violate world norms, which makes them possibly threatening, he wrote. While many surface indications suggest they have the best of motives, they also have many quirks that make them seem a bit odd. So they are harder to trust. Making economists an ambiguous threat. Which is to say: economics is naturally a bit creepy.

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Hanson and I talked about that post and more during a long phone call on Wednesday and a follow-up call on Thursday. He had originally asked to publish a response to my piece on Slate, but instead agreed to a Q&A. We had a fairly wide-ranging conversation, and the interview has been edited significantly for length and slightly for clarity. Two of my follow-up questions appear first below, while another two appear at the end of the transcript.

Jordan Weissmann: What exactly did you mean by the phrase redistribute sex?

Robin Hanson: I had in mind the general concept of changing the distribution of sex. The concern is about inequality and sex. And thats represented in the distribution of sex. And I had in mind policies that might influence that distribution. And since sex is a very complicated thing, its influenced by a great many elements of our lives; that means theres potentially a great many policy levers. Many people who thought of me as an advocate thought it was appropriate to demand that I give specific proposals. What was I proposing? And I said, well, Im not trying to give specific proposals. Im trying to talk about the general idea of doing something in this space.

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I listed a number of concrete examples. But I didnt think of those as obviously the best, just the things that we know about, or come to my mind. There was legalizing prostitution. There is giving people money who have less sex, so they could use it for various things. There is perhaps some training they could undergo. There is promotion of monogamy and discouragement of promiscuity, because those apparently seem to have influenced the distribution of sex. And I gave the example of promoting monogamy to show that societies have had policies in this space for a long time that have been effective. So its not like its impossible to have any policies here, or that nobodys interested.

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In your blog post in response to my article, you wrote that economists should sometimes be creepy. But do you think its possible that certain creepy arguments, or some of the language you use when writing about sex, contributes to the environment that alienates women from economics?

I dont know. The claim was that economists have an important role to play in re-examining our social practices and institutions from scratch using our best theory, and that weour societyhas many quick heuristic norms about what sorts of things shouldnt touch or connect to which other things, and which policies shouldnt be used where. And that we should push past those in our analysis. If its true that women are less comfortable with that, then in general, that might be more off-putting to women. If it happens to be true that women are less comfortable with doing that on particular topics like sex, then the fact that that happens with sex might put them off.

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Have you ever considered asking a women in your office, when youre writing on one of these very sensitive issues about gender and sex, Hey, am I crossing a line here? Is there something Im not thinking about?

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Obviously the more I expected something to generate a hostile or unexpected reaction, the more I would try to be careful. But that comes at a cost. Its time-consuming to have people review your posts and give you comments on them before you post them. And most people dont. Most bloggers, I think its pretty clear, dont have people pre-read their posts before they post them.

Do you have a number of female colleagues at the economics department at George Mason?

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I have female colleagues. But theyre not near me in the office structure.

Do you ever talk with them about these subjects?

No, but honestly, I hardly ever talk to any of my colleagues about these subjects. Male or female.

Do you think the dearth of women in economics is a serious issue for the field right now?

I believe that on average, since women are being discriminated against, we would better off if we didnt do that. If we didnt discriminate against women there would be more of them and wed be better off as a result. That seems like a really easy thing to conclude. I dont know if its a big thing. I dont know if its a large effect on the profession. I think that we have other much larger problems than that. But its certainly a problem.

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Youre a fan of the mens movement, or the mens rights movement. What appeals to you about it?

Well, I have a somewhat contrarian bent, as do many of my colleagues. So when I hear a point of view presented as being contrarian, and plausibly so in the sense that its not the dominant point of view and people criticize it, that makes me curious. And if upon a first cut browse of that point of view, it seems plausible or even reasonable, thats interesting because most dont meet that standard. And so mens rights does plausibly meet that standard.

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Feminists have long also said that standard social roles and expectations hurt men as well as women. But having men say and this specifically is how they are hurting us, and this is how law and policy is hurting us, takes that further. So I thought it was plausible to note that male parents were consistently losers in custody battles. And often courts would assign the man financial responsibility to a child that was not actually theirs because the court thought somebody should be paying. That also seemed to me a legitimate complaint. And of course, there are statistics that on many parameters men are more widely distributed than women. Men have a higher variance. And it includes many success parameters. Often there are more men at the high end of the distribution of success, but also more men at the low end, in failure. And the mens rights people were pointing to that low end saying there seemed to be less sympathy for that. These are things that seem to me, on the face of it, plausible arguments.

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I think that when a lot of people hear the phrase mens rights activists, though, they associate it with a certain kind of misogyny. Can you see why some people would feel suspect of someone who says hey, Im a fan of the mens rights movement?

So, I have a book out recently co-authored with Kevin Simler called The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life, which is about why were not fully aware of many of our motives. One of the chapters is on politics. And in that chapter we say we like to think about politics in terms of promoting better policy. But its actually more about taking sides and showing your side that youre with them. And I think that is in fact what happens more in these cases. So that peoples first reaction to hearing somebody like me say anything about a topic is to ask, What cues can I get out of this about what side theyre on? And am I on that side or against it? And I think that does play out here. And thats an obstacle for someone trying to do abstract academic analysis, which is that people will mostly ignore the analysis. And take these cues to decide what side youre on and react that way.

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Do you think the mens movement has a misogyny problem, and a violence problem, at this point?

Im not close enough to it to really know much about the different subgroups, and their affiliations, and their pattern. I think we just have a general problem that when there are differences in opinion, the loudest, most outrageous people get far more disproportionate attention. And so thats a problem with our discourse all over the place. And certainly it happens on the other side too. People on the right can find the most extreme, crazy sounding people on the left to point to and say those people think like this. And therefore, Im not so crazy dismissing them. And so thats a problem. Because people like yourself are drawn to finding the most extreme, dramatic quotes they can find, wherever they go searching. Given the large amount of stuff published today, youre going to be able to find extreme stuff. And then the key question is how representative is that of the larger group of people who share those concerns. And our current media world does a lousy job helping people estimate that. Im not saying that it must only be a tiny fraction. Im saying how can you tell? As an observer like myself who hasnt looked into it, how do I know how representative that is. And so thats why I dont speak to it. I dont take a stance on those communities. On their opinions, and their attitudes, and whether theyre praise-worthy.

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But your stance is that when you think they have a point, youre happy to think about it and discuss it?

In general, as you probably know, people like myself think abstractly and write abstractly. And most of the time when we write an abstract blog post, it just falls completely flat and nobodys interested. And people constantly tell us what you need to do is have one of these ideas and wait until its in the news, and then if you blog on it, then people will be more interested.

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So is that what you did here? You saw a news hook.

Right. I said, Oh, look, heres an excuse to talk about a subject Ive talked about many times before because its in the news.

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Oof, I gotta tell you man, as a journalist, I understand the impulse. As a reader, it didnt strike me as the best time to launch into a sympathetic take on sexually frustrated men given that one had just mowed down 10 people with a van.

Right. And I hear you. And that sounds plausible. And if I had thought these things through more carefully, I would have paid more attention to that. And honestly, you know, in addition to many idiosyncratic things, I am probably personally less able to and inclined to think those things through. Im more the nerdy intellectual type in his own head, trying to understand the world and work out puzzles and theories.

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Your post said that being sexually frustrated may be as bad as being poor, and seemed to suggest that sexual inequality might be as big an issue as income inequality. Why do you think thats the case?

Well, I havent failed to notice that sex is a big thing. As I mentioned many times over the years, many people say explicitly sex is a big thing to them. Many people say explicitly that not having sex is a big thing. And that sounds plausible to me of course because Ive sometimes had less than at other times. And that was a big thing for me. And of course, sex is a huge part of literature and common conversation. So its obviously a big thing to people. One question is how big, perhaps. But note, for the structure of my argument, I dont need to claim that sex is as important or more important than income. I just need to say that its in the ballpark, comparable. That its the sort of thing you might consider. So you dont actually have to choose between dealing with income inequality and sex inequality. You could be trying to deal with both, even if one is smaller than the other. To me the interesting point is that many people are all over and into income redistribution. And those people seem hostile to the idea of sex redistribution. And on the other side, the people interested in sex redistribution dont seem to be very interested in income redistribution. And thats an interesting phenomenon and puzzle.

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Ive noticed that you bring this up somewhat frequently in your work. You hit on this point that people are not interested in all sorts of inequality. There are select kinds of inequality that draw their attention. What I cant tell is if you think that somehow invalidates their concerns about the sort of inequality they care about.

This recent book, The Elephant in the Brain, concludes that we are often wrong about our motives. Its main method is to focus on puzzling behaviors that are the main clue to the difference between the motives we claim and the motives we actually have. So Im all about noticing puzzles and trying to dig into them. And one of the possible hypotheses to consider in these puzzling behaviors and cases is that people are not honest with themselves about their motives. So yes, thats obviously a candidate explanation here.

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So you think that people who worry about income inequality just might not be sincere?

Well they might not be fully aware of their own motives.

What other motives do you think might be behind their concerns?

Well, I have a blog post that you may have seen or not suggesting that inequality talk may be about grabbing.

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Compared to the median person in history, almost everyone in our society is rich. And so, the threat of not dying if you dont have enough money is really a pretty minor threat.

Its a way to gain power over other groups?

I noticed that among the many types of inequality we could focus on, we focus on the one thats easiest to grab a lot, that makes it easiest to take things and then have an excuse for taking things. So that is suspicious to me. Its not definitive.

Another plausible hypothesis, though, I should say, is that we inherited a huge amount of default concerns from our ancestors as foragers. We spent 1 million years or 2 million years as foragers and have only really spent 10,000 years or so after that. And foragers consistently redistributed food and protection. And they did not redistribute sex. So, you could just say that default presumption has remained from a forager ancestry. Thats another plausible hypothesis to explain this difference.

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Isnt the simplest explanation that moneys really important and you cant live without it?

We live in a rich society.

Not everybody is rich, though. Thats the whole point.

Theyre still rich compared to most people who ever lived in history. Compared to the median person in history, almost everyone in our society is rich. And so, the threat of not dying if you dont have enough money is really a pretty minor threat for the vast majority of people in rich societies.

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Is that the standard we really want to judge by now? Not dying?

Well thats the one you mentioned!

I want to move on to another one of your most controversial posts or series of posts, where you compared infidelitythe phrase you used was cuckoldryto rape. You eventually said it was a bit like gentle, silent rape. Why do you think those two things are potentially equivalent?

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So just to be clear, the scenario is a man spends his life raising a child that is not his. And they do that unknowingly and without having agreed to it. Its not any mere infidelity that were talking about here. And so were comparing that to rape. And in the background, I was using a sort of simple evolutionary heuristic to ask roughly what would we guess the overall level of concerns about these things to be, if evolution had encoded our concern about them with a connection to their evolutionary harm. We do this a lot with human behavior and animal behavior: We look at what is in their evolutionary interest and then we try to explain behavior that way. And so, from that larger evolutionary perspective, its quite plausible that cuckoldry would be a larger harm than rape, because cuckoldry is actually is actually having lost that evolutionary heritage, and rape is the potential of that.

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What drew you to this subject? Youve come back to it over a series of years. Its clearly something you are interested in. It wasnt a one-off post.

I teach law and economics. And so Im frequently thinking about various elements of law and asking about our differential treatment of different things in law. Its a legal phenomena and it seemed to be an interesting question. Another data point we have is that until the last few hundred years, most societies in the farming era did consider cuckoldry a larger harm than rape.

In the last few hundred years theres been a number of very strong long-term trends in attitudes and values that are striking. Were more anti-slavery, pro-equality, pro-democracy, pro-leisure, pro-art, lower fertility. And one common favored explanation for these trends is moral discovery: that we have just reasoned about these problems and now better understand the moral truths about what better behaviors and attitudes toward these things are. I dont find that very plausible as an explanation. One reason is that this theory of moral discovery predicts that it should look roughly like a random walk, because thats how information processes change things, but instead it looks like steady trends.

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And I instead favor a theory that the proximate cause is increasing wealththat we are primed to change our attitudes on many of these things due to being rich. And the more underlying cause is that we are reverting to forager-like values as we get rich. Foragers are more attuned with nature and their feelings, and they basically lived doing what felt right, and that usually went roughly right. And farming was only possible because we had enough cultural plasticity to rein that in, and produce a lot of self-control through conformity pressures and religion, to create a whole different set of values and behaviors that was actually somewhat at odds with our forager nature. In the last few hundred years weve been getting rich, and as we get rich, these implicit threats that kept us true to the farming ways have just felt less plausible and compelling. And we have drifted back toward forager attitudes, which explains most of these major trends.

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Im less inclined than most people, or even most of my colleagues, to focus on moral judgments about all of these things. Im interested in morality as a social phenomenon, trying to understand where it comes from and predict it. But I just tend to think that for the purposes of understanding our world, making my own moral judgments isnt that useful.

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Someone can look at your work and see a guy who has expressed a lot of sympathy for, as you put it, beta males who are sexually frustrated. A guy who is very worried about cuckoldry, which is an issue relating to womens sexual behavior and whether or not theyre sneaking around and lying to men. That you are at least willing to entertain and at least talk about ideas like sexual redistribution, which even if some people might have interpreted that in a more malign way than you intended it, is still a frightening concept. They might look at all that and say, hey, this guy, even if he isnt saying it outright, hes interested in patriarchy.

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Let me first note that if we made any sort of rough estimate about how important sex is in peoples lives, I doubt it would fall below 10 percent. And I have spent substantially less than 10 percent of my intellectual career thinking about sex. So, compared to its relative importance, I have underemphasized it. So I dont see myself as someone who is unusually obsessed with sex with respect to my writing. There are many people whose whole careers are focused on sex, and sex relations and gender and mating. And I am not one of those people by far.

If you think of the traditional farming era world or you think of the foraging era world as patriarchy, then I am giving an open mind to patriarchy.

Again, I think if you read Elephant in the Brain, I think you would see that I am more willing to explicitly step back from the world we are inthe industrial era and norms and values and behavior and attitudesand look at it in the context of the other great eras that have gone before us. The farming and the forager eras and potential future eras, like the age of em, and look at them more neutrally, and ask how to understand which ones had better attitudes, or better behaviors, and to understand how to compare them.

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In that mode, I do not want to automatically presume that the norms of my era are obviously the best and that everybody in all times and places should follow them. Therefore, if you think of the traditional farming era world or you think of the foraging era world as patriarchy, then I am giving an open mind to patriarchy. I am asking why its there and what functions it served and why it might be a reasonable response to the context and not just presuming that they didnt have our moral discovery and they didnt have our moral lessons and that they were wrong and we are right.

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You talked about how people often arent aware of their own motivations or arent honest with themselves about their own motivations. Do you ever doubt your own motivations?

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I try to. But its hard. Honestly, I think we each have a limited budget of honesty. And to the extent that Im going to spend that budget, I think its more effective to look at typical, average, human behavior, and try to explain it, and not get too far into my own behavior to explain it.

A straightforward motive story about my article, which Im happy to not deny at least, is the story that Im a libertarian. I lean libertarian. And libertarians have often been more skeptical of rationales for income redistribution. That seems anti-libertarian to them. And so, I and they are more primed to look for doubts about, you know, or defects in peoples concepts of redistribution. And so this comparison of sex inequality is an example of something that calls redistribution into question.

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So are you trying to highlight the hypocrisy of people who support income redistribution but are not open to an idea like sex redistribution? Or are you just genuinely confused about why people who favor one dont favor the other?

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I am not sure why we treat these things differently. I suspect we may not have a good reason for treating them differently, but I dont know that. One of the reasons we treat them differently may well be hypocrisy. Thats certainly one of the theories on the table. But its also true on the other side that the people who are interested in sex inequality but not interested in income inequality would also be hypocrites under that theory. But thats one of the theories on the table. Its not a strong conclusion.

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A problem with our usual political world is that we expect people to be taking stances and that the main reason that theyre in that sort of world is to push some sort of view. So the stance of an analyst standing back and saying gee, I wonder why you do these things, I expect feels a little odd to people who hear the usual policy advocacy in this space.

But you do have an history of expressing sympathy for sexually frustrated men and with expressing some interest in the mens rights movement. So I guess I am still wondering, do you think this idea you expressed, of redistributing sex, is potentially a good idea?

Potentially, sure, thats the whole point. If its an open questionit couldnt be an open question if it werent potentially a good idea.
Someday, when the story of Donald Trumps decline and fall comes to be written, historians may wonder at the impact of a hiring decision that passed by unnoted at the time. When Stormy Daniels brought on Michael Avenatti, she unleashed a force of nature who has been steadily besting Trump at his own game. Now, two months after Avenatti first appeared on the porn actress behalf, Daniels lawyer has laid a series of traps that have genuinely imperiled Trumps presidency.

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In hiring Avenatti, Daniels both benefited from bringing on a zealous advocate and from dumping one of the worlds worst lawyers. If you want to know more about Avenattis predecessor Keith Davidson and havent already showered today, have a look at William Bastones deep dive in the Smoking Gun. Davidson specializes in extracting payments in exchange for the quashing of incriminating videos and/or details about sexual indiscretions, STDs, and all manner of regrettable behavior, Bastone writes. Like Saul Goodman, Davidson understands that you can make an outstanding living by getting people to pay you to go awayeven though paying ensures youll be back later. Davidsons business was, shall we say, demanding contributions from celebrities like Tila Tequila, Hulk Hogan, Paris Hilton, Charlie Sheen, and Kanye West, and then finding new clients to ask them for more.

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Daniels sexual relationship with Donald Trump presented Davidson with a bread-and-butter opportunity to earn a fat commission on a nuisance payment. Davidson got two such commissions in 2016, when Michael Cohen paid $130,000 to buy Daniels silence and when Trumps friend David Pecker spent $150,000 to buy off the Playboy model Karen McDougal.

In this business, the lawyers commodity is the suable celebrity. Daniels was right to suspect that her lawyer was playing for the other team, with Cohen recommending Davidson to potential clients and vice-versa. After the Daniels story broke, Cohen released the statement from Davidsons client, which sounded a lot like it was dictated by Trump: TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: I recently became aware that certain news outlets are alleging that I had a sexual and/or romantic affair with Donald Trump many, many, many years ago.

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The Stormy Daniels story has the virtue of being extremely easy to follow: sex with a porn star, lies, and hush money.

Daniels signed it in a flowery hand, but by that point she was fed up with Davidson and looking for a new lawyer. Im not sure how she found Avenatti, but the match was brilliantly made. Having just won the largest verdict of the previous year in California$454 million from Kimberly-Clark in a class-action over surgical gownshe isnt in it for the money. And unlike his predecessor, who he denounced as an absolute tool, Avenatti really represents his client. From the start, he gave Daniels two shrewd pieces of advice: 1) go ahead and take the risk of violating your non-disclosure agreement while we challenge it in court, and 2) recognize that the case will be fought and won in the media, not in secret arbitration.

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If Robert Mueller is silent as the tomb, Michael Avenatti is a midtown traffic jamspecifically, the one between 30 Rock and the Time Warner Center. At this point he has replaced the old full Ginsburg with the Avenatti ricochetMSBNC to CNN to MSNBC and back to CNN in the same day. He is a risk-taker and a rule-breaker. He gets his energy from insulting enemies and taking theatrical umbrage at their pathetic responses. But if he mirrors Trump in certain respects, Avenatti is deeply unlike him in ways that matter greatly to their conflict. His ego is large, but aligns with his desired outcome. His impulse is to use the truth to his advantage rather than to spin a convenient lie.

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With his taste for driving race cars and the lean, sinewy look of a greyhound, Avenatti combines Trumps media-getting instincts with the ability to think more than five minutes into the future. For weeks before Daniels went on 60 Minutes, he dribbled out details, walking up to the line of annoying her potential sympathizers but never quite crossing it. Daniels acquitted herself brilliantly with Anderson Cooper, coming across as a blunt and funny non-victim. Together, theyve performed a brilliant striptease.

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As a media strategist, Avenatti deploys a strong Twitter-plus-TV game, promoting his many appearances on CNN and MSNBC and his feud with Fox Newsan inverted Trump. Trump bluffed that he might have tapes of his Comey meetings; Avenatti suggests that Daniels has photos. Who knows? Maybe she does.

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To #fakenews #nocollusion he replies #basta, a perfect distillation of his message and the larger case.

Rudy Giuliani - the only ambulance I have ever chased in my career is the one you are driving right now in a desperate attempt to save this presidency. Any time you would like to compare our legal careers and cases over the last 15 yrs, I would be happy to. #sirens #basta  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 3, 2018

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Moments ago, we filed this lawsuit against Mr. Trump for his recent irresponsible and defamatory statements about my client @stormydaniels. He is well aware of what transpired and his complicity. We fully intend on bringing it to light. #buckleup #bastahttps://t.co/ZuBjI1EY9z  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) April 30, 2018

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For those that criticize my client for her profession, let he or she who has NEVER voluntarily viewed ANY form of pornography or gone to a strip club or burlesque show throw as many stones as they wish. As for the others (dare I say over 95%) - BASTA!!! #ownit #dontbeahypocrite  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) April 23, 2018

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As a legal strategist, Avenatti is similarly calculating, a setter of snares that the president and his men arent clever enough to evade. For Trump: Concede paying hush money or admit a campaign finance violation. For Cohen: Admit Trump paid Daniels or open yourself up to possible prosecution or disbarment on ethical grounds.

Before it became clear that Cohen was in legal jeopardy, Avenatti framed these choices in a way designed to a drive wedge between Trump and his lawyer. This split may prove even more decisive than Avenatti could have anticipated back in March. But Avenatti has always understood that when presented with binaries of this sort, his adversaries reliably choose in a way that proves disastrous. Trump tests one alternative, then the other, then the other, until he has backed himself into an inescapable position. We see this same dynamic around the question of whether to testify before the special counsel. Trump says he will, but cant. As soon as Trump says anything, Avenatti reframes the issue as an unappealing choice.

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We will soon find out if Mr. Cohen is really willing to lose his license, perjure himself, and possibly face other charges, all to hide & save Mr. Trump. As this noose tightens, reality will set in and sleepless nights will occur. Especially at 1600... #pickedthewrongfixer #basta  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) April 2, 2018

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How can President Donald Trump seek $20 million in damages against my client based on an agreement that he and Mr. Cohen claim Mr. Trump never was a party to and knew nothing about? #notwellthoughtout #sloppy #checkmate  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) March 17, 2018

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Could the Daniels case bring Trump down? It has the advantage of obviousness. The Russia scandal, comprising various scenarios around collusion and an encyclopedia of unpronounceable names, is difficult to follow and understand. The Stormy Daniels story, if less important, has the virtue of being extremely easy to follow: sex with a porn star, lies, and hush money. If theres not enough rope here to hang Trump with, it does give him enough rope to hang himself, which Trump shows every indication of doing.

Indeed, the president appears to be doing a Stormy-in-reverse, firing his competent lawyers like John Dowd and Ty Cobb in favor of the past-it Rudy Giuliani, who immediately implicated his client by acknowledging that the $130,000 payment to Daniels was made to influence the 2016 election. Every time Daniels lawyer prods him into another incriminating lielike Giulianis cockamamie idea that the monthly retainer he paid Michael Cohen was a reimbursementthe president multiplies his jeopardy, a fact Avenatti is quick to tout on CNN, MSNBC, and CNN again.
This week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection suffered an extraordinary defeat in New Hampshire. A state court found that CBP broke the law by setting up checkpoints far from the border to ensnare marijuana users and that local law enforcement violated the state constitution by colluding with CBP officers to search vehicles for drugs. As a result, the court suppressed all evidence of drug possession gathered by police at the checkpoints. Its decision is a stinging rebuke of federal immigration agents invasive tacticswhich have escalated dramatically under President Donald Trumpas well as an unqualified victory for those states that have refused to cooperate with Trumps immigration dragnets.

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The trouble in New Hampshire began in August and September. CBP, which has been emboldened by the Trump administration to resume controversial practices that declined under President Barack Obama, decided to set up a checkpoint in Woodstock. Although the town is 90 miles from Canada, CBP is authorized to conduct searches up to 100 miles from the nearest international border. The ostensible purpose of the checkpoint was to enforce immigration law, and officers demanded proof of citizenship from drivers who passed through. But they also brought drug-sniffing dogs, allegedly to help them detect concealed humans.

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As the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire later exposed in court, the real purpose of these drug-sniffing dogs was, naturally, to find drugs. But the U.S. attorney for the state does not bring federal charges against those carrying small amounts of cannabis. So CBP asked the Woodstock Police Department to participate in its checkpoint. The two agencies decided to work together. CBP would stop drivers and have a dog sniff their cars. If the dog signaled, a CBP officer would search the car. If the officer found drugs, he would hand them off to WPD, which would press charges for drug possession.

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This cooperation was a gift to the Woodstock police for two reasons. First, New Hampshires marijuana decriminalization law would take effect within just weeks; by working with CBP, local law enforcement could maximize its marijuana prosecutions before it lost the power to arrest cannabis users. Second, and more importantly, the New Hampshire Constitution prohibits canine searches of vehicles without a reasonable suspicion of criminal activityunlike the federal Fourth Amendment, which permits them. Thus, by teaming up with CBP, the Woodstock police hoped to reap the rewards of searches it could not legally conduct on its own.

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CBP found cannabis on several dozen people, and state prosecutors brought charges against most of them. Sixteen of those defendantsrepresented by the New Hampshire ACLU, along with co-counsel Buzz Scherr and Mark Sistidecided to fight back. When New Hampshire police find contraband during an unlawful search, state courts suppress the evidence to safeguard the defendants rights. Although the drugs in these cases had been found by federal agents, state prosecutors brought state charges in a state court. And, under state law, the evidence was seized illegally. As a result, Sisti and the ACLU asked Judge Thomas Rappa of the Plymouth District Court to suppress all evidence gathered during the checkpoint.

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Now, four months after a contentious hearing at which several CBP agents stretched the limits of the truth under oath, Rappa has agreed. In his order, the judge explained that, because the defendants in this matter are facing prosecution in the state court for violation of state laws, the constitutional protections of the New Hampshire Constitution should apply. He then held that the evidence would be inadmissible if seized by law enforcement officials because there was no articulable reasonable suspicion that any of these defendants was involved in criminal activity prior to the initial dog search. The admissibility of the evidence, he wrote, does not change based on the fact that it was seized by federal officers then handed over the state.

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In an astonishing passage, Rappa found that CBP had attempted to deceive the court.

Rappa added that not all of the evidence had been seized by CBP: In reality, Woodstock police helped federal agents conduct the searches. CBP agents attempted to obscure this fact at trial, strenuously denying their collusion with the WPD. But their conflicting stories fell apart under Sistis questioning, and Rappa made clear in his decision that he did not believe them. There were times when WPD actually seized contraband from the defendants vehicle, he wrote. Local law enforcement even helped with traffic control and supervision of detainees. In sum, Rappa found that the state and federal authorities were absolutely working in collaboration with each other.

The judge could have stopped there; after all, this finding was sufficient to suppress all evidence collected by WPD, thwarting the states prosecutions. But he noted that this collusion raised the broader issue of whether CBPs actions were legal under federal law. The U.S. Supreme Court has found that immigration checkpoints are constitutional under the Fourth Amendment as long as their true purpose is to detect immigration violations. It has also ruled that checkpoints designed to detect drug activity are unconstitutional. The question for Rappa, then, is whether CBP lied when it alleged that its check was meant to enforce immigration law rather than to ferret out drug users.

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In an astonishing passage, Rappa found that CBP had attempted to deceive the court and that the agencys real intention was to search cars for drugs with no reasonable suspicion. While the stated purpose of the checkpoints in this matter was screening for immigration violations, the judge wrote, the primary purpose of the action was detection and seizure of drugs. CBP agents were aware of that prior to setting up the checkpoints which is precisely why they felt the need to reach out to the state and local agencies for assistance. Rappa pointed to emails exchanged between CBP and WPD that make it patently clear that the primary purpose of WPDs presence was to seize their drugs for state prosecution. As such, he concluded, the checkpoints were unconstitutional under both state and federal law.

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New Hampshire may appeal Rappas decision, but its difficult to imagine the state winning in a higher court. The facts cut sharply against both CBP and WPD, neither of which expected to have to defend their conduct under oath. Unfortunately, with the Trump administrations encouragement, CBP officers routinely abuse their power and rarely face consequenceseven for outright lawlessness. Rappas ruling serves as a crucial reminder that the agency cant always use the pretext of illegal immigration to curtail civil liberties. Just ask the 16 defendants who proved this week that even under Trump, federal immigration agents may still be hauled into a court of law and held accountable for inflicting injustice.
Russians who wanted to express their anger that President Vladimir Putin is about to be inaugurated for a fourth term took to the streets Saturday only to be met by a security force that was seemingly determined not to let them have their voices heard. Police arrested some 1,600 people across the country, including opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who had called for the protests in more than 90 towns and cities across Russia. Before his arrest, Navalny managed to briefly address supporters in Moscow and led them in a chant, Down with the czar!

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Police did not hesitate to resort to violence and used their batons against proteters who had gathered under the slogan, He is not our czar. Despite the quick police action, the demonstrations showed how Navalny can gather support of people across the country. The protests also seemed to benefit from the momentum of the recent demonstration on May 1 against apparent efforts by authorities to block the Telegram messaging app. But this years protests didnt come even close to matching the approximately 100,000 people who gathered in Moscow in 2012 before Putins last inauguration.

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Although Navalny has only managed to get a core group of supporters to come out to protesters since 2012, authorities seem to know Putins popularity could shift quickly. Sociologists have noted  that surveys have measured a reservoir of latent discontent in the middle class in Moscow that could well up again, explaining the Kremlins nervousness and the heavy police presence, notes the New York Times.
Posted Saturday, May 5, 2018 8:30 am

Antioch Cemetery of Pittsburg (Missouri) is seeking donations to help with the maintenance and upkeep of cemetery grounds. The cemetery relies on community support, and all donations are greatly appreciated. Donations may be sent to Antioch Cemetery Association, 27749 State Highway 64, Polk, MO 65727.
Remember that time shortly after the Parkland school massacre when some speculated President Trump could finally put a little distance between the White House and the National Rifle Association? Well all that seems to have gone out the window as Trump delivered full-throated support for the National Rifle Association Friday, giving a campaign-style speech in which he credited NRA members for fighting for their Second Amendment rights. As is the presidents usual style, his address went over many topics, including North Korea, poll numbers, Kanye West, and Robert Muellers investigation. But the one constant was unabashed and unwavering support for the NRA and its members.

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Thanks to your activism and dedication, you have an administration fighting to protect your Second Amendment, and we will protect your Second Amendment, Trump said at the NRA convention in Dallas. Your Second Amendment rights are under siege, but they will never, ever be under siege as long as Im your president.

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The president used the opportunity to warn that Democrats were out to get their guns.

The one thing that stands between Americans and the elimination of our Second Amendment rights has been conservatives in Congress, Trump said. Weve got to get Republicans elected. The president said Democrats were trying to outlaw guns and made it clear that he thought any type of gun control was pointless because terrorists arent even using guns anyway. You know what? he asked. We are going to have to outlaw immediately all vans and all trucks, which are now the new form of death for the maniac terrorists  so lets ban immediately all trucks, all vans, maybe all cars. How about cars? Lets not sell any more cars.

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The president also used the NRA platform to push for his well-publicized plan to arm teachers, repeating the words highly trained like a mantra. We strongly believe in allowing highly trained teachers to carry concealed weapons, if theyre highly trained, he said. And we want highly trained security guards.
Robert Gilpin, R.I.P. - The Washington Post : His greatest book was written in 1981, but the main theory in it is perhaps more trenchant now...
Guyana Goldfields Inc. provides exploration and production of gold. It engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, production, and operation of gold mineral properties. The company also owns and operates gold drilling rights. The company was formerly known as Chiboug Copper Company Limited and changed its name to Guyana Goldfields Inc. in January 1995. Guyana Goldfields Inc. was incorporated in 1994 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. As of August 25, 2020, Guyana Goldfields Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Zijin Mining Group Company Limited.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.: 2235158 Alberta Limited, A.J. 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Inc., Gallagher (Bermuda) Insurance Solutions Ltd., Gallagher - Grace/Mayer Insurance Agency, Gallagher Bassett Aires Inc., Gallagher Bassett Canada Inc., Gallagher Bassett Insurance Services Ltd., Gallagher Bassett International Ltd., Gallagher Bassett NZ Pty Ltd., Gallagher Bassett Services Inc. , Gallagher Bassett Services Pty Ltd., Gallagher Bassett Services Workers Compensation Victoria Pty Ltd., Gallagher Benefit Services (Canada) Group Inc., Gallagher Benefit Services (Holdings) Limited, Gallagher Benefit Services Inc., Gallagher Benefit Services Management Company Limited, Gallagher Benefit Services Pty Ltd, Gallagher Benefits Consulting Limited, Gallagher Bomford Couch Wilson, Gallagher Burgess, Gallagher Canada Acquisition Corporation, Gallagher Caribbean Group Limited, Gallagher Clean Energy LLC, Gallagher Communications Limited, Gallagher Community Clinic RPG LLC, Gallagher Consulting Ltda, Gallagher Corporate Services LLC, Gallagher Coyle, Gallagher CyberRisk, Gallagher Energy Risk Services Inc., Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC, Gallagher Holdings (UK) Limited, Gallagher Holdings Bermuda Company Limited, Gallagher Holdings Four (UK) Limited, Gallagher Holdings Three (UK) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (Barbados) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Kitts & Nevis) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Lucia) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Vincent) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers Jamaica Limited, Gallagher International Cash Management s.r.l., Gallagher International Holdings (US) Inc., Gallagher Investment Advisors LLC, Gallagher Inwest Group, Gallagher Koster, Gallagher Lambert Group, Gallagher Madison Risk & Insurance Services, Gallagher Mauritius Holdings, Gallagher Mississippi Brokerage LLC, Gallagher RE Colombia Ltda Corredores de Reaseguros SA, Gallagher Risk & Reward Limited, Gallagher Risk Group LLC, Gallagher Risk Placements Pty Ltd, Gallagher SKS, Gallagher Service Center LLP, Gallagher-Tarantino, Galtney Group, Game Day Insurance Inc., Gardner & White Corp., Gardner Marine Agency, Garza Long Group, Gatehouse Consulting Limited, Gault Armstrong Kemble Pty Ltd, Gault Armstrong SARL, Giles Group, Giles Holdings Limited, Giles Insurance Brokers, Gillis Ellis & Baker Inc., Goodman Insurance Agency, Grandy Pratt Co., Greenseed Alternative Mangaers Platform Ltd, Grossman & Associates, Group Benefits of Arkansas, Group Insurance Associates, Gruppo Marcucci, HLG Holdings Limited, HMG-PCMS Limited, HPF Investments LLC, HR Owen Insurance Services Limited, Hagan Newkirk Financial Services, Hagedorn & Company, Hardman & Howell Benefits, Harlequin Insurance PCC Limited, Hartstein Associates Inc., Healthcare Professionals Purchasing Group LLC, Healthcare Risk Solutions, Heath Lambert Group Ltd., Heath Lambert Limited, Heath Lambert Overseas Limited, Heiser Insurance Agency, Henderson Phillips Fine Arts Insurance, Herbruck Alder & Co., Heritage Insurance Brokers (CI) Limited, Hesse & Partner AG, Hesse Consulting, Hexagon ICC Limited, Hexagon Insurance PCC Limited, Hill Chesson & Woody, Hogan Insurance Services, Home & Travel Limited, Honour Point Limited, Horseshoe Corporate Services Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services (Cayman) Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services USA Inc., Horseshoe ILS Services UK Ltd, Horseshoe Insurance Advisors US LLC, Horseshoe Insurance Advisory Ltd., Horseshoe Insurance Services Holdings Ltd, Horseshoe Insurance Services Holdings US Inc., Horseshoe Management (Gibraltar) Limited, Horseshoe Management (Ireland) Ltd, Horseshoe Management Ltd., Horseshoe PCC Limited, Horseshoe Re Limited, Horseshoe Services (Cayman) Ltd, Horseshoe Services (Pty) Ltd, Horton Insurance Agency, Housing Authorities Services Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Human Resource Management Systems, I-Protect Underwriting Pty Ltd, IBIS Advisors, IBS Reinsurance Singapore Pte Ltd, ILS Fund Services Ltd., ISG International, ITI Solutions, Igloo Insurance PCC Limited, Independent Benefit Services, Independent Fiduciary Services, Ink Underwriting Agencies Limited, InsSync Group Pty Ltd, Inspire Underwriting Limited, Instrat Insurance Brokers, Instrat Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd, Instrat Integration Holdco Pty Ltd, Insurance Acquisitions Holdings Limited, Insurance Associates Inc., Insurance Dialogue Limited, Insurance Dialogue Ltd., Insurance Plans Agency, Insurance Plus Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Insurance Point, Insurance Risk Managers of Missouri Inc., Insure My Villa Limited, Insure Pty Ltd, Integrated Healthcare Strategies, InterNational Insurance Group, InterPacific Underwriting Agencies, Intermountain Financial Benefits, Interstate Insurance Underwriters, JPGAC LLC, James F. 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Posted Saturday, May 5, 2018 7:15 am

Its been more than a year since President Trump was elected to office, yet only a little over 50 percent of his nominees have been confirmed by the Senate. If you compare that number to previous administrations, its nothing. Around this time during President Obamas administration, 79 percent of his nominees had been confirmed. For President George W. Bush, that number was 65 percent; for President Clinton, it was 66 percent; and for President George H. W. Bush, it was 74 percent. President Trump recently said that at the current pace, it will only take nine years to confirm all of his nominees.

No other president has had to deal with this type of gridlock and dysfunction. Not only are nominees being stalled and held up in committees, Senate Democrats are taking it one step further and forcing unnecessary cloture votes, which require 30 hours of debate on the Senate floor. These unnecessary cloture votes include votes on nominees that have unanimous and overwhelming support from both sides, yet are still subject to the 30-hour debate. Using this tool as a weapon rather than what it was intended for, Senate Democrats have forced more cloture votes on President Trumps nominees in his first year in office than the past four presidents first terms combined.

A recent example of this gridlock and dysfunction is my former colleague, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. More than a year ago, Pompeo was confirmed as Director of the CIA by the Senate by a 66-32 vote. Fourteen Senate Democrats voted in favor of his confirmation. However, suddenly these same Democrats had a change of heart during his vetting to be Secretary of State. After weeks of silence from Senate Democrats, only three vocalized support for Pompeo. On April 23, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the confirmation of Pompeo. Every single Democrat voted against his confirmation, with the exception of one who voted present, rather than for or against. Finally, after several weeks of back-and-forth, on April 26, the Senate voted 57-42 to confirm Pompeo as Secretary of State.

Playing politics, especially in a situation like this, is dangerous for U.S. diplomacy. Recently, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) introduced S. Res. 355, which would limit post-cloture debate from 30 hours to eight hours for most nominees, with the exception of cabinet, circuit court and supreme court nominees. Previously, the Senate had adopted this during the 113th Congress as a standing rule, but S. Res. 355 would make it permanent.

As I've said in the past, the American people deserve better. The American people elected President Trump and its time we give his nominees the respect they deserve.

Rep. Billy Long represents Missouris 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The 7th District includes the southwest portion of The Mails coverage area, including Strafford, Rogersville and Fordland.
Vietnam has won a tender offered by the Philippines National Food Authority (NFA) to export 130,000 metric tons of rice to the Southeast Asian neighbor, the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) announced on Friday.

The supply from Vietnam is part of an order to buy 250,000 metric tons of rice by the NFA. The association issued the notice of award to the governments of Vietnam and Thailand on its website the same day.

Vietnam will sell 80,000 metric tons of 25-percent broken rice and 50,000 metric tons of 15-percent broken rice to the Philippines for $517.50 per ton and $520 per ton, respectively.

The Thai government had offered $520 per ton for the balance of 120,000 metric tons of 25-percent broken rice, but eventually adjusted their price to match Vietnams $517.50 per ton for the same volume.

NFA set its reference price at $531 per ton for the 15-percent broken and $520.50 per ton for the 25-percent broken rice, based on the prevailing world market prices and the peso-dollar exchange rate as of May 3, 2018.

Vietnam will bring in 40,000 metric tons of 25-percent broken rice no later May 31, 2018, and another 40,000 metric tons by June 15, 2018. The 50,000-metric-ton supply of 15-percent broken rice will be shipped by Vietnam to the designated ports no later than June 30, 2018.

Thailand will bring in 60,000 metric tons of 25-percent broken rice no later than May 31, 2018, and the balance of 60,000 metric tons no later than June 15, 2018.

NFA will conduct another open tender for an additional 250,000 metric tons rice buffer stock, Nguyen Trung Kien, vice president of VFA, said.

According to Vietnams Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the countrys rice exports in the first four months of 2018 were about 2.16 million metric tons, valued at $1.1 billion, up 21.7 percent in volume and 37.7 percent in value over the same period of 2017.

Vietnams average rice export price in the first three months of 2018 reached $501 per ton, up 15 percent over the same period in 2017.

The total volume of rice exported in 2017 was estimated at 5.9 to 6 million metric tons of rice, showing an increase of 1.1-1.2 million metric tons of rice compared to 2016.

Vietnam is projected to export 6.5 million tons of rice in 2018.

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Despite receiving overwhelming support from the universitys board of directors to hold the vacant post, he did not have enough years of experience in a management position under his belt as required by Vietnams higher education law, officials say.

The professor, Dr. Truong Nguyen Thanh, received 16 out of 18 votes from board members to take charge of Hoa Sen University as its chancellor, a post that has been left vacant since October 2017 when the last chancellor entered retirement.

However, the municipal Department of Education and Training has refused to go through with Thanhs confirmation for the post, citing his lack of experience.

According to Vietnams Law on Higher Education, a candidate must hold a doctoral degree and have at least five years of experience in a management position, either as faculty dean or the head of a university office, prior to their promotion to chancellor.

Thanh has only served as vice chancellor of Hoa Sen University since January 2017 and therefore is unqualified for the position as per current laws, no matter how strong his academic profile and background may be, according to Le Hong Son, director of the citys education department.

Prof. Dr. Truong Nguyen Thanh wears shorts and a cut out T-shirt during a lecture at Hoa Sen University in this photo posted on his Facebook account.

In an e-mail addressing colleagues and students announcing his departure from the university, Thanh said he felt sorry for the decision and hoped the post of chancellor would be succeeded by a worthy candidate.

I believe in the yin-yang balance of life, that every cloud has a silver lining, Thanh wrote.

For all I know, this could open a door to new heights for Hoa Sen University.

Born in 1962, Thanh earned his PhD in computational chemistry from the University of Minnesota in 1990.

He taught at the University of Utah between 1992 and 2002, and served as president of Ho Chi Minh Citys Institute for Computational Science and Technology from November 2007 until June 2017.

In January 2017 Thanh was appointed vice chancellor at Hoa Sen University, where he also teaches computational chemistry.

Prof. Dr. Truong Nguyen Thanh is seen this photo posted on the official site of Hoa Sen University.

News of Thanhs departure has caught many by surprise and stirred up fresh criticism against current regulations that are said to discourage talents from abroad to return home and do good to the country.

I think the Law on Higher Education should be amended to open opportunities for truly talented professors to become chancellors, said Mai Truc, a reader of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

In a Facebook post on Friday, the professor said he had set aside his dream of supporting the development of Vietnams higher education to return to the U.S. for his old job at the University of Utah.

Professor Thanh made local headlines in April last year after photos emerged on social media of him giving lectures on innovation dressed in shorts and a cut out T-shirt.

According to the professor, his peculiar choice of outfit served as a demonstration of creativity and innovation.

Hoe Sen University is a private university established in 1991, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in natural and social sciences, liberal arts, and business management.

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The pedestrian areas around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi have since its September 2016 opening quickly become the capitals iconic hang-out hub, thrilling visitors with an array of cultural activities.

More than a dozen streets and the areas surrounding Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square and Hoan Kiem Lake in the Vietnamese capital are turned into pedestrian-only zone, from 7:00 pm to midnight, from Friday through Sunday.

The streets include Dinh Tien Hoang, Le Lai, Le Thach, Dinh Le, Nguyen Xi, Trang Tien, Hang Khay, Le Thai To, Lo Su, Hang Dau, Tran Nguyen Han, Luong Van Can, Bao Khanh, Trang Thi, Hang Trong.

Nightfall is when those promenades attract numerous people to come to be blessed with their liveliness, creating a lovely image about Hanoi.

On one particular night, in front of Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square, a couple of Russian street artists playing saxophone well with one another received a lot of praise from pedestrians.

The audience moved along with the beautiful voice and dance of the female performer.

Not too far away from there, on Le Thai To Street, many folk games including bamboo dancing, jump rope, stilt walking, tug of war, Mandarin square capturing took place in an exciting atmosphere.

In a corner opposite to Bao Khanh thoroughfare, Dan, a young Russian man who came to Hanoi just a few months ago, made himself a decent income from playing melodica and accordion.

Dan said the walking space and weather in Hanoi are perfect for playing music, adding that he always feels more excited when people attentively watch his performance.

Every time when Magic Band, a troupe consisting of lecturers and students from the Hanoi College of Arts popular to visitors of the walking streets, present their music near the intersection of Trang Tien, Hang Bai and Hang Khay, hundreds of people would gather to enjoy.

Nguyen Tien Lam, a 35-year-old man living in Cau Giay District, often brings his wife and six-year-old daughter here to take pleasure in music and play traditional games.

"Everybody who comes to the street is happy, as there are no language barriers or rich-and-poor gap here, he said.

Lam expressed his hope that Hanoi would have more amusing playgrounds like this in the future.

At 11:30 pm, the bustling areas returned to their normal state, as visitors melt away with nostalgia for the place.

A rock band rocks the atmosphere in front of Ho Guom Cultural Information Center. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Magic Band showcases their music in front of Trang Tien Plaza shopping mall located in the pedestrian hub. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A foreigner takes part in the tug of war game. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A little girl performs in a circle of hundreds of people. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Three girls plays Mandarin square capturing. Photo: Tuoi Tre

25-year-old Russian national Dan plays melodica opposite Bao Khanh thoroughfare. Photo: Tuoi Tre

People watch two foreign performers at the walking streets in Hanoi. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Couples of grooms and brides are seen shooting their wedding photo in the walking areas. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A Russian couple perform in front of Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square in Hanoi. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Children enjoy bamboo dance in the venue. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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Duong Thi Thuy Trang, chief of office of the Party Committee at the Hai Phong Economic Zone in the namesake city, was verified as the woman in a viral Internet video clip, where she was heard playing down the importance of human lives.

In a clip uploaded on social media, Thanh was seen arguing with police officers after a traffic accident on Hai Phongs Nguyen Binh Street, afer she had allegedly hit a motorcyclist with her car and both of them refused to take the blame.

As police arrived at the scene, they asked to take the man to hospital for examination of his injured knees, which was met with protest from Thanh, who demanded that the victim not be taken anywhere until officers reached a conclusion on who was at fault.

Human lives are unimportant, she told the officers as they explained that human lives should be the top priority in any traffic accident, according to the video seen by Tuoi Tre News.

Duong Thi Thuy Trang, chief of office of the Party Committee at the Hai Phong Economic Zone in Hai Phong City, argues with a police officer in this clip posted on social media.

According to a local police chief, who confirmed the authenticity of the clip, the accident happened at around 2:00 pm on Wednesday.

The motorcyclist, 27, was later diagnosed with knee effusion as he had hit his knees on the ground in the accident.

Pham Van Moi, head of the Hai Phong Economic Zone Authority , has requested a full report from Trang about the incident and said she would be disciplined if any violation is found.

The police will determine whos right and whos wrong in the accident, but as a Party member Trang shouldnt have said such impolite words, Moi said.

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Three people on board a tractor trailer were killed as their vehicle burned into flames following a rear-end crash with another semi-trailer truck in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai on Saturday.

The truck carrying the three deceased victims was traveling northward on the National Route 19, passing the Mang Yang Mountain Pass in Dak Po District, at around 4:00 am, when it rear-ended another tractor trailer, according to an initial police report.

Both vehicles immediately caught fire after the crash.

The wreckage of one of the tractor trailers is seen after the accident in Gia Lai, Vietnam's Central Highlands, on May 5, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Chau Dat Toan, the driver of the truck being hit from behind, managed to jump out of the cabin, whereas all three on the other vehicle were burned to death, according to police.

Only two of the deceased were identified as Le Minh Thuy, 39, and Pham The Duy, 29, both hailing from Bac Tra My District, Quang Nam Province.

The two trucks were burned to ground when officers arrived at the scene.

Dak Po District police have conducted an autopsy and are investigating the case.

Police officers are seen at the scene of the accident in Gia Lai, Vietnam's Central Highlands, on May 5, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre
The second top official of the southern province of Dong Nai, neighboring Ho Chi Minh City, has been dismissed from all Party posts for wrongdoings.

The decision, issued by the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, served as a disciplinary measure for Phan Thi My Thanh, deputy secretary of the Dong Nai Party Committee, for her wrongdoings while serving in different provincial posts, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

The Secretariat also proposed the Party civil affairs delegation of the lawmaking National Assembly consider stripping Thanh of her lawmaker status. The woman is currently head of the National Assembly deputy delegation of Dong Nai.

The decision was made after the Secretariat had mulled over proposals of the Party Central Committees Inspection Commission at a meeting in Hanoi on May 4, which was chaired by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

The Secretariat concluded that while serving as director of the Dong Nai Department of Industry from 2003 to January 2009, Thanh lacked responsibility while performing her duties.

She did not direct the construction of infrastructure of the Thong Nhat textile factorys condominium although money had been collected from households. She also agreed to let the industry department send the remaining money of the project to the Tan Mai Wood Company.

Phan Thi My Thanh, deputy secretary of the provincial Dong Nai Party Committee, is seen in this file photo by Tuoi Tre.

After assuming another post, Thanh reportedly failed to hand over the project to her successor, leading to prolonged mass complaints, affecting the local security and order situation, causing serious consequences, and undermining state management agencies prestige.

From June 2011 to September 2014, while working as vice chairwoman of the provincial Dong Nai administration, Thanh signed many documents without taking into consideration advice of specialized departments and sectors, which violated laws and the administrations work regulations.

In July 2014, Thanh signed a decision to approve investment in the Dong Nai River encroachment project without reporting to and collecting opinions from ministries and centrally-run sectors, an act the Secretariat said broke the democratic centralism principle.

She also signed some decisions of the Dong Nai administration that gave favorable conditions to her familys business to carry out some projects in the fields that she was in charge of.

Thanh was also found to have given wrong reports on the projects workload and progress with a view to seeking profit for her familys business.

Thanh also seriously infringed regulations on external affairs and used her diplomatic passport to go abroad with personal purposes for many times. She also used to go abroad without reporting to her agency as regulated.

Thanhs violations and shortcomings were serious, caused discontent among officials, Party members and local people, and negatively affected the prestige of the local Party organization and herself, the Vietnam News Agency reported, citing the Party Central Committees Secretariat.
Actress Cathy Godbold, best known for Newlyweds, The Saddle Club and Home & Away, has died, aged 43.

She died on Friday as a result of a terminal brain tumour, more than a decade after she was first diagnosed with cancer.

The daughter of the late Rosemary Margan, she performed in TV roles in the 1990s and 2000s.

Amongst her successes, were 40 episodes of Home and Away as Meg Bowman in 1992, a co-starring role in Crawfords sitcom Newlyweds alongside Annie Jones, and the role of Deborah in 2001s The Saddle Club.

Other credits included Blue Heelers, Chances, Hey Dad and the US miniseries Blonde. In 2007 she portrayed her mother in The King telemovie, recreating Graham Kennedys crow call scene. It was her last role, diagnosed with brain cancer in July 2007 at the age of 32. She had a brain tumour removed, and then underwent chemotherapy treatment at Melbourne Hospital.

But she was diagnosed with another brain tumour in January this year, learning it would be terminal.

Veteran Nine star Rosemary Margan, who died aged 80 in December, gave up her career in 2007 to care for Cathy.

Source: Nine News
Racism is an issue that is plague on society and since the Brexit vote, there has been significant rise in racist abuse. The poignant matter is that it is very much ingrained into our societal thinking and this comes down to major politicians, news sources and public figures often perpetuating the British Empire colonial myths of superiority. The build up to the local elections only solidified the fact that a vast majority of the media still push conservative colonial ideological narratives.

Britain has a long history of racial exploitation and white supremacy but in modern times, there have been attempts to try and change attitudes, it is process that is long and arduous.

Whilst no political party is immune from the issue, the racist problem is rife within the Conservative Party.

The racist epidemic within the Conservatives

There has been a lot made of the accusations of anti-Semitism within the Labour Party, despite evidence from YouGov and various other reports that it has in fact dropped since Jeremy Corbyn has become leader. The problem with the reporting is that there has been very little made of the Conservatives problems with racists and bigots. The Windrush scandal is just part of this as that made it clear that the very top of the party hold the same racial colonial ideology as they have always done.

Prior to the local elections, it was shown that 18 Conservative candidates were suspended by the party for racism or abuse within the last month.

Furthermore, former Tory Minister Baroness Warsi exposed that there are now weekly occurrences of Islamophobic incidents within the Conservative Party, the Muslim Council of Britain demanded that the Conservatives begin an inquiry into the racism epidemic engulfing the party.

Implicit racial biases

Although racial biases arent confined to the Conservative Party, they are certainly more prominent as the ideological stance of them is more compatible and their history is that of a racist ideology.

However, racial biases exist everywhere and it is difficult thing to pinpoint exactly and whilst most people arent racist, many people are influenced by implicit biases. This is down to a number of factors, importantly the role our education system as played in promoting the right kind of history and leaving out the majority of the oppressive nature of the British Empire, but more pertinently, the role the elites and news media has played to promote a nationalistic sense of pride and superiority.

Back to the psychology and there are robust findings that show that implicit racial bias is pervasive within contemporary society.

Psychologist Patricia Devine conducted several studies that show that people tend to have more positive associations with white rather than black people; other studies show that black males are more readily associated with weapons; others that black males are more strongly associated with danger and hostility than are white males. There are many psychological studies on the subject matter and it is something that is largely ignored within society.
The protests started out on April 16, over the high prices of Irans border customs tariff. Closing the borders in this area by Iran means that many Kurdish citizens lose their jobs, such as the porters (Kolbar).

In Marivan, the strike of merchants and shopkeepers spread to all major points of the city such as the main intersection, the Jomhouri Ave., the Shabrang intersection, shopping centres across the city and the Bazaar. The anti-riot guard forces attacked and beat the people in the Bissarani square.

The name Kolbar is used commonly amongst the people of these Kurdish cities, meaning to carry heavy items on your back crossing both sides of the border with Iraq to make some money in order to live.

The same form of labour is also carried out in other Provinces mentioning West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah as well as Sistan and Baluchestan. For many, the reason for being a Kolbar is unemployment or just simply having no other choice.

Porters living conditions

According to the Iranian Law, crossing the border whether by person or working animals without paying border tax is smuggling. Kolbars carry TV, coolers, heaters, cigarettes, wheels and clothing. Being a porter is a dangerous job and mostly done by those near the borders. These porters are very young of age or in early adulthood. They have to continue this risky life in order to have something to eat. Almost every year thousands of porters die on the Iranian border.

Amongst the young workers are those who have gained high education rates but due to the unemployment crisis they have no other way of earning a living. Strikes in the cities of Baneh and Javanroud continue after two weeks. They want their jobs back and plan to take to the streets in protest to show their poor living conditions.

Cant Irans wealth fulfil Kurds lives?

Iran has been known for its rich energy resources ever since 1913 and has always been one of the main oil exporters. Being situated in the midst of the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea, it holds a special international place. It is one of the rare countries that can extract both oil and gas from the Caspian Sea and export it independently and directly.

Though having all the natural resources and national wealth, 40% of the population in Iran are living below the poverty line. Living conditions worsen in Iran every day and corruption grows, yet the government tries to show that there is a way out of the current crisis. Nonetheless, the people of Iran are showing that their final saviour is a regime change.
Local elections often have low turnouts, so, it is unsurprising that the supposed whitewash of the Conservatives never materialised, most voting projections are based on a voter turnout that similar to a general election. But what can be made of the results across the country that have seen Labour make gains in terms of numbers of councillors but share the same vote share of 35% as the Conservative Party.

Majority of the media are claiming this to be a catastrophic loss for Labour and MPs such as Chuka Umunna have called for an immediate inquiry into the defeat.

But what is the reality?

Election summary

Labour hold twice as many councils and had a huge swing to take Plymouth Council in the South West, well known Conservative strongholds. They also took Kirklees, a council we haven't held since 1999 and had their best result in London since 1971. In Westminster and Wandsworth, Labour has more seats than at any time since 1986 along with a record number of seats in Croydon, Ealing, Redbridge and Waltham Forest. Furthermore, Labour MP Dan Jarvis has been elected mayor of the Sheffield City Region and are the largest party in Trafford

The Conservatives gained the London council of Barnet from no overall control and held their flagship London councils of Westminster and Wandsworth.

They also won Basildon and Peterborough, which had both also been under no overall control. But they have lost control of their northern flagship Trafford Council after 14 years of Conservative rule and now hold no councils in Greater Manchester. The Conservatives also benefitted greatly from UKIPs monumental collapse as the openly and largely racist vote transfers to them.

The Liberal Democrats did make significant gains in their overall number of councillors and they took overall control of Richmond from the Conservatives. UKIP collapsed, losing all but 3 councillors, likely signalling the death of the party. But what is concerning is that estimates are suggesting that around 4000 people were denied opportunity to vote because of the voter ID trialling, the full story of this will no doubt unfold within the next few days.

Change is needed

According to reports by BBC North West, the Conservative Party have reinstated Rosemary Carroll to the party and lifted her suspension, enabling the party to take control of Pendle Council by just a single seat. Ms Rosemary was suspended for sending a racist tweet and this reinstatement come on the back of Theresa May telling Barnet councillors, "people of all faiths have rejected the vile anti-Semitism that has gone unchallenged in the Labour Party for too long". Anthony Mullen, another candidate who was suspended by them for an abusive tweet aimed at Diane Abbott, was quickly reinstated after he won his council seat.

In the same borough of Ms Carroll, Labour councillor Mohammed Sakib saw his car deliberately set alight.

But these acts show that change is desperately needed and whilst Labour have had a solid success, it isnt a successful night for the Conservatives as the only councils they gained control of are where UKIP either didnt field a candidate or their vote collapsed.

Part of the reason this demolition never materialised was because of the voter turnout, whilst figures have yet to be confirmed, most places are reporting turnout of around 30-40 per cent and historically, lower voter turnout tends to favour right wing parties. Namely the Conservatives but what is interesting is that the BBC predicted that if this were a general election then Labour would have been largest party on 283 seats to the Conservatives 280, this indicates that if this was a general election where voters tend to turn up in much bigger numbers, then Labour would win significantly more seats, maybe even a majority.
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Russia's oil producer Rosneft is seen on a board at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2017 (SPIEF 2017) in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 1, 2017. Picture taken June 1, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin/File Photo

By Dmitry Zhdannikov and Olesya Astakhova

LONDON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Qatar is taking a nearly 19 percent stake in Rosneft <ROSN.MM>, rescuing the Russian oil major from its stalled deal to sell a major stake to China's CEFC.

The deal strengthens ties between Moscow and Doha at a time when Qatar is facing boycott by its Gulf Arab neighbours.

Qatar's sovereign investment fund QIA initially bought 19.5 percent in Rosneft together with Swiss trading giant Glencore <GLEN.L> for 10.2 billion euros (9.01 billion pounds) during the Russian firm's partial privatisation in 2016.

But last year the consortium agreed to sell a 14.16 stake in Rosneft to CEFC China Energy in a $9.1 billion deal that was seen as key to helping expand relations between Russia and China, the world's top energy exporter and top consumer.

That deal ran into trouble after CEFC Founder and Chairman Ye Jianming was put under investigation by Chinese authorities over suspected economic crimes, Reuters reported in March.

Glencore said on Friday that the consortium that had been selling the Rosneft stake had been dissolved, and said Qatar and Glencore would now own stakes directly.

QIA would control an equity stake of 18.93 percent and Glencore would hold some 0.57 percent.

CEFC has not commented publicly since the termination of the deal was announced. The company did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Calls to its Shanghai headquarters were not answered on Saturday.

The once high-flying conglomerate is now conducting fire sales of its assets following the investigation into its chief and offering staff severance packages after failing to pay them for two months, as creditors scramble to collect debts amid growing regulatory scrutiny of the firm.

"CEFC China's purchase of a stake in Rosneft has ended in a debacle. Russia's pivot to the East now feels more like a pivot to the Middle East, with Qatar coming to the rescue," said Christian Boermel, senior research analyst, Russia Upstream, at energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie.

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PROFITABLE INVESTMENT

Rosneft was hit hard by U.S. sanctions on Russia over Moscow's annexation of Crimea and incursion in east Ukraine.

But sources close to QIA have said Rosneft could prove a profitable long-term investment given the giant firm is worth only $65 billion despite producing more crude than U.S. ExxonMobil, which is worth $324 billion.

The fate of the CEFC deal, one of the largest investments by China in Russia, was seen as a litmus test of how far President Xi Jinping's government was prepared to go with a crackdown on financially risky activities among big-spending conglomerates.

Rosneft has, however, said it continues to consider China as a strategic market and that it will supply its term contracts based on the agreed timing and volumes to CEFC.

The Russian oil major in 2017 signed a five-year contract to supply 12 million tonnes of oil per year to the Chinese firm.

Glencore will also keep its long-term crude offtake agreement with the Russian producer under the new arrangement, a source told Reuters.

(Addditional reporting by Olga Yagova and Katya Golubkova, and Kane Wu in Hong Kong; Editing by Edmund Blair and Himani Sarkar)
By Anthony Boadle

BOA VISTA, Brazil (Reuters) - The Brazilian Air Force has begun flying Venezuelans from a remote border region to elsewhere in Brazil, trying to defuse a humanitarian crisis as tens of thousands of migrants flee an economic collapse in their country.

On Friday, 233 Venezuelans boarded a Boeing 767 on a sun-drenched tarmac bound for the cities of Manaus and Sao Paulo  the third flight in a month aimed at easing pressure on social services in northern Brazil.

Brazil's government launched the Army-led operation in March with a budget of 190 million reais (40 million pounds) to control the flow of migrants, improve their temporary shelters and help with documents so they can move onward to find work in larger cities.

The waves of Venezuelans driven by hunger and hardship have continued unabated, however, with hundreds of migrants entering Brazil each day at the only formal land crossing between the two nations, according to officials in the border state of Roraima.

In the state capital of Boa Vista, some 1,500 refugees have taken refuge in a square named after Venezuelan independence hero Simon Bolivar, braving tropical downpours in a crowded tent city with no water, toilets or cooking facilities.

"New steps are being taken to alleviate the situation, but the humanitarian crisis continues," said Rosilene Santiago, superintendent for federal police in Roraima. "Just look at the number of Venezuelans seeking work on the streets of Boa Vista."

Requests for asylum by Venezuelans in Roraima jumped to 20,000 since the start of the year, nearly surpassing the 22,000 requests in all of 2017, she said. There were 3,800 in 2016.

Federal Police said 92,656 Venezuelans entered Brazil between 2017 and 2018. Half of them have continued onward to neighbouring Spanish-speaking countries such as Argentina and Chile, but many have stayed in Boa Vista.

General Eduardo Pazuello, who is coordinating the operation with the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR), said up to 7,000 Venezuelans still need assistance in Boa Vista.

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UNHCR representative Isabel Marquez said the processing of refugees had improved since the army got involved, but warned the crisis is not over and the flow of migrants could grow.

"The situation in Venezuela is not getting any better. It is deteriorating in many aspects. People are not getting food and not everyone has access to what little there is," Marquez said.

Venezuelans have saturated the job market in Boa Vista and new arrivals are finding it hard to find work. Juan Roca, formerly a fork lift driver at Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, has been sleeping on the streets for a month, living on rice and beans cooked on a fire.

"Look how thin I am. There is no work here," he said, as he waited for a room in a shelter and a flight to a bigger city.

According to the United Nations, nearly one million people left Venezuela between 2015 and 2017, fleeing an economic crisis and what critics call an increasingly authoritarian government. The trend appears to have accelerated this year.

Evelin Garcia, who held a crying 10-month-old son in her arms before boarding the Air Force flight to Manaus, was happy to leave Boa Vista after four months in a UNHCR tent with her four children.

The lack of food and medicine in Venezuela led her to follow her husband Jose Gregorio Sucre, a bricklayer who travelled first to Brazil seeking work.

"We're excited to be here, but I'm scared. I've never flown on a plane before," she said. "We don't know what awaits us ... But until the government changes and things improve, I'm not going back."

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle, additional reporting by Ueslei Marcelino; Editing by Brad Haynes and Phil Berlowitz)
Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni greets people as he attends a royal plowing ceremony in Svay Rieng province, Cambodia, May 3, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer

Thomson Reuters

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia's royal oxen predicted a bountiful harvest of rice, the country's biggest crop, as well as corn and beans at an ancient royal plowing ceremony on Thursday.

King Norodom Sihamoni presided over the annual ritual, in which oxen plow a field before being given offerings, held in the southeastern province of Svay Rieng and broadcast on national television.

During the ceremony, which signals the start of the new rice growing season, two oxen ate 95 percent of the rice and corn on offer and 80 percent of beans presented in ornate bowls.

Palace astrologers make their predictions each year depending on the oxen's choice of crops and the amount they eat.

Korng Ken, a Brahmin priest dressed in traditional white robes, prayed for regular rainfall and crop season free of mishaps.

"I pray for the Kingdom of Cambodia to escape various natural disasters that are harmful to crops that are the lives of the people and the nation," he said.

Cambodia exported 635,679 tonnes of rice last year, a 17.3 percent rise from 2016, according to government data. Exports fell three percent in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period a year ago.

The Cambodia Rice Federation said the overall trend was for exports to grow due mainly to rising demand from China.

"They like to take our rice to cook fried rice...the demand increases every year," said Moul Sarith, the Federation's Secretary General.

(Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Darren Schuettler)

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A man in Canada has had a truly amazing 24 hours, winning C$2 million ($1.5m) on the lottery on the same day as his birthday and retirement.

Vancouver resident Ping Kuen Shum was already in high spirits after celebrating his birthday and retirement on April 28, when he decided to buy a ticket for the BC/49 draw the same night.

Amazingly, all six of Shums numbers09, 12, 13, 18, 21 and 29came through, winning the birthday boy the entire C$2m jackpot.

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Shum said he celebrated with a dim sum meal alongside family and friends. He is also planning on spending his winnings on a trip to China.

Its unbelievable that all three events happened on the same day, said Shum. I have worked hard for so many years and Im looking forward to sharing this fortune with my family.

Shum purchased the winning ticket at the Parker Place Convenience Centre in Richmond, British Columbia.

shum-ping-kuen

BCLC

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According to the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) the odds of winning the BC/49 jackpot are one in 13,983,816.

The BCLC said they were unable to disclose how old Shum is or where he retired from, reports the BBC.

The BC/49 is a British Columbia-only lottery, which takes every Wednesday and Saturday in the Canadian state.

In March, a teenager in Canada celebrated winning the lottery on the milestone of her 18th birthday.

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Charlie Lagarde, from Quebec, purchased the ticket along with a bottle of champagne to celebrate her birthday, and and won the C$1m jackpot.

Lagarde ended up taking the money in C$1000 weekly sums for rest of her life, rather than one lump sum.

"It's without taxes so it's equivalent to a salary of more than C$100,000 a year, so it's a great start in life for that young lady," Patrice Lavoie, a spokeswoman for Loto-Quebec, told the Canadian Press.

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"That was her first lottery ticket ever and she fell upon a winning ticket."

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
British students offered free Interrail pass in EU pilot scheme

British teens are being offered a free Interrail pass so they can bid farewell to free movement in the EU.

The passes, worth as much as 400 each, will cover teens doe up to 30 days this summer.

Any EU citizens who turn 18 before July are able to apply for the DiscoverEU tickets, which have been launched in Brussels and are funded by the EU.

Nathalie Vandystadt, the EU commission spokesperson for education, youth and sport, said: Any future participating depends on the outcome of the Brexit negotiations and the future relationship between the UK and the EU.

The DiscoverEU pilot is the brain child of Ms Vandystadt and Manfred Weber, leader of the European Peoples party in European Parliament.

EU offers British teenagers free Interrail pass

Its hoped the scheme will promote cultural and social ties among EU citizens, as Brexit looms.

Weber said: I am convinced that the 18th birthday Interrail pass for Europe could become a true flagship project for the development of a common European identity in diversity.

He added: Emotions and links between people is something that is also worth investing in. This is what the DiscoverEU project is about.

The point of the initiative is to give young Europeans, including those who are not students, the opportunity to travel, discover the beauty and richness of our continent and meet with other young Europeans from all over Europe. I believe it can contribute to create a feeling of common amongst Europeans.

Internal begun in the 1970s, when rail operators came together to allow young Europeans to explore their continent from as little as 27.50.
A dozen fishermen are feared dead after a grisly pirate attack near the Caribbean Sea, that nearby authorities called a massacre.

The fishermen sailed out into the Atlantic Ocean from Guyana in a group of 19 last week, but only four returned to shore and sounded the alarm about the attack, Reuters reported. Authorities in neighboring Suriname found the men and began a search for other survivors of what the fishermen described as a pirate attack. Others in their group are now presumed dead.

"It is a great massacre, a great tragedy," Guyanese President David Granger said on Thursday, according to the BBC. "We extend sympathy to the families of the bereaved," he added.

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The survivors, who managed to swim to shore, described the apparent attack in detail. According to them, the pirates forced fishermen to jump into the sea, pushing some of the hostages overboard with weights tied to their legs. The pirates reportedly beat and robbed the men before discarding them into the sea.

Related: A group of pirates have been fought off a ship using boiling water

The search for more survivors continued into this week, but rescuers in Suriname have only found the bodies of three of the victims on Wednesday. The Fisheries Collective Association has admitted that the fellow fishermen and the victims families are now hoping for a miracle, the Associated Press reported.

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05_04_Guyana

Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

The incident was reportedly the first of two acts of piracy off the northeast of South America. Another boat was reportedly attacked near the Surinamese coast on Wednesday, and a fishermens association, which broke the news, said the vessels captain had been shot dead but the rest of the crew survived. Guyanas president said on Thursday that the attacks had marred a period of relative calm from piracy.

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We have been very successful over the last three years in curbing piracy. This has come as a setback, Granger said.

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Grangers counterpart in Suriname, President Desi Bouterse, has not spoken publicly about the reported attack, sparking criticism from the public. His government has nonetheless pledged to provide support for the families of those affected by the attack.

Piracy in the waters near both countries is a persistent problem. In 2015, the Guyanese government considered permitting fishermen to carry firearms when at sea to prevent pirate attacks.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
A funeral home in Colorado has been investigated for cutting off body parts from its clients and selling them. However, it isnt clear whether what they were allegedly doing is illegal in any way.

In response to a Reuters report on body brokersand an FBI raid on a Colorado funeral home/body selling business, lawmakers have proposed a bill that would impose regulations on the trade of non-transplant human remains. Human remains for transplant are already strictly regulated.

Human_Skeleton

REUTERS/Christian Veron

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The bill, SB18-234, would require businesses selling non-transplant human body parts to register with the state and maintain records of their inventory, the Denver Post reports. It would also mean that anyone with more than a 10 percent stake in a funeral home or crematory would be barred from operating a body broker business.

More generally, if passed as is, the bill would prohibit an entity from profiting from the transfer, sale, storage, or leasing of human remains.

Currently, there are no federal laws regulating the ownership and trading of human remains, unless they are for transplant or from a Native American. A few states have restrictions, however. The trade in human remains, regardless of whether they are from retired medical specimens or from modern donors, and regardless of whether the buyer is related to a science field or an oddity collector, is unregulated by any branch of the federal government. Anyone can buy them.

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This makes it easy for funeral directors such as Megan Hess, who operates Sunset Mesa Funeral Services and Donor Servicesseparate businesses under the same roofin Colorado. People donate their bodies to the company, which dismembers it and sells the body parts. She also charges donors $195-$495, depending whether the family wants the leftovers cremated, according to Reuters extensive investigation.

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Colorado also has no educational requirements for anyone to operate a funeral home, although Hess claimed she had a PhD in Mortuary Science before Reuters pointed out that no such degree exists in the US. In statements to the Montrose Press, Hess argued that the Reuters investigation has greatly damaged her business, and that donation services provides an important service to the scientific community.

Without donation, there is no research, and without research, there is no cure, Hess told Montrose Press.

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FILE PHOTO: League party leader Matteo Salvini speaks to the media during the second day of consultations with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, Italy, April 5, 2018. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi/File Photo

Thomson Reuters

ROME (Reuters) - Far-right League leader Matteo Salvini said on Friday any stopgap government to take Italy to new elections must be led by a center-right politician who rejects current European Union budget rules.

President Sergio Mattarella will meet party leaders on Monday to try to secure a coalition deal following an inconclusive March 4 election, but failing that, is expected to seek backing for a technocrat government to help keep Italy's finances on track.

Salvini told reporters the League would back a short-term government with a six-month lifespan if the cabinet were made up of politicians, not technocrats and if it agrees to "completely re-write" Italy's relations with the European Union.

He said the center-left Democratic Party must be no part of the government and he wanted it to include the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement. 5-Star has this week demanded a re-vote in June and ruled out any stopgap government.

(Reporting by Gavin Jones; Editing by Crispian Balmer)

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victor espinoza american pharoah

Garry Jones/AP

Hall of Fame and Kentucky Derby jockey Victor Espinoza said changing horses is one of the hardest parts of his job.

Espinoza said it isn't hard to adjust to new horses  it's hard not to get attached to them and have to change at a moment's notice.

Espinoza said it only takes him a few minutes to get acquainted with a horse and that he sometimes sees them just once before big races.



Victor Espinoza will be riding Bolt d'Oro at the 2018 Kentucky Derby  a different horse than he rode in 2017, different than he rode in 2016, different than 2015 when he won it on American Pharoah, and so on.

Espinoza told Business Insider that this is one of the hardest aspects of his job, and not because of the rate of turnover. Instead, like most people, it's hard not to get attached to the animals.

"It's the hardest, hardest thing to get attached to the horses and knowing that we don't own it," Espinoza said. "We're just there race by race."

As Espinoza noted, jockeys don't own the horses  they're riders for hire. He said it can be emotional having to change horses if an owner decides to change jockeys.

"A lot of times it's very emotional," Espinoza said. "Unfortunately for jockeys, we don't own the horse. It's hard to not get attached to those champions. But it's any time, the owner maybe will get upset, and that's it  they will take you off and put in someone else. You just have to mentally deal with it and try to move on. It's hard. It's not easy."

Perhaps contrary to belief, jockeys don't always spend much time with horses before riding them. For instance, in 2002, when Espinoza won the Kentucky Derby for the first time, he hadn't seen the horse, War Emblem, until that very day. He spent a little more time with 2014 winner, California Chrome, but estimated he only saw American Pharoah once before riding him.

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"Because I've been doing it for so many years, I will figure out the horse quick," Espinoza said. He estimated it takes him five to ten minutes to figure out what he needs to know about the horse.

Once they're together, they're a team. Espinoza said an atmosphere like the Kentucky Derby can be overwhelming for the horses. As they walk to the track, he does his best to bond with the horse and keep him calm.

"The minute I get on with him, I will just try to calm him down as much as possible and try to be quiet and just pet him," Espinoza said. "Trying to get him a little bit more confident that nothing bad's gonna happen to them, you know? It gets to that, 'You know what, I'm here for you, and I would never let anything bad happen to you.'

"Just have fun and just try to get him to relax."

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meghan markle

Meghan Markle's engagement ring features two diamonds from Princess Diana's personal collection and a center diamond from Botswana.

Botswana is the second largest producer of conflict-free diamonds, according to data from the Kimberley Process Certification Theme.

An increasing number of millennials are shopping for conflict-free diamond engagement rings.

The story behind Meghan Markle's engagement ring was always that of a fairy tale, but it just got even better.

In case you need a romantic refresh, the sparkling bling on Meghan's left hand is a three-stone diamond ring with a classic yellow gold band made by Cleave and Company. Two round diamond stones (estimated to be roughly .75 carats) are from Princess Diana's personal collection, framing a center cushion cut diamond (estimated to be 5 carats) from Botswana and sourced by Prince Harry himself.

It's reportedly worth up to $350,000 and can cost upwards of $120,000 to replicate, according to Kathryn Money, vice president of strategy and merchandising at Brilliant Earth, which specializes in ethically sourced engagement rings and jewelry.

Prince Harry, a Patron of Rhino Conservation Botswana, has visited Botswana since he was young, and the two lovebirds have traveled to the country together on several occasions, including a safari trip for Meghan's birthday. Needless to say, Botswana is a special place in their romance.

But it's even more fitting that Botswana is the second biggest supplier of conflict-free diamonds, according to data from the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. It only makes sense that Meghan and Harry, who are both heavily involved in charity work, made an eco-friendly choice.

"Choosing a diamond from Botswana speaks to Prince Harry and Meghans shared commitment to social and environmental responsibility, as Botswana diamond mining has contributed to transforming Botswana into one of Africas most prosperous economies," Money told Business Insider. "Botswana diamonds are also sourced from mines that follow internationally recognized labor and environmental standards."

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Call it the Markle Effect, but more and more millennials are opting for conflict-free diamond engagement rings. As Ashley Wallace, Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst explained in a research note, millennials tend to be more value conscious and concerned with sustainability and ethical production than previous generations.

Google search traffic in lab-created diamonds has increased from 36% to 100% in the past decade, and a Brilliant Earth survey revealed that 40% of consumers aged 19-34 feel positively about a lab-created engagement ring  a 10% increase since 2015. Meanwhile, there has also been growth in the popularity of colored gemstone engagement rings.

The Kimberley Process (KP) Certification Scheme helps control rough diamond trade among 81 countries who have joined forces to eliminate conflict diamonds, ensuring transparency and prohibiting diamond trade with countries not part of the initiative.

The U.S. Census Bureau's International Trade Management Division, which collects import and export data as well as KP certificate-based statistics, took a look at the production of rough diamonds from KP countries. The Russian Federation ranks first both in volume and value at 32% and 29% respectively, with Botswana ranking second at 23% and 16% respectively.

When it comes to volume, the Democratic Republic of Congo produces 12%, Australia 11%, and Canada 11% of rough diamonds among KP countries. In regards to value, Canada ranks at 12%, South Africa 10%, and Angola 9%.

Diamond production 2016 charts

Shayanne Gal/Business Insider

Thanks to the KP, the United Nations, and neighboring countries there is now greater stability in countries that previously produced conflict diamonds, including Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The only current case of rebel forces controlling diamond-producing areas is in Cote d'Ivoire, which constitutes less than .1% of the world's diamond production.

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Following the most recent financial results briefing, Nintendo released an Investor Q&A that detailed the companys plans for the 3DS now that the Switch is in its second year.

Tatsumi Kimishima, the current president of Nintendo, and Shuntaro Furukawa, who will be taking the role in June, were asked a bevy of questions, ranging from the companys mobile game strategy, the announcement of Dragalia Lost, to the relationship between the Switch and 3DS.

"[The 3DS] has an ample software lineup at a price point that makes the system affordable especially for parents looking to buy for their kids, Kimishima said. We expect that demand to continue during this fiscal year as well, so we will continue to sell the product"

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Nintendo wants to support the 3DS into at least 2019, but the Switch is clearly the companys main focus. During the briefing, questions about the coexistence between the Switch and 3DS were raised again and Kimishima offered a scenario that could change the companys stance.

"Given that Nintendo Switch is a home gaming system that can be taken on the go, this situation may change if it grows from being a one-per-household system to a one-per-person system. But the price of Nintendo Switch is not something with which most parents would buy a system for every one of their children in a short period of time. Moving forward, we will work to ascertain what kinds of play people want at which price points, and as long as there is such demand, we will continue to sell the Nintendo 3DS system. I see the product coexisting with Nintendo Switch at this point in time."

What do you think of the Nintendo 3DSs long lifespan? Do you believe Nintendo should stop supporting the 3DS? Let us know in the comments section below.

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A Dominos Pizza restaurant in Johnson City, Tennessee, is earning a foul reputation after health inspectors discovered rodent droppings on 14 trays of raw dough in their kitchen.

After a photo was posted to Reddit which appeared to show rat feces strewn across lumps of dough at the Dominos in Boones Creek, the state Health Department intervened.

On Wednesday, officials said they were investigating reports of excessive rodent activity. According to the inspection report, in addition to the droppings on the dough, large amounts were also found on the floor, shelves, in the bathroom, the walk-in coolers and inside empty boxes of chocolate lava cake.

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Management of the Dominos restaurant stated that they will remain closed until [the] facility is thoroughly cleaned. The contaminated trays and food were immediately thrown out.

The official said he also saw invoices from pest control services pinned to the rodent control glue boards in the restaurant. Management claimed that the exterminator would carry out sweeps at night, after the facility was closed.

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The inspection report stated that officials inspected a dough delivery truck and found no traces of contamination before it dropped off the product at the restaurant.

Dominos employees are currently cleaning shelving, floors etc. during our investigation, the report added.

On Thursday, a Dominos spokesperson said the discovery was an extremely isolated incident, confined to a single store.

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According to News Channel 11, the facilitys issues with animals, rodents and insects date back to 2015. However, it is unclear whether the problems back then were related to the droppings found in the restaurant this week.

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"We ate that pizza like a week ago. That's surprising to understand that they could find that and sell us that pizza," Jess Bowman, a local customer told WJHL.

Dominos did not respond to a request for comment.

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A former high-ranking New Zealand naval officer is alleged to have hidden a secret camera in a Washington, D.C. embassy bathroom in order to photograph people using the toilet.

Alfred Keating, 58, was a commodore in the New Zealand navy and the most senior member of the country's armed forces in the U.S. But it seems his distinguished 40-year career will now end in disgrace, the New Zealand Herald reported.

The former defense attache is pleading not guilty to charges that he hid a camera in a unisex bathroom in the New Zealand embassy in the U.S. capital. The camera was discovered when it fell from its hiding spot near a heating duct in July 2017.

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Keatingwho had previously represented New Zealand at a United Nations convention on the law of the searesigned from his position after being charged with attempting to obtain intimate visual recordings. The camera had been angled to capture anyone using the toilet, which served around 60 embassy staff, the Guardian said.

NZ flag

Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

New Zealand investigators traveled to Washington, D.C. as part of their investigation and retrieved the hidden camera for forensic analysis. It had apparently been in place for some time as it was covered in a layer of dust. Police also searched Keatings computer at his New Zealand home, where he had allegedly installed software to control the camera. His DNA was also found on the memory card of the hidden camera, prosecutors say.

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On the day it was discovered, the camera had been activated at 9am and captured 19 images of people using the bathroom over a period of five hours. Keating had diplomatic immunity from prosecution in the U.S. meaning New Zealand police had to undertake the investigation, a court in Auckland heard. He faces a maximum jail term of 18 months if found guilty.

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A judge previously prevented Keatings name from being published as his daughter is still serving in the navy and could have been subject to harassment. However, this decision was overturned on Friday. He is due in court again in July.

Keating joined the navy in 1976 and was commissioned as an officer in May 1987. He was posted to the U.K. to study systems engineering until 1989 when he returned home to take on operational postings. In 2003, he was sent to Washington to serve as New Zealands naval attache and senior technical officer in America. He was promoted once again in 2007, becoming assistant chief of navy.

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BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - A Slovak prosecutor approved on Friday extradition of businessman Antonino Vadala - subject of the last report by a murdered Slovak journalist - to his home country Italy on a drugs charge.

Vadala was taken into custody in March on a European warrant issued by a Venice court that said Vadala was suspected of being part of a group dedicated to international drugs trafficking and money laundering that used apparently legal channels to import narcotics from South America.

Vadala will be handed over to Italian authorities within 10 days, a spokesman for a Slovak regional prosecutor's office, Milan Filicko, said on Friday.

Slovak investigative reporter Jan Kuciak had reported on fraud cases, often involving politically connected businessmen before he was found shot dead at home with his fiancee in late February.

The murder has shaken Slovakia, prompting mass protests that forced the resignations of the prime minister, two interior ministers and a police chief.

His final article - unfinished but published posthumously - looked at Italian businessmen in Slovakia with suspected mafia links, including Vadala.

In an interview with Slovak news website Korzar on March 6, Vadala denied any wrongdoing. Reuters has been unable to speak to him while he has been in custody.

No one has been charged over the deaths, which the prosecutor overseeing the case said was likely a contract killing.

Vadala is also facing separate charges of agricultural subsidy fraud by Slovakia's National Criminal Agency.

(Reporting By Tatiana Jancarikova; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

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Rescued endangered radiated tortoise are seen feeding in Ifaty, Madagascar April 27, 2018. Susie Bartlett/The Wildlife Conservation Society/Handout via Reuters

Thomson Reuters

By Lovasoa Rabary

ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) - Nearly 11,000 endangered tortoises, found dehydrated and hungry in a house in Madagascar, are being coaxed back to health by a team of U.S. veterinarians.

The radiated tortoises - prized by dealers for their beautiful shells - were so dry that some of them had to be soaked in water for weeks, said Susie Bartlett, from the Wildlife Conservation Society, based in New York's Bronx Zoo.

Others had to be injected with rehydration fluids and in some cases antibiotics and painkillers, she added.

Police found them in a house on the island last month, arrested three people and called in the experts.

Bartlett and colleagues spent days working in 100 Fahrenheit heat at a care facility in one of the tortoises natural habitats - the spiny forests on the island's southwestern coast.

"We got poked and scratched by spiny branches when crawling through to access the animals," said Bartlett.

Some have died but thousands of others are getting better. It is unlikely they will be released back into the wild anytime soon because they could be recaptured by poachers.

They are prized as delicacies in some parts of Asia, and as pets in other areas, Bartlett added.

(Writing by Maggie Fick; Edited by Andrew Heavens)

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Sinkholes occur in Florida more frequently than any other U.S. state. But over the past week, at least a dozen of these holes in the ground have opened up in just a single neighborhood in the central city of Ocala, 80 miles northwest of Orlando, according to local media reports.

Residents from at least eight families in the Fore Ranch subdivision of the Wynchase Townhomes neighborhood were evacuated after a number of sinkholes formed around a retention ponda pool designed to contain stormwater runoff from roofs and streets.

Resident Maren Pinder told ABC affiliate WFTV that the holes kept appearing and were growing larger, sparking worries that they may combine to form a mega-sinkhole.

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"They just keep coming. Are we safe? We don't know. It's really scary. We just have a bag ready in case they say, 'Yeah, you need to evacuate.' We can just grab it and get out," Pinder said.

No one has been injured so far, and all the buildings in Fore Ranch are still standing, but the holes have swallowed several cars, according to the Miami Herald.

David Wilshaw, principal geologist with Florida-based company Britannia Solutions, which advises engineers and architects on ground risk management, told Newsweek that both the location of Fore Ranch and the construction of retention ponds in the area are important to understanding why the sinkholes formed.

The area of Ocala where the Wynchase Townhomes neighborhood is located was dry, well-drained, open pasture land as recently as 2003, he said. The shallow soils in this area tend to be sands, below which there is generally a layer of more impervious clay soil that lies above the limestone bedrock. And the limestone in Ocala can be very cavernous. As part of the development of the subdivision after 2003, stormwater management ponds were excavated.

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Unfortunately, digging these ponds decreases the thickness of soil between the ground surface and the limestoneshortening the 'fuse' for a sinkhole to form, Wilshaw added. Furthermore, directing all stormwater into the ponds and creating these artificial lakes concentrates seepage of water into the soils. Such seepage is a destabilizing force in sinkhole formation.

But while recent development has played a significant role, the process that creates the initial caverns in the limestone has been taking place for thousands of years, Wilshaw added.

Caverns form in limestone very slowlythe rock dissolves in acidic water at a rate of about 1 inch per 1,000 years. So the holes that exist in the limestone were there long before the subdivision was developed, he said.

Once instability occurs in the soils that sit above these caverns in the limestone, the conditions are created for sinkholes to form. This was demonstrated in 2012 in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Debby, when 14 sinkholes opened up in the retention pond immediately to the south of the pond with the current problem. The additional runoff from the storm was enough to cause the clay soils lining the pond to crack and fail at multiple points.

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This kind of instability also likely led to the sinkholes that formed around the retention pond near Fore Ranch over the past week.

The difference is that we have not had a storm," Wilshaw said. "However, we are in a dry spell. As water levels in the ground drop during the dry season, the soils lose the buoyant support provided by the groundwaterthey 'feel' heavier. A bit like if you are sitting in the bathtub, then you drain out the waterit's harder to get out of the bath!"

GettyImages-487461925

Marianna Massey/Getty Images

If the sinkholes are left untreated, there is a danger that the residents' worst fears could materialize and the holes will coalesce to form larger sinkholes, Wilshaw said.

During the recent events, the residents of Fore Ranch have complained that they have often been left in the dark by officials. "We have not received any answers," Shannon Cole, told local media outlet Ocala.com. "I'm going to have to find somewhere [to live] soon."

The Ocala Fire Rescue Department and the city's engineer, as well as the county's Emergency Management Department, have been investigating the sinkholes to try to prevent them from happening again.

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UNCW Bestows Honorary Degree Upon Accomplished Business Leader, Higher Education Advocate Hannah Dawson Gage

Broadcasting executive and higher education advocate Hannah Dawson Gage has been presented with an honorary doctorate by the University of North Carolina Wilmington during its 95th commencement exercises, the university announced today.

UNCW is proud to award Hannah Dawson Gage with the degree Doctor of Humanities in recognition of her numerous achievements and contributions, particularly in the arena of higher education, Chancellor Jose V. Sartarelli said. Her civic leadership and commitment to our university, as well as the UNC System, continue to inspire us to pursue excellence in everything we do.

UNC System President Margaret Spellings, who attended the commencement ceremony where Gage received the honorary degree, said: Hannah has been widely respected as a voice for the greater good of this state and the university. Her patient, cheerful diplomacy has allowed her to work with everybody who has a stake in this university, and thats an ability to be celebrated.

Gages formal service to UNCW began when she was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 1993. During her eight-year tenure, including a year as chair, she was instrumental in securing funds for UNCWs marine science center.

In 2001, she was appointed to the UNC Board of Governors, serving for 12 years, including two terms as the first woman elected chair of the board. She also served a four-year emeritus term, which ended in June 2017. As chair, she sought to design a public university system that is sustainable and affordable, emphasizing operational effectiveness and better graduation rates.

It is such a thrill to be honored this way. I have been advocating for UNCW and the UNC System for nearly a quarter of a century. To be recognized for work that is such a labor of love for me is wonderful, and so very meaningful to me," Gage said.

Gage, a 1975 graduate of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Journalism, excelled in radio management with Cape Fear Broadcasting, a family business. She broke new ground in southeastern North Carolina by establishing the first FM contemporary radio station to focus on female listeners. She also started the areas first news talk radio station and later established the areas first FM station to focus on African American listeners. For her pioneering work, Gage received the American Advertising Federations Silver Medal in 1992 for contributions to the advertising and marketing industry. She was inducted into the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2009.

In 2012, she received The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the state's highest honor for service from the governor. A 2013 resolution by the UNC System honoring Gage cites her dynamic and timely leadership, supported by warmth and good humor, and great love of and dedication to the university and to the State of North Carolina. In 2016, she was honored by the UNCW Watson College of Education with a Razor Walker Award for her stalwart support of public higher education.

(L-R): Wendy F. Murphy '93, UNC Board of Governors; Provost Marilyn Sheerer; Hannah Dawson Gage; Chancellor Jose V. Sartarelli; UNC System President Margaret Spellings

###

The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state's coastal university, is dedicated to learning through the integration of teaching and mentoring with research and service. Guided by our Strategic Plan, the university is committed to nurturing a campus culture that reflects its values of diversity and globalization, ethics and integrity, and excellence and innovation. A public institution with nearly 17,000 students, the university is focused on supporting and enhancing the student-centered learning experience that has been a hallmark since its founding in 1947. UNCW offers an array of programs at the baccalaureate and masters levels, and doctoral programs in marine biology, educational leadership, psychology and nursing practice.
Major banks and financial institutions have mostly stayed away from the volatile virtual currency market, with some even outright denouncing the value of virtual coins such as Bitcoin. However, Goldman Sachs has recently announced that they are actually moving ahead with starting an internal Bitcoin trading operation that will be offering clients options to invest in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency futures. Clients will not necessarily be trading the coins themselves, but they will instead be able to trade in a variety of contracts that are linked to the prices of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

The company is, however, reportedly still looking to get regulatory approval so that it can start to hold and trade the coins for its clients.

Volatile market

Bitcoin and other currencies such as Ethereum, Ripple, and Litecoin, have had significant drops and spikes over the past few months. The instability and high risk of the virtual currencies are the main reasons why most financial institutions have so far been staying away from investing their time and money into trading them. Some financial institutions on Wall Street have criticized the growing popularity of Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies and have considered them as nothing more than a speculative bubble destined to burst.

There are currently a lot of controversies surrounding cryptocurrencies, which are unregulated by nature.

This includes the rampant market manipulation of large exchanges and the growing concern of large-scale hacks. Regulations have also taken its toll on the prices of virtual currencies as more and more governments and banks have stepped up to try and control speculative trading.

Betting on Bitcoin

As reported by The New York Times, Goldman Sachs executives are still pretty much holding on to their skepticism over the new technology, but they are reportedly confident that they will be able to create a system that would minimize its risks.

Rana Yared, a Goldman executive, mentioned in an interview that they arent necessarily die-hard believers of Bitcoin, but they do have the interest of their clients in mind. The company understands that Bitcoin is not a fraud, as some other companies will have people believe, and that some people still want to invest in it as a valuable commodity, similar to gold and other precious metals.

Goldman Sachs is going where other big Wall Street banks fear to tread: The world of virtual currencies. https://t.co/noX2lhY1rf  NYTimes Tech (@nytimestech) May 3, 2018

Growing demand

The decision to offer Bitcoin trading contracts was reportedly not an easy one to make for Goldman Sachs executives as the proposal had to go through a lot of internal examinations. The companys board of directors also had to close look at the proposals before it approved the new products. Investors and hedge funds across the globe have already started offering cryptocurrency services to customers, but Goldman Sachs will be the first bank in Wall Street to dive straight into Bitcoin trading.
Vice President Pences doctor, Dr. Jennifer Pena, unexpectedly announced her resignation on Friday (May 4). Pena, like Ronny Jackson, worked for the medical unit and was assigned to the vice president and president.

In order to make sure there was transparency from the vice presidents office, they issued a statement to CNN stating the same, adding that Penas resignation will go through the White House medical unit as that is the usual procedure.

Rewind

Earlier this year, President Trump nominated Rear Admiral and Dr. Ronny Jackson to become the next Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

The cabinet position has been vacant since David Shulkin left, or was rather forced to resign.

Dr. Ronnys nomination raised concerns from both Republicans and Democrats because he had no experience in leading or managing a large government agency like Veterans Affairs. And if his lack of experience wasnt a big enough strike against him, other serious allegations began to surface.

Over the course of three days, America was bombarded with reports of allegations involving Jackson having dispensed heavy-hitting prescription medicines to staffers in the White House and on overseas trips. This earned him the nickname Candyman, according to Senator Jon Tester (D) in a televised interview. Other allegations included excessive drinking while on the job and aggressive behavior toward colleagues.

Dr. Jackson officially withdrew his nomination less than a week after the allegations surfaced.

Frightened?

Some question if Penas abrupt resignation was because of Dr. Jacksons return to the White House medical unit. Others see this as fallout from her recent allegations against Jackson in which she documented in three memos to officials citing possible HIPPA, patient privacy, violations and other concerns.

It should be noted that there is no evidence or reporting that has been found that Dr. Pena was pressured to resign. But this does not stop one from theorizing.

Politico reported that a source familiar said the good doctors exit stems directly from reports that Dr. Jackson was aggressive and intimidating toward her after she filed the reports.

Sources also said Dr. Pena misrepresented the severity of the situations. And according to CNN, there were alleged multiple confrontations between the two; although no one really knows what happened after Jacksons failed confirmation and up until Pena's departure.

Dr. Jackson is no longer assigned to the president and there is no plan to reassign him to the president, although he still works in the White House medical unit. And, it is unclear if Dr. Pena will remain working for the Trump administration or go elsewhere altogether.
It seems that former Secretary of State John Kerry has been colluding (though the term conspiring also comes to mind) with officials of foreign powers, including Iran, to try to preserve the Iranian nuclear arms deal that he helped to craft. The effort, on its face, seems to be mainly brazen coming as it does in the wake of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netaynahus revelation that the deal was a sham from day one. Still, it seems that Kerry had to try to preserve the tattered legacy of his and his former boss President Barack Obamas signature foreign policy legacy.

What about the Logan Act?

As Hot Air suggests, what Kerry has been doing is a flagrant violation of the Logan Act, a late 18th Century law that prohibits private citizens from doing diplomacy without government sanction. However, as Shakespeare would say, the law has been honored more in the breach than the observance. No one has ever been convicted of violating the act in the history of the American republic, even though numerous people have been guilty of it. Kerry is likely to come into some ridicule and a lot of shaming, but will not see the inside of a jail cell, even though he colluded with a regime that has vowed to destroy not only Israel but the United States.

What happens now?

Rumor has it that President Trump has all but decided to withdraw from the nuclear arms deal and to impose heavy sanctions against the Iranian regime.

A military strike to destroy the weapons program cannot be ruled out. Ironically, the revelation of Kerrys alleged illegal actions will make that decision easier. The things that irritate President Trump constitutes a long list, but people trying to undermine him behind his back is close to the top.

Trump diplomacy

Trump, who has scored a fantastic diplomatic triumph in Korea, has proven himself to be a much cannier player on the world stage that anyone in the previous administration.

He has already gotten Kim Jong-un to promise to bring an official end to the Korean War and to give up nuclear weapons. To be sure, much depends on follow through and whether or not Kim is serious. However, Trump has proven that his brand of insult diplomacy can work against an insecure tyrant, especially when backed up by military power and economic sanctions.

Whether or not the same strategy can be applied toward Iran remains to be seen. In any case, the Iranian people have gotten more restive against the theocratic regime and seem eager to throw off its tyranny and free their country. That development would seem to present an opportunity.
My brother, a Marine, died from toxic wounds associated with his service in the post-9/11 Iraq War. I know this because I have seen government agencies discuss the dangers of toxins that were emitted by burn pits, large trash burning facilities that exuded chemicals not fit for human for consumption. And I am by no means alone in this belief.

Burn pits devastated our troops

The burn pits emitted dioxins, similar to those we know as Agent Orange from the Vietnam War. These dioxins and volatile chemical compounds wreaked havoc in the bodily systems of those who sustained toxic wounds.

The wounded suffer from unusual cancers, brain lesions, lung ailments, and overall poor pulmonary function. They are the silent wounded, but their families are not silent. Not today. And never will we be quiet.

The burn pits emitted dioxins, similar to those we know as Agent Orange from the Vietnam War. These dioxins and volatile chemical compounds wrecked havoc in the systems of those who sustained toxic wounds. The wounded now suffer from unusual cancers, brain lesions, lung ailments, and overall poor pulmonary function. They are the silent wounded, but their families are not silent. Not today. And never again.

The families of the fallen stood up for our lost loved ones

The family of Sergeant Thomas Joseph Sullivan formed a nonprofit organization to fight for those who suffered like he did, without any recognition, for his sacrifice, from the military.

This is my family, and we stood tall in the face of government denials. I led the nonprofit organization and even got a piece published on the front page of the Washington Post on Memorial Day about my brother's suffering and death due to burn pits and toxic wounds.

My family, to this day, continues to fight for the recognition of those with toxic wounds who have not been recognized or compensated by the system that was supposed to be designed to protect them.

Currently, we support The Sergeant Sullivan Fund at National Jewish Health, one of our nation's leading respiratory hospitals, to provide funds for care and research related to a phenomenon known as deployment-related lung disease, which may likely be caused by burn pit emissions.

What you can do to help

Write a letter to your members of Congress and ask them to publicly recognize the reality of toxic wounds, and the need to provide benefits to those who have sustained such wounds.

Through direct advocacy to our members of Congress, we can bring about a better world for our Service Members and Veterans who are suffering currently without the support of a grateful nation. Our responsibility this Memorial Day is to stand with these forgotten wounded, to fight for them, to either visit their grave sites or know that their grave sites are there. We can stand together, as a grateful nation, for burn pit victims, and we can do that which is right for these fallen. This was my own call to action when I spoke, only a year ago, with Erin Brockovich. I stand by my words, now and forever.
Caitlyn Jenner is making headlines of her own these days as rumors suggest the 68-year-old former patriarch of the Kardashian-Jenner clan is getting married to a 21-year-old model. Despite having her own battle with rumors, Caitlyn has made room for her step-son-in-law, Kanye West, who needed a supportive place to stay as divorce looms from Kim Kardashian, according to the latest reports.

It was Kanye's recent rants on Twitter that reportedly put Kim Kardashian over the edge. According to In Touch, recent reports indicate that Kim is more concerned with Kanye tarnishing the Kardashian brand than anything else.

Kardashian brand tarnished?

Kanye West got a shout out from President Trump on Friday (May 4), after one of West's recent tweets was chock full of pro-Trump enthusiasm. Trump states that this shout out from Kanye has doubled his numbers in one week with support from the African-American community. Trump thanked West for this while addressing the National Rifle Association on Friday.

The reports today put Kanye West out of the home he shared with Kim and the kids and is now bunking over at Caitlyn Jenner's place. Jenner has been a long-time supporter of Donald Trump. This change of address reportedly occurred after West ranted on Twitter about philosophy, which he deemed "the psychological zombie effect."

Is divorce looming?

Along with his zombie thoughts, he posted photos of himself in a Make America Great Again Hat and tweeted his online love for the 45th president of the United States.

He dropped jaws with a tweet that claimed 400 years of slavery was a "choice," according to In Touch, which was also the straw that broke the camel's back. In this case, it was Kim who was the camel. You can see Kanye in action above in a YouTube video from TMZ.

Caitlyn's house guest

According to reports, Kim wants a divorce from Kanye West, who is now bunking over at Cailtyn's house.

West went to Caitlyn because she understands him. One of Kim's main concerns is the backlash that Kanye is now wallowing in and how it will take its toll on the Kardashian brand. This is a brand she's worked hard at building up through the years.

Hosts of a Detroit radio station say they'll no longer play Kanye West's songs, saying they've had enough https://t.co/0fh4vk0EVq  CNN (@CNN) May 5, 2018

Caitlyn, who certainly knows what it feels like to be an outcast from the Kardashian-Jenner clan, is welcoming West with open arms.

She understands her famous rapper step-son-in-law and she's "incredibly supportive of his conservative views," according to In Touch.

One hand washes the other

West supported Caitlyn through her transition and she hasn't forgotten that support. Kanye is getting backlash from his family and his friends with Jenner the only port in this storm. He is also getting backlash from the hip-hop community as well as many of his fans for his support of Trump. As reported in the CNN tweet above, even radio stations are now refusing to play his music.

'For better or worse,' except brand tarnishing?

It looks like the "for better or worse" part of the vows may have had an unwritten clause when it comes to tarnishing the Kardashian family brand. In Touch has learned that Kim doesn't like when Kanye puts himself out there when there's a chance it can ruin her image.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will marry this month, but the honeymoon that was scheduled to follow has been canceled, according to Kensington Palace. The royal officials confirmed that Prince Harry and Meghan will go on a honeymoon at a later date, but they are staying home following their wedding event.

What is up with that? The couple was slated for a private getaway in Namibia, a place the couple has visited before. They were all set for a honeymoon in a luxury camp in one of the most private places on Earth. Nambia is one of the least densely populated countries in the world.

Honeymoon on hold

While there is plenty of news on where the couple had planned to go, there's not much news on why they canceled the trip. According to Fox News, the news came without much explanation as to why the two are staying at home following their nuptials on May 19. There is a royal event they will attend, but would that constitute canceling a honeymoon?

Speculation grows with delay

Without that explanation, there's been room for all kinds of speculation to grow as to the reasons the couple will stay put once in wedded bliss. Some websites claim they've postponed their honeymoon so they can attend a royal engagement the week following their wedding, but why wouldn't they have postponed the royal engagement instead of the honeymoon?

Kensington Palace official scoop

According to E! News, Kensington Palace has offered up a bunch of updates about Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding besides the delayed honeymoon. Meghan's dad will walk his daughter down the aisle, which seemed to be up in the air until recently.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's honeymoon will be delayed in order to attend a royal event: https://t.co/CrOOoi3dD5  DeShaunsMrk (@DeShaunsMrk) May 5, 2018

Meghan's siblings coming

There will also be three of Meghan's siblings in attendance for the wedding.

Meghan's mother will travel with Meghan in the car to her wedding ceremony. Meghan's mom and dad will arrive a few days before the wedding so that they can spend time meeting their new royal in-laws.

Meghan's parents to be by her side

According to E! News, "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are all slated to spend some time with Meghan's parents before the wedding."

#MeghanMarkleAndPrinceHarryWeddingDetails Kensington Palace has released some crucial details about the forthcoming wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. They include the roles of Ms Markle's parents. Read morehttps://t.co/uXnIjEg9dK pic.twitter.com/YfA3zwjeco  Africa Up To Date (@africauptodate) May 5, 2018

Prince Harry is thrilled that his mom's relatives will also be at his wedding.

Princess Diana's three siblings will be there with Lady Jane Fellowes giving the reading. The wedding will be a bit different than most, as Meghan has decided to forego a maid of honor.

Nontraditional wedding party?

With Prince William as the best man for his brother, it might be a bit awkward without a maid of honor if the wedding followed American traditions, but in the UK, things are done a bit differently. If you can remember back to Kate and William's wedding, Kate had Pippa as a maid of honor, but the bridesmaids were all kids.

The details of Meghan's bridesmaids have yet to be released, but they could very well all be adults with Meghan giving all her bridesmaids equal billing instead of having just one maid of honor.
NAME: Paula Garcia

Paula Garcia POLITICAL PARTY: Democrat

Democrat OCCUPATION: Executive Director, NM Acequia Association

Executive Director, NM Acequia Association CITY OF RESIDENCE: Mora

Mora RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: Mora County Commissioner for two terms, 6 years as Chairwoman (current); Executive Director of New Mexico Acequia Association for 20 years; President of NM Association of Counties; Chairwoman of the USDA Minority Farmers Advisory Committee.

Mora County Commissioner for two terms, 6 years as Chairwoman (current); Executive Director of New Mexico Acequia Association for 20 years; President of NM Association of Counties; Chairwoman of the USDA Minority Farmers Advisory Committee. EDUCATION: Some college, undergraduate studies at University of New Mexico.

Some college, undergraduate studies at University of New Mexico. CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: paulagarcia.com

What are the top two things you would do to improve the economy in New Mexico ?

First, we need to improve educational and economic opportunities for youth and young families. Education, from pre-K through college and university education, should be better funded and aligned with economic development opportunities in the state. Secondly, we need to diversify our economy with home-grown industries in renewable energy, high-tech, and value-added agriculture.

What are the top two things you would propose to address the states high crime rate ?

Resources are needed for recruitment and retention of qualified rural law enforcement officers with competitive wages and for enforcement of existing laws against habitual offenders by prosecutors. Just as importantly, New Mexico must address the root causes of crime, including the problem of substance abuse, with resources for prevention and treatment.

How would you address the states high DWI rate ?

Our state must rigorously enforce our DWI laws through the prosecution of DWI offenses, particularly of repeat offenders. Data on effective prosecution should be the basis of determining if stiffer penalties are needed. The state should support drug courts and treatment for substance abuse to rehabilitate repeat offenders.

New Mexico now spends about $270 million a year for early childhood programs, such as home visiting, pre-kindergarten and child care assistance. Do you support or oppose a constitutional amendment that would withdraw more money from the Land Grant Permanent Fund to increase funding for early childhood services ?

Quality early childhood education is a good investment in New Mexicos future. I support using a small percentage of the LGPF to fund well-planned early childhood programs in New Mexico.

Do you support or oppose legalizing recreational marijuana use in New Mexico and taxing its sales ?

I support medicinal cannabis and I support decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of cannabis. I would consider legislation on legalization and taxation based on data on successful implementation from other states including economic and public health impacts.

Do you support or oppose opening the states primary elections to voters who arent affiliated with either major political party ?

Voting rights are a cornerstone of our democracy and opening primaries to non-affiliated voters may increase voter engagement. Some 40% of registered voters 18-24 are not members of either major party. Open primaries may help improve turnout of younger voters. For this reason, I lean toward supporting open primaries.

Do you support or oppose raising New Mexicos minimum wage, currently $7. 50 per hour? If so, by how much ?

Increasing the minimum wage is one of the most direct ways to support working families. I support increasing the minimum wage in New Mexico to $10 per hour by 2020 and $13 by 2023 to bring New Mexico in line with Colorado and Arizona.

Do you support or oppose basing any percentage of a teachers performance evaluation on student test scores ? Explain.

Student scores are affected by many factors other than teacher performance during a given school year and I do not believe teacher performance should be based on test scores. Teacher evaluations should be developed in collaboration between teachers and administrators.

Do you support merit bonuses for teachers who do well on their evaluations? Do you believe unions should have the authority to block such bonuses ?

I support salary scales for teachers that are based on objective metrics such as certifications and time of service. The concept of merit pay could lead to more subjective forms of evaluation teachers.

Do you think having 32 state institutions of higher education is too many? What would you propose to make higher education more efficient ?

Many of our institutions of higher education are written into the constitution and they are important in their respective communities. To make higher education more efficient, there could be more collaboration on degree programs, transferability of credits, accountability measures, and student support services to improve graduation rates.

How should the states lottery scholarship program be kept solvent into the future ?

Measures may be needed to align the scope of support provided to the amount of resources available, especially if tuition rates continue to increase. A combination of additional revenue streams and creative ways to adapt the program, such as needs-based criteria, would be measures the legislature should consider.

Do you support or oppose making New Mexico a so-called right-to-work state, by changing state labor laws so that nonunion employees would not have to pay union fees as a condition of employment ?

I support collective bargaining by unions because it is the way for workers to negotiate for better wages and working conditions. Therefore, I would not support any changes in state law making New Mexico a so-called right-to-work state.

Do you favor making New Mexico a sanctuary state ?

Being an undocumented immigrant is not a crime. If a law enforcement agent detains an immigrant who is cleared of criminal activity, that person should not be detained by local or state law enforcement for federal immigration authorities. This is often referred to as safe cities or sanctuary.

If an Ethics Commission is approved by voters, at what point do you think ethics complaints should become public ?

I strongly support creation of an Ethics Commission. The laws governing a commission should provide transparency while addressing due process rights of alleged violators. A complaint should no longer be confidential after the Commission has determined there is a reasonable ground that a complaint is well-founded and not frivolous.

Do you believe the initial police incident reports and videos of arrests and crime scenes should be public ?

Our public policies regarding police reports and videos should be based on transparency and accountability. Reports and videos should be made public within a reasonable timeframe while balancing with the need for law enforcement or prosecutors to edit or redact records to protect privacy of victims or witnesses.

The state faces balloon payments on its Rail Runner debt in 2025 and 2026, a federal requirement for tens of millions of dollars in safety upgrades for the train, and declining ridership. On the other hand, the train is popular with the commuters who rely on it, and the Rail Runner may seek federal funding for the safety changes. Do you support continuing operation of the Rail Runner ?

Public transportation and mass transit are important to our state. Provided resources are available, I would seriously consider continued operation of the Rail Runner. However, I also believe the state should invest equitably so that small towns and rural areas have access to public transportation as well.

Do you favor imposing a gross receipts tax on all internet sales ?

New Mexico needs a fair tax system with a level playing field for those with bricks and mortar in New Mexico and those who sell products in the state over the internet. This would generate revenue and create more fairness between local and out-of-state businesses.

New Mexico has more than 100 exemptions and deductions in its gross receipts tax system. Would you favor eliminating some or all of them as part of an attempt to lower the base rate? If so, which ones? If not, why ?

New Mexico needs tax reform and lowering the base rate may help to recruit businesses. Exemptions are a tool to provide incentives but only if businesses can demonstrate job creation. Those not meeting certain criteria may need to be eliminated while others that are contributing to economic growth may be retained.

What would you support to make New Mexico schools safer? Would that include changing New Mexicos gun laws? If so, what specific changes to the gun laws would you support ?

I support school safety measures including improved security, surveillance and centralized ingress and egress. I support common sense gun laws such as closing loopholes on background checks, requiring waiting periods, regulating assault rifles, limiting the number of weapons purchased at one time and keeping guns out of the wrong hands.

Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens ? No.

Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding ? No.

Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of drunken driving, any misdemeanor or any felony in New Mexico or any other state ? If so, explain. No.
Anyone who wears a badge is a hero for each and every one of us New Mexicans  the men and woman who are keeping our communities safe, every minute, every hour of every day.

That was the message from Gov. Susana Martinez on Friday as the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office and Albuquerque Police Department hosted a memorial service in Civic Plaza to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Ive been lucky enough to witness firsthand the selfless courage and sacrifice of the men and women in uniform, Martinez said. Every day they put themselves in harms way so we are safe and protected. Those who wear the uniform have one of the most difficult jobs in our society. Theyre often the first on the scene. When others are running from danger, theyre running toward it.

Elected officials from Bernalillo County and the city of Albuquerque took part in the service, along with law enforcement from across the area and families of the officers who died in the line of duty.

Officers from departments across the area dressed in their best. Honor guards were present along with BCSO cadets.

But the day was about officers who lost their lives and the families they left behind.

It never gets any easier and while memorials like this can bring back unpleasant memories, it reminds me why I chose this profession, APD interim Police Chief Michael Geier said. Every officer we honor today has provided reason for us to be proud of our profession.

Geier then addressed surviving family members, who were escorted to their seats by BCSO cadets prior to the ceremony.

They are the reason we do what we do, he said. Their sacrifice and yours as a family member provides all of us with grief and pain, but it also fuels our hearts with pride and solace that can only be found in a law enforcement family.

Mayor Tim Keller and Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales also delivered remarks during the memorial.

Following the addresses, APD officer Tracy Drager and BCSO deputy Mustafa Mudada read the names of fallen officers, starting with APD Deputy Marshal E.D. Henry, who died on Nov. 20, 1886, and ending with Valencia County deputy Ryan Thomas, whose end of watch was Dec. 6, 2016.

Bells were rung. Doves were released.

Honor guards from APD and BCSO fired a rifle salute. BCSO Lt. Vance Lunsford performed taps and APD Sgt. Matthew McElroy played Amazing Grace on bagpipes.

APD officer Andrew Garcia delivered the national anthem earlier in the ceremony.

A riderless horse, with a sword and empty boots positioned backward in the stirrups, accompanied by members of the APD Horse Mounted Unit, concluded the ceremony.
SANTA FE  The parent who called Colorado State University police about two Native American teenagers from Espanola who were then pulled off their campus tour Monday described the brothers as creepy and told a dispatcher that her encounter with the brothers made her feel sick.

In a recording of the 911 call released Friday by CSU, a mother who was on the same campus tour as 19-year-old Thomas Gray and 17-year-old Lloyd Gray tells the dispatcher that the two were acting suspicious and other adults on the tour were also concerned.

There are two young men that joined our tour that werent a part of our tour, said the woman, described in a police report as white and blond. Theyre definitely not a part of the tour, and their behavior is just really odd.

Its probably nothing, she also said on the 911 call. Im probably being completely paranoid, with just everything thats happened.

The experience of the Gray brothers, who traveled from Espanola to Fort Collins on Monday to tour CSU, has since received national attention as the latest example of bias against people of color. Their mother, Lorraine Gray, detailed the incident on Facebook and said her sons were the victims of racism, setting off a round of news coverage in the Mountain West and around the country.

The Grays are Mohawk and moved from New York to New Mexico in 2009.

Listen to the 911 call here:

On Friday, CSU released the recording of the womans 911 call about the brothers, officer body camera footage showing the Grays being interviewed by police and a written police report.

Also, CSU President Tony Frank sent a message to all students and staffers saying he and other college officials have been trying to reach the Grays to reimburse them for the cost of their travel to the university and to offer them a VIP tour of the Fort Collins campus.

He also acknowledged changes CSU is considering for its campus tours, including giving all guests a badge or lanyard so they are clearly identifiable as well as establishing a new protocol for campus police to notify tour guides if officers need to pull anyone out of a tour group.

The very idea that someone  anyone  might look like they dont belong on a CSU Admissions tour is anathema, Frank said in the statement. People of all races, gender identities, orientations, cultures, religions, heritages and appearances belong here.

Brothers were late

In the police report, officer Lance Hoisington wrote that the parent who called about the Grays told him the teenagers wandered into the group 45 minutes into the tour and did not give their names when the tour guide asked.

(The caller) told me that several people in the group were uncomfortable because the two boys were laughing and keeping to themselves and did not seem to be interested in the tour, the officer wrote.

But during a news conference Thursday in Espanola, mother Lorraine Gray said the boys were too shy to introduce themselves to the 15-person tour group. Instead, Thomas, a freshman at Northern New Mexico College, said he had introduced himself and Lloyd to the tour guide.

About 10 minutes after that, he said, police arrived.

During the six-minute 911 call, the caller told the dispatcher that the Grays wont give their names, and when I asked them what they wanted to study, everything theyre saying isnt, they were lying the whole time.

She later said she thought the teens were lying because they laughed when answering her question.

She also expressed concerns about their dark clothes with weird symbolism or wording on it.

They just really stand out, she said. They stand out. Their clothing has dark stuff on it, dark things.

She also noted that one of the boys had his hand in his oversized sweatshirt.

The video shows Thomas wearing a T-shirt with a colorful cartoon monster image called Death of Poseidon on the manufacturers website. Lloyds hoodie, as shown in a photo provided by the Gray family, has a similar image on the back.

The woman said she believed the brothers were Hispanic while describing them to the dispatcher. One of them for sure, he said hes from Mexico, she said.

The body camera video shows the two responding officers pulling the brothers aside at the Student Rec Center. The officers were polite and matter-of-fact and patted the brothers down. They asked for identification and asked the brothers whether they were supposed to be on the tour.

After about 4 minutes, the Grays were let go when they showed their email confirmation to attend the tour.

But by then, the group had already moved on without them. In its statement Wednesday, CSU said the tour guide didnt know police had been called or that the Grays had been pulled out of the group.

Earlier this week, in an apology message the tour guide sent to Lorraine Gray, she said that the brothers werent acting suspicious and that she saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Just shy

When one of the officers asked the brothers if there was a reason the two didnt want to give their names during the tour, Thomas replied, No, he was just, hes shy, pointing to his brother.

Thomas told reporters Thursday that he stayed quiet because his brother stayed quiet.

I explained to both subjects that if they had simply cooperated and given their names when asked and their situation about being late, that no one would have found them to be suspicious, officer Hoisington put in his report.

Lorraine Gray couldnt be reached by phone Friday.

The female callers name was redacted from the campus police report and from the audio recording of her 911 call. She was described as a white, 45-year-old Colorado woman with blond or strawberry blond hair. On the call, she says shes an artist.

The mother told the dispatcher that she may be acting paranoid. But she said that the situation actually made me feel sick.

I feel completely ridiculous, she also said. Theyre probably fine; theyre just creepy kids.
Summer is an exciting time for all students but its a particularly exciting time for seniors who get to turn their tassels and receive their diplomas.

Starting Monday, graduations across the district will kick off and students will celebrate the feat four years in the making.

Ceremonies for the traditional high schools will be at Tingley Coliseum at Expo New Mexico and magnet schools will be at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 Fourth SW.

College & Career High Schools grads get diplomas on Saturday, during CNMs commencement. And the Black Student Union Rite of Passage Ceremony will be held Sunday at 6 p.m. at the Sheryl Williams Stapleton African American Performing Arts Center on the Expo New Mexico fairgrounds, 310 San Pedro NE.

Traditional High Schools

Albuquerque High: Monday, May 7, at 6:30 p.m.

Atrisco Heritage: Wednesday, May 9, at 2:30 p.m.

Cibola: Friday, May 11, at 6:30 p.m.

Del Norte: Monday, May 7, at 2:30 p.m.

Eldorado: Wednesday, May 9, at 6:30 p.m.

Highland: Saturday, May 12, at 2:30 p.m.

La Cueva: Thursday, May 10, at 2:30 p.m.

Manzano: Tuesday, May 8, at 6:30 p.m.

Rio Grande: Tuesday, May 8 at 2:30 p.m.

Sandia: Saturday, May 12, at 6:30 p.m.

Valley: Saturday, May 12, at 10:30 a.m.

Volcano Vista: Thursday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m.

West Mesa: Friday, May 11, at 2:30 p.m.

Magnet Schools

College and Career: Saturday, May 5, at noon

Early College Academy: Tuesday, May 8, at 5:30 p.m.

eCADEMY: Monday, May 7, at 10:30 a.m.

Freedom: Tuesday, May 8, at 2:30 p.m.

New Futures: Tuesday, May 8, at 11:30 a.m.

nex+Gen: Monday, May 7, at 1:30 p.m.

School on Wheels: Monday, May 7, at 7:30 p.m.

Transition Services: Monday, May 7, at 4:30 p.m.
SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea readjusted its time zone to match South Koreas on Saturday and described the change as an early step toward making the longtime rivals become one following a landmark summit.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised to sync his countrys time zone with the Souths during his April 27 talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. A dispatch from the Norths Korean Central News Agency says that promise was fulfilled Saturday by a decree of the nations Presidium of the Supreme Peoples Assembly.

The Koreas used the same time zone for decades before the North in 2015 created its own Pyongyang Time by setting its clocks 30 minutes behind South Korea and Japan. It said at the time that it did so to root out the legacy of Tokyos 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, when clocks in Korea were changed to be the same as in Japan.

Pyongyang Time was created as tensions between the authoritarian country and the U.S. grew over Pyongyangs nuclear weapons program and international sanctions aimed at dismantling it. But in recent months relations between the Koreas have warmed dramatically, with Kim and Moon pledging at their summit to rid their peninsula of nuclear weapons.

The meeting produced many steps toward reconciliation, including an agreement to resume reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, though it lacked a breakthrough in the nuclear standoff. Those details await Kim and President Donald Trump, who are expected to meet in the coming weeks.

KCNA earlier said Kim proposed returning North Korea to the Souths time zone because it was a painful wrench to see two clocks indicating Pyongyang and Seoul times hanging on a wall of the summit venue.

The news agency said resynchronizing North and South Korean time was the first practical step since the summit to speed up the process for the north and the south to become one and turn their different and separated things into the same and single ones.

According to South Korea, Kim has said hed be willing to give up his nukes if the United States commits to a formal end to the war and pledges not to attack the North. But his exact demands for relinquishing weapons that his nation spent decades building remains unclear.
Kanye West, the legendary rap artist, provoked controversy this week when he said in an interview with the celebrity news website TMZ: When you hear about slavery for 400 years.  That sounds like a choice. West was immediately challenged by a TMZ producer, Van Lathan, who said: While you are making music and being an artist  the rest of us in society have to deal with these threats to our lives. We have to deal with the marginalization that has come from the 400 years of slavery that you said, for our people, was a choice. Another rebuttal followed later on TMZ, from prominent Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson, who advised West, You need some time to reflect and learn more before you start making public statements.

There is a space in the heart of Alabama that might be just the place for Kanye West to reflect on slavery: the newly opened National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery. The six-acre site is a sweeping, solemn commemoration of the horrors of slavery and lynching in America. A large, covered, open-walled pavilion at the center of the memorial has hundreds of steel slabs suspended from the ceiling, each one marking a county where one or more lynchings happened, with the names of those lynched.

The memorial is the work of Bryan Stevenson and his Montgomery-based nonprofit the Equal Justice Initiative. He is an attorney who has represented death row prisoners in the Deep South for decades. In 2015, the Equal Justice Initiative published a comprehensive report on the history of lynching in the United States, documenting from 4,400 victims from 1877 to 1950.

Stevenson hopes the memorial, along with the organizations new museum in downtown Montgomery, The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration, will challenge what he calls the narrative of racial difference that we have in America, this history of racial inequality that has made us tolerant of bigotry and discrimination.

About 10 years ago, we began working on a project to change the narrative. We started doing this research on slavery, on lynching, on segregation. We put out these reports. We started putting up public markers, because  the landscape is littered with the iconography of the Confederacy, Stevenson said on the Democracy Now! news hour. For me  talking about our history of racial inequality is critical to creating a consciousness that will allow us to move forward toward justice and equality. I dont think weve done a very good job of that in our country.

The memorial and the museum have already sparked serious reflection at Alabamas capital city newspaper, the Montgomery Advertiser, founded in 1829. A deeply reported section of the paper, Legacy of lynchings: Americas shameful history of racial terror, includes articles detailing the papers own failings in its reporting on lynchings. Any stories, reporter Brian Lyman wrote, were undercut by the Advertisers unfailing assumption that lynching victims were guilty of a crime, whatever the facts may have been. Those assumptions were often grounded in racist views of African-Americans.

The papers editorial board opened its piece with the sentence, We were wrong, and continued, We went along with the 19th- and early 20th-century lies that African-Americans were inferior. We propagated a world view rooted in racism and the sickening myth of racial superiority.

While the memorial and museum focus on the past, on 400 years of racism against Africans and African-Americans, Stevenson is focused on the present as well: We have a schoolhouse-to-jailhouse pipeline. We have jails and prisons that are filled with folks who are not a threat to public safety. We have black and brown people being menaced and targeted by the police. We have a network of political discussions that always exclude people of color. And until we confront those spaces and challenge those places, were not going to be able to achieve the kind of justice that most of us seek. Thats my challenge. Thats my heart.

On an interior wall at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, a pledge is etched:

For the hanged and beaten,

For the shot, drowned and burned,

For the tortured, tormented, and terrorized

For those abandoned by the rule of law,

We will remember

In 2005, Kanye West rocked the country and the White House with seven simple words uttered on a major global telecast to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina: George Bush doesnt care about black people. Recently, Kanye West shocked many by professing admiration for President Donald Trump, and now saying slavery was a choice. Kanye should pay a visit to the memorial in Montgomery, and take the president with him.
There is no question the Iran nuclear accord reached during the Obama administration is a bad deal for America and the rest of the world.

Because it is.

The question is whether its better than nothing. Or, in the alternative, whether it can be fixed through concerted pressure of the United States and key allies who hold economic leverage over Tehran.

President Donald Trump is said to be leaning toward pulling out of the deal by the May 12 deadline  and key allies like French President Emmanuel Macron who want the U.S. to stay in now publicly acknowledge there are major flaws that need to be fixed.

Trump has been his usual bombastic self, but reasonable voices like former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice say this is a bad agreement and pulling out might not be the worst thing we could do.

In a nutshell, in 2015 Iran agreed to give up elements of a nuclear weapons program  which it said it never had  until sunset clauses that expire in 2025 and 2030. It also would agree to inspections. In return, the mullahs got a ton of cash and the lifting of sanctions by the West.

First, the inspections definitely arent of the any time anywhere variety. There are notice provisions and other restrictions, including blocking inspections at military sites.

Meanwhile, the Iranians have pushed ahead with development of an intercontinental ballistic missile program  so when they are allowed under the treaty to develop a nuke, assuming they arent doing so now clandestinely, they will have a sophisticated delivery system in place.

As for the hope the Iranians would follow a new path? Nope, theyve used the proceeds of the deal not to help the Iranian people but to foster terrorism and military adventurism from Damascus to Yemen. If it appears Tehran is moving toward a nuclear weapons program, the Saudis, Egyptians and others would be crazy not to do the same.

As Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahus stunning intelligence revelations made clear this week, Iran lied its way into the deal by insisting it had no nuclear weapons program or even aspirations. Even proponents of the deal say they never believed that. It should surprise no one that the mullahs lied and still have every intention of acquiring nukes. The question is when and how.

And some proponents say Netanyahus disclosures show the need for new inspections, possibly at never-visited sites.

The agreement wasnt submitted to Congress because it would never have passed, but the administration is required to recertify it periodically. Trump has indicated he wont but has appeared to be receptive to Macron and others who want to keep it but actually give it teeth and address the ballistic missile issue.

Trump is right to confront this. He should work with key partners to toughen up this deal  which certainly is preferable  or move beyond it.

The Iranian nuclear weapons clock is ticking.

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.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump is offering his latest teaser for a historic U.S. summit with North Korea: The time and place have been set, but hes not saying when and where.

The White House on Friday did announce the details of a separate meeting later this month between Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, as Washington pushed back on a report that Trump is considering the withdrawal of U.S. forces from its ally.

Trump and Moon plan to meet at the White House on May 22 to continue their close coordination on developments regarding the Korean Peninsula following last Fridays meeting between Moon and Kim Jong Un. They will also discuss the U.S. presidents own upcoming summit with the North Korean leader, a statement said.

Earlier this week, Trump expressed a preference for holding the big event with Kim in the demilitarized zone or DMZ between the two Koreas, where Moon and Kim met. He also said Singapore was in contention to host what will be the first summit of between a U.S. and a North Korean leader.

We now have a date and we have a location. Well be announcing it soon, Trump told reporters Friday from the White House South Lawn before departing for Dallas. Hes previously said the summit was planned for May or early June.

A meeting with Kim seemed an outlandish possibility just a few months ago when the two leaders were trading threats and insults over North Koreas development of nuclear weapons. But momentum for diplomacy has built this year as the rival Koreas have patched up ties. In March, Trump unexpectedly accepted an offer of talks from Kim after the North Korean dictator agreed to suspend nuclear and ballistic missile tests and discuss denuclearization.

According to South Korea, Kim has said hed be willing to give up his nukes if the United States commits to a formal end to the Korean War and pledges not to attack the North. But his exact demands for relinquishing weapons that his nation spent decades building remains unclear.

Trump said that withdrawing U.S. forces from South Korea is not on the table. Some 28,500 U.S. forces are based in the allied nation, a military presence that has been preserved to deter North Korea since the war ended in 1953 without a peace treaty.

Now I have to tell you, at some point into the future, I would like to save the money, Trump said later as he prepared to board Air Force One. You know we have 32,000 troops there but I think a lot of great things will happen but troops are not on the table. Absolutely.

The New York Times reported that Trump has asked the Pentagon to prepare options plans for drawing down American troops. It cited unnamed officials as saying that wasnt intended to be a bargaining chip with Kim, but did reflect that a prospective peace treaty between the Koreas could diminish the need for U.S. forces in South Korea.

At the inter-Korean summit last Friday, held on the southern side of the DMZ, Moon and Kim pledged to rid the peninsula of nuclear weapons and seek a formal end this year to the Korean conflict where the opposing sides remain technically at war more than six decades after fighting halted with an armistice.

But for Trump to contemplate withdrawing troops now would be a quixotic move as he enters into negotiations with Kim whose demands and intentions are uncertain. Two weeks ago, shortly before the inter-Korean summit, Moon said that Kim actually wasnt insisting on a longstanding demand for the withdrawal of U.S. troops as a precondition for abandoning his nukes.

National security adviser John Bolton, who met his South Korean counterpart Chung Eui-yong in Washington on Friday, called the Times report utter nonsense.

During his presidential campaign, Trump complained that South Korea does not do enough to financially support the American military commitment. In March, Washington and Seoul began negotiations on how much South Korea should offset the costs of the deployment in the coming years. Under the current agreement that expires at the end of 2018, the South provides about $830 million per year.

Before Trump meets Kim, Washington is looking for North Korea to address another persistent source of tension between the adversaries: the detention of three Korean-Americans accused of anti-state of activities in the North.

Trump hinted that the release of Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak Song and Tony Kim was in the offing, but again was sparing on the details.

Were having very substantive talks with North Korea and a lot of things have already happened with respect to the hostages, and I think youre going to see very good things. As I said yesterday, stay tuned, Trump said, referring to an earlier tweet on the issue.

___

Associated Press writer Ken Thomas contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON  A frail Sen. John McCain has been receiving a stream of visitors and good wishes at his Arizona ranch as he confronts the aftermath of brain cancer treatment and surgery.

Former Vice President Joe Biden sat with McCain for 90 minutes last Sunday, according to people close to both men. Biden followed McCains closest friends, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and retired Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, who visited McCain at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix two weeks ago. McCains daughter, Meghan, tweeted Friday that she was heading to her fathers side.

Going home to Arizona to be with my family, she tweeted. Thank you all again for your prayers, patience, understanding and compassion during this time. It means the world to me and my entire family.

McCain, 81, had hoped to return to the Senate, where hes served since 1987. He has been unable to do so after cancer treatment and surgery for an intestinal infection last month. Despite that, hes finished work on a new book being released May 22, The Restless Wave. And he continued to advocate for a return to the days when partisans could disagree without demonizing each other.

Id like to see us recover our sense that were more alike than different, McCain said in audio excerpts from his book reported by National Public Radio.

McCain has amplified his call for more civil politics since his diagnosis in July with glioblastoma. It is the same rare and aggressive brain cancer that felled his friend, Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy, at age 77 in 2009, and Bidens son Beau at 46 in 2015.

McCain hasnt been seen in public since December, just before he was hospitalized for a viral infection at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Maryland. He then returned home to Arizona to recover, do physical therapy and continue cancer treatment at the Mayo Clinic. On December 17, his office issued a news release saying he was looking forward to returning to Washington in January.

McCain did not return.

He has primarily been staying at his family retreat south of Sedona, Arizona, a sprawling and secluded ranch house along tree-lined Oak Creek where he loves to have family gatherings and barbecue for friends. His daughter, Meghan, was married there in November to Ben Domenech, publisher of the online political and cultural magazine The Federalist. The senator has been known to lead nature tours featuring his extensive knowledge of dozens of species of birds on the property.

McCains family and staff have kept news of his condition and treatment private, with his office routinely saying it has no new information to share. In mid-April, it was announced that he had been hospitalized for intestinal surgery needed to stem an infection related to diverticulitis, a condition where the colon develops small bulges that can sometimes become infected.

At weeks end, McCain was recuperating, eating well and enjoying the ranch at full bloom, according to a person close to him.

The visits by Graham and Lieberman were confirmed to The Associated Press by people knowledgeable about the meetings, but who spoke on condition of anonymity to respect the familys privacy.

His wife, Cindy McCain, tweeted April 23 that he had been released from the hospital, but no official word came from his Senate office.

@SenJohnMcCain and I are home in our beloved Hidden Valley enjoying a glorious Arizona sunset, the tweet said.

__

Fram and Kellman reported from Washington. Christie reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writer Josh Lederman contributed to this report.
DALLAS  Those gathered in Dallas to protest the National Rifle Association during its annual meeting include parents whose children were among the 17 people fatally shot in February at a high school in Parkland, Florida.

Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, told the crowd at one of several gatherings Saturday that he wakes up every day with the sole purpose to affect change in the gun control debate.

Guttenberg spoke at a rally organized by #NoRA, a group founded by actress Alyssa Milano. She tells The Associated Press theyre trying to shine the light on the NRAs stronghold over policymaking in Washington.

At another rally, Manuel Oliver, whose son Joaquin was killed in the Parkland shooting, created a mural containing the message: We demand a fair game.
Late spring in the Middle East is filled with book fairs, open-air festivals and brave new exhibitions with a dose of discontent about the present and visions of a dystopian future.

Election fever hits Turkeys art scene: Concerns among Turkish citizens about democracy, human rights and basic liberties have found expression in several art exhibitions as Turkey approaches the June 24 snap elections, the first presidential and parliamentary balloting since the adoption of a presidential system in April 2017.

At the Galata Greek Elementary School, First Round, featuring 80 works from the private collection of Banu and Hakan Carmikli, takes a look at the current political and social scene in Turkey. A work by Ferhat Ozgur, Tower of Democracy, consists of old ballot boxes stacked on iron-framed shelves. Nearby, Ozgur's larger-than-life wolf, made of wooden ballot boxes, raises its head as if howling. The ballot boxes and the wolf recall the Nationalist Action Party, whose symbol is a wolf, and its new rival, the Good Party, whose leader, Meral Aksener, is nicknamed Asena, which means she-wolf. In Serra Behar's Untitled, a medicine cabinet, empty except for a few rosaries, is affixed to the wall, offering a thinly veiled criticism of the conflict between doctors and Islamic healers in Turkey. The exhibition's title, First Round, suggests the current debate on whether Turkey's incumbent president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will emerge victorious in the first round of voting. The exhibition runs until May 12.

A few steps away from First Round, artSumer, a small gallery in Karakoy, is displaying large works by Deniz Aktas, a millennial from the southeastern city of Diyarbakir. The barren landscapes, in hues of gray and beige, bear the devastating marks of the forced evictions and demolished homes and buildings in his city, which is scarred by decades of armed conflict between state security forces and Kurdish militants. The exhibition, aptly titled No Mans Land, runs through May 12. It will be followed by a collective exhibition on destruction and hope, The Sun is Still There, which will hang through June 30.

All Aboard!: At the American University of Beirut's Center for Arts and Humanities, a collection of rare photographs and archival documents awaits anyone fascinated by the political and historical role of the railways built by Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II in the Middle East. Organized in partnership with Dar El-Nimer for Arts and Culture, an independent art foundation, Holy Rail documents the establishment of the Hejaz railway, which ran from Damascus to Medina and is considered the first major infrastructure project the Ottomans financed and built on their own, ostensibly to aid pilgrims trying to reach Mecca and Medina, but also to transport military equipment should war break out, which it did, in 1914. The exhibition continues until June 2.

Sci-fi for Palestine: Sci-Fi Trilogy, also organized by Dar El-Nimer for Arts and Culture, brings together three of Larissa Sansours short films  A Space Exodus (2009), Nation Estate (2012) and In the Future They Ate from the Finest Porcelain (2016). They meld the language of science fiction with glossy production in exploring loss, belonging, heritage and national identity. The works reflect a dystopian vision of a Middle East on the brink of apocalypse. The films are projected alongside related installations, sculptural and photographic works held by Dar El-Nimer. The exhibition runs until June 6.

Books, books, books: The Abu Dhabi Book Fair, one of the largest events for publishers in the Arabic-speaking world, wrapped up May 1, but avid readers and collectors have an opportunity to attend two more fairs this month. The 11th Palestinian International Book Fair, which takes place May 3-13 in Ramallah, hosts more than 500 publishers. Now might be a good time to grab a copy of The Second War of the Dog, the dystopian novel by Ibrahim Nasrallah that just received the International Prize for Arab Fiction, dubbed the Arab Booker. Meanwhile, the 31st edition of the Tehran International Book Fair also takes place May 3-13.

Fresh air: Spring in the Middle East means open-air exhibits with street art of various kinds and a variety of music. Jaffa Fest in Israel offers more than 80 theater and dance performances, live music concerts, exhibitions, workshops and childrens programs throughout May. In Amman, the 6th edition of the Baladk Street Art Festival takes place May 5-10, bringing together graffiti and street artists from Jordan, the broader Middle East and Europe. The theme this year is People. In Mardin, a Turkish city known for its striking architecture, a group of international artists are using old buildings as settings for contemporary works of art in the 4th Mardin Biennial, which runs May 4 to June 4.
Turkey has something to prove.

The Ephesus 2018 Joint Combined Live Fire event, set for May 7-11 in Izmir, will be Turkey's first high-profile conventional international exercise since the July 2016 attempted coup. The display should reveal important data on the operational effectiveness and conventional capabilities of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).

The Turkish general staff describes the objective of the exercise as developing and maintaining the combat readiness of the joint headquarters and field units together with elements of the invited countries. No doubt the exercise will demonstrate the TSK's status in the aftermath of the coup attempt  hence the exceptional interest shown by foreign mission chiefs, military attaches and international media.

The exercise calls for the cooperation of numerous entities. In addition to TSK elements, Turkeys public bodies, such as emergency relief services, the postal department, the Ministry of Health, local municipalities and Turkeys official media, as well as civilian companies that specialize in telecommunications, cybersecurity and information technology will also take part in the exercises. The TSK seriously felt the lack of civilian-military integration during its Operation Euphrates Shield (August 2016-March 2017) and Operation Olive Branch (January-March 2018), and this time it will coordinate with the civilian sector to improve the situation.

Also participating will be military units and elements from Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bosnia Herzegovina, Georgia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Hungary, Macedonia, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Romania and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi units that will take part arrived in Turkey at the end of April. Saudi Arabia's readiness to take part in the exercise despite the problems it's been having with Turkey indicates it favors continuing cooperation in the military and defense fields.

Major NATO forces Germany, France and Poland gave no official explanation of why they aren't participating, but a senior Turkish official who asked not to be identified blamed political-military relations between Turkey and those three countries.

Two months before the coup attempt, in May 2016, Turkey conducted Ephesus 2016, which was described as the most sophisticated military exercise Turkey had staged, with complex operations and civilian-military integration.

Ephesus 2016 was designed to improve joint and combined combat operations, including amphibious, air assault and counterterrorism. Along with Turkeys land, air, naval and gendarmerie forces, some 900 military staff participated from Turkey's major allies  including the United States, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Poland and Germany. The exercise was observed by 255 delegates from 79 countries. In that exercise, the imaginary country of Arnold was seeking UN assistance against invasion by another country. The scenarios required a dynamic mission set to meet the challenges of a multi-domain battle that included cyberspace. The TSK passed these tests, which included a brigade-level beachhead seizure, counterterrorism operations, hostage rescue and humanitarian aid operations for refugees.

Comparing the sophistication of Ephesus 2018 with the 2016 event will help with evaluating the TSKs pre- and post-July 2016 operational effectiveness at the conventional level.

The focal point of Ephesus 2016 was joint and combined operational planning and engaging sensitive targets.

But after the coup attempt, the government conducted mass purges of the TSK, discharging some 1,400 of 1,800 staff officers who are usually tasked with planning and headquarters duties. It will not be easy to emphasize complex operational planning in Ephesus 2018.

Instead, the emphasis is likely to be on coordinated air, sea and land maneuvers and, as a public relations effort, displays of Turkish-made military equipment and systems. Turkish defense industry companies are known to be planning a massive Made in Turkey show for the benefit of foreign observers.

It appears Turkey will use Ephesus 2018 to show that its military is still strong and well-equipped with weapons, particularly systems manufactured by local firms.

Naturally, Turkey will play up successes in Afghanistan, Somalia, Qatar and Balkan countries, as well as Operation Olive Branch.

Surely Turkey will try to say that its army is still very strong by making the maximum use of those still in the ranks after thousands were dismissed. The worst shortage of personnel will be with staff officers and pilots. Ankara will try to overcome the shortages by using a simpler operational plan instead of a detailed and complex one, and using relatively less participation of helicopters and airplanes. In 2016, many key personnel were transferred from different corners of Turkey to participate in the Ephesus exercise. It will not be any different this time.
Thousands of "foot soldiers" young and old gathered in Birmingham's Civil Rights District Saturday for a pair of events commemorating the 55th anniversary of the Birmingham children's marches of 1963 that were one of the turning points of the Civil Rights movement.

In the first week of May 1963, thousands of black children left school to march from the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church toward downtown Birmingham's business district to protest segregation. The marchers were jailed by the hundreds, and attacked with police dogs and fire hoses.

At least 35 of the original marchers participated in Saturday's events, along with notable guests like Martin Luther King III, Yolanda Renee King, Bishop Calvin Woods, and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and about 3,000 people.

The group marched from Kelly Ingram Park down 16th Street to 2nd Avenue and then down 14th Street to Railroad Park, carrying home-made signs, singing traditional protest songs and waving to crowds gathered along the streets to watch.

About 2,000 people attended as part of a three-day program called "The Power of Children: Then and Now," organized by Jack and Jill of America, Inc. According to its web site, Jack and Jill is an organization "dedicated to nurturing future African American leaders by strengthening children through leadership development, volunteer service, philanthropic giving and civic duty."

Attendees came from Jack and Jill chapters across the country for events centered around the 55th anniversary of the Children's Crusade, and the issues facing African American children today.

Prior to the 2 p.m. march, children attending the convention heard from speakers Martin Luther King III and Marian Wright Edelman, as well as several of the original "Foot Soldiers," who marched as children in 1963.

Taylor Ellis, 16, said King's speech was one of the highlights of the weekend so far.

"He said 'we don't have the luxury to sleep through a revolution' and that really stuck with me because I think oftentimes we might not realize how maybe someone's rights are being trampled upon," Ellis said. "So I think that we need to make sure that we continue to stay awake and don't become complacent with the way things are."

Ellis is the Regional Teen President of the Houston Chapter of Jack and Jill, and said she drove 10 hours to participate in the weekend.

"I think it's just so important that we understand our history not just as black people, but as Americans in general," Ellis said. "I think that sometimes we kind of forget the actions our ancestors took so that we can live the lives that we live today.

"And so just paying homage to that and just remembering that is so important."

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute also organized a march Saturday, re-tracing the steps of the original marchers from St. Paul United Methodist Church and Sixteenth Street Baptist Church to Lynn Park, Birmingham City Hall, and back to Kelly Ingram Park. That event began at noon, two hours before the Jack and Jill march.

"What we have done here in recreating and re-visiting the march is to really celebrate the courageous foot soldiers who led this movement 55 years ago and to pass the baton to the 21st century generation of young people who will carry forward the work of preserving and promoting human and civil rights," said Andrea Taylor, President and CEO of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

The BCRI event was mostly catered to local children, being promoted in Jefferson County schools, while the Jack and Jill event included members from all over the country. Taylor said the Jack and Jill program includes a tour of the Institute on Sunday afternoon where that group will have a chance to explore the museum.

"It's been really wonderful to have not only local and regional young people, but young people from all over the nation really experiencing this," Taylor said.

Woodfin said the events were an important showcase for the city, 55 years after the city's reputation was tarnished by coverage of children being blasted with fire hoses and arrested in droves.

"What these children are doing in this park today, all these families and children from across the nation, what they're seeing is not just the history of our city, but they are embracing its present as well," Woodfin said. "And as mayor, I'm glad to see that children are still the face of change in America."
A Chilton County Sheriff's deputy has been released from a local hospital after sustaining undisclosed injuries after a car chase near Jemison.

"Our officer has now been released from the hospital and is on the way home," the Sheriff's Office said on its Facebook page. "Other than a few battle scars, he's expected to make a full recovery."

According to the posting, Chilton County deputies, the Jemison Police Department and the Clanton Police Department were involved in a vehicle pursuit early this morning.

The chase began in Jemison and ended on Interstate 65 near mile marker 179. The deputy was said to be injured while trying to the subject who was being pursued.

The Department said more information about the pursuit will be released as the investigation continues.
Republican attorney general candidate Alice Martin last year asked then-Gov. Robert Bentley to appoint her as attorney general while Bentley faced a criminal investigation by her office, but said Friday she played no active role in the probe after seeking the job.

Public records obtained from the attorney general's office by The Associated Press show Martin, while chief deputy in the attorney general's office under Luther Strange, sent a Jan. 26, 2017 email to Bentley's office seeking, "consideration for appointment to the office of attorney general" if the position became available.

"I trust the Governor will consider my qualifications and experience to serve as the first female and 50th Attorney General for the state of Alabama should the seat be vacated," Martin wrote. In later emails from her state account, she thanked two people for calling, or offering to write, Bentley on her behalf and that she hoped the governor "will give me the nod."

The emails show that Martin actively sought the appointment. Martin issued a statement saying that she put her name into consideration when it became clear that Bentley would be appointing a new attorney general, because she believed she was the most qualified for the job.

Bentley last year appointed Strange to the U.S. Senate to fill the seat previously held by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The move raised some eyebrows since it allowed Bentley to appoint a new state attorney general as he faced an ethics investigation in the fallout of an alleged affair with a staffer.

After interviewing Martin and other candidates Bentley on Feb. 10 appointed Steve Marshall, the longtime district attorney of Marshall County, as attorney general. Martin is challenging Marshall in the GOP primary for attorney general. Marshall recused immediately from any matter involving Bentley and appointed Ellen Brooks, the former district attorney of Montgomery County, to handle the probe.

Asked about the appropriateness of seeking the appointment, Martin said she played no part in the investigation after seeking the post.

"As I have long stated, after it became apparent that the Governor would be making a Senate appointment that would leave the Attorney General position vacant, I asked that my name be considered. I believed then, as I believe now, that I was the most qualified candidate for the position and would best serve Alabama. After seeking consideration, I had no role in the Bentley investigation except to attend a briefing for Marshall and Brooks," Martin said in a statement.

It is unclear exactly what the status of the investigation was when Martin interviewed with Bentley for the appointment.

Martin wrote in a Feb.16 letter to Brooks after meeting with her said her role had been to provide "legal oversight and administrative support for this investigation since opened." Martin wrote that she was recusing from further involvement.

Martin later left the office and Marshall named his own chief deputy.

Martin said in a statement that it was clear during her interview with Bentley that he had, "made his choice and that it would not be me. He was more interested in a status quo Attorney General like Steve Marshall rather than someone who will stand up to corrupt public officials."

Bentley resigned two months later, pleading guilty to misdemeanor campaign finance violations. Brooks announced this spring that the grand jury was closed without additional indictments, but with recommendations to toughen the state ethics law.

Martin has criticized the outcome of the Bentley investigation, saying that Bentley got a "get out of jail free card."
FORT WORTH, Texas - A prominent Southern Baptist leader whose comments about spousal abuse set off a firestorm last week said in an interview Friday that he couldn't "apologize for what I didn't do wrong."

Wearing a black cowboy hat as he led graduates down the aisle, Paige Patterson set off laughter at Southwestern Baptist Seminary's commencement as he joked about quarreling Baptists. Patterson's advice to abused women not to divorce has set off a huge public backlash among evangelicals - but not at the conservative Texas seminary where the 75-year-old is president.

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, which does not ordain women but offers them classes in homemaking, this week fired a PhD seminary student from his $40,000 job for simply tweeting about the Patterson debate, telling him he was "indiscreet" and that his decision to speak publicly about the dispute "does not exhibit conduct becoming a follower of Jesus" and shows he was not properly deferring to "those placed in authority over you."

As some wondered this week whether the seminary trustees could remove its president, Patterson appeared to double down on Friday, saying in an interview that "allegations have been given on me all my life," adding that he was being falsely accused but declining to provide examples. During the ceremony, Patterson sat front and center in a red velvet chair casually twirling his black glasses before addressing the graduates without directly addressing the controversy.

Patterson's comments about divorce, which took place in 2000 but were widely circulated last weekend, caused Southern Baptist leaders to scramble to denounce domestic abuse. The most surprising remarks in the recording came when Patterson tells the story of a woman who came to him about abuse, and how he counseled her to pray for God to intervene. The woman, he said, came to him later with two black eyes. "She said: 'I hope you're happy.' And I said 'Yes . . . I'm very happy,' " because her husband had heard her prayers and come to church for the first time the next day.

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, numerous powerful men have come under scrutiny over sexist treatment of women. But Patterson, who has long held a special status within the nation's largest Protestant denomination for his role in a conservative takeover of the convention going back decades, is known for not backing down from positions.

After his 2000 comments were published on a blog, he stated that while he would never recommend divorce, he has advised abused women to leave their husbands. Though Patterson issued a statement earlier this week with his trustees that did not mention resignation or retirement, two seminary graduates who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the trustees of the seminary, who control Patterson's future, have been divided over how to handle its controversial president who some say has a pattern of poor behavior.

Patterson, in the interview, referred to the PhD student who was fired. "If you are going to be problematic and you're indiscreet, you'll be fired," he said.

Nathan Montgomery, a PhD student in the philosophy program at the seminary, who recorded the meeting where he was fired, was told that his tweet did not exhibit loyalty to the seminary and that it did not reflect the institutional voice.

"Public disagreement does not align with Scripture," a document outlining Montgomery's termination states.

Montgomery, 31, said he also lost his tuition-free arrangement with the seminary, which was $7,000 a year. He has been working for the seminary in dining services since he began there in 2011, and has been the catering kitchen manager for the past two years.

On Tuesday, he retweeted a blog post from Ed Stetzer where Stetzer, the executive director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, recommended Patterson retire. In his blog post, Stetzer listed a series of actions by Patterson that have raised concerns among Southern Baptists.

One reason why Patterson's comments have generated such backlash is because he is slated to give the sermon at Southern Baptists' upcoming annual meeting in Dallas in June, considered a high honor for any pastor. If the question is still on the table, Patterson would have to decline to preach, or the entire convention would have to vote to rescind the honor, so some Southern Baptists worry the issue will drag on for weeks. When asked whether he still plans to give that sermon, Patterson said, "I have no comment," he said. "I try to follow the Lord as much as possible, and he's said not a word."

In his blog post, Stetzer, a Southern Baptist, highlighted how it puts the convention in a tricky spot.

"If Paige Patterson preaches at the SBC, he will, because of his past work, get a standing ovation," Stetzer wrote in a blog post for Christianity Today. "Every news story will point to that moment . . . and say that Southern Baptists don't take abuse seriously. . . . It's a message to women that we must not send."

In Montgomery's tweet promoting Stetzer's blog post, he said he felt like he should say something publicly, but he said he didn't expect anything to happen.

Patterson said in the interview that Montgomery had "a long history," but declined to provide specifics. The document that lists reasons for Montgomery's termination cited just one previous incident, which Montgomery said was a misunderstanding over catering for Patterson's wife. He said he has never been given any warnings.

Montgomery still hopes to stay at the seminary, where he expects his PhD will take another four years to finish.

"I'm for the school," he said while he sipped a Starbucks iced tea. "This is not a personal attack."

Some students, however, support Patterson's position on abuse and divorce. R. Patel, 29, who received his degree in preaching on Friday, said he too would encourage women not to divorce and instead separate from an abusive spouse.

"I was disappointed by the firestorm on Twitter," he said. "I consider Dr. Patterson my hero of the faith."

Some Southern Baptists say Patterson's comments reflect larger attitudes about women within the seminary and Southern Baptist circles. Southern Baptists hold to a theology of complementarianism, the belief that men and women are created as equal but have differing roles-specifically in the church and home.

Some more extreme adherents of complementarianism believe that women should not work outside of the home. This belief is held by many at Southwestern seminary where women are not permitted to teach men or oversee them professionally, and female students are allowed to get specific degrees that enable them to teach other women.

Rebecca Neyhard, a graduate of the seminary who worked in public relations from 2009 to 2011 where she wrote about the seminary's homemaking degree, said Patterson's recommendation that abused women should return to their husbands was an idea she heard repeated in her systematic theology class, from an Old Testament class and from a women's ministry class.

"To counter such a 'feminist idea,' no-fault divorce, the attempts were shotgun-wide, and one of them was the idea that abused women should partake in the sufferings of Christ, or be like God loving humanity and being continually rejected by him over and over," Neyhard wrote in an email. "Just as long as they stay together, they promote the one man, one woman marriage ideology that was so important to the movement."

Patterson has given other advice to abused women since those comments in 2000. In a sermon he delivered in 2013, Patterson suggested women who have had "a problem in your home" should not bring their case to a judge because it could get in the way of that judge becoming a Christian.

"Settle it within the church of God," he said. "And if you suffer for it, and if you were misused, and if you were abused, and if you're not represented properly, it's okay. You can trust it to the God who judges justly."

He then prayed, "Lord, may we make up our minds that we won't take our troubles to the press, we won't take our troubles to the government, we won't take our troubles anywhere except to the people of God and beyond that to the Lord Jesus."

Another sermon has stirred up questions over whether Patterson's objectifies women. In 2014, Patterson used a story in one of his sermons about an interaction he witnessed. In the story, a 16-year-old girl walked, and Patterson said, "she was nice." As she walked by them, one young man commented, "man is she built." A woman nearby slapped her hand over the young man's mouth and scolded him. Patterson said he responded to the woman, "Ma'am, leave him alone. He's just being biblical," he said to audience laughter. When asked about that sermon, Patterson on Friday declined to comment.

Patterson's comments about a woman being "built" is part of a series of faux pas and it's time for him to retire, Stetzer said on Friday.

"That's a wink and a nod to a sexual reference," said Stetzer, who noted that he has a 16-year-old daughter. "If I had a youth pastor who made that joke, I'd fire him on the spot. That's creepy."

And in 2010, Patterson called out female seminary students for not doing enough to make themselves pretty, saying, "It shouldn't be any wonder why some of you don't get a second look."

The backlash among Southern Baptist women to Patterson's comments, who do not usually hold formal leadership roles in the convention but are hugely influential, has been fierce. Most notably, Bible teacher Beth Moore, who attends a Southern Baptist church and has openly spoken of her own past abuse by a family member as a child, has been tweeting about sexism this week. On Thursday, she published a blog post outlining the sexism she has faced within evangelical circles.

" . . . [E]arly October 2016 surfaced attitudes among some key Christian leaders that smacked of misogyny, objectification and astonishing disesteem of women and it spread like wildfire," she said, referring to the month that Donald Trump's "Access Hollywood" tapes where he bragged about sexual abuse, came out. Patterson endorsed Trump from the chapel stage, according to a graduate who was present.

The last time the SBC issued a resolution about domestic abuse was in 1979. In 2011, it issued a resolution on marriage, citing concern for the high rates of divorce among Southern Baptists. "We do not serve those who are hurting from divorce by speaking to them only in therapeutic terms rather than in terms of both repentance and forgiveness," the resolution states.
Saturday's commencement at Spring Hill College may be accompanied by a prayerful protest on the edge of campus by some who object to the school's choice of speaker, but the school's president says support within the college is "universal."

There are, to be sure, some strong feelings on both sides. Those opposed to Spring Hill's selection of The Rev. James Martin, S.J., maintain that he distorts Catholic teaching, potentially leading people astray. He counters that the objections are rooted in a misunderstanding of what he's said and in homophobic hatred and fear.

Speaking Friday on campus, Martin offered a self-deprecating appraisal that students may not be impressed by him or by any accompanying controversy.

"The students are much more interested in their commencement, and in the parties before and afterwards, than in what some Jesuit happened to write last year," he said.

Last year, Martin published his latest book, "Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity." Response included criticism from those who accused him of undermining Catholic dogma on homosexuality, as well as from LGBT advocates who said he didn't go nearly far enough. But Martin said the book "has had a lot of support from the Catholic hierarchy."

Reaction to the book has cost Martin at least a couple of speaking engagements, notably one canceled by the Theological College, a seminary affiliated with the Catholic University of America. It also generated a couple of petitions calling for Spring Hill College to drop him as a speaker.

Chris Shea, head of the Coalition of Concerned Catholics, said he sees Martin as being a practitioner of "spiritual malpractice ... leading individuals and their souls to potential damnation."

"He's skirting the line on the actual church teaching," said Shea. A petition he launched lays out his criticisms in detail, and he said he's tried to get a forum at the college, such as a chance to speak the board of trustees, to no avail.

He can't make it to Alabama to protest in person, he said, but he expects another group, TFP Student Action, to hold "a peaceful protest, a peaceful rosary" on Saturday morning. Shea isn't affiliated with that group, he said.

Martin enjoys the unstinting support of SHC President Christopher Puto, who said he feels the school is "very much on the side of right" in booking Martin and that "within the college, the support is universal."

Asked about the protest, Puto said that "I can tell you that throughout her life, my mother prayed the rosary for my soul." He certainly doesn't object to having one said for him on Saturday, he said.

Puto said that Martin is a fitting speaker because of his "lifetime of commitment to the church."

Puto has suggested that anyone critical of Martin's message in "Building a Bridge" either hasn't read it or hasn't understood it. His opponents are equally certain that Martin's backers fail to understand his departures from orthodoxy. And their language is sometimes heated: TFP Student Action has its own petition online, and the comments left by viewers include one statement that "This is why exactly we used to burn heretics at the stake."

Martin said he was "not worried at all" that such talk would translate into a real threat at Spring Hill College or elsewhere.

"As the New Testament says, 'Perfect love drives out fear,'" he said. "But perfect fear also drives out love. So a lot of these comments are based on fear of LGBT people, who seem different from them. But the book is really firmly within the Gospels and within church teaching. And I think if people read the book they will find out that there is nothing to be afraid of."

Puto said Martin isn't on a book tour and he doesn't expect "Building a Bridge" to come up in his address.

"it's going to be life lessons. Simple messages," Martin said. "My general approach for commencement addresses is, no one doesn't like short, and no one doesn't like funny. So I'm going to try to keep it short and funny. And relevant, I hope."

That rings a little false to Shea, who said that bringing in Martin is general endorsement, regardless of his specific remarks.

"When you host the person ... you can't compartmentalize him and separate him from his other points of view," Shea said.

"We're supposed to be working with people on the margins, which is one reason I've been trying minister to LGBT people," Martin said. "These are people on the margins."

"That's the step we have to take," he said. "The book is basically just calling for people to listen to one another."

Puto said that SHC's class of 2018 includes a little over 300 graduates. Martin also is scheduled to deliver the commencement address for Loyola University in New Orleans on May 12.
About a dozen people gathered outside the Waffle House on Government Street in Mobile Saturday to protest the company's response to Chikesia Clemons' arrest at a Saraland Waffle House two weeks ago.

The protesters said they are standing in solidarity with Clemons, WKRG News 5 reported.

WKRG reported this protest came after a counter-protest Friday, where a large number of people went to the Waffle House in Saraland to buy food as a show of support for the chain and Saraland police.

Waffle House protest on Gov St in Mobile. WKRG Chad Petri is there. http://www.wkrg.com/news/mobile-county/protests-at-government-street-waffle-house-saturday-morning/1161449599 Posted by WKRG on Saturday, May 5, 2018

Activist Al Sharpton met with concerned citizens at a Mobile church earlier this week.

At the event, Sharpton called on Saraland PD to drop all charges against Clemons, while also calling for a public apology and that the nationwide restaurant chain denounces the actions of the police.

Since Clemons was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, Waffle House released a statement saying that it supported its staff and the Saraland Police Department.
The Baldwin County Public Schools system posted, then removed, a Bible verse to its Facebook page Saturday morning.

School board spokesman Terry Wilhite said he intended to make the post on his personal Facebook page but accidentally posted it to the Public Schools' Facebook page instead. Wilhite said he removed the post as soon as he realized his mistake.

The post appeared to be a quote from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians, reading:

"TRUST! Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -- Philippians 4:6-7"

The posting was online for at least two hours before being removed, generating many shares and comments.

Most of the comments supported the message, though a handful questioned whether it was appropriate for a public school board to post Bible verses on its public social media sites.
Al Jazeera travels to Los Angeles Tehrangeles to explore the complexities of being an Iranian American.

Los Angeles, California  Iranian Americans, like many other Americans with roots in the Middle East and North Africa, have been made to feel like outsiders in the United States.

In addition to facing the stereotypes perpetuated by the media, theyve also been targeted by the US government.

President Donald Trumps travel ban has torn apart families and ruptured the limited exchanges that exist between Iran and the US, two countries that have not had formal diplomatic relations for nearly 40 years.

But over those decades, many Iranians have made the US their home. Their community is among US newer immigrant groups, with informal estimates suggesting a population of Iranian Americans that hovers around one million people.

They have come to the US as students and economic migrants seeking opportunity, as well as refugees and exiles fleeing war, revolution and persecution.

Currently, Southern California is home to what is frequently referred to as the largest community of Iranians outside of Iran  aka Tehrangeles.

As an Iranian American, I had been to Los Angeles a number of times, but I had not really had a chance to fully explore the Iranian parts, beyond perhaps driving past them.

In Part 1 of this latest Untold America series from Al Jazeera, I travel to Tehrangeles to learn about that tumultuous past. I pay a visit to the symbolic centre of LAs Iranian community, along Westwood Boulevard, and in the process learn what it was like to live through the anti-Iranian sentiment that dominated the US during the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979-1981.

We speak to Iranian-American writer and novelist Porochista Khakpour, who came to the US as a child, and then head to an Iranian ice cream shop to speak to its founder about the challenges of starting a business at the height of the hostage crisis.

In Part 2, we travel to some lesser-known parts of the Iranian community in LA and speak with several young, second-generation Iranian Americans about the stereotypes that they have had to navigate while growing up, and how they have gone about constructing their own personal identities through the process.

In Part 3, I return home to Northern California to ask my parents about their immigration story and how they raised me as an Iranian American. While my parents built new lives for themselves in the US, leaving Iran was not an easy choice.

In Part 4, we ask LAs Iranian Americans about some of the myths and stereotypes their community faces on a daily basis.
Fearless rebel finds receptive audience among those sick of corruption and fed up with the presidents tough long rule.

Moscow, Russia  You never quite know what youre going to get at an Alexei Navalny demonstration.

Sometimes the numbers are barely into the hundreds.

Sometimes so many people come, you cant see where the crowd ends. Sometimes the police wade in with batons and cart away thousands.

Sometimes they stand on the sidelines looking bored and everyone gets to go home.

Generally, it depends on the political climate of the day. And on Saturday, May 5, the riot police were feeling energetic.

After all, Russian President Vladimir Putin is being inaugurated in two days time. And the message seems to be that anti-government protests will not be tolerated in Putins fourth presidential term.

OVD-Info  a rights group that monitors detentions  kept a running tally of the day. Across this vast country, well over 1,000 people were taken into police custody.

Phalanx of police

I saw a few detentions happen in front of me. A phalanx of armoured police, 8-10 officers, would move swiftly into the crowd.

Sometimes theyd have a target in mind  like the young man standing with his back to the approaching threat, waving an anti-Putin placard in the air.

Sometimes it seems like theyd choose randomly, like the young red-headed woman weeping as she was dragged back to the police wagons.





One of those taken was Alexei Navalny himself.

Hed played cat and mouse with the authorities earlier in the day  going into hiding to stop them detaining him at his home.

But hes played this game so many times before that he must have known that as soon as he was spotted at the rally, hed be pounced on. And so it was.

For the many young protesters, Navalny is seen as a cheeky and fearless rebel.

And hes consistently been able to mobilise thousands of people, and get them onto the streets across the country.

Not just in the more liberal metropolises of Moscow and St Petersburg, but also smaller cities in Siberia and the Far East.

His mocking of the corrupt antics of Russias political and business elites has struck a chord with many Russians sick of the corruption.

One man, Evgeniy, told us why hed come with a message for the president.

I want to tell him that he is not our tsar and that his place is in The Hague and in prison.

Personal schisms

Another protester spoke to us of personal schisms involved in opposing Putin.

I expected him to say I will be president for everyone. But it didnt happen, a mother called Lyubov said.

Instead of this, he divided the country in half. We quarrel with friends, conflicts occur within the family. Its very bitter and sad that we have such a situation in our country.





Putin is looking pretty comfortable in power.

Certainly more comfortable than he was at the beginning of his previous term in office.

In 2011-2012 the Kremlin was rocked by months of protests that regularly attracted tens of thousands of Russians.

And the authorities learned lessons.

Laws were changed to make legal demonstrations almost impossible.

Arrested protesters were given stiff jail sentences.

Restrictions on the foreign ownership of media were brought in.

State media refined its techniques of information massaging.

Election rules were changed to freshen up a tired system, without making it any more competitive.

And the government has now set its sights on blocking encrypted messenger services like Telegram.

Tough leader image

Add to all this the huge domestic popularity of foreign-policy gambits like the annexation of Crimea, and Putin has managed to present himself as a tough leader defending Russian interests in a hostile world.

Its working. In March he scored the biggest election victory of his career.

For those who oppose Putin, the prospect of six more years of the man is a depressing one.

But Navalny will keep calling protests because if he doesnt, hell lose momentum and sink.

And his supporters will keep coming to them [in varying numbers] because raising ones voice on the streets of Russia is the only way they feel they can be heard these days.








One year into his presidency, Frances Emmanuel Marcon faces a challenge in strikes and protests countrywide.

Paris  There was a moment in the French presidential campaign last year when Emmanuel Macron took a big risk.

The centrist candidate had travelled to his hometown of Amiens in northern France to meet trade union leaders from the US-owned Whirlpool factory.

The companys bosses planned to shut their French operation and move it to Poland where costs were lower. Hundreds of local jobs would be lost.

While Macron listened to the concerns of union leaders in the town centre far from the factory, his main presidential rival, the far-right anti-EU candidate Marine Le Pen, turned up at Whirlpool to the delight of the striking workers who posed for selfies with the woman who promised to save their jobs from what she said were the claws of Europe and globalisation.

Macron had a choice: face being politically upstaged and appear out of touch, or show courage, take a gamble and play to win. Macron chose the latter.

The dramatic images of Macron wading into a crowd of furious workers at the factory, engulfed in the smoke of burning tyres, made waves in France.

Macron tried to convince the strikers of his vision: that France needed to adapt to a changing world. He may not be able to save old industry if elected, he said, but he would invest in workers futures with training schemes and new opportunities.

It is unlikely Macrons vision convinced many at Whirlpool that day, but his frank approach had won respect.

The gamble had paid off.

Courageous or arrogant

One year into his presidency it is clear that Macrons Whirlpool moment was not mere electioneering but emblematic of his style.

He is uncompromising in his beliefs and fearless in tackling his critics. Its an approach seen as courageous or arrogant depending on ones perspective.

Where most voters agree is on Macrons international record.

Opinion polls suggest people are pleased he has raised Frances profile, with air strikes in Syria, planning reforms for Europe or taking a lead on climate change or the Iran deal.

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A proponent of multilateralism, he says France must talk to everyone.

His friendship with the US president, though, has yet to yield much.

When you measure the results there are different questions on the Iran deal, on trade tariffs, on climate, these are areas where Macrons vision has not prevailed, at least, not for now, says Politicos Nicholas Vinocur.

At home, Macrons supporters say he is leading a revolution.

In a country long suspicious of change and governed by left and right-wing politics, he has exploded the political landscape, shattered the conservative and socialist parties and pushed ahead with reforms.

He has said the key to creating opportunity and reducing Frances high unemployment is to strengthen the economy and attract investment.

You cant redistribute wealth before having created it, said Jerome Dubus, a Paris councillor with Macrons party.

So he has firstly chosen to encourage French economic growth before redistributing. People think hes doing it for the rich, not the poor, but in reality, its for everyone.

A tech start-up hub in Paris called Station F could be a model for Macrons vision of France.

Appropriately, it opened the year he was elected.

You can't redistribute wealth before having created it Jerome Dubus, Paris Councillor

The enormous renovated depot is home to hundreds of tech workers plugged into the future.

Alexander Bregman is CEO of Invitly.co, a social network application for business travellers. He says France is an exciting place for entrepreneurs.

When Macron came in and Station F opened and we saw a big shift in French start-up world  and that was the reason for me to stay in France and build my company, Bregman said.

Protests and strikes

Not everyone feels at home in Macrons France, however.

Many people who already struggle to make ends meet or are jobless fear things are getting worse.

Last year, far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon sneered, He is the president of the rich. The moniker has stuck.

Since March, there have been street protests and strikes in France against Macrons reforms.

They are being led by rail workers with public-sector workers and students. Protesters say he is destroying rights and his social policies target the most vulnerable.









He is on the cover of the bosses magazine Forbes; he wants to liberalise everything and cut our salaries, one protester said at a recent march in Paris.

Trade union leaders say they will keep demonstrating until the government drops its reforms. Macron says he will not back down. The social movement could be his greatest test so far.

If Macron fails, the remainder of his presidential term will be tarnished with a huge failure, IPSOS analyst Stefan Zumsteeg said.

But if he succeeds, he will be seen as someone who was capable of doing what he was elected to do, thats reform the country.

So far public approval for the strikers is falling. But Macron has not won his battle yet.

His zeal to reform all parts of society quickly may create more opponents, but it is unlikely to deter him.

As he told a French television interviewer last year, Ive never cared about being unpopular.
The commodification of biomaterials, such as eggs and sperm, and their associated products, has drastically changed the ways in which we deal with reproduction and kinship. A domain of life once understood to be natural has now become a matter of choice. At first glance, the vast availability of biomaterial in the borderless marketplace seems to be liberating: single women increasingly make up the largest consumer group of sperm banks, a fact that signals to the disruption of traditional gender roles and family models. But are peoples uses of assisted reproduction technology only telling us about subversion or could they also indicate the ways in which powerful structures of domination are entrenched in our societies?

In the case of Brazil, the answer seems to be that the recent trend of sperm importation, reported by the National Health Surveillance Agency, reveals a lot more than simply a tremendous increase of demand for this commodity (which cannot be commercialised within the country). The report details the information on foreign human semen use from 2011 to 2016 and shows that 95 percent of the demand was for samples provided by Caucasian men. The colour of the donors eyes was also an important factor for the importers: 52 percent preferred donors with blue eyes, followed by brown (24 percent) and green (13 percent). The profile of the donors who received the largest number of requests show a slight variation: They are either blond Caucasian with blue eyes or blue-eyed Caucasians with brown hair.

For anyone who has ever heard about Brazilians being mixed people who live in a racial democracy, it might be difficult to understand why those who can afford to import semen have such a strong and almost unanimous preference for the blue-eyed Caucasian type. Growing up as a white person in Brazil, it is not hard for me to figure this out. The racist structure that governs our society unmistakably establishes that power, privileges and inherent capacities go along with the colour of your skin. Whiteness is the normative racial identity here, and being a white person places you in a position that, throughout your life, systematically gives you privileged access to material and symbolic resources.

The value given to whiteness may be seen in different domains of life. First, in terms of beauty standards, white aesthetics is hegemonic. Straight hair, white skin, blue or green eyes and delicate features make up the prevailing idea of human beauty, which is entrenched in popular culture, and disseminated in mass media. Such aesthetical superiority is, in fact, one of the distinguishing features of whiteness in Brazil, as recent studies have shown. Also, the idea of moral and intellectual superiority  which is at the heart of race as a colonial construct to justify subjugation of indigenous and black people in the Americas  is deployed, up to this day, by white Brazilians to explain why they earn more money, live in the best neighbourhoods, occupy the highest positions in both the market and the state, among many other advantages they enjoy.

It is clear thus that Brazilian racism is by and large supported by a pact of whiteness. While such a pact does not place barriers to the establishment of everyday relationships between whites and non-whites, hence our racial democracy, it reinforces, in every instance, the idea of white superiority that legitimates the privileges that we white people enjoy. White people are not only favoured in such racialised structure, but they have actively produced and strengthened it, simply by promoting the (very wrong) idea of racial democracy or through more direct mechanisms of discrimination.

One of such mechanisms were the state policies deployed at the turn of 19th century, when the abolition of slavery became an inevitable fact and hundreds of thousands of black people would become citizens. Aiming to turn Brazil into a white country, a decree from 1890 liberalised the entrance of workers, except for those native to Asia or Africa. During the coming decades, particularly between the 1920s and 1940s, the state engaged in a deliberate effort to attract European migrants as a means to whiten the population. Interestingly in contrast with the US experience, interracial coupling became, both in state policy and intellectual discourse, a eugenic instrument. In only about 30 years, 2.1 million European migrants were allowed in the country, a number equivalent to that of the black people forced into Brazil as slaves during nearly 375 hundred years.

Today, we have the largest black population outside of Africa and the majority of my compatriots define themselves as black or mixed race. Nonetheless, the commitment to make this a white nation has not relinquished, as the recent and growing trend of Caucasian sperm importation might suggest. While institutional racism still plays a major role in sustaining preferences, hierarchies, privileges and material inequalities between human beings based on their skin colour, the role individual racism plays in the maintenance of this structure cannot be ignored. After all, signing out of the white pact means to oppose a long list of racial, economic and political privileges that comes with being white in Brazil.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
As Lebanese people prepare to head to the polls on Sunday, May 6 to vote according to a new proportional law, it is worth remembering that Lebanons 128 members of parliament, who were elected in the last legislative elections in 2009, got a very good deal.

Instead of serving for one term (four years), they eventually extended their terms for an additional five years, allegedly due to security concerns and fear of political instability due to the situation in Syria and a presidential vacuum. In the process, they benefited from the many perks that accompany their posts while giving practically nothing back to the Lebanese people who were robbed of their constitutional right to vote for new representatives. (See this feature on the key players and the political landscape in Lebanon).

Thus, in the bigger picture, the on-going elections (the Lebanese diaspora voted last week) are really too little, too late. It is an attempt by the government to portray normalcy and a properly functioning democracy, whereas the dire situation in the country requires a major overhaul and a comprehensive project of reform and anti-corruption measures.

Legal Agenda, a Lebanese specialised legal NGO/publication, summed it up neatly: the elections are a wedding on the ruins of democracy  in reference to a Ministry of Interior and Municipalities ad dubbing the elections as the wedding of democracy.

The publication concluded that we can predict that the elections will not bring us the best candidate but rather the most sectarian, powerful and wealthy candidate  bringing about a new wedding celebrating all that is wrong in a democracy: a wedding on democracys ruins.

New vote, same leaders?

It is indeed distressing, as a Lebanese citizen, to think about, let alone write about, the Lebanese parliament. Lest I be accused of unwarranted pessimism, suffice it to mention some conclusions from a parliamentary monitoring project conducted by the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies to give the reader an idea about the subject matter: Addressing Citizens Concerns is not on the Parliaments Agenda; By and Large, Politicians Dont Know the Issues; Lebanese MPs: Little Time to Legislate and Hold Government Accountable.

Of course, all this should be material for a political tsunami whereby voters would normally be expected to punish their underperforming and incompetent representatives and parties at the ballot box.

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But Lebanon operates differently.

In Lebanons power-sharing arrangement (consociational democracy) among various religious groups, consensus among the political elite is key or else paralysis in state institutions prevails. However, when Lebanese politicians speak about the need for consensus or compromise to accommodate the various communities (rightful or imagined) demands, grievances, and existential concerns, what is meant, in practice, is a negotiation of the terms of a deal (short-term or longer-term) between the various zuama (sectarian leaders).

These zuama running for elections have convinced their supporters that they are their individual and communal sole guarantors in a political system that will ignore them if they do not contact it (for services and protection) via their designated sectarian leaders who, owing to their strong position within that system, are able to provide them with the needed connections (or wasta).

This is why many analysts and scholars predict that Lebanese people will once again elect the same leaders and parties, since, as Lebanese scholar Rima Majed rightly asked: Why would voters give up on their powerful sectarian leaders and go for independent individuals who are definitely weaker within the existing Lebanese system?

Irrelevant parliament

Ultimately, the key issue here beyond electoral campaigns and anticipated results is simple yet sombre. Lebanons parliament is not, and will not be, the place where key decisions are taken.

Lebanons consociational democracy has come to mean, in practice, that sectarian leaders agree among themselves on the best course of action to take on single or multiple issues and then proceed to parliament to discuss or to vote.

Take the example of the presidential settlement that ended the presidential vacuum. When parliament elected General Michel Aoun as president in 2016, there were no surprises  except for the lame sense of humour of some MPs who put in random names including a pop star Myriam Klink.

There was no anticipation or uncertainty that would usually accompany a parliamentary vote of that magnitude (the presidency). Everyone knew that the agreement had been made for Aoun to assume the presidency in return for Saad Hariris return to the premiership  among other terms of an agreement that was discussed and agreed upon in private.

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Thus, the parliamentary vote was not really a vote in the full sense of the term. It was simply a chance to confirm a decision that had been taken outside the parliament, similar to Michel Sleimans election in parliament after the Doha Agreement in 2008  with the difference that Aoun was one of the Christian streets most popular candidates.

Stated differently, state institutions, including the parliament, have not been the place where the democratic process takes place since the end of the civil war, as Max Weber fellow Jamil Mouawad wrote. They have been transformed into institutions whose role is to ratify agreements woven outside parliament; that is, between the political elite and regional and international actors.

Will Lebanese vote for independent candidates?

Be that as it may, the parliamentary elections remain important, in so far as they provide a chance for the Lebanese people to vote, and inasmuch as the new electoral law will likely generate a slightly more diverse representation after an electoral campaign that saw some improvements in political discourse and gender representation.

Indeed, the choices are not great. The same players are asking the Lebanese people to trust them for an additional four years  claiming achievements, loyalty, steadfastness, pledges to fight corruption and to build a strong state. And it is a safe bet to expect these very same players to be voted back into parliament on Sunday  with a few changes here and there, and with the son replacing the father in some instances (Teymour Walid Jounblat and Tony Sleiman Frangieh to name a few).

In contrast, there are lists of non-traditional newcomers (commonly referred to as civil society candidates) who, in contrast to the established influential parties, are calling for a non-sectarian outlook to Lebanese politics and a citizen-focused approach that seeks to address citizens daily concerns rather than focusing on religious communities existential threats and stoking up fear of the Other or foreigner (refugees). Theirs is an attempt to challenge the status quo and to offer an alternative.

Prospects for reform from within the parliament might become a pilot project, if these independent candidates running on a non-sectarian human rights-based agenda manage to secure a couple of seats across Lebanon. Whether they convince Lebanese voters to switch teams, or whether the same sectarian parties will be brought back remains to be seen in the next 72 hours.

At the end of the day, the outcome of the elections will not change much in the political landscape  unless, of course, we will witness unforeseen huge electoral surprises radically altering the balance of power in the country. Otherwise, the elections will be followed by the formation of a national unity government headed by current PM Saad Hariri and Lebanon will try to survive another four years of power-sharing arrangements and very little legislation that directly address citizens concerns.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
Yemen blockade: aid supplies stuck in Djibouti

Aid agencies are working around the clock in the nearby Djibouti port to prepare shipments they hope will address some of the severe shortages Yemen is facing. They are waiting for the reopening of some Yemeni ports and airports that Saudi Arabia has
Armenia protests highlight role of independent journalists

Utilising social media, independent journalists were able to offer an unprecedented counter-narrative to Armenias state-run media.
Six-month suspension comes weeks before vote that could see presidential terms extended from five years to seven.

Authorities in Burundi have banned the BBC and Voice of America (VOA), as well as two local broadcasters, just weeks before a crucial constitutional referendum on presidential term limits.

The National Communications Council (NCC) said on Friday that the news organisations operations would be suspended for at least six months for breaching the laws governing the press and ethics.

The ban will come into effect on Monday, Karenga Ramadhani, the head of the regulator, told journalists in the capital, Bujumbura.

The NCC said the BBC invited a Burundian who made inappropriate, exaggerated, non-verified [remarks], damaging the reputation of the head of state, to ethnic hatred, to political conflict and civil disobedience.

VOA, for its part, was accused of spreading very tendentious information and hiring a journalist sought by Burundian justice, according to AFP news agency.

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French broadcaster Radio France International was also issued a stern warning in the same statement, and was asked to put a more vigorous verification process in place.

Two local broadcasters were also banned after the presidency complained their reporting was biased, the National Communications Council said.

The BBC and VOA both broadcast daily in the national Kirundi language and have amassed a large following over the years, especially in rural areas.

Amanda Bennett, VOAs director, denounced the regulators action and said the news organisations content would continue to be available through its shortwave channels, online and on FM transmitters located in neighbouring countries.

Our audience members count on VOA to provide factual, unbiased and objective coverage of current events, so this ban deprives the citizens of Burundi of a trusted news source during a critical time in that country, she said in a statement.

This is even more distressing coming only one day after World Press Freedom Day  a day calling for governments to remove, not impose, restrictions on the media, Bennett added.

Key referendum

While the countrys constitution currently limits presidents to two five-year terms, a yes vote in the upcoming referendum on May 17 could allow President Pierre Nkurunziza, 54, to run for an additional two seven-year terms.

In concrete terms, this would mean that Nkurunziza, in power since 2005, could potentially rule until 2034 if he is re-elected in the next scheduled election in two years.

His run for a controversial third term in 2015 triggered a deep political crisis that has since seen 1,200 people killed and 400,000 flee their homes in the country of 10.5 million.

Conditions for holding a credible referendum deteriorate as days go by, Leonce Ngendakumana, deputy chairman of the opposition party FRODEBU, the Front for Democracy in Burundi, told the Reuters news agency.

The regime is now afraid of the medias force, which can derail their plan for the upcoming referendum and the 2020 elections.

Also commenting on the regulators announcement, Lews Mudge, a senior researcher in Human Rights Watchs Africa division, called the broadcasting ban worrying.

This falls in line with the repression in Burundi as we head closer to the referendum, Mudge told Reuters.

This is happening in the context of journalists getting threatened, those reporting on some of the oppression are being muzzled.

Earlier this week, Heather Nauert, spokesperson for the US Department of State, denounced alleged acts of violence against the opposition and called on the Burundian government to respect its international commitments to protect freedoms of speech and association.

We call on the government to respect Burundis international legal obligations regarding the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, Nauert said on Tuesday.

The World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters without Borders, ranks Burundi 159 out of a total 180 countries for press freedoms.
Publisher blames falling revenues for sale but others suspect Hun Sen government coercion in run-up to Julys elections.

Cambodias English-language daily, the Phnom Penh Post, has been bought by a Malaysian businessman, according to its chairman.

The news comes amid a crackdown by Hun Sen, Cambodias prime minister, and his allies against perceived critics, including opposition politicians, independent media and human rights groups before elections in July.

Bill Clough, chairman of Post Media Ltd, publisher of the Phnom Penh Post, said in a statement on Saturday the company had been sold to Sivakumar G (Siva), a little-known investor.

Chad Williams, the newspapers former editor-in-chief, said the government may have coerced the sale.

Founded in 1992, the Phnom Penh Post was reportedly slapped with a $5m tax bill last year, according to reports by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

From the outside looking in, the most troubling thing is the timing of the tax bills settlement and the Posts subsequent sale, Williams told Reuters news agency.

The odds of them not being connected seem incredibly remote.

Thats troubling because it suggests the Cambodian government may have used the threat of a shutdown to essentially coerce the sale.

Run-up to elections

The Phnom Penh Posts sale could signal the end of independent media in Cambodia in the lead-up to the elections.

Hun Sen is almost certain to win the vote after the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was dissolved by the Supreme Court last year at the request of Hun Sens party.

In his statement, Clough said the tax issue had been resolved and a court decision to confiscate the newspapers assets has been cancelled until an appeal is finished.

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Describing Sivakumar G as a well-respected newspaperman, he blamed the sale on declining advertising revenues.

The recent times have been a challenge, as the worldwide decline in market share for newspaper advertising has also been felt here in Cambodia, Clough said.

However, he said, the Phnom Penh Post had been under a spotlight before the election as the last remaining truly independent media group in the country.

Huy Vannak, undersecretary of state at the interior ministry, denied the accusation about the sale of Phnom Penh Post.

It is a normal business, and it remains a newspaper, he told Reuters.

And in a statement, Sivakumar G said he would uphold the newspapers legacy and independence.

Cambodia Daily, another English-language paper, was shut down last year after it was given a month by the government to settle a $6.3m tax bill.
Order paves way for as many as 240 million Americans, on whom the company claims to have data, to file similar requests.

The UKs Information Commissioners Office (ICO) has ordered Cambridge Analytica to hand a US voter all the personal information the company holds about him.

The order was issued on Friday and paves the way for as many as 240 million Americans, on whom Cambridge Analytica claims to have data, to file similar requests, according to a Guardian newspaper report.

Cambridge Analytica and its UK parent SCL Elections Ltd on Wednesday said they would cease operations and begin bankruptcy proceedings. Both firms were at the centre of the Facebook user data scandal.

Regardless, the ICO order gives SCL Elections 30 days to comply with the order or appeal, or face criminal prosecution.

We are aware of recent media reports concerning Cambridge Analyticas future but whether or not the people behind the company decide to fold their operation, a continued refusal to engage with the ICO will potentially breach an Enforcement Notice and that then becomes a criminal matter, Elizabeth Denham, the information commissioner, said in a statement.

The order follows a complaint lodged by US academic David Carroll. Under UK data protection law, he had filed a request for his data in January 2017 and had received a response in March.

The response included a ranking on a scale of one to 10 of the importance for Carroll of issues including gun rights, immigration and the environment as well as his likely voting preference.

Dissatisfied that he had been given all of the personal data held about him by the company, or an explanation of where the data had come from, Carroll complained to ICO.

On September 26, SCL Elections wrote to ICO saying that because Carroll was not a UK citizen, he was no more entitled to make a so-called subject access request under the data protection act than a member of the Taliban sitting in a cave in the remotest corner of Afghanistan, ICOs legal notice said.

The Friday order by ICO contradicts this position and orders SCL Elections to provide Carroll with a description of his personal data, as well as the purposes the data was processed for and the source of the data.

This should solve a lot of mysteries about what the company did with data and where it got it from, Carroll told the Guardian.
Al Jazeera journalist faced torture and interrogations while being held without any charges at the US-run prison camp.

For over six years Sami al-Hajj did not have a name; he was simply known as prisoner number 345.

The only journalist to be detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, he endured torture and interrogations without having any charges filed against him, like so many others.

He was working as a cameraman for Al Jazeera, covering the US war against the Taliban, when he was arrested on false charges by Pakistani authorities in 2001.

He was held a prisoner by US forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan for five months before being taken to Guantanamo Bay as an enemy combatant.

The US accused him of working for Al Jazeera to facilitate terrorist acts based on unfounded accusations.

It was not until after spending six years and a half in the prison camp and going on hunger strike for 480 days that he was finally released in May 2008 as a free and innocent man.





Every one of the 800 prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay has a powerful story to share and al-Hajjs memoirs, Prisoner 345  My Six Years in Guantanamo, is just one of them.

The book offers glimpses of the depths of depravity and humiliation that the prison inmates endured over the years.

Al-Hajj recalls the authorities stripping him bare and throwing him into a freezing cell in solitary confinement, with the airconditioning turned on maximum.

The guards terrorised the prisoners around the clock, he says.

Seven soldiers dressed in riot gear would storm their cells without any reason, beating them mercilessly, almost happily, al-Hajj wrote.

The painful force-feeding that he endured for over a year often left him covered in vomit.

However, it was the doctors who were the principal architects of the physical and mental torture they endured, doctors who relished coming up with new ways to inflict pain.

They actually told us: We will torture you until death. But we wont let you die. You will live in the space between life and death' al-Hajj says in the book.

Not made for defeat

Most harmful of all was the sense of isolation that ate away at the prisoners, al-Hajj recalls.

Many prisoners lost their minds in order to disassociate and escape the unbearable torture, but al-Hajj remained firm in his resolve to leave the camp with his mind intact.

His story is not one of defeat.

Man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed, but not defeated, al-Hajj quotes Ernest Hemingway in his memoirs.

I defeated them. I defeated them with my resolve, taken from Allah Himself, who is with us wherever we are, in the darkest of nights and longest of days.

It was his faith in Allah that gave him the strength to endure the pain, al-Hajj says.

During his most trying moments, he would remind himself of examples set by the heroes of Islam.





I set my mind to remembering Bilal (one of the Islamic Prophet Muhammads companions) and those men of history, which infused my spirit with tremendous energy. I felt an ease in my limbs, giving me  as God is my witness  a sense of warmth flowing into every cell in my body, al-Hajj writes, recalling times when the rooms temperature was below freezing.

I am not exaggerating when I say that, by the grace of Allah, the cell was sometimes filled with warmth for 10 or 15 minutes.

It was this strength held by the Muslim prisoners that left a strong impression on a female US soldier who guarded them at Guantanamo.

As noted in his memoir, the guard reached out to al-Hajj some years ago with the message: You can inform the brothers that their strength has inspired me to accept Islam. May Allah protect you and guide you along the righteous path.

Al-Hajjs memoir is an act of generosity as he shares his pain with his readers. Its a story of survival, told in his own words.

If I could say only one thing, al-Hajj says, it would be what British historian Arnold Toynbee said, that a human being is a being you cannot conquer.

But I would add that whoevers heart is filled with faith will be able to bear whatever is thrown at him.
The Trump administration has decided to end a programme which allows roughly 57,000 Hondurans to live and work in the US, according to a statement from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The temporary protected status (TPS) provides protections for people unable to return to their homes out of safety concerns, usually stemming from national disasters or wars.

TPS was given to the Hondurans after Hurricane Mitch tore through their country in 1998.

DHS announced the end of the programme on Friday, giving Honduran immigrants 18 months to leave the US to allow for an orderly transition before the designation terminates on January 5, 2020.

The Trump administration has ended TPS protections for people from Sudan, Nicaragua, Nepal, Haiti and El Salvador, the nation with the most TPS-protected immigrants in the US, about 195,000.

TPS status for roughly 6,900 Syrians was previously extended, though the administration has said it will not take new applications.

To maintain TPS status, immigrants must undergo a background check each year, which they pay for, and fill out renewal forms, among other measures.

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President Donald Trump ran on a campaign platform of reducing immigration during the 2016 presidential election.

A popular slogan at his campaign rallies was Build the wall, which referred to a barrier on the US-Mexico border to discourage immigration.

Since assuming office in January 2017, the Trump administration has adopted a tough approach to immigration, increasing deportations of undocumented immigrants inside the US.

Democrats have adopted a pro-immigrant stance in response to Trumps crackdown.

This does nothing to make America any stronger, safer, or more respected, Mike Johnston, a Democratic candidate for governor in Colorado, said in a tweet.

Rights groups have also decried the decision, pointing to safety concerns. Honduras has one of the highest murder rates in the Americas due to gang violence.

Doctors Without Borders USA said the decision would force people to leave their homes and return to a country where many face extreme danger.

Trump has not released a statement on the decision, but he tweeted on Friday that the US border was under siege and that Congress must pass laws to strengthen immigration regulations.
Court in Tehran ordered telecoms companies to block messaging app Telegram that has roughly 80 million users in Iran.

Irans President Hassan Rouhani has criticised a recent ban on the countrys most popular messaging app, Telegram, saying the judiciarys decision is not supported by his administration.

In a post on Instagram, Rouhani clarified on Friday that the blocking of Telegram was not imposed by his government and that he did not approve of it.

On April 30, the countrys Culture and Media court ordered telecoms companies to block the app, which has about 40 million users in the country.

Critics have accused it of threatening Irans national security and also enabling anti-establishment protesters to organise.

If a decision has been made to restrict or block the communication of the people, the real owners of this country, which are the people, should be included in making such decisions, Rouhani said.

The statement also said that the blockage was opposite to democracy.

Unjustifiable restriction

Irans judiciary is controlled by conservatives and the chief of the judiciary is appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In a statement, Human Rights Watchalso denounced the decision as an unjustifiable restriction on freedom of expression and access to information.

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Facebook and Twitter are also blocked in the country, but can be accessible by virtual private network (VPN) software, which can circumvent blackouts of banned apps.

The move by the judiciary to block Telegram was not the first such attempt by Irans conservatives to contain the influence of the application. In early 2017, a number of reformist Telegram channel administrators were arrested and later received prison sentences.

Irans supreme leader said in mid-April that he would no longer use Telegram and would instead shift to a homegrown app, Soroush, that boasts most of the features found in the now banned messaging platform.

Over the past few months, Telegram has been in legal battles with the governments of several countries.

Besides Iran, the messenger app was also recently blocked in Russia because the company refused to hand over its encryption keys to Russian security services.

Handing over these keys would allow the government to read all messages sent on the platform, violating user privacy.
Dhaka, Bangladesh  The jailing of the leader of Bangladeshs main opposition party, currently serving a five-year sentence for fraud, is a political ploy without adequate evidence to justify prosecution, a senior UK lawyer has said.

Lord Alex Carlile QC, a member of the legal team of Khaleda Zia, chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), says he had not seen any evidence whatsoever that could justify prosecuting Begum Khaleda Zia, let alone convicting her following a review of all the relevant documents.

I have seen absolutely nothing to suggest that this client has been involved in any fraud, Lord Carlile told Al Jazeera.

There is going to be an election at the end of year. It seems plain to me given that there is no evidence against her, there must be a reason for her to be arrested in this way and the only one that could be produced, beyond there having been a rather major and inexplicable mistake, is that the government doesnt want her to be campaigning during the election.

Zia, who served two terms as prime minister from 1991-96 and again from 2001-2006, was sentenced on February 8 to five years imprisonment over her alleged embezzlement of funds meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust.

The court also convicted Tarique Rahman  Zias elder son  and four others of corruption, sentencing each to 10 years in jail.

The six were accused of embezzling over Tk 21 million ($252,000) of a donation to the trust.

The BNP has said its participation in Bangladeshs upcoming elections, scheduled to be held in December, is reliant on the provision of a free and fair vote and Zias release.

Anisul Huq, Bangladeshs law minister, refused to comment on Carliles allegations.

I will not respond to that. It is a judgment of the court, Huq said in response to an Al Jazeera request for a government response.

Huq has previously criticized the BNP for hiring Carlile, saying it was sad the opposition party had hired him as he had given negative statements regarding our International Crimes Tribunal and provided legal aid to Jamaat-e-Islami party leaders.

Bangladeshs War Crime Tribunal, which was set up to punish those accused of committing atrocities during the countrys 1971 liberation war, has handed out capital punishments to a number of senior leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and the BNP.

Carlile, however, has denied representing Jamaat-e-Islami, an ally of the BNP, and said it was slander to suggest he had.
Cause of blast in Deir el-Balah, which has killed six people yet to be ascertained, says Palestinian health ministry.

At least six people have been killed by an explosion in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian health ministry in the Hamas-administered territory.

At least three others were wounded by Saturdays blast, the cause of which remains unclear, the ministry said.

The explosion took place in Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza Strip, the Palestinian WAFA news agency reported.

Hamas military wing has said Israel is responsible for the explosion, which it said took place during a complex security and intelligence operation, AFP news agency reported.

Israeli officials have denied the allegation.

The Israel Defence Force (IDF) is not involved in this incident in any way, a spokesperson for the Israeli military said.

Saturdays blast follows weeks of protests along the Israeli-Gaza border as part of the Great March of Return movement.

The rallies are set to culminate on May 15 to mark what Palestinians refer to as the Nakba, or catastrophe, a reference to Israels establishment in 1948, when 750,000 Arabs were forcibly removed from Palestine.

Since the protests began on March 30, at least 41 Palestinians in the coastal enclave have been killed by Israeli forces and more than 7,000 wounded.
Daily Stormers growing legal challenges come at a time of isolation and internal disarray in the US far right.

A slew of lawsuits has compounded problems for the Daily Stormer, a widely read neo-Nazi website known for its violent rhetoric and vocal support for US President Donald Trump.

Along with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, former American University (AU) student Taylor Dumpson filed a federal lawsuit against Andrew Anglin, the Daily Stormers publisher, for allegedly launching a storm of hate and threats online.

The 71-page lawsuit is the third high-profile suit against Anglin to be filed since April 2017, when Montana-based realtor Tanya Gersh and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) took Anglin to court for sparking a flurry of online hate.

Dumpsons suit accuses Anglin of coordinating a troll storm of racist hate that left Dumpson fearing for her safety at a time when far-right hate incidents were soaring on university campuses across the United States.

Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers Committee, explained that her organisation hopes to send a strong message to white supremacists and the alt-right with the lawsuit.

[Dumpson] refuses to cower in fear and is standing up and pushing back because no person should be subject to this kind of racial harassment and treatment, she told Al Jazeera by telephone.

Across the US, we are seeing a spike in vicious hate crimes targeting racial minorities, and young people are especially vulnerable.

In May 2017, unknown assailants hanged bananas and nooses with racist messages on AUs campus the day after Dumpsons inauguration as the first black female president of the student government.

She received a barrage of hateful messages following Anglins publication of an article on the Daily Stormer mocking Dumpsons concerns after the incident.

No one feels safe around bananas, Anglin wrote sarcastically. Some racists have taken to calling this African Queen Dumpy Dumpson.

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The messages she received after Anglins post included claims that black people should move to Africa, images of people performing Nazi salutes and other racist content.

The lawsuit demands monetary compensation and asks the court to mandate that Anglin attend anti-racism and anti-sexism training.

Growing backlash

Founded in 2013, the Daily Stomers name is a nod to the German Nazi-era publication Der Sturmer and includes a section titled the Jewish problem.

The website issued marching orders to participants of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 12, 2017.

That rally brought white supremacists, white nationalists and neo-Nazis from across the country to protest Charlottesvilles decision to remove a Confederate monument.

Violence erupted when far-rightists clashed with community members, anti-fascists and anti-racist activists throughout the city.

By the end of the day, James Alex Fields Jr, who had been photographed marching with neo-Nazis earlier in the day, allegedly rammed his car into a crowd of anti-racists, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring dozens.

Heyer was one of at least 18 people killed by white supremacists in 2017, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

Following the fatal rally, white supremacists and neo-Nazis endured a wave of backlash, including being removed from social media sites and having their websites removed by web-hosting service providers.

Daily Stormer was no exception.

Forced into dark web at times

After Charlottesville, GoDaddy terminated its web-hosting services for Daily Stormer, citing an article mocking Heyers death and referring to her as a fat skank.

Daily Stormer has since been booted from several web-hosting services, forcing it to operate in the dark web at times.

Meanwhile, Anglin, whose unknown whereabouts are a focal point in the suit filed by Gersh and the SPLC, was hit with more legal challenges.

After Anglin wrote a post accusing Gersh, who is Jewish, of extorting leading alt-right figure Richard Spencers mother, she received numerous threats and anti-Semitic messages. The alt-right refers to a loosely knit coalition of white supremacists and neo-Nazis.

On Thursday, a US magistrate judge recommended that Gershs suit against Anglin be allowed to move forward following the defendants request to have the case dismissed.

Speaking to Al Jazeera by email, Marc Randazza, one of Anglins lawyers in that suit, said: We respectfully disagree with the magistrates legal analysis, and we intend to present an objection to the judge.

According to the SPLC, the magistrate judges recommendation must still be reviewed by US District Judge Dana Christensen, who will make a final decision on whether the suit will proceed.

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In August 2017, Muslim American comedian and writer Dean Obeidallah filed a lawsuit against Anglin for falsely describing him as the mastermind of a deadly bombing in the UK.

Not tolerated in our democracy

Daily Stormer is considered one of the largest neo-Nazi websites in the US and an influential platform for the alt-right.

The alt-right became a household name because of its vocal support for Trumps presidential campaign and electoral victory.

The movement was energised by Trumps election, largely owing to his anti-immigrant rhetoric, promises to build a wall on the US-Mexico border and efforts to ban travellers from Muslim-majority countries from entering the US.

Amid growing internal rifts, the US far right has struggled to maintain its online platforms, including those used for fundraising.

Since Charlottesville, the alt-right has been unable to produce similar numbers of people in the streets, rendering it mostly confined to the ever-shrinking fringes of the internet.

On Thursday, alt-right leader Richard Spencers website was pulled by GoDaddy less than two weeks after the Lawyers Committee wrote a letter to the web-hosting service asking it to remove the website.

[This move] sent a message to Richard Spencer and his disciples, that the kind of violence they seek to incite through the alt-right platform will not be tolerated in our modern democracy, Clarke of the Lawyers Committee said.

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Along with the growing number of lawsuits targeting influential figures in the US far right, including suits against Spencer and Anglin, the far-right movement has grown increasingly isolated.

Jared Holt, a researcher for the Right-Wing Watch website, explained that the loss of online platforms and escalating legal dilemmas have put right-wing extremists on their heels.

These activists are still working hard to influence politics and shift discourse into the fringe, but their work is getting much more difficult, he told Al Jazeera.

Although the lawsuits have begun to disarm many prominent extremists, they do not erase the far-right audience, which will seek new leaders in the absence of people like Spencer and Anglin.
Lebanon parliamentary elections 2018: last day of campaigning

As Lebanons parliamentary campaigns enter their final sprint, the country remains divided along sectarian lines, lines exploited and reinforced by competing regional powers.
Mars lander designed to listen for Marsquakes before eventual human missions to explore the Red Planet.

NASA has launched its latest Mars lander, InSight, designed to perch on the surface and listen for Marsquakes in advance of eventual human missions to explore the Red Planet.

The spacecraft, launched atop an Atlas V rocket at 4:05am Pacific time (11:05 GMT) on Saturday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, marks NASAs first interplanetary mission from the US west coast.

The $993m project aims to expand human knowledge of interior conditions on Mars, inform efforts to send human explorers there, and reveal how rocky planets like the Earth formed billions of years ago.

If all goes as planned, the lander should settle on the Red Planet on November 26.

Its name, InSight, is short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport.

Jim Green, NASAs chief scientist, said experts already know that Mars has quakes, avalanches and meteor strikes.

But how quake-prone is Mars? That is fundamental information that we need to know as humans that explore Mars, Green said.

French-made seismometer

The key instrument on board is a seismometer, called the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure, made by the French Space Agency.

After the lander settles on the Martian surface, a robotic arm is supposed to emerge and place the seismometer directly on the ground.

The second main instrument is a self-hammering probe that will monitor the flow of heat in the planets subsurface.

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Called the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package, it was made by the German Space Agency with the participation of the Polish Space Agency.

The probe will bore down three to five metres below the surface, NASA said, 15 times deeper than any previous Mars mission.

Understanding the temperature on Mars is crucial to NASAs efforts to send people there by the 2030s, and how much a human habitat might need to be heated under frigid conditions, said Green.

Daytime summer temperatures near the Martian equator may reach 20C, but then plunge by night to -73C.

It is an important part of knowledge of how this planet is evolving, Green said.

We have to be able as humans living and working on Mars to survive that.

Two-year mission

The solar and battery-powered lander is designed to operate for 26 Earth months, or one year on Mars, a period in which it is expected to pick up as many as 100 quakes.

Hopefully it will last a lot longer than that, said Tom Hoffman, InSight project manager from NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

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The spacecraft was initially supposed to launch in 2016 but had to be delayed after temperature tests showed a problem with part of the seismometer, which engineers have since fixed.

InSight aims to be the first NASA spacecraft to land on Mars since the Curiosity rover in 2012.

There is nothing routine about going to Mars, especially landing on Mars, said Stu Spath, InSight programme manager at Lockheed Martin Space.
Decision to adjust time zone described as first practical step for unity on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea says clocks in the country will be set forward by 30 minutes to realign with time in South Korea, a move described as the first practical step for national reconciliation and unity on the peninsula.

The decision to adjust the time zone was approved by the Norths Supreme Peoples Assembly, the state-controlled KCNA news agency reported on Friday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un proposed the measure at a landmark meeting last week with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that was held at the Peace House venue on their shared border.

I feel sad to see that there are two clocks hung on the wall in the Peace House, one for Seoul time and the other for Pyongyang time, Kim reportedly said at the talks, speaking of a painful wrench.

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The Koreas used the same time zone for decades before North Korea in 2015 created its own Pyongyang Time by setting its clocks 30 minutes behind South Korea and Japan.

It said at the time that it did so to root out the legacy of Tokyos 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, when clocks in Korea were changed to be the same as in Japan.

North Korea is now once again nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), placing it in the same time zone as South Korea and Japan.

Al Jazeeras Kathy Novak, reporting from the Souths capital, Seoul, said that many people here are feeling a renewed hope about this countrys relationship with North Korea.

South Korea welcomed the move, saying it represents a decision to remove the obstacles in the path to inter-Korean and US-North Korean exchanges and cooperation that are to come, added Novak.

The thaw between the two nations, which are technically still at war despite the 1953 Korean War Armistice, comes after a tense 2017, in which multiple missile tests by North Korea prompted an international outcry and an exchange of insults between Kim and US President Donald Trump.

Trump said on Friday that a date and place have been set for his planned meeting with Kim. He promised to reveal the details of the summit shortly.

At the same meeting last week, Kim also vowed to begin shutting down North Koreas nuclear test site in Punggye-ri this month.
More than 1,300 people have been detained at protests nationwide, human rights monitor says.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been detained in Moscow at a demonstration against the inauguration of Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to reports and a political ally.

Navalny, who organised the protest, was arrested by police after he arrived at the unsanctioned rally in the Russian capital on Saturday afternoon.

Navalny appeared on Pushkinskaya [Square] and was quickly detained, opposition politician Leonid Volkov said during an online broadcast.

Volkov called the detention absolutely illegal. Reporters with AFP news agency also reported Navalnys detention.

Navalny, who has been jailed in the past for organising unauthorised protests, had called for people critical of Putins leadership to take to the streets in advance of the Russian presidents inauguration for a fourth term on Monday.

OVD-info, a human rights monitor, said about 1,600 people had been detained nationwide during widespread protests, including more than 700 in Moscow alone.

Arrests were made at rallies in 26 cities throughout Russia, including St Petersburg, according to the monitor.

Al Jazeeras Rory Challands, reporting from Moscow, said it was difficult to tell exactly how many people had showed up at the protests due to different estimations from police and protesters themselves.

But certainly this is a countrywide event that has brought thousands and thousands of Russians out on to the streets, Challands said.

The demonstrations are intended to keep the [opposition] momentum going, Challands added, following Putins recent re-election to office in a ballot Navalny was prevented from entering.

Staunch Putin critic

Navalny, an anti-corruption activist and leader of the Progress Party, was barred from running in the March presidential elections after a Russian court reinstated a past criminal conviction for embezzlement.

The conviction had been previously overturned by the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled that Russia did not give Navalny a fair trial.

The European Union said the circumstances surrounding Navalnys removal from the race cast serious doubt on the election.

Putin won the contest with 76 percent of the vote, his best ever showing.

Navalny has remained critical of Putin following the election results.

He tweeted on Friday that if people stay at home, Putins gang will tear the country apart and deprive you personally of a future.
Campaigners aiming to stop UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia to prevent their use in Yemen win right to appeal.

A court in the UK has decided to hear an appeal against a ruling that allows the British government to continue to export arms to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen.

Two judges of the Court of Appeal granted permission for the plea on Friday, according to the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT).

The campaign group challenged a High Court decision last July that found the granting of licences for arms exports from Britain to Saudi Arabia lawful.

CAAT took its case to the Court of Appeal, which said the case will be heard in the months ahead.

CAAT warned that British-made fighter jets, bombs and other munitions were being used by a Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in Yemens conflict in 2015, leading to widespread destruction in the country.

Andrew Smith, a spokesperson of CAAT, said the group was confident of winning the appeal.

The Saudi-led bombardment of Yemen has killed thousands of people and created one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world, he said in a statement.

Despite this, the Saudi regime has been armed and supported every step of the way by successive UK governments. We believe that these arms sales are immoral, and are confident that the Court of Appeal will agree that they are unlawful, Smith said.

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More than 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen since Saudi Arabias alliance launched its campaign to restore the internationally recognised Yemeni government.

It has carried out thousands of air raids against the Iran-allied Houthi movement that controls much of north Yemen including the capital, Sanaa.

Errant air raids have killed hundreds of civilians at hospitals, schools and markets.

The coalition denied targeting civilians in its campaign.

The three-year conflict has pushed Yemen to the brink of widespread famine and triggered a cholera epidemic that has infected about a million people.

Britains Department for International Trade said it will defend the High Court decision.

We remain confident that the UK operates one of the most robust export control regimes in the world and will continue to defend the decisions being challenged, a spokesman told the Reuters news agency.

We keep our defence exports under careful review to ensure they meet the rigorous standards of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.
Warning of disease outbreaks as aid workers struggle to reach thousands in need of shelter after weeks of heavy rains.

The United Nations has warned of disease outbreaks following devastating flooding in Kenya, as aid workers struggle to reach thousands of people in need of shelter after weeks of torrential rains.

More than 100 people have been killed and over 250,000 have been forced from their homes by the heavy rainfall since March, the majority of which hit Tana River, Kilifi and Mandera counties.

The major humanitarian concern, beyond the displacement, is disease outbreaks, particularly cholera and chikungunya, a mosquito-borne disease, Jens Laerke, the spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told reporters in Geneva on Friday.

He said there had been almost nearly 3,000 cholera cases, including 55 deaths, by the end of April in Kenya, which had suffered from three failed rainy seasons.

Laerke also warned that flooding would exacerbate cholera outbreaks and increase the risk of vector-borne diseases, which also include malaria and dengue fever.

Consumed villages and lives

The Red Cross appealed on Friday for $5m to fund its emergency operations and help those affected by flooding, which has washed away bridges and homes.

Since early March, 112 people have lost their lives countrywide, Abbas Gullet, secretary-general of the Red Cross, said on Friday, adding that some 20,000 animals had been washed away.





About 48,177 households have been displaced so far and this translates to 260,200 people, Gullet added.

Al Jazeeras Andrew Simmons, reporting from the River Tana, said the flooding had consumed villages and lives.

Further along, on a remote shoreline in Hewani, scores of marooned people waited for days for help to arrive.

The need for help is urgent, said Simmons, who travelled to the area with one of the relief teams delivering food rations and enough aid to provide basic shelter.

I have been here for three days waiting for this help, Ibrahim Umar Elma, a displaced farmer, told Al Jazeera.

I havent received anything. Theres no way I can wait any longer  I need it now.

Hassan Mousa of the Kenyan Red Cross said people such as Elma have all the right to complain but we can only help where we can.

We are asking more people to come and help us so we can reach more people, he added.

Safina Hassan Nuria is a mother of eight who lost her home and all her livestock to flooding.

I am scared about my children, she told Al Jazeera. Theyre hungry, theyre exposed to the rains and because of that were likely to fall sick.
Female candidates in this years election say change within state institutions needed to level the playing field.

Beirut, Lebanon  Nadine Itani, a 38-year-old aviation executive, said she knew early on that she wanted to help bring change in her country.

In 2013, she founded the first womens aviation forum in Lebanon to encourage female participation in the very male-dominated world of air travel.

Years before, she had already turned down a lucrative job abroad  a decision she described as a turning point.

I decided to stay to build a better country for my boys to grow up in, Itani, a mother of two, said. [And] today, we have an opportunity in Lebanon.

For Itani, a young woman who is not represented politically, that opportunity refers to Lebanons new electoral law that has enabled tens of women to step forward and run as candidates in Lebanons parliamentary elections on May 6  the first after almost a decade of turbulent politics.

Owing to this new legislation, which introduced a female quota, a record number of 86 women are competing for the countrys 128 legislative seats.

The problems faced by Lebanese women reflect the issues in Lebanon as a whole, Itani told Al Jazeera.

Itani: I faced age and gender discrimination [Al Jazeera]

Citing the issue of those married to foreign men not being able to pass their nationality to their children or spouses, she stressed the need for laws that would elevate the status of women in society.

Itani, who is running as part of the We are Beirut list, belongs to one of largest families in the Lebanese capital.

Her decision to run for parliament, Itani says, was at odds with the stereotypical Beirut-born, male candidates  and this angered some members of her extended family in the lead-up to the vote.

I faced age and gender discrimination, says Itani. Many were unable to accept that a female like myself could run outside the traditional sectarian and partisan framework, she added.

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They demanded I revoke my candidacy, expecting me to let the elder man win, out of what they describe as respect.

In Lebanons political system, the president must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the speaker of parliament a Shia Muslim.

The countrys divided parliament has been traditionally dominated by six parties, and according to activists, the fragile balance has allowed a number of people in positions of power to entrench themselves, due to their close ties to large, well-established families.

Currently, there are four women occupying parliamentary seats  all descendants of long-serving male politicians, including Bahia Hariri, the aunt of current Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

Existing women MPs are here because of their familial ties, not because they are activists, Lisa Hamdan, who is also running for parliament, told Al Jazeera.

As an activist, I am offering a collaboration, between my colleagues and I. We have everything, a solution to all of the countrys problems. The problem has always been about implementation, adds the 63-year-old, a rights campaigner who was also the communications officer for late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated in 2005.

People do want to see new blood.

Hamdan: Secular constitution has been wrongly implemented by sectarian elite [Al Jazeera]

Most of Lebanons political forces were in agreement on the need to reform the previous law  a majoritarian voting system which critics said allowed traditional parties to maintain a monopoly over governance  but disagreed over what system should replace it and how to conduct the elections.

The new law introduced proportional representation, but added complex elements to the voting process. The candidates are spread across 77 lists, with voters first selecting their preferred candidate list, and then their favourite contender from within that list.

The legislation was ratified by Lebanons parliament in June last year after a long period of wrangling and political instability.

At the time, civil society campaigners said the law fell short of expectations and still benefited well-established powers rather than more independent parties and individuals  a sentiment still echoed today by experts.

The upcoming elections will not introduce a dramatic change to the prevailing power balance in the country, Randa Slim, director of conflict resolution at the Middle East Institute, told Al Jazeera.

It (the law) also does not do enough about curbing the role money can play in the elections, especially in terms of vote buying.

According to Hamdan, Lebanons secular constitution has been wrongly implemented, leading to several corruption scandals over the years and deepening the countrys sectarian divide.

There is sectarianism in Lebanon because our constitution has been distorted by politicians, Hamdan says.

If you have a strong state, strong institutions and an independent judiciary  sectarianism can be defeated, she adds.

The mother of four said she spent years working with civil society groups and NGOs, including think-tanks, refugee agencies and development programmes, before realising she needed to form change from within.

Similarly, candidate Nadine Moussa, a lawyer who has been a civil society volunteer and womens rights advocate for more than 15 years, said activism alone could not effect change.

I fought for many of peoples rights over the years; its important but fighting is not enough when you want tangible results, Moussa told Al Jazeera.

In order to change, you have to start changing from within the institutions in place  As civil society advocates, the most we can do is present legislation to parliament, but then they tuck away and nothing happens beyond that, she says.

In 2012, Moussa decided to launch a grassroots, youth-led secular campaign called Take Back Parliament to support first-time, independent candidates in advance of scheduled parliamentary elections the following year.

But parliament then extended their term, annulling Moussas candidacy, as well as that of that of more than 45 new candidates.

I was certainly crushed, says Moussa, a mother of two. But I didnt lose hope.

A year later, at the height of Lebanons political crisis, Moussa became the first women to run as an independent candidate for president. However, Lebanon would not get a president leading the countrys fragile parliament before 2016.

What pushed me was the will to keep my cause alive, to enable people and let my ideas become the norm, says Moussa, whose priorities among the Kuluna Watani list include reforming Lebanons personal status laws and decentralising public funds.

I also wanted to break the political monopoly dominated by men, she says.

Moussa: Elections could finally allow for political emancipation of Lebanese women [Al Jazeera]

Most people who usually run dont even have an agenda or programme  they run based on their tribe or sect, she adds, referring to Lebanons 18 religious sects dominating the small countrys diverse communities.

For Moussa, the upcoming elections are a pivotal moment for Lebanon.

We either go back to the same old system that has been hell, or we advance towards a new path that is far from corruption and everything else, she says.

Scratching the surface

Though many hailed the law as a golden opportunity for activists and women to run against typical Lebanese politicians, experts were quick to play down suggestions that the increase in the number of female candidates was an accomplishment  if anything, it lags behind, they say.

The spike in the number of women running for the general election is not sudden, because Lebanon hasnt had an election in about 10 years  so we missed a round of elections, Carmen Geha, an assistant professor of public administration at the American University of Beirut, told Al Jazeera.

If you look at the position of these women on the electoral lists, they are often on lists where there are no competitive seats  they are either on minority seats or on seats that will not be affected by the preferential vote, she explains.

Compared with other countries in the region, Lebanon ranks as one of the lowest in terms of female representation in parliament  just above Oman, Kuwait and Yemen.





According to Geha, more than 150 NGOs in Lebanon worked over the past few years to mobilise women to run in the elections, but still more needed to be done.

Whats happening in Lebanon isnt a single occurrence, this is the era of the #MeToo campaign  it is also the era of proportional representation, she notes.

While women have spent the last 10 years lobbying, advocating and expanding their networks, they have just started to scratch the surface, says Geha.

Men are still the ones forming the lists; men are the ones heading the lists; men are the ones negotiating the status of women on the lists.

The sectarian system presents much more difficult issues centred around patriarchy and womens access to decision-making compared to other countries, she adds.

According to Geha, the issue of womens effective participation in the countrys politics needs to be at the heart of the political debate.

We need to explore the root causes as to why women dont have a chance in front of the male leader, she explained.

Lets not forget that 40 percent of the lists are still all-male lists  The reason as to why we dont have all-women lists is because their message hasnt been politicised much.
You are driving through downtown, and you see a homeless woman standing on the corner. You think, "I hope she is getting some help." You drive on.

There are two sources for help for that homeless woman: charity and welfare. Let's examine them, how they work, and their effects on her and the rest of us.

First, charity. There are many charitable organizations in every locality, taking voluntary donations from private citizens, churches, and businesses and aiding people in need. But let's look at charity on a more personal level. Let's say you, sitting in your car observing the homeless woman, have the impulse to help directly and personally. You drive to the grocery store and buy a couple of bags of groceries for the woman (and her kids playing on the curb). You drive back to where she sits, get out of the car, and hand her the groceries. She looks at you, surprised, and thanks you graciously. You get back into your car and drive off, feeling as though you did something meaningful today.

Next week, you see the same woman sitting on a bench on the market downtown, looking not much better off than she did the week before. Her kids are playing on the dirty sidewalk with some old toys. You walk by, but then you get an idea. It's a little cold outside, so you stop into a shop and buy coffee and hot chocolate for her and the kids. Again, surprised that you noticed her, she thanks you and asks you to have a seat on the bench beside her. This time, you are also surprised (at the invitation), and you sit down and talk for a while.

You learn the woman's name, where she's from, and some of the details of her situation. You learn about her kids, where she stays at night, and what she's hoping to do to get out of this mess.

Over the next few weeks, you see this woman several times downtown, and you make a point to stop and talk to her, which seems to brighten her day. You get to know her kids.

Walking away from her one day, you are again surprised and realize that you have made a friend. What a blessing! And it started with a little charity.

Next, let's consider welfare. Another poor woman, with kids also, is counseled by a friend to apply for welfare. She rides the bus over to the welfare office; waits for hours; is examined by a detached government employee; and is given her EBT card, which she has never used before.

She stops at the grocery on her way home and purchases a few items with the food stamps. The cashier gives her an unusual look when she pulls out the EBT card. Or was it?

The woman has not been on welfare before, has not been "in the system," so her senses are heightened. She overhears conversations; and reads letters in the newspaper about "welfare mothers" and the "safety hammock." These understandably make her feel a bit guilty for needing welfare.

After a few months of this, and also some surprise visits to her home from suspicious-acting caseworkers (asking a lot of questions about the children), she starts to get the feeling that people resent her being on welfare. She feels as if she is taking money she does not deserve, though no one has actually told her that. She feels like a suspect.

About that time, a man sees her standing on the corner having a smoke, thinking, "There's another welfare mother I'm paying for." He's resentful because he's one of the few in our country who actually pays attention, looks at his pay stub, and watches how government is spending his money. He knows that every dollar of welfare hitting that woman's pocket is accompanied by a dollar or more of government waste. His resentment grows, thinking he is being forced to give money to her that she did not earn.

There is no contact between the man, who creates the wealth, and the woman, who consumes it. The government is the intermediary and intends there to be no interaction between the two, in the cause of privacy, of course.

With welfare, there is no compassion, no giving from the heart, no receiving with thanks, no interpersonal communication, no friendship, no blessing, no growth. There is only resentment. The wealth-creator feels used and robbed, and the welfare recipient feels guilty, or worse, entitled. Both know well that the goal of the welfare system is not self-sufficiency, but government dependency, and the system accomplishes that goal with chilling efficiency. Government welfare divides us against each other, devolving into a cowardly congressional vote-buying program.

In both cases, wealth flows from those who create it to those less fortunate (or even irresponsible), but the method of flow is very important in determining the outcome. When the cold, faceless, gutless machine of government facilitates helps for the poor through welfare, the result for both the giver and receiver is toxic. When individuals and groups of individuals give out of the goodness of their hearts through charity, the result is dignified help to the needy and a building of relationships that ultimately move the poor toward self-sufficiency.

A hundred years ago, before the welfare state, many people in our society were at times charity recipients and at times givers. There was less shame in receiving and no resentment in giving. And relationships were forged in the process. Government was much less involved.

We conservatives have abandoned the poor to an evil government. If we are truly conservative, truly caring about our future and our country, we will not let this stand. Government has successfully poisoned us against one third of America. Will we put up with this manipulation? If your comment on this article is the usual acerbic criticism of welfare deadbeats (yawn), you have been poisoned.

Here's what you can do  not to just change them, but to change us. Get involved with a group that helps the poor, with clothing, food, earning a GED, learning to read, or whatever fits your talents. So what if you are working beside bleeding-heart liberals? There are numerous organizations, religious and secular, in your area where you can help people in need and develop relationships with them.

Don't write a check! Don't work in the back room of some charity. Put yourself in a situation to personally bless a poor person. Learn his name. Teach him how to live. Neither the bank nor the government has a return channel for the blessing you will receive  cut them out of the loop. Ignore any entitlement zombies you encounter.

Take my challenge, and you will find genuine, sincere but poor Americans you will call friends. And they will grow. I dare you to try.
In his name, over 100 million people were murdered. May 5, 2018 marks Karl Marx's 200th birthday, and his profound errors still smolder and threaten new conflagrations.

Marx was born into a Europe transforming into a modern, industrial society. Individuals were leaving ancestral villages and farms for growing cities and their seemingly dehumanizing factories. Incredible wealth was being created, but would the factory workers benefit from their labors? What did the future of this emerging new world hold?

History as class conflict

Marx posed as a "scientific socialist," explaining the past and prophesying the future.

Marx was a radical materialist. He asserted that history is a class conflict based on economic forces. People's ideas, what Marx called "phantoms of their brains," are not the drivers of our destinies. We are simply the pawns of the factors of production and distribution of wealth. We don't make our tools so much as our tools make us.

Marx rejected the notion that the rational capacity we all share can discover objective truth. Rather, he asserted that the structure of our minds is determined by our economic class. Thus, there is the "proletarian logic" of the workers and the "bourgeois logic" of the middle class and capitalists. The bourgeoisie are incapable of understanding the workers. It's futile for proletarians to try to explain their circumstances to the bourgeoisie. The truth of the one isn't the truth of the other.

But how could Marx downplay the influence of ideas even as he offered his own, those phantoms in his brain? How could Marx, from a solid bourgeois background, transcend his class and understand "proletarian logic"? Was this just his deceitful way of silencing critics? If you ask, Marx might reply that your bourgeois brain and old-fashioned logic are incapable of grasping how contradictions can be truth.

The few rich and the many poor

Marx asserted that the capitalist owners of factories would use new equipment and efficient organization to create more and more wealth  a thousand teapots a day rather than a hundred; ten thousand shirts a day rather than one thousand. As production and efficiency rose, capitalist owners could fire many employees and reduce the wages of the remaining ones. The rich would get richer, and the poor would get poorer, and the latter's ranks would swell. You might ask Marx, who will buy those thousand teapots and ten thousand shirts if everyone is impoverished? He might answer that your limited bourgeois mind simply can't understand.

Marx asserted a convoluted "labor theory of value" to demonstrate that most wealth created in factories was produced by the workers and expropriated as profits by the capitalists. Never mind that the capitalists risked their own money to build those factories and that many lost their money when less efficient factories failed. Never mind that the economic value of anything, from goods and services to labor, is what customers will pay, not some make-believe calculation hatched in Marx's mind.

The workers' paradise

Marx asserted that the class conflict would come to a head; the masses of workers would learn to effectively organize and would spontaneously revolt and seize the means of production. A dictatorship of the proletariat would oversee the transition to communism. There would be so much wealth, owned collectively by the workers, that workdays would be shorter and workers could spend their leisure in personally enriching activities.

Since human nature is molded by economic conditions, the workers would be conditioned to be peaceful and selfless. In this workers' paradise, all would generously produce according to their ability and happily allow wealth to be distributed according to need.

But it didn't work that way.

Marx's failures

Our economic conditions certainly influence us, but it is our ideas that ultimately determine our actions. Sadly, Marx's ideas have been influential since the 1800s, and with blood-soaked consequences.

Those who believed with Marx that there is a bourgeois class that cannot be reasoned with and is expropriating the wealth produced by workers saw only one path to a workers' paradise: censorship, violence, prisons, and mass murder. That has been the program Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Castro, the Korean Kims, Pol Pot, Chavez, and Maduro. Many young people on campuses today, indoctrinated with Marx's errors, also reject the rational search for truth in favor of censorship and violence.

Countries that have tried communism have all ended up violent and impoverished. The Soviet Union collapsed economically, which caused it to collapse politically. The economic misery in Venezuela today exposes the fallacy of Marxist communism. Add to this the corrupting rather than ennobling effect of redistributing wealth. Look at the former Soviet Union or most American inner cities.

Prosperity has come to the masses because of capitalism and free markets. As enterprises became more efficient, owners invested in new lines of production. Teapots and shirts were followed by the production of automobiles, air conditioners, computers, and every modern convenience, with workers able trade their labor for more and more goods and services. Indeed, Marx's class categories are wrong. All "workers" are investors in their own skills and human capital and entrepreneurs of their own lives.

So on the 200th birthday of Karl Marx, those who truly desire a world in which we can all prosper through our own efforts should work not only to eliminate the barriers to economic liberty, but also to eliminate the lethal influence of Karl Marx.
Among the alleged asylum-seekers parked on the U.S. border is a contingent of Hondurans, allegedly fleeing persecution, poverty, crime, and oppression. If that is the case, then why is the Honduran government helping them, driving them northward under orders given to the Honduran ambassador, who is helping and escorting them?

Leaders of a caravan of Central American migrants traveling toward the United States through Mexico have repeatedly accused the Honduran government of corruption and with failing to address the poverty, crime and economic conditions forcing families to flee by the thousands. So it shocked some observers when the Honduran ambassador joined the migrants protesting outside the Honduran embassy in Mexico City on Wednesday, and then accepted their invitation to walk 9 miles to a migrant shelter. "I have been ordered by my government to support the Honduran migrants traveling with the caravan. There are about 200 Hondurans who we will help out with paperwork and whatever is necessary," Alden Rivera Montes, the Honduran ambassador to Mexico, told El Universal.

Why is the country whose oppression they are allegedly fleeing helping them leave? The answer is remittances, the money sent back home by so-called "migrants." Asylum is in large part a colossal scam designed to provide Latin American countries with both a safety valve and a cash cow of foreign exchange. In 2017, remittances sent back to Honduras totaled $4.33 billion and make up a significant part of the Honduran economy:

Within the span of a few short decades, migrants have become an essential engine of economic support for Honduras. Remittances comprised 17 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011, according to World Bank estimates, the second largest share of any country in Latin America or the Caribbean. As such, Honduran emigrants have tremendous significance for the country's economy and for the sustenance of many otherwise impoverished communities and families.

Talk about a trade imbalance. We import alleged asylum-seekers and other illegal aliens, and they send home billions sucked out of a benevolent U.S. government and economy.

Trump's wall would do a lot to stop this, but the question is how to pay for it. One U.S. congressman has suggested a way to get Mexico to pay for it, and Honduras, and Guatemala, and the rest of them:

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) sponsored a bill in March that would slap a 2 percent tax on all money transfers from the United States to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. If Rogers expanded the idea to include all transfers to countries outside of the United States, it would generate $2.76 billion, based on the 2016 remittance totals. "Over 10 years, there it is," Chmielenski said. "There's your wall."

Indeed, but a 2-percent tax is a pittance. Why not a 25-percent tax like the proposed tariffs on foreign steel? The amount of money funneled out of the United States is staggering:

Immigrants in the United States in 2016 sent home more than $138 billion  a sum that exceeds the entire gross domestic product of Kuwait  according to a new report from the Pew Research Center[.] ... "It's a staggering number," said immigration reform activist Chris Chmielenski, marveling at the $138.2 billion that immigrants wire out of the United States.

President Trump has floated the idea of a tax on remittances as a way of getting Mexico and others to pay for the wall and otherwise cooperate in controlling the flow of illegal immigrants:

President Trump is mulling a tax on cash transfers between immigrants in the U.S. and their relatives in Mexico as a way to fund his promised border wall without forcing American taxpayers to open their wallets, according to sources familiar with the proposal. Trump first floated the idea of taxing or halting person-to-person wire transfers, known as remittances, during his bid for the White House. A two-page memo released by his campaign last April described a plan "to compel Mexico to pay for the wall" by preventing immigrants from wiring money outside of the U.S. unless they can prove their legal status to law enforcement authorities. Because the Mexican economy has become so dependent on wages sent home by migrant workers, which surpassed oil revenues as its leading source of foreign income in 2015, Trump said he could convince the country's leaders to make a "one-time payment of $5-10 billion" toward his border wall by threatening to stop the annual flow of billions of dollars from the U.S. to Mexico in the form of cash transfers.

President Trump has shown that border security is not that hard. It merely requires willpower and resolve that put the impact of illegal immigration on America and its citizens above the impact on the political fortunes of pandering politicians.

Now comes a study from the Center for Immigration Studies showing that this ongoing reduction in illegal immigration will reduce related costs to the point the wall is paid for:

President Donald Trump's border wall only needs to stop about 10 percent of illegal crossing in order to pay for itself, according to an analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies. The estimated $12 to $15 billion cost of the wall would quickly be offset by the savings to the government if fewer illegal immigrants arrive in the country over the next decade, CIS found. Only a small portion of the population of people who are expected to attempt an illegal crossing in the next decade  between 9 and 12 percent  would have to be stopped for the wall to totally pay for itself. The analysis from CIS, a group that advocates for moderating immigration levels, relies on fiscal estimates from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NAS) for the average cost to taxpayers of illegal immigrants [sic]. NAS estimates one illegal immigrant [sic] costs state and local governments approximately $75,000 in a lifetime, taking into account taxes paid and the cost of providing benefits such as education and health care.

Critics say the costs of illegal immigration fall largely on state and local governments, and it is a federal government burdened with debt that has to write the checks. But the costs in either case are borne by the American taxpayer and the American worker. Ask Kate Steinle's father what the true costs of illegal immigration are and who pays for them

Remittances are the huge carrot attracting illegal aliens and alleged asylum-seekers. Open borders advocates like to talk about how much illegal aliens contribute to the U.S. economy. It would seem they are benefiting the nations from whence they came more than the United States.

The proposed tax cut bill 2.0 making individual tax cuts permanent should include a tax on remittances to not only pay for the wall, but set up a compensation fund for the victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens. MS-13 members have been found among the latest round of asylum-seekers.

As with most everything else, if you want to learn the truth about illegal immigration and alleged asylum-seekers, just follow the money.
Feigned outrage against Marshall DeRosa, a professor of political science at Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, has now taken predictable forms. Nietzsche observed that a successful war can be used to justify any cause. At Florida Atlantic, even going after an implausible victim can provide sadistic satisfaction to bullying students and faculty.

Professor DeRosa's picture has been plastered on the walls of college buildings by supposedly concerned students with demeaning messages that he's a "white supremacist" and that his presence on campus is an outrage "demanding action." In my opinion, it's ridiculous to describe those engaged in these defamatory actions, as some commentators do, as "snowflakes." They are dangerous thought police, who in this case have targeted a thoroughly decent teacher.

Marshall is someone I have known for decades and who has suffered unbearable personal tragedy. Last fall, he lost a brilliant son of twenty-seven, who practiced law in Boca, when a car struck him from behind while he was loading his parked vehicle.

Leading to these attacks was, among other factors, Marshall's acceptance of a Koch grant to teach prison inmates in a nearby correctional institute. We know that academic recipients of Koch funds have been targeted by the left elsewhere  for example, at the Eudaimonia Institute at Wake Forest University. Those who are "outed" as beneficiaries of Republican foundations can now expect to see all hell break loose on their heads, once academic agitators and their groupies organize against them.

As someone on the right who never received such a grant, I too was verbally abused as a speaker at an elite academic institution. Not taking money from a Republican foundation is no guarantee that the P.C. police won't go after you if you're a teacher or university speaker. But accepting Koch money may cause the P.C. crowd, led by gender studies students and activists at Florida Atlantic, to swing into action. And since no one is likely to push back, why not kick around and degrade one's target?

The charge of being a "white supremacist" that's been leveled against DeRosa is supposedly justified on several grounds, all equally specious. One, although he's given his time and energy sacrificially to teaching prisoners and preparing them for life after prison, he's done this with money from a Republican source. Never mind that there's zero evidence that the Koch Foundation has ever advocated for a single racist position or that it's even particularly conservative on social questions. According to Politico, the Koch brothers have had at best an "uneasy relation" with the Trump administration, if that's our new criterion for white racism. But that's not how the thought police (not snowflakes) at Florida Atlantic and Wake Forest think. The Koch brothers generally support the GOP and therefore must be racist, as the left now defines that term.

Two, DeRosa must be a racist because decades ago he published The Confederate Constitution of 1861: An Inquiry into American Constitutionalism with University of Missouri Press. Since then, he has had the audacity to note in scholarly commentaries that blacks sold other blacks into slavery and that "although slavery is a reprehensible institution," Southerners were justified in claiming that it was protected as property under American law. Just about everything DeRosa seems to have said on the subject of slavery that his detractors are now pulling out of context was said by historians of slavery, including Marxist ones, until the day before yesterday. In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded a National Humanities Medal to Yale historian David Brion Davis, whose scholarship maintains the very points on slavery for which DeRosa is being pilloried.

Concerned students also crashed a faculty meeting, presumably without repercussions, to denounce DeRosa for once having been a member of the League of the South, a Southern regional organization that took on white racist overtones years after being founded. It's a matter of record that DeRosa quit the League in protest over this change. Even the decidedly leftist website Media Matters admits this fact. One has to wonder (or does one?) why, given this well known repudiation, students had to break into a faculty meeting to humiliate a senior professor.

Ironically, the target of these attacks at Florida Atlantic is someone who has been an outspoken advocate of prison reform in his state. DeRosa has given speeches and published articles calling for the release of prisoners for nonviolent offenses. He has also conspicuously protested long prison sentences. An essay that DeRosa published in the Journal of the James Madison Institute includes this line that might have been drawn from the collected speeches of a very liberal Democrat. DeRosa praises "every bit of progress this country has made toward expanding access to that dream [of freedom] to millions of people who were previously denied it."

A large percentage of the prisoners whom DeRosa has argued for happen to be black, and it is ridiculous to claim that his use of a Koch grant has gone toward advancing white supremacist ideology. Two years ago, I was a co-presenter with DeRosa at a conference sponsored by the Ludwig von Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama. Contrary to what I expected to hear, which was a comparative study of the Federal and Confederate constitutions, DeRosa launched into an impassioned speech about the black victims of what he thought were overly long prison terms in his state. When DeRosa and I had dinner together, he continued in this vein and then interrupted himself to assure me, "No, I am not a bleeding-heart liberal." At that point, I jokingly retorted: "You certainly give that impression."

DeRosa's field of study or his characterization of himself as a libertarian of the right has absolutely no bearing on his fate as a target of the academic left. It is also hard to believe that his standard observations about slavery in the Western Hemisphere or his onetime membership in a then-anodyne League of the South have produced genuine, belated cries of outrage. The charge against him, like denunciations of "running dogs of capitalism" made against victims of the murderous Maoist regime in China, are transparently false. The bullying that occurred at Florida Atlantic was a way of flexing leftist muscle and pushing faculty who might be inclined to offer a dissenting opinion into anxious silence.

As Marshall DeRosa in his lecture at Auburn described hapless youth incarcerated in Florida jails, a fellow listener turned to me and remarked with a broad smile: "No good deed goes unpunished." What was intended as humor has turned out to be prophetic.
A few days after announcing his plan "to negotiate an end to [the special counsel investigation] for the good of the country," Rudy Giuliani began acting in ways that seemed destined to prolong it. For example, he is reported to have met with Robert Mueller to negotiate an "interview" of the president. It's hard to see how the move would induce Mueller to close up shop, rather than hand him excuses to prolong an already protracted mission to impede and impeach the president.

My August 2017 op-ed offered a different approach to negotiating an end to the investigation. The basic idea was a ceasefire of sorts between Mueller and a then-anticipated second investigation into unlawful surveillance and other activities by former Obama administration officials.

With U.S. attorney John Huber now heading up the second probe, and others in the offing, following referrals from the inspector general, the attorney general, and members of Congress, and with the arrival of Giuliani to "negotiate an end," the hypothetical truce warrants renewed consideration.

The deal would look something like this. Mueller would shut down the Russia probe and its progeny without recommending impeachment. At the same time, the DOJ would grant immunity to subjects of the Huber investigations  including such high-profile individuals as James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Loretta Lynch, Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama, and others.

On its face, such a bargain is sure to displease just about everyone  supporters and opponents of the president alike. Nevertheless, it could be acceptable to both pro- and anti-Trump factions if the two sides could agree that the cost of continuing both investigations is greater than the cost of ending both.

There are only two realistic scenarios. Either both investigations continue, or both stop. Mueller won't conclude his probe while Huber's investigation proceeds apace. By the same token, Trump's DOJ presumably won't curtail investigations into unlawful Obamacrat spying even as Mueller pursues fruits of the same poisonous surveillance tree.

Pro-Trump perspective

The imagined deal would ask Trump-supporters to forfeit justice for suspected political crimes and, in return, get only what the law already requires  an end to an ill begotten special counsel investigation that should never have been instituted. Especially galling is the idea that an immunity deal would amount to paying the proceeds on Peter Strzok's infamous "insurance policy." That is, the ploy to protect Obama and the Deep State by framing the president would have succeeded.

Yet if one passion animates Trump voters more than the oft chanted desire to "lock her up," it's their wrath over Mueller's seemingly endless investigation  what the president aptly calls "a phony cloud." To our unutterable exasperation, the cloud actively obstructs the policies we elected Trump to implement.

The issue is whether dispelling the Mueller cloud, allowing the president more time and energy to Make America Great Again, is of greater value than that of prosecuting alleged crimes of the prior administration.

Enforcement of the law is vital to administering justice and deterring future misdeeds. But dropping charges against a handful of malefactors, even influential ones, will not, in Lincoln's words, determine "whether we shall save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth."

If, on the other hand, Mueller's probe leads to Trump's impeachment, or he continues to harass him, his family, and his administration, or interferes with denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, or jeopardizes national security in the midst of a multiplicity of threats, or thwarts economic recovery, or otherwise negates the will of the electorate and diminishes representative self-governance, then the last best hope, if not utterly lost, may be relegated to indefinite dormancy.

Any criminal convictions of political opponents would then be rued as pyrrhic victories.

If letting the anti-Trump faction save face is what it takes to let Trump save the republic, is immunity not a price worth paying?

Anti-Trump perspective

Any bargain that precludes the devoutly to be wished impeachment might be a nonstarter. The anti-Trump faction is (or pretends to be) convinced that the 2016 election was illegitimate, tainted by collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. As such, it claims, it's imperative that Trump be dislodged.

But if Obama, Clinton, et al. are in legal jeopardy; if they have direct or indirect influence over Mueller; if their freedom is important to the so-called "resistance," as active organizers, icons, funders, and role models, then the truce might be seen as serving anti-Trump interests too.

For both factions, redirecting energy for political change from the grand jury box to the ballot box could go a long way to stabilize a society that's assumed the posture of a house divided against itself.

Roger Banks is an attorney and opinion writer in the Washington, D.C. area.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr.
The release of a less redacted version of the House Intelligence Committee Report on Russian active measures (AKA "collusion") has exposed abuse of the redaction process to protect the bureaucrats at the FBI and Department of Justice.

In theory, redacting of official documents prior to public release is supposed to be solely to protect confidential sources, or protect ongoing prosecutions, or otherwise serve legitimate government interests. Redactions to prevent embarrassment or potentially illegal activities on the part of federal officials is not legitimate.

Yet that is clearly what happened when the House Intelligence Committee report was first redacted by the DOJ and FBI. Rick Moran noted at the time of the first release that Republicans were angry at what they saw as totally unnecessary redactions and demanded release of a more complete version.

Now that a less redacted version has been released, Americans can see that James Comey lied and that General Michael Flynn was railroaded. Sean Davis has produced an extended Twitter thread that documents the deceptions. It is so good that Devin Nunes has retweeted it:

Good thread here to analyze new declassified information we received tonight...Friday night fun!!! https://t.co/4bKGC8HOue  Devin Nunes (@DevinNunes) May 5, 2018

Here is the original:

The most recent unclassified version of the House Intel Committee's report exposes how DOJ and FBI improperly use redactions to protect people like James Comey from public scrutiny. The before/after versions show what dirty pool DOJ/FBI were playing. Examples forthcoming...  Sean Davis (@seanmdav) May 4, 2018

Compare the fully redacted version that came out last week to the mostly unredacted version that came out today. Do you see what DOJ/FBI tried to cover up? McCabe said they hadn't substantiated anything against Flynn, and the ambush of Flynn at the WH was directed by Comey. pic.twitter.com/6Fc9U3kVwM  Sean Davis (@seanmdav) May 4, 2018

Compare these two pages. The initial redacted version hid clear testimony that the FBI didn't think Flynn lied. McCabe: "The two people who interviewed [Flynn] didn't think he was lying[.]" And: "[N]ot [a] great beginning of a false statement case[.]" pic.twitter.com/MZNIHCGzPU  Sean Davis (@seanmdav) May 4, 2018

DOJ/FBI also tried to hide Comey's clear testimony that FBI agents didn't think Flynn lied. Here's what they covered up: "Comey testified to the Committee that 'the agents...discerned no physical indications of deception. They saw nothing that indicated...he was lying to them.'" pic.twitter.com/bEUiinjxlQ  Sean Davis (@seanmdav) May 4, 2018

Now compare those statements under oath from Comey with what he told @BretBaier on television last week. It's extremely difficult to reconcile them. pic.twitter.com/UZqj07rMpp  Sean Davis (@seanmdav) May 4, 2018

He concludes:

It's clear that DOJ/FBI demanded significant redactions not to protect national security or sources/methods, but to protect potentially corrupt officials from accountability for their actions before and after Trump's election. The Flynn redactions appear to have been done to protect a false statements case with no evidentiary basis. Others were done to hide apparent conspiracy to spy on and leak against Trump officials out of spite over the election results. In one section, initially redacted material suggests an investigation against Flynn that, per Comey, should have been closed was kept open because he may have *thwarted* Obama admin plans to provoke Russia into disproportionately attxkinf [sic] the U.S. With that context in mind, additional redacted material suggests that the illegal leaks against Flynn were done entirely to justify continuing an investigation against him that the FBI had already determined was without basis. This is not how the rule of law works.

It is now clear beyond dispute that the agents of the Deep State are afraid of exposure and are abusing the powers of their offices to prevent their perfidy from being exposed.
Last month, the editorial page editor of the Denver Post published a scathing editorial target the paper's owners, Alden Global Capital. Alden is a New York hedge fund that has been laying off hundreds of staffers at the Post in an effort to salvage the newspaper.

But editor Charles Plunkett got little response from Alden to his criticisms, leading to his resignation yesterday.

The Hill:

Its a tragedy what Alden Global Capital is doing to its newsrooms and what its doing to The Denver Post, Plunkett told Denverite. Its an act of apostasy to our profession and I could no longer abide it. Colleagues praised Plunkett for his work and fearless attitude. In an editorial published April 6, Plunkett fiercely criticized Alden Global Capital, the hedge fund that owns The Denver Post and several other papers across the country. Since Alden took control, the decline of local news has been as obvious as its been precipitous, he wrote. The smart money is that in a few years The Denver Post will be rotting bones. And a major city in an important political region will find itself without a newspaper, he continued. The photo associated with the column, which shows the sharp reduction in staff when the paper won a Pulitzer Prize in 2013 compared to its staff in April, quickly went viral.

Plunkett is living in the 20th century. The notion that all would be well with the paper if they only had more useless employees is absurd. Is it "apostasy" for an owner to demand that the company make a profit? What does Plunkett believe the Post to be? A charity?

The "apostasy" Plunkett refers to is that newspapers - and the press in general - hold an exalted position in America and how dare anyone put money before advocacy? Quaint 19th century notions about the role of newspapers in American life is no substitute for the realistic view that the media, as we know it, is on the way out - going the way of blacksmiths and wheelwrights. I doubt that the Post wrote very many editorials 120 years ago when the automobile made such jobs obsolete.

So why should anyone care if it's their turn to go extinct?
Remember the Logan Act? That ancient (1799) law that has never seen a conviction bans unauthorized persons from negotiating with foreign governments over a dis0utew with the United States. But when the Deep Staters wanted to squeeze General Michael Flynn, Sally Yates resurrected it to threaten him over his perfectly proper meeting with the Russian Ambassador while President Obama was still in office as a lame duck.

Now, it appears that former Secretary of State John Kerry is in technical violation of the Logan Act, something we know thanks to a report in the Boston Globe by Matt Viser:

John Kerrys bid to save one of his most significant accomplishments as secretary of state took him to New York on a Sunday afternoon two weeks ago, where, more than a year after he left office, he engaged in some unusual shadow diplomacy with a top-ranking Iranian official. He sat down at the United Nations with Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to discuss ways of preserving the pact limiting Irans nuclear weapons program. It was the second time in about two months that the two had met to strategize over salvaging a deal they spent years negotiating during the Obama administration, according to a person briefed on the meetings.

The irony is not lost on Devin Nunes:

OMG! Logan Act violations!! Send in the G Men... https://t.co/FA1dydJGQb  Devin Nunes (@DevinNunes) May 4, 2018

In the terms favored by the witch hunters out to reverse the 2016 election, Kerry clearly is colluding with our enemies. The New York Sun editorializes, making the case that this is not the first time Kerry has colluded with our enemies:

What a duplicitous duo. The Globe says the meeting was to strategize over salvaging a deal they spent years negotiating during the Obama administration. The paper uses the word stealthy to describe their mission to preserve the deal and says that Mr. Kerry has been using his deep lists of contacts gleaned during his time as the top U.S. diplomat to try to apply pressure on the Trump administration from the outside. This has been Mr. Kerrys modus operandi since, as a young lieutenant just out of the Navy and in the middle of a war, he began freelancing foreign policy. Back then, he snuck off to Paris and met with, among others, representatives of our active wartime enemy, the Viet Cong. Then he came back to America and plumped for their talking points. Later, he testified against American troops before the Senator Foreign Relations committee. Thats how Mr. Kerrys career was launched. Now hes using the same modus operandi to treat with Mr. Zarif to save a deal that even the New York Times concedes was opposed overwhelmingly by the United States Congress. And that was tested in the recent election.

John Kerry with Iranians Hossein Fereydoun and Javad Zarif in Vienna (via US State Dept)

I dont expect the Logan Act to be enforced, but it would be absolute;y delcisious to seesuch an attempt, given the bullying that General Flynn endured. Of course, thanks to his second wifes fortune, Kerry woud not have to sell any of his multiple luxurious houses to pay the legal bills.

But I would not be surprised in the least for President Trump to call Kerry out, maybe today when he arrives in Ohio. Perhaps he will use a word beginning wit the letter t in describing Kerrys actions. I mean treachery, because treason would be a much harder sell to the public and especially in court.
Unemployment has hit record lows. Peace has broken out on the Korean peninsula. Terrorists are on the run. And all the media can focus on is a tawdry little story about whether President Trump tried to cover up a wretched, years-ago, tryst with an aging porn "star" who's itching to capitalize on it.

Gross, gross, gross.

Trump was right when he and his lawyers complained that the issue was a private matter and not even interesting to the American people.

It isn't. A recent Quinnipiac poll shows that a large majority of America's voters don't care at all about the Stormy Daniels affair and that should probably extend to its fallout.

Most of us can see what probably happened: Trump had an ill-advised tryst with a disgusting woman, and didn't want his wife to know about it. The wife probably did know about it, but like Carmela Soprano, had an understanding with her husband that she knew there would be girlfriends, she just didn't 'want her face rubbed into it.' Hence, the payoff.

Melania Trump is a European, and such an attitude and response would be recognizably European, Europeans do this all the time.

Trump's a rich guy and he can waste his money on things like this if he wants. Much smarter to not get involved with human trash, but that's his business.

Yes, it's not ideal;. But it's not something a normal person sticks his or her nose into in real life and on the public level, it most certainly doesn't affect how Trump governs, which is well, and which does affect how we live - as well as what the public really is interested in.

Frankly, who cares when Trump knew about the hush money payoff, which is what the media is obsessing over and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani seems to be fumbling on? It's not important.

What is important is that the economy is at long last going well. North Korea is getting ready to scrap its nuclear program. China is beginning to behave itself on trade. Amazing things are happening because we have President Trump. And Trump's rising approval numbers, now at 51%, that's a majority show it. We haven't had a good economy in years and foreign policy has been one failure after another. It's gone now with Trump. The media and its nutty prosecutor allies better not take that away from us.
The media have never shown much interest in Hillary and the DNC laundering over $10 million in campaign funds through a law firm to hide the purpose of creating a fake dossier. Instead, the media are having a collective orgasm about a porn star and a $130,000 payment.

The $130,000 payment appears to be pure blackmail about an unverified seven-hour rendezvous that occurred in 2006. Why did Stephanie Clifford, who went by the name Stormy Daniels when having sex on camera for money, wait until less than one month before the election to come forward?

Do people think that if Stormy Daniels had much information, it would have cost only $130,000?

Can the media think of any other porn star who has been treated as pure as the driven snow by the media because of one unsubstantiated claim of a seven-hour rendezvous twelve years ago?

I want to know if Stormy claimed the $130,000 as income on her 2016 tax return. If not, she is a felon, but no journalist seems to be interested.

Why haven't the media asked the porn star if she kept track of all her encounters with men in such a detailed manner, and if she has had the occasion to extort money from others?

The porn star's attorney is on MSNBC and CNN so much that I have to wonder if they are paying him a retainer or if he has any other clients. I wonder who is paying the attorney. Has the attorney been asked if Stormy claimed the extortion money as income?

Meanwhile, escaping the media's gaze is over $10 million funneled through a law firm from the DNC and the Hillary campaign to pay Fusion GPS to pay Christopher Steele to create a false Russian dossier by paying Russian sources to destroy Trump.

I haven't seen Hillary, John Podesta, or anyone from the DNC questioned about the over $10 million laundered through a law firm to Fusion to Steele to Russian sources to create a fake dossier.

Hillary is being interviewed all over the place, complaining why she lost, but no one seems to be interested at all in the obvious collusion among her, the FBI, and the Obama administration on using the dossier as an excuse to spy on and destroy Trump.

Hillary should be asked why the Democrats had to spend over $10 million to create a fictitious document to destroy Trump. Weren't the truth and policy differences good enough? She should be asked if there was a political motivation in mind when they laundered the money to hide the purpose of creating the fake dossier  or did they just do it for fun?

The media should ask themselves why the Democrats had to resort to a fake document to try to defeat and destroy Trump.

Why haven't the law firm and Fusion been raided by the FBI to see whom all they paid and where their money comes from? Why aren't their phones monitored like Michael Cohen's?

Why hasn't the FEC investigated the obvious violations of campaign finance law when the DNC and Hillary intentionally hid the intent of these huge payments? Aren't they at all curious about what other payments were misclassified?

Why haven't the media or the FBI asked Hillary why the DNC refused to allow the FBI or intelligence agencies to examine their computers since they accused Russia of a crime?

Could it be that the FBI along with the media overwhelmingly supported Hillary for president and have no intent to actually report the truth?

Here is a clue for the media via the Daily Caller as to why the FBI hasn't been at all interested in investigating Hillary. I bet even some journalists may be able to spot the problem. (Think about an all-white jury in Mississippi in the trial of a black man as an example.)

Newest Mueller Prosecutor Donated To Hillary Clinton The latest addition to special counsel Robert Mueller's team of prosecutors contributed to Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, according to federal campaign records. As The Daily Caller News Foundation has reported, none of Mueller's prosecutors, which number nearly 20 in all, are registered Republicans. As of February, 13 Mueller lawyers were registered Democrats. At least 12 Mueller attorneys have donated to Democratic political candidates.

Lately, we have seen Rosenstein and Comey, along with many others, claim that no one is above the law and the Justice Department and FBI aren't political. This is absolutely laughable. Even an incurious media should be able to point out that Hillary, Obama, and all the other people who sent or received classified documents through Hillary's private computer were never prosecuted. Lois Lerner and no one from IRS were prosecuted for targeting, lying, and destroying computers. Holder, Comey, McCabe, Clapper, Brennan, and the others who lied have not been prosecuted for perjury.

Rosenstein, McCabe, Comey, Clapper, Brennan, Lynch, and others should be asked why Hillary and her people weren't monitored also if the intelligence community and Justice actually believed there was Russian collusion, while knowing of the obvious connections among Hillary, Bill Clinton, Podesta, and the dossier with roots in Russian sources. The fact that only people surrounding Trump were monitored before and after the election shows that the Russian collusion story was just an excuse to spy.

Justice and Intelligence would have also demanded to take possession of DNC computers instead of just believing that a third party about the hacking if they were that concerned.

Instead of journalists pointing out the obvious special treatment of powerful Democrats by the Justice Department, the media act as though Comey and Rosenstein are being truthful.

The goal every day by people in the bureaucracy and in the media is obviously to destroy Trump. Facts haven't mattered for a long time.
A research team at the University of Michigan conducted a remarkable study that show climate skeptics are more eco-friendly than greens.

We conducted a one-year longitudinal study in which 600 American adults regularly reported their climate change beliefs, pro-environmental behavior, and other climate-change related measures. Using latent class analyses, we uncovered three clusters of Americans with distinct climate belief trajectories: (1) the Skeptical, who believed least in climate change; (2) the Cautiously Worried, who had moderate beliefs in climate change; and (3) the Highly Concerned, who had the strongest beliefs and concern about climate change. Cluster membership predicted different outcomes: the Highly Concerned were most supportive of government climate policies, but least likely to report individual-level actions, whereas the Skeptical opposed policy solutions but were most likely to report engaging in individual-level pro-environmental behaviors. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Eric Worrall of Watts Up With That:

Academics competing to see who can log the most air miles, Jetset hypocrites calling for deniers to be banned from public office, large climate conferences full of frequent fliers; the brazen climate hypocrisy of leading greens is nothing new to regular readers of WUWT. But this study goes a step further  it is not just the leaders who are complete hypocrites. The leaders of the green movement are not duping followers with their hypocrisy, they are an expression of the top to bottom hypocrisy of their entire movement.The most vocal climate supporters are actually the people who care least about the planet  all those noisy expressions of concern are camouflage to conceal the fact they are deeply selfish people who cant be bothered to make a personal effort to improve the world they claim to love. I pick up trash outside my house  because I like having a nice house, I like living on a nice street. I dont think it is someone elses job to make my little corner of the world a better place. If I thought CO2 was a problem I would make a personal effort to reduce my carbon footprint. Perhaps that sense of personal ownership, of responsibility for ones actions, is what is missing from the green movement  a point made by the authors of the study.

And Tom Jacobsan of Pacific Standard Magazine goes into some of the reasons for this disconnect:

Hall and his colleagues can only speculate about the reasons for their results. But regarding the concerned but inactive, the psychological phenomenon known as moral licensing is a likely culprit. Previous research has found doing something altruisticeven buying organic foodsgives us license to engage in selfish activity. Weve earned points in our own mind. So if youve pledged some money to Greenpeace, you feel entitled to enjoying the convenience of a plastic bag. Regarding climate change skeptics, remember that conservatism prizes individual action over collective efforts. So while they may assert disbelief in order to stave off coercive (in their view) actions by the government, many could take pride in doing what they can do on a personal basis.

Entitlement on the left is not restricted to greens. But there is no other issue that lends itself so completely to virtue signaling. The moral license to pollute is matched by a superior moral egoism that gives the individual "special knowledge" to threaten, intimidate, and even destroy those who disagree with them. They can sleep at night because their actions are in defense of the planet or simply because they're right and you're wrong.

Taking personal responsibility to protect the planet - or at least, your small corner of it - is a profoundly conservative view and, if adopted by government, would result in far more sensible and less onerous public policy prescriptions. Don't hold your breath, but even a nod in that direction would be a huge step forward.
My sister lives on the Big Island of Hawaii and was one of the 1,700 or so people evacuated from Leilani Estates, near Pahoa. She is safe, staying at a friend's cottage ten miles away, and now occupied with trying to persuade her stubborn neighbors to evacuate. (Yes, there are still holdouts.) It's a frightening time for her. There are now six active lava fissures in the earth at her housing development, one of which is either two or four blocks away, based on different readings of street maps. We all still don't know precisely, we see the drone footage and try to calculate how fast the lava is moving, we are watching maps and news of more fissures, and trying to hope the boiling lava flow doesn't reach Moku Street.

It could go on and on, there's no way of knowing when it will stop, so many residents are worried and some tempers are fraying.

More frightening still, there were the giant quakes yesterday, which tend to foreshadow big volcanic eruptions, with Mount Kilauea nearby. My sister said there had been quakes every five minutes in the three days that led up to the earth's fissures and roaring lava flows in the Leilani Estates neighborhood. Now there have been some monster quakes, one of them registering 6.9, which is bigger than the 2010 quake in Haiti. Krakatau comes to mind ... but according to the United States Geological Survey (a must go-to site in these days) Kilauea historically does not erupt hugely after very large quakes, it only erupts a little, so maybe that's reason to be hopeful.

My point here, is that people will do better if they can focus on the hopeful. It's been unspeakably stressful for the people affected by the volcanic activity right now, so whipping up fears is rather appalling. What's even less helpful is the sort of scaremongering we are seeing from the left, on Twitter, claiming President Trump doesn't want to help the people of Hawaii affected by the volcanic activity, as if that were actually true.

Look at the kind of junk they're putting out on Twitter, which only scares the locals:

No matter the outcome of the volcano and earthquakes in Hawaii, Ill bet my last dollar that Trump treats it like Puerto Rico when it comes to aid.



Why?



Not enough white people.



Oh, and theres also that Obama birthplace thing. #TrumpIsAWhiteSupremacist  Snake Oil Demagogue (@SnakeOilPrez) May 4, 2018

Does Trump know that Hawaiians are Americans?

 melomys (@melomys) May 5, 2018

Lets hope our president realizes Hawaiians are Americans and the federal government treats them better than they did with Puerto Rico...

 justin meyer (@PrinceOnTheHill) May 5, 2018

There's been some talk about President Trump not tweeting about the matter. Nothing has even happened yet other than two houses being burned down, yet somehow, he's supposed to be tweeting about this. Seems that in the case of Trump, the pre-emptive Katrina-style blasts are starting before any disaster has even happened. Given the press's focus on Stormy Daniels and the lack of information of what is actually going on in Hawaii, it isn't surprising. Yet Trump hasn't even gotten a chance to say anything, and already he's being blamed.

The reality is, like the missile warning fiasco that affected Hawaii several weeks, ago, helping the people is the state's job, not the federal government's. The governor of Hawaii has issued many tweets and announcements that the people affected will be helped. Governor David Ige also said that Trump's feds already are helping:

I reassured them that the county, state and the federal governments are working together to do everything in our power to help them get through this, to ensure their welfare and safety, and to assure them that we are here for the long haul.

 Governor David Ige (@GovHawaii) May 5, 2018

The feds normally do help if the state is overwhelmed, but it's likely the state won't be, given the relatively small number of homeowners affected (it's 770 or so, and they'd only be called to help 770 if all 770 are buried in lava, which is unlikely). Out on the mainland, there has been nothing but sympathy from Congressmembers, so potential federal help would be a bipartisan affair.

There are strong voices from the right offering nothing but support and encouragement to the people of Hawaii, such as tweet-king James Woods and all his conservative commenters:

Thousands of miles from any continental land mass and the earth is erupting. I hope our friends in Hawaii are safe. https://t.co/Dlnr7CfAvA  James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) May 5, 2018

President Obama, Hawaiian native, I notice, who likes to opine on everything, hasn't said anything, either, but that doesn't seem to bother the left

I assured my sister that since the homeowners were unable to buy volcano insurance, it's very likely they will get state and even federal help for their plight if the houses are destroyed by the lava. It's not a big group of houses, and the act of nature is so freakishly catastrophic that the response will probably be sympathy and resources, not indifference. The state, after all, did issue the permit for the building of the houses, so there is arguably some responsibility there.

With all the uncertainties out there, what residents such as my sister could use is support and encouragement, as well as the noticeable Aloha spirit that is widespread on the island as residents help each other without the state. What she and the others don't need is fearmongering and preemptive howls of Trump's indifference from the left.

Image credit: Ryan Finlay via Facebook.
Venturing into the world of funhouse mirrors, former President Obama's consigliere, Valerie Jarrett, claimed on national television that President Obama deserves the credit for Friday's stellar jobless numbers, which clocked in at 3.9%, the lowest they've been in more than 20 years.

Under his watch the unemployment rate dropped in half and its encouraging to see that were continuing to make progress

...Jarrett told a disbelieving Alisyn Camerota (check out Camerota's expression on the Grabien video here) at CNN. The transcript reads:

CAMEROTA: The breaking news that we just had moments ago were the new job numbers, the lowest in anybodys memory, 3.9 percent unemployment rate. Its been 15 months of Donald Trumps presidency. Do you give him credit for that?

JARRETT: Look, I think we have to look at it over a longer horizon than that. If you think about what the economy was like when President Obama took office, we were losing 750,000 jobs a month. Under his watch the unemployment rate dropped in half and its encouraging to see that were continuing to make progress. We want to see wages go up and I think thats an important focus and I was glad to see you talk about that too. So for the workers out there who are back to work today, I think its very encouraging.

What we learn here is that Jarrett is one surreal fanatic, utterly uwilling to give President Trump a scintilla of credit for the state of the economy, even though the numbers have occurred on Trump's watch, well into his presidency, and directly following his tax cuts and deregulatory moves, all of which are known engine starters for an economy. Black support and youth support has shot up for Trump and his Republicans as a result of these economic numbers, because people know what they are seeing with their very own eyes.

Most Democrats take a 'yes-but' approach in response to these embarrassing-for-Democrats numbers, such as Nancy Pelosi (no stranger to surreal statements herself), who called the worker bonuses that followed the tax cuts "crumbs." Not Jarrett. She just states the opposite of the cold hard reality, making herself even nuttier than Pelosi.

Twitchy has a good collection of catcalls that followed from Twitterers, who found her claims utterly ridiculous.

Perhaps that's more than just a sorry bid to shift the 'narrative' and public perceptions. But it might be something different: Note that first sentence quoted, and the last part of it: 'that we're continuing to make progress.

We? Who is 'we'? Jarrett seems to be saying that she's still in power, or deserves to be. It still hasn't sunk in that Democrats lost the election and lost the election for reason: Their abysmal handling of the economy and its deleterious effects on places such as Wisconsin. That is why people voted for Trump. And on some level she must know this even as her 'we' signals her denial. As good numbers roll in from Trump, Valerie Jarrett wants you to think it means she's still in power.

Image credit: Gage Skidmore, via Creative Commons SA 2.0
White South Africans have the right to exist. They have the right to make a living and to raise families without being constantly bombarded with hateful anti-white rhetoric or subject to violent crimes. This may seem like an obvious statement, but you would be surprised how many both black and white liberals seem to celebrate the suffering of white South Africans.

Their dispossession has been steadily progressing since 1994. As a group, they have shrunk from almost 13% of the population to 8% of the population today. But it is only within the last ten years that their dispossession has been so celebrated by the media and prominent South African blacks as to be unnerving. There have been calls for genocide by prominent South African black leaders. In 2011, EFF leader Julius Malema at a rally called on his followers to "Shoot the Boer" and "Kill the Boer." In March of this year, Julius Malema once again asked his supporters to "cut the throat of whiteness."

It is astonishing how many black South Africans support Malema's hateful rhetoric. One can see glowing comments following an interview on Real Talk with Anele posted on YouTube in 2016. In this interview, he is never asked about his calls for genocide. Instead, he is asked about his experiences with whites growing up. (He claims to have almost none.) One look at the comments section, and you can see that Malema is adored as a folk hero. He is called "genuine," "authentic," and "hilarious" among other things. How can this be?

The parliament in February voted overwhelmingly to seize the land of Dutch Afrikaaner farmers without any compensation. The laws are currently being changed to make these land appropriations constitutional. There is a great deal of justification for the systematic land appropriations which have already been tried and failed in Mao's China, Mugabe's Zimbabwe, in Castro's Cuba, and in Soviet Russia. This script has been performed many times with different actors, and every time it has resulted in either the outright murder or the exile of the competent producers. Once the food-producers are gone, there is always a dramatic and violent decline in the nation's food supply, resulting in mass starvation and misery.

Dr. Gregory Stanton, founder and president of Genocide Watch, has placed South Africa on level six on the genocide scale. In stage six, according to this scale, "[v]ictims are separated out because of their ethnic or religious identity. Death lists are drawn up. Members of victim groups are forced to wear identifying symbols. Their property is expropriated. They are often segregated into ghettoes, deported into concentration camps, or confined to a famine-struck region and starved." Stage six is followed by stage seven: extermination.

The anti-white rhetoric in South Africa is used regularly to dehumanize whites. The Afrikaaner language and culture are under attack, and there are today open calls for genocide without much shunning from the international community. This should not stand. South Africa should not be allowed to liquidate its white minority without considerable opposition from the Western world.
In what could be considered a strange turn of events, Google has apparently updated its Google Now Launcher application to make it incompatible with a huge variety of popular devices. For those who may not already be aware, this would be the official launcher replacement app Google released a few years back. Its primary purpose is to provide a pure Android experience similar to what can be found with the companys Pixel-branded handsets. That made it a very popular application among Google enthusiasts and developers who wanted to create a near stock experience based on the launcher. Lean Launcher, for example, is a near carbon copy of the app with extra customization options.

Some devices that are reportedly confirmed to no longer be supported are the Google Pixel 2, LG G6, Samsung Galaxy S9, and HTC U11. At least one device, the BlackBerry KEYone, is said to still be working with the launcher, but theres no way of knowing whether it will continue to with subsequent updates. In fact, theres some speculation that this marks the end-of-life cycle for the application. Its worth pointing out that isnt necessarily the case and Google could actually have plans for a new launcher replacement. The former of those prospects is made all the more intriguing by the fact that Googles I/O 2018 event takes place in just a few days. Although its probably a good idea to take that thought with a grain of salt, it wouldnt be unusual to see this type of app launched there.

It bears repeating at this point that the sudden incompatibility does not necessarily herald the end of support for Google Now Launcher. There are a number of reasons this could have happened and thats really just one possibility. For example, it is not unheard of for Google to accidentally tweak the wrong piece of code in an app. That could feasibly result in this kind of an issue or a plethora of other ones. Whatever the case, downloading the app is currently out of the question for a number of devices. Anybody interested can check to see if it is still compatible with their own devices via the button below.
Google is preparing to put out a Bluetooth version of the 2nd Gen Chromecast according to documentation discovered over at the FCC. In the documents Google states that it will be updating the existing Chromecast model that carries a model number of NC2-6A5 to work with Bluetooth. To be clear, this is not an entirely new model of the Chromecast and not the next generation of the device. It is the same model as the one that is already available, but in the new version of it Google is going to be enabling the Bluetooth radio within the chipset that is inside of the device to support Bluetooth.

For further reference the existing version of the 2nd Gen Chromecast supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless network radios as well as BLE radios. It does not currently support BT radios, or Legacy Bluetooth radios as theyre also referred to, which is why Google is pushing out a new version of the existing model. Google also notes that existing Chromecast 2nd Gen models will not be receiving an update to the software that will enable this, meaning any consumers who would want the version that supports Legacy Bluetooth operations will need to pick up this version once its released.

Since this is just hitting the FCC theres no telling when this model will hit the shelves, but Google does note that all of the hardware components and the mechanical components, as well as the design of the unit itself, are exactly the same and have been unchanged, which probably means it wouldnt take long for Google to launch it. The new version of the device is listed under FCC ID A4RNC2-6A5B. In addition to unchanged hardware, the RF parameters, RF power, previously approved operating modes, and maximum output power will be unchanged from the original version that launched without Legacy Bluetooth radio support. What exactly this means for functionality is unclear as the documents dont mention any details about any improved or new features, but they do state that the new version will have Bluetooth functionality. Its also possible that Google may talk more about this version at Google I/O 2018.
Prepaid wireless carrier Mint SIM rebranded itself into Mint Mobile earlier this week, having described the move not as a strategical shift but simply an attempt to better communicate its mission to consumers. Mint offers more than just a SIM card, a company spokesperson said in a statement to AndroidHeadlines. The firm is selling full-fledged, contract-free plans spanning three, six, and nine months, starting at $15 per month. Its service is online-only, meaning you can become a customer by referring to the banner below, signing up, and waiting for your SIM card to arrive. No phone purchase is necessary and Mint supports a wide variety of Android handsets as part of its Bring Your Own Phone program; you can check whether your current mobile device is eligible for a Mint card from the companys website.

A Mint Mobile Starter Kit is also available on Amazon for only $5 (linked below), with the main goal of the firms entire portfolio being to offer reliable and versatile wireless plans that dont require any contractual obligations and are extremely affordable. The starter kit in question will allow users to test the firms service before spending anything more on an actual prepaid plan so that they can ensure theyre getting adequate coverage in their area. Mint still offers coverage throughout the majority of the United States as it rents 4G LTE infrastructure from T-Mobile, with its only major coverage holes being Nebraska, Iowa, Wyoming, and Oregon.

Some consumer advocates are arguing companies like Mint are endangered by T-Mobile and Sprints proposed merger as a combined entity would have more leverage over mobile virtual network operators when it comes to negotiating infrastructure rental prices given how there would be less competition on the market, i.e. fewer alternatives for MVNOs to choose from. As highly affordable prepaid services largely target the lowest-income individuals, that demographic would be the one thats likely to be hit by the proposed consolidation the hardest if the tie-up is approved, opponents of the move claim. A Mint spokesperson declined to comment on the merger and its industry-wide implications.
Samsung has a new 16-megapixel ISOCELL Plug and Play image sensor solution intended to speed up the process for partner companies taking their device to market. Its not uncommon for smartphone manufacturers to take advantage of other OEMs components and Samsung is among those that various device makers turn to. Bearing that in mind, this new solution is intended to reduce the time it takes for testing to occur since the optimization is done at the module-level instead of just on the sensor. That applies specifically to partner companies that use Samsung camera technology in their devices and the Korean tech company says that using the solution can save up to four months of development time. Thats because the sensor module is pre-tuned to work well with the array of components lenses and actuators used by third-party firms. Effectively, that equates to a solution that can simply be placed without needing to re-optimize.

With regard to the sensor itself, the solution is based on a 1.0m ISOCELL Slim 3P9 sensor, which can also act as a 2.0m sensor for selfie shooters. Moreover, Samsung says that it features a new phase detection auto-focus with doubled auto-focus agent density compared to traditional sensors of that type. Beyond even that, it features a new gyro-synchronizer to enable greater stability against angular movement than is generally possible with frame-by-frame analysis and compensation. Taking that in combination with the new Plug and Play solutions, this camera sensor should perform very well in low-light conditions or for users that dont have the steadiest of hands.

In terms of availability, Samsung has already made the new turnkey solution available as of May 3  which is also the day the announcement was made. So partners can already get started using the new ISOCELL Slim 3P9 sensor right now, saving a ton of time without worrying about whether or not the end-user experience will be degraded. It bears mention that Samsung has not provided any information about the overall cost of the new solution. So any OEMs or partners who may be interested in checking out the new sensor and solution will need to head over to Samsungs site.
Microblogging site Twitter announced on Thursday that it has been hit by a bug that stored passwords unmasked in an internal log, forcing the company to decimate all hashed passwords from its system. There has been no indication of a breach or misuse per Twitters investigation. In any case, Twitter is now urging all of its users to change their account passwords as soon as possible to safeguard their privacy and security.

Twitter explained in a blog post that the issue occurred during the hashing process where the actual passwords are replaced with a random set of alphanumerics that are saved in Twitters system. Once the user logs account credentials, the system validates it without divulging the actual password. In this case, the bug had found its way in and had written the passwords to an internal log before Twitters system completed the hashing process. The social network managed to track down the bug a few weeks ago and decided to remove the hashed passwords from its servers to prevent any potential leak. Twitter may be confident that no breach or misuse is taking place, all the same, it is urging users to not let their guard down and to consider performing changes in their passwords. In addition, the company recommended a few measures to take in order to secure ones account. Twitter suggested changing passwords on any other service where the user may have used a similar password on Twitter, and avoid using generic or identical passwords on other websites. It also advised users to enable login verification or two-factor authentication to strengthen account security and use a password manager to further ensure strong, distinct passwords. In light of the issue, Twitter has apologized to its users and has guaranteed everyone that it is now carrying out the necessary steps to avert this bug from striking again down the line.

Meanwhile, Twitter previously acknowledged that it gave user data to Global Science Research (GSR), a marketing company based in San Francisco, California, which is run by Aleksandr Kogan, the academic psychologist and data scientist at the center of Facebooks Cambridge Analytica scandal. However, Twitter has clarified that GSR did not have access any private information about its users.
Following our April 24 remembrance of Duke Ellingtons 70thbirthday party at the White House, be aware that Jim Wilke has prepared a special Ellington broadcast on his Jazz Northwest. Here is part of the Jazz Northwest alert and instructions for listening:

These unique performances combine excerpts from Shakespeares plays with Duke Ellingtons musical portraits of the featured characters. The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra is conducted by Michael Brockman with guest actors from The Seattle Shakespeare Company, Darragh Kennan and Hana Lass (pictured below with SRJO pianist Randy Halberstadt).

Such Sweet Thunder was commissioned by the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, and premiered at Town Hall in New York City in 1957. It was recorded the same year by the Duke Ellington Orchestra. To the best of our knowledge, it has never been performed with actors except by The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra and Seattle Shakespeare Company, who first joined in this production in 2014.
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Balise Collision Repair in Rhode Island was named the 2017 Toyota Certified Collision Shop of the Year Triple Crown winner.

Balise Motor Sales, headquartered in Western Massachusetts, is honored and proud to accept the award and congratulate the collision repair team on its outstanding achievement among the automotive community.



The award presented by Toyota Motor Sales, USA recognizes the collision repair facility for high standards in customer satisfaction as well as for specific productivity metrics within the collision repair industry.



Balise Collision Repair was pegged against the largest volume dealers in the country for the coveted award.



This is so special for us, as it is a true team award, said Brian Stone, collision director of Balise Collision Centers in Rhode Island. The award reflects the hard work of everyone, from our collision techs, refinish techs, detailers, CSRs, appraisers, parts associates and management---every single person on our team [is] included in this. Im so proud and fortunate to be a part of this success.



The team at Balise Collision RI has also been a Toyota Excellence Award winner for three consecutive years. Balise Collision has been a Toyota Certified Collision Repair Center since 2010 and is also certified for 19 other manufacturers (Honda, Acura, Volkswagen, Nissan, Infinity, GMC, Buick, Cadillac, Hyundai, Ford (Aluminum Cert), Kia, Chrysler, Ram, Mopar, Dodge, Fiat, SRT, Jeep, Subaru). It is also I-CAR Gold Class-certified. Balise Collision Repair RI was also picked as the only pilot shop to be a Certified Collision Center for Subaru in the state of Rhode Island.



Another Balise Collision RI location will be opening on Quaker Lane in West Warwick in November 2018.



The shop will be geared toward fast-track repairs and exceptional cycle times.
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Why X, you ask? According to the automaker, X is an indicator that were dealing with a utility vehicle. Even though its been selling well in the United Kingdom and Europe, theres no denying the Mokka hasnt aged well if you take a look at competitors such as the Hyundai Kona , Volkswagen T-Roc, and Jeep Renegade.The second-generation model has been confirmed to arrive sometime in 2019 , along with the all-new Corsa subcompact hatchback and Adam city car. And although Opel was thinking about using a vehicle architecture from General Motors, Groupe PSA decided the Mokka X should switch over to the Common Modular Platform.CMP has an electric counterpart in the guise of the e-CMP, which will underpin the electric version of the Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa. Given this information, does it come as a surprise the Mokka X could be offered with an electric drivetrain as well? Auto Express is certain thats how the cookie crumbles, and when you think about it, there cant be one too many competitors for the Hyundai Kona Electric. For future reference, the Hyundai Kona Electric with the 64-optional battery is quoted with up to 470 kilometers (292 miles) of driving range per charge in Europe.-only versions of the Mokka X, on the other hand, will be offered with three- and four-cylinder engines developed by Groupe PSA. Its best to look at the Crossland X and Grandland X to get an idea of what will be hiding under the hood.Chief executive officer Michael Loscheller didnt want to go into detail about the underpinnings, as follows: I wont say which platform Mokka is going on to. But its a new platform for the vehicle. And were cutting nine platforms down to two, so it has to be CMP or EMP2.Considering that the smallest vehicle based on EMP2 is the Peugeot 308, theres no denying the Mokka X rides on the CMP/e-CMP
Although there are some companies fighting for world glory and NASA cash, two of them stand out through sheer power of will and advancements made in their efforts: Boeing and SpaceX . Both are on track to develop both rockets for launch and capsules for transports.autoevoluton already presented SpaceXs rocket-capsule combo made of the Falcon and Dragon . This time well take a closer look at Boeings Crew Space Transportation CTS-100 Starliner, a 21st-century space capsule meant to be fitted on top of the Space Launch System rocket (SLS).The Starliner capsule is meant, just like the Dragon, to facilitate astronauts access to the International Space Station and beyond. It will also be capable of transporting supplies and other materials into space.The Starliner is similar in size to the Orion capsule being built for NASA by another competitor in the field, Lockheed Martin. It has a diameter of 4.56 meters (15.0 ft), bigger than the Apollo used in the early days of space exploration.Thinking ahead, Boeing has designed the capsule to be compatible with a wider range of launch rockets, including SpaceXs Falcon, the Atlas V, Delta IV and the future Vulcan. For the maiden flight, expected to take place later in the summer of 2018, the capsule will be launched on top of an Atlas V rocket.The capsule has been designed in such a way that it accommodates a crew of up to seven astronauts. When carrying cargo as well, the number of crew is reduced to five.Boeing even plans to make some money with these crew launches. Of the five open seats on a cargo mission, four are for NASA astronauts, while the fifth is meant for a paying passenger.Once is space, the Starliner will be capable of staying there for periods of up to seven months. Time well spent, considering the fact that astronauts will have access to on-board wireless internet and tablet technology.Because it will be built with no welds, the capsule would be good for at most ten missions before replacing, a first for any U.S. built space capsule.The reentry of the capsule will be done just as all other previous pods, with speeds reaching as much as 17 times the speed of sound. After the Starliner is back in the Earth sky, parachutes would deploy and slow it down to a speed similar to that of a skyscraper elevator.From the time it takes off to the time it lands, the Starliner can fly itself including during rendezvous and docking operations.In what will be a premiere for the American space program, the Starliner will be capable of landing on solid soil rather than on water. This would cut the cost of retrieving the capsule and its occupants.Landing on the ground is possible thanks to the use of an airbag landing system in addition to the parachutes, which will be used to soften the impact with the ground. Although the impact does seem a bit violent in the videos released by Boeing, the company says the tests it conducted at various speeds and angles have shown the passengers are well protected.The first launch of the Starliner is planned for the end of this summer, but such an event has been delayed several times until now so take that with a grain of salt. A crewed flight is unofficially scheduled to take place this November, marking the first time in nearly eight years when humans will take off for the ISS from American soil.Should the first launch missions succeed, Starliner would become one of the capsules used by NASA for its low-orbit missions. As the number of habitable objects put by man in space will increase, Boeing plans to make the capsule available to a variety of passengers, including international and corporate astronauts, scientists, researchers, educators and even tourists.
American Airlines wont be renewing its contracts with regional carriers ExpressJet and Trans State when they expire in 2019, according to Bloomberg News. The report cites a memo to reservations agents that goes on to state the move is being made to streamline passenger experience and that ExpressJet and Trans State flights will be shifted to other airlines. American Airlines also ended its contract with Air Wisconsin Airlines in February.

In addition to the 12 CRJ700s it flies for American, ExpressJet has a partnership with United Airlines. The company flew for Delta as well until Delta ended that contract in August 2017. ExpressJet is owned by SkyWest Inc., which also operates SkyWest Airlines. SkyWest Airlines has a separate partnership with American and will reportedly be taking over the routes flown by ExpressJet. St. Louis-based Trans State flies for United as well. It has been reported that its American routes will be flown by Envoy Airlines once the contract expires.
Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela said on Saturday that he is starting a "series of popular consultations on constitutional changes" ahead of the general election in May 2019, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: The election next year is the sixth since Panama's dictatorship ended, per Reuters. Critics of Varela said the move "adds uncertainty to the electoral process. It's a political measure for (Varela) to maintain his power after 2019."
More than 500 people gathered on Saturday at Thammasat University in Bangkok to protest Thailand's military government, delivering an ultimatum that their demands must be met by May 22, Reuters reports.

The details: Since May 2014, Thailand has been under the militarys control. Former army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha, leading the government, has continuously pushed back elections. Protestors are demanding three things: an election by November, for the soldiers "to return to their barracks," and for the army to step down from its post. Saturday's demonstration was the latest in a string of protests that have been gaining momentum since January.

What's next: Per Reuters, if these demands aren't met by their set deadline, protestors plan to "march to Government House...to put pressure on Prayuth."
By Trend

The Russian Export Center (REC) may support export of various Russian equipment to Azerbaijan, Nuri Guliyev, head of the local representation of the REC, told Trend.

In particular, REC may support projects as part of insurance of railway and machine-building products supplies to Azerbaijan for a total of $322.5 million, he said.

Guliyev added that Eximbank of Russia (Roseximbank), a member of the REC group of companies, is considering a number of projects to provide credit support for Russian supplies of railway and aviation equipment.

He noted that since the opening of the representation in Azerbaijan [December 25, 2017] business activity on both sides has doubled. Thus, the number of inquiries of the Azerbaijani business to search for manufacturers of Russian products almost doubled, he added.

Guliyev noted that at the same time, for the first quarter of 2018, one can clearly observe the dynamics and increase in the number of applications of Russian exporters with a wide range of issues related to export of products to the Azerbaijani market.

There are requests for clarification of Azerbaijani legislation, certification standards, logistic support, detailed search for a partner and requests for funding, he added.

Speaking about the growing activity of the Azerbaijani-Russian business relations, Guliyev also noted that four new members, Russian companies in the field of machine engineering, agriculture, electrical equipment and construction, joined the Russia-Azerbaijan Business Council.

This is also an indicator of the activity and interest of Russian business in cooperation with Azerbaijan, he added.

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By Trend

The Azerbaijani Taxes Ministry will create a Cooperation Council, which will become a platform for communicating with entrepreneurs, the Azerbaijani National Confederation of Entrepreneurs said in a message on May 4.

The Confederation together with the ministry held a meeting with entrepreneurs on May 3.

Azerbaijani Taxes Minister Mikail Jabbarov, Chairman of the Confederation Mammad Musayev, representatives of companies and associations that are members of the confederation, and various businessmen attended the event.

Jabbarov spoke about the basic principles of the amendments made to the tax system and provision of transparency in relations with taxpayers. The minister discussed the problems entrepreneurs face, as well as expectations of the private sector.

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Les lunettes de marque ne sont pas ce qui manque dans les commerces. Il y en a de toutes les sortes dont les lunettes de []
By Trend

The Global Baku Forum provided an opportunity for many countries from all over the world to establish contacts to resolve urgent problems, Ukraine's former president Viktor Yushchenko said at a press conference, dedicated to results of the 6th Global Baku Forum on May 4.

"In today's world full of the conflicts and contradictions, it's very difficult to act alone, and it is necessary to establish contacts under such circumstances. The Baku Forum gave us this opportunity, and I want to thank the organizers - the Azerbaijani government and the Nizami Ganjavi International Center - for the opportunity," Yushchenko said.

He further said that every year the forum is organized at an increasingly higher level, which is evidenced by the increasing number of politicians and diplomats participating in the forum.

The 6th Global Baku Forum under the slogan "Elimination of Differences for the Establishment of an Inclusive Society" was held in Baku on March 15 -17.

About 500 representatives from 50 countries, including former heads of state and government, members of Nizami Ganjavi International Center, heads of international organizations, prominent public figures and scientists participated in this prestigious event.

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By Trend

The Global Baku Forum has become a place where representatives of many countries were able to convey to each other their ideas of peace, prosperity and solutions to current problems, said Ismail Serageldin, founding director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA), the new Library of Alexandria, co-chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center.

Serageldin made the remarks at a press conference, dedicated to results of the 6th Global Baku Forum on May 4.

"I am thankful to the Azerbaijani government and colleagues from the Nizami Ganjavi International Center for their participation and contribution to the Baku Forum. I believe in the strength of ideas, the ideas that have great power in resolving global issues," he said.

"The Baku Forum created for us all opportunity to share ideas, which, undoubtedly, are a great contribution to future of the world, " he said.

He also thanked and presented the certificate of merit to the ambassadors of Jordan, Great Britain, Italy and Turkey in Azerbaijan for participation in the Forum.

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Even in a state with a colorful political history, the furor over the Jade Helm military exercises in 2015 always seemed puzzling. The sudden concern on the far right that routine maneuvers around Camp Swift in Bastrop were a plot by the Obama administration to round up dissidents came off as, well, crazy.

Now it appears that flap may have been sinister after all. Former CIA Director Michael Hayden said the Jade Helm controversy was a test run by Russian meddlers to see if they could cause political disruption on social media. Hayden said the Russians were pleasantly surprised by their success and ramped up their activities in the 2016 elections.
The Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame unveiled its fourth annual class of inductees, including physicians, nurses, educators and philanthropists who "made significant and lasting contributions to the health and healthcare industries," according to The Tennessean.

The Nashville Health Care Council, McWhorter Society and Nashville, Tenn.-based Belmont University created the award and chose the winners from a pool of 40 nominees.

"With individuals from all across Tennessee who have made a significant impact on their communities through their work as leaders, politicians, practitioners, scientists, philanthropists and innovators, the Hall of Fame is honored to induct such a deserving group of healthcare heroes," said Hayley Hovious, president of the Nashville Health Care Council.

Here are this year's winners, as described in a press release from the Nashville Health Care Council.

Monroe Carell Jr.: Former CEO of Nashville-based Central Parking Corporation; prominent philanthropist who led efforts to fund the Monroe Carell, Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn.

Carol Etherington, MSN, RN: Initiated victim intervention for the Davidson County Police Department; established coalitions that led to the founding of the Nashville Prevention Partnership and volunteer mental health pools for the Red Cross; current chair of the Metro Nashville Board of Health and associate professor of nursing emerita at Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health.

John Henry Hale, MD, and Millie Hale: Brave and innovative practitioners who paved the way for justice and equality; opened their home to become the Millie E. Hale Hospital when African Americans couldn't be treated at 'white' institutions; created a holistic community center; Dr. Hale was professor of clinical medicine and surgery at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn.; Millie Hale created a training center for nurses across the South.

Lynn Massingale, MD: Known as a major influencer on emergency medicine, nationwide; founded TeamHealth and served as CEO from 1979 to 2009 and now serves as chairman; was named a Hero of Emergency Medicine by the American College of Emergency Physicians and received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award; previous EMS Medical Director of Tennessee.

William Schaffner, MD: Professor of preventive medicine, department of health policy and professor of medicine, division of infectious diseases, at Vanderbilt (Tenn.) University School of Medicine; nation's pioneer of rigorous infection control in hospitals; his Nashville standard became the standard of excellence nationwide; national leader on adult immunizations; served as president of the National Foundation for Infectious Disease and is now medical director; longest serving member of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Matthew Walker, Sr., MD: Founded the Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center, Inc.; was one of the first African Americans voted into the Nashville Academy of Medicine; credited for training half of the African Americans in the U.S. at the time of his death; served as a professor at Meharry Medical College for four decades; first African American fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

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Here are four spine and neurosurgeons making headlines.

Jocelyn Idema, DO, implanted a Spectra WaveWriter Spinal Cord Stimulator system in a military veteran to relieve his chronic pain.

A jury found Vero Beach, Fla.-based Johnny Benjamin, MD, guilty of five counts of felony.

Lali Sekhon, MD, PhD, opened a Nevada Neurosurgery office at the Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno (Nev.).

Howard Sharf, MD, joined Florida-based Sarasota Orthopedic Associates.

More articles on spine:

Spinal cord stimulation trumps medication for pain reduction  7 takeaways

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Chronic opioid use causes increased risk of complications after cervical spinal fusion: 5 study findings
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's habit of confiscating cigarettes and eliciting a promise from the owners to give up famously involved the Bulgarian foreign minister in 2016 and inspired the Cumhuriyet columnist Kadri Gursel's to write: "Erdogan wants to become the new father to Turks."

Last week, Gursel was sentenced to two years and six months in prison for comments that included, "Turkey only needs a rebellious child like Muhammad Buazizi, who provided the spark that toppled the Tunisian dictator".

'Peace at home, peace in the world' is the celebrated maxim of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Republic of Turkey.

In 2016, the Cumhuriyet columnist Aydin Engin alluded to Ataturk, writing, "Peace in the world, but what about at home?", in a piece published two days before the coup attempt. The putschists happened to style themselves as the 'Peace at Home Council'.

Last week, Engin was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison for a "subliminal message".

Cumhuriyet cartoonist Musa Kart booked a holiday in Bodrum after seeing an ad in the paper. The tourism firm came under investigation for links to followers of Fethullah Gulen, accused by the Turkish government of masterminding the coup attempt, and Kart was duly arrested in the same probe.

Last week, he was sentenced to three years and nine months for "aiding and abetting a terrorist organisation".

Cumhuriyet's ombudsman, Guray Oz, was arrested over phoning someone linked to Gulen. During his trial, Oz admitted speaking to the person in question once, to order a birthday dinner - the other party happened to run a takeaway restaurant.

In his defence statement, Oz asked how he could have been expected to know he was ordering pizzas from a fellow under investigation. Last week, he was sentenced to three years and nine months for "aiding and abetting a terrorist organisation".

Akin Atalay is the chairman of the executive committee of Cumhuriyet. The prosecutor accusing Cumhuriyet of seeking European funding asked, "How do you intend to maintain your independence if you're benefiting from these grants?" Atalay pointed out: "Eighty per cent of the judges and prosecutors in Turkey trained thanks to those European grants. Have they compromised their independence?"

Last week, he was sentenced to seven years and three-and-a-half months for "aiding and abetting a terrorist organisation".

Murat Sabuncu, Cumhuriyet editor-in-chief, reacted to a rally that excluded the Halklarn Demokratik Partisi (Peoples' Democratic Party) in the wake of the coup attempt. His headline - 'Deficient democracy' - was declared "seditious" by the prosecutor.

Last week, he was sentenced to seven years and six months for "aiding and abetting a terrorist organisation".

And I, the former editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet, was tried on charges ranging from "repositioning the newspaper's logo and altering its editorial policy" through to "publishing a Gulen-related news item on the front page with a photograph" and "publishing the same headline as a Gulenist newspaper on the same day".

As I live abroad, sentencing has yet to be pronounced. My barristers pointed out - in vain - that neither editorial policy, nor, indeed, which item may be printed on which page under what headline, would be matters for prosecution to decide.

Last week, a deluge of punishment rained on the staff of Cumhuriyet, this last bastion of the free Press in Turkey; from editor-in-chief through to reporter. They have all been conditionally released pending appeal.

Turkey 'celebrates' World Press Freedom Day this week as the biggest prison for journalists in the world.

Can Dundar is the former editor-in-chief of Turkish daily Cumhuriyet. He is the author of We Are Arrested: A Journalist's Notes from a Turkish Prison (Biteback Publishing)
Vous etes confrontes a une infestation par la puce, la punaise de lit ? Voici plusieurs actions qui sont a mettre en uvre pour faire []
Walter with his wife Mary when he received his OBE

Two legends will swap roles tomorrow in a unique broadcasting coup which will see Sir Van Morrison take the hot seat to interview Walter Love on his own show. Notoriously shy when it comes to media interviews, Van turns the tables on veteran broadcaster Walter to make sure he is the one asking the questions on the Jazz Club tomorrow.

It is regarded as something of a feat in itself to get the music man into a studio for an interview and Walter has managed it twice.

When invited a third time, it was Van (72) who suggested the two swap roles.

Van Morrison is our biggest music superstar and when it comes to broadcasting, Walter Love is also in the super league.

After 60 years with the BBC, he is revered by his colleagues in Broadcasting House in Belfast and much loved by the public. And his love of jazz is as legendary as the presenter himself.

Walter freely admits it was an unusual experience to find himself being interviewed on his own show by none other than the great Van Morrison, who sets about the task with relish, quizzing his subject about his lifelong love for - and first experiences of - jazz.

Walter says: "It was actually Van's idea to turn the spotlight on me this time and I think he enjoyed it.

"It was an unexpected pleasure to be sitting at the other side of the table from him, although I think I would prefer to be asking the questions rather than answering them!"

The two men have crossed paths often over the years and share a mutual passion for music.

While not exactly friends, Walter has interviewed Van twice on his radio show in the last few years and when he extended his third invitation it was the music star who suggested tomorrow's unusual role change.

The media-shy musician proved a natural host, gently taking Walter through his passion for jazz from getting his first jazz radio show on Radio Ulster to his involvement in the Holywood Jazz Festival, among other things.

During the conversation, Walter shares tracks from his favourite artists, including Fats Waller, Ed Polcer, Eddie Lang and Louis Armstrong.

Walter says: "I met Van a couple of years ago socially and we had a very interesting conversation about music and jazz and blues.

"He was a guest on two of my programmes after that, talking about his early influences and the people he worked with in the early part of his career.

"After the second programme, when I was thanking him he said to me 'Maybe next time I will interview you' as a sort of throwaway line and that's how it came about.

"We spent a good six weeks talking about the idea of the programme before we did it.

"It was a very enjoyable experience. We both enjoy talking about music and he asked me about where my interest in jazz came from and how it developed.

"I've met him from time to time over the years and when I asked him two years ago to come on my show I was very grateful that he accepted. He is our most important musician and he loves talking about music.

"As an interviewer he was very much to the point and asked the right questions and hopefully I gave him the right answers."

While more a fan of jazz than blues, Walter has seen Van in concert and followed his career over the years.

Now aged 82 and still presenting his weekly jazz show, Walter has been a stalwart of TV and radio in Northern Ireland since joining the BBC in 1958, although his first appearance on radio was much earlier at the tender age of 11 in 1946 with an appearance on Children's Hour.

Fifty-two years later he received an MBE in the New Year's Honours List for his services to broadcasting and in 2014 he was inducted into the PPI Radio Awards Hall of Fame.

To celebrate his 60 years in broadcasting, the BBC hosted a concert of the Ulster Orchestra in his honour at the Ulster Hall.

The 'menu' was entirely his choice, music from childhood through to jazz to the jaunty Jaromir Weinberger - Schwanda the Bagpiper: Polka and Fugue.

While he has enjoyed an illustrious career, it says everything about Walter that when asked for his career highlight he doesn't choose any of the big stars he has interviewed over the decades, but opts for a compliment from a member of the public.

"I was doing an outside broadcast in Co Fermanagh and had just finished the programme when a lady came over to me and said 'Thank you, I'm disabled and the way you speak to people means a lot to us'," says Walter. "That has to be one of the best things that has happened in my career."

Born on June 22, 1935, and educated at Strandtown Primary School and Regent House Grammar School in Newtownards, Walter grew up in east Belfast, the middle child of five.

His dad Bob was a travelling salesman with the Dunlop Rubber Company and his mum Gwen was a housewife and mother.

He has fond memories of a busy household which was a magnet for his siblings' friends: "Because there were five of us over 10 years we each had our own group of friends and our house became a place where people were constantly coming and going," he says.

Walter left school in 1952 and while he loved radio and was by then a freelance contributor to the BBC, his parents persuaded him to pursue a "proper profession" and he planned to work in accountancy.

He says: "As a youngster I had asthma, which meant I had to be off school a lot and very often spent the day in bed listening to the wireless and it was BBC in those days. I became very attached to it and loved the idea of it.

"I was keen to get into broadcasting but was persuaded by my parents to follow a proper profession, so I went into an accountant's office. I wasn't terribly good at it.

"I was into amateur dramatics in Belfast at the time and after appearing on Children's Hour when I was 11, I continued to do small features for radio."

In 1958, at the age of 22, he left accounting when he got his break as a studio manager for the BBC in London.

He returned to Belfast in 1959 to become a staff announcer, covering everything from symphony concerts to the Friday Night is Music Night show.

In 1960, he became a television newsreader, a job he held for more than a decade. He recalls: "I was the main newsreader for the BBC for about 10 years and during the summer months when presenters were on holiday I got to fill in."

This led to his own show Day By Day in 1978, for which he was nominated for a Sony award.

Ten years later, he moved to the afternoon programme with Love in the Afternoon and from 1988 until 2006 he was both producer and presenter of Love Forty every Sunday afternoon.

Walter semi-retired in September 2006 and experienced tragedy in his personal life when his wife Mary died from an illness in 2011.

Today, he describes her loss as the worst thing that has ever happened to him.

He says: "It was very sudden. She only got six months, which was a very short time, and that was hard to take. She had a rare lung disease and was only 69 when she died. You have to be philosophical and draw a line under things."

Mary was head of art at Ballyclare Secondary School for most of her career and the couple had been together for 47 years, and married for 28 years.

During their time together Mary often talked about giving Walter art lessons and he finds it ironic that he only discovered a love for painting after she passed away.

He says: "I love to paint and just took it up a few years ago. Mary often talked about giving me lessons and in 47 years we never got round to it.

"I get great pleasure out of it now and I mainly paint landscapes. I do a lot of travelling and take a lot of photographs.

"My sister lives in Canada and my brother is in Australia and I have a lot of photographs from various places which I paint from. I think Mary would be very surprised indeed by how much I enjoy it now."

Walter lives in the countryside near Downpatrick and says he can't imagine his life now without the BBC.

He adds: "I know I'm no longer in my 20s. Wherever you are in life, you have to draw a line and look to the future.

"I think it is very important to have a focus and I feel really privileged to work for the BBC.

"I never thought in 1946 when I was first on radio that I would still be broadcasting in 2018. I have three families; the one I was born into, the one I married into and the BBC. I've always regarded the BBC as family."

Sir Van Morrison interviews Walter on the Jazz Club on Radio Ulster tomorrow at 9pm.
I was a day old when my birth family put me up for adoption. I was born in Belarus and because of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl 32 years ago, I was born with many medical difficulties. I have one kidney, 12 fingers and my legs were very deformed - because of that I was put in the orphanage. I spent my first three and a half years there. I've been told since that if I hadn't got out before I was four years old, I would have been put in an asylum home.

It was all thanks to Adi Roche and Chernobyl Children International (CCI) that I got out. She brought me to Ireland on a medical visa. I have no memory of my time in the orphanage. I arrived in Ireland in January 1986 on a flight into Shannon where the Gabriel family from Bandon, Co Cork, took me in.

My family said they were not sending me back and they started a long legal battle to adopt me. My parents Robert and Helen had to fight so hard. I don't know where I'd be without them.

I have three sisters Marian (32), Rose-Mary (29) and Clodagh (24). I'll be 26 in June. I'm so busy living my life and focusing on where I am now that I don't keep looking back. I take each day as it comes and focus on what makes me happy.

I'm surrounded by people I love. I don't think about the 'what ifs' too much because you could drive yourself mad.

My family has always been very open with me about my birth family. They always told me not to be afraid to talk about it. They were always so loving and they gave me so much affection. My sisters were always sensitive to me - I've always had so much support. My sisters would describe me as loud and say I never stop chatting.

When I first came to Ireland I wasn't able to hear, so I couldn't speak. I had a special hearing conductor fitted - a brilliant device that allows me to hear everything. I can even hear the grass growing! That turned my life around as it meant I could go to school. I very quickly learned English and I haven't stopped talking since.

Both my legs were deformed. At the age of 13 I met an orthopaedic doctor and he introduced me to artificial legs. I went through lots of different appointments and I got two artificial legs. It was a case of learning to walk all over again and for the first time I was as tall as everyone else and could look my friends in the eyes.

Now I get up in the morning and I put on my artificial legs and they don't come off until 10pm at night. I need to go back and get new legs every two or three years.

I've six fingers on each hand - I've always felt it's a bonus. I've had a few people looking at me but I explain to them why. They are fascinated and I've never had a negative reaction.

People can't believe my background or my achievements. I've never let anything block my way - I've always been very determined. That's the way life is.

I'm working as an accounting technician with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) in Bandon. I graduated with a business administration degree from Cork Institute of Technology last year and I did my placement with the ICBF. They offered me a full-time job after that. I was recently conferred as a member of Accounting Technicians Ireland and was honoured at their annual dinner earlier this year when I received a standing ovation for telling of all my experiences.

I have tracked down my birth mother and I got to meet her with the help of Chernobyl Children International. I was 19 at the time. She travelled to Ireland and stayed for a week with a translator. It was amazing.

I met her at the airport and she came up to me. Her hands were close to her chest and she was bawling. Even though there was a language barrier, I could see the sadness in her eyes. She saw the baby she had given up. I threw my arms around her and said, "It's okay". I told her I understood why she gave me up.

That week we got to bond with one another and ask one another questions. I got to show her around where I went to school and where I was in college at the time. I was able to drive her around. She could see for herself what my life in Bandon was like.

We keep in touch with Christmas cards and birthday cards. There's always going to be a language barrier. She told me her pregnancy with me was perfect and there were no problems. It was only when I was born and the doctors saw the deformities that they automatically put me in an orphanage. My birth parents didn't have the money or the resources to look after me.

I've always thrived in school and in college and now in work. Of course I have my ups and downs, but my friends and family and my boyfriend Derek support me through it all.

I think if you focus on the future you forget to enjoy the present moment. That's the way I've always been.

I love travelling and socialising with my friends and chilling at home.

I can't thank Chernobyl Children International enough. I'm very honoured to have Ali Hewson as my godmother. Ali has always been there for me. She is so generous and kind and she never forgets my birthday. When U2 play in Dublin Ali always provides me with tickets.

I would be dead today only for Adi Roche, who plucked me out of misery just in time. Growing up with my family, they gave me positivity from day one. They are amazing. They are ridiculously amazing and they've supported me through anything and everything.
Its a new era at Vogue with soaring sales and the first female publishing director in the magazines history. Vanessa Kingori talks to Charlotte Edwardes about spearheading a revolution.

Vanessa Kingori never thought she could be the publisher of Vogue, although Im embarrassed to say that now. A black immigrant born in Kenya, raised in St Kitts, Id never seen someone who looked like me running the commercial side. Not only that, in the magazines 102-year history no previous publisher has been female. It was Edward Enninful, Vogues new and first male editor, who drew her attention to this. He said, Congratulations, youre the first ever woman to do this. I thought, I cant be.

At the time Kingori was publisher at GQ. As a mark of how little changed at Conde Nast (the parent company), the newest staff member in her office had been there seven years. Then: revolution. Vogues editor Alexandra Shulman retired after 25 years, Stephen Quinn, the publisher, after 26, and Nicholas Coleridge, the president of Conde Nast, after 28 years. Following them out of the revolving doors of Vogue House in Hanover Square were deputies, directors, section editors, assistants and multiple bag-carriers. One can only imagine them, gloved and in sunglasses, leaving a trail of coloured feathers.

For the past 10 months, Enninful and his new team have been building from scratch. A new-era Vogue to respond to shrinking magazine sales, dwindling advertising revenue and an explosion in online and social media. Good luck! might have been the departing cry from their predecessors.

Until now, both Enninful and Kingori have been quiet. Kingori says they wanted the figures to speak before they did.

Total sales are up 7.5% since Edwards first issue and UK news stand sales have also increased. Total advertising revenue is up too, fuelled by a 26% increase in digital advertising, and the company reports a 1,033% increase in events and special projects revenue.

Today she allows herself a short smile while stressing they are only at the beginning. We have a lot more to do.

We meet in Vogue House boardroom, deco windows flung open to let in the sultry air. Shes 5ft 11in without heels, so probably six foot today in her Christian Louboutins. Shes towering, a machine, she jokes, who needs the power of food. Later she tells me how, as a young model appearing in a Vivienne Westwood retrospective at the V&A, she skipped lunch in sheer excitement at appearing in front of people like Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, got halfway down the runway in her corset and fainted. When I came round Mick Hucknall was standing over me.

Among her coups at the company so far are persuading a number of megabrands to return  including Nike  as well as bringing in first-timers such as super cool Palace Skate, and a sponsorship with Pinterest.

Amazing though it may sound, Louboutin had never advertised in Vogue (or anywhere) so Kingori persuaded him to do a project around his nudes  he has a range for 30 skin tones  to chime with Vogues drive for inclusion.

Although she wears it lightly, Kingori sees her role as political. She describes herself as a child of the Windrush (her mother came to the UK from St Kitts as a nurse aged 17, met her Kenyan father in London, and returned to London when Kingori and her sister were seven and nine). And one thing was always clear: new era Vogue was about diversity and new frontiers. Enninfuls first cover featured Adwoa Aboah, a mixed-race London model, and the current cover features Halima Aden, the first hijab-wearing model to be used on a cover, as well as nine others from different ethnic backgrounds.

Other magazines have followed, but Kingori is wary. We see this amazing trend to have more diverse faces on covers  and the power of the image is important  but it is only stage one.

Kingori believes in true change: True change from within that is reflected out. So, she asks, whats going on behind the scenes? Are these workplaces diverse? Could we look at what the narrative is  who is writing the narrative? So its not just about the perception of diversity.

She is quick to point out that diversity is not just about race. Its about diversity of perspective, which is also about class. (This was briefly a raw nerve: in the post-Shulman exodus, there were unattributed quotes saying the new regime was wiping out posh girls).

But its also about age. Februarys cover with Nicole Kidman was described by one paper as disappointing. Kingori doesnt hide her annoyance. People said, why is there a white woman on the cover when (Enninful) said thered be lots of diversity? We thought, There is! Nicole Kidman is 50! Its not often that you see a woman of 50 as a cover star.

Equally, she says, there were those who criticised Enninfuls appointment of Venetia Scott as fashion director. They said, Oh my God, isnt she old? They thought wed only have kids from Hoxton with blue hair.

Scott is amazing, because she has so many experiences to draw on, anything thats thrown at her shell know what to do. Younger stars might be drawing on newer experiences and trends that you and I dont know about. But the combination is stronger than one or the other. Edward said, This is diversity.

This is what she loves about him. He doesnt mind sticking his neck out, saying, Not everyone will get it but for those who do, its going to mean a lot.

They are friends. Now they work together, travel together, spend hours on the phone. Enninful is hilarious. There is an Edward fan in reception every day and last week an entire trolley of flowers arrived as an expression of thanks from a fan who finds new Vogue makes me feel better about myself.

When I ask about reports of his emotional outbursts  he is said to have cried because he was stuck in Milan when Anna Wintour arrived at London Fashion Week with the Queen  she looks sceptical: Ive never seen him cry.

But he is instinctive, she says, with a clear vision: Hes someone who says, I know that is going to work. This may come across as emotional. But nine times out of 10 when hes taken those decisions and some of us might have thought, I dont get that, hes been right.

One model he has featured heavily is Naomi Campbell. In some respects he has reinvented her. While still hugely successful, Campbell had a sketchy reputation  not least because of a string of assaults against various assistants, housekeepers and airline staff. She was also notoriously late  sometimes days late  for shoots.

Enninful decided his passionate, opinionated friend should do interviews for Vogue. He dispatched Campbell to see Sadiq Khan. Kingori says the Mayors office cautiously enquired whether theyd need to schedule extra time. Kingori knows Sadiq: she sits on his Brexit advisory panel and is a huge fan. If I am being honest, she says, I thought, Are they going to have anything in common?

Not only was Campbell on time, the interview was well received. Shortly afterwards, she interviewed Apples designer Sir Jony Ive. More are in the pipeline. The idea of working for Vogue is something Naomi takes seriously. Does she arrive on time? Shes early. Seriously? They were all stunned.

In preparation for a film and fashion party earlier in the year, Campbell accompanied Kingori on recces of venues, had conversations about lighting and guest lists.

Everyone in the office was terrified. One assistant sent this lovely note to say: Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would be in an office with the lady publisher of Vogue, the male editor of Vogue and Naomi Campbell.

Inevitably, conversation turns to Meghan Markle, another symbol of change and progress, and then to Kingoris sister Patricia, an academic working at Oxford University who has mixed-race children. Kingori volunteers that she is sometimes confused for their nanny. Her son is fair and people are constantly saying to her Oh youve got a great job with him. Hes so lovely.

Worse, Patricia was held at a British airport because the border police would not believe she was her childs mother. They took her into a room and were asking her son questions like, Do you know this woman? And he was so confused, and quite pressured and scared and he started floundering, so they held them for quite a long time. Luckily her husband is a barrister so it was pretty quickly sorted out.

She was the only black girl in her class at an all-girls convent in Twickenham. But it didnt bother me. I owe my parents a lot. I wasnt afraid of change.

Far more than any racism, she remembers that the headmistress, Sister Brenda, would make them kneel if she passed them in the corridor, and if your skirt didnt touch the floor when you did youd be in detention.

Her mother hated her modelling  she wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer  but she enjoyed working for Vivienne Westwood who told the girls have your own thoughts!, encouraging them to tell her what they really thought of her clothes. Shed say, Do you hate this? Even I dont think I like it.

After university, Kingori worked briefly for Matches and then the Evening Standard where her boss told her, One day youre going to be the publisher of Vogue. She says she isnt entirely sure what that meant at the time, but I saw him the other day and he said, Do you remember? And I said, I do, I do.
What will Meghan wear?

Will she choose an English designer to honour the country she's marrying into, or will she surprise us? With the help of Karen Whybro, owner of designer bridal boutique Rock The Frock (rockthefrockbridal.co.uk), we take a look back at some of the most memorable royal wedding dresses through the decades...

Princess Alexandra, March 10, 1863

Princess Alexandra of Denmark was the foreign bride crowds couldn't wait to see. This is the first photograph of a member of the Royal Family wearing their wedding dress, and comes from her marriage to Queen Victoria's son, Edward Albert, in 1863. Whybro describes it as "an opulent, highly detailed dress, with an off-the-shoulder neckline and floral motifs that dominated the design". It was adorned with lace depicting Scottish thistles, Irish shamrocks and English roses, plus a 21ft train that took eight women to carry.

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, April 26, 1923

Long before becoming the Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon married the Duke of York (later King George VI) in a style that was classic for her 1920s wedding. Whybro contrasts her gown to Princess Alexandra's, saying: "Her dress had a much straighter skirt, created from deep ivory chiffon, moving away from stark white and embroidered with pearls. The gown is very Twenties in design, featuring short cap sleeves with strips of Brussels lace, making it contemporary yet elegant." It was a simple affair, heavily influenced by Coco Chanel.

Princess Elizabeth, November 20, 1947

The Queen got married shortly after the Second World War. Elizabeth used ration stamps to buy the fabric (although the Government did give her 200 extra rations), and it was designed by Norman Hartnell. Whybro says: "Queen Elizabeth's wedding dress incorporates elements of Princess Alexandra's design, with embroidered floral motifs over the bodice and skirt and long sleeves. In contrast to her mother's dress, the Queen's gown had a fit-and-flare silhouette, was created from ivory silk and embellished with crystals and pearls." Elizabeth's diamond tiara snapped hours before the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Luckily, a court jeweller was on standby, and took the tiara via police escort for some emergency welding. The eagle-eyed will spot a slight gap at the centre of the headpiece.

Princess Margaret, May 6, 1960

Princess Margaret's dress for her wedding to Lord Snowdon is often described as the simplest royal wedding gown in recent history. Whybro says: "Princess Margaret's dress was in stark contrast to her younger sister's, with the emphasis being on exquisite tailoring and beautiful fabrics. The gown was made from silk organza." Although simple, the dress was designed to show off the bride's petite frame.

Princess Anne, November 14, 1973

Princess Anne married Mark Phillips in Westminster Abbey, with an estimated global audience of 500 million. "Princess Anne's 1973 wedding dress could not be more of the era, in terms of style and silhouette," says Whybro. "A Tudor-style, high-neck dress with medieval sleeves, this remarkably modern gown was sophisticated, simple and contemporary, while featuring detailing embroidery far removed from that seen on Princess Elizabeth's gown."

Princess Diana, July 29, 1981

When Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles, it's thought a whopping one billion tuned to witness the fairy-tale event, and Whybro says: "Probably one of the most iconic wedding dresses of modern history, Princess Diana's extravagant, ballgown-style dress featured ivory silk taffeta and antique lace, with an opulent 25ft train." The gown, she adds, "set wedding dress trends for years to come, with its large puffed sleeves, narrow waist and meringue-style skirt". The dress was too big for her carriage, and Diana arrived at the ceremony with the slightly creased.

Sarah Ferguson, July 23, 1986

"Sarah Ferguson's dress was always going to be compared to Diana's, and was understandably much less elaborate," says Whybro. "The gown was an ivory satin bodice with heavy beading, retaining some of the Eighties elements of Diana's dress in its puff sleeves, yet cut to a three-quarter length." Not as elaborate as Diana's, but it still had a 17ft train.

Sophie Rhys-Jones, June 19, 1999

Sophie Rhys-Jones' dress was a much simpler affair when she married Prince Edward. However, Whybro says that it echoed another royal gown - that of Princess Margaret's. "Created from hand-dyed ivory silk organza and crepe, the dress featured minimal pearl and crystal beading around the neck and sleeves, with far less of a full skirt than previous royal gowns," she observes. "Rhys-Jones' gown had a more modern feel, with simple lines."

Camilla Parker-Bowles, April 9, 2005

Camilla Parker-Bowles was in a unique position when marrying Prince Charles, since this was a second marriage for both. As such, instead of wearing a white or ivory gown, Camilla opted for an understated cream chiffon dress with an oyster coat. "Keeping detailing to the minimum, this contemporary outfit followed the tradition of not wearing ivory or white for a second wedding and instead featured modern styling, including a cream coloured straw hat," says Whybro.

Kate Middleton, April 29, 2011

As with Meghan, there were months of speculation as to who would design Kate's gown in the run-up to her and Prince William's wedding day. In the end, the honour went to designer Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, who created an ivory dress with a classic silhouette, covered in delicate lace. Whybro says: "Changing wedding dress fashion for decades to come, in the same way Diana did, Kate's McQueen creation was a combination of tradition and modernity, with a classic shape evoking Victorian styling with its narrow waist and hip padding, long lace sleeves and a semi-bustle at the back. The floral motifs echoed Princess Diana's detailing, and the full skirt with elegant train touched upon contemporary elements."
Anyone who's watched The Great British Bake Off will know it's a competition that can get surprisingly emotional. And its forthcoming sister series, Bake Off: The Professionals, is no different, according to its presenters.

"There is so much drama in it," teases Tom Allen (35), a comedian you'll recognise from panel shows such as Mock The Week and 8 Out Of 10 Cats. "It's a real rollercoaster. There are tears all round really, at various points."

The show sees 12 professional duos from across the UK go head-to-head in a series of heats and, instead of Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, the judging is down to celebrated pastry chefs Cherish Finden and Benoit Blin.

For 20-year-old co-host Liam Charles, who came fifth in the latest series of The Great British Bake Off (the first since it moved from the BBC to Channel 4), seeing things go wrong with the bakes was "pretty difficult".

"When stuff like that does happen, we have to be those two people that encourage them to move on and sort of gee them up," he elaborates. "Basically, we are their support network."

Hackney-born Charles - known by his friends as Cake Boy - shot to stardom after his time on The Great British Bake Off last year, thanks to his bubbly personality and use of interesting flavours.

"Everyone has been so supportive - ridiculously supportive," he gushes. "I didn't think it would be this big, I thought, 'Okay, cool, I'll go on the Bake Off show and see what happens', but then the reception after was like, 'Wow!'"

People who watched Charles on screen will remember there was one person he talked about a lot - his beloved nan. And, yep, she's "super excited" about him landing a presenting gig, especially as it's happened so quickly.

"It's funny because yesterday I was with her and she was asking me, 'When is it coming on TV?'" he says.

The role is also a dream come true for Allen, who, at the age of 22, won the UK's most prestigious comedy newcomer award, So You Think You're Funny.

"It comes in this long British tradition of camp things, in a way, in that it is taking something that is quite flippant to many people - just baking and cakes and patisserie - and suddenly making it the most important thing in the world," remarks the comedian, who has previously talked about being gay in his stand-up.

"Something about it just feels naturally fun and witty, and it's great to be part of it."

From the way they big each other up and laugh over memories from filming, it's clear working together came naturally for Charles and Allen.

"I hope that comes across in the show, because we did have such a lovely fun time doing it," notes Allen. "I've learnt so much from Liam in terms of his natural enthusiasm and natural energy towards it all. My job has been finding funnies in things, and hopefully we both sort of taught each other stuff."

The fact he's starred in the amateur version of the competition means Charles knows how helpful it is to have the presenters be supportive.

And Allen agrees urging the competitors to do well is at "the heart of the programme", as well as getting to know them.

"That was the fun of it," he reflects. "As the competition went on, we really got to know different details about them. Some of them have very interesting lives."

Both stars have plenty of other projects happening. Allen has been touring with his stand-up show, while Charles is studying Drama and Theatre Arts at Goldsmiths, University of London, and has a cookbook coming out in July.

Surely it was pretty tiring filming this, then?

"You just have to get on with it really," says Charles matter-of-factly.

Allen agrees wholeheartedly: "Even though we were in the deepest countryside with no phone reception, actually, I couldn't wait to get back."

Discussing the pressure surrounding taking on a revamp of a show - when on the BBC, it was called Bake Off: Creme De La Creme and was presented by Tom Kerridge and, later, Angus Deayton - the hosts seem cool and collected.

"It just sort of kicked off without us realising it actually," recalls Allen. "Meeting the chefs, they were all so lovely."

"You know what it is, everyone was so welcoming," Charles affirms. "Bake Off has that vibe."

And the pair are "very ambitious" for the new version of the spin-off show.

"We think of it as Bake Off's bossy older sister, that's just come back from university," quips Allen.

"She has a personality, has a bit of an edge. She's great, she knows who she is and she is not taking any prisoners."

The Great British Bake Off: The Professionals, Channel 4, Sunday, 8pm
A health care assistant who stole over 1,200 from an 88-year-old woman with dementia has avoided a prison term

A health care assistant who stole over 1,200 from an 88-year-old woman with dementia has avoided a prison term.

Sandra McDaid (55), from Ballynarrig Road in Limavady, was handed a four-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, at Londonderry Magistrates Court yesterday. It came after she admitted stealing the cash from her patient's post office savings account.

McDaid pleaded guilty to five charges of theft by an employee. She committed the offences on various dates last December.

A solicitor for the Public Prosecution Service told District Judge Barney McElholm that last December 11 the victim's daughter reported to the police that her mother's post office savings card was missing, and that 1,219.72 had been taken from the account between December 7 and December 11.

The solicitor said the money stolen was the victim's life savings.

Police investigations led to McDaid, and after she was arrested she made full admissions and expressed deep remorse for her offences.

Defence barrister Stephen Mooney said his client's offending was egregious and was a breach of trust case involving an 88-year-old vulnerable woman.

He said the truth behind McDaid's offending was stranger than fiction. "She had been on Facebook and had been contacted by an individual in Nigeria who was not known to her," he told the court.

"He was very nefarious and told her he required money because he had a child who needed a blood transfusion.

"Out of her own pocket she wire-transferred 1,000 into his account.

"Several months later she received a second similar communication from the same individual.

"She had no money and she fell into the temptation to take the victim's money and send it to him.

"The police were understandably cynical about her story but during their investigations they recovered some documentation which verified her excuses."

Mr Mooney said that after the thefts were discovered McDaid's employment contract was immediately terminated.

He said his client lived in a rural environment where wildly inaccurate rumours of the amount she had stolen had been circulating. He added that McDaid's previous good standing in the community was now effectively in ruins.

The barrister said that, as part of their investigation, the police also interviewed family members of other clients of McDaid's, and they were satisfied that there were no other victims. Mr Mooney explained that some of those other family members had given McDaid character references, and he added that his client had brought full restitution to court with her.

The District Judge said the defendant, who had no previous convictions, had totally believed a con man.

"This con man was out to extricate the maximum amount of money from her through spinning her such a sad and untruthful story. Those of us of a more cynical disposition would not have swallowed such a story," he said.

Mr McElholm said it would serve no purpose to send McDaid to prison. As well as suspending the jail sentence, he also gave her four weeks to repay the money she had stolen in full.
The memorial to the victims of the Poppy Day bombing in Enniskillen

The decision by a Catholic diocese to reject plans for an Enniskillen Poppy Day bomb memorial on its property has been met with dismay by victims' families.

Aileen Quinton, whose mother Alberta (72) died in the IRA attack in 1987, said she was not surprised.

"Victims and their well-being are at the very bottom of the pile yet again," she added.

Stephen Gault, whose father Samuel was killed, said: "Hurt does not scrape the surface of how we are feeling.

"Why can't we have a simple, innocent memorial to remember our loved ones murdered by terrorists 30 years ago?"

Mr Gault said the families planned to meet as a group next week to discuss their next move.

St Michael's Diocesan Trust announced yesterday that it had turned down the proposal for the memorial on its land.

The trust said that while it was "deeply conscious of the horrific effects and legacy" of the bombing, and had no objection to a permanent memorial, the size and scale of it posed insurmountable problems for access.

Monsignor Peter O'Reilly, parish priest of Enniskillen, also said the move was not about rejecting any memorial or its content, but this particular memorial and its proposed location.

The site is beside the Clinton Centre, which is due to be redeveloped to include an alternative memorial.

The monument at the heart of the impasse had originally been unveiled last November at an event marking 30 years since the atrocity.

But it was removed and put into storage after the diocese said it had not been consulted over its placement.

Eleven people were killed and more than 60 injured when the bomb exploded at the Remembrance Day service.

A 12th victim died after 13 years in a coma.

The trust added: "We are happy that the redeveloped Clinton Centre will include a memorial to the victims of the Enniskillen bombing, and the trust hopes that a suitable location for the Ely Centre memorial will be found."

It said it was sensitive to legacy issues surrounding the bombing, and had given careful consideration to key questions such as public access, obligations to its tenants, the ongoing upkeep, security and sustainability of the memorial and potential future public works in the area.

Ulster Unionist MLA Rosemary Barton said she was willing to meet with the trust to discuss the matter.
Victims' groups last night welcomed a call by DUP leader Arlene Foster for the Government to make progress on legacy issues before it is too late for survivors.

In remarks directed at the Northern Ireland Office and Secretary of State Karen Bradley, Mrs Foster said: "I entered politics motivated by the carnage that was going on around me.

"'Victims' are talked about as though they are distant.

"But to many of us these are people we went to school with, who were either maimed or bereaved."

Many survivors of atrocities which took place during the Troubles and family members of victims are now elderly.

Lily McDowell, the most seriously burnt survivor of the IRA's bombing of La Mon in 1978, died in 2014 before getting answers over the atrocity.

Three people who were directly impacted by the 1972 Claudy bombings carried out by the IRA have died within the last 12 months.

Mrs Foster revealed she has urged the Government to act now.

"The NIO had previously discussed having a consultation whilst in parallel putting in place the structures from the Stormont House Agreement. That was wrong," she said.

"It was a tick-box-exercise where, regardless of what victims said, their opinion was too little too late. I opposed this.

"The time is now right for the Government to take forward a meaningful consultation which can allow those who have suffered so much to study the detail of its contents.

"Most importantly, victims must be able to see that their opinions will shape what emerges at the other end.

"I have told the Government that there is widespread support across the parties to launch the consultation process."

Her call was welcomed by Innocent Victims United and Ulster Human Rights Watch, which represents some of the La Mon families.

Robert Campbell and Axel Schmidt from Ulster Human Rights Watch said a meaningful consultation needed to take place.

"UHRW has already indicated to representatives of the NIO that they were committed to taking part in the consultation," they said.

"It is believed that a meaningful consultation should enable those who have suffered most from acts of terrorism to be able to have their voices heard, with a view to establishing appropriate investigating bodies that will have the potential to deliver truth, justice and acknowledgement."

Kenny Donaldson from Innocent Victims United said he "broadly welcomed" Mrs Foster's comments.

"Until we see a roadmap which would mean innocent victims/survivors of terrorism having increased prospects of attaining justice, truth and accountability for the grievous wrongs inflicted upon them, we could not and would not back proposed institutions on blind faith," he said.

"Time is running out for many victims/survivors."

Meanwhile, DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has also called for legacy and victims' issues concerning military personnel to be handled separately.

"Our soldiers have defended the UK from the threat of terrorism and I understand the concerns many of our service personnel have," he said.

"However, this issue should not need to be included within a consultation on legacy in Northern Ireland.

"There are issues facing personnel from right across the UK. This may be something which is best taken forward at a UK-wide level."
Derry City and Strabane District Council Mayor, Councillor Maoliosa McHugh presents Johnny McDaid, with his fiancee actress Courteney Cox, with an award in recognition of his achievements in the music industry during a reception in the Guildhall

Friends star Courteney Cox was in Londonderry yesterday to be there for her fiance Johnny McDaid of the band Snow Patrol as he was honoured for his contribution to music in his home town.

The local man (41) is best known for his role in Snow Patrol, but has also written songs for Ed Sheeran, P!nk and Robbie Williams.

During an event at the Guildhall yesterday as Courteney (53) proudly looked on, Johnny was presented with an award in recognition of his achievements in music by the Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Maoliosa McHugh.

Johnny and Courteney announced their engagement in 2014, and reunited following a brief split in 2016.

Earlier this year, it was reported that the pair were househunting in Derry. They currently divide their time between London and LA. There has also been speculation that the couple are set to tie the knot in Northern Ireland next month.

Snow Patrol's seventh studio album, Wildness, is due to be released on May 25.
Forensic officers at the scene of the killing in Ballycastle

A Co Antrim man died as a result of "gratuitous and extensive violence" in a drunken fight during which he sustained over 40 injuries, a court has heard.

Christopher Keenan is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of Anthony McErlane.

The 36-year-old, of Broombeg View in Ballycastle, pleaded guilty in March this year to killing Mr McErlane.

During a tariff hearing yesterday in Belfast the prosecution argued that his starting point for sentence without parole should be of 15-16 years, given the level of violence the labourer had sustained.

Prosecution counsel Jackie Orr told Mr Justice Colton that on January 28, 2016, the 48-year-old victim had been drinking with Christopher Keenan and John Keenan at the latter's flat in Broombeg View.

She said Mr McErlane was seen "jumping out of a window of the flat'' and went to his sister's nearby home where she administered first aid to a head wound he had sustained during an argument with the Keenans. All three had been drinking heavily.

The court was told Mr McErlane later left his sister's home and returned to the flat.

Mr McErlane's sister told police that John Keenan came to her flat around 8pm.

"He didn't seem himself and he was as white as a ghost,'' she told detectives.

When she asked him about her brother, John Keenan said that he had been in a fight with Christopher Keenan and he was "lying in a pool of blood'' in his flat.

The remains of the father-of-two were removed following an extensive examination of the crime scene.

A post-mortem revealed that he had sustained 24 separate injuries to the head and neck, and a further 20 injuries to his arms and trunk, although some of these may not have been associated with the assault.

The pathologist said the injuries were caused by "kicks and punches'', and striking an "abrasive surface''.

The dead man also had a broken nose, a broken bone in his neck and injuries to his throat and lower lip caused by being hit with a ceramic pot.

Although the pathologist could not give an exact cause of death, he believed it was probably due to the injuries to his head and neck "associated with his alcohol intoxication''.

At the time of his death Mr McErlane's blood alcohol reading was 323 microgrammes in 100 millilitres of blood - almost four times the drink-drive limit.

Ms Orr told the court that Christopher Keenan was arrested by police and on his way to custody for questioning, he asked officers: "How long do you get for murder these days?''

At interview he said that an argument broke out which developed into a fight, saying that he and his uncle were hitting Mr McErlane.

The defendant admitted punching the victim with his right fist and kicking him on the ground with his right foot to the head, the court heard.

He added that he realised at this point that he had "gone too far''.

Ms Orr said Mr McErlane had been subjected to "gratuitous and extensive violence''.

She added that among the aggravating factors which pushed the tariff sentence from a normal starting of 12 years without parole to 15-16 years, was that Mr McErlane was "vulnerable'', and that he had been kicked repeatedly while lying prone on the ground.

She told the judge that Keenan's lengthy record of 101 convictions was another aggravating factor, with convictions for violent assault, robbery, and assaults on police.

The prosecutor said victim impact reports stated that Mr McErlane was a "much loved and much missed father and grandfather'' and the loss to his family "was considerable as they have tried to come to terms with the way in which he died''.

Defence counsel John McCrudden QC said that his instructions from Christopher Keenan were that he "regrets and completely apologises for what he did''.

"He knows that apology may not be well received, but it is an expression of his remorse which he has demonstrated from the beginning of this case,'' Mr McCrudden added.

Mr McCrudden argued that the defendant should be given considerable credit for his plea of guilty, given that he had made admissions during police interviews.

Mr Justice Colton said he wanted some time to consider all the papers and reports submitted to the court and said he would give his ruling on the tariff sentence Christopher Keenan will serve in custody without parole next Friday.
Detectives from PSNI Serious Crime Branch, investigating violent dissident republican activity conducted a search in the Ardoyne area of North Belfast. (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

The PSNI have confirmed they have arrested two people as part of an investigation into violent dissident republican activity.

It comes after detectives from PSNI Serious Crime Branch conducted searches in the North Belfast and Dunmurry areas.

A 38-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man have been arrested under the Terrorism Act.

They have been taken to the Serious Crime Suite at Musgrave for questioning.
A man described by Martin McGuinness as "one of the most honourable British politicians I have ever met" has died at the age of 80.

Lord Peter Temple-Morris was actively involved in the peace process and an advocate of dialogue as a way forward. He passed away on Tuesday.

He was a founding co-chairman of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly.

Its Irish and UK co-chairs, Sean Crowe TD and Andrew Rosindell MP, paid tribute to him.

In a joint statement, they said: "It is with deep regret that we hear of the passing of Lord Peter Temple-Morris. Playing a vital role in the establishment of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly in 1990, he recognised that in the difficult times of the Troubles the way forward was dialogue.

"As first UK co-chair, he helped foster closer relations between our parliaments and enabled us to look at the issues facing our islands together.

"We aim to continue his work and to ensure that all parliaments and assemblies in the UK and Ireland work for closer understanding.

"Peter was a dedicated and much-respected politician, and our thoughts are with his family."

Lord Temple-Morris, a former Conservative MP, fell out with his party, disillusioned with its increasing Euroscepticism, and he sat for some months as an Independent One Nation Conservative.

Then, in 1998, he defected to Labour, prompting the endorsement from Mr McGuinness.

Born in Cardiff, the son of former MP Sir Owen Temple-Morris, he attended Cambridge, qualified as a barrister and later served as a solicitor.

As well as Europe, he also had an interest in Iranian affairs - his wife Tahere Khozeime-Alam, whom he married in 1964, was the daughter of a Tehran senator - and he served for many years on British-Iranian groups.

His death was announced by Lord Speaker Lord Fowler, whom he served as a ministerial aide in the 1990s. The former Conservative minister paid tribute to "his very good friend" and offered condolences to his family.
Vandalism of houses in east Belfast is being treated as a racially-motivated hate crime, police have said. Photograph by Declan Roughan

A new housing development in east Belfast has been targeted with vandalism and racist graffiti.

The graffiti was painted on a house at the new development on the Beersbridge Road.

Police are treating the incident as a hate crime and appealed for witnesses and information after criminal damage was caused to a number of houses in the Woodlee Court area on Friday night.

A total of 15 windows were broken in the houses.

Alliance East Belfast Councillor David Armitage hit out at those behind the graffiti, saying it is time for it to stop.

Councillor Armitage said this was the latest in a string of similar incidents in the area.

There is no justification whatsoever for this vandalism or similar incidents we have seen nearby in previous months. We can have no tolerance in our society for such blatant racist views, he said.

Enough is enough  I appeal directly to those behind this graffiti and others to stop what theyre doing. I ask to all who have influence to use it to make sure this is the last occurrence we see. East Belfast is a welcoming community where such intimidation is out of step with the majority of people here and where the population deplore this type of behaviour.

I have informed the police about this graffiti and asked Belfast City Council to remove it as soon as possible. If anyone has any information on this incident, I ask them to pass it to the PSNI immediately.

Inspector Ian McCormick appealled to anyone who noticed any suspicious activity in the area before 11.40pm on Friday night to contact police at Strandtown on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 1708 04/05/18.

Expand Close Fifteen windows were broken in houses under construction at Woodlee Court off the Castlereagh Road. Photograph by Declan Roughan INPHO/Declan Roughan / Facebook

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Whatsapp Fifteen windows were broken in houses under construction at Woodlee Court off the Castlereagh Road. Photograph by Declan Roughan

Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said officers are continuing to examine the scene (PA)

A woman has been assaulted with a drill after a potentially homophobic attack in Northern Ireland.

A teenage boy was arrested after a 38-year-old woman suffered a very serious head injury, police said.

The victim is in a critical but stable condition in hospital after the attack in County Tyrone.

Detectives are questioning a 17 year old male after a woman (38) was attacked with a drill in Strabane early this morning. The victim sustained a very serious head injury and is understood to be in a critical but stable condition in hospital. Police continue to examine the scene.  Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) May 5, 2018

A 17-year-old boy is being questioned after the incident at around 2am on Saturday morning in Railway Street in Strabane.

Police Service of Northern Ireland Detective Sergeant Brian Reid said they are looking into the possibility that the attack was homophobic and appealed to anyone with footage of a male with a cordless drill in the area at the time to contact them.

He said: This was a brutal attack and the injuries sustained by the victim are extremely grave.

We are exploring a possible homophobic motive for the crime and we are appealing for witnesses to get in touch with us.

We would like to hear from anyone who may have seen a male carrying a drill in the area at around the time of the assault and we would especially like to speak to anyone who may have captured footage, either on mobile phone or dashcam.

Officers are continuing to examine the scene and anyone with information is asked to call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Sinn Feins new MP Orfhlaith Begley at the count centre in Omagh Leisure Centre with party colleagues

Orfhlaith Begley with party leaders Michelle ONeill (left) and Mary-Lou McDonald at the count centre in Omagh Leisure Centre in Co Tyrone

Sinn Fein's new MP for West Tyrone has said she is holding out "an open hand in friendship" to unionists and will work to build bridges and seek "resolutions rather than recrimination".

Writing in today's Belfast Telegraph, Orfhlaith Begley says she is proud to be part of a "vibrant, growing and dynamic party under the new leadership of Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill".

The Sinn Fein woman was elected comfortably with a majority of almost 8,000. However, her party's share of the vote was down 4%, while the SDLP's rose 5%.

Ms Begley secured 16,346 votes and a 47% share of the poll compared to the 22,000 votes and 51% share won by her predecessor Barry McElduff last year.

DUP MLA Thomas Buchanan was her nearest rival on 8,390 votes and 24% of the poll. Like Sinn Fein, the DUP's vote fell. Last June it secured 11,700 votes and 27% of the poll.

Of the five parties contesting the election, the SDLP's performance improved most signficiantly, with local MLA Daniel McCrossan securing 6,254 votes and 18% of the poll.

Ulster Unionist councillor Chris Smyth won 2,909 votes and 8% of the poll, a 3% rise on the party's performance last June.

Alliance increased its support by 1%, with Stephen Donnelly taking 1,130 votes.

At 55%, turnout was down 13% from last year.

Writing in the Belfast Telegraph, Ms Begley said: "I will reach out with an open hand in friendship to our unionist neighbours. I will work to seek resolutions rather than recrimination. I will work to build bridges.

"I will do so as part of a vibrant, growing and dynamic party under the new leadership of Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill. I am hugely excited by that, because this can be a genuinely new era for Irish politics."

Describing Brexit as a major challenge, she said: "This is not an Orange or Green issue. It is an issue on which we must work together for the common good."

Mr Buchanan said he was pleased with the DUP's performance. "The people of West Tyrone have spoken and I respect their decision," he said.

"However, I am extremely disappointed that the constituency will continue to be unrepresented in Parliament,

"Whilst West Tyrone has an MP, it does not have one who is prepared to do the full job expected of them."

He added: "The election has been marred by serious allegations of interference in the democratic process. These must be investigated fully and there should also be a proper discussion about reform of the electoral process."

Mr McCrossan welcomed the rise in the SDLP's vote, but added: "Unfortunately, the election result means that nationalism here in the North has again been left without a voice in the most important chamber whilst the Assembly sits dormant.

"The SDLP will continue to do everything in our power to fight for our constituents using all the avenues available to us, including working with our sister parties across these islands and across Europe."

Mr Smyth said the UUP's vote proved "confident, progressive unionism is very much alive in West Tyrone".

He added: "I'm confident in my unionism. I'll continue to stand up for the innocent victims of terrorism and I'll continue to represent the future of unionism. I look forward to building on this result. The work starts now."

Mr Donnelly said he was pleased with his result. "Given the fact it was a first past the post election, which is always a difficult scenario for centrist parties to compete in, I am delighted our vote increased," he said.

"Alliance is continuing to grow in West Tyrone and other areas, as proven over the past 12 months. It's clear West Tyrone voters responded positively to our message of progressive politics."

He said the lower turnout reflected frustration with the political deadlock.

"It is this show of apathy that makes it more important than ever we get the Executive re-established and a return to locally accountable power-sharing," he added.
Donald Trumpss defence of US gun policy and claim that a London hospital has blood-covered floors amid a spate of knife crime have been branded ridiculous.

Speaking at a pro-gun rally, the president described the British capital as having unbelievably tough gun laws, but said it is getting used to stabbings.

Mr Trumps comments come ahead of a visit to the UK in July, although a trip to London has not been confirmed.

Mr Trump told the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention in Dallas, Texas: I recently read a story that in London, which has unbelievably tough gun laws, a once very prestigious hospital right in the middle is like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds.

Yes thats right, they dont have guns, they have knives. And instead theres blood all over the floors of this hospital. They say its as bad as a military war zone hospital.

Making a stabbing motion with his hand, Mr Trump then said: Knives, knives, knives.

He added: London hasnt been used to that, theyre getting used to it. Its pretty tough.

It is not clear which specific story Mr Trump was referring to, but a London surgeon spoke out last month of the problems of both gun and knife crime, saying some of his military colleagues had likened working in the city to their time at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan.

Martin Griffiths, a surgeon at the Royal London Hospital, has spoken about young victims of violence after a spate of deadly crime in the city, which meant the number of suspected murders in March was higher than that of New York.

Thanks to your activism and dedication you have an administration fighting to protect your Second Amendment @realDonaldTrump #MAGA #NRA pic.twitter.com/YHUqnpjMjy  NRA (@NRA) May 4, 2018

Mr Griffiths told BBC Radio Fours Today programme last month: A quarter of what we see in our practice is knife and gun injury.

Professor Karim Brohi, a trauma surgeon at the Royal London Hospital, said a suggestion that guns could be part of the solution to tackle violence is ridiculous.

In a statement following Mr Trumps comments, he said: Knife violence is a serious issue for London. We are proud of the excellent trauma care we provide and of our violence reduction programmes.

The Royal London Hospital has cut the number of our young patients returning after further knife attacks from 45% to 1%.

There is more we can all do to combat this violence, but to suggest guns are part of the solution is ridiculous.

Gunshot wounds are at least twice as lethal as knife injuries and more difficult to repair.

We are proud of our world-leading service and to serve the people of London.

In the closest thing to an official UK Government response, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt retweeted Prof Brohis comment that there are solutions to the knife crime problem and none of them involve guns.

Londom has a knife violence problem which needs addressing head on, urgently and at all levels. There are solutions. None of them involve guns. https://t.co/cTitmgQIjV  Karim Brohi (@karimbrohi) May 5, 2018

As the fallout from his remarks continued the White House said on Saturday that Mr Trump had spoken to Prime Minister Theresa May.

Both leaders reiterated they are looking forward to the Presidents visit to the United Kingdom in July, a White House statement said.

There was no reference in the statement to the presidents remarks on knife crime and Downing Street suggested the call may have been made before his speech on Friday night, although the White House indicated the call was on Saturday.

As of April 6, Scotland Yard had launched 55 investigations into suspected murders in 2018.

At least 35 of those killed were stabbed to death.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Sir Ed Davey said despite a rise in crime in the capital, Mr Trumps remarks are nevertheless ridiculous.

He said: To defend Americas shocking gun laws by revealing his ignorance of Britain should alarm even his apologists in the Conservative Party.

He challenged Theresa May to confirm she would explain to Mr Trump during his trip here that the UKs strict gun laws have been key to keeping gun crime much lower than in America, and that the recent rises in knife crime have not been caused by our gun laws.

The London Mayors office declined to comment on Mr Trumps latest remarks.

Sadiq Khan has previously clashed with the US president over Mr Khans response to terrorism.

Mr Trump also argued during his NRA speech that the Paris terror attack, which left 130 people dead, could have been prevented if more people were armed.

Mr Trump will make a working visit to the UK on July 13, but details of his trip have not yet been confirmed.

The US ambassador to Britain, Woody Johnson, said Mr Trump would definitely be coming to London, despite the warnings of likely demonstrations.
For a political novice, contesting even a council election can be nerve-racking. An Assembly poll increases the pressure considerably but a Westminster by-election is surely the most challenging of all.

Well, anywhere but Northern Ireland that is. The sectarian nature of local politics means that seats don't change hands anywhere near as often as they do elsewhere, and so many election runners are dead certs.

Orfhlaith Begley - like Paul Maskey in West Belfast in 2011 - wasn't perhaps the most dynamic candidate her party has ever fielded. But she didn't have to be.

West Tyrone was always going to be a walk in the park.

Sinn Fein's share of the vote was down from 51% to 47% but the 26-year-old solicitor still coasted home almost 8,000 votes ahead of her nearest rival, DUP MLA Tom Buchanan. And that means it was generally a good night for the party and no difficult questions were posed. Mary Lou McDonald has the party's first election win under her belt as its news leader.

But privately Sinn Fein will assess why its vote was down and the SDLP's Daniel McCrossan's was up by 5%. Abortion was obviously an issue for some voters but canvassers said Brexit was mentioned at more doors than the argument over a woman's right to choose.

We also must remember that Barry McElduff was a very popular politician on the ground in nationalist West Tyrone. As a high-profile, hard-working MLA for nearly two decades, he had built a strong support base and enjoyed a considerable personal vote.

As a more conservative constituency than some, West Tyrone was a test for how Sinn Fein's new liberal abortion policy was going down. The lack of any major drift from the party means Mary Lou will be confident in moving forward on the issue. The SDLP just doesn't make gains these days and the party will enjoy its vote increase particularly since it comes hot on the heels of the loss of its three Westminster seats.

While more attention has perhaps focussed on the strengths Nichola Mallon and Claire Hanna bring to the SDLP's team, Mr McCrossan is sometimes overlooked.

He is a very polished performer and with a spirited air that is unusual in his party. Perhaps that is why he gets under Sinn Fein's skin as was evident from the behaviour of some of its supporters at the count. The vote increase will give heart to the SDLP at a time when the party has been on a dangerously downward spiral.

But it does not mean it's seriously competitive with Sinn Fein again. McCrossan for all his ability was still 10,000 votes behind Ms Begley. The future of the SDLP, and the party's departure from the political stage to make way for Fianna Fail remains very much on the agenda.

In the battle within unionism, the UUP's 3% rise compared to the DUP's 3% drop is good news for Robin Swann's party. Councillor Chris Smyth was an energetic, enthusiastic candidate who flourished on the campaign trail.

But the DUP still outpolled the UUP by almost three-to-one and Mr Swann knows that his party remains up against it in the battle for unionist hearts and minds.

In his speech after the declaration at the count, Mr Buchanan said he was delighted with how his party polled. It had closed the gap with Sinn Fein from 11,000 to 8,000 votes. True, but that was just a reflection of the lower turn-out.

Mr Buchanan narrowed the difference but by only 1% from last June's Westminster election. Then, Sinn Fein secured 51% to the DUP's 27%. This time it was 47% to 24%. West Tyrone won't be changing hands any time soon.

Speculation that a unity victims' candidate could have won the seat is wishful thinking. Nationalists would have turned out in far greater numbers for Sinn Fein had there been a danger of the seat falling into non-nationalist hands.

Alliance's vote went up just 1% which is surely disappointing for the party.

It had the opportunity to capitalise on frustration at the lack of an Executive and sweep up votes from any 'a plague on all your houses' sentiment.

Under Naomi Long, the party has prioritised building a base west of the Bann. While candidate Stephen Donnelly is on course for a council seat, his performance shows the challenges that lie ahead if the Alliance is to be competitive in rural constituencies.

This election offered pluses for all the parties. Sinn Fein won the seat, the DUP secured the runner-up spot with ease, and the SDLP, UUP, and Alliance enjoyed vote increases. West Tyrone was never on course to deliver anything more exhilarating than that.
Former president George HW Bush, his son and other family members at the funeral for Barbara Bush (Evan Vucci/AP)

Former US president George HW Bush is returning home after being taken to hospital a day after his wifes funeral two weeks ago.

Jim McGrath, a spokesman for the 93-year-old, tweeted that doctors at Houston Methodist Hospital report he is doing well and that the former president is happy to return home.

The nations 41st president was admitted to the hospital on April 22 for treatment of an infection that spread to his blood.

Mr Bush spent some time in an intensive care unit before being moved to a regular patient room.

Mr Bush was taken to hospital a day after he attended the funeral and burial of his 92-year-old wife, Barbara, who died on April 17 at their Houston home.

Married for 73 years, the Bushes were the longest-married presidential couple in US history.

In a tweet sent out during his time in hospital, Mr Bush thanked Houston for its professionalism and obvious care during the memorials and services for his wife.

Mr McGrath had previously said Bush was eager to get well so he could get to his summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine.

He also noted that while in hospital, Mr Bush had been more focused on the Houston Rockets play-off series against the Minnesota Timberwolves than anything that landed him in the hospital.

The Rockets won the series 4-1 on April 25. Mr Bush, frequently accompanied by his wife, has long been a fixture at Houston sporting events.

Quite moved by this announcement by @MethodistHosp. The atrium is beautiful, but recent developments notwithstanding I have not taken up residence here. The doctors, nurses and support staff are so nice, but the second I get the green light Im outta here. https://t.co/VkWHmxzI6c  George Bush (@GeorgeHWBush) May 3, 2018

Mr Bush has used a wheelchair and an electric scooter for mobility since developing a form of Parkinsons disease, and he has needed hospital treatment several times in recent years for respiratory problems.

Few details were released about Mr Bushs most recent illness.

But medical experts say that people in their 90s with Parkinsons disease are often at higher risk of pneumonia and other infections because their swallowing process can be compromised.

Experts also say that the stress of losing a loved one can weaken the immune system.

His son, former Florida govrnor Jeb Bush, indicated during his eulogy at his mothers funeral service that his father had been in hospital recently at the same time Barbara Bush was in the hospital for the last time.

Jeb Bush said he believed his father got sick on purpose so that he could be with her.

George Herbert Walker Bush served as president from 1989 to 1993. Born on June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts, Mr Bush also served as a Texas congressman, CIA director and Ronald Reagans vice president.
The annual season of major conferences kicks off next week when the Church of Ireland holds its general synod in Armagh from Thursday until Saturday.

It will feature much important business to the Church and its members, but gone are the days of major news stories like the years of confrontation at Drumcree, near the local parish church.

There is relief that the heat has gone out of Drumcree, though sadly this baleful deadlock is still not resolved.

In more recent years as the peace process has bedded in, however patchily, the issues debated at Church conferences are more to do with internal issues.

Next week's general synod will deal with a range of topics including the safeguarding of adults as well as children, and measures to reduce its membership.

There will be no major focus this year on the vexed question of a Church blessing on same-sex marriage.

This was a big feature last year when the general synod decided to lob this ecclesiastical hot potato onto the laps in the House of Bishops.

The general synod will take place before the May 25 vote in the Republic's referendum on the repeal of the Eighth Amendment which, if it is dispensed with, will open the floodgates to abortion across the border.

Senior Church of Ireland clergy have already underlined their opposition to the proposed Irish Government's legislation. Only this week Bishop Ken Good of Derry, whose Diocese extends into the Republic, has advised people that it is their duty to vote "and to weigh up the consequences of their actions".

The abortion issue is also likely also to feature in the Presbyterian general assembly in June, when the outcome of the referendum will be known.

This week senior Presbyterian clergy issued an unusually hard-hitting statement describing the Dublin Government's proposals on abortion legislation as "regressive, incompatible with human dignity and morally unacceptable".

The vexed issue of same-sex marriage is also likely to feature at the general assembly.

In recent years the assembly voted not to send the incoming moderator to the Scottish general assembly in Edinburgh because the Scots had agreed, among other things, to allow people in same-sex civic partnerships to serve as ministers and deacons, with the approval of local congregations.

The decision by the Irish Presbyterians to prevent their moderator from visiting their Scottish brethren was to my mind rude and short-sighted, and certainly not the best way to handle the issue.

The reality is that whatever side you take on the argument, the Scottish Church is moving towards a qualified acceptance of these same-sex marriage issues, as their Episcopal colleagues have done, albeit by a narrow vote last year.

The Churches will need to address the reality that there will be a continued strong drive by supporters of same-sex marriage and abortion to have the law changed here.

The Churches will have to work out their reaction to that, whether they like it or not.

Whether such changes are evidence of progress is very much another matter.

So while the annual AGMs of the Churches attract mainly the kind of people who really want to be there, or who attend out of a sense of duty to deal with mainly housekeeping and theological maintenance, there are several major social and ecclesiastical always bubbling away in the background.

The question should be asked, however, as to how far these deliberations are even noticed by the people in the pews?

During a recent interview with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, I was impressed by his claim that the rank and file pay little attention to grand Church statements on policy and beliefs, and that they are much interested in what is happening on the ground.

That may be so, but where would we be without the annual conferences, a bit like the first ecclesiastical cuckoos of the spring?

The devotees of such gatherings might miss them.

However, would the vast majority of Church members even notice that they were no longer there?
India has been witnessing a good growth in economic and industrial development, which leads to increasing needs on education and calls for a highly diversified human resource. India is many paradigm shifts in the social, business and industrial environment. The onus of making available the skilled human resource lies on system of higher education.

The evolving science in the biotech sector is leading to a demand for high-skilled jobs in India. However, a wide gap currently exists between the quality of human capital available and the needs of the industry. To address this talent deficit by developing Industry ready human capital for the Biopharma sector and enable global competitiveness of the sector, Dr Manbeena Chawla of BioSpectrum spoke to the captains and HR heads of few leading companies on what the industry needs from the academia and how these companies are addressing the gap of talent and skills sets.

Improve employment landscape by integrating skill and knowledge The education scenario in India today speaks of over 1 million students passing out every year in the science background into careers across scientists, engineers and technicians. However only 10 per cent of this number is actually employable. While the responsibility lies with the Industry to drive the economic growth of the country it also has a lot of expectations from the academia to support that. As an HR practitioner, I think in order to keep pace with the dynamic environment and also to bridge the gap, the employment landscape needs to be improved by integrating skill and knowledge required with mainstream education.

Committed to developing a globally competitive biotech ecosystem in India through skill development, Biocon launched Biocon Academy - a Center of Excellence for Advanced Learning in Applied Biosciences. The Academy delivers industry-oriented training programs to biotech students in association with education partners, such as Keck-Graduate Institute, California, USA for the flagship program as well with other top tiered educational institutes in India for other programs.

Dola Mukherjee, Associate VP, HR, Biocon Ltd.

There is a lack of proper practical training at the academic level. Students are theoretically sound but due to lack of practical knowledge, the fundamental understanding is missing among the students. When we interview around 10 students in our organization, only 1 of them seems fit. I think the teaching level at the academic institutes should be improved. Also, the government should take more initiatives in assuring proper industry training of biotech and life sciences students. Karnataka government is doing a great job in that with the BiSEP programme. Through Biotech Consortium India Limited (BCIL), we also take up students for training at our company but there is always a limitation of how many students we can take. The industry cannot afford to spend a lot of time in training the students. In a year, we hire around 25 candidates out which 20 per cent are freshers. We prefer students with MTech (manufacturing), while MSc for R&D and analytical segment).

Sanjay Lodha, Asst. VP- Operations, Kemwell BioPharma

The Academia should provide an industry oriented training to all students, and not a general training. Since Biotechnology is a broad field, a yearlong project period should be mandatory for the students in specific areas such as Fermentation, Genomics, Molecular Biology and Vaccines. Industry prefers to hire those students who have thorough knowledge of the specific area they wish to work in. Apart from that, communication and soft skills are equally important. At times we encounter situations where a Masters student joins but leaves half-way in order to pursue further studies. It is expected that the student should have clarity about his or her career.

Dr Raja Mugasimangalam, Founder & CEO, Genotypic Technology

Biotechnology lies at the core of the scientific and diagnostic technologies. In India, a lot of work is happening at the universities. But unfortunately, we do not have a culture of industry-academia collaboration. I hope that this gap can be bridged. The current government should take some steps in this regard. As a result of this industry-academia gap, very few products are coming out of India. Our company is more than looking forward to collaborate with research institutes so that we can bring the latest technologies into the market.

Suresh Vazirani, Chairman & Managing Director, Transasia Bio-Medicals

Anthem Biosciences hires graduates from both the biotechnology and pure life sciences streams. As our foray into biologics and biosimilar space moves from the R&D to the commercial phase, our requirement for fresh talent is going to rise. When we do hire freshers from biotech/ life sciences programmes it is always initially as interns, with a path to permanent employment based on performance. In these situations the criteria we look for are- Basic knowledge and ability to execute at least one technology, Good communication skills, Thirst for knowledge with a penchant for learning new skills/technologies, and Willingness to put in the hours and go beyond the call of duty. Colleges and universities have the responsibility to make their students employable, from the day they walk out of their doors, with degrees in hand. However, the sad reality is that often this isnt the case. A multitude of serious and systemic issues plague our education system. Talking from the perspective of a leading employer, the industry has these minimum expectations of academia: Modern syllabuses, State of the art labs and Well-rounded individuals.

Ajay Bharadwaj, CEO & Founder, Anthem Biosciences

For fresh biotech hiring, we prefer students with BTech / MTech (Biotechnology) and MSc (Biotechnology). For the Pharma Segment, we look for candidates with BPharm, MPharm or MSc Chemistry /Analytical Chemistry. The academia has to follow certain agendas in the curriculum, like To give basic knowledge about GMP, GLP, GDP and about Compliance; Knowledge on Recombinant DNA Technology, this is specifically for the Biotech Graduates; Knowledge of Fermentation and its process; Basic knowledge of instruments like HPLC, GC; Strengthen the knowledge base in injectables, anti-drug abuse technology and complex molecules.

Prem Singh, President, Global HR Head, Wockhardt

The Industry has to pro-actively approach the Academia in order to bridge the gap. For this reason, Novozymes started the Voice for BT public speaking contest. It made a big difference to the overall students committee, and we gave them an opportunity to do an internship at Novozymes. Every year, our team goes around different biotech colleges and institutes to pick students for internships. We also collaborate with universities on specific biotech projects in order to provide a platform to students. So, I feel that the Industry needs to take the lead and make way for the biotechnology students.

GS Krishnan, Regional President, Novozymes South Asia

The Biotech field has a lot to offer to the students but there is a gap that lies between the Academia and Industry. After the students complete their bachelors or masters courses and enter into the any company, it easily takes 6-8 months for them to get trained. The companies end up investing so much time in grooming the students. This can be taken care at the academia side. It would be best if universities establish Centres of Excellence (CoE) in collaboration with the Industry in order to train the students. The Industry has to take the lead in setting up funds for such activities. The students will be able to get the right guidance and mentorship through this process. Hopefully, the Industry- Academia gap can be bridged through this.

Vijayaraghavan Pisharody, General Manager  HR & Communication, Stempeutics Research

The laboratory environment at various academic institutes is very well equipped. All the necessary training is provided to the biotech students to make them technically sound. But that is not the only thing required. The students should be aware of the downstream applications of their training and work as well. Very recently, we took in 12 students for a training project at Reliance, through BCIL. It feels good to see that the government is taking a lot of initiatives in providing potential opportunities to students. So, as part of the training projects, we assign a mentor or supervisor for the students who help them understand the broader picture of biotechnology. We want students to understand the product driven research and the market applications. This is something which is missing in academia. The students learn the skills at the institutes but the industry teaches them how to apply those skills. We also train the students understand the regulatory aspects of research, the importance of IPRs and so on. Students need training on all these levels for them to be industry ready.
Narasimha brings to Nightingales rich and diverse experience across various consumer centric businesses.

Nightingales Home Health Services, an enterprise of Medwell Ventures and a pioneer in specialty home healthcare in India, has announced the appointment of Narasimha Jayakumar as their Chief Executive Officer. Medwell Ventures has received $21 million in Series B funding in 2017 led by Mahindra Partners & Eight Roads Ventures. In 2015 Eight Roads Ventures had led a $10 million round in the company. Narasimha joins the company to lead its next phase of growth beyond the cities of Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune where the company operates its multi-branch model of speciality home healthcare services for chronic diseases. The company has a team of more than 1000 people across India.

Narasimha brings to Nightingales rich and diverse experience across various consumer centric businesses. He was formerly the Chief Business Officer of 99acres.com, part of Info Edge India Limited which is India's premier online classifieds company. Previously, Narasimha worked as COO, E-commerce for HomeShop18, Indias leading TV /web platform. His prior assignments also include Google India, where he was the business head for travel, local and media verticals. Narasimha holds a B. Tech (Computer Engineering, REC Surathkal), PGDM (IIM- Bangalore) and an MBA from the London Business School.

Announcing the appointment, Vishal Bali, Co-Founder & Chairman, Medwell Ventures said Nightingales is poised to be the front runner in the home healthcare sector in India. We took an early position in the emerging home healthcare sector through a differentiated clinical offering. Narasimhas vast experience and exemplary track record as a business leader with deep experience in building consumer centric businesses will benefit Nightingales immensely. We are excited to have him on board to take forward our next phase of expansion.

Indias home healthcare sector is on track to grow to a $6.2 billion market on the back of rising consumer demand and increasing incidence of chronic diseases.

We expect our next phase of growth to be technology led with a phased roll-out of scalable patient-centric service offerings. Our Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) platform uses miniature devices and digital technologies to collect and monitor health data from individual patients in a home setting and represents a paradigm shift in healthcare. Narasimhas strong background in the consumer and technology industries will help Nightingales deliver on this promise said Dr Ferzaan Engineer, Co-Founder & Jt Chairman, Medwell Ventures.

On his appointment, Mr. Narasimha Jayakumar, Chief Executive Officer, Nightingales Home Health Services said Home Healthcare Services are the next wave of healthcare in India. I am looking forward to joining the team at Nightingales at this pivotal point in its transformation and the sectors evolution. As the Indian home healthcare industry evolves, Nightingales will lead the industry in delivering exceptional patient care and enabling patients to receive clinically-led healthcare services in the comfort of their homes
Padraig Hoare

Shares in low-cost, long-haul airline Norwegian fell 9% yesterday after it rejected two takeover bids from Aer Lingus and British Airways owner IAG.

Norwegian Air flight in air.

Norwegian said it received two separate conditional proposals from IAG but that they were unanimously rejected on the basis that they undervalued Norwegian and its prospects.

IAG, which also owns Vueling and Iberia and is valued at 13.76bn (15.59bn), bought a 4.6% stake in Norwegian last month. Shares in IAG rose almost 6% as it posted operating profit before exceptional items of 280m for the first quarter, a 75% rise on the same period last year.

The stockmarket values Norwegian at 1.25bn. The airline recently scrapped its winter route from Cork and Shannon to Providence in Rhode Island but has shaken up rivals on the transatlantic, as well as poaching pilots from Ryanair in recent times.

However, the viability of its business model has been called into question by analysts because of mounting costs. IAG boss Willie Walsh told analysts the firm would look at all of our options in relation to Norwegian following the rebuffed bid, but said Norwegian could not continue its current growth programme as a standalone business.

IAG shares are within touching distance of new highs after an earnings report showered investors with positive news.

Even without a new acquisition in the form of Norwegian Air, IAG remains a compelling investment, said Chris Beauchamp at online broker IG.

IAG said in its trading update that growth at Aer Lingus and its low-cost airline Level reflects the full year impact of new routes launched in 2017.

The number of staff was unchanged, while productivity rose 4.1% with improvements at British Airways, Iberia, Vueling, and Aer Lingus, it said.

Air France-KLM said it had a loss of 118m in the first quarter, sending shares down almost 3%.
By Eamon Quinn

Ulster Bank has sold on cash machines it operated under the EasyCash name in 400 stores in Ireland, but the bank has at the same time said that the transaction doesnt lessen its commitment to retail banking after its recent technical glitches.

Its in-store network will now be owned and operated by Euronet which already has a substantial number of remote ATMs under its own name in Ireland.

Ulster Bank makes most of its money from the Easy Cash remote ATMs from fees and charges, and it also receives a fee from retailers. It said the sale will help it focus on its 200 ATMs it has in Ireland.

With its own Euronet and YourCash brands, Euronet said the purchase means it will control about 15% of Irelands ATMs. The remote ATMs would be plugged into to its own network without disruption, Euronet said, signalling a new range of services such as foreign exchange and tickets could be offered through the network.

We are excited to further increase our presence in Ireland. Acquiring an established offsite ATM network from Ulster Bank, and integrating it within our existing ATM assets in the region, is an extension of our strategy to widen the reach of our sophisticated pan-European independently deployed ATM network, said Nikos Fountas of Euronet.

Head of retail banking at Ulster said: We remain committed to offering our enhanced suite of ATM services to banks, merchants, and consumers across all markets where we operate.
A cannabis grow house has been discovered during a house fire in Dublin in the early hours of this morning.

Cannabis plants worth more than 100,000 have been seized and a man has been arrested.
Two people have been arrested by the PSNI in connection with an investigation into violent dissident republican activity in Northern Ireland.

Searches were carried out in the North Belfast and Dunmurray areas by the Serious Crime Branch of the force.
A billboard advertising a rifle near a childcare centre and a major intersection north of Brisbane is at the centre of complaints to the Advertising Standards Bureau.

While the sign does not violate advertising regulations, residents incensed by its prominence are demanding the ad be pulled.

The Gunworld Australia advertisement in Rothwell, located near Goodstart Early Learning Centre.

But the business that placed the advertisement questioned whether the children who attended the centre would even be aware of what was on the sign.

The billboard is near the intersection of Anzac Avenue and Deception Bay Road in Rothwell and a Goodstart childcare centre is on the other side of the intersection.
Beachgoers hoping to escape for the long weekend were caught in 75 kilometres of combined delays on the M1 and Bruce Highway on Saturday.

The congestion started about 10am, didn't clear until late afternoon and eclipsed the 50 kilometres of gridlock created on the M1 during the Friday evening peak hour.

A north-facing traffic camera captures the southbound congestion on the M1 in Robina. Credit:Department of Transport and Main Roads

Australian Traffic Network reporter Ben Mihan said the delays only spanned about 30 kilometres at midday but warned that it "was getting worse every hour".

He said the congestion peaked about 1pm, when southbound delays stretched between Eagleby and Molendinar for 40 kilometres, as well as a further 15 kilometres from Eight Mile Plains to Shailer Park.
A man facing an attempted murder charge after allegedly breaking into a Brisbane man's home and stabbing him will remain in custody.

Marcus Justin Richardson, 34, was arrested on Friday following a three-day manhunt, after he allegedly stabbed the 20-year-old man in the neck, hands and upper body in Taringa.

Mr Richardson appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Saturday and did not apply for bail.

The matter has been adjourned to June 4 for further mention.

Mr Richardson allegedly forced his way into the home on Todd Street in the city's inner-west on May 1 and confronted the man and a woman, who were sleeping, before he stabbed the man during an altercation.
A robber who cut off the electricity to a house in Brisbane's south-west overnight attacked the resident with a hammer as he came outside to investigate the blackout.

The house on Japonica Street in Inala was plunged into darkness about 11.30pm and when the occupant came out, he was struck on the head with a hammer.

The attacker fled with personal items from the house and the injured resident was taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital with head wounds.

Investigations were ongoing.
Once-jailed Palm Island rioter Lex Wotton is concerned by community resentment towards recipients of a $30 million class action settlement with the Queensland government.

Mr Wotton will call for patience concerning the distribution of the payout among 447 racial discrimination claimants at meetings next week.

Lex Wotton launched the class action against the state government and Commissioner of the Police Service. Credit:Paul Harris

The activist expects backlash from some of the hundreds of other Palm Islanders to miss out on the money after not joining the class action.

"There will be a lot of people disappointed that certain ones are getting things," Mr Wotton said.
LG has this week announced it latest flagship smartphone, the G7 ThinQ. With a unique display, a focus on AI features and a helping hand from Google in the software department, LG claims it's developed the G7 to be its "most convenient" phone yet.

The Korean electronics giant's mobile division has been bleeding money since 2015, as Apple and Samsung cemented their duopoly in the premium market and a string of Chinese manufacturers  including Oppo, Huawei and Xiaomi  undercut LG with powerful but low-priced phones. After a series of gimmick-led phones which received luke-warm receptions, LG's last few flagships have been very impressive  especially when it comes to audio and displays  but have struggled to stand out against Samsung's more popular devices.

By attaching the "ThinQ" banner to the new phone (which ties it to LG's growing line of connected appliances), the company hopes it can make AI its new point of difference when it comes to mobile devices. Algorithms in the G7 will select camera modes and optimise the display depending on what you're pointing your lens at, or what kind of kind content you're watching.

The LG G7 can show or hide its 'notch'.

The phone will also feature smarts from Google, including the Assistant (as well as a dedicated button below the volume keys to summon her) and Google Lens. It will be able to hear and recognise your voice from five metres away, allowing you to use the phone like a Google Home. All together it doesn't sound like that much more AI than you'd find in a rival phone from Google or Samsung, but we'll find out how convenient it is when the G7 launches in June.
New York: Facing an uphill struggle in an election next month, Israel has announced it was pulling out of a race for a seat on the UN Security Council.

Israel was in a three-way contest with Germany and Belgium for two seats representing the Western-democratic group of nations on the UN's most powerful body starting in January.

The United Nations Security Council meets on the situation in Gaza, last month. Credit:AP

The Security Council has five permanent members - the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France - and 10 members elected by the 193-member General Assembly for two-year terms.

Israel's UN mission said in a statement on Friday, US time, that "after consulting with our partners, including our good friends, the state of Israel has decided to postpone its candidacy for a seat on the Security Council."
Mayor DeBlasio pulled a fast one on Boerum Hillers on May 3 when he announced plans to open one of the nations first state-sanctioned drug-injection facilities at a needle-exchange site in Gowanus  thats actually in the Hill.

Hizzoner wants to put the so-called safe-consumption site for opioid addicts inside an existing facility  where clean hypodermic needles and other resources are provided to drug users  at 80 Fourth Ave. between Bergen Street and Saint Marks Place, which is actually on the border of Boerum Hill and Park Slope.

And some Gowanusaurs said the mayor made a calculated decision to call the area Gowanus to avoid opposition from the Vocal New York needle exchanges bougie next-door neighbors.

Gowanus people tend to feel its a dumping ground anyway, said Paul Basile, president of the business association, the Gowanus Alliance. Had he said Boerum Hill, there would be torches outside City Hall right now.

But as a former Brooklynite and Park Slope Councilman, who still owns a home on 11th Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues within walking distance of the proposed safe-injection site, Mayor DeBlasio ought to know the geography of his one-time home a little better, according to some Boerum Hillers.

I mean, come on, the guys lived in the Slope for a long time! said Bill Harris, whose wife Jo Anne Simon represents the neighborhood up in Albany as a Democrat in the Assembly. His apartment is just a few blocks from the proposed location!

Harris, however, conceded the Fourth Avenue facility could work well as a safe-injection site, due to its proximity to mass transit and healthy distance from more family-oriented parts of town.

Its probably a very good location, he said.

And when asked whether the mayor misspoke in naming the spots proposed neighborhood, a spokeswoman simply said the facility would serve people from the general area at large.

The location will be finalized during the community-advisory process, but it will serve Gowanus, Boerum Hill, and Park Slope, said Olivia Lapeyrolerie.

DeBlasio announced his plan to open the safe-consumption facility  along with three others in Manhattan and the Bronx  in the wake of what a recently released Department of Health study deemed the citys deadliest year of overdose deaths on record, after 1,441 New Yorkers died from fatal doses in 2017.

The opioid epidemic has killed more people in our city than car crashes and homicides combined, DeBlasio said. We believe overdose-prevention centers will save lives and get more New Yorkers the treatment they need to beat this deadly addiction.

Health Department officials launched that study with $100,000 in taxpayer funds allocated by Council in 2016, riling some locals who worried that finding locations for the safe-injection facilities would be a controversial process akin to selecting homeless-shelter sites.

But before any addict can step in to shoot up under supervision, DeBlasios plan must be approved by the state Department of Health; Councilman Stephen Levin, whose district includes the current Vocal New York site; and District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, who would need to refrain from prosecuting the users and facility staff who participate in the semi-legal drug consumption.

Gonzalez, however, quickly pledged his support for the initiative, after launching his own program in February that allows opioid addicts to avoid jail time by participating in counseling programs.

We are in the midst of an overdose crisis, the district attorney said. I intend to work with the NYPD, local officials and members of the community to make sure that any facility opened in Brooklyn would be safely integrated into the community, and would connect substance users to treatment and other health and social programs.

The mayor also has an ally in Levin, who wound up in handcuffs while protesting for the release of the Health Departments study the day before it came out, according to a spokesman.

We certainly think that kind of community effort was a factor in really moving the needle on this issue, said Ed Paulino.

And officials at the states Health Department are currently reviewing DeBlasios proposal, an agency rep said.

We have received [a letter from the mayors office] and the report, and look forward to thoroughly reviewing it, said Gary Holmes. We of course support the mission of reducing opioid-related deaths, and have been studying multiple options for combating the opioid epidemic.

If the scheme is approved, Vocal New York staff would hire medical supervisors equipped with Naloxone  a drug usually administered as a nasal spray that quickly counteracts the effects of heroin  who could save hundreds from overdosing, according to safe-injection site proponents.

A facility in Canada, for example, reduced overdose fatalities by 35 percent, while another site in Australia lowered the death rate among users by a whopping by 80 percent, according to the city hygiene agencys study.

And opening a facility in Brooklyn would also help clean up the borough, according to a Vocal New York leader, who said Brooklynites wouldnt have to wait so long to use public bathrooms in particular.

The idea with these programs, with any harm reduction program, is to have a place where people feel safe, said Fred Wright. They can come in and not try to use in a bathroom at Fulton Mall, and they can start to build connections of trust to address whats going with them.
Tiger Global Management or TMG's Lee Fixel will continue to serve on the board of Flipkart even after Walmart buys a majority stake in the Bengaluru-based company, the Economic Times today reported. TMG is Flipkart's biggest backer, and it has 20 per cent stake in the company with two representatives on the 10-member board. TMG is among the Flipkart's major investors.

On Friday, it was reported that Flipkart board has approved 75 per cent stake sale to Walmart for USD 15 billion. Tech giant Google's parent company Alphabet Inc would also tag along with Walmart for an investment in Flipkart.

The ET report today said that TGM will continue to hold around 5 per cent stake in Flipkart after Walmart and Google-owner Alphabet pick up the stake. According to the report, Fixel has been the key driving force behind Flipkart since its early days as his firm poured over USD 1billion, leading multiple financing rounds starting from USD 10 million in 2009 to USD 700 million in 2015.

Lee Fixel invests in tech start-ups and some of his major investments were in companies like Facebook, China's second largest etailer JD.com and music streaming firm Spotify.

Walmart is in talks with Flipkart for around a year to acquire a controlling stake in the firm as it looks to take on rival Amazon.com in India, a market where e-commerce is tipped to grow to USD 200 billion in a decade.

Flipkart's main investors include- US hedge fund Tiger Global Management, South African tech investor Naspers and venture capital firm Accel. Currently, SoftBank and Tiger Global own little more than 20 per cent each of Flipkart, Naspers holds nearly 13 per cent stake, Accel 6.4 per cent, while the Bansals own just over 5 per cent each of the company. According to a report, SoftBank Group Corp would sell its stake in the company for around USD 20 billion valuation.

Earlier this week, world's biggest e-commerce player Amazon, which is Flipkart's main competitor in India, had made a counter offer to Flipkart to buy a 60 per cent stake in the company. The deal offered by the Jeff Bezos-run company proposed to merge Flipkart entirely with its Indian arm and sought a non-compete agreement with Flipkart's founders for 1-2 years.

However, the Flipkart board's decision to take the Walmart offer will make it easy to get the regulatory approval. Any Flipkart-Amazon deal would have come under the scanner of the competition watchdog given their dominant market share - around 70 per cent collectively - in the Indian e-commerce market.
If the world's largest retailer Walmart indeed ends up buying a majority in Indian e-tailer Flipkart at valuations that has been doing the rounds, it could change the e-commerce landscape in the country in many ways. In fact, it would mean a big deal for the start-up landscape, overall.

Here's a snapshot of what it means for different parties:

1. For the start-up ecosystem: The start-up industry in India has been constrained by the lack of exits. There are three exit options - IPOs, acquisitions, or a big Secondary sale. IPOs have been few and far between. MakeMyTrip, JustDial, Infibeam, and BharatMatrimony are some of them. Estimates of Secondary sales vary; it is possible founders collectively have managed around Rs 3000-5000 crore each year over the past couple years. On acquisitions, Indian traditional businesses haven't made any big ticket purchase. Now, a Fortune 100 company buying a lion's share in Flipkart changes things. "This is going to be huge for VCs and investors. The market has matured which is why exits are possible. Second, multi-billion dollar exits are possible, which was previously dismissed. It is also a reminder that exits don't have to be IPO. More VC money will flow to ecosystem and Indian start-ups will get a global attention," Sandeep Aggarwal, Founder of Droom and ShopClues, says.

2. For Walmart: Walmart was looking for an entry into the Indian retail market for the last 20 years. They can't do it through offline retail because there is no FDI in multi-brand retail thus far - with elections next year, it is unlikely the FDI policy will be tweaked. Flipkart is their only option, which is why they are ready to pay a high premium.

3. For Flipkart: The deal is more than money. With the backing of SoftBank, Flipkart didn't really have to worry. However, the e-tailing market is changing. From individual categories such as phones and fashion, e-railers want to cater to households. Amazon's thrust on grocery, for instance, underlines this trend. This implies that Flipkart needs better supply and sourcing to be able to compete with Amazon. "In this area, Walmart can play a bigger role because they have the capability to source at a minimal price and flood the market. Flipkart is weak in grocery and household items compared to Amazon. We can expect Flipkart's focus to shift towards these categories in a few quarters," analyst with Forrester Satish Meena says.

4. For other players: Looks like, it would be an all out American battle on Indian fields. The Chinese are still waiting, possibly unwilling to directly compete. We will have to wait and watch how Alibaba reacts to the developments. Paytm Mall, overtime, may emerge as the third largest horizontal e-commerce platform. What could happen to ShopClues? Analysts and market watchers say the company would now find the going tougher. "It is very difficult to see someone backing them now. They are not bringing in additional buyers because they don't have a niche offering. There is also no loyalty in their buyer as of now. There could be a stress buy-out," Meena says.

Whatever happens to the smaller players, the Indian e-tailing market, $20 billion in 2017, is headed for more exciting times. The original thesis for e-tailing in India - high cost of retail space and lack of it - still holds true. E-tailing, slowly but surely, is going beyond the cities and larger towns. To Bharat.
Chinas banking and insurance regulator slapped fines totaling 182.9 million yuan ($28.77 million) on three major commercial banks for violations, as the country steps up efforts to rein in financial risks and market misconduct.

China Merchants Bank was fined 65.7 million yuan, while Industrial Bank was fined 58.7 million yuan and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank was fined 58.5 million yuan, regulator said Friday.

The banks seriously violated the principal of prudent operation, the regulator said.

Caixin learned that the regulator uncovered misconduct related to wealth management product sales, interbank business, shareholding structure and other issues during on-site inspections of the three banks last year.

The banks hold the top positions among Chinas 12 listed joint stock commercial banks in terms of assets, according to company financial reports. All of them have investments accounting for nearly half of their total assets.

The banking and insurance regulator also accused Pudong Development Bank and China Merchants Bank of issuing irregular loans to affiliated parties. Industrial Bank was blamed for flaws in disclosure of connected-party transactions. The regulator didnt elaborate on the banks violations.

The banks respective financial reports show that all three banks have major shareholders backed by embattled private conglomerates that fell under regulatory scrutiny for risky financial market investments. Industrial Bank is 4.68% owned by Tomorrow Holding Group through two units. Pudong Development Bank is 19.81% held by Tomorrow Holding-backed Funde Sino Life, while China Merchants Bank is 11.63% owned by Anbang Insurance Group.

Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)
news, crime

Gun seizures in the ACT have almost doubled in the past year, as police target illegal firearms in a bid to tackle a growing number of violent crimes. Figures released to The Canberra Times by police show 372 guns were taken off the streets between April 2017 and March 2018, up from 214 the year before. In total, police have seized 1272 firearms in the territory over the past five years, with the 2017-2018 figure the highest during that period. Detective Superintendent Scott Moller said after an increase in drive-by shootings and armed robberies in recent years, police were actively going after guns. "Part of the strategy to reduce the occurrence of these crimes has been for ACT Policing's investigations to target the possession and supply of illicit firearms in the community," he said. "Reducing the number of illegal firearms in the community, even by one weapon, is a positive outcome." Many of the increasing number of violent crimes are associated with outlaw motorcycle gangs, with police setting up Taskforce Nemesis to monitor Canberra's bikies. Bikie activity flared up in the ACT in 2015, and police put a series of high-profile shootings in Canberra's south last year down to a feud between the Nomads and Comanchero gangs. The latest alleged bikie-related shooting happened in the early hours of March 19, when a man was shot in Chifley in what police described as a "brazen and targeted" attack that also damaged several vehicles. On top of the guns seized in a busy 12 months for police, Canberrans handed in 800 firearms and related weapons during last year's three-month national firearms amnesty. A German ME8 maxim machine gun was among the weapons surrendered in the ACT, along with 430 rifles, 180 shotguns and 131 handguns. Nationally, more than 50,000 firearms were given up. Detective Superintendent Moller hoped the high number of gun seizures, combined with the guns given up during the amnesty, would mean fewer violent crimes in the capital. "Locally, it is very significant as there is a likelihood that illegal weapons will be used in violent crimes," he said. Detective Superintendent Moller said there were no noticeable trends in the types of firearms being seized, and that even though the national firearms amnesty was open, people should still hand in unregistered or unwanted guns to police. The figures released by ACT police show little movement in seizures of knives and other related weapons, with 452 confiscated between April 2017 and March 2018. This was down from 482 the year before, and 485 in 2015-16. A recent ban on credit card knives has had minimal effect, with just one seized since they were outlawed in the ACT on March 28.

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Varun Vashisht's first home is in a suburb so new, you won't even find it on Google Maps. If all goes to plan, the Canberra man and partner Deepali Shukla plan to move into their new house in Taylor this month, making them the first residents of the new Gungahlin suburb. Originally farming land, the new development will become the ACT's northern-most suburb, and will eventually be home to about 6000 residents in 2500 homes. Mr Vashisht, a public servant who moved to Canberra from India nine years ago, said he was blown away by how quickly his home had come together. He settled his purchase of the 405 square-metre block in November, and now hopes to be living in the four-bedroom house no later than the first week of June. "It is a special feeling, especially as a first home-buyer," Mr Vashisht said. "Not very many people get this sort of chance in their lifetime, to move into a place where you are the first to experience it first-hand and see a community grow. "After maybe 10 years, when this suburb is fully developed, we can look back and proudly say we were the first here. Sometimes, it gives us goosebumps." Mr Vashisht said he was excited about the chance to start a family in Taylor, with a new primary school set to open in the suburb in 2019. He said he was also looking forward to being able to catch the tram to work when the new light rail network was up and running. "It's not just new development, it's quality development," Mr Vashisht said. "This area is coming up very nicely." Taylor is located north of Moncrieff, west of Jacka and north-east of Casey in the Gungahlin district. Once all stages of the development have been lodged and completed, the suburb will stretch across 315 hectares and will come close to straddling the NSW border. Single and multi-unit lots have been sold to a range of future residents, including first home-buyers, families, retirees, builders and new immigrants. About 6 per cent of the homes built will be public houses.

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The National Trust has voiced its support behind saving the historic Gold Creek Homestead from development, as the government called tenders for a new owner for the site. In a recent letter addressed to the Suburban Land Agency, the National Trust argued the homestead - which dates back to the 19th century - should be retained for future use. "The National Trust believes the homestead has local significance for Gungahlin and strongly supports its retention and adaptive reuse," the letter said. "The National Trust urges the Suburban Land Agency to include this adaptive and retention and adaptive use of the homestead as one of the criterion in the assessment of any proposal as it will have a positive outcome for the area." The letter comes after a decision from the ACT Heritage Council not to list the site for territory significance. "The National Trust does not agree with this interpretation and application and there are other examples of local significance already listed on the ACT Heritage Register," the letter said. It's expected the land will be used for aged care, including accommodation with at least 160 beds and 30 supportive dwellings. The tender process closes on June 7 and a decision will be made in July. National Trust heritage spokesman Eric Martin said while aged care was slated for the site, the homestead could be preserved as part of its use. "We believe the homestead can be adapted for the development and it is desirable to keep the setting of it," he said. "The aged-care facility could be put around the homestead." Mr Martin said the Gold Creek Homestead represented a significant part of Canberra's history. "It can be a reminder of past history but it can also play a future role," he said. "The retention of the site should be a significant factor in the final assessment of the bid. Hopefully it would be a deciding issue." Gungahlin Community Council president Peter Elford welcomed the support of the National Trust and said many community members were getting behind the push to preserve the homestead. "The National Trust statement is very much in line with what we're hearing from the community," he said. "The community sees a lot of value in the site as history and it connects us with the past." The National Trust said it was yet to hear a response from the Suburban Land Agency following the letter, although a spokesman for the agency said contact with the trust had been attempted. "The Suburban Land Agency welcomes the comments of Mr Carter and the National Trust," the spokesman said. "We share their sentiments that preservation of important heritage value in Canberra is an important element of sustainable development. We are keen to work with the National Trust to understand in greater detail their concerns before officially responding to their request." The agency said it was open to further talks with the community council as well as the National Trust and the ACT Heritage Council. "The successful tenderer will be required to obtain development approval for any proposal," the spokesman said. "This will require community engagement and careful consideration of community input by the planning and land authority."

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A Canberra hotel where secret messages from Sir Winston Churchill were opened during World War II is now home to a valuable sculpture of the former UK prime minister. Sir Winston's grandson Jeremy Soames, who heads the UK branch of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, presented the $100,000 work to West Block Hotel owners Geocon on Friday. The trust has permanently loaned the bronze sculpture to Geocon, which will place it on public display in the $85 million luxury West Block Hotel when it opens in 2020. Created by artist Ivor Roberts-Jones in 1976 as part of a limited series, it is a small scale model of a sculpture that stands prominently in London's Parliament Square. Geocon managing director Nick Georgalis said the hotel was an appropriate place to recognise Sir Winston, given the building and a small bunker outside once housed the Australian prime minister's department of correspondence. During World War II, Sir Winston and then-Australian leader John Curtin exchanged often tense messages, with young women like Nancy Ward operating the Typex machine. "In this West Block building, communications were played out between the two prime ministers via 21-year-old women typing on cypher machines and receiving messages titled: 'Most Immediate, Most Secret, Churchill to Curtin, Himself Alone'," Mr Georgalis said. "Those wonderful stories are part of the heritage of this place, and in our development of West Block, we are delighted to be preserving and celebrating both the physical form of the building and the history that surrounds it." Mr Soames said he was in London's Parliament Square when the original statue of his grandfather was unveiled in 1973, and he believed West Block Hotel, with its appreciation for history, would be a fitting home for the smaller maquette. "This sculpture, to me, captures the indomitable spirit of Sir Winston," Mr Soames said. "He was one purely to get on with life, and face the challenges. I hope it will provide inspiration to many people as they walk into what will be a very exciting hotel." West Block will be an $85 million luxury hotel operated by Geocon's Abode Group, and will contain about 150 rooms, a restaurant and an exclusive bar. Abode Group general manager Rien Donkin said it was scheduled to open in 2020, joining the company's five existing properties in Canberra and Murrumbateman. Geocon is also developing hotels in Kingston, Braddon, Belconnen and Garema Place.

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Judith Kelly is one of the last people living inside her public housing block on Northbourne Avenue, a 58-year-old grandmother with heart problems and a recent bout of pneumonia behind her. Ms Kelly lives in a ground floor unit inside the decaying building on the corner of Northbourne and Condamine Street, her days punctuated with the sound of heavy dripping from burst pipes and broken taps. Ms Kelly said she lives in the property, of which she is not officially a tenant, with her son. The pair are being evicted by ACT Housing on Monday, in a story that captures the difficulties faced by both tenants and authorities as the government overhauls its stock of public housing. Ms Kelly said she hoped to be able to stay in the flat just long enough to find somewhere else suitable to live. My son is going down to ACAT trying to find someone to put a stoppage on the eviction, just for a bit, she said. Weve been packed-up since November. Housing ACT executive director Louise Gilding said Ms Kelly and her son had been offered seven separate properties, and refused them all. She said there was a significant history to the case, which she could not share for privacy reasons, but she said Housing ACT had gone out of its way to help the pair. The decision to evict had been upheld by the ACT Administrative and Appeals Tribunal as recently as Friday and the eviction would go ahead, she said. We have succesfully relocated over 500 tenants as part of the public housing renewal program. We are very disappointed that we havent been able to find a suitable property for this tenant. The Northbourne flats have been pegged for re-development since June 2017, with the ACT government recently issuing a tender to have the block Ms Kelly lives in demolished. It could cost as much as $4.3 million to knock down the dilapidated apartments, which straddle Northbourne Avenue at Braddon and Turner. In April the government also lodged plans to demolish the Stuart Flats, a large public housing block in Griffith, at an estimated cost of $4.2 million. Ms Kelly said the ACT government had offered her alternative housing, but nowhere she had found suitable. A place near Woden and Canberra Hospital would be ideal so she could get to her cardiologist easily, she said, and shed prefer somewhere she didnt have to lug her walking frame up flights of stairs. Weve been offered stuff, but we dont want something too temporary, she said. "And we dont want a unit, we want a house. Ive got grandchildren here. And we want a place where the grandchildren can gather. Homelessness and the lack of affordable housing are growing issues in the ACT. A recent study by the Productivity Commission showed more than 1000 people in need of accommodation had been turned away by ACT authorities last year. Emergency housing shelters have blamed the relocation of public housing tenants for a spike in the number of homeless seeking help. And former ACT chief minister Jon Stanhope has criticised his old party for abandoning affordable housing initiatives. Ms Kelly, of Yamatji and Nyungar mob, said she felt the need to speak out in order to draw attention to broader issues plaguing the territory. For people who dont know how to speak up, it just happens without the fight, she said. I think Australia is changing very fast. I dont think we are catching up. Services are down, there are a lot of addictions and mental health issues. And theres going to be more. The Northbourne flats were built in the 1950s in response to high demand for housing for public servants in Canberra but have fallen into disrepair in recent times. Their demolition and sale will open up 14,766 square metres of mixed-use land for redevelopment on the Turner side and 10,776 square metres on the Braddon side. Housing Minister Yvette Berry is working on a new housing affordability strategy, expected to be released later this year.

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A spook used ASIO resources to run a side business in breach of several of the spy agency's policies. The woman had sought permission to undertake a secondary business, but contravened rules by employing ASIO's email system, phone and internet access to run the enterprise during work hours. It is a breach of the agency's human resources and IT policies to use ASIO internet for personal profit-making and personal email, or use the IT systems to conduct or promote private business interests. A tribunal heard an IT audit revealed the woman sent 47 personal business emails via ASIO's system over seven months. One email listed her ASIO telephone number as her first point of contact during business hours. She said she had been granted official permission to use the ASIO email system to conduct the secondary business and had informed the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security. However, during an Adminstrative Appeals Tribunal hearing, she admitted she had not told her line manager and had not sent the emails in her own time, such as on flex days or during her lunch hour. When it was put to her that she had been fully aware she had breached ASIO policy every time she sent an email, she responded: "Yes, I was being sloppy." In another security breach, she accessed a terminal in a top secret space of ASIO to read a disc that she had not previously checked for malware or a virus. She also lacked authorisation to use the terminal. She then removed the disc from the top-secret area without authorisation, another breach of security policy. ASIO sacked her in early 2015 after her security clearance was revoked for several breaches. She then applied for a job at another government agency that required a security clearance. In March 2015, the director-general issued a qualified security assessment that contained information about the withdrawal of her positive-vetting clearance. The following month, the former spook applied to the tribunal for a review of the decision to issue the qualified security assessment. A qualified assessment means ASIO identified information relevant to security. The tribunal heard the assessment contained information that the woman had breached security policies in four respects while at ASIO. The four incidents included: removing an unclassified disc from ASIO premises without authority; using official resources to conduct a secondary business; accessing an IT system for personal reasons; and posting a derogatory comment about ASIO and its senior managers on social media. The information also referred to an assessment finding the woman had "displayed behaviours and has enduring personality traits which suggest that she is vulnerable to improper influence and coercion", which presented security risks. However, the woman argued the assessment should be set aside as it failed to take into account mitigating factors, including the short-term or temporary nature of the breaches and the frank and open admission of the misconduct alleged. The tribunal ordered several changes to the wording of the assessment relating to time frames and the derogatory comments breach, but affirmed the decision to issue the assessment. "The tribunal concludes that during her employment with ASIO she demonstrated behaviour and activities that raised doubts about her capacity to abide by protective security policies required by a PV holder," the heavily redacted decision said. The tribunal said this behaviour occurred soon after she had attended a security awareness workshop in August 2013. "She ... [then] ignored a clear warning about security matters that was given to her on 25 November 2013 after she made the social media post in November 2013. "Soon after in the next month she then used a [redacted for security reasons] terminal in a top secret area for personal reasons in clear disregard of security policy even though she had no authority to access the terminal. "The removal of the electronic media from the top secret area without authorisation was also made in disregard of security policy."

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Indian Army Army Dental Corps has released an employment notification calling out for aspirants to apply for the post of Short Service Commissioned Officer. Those interested can check out the eligibility, salary scale, how to apply and the complete details of the government job here. Selected candidates can earn up to INR 1,93,900. The last date to apply for the government job is May 31, 2018.

DRDO Recruitment 2018 For Scientist Post

Indian Army Recruitment 2018 Vacancy Details

CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Post Short Service Commissioned Officer Organisation Indian Army Number Of Vacancies

34

Educational Qualification BDS or MDS degree from a university recognised by the Dental Council of India (DCI) Other Qualification Must have written NEET 2018 conducted in Delhi Maximum Age Limit 45 years Skills Required Clinical judgement and physical standardsClinical judgement and physical standards Salary Scale INR 61,300 to INR 1,93,900 Job Responsibilities Look after the dental needs of army personnel Job Location India Industry Defence Experience Must have completed rotatory internship Application Start Date May 5, 2018 Application End Date May 31, 2018

Also Read: Ministry Of Defence Recruitment 2018 For Firemen

How To Apply For Indian Army Recruitment 2018

In order to apply for Indian Army Recruitment 2018, follow these steps:

Step 1: Log on to the Indian Army official website.

Step 2: On the home page, click on the scrolling link from right to left, that reads ADVERTISEMENT FOR GRANT OF SHORT SERVICE COMMISSION IN ARMY DENTAL CORPS - 2018.

Step 3: You will be directed to a page with links for information brochure and detailed advertisement.

Step 4: Click on the relevant links to read the details.

Step 5: Send your applications to the Indian Army.

Indian Army Recruitment 2018 Application Format And Mailing Address

Cover the application in an envelope and superscribe on it, "Application for the post of Short Service Commissioned Officer" and send it by speed post to:

Director General Armed Forces Medical Services

(DGAFMS/DENTAL-2), Room No 25, L-Block

Ministry of Defence,

New Delhi - 110001

Click here to read the detailed official advertisement.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The Greater Montreal Real Estate Board says area home sales in April were up 10 per cent compared with a year ago as they recorded their highest mark for the month in eight years.

The board says there were 5,432 home sales in April, up from 4,957 a year ago, based on the real estate brokers' Centris provincial database.

Condominium sales climbed 18 per cent compared with a year ago. Meanwhile, sales of single-family homes and plexes, which include two to five units, both gained six per cent.

The median price of single-family homes across Greater Montreal was $317,000 last month, up four per cent year-over-year, while plexes reached $500,000, a three per cent increase.

As for condominiums, the median price was up two per cent compared with a year ago, with half of all units selling for more than $245,350.

The increase in sales came as the number of active listings fell 17 per cent to 25,466, compared with 30,735 a year ago. New listings fell two per cent to 6,584 compared with 6,728 in April 2017.
Photo: Contributed

A collision at the intersection of Springfield and Benvoulin roads in Kelowna tied up busy afternoon traffic.

One vehicle was up on the median in the crash between a Honda SUV and a Chevy Malibu about 3:40 p.m.

Traffic was reportedly backed up in all directions.

It's not known if there were any injuries in the collision.
Photo: Twitter A windstorm wreaked havoc on parts of Ontario.

More than 200,000 people are still without power across southern and central Ontario on Saturday morning following a windstorm that downed trees and power lines and left two people dead.

Environment Canada says wind gusted at close to 120 kilometres per hour on Friday in the wake of a cold front that moved across the province.

Hydro One, the province's largest power utility, is reporting more than 200,000 customers affected by outages on Saturday morning.

Toronto Hydro says another 20,000 are without power in the city.

On Friday, police west of Toronto said two people died as a result of the winds.

Halton Regional Police say a tree fell on two men who were "working on tree servicing" on Friday afternoon in Milton, Ont., killing one and injuring the other.

And in Hamilton, police say a man who had been trying to clear downed power lines was found "in contact with live wires" on a road and died soon after emergency services arrived on Friday evening.
The evolution of the Fuller-Kinyon Pump

Published 18 April 2018

The Fuller-Kinyon Pump is celebrating its centenary this year. On this occasion, ICR interviews FLSmidth to discover more about the history of the pump.

ICR: What is the Fuller-Kinyon Pump?

The Fuller-Kinyon Pump acts as a line charger. Dry pulverised, free-flowing materials are mixed with air in the pump discharge housing, assuming a flowing, liquid-like condition. In this fluidised condition, the pulverised materials can move through a pipeline as a relatively dense column, and at low velocity by kinetic energy of expanding compressed air and the displacement of the material into the pipeline by the pump itself.



ICR: What can you tell us about Alonzo Kinyon, the inventor of the Fuller-Kinyon Pump?

With the first prototype Fuller-Kinyon Pump built in 1918, the special pneumatic conveying system was adopted a year later by Alonzo G Kinyon of the Fuller-Lehigh Co. Keen to address safety issues, Alonzo Kinyon had developed practical methods of burning pulverised coal in boilers and furnaces. In several states, legislation threatened the prevailing application of burning pulverised coal, because of the extreme hazards associated with mechanical conveyors. The Fuller-Kinyon Pump was invented for the specific purpose of eliminating the fire and explosion hazard in the conveying of pulverised fuels. The risks of dust explosion were tragically demonstrated when an explosion killed seven men  unbelievably including Mr Kinyons only son  just as they were attempting to improve safety by replacing a mechanical system with the Fuller-Kinyon Pump in a steel plant in Ohio.



On 2 June 1926, the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania, acting through its committee on science and the arts, awarded the Edward Longstreth Medal to Alonzo G Kinyon for his new and important improvements in the art of conveying pulverised materials.



ICR: What would cement producers do to move dry powder before this invention?

Prior to the development of the Fuller-Kinyon Pump and the pneumatic conveying of powdered materials through a pipe, the materials would be transferred from point to point using mechanical means. Equipment such as belt conveyors, screw conveyors and bucket elevators were used to move the product through horizontal and vertical distances. Although these modes of conveying are still used today, they are maintenance intensive and can create a dusty atmosphere in the areas of use. The Fuller-Kinyon pump system provided a more flexible means of moving pulverised products around a plant in a dust free environment.



ICR: How did cement plant layouts change in the 1930s as a result of the impact of the Fuller-Kinyon Pump?

I am not sure plant layouts changed with the introduction of the Fuller-Kinyon Pump. The pump provided a means to better transport various products around the plant in a dust-free environment. Also, since the conveying was carried out through pipe, it was easy to adapt the conveying to existing plant layouts where using the mechanical methods would prove difficult. After the 1930s, the cement industry started changing its production methods from a wet process to a dry process. This meant that the raw materials were handled as a wet slurry mixture. The advent of the dry process meant the raw materials would be handled as dry powders. The Fuller-Kinyon Pump was a perfect means to handle these dry powdered materials in the newer cement production process.



ICR: What was the pumps importance in the building of the Hoover Dam in 1936?

Once the contractors began producing concrete for the dam, they needed a constant supply of cement to produce the concrete. The government purchased cement in multiple contracts of 281,000t quantities. The cement was shipped in bulk to a cement blending plant, situated on the south side of the aggregate bins at the high level mixing plant. The cement was unloaded and conveyed to the storage silos of the blending plant by Fuller-Kinyon pumps.



ICR: How have alternative fuels given this product a new lease of life?

I would not necessarily say that alternative fuels produced a new lease of life for the pump. The Fuller-Kinyon Pump did, however, improve the method of handling pulverised fuels for firing of kilns, preheaters and dryers for the cement industry. In many plant locations the coal mills were not located near the firing points. That made it necessary to double-handle the fuel to the direct firing system. The pump made it possible to transport the fuel long distances and feed directly to the burners in a pulsation-free method to promote steady flame profiles, which is extremely important for stable operation.



ICR: What have been the main generational changes to the Fuller-Kinyon Pump?

While there have been many changes to the Fuller-Kinyon Pump over the past 100 years, the last 40 years have been the most important changes with regard to improving the life of wear parts and reducing maintenance costs. These later changes are as follows:



1976: Type 'M' Fuller-Kinyon Pump introduced

This is the current design standard of the Fuller-Kinyon Pump. It is a total redesign from earlier models. The earlier models used an overhung screw design, while the Type 'M' Fuller-Kinyon Pump supported the screw with a bearing on the drive and discharge end of the screw. This allowed the internal screw to operate with less vibration and could be operated with varying feed capacities without causing damage to the screw flights and barrel liners. The previous design relied on constant material feed to support the overhung screw within the barrel. With this design change the life of the internal wear parts was extended, reducing frequency of replacement.



1985: Z-Flap conversion kit

This conversion kit was produced as a means to provide a discharge end bearing for the earlier Type 'H' Pump design, eliminating the overhung screw design. As a result, installations using the older version Type 'H' Pump have the ability to improve the existing pumps without the need to replace them with the newer style. This change increased the life of the pump wear parts, reducing maintenance costs.



1989: pressurised bearings

Pressurisation was adopted to the bearing housings of the Type 'M' Pump and the discharge bearing of the 'Z' Flap Pump as a means to prevent material from migrating into the bearing cavity and causing premature bearing failure. This significantly reduced bearing failures, reducing maintenance costs and pump downtime.



1999: split pump screw design

Another key ingredient to reducing pump maintenance was the adoption of a split screw design. The two-piece design for the Type 'H' Pump and the three-piece design for the Type 'M' Pump were significant improvements. This allows the customer to replace only a portion of the pump screw faster and at a lower material cost. For the Type 'H' Pump, the split screw design allowed the reduction of spring tension of the graphite seal in the air-cooled seal assembly. This reduction of tension has extended the life of the graphite seal, again reducing operating cost for the customer.



The Pneu-Flap pneumatic flapper torque controller

The flapper valve located at the discharge of the pump acts as a non-return check valve, which helps maintain a material seal against the pressurised convey line. The Pneu-Flap replaces counterweights on the flapper valve arm, now providing a constant torque through the full range of motion of the flapper valve, maintaining a good material seal at all times between the pressurised convey line and the pump screw. Designed to be easily adjustable for specific operating conditions, the Pneu-Flap torque controller minimises component wear and improves performance by optimising the flapper valve torque.



The Ful-Coat series Silver Carbide Pump Screw

This new design is made to extend the screw life of the Fuller-Kinyon Pump. A tungsten carbide coating is applied for additional wear resistance. FLSmidths pump screw has 150 per cent more hardened flights, 33 per cent thicker side hard-facing and 100 per cent thicker face hard-facing than non-FLSmidth pump screws.



Fuller-Kinyon Auto-Lube lubrication system

This is the latest design improvement for the Fuller-Kinyon Pump. The Auto-Lube system is designed to automatically deliver the precise amount of lubrication required for each Fuller-Kinyon pump while monitoring the bearing temperatures. The bearings, seals and blowout lever shaft of the flapper valve are lubricated on an adjusted hourly interval. Due to its two-litre capacity of grease, the Fuller-Kinyon Auto-Lube system can deliver up to four months of continuous lubrication between refills, while continually monitoring bearing temperatures to prevent and reduce failures from improper lubrication.



ICR: How will FLSmidth celebrate the 100 years of the Fuller-Kinyon Pump?

FLS Pneumatic Transport will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Fuller-Kinyon Pump between 19-21 September. The celebration will include events in Lancaster and at the Manheim plant in Pennsylvania. Our goal is to have 100 customers in attendance, and there will be informative presentations, substantial equipment and service incentives, and of course, plenty of food and drink offered to stimulate interest.
When the 2018 White House Correspondents Dinner took place on the last Saturday of April  according to tradition  it didnt go so well. The event featured comedian Michelle Wolf, and she took her roast to new heights. But was Wolf, who was just doing her job, the problem? Or is it the actual dinner?

Keep reading to find out why Donald Trump wants to do away with the entire White House Correspondents Dinner tradition and see if you agree.

1. Michelle Wolfs roast

Wolf was supposed to make political jokes at the dinner. And that she did. People are divided on her performance  they have both condemned and congratulated her for her brutal jokes about Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, according to Huffpost.

Every time Sarah steps up to the podium, I get excited because Im not really sure what were going to get: you know, a press briefing, a bunch of lies or divided into softball teams, said Wolf. Another joke centered around Wolfs musings about a tree falling on Conway; Wolf was not suggesting she get hurt, just stuck.

Next: Did Wolf go too far?

2. Wolf really had it in for Sanders

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was sitting on the stage representing the Trump administration, sat through a lot of Wolfs jokes, but her face definitely reflected her disgust when Wolf perhaps went too far. I love you as Aunt Lydia in The Handmaids Tale, said Wolf. Turns out Wolf was not actually talking about Sanderss appearance, but rather her personality.

Wolf also said that Sanders   burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye. Last but not least, Wolf said, Like, whats Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women? Oh, I know. Aunt Coulter.

Next: Trumps boycott

3. Trump wont attend the dinner

According to The Atlantic, Donald Trump has declined to attend the dinner for two years. When Trump held a rally in Michigan  as the dinner was happening  he asked the crowd, Is this better than that phony Washington White House Correspondents Dinner? In addition, A-list celebrities who once attended the dinner have largely stopped showing up.

Next: Trump calls for an end to the dinner.

4. Trump wants to kibosh the traditional White House dinner

After Michelle Wolfs controversial roast at the 2018 dinner, Donald Trump said he wants to do away with the White House Correspondents Association dinner once and for all, according to Huffpost.

The White House Correspondents Dinner was a failure last year, but this year was an embarrassment to everyone associated with it, said Trump in a tweet the day after the dinner. The filthy comedian totally bombed (couldnt even deliver her lines-much like the Seth Meyers weak performance), added Trump. Put Dinner to rest, or start over! he concluded.

Next: Trump got really angry.

5. Donald Trump had more to say

Trump must have worked up a head of steam over the weekend after the dinner took place, according to Huffpost. By Monday morning, he tweeted that the dinner is DEAD as we know it. Apparent, he was really in a state. This was a total disaster and an embarrassment to our great Country and all that it stands for, tweeted Trump. FAKE NEWS is alive and well and beautifully represented on Saturday night!

Next: Another president weighs in.

6. The White House Correspondents Association president reacts

Of the media figures who attended the dinner, many felt Wolf had gone too far  and praised the victims of her jokes  and many felt she not only targeted Republicans but also Democrats and the media, according to Huffpost.

The White House Correspondents Association president had this to say: Last nights program was meant to offer a unifying message about our common commitment to a vigorous and free press while honoring civility, great reporting and scholarship winners, not to divide people, said Margaret Talev. Unfortunately, the entertainers monologue was not in the spirit of that mission.

Next: Wolf fires back.

7. Michelle Wolf defended her set

Wolf took to social media to defend her set against some of the critiques, according to Huffpost. She spoke up when Mika Brzezinski, host of the MSNBCs weekday morning broadcast show Morning Joe, tweeted this: Watching a wife and mother be humiliated on national television for her looks is deplorable. I have experienced insults about my appearance from the president. All women have a duty to unite when these attacks happen and the WHCA owes Sarah an apology.

Wolf fired back with, 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.

Read more: The Most Vicious Times Comedians Burned Sarah Huckabee Sanders

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Five American Rescue Plan projects under review by Pueblo City Council

A new grocery store on the East Side  long considered a Pueblo food desert  is among the local projects that could be funded by COVID relief funds.
4 Countries in Asia Pass Laws Banning Religious Conversions 05 May, 2018 by Anugrah Kumar , |

Four countries in South and Southeast Asia have laws that ban conversion of their citizens away from the majority religion, and two other countries are considering implementing the legislation, apart from numerous other nations in the region that prohibit blasphemy and apostasy, aimed mostly at Christian missionary work.

On Tuesday, Alliance Defending Freedom's international wing will present a white paper on laws regulating conversions at the Policy Briefing on the Global Crisis in Religious Freedom with U.S. Ambassador Samuel Brownback.

Commonly known as anti-conversion laws, the legislation regulates the act of converting to another religion through vaguely defined terms of "inducement," "force" or "fraudulent means," according to the paper. These words could be meant to include social work, praying for the sick or even evangelism.

These laws are in place in parts of India and throughout Nepal, Myanmar and Bhutan, while Sri Lanka and one province in Pakistan have yet to pass a similar bill. Barring the bill in Pakistan, where minority religions are allegedly being protected through the legislation, the legislation is based on the premise that majority religion is under a threat. As a result, it incites violence.

"No person or group should live in fear of being killed, tortured, or oppressed because of their religious beliefs. The rise of anti-conversion laws worldwide testifies to a growing crisis in religious freedom," Balakrishnan Baskaran, Legal Consultant to ADF International in India, was quoted as saying.

Last month, the North Indian state of Uttarakhand became the eighth state in the country to pass the legislation, which is officially named the "Freedom of Religion Act" in India but has the allegedly hidden intent to punish those who facilitate religious conversions, especially conversions from Hinduism to Christianity. That law carries a jail term of up to two years.

"Hindu nationalists' stated rationale for anti-conversion laws is that Christians and Muslims are using coercion to convert vulnerable Hindus in the lowest castes, also known as Dalits or Untouchables," the paper reads. "Nationalists also have cited the need to 'protect the cultural identity of tribal communities of the country.'"

Anti-conversion laws first came into existence in the 1930s in the states where Britain did not have direct rule at the time. The Indian parliament considered several anti-conversion bills following independence in 1947, but all were eventually dropped. "However, due to India's federal structure, state legislatures have been able to pass anti-conversion measures."

While hardly any Christian worker has been convicted by a court under the law in India, members of the minority community are routinely accused of and charged with "forcible" conversions of Hindus. Christians and rights groups say the law is used as a tool by right-wing Hindu groups to harass and persecute Christians and to restrict Hindus from converting away from their religion.

Read more about anti-conversion laws in The Christian Post.
Former Transwoman, Gay Male Prostitute Shares New Life in Christ CP Reporter | 05 May, 2018 by Brandon Showalter

An event proclaiming freedom of all kinds of sexual identity issues is set to occur this weekend in Washington, D.C., spearheaded by a man who identified as a gay and transgender for approximately 15 years. Several former LGBTQ speakers from a variety of backgrounds will be sharing their stories of how they encountered the living God.

Jeffrey McCall is the main organizer of what is being called The Freedom March, and in an interview with The Christian Post Wednesday, explained that despite constant talk in society about the perils of gay "conversion therapy," the March is centered on how the Holy Spirit has transformed the lives of countless people and their journeys of newness of life in Christ. And, he argued, a great shift in how things are done in the modern Church is currently underway, particularly as it relates to how Christians minister to the LGBTQ community.

McCall, 30, is from Franklin Springs, Georgia. He lived and identified as a homosexual man from ages 15 to 27, and as a transgender woman named "Scarlet" from ages 27 to 29.

The Freedom March will showcase the stories of people who lived and identified as lesbians, gay men, bisexual, transgender, and queer  including two survivors of the June 2016 Pulse nightclub mass shooting in Orlando  for many years but now have found a new life in Jesus Christ.

McCall first got the idea to do the event last fall and obtained the permit earlier this year, feeling called to do it in the nation's capital. The Freedom March will be held at the National Sylvan Theater near the Washington monument on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m.

The Christian Post spoke with McCall as he was traveling north from Georgia for this weekend's event, and below is a lightly edited transcript of the interview.

CP: You identified and lived for many years in a life you say you now reject. How did this 180 degree turn in coming to follow Jesus happen, particularly this change of ideas about who you are?

McCall: Well, it's funny to say but for years I actually listened to Jentezen Franklin (pastor of Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia) even when I was living as Scarlet. Just when I would hear this man's words I would just feel a conviction from the Holy Spirit that my life in homosexuality  I was very promiscuous, I'd even prostituted my body  the Holy Spirit was showing me that there was so much more for me.

CP: What drew you to Pastor Jentezen Franklin in particular?

McCall: I had gone to his church when I was in Georgia for a time while in undergrad. I was living as a homosexual at that point, wasn't living as Scarlet yet. I was drinking, doing drugs, prescription pills  I was addicted. But I felt the Holy Spirit there at his church. I just felt something there. It wasn't so much because it was a church building, it was just the gathering of the church members there, you know. I just felt the presence of God. It just kept drawing me back to Him. I did grow up in church. But when I was living as Scarlet I was not going to go to a church building. I knew a lot about how church people can be sometimes. But Jentezen Franklin was easy to access because he was all over YouTube and TV so I could catch him online and hear him preach.

I had one night where I had been out partying, and I came home and started crying on my bed in March of 2016. And that was the night I said "Lord, I know people really live for you. Not just go to church on Sunday, but they really live for you. They have a relationship with you."

And I said, through tears: "God, will I ever have a relationship with you?"

And all of a sudden my thoughts in my mind and everything was just interrupted. And I heard the Lord say: "Yes, you will live for me."

It was a couple of months after that, it took months, but that's when [in June later that year] I threw everything away in my life that was related to being 'Scarlet.' All the hair, makeup, jewelry, clothes, shoes, everything. I just threw my life as I knew it away. It was an encounter with the Lord.

CP: Were you attempting to transition with a synthetic hormone regimen or looking to have sex reassignment surgery?

McCall: I was not on hormones but I was seeing a psychologist and a psychiatrist. I had a psychiatrist diagnose me with gender dysphoria. He was telling me that you need of couple of professional gender dysphoria diagnoses before you can have surgeries. He was the first one to do so. And the way we were talking I was leaning more toward surgeries on my body. I didn't want to take hormones.

CP: What is the Freedom March all about, particularly as it pertains to those who have once lived and identified as LBGTQ such as yourself?

McCall: The Freedom March is about the transformation power of the Holy Spirit. This is not about 'conversion therapy.' This is about what the Holy Spirit can do and what God wants to do in this country right now. There is a spiritual shifting and He is wanting to do some things quite differently before they have ever been done.

Read more about sexual identity on The Christian Post.
Two rockets are reported to have landed near Jerusalem, the first time Palestinian militants have targeted the holy city, Sky News reports. The armed wing of the Islamist group Hamas said it fired a Qassam rocket toward Jerusalem minutes after air raid sirens sounded around the city, and the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that a rocket was fired from Gaza to an uninhabited area outside Jerusalem. There were no immediate reports of any impact. The attack came hours after Palestinian militants fired a rocket at Israel's largest city, Tel Aviv, which is believed to have landed in the ocean. No injuries were reported. 16,000 Israeli army reservists have been called up and heavy artillery has been seen on the Gaza border, increasing the possibility of a ground attack. Israel has also given the green light to the call-up of up to 30,000 reserve forces.
In 2020, we were the church on our heels. A global pandemic shut down much of our world. But the church has been on the move since it was birthed; it will continue to be on the move until God makes all things new.
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The Christian Post ran an op-ed on Sunday, April 29 that caught my attention. The article commemorated the recent passing of Dr. James Cone, a theologian and the founder of black liberation theology, a controversial race-based approach to Christian teaching.

The author, Dr. Peter G. Heltzel of New York Theological Seminary, asserts, "The beating heart of Christian Theology is Black Liberation" and "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."

The new generation of Evangelicals to which Heltzel is referring include participants in the upcoming "Voices Conference," a leadership development gathering for Evangelicals of color taking place in Philadelphia on May 4-5. "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 ... who represent the new face of evangelicalism," writes Heltzel.

American Evangelicals should indeed celebrate and foster greater ethnic and cultural diversity reflective of God's Kingdom. White Evangelicals should speak out against institutional racism, injustices and abuses, and actively seek reconciliation. But is Heltzel right to suggest Cone's black liberation theology is the answer to American Evangelicalism's current racial divisions?

Dr. Derryck Green, a theologian, cultural commentator, and regular contributor to Juicy Ecumenism, disagrees. He remarked over e-mail that "no racialized theological framework" adequately or appropriately answers "the problem of white Evangelicals' reluctance to maturely address the sin of racial discrimination from a theological perspective."

"The idea that, 'the beating heart of Christian Theology is Black Liberation' seems to suggest that there was no 'beating heart' prior to Cone's innovative hermeneutic to understand theodicy and the black condition in America," wrote Green. "To insinuate there was no appropriate, life-giving essence at the center of Christian theology is in many obvious ways, a precariously unwise and inaccurate position to have."

Green, who earned his Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary, and his doctorate in Theology and Spiritual Leadership with a concentration in Identity Formation from Azusa Pacific University, spent a portion of his dissertation examining Cone's black liberation theology and its shortcomings for African Americans and the American church.

"Black liberation theology was Cone's attempt to religiously/theologically validate the secular political agenda of black pride and black power," Green explained. "This was done for many reasonsone being that the black power movement lacked the religious moral authority to justify its claims and objectives, unlike the civil rights movement."

One major critique of black liberation theology (alongside other, often Marxist-associated liberation theologies that emerged in the 20th century) is that it revisions Jesus as a political revolutionary instead of Savior of the world. Green seemed to acknowledge this critique, noting, "Spiritual salvation was exchanged for divinely-approved, collective material/physical liberation, and politics was seen as the vehicle to achieve this goal. This position doesn't qualify theologically."

Green continued:

Still another reason for Cone's method was to re-instill a racial dignity and humanity in blacks that had been undermined resulting from segregation and oppression. Though laudable, any anthropology primarily centered in racial or ethnic identities rather than centered in the reality that human dignity comes from being created in the image of God and renewed in the image of Christ, is insufficient. I think people can and should honor the work of the late theologian. However, people should also be honest about the theological shortcomings of Cone's methodology, and resist the temptation to elevate radical black theology (which black liberation theology is) to a status within Christian tradition that it doesn't warrant.

Green cautions Evangelicals to be careful of further politicizing the Gospel by allowing our politics to shape Christian teaching.

"Dangerous things happen when our politics impacts our theologies," noted Green. "We see it on both sides of the political aisle."

"Also, we should remember that biblical justice isn't compartmentalized ('racial justice,' 'social justice,' etc.). It's a comprehensive way of life that has at its foundation, loving one's neighbor as oneself, and loving God with all our being," offered Green.

"Our horizontal relationship with our neighbor, regardless of race, bears witness to our vertical relationship with God. That's justice, which is untethered to earthly modifications that reinforce division," he continued.

May the Almighty mend American Evangelicals' racial divisions and heal deep-seated tensions and wounds. Unity is possible for, I believe, the beating heart of Christian theology is Christ's sacrificial love and salvation offered to the world.

Originally posted at IRD's blog.

Chelsen Vicari serves as the Evangelical Program Director for the Institute on Religion and Democracy. She earned her Masters of Arts in Government from Regent University and frequently contributes to conservative outlets. Follow her on twitter @ChelsenVicari.
home US US to return thousands of smuggled ancient artifacts back to Iraq

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has announced on Wednesday that it will be returning nearly 4,000 ancient artifacts that were smuggled for arts and crafts store Hobby Lobby back to Iraq.

The artifacts, which include cuneiform tablets, clay bullae and cylinder seals, were bought by Hobby Lobby from a United Arab Emirates-based supplier and were smuggled to the U.S. as "tile samples."

The Oklahoma-based retail store had agreed to forfeit the artifacts and pay a $3 million fine in July following a civil lawsuit from the Justice Department.

According to CNN, many of the artifacts originated from the ancient city of Irisagrig. Some date from 2100 to 1600 B.C. while others are said to be around 500 years older.

"This is really important to us," Iraqi Ambassador to the US Fareed Yasseen said, as reported by CNN.

"You have to understand that in Iraq, memories are long, and so we really have a sense of kinship to these artifacts," he added.

Hobby Lobby reportedly purchased as many as 5,500 artifacts, but it had not received all of the pieces, NPR reported.

As part of the settlement with the Justice Department, the company agreed to notify the government if it learns about the location of the remaining pieces, and turn over any artifact that it receives.

The purchase was reportedly made after the company was warned by an expert that the artifacts could be stolen from archaeological sites in Iraq. The expert also advised the company to go through its collection to determine if any of the pieces originated from Iraq.

The DOJ stated that the "acquisition of the Artifacts was fraught with red flags." Hobby Lobby employees reportedly did not meet any of the dealers and only wired the payments to bank accounts that were not in the names of the owners of the artifacts.

Steve Green, the president of the company, said in a statement in July that more oversight should have been done before the purchases were made.

"Hobby Lobby has cooperated with the government throughout its investigation, and with the announcement of today's settlement agreement, is pleased the matter has been resolved," Green said, as reported by CNN.

The company has vowed to enact policies on acquiring cultural property and provide necessary training to its personnel, according to the DOJ.

The arts and crafts store has also agreed to hire qualified outside customs counsel and provide the government with quarterly reports on its purchases of cultural property for 18 months.
I am someone who believes that if you want to see breakthrough you need to pray. Prayer changes circumstances and lives. I have personally seen how power can change a situation.

But prayer to just anybody won't change a thing, they are just nice words then. Sure it is great that people get together and say things to stop a situation that are happening around the world and to make people aware but when people are praying to another god (or gods) their requests are falling on deaf ears.

All we need to do is look at the story of Elijah found in 1 Kings 18, Elijah puts the prophets and their god, Baal, to the ultimate test. He has them pray to their god to see if he will accept their offering. So the prophets call on the name of their god, they cut themselves, they shouted, they did everything they could to get Baal's attention. This went on all day.

Then finally Elijah has enough. He makes an altar to the Lord and calls on the name of the Lord and "then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, 'The LORDa"he is God! The LORDa"he is God!'" verses 38-39

The Lord taught us to pray, "Our father in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, they will be done" We know who we are praying to and what for. We are praying to God for His will to be done. By praying with other faiths we are making a mockery of what God has done for us. We are saying that we believe that their prayers are being heard by their god(s) which goes against everything in the Bible.

The thought of peace excites me but the thought of Christians gathering with other religions to 'pray' is disheartening. How can any person who believes that there is only one God and one way to heaven and that is through His son Jesus Christ, participate in something that goes against the very notion that there is only one way.

By leading and participating in such activities we are denouncing the power and authority of Jesus Christ. We are saying that the other religions have power and authority as well.

Mission field experience

On the mission field when we prayed for people of other faiths, we told them that we believe in Jesus as the only way and that is who we would be praying to for their healing or miracle. We would make it clear that it wasn't to their deity. I did not invite them to pray for me to their god(s). Out of love for them, I would let them share about what they believed but I did not allow them to pray for me.

We can pray and should pray with people from other denominations. We can't let a bit of doctrinal differences stop us from praying with fellow believers. Just because one part of the body believes in tongues and the other believes the Sabbath should be on a certain day, does not give us the right to think that they are any less of a believer than us.

We need to let our doctrinal differences fall to the side for the greater unity of the Christian body. More prayer events need to be orchestrated across denominations. Let us find strength in our common ground, and that is that Jesus is the way, the truth and the light.

If we are going to profess that there is only one God then we can't participate in prayer meetings that allow other faiths to pray.

We can meet with people of other faiths to discuss the problems in the world and solutions, but praying together does not build unity, it makes us into hypocrites and liars and takes Jesus off the cross. It makes Christians less effective in who we are called to be.

Genevieve Wilson is married with two children who served with YWAM for eight years in Brisbane and now serving in mission in Canada as a modern day abolitionist.

Genevieve Wilson's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/genevieve-wilson.html
Trump says date, place set for North Korea summit

President Donald Trump on Friday said the date and location have been set for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, building suspense for the unprecedented talks, as South Korea said it would oppose a withdrawal of US troops from the area.

The White House has said the first meeting ever between sitting US and North Korean leaders could take place in the coming weeks. Trump is to push North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.

The demilitarized zone, or DMZ, between North and South Korea, and Singapore are among the top choices being considered for the summit. Trump this week expressed a preference for the DMZ but also said Singapore was possible.

The Peace House at the DMZ was the venue for a meeting last month between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

The White House announced that Trump will host Moon at the White House on May 22, in talks aimed at demonstrating allied unity before the Trump-Kim summit.

The Moon visit was announced after Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, met with his South Korean counterpart, Chung Eui-yong, at the White House on Friday.

Chung told reporters afterward that it was 'unacceptable that the issue of the US forces Korea keeps being raised.'

The New York Times said Trump had asked the Pentagon for troop withdrawal options, although Trump said it was not true and Bolton called the report 'utter nonsense.'

'Now, I have to tell you, at some point into the future, I would like to save the money,' Trump told reporters. 'But troops are not on the table.'

The White House said in a statement late on Friday that Bolton and Chung said there are no plans to change the USSouth Korea bilateral defence posture.

Trump, a former reality TV star who likes to build suspense about upcoming presidential news, did not give a date or location for the North Korea summit, and White House officials did not immediately provide further clarity.

Trump told the National Rifle Association's annual convention in Dallas on Friday that he had toned down his rhetoric in anticipation of the talks after labelling Kim 'Little Rocket Man' last year and threatening him with 'fire and fury.'

'I won't use the rhetoric now,' he said. 'Now I'm trying to calm it down a little bit.'

The US government is looking into reports that three Americans arrested in recent years in North Korea had recently been relocated from a labour camp to a hotel near Pyongyang, as expectations grow that they will be released before the summit.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said on Thursday that if North Korea were to free the three Americans, 'We certainly would see this as a sign of good will' ahead of the Trump-Kim summit.

Trump, speaking to reporters outside the White House, suggested activity was under way involving the captives.

'We're having very substantive talks with North Korea and a lot of things have already happened with respect to the (US) hostages. I think you're going to see very good things,' Trump said.
A homeowner in the Summerwood subdivision in the Atascocita area is questioning his homeowner's association's enforcement of the deed restrictions, after he was ordered to park his work van outside the neighborhood.

Joseph Albritton works as a plumber, and parks the van in his driveway overnight.

"Their argument was work vans lower property values," Albritton said of the Summerwood Community Association board of directors. He believes there is no data showing this impact.

HOA RUINING YOUR LIFE? Here are eight things it can't do - and how to fight back

"Why don't you make everyone drive a BMW or a Lamborghini?" he said.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Albritton also alleges the rule is being enforced inconsistently, and that other Summerwood residents have been allowed to park work vehicles in their driveways. "I feel I'm being targeted."

He said he parked the half-ton Ram ProMaster van in his driveway for more almost a year with no protest from the HOA. Warnings began arriving three or four months after he applied lettering and logos to the van.

Albritton wants his HOA to change the deed restrictions to allow one work vehicle per household.

CIA Services, Inc., which manages the Summerwood Community Association, did not respond to a request for comment.

However, Community Manager Jennifer Northington sent a letter to Albritton after a hearing before the board of directors, stating he has until June 2 to begin storing his van outside the community.

GALLERY: Readers weigh in on Houston HOA rules (story continues below)

"While the Board understands that you would prefer to store your commercial vehicle at your home it constitutes a violation of the governing documents," Northington said in the letter.

"Many other residents have been required to store their work vehicles outside the community and we strive to take a consistent approach to enforcement."

Deed restriction violation reports posted on the Summerwood Community Association website show two closed cases and one active case regarding commercial vehicles for 2018.

OPINION: Fighting an HOA board could prove expensive

Summerwood defines a commercial vehicle as "trucks or vans with commercial writing on their exteriors or vehicles primarily used or designed for a commerical purpose, and vehicles with advertising signage attached or displayed on such vehicle's exterior." Governmental vehicles are permitted.

Chron.com contacted the Houston Association of Realtors and Harris County Appraisal District, but neither entity was able to comment on whether there is data or research regarding the impact of work vehicles on property values.

GARDEN OAKS: Judge sides with residents in case over size of garage

Appraisal district spokesman Jack Bennett said property values in Harris County are determined by looking at comparable sales in the neighborhood.

"Primarily it's sales prices and what people are willing to pay to live in a certain neighborhood," he said.

A homeowner's association has broad authority to enforce its deed restrictions, said Rusty Adams, research attorney for Texas A&M University's Real Estate Center at the Mays Business School.

"I don't know of any specific law that says an HOA cannot prohibit you from parking your work vehicles in the driveway," he said.

"Most of the time, if it's not specifically prohibited, (deed restrictions) are enforceable if they are reasonable and not against public policy."

He said he can see both sides of the argument, but ultimately, only a court can determine whether the rule is fair.

"Until a challenge is made and a case goes up to a court of appeals, we're not going to have an answer," Adams said.

Albritton said he feels the need to stand up to the HOA. "I'm kicking around the idea of possibly selling my house or maybe hiring a lawyer."
PEARL HARBOR  A Houston native and 2000 San Lorenzo Ruiz Center of Studies and School, in the Philippines, graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the guided-missile destroyer, USS Hopper.

Petty Officer 2nd Class John Paul Soliman is a hospital corpsman aboard the guided-missile destroyer operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

A Navy hospital corpsman is responsible for providing medical care for over 300 sailors aboard the ship.

Hospitality was really big in the Philippines, said Soliman. I think it goes a long way in our job when you are providing medical care. It helps me talk to the sailors about their needs so I can help as much as I can.

More than 300 sailors serve aboard the ship, and their jobs are highly specialized, requiring dedication and skill, according to Navy officials. The jobs range from maintaining engines to handling weaponry along with a multitude of other assignment that keep the ship mission-ready at all times.

Fast, maneuverable, and technically advanced, destroyers provide credible combat power, at and from the sea.

Our sailors in Pearl Harbor are doing an excellent job at warfighting and supporting the warfighter, said Commander Hurd, chief staff officer, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Historically, Pearl Harbor is a symbolic base of sacrifice and resiliency. Today, on every Navy ship and shore facilitys flag pole, the First Navy Jack, Dont Tread on Me, flies reminding sailors to move forward and build on the history and legacy of this country and the U.S. Navy.

Navy guided-missile destroyers are multi-mission ships that can operate independently or as part of a larger group of ships at sea, Navy officials explained. They are equipped with tomahawk missiles, torpedoes, guns and a phalanx close-in weapons system.

Challenging living conditions build strong fellowship among the crew. The crew is motivated and can quickly adapt to changing conditions. It is a busy life of specialized work, watches and drills. Serving aboard a guided-missile destroyer instills accountability and toughness and fosters initiative and integrity.

In my family, I am the first to serve in the military, said Soliman. It is different being in the military. Being able to serve the country even though I wasnt born here is an honor.

Soliman is also proud of earning two Navy Achievement Medals for being a candidate for Blue Jacket of the Year and for assisting an Iranian vessel with medical care during a deployment.

Its the little things, like recognition, that boosts morale. Its nice to know that your hard has paid off, said Soliman.

As a member of one of the U.S. Navys most relied-upon assets, Soliman and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.

At first, I joined the Navy because I just wanted to know what it would be like, added Soliman. Being in the medical field has allowed me to meet the needs of our crew. I know that I play a vital part in the mission of the Navy. I like making sure all of the service members are able to serve at 100 percent, health wise.

Kayla Turnbow is with the Navy Office of Community Outreach.
Montgomery County officials have arrested Thomas Lyn Barringer, who is suspected of fatally beating a man with a shovel while the man slept.

The 26-year-old Livingston man allegedly hit Andrew Massey in the face with the shovel's handle during an attack in the early hours of April 27. Massey died Friday of his injuries.

A Montgomery County Sheriff's Office SWAT team arrested Barringer at about 2 a.m. at a Holiday Inn property on the banks of Lake Conroe. No charges have been filed yet, but Barringer is in custody.

Authorities had launched a public search for the suspect, who had last been seen in Cleveland near a Motel 6.

"Barringer is believed to be dangerous and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office requests he not be approached by the public," officials wrote online.

After the Homicide and Violent Crimes Unit helped identify him as the suspect, authorities put out an aggravated assault warrant on Barringer.

Barringer had been released from prison just weeks before the attack on Massey.

He was arrested last after breaking into a home and stealing car, then fleeing into the woods when police tried to stop him. Barringer was sentenced to three years in prison, according to court records. He was released on April 2 and still under parole supervision, according to the Department of Public Safety.

After the April 27 shovel attack, Massey was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, where he died a week later. Authorities did not immediately offer any clue as to a possible motive.
The Funeral by Matt James Photo: Groundwood / Groundwood

Choosing childrens books can be overwhelming for parents trying to find something new and different for kids who always want more of the same. But we can help. Heres a selection of childrens and young-adult books that should satisfy the kids, and you.

In The Funeral (Groundwood, ages 5-8), Matt James offers a lighthearted  yet not irreverent  look at the rituals of death through the eyes of a child. Young Norma spends a day out of school to attend her Great-Uncle Franks funeral. She practices her sad face in the mirror but looks forward to seeing her younger, favorite cousin, Ray. She tries sounding out the word on the flag attached to their car: FUNeral. Mom, Uncle Frank was really old, right? Norma asks. At the church, out in the countryside, the funeral seems very long, with all that talk about God and souls, and not very much talk about Uncle Frank. Norma and Ray are allowed to slip away from the reception into the nearby meadow, filled with flowers, under a pink-blossomed tree. The clear blue sky seems huge with the church looking as though it might fall off the ground and fly away in the heat of the afternoon. The world seems very wide. The two children find a little graveyard and a small pond, look for frogs and play in the tall grasses. Mom, says Norma on the car ride home, I think Uncle Frank would have liked his funeral. Sweetly, gently funny and poignant at the same time, The Funeral is perfectly pitched to a childs understanding. This uncomplicated story will also charm adults who recognize that being remembered is a gift.

Kathie Meizner

Two richly illustrated new books look back at some turbulent events of the last century from an American perspective. In More Deadly Than War (Henry Holt, ages 10-14), Kenneth C. Davis explores the Spanish flu, which killed 50 million people worldwide in 1918 and 1919. Davis draws on recent research to explain how the pandemic was boosted by World War I, spreading from person to person via training camps, transport ships, battle trenches and even patriotic parades on the home front. Davis account untangles the scientific advances, international conflicts and cultural currents that shaped this catastrophic event, ending with a call for robust public-health systems to combat future epidemics. Marc Favreaus Crash (Little, Brown, ages 10 and older) looks at another difficult historical moment: the Great Depression. Using photographs and firsthand accounts, Favreau shows how the economic downturn affected a wide variety of people. The book also explains the New Deal in an accessible way, focusing on the national recovery efforts by such figures as President Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and NAACP leader Walter White. Both books help young readers understand calamities in our past, offering valuable lessons on how they inform our present and future.

Abby McGanney Nolan
Little girls twirled in flowing Mexican dresses under the shade of Minute Maid Park Saturday morning, while young boys wearing traditional straw hats scrambled for candies thrown from the parade floats inching along Texas Avenue.

Their parents, some who were born in Mexico and now raise families in Houston, watched with pride as their children enjoyed the Cinco de Mayo Parade, sponsored by League of United Latin American Citizens District 8 for the 32nd year.

They want them to continue their heritage, said Maria Talavera, 21, of the parents and grandparents. In my household we dont speak English because they dont want us to lose it.

The celebration commemorates the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla which took place in 1862. The Mexican army, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza, successfully pushed back the French forces of Napoleon III.

They tell us stories of what the meaning was, Talavera said. For me, its a festival. Its something you should be proud of.

The cultural links were on colorful display in the dozen or so dance troupes of young girls and boys who participate in Ballet Folklorica. The dance, which originates in Mexico and can vary from region to region, is spread across Houston through private dance studios and schools like Franklin Elementary. A group of students represented the school, east of downtown, in the folklorica tradition.

Its another way for parents to pass down Mexican traditions to generations of young people who may have never been to the country, said Al Maldonado, district director and chairman of LULAC in Houston.

One troupe, Herencia Mexicana, which means, Mexican Heritage, has been teaching kids and teens the dances for four years. Its float was decorated to mimic the gondola-style boats that glide down waterways in Mexico City, said Sandra Giron, through an interpreter. Giron is a teacher at the dance studio located on the northside. They even had a young man pushing a gondoliers pole along the street.

Giron said teaching the dances take her back to her native land.

The nostalgia and the love I feel for Mexico and the love I feel for the dance  it makes me very happy, very proud she said as tears began to flow.

There were homages to Mexican culture among the spectators well. Young girls and women wore the long, colorful, embroidered dresses that typify the countrys traditional dress. They donned thick braids around the crown of their heads and the girls swished their flowing skirts as they waited for the next round of candy.

Vendors offered homemade tamales, $10 for a dozen. Most said they expected to sell out during the parade.

A volunteer and LULAC member, Sammy Ramirez, helped keep the parades path clear.

Its a celebration of our ancestors and our nationality, he said.

People a variety of backgrounds participated in the parade, with African-American high schoolers marching with a drum line and diverse groups of Girl Scouts walking the route with banners held high.

Hispanic leaders rode in convertibles behind Mayor Sylvester Turner when the parade kicked off. State Sen. Sylvia Garcia, state Rep. Armondo Walle and City Councilwoman Karla Cisneros waved to crowds.

Leaders who embrace Mexican culture make people like Talaveras mother, Maria Pacheco, feel welcome.

She likes it because shes showing us how they celebrated in Mexico, Talavera said.

Pacheco, 45, said as her daughter interpreted, Thank God the U.S. lets us celebrate this day and its not banned.

jaimy.jones@chron.com

twitter.com/Jaimyjones
Catherine OBrien, associate vice chancellor of college readiness with Houston Community College, has been awarded the 2018-2019 Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence.

The Aspen fellowship program is aimed at preparing the next generation of community college presidents. OBrien is one of 40 college administrators across the nation to be named a 2018 fellow by the Aspen Institute, which advances higher education practices, policies and leadership that significantly improve student outcomes.
As a former federal prosecutor and current chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) has battled drug cartels and terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Queda. Now McCaul, who represents Katy in Washington, D.C., said human traffickers are next.

These human sex traffickers are really the worst of the worst. They deserve the worst punishment, McCaul said after hosting a human trafficking awareness roundtable at the Katy Independent School Districts Legacy Stadium.

Representatives from federal, state and local agencies were on hand at the May 2 event to share their ideas about how to grapple with what officials said was a growing problem impacting communities throughout the state and nation.

Experts define human trafficking as controlling a person through force, fraud or coercion to exploit the victim. More than 300,000 victims are in Texas alone. While anyone can be a victim, the average age is 13 and more than half of the victims are women and girls, according to Houston Crime Stoppers.

This is a dark stain on humanity. Its modern day slavery in our lifetime and we need to do something about it, McCaul said.

Represented at the human trafficking roundtable were agencies like Homeland Security and the Houston Police Department to non-government organizations like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

It can happen here in Katy, Texas, McCaul said. Its not just urban America, its suburban America.

Mark Dawson, special agent in charge of Houstons Homeland Security Investigations office, said combatting human trafficking is one of their top priorities every year.

But no one agency can take on the challenge of something as large as this, he said.

Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, agreed with Dawson.

It has to be a multi-disciplinary approach, he said.

Capt. Derek Prestridge with DPS said their patrol troopers are being trained to look for the signs of a possible human trafficking case during routine traffic stops on the freeways.

Weve come in contact with those children on a daily basis. We have to start accounting for, them, Prestridge said. We have to stop waiting for children to tell us theyre victims. It is a case of asking the right questions.

McCaul said the proactive DPS approach could be a model for other states to follow. Its being the eyes and the ears - how to identify the warning signs of sex trafficking and sex exploitation and bring those criminals to justice, he said.

Scott Santoro with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center warned the panelists about inconsistency in training standards for dealing with sex trafficking.

We cant just hope that a victim is in a jurisdiction that has great training, Santoro said.

McCaul pointed out some legislative success at a national level with dealing with human trafficking, including the passage of the Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign Authorization Act of 2017 - later signed into law by President Trump - which prioritizes combatting sex trafficking as one of the departments primary missions. He also credited passage of a bill that makes it easier to take down internet sites that exploit children for sex trafficking.

But, McCaul said Texas needs to toughen up some of its own human trafficking laws. He cited a case where a convicted sex trafficker exploited a girl for more than a week but was released after receiving deferred adjudication in the case.

That is not acceptable. It should not be acceptable in our criminal justice system, McCaul said.

Kathryn Griffins perspective on the days topic was different than the other panelists at the roundtable. Although now with the Harris County Precinct One Constables Office its human trafficking director, Griffin is a convicted former prostitute with a $30,000 a month crack cocaine habit whose life began spiraling out of control after she was sexually abused as a child.

She said the trauma of being abused as a child broke her down.

I wanted to die with a crack pipe in my hand, Griffin said, recalling her lowest moment in the life of a sex trafficking victim.

She warned the panelists not to underestimate the street smarts of the sex traffickers. She said they will change their recruiting and operating strategies as the situation dictates.

The real pimps never get caught. They sit back and collect all the money, Griffin said. They think our sentencing is a joke.

In the end, law enforcement agencies can only do so much and whats needed is greater public awareness about sex trafficking, McCaul said.

A lot of people dont want to recognize that this is in their back yard. Some school districts dont want to acknowledge that (it) could exist in their neighborhoods, McCaul said. The fact is, its there. Its kind of like peeling the layers of an onion. It gets worse the more you look into this.

mike.glenn@chron.com
A Fort Bend County couple recently returning from a vacation say they were horrified to discover a fraudulent real estate agent that offered to help sell their waterfront home had illegally transferred the deed to a mysterious Wyoming company. Even worse, the agent had changed the locks on the home and Pamela and John Hall arrived to find another family in the process of moving in to their two-story Missouri City home.

The family saw the house listed as a rental on Craigslist and paid the fake real estate agent $4,000 as part of a fraudulent lease agreement. The Halls went to the house and found strangers moving their furniture into the house, said Scheketta Lawson, a Houston realtor, later hired by the Halls to help straighten things out and put the house back on the market.

The fake real estate agent told the family moving in that two crazy people might show up claiming to own the house and said just ignore them, Lawson said.

The trouble started in March when a Realtor contacted the Halls offering to help sell their home. The agent brought papers to Pamela Halls work for her to sign, giving the agent authorization to contact the mortgage holder. From there, the agent allegedly produced fraudulent power-of-attorney documents that allowed the deed to be transferred.

The Halls, both Army veterans who fought in Desert Storm, were working to down-size and had moved to a smaller home. The large two-story home they lived in for more than 12 years had been empty while they waited for a buyer.

But after suffering flood waters more than five-feet deep at their new home, the couple were once again struggling to rebuild.

We lost everything during Hurricane Harvey. It was terrible, Pamela Hall said. We were starting to make progress and now this happened. Its been extremely upsetting.

The Halls have since contacted the Missouri City Police Department who say they are seeking a person of interest in connection with investigation. Police officials recently released the following statement via email:

A Missouri City resident was under the impression they were hiring a real estate agent to sell their home. A female portraying herself to be an agent allegedly produced fraudulent documentation purchasing the home and taking ownership of the residence. The female agent (person of interest) then posted the residence for lease on Craigslist. A secondary couple observed the ad and made contact with the female, signed a lease agreement unaware there was an investigation into whether or not she (the agent) had a legal right to lease the residence. They paid approximately $4k to the female agent. The Missouri City Police Departments Criminal Investigation Division is conducting an investigation to determine if the documents were forged and to properly identity the female involved in this case.

Anyone with information related to the alleged fraudulent real estate transaction is asked to contact the Missouri City Police Department at 281-403-8700.

knix@hcnonline.com
A three-alarm warehouse fire in Houston's East End scorched at least one nearby home and led to the hospitalization of a firefighter.

Firefighters were called out to a warehouse fire on North Drennan Street near Navigation Boulevard shortly after 7 p.m. Friday, according to Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena. Firefighters met heavy smoke and flames coming from a mattress warehouse.

Within minutes, firefighters pulled a second alarm  and then a third as flamed continued to shoot through the corrugated metal building's roof, ultimately knocking down the structure's walls.

Winds forced smoke and flames south onto several homes, damaging at least one, Pena said. The extent of the damage is unclear.

Nearby residents were asked to evacuate their homes.

Elizabeth Compaen, whose mother's home backs up to the warehouse, helped usher her mom to safety as police kept people away from the scene.

"Her house is right in line with the flames right there," Compaen said. "We were just getting home and saw these flames and everything just going."

At least one firefighter was transported to the hospital as a precaution, Pena said.

Water-pressure issues forced firefighters to use pumper trucks to relay water from hydrants that were further away. During that operation, a fire engine sustained a mechanical issue, Pena said, causing it to catch fire itself.

Firefighters were still battling the blaze as of 10 p.m..

See photos of first responders at the scene above.

Jay R. Jordan is a breaking news reporter at Chron.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan.
President Donald Trump is set to meet with North Korea leader Kim Jong Un, according to a speech he made Friday during the the National Rifle Association's annual meeting in Dallas, Texas.

Trump discussed how the U.S. was "doing really well with North Korea" during the 147th annual meeting of the NRA, CNN reported.
Courtesy photo

The Central Fort Bend Chamber, along with members of the community, welcomed Carrus Care ER at their Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on April 27, 2018. Attendees were able to participate in drawings, visit vendor booths, tour the state-of-art ER facility, visit with Richmond Fire Department and Pecan Grove Volunteer Fire Department, and participate in fun family activities. Carrus Care is located at 8111 West Grand Parkway South in Richmond. It is open 24 hours.
Casablanca Finance City (CFC) signed a partnership agreement with Xicheng District Financial Development Promotion Center (XDFDPC) to promote investment opportunities between the two countries.

The agreement is in line with CFCs expansion strategy after it signed similar agreements with London, Luxembourg, Montreal, Paris, Astana and Busan.

Under this agreement, the two parties shall cooperate in various fields including fintech, attracting multinational companies, training and research.

Speaking on this occasion, Director of Xicheng financial district Lu Wuxing said the agreement aims to open new cooperation prospects between Morocco and China as they celebrate the 60th anniversary of their bilateral ties.

For his part, CEO of CFC Said Ibrahimi said that the agreement is the first of its kind sealed with a Chinese party. We are strongly convinced that such an agreement will play a key role in promoting ties between China, Morocco and Africa, he said.

By February, CFC counted 144 members including renowned companies such as Lloyds, Allianz, Marubeni, Mercer and Sumitomo. 43% of the members are from Europe, 35% from Africa, 14% from America, 5% from the Middle East and 3% from Asia.

CFC status entitles privileges to eligible companies, such as attractive tax incentives, a business-friendly environment, and cooperative government institutions that facilitate quick creation of legal entities and granting of licenses.

Five years after its inception, CFC has earned its place on the continental and international scene. In 2016, CFC topped African financial centers, according to the rankings of the Global Financial Centers Index (GFCI).
Residents in The Woodlands and throughout Montgomery County can now text 911 in case of an emergency.

The new Text-to-911 service went into effect starting this month and is a county-wide initiative aimed at persons in need of assistance, but who cannot make a phone call due to being in a perilous situation.

Andrea Wilson, the public education coordinator for Montgomery County Emergency Communication District 911, said a variety of dangerous situations would make it necessary for people to text emergency personnel instead of calling 911.

(An) Abduction, a domestic violence situation or a break-in, Wilson said of possible issues when a voice call may be dangerous. If a person cannot call 911, we encourage them to use the text feature.

In a statement, MCED 911 President Paul Virgadamo said he was pleased to upgrade the services for the citizens of Montgomery County.

Text-to-911 will be useful for the deaf/hard of hearing community and in circumstances when a voice call cannot be placed such as an abduction, Virgadamo said in the release.

The county initiative is part of a nationwide public education campaign, Call if Can, Text if You Cant.

In the future, Wilson said, public safety personnel will be looking at additional ways to allow those in need to contact police, including SMS messages or by sending video and photos to dispatchers through text.

More Information If You Need to Use Text-to-911, remember these steps:  Don't text and drive  When sending a text to 9-1-1, do not include dashes or any other characters.  In the first text message send the location and type of emergency.  Text in simple words. Send a short text message without abbreviations or slang.  Be prepared to answer questions and follow instructions from the 9-1-1 call taker.  Photos and videos cannot be sent to 9-1-1 at this time.  Text-to-9-1-1 cannot include more than one person. Do not send your emergency text to 9-1-1 in a group text message.  Voice calls to 9-1-1 are always the best and fastest way get help. SOURCE: Montgomery County Emergency Communication District See More Collapse

But thats in the future, she added.

For now, dispatchers have been receiving training on how to receive texts from those in need of help.

In Houston, dispatchers with the Houston Police Department have been using a similar service since 2014, according the Houston Chronicle.

While the service is currently available throughout Montgomery County, district officials said it may not be available once a resident steps out of the county or in areas with wireless coverage gaps.

The Montgomery County Emergency Communication District 911 is a third-party coordinating agency for 911 emergency personnel throughout Montgomery County, The Woodlands and the city of Conroe.

Michelle Iracheta
When the owners of the ever-popular Houston eatery House of Pies announced they were opening a fourth location in The Woodlands, scores of excited residents from around the area expressed their joy in online posts to social media.

Those dessert loving diners across northern Harris and Montgomery counties can mark their calendars for a possible opening date for the restaurant, said House of Pies co-owner Shukri Ganim. If all goes as planned, Ganim said on May 2, the location in The Woodlands could be open by August.

Ganim and his development and architecture team have been attending recent meetings of The Woodlands Township Development Standards Committee where they are hashing out the design and signage details of the new eatery, which will be located at 1330 Lake Woodlands Drive in the Village of Town Center.

Right now, were waiting for approvals from The Woodlands, were expecting to be open around Augustsometime in August, Ganim said. (Were) Very excited, I think it is going to be great for us and great for The Woodlands.

The Woodlands location will be housed in the former Black-eyed Pea Restaurant, which closed in 2016. The new House of Pies will include all the usual amenities and decor found in the three locations in Houston, and it will have a small outdoor dining area on one side of the restaurant which will allow diners to enjoy sunny weather while eating, Ganim added.

This area, its beautiful, Ganim said of the outdoor dining aspect. Its something cool.

The restaurant is open 24 hours a day, and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as more than 45 pies and cakes. A Houston tradition, the restaurants three locations regularly see long lines of customers waiting to eat on site or get pies or cakes to go.

The founders made (all the recipes) up. My family took over 20 to 25 years ago and weve just kept the tradition alive, Ganim said.

The restaurant is currently hiring 60 to 70 people for the new location, including servers, cooks, bakers, management personnel and dishwashers. Those interested in applying can stop by one of the three existing locations and fill out an application, or telephone one of the eateries and inquire about interviews and other ways to apply.

Ganim and others involved in the three-restaurant chain, considered one of the best pie bakeries in Southeast Texas, said they expect the restaurant  founded in 1967  to keep expanding with new locations in the future.

Now is the time to spread the love, Ganim said. Were looking to grow.
Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Houston Chronicle

Adding to the upheaval facing the Houston Independent School District, Chief of Staff Cynthia Wilson is expected to leave the district in the coming weeks and return to the Dallas ISD, where she worked from 2015 to 2017.

Dallas ISD officials said Friday that Wilson will become the districts chief of human capital management on July 1. The announcement comes one month after former HISD superintendent Richard Carranza, who hired Wilson, left his position to become chancellor of New York City public schools.
Were we ever so young? Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

When historians  or, really any of us  look back at President Trumps ascent to the presidency, they will identify many moments over the years, big and small, that could be identified as warning signs of the catastrophe to come. There was the Great Recession, the aftereffects of which hollowed out communities that thrilled to Trumps nativism. On a much more micro scale, there was the White House Correspondents Dinner in 2011, where Trump was ritually humiliated by Seth Meyers and Barack Obama, perhaps fueling the white-hot rage behind his White House bid.

But in purely political terms, one other moment leaps to mind: the day in 2008 when John McCain upended expectations by picking then-Alaska governor Sarah Palin to be his vice-presidential running mate. Its not as if Republicans hadnt worn the badge of anti-intellectualism before (see: Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush). But Palin personified a dangerous new strain. She (infamously) didnt read much; put forth few policy positions beyond drill, baby drill; excelled at whipping up crowds into a frothing frenzy; and attacked Barack Obama in brazen, personal terms. Stylistically, she seemed to be almost completely at odds with McCain, a deeply conservative traditionalist who prefers military wars to cultural ones.

But by and large, the GOP base adored Palin. Its loving embrace of such an unhinged figure was an early sign that the Republican Party was far more willing to tolerate qualities once thought to be disqualifying for public life than many people understood.

Throughout the campaign, and since, McCain has steadfastly defended Palin. But in a story reported from his Arizona ranch, where the senator is relaxing between treatment for brain cancer and receiving old friends during what may be his final days, the New York Times reports that McCain does have regrets about his VP pick. The reason for his discontent  which he has elaborated on in an upcoming book and movie  is that he wishes he had trusted his instincts and picked Joe Lieberman instead.

While he continues to defend Ms. Palins performance, Mr. McCain uses the documentary and the book to unburden himself about not selecting Mr. Lieberman, a Democrat-turned-independent, as his running mate.

He recalls that his advisers warned him that picking a vice-presidential candidate who caucused with Democrats and supported abortion rights would divide Republicans and doom his chances.

It was sound advice that I could reason for myself, he writes. But my gut told me to ignore it and I wish I had.

Setting aside Joe Liebermans many faults, before the 2008 election and since (and the fact that McCain-Lieberman would be unlikely to perform better among voters than McCain-Palin did), its striking that, even at this late stage, McCain wont admit that Palin represents the same variation of grievance politics he now abjures.

McCain, who President Trump has taunted in grossly personal terms (I prefer war heroes who werent captured) has been one of the few Republicans to consistently take on the president. He has attacked Trumps spurious, half-baked nationalism and furiously criticized his continuous praise of Vladimir Putin. And while he often votes for the presidents priorities, making his everlasting maverick label something of a joke, he was the deciding no to kill Obamacare repeal in the Senate, an act of apostasy that has earned Trumps perpetual ire.

But McCain is not just unpopular with the far right because of his #resistance moments. Hes also out of sync with the GOP base in most other ways. Hes a national-security hawk in a time of Republican isolationism, a centrist on immigration in a party full of America Firsters. Beyond his policy positions, McCain is out of step in another important way: he wants Republicans to step back from the toxic, grievance-based ideology that now dominates the party.

Before he helped torpedo the GOP health care vote last summer, McCain gave a stirring speech on the Senate floor, pleading with his fellows lawmakers to return to a politics of decency and consensus.

I hope we can again rely on humility, on our need to cooperate, on our dependence on each other to learn how to trust each other again and by so doing better serve the people who elected us, he said. Stop listening to the bombastic loudmouths on the radio and television and the Internet. To hell with them. They dont want anything done for the public good.

McCain framed the problem as a bipartisan one. But its the Republican party where the bombastic loudmouths have really gained control in recent years, culminating in the partys surrender to President Trump. John McCain has always called himself a maverick, but hell end his life as all but an outcast.

It is facile to draw a straight line from Palin to this sad state of affairs. But it is striking that, even now, McCain cannot, or will not, fully reckon with the forces he helped unleash.
A man was stabbed in the neck late Friday outside a Northline bar, according to police.

Houston police found the wounded man outside Nick's Drive Inn Bar by Berry and Madie around 11 p.m.
Former President George H.W. Bush was discharged from Houston Methodist Hospital Friday, 12 days after he was admitted with a blood infection.

Spokesman Jim McGrath tweeted that "his doctors report he is doing well and is happy to return home."

Bush had expressed his eagerness to leave Thursday, tweeting that "the doctors, nurses and support staff are so nice, but the second I get the green light I'm outta here."

He is looking forward to returning to his summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine, McGrath has said.

BARBARA BUSH REMEMBERED: 'A wonderful role model to everyone'

Bush was hospitalized April 22. He spent the first days in intensive care, then was moved to a regular room.

Bush was admitted the day after his wife Barbara was laid to rest following a funeral service in Houston that drew more than 1,500 invited guests. She died at home on April 17 of complications from congestive heart failure and COPD, having forgone additional medical treatment.

The discharge comes two days after Methodist held a ceremony to name the atrium of a new building after the former president and Barbara. Bush said he was "quite moved" by the gesture in his Thursday tweet.

Todd Ackerman writes about medicine for the Houston Chronicle. He can be reached at todd.ackerman@chron.com or on Twitter@ChronMed.
Trump's roundtable has ended. And while the official visit was supposed to be the promotion of GOP tax plan -- or as Trump called it, the "tax cut plan" -- there was plenty of campaigning, especially on behalf of Renacci.

Trump also had a wildly different demeanor than his normal rallies, where he's often yelling and whipping the crowd into a frenzy. His Cleveland visit was more a campaign rally couched inside a policy discussion.

The big winner of the day, though, is Renacci. His Senate campaign hasn't caught on as many in the state party had hoped. His last fundraising report showed he only brough in $500,000, though loaned himself $4 million in the race.

Now Renacci has a "Trump bump" going into Tuesday, which could help to fend off rivals who felt Renacci was vulnerable, especially considering polling shows half the electorate is undecided.

Seth Richardson
So nice! Bad idea. Photo: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images

I love the New York waterfront, I love a boat ride, and I especially love riding on the East River ferry. The scenery, the breeze, the (quite clean, nowadays) seawater scent: Its just a great way to move around the city. I use the one that runs from East 35th Street regularly, for weekend trips to Brooklyn or downtown, especially in the summer. So please believe me when I tell you, with regrets, that the big expansion of ferry funding that the de Blasio administration announced Thursday is a terrible idea.

The mayors plan is to double the contribution from the city, making its stake a bit more than $600 million spread over five years. A small fleet of vessels is on order, and others will be leased. The system now carries 4.6 million people a year, with a projection that itll soon reach 9 million annually. Its popular! And indeed that sounds like a lot of people  until you learn that the subway system carries 5.6 million per weekday, and the bus system another 2.4 million. In other words, one day of subway-and-bus service nearly equals a year of projected ferry service. Two years, at the current level of ferry use. More people use Citibike. More people ride a single bus line, the M14. Or heres another way of thinking about it: That single boat, with 149 passengers, leaving every half hour or so? It has the capacity of one subway car.

Admittedly, there is not just one ferry: There will be 22 boats altogether. Several have larger capacities, some up to 500 people, which  all right, sure  is two-and-a-half train cars. They will run every 20 minutes or so, a fraction of the number of times the trains do. Still a drop in the bucket. Youre adding one trains worth of people to the entire transit system every half hour.

Imagine if the MTA spent that much to add a single-car train to each of its 27 lines, and shuttled it back and forth a couple of dozen times a day in between the dozens of other trains, in order to transport an extra 149 people each time. Would you call that a huge boon to the mass-transit system? You would not. You would call it a sad joke. But because its above ground, out on the water, full of people in sunglasses with cameras, its a civic treasure.

But (I hear you saying) why are you against adding boats to the system? Maybe it wont take all that much load off the trains, but whats the harm? Well, yes, having several ways of getting around is, in theory, a good idea: Redundancy is valuable when one portion of the system fails. It is also true that boats, in the abstract, are cheaper to buy and maintain than trains. But that alternative does not come without a cost. The ferry you take from 34th Street to Wall Street will cost you $2.75 out of pocket, same as a single-ride MetroCard. But it actually takes a very large city subsidy, twice as much as your equivalent subway ride would, to keep that boat running. The ferry is boosted by $6.60 per rider, whereas the train fare is matched by $3.31. Some water commuters have been subsidized by much more, notably the clownishly uneconomical Rockaway ferry, for which the city was kicking in $20 per ride before it shut down. It has since returned, at a somewhat saner level of subsidy.

All water-crossers commuted this way, 140 years ago. The harbor was thick with little boats scurrying between the riverbanks. After the Brooklyn Bridge and its neighbors went over the rivers, and the tunnels went under, the ferry business nearly evaporated. Why? Because it was slow and inefficient. Everyone learned immediately that tunnels and bridges move people far, far more expeditiously, en masse. The lone major exception is the Staten Island Ferry, and its an entirely different enterprise, running a fleet of eight far larger ships, some of which carry 6,000 passengers at once. If we tried that on the East River, this would be a different conversation.

I suspect that the half-true romanticization of the citys waterborne industrial past  Ill cite here the Mast Brothers sweet, dopey chocolate-carrying sloop  blinds people to the fact that many of the old ways died out for good reason, despite their charm. I like typewriters myself, a whole lot, but I also know that producing pages on them 30 years ago made my back and shoulders ache, and reworking a manuscript was a huge deadening job. Some of those things can be revived at smaller scale, allowing us to experience their charms and pleasures without directly punitive results to others: There is a wonderful sensory upside to an heirloom tomato or a small-batch bourbon, for example. The difference is that eating or drinking it does not directly stop anyone else from getting less interesting produce or whisky, except in an indirect economic-disparity sense.

Whereas when you funnel all that money over to ferryboats, what you are directly not doing is fixing subway stations, replacing train cars, building dedicated transit lanes above ground. (For comparison: The MTA spends about $15 billion a year on operating expenses, which includes the suburban services like Metro-North and the LIRR, and the current capital plan is for $33 billion over four years. This $600 million is equivalent to 3 percent of the 2018 capital budget, and it is not going to serve anything like 3 percent of the relevant population.) A new subway car now costs about $2 million, give or take. That $600 million would get you 300 of them. And in fact, we are still running and maintaining more than 200 Brightliner cars, also known as the R32, the ones with corrugated metal sides on the A, C, J, and Z lines. They were built in 1964 and 1965. They are the oldest subway trains in regular use anywhere on earth. And guess what: They break down a lot. Is the very real possibility of 2,000 people sitting under Eighth Avenue for an hour when a train stalls worth the option of my nice little cruise at dusk? I wish it were, but it is not.

Really, though, if were able to assemble $600 million for transit upgrades, the thing to spend it on is probably the least glamorous way of getting around, and that is the bus system. It gives considerably less sensory pleasure to ride on a jolting, traffic-bound bus as it galumphs along at six miles per hour. That bus is also, if managed correctly (especially if it has its own dedicated lane, which minimizes the aforementioned galumphing), a hundred times more versatile and useful than the ferry. And indeed that figure is barely an exaggeration: You could run several dozen buses across the river in the time it takes one similar-capacity ferryboat to make its five- or six-stop trip. It would probably pollute less, too, at least per capita: The newer city buses run on cleaner power than marine diesel. Mind you, the bus experience is no fun. Nobody on it gets any sun or salt spray. But they do get to work, possibly even on time.

But, as I say, I do love a ferry ride. So do quite a few Wall Street commuters. So do you, if youve tried it. And heres a question: If this is is a boutique service, beloved of upscale commuters, not especially efficient but far nicer than the alternative, why should it cost the same as the rest of the transit system? (De Blasio has pledged to keep it that way.) If people really prefer it, and the thing has a long waiting line on nice days, it seems logical to make riders pay something like it costs, which is still less than theyd spend for a car-share ride. Dont make it siphon cash out of the bus system; have it compete with Uber and Lyft. Call it Eau-ber. Id download that app in a second.
Bitcoin is rallying and can no longer be ignored, said Brian Kelly, founder and CEO of BKCM LLC, an investment firm focused on digital currencies.

"It's a serious market," Kelly said from Hoover Institution's annual Monetary Policy Conference at Stanford University on Friday.

"When I would go to events like this in years past, you would kind of dismiss bitcoin," Kelly said on "Fast Money." "But it's been brought up several times at this conference and taken quite seriously. And I think you have to with a market cap at half a trillion dollars."

The cryptocurrency reached $9,700 around 5:15 p.m. ET Friday. While significantly lower than its mid-December highs around $19,700, the coin continues to regain losses from lows of around $6,000 earlier this year.

Kelly credits Goldman Sachs and its plans to open the first bitcoin trading firm of any Wall Street bank for pushing the demand higher.

"Goldman made a big move into the cryptocurrency space," Kelly said. "They are definitely the leaders among the institutions in the space."

Regulatory clarity is also pushing the coin's value higher.

"One thing that is interesting is that bitcoin is clearly a currency," Kelly said. "Almost everyone I've talked to, and people here at this event, are talking about bitcoin as a currency, not a security."

Finally, Kelly said Blockchain Week New York City, bitcoin's biggest event, is coming up next week, helping to generate more buzz around the coin.

"Essentially, everyone from the world will be descending upon New York to talk about cryptocurrency," he said.
Churchill Downs Incorporated: "It's been a huge winner for a very long time and I don't see that going away. But it did have a dip  let's wait for another before pulling the trigger."

PayPal: "I'm going to sit down with [CEO] Dan Schulman [on Saturday] as part of a Street.com boot camp in Manhattan. I, too, am worried. My charitable trust owns PayPal. I think this could be an opportunity, but let me speak with him at the conference."

Wyndham Worldwide: "Look, [CEO] Steve Holmes is still there. I know they're splitting the company up. I would not hold, not sell; I would buy. Stock's down. I think it's terrific. And, by the way, Holmes, when he's done, he may be Hall of Fame material."

Devon Energy Corporation: "Devon Energy shot the lights out. They put up fantastic numbers. They've got growth. Good for them. They're back. They're bigger than ever. Devon is a buy."

Discovery Inc.: "Oh, man, I love this combination with Scripps. I can't believe it's still hanging around the low $20s. That's really obnoxious."

Cypress Semiconductor: "Cypress Semi is cheap and now that we've got the Chinese making a deal with Qualcomm, maybe there's a little M&A action in there, too."
The Republican primary has featured often bitter and personal attacks, and no candidate appears to have a clear edge going into Tuesday.

The winner of Tuesday's primary election will face Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly, one of the most vulnerable incumbent senators.

In the Indiana Republican Senate primary, candidates Todd Rokita, Luke Messer and Mike Braun are trying to channel President Donald Trump.

Republican candidates for Senate in Indiana are jostling to prove who better channels President Donald Trump as they try to get a swing at one of the Senate's most vulnerable Democrats. Trump's rhetoric has echoed through the final days of the GOP race in Vice President Mike Pence's home state. Rep. Todd Rokita's campaign released a video ad Wednesday saying he is "tough enough to stand with Trump" and "stop the witch hunt" he says is orchestrated by Democrats and special counsel Robert Mueller. In a statement this week, Rep. Luke Messer pledged to support Trump's agenda and "make the Senate great again." Meanwhile, businessman and former state Rep. Mike Braun casts himself as an outsider in the mold of Trump who will help the president "drain the swamp." The three candidates have elbowed their way toward an election that will determine who faces Sen. Joe Donnelly in November. Donnelly, running in a state Trump won by nearly 20 percentage points in 2016, faces more electoral peril than just about any incumbent senator running this year.

Rep. Todd Rokita, R-Ind., who is running for the Republican nomination for Senate in Indiana, addresses voters in South Bend, Ind., on April 5, 2018. Tom Williams | CQ Roll Call | Getty Images

The only public poll taken in the race last month found a 10-point advantage for Braun, who has launched an ad blitz with more than $5 million of his own money loaned to his campaign. However, nearly half of those surveyed were undecided, suggesting no clear frontrunner with only days to go. The winner will have a strong opportunity to unseat Donnelly and take a seat Republicans may need to win to hold their Senate majority. Braun, 64, appeared to have the edge in mid-April, but the race seems to be more of a toss-up as Tuesday approaches due to the high proportion of undecided voters, according to a veteran Indiana Republican operative who declined to be named.

The candidates

Rokita, Messer and Braun have nearly tripped over themselves to prove who most emulates Trump. Rokita, 48, who has served in Congress since 2011, wore a Trump "Make America Great Again" hat in a TV ad. He has hit Messer for criticizing candidate Trump in 2016, and attacked Braun for putting his own money into the race and voting in Democratic primaries until 2012. (Rokita himself called Trump "vulgar" at one point in 2016). In a debate among the candidates Monday night, Rokita also called for an end to Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow. He echoed Trump, arguing "the witch hunt must end," according to the Indianapolis Star.

Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind., speaks during a rally to promote the importance of school choice as part of 'National School Choice Week,' in Russell Building on January 18, 2018. Tom Williams | CQ Roll Call | Getty Images

Messer, 49, who became a House member in 2013, has touted what he calls a record of supporting Trump's agenda. When asked during Monday's debate where he disagrees with the president on anything, he answered in part that the media "wants to divide us from the president." Messer helped to lead a push among House Republicans to nominate Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize for his role in setting up a summit to discuss denuclearization with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. The president is known to appreciate flattery and high-profile honors. Messer tweet Messer has attacked Rokita for not doing enough to support Trump, and also criticized Braun for his voting history. Braun has cast both members of Congress as creatures of a corrupt Washington political establishment. He notably released an ad in which he carried around life-sized cutouts of Rokita and Messer, and asked people in the street to identify the congressmen. They struggled to do so. In an ad late last month, Braun said, "I'm running because Trump paved the way."

Mike Braun, center, who is running for the Republican nomination for Senate in Indiana, attends the Kosciusko County Republican Fish Fry in Warsaw, Ind., on April 4, 2018. Tom Williams | CQ Roll Call | Getty Images

No particular approach to appealing to Trump voters has appeared to set a candidate apart, the Indiana GOP operative said. All of the GOP candidates have faced a share of personal attacks during the race. Two drunken-driving convictions against Messer when was in his 20s surfaced as an attack during the race. His campaign has said he apologized for and acknowledged the offenses. Rokita also had an alcohol-related brush with the law after a traffic stop when he was in college, according to the Indianapolis Star. But he was never formally charged with illegal consumption of alcohol and possession of a fake ID. Braun has brushed off his voting in Democratic primaries, saying he did so to "weigh in" on local races in a blue area and did not vote for Democrats in state or national elections. He also faced fresh criticism this week as an Associated Press investigation found his business record may not match his campaign rhetoric.

Few major policy differences

The three candidates largely support the same conservative policies: cutting taxes, curbing illegal immigration and replacing the Affordable Care Act. In Congress, Rokita and Messer supported the Trump-backed GOP plans to overhaul the American health-care and tax systems. The congressmen established one difference earlier this year, when Messer supported but Rokita opposed a massive omnibus spending bill to fund the government through September. Trump, who cheered the plan's large increase in military spending, had reservations about signing it because it did not go far enough to fund his proposed border wall. Braun has appeared to give the fewest policy specifics throughout the race. Like Trump, he has touted real-world experience that he says will help him govern better than career politicians.

Donnelly plays defense

Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind. Bill Clark | CQ Roll Call | Getty Images

Republicans have confidence that whomever the party nominates, the candidate will have a strong chance of beating Donnelly. The senator is one of 10 Democratic incumbents running in states Trump won in 2016. Donnelly, along with Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Claire McCaskill of Missouri, is widely considered one of the senators most likely to get unseated in November. Flipping his seat could prove crucial to whether Republicans can keep or expand their narrow 51-seat majority in the Senate. Since Trump became president, Donnelly has cast himself as one of the most bipartisan members of the Senate. He and other vulnerable Democrats have joined with Republicans on some votes, signaling the threat they face in opposing Trump too often. He has voted with Trump's positions about 55 percent of the time  the fourth-highest among current Democrats in the Senate, according to FiveThirtyEight. Donnelly trails only Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., Manchin and Heitkamp by that metric. Most recently, he broke with most of his party colleagues to support Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's confirmation and vote to roll back some Dodd-Frank financial industry regulations. He opposed the Republican plans to overhaul the U.S. tax and health-care systems last year, which earned him Trump's ire. Donnelly has done enough to at least make a plurality of Indiana voters have a positive view of him, according to a Morning Consult survey in April. Forty-two percent of the state's registered voters approve of his job performance, versus 32 percent who disapprove, according to the poll. Democrats see a possible advantage in the bitter GOP primary to challenge Donnelly. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee sent an email this week that in part argued "brutal GOP primaries ... have already left candidates in key races across the country wounded and cash-strapped." The Senate Democrats' campaign arm highlighted both the Indiana race and a West Virginia Republican Senate primary, which will also take place on Tuesday. Democrats have cited the personal attacks in Indiana's GOP race as a possible advantage for Donnelly.
Warren Buffett says he made mistakes by not investing in two dominant technology companies, Alphabet and Amazon.

Alphabet is the parent company of search engine Google.

"I made the wrong decisions on Google and Amazon," he said at the 2018 annual shareholder meeting on Saturday. "We've looked at it. I made the mistake in not being able to come to a conclusion where I really felt that at the present prices that the prospects were far better than the prices indicated."

He said it took Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to tell him to stop using Altavista as a search engine and use Google instead. And he should have been more aware because Berkshire subsidiary Geico was paying Google "a lot of money" at the time of its initial public offering.
"They are in their 80s and 90s and I wanted to see them before they retired," said Peng Chen, a 36-year-old man from Vancouver, who attended the so-called Woodstock for Capitalists for the first time this year.

Together, the two have created an empire worth nearly $500 billion. And as they get older, some shareholders say they want to make sure they have that in-person experience before it's too late.

Omaha, Neb.  Berkshire Hathaway 's annual meeting is an opportunity for shareholders and their family members to absorb first-hand the wisdom of Chairman Warren Buffett and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger .

The two men have had several books written about their approach to investing. Over the years, investors have tried to apply those teachings into their own portfolios.

Buffett turns 88 in August and Munger turned 94 in January. They have been working together about 40 years, when Buffett's Berkshire bought Wesco Financial, a company that was run by Munger. According to Forbes, Buffett and Munger are worth $82.9 billion and $1.67 billion, respectively.

Attendance at Berkshire's annual meeting has also grown explosively over the years. In 1986, about 1,000 people were present at the meeting. Last year, approximately 42,000 people attended the event.

"My brothers and I come here every year. It's really a brothers' get together for us," said Ed Gutowski, a 70-year-old shareholder. "We like to listen to what Warren and Charlie have to say."

But talks of succession have also increased with the passing of time. Earlier this year, Buffett appointed Gregory Abel and Ajit Jain to the Berkshire Hathaway board as vice chairs, a position that would suggest they are at least in the running to take the reins.

"I told my friend [before the meeting], you should come soon because Warren and Charlie are getting up there in age," said Steve Schell, a longtime Berkshire shareholder in his 60s.
President Donald Trump delivers remarks on tax cuts to the National Association of Manufacturers at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

President Donald Trump will meet on Saturday with U.S. officials that went to China to negotiate with Beijing over trade.

Trump tweeted late on Friday that the delegation had "long meetings" with Chinese leaders and business representatives. The meeting will plan to "determine the results" of the trade talks.

The president added that "it is hard for China in that they have become very spoiled with U.S. trade wins!"

TWEET

America's delegation arrived in China on Thursday and was led by led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who met with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He. The discussions were expected to cover a wide range of U.S. complaints about alleged unfair trade practices in Beijing.
"Cyber is uncharted territory. It's going to get worse, not better," he said at the Berkshire Hathaway 2018 Annual Shareholders Meeting Saturday. "There's a very material risk which didn't exist 10 or 15 years ago and will be much more intense as the years go along."

Warren Buffett believes cybersecurity incidents will rise, and with it the potential to significantly harm the insurance industry.

Buffett said he doesn't want much underwriting exposure to cybersecurity threats for Berkshire's insurance businesses. He noted the company has a "pretty good idea" on how to properly assess the probabilities for earthquakes in California and hurricanes in Florida, but not with computer hacking threats.

The investor expressed skepticism that any insurance company can assess the risk for cybersecurity events.

"We don't want to be a pioneer on this ... I think anybody that tells you now they think they know in some actuarial way either what [the] general experience is like in the future, or what the worst case can be, is kidding themselves," he added.
Warren Buffett predicts the U.S. and China will avoid a serious trade conflict.

"I don't think either country will dig themselves into something that precipitates and continues any kind of real trade war," he said at the Berkshire Hathaway 2018 annual shareholder meeting Saturday. "There will be some back and forth, but in the end I don't think we'll come out with a terrible answer on it."

Buffett said it was difficult politically to advocate for free trade as many of the benefits are spread across the whole population, while the negative effects "are very apparent and painful" to parts of the country.

But he is optimistic the two economic powers will figure it out because the awful historic track record of previous trade wars.

"We've had that in the past a few times, I think we learned a general lesson on it," he said. "It's just too big and too obvious, the benefits are huge and the world's dependent on it in a major way for its progress that two intelligent countries will do something extremely foolish."
CNBC researched Buffett's strategy combing through decades of Berkshire Hathaway meeting transcripts using the Buffett Archive to find his best wisdom and strategies for the average investor.

Buffett's track record is unparalleled. From 1965 to 2017, Berkshire Hathaway's rising market value generated a 20.9 percent annual return compared to S&P 500's 9.9 percent, resulting in a cumulative gain of 2,404,748 percent versus the market's 15,508 percent return.

Warren Buffett is one of the most celebrated investors in history. Many accomplished fund managers credited their success to following the Oracle of Omaha's common sense value investing philosophy.

Here is what we found.

1) Circle of competence

"Different people understand different businesses. And the important thing is to know which ones you do understand and when you're operating within what I call your circle of competence."  Warren Buffett, 1999 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting

Buffett stressed the importance looking at companies that are within his areas of expertise to avoid large investing mistakes. He wants to know how a business makes money and be confident on the sustainability of its profit streams over the long-term. He called the process "judging the future economics of a business."

He said if an investor is not sure if a company is within his or her circle of competence, it likely is not.

2) Piece of a business

"And I read Ben's [The Intelligent Investor] book in 1949 when I was at University of Nebraska, and that actually just changed my whole view of investing. And it really did, basically, told me to think about a stock as a part of a business  Once you crank into your mental apparatus that you're not looking at things that wiggle up and down on charts, or that people send you little missives on, you know, saying buy this because it's going up next week, or it's going to split, or the dividend's going to get increased, or whatever, but instead you're buying a business."  Warren Buffett, 2002 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting

Buffett wasn't born a great investor. He admitted he couldn't make any money in stocks even after reading many investing books as a teenager.

But everything changed when Buffett read Ben Graham's classic "The Intelligent Investor." The book's key tenet is to look at each stock purchase as buying a slice of a business and avoid being distracted by stock price movements.

Buffett attributed his eventual success to this investing framework.

3) Margin of Safety

"On the margin of safety, which means, don't try and drive a 9,800-pound truck over a bridge that says it's, you know, capacity: 10,000 pounds. But go down the road a little bit and find one that says, capacity: 15,000 pounds."  Warren Buffett, 1996 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting

When Buffett analyzes a prospective investment, he wants the value at his entry price to be much lower than his value estimate for the company. The difference between the two figures is his "margin of safety," which limits the size of losses in case there are errors in his business analysis or assumptions.

"The margin of safety concept boils down to getting more value than you're paying," Buffett's partner Charlie Munger once said.
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...
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KEY POINTS China's 2030 plan envisions building a $1 trillion A.I. industry.

Investors poured $4.5 billion into more than 200 Chinese A.I. companies between 2012 and 2017.

The biggest A.I. venture deal ever was completed last month when Alibaba led a $600 million deal for China-based facial-recognition start-up SenseTime.

The object detection and tracking technology developed by SenseTime is displayed on a screen at the Artificial Intelligence Exhibition & Conference in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, April 4, 2018. Bloomberg | Getty Images

As U.S. and Chinese officials engage in highly anticipated trade talks, officials from China have asserted that it will not discuss two of the biggest trade demands from the United States. One is about the U.S. trade deficit; the other is an issue that could become the greatest technology war in history: China's push into artificial intelligence. The United States has good reason to be concerned about China's hard stance. While the ongoing trade war is grabbing all the headlines, it's the tussle for dominance in the A.I. space that could shape the economic fortunes of the two world powers. Overshadowed by the dazzling A.I. advances made by the United States so far, China has been silently but resolutely building an ecosystem that is feeding and fueling its ambition to become a world leader in A.I. by 2030. Home to tech behemoths like Google, Microsoft, IBM and Apple, the United States is where the bulk of A.I. innovation has taken place. However, there are growing indications that China, with its own army of tech heavy hitters such as Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu, is moving rapidly to close the gap. For one, the Asian economic giant has all the ingredients it needs to upstage Silicon Valley: generous government coffers, large population, a thriving research community and a society eager for technological change. Its investment in A.I., chips and electrics cars combined has been estimated at $300 billion. In line with its 2030 vision, the government of Tianjin, a city a couple of hours from Beijing, plans to build a $5 billion fund to support the A.I. development. Money being no object, China is also building a giant $2.1 billion technology park to facilitate A.I. innovation. In a red-hot market for tech, China's A.I. start-ups can raise funds with relative ease. Investors poured $4.5 billion into more than 200 Chinese A.I. companies between 2012 and 2017, according to a white paper produced by Kai-Fu Lee, a former Google and Microsoft executive who now leads a venture-capital firm, Sinovation Ventures. China's goal is to foster a $1 trillion A.I. industry by 2030. Last month Chinese A.I. start-up SenseTime raised $600 million in a deal led by Alibaba, reported as the largest-ever in the A.I. space. The deal gave SenseTime an implied valuation in some reports of more than $3 billion, or even as high as $4.5 billion. "SenseTime is the perfect case study in the difference between Chinese and Western technological development," wrote Nicholas Colas, co-founder of DataTrek Research, in a recent report. "Artificial intelligence, and especially the A.I. that powers visual analytics, is a critical technology for a raft of new products. The Western companies have their own advantages, to be sure. But the Chinese model of government sponsorship and private capital is coming on very strong. SenseTime may be the hit investment of the moment coming out of this approach, but it certainly won't be the last."

By contrast, the U.S. research sector could be struggling for funding and policy support under the Trump administration. The American Association for the Advancement of Science said the White House planned to slash science and technology research funding by 15 percent in 2018. Worse, with the recent immigration clampdown, the United States may soon be struggling to attract and retain highly skilled tech experts from around the world that it needs to keep Silicon Valley at the cutting edge of A.I. research and innovation. There are indications America's grasp of A.I. primacy may already be slipping. According to the White House's National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan in A.I. research, China had already surpassed the United States, at least in terms of journal articles that mention "deep learning" or "deep neural network," as far back as 2016. "Sadly, when it comes to science and innovation, the U.S. is moving in reverse by cutting funding for research, denying climate change and cutting investments in education," said Vivek Wadhwa, a distinguished fellow and adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University's College of Engineering and author of The Driver in the Driverless Car: How Our Technology Choices Will Create the Future. U.S. leaders do not appear to be aware of A.I. developments, said Joshua Gans, business professor at the University of Toronto and co-author of Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence. "President Obama discussed it [AI] on numerous occasions," he said. "[Research funding cuts] is obviously bad news in terms of its ability to nurture scientific leadership. It is shortsighted and will harm the U.S. in the medium-long term."

China's timeline for global A.I. supremacy by 2030 may appear a tad overambitious, but opinions are divided as to whether it's achievable. Wadhwa, for one, feels China has many obstacles. "Governments can't make innovation by throwing money at it  this only leads to more corruption and bureaucracy," he said. "Innovation comes from people who have diverse ideas, take risks and challenge authority." Wadhwa's reservation contrasts with the conviction of William Weightman, a Fulbright Fellow researching intellectual property law in China. "While 12 years seems like a short amount of time to achieve such an ambitious target, it's not outside China's scope," said Weightman. "The world should not underestimate China's ability to mobilize a vast amount of resources to accomplish its goals." He used the example of the first high-speed rail line connecting Beijing and Tianjin, which was completed just in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. "Between the vast amount of state resources and the determination of the central leadership, China has a solid foundation on which to build an innovative A.I. sector," Weightman said.

China's demographics give it an unmatched advantage. The Asian giant has large consumer data (which fuels A.I.), scant regulation restricting the use of it, a supportive government both in terms of policy and funding, a population not overly concerned about privacy and a vigorous tech start-up culture that now boasts one-third of the world's unicorns  start-ups valued at $1 billion or more. Wadhwa conceded China clearly had an advantage in data, the key to training today's A.I., but said its importance may be overstated. "There will be a new generation of technologies that don't require as much data," he said. "New A.I. techniques which [will] work much differently than today's." It may also turn out that other things are more important than data, like a culture of innovation and scientific research. And while there is uncertainty around government support for scientific research, "the U.S. still has the most vibrant innovative economy," Gans said. "It also has leadership in science on this front, and if it can nurture that, it can compete." China still trails the United States in areas such as A.I. research talent and algorithm development, according to Weightman.

China's tech giants do not operate independently of government, and there is much uncertainty there. Their U.S. counterparts are freer on many important dimensions. Joshua Gans business professor at the University of Toronto and co-author of Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence.

Despite government apathy, tech innovation and research projects are taking place all over America, unlike only at a "few big companies and government labs as in China," Wadhwa said. "In risk-taking and technology development, China is only a child, where America is the leader." Gans said the freer hand of U.S. companies may also be an advantage. "China's tech giants do not operate independently of government, and there is much uncertainty there," he said. "Their U.S. counterparts are freer on many important dimensions." There is, however, little disagreement over the potentially damaging long-term impact of the U.S. immigration policies, an area where America's loss could be China's gain. "America's immigration policies are clearly slowing down progress by sending great people home and preventing the world's best and brightest from coming here," Wadhwa said. "This is real stupidity. The closest thing America has had to a free lunch is immigration." Conversely, China is going all out to actively woo A.I. talent from across the globe. The country has been recruiting highly skilled engineers of Chinese descent currently working in Silicon Valley to return to China.

China's blatant disregard for IP rules and trade-secret thefts have long angered the United States. As a stiff penalty for stealing, U.S. President Donald Trump recently proposed the imposition of hefty tariffs on Chinese imports. "China steals like no other country," Wadhwa said.



Gans takes the U.S. gripe with China about tech IP theft with a pinch of salt. "The damage is overstated," he said. "In effect, to do business with the West, Chinese companies must comply with IP laws, so while there may be a lax environment initially, when the companies succeed, they end up complying."



There is evidence that Chinese nationals have hacked foreign companies to steal IP. Claims of the Chinese government's complicity have led to real business consequences in 2018, from the massive Qualcomm-NXP deal being stopped by the U.S. government due to national security threats, to the Pentagon banning the Chinese telecom companies ZTE and Huawei from selling to members of the military, and the government still considering a wider ban against them. IP expert Weightman said U.S. firms weren't without blame. "My research has found little evidence that the Chinese government forces foreign companies to transfer technology in exchange for market access on the scale that many would lead us to believe," he said. "Although many firms enter into joint venture agreements with Chinese partners, their loss of IP is usually a result of foreign companies not doing their due diligence or feeling compelled for financial reasons to take the risk of entering the agreement without proper IP protection." A ready example of that would be U.S. chipmaker Nvidia, which gets a fifth of its business from China, and routinely trains Chinese scientists and gives away samples of their A.I. technology as part of business deals, according to a South China Morning Post report.

Visitors crowd around the Nvidia booth at the 2016 China Digital Entertainment Expo, known as ChinaJoy, in Shanghai. STR | AFP | Getty Images
Apples Siri virtual assistant is the best-known out there. Amazon dominates the home virtual-assistant appliance market with its Echo line.

But the early leaders rarely end up the market winners. Just a dozen years ago, the dominant mobile phone makers were Nokia and BlackBerry, and tech pundits were certain theyd be clobbered by Palm. Apple didnt have a phone. Most mobile phone users had never heard of Android.

Theres no reason to believe that todays virtual-assistant leaders will hold their lead.

The future of the virtual assistant is not where Apple dominates (on mobile phones) or where Amazon does (on home appliances). The space will be characterized by total ubiquity, which means wearables, all electronic devices, many IoT devices and embedded into all the places where humans spend time (offices, cars and homes).

Virtual assistants will become core enterprise tools and will be the main way humans are enhanced through artificial intelligence (A.I.).

I predicted in this space three and a half years ago that virtual-assistant appliances would become ubiquitous in homes, and last year that they would make inroads into the enterprise.

My newest prediction is that Google will win it all, becoming as dominant in virtual-assistant usage in the coming years as Facebook is dominant today in social, or as Apple in smartphone profits.

Heres why Im predicting that.

Google just hit the gas

Google I/O starts Tuesday, and the developers conference will be accompanied by lots of news, including announcements about new features for Google Assistant.

Google recently announced impressive penetration into third-party hardware. Specifically, in four months, it tripled the number of hardware devices that use Assistant  from January to now, they rose from 1,500 devices to 5,000. (Amazon still dominates, with 12,000 devices.)

Google launched Assistant globally this year and promises to expand from eight languages to more than 30 by the end of the year.

Lots of people love Google Assistant. Literally! When Google launched the Google Home device in India last month, Google executive Rishi Chandra said that some 450,000 Indians had proposed marriage to Google Assistant.

One reason for all that love is that Google Assistant is better, according to one report. A study published this week by the digital marketing firm Stone Temple found that Google Assistant is more accurate than Amazons Alexa, Siri or Microsofts Cortana. (Siri was found to be least accurate.)

Google Assistant is arguably the most transparent, which engenders trust. Google makes it easy to delete records of individual Assistant interactions, or all of them.

Google claims that Assistant can perform more than a million actions. But thats about to multiply enormously. Google has been building a developer program to encourage and help developers build apps for Assistant.

This week the company announced a new program that includes investment in startups that build Google Assistant apps. The company also promised mentorship, advice and promotional support, as well as access to new features, tools and the Google Cloud Platform.

Google is specifically interested in app developers creating apps and content for vertical industries.

The new initiative bolsters resources Google has previously offered to foster development, including an inexpensive Voice Kit.

In fact, Google Assistant is so important to Google that the company actually built two special Google Assistant buttons into its most important hardware products. The Google Pixelbook laptop has a dedicated key on the keyboard for conjuring up the Assistant. And the Pixelbook Pen stylus, which is sold separately from the Pixelbook, has a single button that, when pressed, queries the Assistant on whatever is circled with the Pen.

Of course, Google Assistant is already being used informally or unofficially by millions of people in businesses and enterprises. But I believe the new investment initiative will encourage a massive new push into the enterprise.

But heres the real reason Google Assistant will prevail

Google is the only major virtual-assistant company with the right mission and culture to succeed in this space.

To wit:

Amazon just wants to sell you stuff; the public doesnt see Amazon as an information source. Amazon wont give you the best price on something if that something isnt for sale on Amazon.

Microsoft doesnt have a foothold of any significance in mobile or in virtual-assistant appliances.

Apple has no interest in serving people who dont buy Apple hardware. So Apple wont even try to reach everybody with Siri.

Meanwhile, Google is at its core a search engine company. Because virtual assistants will largely supplant search engines, Google Assistant must predominate in order for Google to continuing being Google. Google Voice Search is being completely replaced by Google Assistant.

Apples advantage was that it started early with the acquisition of Siri eight years ago. Amazons advantage was the prescient release of the Amazon Echo appliance three years ago.

But as the competition heats up, it turns out Google has most of the advantages needed to win.

For starters, Googles Android is the worlds most widely used operating system, and its Play Store has by far the most apps. That translates to far more developers familiar with Googles development tools and processes, which will eventually translate into far more apps for the Assistant.

Second, the quality of A.I. will increasingly become a deciding factor, and on this score Google is way ahead of Amazon. Already, Google Assistant is being improved on Wear OS (formerly Android Wear) with a new feature called smart suggestions, enabling users to dig deeper into their Assistant queries by simply choosing one of the contextually relevant follow-up options it presents. Behind the scenes, Googles superior A.I. will reduce errors, increase predictive interaction and generally make Assistant more satisfying and powerful to use than the competition.

Third, Google has more user data, which improves personalization and agency as those very qualities become more central to the virtual-assistant experience. Beyond Search and other services, Google has access to data in your Gmail account, if you use Gmail, which is a gold mine of actionable user data for a personal assistant.

Fourth, as Whitney Houston used to sing, the children are our future. And children are increasingly getting Chromebooks in schools. Between 2012 and 2017, Googles share of the mobile K-12 education market rocketed from 5.2% to 59%, very much at the expense of Apple and Microsoft. This dominance is taking place at a time when Google Assistant is becoming increasingly integrated with, and central to, the Chromebook experience.

In other words, most high school grads from now on will be intimately familiar with Google Assistant.

In short, Google has far more people using its platforms, has better A.I. and has stronger motivation to win.

Bet on Google Assistant to dominate the coming world of virtual assistants.
People Like Us: Margaret Thatcher and Me by Caroline Slocock

Anyone interested in Margaret Thatcher should get hold of this book, and so should anyone who wishes for a feminism which encourages the acceptance of women in positions of power, rather than their denunciation as witches and bitches.

Caroline Slocock is no Thatcherite, but wept at the fall of Thatcher. She was the first female private secretary to work in Number Ten, which for the 18 months leading up to the grand climax of November 1990 put her in close proximity to the first female Prime Minister.

Here is a feminist who observes that feminism has enough battles to fight without attacking women who reach the top for not being the right kind of woman.

The most dramatic part of the book is without doubt the death scene which takes place at the end of 1990. Number 10 becomes more like the stage of an opera or the setting for a grand funeral, the corridors full of flowers, the normal ways of doing things abandoned: Time seems to stretch out, and there is a sadness and growing unreality in the air.

Slocock is one of the few officials, and only woman, who on 22 November sees Thatcher break down while reading her resignation statement to the Cabinet:

A sense of betrayal hangs in the air and the men look guilty. It is the raw hurt, anger and shock in her voice that really registers with me  that, and her loss of dignity and the sorrow felt by everyone in the room that things should end in this appalling way. It reduces me to unexpected tears, then, as I try to fight them back, even sobbing, as I leave the room.

On returning to Downing Street from Buckingham Palace, Thatcher breaks down in the front hall and starts sobbing in front of everyone there, the custodians and the detectives. Later that day, she gives her electrifying reply in the Commons to Labours motion of no confidence, in which she declares Im enjoying this.

Slocock, watching from the officials box to the right of the Speakers chair, finds tears once more springing to her eyes, and notices Neil Kinnock, the Leader of the Opposition, looking in her direction:

It might be a trick of my imagination but he seems to look closely at me. Perhaps he can see that I am moved. I wish I could explain to him that it is not that I agree with Margaret Thatcher or think it is wrong that she has resigned or even that I want her to stay. It is just that I feel the pain she is experiencing  and her courage  so greatly.

Thatcher inspires loyalty among her staff, treating them like family. Slocock sees how impolitic this is: it is the Conservative Party which requires that care and consideration, instead of which the Prime Minister treats Sir Geoffrey Howe with unbelievable rudeness.

One of Slococks duties is to brief the Prime Minister before visits to the regions, and to travel with her. She observes how Thatcher loves being let out to play, escaping the claustrophobia and the pressure of Downing Street.

And she senses that at the root of Thatchers excessive preparation for public speaking lay a sense of not being good enough just as herself. Hence the contrived tone of voice and over-scripted turns of phrase which so many people hated.

Slocock, who is in her early thirties and from a modest background, suffers from the same sense of not being good enough just as herself. Like Thatcher, she has ascended into the ruling class (not that she puts it that way), and feels the need for a manner which others will find acceptable.

This inability to be herself prevents Slocock from becoming one of the great diarists. She lacks the uninhibitedness which they display. On one occasion, Thatcher, who is deeply interested in clothes, notices the hem has come down on the skirt of Slococks suit,

and very kindly suggested I come up to the flat, where she promised to hem it up for me in a jiffy. I declined, not being able to cope with the thought of taking my skirt off in her presence, and said I would tape it up with some sellotape until I got home that night. It reminded me a bit of that time when we both discovered at the same moment that wed left our handbags on the helicopter that had flown away, and laughed together, momentarily sisters in a pickle no man could understand.

In the hands of a great diarist, the skirt scene could have become a classic, repeated for generations by people who take no interest in politics. But Slocock has instead turned herself, by natural ability and unremitting industry, into a great official.

She marshals the facts, and when she does not already know them, she engages in diligent research. Her diaries, which suffer from a certain banality of style, are supplemented by quotations from interviews she has carried out, and by references to the works of Charles Moore, Jonathan Aitken and many others.

This is a public service, and you always feel she is being straight with the reader, or as straight as her professional discretion will allow. For although she has very strong views of her own, for most of the time she suppresses them. She travels by car to Chequers and back with Robin Harris, from the Downing Street Policy Unit, to help Thatcher work on a speech about divorce and absent fathers, from which the idea of the Child Support Agency will spring.

Slocock wonders whether to contribute to the conversation her own horrific experience of her parents getting divorced, and wishes now she had been brave enough to do so, but at the time she is too afraid of bursting into tears. Nor does she tell us anything about Harris  a gifted and combative figure, with convictions deeply opposed to her own, about whom no true diarist would have been able to remain silent.

All we get, later, is a tentative suggestion that Harris might have put in a bad word against me when she does not get an expected promotion.

Ferdinand Mount has left, in Cold Cream, the funniest account of what it was like working for Thatcher. But Slocock sees things which others miss. She remarks that Thatcher created in Downing Street the most feminine working environment I have ever known, and she manages to acquire a portrait of Thatcher by an Indian artist, who
Iain Duncan Smith is a former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, founded the Centre for Social Justice, and is MP for Chingford and Woodford Green.

The local elections were meant to be a triumph for Labour: indeed, they boasted that they would wipe Conservative councillors off the face of London, and take control of such councils as Westminster and Wandsworth. We Tories were resigned to this outcome, since we have seen it all before. I remember that even Tony Blairs then seemingly-impregnable government lost thousands of councillors at the same point in the electoral cycle during its first eight years.

Yet in the end it was not to be. Labour failed to make the predicted breakthrough, and the Conservatives, against the odds, held the line in London and actually took back some councils around the country.

Of course, credit should go to the team at CCHQ headed by Brandon Lewis. In contrast to the shambolic campaign of last year, they organised well, and helped ensure that we fought in the right places. However, the importance of better organisation isnt the only message that we should take from these elections.

Something else emerged from the result which is of great importance. As John Curtice pointed out, we have been reminded that the electorate that [the Conservative Party] now has is disproportionately a Leave electorate 70 per cent of the Conservative vote are people that voted Leaveit has to deliver Brexit.

This is a vital point as we consider the electoral landscape, and understand what the future holds. The Conservative Party is the Brexit Party  and our future is inextricably tied up with whether we indeed deliver Brexit. This can either be a problem  or an opportunity.

Its a problem if we allow ourselves to make a mess of our departure, and break our own manifesto commitment to leave the Single Market and Customs Union. In such circumstances, the electorate will not forgive us, and we will be punished at the next election. However, leaving the EU is also an opportunity because, if we deliver the Brexit that the public voted for, we will find ourselves in an incredibly strong position.

This was best put to me by a Remain-supporting Labour acquaintance a couple of weeks ago. If you get Brexit out of the way, having delivered your manifesto commitment, he said, you will stand a very good chance of holding on to blue collar voters who are supporting you because of Brexit. Then once it is over, you will then be able to get back some or all of the Remain-supporting middle class, as you remind them of the threats that Jeremy Corbyn poses to the economy, their wellbeing and the security of the country. Whilst this was said as part of a commentary on the Labour Party, it does I believe sum up the opportunity for the Conservative Party.

Leaving the Customs Union is a vital component of Brexit. Instead of being rule-takers, whilst sitting behind a wall of costly tariffs, the UK will have the opportunity to create a global network of free trade deals with some of the fastest-growing economies in the world. This commitment needs to be implemented in a way which is simple and clear.

Yet even now at this late stage, with only ten months left before we leave the EU, there seems to be confusion in what we want our customs arrangements to be.

This is because the Government has not one but two proposals on the table.

One of them is causing great concern because it would complicate the Brexit process. It is that the UK should commit to what is described as a New Customs Partnership (NCP) with the EU. This would mean aligning the UK to the EUs customs border. This plan is the result of the EUs attempt to bully the UK, using the Northern Irish border issue to frustrate the negotiations.

This messy proposal aptly illustrates the way in which we have been conducting the negotiations with the EU. It seems to many that, sadly, as once-firm red lines are abandoned, our negotiators seem too often desperate to please the EU, regardless of the consequences for the UK.

This appears to be the case with the discussions on our post-Brexit customs arrangements. The EU, the Irish government and some in the UK (many in the unelected Lords) cannot accept the result of the referendum, are desperate to force the UK into the Customs Union, and are combining to try and present the Irish border with Northern Ireland as an insurmountable issue.

It is through accepting this reasoning that the government has come up with the New Customs Partnership, (NCP). As a half-way house, the (NCP) option may sound feasible. None the less, it isnt: its ludicrously complex. Indeed, it would create significant administrative and regulatory problems for business and government, and does not resolve the issue of the border.

Even Nick Macpherson, an arch-Remainer and a former Treasury Permanent Secretary, tweeted recently: I fear it is neither negotiable nor implementable. Yet, despite the crucial Cabinet sub-committee on Brexit negotiations and strategy deciding last week that the scheme isnt fit for purpose, some in Downing Street are, incredibly, now briefing out that after a few tweaks it can be presented again.

Under the NCP proposal, the UK would continue to set the EUs tariff rates  with the mind-blowing additional complexity of figuring out whether the final destination of the goods concerned is the UK domestic market or the EU.

Complicated, byzantine and difficult to operate, the costs of this arrangement are impossible to calculate. If this isnt problematic enough, the proposal would entail a customs rebate mechanism. Taking into account people and businesss experience of the time it takes the tax office to make any refund, it could take a very long time to get money returned  and businesses would face the upfront costs.

And as if there wasnt enough complication in the scheme already, businesses would have to track their goods along their supply chain in order to qualify for the payment. Yet any self-respecting importing business would probably not want to disclose the end user of goods, because they would worry that others could exploit this information  and sell straight to their end user.

But the problems with NCP arent just about charges at the border. For the imported goods concerned would also have to meet the EUs raft of regulatory requirements  the same job-destroying, cost-increasing regulations which have bound businesses in red tape for years, and which people voted to be rid of in the referendum.

The sum of all of this is that the NCP would be the same as a full customs union in all but name  particularly since the UK would remain a tax collector for the EU, and make substantial net contributions to the EU budget, over and above what is already agreed.

In simple terms, this arrangement would run the risk of destroying the great prize of Brexit  namely, the ability of the UK to strike trade deals with the rest of the world. After all, why would non-EU countries bother to enter into trade deals with the UK if UK exporters were be able to export goods to their countries tariff-freewhile their own exporters had to pay the EU tariff, and meet the complex EU regulations, before asking for a rebate?

Already, Wilbur Ross, the US Commerce Secretary, Julie Bishop, Australias Foreign Minister, have both warned that, without the UK being able to diverge from EU regulations, neither country will be able to sign a free trade agreement with the UK.

Why then, I wonder, with only a short time left before we leave the EU, are we still discussing this option when a viable alternative has been in existence from the outset?

This is the maximum facilitation or so-called Maxfac plan. It seeks to ensure that we commit to a highly streamlined customs arrangement between the UK and the EU  simplifying requirements and leaving us able to strike trade deals without charging EU tariffs or forcing companies to comply with EU regulations, whether or not the goods are going on to the EU. Instead of wasting time and effort on the NCP, which is far too complex, the Government should now focus all its efforts on the Maxfac proposal, and forge a delivery plan for it.

Reports in the media last week led us to believe that the Cabinet subcommittee agreed to take the NCP off the table and concentrate on Maxfac. However, I understand that some in Downing Street have been briefing against the outcome of the meeting, and plan to keep both options on the table. This would be a grave mistake. It would dilute the work of the civil service, and ensure we do not carry out the practical work to deliver a coherent plan.

I do not believe that I am alone in my concern that during these negotiations we have allowed ourselves to be trapped in a timeline set by the EU. It has imposed unreal restrictions on the negotiations on us, and opened us up to the spectacle of the EU dictating what they want on a take it or leave it basis. They have been allowed to do so because, too often, we have wasted time trying to satisfy all their demands.

However, following the results of the elections on Thursday, we should feel rejuvenated, as a Party and as a governent, by the clarity of the message that the voters sent to us, which was simple. It is that we, as a party of government, need to ensure that we deliver Brexit. That means giving business and people clarity on our future relationship with the EU. Any messy and unworkable ideas should now be binned, and our negotiators should tell the EU that we need to get on with the trade deal before we leave  or everything else, including the payments negotiated, are going to be in jeopardy.

In 2016, the British people voted to leave the EU, and take back control of our borders, our laws and our money. The Conservative Government should remember we were elected to deliver this. Its time to forget the NCP and get on with delivering what they voted for.
Ashley Fox is an MEP for South West England, and is the leader of Britains Conservative MEPs.

If Britains Brexit negotiators are ever tempted to look to the heavens in frustration at the EUs intransigence and inflexibility, I fear they will find no relief.

Some 23,222 kilometres above our heads are 22 satellites comprising a new, world leading navigation system which has, in recent weeks, come to encapsulate many of the difficulties surrounding the Brexit talks.

The Galileo project was launched in 2003 to provide a European alternative to Americas GPS and Russias GLONASS satellite navigation systems. When operational, it will provide users with both a quicker service than either GPS or GLONASS and more accurate location information, having a margin of error of less than one metre compared to several metres for GPS.

Crucially, it also includes a highly encrypted element known as Public Regulated Service (PRS) which emits signals that cannot be jammed and is designed for use by the military, emergency services, and critical government infrastructure. The US, despite initially opposing the whole project, is now attempting to negotiate access to PRS.

Britain has played a major role in developing Galileo, providing 12 per cent of the funding, amounting to 1.2 billion, and a huge chunk of the expertise. The satellites (by 2021 it is hoped 30 will be in orbit, 24 to run the system plus six spares) are assembled by Surrey Satellite Technology of Guildford alongside the German company OHB System. Ground control is run by Airbus from Portsmouth, and there are tracking stations in the Falkland Islands and on Ascension Island.

Now, however, the EU is playing hard ball over our future involvement, saying that Brexit means British companies can no longer bid for security sensitive future work and insisting we will have to apply for access to PRS information. As the US is learning, that process can take years.

Understandably the Government is furious. Greg Clark, the Business Secretary, has suggested Britain may look at establishing its own system and his threat to veto the latest round of contracts for Galileo work led to the matter being postponed at a meeting of the European Space Agency this week.

Ministers are also said to be exploring ways of preventing a transfer of the technology needed to encrypt the PRS system from Britain to Thales in France.

Yet we should not be surprised at the EUs stance. Time and again throughout the Brexit process Brussels has insisted on a literal interpretation of the rules, often for political reasons, sometimes for perceived economic advantage but always because that is the blocs default setting.

It is only comfortable operating within known parameters, hence its outright rejection of novel suggestions to tackle the Irish border question and its insistence that our future relationship be based on an existing model.

That is certainly the case with Galileo. Michel Barnier, the EUs Chief Negotiator, claims the issue is clear cut: the regulations state that security sensitive proprietary information cannot be shared with countries outside the EU. However, this ignores the unique situation we find ourselves in. Theresa May has made an unrestricted offer of continued security assistance and co-operation as part of our post-Brexit relationship with the EU. In these circumstances, to simply treat the UK as any other third country is both perverse and unnecessary.

There will be some commercial advantage for European (mainly French) firms if British companies are frozen out of certain Galileo contracts, but overall the EU is harming itself by not approaching the issue more constructively. The House of Commons all-party European Scrutiny Committee concluded that a UK pull-out from Galileo would disrupt the roll-out of the PRS service, cause further delays and potentially have a detrimental impact on European security. It would also push up the cost for the remaining partners. No-one wins.

This failure of imagination is deeply ingrained in the EU, and even if political obstacles can be overcome in the coming months on issues ranging from Ireland to future trade, its inability to be creative could still stand in the way of us striking the optimum deal.

I hope Member States may yet demand a change of approach as they see the threat posed to their economies, but we should be prepared for all eventualities and be confident of our ability to adapt. British expertise helped get Galileo off the ground. It will give flight to Brexit too.
David Mindell is CEO and co-founder of Humatics, a company changing the ways people and machines locate, navigate, and collaborate. His company is among those enabling greater use of robots in industrial environments.

Mindell is also an MIT professor of aeronautics and astronautics, and of the history of engineering and manufacturing. Hes author of five books, including Our Robots, Ourselves: Robotics and the Myths of Autonomy. Besides being an electrical engineer, he has a Yale literature degree, which no doubt contributes to the excellent quality of his prose. It must also be mentioned that hes been involved in more than 25 oceanographic expeditions.

"The myths of autonomy" alludes to the fact that, whether for a human or machine, autonomy is never fully achieved. We are always interacting with an environment. Therefore, in industrial environments and in all of life really, "Micro-location is the substrate for greater collaboration," said Mindell. For, as all of us have discovered at one time or another, were not as sure of where everything is as we often assume.

Micro-locations in millimeters

For a robot coming up to a workstation, millimeter precision as to location may be needed, with point-to-point measuring capability using radio-frequency technology. That ability is part of Humatics intellectual property. One scale up is centimeter precision, and the one above that is equivalent to that of a GPS, where 6-meter precision is possible at best.

"Software brings the levels together," Mindell said. "So that the machine jumps from one level to another, going to the source of the best scale at the time, which always involves multiple sensors and an algorithm that makes the judgement."

Mindell suggested the location task is like driving a car under different road and weather conditions. "The headlamps need robustness, for dealing with things like snow or fog. The streetlight gives you a location fix."

More generally, as Mindell explains in a video available on YouTube, the highest level of automation doesnt strive for autonomy. It seeks something more complex and difficult, but that delivers greater financial and social benefits. It might be thought of, Mindell said, as a wrapper of human intentionality.

The question, then, isnt really whether some robot will take it upon herself to run amok. Rather, what were the intentions and desires of those who infused what intentions and desires into the robot?

Myth list

In any case, a lot of engineering systems are launched with the idea of full autonomy in mind, Mindell notes, but somewhere in the movement from lab to field a mix is come upon. "Automation transforms human interaction but doesnt eliminate it. Its possible to trace any network, or see any computer programming task, as the placing of human intention, human design, and human viewpoints for storage and later execution."

The most sophisticated autonomous machines are developed for extreme environments, and in his book, Mindell examines their use in deep ocean, high atmosphere, and outer space, to see what they can tell us about how well interact with cars and in daily life in the future.

Bring rigor to thought

Another author graces this edition of IIoT for Engineers. Jeff Kavanaugh is a senior partner at Infosts. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Dallas. His book Consulting Essentials was published in April 2018.

Its important that human thought, even in an era of computerization, have sufficient rigor. To improve critical thinking, anyone can follow the same four-step process Kavanaugh says the worlds top consultants use to manage their project.

Kevin Parker, senior contributing editor, CFE Media, kparker@cfemedia.com.

This article appears in the IIoT for Engineers supplement for Control Engineering and Plant Engineering.

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Chavez Cuanto te queremos!



Por culpa de Chavez



Cerveza Polar







Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar







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LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares?



























Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano...



Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos:



Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias.



Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera.



No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje.



En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio.



Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida.



Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella.



Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal.



Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista.



Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen.



Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che?



Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio.



Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora.



Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo.



Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo.



Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania.



No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar.



Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga.





Alguna duda?



Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino



Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia.



OZ1



OZ2



OZ3



OZ4



Homenaje a Jason Galarraga



La Victoria de Samotracia



Odalisca



Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008



























La Sierra Nevada de Merida



Nuestro precioso Churum Meru



Homenaje a Picasso



Autoretrato



Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola?

La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.

Mi profesion?

Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.

Sal en la Coca Cola?

A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.

De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:

Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto

Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)

azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)

Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas

Mucha Cafeina

Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio

Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe

Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion

El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.

Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.

Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.

En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).

Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.

La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.

Bebidas Light?

Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el

Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.



Publicado por loretahur



En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur

MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina:

1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias.

2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina.

3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard.

4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos.

5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla.

6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos.

Ahora... sobre la margarina:

1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) .

2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias.

3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno).

4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer.

5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna.

6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo.

7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina.

Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas:

* No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo).

* No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!!



No a la guerra, Si a la Paz



Misterios de la ciencia...



Los costos de la guerra



medicos y capitalismo...



Capitalismo...



medicos (2)



Quien educa a nuestros hijos?



Los Medios...



Sin Palabras...



Chistes feministas

- Cual es el problema, Eva?

- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz...

- Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.

- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...

- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.

- Que es un hombre?

- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.

- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.

- Cual es el truco?.

- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.

- Cual?

- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.





Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Ellas...



Ellas (2)...



Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1

Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije:

-Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro.

Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria.

Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre?

-Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa!



VENGANZA NUMERO 2

Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris.

A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita:

- Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!!

Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta.

La mujer paso quince dias en Francia.

El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla.

Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es:

- Y amor me trajiste mi francesita??

- Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina.



VENGANZA NUMERO 3

El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion.

- No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo.

- Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz.

Te quiero confesar algo.

- Esta bien, esta bien. Habla!

- He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga.

- Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!!



machismo y cibernetica



Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston.

-Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide.

-Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!.



.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti.

Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos.

Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco.

Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas



Gol !!!!



Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso!



Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy!


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Music has the power to evoke inspiration, encouragement, hope, love, consolation and joy! It can be prayerful, energetic, delightful, emotional , soothing and patriotic .

The Centennial Choir of Cornwall will convey many of these sentiments at its Spring Concert. As always a diversity of genres will be offered  from Folk, to Spiritual, to Soul and even some Country music! A medley from Manhattan Transfer is sure to be very popular. Some harmonies will tell of dreams of freedom. Some will speak of virtues we all strive to attain. Still others will evoke memories of loved ones, times and places.

Come celebrate the gifts of music with this 60 voice choir , under the direction of Lisa Zeran and accompanied by Felicity Svenson. The performance will be at Aultsville Theatre, Cornwall on Friday, May 11th at 7:30 pm. Tickets may be purchased at The Lottery Kiosk, 2nd floor of Cornwall Square ; Home Hardware , Pitt and 13th ,Cornwall or from Choir members. Adults $20.and Children 12 and under $10.
CORNWALL, Ontario  Local NDP organizer, freelance reporter, and former St. Lawrence College international student advisor, Marc Benoit, will be seeking the nomination for candidacy for the Ontario New Democrats for the upcoming provincial election.

Benoit, 29, grew up in Russell, ON, attended Carleton University and later moved to Cornwall to study journalism at St. Lawrence College, graduating in 2015. Proudly calling Cornwall hime since 2013, Benoit believes that an individuals efforts to serve their community is essential to social wellbeing.

In 2014, during his term as president of the Cornwall Student Union, Benoit worked alongside Cornwall Transit to reduce annual fees for students using local transit services by introducing the annual and semester bus passes for students. He can trace his advocacy for transit services back to 2010 when he first became politically involved advocating for light rail in Ottawa.

Since that time Benoit has worked with SLCs international students to help new residents to Cornwall find housing, access employment services, and become familiar with their new community. Additionally, he has also been a freelance reporter for both the Cornwall Standard-Freeholder and Cornwall Seaway News since 2015.

I strongly believe in Andrea Horwaths vision for Ontario, says Benoit. The Ontario New Democrats plan for our province is the only one that makes sense for people like me, that is people who have to work to get by, and for the provinces fiscal sustainability. You might say we have big promises that people need, but we also have a plan to fund our programs responsibly, without putting the onus on working Ontarians.

Also, like Andrea, I believe that Government can and should have a positive role in peoples lives. Government should be about giving people the opportunity to build a good life, no matter where they are in Ontario, or when this province became home. If youve never voted for the New Democrats before, or if its been a couple of decades, I invite you to check out our plan for the province and take a serious look because we dont need to choose between bad or worse. We can vote for Change for the Better on June 7.

The Ontario NDP EDA for StormontDundasSouth Glengarry will be holding their nomination meeting on May 8, 2018, at 7:00 pm at the Navy Veterans Association, 30 Sixth St. E., Cornwall, ON.

Members in good standing can vote and encouraged to attend. Media personnel and interested members of the public are also strongly encouraged to check out the nomination meeting.
CORNWALL, Ontario  The Seaway International Bridge has enacted restirctions on some vehicles crossing the bridge on the night of Friday, May 4 due to high winds.

The Seaway International Bridge Corporation has put in place wind restrictions for the next couple of hours for large empty vehicles as per our list as well as pedestrians and motorcycles, Jennifer MacIsaac, Community Relations Officer with the Seaway International Bridge Corporation said in a statement to the media. This does not affect cars and fully loaded transports. The Bridge remains open during the wind restrictions. We will inform you once our restrictions are lifted.

Restrictions apply to pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, all cube vans, all RVs, campers, buses, camping trailers, open trucks with loose materials and tractor trailers weighing less than 50,000 lbs.

Friday saw winds as high as 90 km/h across Southern Ontario.

Wind gusts to 90 km/h are likely across much of the region after a cold front moves through from late afternoon to early evening, reads a Wind Warning from Envrionment Canada. Winds will diminish late this evening as a high pressure ridge moves in. Damage to buildings, such as to roof shingles and windows, may occur. Loose objects may be tossed by the wind and cause injury or damage. High winds may toss loose objects or cause tree branches to break.
CORNWALL, Ontario  This Saturday, Habitat for Humanity invited tea enthusiasts to the Best Western for their tea party fundraiser with the hopes of raising about $1,000 that will go to Habitats programming.

Breckyn Fowler with the help of volunteers from the Kinettes Club brought approximately 75 to 100 people to the Best Western for the event.

This was somebodys grannys teacup, and now we have a better use for it and can get it back out into the community, explained Breckyn.

Habitat for Humanity sees a large number of teacups throughout the year, and for them, it is a way to transfer those lost pieces of china into projects that benefit the community.

The organization has broken ground on their next build site for their 13th family in Williamsburg and plans to have a pancake breakfast as a launch for the start of construction at the end of May.
Windstar Cruises has hired a new team of sommeliers, the company announced.

Our new sommeliers will offer their all-encompassing knowledge of wine to guests, as well as to our dining room and bar servers by holding frequent tastings and educational classes, said Windstar Cruises Director of Hotel Operations Peter Tobler. Travel is an excellent way to expand your wine repertoire. Our sommeliers will share their wine expertise, tasting tips, and make recommendations for varietals from nearby the ports of call. Most importantly, they will help guests select the best wine to pair with our gourmet food selections. When on holiday, this is the best way to complete each day.

Four Windstar ships now offer sommeliers o board, the program just launched on the 310-guest Wind Surf which arrived in Lisbon on April 14 for the summer season in the Mediterranean. Windstars three all-suite ships each cruise also offer onboard sommeliers  Star Breeze and Star Pride sailing throughout Europe; and Star Legend in Alaska.

All Windstar sommeliers were chosen for their training, knowledge and experience worldwide having worked in a broad spectrum of wineries, restaurants, travel and hospitality providers, the company said.

Justin McAuliffe was the first to offer sommelier services to guests sailing in Asia. Joining McAuliffe on the team are Antony Graz Pradeep, Vitor Da Encarnacao Custodio, Marko Pejic and Slaven Cosic, who will all rotate among the four ships.

Windstar sommeliers lead wine tastings on board each cruise for a nominal fee, generally one to three are offered depending on the length of the voyage. In addition, the sommeliers may accompany guests on culinary-themed shore excursions to local wineries and restaurants.
OXFORD  An Oxford restaurant is set to make changes to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Department of Justice announced Friday.

The U.S. Attorneys Office reached a settlement agreement with Fritzs Snack Bar in Oxford to resolve allegations that it was not in compliance with the ADA. The settlement agreement resolves a complaint filed by an individual with disabilities alleging the snack bar wasnt accessible to people with physical disabilities.
Would Trump re-impose sanctions on those that do enterprise with Iran? And what happens to Iran's pre-existing obligations to allow nuclear inspections? "It's going to be a period of a lot of activity and flurry". Iran, in turn, restricted its program and allowed more inspections.

Oil traders are concerned that sanctions against Iran may cut oil supplies. "Investors are anxious about supplies after Iran took a tough stance in its response to the United States", said Wang Xiao, head of crude research with Guotai Junan Futures.

"We will neither outsource our security nor will we renegotiate or add onto a deal we have already implemented in good faith", Zarif said in a video.

A second option: re-imposing only the central bank sanctions. Those that don't would ultimately be penalized by Washington.

Why not restore all of the sanctions without delay?

Hezbollah said a year ago that any war waged by Israel against Syria and Lebanon could draw thousands of fighters from countries including Iran and Iraq, indicating that Shiite militias could come to Lebanon to help Hezbollah.

"What's tempering that is this fear. that we pull out of the Iran deal", Haworth said. That would transform Russian Federation into one of Iran's most important allies, and would cement an alliance that could sideline US influence in the Middle East.

Two U.S. intelligence officials said they were particularly concerned about Iranian retaliation in harder-to-trace actions such as cyber attacks on the United States or its allies and attacks on soft targets by people without obvious ties to Tehran. According to analysts, this is less about the deal itself than about what killing the deal would lead to.

Why Liverpool will beat Real Madrid and win the Champions League

His assist for Mane in the second leg was excellent, as Liverpool stunned Roma with an early away goal in Italy. Not when no one could have imagined that Mohamed Salah would develop into a scorer to rival Lionel Messi.

CalArtians Score 2018 Tony Nominations

Indeed, in numerous swagger categories - best play, best revival, best actor etc - the Brits are not only present, but dominant. They are " The Band's Visit ", " SpongeBob Squarepants: The Musical " and "Children of a Lesser God".

US Suspects Chinese of Lasing Military Aircraft in Africa

The FAA has issued a Notice to Airman flying in the area and the military is keeping an eye (no pun intended) on the situation. The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that they looked into the United States claims, and found that they were "groundless".

What would Europe do? But it might not matter much.

In exchange, Iran gained major sanctions relief and could sell oil on the global market.

It's a major dilemma for European businesses, made even more complicated if the European Union decides to invoke a measure put in place in the 1990s to counter the US embargo on Cuba. The EU can use these rules to ban European corporations from complying with some USA sanctions. That puts businesses in the position of choosing whether to defy the United States or the EU.

The big focus for the week ahead will be the prospect of a USA withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear accord, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

As a result of the 2015 deal, Iran limited its enrichment of uranium and reconfigured a heavy-water reactor so that it could no longer produce plutonium.

How would the world even know? "They are using forceful measures so they can inspect Iranian military bases". But it's unclear how rigorously Iran would comply. In spite of everything, alleged dishonest and delay ways by Iran had been a serious concern previous to the 2015 deal. Ominously, however, Trump continues to signal that he is willing to demolish the deal.

Then there's the query of whether or not Iran, feeling swindled on a deal the US itself brokered, would take different steps to retaliate - reminiscent of ballistic missile checks or extra assist for militant teams overseas.
AG takes up simple assault case against Somerset DA's wife

It is the second case this month that Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro's office has taken up in relation to the couple.
The situation for the Kamasutra changed when the British colonised India in the 18th century. As not only Protestants but Victorian Protestants, the British rejected as filthy paganism the sensuous strain of Hinduism, both the world of kama and much of Hindu theological dharma, with what they saw as kitschy images of gods with far too many arms. It reminded them of Catholicism. They also opposed aspects of Hindu social dharma, such as child marriage and the burning of widows (sati).

But they respected Hindu ethical dharma, including Indian monism and idealism (so appealing to European philosophers from Schlegel to Hegel) and the Bhagavad Gita (so appealing to the American Transcendentalists). At the same time, the underside of Victorian prudery, Victorian pornography (among what Stephen Marcus called "The Other Victorians"), also flourished in its Orientalist form, and it was an Englishman, Sir Richard Burton, who brought the Kamasutra to the attention of Anglophone Indian as well as British readers in 1883, when he published the first English translation of the book. But proper Europeans were scandalised by the Kamasutra.

Beyond Dharma: Dissent in the Ancient Indian Sciences of Sex and Politics (Speaking Tiger)

To get around the censorship laws, Burton set up an imaginary publishing house, the Kama Shastra Society of London and Benares, with printers said to be in Benares or Cosmopoli. When Richard Schmidt produced his definitive German translation of the Kamasutra in 1897, he put "the presumably scandalous passages" in Latin, and another translation into German, this one unexpurgated, led to a lawsuit in Germany as late as 1964.

Many of the English-speaking Hindus who worked for and with the British came to accept the British evaluation of Hinduism, in a kind of Stockholm syndrome. They developed new forms of what came to be called Reform Hinduism, the Hindu Renaissance or the Bengal Renaissance, which valued the philosophical, ascetic aspect of Hinduism and devalued the world of pleasure represented in the kama-shastra. They propounded a white-washed brand of Hinduism limited to ethical dharma, particularly Sanatana Dharma ("the eternal dharma"), heavily flavoured by Unitarianism. A number of such Hindus, particularly in Calcutta (now Kolkata), went about trying to silence the love songs to the gods, to cover up the erotic sculptures, and to kick the temple dancers out of the temples.

This sanitised Sanatana strain of Hinduism was just one form among many, and a minor strain at that. It thrived primarily among the middle castes, who aspired to raise their social class by aping Victorians, this whole strategy aping the much older Hindu strategy of lower classes aping Brahmins, in a process that the great sociologist MN Srinivas called "Sanskritisation". Most Hindus went on telling their stories and dancing their dances and worshipping their many gods. But the middle castes began to enforce this new brand of dharma.

In the 20th century, kama in general fell into still deeper disrepute. The British lion, even after its official death in India in 1947, dealt another blow to Indian freedom of expression through the film censor board (the cousin of the US Hays Office), which, from the early 1950s, implemented a policy that had roots among the British (who had worried more about sedition than about sex). The film censor board cast a shadow that extended over Indian visual arts and literature as well as film.

Stone carvings at Khajuraho.

But where the Sanatana Dharma of 19th century Reform Hinduism had opposed abusive aspects of Hindu social dharma, including those affecting women, this new version enforced social dharma rules repressing women. In the 2000s in Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, and several other Indian cities, vigilante groups like the Sri Ram Sene (The Army of Lord Rama) routinely beat up young couples seen together in public and women who visited pubs, and also vandalised shops that sold Valentine's Day cards.

Indian intellectuals generally deplored this prudery and blamed it both on the British, who largely deserved it, and on the Muslims, who generally did not. (Muslims of the Lodi dynasty in the 16th century commissioned one of the last great works of Sanskrit erpticism, the Ananga Ranga, and the Mughals who succeeded them particularly appreciated the Kamasutra and produced lavishly illustrated editions.)

VS Naipaul, in his book Half a Life, offers his own, rather jaded version of the anti-Muslim accusation as applied to the Kamasutra: "In our culture there is no seduction. Our marriages are arranged. There is no art of sex. Some of the boys here talk to me of the Kamasutra. Nobody talked about that at home. It was an upper-caste text, but I don't believe my poor father, Brahmin though he is, ever looked at a copy. That philosophical-practical way of dealing with sex belongs to our past, and that world was ravaged and destroyed by the Muslims." And then (the argument continues) came the British missionaries, adding insult to injury. Thus, many Hindus blamed India's sexual conservatism on "an unholy combination of imposed Muslim religiosity and imported British 'Victorianism'".

But these psychic wounds actually date, as Pankaj Mishra has noted, not from the period of Muslim rule, in which Hinduism thrived under the new stimulus, but "to the Indian elite's humiliating encounter with the geopolitical and cultural dominance first of Europe and then of America".

(Reprinted with publisher's permission.)

Also read: Jinnah portrait at AMU should remind Sangh that India can never be a clean slate
SunTrust Banks, Inc. operates as the holding company for SunTrust Bank that provides various financial services for consumers, businesses, corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit entities in the United States. It operates in two segments, Consumer and Wholesale. The Consumer segment provides deposits and payments; home equity and personal credit lines; auto, student, and other lending products; credit cards; discount/online and full-service brokerage products; professional investment advisory products and services; and trust services, as well as family office solutions. This segment also offers residential mortgage products in the secondary market. The Wholesale segment provides capital markets solutions, including advisory, capital raising, and financial risk management; asset-based financing solutions, such as securitizations, asset-based lending, equipment financing, and structured real estate arrangements; cash management services and auto dealer financing solutions; investment banking solutions; and credit and deposit, fee-based product offering, multi-family agency lending, advisory, commercial mortgage brokerage, and tailored financing and equity investment solutions. This segment also offers treasury and payment solutions, such as operating various electronic and paper payment types, which comprise card, wire transfer, automated clearing house, check, and cash; and provides services clients to manage their accounts online. The company offers its products and services through a network of traditional and in-store branches, automated teller machines, Internet, mobile, and telephone banking channels. As of December 31, 2018, it operated 1,218 full-service banking offices located in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, South Carolina, and the District of Columbia. SunTrust Banks, Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

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About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profile
First BanCorp (Puerto Rico) is a holding company, which engages in the provision of personal, commercial, and corporate banking services through its subsidiaries. It operates through the following segments: Commercial and Corporate Banking, Consumer (Retail) Banking, Mortgage Banking, Treasury and Investments, United States Operations, and Virgin Islands Operations. The Commercial and Corporate Banking segment consists of the company's lending and other services for large customers represented by specialized and middle-market clients and the public sector. The Consumer (Retail) Banking segment includes consumer lending and deposit-taking activities conducted mainly through FirstBank's branch network in Puerto Rico. The Mortgage Banking segment focuses on the origination, sale, and servicing of a variety of residential mortgage loan products and related hedging activities. The Treasury and Investments segment deals with treasury and investment management functions. The United States Operations segment represents all banking activities conducted by FirstBank on the United States mainland. The Virgin Islands Operations segment includes all banking activities conducted by FirstBank in

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Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA engages in the traditional banking businesses of retail banking, asset management, private banking, and wholesale banking. It operates through the following segments: Spain, the United States, Mexico, Turkey, South America, and Rest of Eurasia. The Spain segment includes mainly the banking and insurance business that the group carries out in Spain. The United States segment consists of the financial business activity of BBVA USA in the country and the activity of the branch of BBVA SA in New York. The Mexico segment refers to banking and insurance businesses in this country as well as the activity of its branch in Houston. The Turkey segment reports the activity of Garanti BBVA group that is mainly carried out in this country and, to a lesser extent, in Romania and the Netherlands. The South America segment comprises of operations in n Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The Rest of Eurasia segment includes the banking business activity carried out by the group in Europe and Asia, excluding Spain. The company was founded in 1857 and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain.

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Pendragon PLC, together with its subsidiaries, operates in the automotive retail sector in the United Kingdom. It operates through Car Store, Franchised UK Motor, Software, and Leasing segments. The company sells new and used motor cars, motorbikes, trucks, and vans together with associated aftersales activities of service, body repair, and parts sales. It also operates carstore.com, an online marketplace for used cars; and distributes aftermarket parts, accessories, and workshop consumables under the Quickco brand. In addition, the company provides cloud-based dealer management systems; and Licence Link, an online license checking tool for fleets, as well as leases cars and vans to small, medium, and large fleets under the Pendragon Vehicle Management brand, and retails vehicles under the Evans Halshaw and Stratstone brand names. It operates 142 franchise points. Pendragon PLC was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in Nottingham, the United Kingdom.

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Centrica plc operates as an integrated energy company in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, North America, and internationally. The company operates through British Gas, Energy Marketing & Trading, Centrica Business Solutions, Bord GAis Energy, and Upstream segments. It supplies gas and electricity to residential customers, as well as offers energy-related services; and generates power from combined cycle gas turbines and nuclear assets. The company also provides installation, repair, and maintenance services for domestic central heating, plumbing and drains, home electrical, and gas and kitchen appliances; and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, as well as offers breakdown services. In addition, it is involved in the procurement, trading, and optimization of energy; procurement and sale of LNG; and supplies energy efficiency solutions and technologies to residential customers. Further, the company produces and processes gas and oil; develops new fields to maintain reserves; constructs, owns, and exploits infrastructure; and engages in the social enterprise investment fund activities. Additionally, it provides vehicle leasing, commercial, and insurance services, as well as energy management products and services; and operates a gas storage and franchise network. The company was formerly known as Yieldtop plc and changed its name to Centrica plc in December 1996. Centrica plc was incorporated in 1995 and is based in Windsor, the United Kingdom.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Amphenol: ARCAS Automotive Group (Luxco 1) S.a.r.l., AUXEL FTG, AUXEL FTG India Pvt Ltd., AUXEL FTG Shanghai Co., AUXEL S.A.S., Air LB International Development S.A., All Systems Broadband, Amphenol (Changzhou) Advanced Connector Co., Amphenol (Changzhou) Connector Systems Co., Amphenol (Changzhou) Electronics Co., Amphenol (Maryland), Amphenol (Ningde) Electronics Co., Amphenol (Qujing) Technology Co., Amphenol (Tianjin) Electronics Co., Amphenol (Xiamen) High Speed Cable Co., Amphenol Adronics, Amphenol Advanced Sensors Germany GmbH, Amphenol Advanced Sensors Puerto Rico, Amphenol Air LB GmbH, Amphenol Air LB North America Inc., Amphenol Air LB SAS, Amphenol Alden Products Company, Amphenol Alden Products Mexico, Amphenol Antenna Solutions, Amphenol Assemble Tech (Xiamen) Co., Amphenol Australia Pty Ltd, Amphenol Automotive Connection Systems (Changzhou) Co., Amphenol Bar-Tec, Amphenol Benelux B.V., Amphenol Borisch Technologies, Amphenol CNT (Xian) Technology Co. Ltd., Amphenol Cables On Demand Corp., Amphenol Canada Acquisition Corporation, Amphenol Canada Corp., Amphenol Comercial, Amphenol Commercial Interconnect Korea Co., Amphenol Commercial Products (Chengdu) Co. Ltd., Amphenol Commercial and Industrial UK, Amphenol ConneXus AB, Amphenol ConneXus Ou, Amphenol Custom Cable, Amphenol DC Electronics, Amphenol Daeshin Electronics and Precision Co., Amphenol EEC, Amphenol East Asia Electronic Technology (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Amphenol East Asia Limited, Amphenol FCI, Amphenol FCI Asia Pte. Ltd., Amphenol FCI Connectors Singapore Pte. Ltd., Amphenol Fiber Optic Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Amphenol Finland Oy, Amphenol France Acquisition SAS, Amphenol France SAS, Amphenol Germany GmbH, Amphenol Gesellschaft m.b.H., Amphenol Goldstar Electronic Systems (Baicheng) Co. Ltd., Amphenol Goldstar Electronic Systems (Yulin) Co. Ltd., Amphenol Holding UK, Amphenol Intercon Systems, Amphenol Interconnect India Private Limited, Amphenol Interconnect Products Corporation, Amphenol Interconnect South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Amphenol International Ltd., Amphenol Invotec Limited, Amphenol Italia S.r.l., Amphenol JET (Haiyan) Interconnect Technology Co., Amphenol Japan Ltd., Amphenol Kai-Jack (Shenzhen) Inc., Amphenol LTW Technology Co., Amphenol Limited, Amphenol MCP Korea Limited, Amphenol Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Amphenol Middle East Enterprises FZE, Amphenol Nelson Dunn Technologies, Amphenol Netherlands Holdings 1 B.V., Amphenol Netherlands Holdings 2 B.V., Amphenol Omniconnect India Private Limited, Amphenol Optimize Manufacturing Co., Amphenol Optimize Mexico S.A. de C.V., Amphenol PCD, Amphenol PCD (Shenzhen) Co., Amphenol Phitek Limited, Amphenol Printed Circuits, Amphenol Provens SAS, Amphenol RF Asia Limited, Amphenol Sensing Korea Company Limited, Amphenol Shouh Min Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Amphenol Singapore Pte. Ltd., Amphenol Socapex SAS, Amphenol Sunpool (Liaoning) Automotive Electronics Co., Amphenol T&M Antennas, Amphenol TCS (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Amphenol TCS Ireland Limited, Amphenol TCS de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Amphenol TFC Fios E Cabos do Brasil Ltda., Amphenol TFC MDE Participacoes Ltda., Amphenol TFC do Brasil Ltda., Amphenol Taiwan Corporation, Amphenol Technical Products International Co., Amphenol Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Amphenol Technology (Zhuhai) Co., Amphenol Technology Macedonia Dooel Kocani, Amphenol Tecvox LLC, Amphenol Tel-Ad Ltd., Amphenol Thermometrics, Amphenol Thermometrics (UK) Limited, Amphenol Times Microwave Electronics (Shanghai) Limited, Amphenol Tuchel Electronics GmbH, Amphenol Tuchel Industrial GmbH, Amphenol Tunisia LLC, Amphenol USHoldco Inc., Amphenol-Borg Limited, Amphenol-Borg Pension Trustees Limited, Amphenol-TFC (Changzhou) Communication Equipment Co., Anytek Electronic Technology (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd, Anytek International (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Anytek International Co. Ltd., Anytek Technology Corporation Ltd, Asia Connector Services, Berg UK Ltd., Blueline Product Limited, C&S Antennas, C&S Antennas Limited, CSA Limited, Casco Automotive (Suzhou) Co., Casco Automotive Group, Casco Automotive Singapore Pte., Casco Automotive Tunisia S.a.r.l., Casco Holdings Co. Limited, Casco Holdings GmbH, Casco Imos Italia S.r.l., Casco Logistics GmbH, Casco Products Corporation, Casco Schoeller GmbH, Casco do Brasil Ltda., Cemm Thome Corporation, Cemm Thome SK, Cemm-Mex, Changzhou Amphenol Fuyang Communication Equipment Co., ContactServe (Proprietary) Limited, East Asia Connector Services, Edwin Deutgen Kunstofftechnik GmbH, Ehrlich Werkzeug & Geratebau GmbH, FCI Besancon SA, FCI Connectors (Shanghai) Ltd., FCI Connectors Canada, FCI Connectors Dongguan Ltd, FCI Connectors Hong Kong Limited, FCI Connectors Italia S.r.l., FCI Connectors Korea Ltd., FCI Connectors Malaysia Sdn Bhd, FCI Connectors Sweden A.B., FCI Connectors UK Ltd., FCI Deutschland GmbH, FCI Electronics Hungary Kft, FCI GBS India Private Limited, FCI Japan K.K., FCI Nantong Ltd, FCI OEN Connectors Limited, FCI PRC Limited, FCI Taiwan Limited, FCI USA LLC, FCIs-Hertogenbosch B.V., FEP Fahrzeugelektrik Pirna, FEP Fahrzeugelektrik Pirna GmbH & Co. KG, FEP Fahrzeugelektrik Pirna Verwaltungs GmbH, Fiber Systems International, Filec Production SAS, Filec SAS, Friedrich Gohringer Elektrotechnik GmbH, GE - Advanced Sensors Business, Guangzhou Amphenol Electronics Co., Guangzhou Amphenol Sincere Flex Circuits Co., Guangzhou FEP Automotive Electric Co., Hangzhou Amphenol JET Interconnect Technology Co., Hangzhou Amphenol Phoenix Telecom Parts Co., Holland Electronics, Intelligente Sensorsysteme Dresden GmbH, Invotec Circuits Holdings Limited, Invotec Circuits Limited, Invotec Group Limited, Invotec Holdings Limited, Ionix Aerospace Limited, Ionix Holdings Limited, Ionix Systems Limited, Ionix Systems Ou, Jaybeam Limited, Jaybeam Wireless SAS, KE Elektronik GmbH, KE Ostrov  Elektrik, KE Presov Elektrik, Konnektech, Kunshan Amphenol Zhengri Electronics Co., LPL Technologies Holding GmbH, LTW Technology (Samoa) Co., LTW Top Tech (Samoa) Co., Lectric SARL, Martec Limited, Mocorp Holding A/S, Nantong Docharm Amphenol Electronics Co., PROCOM, PT Casco SEA, PerLoga Personal und Logistik GmbH, Piezotech, Piher Sensors & Controls S.A., Piher Sensors And Controls, Precision Cable Manufacturing Corp. de Mexico, Procom A/S, Procom Antennas AB, Procom France SARL, Pyle-National Ltd., RSI International Limited, S.C.I. Palin, SEFEE SA, SGX Europe SP. z.o.o., SGX Sensortech (IS) Limited, SGX Sensortech China Holdco Limited, SGX Sensortech China Limited, SGX Sensortech GmbH, SGX Sensortech SA, SSI Control Technologies, STEMFI SA, SV Microwave, Shanghai Amphenol Airwave Communication Electronics Co., Shanghai Amphenol Electronics Technology Co., Shanghai Tecvox Trading Co., Shenyang Amphenol Sunpool Automotive Electronics Co., Sine Systems Corporation, Skymasts Antennas Ltd., Societe dEtudes et de Fabrications Electroniques et Electriques, Spectra Strip Limited, TCS Japan K.K., TFC South America S.A., Tecvox Europe S.r.l., Telect, Telect Mfg., Telect de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Teradyne Connection Systems, Thermometrics Mexico, Tianjin Amphenol KAE Co., Times Fiber Canada Limited, Times Fiber Communications, Times Microwave Systems, Times Wire and Cable Company, U-Jin Cable Industrial Co., Zhongshan Feisaide Electromechanical Co., and i2s-sensors.
Wall Street analysts have given Hertz Global 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 Hertz Global wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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Hochschild Mining plc, a precious metals company, engages in the exploration, mining, processing, and sale of gold and silver in the Americas. The company holds a 100% interests in the Inmaculada gold/silver underground operation and Pallancata silver/gold property, which are located in the Department of Ayacucho in southern Peru; and Arcata, an underground operation located in the Department of Arequipa in southern Peru, as well as a 51% interest in the San Jose silver/gold mine is located in Argentina. In addition, the company has a portfolio of projects in various stages of development located in Peru, Argentina, Mexico, the United States, and Chile. Further, it is involved in power transmission business. The company was founded in 1911 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

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Wall Street analysts have given iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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Key Energy Services, Inc. operates as an onshore rig-based well servicing contractor in the United States. It operates through Rig Services, Fishing and Rental Services, Coiled Tubing Services, and Fluid Management Services segments. The Rig Services segment is involved in the completion of newly drilled wells; workover and recompletion of existing oil and natural gas wells; well maintenance activities; and plugging and abandonment of wells at the end of their useful lives, as well as provision of specialty drilling services to oil and natural gas producers. The Fishing and Rental Services segment provides fishing services that involve recovering lost or stuck equipment in the wellbore utilizing fishing tools; and rents drill pipes, tubulars, handling tools, pressure-control equipment, pumps, power swivels, reversing units, and foam air units. The Coiled Tubing Services segment offers services for wellbore clean-outs, nitrogen jet lifts, through-tubing fishing, and formation stimulations; mills temporary isolation plugs that separate frac zones; and other pre- and post-hydraulic fracturing well preparation services. The Fluid Management Services segment offers transportation and well-site storage services for fluids utilized in drilling, completions, workover, and maintenance activities; and disposal services for fluids produced subsequent to well completion. It also operates a fleet of hot oilers used to clear soluble restrictions in a wellbore. The company was formerly known as Key Energy Group, Inc. and changed its name to Key Energy Services, Inc. in December 1998. Key Energy Services, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is based in Houston, Texas.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Prudential Financial: 210-220 E. 22nd Street SSGA Owner LLC, AIG Edison, AIG Star, AREF Cayman Co Ltd., AREF GP II Pte. Ltd., AREF GP Ltd., ASPF II - Feeder Fund GmbH, ASPF II - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, ASPF II Management GmbH, ASPF III (Scots) L.P., ASSURANCE, AST Investment Services Inc., Adlerwerke CB Investment LLC, Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Habitat S.A., Administradora de Inversiones Previsionales SpA, Aoba Life Insurance Company, Asia Property Fund III GP S.a.r.l., Assurance IQ LLC, Assurance Intelligence LLC, BSC CP LP, Braeloch Holdings Inc., Braeloch Successor Corporation, Brazilian Capital Fund GP Limited, Broad Street Global Advisors LLC, Broome Street Holdings LLC, CB German Retail LLC, CLIS Co. Ltd., COLICO INC., Campus Drive LLC, Capital Agricultural Property Services Inc., Chadwick Boulevard Investment Holdings Co. LLC, Cibecue LLC, Coconino LLC, Colico II Inc., Columbus Drive Partners L.P., Commerce Street Holdings LLC, Commerce Street Investments LLC, Coolidge LLC, Coral Reef GP, Coral Reef L.P., Coral Reef Unit Trust, Cottage Street Investments LLC, Cottage Street Orbit Acquisition LLC, DHFL PRAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, DICKENS AVENUE HOLDINGS VI LLC, DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI (Ireland) L.P., DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI (US) L.P., Don Cesar Investor LLC, Dryden Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Dryden Finance II LLC, EVP II GP S.a r.l., EVP II Sweden Resi I GP S.a r.l., Edison Place Senior Note LLC, Essex LLC, EuroCore GP S.a r.l., European Value Partners GP S.a.r.l., Everbright PGIM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Flagstaff LLC, GA 1600 Commons LLC, GA 333 Hennepin Investor LLC, GA BV LLC, GA Bay Area GP LLC, GA Bay Area Investor LLC, GA Belden LLC, GA CLARENDON LLC, GA Cal Crossings LLC, GA Collins LLC, GA E. 22nd Street Apartments Holdings LLC, GA East 86 Street LLC, GA JHCII LLC, GA MENLO PARK INVESTOR LLC, GA Manor at Harbour Island LLC, GA Metro LLC, GA Mission LLC, GA TRITON INVESTOR LLC, GA W Paces LLC, GA/MDI 333 Hennepin Associates LLC, GIBRALTAR BSN HOLDINGS SDN BHD, GIBRALTAR INDIA SOLUTIONS LLP, Gateway Holdings II LLC, Gateway Holdings LLC, German Retail Income CP LP, Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad, Gibraltar International Insurance Services Company Inc., Gibraltar International Service LLC, Gibraltar Reinsurance Company Ltd., Gibraltar Universal Life Reinsurance Company, Glenealy International Limited, Global Portfolio Strategies Inc., Gold GP Limited, Gold II L.P., Gold L.P., Graham Resources Inc., Graham Royalty Ltd., Green Tree GP, Green Tree L.P., Greenlee LLC, Halsey Street Investments LLC, Hirakata LLC, IVP Fund GP LLC, Impact Investments Bridges UK S.a.r.l, Inter-Atlantic G Fund L.P., Inversiones Previsionales Chile SpA, Inversiones Previsionales Dos SpA, Ironbound Fund LLC, Jennison Associates LLC, Kyarra S.a r.l., Kyoei Annuity Home Co. Ltd., LINEUP LLC, Lake Street Partners IV L.P., MC GA COLLINS HOLDINGS LLC, MC GA COLLINS REALTY LLC, MC Insurance Agency Services LLC, Manor at Harbour Island LLC, Marble Canyon LLC, Maricopa LLC, Market Street Holdings IV LLC, Morenci LLC, Mulberry Street Holdings LLC, Mulberry Street Investment L.P., Mulberry Street Partners LLC, Mullin TBG Insurance Agency Services LLC, MullinTBG Insurance Agency Services, National Family Assurance Group LLC, New Savanna, Orchard Street Acres Inc., PAI Bay Farm LLC, PAI Bayrock Groves LLC, PAI Belvidere Farms LLC, PAI Big Cypress Farm LLC, PAI Corcoran 640 Ranch LLC, PAI DeKalb Farm LLC, PAI Delano 1500 Ranches LLC, PAI Flicker Orchard LLC, PAI Good Hope Farm LLC, PAI Hawk Creek Ranch LLC, PAI Hills Valley Ranches LLC, PAI Holly Hill Groves LLC, PAI Hunt Farm LLC, PAI Jackson Bayou Farm LLC, PAI Lake Placid Groves LLC, PAI Wallula Gap Vineyard LLC, PCP V Cayman AIV GP L.P., PEREF II Co-Invest 1 GP S.a r.l., PEREF II GP S.a r.l., PEREF II PV S.r.l, PFI EM-Tech Fund I LLC, PG Business Service Co. Ltd, PG Collection Service Co. Ltd., PGA Asian Retail Limited, PGA European Limited, PGI Co. Ltd, PGIM (Australia) Pty Ltd, PGIM (Hong Kong) Ltd., PGIM (Scots) Limited, PGIM (Shanghai) Company Ltd., PGIM (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PGIM AVP IV GP S.a r.l., PGIM Advisory (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PGIM Agricultural Investments GP LLC, PGIM Agricultural Investors LP, PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Fund L.P., PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Partners LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management (Feeder) VI LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Fund VI L.P., PGIM European Financing Limited, PGIM European Services Limited, PGIM Financial Limited, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund II L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives GP LLC, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives II GP LLC, PGIM Foreign Investments Inc., PGIM Holding Company LLC, PGIM INDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM INDIA TRUSTEES PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM Inc., PGIM International Financing Inc., PGIM Investments LLC, PGIM Japan Co. Ltd., PGIM Korea Inc., PGIM LTIF Berlin GP S.a r.l., PGIM LTIF Berlin MLP S.ar.l., PGIM LTIF GP S.a.r.l., PGIM Limited, PGIM Loan Originator Manager Limited, PGIM M Campus GP S.a r.l., PGIM Management Partner Limited, PGIM MetaProp Investor LP LLC, PGIM Netherlands B.V., PGIM Overseas Investment Fund Management (Shanghai) Company Ltd, PGIM Private Capital (Ireland) Limited, PGIM Private Capital Limited, PGIM Private Placement Investors Inc., PGIM Private Placement Investors L.P., PGIM REF EUROPE SCSp, PGIM REF Europe GP S.a r.l., PGIM REF Europe Member LLC, PGIM REF Intermediary Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate (Japan) Ltd., PGIM Real Estate (UK) Limited, PGIM Real Estate CD S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Capital VII GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest L.P., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest SCSp, PGIM Real Estate Co-Invest Holdings LLC, PGIM Real Estate Debt GmbH, PGIM Real Estate Finance Holding Company, PGIM Real Estate Finance LLC, PGIM Real Estate France SAS, PGIM Real Estate Germany AG, PGIM Real Estate Global Debt GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles S. de R.L. de C.V, PGIM Real Estate Italy S.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Loan Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate Luxembourg S.A., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Management Luxembourg S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Mexico S.C., PGIM Real Estate S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate U.S. Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management (Feeder) I LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management Fund I L.P., PGIM Strategic Financing LLC, PGIM Strategic Investments Inc., PGIM USPF VI Manager LLC, PGIM Warehouse Inc., PGLH of Delaware Inc., PIFM Holdco LLC, PIIC Limited, PIISC Holdings (UK) Limited, PIM KF Blocker Holdings LLC, PIM KF Blocker V Holdings LLC, PIM USPF V Manager LLC, PLA Administradora Industrial SRL, PLA Administradora LLC, PLA Administradora S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional II S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional S.de R.L. de C.V., PLA Co-Investor LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager I LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager II LLC, PLA Mexico Residential Manager I LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Limited Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund IV Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund IV Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Blue LP, PLA Retail Fund I LP, PLA Retail Fund I Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Red LP, PLA Retail Fund II Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LP, PLA Retail Fund II Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II U.S. Carry/Co-Invest LP, PLA Services Manager Mexico LLC, PLAI Limited, PMCF Holdings LLC, PMCF Properties LLC, PPPF General Partner LLP, PR GA SCP Apartments LLC, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP (SCOTS FEEDER) LLP, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP LLP, PRECO ACCOUNT III LLC, PRECO ACCOUNT PARTNERSHIP III LP, PRECO Account IV LLC, PRECO Account Partnership IV LP, PRECO III GP LLP, PREFG Hanwha Manager LLC, PREI Acquisition I Inc., PREI Acquisition II Inc., PREI Acquisition LLC, PREI HYDG LLC, PREI International Inc., PRIAC Property Acquisitions LLC, PRICOA Management Partner Limited, PRISA Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Pooled Manager LLC, PRISA III Fund GP LLC, PRISA III Fund PIM LLC, PRREF II Fund Manager LLC, PRU 3XSquare LLC, PRUCO LLC, PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL ENERGY PARTNERS MANAGEMENT (FEEDER) LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP MEMBER LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP REIT LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE 2 LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE LLC, PT PFI Mega Life Insurance, Passaic Fund LLC, Pine Tree GP, Pine Tree L.P., Platinum GP Limited, Platinum II L.P., Platinum L.P., Pramerica (Hong Kong) Holdings Limited, Pramerica (Luxembourg) CP GP S.a.r.l., Pramerica (Scots) CP GP LLP, Pramerica Business Consulting (Shanghai) Company Limited, Pramerica EVP CP LP, Pramerica Financial Asia Headquarters Pte. Ltd., Pramerica Financial Asia Limited, Pramerica Fixed Income Funds Management Limited, Pramerica Fosun Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Pramerica General Partner LLP, Pramerica Holdings Ltd, Pramerica Insurance Agency (China) Company Ltd., Pramerica PRECAP I GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP II GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP III GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP IV GP LLP, Pramerica Pan European Real Estate (Scots) LP, Pramerica Property Partners Fund (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I GP (Scots Feeder) LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital II (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital III (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP (Scots Feeder) LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Limited, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V (Netherlands) GP LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital VI (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica SGR S.p.A, Pramerica Systems Ireland Limited, Preco III (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pru 101 Wood LLC, Pru Alpha Partners I LLC, Pru Fixed Income Emerging Markets Partners I LLC, PruVen Capital Partners Fund I L.P., Pruco Assignment Corporation, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, Pruco Securities LLC, Prudential 900 Aviation Boulevard LLC, Prudential Affordable Mortgage Company LLC, Prudential Agricultural Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Annuities Distributors Inc., Prudential Annuities Holding Company Inc., Prudential Annuities Inc., Prudential Annuities Information Services & Technology Corporation, Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Captive Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Universal Company, Prudential Bank & Trust FSB, Prudential Capital Energy Opportunity Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners Management Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Partners Management Fund IV L.P., Prudential Capital and Investment Services LLC, Prudential Chile II SpA, Prudential Chile SpA, Prudential Commercial Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Customer Solutions LLC, Prudential Equity Group LLC, Prudential Financial Securities Investment Trust Enterprise, Prudential Fixed Income Global Liquidity Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Fixed Income U.S. Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Funding LLC, Prudential General Services of Japan Y.K., Prudential Gibraltar Agency Co. Ltd., Prudential Global Funding LLC, Prudential Holdings of Japan Inc., Prudential Huntoon Paige Associates LLC, Prudential IBH Holdco Inc., Prudential Impact Investments Mortgage Loans LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Debt LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Equity LLC, Prudential Industrial Properties LLC, Prudential Insurance Agency LLC, Prudential International Insurance Holdings Ltd., Prudential International Insurance Service Company L.L.C., Prudential International Investments Advisers LLC, Prudential International Investments Company LLC, Prudential International Investments LLC, Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, Prudential Japan Holdings LLC, Prudential Legacy Insurance Company of New Jersey, Prudential Life Insurance Company of Taiwan Inc., Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 1 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 2 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Capital Asset Holding Company LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Funding LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, Prudential Multifamily Mortgage LLC, Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, Prudential Newark Realty LLC, Prudential QOZ Investment Fund 1 LLC, Prudential Realty Securities Inc., Prudential Retirement Financial Services Holding LLC, Prudential Retirement Holdings LLC, Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company, Prudential Securities Secured Financing Corporation, Prudential Securities Structured Assets Inc., Prudential Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., Prudential Seguros S.A., Prudential Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Prudential Structured Settlement Company, Prudential Systems Japan Limited, Prudential Term Reinsurance Company, Prudential Trust Co. Ltd., Prudential Trust Company, Prudential Universal Reinsurance Company, Prudential Workplace Solutions Group Services LLC, Prudential do Brasil Seguros de Vida S.A., Prudential do Brasil Vida em Grupo S.A., Prudential/TMW Real Estate Group LLC, Pruservicos Participacoes Ltda., QMA JP EM All Cap Equity Partners LLC, QMA LLC, QMA Wadhwani LLP, Quartzsite LLC, Residential Services Corporation of America LLC, Rio CP LP, Rock European Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock Global Real Estate LLC, Rock Kensington Limited, Rock Marty GP S.a r.l., Rock Oxford S.a r.l., Rock UK Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock UK Real Estate II S.a.r.l., Rockstone Co. Ltd., Rosado Grande LLC, Ross Avenue Energy Fund Holdings LLC, Ross Avenue Minerals 2012 LLC, SCP Apartments LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERS VI GP LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERSHIP FUND VI GP LLC, SHP IV Carried Interest LP, SHP V Carried Interest L.P., SMP Holdings Inc., SVIIT Holdings Inc., Sanei Collection Service Co. Ltd. (Kabushiki Kaisha Sanei Shuuno Service), Senior Housing Partners IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partners V LLC, Senior Housing Partnership Fund IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partnership Fund V LLC, Sterling Private Placement Management LLP, Stetson Street Partners L.P., Strand Investments Limited, TBG Insurance Services Corporation, TENSATOR HOLDINGS LTD, TF Proveedora S.C., TMW ASPF I Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, TMW ASPF Management GmbH, TMW Management LLC, TMW Real Estate Group LLC, TMW Realty Advisors LLC, TMW USPF Verwaltungs GmbH, TRGOAG Company Inc., The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Keynes Dynamic Beta Strategy (US) Fund GP LLC, The Prudential Assigned Settlement Services Corp., The Prudential Brazilian Capital Fund LP, The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Prudential Home Mortgage Company Inc., The Prudential Insurance Company of America, The Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd., The Prudential Real Estate Financial Services of America Inc., The WMF Group, Thurloe Commercial Guernsey Limited, Times Square Center Associates, USPF V - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, USPF V Carry LLC, USPF V Co-Invest LLC, USPF V Investment LP, United States Property Fund VI GP S.a r.l., Vailsburg Fund LLC, Vantage Casualty Insurance Company, Wabash Avenue Holdings V LLC, Wabash Avenue Partners V L.P., Wadhwani Capital Limited, Waveland Avenue Holdings I LLC, Waveland Avenue Partners I (Ireland) L.P., Waveland Avenue Partners I (US) L.P., Wellness Services Ecossistema De Bem Estar Ltda., Wellness Services SRL, Yamato Life, and Yavapai LLC.
Wall Street analysts have given iShares Russell 3000 ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares Russell 3000 ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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The Bank of New York Mellon pays an annual dividend of $1.36 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 2.50%. The Bank of New York Mellon does not yet have a strong track record of dividend growth. The dividend payout ratio of The Bank of New York Mellon is 33.92%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, The Bank of New York Mellon will have a dividend payout ratio of 29.44% next year. This indicates that The Bank of New York Mellon will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

View The Bank of New York Mellon's dividend history.
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ADB needs to review its administrative processes for delivering its finance and services to help realise its vision.

Manila: India on Saturday asked ADB to invest in fintech and health startups to help improve the quality of life in Asia while sharpening focus on infrastructure lending by ensuring loan disbursals within a year of request.

Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) should factor in the number of poor people in a country while deciding resource allocation.

He was speaking on the sidelines of ADB's annual board meeting. The multilateral lender is making efforts to create 'Strategy 2030' to sustain its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty and to achieve sustainable growth in Asia and the Pacific.

"ADB should continue to place its primary focus on infrastructure creation, energy, communication, transportation, cities, rivers cleaning.... New technologies ... is the new revolution -- the digital age. While agriculture and industrial age will continue to exist, and we should not ignore that the digital age is going to shape up our future.

"ADB should become a facilitator of ushering in digital age in Asia. It should invest in innovations, in startups and venture capitals to help countries produce goods and services using technologies in digital age. "It should invest in fintech, healthtech and other ways in which public services can be delivered to people of Asia to improve their quality of life," Garg said.

Urging the ADB to undertake more direct attack on poverty reduction, malnutrition illiteracy, including digital illiteracy, and health, he said ADB needs to review its administrative processes for delivering its finance and services to help realise its vision.

"For this, first, ADB should encourage adoption of country systems. Many countries in the region, including India, have sound country system and social and environmental safeguards. We would do well to adopt country systems for procurement safeguards and other fiduciary policies," Garg said.

Cautioning the ADB against adopting differentiated approach while lending to countries, the secretary said, "We do not believe differential pricing will either add to its capital, which is not needed at this moment, or lead to any significant revenue. Therefore, probably, pursuing this idea may not be very advisable."

He said ADB should factor in the number of poor people living in the country, besides income inequality and geographical imbalances, for resource allocation.

India is a founding member of the ADB and is currently the fourth-largest shareholder and the largest borrower of ADB sovereign lending since 2010.

The multilateral lender has so far committed sovereign loans totalling USD 35.9 billion to India. ADB should also introduce more targeted intervention in low income and poverty-concentrated geographic pockets, Garg said.

He added that keeping pace with the evolving needs of the developing member countries, ADB should substantially expand its private sector operations, especially equity financing and investment in new instruments of financing, like infrastructure investment trust. Garg also called for speeding up processing of proposals and undertaking effective business process reforms.

"We should aim at delivering project financing within one year of it being posed. ADB may also need to post more international staff from headquarters to resident missions. ADB should open its missions in major business locations," he added.

He also suggested ADB to be a partner in the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to promote clean and renewable energy. The ISA is a treaty based inter-governmental alliance of 121 sunshine-rich countries.
Shruti Haasan had a surprise visitor on the sets of her upcoming flick, a yet to be titled gangster drama directed by Mahesh Manjrekar. Her mother and actress Sarika was spotted on the sets in Mumbai when she had come to see her daughter in action.

Shruti was elated to have her mom pay her a visit. Shruti is also thrilled with the multi-layered character she plays in the film, which has Vidyut Jamwal in the lead.

A source at the unit said, Shruti went around personally introducing her mom to everyone on sets. She was really enjoying having her mom around and seeing her at work. She believes its going to be one film that she and her mom will be very proud of

The source adds, Sarika ji was really glad to have Shruti expand her horizons as an actor under the guidance of the national award winning director. Mahesh comes with an immensely powerful and respectful reputation as a storyteller. Seeing Shruti being in such good hands made Sarikaji really happy.
Rating:

Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Rajesh Tailang, Rupinder Nagra, Timothy Ryan Hickernell, Daljit Shawn Singh

Director: Hansal Mehta

When done well, ambiguity can be the stuff of great cinema, one that keeps its hook into us for years. And as the films worldview, it can be the hallmark of political maturity, the fact that it is ones own rather than an ideological outlook borrowed from a state, a party, some people. Hansal Mehta is not lacking in ambition. And his politics is always interesting. It makes us think. But somewhere, since his laser-sharp Shahid, his grip over his own stories has been loosening. In pursuit of either a brilliant cinematic moment or a powerful message, he loses track of the story he wants to tell, and his message gets lost in his muddled telling. Omerta is an honourable film, but it often looses track of itself as it goes off on tangents so obscure and weak. If a lesser actor were carrying it, Omerta would have been insufferable. Rajkummar Raos taut, sharp performance shines bright and gives the film heft and personality it otherwise lacks.

Omerta opens with a dark screen and a scream. We dont know who screamed, where. The film tells the story of British-born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh (played here by Rajkummar Rao), now 44 and waiting for a response to his plea against his death sentence in Karachi Jail. It tracks his journey from LSE to kidnapping four foreigners in Delhi, getting arrested by Delhi police, being one of the three militants freed in exchange for the lives of passengers on board the hijacked IC-814 by the then BJP government, going on to kidnapping and then killing Daniel Pearl, and making crank calls to Pervez Musharraf from jail. Posing as Pranab Mukherjee during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, he threatened war, leading Pakistan to scramble military aircraft over Islamabad and Rawalpindi. It doesnt get more dramatic than that.

Hansal Mehta has said in interviews that he wanted to explore and depict evil as a human characteristic, but since he is not, thankfully, a jingoistic white film director from America, his Indian lefty-liberal leanings show in his telling of this story. There is cause, and jihad is its effect. Theres no justification, of course. But its a link thats exploited by others. While exploring Omars hatred for America, Britain and other Anglo-Saxon nations, his screenplay and film are unable to see it in isolation. And while this is where his films politics is refreshing and interesting, its also where it gets lost. Mehta is in control when he shows Omar as a man made up of contradictions  an intelligent, modern young man who is also a devout Muslim, a man attached to his father but also chuffed by his own cunning, a man so charming and yet so diabolic.

It helps that Rajkummar Rao is able to show then all at once, whether when posing as Rohit Verma in Delhi, or luring Daniel Pearl into his net in Pakistan. But as the film explores the causes behind his hatred for America and infidels, and travels to Bosnia through newspaper clips, it is inept and dull. Omars anger and hatred, born out of atrocities committed far away but internalised, thanks to a certain bend in his personality and some indoctrination, is not explained with imagination and drama. Its documented through a protest here, a news item there.

There are many stories, tangents the film could have explored. Omar was also, allegedly, an MI6 recruit who went rogue. Theres been talk of dysfunction, anger and violence since his school days. Mehta doesnt stick with all the facts available, and his own creative story telling lacks punch. There is always Palestine, Kashmir. But Bosnia, howsoever significant and honourable, is a dead zone in an Indian film, especially if its given to us only through headline clippings. Omerta has some lovely, very powerful moments. But because of this aimless wandering it keeps sinking, repeatedly.

The ambiguity Mehta is fond of is embedded in the title of his film as well. Omerta is an Italian word that literally means among the mafia, but is the code the mafia live by  keeping silent and not cooperating with the police against their own. The mafia, yakuza, uniformed Armymen, spies  this code is followed and honoured by all. Because telling is a sign of weakness, cowardice.I found this liberal confusion was interesting as far as the politics of the film was concerned. But it could have, should have been translated into something more. It could have been used to tell the stories on both sides with a bit more passion and details.

Rajkummar Rao has said in interviews that while preparing for his role, he found himself almost lauding the Paris attacks of November 2015. Well done, he found himself saying. Rajkummar Rao brings a scary rigidity to the spine, jaw and intent of his character that is telling and scary. His accent is perfect, and there are many. His Hindi as an Indian-Britisher is distinct from his Urdu when hes in Pakistan. He pulls off some very intense scenes, including the ones with Daniel Pearl. The killing, butchering scene is really tough to watch. And tougher to forget. Rajkummar Rao gave it his all. All Omerta needed from Mehta was a little more passion, some more focus.
Second child Alice came into the world in the car park at Kents Tunbridge Wells Hospital and latest addition Rosie came at home.

When his wife went into labour early, Lee Brindle knew he would have to deliver his and wife Samanthas third born on his own.

Incredibly, this was not the first time construction worker Lee, 36, found himself in this terrifying situation.

It turns out that he had delivered their second child in a hospital car park after they were again caught short.

The father is now considering changing career to become a midwife.

Speaking about it, Lee said that he is in awe of midwives who do such a brilliant job every day.

We need more in the UK and its something Im passionate about, so Im looking into retraining. Ive delivered two of my own children and to qualify you have to deliver 40 babies, so Ive only got 38 to go, he said.

Samantha, 34, thinks he is just the man for the job. She says of his latest heroics: Its hard not to think afterwards of the things that could have gone wrong, but in the moment Lee kept me very calm.

She added than they have three children so its not the ideal time for him to give up his job and go back to school, but he would be a brilliant midwife.

Their firstborn, son Bobbie, now eight, arrived after a straightforward eight-hour labour at Londons St Thomas Hospital.

But next child Alice, now five, came into the world in the car park at Kents Tunbridge Wells Hospital  and latest addition Rosie came last week, at home, weighing 6lb 2oz.
Meghan's brother,Tom Jr and sister, Samantha Grant say they have not been invited to the wedding. (Photo: AFP)

Meghan Markles father Thomas will walk her down the aisle when she marries Britains Prince Harry, a royal spokesman announced, despite claims from her half-brother that she had snubbed her family.

Thomas Markle and the bride-to-bes mother Doria Ragland, who divorced three decades ago, will arrive in Britain in the week before the May 19 wedding to spend time with Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip.

They will also meet Harrys father Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, ahead of the ceremony at St Georges Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

Both of the brides parents will have important roles in the wedding, the spokesman said.

On the morning of the wedding, Ms Ragland will travel with Ms Markle by car to Windsor Castle, he added. Mr Markle will walk his daughter down the aisle. Thomas Markle Junior, the half-brother of the US actress, has accused the couple of shunning her side of the family, writing in an April 26 open letter that its not too late for Harry to call off the wedding.

As more time passes to your royal wedding, it became very clear that this is the biggest mistake in royal wedding history, wrote the 51-year-old.

He and his sister Samantha Grant say they have not been invited to the wedding. I guess were all distant family to Meg, wrote Tom Jr.

Dianas family to share in wedding joy

The siblings of Princess Diana will look on as their beloved nephew Prince Harry marries Meghan Markle.

Taking their seats in St Georges Chapel, Earl Spencer, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes will represent a link to Harrys late mother. Lady Jane will give a reading at the ceremony, Kensington Palace announced on Friday.

Both sisters read poems at Dianas funeral, while Earl Spencer gave a controversial eulogy which was seen as an attack on the royal family. He vowed to Diana in his speech that her blood family would do all they could to protect the Duke of Cambridge and Harry so that their souls are not simply immersed by duty and tradition but can sing openly as you planned. Earl Spencer is the youngest of Dianas siblings, with Lady Sarah being born nine months after their mother, Frances Roche, later Frances Shand Kydd, married Edward John Johnnie Spencer in 1954.

Three years later Jane was born. She would become Lady Jane Fellowes after marrying the Queens former assistant private secretary, Robert Fellowes. Diana was born in July 1961, followed three years later by brother Charles, who went on to become Earl Spencer.

It was Lady Sarah who introduced Diana to the Prince of Wales, having briefly dated Charles in the late 1970s.

Footage of William, 15, and Harry, 12, walking behind their mothers coffin was beamed to the world.

Last year Earl Spencer claimed he was lied to about the brothers desire to do so.

He said walking behind Dianas coffin in the funeral cortege was the most horrifying half-hour of my life, but that he believed the experience was a million times worse for Dianas sons.

Announcing the attendance of his maternal aunts and uncle on the big day, Kensington Palace said Harry was keen to involve his mothers family in his wedding.

No chief bridesmaid

Markle, 36, will not be having a maid of honour.

She has a very close-knit group of friends and did not want to choose between them, the royal spokesman explained.

Her bridesmaids and pageboys will all be children.

Asked when the public would see the newlyweds kiss  often the defining image of British royal weddings  he remained tight-lipped, saying: I have no comments on kissing.

Some 2,640 members of the public have been invited into the grounds of Windsor Castle, and will arrive from 09:00am (6pm AEST) for the midday (9pm AEST) service, the royal spokesman said.

Harry and his fiancee, who will spend the eve of the wedding apart, will come face-to-face with the crowds outside the grounds during a 25-minute carriage procession through Windsor after the service.

Food stalls and giant screens will line the procession route, and the town centre will be decorated with bunting and ceremonial banners.

The couple will join the 600 wedding guests for a reception at the castle after the procession, departing later in the day for an evening reception for 200 at the nearby Frogmore House.

The newlyweds will not be going on honeymoon straight away, but will carry out their first engagement as a married couple the week after their wedding.
After consuming alcohol, an argument broke between the two, following which Giri stabbed Chaitanya with a knife in his stomach. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: The Vanasthalipuram police on Saturday detained two persons involved in a brutal murder at Panama crossroad two days ago. The suspects had killed Krishna Chaitanya and dumped his body in a plastic drum on Thursday evening.

Police said identified the prime suspect as Giri. However, cops are yet to officially announce the arrest.

Giri had come to a wine shop located at Panama crossroad along with Chaitanya. After consuming alcohol, an argument broke between the two, following which Giri stabbed Chaitanya with a knife in his stomach. Later, he also struck him with a crowbar. Chaitanya died on the spot. Another suspect detained by the police had helped Giri in the offence.

After killing him, the duo found an empty drum near the wine shop and dumped the body in it and fled from the spot. Based on CCTV footage and other clues, police detained the two. On inquiry, they admitted to killing Chaitanya after an argument they had in an inebriated condition.
Hyderabad: Kukatpally police nabbed a 45-year-old woman, operating in the business of flesh trade. The police has identified the accused as Jamma Sudha, a native of Vijayawada. She moved to the city three months ago after her husbands death.

Police had a constable go undercover and he posed as a client, in order to protect the victim. The constable on the pretext of being a client, offered Rs 2,000 to the victim for sexual favor. On acceptance of the offer, police acted and rescued the 20-year-old victim who has been sent to a womens protection care.

Sudha had brought in the victim three months ago on the promise of helping her with medical treatment assistance. The victim was later lured by Sudha into the business under guise of medical help and financial support, if she cooperated in running the business. The victims poor financial condition worked as catalyst in pushing her into the flesh trade business.

Sleuths also raided the apartment she stayed in and arrested her. Officials seized cash and a packet of condoms from the apartment where she operated her business in Kukatpally.
Police resorted to teargas shelling in SMHS Hospital Srinagar in Kashmir to disperse the crowd who were resisting seizure of a dead body of a civilian. The civilian was crushed to death by security forces vehicle during protests near gunfight sight in capital Srinagar, of Kashmir. The gunfight broke out between militants and security forces in Gasi Mohalla area of Srinagar. (Photo: H U Naqash)

Srinagar: Normalcy was affected in parts of Srinagar after three militants and a civilian were killed in an encounter and subsequent street clashes in Chattabal, a congested area of Jammu and Kashmirs summer capital, on Saturday.

Inspector General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Ravi Deep Sahi, announced that all the three militants trapped inside a private house in Gasi Mohalla of Chattabal have been killed in the fire fight with security forces. He added that their identity was being ascertained.

J&Ks Director General of Police, Shesh Paul Vaid, confirmed it in a tweet. He wrote on micro-blogging site, Encounter concluded in Chattabal Srinagar. Three bodies of terrorists recovered in a clean operation by J&K Police & CRPF. Well done boys.

Earlier reports had said that one of the two militants holed up inside the house has been gunned down during a fire fight raging in Gasi Mohalla. The body of the slain terrorist has been spotted but not retrieved yet as exchange of gun fire with his accomplice is still underway, said a police officer.

Earlier reports had said that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) district commander for Srinagar Merajuddin Bangroo is among the two gunmen trapped inside a private house in the locality.

The security forces had laid siege to the area around dawn following inputs about the presence of the LeT commander and his close associate. The search operation soon turned into an encounter after the militants hiding in the house fired upon the search party of the security forces including J&K polices counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Srinagars SSP Imtiyaz Ismail Parray said, As the security forces tightened the cordon and search and zeroed in on the house where militants were hiding they (militants) fired at them triggering encounter in which as assistant commandant of the CRPF was injured.

Soon surging crowds chanting pro-freedom slogans clashed with police and CRPF at several locations across Srinagar including near the encounter site. A protester identified as Aadil Ahmed Yaddo was critically injured when a security forces vehicle ran over him in Safa Kadal area in close vicinity of Chattabal, the witnesses said.

He was rushed to nearby Sri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS) where he succumbed to his injuries.

A huge crowd which had assembled outside the hospital tried to take the corpse of the youth along but the police immediately swung into action, fired teargas canisters into the crowd and seized the body, the witnesses said. CRPF spokesman Rajesh Yadav said the vehicle which hit the youth did not belong to it.

The J&K police tweeted, One person identified as Aadil Ahmad Yaddo was brought to SMHS hospital whom doctors declared brought dead. Medical bulletin suggests that the person died due to a crush injury in a road traffic accident at Noorbagh. Citizens may not pay heed to rumours.

A video clip placed on social media shows the youth being hit by a security forces's vehicle during stone-pelting at Noorbagh. Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also added the clip to a tweet in which he said "How a murder was committed by the forces today and then brazenly denied! Is there no sense of humanity left in India?"

How a murder was committed by the forces today and then brazenly denied !

Is there no sense of humanity left in India? #AdilMurdered https://t.co/dWeFKPZtiK pic.twitter.com/PgwhbBOBOD  Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) May 5, 2018

After the video went viral on social media, the police issued another statement which read: Apropos the incident that took place at Noorbagh this morning in which one person namely Aadil Ahmad Yaddu died in a road traffic accident. In this regard a case has been registered at Police Station Safakadal under relevant sections of law and proceedings have been initiated against the police vehicle/ driver which was involved in the accident.

As the word about the death of the civilian spread, several other parts of the City also erupted. Clashes between stone-pelting crowds and the security forces were underway, at least, at half a dozen places across the summer capital. This has led to closure of market places whereas vehicles too have been withdrawn from roads. Many schools have been closed and students sent home as a precautionary measure. The authorities snapped high speed mobile internet services to avoid rumour mongering. An official said, 4G and 3G services have been suspended in Srinagar to prevent spreading of rumours on the social media.

The police took Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik, into preventive custody while another separatist leader and Kashmirs chief Muslim cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest on Saturday, hours ahead of their scheduled press conference in Srinagar. Malik has been lodged in Citys Kothibagh police station after the police picked him up from his residence at nearby Maisuma.

The duo along with Syed Ali Shah Geelani had, after holding a closed door meeting at Geelanis residence on Thursday, said that they would be addressing a press conference at a City hotel on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a report from southern Pulwama said that militants shot at and critically wounded Special Police Officer (SPO) Showkat Ahmed Dar near a filling station in Rahmoo area of the district. He was rushed to hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival, the police said.

Earlier gunmen had shot dead a resident and his nephew in Shahgund area of Hajin in northern district of Bandipora. The police said that militants abducted Ghulam Hassan Dar (45) alias Hassan Rassa and his nephew Bashir Ahmad Dar (26) from their houses at Gulshan Mohalla of Hajin during the intervening night of May 4 and 5. The terrorists barged into the house of Dar and that of his nephew and abducted both of them. At about 3.30 am today (Saturday) the terrorists shot both of them dead, a statement issued by the police here said. It added that the bullet-riddled corpses of the victims were found by the locals near a mosque in the areas Raheem Dar Mohalla.
Supreme Court on Friday reserved its verdict on the plea of two condemned convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya rape. (Photo: File | Screengrab)

New Delhi: As the Supreme Court on Friday reserved its verdict on the plea of two condemned convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case, the mother of the victim said it was unfortunate for them to prove their daughters innocence every time in court.

"Even today in the court it was said that my daughter suffered minor injuries and the crime committed on her is not that heinous for death penalty, unfortunate that every time we have to prove in court that our daughter was innocent," she told the media.

The apex court had on May 5, 2017 upheld the verdict of the Delhi High Court and the trial court awarding capital punishment to four convicts - Mukesh, 29, Pawan, 22, Vinay Sharma, 23 and Akshay Kumar Singh, 31, for raping a 23-year-old paramedic student inside a moving bus in South Delhi on December 16, 2012.

"There have been times when my faith in law and justice is restored but as the court hearings get deferred by I feel extremely hopeless. I have been struggling for 6 years but still justice has not been served. Nirbhaya's culprits are still alive and I request the authorities to take the appropriate action to ensure they meet their deserved end soon," she added.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice R Banumathi and Justice Ashok Bhushan reserved the order after hearing arguments on behalf of the convicts Vinay Sharma and Pawan Gupta.

Also Read: Death penalty cold-blooded killing in name of justice: Nirbhaya rapists to SC
Bengaluru: The Congress president launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter for his partys choice of candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka.

He particularly targeted BJPs chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa, the Reddy brothers and their associates.

The tweet, accompanied by a video that Rahul Gandhi says "plays like an episode of 'Karnataka's Most Wanted'", is seen as an effort to corner the BJP leadership that accuses Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of corruption.

"You talk a lot. Problem is, your actions don't match your words. Here's a primer on your candidate selection in Karnataka," Rahul Gandhi, said in his tweet minutes before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to land in Karnataka for another day of hectic campaign in the poll bound state.

The 80-second video took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on criminal cases that the BJP's presumptive chief minister faces, election tickets to two Reddy brothers and six others perceived to be closed to them and other candidates facing criminal charges.

There was a post script.

"You can refer to a paper for answers," he taunted, a response to PM Modi challenging him to speak for 15 minutes on achievements of the Karnataka government without the help of notes.

Dear Modi ji,



You talk a lot. Problem is, your actions dont match your words. Here's a primer on your candidate selection in Karnataka.



It plays like an episode of "Karnataka's Most Wanted". #AnswerMaadiModi pic.twitter.com/G97AjBQUgO  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 5, 2018

Rahul Gandhi's tweet is part of the Congress strategy to build its offensive against the BJP around the Reddy brothers.

The former mining barons represent a chunk of corruption allegations levied against BJP during their earlier government led by BS Yeddyurappa.

The Reddy brothers  MLAs and ministers during the earlier BJP government in Karnataka -- have been accused of conducting large scale illegal mining across the iron-ore-rich district of Bellary.

Two of them - G Somashekhara Reddy and G Karunakara Reddy - have been given party tickets.

Over the past week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen sharing stage with Somashekhara Reddy in Bellary who was earlier accused of bribing a judge in the cash-for bail case that involved their third brother Janardhan Reddy.

Also Read: In Bellary, PM Modi shares stage with corruption tainted Reddy brother

Campaigning in Karnataka this week, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who had called GST Gabbar Singh Tax, said: "The BJP is playing 'Sholay' movie in Karnataka with a 'Gabbar Singh' gang featuring the scam-tainted jailbirds of his party as Kalia and Samba.
The factories were a source of livelihood for many women in the district, who say they are ready to compromise on their wages if the units are reopened. (Photo: ANI)

Kochi: The mega cashew industry in Kerala has lately been facing a crisis, as over 80 per cent of the factories have shut down, leaving lakhs of workers unemployed.

According to an NDTV report, Kerala's Kollam district, which is known as the hub of cashew processing and exporting, housed 834 factories. Of 834, a staggering 700 factories have shut down in the last two years. This affected around three lakh employees -- mostly women -- who now have been left without jobs, claim industry insiders.

The factories were a source of livelihood for many women in the district, who say they are ready to compromise on their wages if the units are reopened.

A former worker at a cashew nut processing unit in Kalluvathukkal, Girija said, "I used to work in the peeling section. We got wages according to the weight of the cashews we processed, which was hiked from Rs 16/kg to Rs 36/kg. There were more than 640 workers in our company."

Another worker, Sudharma told ANI, "I used to get about Rs 3,000 each month. I am simply sitting now. We hope the company will reopen. Owners said they were in crisis due to the increase in wages directed by Kerala government. We are ready to work for lower wages."

But it's not just the workers. According to an NDTV report, owners like Rajesh K have incurred losses after his processing unit in Kollam was declared a non-performing asset.

Meanwhile, the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) held the state government responsible for the crisis.

"In the last six months, cashew factories in Kerala closed due to wrong policies of governments. The industry provides job to over 3 lakh people in and around Kollam. Some people want to spoil this industry by imposing unnecessary compliance and formalities," INTUC president R Chandrasekharan said.

Various reasons have led to the downfall of the cashew industry. The cost of raw cashew has steeped globally and in Kerala, obsolete machinery and wages have added to the existing crisis.

However, the losses here have proven to be a victory for Vietnam which has emerged as a cheaper global alternative.

(With inputs from ANI)
In their affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, Sanji Ram and his son Vishal repeated the request. (Photo: File | PTI)

New Delhi: Main accused, Sanji Ram, in the gangrape and murder of the eight-year-old nomadic Muslim girl in Kathua told the Supreme Court that he was innocent and the probe should be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to get to the "real culprits".

With an aim towards driving out her Bakerwal community in January, the eight-year-old girl, was kidnapped, sedated and gangraped repeatedly for days before her head was bashed with stone. The brutality of the crime came fore to the country after the chilling details the minors murder emerged over the past month.

In April, the outrage forced the Central government to include death as one of the penalties for raping children.

Read: Kathua case: Meerut student travelled to J&K to rape 8-yr-old, says chargesheet

Two ministers in Mehbooba Mufti cabinet also had to quit after they were seen supporting demands for a CBI inquiry from the eight accused in this case. BJP leaders later said the ministers had to pay for indiscretion but there was nothing wrong in demanding a CBI probe.

In their affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, Sanji Ram and his son Vishal repeated the request.

Sanji Ram said he was "like a grand-father" to the victim and had been framed by police officers biased against them. The affidavit said he not only wanted justice for the victim but "fair treatment" for the accused as well.

Also Read: We are falsely implicated, transfer probe to CBI: Kathua rape accused urges SC

He also opposed the petition to transfer the trial against the eight accused outside Jammu and Kashmir to Chandigarh.

Sanji Ram insisted that there was no real reason to transfer the trial as there was no threat to the victim's family. Instead, he claimed that it was accused like him who had been threatened and the trial couldn't be shifted out on the basis of apprehension.

Sanji Ram also insisted that the lawyer representing the victims family - Deepika Singh Rajawat, who had approached the Supreme Court, was not a lawyer in the trial court and security given to her should be revoked.

Deepika Singh Rajawat had moved the Supreme Court saying that there was a threat to her life.

"I don't know how long I will be alive. I can be raped...My modesty can be outraged. I can be killed, I can be damaged. I was threatened yesterday that 'we will not forgive you'. I am going to tell the Supreme Court tomorrow that I am in danger," Rajawat said in April before the victim's father asked the apex court to transfer the trial to Kathua.

Also Read: I can be raped, killed: Lawyer for Kathua rape victim's family gets threat
The gunfight broke out between militants and security forces in Gasi Mohalla area of Srinagar. (Photo: H U Naqash)

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir police on Saturday stated that the militant trio, killed in an encounter with security forces in Srinagars Chattabal area earlier on Saturday, was planning a major terror strike.

The trio had planned a terror attack in the summer capital Srinagar on the eve of reopening of the Darbar move, the bi-annual office move.

The 'Darbar move' is the bi-annual shift of the secretariat and all government offices of Jammu and Kashmir from one capital city to another.

Also Read: All 3 militants killed in Srinagar encounter, clashes erupt in Kashmir capital

The police said that one of the slain militants was Fayaz Ahmed Hamaal, a resident of Srinagars Fatah Kadal locality, whereas identities of the two others killed with him are yet to be ascertained.

The police further added that apart from AK 47 rifles, Underbarrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) and UGBL grenades, hand grenades, wire-cutter, a medical kit and matrix sheets were recovered from the encounter site.

On the basis of materials recovered it is assessed that this group was intending to carry out some major terror attack which was foiled, a statement issued by the police said.

Meanwhile, the police said that the Special Police Officer (SPO) Showkat Ahmed Dar shot at by militants in southern Pulwama district continues to be critical in hospital.

An earlier report had said Dar was declared brought dead to a hospital after he was shot at a filling station in Pulwamas Rahmoo area on Saturday.
Ashok Poojary said he was attacked in 2015 by six men riding on three motorbikes because he worked with Hindutva organisations. (Youtube Screengrab)

Mangaluru: As Karnataka braces itself for the assembly election on May 12, a new revelation has come up which might work against BJP in the upcoming polls.

BJP levelled a charge that 23 of their workers have been killed by 'jihadi' forces in the past five years, under the Congress rule.

BJP MLA from Udupi Shobha Karandlaje wrote a letter to the Union Home Ministry in 2017 listing all 23 names.

The letter, highlighting murders of Hindu/RSS/BJP activists in Karnataka, drew considerable flak on social media as well  with names of living and unrelated people cropping up in the list.

The list had two sections. In the first, the letter stated Reign of blood bath and political murders in Karnataka under the Congress government headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The List of Hindu/RSS Activists and BJP workers killed in the state during the last four years of Congress rule. Under this list, there are names of 23 people.

In another section in the same letter The list of BJP/RSS workers assaulted during the last years. It named six people.

Confined to his small home on the outskirts of Moodabidri town, about 35 km from Mangaluru, Ashok Poojary is the first name on the list of 23 in Karandlajes letter. According to the letter, he was killed on September 20, 2015.

The police chargesheet identified three of his attackers as Mushtafa, 28, Hanif, 36, and Kabeer, 28.

According to reports, Ashok Poojary was a member of Bajrang Dal but was never very active in the organisation. He made a living by playing instruments in music bands engaged for temple events.

After the attack, he was hospitalised for three months, racking up a bill of about Rs 8 lakh, he said. Hindutva organisations partly took care of the expenses.

Ashok Poojary is still alive and was shocked to find his name among the list of dead prepared by Karandlaje, the BJP MP.

NDTV met Ashok Poojary in his village in Udupi district. He says he was attacked in 2015 by six men riding on three motorbikes because he worked with Hindutva organisations.

Talking to NDTV, Ashok Poojary said the attackers recognised him because he was wearing a saffron scarf wrapped around his head, while returning from work. He plays the drums in a wedding band.

"I was in ICU (Intensive Care Unit) for 15 days. They thought I was going to die. But then thanks to God, I made it", he said.

Ashok Poojary says he received a call from Shobha Karandlaje, admitting that adding his name on the list was a mistake.

But the BJP continues to cite the "23 workers killed" figure. "More than 2 dozen of our workers have been killed in Karnataka", Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his campaigning for the elections in the poll bound state.

The ruling Congress in the state has debunked those claims, saying of the 23, 14 deaths had nothing to do with Muslim attackers. The reasons, they found ranged from suicide, to personal enmity.

The District President of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Mangalore, Jagadish Shenava told NDTV that the BJP will not make false claims. "If the names are there, it must be correct", he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to step up cultural exchanges by promoting people-to-people links and unleashing the vitality of the two emerging economies. (Photo: Twitter | @PMOIndia)

New Delhi: For once the Chinese officials were caught napping by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his informal summit with President Xi Jinping in Wuhan, China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui revealed.

During his first one-on-one meeting with President Xi at the Hubei Provincial Museum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his host that this was his second visit to Hubei province, surprising the Chinese officials, who otherwise keep a track of all bilateral and official visits minutely.

"We didn't know that Prime Minister Modi had visited Wuhan earlier," Luo told the participants of a seminar on the two-day informal summit between the leaders of India and China held in Wuhan city from April 27.

PM Modi told Xi that when he was the Gujarat chief minister, he had an opportunity to visit central China's Hubei Province on a study tour to learn about the massive Three Gorges Dam. PM Modi was the Gujarat chief minister from October 2001 to May 2014

"The speed with which you constructed this dam and its scale inspired me. So I came on a study tour and spent a day at the dam," PM Modi had told Xi.

As the world's largest hydropower project, the Three Gorges project is a multifunctional water control system on the mighty Yangtze river. It comprises a dam stretching 2,309 meters long and 185 meters high, 32 hydropower turbo-generators, a five-tier ship lock and ship lift system.

Luo said China took special care to provide an enabling and comfortable environment for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Wuhan, with the ambassador himself carrying with him table clothes from Gujarat and Assam tea for the visiting dignitary.

While sharing some of the efforts made by the Chinese leadership to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi feel at home in the central Chinese city, over 1,000 km from Beijing, Luo said President Xi Jinping has met the Indian premier 13 times in the last five years of his first term.

Luo said Chinese officials came to know that Prime Minister Narendra Modi liked table clothes from Gujarat. "So we decided to use them during the informal summit."

"We didn't serve Chinese tea to Prime Minister Modi but Assam tea," he said.

During the summit, the two leaders agreed to build on the rich cultures of the two great oriental civilisations and harness the rich human resources of their combined population of 2.6 billion.

President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to step up cultural exchanges by promoting people-to-people links and unleashing the vitality of the two emerging economies.

For this, the two sides have agreed to establish a high-level cultural and people-to-people exchange mechanism, the envoy said.
The Bench passed this order relying on a recent ruling given in the Kerala love jihad case of Hadiya alias Akhila, who was allowed to go with her Muslim husband. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has reiterated that the right of a major girl to marry a person of her choice cannot be curtailed by her father and even if the boy has not attained the marriageable age of 21, she can have `living together relationship with him.

Giving this ruling a Bench of Justices A.K. Sikri and Ashok Bhushan restored the girl, whose marriage was annulled by the Kerala High Court, to her husband.

The High Court while setting aside the marriage in a habeas corpus petition handed over the girl to her father.

The Bench passed this order relying on a recent ruling given in the Kerala love jihad case of Hadiya alias Akhila, who was allowed to go with her Muslim husband to allow this petition filed by Nandakumar, husband of the girl Tushara.

The Bench in its order said we make it clear that the freedom of choice would be of Tushara as to with whom she wants to live.

Even if they were not competent to enter into wedlock (which position itself is disputed), they have right to live together even outside wedlock.

The Bench said It would not be out of place to mention that live-in relationship is now recognized by the Legislature itself which has found its place under the provisions of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005. It needs no special emphasis to state that attaining the age of majority in an individuals life has its own significance. She/He is entitled to make her/his choice. The courts cannot, as long as the choice remains, assume the role of parens patriae.

The Bench said "the daughter is entitled to enjoy her freedom as the law permits and the court should not assume the role of a super guardian being moved by any kind of sentiment of the mother or the egotism of the father. We say so without any reservation," the Bench added.

In this case at the time of marriage in April 2017 the girl Tushara was 19 years of age and the boy Nandakumar was 20 years.

On a petition from girls father that the boy had kidnapped his daughter, the Kerala High Court directed the police to produce the girl in the court and thereafter annulled the marriage. The girl was restored to her father.

The present appeal by Nandakumar is directed against this judgment.

The Bench said insofar as Thushara is concerned, she was 19 years of age and, therefore, competent to marry, as the marriageable age for females is 18 years.

However, dispute arose about the age of Nandakumar.

It was the contention that he was 20 years and not of marriageable age.

It cannot be said that merely because appellant was less than 21 years of age, marriage between the parties is null and void.

The appellant as well as Tushara are Hindus.

Such a marriage is not a void marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, and as per the provisions of section 12, which can be attracted in such a case it is only a voidable marriage at the option of the parties.

Therefore the High Court cannot annual a marriage, the Bench said and set aside the order and restored the girl to her husband.
'Don't rest now. If you think that somebody isn't voting, go to their homes, tie up their hands and legs and bring them to vote in favour of Mahantesh Doddagoudar,' he said. (Photo: File)

Belagavi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Karnataka chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa on Saturday advised people to tie hands and legs of the non-voters and make them vote in favour of Mahantesh Doddagoudar, BJP candidate from Kittur.

Addressing a public gathering at Belagavi, former Karnataka chief minister Yeddyurappa said, "Don't rest now. If you think that somebody isn't voting, go to their homes, tie up their hands and legs and bring them to vote in favour of Mahantesh Doddagoudar."

Continuing his tirade against the Congress, he claimed that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will lose both in Badami and in Chamundeshwari.

"Siddaramaiah will lose in Chamundi he will also lose in Badami against Sri Ramulu, Congress is now was sinking ship. That is why I am requesting you to vote in favour of the BJP," he added.

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.
Lucknow: Lashing out at critics who claimed that he gate-crashed his way into the house of a Dalit family and had dinner with them in Aligarh's Lohagarh village, Uttar Pradesh Minister Suresh Rana on Saturday said that "Dalit tourism" is not the BJP's tradition.

"I am throwing an open challenge to them to prove that even a single grain of food came from outside. In fact, all food items were cooked in the village and by the villagers.

"The programme was organised by the local MLA (Anoop Valmiki) and the village pradhan. As per the plan, a breakfast was planned with a Dalit family the next morning, but I had expressed a desire that instead of having dinner at the community centre, I will have it at the house of a Dalit," he said.

The minister's reaction came after reports that he may have taken his own food and water surfaced.

Also Read: UP BJP MLA goes to Dalit home for dinner but carries own food, mineral water

According to reports, the minister and his aides reached the home of a Dalit family in Aligarh to dine with them, but ordered food, mineral water and cutlery from outside as the family was not aware of the minister's visit.

Minister of state (independent charge) for sugarcane development, Rana said that at around 11.00 pm (on Monday), he went to the house located opposite the community centre, and ate food with them, spent an hour with them and also slept there itself.

The elaborate spread that was set up for dinner. (Photo: File/ANI)

Attacking the Congress, Rana said, "I want to convey one thing to the leaders of the Congress that the Dalit tourism undertaken by them is not a tradition of the BJP. If they spend a night at the community centre, then they will realize the drive of the BJP.

Training his guns on his political rivals, Rana said, "I want to question the people who indulge in politics over meal (bhojan pe raajniti). My question to them is that if the Dalit society has come to a position where it can organise a meal for people visiting its village or host a good meal, then what is the problem? The root of the problem is not the meal, but the fact that at around 11.00 pm why a BJP minister is present in the village, and why a crowd of more than 2,000 people are present with him."
Tumakuru: With just a week left for the Karnataka Assembly elections, the BJP has intensified its campaign across the poll bound state. On the third day of campaigning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said Congress failed to transform lives of poor in India. He said for years, Congress spoke of poverty over and over again but is mum about it ever since the son of a poor mother became the Prime Minister.

"For years, Congress kept saying 'Gareeb, Gareeb, Gareeb.' However, nothing came out of this rhetoric. They failed to transform lives of poor in India. Now, they've stopped saying 'Gareeb' (poor) as people have elected a person from poor family as Prime Minister," the Prime Minister said in an election campaign in Tumakuru.

Terming Congress as party of lies, PM Modi said, "From Indira Gandhi's time, Congress has only fooled poor people of society to win elections. They are a party of lies, they lie time and again for votes. They do not care about farmers nor are they concerned about poor. People are now tired of Congress."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Congress needs to be punished for Karnataka's better."

Addressing the mammoth crowd, the PM said that the Congress neglected farmers in the last seven decades.

"Farmers' plight today is because of Congress' policies, we are trying to wash away their sins," PM Modi said.

Accusing the Congress of politicising the farmers' deaths, PM Modi said, "The Congress is trying to offer false rhetoric and empty promises to the farmers. The Congress' neglect of the agriculture sector is very well known. I wish they were serious about the welfare of the farmers."

The Prime Minister further said that the Congress and the JD(S) have understanding behind the curtains. He said, "People of Karnataka need to know the tacit alliance between Congress and JD(S). They pretend to fight but in Bengaluru, the JD(S) supported a Congress mayor."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Congress is only interested in filling their safe with black money. "Why've people of Tumakuru not got water from Hemavati river as yet? Our Govt has worked on irrigation projects on which no work was done for 30 years. Cong is only interested in filling their safes with black money," the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister added, "I have initiated a full-fledged battle against corruption and black money. There is no way we can tolerate corrupt practices."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address three more rallies on Saturday - Gadag, Shivamogga and Mangaluru.
Hyderabad: An army Lance Naik and his three associates were apprehended by Central Zone Task Force team for cheating unemployed youth of huge amounts of money and falsely promising them jobs in the IT sector and in the army. The Task Force officials have seized fake appointment letters, official stamps, police uniforms and other incriminating evidence from the four.

Hyderabad Commissioner, Mr. Anjani Kumar said that the army man, V Rama Anjaneyulu alias Ramu who was serving the army as Naik GD at the Artillery Centre, Golconda, established a job consultancy firm called Hike Consultancy at Attapur. Along with his friend Syed Hasham, a resident of Shadnagar and a few others, his company lured many young persons on the pretext of placing them in reputed IT companies. Ramu and his associates also lured the youth with the prospect of jobs in the Indian Army.

Ramu collected Rs 2.5 lakh from the candidates promising to provide them jobs in the army. He collected between Rs 1.6 and Rs 1.8 lakh from young IT professionals promising them jobs in premier IT companies. The gang would then prepare fake appointment letters and hand them over to the candidates. But the appointment letters did not have any joining dates. When the candidates queried, they gave them some cock and bull story about the delay, the commissioner said.

In February, Ramu came in contact with two other army men from Meerut and convinced them about how good and reliable their placement firm was. Believing him, the two army men from Meerut sent applications of 25 candidates and paid a substantial amount to Ramus company. Last month, the two army men came along with the 25 candidates and paid another Rs 24.5 lakh to Ramu. He took the money to Mumbai in the hope of multiplying it. He contacted three persons there who would exchange Rs 24.5 lakh for FICN with face value of Rs 1 crore.
Jaipur: Judge Madhu Sudan Sharma who convicted and sentenced Asaram to life imprisonment has been transferred. Sharma who was the judge of the special SC/ST cases court in Jodhpur metropolitan, has now been posted as joint secretary (law) in the law and legal affairs department, Jaipur.

Judge Sharma had delivered the verdict in the Asaram rape case on April 25, sentencing the rapist to life in jail until his death for raping a minor girl at his Manai ashram in Jodhpur in August 2013.

The registrar general of Rajasthan high court, in two separate orders, transferred five judicial officers in the district judge cadre and nine other judicial officers, on Wednesday.

Prabu Lal Ameta has been appointed member (judicial) in the Rajasthan Civil Services Appellate Tribunal, Jaipur. Rajesh Narayan Sharma has been appointed judge of the industrial tribunal-cum-labour court, Jodhpur.

Ashutosh Kumar, who was secretary (law) in the law and legal affairs department in Jaipur, has been posted as district and sessions judge of Jaisalmer.

Sanjay Kumar has replaced him in the law department. Coincidentally, Ravindra Kumar Joshi, the district and sessions judge, who was supposed to pronounce order on Salman Khans application for bail and suspension of sentence in 1998 black buck poaching case, too had been transferred, the night before.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will stick to Karimnagar sentiment again for launching his pet scheme Rythu Bandhu, on May 10.

Mr Rao will distribute the Rs 4,000 per acre cheques to farmers on the occasion, the first-of-its-kind scheme in the country to extend Rs 8,000 per acre per year in two phases to all farmers numbering over 58 lakh across the state.

Mr Rao considers Karimnagar to be his lucky mascot ever since he launched the Telangana Rashtra Samithi from there in 2001 to fight for the cause of Telangana statehood, which culminated in the goal of achieving Telangana State.

The government has deposited Rs 4,000 crore in banks for farmers to encash their cheques soon after distribution. However, the RBI is yet to give clarity on when it will send in the rest Rs 2,000 crore.

The government is worried that if the cash supply is delayed, it may lead to resentment among farmers and unnecessary trouble for the government.

Mr Rao directed chief secretary SK Joshi, DGP Mahender Reddy, collectors and SPs of all districts to make foolproof arrangements for smooth distribution of the cheques as this is the first time that the state government is distributing a financial sop directly to beneficiaries on such a massive scale covering all the villages, and any untoward incident would embarrass the government.
KOZHIKODE: The State Human Rights Commissions recent order banning the practice of government employees bringing their children to the offices to take care of them has triggered a controversy with the majority of working women opposing the order. The rights panel had issued the order on April 4 based on a complaint filed by activist Shefin Kavadiyar against the practice saying that it affected the functioning of government offices. The commission has given time till May to implement the order.

Women employees say that working parents will find it difficult to manage their wards, especially during vacation time, if the order is implemented. The panel should have first directed the government to ensure creches in offices, they say.

Leaving a small child alone at home will create a more serious human rights issue than what is said in the circular, said an employee of Calicut University who preferred anonymity.

As per the circular, children brought to the offices can hinder the staff from discharging their duties to the common people. Children use government file boards and papers, tables and computers allotted for the officers. We will welcome the circular if the government will find a solution like starting a creche in the office compound as many IT firms do. It will be difficult for us to abide by the rule otherwise, P. Padmaja, a school teacher from Malappuram said.
Hyderabad: Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Saturday requested Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to hand over defence land to the state government for developmental activities.

Mr Rao said even though the state government has offered to give 600 acres of its land against 100 acres of defence land, the Union government has been ignoring the proposal repeatedly. He said the delay by the centre has been causing great inconvenience to commuters in the city.

Mr Rao thanked Mr Gadkari for resolving decades-old issues by constructing the Amberpet and Uppal flyovers along with the six-lane Aramgarh-Shamsabad section of the NH 44 between Hyderabad and Bengaluru and rehabilitation and upgrade of NH 765D from Hyderabad outer ring road to Medak.

He said the state government is ready with designs of the two sky-ways between Shamirpet and Turkapalli and Patny and Suchitra Junction respectively, and Rs 2,500 crore has been earmarked for the same to be developed by HMDA. He said the defence ministry is not co-operating with the state government. Mr Rao also said the Metro rail of 30 km has begun and another 36 km would be ready by October.

Minister for Roads and Buildings Tummala Nageshwar Rao also requested Mr Gadkari for Rs 1,000 crore from the Central Road Fund for the current financial year, funds for Regional Ring Road and other infrastructure projects in Telangana.
Hubballi: Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has often called the Siddaramaiah government corrupt and a 10 per cent sarkar, Congress president, Rahul Gandhi on Friday said he had no moral right to speak about corruption when he himself shared the dais with several ex-jailbirds among BJP leaders during his campaign in the state.

Addressing a public meeting in Gajendragad town of Gadag district, he deplored the BJP was trying to send several loyalists of mining baron turned politician, Janardhan Reddy, accused of illegal iron ore mining , to the Legislative Assembly, although they too were facing charges of corruption.

The Reddy brothers have looted the state exchequer to the tune of Rs 35,000 crore. The amount they have looted equals the funds utilised by the UPA government at the Centre across the country under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to provide employment to rural labourers, he said, adding that although the Congress had jailed the Reddy brothers for their involvement in corruption, Mr Modi had released them after coming to power.

The money looted by them belongs to the farmers and should have been used to waive off their loans. The farmers, workers and all the poor are with the Congress as it practices what it preaches, the Congress president said, promising to set up more food processing industries to help farmers and fetch them a good price for their produce if his party returned to power again in Karnataka.

As for Mr Modis criticism of him, Mr Gandhi said he did not believe in making personal attacks against him as he was the Prime Minister of the country.

I always speak about Mr Modi with respect without using bad language. This is the history and culture of the Congress, he maintained.

Lashing out at the Bharatiya Janata Party for its failure to generate employment as promised, he claimed Karnataka was the main centre of job creation in the country and this had been acknowledged by Mr Modi himself and a few of his Cabinet colleagues.
Tumakru: Turning the tables on the Congress, which has called the JD(S) the BJPs B team, PM Narendra Modi on Saturday claimed everyone was aware of its dosti (friendship) with the JD(S) and demanded that it make it clear whether it had a pact with the party in Karnataka.

Training his guns on the Congress and JD(S), he said, You cant fool people any longer. Everyone knows you have dosti in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which shows you have a secret pact. The Bengaluru Mayor is from the Congress, thanks to the support of JD(S) and you have a friendly fight in Tumakuru district. The JD(S) is trying to rescue the Congress in these elections too.

The PM, who was addressing a rally here, said JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda had earlier said that he would commit suicide if he became PM in 2014, but he told him his services were needed for the country. I wished him to live for 100 years in the pink of health, he added.

Lambasting the Congress for making garibi (poverty) its mantra and fooling the people for 60 years of its rule, Mr Modi alleged that it was now chanting the mantra of kisan (farmer) to grab power although it had done nothing for the farmers.

Claiming that his government was washing the sins of the Congress, he said farmers would have reaped gold if it had irrigated their land across the country.

The people of Tumakuru have been waiting for the last 50 years for their land to be irrigated. But they (the Congress) are not interested in farmers issues, he said.

Dubbing the Congress anti-development, he said it was not interested in completing pending irrigation projects such as the Upper Bhadra. The people want to know what both the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) have done for the completion of this project and why it has been delayed. The Congresss promise to bring Hemavathi water to Tumakuru proved to be hollow and even the Yettinahole drinking water project has failed to make any headway. But the Bharatiya Janata Party will take up the Hemavathi-Netravathi river linking project to provide drinking water to lakhs of people and irrigate thousands of hectares in eight districts, he promised.

Promising that the Bharatiya Janata Party, if voted to power in Karnataka, would revive the coconut plantations in the district, he deplored that although Tumakuru had been selected for the smart city project, the Siddaramaiah government had spent only Rs 12 crore of the funds released.

Justifying his governments decision to make Aadhar mandatory for several welfare schemes, Mr Modi said this was necessary to root out corruption. The Congress government had corrupted the administration so much that girl babies were created in files, grown in them and married and widowed in them only to loot pension, he charged.
Bengaluru:

With the date of polling less than a week away, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepped up his tirade against the Congress, saying the party which once reigned from panchayat to parliament would be reduced to Punjab, Puducherry, Parivar entity at the end of Assembly elections in Karnataka.

Mr Modi, who addressed back-to-back rallies in Gadag, Tumakuru, Shivamogga and Mangaluru, mocked at the party saying After May 15 (the day results of elections are declared), Indian National Congress will be reduced to PPP Congress-P for Punjab, P for Puducherry and P for Parivar (Family). He trained his guns on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his government, charging it was a corruption tank with a pipeline connected to New Delhi, "where the money reaches directly". He also accused the top Congress leadership of auctioning tickets, party positions and even the chief minister's post. He accused the Congress of "auctioning" party tickets and posts, and recalled how a string of scams rocked the erstwhile UPA government.

Mr Modi said despite a string of electoral losses in Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Tripura the Congress was not as worried as it is now when defeat stares it in the face.

One of your Reddy friends, G Janardhana Reddy, conducted Rs 500 crore wedding for his daughter at the height of demonetisation, your party president's son, Jay Shah saw a 16000 times growth in the revenue of his company in two years, why are diesel & petrol so expensive when international crude oil prices are half of what they used to be before 2014?, instead of advising the youth to sell pakodas why don't you focus on job creation, and why don't you intervene in Mahadayi & call a meeting of three CMs?"

In an indication of things to come, the day began with his handler attacking the BJP's poll advertisements in various newspapers, saying, "The BJP is using its money power to splurge on advertisements. But the viciousness of these ads exposes their lies & hypocrisy. People of Karnataka know the difference between unsubstantiated corruption charges & real scams in which the BJP CM & his half a dozen colleagues went to jail."
Clearly in his enthusiasm to suggest Congress governments have ill-treated the military heroes of Karnataka, the PM has got practically all his facts wrong and ended up embarrassing himself. (Photo: PTI)

Its no secret that politicians love to score points against their opponents and rivals. You can see the thrill in their eyes. They clearly revel in it. So imagine how embarrassing it must be when they seek to correct or foot-fault an opponent but end up getting their facts wrong and, instead, reveal they dont know what theyre talking about. This happened so often on Thursday that it exceeded a laughing matter. It seemed almost pathetic.

Most of the mistakes were by the Prime Minister but the Congress, in its riposte, stumbled almost as badly. It all began when the PM used his Karnataka rallies to claim that the Congress had humiliated important sons of the state like Gen. K.S. Thimayya and Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa. To reveal the multiple errors he made, lets see what the PM said about each of these officers and then compare that to the actual facts.

First, speaking about Gen. Thimayya, the PM said: 1948 mein Pakistan se yudh jeeta... General Thimayyaji ke netritv mein. Lekin us parakram ke baad, Kashmir ko bachane waale General Thimayya ka us samay ke Pradhan Mantri Nehru, aur us samay ke Raksha Mantri Krishna Menon ne baar baar apmaan kiya tha. Aur isi kaaran, General Thimayya ko apne pad se samman ke khatir isteefa dena pada tha. (In 1948, it was under... Gen. Thimayyas leadership that the war against Pakistan was won. But after that victory, the saviour of Kashmir, Gen. Thimayya, was repeatedly insulted by then Prime Minister Nehru and then defence minister Krishna Menon. And it was for this reason, his honour, that Gen. Thimayya had to resign from his post.)

Unfortunately, theres very little in this statement thats actually correct. In 1948 Gen. Thimayya was not Army Chief. That was Gen. Roy Bucher. At the time Thimayya was a divisional commander with the rank of major-general. He first headed the Jammu and Kashmir Force and then Sri Div. Above him was the corps commander, Lt. Gen. S.M. Shrinagesh, and the Western Army commander, Lt. Gen. Cariappa. Second, though its correct Gen. Thimayya played a critical role in the Kashmir war, he wasnt then or shortly thereafter humiliated by either the then PM or Krishna Menon. Third, Mr Modi is wrong in claiming Krishna Menon was defence minister in 1948. That was Sardar Baldev Singh.

In fact, a cursory look at Thimayyas career shows how the Nehru government rewarded him for his good work. In 1953 Nehru appointed him to head the United Nations Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission in Korea, a very prestigious appointment.

After he distinguished himself in this post, the Nehru government awarded him a Padma Bhushan in 1954. Three years later he became Army Chief, allegedly superseding two officers, Lt. Gens. Sant Singh and Kulwant Singh.

Theres no doubt that while serving as Army Chief in 1959 he had differences with the government over its reluctance to accept Pakistan President Ayub Khans offer of a Joint Defence Arrangement and offered to resign, but Nehru persuaded him to withdraw his resignation and Thimayya did so. He continued as Army Chief till May 1961.

Unfortunately, while trying to set the record straight, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala made glaring mistakes of his own. In a tweet reported by NDTV, that apparently he soon deleted, Mr Surjewala claimed from 1957 to 1962 Thimayya was Indian high commissioner in Britain. Those, in fact, were almost his exact dates as Army Chief in Delhi. The high commissioner was, of course, V.K. Krishna Menon.

Now lets come to what the PM said about Field Marshal Cariappa and how he also got that wrong. The PM claimed: Field Marshal Cariappa, 1962, Bharat aur China ki ghatna, aaj bhi itihas ki tawarikh mein darj hai aur unke saath, Field Marshal Cariappaji ke saath kya vyavahar kiya gaya (Field Marshal Cariappa, 1962, India-China war, is in the annals of recorded history. How he was treated, Field Marshal Cariappaji). Once again, this is almost entirely wrong.

Gen. Cariappa was not Army Chief during the 1962 India-China war. He had retired nine years earlier. In fact, it was his fourth successor who was Army Chief when the war broke out.

As for the suggestion that Cariappa was badly treated by Congress governments, the facts suggest otherwise. Although Nehru and Cariappa had differences in 1951 over the fact that the latter, as Army Chief, would often air political views, at the end of his four-year term he was sent as high commissioner to Australia, thus starting a tradition of posting retired Army chiefs as ambassadors that continued into the 1980s.

More important, 33 years after his retirement, Rajiv Gandhi promoted Cariappa to Field Marshal. Given that Field Marshals technically never retire but remain on the active list, this also meant Rajiv Gandhi broke with Army convention to elevate Cariappa after over three decades of retirement. No one could have conferred a greater honour.

So whats the conclusion? Clearly in his enthusiasm to suggest Congress governments have ill-treated the military heroes of Karnataka, the PM has got practically all his facts wrong and ended up embarrassing himself. If only Mr Surjewala had kept quiet, the mistakes would have been entirely on one side.

But how lucky Mr Modi is that most newspapers and television channels didnt pick up on his errors and make merry with them. I suspect thats because they didnt realise these were dreadful mistakes.
Karl Marx would have been 200 years old today. It is useful to remember that no other philosopher, economist, political theorist or sociologist before him or after has had the same impact on the modern world  since the mid-19th century. Marx said, when not yet 30, that philosophers interpreted the world; but the point was to change it. He dreamt and logically extrapolated the course of a society that was classless and stateless. In the Communist Manifesto that he co-authored with his friend and collaborator Friedrich Engels in 1848, Marx propagated the ideal of a perennial class struggle as key to fundamental change in society. Its this struggle in capitalism that will ignite the seeds of destruction of this mode of production, wrote Marx, but contrary to general belief he didnt propagate violence.

Class struggle is a valid idea. A 2017 Oxfam study suggests one per cent of the worlds elite own 82 per cent of global wealth. Weve seen the spread of the Occupy movement in America and Europe with Occupy Wall Street. Perhaps the protesters are Marxists at heart, though they may not know it. Since the 19th centurys end and till the present, Marxs thoughts have animated revolutionary political movements and social thought on every continent. In India, governmental repression since colonial times hasnt quelled Marxian fervour. The feminist and green movements too question key aspects of capitalist thought. Jayaprakash Narayan, long after he switched from Marxism to being anti-Marxist, once said there were no better tools to analyse our society than the ones Marx offered. Marx lives!
Politics has trumped the final Cauvery award once again, at least for a while. The Prime Minister is travelling  would appear the weakest of excuses to put before the Supreme Court even for a peripatetic PM and his ministers. And yet, this is what was stated brazenly by the Centre to a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra. The issue here is not about just the few more days or weeks sought to implement the award as much as bringing into question the Supreme Courts very authority. An institution offering the balance of power in a democracy, where the executive rules with legislative sanction, is already under fire thanks to its standing weakened by serious internal issues of administering the justice system. The Centres actions guided by the ruling partys electoral ambitions with respect to the Karnataka election are a blatant snub to the majesty of our highest court.

A few weeks in the timeframe of a dispute said to go back to the 19th century, with the first proposal for a dam across the Cauvery river, may barely cause a ripple in the ocean of time. However, the scant regard paid to a final verdict given on February 16, which is likely to settle the dispute for the next 15 years at least, is tantamount to disregarding the courts powers even more than being in contempt of its order. This would represent an existential crisis for the Supreme Court as well, if not for the sanguine belief that the Cauvery Management Board will be formed once the politics of the election is out of the way. The more is the pity as there was a fair balance between the drinking water needs of Bengaluru city and the thirsty rice bowl of Tamil Nadus Delta districts.

A flashpoint is already building over Karnatakas suggestion to pack the Cauvery Management Board or scheme with minister-politicians of the four states. A deadline over release of water for Tamil Nadu for April and May is another challenge to a state that has shown extreme reluctance to get down to distribution of water resources so that they are shared equitably. While political compulsions in the run-up to the May 12 election are bound to be extreme, the biggest question is whether the lower riparian states can ever expect to get water as per the award, or will they only be left praying for rain so that the flow cannot be stopped for want of holding capacity? Tamil Nadu has averred in the court that this is a test for cooperative federalism itself. The court is committed to hearing out suggestions on the CMB from the Centre and the states, but unless it takes the lead in framing an iron-clad scheme for water sharing, the Cauvery river waters issue will fester for decades longer.
Senior Rajasthan cadre IPS officer Indu Kumar Bhushan, who was awaiting posting orders, has been compulsorily retired by the government in public interest. Sources say that the proposal concerning the cops retirement was forwarded to the ministry of home affairs last November and has recently been accepted by the Centre. The 1989-batch IPS officer who has the rank of an additional director general has had a controversial career.

He was kept under awaiting posting order (APO) five times for various reasons. In September 2016, he was sent to Jaipur from the National Police Academy, Hyderabad for allegedly questioning the knowledge of Telangana governor E.S.L. Narasimhan during a mid-career training programme. Last year, he levelled corruption charges against the top brass of the state police. He also allegedly abused and thrashed his driver and gunman in 2013.The state government clearly decided to pull the plug on the cop who crossed the line one time too many.

No longer outsiders

The Modi sarkar continues to draw on babu talent from outside or at least almost-outside-talent. The appointment of former IAS officer Indu Bhushan as the new CEO of Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission has drawn a parallel with the appointment of Parmeswaran Iyer who spearheads the Swachh Bharat Mission. Both officers had left the IAS for greener pastures but have been tapped by the Centre to lead pivotal government schemes.

Mr Bhushan, a 1983-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, quit the service and worked briefly with the World Bank before joining the Asian Development Bank, Manila in 1997 as director. Mr Iyer too had quit the IAS and joined the World Bank before Mr Modi summoned him back to head the Swachh Bharat Mission. Mr Bhushan will be heading the Centres Ayushman Bharat, a mega health insurance programme thats set to cover 10 crore families. Its proposed that the scheme will have benefit cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year. Observers note that lateral hiring of outside talent has become a hallmark of the Modi government. The other salient feature is the steady ingress of non-IAS officers (such as from the IFS and the IES etc.) in positions previously held by IAS officers, most recently seen in a slew of appointments at the joint secretary level.

Duelling systems

Political compulsion arising from the approaching state Assembly elections this year could be behind MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhans move to introduce the police commissioner system in cities of the state. The CM had made a similar move in April 2012, when he announced the implementation of the police commissioner system in Bhopal and Indore. However, the process ended up in senior superintendent of police system being implemented in the two cities when crimes registered a sharp increase. Now, in view of increasing crime in the state hes raised the matter again.

According to sources, Mr Chouhan could implement the initial move after resistance from the IAS officers. The issue has been a bone of contention with both IAS and IPS officers as the former do not want to share their magisterial powers with their counterparts in the police. While top IPS brass, including DGP Rishi Kumar Shukla, are tight-lipped over the reported move, the state chief Secretary B.P. Singh has admitted that the government is preparing a proposal for immediate decision. The buzz is that if the government takes it up seriously, the proposal to implement the new system would be officially passed very soon. Provided, of course, the government can convert the IAS officers to the idea.
Never in any election in the past has the focus been so much on the third political force in the state  the Janata Dal(S)  as this one. The party started gaining importance amid feverish talks of a hung verdict in the May 12 Assembly polls. Most pre-poll predictions have given the JD(S) 30-40 seats and that is all that the party, led by former PM, H.D. Deve Gowda, needs to play the role of kingmaker and secure its pound of flesh. But what is intriguing is that both the BJP and the Congress have taken an inconsistent stance vis-a-vis the JD(S)  PM Modi praised Deve Gowda to the sky a couple of days ago and then dumped him unceremoniously remarking that his party would be a distant third in the polls. No less confusing is the approach of the Congress with party president Rahul Gandhi initially coming out with all guns blazing against the JD(S) describing it as the B-team of the BJP and then mellowing down while asking it to make its stand clear on its secular credentials.

Unfazed over the attacks by the two mainstream parties, JD(S) state president H.D. Kumaraswamy, in an interview with Deccan Chronicle, said both the Congress and the BJP had lost the plot on how to win peoples support and wondered why they were so keen on the JD(S) if they were so sure of winning the polls hands down. Having realised their shortcomings, these parties were attacking the JD(S) in desperation, he told VINAY MADHAV. Excerpts from the interview:

With most pre-poll surveys predicting a hung Assembly in Karnataka, where do you think your party stands in such a situation? Do you agree that you will be kingmaker or you will emerge as the king yourself?

I never asked for any pre-poll survey. Those who wanted such surveys and conducted them, may go by the findings of these surveys but I have my own assessment on the poll results. For the last four days, I have been extensively travelling in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, where the surveys have given us three-four seats. When I look at the peoples response, I am confident of exceeding 30 seats, which will take the JD(S) very near to a simple majority in the Assembly. The Congress and the BJP do not have faith in their own claims and use statistics extensively to confuse people. I dont think the JD(S) has to be bothered about survey reports.

Is there any change in the JD(S) stand vis-a-vis the Congress? Mr Rahul Gandhi first attacked your party and later asked you to clarify your secular credentials.

I dont think there will be any understanding between the Congress and JD(S). Mr Gandhi should have been prudent while making such statements. He seems to have been influenced by the desire of one leader (read Siddaramaiah) to have his vendetta against the JD(S). Rahul Gandhi called us the B-team of the BJP saying we had joined hands with communal forces. If he is concerned about secular forces, why did he allow the Karnataka Congress to repeatedly poach on leaders from JD(S), which is also a secular party?

Secondly, he should be aware of the treatment meted out to minority community leaders like Qamar-Ul-Islam in his own party. After humiliating various community leaders, including dalit leader V. Srinivasprasad and Kuruba leader A.H. Vishwanath, they now talk about secularism. I would like to tell Mr Gandhi that I am neither with the Congress, nor with the BJP. I am not standing here with an application, seeking an alliance with any political party. I am with the six crore people of Karnataka and have a proper agenda for them for the next five years.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi started his campaign in Karnataka, he praised Mr Deve Gowda. Later, he came down heavily on the JD(S) saying it would come a distant third in the polls. What is the reason for this U-turn?

That may be his or his partys political strategy. I feel that they wanted to swing the Vokkaliga votes away from the Congress and so praised Mr Gowda. The next day, they raked up the dalit chief minister issue to woo dalit votes and also brought up the issue of the Congress humiliating great personalities like Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa and General Thimmaiah. After praising Mr Gowda, I think the PM must have realised that by creating an impression that a pact between the BJP and the JD(S) was on the cards, he would only be helping the Congress gain votes of the minority community who are anti-BJP. So he must have decided to direct his firepower at the JD(S) too. Such remarks reflect each partys political strategy. At the moment, we (JD-S) are in a war-like situation, fighting enemies from two sides. In such a state, instead of reacting to each and every strategy of our two enemies, we should concentrate on the battles that we can win. That is exactly what I am doing.

What is the main agenda on which this election is being fought?

I dont think either the Congress or the BJP has any specific agenda. If they had any, they would have come out with it by now. Look at the issues they are raising in their election campaigns. Both accuse each other of large-scale corruption. If they had any documents to prove the charges against each other, what were they doing for the last five years? The Congress could have ensured jail for at least a dozen BJP leaders and the BJP could have made sure at least half-a-dozen ministers in the Congress government resign. This is all for media consumption. Secondly, they are talking about communities all the time. There are barbs like anti-minority, anti-dalit, anti-Kuruba, anti-Vokkaliga and anti-Lingayat flying between the two parties. They are trying to get votes on caste and community lines. This is why I said I am not bothered about their strategies, as they lack a plot. I am talking to people about a road map for the next five years. I feel only a regional party can deliver it.

Do you feel a regional party can get a proper foothold in Karnataka? Even if it does, what purpose will it serve if there are governments run by different parties in the state and at the Centre?

We have to convince people about the relevance of regional parties and we are doing that. Take the examples of our neighbouring states, which are ruled by regional parties. They have a strong say in Delhi and are getting their work done. During the last one decade, national parties ruled the state and every time there was a crisis, all they did was to point fingers at the Centre. Karnataka has given everything to the country  it provides huge revenue too. And yet, why are we facing so many challenges? We suffer because state leaders of these national parties have to look to their Delhi bosses for a nod for everything. Moreover, they have to financially support their party. This is where large scale corruption is taking place. Everyone wants to come to Bengaluru and establish an empire. In the process, the most neglected people are Kannadigas, who are losing their land and identity. To protect our people, we need a regional party and not for anything else.
Trump said Friday that Giuliani was 'a great guy but he just started a day ago' and the former mayor of New York City was still 'learning the subject matter.' (Photo: File)

Washington: President Donald Trump suggested Friday that Rudy Giuliani, the aggressive new face of his legal team, needed to "get his facts straight" about the hush money paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election. Giuliani quickly came up with a new version.

Trump chided Giuliani even as he insisted that "we're not changing any stories" about the USD 130,000 settlement, which was paid to Daniels to keep her quiet about her allegations of an affair with Trump. Hours later, Giuliani backed away from his previous suggestion that the October 27 settlement had been made because Trump was in the stretch run of his campaign.

"The payment was made to resolve a personal and false allegation in order to protect the president's family," Giuliani said in a statement released Friday. "It would have been done in any event, whether he was a candidate or not."

A day earlier, Giuliani had said on Fox News: "Imagine if that came out on October 15, 2016, in the middle of the last debate with Hillary Clinton."

Trump said Friday that Giuliani was "a great guy but he just started a day ago" and the former mayor of New York City was still "learning the subject matter." Giuliani revealed this week that Trump knew about the payment to Daniels made by his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, and the president paid Cohen back.

Giuliani insisted Trump didn't know the specifics of Cohen's arrangement with Daniels until recently, telling "Fox & Friends" on Thursday that the president didn't know all the details until "maybe 10 days ago." Giuliani told The New York Times that Trump had repaid Cohen USD 35,000 a month "out of his personal family account" after the campaign was over. He said Cohen received USD 460,000 or USD 470,000 in all for expenses related to Trump.

Giuliani's suggestion that the president knew anything about the payments  even as a monthly retainer  appeared to contradict Trump, who has repeatedly denied the affair and told reporters on Air Force One last month that he hadn't known about a settlement with Daniels.

Read: Trump repaid his lawyer for Stormy Daniels hush money: Rudy Giuliani

Trump's irritation was plain Friday when reporters reminded him of his previous denial. He blasted the media for focusing on "crap" stories like the Daniels matter and the special counsel's probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

The president claimed that "virtually everything" reported about the payments  which are the subject of swirling legal action and frenzied cable newsbreaks  has been wrong. But he declined to elaborate.

It was Trump's own team's missteps that yielded another day of headlines about Daniels. In his statement, Giuliani said his previous "references to timing were not describing my understanding of the president's knowledge, but instead, my understanding of these matters." He didn't elaborate on that either.

Giuliani's statement correcting himself came just a day after he said, "You won't see daylight between me and the president."

The about-face came amid concern in the White House that Giuliani's comments could leave the president legally vulnerable.

While Giuliani repeated his belief that the payment did not constitute a campaign finance violation, legal experts have said the new information raises questions, including whether the money represented repayment of an undisclosed loan or could be seen as reimbursement for a campaign expenditure. Either could be legally problematic.

The episode also revived worries in Trump's inner circle about Giuliani, who enjoys the media limelight and has a tendency to go off script. He had been widely expected to join Trump's administration but was passed over for secretary of state, the position he badly wanted.

His whirlwind press tour this week bewildered West Wing aides, who were cut out of the decision-making process when Giuliani first revealed that Trump  who often boasts about signing his own checks  had some knowledge about the payment to Daniels.

No debt to Cohen was listed on Trump's personal financial disclosure form, which was certified on June 16, 2017. Asked if Trump had filed a fraudulent form, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday: "I don't know."

Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, is seeking to be released from a non-disclosure deal she signed in the days before the 2016 election to keep her from talking about a 2006 sexual encounter she said she had with Trump. She has also filed defamation suits against Cohen and Trump.

Read: Stormy Daniels files defamation lawsuit against Trump

Her attorney, Michael Avenatti, tweeted Friday that "Giuliani and Trump are making it up as they go along." He added: "How stupid do they think all of us are?"

Trump is facing mounting legal threats from the Cohen-Daniels situation and the special counsel's investigation of possible Russian coordination with the Trump presidential campaign.

Cohen is facing a criminal investigation in New York, and FBI agents raided his home and office several weeks ago seeking records about the Daniels nondisclosure agreement. Giuliani has warned Trump that he fears Cohen, the president's longtime personal attorney, will "flip," bending in the face of a potential prison sentence, and he has urged Trump to cut off communications with him, according to a person close to Giuliani.

Trump has of late publicly downplayed his relationship with Cohen but did acknowledge last week that Cohen represented him in the "crazy Stormy Daniels deal."

The president's self-proclaimed legal fixer has been surprised and concerned by Trump's recent stance toward him, according to a Cohen confidant.

Cohen was dismayed to hear Trump marginalize his role during an interview last week with "Fox & Friends" and interpreted a recent negative National Enquirer cover story as a warning shot from a publication that has long been cozy with Trump, said the person who was not authorized to talk about private conversations and spoke only on condition of anonymity.

Cohen also had not indicated to friends that Trump's legal team was going to contradict his original claim that he was not reimbursed for the payment to Daniels.
'Our high level delegation is on the way back from China where they had long meetings with Chinese leaders and business representatives,' Trump wrote in a tweet. (Photo: AP)

Washington: China is "very spoiled" by trade wins over America, US President Donald Trump said late Friday, as a top business delegation headed back to America after high-stakes talks with Beijing.

The two days of talks were aimed at forestalling momentum towards a looming conflict between the world's two largest economies, with both sides prepared to pull the trigger on tariffs that could affect trade in billions of dollars of goods.

"Our high level delegation is on the way back from China where they had long meetings with Chinese leaders and business representatives," Trump wrote in a tweet.

"We will be meeting tomorrow to determine the results, but it is hard for China in that they have become very spoiled with US trade wins," he added.

The American president has accused China of unfair trade practices that have driven up the US goods deficit with the Asian giant. Washington has also alleged "theft" of American intellectual property by China.

The discussions promised a potential off-ramp for the trade conflict. Trump has threatened to levy new tariffs on USD 150 billion of Chinese imports while Beijing shot back with a list of USD 50 billion in targeted US goods.

"Both sides recognise there are still big differences on some issues and that they need to continue to step up their work to make progress," China said in a statement released by the official Xinhua state news agency.

"The two sides exchanged views on expanding US exports to China, trade in services, bilateral investment, protection of intellectual property rights, resolution of tariffs and non-tariff measures."

It added that they had reached "a consensus in some areas", without elaborating. The agency said both sides had agreed to establish a "working mechanism" to continue talks.

Beijing has promised reform on several fronts in recent months -- including lifting foreign ownership restrictions for automakers and allowing foreign investors to take controlling stakes in financial firms.

But a list of US demands presented at the talks in Beijing showed these steps fall far short of expectations in Washington.

The demands included cutting China's trade surplus with the US by at least USD 200 billion by the end of 2020, lowering all tariffs to match US levels, eliminating technology transfer practices, and cutting off state support for some Chinese industries, according to Bloomberg News.

The White House called the discussions "frank" while making no mention of continuing the negotiations.

"There is consensus within the Administration that immediate attention is needed to bring changes to United States-China trade and investment relationship," a White House statement said.
A statement from Netanyahu's media advisor on Friday said the Israeli prime minister spoke to three key international leaders, including PM Modi, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and British Prime Minister Theresa May. (Photo: PTI)

Jerusalem: Drumming up international support for his call to "fix" or "nix" the Iran nuclear deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to update him on the recent developments.

A statement from Netanyahu's media advisor on Friday said the Israeli prime minister spoke to three key international leaders, including PM Modi, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and British Prime Minister Theresa May. He discussed regional issues with the world leaders and also updated them on the important material that he revealed regarding the Iranian nuclear archive, the press release stated.

Netanyahu had earlier told the media that he would share the archive of more than 100,000 documents said to have been obtained by Israel's espionage agency Mossad from a Tehran warehouse, which allegedly proves Iran's past clandestine efforts to assemble nuclear weapons.

"The leaders of the E3 - Britain, France, and Germany - said they want to see the material. They're very interested in seeing what we discovered," Netanyahu told journalists in his Jerusalem office.

Intelligence professionals from London, Paris and Berlin are coming to Jerusalem later this week to examine the material Israel presented, he said.

The Israeli Premier spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to update them about the Mossad's findings on Monday.

"I told Putin that he's welcome, too, to see the material. I also invited the leader of China and [Yukiya] Amano (the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency)," Netanyahu said.

In a presentation on Monday evening, Netanyahu showcased an enormous trove of Iranian documents that he said proved the existence of Iran's nuclear Project, Amad, which Tehran claimed to have frozen in 2003.

In a daring operation, Mossad agents are said to have managed to obtain and smuggle into Israel 55,000 paper documents and 183 CDs with another 55,000 documents from what looked like a "dilapidated warehouse" in Tehran earlier this year.

Israel has expressed hope that the "irrefutable findings" would help shore up international community's longstanding suspicion that Tehran was investing great efforts in building a nuclear weapon.

There has been speculation in the Israeli media that close ally United States will pull out of the Iranian nuclear deal on May 12 and impose sanctions against the Islamic Republic "based on the reactions coming from Washington on the proof gathered by Mossad".

Commenting on the expectations, Netanyahu gave a guarded response saying, "The decision is President [Donald] Trump's decision alone. He's a leader who knows to take decisions, and he takes them".

Trump, a fervent critic of the seven-party agreement, has long threatened to walk away from the landmark deal unless its European signatories and Congress reconcile his concerns.

The US President is said to be unhappy about key aspects of the "insane" pact. He has complained that the deal fails to restrict Iran's nuclear activities for long enough and to stop the country's development of ballistic missiles.

A dramatic uptick in oil prices in recent weeks has partly been driven by mounting expectations that Trump will soon pull out of the 2015 accord.

The Iran nuclear deal framework was a preliminary framework agreement reached in 2015 between the Islamic Republic of Iran and a group of world powers - P5+1 (meaning the five permanent members of the UNSC and Germany) and the European Union.

Some critics have downplayed the claims by Israel and termed Netanyahu's press conference "theatrical" arguing that the existence of Iran's clandestine nuclear weapons programme was already known and detailed in an IAEA report from 2011.

Israeli officials have refuted such critics saying that the world now has much more detailed knowledge of what went on there with "evidence of a whole different level".
Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has confirmed the death sentences awarded to 11 hardcore terrorists who were given the capital punishment by special military courts over the killings of 60 people. (Photo: AFP)

Islamabad: Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has confirmed the death sentences awarded to 11 hardcore terrorists who were given the capital punishment by special military courts over the killings of 60 people, media reports said on Saturday.

The terrorists were involved in the killing of 36 civilians, 24 armed forces, frontier constabulary, police officials besides injuring 142 others, the Express Tribune reported.

Arms and ammunition were also recovered from their possession and were tried by special military courts, it quoted a statement by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan military, as saying.

The terrorists were involved in heinous offences related to terrorism, including attacks on law enforcement agencies and armed forces of Pakistan, Malakand University and killing of innocent civilians including Imran Khan Mohmind, a member of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, the ISPR said.

These convicts had admitted their offences before the magistrate and the trial court and were awarded death sentences, it said.

Three other convicts were also awarded imprisonment, the report added.
Keep going... theres already a traffic jam ahead, Katta Subramanya Naidu chided his driver as the open-top jeep slowed down.

The former minister did not seem to lose speed or energy as his campaign vehicle traversed through the bylanes of Shivajinagar on a day of busy campaigning.

When he spoke at different points  basically in Hindi and Urdu to reach out to the Muslim voters  his voice eclipsed the surrounding noise even as party workers urged the crowd to pay attention to the veteran politician.

The BJP candidate, who had to skip the 2013 elections as he was in prison in a corruption case, left home at 6.30 am and went about meeting residents at the chief ministers office employees quarters, Raj Bhavan employees quarters, besides the police and CID quarters.

Around 10.30 am, Naidus open jeep rolled along Broadway Road, Russell Market and Narona Road as he waved at the crowd and showed the victory symbol. His supporters bellowed slogans in his favour.

Party workers, dismayed by Naidu staying in the vehicle, asked him to dismount and meet the people. Katta sir, get down, meet every shopper in person and request for their votes. It wouldnt help (to stay on the vehicle), bawled a worker from the crowd at Chandni Chowk.

Naidu sensed the mood and alighted the vehicle, albeit a little unwillingly, and jaunted along the road interacting with street vendors and mechanics.

A while later, he got on to the vehicle, saying he wont be able to walk anymore.

As he addressed a crowd at a circle, an autorickshaw sporting the broom symbol of the Aam Aadmi Party vied for attention.

Shivajinagar is hit by several problems. There seems to be no political change; nor are they any solutions to the issues. Were not sure whos going to come to power this time. Whoever it is, they should ensure that the people dont have to cover their nose with handkerchiefs to avoid the bad smell, a shop owner in the constituency urged.

Naidu was accompanied by Vidya, wife of RSS worker Rudresh who was killed in October 2016. He wouldve got the ticket had he been alive, she said.

Also on the campaign trail of the former minister was Haider Azam, vice-president, BJPs Mumbai unit.
Sitaram Yechury has been re-elected as CPM general secretary after an intense inner-party struggle over the political line his party should take vis-a-vis the Congress in the fight against the BJP. He has managed to bring the party behind him though the issue of the relationship with the Congress remained a bone of contention for the past 10 months. Yechury spoke to DH's Shemin Joy on the present political situation.

* India is entering the election year. Where does the Opposition stand now?

A completely mistaken discourse is taking place now. An election is the summation of specifics and not an electoral monolith as a whole. Various parties have various degrees of influences in various parts of the country. It is region-specific and not country-specific. For example in Uttar Pradesh, if SP and BSP come together, neither the Congress nor the Left or anybody else is of much consequence. In Bihar, if the RJD and the Yadav-Muslim combination gel through various political processes, then others are not much of a consequence. In south India, apart from Karnataka, the Congress is not the major player. So, what is happening is actually a degree of coming together of various parties at the regional level. You saw the beginning in UP and the bypoll results. You also saw the bypoll result in Bihar. Same is the case with Karnataka. It will be a summation of all these things that are happening at the regional level.

* This brings us to the question of talks about a Federal Front. How is it different from what you are saying?

We must understand the Indian reality. You look at our own history. I am not going back to the times of Janata Party or V P Singh government. In 1996, the United Front (UF) government was formed after the elections. After the fall of Vajpayee government in 13 days, the UF was formed on the basis of a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) and the Left supported from outside. The Front itself was formed after the elections. In 2004, the UPA came into existence after the elections. There was no UPA before the elections. Again on the basis of a CMP, we extended our support from outside. So that is the Indian reality. It is not a mere historical trend.

* In such a scenario, who will take the leadership role? What role does the Congress have?

It depends on the post-election scenario. In 1996, the Congress lost the elections and therefore, it supported the UF from outside. The Congress could not enter the government through the back-door. They could not form the government because they did not get the majority. Therefore, others formed the government with the Congress supporting from outside. In 2004, the Congress was the single-largest party among the Opposition. So they led the government. It all finally depends on the numbers. Who will be the leader? It depends on the numbers one gets from the support they receive from people.

* Where does the CPM stand in the scheme of things?

The CPM'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 the CPM 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.

We are clear that the RSS-BJP government has to be ousted. That was the main call of our Party Congress. We have said that we shall not enter into any political alliance with the Congress. That has been our historical truth. We were neither part of the UF or UPA governments. As I always said, we do not believe in Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), but if at all there is IPR for outside support, it is the CPM's. The question of entering into an alliance does not exist. At the time of elections, appropriate electoral tactics will be worked out to maximise the anti-BJP votes. For example, in Karnataka, we are contesting 19 seats. We will support the candidates of Left parties wherever they have put candidates. Where the Left is not contesting, the call the party has given is to defeat the BJP. It could be the Congress or the JD(S), depending on the constituency. Then local party unit will decide. But the call is to defeat the BJP. That is one example. Similarly, we will work out our tactics.

* How does that political picture change with the CPM Party Congress now omitting a clause that said there should be no understanding with the Congress?

As far as post-poll arrangements are concerned, there can be absolute clarity that we can extend an issue-based support to a non-BJP government. The "no understanding" clause had left the ambiguity whether we will be able to support if the Congress is there. That is the takeaway from the Party Congress. That was a bone of contention for 10 months. In the pre-poll scenario, suppose we are going with a regional formation, which has an alliance with the Congress. I am looking at the possibility of a scenario of the past. I don't know about the future. The past is Tamil Nadu. We supported the DMK or the AIADMK depending on who is supporting the BJP. Now that particular party is already in an alliance with the Congress. So no understanding would have created problems. If we are making electoral adjustments with regional parties, the seats we fight, the seats Congress fights, there will be consultations. No understanding means no consultations. Now that ambiguity is also not there.

* Does it mean the doors are open for seat adjustments with the Congress in some states?

Now, it is all speculation. There are various possibilities. There could be, let's say, mutual no-contest. There won't be any joint campaigning. They won't be entering into any alliance. But say, we contest two-three seats. They don't put up a candidate. That is one possibility. I am not saying this will happen.

* The Opposition move to impeach Chief Justice of India Justice Dipak Misra has been stone-walled. How do you see this situation?

One of the reasons why we are saying that this government should go is that the impunity with which they are destroying all Constitutional authorities and the mechanism that we had in place for seven decades. No confidence motion was not allowed to be tabled. Now, rejecting the impeachment motion outright, we think it is a gross irregularity. Because the presiding officer of the House does not have the right to decide on the merits of an impeachment motion. That can be done only after an enquiry by a three-member committee as laid down by the Constitution. That committee will give a report and if it says that the charges in the petition are untenable, then you reject it. But before going through that process and rejecting it is clearly not merely an overreach of authority but smacks of certain motives. Because once the enquiry committee is put in place and it begins the process, then morally the concerned judge does not have the right to be on a bench or hear a matter.

* Only seven of the 18 Opposition parties have signed the impeachment motion? Doesn't it show that the Opposition is divided?

Division in Opposition is again a myth created by the BJP. Where it matters, the opposition is united. The SP and BSP are united and it matters in Uttar Pradesh. The RJD did not sign. Will it stop the unity that is happening in Bihar against the BJP? This is also sort of a post-truth society being created. Like creating non-issues as issues of unity and disunity of the Opposition.



The CPM's Political Organisation Report placed in Party Congress had said that Tripura results show that the CPM's political, organisational and ideological fight against the RSS is inadequate. How do you overcome this?

The point is that the RSS cannot be defeated through elections alone. If that was the case, for 70 years after Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, the RSS should have been a completely marginalised force. They would not have survived and come back with this sort of support. There has to be an ideological offensive against them. We also have to defeat their organisational methods. That can only be done through sharpening people mobilisation and struggles against what they espouse as well as their policies when they are in government. That is of first vital importance. Secondly, we need to actually counter their influence in various levels in which they spread their tentacles. They have a tentacle of organisations through which they continuously spread the virus of communalism. All that has to be combated at all levels.

Today, what is happening in our country. How else will you describe the child rapes and the gruesome murders? Nothing else can explain but the complete dehumanising of the Indian society. It is leading to such an irrational extent when even the lawyers are not taking up cases like it happened in Kathua. The ministers who are being sworn under oath of this very Constitution openly talk in terms of violation of the Constitution and protecting criminals. What is happening is an ideological attack of irrationality on rationality, it is an ideological attack of unreason on reason. Now, this has to be ideologically combated and defeated. Otherwise, mythology can be passed off as history. That is what they are doing.

You and I may think what Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb said is bad. But when people are subjected to such onslaught, they start accepting it. They are seeking to replace the syncretic Indian history with Hindu mythology, replace the rich pluralistic Indian philosophy with Hindu theology. Every single TV serial talks about obscurantism, religions and religiosity. You start believing the absurd. That is the real danger that has to be combated. They are seeking to replace the syncretic Indian history with Hindu mythology and replace the rich pluralistic Indian philosophy with Hindu theology.

* Another observation in the Political Organisation Report is that it is discouraging that the representation of Muslims, Dalits and youths in the CPM is declining. How do you address this issue?

What we mean by discouraging is the entry into the leadership positions. That is what is declining and not in terms of their numbers in the party. You should correct that distortion. They are coming in large numbers. You will find Dalits and Muslims in leadership positions at the lower level. But that is not reflected in the leadership at higher levels. It is not happening in the way we would want it to happen. We have two women and two Muslims in the Polit Bureau. But there are no Dalits. Why? As much as 70% of the leadership in states is with the Dalits and OBCs together. Sometimes it is 90% if you add Muslims to it. But the question is why they are not coming up? This is the serious question we will have to address. There are various reasons. One is the question of economic factor. As party whole-timers, how much we pay, whether they are in a position to maintain their family or not. Normally, the whole-timers come into this leadership positions. That is a serious point we will have to address. Otherwise, we will have this distortion. Why is it not reflected in the higher leadership? We will have to seriously address this issue. We have to see whether there are any other factors. The desire is that they have to come.

* There is a perception that though you have been re-elected, the central leadership is still stacked against you. How do you respond to this?

I don't see this in terms of a fight between numbers or who is on which side. The point is as a Communist, I have the conviction that my own committees and my own comrades will react to the objective situation. What is the objective situation? What is that we decided at Hyderabad? That is there in black and white. Now the question is to actually implement that, take it forward. Now in that, if anybody seeks to create a problem, there is no ambiguity left now. Therefore, with the clarity achieved in Hyderabad, I don't think there is any question of comrades being on this side or that side. That is why when people said you have won and they have lost, I said nobody has won, nobody has lost. Only the party has won. That is the bottom denominator. I sincerely believe the party has won.
The Congress said today that Muhammad Ali Jinnah was never and would never be an icon of this country as it condemned the politics allegedly being played out by the BJP to create polarisation and communalisation.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi accused the BJP of provoking sentiments and communalising the atmosphere by raking up an "artificial" issue of Jinnah's picture at Aligarh Muslim University, which has led to violence in the Uttar Pradesh town.

He charged the BJP with doing "dirty politics of sensationalism, divisiveness, polarisation" and said this needed to be condemned.

"I can clarify unequivocally that Jinnah is not, has never been and should not be an icon in this country in any way. He was a part of the freedom struggle at one time, but certainly he is no icon of this country," he told reporters.

"...the issue raised today is purely an artificial issue, the issue raised today is only for polarisation. The issue raised today is only for communalisation," he said.

Singhvi said if a photograph is hanging for decades and a group of people suddenly enter and deliberately make provocative statements and try and do identity politics and provoke people before the election, "this is equally condemnable".

"This is the dirty politics of sensationalism, divisiveness, polarisation, which only one party for the last 70 years and before that for another 50 years has been precisely practising," he said.

A Samajwadi Party MP today likened Muhammad Ali Jinnah to Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru as tension simmered at Aligarh Muslim University, the centre of a row over a portrait of the Pakistan founder.

The administration suspended internet services in communally-sensitive Aligarh district from 2 pm today to midnight tomorrow to prevent rumour mongering.

AMU students continued their sit-in at the university's Baab-e-Syed gate, where they had clashed with the police on Wednesday.

They are boycotting classes for the next two days.

Wednesday's clash took place when the students were demanding action against right-wing protesters who had entered the campus and wanted Jinnah's portrait removed from the student union office, where it has been hanging for decades.
A Delhi University college has questioned Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) Prakash Javadekar's authority to summarily dismiss in public its governing board's decision to name the evening shift of the institution as Vande Mataram Dayal Singh College.

Raising the issue of autonomy of higher education institutions, Chairman of the college's governing board Amitabh Sinha, who is also a BJP member and a lawyer, charged the HRD minister with throwing his weight around the issue to stop the naming of the evening college as approved by its highest body.

He also accused Union food processing industry minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal and other leaders of her party of provoking and misleading the HRD minister to reject the decision taken by the governing board on naming the evening college under it.

This comes after Javadekar, earlier this week, told media that Dayal Singh evening college will not be named as Vande Mataram Dayal Singh College.

"Action will be taken against those in the college's management committee resorting to such mischief," the HRD minister had said.

The stand taken by the MPs (members of parliament from the SAD) led by the HRD minister defies history, the law as well as relevant university rules. Selfish and politically motivated groups misleading the government and Parliament, Sinha said in a statement.

Last year in November, the governing board of the college had decided to name Dayal Singh College (evening), set up in 1958, as the Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya.

The HRD ministry intervened as a row erupted over the governing board's decision with a section of the college's teachers, educationist and other stakeholders opposing the move.

On ministry's advice to resolve the issue amicably, the governing board reviewed its decision and approved the naming of the college as Vande Mataram Dayal Singh College.

The decision of the college's governing board continues to remain pending for a decision by the Delhi University.

Dayal Singh College was established in 1959 while its evening college bearing the same name was set up a year later.

Why change the name?

The apex body of the college unanimously decided to give a name to the evening college to rid thousands of students of the stigma of being enrolled in an evening college.

The HRD ministers over-enthusiastic misplaced intervention in this matter is ironical. The ministry has maintained studious silence on the recent issue of Mohammed Ali Jinnah's portrait at Aligarh Muslim University, Maybe reaction and action would be better suited there, Sinha added.
Even as New Delhi has been toeing a cautious line on the Dalai Lama to avoid annoying Beijing, the US ambassador to India, Kenneth Juster, met the Tibetan spiritual leader on Friday.

Juster travelled to the headquarters of the Central Tibetan Administration (commonly known as Tibetan Government-in-Exile or TGIE) at Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh and called on Dalai Lama on Friday.

He also had meetings with Lobsang Sangey, the political leader of the exiled community and the current Sikyong (or President) of the TGIE.

A report on the official website of the TGIE said Juster requested the Dalai Lama to visit the US again. The TGIE also published pictures of the meeting online.

Juster, meanwhile, tweeted a picture of himself and Sangay.

An icon of the Tibetan communitys struggle against Chinas rule over their country, the 82-year-old Dalai Lama has already visited the US several times, the last of which was in June 2017.

The Tibet Sun, a news website, reported that the US envoy had been asked by journalists in Dharamshala if American President Donald Trump would meet the Dalai Lama if he visited Washington.

Juster did not rule out such a possibility and just said, Well, again, we will see what happens in time, the website reported.

Former US president Barack Obama met Dalai Lama four times during his stint, with each meeting triggering angry reactions from China.

China's protests

Beijing calls Dalai Lama a "splittist" and has been accusing him of leading a secessionist movement to undermine the sovereignty of China.

Beijing, in April 2017, strongly criticised India for facilitating the Dalai Lamas visits to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, which is very close to the disputed boundary between the two nations.

The US Senate on April 26 passed a resolution urging China to respect human rights and the religious freedom of the people of Tibet. This prompted Beijing to cry foul and accuse the US of interfering in the internal affairs of China.

The meeting between Dalai Lama and the US envoy took place just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had an informal summit at Wuhan in central China to mend the ties between New Delhi and Beijing.

In the run-up to the Modi-Xi informal summit, New Delhi had been very careful on the Tibet issue.

New Delhi on February 26 issued an advisory asking senior leaders and government functionaries in the states as well as at the Centre to stay away from events attended by Dalai Lama. The advisory was issued after the Ministry of External Affairs pointed it out that the time chosen by the TGIE to hold the Thank You, India event would be very sensitive for Indias relations with China.

The venue of the event was then shifted from New Delhi to Dharamshala and was held on March 31.

But in the wake of speculation over a change in New Delhis approach to Tibet, the Modi government sent the Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma and BJP general secretary Ram Madhav to represent India in the event, where they shared a podium with the Dalai Lama.
I don't know how many young women come to this blog or how many are parents of teenage or young adult women, but here are some safety tips from Kelsey's Army:

T

I

P

S

1. Trust your instincts - If something feels wrong then something probably is wrong.2. Know your surroundings - know who and what is around you.3. Always have a plan for where you would go and what you would do if a situation arises.4. Be willing to make a scene in order to be noticed.5. Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back.Remember the acronym TIPS:ake Chargenform others of your whereaboutsrepare for any situationurvival Mentality (role play situations so you will respond should they happen)For more information, go to Kelsey's Army
Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg
Nothing went right for the Utah Jazz and everything worked for the Houston Rockets in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Twitter responded to the 21-point loss.

I cant remember being this embarrassed of the @utahjazz is a long, long time. Wheres the pride, guys? All I see is a bunch of scared dudes not putting in the effort. #HOUatUTA #TakeNote #AtUsGettingOurAssKicked  Andy Morgan (@andyatthemovies) May 5, 2018

Im gonna go watch the Notebook and cry the rest of the night away.  Gabby (@gabbyriley7) May 5, 2018

Two storylines for Jazz moving to Game 4 - how much can they play Favors and Gobert and how can they get Donovan Mitchell some good looks while he is playing the point guard. He is 16 of 54 in the series  David Locke (@Lockedonsports) May 5, 2018

https://twitter.com/Bklyn_Rock/status/992618573913837569 Just dont get down by 10.

Just dont get down by 20.

Just dont get down by 30.

Just dont get down by 40.#HOUatUTA  Jake McCleary (@JMCCLEARY_10) May 5, 2018

Houston Rockets: Proving yet again, A) The motivating power of an embarrassing loss, and B) That sometimes a loss can be good for a dominant top seed.

What a response. In control from start to finish. Houston won't take things for granted from here on out.  Chris Dempsey (@chrisadempsey) May 5, 2018

The Utah Jazz fell behind by 24 points to the Houston Rockets in the middle of the second quarter. But rookie Royce ONeale scored seven points to lead a short 9-0 comeback to shorten the lead to 15.

Though the Rockets later increased the lead to 30 by the end of the half, Twitter briefly celebrated the Jazz rookie.

A Rolls Royce Run! Royce O'Neale scores 7 points in a row for Utah, bringing the Jazz back to within 15. Big moment in the game, as Jazz upped the defensive intensity too.  Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) May 5, 2018

ROYCE O'NEALE, just when we thought you couldn't do anything dumber, you go and do this, AND COMPLETELY REDEEM YOURSELF. pic.twitter.com/AmN0NkUFBc  SLC Dunk (@slcdunk) May 5, 2018

Make that a 9-0 run. It would seem as if it might be wise for the Rockets to at least acknowledge Royce O'Neale is on the court. He just hit a wide open three and walked down the lane for uncontested layups the last two possessions. https://t.co/ii3LbuCLij  Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 5, 2018

The Rockets just let Royce O'Neale walk into an open 3, walk into an open layup, and then walk into another layup. That's some Cavs-in-January-esque transition defense right there.  Yaya Dubin (@JADubin5) May 5, 2018

Royce O'Neale of all people leading the charge, playing tough D on Harden and has 7 points as the Jazz cut the Houston lead to 49-34. #TakeNote  Dana Greene (@dana_greene) May 5, 2018

The Utah Jazz didnt get off to the best start against the Houston Rockets, falling behind early 39-22 in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Twitter wasnt impressed with the Jazzs effort in the opening quarter.

Jazz have four turnovers in five minutes. Rockets have scored seven points off those turnovers. This is getting ugly. #HOUatUTA #NBAPlayoffs  John Coon (@johncoonsports) May 5, 2018

Every Rockets players face right now. So, so serious. Not messing around tonight. pic.twitter.com/2hoqlr99rK  Chris Dempsey (@chrisadempsey) May 5, 2018

The Rockets are ready, man. This is an intensity level I don't recall seeing from them this postseason yet. Let's see if Utah can weather it.  Ben Dowsett (@Ben_Dowsett) May 5, 2018

The Jazz offense missed the team flight from Houston. #HOUatUTA #NBAPlayoffs  John Coon (@johncoonsports) May 5, 2018

The Jazz are getting absolutely blistered by HOU. The Rockets are doing everything right. #HOUatUTA  David J. Smith (@davidjsmith1232) May 5, 2018

Should I just save myself the next two hours and stop watching now? #HOUatUTA  Joel Farr (@joelfarr) May 5, 2018

Its still early. Gotta regroup and get back in this gm 3. #HOUatUTA #TakeNote  Michael Denos (@MikeGDenos) May 5, 2018

Lots of #welp moments for me this postseason.  Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) May 5, 2018
PHOENIX  Hundreds of thousands of Arizona schoolchildren returned to classes Friday, a day after state lawmakers approved 20 percent raises for teachers and they ended a six-day walkout that shuttered most classrooms around the state.

Teachers at a high school in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa lined up to greet students with cheers and handshakes. An elementary school principal greeted students with high-fives on the other side of metro Phoenix.

Educators returning to work at San Marcos Elementary in the suburb of Chandler traded in their red protest t-shirts for shirts with their black and blue school colors and its bear mascot. Wearing sunglasses and smiles, they hugged and wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders to start the day.

In Jennifer Boettcher's first-grade class, students had a breakfast of muffins, milk and juice waiting for them.

"I'm so happy to see you, you all grew this much," Boettcher said while raising her hands. She checked their meal progress as she called out names for attendance, ensuring one student had a juice carton in front of her and reminding another to hang up his jacket.

Outside, preschool students populated the playground for the first time since last Thursday. They raced down slides and soared on a swing set, the sound of their giggles mixed with the chirping birds while a teacher called out to them by name.

Jolene Gallup, a media specialist and reading intervention teacher, was thrilled to come back. She said the #RedforEd movement was empowering, as she's been teaching in Arizona for 20 years and has seen budgets slashed.

She sees around 100 to 110 students a day, and says the school, with a population of around 600 preschoolers through sixth graders, is like a family. That closeness made the choice to walkout difficult, she said.

"The whole time you were down at the Capitol and seeing the signs and seeing the marching, your thoughts were with the kids in the classroom," she said.

Strike organizers called for an end to the walkout Thursday after an all-night legislative session resulted in a 20 percent pay raise by 2020. Most districts planned to reopen Friday but Tucson's largest district said it would resume classes next week, saying it would take time to ensure all 86 school sites would be up and running.

The education funding plan, signed by Gov. Doug Ducey, awarded teachers a 9 percent raise in the fall and 5 percent in each of the next two years. Those increases, which are in addition to a 1 percent raise granted last year, will cost about $300 million for the coming year alone.

Education cuts over the past decade have sliced deeply into Arizona's public schools. Teachers wanted a return to pre-recession funding levels, regular raises, competitive pay for support staff and a pledge not to adopt any tax cuts until per-pupil funding reaches the national average.

The new funding package provides schools with a partial restoration of nearly $400 million in recession-era cuts, with a promise to restore the rest in five years. Other cuts remain in place.

The Arizona walkout was part of a bubbling national uprising over low teacher pay and funding. The movement started in West Virginia, where a strike resulted in a raise, and spread to Oklahoma, Kentucky and, most recently, Colorado.

Arizona Education Association President Joe Thomas said educators should now focus on a campaign for a November ballot measure that would seek more education funding from an income tax increase on the wealthiest taxpayers.

"The budget is a significant investment, but it falls far short" of what the movement demanded, he said.

At Oakwood Elementary School in the Phoenix suburb of Peoria, Principal Shawn Duguid was dressed in a purple shirt in the spirit of one of the school's colors. As he does every day, Duguid was in front of the campus gates before they opened to welcome the roughly 1,000 students between kindergarten and eighth-grade. Some parents came with boxes of doughnuts and other goodies for the faculty after the six-day absence.

Other parents, however, were still upset about the impact of teacher walkouts.

Charlene Schafer, who was dropping off her two sons, said she is "pretty ticked off."

"They should have been in school. They were by themselves at home," she said.

Terri Kiley, who was walking her daughter in, said she sympathizes with the teachers but wishes they could use other strategies.

"I understand what they're trying to do. But I didn't like that they shut down the school."

For 14-year-old Sariah Stone, finding motivation to get out of bed after six days off and no homework wasn't the easiest.

"I thought I was on summer vacation," the eighth-grader said.

Still, she is happy to be back. She missed "just being here, the daily routine. It just felt weird not coming back."

In Cindy Cordts' third-grade class, children immediately sat down with a worksheet. Cordts warmly welcomed them back, briefly acknowledging the hiatus as "kind of like we had an extra spring break."

"It's very hard to put into words how excited I am to be back with my kiddoes," said Cordts, who has been teaching for 33 years. "I have missed them absolutely greatly and we're ready to finish the year strong."

___

Associated Press writers Anita Snow, Paul Davenport and Bob Christie contributed to this report.
Militants killed a Roman Catholic priest this week in Bangui, the violence-wracked capital of the Central African Republic where Catholic and other faith leaders had made headway recently mediating between factions.

Former members of the mainly Muslim militant group Seleka are accused of killing the Rev. Albert ToungoumaleBaba on Tuesday (May 1) at the Notre Dame of Fatima Church. Of the hundreds of worshippers gathered at the church, at least 24 were killed and 170 injured by militants who sprayed bullets into the crowd and detonated grenades.

ToungoumaleBaba is the second Catholic priest to be killed in about a month in the CAR.

The murdered priests church lies just outside the predominantly Muslim PK5 district of Bangui, where a U.N. peacekeeping force began working last month. The attack on the church is seen as a response to security operations that resulted in the wounding of a leader of a self-defense group that had been accused of terrorizing both Christians and Muslims, said Roman Catholic Bishop Nestor-Desire Nongo-Aziagbia.

The attack on the church Tuesday was followed by attacks on mosques and other Muslim institutions.

Seleka overtook the CARs central government in March 2013, and was dissolved months later. But ex-Seleka members still hold sway in the CAR, despite U.N. and other efforts to keep the peace. The Catholic Church maintains a high profile in such efforts but has grown uneasy with the killing of a second priest within weeks.

Last month the Rev. Joseph Desire Angbabata, who served in a parish east of Bangui, died of bullet wounds after rebels targeted his church. He had intervened to protect refugees camped at the church compound from the rebels.

In the Congo, Catholic priests are also on alert. One was killed last month, the second in three years.
The Immigrant Caravan, as President Trump calls it, has been in the news lately. Actually, it has been a pilgrimage of asylum seekers fleeing rape and murder in Honduras and Guatemala. This is not unlike Jews fleeing from Nazi Germany.

Other immigrants from Mexico come to the United States seeking jobs. They are willing to work hard to provide a better living for their families. The United States was built by immigrants coming here seeking a better life. There were no significant immigration laws prior to about 1925. Immigrants were encouraged to come to provide the labor to build the Erie Canal, the railroads, work in mines and build cities. We need comprehensive immigration reform, such as that passed by the Senate in July 2013.

Why do people leave Mexico to come here? That country is beautiful and has vast natural resources. The answer is that their government is corrupt; only the very rich have power. Taxes are low with minimal business regulation, but the economy is not thriving. There is no middle class. There is no tax base. Only the rich can afford good educations and health care.

Is the United States headed toward becoming a country like Mexico?

Mark Rothacher

Salt Lake City
PROVO  A new Mormon apostle and his wife added fresh insights to the LDS Church's emerging emphasis on ministering during the closing keynote speeches at BYU's Women's Conference Friday.

Elder Gerrit W. Gong introduced the concept of covenant belonging, a phrase uncommon among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said covenants connect Mormons both to God and to each other in ways that mean they belong to each other.

Those covenant connections should inspire how church members approach ministering to each other and those outside the faith, said Elder Gong, sustained March 31 as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during a historic international general conference.

"In the revelation of our true, divine selves through our covenants with God," he added, "we learn to recognize and love our brothers and sisters as he does. This deepening love and knowledge invites, empowers and sanctifies us to know and, in our own way, to become more like him."

LDS Church President Russell M. Nelson announced April 1 at general conference that the church would discontinue its longstanding home teaching and visiting teaching programs. Those programs called Mormons to visit and assist each other. President Nelson said the church would replace them with ministering, "a higher and holier way" to lift and strengthen church members and others one by one.

"There is divine harmony and resonance in covenant belonging," Elder Gong said, "as we are strengthened in his love and as we strengthen each other in the Lord."

"We belong to each other," he added. "By divine covenant, we belong to God and to each other. Covenant belonging is a miracle. It is not possessive. It 'suffereth long, and is kind.' It envieth not, vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Covenant belonging gives roots and wings. It liberates through commitment. It enlarges through love.

"In covenant belonging, we strengthen each other in His love, thereby coming more to love God and each other."

The concept resonated with many of the 10,500  nearly all women  who gathered at the Marriott Center.

"It was a new term to me, and I loved it," said Dori Woodbury of Pleasant Grove, Utah, who attended with a loved one experiencing a faith crisis in mind. "He was poetic when he said covenant belonging is a miracle that gives roots and rings. It's a nice addition to the term 'covenant-keeping sisters.' I'd really like to go home and put it all over my home. I felt a resolve this conference that unlike 'What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,' what happens at Women's Conference should not stay in Women's Conference. 'Covenant belonging' is going home with me and I'm going to figure out how to help my kids understand it."

Morgan Pinkston of North Plains, Oregon, said the concept bolstered the idea of ministering.

"The point of ministering is to be one and come together as covenant people," she said.

Elder Gong was the concluding speaker at Women's Conference, the largest two-day gathering of LDS women in the world. He followed his wife, Sister Susan Gong.

The audience appreciated their humor. After they began by standing together at the podium, Elder Gong sat down to let her speak. Sister Gong joked that he'd abandoned her, then drew extended laughter by saying, "Sometimes I call him 'Elder Gone.'"

After she spoke, Elder Gong stood and thanked her and called her, "Susan Sweetheart."

"I really, really liked them together," Pinkston said. "They were super, super sweet. When Elder Gong sat down, they immediately held hands. You can tell they have a sweet relationship."

In her talk, Sister Gong shared three examples of ministering from Jesus Christ's life.

First, she said he was an example of listening and understanding, which she said are powerful ways to serve.

"There is healing, there is hope in just being understood," Sister Gong said.

Second, compassion always accompanied Christ's understanding, which she also called empathy.

Third, she said, Christ comforted, supplied, fed, healed, nurtured, taught and blessed.

"Know the heart. Feel compassion. Bless. This is the Saviors pattern of ministering, and it can be ours," she said.

Sister Gong echoed the prayer of Sister Jean B. Bingham, general president of the Relief Society, at the White House on Thursday, when she prayed that the United States would be "a land of Good Samaritans."

"Like the Good Samaritan," Sister Gong said, "when Christ finds us suffering, he has compassion on us, comes to us, binds our wounds, brings us to the inn and cares for us."

Friday's keynote address was the Gongs' first major public appearance since he was called as an apostle in the church of 16.1 million members, a calling they described as overwhelming in an interview last month with the Church News.

Elder Gong said Friday that President Nelson asked him to share a message during his Women's Conference talk. "Please tell our sisters we love them," he said.

Elder Gong also asked women to find faith, strength and trust in knowing that perfection comes through Christ.

"Such," he said, "offers an escape from the always-anxious treadmill of perfectionism."
SALT LAKE CITY  "Alexander Hamilton. My name is Alexander Hamilton."

Those simple lines were all it took to get approximately 2,300 high school students and teachers from across Utah clapping, cheering and even screaming at such a high volume that they nearly drowned out Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton: An American Musical" as it unfolded on the Eccles Theater stage Friday afternoon.

That enthusiasm continued throughout the entire musical. The students cheered when the Schuyler sisters took the stage for the first time, laughed at King Georges antics, gleefully responded to Thomas Jeffersons return from France and reacted to the cabinet battle arguments as if they themselves were active participants.

It was as if pop stars had taken the stage, but in a sense, that's just what the Hamilton Education Program has done for these students: It has transformed American history into a pop culture phenomenon.

Developed by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History in collaboration with Miranda, the program, also known as EduHam, made its Utah debut last year, getting 40 public Title 1 schools involved. At its heart, the program had students examining and analyzing primary source documents  including documents that influenced Miranda as he created "Hamilton."

After exploring documents dating back to 1757 through 1804, Hamilton's life span, students again followed in Miranda's footsteps, transforming their analyses into a short song, monologue or poem. Of the hundreds of performances that students prepared, 15 were selected and performed by more than 30 students Friday morning before the "Hamilton" cast took the stage in the afternoon.

"These students who see this show  they're the most knowledgeable audience these performers will ever have in front of them," Tim Bailey, a Utah native and Gilder Lehrman's director of education, told the Deseret News following the student performances. "Not only do they know the content, they're invested in the content and so they understand the nuances.  These guys get it at a level that your average audience (walking) in here on a Friday night is not going to have."

Before the performances  which ranged from a ukulele song about Valley Forge to a rap about the Boston Tea Party  Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox offered the students a word of advice.

"'Hamilton' is about finding your voice," he told the students. "And all of you have something to give and you need to find your voice, whatever your talent is.  Here's what I'm asking you to do: Find your voice and then help (others) find their voice, because that's what really matters."

Each student performance was introduced with gusto by "Hamilton" cast members Elijah Malcomb (John Laurens/Philip Hamilton), Kyle Scatliffe (Marquis de Lafayette/Jefferson) and Fergie L. Philippe (Hercules Mulligan/James Madison), who later participated in a cast Q&A with the students.

Annsheri Reay of Monticello High School performed a rap about Abigail Adams  set to the beat of "Hamilton's" "Cabinet Battle #1."

While Reay admitted to being a little nervous before her performance, she said the students' cheers in the crowd encouraged her.

"I am from a small town with like 250 kids in school. I'm not used to this," she said following her performance. "It was just amazing being out there onstage  a Broadway stage  seeing the lights shine down on me.  This just doesn't happen to small-town girls."

With her own performance over, Reay could look forward to seeing "Hamilton," an opportunity she said was "a dream come true" since she knows "all 46 songs by heart."

"It's one thing to listen to it and learn the history, and it's another thing to experience it firsthand right in front of you," she said. "It's like going to Disneyland."

Three students from the Horizonte Instruction and Training Center in Salt Lake City performed a rap about Lafayette  a historical figure they believed to be especially impressive since he became a major general at 19. Although the students enjoy rapping, performing in a venue such as the Eccles Theater gave them a new kind of experience.

"It's different, 'cause from our side of town, coming to this type of thing is not really something (people) would want to go to, so we chose to be different and experience what's really out there," said Simiuela Kavapalu. "'Hamilton,' (I) heard it was a Broadway show, wanted to give it a try and learn. I like history, so I'm glad to be here."

Salt Lake City now joins an ever-growing number of cities that have participated in the EduHam program, including New York City, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles. The program aims to reach 250,000 rural and low-income students by the end of 2020.

"We hear stories nationally about how it has changed lives and not just for the students, but for the teachers," Bailey said. "It's changed the way they teach, it's changed the way they reach their students, it's changed their perspective on what you can do in a history or an English classroom with their students. ... (It's) a big deal."
"Humanity's next mission to Mars has left the pad! NASAInSight heads into space for an approximately six-month journey to Mars where it will take the planet's vital signs and help us understand how rocky planets formed," NASA tweeted soon after the launch at 7:05 AM (4:35 PM India time).

InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, will study the deep interior of Mars to learn how all rocky planets formed, including Earth and its Moon. The lander's instruments include a seismometer to detect marsquakes, and a probe that will monitor the flow of heat from the planet's interior. InSight will be the first mission to peer deep beneath the Martian surface, studying the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listening for marsquakes, which are seismic events similar to earthquakes on Earth.

It will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet's deep interior. The findings of Mars' formation will help better understand how other rocky planets, including Earth and its Moon, were created.
Sharp cut in Chinese imports of agro products angers US farmers

The trade spat between the US and China has resulted in a sharp cut in exports of farm produce from the US, as Chinese importers cancel their orders, especially for soybeans, corn, pork and other commodities.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, Chinese imports of a range of agricultural products have declined sharply since April when the country imposed tariffs on American agricultural products.

This was in response to the move by the American President Donald Trumps administration to propose tariffs on $50 billion worth of imports by the US from China. Following the US move, Chinas Ministry of Commerce slapped duties on more than 100 US products.

China is the second-biggest market for US agricultural products, buying more than $20 billion worth of products. Reacting swiftly to Trumps move to impose new tariffs on Chinese exports to the US, China slapped hefty taxes on American supplies.

Traders have also cancelled purchases of soybeans, corn and a host of other products from the US. Worried about the impact it would have on their exports to China, a high-powered delegation including US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer was despatched to Beijing to sort out issues.
Fresh squally spell to hit several states tomorrow

After a lull on Thursday and today, another set of thunderstorms is likely to hit India's north-western plains on Saturday, the Union government has said.

The government issued a fresh warning of thunderstorms and squalls in West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in the next 24 hours. The government issued a fresh warning of thunderstorms and squalls in West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in the next 24 hours.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), northern Rajasthan, western Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and parts of Uttarakhand will also be affected. Thunderstorms along with squalls are also very likely at isolated places over Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura as well.

Isolated places in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Sikkim, Odisha, northwest Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rayalaseema, north coastal Andhra Pradesh, interior Tamil Nadu and Kerala are very likely to experience thunderstorms along with gusty winds.

Heavy rains are very likely at isolated places over Tamil Nadu and Kerala, while dust storm and thunderstorm are very likely at isolated places over Rajasthan.

The Union home ministry has also issued an advisory for Saturday, saying thunderstorm accompanied with squall are very likely at isolated places in Uttarakhand, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim.

A home ministry spokesperson said 124 people were killed and over 300 injured in thunderstorm and lightning that struck five states in the past two days. The largest number of 73 deaths was reported from Uttar Pradesh, where 91 were also injured. Most of these deaths and injuries took place in the Agra region.

In Rajasthan, 35 people were killed and 206 injured. Eight persons were killed in Telangana, six in Uttarakhand and two in Punjab. Nearly 100 people were injured in the three states.

Following the thunderstorm, power supply was cut in many areas as 12,000 electric poles were uprooted and 2,500 transformers damaged.

The IMD said a fresh western disturbance  a system of extra-tropical storms  is expected to bring rain to several parts of north India in the next 24 hours. Dust storms are also expected in Rajasthan and several parts of the northeastern India in the next 48 hours.

This is not an unusual system (strong thunderstorms in the pre-monsoon period); but every few years, the intensity of thunderstorms increases. In the northeastern and eastern India, such storms are more frequent, said M Mohapatra, a senior scientist at the IMDs forecast division.

Currently, the forecast systems can warn of severe storms three days in advance, so more squalls and storms in north India could not be ruled out, he said.

"We are expecting a western disturbance to approach the hill region on 5 May. This will have an effect on north-western plains, Mahapatra said. "The intensity of the thunderstorm could only be predicted two hours prior to the activity," he added.

According to the weather analysts, a trough over north Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh will lead to further thunderstorm activity around Tuesday, 8 May, but it will not be severe.

"May 5 (today) may bring light rains in the region," according to independent agency Skymet.
World's rarest ape on the edge of extinction

In a new research article, a team of international researchers argue that the Tapanuli Orangutan - a species discovered last year in Sumatra, Indonesia, and one of the rarest animals on the planet - could lose its battle for survival, unless decisive steps are taken to rescue it.

Tapanuli Orangutan / Image: Maxime Aliaga

"In forty years of research, I don't think I've ever seen anything this dramatic," said Professor William Laurance from James Cook University in Australia, leader of the research team.

"This is just the seventh species of Great Ape ever discovered, and it could go extinct right before our eyes," said Professor Jatna Supriatna from the University of Indonesia, a co-author of the study.

See: "Fewer than 800 of the apes survive, and they're under assault from mega-projects, deforestation, road building, and poaching," said Dr Sean Sloan, lead author of the article in Current Biology ( Newly discovered orangutan species is 'among the most threatened great apes in the world ).

"Their entire remaining habitat is unbelievably small - less than a tenth the size of Sydney, Australia," said Sloan.

The authors say the most imminent threat is a planned $1.6 billion mega-dam - the Batang Toru project - that would be constructed by a Chinese state-owned corporation, Sinohydro, and funded by Chinese financiers.

"If it proceeds, the dam will flood crucial parts of the ape's habitat, while chopping up its remaining habitat with new roads and powerlines," said Supriatna.

The team discovered the ape survives only in areas with virtually no roads, which promote illegal logging, clearing, and poaching.

"This is a critical test for China and Indonesia. They say they want sustainable development - but words are cheap," said Laurance.

"Without urgent action, this could be ecological Armageddon for one of our closest living relatives."
PE/VC investments record best 1Q since 2008: EY report

The first quarter of calendar year 2018 (1Q2018) recorded investments worth $7.9 billion across 180 deals, a record performance for the private equity and venture capital sector, led by large deals in the infrastructure and real estate sectors.

The PE/VC investment activity eclipsed the previous first quarter high of $4.6 billion seen in 2008 by 72 per cent, according to a report by EY.

Continuing the momentum from last year, the record performance was led by large deals in the infrastructure and real estate sectors. Also, financial services continued to be the top sector, receiving $2.9 billion in investments across 31 deals.

Further to the trend established last year, large value deals (over $100 million) continued to dominate the activity. The reporting quarter recorded $1.8 billion in exits, 10 per cent lower than 1Q2017 (worth $2 billion, 61 exits) and 51 per cent lower compared with 4Q2017 ($3.7 billion, 64 exits), according to EYs private equity monthly deal tracker.

PE/VC investment activity is clearly on a high. 1Q2018 has been the strongest first quarter in recent years and we believe this year will be strong across all asset classes of PE, infrastructure and real estate. Exits in 1Q2018 have been muted compared with 4Q2017 largely on account of volatility in the capital markets. However, there are strong undercurrents of M&A at play. If they materialise and capital markets hold fort, PE/VC exits in 2018 should end on a good note, said Vivek Soni, partner and leader for Private Equity Advisory at EY.

Investments in infrastructure and real estate, by PE / VC funds in 1Q2018, were more than 50 per cent of the amount invested in these asset classes in the whole of 2017. Besides these large investments into infrastructure and real estate, quarterly PE / VC investments have taken a dip in 1Q2018, closing at $4.8 billion after $5.6 billion in 4Q2017.

However, on a year-on-year basis, 1Q2018 remains the best first quarter for PE/VC investments even after setting aside these large investments in infrastructure and real estate.

There were 13 deals of value greater than $100 million made in 1Q2018, aggregating to $5.7 billion and accounting for 72 per cent of total investments made in 1Q2018, six of which were into infrastructure and real estate, worth almost $2.7 billion. 4Q2017 and 1Q2017 had 17 and six deals greater than $100 million, respectively, it added.

The largest deal during the quarter saw GIC, KKR and others invest $1.7 billion into HDFC Ltd, the largest private investment in public equity (PIPE) investment since Temasek invested about $2 billion in Bharti Airtel in 2007.

The first quarter also recorded the first-ever investment by Indias sovereign wealth fund National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), with Hindustan Infralog Private Ltd, a joint venture between NIIF and DP world, buying a 90-per cent stake in Continental Warehousing Corporation (Nhava Sheva) Ltd for $400 million.

See: The deal provided an exit to a clutch of early investors including Warburg Pincus, IFC and others ( DP World, NIIF venture Hindustan Infralog to acquire 90% stake in Continental Warehousing ).

The first quarter also recorded the largest PE/VC investment in the Indian infrastructure asset class, with Macquarie purchasing tolling rights to 648km of national highways from the NHAI for $1.5 billion. This is Indias first toll-operate-transfer (TOT) project and is also one of the largest foreign investments in the Indian public infrastructure.

In terms of stage of investment, the buyouts category received the largest share of investments (34 per cent, $2.7 billion across 12 deals), primarily on account of the large Macquarie TOT deal. Out of the 12 buyout deals, six were in the infrastructure and real estate sectors, worth $2.3 billion. Excluding, infrastructure and real estate investments, PIPE category ($2 billion) received the largest share of PE/VC investment.

In terms of volume, start-up/early stage investing recorded the highest number of deals (82 deals, accounting for almost 46 per cent of the total deals in 1Q2018).

Notwithstanding the large investments in infrastructure and real estate, carrying forward the trend seen in 2017, the financial services sector garnered the highest share of PE/VC investment in 1Q2018, with $2.9 billion invested across 31 deals, the highest quarterly investment into the sector. In 2017 was a record year for financial services with investments worth $7.2 billion.

From a monthly perspective, March recorded $3 billion in deal value, an increase of 14 per cent compared with $2.6 billion recorded in March 2017. This growth was primarily driven by some large investments into the infrastructure and real estate sectors. Excluding these asset classes, PE/VC investments in 2018 have recorded a declining trend with $951 million recorded in March, compared to $1.2 billion in February and $2.7 billion in January.

Exits

Exits in 1Q2018 were marred by volatility in the global capital markets which were rattled by fears of a trade war between US and China. 1Q2018 recorded $1.8 billion in exits, 10 per cent lower than 1Q2017 and 51 per cent lower compared with 4Q2017.

Exits via strategic sale were the highest in terms of value ($597 million), while in terms of number of deals, exits via open market operations were the highest (20 deals). There were four PE/VC backed IPOs in 1Q2018 wherein PE/VC funds garnered $172 million via offer for sale. IFC and GICs $125 million exit from Bandhan Bank Limited was the largest exit via an IPO by a PE/VC fund in 1Q2018.

Fund raising

Fund raising activity in 1Q2018 remained strong, with funds worth $1.3 billion raised, on par with funds raised in 1Q2017. Moreover, fund raise plans announced stood at $10.3 billion, a sign of strong fund raising activity to follow as the year progresses.
Friday was International Star Wars Day and a group of global media landed in Donegal to discover for themselves why it was named the Coolest Place on the Planet for 2017 by National Geographic Traveller.

The group represented media organisations which boast a combined circulation of 12 million from India, Australia, the Middle East, Canada, the US and Europe (Italy, UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria)

They visited Malin Head, one of the Star Wars film locations in Ireland as part of their trip, to follow in Luke Skywalkers footsteps to see for themselves how the force was awakened. The journalists' visit was hosted and managed by Failte Ireland in collaboration with Tourism Ireland.

Bren Whelan, Donegal Climbing (left) Elllen Redmond and Joan Crawford with the group as they have some Star Wars fun at the Millennium Falcon landing site at Malin Head. Photo Clive Wasson



The journalists write for some of the worlds leading magazines and newspapers including the Epoch Times, USA, Newscorp Escape, Australia, Mans World magazine, India, Margriet, weekly lifestyle magazine, the Netherlands, together with UK blogger Brogan Abroad and will get to explore our Galaxy and Donegal, one of the Star Wars film locations for themselves.



With its breathtaking scenery and rugged landscape the many places on showcase in Donegal and the Wild Atlantic Way to the group on their visit included a visit to Donegal Castle, a boat trip with Paddy Byrne to see the spectacular sight of the cliffs at Sliabh League, a stop at the heritage town of Ardara, a visit to Glenveagh National Park, Horsetrekking with Dunfanaghy Riding Stables, a visit to Grianan of Aileach Stone Fort finishing off with a guided walking tour with Brendan Whelan at Banba Crown, Malin Head. Bren also worked with the Star Wars team when they were in Donegal.

Alex Connolly, Head of Communications and International Publicity at Failte Ireland, said: The best way to write about something is to experience it first.

"We will be pulling out all the stops to ensure that these world class media see and do as much as possible in Donegal and the Wild Atlantic Way  and share their experiences with their readers afterwards as well. We are hopeful that this visit of over 10 journalists will encourage more people to explore the epic landscapes of our Atlantic coast.

"From a visit to Malin Head, one of the Star Wars film locations to a visit to Irelands highest sea cliffs at Slieve League, we hope to showcase the culture and beauty of Donegal, giving them the opportunity to generate many interesting stories for their publications.


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What we do about fake news today could have a major impact on our future. Two new initiatives -- a concerted effort by Apple and a massive educational effort called the "Pro-Truth Pledge" -- could help eliminate much of the fake news BS that is really messing up the United States at the moment.

On another front, President Donald Trump's plan to meet with Kim Jong-un, the supreme leader of North Korea, reminds me a bit too much of a pivotal meeting between Carly Fiorina, who was CEO of HP at the time, and Steve Jobs, who was then CEO of Apple. Fiorina and HP were badly damaged by that encounter, and I'm more than a little worried that something similar could happen to Trump and the U.S.

I'll close with my product of the week: the new second-generation Ryzen processor from AMD.

Fake News

It amazes me how incredibly gullible most people seem to be at the moment. Some of the stuff ordinary people have been doing literally can be suicidal. Take the avoidance of vaccinations, for instance, which sprang from theories that have been debunked. I wonder how much resistance to immunizations may have contributed to the latest flu epidemic, when some schools closed for days at a time because so many students and teachers got sick.

Or consider the insane raw water trend. This hit home because I had to be walked out of the mountains while on survival training after drinking from a stream and getting both really bad dysentery and an infection that could have cost me a foot. The stuff appears to be the latest fad in Silicon Valley at the moment.

For some perspective, watch this clip about raw water -- and listen closely to the background discussion between the supporter and the detractor. This is from The Daily Show, so it is also funny -- until you realize raw water really could make someone sick or possibly even kill a person with a compromised immune system.

Another trend rolling through the valley is based on the meritocracy concept. Intel's CEO is a big believer, but he isn't alone. It seems really intelligent until you look it up and find out that the term isn't related to good management practices but instead is meant as a satirical reference to an idiotic practice in the 1950s. Annoying for me is the fact that meritocracy has been undoing much of the progress toward eliminating forced ranking by replacing it with yet another abusive system that only weakens the firms that practice it.

One of the key takeaways from the book Technically Wrong is that meritocracy has been destroying tech firms -- and the quality of their products. Basically, it is used by people in power to justify misuse of that power.

The mount of false information being handed to the public has reached insane levels. Check out this chart that compares the current president's lies to the previous president's. Even if President Obama's lies were undercounted, as PolitiFact suggests, the people are never the winners in a competition like this.

Our country already fought one war based on a lie. There were no WMDs in Iraq, and the Bush administration tried to cover that up so aggressively that it outed its own CIA agent, as the recent Scooter Libby pardon reminded us.

Every time I consider the subject of fake news, I recall this scene in A Few Good Men. The death of a serviceman was being obstructed by false evidence based on the belief that we can't handle the truth. This has become so bad in Silicon Valley that there is real concern that some have drifted away from reality completely.

Apple's Move

Part of the problem with fake news is the combination of declining revenues to news services with a near-rabid focus on getting clicks. There is so much clickbait out there that it has become almost impossible to avoid it. The only way to correct this, it seems, is to create a paid service with a focus on truth.

Apple has been working on curating a set of news services that have been maintaining a comparatively high level of journalistic integrity. However, the big element is to condition consumers to pay for news again, so that the quality of the content is the overriding driver -- not getting users to click on a piece in the ever-more-desperate hope that they also will read and act on an ad.

Is it an absolute fix? No. Even these news services have been fooled from time to time. Still, Apple has put its significant brand behind it, and I think it's a step in the right direction.

The Pro-Truth Pledge

The Pro-Truth Pledge is a far bigger effort that is also more grassroots. It asks all of us to make a pledge to cite sources, check facts, and stop being a major part of the problem. Ceated by a group of social scientists, the effort is organized by a group of nonpartisan volunteers and connected to the Rational Politics project (a group of folks fighting post-truth politics).

The concept is based on some interesting published behavioral science research that determined that existing methods of ensuring truth in politics don't work.

Trust in mainstream media has dropped, while trust in social media has increased. This is so bad that during the last election the top 20 fake stories were far more widely shared than the top 20 true stories. That reflected our collective move toward fooling ourselves aggressively.

One reason I think Facebook, Google, and other sources of fake news eventually will be nationalized is because they have been able to mislead us so easily. This fake news proliferation on social media has gotten so bad, as this BFSR study showcases, that it necessitated the creation of the Pro-Truth Pledge as a national-level intervention.

The pledge asks folks to commit to 12 behaviors:

Verify: Fact-check information to confirm it is true before accepting and sharing it.

Balance: Share the whole truth, even if some aspects do not support my opinion.

Cite: Share my sources so that others can verify my information.

Clarify: Distinguish between my opinion and the facts.

Acknowledge: Acknowledge when others share true information, even when we disagree otherwise.

Reevaluate: Reevaluate if my information is challenged, retract it if I cannot verify it.

Defend: Defend others when they come under attack for sharing true information, even when we disagree otherwise.

Align: Align my opinions and my actions with true information.

Fix: Ask people to retract information that reliable sources have disproved even if they are my allies.

Educate: Compassionately inform those around me to stop using unreliable sources even if these sources support my opinion.

Defer: Recognize the opinions of experts as more likely to be accurate when the facts are disputed.

Celebrate: Celebrate those who retract incorrect statements and update their beliefs toward the truth.

An effective way to address confirmation bias, according to the BFSR paper, is to have people research a position they agree on. Requiring them to use references opens the door to their discovering for themselves that their false belief lacks foundation, which encourages them to change their minds.

On the Pro-Truth Pledge site, there is an interesting section under the heading "What is the Impact of the Pro-Truth Pledge?" The response highlights the methods used to change the minds of influencers by helping them debunk for themselves the fake news that previously fooled them. It's an interesting read.

This reminds me of one of my favorite books, True Enough: Learning to Live in a Post-Fact Society, by Farhad Manjoo. It does a better job than most, pointing out just how often we aggressively help fool ourselves and how often and painfully our leaders are fooled. It is a really interesting read.

Wrapping Up: Trump and Jong-un

We are surrounded by fake news, and the president appears to believe a lot of it. A major upcoming event, a planned summit meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un, reminds me of a meeting that took place years ago between Carly Fiorina and Steve Jobs under somewhat similar conditions. (I got the inside story from HP after the fact.)

Jobs had gotten wind that HP had an MP3 player that was as good as or better than the iPod. He called Fiorina with an offer: Rather than take a risk on your own product, license the iPod and sell it instead. (Apple never does that.) Jobs promised to grant Fiorina a series of concessions in exchange for HP staying out of the market for five years. Those concessions never were granted, the HP iPod failed, and Apple continued to dominate the segment. Jobs effectively took Fiorina to the cleaners because she didn't see the lie.

President Trump has been desperate for some good news. Jong-un has been hinting at promising something he never promised before, and North Korea historically has had issues with keeping promises. I think this is the same pattern that undid Fiorina -- but the result this time, rather than a crippled HP, could be a crippled U.S.

It might help if the folks in the White House were to take the Pro-Truth Pledge and follow its 12 steps in advance of the meeting. I'm not holding my breath, though, and I am starting to wonder if I should prepare for nuclear winter.

By the way, as I was finishing this, I ran into a story about how researchers at George Mason University have come up with a plan for a fake news vaccination. Anyone know how to sign up the president?

It is fascinating that as Intel's CEO has driven the company into decline, at least with regard to influence (here's one example), the efforts of AMD's CEO have helped it to rise. This provides a sharp contrast between two executives that could help ensure that boards make better CEO choices in the future.

In this leadership gap, AMD has launched a new processor that by itself is as good as anything Intel has. With AMD's superior graphics, it is far better than anything Intel can do without Nvidia's help.

2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Processor

The AMD Second Generation Ryzen is wrapped with a set of cool features that appeal to system builders like myself in particular. One of the most interesting is a feature that automatically speeds up the processor when you put on a better cooler. Another allows you to overclock with protections that effectively prevent a black screen. Finally, there is a feature that allows you to use a large, cheap magnetic drive along with a small SSD to get disk performance that rivals an SSD at a far lower cost.

I still love my PCs, and this new Ryzen part represents a decent performance and feature jump in the family. However, it also represents a legitimate alternative to Intel, which under its current CEO, has become a bad actor. We have choice. I think it's best to choose from firms that want to do us good rather than harm. AMD is in the former category, and Intel is in the latter right now, so as a result, the new Second Generation Ryzen is my product of the week.

Rob Enderle has been an ECT News Network columnist since 2003. His areas of interest include AI, autonomous driving, drones, personal technology, emerging technology, regulation, litigation, M&E, and technology in politics. He has an MBA in human resources, marketing and computer science. He is also a certified management accountant. Enderle currently is president and principal analyst of the Enderle Group, a consultancy that serves the technology industry. He formerly served as a senior research fellow at Giga Information Group and Forrester. Email Rob.


By Dan Nosowitz

In January of 2017, the worst wildfires in Chile's history rampaged through over a million acres of land, destroying homes and leaving at least 11 dead. One of the many recovery solutions, as reported by Mother Nature News, is unexpectedand very cute.

Enter dog trainer Francisca Torres and three border collies, who took to the scorched forest after the fires were extinguished. Each dog wore a specially designed pouch filled with native seeds; as the dogs happily sprint through the forest, the seeds scatter from the pouches.

Border collies are work dogs. They're by far the most popular choice for herders, as their work ethic, herding instinct and intellectthey're routinely listed as the most intelligent breed of dogmake them ideal for farm work. These dogs can cover up to 18 miles each day, far more than a human could, and what could be more fun for a dog than being rewarded for sprinting through a gigantic forest?

Seeding after a fire, interestingly, is a widespread practice that is not without controversy. Fires are an essential part of the life cycle of many forests, with an established pattern of recovery: A certain type of fire might encourage a certain type of seedling, which could be eaten by a certain animal, which could attract other animals, and the entire system comes back online.

And yet, millions of dollars is spent on post-fire seeding each year, with the goal being to encourage rapid growth, box out invasive or non-native plants, and reduce the chances of erosion while the forest gets back on its feet. But recent research indicates that post-fire seeding is not necessarily all that effective: a review from the U.S. Forest Service says, "According to the literature review and monitoring data, seeding is not a reliably effective post-fire treatment for short-term soil protection." (To note: some of the studies reviewed in that paper included non-native seed, which obviously is a bad idea.)

In any case, post-fire seeding with exclusively native plants is not widely controversial. You know what else isn't controversial? Very good dogs running freely around a forest.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Modern Farmer.
(Photo:  Peter Kenny)The United Nations in Geneva, where the UN Human Rights Council is based, photographed on Feb. 10, 2017.

A United Nations committee has voted to deny the accreditation of religious freedom advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide after deferring the group's application since 2009, but Britain has said it will fight against the vote.

The United Nations Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations voted Feb. 3 to reject CSW's application for official UN accreditation.

The UK Mission to the UN will be appealing the decision to the ECOSOC body that oversees the NGO Committee, said CSW, a group that is renowned for its reporting of persecution of Christians.

CSW described the decision as "highly questionable." Mervyn Thomas, CSW's chief executive, said the organization is "extremely disappointed" by the NGO committee's decision.

"It is deeply concerning that the UN Committee on NGOs, the very entity which is tasked to facilitate NGOs access to the UN, is instead actively blocking civil society access to the UN.

"We believe that this decision is effectively an attempt to silence CSW and undermine the promotion of freedom of religion or belief within the UN system."

Britain's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Peter Wilson, said Feb. 9 he was "deeply disappointed" that the 19-member committee that accredits non-governmental organizations voted to reject the U.K.-based group's application.

The organization "does important work in protecting freedom of religion or belief," he said, adding, "The NGO committee should work to enhance, not restrict, the space for civil society participation in the U.N."

CSW said it applied in 2009 for consultative status with the UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), an official UN accreditation and held by numerous religious affiliated organizations.

This would have given CSW access to the key human rights advocacy platforms including the Human Rights Council and General Assembly.

The four nations that voted in favor of CSW's accreditation were the United States, Greece, Uruguay and Israel.

Some of the countries that voted against the application included China, Sudan and India, which have track records of persecution against Christians, The Christian Times reported Feb. 10.

Other countries that opposed CSW's accreditation were Cuba, Pakistan, South Africa, Iran, Sudan, Turkey, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Russia abstained while Azerbaijan, Guinea and Mauritania were absent. CSW has already expressed plans to appeal the decision.

CSW said it was a "highly questionable decision" when the NGO committee voted 11 - 4, with one abstention and three absent, to deny CSW's application.

The NGO Committee comprises 19 UN member States. It is tasked with considering applications for consultative status by NGOs and facilitating civil society access to the UN.

The vote on CSW's application was called by the Permanent Mission of Greece to the UN.

'PROMOTING RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE'

Its representative Georgios Pouleas said: "Greece attaches major significance to promoting religious tolerance and countering any discrimination based on religion or belief.

"Christian Solidarity Worldwide has over three decades of experience in advocating freedom of religion or belief and engages regularly with the United Nations mechanisms providing valid evidence-based analysis. Greece strongly supports CSW and we believe that their contribution to ECOSOC would be valuable and meaningful."

NGO Committee members deferred CSW's application since 2009 by asking more than 80 questions about CSW's work.

Despite providing timely and comprehensive answers to all questions and attending NGO Committee sessions several times, CSW's application continued to be deferred, hampering CSW's opportunities to promote the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief at the UN, the organization said.

During the NGO Committee session on Feb. 3, CSW's application was supported by Martin Shearman from the UK Mission to the UN in New York.

He said: "The work of CSW is rooted in the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They support the right of all to freedom of religion or belief.

"For this Committee not to recognize an NGO that is committed to defending the rights of all, regardless of their religion or belief and, in particular, to making full and active use of UN mechanisms, including the UPR, is counter-productive and indefensible."

Other religious affiliated groups in ECOSOC include: the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations from France; the Joint Women's Programme-Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society (India); YWCA of India; Islamic Women's Institute of Iran (Iwii), Iran; Muslim Women Researcher's Organization (Iran); the Women's International Zionist Organization of Israel; Caritas Internationalis (Italy); Word of Life Ministries International-Word Of Life Christian Fellowship (Jamaica); Commission of the Churches on International Affairs of the World Council of Churches, Switzerland; the Swiss-based World Alliance of Young Men's Christian Associations; the Swiss-based Lutheran World Federation; the Swiss-based World Student Christian Federation; World Alliance Of Young Men's Christian Associations (Switzerland); the World Fellowship of Buddhists, based in Thailand; Adventist Development and Relief Agency (USA); American Jewish World Service, Inc. (USA); the U.S.-based Baha'i International Community; Catholics For A Free Choice (USA); Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (USA); Franciscans International (USA); Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council Of North And South America (USA); Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization Of America, Inc. (USA); Jewish Council For Public Affairs (USA); Women's League For Conservative Judaism (USA); World Conference On Religion And Peace (USA); Medical Mission Sisters (Society Of Catholic Medical Missionaries, Generalate, Inc.), UK; the World Muslim Congress (Motamar Al Alam Al Islami), Pakistan; Muslim World League (Saudi Arabia) and others.
TORONTO, May 5, 2018 - Findings from a new study reveal at-risk adolescents are less likely to post about depressive symptoms on social media as they age. The research suggests that adolescents with a diagnosis of depression may feel less stigmatized describing depressed mood on social media than previously hypothesized. The research will be presented during the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2018 Meeting in Toronto.

Social media use can provide important information on the mental health of adolescents, including their own descriptions of their experiences. The purpose of this study was to analyze the patterns of social media posting describing depressive symptoms among an at-risk cohort of adolescents at two time points.

The study measured Facebook posts by participants at two time periods, labeled Time 1 as adolescents and Time 2 as young adults. Content analysis applied the Diagnoses and Statistical Manual (DSM) criteria for depression to identify displayed depression symptoms on Facebook.

The study found that the average number of references to depression among displayers was 9.30 at Time 1 and 4.94 at Time 2, showing a dramatic decrease in posts between adolescents and young adults.

"Considering differences between posts in Time 1 and Time 2, it is suggested that as teens develop, the likelihood to express depressive symptoms is lowered," said Dr. Kathleen Miller, one of the authors of the study. "This may be related to the development of the prefrontal cortex which plays a role in inhibiting impulsive decisions."

Examples of posts referencing depression included "Basically at the point of giving up" and "Feeling the worst right now, just wanting to cry." The average number of references to suicide or self-harm was .34 at Time 1 and .08 at Time 2.

Dr. Miller will present the abstract, "Social Media Posting in At-Risk Adolescents: Content Analysis of Facebook Posts Describing Symptoms of Depression," during the PAS 2018 Meeting on Sunday, May 6 at 5:45 p.m. EDT. Reporters interested in an interview with Dr. Miller should contact PAS2018@piercom.com.

Please note: Only the abstract is being presented at the meeting. In some cases, the researcher may have additional data to share with media.

The PAS 2018 Meeting, taking place in Toronto on May 5-8, 2018, brings together thousands of pediatric scientists and other health care providers to improve the health and well-being of children worldwide. For more information about the PAS 2018 Meeting, please visit http://www.pas-meeting.org.

###

About The Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting

The Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting brings together thousands of pediatricians and other health care providers united by a common mission: improve the health and well-being of children worldwide. This international gathering includes researchers, academics, as well as clinical care providers and community practitioners. Presentations cover issues of interest to generalists as well as topics critical to a wide array of specialty and sub-specialty areas. The PAS Meeting is produced through a partnership of four pediatric organizations that are leaders in the advancement of pediatric research and child advocacy: American Pediatric Society, Society for Pediatric Research, Academic Pediatric Association and American Academy of Pediatrics. For more information, please visit http://www.pas-meeting.org. Follow us on Twitter @PASMeeting and #PAS2018, or like us on Facebook.

PAS Media Contact:

(214) 217-7300

PAS2018@piercom.com

PAS Press Office (May 5-8, 2018):

(832) 371-6239

Abstract: Social Media Posting in At-Risk Adolescents: Content Analysis of Facebook Posts Describing Symptoms of Depression

Background: Social media use can provide important information on the mental health of adolescents, including their own descriptions of their experiences.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the patterns of social media posting describing depressive symptoms among an at-risk cohort of adolescents at two time points.

Design/Methods: Participants were recruited who were enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study that had oversampled for depression. Eligible participants were friended on Facebook, and content analysis was performed at two time points: Time 1 as adolescents and Time 2 as young adults. Content analysis applied the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) criteria for depression to identify a displayed depression symptom on Facebook. Variables included the number and type of Facebook posts referencing DSM-5 symptoms of depression.

Results: A total of 85 participants were included in this study. 28/85 participants at Time 1 were classified as displayers (those displaying any symptoms) and 35/85 participants at Time 2 were classified as displayers. The average number of references to depression among all participants was 5.37 at Time 1 (range 0 - 33) and 2.25 at Time 2 (range 0-15). The average number of references to depression among displayers was 9.39 at Time 1 and 4.94 at Time 2. Examples of posts referencing depression include "Basically at the point of giving up" and "Feeling the worst right now, just wanting to cry." The average number of references to suicide or self-harm was 0.34 at Time 1 and 0.08 at Time 2.

Conclusion(s): Displayers had decreased references to depression at Time 2 than at Time 1 on social media, suggesting that adolescents are less likely to post about depressive symptoms they age. This may be related to development of the prefrontal cortex which plays a role in inhibiting impulsive decisions. Sleep was the only symptom that increased in frequency from Time 1 to Time 2, suggesting that the distribution of symptoms may vary by age. Surprisingly, one of the most commonly described symptoms in Facebook posts at both Time 1 and Time 2 was depressed mood, suggesting that adolescents with a diagnosis of depression may feel less stigmatized describing depressed mood on social media than previously hypothesized.

Authors: Kathleen K. Miller, Ann VanderStoep, Elizabeth McCauley, Molly Adrian, Megan A. Moreno
TORONTO, May 5, 2018 - A new study examining factors associated with sexual coercion among 10th graders in a rural Midwestern, low-to-middle income high school found that sexual coercion was reported by 18 percent (13 percent of males and 23 percent females). The research findings will be presented during the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2018 Meeting.

Predictors included age, race, ethnicity, prior alcohol, marijuana and/or prescription drug use, controlling relationship, adverse childhood experiences, sexual self-efficacy and comfort talking to a parent/guardian about sex.

Among males, sexual coercion was associated with higher adverse childhood experiences, controlling relationship behavior, alcohol use and lower sexual self-efficacy. Among females, sexual coercion was associated with lower sexual self-efficacy and lower comfort talking about sex with a parent.

Consent is essential to healthy adolescent relationships, and sexual coercion is associated with poor sexual health outcomes. Modifiable predictors are poorly understood, particularly among adolescents in rural areas who may have less access to sexual health resources.

"On a national level, sex education policy has been reduced to a battle over abstinence," said Dr. Mary Ott, one of the authors of the study. "This community-based work, conducted in partnership with Health Care Education and Training, provides a more nuanced picture of adolescents' educational needs, particularly around sexual consent. The associations with adverse childhood experiences and parent communication highlight the importance of healthy environments in adolescent development. The associations with controlling behaviors and sexual self-efficacy point to the importance of teaching healthy relationship skills, including respect and gender equity."

The study concluded that sexual coercion is common among adolescents in rural communities. In order to achieve positive sexual health outcomes, comprehensive adolescent pregnancy prevention programming in rural areas must integrate education on consent, identification of controlling behaviors, effects of substance use on decision-making, and parent/child communication.

Dr. Ott will present findings from "Only 'Yes' Means Yes: Sexual Coercion Among Adolescents in a Rural High School" during the PAS 2018 Meeting on Sunday, May 6 at 10:30 a.m. EDT. Reporters interested in an interview with Dr. Ott should contact PAS2018@piercom.com.

Please note: Only the abstract is being presented at the meeting. In some cases, the researcher may have additional data to share with media.

The PAS 2018 Meeting, taking place in Toronto on May 5-8, 2018, brings together thousands of pediatric scientists and other health care providers to improve the health and well-being of children worldwide. For more information about the PAS 2018 Meeting, please visit http://www.pas-meeting.org.

###

About The Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting

The Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting brings together thousands of pediatricians and other health care providers united by a common mission: improve the health and well-being of children worldwide. This international gathering includes researchers, academics, as well as clinical care providers and community practitioners. Presentations cover issues of interest to generalists as well as topics critical to a wide array of specialty and sub-specialty areas. The PAS Meeting is produced through a partnership of four pediatric organizations that are leaders in the advancement of pediatric research and child advocacy: American Pediatric Society, Society for Pediatric Research, Academic Pediatric Association and American Academy of Pediatrics. For more information, please visit http://www.pas-meeting.org. Follow us on Twitter @PASMeeting and #PAS2018, or like us on Facebook.

PAS Media Contact:

(214) 217-7300

PAS2018@piercom.com

PAS Press Office (May 5-8, 2018):

(832) 371-6239

Abstract: Only 'Yes' Means Yes: Sexual Coercion Among Adolescents in a Rural High School

Background: Consent is essential to healthy adolescent relationships, and sexual coercion is associated with poor sexual health outcomes. Modifiable predictors are poorly understood, particularly among adolescents in rural areas who may have less access to sexual health resources.

Objective: We examine factors associated with sexual coercion among 10th graders in a rural high school.
TORONTO, May 5, 2018 - While there is no demonstrable difference in initiation of breastfeeding between six-week and 12-week maternity leave policies, there is a significant increase in breastfeeding duration and exclusivity through nine months for active duty mothers under the 12 week policy, according to a new study being presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2018 Meeting.

The study evaluated the effects of prolongation of maternity leave duration on the initiation and duration of breastfeeding in active duty mothers at a single military treatment facility. Secondary outcomes assessed infant and maternal health outcomes, branch-related impact and officer versus enlisted status.

Across 2014, active duty military mothers were allowed six weeks maternity leave. This was increased to 12 weeks in 2016. Breast milk and breastfeeding have significant medical, psychosocial and financial benefits for the mother-infant dyad with exclusive breastfeeding recommended for six months by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization. Additional population target recommendations have been published for exclusivity and duration according to the Healthy People 2020 goal.

The retrospective cohort study utilized data collected from U.S. Department of Defense electronic healthcare records of infants born to active duty mothers delivered at a single site during calendar years 2014 and 2016. The study found no significant change in breastfeeding initiation occurred between the 2014 and 2016 groups. However, a significant increase in breastfeeding establishment was identified at the two (8.3 percent; p=0.013), four (12.7 percent; p=0.001), six (14 percent; p=0.001) and nine month (12.4 percent; p=0.002) visits in the 12 weeks leave cohort. Exclusive breastfeeding also increased significantly at two (8.1 percent; p=0.043), four (9.6 percent p=0.015) and six (7.5 percent; p=0.046) months and trended toward significance at nine months (6.1 percent; p=0.052).

Before this research, there were no studies evaluating military active duty breastfeeding prior and after implementation of extended maternity leave policies.

"This study was conducted to evaluate and validate existing knowledge about breastfeeding success in a military population," said Andrew Delle Donne, one of the authors of the study. "Similar to civilian studies, we found that longer duration of maternity leave increases breastfeeding success throughout the first year of life in a military population. The conclusions are important to justify increased maternity leave in the military population and provide additional support to conclusions made in civilian studies."

Mr. Delle Donne will present findings from "Impact of Extended Maternity Leave on Breastfeeding in Active Duty Mothers" during the PAS 2018 Meeting on Saturday, May 5 at 2:45 p.m. EDT. Reporters interested in an interview with Mr. Delle Donne should contact PAS2018@piercom.com.

Please note: Only the abstract is being presented at the meeting. In some cases, the researcher may have additional data to share with media.

The PAS 2018 Meeting, taking place in Toronto on May 5-8, 2018, brings together thousands of pediatric scientists and other health care providers to improve the health and well-being of children worldwide. For more information about the PAS 2018 Meeting, please visit http://www.pas-meeting.org.

###

About The Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting

The Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting brings together thousands of pediatricians and other health care providers united by a common mission: improve the health and well-being of children worldwide. This international gathering includes researchers, academics, as well as clinical care providers and community practitioners. Presentations cover issues of interest to generalists as well as topics critical to a wide array of specialty and sub-specialty areas. The PAS Meeting is produced through a partnership of four pediatric organizations that are leaders in the advancement of pediatric research and child advocacy: American Pediatric Society, Society for Pediatric Research, Academic Pediatric Association and American Academy of Pediatrics. For more information, please visit http://www.pas-meeting.org. Follow us on Twitter @PASMeeting and #PAS2018, or like us on Facebook.

PAS Media Contact:

(214) 217-7300

PAS2018@piercom.com

PAS Press Office (May 5-8, 2018):

(832) 371-6239

Abstract: Impact of Extended Maternity Leave on Breastfeeding in Active Duty Mothers

Background: Breastmilk and breastfeeding have significant medical, psychosocial, and financial benefits for the mother-infant dyad with exclusive breastfeeding recommended for 6 months by AAP and WHO. Additional population target recommendations have been published for exclusivity and duration according to the Healthy People 2020 goal. Across 2014, active duty military mothers were allowed 6 weeks maternity leave, this was increased to 12 weeks in 2016. There are no studies evaluating military active duty breastfeeding prior and after implementation of extended maternity leave policies.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of prolongation of maternity leave duration on the initiation and duration of breastfeeding in active duty mothers at a single military treatment facility. Secondary outcomes assessed infant and maternal health outcomes, branch related impact, and officer versus enlisted status.

Design/Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study utilizing data collected from DoD electronic healthcare records of infants born to active duty mothers delivered at a single site during calendar years 2014 and 2016.

Results: No significant change in breastfeeding initiation occurred between the 2014 and 2016 groups. However, a significant increase in breastfeeding establishment was identified at the two (8.3%; p=0.013), four (12.7%; p=0.001), six (14%; p=0.001), and nine month (12.4%; p=0.002) visits in the 12 weeks leave cohort. Exclusive breastfeeding also increased significantly at two (8.1%; p=0.043), four (9.6% p=0.015), and six (7.5%; p=0.046) months and trended toward significance at 9 months (6.1%; p=0.052).

Conclusion(s): While there is no demonstrable difference in initiation of breastfeeding between 6 week and 12 week maternity leave policies, there is a significant increase in breastfeeding duration and exclusivity through 9 months for active duty mothers under the 12 week policy. This data supports a potential prospective study to assess continued prolongation of maternity leave policy and duration of successful breastfeeding in an active duty military population.

Authors: Andrew Delle Donne, Alex Hatch, Nicholas Carr, Jonathan Shapiro
With the end of ETA, the struggle for independence in Spain's Basque Country falls to left-wing separatist parties which have not yet fully distanced themselves from its bloody legacy.

Created in 1959 at the height of Francisco Francos dictatorship, ETA is blamed for the deaths of at least 829 people during its campaign of bombings and shootings for an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and southwest France.

In what it said was its final statement released Thursday to announce it was disbanding, ETA presented itself as a Basque socialist revolutionary organisation for national liberation.

Left-wing pro-independence people will work for this to lead to the establishment of a Basque State, the statement added.

But ETAs legacy is a poisoned chalice for the Basque regions leftist nationalist parties, which are gathered in EH Bildu, the second largest grouping in the Basque regional parliament.

Since its emergence in the 1970s, the Basque Countrys Izquierda Abertzale, or Basque Patriotic Left, has been accused of being close to ETA.

EH Bildus leader Arnaldo Otegi was a member of ETA during his youth before in 2000 he came out against the groups use of violence to achieve Basque independence.

Leftist Basque separatists must assume the responsibility of their past, because if ETA existed for so long, it is because this world provided it with social support, Patxi Lopez, the former Socialist head of the Basque regional government, said Friday.

ETA in effect backed the former separatist coalition Herri Baratuna, for example by ceasing its attacks just before elections so as to not hurt them at the polls.

For its part, leftist Basque nationalist parties took ETAs demands into the political sphere, such as for jailed ETA militants to be moved to jails in the Basque region so as to be closer to their families.

They tried to cover up and legitimise ETA. They were the civil branch of the terrorist organisation, said Gaizka Fernandez, a researcher with Spains Memorial Center for the Victims of Terrorism.

 Bright future? 

Now that ETA has disbanded, there is a very bright future ahead for leftist Basque separatist parties, said Swiss political scientist Oliver Strijbis.

They have less of a legitimacy problem. ETA is no longer in their way to achieve their political goals, he told AFP.

In addition, since the more moderate nationalist PNV party, which heads the Basque regional government, now only defends the right to autodetermination, the Izquierda Abertzale has a virtual monopoly on voters who back independence for the region.

The different examples in Europe show that the end of armed activity and the subsequent dissolution of an armed group benefit the party which is closest to its ideological plan, said Eguzki Urteaga, a sociologist in the French Basque region.

He cited as examples Irelands Sinn Fien and nationalist parties in Frances Corsica.

The Izquierda Abertzale rose in the polls in a general election held in Spain in 2011 after ETA announced it had given up violence, winning 24.1 percent of the vote in the Basque Country.

In regional elections the following year, it won 24.8 percent of the vote, making it the second largest grouping in the Basque parliament.

Some analysts feel ETAs last step will have less of an impact.

What has been made official is the burial of the corpse but the body was already there, the monster was already dead, said Fernandez.

 Treat like heroes 

The ghosts of the past continue to haunt leftist Basque separatists.

EH Bildu is calling for the roughly 300 ETA militants held in jails across Spain and France to be incarcerated in the Basque Country to support the peace process, a move rejected by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoys conservative government.

This is a step backwards for leftist Basque separatist parties which have long demanded an amnesty for ETA prisoners, said Urteaga.

At the same time, they continue to stage welcome ceremonies for ETA members who leave prison, angering victims groups.

They have a hard time recognising that ETAs 60-year history has been a mistake so instead of treating terrorists as criminals, they continue treating them like heroes, said Fernandez.

Strijbis predicted this would continue.

There is a large part of Basque society that thinks that ETA had legitimacy with Franco and that its members, or a wider swath of radical nationalists, were not well treated by the Spanish state, he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week, the premier's office said, ahead of a possible US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

The Wednesday meeting will discuss regional developments, Netanyahus office said, and follows the Israeli leaders unveiling of proof of Irans alleged past military nuclear ambitions.

A televised presentation by Netanyahu on Monday was followed by phone calls to world leaders, including to Putin, in which the two discussed the Iran nuclear deal, as well as the situation in Syria.

Israel has been accused by Syria of carrying out deadly strikes in its territory, most recently on April 9 and April 30, which killed Iranians as well as Syrian soldiers.

Putin  whose troops are backing the Syrian regime  has called on Netanyahu not to destabilise the situation further, as Israel looks to prevent Iran and its Hezbollah proxy cementing their military presence.

Russia meanwhile has reiterated its support for the Iran nuclear deal, with Putin telling Netanyahu it was of primary importance for ensuring international stability and security in their Monday phone call.

US President Donald Trump and his Middle East allies argue that the agreement, approved by Barack Obama, was too weak and needs to be replaced with a more permanent arrangement and supplemented by controls on Irans missile programme.

Trump has threatened to abandon the agreement when it comes up for renewal on May 12, demanding his countrys European allies fix the terrible flaws or he will re-impose sanctions.

Netanyahu has repeatedly called for the accord  which Iran signed with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States  to either be altered or scrapped.

He says the agreement does not prevent Tehran from eventually obtaining nuclear weapons and says the lifting of sanctions has increased Tehrans ability to finance proxy militants in the Middle East.

In his elaborate televised presentation, Netanyahu accused Iran of lying about its nuclear ambitions, while not providing evidence that Israels main enemy had actively worked to obtain an atomic weapon since the 2015 agreement between Tehran and six world powers.

Iran has always denied it sought a nuclear weapon, insisting its atomic programme was for civilian purposes.

Besides Putin, Netanyahu discussed the Israeli findings and the Iran nuclear deal with his Australian, British and Indian counterparts, as well as with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
One of Britain's most-wanted fugitives was arrested by armed officers in Barcelona on Friday, the UK's National Crime Agency said.

Jamie Acourt, 41, from south London, is wanted for alleged involvement in the large-scale supply of drugs, the NCA said.

Acourt is a former suspect in the Stephen Lawrence murder inquiry  a killing that triggered far-reaching changes to British attitudes and policing.

Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle attended a memorial on Monday marking the 25th anniversary of the racist murder of the black teenager, who was stabbed to death at a south London bus stop in 1993.

Jamie Acourt was never tried in the Lawrence case and has always maintained his innocence.

He was detained on a European Arrest Warrant as he left a Barcelona gym.

Acourt is due to appear in court in Madrid early next week for an extradition hearing.

Acourt thought he could evade capture but as a result of an intelligence-led operation his days on the run have ended, said Ian Cruxton, the NCAs international operations chief.

We were able to direct the Spanish authorities to his location in Barcelona.

Our ability to share information and work at speed with our international partners ensures there is no safe haven for fugitives. We will never stop pursuing these individuals.

The NCA said he was the was the 81st fugitive to be located out of 96 publicised through Operation Captura, which targets Britains most wanted in Spain.

Londons Metropolitan Police said in a statement that the arrest related to a 2016 investigation.
Tens of thousands of people, many waving the Saltire flag and beating drums, marched through the streets of Glasgow on Saturday in support of Scottish independence.

Police estimated around 35,000 people turned out for the five kilometre march from Kelvingrove Park to Glasgow Green, while organisers All Under One Banner put the attendance around 60,000.

The annual march has been growing in size since Scotland voted against independence by 55 percent in 2014, from a few thousand to around 20,000 last year.

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotlands nationalist First Minister, has threatened to hold a second independence referendum if Scotlands powers are curtailed after Brexit.

Keith Brown, one of Sturgeons most senior allies who is standing to be deputy leader of the Scottish National Party in June, attended Saturdays march.

Ive been on these kind of marches for the best part of 35 years and Ive never seen a crowd like this, he told AFP.

Brown suggested a second independence referendum could be held as early as 2019.

We have to wait and see what Brexit brings and we will know that very soon  perhaps in October, he said.

At that point, we need to make sure that we are working non-stop for whenever the referendum happens.

I have said it could happen in a years time or two years time. The crucial point is that we are ready for it when it comes.

Veteran nationalist Bobby Watt, 73, brought his 13-year-old granddaughter Holly Noble to march.

I joined the SNP in 1966 and now were coming to a head, he said.

You could see on the march that its the youngsters that are here so it looks good for the future.

Clutching a Scottish piper teddy bear, Elaine Thomson, 53, told AFP: Im not here campaigning for myself, because I dont think Ill benefit, but my grandchildren possibly could and I am out doing this for them.
A defense witness who reportedly was to contradict a portion of the governments racketeering case against the former top two leaders of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club instead invoked his right to remain silent Friday.

Michael Anderson, a member of the Bandidos called by lawyers for former national Bandidos president Jeffrey Fay Pike, invoked his Fifth Amendment right after being informed that he could face charges in a bar incident in Fort Worth in which a member of a rival group was shot and killed. He was the second witness called by Pikes lawyers this week to decide not to testify.

Andersons about-face came in the racketeering trial of Pike and his co-defendant, former Bandidos national vice president John Xavier Portillo. After Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra was apprised of the situation, he appointed Anderson a lawyer and stopped public proceedings to look into the matter further.

The judge closed the courtroom to investigate claims by Pikes lead lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, that federal prosecutors colluded with state prosecutors in Fort Worth to scare the witness into not testifying. Though the audience was able to witness part of the unusual situation, jurors did not see any of this because the judge took the issue up  and Anderson invoking his constitutional right  when they were not in the courtroom.

DeGuerin said Anderson was willing to testify and refute earlier testimony that several Bandidos members came in shooting when they entered a Fort Worth bar in December 2014 to attack members of the Cossacks Motorcycle Club and its supporters. Geoffrey Brady, a supporter of the Cossacks, was shot dead, and Anderson and another Bandido were shot but survived.

Howard Wayne Baker, 62, the president of the Fort Worth chapter of the Bandidos, was sentenced to 40 years in prison after being convicted under Texas law of parties with Bradys murder. Bradys killing also is included in a 13-count federal racketeering indictment charging Pike and Portillo with ordering, approving or sanctioning Bandidos members to kill, beat, extort or intimidate rival or fellow bikers.

DeGuerin told the judge that Anderson had been informed by Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney Pamela Boggess that he would not be charged in the bar incident because he was considered a victim. Anderson, according to DeGuerin, is listed as the complainant in an indictment charging another man with aggravated assault in that bar fight.

But DeGuerin said Anderson was stunned when DeGuerin relayed information Friday morning from Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Fuchs that Boggess now planned to charge him in the matter.

Im concerned this is collusion between the prosecutors here and (Boggess) to deprive us of a witness, and I want to get that on the record, DeGuerin told Ezra. This is just so frustrating to me that this is a man who wants to testify. But it seems they are doing this to keep him off the stand. This man is the complainant in a criminal case they brought. How are they going to charge him? That would be ludicrous.

Portillos lead lawyer, Mark Stevens, joined in DeGuerins argument.

Fuchs assured the judge that he did not collude with Boggess. Fuchs said he called Boggess after being given a list of witnesses late Thursday that DeGuerin might call to testify on Friday. Anderson was on that list, and Boggess informed Fuchs that Anderson faced prosecution on state charges in Fort Worth.

I did have a duty to inform the court about his culpability, and thats what I did, Fuchs said.

As part of his inquiry, the judge briefly cleared the courtroom to speak by phone with Boggess and her supervisor.

They had been looking at Mr. Anderson for quite some time, the judge said after reopening the court. He remains a person of serious interest. I asked  whether Mr. Anderson is realistically in jeopardy, and the answer was yes. Under those circumstances, I am convinced there is absolutely no collusion.

Anderson was one of four witnesses called by Pikes legal team Friday, which could possibly finish its case mid-Tuesday.

The witnesses included defense expert William Dulaney, who studies motorcycle clubs. Dulaneys testimony included the origins of motorcycle clubs and myths that demonize some of them. For instance, Dulaney said the term outlaw motorcycle club originated from some bikers parting ways with the American Motorcycle Association for implementing rules that included being sober for racing events. He said outlaw doesnt mean criminal.

It just means theyre not members of the AMA, Dulaney said. No more criminal than outlaw country music.

He also said the AMA has denounced ever making a statement often attributed to it  that 99 percent of bikers are law-abiding citizens, implying that the remaining 1 percent are outlaws.

Pike testified for three days this week in his own defense. Portillos lawyer Stevens told the judge that no decision has been made whether Portillo will testify, but that his team may start calling their witnesses Tuesday.

Guillermo Contreras is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | gcontreras@express-news.net | @gmaninfedland
San Antonios celebration of its Tricentennial last week included dozens of events that reflected on its unique and diverse history  and served as an opportunity to envision the next 300 years.

San Antonio is poised to grow, and double, in population in the next 30 years, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. It is one of the unique cities in the world, though, because of the people and the heritage that we celebrated, and highlighted, on a world stage, during Commemorative Week. Its those foundations that we have to build from if were going to be more than just another big city in Texas.

The city has evolved into a sprawling metropolis of 1.5 million people that nevertheless is grounded in its roots, and leaders expect it to continue to evolve. How that happens remains to be seen.

RELATED: SA300 Tricentennial guests showcase San Antonio's global reach at Founders Day Gala

Local politicians and thought leaders have laid out San Antonios top priorities as the city is expected to continue its pace of rapid growth of more than 20 percent a decade, one of the highest rates in the country. They have independently identified several key issues that the community must focus on, from transportation to education, if its to be successful in the future.

City Manager Sheryl Sculley, whos overseen the day-to-day operations of steering San Antonios direction for well over a decade, identified three key priorities for the future.

To me, the biggest challenges facing our city in the next 10 years, let alone 300, are 1) making sure every San Antonian has an opportunity to develop the kind of education that will allow them to succeed in a global economy; 2) a public transportation system that allows our city to continue to grow efficiently; and 3) a combination of affordable and market-rate housing in the center city for all of our residents, Sculley said through a spokesman.

Preserving the citys character amid the explosive growth helps frame local decision-making.

Every city risks, and in some cases, has lost, the character that has made them unique in the United States. The choices we make about how we grow, from our development practices, to our conservation efforts, to how much value we place in art and cultural institutions, is the key to our culture surviving the growth, Nirenberg said. I think youre seeing that play out in issues like historic preservation and the CulTUArt Plan, in the work that the (city) council is doing to reduce socio-economic disparities across town. The risk of growth without conscience is that we slip into banality like so many other cities have done before.

The mayor said projects such as the San Pedro Creek Culture Park help return the city to features that make it different.

In some cases, were turning back some of that Anytown, America that was part of midcentury development of downtown and bringing parts of our community back to life, that best expresses its heritage, he said. The challenge will be  can civic leaders endure the political pain that it takes to make decisions that best respect our people and their heritage?

RELATED: Chasnoff: Tricentennial turns it around in time for Commemorative Week

To succeed, says Darryl Byrd, San Antonio must be both thoughtful and methodical as it charts a path into the future.

Byrd, who helped shape the Pearl as its managing director and then became a co-chairman and then president and CEO of SA2020, owns and manages ULTRAte, a strategy and consulting firm. Throughout his career, Byrd has worked on San Antonios collective goals and how to execute them. A successful San Antonio future is one marked by connectedness and movement and energy, he said.

Great cities in great places to live, work, study, are places that have a sense of energy about them. And San Antonio has, I think, a great opportunity. We have the makings of it; were on our way. But weve got some work to do, he said. And a lot of that comes from taking yourself very seriously as a place of opportunity.

Creating opportunity for San Antonians has been a lofty and consistent goal of local leaders for years.

You have to make things happen on purpose.  Great things happen oftentimes on purpose, and not by accident. So we have to be real deliberate about where were going, Byrd said. And sometimes that means making some hard choices about where we invest our resources  and investing our resources in the most meaningful areas.

Thats transportation, education and infrastructure, he said.

Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff recently unveiled a plan for a future-proof transit system that would be far more cost-effective and practical than rail. Having created a nonprofit, ConnectSA, to shepherd the plan to reality, the two leaders point to the need to buck the status quo and offer more transportation options.

Its impossible, they say, to match the growth here simply with more highways. Adding more effective mass transit will help more people move about the city, theyve said, and it will help those who drive by relieving pressures on the existing roads.

FROM MYSA.COM: Photos: San Antonio's new downtown destination unveiled

They both see transportation as inextricably entwined with physical and economic growth.

I think transportation reform has got to be central to sustainably, equitably and responsibly growing San Antonio, which we know is going to happen, Nirenberg said. So, all of the other issues snap into place if we do that right. I am very interested in  San Antonios economic strength matching the size of the city.

Closing the income gap

Widespread prosperity is still something out of reach here and can be a significant stumbling block for those trying to get ahead.

Father David Garcia, administrator of Mission Concepcion and a Tricentennial board member, noted as much in a recent interview.

Theres one other huge challenge  as we move forward as a city, and that is this whole question of the income gap in our community, which is quite serious. And I think its a challenge for us in the future as we try to create a city where everybody has an opportunity to live a dignified life. We have a huge gap in income here in terms of a fairly large poor population, he said. I would call them the working poor because they work very hard but make very little money.

Education is a key prescription for poverty, said Garcia, who championed the Pre-K 4 SA program that San Antonians adopted by popular vote in 2012. So often, he said, theres a connection between poverty and lack of academic success.

Were still a fairly segregated area in terms of where people live, and I dont have any particular solutions for that, he said. But I think a vibrant community is one where people mix more among the various income groups and not just stay in these little enclaves. So thats kind of a challenge for us going forward.

Nirenberg said poverty remains a significant issue in San Antonio.

Empirically, its not getting any better, he said. An extraordinary number of people are below the poverty line, and for all intents and purposes, they are just making it.

But the City Council has begun to address inequities across neighborhoods in a more substantive way with budgeting with an idea of equity rather than distributing funds across the city under the idea of rough proportionality.

For the first time ever, this city has budgeted its resources according to the needs that are present  in an equitable manner, Nirenberg said. That needs to continue if were going to right the wrongs of redlining in the past and also ensure that it doesnt matter what ZIP code you live in, you can expect quality infrastructure and services from the city.

Byrd, too, notes the significance of public infrastructure. A 2017 municipal bond program was an $850 million behemoth  the single largest of its kind in the citys history. But just because the cost is record-setting doesnt immediately foretell whether it has an equally powerful effect on San Antonio.

Whats going to make a difference in terms of whether we seize that opportunity to make this a truly irresistible city of the future is going to be what the quality of that investment is. What is actually born from those dollars? he said.

And it hasnt been answered yet, he said. San Antonio can spend the $850 million and approve another massive bond program in 2022 and have folks not even be able to point to what that changed, how it elevated the community.

Whether the spending has a profound effect on San Antonios trajectory as a world-class city depends as much on residents here as it does the leaders they elect.

Thats a big one, and that requires a lot of presence and a lot of discipline and focus on our part as the voters to make sure what is born from that investment is a true elevation of who we are as a city, Byrd said.

Local leaders are doing other things here to improve the qualify of life and path to the future. Wolff said health care is at the top of the local agenda and that Bexar County is proceeding with the construction of a new hospital for women and children and that its Center for Health Care Services continues to bring first-class health care to everybody in our community.

Leaders here consistently recognize the need to do more with less when it comes to tax dollars. Theres persistent concern that state and federal funding will wither.

That will continue to be the challenge. Were receiving less help from the state and less help from the federal government, Wolff said. Over the years, weve seen how much the state has declined in spending for education. I dont know that we can count on them to step up, so were going to have to do as good of a job as we can with resources, allocating those resources to what we think are the major, principal things we need to work on.

I dont see any big flow of federal funds, I dont see the state stepping up to its responsibility. So, its going to take careful use of resources and picking the right things, he said. And its going to take growing our community. Weve got to continue growing it, both from creating jobs  I think we created 34,000 jobs last year  and weve got to continue doing that. The growth gives us the ability to meet some of those needs.

Building up

For decades, San Antonio has mostly sprawled outward. Land and natural resources have been abundant and inexpensive. But as the Alamo City continues to grow, Nirenberg predicted, it would be in dense, vertical construction more so than in suburban sprawl.

I think well be a much taller city. I think were going to grow upward more than outward. I think you will see pockets of extraordinary, world-class green space, sprinkled throughout the city, he said. And we are a city that refers to its water, and its air, as treasured parts of its heritage.

All the work to ensure a successful future, however, would be for naught if the community doesnt protect its air and water.

Being able pass on the natural resources of our community to our great-great-great-grandchildren will be, in my view, whether we have been successful stewards of San Antonio or not, Nirenberg said. We dont get second chances for that.

Josh Baugh is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | jbaugh@express-news.net | @jbaugh
DALLAS  A defiant President Donald Trump, invoking Texas revolutionary battle cry Come and Take It to roaring applause, pledged Friday to never back down on his support for gun rights even as opponents push for stringent new controls.

Appearing with Vice President Mike Pence at the National Rifle Associations annual meeting, Trump warned that Americans constitutional right to bear arms is under siege and repeatedly exhorted the cheering crowd to turn out and vote for Republicans in November.

Thats the best way to keep those rights intact, Trump said.

Thanks to your activism and dedication, you have an administration fighting to protect your Second Amendment, the president said.

Trumps speech veered from a call to arms against gun control after recent mass shootings to a virtual pep rally for the achievements he says his administration is racking up, from record low unemployment to $2 billion in new funding to bolster school safety.

Following the Parkland, Florida, school shooting, which left 17 dead and 14 wounded, Trump raised concerns among gun rights advocates that he might moderate his views on universal background checks and possibly raise the age to purchase firearms to 21 from 18. But in his speech Friday, he offered no indication he would soften his position.

In recent months, since the November church massacre in Sutherland Springs and the Parkland shootings, the NRA has come under fire from Democrats and gun-control advocates who are pushing for new restrictions  from a ban on assault weapons to background checks on gun-show purchases to additional gun-free zones.

The NRA conventioneers were repeatedly called upon by Trump and other speakers to defend the Second Amendment. A video clip of Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy calling the NRA a terrorist organization became a rallying point in the convention hall throughout the day.

As the speeches were underway, a 15-acre array of weaponry was on display in an exhibits hall next door featuring rifles, pistols, military-grade weapons and even helicopter gunship gear.

Large-scale protests that had been anticipated outside the convention hall failed to materialize Friday amid heavy rains and thunderstorms. Larger numbers of protesters are expected to turn out Saturday.

But on Friday, Trump had the spotlight to himself in a supportive state before a friendly crowd, and he made the most of it.

The one thing that has always stood between the American people and their Second Amendment rights is people fighting to keep them, Trump said, recalling the group of outnumbered Texans who in 1835 refused to surrender their cannon to the advancing Mexican army in the tiny town of Gonzales.

They were not about to give up their rights, he said. We will live free and we will die free.

Railing against leftists, Democrats, liberals and the media elite, Trump repeatedly blasted away at critics before the 80,000 conventioneers.

We cannot get complacent. We have to win the midterms, he said, referring to the upcoming November elections in which Democrats are hoping a blue wave of turnout will help them retake control of Congress. Weve got to do great in 18.

In his speech, he endorsed Gov. Greg Abbott for re-election  our great Abbott, he called him  as well as Attorney General Ken Paxton; his wife, Angela, who is running for the Texas Senate; and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a former presidential rival whom he once called the single biggest liar.

Trump headlined an afternoon of speeches that featured seasoned politicians including Abbott, along with Stephen Willeford, a plumber credited with stopping the Sutherland Springs church massacre last November. Also there were Diamond and Silk, the rhythmical pro-Trump social media personalities Lynnnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, whose sharp criticism of Democrats drew raucous laughter and applause.

Trumps speech veered among topics ranging from North Korea (Were really doing well in North Korea) and so-called sanctuary cities (Our cities should be safe haven for Americans, not sanctuaries for violent criminals) to the proposed border wall (After years of defending the borders of other countries, were going to start defending our borders) and immigration reform (Based on merit, not based on picking someone out of a bin).

The president even credited recording artist and media personality Kanye West, a self-professed Trump fan, for helping boost his popularity with black voters.

Kanye West must have some power because you probably saw I doubled my African-American poll numbers, Trump said.

We went from 11 to 22 in one week, Trump said. Thank you, Kanye.

But defense of the Second Amendment was the touchstone of the day.

The quickest way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun, Pence told the conventioneers.

Cornyn echoed that sentiment, citing Sutherland Springs as an example where a citizen with a gun stopped a greater tragedy.

There are people today who are trying to shut us up and shut us down, he said. You cant ignore the Second Amendment any more than you can the rest of the amendments.  Its future is in our hands.

Citing the example of Willeford in the Sutherland Springs shooting, Cornyn advocated responsible gun ownership rather than new limitations on firearms.

Cruz, insisting that the right to bear arms is fundamental, said responsible gun owners are a key to preventing future mass shootings.

The legacy of Sutherland Springs is not the evil of that madman; the legacy is of bravery and courage and sacrifice for your fellow man, he said.

In his speech, Abbott also touted the role religion can play in helping curtail violence.

The problem is not guns, the governor said. Its hearts without God.
GREENWICH  Supporters of Greenwich Police Capt. Mark Kordick who have known and worked with him say he did not deserve to be placed on leave recently for alleged misconduct.

Emails over a disability case, written by Kordick in his capacity as a member of the town Retirement Board, led to him being placed on leave from the Police Department last month.

The emails, obtained by Greenwich Time, contain sarcastic comments by the captain. Complaints by town officials against him also reference actions that the officials believe were unprofessional.

Kordick has been seeking to assist a disability claim for Master Police Officer Stanley Sanders, who claims to have suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after working a suicide on the train tracks in Cos Cob last summer. Kordick clashed with Joseph Pellegrino, the retirement board chairman, and Mary Pepe, the towns head of human resources, over the issue. Pellegrino and Pepe sent letters of complaint, prompting Kordick to be placed on leave, one of a number of disciplinary actions and complaints that have been directed at Kordick in recent years.

Kevin Coyner, who also serves on the retirement board and has seen the correspondence and been in meetings with the parties involved, believes disciplinary actions were unwarranted.

The complaints are baseless and without merit, said Coyner, a Fire Department lieutenant. I think they should be immediately dismissed, and all the parties should go back and do their jobs.

Coyner said Kordick was doing what he believed was the right thing for those he represents.

Hes always been a strong advocate for town employees and retired town employees, Coyner said. Theres no doubt that he can be direct  very direct. But hes a person of integrity. Im so surprised these charges were leveled against him.

The emails Kordick sent to Pellegrino contain a number of sarcastic comments and question his authority.

Wow, Kordick wrote in a March 28 email to Pellegrino, regarding an earlier disagreement. Quite frankly, those are exactly the reasons and the attitudes I feared would make you unsuitable to be the boards chairman. He later wrote great job about another issue the two were disputing.

In another email, Kordick asked why Pellegrino had requested a legal opinion on a retirement matter.

Im also confused about whether you requested the legal opinion the HR director referenced below from the law department on behalf of the board. Or perhaps on behalf of yourself? Or just some sort of vague curiosity. The rest of the email contains another, similar line of sarcasm.

In Pellegrinos letter of complaint, which Greenwich Time obtained from more than one source, the retirement board chairman said Kordicks correspondences were objectionable. Over the past two days, in two separate emails, Captain Kordick has exhibited behavior that is disturbing, hostile, threatening, sarcastic and bullying.

In addition to the emails, Pellegrino said the captain presents himself in a hostile manner which I perceive to be potentially dangerous to the safety and well-being of the Retirement Board, our guests and the public. He wrote that the aggressive behavior toward Pepe was no longer acceptable.

In her letter of complaint, Pepe referenced two other instances of what she called inappropriate behavior in 2014 and 2015 in which she had dealings with the police captain. She wrote that his modus operandi was to engage in an abusive rant rooted in misstatements. She said there was an aggressive and bullying tone to his emails.

Pepe or Pellegrino declined to comment further on the issue. Kordick also declined comment.

But Kordicks defenders see the case as one of bureaucratic infighting and not unprofessional conduct. The say Kordick is deeply passionate about serving the town workers who he is representing, in particular Sanders, who has been diagnosed as having job-related psychiatric issues by a number of doctors.

Tom Keegan, a former police lieutenant who now represents police retirees, sees Kordick as someone who goes to great lengths to work for town employees.

Mark Kordick was elected by the members of the pension system to represent them, said Keegan, president of the Retired Police Association of Greenwich. Hes only guilty of being passionate about representing people. Hes doing it from the heart, and he feels strongly.

Kordick has a history of incidents that may have tied into perceptions about him and his recent placement on leave.

In 2015, he was put on paid administrative leave, and an investigator was brought in by the town administration. Town officials did not disclose the details, citing personnel regulations, other than to state that Kordick had been placed on leave for a few weeks at the end of the year.

Kordick had been under review for his role in following the activities of a local political activist Arthur Cort Wrotnowski and sending emails on the official police account to the school administration.

Wrotnowski was holding a meeting to criticize the Common Core education requirements in the summer of 2015 and placed fliers at a town parking lot. Kordick sent an email to former School Superintendent William McKersie about the event and later followed up with another email describing the event.

That town administration required Kordick to attend counseling and undertake additional education.

Kordick was also involved in litigation involving a police supervisor, Pamela Gustovich, who alleged she was subjected to harassment and a hostile work environment while serving as a police captain.

Court papers filed in the case described an alleged incident in January 2014. According to the lawsuit, Captain Kordick became enraged at (Gustovich). He kept banging his hands and cellphone on the table, and he grabbed the bottom of his chair and began to jump up and down while grunting like an animal through gritted teeth and leaning towards plaintiff.

The suit also contended that Kordick engaged in other activities that were seen by Gustovich as hostile and unprofessional.

In 2016, the town administration negotiated a settlement to the Gustovich case, which was pending in federal court.
PHOENIX  Its one thing to start, another to survive. What makes the difference?

That may seem like a trick question with subjective answers, but cattlemen will cite common denominators, tricks of the trade that apply. The rest, theyll say, comes down to faith; youve got to have a lot of that, too.

For the young people just out of college and looking to graze a herd, for the couple who quit their day jobs to do the cow thing full time, for the family who decided to transition from one breed to another: Whats the recipe for success?

Three cattlemen and women gave their best advice at the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in Phoenix earlier this year:

1Have a plan: For both day-to-day and worst-case scenarios

If you wait until youre in the middle of the drought, its too late, said Joe Leathers, manager of 6666 Ranch, near Guthrie, Texas.

If you wait until the fire has completely devastated your country, youre going to be sitting there in the middle of smoking ashes.

For the practical-minded, its about being on the same page with your family and partners, Lydia Yon said.

The matriarch of Yon Family Farms, near Ridge Spring, S.C., said that was the case for her and husband, Kevin.

People around us were building a new house and we were building a commodity shed, she said. Someone was buying a new car and we were buying a new mixer wagon. Everything we made, we put right back into the operation and avoided purchases of non-tangible things we couldnt pass on to our children.

2See the big picture, not just whats outside your door

Its the little, everyday things that have been their key to Yons familys survival. Her family applies that to their role as a seedstock producer, paying special attention to the genetics they stack in their Angus herd.

They need to be the right kind of genetics that will provide that end consumer with the delicious eating experience they crave.

The decisions you make, I dont care how small your operation is, affect a lot more people than just you, Leathers adds. Be conscious of that.

3Learn from others

Glean from those who have survived in the past; go talk to them, Leathers advises.

The Yons listened to people who were older and wiser and who wanted to bestow advice to the young couple when they got started. They havent stopped.

The very smartest day of our lives was the day we graduated with our animal science degrees, Yon jokes. Ever since, weve learned how dumb we can become.

4Relationships

Jerry Bohn, owner and recently retired manager of Pratt Feeders, Pratt, Kansas, ties it all back to the men and women hes worked for, alongside and hired.

Its the people, he said. People, relationships, being a part of the community, thats really what its all about and what made my career successful.

For Yon, relationships and the awareness that people may be observing from afar drive her toward success. Both led to land offered for lease, and an owners willingness to finance cattle.

People are watching what you do, she said.

Because of those relationships, we expanded without a lot of huge investments.

5Think outside your fences

With decades under his hat, Leathers encourages young people to be an independent thinker. Too many people arent.

Yon credits youth and passion for success in starting something from scratch.

Looking back, to us it didnt feel unusual that two people, with children under the age of 5, would start a farm with 100 acres and basically nothing, she said.

People told them they couldnt and we got experience, got involved and got busy.

6Choose good partnerships

What can you do to be different? Bohn asks. He credits partnerships with Certified Angus Beef (CAB) and U.S. Premium Beef as some of the best Pratt has made.

With CAB, our involvement caused us to do a paradigm shift, he said. Prior to 2003, Pratt Feeders was selling more commodity cattle.

We began to look at high-quality cattle, producing for high-end markets.

Today, Bohn said, close to 70 percent of the cattle in their feedyards are destined to sell on a grid.

Get experience, manage for risk, figure out your strengths and outsource your weaknesses.

Its about being realistic with every decision you make, Leathers said.

As young people, its easy to have rose-colored glasses. Survival has a definite connotation of bruises and a little blood. Its not always going to be fun and youre going to have to weather the storm.
SALEM, Ohio  The U.S. Department of Agriculture released proposed National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standards and is seeking public comments.

The need for the standards were enacted by Congress July 29, 2016, to provide a uniform way to offer meaningful disclosure for consumers who want more information about their food and avoid a patchwork system of state or private labels that could be confusing for consumers and would likely drive up food costs.

This rulemaking presents several possible ways to determine what foods will be covered by the final rule and what the disclosure will include and look like, said USDA Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in a press release.

We are looking for public input on a number of these key decisions before a final rule is issued later this year.

The proposed rule previewed in the May 3 Federal Register and is now open for comment for 60 days.

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposes to define bioengineering with respect to food as referring to a food (A) that contains genetic material that has been modified through in vitro recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) techniques; and (B) for which the modification could not otherwise be obtained through conventional breeding or found in nature.

It is important that consumers be well informed about their food, said Joe Cornely, senior director of corporate communications at Ohio Farm Bureau Federation.

It is also important this information and all food labels be consistent across the country. They should be the same in California, Ohio and Florida and these standards work to get us there.

This proposal is a positive first step in a process that is important to farmers and consumers alike, he said.

We cant allow labeling to give the consumer an impression that there is something unsafe about their food, Cornely said about the scare tactics some labels have presented.

Before creating the proposed rule, the USDAs AMS received more than 112,000 responses.

The proposed rule prohibits a food derived from an animal from being considered a bioengineered food solely because the animal consumed feed produced from, containing or consisting of a bioengineered substance.

Companies, under the proposed rule, may disclose bioengineered food or ingredients in three ways: text, symbol, or electronic or digital link disclosure.

The AMS proposed three alternative symbols, or logos, with variations of the symbols and invites public comment on them.

Send comments

Comments may be submitted online through the Federal eRulemaking portal, www.regulations.gov. Comments may also be filed with the Docket Clerk, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Room 4543-South, Washington, DC 20250; or by fax, 202-690-0338.

Due to the Congressionally mandated timeline for this rulemaking, the comment period will not be extended. The deadline for comments is July 3.
LONDON, May 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

- Bella Italia has found that more than half of Brits see eating together as an important way of keeping their families together

- 21% have admitted that restaurants are the only place their families have a conversation without technological distractions such as tablets and mobile phones

- Despite this, money and time were cited as the reasons we aren't going out with our nearest and dearest

To mark the launch of its new spring menu, research from Bella Italia has found that despite over half (60%) of Brits saying they see eating together frequently as an important way of keeping their family together, a fifth (21%) have admitted that restaurants are the only place their families have a conversation without distractions such as tablets, mobile phones and the TV[1].

The survey, which polled 2,000 UK adults, revealed families are on best behaviour when they eat out together, with Londoners most likely to say that this was the case. Indeed, 14% of us schedule a meal out as family time at the weekend with the same number using it as a treat for good behaviour.

However, despite the obvious benefits of dining out, it's money (45%) and time (31%) that were cited as the reasons we aren't going out with our nearest and dearest more often.

Executive Chef Vittorio Lettieri says, "In Italy, the best moments in life are those spent with loved ones, sharing food, friendship and laughter. It is difficult to text whilst tucking in to a delicious bowl of pasta, so we're pleased that our new menu promises to keep our customers focused on their meal and the company round the table rather than their text messages and social feeds! It's clear that British families see eating out together as an important way of spending proper quality time, so we've also designed our new menu to bring the sun soaked tastes of Italy to the table at an affordable price."

[1] All data taken from Opinion Matters survey 10.04.18 - 12.04.18
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 5, 2018 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against BRF S.A. ('BRF' or the 'Company') (NYSE: BRFS) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, Southern District of New York, and docketed under 18-cv-02213, is on behalf of a class consisting of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired BRF American Depositary Receipts ('ADRs') between April 4, 2013 and March 2, 2018, both dates inclusive (the 'Class Period'), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the 'Exchange Act') and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials.

If you are a shareholder who purchased BRF ADRs between April 4, 2013 and March 2, 2018, both dates inclusive, you have until May 11, 2018, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here to join this class action]

BRF S.A. is a food processor and the world's largest poultry exporter. Its portfolio includes established brands in Brazil and abroad, such as Sadia, Perdigao, Qualy, Chester, Perdix and Paty. The Company provides meat (poultry and pork), foods processed from meats, pizzas, pastas and frozen vegetables.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) BRF employees paid bribes to regulators and politicians to subvert inspections in order to conceal unsanitary practices at the Company's meatpacking plants; (ii) the foregoing conduct, when it came to light, would foreseeably subject the Company and its officers to heightened regulatory enforcement and/or prosecution; and (iii) as a result of the foregoing, BRF's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On March 17, 2017, news outlets reported that Brazilian federal police had raided the offices of BRF and dozens of other meatpackers following a two-year investigation into alleged bribery of regulators to subvert inspections of their plants. The probe, known as 'Operation Weak Flesh,' had uncovered some 40 cases of meatpackers who had bribed inspectors and politicians to overlook unsanitary practices, such as processing rotten meat and running plants with traces of salmonella. According to media reports, police found evidence that the companies were tampering with packages to sell products that had already expired and that higher-than permitted levels of parts such as 'pig heads' were mixed with sausages and cold cuts. Police arrested three BRF employees, as well as 20 public officials.

On this news, BRF's ADR price fell $0.99, or 7.73%, to close at $11.81 on March 17, 2017.

On February 23, 2018, the Company held an earnings conference call with investors and analysts to discuss the Q4 2017 earnings results. In the call, Chairman of the Board Abilio Diniz and CFO Lorival Luz discussed the impact of 'Operation Weak Flesh.'

On this news, BRF's ADR price fell $0.76, or 8.00%, to close at $8.73 on February 23, 2018.

On March 5, 2018, Reuters reported that Brazilian federal police arrested BRF's former Chief Executive Officer ('CEO') Pedro de Andrade Faria ('Faria') on charges that he and other executives, including the Company's Vice President of Global Operations Helio dos Santos Junior, were aware that BRF committed fraud by trying to avoid food safety checks. According to the report, the 'police cited evidence that five laboratories accredited by the Agriculture Ministry colluded with the analysis department of BRF to 'falsify' test results related to the safety of its industrial process.' In a court ruling authorizing the arrests, Brazilian federal judge Andre Duszczak said 'Faria and other BRF officers sought to cover up claims of possible food contamination, as shown in certain laboratory tests, made by a former employee in a labor lawsuit.'

On this news, BRF's ADR price fell $1.83 or 19.42% to close at $7.59 on March 5, 2018.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multi-million dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 5, 2018 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. ('Cemex' or the 'Company') (NYSE: CX) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, Southern District of New York, and docketed under 18-cv-02352, is on behalf of a class consisting of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Cemex American Depositary Receipts ('ADRs') between August 14, 2014 and March 13, 2018, both dates inclusive (the 'Class Period'). Plaintiff seeks to recover compensable damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the 'Exchange Act') and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder.

If you are a shareholder who purchased Cemex ADRs between August 14, 2014, and March 13, 2018, both dates inclusive, you have until May 15, 2018, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here to join this class action]

Cemex is a global building materials company that produces, distributes, and markets cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates, and related building materials. Cemex operates throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Cemex executives had engaged in an unlawful bribery scheme in connection with the Company's business dealings in Colombia; (ii) discovery of the foregoing conduct would likely subject the Company to heightened regulatory scrutiny and potential criminal sanctions; (iii) the Company lacked adequate internal controls over financial reporting; and (iv) as a result, Cemex's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On September 23, 2016, post-market, Cemex disclosed the Company's dismissal of two senior executives after an internal probe found that payments worth $20 million relating to a land deal in Colombia had breached company protocols.

On this news, Cemex's American depositary receipt ('ADR') price fell $0.17, or 2.28%, to close at $7.26 on September 26, 2016.

On December 9, 2016, Cemex disclosed receipt of a subpoena from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission seeking information about irregular payments made at the Company's Colombia unit.

Then, on March 14, 2018, Cemex disclosed that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the Company over payments made by the Company related to a cement plant it is building in Colombia to determine whether any violations of federal bribery laws occurred.

On this news, Cemex's ADR price fell $0.12, or 1.64%, to close at $7.21 on March 14, 2018.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/18 -- Note to Editors: There is a photo associated with this press release.

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced today that it has signed a firm purchase agreement for six new Q400 aircraft with African Aero Trading on behalf of the consortium forming Air Connection Express, Transportes Aereos S.A, based in Luanda, Republic of Angola.

Based on the list price of the Q400 aircraft, the firm order is valued at approximately US$ 198 million.

"We congratulate Air Connection Express as it launches its domestic air travel business, and are pleased that the Q400 has been selected to support regional air travel in Africa," said Jean-Paul Boutibou, Vice President, Sales, Middle East and Africa, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. "The Q400 has proven to be a key contributor to the growth of the network in the region, enhancing connectivity on routes that are not economically viable for larger aircraft. Today, more than 37 operators are flying the Q Series in Africa, and we look forward to adding Air Connection Express to the family of Q400 operators."

The airline will operate the Q400 domestically to connect smaller communities and increase frequencies as a regional feeder airline to TAAG Angola Airlines - flag carrier of the Republic of Angola.

"We are delighted to have reached this milestone with Bombardier. With its industry-leading reliability, outstanding economics and performance capabilities, the Q400 will be instrumental in driving economic growth in Angola," said Alcinda Pereira, Representative, Founding Committee, Air Connection Express, Transportes Aereos S.A. "As we look at starting operations, we are confident that the nation of Angola will benefit tremendously from the Consortium. This partnership of companies has Angola's citizen's needs at heart, and selecting the leading turboprop in Africa will enable us to better serve communities across the country with modern passenger comfort and improved connectivity."

About the Consortium

This is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) that brings private and government groups together towards building a stable domestic airline operation for Angola. The members of the consortium include TAAG Angola Airlines, ENANA, Airjet, Air26, Bestfly, Diexim, Mavewa, SJL and Air Guicango. The consortium is in the process of establishing a management team and the operational structure for Air Connection Express.

About Bombardier

With over 69,500 employees across four business segments, Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains. Our products and services provide world-class transportation experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety.

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Bombardier has production and engineering sites in 28 countries across the segments of Transportation, Business Aircraft, Commercial Aircraft and Aerostructures and Engineering Services. Bombardier shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, Bombardier posted revenues of $16.2 billion US. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.

Notes to Editors

Images of the Q400 aircraft are posted with this press release at www.bombardier.com.

For more information on the Q400 aircraft, visit http://news.commercialaircraft.bombardier.com/media-kit/

Follow @BBD_Aircraft on Twitter to receive the latest news and updates from Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

To receive our press releases, please visit the RSS Feed section of Bombardier's website.

Bombardier, Q400, Q Series and The Evolution of Mobility are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

To view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://www.marketwire.com/library/20180504-1107878_800.jpg

Contacts:

Nathalie Siphengphet

Manager, Communications and Public Affairs

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft

+1 450-476-5792

nathalie.siphengphet@aero.bombardier.com




Bihar Police Sub-ordinate Services Commission (BPSSC) declared the results for the written test held for 1717 vacancies for the post of Police Sub-Inspector (daroga) in Bihar Police on Friday

Bihar Police Sub-ordinate Services Commission (BPSSC) declared the results for the written test held for 1717 vacancies for the post of Police Sub-Inspector (daroga) in Bihar Police on Friday, reports said.

The successful candidates will now be eligible to appear in the in the mains exams.

According to Hindustan Times, the number of candidates in the preliminary round is more than 20 times the number of vacancies available for the post of Police Sub-Inspector in Bihar Police.

The preliminary exams for the 1,717 posts were announced in October 2017, and online applications were accepted between 24 October and 30 November 2017, the report said. The selection process is being conducted by Bihar Police Sub-ordinate Services Commission.

According to reports more than 4.28 lakh candidates had appeared for the exam, conducted on 11 March, 2018.
As many as 14 people have been arrested in the gang-rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl in Jharkhand's Chatra district.

As many as 14 people have been arrested in the gangrape and murder of a 16-year-old girl in Jharkhand's Chatra district, as per media reports. The girl was reportedly gang-raped and subsequently burnt to death in front of her family members on Friday.

Six accused are still missing, a senior police officer told NDTV.

According to local media reports, the girl was abducted by four youths from near her house and raped. The family members had gone to attend a marriage. The incident took place in Rajakendua village under Itkhori police station in Chatra district, around 160 kilometres from state capital Ranchi.

The issue was raised in the village panchayat on Friday morning. The panchayat asked the accused to pay Rs 50,000 to the victim to settle the matter, reported IANS. The panchayat had also ordered the accused to do 100 sit-ups before it, police sources told PTI.

Enraged over the panchayat diktat, the youths went to the house of the girl and thrashed the family members and burnt her to death. The victim's family members have filed a case at the Itkhori police station.

Inspector General of Police, Ashish Batra, told The Times of India, "After the rape, a local village panchayat was convened and the community leaders found the accused youths guilty and levied a fine on them. Immediately after the panchayat's verdict, the accused got into an altercation with the panchayat members and the family members of the girl. They rushed to the girl's house and set it ablaze. The girl was burnt to death in the incident."

The district administration has announced financial support of Rs 2.5 lakh to the victim's family, reported ANI.

With inputs from agencies
Millions of MGNREGS workers share Prajapatis predicament57% of wages due to workers were unpaid at the end of April 2018, as per government data.

By Sanjukta Nair and Khabar Lahariya

Banda (UP) and Mumbai: Ramsajeevan Prajapati, 42, started working under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in 2005 to support his family of nine. He was promised he would get paid every eight days. However, he said, he has not received wages in six months, or the Rs 2,000 due to him from the preceding year.

Prajapati, who previously worked as a labourer at the local market in Mavai village in Uttar Pradeshs Banda district, has been taking loans to get by. When he complains to officials about delayed wages, he is asked to continue working so that his pending wages get paid, he told IndiaSpend. Often, there is just five days work in two months, and MGNREGS wages have not increased his overall income, he said.

Millions of MGNREGS workers share Prajapatis predicament57% of wages due to workers were unpaid at the end of April 2018, as per government data.

This is the second of our three-part series on Indias vast rural jobs guarantee programme, part of our investigation of key government schemes performance in the run-up to the 2019 elections.

Delayed wages are routine

The worlds largest job-guarantee programme, MGNREGS promises 100 days of unskilled work to villagers. However, wage payments have been routinely delayed, sometimes by several months, due to lack of funds, incorrect computation of compensation due or procedural delays.

For the financial year 2018-19, the central governments fund allocation for MGNREGS increased 14.5 percent over the previous year to Rs 55,000 crore, the highest ever. Yet, the percentage of wages unpaid was 57 percent in April 2018.

Process Of Making MGNREGA Payments A Fund Transfer Order (FTO) is a demand that is first raised at the district level, and then at the state level for transfer of funds to the workers accounts. It is created electronically by the management information system (MIS) that maintains the electronic muster rolls with names of active workers under the scheme. The FTO needs to be signed by two authorised signatories before being sent to the ministry of rural development. Since transfers are made through bank accounts, the FTO is first sent to the public financial management system (PFMS), a central government online application through which many social security payments are routed, and then to the nodal MGNREGA bank from which payments are credited. When FTOs are pending, it implies that the PFMS has not responded to them, indicating that the government has not yet approved them. Almost no FTOs were processed for 20 days during March-April 2017, and 80% were not processed during May 2017, according to the statement by the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha. Though payments have been approved by two signatories now, they have not been cleared by the central government.

At the beginning of April 2018, as many as 99 percent of total fund transfer orders (FTOs) were delayed. By the end of the month, however, the authorities had cranked up the payment system to ensure a 42-percentage-point drop in unpaid wages to 57 percent, after the central government released funds on 10 April, 2018, NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, an association of MGNREGS activists, told IndiaSpend.

Nevertheless, the preponderant majority of wages, 57 percent, remained unpaid.

Although the government claimed in an October 2017 statement that 85 percent of wages due to MGNREGS workers for the year 2017-18 until 15 September, 2017, were paid on time, an independent study has shown this is not true.

Conducted across 10 states from April to September 2017, the study found that only 32 percent of payments were made on time.

MGNREGS wage payment delays have been a long-standing issue  19 state governments had stopped payments in October 2017 primarily due to lack of funds, which in some cases was because states audited reports of financial statements had not reached the central government in time to receive funds, IndiaSpend had reported in November 2017.

Nearly 85 percent of the central governments allocation of Rs 48,000 crore had already been spent when the article was written, leaving wages amounting to Rs 3,066 crore unpaid at that time.

As of 12 April, 2018, these 19 states status, as per data from the schemes website, is as follows:

In West Bengal, where payments had been frozen since September 2017, 100% FTOs were pending since November 2017.

Eight states had 100% FTOs pending since February 2018.

Assam and Kerala had FTOs pending since January 2018.

Six states had FTOs pending since March 2018. Meghalaya, Mizoram and Sikkim, three states whose data were unavailable previously, also had FTOs pending since March 2018.

Of the 19 states, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh had fewer delayed payments.

Flawed definition of delay

Under the schemes provisions, workers should receive wage payments within 15 days of the muster roll (attendance register) being closed, that is, after their work is done. If not, they are entitled to compensation at a fixed rate of 0.05 percent of the unpaid wages per day from the 16th day of the muster roll being closed, for the entire duration of delay.

The procedure followed to calculate wage payments is explained in this November 2017 IndiaSpend article. Ideally, workers should be compensated for delays until the day wages are credited into their accounts.

However, the Management Information System(MIS) of MGNREGS, responsible for maintaining records on muster rolls, wages and material payments, only considers delays until the day the FTO is generated at the block/panchayat level (provided it has been generated 15 days after the closing of muster rolls) and sent to the central government. Any delay thereafter by the central government in crediting payments is not considered. As a result, workers do not get the entire compensation they deserve.

To understand the magnitude of this flawed definition, the Azim Premji University study is instructive.

Key findings

The study was conducted in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa and West Bengal, for the period April to September 2017, covering 4.5 million accounts.

Overall, 78 percent payments were not made on time in these 10 states, while as many as 45 percent payments did not include compensation for delayed payment because FTOs were generated within 15 days.

The biggest difference between government claims and wages actually paid on time is in Chhattisgarh  the government claimed 94 percent wages were paid on time, when in fact 28 percent were. In West Bengal, the claim was for 87 percent timely payments but actually only 17 percent payments were made on time.

In five of the states, more than 50 percent of payments did not include compensation for delayed payment.

When workers do not get their payments on time, they usually resort to borrowing money, and sometimes even food.

Its been two months, we havent been able to afford milk by ourselves, Sukhrani, 50, told IndiaSpend. She said the scheme owes her Rs 6,000, and she stopped working some four months back. We scrounge and borrow to feed ourselves. We dont even have slippers. You have to take loans to afford things. Ive borrowed Rs 150 myself.

The central government is supposed to clear payments within 24 hours of receiving FTOs. However, the study found, when FTOs were generated within 15 days, it took up to 25 days on average to credit the wage payment  from the central government to the states, and the states to workers. This amounted to as many as 53 days in West Bengal, or as few as 10 days in Madhya Pradesh.

Not all of the actual compensation due is paid, as the following table shows.

Differences In Compensation Due State Delay Compensation Calculated In MIS (In Rs lakh) Delay Compensation Not Calculated in MIS (In Rs lakh) Total Compensation Truly Due (In Rs lakh) % Of True Delay Compensation Not Calculated Bihar 29 33.1 62.1 53 Chhattisgarh 2.5 29.4 31.9 92 Jharkhand 1.4 8.6 9.9 86 Karnataka 12.9 59 71.9 82 Kerala 1.4 61.8 63.2 98 Madhya Pradesh 5.8 8.6 14.3 60 Orissa 11 38.6 49.6 78 Rajasthan 6.1 30.8 36.9 83 Uttar Pradesh 7.6 32.9 40.5 81 West Bengal 25.4 346 372 93

Source: Analysis of Payment Delays and Delay Compensation in NREGA Findings across Ten States for Financial Year 2017-18

The study calculated the compensation for delay until the day payments were deposited into workers accounts.

These estimates show that MIS missed as much as 86 percent of the compensation truly due. In Kerala, 98 percent of the compensation due was not calculated. In West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, more than 90 percent of the compensation due was missed.

Overall, the study estimated that Rs 7.52 crore should have been paid as compensation during April-September 2017, but actually only Rs 1.03 crore (14 percent) was paid.

In response to the above study, the rural development ministry said on 4 April, 2018, that it had improved timeliness of wage payments so that wages paid on time had increased from 17 percent in 2016-17 to 43 percent in 2017-18, implicitly admitting that a majority (57 percent) of wage payments due were delayed in 2017-18.

Lack of funds, new system, compulsory Aadhaar linkage causing delays

Ram Naresh, 38, a resident of Banda district in central Uttar Pradesh, started working under MGNREGS 11 years ago, when the programme began. However, he has had no work under MGNREGS since May 2016.

Over a year, he either gets work for a month or 15 days, he told IndiaSpend, as against the 100 days promised. He supplements his unstable wages with other daily-wage work, sometimes traveling as far as 6 km for work. While he waits for his MGNREGS payments, he has to borrow to feed his four children.

I havent worked for MNREGA since 2016, Naresh told IndiaSpend. Not because I dont want to but because there isnt any work. They are yet to pay me my remaining amount from last year. Why should I work if I dont get the money?

A primary reason for delayed wage payments is lack of funds, Rajendran Narayanan, co-author of the above study, told IndiaSpend. In the first week of December 2017, out of the allocated budget of Rs 48,000 crore for the financial year 2017-18, around Rs 45,000 crore was already exhausted.

Some Rs 14,000 crore of the budget allocated for MGNREGS in 2017-18 was actually funds that the government fell short of the previous year, thus adding them to the 2017-18 budget, Narayanan said.

Inadequate funding has driven daily MGNREGS wages lower than the minimum agricultural wage in 28 of Indias 36 states and union territories. The difference is as much as Rs 104 (roughly a third) in Gujarat, where agricultural wages are Rs 298 and MGNREGS wages Rs 194 during the current fiscal year, according to this April 2018 article in The Indian Express.

MGNREGS wages are revised every year as per a consumer price index for agricultural labourers (CPI-AL), which reflects a 35-year-old consumption pattern. As a result, in 10 states, MGNREGS wages have not been revised upwards since 2017-18.

In a few states such as Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, where MGNREGS wages are higher than the states minimum wage, MGNREGS wages have increased by Rs 2.

In August 2017, the department of expenditure of the finance ministry released a memorandum stating that the reasons for delay included infrastructure bottlenecks, lack of funds and lack of administrative compliance.

Yet, in March 2018, the rural development ministry told the Rajya Sabha (upper house of parliament) that delays in wage payments were due to implementation issues at the state level. These issues included inadequate staffing, non-timely recording and reporting of attendance, data entry, generation of wage lists and FTOs, and so on.

The compulsory linkage of Aadhaar, the 12-digit unique identity number, to the bank accounts of MGNREGS workers has also created problems. If Aadhaar numbers are linked with incorrect bank accounts, wage payments can get credited incorrectly.

Experts say all of these reasons act together to delay payments.

Another reason for delayed payments is states failure to send audited reports of their accounts on time to the central government, Ankita Aggarwal of NREGA Sangharsh Morcha told IndiaSpend in January 2018.

Yet another possible culprit is the National Electronic Fund Management System (Ne-FMS), the central governments payment system introduced at the beginning of 2016-17, which gives the central government the sole authority to make wage payments using the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. Funds go from the central government to a states Employment Guarantee Fund, and then to a workers account.

Before Ne-FMS, states could use their own funds to make payments during delays and seek reimbursement from the Centre later, Aggarwal said, but not any more.

In the study quoted above, six of the 10 states were under the Ne-FMS system when the study began, and these performed no better or worse than those using the previous system. In our analysis on delayed payments, there wasnt any significant improvement seen in crediting wages on time to labourers [through Ne-FMS], Narayanan said.

Though it is possible that more FTOs are being generated within 15 days, crediting the amount still takes a long time, Narayanan said, The excessive centralisation of payments under Ne-FMS has meant that the baton of accountability is being constantly passed around by the field functionaries of [MGNREGS]. One will often hear field functionaries of NREGA say that they have generated the FTO, but the Centre has not released payments.

While various agencies pass the buck around, workers such as Gulaab Rani, 65, are disillusioned. The money gets transferred to the bank. But if it doesnt even reach the bank, then where are we expected to get it from? she said, adding, If they arent going to pay me, whats the point of working at all?

This is the second of a three-part series on the successes and failures of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. You can read the first part here.

Next: More Than 90% MGNREGS Workers In Kerala Are Women, And It Has Changed Their Lives

(This story has been produced in partnership with Khabar Lahariya, the countrys only indie, rural media platform, working out of Bundelkhand in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, with an all-women reporters network. Nair is a graduate in Economics and Statistics from the University of Mumbai.)
A CRPF officer was injured and internet services were suspended across the Srinagar district.

Srinagar: Security forces on Saturday killed three militants in a gunfight, even as a civilian died in clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies near the encounter site, in Srinagar's densely populated Chattabal area on Saturday, police said.

The militants were killed at Tabela Chattabal near Safakadal area. A police official said the militants' identities is yet to be ascertained.

The official said a CRPF officer suffered minor injuries during the gunfight and has been admitted to a hospital.

Following a tip-off about the presence of militants in the area, security forces including state police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel surrounded Gasi Mohalla.

Meanwhile, protesters pelted stones at security forces engaged in the counter-militancy operation in Chattabal and adjoining areas, triggering clashes, the official said.

He said several civilians were injured in the clashes and one of them died at a hospital in Srinagar.

"One person identified as Adil Ahmad Yadoo was brought to SMHS hospital whom doctors declared brought dead. Medical bulletin suggests that the person died due to a crush injury in a road traffic accident at Noorbagh. Citizens may not pay heed to rumours," a police spokesman said.

However, local residents alleged that Yadoo was shot by security forces.

The encounter broke out ton Saturday morning after security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the area following inputs about the presence of militants.

The official said the militants fired on a search team of security forces, who retaliated, triggering the gunfight.

Mobile Internet services have been suspended in Srinagar in wake of the encounter, another official said.

With inputs from agencies
Jail-bharos, rasta-rokos and massive rallies are back on the agenda in the drought-hit Mandya district of Karnataka following the Supreme Courts order.

Mandya: Jail-bharos, rasta-rokos and massive rallies with burning effigies are back on the agenda in the drought-hit Mandya district of Karnataka following the Supreme Courts order on Thursday asking Karnataka to discharge 4 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu by 8 May.

Taking a note of the Union governments failure to frame the Cauvery draft water-sharing scheme by Thursday, the deadline given by the apex court, Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra told the Karnataka counsel that the state must release water to Tamil Nadu. However, senior advocate Shyam Diwan, appearing for Karnataka, claimed that Karnataka has already released water in excess of its obligations to Tamil Nadu.

As Karnataka could not disobey the apex courts order, the farming community in Mandya district is worried that Thursdays directions could aggravate the drinking water shortage and compound the agrarian crisis.

The Supreme Courts direction to the Union government has created anxiety in Mandya district, says Darshan Puttannaiah, a Swaraj India candidate for Melkote Assembly constituency. He stressed the urgency of a collective fight to protect the interests of farmers in the region. Even as he campaigned in Pandavapura on Thursday, Puttannaiah said he will chalk out plans pertaining to the issue.

Darshans late father KS Puttannaiah, a former member of the legislative assembly for Melkote constituency, was a senior leader of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), a major farmers organisation.

Septuagenarian Nagaraj of Holalu and Parvathamma of Chikkade were two among the thousands who expressed their shock on Thursday. I had raised paddy on two acres of land. My neighbours sowed ragi and millets. While they would get yields as they are non-water intensive crops, I will lose mine, Nagaraj says. Parvathamma claims she incurred a loss of several thousands of rupees transplanting paddy saplings on her land.

The supply of water for domestic consumption to Bengaluru and other Cauvery-dependent areas in Karnataka would be affected, as would the standing crops in the Cauvery river basin in the old Mysuru region, says KRRSs Mandya district president Shambhunahalli Suresh. The Cauvery water-sharing issue has cost the lives of over 2,000 farmers since 2012, he says. The KRRS is chalking out plans to hold massive protests across the region.

The business fraternity will extend their support to the farmers. The people will be asked to refuse to pay property taxes to fight against the injustices meted out to the state farmers on the Cauvery issue, warns HD Jayaram, president of Karnataka Rakshana Vedikes Mandya district unit. Jayaram has been arrested on many occasions for blocking the tracks during past Cauvery agitations.

Water level in reservoirs plummeting

With the failure of the monsoon last year followed by the present dry-weather conditions, the water level in the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) dam is plummeting. On 3 May, the water level of the KRS dam was just 72.46 ft. as against a maximum of 124.80 ft. The dam's live storage (usable water) stood at 3.52 tmcft as against its maximum capacity of 45.05 tmcft. The live storage of KRS dam at this time last year was 3.25 tmcft.

The flow into the dam was at the rate of 115 cusecs, while the outflow was at 986 cusecs during the same period. The level has fallen below the dead storage level (74 ft). The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) requires a minimum of 1,300 million litres of water per day (MLD) to meet the citys needs. The drinking water requirement for other areas in the Cauvery basin in Karnataka is around 200 MLD.

KRS is the major drinking-water source for Bengaluru, Mysuru, Ramanagara and some parts of Bengaluru Rural district in Karnataka. Apart from irrigating thousands of hectares of farmland, the dam also quenches the thirst of several major towns in Tamil Nadu.

The live storage in other reservoirs feeding the Cauvery basin  Harangi (in Somwarpet), Hemavathi (in Gorur, Hassan) and Kabini (in Mysuru)  is also well below capacity. Live storage in Harangi is at 1.35 tmcft against capacity of 8.7 tmcft, at 3.33 tmcft in Hemavathi against capacity of 35.76 tmcft and at 1.82 tmcft in Kabini against capacity of 15.67 tmcft.

'Drinking water crisis could worsen'

Compliance with Thursdays order will worsen the drinking water crisis, says officials of the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd (CNNL), the government agency that regulates dams and other waterways in the Cauvery basin.

As per the allocation order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, Karnataka has a pending obligation to release 3 tmcft to Tamil Nadu, but the available live storage in the dam is little more than 3 tmcft. The CNNL has been releasing KRS water for domestic consumption and irrigation as well as to Tamil Nadu, despite water levels reaching dead storage.

According to a junior engineer at the CNNL, water can be used till the level reaches 70 feet. He says it isnt advisable to pump the water from below the 70-foot mark as the water will be turgid and unsafe for consumption. The KRS level has come down to below dead storage level for the sixth consecutive year due to various reasons like drought and the water-sharing crisis.

Water was released from the dam to Tamil Nadu in 2012 by digging a canal on the dam bed to the crest gates using earthmovers. If compliance with the apex courts direction is unavoidable, the state would have to implement water rationing and other contingency plans, said the junior engineer.

TN's priority: Establish CMB

While political reactions in Chennai to the Supreme Courts order have been predictable, its worth noting that both farmers and politicians say the 4 tmcft is not the issue as it is inadequate for farming needs. Its the establishment of the Cauvery Management Board that is urgent and important.

PR Pandian, chief of the Tamil Nadu Federation of Farmers, says this is an attempt by the Supreme Court to cover up for the Union governments failure. Why hasnt the Union water resources secretary UP Singh been condemned by the court? He must face trial for this. The Supreme Court must function above any suspicion. If they themselves are in the wrong, the country will fall apart, he warns. Besides, this 4 tmcft of water will help me eat just for a week. This order is useless. The only solution is the establishment of the Cauvery Management Board.

Says prominent lawyer P Ayyakannu, The 4 tmcft won't even wet the throats of the Tamil Nadu farmers in the final leg of the river. The order of the Supreme Court feels like a betrayal of the Tamil people. If Karnataka doesn't abide by the judgment and release the water that is due to Tamil Nadu, the state government must be dissolved under Article 365 (emergency provision) of the Constitution.

(With inputs from Abdul Kathar Mydeen in Chennai. Contributors are both members of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters)
A civilian was killed after being hit by a vehicle during protests by residents of an old Srinagar city area amid a gunfight between security forces and militants.

Srinagar: A civilian was killed after being hit by a vehicle during protests by residents of an old Srinagar city area amid a gunfight between security forces and militants.

Locals alleged that a vehicle of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) ran over Adil Ahmed Yadoo as people protested and clashed with security forces near the shootout site in Safa Kadal  a densely populated downtown neighbourhood on the banks of the Jhelum.

The area is some distance away from Chattabal where a militant was killed in an ongoing gunfight with security forces.

However, CRPF PRO Rakesh Yadav refuted the allegation that the civilian was hit by a vehicle of the force.

"There was no CRPF vehicle in the area and the allegation is baseless," Yadav said.

Locals and police said Yadoo was critically injured in the accident and was taken to the nearby SMHS. Hospital. He was declared brought dead.

"A medical bulletin suggests that the person died due to a crush injury in a road traffic accident. Citizens may not pay heed to rumours," police said in a statement.

Meanwhile, intermittent firing exchange was still on in the area even as security forces killed a militant, police said.

Security forces including police and CRPF surrounded the Chattabal area following a tip-off about the presence of two militants in a hideout. "One holed-up militant is still engaged in the gunfight with the security forces," a police source said.

A CRPF officer has been injured and internet services were suspended across the Srinagar district.
Controversial quotes were reportedly found written on the door of a chapel at Delhi University's St Stephen's College.

Controversial quotes were reportedly found written on the door of a chapel at Delhi University's St Stephen's College.

Students union president Sai Aashirwaad said inflammatory quotes like 'mandir yahin banega' were found written on the chapel's main door, while an 'Om' symbol along with the words 'I'm going to hell' was found on the cross situated behind the chapel on Friday.

"The messages, however, were cleared on Saturday," he said.

The college administration had announced preparatory holidays for students from 28 April, with only those having practical exams attending the college.

Principal John Varghese was unavailable for comments.

"There is an attempt to divide students of the country along religious lines. The same script of Aligarh Muslim University is playing out here as well," News18 quoted Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) president Rocky Tusseed as saying.

Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India (NSUI) also expressed concern. "Such an incident brings harm to the very fabric of the institution and to the spirit of the idea of India for which it stands. This incident is condemnable and strict action should be taken against those who are found guilty," the report quoted Neeraj Mishra, NSUI media in-charge as saying.

With inputs from PTI
A year after caste clashes in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Dalits and Thakurs want to peacefully co-exist, but they find it harder to trust each other.

Editor's note: The BJP, its ideological lodestar RSS, and even the BSP, a party with moorings in Dalit identity, have, in recent months, outdone themselves to court the Dalit constituency. The community itself has found new ways to assert its leverage over Indian political parties and reinforce its place in society. Firstpost will travel across UP, the test bed of India's Dalit politics, to record how these changes have altered life in its villages, towns and cities.

As I drove 30 kilometres from Saharanpur in western Uttar Pradesh towards a village named Shabbirpur, I initially saw some people standing on the fringes of the village near the main road. They stared at me with suspicion. But as soon as I expressed my interest in what transpired on the streets of the Shabbirpur on 5 May 2017, a 60-something man who later identified himself as Dharampal appeared in front of me and started narrating the year-old incident. On that day, at least 12 Dalits were seriously injured and up to 55 houses were burnt after clashes with the Thakur community. Dharampal recalled the events from last year with practiced ease, and he appeared to have narrated them often. In the meantime, policemen seated in two jeeps on patrolling duty gave us a serious stare.

Shabbirpur looked still and silent but far from calm. There was an air of anxiety over the possibility that something can go awfully wrong yet again.

What triggered the incident in May 2017 was the death of one Thakur boy, as a reaction to which members from the dominant Thakur community from nearly ten neighbouring villages attacked Dalit homes in Shabbirpur. The Dalits then attacked Thakur homes. This is the chronology of events that the Dalits of Shabbirpur remember.

Protests were staged on the streets of Delhi and the media did its bit to draw the attention of the nation towards Shabbirpur. But after Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati toured the area on 23 May, 2017, the incident acquired a political flavour. Leaders of the Bhim Army were arrested. This organisation which works for the emancipation of the lower castes was founded in 2014 by Chandrashekhar Azad and national president of the Bhim Army Vinay Ratan Arya.

The incident took place when the central government was already facing the heat amid rising incidents of violence against Dalits. As a result, it had to re-strategise to come up with a way of keeping the Dalit voters on its side.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had instructed BJP MPs, ministers and MLAs to spend at least one night in the Dalit settlements in their parliamentary constituencies, to have a meal with them, to listen to their problems, and to re-establish their faith in the government. To understand the ground reality and the impact of this exercise, there couldnt be a village better than Shabbirpur.

On entering Shabbirpur, I found that the first cluster of homes belonged to the Dalit community. Rajveer, a labourer, lives in this cluster in Shabbirpur with his wife. He recalled how those who burnt down all his belongings didnt even know the difference between a Dalit and a backward caste, and were blinded by fury. He then revealed that the government had compensated for his loss with Rs 40,000. The houses may have been repaired, but many burnt portions are reminders of the past.

Some distance away lives Shivraj, who is a Dalit. When I met him, he was holding a spade and had just returned from a field. On being asked about how the incident affected his life, he said that the police is only on the side of those in power and that those in power cannot stomach the idea of Dalits getting hold of the proverbial kursi. He said times have changed and those who believe Dalits cannot rise up to power are wrong. His version of the way the 5 May, 2017 incident unfolded is that Thakurs were rejoicing in a procession on the Maharana Pratap Jayanti and a DJ was playing loud music. The police ordered that the music be stopped and that enraged them. Dalits became the target of their rage, according to Shivraj.

On moving a little further from the Dalit settlement of Shabbirpur, the settlement of Thakurs, consisting of bigger and brighter houses, came into view. In front of a house with a large gate, inside which some people were lying down on folding cots, I ran into a young man named Mohar Singh who works in a liquor shop in a neighbouring area. When asked about the violence, he said that nobody looks at the 'general category' with empathy and such responses are only given with respect to Dalits. He said that his house was burnt down too and alleged that nobody would talk about his predicament. Mohar Singh said that when Mayawati came to tour the area, she was accompanied by 3,000-4,000 members of the Bhim Army. According to him, on that day, people from the Thakur community had decided to remain indoors. On that day, Mohar Singh recalled, the members of the Bhim Army shouted slogans and set fire to some of the Thakur areas.

After the events of May 2017, the police took nine people each from the two castes in custody, some of whom were juveniles. They had to stay in custody for close to two-and-a-half months. Two Dalits and four Thakurs are still locked up in jail. The Dalits blame the police for framing them. On the other hand, the Thakurs allege that after the incident, politicians showed up to inquire about the safety and well-being of the Dalits, but not the Thakurs. Mohar Singh said that Yogi Adityanaths secretary had come to speak to the Thakurs, but his visit didnt restore or inspire any hope.

Today, the two communities want to peacefully co-exist but they find it harder to trust each other. In Shabbirpur, I am left with the realisation that the divide has been sharpened by politics.

This article was translated from Hindi. You can read the original piece here.
Why do bystanders often stand and stare instead of helping the victim? Turns out this is a well-documented psychological phenomenon.

On 29 April, in Jehanabad, Bihar, a group of men molested a minor girl in broad daylight, while the people who had gathered around the scene did nothing to help her. Some even took videos of the incident, which then went viral. Just a few weeks earlier, on 5 April, a woman was attacked and molested by a man while on board a Mumbai local train, in full view of the passengers who didnt even attempt to stop the attacker.

18-year-old Samyukhtha Sunil was one among many women harassed during the infamous 2017 New Years Eve incident in Bengaluru on Brigade Road. She talks about how she was attacked by a man but nobody helped her. There were people all around me who saw me struggling but they didnt do anything to stop him. Maybe they thought that I was just pretending or that it was nothing serious, I dont know what was going through their minds while I was struggling to escape.

We hear these stories all the time and we wonder, when it comes to accidents, molestation and assaults, why do bystanders often stand and stare instead of helping the victim? Turns out this is a well-documented psychological phenomenon. Research over many decades has shown that the more the number of people watching a crisis play out, the less likely they are to help a victim. So, if a person is witness to a crisis unfolding, they are more likely to help if theyre the only person around.

Why? According to psychologists, we can blame this on what is known as diffused responsibility, the feeling that someone else will do the job otherwise known as the bystander effect. The bystander effect is also called the Genovese syndrome, named after Kitty Genovese, an American bar manager who was murdered in the 1960s, a crime many, many people seem to have been aware of as it progressed. The phenomenon continues to be the subject of research and yields many other insights. For instance, psychologists say that bystanders look to each other to decide whether to intervene and often conclude that there is no need because of pluralistic ignorance. In simple terms, it means that each person in the crowd thinks that s/he is the only one who thinks there is something wrong and since no one else is reacting, the situation must be actually alright. No one bells the cat because each person assumes from the other peoples faces that there is no need to bell the cat.

Pradipta Sanghvi, chairperson at the Bangalore-based volunteer group Sneha Society for Counselling, says, It isn't uncommon for some people to simply escape from the scene or to not even bother to help the victims. It is not selfish but it isnt selfless either, says Sanghvi. As humans, our first instinct is to protect ourselves when we are in danger. That could explain why some bystanders first reaction is to escape the scene and not offer help," she adds.

All of this is rather dire information because it seems to imply that the human instinct is to not help someone in obvious need. This is true, hence the idea of a heroine (or hero) who does things that are inconvenient, astonishing and risky. However, studying the bystander effect has also led to research in hacking this human instinct to run home with eyes averted and milk packet in hand.

Remember that bystanders are not just strangers. As we know, women are most likely to face danger and violence within their homes from people they know. So, you could be a bystander in the context of family, flatmates, hostel or gym and still face the enormous confusion about next steps.

When do bystanders help?

According to research, bystanders are likely to help if one or more of the following conditions apply.

1. When they are feeling upbeat and positive about the world and life.

2. When they are frequent witnesses to people doing other kinds of socially useful or charitable actions. So, if you live in a colony where people frequently engage in social activities such as feeding the homeless or organising medical camps for the underprivileged, your neighbours, who have witnesses, are more likely to step in during a crisis.

3. If they are close to home or in a familiar neigbourhood. C, a middle-aged doctor, says, I was on my way back from the grocery story very early one morning when I saw a group of young guys attacking an old man and an old woman. I felt outraged that this was happening in my neighbourhood where my children play. I jumped in and started hitting the boys with whatever was in my hands and shouting loudly. They ran away. I offered to take the old man and woman home to check their injuries and then discovered they were not together. She too had been a bystander on a morning walk and she had jumped in, too angry that this was happening near her house!

4. When people feel like the victim deserves help. This is a horrible one in India and around the world where bystanders run a complex 'app' to decide whether the victim is decent. The 'app' runs rapidly through the victims clothes, class, caste indicators, religion, the language in which she is crying out for help, and then often decides the victim is not worthy of help or worse, that she deserves whatever horrible thing is happening to her.

5. If people think of the victim as apna in any way, they are more likely to help. Same unfortunate calculation as above.

6. You would guess that the victim being familiar would increase their chances of getting help from bystanders. But research also shows that if the bystanders are friends with each other, they are more likely to help.

7. When they are sober: To put it another way, heavy drinkers are much less likely to help, especially if heavy drinking is seen as part of a bro culture which is comfortable with sexism and violence.

8. When they are not sexist. 38-year-old Vasantha has been working as a domestic worker in Bengaluru for the past ten years. She recounts an incident where her husband began to beat her up and nobody intervened. She says: I knew that all my neighbours and my so called friends were listening and I think some even saw it happen, but none of them came to stop him. After the whole incident, some of them came up to me and told me to forget about it and that these things happen. This ignorance of domestic violence in plain sight and rationalising it as the mans prerogative or escape valve is common across class and leaves victims feeling doubly invisible.

9. Being some sort of expert. If you have been trained in anything like lifeguard CPR, emergency first aid and so on, it does give you the framework of understanding to swiftly recognise a crisis for what it is. More importantly, it gives you the confidence to step up when no one else is doing that. This is why you often hear of girls and women with martial arts stepping up to help someone else. Its not because they are black-belts, its because they feel strong and brave.

It is important to feel that the law supports you as a bystander. Everyone knows a story of someone who helped someone and then the police <insert horrible vicious ending for the kind-hearted>.

42-year-old Vasundhara was on a bus from Bengaluru to Belgaum when it crashed into another vehicle and toppled. The glass windows had shattered and since I was sitting right in front, the glass pieces fell on me and I was bleeding very badly. Luckily, my husband, whom I was travelling with, wasnt as badly injured as me and managed to help me and a few others out of the bus. This happened in the middle of the night and we were very afraid. An auto driver who was around the area at that time helped us get to the hospital. He was a bit hesitant at first because he didnt want to get involved with the police, but he agreed to drop us off at the hospital and leave. I dont know what we would have done without him," she said.

In 2017, Karnataka became the first state in the country to pass the Good Samaritan law which preserves the bystanders anonymity, extent of involvement and protects him or her from civil or criminal action. In 2016, the Supreme Court also passed the Force of Law ruling that protected those who aided victims of road accidents. But both these legal recourses protect bystanders who help usually in the case of accidents, so more laws would be helpful.

How can bystanders help without endangering themselves? Lets take one category of crisis. If you witness public or private harassment of women, what can you do?

1. Take the lead and remind yourself that everyone who is standing around and staring is looking for a cue. Your stepping up will help break everyone out of Mandrakes mass hypnosis situation.

2. Call out and say something as simple as stop!

3. Say the police is coming or someone has called the police. M, a 38-year-old Delhi housewife, says on an occasion where she witnessed her father-in-law beating her mother-in-law in front of the large joint family, one young cousin faked panic that she had heard the police coming. No one called the police but it was enough to end the violence for the moment.

4. Make eye-contact with other bystanders deliberately and convey your feelings of disgust, anger and fear to cue them similiarly. Say, We must help her. Then give specific instructions, You gentleman in the kurta, please help me get this lady up from the ground. Madam, please put her things back in her bag.

5. Bypassing the aggressor, ask the victim if he/she is okay and try to make her speak to you.

6. You can pretend that you know the victim and you were looking for her, Everyone is waiting for you at the store. Come, come lets go, and so on.

7. You can try to create a distraction and hope to give the victim enough time to get away. Telling the aggressor anything, from the fact that someone is calling him to his car is getting towed or his mobile phone falling down, might be the couple of minutes required to run away.

8. Active bystanders must be aware of their surroundings and always put their own safety first.

We cant all be heroines or take risks with our lives or that one intervention will solve everything. But perhaps with some strategising and some luck, your intervention may defuse the crisis in front of you. And it will be one less story in which people ask, But why didnt anyone help her?

(With inputs from Shruti Kondi)

The Ladies Finger (TLF) is a leading online women's magazine delivering fresh and witty perspectives on politics, culture, health, sex, work and everything in between.
A survey of infrastructure in 12 district courts in New Delhi and NCR showed several basic facilities missing right from washrooms, and guide maps, to ramps for the physically challenged, highlighting the need for a deeper conversation on how the Indian courts are built and maintained

Conversations surrounding access to justice often focus on political, social, and economic means, but rarely seek to understand the question of physical access and comfort. Physical infrastructure, unfortunately, remains a relatively under-analysed domain in the Indian judiciary. Moreover, conventional discussions tend to limit themselves to simple and quantitative questions of how many courts and residential complexes exist for judges.

On a preliminary level, the base numbers themselves are quite uninspiring. As of 2015, the Department of Justice recorded 16,513 courtrooms for a working strength of 16,070 judicial officers. In 2016, the Centre for Research and Planning at the Supreme Court recorded worsening figures: a sanctioned strength of 20,558 judicial officers now only had 15,540 court halls and a shortfall of 8,538 residential units. Discrepancies in official data notwithstanding, one thing remains clear: solving the problem of vacancies in the judiciary needs to go hand-in-hand with improving judicial infrastructure, for what is a newly appointed judge to do without a courtroom to discharge her functions?

That said, a quantitative study does not account for the nature and quality of this infrastructure and how it might impact the behaviour of different actors. For instance, could a better-designed court complex enhance efficiency? Could it positively impact behaviour? Could it ease navigation for persons with disabilities? With relatively increasing attention being paid to this domain, it is crucial to explore these questions in order to construct model court complexes that can improve the dispensation of justice.

In 2012, a subcommittee of the National Court Management Systems (NCMS), headed by Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed, released a comprehensive report on Infrastructure and Budgeting. It made a case for how better infrastructure planning could improve litigant feedback, public trust, and court efficiency, offering parameters for a modern-day court. However, upon adapting these standards into a litigant-oriented questionnaire, a survey of subordinate courts in Delhi and NCR yielded some startling results.

In order to gauge the physical accessibility of courts, we asked ourselves three fundamental questions:

I. Can we locate where in the court complex we are supposed to go?

II. Upon locating it, can we physically access this location?

III. Upon reaching the location, are we comfortable?

With a special focus on vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities, visual impairment, and illiteracy, etc, we surveyed the physical infrastructure of Delhis six-court complexes and six more in districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, which fell within NCR.

Only one of the 12 court complexes surveyed had a guide map upon entry. This means virtually every litigant, particularly those entering for the first time, would be left asking people for directions at every juncture. One would imagine that signage outside buildings/rooms might help first-time litigants, but those were few and far between. Therefore, the first question, in most cases, is answered in the negative.

With respect to physical access, only seven of the 12 court complexes boast of a ramp at the entry point. Even fewer have ramps at the entry point to the canteen or the litigants waiting area (four and three court complexes, respectively). The number of courts with a tactile pavement to aid the visually impaired stood at zero. The level of disregard can often be painfully ironic: in one instance, using the ramp would require a disabled individual to seek assistance, as the ramps path was blocked by a chain.

A huge component of being involved in a legal dispute is waiting. This extends to the court complex as well, as processes take time. It is precisely for this reason that the NCMS report highlights that litigants waiting areas should be well-lit, clean, ventilated (preferably air-conditioned), and equipped with usable washrooms, drinking water, electronic case display systems etc.

Ensuring a calm and comfortable environment for any litigant is the first step towards helping them see justice be done, as court spaces by nature are tense atmospheres. While admittedly, this could be a tall order for several courts in remote parts of the country, it was startling to see fewer courts in the capital do better.

Only two of the 12 courts surveyed boasted air-conditioning. Three did not have washroom facilities near the courtrooms, while one did not have a designated washroom for women. The numbers, however, only tell half of the truth as most courtrooms which have washrooms didn't have clean or usable ones, particularly for women.

These observations add certainty to the commonly held notions about public spaces in India. Moreover, there is clear evidence to support the notion of facilities worsening as one moves further away from major city centres. For instance, the two NCR districts furthest from Central Delhi fared worst on most parameters. This is a crucial fact to bear in mind for the judiciary and governments while allocating funds since not all courts have the same requirements.

The point of such observations is not to chastise judicial officers for faltering. With mounting cases and hours spent on administrative duties alongside judicial duties, it would be unfair to expect judges to handle the role of architects and design spaces. But with growing realisations of the link between infrastructure and justice (such as child-friendly courts under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act or provisions for vulnerable witnesses), the belief that problems with the judiciary are structural, only in the figurative sense and not the literal, seems tenuous at best. This means we need the judiciary to engage with experts and develop better standards reflecting the judiciarys purpose in its infrastructure. We need to have a deeper conversation about how our judicial institutions are built and maintained.

The authors are Vidhi-Tata Trusts Fellows with the Justice, Access and Lowering Delays in India (JALDI) Project at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy. Their report on Status of Physical Infrastructure in Lower Judiciary can be accessed here.
Narendra Modi mounted a scathing attack on the Congress over corruption, and asserted it will become 'Punjab, Puducherry, Parivar' Congress after its defeat in the Karnataka Assembly polls

Gadag/Tumakuru (Karnataka): All guns blazing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday mounted a scathing attack on the Congress over corruption, and asserted it will become "Punjab, Puducherry, Parivar" Congress after its defeat in the Karnataka Assembly polls.

With the D-day for the polls drawing closer, Modi upped the ante against the Siddaramaiah government, alleging it has become a "corruption tank" for the Congress with a pipeline connected to Delhi, "where the money reaches directly".

He also accused the top Congress leadership of auctioning tickets, party positions and even the chief minister's post.

"After 15 May (when poll results will be declared), Indian National Congress will be reduced to 'PPP Congress'  P for Punjab, P for Puducherry, and P for Parivar (family)," Modi told an election rally in Gadag, where he predicted the state's ruling party would be decimated in the elections.

He accused the Congress of "auctioning" party tickets and posts, and recalled how a string of scams rocked the erstwhile UPA government.

"After the helicopter scam, coal scam, CWG scam and many others, the Congress has now started a tender system there is tender for ticket distribution, for selecting leaders, for choosing even the chief minister.

"Their leaders in Karnataka have been told by those above them that the person who promises to send the highest amount of money to Delhi every month will become the chief minister," he alleged.

Modi said despite a string of electoral losses in Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Tripura the Congress was not as worried as it is now when defeat stares it in the face.

"I tell you why.....Because their ministers and leaders in Karnataka have built a tank here. A part of money looted from people is taken home and the rest is put in that tank. The tank is linked to Delhi through a pipeline which carries the money directly to Delhi.

"They are worried about what will happen to the party if this government goes. Be alert, be awake. If the Congress comes to power, its government will do nothing but loot," he said.

Modi said to fill the "corruption tank", the Congress has created a network of extortion mafia, and it is worried what will happen to that.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was once again in Modi's line of fire, with the prime minister calling his government "seedha rupaiah sarkar" (government that takes bribe).

"Money is bad," he noted, recalling what saint poet Shishunala Sharifa once said. But for Karnataka's Congress government, it is "Baap bada na bhaiya, sab se bada rupaiya(when it comes to money not even your relations are important)."

"Your chief minister has changed the saying itself... Baap bhi bada, bhaiya bhi bada aur us se bhi upar rupiya; seeda seeda rupaiya (Relations are important and money is even more important)," Modi said.

Speaking about the contentious Mahadayi river issue over which Goa and Karnataka are locked in a protracted dispute, Modi claimed, the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi had said during Goa Assembly elections in 2007 that her party was "committed" to not allowing Karnataka its share of water.

"Now that they are out of power in Goa, they are instigating people of Karnataka on the Mahadayi issue. Their job (atkana, latkana, bhatkana) to block, leave things hanging fire, and mislead people. Instead of finding a solution to Mahadayi dispute, Congress government sent it to a tribunal," he said.

Earlier addressing an election rally in Tumakuru, Modi alleged that the Congress and JD(S) have entered into a "secret" pact for the Karnataka polls.

"If anyone is protecting the Congress, it is the JD (S). Congress and JD(S) have a secret understanding, an understanding behind the curtains," he said.

Modi said the Congress, which ruled the country for decades, with "one family" in power for most part, neglected the poor and farmers.

"Garibi, garibi, garibi (poverty, poverty, poverty) was their constant rant. But once the son of a poor mother became the prime minister, they clammed shut, now they don't talk about poverty," he said, and asked voters to "punish" the Congress for Karnataka's better future.
Door-to-door campaigning has been replaced by the phone-to-phone campaign in Karnataka, with every ping on WhatsApp, Twitter denoting a knock on the door.

If there were to be a Twitter handle of the Karnataka match award, Siddaramaiah would be one of the frontrunners. Employing wit, sarcasm and data in equal measure, the chief minister's Twitter handle has led the Congress fight from the front, taking on Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Yogi Adityanath and BS Yeddyurappa single-handedly. This week, after delivering a smart repartee to Modi, supporting Congress handles decided to indulge the chief minister with the hashtag #SiddaramaiahRocks.

But while Siddaramaiah's success story with 280 characters has enormous appeal among the chatterati, in rural Karnataka, Twitter has little traction and there is little awareness of the chief minister's exploits on the microblogging site. In Varuna, where Siddaramaiah's son Dr Yathindra is contesting, I met Gurupada Swamy, secretary in Karnataka Congress and in charge of the constituency. I asked him how his team was using WhatsApp in this high-profile election.

"We Congressmen, generally speaking, are not tech-savvy. BJP cadres understand the medium of WhatsApp much better. We use Whatsapp mainly to disseminate information about the campaign as we feel meeting people in person is more effective than WhatsApp group discussions,'' Swamy said.

The BJP approach is not so naive. While the party's public meetings provide the optics, the BJP's real campaign is in the virtual world. While the Congress has given the BJP a run for its money on Twitter, with its sharp rebuttals, the BJP has a clear advantage over WhatsApp. BJP social media experts credit the party's WhatsApp prowess to its cadre-based network and the result of its hard work over the past one year.

The BJP started with a target of 5,000 groups in Karnataka but as D-day approaches, there are an estimated 20,000 active WhatsApp groups, each with about 100 members. These include both voters and cadre, who further disseminate the content to contacts on their personal smartphones.

The Congress social media machinery, though, denies that it is lagging behind.

"We have created 16,000 groups, each with 50 to 200 members. There is a social media in charge for every Assembly constituency though we would have liked to go down to the block level,'' says Madhu Yashki Goud, AICC secretary in charge of overlooking the media outreach in Karnataka.

Campaigning over WhatsApp happens 24x7. It does not matter if the voter is not consuming the media for election-related news or attending public meetings of leaders. He is wooed in the privacy of his smartphone.

The advantage of WhatsApp for political parties also is that unlike Facebook and Twitter, this is an unregulated territory. There are no fact checkers in place so parties are free to plug half-truths and even biases into the narrative. And when the smartphone user gets the same message forwarded by multiple contacts, there is a natural tendency to believe it.

Bengaluru-based Brand specialist Harish Bijoor says almost all content on WhatsApp is consumed by the individual, unlike Twitter, where the likelihood of missing out on tweets is more.

"WhatsApp is not a permission-related medium. Besides, the video ability of WhatsApp is tremendous. And for the political parties, the multiplier effect matters. The flip side is that usually on Twitter, you know the identity of the author of the content while on Whatsapp, you do not," says Bijoor.

How does the BJP make its WhatsApp network work? The content is created by the in-house team in the war room in Bengaluru and then sent to approval section. Once it is approved, it is sent to the distribution section which disseminates the messages on the WhatsApp platforms.

"Depending on the content, we decide what is to be released on Facebook, Twitter or WhatsApp. It depends on the issue and the intensity we are seeking on the ground," says Balaji Srinivas, who heads the BJP social media cell in Karnataka.

Samajwadi Party leader Ghanshyam Tiwari however, warns that there will be diminishing returns if WhatsApp is turned into a platform for hate messages.

"One can only hope citizens are sensible and do not fall for campaigns on false news," says Tiwari. "Hate created on falsehoods can do immense harm."

How do the political parties measure the reach of WhatsApp? Srinivas said it is more intuitive.

"More often than not, the same message comes back to me either through one of my family groups or the media picks it up as some of them are also on some of the groups. That shows that the message has travelled," he added.

With hardly any campaign posters on the ground, Karnataka does not look like a state going into a big-ticket election. The door-to-door campaign template has been replaced by the phone-to-phone campaign, with every ping denoting a knock on the door.
Karnataka has never exhibited a clear caste-wise preference in voting patterns, however, the Congress move to recommend separate religious status to the Lingayats makes this election interesting as it is the first such direct overture to a caste group in the state

Bengaluru: Contrary to popular perception and probably in variance with the situation in several other states, Karnataka has never exhibited a clear caste-wise preference in voting patterns. The general impression is that the dominant Lingayat-Veerashaiva community in northern Karnataka favours BJP and its chief BS Yeddyurappa, whereas the Vokkaligas in the south and central parts of the state largely favour former prime minister HD Deve Gowda and his Janata Dal (Secular). The other backward classes and the Dalits are largely pro-Congress. While such an assumption is entirely possible, there is no clinching evidence to prove that some voters do exhibit the preference in the manner listed above. At most, the conclusion is circumstantial and, if at all, on shaky ground.

Further, such a smug analysis is problematic as it tends to belittle the political consciousness of an individual voter. Secondly, it blows up caste into a factor that looms larger than any other reality as if nothing else is equal, if not more, important. Third, it tends to treat the electorate as sheep.

Karnatakas caste break-up in the 2011 census has never been officially released. According to some media reports, which claim to have access to the Census figures, of the 84 percent Hindu population, the Dalits are close to 20 percent of the population, the politically dominant Lingayats and Vokkaligas around 10 percent each, the scheduled tribes at seven percent and Brahmins comprising two percent. The remaining mostly comprise the OBCs, including seven percent of the politically influential Kurubas.

The track record of elections in Karnataka shows that caste has never played a decisive role in deciding the final outcome. From 1983 onwards, when the first non-Congress government came to power, successive elections have been a referendum on the nature of governance. Each time a ruling party has indulged in infighting and maladministration, it has been defeated, without exception. Also, there have never been caste-centric parties in Karnataka unlike, say, in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

When seen from this perspective, it is difficult to reconcile caste loyalties to the eventual outcome of the elections. For instance, when the BJP was voted to power in 2008 one of the erudite conclusions was that the Lingayat vote was solidly behind Yeddyurappa. In the 2013 elections, when Yeddyurappa broke away from BJP to form the Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) his party performed very poorly in north Karnataka getting just six seats. In the north's Mumbai-Karnataka region, the BJP secured 14 seats, down from 38 in 2008. As for Yeddyurappa, he managed just two seats.

How should one interpret this result? What happened to the solid Lingayat vote base Yeddyurappa was supposed to carry with him? Did the community decide they had enough of their favourite leader? Not to forget that the Yeddyurappa government had allocated funds for various Lingayat mutts and curried favours from seers to establish his credentials as their leader.

One can argue that the Lingayat vote was split between Yeddyurappa and his former party, the BJP. But even this does not hold as the BJP too performed miserably in north Karnataka. If there was indeed a caste-based split and Yeddyurappa came off worse, can one conclude that the Lingayats were with the BJP rather than with Yeddyurappa?

The Congress swept the Mumbai-Karnataka region winning 34 of the 56 seats. What about the Lingayats who voted for Congress? Did the Congress do anything specific to attract them? None at all. Then how did this caste decide to turn to the Congress?

The point of all these questions is to establish that there are no clear answers if seen logically. For, it is next to impossible to ascertain why an individual voter decided to vote for a particular party. Was it not possible that a Lingayat voter in 2008 thought outside of the caste and made an objective assessment? Meaning, taking a stance against the then Yeddyurappa governments dalliance with corruption, maladministration and intra-party fighting.

Lest anyone gets a wrong impression, socially, Karnataka is as caste-driven as any other part of the country. Marriage alliances, family events, and other caste-based rituals are deeply entrenched. Social oppression of Dalits and other social caste-based injustices are equally prevalent in the state.

The issue, however, is that when it comes to elections and voting choices there is no evidence that these prejudices are carried through. Society in Karnataka is far more fractured than popularly known. For instance, the Lingayats and Vokkaligas are multi-layered caste groups. There are numerous sub-castes within both. And, they exhibit discrimination and inequality. Economically, the sub-castes reflect the entire range  from powerful, landed groups to poor landless labourers. And, their political outlook can therefore vary.

Take former chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde. He was a Brahmin but had tremendous clout in north Karnataka. If caste was indeed a major factor, how was this possible? A Brahmin leader supported by multitudes of Lingayats? Especially when the Lingayat community itself was the outcome of a revolt against the Brahmin caste.

The reason for support to Hegde was not caste-based at all. In the 70s when Congress chief minister D Devaraj Urs implemented land reforms, it was opposed by the powerful landed interests in north Karnataka. Hegde chose to support these interests, and over time, he acquired a huge following in that part of the state.

In another example, Gowda is supposed to have the backing of Vokkaligas in south Karnataka. While this may be true, it is also because the people may like him for reasons other than caste alone, for example, his social commitment, his efforts to develop the southern regions in his long political career and his affiliation to the Janata Dal, etc.

Moreover, it may not be the Vokkaligas alone but other castes too who may have supported him in past elections. Else, it would not have been possible for him to be successful. In 1989, when he broke away from the Janata Dal, his faction secured just two seats out of the 217 seats it contested. What then happened to his hold over the Vokkaligas?

While it does not take much to attribute caste reasons for the success or failure of a party, in the case of Karnataka, it is necessary to look beyond this to arrive at an understanding of voting behaviour. That is also the reason why the Congress move to recommend separate religious status to the Lingayats makes this election interesting as it is the first such direct overture to a caste group in the state.

(The writer is an independent journalist based out of Bangalore and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters)
Addressing an election rally in Tumakuru, Modi alleged that the Congress, for years, spoke about poverty eradication only to garner votes, while neglecting farmers and the poor.

Tumakuru: Claiming that the Congress and the JD(S) have entered into a "secret" pact for the Karnataka Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday HD Deve Gowda's party was "protecting" the Congress.

Addressing an election rally in Tumakuru, Modi alleged that the Congress, for years, spoke about poverty eradication only to garner votes, while neglecting farmers and the poor.

"Poll surveys, political pundits...everyone is saying the JD(S) cannot defeat Congress. They cannot form government. If anyone can change the government in Karnataka, it is the BJP."

"If anyone is protecting the Congress, it is the JD(S)... Congress and JD(S) have a secret understanding...an understanding behind the curtains," Modi, who lavished praise on JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda only a few days ago before training his guns on him, said.

The Congress, Modi demanded, should make it clear if it had a secret understanding with JD(S) or not. He said it was with the support of Deve Gowda's party that the Congress had its mayor in Bengaluru.

"Why are you hiding this? Congress should have the courage to speak out the truth to people."

Modi, however, insisted he still has respect for Deve Gowda, who had announced before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls that he would commit suicide if he became the prime minister.

The prime minister said despite Deve Gowda opposing him, when he came to Karnataka for campaigning during the Lok Sabha elections, he said the JD(S) leader should live for 100 years and serve the society.

Modi had showered praise on Deve Gowda at a rally in Udupi last Tuesday and castigated Congress president Rahul Gandhi for "insulting" the former prime minister.

But two days later at a rally in Bengaluru, Modi asked people not to "waste" their votes by backing Deve Gowda's party as it was going to finish "a poor, distant third" in the elections.

Modi said the Congress, which ruled the country for decades, with "one family" in power for most part, neglected the poor and farmers.

"Garibi, garibi, garibi (poverty, poverty, poverty) was their constant rant. But once the son of a poor mother became the prime minister, they clammed shut...now they don't talk about poverty," he said.

He alleged the Congress was responsible for the backwardness of Tumakuru.

The farmers, he said, were suffering because of the policies of successive Congress governments at the Centre and in the state.

"Congress needs to be punished for ensuring Karnataka has a better future," Modi said.

Click here to follow LIVE updates on Narendra Modi in Karnataka
It was fine for Narendra Modi to get into a slanging match with Rahul Gandhi in Karnataka, but he should have left the armed forces out of it.

If the BJP's most important attack on the Congress in Karnataka is to malign it for so-called disrespect shown to General Thimayya and Field Marshal Cariappa over sixty years ago, we are scraping the bottom of the barrel. Surely, political attacks can be over issues that are more relevant, rather than something which has no validity in the present context.

The fact is that disrespect for the armed forces was not the top thing on Jawaharlal Nehrus mind in those early years. He was a pacifist and a romantic and his one argument with General Thimayya was to deny him permission to go into Kashmir and finish the job. Again, it was at the fag end of 1959 when General Thimayya showed his displeasure at Nehru and Krishna Menon for not waking up to the threat from China. The General offered to resign and it was Nehru who convinced him to stay on.

Nehru had a head-in-the-clouds approach to many political situations and it was this naivete and unrealistic love for the dove of peace that caused India hassles for decades. However, his attitude to the armed forces was not one of blatant disrespect. Suffice it to say that the uniform was held by political entities and the public in high esteem, in a more tangible way than the present day. The forces were seen as a cut above.

Further, if the Nehru dynasty had been hostile to its generals, Rajiv Gandhi would not have promoted General Cariappa to Field Marshal in 1986.

No third Field Marshal has been so made by the BJP, though, in fairness, the Vajpayee government did make Arjan Singh a five-star marshal of the Air Force. Indira Gandhi gave the first five stars to Sam Maneckshaw.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took an unwarranted liberty by using the army to score political points, even as he got his dates all wrong. It was fine for him to get into a slanging match with Rahul Gandhi, but he should have left the armed forces out of it. The history of the armed forces is one wherein blood has been shed in the defence of the country, and it is tawdry to bring the uniform into this political slugfest. It is not integral to the election manifesto.

If Nirmala Sitharaman disagrees on policy with General Bipin Rawat over any issue, does it mean that the BJP government is opposed to the forces? The ongoing controversy over OROP is a case in point. If the Congress now uses that to hit back, when will these barbs stop? The armed forces of the present day should ask political leaders to restrain themselves while hectoring during poll campaigns.

Even the acerbic Krishna Menon was afraid of the armed forces' psyche. Luminaries of Indian politics did not know what made it tick. If there was an occasional conflict, it was largely to impose the civilian will on the military and keep it in check. The bureaucracy was used as an effective shield to forestall any such eventuality. Across the border, Pakistan had already settled for martial law and its generals had taken over the corridors of power. In this context, the Congress was wary of the possibility of someone on the Indian side acting in the same way, in what would have been a one-day operation at the most.

But perhaps the British training was so deeply ingrained in these Kings Commissioned officers that thinking of a military coup was not even on the cards.

Perhaps the closest that the Nehru era came to surrendering space was when Lt General Bijji Kaul toyed with the idea of taking over after Nehru. That is ironical since it would have made Nehru a semi-willing colluder. So much for being hostile to the armed forces.

In any case, even if there was hostility between the then political class and the armed forces, how is that connected to an election in Karnataka? What is the rationale behind working up public sentiment over issues which are not in the slightest bit relevant?
Rahul Gandhi on Saturday demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over BJP giving tickets to those allegedly involved in corruption, including its chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa.

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi on Saturday demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over BJP giving tickets to those allegedly involved in corruption, including its chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa.

With only a week left for the Karnataka elections, the Congress president put out a video titled "Karnataka's Most Wanted" on his Twitter account to highlight the issue.

The video had photographs of Modi and other BJP leaders with the party's election candidates, including former ministers who have cases of corruption registered against them.

"Dear Modi ji, You talk a lot. Problem is, your actions don't match your words. Here's a primer on your candidate selection in Karnataka," he said in the tweet.

"It plays like an episode of 'Karnataka's Most Wanted'," he said, using the hashtag "#AnswerMaadiModi".

Dear Modi ji, You talk a lot. Problem is, your actions dont match your words. Here's a primer on your candidate selection in Karnataka. It plays like an episode of "Karnataka's Most Wanted". #AnswerMaadiModi pic.twitter.com/G97AjBQUgO  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 5, 2018

The video says, "Dear prime minister, will you speak for five minutes on eight tickets to the Reddy Brothers gang? Making someone who has 23 cases of corruption, cheating, forgery, your chief ministerial candidate?"

"When will you speak on your top 11 leaders facing corruption cases?" the video says, carrying pictures and names of BJP leaders Sriramulu, Somashekhar Reddy, TH Suresh Babu, Katta Subramanya Naidu, CT Ravi, Murugesh Nirani, ES EN Krishnaiah Shetty Malur, Shivana Gauda Nayak, R Ashok, Shobha Karandlaje, who are candidates in the upcoming polls.

It goes on to accuse Modi of "putting a lid on 35,000 crore illegal iron-ore mining scam of the Reddy brothers."

Taking a dig at the prime minister, the video says, "Awaiting your reply!"

The reference is to Modi's earlier remarks that Gandhi cannot speak for even five minutes without referring to notes.

This was Modi's response to the Congress chief's challenge to face him in Parliament when he alleged that the prime minister cannot stand for five minutes in Parliament if he is allowed to speak for 15 minutes.

The Karnataka Assembly elections are slated for 12 May and results will be out on 15 May.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday called BJP a 'prison, price rise and pakoda' party

Bengaluru: Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "Punjab, Puducherry, Parivar- Congress" jibe against his party, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday called BJP a "prison, price rise and pakoda" party.

"Dear Modiji, heard you spun a new abbreviation 'PPP' today. Sir, we have always championed the 3 Ps of democracy  'Of the People, By the People, For the People'," Siddaramaiah said in a tweet shortly after Modi's attack.

"While your party is a 'Prison', 'Price Rise' & 'Pakoda' party. Am I right, Sir? #NijaHeliModi," he said.

"Nijaheli" in Kannada means tell the truth.

All guns blazing, Modi on Saturday mounted a scathing attack on the Congress over corruption, and asserted it will become "Punjab, Puducherry, Parivar" Congress after its defeat in the Karnataka Assembly polls.

"After 15 May (when poll results will be declared), Indian National Congress will be reduced to 'PPP Congress'-- P for Punjab, P for Puducherry, and P for Parivar (family)," Modi told an election rally in Gadag, where he predicted the state's ruling party would be decimated in the elections.

The chief minister also hit out at Modi's attack regarding increase in assets belonging to some Congress legislator/Minister.

"Sir, Your chief minister candidate took bribe in a cheque. One ofyour Reddy friends G Janardhana Reddy conducted Rs 500 crore wedding for his daughter at the height of demonetisation", Siddaramaiah tweeted.

Modi on Saturday addressed four rallies in Tumakuru, Gadag, Shivamogga and Mangaluru in poll-bound Karnataka, where assembly election is scheduled for 12 May.

Siddaramaiah asked Modi to talk about "something relevant" to the people of Karnataka and suggested topics such as expensive diesel and petrol besides job creation.
Reuters

China has asked the United States to amend a seven-year ban on American companies selling components and software to Chinese telecom equipment firm ZTE Corp, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Friday.

The appeal came during trade talks in Beijing this week between senior officials from both countries aimed at heading off a trade war.

Washington imposed the ban last month, accusing ZTE of breaking an agreement to punish employees after the Chinese maker of smartphones and telecoms gear shipped US goods to Iran in violation of US sanctions.

While US officials have said the action against ZTE was not related to broader trade policy, the move has been seen by many in China as part of the broader trade spat playing out between the worlds No 1 and No 2 economies.

The sources, who declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the talks, said Chinese negotiators asked the US side to listen to ZTEs appeal, take into account the companys efforts to improve its compliance and amend the ban.

Chinas Ministry of Commerce said in a statement earlier on Friday that Chinese officials had made solemn representations over the ZTE case to the US delegation.

It said the US officials, for their part, said they attach importance to Chinas representations and will report Chinas stance to the US president, in reference to US President Donald Trump.

There has been no public read-out of the talks yet from the US side.

The ban on sales to ZTE, which is heavily reliant on imports of US chips, had threatened to scupper the Chinese firms smartphone business. It has also underscored Chinas heavy reliance on semiconductor imports amid growing trade tensions with the United States.

ZTE has said the ban was unacceptable and threatened its survival.A commerce ministry spokesman said after the ban was announced last month that China would take any necessary measures at any time in response to the US move against ZTE.
Reuters

Indian e-commerce firm Flipkarts board is yet to finalise a deal to sell a controlling stake to Walmart Inc, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Friday, adding a deal could just be days away.

Bloomberg reported earlier on Friday, citing unidentified sources, that Flipkarts board had approved a deal to sell a stake of about 75 percent in the company to a group led by US retail giant Walmart for about $15 billion.

A third source told Reuters that while Flipkarts board had in-principle approved engaging with Walmart based on the terms of an offer before them, taxation related concerns and a few other issues need to be resolved.

The first two sources said Alphabet Inc is also likely to invest in Flipkart alongside Walmart, but terms of the deal may change. Japans SoftBank Group, the biggest investor in the Indian firm through its private equity fund, is considering selling its roughly 20 percent stake as part of the deal if the price is right, two other sources said.

SoftBank does not like to be a passive investor, one of the sources said.

Reuters had previously reported Walmart was in advanced talks with Flipkart to acquire a controlling stake in the Bengaluru-based online marketplace at a valuation of at least $18 billion.

Flipkart has bought back $350 million worth of shares from its investors as it seeks to convert its Singapore-incorporated company to a private limited firm, in a move that could ease the way in for a new strategic investor, regulatory filings show.

Flipkart and Alphabet did not respond to Reuters requests seeking comment. Walmart and SoftBank declined to comment.

Amazon Offer

Earlier this week, Indian TV channel CNBC-TV18 reported Amazon Inc had made a formal offer to buy 60 percent of Flipkart and that it had also proposed a $2 billion breakup fee to convince Flipkart to discuss its offer.

Sources told Reuters that Amazon had shown an interest in buying Flipkart, but said a deal with Walmart was much more likely to go through. Amazon is Flipkarts biggest rival in India.

Amazons move to bid for Flipkart may push up valuations of the Indian firm, but engaging with the tech giant could be fraught with risks for Flipkart, said industry insiders and lawyers.

Beyond the risk of opening its books for due diligence and exposing sensitive commercial agreements to its biggest rival in India, an Amazon-Flipkart combination could face significant antitrust hurdles, they said.

Amazon is currently seeking legal opinion to understand how the countrys antitrust regulator, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), is likely to view any deal with Flipkart, a lawyer and an industry source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

A former senior CCI official said e-commerce firms were already giving deep discounts and an Amazon-Flipkart union was likely to be in a position to sway the market their way, but the CCI could be convinced to approve a deal if both firms suggested innovations or remedies.

This definitely would be a tricky case and not easy to sail through, he added.

Amazon declined to comment on whether it had bid for Flipkart or was seeking legal opinion for a potential investment in the firm.

Flipkart, together with its fashion units Myntra and Jabong, controls nearly 40 percent of Indias online retail market, while Amazon is a close second with a 31 percent share, according to data from research firm Forrester.

Both Amazon and Flipkart are pouring billions of dollars into winning shoppers in the fast-growing market that is expected to be worth $200 billion within a decade.
Sheldon Pinto

Google I/O is mostly a developer event, with plenty of workshops for app developers to get up to speed and learn new things first hand from the people at Google. However, over the years, IO has gradually transformed into a consumer facing event mainly because of Android.

While last years Google I/O focused on Android Go, Google Lens, Google Photos, Tensor Flow, Search features and more, this years Google I/O 2018 is expected to be no different. Google is expected to touch upon all of its software and services. From Android P finally getting a name, to Google Assistant, to WearOS, to Android TV, Android Auto and a sprinkle of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) developments and hopefully, something more on where Android is headed (Fuchsia?).

While new developments with search, services and the above mentioned operating systems will be detailed after day one for developers, for consumers, its all about the main Keynote on the day one, where CEO Sundar Pichai is expected to take to the stage.

Android P finally gets a name

Fancy new features and improvements aside, we will finally get a name for Android P. Whether its Peppermint or Popsicle, Google will finally christen its new milestone update and developers will finally get their hands on Developer Preview 2.

While we already had a closer look at Android P in the first Developer Preview, from what we have witnessed in the past, we can expect Googles Android team to blow our minds with some brand new features that have yet to be made public.

Impressive as it will be, we still cannot expect a UI revamp. So those expecting a new design philosophy or fancy new ways to interact with Android will have to wait a few more years. Fans of Android can expect minor design improvements, like rounded corners, and a darker palette, but nothing revolutionary that would change the way we interact with Android on our smartphones and tablets. We might see some updates to do with the 'notch' implementation with Android phones.

Either way, Material Design in all its goodness still looks good and works well. Moreover, Googles current goal is to get software updates on time and to try and solve the fragmentation issue (if thats even possible).

Ok Google! Show me some new tricks!

Just like a Windows 10 update from Microsoft would be incomplete without Cortana getting smarter, Googles IO event is expected to reveal some new tricks with Google Assistant.

These would include additional language support, smarter and complex tasks, and the Google Pay integration. But Google clearly has some plans to get better Assistant functionality to your wrist.

Yes, Google now wants to get Assistant from your pocket to your wrist. It has already announced three updates that will include smart suggestions, audio replies and Assistant Actions.

With Google Assistant now able to connect to up to 5,000 devices, we can expect Google to show off some cool new commands and tricks on stage.

Also, did we forget to mention the upcoming Android TV device (or Chromecast 4K)?

New Chromecast or a full-fledged Android TV?

Little less than a month ago, a Chromecast like dongle leaked out thanks to the FCC. The device according to the filing was tagged as a 4K ATV stick, and came with decent hardware with the ability to stream 4K video at 60 fps as well. While IO is not exactly a hardware event, its the connection that Google Assistant has to this stick, which could see it being revealed or at least spoken about. According to the documents in the filing, the stick can accept voice commands using Google Assistant via a mic on the remote.

What we know for sure is that this new device sure has the goods to up Google's Chromecast and turn it into a smarter Android TV offering.

RIP Tango. Hello! ARCore

While Google did go gaga over Tango last year, the updates on its developments have been far and few. More so Tango enabled smartphones have hardly hit the market, let alone be useful in the hands of consumers. In March this year, Google announced that it was shutting down Tango. So its goodbye Tango and hello ARCore this year.

With plenty of session dedicated to Android, AR and VR, expect plenty of announcement on ARCore especially how it can help out with business and education and of course the addition of some cool new AR stickers.

The future of Android and Chrome OS?

While not official just yet, we have our fingers crossed that Google could give us a glimpse or even a sneak peak at the road ahead for Android.

We are all tired of tapping on icons and pulling down the notifications bar, since Apple will not budge with iOS design guidelines (and with Windows Mobile almost dead), we have our hopes high that Fuchsia will be the road ahead for something new and refreshing for mobile UI design.

We have been fantasising about something new for Android (which it hopefully should be a replacement for) and we have seen how Fuchsia OS works thanks to a workable apk. But with Fuchsia looking so much different with the Android we have today, it is possible that it may still be a few years away. But we will still keep our fingers crossed at day one!

This is a rather short list and as always Google will always have a few surprises, so stay tuned to our live blog for the most detailed updates from Google I/O 2018.
IANS

NASA is all set to launch on Saturday the first mission designed to study the deep interior of Mars called the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight).

It will launch at 7.05 am (4.35 pm India time) aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base.

"Live coverage will begin at 6:30 am with all the details about this mission to take the Red Planet's 'vital signs'," NASA said in a tweet.

"I'm excited for this mission to go beneath the surface of Mars to explore its crust, mantle and core  as well as marsquakes," NASA's 13th Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted on Friday.

(Also Read: NASA's Mars InSight Spacecraft to liftoff on 5 May from California: Here's how to watch it live)

The ULA rocket will carry the spacecraft over the Channel Islands just off the California Coast and continue climbing out over the Pacific, shadowing the coastline south beyond Baja California in Mexico.

InSight's Atlas will reach orbit about 13 minutes after launch, when the rocket is about 1,900 kilometres northwest of Isabella Island, Ecuador, NASA said in a statement.

InSight will study the deep interior of Mars to learn how all rocky planets formed, including Earth and its Moon.

The lander's instruments include a seismometer to detect marsquakes, and a probe that will monitor the flow of heat from the planet's interior.

InSight will be the first mission to peer deep beneath the Martian surface, studying the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listening for marsquakes, which are seismic events similar to earthquakes on Earth.

It will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet's deep interior.
During the meeting, Moon would brief Trump on his recent summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Washington: US president Donald Trump will host his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in at the White House on 22 May, according to an official announcement on Friday.

During the meeting, Moon would brief Trump on his recent summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Moon met with Kim Jong-un last week at a Korean border village during last week's inter-Korea summit. The two leaders agreed to end hostile acts against each other along their tense border, establish a liaison office and resume reunions of separated families.

They also agreed to achieve a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, but failed to produce specific time frames and disarmament steps.

Trump himself is scheduled to have a summit meeting with Kim Jong-un, the date and venue for which "have been decided and will be announced soon".

"This third summit between the two leaders affirms the enduring strength of the United StatesRepublic of Korea alliance and the deep friendship between our two countries," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.

"The two leaders also will discuss President Trump's upcoming meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un," she said.
Drumming up international support for his call to 'fix' or 'nix' the Iran nuclear deal, Netanyahu has reached out to Modi to update him on the developments

Jerusalem: Drumming up international support for his call to "fix" or "nix" the Iran nuclear deal, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached out to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to update him on the recent developments.

A statement from Netanyahu's media advisor on Friday said the Israeli prime minister spoke to three key international leaders, including Modi, Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, and British prime minister Theresa May.

He discussed regional issues with the world leaders and also updated them on the important material that he revealed regarding the Iranian nuclear archive, the press release stated.

Netanyahu had earlier told the media that he would share the archive of more than 1,00,000 documents said to have been obtained by Israel's espionage agency Mossad from a Tehran warehouse, which allegedly proves Iran's past clandestine efforts to assemble nuclear weapons.

"The leaders of the E3  Britain, France, and Germany  said they want to see the material. They're very interested in seeing what we discovered," Netanyahu told journalists in his Jerusalem office.

Intelligence professionals from London, Paris and Berlin are coming to Jerusalem later this week to examine the material Israel presented, he said.

The Israeli premier spoke to French president Emmanuel Macron, Russian president Vladimir Putin and German chancellor Angela Merkel to update them about the Mossad's findings on Monday.

"I told Putin that he's welcome, too, to see the material. I also invited the leader of China and [Yukiya] Amano (the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency)," Netanyahu said.

In a sensational presentation on Monday evening, Netanyahu showcased an enormous trove of Iranian documents that he said proved the existence of Iran's nuclear Project, Amad, which Tehran claimed to have frozen in 2003.

In a daring operation, Mossad agents are said to have managed to obtain and smuggle into Israel 55,000 paper documents and 183 CDs with another 55,000 documents from what looked like a "dilapidated warehouse" in Tehran earlier in 2018.

Israel has expressed hope that the "irrefutable findings" would help shore up international community's longstanding suspicion that the Islamic Republic was investing great efforts in building a nuclear weapon.

There has been speculation in the Israeli media that close ally United States will pull out of the Iranian nuclear deal on 12 May and impose sanctions against the Islamic Republic "based on the reactions coming from Washington on the proof gathered by Mossad".

Commenting on the expectations, Netanyahu gave a guarded response saying, "The decision is President [Donald] Trump's decision alone. He's a leader who knows to take decisions, and he takes them".

Trump, a fervent critic of the seven-party agreement, has long threatened to walk away from the landmark deal unless its European signatories and Congress reconcile his concerns.

The US president is said to be unhappy about key aspects of the "insane" pact. He has complained that the deal fails to restrict Iran's nuclear activities for long enough and to stop the country's development of ballistic missiles.

A dramatic uptick in oil prices in recent weeks has partly been driven by mounting expectations that Trump will soon pull out of the 2015 accord.

The Iran nuclear deal framework was a preliminary framework agreement reached in 2015 between the Islamic Republic of Iran and a group of world powers - P5+1 (meaning the five permanent members of the UNSC and Germany) and the European Union.

Some critics have downplayed the claims by Israel and termed Netanyahu's press conference "theatrical" arguing that the existence of Iran's clandestine nuclear weapons programme was already known and detailed in an IAEA report from 2011.

Israeli officials have refuted such critics saying that the world now has much more detailed knowledge of what went on there with "evidence of a whole different level".
Israel dropped out Friday of a race for a Security Council seat in 2019 and 2020 following a campaign by Arab states at the United Nations to block the bid.

United Nations: Israel dropped out Friday of a race for a Security Council seat in 2019 and 2020 following a campaign by Arab states at the United Nations to block the bid.

The decision clears the path for Belgium and Germany to take the two seats allocated on a regional basis when the General Assembly holds the elections next month.

"After consulting with our partners, including our good friends, the state of Israel has decided to postpone its candidacy for a seat on the Security Council," said a statement from the Israeli mission.

It was Israel's first attempt to win a seat at the 15-member council.

No reason was given for the withdrawal, but diplomats said it had appeared clear in recent weeks that Israel would lose to Germany and Belgium in the General Assembly vote on 8 June.

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki last month said Arab countries were "doing everything possible to convince as many countries as possible to block the vote on Israel's bid for a seat at the Security Council."

Speaking on the sidelines of an Arab summit in Riyadh, Maliki said he was confident that Arab and Muslim states would muster enough votes to block Israel's candidacy.

South Africa and the Dominican Republic are set to win two of the five seats up for election.

Indonesia and the Maldives will be competing for one seat representing the Asia-Pacific group of countries.

The Security Council is made up of five permanent members  Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States  while the 10 other seats are filled by elected members that serve two-year stints.

"We will continue to act with our allies to allow for Israel to realise its right for full participation and inclusion in decision-making processes at the UN," the Israeli mission said.

"This includes the Security Council as well as an emphasis on areas related to development and innovation."

Even if a country is put forward as the region's candidate for a seat, it still needs to secure more than two-thirds of the overall vote in the 193-nation assembly.

That would have made it difficult for Israel to secure enough votes at the assembly.

European diplomats made clear that they would back fellow European candidates for the two seats.
Pakistan prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said the upcoming general elections would be conducted by 'aliens'.

Islamabad: Pakistan prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said the upcoming general elections would be conducted by "aliens", triggering a sharp reaction from the Election Commission which advised him to stay away from making "irresponsible statements", according to a media report.

The remarks indicate that the government is not expecting the upcoming elections to be transparent. The term 'aliens' has probably been coined for the first time in place of 'angels' and 'invisible forces' used in the past, Dawn News reported.

Abbasi's words about "aliens holding the election" echoed the remarks made by ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif two days ago: "Our contest is not with Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan but with the aliens".

"Elections will be held by aliens, but even then we [Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz] will participate in it," the prime minister said in an informal chat with journalists during a reception hosted by Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq for members of the lower house.

His comments drew a sharp reaction from the Election Commission.

ECP spokesman Altaf Khan said that the commission was fully prepared to hold the elections in line with its mandate under Article 218 of the Constitution. Under the Constitution and the Elections Act 2017, the ECP was fully independent in discharge of its legal and constitutional duties, he added.

Khan said people occupying important office should desist from making such "irresponsible statements", adding that such statements were merely based on assumptions and rumours and amounted to ridiculing the Constitution, the report said.
Taking a break from the escalating pressures of the Russia probe and the Stormy Daniels case, US president Donald Trump returned to his supporters at the National Rifle Association's annual convention on Friday.

Dallas: Taking a break from the escalating pressures of the Russia probe and the Stormy Daniels case, US president Donald Trump returned to his supporters at the National Rifle Association's annual convention on Friday.

Trump, speaking on Air Force One on the way to the event in Dallas, called the NRA a "truly great organisation that loves this country."

His remarks on the NRA came after he temporarily strayed from their strong anti-gun control message in the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida  only to later return to the fold.

Last year, Trump became the first sitting president to appear in more than 30 years, declaring that the "assault" on the Second Amendment had ended. But this year's speech comes as the issue of gun violence takes on new urgency after one of the deadliest school shootings in US history.

Student survivors of the 14 February shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 people dead are now leading a massive national gun control movement.

While the shooting has not led to major changes from the White House or the Republican-led Congress, it did  at least briefly  prompt Trump to declare that he would stand up to the powerful gun lobby. He later backpedalled on that tough talk.

Trump's attendance at this year's NRA convention was announced just days ago and came after Vice-President Mike Pence already was scheduled to appear. Asked why Trump was attending, given the current political tensions around gun violence, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said this week that safety was a "big priority."

But, she added, "We also support the Second Amendment, and strongly support it, and don't see there to be a problem with speaking at the National Rifle Association's meeting."

Trump has long enjoyed strong backing from the NRA, which spent about $30 million in support of his presidential campaign. The NRA showcased its high-profile guests for the event, with NRA Executive Director Chris Cox saying on Twitter: "We are honored to celebrate American Freedom with @realDonaldTrump, @VP Mike Pence and others. #2A #watchtheleftmeltdown" But one of the Parkland student survivors, David Hogg, was critical of Trump's planned attendance.

"It's kind of hypocritical of him to go there after saying so many politicians bow to the NRA and are owned by them," Hogg said.

"It proves that his heart and his wallet are in the same place." During a televised gun meeting with lawmakers in late February, Trump wagged his finger at a Republican senator and scolded him for being "afraid of the NRA," declaring that he would stand up to the group and finally get results in quelling gun violence.

He praised members of the gun lobby as "great patriots" but declared "that doesn't mean we have to agree on everything. It doesn't make sense that I have to wait until I'm 21 to get a handgun, but I can get this weapon at 18." He was referring to the AR-15 the Parkland shooting suspect is accused of using.

Those words rattled some Republicans in Congress and sparked hope among gun-control advocates that, unlike after previous mass shootings, tougher regulations would be enacted this time. But Trump later retreated on those words, expressing support for modest changes to the background check system, as well as arming teachers.

After expressing interest in increasing the minimum age to purchase a so-called assault weapon to 21, Trump later declared there was "not much political support" for the move. He then pushed off the issue of age restrictions by assigning the question to a commission.

Trump's moves have drawn concerns from both sides of the gun debate.

"He ran as supposedly the best friend of the Second Amendment and has become gun grabber in chief," said Michael Hammond, legislative counsel to the Gun Owners of America. Hammond said his members were upset Trump had approved a spending bill that included background check updates.

"We're not confident at all. We are very disappointed." Kristin Brown, of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said Trump had offered mixed messages since the Parkland shooting.

"Which Donald Trump is going to show up?" she asked. "Will it be the one who sympathised with the Parkland students he brought to the White House, the one who met with members of the Senate ... or the one who had burgers" with NRA head Wayne LaPierre.

Several groups announced plans to protest over the weekend. The protesters will include parents of those killed in Parkland and in other shootings.
Erring on the side of caution is advisable but an assessment of India-China ties should be done through the lens of realism, not alarmism.

Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping's informal summit at Wuhan has triggered varying sets of reactions in the Chinese and Indian media. While the former has interpreted the "reset" as an overwhelmingly positive development in the context of regional stability and bilateral ties, the latter has remained exceedingly cautious, bordering on being cynical and even negative.

A bit of cynicism is warranted, considering the recent trajectory of bilateral ties. But how justified is it to call the summit an exercise arising out of the prime minister's domestic, electoral compulsions? Did India really go into the process from a "position of weakness" arising out of an "immature" China policy? Will Wuhan go down in history as an inflection point that highlighted Modi's infirmity and marked India's "kowtowing" before China from a post-Doka La high?

If so, that would be exceedingly curious. Not the least because such a reading is incompatible with recent developments on the geopolitical and geo-economic fronts. An unpredictable Donald Trump and a recalcitrant Kim Jong-un have injected doses of instability into a fluid global order, leaving all 'large', 'rising' and 'middle' powers scurrying for pivots.

Instability brings with it a sort of (if temporal) equality. Now that China is trying to cope with winds of change in its neighbourhood and struggling to maintain its influence over Pyongyang, it would be a strange time for Modi to go belly up and prostrate before the 'son of heaven' after showing resolve earlier. The fact that an attempted reconciliation may  according to strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney  "potentially dent his self-cultivated image as a strongman boasting a 56-inch chest measurement" adds to the intrigue if we choose to interpret Wuhan Summit as Modi's 'capitulation'.

To quote Indrani Bagchi in Economic Times, "Wuhan is not likely to get Modi any extra votes. But if things go south, it could impose political costs." If the informal meeting was unlikely to result in any short-term political leverage, and may even impose long-term political costs on Modi, the question is why would the prime minister attempt the reconciliation at all just one year before he seeks a return mandate? Modi has never been found short on pragmatism. Bagchi explains: "in those six closed-door conversations, there emerged a better understanding among the two leaders about the paths their two nations would take in their growth trajectories."

That is certainly a core reason for the re-engagement. To suggest that Modi sought a unilateral audience with Xi to keep things quiet at the border is a political interpretation unsupported by facts. What we must consider instead is that the level of tension in bilateral ties leading up to Doka La (and even post the 72-day standoff, despite BRICS) had become unmanageable for both sides and a common desire to regulate the strain in relations and search for a new modus vivendi in ties played no small a part in driving Modi and Xi to the discussion table.

This isn't to suggest that there weren't other (even competing) motivations at work, but it had become clear to both leaders that the need for at least a short-term stability in ties has become inevitable. India and China have structural problems that are likely to worsen over time, but why should that prevent Modi and Xi from arriving at a set of co-operative measures that may balance the competitive steps both nations will inevitably take in their quest for exerting economic and geopolitical influence in a crowded neighborhood.

In the words of former NSA and foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, "Our basic problem is that we rub up against each other in the periphery, which we both share. That is something which has to be talked through," he told Devirupa Mitra of The Wire, adding: "because none of us have an interest in instability in our periphery. Neither of us want to see the rise of extremism or terrorism in our region. Both of us need a stable periphery, if we need to concentrate on our domestic economic development. It makes sense to have a proper conversation on these issues."

Former foreign secretary S Jaishankar, who had played a key role in resolving the Doka La crisis, contends that talks aren't a sign of weakness, but a mark of boldness. "It is certainly a very bold step. The fact that they have agreed on an informal summit shows that the two leaders realise the importance of this relationship. They have taken on the responsibility themselves on putting it on a better course," he told ANI in an interview conducted just before the summit.

What we see here is a commonality of interests between Beijing and New Delhi to seek a re-engagement that led to Wuhan. It may have its seeds in the BRICS Summit at Xiamen, following which both sides employed their special representatives (Ajit Doval and Yang Jiechi) to find "a platform for strategic communication".

Yet, is it likely that the manouvre may result in a squeezing of India's strategic space? JNU professor Rajesh Rajagopalan contends, "Considering the wide gap in the strategic balance between the two countries  and considering that it is still widening  it makes sense for India to find ways to avoid any confrontation with China until this balance shifts sufficiently such that it is less onerous than at present." He, however, cautions against India squeezing its strategic space by "kowtowing" to China and writes that "if this is the price of the reset, it is just too high."

In a related vein, Manoj Joshi detects a "realisation in New Delhi that the sum total of these positions (NSG, Masood Azhar, Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation) which emphasise confrontation, are unsustainable. What worries Modi now is that Beijing could lower the boom in an election year, with all its unpredictable consequences," he writes in in his piece for Scroll.

Assuming that India made the first move in mending fences, to read submission or an electoral motive in it speaks of a defeatism that mirrors inversely the triumphalism that marks eulogies of Xi in Chinese media. Just as the "chairman of everything" cannot do anything wrong, it would seem Modi is incapable of doing anything right.

This position heightens the threat perception that India faces from China and lowers (and even ignores) the motivations that led Xi to the discussion table. Underplaying the impulses that forced Xi's hands into seeking a reengagement (covered in some detail in my earlier piece here) may make for a skewered assessment.

The portends out of Washington, for instance, are quite belligerent and Donald Trump seems determined to take a quarter from China instead of giving any.

Our high level delegation is on the way back from China where they had long meetings with Chinese leaders and business representatives. We will be meeting tomorrow to determine the results, but it is hard for China in that they have become very spoiled with U.S. trade wins!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2018

The US president, according to a report in Financial Times, wants China to slash "its $337bn-a-year trade surplus in goods and services with the US by almost two-thirds over the next two years and refrain from retaliation against any US trade actions. However, it also wants to end elements of Mr Xis Made in China 2025 strategy, which aims to establish a world-leading role for Chinese companies in some sectors."

Former foreign secretary Shyam Saran feels that the altered circumstances arising out of US protectionism has shaken Chinese belief in the indomitable trajectory of their rise. As a result, he writes in The Indian Express, "there is now a recognition by China that it may have been too hasty in assuming the inevitability of a G-2 world dominated by China and the US and that perhaps there is still some value in maintaining a strategic relationship with other major emerging economies like India."

Interestingly, soon after the Wuhan Summit, China removed import duties on 28 medicines from India that is expected to alleviate a certain portion of the $51 billion trade deficit that India suffers from in bilateral trade.

China has exempted import tariffs for 28 drugs, including all cancer drugs, from May 1st. Good news for Indias pharmaceutical industry and medicine export to China. I believe this will help reduce trade imbalance between #China and #india in the future.  Luo Zhaohui (@China_Amb_India) May 3, 2018

Luo Zhaohui, Chinas ambassador, in an interaction with the media claimed that "Wuhan was not just a talk shop, but both leaders took real decisions and there was a consensus which will be implemented". Chinese vice foreign minister Kong Xuanyou has said that Beijing won't push New Delhi on BRI.

These are meant as signals. Erring on the side of caution is advisable but an assessment of India-China ties should be done through the lens of realism, not alarmism. The power differential may make for a lopsided relationship right now but this anomaly is temporal. In the long run, India is likely to emerge as China's biggest challenger. Managing the rivalry in the short-term is crucial, and Wuhan is a step in the right direction.
Cars.com (NYSE:CARS) completed its spinoff from Tegna last June and has been moving forward independently with the goal of a providing the leading platform for automotive e-commerce. I recently had the opportunity to interview the company's CEO, Alex Vetter, to discuss some of the business's recent moves and key opportunities on the horizon.

With automobile ad spending migrating to digital, Cars.com is operating in a growth industry  but one that also looks highly competitive. Winning in the space seems like it will hinge on having the best tech solutions to make connections between auto sellers and buyers.

Here's a look at how the company is aiming to improve the reach and functionality of its web platforms and capture growth in the online auto space.

The good kind of traffic

Increasing traffic across its platforms will be central to Cars.com's ability to drive overall growth. In its full-year earnings report published March 3, the company reported that year-to-date traffic in 2018 had increased 6% compared to the prior-year period, and unique-visitor traffic was up to an even greater degree. These gains came on the heels of a 3% decline in overall traffic and a 1% uptick in unique visits across fiscal 2017, so it's worth examining what's behind the rebound in order to get a better picture of whether growth is likely to continue.

Here's Vetter on the driving factors behind the recent uptick in web traffic:

Our gains in traffic and SEO are being driven by a combination of deliberate changes we have made to our marketing strategy, combined with product improvements and innovations that are delivering a more solid user experience for consumers. Outside of our own business, we're experiencing a fundamentally strong and steady 2018 auto market for both new and used cars.

Ramping up experimentation and product launches

In order to keep pace with shifts in the online auto space, Cars.com has adopted a methodology that, according to Vetter, "encourages experimentation, testing and learning, failing fast, and testing again." The CEO said this shift has led to a more entrepreneurial environment at the company and helped it move from roughly 30 product launches a year to roughly 300 per month.

Cars.com is also making investments to improve the tech that powers its platforms. Vetter outlined his company's initiatives in the analytics and artificial-intelligence (AI) fields in the quote below:

Our Big Data and Data Science teams have each more than doubled in the past year. AI is at the core of our work across Cars.com companies to solve complex problems and build products that are more accurate and predictive in nature to improve the car shopping and selling experience. Our recently launched "Hot Car" technology, which leverages our 20 years of data and a custom machine learning algorithm, considers more than 50 factors that contribute to how quickly a car will sell. This is just one of many examples of how we are using AI and how our incredible tech talent is innovating in this area.

Expanding features through acquisitions

In February Cars.com acquired Launch Digital Marketing and Dealer Inspire -- two Chicago-based tech companies specialized in the advertising and e-commerce spaces. With the integration of Dealer Inspire, website creation and upkeep are now services that are being offered to dealers through Cars.com. So more than ever, it seems like the company is aiming to bridge the divide between first-party and third-party advertisers.

Here's Vetter's take on the recent acquisitions and how they're giving auto dealers more advanced tool sets for reaching customers and generating sales.

Dealer Inspire's and Launch Digital Marketing's technologies are squarely situated in the fastest-growing segments for dealer investment  their own brands. Their suite of products broadens our current capabilities, and when fully integrated with the Cars.com online marketplace, will offer dealers the most sophisticated and sought-after digital solutions to grow their business and improve operating efficiencies. These products will create a unique end-to-end car shopping experience for consumers, and an even smoother transition from research to transaction.

Vetter said that these added features improve the company's ability to chart the impact that its online platforms have on sales at the dealership level. This should help demonstrate that Cars.com platforms are connected to sales that they're currently not getting credit for and should help drive growth for the company's advertising business. He also indicated that adoption for these new offerings has been fast and is expected to accelerate and that the company expects to continue rolling out new features for its dealer partners that will increase the value of the Cars.com platforms.
Freeport-McMoRan, Inc. (NYSE:FCX) has done a great job turning itself around. But just as it was starting to gain traction in its efforts to recover from an (in hindsight) ill-advised oil investment, troubles popped up at one of its most important mine investments: the Grasberg Mine in Indonesia. Legal wrangling with the country's government has cast a cloud over the company's future. But it should, hopefully, start to clear over the next year. Here's what you need to know.

Credit where credit is due

The first thing to make clear is that Freeport's management has been executing well. Previous company leaders made a debt-fueled investment in the oil and gas industry that didn't work out. That left the miner with two notable problems: Some $20 billion in long-term debt and an oil business that was a drag on performance.

When new management came in it quickly went to work to right the ship. The oil business is now effectively gone, and long-term debt has fallen from around $20 billion following the 2013 acquisition to $11.1 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2018. As a sign of just how much progress has been made, the company reinstated its dividend in the first quarter. It was eliminated in late 2015, partly because of the debt overhang left from the ill-fated oil merger.

Unfortunately, the Indonesian government has decided that it wants to benefit more from Freeport's Grasberg mine. That issue jumped into the headlines in early 2017, and has been a dark cloud on the horizon for more than a year at this point.

Calling it an important asset is an understatement

The first thing to understand is that Grasberg is a key mine for Freeport. In the first quarter the mine accounted for roughly a third of the company's copper sales volume, and basically provided every ounce of gold Freeport sold. Note, too, that this is one of the lowest cost operations in Freeport's portfolio, with operating costs 18.5% below the company's average -- and when you take into consideration by-product credits, the mine's costs were actually negative. So what happens at Grasberg is vitally important to the future of Freeport-McMoRan.

In fact, the copper and gold miner would like to invest in the giant, low-cost mine. It has a five year, $4 billion expansion project on the drawing board just waiting to be put into action. But until there is a clearer picture of the future at Grasberg, those plans are largely on hold.

Effectively, Indonesia wants to have a controlling stake in the mine. That will require Freeport to materially reduce its ownership and, perhaps, material control at this key asset. The two sides came to a broad agreement in late 2017 that would leave Indonesia with a 51% stake. However, the finer details have been harder to agree on.

The two sides are hoping to have a final resolution by the middle of 2018. A mutually beneficial agreement would obviously be good for everyone, but governments and companies often have different views of the world. For example, Indonesia's Ministry of Environment and Forestry imposed new environmental standards in April of 2018 that are complicating the larger mine discussion. The stock sold off sharply, partly because of this revelation. This is a big, difficult, and still very uncertain issue facing Freeport and its investors.

A clearer picture

With any luck Freeport will have a solution to its Grasberg problem by the middle of 2018, the agreed upon target. The timing, however, is still unclear, and the mid-year date could slip. The actual impact of that solution, meanwhile, will be far more clear as the two sides work to implement the agreement. Assuming the mid-2018 date holds (or is at least close to the right time frame), this will all unfold over the next year, and at that point investors will have a much better idea of what Freeport's future will look like. In fact, until there's a resolution, most investors are better off watching from the sidelines here. The unfortunate fact is that, despite the current goal, the two sides could still be discussing this issue in a year's time...
Azerbaijan is home to the worlds fastest street circuit  an exhilarating blend of flat-out blasts and tight and technical turns. How did the top three teams adapt last weekend? Mark Hughes and Giorgio Piola explain Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull each approached the Baku rear wing conundrum differently last weekend. Its a track with a uniquely conflicted demand; big wings generating maximum downforce would be ideal for the tight Monaco-like middle sector of the lap, but tiny Monza wings would be best for the long flat-out stretch from Turn 16 down to Turn 1 which, at 2km, is the longest flat-out stretch the cars see all year. The optimum point of rear wing downforce will be different for each car, according to how much power it has, how much drag is carried, what the aero balance between front and rear can be and so on.

But Red Bull, as the least powerful of the top three cars, went with its traditional Baku solution of a very flat but conventional main plane (see above). It would have been helped in this by their high-rake design concept. This means the underfloor will be creating a lot of downforce and also that the wing main plane, although flat in isolation, will be presented to the air with an angle of incidence because of the rake of the car itself.

Ferrari (above) and Mercedes, by contrast, opted for spoon-profiled main planes, with thin outboard ends dropping down into a more generously-sized middle section. In this way, the most draggy part of the wing  the outboard ends  can be minimised, while still generating good downforce from the more efficient central part.

At Baku last year Ferrari back-to-backed a conventionally-shaped main plane (above left side) with a spoon-style version (above right side) and opted to qualify and race the latter. This year, they plumped immediately for a spoon profile. The Mercedes spoon rear wing ran with less angle than Ferraris but was quite similar in concept, albeit with serrations on the trailing edge of the main profile (below).
Chairman of NATO Military Committee: If Russia had not invaded Transnistria, Georgia and Ukraine, NATO would not have strengthened its military - GeorgianJournal
Google to redesign News; YouTube and magazines integration likely News oi-Vishal Kawadkar Google has new plans for its News service.

Google News will soon be witnessing some major changes. According to a report by AdAge, the service will be getting a "new design" and will "incorporate elements of the [Google Play] Newsstand app and YouTube."

The new Google News will be powered by Google's new AMP technology. It is expected to launch at Google I/O 2018. Google is said to be in talks with publishers about the new design. AdAge also quotes one anonymous publishing executive as saying, "It's a consolidation of all the ways you can interact with news on Google...There are a lot of Google services where you find news, and what they're trying to do is bring it all under one brand."

The overhaul comes as a surprise since the current design is less than a year old. It's still unclear whether the new design is just to bring in YouTube and Play Newsstand or the whole thing is rebuilt from scratch. The report also suggests that Google news will get a new app.

The report also mentions Google Play Newsstand is going to close as part of the overhaul. Besides, Google Play Music is also expected to shut when it merges with YouTube.

It seems that the Google Play branding is seeing its end slowly. The brand comprises Google Play Store (Android's app store), Google Play Movies & TV, Google Play Music, Google Play Books, and Google Play Newsstand. There's a possibility that media apps such as Music and Movies & TV will all merge into YouTube.

Besides, Google has been awarded a patent that looks purely basic but cool at the same time. The patent shows a method of generating "animated user identifiers." So when the users make a voice or video call, the system will click pictures using the selfie camera to create a little animation and send it to the receiver.

Quick Steps to Hide Your Facebook Friend list - GIZBOT

The same animation can be used again for contact apps, chat apps or any other place where the identifier will be appropriate. Google has been working on better user identifiers for quite some time now. The patent is a follow-up to the patent filed in 2016 and is also implemented a related version of this in Duo, its video calling app.

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Google to fund the startups working with Google Assistant News oi-Sandeep Sarkar Google revealed that the investment program will offer startup financial resources along with the early access to the company's features and tools.

Google has recently announced a new investment program that focuses on early-stage startups. Google will be investing in those startup companies which are working towards building more hardware or features for the Google Assistant.

The tech giant has announced the program in an official blog post. In the blog post, Google revealed that the investment program will offer startup financial resources along with the early access to the company's features and tools. Also, the startups will have an access to Google Cloud Platform and will also get promotional support which will highlight the new companies.

By using the investment program the startups will get investment capital from Google. This will help in the development, hiring and management of the startups.

Further, Google has also said that it will be mentoring the company's engineers, product managers, and also the design experts. This is in order to share technical guidance along with product development feedback.

The other benefit that the startups will get from the Google partnership is that they will get an early access to upcoming features and tools from Google Assistant. This will allow the startups to jump the queue when it comes to innovative changes.

Google Home Unboxing and Setup process - GIZBOT

If we speak about the technicality, then the startups will get access to the Google Cloud Platform that powers Google Search and YouTube. This is said to help the startups to scale up easily with less technical difficulties. Also, Google will give promotional support so that the consumers stay updated with Google Assistant powered apps.

The first batch of startups which will receive funding from the Google include:

 GoMoment- These are the developers behind Ivy, a 24/7 concierge service which is capable of answering common questions like "can I get a late checkout?". Responses that require any human input are redirected to hotel staff, ensuring a quick turnaround.

 Edwin- This is an AI-powered English tutor which allows the students to appear for foreign language tests. It also provides customized lessons for each student. The service also allows users to prepare for tests on the Facebook Messenger. This makes it feasible for them to study whenever and wherever they want to.

 BotSociety- This is a simple tool for developers which allows them to test and design voice interfaces.

 Pulse Labs- This is an application with which developers can test their voice service apps with real people.

Google has not disclosed that what would the investment be worth, however, the company says that the interested companies can now apply for the program.

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Faced with challenges and changes, including demographic decline, Christians must participate in the political process. In a message to his co-religionists, the Chaldean patriarch calls on them to choose leaders who intend to "serve" Iraq and its people, noting that Iraq needs a modern constitutional civil government to guarantee unity and pluralism. The primate also mentions the major role Chaldeans played in the nations history and development.

Baghdad (AsiaNews)  His Beatitude Mar Louis Raphael Sako addressed a message to the Chaldean community in Iraq and around the world a few days before Iraqs 12 May elections, an event that will mark the countrys future.

In it, the prelate notes that, despite challenges and changes as well as demographic, social and cultural decline of the Christian presence in Iraq, this is an urgent historical moment for Chaldeans, in particular, and Christians in general to take part in a responsible way in the political process. To be authentic, this task must be free from fear that encourages emigration

This is not the first time that the primate of the Iraqi Church has spoken out on such matters, telling Christians of the importance of voting and taking active part in the countrys political life.

As a shepherd and a Father, he writes, I urge everyone, especially Iraqi Chaldeans, at home and abroad, to participate in the upcoming parliamentary election. At the same time, he warns to vote for those who are best suited to serve them [the voters] and Iraq.

This means Keeping in mind that the election is a national, moral and Christian responsibility to ensure a modern constitutional civil government that believes in pluralism and preserves the cultural and civilizational heritage of all [its] components!

Thus, Mar Sako invites the whole Christian community to play an active role in the election and warns them to evaluate carefully the opportunity of creating a political party called the Chaldean Union (Huyada Kaldaya) because the latter could attract opportunists and boasters who have nothing to do with Christian values and heritage.

I hope that one of the priorities of this party would be a strong alliance with the Assyrian, Syriac and Armenian parties, representing the Christians in the House of Representatives and that such a vital project will be implemented away from the interference of the Church.

The Chaldean primate said he had hoped to see Christians in this election together in a unified list because "we are stronger together". Hence, he bemoans the fact that it didnt work unfortunately due to [some] agendas supporting some Christian parties as well as individual interests!

In this context, Mar Sako also mentions the thousands of years of history of the Chaldeans of Mesopotamia, one of the most ancient and authentic peoples who make up todays Iraq and who have given much in terms of culture, poetry, music, law and astronomy.

Past and more recent persecutions  from the Assyrian-Armenian genocide of 1915 to the violence of extremist groups like the Islamic State group  should not be the source of any fear.

Conversely, Emigration affects the historical presence of Christians in Iraq and weakens their role in society". (DS)
Nokia 7 Plus to get dual VoLTE support soon

HMD has confirmed that the Nokia 7 Plus smartphone will get support for dual VoLTE functionality. The confirmation came from chief product officer Juho Sarvikas.

Thanks Sid for the awesome review and don't worry, 2nd sim will support LTE shortly!  Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) May 4, 2018

The feature will allow users of the device to use both their SIM cards for 4G LTE access. Sadly, an exact timeframe wasn't revealed by the executive, but 'shortly' suggests a waiting period measured in weeks rather than quarters.

Source
According to a new report from South Korea, the much-hyped foldable smartphone from Samsung is likely to be made official in February at next year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The report says the company has asked partners to start the supply of parts for the device by November this year. It further adds the project code name for the phone has also been changed from Valley to Winner, which experts say is an indication the project has moved beyond the development phase and nearing release.

So what about the next Galaxy S series phone? Well, the report notes it will be pulled by a couple of months and will debut in January. The Korean company will allegedly use the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) platform to unveil the Galaxy S10, although that seems unlikely. If anything the company might hold a standalone event for the next S-series devices.

In case you missed it, Samsung's CEO said earlier this year the company is working to ensure that the foldable smartphone - said to called Galaxy X - isn't just a gimmick.

Source | Via
Published on 2018/05/05 | Source



Added the upcoming Korean movie "Youthful Mother-in-law"'s page to HanCinema database

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"Youthful Mother-in-law" (2018)

Directed by Choi Eun-jung

With Jin Si-ah, Jin Joo, James, Yoon Sang-doo,...

Synopsis

Sun-young and Do-han have been married for 3 years. Do-han's failure in business loses his home and they move into Sun-young's dad's home where he lives alone. Sun-young starts going clubbing as she can't stand her incompetent husband and meets Jung-hyun there. She comes home drunk every night or spends the night out, but Do-han can't say anything to her. Then one day, Sun-young's father, who is away on work, calls to say a woman who is going to be her step-mother is stopping by. Kyung-mi comes along. Kyung-mi's father met her on his business trip and was going to return home with her, but his trip ended up taking longer so she came ahead of him.

Sun-young wasn't happy with this sudden change but, Kyung-mi comforts Do-han who is completely ignored by his wife.

Release date in Korea : 2018/05/11
Published on 2018/05/05 | Source

Added episodes 23 and 24 captures for the Korean drama "Switch - Change The World" (2018)

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Directed by Jo Young-min, Nam Tae-jin

Written by Baek Woon-cheol, Kim Ryoo-hyun

Network : SBS

With Jang Keun-suk, Han Ye-ri, Jung Woong-in, Jo Hee-bong, Shin Do-hyun, Ahn Seung-hwan,...

32 episodes - Wed, Thu 22:00 (2x35min)

Formerly known as "Operation King" (, gong-jak-wang)

Synopsis

A smart con artist impersonates a prosecutor. He passed all the necessary exams, but never managed to get work in the legal profession.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2018/03/28

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Stiffer breast tissue creates an environment more prone to cancer by enabling the disease to interfere with the surrounding healthy cells, according to a recent study published in Biomaterials.

Scientists studying tumor growth and metastasis at the University of Notre Dame fabricated a human tissue model to examine how cancer cells interact with connective tissue in the breast. The model allowed the team to control the stiffness of the tissue, mimicking both healthy and cancerous breast tissue structures. They found manipulation of fat cells to be stiffness-dependent.

One of the interesting things were looking at is how cancer interacts with surrounding cells and how it manipulates those cells to its own benefit, said Pinar Zorlutuna, assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and the Harper Cancer Research Institute at the University of Notre Dame. The goal of these tissue engineered cancer models is to mimic the physiological environment of the tumor, so we can use them as a platform to study breast cancer in the human tissue microenvironment.

Fat cells, collagen fibers and epithelial cells make up the microenvironment of breast tissue. Cancer typically appears around the epithelial cells. Previous studies looking at differences between healthy and cancerous tissue found that the cancerous tissue differed in stiffness. According to Zorlutunas study, stiff tissue can present a microenvironment susceptible to tumor growth by enabling the cancer cells to modulate its surrounding connective tissue cells.

If you have a stiffer environment, the cancer cell can do more manipulation of its immediate microenvironment, Zorlutuna said. The model allowed us to study varying levels of stiffness in the tissue. In tissue with normal stiffness, the cancer cells did not interfere with the state of the surrounding stromal cells. In tests where the tissue was stiffer, the cancer halted the differentiation process of the surrounding fat stem cells, favoring a more stem cell-like state creating a microenvironment that favors a tumor to grow.

Researchers have typically conducted similar studies using animal models. While these tests can help advance an understanding of the disease, Zorlutuna said they could also pose a challenge.

Animals and humans are quite different, she said. If youre looking at tissue environment, mobility and the immune system, mouse models, for example, are as different to human models as the pancreas is to the lung.

Those models can also pose a challenge to drug discovery. A fraction of the drugs proven effective in mice actually makes it through clinical trials when tested on humans, Zorlutuna said. The results of this study could help make the case for tissue engineered human disease models to be used as part of a parallel approach to drug screening before administering those drugs in clinical trials.

Co-authors of the study include Trung Dung Nguyen, Xiaoshan Yue, Victoria Zellmer and Siyuan Zhang at Notre Dame.

The American Cancer Society, Walther Cancer Foundation Cancer Cure Ventures and the Harper Cancer Research Institutes Notre Dame Day Pilot Fund funded the study.
A MORTGAGE specialist left a judge with "no choice" but to ban him from driving for four years - as it was his second uninsured driving offence.

Gerard Deegan (33) was stopped by gardai while "acting suspiciously", two years after he committed a similar offence.

Sergeant Anthony McNulty told Swords District Court that gardai stopped the defendant at North Street, Swords, at 5.30pm on April 15.

"He was acting suspiciously and when gardai spoke to him he admitted he had no driving licence and no insurance," said Sgt McNulty. The defendant, of Ashfield Green, Mulhuddart, had a previous no insurance conviction for which he was banned from driving for two years.

Depression

Solicitor Brian McGoey told the court that Deegan had been off work for six weeks due to anxiety and depression, which had been diagnosed by his GP.

The separated father-of-three, who lives with his mother, needed his car to take his two children to their activities and required his car to attend counselling and his doctor.

"He has been working for KBC Bank for eight years and is on the social committee with the bank, and helped organise a 10k night run for charity," Mr McGoey said.

He added that the defendant hoped to purchase a property in Co Cavan next year and would require his car to commute to his job. Judge Gerry Jones said he had "no choice" but to convict him and impose a four-year driving ban.

"He's aware it's his second no insurance conviction. He was caught on two occasions without insurance and I have no choice," said Judge Jones, imposing the driving ban and fining him 600.
A man has been remanded in custody in relation to an incident in which a garda suffered stab wounds.

Niall Alvey (33), of Gleann Dara, Rahoon, Co Galway, appeared before a special sitting of Galway District Court last night.

In court, Sergeant Fergus Gaughan gave evidence of arresting Mr Alvey at Renville, Oranmore, Galway, at 12.10pm yesterday.

He told Judge Gerard Furlong that he charged Mr Alvey at 7.30pm at Galway Garda Station.

Sgt Gaughan said that the defendant made no reply to the charge.

Mr Alvey is charged with assault causing harm to a garda, who is a member of the armed Regional Support Unit based at Salthill.

The officer was taken to University College Hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening lacerations.

The defendant, dressed in a blue T-shirt and tracksuit leggings, did not speak during the brief hearing.

Inspector Karen Moloney applied to have Mr Alvey remanded in custody to Galway District Court until next Wednesday, May 9, and told Judge Furlong that there would be opposition to bail.

Judge Furlong granted free legal aid.

Defending solicitor Valerie Corcoran said she had concerns that her client might not be able to receive the necessary psychiatric care at Castlerea Prison.

Ms Corcoran urged that he be transferred immediately to a facility which would be able to provide immediate care.

She said that she had not been able to engage with her client to establish fitness to plead.

Judge Furlong requested any necessary transfer within the prison service to be considered to enable immediate assessment of the defendant, which would facilitate a report on fitness to plead to be prepared for the return date.
A man is facing trial on multiple counts of possession of child pornography and the sexual exploitation of a child. Stock picture

A man has been sent for trial on multiple counts of possession of child pornography and the sexual exploitation of a child.

The accused, who is in his late 20s and cannot be identified for legal reasons, is facing 14 charges of sexually exploiting a child on dates between January 2014 and May 2014.

He is further accused of knowingly possessing 717 images of child porn on his laptop at an address in Kildare in February 2016.

He was served with a book of evidence during his second appearance at Balbriggan District Court.

Surrendered

Judge Conal Gibbons was told the Director of Public Prosecutions had consented to the accused being returned for trial.

Judge Gibbons made an order sending him forward for trial to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where he will face his next hearing on June 1.

Under the terms of his bail, he has to reside at an address given to gardai. He has surrendered his passport and is to have no contact with the injured parties, as well as being available to gardai by mobile phone.

Legal aid was granted and two counsel were assigned.
The Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) has seen the number of women booking in for smear tests more than double in the aftermath of the CervicalCheck screening scandal.

It comes as GPs warned patients may have to wait several days for a routine appointment, as they are receiving dozens of additional calls daily and an "unprecedented demand" for consultations.

Health chiefs said earlier this week that women who want to have a cervical smear test will be entitled to one free of charge at a GP surgery or clinic.

Thousands of women have sought retests, following revelations that Limerick mother-of-two Vicky Phelan, who has cervical cancer, had a false negative smear result in 2011.

Cope

The IFPA told the Herald that extra smear clinics are now being put on to cope with the demand at its Dublin-based clinics.

"There has been a large volume of calls coming into the two IFPA medical clinics since Monday," said a spokeswoman.

"In the last three weeks of April, the clinics took around 50 smears a week.

"This would be in line with the number of smears we do annually under CervicalCheck - last year it was 2,843, so an average of 55 a week."

However, this week alone, around double that number had booked in - with some 106 women booking a smear test.

The IFPA reported that the numbers are even higher for next week. By Wednesday, some 131 women had already booked in for a smear test next week.

The IFPA has in excess of 367 cervical smears booked in for this month. The average for the first four months of the year was 234 a month, so that's more than a 55pc increase so far, the spokeswoman said.

"Most women are opting for CervicalCheck but some are paying privately," she added.

IFPA medical director Dr Caitriona Henchion advised women: "The first step is to visit the CervicalCheck website to see if you're due or overdue a smear. If that's the case, you should go ahead and book one.

"If you're worried about your past smears, you should contact either CervicalCheck or your smear taker. They can remind you of when the smears were done and what the results were.

"Based on that, they can tell you if a repeat smear is advised."

Meanwhile, the Well Woman Centre has also seen a marked increase in the number of women seeking smear tests.

"We are getting people who have not had their smear test done, who want to have them done," said medical director Shirley McQuade.

Results

"We have had people who have had smear tests done with us over the years, and want to have a copy of all their test results going back to whenever they started. Our computer system goes back to 2002."

People are also emailing in and asking when their last test was done, she added.

The National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP) has warned patients may experience delays in getting an appointment, due to the "hugely increased demand placed on general practice as a result of the ongoing CervicalCheck controversy".

It said that GPs are also experiencing a significant increase in calls from concerned patients, which has led to patients experiencing difficulties getting through.

"Our members are telling us that this has placed a pressure greater than the influenza season on our members," the NAGP said in a statement.

"We will always aim to see urgent cases on the same day, but patients may now have to wait several days for a routine consultation.

"Women should continue to attend for routine smears as part of the CervicalCheck screening programme as normal. Screening saves lives," the statement added.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is not ruling out a public inquiry into the scandal.

He praised Ms Phelan, saying she is "the person who really shook the whole system up and woke us up to this".

He was speaking after officially opening a primary care centre in Tallaght.

Ms Phelan has called for a public inquiry into the scandal.

Mr Varadkar said he spoke to Ms Phelan yesterday and praised her.

He said he agrees with her that any inquiry should be "speedy" and "transparent".

The Taoiseach confirmed Ms Phelan will take part in the scoping exercise that will determine the nature of the inquiry.
Provo Temple may  again  reflect sister temple in Ogden after renovations

It was no surprise to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that President Russell M. Nelson announced on Sunday that several new temples would be built. What was a surprise was the announcement of the reconstruction of the Provo Utah Temple, which will begin when the Orem Utah Temple is completed. The Orem Utah Temple is expected to be finished in the fall of 2023. We recognize the interest this generates for people and communities in locations that will receive such a temple. At this point, limited information is available beyond the intent to build a temple ...
For Subscribers $2B cannabis deal may mean more business for Hancock operation

"The combined company will have greater financial resources and an opportunity to expand the Hancock cultivation and processing operations."
What does a number suggest to you? When Kathak exponent Aditi Mangaldas asked this question to her disciples, the replies overwhelmed her with possibilities of a dance recital where mathematical figures can be explored. And this exchange gave birth to an upcoming event  Dance Drishtikon: 10x10.

There will be 10 performances of about seven or eight minutes, each relating to a number. If the first performance is a solo recital, the second will be a duet, and so on. Though the duration of each performance is short, every aspect of the show  from the music to the content  is minutely thought out . I think its important for young people to find their voice, not be afraid to experiment and get a platform to perform, says Mangaldas.

Kathak dancer Gauri Diwakar will explore the concept of breath though her choreography.

The students had a tough time conceiving the idea to interpret the concept of numbers in their act. Gauri Diwakar, who will be performing a solo for number one, says, Its easy to think about the sun and relate it to number one. But I had done a similar performance earlier; so, I thought of breath. For my research, I spoke to a lot of people and even doctors to understand the concept of breath, and how it is different at every stage of life. Kathak is about mathematics, and Im going to play with numbers in my recital.

Another performer, Rashmi Uppal, who will explore the concept of the number two in a duet with dancer Dheerendra Tiwari, says, I once read a tagline in a newspaper about the idea of Kal, which is used to refer to both yesterday and tomorrow in Hindi. And that had stayed in my mind. When I was asked to represent the number two through my dance, I thought of exploring this concept. Throughout our performance, my partner and I will not face each other because yesterday and tomorrow never meet.

Minhaz Khan will perform at the sixth slot, and represent sixth-sense though his performance. (Photo: India Heritage Desk)

The 10 choreographies at the show will explore a range of pure classical and contemporary renditions of Kathak. Some performers have also chosen concepts that are unusual, and creating recitals based on them isnt easy. Minhaz Khan, who has chosen the idea of sixth sense to convey his thoughts about the number six, says, Initially I thought six could also be represented through six seasons, but then I wanted to explore the sixth sense, which is more challenging. And Aditi didi helped us. We have added rhythm to the performance and the different sounds will be created with different body parts.

Catch It Live What: Dance Drishtikon 10x10 Where: Little Theatre Group (LTG) Auditorium, Copernicus Marg When: May 10 Timing: 7.30pm Nearest Metro Station: Mandi House on Blue and Violet Line

Interact with the author at Twitter/@HennaRakheja
Bollywood star Ranveer Singh, who has topped a Most Desirable Men List, feels flattered to be considered for the title. He has topped The Times 50 Most Desirable Men List of 2017, which has Prabhas, Virat Kohli, Hrithik Roshan and Sidharth Malhotra rounding off the top five.

I do not consider myself to be the best-looking actor, but it is very flattering to be considered desirable, Ranveer said in a statement. The Padmaavat star added: Its important for people to feel desirable for the sake of their self-confidence. I do not consider myself to be the best looking actor. Also, I was an overweight kid till about Class 9.

The actor said he still sees himself the same way, In my head, I am still that fat kid who gets no female attention. I will always be that fat kid because those years were my foundation years. I dont actively seek validation of my desirability from people, but it is most definitely welcome.

Smug AF #mondaymotivation A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Apr 22, 2018 at 11:51pm PDT

 A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Mar 21, 2018 at 9:03am PDT

Talking to Conde Nast Traveller about his childhood and family vacations, Ranveer said, We didnt have a lot of money when I was growing up. So my parents would save up and save up for that one big summer holiday abroad; I remember going to Indonesia, Singapore, Italy, but most often it was the USwe had a lot of family there. And December was always Goa with my grandparents.
Bollywood gossip will have us believe that Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone may tie the knot soon. While we await either of the stars to discuss the issue, their latest Twitter exchange seems like a giant heart emoji. So, without further ado, let us tell you what happened.

On Friday, Ranveer topped a Most Desirable Men List, which has Prabhas, Virat Kohli, Hrithik Roshan and Sidharth Malhotra rounding off the top five. The actor said he was very flattered to receive the honour. He thanked everyone who voted for him and wrote on Twitter, Most desirable! Sweet! A big Thank you to @timesofindia ... and to everyone who voted for me ! For good measure, there were heart and thank you emojis to go with the message on Twitter.

Most desirable! Sweet! 



A big Thank you to @timesofindia ... and to everyone who voted for me !  https://t.co/Z4eh1ZmkyU  Ranveer Singh (@RanveerOfficial) May 4, 2018

Without missing a beat, Deepika replied to his tweet, your welcome (sic). She had a heart emoji to go with it too. Ranveer responded with laughter and a kissing emoji. Deepika and Ranveer have been dating for a few years but have never publically accepted their relationship.

However, they never shy away from public display of affection now and then. Speculation suggests that the couple may tie the knot later this year. Ranveer and Deepika have worked together in blockbusters such as Padmaavat and Ram-Leela.

Earlier, speaking about topping the list, Ranveer had said in a statement, I do not consider myself to be the best-looking actor, but it is very flattering to be considered desirable. Its important for people to feel desirable for the sake of their self-confidence. I do not consider myself to be the best looking actor. Also, I was an overweight kid till about Class 9.
1. Maacher Jhol - The Fish Curry (2017)

Director: Abhishek Verma

Maacher Jhol

This film tries to explore the theme of sexual acceptance and identity through food. Lalit is in love with his room partner and in order to seek parental acceptance, he cooks his fathers favourite dish  maacher jhol (fish curry). The film won Best Animation in 2018 at the recently announced National Awards.

2. Good Morning Mumbai! (2011)

Directors: Rajesh Thakare and Troy Vasanth

Good morning Mumbai!

Based on the slum dwellers of Mumbai, this 13-minute film addresses the issues of sanitation and slum dwellers. It brings out the eccentricities of the city and reveals details of their life in a humorous fashion.

3. Chasni - The Sugar Syrup (2014)

Director: Abhishek Verma

Chasni

How often have you come across an acid attack victim? Have you ever tried to spend some time with them or understand what they go through? This movie deals with acid attack victims without portraying any violence or aggression, and the plight of the victim is brought forth against a poignant backdrop.

4. Fakir (2013)

Director: Varun Nair

Fakir

Its all about fighting for basic necessities for some people. Fakir is an animated film that showcases a hungry poor mans quest to find food through somewhat quirky and self-made ways. It is bound to melt your heart and touch a chord.

5. Take Me Home (2014)

Director: Nair Archawattana

Take Me Home.

Whether you are a pet lover or not, the tactics by a puppy to get adopted are bound to move you and perhaps make you a dog person! The film underlines the fact that love and attention are two things that everyone yearns for and this need to be loved is not just in humans but in animals too.

Follow @VeenuSingh12 on Twitter

From HT Brunch, May 6, 2018

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There was a time when the use of ketchup was a class division thing. If you went to clubs or fancy restaurants then you would be offered ketchup with your snack or your potato chips. But at roadside places, dhabas, less fancy restaurants and the like, you would get a chutney of some kind.

Now, the use of ketchup is a generational thing. People of my generation are horrified when they see samosas being served with ketchup. I am always appalled when I get a bowl of ketchup with a plate of shami kebabs.

But younger people dont find the ubiquity of ketchup at all unusual. They dont ever see it as a British or American sauce. It is something they have grown up with; its just another all-purpose sauce to eat with everything.

What made the difference?

Several factors, I think. Of these, the most important was the boom in fast food outlets. Ketchup is the petrol of the fast food industry. You cant imagine a branch of Burger King or McDonalds running without ketchup. So it is with KFC and the other chains that have spread all over India. You will find little sachets of ketchup at all of these stores/outlets. And often the main course itself (say, a burger) will have ketchup smeared inside it.

I reckon that the generation that grew up with fast food stores and little sachets of ketchup is now so familiar with the taste that it regards ketchup as an all-purpose seasoning. If you can smear ketchup on your alu tikki burger then why cant you have it with your samosa?

And then, there is the general move towards convenience foods at home. When I was young, they would make kothmir chutney (coriander chutney) in our kitchen every two days. Now, hardly anybody has the time. Far easier to just open a bottle of some packaged sauce.

I am sure many Indians privately wonder: are these guys really making tomato ketchup?

There is also the hygiene issue. Unless I am sure about its provenance, I am always apprehensive about eating chutney at restaurants. Many of us will be even more careful if our children are with us. Ketchup from a bottle is always safer especially if you are eating at a roadside stall.

And finally, there is the failure of the Indian sauce industry. When you go East, you find any number of bottled sauces made to local recipes. (Sriracha, originally from Thailand, is one of the most famous). But Indian sauce manufacturers have failed to successfully market bottled versions of our traditional sauces. Why should you have to dunk your samosa in ketchup at a halwais store? Why arent the manufacturers pushing an alternative Indian sauce?

For all of these reasons, the Indian ketchup market is expanding at a phenomenal rate. Over the last six years, it has grown by around 18 per cent every single year, which means that it doubles in size every four years or so. All indicators suggest that this rate of expansion will be maintained and may even rise.

While all this pleases the big food companies, I am sure many Indians privately wonder: are these guys really making tomato ketchup? Or is this just pumpkin ketchup being passed off as the real thing?

It is a valid question. And the answer is complicated.

The local preference in India is for the taste of our chutneys  sweet and masaledaar (Shutterstock)

At one level, you can look at the Indian ketchup boom as just the latest instalment in a global success story. In 2004, the writer Malcolm Gladwell published a famous article called The Ketchup Conundrum in The New Yorker. Gladwell argued that while the American condiment market had diversified and morphed over the years (he gave the example of French mustard which had grown in popularity at the expense of English /American mustard), ketchup preferences had remained more or less the same. People stuck to the basic tomato ketchup and Heinz was still the market leader.

Gladwell argued that Heinz Ketchup had been popular for such a long period because it had amplitude  its flavours were more perfectly harmonised and hit all our taste receptors in just the right way. One reason why the ketchup market had not changed in the same way that the mustard market had, Gladwell suggested, was because Heinz Ketchup was a pretty perfect invention.

Well, Gladwell was right. And he was wrong. Heinz may be perfect in America. But Indians dont necessarily think it is perfect.

Everyone in the food business will acknowledge that few companies put as much effort into making ketchup as Heinz does. (The company even specifies the seeds from which the tomatoes that go into its ketchup are to be grown.) And the slightly vinegary taste that distinguishes most American ketchups was pioneered by Heinz.

Except that Heinz has not been a huge success in India. The two big-selling retail ketchups are Kissan and Maggi. The restaurant sector relies on Cremica and Veeba who make higher quality ketchup than the retail biggies. Heinz does not dominate either segment.

Heinzs problems in the Indian market are almost certainly about taste. I like doing ketchup blind tastings with friends by dunking French fries into bowls of ketchup. And Heinz has never once come first in those tastings. The winners are always Veeba or Cremica.

The generation that grew up with fast food stores regards ketchup as an all-purpose seasoning (Shutterstock)

If you taste all the ketchups carefully, you will notice that they seem different from each other. Cremica and Veeba are more tomatoey. Heinz has a more acidic taste. And both Kissan and Maggi have a slightly sweet and tangy taste. Kissan is an Indian brand but I am guessing that Maggi, which is owned by Nestle, tweaks its recipe for the Indian market to get this tangy sweetness.

When it comes to India, there is a local preference that seems to determine market share. Indians like the taste of our chutneys. We want our ketchup to be a little sweet and slightly masaledaar. We want a ketchup we can eat samosas with.

Heinz seems to have stuck with its original recipe, even in the Indian market. (And more power to them for not tinkering with a global classic.) But thats not what the mass market wants.

What about the kaddu factor?

Well, first of all, it is important to note that the name tomato ketchup may be misleading. In most ketchups, the tomato content is around 30 per cent or less. The big Indian retail giants have reduced the tomato content in recent years to under 25 per cent. They say its about taste profile etc. etc. But many suspect that it is about money. Tomatoes are not cheap. Nobody will go on the record about recipes but I guess that the reason Cremica and Veeba taste more tomatoey is because they have a higher tomato content than the mass brands.

For many manufacturers, reducing the tomato content is the route to greater profitability. Hence the kaddu factor.

Ketchup is the petrol of the fast food industry (Shutterstock)

Most manufacturers do not buy raw tomatoes. They make their ketchup from tomato paste which is made by an industrial process that extracts the moisture and concentrates the tomato flavours. (The Italian La Salsa, an ancient tomato paste, is the ancestor of todays concentrated paste.) This is partly for reasons of convenience but also for reasons of availability. Tomatoes are not in season all year round so it makes sense to convert them into paste and store them that way.

At the lower end of the ketchup market, some manufacturers will use less tomato paste and buy a much cheaper vegetable paste (which can include kaddu). They add colour and flavouring agents to make the sauce taste like real ketchup (the lurid colours you sometimes see are artificial) but of course it never really does.

It is dhabas, halwais and thelawallas who are the biggest customers for the cheap tomato sauces. So manufacturers make their sauces even sweeter and tangier than say, Kissan. This is usually the sauce you will be served with your pakoras or samosas at a roadside stall.

So yes, there is a ketchup explosion in India. But it is not an explosion of Heinz-style ketchup. It is not a sudden love for American flavours. Nearly every manufacturer has tweaked the original recipe so that ketchup too can be treated as another Indian condiment.

I asked Viraj Bahl of Veeba, which has profited enormously from the ketchup boom (though Veeba ketchup is made for restaurants and not sold at retail stores) what he thought the lesson of the boom was. I think his answer sums it up.

The boom, Viraj said, proves that Indian companies can make products that are world class. But it also proves that Indian consumers want products that are customised for Indian taste profiles.

From HT Brunch, May 6, 2018

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Like many Indians, I start my Malaysia vacation from Langkawi. Its with the hope that the gentle sea, the tropical sun, myriad small islands popping up from the Straits of Malacca and fresh seafood will sweep Ruchira (my wife) off her feet and shell not frown at my rendezvous with Glen Grant.

Boat to nowhere

In George Town, this cool street art featuring children riding a bike attracts a large number of tourists (Saubhadra Chatterji)

It kicks off well, with an indolent afternoon at Tanjung Rhu beach to see the setting sun painting a splendid picture in the sky. We soak in coconut water and hit a night market that sells Malaysian delicacies at exorbitant rates. Our home is a resort made of renovated old Malay houses. Nearby a dance competition is underway and the quality of its sound varies between Tu cheez badi hai and argument among judges.

But the following day, when the exclusive boat tour  a couple of women and a diehard Donald Trump fan in company  stops near a cave to zealously show nectar bats, my hopes start sinking.

George Town in Penang is home to Little India, where you will find posters of Rajinikanth, Tamil soundtracks, scent of incencse sticks and lanes with history and deep culture

The guide tries to explain the importance of nectar bats. I try to tell him that I have been seeing them since my childhood when the more adventurous ones even flew inside our home.

The next pit stop is to watch bald eagles swooping down to catch fish. These birds behave like municipalities  wont act if tourist boats dont offer dead fish as bribes.

Our boat, low on punctuality but high on morality, will not throw any fish in the water. The eagles know which vessel to avoid and I haplessly watch them merrily flapping their wings in the far distance sans the hope of a Kodak moment.

Later, we swim in the sea and do a 15-minute jungle walk to see bamboo trees and wild mushrooms. The guide finally opens the food box: beef chops, sandwiches and delicious bananas. By the time I finish the eighth banana, the guide is shouting, facing the wide sea, as our boat along with the captain is nowhere to be seen!

If you have seen the Andamans and Goa, you can possibly skip this island.

Home and away

One of the best street arts of George Town is the boy riding a motor bike with a dragon chasing him (Saubhadra Chatterji)

But even if you have sailed in Venice and eaten in Hong Kong, dont risk missing Penang and its vibrant heart  George Town.

I wait for the cab at this bustling crossroad of culture and cuisine in George Towns Little India. The area looks like a den of south Indians  Tamils mostly  whose forefathers migrated here long back when everyone vied for a share in Malaysias booming tin mining. They survived bloody civil wars, braved gang fights and set up restaurants, taxi services, provision stores and other prosperous businesses.

Dindigul biryani rubs shoulder with Chettinad fish rasam and sukha mutton. Dosa is tosai and chapati is kapati here. Najib Razak (Malaysias Prime Minister) will not blame me for thinking I am in some by-lanes of Chennais Nungambakkam.

Just as all roads lead to Rome, Indians like my wife flock to Ananda Bhawan. Their three-storeyed building serves all kinds of south Indian food including some heavily coloured and sugary version of kheer.

But beyond the posters of Rajinikanth, Tamil soundtracks screaming from big black loudspeakers and strong scents of incense sticks and garlands, lies a city where every lane rewards travellers with long history and deep culture.

The lit-up view from the Kek Lok Si temple in George Town is a sight to behold (Saubhadra Chatterji)

I wake up early to stroll the alleys before the sweltering tropical heat challenges my AC-friendly body.

The lanes of George Town are nothing short of an open-air museum of street art: murals cleverly aligned with real objects for a lively, 3D impact. Like the kid painted on a permanently closed door with an old motorcycle placed below him to show as if the rider is skedaddling.

Look towards left and see why hes running for his life: Theres a pet dragon chasing him!

At the Armenian street (locals call it Lebuh Armenian), theres a better one by Ernest Zacharevic  children riding a bike. But on this unfortunate morning, they are overshadowed by a group of sensitive Chinese tourists who cant fully appreciate art until each one of them takes turns to sit on the bike and giggle for photos.

Hello China

Dont blame them. George Town is a Chinese colony in Malaysia. The street also leads to one of the Clan Houses  where people speaking the same dialect or from the same areas of mainland China would find shelter, protection and job opportunities.

Meanwhile, I have managed to break one of our suitcases and Ruchira frequently reminds of dire consequences if its not repaired, even if I dont have any idea where the damn thing can be fixed here, in the next three hours.

There are two places in George Town to feel mollified  one, the Kek Lok Si Buddhist temple and two, the street vendors for the best pork clear soup

I can see a lot of shophouses though. The ground floor is dedicated to business, and the shopkeepers family lives on the first floor. These houses, throughout the old town, offer unique beauty even though a skyscraper or two peeps from behind. Red lanterns hang over the roads like boundary walls of Chinese fiefdom.

Its almost 1pm and I offer a truce: Lets go to a good Chinese eating house (and pay the bill, too).

Langkawi has been more of seafood and Malay street food. Now, I am at the heart of Chinatown and at least two locals suggest I go to Wen Chang.

As I sit at a red table under a slow ceiling fan, the cook-cum-manager comes to take order. Only then do I learn that this eatery sells just one dish: Hainanese chicken rice.

The grilled chicken served with rice, soya sauce with a topping of greens is so delicious and filling that you dont need to ask for a second dish. I am so impressed that I enter a Chinese provision store to buy the ingredients and end up buying seaweed, ginger toffees, soya sauce and two types of chilli sauce.

With a soul full of sin and disdain earned from Ruchira, there are two places in George Town to feel mollified. One, the Kek Lok Si Buddhist temple that offers a great view of the city and, when evening arrives, becomes the favourite spot for locals. Two, the street vendors for the best pork clear soup.

The shophouses give the Penang island a distinct look (Saubhadra Chatterji)

I do both. Still, my appetite for local cuisine is far from over.

As the gentle sea breeze and the city lights make me fall in love with George Town, I bring Ruchira to Chins Stylish Chinese cuisine  an award-winning restaurant that showcases photos of its VIP victims at the lobby.

I recognise two faces: Uma Thurman and Martina Navratilova.

Watching the ships anchored far away in the dark waters, pictures of pandas and Mao all around us and with soft music adding to the romance, we decide to eat frog legs, crispy seaweed and delicate wild fungus!

I see forgiveness in Ruchiras eyes. The thought of frog legs and wild fungus have been able to distract her from that broken suitcase.

Seafood noodles in Langkawi (Saubhadra Chatterji)

This is the perfect opportunity to scan the alcohol menu. The drinks are named after famous characters.

Give me a Bond. James Bond, I request the smiling manager.

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From HT Brunch, May 6, 2018

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In the course of doing two degrees in economics I was taught to regard Karl Marx as, in the words of the Nobel Laureate Paul Samuelson, a minor post-Ricardian. His labour theory of value was rejected by my teachers; and his predictions about the immiserization of the proletariat and the imminent death of capitalism appeared to have been falsified. However, I then went on to study sociology and history, where I was obliged to take Marx seriously. For, in these domains, his ideas and insights proved to be of more enduring value.

This fortnight we mark the 200th anniversary of Karl Marxs birth. What remains of relevance in his thought? I would like to single out three ideas in particular. The history of all hitherto existing society, wrote Marx and Engels in their Communist Manifesto, is the history of class struggles. This is a simplification; for sometimes caste and religion serve as more important markers of social identity than class. But the basic premise is accurate; namely, that social conflict is a major motive force in human history. Shared interests and identities bring different individuals together on a common platform, to struggle against groups composed of individuals whose identities are or seem to be different from theirs. Hence the struggles of workers vs capitalists, Dalits vs Suvarnas, and peasants vs landlords, which have all been such a visible feature of life in modern India.

Second, Marx may have been the first major thinker who focused on the vital importance of technology in shaping social life. As he put it in The Poverty of Philosophy: Social relations are closely bound up with productive forces. In acquiring new productive forces men change their mode of production; and in changing their mode of production, in changing the way of earning their living, they change all their social relations. The hand-mill gives you society with the feudal lord; the steam-mill society with the industrial capitalist.

Marx keenly appreciated what the more conservative thinkers of his time didnt: namely, that the introduction of a new technology can profoundly alter how humans relate to one another. He would not have been surprised that, first, the personal computer, and second, the personal cell phone, have so radically reshaped individual and social behaviour in the 21st century.

These two insights of Marx are, of course, generic, relevant to humans wherever they live. The third insight relates specifically to India. While Marx never visited the subcontinent, in a series of articles published in the New York Daily Tribune in 1853 he commented on its past and its future. Here, he was unsparing in his criticisms of the rule of the East India Company. There cannot, he wrote, remain any doubt that the misery inflicted by the British on Hindustan is of an essentially different and infinitely more intensive kind than all Hindustan had to suffer before.

In these newspaper articles, Marx accused the British of plundering Indias resources through war and profiteering. Because the colonialists had neglected entirely public works, they had caused the deterioration of Indian agriculture. Further, the British destroyed our vibrant craft traditions, and disorganised our village communities. They introduced a stifling, soul-destroying bureaucracy, which served to paralyse its [Indias] administration and perpetuate its abuses as the vital condition of their own perpetuation.

Marx was clear that the ruling classes of Britain saw the people and territory of India only as a vehicle to enrich themselves. As he put it: The aristocracy wanted to conquer it [India], the moneyocracy to plunder it, and the millocracy to undersell it.

The moralist in Marx was appalled at the amoral behaviour of the British in India. Yet the historian in Marx saw some positive (if inadvertent) consequences of alien rule. As he wrote: England, it is true, in causing a social revolution in Hindustan, was actuated only by the vilest interests, and was stupid in her manner of enforcing them. But that is not the question. The question is, can mankind fulfil its destiny without a fundamental revolution in the social state of Asia? If not, whatever may have been the crimes of England she was the unconscious tool of history in bringing about that revolution.

Some romantic nationalists have recently advanced the argument that India could have become a modern democratic republic under the auspices of Maratha or Mughal rule. This is pure poppycock. Indian society was riven by caste and gender hierarchies, these thoroughly encoded in religious scripture as well as deeply embedded in social practice. Individual rights and freedoms were savagely suppressed by upper-caste men. The ruler was the monarch of all he surveyed.

It was the brutal fact of British conquest that provoked thinking, reflective, Indians to demand equal rights for women and Dalits, and to seek to replace absolutist and authoritarian forms of government with modern democracy. Challenged by the conquerors, reformers such as Rammohan Roy, Jotiba and Savitri Phule, Tarabai Shinde and Gopal Krishna Gokhale helped prepare India for the challenges of the modern world. These great 19th century thinkers were followed by Gandhi, Ambedkar, Nehru, Periyar, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay and others, who in their different but complementary ways brought us a Constitution for which nothing in our tradition or heritage had remotely prepared us.

In this respect Karl Marx was absolutely right; the British conquered India with the vilest motives, but they were yet an unconscious tool of history, in that they compelled the best (and bravest) Indians to look into the mirror, to examine what was flawed in their society and their politics, and to work strenuously to correct this.

Ramachandra Guhas books include Gandhi Before India

The views expressed are personal
You have a bad headache and deciding which specialist to go to is very likely to add to the pain. You can take your pick from a neurologist (for problems with the nerves in the brain), an ophthalmologist (eye strain), ENT (sinus), cardiologist (high blood pressure), neuromuscular dentist (correcting misalignments in the jaw), a gynaecologist (for menstruation-related migraines in women) and a psychiatrist (stress, anxiety), among others.

Very rarely would you consider going to a general physician, who can assess your overall health and point you in the right direction. But there are fewer and fewer GPs now, as most doctors prefer to specialise.

People are complicated, and their medical problems rarely come neatly packaged as the single diseases that scientists and doctors study, says the editorial this month in the journal Nature. Treating real-world illnesses require medical multitasking, and to improve health care, researchers need to study diseases in combination.

A person who is overweight is likely to have hypertension and high cholesterol, perhaps even diabetes. A person with diabetes may have chronic kidney disease. A person in chronic pain is likely to also have anxiety and depression. An inactive, obese person over 60 who enjoys a good meal is likely to have all of the above.

People are complicated, and their medical problems rarely come neatly packaged as the single diseases that scientists and doctors study, says the editorial this month in the journal Nature

Multi-morbidity affects men and women and doesnt spare children. Evidence suggest that it is most common in women, people over 65 and the poor and marginalised, but is increasing in children and adults too.

An increasing number of people worldwide are suffering lifelong disability, and dying prematurely due to ineffective treatment of multiple health conditions, according to a report by the UK Academy of Medical Sciences released in April.

Health conditions that frequently group together include heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, depression, anxiety, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic kidney disease. And it is unclear why some of these conditions cluster together, making it difficult to predict which patients may be most in need of preventive steps or increased care.

About 13% to 95% of people have more than one medical condition, termed comorbidity or multi-morbidity. The range is so wide because researchers and countries disagree on the definition of multi-morbidities. As a result of this lack of consensus, most health services in the public and private sectors are not designed to care for patients with multiple illnesses.

Physical and mental health conditions often cluster together too. Poor mental health can lead to a poor quality of life, reduce physical health and lower life expectancy by a greater degree than having multiple physical illnesses, according to the UK report.

For example, people with Type 2 diabetes are at increased the risk of depression, and adults with depression are 37% more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. However, the division between health services treating mental and physical conditions often means that people get treated for one but not the others.

People are living longer, but not healthier. For example, life expectancy in India has shot up by almost 8 years, from 58.5 in 1990 to 66.4 in 2013. But chronic diseases such as diabetes and lung ailments have added to the years people are living with illness, according to the Global Burden of Disease study released in August 2015. As the population ages and people live longer, the number of people living with multiple chronic diseases also goes up.

An overweight person is likely to have hypertension, high cholesterol, maybe diabetes. A diabetic may have chronic kidney disease. A person in chronic pain is likely to also have anxiety...

Healthcare systems and medical education need to review the increasing trend of specialisation when what is needed is people with expertise to recognise and treat a range of conditions, much like general practitioners are trained to do. Most private hospitals promote their super-specialists at the expense of general practitioners because they bring in more money from surgeries and expensive diagnostics, when what they should be doing is getting general practice better organised with each consultation being long enough for the comprehensive diagnosis of multiple conditions.

Its not just hospitals that need to move away from being organised around treating single diseases or individual organs (different departments often work in silos). Clinical trials for drug development, too, need to start including patients with multiple conditions to fill significant gaps in knowledge about effective treatments of those with multi-morbidities.

Computational and laboratory tools that make sense of complex data sets have made it easier to study the complexities arising from diseases occurring in combination. What is needed is an overhaul in the way healthcare systems diagnose and treat people.
Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Friday sought a detailed report into the alleged conversion of a 15th century tomb in Humayunpur in south Delhi into a temple this March .

The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritages (INTACH) list of ancient structures and monuments says the unknown tomb belongs to the Tughlaq era and is notified by the municipal corporation as a tomb.

But a report in the Indian Express said the state-notified tomb was converted into a temple two months ago and was painted in white and saffron colours. Statues of Hindu gods were also placed inside it, it said.

An order issued by the deputy CMs office on Friday said causing damage and harm to a heritage property is against the law and a serious offence.

It is the state archaeology departments duty to ensure the protection of heritage monuments listed under it and take strict action in case of a lapse.

The reported incident should be handled with zero tolerance by the department as it not only violates heritage-related laws but is also an attempt to disturb peace and harmony in the area. Secretary (art, culture and language) to provide a detailed report to me by tomorrow (Saturday) with details of the incident and action taken by her, Sisodia said in the order.

Listed as tomb

According to Maulvi Zafar Hasans compilation in 1929, the structure was a tomb, said an official privy to the redevelopment project.The state archaeology department had planned its restoration along with 17 other structures last year. The task was assigned to INTACH. However, it couldnt be undertaken following resistance by locals, he said on condition of anonymity.

One of the members of the restoration team said that till two-three years ago, the gomti (word for small domed structure in local dialect) was used to junk or old furniture and remained locked.

It was full of old furniture and other discarded stuff. There was a shivling like structure inside. But as per Zafars listing, it is a tomb. It was locked and hence the restorers needed police protection as no one could enter a locked premises, he said.

Till two months ago, it was not painted, he said.

Whenever the department tried to take over its possession, residents opposed. The police were informed several times but that did not help also, he said.

Vikas Maloo, head of archaeology at the state archaeological department, said he was aware of the violation and a police complaint was registered.

In March, we approached the police and a formal complaint was lodged with the DCP. However, action couldnt be initiated due to non-availablity of adequate forces, he said. Appropriate action would be taken as soon as police security is available in the next two-three days, he said.

Locals say temple

When Hindustan Times visited the site in Humayunpur village on Friday, locals said the painting and placing of the idols was done in March. But they claimed the structure had been a temple for several years and there is no recorded history of when the use was changed.

They pointed to a metallic trident atop the dome, which they said was centuries old. There is an old marble which mentions it was a Bhola Shiv Mandir as far back as in 1971. The trident as well as the tiles with images of Hindu gods are even in older pictures that have appeared in media reports, said Ranbir Singh, the vice-president of the local residents welfare association.
Action to remove abandoned and illegally parked cars remains stuck in first gear as even seven days after an anti-encroachment special task force launched a drive to clear the citys roads of these, only 750 such vehicles have been seized.

Of these 750 vehicles seized till Friday, at least 10% were found abandoned, data from the three municipalities (east, north, and south Delhi municipal corporations) showed. Since the drive began on April 28, less than 100 vehicles have been seized daily on average by the civic agencies .

The Delhi traffic police said that even on a regular day, their officials take action against 300 vehicles for parking on roadsides.

The tepid outcome of the drive against vehicular encroachment accompanied similarly uninspiring results in attempts to remove roadside and pavement squatters who returned without any fear of follow-up action.

On Friday, HT visited two of the most clogged arterial roads in the city, Vikas Marg in east Delhi and Sri Aurobindo Marg in south Delhi, and found that the primary reason for traffic bottlenecks was vehicles parked on roadsides eating into half the motorable space. This was after the task force had conducted a drive against illegal parking at Sri Aurobindo Marg on Wednesday.

Experts said parking on roadsides was the biggest cause of congestion on Delhis roads and turning a blind eye to that would render the ongoing drive futile.

Praveen Patnaik, an urban planner from the Centre for Transport and Road Engineering in IIT Delhi, said strict action against illegally parked vehicles would solve half of the citys congestion problem.

You will remove hawkers; they will come back, because their livelihood depends on it. However, stringent and continued action against vehicles parked on roadsides will go a long way in clearing bottlenecks from several arterial roads, Patnaik said.

Justifying this slow action, a south corporation official said seizing or fining these illegally parked vehicles was not the only function that the municipal bodies need to perform during the ongoing drive.

The drive includes removing of squatters, illegal constructions and checking vending licences, along with impounding vehicles. We have limited resources to perform these multiple tasks, the official said on the condition of anonymity.

He said the traffic police, responsible for checking and fining violators in the city, need to perform their duty of getting rid of such vehicles on a daily basis.

Ruchika Katyal, deputy commissioner of the City Sadar-Paharganj zone of the north corporation, said lifting impounded vehicles and taking these to warehouses was a cumbersome process.

The traffic police, also a part of the task force, however said full cooperation  with personnel and machinery  was being given for the drive.

The action is being undertaken on the directions of the civic agencies. In fact, even the fines that are being levied on violators are as per the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, and not the Motor Vehicles Act. Here, we are just implementing orders and extending our resources, said Garima Bhatnagar, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
The buckle on a belt, which bore the name of the school an eight-year-old boy attended, helped police catch a man who allegedly killed him and his mother at their home in south Delhis Okhla last week.

Babloo Kumar Mondal, 29, had allegedly planned the murder days before he slit the throats of the mother-son duo on April 23. The woman was killed with the same long knife the killer had made her buy days earlier, said Chinmoy Biswal, deputy commissioner of police (south-east).

Widowed seven years ago, the woman, Sabitri Ghosh, and her son lived in Okhla Phase-2. Around mid last year, Mondal had moved in with her as a live-in partner. They were an introvert couple and neighbours believed they were married, said the DCP.

But for the past few months, Mondal had begun suspecting Ghosh of speaking to other men and would openly fight, said the DCP.

Mondal, an auto driver, met with an accident early this year, leaving him a limp in his leg. He had taken up another job, but had turned insecure. He began to feel Ghosh would dump him because of the physical problem, said Biswal.

After deciding to kill, he waited for an opportunity when he could convince her to have a drink with him. When the woman was drunk and sleepy, Mondal slit her throat and repeatedly stabbed her to ensure she died, said the DCP. Mondal did not spare the sleeping child either, allegedly killing him in the same way.

He then fled to his home in West Bengals Malda district. The decomposed bodies were found by the police two days later on April 25 after neighbours complained of foul smell.

Since the man was missing, he became the prime suspect. But we neither had his real name or address, nor his picture, said the DCP.

The police came across the school belt of the murdered boy. It had the name of the school on the buckle. Investigators visited the school for any possible details of the suspect.

We checked the boys admission form for clues. The suspect had pasted his own photo in place of the boys real father. Once we had the photograph, we knew whom to trace, said the DCP.

Police learnt the man had fled to Malda but wasnt using his own mobile phones, making it difficult to trace him. He would call his people by borrowing phones of strangers. There were occasions when we ended up chasing the mobile phone owners before realising we were tricked, said an investigator. Mondal was finally nabbed in Sahibganj in Jharkhand on Wednesday. The knife allegedly used in the murders was recovered from him.
The Delhi Police on Saturday dismissed as rumours the controversial quotes written on the door of a chapel at Delhi Universitys St Stephens college.

Students union president Sai Aashirwaad earlier said inflammatory quotes like Mandir Yahi Banega were found written on the chapels main door, while an Om symbol along with the words Im going to hell was found on the cross behind the chapel on Friday.

The messages, however, were cleared today, he said.

The Delhi Police said no such incident had taken place.

The college administration had announced preparatory holidays for students from April 28, with only those having practical exams attending the college.

Principal John Varghese was unavailable for comments.

(This copy has been updated with the latest police version.)
Two Romanian men who would visit Delhi only to withdraw money from ATMs using cloned debit cards have been arrested with nearly Rs 22 lakh in various currencies, police said on Friday.

Unlike other debit card fraudsters, the Romanians did not actually go through the process of cloning cards.

Instead, the accused men would buy debit card data from their other Romanian associates who in turn would purchase them at auctions in the grey market, said Romil Baaniya, deputy commissioner of police (south).

While sale of peoples personal details is relatively common, an auction of debit card details along with their PINs is quite unheard of.

We hope to unearth the grey market where such auctions take place. The Romanians are in police custody for five days, said the DCP.

Cloning of debit cards has been a cake walk for fraudsters for a while.

Using machines that cost less than Rs 10,000, the fraudsters separately swipe your card at payment outlets such as restaurants and fuel stations and copy all your data.

Thereafter, the data are copied on an empty and worthless card. They obtain the PIN by either peeping while you key in the numbers of by checking the CCTV footage of the act.

So far, we have learnt that the rate and demand for each card at these auctions is decided on their withdrawal limits, said the DCP.

Why would the data gatherers auction the information instead of withdrawing using the cards themselves? The officer said it is possible that individuals worked to their strengths, but more would be known only after busting that market.

The two Romans arrested in the latest case have been identified as Iulian Dumbrava, 29, and 33-year-old Cornel Traian Mirea. Running a shop and a poultry farm in their own country, the duo would visit India on tourist and business visa to commit the cyber crimes, said the DCP.

Their crime came to light when the south Delhi district police received multiple complaints of unauthorized withdrawals from ATMs located in remote parts of the city during early morning hours.

We checked the CCTV footage at such ATMs and deployed our men. On Wednesday, one officer caught a suspicious-looking person trying to withdraw money from a Yes Bank ATM in Saidulazab. He was found to be carrying 14 cloned cards and each of them had the PIN written on them. We nabbed his associate as well from a nearby location, said the DCP.

Overall, 48 cloned plastic cards were recovered from them. They were also found carrying Rs 9,05,000 in Indian currency, 2,760 pounds, 5,000 euros and 10,000 USD.

To avoid getting identified, they would mask themselves using fake masks, helmets and goggles, said the DCP.

The officer said the accused would be interrogated to find out why they targeted ATMs in Delhi instead of those in more remote locations in other states.
Glamorous and elegant, Meghan Markle is set to freshen up the British royal family dress code, while tailoring her outfits to suit her new role. As she prepares to wed Prince Harry on May 19, the US former television actress is unlikely to be seen again in ripped jeans, hotpants or a plunging neckline. As a sign of her new responsibilities, the 36-year-old has already closed her Instagram account, where she often posed in the sexy or dishevelled outfits befitting a TV celebrity -- but not necessarily a royal spouse.

Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle attend a Service of Thanksgiving and Commemoration on ANZAC Day at Westminster Abbey in London, Britain. (REUTERS)

In tying the knot with Queen Elizabeth IIs grandson, she is also marrying into an institution where age-old traditions govern virtually all aspects of the royals lives -- including the clothes they wear. Royal dress codes are very traditional, especially when the family member is carrying out royal duties, said Grant Harrold, a former butler in the House of Windsor.

The etiquette expert, who used to work for heir to the throne Prince Charles and his sons Princes William and Harry, said Markle could follow the example set by Williams wife, the former Kate Middleton. As we have seen with the Duchess of Cambridge, hats are part of the royal dress code and it is likely that we will see Meghan Markle wearing hats more often, he told AFP.

Meghan will definitely bring a youthful, vibrant change to the royal family, feel experts. (AFP)

And the royal newcomer will also have to get used to wearing neutral coloured tights, ditch any eccentric nail varnish and watch the hemlines. The outfits are more of a personal decision, but dresses should always be the correct length of on or below the knee, and never above, said Harrold. The makeover is already under way.

At Harrys side at public events since their engagement was announced in November, her style has been one of refined elegance: long dresses, turtlenecks, classic coats and unflashy colours. There have been some exceptions: black jeans here, bare legs there, but hardly enough to trigger a palace revolution. After all, Markle has not yet married into the firm -- as royals call the family in private -- and will still be learning the ropes as she goes along.

Passion for fashion

A keen fashionista, Markle has long cultivated a casual Californian look that is a nod to her Los Angeles upbringing: comfortable in shorts and flip-flops. But after landing a starring role in 2011 in the US legal drama Suits, where she played a senior paralegal, her look became symbolic of business chic. The fashion on Suits is gorgeous, so it also became my education of designers and really knowing what fits my body well, Markle told outnet.com. On a normal day, I love a shift dress with flats and a little cropped jacket. I would probably wear jeans, a nice top and a blazer.

Hats are part of the royal dress code and it is likely that we will see Meghan Markle wearing hats more often. (AFP)

She cites Emmanuelle Alt, the editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris magazine, and US actress Gwyneth Paltrow as her inspiration -- two influential fashion figures whose outfits are studiously copied by their stylish fans. Markle is a hint of Grace Kelly, a dose of Alicia Keys, a touch of Amal Clooney and a lot of Kate Middleton, said French magazine Madame Figaro.

Christine Ross, who edits the Meghans Mirror blog, dedicated to Markle and her wardrobe, said the stars style was modern and on-trend while still maintaining a classic elegance. Meghan will definitely bring a youthful, vibrant change to the royal family, Ross told AFP. She is very different from the other royals, being an American with a diverse upbringing, and this will naturally give her a different outlook.

Her wedding dress is a closely-guarded secret that will be kept until the day itself -- and it could provide a hint about the sort of styles she might adopt once married into the royal family. For several weeks, London has been bristling with rumours about who will design the dress, with names like Burberry, Ralph and Russo, Victoria Beckham, Roland Mouret, Erdem and Alexander McQueen swirling around. On May 19 at Windsor Castle, the world will have its answer.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more
Model Gigi Hadid has offered an apology after the backlash she received for a heavily-bronzed magazine cover. The 23-year-old model recently appeared on the new Vogue Italia cover which appeared to show her with darkened skin or blackface, the makeup used by a non-black performer playing a black role. The cover -- shot by Steven Klein -- was unveiled on social media and was met with instant backlash.

Hadid posted a paparazzi picture of herself on her official Instagram and Twitter accounts, claiming that her control of the shoot was non-existent in terms of creative direction and ended completely when she left set.

This is a photo of me returning home from shooting my Italian Vogue cover on April 3rd... you can see the level I had been bronzed to on set that day. Please understand that my control of a shoot 1. is non existent in terms of creative direction 2. ends completely when I leave set, and anything done to a photo in post is out of my control fully.

Hadid said that, although she understood what Vogue Italias intentions were, the project was not executed correctly, and the concerns that have been brought up are valid. Please know that things would have been different if my control of the situation was different. Regardless, I want to apologize because my intention is never to diminish those concerns or take opportunities away from anyone else, and I hope this can be an example to other magazines and teams in the future, Hadid said.

There are real issues regarding representation in fashion. Its our responsibility to acknowledge those issues and communicate through them to work towards a more diverse industry, she added.

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A year ago, my life was perfect. I had just been promoted to general manager of a youth film studio. I had been married for two years and had started making enough money to save for the future. On my days off, I was teaching, hosting a YouTube show, giving talks, and vacationing in my favourite places in the world. My Facebook longposts would receive many likes, my Instagram pictures a lot of love, and Twitter had even verified me. I was happy.

Or so I thought. In May last year, I was diagnosed with anxiety. Anxiety is a confusing, strange emotional battle that starts with a niggle, where you have that sinking feeling of something bothering you, which grows into a full-blown monster where you think the world around you is going to fall apart. You cant breathe, speak or think clearly. Your smallest thought or fear becomes your evil nemesis. You lose control of your mind and spiral into a black hole of paranoia and panic. You feel nothing will be okay, ever.

How could this happen to me? On the surface, I wasnt facing anything that I wouldnt characterise as a first-world problem. I was any working professional in a big city whod willingly lose parts of their soul in never-ending traffic to get to my precious workstation every day, because thats where dreams came true. The endless hours we put in on days that would turn into nights was to service that goal we had been programmed to pursue all our lives, for it promised a good house, a great car, a self-important designation and a wholesome life.

A life, I realised eventually, I hadnt really been living. I would move from one day to another, one assigned project to another, one vacation to another, chasing one goal, one high, one award, one notification after another, constantly feeding my social media for validation that would, momentarily, make me feel whole again.

But I had been empty inside for a long time. Because there was no meaning to any of this. I was doing and achieving and moving and travelling and existing according to the middle-class plan, but not living. And so, anxiety struck: I started feeling too much because I had been feeling too little.

Anxiety is a confusing, strange emotional battle that starts with a niggle, a sinking feeling of something bothering you, and grows into a full-blown monster that makes you think nothing will ever be okay again, says Nikhil Taneja. Ever since I first spoke about my anxiety on social media, a mind-boggling number of friends and strangers have opened up about their struggle. Many still cant quite fathom whats wrong.

In my year of struggling to show out this uninvited guest, I started therapy, quit my job, took a sabbatical from my career, changed my lifestyle, reset my priorities, and have written and spoken about mental health openly, even co-founding a podcast called Work in Progress (with Cyrus Sahukar and Aalap Deboor) to talk about everyday mental health. And in this most remarkable year, not only have I chanced upon a better life filled with kindness, compassion and love from family, friends and strangers; but also a crucial understanding that everything I had ever known about mental health had been wrong.

Growing up, I had seen depression wreak havoc in a loved one, but my elementary understanding of mental health had still been that it constituted severe, clinical illnesses. Illnesses that would require repeated medication at the least, and possibly spells of hospitalisation. Only in the past year, have I discovered that mental health really is a spectrum; there is an everyday mental health struggle that more people in urban centres around us are going through than we could imagine.

***

The clinical term for this kind of anxiety, one of two common mental disorders (CMDs), is Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and, according to a 2017 World Health Organisation report titled Lets Talk, 38 million people in India are reportedly affected by it. Another 56 million have the other CMD, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), or depression. Thats an astounding 7% of Indias population. Unless diagnosed, few know there is a name for what they are feeling. And hardly anyone understands what is happening to them.

In the hectic lives we are conditioned to live in cities, its easier to dismiss these feelings of emptiness or hopelessness, because we simply dont believe they are worth our time or consideration. This may be because of how we frame our understanding of mental health, says Manoj Chandran, CEO of the Bangalore-based White Swan Foundation, an online repository of information on mental health founded in 2014.

Mental health issues are believed to have three sources: Genetics (passed on through genes), psychological (the way our individual brains are wired) and environmental (the world we live in), Chandran adds.

While the former two form the lens through which we usually understand mental health, its the physical environment that has become a key component. It includes factors like how we live, our relationships, the adverse effects of technology and social media, our habits and lifestyle, even the food we eat.

GAD should not be confused with everyday stress. Stress is common and normal. It can actually help us focus and multitask, says Dr Sabina Rao, consultant psychiatrist at the international hospital chain, Columbia Asia.

When the experience of doing a daily task, or even daily life, becomes a chore; when you seem to be pushing harder and harder but functioning less and less effectively; when you no longer find joy in doing the things you loved and your mind is exhausted, thats a sign that your mental health is in bad shape.

***

Ever since I first spoke about my anxiety on social media, a boggling number of friends and strangers have opened up to me about their mental health struggles, and most of them seem to be struggling to handle their physical environment.

For some, there was a point where it all began (but continued beyond it)  an unhappy relationship, dissatisfaction with work, stress of competition. Many others still cant quite fathom whats wrong. There are common threads  loneliness, restlessness, a lack of contentment, a craving for experiences that are simple, communal, offline and outdoors.

Part of this stems from an urban Indian culture of hyper-competitiveness, where you are told from a young age that you must be something or become somebody.

Media executive Saurabh Rathore, 33, who hosts an online chat show called Middle Class Problems, says his conversations with regular people about vulnerabilities we seldom open up about has shown him that Indians want to have it all but dont want to make changes in social structures. People take pride in simultaneously working late hours and chasing unrealistic deadlines while trying to balance personal lives, he says. Its a badge of honour.

Mumbai-based clinical pscyhologist Sonali Gupta, who recently curated among Mumbais biggest mental health awareness initiatives at the Godrej India Culture Lab, works with high-functioning clients of all ages, who come to her in search of the answer to a better quality of life.

I am seeing the window before the first burnout shrink, says clinical psychologist Sonali Gupta. Particularly for millennials who entered a very competitive job market earlier than the generation before, the first burnout happens between 21 and 26, and a second one follows between 28 and 31.

I am seeing the window before the first burnout shrink, she says. Particularly for millennials who entered an increasingly competitive job market earlier than the generation before, the first burnout happens between 21 and 26, and a second one follows between 28 and 31. A lot of it is because we are working longer hours, earning much more way earlier in life, and constantly comparing our lives to the lives of others and racing to try and catch up.

Most of the people I spoke to for this piece  ranging in age from 22 to 37 and in occupations from content creators to entrepreneurs  agreed unequivocally that social media adds to the mental chaos.

You are never logged out; never alone with loved ones; never living the moment in the moment. Instead, there is pressure to live up to the exciting, adventurous, happy Instagram stories of others; collect more likes and hearts than you did last week.

Social media is filled with people living great lives, while youre just sitting there scrolling, wishing you had more. No one talks about the bad parts, says 27-year-old stand-up comedian Sahil Shah, who recently wrote an essay on his own struggle with depression that went viral. So we are left feeling ashamed to talk about the sad aspects of our lives for fear that people will think we are ruining their vibe.

***

A common mistake, mental health experts say, is to ask why me. It took me a long to time to realise that it wasnt just me. Its most of us. Many choose to ignore what they are feeling; it becomes a way of life. Then one day you reach a point where your body finally mirrors your mind, and you have no option but to finally listen to yourself. Take it slow, take a break, and, if you can afford it, hit reset.

Only when you cut out the hashtags, the FOMO and YOLO, the log kya kahenge can you really re-prioritise. Take a step back from the limitlessness of the internet and the hundreds of Facebook friends and online opinions, and focus on what made you happy, what gave your days and years meaning.

Thats what 32-year-old former asset manager and DJ Ajay Makhija did, after years of feeling lost in his mid-20s. He reset his life and threw himself into meditation, Vipasana, Ayurveda, Buddhist and Tibetan therapies, in his search for a meaningful existence, eventually opening his own mental health and wellbeing resort, Gaia Yogashala, in Thailand.

We live lives where we need to go on retreats to be happy. I chose to build a life you dont need to retreat from, he says.

***

When RJ Meera Damji started Heart to Heart with Meera on 104.8 FM, she was just trying to empower people to share their feelings with a non-judgmental stranger. But because radio offered a safe space, the show quickly became a refuge for people to talk about what was making them anxious.

From teenagers unable to take up careers of their choice to LGBTQ individuals not allowed to be open about their sexuality, to people continuing in failed or abusive marriages because their parents wouldnt accept a divorce, the everyday mental health struggles are very real, Damji says.

On her radio show that encouraged people talk about anxiety, RJ Meera Damji found out how pervasive the issue was. Teenagers unable to take up careers of their choice, LGBTQ individuals not allowed to be open about their sexuality, people continuing in failed or abusive marriages because their parents wouldnt accept a divorce all opened up on the show.

The good news is, many are now creating platforms for conversations around mental health; safe spaces where people can talk about what they are going through and, crucially, be heard.

Two Mumbai-based media professionals, Hiral Malde and Khushboo Rawal Balwani, recently conducted an open-mic and panel discussion on mental health as part of The Micro Fiction Festival (TMFF), and have started an initiative called Curators of Happiness, to pause for some positivity.

We want people to know that nobody is alone in this, Malde says. We can fight this together.

Looking back, thats the advice I wish I could have given a younger me: listen to yourself. Accept that you are going through something and talk about it. To friends, family, loved ones. And if it gets too much, reach out to a professional for help. Do not suffer in silence. Its okay to slow down. Its okay to be kind to yourself. Because its okay to not be okay.
A group of Hindu outfits on Friday allegedly disrupted namaz at 10 locations in Gurugram and said they would continue their protest if the administration did not stop unauthorised prayers in public spaces. However, no untoward incident was reported due to heavy presence of security forces, the police said.

The protesters, who gathered under the aegis of Hindu Sanyukt Sangarsh Samiti, claimed that Muslim worshippers did not have permission to offer prayers at roadsides, parks, and vacant government land in the city.

The Samiti is an umbrella body of 12 Hindu groups, including Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Shiv Sena, Hindu Jagran Manch, Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Kranti Dal and some other local groups.

Although some verbal disputes and slogan shouting was reported between the two sides at Sikarderpur, officials said the situation was contained due to police intervention.

Samiti activists allegedly fanned out in the afternoon and disrupted Muslim worshippers, members of the Muslim community claimed.

Namaz was also not offered at the disputed site in Sector 43, where a flare-up had happened on April 20 after a group of eight men had allegedly disrupted namaz. Police officials said that six of the eight men had been arrested.

Muslim leaders said they had met senior police officials on Thursday and agreed that they would not offer namaz at the disputed sites in Wazirabad, Sikanderpur and Atul Kataria Chowk.

Why were our people attacked in 10 different places? I dont understand why these elements are being given a free hand, said Haji Shehzad Khan, who filed the police complaint in the Wazirabad matter. He said they did not offer prayers at the disputed site.

Rajiv Mittal, a Sanyukt Hindu Sangarsh Samiti leader, said group members went to 10 locations in areas like Atul Kataria chowk, Sikanderpur, in Sector 40 and to MG Road to stop namaz. We have nothing against Muslims, but we want law to be implemented in the city. The Muslim worshippers did not have any permission to offer prayers and it is against the rules, Mittal said.

Khan, however, said there were 7 lakh Muslims in Gurugram and only 22 mosques, so they are usually left with no option but to offer prayers in open spaces. We are not disturbing anyone, he said.

Khan said Muslim leaders will meet on Saturday and chalk out the future course of action. We dont want to create tension but a way forward must be found, Khan said.

He alleged that Hindu activists had threatened worshippers at Sikanderpur.

The police, however, said that they had deployed adequate forces to prevent any untoward incident from happening. Law and order is under control, said Ravinder Kumar, Gurugram polices public relations officer. He said it was the prerogative of the district administration to give permission for Friday prayers.
Police on Saturday arrested 15 of the 18 people charged in connection with the alleged gang rape and burning alive of a 16-year-old girl at Raja Kendua village in Chatra district of Jharkhand on Friday.

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act has been invoked against the accused as the victim was a minor. Gang rape charges have been invoked against the accused, but we will wait for the post-mortem report before arriving at any conclusion, said Bokaro range inspector general of police Shambhu Thakur.

The district administration has constituted a medical board for conducting an autopsy of the half-burnt body, he added.

The local panchayat had imposed a penalty of 50,000 on the accused for allegedly raping the girl on Friday afternoon. Enraged by the order, the main accused  Dhanu Bhuiyan  and his henchmen allegedly immolated the victim and brutally assaulted her family. Village mukhiya Tileshwari Devi and panchayat samiti member Ranjay Rajak are among those arrested, said Thakur.

The two were booked on charges of passing unlawful orders and tampering with evidence. However, Dhanu Bhuiyan is still on the run. Raids are being conducted to nab him and others at the earliest. We are also probing the role of other locals in the incident, the inspector general said.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made at Raja Kendua village, under the Itkhori police station, to prevent any untoward incident. Senior civil and police officers visited the village to meet the bereaved family members on Saturday, hours after the chief minister ordered stringent action against the offenders.

A manhunt is on to nab four others, who are absconding, said Thakur, adding that the victims family has been accorded protection.

Minor gang-raped in Odisha, six held

Bhubaneswar Police in western Odishas Sambalpur district on Saturday arrested five persons and apprehended a minor on charges of raping a 13-year-old girl. Sambalpur superintendent of police Sanjiv Arora said the accused sexually assaulted the girl on Friday. We managed to catch all of them today, he added. This is the fifteenth case of rape of a minor reported in the state in about a month. During this period, at least six cases of molestation of minors too were reported.

In a separate case, police arrested a man on charges of raping an aanganwadi worker in Keonjhar district.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday broke his silence over the Mahadayi water sharing dispute, accusing chief minister Siddaramaiah of instigating people and playing with their emotions ahead of the May 12 assembly elections.

The PM was addressing a rally in Gadag town, which is the epicentre of an agitation demanding the diversion of water from the Mahadayi to the arid districts of the Mumbai-Karnataka region. The dispute involving the states of Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka is being heard by a tribunal.

These Congress leaders are very proficient at lying. The biggest example is the politics on Mahadayi. In 2007, when there were elections in Goa, then Congress president Sonia Gandhi told people that water will not be shared with Karnataka, Modi claimed. The CM (Siddaramaiah) might not remember this because he was not with the Congress in 2007, Modi said.

Siddaramaiah had joined the Congress in 2006, coming over from the Janata Dal (Secular).

Now that it is non-existent in Goa, the Congress is trying to instigate people here (in Karnataka). That is why instead of resolving the problem, they committed a sin of placing the matter before a tribunal, Modi alleged.

The matter was referred to a tribunal in 2010 by the UPA government, after strong protests from Goa, then ruled by the BJP.

But this problem has been given to you by Congress, and I dont want this to continue, but want a consensus through talks.

Modi thanked the people of Karnataka for voting the BJP to power in 2008. I appeal to you to create history again. The Congress has become small and after the results from Karnataka on May 15, the Indian National Congress should become PPP Congress, (Punjab, Puducherry and Parivar Congress), he said.

Modi also took a potshot at Janata Dal (Secular) and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, who, he said, had claimed in 2014 would commit suicide if Modi was elected the PM. I told him he is a veteran leader and shouldnt commit suicide, and live for 100 years to work for the society.

Modi said if there was anyone that was trying to help the Congress, it was the JD(S). The Congress and the JD(S) have an alliance behind the scenes, otherwise what is the reason for the two parties to fight in Tumakuru when they are in an alliance in Bengaluru corporation, he said. Congress must come clean on the alliance in Bengaluru, and stop making fools out of people.

Interestingly, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had accused the JD(S) of being the B team of BJP, and said the S in its name stood for Sangh and not Secular.

Modi also addressed a rally in Shivamogga town, where he said the people must vote out the Congress because of the insults it had been levelling on his partys chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa, who also hails from the same district.

The PM also made a veiled attack against energy minister DK Shivakumar, whose house was raided by the Income Tax department in August last year.

Speaking at his final rally of the day in Mangaluru city, Modi accused the state government of deciding the fate of criminals on the basis of their religion.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has ordered an inquiry after the photograph of a child, apparently from Pakistan, was used on the cover page of a booklet on cleanliness, a press release from his office said.

The Jamui district water and cleanliness committee (DWCC) distributed the booklet among students a few weeks ago. A government official blamed the printing press, which said the photograph was selected by DWCC.

District magistrate Dharmendra Kumar, who is also the DWCC chairman, said the remaining booklets will be distributed only after the removal of their cover pages.

DM Kumar, who too has ordered a probe, said it was found that the girls photo was used by Unicef for promoting education in Pakistan.

A senior official of the district, who has been supervising the distribution, said about 4,000 such booklets were printed.

We selected the picture from Unicef website, as it looked impressive. We did not notice that the girl was from Pakistan and drawing a Pakistani flag, he said.

Jamui deputy development commissioner (DDC) Satish Kumar Sharma said the booklet was printed by Patna-based Suprabh Enterprises, which said the photos were approved by DWCC when the previous district magistrate, Kaushal Kishore, was in charge.

But Niranjan Chawdhary, an official of the district rural development organisation, said authorities are clueless about how the printer chose to feature the Pakistani girl on the front page.
Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Saturday described the controversy over the portrait of Pakistans founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) as unnecessary and suggested it could be removed keeping in mind public sentiments.

The portrait of Mohammad Ali Jinnah was installed before independence in the AMU and so there is nothing wrong in it, but it can be removed if the public sentiments are against it, the minister of state for social justice told the media here.

Violence had taken place in the AMU campus, after the varsity students objected to the protests by right-wing group Hindu Yuva Vahini on the campus, demanding the removal of Jinnahs portrait from the students union office.

On the BJP leaders visiting Dalit houses and sharing meal with them, Athawale said, Although having dinner will not benefit Dalits, but this is a good initiative for strengthening relations between Dalits and upper castes.

Asked about the Supreme Courts recent ruling that allegedly diluted the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the minister said he would request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring an ordinance on this issue.

The law (SC/ST Act) was enacted by the Parliament... The government has submitted a review petition and, if the need arises, I will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring an ordinance for the purpose, the Union minister said, adding that 90% of cases of atrocities against Dalits were true.

The leader of the Republican Party of India (A) said his party wanted to contest 30 seats in the Karnataka Assembly polls and support the BJP on the remaining.

He said his party would back the BJP candidates in Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and try to bring Dalit votes under NDA kitty. The SP-BSP alliance will have no impact in the elections, Athawale said.

Condemning the recent incidents of BR Ambedkar statues being vandalised in the state, he said the state government needs to take strict action. It is an effort to defame the Yogi government, he added.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)
Three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were killed and four security personnel injured in an encounter at Srinagar on Saturday, amid protests and pelting of stones by local residents.

A protester was also killed after he allegedly came under a police vehicle in nearby Noorbagh. Although police initially denied the charges, they have now filed a case against the driver at the Safakadal station.

The encounter took place in the congested Chattabal area after security forces received inputs on the presence of LeT operatives there. As the search by a CRPF-police search party intensified, the militants began firing at them from a semi-constructed building in the locality.

Encounter concluded in Chattabal Srinagar. Three bodies of terrorists recovered in a clean operation by J&K Police & CRPF. Well done boys, director general of police Shesh Paul Vaid tweeted after the incident.

Encounter concluded in Chattabal Srinagar. Three bodies of terrorists recovered in a clean operation by J&K Police & CRPF. Well done boys.  Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) May 5, 2018

Three CRPF personnel and a special police officer were injured, said inspector general of police SP Pani, adding that their condition was stable.

After the gunfight, scores of youngsters surrounded the encounter site and began throwing stones. That was when Adil Ahmad Yadoo, a local resident, was crushed by a vehicle allegedly driven by security personnel. A video of the incident went viral on the social media.

A police spokesperson reported the recovery of incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, from the site of the encounter. On the basis of the materials recovered from the site, we have concluded that the group intended to carry out a major terror attack in the near future, he said.

One of the three militants was identified as Fayaz Ah Hamal, a local resident. Police identified another as Showkat Ahmad Tak, who was named by the army in its list of most wanted militants last year. A police spokesman said he was a district commander of the outlawed LeT.

Showkat was active since October 2011 and was involved in the killing of civilians, namely Liyaqat Sultan Lone of Panzgam, and the recruitment of youth in the terror network. He was wanted for several serious crimes by the law, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, chaos erupted outside the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) hospital as some youngsters tried to take possession of Yadoos body. Police resisted their attempts, triggering further protests and pelting of stones. Three photojournalists  Umar Asif, Javed Dar and Farooq Khan  were injured in the melee.

Moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemned Yadoos death on Twitter, accusing government forces of crushing him to death during protests. He also shared a video of the incident.

Separatist groups have called for a strike on Sunday to protest against the incident.

Srinagar has witnessed several encounters between militants and security personnel over the last few months. Two militants and a CRPF jawan were killed in a 30-hour-long encounter between security forces and terrorists holed up in an under-construction building at Karan Nagar near Chattabal in February. The same month, militants stormed the SMHS hospital to rescue a colleague  Naveed Jatt  from police custody. Two policemen were killed in the incident.

In March, two militants were killed in an overnight encounter on the outskirts of Srinagar. The encounter began after the militants fired at the security officers of a BJP leader and tried to escape.
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi will address her first election rally in nearly two years on May 8 at Bijapur in Karnataka, where her party is trying to return to power in a close contest with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to speak at a large rally in the same district on the same day.

Sonia, 71, had skipped campaigning in all state elections after she was forced to call off a road show in Varanasi midway due to ill health on August 2, 2016. The event was to launch the partys poll campaign in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections.

She stayed away from canvassing in Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand, Manipur (February-March 2017); Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in (December 2017); and Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland (February 2018).

Congress secretary in-charge of Karnataka Manickam Tagore, who is overseeing the arrangements at Bijapur, said Sonias rally will motivate cadre and send a strong message to voters.

The fact that she will address her first election meeting in many years shows how significant Karnataka is for the party, he said. Analysts said it is also perhaps an indication of the closeness of the contest. Interestingly, the states water resources minister M.B. Patil, one of the champions of the movement for recognition of Lingayatism as a separate religion, is the sitting MLA from Babaleshwar, 22km from the city of Bijapur, and part of the same district.

While Sonia will campaign in north Karnataka, Congress president Rahul Gandhi will move to south Karnataka and the Bengaluru area in his ninth campaign run in the southern state from May 7 to 10. He has almost covered all the zones of the state in his eight phases of campaigning over the past three months.

Sonia Gandhis absence in election campaigns over the past 20 months was the first such after she joined active politics in 1998. Back then, she started campaigning for the Congress even before taking over the reins of the party from Sitaram Kesri on March 14, 1998. On January 11, 1998, she kicked off her first election tour by addressing a public meeting at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu where her husband and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991.

In between, Sonia skipped canvassing in Manipur in 2012 but only on the advice of party leaders following threats from militant outfits.
A former US navy serviceman was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for killing Indian information technology (IT) engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla in 2017, following President Donald Trumps victory in a bitterly divisive election.

Adam Purinton was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder for the killing of Kuchibhotla and two counts of attempted first-degree murder for shooting Alok Madasani, a colleague and friend of the techie, as well as Ian Grillot, a local man who suffered severe bullet injuries when he tried to intervene.

They were attacked on February 22 last year at a bar in Olathe, Kansas that Kuchibhotla and Madasani used to visit after work at their Garmin office. Purinton used racial slurs, and yelled at the two to get out of my country.

Purinton, 52, also pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted first-degree murder for shooting Madasani and Grillot. He will not be eligible for parole for 930 months (or 77.5 years). According to reports, he acknowledged in court documents that the sentence will ensure I die in prison.

Our goal is to make sure that he never walks in the community again, that he spends the rest of his life in the penitentiary, and I believe this sentence will achieve that result, district attorney Steve Howe said.

Purinton had pleaded guilty to the murder charge in March. When asked by the judge how he would plead to the first-degree murder charge, Purinton said: Guilty, your honor.

He also faces federal charges of hate crime, to which he had earlier pleaded not guilty but changed his plea subsequently. He is scheduled for a hearing on May 21

Todays sentencing in the murder of my husband will not bring back my Srinu, but it sends a strong message that hate is never acceptable, Sunayana Dumala, Kuchibhotlas wife, said in a statement after the sentencing. My Srinu had never hurt anyone and only had love and respect for others, but he had to lose his life because of your hate. It is because of only those values he instilled in me that I am able to write this. I hope in the years that you (Purinton) must spend in the jail you will one day realise the magnitude of your mistake and work towards your penance, she had told the court during the Friday hearing.

Kuchibhotlas killing had sent shockwaves across the United States and India, where many young dream of working and staying on to live as citizens in the US. The American dream suddenly turned dangerous for them as reports of other hate-filled responses to Indians  especially a video of H-1B families at a neighbourhood park in Ohio state shot by a man who was clearly opposed to foreign workers  surfaced.

The Indian-American community had blamed the shooting on social tensions unleashed by Trump, and some leaders went as far as to suggest that the president had blood on his hands.

The White House pushed back aggressively against these allegations, but was seen as being late in condemning the killing, which the president finally did, in the opening lines of his maiden address to the joint meeting of the US congress. Recent threats targeting Jewish Community Centres and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as well as last weeks shooting in Kansas City, remind us that while we may be a nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its forms, the President said in the speech on March 1.

In a statement to the media after the sentencing, Dumala said that while nothing can fill the void left by this murderous act, she hopes to use the incident as a means of preventing others from having to undergo the suffering she experienced. We must be there for each other, and be proactive to build a loving and understanding community for current and future generations. As Ian Grillot and others at Austin stood up that fateful February night, we must all stand up for each other before more hateful acts occur in our community, she said.
by Shafique Khokhar

The famous Pakistani blogger was strangled by her younger brother in the name of family honour. Her easy-going ways were disliked by orthodox Muslims. Justice for many other women killed or burnt for honour' waits for years.

Multan (AsiaNews)  A court in Multan indicted five people in connection with one Pakistans most notorious cases of honour killing, namely the murder in July 2016 of Qandeel Baloch, a well-known model, blogger and youtuber.

One of those indicted is Imam Abdul Qavi, who was investigated for complicity right after the young woman was strangled by her younger brother Waseem Azaam to restore the familys lost honour".

Qandeel Balochs murder was a tragedy, journalist Husnain Jamil told AsiaNews. In Pakistan the number of honour killings is increasing due to the inadequate application of existing laws. We demand a fair and impartial trial to reduce the cases of violence against women."

The young model was a controversial figure and her murder in 2016 was a cause celebre. She was an iconic figure of female open-mindedness and courage, but by the standards of Pakistans male-dominated worldview, she was "too free".

Her selfie with Islamic cleric Qavi (picture 2) caused scandal and led to a flood of criticism. For the models father, Azeem, the cleric was the instigator of the murder perpetrated by her younger brother Waseem.

During the trial, Azeem said that the imam offered him money to withdraw the charges against him. The next hearing is scheduled for 14 May.

Journalist Jamil hopes that "the lower court will follow the decision of the Supreme Court and come to a decision without being influenced by the pressures of influential people and religious figures.

The perpetrator, he explained, must be punished according to the law. What women decide to do with their lives is their business. They should not be used as an excuse to incite extreme violence against them."

For Naseem Kousar, researcher and writer, Although justice is being delivered, this wont ensure the absolute application of the law, nor will it mean equality and equity for vulnerable and minority groups."

"The case of Qandeel Baloch was solved quickly only because she was famous on social media and the pressure exerted by the national and international community. Justice for many other women killed or burnt for honour' waits for years. We need the rule of law to be applied in a neutral manner."

According to Bilal Warraich, a lawyer and activist, "it is good that all five were indicted, including the imam, the one who was the trigger for everything. We must welcome these developments in a positive way, but with caution.

"The judicial system has always been very dismal, and the same goes for the role of the police and the investigation teams. This is a case that the judiciary should treat as a 'test case', which, if treated judiciously, could stem the rot of the institution itself.

In fact, "It could be another landmark, like the 1997 Saima Roparri case*. Conversely, Pakistans clergy might weigh in Imam Qavis favour. A big question mark remains as to whether justice will be served in Qandeels case.

* Saima Roparri challenged the practice of arranged marriage and married the man she loved.
Strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir has seen a spurt in terror-related violence, including stone pelting, this year. The Kathua rape has also shaken the alliance between BJP and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Kavinder Gupta, who took over as the new deputy chief minister on April 30, has a tough road ahead. He spoke to Hindustan Times on Kashmirs situation and home-grown militancy, among other things.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

What is the situation in Kashmir today? There is a spurt in terror-related violence in the region.

Terror incidents happened in the past as well. Our security forces, including police and paramilitary forces, are performing their duties with utmost restraint. Regarding the attack on the school bus in Shopian, I think such attempts to vitiate the atmosphere harm entire society.

Home-grown militancy has increased and more educated youth are picking up guns. What is the strategy to tackle this?

The governments strategy cannot be discussed in public domain. It involves getting the army, the police, the paramilitary forces and various other security and intelligence agencies to work cohesively. However, we will work with the utmost restraint to ensure minimal loss and bare-minimum casualties. The trend of educated youth joining militancy is a cause for concern. Pro-Pakistan elements are luring them with money... The government made an appeal to such youth to surrender. The police also paved the way for their return to the mainstream...

Political workers are being targeted in Kashmir. One such worker, Ghulam Nabi, was killed. Has the partys outreach failed?

I dont think so. We should adopt a cautious and patient approach. I would appeal to the local people to not support and give shelter to them (insurgents).

Has amnesty to first-time stone pelters on the advice of the Centres special representative, Dineshwar Sharma, delivered desired results?

... They are our youth, our children and we dont want them to go astray. So, the government made an attempt to bring them back, which is a positive step. If they are found involved again, then they really need to worry for themselves....The step has borne some results, but a lot remains to be done.

Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti often talks about initiating political dialogue with Pakistan and separatists. What is your take?

It is the Centres prerogative. The CM can also have her view. From time-to-time, the Centre has given indications on a dialogue, but how can it happen when Pakistan is fuelling insurgency? Regarding talks with separatists, it is again Centres prerogative .

What are the implications of the Kathua incident on the BJP-PDP alliance?

It was an unfortunate incident in the land of Vaishno Devi where we worship daughters. We have to ensure such incidents dont happen again. ... I dont think the Kathua incident has anything to do with the alliance.
At the Hyderabad home of IT engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla, his parents have refused to talk about his killer being sentenced to life in prison by a court in the US. A close relative said the verdict makes little difference to K Madhusudhana Sastry (71) and Parvatha Vardhini (65).

Whether the accused is jailed for life or awarded death sentence is immaterial to them in India. Even after more than a year, his parents are yet to recover from the shock. In fact, they had forgiven him and forgotten about him, said Venumadhav Gajula, Srinivass brother-in-law.

Srinivas Kuchibhotla, an aviation systems engineer at GPS manufacturer, Garmin, was shot dead by a US navy veteran Adam Purinton at a bar in Kansas on February 22, 2017.

After Kuchibhotlas death, his parents have been maintaining a very low profile and hardly mingling with others. They are staying with their eldest son K T Sastry at their modest home located at Bachupalli on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

Kuchibhotla was the second of Madhusudhana Sastrys three sons. Youngest son K Sai Kiran is also working in US.

On Friday, a federal judge in Kansas sentenced Purinton (52) to nearly 78 years in prison for killing Kuchibhotla in a racially motivated hate crime.

Welcoming the court ruling, Kuchibhotlas wife, Sunayana Dumala said, Todays sentencing in the murder of my husband will not bring back my Srinu, but it sends a strong message that hate is never acceptable.

She also expressed her gratitude to the district attorneys office and the Olathe police for their efforts to bring this man to justice.

Personally, Gajula felt that justice was done to Kuchibhotlas wife Sunayana, within the limitations of the American laws.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has done a pretty nice job and we thought the accused, Adam W Purinton, would be given death sentence. We do not know what the American laws are and so, we feel he got the right punishment, he said.

In any case, we too feel it was not proper to award death sentence to the accused, who had committed the crime in a fit of rage. Why should his family suffer with his death? Gajula asked.

(With PTI inputs)
The Madras High Court has allowed the termination of pregnancy of a 14-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped five months ago by a person known to her.

Justice T Raja gave the direction recently on a petition from the Child Welfare Committee, Chengalpattu.

He directed the dean of Chengalpet Medical College and Hospital to terminate the pregnancy and preserve the foetus.

The girls parents had approached the Kancheepuram District Collector with a complaint that their daughter had been raped about five months ago, following which she was before the child welfare committee.

Later she was admitted to the Christ Faith Home for Children at Manapakkam in Chennai.

At that time, a doctors report was submitted, stating that she had been raped by a person known to her. She was then taken to the Chengalpet Medical College and Hospital and a case was registered.

The home sent a letter on April 12 to the Chengalpattu Medical College, seeking medical advice on continuation of the pregnancy of the girl.

After she was medically examined, it was found she was pregnant with single intra uterine pregnancy of around 18 weeks gestational age.

The child and her mother were given counselling to give consent for the termination of pregnancy.

The home also suggested that the pregnancy be terminated for securing the minor girls health and life.

As action needed to be taken immediately, the home moved the high court.

When the matter came up before the judge on April 28, V Vanitha, Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Chengalpattu Medical College, suggested it was advisable to terminate the pregnancy at the earliest as adolescent pregnancies are prone to higher risk of complications such as pregnancy-induced hypertension, anaemia and increased infection.

The court informed the mother and the girl, who were present that day about the advice of the doctor and they agreed for termination of pregnancy.

The judge in his order said, In view of the above, this Court directs the Dean, Chengalpet Medical College Hospital, Chengalpet, Kancheepuram District, to do the needful by terminating the single intra uterine pregnancy of about 18 weeks gestational age.
A man and his nephew were abducted and killed by gunmen in north Kashmirs Hajin area of Bandipora district on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, police said.

Police said militants barged into the houses of Gh Hassan Dar (45), alias Hassan Rassa, and his nephew Bashir Ahmad Dar (26), a driver, in Gulshan Mohalla of Shahgund Hajin and abducted them.

At about 3:30 am, the terrorists shot both of them dead. The dead bodies were found by the locals near a mosque at Raheem Dar Mohalla, a police spokesman said.

Preliminary investigations suggest the involvement of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the spokesman said, adding that a case has been registered and investigation taken up.

The killings come hours after a 35-year-old man was killed and his wife critically injured in neighbouring Sopore town on Friday evening.

The militants, suspected to be of LeT, barged into Mohammad Ashraf Mirs home in the Harwan area of Sopore in Baramulla district and opened fire.

Superintendent of police, Sopore, Javaid Iqbal, said Mir was hit by five bullets and died before reaching the hospital in Sopore while his wife was injured in both the legs and has been shifted to Srinagar.

Since Monday, six persons have been killed in north Kashmir.

The motive behind the killings is not yet clear, police said.

Police suspect LeT, including foreigners, is also behind the killings of Asif Ahmad Sheikh, Haseeb Ahmad Khan and Mohammad Asgar, whose bullet-riddled bodies were found in Baramullas old town on Monday night.

Separatists condemned the killings, saying any killing on the grounds of political or party affiliations was inhuman and unacceptable.

In a joint statement, Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik observed that the state and militants blamed each other, and in the process, the culprits never get identified.
Claiming that the Congress and the JD(S) have entered into a secret pact for the Karnataka Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday H D Deve Gowdas party was protecting the Congress.

Addressing an election rally in Tumakuru, Modi alleged that the Congress, for years, spoke about poverty eradication only to garner votes, while neglecting farmers and the poor.

Poll surveys, political pundits...everyone is saying the JD(S) cannot defeat Congress. They cannot form government. If anyone can change the government in Karnataka, it is the BJP.

If anyone is protecting the Congress, it is the JD(S)... Congress and JD(S) have a secret understanding...an understanding behind the curtains, Modi, who lavished praise on JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda only a few days ago before training his guns on him, said.

The Congress, Modi demanded, make it clear if it had a secret understanding with JD(S) or not. He said it was with the support of Deve Gowdas party that the Congress had its mayor in Bengaluru.

Why are you hiding this? Congress should have the courage to speak out the truth to people.

Modi, however, insisted he still has respect for Deve Gowda, who had announced before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls that he would commit suicide if he became the prime minister.

The prime minister said despite Deve Gowda opposing him, when he came to Karnataka for campaigning during the Lok Sabha elections, he said the JD(S) leader should live for 100 years and serve the society.

Modi had showered praise on Deve Gowda at a rally in Udupi last Tuesday and castigated Congress president Rahul Gandhi for insulting the former prime minister.

But two days later at a rally in Bengaluru, Modi asked people not to waste their votes by backing Deve Gowdas party as it was going to finish a poor, distant third in the elections.

Modi said the Congress, which ruled the country for decades, with one family in power for most part, neglected the poor and farmers.

Garibi, garibi, garibi (poverty, poverty, poverty) was their constant rant. But once the son of a poor mother became the prime minister, they clammed shut...now they dont talk about poverty, he said.

He alleged the Congress was responsible for the backwardness of Tumakuru.

The farmers, he said, were suffering because of the policies of successive Congress governments at the Centre and in the state.

Congress needs to be punished for ensuring Karnataka has a better future, Modi said.
Sunayana Dumala, the wife of Srinivas Kuchibhotla who was killed in a racially motivated shooting in the US, had submitted a statement read into the court record in which she described the night of her husbands murder and the knock at the front door by police that brought her the life-changing news on February 22, 2017.

A 52-year-old US Navy veteran Adam Purinton was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for killing Kuchibhotla, injuring his friend -- also an Indian -- in a shooting at a bar in Kansas City last year. Purinton received maximum punishment for the murder and two sentences of 165 months each for the attempted murders.

Full statement by Dumala read in the US court during Friday hearing:

My name is Sunayana Dumala and Im the wife of Srinivas Kuchibhotla. We both are from India and came to USA to pursue our Master degrees. I met my husband, during my application process to universities in the United States. He had been my support system from my initial days in USA and getting me settled in a foreign country and culture.

We dated for 6 years and married in October, 2012, and dreamed of a happy life. We moved to Olathe, Kansas, in January 2014 with hopes of bright future after he got a job offer with Garmin as Aviation Systems Engineer/Program Manager. Soon after moving to Kansas we got our dream house. We had plans to grow our family and raising kids and were leading normal happy life. However, our dreams turned short because of one person.

February 22nd, 2017 a date that will remain as one of the worst days in my life was supposed to be a normal day. We left for work that morning and planned to be home for dinner. I was waiting for Srinu at home and started getting worried when I was not able to reach him over the phone. After seeing a Facebook post shared by one of my friends, my worry multiplied and I frantically started making calls to friends with hope to know his whereabouts.

My hopes ended when the police knocked on my front door. They asked me to sit and I just sat on the stairs nearby eagerly waiting to hear about him. They asked me my name, Srinus name and his DOB. Then they said something which shook me to the core and left me breathless. I could not believe what I heard and I prayed that they take their words back, that my husband was alive and not dead. Suddenly it felt like there was no purpose for my life. He was the love of my life, a true friend and my biggest support system. We were supposed to be together for a lifetime but now the thought of having to live life alone and the hardships that come with it, is unbearable.

On the afternoon of February 23rd, I learned from the cops that the murder of my husband was premeditated and racially motivated. In the few minutes that you have seen Srinu you built so much hatred for him that you decided he did not deserve to live. What harm did he do to you that you grew so much animosity towards him? He was only enjoying a glass of beer with his friend. I wish you had the ability to see beyond my husbands skin color and the beautiful and kind-hearted person underneath it. And how do you expect me to measure the impact of your ignorance on our lives and dreams.

How do you want me to gauge the loss of his mother who carried her child for 9 months before giving birth to him? Or that father to whom his son was apple of his eye? Or the brothers who lost their best friend? Both mine and Srinus dreams that got shattered, how will you measure them? Our dreams of having kids and raising them as responsible adults, will you be able to bring that back for us? The pain of my parents who had to witness their daughters life being shattered, will you be able to reduce any of that?

My husband had a passion and dream to achieve something big in the aviation industry. He was working hard on large contracts for Garmin, those which have been awarded to the company. His hard work will now give jobs to more individuals and earn them their livelihood. Imagine how much more he could have achieved and contributed to the community if not for your anger and hatred.

My Srinu had never hurt anyone and only had love and respect for others, but he had to lose his life because of your hate. It is because of only those values that he had instilled in me that I am able to write this. I hope in the years that you must spend in the jail you will one day realize the magnitude of your mistake and work towards your penance.

****************

Dumala also released a video statement to media on Purintons sentencing. She said:

Todays sentencing in the murder of my husband will not bring back my Srinu, but it sends a strong message that hate is never acceptable. I want to thank the District Attorneys office and the Olathe police for their efforts to bring this man to justice.

We must understand and love one another. I dont want another Sunayana or a Mindy Corporon (whose son and father were killed in a hate attack on a Jewish community center in Kansas in 2014) to go through what we have in losing our loved ones. Nothing can fill the void left by this murderess act and the emptiness I feel inside since Srinius murder. I have shared Srinus story to highlight the goodness in him with the hope that others will emulate his life and not that of the man who took it. As with other immigrants, Srinu came to the United States with dreams for a better future, obtaining his masters degree and working in the aviation industry. His zeal to achieve was evident in his time with Garmin where he was working on autopilot systems for helicopters  a job he loved. It was his pride.

Srinu never hurt anyone  that is the way life should be lived.

I continue to use what has happened as a platform with the hope of saving others from going through this hell. We must be there for each other and be proactive to build a loving and understanding community for current and future generations. As Ian Grillot and others at Austins stood up that fateful February night, we must all stand up for each other before more hateful acts occur in our community.

****************

(With agency inputs)
Even as the decision to hand over the maintenance of tourist amenities at the Red Fort to a corporate group has generated controversy, Punjabs Congress government has written a letter to the Union tourism ministry to include key historical and religious sites of the state in the governments Adopt a Heritage scheme. These include Jallianwala Bagh and Gurudwara Anandpur Sahib.

The Congress last week opposed the handing over of Red Fort to the Dalmia Bharat group, alleging that this was akin to bartering away the symbol of the freedom movement. The party also said prominent monuments must not be given to corporates.

In the letter dated February 20, 2018, Captain Amarinder Singhs government asked for seven monuments to be considered. HT has a copy of the letter. The seven monuments include Jallianwala Bagh; Shaheed-E-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh Museum, Khatkar Kalan; National Martyrs Memorial, Ludhiana; Takht-i-Akbar, Kalanaur (Gurdaspur); Gurudwara Sri Anandpur Sahib; Gurudwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib; and Gurudwara Sri Chamkaur Sahib.

Punjabs Tourism Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who signed the letter, didnt respond to calls and messages.

However, before the controversy broke out, Sidhu, in an interview with HT, had supported the scheme.

When asked about the Punjab governments letter, Congress communication department chief, Randeep Singh Surjewala, who is campaigning in Karnataka for the upcoming assembly elections, said he would not comment until he spoke to Sidhu.

Speaking on the row caused by the governments decision, SK Mishra, former secretary, ministry of tourism, said the issue was being unnecessarily politicised.
It is almost noon when home minister Rajnath Singh arrives in this Lingayat-dominated region to address his first meeting in the Karnataka election campaign. The local candidate warms up the audience that has been waiting for two hours. Then it is Singhs turn. His point is simple but direct: how the Lingayats vote in North Karnataka may well decide the states next chief minister, he says.

Lingayats are the most dominant and politically influential community in the state, and make up around 15% of its population. They are concentrated in the northern parts of Karnataka.

That explains Singhs presence here.

The senior-most member of Narendra Modis council of ministers, Singh is on the second leg of his campaign in the election-bound state. He has chosen to focus on the northern part, not far from Hyderabad, where indecision among Lingayats is worrying the BJP. His task is cut out: to convince Lingayats to stay with the BJP and vote for BS Yeddyurappa, the 75-plus former chief minister who comes from the same community. It was under Singh as the BJP president that the party formed its first government in the state in 2008.

Whats made Singh and the BJPs job tougher is the decision by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government to recognise Lingayatism as a separate religion, distinct from Hinduism. Its a decision that has to be ratified by the centre, and its political impact is as yet unclear, but some experts are of the opinion that it is a smart political move by the chief minister. The BJPs hopes rest on the Lingayats not deserting it and Yeddyurappa.

There is a conspiracy to divide Lingayat in the name of separate religious status to them. Where was Siddaramiah sleeping for the last four years? This is to stop BS Yeddyurappa from becoming the chief minister, Singh says in the meeting at Sedam assembly constituency of Kalaburgi district.

The last time I was here, you gave us our first government. Do not disappoint us this time. The separate religion status is just a ploy to divide you all and stop Yeddyurappa, Singh adds. The BJP candidate from Sedam is Rajkumar Patil , a Lingayat, who has lost three elections here by narrow margin and now depends on a consolidation among the community and anti-incumbency.

From Sedam, Singh takes a 20-minute helicopter ride to Afzalpur constituency.

I am six-time MLA from the Congress and I have joined the BJP, says MV Guttedar as he greets Singh at the helipad in Afzalpur. Such somersaults define the politics of north Karnataka and the fine calculation political parties are doing to win.

At Afzalpur, Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, a scheduled caste leader from Uttar Pradesh, waits for Singh on the dais. This region is a stronghold of Congress veteran Mallikarjun Kharge, a Scheduled Caste stalwart, and the BJP is desperate to queer his pitch. Guttedar is an arrow in the quiver, but Singhs message is the same as it was in Sedam: Lingayats remain united.

Bhagwan Basavana (the 12th century philosopher who laid down the tenets of the Lingayat religion) worked for upliftment of society. Now Congress is trying to divide Lingayats. Its not Sidda Sarkar, it is a Nidde Sarkar (sleeping government). He (the CM) was sleeping for four years and woke up in the fifth to divide Lingayats. Dont get carried away, Singh said at the National Function Hall grounds.

The crowd erupts in cheers, as Singh attacks the Congress government for celebrating Tipu Sultan Jayanti. The BJP campaign in Karnataka has a clear Hindutva overtone, and Singh doesnt mind speaking about the killing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and BJP workers in Karnataka.

His next stop is Chittapur. The local Congress candidate is Priyank Kharge, son of Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, and a popular face in Karnataka. Here Singh climbs down, then up again to garland a statue of Basavanna at a roundabout, showing no discomfort from a leg fracture he suffered last year. Here again, the message is the same: the Lingayats have to remain united if they want to see one of their own, Yeddyurappa, become the next chief minister.

By 5 pm, Singh is in Gulbarga town. A message from the pilot is passed on to him  they have to leave before the sun sets. But the response from the crowd forces him to stay on. He drives through the main road of Shahbad and speaks at another meeting. Its once again about the Lingayat issue. The Congress government at the centre in 2013 rejected a proposal for separate religion status for Lingayat. Dont get swayed away by the divisive politics of Congress, Singh says.
Sunayana Dumala, the wife of engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla killed in a US shooting, welcomed the courts decision on Friday sentencing a Navy veteran to life in prison for the racially-motivated murder.

In a video released on Friday, Dumala described her husband as an immigrant with dreams for a better future.

Todays sentencing in the murder of my husband will not bring back my Srinu, but it sends a strong message that hate is never acceptable. I have shared Srinus story to highlight the goodness in him with the hope that others will emulate his life and not that of the man who killed him.

Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, was killed in an assault in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe in February last year. His friend Alok Madasani, also Indian, was injured along with a bystander, Ian Grillot, who tried to intervene.

52-year-old Adam Purinton received maximum punishment for the murder and two sentences of 165 months each for the attempted murders, the prosecutors office said.

While Purinton would be eligible for parole in 50 years, he was likely to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Purington, who had shot at Kuchibhotla and his friend while shouting get out of my country, had previously pleaded guilty to the racial slur-filled, drunken attack at a suburban bar and restaurant in Kansas. He is also facing federal hate crime and firearms charges, which could result in the death penalty. Purinton has pleaded not guilty in the federal case.

The shooting came a month after President Donald Trump was sworn into office, and ignited international outrage amid concerns of rising racial prejudice following the Republicans divisive election campaign.

With thousands of Indians visiting the United States every year for work or study -- especially high-skilled tech workers via H-1B visas -- the attack triggered shockwaves overseas.

In the weeks after the attack, Indians were concerned that animus against immigrants was on the rise in the US.

Hundreds of mourners marched through the Kansas City suburb in memory of the victim and also honored Grillot. They held a vigil with Hindu, Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh prayers.

Kuchibhotla hailed from Hyderabad. He had a masters degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso. He earned his bachelors degree from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad.
A Trinamool Congress leader was killed in Murshidabad and eight Congress activists were injured in bomb attacks in neighbouring Malda district as political violence continued in north and south Bengal districts in the run-up to the state panchayat elections.

The ruling Trinamool alleged that CPI(M)-backed goons brutally assaulted Kazirul Biswas, 45, one of its leaders from Sagardighi in Murshidabad district on Friday night. Biswas was rushed to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries on Saturday.

Biswass death pushed the number of those killed in panchayat poll-related violence in the state to 12. Since nominations began on April 2, the election process has been marked by intimidation and violence.

On Friday night, Kazirul Biswas was returning home after attending a party meeting at Balia. On the way, he was attacked by several CPI(M)-backed goons, alleged Nur Jamal Sheikh, Trinamools Sagardighi block president.

However, CPI(M) district secretary Mriganka Bhattacharya said, This is a baseless allegation. The person was killed in a family dispute.

The Congress workers were injured in bomb attacks at Jhagrapathar village in Ratua I block of Malda district around 11pm on Friday. They are undergoing treatment at Malda Medical College and Hospital. The condition of three of the injured, Amulya Moshahar, Doma Moshahar and Jiten Moshahar, is reported to be critical.

On Friday night some Congress supporters were sitting at a tea stall and planning an election meeting. Some Trinamool supporters led by their local leader, Subal Karmakar, appeared and lobbed bombs, alleged Md Hamed, Congress president of Ratua I block.

Trinamool block president Fajlul Haque dismissed the allegation. TMC (Trinamool Congress) doesnt support any kind of violence. We were not involved in the incident.

At the time of the copy being published, Murshidabad police were yet to receive any complaint related to Biswass murder. Police sent the body for autopsy to ascertain the cause of death.
At 85, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda is probably fighting his last big electoral battle in Karnataka. Dismissive of pre-poll surveys showing the Janata Dal (Secular) as the number-three party in a hung assembly, he claims it will have the numbers in the new House to stake claim to power.

In an interview at his Bengaluru residence with Hindustan Times, he was critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and harsh on chief minister Siddaramaiah, whom he accused of stabbing him in the back. He said the BJPs CM candidate BS Yeddyurappa unfairly tainted his son HD Kumaraswamy when the latter was CM from 2006- 2007. Excerpts:

Hows your campaign going? How confident are you?

I am facing a resource crunch while fighting two national parties. But despite all problems, we are doing well in Karnataka. Those predicting 30-40 seats for my party have little understanding of the ground reality. Modi saab initially had some sweet words for me (when he called him a senior politician deserving respect). But yesterday he attacked me badly (asking people to not waste their votes on JD(S)). What does this prove? Initially he did not have the right feedback. He has done a U-turn on getting to know that we are moving fast (ahead). The Congress also is scared. Thats why they are calling me the BJPs B-team. They both have brought down the level of political discourse.

Even if the JD(S) does well, you may have to play the catalyst in government formation. Youve had tie-ups in the past with the BJP and the Congress. With whom would you side this time?

The ground situation is different. In 2013, we won 40 seats and had second position in 48. Why do you think I went to Mayawati for a pact? Her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) got votes ranging from 3,000 to 25,000 in the constituencies it contested. The alliance with her will help us where we lost by small margins. Telangana CM Chandrasekhar Rao has exhorted Telugu people in Karnataka to vote for me; TDPs Chandrababu Naidu has sent out signals. Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen is campaigning for my party.

Im told Mayawati took a pledge from you that youd not back the BJP after elections.

Two hundred percent! The question of going with the BJP and the Congress does not arise. We may get up to 70-75, even 80 seats. I have constituency-wise breakup for that tally. The BSP may get two or three seats, Independents may win 10-12. Over the remaining days, wed try to cover the gap (to a simple majority). Those placing us in the third position will be surprised. I am hoping to be the number one party. The kingmakers dilemma wont be for me. It will be for the other two  the Congress and BJP. Once I get the upper hand, those wanting to form the government will come to my doors. Ive told my son (HD Kumarawamy) that dont think of the BJP or Congress. Wed work for the people if we form the government. Or else wed sit in the Opposition.

So if you dont have the numbers, you wont support others. That will cause instability, maybe force another election.

Such a situation will not arise

What if either of the two parties offers the CMs slot?

Asking support for the chief ministers slot is not my main agenda. I want to set right the administration that has worsened during 10 years of BJP-Congress rule. The state has suffered badly; corruption is rampant. Taking support to continue the same (mis)governance will damage my party.

In a hung House, implicit mandate for parties is to work together

How do you say that? How can one compromise with misgovernance?

The answer to that is to have an agenda of governance

All these things (can be discussed) only after May 12 (polling day). I am sincerely telling you I have no mind to tie up with this or that party. I am not exaggerating. The reality is bad. So many of the BJP people have gone to jail. And this Congress

Siddaramaiah was your understudy. You made him deputy CM in the Dharam Singh government of the Congress

That was a blunder I committed. I brought up that boy  Siddaramaiah  and he stabbed me in the back. Why should I think of him? The major issue for me is how things shape up this week. My son is campaigning daily in 6-7 constituencies. He is getting good response. The media isnt reflecting the ground reality.

So, can one assume you wont support Siddaramaiah as CM if your party backs the Congress?

That eventuality will not arise. What if I get 80 seats? Then who comes to me without putting conditions? Thats why I told Kumaraswamy, if you dont get majority, sit in the opposition.

Thatll be a recipe for instability. How can you do that? Youve been PM in a coalition regime supported by the Congress

I am fully satisfied with my 10 months as PM. I gave no scope for corruption. I formulated many schemes, took initiatives in Kashmir and the North-East.

Who is your bigger adversary: Congress or BJP?

The BJP had a government with my son (in 2006). Within three months, they made baseless charges of corruption against Kumaraswamy. Yeddyurappa was in cahoots with Janardhana Reddy (the Ballari mining scam kingpin) in targeting him. Why should I go to these types of people? Who removed Dharam Singh? His own Congress people, not us. Weve suffered because of both the BJP and Congress.

How is your chemistry with Modi? Can it have a bearing in Karnataka? He persuaded you to continue as MP after the 2014 polls  before which you had declared that you would resign your seat if BJP came to power.

Modi may have his sweet voice when I meet him. But he hasnt done one single work I asked him for framers in Karnataka. All he did was to offer me a cup of tea. Our demand for an IIT in Hassan hasnt been met despite land being allocated in 2007.

Why has PMs tone changed? He first praised you, then asked people not to waste their votes on JD(S). Did he fear damage to BJPs prospects with Vokkaliga votes polarising for you and Muslims for Congress against you?

If the Congress is confident of Muslims, why is it calling me BJPs B-team? My work for Muslims is known in Karnataka. I gave them reservation in jobs, got the Idgah property issue in Bengaluru settled in their favour. Muslim leaders such as CM Ibrahim who are now with Congress are my creation.
The ongoing protests by parents against the exorbitant hike in fee by private schools in Jaipur got a fresh impetus Saturday with the Prime Ministers Office stepping in after taking cognisance of a letter written by an aggrieved parent,

Replying to a letter written by the parent of a student at Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan Vidyashram School highlighting the excessive fee hike, the PMO, in the letter dated April 27, has directed the Rajasthan chief secretary to take action in the matter.

Deepak Jain, a parent, had written to the PMO on April 23, seeking its intervention in the matter. He had also attached the notices issued by the district education officer (DEO) and the director of secondary education department to Vidyashram School for hiking the fee by up to 40 per cent this year.

The letter stated that the schools action was in violation of The Rajasthan Schools (Fee Regulation) Act, 2016 and demanded that the fee hike be revoked.

Last week, the Directorate of Secondary Education had also cancelled the schools No Objection Certificate (NOC). However, hearing a PIL filed by the school, the Rajasthan High Court ordered the government to not take any coercive action against the educational institute.

The school has asked the parents to deposit the hiked fees by May 9.

The PMO has asked the state government to reply to the petitioner and a copy of the same to be uploaded on the portal.

Parents of students at Vidyashram school, meanwhile, carried out a candle light march Saturday evening.

Parents across the city have been protesting against the fee hike by private schools since the start of this academic session in April. While some of the schools had rolled back the fee hike after the protests, others have refused to do so.
In a move that is bound to trigger a political row, the West Bengal Police have arrested the brother-in-law of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mukul Roy on complaints filed six years ago.

Srijon Roy was arrested from Delhi on Friday and brought to Kolkata the next day, in connection with complaints lodged in 2012 against him in more than one police station for taking Rs 3 lakh each from a few people on the promise of giving them jobs in the railways, according to police officers who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Mukul Roy was the railway minister from March 20 till September 21, 2012, when Trinamool Congress decided to walk out of the UPA II government at the Centre.

Mukul Roy is now the nodal leader of the BJP in the upcoming panchayat elections in the state.

The arrest of Srijon Roy is likely to trigger a political controversy in the state, where the acrimony between the BJP and Bengals ruling Trinamool Congress has reached a peak over the panchayat polls.

The elections, the last pan-Bengal exercise that will test the popularity of different parties before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, are a high-stake game for both the parties.

Police have slapped several charges under IPC sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), 472 (making or possessing counterfeit seal) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) against Srijon Roy.

He was produced in a court in Barasat on the outskirts of Kolkata on Saturday and sent to 12-day police custody.

Mukul Roy lashed out at the police for arresting his brother-in-law, saying it was a conspiracy against him.

The complaint was lodged in 2012. If there is an allegation of extorting money promising railway jobs, it should have been investigated by the CBI. A conspiracy is brewing to stop Mukul Roy in his tracks. I am the real target, alleged the 64-year-old BJP leader.

Mukul Roy was the general secretary of Trinamool Congress for a number of years before he joined the BJP in November 2017.

Trinamool leaders have lashed out at him repeatedly and described him as a turncoat and betrayer.
In yet another incident of moral policing in Kolkata, a 23-year-old university student on Friday alleged that she was molested and heckled and verbally abused by a middle-aged person who objected to her smoking a cigarette on the streets with one of her friends.

The incident comes close on the heels of the thrashing of a couple who were allegedly standing close in the citys metro earlier in the week. The viral photos of the thrashing created loud protest on social media.

The post-graduate student of Jadavpur University filed a complaint with the police.

The incident in metro took place on April 30. Groups of men and women demonstrated outside Tollygunge and Dumdum metro stations. Some even offered hugs to the passengers at Dumdum station to protest against the assault of the couple and the moral policing by a few passengers.

I handed over the man to Netaji Nagar police station on Thursday night. He was put inside the lock-up, the student said on Friday.

However, the officers of the police station denied any such incident taking place. Deputy commissioner (south suburban division) of Kolkata Police, Santosh Nimbalkar, did not take calls and did not respond to text messages.

It is strange. The accused was sent to the lock-up in front of my eyes after I filed the complaint. But I did not check with the police station what they did to him. I am yet to decide on my next course of action, she said.

People protest against moral policing at Tollygunge metro station in Kolkata. (Samir Jana/HT File Photo)

Narrating the incident, the woman said around 10pm on Thursday she was waiting for an auto rickshaw at Netaji Nagar auto stand. She had a cigarette between her fingers.

Suddenly, this man walked up to me and started abusing me. He said that we should be ashamed of smoking in public. He also tried to snatch my cigarette. We tried to ignore him and boarded an auto. He also jumped into it and kept abusing us throughout the journey using filthy language, she said.

When we reached near Bagha Jatin auto stand (about 2.5-3 km away), the auto rickshaw driver stopped near a mobile police vehicle. By then, the man started assaulting and molesting me. Fortunately, the police came quickly and took hold of the man, she added.

The woman went to the police station and filed the complaint, a copy of which is with HT.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday ordered government officials to suspend the recovery of revenue and electricity dues from rural areas affected by a thunderstorm that swept through the state three days ago.

Adityanath, who arrived in Agra from poll-bound Karnataka on Friday night, also promised pucca houses to those left homeless. His agenda for the day included visiting 21 injured patients at the SN Medical College, conducting an aerial survey of storm-hit areas, and meeting affected families in Fatehabad and Kheragarh tehsils.

I have directed district officials and public representatives of my party to initiate relief work at places that have suffered damage due to the storm. Many have been provided relief. We can understand your grief, Adityanath told villagers.

Kheragarh and Fatehabad lost 25 and 13 lives to the thunderstorm respectively.

The chief minister said that a compensatory sum of Rs 4 lakh has been awarded to dependents of each victim, and arrangements made for the treatment of those injured. The district administration has been asked to not let anybody suffer in this hour of crisis, he added.

Adityanath said efforts are on to rectify the infrastructural damage caused by the storm. Over 8,000 electricity poles have fallen. Measures are being taken to restore power supply at the earliest, he assured. Besides this, we will provide pucca houses to those rendered homeless, and suspend recovery of revenue and electricity dues in affected areas. The loss of crops, cattle and other belongings are being assessed. You will be duly compensated.

The chief minister also stressed on the need to put in place an advanced calamity warning system, so losses can be minimised.

Dislike politics over tragedies

Referring to a jibe by Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav over the chief ministers absence from the state after the thunderstorm, Adityanath said he dislikes politics being played over tragedies.

Akhilesh has lost compassion. Instead of extending a helping hand to victims, he chose to stay back and add salt to the injuries of victims through his Twitter comment. This is condemnable, unfortunate and shameful, he asserted.

Adityanath was campaigning for the BJP in poll-bound Karnataka when the thunderstorm stuck on Wednesday night. In the face of mounting criticism, he cut short his visit and rushed back to tour affected areas of Uttar Pradesh on Friday.

The chief minister later left for Kanpur, which has also been ravaged by the thunderstorm.
Vice-president of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) Jayant Chaudhary on Friday met Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav amidst speculation that Chaudhary might contest the Lok Sabha by-election from Kairana.

Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur assembly by-elections are scheduled to be held on May 28.

Chaudhary had a three-hour meeting with Yadav at the latters residence.

The picture that emerges after the meeting indicates that the opposition is likely to field a joint candidate on both the seats, possibly of the Samajwadi Party (SP).

Dono party saath mil kar up-chunav aur Lok Sabha chunav ladengey (both the parties will contest the by-elections and 2019 LS polls together), national spokesman of RLD Anil Dubey said.

When asked if any formula has emerged on seat sharing or candidates in the by-elections, Dubey said it would be made clear in a couple of days.

He said he was not with Chaudhary when the meeting took place but he had a word with the RLD vice-president after the meeting.

Akhilesh is likely to make an announcement either alone or jointly with Jayant in a day or two.

Leaders aware of the developments said RLD might not field any candidate on both the seats or may look for a consensus candidate for Noorpur assembly seat.

Soon after the notification of Kairana and Noorpur by-elections, Samajwadi Party had announced that it would field candidates on both the seats.

The SP is likely to field former minister Kiranpal Kashyap and Naim-ul-Hasan from Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur assembly seats, respectively.

By saying that the Bahujan Samaj Party will not play an active role in the by-elections, party president Mayawati has made it clear that it is unlikely to field any candidate  a scenario similar to the recent Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha by-elections that the SP won with BSPs support.

The statement by UP Congress Committee president Raj Babbar also hints that Congress would like to look for a consensus candidate for the sake of opposition unity.

Babbar, who is in Karnataka to campaign for the assembly elections there, said over phone: Although Congress has a good support base in Kairana, the party will like the opposition to put up a joint candidate against BJP. This will be better than showing individual strength in by-elections.

Kairana Lok Sabha seat had fallen vacant following the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh following an illness, while Noorpur legislator Lokendra Singh died in a road accident in February this year.
Something unprecedented has happened in the world of high-end wines: Bordeaux is on the outs.

In 2017, wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France slipped below 50% of Sothebys total wine auction sales for the first time in the auction houses history. Prestige producers from the region, including Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Chateau Latour, used to dominate the market. Last year, though, Bordeaux represented just 42% of the auction houses global sales, according to a report the company released on Wednesday.

To be honest, when we looked at the numbers, that was a surprising statistic for us, too, says Jamie Ritchie, the worldwide head of Sothebys Wine. We werent tabulating these volumes in the 1970s or 1980s, but Bordeaux was consistently in the high-60th to low-70th percentile of value at auction, he says.

The change can be attributed to the surging popularity of wines produced in the Burgundy region, which are led by Sothebys best-selling producer of 2017, Domaine de la Romanee-Conti. Sales of that wine represented, by value, more than the top three BordeauxLafite, Petrus, and Mouton Rothschildcombined, says Ritchie.

Additional Burgundian high-performers were Domaine Armand Rousseau (second in value at Sothebys in 2017), Chateau Roumier (third), and Domaine Henri Jayer (fourth).

Burgundys Ascent

Burgundy has been on the rise, and Bordeaux has been in decline, for a long time, says wine expert Robert Bohr, of Delicious Hospitality Group. The reality of the market is that the heat is certainly in Burgundy.

Its a classic issue of supply and demand, he says. Because Burgundys most prestigious producers release far fewer bottles than their equivalents in Bordeaux, Burgundy is quite rare at the very highest end of the market,

When the top end of the market moves towards Burgundy, the prices move faster and higher because of scarcity, Bohr explains.

Overall, the auction houses sales totaled $63.8 million, down by more than $10 million from the 2016 total of $74 million. Although that decline may be somewhat misleading, given that the May 2016 sale of William Kochs cellar totaled $22 million in itself and such market-moving sales dont come every year. (Id be surprised if thats the market trend, says Bohr of the drop, because the market is incredibly strong.)

Beyond Wine

Even though Sothebys total sales were down, its market appeared to be diversifying.

The two highest lots of 2017 were both for bottles of Macallan Scotch: One buyer spent $987,994 at an auction in Hong Kong for 18 bottles of Macallan in a Lalique Legacy Collection set. Another set of six assorted bottles went for $474,359 in a retail transaction.

Whiskys entered into the top 10 producers for the first time, says Ritchie. So thats pretty surprising. Were seeing the market broadening in certain areas.

On a regional level, Asian buyers represented a 58 percent share of Sothebys sales, while those in the U.S. constituted 21% and in Europe, 18% . South Americans weighed in at a scant 3%. The Asian market is still definitely driving the wine market, says Ritchie. So when they say the Asian market is overwell, its very much not.

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Its a surgery that should be a simple procedure, but in the past five years, 24 women have died after undergoing a tubectomy in Mumbai. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) supplied this information in response to a query submitted under the Right To Information (RTI) Act by activist Chetan Kothari.

Although 24 deaths in five years is not an alarming statistic, Kothari said that they pointed at a potential blind spot in the citys public health system. Mumbai has one of the most advanced medical facilities in the country, yet the medical staff at these hospitals lacks knowledge to identify patients who are eligible for these surgeries, he said.

In a tubectomy, the fallopian tube is clamped to stop the passage of the egg. It is a permanent contraceptive method for women and promoted by the government for family planning. According to the BMCs data, eight deaths were reported in 2013-14 while 10 women died after tubectomies in 2015-16. Four deaths were reported in 2016-17 and two in 2017-18. No death was reported after vasectomy during this period.

Dr Mangala Gomare, Deputy Executive Health Officer at BMC, explained that although these were categorized as deaths after surgery, the tubectomy procedures were not to blame. In our death review analysis, we have found that none of these deaths were directly related to post-surgical complications of tubectomies, said Dr Gomare. As per the National Family Planning Program, the families of women who died within a week of surgery were given Rs2,00,000. The families of those who died a month after the surgery were compensated with Rs50,000.

Dr Arun Nayak, professor of gynaecology at Mumbais Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital said women who are at risk of developing complications after surgery should be identified beforehand. Most deaths that happen after tubectomy are owing to other underlying health problems. Very few deaths happen because of surgery-related complications, such as bleeding from the fallopian tube and bowel injuries, said Dr Nayak.
Residents of Koliwadas across Maharashtra have said that most of the fishermens villages have not been marked in the Development Plan (DP) as the Centre and the state is trying to facilitate changes in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification, 2011.

The CRZ rules place restrictions on construction along the tideline and shoreline.

Recently, an amendment was made through a government resolution to the Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971, according to which, the drying area (for fish) that has been termed as community economic activity area can be called a part of the slum. So, at the central, state and city level, there are efforts made to usurp the Koliwada land, said Rajesh Mangela, member of the Koliwada Gaothan Vistaar Samiti.

Narendra Patil, chairperson of the National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) said that at the meeting held on Wednesday, various members suggested that a survey of their areas be conducted by the locals.

Ever since the CRZ was notified in 2011, we have been told that a demarcation of Koliwadas will be done. Now, when Koliwadas have not been mentioned in the DP, we are being told that the government will look into within 60 days. But, according to the changes being made to the CRZ notification, the demarcation process is being done away with, which is why it is being delayed, Patil said.

He said people living across the coast in the state plan to hold a protest at the central and state level to put forth their issues.

These changes will only benefit the builders lobby. They are trying to do away with Koliwadas and coastal areas by tagging them as slums, said Kiran Koli, general secretary of Akhil Maharashtra Macchimar Kriti Samiti.

Ashish Shelar, an MLA from Bandra said that these areas were not shown in the DP because the process for marking these regions is still on.

There was no demarcation done for gaothans and Koliwadas from 2011, but the current government has taken cognisance of it as a result of which, the demarcation power is delegated to the commissioner of BMC, so that each case can be studied in detail. On the basis of my request a separate DP was announced for these regions, Shelar said. He said the slum areas act is not applicable to gaothans, but did not clarify the same about Koliwadas.
The Bhandup police arrested a man, hours after his wife was found dead at their residence in Bhandup on Friday morning. According to the police, the accused tried to pass of the murder as an incident of a robbery gone awry, but the circumstantial evidence gave him away.

The police received a call about the murder of one Neha Gupta, 27, a resident of Shivneri Sadan chawl in Bhandup (West).

She was found in a pool of blood, with a slashed neck and a few injuries on her arms. Her husband, Birbal, said that a robber wearing black and white clothes entered their room and fled after attacking her.

The inspection of the crime scene revealed that it would have been difficult for an outsider to have committed the crime. During the interrogation, Birbal confessed to the crime and narrated the sequence of events that led to the murder.

The couple was to leave for Uttar Pradesh to attend a close relatives wedding. However, Neha refused to go as their third daughter is just over a month old. This led to an argument between the two, following which Birbal took the kitchen knife and slashed her throat, said an officer from the Bhandup police station.

The couple married a decade ago, and have three children, who are 5 years, 2 years, and a month old. Birbal works as a driver for a cab aggregator. As per investigations, the couple argued over petty issues frequently. Neha was likely to have been attacked around 4.48am, the police said. A case was registered and Birbal has been arrested under section 302 (murder) of the Indian penal code (IPC).
Even as the state awaits the Centres final nod to the revised plan for Shivaji memorial, the government has been told to develop a plan to protect marine biodiversity around the site in the sea where the statue will be built.

According to the minutes of a meeting of the expert appraisal committee (EAC) under the environment ministry that were released on Thursday, while all previous conditions for environmental and coastal regulation zone remain unchanged, the ministry may bring in additional clauses focusing on marine conservation.

Scientists from the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), who carried out preliminary environment impact assessment , of the site said the 15.96-hectare plot, where the project is proposed, is home to endangered marine species such as dolphins, turtles, stingrays, eel fish, crustaceans, porpoises, soft corals, gorgonian coral, algae, and planktons. HT had on December 24, 2016 reported that marine experts from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute claimed the rise in movement of boats from Nariman Point to the project site will lead to marine pollution, large-scale loss of fish catch and other marine biodiversity and damage the coast.

The marine biodiversity management plan earlier recommended by the committee to cater to disturbances during various phases of the project shall be drawn up and implemented in consultation, and with approval of the state biodiversity board, read the minutes of the meeting, adding, A plan shall be drawn up with the fisheries department in consultation with the fisheries department for the management of fish and fishing operation during various phases of the construction of the project.

A senior official from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) said, The EAC has sent its recommendations on the project. A final nod is yet to be issued. It will come after a discussion on the recommendations.

During a meeting on April 22, the states public works department submitted a revised proposal to increase the height of the statue to 210m from 192m, to make it the tallest statue in the world. HT had on May 2 reported the project was likely to get the Centres nod.

We found some critical and sensitive organisms are present near the site, which means this area is rich in marine habitat. The [biodiversity protection] plan should entail regular assessment, threats to marine life and standard methods to protect it simultaneously during construction. This is only possible if expert organisations are roped in during construction, said Baban Ingole, chief scientist and professor, NIO, who was the lead scientist for the EIA.

Vinayak Mete, chairman of the committee that oversees the implementation of the memorial project, said the new guidelines were not mentioned earlier, but will be adhered to. The Centres recommendations will be implemented only after we send a fresh letter seeking permission to increase the height by another 2m. We will ensure scientists and marine experts are on board at every stage. As of now, no construction has begun and we have only signed a letter of interest with a private company, Larsen & Toubro, that will be the contractor, he said.

Some of the other recommendations include the project to be dove-tailed with the final Coastal Zone Management plan to be drawn up by the state, which is expected to be submitted to the environment ministry this month, said state environment department officials. The state pollution control board will help the state decide the marine outfall of the desalination plant for the project and the latter needs to ensure there are no legal restrictions on project activities.
NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbals bail has raised speculation over his political future ahead of the 2019 polls. While NCP senior leaders have welcomed the long delayed move, there is a mixed reaction over whether bail can help him revive his political capital ahead of the elections. Political observers said this could be just a short-term relief for the ailing leader.

On the face of it, the NCP could do well by using Bhujbal, a senior OBC leader, in its electoral campaign to help it balance out its overtly Maratha identity. This will be important next year as caste clashes  Maratha silent protests and reactionary OBC marches and Dalit agitations  will be a poll agenda.

He has got bail on grounds of his ill health and age. But bail is not an acquittal. He has to face trial in a strong case. Further, his political capital now is limited to his pocket borough of Nasik. Can he campaign for the NCP ? Will his presence bring in dividends or brickbats? questioned political analyst Prakash Bal.

However, his influence is not limited to his home turf but transcends his stronghold because he is an OBC leader. He also continues to have influence over the Mali community to which he belongs. It has pockets of influence across the state.

Despite the NCP jubilation, it is not yet clear whether he will get active in the party soon. His followers over the last two years have lamented that the NCP senior leadership had almost ditched the leader.

The NCP seems to be celebrating. But, I would like to remind it that he has been granted only bail. He has not been acquitted. All charges against him have been established, and it is only a matter of time before he goes back to prison, tweeted Anjali Damania, social activist and the main complainant in the case against Bhujbal.

Bhujbalji was denied proper medical facility in jail, ignoring the fact he was unwell. I am sure Bhujbalji will now clear his side of the story before people, said state NCP president Jayant Patil, indicating that the leader would continue to be active in the party.

Former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, once seen a Bhujbal rival, said, We are satisfied with todays court decision. However, we believe that no politician from any political party should go through such difficulties for a case that has not been proven. Of course, he was and will always continue to be in the NCP.
A 22-year-old woman, who was travelling from Titwala to get admitted to a hospital in Ghatkopar after she went into labour, delivered in a train at Thane railway station around 12.15am on Saturday, with help of the medical staff at the 1 Rupee clinic located on the station premises.

The mother, Zeba Ansari, and the infant girl were shifted to Thane Civil Hospital after delivery.

On Friday, Zeba, a resident of Titwala, returned home around 7pm from Rajawadi hospital after a check-up. But later in the night, Zeba started getting labour pains, so we decided to go to Rajawadi. We boarded a 11.14pm Thane local from Titwala, along with my mother, said Muhammad Ansari, 30, her husband, who is a tailor by profession.

READ: 1 Rupee clinic at Thane railway station a boon for us, say commuters

By the time the train pulled into Thane, Zeba was getting severe contractions, so I rushed to the railway police, and they immediately called the doctor at the 1 Rupee clinic. The doctor and the nurse came to the compartment and helped my wife deliver, Ansari said.

The woman delivered the baby in the local after which she was shifted to our hospital around 1.30am. Both the child and the mother are healthy and safe and will be discharged soon, said Dr Sangeeta Makode, additional civil surgeon, Thane Civil Hospital.
At the 2012 World Health Assembly, the then director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Margaret Chan, declared that universal health coverage (UHC) is the most powerful concept that public health has to offer. A year later, Jim Kim, the World Bank president, said: We must be the generation that delivers UHC. In 2015, all nations assembled at the United Nations to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A key target of the health goal is to achieve UHC for all by 2030. Last year, WHO director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, listed UHC as his foremost priority. Keeping with that commitment, WHO chose the theme of this years World Health Day as Universal Health Coverage: Everyone Everywhere.

UHC is visualised as an ideal state of health system organisation in which every person gets quality health services as per her needs, without suffering financial hardship. While an overnight transformation of the health system is not possible, a planned and progressive evolution towards achievement of the SDG targets is imperative. UHC has been graphically depicted by WHO as a cube with three dimensions: population coverage; service coverage; and, cost coverage. While all of these need to be addressed in unison from the very start, the scale of each has to be periodically revised, as per resources available at that time.

The first (what proportion of the population is covered by the programme) is of greatest interest to political decision-makers, as they would like to please the largest number of voters. The second (what is the range of health services covered) is the priority of doctors, as they would like to make the maximum range of tests and treatments available to their patients. The third (how to reduce the financial burden of healthcare on individuals, while keeping the health budget within limits of fiscal prudence) is the concern of economists and finance ministers. There is a dynamic tension between these competing perspectives, even as the questions have to be answered in a complementary manner to progressively fill the UHC cube.

Universality invokes the principle of benefits to all through horizontal equity. However, the health gaps between the rich and poor also need to be bridged through vertical equity. This calls for a UHC which initially provides facilitated access to several essential benefits for all, with prioritised provision of additional benefits to poor and vulnerable sections. As UHC evolves, the programme must encompass the whole population with the largest band of common benefits.

At every stage, an essential health package needs to be defined, listing the common services that will be provided to all, while supplementing these with additional services to the vulnerable sections. Disease burdens, cost-effectiveness and equity are factors that usually determine the services that are included. An extended cost-effectiveness analysis also factors in the amount of financial protection provided and the potential for poverty reduction by inclusion of any service in the package. This common package must expand as the health budget increases and evolve as the population profile of health challenges alters over time.

Primary care and emergency care must take priority, as must maternal and child health services. Without robust primary health services, preventable or easily treatable diseases will flood secondary and tertiary care facilities demanding expensive care for complications that should have been avoided. UHC will then tilt heavily towards advanced hospital care, disproportionately draining the health budget and leaving little impact on population health indicators.

Public financing of health is key to the success of UHC. Tax revenues and employer contributions must contribute to bulk of the funding for UHC, which must be capable of serving the whole population. This will create a large risk pool where the healthy subsidise the sick and the rich subsidise the poor. A single payer system will be best positioned to regulate cost and quality while dealing with the mix of public and private healthcare providers who the government wishes to engage for strategic purchase of healthcare services.

India is still far from the UHC target. Government-funded insurance programmes targeting the poor have increased their access to hospitalised care but have failed to provide financial protection. High, out-of-pocket expenditure on outpatient care and medicines, uncovered by these schemes, are the reason, apart from add-on hospitalisation costs. Primary care too has been weak in many parts of the country.

The centrally-sponsored Ayushman Bharat - National Health Protection Mission aims to galvanise frontline primary care and scale up the financial coverage of hospitalised care for the poor. While this is welcome, the whole chain of health services must be strengthened, especially the weak links in primary care and district hospitals. Health workforce shortages must be addressed, so that promised entitlements are actually delivered. The health budgets must rise substantially, at both state and central level, if the sluggish journey towards the SDG target is to speed up. More than to the UN or WHO, India must keep the promise to its people.

Srinath Reddy is president, Public Health Foundation of India

The views expressed are personal
A two-year-old boy was killed allegedly after his father in a fit of rage threw a stone at him when he was playing with his siblings near a railway crossing in Slem Tabri locality of Ludhiana, police said on Saturday.

Chotey Lal (42) last evening saw that his four children were playing near the railway track and in a fit of rage, he started throwing stones on them.

His three daughters ran away, but a stone hit his son Motis head and he died on the spot, police said.

According to eyewitnesses, when the accused came to know that his son died he tried to commit suicide by jumping before a running train. But his neighbours caught hold of him and informed the police.

He along with the members of his family are living in the nearby slums, police said.

A case of murder was registered against Lal and he was arrested, the police added.
After police registered a case of illegal sand mining against Congress Shahkot assembly bypoll candidate Hardev Singh Ladi Sherowalia, opposition parties Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have demanded that the ruling party cancel his candidature.

AAPs Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who is leader of opposition in the assembly, said there are serious allegations against Ladi for his involvement in illegal sand mining and demanding goonda tax from mining mafia. This, he said, gives the message that illegal mining is still rampant in the Congress regime. Captain Amarinder Singh (chief minister) knew about a video that went viral on social media in which Ladi is seen demanding a share from sand mining contractors, Khaira said. I know Captain Amarinder is not capable of taking any action; I would like to request Rahul Gandhi (Congress president) to intervene in the matter and cancel the nomination of tainted candidate Ladi. Khaira also asked Ladi to come out and clarify his stand about the sting video; and demanded an independent probe by a judicial officer.

SAD activists led by Adampur MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu and Shahkot candidate Naib Singh burnt an effigy of Ladi after the police registered the case. Tinu said they handed over a memorandum demanding his arrest to the tehsildar. Addressing the media, Tinu said he wondered how elections can be conducted when both civil and police administration are under pressure. Congress is making a mockery of the system and wants to loot this election. We demand that the election be conducted under the security of paramilitary forces in a fair manner.

In Amritsar, terming the FIR a drama, AAPs state unit co-president Balbir Singh asked the CM if this is meant to benefit the Akalis. Declaring that the party will name its candidate on Saturday, he said, First a video of Ladi went viral; then Captain Amarinder persuaded Rahul Gandhi to name Ladi as the party nominee even amid allegations of illegal sand mining, and then the FIR was registered.

About the likely AAP nominee, he said six leaders have been shortlisted.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday named Rattan Singh, 62, as its candidate for the Shahkot assembly byelection. His name was announced by AAP state unit co-president Balbir Singh in the presence of Delhi deputy chief minister and Punjab affairs in-charge Manish Sisodia at a press conference.

The two leaders announced the candidate after a meeting of MLAs and other party functionaries from across the state. Polling is scheduled to be held on May 28 from 7am and end at 6 pm.

Rattan Singh, who is general secretary of Doaba zonal unit of the AAP, belongs to an influential family of Kakkar Kalan village in Lohian. Besides owning over 100 acres of farm land, his family has a construction business in Dubai which is managed by his son. Singh shuttles between Jalandhar and Dubai frequently.

He is a former sarpanch and zila samiti member. The candidate was finalised from among six probables shortlisted by a panel of party leaders and volunteers, said state unit co-president.

The party announced the candidate amid discordant noises over contesting the assembly byelection. A section of AAP leaders was against fighting the May 28 bypoll because of its slim prospects of winning the contest. The AAP candidates had faced crushing defeats in the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha election and municipal polls in the past one year.

The party should not contest the election. We are a small party that needs to concentrate on building organisational set-up at the grassroots. Our target should be the 2019 Lok Sabha elections instead, Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann had told HT.

A few other leaders had also voiced their concerns.

However, the party leadership ignored their reservations. Being the principal opposition party, we cannot stay away and watch from the sidelines. We have to fight the Congress and the SAD, insisted a party MLA.

The AAP was third with 31% votes during assembly election. It suffered a setback when Amarjit Mehatpur, who was the party candidate, switched sides and joined the SAD a month ago.Sisodia said, The organisational structure will be strengthened.
A live insect dished out to a passenger with her breakfast on board the Kalka-New Delhi Shatabdi proved to be expensive for Indian Railways as it was ordered by the Chandigarh Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum to pay her Rs 10,000 as compensation.

The catering and tourism department of the railways was also directed to refund Rs 270 catering charges for the breakfast to the Sector 21 resident as part of the ticket price.

Shalini Jain, travelling with her two sons on July 3, 2016, from Chandigarh to New Delhi, was shocked to see a live insect inside the food pack served to her aboard the Shatabdi. Though she pointed it out to the catering staff, nothing was done about it and she returned all the food packets to them, including that of her sons, as she did not want them to eat the unhygienic and unhealthy food, Jain submitted in her complaint.

This is a serious lapse on the part of the Catering Officials especially Supervisor, who miserably failed to supervise the preparation and service of food to the passengers on train.

 Chandigarh Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum

It was also stated in the complaint that the staff offered Jain another pack of food, but she and her sons did not accept it . Also, when she asked the train staff, including the train ticket examiner (TTE) to provide her the register to lodge a complaint, they did not give it to her.

Following the incident Jain said she had even sent a complaint to the Railway Minister on October 12, 2016, but no reply was received.

It was submitted to the consumer disputes forum that Jain had filed a complaint as the Railways Act forced sale of meals on passengers as per pre-decided menus and served unhygienic, infested and unpresentable meals during the journey, which amounted to unfair trade practice and deficiency in service.

While other allegations were denied, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation denied that they had no role in providing the catering service on the train (No12006  Kalka New Delhi Shatabadi Express) and that the catering service on the said date was provided by a service provider engaged by Northern Railway, as per the Catering Policy 2010.

Besides directing the Indian Railways to pay the compensation, the forum also observed  . despite detail instructions, as contained in the revised Catering Policy, 2010, circulated by Commercial Circular NO.35/2010 by Government of India, no effective steps have been taken by most of the Railway Zones to uplift the quality of service of food to the passengers on board.

The forum also said, This is a serious lapse on the part of the Catering Officials especially Supervisor, who miserably failed to supervise the preparation and service of food to the passengers on train. The complainant has paid Rs 270 as catering charges, but could not eat the meal and suffered a lot and even her little kids were deprived of meals during the journey.
Allu Arjuns Naa Peru Surya, the third big Telugu release this summer hit the screens worldwide on May 4. According to the makers, the film took a terrific opening at the box-office with worldwide gross of Rs 40 crore. Apparently, this is the biggest ever opener for Allu Arjun in his decade-long career. Sources in the trade believe that the film could easily breach into Rs 100 crore club in its opening weekend. Despite mixed reviews, the film has opened well at the box-office, thanks to Arjuns huge fan following.

In the Vakkantham Vamsi directorial, Arjun plays a soldier with anger management issues. Known for his contribution as a writer for hit films such as Kick and Temper, Naa Peru Surya is his directorial debut.

The film follows Suryas journey from an angry army brat to becoming a responsible adult who has learnt to balance his life. In the process, what happens to Surya forms the crux of the film.

Also starring Anu Emmanuel, Arjun Sarja, Sarath Kumar and Thakur Anup Singh, the character essayed by Arjun in the film required him to shed weight and he worked with a US-based trainer for close to a month to achieve the desired look. The film, which has been dubbed and released as En Peyar Surya in Tamil, has music by Bollywood composer duo Vishal-Shekhar.

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Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan last year made his television debut as the host of Tamil reality show Bigg Boss, which was received well and went on to become a huge hit among audience. The Indian actor will return as the host of the show for the second time in a row for season 2, which is expected to be aired on Star Vijay from mid-June, according to reliable sources. The promo of season 2 was said to have been shot earlier this week in a studio in Chennai.

It is confirmed. Kamal sir will return as host of Bigg Boss season 2. The promo for season 2 was shot a few days ago in a studio. If everything goes as planned, the new season will go on air from second or third week of June. The process of finalising contestants is currently underway, and this process would take another couple of weeks, a source told Hindustan Times.

Not long ago, reports emerged that Haasan, who recently announced his full-fledged plunge into politics, may not return as the host for season 2. It was rumoured that he might be replaced by actor Arvind Swamy. However, these rumours have now officially been quashed after it has been confirmed.

The first season saw participation of 15 contestants and among them few popular ones were Oviya, Raiza Wilson, Snehan, Aarav, Harish and Gayatri Raghuram among others. All the participants stayed locked inside a house for 100 days, absolutely cut off from the outside world. Haasan visited the house once every week to eliminate a participant.

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Contrary to analyst predictions, Apple's big bet on its iPhone X smartphone has paid off. The smartphone, which marks the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, has now been named the most selling smartphone in the first quarter of 2018. According to market research firm Strategy Analytics, Apple's iPhone X captured 5% of the global market in Q1 of 2018 with shipments of 16 million units.

The report further says Apple shipped almost 50 million iPhone X units since its launch in November 2017. While iPhone X held the top position, Apple's other phones iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and even older iPhone 7 Plus grabbed the top four positions. Rival Samsung's flagship smartphone Galaxy S9 Plus stood at the sixth position. The only Android smartphone to make it to the top five was Xiaomi's Redmi 5A.

"We estimate the Apple iPhone X shipped 16.0 million units and captured 5 percent marketshare worldwide in Q1 2018. For the second quarter running, the iPhone X remains the world's most popular smartphone model overall, due to a blend of good design, sophisticated camera, extensive apps, and widespread retail presence for the device," wrote Juha Winter, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics in a post.

"Apple has now shifted almost 50 million iPhone X units worldwide since its commercial launch in November 2017. The Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus shipped 12.5 and 8.3 million units respectively for second and third place. The previous-generation iPhone 7 shipped a respectable 5.6 million units for fourth place. When combined, Apple today accounts for four of the world's six most popular smartphone models," the post added.

Apple iPhone X: Not a flop

Apple fans and the industry pundits alike have been divided over the prospects of iPhone X. The polarising smartphone marked a stark departure from the company's approach to the design and overall user experience. The phone featured a cut-out display that received a mixed reaction from fans. Later, a number of Android players followed suit to launch phones with a notch display.

For the last few months, there has been growing concern over the fate of the smartphone. Earlier this month, Ming-Chi Kuo, analyst with KGI Securities, claimed Apple was planning to kill its iPhone X soon. Another analyst, Neil Campling at Mirabaud Securities, said the supplier TMSC's revised full-year revenue target citing "smartphone weakness" indicates that the iPhone X will die soon. Older reports claimed that Apple had slashed production of the iPhone X by half.
Iraqs highest Shia authority, whose opinions carry great weight in the country, on Friday urged voters not to re-elect corrupt MPs during next weeks national elections.

Abdel Mehdi al-Karbalai, the representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, issued the call during weekly Friday prayers in the holy city of Karbala.

He said Iraqis who will vote in the May 12 polls should not re-elect candidates from among MPs and officials who have already held government jobs and proved to be corrupt and failing.

Iraq is ranked the 12th most corrupt country in the world by Transparency International.

More than 24 million Iraqis are registered to elect 320 deputies from a field of around 7,000 candidates on May 12, with 71 seats reserved for the capital.

According to the electoral commission, only 20 percent of the candidates are newcomers.

Karbalai said voters should avoid falling into the trap of those who want to fool you, including those whom you have known -- a reference to outgoing MPs and other officials running in the polls.

Political analyst Aziz Jaber said Karbalais remarks targeted heads of lists who have held government jobs and MPs such as vice-presidents Nuri al-Maliki and Ayad Allawi.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi -- accused by critics of failing to tackle rampant corruption in Iraq -- heads one of the main lists and hopes to be re-elected.

Shiite religious parties have come to play a greater role in the years since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein.

Sistani, whose opinions are widely respected among Shias, mobilised tens of thousands of men to join paramilitary units of the Hashed al-Shaabi, which played a crucial role in defeating the Islamic State group in Iraq.
Israel dropped out Friday of a race for a Security Council seat in 2019 and 2020 following a campaign by Arab states at the United Nations to block the bid.

The decision clears the path for Belgium and Germany to take the two seats allocated on a regional basis when the General Assembly holds the elections next month.

After consulting with our partners, including our good friends, the state of Israel has decided to postpone its candidacy for a seat on the Security Council, said a statement from the Israeli mission.

It was Israels first attempt to win a seat at the 15-member council.

No reason was given for the withdrawal, but diplomats said it had appeared clear in recent weeks that Israel would lose to Germany and Belgium in the General Assembly vote on June 8.

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki last month said Arab countries were doing everything possible to convince as many countries as possible to block the vote on Israels bid for a seat at the Security Council.

Speaking on the sidelines of an Arab summit in Riyadh, Maliki said he was confident that Arab and Muslim states would muster enough votes to block Israels candidacy.

South Africa and the Dominican Republic are set to win two of the five seats up for election.

Indonesia and the Maldives will be competing for one seat representing the Asia-Pacific group of countries.

The Security Council is made up of five permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- while the 10 other seats are filled by elected members that serve two-year stints.

We will continue to act with our allies to allow for Israel to realize its right for full participation and inclusion in decision-making processes at the UN, the Israeli mission said.

This includes the Security Council as well as an emphasis on areas related to development and innovation.

Even if a country is put forward as the regions candidate for a seat, it still needs to secure more than two thirds of the overall vote in the 193-nation assembly.

That would have made it difficult for Israel to secure enough votes at the assembly.

European diplomats made clear that they would back fellow European candidates for the two seats.
Drumming up international support for his call to fix or nix the Iran nuclear deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached out to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to update him on the recent developments.

A statement from Netanyahus media advisor on Friday said the Israeli Prime Minister spoke to three key international leaders, including Modi, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and British Prime Minister Theresa May.

He discussed regional issues with the world leaders and also updated them on the important material that he revealed regarding the Iranian nuclear archive, the press release stated.

Netanyahu had earlier told the media that he would share the archive of more than 100,000 documents said to have been obtained by Israels espionage agency Mossad from a Tehran warehouse, which allegedly proves Irans past clandestine efforts to assemble nuclear weapons.

The leaders of the E3  Britain, France, and Germany  said they want to see the material. Theyre very interested in seeing what we discovered, Netanyahu told journalists in his Jerusalem office.

Intelligence professionals from London, Paris and Berlin are coming to Jerusalem later this week to examine the material Israel presented, he said.

The Israeli Premier spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to update them about the Mossads findings on Monday.

I told Putin that hes welcome, too, to see the material. I also invited the leader of China and [Yukiya] Amano (the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency), Netanyahu said.

In a sensational presentation on Monday evening, Netanyahu showcased an enormous trove of Iranian documents that he said proved the existence of Irans nuclear Project, Amad, which Tehran claimed to have frozen in 2003.

In a daring operation, Mossad agents are said to have managed to obtain and smuggle into Israel 55,000 paper documents and 183 CDs with another 55,000 documents from what looked like a dilapidated warehouse in Tehran earlier this year.

Israel has expressed hope that the irrefutable findings would help shore up international communitys longstanding suspicion that the Islamic Republic was investing great efforts in building a nuclear weapon.

There has been speculation in the Israeli media that close ally United States will pull out of the Iranian nuclear deal on May 12 and impose sanctions against the Islamic Republic based on the reactions coming from Washington on the proof gathered by Mossad.

Commenting on the expectations, Netanyahu gave a guarded response saying, The decision is President [Donald] Trumps decision alone. Hes a leader who knows to take decisions, and he takes them.

Trump, a fervent critic of the seven-party agreement, has long threatened to walk away from the landmark deal unless its European signatories and Congress reconcile his concerns.

The US President is said to be unhappy about key aspects of the insane pact. He has complained that the deal fails to restrict Irans nuclear activities for long enough and to stop the countrys development of ballistic missiles.

A dramatic uptick in oil prices in recent weeks has partly been driven by mounting expectations that Trump will soon pull out of the 2015 accord.

The Iran nuclear deal framework was a preliminary framework agreement reached in 2015 between the Islamic Republic of Iran and a group of world powers - P5+1 (meaning the five permanent members of the UNSC and Germany) and the European Union.

Some critics have downplayed the claims by Israel and termed Netanyahus press conference theatrical arguing that the existence of Irans clandestine nuclear weapons programme was already known and detailed in an IAEA report from 2011.

Israeli officials have refuted such critics saying that the world now has much more detailed knowledge of what went on there with evidence of a whole different level.
North Korea has asked the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for permission to open an air corridor to South Korea, the UN agency said Friday.

The proposal to establish a new air traffic services corridor between Pyongyang and the South Korean city of Incheon, near Seoul, was submitted to the ICAOs regional offices in Bangkok, Thailand in February, the agency said in an email to AFP.

The ICAO, which is headquartered in Montreal, said it conveyed the proposal to South Koreas civil aviation authorities, indicating (the) ICAOs willingness to facilitate and support further discussions.

The request is presently under their consideration, it added.

Next week, an ICAO delegation led by Pacific Regional Director Arun Mishra and Director of Air Navigation Bureau Stephen Creamer will travel to North Korea to further discuss the proposal, along with other air navigation and safety matters.

A recent meeting between North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in signalled a spectacular detente after months of tensions over Pyongyangs nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and has fed hopes of a historic turning point in the region.

A summit between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un is also set to take place in the coming weeks, after decades of hostility between Pyongyang and Washington.
More than 1,000 protesters including top opposition leader Alexei Navalny were detained on Saturday during nationwide rallies against Vladimir Putins upcoming inauguration for a fourth Kremlin term, an independent monitor said.

Top opposition leader Alexei Navalny, his ally Nikolai Lyaskin and a number of their supporters were detained in Moscow as police roughly rounded up protesters.

At least 1,029 people were held in 19 cities, said OVD-Info, adding that more than 470 people had been detained in Moscow.

Navalny had called for people to take to the streets in more than 90 towns and cities across the worlds largest country to register their opposition to what Navalny says is Vladimir Putins autocratic Tsar-like rule.

Protesters attend a rally in St Petersburg, Russia, on Saturday. (AP)

Putin won a landslide re-election victory in March, extending his grip over Russia for six more years until 2024, making him the longest-lasting leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin who ruled for nearly 30 years.

Navalny, who was barred from running in the election against Putin on what he says was a false pretext, was detained soon after showing up on Moscows central Pushkinskaya Square where young people chanted Russia without Putin and Down with the Tsar.

Footage of the detention posted online showed five policemen carting him off to a waiting van by his arms and legs.

Navalny, who has been detained and jailed for organising similar protests in the past, had managed to briefly address several thousand people beforehand, saying he was glad people had shown up.

Reuters reporters saw riot police systematically detaining other protesters in Moscow, some of them harshly, before bundling them into buses. In St Petersburg, protesters were prevented from reaching the citys central square.

Putin, 65, has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000.

Backed by state TV and the ruling party, and credited with an approval rating of around 80%, he is lauded by supporters as a father-of-the-nation figure who has restored national pride and expanded Moscows global clout with interventions in Syria and Ukraine.
President Donald Trump suggested Friday that Rudy Giuliani, the aggressive new face of his legal team, needed to get his facts straight about the hush money paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election. Giuliani quickly came up with a new version.

Trump chided Giuliani even as he insisted that were not changing any stories about the $130,000 settlement, which was paid to Daniels to keep her quiet about her allegations of an affair with Trump. Hours later, Giuliani backed away from his previous suggestion that the Oct. 27 settlement had been made because Trump was in the stretch run of his campaign.

The payment was made to resolve a personal and false allegation in order to protect the presidents family, Giuliani said in a statement released Friday. It would have been done in any event, whether he was a candidate or not.

A day earlier, Giuliani had said on Fox News: Imagine if that came out on October 15, 2016, in the middle of the last debate with Hillary Clinton.

Trump said Friday that Giuliani was a great guy but he just started a day ago and the former mayor of New York City was still learning the subject matter. Giuliani revealed this week that Trump knew about the payment to Daniels made by his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, and the president paid Cohen back.

Giuliani insisted Trump didnt know the specifics of Cohens arrangement with Daniels until recently, telling Fox & Friends on Thursday that the president didnt know all the details until maybe 10 days ago. Giuliani told The New York Times that Trump had repaid Cohen $35,000 a month out of his personal family account after the campaign was over. He said Cohen received $460,000 or $470,000 in all for expenses related to Trump.

Giulianis suggestion that the president knew anything about the payments  even as a monthly retainer  appeared to contradict Trump, who has repeatedly denied the affair and told reporters on Air Force One last month that he hadnt known about a settlement with Daniels.

Trumps irritation was plain Friday when reporters reminded him of his previous denial. He blasted the media for focusing on crap stories like the Daniels matter and the special counsels probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

The president claimed that virtually everything reported about the payments  which are the subject of swirling legal action and frenzied cable newsbreaks  has been wrong. But he declined to elaborate.

It was Trumps own teams missteps that yielded another day of headlines about Daniels. In his statement, Giuliani said his previous references to timing were not describing my understanding of the presidents knowledge, but instead, my understanding of these matters. He didnt elaborate on that either.

Giulianis statement correcting himself came just a day after he said, You wont see daylight between me and the president.

The about-face came amid concern in the White House that Giulianis comments could leave the president legally vulnerable.

While Giuliani repeated his belief that the payment did not constitute a campaign finance violation, legal experts have said the new information raises questions, including whether the money represented repayment of an undisclosed loan or could be seen as reimbursement for a campaign expenditure. Either could be legally problematic.

The episode also revived worries in Trumps inner circle about Giuliani, who enjoys the media limelight and has a tendency to go off script. He had been widely expected to join Trumps administration but was passed over for secretary of state, the position he badly wanted.

His whirlwind press tour this week bewildered West Wing aides, who were cut out of the decision-making process when Giuliani first revealed that Trump  who often boasts about signing his own checks  had some knowledge about the payment to Daniels.

No debt to Cohen was listed on Trumps personal financial disclosure form, which was certified on June 16, 2017. Asked if Trump had filed a fraudulent form, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday: I dont know.

Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, is seeking to be released from a non-disclosure deal she signed in the days before the 2016 election to keep her from talking about a 2006 sexual encounter she said she had with Trump. She has also filed defamation suits against Cohen and Trump.

Her attorney, Michael Avenatti, tweeted Friday that Mr. Giuliani and Mr. Trump are making it up as they go along. He added: How stupid do they think all of us are?

Trump is facing mounting legal threats from the Cohen-Daniels situation and the special counsels investigation of possible Russian coordination with the Trump presidential campaign.

Cohen is facing a criminal investigation in New York, and FBI agents raided his home and office several weeks ago seeking records about the Daniels nondisclosure agreement. Giuliani has warned Trump that he fears Cohen, the presidents longtime personal attorney, will flip, bending in the face of a potential prison sentence, and he has urged Trump to cut off communications with him, according to a person close to Giuliani.

Trump has of late publicly downplayed his relationship with Cohen but did acknowledge last week that Cohen represented him in the crazy Stormy Daniels deal.

The presidents self-proclaimed legal fixer has been surprised and concerned by Trumps recent stance toward him, according to a Cohen confidant. Cohen was dismayed to hear Trump marginalize his role during an interview last week with Fox & Friends and interpreted a recent negative National Enquirer cover story as a warning shot from a publication that has long been cozy with Trump, said the person who was not authorized to talk about private conversations and spoke only on condition of anonymity. Cohen also had not indicated to friends that Trumps legal team was going to contradict his original claim that he was not reimbursed for the payment to Daniels.
Imtiyaz Shaikh, who hails from Vasco da Gama, has become the first councillor of Goa origin to be elected to the council in Swindon after he emerged victorious in the May 3 local elections from Eastcott.

A large number of people from Goa have migrated in recent years to Swindon, nearly 130 km south-west of London.

Shaikh, who contested as a Labour candidate, won the five-cornered contest in Eastcott, polling 1621 votes. His nearest rival, Toby Robson of Liberal Democrats, received 1344 votes.

A leading member of Swindons Goan community, Shaikh has been resident in the town for a decade. He has been secretary of the Vasco da Gama Swindon Community.

He said before the election: If elected, I would be proud to be the first member of Swindons Goan community to serve on the council. I want to work together in cooperation with Eastcott residents to improve our community.

Swindon is now identified with Goa in the same way that Southall is identified with people from Punjab, or Leicester with Gujarat.

Under Portuguese nationality law, those born in Goa before its liberation from the European nations rule on December 19, 1961 can claim Portuguese citizenship after registering their births in Lisbon; their next three generations can also claim citizenship.

Shaikh is among several councillors of Indian origin to be elected in the local elections, particularly in boroughs in London, Leicester, Birmingham and Manchester.
More than 30 US lawmakers from both parties have signed a letter circulating around Capitol Hill urging the Trump administration to reconsider its decision to rescind a 2015 regulation that allows spouses of certain H-1B visa holders, the bulk of whom are from India, to work.

The Obama-era work authorisation, H-4EAD, has made our economy stronger, while providing relief and economic support to thousands of spousesmostly womenwho have resided in the United States for years said the letter initiated by Indian American member of the House of Representatives Pramila Jayapal and colleague Mia Love.

More lawmakers are expected to sign the letter before Wednesday, May 9, when it will be sent to Kristjen Nielsen, secretary of the department of homeland security, which oversees the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency that announced this year that it had decided to rescind the Obama-era programme.

In all 33 lawmakers had signed the letter so far, according to a note sent by the initiators to other members seeking their support and signatures.

The aim was to protect the interest of United States workers in the administration of our immigration system, USCIS director Francis Cissna told a US senator, quoting from the Buy American, Hire American executive order issued by President Donald Trump just weeks after he took office in 2017.

There was no response from the White House to a request for comment to emerging demands to not scrap H-4 EAD, that have found support in multiple quarters and have been endorsed and echoed most importantly by leading American IT companies and their trade bodies.

Jayapal and Love sought to invoke the larger good these work authorizations do for the American economy arguing in their letter it helps US employers to attract, recruit and retain highly qualified employees, as was the intended purpose of the regulation issued by the Obama administration in 2015.

Also, they added to bolster their case, the spouses are themselves highly educated and have tremendous potential to contribute to our society and economy.

H-4 EAD (EAD stands for Employment Authorization Document) allows spouses of H-1B visa holders in line for permanent residency (Green Card) , not all H-1B visa holders, to work while waiting for their Green Cards, which for Indians could take up to 70 years, according to one count.

An estimated 1.5 million Indian H-1B visa holders are in line for Green Cards currently. Their waiting period is the longest and gets worse every year because of a country-cap that adds to the backlog. Work authorization for their spouses was aimed at making the wait less arduous, and thus act as an incentive. Many of those in the queue have built lives and businesses in the US, and in most cases, their children are US citizens.

Till June 2017, an estimated 105,000 of their spouses had been granted H-4-EAD, according to USCIS data cited by the lawmakers in their letter. The Obama-era regulation was challenged in a court by Save Jobs US, an organization comprised of and representing IT workers displaced by H-1B workers, in 2016. It lost. But its appeal has fared better, finding support from the US justice department of the Trump administration. But as the court case continued, the administration declared its intention, in December 2017, to do away with the regulation altogether, citing President Trumps executive order to protect American jobs. It doubled down on it in a formal communication in January, with an entry in the Federal Registry, the US equivalent of the Indian Gazette.

Still, the administration has appeared less resolute in this than it would appear. It skipped an earlier announcement deadline and has sought to broad-base the debate saying whenever the rule change is notified, ample opportunity would be given to the public to respond, or, in other words, to oppose it.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Eric and Tracy Lanning have poured their love of old homes and the Detroit Tigers into their Greek Revival mansion in the city's South Hill neighborhood.

Originally built in 1903 by lumber baron Alvin L. Dennis, the prominent home at 703 Madison Avenue SE is one of the stars of this year's Heritage Hill Neighborhood Association's 2018 Tour of Homes. The tour, with seven private homes and three institutional buildings, will be open on May 19 and May 20.

After Dennis built the house, it stayed in his family until 1954, when it was donated to the Grand Rapids Child Guidance Clinic, which used it as its headquarters through the 1980s.

Though the clinic had replaced the home's original lighting fixtures with fluorescent lamps, the original wood paneling and layout remained largely unmolested -- a rarity for the neighborhood where most of the older large homes were divided into apartments during the 1960s and 1970s.

Tracy Lanning, a lover of old homes, bought the house from the estate of former City Commission Lew Meriweather in 2005, who died before he could complete repairs to the old house. Since then, the Lannings have restored much of the house to its original splendor.

To celebrate Eric Lanning's dedication to the Detroit Tigers, the third floor attic space was finished in Tiger memorabilia and the widow's walk on the roof outfitted with seats from the old Tigers Stadium.

"We call it the upper deck and the skybox," he said. "It's a great vantage point for sunsets."

As one might expect of a lumber wholesaler who specialized in oak, the home was trimmed in the finest quarter-sawn oak -- most of which has remained intact and retains the original varnish.

"It doesn't look perfect and I love the way it looks," says Tracy Lanning of the millwork.

The entrance hall is lined with rich paneling, fluted columns, beamed ceilings, pocket doors and an elegant double staircase that connects into a single staircase on a landing with a large window. The original oak flooring was reconditioned.

Between the two staircases, there's an staircase that leads to a side entrance that was once used to receive guests in carriages, and later, automobiles.

The mantel on wood-burning fireplace in the living room is a masterpiece of millwork with the original green glazed tiles. Although the light fixtures are not original to the house, they are period correct lamps that Tracey Lanning has found while scavenging older homes or salvage houses.

The beamed and paneled dining room includes a secret pane that can be removed -- perhaps a remnant of the Prohibition Era, where booze was illegal but still found its way to the tables of the upper crust.

The kitchen is deceptive. It has all of the features and space of a modern gourmet kitchen. But the cabinets appear to be vintage thanks to the doors they salvaged from the original kitchen and salvage houses. The vintage farmhouse sink was found at a garage sale.

The decorative hutch above the wet bar is framed with two columns they salvaged from an old piano that had been set on a curb.

The first floor includes a den in the home's original front parlor and a home office with original French doors that lead to a sun porch that the Lannings recently restored.

Upstairs, there are the home's six bedrooms, including a master suite the Lannings created by combining two of the home's original bedrooms and moving a wall into the over-sized landing at the top of the stairs.

The result is a large master suite with a gas fireplace and ensuite bathroom that includes a clawfoot tub, a double vanity and walk-in shower.

The second floor includes five other bedrooms, three more bathrooms and a laundry room -- features one might not expect in a 115-year-old home.

The second floor also includes a sun deck over a two-stall garage the Lannings added to the property several years ago.

Although their house not technically in the Heritage Hill Historic District, the Lannings have adhered to most of the district's rigid standards for historic preservation.

"We're honored that they asked us to participate," said Tracy Lanning.

This is one in a series of articles we have published about High-End Homes in West Michigan. Here are similar articles we have published recently:
A US Navy veteran was on Saturday sentenced to life imprisonment for killing Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla in a racially motivated hate crime at a bar in Kansas City last year.

A federal judge in Kansas sentenced Adam Purinton to nearly 78 years in prison as part of a plea agreement reached in March. Purinton would not be eligible for parole until after he turns 100, KSHB reported.

In March this year, Purinton, 52, had pleaded guilty to the charges of murdering Kuchibhotla.

Purinton was charged with first-degree murder of Kuchibhotla, 32, and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the shootings of his friend, Alok Madasani, and a bystander, who chased Purinton after he fled the Austins Bar and Grill in Olathe city on February 22 last year.

In addition to the state charges, Purinton faces prosecution in federal court. The US Attorneys Office in Kansas filed hate crime charges against Purinton last June.

Purinton, yelled, Get out of my country, before shooting Kuchibhotla, who later died from injuries sustained in the attack.

Kuchibhotla is survived by his wife Sunayana Dumala, who welcomed the courts decision.

Todays sentencing in the murder of my husband will not bring back my Srinu, but it sends a strong message that hate is never acceptable, Dumala said in a statement.

I want to thank the District Attorneys office and the Olathe police for their efforts to bring this man to justice, she said.

Kuchibhotla hailed from Hyderabad. He had a masters degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso. He earned his bachelors degree from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad.
US president Donald Trump issued a full-throated endorsement of gun rights as championed by their most powerful representative, The National Rifle Association, at the bodys annual convention in Dallas, Texas.

Youre going to keep those rights, Trump said of gun rights in a 45-minute election rally-style speech, in which he jumped through various topics, as the pro-gun audience cheered him on. This was a stark departure from his defiant tone after the February 14 shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in which 17 people including 14 students were killed by a former student.

On Friday, he was back in the fold. Your Second Amendment rights are under siege. But they will never, ever be under siege as long as Im your president.

If were going to outlaw guns like so many people want to doDemocratsyou better get out and vote, he said, seeking support for Republican candidates in the mid-term elections.

We are going to have to outlaw immediately all vans and trucks which are now the new form of death for the maniac terrorists. Right? So lets ban, immediately, all trucks, all vans, maybe all cars. How about cars? Lets ban them. Lets not sell any more cars, he went on to add.

Trump has attended every NRA annual convention in the last five years, and for the second time as president. But never has the meet been attended by both the president and the vice president in the associations 147-year history. Vice-President Mike Pence spoke just ahead of Trump. We will end this evil and protect our liberties at the same time, he said referring to the Florida high school shooting. Thats the American way.

Trump dwelt at length on the shooting and spoke of measures taken since the shooting to improve security at schools around the country and re-litigated his controversial, but NRA-backed, proposal to arm teachers.

We strongly believe in highly trained teachers carrying concealed weapons, he said, Theyre highly trained, and we want highly trained security guards. Ninety-eight percent of mass public shootings have occurred in places where guns are banned, just so you understand.

He continued: There is no stronger deterrent for a sick individual than the knowledge that their attack will end their life and will end in total failure. When they know that, theyre not going in. Youre not going to have school attacks.

After the shooting at Parkland high school in Florida, Trump had tilted away from the NRA, suggesting publicly once, We have to fight them every once in a while. He came out in support of a bill supported better data collection for background checks and issued an order banning bump-stock, a device that speeds up semi-automatic rifles shooting and which was used in the Las Vegas shooting in 2017.

But the president has since reeled himself back, back in alignment with the NRA. And the Friday speech, in which he spoke also of the economy, border security, immigration, tax reforms and North Korea, marked a full re-embrace.




Guwahati : Crime against child and women in Assam have been increased at an alarming rate as two more rape incidents have been come to light in the state.





A 4-year-old girl child was allegedly raped by an auto rickshaw driver in Upper Assams Tinsukia district on Friday.





The incident was took place at Dirak tea estate under Margherita police station.





According to the reports, the auto rickshaw driver identified as Junun Purti had allegedly raped a 4-year-old girl child while he took the minor girl to a jungle area while she returned from her school.





Mother of the victim girl child said that, the accused person had regularly dropped her child at house after completing school periods by his auto rickshaw.





When my daughter reached at house she described everything what happened with her, mother of the victim child said.





Later, local people caught the driver and handed over to police.





Family members of the victim child had lodged a complaint at Margherita police station.





On the other hand, another rape incident has been reported in Central Assams Hojai district, where a 16-year-old minor girl was allegedly raped while she was heading back home from a relatives house.





The incident took place at Lanka area in the Central Assam district.





The victim girl said that, the accused person named Asanur Islam covered her mouth tightly while she heading back home from a relatives house and forcefully took her to an isolated place where he allegedly raped her.





Later local people had rescued the minor girl.





Later, family members of the victim girl had lodged a complaint into the matter at Lanka police station.





Meanwhile, police has started investigation into both rape incidents.





Over 3000 rape cases have been registered in the state in past two years.




When it comes to club appearances, Blac Chyna can no longer charge as much as she did when she was directly linked with the Kardashians, claims a report from TMZ. After a relationship with Rob Kardashian that led to a daughter, Dream Renee Kardashian, and a brief reality show, Rob & Chyna, the two called it quits following much public conflict on social media last year. Unfortunately, the distancing from the Kardashian brand means that Chyna won't be able to rake in quite as much cash per club appearance. According to TMZ's sources, Chyna is looking to pick up some club bookings for her 30th birthday next week, and L.A. promoters have reported that she's scoring a maximum of $7,000 per event, a drop from the alleged $30k she was making while dating Rob.

The articles states that one promoter claimed they would not pay Chyna more than $5,000 for an appearance because without Rob she's like "Sinny without Cher," while a Miami promoter said they would pay a maximum of $2,000 for a Chyna appearance due to her not being as "relevant" as she once was. Another source said that Chyna's relationship with 18-year-old YBN Almight Jay, whose baby she is rumored to be pregnant with, is not helping matters.

Last month, it was reported that Rob Kardashian was taking Chyna to court over custody of their child. The news followed a video of Chyna in an altercation with a woman at a Six Flags that surfaced earlier this year. According to the report, Rob felt Chyna had put her child in harm's way, while Chyna maintained she was protecting Dream.
If there is one thing that we have all learned time and time again, it's the fact that you should respect your elders and soak up game when the OG's are talking. While it's also true that we the youth are the future, it's even truer that the generation before us have seen just about everything. In short, you have to give it up to the Old Heads for teaching us lessons the right way so that we don't have to learn them the hard way.

Southern Old Head, and one of the most influential and outspoken forefathers of Hip Hop, T.I. A.K.A. TIP, A.K.A TIP Harris, A.K.A the father of Trap Muzic, has time and time again proven the aforementioned facts to be true, with his infinite and expertly eloquent street wisdom. A prime example of his teaching comes to us by way of his 2017 open letter to POTUS Donald Trump, in which he taught us two things.

The first being, if you have a respected voice and a massive platform, use it for the right things, as well as, if you can tell a motherfucka is full of shit, call his ass out in front of everyone. And though his letter was quite frankly less explicit and blunt, it surely kept it real with lines like this: "Should it ever at times seem as though WE are against YOU, I assure you it's a result of YOU defining yourself as the representative for those who are and who always have been against US."

So in honour of Mr. Harris' dedication to positively informing himself and acting as a beacon to the community, we went through his Instagram to pick 10 of his most influential and knowledgeable posts. Some of what you see may be street oriented, some of it may be political, a lot of it is just real life shit, but at any rate, pay attention as you go through this gallery because you will most likely learn something.

Remember that time T.I. taught us and Funk Flex a lesson in the "G-Code"?

Here's a two-for-one lesson where T.I. taught us to never come for Snoop Dogg and how to properly rotisserie roast someone.

Given that his career is driven by a sound vocabulary and superb grammatical skills, it's only right he gives us a lesson in grammar.

Fun fact: T.I. doesn't actually control the amount to which his hat is tilted to the side, injustice does.

How about the time T.I. taught us that even OG's have to pay respects to the OG's with this message from Entrepreneur and Drug Kingpin, Big Meech.

#TipsWordsOfTheWeek18 may be one of the most under-appreciated/underutilized educational tools of IG. Just peep his mini-lesson on the word "Extemporaneous."

TIP is as much of a fashion maven as he is a wordsmith. For instance, peep these mini-lessons on patterns, where Mr. Harris gifts us insight on what 'Houndstooth' fabric is and how to mix & match Gingham prints with Polkadot patterns. WE SEE YOU FAM!

T.I. taught us that having friends like Maino means you're always in for a wild night!

And let us not forget, who started this shit.
Microsoft officials pledged Friday to help increase computer literacy among Houstonians and develop smart-city solutions here  the latest in a string of high-tech initiatives designed to boost the citys appeal to technology startups and venture capitalists.

Appearing alongside Mayor Sylvester Turner, the officials said Microsoft will partner with at least one local middle or high school. The company also will offer camps for children, some specifically for girls, and it will provide education for parents, veterans and workers who are transitioning careers.

The Seattle-area company will provide software, support and visibility to local tech startups, and it will work with Houston on smart city-initiatives that could include data-driven solutions for improving transportation and disaster recovery efforts.

Analysis: Good deal for Houston, but what's in it for Microsoft?

Each city has its own fingerprint, and so we dont take a prescriptive approach and say, This is what a smart city is, said Cameron Carr, director of internet of things strategy and scale solutions for Microsoft. Every single city has a different approach that they want to take.

Details for many of the approaches were sparse, but Carr said they could include finding bus routes with less congestion and that are convenient for more people. It could also be used to determine if a bus is being driven too aggressively and consuming more gasoline than it otherwise would.

After events like Hurricane Harvey, he said, drones could be used to find people needing assistance or to determine areas that are impassable due to high waters.

We are right on the edge of creating this bold new world, Carr said.

Dont expect that new world in the immediate future, said Ed Egan, director of the Rice University Baker Institutes McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Digital training, for instance, wont reap immediate results.

These things have effects 5, 10, 20 years down the line, he said.

Tech leader: Houston looks inward for tech innovation leadership

Egan is looking forward to hearing additional details on how Microsoft will work with startups and how it will create smart-city technologies.

Still, Fridays announcement builds upon a month of seemingly nonstop innovation news. In April, Rice University announced a $100 million redevelopment of the former Sears property in Midtown into an innovation center for technology companies.

Then Houston Exponential, a nonprofit created in October, named serial entrepreneur Russ Capper as its executive director. Houston Exponential was created by combining the Houston Technology Center with the Mayors Technology and Innovation Task Force and the Greater Houston Partnerships Innovation Roundtable.

That was followed by leaders of the Texas Medical Center unveiling plans for TMC, a medical research campus across 30 acres that they said would unite four powerhouse research institutions and make Houston an international hub for biomedical innovations.

West side: New startup district coming to west Houston

I set a goal for Houston to become the next hotbed in our nation for innovation and technology and the digital universe, Turner said. Well, I would advise anyone to not blink unless they want to miss whats going on.

John JR Reale, co-founder and CEO of Station Houston, is energized by the recent announcements. His organization acts as a hub for tech innovation and entrepreneurship, providing programs, events, work space, mentorships and benefits to entrepreneurs.

It shows the trajectory of where were going as a city, he said.

Reale said he likes that Microsoft announced the initiative before the final details were in place. That way, organizations can then learn whats needed, what works and what they shouldnt focus on.

I think more things should be like that, he said.

Egan, however, has concerns about the implementation of some of the new city initiatives. He said, for example, that the innovation district should be built in a more prime location. The Sears area in Midtown lacks Class A office space, restaurants and nearby residences.

He also said the fund of funds, announced in October as a tool to increase venture capital investment in Houston, should have at least $80 million more than its initial $50 million goal in order to attract the nations best venture capital funds.

At the start of 2018, we were at a tipping point and we had to get three or four certain components right in order to catalyze Houstons startup ecosystem, Egan said.

Making lemonade: Innovation Corridor could be lasting legacy of Amazon bid

So despite new initiatives, Egan said, the McNair Center expects Houston to drop out of the top 50 cities in terms of new venture capital deals, startups actively receiving venture capital and the amount of growth venture capital money invested.

He does, however, believe smart-city solutions could benefit Houston and attract startups focused on providing such technologies. The internet of things devices they create for the city could be transferred to the energy, medical, transportation and manufacturing sectors.

Turner said the partnership with Microsoft could have a ripple effect, attracting other companies to Houston. In the meantime, Microsoft is bringing business partners like Honeywell or Johnson Controls to the city, where some of its new initiatives are already underway. It held a DigiGirlz camp last week.

These sorts of efforts become infectious and contagious, Turner said.
Artist Sherry Tseng Hill has a beat on southwest Houston, and it's jazzy.

For her first public art commission, Hill has created a series of mixed-media paintings entitled "Beat Sounds" that summon the energy of that side of the city in everything from its natural landscapes (the Willow Waterhole) to its super-urban places (the Hiram Clarke MetroRail stop). She also depicts cranes flying under Loop 610 at Brays Bayou, an oak-lined walkway along Nitida Street, a cityscape along Almeda and -- most abstractly -- NRG Park.

Paintings, of course, do not emit noise. But the artist aims to visualize the various sounds that emanate from each space by placing stark white lines or wavy ribbons of color across the landscapes. Hill, who also is a practicing architect, depicts the city with a slightly mid-century vibe in a colorful, flat style.

"Reflecting the multi-layered world we live in, I often layer imagery and pattern, and play with combining opposite expressions," said Hill. "I constantly explore different techniques and mediums to create textures and see how they can best tell the story or convey the emotions I hope to evoke."

Urban art: Houston's Mini-Mural Street Art Program is Expanding

On display 8 a.m.-5 p.m. this week at City Hall, 901 Bagby, the paintings will be permanently installed in the community meeting room at the new Southwest Police Station, 13097 Nitida Street, which opened in December.

The commission was funded through the city's percent-for-art program, which designates 1.75 percent of qualified capital improvement project monies toward the creation of artworks for those spaces.

"Our public spaces are made more enjoyable by the addition of public art, and the City's investment brings lasting benefit to the community," said Mayor Sylvester Turner.

The percent-for-art program is managed by the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs; the Houston Arts Alliance manages the selection process and creation of the works with the City General Services Department. The selection panel for art at the new police station included representatives from the Houston Police Department, the architecture firm designing Southwest Police Station, the community surrounding the new station, and Houston artists and arts professionals.

Hill, a native of Taiwan and graduate of Rice University, also has a related exhibit, "Houston Remixed - Songs, Dances, and Sentinels of Time," on view at Archway Gallery through March 1.

Molly Glentzer writes about arts and culture for the Chronicle. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter; send tips to molly.glentzer@chron.com.




Itanagar: The Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Brig. (Dr.) B.D. Mishra (Retd.), on the second day of his two-day tour to Kamle district, visited the health centre and educational institute at Raga on Friday.





The Governor, who has been emphasizing strengthening health and education sectors in the State, visited the Community Health Centre, Raga and interacted with the medical officer and para medic staff.





He urged upon them to sincerely render their service to the people for a healthier Arunachal.





He appreciated them for creating awareness on health issues inspite of many challenges.





The Governor assured to facilitate in providing a doctor and ambulance for the CHC.





The Governor also visited the Government Higher Secondary School, Raga and interacted with the teachers.





He advised them that they must put in extra effort to improve the educational standard of the school. Every action and activity in the school must be for the welfare of the student, the Governor said while enquiring about availability of text books to the students.





The Governor assured to facilitate in providing a National Cadet Corp Unit and a bamboo auditorium for the school.





Local MLA and Parliamentary Secretary Animal Husbandry & Veterinary and Dairy Development, Tamar Murtem, Deputy Commissioner Moki Loyi and Superintendent of Police John Pada were present during the visit.





Dr. Kapu Sopia DRCHO briefed the Governor about the health scenario in the district.





Earlier, in the morning, the Governor visited the proposed site for Deputy Commissioner Office of the newly created district.





He emphasised that required fund must be allocated at the earliest so as to enable the government officials to mitigate the challenges of the people in more effective and efficient manner.





The Governor had a meeting with Divisional Commissioner (West) Gamli Padu and Deputy Commissioners of Kamle and Lower Subansiri at Ziro and advised them to expedite the manpower distribution after the bifurcation of districts for smooth functioning of the district.




Aerosol Artist Gonzo to recreate one of Houston's iconic murals Part 1: Aerosol artist Gonzo to re-create one of Houston's iconic murals

Aerosol Artist Gonzo to recreate one of Houston's iconic murals Part 1: Aerosol artist Gonzo to re-create one of Houston's iconic murals

Growing up in Houston's East End, Mario Enrique Figueroa Jr. loved Leo Tanguma's mural "The Rebirth of Our Nationality" with the passion of a young boy.

Born the year Tanguma started the piece at 5900 Canal Street, Figueroa was too young to understand then what it meant  how Tanguma gave Mexican-Americans a reason to hold their heads high, with an epic reminder of the oppression their ancestors had been dealt over centuries, and proof that their cultural history and identity mattered.

The young Figueroa would look at the mural from the back seat of his parents' car as the family drove to Sunday mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church or gatherings at his grandmother's house. He was most awed by the sheer size of the painting that consumed a facade of the Continental Can Company factory.

He wondered how anyone would start making something that big and colorful, much less how someone like him could become an artist.

Now, Figuero - better known as the aerosol artist Gonzo247 and widely lauded for his cheerful "Houston is Inspired" mural downtown - is tasked with repainting Tanguma's masterpiece.

Gonzo is turning 45 on Monday, and tackling the most significant wall of his life. The curious thing about it is that, if all goes well, in a few years no one will know he did it. He is just going to be Tanguma's "hands," he said.

Houston artist Mario Figueroa, Jr., also known as "Gonzo247," poses for a portrait at the Harris County Records Building, at 5900 Canal St., Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017, in Houston. In 1973, artist Leo Tanguma painted a large mural titled, "The Rebirth of Our Nationality," on the exterior wall of the building. After years of deterioration, the original mural was whitewashed, and Figueroa was chosen to repaint the it. ( Jon Shapley / Houston Chronicle ) less Houston artist Mario Figueroa, Jr., also known as "Gonzo247," poses for a portrait at the Harris County Records Building, at 5900 Canal St., Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017, in Houston. In 1973, artist Leo Tanguma ... more Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff Image 1 of / 13 Caption Close Rebirth of a mural 1 / 13 Back to Gallery

That is not typically an urban artist's M.O.

Nor is the figurative style with which Tanguma painted "The Rebirth of Our Nationality." It depicted a struggling parade of people, leaning as if they were wind-blown, toward a central couple who emerge like Adam and Eve from a red flower.

Part 2 Leo Tanguma painted a massive mural on Canal Street in 1974, "The Rebirth of Our Nationality," that became a landmark of the Chicano art movement. But little else of the artist's years in Houston remains. For the second part of this series, we visit Tanguma in his Denver area studio to tell the dramatic story of his youth in Beeville, how he came to Houston, why he left and what he's doing now. Read Part 2 here.

Tanguma's original mural was significant for many reasons - and not just because that central image of the flower is oft-copied. He was a favorite student of the legendary muralist John Biggers, who introduced him to Mexican masters. Most importantly, the mural has been a powerful symbol of identity to generations of Houstonians of Mexican-American heritage.

But in recent decades, the mural had faded into something that looked more like an ancient, crumbling archeological find. The original was deemed unsalvageable some time ago by a museum conservator because it was deteriorating from the inside, Gonzo said. He has been involved with community efforts to restore the mural for about 20 years.

Harris County bought the Canal Street property in 2013 and has spent $8 million to convert the building to a records storage facility and the Precinct 6 constable's station. County officials dedicated $70,000 to recreating the mural, which County Engineer John Blount said will be the "crowning achievement" of the whole project.

The county wanted Tanguma to execute it.

The artist was thrilled with the idea, but he left Houston years ago. Tanguma has lived near Denver for decades; and at 75, he finds it hard to climb towering scaffolds and scissor lifts. Still, he signed on to the project with the condition that someone else would recreate the painting, with his guidance.

***

Gonzo loved to draw but as a child he only had access to pencils and paper. In grade school and junior high, he learned about the kind of art in museums - classical Grecian urns or Renaissance European paintings of grapes and landscapes that had nothing to do with his life, made by people who didn't look like him.

A different world opened up in the early 1980s, the early days of hip-hop.

Figueroa was 11 or 12 when he began hearing the then-new wave of hip-hop music and discovered its full culture, including the visual language of graffiti.

"When I saw kids that looked like me, that were my age, that were painting masterpieces on the side of subway trains in full, in-your-face color, that's the first time I realized, wow, I could do that," he said. "That's when I was motivated to do something with art."

Soon, the young tagger was venturing into the plentiful lay-ups - the massive railyards of his heavily industrial neighborhood - to write his signature on trains. All the better if they were moving, and he had to jump on while he sprayed.

PART 2: Leo Tanguma, the muralist Houston forgot

"It's amazing that I'm still alive," Gonzo said.

By his 30s, he was leading the Houston charge to make his style of art more acceptable and legal. His commissions include major public works such as the huge mural in the Houston Public Library's underground parking garage (a wall slightly larger than Tanguma's); and he's had considerable success with commercial branding projects for international companies, including Sony. Gonzo recently co-founded a non-profit organization, the Graffiti & Street Art Museum of Texas, which he hopes will someday have a permanent home and exhibitions.

He also looks every bit the savvy entrepreneur that he is, a smart dresser whose only concession to art - assuming one doesn't notice the small bits of paint on his hands, and his fingernails - is the necklaces he wears. He has made them since 1990, binding aerosol can spray nozzles with string, and tries hard not to sell them. They have a soul, he says: They're his personal talisman, a weighty reminder to be grateful for all he has achieved.

***

Even as an adolescent, Gonzo did his homework. He spent time in libraries, reading about graffiti legends in New York and elsewhere, and he sent letters to those he admired.

He learned about Tanguma when he volunteered with an earlier community effort to restore the "Rebirth" mural, and he flew to Colorado on his own dime to meet the elder artist.

They clicked immediately.

"He speaks Spanish, and he's a real decent and honest guy," Tanguma said.

He's also impressed with Gonzo's use of traditional mural-recreation techniques. Gonzo documented every inch of Tanguma's original with photographs, then created a 1-inch-by-1-foot grid so he could redraw the imagery on an 18-by-240-inch paper study.

Soon, Gonzo and his staff will transfer the grid to the primed wall, paint the lines of the figures and then, finally, fill in the color. The process will take several months, weather depending. Safety is a priority, Gonzo said; they won't work when the heat index hovers around 100.

Gonzo knows the community will be watching.

Some area residents were alarmed last week when Tanguma's original disappeared under several coats of whitewash and primer. They apparently had not been informed about the repainting process.

Latino art consultant Ralph Garcia, who had hoped to work on the project, was livid.

"We restore art of the Egyptians, the Mayans," he said. "How could we not have restored this?"

Aside from that issue, Gonzo's own brash and often sunshiney palette looks nothing like the fading mural the most recent generations of East End residents loved.

But Gonzo and Taguma say they agree on color.

"If you look at Leo's other work, everything he does is so full of color. The only reason this wasn't is because he didn't have the materials," Gonzo said. "His color palette is really the same as mine."

Tanguma concurred.

He created the mural during a year and a half, using 100 gallons of donated house paint and whatever else he could find under the kitchen sink. He didn't get to choose what colors he was given. And with a mile of wall to fill, he made the background by mixing the blue, gray and white paints he had in abundance.

"It's almost like he's getting a second chance," Gonzo said. "In the best-case scenario, how would he have gone through this process? That's some of the conversations we're having."

Gonzo said he is still in awe that the Tanguma project is happening.

"I'm excited that the community is going to get their mural back. That's my driving force, that Leo gets to see this mural in its full glory once again."
Hurricane Harvey peppered the John Biggers 1953 mural, Contribution of Negro Women to American Life and Education, with bursts of black mold.

National heritage responders - experts activated when art has been compromised by disasters - showed up Saturday to evaluate the damage on the painting that covers a wall inside the Blue Triangle Multi-Cultural Association's headquarters in Houston's Third Ward. The work featuring Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth and Phillis Wheatley was painted when the building housed the Blue Triangle YWCA.

For years, a leaky roof threatened the mural.

What was an emergency will become a catastrophe without immediate intervention.

Saving the Biggers mural will require a multi-pronged approach: A construction solution for the damaged building, which includes the roof; an art restoration fix for mold on the mural; and a hefty financial infusion to support those projects.

Caretakers went public in January 2016 to plead for contributions to repair the roof  $50,000 for a patch job and $200,000 for a complete restoration. The funding never came. Now, the resolution will cost much more.

Astonishing damage

Two weeks ago, Harvey's unrelenting rain sent water through the roof and walls of the historic building at 3005 McGowen St.

What were warped, discolored ceiling tiles have come down or are inundated with mold. Walls are damp with telltale trickle trails. There are dozens of receptacles throughout the building still catching water.

In a room off the main hallway, the Biggers mural is scarred but stable.

"I am absolutely astonished at the damage that has been done," said Charlotte Kelly Bryant, the association's founding president. She noted that the mural has been "perfectly kept" for more than six decades, including the association's 17 years of owning the building.

Members of an emergency response team from the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works have come to Houston to assess the mural, as well as the flooded collection of props at the Alley Theatre in downtown's Theater District. Art conservators and a property damage restoration expert wore respirator masks inside the Blue Triangle building.

The mural can be saved. The preliminary diagnosis credits Biggers' use of two coats of white paint to prime the wall, which protected the colors from moisture.

"I am happy to say that, from a structural point of view, the mural looks OK. The paint is all right, and it's not flaking, which would have been a much bigger problem," said Elizabeth Mehlin, a painting conservator from the Boston area who came as part of the emergency response team. "I believe that the mural is salvageable, and now we just need the funding to go ahead and get the building squared away and the humidity levels reduced so that the mural won't be in jeopardy in the future  once we get the immediate mold issue resolved."

Asking for prayers

The mural restoration plan will involve conservation scientists sampling the mold, examining the fungus under a microscope, then applying the same solutions that would repair a similarly injured Picasso or Rembrandt.

Also on site Saturday was Steve Pine, a senior decorative arts conservator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, who works with the Texas Cultural Emergency Response Alliance. National heritage responders traveled to New Orleans in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. They also provided services following the 2010 Haiti earthquake and on the East Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Pine said.

The Blue Triangle building, a state historic landmark registered with the Texas Historical Commission, includes a gymnasium, commercial kitchen, meeting rooms and indoor pool. Association supporters are working to preserve the community center, its programs and the mural.

"I ask the prayers of everybody as we beg for assistance," Bryant said.

Biggers, who founded the art department at Texas Southern University, died in 2001 at 76. His is considered one of the foremost artists whose work captured the black experience of the 20th century. Biggers also mentored several generations of Houston artists, particularly muralists.
DALLAS  The National Rifle Association came to Texas on a mission, determined to fight the perception that Second Amendment political forces are on the defensive going into this years crucial midterm elections.

They found their new rallying point here.

Upward of 80,000 NRA members  President Donald Trump and association officials call it a record turnout  left the four-day convention to fight for Second Amendment-friendly candidates nationwide, using a Texas tragedy as a grisly counterpoint to gun-control activists who have built momentum after a deadly Florida high school shooting.

The terror at a church in Sutherland Springs that left 27 dead last November was an inescapable presence at the NRAs annual meetings. In heavily produced promotional videos aired during the meetings, in speeches by NRA officials and politicians, and in conversations between rank-and-file members, it was clear that the worst mass shooting in Texas history has taken on a different feel from other rampages across the nation.

While the deaths of 17 students and teachers at the Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., mobilized gun-control activists, the NRA and its advocates have cast Sutherland Springs as a counterweight of sorts. Vice President Mike Pence used the Texas drama in his Friday address to thousands of gun owners.

As America would learn on that fateful morning, when one man heard the gunshots, he ran toward the danger, his firearm in hand, Pence said. He shot the attacker twice and with another mans help, they pursued that murderer in a high-speed chase. While the losses that day were indescribable, what was clear later is that it actually could have been worse.

Pence did not talk about the attacker, Devin Kelley, whose history included domestic violence and an Air Force court martial. Despite that, Kelley was able to get an AR-15 rifle to open fire on the church where his mother-in-law usually worshiped. Instead, Pence and other speakers focused on what happened next  when a soft-spoken neighbor to the church and plumber named Stephen Willeford grabbed his AR-15 and confronted Kelley.

That Willeford is also a longtime NRA member and an NRA pistol instructor made him a hero for those who argue the best way to stop would-be mass shooters is to ensure more regular citizens have guns to confront them when police cannot.

None of that was lost on Chris Cox, executive director of the NRAs Institute for Legislative Action lobbying arm.

If a deranged monster comes into your church and starts murdering innocent people, your best bet is an NRA member, Cox said to a standing ovation.

But for the thousands of gun control activists who assembled a few blocks from the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, the story of Sutherland Springs as a success has a major flaw.

A lot of people were already dead before he could get there, said Gyl Switzer, executive director of Texas Gun Sense, a nonprofit gun-control advocacy group based in Austin.

Switzer said Kelleys ability to get an AR-15 and kill so many people before the good guy who lived across the street could get to the scene proves the need for reform.

Their poster child

Nonetheless at the convention hall, Willeford was brought on stage to be toasted and given a lifetime membership to the nations oldest gun organization. He was featured in a promotional video aired prior to Trumps speech on Friday, telling the story of what happened inside the church. Later, interviews with NRA public relations people were broadcast via closed-circuit televisions throughout the sprawling 15-acre gun show and on NRA-TV.

In short, the 55-year-old Willeford is fast becoming an icon of the gun-rights movement in the mold of Charlton Heston, Ted Nugent and Wayne LaPierre.

Hes right out of central casting, said Mark McKinnon, a longtime political adviser in Texas who was among those at Fridays sessions. Hes becoming their poster child. I think youre going to see a lot more of him.

Hes been making his voice heard in politics, too, lending his name to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz during the Texas Republicans re-election campaign kickoff events last month. Cruz frequently cites Willefords actions as an emblem of a Tough as Texas slogan hes building his campaign around.

I think it illustrates powerfully how we can stop these mass murders before they happen, Cruz told reporters at the NRA convention on Friday.

Cruz said that, in the days after the church killings, families of the dead and wounded pleaded with him personally to not let what happened result in them losing their guns.

The heros role has been a major adjustment from Willefords former, quieter life in a rural community about an hour outside San Antonio.

Im nothing special, he said, peering out at the crowd from beneath the bill of his black cowboy hat. Every one of you would do what I did.

Around the convention center, Willeford was mobbed by well-wishers. On his way from a bathroom break, two women stopped him to pose with him for a selfie.

I guess this is my 15 minutes of fame, he said afterward, with a laugh. Eventually it will end and Ill go back to my normal life  and I have a good one.

Gov. Greg Abbott told NRA members bluntly why he thinks Willeford is important to the NRA and to Texas: Because he had a gun, he saved lives.

While the Florida high school killings have spurred legions of young adults and teens to take up the cause for gun control, NRA leaders and members were aggressive in ensuring younger people were on display throughout the conference.

Small Town, U.S.A.

On Friday, Will Robertson was a self-described kid in a candy store as he walked through exhibitor displays and their array of pistols, rifles, hunting apparel and military-grade weapons.

Trailing behind were his three sons, ages 6, 8 and 11, each dressed in cammo shirts.

For folks like me, this is a dream, the 41-year-old Army veteran said while perusing Remington rifles. I live on a ranch west of Fort Worth. Ive been around firearms all my life. My daddy gave me my first gun at 8. His daddy did the same thing. I take my boys hunting. My wife shoots for a hobby.

I know a lot of people think having guns makes me weird or crazy. But its part of the culture in Texas. Theres nothing wrong with it here.

Dick Gentry, 68, agreed that guns are part of the culture, especially in rural areas and small towns where law enforcement may be too far away to respond quickly to a crisis. Gentry, who grew up in Marlin, said that he usually had a rifle nearby while working cattle. He used it occasionally to shoot a coyote or a snake.

The problem with gun rights is this, he said. Most people in the United States dont have a firearm, dont have any clue how to use one safely.

In Willeford and Sutherland Springs, the NRA and its supporters see a bulwark against a perceived exploitation of the Parkland tragedy. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn tried to make that point to reporters while carefully not criticizing the teenagers who survived the Florida killings.

They are right to express their concerns, Cornyn said. No parent wants their child going to school to be worried about the possibility that an active shooter could break into the school and injure and kill them. But I also think we need to have our eyes wide open, too, because I think some political opportunists are going to see this as an opportunity to exploit this issue.

Mike Ward contributed to this report.

jeremy.wallace@chron.com

twitter.com/JeremySWallace
Something has changed in Texas public schools.

For decades, the Lone Star States education system could rely on bipartisan support, not to mention healthy bolstering from the oil-fueled Permanent School Fund. But when Pulitzer-prize winning author Lawrence Wright was in Houston last week to speak about his new book, God Save Texas, he couldnt help but point out that public education has suffered from a dearth of investment thats distinctly, well, un-Texan.

The states current ranking in per pupil spending for education funding ranks 40th or lower by some measures, and the national ratings for reading levels for both 4th and 8th graders are even worse.

EDITORIAL: HISD melee marks total failure in governance

RELATED: Worried about HISD? Blame Austin

ALSO: Bullying in the HISD boardroom

With this sort of pessimism at the top, and a threat of state takeover for the Houston Independent School District, it can be tempting to simply give up. But Texans dont give in when the going gets tough. Now more than ever, Houstonians need to rally behind our schools.

Parents have demonstrated an impressive passion for and patience with HISD. Many families waited more than two hours as board members convened in executive session during the now-infamous HISD meeting that resulted in arrests and community members booted from the district administration building. Parents will have to keep up that engagement and advocacy if HISD is to rescue its improvement-required campuses and remain a viable option for all Houston children.

The HISD board needs to start working hand-in-hand with these parents. That means transparency in its plans, listening to parents and students  even if they go over their allotted time during public comments  and putting an end to internal squabbling. This week, Houston ISD Trustee Elizabeth Santos called for school board President Rhonda Skillern-Jones to step down in light of last months heated board meeting. Parents and students deserve an apology from Skillern-Jones, but trustees must act as a cohesive board of governors. That means avoiding public spats.

EDITORIAL: Vote no on charter takeover

RELATED: Students should have say in next HISD superintendent

The business and nonprofit community also has an opportunity to help provide guidance and resources. Already, groups such as Leadership ISD, Houstonians for Great Public Schools and Good Reason all engage with our public schools to empower good teachers, help needy students and push HISD in the right direction.

This business expertise would be most helpful in overseeing a much-needed audit of HISD. Its beyond careless that HISD cant prove to naysayers that it is an efficient steward of tax dollars. No outsider has been hired to take a good look at HISDs books for over a decade. The board is expected to vote this Thursday on authorizing a wide-ranging performance audit.

EDITORIAL: Rethink how voters elect the HISD board

Things arent better up in Austin. Its unbelievable in 2018 that the Texas Legislature doesnt even know how much it costs to properly educate its students. Meanwhile, state stewardship of education dollars operates with a perverse logic. For the past decade, the Legislature shortchanged public schools while lavishly paying private contractors for tests to show they are failing. Then, in 2015, the Legislature threatened struggling schools with state takeover without providing additional resources.

Now, Houstonians are living with the divisive results, parents pitted against parents, and schools battling for survival.

On Tuesday, Mayor Sylvester Turner proposed that the city partner with businesses and philanthropic groups to create a nonprofit that would work with Houston ISD to turn around its failing schools. Although the Texas Education Agency said that such a partnership is not allowed under existing law, Turners proposal should serve as a call to action to the business community, the nonprofit community, parents and teachers that the district cant be sloughed off onto the state as its problem to solve.

It would be an easy way out of this mess if Mike Morath, commissioner of TEA, had the manpower and the resources to rescue our kids while Houstonians applaud from the sidelines. But the results of TEAs previous state takeovers have been mixed.

Houstonians must step up and engage in the conversation about how funding, accountability and governance are affecting students. We must stop settling for the status quo and demand a group of leaders  whether elected or appointed  who will put kids first.

Now is the time for all good Texans to come to the aid of their schools.
Five bucks a year.

Thats roughly how much the average single-family homeowner would be expected to pay in the first year for Harris Countys bond issue in response to Hurricane Harvey. Over the following 15 years, the price tag would rise to a little less than five bucks a month.

Harris County Commissioners Court wants to hold a special election asking voters to approve borrowing up to $2.5 billion to underwrite projects designed to fortify the county against future flooding. The bond issue would help pay for hundreds of projects, many of which have been on the drawing boards long before last years disaster. Assuming Gov. Greg Abbott authorizes the election date, the referendum will be held on Aug. 25, the first anniversary of the day Hurricane Harvey made landfall.

EDITORIAL: The clock is ticking on Houston's next flood

RELATED: Houston's new anti-flood regulations only exacerbate Harvey's wounds

COUNCIL MEMBER: Why I voted against Houston's new flood regulations

If theres any doubt, the governor should certainly give his approval for Harris County voters to decide this matter. And as it stands now, the commissioners are making a compelling case for voters to cast their ballots in favor of this bond issue.

The details are still to come. A list of the projects underwritten with this bond money will be finalized after a series of public meetings that commissioners promise to hold in every watershed. Far too much of the countys business is conducted behind closed doors, but Emmett says this series of meetings will give everyone a voice in deciding which flood mitigation projects will receive funding.

A large portion of the money  perhaps as much as $900 million  will serve as a pool of matching funds for federal dollars, Emmett said during a meeting with the Houston Chronicle editorial board. A match might be used to complete widening and straightening projects underway along Clear Creek, Hunting, White Oak and Brays bayous. Engineering projects on Halls and Greens bayous probably would also be funded, because theyre some of the areas in the county that are most vulnerable to flooding. Some of the money could also go toward developing a long-discussed third reservoir to contain water from Cypress Creek. Wherever the bond money is spent, Emmett says that all of the countys 22 watersheds would receive some investment.

EDITORIAL: City Council needs to stop carrying water for developers and Realtors post-Harvey

The bond issue would also help rectify an infuriating injustice. When the federal government decides where to spend flood control money, it uses a cost-benefit ratio based on economics, not human impact. So a flood control project that protects one family living in a $1 million house gets priority over another project protecting nine families living in $100,000 homes. Emmett and commissioners find that galling, and have vowed to invest flood bond funds in a way that prioritizes people over property values.

The summertime election date provoked an understandable argument among commissioners, some of whom worried that a low voter turnout could kill the bond referendum. Emmett figures the Aug. 25 anniversary will draw enough attention to ensure victory. The election date may be questionable, but its set now, and all that matters is that voters make a special effort to go to polls.

RELATED: MLK'S vision and Harvey recovery efforts

Even if the bond issue passes, getting the bonds to market will take time. But our area needs to get flood control projects underway as quickly as possible. That leads to an intriguing idea. Assuming the bond issue passes, Emmett told the Chronicles editorial board he might ask for what amounts to a bridge loan from Austin. State officials could let Harris County basically borrow money from the states Rainy Day Fund, immediately making funds available to draw down matching federal dollars. Then the county could repay the state after the bond money comes through the pipeline.

Of course, none of this would be necessary if the state would quit hoarding the Rainy Day Fund  it is our tax money, after all  and invest some of it in flood control projects. Instead, Harris County taxpayers must decide whether to borrow billions of dollars before the next Hurricane Harvey.

Still, its only five bucks a year, scaling up to five bucks a month over the next 15 years. Thats a negligible price to pay for fortifying Harris County against future flooding. Its also a crucial response to the greatest natural disaster in Houstons history.
Theres no arguing that District G  the district I represent at City Hall  was hardest hit by Hurricane Harvey of any area in the city. In addition to heavy rains, the Army Corps of Engineers continual release of water from Addicks and Barker caused thousands of west side residents to experience more than 7 feet of bacteria-filled standing water inside their homes and businesses for over two weeks. Families were hurt. Homes were destroyed, including my home. For me, it was personal.

I voted against the revisions to Chapter 19, the citys floodplain ordinance, which passed 9-7 last month.

These revisions, effective Sept. 1, regulate properties in both the 100- and 500-year floodplains. The fact this passed by one vote is indicative of the problems with the revised ordinance. While some changes to current code are warranted, these revisions are an overreach. The revised ordinance will not do what proponents claim it will; it will not solve our flooding issues and it will be costly to citizens.

OPINION: Monty Python antics amok as City Hall debates flooding rules

However, that doesnt mean we cant strive to improve these regulations and pass improvements, especially when FEMA releases new floodplain maps.

But to get it right, we first have to understand what we got wrong.

I objected to the revisions for many reasons.

First, I think we are passing the buck  the city has been underfunding drainage improvements for decades, and now we want to make everyone elevate. City Hall needs to take responsibility for flooding instead of pushing it onto homeowners.

Second, the data to support the ordinance changes was extremely limited, especially in the 500-year floodplain. Out of 187,498 properties within the 100- and 500-year floodplains, just 31,822 properties, or 16.9 percent, were studied.

Even then, the city looked at homes that were impacted, not necessarily flooded. There is a difference.

Third, these changes will pass costs along to property owners. By how much? It is hard to tell since no economic analysis was ever performed.

Finally, Houstonians simply didnt like the ordinance. Well over 95 percent of my constituents who voiced their opinions opposed the ordinance change. I had over 500 hundred emails, phone calls, and text messages from constituents regarding the revisions and less than a dozen were in favor.

The citys own survey found that only 14.7 percent of my district supported the revisions.

EDITORIAL: Has City Hall learned nothing from Harvey?

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, my constituents interests and the interests of various business groups were aligned.

I say not surprisingly, because it makes perfect sense. My constituents are not going to build their own houses. They are going to hire builders and put their trust in those builders to do it right. They will also hire architects and engineers to assist them, and they trust their expertise.

So given everything that went wrong with the Chapter 19 changes, heres how we can get it right when we inevitably revisit the ordinance.

Expand the study to other storms: Instead of limiting the study to Harvey, and only a portion of the properties affected, the better approach would be to expand the study to include many of the other recent storms to hit the Houston. The solution is only as good as the data. Limit the data and you limit the solution.

Dont use a one-size-fits-all approach: Some homes flooded an inch, others five feet or more. Some flooded for hours, others for weeks. Some flooded due to the storm, others flooded due to the releases. Each needs to be categorized accordingly. A large portion of properties that flooded in Harvey never flooded before. Many did not flood until after the water releases occurred. These properties have a low risk of ever flooding again, especially if we put in place the proper flood management infrastructure.

THUMBS DOWN: Council members wrong to approve floodplain development

Prioritize areas of need: We used a shotgun approach when we could do better with a rifle. If we had looked at more data more closely, we would be better able to pinpoint the real areas of need and prioritize. We could see those areas where mitigation is improving or deteriorating and act with precision. With infrastructure improvements come changes to the floodplains as such improvements usually reduce the elevation defining such floodplains.

Focus on infrastructure improvements: The Turner administration would be doing everyone a service if it focused on those areas in true need  not political need. If the data had been better collected and utilized, we would be better able to explain what needs to be done and why some projects can be delayed while others need to be accelerated. We must focus on infrastructure. We need to improve conveyance and detention and do so to maximize the efficiency of each.

With more time, a better, more comprehensive study would benefit not only property owners, but the city itself. That should be the goal for all of us at City Hall.

Travis represents District G on the Houston City Council.
I have great respect for Apple, but I refuse to buy its $1,000 phones. Instead, I use a $250 Android device with a long battery life. In the emerging big data-based economy, however, that could cost me in ways I cant even predict.

A recent paper by Tobias Berg of the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management in Germany and his collaborators showed that a persons digital footprint can be as predictive of financial behavior as a credit score. One of their findings, for example, is that the difference in loan default rates between iPhone and Android owners is equivalent to the difference in default rates between a median FICO score and the 80th percentile of the FICO score. iPhone ownership, apparently, is a reliable proxy for higher income and thus for creditworthiness.

Fintech companies already trust big data more than traditional scoring methods. The financial industry will increasingly make judgments about us from the minutest, most innocuous traces we leave on the internet. And its likely the algorithmic decisions that use the statistical analysis of these traces will often be wrong. That means we should seek out research like Bergs and give the algorithms based on it much more thought.

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Here are some of the other important variables mentioned in the Berg paper, based on the analysis of data collected by a German e-commerce company that sells furniture as it processed 270,399 purchases. (It ships the furniture first and gets paid later, so defaults are observable; the annualized default rate is around 3 percent, roughly in line with the statistics for consumer loans issued by German banks and comparable with U.S. rates).

Those who order from mobile phones are three times as likely to default as those who order from desktops. A customer who arrives at a shopping site from a comparison engine is twice as likely to default as one who clicks on a search engine ad.

A customer who uses her name in her email address is 30 percent less likely to default than one who doesnt. But its better if the email address is linked to a paid internet or cable package than if its from a free service, especially an outdated one like hotmail.com or yahoo.com. And its better if the address contains no numbers.

Those who shop between noon and 6 p.m. are half as likely to default as midnight to 6 a.m. buyers. Businesses can also expect more trouble from those who make an error when typing in their email address or put in their name and address in all lowercase letters.

These findings seem intuitive. People with regular habits and better self-control are relatively more reliable than those who lack those qualities. People who pay for services (and expensive devices) are likely more affluent than people who dont. According to the Berg paper, the model based on these parameters -- the most rudimentary data we provide to any site on which we have to register -- is slightly more predictive of default than the German equivalent of a FICO score. A model that uses both the digital footprint and the credit score is even more predictive.

There are, however, multiple problems with this kind of modeling, even apart from the widespread worry that black-box scoring algorithms could end up making decisions on the basis of race, gender or other equally sensitive variables.

Consider this hypothetical case:

Ive paid out two mortgages and never defaulted on a loan. But not only do I own a cheap Android device, I also give e-commerce sites a free email address with numbers in it, so they dont spam my main address. Making matters worse, I often make purchases late at night because Im too busy to surf shopping sites during the working day. Im a fat-fingered typist. And I use shopping comparison sites to find the best price. This pretty much rings all the default bells in the Berg model; Im clearly not the only person with a high credit rating who does: The Berg paper says the models results are weakly correlated with credit scores.

Id be lucky if the financial services provider that used a model that was similar to Bergs also looked at my credit score and relied on it more than on the big data signals. But, given the hype around big data, thats not guaranteed.

Imagine now that youre being judged on the basis of far more information you have, in one way or another, provided to various data harvesters (who likely have shared it with one another). Are you single? Do you use an outdated browser? Do you own more than one cat? Have you been drunk more than once in the past year? What could an algorithm working with vast amounts of statistical data deduce about you on the basis of this information? Let your imagination run wild.

I can probably change my online behavior to cover all the Berg model bases. But, as he and his collaborators point out, some of the digital footprint variables are clearly costly to manipulate, but, more importantly, such a change in behavior can lead to a situation where the use of digital footprints has a considerable impact on everyday life, with consumers constantly considering their digital footprints which are so far usually left without any further thought.

Living in a surveillance society could have an upside, too. For example, as the Berg paper points out, the use of big data could improve access to credit for those without a credit score, even the unbanked. Soon, however, they, too, would be squirming uncomfortably in their glass houses.

Its not enough to worry about the data thats being collected from us by Google, Facebook, Amazon and every site that places a cookie on our devices. We need to start asking how the data are being analyzed and to what conclusions the analysis leads. The transparency of algorithms could be more important than our right to control our personal data; even if were extremely careful, we all leave digital traces.

2018 Bloomberg L.P.

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If youre doing native mobile app development, youre doing it wrong. These days, the best option is progressive web apps: websites that work like apps on a mobile device. They have all the capabilities of native apps, including offline functionality, but also the considerable advantages of websites.

Ten years ago, when smartphones were the new thing, the message went out that you needed to have a stand-alone app to run on the phone. Mobile development was a new kind of programming with unique challenges, but there were good reasons to do it at the time, such as top performance and promotion and software updates managed through the app store. However, to get access to all the features of the mobile device, you needed to write native code.

Today, mobile development still has unique challenges and expenses. However, the good reasons to invest in it have been frittering away. An alternative model, the progressive web, looks like a better choice when you consider all the factors.

To the user, a progressive web app (PWA) looks and behaves like a native app. It doesnt look like the software is running in a web browser; it works when the device is offline; and users launch it from an app icon just like a real app. But behind the scenes, the app is not running as a native program on the device but as a full-screen website in the browser.

There are many significant advantages to choosing the progressive web model over the native app model, including:

The client-side programming on all platforms is HTML/CSS/JavaScript. All means all, meaning the same web application can work with phones, tablets, desktops, notebooks, servers, watchesanything with a standards-compliant browser. You don't need to develop expertise in Objective-C for iOS, Java for Android, and something else for desktops.

Updating the application involves changing files on the servers under your control. Apple and Google dont need to be involved at all. Changes go out to all users at once (assuming the users are online).

The programming model is standards-based, not controlled by one vendor.

That last bullet point is technically accurate, and yet it raises an important issue and the main problem with adopting progressive web apps today: The driving force behind PWAs is Google.

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Implementation issues

Google is, by far, the most aggressive in adopting new browser standards behind PWAs in Chrome. Other vendors, such as Mozilla, Microsoft, and, in particular, Apple, have been much less aggressive, though the April 2018 Microsoft update brings with it EdgeHTML 17, the fifth major version of the Microsoft Edge rendering engine. This release claims new developer capabilities for websites and web apps, including the foundation for full-featured PWAs on Windows.

This presents a major practical problem, since all web browsers on Apples iOS operating system, including Google Chrome, have to use Apple-provided rendering and JavaScript engines (see Section 2.5.6: Apps that browse the web must use the appropriate WebKit framework and WebKit JavaScript.) So PWA features can work on iPhones and iPads only if Apple supports them, and many of these features are unsupported in WebKit.

These new standards go beyond what most think of as HTML and JavaScript features. They create standards for a web audio API to process and synthesize audio, a JavaScript event for handling individual keyboard presses and releases, a speech synthesis API, and an API for getting input from USB gamepads. There is very little you can do in a native app that you cant do in a PWA.

Apple, it should be noted, has a clear business interest in keeping apps native: Such apps must be distributed through its app store, where the company takes a large percentage of the app sale price, proceeds from in-app purchases, and advertising revenue. With PWAs, there is no need for a store to distribute apps, and since the software is just webpages, the advertising is done through the conventional web advertising networks (which are dominated by Google).

However slowly, Apple is adopting many of the key standards behind PWAs. If there is one most important standard for PWAs, it is service workers. Service workers, which are web code triggered by an event, run in the background of the webpage, basically like threads. Numerous other standards have extended service workers, such as Web Background Synchronization, which allows service workers to work, or to at least stay alive, even when faced with common challenges such as a user shifting away from the browser or the network becoming unavailable.

A certain sense of inevitability

Apple added support for service workers in iOS 11.3 and macOS High Sierra 10.13.4, although so far, only for the Safari web browser and applications that use the Safari control for browsing. Version 17 of Microsofts Edge browser, currently in pre-release and scheduled to be released very soon, will support them. At that point, all major browsers will support service workers and their rate of adoption should increase.

The advantages of PWAs are important for enterprises, not just for app startups. The ability to have one code base serving to desktops, phones, and tablets of any brand is a major plus for development savings and software quality. And when you need to make changes, you can do so just by updating the web server. This tracks well with the mobile-first approach that many websites are already taking.

So, if these PWAs are so great, where are they? Most existing PWAs are just demo-level programs. Wikipedia has a list of some. Ginger is a WebGL morphing demo that gets the point across of how far the web has come since, well, Wikipedia. Note that, just as the PWA rules require, Ginger lets you add an app icon for itself to the home screen and runs without any browser, just like a native app.

Web apps for devices arent strictly new. More than one company, Apple among them, has tried to make the web the programming model for mobile devices. But until Google put a lot of effort into advancing HTML and JavaScript standards, web apps were just too limited in capability. This was a feature, not a bug, of early web browsers to make web software unthreatening.

Googles major push for PWAs came at the 2016 Google I/O conference. Most of its materials on the subject still relate to that event. The company's PWA checklist is a good guide to what (Google argues) defines such an app. Its baseline requirements are:

Site is served over HTTPS.

Pages are responsive on tablets and mobile devices. (Google has specific time requirements for this.)

All app URLs load while offline.

Metadata is provided for add to home screen.

First load is fast even on 3G.

The site works cross-browser.

Page transitions don't feel like they block on the network (really a variant on the responsiveness requirement).

Each page has a URL (i.e., single-page apps beware).

Thats just the baseline. Among other things, an exemplary PWA:

Dims the screen when a permission request is showing.

Appropriately informs the user when they're offline.

Loads very fast, even on 3G.

In general, doesnt annoy the user with excessive prompts and notifications.

Adherence to these standards and the standards for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript should allow PWAs to work with little or no modification across all compliant web browsers and operating systems. This is, once again, not necessarily what Apple and Google have in mind, but its an inevitable outcome of a good standards process.

Historically, the challenge for standards such as these has been the arrival of new hardware features (imagine a camera detail such as zoom levels) that would be available to native code but not in the standard and inconsistently supported on different hardware platforms. Eventually, the hardware features become standard enough that a JavaScript-accessible API standard is warranted. The rate of such changes in the phone and tablet market has declined markedly in the past few years, and so it is increasingly possible to write PWAs that work effectively on all important platforms.

The other major challenge has been performance. HTML, JavaScript, and CSS are all high-level conceptual languages, and browsers can consume a lot of resources. Even on a full PC, browsers can feel slow, and certainly things would be worse on a phone. This problem has been addressed by more optimal programming of the browsers themselves and, more important, better hardware. The A11Apples 64-bit processor in the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone Xhas 6-CPU cores; the Samsung Galaxy S8 and newer families offer 8-core CPUs from Qualcomm and Samsung depending on market, offering processing power that would be respectable on a desktop.

Progressive standards

There are also new web standards to improve performance of web apps, perhaps the most important being WebAssembly. This standard is a (machine) assembly language for a virtual machine architecture that can be served as part of a web app from the server. A developer compiles it from C, C++, or some other high-level language. It doesnt run directly on the phone processor, but the translation from it to native code is simple and straightforward compared with that from JavaScript. The Mozilla description of WebAssembly explains it well. WebAssembly is supported by all the major browsers, including Safari.

If Apple is really resisting PWAs, its no longer a full-throated resistance. PWAs are not the talk of the tech town yet, but there is a certain inevitability to them. It makes sense. The day will come when you wont have to go to the app store to get real, professional software for mobile devices. You might still want to, and Apple and Google will want you to, but it wont be necessary. PWAs are yet another way technology will bootstrap innovation.

Progressive web apps: Lessons for leaders




Dimapur (Nagaland) : The troops of Assam Rifles had apprehended three NSCN-IM militants in Dimapur.





According to the reports, Medziphema and Dimapur battalion of Assam Rifles under the aegis of HQ IGAR (North) conducted an operation based on Specific information alongwith a police representative in general area 5th Mile, Diphupar, Dimapur on Thursday.





During the search of a suspected house three NSCN-IM militants were apprehended with illegal possesion of arms, ammunition and incriminating documents.





The nabbed militants were identified as Self Styled 2nd Lt Wungbam Zimik, SS Sgt Maj Lamnei Kon and SS Lance Cpl Leli Mao.





Security personnel had recovered one 9mm pistol with magazine, one point 32pistol with magazine, two rounds of 9mm ammunition , two rounds of point 32 ammunition, one bullet AK-47, eight mobiles and three pairs of combat dress in possession from them.





The apprehendees alongwith recovered items were handed over to Diphupar Police station Dimapur for further investigation.




Milosavljevic was taken to Middlemore hospital but died of his injuries on Thursday morning.

Countdown managing director Dave Chambers said entire team is deeply saddened by the tragic loss.

"The safety of our people and customers is our absolute priority, and no New Zealander should go to work and not expect to return home to their loved ones, he said.

Our focus right now is to support the family and our team in whatever way we can, he continued. Weve also made as much information and footage as we have available to the police and will continue to cooperate with their investigation."

The 17-year-old male has since been charged with manslaughter and will remain in police custody. He will next appear at the High Court at Auckland on May 23.




Guwahati: Journalists Forum Assam (JFA) expresses grief over the demise of Jeowari Basumatary, an editor based in Kokrajhar, on Thursday night and urges the police to investigate the matter seriously.





Local media reports narrated that the executive editor of Bodo language daily Bodosa hanged herself in her residence. Jeowari, 32, left behind her husband, mother, brother and sisters.
Imperial Valley News Center

Department of State's Foreign Affairs Day

Washington, DC - Remarks at the Department of State's Foreign Affairs Day:

UNDER SECRETARY SHANNON: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome and good afternoon. Its a tremendous pleasure to see you all again. Youve had a busy day, and I hope your discussions have been fruitful and have allowed you to engage on the many challenges and opportunities that face American diplomacy. Now you have an opportunity to meet and hear from our new Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.

Secretary Pompeo is a great public servant, having served as an Army officer, a member of the House of Representatives, and until recently as director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He is a man of deep intellect, broad understanding of global issues, and strong character. He wasted no time getting started as Secretary of State, traveling directly from his confirmation and swearing-in to Brussels for the NATO ministerial, and then on to Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Jordan. He has returned in time for Foreign Affairs Day. (Laughter and applause.) And to meet with all of you.

So ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming the 70th Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. (Applause.)

SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you. Thank you all very much. While I was standing there, I did the math. I count about 12,000 years of experience in the room. (Laughter.)

And I must say, its an honor to be with you here today. Its the 53rd Foreign Affairs Day. I know I speak for everyone in the building when I say that were grateful for your service to the country and the many sacrifices you and your families have made along the way.

President Eisenhower  I tend to use Kansas quotes  hes a Kansan I greatly admire  he once remarked that when State Department colleagues get together, it felt more like a family gathering than anything else. I have already found that description fits. I was given an incredibly warm welcome on my first day. The team has been great. My wife joked that she hoped that I wasnt peaking that day. (Laughter.) Always that risk. And its still the case. As I was walking down the hall, I realized I still need help to find my way around the building.

I want to thank a few people for making today possible. Our generous co-sponsors, the American Foreign Service Association, DACOR, and the Senior Living Foundation of the American Foreign Service. Thank you for making this possible, and for your constant support of our team. (Applause.)

I also want to thank  congratulate, rather, some very special people. I want to congratulate the award recipients: DACORs Foreign Service Cup winner Ambassador Henry Allen Holmes. (Applause.) Thank you, Ambassador, for serving our community both in and out of government, and to dedicating your life to equipping the next generation of our teams leaders. We are also proud today to recognize the winners of the Director Generals Civil Service Cup and Foreign Service Cup  Richard Greene and Ambassador Kristie Kenney. (Applause.)

You have all had a long day, but this day does offer a real opportunity, an opportunity to review  to consider our successes from the past in a building of strong  and in how weve built a strong, diverse corps of the best foreign affairs professionals in the world. But it also provides an opportunity to consider the future, and in my first week on the job its mostly future, not past. There are many challenges we face today; you all know that. And while Im new to this, and it is my first week, I want to talk to you about where I believe were going, and my commitment to you and our Foreign and Civil Service team.

But for starters, the good news is while I have not been here long, I already know the mettle, patriotism, and the nature and character and the dedication of you and your colleagues. I remember trips I took as a member of Congress where I watched Foreign Service officers putting their lives on hold at all hours of the day and night, working weekends to help us get the most out of our visit. And I know they were working when we were gone, as well.

One thing I learned right away is that the departments heroes regularly toil outside of the limelight, in tough environments all over the world. So well before I raised my right hand and took the Oath of Office, the State Department had already served me incredibly well. And it is indeed an enormous honor to now be part of this group.

These times are turbulent. The demands are for strong leadership. It is essential that our team does that and counters the threats that we face with courage and strength. I know that you all did that; I know that our team will do that in the days ahead.

Fortunately, we have a President who believes in muscular diplomacy as well, one that makes full use of the instruments of national power to advance, first and foremost, vital American interests and values.

Effective, forward-thinking diplomacy increases our chances of solving problems peacefully, without ever firing a shot.

Our foreign policy, too, its got to be pragmatic while still remaining principled  and agile enough to respond to changing circumstances yet anchored in the fundamental ideals and values that ground  ground our nations history. I saw our countrys strength and commitment to those ideals as a young cavalry officer. Tom referred to my time in the military. I led troops that patrolled the boundary between freedom and communism along the East German  then-East German and Czechoslovakian border. Today the world strength  the world needs that strength and those ideals ever more.

We have to continue this centuries-old mission of defending freedom, liberty, and human dignity around the world, while first keeping our country and people safe.

At that time, I recall we were prepared for conflict along the Iron Curtain, but it was diplomacy executed over months and years and, indeed, decades that saved me and my tank platoon from ever having to engage.

This is every corner of the world today. Men and women of the State Department and USAID out there serving Americas interests. Its essential to deal with the many challenges. My mission is to help every member of our team achieve that goal.

Today there are several places  youve heard about some of them  theres enormous diplomatic effort to continue to keep the pressure on North Korea and bring them to the negotiating table, to a place where we can successfully eliminate the threat from Kim Jong-uns nuclear arsenal.

We see it, too, with our allies in Europe. I spent my first few days there  indeed, my first hours. Were blessed to have so many allies with strong relationships. There are, of course, rough times and places that we disagree. But these countries share our values and our interests, and we all have a common effort in ensuring prosperity for our nations moving forward.

I traveled from there to the Middle East. We need strong diplomatic efforts there as well to prevent Irans destabilizing behavior in Syria, in Yemen, and across the region. We have to tackle the threat form jihadist terror and from places with really weak governance. These are all great challenges, but Im confident that our team can develop strategies and diplomatic footprints capable of resolving them.

We often dont talk so much about Latin America, but as we witness the destruction of a once prosperous and democratic nation in our near-abroad, we need to tackle that diplomatically as well. A dictator today in Venezuela cripples his economy and starves his people. We need a strong State Department and USAID to help the millions of Venezuelans fleeing the corrupt regime as a result of this entirely man-made crisis.

And finally, we need our diplomats and foreign affairs professionals working all over the world to promote the dignity of every single human being to live freely and achieve their full potential.

A lots changed in the 53 years since the first time this ceremony was held. But I am confident that one thing that has never faltered is the character of the people who deliver American diplomacy. The men and women of this department and the agencies represented have always been called upon to do great things. Great things that still resonate throughout these walls and throughout the history of our great country. This team responded to the Iranian revolution in 1979; and organized an important summit in Reykjavik in 1986; we built a coalition of partners during the first Gulf War; and Ive already talked about the reunification of Germany, assisting a newly free Central and Eastern Europe in the wake of it. Theres more history to be made. Im confident of that. And it will be because of the hardworking men and women that I have been chosen to lead.

I want to thank everyone here today for helping write that history. This is a remarkable institution. Ive seen a handful of our officers in this first week. I can tell you that you have prepared them well. Over the course of the weeks and months, Id welcome thoughts from you, ideas, your expertise, and I know that together we can achieve great things for our nation.

Today is also special because we get a chance to remember and honor the sacrifice of Americans living and working abroad on behalf of the United States.

Following my remarks, it will be a privilege to take part in a memorial ceremony to honor those who lost their lives in service to our country. In particular, we will honor the service of one man and one woman who made the ultimate sacrifice while honorably serving America abroad. Our nation owes them and their families an enormous debt of gratitude. Lets remember them and the great sacrifice our team makes every day to advance Americas interests and protect our nation.

It has been a great pleasure to host the reunion my first week on the job. I cannot imagine a better start to my time in service. Thank you for your service, and please do not be strangers. Thank you and God bless you.
Imperial Valley News Center

Presidential Message in Commemoration of the 76th Anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea

Washington, DC - "On behalf of the United States, First Lady Melania and I join the people of Australia in remembrance and reflection for the 76th Commemoration of the Battle of the Coral Sea. The engagement in the Coral Sea from May 4 to 8, 1942, holds a unique place in the joint history of our two great nations. Seventy-six years ago, Americans and Australians fought side-by-side to hold back a powerful adversary in the Pacific. During that battle, over 600 service members lost their lives for the cause of freedom. We remember those brave souls who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and honor the memory of the thousands who fought in this critical battle that laid the foundation of the eventual allied victory in World War II. The alliance and sense of shared sacrifice formed on those waters also paved the way for the signing of the Australia, New Zealand, and United States Security Treaty in 1951.

"The steadfast alliance between the United States and Australia remains a bedrock for security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the world. Seventy-six years after the Battle of the Coral Sea, our countries remain committed to our common values and still share an extraordinary bond. We are grateful to our Australian partners as we continue to fight for peace, security, and prosperity around the world." ~ President Donald J. Trump
Governor Brown Issues Proclamation Declaring Small Business Month

Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued a proclamation declaring May 2018 as Small Business Month in the State of California.

PROCLAMATION

California, the 5th largest economy in the world, has more than 3.8 million small businesses operating in the state  the most of any state in the union.

Our small businesses are respected globally for their innovation and fortitude. These businesses embody the entrepreneurial spirit that drives the economy of the Golden State, collectively making up 99 percent of all firms in California.

The Governors Office of Business and Economic Development, along with other key agencies of state government, works with the small business community to support its growth and development. This month, we reaffirm our commitment to helping Californias small businesses launch and prosper.

NOW THEREFORE I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim May 2018, as Small Business Month.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 2nd day of May 2018.

EDMUND G. BROWN JR.

Governor of California

ATTEST:

__________________________________

ALEX PADILLA

Secretary of State
Regulation of education stifles progress; we need to cut the red tape so our kids can learn

Washington, DC - Have we lost sight of the purpose of Americas education system? It is supposed to be focused on providing the nations next generations with the knowledge, moral values and skillsets they need to be responsible and productive citizens. However, federal over-regulation has created an intrusive atmosphere in our schools that stifles progress.

Education consultant and activist, John Danielson, points out that schooling is a local matter. Danielson has served as senior advisor to one US Secretary of Education, Lamar Alexander, and Chief of Staff to another, Rod Paige.

The Founding Fathers were prescient and wise by avoiding even a reference to public education in the US Constitution. The education of our children is most effective when determined locally, by parents and the communities who know them best. It follows then that the freedom for teachers to innovate, imagine and determine what paths are the most appropriate for the individual needs of each student belong in the classroom. In recent decades, the long-arm of federal intrusion into every area of education has exceeded what most agree is the rightful role for government in the classroom, according to Danielson.

But we live in a new era now and its time for a course correction. And it appears that Senator Lamar Alexander [R-TN], Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee [HELP], is actively seeking to make the changes that are needed.

Danielson points out Alexander, in particular, knows that the benefits of deregulation include giving teachers more choices in using classroom time to meet the needs of each student, the flexibility to determine the best educational tools to deploy on behalf of their classes, and the freedom to exercise the expertise reflected in their profession. When teachers are allowed to devote their precious classroom time teaching students, rather than responding to the demands of over-regulation which sap time and energy from the task at hand, our children are the beneficiaries."

Last year, under Alexanders leadership, Congress passed a reauthorized Elementary Secondary Education Act with overwhelming bi-partisan support. The primary thesis of the Every Child Succeeds Act is that federal infringement does not belong in education, that local schools can decide what is best for their students, and the law restored the proper balance in American education. And Alexander appears set to do it again with a new bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act.

He says that passage of the Higher Education legislation in the Senate could come within the next several months. Bipartisan negotiations are already under way and the ranking member of the HELP Committee, Patty Murray [D-WA] says she looks forward to working with Senator Alexander to get the job done.

The aim of the new Higher Education Act is to cut the red tape so that students can have easier, more affordable access to financial aid. It is also focused on giving administrators greater flexibility in the task of teaching.

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has signaled her support for scrapping the old law to reduce the regulatory burden on our institutions of higher learning. As she put it: "For me, and I suspect for most Americans, it doesnt make a lot of sense to simply amend a 50-year-old law. Adding to a half-century patchwork will not lead to meaningful reform. Real change is needed."

DeVos was confirmed in February 2017. Shes for school choice and believes that charter schools have a place in education, whether they are nonprofit or for profit. Her focus has been on the need to undo restrictive regulations that hamper student ability to learn in our schools from K-12 to colleges and universities.

We are proud of the accomplishments the United States has achieved over the past 242 years since our founding. American ingenuity, creativity and initiative are qualities that define us and that make us a beacon for the world. If we are to maintain our undisputed reputation as the role model of nations, we need an educated citizenry.

Dan Weber is president of AMAC, the 1.3 million-member Association of Mature American Citizens
Empowering American Small Businesses

Washington, DC - During this years Small Business Week, elected officials and business leaders are highlighting how tax reform and deregulation are helping small businesses thrive under President Trump.

CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP COMMITTEE SEN. JIM RISCH (R-ID) IN THE HILL: The Incredible State of Small Business in America

This small business week, however, is different from years past. Small business optimism is at record high thanks to tax reform and other policy changes coming out of Washington. Our economy is finally back on track after years of slow growth and a stagnant economy. Todays small business owners and American workers are getting the relief they deserve from uncertainty and over-regulation. Small business owners are experiencing one of the best and most small business-friendly economies in recent U.S. history.

CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE REP. STEVE CHABOT (R-OH) IN THE HILL: For America, Small Business Is a Big Deal

The fact is, when small businesses are strong, America is strong. Just ask Sheffer Corporations CEO and President, Jeff Norris, from Blue Ash, Ohio, on the border of my district, who was able to give all 126 employees $1,000 bonuses, or Julia Mueller, an employee of First Communications in Fairlawn, Ohio, who broke out into tears when she heard that she, too would benefit from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

SEN. MIKE ROUNDS (R-SD) AT FOX NEWS: Our Small Businesses Are Finally on a Level Playing Field  Now Watch What Happens

Weve had significant successes in enacting pro-growth policies over the past 16 months. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was signed into law by President Trump late last year, has simplified the tax filing process and is allowing individuals and small businesses to keep more of their own money. With a lower tax rate, small businesses have additional resources available that they can use to grow and expand their operations.

REP. KRISTI NOEM (R-SD) IN ARGUS LEADER (SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA): Tax Policy, Deregulation Is Energizing the Economy

Ive fought to replicate our successful, limited-government model in the U.S. House, working closely with President Trump to cut taxes and red tape. Last December, President Trump signed the largest overhaul of the federal tax code since Ronald Reagan was in the White House. That legislation offered small businesses a 20 percent tax deduction for the first time in history.

REP. MARKWAYNE MULLIN (R-OK) IN SKIATOOK JOURNAL (SKIATOOK, OKLAHOMA): The Small Business Boom

Small business optimism is at its highest point in more than 30 years, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. Much of this optimism can be attributed to President Trumps regulatory and tax reforms. President Trump is rolling back harmful regulations put in place by the Obama administration and creating a pro-growth environment for Americas job creators.

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS PRESIDENT AND CEO JUANITA DUGGAN IN THE HILL: Tax Reform Drives Record Optimism and Plans to Expand Among Small Businesses

When President Trump signed The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law in December, it was the biggest tax overhaul in more than three decades, and it dramatically changed the landscape for many small businesses. Since the enactment of the tax law, the tangible effect has been remarkable and historic. Small and independent business owners are notably confident about the economy. They are reporting that sales are strong, profits are good, and employee compensation is increasing. And many are setting into motion plans to expand.

JOB CREATORS NETWORK PRESIDENT AND CEO ALFREDO ORTIZ AT THE DAILY CALLER: Small Businesses Celebrate National Small Business Week

Small business sentiment is at a record high, and taxation doesnt even rate as a major concern. This is something to celebrate during National Small Business Week this week. Though largely overlooked by the media, the tax cuts signed into law late last year delivered the biggest small business tax cut in U.S. history.

FLORIDA SMALL BUSINESS OWNER MICHAEL PLUMMER IN TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT: Trump Talks Taxes, Small Businesses Respond

To coincide with Tax Day earlier this month, President Trump visited Florida to discuss his recently passed tax cuts and the impact they are having in South Florida and across the country. Theres plenty to celebrate. Small business owners get a new 20 percent tax deduction as part of the tax cut, the biggest small business tax cut in the countrys history. This will allow the small business and sole proprietor backbone of the Florida economy to reinvest more of their earnings into new product lines, new locations, and new employees.
Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek.

Many people think of a BMW as a reward.

A reward for their success, for their standing in society or even for their commitment to social climbing.

Oddly, though, I came across a headline this week that gave me pause to consider my trajectory in life.

"BMW admits it is powerless to stop thieves using gadgets which are widely available online from stealing its latest keyless models," whispered the Daily Mail.

Wait, what?

I can finally reach my true, elevated station in life and my prize (and joy) can be taken from me just like that?

The problem, it seems, is those keys that you don't have to insert into the ignition.

They send a signal from your pocket to your car that you have the key fob, so the car obeys your instructions.

However, thieves can buy a so-called relay box online. It extends the signal from your key fob and bounces is to someone near the car, who then jumps in and drives off with it.

I contacted BMW several times to ask for its view. The car maker didn't relay a response.

The Mail, however, says it saw an email from BMW to a customer that read, in part: "We cannot take responsibility."

Indeed, the company reportedly described itself as "powerless" in the face of "the highest level of criminal energy."

Oh, I don't know if going online, buying a gadget and wafting off with an accomplice to steal a car in seconds is the very highest level of criminal energy I've seen.

Still, the UK's West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson isn't impressed with the car maker's approach.

"BMW's attitude towards this driver is arrogant and outrageous," he told the Mail.

Oddly, I've found one or two BMW drivers fit that description, too.

This is, though, part of a wider issue with technology's rapid embrace of human laziness.

All people want is for things to be easier. Somehow, putting a key inside a hole was found to be painfully cumbersome.

So car manufacturers made opening and starting a car even less taxing.

It isn't just BMW that has such issues, of course. This so-called "comfortable access" to cars is being inserted by every manufacturer.

It's part of a desperate surge to insert every possible technological twerk in order to excite.

These seem to have their consequences. Why, I just read this headline: "VW and Audi cars could be hacked remotely via their infotainment system."

As for the highest criminal energy BMW break-ins, some might mutter that the old way of stealing a car at least had the potential of making a noise.

There's one other aspect to the issue that is problematic.

Sometimes, owners report their cars have been stolen.

Their cars are subsequently recovered with no trace of a break-in, which makes insurance companies wonder whether the owner has made the whole thing up.

Personally, whenever I've rented a car with the new technology I've found it a touch tiresome.

I keep putting the key in the cup holder and then forgetting to take it with me.

It's easy to blame car manufacturers, but they might insist they're just giving people what they want.




Guwahati : Massive protests against centres Adopt-a-heritage scheme have been continued in Assam.





On Friday, Assams farmer organisation Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) had staged a protest rally at Kohora in Kaziranga National Park (KNP) against the Union governments decision to hand over the world heritage site to a private company under the centres Adopt-a-heritage scheme.





Several hundred workers of the farmer organisation had took part in the protest rally.





KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi said that, the people of Assam will not allow any public property, monuments to hand over private companies.





We will continue our agitation to preserve our properties, monuments. The

BJP had promised to protect Jati, Mati and Bheti (community, land and hearth), but they are trying to sell everything. We will not allow it, Akhil Gogoi said.





Protests also continued at Nazira in Sivasagar district and other parts of the state against the Adopt-a-heritage scheme.





On the other hand, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) vice president and former minister Pradyut Bordoloi slammed BJP-led Union governments decision of privatisation of the monuments.





Addressing a press conference held at Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati, the Assam Congress leader said that, Congress has opposed the centres decision.





The BJP-led government involved in a conspiracy to hand over our monuments to the private companies, Bordoloi said.





Pradyut Bordoloi further said that, whenever BJP-AGP alliance happens, secret killings like incidents start in Assam.





The Assam Congress leader also demanded the state government to rescue Rebati Phukan, once part of a citizen's group formed by Ulfa to mediate with the centre, safely, who was missing last week.





On the other hand, tagging Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal as Tragic Hero of Assam, Pradyut Bordoloi said that, he is totally failed to fulfil the need of the people of the state.




The Facebook developers' conference, F8, opened yesterday with some conflicting news. A new privacy feature on one hand. A dating app, more tools for businesses to use Messenger, greater third-party app integration with Instagram, and the availability of the Oculus augmented reality (AR) headset -- all of which mean more personal information collection -- on the other.

Facebook is a company trying to make money in a real world and its business model is both strength and weakness. No matter how the company tires to apologize and calm public anger, it has to look for more personal data. Otherwise, why would any advertiser pay it money?

But these are just the latest privacy debacles the company has faced. Those go back to at least 2007, when Facebook's Beacon program began spilling details of what people had purchased, often without permission. It set off what may have been first apology or explanation letter.

In 2011, there was the settlement with the FTC over charges that Facebook "deceived consumers by failing to keep privacy promises, when third-party apps could get more user data than they needed. Two years later, millions found their private contact information exposed. In 2014, there were the mood-manipulation experiments to see how emotions spread on social media. By 2015, Facebook finally started to restrict apps from grabbing user data. This year, there was the Belgian court order to stop tracking people wherever they went on the internet.

The last is telling, because Facebook's reaction was to appeal the decision. It wants the data. The new dating app? Beyond Zuckerberg's statement that it is for "building real, long-term relationships, not just hookups," a Morningstar analyst expected it to offer opportunities for new ad revenues.

The same will be true for the AR headset. New possibilities to interact with others through a computer, of course. Added potential for advertisers and the accumulation of new types of behavioral information, as well.

What does anyone expect? Whatever Zuckerberg or others at Facebook talk of a mission more important than making money, they avoid saying one crucial thing: Without the do re mi, there is no song of a greater mission. Zuckerberg has a lock on shareholder votes, but so did Travis Kalanick at Uber, and he still got booted as CEO. If you make enough big investors feel that their money is threatened, they will find a way to stop you.

Facebook may offer tools to let people clear from their accounts which websites they visited and apps they used. But that doesn't necessarily mean the company won't track what you like, do, and say on Facebook itself. How could it afford to give the information up? That's why advertisers pay it.

Privacy advocates might find much of this appalling, but, really, what else could anyone expect? Just like so many other businesses and industries, Facebook and high tech in general depend on learning as much as they can about you. If they give up in some areas, you can bet it's a calculated tradeoff to avoid the request to walk away from information that is more valuable.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot Diaz has stepped down from the Sydney Writers' festival after being accused of sexual harassment during a Q&A by writer Zinzi Clemmons.

Ahead of detailing allegations against Diaz on social media, Clemmons confronted him during a panel discussion in which the author shared the stage with four others.

As What We Lose author Clemmons began to ask her question with much emotion and what seemed like anger, Diaz reportedly replied Oh s**t. A source told Vulture that Clemmons went on to claim Diaz had harmed her at a Columbia University workshop six years earlier and wanted to know why you treated me that way?.

Diaz is said to have asked Clemmons to stay so she could hear his full answer, but she reportedly dropped the microphone and left. Hours later, the author detailed further allegations on Twitter.

As a grad student, I invited Junot Diaz to speak to a workshop on issues of representation in literature, Clemmons wrote. I was an unknown wide-eyed 26-year-old, and he used it as an opportunity to corner and forcibly kiss me. Im far from the only one hes done this to, I refuse to be silent anymore.

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

Clemmons' allegations were backed up by two other women who came forward with their alleged encounters with the This Is How You Lose Her author with 2017 National Book Award finalist Carmen Maria Machado claiming he has treated women horrifically in every way possible.

Monica Byrne posted a message to Facebook in which she alleged that she was the subject of verbal sexual assault by Diaz at a literary festival in 2014.

Festival organisers confirmed Diaz has withdrawn from further panels with one titled 'The Politics of Empathy' being cancelled.

Sydney Writers festival is a platform for the sharing of powerful stories: urgent, necessary and sometimes difficult, the festival's statement read. Such conversations have never been more timely. We remain committed to ensuring they occur in a supportive and safe environment for our authors and audiences.
Black rhinos have been reintroduced to Chad 50 years after they were wiped out there entirely by poaching.

Six of the horned mammals were transported safely to the central African nations Zakouma National Park, having been flown 3,000 miles from South Africa.

The project was the result of an unprecedented collaborative effort by the governments of the two African countries, as well as South African National Parks and the international NGO African Parks.

After two years of intensive preparation for their arrival, the rhinos were introduced to their new home on Friday.

For the time being, they will be kept in specially constructed enclosures for a period of acclimatisation before being released into the park.

We are resolved to create a secure and prosperous future for wildlife and people, so that generations of Chadians can experience the benefits of healthy and intact natural landscapes, said Chads ambassador to South Africa, Sagour Youssouf Mahamat Itno.

It is a mark of the strength of our partnership with African Parks and the transformation of Zakouma in to a secure sanctuary that we are now able to bring rhinos back to Chad where they will receive enduring protection.

Their reintroduction signifies an important advancement in the restoration of the park, furthering its potential as a conservation area to contribute through tourism to local economies and social development.

The historical range of the black rhino included most of southern and eastern Africa, but today it is confined exclusively to protected nature reserves.

Successful reintroductions have already taken place in other African nations including Malawi and Botswana, and African Parks previously led a reintroduction of the species in Rwanda. Chad adds another nation to its range, and conservationists hope this will aid their chances for long-term survival.

African Parks took over management of Zakouma National Park in 2010, and the organisation has worked with the national government to turn it into a sanctuary in which the animals will be safe.

This has been achieved through a combination of law enforcement and community action programmes.

The rhinoceros has survived on this planet for millennia, but with fewer than 25,000 remaining due to the insatiable demand for their horns, they are more affiliated with extinction than survival, said Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks.

Mr Fearnhead noted that all too often, headlines on rhinos are about their demise as they teeter on the brink of extinction.

In March, the world mourned the loss of Sudan  the last surviving northern white rhino  which has likely spelled the end of that particular subspecies.

Only around 5,000 of the remaining rhinos in Africa are black rhinos, and the majority live in South Africa.

Though poaching will still be a threat for Chads new rhino population, a dedicated rhino ranger unit should help protect them and enable them to thrive.

Through our partnership with the government of Chad we have been able to restore security to Zakouma, creating an opportunity to re-establish a Central African population of the species in a secure and functioning park, said Mr Fearnhead.
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached its highest level in at least 800,000 years, according to scientists.

In April, CO2 concentration in the atmosphere exceeded an average of 410 parts per million (ppm) across the entire month, according to readings from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii.

This is the first time in the history of the observatorys readings that a monthly average has exceeded that level.

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography said that before the Industrial Revolution, carbon dioxide levels did not exceed 300ppm in the last 800,000 years.

The Keeling Curve, which plots the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, shows a steady rise in CO2 levels in the atmosphere for decades.

Scientists have warned levels of carbon dioxide are crossing a threshold which could lead to global warming beyond the safe level identified by the international community, fuelling a rise in sea levels.

Carbon dioxide is the single most important greenhouse gas emitted by human activities including the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, the making of cement and deforestation.

It remains in the atmosphere for tens of thousands of years, trapping heat from solar radiation and driving climate change.

The latest reading shows a 30 per cent increase in carbon dioxide concentration in the global atmosphere since recording began in 1958. The first measurement was recorded as 315ppm.

Carbon dioxide concentration exceeded 400ppm for the first time in 2013.

Prior to 1800, atmospheric CO2 averaged about 280ppm, which demonstrates the effect of manmade emissions since the industrial revolution.

Scientists believe that the world has never experienced a rise in CO2 levels as quick or intense as this.

Last year, the World Meteorological Organisation said: Todays CO2 concentration of around 400ppm exceeds the natural variability seen over hundreds of thousands of years.

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

Ralph Keeling, director of the CO2 programme at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography which monitors the readings, told the The Washington Post the rate of CO2 concentration in the atmosphere has been increasing faster in the last decade than in the 2000s.

Its another milestone in the upward increase in CO2 over time. Its up closer to some targets we dont really want to get to, like getting over 450 or 500 ppm.

Thats pretty much dangerous territory, he said.

Following the news of the Mauna Loa Observatorys reading, climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe tweeted: As a scientist, what concerns me the most is what this continued rise actually means: that we are continuing full speed ahead with an unprecedented experiment with our planet, the only home we have.

The last time carbon dioxide levels reached 400ppm was 3-5 million years ago, in the mid-Pliocene era.

During that period, global mean surface temperatures were two degrees warmer than today, ice sheets in Greenland and West Antarctica melted and even parts of East Antarcticas ice retreated, causing the sea level to rise 10-20m higher than that today, the WMO said.
You went from not being able to boil an egg in 1991 to having one of the best Indian restaurants of London in 2017. Do you believe anyone can learn to cook?

Absolutely, anyone can learn to cook at any age and stage in their life. You need to have the passion and desire to cook. I have never met anyone who took up cooking as they were bored and had nothing better to do! I was driven to cooking by hunger and homesickness, I realised I could recreate the aromas and flavours of home in a new place where everything was so different and alien. Cooking was my way of going home.

After living in the UK you went back to India to learn how to make your families recipes from the royal Mughal cuisine. What was the most difficult thing to master?

Royal Mughlai Cuisine was heavily influenced by Persia. Although the Mughals came from Central Asia and were of Mongol-Turkish heritage, the royal Mughlai cuisine from the reign of the 2nd Mughal ruler Humayun was heavily influenced by the Royal cuisine of the Safavid Dynasty of Persia. The most difficult thing to master with Mughlai cuisine is to get the spice layering right. Spicing is an art form, it is almost like brush strokes on a canvas  to build the perfect picture the strokes should not be glaringly visible. The flavours and spicing of well-made Mughlai food should not be overwhelming-there is a lightness and delicacy in this cuisine.

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Currently, Mughal cuisine is at risk of becoming extinct. Do you think it will ever be lost?

I hope it does not become extinct. There is a risk as more and more small family owned restaurants that serve Mughlai food are closing due to rising real estate prices and also the lack of interest from the next generation to continue the family tradition of cooking. In India unless you get on MasterChef, the honour in cooking is greatly diminished. If you are a young man, your friends would be impressed if you told them you worked all night in a call centre making cold calls to poor unsuspecting folks in the west, being a chef is no longer heroic! I have noticed an interest in big five star chains like the TAJ group hosting special food events that promote royal and traditional cuisines. There are food walks around old part of the city like Delhi and Hyderabad visiting the small food restaurants, but ironically what may save Mughlai cuisine is Instagram and Twitter as a new generation discover their own culinary tradition.

What do your family members think of your huge success in the food industry?

Like all mothers (especially Indian mothers!) who think their child is the very best, my mother was totally convinced I would become a culinary super star. She told all my aunts she thinks I will get a Michelin star soon, it was a bit awkward explaining to her that she should not make these kinds of boastful assertions at family gatherings! I am sure the rest of my family are a bit surprised by the positive response to their everyday family dishes getting in London. When I began cooking after I finished my Law PhD, some of my younger cousins would tease me and call me Ratatouille (after the Disney film with the chef who can't cook). I dont think they meant it as an insult!

Many of the dishes you serve at your restaurant were made for you as a child by your mother. What does this mean to you?

It means a lot. I have always seen myself as a vehicle to acknowledge the silent, nameless and faceless women in my family who cooked wonderful food but were never recognised or appreciated for their skills. They went to their graves thinking they were unskilled. My mother is the only accomplished cook out of her siblings and she was recognised by the rest of the family as a good cook, she went on to open a food business in Calcutta in the 70s and 80s which was very famous. I am just taking forward the journey my mother began and hope with my success I can get the recognition for all women who are home cooks and play such an important role in nourishing and nurturing the family through food.

Before deciding to pursue your passion of cooking, you were a journalist and got a PhD graduate. How do you think both of these interests inspire what you do now?

A significant part of my British Constitutional Law PhD research required hours of reading historical texts and trying to trace connections between people and events. I have found this a useful tool to understand recipes, my historical research skills were put to use while writing my cookbook and a lot of my passion and love for unearthing historical routes feels like a continuation of one aspect of my academic life.I do all my own PR and having had some journalistic experience it did help a lot as I do all my own writing and social media.

Whats your favourite food, outside of Indian cuisine?

Chinese  and very ashamed to admit the red glossy sweet and sour chicken type of Chinese! Whenever we went out for a meal when I lived with my parents in India, we invariably went to eat Chinese food as my mother would never want to pay and eat Indian food that was so inferior to the food she made! I always associate Chinese meals with happy memories.

Youve said that you hire a majority of women at your restaurant because you want Darjeeling Express to be a place for women to learn new skills, then leave for other jobs maybe start their own businesses. Have you seen this happen yet?

Yes! Two of the women in the kitchen are the opening chefs for our new venture, Calcutta Canteen, at Fulham Market Hall opening in May. It will be one of 10 kitchens at the food court. It's my homage to the street food of the city of my birth. Two of my kitchen assistants will now head the new unit. In the summer, one of the women working with me will be hosting her first independent supper club cooking food from Bombay where she comes from. It has begun, I can see the ripples already!

Your restaurant is run by women from South Asia that were not professionally trained. Why do you think other restaurants don't embrace chefs who arent professionally trained?

It is just deep-rooted bias. On the side of the male chefs and also the women who can cook. I am hoping my story may change the mindset of more South Asian women who feel a professional kitchen is not a place for them. One of the women who came to see me told me her family allowed her to come to talk to me as they were impressed that I was educated and came from a good family. There is also a class bias, the presumption in many South Asian families is that kitchen work is akin to manual labour, it is not dignified and definitely not as prestigious as being a pharmacist or an accountant. They do not encourage the girls in their families to take up cooking as a profession. On the other side, South Asian restaurant owners and the much-coveted Michelin Star chefs of South Asian restaurants are clearly not doing enough to open the doors for women. I feel they could use their position of strength and fame to raise issues about gender equality.

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A percentage of Darjeeling Expresss proceeds go to the Second Daughter Charity, which aims to empower second born daughters in India by sending celebration care packages on the day of their birth, as well as helping fund their education. What inspired you to do this?

I am a second daughter, most of my team are second daughters. I realised there was something special about second daughters, the one thing that tied us together was that we knew and most of us could not actually pinpoint how we knew that our birth was a disappointment to the family. We were not the sons the family had anxiously hoped for and most of our births were not celebrated. Through the charity I want the birth of second girls to be celebrated in the village and for second girls to have the same rights as boys: an education, an opportunity and a reminder that they are not a burden on their family.

Every aspect of your restaurant seems to honour your family's roots from the retro Bollywood music played, to the food served. How long did it take to plan it all?

I did not have a lot of time once we got possession of the site as it was a race against time to get it opened during the rent-free period to prevent a big debt building up. Everything just fell into place, I guess I was lucky as I planned, financed and project managed the restaurant on my own. There were no lengthy meetings and mood boards! I just recreated the look and feel of my home. The playlist that plays at the restaurant is my personal Spotify list. It is my happy place!

Darjeeling express (Ming Tang Evan)

Youve lived in the UK now since 1991. What was the hardest thing about British culture to assimilate too?

The different British accents. I still cannot figure out where someone is from! When I moved to Cambridge I thought all Scottish people were American and the Irish accent sounded like someone was reading a sonnet! When my kids, who were born here, started speaking like Londoners, it was then that I finally could recognise a London accent!

Does London feel like home now, or will you always see India as home?

To be honest India will always be home till my parents are alive and live there. I am not sure what I will feel later.

You were named as one of the 100 most influential women in UK hospitality list. What does this achievement mean to you?

I was really thrilled! It means a lot to me as I can see incredible women who I admire and respect on that list. I feel so honoured to be in that group of inspiring and pioneering women. As a woman of colour, an immigrant and a Muslim, it matters too. I hope seeing my name and face on that list encourages more women to understand that hard work and belief in yourself will pay off in the end. If you are good, people will recognise that.

Your cookbook is out in autumn, why did you decide to put everything in to a book?

On one of my recent visits to India my aunt called me the custodian of a unique culinary tradition, that comment made me realise that the stories and recipes needed to be shared. I am so lucky to be working with an all women team at Pavilion Books who totally understood what I wanted to say. I have had absolutely no interference in what recipes I wanted to write. I was concerned I would struggle and hate having to write recipes. I have actually found the process deeply liberating. It is a way to put in print and give voice to all those women who passed on recipes to the next generation, an oral history that is now written.

What is next for you?

Before my book launch on 4 October, Calcutta Canteen is opening at the new Fulham Market Hall. After the cookbook I want to continue my food research and possibly write something more academic or historical about the food and style of cuisine I cook.

Asma Khan is the owner of Darjeeling Express, Kingle Court, Carnaby Street (darjeeling-express.com). She will be taking part in the free Carnaby Street Eat food festival on 11 August (carnaby.co.uk/news-and-events/carnaby-events-2018)
It is a few minutes after 6pm, and Lim Lao Sa, a fishball noodle stand tucked into an alleyway near the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, has just opened. Rain is falling, hard. A series of deftly arranged tarps shelter patrons sitting on red plastic stools at a handful of tables. Water drizzles off the tarp edges, down the concrete walls and past exposed wiring. Fluorescent bulbs cast harsh shadows. Lim Lao Sas owners  a brother and sister who have inherited the 60-year-old business from their father  bicker vigorously.

My friend Win Luanchaison, a real-estate developer and fervent culinary explorer, and I tuck into our bowls. The quenelle-like fishballs are at once springy and creamy, the rice noodles supple, the broth clear and sure of purpose.

It is easy to understand why Lim Lao Sa cook annually for the Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. She eats egg noodles served dry, says Pawita Boriboonchaisiri, the sister.

In fact, given all of this  the setting, the food, the feeling that Lim Lao Sa could be washed away in an instant, by a bad mood or even worse weather  I decide that Lim Lao Sa is the platonic ideal of street food. And it is precisely why I have come to Bangkok.

Last April, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) made international headlines when it announced that the city of more than 8 million would ban street food vendors  often considered the worlds best  in order to make sidewalks more accessible. The BMA soon walked back its statement, saying street food would be preserved in Chinatown and the Khao San Road backpacker district, but elsewhere it would be eliminated, the vendors relocated from vital walkways, as the Tourism Authority of Thailand put it, to designated zones and nearby markets. This would happen by years end. Eventually. Maybe. Sometime.

The Train Night Market sells everything from street food to souvenirs, clothes to antiques (Getty)

I wasnt going to take a chance. If Bangkoks ad hoc restaurants were threatened  not only by clean-sidewalk-loving governments but, just as seriously, also by gentrification and changing tastes  I had to go before it was too late. In July, I flew to Bangkok for a week of eating nothing but street food. Pretty much immediately, I learn that street food is a term with many definitions.

For me, street food is only a cart, says Duangporn Songvisava, known as Bo, who with her husband, Dylan Jones, runs the restaurants Bo.lan, which received a Michelin star in December, and Err, which serves rustic drinking food with a focus on quality ingredients. When she was young, Songvisava, now 37, remembers, as many as 20 carts would line up outside her school to sell snacks on sticks. They have, like, the moo ping  grilled pork on a stick, barbecue  the sausage, the fishball. It just fills you up before you have dinner.

Miang Kham, or one bite wrap, is a traditional snack sold by vendors all over Thailand (Getty)

Some were pushcarts, others bicycle-based, but all were mobile and ephemeral.

That, she says, was the tail end of the golden age of Bangkok street food. In the old days when someone wants to open a cart or a stall, they know how to cook, she says. The idea was, youre a good cook  maybe you should make some food for other people, for a living.

Now, Songvisava says, profit margins rule. They just buy everything from the factory, use industrial processed food, she says. A lot of seasoning and MSG involved to produce the food because people doesnt complain.

Songvisava is telling me this over beers at Talad Saphan Phut, a night market that she considers a sad remedy for Bangkoks street food woes. It is here, at a lonely, out-of-the-way parking lot, that the city has relocated vendors from the slated-for-destruction Flower Market, on the theory that loyal customers will follow.

We are joined by an intrepid eating crew, which includes Jones; Chawadee Nualkhair, the blogger, known as Chow, behind Bangkok Glutton; and writer Vincent Vichit-Vadakan, who has put me up for my stay and now edits the Michelin Guides Bangkok site.

Bangkok can provide adventurous diners with hours of culinary exploration  if they know where to go (Flickr)

This is like a good five to 10 kilometres from where the original was, Nualkhair says. So the people who used to eat these guys food wouldnt come here on a regular basis with this special trip. Only a few vendors in all of Bangkok, she estimates, cook well enough that people will follow them to new locations.

We decide to drown our concerns in the most apropos way: with street food. Along Thanon Chan, in a surprisingly quiet little neighbourhood, are sois, or alleyways, full of food vendors, who have been relocated off the main street. Our gang descends upon them, ordering bowls of noodles  yen ta fo, pink rice noodles in broth with wontons and fishballs, and bamee moodaeng, ribbony egg noodles with roast pork  and watery rice porridge studded with bits of duck or nuggets of coagulated blood, and sweet braised pigs foot, and bags of all kinds of fried things.

Food and drink news Show all 35 1 /35 Food and drink news Food and drink news Healthy living makes us more inclined to binge, research suggests Gluten-free breads, dairy-free milks and other plant-based products have been some of the most favoured foods in British supermarkets this year. However, while were busy filling our shopping trolleys with gluten-free goodness, were also jamming it with junk food and alcohol, new research suggests Getty/iStock Food and drink news Growing list of Vegan celebs Making the switch to veganism is a major lifestyle choice, one that many claim can improve energy levels, lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and clear up any skin issues. Beyonce, Natalie Portman and Jessica Chastain are among the growing list of Hollywood stars who have eschewed animal products from their diets in recent years. Theres also been an increasing number of professional athletes who have gone vegan, such as boxing champions Mike Tyson and David Haye, thus debunking the myth that following a plant-based diet will leave you feeling weak and malnourished. AFP/Getty/NARAS/iHeartMedia Food and drink news McDonald's has announced the launch of a new vegan burger on its menu in Germany This will mark the first time the German franchise of the fast food chain has offered a vegan burger to its customers. The Big Vegan TS burger consists of a patty made from soy and wheat. It is served in a classic sesame seed bun, and contains salad, tomato, pickles and red onion. McDonald's Germany Food and drink news Drinking too many protein shakes could lead to an increased risk of obesity and a reduced lifespan, a new study has claimed Researchers from the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre carried out an investigation to determine the impact excessive consumption of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) has on the body. BCAA supplements are often consumed in the form of powder, which is then added to water to make a shake. Published in journal Nature Metabolism, the study found that while BCAAs help to build muscle, they can also negatively impact an individual's temperament, cause weight gain and lead to a shortened lifespan Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Britain consumes more chocolate than any other country Most people love chocolate but it turns out no one does more than the Brits  with the average Brit found to have consumed 8.4 kg of chocolate in 2017, according to new data. Chocolate consumption around the world is on the rise, according to Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD), which found that in the past year alone, Easter chocolate production has risen by 23 per cent Food and drink news 'Easter eggs should be banned for children under four' Dr Becky Spelman, chief psychologist at Harley Streets Private Therapy Clinic, is calling for Easter eggs to be banned for consumption for children under the age of four, claiming that giving them the opportunity to binge on chocolate so young will give them an unhealthy relationship with food later on. "This is a nightmare situation for parents of this generation as they have no idea how to teach their children to delay their response to cravings, she said, explaining that too many young kids binge on these chocolates because their parents dont know how to stop them. "Once a child starts overeating behaviour at a young age its very hard to turn things around for them in terms of food and their eating habits moving forward, leading to obesity from at very young age," she added PA Food and drink news Pineapple overtakes avocado as the UK's fastest-selling fruit According to Tesco, pineapple has overtaken avocado as the UKs fastest-selling fruit, with sales increasing by 15 per cent in 2017. In comparison, avocado sales rose by just under 10 per cent last year. The popular supermarket says the surge in popularity comes as shoppers buying the versatile fruit are beginning to use it as a main ingredient in everything from curries and barbecues, to juices and cocktails Getty Food and drink news Marks & Spencers launches stoneless avocados Rather than the result of genetic modification, the avocados are formed by an unpollinated avocado blossom. The fruit develops without a seed which in turns stops the growth, creating a small, seedless fruit. Whats more, the skin is actually edible, unlike a regular avocado. The flesh is much like that of a normal avocado - smooth and creamy, pale in colour and rich in flavour M&S Food and drink news Office teabags contain 17 times more germs than a toilet seat, reveals study The average bacterial reading of an office teabag was 3,785, in comparison to only 220 for a toilet seat. Other pieces of kitchen equipment also stacked up highly in their findings, with the bacterial readings averaging at 2,483 on kettle handles, 1,746 on the rim of a used mug and 1,592 on a fridge door handle Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news New study shows drinking more coffee leads to a longer life There is good news and a final hope for coffee addicts and lovers. You will now be able to drink coffee for longer as new study shows its can lead to a prolonged life. Scientists showed that those who drank between two and four cups of coffee a day had 18% lower risk of death compared to non-coffee drinkers. PA Food and drink news Coke Zero is replaced with Coke Zero Sugar Coca-Cola is pulling the plug on its Coke Zero. The much loved drink will be replaced with a new improved taste. The move, backed with a 10 million campaign, is said to come from Coca-Cola supporting people to reduce their sugar intake. Coca-Cola want people make this move while not sacrificing sugary taste of Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola Food and drink news Starbucks introduce new avocado spread The avocado craze has grown from hipster brunch restaurants to Starbucks. Starbucks have introduced their new avocado spread earlier this year and it has the internet in debate. Some argue that it not a spread but guacamole while others question if there is any avocado in there at all. When buying the new spread you can also buy an optional toasted bagel. It is a must try for all avocado connoisseurs. Starbucks Food and drink news New Mars chocolate bar The iconic British chocolate bar is about to get its partner in crime. The new bar, named Goodness Knows, will replace the gooey caramel goodness of the mars bar with oats. It is said to be more like a Florentine biscuit with a thin dark chocolate bottom. While being moderately healthy Mars says that is has good intentions. One pack has 154 calories and will sell for about 90p. Mars Food and drink news Wine prices could increase because of Brexit Wine lovers across the UK might soon have to shell out close to a quarter more for their favourite tipple after Brexit, as a weaker pound and sluggish economy takes its toll, a new study shows Rex Food and drink news Chocolate may be good for the heart A new study, published in the British Medical Journal: Heart, found that moderate chocolate intake can be positively associated with lessening the risk of the heart arrhythmia condition Atrial Fibrillation Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Brits throw away 1.4 million bananas each year British families are throwing away 1.4 million bananas that are perfectly good to eat every day at cost of 80m a year, new figures have shown PA/Armin Weigel Food and drink news Rosemary sales spike over exam time There has been a surge a surge in sales of the herb rosemary after a recent study found it helps improve memory. According to high street health food chain Holland & Barrett, sales of the herb have increased by 187 per cent compared to the same time last year Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Gluten-free diets 'not recommended' for people without coeliac disease Avoiding wheat, barley and rye in the belief that a gluten-free diet brings health benefits may do more harm than good, according to a team of US nutrition and medicine experts Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Starbucks launches two new coffee-based drinks Starbucks is launching two new coffee-based drinks in the UK, as it strives to tap into consumers growing appetite for healthy beverages. The Cold Brew Vanilla sweet cream and the Cappuccino Freddo, will both be available in stores throughout the UK from the start of May Twitter/@SbuxCountyHall Food and drink news Cadburys Dairy Milk Tiffin is making a permanent comeback after 80 years The Cadbury Dairy Milk Tiffin, first produced in 1937, is making a permanent comeback to the UK. The raisin and biscuit-filled chocolate bar is being launched after a successful trial last summer saw 3 million chocolate treats  at the cost of 1.49 for each 95g bar- purchased by nostalgic customers Cadburys Food and drink news Pizza restaurant makes worlds cheesiest 'Scottie's Pizza Parlor' in Portland Oregon has created the worlds cheesiest pizza using a total of 101 different cheese varieties. Facebook/Scottie's Pizza Parlor Food and drink news A pizza joint in Portland Oregon has created the worlds cheesiest pizza using a total of 101 different cheese varieties. Why not eating before a workout could be better for your health A study published in the American Journal of Physiology by researchers at the University of Bath found you might be likely to burn more fat if you have not eaten first Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news New York restaurant named best in the world A New York restaurant where an average meal for two will cost $700 has been named the best in the world. Eleven Madison Park won the accolade for the first time after debuting on the list at number 50 in 2010. The restaurant was praised for a fun sense of fine-dining, blurring the line between the kitchen and the dining room Getty Images Food and drink news Why you crave bad food when youre tired Researchers at Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University in Chicago recently presented their results of a study looking into the effects of sleep deprivation upon high-calorific food consumption. Researchers found that those who were sleep-deprived had specifically enhanced brain activity to the food smells compared to when they had a good nights sleep Shutterstock Food and drink news Drinking wine engages more of your brain than solving maths problems Drinking wine is the ideal workout for your brain, engaging more parts of our grey matter than any other human behaviour, according to a leading neuroscientist. Dr Gordon Shepherd, from the Yale School of Medicine, said sniffing and analysing a wine before drinking it requires exquisite control of one of the biggest muscles in the body Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news British dessert eating surges after people ditch healthy eating in February : In heartening news for anyone feeling guilty about quitting their New Year diet, it seems lots of us have given in to our sweet tooths once again. New data from nationwide food-delivery service Deliveroo reveals there was a surge in Brits ordering desserts in February compared to the first month of 2017 Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news US congress debates definition of milk alternatives A new bill has been created that seeks to ban dairy alternatives from using the term milk. Titled the DAIRY PRIDE Act, the name is a tenuous acronym for defending against imitations and replacements of yogurt, milk, and cheese to promote regular intake of dairy every day. It argues that the dairy industry is struggling as a result of all the dairy-free alternatives on the market and the public are being duped too Getty Images Food and drink news Cadburys launches two new chocolate bars UK confectionary giant Cadbury has launched two new chocolate bars, hoping to lure those with a sweet tooth and perhaps help combat some of the challenges it faces from rising commodity prices and a post-Brexit slump in the value of the pound.The companys new products will be peanut butter and mint flavoured. They will be available in most major super markets as 120g bars, priced at 1.49, according to the company Cadburys Food and drink news You can now get a job as a professional chocolate eater The company responsible for some of your favourite chocolate brands  think Cadbury, Milks, Prince and Oreo  have officially announced an opening to join their team as a professional chocolate taster. The successful candidate will help them to test, perfect and launch new products all over the world. Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news MSG additive used in Chinese food is actually good for you, scientist claims For years, weve been told MSG (the sodium salt of glutamic acid) - often associated with cheap Chinese takeaways - is awful for our health and to be avoided at all costs. But one scientist argues it should be used as a supersalt and encourages adding it to food. Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Lettuce prices are rising Not only are lettuces becoming an increasingly rare commodity in supermarkets, but prices for the leafy vegetables seem to be rising too. According to the weekly report from the Governments Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, a pair of Little Gem lettuces had an average market price of 0.86 in the week that ended on Friday, up from an average of 0.56 in the previous week  thats an almost 54 per cent increase. Getty Images Food and drink news Do-It-Yourself restaurant To encourage more people to cook and eat together, IKEA has launched The Dining Club in Shoreditch  a fully immersive Do-It-Yourself restaurant . Members of the public can book to host a brunch, lunch or dinner party for up to 20 friends and family. Supported by their very own sous chef and maitre de, the host and their guests will orchestrate an intimate dining experience where cooking together is celebrated and eating together is inspirational Mikael Buck / IKEA Food and drink news Ping Pong menu with a twist Gatwick Airport has teamed up with London dim sum restaurant Ping Pong to create a limited edition menu with a distinctly British twist; including a Full English Bao and Beef Wellington Puff, to celebrate the launch of the airports new route to Hong Kong Food and drink news Zizzi unveil the Maamgharita Unique pizza art has been created by Zizzi in celebration of the Queens 90th birthday. The pizza features the queen in an iconic pose illustrated with fresh and tasty Italian ingredients on a backdrop of the Union Jack Food and drink news Blue potatoes make a comeback Blue potatoes, once a staple part of British potato crops, are back on the menu thanks to a Cambridge scientist turned-organic farmer and Farmdrop, an online marketplace that lets people buy direct from local farms. Cambridge PhD graduate-turned farmer, Adrian Izzard has used traditional growing techniques at Wild Country Organics to produce the colourful spuds, packed with healthy cell-protecting anthocyanin, which had previously disappeared from UK plates when post-war farmers were pushed towards higher-yielding varieties

As we crowd around folding metal tables and accentuate our treasures with chilies in vinegar, or ground dried chilies, and crack open Thai craft beers, it all feels deliciously normal  the kind of Bangkok street food life Ive always imagined. That picture grows more complex over the next few days. In the mornings, I leave Vincents apartment in search of coffee  and more often than not return with a baggie of sticky rice and skewers of sweet, fatty grilled pork from the moo-ping cart stationed outside his front door. (Vincent lives near a university, so there is a steady flow of hungry, frugal students.)

Chinatown is an excellent place to begin for its density of talented vendors and the official protection they enjoy (Getty)

By lunchtime, I hook up with a friend for exploratory eating. With Dwight Turner, an American who has blogged for years at Bangkok Fatty, I go to the farther reaches of Sukhumvit Road, a central artery through Bangkok.

In the old days when someone wants to open a cart or a stall, they know how to cook. The idea was, youre a good cook  maybe you should make some food for other people, for a living

Several Skytrain stops past the glistening condos and megamalls, the street food crackdown doesnt seem to matter, and Turner and I have to squeeze past countless vendors  of curries, sausages, fruit, flowers, electronics  occupying sidewalk space.

For Turner, street food is not necessarily defined by mobility. The necessity, he says, is that its convenient, at a price that people are willing to pay.

His definition  which will no doubt enrage certain corners of the internet  opens up what I consider street food to include in Bangkoks shophouse restaurants: boxy, frill-free dining rooms where the cooking is done up front, in a kitchen thats often little more than an elaborate, sedentary cart. Such is the case at Sai Kaew, the duck noodle shop Turner brings me to.

Yaowarat Road is the heart of Chinatown's street food zone, and the offerings reflect its 200-year history (Getty)

In the beginning, I worked full-time in an office like most Thais, says Sai Kaews owner, Ruengchai Chartmongkoljaroen. Thirty years ago, however, he quit his job to push a cart. He set up 10 tables on a sidewalk space hed rented in front of a building, walked his cart in circles to attract attention, and of course worked on his recipes, developing the condiment that became his calling card: light, crunchy, slippery boiled duck intestines, or sai kaew. (Excellent with a slather of his vibrant green hot sauce, and a worthy foil for the sweetly rich duck.) The price for a bowl in 1987: 10 baht, or about 20 pence at the time.

Day one, we opened from 12pm to 2am, he says. We sold half a duck.

Business improved, but even so, he pushed the cart for 16 years before parking it at this shophouse, where, on a good day, he and his two daughters, whove learned the business from childhood, will go through 50 big ducks. Although his duck noodles are now well known, the price remains right: lunch for two was 160 baht, or less than $5 (3).

This trajectory was one I heard time and again as I ate everything from delicate pigs brain to incendiary papaya salad to rice noodles stir-fried on a charcoal-fired wok. There might be many reasons to open a cart but, eventually, almost everyone wants the security of bricks and mortar.

Even Pritipal Singh Sirikumar, whose stand selling crisp, yummy samosas was founded by his father some 50 years ago, dreams of moving from his open-air nook  about the size of a couch  at the corner of a Chinatown soi. He says it would be to have his own shophouse. Then we can put in tables and chairs. We can serve more customers. I will serve lassi.

Eat your way round Bangkok, from rolled rice noodles with pork belly to boiled lotus root on crushed ice (Getty)

Sirikumars sentiments are echoed by people like Pongsuang Kunprasop, known as Note, a friend I havent seen in a decade but who refuses to eat street food with me. Been sharing sidewalks with rats and cockroachs at night for all my life, he wrote in an email.

Precariousness is the new status quo. The uncertainty alone is enough to move people out of town

Over the course of a week, I do not see much vermin, nor do I fall ill. (I did carry charcoal pills, a gift from Songvisava and Jones, to counteract food poisoning.) But I also come to appreciate the appeal of air conditioning and to understand that the romance attached to the cart, by Thais as well as Westerners, does not always mesh with reality.

Its hard work to push a cart, and unless you get lucky  like Raan Jay Fai, a crab omelette stall that won a Michelin star in December (and that is now so busy the owner says she would like to return the star)  a shophouse restaurant, a permanent stall in a covered market or even a job cooking street food in the food court of a fancy mall promises stability. And for Thais, entering the middle class is often about strolling down a clear sidewalk to work, dining in air conditioned comfort and going home to a modern condo.

Thai congee is a breakfast rice porridge often served with pork meatballs, fried onions and garlic (Jok Sam Yan)

Today, nearly a year after the crackdown, Bangkoks street food vendors and aficionados have grown accustomed to constant change. Talad Saphan Phut, the market where I had talked with Songvisava, shut down in December, and the street food-centric Sam Yan neighbourhood is being redeveloped by Chulalongkorn University, whose projects have already displaced vendors in numerous areas.

Street food in Bangkok has always been defined by mobility and ephemerality, but this is something new. Precariousness is the new status quo, Nualkhair of Bangkok Glutton wrote via Facebook. The uncertainty alone is enough to move people out of town.

At the same time, street food is a long way from its demise. For every tale I hear of police clearing vendors away, I find a bamee moodaeng stall making its own noodles or hear the late morning call of a vendor selling curries and fermented rice noodles.

However endangered street food is, pursuing it remains an eye-opening way to discover a city like Bangkok. One morning, Rattama Pongponrat, known as Pom, an ebullient culinary consultant and former curator at Museum Siam, leads me on a day-long binge, from a breakfast of toast with coconut jam to a sidewalk stand selling noodles with atypically thick slices of offal. There is fried chicken piled atop metal tables. There is glorious mango ice cream from a dinky corner shop.

Finding street food in Bangkok is easy  finding the really good stuff takes a little more effort (Flickr)

And there is Pongponrat, overjoyed at it all. When the sun is high, we stride through the shaded alleyways of Chinatown, past tropical fruits pickled in chilies, batter-fried squid roe with a spicy-sweet sauce  until, finally, we burst out onto a bridge where Pongponrat hopes to find one particular vendor. Instead, the bridge has been entirely cleared.

Recommended Bangkok street vendor with Michelin star wants to give it back

Oh, my God, its all gone! Pongponrat shouts. I never knew it was a bridge. Ive never seen this before in my life. She begins swearing, then looks up at a well-tended four-storey building, yellow with green shutters, the crisp style at once Chinese and neoclassical. What a beautiful building, she says in wonder. Then we plung back into the fray to find another snack.

If you go

Finding street food in Bangkok is easy  youll see fishball and satay stands parked, it seems, in front of nearly every 7-Eleven  but finding the really good stuff takes a little more effort, and a bit of wandering.

Chinatown is an excellent place to begin, for its density of talented vendors and for the official protection they enjoy (at least for the moment). Yaowarat Road is the heart of its street food zone  think rolled rice noodles with crispy pork belly, or sweet boiled lotus root on crushed ice  but if you wander a little farther afield, youll encounter the fishball-noodle stand Lim Lao Sa (on Song Wat Road near Trok Saphan Yuan), Natthapon Coconut Ice Cream (on Phraeng Phuthon Road), and the high end drinking-food restaurant Err (394/35 Maha Rat Road; errbkk.com).

They just buy everything from the factory, use industrial processed food. A lot of seasoning and MSG involved to produce the food because people dont complain

For a stroll through not-yet-gentrified Bangkok, take the Skytrain to Udom Suk station and head down Sukhumvit Road soi 103, through numerous vendors crowding the sidewalk. (Try them!) To the left, in the marketplace, is a bamee moodaeng stall that makes its own excellent noodles, and a few blocks north-east is Sai Kaew, the duck noodle soup shop.

To see another way street food is evolving, check out Talad Ruam Sab, known as the Lunch Market, across Asok Road (Sukhumvit soi 21) from Srinakharinwirot University. There youll find dozens of tiny stalls serving items like sweet braised pigs leg and fiery crab curry with fermented rice noodles.

Finally, there is the Michelin Guide, whose Bangkok edition includes 28 street food vendors (all in shophouses, technically). Find it online at guide.michelin.com/th/en/bangkok

 New York Times
I felt like I was betraying my culture. Id been served a tagine with cous cous, says Nargisse Benkabbou. When she moved to London seven years ago, shed gone to a Moroccan restaurant in the hope of finding something comforting that reminded her of home. But this was not how it should be served.

The way a tagine should be served is with bread, she says. Id never seen it with cous cous, but I ate it anyway, and I actually really liked it, she admits. When I tell my mother people eat tagine with cous cous, shes appalled.

Benkabbou is the author of Casablanca: My Moroccan Food, her debut cookbook published this week. But she only came to professional cooking three and a half years ago. Before that, she was a serial student.

I did a degree in Brussels, a masters in Paris and then, as I liked university so much, I did another masters in London. To work in the food world had been her dream for years, but considering her education was in politics, it was rather a convoluted way to get there.

After an intense course at Leiths School of Food and Wine, she began her blog. I designed it all myself, bought a digital SLR camera  Id never even used one before  took all the pictures and worked day and night on it.

Her mission, she says, is to make Moroccan food global. For some people, its still exotic (like sushi once was to Benkabbou)  despite Marrakech being only being 3.5 hours from the UK. But with its similarities to Indian food, many of the spices can be crossed over, which can make it a little less daunting to some.

Benkabbou has the advantage of bridging two cultures: North African and Western. By having Moroccan parents who raised her with the food of their culture, but in the West, followed by her training at Leiths, shes able to bring them together.

Now, I tell people eat tagine with whatever makes you happy. If it makes them embrace Moroccan food, then thats good, says Benkabbou

By making something global, youve got to accept that it will lose a little bit of what it is. But if you do it the right way youll keep its authenticity and what makes it special. And thats what Ive tried to do, she says.

Of course, Benkabbou is well versed the authentic essence of Moroccan food. But shes updated it, and made it accessible for a Western audience, with recipes like her classic merguez meat thats turned into burgers and topped with a preserved lemon guacamole; and the bakoula-stuffed romano peppers with yoghurt and hazelnuts, created when she was unable to get hold of mallow and instead used Swiss chard.

And despite her first encounter of a tagine with cous cous, she says: Now, I tell people eat tagine with whatever makes you happy. If it makes them embrace Moroccan food, then thats good.

Moroccan cuisine has been influenced by many other countries, namely those who colonised it, from the French to the Spanish. So growing up in Europe was not quite as detached, food-wise, as it might first sound.

For Benkabbou, food is one of the main things that defines a culture. We have certain dishes that define celebrations, from births to deaths, and chicken pie for weddings.

On Friday in Morocco, we eat cous cous. It has vegetables and meat on top and we call the whole dish cous cous. But what you know as cous cous is semolina. Its a dish that we can make in very large quantities and for that reason, traditional households go to the mosque on Friday and then afterwards, eat cous cous and then give it to other people, and poor people. So if theres 10 of you, you make it for 15 and invite everyone.

She began cooking by being her mothers sous chef, as she calls it, learning from her stay at home mum who was such a great cook that Benkabbou would entice friends back to her house by telling them her mother was cooking that evening.

And this is what initially made eating out in Londons Moroccan restaurants so hard: blasphemous serving ideas aside, eating Moroccan food when it wasnt her mums was basically pointless.

Things have changed now, but just because shes got a book, Benkabbou isnt calling time on her blog. I think its important to keep it alive as ultimately thats what allowed me to reach all of these people. I have about 20,000 visitors to my website  I dont know what it means but its a lot of people from all around the world.

So fans wont be let down, and new followers will have even more of her beautiful recipes to create at home too.

Casablanca My Moroccan Food by Nargisse Benkabbou is published by Mitchell Beazley, 20 (octopusbooks.co.uk) and is out now
In the beginning, the rules of space bar were simple. Two spaces after each full stop. Every time. Easy.

That made sense in the age of the typewriter. Letters of uniform width looked cramped without extra space after the full stop. Typists learned not to do it.

But then, at the end of the 20th century, the typewriter gave way to the word processor and the computer and modern variable width fonts. And the world divided.

Some insisted on keeping the two space rule. They could not get used to seeing just one space after a period. It simply looked wrong.

Some said this was blasphemy. The designers of modern fonts had built the perfect amount of spacing, they said. Anything more than a single space between sentences was too much.

And so the rules of typography fell back into chaos. Typing two spaces after a period is totally, completely, utterly and inarguably wrong, Farhad Manjoo wrote in Slate in 2011.

You can have my double space when you pry it from my cold, dead hands, Megan McArdle wrote in The Atlantic the same year. (And yes, she double spaced it).

This schism has actually existed throughout most of typed history, the writer and type enthusiast James Felici once observed (in a single spaced essay).

The rules of spacing have been wildly inconsistent since the invention of the printing press. The original printing of the United States Declaration of Independence used extra long spaces between sentences.

John Baskervilles 1763 Bible used a single space. Single spaces. Double spaces. Em spaces. Trends went back and forth between continents and eras for hundreds of years, Mr Felici wrote. It is not a good look.

And that is just English. Some written languages have no spaces at all and others require a space between every syllable

Obviously, there need to be standards. Unless you are doing avante garde poetry or something , you cannot just space words however you want. That would be insanity. Or at least, obnoxious.

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Three psychology researchers from Skidmore College, who decided it is time for modern science to sort this out once and for all.

Professionals and amateurs in a variety of fields have passionately argued for either one or two spaces following this punctuation mark, they wrote in a paper published last week in the journal Attention, Perception and Psychophysics.

They cite dozens of theories and previous research, arguing for one space or two. A 2005 study that found two spaces reduced lateral interference in the eye and helped reading. A 2015 study that found the opposite. A 1998 experiment that suggested it did not matter.

However, they wrote, to date, there has been no direct empirical evidence in support of these claims, nor in favour of the one space convention.

So the researchers, Rebecca Johnson, Becky Bui and Lindsay Schmitt, rounded up 60 students and some eye tracking equipment and set out to heal the divide.

First, they put the students in front of computers and dictated a short paragraph, to see how many spaces they naturally used. Turns out, 21 of the 60 were two spacers and the rest typed with close-spaced sentences that would have horrified the Founding Fathers of the US.

The researchers then clamped each students head into place and used an Eyelink 1000 to record where they looked as they silently read 20 paragraphs. The paragraphs were written in various styles: one spaced, two spaced and strange combinations like two spaces after commas, but only one after periods. And vice versa, too.

And the verdict was: two spaces after the period is better. It makes reading slightly easier.

Actually, Lifehackers one space purist Nick Douglas pointed out some important caveats to the studys conclusion.

Most notably, the test subject read in Courier New, a fixed-width font similar to the old typewriters and rarely used on modern computers.

Ms Johnson, one of the authors, told Mr Douglas that the fixed-width font was standard for eye tracking tests and the benefits of two spacing should carry over to any modern font.

Mr Douglas found more solace in the fact that the benefits of two spacing, as described in the study, appear to be very minor.

Reading speed only improved marginally, the paper found and only for the 21 two spacers, who naturally typed with two spaces between sentences. The majority of one spacers, on the other hand, read at pretty much the same speed either way. And reading comprehension was unaffected for everyone, regardless of how many spaces followed a period.

The major reason to use two spaces, the researchers wrote, was to make the reading process smoother, not faster. Everyone tended to spend fewer milliseconds staring at periods when a little extra blank space followed it. (Putting two spaces after a comma, if you are wondering, slowed down reading speed, so do not do that).

The studys authors concluded that two spacers in the digital age actually have science on their side and more research should be done to investigate why reading is facilitated when periods are followed by two spaces.

But no sooner did the paper publish than the researchers discovered that science does not necessarily govern matters of the space bar.

Ms Johnson told Lifehacker that she and her co-authors submitted the paper with two spaces after each period  as was proper. And the journal deleted all the extra spaces anyway.

The Washington Post
Damian Hinds should stop choking schools and threatening them with Ofsted inspections, shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has said.

Speaking to headteachers in Liverpool, Ms Rayner called on the education secretary to stop beating schools over the head with the current inspection regime, and instead to take a collaborative approach.

It comes after Mr Hinds announced plans to overhaul measures used to hold schools to account. But schools will still be forced to become academies if they are judged to be inadequate by Ofsted, he said.

At the annual conference of National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) in Liverpool, Ms Rayner said the current accountability system in schools was unfit for purpose.

The Labour MP questioned the climate in which 10- and 11-year-olds are told they have failed Sats exams, which are supposed to only be used to hold schools to account rather than the children themselves.

At a time when they are supposed to be excited about going into secondary school they are being told they are not good enough. We are putting them on a constant cycle of testing, she said.

Her comments come after The Independent revealed that thousands of parents are expected to withdraw their children from the Sats exams as they say accountability data is being put before childrens wellbeing.

Ms Rayner said: I have got a message for Damian in government  you really do need to stop choking schools and threatening them with the inspection regime at the moment.

She added: You need to be supporting and helping them... It is not just about beating schools over the head and threatening them. That gets us absolutely nowhere.

A motion calling on the NAHT to support school leaders in challenging Ofsted when they investigate complaints from parents against headteachers and senior staff was passed at the conference on Saturday.

Jim Nicholson, from Stockport, who proposed the motion, said: We never know from what angle or which direction [complaints] will come. School leaders are under fire from the Department for Education (DfE), Ofsted and anyone else who decide to have a pop at us.

School leaders are vulnerable and easy to attack. We are an easy target for an ever-increasing dissatisfaction in the public realm.

He added: It is humbling and heartbreaking to watch professionals shake and cry. To go from being infectiously optimistic to a state of anxiety, paranoia, lack of self-esteem and suffer stress related illness.

A significant contributory factor that cannot be underestimated is the complaints culture that has been developed over the last three years.

The shadow education secretary, who received two standing ovations from headteachers for her speech, added: I really am concerned about the testing regime in primary and in early years. Actually we know through international standards and through the evidence that that actually is not always the best way forward.

The current system isnt fit for purpose, it isnt delivering what we want for our young people. So we need to change that. I want a focus and an emphasis in the early years to make sure we look at child development and look at building children to be resilient.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 6 October 2021 A protester, wearing a mask of Johnson, holds a sign reading Question it all on the final day of the Tory conference Getty UK news in pictures 5 October 2021 Members of Insulate Britain outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, before a hearing over the injunction banning the environmental activists from blocking the M25 PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2021 A delegate passes a street cleaner on the second day of the annual Conservative Party Conference being held at the Manchester Central convention centre AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2021 Margaret Thatcher-themed mugs for sale at the annual Conservative Party conference in Manchester EPA UK news in pictures 2 October 2021 A couple make their way through a flooded underpass in Bristol as a yellow weather warning for rain and wind is issued for parts of the UK Tom Wren/SWNS 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

The Labour MP said the governments record on education meant targets for teacher recruitment had not been met for five years, with more teachers now leaving rather than joining the profession and half a million children in super-size classes, while teachers had had their pay capped.

They wouldnt survive their own Ofsted inspection, Ms Rayner said.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, said: Well be engaging with Labours consultation on their National Education Service and their other policies which affect young people.

As I said in my conference speech, education is the best route to a happy and fulfilling future for our young people, and the only silver bullet to solving the problems in our society.
The governments breast cancer screening hotline is staffed by people who are not medically trained and rely on a cheat sheet of symptoms, it is claimed.

Call handlers say they fear mistakes could be made in the handling of distressed womens cases because of the rush to set up the service three days ago.

They have revealed they were given just one hour of training and handed a 23-page information pack listing symptoms of breast cancer and frequently asked questions.

I felt ashamed knowing what had happened to these women, taking these calls when I am not medically trained, have no counselling background and am in no position to help them, one worker told the Guardian.

Taking calls was horrendous as people were getting really upset ... People also cannot deal with the volume of calls coming through. We are not trained to be dealing with those type of things.

Another said the training pack was all over the place and hard to understand.

They added: I dont think the people whose family members have died would like to know the people theyve been directed to to help them arent medical professionals but have to give medical advice and its all from one information sheet.

Serco, the multinational outsourcing company running the hotline, said its staff were all trained to provide contact services on behalf of public service customers.

They are using information and advice provided by Public Health England and are required to collect details of women who believe they have missed screening, so they can be contacted by health professionals, and to set out the options available to them, Serco said in a statement.

On Friday, as an example, we were able to answer 99.5 per cent of all calls received at our centres.

The hotline was set up after the government admitted 450,000 women aged 68 to 71 missed out on NHS cancer screening because of an IT error dating back to 2009.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt apologised for the glitch and said up to 270 could have died prematurely as a result.

Lawyers have warned the failures in breast cancer screening could end up costing 100m in compensation.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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 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

More than 10,000 calls have already been made to the hotline by women fearing they are among those affected.

Labours shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the women deserved better than this.

Ministers promised distressed women affected by the breast cancer screening failure a dedicated hotline, he said. Instead they have a Serco line with staff who apparently have no medical or counselling training.

Women in England between the ages of 50 and 70 are automatically invited for breast cancer screening every three years.

PA
The reason Vanuatu and other Melanesian nations may be turning to China is because they are more worried about Indonesia, which has directly threatened Vanuatu over its strong diplomatic support for the West Papuans.

Indonesia already has Peter ONeill onside in Papua New Guinea, and Frank Bainimarama in Fiji, and is busy trying to neutralise Vanuatu, the Solomons and FLNKS leaders in New Caledonia, who are resisting Indonesian influence.

Contrary to most commentary, the biggest destabilising player in Melanesia over the past five years is not China but Indonesia, which through its look east policy has deliberately paralysed the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) while financing local MPs and political parties across the Pacific to try and stop snow-balling regional support for West Papuan independence.

PORT VILA  China. China. China. All the talk is of increasing Chinese influence in our region. But this is to wilfully see past the elephant in the room.

Vanuatu might be pulling some "muscle" into its corner, feeling it can't rely on Australia because Canberra continues in its supine support of Indonesia whatever they do - even as Jakarta directly undermines Australian and Pacific island interests.

The accumulative strategic failure being talked of by Labors Richard Marles and others, is not because Australia has failed to check Chinese influence in Melanesia, but a result of Australias failure to check Indonesian interference in these nations that were supposed to be our patch.

For decades, islanders thought their big brothers Australia and America would defend Pacific peoples as they did in World War Two. Instead, it appears Australia has outsourced its security of Melanesia to Indonesia, giving them free reign.

Despite being a Melanesian nation itself through its own Torres Strait and South Sea Islander communities, strangely Australia has not sought to join the main political grouping of its own neighbourhood, the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), which has now been hijacked by Indonesia with help from Fiji in particular; more blow-back from Canberras misguided attempts to isolate Fiji after the coup.

It is not lost on the region that while the Turnbull government is warning about Chinese influence, senior members of his own party have been taking Chinese coin, from former foreign minister Alexander Downer spruiking for Huawei to former trade minister Andrew Robb now working for the same Chinese company that controversially bought Darwins port.

Still, as examples like Sri Lanka demonstrate, Australia is right to flag concerns about strategic vulnerability that comes with excessive debt to China.

From a Melanesian perspective, the two biggest security issues they face are climate change and Indonesia's increasing political interference across the Melanesian archipelago, rooted in its desire to hold onto West Papua. Despite the mantra from foreign minister Julie Bishop that Australia remains the strategic partner of choice for Vanuatu and the region, the fact is that Canberra is not listening to Melanesia's own security concerns, but telling them what they should be concerned about, that is, China.

This is not going down well and Melanesian nations are forging their own security arrangements with or without Australia, who they see as compromised when it comes to climate change and Indonesia.

In the past few months we have witnessed something of a pincer movement.

In late December RAAF jets were suddenly scrambled from Tindal air base near Darwin after a number of nuclear-capable Russian Tu 95 Bear bombers flew from Biak in West Papua, flying between Papua and Australia's north for intelligence gathering purposes.

It's the first time Russian bombers have operated like this in the South Pacific and suggests Jakarta wanted to warn Australia and the US forces parked in Darwin that it too could bring some muscle into the neighbourhood. That message was likely aimed at China as much as Australia and the US.

Then last week, at the other end of Melanesia we have revelations about a potential Chinese military base in Vanuatu. The first thing to say is that its highly unlikely China would have asked for a military base - they are far too subtle to do that.

More likely is that they may be angling for something dressed up as a civilian project but with military applications, like the space station speculation floated in the Chinese press last week.

They have already built a lot of dual-use infrastructure in Vanuatu such as the big Santo wharf, so step by step, like their salami-slicing strategy in the South China Sea, they will move incrementally without wanting to frighten the horses.

Both of these pincer moves have their origin in West Papua's situation. In some ways it reflects Paul Dibbs reworking of Australian defence policy in the late 1980s to get beyond its Euro-centricity. Dibb offered a map with concentric circles emanating out from Darwin. The first circles cover East Timor and West Papua.

There are strategic consequences to Australias 50 year policy of not just turning a blind eye to Indonesia's slow-motion genocide in West Papua, but active involvement through its Densus 88 anti-terror unit, which many Papuans accuse of not just targeting Islamic militants, but Papuan nationalists too.

At a time when Canberra is battling jihadis in the Middle East and the Philippines, it appears unconcerned by jihadi activity and Indonesian military collusion right on its doorstep, or a possible Prabowo government elected next year, backed by Islamist groups.

Those of us who witnessed Indonesia's bloody use of proxy militias in East Timor have watched the same apparatus move to West Papua, with the same man - General Wiranto - still in charge.

It wasnt always like this.

There was a time when the Menzies government in Australia supported Dutch plans for West Papuan independence throughout the 1950s and early 60s until the US twisted arms to accept Indonesia control because of cold war politics.

There was a time when the Australian Defence Force (ADF) worked with the PNGDF to actively secure its 800km border with Indonesia.

Today the border is wide open and sources within PNGDF intelligence continue to complain that the Indonesian military routinely violate PNG sovereignty with their patrols, up to a dozen times per year, sometimes even moving the border marking pegs.

How can Australia be perceived as PNG's security guarantor when it doesn't even help them secure their primary border, especially with the growing threat of jihadi infiltration? Why has the AFP been given priority over the ADF in terms of security across Melanesia?

With no more engineering battalions or ADF army advisors present in camp, China has walked right in. The last ADF army advisor to Vanuatu, Major Paul Prickett, left 10 years ago and wasnt replaced.

Many years ago I spent some time with Dick Hagen, a legendary coffee plantation manager in the highlands of PNG, who has been there since the 1950s.

He told me how in the 1960s and 70s, he and many Australians living in PNG were given basic military training so they could be a first response "militia" should the Indonesians come over the border and invade PNG.

For decades the PNG-Indonesia border was regarded as Australias real frontline. It was another potential Kokoda which didnt happen, but Indonesia has found other ways to extend its reach.

Mohammed Hatta, one of the founding fathers of Indonesia, warned his nation against taking West Papua, saying Indonesia might not stop until it got to Fiji. That is now coming to pass. But ironically, it is China that will likely contain Indonesia's expansion in the region, not Australia.

I have the sense that some sort of deal was struck between Canberra and Jakarta back in the 1970s; that Australia would turn a blind eye to everything west of the border while Indonesia would not interfere in PNG and anything east of the border.

Australia has naively kept its part of the deal while Indonesia clearly has not. As a result, in the social media age, when all the Pacific is now aware of climate change and what Indonesia continues to do in West Papua and beyond with tacit Australian support, Australia and the US are losing the moral - and actual - leadership of the region.

China is the result.

But it is worth remembering that Australia does much to support Melanesia in other important areas, has been a generous neighbour and will always be there for the islands in tough times.

To the keyboard warriors on social media always blaming Australia for what has happened in West Papua, they would do well to understand the history; that it was US and UN decisions that sealed West Papuas fate. Australia and Holland initially supported their independence.

Why would Australia again risk war with Indonesia over West Papua when Melanesians themselves have not united to bring the West Papuans fully into their family? It was the MSG which let the wolf into their house, not Australia.

As someone who was there in the first weeks of East Timors bloody liberation, amidst the burning buildings and bodies, it was an Australian-led coalition which secured East Timor. I remember wondering where are the Melanesian forces to assist and show solidarity? No PNGDF, no VMF or Fijian forces during the critical phase.

Australia must now find a strategic balance among its frenemies Indonesia and China. That begins with deeper engagement with the islands, leadership on climate change and working with Melanesian leaders to address their security concerns as much as Australias.

Only by listening and closer co-operation with Melanesian leaders can Australia assist with a robust defence of the Melanesian archipelago from Timor to Fiji and be seen as Melanesias security partner of choice.

Ben Bohane is a photojournalist and TV producer based in Vanuatu who has specialised in reporting war and religion for nearly 30 years across Asia and the Pacific
Guwahati : Police had arrested a most wanted rhino poacher in Assams Karbi Anglong district on Thursday.





According to the reports, based on intelligence input, the Nagaon district police and Special Task Force (STF) had jointly lauched operation Natun Danga area under Anjukpani police station in the hill district and arrested the rhino poacher.





The arrested poacher was identified as 45-year-old Parci Rongfar and security personnel had recovered one point 315 rifle, 18 rounds live ammunition, one silencer and other items in possession from him.





Officer-in-Charge of Jakhalabandha police station, Deben Bora said that, based on intelligence input, police and STF personnel had arrested the rhino poacher.





He and some other persons are planning to kill rhino inside the Kaziranga National Park, the Assam cop said.





The poacher was involved in several rhino killing incidents in the Kaziranga National Park in past times.




Hidden writing on fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls has been discovered by researchers using advanced imaging technology originally developed for NASA.

The pieces of manuscript, many of which appear blank to the naked eye, are being analysed for the first time since they were unearthed by archaeologists in the 1950s.

One fragment had letters written in an ancient Hebrew script which could belong to an unknown text.

Others have been matched to the books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus, a section of the Great Psalms Scroll containing Psalm 147, and a text in the Temple Scroll giving instructions for how to conduct services.

The fragments, roughly around 1.5cm by 1cm in size, were presented during an international conference held in Jerusalem to mark the 70th anniversary of the discovery of the scrolls.

Usually scholars are dealing with Dead Sea Scrolls materials after theyve been cleaned and treated. These fragments were never cleaned and treated, said Oren Ableman, a researcher at the Dead Sea Scrolls Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Infrared imaging reveals a fragment of Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Old Testament (Israel Antiquity Authority)

Using an infrared microscope connected to a computer, he sifted through a box of fragments recovered from Cave 11 in 1956.

With the very first fragment, I saw a letter and knew there was something there. That was the initial moment of excitement, Mr Ableman said.

The fragments were then photographed using multispectral imaging as part of the decade-long project to digitise the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Fragments of Dead Sea Scroll which have been stored in cigar boxes since the 1950s (Gali Tibbon/AFP/Getty Images) (GALI TIBBON/AFP/Getty Images)

Mr Ableman believes one piece with paleo-Hebrew writing dates back to the late Second Temple period.

"What was exciting about this particular fragment is that I could tell that the handwriting was not identical to other fragments of this type of script," he said.

"That leads me to believe we are dealing with a manuscript that we didn't know about."

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 Dead Sea Scrolls were first discovered by Bedouin shepherds in 1946 in caves at Wadi Qumran in the West Bank.

In February last year archaeologists discovered a new cave containing potter, broken scroll storage jars and one blank parchment.
Afghan interpreters who served for the British army are still threatened with deportation despite a suggestion by the government that they could remain in the UK.

Home secretary Sajid Javid announced that Afghan interpreters who worked with British troops fighting the Taliban would be allowed to stay in the UK for free following outrage over fees to apply for indefinite right to remain.

But the policy will only apply to those who arrived in the UK on a specific five-year visa scheme in 2012, which not all interpreters were eligible for.

Hafizzulah Husseinkhel, who was issued a deportation notice in December but had his removal halted by the High Court after The Independent highlighted his plight, is currently still in limbo waiting for the Home Office to confirm whether he can stay.

The 27-year-old, who served on the front line for the British army between 2010 and 2012, fled Afghanistan in 2014 after receiving death threats from the Taliban, and arrived in the UK a year later. His father was shot in the leg when he refused to reveal his whereabouts.

But he was not eligible for a resettlement package offered by the Ministry of Defence because it was available only to staff who were in post on 19 December last year  shortly after Mr Husseinkhel left the post.

He is among a number of Afghan interpreters who subsequently made their own way to the UK, but have had their asylum claims refused by the Home Office.

Speaking to The Independent following Mr Javids announcement, Mr Husseinkhel said: Its great news for some interpreters, but it doesnt apply to me.

I dont know the future. I dont know whats going to happen tomorrow. It feels like I dont belong anywhere. Its mental torture. I feel mentally detained. I have to report all the time, every month. Im not able to work.

Recommended High Court halts deportation of Afghan man who worked with UK Army

The British army have helped me a lot, but the Home Office ignores what Ive done for this country, the fact that Ive served alongside the British troops on the front line. Im being treated like a criminal here.

Mr Husseinkhel was placed in an immigration detention centre the day he arrived in the UK, and has spent a total of more than two months detained since his arrival. He said his life would be at risk if he were to return to Afghanistan.

Id be afraid for my life. Thats why I left my country. They see me as a traitor, a spy. No one would accept me. It feels like I have no right to be anywhere, he said.

Members of the army expressed outrage over his removal threat last year, praising him for making an outstanding contribution for the force and risking his life on the front line in and around Helmand Province.

Former troop leader William Locke, who served for five months in Afghanistan alongside Mr Husseinkhel, previously told The Independent: The guy worked for us and put his life on the line for us for some years, and I think he deserves better treatment.

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. 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It seems ridiculous that someone whos done so much to help us and to save British lives isnt allowed to settle in our country.

Lewis Kett of Duncan Lewis Solicitors, who has represented a number of Afghan interpreters who have been denied asylum in the UK, told The Independent that while the home secretarys announcement was welcome, there were still many battling in the UK to be recognised as refugees.

If the UK government is serious about protecting all those who put their lives on the line for British troops, it should be granting refuge to those still fighting their cases in the UK, he added.

A Home Office spokesperson said: We recognise that local Afghan interpreters worked in dangerous and challenging situations and the UK has a proud history of granting asylum to those in need of protection.

All claims are considered on their individual merits and Mr Husseinkhels case is currently being looked at as a priority.
UK authorities have ordered consulting firm Cambridge Analytica to hand over all the personal information it has on an American professor or face prosecution.

Coming in the wake of a roiling controversy over online privacy that has led Cambridge Analytica to cease operations, the case could spur criminal penalties and have broad privacy implications.

In January of 2017, more than a year before it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica had garnered information encompassing up to 87 million Facebook users, Professor David Carroll asked the consulting firm to explain what days it had gathered on him.

Dissatisfied with the companys response, Mr Carroll appealed to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO). He believed Cambridge Analytica had not shared the entirety of its data on him and that it had not explained how it accumulated the information it had.

After the company refused to cooperate, according to the ICO, regulators served an enforcement notice to Cambridge Analyticas parent company SCL Elections Ltd. Failure to comply could result in an unlimited fine, the ICO said.

The company has consistently refused to co-operate with our investigation into this case and has refused to answer our specific enquiries in relation to the complainants personal data  what they had, where they got it from and on what legal basis they held it, information commissioner Elizabeth Denham said in a statement.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. 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In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. 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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. 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Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The right to request personal data that an organisation holds about you is a cornerstone right in data protection law and it is important that Professor Carroll, and other members of the public, understand what personal data Cambridge Analytica held and how they analysed it, Ms Denham added.

Mr Carroll told the Guardian that he hoped the order would solve a lot of mysteries about what the company did with data and where it got it from.

According to reports later corroborated by Facebook, the data was funnelled to Cambridge Analytica by a researcher named Aleksandr Kogan, who had drawn the personal information both of people who used a survey app and of their friends. Facebook has accused Cambridge Analytica of failing to destroy the information, a charge Cambridge denies.

Cambridge Analytica went on to work for Donald Trumps presidential campaign. While the company has said it did not used any disputed data to try and target appeals to voters, the connection - along with allegations, denied by the company, that it worked with pro-Brexit entities - have put a spotlight on the role of personal data in modern politics.

 Cambridge Analytica whistleblower: If we allow any amount of cheating in a democratic election, the problem will snowball

Last week Cambridge Analytica announced that it would file for bankruptcy, blaming a siege of media coverage that had driven away almost all of its customers. Ms Denham, the information commissioner, said that would not prevent the company from potentially facing criminal penalties.

Whether or not the people behind the company decide to fold their operation, a continued refusal to engage with the ICO will potentially breach an Enforcement Notice and that then becomes a criminal matter, she said.
Rebel Tory MPs believe they now have sufficient support to force Theresa May into effectively keeping the UK in the single market.

Conservatives have told The Independent there would be enough of their partys MPs to lock in full single market access after Brexit, as long as Labour also backs it.

But in a move set to enrage Labour politicians, Jeremy Corbyns front bench will on Tuesday refuse support for just such a proposal in the Lords  preventing it from being voted on in the Commons.

Recommended Bank of America moving 125 UK jobs to Ireland because of Brexit

Mr Corbyn is now being warned he risks a major internal row and must explain to pro-EU party members why he is throwing away a clear opportunity to defeat Ms Mays plans to abandon the single market.

It follows reports that Tory chief whip Julian Smith has already told the prime minister she lacks numbers in the Commons to defeat rebel amendments aimed at keeping the UK in an EU customs union.

Tory rebels, who joined forces with Labour to shift the government towards closer customs relations with Europe, will now push Ms May towards remaining inside the European Economic Area (EEA) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)  which would deliver full single market access.

They say up to 15 Conservative backbenchers are now certain it is the best way to ensure the UKs economic strength, while also staying true to the 2016 referendum result.

 Theresa May: 'We're leaving the single market... in certain ways access will be different to what it is now'

One senior Conservative backbencher told The Independent: Yes, we have the numbers now, but it will depend on exactly how any particular amendment is phrased.

Its more difficult than passing a customs union amendment, because the [Conservative] manifesto was clear about leaving the single market.

But undoubtedly there are a group of Conservative MPs, now larger than the one who voted for similar amendments in the past, who have concluded maybe it is a way for us to go.

A vote designed to commit the government to the EEA/EFTA path was lost in December in the Commons, but MPs say things have now changed.

Another Conservative rebel told The Independent: We have more numbers for this than we had at the defeat in December.

There are a gang of people who have started saying they are keen on it, a group, up to 15 of us, who think this may well be a good way out.

 Keir Starmer: Brexit deal means UK will be tied to single market 'in perpetuity'

Former chancellor Ken Clarke backed the single market in the December vote along with Anna Soubry MP, while other known rebels such as Nicky Morgan, Antoinette Sandbach, Jeremy Lefroy, Paul Masterton and Dominic Grieve have all spoken in debates in favour of the EEA/EFTA route since.

Others who have made supportive comments for the option include Caroline Spelman, Heidi Allen, James Cartlidge, Kevin Hollinrake and John Stevenson. Rebels also say two cabinet members are sympathetic to the idea.

The EEA/EFTA route would also allow the government to escape the European Courts jurisdiction, but would mean the UK having, to a large extent, to accept the EUs four freedoms.

But Tory rebels argue Britain would have more power than it currently does to impose restrictions on immigration  a driving motivation behind the Leave vote.

 Barnier: 'the single market cannot be a la carte'

Former Conservative minister Stephen Hammond told The Independent: It allows you to have some conversations over new regulation, in that you are consulted and are part of the process before it comes in, though its still not co-determination, of course.

But the other reason I think its a good idea, is that if you look at the EEA terms of reference, it is clear there is more leeway to impose restrictions on freedom of movement.

They want him to put forward the case for remaining in a strong relationship with Europe. He has got to stand up and represent them Labour peer Waheed Alli on Jeremy Corbyn

The next opportunity to push the government down the EEA/EFTA route comes on Tuesday, when there will be a vote on an amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill tabled in the Lords by Labour peer Waheed Alli.

Remain-backing Labour MPs want the amendment passed in the Lords, so they can then team up with Tory rebel MPs in the Commons and prevent the government overturning it  in the same way they look set to with other Brexit amendments.

But a Labour front bench source in the Lords confirmed the Alli amendment would not have the partys official support, saying: Its not going to go through. Its not going to the Commons.

Brexit so far: in pictures Show all 53 1 /53 Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit campaign Boris Johnson led the VoteLeave campaign PA Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit campaign Boris Johnson MP, Labour MP Gisela Stuart and UKIP MP Douglas Carswell address the people of Stafford in Market Square during the Vote Leave Brexit Battle Bus tour on 17 May 2016. Their lead line on the tour was: We send the EU 350 million a week, let's fund our NHS instead. Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Voting day A man shelters from the rain as he arrives at a polling station in London on 23 June 2016. Millions of Britons voted in the referendum on whether to stay in or leave the European Union AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Referendum results Leader of Ukip, Nigel Farage, reacts at the Leave EU referendum party at Millbank Tower in central London as results indicated that it was likely the UK would leave the European Union AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Protesting the result A young couple painted as EU flags and a man with a sign reading Im not leaving protest outside Downing Street against the voters decision to leave the EU on 24 June 2016 Getty Brexit so far: in pictures David Cameron resigns British Prime Minister David Cameron resigns on the steps of 10 Downing Street on 24 June 2016 after the results of the EU referendum were declared and the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Theresa May Becomes the new Conservative Party leader Theresa May receives a kiss from her husband Philip, after becoming the new Conservative Party leader on 11 July 2016. May became Prime Minister two days later and although she voted to remain in the referendum was keen to lead Britains Brexit talks after her only rival in the race to succeed David Cameron pulled out unexpectedly. May was left as the only contender standing after the withdrawal from the leadership race of Andrea Leadsom, who faced criticism for suggesting she was more qualified to be prime minister because she had children AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Lancaster House keynote speech on Brexit British Prime Minister Theresa May delivers her keynote speech on Brexit at Lancaster House in London on 17 January 2017. Where she spoke about her offer to introduce a transition period after the UK formally leaves the European Union in March 2019. Despite repeating the pro-Brexit mantra of no deal is better than a bad deal, the Prime Minister claimed she wanted a tone of trust between the negotiators and said Britain was leaving the EU but not Europe. She said there should be a clear double lock needed for the transitional period to make sure businesses had time to prepare for changes to their trading relationships with the EU Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Triggering of Article 50 British Prime Minister Theresa May in the cabinet, sitting below a painting of Britain's first Prime Minister Robert Walpole, signs the official letter to European Council President Donald Tusk invoking Article 50 and the United Kingdom's intention to leave the EU on 29 March 2017 Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Gibraltar nonsense Tensions have risen over Brexit negotiations for the Rock of Gibraltar. The European Council has said Gibraltar would be included in a trade deal between London and Brussels only with the agreement of Spain. While former Conservative leader Michael Howard claimed that Theresa May would be prepared to go to war to protect the territory. Spain's foreign minister stepped in only to assert that there was no need for the dispute Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Shock snap election Soon after triggering Article 50, Theresa May called on 18 April 2017 for a snap general election. The election would be on 8 June and it came as a shock move to many, with her reasoning to try to bolster her position before tough talks on leaving the EU AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Dissolution of Parliament for General Election Campaign Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement in Downing Street after returning from Buckingham Palace on 3 May 2017. The Prime Minister visited the Queen to ask for the dissolution of Parliament signalling the official start to the general election campaign Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Conservatives lose parliamentary majority An arrangement of British daily newspapers showing front page stories about the exit poll results of the snap general election. British Prime Minister Theresa May faced pressure to resign on 9 June 2017 after losing her parliamentary majority, plunging the country into uncertainty as Brexit talks loomed. The pound fell sharply amid fears the Conservative leader would be unable to form a government AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Labour gains Britains opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn gives a tumbs up as he arrives at Labour headquarters in central London on 9 June 2017 after the snap general election results showed a hung parliament with Labour gains and the Conservatives losing their majority AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit negotiations begin Brexit Minister David Davis and European Commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations Michel Barnier address a press conference at the end of the first day of Brexit negotiations in Brussels on 19 June 2017 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures May speaks in Florence British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks on 22 September 2017, in Florence. May sought to unlock Brexit talks after Brussels demanded more clarity on the crunch issues of budget payments and EU citizens' rights AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU council summit  insufficient progress German Chancellor Angela Merkel joins other EU leaders for a breakfast meeting during an EU summit in Brussels on 20 October 2017. The EU spoke about Brexit and announced that insufficient progress had been made AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures DUP derails settlement on the withdrawal part of Brexit DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds walks off after speaking to members of the media as a protester holding flags shouts after him outside the Houses of Parliament on 5 December 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May was forced to pull out of a deal with Brussels after the DUP said it would not accept terms which see Northern Ireland treated differently from the rest of the UK Getty Brexit so far: in pictures May suffers defeat over EU (Withdrawal) Bill Theresa May suffers defeat in parliament over EU (Withdrawal) Bill on 13 December 2017. The Government was defeated by Conservative rebels and Labour MPs in a vote on its key piece of Brexit legislation. MPs amended the EU (Withdrawal) Bill against Theresa May's will, guaranteeing Parliament a meaningful vote on any Brexit deal she agrees with Brussels. Ms May's whips applied pressure on Conservative rebels who remained defiant in the Commons throughout the day and in the end the Government was defeated by 309 votes to 305 Brexit so far: in pictures EU council summit  sufficient progress Britain's Prime minister Theresa May arrives to attend the first day of a European union summit in Brussels on 14 December 2017. European leaders discussed Brexit and announced there was finally sufficient progress at the end of the two days AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures The game moves to transition Brexit Secretary David Davis gives evidence on developments in European Union divorce talks to the Commons Exiting the EU Committee in Portcullis House, London, on 24 January 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures Trade deal is what May wants French President Emmanuel Macron gestures to Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May after they hold a press conference at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, on 18 January 2018. May and Macron agreed a new border security deal, through which the UK will pay more to France to stop migrants trying to reach British shores on 18 January 2018 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Transition period agreed The UK and EU agree terms for Brexit transition period on 19 March, 2018 Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures No agreement on Irish border The EU and UK however failed to reach an agreement on the Irish border during the successful talks on other Brexit issues AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU attacks Mays fantasy strategy For months after the March deal is struck there is little significant progress in talks. One senior EU official tears into Britains fantasy negotiating strategy and accuses Theresa May of not even having a position on a variety of important issue Getty Brexit so far: in pictures UK releases Ireland plan Britain releases a new customs plan to solve the Northern Ireland border but Michel Barnier says it leaves unanswered questions and would not prevent a hard border EbS Brexit so far: in pictures Chequers plan agreed The cabinet agrees on a plan known as the "Chequers deal" on July 6 2018. The plan seeks regulatory alignment on goods and food, divergence on services, freedom from the European Courts of Justice and an end to free movement. Many were surprised that the hard Brexiteers of the cabinet would agree to this plan PA Brexit so far: in pictures Chequers plan sparks resignations Brexit Secretary David Davis and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and numerous ministers resign in the days following the Chequers agreement Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Davis out, Raab in On 9 July, Dominic Raab replaces David Davis as Brexit Secretary. Raab is a keen Brexiteer and was a housing minister before taking over from Davis Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Barnier's "deal like no other" EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier claims on August 29 2018 that they are prepared to offer Britain a trade deal like no other, though he stressed that they will not divide or change the single market to accommodate Britain AP Brexit so far: in pictures "My deal or no deal" In an interview on Panorama on September 17, the Prime Minister insists that any Brexit deal will be offered to the EU on her terms. She asserts this amongst continued attacks on her approach to Brexit by Boris Johnson and the European Research Group, headed by Jacob Rees Mogg BBC/Jeff Overs Brexit so far: in pictures EU leaders reject Chequers Quite the blow was dealt to the Prime Minister at a EU leaders summit in Salzburg on September 20. European Council President Donald Tusk stated that the Chequers deal "will not work" Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures May demands respect Following the rejection of her Chequers plan the day before, the Prime Minister voiced her anger that the EU had dismissed it without offering an alternative. She stated that throughout this process, I have treated the EU with nothing but respect. The UK expects the same. A good relationship at the end of this process depends on it." Getty Brexit so far: in pictures People's Vote march As the People's Vote campaign and The Independent's Final Say campaign gain traction, 700,000 people turn out in London to demand a final say on the UK's Brexit deal on October 20 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures More resignations As the Prime Minister settles on a Brexit deal, Brexit secretary Dominic Raab resigns along with Work and Pensions secretary Esther McVey and many other ministers Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Final Say petitions delivered to Downing Street People's Vote supporting MPs Chukka Umunna, Justine Greening and Caroline Lucas and The Independent editor Christian Broughton deliver over a million signatures in favour of a People's Vote to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street on December 3 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures May delays vote On December 10, the Prime Minister delayed the vote on her Brexit deal as it was near certain not to pass through the Commons due to Tory rebels and lack of DUP support AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures No confidence motion Tory MPs triggered a confidence vote in the Prime Minister on December 12. She won by 200 votes to 117 Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Commons rejects the deal Following the delay, the Prime Minister's deal was rejected in the Commons by a historic 230 votes AFP Brexit so far: in pictures Corbyn tables a no confidence motion Following the rejection of the Prime Minister's deal, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn tabled a motion of no confidence in the government, which the government won by a margin of 19 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Plan B The Prime Minister won the support of the commons to return to Brussels to renegotiate the backstop on January 29. In the same sitting, MPs also voted against a no-deal Brexit in a non-legally binding motion PA Brexit so far: in pictures EU council president savages Brexit campaigners who failed to plan for departure: Special place in hell There is a special place in hell for pro-Brexit campaigners who demanded Britain leave the EU without explaining how it should happen, Donald Tusk has said. The European Council president launched the scathing attack as he accused anti-EU campaigners of pushing for Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely. Mr Tusk also dismissed suggestions that the EU could reopen negotiations over the controversial Northern Ireland backstop, dealing a blow to Theresa Mays hopes of securing fresh concessions as she tries to get her exit deal through parliament. Speaking in Brussels alongside Irish taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Mr Tusk said: Ive been wondering what a special place in hell looks like for people who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely. He also tweeted the accusation moments later Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU and UK announce talks to restart after Theresa May visits Brussels Both have agreed to restart Brexit talks to find a way through the deadlock in Westminster, following a visit by Theresa May to Brussels. In a joint statement the British government and European Commission said Ms May had had a robust but constructive meeting with president Jean-Claude Juncker, and that the pair would meet again before the end of the month. But the EU again refused to reopen the withdrawal agreement and its controversial backstop  with any negotiations expected to focus on the future relationship between the UK and EU instead Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit strategy lost MPs voted down May's Brext plans, with a majority of 45. The prime minister did not appear in parliament to see another defeat PA Brexit so far: in pictures Labour and Conservative MPs resign and create the Independent Group Back row of Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker, Chuka Umunna and Mike Gapes, middle row of Angela Smith, Luciana Berger and Ann Coffey and front row of Sarah Wollaston, Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Joan Ryan PA Brexit so far: in pictures Non-biding votes on amendments to Brexit motion On February 27 he house held a series of votes, unanimously calling for the UK and EU to guarantee citizens rights in a no-deal scenario AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Attorney General publishes legal advice A hammer blow for May as Geoffrey Cox said her renegotiated deal can still leave UK in backstop against its will. Mr Cox did say the prime ministers efforts had reduced the risk of the UK being trapped in the backstop indefinitely. MPs went on to vote against her deal by 391 to 242 UK Parliament/PA Brexit so far: in pictures No-deal off the table MPs rejected a no-deal Brexit by 43 votes on March 13, with cabinet ministers rebelling in another humiliating defeat for Theresa May. A day later they voted in favour of the prime minister seeking an extension to Article 50 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures House speaker bans May from third Commons vote on same Brexit deal John Bercow sensationally told Theresa May he would stop her making another attempt to pass her Brexit deal unless she has secured changes. The Speaker said a further meaningful vote would be ruled out of order if the motion was the same or substantially the same  under an ancient convention to stop the government bullying parliament on issues MPs have rejected Parliament Live Brexit so far: in pictures May writes to Tusk The prime minister wrote to Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, to ask for a three-month extension to give her more time to try to get her deal through parliament. However the European Commission advises the EU27 should offer a short extension to May 23 or a longer one meaning the UK would participate in European elections 10 Downing Street/AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures European Council summit Theresa Mays request to extend triggering Article 50 until the end of June was rejected by the EU, and instead offered a shorter time frame. She accepted the offer of a delay until May 22 if her withdrawal deal is approved by Parliament. If MPs rejected it for a third time, the EU said Britain must propose a new plan by April 12. Ms May said she will not support a long delay because it would mean Britain participating in elections for the European Parliament Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brussels confirms preparations for a no-deal Brexit are completed They warned that it is increasingly likely the UK will crash out. In a statement the European Commission (EC) said preparedness and contingency work, which the EC has been conducting since December 2017, was now finished. The announcement came days after EU leaders agreed to a request by Theresa May to extend the UKs Brexit date AFP Brexit so far: in pictures May resigns Reuters

A Commons frontbench Labour source added: We dont believe the EEA/EFTA model is the right one to pursue.

It was right 25 years ago, its right for Norway, but the UK is a different country, a different economy and weve never been satisfied thats the right approach.

But entrepreneur Lord Alli said that the Labour front benchs approach doesnt make sense, arguing it is essential for a UK economy heavily reliant on services to be in the EEA, as well as a customs union for goods.

He pointed out that his proposals are backed by founder of Cobra Beer Lord Bilimoria, a crossbench peer, and Tory peers Baroness Verma and Baroness McGregor-Smith, ex-CEO of Mitie Group, adding: We come from a business background.

 House of Lords defeat Government on EU customs union withdrawal bill

The peer went on: The front bench of both the Labour and Tory parties are united by the fact that they cant make clear decisions on the EU, because they dont want to upset the political balance of their rank and file.

But Jeremy Corbyn needs to take a decision about our position on Europe. The people that support Labour are pro-European and, make no mistake, when you throw light on his position people are going to see that he still needs to come to the right place.

They want him to put forward the case for remaining in a strong relationship with Europe. He has got to stand up and represent them.

One Labour MP who also wants the partys leadership to back Allis proposals, said: If they dont there will be a big row. Labour peers will be under heavy pressure to rebel.

The leadership needs to be honest with members that it is throwing away a clear opportunity to defeat the governments Brexit plans and ensure full benefits of the single market.

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Show all 8 1 /8 The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Post-Brexit immigration workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns. PA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Customs union A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that Brexit means Brexit and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UKs economic outlook become clearer. Alamy The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Northern Ireland-Irish border Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Partys coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a specific solution would need to be found. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Transition period Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Rights of EU citizens living the UK The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreement (with the EU) Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreements (internationally) The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Financial services Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period. Getty

If Lord Allis amendments are defeated on Tuesday and never make it to the Commons, then Tory rebels say they are preparing their own amendments to table to other pieces of legislation at a later stage.

A government spokesperson said: The referendum was a vote to take control of our borders, laws and money. Ongoing participation in the EEA would mean having to implement new EU legislation automatically and in its entirety without having a say on how it is formulated  and it would also mean continued free movement.

As the prime minister has repeatedly made clear, we are pursuing a bespoke deal for the UK, which respects the outcome of the referendum. We are negotiating to deliver a bold and comprehensive future economic partnership  with the greatest possible tariff- and barrier-free trade with our European neighbours.
Donald Trumps claims that knife violence left a London hospital looking like a war zone have been branded a disgrace by MPs.

The US president made the comments at a pro-gun rally, where he sought to justify gun ownership by comparing his own countrys record to a surge in knife crime in London at the start of the year.

Opponents accused him of sensationalising the issue in his speech to the National Rifle Association (NRA), where he said an unnamed London hospital was like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds with blood all over the floors.

The row comes ahead of Mr Trumps official visit to the UK in July, which was postponed earlier this year amid fears over large-scale protests over the presidents divisive agenda.

Speaking at the NRA convention in Dallas, Texas: I recently read a story that in London, which has unbelievably tough gun laws, a once very prestigious hospital right in the middle is like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds.

Yes thats right, they dont have guns, they have knives. And instead theres blood all over the floors of this hospital. They say its as bad as a military war zone hospital.

While it is unclear what story Mr Trump was referring to, London surgeon Martin Griffiths told the BBC last month that some of his military colleagues had compared the levels of carnage they experienced at the Royal London Hospital to their time at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan.

Labour MP Sarah Jones, who chairs the all party parliamentary group on knife crime, posted on Twitter: What a disgrace. Comparing apples and pears.

Do we have a problem in the UK with rising knife crime? Yes we do.

Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice  which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters

Is is any way comparable to off-the-scale US gun violence? No, of course not. He should be ashamed.

Professor Karim Brohi, a suergeon and director of Londons major trauma network, also issued a statement describing the claims as ridiculous.

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney, tweeted: Hardly see how violent crime in London justifies the licensing of guns in the US.

Last month a leaked Home Office doc stated that it was Tory police cuts that likely contributed to a rise in serious violent crime.

Scotland Yard has launched 55 investigations into suspected murders this year, of which at least 35 victims were stabbed to death.

The government faced questions over the role of police cuts in the surge in violent crime, as official figures show the number of officers has fallen by 20,000 since 2010.

Sutton and Cheam MP Paul Scully, Tory vice chair for London, told The Independent: Knife crime is a serious issue and it is far too important to sensationalise.

There is no excuse for bringing it into a debate about gun crime.

Its very unhelpful. It sensationalises an issue which costs lives and ruins families.

Recommended Knife crime in England and Wales increases by largest margin ever

Liberal Democrat former cabinet minister Sir Ed Davey called on Theresa May to explain the importance of the UKs strict gun laws in reducing violent crime.

London has seen a disturbing rise in knife and gun crime but Donald Trumps remarks are nevertheless ridiculous, the Kingston and Surbiton MP told The Independent.

To defend Americas shocking gun laws by revealing his ignorance of Britain should alarm even his apologists in the Conservative Party.

London mayor Sadiq Khan declined to comment on Mr Trumps latest intervention, which comes after the pair publicly clashed over the terror attack in London Bridge last year.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 1 October 2021 A driver talks to members of the media after passing his HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) driving test at National Driving Centre in Croydon, south London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 30 September 2021 The centrepiece One Thousand Springs by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota is seen ahead of the beginning of the Japan Festival, a celebration of the countrys plants, art and culture running from 2-31 October, at Kew Gardens in London PA UK news in pictures 29 September 2021 The family of Betty Campbell unveil the bronze sculpture of her during the unveiling of the statue in Central Square, Cardiff, of Betty Campbell, Wales' first black headteacher PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA

The president berated Mr Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed by the armed police on the streets, but the mayor hit back, saying he was too busy to deal with Mr Trumps ill-informed comments.

Mr Trump will make his long-awaited working visit to the UK on 13 July, and the US ambassador Woody Johnson that demonstrations would not deter the thick-skinned president from coming to London.

Peers are planning a bid to allow him to address parliament from the Royal Gallery after he was banned from speaking in the Commons by the speaker, John Bercow, The Independent recently revealed.
Donald Trump should be permitted to address parliament on his long-delayed visit to the UK, Jacob Rees-Mogg has said.

The prominent Tory backbencher said the government must roll out the reddest of red carpets for the US presidents official trip, including allowing him to speak in the Palace of Westminster if he wishes  despite a ban from Commons speaker John Bercow.

Peers are considering allowing Mr Trump to follow in the footsteps of Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton by making a speech from the Royal Gallery on his trip to the UK in July, The Independent recently revealed.

In a wide-ranging interview with Sky News, the Eurosceptic MP also fired off a warning to Theresa May to stick to her position on taking the UK out of the customs union amid a cabinet deadlock over her Brexit approach.

Mr Rees-Moggs warm words were recorded before Mr Trump prompted a furious backlash by seeking to justify gun ownership with claims that knife violence in London left one hospital looking like a war zone.

The North East Somerset MP said: Our relationship with the United States is our most important foreign relationship and whoever the president of the United States is, it is in our interest to treat him with the greatest respect and courtesy.

And if that is what Mr Trump wants to do, yes of course it would be sensible to lay out the reddest of red carpets for him.

He is a major ally. We have so many interests in common.

After months of speculation, Downing Street confirmed that Mr Trump will make his long-awaited working visit on 13 July.

US ambassador Woody Johnson said the prospect of large-scale demonstrations would not deter the thick-skinned president from coming to London, after an earlier visit was scrapped amid concerns over huge protests.

Mr Rees-Mogg, who chairs the powerful European Research Group (ERG) of Tory Brexiteers, also pressed the prime minister to stick to her Brexit red lines by leaving the European customs union, rather than pursuing a customs partnership put forward by officials.

The ERG wrote to Ms May to oppose to the plan  under which the UK would collect import tariffs on behalf of the EU  and Mr Rees-Mogg has described the proposals as completely cretinous.

Ms Mays Brexit war cabinet is split down the middle over which approach to take.

Asked about the row, Mr Rees-Mogg said: I trust the prime minister. She has said on so many occasions that she will take us out of the customs union.

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Show all 8 1 /8 The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Post-Brexit immigration workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns. PA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Customs union A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that Brexit means Brexit and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UKs economic outlook become clearer. Alamy The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Northern Ireland-Irish border Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Partys coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a specific solution would need to be found. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Transition period Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Rights of EU citizens living the UK The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreement (with the EU) Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreements (internationally) The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Financial services Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period. Getty

It was in the Conservative Party manifesto. That is the platform on which this country is being governed.

It is bizarre to think that she would retreat from that promise.

Mr Rees-Mogg also rebuffed questions about wanting to be prime minister, warning his Tory colleagues against rebelling.

My general view is that the Conservative Party, when it does that sort of thing, when it has those periodic fits, causes itself more problems than solutions, he said.
A former top parliamentary official has compared John Bercow to disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, as the Commons speaker faces growing pressure over bullying allegations.

David Leakey, who retired as Black Rod last year, said Mr Bercow was not altogether a bad speaker in the same way that Harvey Weinstein is not altogether a bad film mogul in his latest intervention against his former colleague.

Pressure is mounting on Mr Bercow to stand down from his post after he was accused of bullying two senior aides, while Mr Leakey has previously said that staff were terrified by Mr Bercows explosive and intemperate behaviour.

The speaker denies all claims of bullying made against him.

Mr Leakey told LBC: Im not calling for him to step down, the only people who can get him to step down are the members of the House [of Commons].

Mr Bercow is not an altogether bad speaker. Harvey Weinstein was not altogether a bad film mogul  he produced some fantastic films, ran a fantastic film studio.

But he stepped over the line and had to step down.

Mr Leakey, whose role gave him responsibility for maintaining order in the House of Lords, also compared Mr Bercow to former cabinet minister Sir Michael Fallon, who was forced to resign at the height of the Westminster sexual harassment scandal over allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

Mr Leakey said: Michael Fallon was not a bad secretary of state, he did a really good job, he was very, very committed and did a really good job, people acknowledged that.

But he breached the code, he said: I have not lived up to the expectations of the people I serve ... he stepped down.

If theres one rule for people in one public high office but not for Bercow  there need to be checks and balances on people who hold high office, and parliament has got to sort out the check and balance.

It comes after Angus Sinclair, a former private secretary to Mr Bercow, claimed the speaker tried undermine him through mimicry, verbal abuse and angry outbursts  once allegedly smashing a mobile phone on his desk in a fit of anger.

The senior official  who worked for former Commons speaker Michael Martin until Mr Bercow took up the post in 2009  said he was given compulsory early retirement in 2010, with an 86,250 payoff preventing him from making complaints about his treatment in the House.

His successor Kate Emms also claimed to have been bullied by Mr Bercow. Colleagues said she had been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.

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

An inquiry into bullying by MPs is being led by Dame Laura Cox QC. However, it will not consider historical cases.

A spokesman said: Mr Speaker refutes all the allegations levelled by Mr Leakey.

John Bercow and David Leakey are two very different people with very different backgrounds, perspectives and ideas. They had fundamental disagreements in 2011 and 2012, but interacted adequately after that.
A former Conservative MP who was falsely accused of child sex abuse is suing Scotland Yard and his accuser for more than 1m.

Harvey Proctor, 71, has lodged a High Court claim against the Metropolitan Police and the man, identified only as Nick, who sparked the Westminster sex abuse scandal by claiming he had been raped and abused by a VIP paedophile ring.

Operation Midland was launched in 2014 into historic allegations of child murder, rape and torture by senior figures in politics, the army and the security forces in the 1970s and 1980s  based largely on Nicks allegations.

Recommended Proctor calls for resignations at Met over historic sex abuse inquiry

However, the 2.5m investigation collapsed without any arrests and Nick has since appeared in court charged with possession of indecent images of children.

Mr Proctor said the accusations and investigation have caused him to lose his home, employment, reputation and other consequential losses including personal injury.

He told Sky News: The police have destroyed my life. It will not be, cannot be, the same as it was before.

Im certainly not the same person I was in 2015 and redress can never be, things can never be put right.

Mr Proctor was investigated by police during the 18-month inquiry, but he was exonerated in 2016 after police found insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges.

An independent review criticised the police handling of the case. Scotland Yard has also apologised.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 29 September 2021 The family of Betty Campbell unveil the bronze sculpture of her during the unveiling of the statue in Central Square, Cardiff, of Betty Campbell, Wales' first black headteacher PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA

As part of their investigation, police raided the homes of prominent figures, including D-Day veteran Lord Bramall, the former chief of the defence staff, and the late ex-home secretary Lord Brittan.

The Metropolitan Police has already paid damages to Lord Bramall and to the family of Lord Brittan.

A spokesman said: The Metropolitan Police Service has received a complaint and will be filing a defence.
Protesters have called on Theresa May to resign following the government's handling of the Windrush scandal.

Families of those affected by the scandal were joined by shadow home secretary Diane Abbott at a rally outside Downing Street on Saturday.

They chanted that the prime minister should be deported and some held placards which said "solidarity with the Windrush generation" and "Windrush generation: here to stay".

Campaign group Stand Up To Racism, which organised the protest, called for the end of the government's "hostile environment" policy. It also demanded the repeal of the 2014 Immigration Act which fails to provide longstanding Commonwealth residents with protection from enforced removal despite a previous piece of legislation doing so.

Protesters also called for an immediate end to deportations and detention of Commonwealth citizens and demanded compensation be awarded to those who had been deported, threatened with deportation or detained, and those who lost housing, jobs, benefits and were denied NHS treatment because of the government's policy.

Addressing the crowd of about 150 people, Ms Abbott said: "When it comes to the Windrush scandal, all roads lead back to Theresa May," who she says was to blame for the government's "hostile environment" policy.

In the crowd, Yvonne Williams, 58, who was released from Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre just last week, said she was "screaming" with joy..

Ms Williams' mother was part of the Windrush generation and came to the UK from Jamaica. Ms Williams said she joined her mother in the UK in 2001 after her grandmother died in Jamaica.

She said her applications to stay were repeatedly refused by the Home Office and that despite her release she is still concerned about what her future holds.

Describing her eight months in detention, Ms Williams said it was"torture" and that it left people "traumatised".

"[It is] very hard, every day you're thinking, oh, they're going to come and take me," she said.

Weyman Bennett, 52, from Tottenham in North London, was also among the protesters. His family travelled from Jamaica between 1958 and 1966. His mother worked in the NHS and his father joined the British Army.

"Amber Rudd took the blame, but I believe that Theresa May is responsible for it, and she should go. I hope she is held accountable for what she did, because the people's voices have to be heard," he said.

Smokey Joe, a radio presenter and organiser of Notting Hill Carnival, said the contribution of Caribbean people to Britain was "immeasurable" and that people needed respect.

"The community is speaking out and I'm asking everyone to join me on Saturday. I've been helping organise the Carnival for 30 years, now we're taking it to Downing Street to say enough is enough," he said.

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

The government has faced a furious backlash over the treatment of the Windrush generation, named after a ship that brought migrants invited to help rebuild Britain after the Second World War.

People who arrived before 1973 were automatically granted indefinite leave to remain under the 1971 Immigration Act, but the Home Office did not keep a record of those allowed to stay or any documentation confirming their status.

While many of those who arrived have taken British citizenship or have official documents proving their status, others have struggled to source paperwork demonstrating they are lawfully resident.

Under emergency government measures, thousands of people will be offered the chance to obtain British citizenship free of charge and without the requirement to take language tests.

A compensation scheme for those affected by the failings is due to be introduced within weeks.

Additional reporting by agencies.
Lawyers for Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, who has been imprisoned without trial since August 2013, are set to begin their closing statements in a court in Cairo on Saturday, with the jailing having become a symbol for many of a crackdown on press freedom in the country.

The photographer, known as Shawkan, is potentially facing the death penalty as part of a mass trial alongside over seven hundred other defendants. He was arrested as he photographed security forces dispersing an anti-government sit-in, during which hundreds of protesters and several security forces members were killed.

Shawkan is accused of a broad range of crimes, including murder and attempted murder, unauthorised assembly and a string of weapons charges  despite his legal team arguing he was documenting the protests for the UK photo agency Demotix.

His lawyer, Karim Abdelrady, spoke to The Independent from Amsterdam, where a debate on press freedom and an exhibition of Shawkans photographs was recently held at the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision. According to Mr Abdelrady, Shawkan is not well psychologically and his family fear he may attempt to end his own life.

Shawkan entered prison with Hepatitis C, while the trial judge last year ordered an investigation into allegations he was being denied access to medical treatment, something authorities have denied.

Nevertheless, Mr Abdelrady remains optimistic that Shawkan eventually will be acquitted and suggested that the trial could conclude within months.

A number of international human rights organisations are tracking the case and the photographer was awarded the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisations (Unesco) Press Freedom prize for 2018 on Wednesday with jurors praising his courage, resistance and commitment to freedom of expression.

The mass trial has already been repeatedly delayed and there it is possible Shawkans case could be delayed further. In December 2015 the trial was postponed because the courtroom was found to be too small to hold the 739 defendants. Those defendants have remained in pre-trial detention throughout that time, despite a maximum two-year pre-trial detention period determined by Article 143 of Egypts Code of Criminal Procedure.

Shawkans imprisonment has become illegal, said Mr Abdelraby.

Justin Shilad, a researcher with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), was more circumspect about Shawkans future, saying he had seen no indications of leniency from judge Hassan Farid.

Egypt is witnessing the worst time to be a journalist in recent memory, Mr Shilad added.

Amnesty International has raised multiple concerns about the conduct of the trial, highlighting a 2017 court report in which Shawkan was reported to be in very good health. According to the CPJ, during a 2016 trial session, the prosecution offered as evidence footage of anti-government protests from 2011 and 2012  a year before Shawkan was arrested.

Shawkans arrest came as the Egyptian security forces cleared thousands of protesters from Rabaa Square, Cairo, where they had built a sprawling protest city following the ousting of democratically elected president Mohammed Morsi by forces loyal to now president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Over eight hundred people died as the protest was cleared, according to Human Rights Watch.

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

Shawkan is being held in the notorious Tora prison complex, outside Cairo, where Human Rights Watch and others have documented scores of alleged human rights violations. Egyptian authorities have said all prisons in the country adhere to international standards.

Also held at Tora are high profile co-defendants in case, including senior figures within the Muslim Brotherhood, the pan-Arab political organisation of which Morsi was a member and which has been banned and repressed under Mr Sisi.

The Rory Peck Trust, a UK-based charity which supports freelance journalists around the world, has been following Shawkans case since his arrest. Shawkan is part of a whole generation of young freelance journalists who are suffering for their work, said Austin Cooper, the charitys North Africa researcher. Without their ability to report freely, Egypt suffers in silence with them too, he added.

Last hearing, Shawkan appeared well and strong, but he is still suffering, said Mr Abdelraby.

He has hopes he will be released very soon.




Guwahatai: Three people were killed and five others injured in a road mishap in Assams Goalpara district on Friday morning.





The incident took place at National Highway  37 at Bekipool area near Krishnai in Goalpara district, while head on collision between two vehicles.





According to the reports, the incident was happened when head on collision between a speedy Mahindra Scorpio bearing registration no AS-26-8247 and a Xylo vehicle bearing registration no AS-25CC-9280.





Three people were died on spot and five others received severe injuries.





The injured persons were rushed to Goalpara civil hospital.





The deceased persons are yet to be identified.




California is set to become the first US state to make solar panels mandatory on most newly built homes.

The states Energy Commission is due to vote next week on new energy standards that would require virtually all new homes to be constructed with solar panels from 2020.

Currently around 20 per cent of single-family homes are constructed with solar capacity built in, but if the new standards are approved as expected this proportion will rise sharply.

California is about to take a quantum leap in energy standards, Bob Raymer, technical director for the California Building Industry Association, told The Mercury News.

No other state in the nation mandates solar, and we are about to take that leap.

The new requirement would apply to all homes over three stories tall.

Besides the wider implementation of solar power, the new guidelines would also call for increased reliance on electricity over natural gas and increased battery storage.

The new mandate dates back over a decade to a goal by the energy commission to improve the efficiency of homebuilding so that newly constructed buildings can be net zero energy by 2020 for residences and by 2030 for commercial buildings.

Net zero would mean that all homes produce enough solar power to offset all electricity and gas they use.

 Teslas enormous battery in Southern Australia

The new mandate does not actually demand homes must be net zero, as state officials stated this goal is not yet cost effective.

CR Herro, vice president of environmental affairs at real estate development company Meritage Homes, said the new energy standard would add up to $30,000 (22,164) to the cost of home construction.

However, he noted that over the 25-year lifespan of the homes solar system, the owners reduced operating costs would save them up to $60,000.

Despite this, the added costs were criticised by homebuilder and design consultant Bill Watt, who said they would push house prices further out of reach for many.

Were not building enough housing already, said Mr Watt, who is former president of the Orange County Building Industry Association.

Why not just pause for a little while, focus on the affordability and housing issues, then circle back?

The news was welcomed by environmental groups, with Pierre Delforge, energy efficiency programme director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, describing the move as another important step towards the environmentally-friendly, healthy and affordable home of the future.

The co-called Golden State has a good record on solar energy  with a large proportion of Californias power supply already generated by renewable methods.

On particularly sunny days, the states already ample solar capacity has been known to produce so much power that electricity prices turn negative.

While there was a massive worldwide increase in renewable energy investment in 2017, particularly in solar power, the US as a whole actually saw a slight dip.
A nurse has been arrested for allegedly cutting the catheter of four newborn babies in an intensive care unit and attempting to kill them, police said.

Simone Anjos dos Santos, 41, was arrested at her home in Santa Cruz after the hospital in Padre Miguel, in the west of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, passed on CCTV footage to the police.

She denies the allegations.

The video appears to show the nurse not wearing gloves and manipulating the incubators which police said were not her responsibility. She is seen grabbing an object from the top of the incubator and allegedly tampering with the infant.

Moments later, another nurse noticed something was wrong with one of the newborn babies and realised the catheter had been cut, Brazilian newspaper O Globo reports.

According to the Rio de Janeiro newspaper, an investigation began after the hospital realised that four catheters had been broken between 14 and 31 January.

In a statement on Twitter, police said the initial assessment found the infants were exposed to the risk of hypoglycaemia and could have contracted a blood infection leading to their death.

At least four victims were identified and the investigation is ongoing.

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

During a press conference, officer Juliana Emerique said police had demanded an arrest warrant before the trial "to prevent her from continuing these activities".

According to O Globo, Do Santos told police it was another nurse who had been cutting the infants' catheters and claimed that her colleague will be dismissed when the investigation is completed.

A host of people have spoken out in defence of the nurse on social media, according to the paper, highlighting her good character and professionalism.
In the mountains of Virginia, a man going by Deckard is living 30 feet above the ground, suspended on a 4-by-8-foot platform in a tree inside the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. And hes not alone.

At least seven people in Virginia and West Virginia have taken to the trees in recent weeks, to protest the construction of a natural gas pipeline across the two states. Some have stayed there for more than a month, braving freezing temperatures, dwindling food and water supplies, and regular appearances by US Forest Service (USFS) and private security officers.

At the oldest of these tree sits, 29-year-old Deckard spends his days reading bell hooks and Howard Zinn, doing crossword puzzles, and attempting to cook microwave meals on his tiny propane camp stove.

Recommended Keystone oil pipeline leaks more than expected

His mini-van-sized home is perched in a tree on Peters Mountain  the same mountain that the Mountain Valley Pipeline will bore through on its way from the fracking fields of West Virginia to an existing gas line to the south.

His sit represents the fears of many locals: That the 303-mile pipeline will threaten the water supply to the area, harm wildlife, and destroy local hiking trails. Others oppose the use of fossil fuels in general, and dont want more infrastructure built to support the industry.

As a self-described environmentalist and Virginia native, Deckard said the tree sit felt like something he had to do.

I didn't have any profound moments of clarity, he said in a phone interview from his airy perch. It was just the accumulation of frustrations, and anger, and feelings of helplessness that made inaction impossible.

Opponents of the Mountain Valley Pipeline protest near the proposed construction site (Courtesy of Appalachians Against Pipelines)

Not everyone in the area opposes the pipeline so vehemently. Supporters say it will create jobs  an estimated 4,300, of which 34 would be permanent  and boost tax revenues.

Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) LLC also notes that federal regulatory bodies have found the adverse environmental impacts of the pipelines construction and operation could be reduced to less-than-significant levels with a few mitigation measures.

But the project has managed to anger a large contingent of residents outside the local environmentalists. A recent court ruling granted Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) LLC the right to buy the private property of more than 300 landowners who live in the pipelines path  regardless of whether the owners want to sell or not. At least one of the tree sitters is a landowner who has been ordered to give over her land to construction.

Protest banners hang outside the construction area closed off by the US Forest Service (Emily Satterwhite)

For these reasons and more, locals have been fighting the pipeline since it was proposed in 2014  filing lawsuits, petitioning legislators, and staging public protests.

On 26 February, however, as chainsaw crews turned up to fell trees on the pipeline route, some protesters felt it was time for drastic action. That night, the tree sit where Deckard is now sitting sprung up on the western side of Peters Mountain  directly in the path of pipeline construction.

It just seemed like the most obvious way to resist in a semi long-term way, Deckard explained of the protest.

He added: I dont know what the tipping point would be or what critical mass it would require [to stop the pipeline], but it's not going to happen by people not doing anything.

"And I am perfectly capable of sitting in a tree," he said. "Might as well do it.

Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Show all 15 1 /15 Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota A person pours a pepper spray antidote into a protester's eyes during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota People swim across a river to where the police officers are standing guard during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota A man holds up a ceremonial object while police officers look down from a hill during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota, U.S Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota People protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota November Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Two people stand in the water of a river while police officers guard the shore during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota A man stands on a makeshift bridge over a river while police officers stand on the opposite shore during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota, U.S Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Police use pepper spray against protesters in a boat during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota, U.S Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Police use pepper spray against protesters in a boat during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota, U.S Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Police use pepper spray against protesters in a boat during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota, U.S Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Tonya Stands recovers after being pepper sprayed by police after swimming across a creek with other protesters hoping to build a new camp to block construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, near Cannon Ball, Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Dakota Access Pipeline protesters stand in the foreground and in the waist-deep water of the Cantapeta Creek, northeast of the Oceti Sakowin Camp, near Cannon Ball, N.D., Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016. Officers in riot gear clashed again Wednesday with protesters near the Dakota Access pipeline, hitting dozens with pepper spray as they waded through waist-deep water in an attempt to reach property owned by the pipeline's developer. Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Dakota Access Pipeline protesters stand in the foreground and in the waist-deep water of the Cantapeta Creek, northeast of the Oceti Sakowin Camp, near Cannon Ball, N.D., Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016. Officers in riot gear clashed again Wednesday with protesters near the Dakota Access pipeline, hitting dozens with pepper spray as they waded through waist-deep water in an attempt to reach property owned by the pipeline's developer. Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota People who were tear gassed return to the shore during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota, Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota People yell at police officers standing on the opposite shore of a river during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota, U.S Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Police use pepper spray against protesters in a boat during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota, U.S Reuters

The idea caught on. On 27 March, a young woman known as Nutty set up camp on other side of Peters Mountain, restricting MVPs access to the areas where Deckard was camped.

Fifty miles away, in Roanoke County, 61-year-old Red Terry and her daughter, Minor, set up a tree sit on their private property in April. Three more tree sits have since sprung up on the Franklin County farm of Carolyn Reilly, a local woman who has been fighting the pipeline for years.

MVP has urged judges, unsuccessfully, to order some of the tree sitters removed. More recently, the US Forest Service issued a closure order within 200 feet of the proposed pipeline route, barring the public from setting foot near the sitters.

The Forest Service says the closure order is meant to protect the public from hazards associated with the pipeline construction. Protesters say it is to keep them from resupplying the tree sitters with food and water.

At least two supporters have been arrested in recent weeks for rushing past the line in an attempt to bring food to the sitters.

Law enforcement officers approach one of the camps around the tree sitters (Emily Satterwhite)

Deckards food and water stores have not been re-supplied for more than two weeks. For now, he is rationing out the pre-packaged meals he brought, and supplementing them with lots and lots of granola bars. He catches rainwater in a basin when its cloudy, and charges his phone with a solar panel when its sunny.

The hardest part of the tree sit, he says, is the constant thirst. That, and the lack of indoor plumbing.

MVP and the USFS have found other ways to make life difficult or the protesters, according to supporters on the ground. The supporters claim authorities shine flood lights up the trees at all hours of the night, and ride ATVs directly under the suspended platforms, causing them to shake menacingly.

MVP did not respond to a request for comment, and a USFS representative would not comment on the record.

Supporters of the tree sitters camp out on Peters Mountain (Emily Satterwhite)

A small group of supporters have tasked themselves with keeping watch over the tree sitters, camping out as close as they can to the platforms each night. Others have made the hours-long hike to visit the tree sitters just for the day, to show their support.

Many of the visitors are locals who have been fighting the pipeline for years, but for various reasons  school, work, family  cannot take to the trees themselves. One supporter said she had arranged more than 50 hikes up to the tree sits, for people aged 12 to 70.

Whether the effort is worth it has yet to be seen. MVP says the project has not been delayed by the protests, only financially inconvenienced. If their legal efforts are successful, they may get the tree sitters forcibly evicted in the coming weeks. If the closure order around the tree sitters continues, they may starve them out sooner than that.

But several locals said that, regardless of what happens next, the tree sits have already had their intended effect: They got people talking again.

Just this week, representatives from 18 different Democratic party committees signed on to a letter urging Governor Ralph Northam to stop the pipeline. Days earlier, a state senator filed suit against USFS, claiming federal officials were illegally blocking access to the tree sitters' platforms.

Tina Badger, a Virginia native who has fought the pipelines construction for years, says shes never heard more people talking about the project than now.

For a while it was pretty much off most peoples radar, Ms Badger said. Now, your average citizen is ranging anywhere from upset about whats going on to outraged.
If there is one thing pro-vaccine campaigners and their opponents probably agree on, it is that Donald Trump has provided a major boost to the anti-vaccine cause.

On more than 20 occasions, Mr Trump has tweeted about there being a link between vaccines and autism, something experts at the governments leading public health institute say is not true. He also repeated the claim during a Republican primary debate, a remark that was immediately dismissed as false by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.

Prior the election, Mr Trump met with four prominent anti-vaccine campaigners at a fundraiser in Florida  disbarred British doctor Andrew Wakefield, Mark Blaxill, editor-at-large of the Age of Autism website, Gary Kompothecras, a chiropractor and Trump donor from Sarasota, and Jennifer Larson, an entrepreneur who has campaigned against the use of vaccines in her home state of Minnesota.

The campaigners celebrated after Mr Trump won the election and met with another anti-vaccine campaigner, Robert F Kennedy Jr (son of Robert Kennedy who was assassinated in 1968).

Mr Kennedy later told members of his environmental law firm he would be taking a leave of absence to chair an advisory panel on the issue at the president-elects request. Mr Trump has some doubts about the current vaccine policies and he has questions about it he told reporters.

After news of the meeting emerged, Ms Larson wrote on the Age of Autism website: Now that Trump won, we can all feel safe in sharing that Mr Trump met with autism advocates in August. He gave us 45 minutes and was extremely educated on our issues. Mark [Blaxill] stated You cant make America great with all these sick children and more coming. Trump shook his head and agreed.

As it is, Mr Trump appears not to have so far pulled the trigger on establishing the advisory panel. However, while Mr Trump has not spoken further with Mr Kennedy, the latter has apparently spoken with a number of senior administration officials.

A recent report in StatNews said the 64-year-old lawyer and campaigner met with senior officials from the Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health. The FDA said Mr Kennedy met with Dr Peter Marks, head of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, and other FDA staff on March 30 2017. Vaccines are regulated by this division of the FDA.

At the end of May 2017, Mr Kennedy met top leaders of the NIH. Director Francis Collins and Deputy Director Lawrence Tabak attended the meeting, along with the heads of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the report said.

 Andrew Wakefield defends his decision to spread his anti-vaccination message in America

Mr Kennedy also made news in February last year, when he appeared alongside Robert de Niro to offer $100,000 (73,880) to anyone who could provide a study that showed it was safe to administer vaccines to children. De Niro, who has an autistic son, triggered controversy the year before when he had arranged for the Tribeca Film Festival, which he runs, to show Mr Wakefields film Vaxxed, which seeks to prove the link between vaccines and autism and expose alleged fraud at the CDC.

Daniel Summers, a paediatrician from New England, was among those who quickly sought to claim the prize, writing in the Washington Post: Its nearing two decades since I graduated from medical school, and in that span of time Ive immunised thousands of patients. Not once have I encountered a case where those immunisations could be plausibly linked with autism.

He added: In the off chance that my word alone isnt sufficient to collect the $100,000, Im happy to proffer lots of studies that support the safety of vaccines. Studies never seem to settle the question for anti-vaccine activists, but they are the best evidence we could ever have.

Mr Summers said he had little doubt Mr Wakefield was at the forefront of effort to try and undermine vaccine safety which is rather an accomplishment for someone who's been stripped of his privileges as a physician.

Asked about the danger of allowing the claims of the disgraced British doctor and others to go unchallenged, he said: The danger is that diseases that have become fleetingly uncommon will come roaring back. The only vaccine-preventable illness that has been wholly eradicated is smallpox. All the rest linger in some pocket of the human population or another, and without vigilance to keep them at bay, they could come back.

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 Centres for Disease Control, the pre-eminent public health organisation in the country and part of the Department of Health and Human Services, strongly encourages that parents vaccinate their children.

Asked whether there was any evidence to support Mr Trumps assertion of a link between autism and vaccines, the CDCs communications department said in a statement: Credible scientific evidence shows that vaccines are very safe and do not cause autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

CDC, the Federal Drug Administration, and the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices, regularly review data to ensure that vaccine recommendations are based on the latest available science to provide safe and effective protection against serious diseases. Concerned parents should be reassured that recommended childhood vaccines have a strong safety record.

It added: For the general population, maintaining high vaccination levels is important not only for the individual person but also to protect potentially deadly diseases from spreading to the most vulnerable among us, such as patients with weakened immune systems and newborn children who are too young to be vaccinated.

Disgraced: Andrew Wakefield still maintains vaccines cause autism (Getty)

Mr Wakefield was in 2010 found guilty by the UKs General Medial Council of three dozen charges including dishonesty and abuse of children, shortly after The Lancet medical journal retracted the 1998 study on which his claims about the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine were based. The magazines editor said at the time that statements in the article were utterly false.

A decade earlier he had moved to Texas where he continued to promote his theories. Health officials in Minnesota believe he was partly responsible for a 2017 outbreak of measles, the worst in decades, among the Somali-American community in Minneapolis.

He and other anti-vaccine campaigners met several times with members of the community, which was concerned about what it believed was an unusually high incidence of autism among Somali boys, something health officials said was not borne out by data.

Asked about his meeting with the president, Mr Wakefield told The Independent: I met him once before the election, when he was running for the presidency. We had a meeting in Florida. We were there, four of us representing the issue of autism and its link to immunisation.

He interjected and said you dont need to tell me that vaccines cause autism. Ive seen it, Ive seen it personally. We went on to discuss the issue of there autism crisis that is set to affect 80 per cent of boys if nothing is done. He said if he was to be elected hed do something about it.

Asked if was campaigning in America because his reputation had been wrecked in Britain, Mr Wakefield said: I was discredited in the eyes of those who wanted to see me discredited. In other words, those who had an interest in maintaining the status quo.

I dont represent any of them. What I represent is the parents and the children who have been damaged. Is there a real case to answer? Absolutely. Do I believe vaccines cause autism? Yes I do. Is the problem equally as large in the US? Yes it is.
The US Navy is resurrecting its Second Fleet to counter the renewed threat from Russia.

Admiral John Richardson, chief of naval operations, said the reformed group would control ships, aircraft and landing forces on the East Coast and north Atlantic Ocean.

"Our National Defense Strategy makes clear that we're back in an era of great power competition as the security environment continues to grow more challenging and complex," said Admiral Richardson when he announced the move.

"That's why today, we're standing up Second Fleet to address these changes, particularly in the north Atlantic."

The Second Fleet, based in Norfolk, Virginia, was originally formed after the Second World War and was involved in the blockade of Cuba during the missile crisis.

It disbanded in 2011 to save money and its responsibilities were merged into the United States Fleet Forces Command.

At that time the US was primarily focused on terrorism and the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Now its top national security concern is what intelligence analysts call "inter-state strategic competition".

The 2018 National Defense strategy specifically mentions China, Russia, North Korea and Iran and calls for "sustained investment to restore readiness and modernize our military to make it fit for our time".

"It is increasingly clear that China and Russia want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model  gaining veto authority over other nations economic, diplomatic, and security decisions," it says.

The US has also offered its naval facilities in Norfolk, Virginia, as the base for the proposed Nato Joint Force Command for the Atlantic.

Nato is expected to make its decision on the location of the new command this summer.

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 new JFC-Norfolk will ensure that NATO can successfully conduct operations across the full spectrum of Alliance missions in the trans-Atlantic region in the northern Atlantic," said the Department of Defense in a statement.

"The future Atlantic-oriented JFC represents part of the ongoing NATO effort to adapt its command structure to ensure that the Alliance can meet the challenges in todays security environment.

"It will strengthen NATOs deterrence and defense posture, and its ability to project stability beyond its borders."
A small amount of radioactive, weapons-grade plutonium has gone missing from a university in Idaho.

Idaho State University was using the radioactive chemical element, which was about the size of a 10p piece, for research.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission said the university could not account for about a 30th of an ounce (one gram) of the material, which is used in nuclear reactors and to make nuclear bombs.

While the amount is too small to make a nuclear bomb, it could be used to make a dirty bomb to spread radioactive contamination, said Victor Dricks, a spokesman for the agency.

The NRC has very rigorous controls for the use and storage of radioactive materials as evidenced by this enforcement action, he said of the proposed fine of $8,500 (6,280) for failing to keep track of the material.

Dr Cornelis Van der Schyf, vice president for research at the university, blamed partially completed paperwork from 15 years ago as the school tried to dispose of the plutonium.

Unfortunately, because there was a lack of sufficient historical records to demonstrate the disposal pathway employed in 2003, the source in question had to be listed as missing, he said in a statement. The radioactive source in question poses no direct health issue or risk to public safety.

Nuclear waste is stored in underground containers at the Idaho Nation (AP Photo/Keith Ridler)

Idaho State University has a nuclear engineering program and works with the US Department of Energys Idaho National Laboratory, considered the nations primary nuclear research lab and located about 65 miles northwest of the school.

The plutonium was being used to develop ways to ensure nuclear waste containers were not leaking and to find ways to detect radioactive material being illegally brought into the US following the 11 September, 2001, terror attacks, the school said.

The university, which has 30 days to dispute the proposed fine, reported the plutonium missing on 13 October, according to documents released by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The agency said a school employee doing a routine inventory discovered the university could only account for 13 of its 14 plutonium sources, each weighing about the same small amount.

Russia's floating 'nuclear Titanic': in pictures Show all 9 1 /9 Russia's floating 'nuclear Titanic': in pictures Russia's floating 'nuclear Titanic': in pictures The floating nuclear power plant, the 'Akademik Lomonosov', is towed out of the St. Petersburg shipyard. AP Russia's floating 'nuclear Titanic': in pictures Workers on the nuclear atomic icebreaker "Arktika" operated by Rosatomflot watch the floating nuclear power plant "Akademik Lomonosov" being towed . Reuters Russia's floating 'nuclear Titanic': in pictures The 'Akademik Lomonosov', the first in a series of floating nuclear plants planned, will be fuelled, tested and in 2019 towed 5,000 kilometres through the Northern Sea Route and put to use near Pevek, in the Chukotka Region. EPA Russia's floating 'nuclear Titanic': in pictures The Akademik Lomonosov is to be loaded with nuclear fuel in Murmansk. AP Russia's floating 'nuclear Titanic': in pictures The floating nuclear power plant. AP Russia's floating 'nuclear Titanic': in pictures Fishermen sail on a boat past the floating nuclear power plant "Akademik Lomonosov". Reuters Russia's floating 'nuclear Titanic': in pictures The floating nuclear power plant, the 'Akademik Lomonosov'. AP Russia's floating 'nuclear Titanic': in pictures The plant, owned and operated by Russian state controlled nuclear giant Rosatom, will pass through Estonian, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian waters towards Murmansk. EPA Russia's floating 'nuclear Titanic': in pictures The floating nuclear power plant "Akademik Lomonosov" Reuters

The school searched documents and found records from 2003 and 2004 saying the material was on campus and awaiting disposal. However, there were no documents saying the plutonium had been properly disposed.

The last document mentioning the plutonium, dated 23 November, 2003, said the Idaho National Laboratory didnt want the plutonium and the schools technical safety office had it pending disposal of the next waste shipment.

The school also reviewed documents on waste barrels there and others transferred off campus since 2003, and opened and examined some of them.

Finally, officials searched the campus but did not find the plutonium.

We suspect that it ended up in a landfill for radioactive materials, Mr Dricks, the commission spokesman, told Live Science website.

Additional reporting by Associated Press
Fourteen men have been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, raping and burning a teenage girl alive in India.

The 16-year-old was attending a wedding ceremony when the men struck in the village of Raja Kendua in the Chatra district of the eastern Jharkhand state, District Magistrate Jitendera Singh said.

The men allegedly raped her before letting her go home.

The next day, the village council leaders imposed a fine of 50,000 rupees (553) on those accused of being behind of the crime.

In retaliation, the group of men are alleged to have beaten up the girl's parents and burned the teenager to death after finding her at her home alone.

Police told the Hindustan Times a medical board was carrying out an autopsy on her body.

Mr Singh said police were still searching for the main suspect. He is one of four men allegedly linked to the incident still reported to be on the run.

"Raids are being conducted to nab him and others at the earliest. We are also probing the role of other locals in the incident," Shambhu Thakur, the inspector general of the local police force, told the Hindustan Times.

Police have put in place security arrangements in the village to prevent any escalation following the incident and the girl's family has been accorded extra protection.

Last month, a seven-year-old girl was also raped and murdered during a wedding ceremony in the village of Etah in Uttar Pradesh.

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 case came a few days after eight men accused of involvement in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old Muslim girl in the state of Kashmir appeared in court for a hearing in a case which sparked nationwide outrage and criticism of the ruling party.

India has been shaken by a series of sexual assaults since 2012, when a student was gang-raped and murdered on a moving New Delhi bus. That attack galvanized the country, where widespread violence against women had long been quietly accepted.

Massive public protests were organised across India against the state and central government for failing to protect women from these attacks.

Since then, the government has passed a series of laws increasing punishment for rape of an adult to 20 years in prison. But tougher sanctions have not solved the issue and it is rare for more than a few weeks to pass without another brutal sexual assault being reported.

Responding to widespread outrage over the recent rape and killings of young girls and other attacks on children, India's government last month approved the death penalty for people convicted of raping children under the age of 12.
A coal mine explosion killed at least 16 people and injured several others in southwest Pakistan, with over a dozen still trapped, officials said.

Attaullah Khan, the director of disaster management, said methane gas had caused the explosion in a mine 35 miles east of Quetta city, capital of Baluchistan province.

"We have retrieved 11 bodies," Mr Khan said, adding that over a dozen labourers were still trapped in the mine.

Recommended More than 900 trapped miners rescued from South African gold mine

Rescue work was in process, chief inspector of mines Iftikhar Ahmad said.

Accidents are frequent in the province's mines and are mainly due to inadequate safety measures.

It came on the same day that rescuers battled to reach five coal miners who were trapped nearly a mile underground in southern Poland after an earthquake.

The 3.4 magnitude quake hit the Borynia-Zofiowka-Jastrzebie mine on Saturday morning, trapping seven miners at a depth of about 900 metres (2,950 feet), state mining office WUG said.

Two had been reached by mid-afternoon and rescuers were thought to be within 150 metres of the remaining five, the chief executive of mine owner JSW, Daniel Ozon, told a news conference.

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 two rescued miners were in a "relatively good condition" and could walk unaided, he said.

There were about 250 people working in the mine at the time of the quake, JSW said. The missing miners were from a team of 11 that were drilling a new tunnel. Four had managed to escape by themselves.

The rescue operation was earlier hampered by high levels of methane, which reached a concentration of up to 58 per cent.
A group of volcanoes in the Russian far east have been observed erupting from space by satellites.

The Kamchatka volcanoes are monitored in order to avert disruption caused by their regular eruptions for air travel and local populations.

"Thanks to the operational satellite monitoring of Kamchatka volcanoes, it is possible to analyse thermal anomalies and ash plumes in volcano areas, perform their numerical simulation, and determine the various characteristics of the volcanic process," said Dr Evgeny Lupyan, head of the satellite monitoring technology department at the Space Research Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences.

Of course, the most important task is to promptly inform about dangerous situations.

Some notable volcanoes such as Mount Saint Helens in Washington, or Mount Kilauea  which is currently erupting in Hawaii  are the subjects of constant, close monitoring with specialised instruments.

Though the activity of volcanoes such as the on-going eruption of Mount Kilauea can still be incredibly harmful, advance warnings by scientists can allow local people to at the very least evacuate the area.

However, of the roughly 1,500 active volcanoes around the world, many are remotely located and therefore poorly monitored.

 Timelapse video shows lava overflowing at the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii

In these cases, satellites such as Nasas Terra spacecraft can be used to identify potential hazards, allowing surrounding communities to take precautions prior to eruptions.

Volcanoes in Kamchatka and the Kuril islands are monitored using the VolSatView system, which uses data both from Russian and international satellites.

The Kamchatka volcanoes are among the most active in the world, generally erupting between three and seven times every year.

Though daily monitoring of these hazardous zones has been underway since the early 1990s, it has been bolstered by the implementation of a comprehensive array of readings taken from space.

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These readings are provided by Russian satellites Meteor-M, Resource-P and Canopus-B, with additional information coming from the likes of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European Space Agencys Sentinel satellites.

Data collected in this manner have allowed scientists to produce an aerial view of three of the regions satellites erupting in quick succession last year.

We were lucky to observe a unique case  the eruption process of three volcanoes of the Northern Kamchatka group, said Dr Lupyan.

Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Show all 30 1 /30 Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Channelized lava emerges on Kilauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone on Hawaii. The USGS said on its website that "a fast-moving pahoehoe lava flow that emerged from fissure 20... continues to flow southeast," with the quickest of three "lobes" progressing at 230 yards (210 meters) per hour. AFP/US Geological Survey Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Lava erupts and flows from a Kilauea volcano fissure in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island Getty Images Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures A plume of ash rises from a crater in the Mount Kilauea volcano after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the area, near Pahoa, Hawaii EPA/USGS HANDOUT Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Kilauea has opened 14 lava-and-gas spewing fissures in total Rex Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures United States Geological Survey Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Lava from a Kilauea volcano fissure advances up a residential street in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island, on May 27, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii Mario Tama/Getty Images Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures A massive flow of lava consumes houses in Leilani Estates EPA/PARADISE HELICOPTERS Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Lava flows past trees on the outskirts of Pahoa during ongoing eruptions of the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii. REUTERS Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures A plume of ash rises from Kilauea Volcano after a series of earthquakes over the last couple of days USGS/Handout via Reuters Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Lava emerges from the ground after Kilauea Volcano erupted Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Steam rises from a fissure on a road in Leilani Estates subdivision on Hawaii's Big Island AFP/Getty Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures This thermal image (looking south) shows the active overflows from the lava lake (upper left) onto the Halema'uma'u crater floor. View is toward the south. Rex Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures The results of the eruption from Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's Big Island AP Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Lava is seen coming from a fissure in Leilani Estates subdivision on Hawaii's Big Island FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures An aerial view of a flow of lava moves to the doorsteps of the Puna Geothermal Venture facility after a new fissure eruption within Leilani Estates sending a fast moving flow of lava began to consume homes and property, near Pahoa, Hawaii EPA/BRUCE OMORI/Paradise Helicopters Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Smoke rises from the Pu'u 'O'o crater on the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii EPA Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Up to 10,000 people were ordered to evacuate as flows of red lava entered residential areas Reuters Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures A fissure erupts in Leilani Estates, one of the communities most vulnerable to Hawaii's Kilauea volcano AP Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Smoke billows from Pu'u 'O'o crater on the Hawaii's Big Island EPA Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Remote image released by U.S. Geological Survey, shows a new lava fissure on Kilauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone on Makamae and Leilani Streets USGS via AP Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Kilauea volcano's Pu'u O'o vent on Hawaii's main island AP Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Lava flows over a road in the Puna District as a result of the eruption from Kilauea on Hawaii's Big Island Byron Matthews via AP Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Kilauea volcano erupts AP Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Lava flowing over Mohala Street in the Leilani Estates area near Pahoa Hawaii Electric Light via AP Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures An aerial view of a massive surface flow entering the sea at Malama Flats EPA Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Satellite photo provided by DigitalGlobe shows lava coming out of fissures caused by Kilauea AP via DigitalGlobe Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures The fissure complex, pictured in the upper right, continues to feed a meandering lava flow (in the center). into the Pacific Ocean in southeast of Pahoa during ongoing eruptions of the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii REUTERS Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Lava erupts from a Kilauea volcano fissure Getty Images Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures A U.S. National Guard soldier (R) takes photos as lava erupts and flows from a Kilauea volcano fissure in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island Getty Images Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Getty Images/iStockphoto

According to remote sensing data, an animation picture was created that clearly illustrates the transience of powerful explosive eruptions and the long-term existence of ash clouds in the atmosphere, which pose a real danger to aviation."

When volcanoes in the Kamchatka region erupt, they tend to produce large ash clouds that rise to heights of up to 10 miles above sea level and spread thousands of miles from the source.

Unfortunately for nearby populations these ash clouds often descend on cities and towns, killing trees and interfering with communications systems.

These plumes can also be disruptive for air travel, as the fine ash interferes with jet machinery.
France has condemned Donald Trump's comment that armed civilians could have stopped the 2015 Paris attacks, which killed 130 people.

In a statement, the French government demanded President Trump "respect the memory of the victims of the 13 November attack".

"France expresses its firm disapproval of President Trump's comments in relation to the attack of the 13 November 2015 in Paris and we demand that the memory of the victims be respected.

"Each country can freely decide its own legislation on gun control. France is proud to be a country where the purchase and possession of fire arms are strictly regulated," it said.

The statement added that given the statistics on victims of fire arms, the French government would not be reviewing its policy.

"The free circulation of fire arms in a society does not constitute a barrier against terrorist attacks, on the contrary this can facilitate the planning of these kind of attacks," the French government said.

France's comments came after Mr Trump slammed the UK and France's gun laws during a speech to the National Rifle Association Leadership Forum.

He claimed loosening gun laws could help better protect citizens from terror attacks and that a civilian could have stopped the massacre at the Bataclan concert hall, where 90 of the 130 victims died, had they had a gun.

"But if one employee or just one patron had a gun  or if one person in this room had been there with a gun, aimed at the opposite direction  the terrorists would have fled or been shot, and it would have been a whole different story," Mr Trump 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

Mr Trump has sought to reassure members of the US's largest gun rights lobbying group of his support for the rights of citizens to bear fire arms under the Second Amendment.

He called France's gun laws "the toughest in the world".

Former French president Francois Hollande, who was head of state at the time, said on Twitter that Mr Trump's comments and antics were "shameful" and "obscene".

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said Mr Trump's portrayal of the 2015 attacks was "contemptuous and unworthy".

During his speech, Mr Trump also suggested knife violence in London left one hospital looking like a "war zone" prompting a furious backlash.




Guwahati: Two ULFA-I militants suspected to have killed and one police officer also died in a fierce gun fight between security forces and a militant group at Bordumsa area in Upper Assams Tinsukia district along with Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border on Friday evening.





According to the reports, troops of Assam police and CRPF Cobra Battalion had jointly launched operation at Kajupathar area under Bordumsa police station along Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border based on intelligence input about a militant group belonging to banned ULFA-I outfit had took shelter at a house in the remote area.





A top police official said that, when the security personnel had reached the area, the militants started firing and heavy rounds of bullet exchanged.





Militants had also lobbed two hand grenades targeting to security personnel.





During the fierce gun battle, Officer-in-Charge of Bordumsa police station Bhaskar Kalita had received severe injuries, but he succumbed his injuries at hospital.





Assam police ADGP (SB) Pallab Bhattacharya said that, the entire area has been cordoned off and combing operation is going on.





Meanwhile, top police and army officials including ADGP RP Meena have been rushed to the area.





More details awaited.




Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has apologised after being widely condemned for making antisemitic comments about the Holocaust.

The 82-year-old leader suggested during a speech on Monday that the mass murder of Jews was caused by their involvement in money lending.

He was accused of "severe antisemitism" by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and criticised by officials from the US, EU and UN.

Mr Abbas condemned antisemitism "in all its forms" on Friday after being re-elected as chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation's executive committee.

"If people were offended by my statement... especially people of the Jewish faith, I apologise to them," he said.

"I would like to assure everyone that it was not my intention to do so, and to reiterate my full respect for the Jewish faith, as well as other monotheistic faiths.

Recommended Palestinian president accused of antisemitism over Holocaust comments

"I would also like to reiterate our long held condemnation of the Holocaust, as the most heinous crime in history, and express our sympathy with its victims.

"Likewise, we condemn antisemitism in all its forms, and confirm our commitment to the two-state solution, and to live side by side in peace and security."

His apology was quickly rejected by Israeli defence minister Avigdor Liberman, who branded him "a wretched Holocaust denier".

Mr Abbas' original comments were made on live TV during his opening address to the PLO parliament in Ramallah.

Referring to books by "Jewish Zionist authors", he said: "I will bring you three Jews, with three books who say that enmity towards Jews was not because of their religious identity but because of their social function.

"This is a different issue. So the Jewish question that was widespread throughout Europe was not against their religion but against their social function which relates to usury and banking and such."

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Mr Abbas went on to claim Israel was a European colonial project and that "history tells us there is no basis for the Jewish homeland".

He also said that Ashkenazi Jews, such as Mr Netanyahu and many other Israeli prime ministers, "have no relation to Semitic people".

Mr Abbas has a history of making controversial comments about the Holocaust. In 2003 it emerged he had written a dissertation for his doctorate in history in 1982 which cast doubt on the scale of the genocide and argued there had been a secret relationship between Zionism and Nazism before the Second World War.
Is it the barmiest transport idea ever to have come out of Brussels  or an inspired example of binding Europe together through improving mobility?

Having already announced proposals to dish out free InterRail tickets to 18-year-olds across the continent on their birthday, the EU has mooted plans also to bestow them with unlimited pan-European travel by sea and possibly air.

Last week, The Independent revealed the vision of a German MEP, Manfred Weber. Citizens of all EU countries would receive a voucher for a free InterRail ticket on their 18th birthday.

They could then use it to explore the other member states on the same unlimited-travel basis as on InterRail.

The concept has been warmly welcomed by the European Commission, which is known to be keen on initiatives that improve the standing of the EU after the Brexit vote. But there are issues with commonality, since the railways of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania do not participate in the InterRail scheme, while Cyprus and Malta have no passenger railways.

The Transport Commissioner, Violeta Bulc, has confirmed the Commission likes this idea, and has called for further study to see if buses, ships and perhaps even aircraft could be included: Could the scheme become  at least progressively  intermodal, and not only limited to rail tickets? she said in a statement to the European parliament.

Leading travel figures, however, are divided about the schemes prospects.

Airlines have dismissed the notion that they could be involved. Unlike train operators, they typically fill 90 per cent of seats, leaving few for potential standby passengers.

Tim Jeans, former managing director of Monarch, said: Very quickly, it becomes completely impractical. Provided you want to go to Aberdeen from Luton on a wet Tuesday in November, then you might get a seat. Otherwise, forget it.

Publicly-funded ferry companies could more easily be included in an InterRailPlus scheme, since they typically have spare capacity  as do many bus operators. But Jonathan Roberts, head of communications at the UK Chamber of Shipping, said: We welcome the European Parliaments acknowledgement that ferries provide an affordable, accessible and fun option for travellers. We would suggest though that, given young people in Europe face significant levels of unemployment, not to mention a wide variety of other social and economic problems, free holidays are perhaps not the best use of taxpayers money.

Mark Smith, founder of the international rail website Seat61.com, said: Ill believe it when I see it, but in principle, if travel broadens the mind and fosters understanding between nations and cultures, boy could we do with more of that at the moment.

It would also encourage young people to experience low-carbon overland travel and avoid knee-jerk recourse to budget airlines once they realise whats possible with their feet on the ground.

Nicky Gardner, co-editor of Hidden Europe magazine and a proponent of European rail travel, said: We run across very many young people who have hardly been on a train, and to be honest would not  bar for this scheme  ever think of it. It could be a very good idea. It certainly will encourage people to discover a greater sense of European diversity.

Ms Gardner pointed out that Deutsche Bahn has offered anyone aged 18 or under the chance to buy a months travel within Germany for 149 (134). All the evidence is that it converted many young people, brought up in car-owning families, into train travellers, she said.

UK rail operators ranked Show all 22 1 /22 UK rail operators ranked UK rail operators ranked Grand Central - 79% Here is the list of best and worst train operators with their overall customer score UK rail operators ranked Hull Trains - 73% UK rail operators ranked Merseyrail - 70% UK rail operators ranked Virgin Trains West Coast - 69% UK rail operators ranked C2C - 62% UK rail operators ranked East Coast/Virgin Trains East Coast - 61% UK rail operators ranked Chiltern Railways - 60% UK rail operators ranked Scotrail - 59% UK rail operators ranked East Midlands Trains - 58% UK rail operators ranked London Overground - 56% UK rail operators ranked Cross Country Trains - 55% UK rail operators ranked First TransPennine Express - 55% UK rail operators ranked London Midland - 55% UK rail operators ranked TfL Rail - 52% UK rail operators ranked South West Trains - 51% UK rail operators ranked First Great Western/Great Western Railway- 50% UK rail operators ranked Northern Rail - 50% Phil Sangwell UK rail operators ranked Arriva Trains Wales - 49% UK rail operators ranked Southern - 48% UK rail operators ranked Abellio Greater Anglia - 47% UK rail operators ranked Southeastern - 46% UK rail operators ranked Thameslink and Great Northern - 46%

But Neil Taylor, a travel writer and tour guide, sounded notes of caution about the prospect of millions of 18-year-olds taking to the rails: Many groups will use the tickets to travel to wherever drink is cheapest as, being 18, they can obtain it legally across the EU. Think what might happen to Kosice [in Slovakia] and Debrecen [in Hungary].

In any case, a youngster who has hardly left home will not benefit from drifting around Europe. Concentrating on one area makes much better sense.

Tim Jeans said: Some of my most life-affirming moments at that age were when I was travelling to new places and encountering new and different cultures. But part of the fun was the summer job to pay for it all, and that Id still believe in.
Brussels is bestowing a once-only opportunity for fewer than 2,000 British 18-year-olds: a travel pass to discover Europe between July and September this year.

The European Commission has tweeted that it will select 15,000 enthusiastic young people and award them free tickets similar to InterRail passes for the summer. It is asking: Are you 18 years old? Would you like to explore Europe? Then you are the perfect candidate to apply for a new European Union initiative to be officially launched shortly.

The announcement says: Travelling is a chance for young people to take advantage of our freedom of movement, to discover the diversity of Europe, enjoy its cultural richness, and make new friends from all over the continent.

Ultimately, its also a great opportunity to discover yourself.

The travel pass is intended to be used mainly for railways, but buses or ferries will also be allowed when appropriate.

In exceptional cases and when no other transport means are available, travel by plane will be permitted, says the European Commission.

Accommodation, subsistence or other expenses related to the trip shall be covered by the participants.

Tickets will be handed out to each EU member state in proportion to population, which means just over 1,900 British citizens aged 18 should qualify.

There are around 715,000 18-year-olds in the UK, which means that only one in 372 of the cohort will qualify.

The application process will be revealed on the European Youth Portal Facebook page and Twitter feed.

Final selection will involve an online quiz about Europe, which is not expected to be unduly taxing for anyone familiar with Google.

Many details are still unclear, such as whether the individuals choice of destinations will affect their chance of winning.

It is impossible to put a precise value on the ticket, because it will depend on the chose destinations.

The restriction of four countries means that nations on the fringes of the EU, such as the UK and Ireland, will have very limited choice; it would not be possible to reach, for example, Slovenia or Slovakia, let alone Greece or Cyprus.

The scheme is a watered-down version of a proposal to give every young person in Europe a free InterRail pass on their 18th birthday, first mooted in 2016.

With the UK scheduled to leave the EU on 29 March 2019, this summer will be the only opportunity for British travellers to benefit.

In March, a 26-30 Railcard was rolled out nationwide in Britain, but with only 10,000 on offer the vast majority of applicants were disappointed.
With the narratives on the topic of Islam turning stale, youd be forgiven for thinking that nothing was changing. We have all seen critics of Islam and immigration point to conservative social attitudes among Muslims as proof of some deeper problem with Islam, and call on them to integrate.

Muslim apologists, in return, warn about the dangers of Islamophobia, cheer about celebrities like Mohammad Salah and Nadiya Hussein, and reiterate the well-known fact that Muslims consistently identify more strongly with Britain than other Brits do. Other Muslims, like Maajid Nawaz, instead acknowledge there is a problem and propose a reformation to address it, to lukewarm reception from everybody else.

So far, so boring. It would be easy to think that theres a straight choice: either be more British by being less Muslim, or be more Muslim while being less British.

So when Ipsos MORI released a review last month of all the major polling data on Muslim social attitudes to date, its surprising that no one picked up on the significance of its findings. Delve into the detail and what you find is something completely new.

What it showed is that Muslims are becoming more liberal. But what was surprising was that theyre not becoming less religious; if anything, the data suggests the opposite. The report noted rising religious observance over the 2005-2009 period, saying this rise was particularly evident in the younger (16-29) age group (from 68 per cent to 80 per cent) compared to 73-79 per cent for all Muslims.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 5 October 2021 Members of Insulate Britain outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, before a hearing over the injunction banning the environmental activists from blocking the M25 PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2021 A delegate passes a street cleaner on the second day of the annual Conservative Party Conference being held at the Manchester Central convention centre AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2021 Margaret Thatcher-themed mugs for sale at the annual Conservative Party conference in Manchester EPA UK news in pictures 2 October 2021 A couple make their way through a flooded underpass in Bristol as a yellow weather warning for rain and wind is issued for parts of the UK Tom Wren/SWNS 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

And yet, these Muslims are more likely to want to fully integrate into all aspects of British life, have ethnically diverse friendship groups and think it correct that homosexuality is legal in Britain.

What is happening? Muslims, especially second generation Muslims, seem to be finding ways to reconcile British culture with religion. Its only natural that, when Islamic thought has adapted to the context in Malaysia, in Pakistan and in Egypt, it can do so in Britain as well. Apparently, it can do so without becoming less Islamic.

But if we look beyond polling data, theres something else happening as well. Grassroots British Islamic scholarship is beginning to flourish.

Recommended Bitcoin declared halal under Islamic law

The Cambridge Muslim College, for example, is already laying the groundwork to tackle the political, social and theological problems posed by being Muslim in modern Britain. British Muslims are, for the first time, being trained in Islamic and Western disciplines. The College also recruits Imams who have trained abroad, so they can provide the relevant skills and knowledge necessary in modern British society.

Far from preaching yet another dogmatic world view, the college has an ethos of dialogue, free thought, and rationality, in keeping with classical Islamic scholarship.

Around the world too, Islamic scholarship is proving to be key to softening even the most controversial Muslim stances. A YouTube video produced by the Bayyinah Institute, a US-based Islamic learning platform, uses the original Quranic Arabic to refute any Islamic justification for beating women. The video garnered over 263,000 views, and is part of a whole series on similar issues.

There are other reasons to believe that a greater understanding of Islam is behind these attitude changes. There has been a global crisis in Islamic scholarship for many decades. British Muslims have been left to learn Islam from the cultural practices of their parents, or bits of sermons from imams of unknown qualifications.

It should not be surprising, given the less liberal cultures of India and the Middle East, that that has led to illiberal attitudes here. There is a hope that homegrown scholarship will change this, unblurring the lines between religion and culture, and putting critical thinking at the heart of British Islam. When we know that a feeling of not belonging, along with dogmatic thinking, is a key factor in radicalisation, this can only be a good thing.

The 21st century might be the first to articulate an Islamic liberalism, doctrinally sound and compatible with modernity.

It may not be the reformation some had hoped for, but it is a rediscovery of the historical Islamic fundamentals. Its the beginning of the ideological pushback against extremists whose ideas of violence depart from the Islamic mainstream. Most importantly, it is a major step forward in avoiding the unnecessary clash of civilisations that some fear and others crave.
There are the usual parking options at the international airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. But as you leave the arrivals terminal today youll see a new fenced-in area of loose gravel with row upon row of vehicles, some looking like they might have been there for a while.

They have. These arent cars parked by travellers recently departed for a spring jaunt or business trip. They are cars people have left behind. It happens all time, people are leaving. They come to the airport and abandon them like that, lamented Max Dubuche, who runs a taxi and tour service on the island. They know they are not coming back.

Eight months after Hurricane Maria strafed every last acre of Puerto Rico, destroying its grid and plunging swathes of it into darkness for months on end, some degree of normality is returning. Trees stripped bare are timidly showing their new leaves and, in spite of another near island-wide blackout in April, most areas are finally reconnected to electricity and water.

Power lines can be restitched and hotels reopened, but for whom? For the tourists starting now to venture back on cruise ships and jetliners, perhaps. For wealthy mainlanders eyeing bargains along its sparkling beaches, maybe. But for many Puerto Ricans its already too little too late. Maria was the straw that broke the camels back and theyre gone. Or they will be soon.

The exodus from Puerto Rico traces back to 2005, when a recession took hold that never let go. The Pew Research Centre estimates that between 2005 and 2013 more than 500,000 people left the island for the mainland  5 per cent of its population. Nearly 250 public schools closed in the same period. When it became apparent it had accumulated more debt than it could ever pay back a federal budget-oversight board was foisted on it and an austerity regime imposed.

Marchers in San Juan on May Day last week protest austerity measures imposed by the federal fiscal board (Reuters)

But then came Maria and the population drain took on a whole new momentum. Because Puerto Ricans are US citizens, though with limited voting rights if they are on the island, keeping track of the exact numbers is tricky. But according to a report released by City University of New Yorks Centre for Puerto Rican Studies (Centro), the island will lose an additional 470,000 residents by the end of next year as a direct consequence of the storm. Already there are more Puerto Ricans living in the 50 states than there are in Puerto Rico.

To those left behind its a grim picture. The majority of those fled or fleeing are the young and educated or established professionals like teachers, doctors, engineers and nurses. To make the island, which is a commonwealth of the US  neither a fully-fledged state nor a country under its own flag  viable again, you need to expand its workforce and tax base. The opposite is occurring. An additional 467 schools are set to close by 2022. Samaritan hotlines reported a 246 per cent increase in suicide attempts just between November 2017 and January 2018.

Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Show all 20 1 /20 Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew chief Kenney shelters under the blade of an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit preparing to take off during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, Puerto Rico, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico An HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit takes off behind Crew Chief Alexander Blake and his fellow soldiers during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Morovis, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew member Bynum stands in tropical rain as a HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit prepares to take off during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot Chris Greenway receives a hug from a woman thanking him for water as he works with the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Verde de Comerio, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A man carries a case of water away from an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter after soldiers working with 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit dropped off relief supplies during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Jayuya, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew chief Alexander Blake from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit loads water into a helicopter during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents wait for soldiers in UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade to deliver food and water during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo Reuters Bringing aid to Puerto Rico An HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit lands in a field to avoid lightning during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Manati, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents hold their hands aloft to signal that they need water as UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade fly past during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, near Ciales, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Tropical rain splashes on a runway as HH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit wait for weather to clear during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Pilot Eldwin Bocanegra Torres speaks with residents isolated by landslides in the mountains after unloading water and food from a helicopter during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, near Utuado, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents stand in front of wind-damaged trees as they wait for soldiers in UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade to deliver food and water during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico The contents of a home are seen from the air during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Utuado, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Thomas looks out of the window of an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit, loaded with relief supplies, during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A message written on the rooftop is seen from the air during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Humacao, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit lands in a field during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria in San Sebastian, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Sergeant First Class Eladio Tirado, who is from Puerto Rico, looks for a landing spot for a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade, during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Ciales, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Boys carry water away from an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter after soldiers working with the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit dropped off relief supplies during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Jayuya, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Sergeant First Class Eladio Tirado from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade, who is from Puerto Rico, speaks with residents as he helps during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents peek through a fence at helicopters from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit that had parked in a locked field during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Lares, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson

Perhaps more would have held on if the federal governments response had been different. If Donald Trump hadnt chucked paper towels into the crowd when he visited here and thought it appropriate; if anything like the resources rushed to hurricane victims in Texas and Florida last year had also come to Puerto Rico. Generators, roof tarps, satellite phones, fuel. If they hadnt been made to feel ignored like foreigners even though their passports say theyre Americans.

But is the emptying out of Puerto Rico happening by design? Are darker forces at work? We had a not dissimilar debate after Katrina, thirteen years ago. Were so many of the black poor being deliberately displaced and relocated in Texas, to leave a healthier, less burdened New Orleans behind? A whiter New Orleans?

Im no conspiracy theorist but two colliding phenomena happening in the US are worth considering. First, the anti-immigrant wave. Trump is still pursuing his Muslim travel ban and assails daily a caravan of asylum-seekers that crossed Mexico from Honduras and El Salvador and is now huddled against the border in Tijuana. On Friday, 50,000 Hondurans who have been allowed to live and work in the US since 1999 were told they must be gone in two years.

At the same time, just-released data shows the US with a startling 3.9 per cent jobless rate, the lowest in almost two decades. In tight labour markets, employers traditionally turn to new immigrants to keep the wheels turning, legal and also illegal.

You see the conundrum. An inconvenient reality for Trump and his supporters comes into view. So thank heavens for the Puerto Ricans suddenly flooding in, mostly to Florida but actually to every state in the union, bar Alaska. Industries of all kinds are courting them, from meatpacking plants in South Dakota to hotels desperate to fill summer vacancies in Disneyland and Dallas.

 Schoolkids scream with joy as electricity returns to their school in Puerto Rico

After Katrina struck, they physically put folk onto buses and deposited them in the Astrodome in Houston. Many never returned. That couldnt have happened after Maria, right? Actually it did. This time Fema, the disaster aid agency, chartered planes and cruise ships to get people off the island and gave many of them hotel vouchers to stay on the mainland once they arrived.

Wed be giving the Trump folk far too much credit to suggest this was all planned from the start. That after Maria, Puerto Ricans were identified as the acceptable immigrants to help fill the gaps in the US economy that banning all others would create. Not that Americans can be termed immigrants. Migrants, yes. But just in case its true, we can console ourselves this way: most Puerto Ricans, once in the US, lean Democrat.
A young man has died after an incident at a farm in Co Down.

The man, said to be in his 20s, is understood to have sustained crush-type injuries at a farm near the Kinallen Road area of Katesbridge at around 10.30am on Friday. It is believed he was helping build a shed.

A PSNI spokesperson said: Police attended a sudden death at a farm in the Katesbridge area on Friday 4th May.

The Health and Safety Executive has been informed.

A spokesperson for Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said: "Nothern Ireland Ambulance received a 999 call at 10.07am on Friday, May 5 to report of an unconscious male following an incident in the Kinallen Road area.

"NIAS despatched two A&E crews to the scene and the Charity Air Ambulance was also tasked to attend.

"No one was taken from the scene."

SDLP councillor for Banbridge Seamus Doyle, who lives close to where the incident occurred, told the Belfast Telegraph he heard the deceased was a 22-year-old man from the Bessbrook area in south Armagh, and that he had died while doing building work.

He said: It is very sad that such a young person, with a family as well, has died. I offer my condolences to his family.
'No matter if you feel sick or hungover, on Christmas morning or if there's a death in the family, the cows will be milked'. Stock image

The force of this feeling was very evident during the fodder crisis - farmers who were struggling on so many levels were most stressed about not being able to look after their animals as well as they would want to.

Farm animals have a job to do. In return for their work, we give them a comfortable place to live, quality food, vaccines to avert illness and veterinary care if they do become sick or injured.

So it hurts to hear bad things being said about us.

Yes, there are occasional incidents of animals being ill-treated. This is usually when something overwhelming has happened to those responsible for them.

But I would say there is not a farmer reading this who has not calved, foaled or delivered the young of some animal dressed in their pyjamas and wellies and, at the other end of the sartorial spectrum, in their Sunday best.

No matter if you feel sick or hungover, on Christmas morning or if there's a death in the family, the cows will be milked. Ditto the weather. In hail, snow, drought or flood, a farmer's thoughts are always of their animals being fed, watered and having a place to lie.

At times, the concern for them will even supersede that for the family.

Indeed, many farm accidents occur when a farmer is trying to help out an animal, irrespective of the danger to their self.

A recent Teagasc survey found that one fifth of Irish farmers have never visited a doctor regarding their health. Yet if an animal was unwell, a farmer would not hesitate to call the vet. Cost doesn't come into it.

Fifteen years ago, our first baby, Rachel, was stillborn at term. She had been perfectly healthy until a couple of days before when something went wrong and it was not detected.

Going down the yard days later, I heard the distressed breathing of a newborn calf. He was lying on a thick bed of straw under an infra-red lamp, suffering from pneumonia. The vet made several visits.

Though Robin was heartbroken, his instinct was do everything for the calf, who duly recovered. And, yes, in time, he was slaughtered for beef.

Raising animals which end up as meat in no way takes away from how much we care for them.

The upside of this is Irish farmers are still in a position where, when we call for help, it is heard as the majority of reasonable people recognise and respect what we do. This is very heartening to know.

But we farmers need to realise this reputation is precious. Because goodwill is conditional.

So when we do get in bother, we need to ask for help, especially when significant numbers of animals are concerned.

In the current climate, I would be worried if anything happened to the live trade for young calves.

Looking after animals well with a view to feeding people is a noble occupation that farmers should rightly feel proud of.

Instead of reacting to the attacks on us in a fire-brigade manner - because those kinds of battles can never be won - we need to focus on telling our own good story at every opportunity.

Thus, it is good to see that four farms around the country will be hosting open farm days for the public in conjunction with Agri Aware next Monday, May 7.
Tony Smurfit, CEO of Smurfit Kappa, and chairman Liam OMahony at the companys annual general meeting at Dublins Herbert Park Hotel yesterday. Photo: Maxwells

At an annual general meeting punctuated by just one question from the tiny number of small shareholders present, packaging giant Smurfit Kappa again remained defiant in its opposition to a takeover approach from Memphis-based International Paper for the 8bn Irish group.

International Paper (IP) has been circling Smurfit Kappa since February, and has made two indicative offers for the Irish company that management have rejected. IP CEO and chairman Mark Sutton has previously indicated that his patience for a deal will likely wear thin and expire by July.

Speaking at yesterday's AGM, Smurfit Kappa chairman Liam O'Mahony said that the board continues to believe that the company's prospects are best advanced as an independent company.

He said the proposals from IP "entirely fail to value the group's true intrinsic business worth and prospects".

IP's revised cash and share proposal delivered at the end of March currently values Smurfit Kappa at 38.23 per share, or 9.06bn. IP's shares closed at $51.17 on Wednesday, lower than the $52.37 they were at on March 26 when the revised proposal was made.

Mr Sutton has described the potential acquisition of Smurfit Kappa as "very compelling".

Mr O'Mahony and Smurfit Kappa CEO Tony Smurfit met Mr Sutton in London in February where the initial approach was tabled.

Speaking after the AGM yesterday, Mr Smurfit said that meeting had been "professional".

He added that the approach from IP has diverted his attention and that of chief financial officer Ken Bowles from the day-to-day running of the business.

"It is fair to say that myself and Ken have spent more time on this than regular business, but it is equally fair to say that the organisation is getting on with its day-to-day business and working very hard," he said.

Mr Smurfit would not be drawn on specific questions relating to IP's offer, including its valuation, due to takeover rules. However, he has previously cited cultural differences between the two companies as one of the reasons why he did not believe a marriage of the two firms would work.

Mr Smurfit declined yesterday to say what he believed those cultural differences were, but said one analyst had likened the pair to "oil and water".

He also said consolidation within Smurfit Kappa's sector "will happen at a much slower pace in Europe than it has happened in the US".

More than 50pc of firms in the sector in Europe are privately owned, compared to about 25pc in the US, he said.

Smurfit Kappa yesterday reported a 22pc surge to 340m in its first quarter earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda), a performance certain to have strengthened the company's resolve to spurn IP.

It said its outlook is for 2018 ebitda to be "materially better" than the 1.24bn generated in 2017.

Mr Smurfit said the company does "not believe in cycles", when asked about speculation from some investors that the sector is near a cyclical peak.

"The variation in our earnings has been very minimal, other than going on an upward trend," he said.
IAG could ditch its stake in low-cost operator Norwegian Air Shuttle if takeover talks don't progress, Willie Walsh told the Irish Independent.

The airline group chief was speaking after Norwegian said it had rebuffed takeover proposals from IAG because they undervalued the carrier.

There are currently no talks with Norwegian under way, Willie Walsh said. IAG is under no "put up or shut up" obligation to come back with a formal bid, he added.

Shares in Norwegian traded down as much as 12pc yesterday, as it became clear no firm offer from IAG was forthcoming. IAG shares rose 5pc.

Norwegian said it had received two conditional proposals for a full takeover from IAG, but had rejected them because they undervalued the company.

Aer Lingus owner IAG is now "considering all" options on how to proceed, Willie Walsh told this newspaper.

That could mean coming back with a formal takeover approach for Norwegian, exiting the company altogether or - to hedge IAG's bets - retaining the 4.61pc stake it took in Norwegian shares in April as an investment.

The potential bid situation, and signs of apparent tension between IAG and Norwegian, dominated financial results from IAG yesterday.

Those results had confirmed IAG's position as one of Europe's strongest airline groups with a 75pc jump in quarterly profit to 280m, beating forecasts, and said its earnings are set to increase for 2018 as a whole.

Willie Walsh said it means the business is positioned to grow either through acquisition or organically. "With 7.4bn in cash we're clearly in a very strong position," he said.

This year's spike in oil prices will pile pressure on some of IAG's less financially robust rivals, he said. IAG has hedged 70pc of its oil needs, he said.

"I do believe there are airlines that will find this year more challenging. Fuel prices are much higher than we thought they'd be. I'm pleased we've hedged."

Airlines that will now be hit with the full impact of rising oil costs will be squeezed over the summer, because they won't be in a position to lift prices to compensate for rising cost, he said. If airlines fall by the wayside IAG can shift capacity into affected markets, or swoop on a takeover, Mr Walsh said.

Meanwhile, Air France-KLM CEO Jean-Marc Janaillac said yesterday he would resign after staff rejected a pay deal, plunging the airline into turmoil amid a wave of strikes at its French brand that has cost the company 300m.

He said more than half of the staff at Air France who cast a ballot voted against the offer of a 7pc rise over four years. "I take responsibility for the consequences of this vote and will in the coming days tender my resignation to the boards of Air France and Air France-KLM," he told a news conference.




Kathmandu, Nepal: Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Mark Field MP is arriving in Nepal on Sunday 6 May for a two day visit. This will be Mr Fields first visit to Nepal.





Mr Field arrives in Nepal to further strengthen the more than 200-year long bilateral relationship. While in Nepal he will meet senior leaders from government and business, as well as those working to improve the lives of the most vulnerable. He will discuss what more can be done to grow bilateral trade and boost inward investment, and how the UK can help support Nepals transition to federalism.





Speaking in London before his departure Mr Field said I am delighted to be the first British Minister to visit Nepal since the formation of Nepals current government. The UK is Nepals oldest diplomatic partner and I look forward to my meetings with Prime Minister Oli and Foreign Minister Gyawali to strengthen our relationship even further. I will also be visiting the Red Cross Emergency Propositioning Site in Bhaktapur to see first-hand how UK assistance is making a real difference to the lives of the people of Nepal in their post-earthquake reconstruction effort.




'We hopes this sparks a trend for other firms to follow suit'

Revolut has challenged the fintech industry to actively address gender imbalance with the launch of free coding classes for women.

Leading engineers from the tech firm will teach the monthly night classes, which may increase in frequency after beta testing, at Revolut's new office at Canary Wharf in London.

The digital banking alternative currently serves more than 100,000 customers in Ireland, with 40pc using Revolut as their primary spending card at home and abroad.

Chief executive Nikolay Storonsky said that he hopes their action will inspire similar activity across the fintech space.

"While a lot of tech companies talk a good game about how important gender balance is to them, weve identified our own imbalance within our engineering teams and are taking action ourselves to help tackle this issue," he said.

The company recently announced that it raised a further $250m (205m), increasing its value five-fold to $1.7bn in less than a year.

Among the investors is Dublin-listed Draper Esprit, which announced an investment of up to $16.5m (13.5m) in the company.

The tech company plans to use the capital to expand globally, and increase its workforce from 350 to 800 employees by year end.

Revolut are moving into their new office early June and expect the first trial classes to begin mid-June.

Spokesperson Chad West said that they have already been "inundated" with calls and emails from women interested in taking up the classes.

"There are a lot of women who are looking to pivot into engineering but they don't have the funds or the time to facilitate that career change," he told Independent.ie.

"We're not political at all...but we do identify that as you scale you have to set an example for smaller companies.

"We hopes this sparks a trend for other firms to follow suit. We've seen the demand and we alone can't cope with it all."
Colm Cuffe lives a double life - nice young primary schoolteacher by day, cartoonist whose mischievous wit and draftsmanship has made him a Facebook sensation the rest of the time.

Now there is a book, too, for those Luddites who missed the When's it Hometime? webcomics he's been posting on Facebook. We think you will like it - parents may even find it a bit of a scoop. And it's marketed on the cover as "the perfect thank you gift", so every teacher in Ireland is about to receive several copies.

The collection of cartoons, A Teacher's Life, is a bleakly comic portrayal of classroom life - the teasing, the bragging, the pretentious lunchboxes - and of the existential haplessness of those whose vocation is opening Frubes throughout little break. The bubble-eyed 'Teeeeacher' in the cartoons is a jaded figure besieged by requests and pointless banter from delightfully unreasonable and ungrateful little blighters, and the drawings range from simple to exquisite.

Cuffe would not agree he lives a double life. This internet emissary is modest to the point of evasive - a curious mixture of outgoing and deeply private, saying: "I'm keeping my drawings and schoolteaching separate". Which is ambitious, given his schoolteaching goes into all the drawings.

Expand Close Some of Colm Cuffe's sketches. Photo: Ruth Medjber / Facebook

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Whatsapp Some of Colm Cuffe's sketches. Photo: Ruth Medjber

The 'Teeeeacher' in his cartoons is leaden-eyed, long-suffering and given to despair; Cuffe, on the other hand, is chipper to meet and blindingly positive about all aspects of his job. He gives the impression of being nothing but cool-headed in the face of anarchy.

'Teeeeacher' is not him, he says, though he does concede one truth: "It made me feel like I had an outlet." It turns out he found this outlet years earlier, when he was a schoolboy himself.

Growing up in Galway, Cuffe was "a bit of a perfectionist", and "the one at the back of the class doodling in the copybooks". Many hours were devoted to copying characters from his favourite shows - The Simpsons, Garfield, Denis the Menace and Batman. When Cuffe's mother put him in a Saturday art class at the Cruinniu Studio, his art teacher James Newell encouraged him to create his own characters. Herb and Chad - two schoolboys, shooting the breeze - were born.

He was 13 when he had his first newspaper slot, a comic strip published in both the Galway City Tribune and Galway First. Back then, print was the only platform for cartoons and comic strips, and Cuffe was aware of Matt Groening's Life in Hell. Every week he came up with new punchlines for Herb and Chad, enjoying the pocket money and the trip to the newsagent for the papers.

"They were just jokes more than anything," he says modestly. He even made an animated short that featured in the Galway Film Fleadh.

But he "outgrew" Herb and Chad, became a teacher and set aside his pencils and sketchbooks. Sometimes he sat at his desk, really wanting to draw but not knowing where to start. Until he realised that all the material was there before his eyes. "Children come out with very funny lines," he says. "After time, I realised this could be very funny material for a comic strip." Staffroom stories abounded, too, and Cuffe started jotting down the jokes and building up a bank of cartoon strips. But the cartoons would move from his desk to his shelf and then languish there. "I was just doing it for myself," he says. "I genuinely didn't think anyone would read them."

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Colm, who teaches first class at a school in Greystones, Co Wicklow had always had the very niche dream of attending a table read of The Simpsons, and when he met one of the writers, Mike Reiss, at the Galway Comedy Festival, he engineered an invite, and soon found himself among a select audience in Fox Studios in LA.

Cuffe and his teacher wife Carol watched, rapt, as the voices behind Homer and Marge, Bart and Lisa landed their jokes. At the end, he approached his hero, Matt Groening, who said "follow me", and sat down with him to have a look at his cartoons.

"I had my little backpack and folder with poly-pockets. I told him, 'I'm a big fan, and I've come all the way from Ireland'. He said, 'You've a confident style and you're very funny. Do you have an online presence?'"

That was in March 2016 and that September, Cuffe put up his first comic strip, of a pupil begging for "hometime"; the next showing the mental processes of a teacher at the end of summer holidays - "splitting headache, fleeting panic attack, desperation, anxiety, despair, denial".

The cartoons first caught the attention of a handful of teacher friends and soon there were strangers, everyone baying for more. His teen training with the local papers ensured nothing like drawer's block could get in the way of producing a weekly cartoon: "I have a lot of pencil mileage by now," he says.

These days, teachers from all over the world message him with anecdotes. Translators from Germany, France and Italy have been contacting him and just the other day, he came across his comic strips pirated in Mandarin Chinese. The need to produce has not caused him to scrimp on the punctilious detail of his classroom scenes. Every drawing is done by hand, using a lightbox, ruler and pens. He draws out the panels, then the first drawing, then traces each line in each new panel after that. Look closely and you'll find there is a slight curve to the lines, giving the drawings a special artisan quality. This is unusual when most illustrators use a stylus pen and tablet. "It's all fancy nowadays," Colm says.

That first cartoon strip he posted coincided with the arrival of his first child, Cian, who at 20 months now has his own sketchpad and pencil, too.

He credits his "great inspiration" Matt Groening with giving him the courage to follow his dream on a platform - Facebook - that was new to him. "Personally, I don't use social media," says the cartoonist, who now has a following of 22,800. It's one of many offbeat, curious statements he makes. He does not admit to any struggle in his working life as a teacher, and humour is kept strictly to the cartoons. Over the hour we meet, he doesn't say a single witty thing.

His pupils have been the first to say to him "You're famous". And how about when they doodle at the back of class? "I encourage them to doodle," he says.

He has given each of his pupils a sketchpad of their own to use during rainy break-times. "Children love watching cartoons and reading cartoons. Why shouldn't they be encouraged to draw their own?"

He hasn't posted a new cartoon since March: is he ready to outgrow his classroom characters? "I have stacks of sketchbooks at home, full of creations," he says and trails off, keeping his cards close to his chest.

To write a series would be "really a dream come true," he says, adding that he has no plans to ever leave teaching.

"It's such a privilege to be educating the next generation, to make a difference in their lives. And of course to hear their sense of humour."

A Teacher's Life: A When's it Hometime? Collection by Colm Cuffe is published by Gill Books
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? returns this weekend, in a mini-series celebrating the show's 20th anniversary. But it also represents a more controversial TV landmark: the return of Jeremy Clarkson.

Saturday's episode will see the motor-head presenter back on terrestrial television for the first time since "steakgate": the foul-mouthed row over a beef dinner that lost him his job on Top Gear, and eventually led him and the BBC to fork out a six-figure sum in compensation. It might well be the most expensive steak in history. But why did it happen?

Long before that night in March 2015, there were already storm clouds brewing. Clarkson had been placed on a final warning by the BBC in May the previous year, after footage surfaced of him apparently using the word "n-----" while quoting a nursery rhyme.

"I've been told by the BBC that if I make one more offensive remark, anywhere, at any time, I will be sacked," he grumbled in his weekly column for the Sun. "Even the angel Gabriel would struggle to survive with that hanging over his head."

Of course, the angel Gabriel never had to deal with bereavement or divorce. Clarkson has said he was "very close" to his mother Shirley, the creator of the original Paddington Bear toy, who had passed away the previous April. Shortly after her death, the presenter separated from his wife and agent of 21 years Frances Clarkson, who had also been a mothering influence in his life.

"My wife organises my diary, gets me in the right clothes, reminds me when to be in and where to go when I'm out," he once said. To make matters worse, his previous wife Alex Hall had responded to news of the split by crowing about it in an interview with the Telegraph ("I dont think he ever loved [Frances]  he loved me"). Clarkson needed a tactful, compassionate shoulder to cry on. Unexpectedly, the shoulder he chose belonged to Piers Morgan.

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The pair had hated each other for years. Morgan still has a scar above his right temple from when Clarkson punched him in the face at the 2004 British Press Awards  a punch that also broke Clarkson's pinkie-finger. And yet, in a moment of vulnerability, it was the former Daily Mirror editor Clarkson turned to, unburdening himself over five emotional hours in the pub.

Morgan repaid Clarkson's candour by spilling every detail of their private conversation in the tabloids as soon as news of steakgate broke. In a Daily Mail article, Morgan described that heady night in the summer of 2014, when he had "consumed four pints of London Pride, and two bottles of St Emilion Grand Cru", whilst Clarkson "swilled buckets of rose, and puffed endless packets of nicotine".

According to Morgan, the Top Gear presenter told him with a sigh: "Im going through a difficult divorce, my first ex-wife has also came out of the woodwork to give me hell, Im smoking and drinking too much, my back hurts, Im all over the papers with this N-word scandal, Im at war with my BBC bosses, and my mother has just died. I dont have the energy for you any more.

As Samuel Johnson nearly wrote, when a man is tired of hating Piers Morgan, he is tired of life.

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It was, one might assume, a fairly tired and bedraggled Clarkson who arrived at the Simonstone Hall hotel, near Hawes, North Yorkshire, on March 4, 2015. After a long day of filming for Top Gear's 22nd series, Clarkson had been drinking in a local pub with his co-hosts, Richard Hammond and James May.

When he returned to the hotel, he asked for a steak. It was late at night, and there was no steak to be had; the chef had packed up for the evening. According to one hotel guest, a Mrs Sue Ward from Leeds, the hungry star began hotly complaining that it was ridiculous there was nothing to eat.

In fact, there was plenty to eat. He was reportedly offered a platter of cold meats and cheeses, as well as soup. Sadly, no report of the incident has revealed the flavour of soup.

"Clarkson erupted when told there was only a cold platter," another eyewitness said. "The general manager offered them everything. We were all thinking, 'Meat platter and soup? Surely that's food.'"

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The victim of Clarkson's ire was an embarrassed producer standing on the hotel patio: Oisin Tymon, then a 36-year-old rising talent at the BBC. It wasn't just a brief outburst, but a sustained tirade. Clarkson hit Tymon, leaving the younger man  who did not retaliate  with a bleeding lip. An internal investigation into the "unprovoked physical and verbal attack" confirmed that "the verbal abuse was directed at Oisin Tymon on more than one occasion  both during the attack and subsequently inside the hotel  and contained the strongest expletives and threats to sack him".

The shocked producer drove himself to A&E. He thought he had been fired. But, as it turned out, the BBC were keen to keep him. "We believe Oisin has a very exciting future at the BBC," a spokesman for the corporation would claim in February 2016, after the BBC had paid out a settlement for both injury and racial discrimination (Clarkson had reportedly called Tymon a "lazy Irish c--t").

The payment, to which Clarkson contributed, is understood to have been more than 100,000. But it seems it wasn't enough to woo Tymon back to Top Gear. He was offered a job on the programme when it returned with Chris Evans behind the wheel, but turned it down, and now works with a London company called Carnage, "the world's first specialist automotive film production company".

It wasn't Tymon who reported the incident, however. Clarkson was the first to inform BBC managment, almost five full days after the attack, on March 9. The next day, the BBC announced that he had been suspended. A few hours later, the presenter's daughter Em tweeted: "Oh God, BBC please take him back... He's started cooking..." Just as violence begets more violence, one disappointing meal begets another.

The next few days brought a flurry of reports about the incident. James May insisted it was only "a bit of a dust-up". One of the Sun's unnamed "insiders" spoke of "a massive bust-up". But the BBC's spokesperson had called it a "fracas", and the rest of the world soon followed suit. Google searches for "fracas" spiked to record levels. "What is a fracas?" ran the Mirror's bewildered headline. Expert lexicographer Jonathan Green was on hand to explain that "it does imply some kind of fisticuffs".

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If it had been any other meal, the public reaction may have been different. But there was something workmanlike about steak that caught the media's attention; it chimed so perfectly with Clarkson's red-blooded petrol-head image. Various talking heads stepped forward to defend him. "Poor Jeremy Clarkson," wrote Foyle's War actor Michael Simkins. "After a hard day's filming on Top Gear in the wilds of North Yorkshire he returned to his hotel to find he couldnt even get a simple steak and chips."

The phrase "simple steak and chips" was bending the truth a little. What Clarkson reportedly asked for was actually "an 8oz sirloin with fondant potatoes, pan-fried wild mushrooms, grilled cherry tomatoes and peppercorn sauce". The hotels general manager, Robert Scott, had eventually prepared a 21.95 steak for the presenter in an attempt to calm him down.

Simkins wasn't the only unlikely pundit weigh in with an opinion. Prime Minister David Cameron called Clarkson a "major talent," and said his children would be "heartbroken" if Top Gear was pulled off air. A petition was launched by blogger Guido Fawkes begging the BBC to reinstate him. (Its rallying cry? "Freedom to fracas.") It garnered more than a million signatures, and was delivered to the BBC in a tank, with someone dressed as the Top Gear Stig perched on top.

There was a dark side to the fervour of the Clarkson army. While some of his supporters were pointing that heavy artillery gun at New Broadcasting House, others were firing off abusive tweets at Tymon. In the following weeks, one threatened to "beat him to a pulp"; another wrote "let's hope he visits the morgue VERY soon".

The remaining episodes of that series of Top Gear were pulled from the air, and although Clarkson had not yet been fired, forgiveness looked unlikely. In his first Sun on Sunday column after being suspended, he struck a note of melancholy resignation.

"All the dinosaurs died and now, years later, no one mourns their passing," he wrote. "These big, imposing creatures have no place in a world which has moved on. You can start as many campaigns as you like and call on the support of politicians from all sides, but the day must come when you have to wave goodbye to the big monsters and move on. We lose one animal and get another. The world turns.

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If there was any hope of a reprieve, it vanished after he climbed onstage at a charity auction on March 19 to tell the crowd that the BBC had "f---ed themselves".

"I didnt foresee my sacking, but I would like to do one last lap," he said. "Ill go down to Surrey and Ill do one last lap of that track before the f---ing b-----ds sack me... Ill drive somebody around in whatever I can get hold of, Im sacked so its probably a Nissan Maestro."

Two bidders paid 100,000 between them for the chance to join him behind the wheel  and not in a Nissan. When Clarkson returned to Dunsfold Aerodrome for the final time, on an overcast, drizzly day in July 2015, there were three cars waiting: a Ferrari 488 GTB, a Mercedes-AMG GT S and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason's personal LaFerrari.

These are once-in-a-lifetime memories, gushed Zak Brown, one of the lucky bidders. But for Clarkson it was a melancholy occasion. "I was feeling a bit choked as I went through the gates for the very last time," he wrote. "The Top Gear portable office was locked to stop me taking even a small souvenir." It was a sad anti-climax for the man who had transformed a doddery TV throwback into one of the world's popular programmes. But as he returns to the small screen, will Clarkson be able to pull off a similar transformation in his new job? That's the million-pound question.

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Fresh from deciding the winner of Home of the Year 2018, architect Hugh Wallace returns to RTE on Sunday night with a new house renovation series, The Great House Revival, which is, he says, 'very different' to both Home of the Year and RTE's flagship Room to Improve.

Two years in the making the series charts the trials and tribulations of six homeowners who have undertaken to transform derelict properties into comfortable, modern homes.

It's Room to Improve times a hundred as they strive to save properties that are in some cases literally rotting to the ground from a 100 room country estate in Mayo to a Cavan schoolhouse to an inner city Dublin Victorian townhouse.

What the homeowners have done here is each and every one of them has saved buildings that were either about to be demolished or were in the grave. These buildings were gone and they have pulled them out of the ground, Hugh tells Independent.ie

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He hopes the programme will encourage people to seek out and restore more of the buildings like the old primary schools, Georgian houses, and farmhouses which are dying in our cities, towns and rural areas.

"The councils have a remit to preserve and save and ensure our architectural heritage isnt lost and its being lost today," he says.

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"There are only 2,500 thatched cottages left in Ireland and theyre disappearing at a rate of probably 50 or 60 a year. Theyre a dying species. The thatched cottage, unless somebody does something fundamental, will be gone."

A thatched cottage features in the new series.

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"Its pulled out of death by the owner. The roof was gone, the walls were crumbling and the homeowner, with her conservation architect did an extraordinary job of bringing it back," reveals Hugh. "They could so easily have put it in the bin and built a bungalow."

Another homeowner saves a little primary school which was just two weeks away from being knocked with a bulldozer.

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"These buildings want somebody to save them," says Hugh, who is clearly passionate about them. "I think buildings are quite interesting, they want to be loved and buildings will be forgiving. They will say I want you to really succeed. These buildings want to survive.

"All of these owners have taken properties that would have been gone. Some of them are spending millions, some are spending 50,000 but all of them have saved our architectural heritage. They are all custodians and caretakers of these buildings."

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For many people the dream of restoring an old property is scuppered by the fear of plunging their hard-earned cash into an unpredictable money pit. However, Hugh reckons it's not the budget-chomping, head-wrecking endeavour it used to be, particularly if you're willing to do much of the hard graft yourself.

Although you may be battling inferior building materials in a Georgian house or a complete lack of foundations on a cottage built in the 1860s, there are ways to work around those issues.

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"One homeowner is rescuing a 1840s Georgian house in Dublin and he basically does it for 50,000," reveals Hugh. "A lot of the owners rolled up their own sleeves and did the work themselves and that actually makes the building affordable.

"A restoration or restoring of an old building funnily enough is more about time and labour than materials, because it all takes time to take the plaster off, to dig up the floors, and if youre willing to do that you can work within very tight budgets. Youll see that in this programme."

Building methods and conservation methods have also drastically improved in the last decade.

"For example, lime plaster, which was a pain to put up, now you can do it by literally spraying it on and its as good as the lime mortar plaster used 200 years ago. The difference is now you can apply huge areas of lime plaster that will include hemp or cork by way of insulation," explains Hugh.

"So the way we think about conserving buildings and how we can do them has changed dramatically over 10 years - its much more effective and there are better value methods."

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Although he's an architect, Hugh is not playing a Dermot Bannon role on the programme - he's simply there to observe and present. However, he laughs, "I do open my mouth on occasion - whether they listen to me or not is another thing!".

There are clashes, however, although not between Hugh and the homeowners. When it comes to houses which are protected structures and homeowners have to deal with conservation officers and vice versa, there can be issues.

"Then youre into a different area of complication," says Hugh. "But you have to understand that the councils want to, and will, do everything they can do to assist you.

"But theyre between a rock and a hard place, first of all because theres a lack of conservation officers in a lot of councils around the country. They only have so much time.

"Also, their concern is that if they give you a decision that you can do something then they set a precedent and everybody can do the same. Thats the conundrum.

"The conservation officer in the council is saying, It cant happen on my watch because Ill get shot. Its not that they dont want to help. So, its very important how you establish a relationship with your conservation officer. A lot of it is to do with trust, because theyre afraid. They dont want to be a headline in a newspaper."

It's not just the conservation officers who may lock horns with homeowners. There are representatives of other concerned groups who will have their own guidelines on how a particular project should be tackled.

"There are a whole rake of other people who come in and are screaming, But you have to do it this way!. I think that theres that whole discussion that needs to take place," says Hugh.

He gives an example; "I know of one building in Dublin where its an old Georgian house, very fine, and 20 per cent of the original fabric is there in terms of plaster work, door frames, the original mouldings, but some of the rooms have nothing - all of the plasterwork is gone.

"And the council is sort of saying, In this room you have to restore it and put back the moulding and the client is going, But theres nothing there. I saved this building, the outside of the building, Ive restored the windows, I will conserve and restore any element of the original fabric that is there, so why cant I plaster a room in plaster and paint it white?

"It goes back to the conservation officer saying, If I do that its a precedent and everybody will run in and say the same thing to me."

It can be quite a fraught process but not one any of the homeowners have undertaken lightly whether it seems complicated or relatively straightforward.

"When you take on a building like this you do your homework," says Hugh. "And its amazing what information is available. You can find out when the building was bought, whose land it belonged to, the history and heritage. You can look up Census records and see who lived there. Its amazing stuff. And by doing that it gives you a bit of context for the building."

The first episode Bede Tannock travels from Perth to Mayo, where he hopes to rescue Ballinafad House.

It was built in 1827 and is derelict, but Bede hopes to live in it with his partner Sandra. In the first phase he also hopes to rent it out as a venue having restored the entrance hall, stairwell, two drawing rooms of the old estate house, in order to fund the second phase of the project.

He will also restore the large dining hall, assembly hall and chapel as well as the 12 room wing known as the priests' house and this is where he and Sandra will reside throughout the restoration. As a qualified architect and cabinet maker he'll be getting hands-on on site. But it's an epic project - there are 110 rooms and 70,000 square feet of floor space.

Hugh says he was massively impressed with all of the homeowners' projects, as he was with the homes on Home of the Year.

"I think were very good at it. Irish people have a natural talent in terms of creativity when it comes to lighting, music, colour, art and I think that our creativity shows in Home of the Year or in this restoration programme," he says.

"Some of the finishes here are to the owners taste and they might not be to everybody elses but theyre fabulous!"

The Great House Revival kicks off on RTE One on Sunday night at 9.30pm.
Hit BBC series Peaky Blinders will have a sixth and possibly seventh series, according to writer Stephen Knight.

Knight is currently penning the fifth season of the Birmingham-set period crime drama which stars Irish actor Cillian Murphy as Thomas Shelby, the head of the Peaky Blinders gang.

"We are dfeinteily doing six and we will probably do seven," Knight told the Birmingham Press Club.

"We've talked to Cillian Murphy and he's al for it, and the rest of the principal cast are in for it."

The show may live beyond the confines of TV too, as Knight revealed that he had been approached by the Rambert dance company about a ballet version.

"I wasn't supposed to say anything about it, but I don't mind talking about things," he said.

Series four ended with Thomas Shelby crowned as Labour MP for Birmingham South  after several apparent brushes with death  and the gruesome murder of his brother and fan favourite character, Arthur (Paul Anderson).

Season five will air next year.
Ruth Negga will be taking on the role of Hamlet at The Gate Theatre, Dublin. Photo: Getty

Oscar-nominated actress Ruth Negga is to take on the role of Hamlet in the Gate Theatre's upcoming production of Shakespeare's great tragedy.

The play is scheduled to go into production later this year and there is speculation that Negga, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2017 for her role in Jeff Nichols's 'Loving', will play the Prince of Denmark.

This will not be Negga's first time starring in the play.

In 2010, the Limerick actress played an acclaimed Ophelia to Rory Kinnear's Hamlet at the Royal National Theatre in London.

However, this time she will play literature's most celebrated, not to mention gloomiest, Dane.

A spokesperson for The Gate said they would not be commenting on any aspect of their upcoming season until the official launch later this month.

Hamlet is a role often considered the pinnacle of a male actor's career as it covers the gambit of emotions, and allows them to showcase their acting chops.

In recent years, there have been a profusion of interpretations with Andrew Scott, Jude Law, Michael Sheen, 'Dr Who's' David Tennant and 'Sherlock' star Benedict Cumberbatch all stepping up to the mark.

But several female actors have also taken on the iconic role. The French actor Sarah Bernhardt famously played Hamlet on stage in Paris and London in 1899, and then in a 1900 film.

Most recently, Maxine Peake won rave reviews in the Royal Exchange theatre's 2015 production.

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At the time, Peake said she hoped her portrayal would "spark a revolution" among female performers.

"I get why all men get very over-excited about playing Hamlet because you do everything," she said.

"Every emotional base is covered. It is encapsulating the ultimate part, where you get to stretch everything."

Elsewhere, women have tackled other iconic male Shakespearean roles; Vanessa Redgrave has played Prospero, while Fiona Shaw and Cate Blanchett both starred as Richard II.

Negga (35) is one of Ireland's most successful actors.

She graduated from Trinity College Dublin's Samuel Beckett Centre, and secured roles on stage at The Abbey before landing her breakout role was in Neil Jordan's 'Breakfast on Pluto' alongside Cillian Murphy.

She has also starred in BBC2's biopic of Shirley Bassey and as anti-heroine Tulip O'Hare in 'Preacher'.

It is almost a year since current artistic director of The Gate Selina Cartmell launched her inaugural season 'The Outsider'.

Productions from her first season have been met with positive reviews - particularly the immersive production of 'The Great Gatsby' which sold out for the entirety of its run and won numerous awards.

The last time 'Hamlet' was performed at the theatre was during Hilton Edwards and Micheal MacLiammoir's tenure, with MacLiammoir taking on the titular role.
Niall Alvey appeared before a special sitting of Galway District Court charged over the stabbing of a Garda in Oranmore today. Photo: Hany Marzouk

A 33-year old man has been remanded in custody in relation to an incident in which a Garda suffered stab wounds.

Niall Alvey, with an address at Gleann Dara, Rahoon, Galway, was remanded in custody when he appeared before a special sitting of Galway District Court on Friday evening.

Sgt. Fergus Gaughan gave evidence of arresting Alvey at Renville, Oranmore, Galway at 12.10pm on Friday.

He told Judge Gerard Furlong that he charged Alvey at 7.30pm at Galway Garda Station and that the defendant made no reply.

Alvey is charged with assault causing harm to a Garda who is a member of the Armed Regional Support Unit based at Salthill.

The officer was taken to University College Hospital to be treated for non-life threatening lacerations.

The defendant, dressed in a blue t-shirt and tracksuit leggings, did not speak during the brief hearing at Galway Courthouse on Friday evening.

Inspector Karen Moloney applied to have Alvey remanded in custody to Galway District Court next Wednesday, May 9, and told Judge Furlong that there would be opposition to bail.

Judge Furlong granted free legal aid.

Defendant solicitor Valerie Corcoran said she had concerns that her client might not be able to receive necessary psychiatric care at Castlerea Prison and urged that he be transferred immediately to a facility which would be able to provide immediate .

She said she had not been able to engage with her client to establish fitness to plead.

Judge Furlong remanded Alvey in custody to appear before Galway District Court next Wednesday.

He requested any necessary transfer within the prison service to be considered to enable immediate assessment of the defendant to facilitate a report on fitness to plead to be prepared for the return date.
A homeless Latvian man who sexually assaulted a woman sleeping on the street has been given a five month sentence.

Aigars Grinfelds (34) placed his hand inside the underwear of the sleeping woman before a passer-by intervened.

Grinfelds, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexual assault of the woman at a location in the city centre on a date in December 2017.

He has nine previous convictions in Ireland, Germany and Latvia which include public order and theft and fraud offences. He has been in custody since January 19, 2018.

Garda Cathal McNamara told Sinead McMullen BL, prosecuting, that the woman had been asleep on the street at around midnight. It came to garda attention that Grinfelds was lying beside her and CCTV was focused on the area.

Grinfelds placed his hand inside the woman's underwear on her bare backside. A passer-by intervened and Grinfelds was arrested. The woman was taken to be examined. Grinfelds told gardai he was drunk at the time but accepted it was him.

Gda McNamara said the woman was asleep before and after the incident. The victim was upset about the offence and felt that she should have been safe in a public place. Gda McNamara agreed with Niall Storan BL, defending, that no violence had been used, that Grinfelds's remorse had been genuine and he expressed concern for the victim.

Mr Storan said Grinfelds had been homeless and suffering with an alcohol addiction which he has since taken steps to address. He submitted the accused had a strong work history and was considering going back to Latvia.

Judge Martin Nolan said all cases of sexual assault were serious but this case was probably at the lower end of the scale. He said Grinfelds had expressed remorse and was drunk at the time, which he said was no excuse. He noted Grinfelds had previous convictions but none of a similar nature.

He said that it was unlikely that Grinfelds would come back to court on a matter such as this.

Judge Nolan imposed a 12 month sentence and suspended the final seven months. He backdated the sentence to January when Grinfelds went into custody.
Gardai are attempting to verify images that appear to show a sex act being carried out in a provincial church. Stock photo

Gardai are attempting to verify images that appear to show a sex act being carried out in a provincial church.

This week photographs began to circulate showing a man in priest's vestments engaging in a sex act on the altar of the parish grounds.

A formal complaint has been made to officers at a district Garda station, who are now leading the investigation into the incident.

However, the alleged sex act occurred in a nearby town and not in the parish where investigating gardai are based.

A Garda spokesman yesterday confirmed that an investigation was under way after gardai received a report on May 2.

A source told the Irish Independent gardai were now trying to verify the images of the alleged incident, and would have to establish what crime, if any, had taken place.

"There are a range of different offences that could have been committed here, but gardai first have to establish if the images in question are authentic. The investigation is still in the early stages, a lewd act may have been committed but that will become apparent at a later stage," the source said.

It is understood that a person connected to the church made the formal complaint.

A person who obtained the images, who wished to remain anonymous, described the incident as "an abomination".

They also questioned how many people had received communion at the altar of the parish church since its violation, or had been confirmed, buried or married.

The individual also called for "some sort of exorcism" of the church.

"The photographs depict something that appears to be somewhat satanic," they told the Irish Independent.

The graphic images show two men across what appears to be the altar of a small country church, and engaged in intimate poses. There is no suggestion that the intimate act is not consensual.

The diocese concerned declined to give an indication as to whether the church has been re-consecrated.

Profane

The Catholic Church teaches that sacrilege occurs when sacred objects are used for an unworthy purpose. This includes the profane use of sacred vestments. Church law also teaches that defiling a sacred place by sexual acts is sacrilege.

According to Church law: "A church is desecrated by actions that are gravely injurious in themselves and a cause of scandal to the faithful."

The concerning images will be investigated during a year when the Catholic Church in Ireland is facing challenges including the upcoming abortion referendum.

The papal visit in August is expected to be a celebration of the family, but there will also be a strong focus on his response to victims of clerical sex abuse scandals.

The Church has also been under scrutiny over its attitudes towards same-sex couples in the run-up to the World Meeting of Families later in the summer.
It's been 11 days since the CervicalCheck scandal and many vital questions still remain. Our Health Correspondent Eilish O'Regan answers your questions.

We are still in the middle of the CervicalCheck scandal. Does it really merit that title?

Yes, it has snowballed from revelations that 15 women who developed cervical cancer after an incorrect smear test result had an internal CervicalCheck report carried out on them. It confirmed the test mistake but the report was kept secret from them for years. Vicky Phelan, who did not get her report for three years, lifted the lid. We now know 209 women who suffered cervical cancer after a false negative were also the subject of these reports. But just 46 were informed until this week  17 of the women are dead.

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CervicalCheck says the reports were eventually sent to their doctors but they were told to use their judgment about informing the patient. Why?

We still dont know for sure. Some blamed a doctor-knows-best attitude. Others claim it was a reluctance to admit a mistake was made.

It has damaged trust in CervicalCheck. Is that fair?

Failure to disclose information to the patient about them being the victim of a faulty test result is a clear breach of basic care rules. The screening service is now in a mess of its own making.

How safe is it for women who avail of its free smear tests service?

Senior doctors have stressed that there is no evidence CervicalCheck delivers a higher than normal rate of wrong test results.

Around one in every 100 women will get a false negative because the screening is not infallible.

Since CervicalCheck started in 2008 the incidence of the cancer has fallen. The key message to women is to continue to be screened.

Thousands of women are looking for re-tests all the same. What is the advice to them?

Their anxiety is understandable and any women who wants a re-test will get one free. There is nothing wrong with reassurance for peace of mind.

What about the use of a laboratory in the United States to do half the tests?

We heard during the week that the outsourcing of tests, first to Quest Diagnostics in Texas, was objected by some doctors. The testing is now partly done in New Jersey. But since then the HSE has insisted the labs in use now are quality assured and each slide is read twice.

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Will any more women who developed cancer in the last decade be told a secret report was carried out on them?

Various investigations are to get under way so who knows what may come to light.

CervicalCheck only knew of around 1,482 women who had the cancer. But another 1,500 were overlooked.

Yes. CervicalCheck relied on returns from doctors.

But the National Cancer Registry had around 1,500 women logged as being diagnosed with the cancer in that time. That data is now being given to CervicalCheck to see if any of these additional women had faulty smear tests in the screening service.

Who is overseeing CervicalCheck now?

HSE director Damian McCallion has been installed.

So is CervicalCheck safe now?

We need the findings of a full inquiry looking at all this saga before giving it a complete clean bill of health.

But as of now there is no reason why women should not continue to avail of tests which can save their lives.
The contract to carry out cervical smear tests on behalf of the State was awarded in 2012 based on the cheapest price available, tender documents suggest.

A notification published after a procurement process says that Quest Diagnostics and MedLab Pathology were awarded the contract based on the lowest price, with no details on the other criteria involved.

MedLab Pathology is a sister company of Clinical Pathology Laboratories Ltd (CPL), the company which settled a lawsuit with terminally ill mother-of-two Vicky Phelan for 2.5m. Ms Phelans highlight of her case exposed major shortcomings in the national cervical cancer screening programme.

Official documents show that a two-year contract to carry out screening services on behalf of the National Cancer Screening Service (NCSS) was awarded to US laboratory Quest Diagnostics in 2008.

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In 2010, the NCSS conducted a second procurement process and extended the companys contract for another two years. It also awarded a contract to Clinical Pathology Laboratories Ltd (CPL), through its company MedLab Pathology. But in 2012, the NCSS again advertised for testing services.

It said that between 300,000 and 350,000 pap smear tests were conducted every year, with two contracted laboratory services already in place, with contracts due to expire in July that year.

Bids would be subject to a scoring system where 400 of the 1,000 marks were based on ultimate costs, 550 for proven ability and methodology to meet NCSS service requirements and 50 for value-added services.

The tender added: The contract will be awarded to the most economically advantageous tender submitted on the basis of the following anticipated award criteria, but that NCSS reserved the right to develop these more fully or alter them.

A contract award notice published by NCSS in December 2012 said that Quest Diagnostics and MedLab had been awarded the contract. Under award criteria, a box saying lowest price was ticked and not the most economically advantageous tender.

Documents show the NCSS believed while not obliged to enter a tendering process, it did so to ensure transparency and fairness and to deliver the best quality service for women in Ireland.

The HSE last night said that as with all tenders, cost is one of a number of criteria for which all tender submissions are evaluated and scored.

The HSE did not set out the other criteria used.

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HSE director general Tony OBrien, who stepped down as head of NCSS in 2010, told the Oireachtas Health Committee this week there were 10 active legal cases involving the CervicalCheck programme. He said six had reached the point of legal proceedings, while the other four were described as being at pre-legal proceedings stage.

High Court records indicate five cases have been initiated in recent years where MedLab Pathology Ltd is a defendant or co-defendant. In one of these cases, against MedLab and the HSE, a woman has alleged she was given the all clear for three successive years, only for her cancer to be detected retrospectively during an audit. The lawsuit has yet to be resolved.

Five cases were also initiated in recent years where Quest Diagnostics is a defendant or co-defendant. One of these was settled in 2014 with no admission of liability. The Irish Independent has learned it involved a 2011 smear test analysis where abnormalities were missed.

In another case against Quest Diagnostics, which has yet to be resolved, it is alleged a woman endured significant and life-altering complications during her treatment. MedLab said it could not comment on cases before the courts, while Quest Diagnostics did not respond to queries this week.
The family and friends of Natalia Karaczyn accompany the coffin after the funeral Mass in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Sligo. Photo: James Connolly

The funeral of a mother-of-three who lost her life last weekend has been told how her death is "unspeakably painful" for her family and wider community.

There were also prayers for Natalia Karaczyn's husband Rafal at her funeral Mass in Sligo yesterday.

Hundreds of people, many of them members of the local Polish community, gathered to say farewell to the 30-year-old young mother of three who died in tragic circumstances last weekend.

On Thursday, her husband (32) appeared at the local courthouse charged with her murder.

Yesterday, Natalia's sister Magdalena praised her devotion to her three sons, who were comforted by their grandmother and other relatives outside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Stressing the bond between the three young boys, Magdalena said: "That is what they learned from their amazing mummy and daddy who created a loving home for them."

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During the ceremony, Fr Brian Conlon, chaplain at Sligo University Hospital, prayed for Natalia's three children asking that they find peace and consolation.

"We pray for her husband Rafal. May the Lord support him at this time," he added.

There were prayers too for gardai who have provided support to the family during the recent difficult days and also for the community which has rallied around the family.

Magdalena told mourners: "I cannot describe how much I will miss my sister and how much the boys will miss their mummy.

"But I know she will never leave our side and will be in our hearts."

She told of her delight when Natalia and her family moved to Sligo four years ago and how well her sister had fitted in.

"Her dedication to her kids was exceptional. They had everything they needed and more," she said.

"When you look at those three boys all you see is love. It comes from their mother."

Magdalena said she couldn't possibly answer all the messages for sympathy she had received, "but I really value the support".

Fr Stanislaw Kardas, chaplain to the Polish community in Sligo, told the congregation Natalia's death was "unspeakably painful".

"It seems incomprehensible to our minds that she should be taken from this life," he said speaking in Polish.

"In the face of this death of a young woman, beloved mother of three little children, we are invited to find, in the deepest recesses of our hearts, and to ponder, the hope that comes from our eternal vocation."

Natalia, from the city of Gorzow Wielkopolski in western Poland, is also survived by her parents Regina and Senom Kurmin and two brothers Jedrzej and Wojciech.

After the Mass, the funeral travelled to the Lakelands Crematorium in Co Cavan.
IN her annual report for 2009, then-ombudsman Emily OReilly described being led on a sort of an Alice in Wonderland trip around the legal system by the HSE in a bid to get access to basic information.

She did not pull any punches as she described the health care executive as having something rotten at its core and accusing health chiefs of operating in a parallel universe, while noting that her counterpart for children, Emily Logan, was also blue in the face from dealing with the HSE.

Even the health minister at the time, Mary Harney, often struggled to get information from the HSE, the ombudsman claimed.

I think theres a huge issue around the excessive secrecy and legalism of the HSE. It strikes me that it is a cultural thing within the HSE, Ms OReilly said back then. For a body established to represent the publics interests, Ms OReilly said the HSE sometimes sought to protect its own interests. This, she commented, was very wrong.

Nine years on, can anything be said to have changed when it comes to the HSEs apparent corporate code of omerta?

Amid a sweeping torrent of fear and mounting disbelief this week as the details of the CervicalCheck scandal began to emerge piecemeal, it is clear the long-rooted toxic culture of secrecy has far from gone away. It is the single standout factor about this latest national health crisis that links it with all the others that have gone before.

The Taoiseach acknowledged so yesterday when he said that failure of open disclosure lay at the heart of the controversy.

Legislation will be brought soon for mandatory open disclosure for serious incidents, he said  but added that this was not enough; a culture change within the health service was also required. In fact, open disclosure has been official HSE policy since 2013, as Mr Varadkar pointed out.

The Government would do well to try harder to fix the culture because if the rot noted by the ombudsman at the heart of the HSE system is not diligently and forensically cut out to allow the fresh wood to thrive from root to branch, we will see many more reports like that of Emily OReillys in 2009.

And what, crucially, of the individual women whose lives have been irretrievably shattered by the revelations about a health check which was supposed to provide reassurance?

Tuesday brought devastating news  17 women had tragically died as a result of misread smears, of whom 15 had died without ever knowing they had been the victim of a misdiagnosis. Their families were informed this week. The deceased patients were among 209 women whose smear test readings missed abnormalities over the past 10 years, leaving them to develop cervical cancer.

Some 162 of these women were not told an internal review of their case was carried out by CervicalCheck.

The reason for the secrecy was not clear and the team who uncovered the files said it was not their job to speculate. The HSE culture of omerta had struck again.

I never thought the problem would be of this magnitude. I really didnt think Id be waking up this morning to this type of news, an emotional Vicky Phelan said on radio after the revelations. It was her courage in coming out about her own case that had broken open the shell of secrecy around the debacle. She called for the inquiry promised by the Government to be held in public and to be held swiftly.

Instead, they announced that a preliminary scoping inquiry would report by June, with the Taoiseach yesterday merely saying he was open to the possibility of a public hearing.

On Wednesday, it emerged that as many as 1,500 more women were at risk of being dragged into the escalating scandal, with the HSE confirming there were 3,000 cases of cervical cancer notified in the past decade but that just 1,482 of these cases had been reviewed.

Health Minister Simon Harris said a potentially considerable number of cases where women developed cancer were not subjected to an audit. The Government was by now fighting to save its own skin.

But going back a decade, concerns about outsourcing scans were raised at the time by a member of the National Cervical Screening Programme. Dr David Gibbons, chair of the cytology/histology group in the quality assurance committee of the programme, said that Ireland follows the same smear system as the UK  where deeper tissue samples are taken every three years.

However, America screens on the basis of a more shallow tissue sample taken on an annual basis. Meshing the two systems would pose great risks, he feared.

He expressed his concerns to Tony OBrien, head of the HSE, but he failed to listen, and Dr Gibbons resigned from the committee.

Talented scientists from the committee had also resigned, he revealed.

We thought it was dangerous, we thought the problems wouldnt become apparent for 10 years, he told RTE. Dr Gibbonss warning proved to be frighteningly prophetic.

But this week, Mr OBrien had the gall to describe the scandal as a personal blow.

He has only 12 weeks left in his post before heading off to a lucrative position in a US pharma company.

And for those who really matter  patients, their families and the wider public  the anxiety continues.

Virtually every woman in the country is enveloped with a sense of deep misgiving and unease.
Independent TD Sean Canney has insisted his continued support of the Fine Gael-led minority Government is not dependent on him getting a position that comes with a top-up payment.

Mr Canney has announced he is leaving the Independent Alliance, casting doubt on whether he will be able to continue in the role of Assistant Government Whip, which comes with an allowance of 15,000.

Last night, the Galway East TD told the Irish Independent it would be Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's "prerogative" as to whether he would stay in that job.

He said his support of the Government was "not about a position or money". "It does not depend on anything like that. Absolutely not," he added.

There has been speculation that he would get a role in the Government's efforts to tackle the housing crisis, given his background in the construction industry and as a quantity surveyor. He said he had had meetings with Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy and offered advice, but he was not seeking a special position.

Mr Canney said he told Mr Varadkar he would continue to support the Government because he wanted to see the Programme for Government, which he helped draft, be implemented.

He parted ways with the Independent Alliance after a row with its other four TDs.

When the Government was formed, it was agreed the position of OPW minister would be shared by Mr Canney and Kevin 'Boxer' Moran. They flipped a coin to decide who would take the job for the first year, with Mr Canney winning. The office was handed over to Mr Moran last summer, but there then there was a dispute over who would be the minister for the year ahead.

The Independent Alliance last night put out a brief statement noting Mr Canney's departure and saying: "We wish him well in the future".

Mr Varadkar said he regretted Mr Canney's decision to leave the alliance but welcomed his continued support for the Government. He said he would meet Mr Canney and the Independent Alliance next week. Asked whether Mr Canney would keep the job of Assistant Government Whip, Mr Varadkar said: "We'll work on that next week."
Schools have a responsibility to be balanced in the relationships and sexuality education they offer pupils, Education Minister Richard Bruton said.

He was commenting on a row at a secondary school in Tralee, Co Kerry, earlier this week over a talk by the anti-abortion group LifeWorks to sixth-year students.

LifeWorks, which has the same Dublin address as the pro-life campaign, provides speakers to second-level schools across Ireland.

According to its website, its "multimedia rich presentations encourage classroom discussion on the value of life and the dignity of every person".

Some students at Mounthawk Secondary School stayed at home on Wednesday in protest at the talk.

According to reports, the school said it notified parents in writing in advance via students, but some parents complained they had not been notified directly and were not told of the nature of the talk.

The minister noted many schools used outside external providers as resources for their RSE programme. But he said "this may not be the best approach" and it was one of the issues that was being looked at in the review of sex education now under way.

Guidelines governing the use of external providers are expected as part of changes introduced following the review. It is also being looked at in the context of work being undertaken by the Department of Education in the area of the new student wellbeing programme and the use of external advisers for that.

Mr Bruton said he did not know the background to the Tralee case and did not want to comment on the specifics, but he said schools must understand their obligations.

The minister said it was an issue where schools must ensure they consulted with parents and were conscious of parents within their community having different views.

"In all cases, a school would want to be satisfied that the programme being pursued meets the expectations of parents and the curriculum.

"They have an obligation to ensure that. They have a responsibility to ensure balance."
Terror group ETA has completely disbanded, ending a 60-year guerrilla campaign in the Basque Country.

The news has been described as historic by former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern who has been involved in the negotiations since 2009. ETA spent more than five decades fighting for an independent state in northern Spain and southern France. Officials believe the group killed 853 people.

Mr Ahern, who is in Kambo Cambo les Bains in the Basque Country today, told the Irish Independent the move towards peace was largely modelled on Northern Ireland.

"We have been very much following the same steps as Ireland. There was a ceasefire, decommissioning, an apology and today is the disbandment," he said.
SOME 110,000 worth of cannabis was discovered in a house in Marino in Dublin earlier this morning.

Gardai and Dublin Fire Brigade were called to a house fire at Brian Road, Marino at around 7.05am.

It is understood the fire brigade was called to the scene after a fire broke out, and the cannabis was uncovered and gardai informed.

Gardai at Clontarf Garda Station discovered a sophisticated cannabis growth centre. 137 cannabis plants were seized in total.

A man in his 20s from Lithuania was arrested and is currently being detained at Clontarf Garda Station under Section 4 Criminal Justice Act 1984, gardai confirmed.
TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar and Health Minister Simon Harris have been warned they are "not simply observers" in the cervical cancer screening scandal as they appeared to seek to shift the focus of the crisis to the HSE.

Mr Varadkar said it had been a "dreadful" week for the health service, while Mr Harris said it had been "horrific".

Both acknowledged the serious impact the CervicalCheck controversy has had on the women involved.

Labour Party health spokesman Alan Kelly last night blamed the HSE and Department of Health for what he called "the worst week in the history of the Irish healthcare system".

He argued it has exposed a lack of accountability and transparency.

He warned that Mr Varadkar and Mr Harris "are not simply observers" and said the Government must take the lead in changing this.

Mr Kelly said there is a "crisis in confidence" in the health system and claimed Mr Varadkar and Mr Harris have to take their share of the responsibility.

Fianna Fail's health spokesperson Stephen Donnelly last night called on HSE chief Tony O'Brien to resign "without prejudice with immediate effect".

He said the priority had to be supporting affected women, providing clinical assistance to all with concerns, and the investigation.

"We believe Mr O'Brien remaining in situ will distract from these priorities," he said.

The storm over cervical screening began when terminally ill mother-of-two Vicky Phelan was awarded 2.5m in a High Court settlement against a US lab after she was not informed about an incorrect smear test in 2011.

Ms Phelan yesterday suggested on RTE Radio that Mr Varadkar has been "a bit quiet" on the issue and that she wants "action" from the Government.

She has been seeking a public inquiry into what happened.

Mr Varadkar said he spoke to Ms Phelan and praised her as "the person who really shook the whole system up and woke us up to this".

He said he agrees with her that any inquiry should be "speedy" and "transparent".

The Taoiseach confirmed Ms Phelan will take part in the scoping exercise that will determine the nature of the inquiry.

Mr Varadkar said statutory inquiries can take many months and cautioned that if they're held in a public, tribunal-type format they can "take even longer".

However, he said he is "absolutely open" to a public inquiry being held.

The Irish Independent has learned the Government may recruit two female experts to conduct the scoping exercise.

There is also going to be a dedicated online portal where women who have been affected can contact the inquiry to share their experiences.

The screening scandal is set to dominate the political stage again next week as Sinn Fein is to table a motion of no confidence in HSE director general Tony O'Brien.

However, Mr Harris responded: "Instead of playing politics today, my priority is genuinely the women of Ireland"

Mr Varadkar said Mr O'Brien's term in office ends in less than 12 weeks and the Government expects him to "focus fully on resolving this issue".

He added: "We don't want to leave a gap or lacuna at the top of the HSE so we need him to focus on his job".

"This week has been a dreadful week for our health service, even more so for the women who are affected," he said.

He added that the Government will "do everything necessary... so that Irish women and families can have confidence in the investigations, screening and treatments we offer them both now and in future."
Ireland's only education centre for blind children is appealing for help after falling victim to vandalism last week.

The team at ChildVision, the National Education Centre for Blind Children, were in shock last Sunday after their equine sensory trail in Drumcondra was destroyed overnight by unknown culprits.

We have no idea who did it, the sensory field is removed from the rest of the campus. Theres no electricity down there so we had no CCTV, explained Ruth Hickey, head of fundraising at ChildVision.

Theres a back wall that people have climbed over in the past, but its never been anything malicious, she told Independent.ie

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Thats why it was so shocking. Weve been caring for blind people for 150 years and everyone in the Drumcondra area has always been so respectful of it.

The trail was built by volunteers, and ChildVision are keen to rebuild it as soon as they can. Hickey said the local support has been amazing.

A man from the UK said he would remake the woodwork and send it over from the UK. Another local donated a watertight container to keep the toys in.

Weve had so many sentiments of support on social media, because it makes you wonder who would do that to the children. So much time and effort went into making the trail so it makes you think of all those volunteers too.

ChildVision met their target of 7,000 to rebuild the trail yesterday, thanks to online donations from the public and a mass donation of 6,200 from one of their corporate partners, Mason Hayes and Curran.

A Fix the Sensory Trail event will take place on May 13th to start rebuilding the trail. Minister for Disabilities Finian McGrath and local councillor Damian OFarrell took to the streets of North Dublin this week to hand out leaflets and show their support.

The sensory trail is part of their Equine Assisted Occupational Therapy Programme, which offers children and young adults with physical, sensory, mental health, psychological and intellectual disabilities a therapeutic experience with horses.

According to ChildVision, the interaction between children and horses can have a powerful effect.

If you want to help ChildVision you can donate here
Motherhood was always part of the plan for me

Absolutely. I always wanted children and I always wanted a large family. Maybe its because I came from a large family and we had brilliant fun growing up together.

I had a fair idea of the work involved in parenting from watching my mother when I was growing up

I didnt realise how vulnerable it makes you  once you have children, you can never be absolutely alone in your thoughts again. I wasnt expecting the huge spectrum of emotions that motherhood opens you up to. But Im used to it now.

Physically, Im faster since becoming a mother

Im practically a multi-tasking multi-thinking machine! Mentally and emotionally, Im softer and more likely to well-up than before I had children. Becoming a parent has also given me a whole lot of perspective  I dont sweat the small stuff.

I want my children to have a sense of inner peace and contentment

And also, the steadfast belief that they will always be loved. I think every mother ultimately wants the same for her children. Despite the fact that we might push them to achieve, we just want them to be happy.

I can balance my work with motherhood because I have a great husband

Without a solid, supporting partner, I dont think that I would be able to balance a career like mine with motherhood. Padraic is involved with the children and we share the workload.

Motherhood inspires me creatively

Children are so free-thinking and creative. If you spend time with them, these qualities are infectious.

The advice my mother gave me was this too shall pass

She would say this when my sister and I were ensconced in some drama or other. And she was right, it always did pass. For new mothers, it can sometimes feel like you will never sleep or feel normal again. But it passes, and when it does, you miss it.

Me time exists for me

Me time could be a lot of talking with my sister on the phone, walking with my husband and snatching coffee with friends. My work is also important  I can be someone other than mum when Im working.

There are similarities and differences between how I was raised and how I raise my family

The main differences stem from the fact that its a different time now as compared with when I grew up, especially technologically. But all in all, Im raising them with many of the same basic principles.

The thing I worry about most is that I am about to embark upon a decade of living with teenagers

My eldest child has just turned 13, so I am new to teens.

My sister has experience and a lot of it doesnt sound too pleasant!

There are many new developments on the horizon for Pestle & Mortar

I am currently formulating lots of new products and researching new ranges. We are expanding into new export markets and increasing distribution so its all very exciting.

Mothers need to know that there is support there if they want to work or have a career

Initiatives like childcare facilities at work, after-school clubs in primary schools and subsidised summer camps would help mums who want or need to work.

There is a certain amount of pressure on women to have it all

But I think that really, the pressure comes from oneself. Mums need to be kind to themselves and realise that there is no such thing as perfect. The reality is more or less the same for everyone.

My favourite thing about motherhood... being on the receiving end of the pure love that only a child can give. My least favourite is knowing that no matter what you feed them, theyll be hungry again in a matter of hours.

pestleandmortar.com
When the sun shines, there's no country like Ireland - and here are the beautiful beaches to prove it.

From the sprawling sands of Inchydoney island in West Cork to the breath-taking sea stacks of Whiterocks in Northern Ireland, the Irish coastline offers an embarrassment of rugged riches... and a beach for every kind of beachgoer.

What about the desolate Dog's Bay in Connemara? Or the phone-signal-free-zone that is Silver Strand at Malin Beg, Co. Donegal?

Drive west to the jaw-dropping Wild Atlantic wonder that is Keem Bay on Achill Island, or spot basking sharks off the coast of West Waterford - the world's second largest sharks can be seen off the Irish coast from April to August.

Which is your favourite Irish beach?
The phenomenon that is Riverdance arrived at a dementia day care centre yesterday in Dublin to give a free thunderclap performance yesterday for service users.

Riverdances lead soloist Edel Murphy gave her stunning performance, followed by the iconic dance.

The Riverdance troupe said National Tea Day is close to their hearts, because its ex-Director of Operations Ronan Smith has early onset dementia.

Julian Erskine, Executive Producer for Riverdance said: We hope that singing and dancing together will help raise awareness and much-needed funds to support those living with dementia.

We all have been touched by or know people with dementia, including our ex-Director of Operations Ronan Smith, and so this is a cause close to our hearts.

Starting with our performance today at the ASIs Orchard Day Care Centre in Blackrock for National Tea Day 2018, we look forward to helping increase understanding and empathy for everyone affected by dementia.

The dance took place at the Alzheimers Society of Ireland Orchard Day Care Centre in Blackrock, Co Dublin yesterday to celebrate National Tea Day 2018, an annual fundraiser for the charity.
Childrens Minister Katherine Zappone is examining proposals to introduce 'baby boxes' for parents of every newborn baby in Ireland, as part of a strategy to increase Irelands birth rate.

The baby boxes, which are a famous tradition Finland, contain a starter kit for babies and can double up as a crib for the first few months of a babys life.

New parents attending Wexford General Hospital, South Tipperary General Hospital and University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL) already received the baby boxes as part of pilot schemes.

So whats in a baby box?

They can contain babygrows, bathing products, nappies and bedding.

But baby boxes also serve as an educational tool because in order to receive a baby box, parents have to first watch a series of online videos and answer some multiple choice questions based on these videos.

Karen Smyth (38) received a baby box on the birth of her now-19-month-old girl Cleo in Limerick. Karen, a tattooist, had a special connection to the baby box from the beginning, since she designed the butterfly theme for the boxes from UMHL.

The whole meaning behind the butterfly is rebirth and we just thought it was the perfect symbol for the baby box. Sometimes it represents beauty itself and for us, it was about metamorphosis, change and new life, and the chance to have happiness. Theyre (babies) just butterflies, for us we were becoming parents.

We thought we were losing Cleo [when Karens waters broke at 14 weeks] and then she was this gorgeous caterpillar and she changed into a butterfly.

Im just really humbled to be even considered to be part of the baby box project.

The box had baby wipes, little vests, clothes, nappies, creams for yourself and the baby. It doubles up as a cot. In the Nordic countries, every parent receives the baby box and cot deaths have plummeted.

I did the questionnaire and then I received the box the day she was born. Its quite a blur, it was the most amazing day of my life.

Cleo slept in the baby box for her first five months, and since then Karen has kept the box for safe keeping.

Its fantastic that everyone is going to have this baby box for life. For Cleos christening, everyone wrote letters for her and shell open them when shes 21. Every year Ill put in a painting or scarf or heirloom, and then when shes 21 shell have 21 gifts to open, and then shell have 21 letters that people wrote to her when she was 21. Its a keepsake box now.

Consultant Obstetrician/Gynaecologist Dr Naro Imcha said the baby box scheme is still running in University Maternity Hospital Limerick.

Initially, I was working in Queen Charlotte in the UK and they had introduced the baby box there... It was mainly about the education for the mum; we wanted to give the same education to the mum about antenatal care and postnatal care and care of the baby.

TThe mothers book into us at about 12 weeks in their pregnancy and theres a baby box university card. They log into the baby box university, theres a video from the public health nurse, GP, midwife, about breastfeeding. We have the lectures up on the website, they look at this, and then answer questions after they do the course, and they get a certificate. They bring the certificate to us and then we give them the baby box.

The baby boxes are given free to UMHL by the baby box university.

There is no advertising material in there, that was one of the priorities we had. We are a baby-friendly breastfeeding hospital. A box comes with a mattress, sheet, one nappy, and a baby grow and one leaflet for sleep safe, wipes, two breast pads.
For a night of heart stopping steps and sequins, make sure you get a ticket for 'Born to Win' with Giovanni Pernice which comes to An Tain Arts Centre on Thursday as part of a nationwide tour.

After the huge success of 'Dance is Life' in 2017, Giovanni returns with Luba Mushtuk, dancer and assistant choreographer on 'Strictly Come Dancing', as his leading lady, along with 'Dancing with the Stars Ireland' professionals Giulia Dotta, Kai Widdrington, Emily Barker, and Curtis Pritchard. The show also features the fantastic Stephen Vincent and Kylee Brown from the 'Burn the Floor' tour.

And for dedicated Strictly fans there's a chance to attend a pre-show Meet and Greet with Giovanni, a signed print and photo opportunities in the VIP package. Tickets from www.antain.ie.
The contribution which James Larkin has made to the Greenore Coast Guard over the past 21 years was recognised as he steps down as Officer in Charge of the unit to take up a new full-time post as sector manager with the Irish Coast Guard.

James was presented with a montage by George Campbell who now takes up the role of Officer in Charge and Shay Gormley, Deputy Officer in Charge.

A native of Greenore, James is the third generation of his family to be involved in the local Coast Guard, which provides a vital service to all those who use our coastal waters.

His grandfather and uncles were all served with this volunteer service which operates out of Greenore.

James says it was the deaths of Carlingford brothers Eugene and Ferghal McKevitt who drowned when their boat submerged during a mussel harvesting trip in Carlingford Lough in March 1995 which spurred him to volunteer with the local Coast Guard.

'I wanted to do something which would help prevent tragedies like that, says James.

Since then he has been involved in many rescue and recovery missions over the years, as the coast guard responds to emergency calls from seafarers in distress as well as people who get in difficulty along the coastline.

He will, he says, miss the voluntary aspect of the role.

His new post sees him take over as sector manager for the eastern region, which covers the area from Greenore to Curracloe, Co Wexford
Due to public demand after not being held for a number of years, its back. Regarded as being one of the best natural galloping race tracks in the country and set in the picturesque rolling hills of Tallanstown, the Rathnestin track will roar back into life this Saturday.

With the atrocious weather of this past six months, flooded tracks and cancelled meetings a regular occurrence, Ratnestin's well drained track with its good going will come into its own.

Trainers whose horses have been kept inside looking over the stable doors at the non stop rain will have will have one of their last chances to get their steeds out and prove their worth.

You can tell if there's going to be exciting racing when trainers are coming from the far corners of Ireland. Well get your maps out because rather than a local derby we are expecting runners to travel miles to prove their worth.

From Wexford Pat Doyle, Colm Bowe, from from Tipperary Sean Curley, Timmy Hyde, from Galway Robert Tynan and Liam Burke. There should be enough there to keep the Bookies worried.

It's a day out for all the family, not just horse racing fans. There is sheep racing, a free dog show with a roving judge, a country fair with various food and drink stalls, a bar, a tea tent, bouncy castles, poultry sale and lots more.

The Oriel Point to Point has been run over the years in various locations including Rathnestin.

Gates open at noon, the first race is at 2:30 Admission is 10 under 12s free. The Races will be signposted from Tallanstown and is just opposite Knockabbey
Chinese firm WuXi Biologics is set to create 400 jobs in a new biologics drug substance manufacturing facility on the IDA greenfield site at Mullagharlin, Dundalk.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, announced the major josb news during his visit to Dundalk yesterday (Monday),

WuXi Biologics, a Chinese global open-access biologics technology platform company, will invest 325 million and create 400 new jobs over the next five years.

Headquartered in Wuxi City, China, WuXi Biologics is a global leading platform company providing end-to-end solutions for biologics with a mission to accelerate and transform biologics discovery, development and manufacturing to benefit patients around the world.

This state-of-the-art facility-of-the-future will be built upon the novel approach WuXi Biologics has pioneered deploying multiple single-use bioreactors for commercial biomanufacturing and is also designed to be able to run continuous bioprocessing, a next generation manufacturing technology to be first implemented globally in this campus. A total of 48,000L fed-batch and 6,000L perfusion bioreactor capacity will be installed, representing the world's largest facility using single-use bioreactors.

The manufacturing project in a 26-hectare campus, the company's first site outside of China, is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.

Speaking in Dundalk, the Taoiseach said: 'This is the start of something special. We will see the Factory of the Future, right here in Dundalk. It's the first sizable Greenfield project from China in the pharma sector and I am delighted to see it located here in Dundalk. It's also the latest in a number of investments in this town which has become a hub for a range of sectors, mainly in the new knowledge based and pharmaceutical sectors.'

He added: 'Louth hosts National Pen, PayPal, Xerox, Wasdell and Prometric, to name just a few. In 2017 there were 24 IDA-supported companies in the county, and the number of jobs created by them has tripled from 1,300 in 2010 to almost 4,000.

It's all part of the Government's goal to increase regional investment and associated jobs by up to 40 per cent.'
Dundalk man Shane Breen beat off stiff competition to win the Short Story of the Year Award at the Oxygen.ie National Student Media Awards in the Aviva Stadium last week.

He was announced as the winner in front of an audience that included RTE's Eileen Dunne, Senator David Norris, and Dublin GAA Manager Jim Gavin

Shane was unfortunately unable to attend on the night as he is currently studying History and Literature at San Pablo CEU in Madrid with a one semester programme.

Proud parents Una and Brendan accepted the award on Shane's behalf.

A former student of St. Mary's College in Dundalk, Shane is now studying Film and Television Production at Dundalk IT.

A passionate writer, Shane and his college friends created the 'Jobless Writers Society' in which submit short stories, poetry and scripts for discussion.

He wrote his winning short story, Lucy's Spiral while in Madrid.

Shane has hopes of studying writing at a university level when he returns home to Ireland.

The Oxygen.ie National Student Media Awards, known as the Smedias by students are an opportunity for aspiring media professionals to showcase their work and talent to Ireland's top media personalities with high profile judges such as Academy award winning director Ben Cleary, multiple award winning author and playwright Paul Howard and various editors and producers from Ireland's leading media organisations.

Organised by youth communications specialists Generation Y and sponsored by oxygen.ie, the National Student Media Awards is one of the most important dates in the student calendar.
The father of a woman shot by Adrian Crevan Mackin said he was a 'monster' and said he wants to know why he was out on bail at the time he murdered Garda Tony Golden.

Sean Phillips, whose daughter Siobhan was leaving Mackin after he viciously attacked her, told how he heard the fatal gunshots that killed hero garda Tony Golden.

At the time of the murder, Mackin had been charged with IRA membership and was on bail, despite him admitting to the illegal possession of weapons and bomb-making components.

Having taken the stand at the inquest into the death of Garda Golden last week, Mr. Philips admitted that he had been opposed to his daughter's relationship with Crevan Mackin 'from day one'.

The jury heard that Siobhan Philips and Crevan Mackin had two children together, but social services in Northern Ireland had removed them from their care, and placed them into the care of Siobhan's father Sean and his wife Norma.

Sean Philips said he became aware of Mackin's past criminality, including an arrest by police in the north in relation to offences of 'bestiality' and for being in possession of extreme pornography.

It was also alleged that Mackin had been involved in act of bestiality with a sheep when he was sixteen years old.

The inquest also heard that Mackin had threatened his own mother with a knife. She had since moved to Australia with her other children.

But Sean Philips denied any knowledge of Crevan Mackin having possession of or being charged with having guns.

'If I had thought this guy had weapons I would not have gone to that house myself,' he told the inquest.

'At no stage would I have taken myself to that house, or would I have taken guards to that house. Mackin was a monster. We want to know why he was out of jail.'

He said the family had been calling for a public inquiry into Crevan Mackin's activities leading up to the shooting in Omeath on October 11th 2015.

The inquest heard from a forensics expert that following the shooting incident at Mullach Alainn a search of Mackin's car uncovered ammunition in a suitcase, and two carrier bags and a Glock pistol.

Nine bullets had been used during the shooting attacks within the house, and a tenth was recovered from Siobhan Philips.

Earlier Mackin's sister, Sinead Hynes, told the inquest that he had confided in her that he was importing component parts of guns.

She said he was using Ms Phillips's credit card to make the purchases on the dark net and was having them delivered to several addresses.

She said the first time she mentioned this to anyone was when making a statement to gardai after the murder of Gda Golden.

Ms. Hynes outlined some of Crevan Mackin's early life, saying that he had 'always been a difficult child.'

She said that he had been diagnosed with ADHD and Aspergers, and when he was a teenager had been involved in criminal activity such as breaking into houses and 'crashing cars.'

He had been admitted to a psychiatric unit in the North, and then began staying at a Simon Community shelter. Around this time she said he became involved with 'republicans' and 'became very political' when he had never been that way before.
A Dundalk couple, who were lead campaigners for the Cystic Fibrosis drug Orkambi to be made available in Ireland are now calling for access to the life saving drug in the north.

Ronan and Linda Whitmarsh, whose son Finn (4) has Cystic Fibrosis, celebrated the success of their campaign in 2017, when a deal was struck to provide the 'game-changing' drug Orkambi, which Linda explains 'offers hope for children and adults with CF.'

She explained the impact of the condition on Finn's early years.

'In his first four years, he has had to take over 50 courses of antibiotics, so it's been a difficult start for him.'

'We were told that he might not live past his 30s. But now, once he is able to began the Orkambi drug, it offers him hope of a longer, healthier life.'

She admitted that it 'wasn't easy at times' to be an active part of the high profile Orkambi campaign. A busy mum, she was dealing with Finn's own health struggles combined with caring for her other two children, Liam and baby Oran who was born during the campaign.

'But it has all bene worth,' said Linda.

Ronan added that they were contact by the father of a little girl who has CF living in the north, asking them for support in campaigning for the drug to be made available there.

'Liam McHugh has been leading the campaign, and we were delighted to give them our support,' said Ronan.

He explained that they have already met with TD's on the issue, and have received a commitment from Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald to advance the issue.

'We have taken the Orkambi campaign everywhere, from the Dail, to Aras An Uactarain, where we met President Michael D. Higgins, and across the media, from television, radio and newspapers.

He added that it was their mission to see the Orkambi drug accessible to all of those who need it, on both sides of the border.
Padraig Cahill as Dean and Eve Gregory as Lorraine singing Its Now or Never.

Students from Colaiste Chill Mhantain were afforded standing ovations over three nights as they performed the hit-musical 'All Shook Up'.

The opening night was Thursday, with further productions on Friday and Saturday nights. A matinee for primary school pupils was also held in the school hall on Friday.

Most of the cast were playing parts in their first-ever musical, which made their excellent performances all that more impressive.

The Elvis Presley inspired show involves a love story inspired by William Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night'. David Mulvey took on the lead role of Chad, with Katie McAulay playing his love interest Natalie. In 1955, a guitar-playing young man named Chad stops by at a young mechanic named Natalie so she can repair his broken bike. However, Chad's rebellious nature soon starts a chain of events in the small mid-Western American town.

The musical also featured a selection of Elvis Presley's biggest hits. The productions featured a huge cast and thanks are also passed on to everyone involved in make-up, costumes and backstage.
A talk about the Anti-Conscription Strike and its historical context in Wicklow took place last week in the Grand Hotel.

Organised by the Labour Party, the lecture was delivered by historian Charlie Callan and was followed by a discussion, chaired by Labour Party chairperson and recently selected Dail candidate for Wicklow Jack O'Connor.

Mr O'Connor was highly critical of the Government for not marking the centenary of the strike..

'It is deeply regrettable that the Government has chosen to completely ignore today's Centenary of the Anti-Conscription Strike, which was organised by the Irish Trade Union Congress and Labour Party,' said Mr O'Connor.

'The action, which was virtually universally supported throughout the country, beneficially affected the people of Ireland at least as much as some other events in "the decade of rebellion" which have been acknowledged, remembered and celebrated. It left Lloyd George's conscription strategy in tatters and saved tens of thousands from the slaughter of the great imperialist war. Moreover, it also dramatically affected the course our subsequent history,'

He added that it was unclear if the Government's lack of support was due to the event being organised by the Irish Trade Union Congress and Labour Party or because of a drift from Ireland's tradition policy of 'positive neutrality'.
The Coillte Forest Park at Avondale will host a special walk this weekend promoting positive mental health.

Green Ribbon Walks will be taking place at Coillte parks throughout the country during the month of May to raise awareness about improving mental health.

The walk at Avondale will take place this Sunday, May 6, at 3 p.m.

Just like the pink ribbon became a symbol for breast cancer awareness, the green ribbon has been established as the international symbol for mental health awareness.

The 'Lets Talk and Walk - Green Ribbon Walks' are hosted by Coillte in collaboration with the IFA, Mental Health Ireland and See Change.

There will be three walk leaders for the Avondale event who will speak about forestry, nature and nature therapy, such as mindfulness in the woods. There will also be a family friendly buggy walk.

During the course of the afternoon there will be a positive mental health talk given by Michaela Avlund, a Danish author of a book called 'Happiness and Positive Psychology Skills'.

For children, there is a playground at Avondale and there will be face painters present from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Car parking will be free of charge and to round off the afternoon there will be tea and cake served.
The HSE has identified a preferred site for the new primary care centre in Greystones.

Speaking last week Minister for Health Simon Harris said that progress has been made on the centre with the HSE now at an advanced stage .

'I am very happy to be able to confirm the HSE have selected a preferred site and they are now working with potential providers to put in place an agreement for delivery. Increasing the services we can deliver in the community, through Primary Care has been identified as one of the key changes needed to improve our health service.

'On becoming Minister for Health, I was eager to move forward with this plan in order to take unnecessary pressure off our acute hospitals and assist people to access care without onerous travel.

'We are building Primary Care Centres throughout the country and for me, it is vital that Co Wicklow has a strong network of centres to support this move to community based care. Primary Care Centres in Bray, Rathdrum and Arklow are all moving forward well so I am really pleased to confirm that the Greystones Primary Care Centre is now at an advanced stage.

'A Primary Care Centre in Greystones would consolidate the work of the already wonderful general practice care provided locally. I know capital investment in our local health facilities will be warmly welcomed.

'It is expected that the preferred provider will receive a letter of intent to get design stage moving this month and that the Centre's planning permission application will be submitted this year. I look forward to keeping constituents updated on this very exciting new development', said Minister Harris.
A new state of the art hydrotherapy pool and children's centre was opened in Bray last Friday.

The new Enable Ireland's Children's Services Centre and hydrotherapy pool were officially opened by Minister for Health Simon Harris and Enable Ireland service user 7-year-old Bianca Paroczai.

This purpose-built centre for children with disabilities will service the needs of nearly 200 children and families from Bray and north Wicklow.

The new centre has eight intervention rooms, a fully equipped physiotherapy gym with ceiling track hoist, sensory room, a space for group meetings and training, and additional rooms which can be set up to suit the needs of the child and therapist.

The colourful child-friendly interior design provides a welcoming place for the children and their families who will attend the new centre for a range of therapy, social and educational services. Also opened today was the vitally important hydrotherapy pool.

Opening the centre Minister Simon Harris spoke of the importance of the service that Enable Ireland provide to children and their families in the community.

'I was really delighted to join Bianca and the whole Marino community to open this fantastic and much needed facility. I know from my previous visit to Enable Ireland's Silver Pines respite house, the work they do is incredible and hugely welcomed in our community.

'In particular, the Hydrotherapy Pool is a welcome addition to the new Children's Centre in Bray,' said Minister Harris.

'The new facility will be of huge benefit to the children at Enable Ireland who require this form of therapeutic intervention as they would have previously travelled to Sandyford for this service. I commend the incredible efforts of Enable Ireland and all involved in making this possible.

'The multi-disciplinary and holistic nature of the service that Enable Ireland provide is so important for people with disabilities and their families. It is fantastic to see Enable Ireland looking to grow and develop here in Co Wicklow. I look forward to working with them on future development plans.'

Minister Harris was presented with a poem written by service user Danny Miller to mark the occasion.
Fianna Fail Spokesperson on Health Stephen Donnelly has said the government must not delay in the establishment of the independent inquiry into the Cervical Check controversy.

Deputy Donnelly welcomed the move to set up an independent investigation, but warned that it must not be used to withhold information from the public.

'The news that following an audit of 206 cases, more than 12 women have died is truly shocking. The fact that approximately half of the 206 women whose cases are being examined by this audit may not have been told that they had a delayed diagnosis is scandalous.

'These women and their families have been failed by the Cervical Check programme and it is imperative that an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding these delayed diagnoses is set up as a matter of urgency.

'Minister Harris must ensure that all 206 women are informed of the situation and are given all the supports that they need. There needs to be full disclosure as to what mistakes were made; there can be no more secrecy. These women and their families deserve better.

'I also want Minister Harris to ensure that no other family is forced to go before the courts to find out what errors were made in their care.

'An independent inquiry is the only way to get to the truth of this horrific scandal. However, the government cannot be allowed to use an inquiry to withhold any information which it currently possesses. We need full disclosure from Cervical Check, the HSE and the Minister.

'Consideration should also be given to the examination of our other national screening programmes to allay the fears of people who are horrified at the revelations which have emerged over the past week. However, this should not interfere with the work of the inquiry into the Cervical Check programme, which must be carried out immediately.

'This inquiry cannot be delayed - we need to ensure that it reports back quickly so that public confidence in this service can be restored.'
The Cor Mhagh Ealla ensemble pictured outside St Fin Barres Cathedral following their recent performance at the venue as part of the 2018 Cork International Choral Festival

Following on from their successful performance at the 2018 Cork International Choral Festival, members of Cor Mhagh Ealla (Mallow Community Choir) have now turned their attention to their next gala performance on home turf.

For the first time its 17-year history the choir will perform an open-air headline concert in the stately grounds of Mallow Castle at 7.30pm on Saturday, May 26.

The almost 50-strong ensemble are busy perfecting their extensive repertoire ahead of the aptly titled 'Classic in the Castle', which will feature a set-list of popular tunes from stage ans screen.

The concert, the first of its kind to be held in the grounds of the castle, will also feature performances by special guests internationally acclaimed Cork soprano Linda Kenny and baritone Eoin Leahy.

The concert is supported by the Mallow Arts Alliance, the local business community and Cork County Council, which has set aside a grant of 4,000 from its coffers to help fund the event.

Choir spokesperson Jude Corroon thanked all inv9olved in helping to stage the concert, saying it would be impossible to hold and event on this scale without their support.

She said all the choir members were exited at the thought of performing at the majestic venue in their home town.

"This promises to be a wonderful evening of music in a magical setting and we are putting together a selection of classic songs that will wow the audience," said Jude.

Tickets for the concert, pried at 15, are available from Katie's Newsagents in Mallow, members of choir and online at www.eventbrite.ie. Jude advised people to buy their tickets early as the concert is expected to be a sell-out.

"We would advise people to but their tickets well in advance to avoid missing out on what will be a very special evening," she said.
The month of May is here and hopefully with it the start of what is to be a fine summer.

Tidy Towns groups around the county have been undertaking projects and putting together their applications for the National Tidy Towns Competition, open up until May 23rd 2018. The competition is growing from strength to strength and 2017 saw entries from 870 towns and villages across Ireland.

Last year in the National Tidy Towns Competition County Cork enjoyed much success with Clonakilty, winning the outright best large town in Ireland and many towns and villages in the County such as Ballincollig, Carrigaline and Cobh won Gold Medals. Carrigaline also won the National Tidy Towns Local Authority Pollinator Award for large towns in the South Mid-West Region, which was a great accolade for the County; with Kildorrery also having seen regional success in 2016.

The 2018 Local Authority Pollinator Award, which is supported by a number of Local Authorities throughout the country, including Cork County Council, is now accepting applications. The application form is available for download via http://www.tidytowns.ie/special-awards/ and the closing date for entries is 23rd May 2018 (same as for national TT competition).

In order to support TT groups who enter the award, a very useful newsletter, providing hints and tips, has been put together which also highlights good examples from the 2017 entries. This newsletter is available on the news and events section of Cork County Council's Heritage website - www.corkcoco.ie/arts-heritage. It is hoped that many of County Cork's Tidy Towns Groups get involved again in the competition and the Local Authority Pollinator Award in 2018.

There is another project currently underway whereby it is also hoped that many community groups will get involved from throughout the County of Cork. This is the Heritage of County Cork publication series, which is supported by the Heritage Council, and which in 2018, will see an examination of our European connections, given that 2018 is the European Year of Cultural Heritage. The book will convey the strong connections between Cork and Europe, and will also examine how mainland Europe has influenced Cork over the many years, through a manner of mediums. The book therefore aims to take a holistic approach to heritage and will examine a plethora of heritage aspects ranging from archaeology and architecture to natural heritage, military history, ecclesial developments and maritime trade. The primary aim is to highlight the in-depth connectivity between the County of Cork and Europe as a whole.

The Heritage of County Cork Publication Series, which has been recognised at the national stage, owes much of its success to the wonderful engagement by community groups, historians and the public at large with regard to their stories, connections, and photographs and accounts submitted for inclusion in each publication. Cork County Council is now inviting submissions for the upcoming publication, to include details of local connections with Europe, either through people, place and/or both, and any such details including a short bit of text, any photographs, etc.

Anyone looking to get involved is requested to submit the details to conor.nelligan@corkcoco.ie, preferably prior to Monday May 29th 2018. It is envisaged that all submissions will be referenced in the publication and for further information visit www.corkcoco.ie/arts-heritage.

With regard to upcoming events, the Irish Famine and its commemoration takes centre stage over the coming week. On Thursday May 3rd there will be a talk in Charleville (in the E-Centre on Bakers Road) regarding the role the local cemetery played in the days after the July 1847 evictions in the town. The talk commences at 8pm and all are welcome.

On Wednesday 9th May at 16:00 in the County Hall (Council Chamber on Floor 2), there will be a talk by noted historian Pat Gunn of the Cork Famine Group entitled 'An Gorta Mor'. The talk, which has been organised by Cork County Council's Heritage Unit, will delve into the history of the Famine, including the background to same and its impact and aftermath.

The following day, 10th May, will see a talk and walk in Skibbereen Town examining the famine sites within the town. The event commences at 18:30 at the Courthouse in North Street and will work its way through the town, finishing at the Heritage Centre at 20:00. The event is free of charge but to book a place call 028 40900 or email info@skibbheritage.com.

The big day this year by way of Famine commemoration is Saturday May 12th, when the National Famine Commemoration takes place in University College Cork. The impact of the Famine on the County of Cork is known the world over and the commemoration will remember all of those who suffered during what was arguably the darkest period in Irish history.

The event in U.C.C. commences at 13:00 and will run up until approximately 16:30. All are most welcome to attend and for full details of the day itself visit www.ucc.ie/nfc2018.
Intro

Greetings! I am a political scientist , specializing in International Relations , my research and teaching focus on ethnic conflict and civil-military relations . I watch way too much TV, and I like movies as well so I tend to write about both and find IR stuff in pop culture. I rant alot about American politics and sometimes about Canadian politics. I like to take ideas I once learned a long time ago and apply them to whatever strikes my fancy.


The Mallow Integration Forum has issued an open invitation to join them for their third annual 'Africa Day' celebration, which will take place at the Mercy Centre on Fair Street from 1pm on Saturday, May 26.

Billed as a 'celebration of the diversity of Africa', the event will showcase the many different cultures and traditions of the vibrant African community now living in the wider Mallow area. It is just one of a number of events taking place across Ireland and the globe during the week to mark Africa Day, which falls on Friday, May 25.

Designated by the African Union as an annual celebration of the continents unity, Africa Day is an opportunity for communities across the globe to celebrate the continents rich and diverse cultures.

Africa Day has been celebrated in Ireland since 2008, with events taking place at various locations across the country including Dublin, Limerick, Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny and Cork City.

Following on from the success of the previous two Mallow events, the 2018 Africa Day celebrations will feature slide shows about each of the countries represented and live music with visitors also invited to taste some sumptuous African cuisine.

Formed in 2014 by former local RAPID co-ordinator Margaret Desmond, the Mallow Integration Forum was established in order to bridge the gap in cultural diversity between Ireland and the expanding immigrant community.

The chairman of the forum, Nigerian native Emmanuel Adebesi, said she was able to do that by bringing together people from different cultures under a single umbrella group.

"Ireland is constantly changing and we are striving to let people know there is a thriving African community living in Mallow," said Emmanuel.

"Our vision is to strive for a society that respects multiculturalism, diversity, welcomes new arrivals and facilitates integration to Irish culture," he added.

The forum meets on the first Thursday of each month at the Le Cheile Centre and has been proven a vitally important tool for helping promote integration through educational workshops and other inclusive events.

Admission to the Africa Day event is free and all are welcome. For more information about the Mallow Integration Forum contact Emmanuel on 022 20477.
The second annual Old Butter Roads Food Trails festival is all the proof that is needed that all traditional butter transport roads still lead to the Rebel Cork.

The festival celebrates the excellence in locally produced food and beverages. The co-operative group of family run and owned eateries and food producers which form the kernel of the festival show their credentials with the display of a milk churn - representing a time when butter was transported to Cork city via Millstreet, Kanturk, Macroom, Mallow and Mitchelstown.

The festival will be launched this Saturday, May 5, by food writer Joe McNamee and the Old Butter Roads producers and restaurateurs at the Church of the Resurrection, Blarney.

It's a month long festival with events at Blair's Inn in Cloghroe and a special event, 'Remembering the Old Butter Roads', on bank holiday Monday at Whitechurch Community Centre which will be full of historians, food writers, cheesemakers and other producers from the Old Butter Roads region.

Subsequent events are also planned for the Macroom area in the second week of May, along with Millstreet, Kanturk and Mallow in the third week and Mitchelstown on the first weekend in June.

Another highlight of the festival will be a meal showcasing producers' foods hosted by the Aubane Community Group and marking the 270 years of the Old Butter Road from Kerry to Cork. Historians and storytelling groups will tell of the many roads leading into the Butter Exchange in Cork, which was originally established in 1730 and moved indoors form 1769 to the early 20th century.

For more information go to www.oldbutterroads.ie
Students from Mallow's Davis College have once again excelled on the international stage, representing Ireland at the Model United Nations (MUN) conference in Portugal.

The initiative is the brainchild of Davis College deputy principal Jose Horta, who brought the idea from his native Portugal when he moved to Ireland five years ago.

Through the introduction of the MUN to Munster, Davis College has made it possible for thousands of students from Ireland and abroad to avail of a unique extra curricular activity that has proved to be both academically innovative and socially enhancing.

The inaugural Davis College MUN was held between two schools in the Davis College PE Hall in 2013 and moved to the GAA Complex in Carrigoon the following year when eight schools took part.

Since then it has gone from strength-to-strength, with more than 1,500 students from 40 schools across eight different countries having taking part in the event.

Each year Davis College students also represent Ireland at conferences abroad, pitting their analytical and debating skills against their peers from across the globe.

This year a group of second year students took up the mantle, travelling to Porto for the event. Despite their tender years and the fact that they were debating against older foreign counterparts, the team enjoyed tremendous success after their resolutions were debated and passed at the simulation of the UN General Assembly.

Remarkably, the resolutions of the Irish students were selected to be debated over those of the other vastly more experienced delegates, with the debate that unfolded culminating in the acclaimed approval of their resolutions.

The effort they put in, combined with the high level of preparation and thorough research the students undertook beforehand was also recognised at an individual level, with Gearoid Clarke winning the prestigious award for the Most Distinguished Delegate.

Once the serious business was completed the students took time to take in the sights and sounds of the beautiful northern Portuguese city, rounding off what was a hugely enjoyable experience for all of the students.
Members of the public have been invited to walk in the footsteps of a North Cork woman regarded by many as one of the most influential female figures in Irish history.

This year marks the tercentenary (300th anniversary) of the birth Nano Nagle, the founder of the Presentation Congregation and a pioneer of Catholic education in Ireland whose legacy has served as an inspiration to countless generations.

As part of the celebrations to celebrate the anniversary, 'Sli Nagle' - a combination of two pilgrimage walks -, will take place from the Nano Nagle Birthplace Centre at Ballygriffin, Killavullen on Saturday May 19.

Centre spokesman Noel Brosnan said the pilgrimage would present people with a wonderful opportunity to visit Nano Nagle's birthplace and the surrounding area, which he described as being "rich in history, heritage and natural beauty."

"This international event represents an opportunity to meet people and create memories while walking the ways of the young Nano and visiting the sites that marked her journey to becoming one of the most famous women in Ireland," said Mr Brosnan.

Participants will congregate in the car park at the centre for assembly and welcome at 10.30am on the morning of the pilgrimage.

The first walk will set off at 11am and will run for 8km though the Nagle Mountains, with the shorter 4.4km walk setting out 15 minutes later.

"Along the pilgrimage we will visit a number of stations of interest including Nano's homestead, through which flows the beautiful River Blackwater; the baptismal font where tradition holds Nano was baptised into the Catholic faith and the site of the hedge school where she likely received her early education," said Mr Brosnan.

"For those pilgrims who wish to journey further, there is the option of the longer, more robust walk, immersing yourself in nature and the panoramic views from the Nagle mountains," he added.

Participation in both walks, which will be conducted under the supervision of experienced stewards will be free. Refreshments will be served at in Killavullen Community Hal after both walks.

"Whichever walk you choose to take it will be an opportunity to walk Nano's paths and ways and be heartened by the landscape and beauty that inspired her to a life of wisdom, love and action," said Mr Brosnan.

"And, if you are open to it, perhaps your pilgrimage will also inspire you to adopt her ways, courage daring and pioneering," he added.

To find out more about Sli Nano, Nano Nagle's inspiring story and various other initiatives undertaken at the Killavullen centre visit www.nanonaglebirthplace.ie.
A Duhallow man, who is one of just three men left in the American Legion in Duhallow, is urging anyone who can to sign up as their numbers are fast dwindling.

Commander Pat Mulcahy of Rockchapel told The Corkman that they are looking for "young blood" to join them. He said there are 45 members remaining in Munster. In Duhallow, Kanturk's Pat Burke who is 93 years old and in Newmarket Terry Eddie are both members as is Pat Mulcahy.

There are four posts in Ireland - Dublin North, Dublin South, Mayo and the Francis P Duffy Post, who was a WW1 chaplain, who was born in Canada.

The Cork members are Thomas Daly from the Kerry Pike, Charles Dullea from the Lough, and Patrick Holland from Baltimore, William Nash from Midleton and William Cotter of the Glen.

The American Legion was founded in 1919 in Paris and is a non-profit, patriotic, wartime vetrans organization and has since grown to be the nation's largest wartime organization of 2.5 million worldwide members. It was founded on the values, contributions and sacrificies of those who answered their country's call to arms.

A person who is seeking to join must have served in the marine corps, coast guard, army or the air force. However, Pat Mulcahy explained that they did not have to have been in combat but they must have served in the army during war time.

"I'm afraid our members are dwindling downwards due to age and this year we lost four members," he said.

They hold three meetings per year at the Flesk in Killarney. Pat is hoping that people who are living back in Cork, Kerry or Limerick would join up with them.

Anyone with any queries can phone Pat on 087 2814667 or John Canty 087 2684677.
It's cheesy business in Macroom as two family run enterprises both won gongs at a prestigious Artisan Cheese Awards ceremony in England.

Coolea Extra Mature Cheese won the reserve supreme champion award for being named the best Irish cheese and its neighbour, Toons Bridge, won two silver and four bronze medals for their Italian style cheeses. Their mozzarella and stracchino nabbed silver and one of their caciocavallo got bronze as did their new vegetarian sheeps milk cheese that uses cardoon flower stamen to coagulate the milk instead of the more traditional animal rennet.

Coolea cheese in Macroom was started in 1979 by Helene and Dick Willems and what started as a hobby quickly grew as so many people became so very fond of their cheese. Then in 1991, their son Dicky joined the crew and by 1993, he became the main cheesemaker.

Coolea cheese is made from full cream cows milk and nothing is taken out and nothing is added. The hard working family expanded their small enterprise and by 1987 a complete new cheese-plant was built including an air-conditioned storage system with a capacity of 15 tons and a production capacity of 25 tons.

Coolea Extra Matured has been winning awards since 1983 and was the supreme champion cheese at the British Cheese awards in 2000 and Best Mature Gouda at the World Cheese awards in 2008.

Toons Bridge Dairy was founded in 2009 when owners Toby Simmonds and Jenny Rose Clarke asked their neighbour to import a herd of Buffalo from Italy to milk on his farm. They have since diversified into working solely with local raw cow and sheep milk. Fresh milk is supplied to the diary from several local cow herds and Vincenzo La Manna's local flock of sheep. Toons Bridge Dairy work with raw cow and sheep milk to make over 12 varieties of mainly Southern Mediterranean style cheeses.

There were 25 Irish cheesemakers represented at the awards, which are open to British and Irish cheesmakers who produce less than 300 tonnes a year. Four of the 16 classes were won by Irish cheeses.
The removal of the known carcinogenic asbestos from older buildings should only be undertaken by competent asbestos removal contractors prior to their demolition.

That's according to a senior Health and Safety Authority (HSA) official who was commenting after a Cork company was hit with a 50,000 fine for exposing workers to asbestos fibres during demolition works at a Mallow office building.

Leeside Cut & Core Contractors Ltd of Blackhill, Fivemile Bridge, Ballinhassig pleaded guilty to two charges at a sitting of Cork Circuit Criminal Court presided over by Judge Sean O Donnabhain.

The case arose following demolition works in early 2015 at a two-story office building at Gould's Hill in Mallow that was built during the 1970's.

The building had asbestos insulating board ceiling tiles containing amosite (brown asbestos) and chrysotile (white asbestos) on both ground and first floor. The floor tiles and bitumen also contained chrysotile.

The court heard that between January 21 and February 6, 2016 employees of the company were involved in the demolition of stud wall partitions and block-work at the office building. As a result of these works being carried out in an uncontrolled manner damage was caused to the asbestos insulating board ceiling tiles, resulting in employees being exposed to asbestos fibres.

The company pleaded guilty to offences before the court under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act (2005) and a regulation of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Exposure to Asbestos) regulations (2006 and 2010).

The first of these related to the company's failure to manage the demolition work at the premises in circumstances where there were asbestos containing materials present in such a way as to ensure the safety, health and welfare of workers. This related to the demolition work being carried out in an uncontrolled fashion, causing damage to the asbestos ceiling and floor tiles and exposing employees to the risk of inhaling the asbestos fibres.

The second charge related to the undertaking of work liable to expose employees to asbestos or materials containing asbestos where they had failed to undertake a risk assessment on the site.

At a February sitting of Mallow District Court the client company in this Particular case, Mallow-based AV Pound and company Ltd, pleaded guilty to a single charge under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act (failure of client to appoint in writing a competent Project Supervisor Design Process at or before start of design process.)

They were fined 750 with 3,000 costs awarded.

Commenting on the case, assistant HSA chief executive Sharon McGuinness said asbestos containing materials still remained a "significant hazard" in older buildings and that exposure to fibres can lead to fatal diseases many years afterwards.

She said it was a critical requirement under legislation that all employers, particularly those in the construction and demolition sector, identify the presence of any materials containing asbestos in advance of any works on buildings built before the year 2000.

"In practice, this can be achieved by requesting the results of an asbestos survey from the client or owner of the building or engaging a competent asbestos surveyor to conduct an intrusive refurbishment or demolition asbestos survey," said Ms McGuinness.

"This particular case has highlighted that attempts to demolish structures below or adjacent to high-risk asbestos containing materials should not be attempted. All reasonable attempts should be made to remove all such materials by competent asbestos removal contractors prior to any demolition techniques being applied."
Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Declan Hurley makes the presentation to Dromahane Community Park group members Mary Manning and Ronnie Dunne. Photo: David Keane

Groups and individuals from across County Cork have been acknowledged for the outstanding contributions they made to their communities over the past year at a gala bash held last Wednesday evening at Cork County Hall.

Now in their sixth year, the annual Cork County Mayor's Community Awards Scheme acknowledges the successes and achievements of those whose tireless voluntary efforts on behalf of others, in conjunction with Cork County Council and other agencies, has helped draw their respective communities together.

Nominations were made by members of cork County Council and the Public Participation Network (PPN), with all the nominees invited to attend the presentation ceremony.

County Mayor Declan Hurley presented three awards on the evening to groups and individuals from Cork County Council's three divisional areas, with Youghal man Sean Murphy winning the overall individual award for his years of service to the GAA and overall Community and Voluntary Group award going to the Carrigtwohill Family Resource Centre.

Of particular interest to Corkman readers were the northern division winners who beat off stiff opposition from other worthy nominees to win the divisional awards.

The North Cork group winners were Dromahane Community Park Group for its work in developing the facility in the village and the Old Kilcrumper Graveyard Friends Association for its work in maintaining the Fermoy cemetery.

The individual award went to Mallow man Wayne O'Donnell for his role as a leader on the Operation Transformation television show.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Cllr Hurley said he was delighted to be able to honour the work and commitment of all the nominees.

"An amazing 34 community groups and individuals were nominated, chosen for the superb contributions and improvements made to their respective communities across County Cork. That is a wonderful indictment of the culture that we have in our county and one which I am delighted to be in a position to recognise, and celebrate through these awards," said Mayor Hurley.

"I would like to see even more nominations for these awards next year. I would like to see the ethos of volunteerism go forward and spread, to benefit each other and for the benefits to ourselves. Any litter that is picked, any time donated, any thought shared, all go toward making our communities even stronger and create great places to live happily," he concluded.

Award recipients

North Cork Groups: Dromahane Community Park Group, Old Kilcrumper Graveyard Friends.

North Cork Individual: Wayne ODonnell.

South Cork Groups: Carrigtwohill Family Resource Centre.

South Cork Individual: Sean Murphy, St Emmanuel Leonard

West Cork Groups: Castletown Kinneigh Ladies Club. Lusitania Museum.

West Cork Individual: Helen Dempsey.

Overall Group Award: Carrigtwohill Family Resource Centre.

Overall Individual Award: Sean Murphy
Cork is losing gardai, not gaining them, according to Deputy Michael Moynihan.

Despite six new recruits being appointed to the Cork Garda divisions this week, all for Cork West, Deputy Moynihan said regular retirements over the years have seen overall numbers declining.

The new appointments by An Garda Siochana this week were part of 87 announced nationwide, all for the Garda Traffic Corps - which will now be called 'Roads policing Units'.

'A key element of the work of the new Roads Policing Unit will be to deny criminals the use of the roads network. In addition to focusing on the lifesaver offenses of speeding, seatbelts, mobile phones and driving under the influence, there will be a significant focus on crime prevention and crime detection," said a Garda spokesperson.

However, Deput Moynihan said he is concerned that not enough of the Gardai who have retired over the past number of years in the three Cork Garda divisions are being replaced. This came after he secured information from the Department of Justice showing that 107 Gardai have retired from stations in the North Cork, Cork City and Cork West Divisions between 2014 and to date in 2018.

"We constantly hear that there has been over 1800 new Gardai deployed from Templemore since 2014, but what isn't being put into the public domain is the number of Gardai that are retiring or even resigning from the force," said Deputy Moynihan.

"Losing over 100 Gardai to natural retirement between Cork City and County means that the actual number of 'new Gardai' is far fewer than what the Government claims. We know that nationally over 700 Gardai have retired since 2014.

"There is, in many places across rural Ireland, a scarcity of Gardai on the beat; this has a direct effect on the public's confidence in the ability of An Garda Siochana to protect their communities from crime.

"We need to see more Gardai in out stations, in our communities and on our streets. It's the only way to deal with the scourge of rural crime and criminality," concluded Moynihan.

This week, The Road Safety Authority welcomed the 87 new Garda members being appointed to Roads Policing Units, but with chief executive Moyagh Murdock noting: "the allocation is the first increase in Garda numbers deployed to front line road safety enforcement since 2010".
If the only time you get up close and personal with a bovine is when it's on your plate then you can change that on Monday next.

'National Open Farm Day', promoted by Agri Aware, takes place on Bank Holiday Monday, May 7, and dairy and beef farmers John and Ann Coughlan, from Ballyellis, Buttevant, have been selected as one of four farms to host the event.

This will be the first time in Ireland that farms from across the country will simultaneously open their gates to the public on one day to help educate consumers about what happens on a working farm and to encourage families to learn more about where our food comes from.

New RED C research shows that 1 in 10 Irish people have never visited a farm and 1 in 3 Irish people have not visited a farm in the past five years. For more than half (55%) the reason was simply that they never had the opportunity.

It comes as similar research in the UK found that one in eight young people in the UK have never seen a cow in real life.

John and Ann Coughlan's farm, which dates back to the 1830s, has been in the family for an impressive six generations.

Ann is a former teacher, but now works full-time on the farm with John. The couple have two grown-up children, Michael (27) and Helena (26) who both work abroad. They have one full-time member of staff, George O'Keeffe, who is part of the family at this stage, having worked with the Coughlans for almost four decades!

The Coughlan's farm operates 365 days of the year producing beef and milk. Their milk goes to Dairygold, where it is processed and packaged for consumers to buy in the form of cheese, butter and cartons of milk.

Their beef goes to Dawn Meats where it is processed in the form of beef joints, steak, burgers and much more and then sold to retailers, hotels and restaurants before ending up on consumer's plates in Ireland and around the world.

In addition to the hectic life of the farm, John is the IFA's regional chairman for Munster, while Ann is secretary of Buttevant Heritage Group. Ann works closely with the group to preserve the town's rich medieval Norman history and to honour the area's farming heritage.

"It is important that we continue to highlight the role of the family farm as a key part of the rural community," says Ann.

Both Ann and John are delighted to have the opportunity to take part in National Open Farm Day and plan to showcase all aspects of farming for their visitors.

"As we become an increasingly urbanised nation, many people are losing the connection between the activity carried out by farmers and the food that they consume every day," commented Agri Aware's executive director, Deirdre O'Shea. "Our research clearly shows that Irish people would welcome the opportunity to visit a working farm to learn more about how our food is produced."

On Monday, the Coughlans farm will be open to the public from 11am - 4pm, and wil be signposted locally.
The confirmation that Irish Water is set to replace 4km of ageing mains pipes in the Kilworth area is set to finally bring to an end a long-running impasse between the company and local residents.

Irish Water this week announced it was to provide a "more secure and reliable" water supply for houses in Castlecooke and the surrounding area by replacing the old and damaged pipes with a new connection from nearby Macroney.

The company said there had been frequent outages on the Castlecooke supply to the aged network, with an average of almost one burst pipe per month over recent years.

In order to address this, the existing supply from Castlecooke will be replaced with a new connection to the Macroney scheme by 4km of new mains at a cost of almost 500,000.

The work is set to get underway early this month and will take approximately four months to complete. Paul Cremin, capital programmes lead with Irish Water, said the work would ensure a secure water supply to local households and protect against future outages due to busts pipes and other issues.

"People on Castlecooke have been experiencing outages due to frequent burst to the ageing pipes. We plan to address this and are pleased to be moving forward with this essential project which will lead to a much improved local water supply," said Mr Cremin.

"Irish Water will work with Cork County Council and our contractors to ensure disruption to residents and road users during the ongoing works are kept to a minimum," he added.

The move brings to an end an almost two-year dispute between Castlecooke residents and Irish Water, sparked by a proposal by the company to switch local houses to the 'hard' water Downing Bridge source.

The issue had been raised as far back as July 2016 by Cllr Deirdre O'Brien (FF), who had pointed out that water from Downing Bridge supply was as much as four times harder than that currently being used. She said locals were concerned that switching to the Downing Bridge supply could cost them thousands of Euro to replace damaged household and farming equipment.

Incensed residents even went as far as signing a petition calling on Irish Water not to go ahead with the switch, claiming they had not even been consulted about the move.

"They want to stay where they are. There should be no question of their supply being changed against their will," she told Council officials.

At the time Cllr Frank O'Flynn (FF) said that locals would rather dig their own wells than be switched to the 'hard' Downing Bridge supply. Cllr O'Brien welcomed the news that the existing supply from Macroney was to be upgraded.

"The local community stood their ground. This is a victory for common sense and people power ," she said.
A Mid-Cork couple who had to travel to the UK for an abortion after their baby was diagnosed with a fatal foetal abnormality have urged voters to repeal the Eighth Amendment so no one else will have to endure the trauma they endured when they were unable to get a termination in Ireland.

Susan and Tim Corcoran from Donoughmore spoke about the traumatic experience they underwent in 2013 when they had to travel to the UK for a termination after a scan revealed their baby girl was suffering from Edwards Syndrome and would not survive to full term.

Speaking at the launch by Fine Gael of its 'yes' campaign in Cork at the weekend, Susan received a standing ovation after she recounted her and her husband's sense of isolation here in Ireland before urging people to vote 'yes' to ensure no one else at the go through what they went through.

"We were delighted when we learned I was pregnant as I had miscarried at nine weeks the previous year so it was brilliant and when we went for the first scan at CUMH everything was at it should be, and all we had to do was wait for the 12 week scan - it was such a happy time," said Susan.

"We finally got to the 12 week scan and the only thing they said was that the baby was small but we weren't too worried about that but then when we went back at 14 weeks; that was when our world came crumbling down because the radiographer said she wanted the consultant to double check."

Susan told how the radiographer was concerned after it appeared that the baby's bowel was outside its body and when the consultant gynaecologist examined the scan she confirmed the concern but also revealed that the baby had other more serious issues.

"There were also concerns that would indicate our baby had a chromosome disorder and the only way to find out more was to have an amniocentesis; but she did say, from what she could see, she didn't think the baby would go full term.

"I was in shock and I didn't really know what she was saying. I remember Tim's face and the radiographer and the consultant all looking me so sadly and I remember thinking 'what is going on here', and Tim said 'did you not hear what the doctor said?' and he caught and squeezed my hand."

After amniocentesis confirmed that their baby was a little girl with a severe form of Edwards Syndrome they were given several days to absorb the news but returned some time later to CUMH to meet again with their consultant. "So we had the discussion you never want to have and we were told that if we were to continue with our pregnancy we would have to come back every week and get our baby scanned until her heartbeat was stopped or if we couldn't continue the pregnancy we would have to go to England."

Susan, who is originally from outside London, told how staff at CUMH apologised to herself and Tim, who is originally from Millstreet, for being unable to assist them if they chose to go to England but she said they had guessed as much as the Savita Halappanavar tragedy was happening at the time.

"We went home and I tell you it was the longest week of our lives trying to make a decision as to what to do. We cried and cried, and cried and then we decided that in our situation the best thing for our baby and the kindest thing for our baby was to terminate the pregnancy."

They returned to CUMH to inform the consultant who said the only advice she could give, from hearing from couples in similar situations, was to go to a hospital with a foetal medical unit as opposed to a clinic in the UK, as they would provide emotional support after the termination.

Susan told how they returned home and ended up Googling abortion in the UK but all that kept coming up were clinics and while they were anxious to heed their consultant's advice about choosing a hospital they felt they were left with no alternative but to go to a clinic.

"But then I broke down to one of the very few friends that knew about the situation and she said 'hang on, I've a cousin who is a midwife in London in St Mary's Paddington, let me speak to her' and from that moment then everything went so quick because she could help us."

Now a mother of two, Susan fought back the tears to tell how she made her way to Cork Airport the next morning and she explained how she felt everyone was looking at her as she bawled her eyes out while making her way to the Ryanair desk to board the flight.

"I was just bawling crying all the way to the desk and I've heard of it from so many women who've been in this situation - 'I'm here with my baby inside of me and when I set foot in this country again I will have no baby'," she recalled.

On arrival at St Mary's in Paddington, Susan, who was at this stage 20 weeks pregnant, met with a consultant as she was required to get a second opinion and she confirmed the diagnosis from CUMH that her baby had Edwards Syndrome as well as other complications.

"I will never forget this - as I was lying down being scanned, the consultant at St Mary's touched my leg and said 'Susan, you are doing the right thing' and I burst into tears because it was the first time I actually felt that what I was doing wasn't wrong and that I wasn't a bad mother."

Susan revealed their baby daughter, Cara, was born on June 26, 2013 and after spending time with her family in the UK they returned to Ireland and while she was in "a daze" for several weeks afterwards the experience has left her with a clear opinion of what should happen on May 25.

"I never thought I'd ever be in this situation and people never think it could happen to them but it can and it could be your daughter and they might have to make this decision and it's just so unfair - we need to repeal the Eighth Amendment so no one else has to go through what we went through."
A Romanian man who stole 38,000 worth of rings from a North Cork jewellers would be going to jail only for the catastrophic effect it would have on his wife for whom he acts as a carer, declared a judge as he imposed a five year suspended prison sentence on the man.

Roman Costica, a 44 year old father of four who has lived in Ireland for the past 22 years but never worked here, pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to the theft of 38,000 worth of rings from Barnes Jewellers at Patrick Street in Fermoy, on August 15, 2017.

Det Garda Denis Ryan told the court how Costica spent some time casing the premises including going into the shop on three separate occasions prior to the theft when he watched staff members open the door on a glass case to access rings on display in the window.

Costica snatched a tray containing 14 18 carat gold rings when the door to the glass case was momentarily left open and he fled the shop but he was caught on CCTV footage and gardai were able to identify him and trace him to his home at Cannonbridge Avenue in Lucan, Co Dublin.

Det Garda Ryan said Costica told gardai as they brought him back to Fermoy for questioning that he had sold the rings to a Lithuanian for 1,700 to pay a gambling debt but he later said he was "only messing" when he said that and he made no admissions during interview.

Gardai recovered three rings worth 6,000 and the jewellers had to resort to their insurance to get compensation for the theft and their insurance premium had gone up hugely as a consequence, Det Garda Ryan told the court.

He said that Costica had a conviction from Ballymena Magistrates Court in 2014 when he stole money from a casino for which he was given a three years suspended sentence while he also had a conviction for theft from Kilmainham District Court in 2001.

Det Garda Ryan said that Costica - who was assisted during the hearing by an interpreter - had been in Ireland for 22 years but had never worked here and was in receipt of social welfare as he was a carer for his wife who suffered from multiple health issues.

Defence barrister, David Fleming BL asked Judge Gerard O'Brien to be as lenient as possible in the light of his client's guilty plea and the fact that he was a full time carer for his wife who suffers from an autoimmune disease as well as respiratory and mobility issues.

"He is very sorry about his crime and he is very embarrassed and is cognisant of the results that his action could have on his family," said Mr Fleming adding that Costica has four children aged 8, 11, 14 and 19.

Judge O'Brien noted that Costica had saved the state the expense of a trial by his guilty plea and there were no particularly aggravating factors other than the value of the stolen property and a certain level of premeditation involved in the theft. He noted that Mr Fleming had submitted that his client was deeply remorseful and he was also cognisant of Costica's previous criminal record while the probation service report was not particularly positive and found that he was at a medium to high risk of re-offending.

He also noted that Costica had a gambling problem and that he was a full time carer for his wife and while he believed that the offence would usually merit a five years sentence, he was prepared to suspend it on a number of conditions including that he address his gambling problems.

He also made it a condition of the suspension that Costica sever all links with his gambling associates and any other negative influences and he should remain under the supervision of the Probation Service for the full five years of the suspension.

"You can tell your client, Mr Fleming, that it is because of the catastrophic effect it would have on his wife and children that he is not going to jail," said Judge O'Brien as he imposed the five year suspended term.
A Macroom woman who stole over 200,000 from her employer over a 13 year period has been remanded on bail to allow her be assessed as to her suitability to do community service work after she repaid the stolen sum in full.

Margaret McCarthy Creedon (51) from Sally Park, Millstreet Road, Macroom had previously pleaded guilty to six sample charges from a total of 50 relating to the theft of 205,000 from her employer Macroom Haulage between 10 May 2000 and 9 August 2013.

Det Sgt Derek Mulcahy said that McCarthy Creedon had immediately admitted the thefts when she was arrested and interviewed about them by Det Garda Tom O'Sullivan and she had co-operated fully with gardai and indicated that she would be pleading guilty at an early stage.

He agreed with prosecution barrister, Don McCarthy BL that she had spared the court a complex trial and she had immediately set about repaying the money with some assistance from family and friends as well as from cashing in a pension policies and had now repaid the money in full.

Det Sgt Mulcahy agreed with defence barrister, Donal O'Sullivan BL that McCarthy Creedon, a separated mother of three, would have to live with the shame of her offending for the rest of her days as the case had received considerable publicity locally.

Paddy Murphy, who owns Macroom Haulage, said the thefts by McCarthy Creedon were difficult to comprehend given the fact that they and their families had been close but the effect of her crime went beyond simply the money that she had stolen.

"Margaret Creedon worked for our company for 22 years - from 1992 until 2014. For many years she was my financial manager and dealt with the financial affairs of the company and between, 2000 and 2014, a sum in excess of 200,000 was taken from the company," he said.

Mr Murphy told Cork Circuit Criminal Court that the betrayal of trust from McCarthy Creedon was particularly hard to take as she knew from working at the company the sacrifices that he and others were making to keep the company in business during the recession.

"It is difficult to express the degree of hurt and betrayal we feel ..... "Particularly between the years 2009 and 2014 when a sum of nearly 70,000 was taken when the company was struggling during the recession and all the staff, including myself, took cuts in pay and salary."

Mr Murphy recalled how McCarthy Creedon had been a personal friend to him and his family and they had attended many of her family occasions including birthdays while she had attended similar occasions for his family including those of two of his sons who work in the company.

He acknowledged that McCarthy Creedon had paid back the money and written a letter of apology but the injury went beyond the money and while they had managed to save the company, they continue to feel a huge emotional impact as a result of her crime.

"We are shaken, we are angry, we are upset, we are cross, we are suffering," Mr Murphy told Judge Gerard O'Brien in a Victim Impact Statement that he read himself to the court as McCarthy Creedon sat with her head bowed.

Defence barrister Donal O'Sullivan BL pointed out that his client had no previous convictions and was unlikely to ever come to garda attention again and he also pointed out she had repaid the money in full and had spared the state the expense of a complex trial by her guilty plea.

He said he didn't believe it was the type of case that merited a custodial sentence as was often the case with many fraud type crimes and it was open to the court to deal with her either by way or a suspended prison sentence or possibly by a community service order.

Judge O'Brien acknowledged what Mr O'Sullivan said on behalf of his client but said he wanted to have McCarthy Creedon assessed as to her suitability for community service and he remanded her on bail until May 4th to allow such an assessment be carried out.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Shrewsbury Manor, an estate opposite Greenhills school.

How it got the name has come up for discussion from time to time, but the late great local historian Jim Garry in his book on the streets of the town, explains that it comes from a great exodus back in the years of the Second World War.

Some 192 men left Drogheda to work in the Shropshire towns of Shrewsbury and Oswestry.

It was an amazing exodus, Pappy Fox leading them around the town the night before and then heading to Drogheda train station where they all boarded and departed for Dun Laoighre.

A boat trip over the Irish Sea - hazardous in the war years - followed before they arrived in their new homes.

They were taken on by the British Ministry of Defence to work on military bases and each worker was given half a crown.

Their contract was for a year and they lived in Nissen huts, under the command of Paddy Geoghegan from Newfield, who worked to keep the huts clean and tidy, not always an easy task.

Some of those who travelled hadn't been able to find work for years, others were trained plasterers and bricklayers, but due to the war, found it hard to find employment.

For a lot of the guys it was their first time away from home. They came from all over town, but a lot from down The Glen way on the northside.

Pappy, John and Jem Fox were three to go. Other names, like Matthews, Keegan, Finglas, Owens, Smith and Dyas also departed, with the Waters men from Bredin Street, Heeney from Bredin Street and the Gartlands from Nun's Walk.

Eddie Smith from Hand Street was just 18 and one of the youngster to travel. He would later head on to Melbourne.

Local man Tom Winters wrote about the 'Great Exodus' as he puts it for the Old Drogheda journal.

His research found that the men took on roles with McAlpine and built airfields and they did everything, labourers, clerks, drivers, whatever was needed.

They headed in to the little pubs of Shrewsbury and were termed the 'mad paddies'.

After their year was up, many headed back to Ireland, but others stayed, got married and raised families in the locality.

The younger ones enlisted with the British Army and fought in WWII.
The Fleadh Charter and Legacy Committee are bringing a taste of the Fleadh to this years Drogheda Arts Festival.

They are hosting an Irish Street Seisiun Busking Competition on Sunday 6th May from 2-5pm on Laurence Street Drogheda during Fleadh Sunday.

This event was previously postponed due to the snow in March.

Prizes include 300 cash for 1st Prize and a performance spot during the Fleadh in August. 2nd Prize is 200 and 3rd prize is 100.

Register by emailing FleadhCharter@gmail.com . T&C's & Competition Rules Apply

Fleadh Sunday on Laurence Street will also include Ceili at the Gate, the Laurence Street Traders Family Appreciation Party and the McCarthy School of Irish Dancing in the Laurence Shopping Centre.

With Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann being held in Drogheda this August it is hoped that Fleadh Sunday will give local people and visitors a taste of the Fleadh.

Rory Scott, Chairperson of the Fleadh Charter & Legacy Committee urged the local community to support Fleadh Sunday:

"Over the last few years we have seen a huge increase in the interest in Irish culture in the Drogheda area, particularly with young people, and the numbers learning traditional Irish music have soared.

'We look forward to showcasing the best of local traditional Irish culture on Fleadh Sunday and with the Arts Festival and the Drogheda 10k also on we are sure there will be great craic agus ceol in Drogheda, come along and support the events"

To get in touch with the Fleadh Charter & Legacy Committee and to become involved with the weekend email: fleadhcharter@gmail.com
Tributes have been paid to campaigner Alex Baizert (53) who passed away in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital on Sunday after collapsing on Friday afternoon.

Alex spearheaded a lengthy campaign nationally to legalise medicinal cannabis.

An epilepsy sufferer, he constantly highlighted the benefits of cannabis for medical conditions, including his own.

' This can save lives and make living a lot better for a lot of people,' he claimed. 'If I can be the voice for people in the Drogheda area, then I'm happy. This is about the treatment of epilepsy and has been accepted by many experts worldwide.'

Last Wednesday, he met with Minister Simon Harris and gave an impassioned speech about the needs of people in such circumstances and urged the government to forward the necessary legislation to make it legal in this country to be prescribed medicinal cannabis.

His girlfriend, Caroline Conlon, who got engaged to him just last week, spoke of her huge loss and how Alex had battled so hard during his campaign.

She said they spoke for the last time at 2.15pm on Friday - just hours after he had placed a ring on her finger. He collapsed on Dyer Street and was rushed to hospital. His fight for life ended on Sunday.

'He was so proud of the speech he gave to Minister Harris on Wednesday,' she stated.

Gino Kenny TD was shocked to hear of Alex's death.'It is sad news about the passing of Alex Baizert. Alex spoke many times at public meetings around the country on the issue of access to medicinal cannabis. Our condolences to his family and friends at this sad time.'

The group, Ireland Dads For Marijuana, also praised his dedication. 'Alex Baizert has been fighting hard for people in our country that were suffering like him. Unfortunately we have lost yet another great activist and humanitarian..'

Alex was also passionate about the town of Drogheda and took part in last year's clean up at the Buttergate.

Alex will repose in Townley's Funeral Home from 5-7pm on Wednesday and from 1pm on Thursday with prayers at 1.30pm, followed by cremation in Dardistown.
The Credit Union service in Drogheda and Dundalk have joined forces with a group of credit unions across Louth, Meath and North Dublin to fund the sponsorship of the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann 2018 in Drogheda.

"The Credit Union" has been announced as the main sponsor of Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann which will take place this summer from 12th - 19th August. Both Drogheda and Dundalk Credit Unions celebrate their 50th anniversaries this year and have been strong supporters of Fleadh Drogheda from the outset, forming a collaborative group of Credit Unions that also includes Ardee Credit Union, Duleek Credit Union, Dunleer Credit Union and Progressive Credit Union from North Dublin to support and sponsor the biggest family festival in the country.

Sponsoring the massive community event that is Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann ties in with the credit unions' not-for-profit ethos and role at the very heart of communities all over Ireland.

Tom Kiely, CEO Drogheda Credit Union said "Drogheda Credit Union are delighted to support our community on what is to be the biggest event ever hosted in the town of Drogheda."

Commenting further on the announcement, Geraldine Gilsenan, Chairperson of Drogheda Credit Union Ltd said "We are excited to be on board as main sponsor of the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann 2018. We have strong ties with our communities so it is great to be able to engage with such a huge event. People in our Trim & Bettystown communities and across the counties of Louth, Meath and North Dublin are also gearing up for an amazing treat of seven days and nights of music, dancing, singing and craic."

Billy Doyle, CEO of Dundalk Credit Union said "Dundalk Credit Union are thrilled that "The Credit Union" will be the main sponsor of Fleadh Cheoil na Eireann 2018. The Fleadh is the biggest celebration of Irish music and culture and we are very excited to support this unique and memorable community event as part of our 50th anniversary celebrations. This is the first year in its history that the Fleadh has come to Co. Louth and we have no doubt it will be a wonderful event for all ages to enjoy."

Welcoming the sponsorship deal the Chief Executive of Louth County Council, Joan Martin said, "Louth County Council are very much looking forward to working with "the Credit Union" as we prepare to welcome Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann to Drogheda. "The Credit Union" is a perfect fit as a main sponsor given its exemplary track record in supporting ordinary people, community initiatives and local organisations not just in Louth but across the country."

This is the first time in many years that the Fleadh will be held on the east coast of Ireland and the local economy is set to benefit to the tune of 40million.

400,000 visitors are expected to attend the week-long festival in August, with 30% of people expected to travel from overseas to enjoy the festivities on offer.

The official launch of Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann takes place this week in Drogheda.
Sinn Fein TD for Louth and East Meath Imelda Munster has lambasted Minister for Transport Shane Ross, saying that he is "one big disappointment as Minister", after he refused to secure the removal of the sliproad tolls in Drogheda for the duration of Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann this August.

Speaking in the Dail, Deputy Munster accused Minister Ross of putting business before people.

Deputy Munster said: "I met with the Minister in January. At my request, he committed to contact Celtic Road Group and Transport Infrastructure Ireland to examine the possibility of removing the sliproad toll for the week of the Fleadh, given that the main toll would remain in place, and revert to me by the end of February.

"Despite repeated requests for follow up, he ducked and dived until I had the opportunity to challenge him on it in the Dail chamber.

"It is clear that the Minister put little or no effort into securing the removal of the sliproad tolls, even for one week.

"There are over 400,000 visitors expected in Drogheda for the Fleadh in August and Drogheda is the only town in Ireland with a sliproad toll, where people are taxed to go from one side of the town to the other.

"Given the influx of people, removing the toll would have been of enormous benefit to the town, the traffic, and the smooth running of the Fleadh.

"Worst case scenario, by the Minister's own estimation, it would have cost between 115,000 and 130,000 in compensation to CRG, the operator of the toll.

"Shane Ross is both Minister for Transport and Tourism. He appears to have no interest in either.

"Drogheda's potential as a tourist destination could be affected by this if traffic congestion seriously disrupts the Fleadh.

"Transport Infrastructure Ireland have said this is doable. All that's required is political will.

"Minister Ross made it clear that he does not have the will to have the tolls removed for the week.

"Minister Ross has not only let the people of Drogheda down, he has also let the people of Louth down, as well as the expected 400,000 visitors to the county for the Fleadh this August".
The campaign to save centuries old Ship Street saw residents take to the streets last weekend - but they weren't marching - they were fixing giant potholes.

Some of the holes on the street stretched to 10ft in width and residents, neighbours and friends gathered with shovels, wheelbarrows and cement to carry out repairs.

The holes had become very dangerous and despite appeals to the council, they remained untouched for years.

Resident Roma Rozenek feels they had little option but to start their DIY efforts on the street.

Measuring 58ft from door to door, the street is one of the widest in the town and Roma had lost count of the number of potholes in it.

'I contacted the council but nobody got back to me. We have pay parking in the street, but it has huge potholes and no designated spaces. Our fear was that someone could trip and fall, such were the size of the potholes.'

The fact that the council is getting revenue from the street for parking - before it was suspended - means they must be responsible for its upkeep, Roma feels.

They have also been in contact asking the council to take over the abandoned houses and make them homes again.

'The big issue is the threat of flooding but the non return valve is not working. If it was, that would help. It just needs an engineer from the council to come and see it. We would meet them at any stage.

'We know there's always issues with money, but we simply want the council to come and talk.

'Fixing the potholes is just the start. We really want to bring life back into the place and we will do that', a determined Roma added.

The potential for a major rejuvenation project is huge on the street.

'This could be a huge cultural opportunity for the council and we just hope that they take it.'

Cllr Frank Godfrey has been assisting the residents for some years and says the next project is a street sign and a bench at the bottom of the street.

They are also hosting a street party in June.

He said the Defenders of Drogheda's Heritage group attended Saturday's pothole filling day as part of their promotion of the town.
Last Wednesday, members of the Reid family gathered to wish their beloved sister, Mary, a very happy birthday. But there would be no cake, no cards, just a sense of longing... what if, who, what, where, when, how. Where Mary Reid is concerned, there has always been more questions than answers.

As the family sat in the Augustinian Church on Shop Street, their minds wandered at times, memories of a smiling face, of a determined young woman who would 'go hungry to help a stranger' - a woman with the biggest heart in the world.

It was a cold, January evening, the 29th of the month, 2003. A local man out walking on the beach came across a body of a partially clothed woman. It was near Doagh, in Co Donegal, a lonely spot on a winter's night.

That woman was Mary Reid (49), sister of proud Donegal man but Drogheda based Joe Reid, who runs Floorstyle on Patrick Street.

15 years later and Joe is still transfixed by what happened to his sister. The authorities say it was suicide, maybe an accidental drowning as she tried to rescue her dog from a stormy sea. Joe feels something more sinister is at play.

But in the years since Mary's death, no new leads have been uncovered - even today, Joe feels it could be the likes of a Garda 'whistleblower' that might shed new light on a case, growing dimmer with the sands of time.

'I wait for the day that I get a call from someone who tells me the real story, the truth about Mary. I know she was the type of girl who'd have done exactly what her family are doing for her now, fighting for justice, justice for Mary.

'Mary was the type of woman who did nothing for herself. That's why it hurts so much. I feel I haven't achieved anything for her and that upsets me. But I won't give up, I won't give up on Mary.'

The last reported sighting of Mary was in Derry city at 9.30am on that January morning in 2003. Eight hours later, her lifeless body was found on a beach in Donegal.

Mary's unlocked car was located in a car park. Her car was first noticed parked there at 12.30pm, five hours before her body was discovered a short distance away.

It was reported that her body was still warm when it was found. There was water in her lungs, but did she die there and what was the cause?

But more importantly, where was Mary for five hours between her car being spotted and her body being found?

Her bag was never recovered and the scene was not preserved. The initial feeling was this was a suicide - pure and simple?

'There exists no medical evidence, no written evidence, no verbal evidence and no visual evidence of suicide in relation to Mary' s death,' Joe states, highly critical of how the gardai handled the situation from the very start.

'Mary's car had been meticulously cleaned, her bag with personal belongings was never found. The PSNI in Derry were never contacted despite Mary living and working in the city for the previous decade,' Joe reveals.

Gardai re-opened their files into the case in 2005 but it proved inconclusive.

It was claimed that Mary drowned while trying to rescue her dog that had dashed into the sea. That dog was never found and no-one saw her with a dog.

Mary Reid was one of three people caught up in the 'Irish of Vincennes' case in August 1982. She was arrested there with two men, Stephen King and Michael Plunkett and all three had links to the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) and it was alleged they were part of an Irish-Palestinian terror cell.

The incident was heralded as a great success for the French - but it was found the police had planted guns and explosives in the apartment and the three were cleared of the charges on October 5, 1983, after spending nine months in prison.

She wrote home to the family from her cell, stating the three had 'nothing to hide and eventually someone is going to have to pay for the monumental mess up they've made...I am what I am and I'm happy to defend myself on that ground here. I regard France as a second home.'

She took a case against the police and those that set her up. It rumbled on for years. The whole episode embarrassed the French government and a few political careers were ruined. Her case was about finding justice, not lining her pockets with compensation.

In 1991, Mary told a French court that the affair 'destroyed her life' and her son who was with her in France had to be placed in a French foster home for a period before being cared for by his family back in Ireland.

Mary was editor of the Starry Plough, the IRSP newspaper, for some years and having returned to Ireland, went to study in Galway and would end up teaching English to students in Rosemount in Derry.

After her death, her French solicitor said it was a great pity that she did not see justice after a 20 year wait.

Despite the passing of time, Joe Reid, who has lived by the Boyneside for 40 years, still remains determined to find the truth.

He has files upon files, detail after detail and today would still love to see a 'Cold Case' team take on the task about finding the truth behind Mary's death.

'We are not the only family in Ireland looking for an investigation like this, but we have so many questions, so few answers.

'We look at all the factors, why the gardai presumed suicide and didn't take any forensics from the scene or why it wasn't preserved for a technical examination. There are so many things we still can't understand. What went wrong?'

Joe still goes back to Pettigo from time to time and when he meets old neighbours, their first words always ring in his mind 'Joe, did they ever find out who murdered Mary?'

The gardai say there is 'no recorded crime' when it comes to the death of Mary Reid and that's where it ends.

'We know there were lacerations on her face and bruises on her body and her face was pressed into the sand when she was found. '

Joe feels there is too much mystery about his sister's death.

'We wait for the day a call is made from someone brave enough to pick up the phone to me and tell us the full story,' he states.

There have been reports that Mary suffered from mental health problems. Joe says she was a very caring individual who believed in justice and could be driven by a desire to always help those who needed it. It was noted writer Eamon McCann writing her obituary who said she'd go hungry to feed others.

'There have been so many theories about Mary,' Joe adds. Her high profile in France could have made her highly unpopular in some circles. At one stage, her keen interest in history and ancient sites even had her death associated to alleged findings in respect of the 'Holy Grail' and a link between the Knights Templar, a French chateaux and Lough Derg.

But Joe is sceptical about all that, feeling the answers lie in Ireland, rather than on foreign soil.

'Mary is never out of my mind and never will be. Each year we mark her birthday - she would have been 65 on April 25 - and her death. Mary's death hurts as much as it did 15 years ago. Hopefully, some day, someone will help ease that pain and we'll get the full story.'
A documentary to be broadcast on LMFM this Bank Holiday Monday entitled "The Tick That Changed Our Lives" will tell the story of two sisters from Curragha in County Meath who were diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease and multiple systemic infections in 2014.

Siobhan and Clodagh Laffey both experienced a rapid decline in their health and after undergoing many tests in Ireland Siobhan was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2011. However in Clodagh's case doctors could not come up with any explanation as to why she was so ill and her condition deteriorated to the point that she was left bed-bound, lost her speech and suffered temporary paralysis.

Ironically it was a family friend who suggested that Clodagh should be tested for Lyme Disease also known as Lyme Borreliosis which is an infection caused by a spiral-shaped bacterium (Borrelia Burgdorferi) that is transmitted to humans by bites from ticks infected with the bacteria.

After Clodagh failed to secure a positive diagnosis in Ireland, she travelled to a specialist clinic in Germany where she eventually tested positive for Chronic Lyme Disease and a number of coinfections. Following on from this Siobhan realised she displayed many of the symptoms associated with Lyme Disease, she too was tested in Germany and received a positive diagnosis.

This 60 minute radio programme documents the Laffey sisters experience both in Ireland and in Germany. Siobhan and Clodagh will give heart breaking accounts of their daily struggles in coping with this debilitating disease. This programme will also feature interviews from their parents Michael and Eleanor who struggled at times watching their young daughters' health spiral out of control. It will also hear from Dr Jack Lambert who is a Consultant in Infectious Disease at the Mater Hospital Dublin and UCD and Dr Carsten Nicolas who founded the BCA Clinic in Augsburg Germany where Siobhan and Clodagh are being treated. Ann Maher, who also suffers with Lyme Disease will speak about Tick Talk Ireland, a voluntary run support group for people living with Lyme.

Presenting and Producing the Programme is LMFM's Senior News Reporter Eilis Sheehy, whose previous radio documentaries include the 2016 PPI Award Winning 'Caught In The Cross-Fire Of The Troubles', 'The Life And Times of John Boyle O' Reilly', 'The Dundalk Pile Light' and 'The Journey Of The Little Tern'.

The programme will air on Bank Holiday Monday, May 7th, around 1.15pm, straight after the 1 o' clock news.
A 19-year-old man has been given time to pay a total of 600 to charity in order to avoid convictions for two public order offences.

Kian Judge, of no fixed abode in Drogheda, pleaded guilty to being intoxicated in a public place, and engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour, at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital on 15 April last.

Garda Tara Heduan gave evidence that shortly before 4pm on that date she was called to the hospital where the defendant was being restrained by security staff.

He appeared under the influence of drugs, was examined by a doctor and found not to need further medical assistance.

Gda. Heduan continued Judge 'had a go' at security and was roaring and aggressive.

She arrested him at 4.10pm.

Solicitor Paddy Goodwin said his client has no previous convictions. He is very embarrassed to be in court and by his behaviour at the hospital.

Judge Walsh noted the accused is sitting in court with his legs crossed 'relaxed with some other chap beside him'.

Mr Goodwin continued Kian Judge works two days a week, earning 300 per week.

After the guard told the judge that the security man is okay, the case was adjourned to 22 June next.

The defendant was told to have 450 for St Vincent de Paul on the charge of engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour; and a further 150 for the Gary Kelly Centre for being intoxicated in a public place.

The charges will be struck out if that money is paid.
The deep and rich history and heritage of the town of Swords, which has grown massively over recent decades, has been recalled at an eye-catching exhibition.

Focusing on Early Christian times, a large crowd grathered at St Cronan's Pastoral Centre on the Brackenstown Road for the official opening.

Present was Mayor of Fingal Cllr Mary McCamley who cut the ribbon. Parish Administrator Fr Paul Thornton welcomed all those present.

Among those attending was Canon Robert Dean, rector of St Columba's Church of Ireland, Fr Dan O'Connor head of education in the Dublin Archdiocese and Fingal councillors David O'Connor and Paul Mulville.

Gerry Clabby, Heritage Officer with Fingal County council remarked that Swords has a really rich heritage which is wonderfully explained in the exhibition.

There have been a number of major archaeological sites recently uncovered due to development in the Swords area. Often this kind of information is recorded in technical reports but people remain unaware of the historical finds in their area. The exhibition brings these finds to light for the information of the general population.

The exhibition co-ordinator, Paddy O'Byrne expressed his gratitude to Fingal County Council and Creative Ireland for their generous grant of 1,500. Gannon Homes were thanked for their donation of 2,000 towards the cost of the exhibition.

Courtney Deery Heritage Consultancy was thanked for its work on the design and editorial.

The Swords area is steeped in history and it was an important centre for Christianity in the early days of the Irish Church. Swords is probably best known historically as the resting place of Brian Boru following his death at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.

His body lay overnight in the church at Swords and later processed to Armagh where the High King was buried.

The exhibition will feature displays on St Colmcille's Monastery, Glasmore Abbey/The Nunnery, and the local Holy Wells of St Colmcille, St Cronan and St Werburgh.

The exhibition also featured information on recent important archaeological findings in the Swords area, including the discovery in 2003 of a previously unknown cemetery at Mount Gamble.

This cemetery was in use from the arrival of Christianity in circa AD 550 until 1150.
A powerful play marking the 40th anniversary of disability organisation Prosper Fingal saw Transition Year (TY) students from St Joseph's Secondary School in Rush and local adults with an intellectual disability join forces to chart the magnificent history of Prosper Fingal through narrative, song and dance.

The actors from Prosper Fingal's Rush service (the Prosper Players) collaborated with St Joseph's TY class to perform 'Reeling in the Prosper Fingal Years' in a compelling demonstration of social inclusion in the Millbank Theatre in Rush over two nights.

Everyone was a star on the night, none more so than Prosper Player Stephen Dowdall whose stunning vocal performances included a rendition of Christy Moore's The Voyage.

The play was preceded by a short film commissioned by Prosper Fingal which documented the pivotal contribution of volunteers from the Fingal Association for the Handicapped, who established the Fingal Workshop (now Prosper Fingal) in 1978.

From humble beginnings in chalets on the grounds of the former St Ita's Hospital in Portrane, Prosper Fingal now provides services and supports to 300 adults with an intellectual disability across north county Dublin.

There were musical highlights from the decades including Ireland's 1993 Eurovision-winning song In Your Eyes, which was brilliantly sung by student Rebecca Leonard and Prosper Player Kim Doyle.

Prosper Player Bill Roberts also read a poem he had written for the occasion, Forty Years Of Growing.

The mesmerising night culminated in the full ensemble of students and Prosper Players singing Frank Sinatra's My Way.

The Prosper Players said they thoroughly enjoyed the experience. 'It was a great celebration,' said Darren Ward. 'I love the singing. It was a good night,' agreed Joe Howard.

TY student Weronika Kurdyn said: 'It was a great night and I am very happy I got to experience something like that and get closer to people with disabilities.'

Fellow student Anthony Gavin said he always looked forward to practice on Tuesdays and there was a great build-up to the occasion. 'It is sad it is over, I am going to miss it a lot.'

Greg Wallace, a fifth year student who also participated, said 'the atmosphere was great'.

A number of pivotal figures in the formation of Prosper Fingal were present. Tess McGuinness said the play was 'terrific' and it was 'great to see' everyone mixing together. Pauline Butterly said it was a 'wonderful' event and everyone deserved great credit.

Local TD Brendan Ryan also enjoyed the performance. 'I come here quite often to the regular events here in the Millbank and this measures up with any of them, it is fantastic.'

He said the inclusive nature of the event would 'stand to the community'.

Cllr Tom O'Leary also attended the play while Senator James Reilly showed his support at the pre-performance reception.

Many stakeholders in disability services were present, including Mairead Lyons, HSE Head of Social Care in north Dublin.

This was the sixth occasion that St Joseph's TY students and Prosper Fingal have collaborated to stage a musical production.

Prosper Group CEO Pat Reen said the night was 'a wonderful celebration of Prosper Fingal' and 'a wonderful celebration of the youth of Fingal as well'.

'This project is about community and about building a future. We have young people now who have gotten closer to people with disabilities and for that reason they will be the richer for it, and for that reason the organisation will be the richer for it as well,' he added.

The play is part of a number of special events in 2018 celebrating the vision of the organisation's early volunteers.

Patricia Hayden, Principal of St Joseph's Secondary School, paid tribute to all involved. 'Nothing worthwhile happens without a huge amount of work and I really want to recognise that,' she said. 'It is a magnificent achievement tonight and congratulations to the founding mothers and fathers, it is an extraordinary vision to have achieved and you must be very proud - deservedly very, very proud - and we are so proud to be part of it.'

She told the Fingal Independent: 'It is a perfect example of inclusion at its very best, and inclusion is equality, that is the message I have from this tonight.'

Thanks were extended to production director Niamh Carroll, musical director Judy McGann, assistant choral director Leah Brophy, TY coordinator Ciaran Reade, as well as the dedicated staff in Prosper Fingal's Rush service.
A group of women from Donabate are celebrating after completing the Irish Cancer Society's free smoking cessation programme.

Six women successfully completed the latest 'We Can Quit' course to be held in Donabate which aims to help women give up smoking together

The women commenced the free 12-week programme in January.

They attended weekly group sessions and one to one support meetings as well as receiving 12 weeks of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) to the value of 450 free of charge. The programme was open to female smokers over the age of 18 years, living in the Donabate area.

Edel, who has been smoke-free for more than eight weeks, was delighted to take part in the We Can Quit programme and said: 'The group and facilitators are amazing. I wouldn't have done it without their support.'

Caitriona Reynolds, Community Cancer Prevention Officer at the Irish Cancer Society said: 'We would like to congratulate all of the local women who successfully completed the We Can Quit programme. It is a brilliant achievement which will have a positive impact, not only on their lives, but on the lives of their families.

'We Can Quit offers women support to take on and succeed on their quitting journey. Through the programme, women can access a friendly and supportive network of like-minded women who really understand what they are going through. Together, the women in We Can Quit help each other to give up smoking for good.'

We Can Quit is an initiative of the Irish Cancer Society in partnership with the HSE and Blanchardstown Area Partnership. To find out more about We Can Quit or to register your interest for the next course, visit the Irish Cancer Society's website www.cancer.ie/we-can-quit or contact Caitriona Reynolds on creynolds@irishcancer.ie or 01 231 6669.
The Minister for Education has confirmed that a new secondary school for Malahide and Portmarnock will open in September under the patronage of Educate Together and a Fingal senator says negotiations for the lease of temporary site for the school are 'expected to conclude shortly'.

Senator James Reilly said: 'I have been informed by Minister Richard Bruton that enrolling for the new Malahide Portmarnock Secondary School will commence in September 2018. The Minister Richard Bruton has confirmed that the project has been devolved to Educate Together for delivery and that's great news.'

He said: 'The patron body intend to open the school In a temporary location and agree a lease with the owner of the property. Negotiations are ongoing and expected to conclude shortly. I look forward to the construction of a permanent school premises for Malahide Portmarnock Educate Together in due course.'

Earlier last week, Local Fianna Fail TD, Darragh O'Brien said the school must be opened in temporary accommodation by September to alleviate the pressure on pupil enrolments in secondary schools across Fingal. Deputy O'Brien said: 'There is already an acute shortage of secondary school places in Kinsealy, Malahide & Portmarnock. Parents have been left in an unacceptable position that their children cannot get secondary school places in the area where they live.

'We can only expect that the current chronic shortage of places in our schools will rise in the coming years if this Government does not act now. 'The provision of a new post-primary school in the Malahide/Portmarnock area was first promised over two years ago and was originally scheduled to open last September. It is welcome that a suitable permanent site has finally been identified.'

He concluded: 'A lot of local people have long campaigned for the development of this school and they have my full support, I will continue to place pressure on the Minister to ensure that there are no unacceptable delays in opening the school in temporary accommodation.'
In addition to his state Assembly duties, he has also served as chairman of the Wayne County Republican Committee.

Oaks has served under six Assembly minority leaders, including Brian Kolb, the GOP conference's current chief. During his tenure in Albany, there have been five governors and three Assembly speakers.

"[I]t is time for someone younger to challenge the status quo and stand up for small businesses and small communities that are so important to the fabric of our area of upstate New York," Oaks said.

With Oaks' retirement, there will likely be plenty of interest in the seat. Republicans have an enrollment advantage in the 130th district. There are 12,635 more active GOP voters than Democrats, according to the state Board of Elections.

There is one Democrat already in the race. Scott Comegys, who briefly ran for Congress before bowing out earlier this year, has created a campaign committee to run for state Assembly.

Oaks is the second member of Cayuga County's state legislative delegation to announce they will not be seeking re-election this year. State Sen. John DeFrancisco said last month that he won't run for another term.

Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

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Over 1.2 million has been approved for life-long learning, strengthening communities and helping people to become job ready in Fingal, according to a local TD.

Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal, Alan Farrell has welcomed confirmation from the Minister for Rural and Community Development, that funding of over 1.2 million will be made available for Fingal through his Department's Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP).

Deputy Farrell said: 'This support which will make a real difference to disadvantaged people and groups in the Fingal local authority area. SICAP funding supports life-long learning, strengthening communities and helping people to become job ready.

'SICAP, which is administered by Pobal and overseen at a community level by the Local Community Development Committees, has a proven track record of helping disadvantaged people to make real progress in their lives.'

He added: 'The programme supports unemployed people; people living in all areas; people with disabilities; single parent families; those on low income and other disadvantaged groups. Schemes like this are extremely important as we try to make sure the benefits of our buoyant economy are felt by everyone.'

Deputy Farrell said: 'Significantly, employment has increased, and unemployment has decreased here in the North County and indeed in every region of the country since the Government was formed in 2016.'

Announcing the funding, Minister Ring said: 'This is part of a national announcement which will see the Government invest 190 million through SICAP over five years to support the most disadvantaged individuals and communities in our society.

'This announcement demonstrates the Government's commitment to providing funding to tackle poverty and social exclusion at a local level for the next five years up to 2022.'
A senator from Donabate and a Malahide fashion guru and businesswoman are teaming up to fight for gender equality in the workplace in Ireland.

Fianna Fail Senator, Lorraine Clifford-Lee has said that while much progress has been reached in fulfilling gender equality in the workplace in Ireland over recent decades, The Party's Seanad Spokesperson on Justice recently founded the first Cross Party Oireachtas Group on Workplace Equality in conjunction with Sonya Lennon.

Malahide native, Sonya, is founder of Dress for Success Dublin whose aim is to promote economic independence of women in Ireland, is also a well-known broadcaster and entrepreneur.

Speaking following the group's first meeting last week, Senator Clifford-Lee said: 'There are inspirational women right across Ireland rising to the top of their respective fields in theatre, the arts, public life and business among others. The promotion of women's rights and gender equality are two of the core values that spurred by interest in politics from a young age and subsequently influenced me to run for elected office.

'Achieving full gender equality at work is about warranting decency and respect. It is my belief that this is best achieved by working together in a co-ordinated group.

'Our primary aim is to break down the obvious barriers and move Irish women closer to equality in employment by confronting workplace and societal norms.'

'It's rather incomprehensible that in such a modern age, gender inequality could still thrive in our society. Women continue to be discriminated under the current pensions system and the anomaly has not been satisfactorily addressed.'

Senator Clifford-Lee concluded: 'The State has a substantial roll to play to leading the way in ending gender discrimination in this country. I look forward to our group facilitating more opportunities to take on overcoming gender issues in the workplace and in wider society.'
While, on the face of it, the Magpie is a striking bird with its plump body, upright stance, long tail, confidently alert demeanour, bold black and white pattern and plumage with a metallic iridescent purple, blue and green sheen, not many people appear to warm to it. Worse still, it has long been associated with evil as an English observation from 1507 testifies: "Whan pyes chatter vpon a house it is a sygne of ryghte euyll tydynges."

There are no opinions about Magpies in Ireland dating from that time as it appears that the birds did not occur here. Writing in 1581 in his book 'The Image of Ireland', the author John Derricke confirms: "No Pies to plucke the thatch from house are breed in Irishe grounde."

The 'pie' part of the bird's common name refers to its piebald patterned plumage and 'Mag' is interpreted as a diminutive of Margaret. In 'Macbeth', Shakespeare refers to the piebald crow as the 'Magot Pie'.

The Magpie appears to have arrived in Ireland sometime in the late seventeenth century. George Griffiths' 'Chronicles of the County Wexford' published in 1887 quotes Solomon Richards' first-hand record, written in 1682, of the arrival of a small flock of the birds to the barony of Forth in the far south of county Wexford: 'One remarque more is, there came with a stronge blacke Easterly wind, a flight of Magpies, under a dozen as I remember, out of England, or Wales, as 'tis verily believed, none having ever been seen in Ireland before. They lighted in the Barony of Forthe, where they have bredd...'

Robert Leigh of Rosegarland, writing in 1684 states: "About eight years ago there appeared in these parts  a parcel of Magpies, which now breed." His account pins the arrival date of the colonisation to about 1676.

The Countryside Bird Survey organised by BirdWatch Ireland has revealed that the magpie is the 8th most widespread species of bird in the Republic of Ireland, having been recorded in 85% of the survey's one-kilometre squares. However, despite the apparent abundance the average count per survey square is only five, far less than the Blackbird, Wren and Swallow.

Rooks build in social groups but unlike other members of the crow family Magpies are solitary nesters. Their large nests built high in trees were obvious during the winter but now that most trees have budded, their constructions are hidden from view.
Local man Brendan Murphy braved the icy waters in December and took part in a sponsored swim for North Wexford SPCA.

Brendan, who is from Gorey, received generous donations and presented a cheque for 795 last week to the animal welfare charity.

'This was my fourth year organising the swim,' said Brendan. 'Each year I pick a local charity and do the swim for them.'

Over the four years, Brendan said he has raised more than 4,000 for local organisations. He added it is great to have your health to take part in something like this.

Every year on Christmas Day, Brendan takes a trip to Ballymoney beach for a quick dip, before heading back home to enjoy his turkey dinner.

The NWSPCA has a lot of dogs and cats who are looking for a new home. The organisation is based near Gorey Veterinary Hospital, for more information about adopting call 087 6392531.
More than 2,000 people are expected to take part in this year's Darkness into Light in Courtown, which is an increase of 1,200 since it first began four years ago.

Participants will gather at Flanagan's Wharf on Saturday, May 12, at 4.15 a.m., where they will begin their 5km walk/run.

They will walk up the Main Street towards Gorey, turn left at Ocean Point Apartments, by Pirates Cove, turn left at Jimmy's Bar Riverchapel and travel along Red Row, turn right and go towards Courtown Adventure Leisure Centre, down the Burrow Road just in time for the sun rise, and turn around and head back to Flanagan's Wharf.

Irish celebrity chef Derry Clarke, who is a brand ambassador for Pieta House, will make a special appearance again this year in Courtown.

Committee member Ger Shiel said Darkness into Light is an important event to mark on the calendar, being it the flagship fundraiser for Pieta House.

'It is vitally important we raise awareness that it is OK not to be OK,' said Ger. 'People have been silenced for too long and we want to help them get talking and hopefully start a conversation that could potential save someone's life.'

At the end of the route, participants will be in for a surprise. 'I can't exactly say what just yet,' added Ger.

Refreshments such a teas, coffees, cakes and hot food will be served after the event, all kindly sponsored by Dinky's chip shop.

Ger said the first year they had 800 people take part in Courtown, and this year they hope to get at least 2,000. 'Last year we had over 1,200 so I am hopeful we can beat this,' she added.

Darkness into Light Courtown has received massive support from local businesses, including Gorey Men's Shed who will construct a sign to welcome the walkers and runners back after their 5km.

For the first time this year, people will not be allowed to register on the night of the event. Registration takes place online only until Friday, May 11. Visit pieta.ie for all the details.

Darkness into Light is now in its 10th year, and started with just 400 people in Phoenix Park, Dublin. This year, more than 200,000 are expected to take part in the national event.

Pieta House charity offers free counselling to those suffering from suicidal ideation, those who have been bereaved by suicide and people who are engaging in self-harm.
There will be a massive fundraiser in Stafford's Pub, Tullicanna on Sunday, May 6, in aid of the Hope Centre.

The fundraiser, Songs for Hope, is being organised by Emmet Cleary and Tommy Rennick. Emmet who lost his wife Niamh to cancer in September 2016, just 14 months after the couple married, met Tommy who lost both his parents at a very young age to cancer a couple of months ago.

Emmet had approached Tommy, an accomplished guitar teacher, about teaching the couple's five-year-old son Josh the guitar as he had shown great interest.

Tommy said who lives near Emmet and Josh said that while he didn't normally start teaching until children were a little older he would give Josh a few lessons.

'When Emmet brought Josh to me I wasn't going to teach him because I normally don't take students until they are a little older but when I met Josh something just clicked with him. I had lost my own mother to cancer when I was five years old and two years later I lost my dad to cancer.

'I knew Josh had lost his own mam at a very young age so I think that was what clicked. When my dad died I started to learn the guitar and to be quite honest I think it saved me. Back then there was no such thing as support centres like the Hope Centre.

'Music became a life line for me at that time and now I can offer something similar to Josh. It's amazing how and why people come into your life. When I met Emmet I realised he truly is an exceptional man and when he told me about the amazing work the Hope Centre does I really wanted to help

'Knowing what it's like to experience such a devastating loss at such a young age I wanted to make some contribution to the running of the Hope Centre.'

Emmet himself has been actively fundraising for the Hope Centre since Niamh's death having benefited greatly from the services they offer.

He said: 'About a month before she passed away, Niamh started to have seizures at home and that's when I realised I could no longer care for her and I had to step back and allow the professionals to do their job. That was when I first contacted the Hope Centre and they were able to advise me what exactly I should be doing. I also wanted to know how best to protect Josh. They put me in contact with a counsellor, but he was only four and he didn't really understand what was going on. He had only really seen his mammy sick. He never really saw the bubbly, lovely person that I knew Niamh as.'

While most people associate the Hope Centre with helping people who are in the midst of battling cancer, as well as their families, Emmet says that, in actual fact, it was only really when Niamh passed away that he really used the centre.

'I remember after Niamh passed away, they invited me up to the centre for a cup of tea. That was a massive step for me. I had plenty of people around me who were doing all they could to help, but it was great just to have someone to listen who understood. The more I spoke of my journey, of our journey, the more I realised all that I did for her and I started to feel proud of myself.'

Since Niamh's death Emmet has organised a number of fundraising events for the Hope Centre including Rally for Hope which he hopes to run again this year.

'Josh is getting on great with Tommy's guitar lessons and is learning Ed Sheeran songs because his mammy used to love Ed Sheeran. It's a real way for him to bond with her as he was so young when she died. It's kind of like a memorial to her.

'Tommy and I wanted to do this fundraiser for the Hope Centre and lots of various acts have gotten behind it to support it. The fundraiser is called Songs of Hope and takes place in Stafford's Pub, Tullicanna, Ballymittty from 4 p.m. until late. Admission is free and there will be various bands playing on the evening from pop to rock and from country to jazz. There will be bucket collection and raffle on the day so we are hoping to raise a nice sum for the Hope Centre.'
A contractor working on behalf of Wexford County Council moved in on-site of Gorey Market House last week, causing speculation that the 2 million redevelopment of the historic building was getting under way.

The contractor completed an archaeological site testing on Friday to the rear of the Market House.

Communications Officer for Wexford County Council David Minogue said the on-site testing was undertaken as part of the archaeology assessment work that will inform the planning process currently under way for the extension and re-development of Market House.

'To my knowledge nothing was found while they were there,' added Mr Minogue.

The redevelopment works on the historic Market House has been in the pipeline for a number of years with speculation of several ideas for the building. But the redevelopment works moved one step closer in February of this year when the proposed plans were put on public display.

There will be a new extension to the rear of the building creating a multifunctional space which could be used as a exhibition, performance or retail venue with an estimated capacity of 1,000 people.

The plans, which are available on the county council website, were compiled following proposals from both interested parties and members of the public.

The 2 million revamp will see the former council chamber, which is located on the first floor of the building, protected and it will be retained for council and community use.

Following on from this the council will begin a procurement process for contractors as well as those interested in developing the Market House with the council. This is expected to take in the region of 12 months. It is expected that the refurbishment works themselves will take in the region of 12 to 18 months to complete.
There was great excitement on Wednesday in Creagh College when Irish Times Economist David McWilliams from Dublin paid a visit to officially launch the introduction of Leaving Certificate Economics.

Before his visit to Creagh College and his tour of Gorey town by teacher Aoife Devereux, Mr McWilliams called into the M11 Business Campus.

President of Gorey Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Innovate Jim Hughes welcomed Mr McWilliams and shared with him the story of how his business Innovate at the Business Campus grew from scratch. Mr Hughes briefed the well-known economist on the tangible benefits of the North Wexford area.

Afterwards, Peter Cooney from Bank of Ireland gave Mr McWilliams a guided tour of The Hatch Lab, another company at the Business Campus.

'David was well impressed by the building and how much our beautiful town has come on since his last visit some years ago,' said Ms Devereux.

Mr McWilliams is known for his weekly columns in the Irish Times and his famous books entitled 'The Popes Children, for whom I'm One' and more recently 'The Good Room'.

Ms Devereux said they proceeded to Creagh College after the M11 Business Campus and had a very informative chat with the business and economic students.

'Teachers and students were fully engaged in everything he said,' said Ms Devereux. 'He was very impressed with our calibre of students and there interest in some topical issues in the economy.'

Creagh's state of the art building and incorporation of ICT in the school blew him away. He signed some copies of his books for students and chatted away to them.

Ms Devereux said she brought Mr McWilliams to the Book Cafe for lunch, followed by a walk around the town to show him some of the businesses Gorey has to offer.

'To finish the day off, we dropped into Frenchs to show him how the locals like to relax,' added Ms Devereux. 'He said he would like to come back and spend more time in this hidden gem.'
A transition year student from Creagh College is set to represent Wexford in the National Student Enterprise Final with his innovative product Fridge Therapy.

Ben Handrick (16) was crowned the overall winner at the final of the Wexford Student Enterprise Competition which was held in March at the National Opera House in Wexford. He will travel to Croke Park tomorrow (Wednesday) to represent his county in the National Final.

Fridge Therapy is a tin of word magnets which allow people of all ages to leave messages on their fridge to convey their state of mind to those around them. Messages such as 'I need help', 'I'm lonely', 'Having a good day', or 'Need a hug' can be left on the fridge.

Ben sells Fridge Therapy through his transition year Mini-Company which is called Little Elephant Magnets. Fridge Therapy is currently stocked in numerous outlets around Gorey and the South East but Ben has bigger plans.

'I am currently talking to a number of large retailers about stocking Fridge Therapy nationwide and I am meeting with ISPCC Childline as they are also interested,' said Ben.

All profits from what Ben has sold during the Enterprise Competition are going to Childline and from now on at least 1 from every tin of magnets sold through businesses will be donated to the charity as well. 'Businesses should give back,' added Ben. 'It's not about the bottom line.'

Ben drew upon his own experience of having been a victim of bullying in primary school to come up with his innovative product.

'Sometimes it is hard to talk face-to-face, the right moment might not come up but we still need to communicate,' said Ben. 'Everyone goes to the fridge every day so where better to leave a call for help or a thank you.'

The product is facilitating real communication in the real world, not on a tablet or phone. Ben said if it helps anyone cope better or be heard then he has succeeded.

'If a child or a teenager goes to the bother of physically constructing a sentence to leave as a message it holds weight,' added Ben.

Anxiety, stress, bullying, and depression are huge issues within society for all ages, so he hopes Fridge Therapy can help in some small way. Check out www.littleelephantmagnets.com
Offices at Gorey Community School were trashed on Thursday morning during a daring raid by a group of thieves.

It is believed a professional group of thieves tampered with the cameras and shut off the alarm system before they forced their way in through an emergency exit door to ransack the principal's office and the Main Administrative office.

School principal Michael Finn said they were clearly looking for money because they did not take anything valuable, such as computers, or the confidential files.

'Luckily enough for us, no money was taken because we do everything through an online pay system now,' said Mr Finn. 'Maybe four or five years ago they would have got some cash.'

The principal arrived to school at 7.30 a.m. on Friday and noticed a door opened but put no pass on it. He walked into his own office and was in shock with the mess they left.

Mr Finn said they were certainly professionals because they came with the equipment needed to shut off the alarms and cameras.

'Most of the cameras were shut down, except one,' said Mr Finn. 'We captured one image and handed it to the local gardai.'

After reporting it to the Gorey Garda Station, two local guards came down and one forensic from Wexford, who dusted the offices for fingerprints.

'They must have been looking for quick cash,' said Mr Finn. 'If they were vandals, they would have broken the computers or destroyed files, but thankfully they didn't.'

The investigation is ongoing.
The dark side in Portmagee: Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport Brendan Griffin meets with Darth Vader (Gabriel Butler); Failte Irelands Declan Murphy; Helen Farmer-Butler; Mark Conway; John Murphy; Mary Lane; and Ger Kennedy at the launch of Failte Irelands May the Fourth Be With You festival at The Moorings in Portmagee. Photos Valerie OSullivan

West Kerry artist Mick Davis with his bicycle tyre sculpture of the Star Wars character Yoda, which will play a starring role in Baile an Fheirtearaigh this weekend. Photo by Declan Malone

The May Bank Holiday is set to be a busy one for film fans in the Kingdom with a host of events taking place in west and south Kerry to mark international Star Wars day.

May the fourth has become known across the world as Star Wars day and to celebrate the occasion the communities in Portmagee, Valentia and Ballyferriter - working in conjunction with Failte Ireland - have organised a galaxy-worth of events for the May Bank Holiday weekend.

Tourism Minister Brendan Griffin TD - decked out in full Jedi garb - was on hand last Thursday evening to help launch the festivities at The Moorings in Portmagee and at Ceann Sibeal Hotel in Ballyferriter.

Much of the latest Star Wars film 'The Last Jedi' was filmed on Skellig Michael and at Ceann Sibeal - which doubled for the Skelligs - and west and south Kerry have enjoyed a surge in tourism as a result with film fans from across the globe arriving to get a closer look at the locations.

The highlight of the weekend's events in both areas will be open-air drive-in screenings of The Last Jedi - at Bray Head car park in Valentia and at Beal Ban beach near Ballyferriter - set against the very backdrop on which it was filmed.

In south Kerry visitors will also be able to enjoy boat trips around the Skelligs; stargazing; a Jedi-inspired ceili at The Moorings Bar in Portmagee; and a Star Wars-themed family fun day at Valentia's Royal Hotel.

Over in west Kerry there'll also be plenty for Star Wars fans to enjoy. Events there include an exhibition of behind the scenes photos from the film shoot; tours of beehive huts like those inhabited by hermit Jedi Luke Skywalker in the film; guided tours of the filming location at Ceann Sibeal; and boat trips along the stunning coast that drew the film makers to Kerry.

There's lots more going on in both areas from May 4 to May 6 and for the full details of the 'May the Fourth Be With You' weekend log on to the www.wildatlanticway.com.
Speaking to Bertie Brosnan in The Kerryman offices on Friday morning, it's obvious from the outset that the Tralee native is completely in love with everything to do with filmmaking.

Bertie's list of accomplishments are as long the The Kerryman boardroom table where the interview took place.

His two most notable works to date 'Sineater' and 'Jacob Wrestling With The Angel' both went on to be very well received by audiences, received several nominations between them, were invited to several film festivals and both of these short films are now distributed worldwide on Shorts TV and Vimeo Pro.

What is amazing about these achievments is when you hear Bertie speaking about he never thought he'd ever get anywhere near this level.

"I was never someone who saw himself being able to be edit. I just thought that I'd never get it. I never saw myself as a technical person, but by watching people, doing tutorials online and by constantly learning, I was able to master it," said Bertie.

He has worked as an actor, screenwriter, director and is now currently working as an Irish-based producer for the 'Misty Button' film that will shoot in the Bronx in New York in June.

Since making the leap into the film world, Bertie has since gone on to direct and create two critically acclaimed short films ('Sineater' and 'Jacob Wrestling With The Angel'), two consecutive appearances at the Cannes Short Film Festival, a full length feature film ('Con') and numerous other projects under his belt.

Speaking to the filmmaker about his origins, Bertie said that he first thought about creating movies at the age of 17, but due to a lack of confidence and know-how, it wasn't until his early twenties that he made his first foray into that world.

"Tralee at that time, it was very different. It's not like today where we have some great facilities for learning film and editing. It just wasn't something that seemed available to someone like me."

"Back then, when I was growing up, if you wanted to make a career out of filmmaking, it felt like that you had to be born into a Siamsa Tire family or something like that," he laughed, speaking on Friday.

It was only after moving to Cork that Bertie made his first official mark in the film world, albeit a a very small one, but a mark nonetheless.

Asked to play a part in his friends film, Bertie said that he was initially hesitant to act in front of the camera, as this was not something that he had ever been interested in at the time.

"I didn't want to act at all, I just wanted to be behind the camera with him directing the film! I gave it a go though and by accident, I fell in love with acting, something which I would find very important later in my career," he continued.

"I completely fell in love with acting after this, so much so that I actually forgot about filmmaking for a long time and focused solely on acting; acting turned out to be a blessing in disguise for me because it gave me invaluable knowledge of how a films are made, how film sets - no matter how big or small - worked."

"Itgave me the nuts of bolts of the trade. I learny everything by doing it. It was a great way of learning how the trade worked and because I had acted, it helped me later on as a director when I was working with other actors," he added.

After a brief few months of acting in short films and attending auditions in LA, something which Bertie described as a learning curve, he was back in Ireland, with some parting words of wisdom from some new found American friends.

"I met a few people in LA and they told me that there was so many exciting things just starting to take off in Ireland, like Game of Thrones and Vikings, that LA was not somewhere for " he said.

Fast forward to when he was back in Ireland, he was working on a short film called with his friend Eoin Barton. The friends started talking about genres and types of films that they would like to see made.

This discussion, which led to Bertie starting to write his own scripts, was the start of the Tralee mans transition from solely being an actor, to working on all aspects of the film world, ie a writer, producer and his ultimate goal of a director.

"I just started writing anything and everything and for about two or three years after this, I wrote a number of different scripts. Now, nothing really materialised out of these, but when I was in LA, I met a couple of guys who were actually making movies themselves and they taught me that you don't have to wait around to picked for roles - you can go out, shoot your own stuff and act in it yourself," he continued.

With this revelation came the start of Bertie's career (he would call it a vocation) path of making movies that he said hopes will inspire, educate and entertain Irish people.

After his first foray into movies with a debut short film 'Faces in the Sand', success followed with 'JWTA' in 2014 and 'Sineater' in 2015 - the success of these short film projects led to his desire to produce a full length feature film.

"An investor handed me 3,000 for my next project, I fundraised 4,000 and with this, I wrote, produced and directed and starred in my first feature film called 'Con''," he said.

Con was filmed in Kerry and Tralee in the summer of 2016 and Bertie said that the support that he received from the people of Kerry was fantastic.

"They opened their arms to myself and the film crew. The local businesses and so many others in Tralee were brilliant.

With eight years of experience, numerous short films and a feature film under his belt now, what does the future hold for Bertie Brosnan?

"With my working as the Irish producer for the New York Indie Comedy called 'Misty Buton'. I'll be busy working on that over the next few weeks. Next year them,. we are in the early stages of bringing a bifg production to Tralee in 2019 or later. I can't say too much about it yet, but it will be a great addition to the town," he said.

'Misty Button' will tell the story of two young men who, after being asked to place a ten thousand dollar bet on a racehorse, James and Eoin make the fatal mistake of pocketing the money. The two Irish emigres face a crisis when the horse Misty Button comes in at 35-1 - the film is written by fellow Tralee man Seanie Sugrue and will be shot in NYC this coming June.
Midsummer is set to arrive on a fashion high at Sheen Falls Lodge in Kenmare with a special event celebrating some of the county and nation's brightest design talents and all on a strong eco theme.

An Enchanted Forest will see the hotel's William Petty suite transformed into a stunning woodland scene, all the better to set off cutting edge styles celebrating the whole concept of sustainable fashion. Taking place on Thursday, June 21, it is already generating significant interest with organiser Orla Diffly promising a fantastic range of exquisite outfits on the night.

Special guest on the night is international Womenswear Designer Colin Horgan, who is from Ardfert and now based in London. Colin Horgan has dressed Lady GaGa, Little Mix and Dua Lipa and is widely considered one of Ireland's fashion's brightest young talents on the world stage.

Collections from Helen Steele, Alison Conneely, Sarah Murphy, Alice Halliday, Carol Kennelly, Tina Griffin, Hazel Comyn, Aoife Hannon, Delphine Grandjouan and House of Kerry will all feature too. Meanwhile, the pre-salon boutique show will feature summer and sustainable labels from MacBees Killarney, Annburys Tralee, Jasmine boutique with bespoke headpieces by Cathy Troth and Hannons of Castleisland.

An overnight stay in an estate room in Sheen Falls Lodge complete with breakfast and dinner for two in The Falls Restaurant is the prize for the best dressed lady on the evening.

Tickets are priced at 85 and can be purchased from Eventbrite or online directly from orladiffily.eu.
On Sunday last Emma Ni Mhathuna was sitting at home in Ballydavid when she got the call that every woman is dreading.

A call from her doctor telling her that she is one of 208 women who have been misdiagnosed in the cervical cancer scandal that has rocked the country.

The 37-year old mother of five was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2016 - three years after she got the all-clear from a smear test which has now turned out to be a misdiagnosis.

"Last Sunday, my doctor in Dublin called. He said that he hoped I was reading the stories in the paper about the Cervical Check. He said he didn't have all my files in front of him, but that I was one of the women involved," she told Helen Ni She on Raidio na Gaeltachta's 'Saol O Dheas' programme on Tuesday.

"The doctor told me that the smear results I got in 2013 were wrong. The first indications of cancer, the cells changing in the body, were there," Emma said.

"If I had got the right results at that time, I wouldn't be where I am now."

Following her regular cervical cancer check in 2016 Emma was diagnosed with stage 2B cervical cancer.

"I was saying to myself at the time how did things get so bad and I had the letter from [the smear in] 2013 to say everything was fine."

Having undergone treatment in Dublin, Emma has since moved to Kerry and is living in Ballydavid.

Since her treatment she gets regular check-ups and was given the most recent all-clear in early April. But just over a fortnight ago she began to feel unwell and just last week underwent another biopsy and is awaiting the results to see if the cancer has returned.
Almost half of all post offices in Kerry could potentially close under new plans by An Post, announced last week.

The Kerryman has learned that 26 of Kerry's 56 post offices have been offered an exit package under the new modernisation plan drawn up by the Irish Postmasters union (IPU) and An Post.

The Kerry post offices that have been offered exit packages include Abbeydorney, Asdee, Ballinskelligs, Ballylongford, Ballymacelligott, Banemore Cross, Beaufort, Blackwater Bridge, Castlemaine, Causeway, Cordal, Currow and Duagh. Also on the list are Farranfore, Glenflesk, Gneeveguilla, Headford Killarney, Kilcummin, Kilflynn, Kilmoyley, Knocknagoshel, Lisselton, Lyrecrompane, Mastergeehy, Moyvane, Scartaglen.

Postmasters across Kerry are to meet this week to discuss the proposal and will have to make a decision by May 11 when they will also be balloted on the plan.

Many post offices contacted about the proposals remained tight-lipped this week.

An Post says the modernisation plan is aimed at securing the future of the network but the move to offer such a large number of exit packages in Kerry has come as a surprise.

TD John Brassil said that plan could have adverse affects on communities across Kerry.

"The upshot of all this is a distinct attempt by An Post to either close certain post offices in the here and now or to allow others to wither and die in the short term.

"Post Offices in 26 rural communities in our county have been earmarked for closure. How that closure comes about is up to An Post and the postmasters and postmistresses themselves. However, the communities potentially affected are deeply worried and concerned about what the future holds for them."

It is understood that even if postmasters do opt to take the package, some areas could still retain their post offices. However, some postmasters said they were worried that many areas will lose their post offices as there is no guarantee that the contract will be re-advertised and any new contract offered could be far less viable.

Deputy Brassil has called for more time for postmasters to make this decision and for careful consideration to be given to ensure that communities have access to post offices.

"For many, the local post office with the State harp over the door is the only visible sign of government services in the local area as their Garda stations and small schools have been shut in recent years," Deputy Brassil said.

Jennifer Allen, who runs Ballylongford Post Office, said that she was "shocked" that her post office was on the list.

"We weren't expecting this, we predicted that the offer would be made to the smallest post offices.

"I was stunned when Ballylongford was offered. It came out of the blue, it was a total shock."
Killarney's Jessie Buckley was in fine form on The Late Late Show as she sat down with host Ryan Tubridy to discuss everything from her new film 'Beast' to working with Renee Zellweger. And she was joined on the famous couch by her sisters Eva and Julia.

The 28-year-old, who rose to fame after finishing second in the BBC talent show 'I'd Do Anything' in 2008, has since gone on to receive critical acclaim for her roles alongside Tom Hardy in 'Taboo' and now again for her role as Moll in 'Beast'.

'Beast' is set on Jersey in the Channel Islands and follows the story of Moll, who Jessie says is sort of numb about her life. Moll lives in a very oppressive household when she suddenly meets a man who jolts her back to life through a very dangerous and precarious love.

Speaking about the experience of working on Beast and being named by the Hollywood Reporter as one of five rising talents to watch, Jessie was full of praise for the film and relaxed about what the future holds for her.

"Oh Jaysus, I don't have a clue about the future," she laughed, "I just know that making 'Beast' was an amazing experience. It was my first feature, it was the director's first feature and every day you're just trying to do good work and learn. With regards to pressure, you can't be too conscious of it," she said.

Apart from promoting 'Beast', Jessie is busy filming opposite Renee Zellweger in a Judy Garland biopic and the Killarney native could not praise her co-star highly enough.

"I'll have to hold back on gushing of her," she laughed, "I just think she's an amazing woman. She has the kindest and most generous soul I've ever seen on set. I wish her every happiness and luck in the future."

And before the interview finished Jessie was joined by her sisters to the delight of the audience.
John Heaphey with his wife Patricia and daughter Marie Ross pictured at the gates of the Irvinestown pitch where he played in August, 1960

It was familiar territory but a long way from home for Duagh's John Heaphey who found himself back in the stadium where he played for Kerry against Fermanagh many moons ago, on August 20, 1960.

John had no intention of visiting the GAA pitch in Molaise Park in Irvinestown where he played in the green-and-gold at the opening of the local pitch 58 years ago. But pure happen-stance during a trip north with his family last Thursday brought him to the ground.

The family were on the way to Buncrana as John's daughter Marie wanted to see the ancestral home of her grandmother.

John immediately recognised the stadium and said: 'That's where I played in 1960'.

They stopped the car and took some photographs of what turned out to be a nostalgic, if unexpected, afternoon for John.

That game in 1960 marked the first time a Kerry team played across the border in Fermanagh.

They stayed overnight in the southern side of the border and received a great reception from the home crowd the next day. John played at right half-back on a team that won 1-8 to 0-8.

"Our route just happened to take us through Irvinestown and it was just by chance that he recognised the ground. I guess the irony is that we were on a trip to find out about my grandmother's history and ended up learning something about dad's history," said Marie.

The Kerry team that day included famous names such as Mick O'Dwyer, John Dowling, Dave Geaney, Paudie Sheehy, Garry McMahon, Kevin Coffey and former editor of The Sunday Independent, the late Aengus Fanning, who kept the team photo of that memorable day on his office wall for years after.

"Dad remembers the day vividly, especially the glowing tribute before the match when a voice over the tannoy said: 'Welcome to the sons of Kerry's Kingdom, we salute you as the cream of Irish manhood.' That always stuck in his mind. It was lovely to take a few photos and there must be many players like dad, in Kerry, with a story like that to tell," Marie said.
Over 150 children were in for a big surprise when they attended the first ever Teddy Bear Hospital in the Bon Secours Hospital Tralee last Sunday.

A novel idea, the aim of the event was to ease the stress and tension that a child feels when attending a hospital or when seeing a doctor and on Sunday the kids brought their teddy bears with them to help ease that process.

Using the cuddly teddy bears, IT Tralee students and Bon Secours Hospital staff showed children what happens in a hospital, who works there and how the 'Teddy Doctor' helps the sick teddy to feel better.

Through the help of IT Tralee, Bon Secours Hospital and RCSI, staff and students explained the whole process of being in a hospital from start to finish using the teddy bears.

They started by admitting the sick teddy to hospital, then they explained stations such as triage, blood analysis, x-ray/MRI, bandaging, and cardiology. After that the children were then advised on how to improve their nutrition and exercise and how this can help both them and their sick teddies.

While this was the first year of the event, organisers hope to host it annually. Dr George Philip, Consultant Paediatrician at Bon Secours Tralee who was on hand to assess teddies at the event, said: "We really enjoyed welcoming the children and their teddies to our hospital this weekend. It was a great experience with lots of fun".
When artist Julie Potter walked the corridors of her old school recently she said 'things looked exactly the same.'

19 years earlier, the Sligo woman left the Ursuline to embark on an artistic path that has led her back to where it all began.

The Woodville native has just finished an art installation at Ursuline College and after working her magic, the place now has a different feel.

As a past pupil, Julie was delighted to get the call from Principal Sr. Mairead to 'bring a bit of colour and life into the old building.'

Through word of mouth the school had learned about 'Julie the Genie', her brand new business.

"The idea behind the name is that I go into a school and transform the place quickly. All of my art is done off site to minimise disruption," explains Julie.

"If you can transform a space, you can transform performance. The environment impacts on your mood, and mood impacts performance," she adds.

And 37-year-old Julie knows all about the school environment. She has worked as an art teacher in Greenhills Secondary School in Tallaght, Dublin for 11 years. It was here that she first started transforming communal school spaces through art.

Now, the talented teacher is spreading her wings. On a career break, she's back in Sligo with her budding new business.

"People do warn you that teaching is so all consuming at first that you risk losing your own creativity," says Julie, who admits that did slip somewhat.

So she made a conscious decision about 4 years ago to explore and enhance her own creativity, resulting in a new found love of art.

She began painting bleach and acrylic on black cotton, a unique combination making for striking paintings.

"I paint the everyday moments and through my methods try to capture and transform them into something mystical and beautiful," she says. The more time Julie devoted to her own art, the more she thought about pursuing it full time which led her to taking a career break last year.

The youngest of four children, and daughter of Breda and Padraic Potter, Julie has always had an artistic flair.

"It was the subject I did well in without trying," she recalls, "It just came naturally to me."

Inspired by her homeplace of Sligo, it was fitting that the talented painter's first ever exhibition was in the Hyde Bridge Gallery in the Yeat's Society buidling.

Julie says: "It was a nice feeling, you create the work for yourself. You have a compulsion to create a piece and then others get to enjoy your art. Someone described my paintings as scenes from a movie, unexpected moments. I work from photos a lot to get that snapshot effect. The paintings that happen naturally are the best, when you paint intuitively."

Julie admits that she sometimes looks on her work with pride thinking 'did I just do that? One such example is when her artwork 'Allure' was shown on a 50ft billboard in London a couple of years ago through an agency called talenthouse. Julie says: "I won a competition from over 500 entrants to have my work exhibited. The original of this painting now hangs in a private collection in Australia. Talenthouse is a global creative community that gives artists opportunities to be seen and heard."

Her latest educational project is an exciting new chapter for the young artist. She says: "I look for what is unique and individual about each school I visit."

Julie's permanent installations vary from positive affirmations to giant colouring pencils, outdoor murals to painting corridors.

She explains: "I like to focus on the people rather than the building. Your wellbeing matters. How students and staff feel in a space matters. Inspirational quotes such as 'Instead of saying I can't, say I'll try' work well. I sometimes use mission statements.

"On the steps of one school I wrote welcome in different languages, representing the diversity of the pupils attending the school. I create everything off site and come to schools with the finished prodcut."

On completing her work in the Ursuline last week, Julie says: "It feels right to have done my own school, like I've come full circle. I worked on a supporting grey wall outside beside a seating area with a beautiful big tree.

"Now when you arrive into the carpark it is one of the first things you see. The installation includes a quote from St. Angela, ' Those who instruct others unto justice shall shine like stars for all eternity.' The vice-principal Anne Watters told me she finds herself smiling every morning when she sees it."
Poetry can help young people to move beyond the 'surface' and superficiality of an always-on smartphone culture to discover deeper things about themselves such as a sense of adventure, fun and fearlessness.

That's according to Irish-American poet Alice Lyons who was unveiled as inaugural poet-in-residence of Yeats Society Sligo last week. The organisation celebrates and promotes the work of Nobel Prize winner WB Yeats on a national and global stage.

It is the first time ever the society has appointed a poet-in-residence, illustrating its strong commitment to supporting the tradition of poetry in Ireland.

The society intends ramping up its activities to encourage the next generation of young poets and Yeats aficionados, by giving schoolchildren and young people access to more workshops and readings of Yeats's work.

The announcement was made on Poetry Day Ireland - which was last Thursday, 26 April and was welcomed by Caitriona Yeats, granddaughter of WB who praised the idea and its possible impact on Irish poetry.

"I was delighted when I heard that the Yeats Society had decided to appoint a poet-in-residence and that the initiative was launched on Poetry Day Ireland," said Yeats.

"It is a wonderful idea and a great addition to all of the other activities that the society has run and supported down through the years."

The appointment complements the legacy left by WB Yeats and the encouragement and support he offered poets in his time. He networked with many poets, both famous and less famous.

Like Yeats, Alice Lyons works to increase the accessibility of poetry and offers it in new contexts, media and communities with a particular focus on bringing it to young people. Her work has been recognised worldwide including at Harvard University where she received the Radcliffe Fellowship in Poetry and New Media.

She has also won the Patrick Kavanagh Award for Poetry, the inaugural Ireland Chair of Poetry Bursary from Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill, and an Irish Film and Television Award (IFTA) nomination for the poetry film she co-directed with fine artist and animator Orla McHardy called 'The Polish Language'.

Lyons holds a PhD from the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry at Queen's University.

She plans to use her new title of poet-in-residence at the Yeats Society to hold workshops and readings with a focus on young people.

Lyons said: "Our children and young people are bursting with creative energy that often has little place to grow or go deep or be real. Their lives are squeezed by so many surface demands: the surface of surfing their screens, the surfaces of the social network and its superficialities, the surfaces of a school curriculum that often rewards compliance over risk.

"Poetry can be a place for children and young people to venture out into the deeper night-sea waters of their lives to plumb, to play, to discover. The hope is to offer Sligo a place, as young Yeats had, to open up to fun, fearlessness and adventure through the medium of poetry."

Susan O'Keeffe, Director of the Yeats Society, said the organisation is delighted to name its inaugural poet-in-residence.

She said: "For Yeats Society Sligo to have an ambassador for contemporary poetry is our salute to the importance poetry plays in our lives and is our commitment to supporting the poets that enrich our lives and to reaching out to bring poetry to young people.

"The range of poetry is enormous, as it should be; it encompasses life in all its glorious technicolour and with all its constant change. WB Yeats knew about the 'deep heart's core' and he knew that reaching that core was the remit of a poet.

"Encouraging young people, as young as possible, to embrace poetry and to see it as a lifelong companion, is part of our decision to appoint a poet-in-residence at the Yeats Society. In purely practical terms, young people especially often find in poetry a means of expressing themselves that is not readily available in any other form."
She saw an ad in a newspaper to join the diplomatic corps, applied and was accepted. And, so started a governmental career for East Berlin native Deike Potzel who has been German Ambassador to Ireland since last November. Last summer she came to Ireland with her husband and toured the country extensively both North and South.

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, one of the first places she had visited was Ireland. She had just finished college so a whole new World was opening up to her and she took the chance to travel.

She and her now husband took a trip around Europe. They spent five days in Spiddal in Galway they liked it so much. When the opportunity came to become her country's ambassador here, she didn't hesitate.

Ms Potzel spent last Tuesday and Wednesday morning in Sligo, visiting various locations including IT Sligo and having a meeting with Sligo Chamber. She was impressed by the sheer vibrancy of the college and its goal to increase its student population from 6,000 to 10,000.

Coming to a small city on the West coast of Ireland she was acutely aware of its needs, the constant struggle to get funding and jobs from central government which, on paper at least, wants to redress the imbalance of east and west.

"I have heard that concern but on the other hand I have the feeling that there is a lot of commitment to developing the region further, especially to bring tourism but also tech companies here and apparently from what I've heard, Sligo is doing well in terms of employment figures and people being attracted to come here. At the IT I met a young chap who is trying to set up his own business once he has finished his studies and he wants to stay here and that is a good sign, people who are going through education then want to stay here and set up their own business. So I have a very positive feeling from people, really committed, that they want to stay here and make it work, so that's good."

Ms Potzel, who has a fixed four year term in the position, says she is aware of how difficult the austerity years have been in Ireland with the view here that Germany's banks had lent too much and then wanted all debts repaid no matter the human cost with the ordinary worker carrying the can.

"Generally, I feel there is a positive take on Germany and Germans here and see Germany also as an interesting partner not only in terms of business but politically too. On the other hand, yes, I say people do ask me about the austerity policy and what is important for me is to explain that we came from a very difficult period ourselves.

"With our reunification we had to put a lot of money there and at the beginning of the 2000s we went through a very difficult economic period and we were then called the sick man of Europe and our economy wasn't doing very well so we had to introduce quite strict measures but not as challenging as for Ireland after the crash but still it was a very difficult period.

"That is the background against which we shaped the policy in the austerity times and one has to keep that in mind, where the German public also came from and all our politicians so that's why we were very clear about introducing reforms as we had gone through that process ourselves."

Brexit of course is the huge EU story.

"Everyone in Germany absolutely deplores very much Britain's leaving. We are losing a very important partner. They have been so instrumental in shaping so many policies in the EU. So, it is a very big blow and we all see it like this and we are very sad about it but we also want now to support the European project even more to show people that it is working. Yes, it's clear we need reforms in the EU and we have to explain much better to our citizens why it is worthwhile being in the EU and what makes it so special.

"It is a very important project for us because of our own history. After the second World War it was basically the European project which made us a partner again. We were able to work together because everyone was so open about it and this helped in bringing peace to Europe and it also made us part of the family again and that's why it's so important because we know what it can actually bring to people. That is very special to Germany."

She notes Germany's Government has already committed to paying more into the EU in the wake of Britain's withdrawal. "It's because the project is so dear to us" she responds to a query if Europe's 'paymaster' can continue to fund at the rate it is, (19% of the overall budget in 2016 and by far the biggest).

"There is no hesitation within German political circles to do that. There is questioning from the public whether we really have to pay more but there is definitely a very clear political conviction that we want to do this and we want to support the project."

One of the thorny issues is whether a border goes back up between North and South."We are very clearly on the side of Ireland when it comes to the question of the border. The Chancellor has said that recently and also our Foreign Minister was here a couple of days ago and said that very clearly. We are in full solidarity with Ireland and we also don't want to see a hard border. The question is how to get there. So far nobody has really found a proper solution to that. There has been proposals made but just recently the EU said to the British their proposals will not be possible to implement so I hope that a proposal will come up. We still have time. I don't think at the beginning of Brexit that everyone fully understood what it meant but nowadays people in Germany understand one hundred per cent why this is so important to the Irish and what it would mean to have a hard border."

And one of the project's other big issue is emigration: "It is a big issue still. I think it was a very big humanitarian gesture to accept that many refugees (Germany's acceptance of one million refugees) but it had to be done.

"These are people who are devastated coming from war zones and they need a place they can live securely. It had to be done but it is a challenge to explain that to the population and it is a challenge to society to accommodate those people in terms of job possibilities and language training and all that as well as culturally to integrate them.

"The integration question is really a challenge for society but I think we can manage and I am convinced because we have many people who came from Turkey and Greece before and it worked so I'm very convinced we can do that but we have seen the rise of right wing parties and so that shows people are worried and they have to be listened to and we have to put in a lot of effort explaining and addressing those fears."

A European defence army she says is something that will have to be discussed by the member states and everyone at the table has to raise their concerns."Yes, we would like to see a stronger defence capacity in Europe because we feel it is important to unite the effort but we were very happy with the PESCO result so far and now we will see how to take it from there and to see how far everybody can actually go.

"Some will take it further and some will not and that's the thing about the European Union. This is about compromises but I am still hopeful that the project as such is still so convincing and so many people actually see that it brought a lot of success and development for so many countries that we will not disintegrate but that we will be able to make it stronger actually."

In terms of personal goals Ms Potzel says: "I would like to see a stronger, deeper relationship between our countries and I don't say that lightly. I was very happy that shortly after I came here the Irish side started a review of Irish-German relations and when my Foreign Minister was here they presented the results and it's got some 26 recommendations in it and they now want to also sit down and work on an action plan to see what we can do to strengthen the relations."

"One point which is dear to me is the recommendation of a German language strategy in Ireland. There's also a lot in there about high ranking political contacts. We have to strengthen these. Also, looking more at the Federal States in Germany and strengthening relations with the regions and vice versa. I hope I can use my tenure to explain more about Germany and German politics and portray it as a partner which is very open and a good place to do business in and a wonderful tourist destination too.

"At a political level also that we are there to listen and not, as some people may think, the big player in the room but we really want to listen to everybody's voice. I really want to go out to people and talk about that."

And, the ambassador will be back in Sligo this Saturday to spread that word when she officially opens a major touring exhibition of work by a number of German artists at The Model.
A local councillor has said there is deep concern amongst business owners in the High Street area over the condition of a building which has been cordoned off due to its dilapidation condition close to the Friary.

Cllr Tom MacSharry told The Sligo Champion that there is now very serious concerns by local business people in High Street and members of the public and indeed Mass goers to the Friary that if something is not done as a matter of urgency this building will fall down and could cause serious injury or worse."

"Indeed, a local builder who is very familiar with the buildings in the area has warned that if this building falls to the left (the Friary side) it could in fact pull the adjoining building down with it and damage the structural walls of the church," Cllr MacSharry stated.

He has a motion down for the May monthly meeting of the County Council on Monday week.

"I feel compelled to bring this matter before the May meeting of Sligo County Council as a matter of extreme urgency," he said.

The motion calls on the council's engineering staff to address "the urgent health and safety issues posed by the imminent collapse of the property."
A conference designed to help local businesses in Sligo navigate and prepare for Brexit is being held in the Radisson SAS Hotel, Ballincar today.

"All facts. No Noise. Practical Help to Navigate Brexit" is being hosted by InterTrade Ireland in association with the Local Enterprise Office Sligo.

RTE Broadcaster George Lee will be MC for the event.

It will feature a special talk by Partner at A&L Goodbody Dr Vincent Power on what questions businesses should be asking themselves.

Denis Casey of Casey Business Consulting will outline a Practical Guide on how to plan for Brexit.

Denis Casey has served as Managing Director of CIL Precision Ltd, as Division Manager for ABB Ireland, and as Marketing and Sales Manager for ABB Transformers Ltd and has experience of operating at senior level within large multinationals as well as in privately owned businesses.

John Madigan of the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland will talk about Brexit Loan Funding while Brian Murphy of the Irish Exporters Association will discuss the logistics of Brexit. Brian Murphy is Head of Trade Services and has extensive global experience in inbound and outbound supply chains, including distribution centre management, customs, trade, compliance and outsourced supply chain solutions.

Other issues local businesses need to consider and which will be discussed on today include preparing for the challenge, supply chain, customs and currency.

A panel discussion will follow with speakers and local businesses (Plan Energy, Campus Connect, Woodrow Sustainable Solutions)hosted by George Lee.

The event will take place from 9am to 1pm and will be preceded by complimentary buffet breakfast from 8am and followed by complimentary lunch at 1pm.

Dr Vincent Power is a Partner specialising in EU law, EU and Irish competition/antitrust law, merger control, regulatory law and transport law for national and international as well as public and private clients.

He is seen as the most experienced competition lawyer practising in Ireland.
Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport with special responsibility for Tourism and Sport Brendan Griffin (left) met with Inishmurray boat operators, relatives of former residents, Aoife McElroy of Failte Ireland and Deputy Tony McLoughlin at the Sligo Park Hotel last Tuesday

An urgent meeting has been called between all the stakeholders involved in the row over access to Inishmurray Island.

Deputy Tony McLoughlin suggested the round table talks last Tuesday when local boat operators, relatives of former residents and Sligo tourism representatives met the Minister of State with special responsibility for Tourism Brendan Griffin in the Sligo Park Hotel.

Boat owners who have been providing day trips to the island for decades were shocked to receive a letter from the Ballyshannon-based Marine Survey Office (MSO) attached to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport on 26th March, warning them to stop immediately or face prosecution.

The MSO said this was "due to concerns for safety during embarking and disembarking at the island."

Speaking to The Sligo Champion after the meeting, Minister Griffin said he wanted to find out what prompted the MSO to issue the letter:

""I'm keeping an open mind in relation to this but I certainly feel just by shutting down operations without any further correspondence or further communications is not the way forward," he said.

"As with anything with safety involved, you need to be careful. You have to protect visitors and operators that is paramount. There are questions about how real is the risk, what's the record here?

"From listening to Deputy McLoughlin over the last number of weeks and to the boatmen here this morning there isn't a serious safety issue it seems because there hasn't been a record of accidents at this location.

"It's not one that would immediately raise red flags so I would be very interested to know why this now all of a sudden has reared its head and that's why I think Deputy McLoughlin's proposal to get all the agencies around the one table is a good proposal because that way we can thrash out the issues involved," he said.

Minister Griffin said the island was "very much an integral part" of Sligo's tourism offering.

"Deputy McLoughlin has been raising this with me over the past number of weeks, I'd hoped to come here sooner. He raised it again in the Dail on Thursday and he's a question again in the Dail on it today so he's very anxious to get a resolution to it," he said.

Aoife McIlroy of Failte Ireland attended in support of the boat owners, along with three members of the Brady family who used to live on the island and Cllr Marie Casserly.

Boat operator Keith Clarke said he was happy with the round table talks proposal.

"We're happy with what Tony McLoughlin has proposed - a joint stakeholder meeting. We showed Minister Griffin the photos of the landing - we've never had any safety issue or accidents there," he said after the meeting.

"We're hopeful," he added.

Other stakeholders expected to be invited to the talks include the MSO which issued the letter, the OPW, Sligo County Council, the Department of Tourism, Failte Ireland, Sligo Tourism, and former residents of the who left in 1948.

"They'd like to be able to get back to their homes as well. They feel they have a right to get back there which I feel they have and now they can't get back to their homes," said Minister Griffin.

"It's more than just the tourism industry, we had people here involved in heritage conservation - they can't get out to the island to survey the birds or look at the various heritage sites, who's going to be able look after those and ensure that they're being maintained or preserved for future generations to benefit from?"

"A load of people have a stake here. My role I think here is to try to co-ordinate the efforts to resolve the impasse.

"We have given a commitment to the people here today that without delay, as a matter of urgency to contact all of the stakeholders seeking a round table meeting to thrash out the issues involved and see if we can apply common sense to ensure that the operations can continue and at the same time, if there are safety concerns there that they can also be addressed.

"I'm marking the correspondence extremely urgent so I'd look to have that next week because I'm conscious of the fact that we have the May bank holiday weekend coming up and the kicking off of the tourism season.

"I'm keen that we don't waste any time on this because every day you lose is potentially a lot of income for the people involved.

When asked when the meeting would be held, Minister Griffin said "hopefully no later than next week."

"I would hope to be there because I feel I've a big interest here as the Minister for Tourism. My role is to improve all things tourism related and to smooth any related problems that arise and certainly this is a tourism related problem that has arisen. The resolution of this may be outside my own individual responsibilities but certainly the overall issue concerns me and it's something I want to try to resolve.

"Deputy McLoughlin has brought me into this and I'm glad he has," he said.

He was then asked if his Department would be willing to fund the construction of new landing facilities if that emerged as the only solution:

"I'm open to whatever the resolution may be, whatever the best way forward would be. That may be the case or some minor adjustments to practices may need to be done to ensure the safe continuation of visiting Inishmurray can continue.

"Everybody has a responsibility here to work with partners to ensure that people's livelihoods are respected, that traditions are respected, that heritage is respected and the broader tourism industry is respected and the potential that that offers, both in terms of employment and jobs and the future of Sligo as well," he said.

"Inishmurray is, and anything that takes a very important attraction off the Sligo offering is a concern to everybody in the tourism industry so I'm always working with both the agencies and the industry in terms of the tourism operators in this country to try to address issues as they arrive - if it was anywhere else in the country I'd be doing the same thing because my job is to try to help the tourism industry and this is challenging the industry," he said.

This newspaper asked Minister Griffin if he knew why this issue was raised in 2008 and nothing was done about it in the last ten years.

"No and we want to get answers to that. That's why getting everybody around the one table will help to shed more light on that particular questions," he replied.

Deputy McLoughlin told The Sligo Champion that he and Minister Griffin listened to what everyone at last week's meeting had to say on the matter:

"We had a very representative group here this morning, from the three Brady family members - the last residents of the island - all of the boat owners in the region that have been working on the island for the last 30 years - we listened to them all.

"I proposed that rather than the Minister meeting and talking to various people that he would meet all of the group.

"There's so many vested interest groups in this, the OPW, Sligo County Council, Tourism Ireland, the Heritage Council. Rather than individually trying to make contact with the Minister, I suggested that we would sit all these people down, whether that would be in Sligo or in Dublin that this meeting would take place as a matter of urgency," he said.

"The Minister has given an indication there and a commitment that as a matter of urgency he would be meeting with Minster Shane Ross to pursue this as quickly as possible.

"Keith Clarke has been telling me about a number of groupings that have already been booked for this summer from May onwards so I think it's vitally important that timing is of the essence for this.

"There is a lot of worry and stress on these people - they've made huge investments. These guys were telling me about the money they've invested, they're not going to take any chances going to the island unless they know that it's safe both for their clients and their vested interests in the boats.

"They've been landing there for years and years and if there's any swell they will not going to the island and will advise the hotels or Tourism Ireland or the Tourist Office here in Sligo.

"There have been no accidents there, none whatsoever, thankfully," he added.

Councillor Marie Casserly believes access to the island must be managed better to ensure the historical island doesn't turn into a "free for all."

"It's a monastic site and there are graves belonging to family members who live in north Sligo today," she told this newspaper.

"We have to try and come up with a short term solution because there are tours organised and we want to make sure they go ahead," she said.

"The descendants of former residents would be concerned about the fact that it can be opened up to anybody. Anybody who owns a boat can currently go out to the island and there's nothign stopping you- it's only commercial boat operators who charge passengers who have been told they can't," she said.

"Each passenger however is insured to the tune of 6million under the boat owners public liability insurance," she said.

Cllr Casserly raised the issue with the Independent Alliance and Transport Minister Shane Ross last Saturday.
Fianna Fail TD Marc MacSharry is proposing a new taxation system designed to ensure working families are always better off working than being on welfare.

He is proposing a radical new child tax credit that would be worth around 5,000 very year to low income families.

"Over the last 6 months or so I've researched and written a paper on "Fairer Taxation For Working Families with Children.

"It considers the issue of work versus welfare and suggests that the taxation system recognize the cost of raising a child in a similar way to the welfare system.

"It identifies some of the welfare trap issues where lower wage working families are actually better off on welfare than working.

"My proposal is the introduction of a tax credit/allowance per child of working families up to a maximum of four children.

"For the purposes of preparing a paper I pitched the allowance/credit at the same level as the social welfare child allowance payment however to do so in reality at that level would be reckless with an annual cost of over 1bn.

"What I am trying to do is start a discussion and a debate which may lead to an acceptance of the principle of a child tax allowance/credit and perhaps see the State make a start and introduce one at a modest level which subject to sustainability and resources could be increased over 2-4 administrations (10-20years).

"A start might be a government committing perhaps 100m per annum to such a measure. The benefits would be significant to low income families while also ensuring that working families are always better off working than being on welfare.

"There would be natural caution and concerns in terms of eroding the tax base and so on however having considered all I believe it is the right way to go.

"From the introduction of taxation in Ireland in 1799 right up to 1986 with the abolition of the child tax allowance working families with children were always taxed less than those without children.

"My proposal is progressive and so lower incomes would benefit substantially more than those on higher income levels.

"This is a personal proposal and discussion document and so it is not Fianna Fail policy.

"Rather I wish to promote it in a general way in the hope that I can start the discussion and perhaps convince all political and state stake holders to support the principle and move towards the introduction of a child tax allowance/credit," he said.

He added that he set about compiling this analysis based on the experience of dealing with many families depending on social welfare and many more who are depending on low income employment.

"Through the years it has become clear that many issues exist which must be addressed in order to eliminate discriminatory quirks in both our Welfare and Taxation Systems while incentivising work and providing the necessary supports to families whether working or not," he said.

Deputy MacSharry said his proposal is that we treat children in exactly the same way within the Tax and the Welfare Systems.

"This can be done by introducing a Tax Credit/Allowance for each child of persons in employment. The Tax Credit/Allowance should be equivalent to the Child Allowance payment within the Job Seekers Allowance, One Parent Family Payment and the other 25 Welfare Schemes. The 2018 Child Allowance within JSA and the One Parent Family Payment is 1,654 per child per annum and this should be matched by a Tax Credit/Allowance per child of 1,654," he stressed.

The impact of the change to our Tax System will be highly progressive he believes. A low income family in this situation such as worker on minimum wage earning around 20k Gross Income per annum will get an additional 25% Net Income whereas a similar family with a Gross Income of 70k will only get an increase of 10% in Net Income.

The Deputy's proposal is at a discussion paper stage and has not been endorsed by his party .
Easkey pilot Jonathan Higgins has been left "gobsmacked" by the public response to a GoFundMe campaign set up to raise enough money to pay for a prosthetic leg.

The 29-year-old lost his entire left leg in a horrific motorbike crash near Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on 15th December last year.

He's been recovering in hospital in Dubai but will have to return home to Ireland to have a prosthetic leg fitted - at an expected cool 80,000-150,000.

Speaking to The Sligo Champion from his hospital bed in the American Hospital, Dubai, Jonathan is already looking to the future: "I'm hoping to get home at the earliest by the end of May, all going well. I've been very lucky."

"The physio team are excellent, I'm getting physio for an hour twice a day. I'm walking on crutches at this stage and we're seeing improvements," he said.

Jonathan, who is a past pupil of Sligo Grammar School, has sustained some nerve damage to his right leg but doctors are hopeful that will come back in time.

He gets about daily in a wheelchair but is determined he will be back up walking again once he gets a prosthetic leg.

He's already been in touch with Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital in Dublin: "I'm looking forward to getting a fresh pair of eyes medically and starting the process of prosthetics and getting back to walking on it. That's the next step," he said.

Because Jonathan had to have a very high amputation, medics believe he may be suitable for a micro-processor prosthetic leg to allow him greater movement.

It is very expensive however and must be replaced every 5-10 years.

Jonathan's girlfriend Laura Shanahan thought of setting up a GoFundMe page to help fundraise for the cost of such a leg. Since launching the page on 23rd April, they've raised over 46,000 towards their goal of 150,000. "I've been gobsmacked at how well it's doing, nearly 500 people have donated from near and far," he said. Jonathan had been a pilot with Emirates based in Dubai.

Fundraisers in Jonathan's home town of Easkey are also being organised, such as a Tractor Run on the June Bank Holiday weekend and various coffee mornings.

Jonathan is the third child of David and Daphne Higgins, well known community figures in Easkey.

"He was only given a 20 per cent chance of survival around Christmas," said Daphne, who along with her husband flew to her son's bedside after the accident.

"We were praying so hard. For the first five days he was going downhill. He was 11 and a half hours in surgery, with three medical teams working on him, medical surgical, orthopaedic and vascular.

"He started to improve once they removed his leg, his vital signs started coming back up but he still wasn't out of danger for two weeks and he only came out of the induced coma on 1st January," she said.

"People have been so generous. It will all be appreciated to get my son back walking," she added. www.gofundme.com/jonathan039s-go-fund-me.
Sligo start-up companies are joining forces to help prevent suicide.

The companies - many of whom are based at IT Sligo's Innovation Centre and The Building Block in Sligo town- are coming together to run or walk Darkness Into Light in Sligo on May 12th.

Darkness Into Light is a 5km event where participants start when it is still dark and finish with the sunrise - literally walking from Darkness Into Light.

It is Pieta House's flagship annual fundraising and awareness event.

CampusConnect, BCR Comply and Frankli - the three companies who are organising the start-up collaboration - are still looking for companies to join them on the night - and, of course, for donations.

The overarching reason for organising the event was to raise funds for Pieta House and raise awareness of suicide and mental health issues.

However, organiser Declan Sweeney, says it is also a way for the businesses to do something together - and promote a healthier and happier business and start-up culture in the North West.

"According to Pieta House, eight people die by suicide in Ireland every week. That is an incredible statistic. A few of the owners of start-ups based in Sligo were talking about this and how some of us had been directly affected by suicide and we felt this would be a nice way to contribute," said Mr Sweeney who is a co-founder of CampusConnect.

"We thought that by joining together to participate in Darkness Into Light would make us stronger - and help us raise more funds for such a great cause.

"We also felt that the North West is such a happy, healthy place in which to run a business yet those of us running start-ups are often working long hours and we wanted to take some time out to remember the importance of a work/life balance," he said.

Darkness Into Light has become a movement across Ireland and all over the world. It started with just 400 people in Dublin's Phoenix Park in 2009 and last year 180,000 people took part at 180 venues across the world.

Pieta House's vision is to create a world where suicide, self-harm and stigma are replaced by hope, self-care and acceptance.

The Sligo event will start at the Knocknarea Arena at IT Sligo at 4.15am on Saturday May 12th.

If you would like to join - or support - the companies, you can register and donate at https://dil2018.pieta.ie/fundraisers/sligostartupcommunity
Derogatory words are the building blocks of stigma - that's according to the Green Ribbon campaign for mental health which gets underway in Sligo this month.

Sligo Institute of Technology is lighting up green to end mental health stigma as part of See Change's 6th National Green Ribbon campaign.

Green Ribbons are available in Boots Pharmacies and Iarnrod Eireann stations throughout Sligo.

Research released by See Change ahead of the campaign shows that 1 in 5 people still associate derogatory language with mental health difficulties.

"Although some derogatory words may seem trivial and innocent, they are the building blocks of stigma that may lead someone to conceal a mental health difficulty," said Director of See Change John Saunders.

"One of the most important ways in which we can reduce stigma is to change how we talk about mental health," he said.

"We're encouraging people to really think about the language they are using and the effects it may have on someone experiencing a mental health difficulty. Stigma often prevents people seeking help and speaking out. After last year's campaign, 3 in 4 people said they were open to discussing mental health. We hope to improve upon this," he said.

"It's wonderful to see local initiatives supporting the campaign such as Sligo IT lighting up to encourage positive conversations about mental health in Sligo," he added.

The Green Ribbon campaign will feature hundreds of events all over Ireland. The campaign will launch on Thursday 3rd May at 11am in the Mansion House, Dublin. Between now and the end of May 500,000 ribbons will be distributed to homes, workplaces, schools, colleges and communities all over Ireland to encourage people to talk about mental health. Visit seechange.ie to order free Ribbons for your Community or Workplace.
Greystones resident Colm Cuffe has landed a book deal after The Simpsons creator Matt Groening encouraged him to follow his dreams.

Galway native Colm lives in Greystones and is a teacher in Wicklow.

He has been illustrating cartoons since he was a young boy, but never saw it as more than a hobby. This all changed when he found himself invited to a table-reading for an episode of The Simpsons in 2016.

There, Colm met Matt Groening and showed The Simpsons creator some of his work. Groening told him that he had a confident style and encouraged him to start publishing his work online.

This was a pivotal moment for Colm who returned to Ireland and threw himself into illustrating his comic strip 'When's it Hometime?'

The comics are a semi-autobiographical account of Cuffe's observations and experiences of his work as a teacher. He began publishing his work on Facebook in September 2016 and within months his following exploded into the thousands.

The popularity of his weekly comics culminated in a book deal with Gill Books in 2017 for his new book 'A Teacher's Life'.

Having already amassed fans from all corners of the globe, Colm is delighted to now bring his work from the screen to the bookshelf.

'A Teacher's Life' is a collection of over 140 cartoons based on Colm's popular 'When's it Hometime?' Facebook page and perfectly captures the ups and downs of life as a teacher.
MC Paul Collins of Today FM, Ken Hogan, event organiser James Quirke, ex-Dublin football manager Paul Caffrey, Billy Byrne and Tom Dempsey at the GAA Championship preview event in the Grand Hotel

A special GAA preview night held in the Grand Hotel featured a number of legends, including Wexford's 1996 All-Ireland hurling winner Tony Dempsey.

Other notable guests included Waterford All Star and hurling legend Paul Flynn and former Dublin manager Paul Pillar Caffrey.

Paul Collins of Today FM was the MC for the event.

The night was organised by James Quirke to raise funds for Wicklow Mental Health Association and was supported by Wicklow Garda Siochana and Wicklow Print Solutions. Charlie Burke, Chairman of Wicklow Mental Health Association, said: 'We would like to express their gratitude to the organisers and to all the Wicklow GAA enthusiasts for supported the event.'

A total of 1,970 was raised which will help the organisation to provide Mental Health Ireland's 'Mind Your Mental Health' courses and SafeTALK courses for GAA clubs throughout east Wicklow in 2018 and 2019. Please Email wicklowmentalhealth@gmail.com if you require training for your GAA club.
An action group will be formed to press home to the Transport Minister just how vital the N81 Hollywood Cross to Tallaght route is from a road safety and local development perspective.

Plans to upgrade the N81 from Hollywood Cross to Tallaght, bypassing Blessington, have been suspended indefinitely.

A public meeting organised by Councillors Gerry O'Neill and Jim Ruttle took place on Monday, with over 200 people in attendance.

The road improvement scheme was not included in the Government's Capital Investment Plan (CIP), which provides the financial and strategic framework for Transport Infrastructure Ireland's activities until 2021.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr O'Neill said: 'We are all very disappointed with Minister Shane Ross as his attitude seems to be to ignore the situation. The only budget the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) received was for the upgrading of existing carriageways up to 2027. That means the N81 route won't even be considered for inclusion until 2027. The general consensus from the meeting is that we won't tolerate the attitude of Minister Ross any longer.

'We wrote to him twice and all we ever received was a one line reply. We are determined to get our message out there and we will be soon organising some pickets. White crosses will be put up along the N81 at locations where people have died.

'We will also be bringing our campaign to Leinster House and the Minister will meet with us, whether he wants to or not.'

Deputy Pat Casey was also present at the meeting and says he has serious concerns about the safety and congestion on the N81 following confirmation that the major works needed are not included in the Governments National Development Plan.

'It's astonishing that the need for a major upgrade to the N81 has been in the pipeline for years and yet now that the economy is improving and that even greater congestion is taking place every day on the N81, that the Fine Gael/Independent Government has excluded this major road from the National Development Plan named Project Ireland,' sad Deputy Casey. 'My very first speech in the Dail when I was elected just two years ago was about this very issue and I then appealed to Minister Ross to not ignore the N81 and the serious congestion and safety issues that were taking place on a regular basis.'

Deputy Casey has asked the Minister and the TII to provide a detailed response as to how they are going to manage the N81 from a safety and congestion viewpoint in the short to medium term.
A little tree frog has gone viral after it was rescued by a kind resident and freed into the wild.

David Steen, a research ecologist working in Georgia, found the frog after it hopped into his truck in the night. The frog was in danger of being crushed, so Steen ushered it inside, took it to work with him, and then released it into the bushes.

Posting on Twitter, he said: This morning I was driving into work when I noticed a little squirrel tree frog hanging on for dear life outside. I rolled down the window and ushered him inside where he kind of relaxed and made himself comfortable.

Steen explained that once he got to work, he put the frog in a cool bag so that its skin wouldnt dry out.

Steen said: I have studied wild amphibians and reptiles for many years so I had a good idea regarding how to keep the frog comfortable.

Basically I wanted to make sure that its skin didnt dry out and it didnt overheat, so I put a wet paper towel in its bag and kept it in the shade.

The frog was then released into the wild, where it happily hopped into the bushes.

Steen said: Most of my research experience relates to amphibians and reptiles in the south-eastern United States, and I do have a little experience studying wild populations of squirrel tree frogs.

Social media users have loved the rescue story of the little frog, leaving their well-wishes underneath Steens post.

 omg the cutest baby! I love him https://t.co/2eh5DrkvDL  Hermit Princess (@voidfemme) May 5, 2018

Well that was just an adorable and heart warming tale   Anna Deyle (@AnnaDeyle) May 5, 2018

Steen said: As a conservation biologist, my priority is the conservation of wildlife populations, but I am always happy to encourage empathy for individual animals too, like this little tree frog.

Its nice to see that the short story has struck a chord with so many folks.
Lava spurts from the ground on road near Kilauea volcano

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has erupted, causing lava to spew out of cracks in the ground in residential areas and prompting thousands of people to flee.

The Pacific island state's governor signed an emergency proclamation releasing disaster funds to the Big Island in the eruption's wake.

Local news footage showed streams of lava snaking through a forest and authorities reported "steam and lava emissions from a crack in Leilani Subdivision in the area of Mohala Street" following the blast.

Residents of that affected area, some 1,700 people, were under mandatory evacuation after the burst from Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

In addition to the obligatory evacuations, many areas fell under voluntary evacuation zones, affecting some 10,000 people, according to a local official.

US Geological Survey (USGS) authorities of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory unit were on the ground and headed into the air to assess the eruption.

It followed some 100 small earthquakes in recent days and began around 4.45pm local time, according to the agency.

Earlier, at 10.30am, a larger 5.0-magnitude earthquake south of the Pu'u 'O'o volcano cone triggered rockfalls and potential collapse into a crater on the volcano, according to USGS.

Following the eruption authorities warned of subsequent "lava inundation," fire, smoke, and additional earthquakes.

The agency said those downwind of the dissipating plume "may experience a dusting of ash," warning of "potentially lethal concentrations of sulphur dioxide gas" in the zone and methane blasts that could propel large rocks and debris into the air.

Governor David Ige activated the state's National Guard troops, and told residents to pay heed to warnings.
The Swedish Academy that decides the Nobel Prize for Literature has said it will not make the award this year because of a sexual misconduct scandal that has caused turmoil in its ranks and led to a string of board members stepping down.

The prize, one of the world's most prestigious cultural honours, is awarded in early October and a postponement or cancellation has not occurred in decades.

But the usually secretive Academy acknowledged it needed time to restore public trust after allegations against the husband of one of its members and the admission that the names of some prize-winners had been leaked.

The Academy, composed of Sweden's literary elite, said it aimed to award two prizes in 2019, including the 2018 one.

"We find it necessary to commit time to recovering public confidence in the Academy before the next laureate can be announced," Anders Olsson, interim permanent secretary of the Academy, said.

The turmoil caused by sexual allegations against the husband of one of the board members is unprecedented for the Academy, a revered institution established by King Gustav III in 1786 and still under royal patronage.

The Academy found itself at the centre of attention after allegations of sexual harassment and assault were made by 18 women against photographer and cultural figure Jean-Claude Arnault, who is married to Academy member and author Katarina Frostenson. He denies the allegations. The Academy provided financial support for a cultural club run by the couple.

Three members of the Academy's board resigned because of dissatisfaction over the way a probe into the allegations was conducted. The Academy's head and Ms Frostenson also subsequently stepped down, followed by a sixth member last week.

The Academy also disclosed that an investigation had shown that the names of some prize winners - the subject of lively betting - had been leaked.

Mr Arnault denies all allegations, regarding both sexual misconduct and leaking the names of laureates, his lawyer said. State prosecutors opened an investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations, but said in March the probe into assaults alleged to have been committed between March 2013 and April 2015 had been dropped due to a lack of evidence and the statute of limitations having passed for some of the incidents.
France has sternly rejected US President Donald Trumps argument that if Parisians had more guns they could have stopped the deadly 2015 extremist attacks on the French capital.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian expressed his firm disapproval of President Trumps remarks and vigorously defended Frances gun controls.

La France exprime sa ferme desapprobation des propos du president @realDonaldTrump au sujet des attentats du 13 novembre 2015 a Paris et demande le respect de la memoire des victimes. https://t.co/kTbH0N9FRk  France Diplomatie (@francediplo) May 5, 2018

In a statement, Mr Le Drian said gun violence statistics do not lead us to reconsider Frances choice on this issue.

Gun violence death rates are much higher in the United States.

Mr Le Drian continued: Free circulation of weapons in society does not constitute a rampart against terrorist attacks, to the contrary, it can facilitate  this type of attack.

Islamic State attackers killed 130 people in Paris Bataclan concert hall, cafes and the national stadium.

President Trump spoke at a National Rifle Association meeting.
Russians angered by the impending inauguration of Vladimir Putin to a new term as president have protested in scores of cities across the country  and police responded by reportedly arresting more than 1,000 of them.

Among those arrested was protest organiser Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who is Mr Putins most prominent foe.

Police seized Mr Navalny by the arms and legs and carried the thrashing activist from Moscows Pushkin Square, where thousands were gathered for an unauthorised protest.

Expand Close Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Photo: AP / Facebook

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Police also used batons against protesters who chanted Putin is a thief and Russia will be free.

Demonstrations under the slogan He is not our czar took place throughout the country, from Yakutsk in the far north east to St Petersburg and Kaliningrad on the fringes of Europe.

The protests demonstrated that Mr Navalnys opposition, although considered beleaguered by officials and largely ignored by state-controlled television, has sizeable support in much of the country.

I think that Putin isnt worthy of leading this country. He has been doing it for 18 years and has done nothing good for it, said Moscow demonstrator Dmitry Nikitenko. He should leave for good.

OVD-Info, an organisation that monitors political repression, said late on Saturday that at least 1,029 people had been detained at demonstrations in 19 Russian cities.

It said 574 were arrested in Moscow alone.

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Moscow police said about 300 people were detained in the capital, state news agencies said, and there was no official countrywide tally.

Mr Navalny was to be charged with disobeying police, an offence that carries a sentence of up to 15 days, news reports said, though when he would face a judge was not immediately clear.

Mr Navalny has served several multi-week stretches in jail on similar charges.

In St Petersburg, police blocked off a stretch of Nevsky Prospekt as a crowd of about 1,000 marched along the renowned avenue. Video showed some demonstrators being detained.

Mr Putin is to be inaugurated for a new six-year term on Monday after winning re-election in March with 77% of the vote.

Mr Navalny had hoped to challenge him on the ballot but was blocked because of a conviction in a case that supporters regard as falsified in order to marginalise him.

Mr Navalny has called nationwide demonstrations several times in the past year, and their turnout has rattled the Kremlin.
The offices where Cambridge Analytica is based in central London (Rick Findler/PA)

The UKs Information Commissioners Office is backing an American academics effort to obtain his personal data from SCL Group, which includes Cambridge Analytica.

The ICO said in a ruling that SCL must provide the data within 30 days, warning that failure to do so would be a criminal offence.

The Enforcement Notice found in favour of professor David Carroll, saying his right to the personal information is protected by the Data Protection Act of 1998.

ICO serve Enforcement Notice on SCL elections over inadequate response to SAR https://t.co/Q5D4QRPZgR  ICO - Information Commissioner's Office (@ICOnews) May 5, 2018

The ruling says Mr Carroll sought his information from Cambridge Analytica in 2017 and was unhappy with the responses, prompting his complaint to the ICO.

Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said the company has consistently refused to cooperate with our investigation.

Cambridge Analytica announced on Wednesday it plans to file for bankruptcy in Britain and the US.
Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority: his remarks are a fundamental menace to our open and liberal societies, according to the EUs foreign service, the EEAS. Photo: Reuters

Anyone who has spent time in the Middle East knows anti-Semitism is dismayingly widespread there.

Tropes including age-old stereotypes of Jews are common in media, cartoons and sometimes even educational materials.

When I lived in Jordan my Arabic tutor - from the country's Christian minority - once used a story montage that featured a predatory black-clad character with hooked nose and a large black hat. She was surprised when I pointed out the offensive inference, she had not noticed it herself.

The famous anti-Semitic forgery 'The Protocols of the Elders of Zion' can be found in bookshops and airport stands across the region.

This week Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, sparked outrage when he delivered a speech studded with anti-Semitic tropes to a gathering of the PLO's legislative body in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Broadcast live on Palestinian TV channels, Abbas's rambling speech included a rumination on the history of European Jewry.

He claimed Jews in Europe had been subjected to persecution over centuries, culminating in the Holocaust, "not because of their religious identity but because of their social function". Abbas continued: "So the Jewish question that was widespread throughout Europe was not against their religion but their social function which relates to usury and banking and such."

He also denied Ashkenazi Jews from north-eastern Europe were Semitic, claiming: "They have no relation to Semitic people."

It was not the first time the octogenarian Palestinian leader's views on the Holocaust have caused controversy. In his doctoral dissertation written in the early 80s, Abbas claimed there had been a "secret relationship between Nazism and Zionism" before World War II and he appeared to challenge the figure of six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust.

He subsequently sought to deflect accusations of Holocaust denial, remarking at one point in 2003 that "the Holocaust was a terrible, unforgivable crime against the Jewish nation, a crime against humanity that cannot be accepted by humankind."

The meeting Abbas was addressing was a rare gathering; the last time the PLO's legislative body held a regular meeting was in the late 90s.

While Abbas told those assembled that he wanted the Palestinians to live peacefully in an independent Palestinian state existing alongside Israel, it was his thoughts on the fate of European Jews that unsurprisingly made headlines and prompted a series of denunciations.

"Such statements are unacceptable, deeply disturbing and do not serve the interests of the Palestinian people or peace in the Middle East," said Nickolay E Mladenov, the UN's special coordinator for the Middle East peace process. "Leaders have an obligation to confront anti-Semitism everywhere and always, not perpetuate the conspiracy theories that fuel it."

The EEAS, the EU's foreign service, also condemned the remarks as "unacceptable" and said "such rhetoric will only play into the hands of those who do not want a two-state solution, which President Abbas has repeatedly advocated".

With anti-Semitism growing in several corners of Europe in tandem with the rise of far-right movements, the EEAS described it as a threat not only for Jews "but a fundamental menace to our open and liberal societies" and said it was committed to any attempt "to condone, justify or grossly trivialise the Holocaust".

Jason D Greenblatt, the White House Middle East envoy, posted on Twitter: "President Abbas' remarks...must be unconditionally condemned by all."

Israeli officials also weighed in. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman remarked in a tweet: "A man who denies the Jewish people's connection to the Land of Israel that is thousands of years old, blames the Jews for the Holocaust and claims that Hitler helped Jews has lost all connection to reality and does not want peace."

Michael Oren, Israel's deputy minister for diplomacy, tweeted: "Mahmoud Abbas says money-lending Jews provoked Holocaust... Now there's a peace partner."

The furore comes at a particularly delicate time. The US is due to open its embassy in Jerusalem on May 14, the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel.

Palestinians are planning to mark the anniversary of what they call the Nakba or "catastrophe" with a series of protests. Abbas's remarks this week will only have further poisoned the mood.
The mission to Mars is set to launch (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)

A Nasa spacecraft is poised to blast off for Mars.

The Mars InSight lander is set to launch on Saturday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

When our InSight lander launches in pursuit of Mars tomorrow, it wont be traveling alone. There will be two tiny companions hitching a ride to the Red Planet on a very different mission.



Get to know MarCO: https://t.co/1CBQ30vmkq pic.twitter.com/yo50JMr6GN  NASA (@NASA) May 5, 2018

It is the first interplanetary mission to take off from the West Coast of the US.

It will take more than six months for the lander to reach Mars and start its unprecedented geologic excavations.

How did rocky planets like Mars & Earth form? Our @NASAInSight lander launches to the Red Planet tomorrow at 7:05am ET to search for answers to this question by measuring the planets vital signs:. Get the details: https://t.co/G83ffMccFW pic.twitter.com/A7aWOk1479  NASA (@NASA) May 4, 2018

Instruments on the lander will dig deeper into Mars than ever before  nearly 16 feet  to take the planets temperature.

It will also attempt to make the first measurements of Marsquakes, using a seismometer placed directly on the Martian surface.

Want to watch a spacecraft launch to Mars? Set your alarm and join us for the 7:05am ET liftoff of our @NASAInSight lander! Live coverage will begin at 6:30am with all the details about this mission to take the Red Planets vital signs: https://t.co/oJKHgKpQjH Qs? Use #askNASA pic.twitter.com/z7CyQBY3kR  NASA (@NASA) May 5, 2018

The Atlas V (five) rocket also holds a pair of mini-satellites meant to trail the spacecraft all the way to Mars.
Donald Trump last night said London was "like a war zone" because of knife crime as he defended US gun laws.

Addressing the annual convention of the National Rifle Association (NRA) in Dallas, Texas, the US president said: "I recently read a story that, in London, which has unbelievably tough gun laws, a once very prestigious hospital, right in the middle, is like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds.

"Yes, that's right, they don't have guns, they have knives, and instead there's blood all over the floors of this hospital. They say it's as bad a military war zone hospital. Knives, knives, knives...London hasn't been used to that, they're getting used to it, pretty tough."

Mr Trump made the comments just weeks before he is due to make his first visit to Britain as president. Last year he reportedly suggested there were "no-go areas" in London because of Islamic extremists.

Mr Trump threw his full weight behind the NRA last night after briefly straying from the lobby group's stance against gun control in the wake of the Parkland school shooting.

Basking in the adoration of 8,000 people packed into a convention centre, Mr Trump called the NRA a "truly great organisation that loves this country" and its members "real patriots". Amid chants of "USA, USA", the president said: "Your Second Amendment rights are under siege. But they will never, ever be under siege as long as I'm your president."

Mr Trump also thanked Kanye West, the rapper, for his public support. He said: "Kanye West must have some power because...I doubled my African-American poll numbers. We went from 11 to 22 in one week... Even the pollsters thought there must be a mistake."

It was the first annual NRA meeting since America's worst high school shooting on February 14 in which 17 people were killed by gunman Nikolas Cruz at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida. Survivors of the attack have since led a movement calling for tighter gun control laws.
Donald Trump has been formally nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for the US president's efforts to solve the North Korean nuclear tensions.

A group of 18 of Mr Trump's biggest Republican supporters in the House of Representatives sent a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee urging it to consider Mr Trump for next year's award in recognition of "his tireless work to bring peace to our world".

Mr Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are working out the details of a historic summit that could take place by the end of May or early June.

Yet an agreement by which the North would give up its nuclear weapons and allow for the world to confirm it still appears far off. The United States has reached aid-for-disarmament deals with North Korea before which ultimately failed.

Recent comments from the leaders of the two Koreas have raised hopes.

But as remarkable as the imagery and symbolism have been recently, many analysts point out that it is too early to speculate on the outcome of ongoing negotiations with a regime that has been led with an iron fist by the Kim dynasty for nearly 70 years.

"It's surreal in the sense that it's clearly premature to be talking about giving anybody a Nobel Peace Prize," said Aaron David Miller, a former US diplomat and negotiator in several Democratic and Republican administrations.

But "if in fact the diplomacy goes the right way," the scenario is "conceivable", he said.

The Nobel chatter also reflects an impassioned debate taking place over the exact role of America's president in the ongoing diplomatic overtures.

On both sides of the US political divide, the reasoning has bordered on the absurd, with one camp asserting that Mr Trump played no part in the ongoing detente on the Korean peninsula, while the other attributes it solely to his intervention.

In Washington's fevered political climate - in which "it's virtually impossible for one party to give credit to the other" - Mr Trump's personality and "inability to think about the 'we' rather than just the 'me'" is further reinforcing the antagonism, Mr Miller said.

The award of the prize to Mr Trump's Democratic predecessor, just a few months after he took office, had itself aroused surprise and strong reactions. "I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labours on the world stage," Barack Obama said on December 10, 2009 in Oslo, as he acknowledged "the considerable controversy" surrounding the committee's decision at the dawn of his first term.

Beyond Mr Obama, three other US presidents have received the award: Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Jimmy Carter.

Anticipating the Trump-Kim summit, and the protracted diplomatic negotiations that lie ahead, some have opted for a humorous approach.

'Washington Post' columnist Dana Milbank penned a spoof acceptance speech by Mr Trump, complete with the leader's trademark verbal tics.

"The haters and the liars say I don't deserve this award.... Wrong!" said Milbank's Trump.

"I was, like, really smart, when I made peace with Rocket Man. By calling him short and fat and saying I would totally destroy him with fire and fury from my big and powerful nuclear button, I got him to negotiate."

For Mr Trump's fervent supporters, the looming summit with Kim - all but unimaginable just months ago - is proof that his often-impulsive presidency can break through barriers, change the rules of the diplomatic game, and succeed where his predecessors have failed.
The protests have been organised by anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny (Evgeny Feldman/AP)

Russian police have detained opposition leader Alexei Navalny at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in central Moscow.

Thousands of demonstrators denouncing Mr Putins upcoming inauguration into a fourth term gathered on Saturday in the capitals Pushkin Square.

Video showed police carrying a struggling Mr Navalny, who is Mr Putins most prominent foe, out of the square, carrying him by the legs and arms.

Expand Close Vladimir Putin will be inaugurated on Monday for a six-year term (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) / Facebook

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Police in riot gear waded into the crowd on Pushkin Square and were seen grabbing some demonstrators and leading them away. A helicopter hovered overhead to monitor the crowd.

The unauthorised protest was part of a day of nationwide demonstrations. Police made arrests at demonstrations in some other cities.

News reports and social media postings said protests had attracted hundreds or more in at least 10 cities in the east and Siberia.

Mr Putin will be inaugurated on Monday for a six-year term.
US President Donald Trump has said the time and place has been set for his landmark meeting with North Koreas Kim Jong Un  but kept the world guessing about when and where.

The White House did, however, announce the details of a separate meeting later this month between Mr Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

That was announced as the US administration pushed back on a report that Mr Trump is considering the withdrawal of US forces from the allied nation.

Mr Trump and Mr Moon will meet at the White House on May 22 to continue their close co-ordination on developments regarding the Korean Peninsula following last weeks meeting between Mr Moon and Mr Kim.

Expand Close North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and South Korean president Moon Jae-in met in the Demilitarized Zone (Korea Summit Press Pool via AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and South Korean president Moon Jae-in met in the Demilitarized Zone (Korea Summit Press Pool via AP)

They will also discuss the US presidents own upcoming summit with the North Korean leader, a statement said.

Earlier this week, Mr Trump expressed a preference for holding the big event with Mr Kim in the demilitarised zone or DMZ between the two Koreas, where Mr Moon and Mr Kim met.

He also said Singapore was in contention to host what will be the first summit between a US and North Korean leader.

We now have a date and we have a location. Well be announcing it soon, Mr Trump told reporters on Friday from the White House South Lawn before departing for Dallas. He has previously said the summit was planned for May or early June.

A meeting with Mr Kim seemed an outlandish possibility just a few months ago when the two leaders were trading threats and insults over North Koreas development of nuclear weapons.

But momentum for diplomacy has built this year as the rival Koreas have patched up ties.

In March, Mr Trump unexpectedly accepted an offer of talks from Mr Kim after the North Korean dictator agreed to suspend nuclear and ballistic missile tests and discuss denuclearisation.

According to South Korea, Mr Kim has said he would be willing to give up his nuclear missiles if the United States commits to a formal end to the Korean War and pledges not to attack the North.

But his exact demands for relinquishing weapons that his nation spent decades building remain unclear.

Mr Trump said that withdrawing US forces from South Korea is not on the table.

Some 28,500 US forces are based in the allied nation, a military presence that has been preserved to deter North Korea since the war ended in 1953 without a peace treaty.

Now I have to tell you, at some point into the future, I would like to save the money, Mr Trump said later as he prepared to board Air Force One. You know we have 32,000 troops there but I think a lot of great things will happen but troops are not on the table. Absolutely.

The New York Times reported that Mr Trump has asked the Pentagon to prepare options for drawing down American troops.

It cited unnamed officials as saying that was not intended to be a bargaining chip with Mr Kim, but did reflect that a prospective peace treaty between the Koreas could diminish the need for US forces in South Korea.

At the inter-Korean summit last Friday, held on the southern side of the DMZ, Mr Moon and Mr Kim pledged to rid the peninsula of nuclear weapons and seek a formal end this year to the Korean conflict where the opposing sides remain technically at war more than six decades after fighting halted with an armistice.

National security adviser John Bolton, who met his South Korean counterpart Chung Eui-yong in Washington on Friday, called the Times report utter nonsense.

During his presidential campaign, Mr Trump complained that South Korea does not do enough to financially support the American military commitment.

In March, Washington and Seoul began negotiations on how much South Korea should offset the costs of the deployment in the coming years.

Before Mr Trump meets Mr Kim, Washington is looking for North Korea to address another persistent source of tension between the adversaries: The detention of three Korean-Americans accused of anti-state activities in the North.

Mr Trump hinted that the release of Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak Song and Tony Kim was in the offing, but again was sparing on the details.

Were having very substantive talks with North Korea and a lot of things have already happened with respect to the hostages, and I think youre going to see very good things. As I said yesterday, stay tuned, Mr Trump said, referring to an earlier tweet on the issue.
Kolkata, Apr 30 (IBNS): The United States (US) Consulate Kolkata hosted seventh anti-trafficking conclave to focus on calibrated bilateral and regional cross-border response mechanisms at the American Center here on Apr 27 and 28.

The conclave was organised in partnership with New Delhi based non governmental organisation (NGO) Shakti Vahini.

The conclave was inaugurated on Friday in the presence of US Consul General Craig Hall and West Bengal Women and Child Welfare and Social Welfare Minister, Shashi Panja.

The consulate brought together a group of Anti Trafficking in Persons (anti TIP) leaders at the local, regional, national and international levels from India, Nepal, Bangladesh and the United States, to continue to share best practices and develop an agenda to combat human trafficking.

Speaking about the conclave, Hall told IBNS, "I think this is a great opportunity for friends and partners from government to society and law enforcement from different states and eastern India and Nepal and Bangladesh to come together and share ideas and best practices for combating this very real problem of human trafficking."

Regarding the challenges in combating human trafficking, he said: "It is one of the most complex criminal problems that we face because it is mobile and it involves criminal problems different elements of society. So to combat the problem, the government or law enforcement department can't do it alone but it requires all others working together, highly coordinated effort.

"So in that way events like these are important for bringing together all the different stakeholders so that we can coordinate our efforts to be more effective."

The conclave focused on developing more vigorous and calibrated bilateral and regional cross-border response mechanisms, strengthening of existing anti-trafficking systems, and greater research to capture and understand emerging regional trends.

Panja said awareness and prevention are the best tools to avoid human trafficking.

Highlighting the vulnerability of migrating people in human trafficking, Panja said: "People do migrate for better income but we will have to ensure a safe migration. Safe migration can happen when we speak about the pitfalls of unsafe migration."

Considering social media as a new way by which people get trafficked, the minister said: "One has to be made aware of the pitfalls of social networking. They will have to be made aware about the friendship sides and also how those relations can turn bad. It is basically an awareness generation.

"I think awareness building is the best that comes through seminar, discussion and reporting of incidents of trafficking."

Founder of Shakti Vahini, Ravi Kant said: "It is a great occasion to strengthen the fight against human trafficking. We have to collaborate with all stakeholders to unite and fight this crime together."

(Reporting by Souvik Ghosh)
Bengaluru, May 5 (IBNS): As the campaign for the Karnataka assembly election is in top gear, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) list of candidates, where several of them are allegedly involved in corruption.

Taking a dig at Modi's anti-corruption image, Rahul tweeted: "Dear Modi ji, You talk a lot. Problem is, your actions dont match your words. Here's a primer on your candidate selection in Karnataka. It plays like an episode of "Karnataka's Most Wanted"."

Dear Modi ji,



You talk a lot. Problem is, your actions dont match your words. Here's a primer on your candidate selection in Karnataka.



It plays like an episode of "Karnataka's Most Wanted". #AnswerMaadiModi pic.twitter.com/G97AjBQUgO  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 5, 2018

The tweet was accompanied by a video of 1:20 minutes where several BJP candidates, including the controversial Reddy brothers, who are allegedly involved in corruption, could be seen. .

The Supreme court on Friday ruled that mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy, who is out on bail, cannot campaign on his home-turf Ballari for the election.

Rahul's attack on Modi over the corruption issue came two days after the latter termed Karnataka's ruling party, Congress, as a "gold medalist in corruption".

The Karnataka poll, which is just seven days away, is turning out not only into a battle between present and former Chief Ministers, Siddaramaiah and B.S. Yeddyurappa, but also between Rahul and Modi.

While the Congress president attacked the PM over corruption issue on Saturday, the former raised his voice against Modi over women's safety crisis a day ago in an election rally.

Rahul on Friday fired a salvo, giving a scornful twist to the Centre's women's safety slogan and asking people to be wary of BJP leaders for the safety of their daughters.

"The centre's slogan Beti Bachao, Beti Padao should rather be Beti Bachao BJP ke MLA se (Save the daughters from BJP lawmakers," Rahul said, referring to the Unnao rape case in which a BJP lawmaker stood accused.

Karnataka is one of the last few states which are ruled by the Congress.

BJP, under the leadership of former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, is eyeing on to return to power.

The poll results will be out three days later on May 15.

Image of Rahul Gandhi: twitter.com/RahulGandhi
Srinagar, May 5 (IBNS): Suspected terrorists on Saturday morning shot a special police officer (SPO) to death in south Kashmirs Pulwama district.

According to reports, terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on SPO Showkat Ahmad Dar, near Petrol pump at Rahmoo village at around 9 am, resulting in Dar's on-spot death.

Following the incident, a joint team of forces launched a hunt to nab the terrorists, reports said.

Meanwhile, State Police said suspected terrorists on Friday night barged into the houses of 45-year-old Ghulam Hassan Dar alias Hassan Rassa and Bashir Ahmad Dar, 26, at Gulshan Mohalla, Shahgund Hajin and abducted both of them at gunpoint.

"At about 3:30 Am the terrorists shot both of them dead. Their bodies were found by the locals near a mosque at Raheem Dar Mohalla, Shahgund, Hajin. Ghulam Hassan was the uncle of Bashir Ahmed", said a police spokesman.

Police said the preliminary investigation suggests the involvement of outlawed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba in the incident.

This is the second incident when terrorists have killed a civilian on Friday night.

Terrorists killed a 35-year-old man and critically injured his wife when they stormed their house at Harwan in apple-rich town of Sopore on Friday evening.

(Reporting by Saleem Qadri)
Srinagar, May 5 (IBNS) : Three militants were killed during an encounter with security forces at Chattabal in Srinagar encounter on Saturday.

The encounter, which began in the morning has been declared over, a police officer said.

Police said all the three militants were Pakistanis.

Protesters pelted stones at government forces engaged in the counter-militancy operation in Chattabal and adjoining areas, triggering clashes,

Details of the incident are awaited.



(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)
Srinagar, May 5 (IBNS): Altogether seven people, including three militants, were killed in separate incidents in a deadly string of violence in Kashmir in the past 24 hours.

According to reports, three militants, suspected to be members of the Pakistani terror outfit Lashker-e-Taiba, were gunned down on Saturday during an hours-long encounter, while a civilian died reportedly in a road accident during a clash that erupted after a mob of local people pelterd the forces with stones to prevent them from carrying on with the operation.

Elsewhere in the state, militants shot dead three civilians on Friday.

Counterinsurgency police and paramilitary soldiers raided a cluster of homes in Chattabal, a neighbourhood area of Srinagar after getting a tip that militants were hiding there, police said. Troops asked the trapped militants to surrender but they started firing leading to a gunbattle.

Officials said there were three militants, holed up in a house, who kept fighting the forces. The firefight continued for nearly five hours and ended with the killing of three militants.

A CRPF jawan was also injured in the shootout.

Immediately after the gunfight erupted, mobile internet services were shut down and restrictions imposed in sensitive areas.

As the enounter was on, clashes erupted between locals and security forces with stones being showered at the security men.

A civilian identified as Adil Ahmad Yadoo, who was wounded in unclear circumstances at Noorbagh near the site of gunfight, was rushed to hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. The proterster, however, alleged that the youth was runover by police vehicle.

On Friday, militants went on a killing spree gunning down three civilians in two separate incidents in less than 12 hours.

In north Kashmir's Bandipora district they killed a man and his nephew at Hajin.

Police said militants on Friday night barged into the houses of 45-year-old Ghulam Hassan Dar alias Hassan Rassa and Bashir Ahmad Dar, 26 and abducted both of them at gunpoint.

At about 3:30 Am the terrorists shot both of them dead. Their bodies were found by the locals near a mosque at Raheem Dar Mohalla, Shahgund, Hajin. Ghulam Hassan was the uncle of Bashir Ahmed.

The same day in the evening, militants had killed a 35-year-old man and critically injured his wife when they stormed their house at Harwan in apple rich town of Sopore.




Srinagar, May 5 (IBNS): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, has strongly condemned the killing of three civilians during the past 24 hours in various parts of the Kashmir Valley.

In a statement, Mufti stated she has often said that with the killing of civilians, nobodys interests are served but we are plunging the state into uncertainty and chaos.

Whose interests are we serving by killing these civilians but plunging our society into chaos and uncertainty, she said in her statement.

The need of the hour, the Chief Minister reiterated, is to get Jammu and Kashmir out of the vortex of violence for which she asked all shades of opinion to rise to the occasion.

Two civilians at Hajin and one at Sopore were killed by unknown gunmen during the past 24 hours.

The CM has conveyed her sympathies to the bereaved families and prayed for peace for the departed souls.

Meanwhile, Mufti, taking strong note of the death of a youth at Noorbagh, Srinagar by a police vehicle today, has directed the police to take legal cognizance of the incident and punish the guilty found involved in the incident.

(Reporting by Saleen Qadri)
Bengaluru, May 5 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally in poll-bound Karnataka on Saturday, took a jibe at Congress stating the party will get reduced to only two states after the conclusion of election process in the southern state.

Inventing a theory of PPP, Modi said the Congress will be left with only Punjab and Puducherry to rule.

Modi reportedly said after May 15 (when poll results will be out), Congress will be reduced to PPP Congress- Punjab, Puducherry and Parivar (family) Congress.

Hitting back at Modi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted, "Dear Modi aaaa, Heard you spun a new abbreviation PPP today. Sir, we have always championed the 3 Ps of democracy - Of the People, By the People, For the People. While your party is a Prison, Price Rise & Pakoda party. Am I right, Sir?"

Dear Modi aaaa,



Heard you spun a new abbreviation PPP today.



Sir, we have always championed the 3 Ps of democracy - Of the People, By the People, For the People.



While your party is a Prison, Price Rise & Pakoda party.



Am I right, Sir?#NijaHeliModi  Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 5, 2018

Congress is presently ruling in Karnataka, Punjab and Puducherry.

The Karantaka ruling party, Congress, is trying to retain its dominance in Karnataka.

The poll will be conducted in a single phase on May 12.

BJP, under the leadership of former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, is eyeing on to wrest its power in the state.

The campaign for the poll is in top gear presently as both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi are travelling across the state to address several rallies.

Images: facebook.com/narendramodi, facebook.com/Siddaramaiah.Official
Image: Mahira Khan Instagram page

Islamabad, May 5 (IBNS): Pakistani actress Mahira Khan will be attending the International Cannes Film Festival this year.

Mahira will be representing her country in the annual mega event.

The actor, who was named the first Pakistani brand ambassador for make-up giant LOreal last year, took to Instagram to share the news, reported Geo News.

Interestingly, Mahira shared a picture of Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger at the 1977 Cannes and captioned it as: "Lets do this! YY #Cannes2018 aYArnold Schwarzenegger at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival, where he presented the documentary 'Pumping Iron'."

The 71st annual Cannes Film Festival will be held from May 8 to May 19.

Mahira is best known in India for playing the lead role in Shah Rukh Khan's movie Raees.
New York, May 5 (IBNS): People everywhere need to cut down on their consumption of artery-clogging fatty foods, the World Health Organization (WHO) is urging, in a new report released on Friday.

The initiative is a bid to prevent some of the 17 million deaths caused every year by cardiovascular diseases, which have been linked to food containing saturated fats and trans-fats.

Saturated fats are commonly found in butter, salmon, egg yolks and cows milk.

WHO wants adults and children to reduce their intake of these fats to just 10 per cent of total daily energy needs.

And the UN health agency wants trans-fats  which are found in baked and fried foods and cooking oil - to account for just one per cent of daily calorie intake.

If we really want to get rid of the dangers of the excess trans-fat then there must be a very strong, energetic action from governments to ensure that manufactured products do not use hydrogenated vegetable oil, said Dr. Francesco Branca, WHOs nutrition director.The good news is that there are healthier alternatives to food laden with bad saturated and trans-fats which are often labelled as hydrogenated an indication that hydrogen has been added, making them easier to use.

The removal of trans-fat which has been done in many countries is not even noticed by the consumer, he added, so the producers can use another fat with the same property and you can have your wonderful croissant that does not contain any trans-fats.

Before WHO publishes its draft guidelines officially later this year, it intends to hold public consultations around the world to ensure that they best meet regional needs.

Dr. Branca highlighted that since the UN agency first issued advice on saturated and trans-fats in 2002, there has been significant progress in raising awareness about the threat they pose  particularly in richer nations.

But although Western Europe has almost eliminated industrial trans-fat use today and Denmark has banned it altogether, Dr Branca cautioned that poorer regions faced major challenges in tackling the threat.

These include several countries in Eastern Europe, as well as India, Pakistan, Iran, many African states and Argentina.

In some cases Dr. Branca warned that trans-fat levels in some popular street foods are as much as 200 times the recommended daily intake.

Public Domain




Olathe, Kansas, May 5 (IBNS) : The man who confessed to shooting and killing Srinivas Kuchibhotla, and Indian techie working in the US in an alleged hate crime at a Kansas bar last year, has been sentenced to life imprisonment, media reports said.

Adam Purinton, 52, was sentenced on Friday (local) for the murder of Garmin engineer Kuchibhotla and attempted murder of Alok Madasani and Ian Grillot at an Olathe, Kansas bar in February 2017.

Witnesses at the bar said that Purinton yelled at Kuchibhotla and Madasani to get out of my country before he began shooting.

According to Courthouse News Service, Purinton pleaded guilty to the charges in March in a plea deal with prosecutors.

Johnson County District Court Judge Charles Droege sentenced Purinton to life in prison for Kuchibhotlas murder plus 27 years for the attempted murder of Madasani and Grillot.

Kuchibhotlas widow, Sunayana Dumala addressed Purinton directly during her victim statement, asking him to consider what would have happened if her husband was still alive.

Imagine how much more he could have achieved and contributed to the community if not for your anger and hatred, she said.

Purinton still faces federal hate crime and firearms charges, which could come with the death penalty.
Islamabad, May 5 (IBNS): Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that politicians deserve to get same respect as judges, generals, and government officials.

While addressing a ceremony in Pasrur the PM said a country needs to respect its politicians to ensure its progress.

"Politicians are in the front when it comes to running countries and solving problems," Abbasi was quoted as saying by Geo News.

The PM said the general election in the nation will be held before July 30.

If the elections are delayed then we will approach the courts and the people, he was quoted as saying in an event by Geo News.

Many people dont want the elections to be held in the country on time, PM Abbasi said.

He said people of the nation should have the right to decide its future.

"Nation has to make this decision. The decision made by people at the ballot box should be respected," he said.
Toronto, May 5 (IBNS): Japanese automotive manufacturer Toyota has announced an investment of $1.4 B in the Ontario manufacturing plant, media reports said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne were present while the announcement was made.

Trudeau told media that Ontario and Canada are also investing $ 110 million each. in Toyotas Cambridge and Woodstock plants.

The investment will support more than 8,000 jobs in Southwestern Ontario, and will create 450 new jobs as well as 1,000 new co-op placements.



His tweet reads, "Today is a great day for our auto sector & Canadians  together with the Government of Ontario and @ToyotaCanada, were investing in Toyotas Cambridge & Woodstock plants to create 450 new jobs as well as 1,000 new co-op placements."

Today is a great day for our auto sector & Canadians  together with the Government of Ontario and @ToyotaCanada, were investing in Toyotas Cambridge & Woodstock plants to create 450 new jobs as well as 1,000 new co-op placements. Get the details: https://t.co/SxDgC9cNPr pic.twitter.com/I7pfBMBPrf  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) May 4, 2018

Toyota will also invest $200 million in Canadian research and development over ten years.

In a statement, Trudeau said: "Companies have confidence in Canada and Canadian workers, and know that we are ready to build the cars of the future. Todays investment will support thousands of jobs for Canadians, and keep our auto sector globally competitive and at the centre of the growing demand for hybrid cars.

"We welcome Toyotas decision to invest in our highly skilled workforce and expand its presence in Canada. This is a smart decision that further establishes our country as the place where cars of the future are built.

Wynne has termed the investment as a "huge vote of confidence" in Ontario's "highly skilled workforce and competitive business climate".

The premier tweeted, "Toyota choosing Ontario as the North American manufacturing hub for its #RAV4 is a huge vote of confidence in our highly skilled workforce and competitive business climate. In a time of uncertainty & rapid change, we are securing the future of auto right here in Ontario."

Toyota choosing Ontario as the North American manufacturing hub for its #RAV4 is a huge vote of confidence in our highly skilled workforce and competitive business climate. In a time of uncertainty & rapid change, we are securing the future of auto right here in Ontario. pic.twitter.com/7zo7eIGl1q  Kathleen Wynne (@Kathleen_Wynne) May 4, 2018



(Reporting by Suman Das)
If you are a fan of the Transformers series, we have something special in store for you!

A Japanese company might have just have turned your dreams into reality, with their new humanoid robot called J-deite RIDE. It's a car that can turn into a Transformers-style, humanoid robot in just 60 seconds.

It's the brainchild of Kenji Ishida, CEO of Brave Robotics. I grew up believing that robots had to be capable of such things, which became my motivation to develop this robot, Ishida told Reuters. The videos of the car transforming into a robot have taken the Internet by storm.

Quite obviously, the netizens were awestruck:

#1

Its my childhood dream come true. https://t.co/Z7AiefCl8n  Jeremie Bellenir (@thebellenir) 26 April 2018

#2

My son would flip out if he saw this in person... pretty sure I would too. Optimus Prime is a pretty wise robot. https://t.co/9BTAYNoskz  Kelly Misevich (@KellyMisevich) 26 April 2018

#3

It even sort of looks like something from Brave. https://t.co/WnDXAhCC1Z  Jesse (@jessebusen) 26 April 2018

#4

It even sort of looks like something from Brave. https://t.co/WnDXAhCC1Z  Jesse (@jessebusen) 26 April 2018

It's fascinating to see how far we've come in the field of technology. Things that once sounded too far-fetched and made-up actually exist today. If this isn't magical, we don't know what is.
Celebrities today are shedding all inhibitions are becoming more vocal about their weaknesses and strengths. Their real stories have become a source of inspiration for ordinary people. A lot of celebrities today are talking about stress, depression, and anxiety. In a first, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds opened up about his struggles with anxiety and said he has been living with it for the most part of his life.

In an interview with The New York Times, where he was promoting his new film Deadpool 2, Ryan Reynolds opened up about his anxiety like never before. He said,

Pinterest

I have anxiety, Ive always had anxiety. Both in the lighthearted Im anxious about this kind of thing, and Ive been to the depths of the darker end of the spectrum, which is not fun."

He revealed that he had to go through a real unhinged phase in his 20s and was partying and just trying to make myself vanish in some way.

He went on to talk about growing up with his father Jim Reynolds, a former police officer-turned-food wholesaler, in Vancouver, British Columbia, and called him the stress dispensary in our house.

Agencies

I became this young skin-covered micromanager. When you stress out kids, theres a weird paradox that happens because theyre suddenly taking on things that arent theirs to take on, Reynolds said.

He spilled the beans on how he has been doing press shows as the Deadpool as it helps him combat stress.

Agencies

When the curtain opens, I turn on this knucklehead, and he kind of takes over and goes away again once I walk off set, he said. Thats that great self-defense mechanism. I figure if youre going to jump off a cliff, you might as well fly, he added.

Talking about the high expectations that audiences have from Deadpool 2, he added,

Researching boarding schools today. A post shared by Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds) on Apr 13, 2018 at 11:12am PDT

When theres built-in expectation, your brain always processes that as a danger.

The film is all set to release on May 18.
Karan Johar's Dharma Productions has recently taken the road of experimentation. Talking about the same, at the trailer launch of his upcoming Marathi film Bucket List, he said, "Should empower itself by showcasing out talent and ability in all language cinemas. We are also making the remake of 'Sairat'. We have been tracking all kinds of cinema made in India and we hope to be a part of all that."

Pinterest

The film that stars Madhuri Dixit is being produced by KJo and in a recent media interaction, he said that he hopes to be lucky for the film and its lead actress Madhuri Dixit Nene. An agency report quoted the actor saying,

Agencies

"'Bucket List' is even more special to me because it's releasing on my birthday. I hope I am lucky for the 'Bucket List' and for Madhuri. And I am sure I will be."

The trailer of the film was launched on Friday. Karan went to adding that when director Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar showed him the film, he couldn't stop smiling. Talking further about 'Bucket List' that entertains, engages and moves you, he added,

Agencies

"But you don't stop smiling. Just like Madhuri's beautiful smile, the film is an endless feeling."

When he was asked if he will be looking forward to making more Marathi films, Karan said, "To present and produce a Marathi film was on my bucket list and we will be doing much more in future. Recently I read one more script, that I liked a lot.

"I want to do much more in all languages of Indian cinema."

'Bucket List', which is slated to release on May 25, also stars Sumit Raghwan, Vandana Gupte, Pradeep Welankar, Shubha Khote, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Ila Bhate, Renuka Shahane, Milind Phatak, and Sumedh Mudgalkar.
The Madras High Court has allowed the termination of pregnancy of a 14-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped five months ago by a person known to her.

Justice T Raja gave the direction recently on a petition from the Child Welfare Committee, Chengalpattu. He directed the dean of Chengalpet Medical College and Hospital to terminate the pregnancy and preserve the foetus.

The girl's parents had approached the Kancheepuram District Collector with a complaint that their daughter had been raped about five months ago, following which she was before the child welfare committee. Later she was admitted to the Christ Faith Home for Children at Manapakkam in Chennai.

At that time, a doctor's report was submitted, stating that she had been raped by a person known to her. She was then taken to the Chengalpet Medical College and Hospital and a case was registered.

The home sent a letter on April 12 to the Chengalpattu Medical College, seeking medical advice on continuation of the pregnancy of the girl.

After she was medically examined, it was found she was pregnant "with single intrauterine pregnancy of around 18 weeks gestational age".

The child and her mother were given counselling to give consent for the termination of pregnancy.

The home also suggested that the pregnancy be terminated for securing the minor girl's health and life. As action needed to be taken immediately, the home moved the high court.

When the matter came up before the judge on April 28, V Vanitha, Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Chengalpattu Medical College, suggested it was advisable to terminate the pregnancy at the earliest as adolescent pregnancies are prone to higher risk of complications such as pregnancy-induced hypertension, anaemia and increased infection.

The court informed the mother and the girl, who were present that day about the advice of the doctor and they agreed for termination of pregnancy.

The judge in his order said, "In view of the above, this Court directs the Dean, Chengalpet Medical College Hospital, Chengalpet, Kancheepuram District, to do the needful by terminating the single intrauterine pregnancy of about 18 weeks gestational age."
Kerala Police have arrested two men for the murder of Liga Skromne, a Latvian woman tourist who was found dead in Kerala.

Police said, the two men, Umesh and Udayan approached the woman pretending as tourist guides and took her to an isolated mangroves forest where they offered her drugs and then raped her before strangling her to death. The duo fled the scene after hanging her from a tree to make it look like a suicide.

BCCL

Liga's case had gained much attention in the state in March after her husband and sister started traveling across Thiruvananthapuram to fine her after she went missing.

Liga, who is originally from Latvian and lived in Ireland with her partner had come to Kerala with her sister to get ayurvedic treatment for depression. She went missing on March 14 from the Ayurvedic treatment center after she stepped out.

She remained untraceable ever since. Initially her sister Ilze Skromane and later Liga's husband Andrew Jordan, who flew down to Kerala from Ireland went around the city looking for her.

After local media reported about two foreigners wandering around in the city sticking 'missing posters' promising Rs 1 lakhs reward for any information on her, many locals too joined them in the search.

On April 20, authorities were intimated about a decomposed body in a marshland and Liga's family recognised the body.

BCCL

By the time, the body was recovered and identified, police had already lost many crucial evidences as it had decomposed beyond recognition.

After nearly two weeks of investigation and questioning of over 200 suspects, police zeroed in on the accused based on eye witness statement.

BCCL

According to police, the duo are habitual offenders and one of them, Umesh, is accused of sexually abusing more than ten people including men, under the influence of drugs.

Meanwhile, Liga's family are planning to return to home after conducting her funeral in Kerala.

"For now I am focusing on the funeral. She loved Kerala and had received a lot of love and support. We don't want to leave India with only bad memories. The funeral will be a private affair. On Sunday there will be a memorial, which will be open to public," Ilze told NDTV.
As per the Haryana excise policy, now one can can open bar at home after obtaining a licence from the government at a fee of Rs 20,000 for the same.

This licence will be valid for life time and does not require renewal but one needs to take prior permission to organise a party or gathering at this mini bar.

Excise department would also create awareness among people about this plan.

bccl/representational image

Licence holder is allowed to keep 12 bottles of Indian foreign liquor (750ml), 24 bottles of Indian made foreign liquor(750 ml), 12 bottles of rum (750 ml), 24 bottles of beer (650 ml), 24 bottles of wine(750 ml), 12 bottles of vodka/ginn/cyder(750 ml) in the mini bar.

Transfer facility

This licence will be valid only in Haryana. In case of change in address, the licence holder would have to apply for a change in address at no extra fee.

bccl/representational image

Penalty for storing liquor beyond limit

Possessing more than 4 bottles of liquor or over 12 bottles of beer without permission at home is punishable under article 61 and 61A of excise policy. The penalty for the crime varies from Rs 50 to Rs 500.
Nasa on Saturday blasted off its latest Mars lander, InSight, designed to perch on the surface and listen for "Marsquakes" ahead of eventual human missions to explore the Red Planet.

"Three, two, one, liftoff!" said a Nasa commentator as the spacecraft launched on a dark, foggy morning atop an Atlas V rocket at 4:05 am Pacific time (1105 GMT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, marking Nasa's first interplanetary launch from the US west coast.

The $993 million project aims to expand human knowledge of interior conditions on Mars, inform efforts to send human explorers there, and reveal how rocky planets like the Earth formed billions of years ago.

ap

If all goes as planned, the lander should settle on the Red Planet on November 26.

Its name, InSight, is short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport.

Nasa chief scientist Jim Green said experts already know that Mars has quakes, avalanches and meteor strikes.

"But how quake-prone is Mars? That is fundamental information that we need to know as humans that explore Mars," Green said.

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The key instrument on board is a seismometer, called the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure, made by the French Space Agency.

After the lander settles on the Martian surface, a robotic arm is supposed to emerge and place the seismometer directly on the ground.

The second main instrument is a self-hammering probe that will monitor the flow of heat in the planet's subsurface.

Called the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package, it was made by the German Space Agency with the participation of the Polish Space Agency.

The probe will bore down 10 to 16 feet (three to five meters) below the surface, Nasa said, 15 times deeper than any previous Mars mission.

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Understanding the temperature on Mars is crucial to Nasa's efforts to send people there by the 2030's, and how much a human habitat might need to be heated under frigid conditions, said Green.

Daytime summer temperatures near the Martian equator may reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees C), but then plunge by night to -100 F (-73 C).

"It is an important part of knowledge of how this planet is evolving," Green said.

"We have to be able as humans living and working on Mars to survive that."

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The solar and battery-powered lander is designed to operate for 26 Earth months, or one year on Mars, a period in which it is expected to pick up as many as 100 quakes.

"Hopefully it will last a lot longer than that," said Tom Hoffman, InSight project manager from Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The spacecraft was initially supposed to launch in 2016 but had to be delayed after temperature tests showed a problem with part of the seismometer, which engineers have since fixed.

InSight aims to be the first Nasa spacecraft to land on Mars since the Curiosity rover in 2012.

"There is nothing routine about going to Mars, especially landing on Mars," said Stu Spath, InSight program manager at Lockheed Martin Space.
At Google I/O next week (8 May - 10 May), you can expect to hear more about the new Android OS, Android P, among other things. Google takes time out during this developer conference every year to inform the world what its going to be doing on all fronts. So heres a quick primer on what to expect.

Android P

The latest version of Android is already available right now for developers to mess around with, so were already aware of most of the large changes coming in. However, you can expect Google to talk about how it all comes together, as well as some of the more technical details developers will need to adapt to. Most importantly, theres also a new gesture-based control system coming to Android P, though its possible this may be exclusive to the Pixel, but were hoping for a run down on that too. Also, while Google usually only gives away the name of a new Android OS when it launches, its possible well see a hint at I/O. Popsicles anyone?

Wear OS

A couple of years ago, smartwatches were all the rage, but the craze has died down since. However, Google still hasnt given up on the platform, so it remains to be seen if I/O brings any changes to Wear OS. A session titled, What's new with Wear OS at the event indicates therell indeed be something interesting for wearable fans to talk about, but right now its anyones guess.

Chrome OS

The browser-based operating system is due for a major update, and Google I/O would be the perfect time to reveal something like that. Among other things, rumours have been swirling that the company has been trying to give the platform Linux app compatibility. Thats big news considering the biggest problem with switching to Chrome OS so far has been the dearth of native desktop apps.

Google Assistant

The Google Assistant is arguably the most polished of the lot, and it didnt get that way because Google let it languish. The program is likely to get a few major updates, though what exactly they could be remain a mystery. Its possible we may see a few deeper integrations, basically the ability to execute more granular tasks with the assistant like take a wide-angle selfie. We could also see some new related hardware, like the smart displays with the Google Assistant showed off by the likes of Lenovo, LG, and JBL at CES.

Also expect updates on Android TV, Android Auto, and perhaps even a few privacy changes, thanks to the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal. All of this and more, well find out for sure on Tuesday next week.
Mars is about to get its first doctors visit from NASA, after it launched the InSight probe from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California early this morning. If everything goes as planned, in six months well know just what makes the Red Planet tick.

The 358 kg probe is expected to make landfall on November 26, joining the five other NASA probes operating either above or on Mars surface. What it will do, is fill the giant hole in our knowledge of the planets interior.

Until now weve studied Mars in a variety of ways including its topography, gravity, magnetic fields, atmosphere, and even how its surface has changed over the millenia. But what we havent been able to do is get anywhere far beneath the surface.

When InSight - short for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport - touches down, it will put seismometers on the surface to feel for Marsquakes. From there, with readings from multiple of these, scientists will be able to extrapolate data on what the layers of rock deep below look like, and how tectonic plates shift on the planet, among other things.
Calling Out Samsung on International Workers Day in San Jose by Deb Hoag photos/R. Robertson text

Saturday May 5th, 2018 12:58 AM

May 1, 2018 was a global day of action against Samsung as well as being International Workers Day around the world. In the South Bay, Samsung protesters joined May Day demonstrators starting at Roosevelt Park in San Jose and marched to City Hall for a rally attended by members of local, national, and international unions, immigrant rights advocates, affordable housing activists, and Filipino justice campaigners, amongst others.

Coordinators of a global day of action against Samsung on May 1, 2018 say electronics production is chemically intensive with hazardous chemicals resulting in contamination that has sickened many workers. Samsung factory workers in South Korea have died due to occupational illnesses. The South Korean government and courts have connected a growing number of cases of serious occupational illnesses to work in Samsung factories.



Activists in San Jose, California rallied on May 1st to call attention to the unsafe work conditions for Samsung employees around the world. They demanded that Samsung withdraw legal actions in South Korea and Vietnam that would suppress chemical monitoring and workers abilities to speak about their working conditions. Samsung has actively opposed trade unions for decades.



The San Jose Samsung demonstrators joined the city's International Workers Day March and Rally that included Fight for 15 (movement for a minimum wage of $15/hr), the Laborers' International Union of North America, the International Migrants Alliance, SEIU, and PAWIS--the Pilipino Association of Workers and Immigrants, amongst many organizations. All joined in the call for respect for workers and worker safety around the world.



As has been a tradition now for more than a decade, immigrant rights was a prominent theme of the San Jose gathering. The Tezkatlipoka Aztec Dance and Drum group contributed to the event, performing along the march route and in front of City Hall.
My personal opinion would be that we are going to find that this [class action] does take place in the event that these things [cyber breaches] occur, Thomas told Insurance Business. The focus for us, I think, is saying that, whether the class actions happen or not as a result, what we are really focused on is as that risk advisor making sure that the right policy, the right mitigations and the right structures are in place for the clients. That is where our attention is really focused.

In the US, lawsuits have already made their way through the courts related to cyber breaches, with several firms already agreeing multi-million dollar settlements. With the current shareholder class-action climate in Australia approaching record highs thanks to an influx in litigation funders, Australia could head down a similar path.

Thomas noted that for businesses it is important to consider what the most damaging aspect of a cyber breach could be for their organisation. Whilst class actions related to Australian cyber breaches are  so far  a hypothetical, the fall-out from a cyber incident is well known and will become even more so thanks to mandatory breach notification.

These are the things that businesses need to think about  where is the damage going to come? Thomas said. You might find that your breach notification results in a pretty poor public image, and therefore you have loss of customers  and that is where you have to say the insurance is the last line of defence. You have to be upfront saying, What systems and processes and procedures do we have in place in the business, and how are we working with our advisors to mitigate the risk in the first place?

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Noting that the business had already exited Latin America following a deal with Zurich earlier this year, Regan revealed more lines that are on the chopping block.

In North America personal lines we dont have the scale or competitive advantage to deliver consistent underwriting profitability, Regan said. The business  which has a GWP of approximately $350m  also carries a high amount of operational complexity and cost. The exit from this line of business will also enable us to deliver cost reductions. We are now taking steps to exit this book of business over the next few months.

In North America, Regan noted that the business remains focused on four key segments: crop, programs, mid-market commercial and specialty.

We see significant opportunities in the North American market as we operate as a specialist industry focused commercial underwriter, Regan said. The planned exit from the personal lines business will help us to achieve significant benefits from rationalisation of systems and back office. This will improve processes in North America and drive cost savings.

Regan also noted that the firm has found a reinsurance solution in the Asia Pacific market to address profitability challenges in the Hong Kong construction workers com portfolio.

We have entered into a loss portfolio transfer agreement with Swiss Re in relation to over $200m of Hong Kong construction workers comp reserves. This transaction completely removes our exposure to a very challenged portfolio that recorded a $53m underwriting loss in 2017, Regan told shareholders.

Whilst the firm may have dealt with one strand of its Asian portfolio, Regan said that there remains much to do to return the Asian arm of the business to a solid footing as the business currently has remediation activities across another 18 portfolios in the region, including marine in Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia and accident and health in Hong Kong and Singapore.

We have also exited whole segments such as Indonesian tugs and barges, where the industry risk profile was not acceptable, Regan said. In property, across the whole region, we are reducing the risk profile of the portfolio and reviewing our exposures in catastrophe exposed markets.

Regan noted that the Asian business is already showing signs of improvement but it will take time for this improvement to be fully reflected in results.

Taken together, the sale of Latin America, the Asia Pacific transactions and the exit from North America personal lines will remove the group exposure to businesses that contributed an underwriting loss of over $200m to our 2017 result, Regan said.

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The top 20 suburbs for stolen cars are Southport, Red Hill, Harristown, Caboolture, Inala, Sunnybank Hills, Zillmere, Oxley, Fortitude Valley, Arundel, Ipswich, Durack, Molendinar, Logan Central, Maryborough, Buderim, Tanah Merah, Greenslopes, Loganholme, and Balmoral.

This is not a list you want to feature on, and its shocking to see most thefts coming from the southeast, Clinton said. Unfortunately for those living in Southport, its the worst place for car theft in Queensland. If you own a Toyota Landcruiser, Ford Falcon or Toyota Corolla youre also at risk, with these models topping the wish list for thieves.

Clinton said motorists should prioritise taking simple safety precautions.

Always lock your car and ensure all windows are up when you leave it unattended, she said. Wherever possible park in a secure garage or park somewhere well-lit and well-populated. Thieves are often opportunistic, so dont tempt them by leaving valuables visible inside. Importantly, treat your keys like cash. Keep them on you and dont leave them lying around.



Related stories:

Ten most deadly intersections in Queensland revealed

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If you're facing retirement and are short of the funds you need, consider investing in real estate.

True, it's not the asset that first comes to mind. But income property "can be an important bridge to retirement for those without quite enough to retire in the traditional sense," says Jeff Camarda, a real estate investor and CEO of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Camarda Wealth Advisory Group.

Because real estate is such an inefficient market, it's possible to find awesome bargains with very high returns on investment, Camarda says. And if you can manage the property yourself, you can collect more income. If you purchase the right property at the right price and on the right terms, he says, a rental property can produce significantly more income than traditional passive investments.

Key Takeaways Rental real estate can be a good source of retirement income.

The relative inefficiency of the real estate market can produce bargains that offer strong returns.

If you need to borrow to buy a rental property, do so before you retire.

Choosing a good location is more important than finding the cheapest property.

You should look to earn about 8% per year on your investment, after costs.

How Much Money Do You Need?

If you plan to finance your purchase with a mortgage, you'll need to take action before you retire, says associate real-estate broker Janice Leis, who serves the premier residential areas of Philadelphia and South Florida.

Mortgage lending guidelines typically require applicants to be employed and have at least two years of steady employment history in the same occupation. Lenders also require a substantial downpayment, typically 30% or more, if the buyer won't be occupying the property, says John Walters of the LeWalt Consulting Groupe in St. Petersburg, Florida.

If you don't have the cash to make such a large down payment, consider using your IRA funds. All equity growth and income from rental receipts will grow inside your IRA tax-deferred, Walters says. Purchasing the property with funds inside a Roth IRA, on which you've already paid taxes, means all your earnings and equity can grow tax-free. (For more, see "Using Your IRA to Buy Real Estate.")

Remember Recurring Expenses

After you've figured out how you're going to buy the property, you need to think about how you're going to cover recurring expenses. Owning residential income property is like owning a principal residence in that there are variable expenses outside the mortgage, says Rob Albertson, a residential real-estate agent with Realty Austin in Austin, Texas. There are maintenance costs for minor items (like leaky faucets) and major items (like a new roof).

Don't forget about the costs associated with marketing and the loss of income during periods of vacancy and tenant change-over. Albertson says to factor no higher than a 92% occupancy rate into your calculations, even in a hot rental market. Be conservative in your estimates of expenses and income.

Tax Benefits and Liabilities

There are also tax benefits and liabilities to consider. Walters notes that one of the chief benefits associated with rental property is the ability to claim a depreciation deduction on your federal income tax return.

Depreciation reduces the value of your property each year to approximate wear and tear; it also lowers your tax bill each year you claim it. However, it also lowers your cost basis, which means you could pay more taxes if you sell the property at a profit.

First and foremost, discuss the financial feasibility of your plans with a CPA, a real-estate attorney, and an insurance agent to see how much everything will cost, Leis says.

Choose a Location

Buying cheap won't help you earn a return on your investment if you can't find renters who want to lease the property, notes Jenny Usaj, managing broker and owner of Usaj Realty in Denver, Colorado.

"While the price will be higher in better areas, the time marketing the property will decrease as well as the time it might sit vacant," she says. If you are unsure where to find rentals, start near downtown or near a college campus. Rental residences often follow employment opportunities.

It's also important to look around the neighborhood and purchase a property that reflects the area's current demographic, Usaj says. "Is the area populated with single adults or families? Will a one-bedroom or three-bedroom residence be more appealing to the renters nearby? Again, be careful not to jump at the best bargain on the market. Make sure the property will appeal to the lifestyle of the area."

What Will You Earn?

"You want to earn at least 8% from the capital invested in the rental, net of all expenses," says John Graves, managing principal of an independent RIA, editor of the Retirement Journal and author of The 7% Solution: You CAN Afford a Comfortable Retirement. Expenses include the mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, a 10% property management fee, and a 10% vacancy-rate allowance.

If you invest $100,000 in the property, you want to earn a net income of $8,000 a year, he says. The reasoning behind the 8% is that it compensates you for the risk and relative illiquidity of your investment. If you or your spouse can work on the property by doing repairs and maintenance or managing the property, your costs will decline and your income will ultimately increase, he says.

Potential Problems

Investment-property owners could run into a number of problems, including renters who fail to pay, excessive maintenance costs, and difficulty finding tenants, says Cameron Novak, a real-estate broker and owner of the Homefinding Center in Corona, California.

Working with a reputable real estate agent with references to find your investment property is also important, he says. Many municipalities impose stringent inspection regulations and fees on landlords who want to turn owner-occupied properties into rentals, says John Braun, a real-estate attorney with Young Goodman Brown in Minneapolis and a seasoned real estate investor.

Potential investors should look into these issues before committing to a purchase. They should also be aware that homestead exemptions don't apply to investment properties, which can mean higher property-tax bills.

Rental property is not entirely a passive investment. "Owning residential income property is not a hands-free affair," Albertson says. "If you don't want to manage the property, or can't, as in you live out of town, you will be looking at 8% to 10% of your gross rents going to a management company to cover rent collection and repair requests."

In addition, would-be landlords should evaluate their own temperaments before jumping into property ownership, as the job involves dealing with a variety of personalities.

Finally, selecting the right tenant is key. Thorough screening is crucial, says Albertson. "This is the person you are entrusting with your retirement asset, so you'd better be sure you are not setting yourself up for disaster or numerous headaches."
Calculating a profit margin is not particularly complex but it is considered to be one of the most important indicators of the viability of a business to continue to exist as a going concern. There are many factors that influence profit margins, but not all of them are quantitative and therefore are not obviously reflected in your calculation's variables.

Key Takeaways The most direct factor that affects profit margins is your net or gross profit.

One of the easiest and fastest ways to adjust profit margins is to adjust the sale price of a product or service.

While most margins can be explained quantitatively, external factors such as consumer sentiment, halo effect, and other emotional factors can factor in as well.

What Is a Profit Margin?

There are different types of profit margin (e.g. gross vs. net) but this description focuses on net profit margin because there are more factors that influence net profits.

If you are a retailer, for instance, your branding and marketing strategy affect your profit margin indirectly through revenues. In a way, nearly all aspects of your company's operationsfrom management down to floor sales tacticsaffect your profit margin.

Net profit margin is the ratio of net income relative to revenues, calculated by simply dividing net profit (or net incomethe bottom line in the income statement) by sales (or revenue). This is a quick way to determine what percentage of your sale price that your company keeps after accounting for the costs that went into the sale.

Net Profit Margin = Net Income / Sales

Net profit margin is a better representation of financial health than revenues alone. It is possible to increase your company's earnings while decreasing your profit margin, meaning that the company is becoming relatively less efficient. When the company is losing money, the company has a net loss.

Quantitative Factors

The most obvious, easily identifiable and broad numbers that affect your profit margin are your net profits, your sales earnings, and your merchandise costs. On your income statement, look at net revenues and cost of goods sold for a very general view of these major variables.

Dig a little deeper, and sales prices become very important factors. Increase your net profit margin by doing a good job of managing your merchandise costs, and you can increase your sales prices at the same time.

Inventory numbers matter, too. Even though inventory is recorded as an asset on the balance sheet, you do not record sales revenues until the transaction has actually taken place. Devalued inventory can hurt profit margins, and getting rid of inventory through increased sales can help profit margins.

An underrated variableand one that you have very little control overis taxation, since taxes affect net income.

Qualitative Factors

There are too many qualitative factors to list in a short article, but consider all of the elements that might affect the sale of any given product, such as market share, effective advertising, seasonal changes, consumer preferences, company leadership, sales reward programs, training programs for employees and the competition's strength.

The Bottom Line

Many analysts and investors take profit margin so seriously because it can contain an enormous amount of information about a company into one efficient, easy-to-understand number.
What Is a Managed Account?

A managed account is an investment account that is owned by an investor but managed by somebody else. The account owner can either be an institutional investor or an individual retail investor. A professional money manager hired by the investor then oversees the account and the trading activity within it.

Armed with discretionary authority over the account, the dedicated manager actively makes investment decisions pertinent to the individual, considering the client's needs and goals, risk tolerance, and asset size. Managed accounts are most often seen among high-net-worth investors.

Key Takeaways A managed account is a portfolio that is owned by one investor but is supervised by a professional money manager who has been hired by that investor.

Money managers can demand six-figure minimum investments to manage accounts and are compensated by a fee, calculated as a set percentage of assets under management (AUM).

Robo-advisors offer algorithmically-managed accounts at a lower cost for everyday investors with low starting balances.

A mutual fund is a type of managed account, but it is open to anyone with the means to buy its shares, rather than personalized for a particular investor.

How a Managed Account Works

A managed account may contain financial assets, cash, or titles to property. The money or investment manager has the authority to buy and sell assets without the clients prior approval, as long as they act according to the clients objectives. Because a managed account involves fiduciary duty, the manager must act in the best interest of the client or potentially face civil or criminal penalties. The investment manager will typically supply the client with regular reports on the account's performance and holdings.

Money managers often have minimum dollar amounts on the accounts they will manage, meaning a client must have a certain amount of funds to invest. Many minimums start at $250,000, though some managers will accept $100,000 and even $50,000 accounts.

Managers will usually charge an annual fee for their services, calculated as a percentage of the assets under management (AUM). Compensation fees range greatly, but most average around 1% to 2% of AUM. Many managers will provide discounts based on an account's asset size, so that the larger the portfolio, the smaller the percentage fee. These fees may be tax-deductible as investment expenses.

A new innovation to managed accounts aimed at lay investors is the so-called robo-advisor. Robo-advisors are digital platforms that provide automated, algorithmically-driven portfolio management with little to no human supervision. These platforms are typically cheaper, charging, for example, somewhere in the region of 0.25% of AUM, and may require as little as $5 to get started.

Managed accounts are typically used by high-net-worth individuals as they often require a high minimum dollar amount of investment.

Managed Accounts vs. Mutual Funds

Managed accounts and mutual funds both represent actively managed portfolios or pools of money that invest over a variety of assetsor asset classes.

Technically, a mutual fund is a type of managed account. The fund company will hire a money manager to look after investments in the fund's portfolio. This manager may alter the fund's holdings per the fund's objectives.

When mutual funds began to be marketed in earnest in the 1950s, they were touted as a way for the "little guy"that is, small retail investorsto experience and benefit from professional money management. Previously, this was a service available only to high-net-worth individuals.

Pros Customized managed accounts address the account holder's needs; mutual funds invest according to the fund's objectives.

Managed account trades can be timed to minimize tax liability; mutual fund investors have no control when a fund realizes taxable capital gains.

Managed account-holders have maximum transparency and control over assets; mutual fund-holders don't own the fund's assets, only a share of the fund's asset value. Cons Some managed accounts require six-figure minimum in funds; mutual funds demand much lower initial investment amounts.

It may take days to invest, or de-vest managed account assets; mutual fund shares are more liquid and can be bought or sold daily.

Managed account managers tend to charge high annual fees that impact overall returns; mutual funds' expense ratio fees tend to be lower.

Management Considerations

Both managed accounts and mutual funds are overseen by professional managers. Managed accounts are personalized investment portfolios customized to the specific risks, goals, and needs of the account holder. Management of the mutual fund is on behalf of the many mutual fund holders and all about meeting the fund's investment and return objectives.

With a managed account, the investor allocates funds, and the manager purchases and places physical shares of securities into the account portfolio. The account holder owns the securities and may direct the manager to trade them as desired.

In contrast, mutual funds are classified by investors risk tolerance and the funds investment objectives, not by individual preferences. Also, investors purchasing shares of a mutual fund own a percentage of the value of the fund, not the fund itself or the actual assets in the fund.

Transactional Considerations

On the transactional side, events might move more slowly in a managed account. Days may pass before the manager has the money fully invested. Also, depending on the holdings selected, managers may be able to liquidate securities at specific times only. Conversely, shares of mutual funds may typically be purchased and redeemed as desired, daily. However, some mutual funds may carry penalties if redeemed before holding for a specified period.

The professional guiding a managed account may attempt to offset gains and losses by buying and selling assets when it is the most tax beneficial to the account's owner. In doing so, it could result in little or no tax liabilities on a significant profit for the individual. In contrast, mutual fund shareholders have no control over when portfolio managers sell the underlying securities, so they may face tax bites on capital gains.

Special Considerations

In July 2016, managed funds were in the news, as several institutional investors simultaneously opted for them over the hedge funds that had been handling a portion of their portfolios. The investors wanted broader platforms, customized strategies, full control over their separate accounts, daily valuation, significantly lower fees, and full transparency when it came to those fees, as well as to the nature of the holdings themselves.

Pensions & Investments claimed that the state-managed Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. in Juneau redeemed US$2 billion in hedge funds to invest in a managed account so that investment decisions would be in-house. It was also reported that the $28.2 billion Iowa Public Employees Retirement System set up plans for moving $700 million in investments to managed accounts with seven firms in 2016.
Motorists and people taking to the water throughout the Bank Holiday weekend have been advised to stay safe.

Gardai have warned that they will be out in force this weekend, with 87 extra officers appointed to the Road Policing Units throughout the country.
Live music

Camilla Griehsel / Mamasongue

Skibbereen Town Hall

****

A warm, joyful, and slightly chaotic air of celebration greeted the audience arriving for a preview of Camilla Griehsels Mamasongue in Skibbereen town hall.

Mamasongue is part-show, part-gig: An eclectic array of songs in six languages, interwoven with elements of story-telling, visuals by local artist Maria Pizzuti, and costume changes.

Divided into five sections, named after the Greek words for different kinds of love, the show also loosely charts the personal progress of the chanteuses own life, starting in childhood.

Emerging onto the stage after the band, barefoot and clad in a long dress bedecked with stars and planets, Griehsel knelt at a low stand and began by telling the audience about a book she had as a child, reading an extract before launching into the first cycle of songs, Philia.

Swedish-born Griehsel, who lives in Schull, is nothing if not a seasoned performer.

A classically trained soprano, her 30-year career has encompassed everything from a brief stint in an 1980s chart pop band to a love affair with Latin American folk music.

For Mamasongue, she has what she refers to as her dream team: guitarist Niwel Tsumbu, visiting South African bassist Concord Nkabinde, percussionist Eamonn Cagney, former Therapy? drummer Graham Hopkins, and pianist Maurice Seezer.

The result was a musical delight, with a bunch of musicians of extraordinary talent taking on material that included original compositions by members of the band.

Griehsels assured and versatile vocals, laden with emotion, rested atop virtuosic flourishes by percussionist, Cagney, and guitarist, Tsumbu, who frequently play together and whose bond was evident on stage.

As a gig, Mamasongue was a joy. As a show and a work in progress, the first-half felt over-long.

The narrative element, based on Griehsels much-loved childhood book, was intermingled with various other quasi-mystical spoken passages, and these, at times, confused.

Sorrow couldnt be avoided, as Griehsel paid tribute to her ex-husband, Colin Vearnecombe, and former band member, Fergus OFarrell, both of whom died in 2016, with interpretations of their songs.

We all love you, an audience member yelled from the crowd to a round of applause, as Griehsel thanked her audience, before finishing with Fergus OFarrells soaringly innocent Sail On, a suitably emotional finale.

- Ellie OByrne
Rose Martin rounds up interesting events, exhibitions and more...

The talk is that the Emil Nolde exhibition in the National Gallery is well worth the trip north and it runs until June 18 which means it overlaps with the newest production at Merrion Square, Drawing Dublin, an exhibition of images of the capital city, which opens on May 5 and runs to August 26.

Inspired by the city and its hinterland, the essence of Dublin, captured in various media, by a range of artists, from Orpen (below) to Kernoff, to Flora Mitchell (yes, an Irish woman painter) and many more, in gallerist Anne Hodges pick of 70 works.

Ranging from the 1690s to the 1960s, the exhibition evokes the citys various moods and give a snapshot of its people and its architecture down through the centuries.

Unusually, this exhibition about Dublin includes forgotten places and anonymous people, such as a windmill at a quarry in Rathgar, and a portrait of Mrs Moore, who lived in the tenements behind Mount Street, says Hodge

Notable is a group of sketches of ordinary Dubliners  a woman pushing a pram; unemployed men and children in Stephens Green drawn by stained-glass artist Michael Healy while on his lunch break.

These simple images capture gestures and gaits brilliantly. Healy could be seen as Dublins L S Lowry.

The Irish Green Building Council has come up with a set of recommendations which it hopes will be adopted into the building regulations in the face of increased pressure from Brussels to bring our leaky housing stock up to par.

Poorly insulated dwellings will have to be addressed by 2050 to achieve our targets, while new builds are on track for near zero energy  nZeb targets  from this year onwards.

The not-for-profit, limited company that is the Irish Green Building Council, is now advocating a clear accreditation system so homeowners are assured of a quality, deep retro-fit, when they engage a contractor.

It makes absolute sense  heres what IGBCs CEO Pat Barry says: For homeowners, getting the money to do an energy renovation is often the main problem, [theyre advocating eco-morgages too], yet even those who have access to the cash, just dont know where to start and who they should trust for advice.

And he points out the time and a lack of skills is compounding the problem of proper training in sustainable, building practices in te industry:

A lack of skills... can lead to poor advice, poor quality work and ultimately to a general loss of confidence in energy renovation. The last thing we need is badly designed and implemented work which gives the whole industry a bad reputation.

Dead right  standards are wobbly when it comes down to retrofits  and for the smaller jobs, homeowners can be exposed to at best, inept practitioners. And Barry points out too, that as the industry is picking up, its harder for builders to find the time to train in new, greener approaches to retro-fit.

So, to counter this, the IGBC suggests a register of accredited professionals supported by the SEAI along with main construction bodies and institutes to assure the quality of deep retrofits.

Hes suggesting a flexible accredited pathway to allow easy upskilling of building professionals and also comes up with the radical suggestion that levels of health and comfort should be included as part of the approach. Imagine that?

Barry even uses terms like holistic in this report, which, when it comes down to it, is what we want in our home renovation - joined up thinking.

The accreditation framework must be supported by Government if it is to be recognised by consumers, says Barry.

A link to the register of accredited professionals could, for instance, be included in the BER advisory report. SEAI, Government agencies and local authorities could also mandate the use of accredited professionals as part of their funding applications. The full report can be downloaded at www.igbc.ie.

And on to more delightful matters. So, someone in the family is getting married and you fancy coming on all Franc for the event by creating a handmade, design theme for the day. Well, before you try to pull off something that may well go down in the family disaster annals, perhaps it might be worthwhile taking the time to go Ikea for a cute and interesting pop-up event.

Sara Kennedy, (right) has already published The Ultimate Wedding Planning Guide Ireland and out of this and her vast wedding hoopla experience, will host a wedding decor event in Ikea, Dublin on Tuesday, May 15 from 7pm to 9pm.

Open to Ikea family members, (so make sure you sign up online), this will be, she says, the perfect opportunity for bride and grooms-to-be (and bride and brides and grooms and grooms), to learn how to create beautiful, on-trend but affordable backdrops for their big day.

Id say add in Granny, Mammy and Aunty to that list, (theyve probably been under starters orders for the past year, anyway).

Sarah, a blogger, (sigh) does have 15 years of this behind her, to be fair, and says shes learnt a few tricks in her time, which shell happily pass on in Ikea on the night. And it will be aimed at reducing the cost of the peripherals of a wedding, hence the Ikea location, where shell source the goodies for her demonstration.

Not a bad idea at all. Sara says shell offer top tips on how to style like a star on a budget.

The founder of IrishWeddingBlog.ie, says couples should approach their wedding day in the same way they would any other major financial investment and have full control of their budget at all times.

Weddings are wonderful, magical events but they can also be very expensive.

There are lots of hidden extras which can push the budget way over. Decor is one area, in particular, where couples can really make a significant saving. Utilising beautiful, on-trend pieces, like those available at Ikea, could save couples hundreds in this area alone.

So, whats an Ikea- inspired wedding going to look like? It will be a DIY wedding and using sample setups, the blogger will show you how to take a theme from start to finish  from the ceremony right through to the photo booth. And there will be goodie bags and a refreshments on the night.

The Ultimate Wedding Planning Guide Ireland; Eason  14.99 and at irishweddingblog.ie.

TK Maxx and Homesense will be stocking a range of hand-made baskets from Uganda this May as part of a philanthropic gesture on behalf or the retailers. The items will help customers do good they say, as the price of a basket is equivalent to half the cost of sending a child to school in Uganda.

So, income from the baskets goes directly to the makers to help pay for their childrens education.

The retailers set up a training programme in traditional basket-making using local materials and these products are now on sale from 12.99 upwards. The baskets will probably, shame to say, take their place amidst the consumerist clutter of our homes, Buy, do good.  but keep a cynical eye out.
With its spa facilities, fine dining, and proximity to Kilkenny city, Lyrath Estate is a great stopover, writes Joe Leogue

As new parents who struggle to get out the door to work and to the childminder in time on a normal weekday morning, the idea of being organised enough to catch flights and bring junior on a plane triggers what can only be described as a form of pre-traumatic stress disorder.

So it has been the year of the staycation for the three of us, a highlight of which included a night in Lyrath Estate in Kilkenny.

The first impression, as you make your way up the long and well-manicured drive, is that while the 16th century estate is only a five-minute drive from Kilkenny city centre, it feels far removed from any urban centre.

While the original house on the estate forms the centre of the hotel, expansion has seen a spa, convention centre and rooms built onto the existing building, and this growth has been designed tastefully so that the decor is both modern and in keeping with the historic setting.

These works were ongoing during our visit, limiting our access to some of the hotels features. Sold in 2016, for a fee reported to be in excess of 20m, the consortium behind Lyrath is putting a further 5m investment into the hotel.

As a result, Yindees Restaurant and the X Bar were closed for renovations during our visit, and have been merged to form a new venue called The Grill.

Thankfully the Yew Restaurant was available  as was a baby-friendly early table booking.

First however, we checked into our luxury suite. With a well-appointed separate dining and living room, the suite is more akin to an upmarket open-plan apartment, with a huge bed and spacious sleeping area affording ample clearance for juniors cot.

The suite had a second small bathroom, with the main marble bathroom equipped with a walk-in shower and a separate freestanding bath.

Once checked in, it was time for dinner.

For starters I had slow-cooked pork belly with remoulade, apple and covered in crispy shallots followed by a beautifully cooked Hereford striploin steak with lobster mash, shallot, sauce moutarde and port jus for mains.

My wife opted for the butternut squash soup to start, with a mains of duck with dauphinoise potato, swiss chard, pear, and peppercorn jus, all of which received rave reviews.

By the end of mains we were wavering precariously close to bedtime for our youngest dinner companion and, having decided to quit while we were ahead, we retired to our room where dessert  a delicious chocolate brulee and an apple and caramel tart Tatin with vanilla ice cream  was brought to our door by a member of staff whose friendliness was typical of the service across the weekend.

Once the baby was down to sleep, my wife watched TV in the separate living space while I went down to check out the bar.

Tuppers Bar is contained within the original house, and is maintained with an appropriate finish  panelled walls lead to high ceilings while comfortable leather chairs surround round wooden tables. While there was a wedding on in the hotel on the night, it wasnt noticeable in the bar as those attending the nuptials were elsewhere in the separate function room.

Despite this, the bar was busy with guests and an unobtrusive musical duo added to the atmosphere. With not a screen to be seen and a roaring fire, this is a bar for relaxed socialising, not sport.

The following morning we returned to the restaurant for breakfast  a buffet offered a good selection of all the usual full Irish and continental breakfast fare, as well as pancakes and health shots  luminous concoctions in short glasses promising a revitalising hit to start your day.

From there it was time to split our trio  while a Daddy-Daughter exploration of the grounds was thwarted by some poor weather, nothing was stopping herself from trying out the Spa.

The renovations ruled out a trip to the thermal suite, but she did avail of the back massage and facial, with Elemis products that received the nod of approval from my well-seasoned spa reviewer.

With that it was time to leave Lyrath to make the short trip into Kilkenny and all it had to offer.

Such a visit is undoubtedly a luxury, but if staying in Ireland is on the agenda this year, a night in Lyrath is well worth considering for the service, beautiful hotel, and handy

proximity to a highlight of the Irelands Ancient East trail.

One nights bed, breakfast and dinner for two adults at Lyrath Estate is from 290, with an addition 100 per night upgrade for the suite. For families with older children, the hotel has a couple of luxury suites with two extra single beds or, alternatively, a number of interconnecting family bedrooms. Children under four stay free, with travel cot provided on request. Children over five cost 40 per night, per child.

www.lyrath.com
Vicky Phelans candid statement outside the courts that the women of Ireland could no longer put their trust in the CervicalCheck programme sent shockwaves through the health system.

This is arguably the biggest scandal this Government has had to deal with since the Coalition was formed, two years ago this weekend.

Time and again we have seen a culture of stubborn leadership and wilful neglect operating at the top echelons of society, which has dented public confidence in authority.

Vicky Phelan is the latest victim in a tide of negligence, tragedies, and ultimately failed services in recent years, particularly in the health service, that have gone unpunished.

Time after time, no one is held to account. And if they are, it is only after families are dragged through the courts.

The Limerick mother had a smear test in 2011 after her second child and was cleared of any abnormalities. But in 2014 she was diagnosed with cancer. The same year a review of her initial test showed it was inaccurate. But she was not informed of this until last year  six years after that test.

The conduct of CervicalCheck and the HSE in my case is unforgivable, she said outside the court, after

settling a case against the US laboratory subcontracted for the tests.

But the cruel treatment and neglect Vicky Phelan was subjected to has opened a Pandoras box about cancer screening in Ireland.

British home secretary Amber Rudd resigned last week for telling lies about immigration policy.

But we have 17 dead women and hundreds who were not told of inaccurate tests in this cervical cancer screening scandal, and no one has taken responsibility.

At the heart of the scandal is the question of why women were not told about previous tests wrongly clearing them of cancer. Doctors were told to tell their patients in 2015 of false negative results, but they did not do that for a whole year.

HSE director general Tony OBrien admitted on RTEs Prime Time during the week that, yes, delays possibly could have compromised the treatment of women.

HSE director general Tony OBrien, left, has shown nothing but arrogance and is more concerned with defending the indefensible than doing the right thing according to Vicky Phelan.

It had been decided that patients should be informed if earlier tests were wrong, or of any anomalies. But that did not happen. An inquiry will now look at why these wrong results were not shared in a timely manner and in some cases not at all.

But while the review process was triggered by a diagnosis of cancer, there has been a complete breakdown in communications around this.

Quite rightly, Ms Phelan and the public have turned their anger and attention on Mr OBrien.

The Limerick mother tweeted this week: Heads absolutely need to roll, in particular Tony OBriens, who has shown nothing but arrogance and who is more concerned with defending the indefensible than doing the right thing.

Heads absolutely need to roll, in particular Tony O'Brien's, who has shown nothing but arrogance and who is more concerned with defending the indefensible than doing the right thing #CervicalCheckScandal  Vicky Phelan (@PhelanVicky) May 3, 2018

All of this has led to TDs claiming the HSE is rotten to the core and dysfunctional. And who could deny this, after the litany of failures and scandals under HSE bosses?

A report into maternity care at a Galway hospital this week noted a lack of skills, communication, and resources all contributed to failures, including the serious harm to and death of babies.

We also heard this week of the heartbreak and years of struggling by the parents of baby Mark Molloy to get justice after their boy died due to a lack of oxygen, shortly after his birth in Portlaoise.

The HSE in recent days was also forced to apologise to three women for failing to care for them when they were raped as children in a Galway foster home.

A string of failures and tragedies has occurred in the health service during Tony OBriens tenure at the head of the HSE.

He was and still is the man in charge, and no matter what, the buck stopped with him over Vicky Phelans case. But the Government has been happy for him to stay and soak up the criticism.

Yesterday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar again defended the decision not to fire the HSE boss. Trust needs to be restored in health services, he said, and there has been a failure of open disclosure. This is the same trust that was destroyed for Vicky Phelan.

But this scandal will not go away, especially with Sinn Fein proposing a Dail motion of no confidence in Mr OBrien next week.

Leo Varadkar.

We have been here so many times when it comes to accountability, with questions around responsibility in Government, the gardai, the State-owned banks, and Irish Water, among groups others.

Is it not time for change? For accountability, for leadership, and responsibility?

Mr Varadkar said as much when he made his maiden speech in the Dail upon being nominated as Taoiseach last June. He said he wanted a Government that was strong on ethics, adding: Ill demand of myself and my own

Government what, in the past, I insisted of others. But you cannot have good ethics without accountability.

In recent years we have heard the Department of Public Expenditure secretary general Robert Watt surmise that it is indeed time to start dismissing those who do wrong in the public sector. He called for a debate on making it easier to dismiss employees in the public sector, in the way they can be sacked in the private sector.

In our system we dont have those sort of tools that are available in parts of the private sector, Mr Watt said.

It is a national disgrace that time and again, those same public services escape scrutiny and accountability.

Instead, there is a silo mentality and a civil servant culture of omerta, a code of silence that prevents transparency, open disclosure, and above all responsibility.

Then those who are wronged are left to fight it out in the courts, in inquiries and tribunals, but more often than not without help, to get answers.

Tony OBrien should and must go. The Government should fire him. It is that simple  even if he claims he was unaware of the cervical cancer controversy until recently.

As Health Minister Simon Harris this week celebrates with colleagues to mark the Fine Gael-Independent coalitions two years in office, he should take note.

There has been no let-up in the flood of scandals and failures piling up in the health service.

Just look at run-down Hawkins House, the 50-year-old Department of Health building in Dublin, an apt symbol of the crumbling and crisis-hit health service.

It looks set to be demolished and replaced. The sandbags, though, are piling up outside the aged concrete structure.

It is time for Mr Harris to show leadership, to take control, to get accountability, or he will be in the firing line too.

It was Fine Gael that promised to close down the crisis-ridden HSE; it was Fine Gael that pledged to end the trolley crisis, and it is Fine Gael at the steering wheel as we hear the horrific stories of neglect perpetrated against the women of Ireland.

And all of this has come about because of one woman, one mother who stood up to the State and sought accountability over her cancer tests: Vicky Phelan, a national hero.
Mr Reilly said every small maternity unit should examine the independent review of maternity services at Portiuncula Hospital and ensure there is no need for another one in the future.

It is not just about Portiuncula Hospital, it is about all the small maternity units through Ireland; they all need a root and branch review, he said.

While we are happy to see progress and a gradual cultural change, there is a broader cultural change needed, not only at hospital level but right up to HSE management.

The Reilly family from Loughrea, Co Galway, are among 16 families whose maternity care at the Ballinasloe hospital was reviewed.

They lost babies Asha and Amber in the hospital in 2008 and 2010. Asha was stillborn, while Amber, who was rushed to the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin, survived for a week.

Mr Reilly, speaking on RTE radio, said his two little girls could be alive had action been taken.

He and his wife, who have two other children, Angel, 11, and Caleb, 6, had wanted changes to be made so other families did not suffer the same outcomes.

However, it took a very long time for changes to be made and, sadly, other families did suffer.

We believe, looking back, now that we know more, that had our cases been recognised properly and had they been properly investigated and reported on honestly and openly, some of the subsequent families may have been saved the trauma of losing their babies. That for us is probably the most heartbreaking aspect of it.

In the report, the clinical review team states that of the 18 cases reviewed, serious errors in management occurred in 10 cases that would have probably made a difference to the outcome for those babies.

Of the 18 cases reviewed, six involved cases where the baby had died. In four of these cases, there were significant failings in the care provided to those babies.

Prof James Walker, who headed the review team, said when patient and family groups raise concerns about a hospital they should be tackled immediately.

These big reviews are not the way to solve these problems; they should be tackled at a far lower level earlier. If there had been open disclosure at the time then this report would never have happened, he said.
Delegates attending the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisations (INMO) annual delegate conference in Cork unanimously carried a motion calling on the HSE to ensure multidisciplinary teams conduct thorough assessments.

Aideen Smith of the Galway branch described a nursing home where the youngest patient is 35 and the oldest 104. She witnessed a man with a brain injury shouting at an older man with vascular dementia. She said patients in nursing homes often had a range of disabilities, ranging from challenging behaviour as a result of brain injury, to mental health illness, to dementia, to multiple sclerosis.

We need to safeguard these people and ensure they are correctly placed, she said.

Eileen OKeeffe, Cork Private voluntary branch, said it was a huge milestone for people to move into long-term care, and it is not enough to say its better than being at home or in an acute hospital.

She said people were being misplaced and that sometimes staff did not have the appropriate skills mix to support them.

Another delegate spoke of visiting patients in a nursing home, one of whom had a fractured femur, but who was in a unit where most patients had dementia.

I felt he was blending in after a few days, and he shouldnt have been, she said. He needed rehab, but the facility was very small and pokey and not conducive to that.

Nurses also unanimously backed an emergency motion calling on the HSE not to demolish the role of the Director of Public Health Nursing under plans to introduce a new layer of bureaucracy within the community. The HSE is pushing a new management structure which would see the introduction of a network of upwards of 90 lay managers across the nine community healthcare organisations (CHOs).

INMO director of social policy and regulation Ed Matthews said it would mean public health nurse directors were left with no managerial authority but full clinical responsibility for patients. The reverse would be true of lay managers, who would have no clinical responsibility, but would control resource allocation.

Mr Matthews said a network of lay managers would not only cost money but we believe it is dangerous for the service and for service users.

Health Minister Simon Harris said he was particularly conscious of the need for clinical governance in the light of recent events and he assured nurses: I will not be making any changes to the managerial structures in community nursing.
Former Cork North Central Fianna Fail TD Noel OFlynn was made a tribal leader in Kenya in recognition of his support of businesses at a special ceremony held recently.

Mr OFlynn was not available for comment yesterday, but his son, Ken, who is a city councillor, confirmed that a picture which appeared on Facebook of the Kenyan ceremony was genuine.

Ken said that his father was made a tribal chief because he had fostered businesses in Kenya and had been connected with the country for around 20 years.

Mr OFlynn started a family business in 1985 in Blackpool, Cork, which supplies brake and clutch parts for trucks, buses, tractors, cars, and light commercial vehicles.

Ken said his father had established a number of business links abroad, including Poland.

It is not the first honour that the former politician has received in a foreign country.

Some years ago he was given a Friendship Medal of Diplomacy by the government of Taiwan.

The medal was awarded by Timothy Yang, the Taiwanese foreign minister, for Mr OFlynns contribution to the advancement of bilateral relations between Ireland and Taiwan.

At the time he was a member of the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Society.

He was first elected to Dail Eireann in the 1997 general election. He was re-elected, topping the poll, in the 2002 general election.

He was once rebuked by then taoiseach Bertie Ahern for saying that some asylum seekers coming here were spongers, freeloaders and screwing the system.

He retained his seat in the 2007 general election.

However, he didnt contest the 2011 general election after Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin had asked him not to run for the sake of the party as he believed there would only be one seat for Fianna Fail in the constituency.

Ken said that, as his father is no longer in public life, he would not be commenting on the Kenyan honour.
Mr Harris said the drip-feed nature of the response is quite frankly disgraceful, disgusting and unacceptable and warned the HSE is the reason why there is going to be a statutory investigation as relations continue to sour.

Speaking as Sinn Fein tabled a no-confidence motion in Mr OBrien for next Tuesday and as Fianna Fail said the HSE chief must resign immediately, Mr Harris said the response to date has been unacceptable.

And while both he, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, and the HSE all said last night Mr OBrien will not be forced out of office, Mr Harriss decision to label his response as disgusting is likely to increase pressure on the HSE chief to resign.

The health ministers comment at the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisations annual conference in Cork came as Sinn Fein formally called for Mr OBrien to be sacked in a detailed motion tabled yesterday.

The motion, which will be heard in the Dail on Tuesday evening as part of an amendment to a Rural Independents Group motion on the need to reform HSE management, said Mr OBrien must step down due to the ongoing cervical cancer tests crisis.

Sinn Fein health spokeswoman Louise OReilly said Mr OBriens position was untenable, and that he can no longer be trusted to oversee the response to what has happened.

And while the motion in itself is unlikely to force the Government to act, the call was given significant support last night by Fianna Fail, whose health spokesperson Stephen Donnelly said the HSE director general must now leave with immediate effect.

My position and Fianna Fails position is, in interests of public confidence being rebuilt, we believe Mr OBrien should step down now with immediate effect.

At this point it is clear Mr OBrien staying for the remainder of his term is going to distract from supporting women. He should without prejudice step back with immediate effect, Mr Donnelly told Newstalk radio.

A spokesperson for the Taoiseach said Mr Varadkars position has not changed and that he believes Mr OBrien should remain in place until his contract ends in 12 weeks, a view repeated by Mr Harris.

However, Government sources have acknowledged the situation is fast-flowing and that the current official support for the HSE director general may change in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Mr Varadkar said yesterday there needs to be a clear cultural change within HSE management and insisted all facts must be given to patients about their care.

Facing criticism over the fact the US laboratory at the centre of the scandal is still being paid by the State, Mr Harris said there will be an opportunity to re-configure our lab situation and indeed to re-tender when the current deal ends in October.

Separately, opposition parties yesterday sent Mr Harris formal suggestions for what they would like to be included in the potential commission of investigation into what has happened.

They include a public inquiry, reviews of all cancer services, and suggestions on ending the outsourcing of laboratory services.
The double-standards row emerged as opposition parties piled pressure on the Government to sack HSE director general Tony OBrien immediately, tabling a Dail no confidence motion in Mr OBrien which will be heard on Tuesday.

Speaking as Health Minister Simon Harris labelled the HSEs drip-feed response to date as disgusting, and as a 209th woman was identified, Ms Phelan said the HSE has finally agreed to pay her treatment bill.

Ten days after her case was settled, she told RTE Radios The Ray DArcy Show her medical care bill  which involves 8,300 for drugs every three weeks, resulting in a 150,000 a year expense  will now be paid by the State.

Its either good sense or else theyre just running terrified and running for the hills, said Ms Phelan.

While the HSEs decision to pay for Ms Phelans care was broadly welcomed last night, it was overshadowed by the fact three women are still being blocked from receiving settlements.

In a confidential briefing note sent to the Dails cross-party health committee on Thursday and seen by the Irish Examiner, the State Claims Agency said three of 10 active legal cases remain unsettled.

The HSE has received indemnities in three of those claims from the laboratories, the note reads. We understand the laboratories insurers have not settled any of the claims where they have granted an indemnity to the State.

Of the other seven claims, the only claim settled is the Vicky Phelan claim. The other six claims are ongoing.

While the six claims referenced are understood to be those Taoiseach Leo Varadkar this week committed to ensuring are settled without the need for a court battle, compensation for the remaining three is currently being blocked.

The response emerged on another fast-moving day in the cervical cancer tests scandal, during which:

Ms Phelan confirmed she will be on the government panel examining what form of inquiry should be established, saying I will not let the country down;

Mr Varadkar admitted almost 13 of the 209 women known to have been affected have still not been contacted;

Health Minister Simon Harris said the Government may scrap its contracts with the US laboratory at the centre of the scandal in October when the deal comes up for renewal;

The Irish Medical Organisation said GPs have been given extra resources from the HSE to address the issue;

The Irish Cancer Society said it has been given emergency funding for 500 more counselling sessions with women who believe they were affected.

Meanwhile, the Government was last night under mounting pressure to sack Mr OBrien after both Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail said that he must step down immediately.

Sinn Fein health spokeswoman Louise OReilly yesterday tabled a no confidence motion in Mr OBrien which will be the subject of a Dail vote on Tuesday, while Fianna Fail counterpart Stephen Donnelly told Newstalk that the HSE boss must go with immediate effect as his term is going to distract from supporting women.

While the view was repeated by Ms Phelan, a spokesperson for Mr Varadkar said his position remains unchanged, a view shared by Mr OBrien.

Mr Harris also believes Mr OBrien should stay until his contact ends in 12 weeks.

However, Government sources said the fact Fianna Fail has joined Sinn Feins calls for his resignation means this may change in the coming days.

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During an hour-long event at Rathfarnham shopping centre in south Dublin which was closely monitored by Government officials, the Taoiseach urged anyone he met to vote yes on Friday. May 25.

However, while the message  and the leaflets he, Fine Gael TD Colm Brophy and Independent Childrens Minister Katherine Zappone were handing out  was taken home by most, almost all had other issues on their minds.

As he walked through the shopping centre, Mr Varadkar first spoke with Clodagh Flanagan from Co Roscommon who, clutching her four-year-old daughter, said: Im a big fan of his because hes honest.

A young man was next, calmly telling the Taoiseach  to momentarily awkward silence  that he will vote no, before Audrey Sellers said that while she will vote yes, she is unimpressed with the Governments poster campaign.

Pauline Dallaghan, who has just turned 82, happily told Mr Varadkar she will vote yes because she is a big fan of Michael Collins before declining to say how she voted in the 1983 referendum, while 85-year-old Theresa McGrail said she too supports repeal.

The view was repeated by an elderly couple moments later, before they began a deluge of unexpected Taoiseach requests by asking for help in getting Rolling Stones tickets.

And it was followed by more opportunistic interactions, with barber Graham Doherty politely asking for a selfie with Mr Varadkar, before saying he should drop in for a free haircut at GB Barbers anytime.

With onlookers now acutely aware of the Taoiseachs presence, more potential voters said they will support plans to repeal the Eighth Amendment.

Two middle-aged women walking past were concerned about when the next election will be: Are you going on holidays in August or will you be busy then?

Just 20 days out from the referendum vote, interest may be growing, but, for now, other issues are dominating the agenda.
Fr Paul OConnell, president of the Joint Managerial Body, which represents management of 380 religious-owned second-level schools, has called for a major review of the timing of oral exams.

This years Leaving Certificate orals, in Irish and in other language subjects, took place during the middle two weeks of April, beginning just after schools reopened, following Easter holidays.

They coincided with practical tests for students of music, and with Junior Certificate practicals for music and home economics.

These tests require teachers to be hired by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) to examine students at other schools. Because of rising numbers of students and difficulty recruiting examiners, some teachers on these duties could be absent from their own schools for most or all of a fortnight.

Students doing the Leaving Certificate Applied programme will undergo oral exams the week after next, and late orals may be conducted at some schools the following week.

Fr OConnell said the amount of teaching time lost by students, due to their teachers absence, is no longer sustainable.

The method of delivery and timing of the oral examinations needs to be reviewed urgently, he told Education Minister Richard Bruton at the JMBs annual conference in Galway.

He recounted having nine teachers absent one Monday morning last month due to staff oral exams or practical tests.

On the same day, he and both deputy principals at his Co Kildare school were on mandatory training courses.

A Leaving Certificate parent rang in to say he had great difficulty in getting his daughter to come to school that day, given the level of teacher absence, said Fr OConnell.

To my mortification, I discovered that she was about to miss seven out of her eight teachers that day.

He also raised concerns about the increasing time teachers will have to spend outside the classroom in the next few years, on work associated with expansion of the junior cycle.

As well as schools not receiving extra teaching allocations that entirely match the reduced hours teachers spend in class, further complications arise from the scheduling of related meetings.

Teachers of subjects that are to be reformed on a staggered basis must meet for two hours annually to discuss standards of feedback to students. This practice is known as subject learning and assessment review (SLARs).

Fr OConnell said it is not feasible for schools to start a very large number of SLARs during school hours.

The consequent loss of tuition time is unfair to pupils, he said. The headache of providing cover for absent teachers will become impossible for management.

And, finally, given that teachers have already been allocated 22 hours [a year] for planning, it is extremely hard to justify interfering with pupil tuition time.

Fr OConnell repeated a previous call for the release of Leaving Certificate results to be delayed for a few days. This would save students waiting on college offers from the Central Applications Office the anxiety of not knowing if their grades are enough to get into the third-level course they want.
Addressing delegates at the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) annual delegate conference in Cork, Simon Harris said: Trust me, I hear you on this. I want to work with you. That is why we successfully got agreement that this would be specifically considered by the Pay Service Pay Commission and it is why your organisation was invited to contribute to a specific module  their first  on nurses and midwives and other healthcare staff.

Mr Harris said the commissions report is due next month and we must and we will act on this.

However, he admitted that no costings had been done and that this would not be addressed until after the Pay Service Pay Commission makes its report.

But it is clear that the Public Service Pay Agreement does acknowledge that where specific retention and recruitment challenges exist in a sector, they can be addressed through a process, said Mr Harris.

He said it would be a matter for the Government to decide how best to address it in the context of the estimates process.

Earlier in the week, nurses warned they would ballot for industrial action, including possible strikes, if they are unhappy with the outcome of pay talks.

This was in the context of delegates unanimously backing an emergency motion calling on the INMO executive to recommend rejection of any proposals that fail to progress their pay claims.

INMO president Martina Harkin-Kelly told delegates that Ireland is the least competitive country from a purchasing power parity perspective based on nurse earnings across the US, Canada, Australia, and UK.

She said the elephant in the room is Brexit.

Make no mistake, hard or soft border, the UK will intensively recruit Irish nurses  we are their closest and most accessible English-speaking neighbour, who have a readymade pool of nurses and midwives.

Ms Harkin-Kelly said nurses and midwives in Ireland are currently paid between 15% and 20% less than all other allied health professionals in the public health service who have identical entry qualifications and have a shorter working week  in my humble opinion, this is a national disgrace.

The minister also addressed the issue of the CervicalCheck scandal where upwards of 208 women with cervical cancer were not informed that a review of their screening history found previous smear tests had shown cancer warning signs that were not detected. The women were not informed either of the reviews or of the outcomes.

Seventeen of the women have died and the Government is planning a statutory inquiry into the scandal.

Mr Harris told the INMO that it had been a bad week for the health service and a particularly poignant and worrying one for women.
Dateline UNSC Should Understand the Complexity and Multitude of Issues Facing Myanmar

A UN Security Council delegation visits northern Rakhine for the first time since military clearance operations forced 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.

Kyaw Kha: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! This week, well discuss the visit of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) delegation, which arrived in Myanmar on Monday. Im The Irrawaddy chief reporter Kyaw Kha and editor Ko Kyaw Zwa Moe and Rakhine affairs reporter Ko Moe Myint of The Irrawaddy English edition join me for the discussion.

UNSC Should Understand the Complexity and Multitude of Issues Facing Myanmar UNSC Should Understand the Complexity and Multitude of Issues Facing MyanmarA UN Security Council delegation visits northern Rakhine for the first time since military clearance operations forced 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh. Posted by The Irrawaddy  English Edition on Friday, May 4, 2018

The UNSC delegation arrived in Naypyitaw and met leaders of the country on Monday. Ko Kyaw Zwa Moe, what is your view of the UNSC delegations visit to Myanmar?

Kyaw Zwa Moe: There have been tensions between the Myanmar government and the UN over the past few months. So, I would call the visit a diplomatic achievement of the Myanmar government to ease those tensions. The delegation came to discuss the Rakhine issue, which saw the exodus of around 700,000 refugees from the country last year. They came to speak with the Myanmar government to solve that problem. Previously, the two sides were not able to hold talks. The Myanmar government was not happy with the allegations of the UN and responded angrily. And the UN was also not happy with the statements of the Myanmar government.

It is fair to say that there were tensions. The Myanmar government denied the UN special representative an entry visa to the country. Then the UN appointed a new special representative. Now the two sides finally met after months of negotiations. Rakhine is a very complex issue. Myanmar needs the assistance of the international community to solve this and the international community needs the cooperation of Myanmar. We can say the UNSC delegations visit is a step to start the necessary cooperation. We can view this as a breakthrough and a good step for cooperation.

KK: The UNSC delegation visited the Coxs Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh before visiting Myanmar. They held a press conference at the camp on Sunday evening. Ko Moe Myint, what did you notice about their visit to Bangladesh?

Moe Myint: It was the very first visit of the UNSC to address the refugee issue between Myanmar and Bangladesh. So, the trip was important. The camp in Coxs Bazar is said to be the biggest refugee camp in the world. The delegation observed the experiences of refugees and their living conditions there. One or two things that they said at the press conference were worth noting. They said they would hold detailed discussions with concerned authorities and also pass a resolution at the UNSC Headquarters in New York based on discussions during their visit. It was quite interesting.

Each of the 15 members of the UNSC team is from a different country, including China and Russia. What they said at the press conference was quite interesting. First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy said that the problem could not be solved overnight and that the UNSC would act as a facilitator to broker constructive discussions between Bangladesh and Myanmar to improve relations. The envoy of China, which has veto power in the UNSC, said that he hoped that they all would play a constructive role in providing assistance to solve the problem. So considering what the two countries with veto power in the UNSC said, the UNSC delegations visit will not put much pressure on Myanmar.

KK: It will reduce the pressure on the Myanmar government. Ko Kyaw Zwa Moe, you talked positively about the UNSC delegations visit to Myanmar. Previously, Myanmar responded aggressively to proposed visits of UN officials. But this time, Myanmar has adopted a much more moderate approach and invited the UNSC to visit. Why do you think this happened?

KZM: What you said is right. Under the military regime, the relationship between the UN and the regime was quite strained, and the relationship between Myanmar and the international community was quite poor. We could even call it hostile diplomacy.

The military regime rejected the visits of UN officials to Myanmar, citing various reasons. But the current government and the military regime are different. The current government did impose bans after the Rakhine crisis broke out. At first, it did not allow a UN fact-finding mission. But I dont think that was their permanent policy. There was a lot of misunderstanding. From the point of view of the Myanmar government and Rakhine people, the claims of the international community including the UN are quite one-sided.

The UN is responsible for playing the role of a mediator. It is their responsibility to de-escalate the problem. But then, certain actions of the UN, in the eyes of the Myanmar government, further create misunderstanding. As a result, the government rejected their entry.

As Ive said, it is not the permanent policy of the government to shut the doors. They apparently have a policy to cooperate. Considering the UNSC delegations visit, the government has decided to cooperate to a certain extent. But then, the question is whether the visit will deliver positive results.

All of the members of the UNSC delegation should understand that the issue is quite complicated, deep and serious. There are armed insurgents and human rights violations on the ground, and widely varied historical narratives. Whats more, the socio-economic status is quite low in Rakhine State. Plus, there is also the immigration issue. The UNSC delegation should be open-minded about those factors. It is important that they do not view things here with a jaundiced eye. The government also needs to understand that this problem cant be solved without cooperation with the international community, otherwise there wont be progress. As Ko Moe Myint has said, it will take time. It is very good that Myanmar has invited people like Kofi Annan to the advisory committee and sought their recommendations.

But the problem is how to implement those recommendations. Attacks broke out on the day he was invited to join the committee. I think it is very important that the UNSC delegation makes decisions in a constructive way.

As to your question, the government must cooperate with the international community in solving this problem. It must cooperate not only with the UN but also with regional countries like ASEAN countries and China. Otherwise, the problem will only get worse.

KK: Looking at previous examples, we knew at least one week in advance before Yanghee Lee and the Kofi Annan-led Commission went to Rakhine State. There were critical voices at least one week before their visits and there were protests. The UNSC delegation arrived in Myanmar on Monday, but it is strange that we heard no critical voices from Rakhine this time.

MM: I found that Arakanese people have responded less aggressively regarding the Rakhine issue lately. [Union Minister] Dr. Win Myat Aye revealed the governments plan to issue NVCs [national verification cards]. The Union Solidarity and Development Party objected to the plan, but most of the Arakanese people remained silent. We conducted a small survey, and most of the educated Arakanese remarked that freedom of movement should be granted to NVC holders.

This time, I didnt see posts by Arakanese people that called for protests against the UNSC delegation visit. I saw only one person write something like that and he was not Arakanese. It was former information minister U Ye Htut. He shared on his Facebook his perceived agenda of the UN and suggested Arakanese people should do this and that.

I asked some Arakanese lawmakers who are active in Parliament and they view the visit as the governments efforts to improve relations with the UN. They think we shouldnt accept international pressure silently but that the government is trying its best to solve the problem in a constructive way. They have a more moderate attitude toward the UNSC compared to the past.

KK: We can say that it is a notable change. Ko Kyaw Zwa Moe, what do you think will be the benefits and complications of inviting the UNSC into the country?

KZM: It is already a complicated issue. It was a big problem for both Myanmar and the world last year. As Ive said, their visit is positive but the question is how open-minded they are. It is important that they try to understand the complicated issue no matter whom they meet during their visit. They should try to analyze the political, racial and religious complexity of the problem. The most important thing they should understand is that Myanmar is riddled with problems. Besides the Rakhine issue, there is also the problem of peace. Again, there is the problem of civil-military relations between the government and the Tatmadaw, as well as national reconciliation. Rakhine is a big issue, but they should understand that solving this issue should not affect the democratization process of Myanmar, which is the most important thing for the country. So, when they handle this problem, they should try to understand that there are also other problems. Rakhine is a problem for us, but there are bigger cancerous problems for us to handle. They should understand this point.

KK: Thank you for your contributions! Well wait and see the developments of the UNSC delegations visit.
Milk volume by Glanbia milk producers rose by a staggering 9% last year, providing evidence, as if any was needed, that the investment plans for milk processing facilities at Belview in south Kilkenny and at Wexford Creameries were justified.

At the AGM of Glanbia Plc, which is now described as a global nutrition group, shareholders heard CEO, Siobhan Talbot say that 74% of all milk suppliers to its sister company, Glanbia Ireland had increased supplies following the dismantling of the milk quota scheme.

And in 2017, Glanbia gained 507 new beef and dairy farmers.

Siobhan Talbot had those who attended in the palm of her hand as she effortlessly went through the performances of the year and the future and noted that Glanbia was now the largest supplier of mozzarella cheese in Europe, an incredible achievement.

The agribusiness section of the business, where it competes with Glanbia Ireland grew by an incredible 24%.

And a new on-line only Dutch based nutrition business, Body & Fit acquired last year, a leading direct to consumer (DTC) online branded business focused on performance nutrition is going well.

Glanbia said compared to 2017, revenue in the Glanbia Performance Nutrition division increased by 9.3% and this was driven by volume growth of 5.5% with the Body & Fit acquisition delivering 7.8%.

Ms Talbot said that Glanbia now employs 6,600 people in 32 different countries and was actively looking for new acquisitions and mergers.

Glanbia Plc continues to be a huge positive in the local economy, providing jobs, service contracts and indirect employment to a huge volume of people.
Concern about the mainly commercial pollution of the River Barrow and the knock-on effect on fishing stocks on the river was expressed in the Dail by Sinn Fein Deputy Kathleen Funchion.

She said she was raising the issue on behalf of the Barrow River Piscatorial Society which is very active in the community.

It has continuously raised the issue with Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, which seems to be passing the buck or not taking the matter seriously, she said.

When the society came to me, I endeavoured to organise a meeting for it with Inland Fisheries Ireland and there was correspondence back and forth. Unfortunately, Inland Fisheries Ireland has not committed to a meeting. The society has the right to request a meeting and I do not see the problem with granting such request. We raise the issue to ask the Minister to ensure that the chief executive of Inland Fisheries Ireland, Ciaran Byrne, meets with the Barrow River Piscatorial Society so that it can raise its concerns.

It believes it is being treated as a second-class citizen because groups with an interest in other rivers have been granted meetings with Inland Fisheries Ireland, she added.

In response, the Minister for Communications, Climate Acton and Environment, Denis Naughten said the problem is that there is a multifaceted approach to issues such as this and responsibility does not lie with any one agency, which is hugely frustrating.

As the Deputies are aware, the provisions of the water pollution Acts come under the remit of the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, he said. I will commit to taking the points raised by the Deputies back to the Minister of State, Deputy Kyne. I will discuss this issue with him and we can try to see if we can progress it.
Politik reports:

Even though the overwhelming majority of the 56 submissions so far heard on the waka jumping bill oppose it, the Government is unlikely to back off.

That is because the Bill is regarded by NZ First as critical to the coalition agreement.

The legislation would require an MP who resigned (or was expelled) from a party to resign from Parliament.

Research presented to the Select Committee considering the Bill shows that since 1996 NZ First has been the most affected by members resigning for one reason or another.

POLITIK has learned from a source from one of the parties involved in the coalition negotiations that the Bill was a key bottom-line demand from New Zealand First.

It was one of the very first issues raised by Winston, the source said.

It is clear that the Government believes that to not get the Bill through would imperil its coalition arrangement with NZ First and that the Greens are being pressured to support it because without their vote it will fail.
Host Joe McPherson of the "Dark Side of Seoul" tour explains stories relating to Cheonggyecheon Stream in downtown Seoul. / Photo by John Redmond



By John Redmond



Seoul is no stranger when it comes to offering visitors and residents a plethora of tours taking in the capital's popular and historical sites and districts.



These include food, alcohol, shopping, medical and even K-Pop and K-Drama hallyu tours aimed at fans of everything Korean.



In a slightly different vein, a unique walking circuit offers an alternative perspective on some of Seoul's historical sites and their not so family-friendly backgrounds.



Welcome to the "Dark Side of Seoul" nighttime walking tours of some of the city's most notorious buildings with tour leaders providing backgrounds into some of the nation's deepest historical and family secrets.





Foreign students on the "Dark Side of Seoul" tour in downtown Seoul's hanok restaurant district. / Photo by John Redmond



Presented by ZenKimci tour, the regular and extended walks feature visits to historic sites, government buildings, restaurant districts, Japanese occupation sites and plenty of stories of ghosts and murder.



"This is the side of Seoul that you won't find in the tourism brochures," says tour leader Joe McPherson.



"Take a walking tour down the dark alleys of the forgotten 600-year history of bloody massacres, seedy hideaways and mourning ghosts."



Stops on the regular excursion include the site of a gruesome massacre, a bridge whose stones tell a dark story that lovers and passersby know nothing about and a neighborhood known to be occupied by the spirits of prostitutes who met grisly ends.



Along the way, group leaders tell tales of Seoul's famous ghosts and murderers, weird and surprising landmarks, and the ancient city's scandalous secrets.



The extended tour includes a palace said to be so haunted that the famous Queen Min refused to spend the night there.?





Detail of the brickwork at Cheonggyecheon Stream in downtown Seoul, home to dark secrets of the city's past. / Photo by John Redmond



Other highlights include passing by Seoul's most haunted building, the tale of Korea's most notorious serial killer and a street crowded with so many ghosts that people say you cannot take a clear picture at night.



A special tour highlight includes host McPherson explaining, "On the banks of the Cheonggyecheon Stream, one method of torture and execution was boiling people to death."



Clairvoyants on the walks have reported sensing paranormal activity at certain locations.



Guests will receive an ancient remedy for protection from Japanese ghosts.?





The Korea Times took an extended tour and spoke with ZenKimchi founding editor and president?at Korea Food Tours, Joe McPherson about his inspiration and the walks.



Q: What inspired you to put the tours together?



A: I studied Korean history in university, and I really got into it. When I moved to Korea and started going to historic sites, I was disappointed at how sterile the descriptions of these places were. There were none of the stories that made them interesting. The plaques just stated the dimensions of the buildings and when they were built.



Boring.



It was out of this frustration and inspiration from the Jack the Ripper walks in London that I put together the Dark Side of Seoul Tour. I wanted people to get a deeper appreciation of Seoul through its rich dark history.





Participants on the "Dark Side of Seoul" tours comprise mostly foreigners. People listen to group leader Joe McPherson explaining about the darker elements of the Nagwon district in downtown Seoul. / Photo by John Redmond
 "A Rational Approach to the Role of Publicity and Condemnation in the Sentencing of Offenders" | Main | Leading newspaper in New Hampshire advocates "Governor, end the death penalty" 

May 5, 2018

Scrutinizing sex offender civil commitment schemes

Investigative reporter Barbara Koeppel has this extensive article in The Washington Spectator under the full headline "Sex Crimes and Criminal Justice: Formerly incarcerated sex offenders say civil commitment programs deny proper rehabilitation." I recommend the piece in full, and here are excerpts from the start and end of the article:

Since the 1990s, 20 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws that direct the attorneys general in these jurisdictions to appoint professionals to evaluate whether sex offenders who have served their time have a mental abnormality or illness that would make them likely to re-offend. If the decision is yes, the men are re-incarceratednot for past crimes but for ones they might yet commit  in prisonlike facilities with barbed wire, cells, guards, and watch towers. While institutionalized, they receive therapy that, theoretically, will help them control their sexual impulses. The practice is known as civil commitment.... Supporters of the process argue it protects the public. Critics, however, such as Dr. Richard Wollert, a psychologist at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, disagree. He says the facts simply dont support it: Ive never seen data that show the 20 states with civil commitment laws have lower rates of sex offenses or re-offenses than the 30 states that dont. Similarly, Dr. Fred Berlin, a psychologist who runs sex offender outpatient programs at Johns Hopkins Hospital, says, Theyre really a ruse to not put the men back in society. The sex offenses range from obscene phone calls, lewd behavior in public, and sex with underage partners, all the way up to rape and murder. Organizations and professionals familiar with the abuses of civil commitment are its harshest critics. The American Psychiatric Association told its members to vigorously oppose it. Two judges, from Minnesota and Missouri, found the laws punitive and unconstitutional. Tapatha Strickler, a clinical psychologist who worked at the civil commitment facility in Larned, Kansas, calls it an abomination. But the practice persists at huge cost to individuals and taxpayers.... The men I interviewed frankly admitted to their offenses, but they asked to be treated as others who commit crimes and not be re-incarcerated after they serve their prison sentences. Also, since most state and federal prisons run mental health therapy programs, the men said theyd already participated in them throughout their original sentences  which could be 20 or 25 years  yet were made to start from scratch in the civil commitment facilities. Today, about 5,400 men are held in civil commitment. [Lawyer Donald] Anderson told me, Its hard to wrap my head around it. I sympathize greatly with the mens victims and their families because I have two daughters and I understand peoples fears. But Ive dealt with these guys for years and Im very fond of some of them. Their look of being utterly beaten, knowing theyll be here until they die, is very sad. The program is inhumane.

May 5, 2018 at 01:31 PM | Permalink

Comments

I live in Iowa and if that really meant "Idiots out wandering about" it would be a good thing. Unfortunately the idiots are in the state legislature passing sex offender laws.

Posted by: John Neff | May 5, 2018 3:29:25 PM

The problem here is the difference between the theoretical and the actual practice. It seems abundantly clear that people can be committed indefinitely if they have an illness that makes them a danger. But then there's the quid pro quo. There has to be treatment, judicial review, and other rights.

For example, these guys would have an absolute right to insult the guards with absolutely no repercussions. So what happens when there are repercussions?

The courts will never ensure that the deal is kept.

Posted by: federalist | May 5, 2018 3:45:31 PM

@federalist

There really is no problem. What is happening involves a money trail. Sex Offenders are the new cattle in the system. You get a lot of money and can create a lot of jobs by controlling a lot people on a database. Money. That's all it's about. Not safety. Money.

Posted by: Book38 | May 5, 2018 9:23:37 PM

Civil Commitment of Sex Offenders is driven exclusively by the fear & loathing of the society over sex and, consequently, sex offenders. There is no medical or psychiatric benefit to locking up SOs and throwing away the key. No "healing" is done. It is an old form of torture and barbarity brought into modern times by the US of A. Just another form of the dungeons that exist related to this issue (the other is the sentences being handed down--445 years, 56 years to life, etc., etc. for sex offenses).

What kind of society does this? A barbaric one. Go back 40 years. Multiple-life sentences, civil commitments, they didn't exist. What has changed in 40 years? Have the nature of the offenses changed? No. Instead of a humane, intelligent, and effective approach that might actually help mitigate the problem of sex offenses in society, the opposite has been done. The society has gone feral. That's what has changed.

What's more, these changes are the crack in the Constitution which will destroy the entire society. Sex offenders are the canary in the coal mine of the American Republic. The majority has subverted the rights of the individual, because sex offender.

And we will reap the whirlwind all of us because of it. Today they came for the sex offenders. Tomorrow they will come for you.

Posted by: restless94110 | May 5, 2018 9:49:24 PM

JN:

"Unfortunately the idiots are in the state legislature passing sex offender laws."

No, there is more idiocy (and cowardice) to go around! Look at that idiot Smith from New Jersey who championed International Megan's Law, especially when that which is lawful in other countries (different ages of majority) would get you a life sentence in good old Amerika. There is absolutely no quid pro quo in this law, just another chance to beat on SOs.

That and the cowardice, self-deception and typical stereotyping ritualistically performed by our own 9 royal baboons in black pajamas aka., the Supreme Court. The only thing they are Supreme about is their self-deception and exceptionally fraudulent mental gymnastics to ignore the obvious. They deserve absolutely zero respect for their enormous cowardice.

Posted by: albeed | May 5, 2018 10:34:24 PM

One correction: not all the civilly committed former sex predators are male, although the overwhelming majority are.

One question I have is when you keep a person beyond his or her original sentence, then what incentive do they have not to become unruly or rebellious against the staff and corrections officers there? What would these civilly committed detainees have to lose by taking hostages the way Attica inmates did back in 1971 or even in killing a guard or staff member as a way of seeking revenge against the civil commitment law. Since civil commitment is like a de facto life sentence in a regular maximum security prison, what is the worse that could happen to a civilly committed detainee who murders guards and staff at the institution, another life sentence on top of their existing civil commitment? Not much of a deterrent to me. The only thing that surprises me is that these civil commitment centers have not yet erupted into hotbeds of Attica-like inmate unrest.

Posted by: william r. delzell | May 5, 2018 11:41:11 PM

If civil commitment does cause a "nothing to lose" attitude among the detainees there, one would think that guards and staff members at these institutions would be the first to criticize the practice of civil commitment if it creates a hostile environment for guards and staff. Why don't these personnel go on strike the way guards and staff at various regular prisons have done when they wish to protest dangerous working conditions to the legislature? Back in the 1980's and 1990's, you had at least one incident in North Carolina where corrections officers went on strike to protest the killing of a guard and to shame the legislature into doing something about it?

If civilly committed inmates may seem resigned and passive today, that does not mean that a newer generation of civilly committed detainees will have the same submissiveness. Nobody thought that Attica or Lucasville prisons would erupt during the 1970's and 1990's when they finally did. The result: several guards and inmates needlessly lost their lives because the inmates so no hope to their situation. You deprive civilly committed men and women of all hope, how long before they decide to retaliate in a radical and militant manner? What about political activism like civil disobedience to civil commitment? What about desperate detainees deciding to take up arms against their civil commitment jailers?

Posted by: william r. delzell | May 6, 2018 12:00:05 AM

While the concept of civil commitment and re-incarceration are truly horrifying, I think this all begs the greater question as to what the logical alternative would be. The justifications for punishment all must be taken into consideration in the development of such a policy--who are we serving? What are the most essential justifications at play here? And, are they actually being served by this method of "punishment"? Inherently, if these individuals have already served their time for crime(s) committed, how do we (as a society) begin to justify this type of detainment as anything but additional punishment? Future, potential recidivism is not enough of a legitimate motivation to remove personal autonomy; however, the statistics demonstrate there is an overwhelming correlation between these types of offenses and the likelihood of the offender to reoffend. It appears that incapacitation is the greatest motive for such commitment, because how much education and rehabilitation can be successful when there is no end in sight to being treated like a criminal?

I am curious to know the progression of this form of commitment and how we reached this point--the involuntary nature of this psychiatric treatment may, but does not necessarily require such a close resemblance to incarceration. When you treat individuals like criminals, how long until they prove you right? It's time we call for a drastic reform of such a practice.

Posted by: Caroline R | May 6, 2018 10:12:30 AM

It is far better to be punished than it is to be treated.

Posted by: Guy Hamilton-Smith | May 6, 2018 10:22:47 AM

And would there ever be an emphasis on EFFECTIVE treatments if all the players in this scheme know that the offenders are locked away indefinitely.

Posted by: tommyc | May 6, 2018 10:29:51 AM

"make them likely to re-offend"

Sexual offenses come in various forms and do not only involve actual physical abuse of third parties. Exposure, calls, various types of harassment etc. would be included here, perhaps, in the "likely to re-offend" category. This is an open-ended confinement power and reference to "offense" would make it particularly criminal (even moving past those who see the line between "civil" and "criminal" as thin).

It is a general concern of many on this blog regarding the treatment of sexual offenders (or alleged) but confinement is a major line that should be treated with special concern. The person released, e.g., can be tracked in various ways that are by themselves major restraints on liberty. But, they still are in a basic way free of confinement. Especially with a low test such as "likely" (whatever that means), the additional step toward confinement should require some sort of actual act.



Posted by: Joe | May 6, 2018 12:40:25 PM

Caroline R:

"however, the statistics demonstrate there is an overwhelming correlation between these types of offenses and the likelihood of the offender to reoffend."

The above statement is absolutely fallacious, ignorant, typical and BS. Thank you for demonstrating your lack of critical thinking.

Those CURRENTLY identified as the general population of sex offenders have a typical 3 year recidivism rate of 3-5%, the 2nd lowest of any major crime category except murder (2002 DOJ Recidivism Study of over 9,000 released prisoners). The rate does not increase after 3 years with more time. Now we can assume that the subset of SOs identified in civil commitment may have a higher recidivism rate, but there is no statistical basis to evaluate this possibility. The only basis upon which current assessments are made is political and not based on any evidence or science. The law does NOT differentiate the serious potential recidivism of a small subset of the population. What you have is a serious inversion of the Blackstone Principle that it is better to incarcerate 10 non-dangerous persons than let one potential recidivist go free.

Posted by: albeed | May 6, 2018 3:02:40 PM

I am a parent to a sex offender

I feel that the Civil Commitment law needs to be changed, it is totally unfair. Why is it that Sex Offenders, maybe Civilly Committed after being sentenced, when Murders, DWI, Terrorist, ETC, are set free after sentence. Lets look at it at a different angle., Mothers who abuse their child, go free after sentence, and can marry someone with children. But a sex offender who has children or plans on marrying someone with children can not be around children. Also, is it a double standard for woman who are convicted of a sex offense? I have never heard of a Civil Commitment Center for woman. Also, once a sex offender is set free he is placed on Megan Law and Parole for life, why isn't the murder, terrorist and mother who is a child abuser place on Parole for life too?

Posted by: Jim G. | May 6, 2018 4:04:30 PM

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2018/05/04/iowa-supreme-court-man-impersonated-classmate-facebook-sex-consent-ruling/577863002/

Thanks to a link from How Appealing there is this wonderful sex offender sentencing story from Iowa. A man got ten years for a sex offense under the guise of a ...wait for it...burglary conviction. One can't help but for that this end run around the civil commitment laws and lifetime registries played a significant role in the outcome. If we haven't entered the land of the surreal before, we just did.

Posted by: Oi Vey | May 6, 2018 7:57:06 PM

While the article notes to the initial trial court decisions out of Minnesota and Missouri. The Eighth Circuit reversed the Minnesota decision. It's my understanding that after the 8th Circuit decision on the Minnesota case, the trial judge pulled her interlocutory decision in the Missouri case. (The judge had found that the program was defective but had not yet issued a decision on the remedy for the flaws that she noted). Not noting that those initial decisions were reversed is somewhat misleading.

Posted by: tmm | May 7, 2018 2:11:49 PM

The most vocal opponents of civil commitment should be the custodial and corrections staff assigned to these post-imprisonment detainees. When you keep a person beyond his or her original punishment, that detainee no longer has any incentive to behave toward the staff and guards. Indeed, guards and civil commitment staff will most likely be the target of the detainees, at least if any particular staff or guard has done any of the detainees wrong. The supporters of civil commitment are putting our corrections and law enforcement staff to needless risk by passing and retaining such laws. Better yet, we should have the leglislators and politicians police these detainees and deal with any rage they may focus against their jailers.

Posted by: william r. delzell | May 7, 2018 2:37:03 PM

Post a comment
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his thanks for Mr Fumio Kishidas positive contribution to the vigorous development of ties between Vietnam and Japan in the recent time as Foreign Minister and General Secretary of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance.

Meanwhile, PM Phuc hoped Mr. Fumio Kishida would continue to support and strongly promote the Vietnam-Japan relationship in the future.

He expressed thanks to the effective support of the Government of Japan to the socio-economic development and the enhancement of Vietnam's competitiveness over the past time through ODA loans.

Vietnam attaches importance and efforts to seriously implement ODA commitments with Japan and hopes that the Japanese ODA will continue to be used in the projects of large-scale infrastructure construction, human resource training and response to climate change, the Prime Minister stated.

The PM expected Japan to maintain its position as the No.1 investor in Vietnam as in 2017, boosting Japan's investment in Vietnam in many fields such as support industries, new energy industry, processing industry, hi-tech agriculture ...

He also proposed Japan to create favorable conditions for the country's seafood and fruits into Japanese market.

by LAM NGUYEN - translated by Tri Dan
New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today left for his first official foreign visit to Guatemala, Panama and Peru, to strengthen relations with these countries.

During his six-day visit, he would hold meetings at the highest levels in all three countries. He would also interact with parliamentarians, university students and meet members of the Indian diaspora.

India attaches significant importance to friendly relationship with the countries in this region," Naidu said in an official statement.

"Strengthening institutional mechanisms for political interaction, multilateral matters, trade and commerce, investments, information technology, traditional medicine, space, defence and culture will be some of the key issues for deliberations. I look forward to a fruitful visit, he said.

Ambassadors of Guatemala, Panama and Peru were present at the airport to see off the vice president on his maiden visit abroad.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
United Nations, May 5: Israel has withdrawn from the election for a two-year term on the Security Council that pitted it against Germany and Belgium. Israel's UN Mission announced the decision shortly before a debate between the three candidates was due to start at the UN on Friday afternoon. "After consulting with our partners, including our good friends, the State of Israel has decided to postpone its candidacy for a seat on the Security Council," the mission said.

The non-permanent seats in the Council are distributed regionally and Israel, which is in the Western European and Other Group (WEOG), had planned to contest one of the group's two seats for the 2019-2020 term. The failure to run unopposed for the WEOG seat is a diplomatic setback for Israel, which has never had a seat the Council, and, according to the US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, a broken promise by West European countries.

He asserted in a tweet in March that Washington, which had brokered a deal for Israel to run unopposed for one of the WEOG seats, must ensure that the European nations kept their word. Grenell said that the late Richard Holbrooke, a former assistant secretary of state, had arranged the deal. Although Middle Eastern nations are in the Asia-Pacific Group, Israel has faced opposition from some members of the group and was taken in by the WEOG.

Israel has never held a Council seat and would have been difficult for Israel to win against those to European nations, but it would have won by default if it was unopposed in the group. There is one vacancy for the Asia-Pacific Group for 2019-2020 term and Indonesia and Maldives are contesting it. They will participate in a candidates' debate for the region organised by the World Federation of United Nations Associations on May 14. All the 193 members of the UN will, however, vote for the non-permanent members of the Council, even though the seats are distributed by region.

The elections are scheduled for June 8.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 05, 2018 01:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
May 4, 2018, 4:45pm ET

Thieves snag 8 new Ram trucks from FCA factory; 1 recovered

FCA initially had no idea how many cars were stolen or what the VINs and colors were.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has promised to review its security measures at the Warren Truck plant after thieves drove away with eight brand new pickups on Thursday.

A security guard contacted police via 911 when the convoy of trucks smashed through the gate around 4am and headed south on Mound Road.

FCA apparently took until Friday to figure out how many trucks were stolen and which VINs were missing. Police quickly found that a stolen 2003 Ram pickup had been parked next to a cut chain-link fence securing the parking area, however.

The automaker has refused to say if the trucks were sitting in the lot with their keys and out of sight from any surveillance cameras.

"FCA US is working with the Warren Police Department regarding the theft of several Ram Trucks," the company said in a statement to the Detroit Free Press. "The company will be assessing security measures at the location and implementing any necessary changes to prevent future incidents."

One of the stolen Ram trucks was found abandoned three miles from the truck plant, apparently running out of gas.
An Irish truck driver has won his legal challenge against a tax penalty demand for 1.5m from Greece.

Eamonn Donnellan sued the Revenue Commissioners concerning a demand that was served on him by Revenue over ten years after his arrest, conviction and subsequent acquittal of smuggling cigarettes in Greece.

At the High Court on Thursday Mr Justice Tony O'Connor made a declaration that Revenue is not entitled to enforce the Greek authorities request to recover the demand of Eu1.5m from Mr Donnellan.

Mr Donnellan was notified by revenue of the demand in November 2014, which arose following a demand made by the Greek tax authorities in April 2009.

The declaration came after last week's finding by the ECJ that under EU law bodies like Revenue are not precluded from refusing requests from other member states to seek demands from persons on the grounds the person who the demand was made against was not properly notified of the demand.

The case was referred to ECJ in 2015 by Mr Justice O'Connor, who welcomed the resolution of the proceedings. The Judge also awarded Mr Donnellan his legal costs against Revenue.

Mr Donellan of Culkeen, Cloonfad, Co Roscommon was jailed in 2002 after a Greek court found him guilty of smuggling after a consignment of 176,000 packs of contraband cigarettes was found concealed in his truck.

Mr Donnellan, who at all times maintained his innocence, served more than four months in jail before his conviction was overturned and he was released.

He returned home and heard nothing until November 2014 when he was notified by the Irish Revenue Commissioners that he owed the Greek Authorities 1.5m.

The demand was made under EU Council Directive 2010/24 and European Communities Regulations dealing with requests for mutual assistance for the recovery of certain levies, duties and taxes.

Mr Donnellan, represented by Paul McGarry SC Roderick Maguire Bl and instructed by Laura Glennon of O'Dwyer Solicitors, opposed the demand, claiming it was procedurally flawed, and an abuse of process.

He also was informed the demand was a penalty in respect of a criminal offence that he was acquitted of.

His lawyers claimed the Greek Authorities didn't comply with the provisions of the EU Directive before requesting the Assistance of Revenue.

He claimed he was never properly notified of the demand nor was he given an opportunity to contest it, was a breach of his rights.

He subsequently discovered the judgment was made against him in 2009. This resulting in him bring proceedings aimed at having the demand set aside.

Revenue, which had opposed Mr Donnellan's application, consented to the declaration in Mr Donnellan's favour.

Noel Travers SC for Revenue told the court that his client was consenting after the ECJ had brought clarity to the matter.

When the Greeks made the request counsel said Revenue believed it had an obligation under EU law to serve the demand on Mr Donnellan.



The ECJ had found that directives concerning mutual assistance in relation to the recovery of taxes, when read in the light of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, must be interpreted as not precluding a member state from refusing to enforce a request to recover a fine imposed in another member state.

This the ECJ found was because the decision imposing that fine was not properly notified to the person concerned before the request for recovery was made.
A DOCTOR who admitted he was not insured while responding to an urgent call at University Hospital Limerick has avoided a driving ban.

Azrin Muslin, aged 30, who has an address at Cois Luachra, Dooradoyle, Limerick, was prosecuted and brought before Limerick District Court following an incident at Saint Nessans Road, Dooradoyle, on August 1, last.

Garda Aidan OGorman of the Divisional Roads Policing Unit said while on patrol he stopped a 00D-registered vehicle which was being driven by the defendant at 12.35pm.

He said he requested various documents, including a certificate of insurance, from the defendant but that none were produced.

Solicitor Darach McCarthy said his client works as a registrar specialising in Geriatrics  the care of elderly people.

He said Mr Muslin, who works at both University Hospital Limerick and at St Itas Hospital in Newcastle West, was responding to an urgent call at UHL when he was stopped by Garda OGorman.

He said his client accepts he should not have driven without insurance and added that he has not driven at all since the incident.

He does apologise, said Mr McCarthy who did not offer any explanation for his clients actions.

While the defendant lives near University Hospital Limerick, the court was told he has had to rely on lifts and taxis when travelling to and from Newcastle West.

He has suffered, said the solicitor who urged Judge Marie Keane to exercise her discretion in the circumstances by not disqualifying Mr Muslin from driving.

Having heard details of the offence and noting the defendants job, Judge Keane told him he was an intelligent man who should know better than to drive without insurance.

The judge accepted that Mr Muslin has no previous convictions, is apologetic and that he needs to be able to drive for his job as a registrar.

Having considered the matter she indicated she was willing to exercise my discretion on this occasion and would not disqualify him.

The judge stressed it was the last chance saloon and that he would not be so lucky if he is caught driving without insurance again.

She imposed a 250 fine.

A number of minor road traffic matters relating to the same date and location were either withdrawn or taken into consideration.
Another day, another story about an insect crawling into a person's ear and making itself at home.

Katie Holley, a Florida resident, woke up in the middle of the night to a weird sensation in her ear, "like someone had placed a chip of ice in my left earhole," she wrote in an essay published in Self magazine. At first, her husband tried to remove the invader with tweezers. But that strategy wasn't successful, so they went to the emergency room. There, the doctor confirmed her suspicion: A cockroach was in her ear canal. To get the insect out, he first killed it with lidocaine (a numbing agent) and then removed it using tweezers.

But in the days that followed, Holley had soreness in her ear and trouble hearing. When she returned to the doctor nine days later, she learned that she still had pieces  including the entire head  of the roach lodged in her ear. [Gallery: Out-of-This-World Images of Insects].

If you're thinking "gross," you're not alone.

Unfortunately, insects crawling into ears appears to be more common than you'd hope, according to some doctors who talked to Self. (Not so common, though, that you should lose sleep over it).

While there are no recent studies that aim to quantify the icky instances, one small study, published in 2006 the South African Medical Journal, found that during a two-year period, the Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, removed 23 insects (and one tick) from people's ears. Those insects included three beetles, eight flies and 10 German cockroaches.

And in 2014, emergency-room doctors in Taiwan found a batch of fruit-fly larvae in a woman's ear canal. The 48-year-old had sought medical care because she had severe ear pain, Live Science reported at the time. Another case in Taiwan from 2012 involved a man who itched for two months because he had mites in his ears a condition that's familiar enough to earn it a medical name: otoacariasis, according to a study published in 2016 in the Journal of Otology. (Otoacariasis isn't limited to mites; it can also be caused by ticks, the study said.)

If you do think you have an insect in your ear, take this advice from the National Institutes of Health (NIH): Try keeping the ear with the insect in it pointing upward in the hope it crawls or flies out or pouring mineral, olive or baby oil into your ear to suffocate the bug and let it potentially float out. And as Holley did, the NIH recommends visiting a doctor even if you pull out the insect on your own, because legs or other parts could be left behind and cause infections.

Originally published on Live Science.
A portrait of Saladin, Salah al-Din Yusuf, the sultan of Egypt and Syria and the Hijaz (part of modern-day Saudi Arabia).

What killed the sultan Saladin, who famously unified the Muslim world during the 12th century, recaptured Jerusalem from the Christians and helped spark the Third Crusade? Until now, it was a mystery. But by sifting through clues on Saladin's medical symptoms written more than 800 years ago, a doctor may have finally determined what illness felled the mighty sultan.

It was typhoid, said Dr. Stephen Gluckman, a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, announced today (May 4) at the 25th annual Historical Clinicopathological Conference at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Experts at the conference diagnose a historical figure every year, and past diagnoses have featured Lenin, Darwin, Eleanor Roosevelt and Lincoln.

Gluckman cautioned that a definitive diagnosis will probably never be known, given that Saladin lived before the age of modern diagnostic tools. But typhoid  an illness that people contract when they ingest food or water that's contaminated with the bacterium Salmonella typhi  seems to fit the bill, he said. [Tiny & Nasty: Images of Things That Make Us Sick]

Saladin is an iconic figure who played a pivotal role in the history of Europe and the Middle East.

"He's certainly one of the most important Muslim leaders in the era of the Crusades in the Middle Ages," Tom Asbridge, a professor of medieval history at Queen Mary University of London, told Live Science.

Former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918-1970) was obsessed with Saladin, as was former President of Iraq Saddam Hussein (1937-2006), who famously had postage stamps featuring his face next to Saladin's, and even sponsored children's books featuring Saladin and himself, said Asbridge, who also spoke at today's conference.

Saladin, born in 1137 or 1138 in Tikrit, in what is now modern-day Iraq, was part of a mercenary Kurdish family. He fought with his uncle, an important military leader, against the Egyptian Fatimid Caliphate, a religious dynasty that ruled from 909 to 1171. But when his uncle died in 1169, Saladin replaced him at the age of 31 or 32, Asbridge said. After triumphing in battle, Saladin was appointed both commander of the Syrian troops in Egypt and vizier of the Fatimid caliph, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

In 1187, Saladin's army famously conquered the holy city of Jerusalem, ousting the Franks, who had taken it 88 years before during the First Crusade. His actions led to the Third Crusade (1189-1192), which ended in a stalemate between Saladin and his adversaries, including the king of England, Richard I, better known as Richard the Lionheart, Asbridge said.

However, after a mysterious fever and two-week illness, Saladin died in 1193 at age 55 or 56. Aides tried to save him with bloodletting and clysters (an old-fashioned word for enemas), to no avail.

Gluckman had few details upon which to make the diagnosis, but he was able to rule out several illnesses. Plague or smallpox probably didn't kill Saladin, he said, because those diseases kill people quickly. Likewise, it probably wasn't tuberculosis, because the records didn't mention breathing problems. And it likely wasn't malaria, because Gluckman couldn't find any evidence that Saladin was shaking from chills, a common symptom of the disease.

But the symptoms did fit with typhoid, a disease that was very common in that region at that time, Gluckman said. Symptoms of typhoid include high fever, weakness, stomach pain, headache and loss of appetite. The bacterial condition still exists today; every year, about 5,700 people in the United States (75 percent of whom get the illness abroad) and 21.5 million people worldwide come down with the bacterial infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Today, antibiotics are prescribed for people with typhoid, but, of course, those weren't available during the 12th century, Gluckman said. Still, there is cause for concern going forward, as antibiotic resistance among typhoid bacteria is growing, Gluckman added.

"In most infections, there is [antibiotic] resistance," Gluckman said. "The tried-and-true drugs are less effective these days." However, certain antibiotics still work against typhoid, he said.

Original article on Live Science.
The scrolls, like the one that forms the distinct opening text for the "Star Wars" sagas, were exactly the same in every way and disappeared into the horizon at exactly the same angle. And yet, the scrolls appeared to split away from each other like two forking streams of the same river  one moving left, and the other moving right.

How could this be? Were the scrolls caught in the pull of an Imperial tractor beam or the gravity of a sinister moon? Or was it simply the observer's mind that was doing the pulling? ['Star Wars' Tech: 8 Sci-Fi Inventions and Their Real-Life Counterparts]

This phenomenon  known as the "Star Wars" scroll illusion  was first described by Arthur Shapiro, a visual illusions expert and professor at American University in Washington, D.C., in a 2015 issue of the journal i-Perception. According to Shapiro, the "Star Wars" scroll illusion is a more dynamic version of the leaning-tower illusion, in which two identical photos of Pisa's famous tower appear to slant in different directions, despite being identical, side-by-side copies of each other.

See more

Similarly, in the "Star Wars" scroll illusion, two identical planes of scrolling text appear to move toward the horizon at remarkably different angles, even though they are the same in every way.

"Part of the reason the scrolls seem to diverge has to do with how we interpret perspective in a scene," Shapiro said in a video accompanying his research. "The phenomenon works because it creates two ways of interpreting the scene."

The first way involves what Shapiro calls the picture plane, which refers to the invisible lines that define the space around the moving text. (As Shapiro demonstrates in the video above, drawing these lines around both blocks of text creates two identical triangles that point toward the top of the screen  proving the text scrolls are actually identical and oriented in the same direction.) The other way of interpreting the image is your own perspective interpretation, which is how you actually see what's going on.

"With two vanishing points, the lines in the picture plane are parallel to each other," Shapiro wrote, referring to the spots on the screen where the text from each scroll appears to vanish. "But our perspective interpretation is that the scrolling texts are aimed at different vanishing points and therefore appear to diverge and are not parallel to each other."

Why your mind is inclined to interpret the two vanishing points this way isn't known for sure. According to Shapiro's paper, "a major question for understanding how we see and interpret images concerns how the visual system can simultaneously maintain both of these types of representations."

Understanding that concept could help explain why your brain sometimes interprets circular shapes as squares, or why the image of an arrow can seemingly point right no matter how many times you rotate it. Until scientists provide a better answer, you'll have to make do with the sage words of Obi-Wan Kenobi:"Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them."

Originally published on Live Science.
A massive "dead zone" in the Arabian Sea is the largest in the world, a new study reveals.

Dead zones are oxygen-starved ocean regions where few organisms can survive. They emerge in ocean depths ranging from 650 to 2,600 feet (200 to 800 meters), when influxes of chemical nutrients  typically from human pollution  spur algae growth, which sucks up oxygen. A significant oxygen-deprived region has bloomed in the Gulf of Oman for decades, but it was last surveyed in the 1990s.

Recently, researchers returned to the Gulf of Oman and found that the dead zone has expanded far more than expected, raising serious concerns about the future of local fisheries and ecosystems, researchers reported in a new study. [Dead Zones: Devil in the Deep Blue Sea]

"The ocean is suffocating," study lead author Bastien Queste, a marine biogeochemist and research fellow with the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia in England, said in a statement. "All fish, marine plants and other animals need oxygen, so they can't survive there."

Inaccessible region

The Gulf of Oman, which spans 70,000 square miles (181,000 square kilometers), connects the Arabian Sea to the Persian Gulf. It has long been off-limits to researchers because of the region's political instability and the threat of ocean piracy.

But a duo of diving submarines, called Seagliders, recently allowed scientists to explore the dead zone remotely. The slow-moving autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are small and lightweight, and while they use very little power they are capable of traveling thousands of kilometers and reaching depths of about 3,300 feet (1,000 meters), according to the manufacturer's website.

Seagliders revealed oxygen-poor zones in the Gulf of Oman that were previously beyond researchers' reach. (Image credit: University of East Anglia)

For eight months, these AUVs gathered data on oxygen levels, then transmitted their readings to the scientists via satellite. Researchers then used computer models to visualize the ocean currents that circulated oxygen around the gulf from the Arabian Sea. They found that the oxygen-poor region had grown dramatically, and the scant oxygen formerly held in the depleted zone  based on data from the 1990s  had drained significantly, leaving bigger areas with no oxygen at all.

The change was far bigger than existing computer models predicted, the study authors reported. Accelerated oxygen loss could partly be explained by climate change, as warmer ocean waters near the sea surface hamper the retention and circulation of oxygen, Queste said in the statement.

The Arabian Sea is home to many fish species, including several that are tolerant of low-oxygen conditions, according to the study. But the researchers' findings reveal that oxygen depletion in the Gulf of Oman is far worse than they imagined  and that isn't just an issue for sea creatures, Queste said.

"It's a real environmental problem, with dire consequences for humans, too, who rely on the oceans for food and employment," Queste said.

The findings were published online April 27 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Original article on Live Science.
A new tree grows near City Hall.

On Saturday morning, a magnolia tree was lowered into the ground to honor the late Mayor Ed Lee on what would have been his 66th birthday, planted by city officials, family and members of the general public. Later in the day, Lees official photo was unveiled at City Hall.

Its a tradition for the citys Department of Public Works to plant an honorary tree each year  theyve been planted for Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez, Rose Pak and others. This year, said Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, the choice was simple: Ed Lee, whom he described as a big brother and mentor.

Ive planted many, many trees with Ed, Nuru said.

At the planting ceremony, Mayor Mark Farrell spoke, as did Lees sister Linna Kitamura, former Mayor Willie Brown (clad in blue from his hat to his shoes) and others, fondly remembering the work that Lee, who died of a heart attack in December, did for the city.

Brown, a Chronicle columnist, told a story about once driving around with Lee when Lee was director of public works. Brown said Lee pulled the car over, grabbed a shovel from the trunk and started to pick up trash. He remembers being flabbergasted when Lee told him that picking up trash was part of his work schedule.

Brown and his sister both paid homage to Lees corny jokes and his warmth to family, friends and colleagues.

The tree was lowered into a raised median by a crane. Then everyone was invited to pick up a shovel and throw soil onto the trees roots.

Rudy Corpuz Jr., the executive director of United Playaz, an anti-gun-violence organization, brought a shovel with special significance. It was made from melted-down gun parts from a gun buyback the group organized in December. Weve already planted 50 trees in the name of Ed Lee, Corpuz said as he shoveled dirt over the roots.

Brown gestured at the magnolia and said, That tree wont grow tall enough to match the stature of Ed Lee. It really ought to be a redwood.

Still, maybe the magnolia  which is expected to bloom in the next few weeks  is more Lees style.

Ed was a simple kind of guy, so this tree-planting is very fitting, said Kitamura, his sister. No fuss, just a bit of soil, some water and some sunshine, and the tree will grow and soon beautiful white flowers will bloom, season after season.

Sophie Haigney is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophie.haigney@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophieHaigney
THE REV. DAVID GORDON

Background: He was born in Brooklyn and came to Albany with his mother when he was 9. He grew up in Arbor Hill and now lives in the South End where he and his wife, Eunice, a clinical informatics specialist at Albany Medical Center Hospital, raised three sons and two daughters. He has a bachelor's degree in computer science and an MBA from the Sage Colleges. He works for the New York State Thruway Authority in the Department of Engineering. He is a volunteer tutor for adult learners and a mentor at the Capital South Campus Center. He was honored in April as a 2018 Community Champion by Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region.

You're the founder of House of the Lord Outreach Ministry.

We're a growing church where I'm the senior pastor and my wife is co-pastor. I accepted Christ as my savior while attending a holy convocation in Virginia at Prince of Peace Pentecostal Holiness Church. This church was also in Arbor Hill where I attended until I was 14. I transferred my membership to the Church of God in Christ organization where I was called to preach at the age of 16 and licensed as a minister at 17. I served in the youth and men's ministries, as church musician and Sunday school teacher. My ministerial journey continued at the Church of God of Prophecy. After 36 years of ministry God had plans for me that would soon become manifest.

My wife and I were ordained by the United Ordained International Council of Churches in 2013. In that same year we founded the House of the Lord Outreach Ministry. We began to focus our work on street ministry in Albany's South End during the summer of 2014.

Your church is located in a converted city building.

We've joined in a community partnership with the St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center where we hold Sunday worship services and Tuesday Bible study. It's a former fire station, which was converted into a community outreach center that provides food assistance through its pantry, welcome table and farmers market. There are programs during holidays and back-to-school as well as a furniture program, clothes closet and adult learning services year-round supported by the Catholic Charities Tri-County Services.

Your outreach is in your neighborhood.

In the warm months, we endeavor to do street ministry at least one Sunday a month. There is a harvest of souls who will rarely visit a house of worship. So we were led to take the worship to the harvest.

We walk up and down the streets in the South End and let people know that God desires a relationship with them. We share the gospel message and give an invitation to discipleship and fellowship.

We speak of hope to those we meet who are struggling with life's challenges. As I share my Christian faith my message has been simply this: God is passionate for a relationship with his creation. I never dwell on the tenets of one's faith that divide us; I focus on what brings us together.

Congratulations of being named a Community Champion.

I was honored at the State Museum for my work as a mentor and tutor at the Capital South Campus Center. CSCC is at 20 Warren St. It is managed by the Albany Housing Authority, with programming operated by Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region.

I've worked there with many adult men and women to assist them in obtaining their high school equivalency diplomas and empowering them to achieve their goals. One of the young adults I've worked with is from Afghanistan. She immigrated to the U.S. three years ago. It's been an inspirational experience for me as I've become more aware of the challenges and opportunities of the U.S. immigrant experience. I've tutored her in math and helped her to navigate the process of enrolling into college. She's pursuing studies at Hudson Valley Community College and wants to attend medical college. It's quite a journey ahead for her, but I have complete faith that she can achieve her academic and career goals. I've been blessed to work with her and the numerous other adult learners.

 Rob Brill
Members of the House of Representatives and organizations promoting atheism, agnosticism and humanism announced the creation this week of the Congressional Freethought Caucus.

The new caucus comes as the religious "nones"  those who claim no religious affiliation  jumped from 16 percent of the U.S. population in 2007 to nearly 23 percent in 2014, according to the latest Pew data.

"Our democracy is impoverished, and the quality of our political candidates is diminished, if a quarter of the population is effectively banned from the electoral arena," said Ron Millar, political and PAC coordinator at the Center for Freethought Equality.

"This caucus will help end discrimination against nontheist candidates and elected officials, allow candidates and elected officials to be authentic about their religious beliefs"  and encourage atheists, agnostics and humanists to consider runs for political office, he said.

The caucus was founded by four Democratic representatives: Jared Huffman of California, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Jerry McNerney of California and Dan Kildee of Michigan. It will be chaired by Huffman and Raskin, who identify as humanists. Humanists believe people can find morality and meaning without belief in God or other supernatural beliefs. McNerney and Kildee are Roman Catholics, according to the Pew Research Center.

Its goals include promoting public policy based on reason, science and moral values; protecting the secular character of government and the separation of church and state; opposing discrimination against atheists, agnostics, humanists, seekers, religious and nonreligious people; and providing a forum for members of Congress to discuss their "moral frameworks, ethical values and personal religious journeys."

Raskin said the caucus comes as "we face a constant undertow in Congress of dangerous efforts to stifle science and promote official religious dogma and orthodoxy."

Millar called its creation a "historic step in normalizing the participation of atheists and humanists within American politics."

The Center for Freethought Equality and the American Humanist Association were part of the meetings to outline the goals for the caucus.
In 1986, a tall, skinny guy arrived in Albany to pastor the Evangelical Protestant United Church of Christ in the South End. It didn't take him long to get involved in the community. John U. Miller always wore a clerical collar and a large cross, and he considered himself pastor to the entire neighborhood, not just his congregation. He was known in the neighborhood as Father John.

He consoled families of gunshot victims, visited people in jail, stood up for nonviolent offenders in court and directed them to alternatives to incarceration, taking them under his supervision for community service. Concerned about social injustice in many forms, he was ever a champion of "the least, the lost, and the last." He spoke at SEIU union rallies, advocated for benefits for the poor in the state budget and chaired the Albany Gun Violence Task Force. He was instrumental in establishing a seasonal homeless shelter at First Lutheran Church. If John were alive today, he'd be speaking up to preserve SNAP benefits in the Farm Bill, speaking out against Islamophobia, and welcoming immigrants and refugees.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani sought Friday to clean up a series of comments he had made about a settlement with an adult-film actress who had an alleged relationship with Trump, backtracking on his previous assertions about what the president knew and why the payment was made.

The cautious wording of the written statement released by Giuliani stood in sharp contrast to his previous two days of wide-ranging television and print interviews in which, according to legal experts, he exposed his client to greater legal risks and might have compromised his own attorney-client privilege with the president.

The former New York mayor startled White House officials and other members of Trump's legal team by announcing Wednesday that the president had reimbursed his personal lawyer Michael Cohen for a secret $130,000 payment he made in 2016 to actress Stormy Daniels. In several interviews, Giuliani also talked at length about how much Trump paid Cohen and when the reimbursements were made.

Some Trump advisers said they fear that Giuliani may have waived his right to assert that his conversations with the president are private - and that government or private lawyers pursuing lawsuits could now seek to interview him.

The drama instigated by the freewheeling former U.S. attorney - who signed on as Trump's lawyer just last month - is the latest crisis to hit the president's legal team, which has weathered numerous departures in recent months as it contends with the special counsel investigation into Russian election interference and a newly revealed separate criminal probe into Cohen.

The most recent shake-up came this week, with the news that Ty Cobb, the White House lawyer dealing with the special counsel, will be replaced by veteran white-collar defense attorney Emmet Flood.

Despite the fallout from his comments, Giuliani still appeared to be in good graces with the president, according to people familiar with his standing. The two men continued to confer privately about how to handle the Daniels matter, without consulting with the White House communications shop or the White House counsel's office.

In an interview Friday with The Washington Post, Giuliani said Trump was not mad at him. "He says he loves me," Giuliani said.

For his part, Trump told reporters Friday that Giuliani, who joined the legal team April 19, "just started a day ago" and is "learning the subject matter."

"He knows it's a witch hunt," the president added. "He'll get his facts straight."

But Giuliani's attempt at damage control will probably do little to mitigate the legal problems he has caused, legal experts said.

"The first rule is to shut up, which he is unable to do," said Stephen Gillers, a law professor at New York University. "False exculpatory statements often come back to bite."

"Giuliani's barrage harmed his client," he added. "He waived the privilege for communications with Trump on the subject of his public statements."

One close Trump adviser agreed, saying Giuliani had "waived the privilege, big time" with his public descriptions of his conversations with the president.

Trump initially did not appear concerned about Giuliani's revelations, telling him Wednesday night that he was "very pleased" with his comments, as Giuliani told The Post that night.

But Friday morning, the two men had a long conversation, during which they decided that a clarification was needed, Giuliani said in an interview Friday evening.

"We wanted to get everyone on the same page," he said.

In the statement he released, Giuliani insisted that the settlement with Daniels to keep her from disclosing an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 was solely made "to protect the President's family."

"It would have been done in any event, whether he was a candidate or not," he added in his statement.

That contrasted with comments he made earlier in the week, when he referred to the Daniels settlement in the context of the 2016 presidential campaign.

Appearing Thursday on Fox News Channel, for instance, Giuliani asked viewers to imagine if Daniels had aired her allegations "in the middle of the last debate with Hillary Clinton."

He added that Cohen "made it go away. He did his job."

Campaign finance law experts said such remarks by Giuliani may have offered new potential evidence for federal prosecutors in Manhattan who are investigating Cohen.

In his statement, Giuliani also sought to make clear that he spoke in recent interviews about his understanding of events in which Trump had been involved - not about what the president knew at the time.

"My references to timing were not describing my understanding of the President's knowledge, but instead, my understanding of these matters," he said.

The distinction is important because if Giuliani had publicly described a private conversation with the president, he might have inadvertently waived attorney-client privilege on that conversation - potentially opening the door for prosecutors to probe further into what was said, legal experts said.

In interviews earlier in the week, Giuliani indicated that he had conferred with the president before he divulged that Trump had reimbursed Cohen.

"He was well aware that at some point when I saw the opportunity, I was going to get this over with," Giuliani told The Post on Wednesday night, adding that he had discussed the matter with Trump "probably four or five days ago."

In a subsequent interview with NBC, Giuliani said he told Trump what Cohen had done on his behalf.

"I don't think the president realized he paid him back for that specific thing until we made him aware of the paperwork," he said.

Giuliani said the president responded, "Oh my goodness, I guess that's what it was for."

Giuliani's statements were based on a relatively short conversation he had with Trump about the Daniels matter, according to two people familiar with their discussions. Giuliani did not independently delve into the details of the case before he went on the air Wednesday night, they said.

"Rudy followed the client's wishes without knowing all the facts," one person said.

Giuliani disputed that, telling The Post on Friday evening that his understanding of the case came from "co-counsel, from reading documents, from conversations I had."

"It wasn't all from talking to the president," he said.

He also offered more details about the repayment arrangements, saying Trump had reimbursed Cohen by paying him $35,000 a month in 2017 for legal work Cohen did the previous year.

"It was sort of a straight-out bill," he said. "If he didn't pay it every month, he paid it many months."

"The monthly bill was paying down the expenditures. . . . It was not a loan," Giuliani added. "Some of it was for taxes, some of it was for incidental expenses, it covered things that might come up."

Giuliani said he did not know whether the president knew the details of the work Cohen performed for him.

"I have not been able to determine that," he said. "He trusted Michael a lot."

He said the president's legal team recently asked a campaign finance lawyer to scrutinize the payment to Daniels, and the lawyer concluded that no laws were broken.

Several legal experts said Giuliani's expansive statements could spur a lawyer - either a prosecutor or an attorney involved in civil litigation - to seek to compel him to offer testimony about that discussion.

Michael Avenatti, an attorney for Daniels, said he was considering whether to now try to seek testimony or other information from Giuliani in a civil case the actress has brought against Cohen and the president.

"We're still in the process of analyzing what he said, and we may very well make that argument, but we want to be thoughtful and strategic about it," Avenatti said.

In his statement, Giuliani also said it was "undisputed" that Trump had the constitutional power to fire former FBI director James Comey, which he did last year. Trump's action is among those under scrutiny by Mueller as part of his investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to sway the 2016 election.

Giuliani appeared to be backing away from an assertion he made earlier this week that the president acted out of frustration that Comey wouldn't publicly state that the president was not under investigation by the FBI.

That statement raised concerns among some legal experts who said that Giuliani seemed to indicate Comey was fired over the Russia investigation - and that such an admission could further an obstruction-of-justice probe involving the president.

Inside the White House, there is sensitivity among counsel Donald McGahn and others about the Comey firing, an official said, and Giuliani's comments were seen as "not helpful."

Senior White House staffers were caught off guard Wednesday by Giuliani's first appearance on Fox News, when he disclosed that Trump had repaid Cohen. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Thursday that she had not learned about the repayment until seeing Giuliani on television.

On Friday, a person close to the White House said Giuliani was still not consulting with McGahn or Flood or the press office.

For his part, Trump told associates that he resented media coverage saying he had lied about the Daniels affair after Giuliani revealed the repayment and wanted a statement issued declaring that he had not lied, according to a senior administration official.

Trump's comments that Giuliani was a "great man" reminded several current and former officials of Trump's kiss of death: lavishly praising a subordinate just before the person is fired. But a person close to both men said Giuliani and Trump remained on good terms.

Trump also told reporters Friday that if he could be treated fairly, he would "love to speak" to federal prosecutors investigating ties between his campaign and Russia. He said he would do so even over the objections of his lawyers - if he could be convinced that the Russia probe is not a "witch hunt."

"I would love to speak. I would love to go," Trump said. "Nothing I want to do more, because we did nothing wrong."

But, he added, "I have to find that we're going to be treated fairly. . . . Right now, it's a pure witch hunt."

- - -

The Washington Post's Carol D. Leonnig, Rosalind S. Helderman, Tom Hamburger and Beth Reinhard contributed to this report.

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Video: President Trump expressed support for his new lawyer and former New York mayor Rudy W. Giuliani on May 4, after he said Trump repaid Cohen for a hush agreement with Stormy Daniels. "Rudy knows it's a witch hunt," he said.(The Washington Post)

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Washington

A federal judge in Virginia sharply challenged the special counsel's case against Paul Manafort on Friday, suggesting that prosecutors had pursued fraud charges in hopes of gaining evidence that might incriminate President Donald Trump or even topple him from office.

"You don't really care about Mr. Manafort's bank fraud," Judge T.S. Ellis III said during a court hearing in Alexandria, according to published reports. "You really care about getting information that Mr. Manafort can give you that would reflect on Mr. Trump and lead to his prosecution or impeachment or whatever."

Trump immediately seized upon the judge's comments as proof that the special counsel is out of control. In a speech Friday afternoon to the National Rifle Association in Dallas, he cited the judge's critique. "I've been saying that for a long time," he said. "It's a witch hunt."

He described the judge as "very special" and "highly respected," and Manafort, who served as his campaign chairman for five months, as "a good person" who worked for him only briefly.

The judge's unfriendly reception was a new turn of events for special counsel Robert Mueller's team, which has faced little or no confrontation during court hearings. Other Americans charged by the special counsel have pleaded guilty and most have agreed to cooperate with the prosecutors. But Manafort has mounted a vigorous defense against financial fraud and other charges, contending that Mueller has gone beyond his mandate.

Ellis, 77, who was appointed to the federal bench in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan, seemed sympathetic to that argument. He said that the criminal activity described in the indictment "manifestly has nothing to do with the campaign" or Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
PHILADELPHIA - Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is hitting the road to boost three candidates in Pennsylvania's May 15 primaries, clashing with Democratic Party forces at the state and federal levels in some of the year's most bitter races.

"We are endorsing candidates at the federal, state and local level, all over this country, who are prepared to stand up for a progressive agenda, to run against big money interests, and to run grass-roots campaigns," Sanders said in an interview. "That's what these three candidates are doing. I happen to believe that the only way Democrats are going to win in those states is by running strong Democrats, progressive Democrats, who will stand up for the working class."

On Friday and Saturday, Sanders will rally with John Fetterman, a candidate for lieutenant governor; Jess King, a nonprofit executive running for the 11th Congressional District; and Greg Edwards, a candidate in the 7th Congressional District. Edwards's race has become a smashmouth three-way battle between himself, a conservative Democrat, and a liberal candidate backed by Emily's List. King's race had been one of the highest-profile clashes between the party's left-wing base and its establishment, until court-ordered redistricting put her in a new right-leaning district. (She now faces no opponent May 15.)

The Fetterman race has turned bitter, too. Fetterman, who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2016, has angered some activists in Allegheny County, where he is mayor of the city of Braddock, by endorsing one fracking proposal in his city, and by endorsing an incumbent Democratic state legislator who's being opposed by a member of Democratic Socialists of America.

Sanders had jumped into the fray anyway, and Fetterman was happy to have him. "He's the most popular polling Democrat in the country, and he's a leader of the progressive movement," said Fetterman. "I want to push back on that fracking thing. We're Democrats. We are supposed to look after working class families. If the mill that wants to do this goes under, that's 3000 jobs lost. All they need to do is drill two wells."

Sanders also said that the fracking issue was no reason to reject Fetterman.

"My view is that we've got to transform our energy system and move away from fossil fuels, and ban fracking from one side of this country to the other," said Sanders. "If John happens to disagree with me on that issue, then we disagree. What I do know is that John believes in Medicare for All, believes in raising the minimum wage, believes in pay equity."

But Fetterman's opponents aren't sitting by while the candidate rallies with Sanders. Nina Ahmad, a former Philadelphia deputy mayor who jumped into the race this year, used the occasion to criticize Fetterman's 2013 handling of a situation near his home in Braddock. Fetterman, who said he'd heard gunfire while one of his children was playing outside, grabbed his shotgun, called 9-1-1, and confronted a mysterious man who claimed to have been merely jogging by.

The jogger story re-emerged in 2016, during Fetterman's Senate bid. At the time, he suggested that one of his better-funded Democratic opponents was shopping the story around. This year, Ahmad is attacking Fetterman's judgment herself, with no filter.

"As a brown person in this country, it's important that we understand that implicit bias is destroying lives," said Ahmad. "It's important that we hold people accountable. It doesn't matter if an incident happened years ago or yesterday."

Fetterman defended his decisions from 2013. "When the rifle rounds started going off, I made three quick decisions: To get my little boy indoors, to call 9-1-1-, and to confront the suspect," he said. "This was three weeks after the Sandy Hook massacre."

In one way, said Fetterman, the reappearance of the attack on his 2013 incident demonstrated how the ground had moved. In 2016, when the attack first circulated, he had not been able to secure key endorsements; Sanders, who had he backed in the 2016 presidential primary, did not come to the state to campaign for him.

"There's not been any pressure on this campaign," he said. "From 2016 to now, my positions haven't changed. What have changed are the dynamics. In 2016, I had a 90 mph head wind coming at me, with unlimited money going to [party-backed candidate] Katie McGinty. And in this race that's not the case."

Sanders's 24-hour Pennsylvania trip began with a visit to someone who had no election this year - Larry Krasner, the new district attorney in Philadelphia. On Friday afternoon, Krasner and Sanders sat down for an interview with Jacobin magazine and community activists, where Sanders praised the new DA for working to "end mass incarceration" and change the justice system from inside.

But Krasner spent some of their time together criticizing Democrats who ran "as Republican lite," arguing that his party had been losing elections because voters did not have candidates they believed in.

"Voting is habitual," said Krasner. "If you run candidates who excite people, and they go register to vote, they might do it again."

Krasner looked across the table at Sanders, who was grinning widely.

"I'm glad you're smiling," Krasner said.
Carter Bank & Trust's Customer Contact Center Set to Open August 15

Carter Bank & Trust (OTCQX:CARE) is opening a Customer Contact Center, a key touchpoint for the bank's comprehensive overhaul of its operating system through new technologies and digital services.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180504005729/en/

Veronica Bocock, Carter Bank & Trust's vice president and Customer Contact Center manager (Photo: Business Wire)

Slated to open on August 15, Carter Bank's contact center is one of several upcoming strategies with new technologies to transform the bank's infrastructure and extend personal relationships beyond the branch.

Oversight of this center will becarried out by Veronica Bocock, a Carter Bank employee for more than 13 years, who until recently was help desk supervisor prior to her promotion to vice president and center manager. She also was a help desk analyst, and while in high school and college, a part-time teller in Patrick County.





"Given her proven leadership and unwavering commitment to customer service excellence, Veronica Bocock is the ideal person to bring our Customer Contact Center to life. No one knows our back office operations to support our products and services more than Veronica," said Carter Bank's Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Jane Ann Davis.

A resident of Stuart, Bocock received an associates degree in general studies from Patrick Henry Community College. She also has completed additional college courses in marketing from Liberty University.

"This is an exciting time for Carter Bank, and I am honored to be part of launching one of our most important strategies to elevate the customer experience to a completely new level," said Bocock.

Carter Bank is currently accepting applications for eight Customer Contact Center specialists, six of which are full-time and two, part-time, and for two full-time Customer Contact Center team leaders. These eight full-time positions offer competitive salaries and exceptional benefits.

Interested candidates should go to CarterBankandTrust.com to apply.

About Carter Bank & Trust: Headquartered in Martinsville, Va., Carter Bank & Trust is a state-chartered community bank in Virginia with 109 branches and nearly 1,000 employees in Virginia and North Carolina.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180504005729/en/
A defense witness who reportedly was to contradict a portion of the governments racketeering case against the former top two leaders of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club instead invoked his right to remain silent Friday.

Michael Anderson, a member of the Bandidos called by lawyers for former national Bandidos president Jeffrey Fay Pike, invoked his Fifth Amendment right after being informed that he could face charges in a bar incident in Fort Worth in which a member of a rival group was shot and killed. He was the second witness called by Pikes lawyers this week to decide not to testify.

RELATED: San Antonio school officials urge caution after student followed home

Andersons about-face came in the racketeering trial of Pike and his co-defendant, former Bandidos national vice president John Xavier Portillo. After Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra was apprised of the situation, he appointed Anderson a lawyer and stopped public proceedings to look into the matter further.

The judge closed the courtroom to investigate claims by Pikes lead lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, that federal prosecutors colluded with state prosecutors in Fort Worth to scare the witness into not testifying. Though the audience was able to witness part of the unusual situation, jurors did not see any of this because the judge took the issue up  and Anderson invoking his constitutional right  when they were not in the courtroom.

DeGuerin said Anderson was willing to testify and refute earlier testimony that several Bandidos members came in shooting when they entered a Fort Worth bar in December 2014 to attack members of the Cossacks Motorcycle Club and its supporters. Geoffrey Brady, a supporter of the Cossacks, was shot dead, and Anderson and another Bandido were shot but survived.

Howard Wayne Baker, 62, the president of the Fort Worth chapter of the Bandidos, was sentenced to 40 years in prison after being convicted under Texas law of parties with Bradys murder. Bradys killing also is included in a 13-count federal racketeering indictment charging Pike and Portillo with ordering, approving or sanctioning Bandidos members to kill, beat, extort or intimidate rival or fellow bikers.

RELATED: Massage therapist sexually assaulted woman at S.A.-area spa, suit says

DeGuerin told the judge that Anderson had been informed by Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney Pamela Boggess that he would not be charged in the bar incident because he was considered a victim. Anderson, according to DeGuerin, is listed as the complainant in an indictment charging another man with aggravated assault in that bar fight.

But DeGuerin said Anderson was stunned when DeGuerin relayed information Friday morning from Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Fuchs that Boggess now planned to charge him in the matter.

Im concerned this is collusion between the prosecutors here and (Boggess) to deprive us of a witness, and I want to get that on the record, DeGuerin told Ezra. This is just so frustrating to me that this is a man who wants to testify. But it seems they are doing this to keep him off the stand. This man is the complainant in a criminal case they brought. How are they going to charge him? That would be ludicrous.

Portillos lead lawyer, Mark Stevens, joined in DeGuerins argument.

Fuchs assured the judge that he did not collude with Boggess. Fuchs said he called Boggess after being given a list of witnesses late Thursday that DeGuerin might call to testify on Friday. Anderson was on that list, and Boggess informed Fuchs that Anderson faced prosecution on state charges in Fort Worth.

I did have a duty to inform the court about his culpability, and thats what I did, Fuchs said.

As part of his inquiry, the judge briefly cleared the courtroom to speak by phone with Boggess and her supervisor.

They had been looking at Mr. Anderson for quite some time, the judge said after reopening the court. He remains a person of serious interest. I asked  whether Mr. Anderson is realistically in jeopardy, and the answer was yes. Under those circumstances, I am convinced there is absolutely no collusion.

Anderson was one of four witnesses called by Pikes legal team Friday, which could possibly finish its case mid-Tuesday.

The witnesses included defense expert William Dulaney, who studies motorcycle clubs. Dulaneys testimony included the origins of motorcycle clubs and myths that demonize some of them. For instance, Dulaney said the term outlaw motorcycle club originated from some bikers parting ways with the American Motorcycle Association for implementing rules that included being sober for racing events. He said outlaw doesnt mean criminal.

It just means theyre not members of the AMA, Dulaney said. No more criminal than outlaw country music.

He also said the AMA has denounced ever making a statement often attributed to it  that 99 percent of bikers are law-abiding citizens, implying that the remaining 1 percent are outlaws.

Pike testified for three days this week in his own defense. Portillos lawyer Stevens told the judge that no decision has been made whether Portillo will testify, but that his team may start calling their witnesses Tuesday.

Guillermo Contreras is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | gcontreras@express-news.net | @gmaninfedland
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"And finally, we need to develop systems to detect and cope with new and re-emerging infectious diseases like HIV, avian flu and H1N1 influenza," he said in Vellore, around 140 km from Chennai.Kovind said this calls for interventions across the continuum of care-prevention of disease, promotion of good health practices and treatment and cure in case of an illness."The impact of a health problem is cross-cutting -- it affects a variety of sectors. The meeting of this challenge should also follow a multi-stakeholder approach. The government and civil society, private and public health care providers, charitable and economic institutions all have a role and a stake."According to the President, the National Health Mission, the National Health Policy and the Ayushman Bharat insurance scheme were alive to this broad-based approach and ensure that nobody was deprived of healthcare due to the absence of financial or similar resources.Kovind said the principles that must guide the philosophy of public health were equity and efficiency, quality and quantity, and access and affordability."Yes, it is also a business - but there is no greater business than saving a life. I am sure the CMC community will agree," he said.He said there was an urgent need for reform in medical education to create room for more colleges and more medical graduates."In India, we have 1.47 million undergraduate engineering seats, but only 67,352 undergraduate medical seats. And about 20 per cent of those seats were added in the past four years."Praising CMC for its reputation for excellence, Kovind said: "India's first re-constructive surgery on leprosy patients was carried out here, and so was the first successful open heart surgery and the first kidney transplant."Recent research on the rotavirus vaccine, hepatitis, malnutrition, bio-engineering and stem cells underlines CMC's commitment to research that is relevant to India's health needs, he added.The President is on a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu starting on Friday. On his arrival at the Chennai airport, Kovind was received by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister K. Palaniswami and others.Source: IANS
About a week ago, tens of millions of thick printed election information guides were mailed to every household in California, including mine. I have no idea what it costs the state to create this thing, but I suspect something approaching a hundred million dollars. The purpose of these things is, ostensibly, for people to carefully study the propositions on the June ballot as well as the candidates for the various government posts (Federal Senator, California Governor, Treasurer, and so forth).

California is a famously progressive state, but thumbing through this book, I am always struck by some of the   shall we say   more fringe candidate that somehow have made their way into this publicly-funded publication. Here are a few..

We begin with Jerry Laws, whose entire platform and campaign for the Senate can be expressed in merely a single word:

John Crew, however, is at least a little more verbose. I daresay the single issue hes focused on wont win him many votes in the Golden State.

Oh, speaking of children   they ones that make it past any abortions   heres what Chris Carlson has to say. Apparently his campaign manager is Dr. Seuss.

Ive taken the liberty of highlighting the next one, since its so wordy. Don Grundmann   whose photo suggests he just witnessed the reveal scene in The Crying Game   apparently isnt a big fan of transgenders. I daresay he doesnt bother to tell people his preferred pronouns when introduced.

A broader worldview is held by Doug Pierce (whose hair was fashioned in the style of David Lynch about the time Blue Velvet was released). Mr. Pierce loves everybody!

As enjoyable as the crazy hair picture is, not all candidates bother to provide a head shot. Lee Olson didnt bother, but he did take the trouble to share his slogans, instead of some boring mission statement. They have the catchy cadence and memorable phrasing of something out of North Korea.

Whereas John Parker is more to the point. He wants capitalism to end. Kill Whitey didnt make it past the editors, I guess.

Then theres THIS piece of work

I confess I had no idea what #cesp5 was supposed to mean, so I checked it out. Apparently it stands for Community Empowered Safety Plan #5 (perhaps the prior four didnt make it, in the spirit of Plan 9 From Outer Space). As Mr. Liu describes it, I am the Worlds Smartest Leader. As we speak, CESP5, a game that enables ordinary people to be prosperous in the lands of capitalism, is spreading like wildfire across the world. Considering that the only links I found to CESP5 were from Peter Liu himself, Im not so sure about the wildfire thing.

Far more verbose than a hashtag is this one which is well worth a read.

So I see hes jumped on board the blockchain bandwagon. But let me get this straight   if he serves as Senator, his function will be to simply execute whatever vote the majority provides to him? That makes him just kind of a highly-priced automaton, right? I think this entire premise is e-Idiotic.

Listen, screw all these guys. Ive already found the man who gets my vote:

But, sadly, in spite of all these spirited attempts, we all know who is going to return to the Senate for her 97th consecutive term from California..

https://slopeofhope.com/2018/05/california-wingnuts.html

California Wingnuts

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It was an ordinary day and we were munching on peanuts we bought from last month's salary, when we came across a video of a British millionaire crashing his precious Rolls-Royce into a shop. And as the car smashed one whole side of the small shop, two stunning bikini-clad women, who were probably models, climbed non-chalantly out of his car.

The man in question is Jody Sanders, British millionaire and playboy  explains the crash and the women. Mr Sanders was driving on the beautiful streets of the island Majorca, which is part of Spain. He lost control when sandals got stuck in the pedals and his 270,000 Rolls-Royce went crashing into a tobacco shop.

Sanders fled the scene leaving his expensive car on the spot, to escape cops. But he later called the manager of the shop he had crashed into to ask for insurance details and sort out the matter. Surely, money is not the problem here.

Jose Martin, the manager of a restaurant nearby was quoted by the Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5676489/Millionaire-British-playboy-crashes-270k-Rolls-Royce-convertible-Magaluf-shop.html as saying, The man was driving and the music was blaring and two very pretty South American women were in bikinis dancing and taking selfies.

Jody Sanders is from Warwickshire and regularly flaunts his posh lifestyle on social media. The British millionaire is believed to own a Mercedes Sport and a Lamborghini as well.

The three people in the car escaped without major injuries and thankfully, the crash site was empty too. If we could afford a Rolls-Royce, we wouldn't let it get a single scratch.
Women in power often walk with pride, carrying big responsibilities on their shoulders. However, for a few, keeping up with the responsibilities is not only a part of their duty; with time it becomes their foremost mission above everything else.

In a country like India where power is often misused in the name of goodwill, a handful of people remain on the ground and work for betterment. Such people cannot be deviated from their work by any means or aberrations (money or threat). The journey of IAS Rohini Sindhuri is one such example.

Notable Work As An IAS Officer

 Twitter

Between the years 2014-2015, Sindhuri launched and succeeded in working towards a drive to provide individual toilets to over 1.02 lakh households. She was then the CEO of Mandya Zilla Parishad, a part of Rohini suburb in Delhi.

The task of constructing over 80,000 individual toilets across the district was one big achievement in her career; the area was ranked number one in the state and third in the country in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

The Central Government granted Rs 65 crore to her district, which was utilized in drinking water amenities under Sindhuri's supervision. More than 100 drinking water units were set up. This was the second time her work impressed the Union government. The district was then granted Rs 6 crores additionally to extend the projects. Whether it was her personal meetings with villagers to make them understand the importance of proper sanitation or her crop survey execution under farmers' crop insurance scheme, Rohini Sindhuri's journey soon became an inspiration for many. By the dawn of 2017, Sindhuri's work became a roadmap of development for other IAS officers.

Standing Against The System

 Facebook

On March 31, IAS Sindhuri challenged the political class and issued orders for locking down A Manju's (Minister-in-charge of Hassan district) office in the PWD Inspection Bungalow. While the office was locked from outside, it was found that a few staff members were clearing the pending files inside. For violation of the Model Code of Conduct (the minister and his workers were using the government space for election work), Rohini circulated notices to the minister as well as the PWD Department.

Her difference of opinions and work ethics are believed to be the reasons behind her untimely transfer. However, that isn't going to stop the iron lady from doing what she is best at working with honesty!

Rohini raised fingers at the state government's decision of transferring her. She made an appeal to the Karnataka High Court and the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) at the same. On March 5, her transfer order was withdrawn. However, 48 hours later the same transfer order was re-issued.

 Twitter

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) was directed by the High Court to examine the application filed by Rohini, against her transfer, but no actions were taken by CAT on it. IAS Rohini Sindhuri's journey and her fight for justice continue as she marches ahead to do her work with an honest heart and a sincere mind.

IAS Rohini's passion and commitment towards her work signal a shift in perspective which is the need of the hour. For women trying to find their own new work dimensions in the Indian Administrative Services, firebrand IAS Rohini Sindhuri's story is just like one strong ray of light emerging from the darkest clouds of the corrupt bureaucratic system.
Offers were placed by Chinese mills in the export market, after the Labor Day holidays on Monday April 30 and Tuesday May 1 in the Asian country. Some companies have not returned [to the market] after the May 1 holiday, but I havent heard Chinese firms...
UPPER THUMB -- GreatSchools recently named two Upper Thumb schools 2018 College Success Award Winners.

GreatSchools is a national nonprofit organization that provides parents with information about schools and education.

It provides ratings based on test scores, graduation rates and a variety of other scores.

Bad Axe and Cass City were two of the 814 high schools nationwide that earned the distinction.

The College Success Award uses post secondary data collected and shared by states, such as: graduation rates, graduating seniors enrolled in college, ACT and SAT scores, graduates who returned to college for a second year, among other things and recognizes public high schools that stand out in getting students enrolled in and staying with college.

"When we were notified, it validated what we do and have been doing preparing our students for years beyond high school," said Bad Axe Superintendent Greg Newland. "It's definitely an honor anytime you get something like that. That recognition just shows that your school stands our and that's a credit to our staff."

Bad Axe was above the state average in three of the four qualifications in college readiness according to GreatSchools.

The high school graduation rate was 90 percent, compared to the state average of 80 percent, their average SAT score was 1026, compared to the state average of 1001, and their average ACT score was 22, compared to the state average of 20, while their Advanced Placement course participation was 10 percent, compared to the state average of 14 percent.

In the college success portion of the award, Bad Axe was above average in three of the four categories as well, according to GreatSchools.

79 percent of their graduating seniors were enrolled in college, compared to the state average of 61 percent, 62 percent of their graduating seniors were pursuing a four-year degree, compared to the state average of 39 percent, 17 percent of their graduating seniors were pursuing a two-year degree, compared to the state average of 22 percent, and 57 percent of their graduates returned to college for a second year.

Newland credited the Michigan College Access Network's AdviseMI program, a program that places recent college graduates in high schools to help students navigate the college going process.

The program, which is in its fourth year and serves seventy-one Michigan high schools, has been at Bad Axe for the past two years and will be again in the upcoming school year.

"We have been fortunate to have a college advisor through the grant program these past two years," Newland said. "It has helped our counselor to help the students plan and get all of the forms needed, the applications, and the FAFSA documentation, to get them into position to apply to schools or to make whatever plans they have, post high school."

Cass City was above the state average in three of the four qualifications in college readiness as well, according to GreatSchools.

Their high school graduation rate was 94 percent, compared to the state average of 80 percent, their average SAT score was 1030, compared to the state average of 1001, and their AP course participation was 15 percent, compared to the state average of 14 percent, while their average ACT score was 20, compared to the state average of 20.

In the college success portion of the award, Cass City was above average in two of the four categories, according to GreatSchools.

Seventy-three percent of their graduating seniors were enrolled in college, compared to the state average of 61 percent, 58 percent of their graduating seniors were pursuing a four-year degree, compared to the state average of 39 percent, 15 percent of their graduating seniors were pursuing a two-year degree, compared to the state average of 22 percent, and 53 percent of their graduates returned to college for a second year.

For more information on Bad Axe and Cass City High Schools, along with college success and college readiness information on all of the high schools in the Tribune coverage area, visit www.greatschools.org.
LANSING -- Legislation to protect underage victims of sex crimes from having to attend school with their attackers has made its way to Gov. Rick Snyder's desk.

The state Senate recently unanimously approved Rep. Lana Theis' (R-Brighton) legislation. The bills -- HB 5530, HB 5531 and HB 5532 -- would ban students convicted of criminal sexual conduct from attending the same school as their victim.

The three-bill plan is in response to a recent Livingston County case where a 16-year-old was convicted of criminal sexual charges against multiple victims as young as 12. The underage perpetrator sought to return to school upon release, despite several victims being fellow students.

This prompted action by Theis.

"A child who has been sexually assaulted by a classmate in Michigan is often left with the choice of going back to school with their rapist or having to change schools themselves," said Theis. "This is not just a loophole that allows this to happen, it is a gaping hole in our law that would allow such an injustice and I am happy we are changing this."

The plan requires permanent expulsion of students who are convicted of criminal sexual conduct against another pupil enrolled in the same school district and prohibits an expelled student from attending another public school in Michigan unless they go through a reinstatement process. Additionally, the bill requires if a personal protection order is ordered for the victim of sexual assaults, the offender would be prohibited from entering the victim's school.

Currently, Michigan schools are only required to expel a student who commits a sex crime on school grounds.

"These bills are needed to ensure we protect young victims of criminal sexual conduct, just as we do for adults," said Theis, a member of the House Law and Justice Committee. "We had several of the young victims and their families go before House and Senate committees to tell us how they faced the possibility of being in the same school building, classroom and even bus route with a manipulative predator. As a mother of high school-age daughter, it's unbelievable to me that it was even considered."

House Bills 5530, 5531 and 5532 advance to the governor for his consideration.
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KILMANAGH  Four vacant buildings burned down in a fire that took place recently on Bay Port Road near Sebewaing Road.

According to Sebewaing Fire Chief Matt Bumhoffer, firefighters were called to the scene around 12:30 p.m. Friday.
The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.



The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.







By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.
WASHINGTON  The deployment of about 2,000 National Guard troops to aid Customs and Border Protection along the U.S.-Mexico border is expected to cost about $182 million, a Pentagon spokeswoman said.

The money would fund the troops through the end of September, Pentagon Chief Spokeswoman Dana White told reporters Thursday. The 2,000 troops is roughly half the number that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis authorized to deploy to the U.S.-Mexico border to assist law enforcement with security, she said. President Donald Trump has long railed against the state of the nation's southern border, describing it as porous and allowing undocumented immigrants and drugs to flow into the United States.

Customs and Border Protection has only formally requested about 2,000 National Guardsmen, thus far, White said. However, she indicated negotiations for deploying more troops were ongoing.

The $182 million would be funded primarily through National Guard operations and maintenance budgets, typically used among Guard units to cover the cost of training, and from military personnel accounts.

White said the Pentagon had "no concern" that using money meant to fund Guard units training would hurt their combat readiness.

National Guard members began deploying to the border last month after Mattis' authorized the operation. They operate under the control of the governors of the border states.

So far, more than 1,000 troops have deployed to border areas in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and California. Their mission is to aid the Department of Homeland Security, primarily by providing capabilities such as aviation, surveillance, engineering, communications and logistical operations.

Mattis told lawmakers last month that the troops would not be authorized to make arrests.

"These forces will not involve themselves with the migrants themselves or have any law enforcement duties," he told the House Armed Services Committee on April 12.

Trump ordered Mattis to approve the deployments last month after growing frustrated with inaction on his promised border wall, a major theme during his campaign that he has said he intends to see through.

Trump is the third consecutive president to send National Guard troops to the border. George W. Bush deployed about 6,400 Guardsmen to the border from 2006 to 2008. In 2010, Barack Obama sent about 1,200 troops to the border.
This Sikh Marine Is Ready to Sue the Service to Wear a Beard and Turban at All Times

First Lt. Sukhbir Toor applied in March for a religious accommodation to wear a beard and turban and to not cut his hair.
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84): 1 47' 43'' South , 80 45' 25'' West Latitude & Longitude (decimal): -1.79537,-80.75695 GeoHash: G#: 6pwtf34t4 Locality type: Village Koppen climate type: Aw : Tropical savanna, wet Name(s) in local language(s): Olon, Canton de Manglaralto, Provincia de Santa Elena, Ecuador

Mineral List

Regional Geology

A small village of fishermen that is visited because it has beautiful beaches.2 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

Mesozoic sedimentary rocks Age: Mesozoic (66 - 201.3 Ma) Lithology: Sedimentary rocks 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]

Data and map coding provided by Macrostrat.org, used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License

Localities in this Region Show map
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

John Neve discovered gold here in 1875. There has been some dispute over the name spelling. The Wardens Court in various papers spell his name Neve, and the site was known as Nevesville until the 1930's, when for some inexplicable reason the name was changed to Neavesville, which has generally been used since.The site is two kilometres south of State Highway 25A, 15 kilometres east of Kopu. Access is by a four wheel drive (or walking) track leaving the highway, or can be accessed by a road in a similar state of disrepair heading east of Puriri. Various mining exploration tracks cross the area, which is now densely forested and scrub covered hills. Remains of the Bird battery still exists, swallowed by the forest, and un-marked, with no access.After the gold discovery several company mines were developed in the late 19th century, but these gradually faded until in the 1930's the town consisted of a very basic hotel, and a dozen humpies where men eked out a living gum resin digging on Mullocky Flat. The site also contained a ten stamp battery which had been abandoned before it conducted any crushing when the gas suction engine failed. In the 1930's Bill Havill, Martin Grace, his brother Perry Grace, Harry Morgan, and his son got the old battery working crushing stacked ore from previous mining ventures, and driving on a small leader. The mine was taken over by John McCoy from Auckland, but it is thought be the end of the 1930's mining had ceased, and the forest gradually swallowed the site.This is probably the same battery that was removed in the 1960's to the Thames Gold Experience tourist attraction at Thames. After fifty years of volunteer work, the battery was re-assembled and restored to an operating condition to demonstrate to tourists.The area has been covered by mining exploration leases for several decades. Various companies explored across the 1980's and 1990's. In 2012 Eurasian Minerals took over the area, shortly after merging with White Rock Minerals to become E2 Metals. Over the years there have been options for sale to other companies, and joint exploration ventures. Sixty-nine drill holes, some rock chip sampling, reviews of past historic data, and 3D computer geological wireframe modelling has produced an Inferred JORC compliant resource of 1 489 500 tonnes of ore for 123 600 ounces of gold at 2.58 g/t, and 509 100 ounces of silver at 9.69 g/t, at least indicating the ore has a high silver content over gold (cut-off Au 0.7 g/t). The output of the goldfield until the 1930's was around 29 000 ounces.An attractive daffodil is named after Neavesville, the North Island man who developed it, John McLennan naming it for the gold mining area his grandfather worked in.The country rock is andesite, rhyolite pyroclastics, intrusive silicified breccia, and pyritic black shale, capped by tuff. The deposits are located in a one kilometre wide north north-east trending graben structure. The rift is filled by rhyolite pyroclastics and sedimentary rocks, intruded by elongate breccia lodes consisting of a clay-pyrite-carbonate altered matrix, supporting clasts of andesite, carbonaceous shale, and rhyolitic tuff.The near surface is hydrothermally altered to quartz, adularia, kaolinite, illite and smectite, graduating at depth to quartz, adularia, kaolinite, chlorite, illite, and sericite.Epithermal gold-silver is found particularly around the breccia margins, beneath the shale beds, and along fault structures, especially where north-west trending cross structures intersect the major north-north-east trending structues. Ore is found as pyrite and electrum in carbonaceous shale, in veins and fractures; or as electrum in cockscomb quartz vein stock works in brittle silicified rocks; or as electrum in epithermal veins; or as secondary enriched electrum. Trace chalcopyrite is found in quartz veins at depth, associated with molybdenum.7 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
Emily Bingham | ebingham@mlive.com

It sounds like the makings of a fantasy destination wedding: Saying "I do" while barefoot on a white-sand beach, or overlooking an oceanic expanse of perfect blue water. Except that it's not at some faraway tropical destination; it's right here in Michigan.

Every year, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore hosts an average of 20 weddings at a handful of approved sites around the park: on beaches and historic farms, at scenic overlooks and picnic spots, and even on the park's remote Manitou Islands. Given certain park restrictions, these intimate gatherings are necessarily small, but considering the cost of a wedding these days (the average couple spends more than $30,000), the price can't be beat: the permit required for hosting a ceremony at this national treasure is just $150.

Read on for a short 'n' sweet guide to making a Sleeping Bear wedding dream come true.

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Emily Bingham | ebingham@mlive.com

1. Pick your date

You can schedule your ceremony at Sleeping Bear Dunes up to a year in advance, and as shy as 21 days from your chosen wedding date. Just make sure that date works for the park: Certain dates for certain locations during summer's peak tourist season may not be approved, including the weekends of Memorial Day, Labor Day, and July Fourth. Dates are also first come, first served -- but, says ranger activities assistant Dawn Majewski, "we have so many locations that I've not had a conflict yet for someone being able to get the date they want."

And while many couples get married at the dunes in the summertime for that glorious beach-y vibe, there's plenty of beauty to be found if you're open to braving the elements. "We did have one wedding a couple years ago in the winter," Majewski says. "They cross-country skied along one of our trails to their location."

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Emily Bingham | ebingham@mlive.com

2. Pick your location (and possibly narrow your guest list)

There are 20 approved locations within the park where wedding ceremonies may be held. Depending on the location, parking availability and the number of guests who may attend could be limited (the maximum guest limit ranges from 25 people to 50 people). The locations are as listed:

Good Harbor Bay Beach, County Road 651

Good Harbor Bay Beach, County Road 669

Good Harbor Bay Picnic Area

Pyramid Point

Port Oneida Historic Farms

Sunset Shores Road Beach

Lane Road Beach

Glen Haven Beach

Sleeping Bear Inn Lawn

Maritime Museum Beach

Glen Lake Picnic Area

Picnic Mountain

Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive Dune Overlook

Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive Lake Michigan Overlook

Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive North Bar Overlook

Esch Road Beach

Peterson Road Beach

Tiesma Road Beach

South Manitou Island Village Area

North Manitou Island Village Area

(Click here for a list of the sites with parking and restroom availability, as well as maximum guest-list size for each of these sites)

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Emily Bingham | ebingham@mlive.com

3. File for a permit (and read the rules)

The permit to hold a wedding ceremony at Sleeping Bear Dunes costs a total of $150: $50 up front for a deposit, and the remaining $100 upon reading through the permit's terms and conditions. Some of the rules are obvious -- pets in attendance must be leashed, for instance -- but others might be a surprise: For example, rice may not be thrown during or after the ceremony because it is an unnatural food source for park wildlife. (A full list of Sleeping Bear wedding do's and do not's can be found here.)

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Emily Bingham | ebingham@mlive.com

4. Remember to buy park passes

There's just one more expense after the permit is signed, sealed and delivered: Making sure you and your guests have park passes for the time you'll be within the national lakeshore. A park entrance pass is $20 per vehicle (not per visitor) and is good for seven days after its admittance -- allowing you and your guests to enjoy the park before and after the day of your nuptials.

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Emily Bingham | ebingham@mlive.com

5. Be prepared for any kind of weather. (This is Michigan, after all)

Only wedding ceremonies -- not wedding receptions -- are allowed within the park, so if you reserve space for a reception somewhere in the area, check to see if they'll accommodate you if you need to move your ceremony location due to inclement weather.

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Emily Bingham | ebingham@mlive.com

6. Enjoy!

Majewski says many couples who choose to get married at Sleeping Bear Dunes do so because it's "near and dear to their hearts" -- perhaps because it's where they became engaged, or because they have other special ties to the region. Whatever the reason, it's always a stunning backdrop to the beginning of something beautiful.

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Emily Bingham | ebingham@mlive.com

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Emily Bingham | ebingham@mlive.com

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Related stories:

17 sweet spots for taking engagement photos in Detroit

10 truly Michigan ways to show someone you love them

Jaw-dropping places that people can't believe are actually in Michigan

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Right on the heels of hosting the Hungarian amateurs, the North American Amateur Drivers Association (NAADA) is preparing for a visit from the Spanish amateur drivers beginning next week.

The Spaniards, from Palma de Mallorca, will be with us from Monday, May 7 through Sunday, May 13 and we are preparing to entertain them with races, sightseeing and good food and we'll continue the great camaraderie started many years ago, noted Alicia Schwartz, NAADA's event planner.

During the week, races are planned at Yonkers Raceway, Monticello Raceway and Tioga Downs as well as a visit to Trot Town USA, better known nowadays as Goshen, New York, where the visitors will tour both Historic Track and the Harness Racing Museum. Along the way, the Spaniards will be treated to good food and wine and will spend a couple of nights enjoying the Big Apple (New York City) before returning home.

During the competitions, drivers for the visiting Spaniards will remain the same at each venue. They include club president Jaume Bassa Riera, Guillermo Busquets Liull, Francisco Liabres Ramis, Pau Roig Moll and Santi Roig Moll.

However, at each event the hometowners will field a different team. Tentatively slated to drive for NAADA at Yonkers on Tuesday (May 8) are Alan Schwartz, Joe Lee, Peter Kleinhans and Monica Banca. At Monticello on Thursday (May 10), the USA team will consist of Bob Davis, Tony Ciuffitelli, Paul Minore nd Alan Schwartz. The NAADA team at Tioga Downs on Saturday (May 12) is yet to be announced.

It's a lot of work putting these competitions together and we're always happy to host our foreign friends. Everyone knows that winning is not the primary reason for the international events... and that's a good thing because it seems that everybody wins against us, Mrs. Schwartz added with a chuckle.

Just a couple of weeks ago, at the end of April, amateur drivers from Hungary were here for an international competition and after the Spaniards contests are completed NAADA will entertain amateurs from Italy and France later this year.

(NAADA)
Six divisions of Ohio Sires Stakes three-year-old trotting and pacing fillies highlighted the Miami Valley Raceway program on Friday night, May 4, before a healthy crowd that packed the grandstand and outside apron, witnessing new track records and a seasonal standard.

Red Storm and Non Smoker each captured a $50,000 OHSS contest for sophomore filly trotters. Red Storm, a striking chestnut daughter by Stormin Normand, prevailed at 7-5 odds by a whisker in a brutal stretch drive over 2-1 rival Impinktoo (Kayne Kauffman) in 1:55.4. Aaron Merriman steered the speedy winner.

Owned and bred by Sandra Burnett of Wilmington, Ohio, and trained by Chris Beaver, Red Storm has amassed $174,975 in her career from 11 starts, with six wins, three seconds and a third.

Alanas Ways, a 14-1 longshot, was third for Josh Sutton.

Non Smoker, a gorgeous and diminutive My MVP lass, prevailed in a gutsy wire-to-wire effort in 1:54, a new Miami Valley track record, with trainer Danny Noble in the sulky. Leaving the gate at 4-1, the grey filly held off the hard-trying 19-1 Risky Deal (Kurt Sugg) by half a length at the wire, with 3-5 favourite Looking For Zelda (Tony Hall) notching show honours.

Steve Sexton of Xenia, Ohio owns the winner of $57,851 lifetime who now has four wins, one second and one third in 10 career starts. Non Smoker was bred by Stephanie Smith-Rothaug.

McPansy established a new track record and new national seasons mark for three-year-old pacing fillies on a five-eighths mile track by pacing to victory in 1:51.3 in the third of four $40,000 OHSS divisions for side-wheeling distaffs.

Trace Tetrick was in the sulky behind the 5-1 Brian Brown-conditioned daughter by McArdle, who is owned and was bred by the Emerald Highlands Farm of Mount Vernon, Ohio. McPansy now has two wins in three career starts and $24,500 in her coffers, after going unraced as a freshman.

The 1-9 favourite, Baron Remy (Chris Page), was second with 28-1 longshot Believe In Waco (Aaron Merriman) third.

Earlier in the evening Brown, Tetrick and Emerald Highlands combined to score with 7-2 Queen Me Again in the first $40,000 OHSS pacing division, as the Dragon Again filly paced to a winning 1:53 effort. Tetrick used come-from-behind tactics with Queen Me Again, as the filly nabbed her third straight victory after also being unraced at two.

Even-money favourite Up Front Flor Ida (Kayne Kauffman) was second, while Merciless (Tyler Smith) was third at 13-1.

The victory upped Queen Me Agains earnings to $28,000.

Pet Walker had equalled the Miami Vallely track record with a 1:52 clocking in the second $40,000 OHSS contest, as the publics third choice. Dan Noble steered the Gregory Luther trainee for owner/breeder Black Magic Racing of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, as the Pet Rock filly finished three lengths ahead of 5-1 rival AuntmillysMartini (Tyler Smith) and third-place finisher, 9-5 favourite, Smiley Dragon (Trace Tetrick).

Unraced as a two-year-old, Pet Walker now has two wins in three starts and $23,720 in her coffers.

In the final $40,000 OHSS pacing division, last years two-year-old filly pacing champion Bad Girls Rule didnt let being saddled with the eight-hole stop her, as she paced to a winning 1:54.1 with Dan Noble at the lines. Owned by the 3rd Floor Stables of Springboro, Ohio, the World Of Rocknroll lass upped her lifetime bankroll to $206,566 with the fifth triumph of her career in 12 starts. Jim Dailey conditions Bad Girls Rule, who was bred by Spring Haven Farm of Utica, Ohio.

Noble used wire-to-wire tactics with the sizeable bay filly, who left the gate at 2-1 and finished nearly two lengths ahead of 5-1 Big Bad Goldie (Aaron Merriman), with 12-1 Missplacedrock (Chris Page) nabbing show honours.

Leg two of this series for sophomores will be as follows: June 2 at Northfield Park for three-year-old pacing fillies; June 9 at Scioto Downs for three-year-old pacing colts; June 11 at Northfield Park for three-year-old trotting fillies; and June 15 at Scioto Downs for three-year-old trotting colts.

(With files from OSDF)
While the Mother's Day Open House events slated for two Standardbred breeding farms on Sunday, May 13 are geared to educate visitors about Standardbred breeding and harness racing, one will also have a local charity component.

Voluntary donations will be accepted from guests at Tara Hills Mothers Day Open House event for Oak Ridges Hospice Capital Campaign, which will fund the construction of a hospice in the Port Perry area.

Tara Hills owner Dave Heffering understands the value and importance of hospice homes which can provide a much needed alternative to institutional care and home care as both of his parents were hospice patients.

Anyone who chooses to make a nominal donation to the charity will be entered into a draw to win some great prizes including gift baskets, gift cards for local eateries and more!

As much as this event is about bringing awareness to the Standardbred industry, this is also a way we can give back to the community , said Heffering. Both of my parents spent their last days in hospices so I know first hand how important these facilities are to both the patients and their families.

The Open House event takes place from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 13. Guests will have a chance to see the mares, foals, yearlings and stallions, including Canadas leading trotting stallion, Kadabra.

Tara Hills Stud along with Mac Lilley Farms in Dutton, Ont., will both be hosting Mothers Day Open House events for the general public on Sunday, May 13 from 1 to 4 p.m. to showcase their mares, foals, stallions and facilities, and in collaboration with the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association (SBOA) and Standardbred Canadas I Love Canadian Harness Racing Fan Club, will educate visitors about Standardbred breeding and harness racing.

Students in grades 5 through 8 are encouraged to write about one of the foals they see at one of these farms for the Youth Literary Derby, a juried, horse-themed writing contest with prize money.

The addresses for each of the participating farms are as follows:

Mac Lilley Farms

28322 Chalmers Line

Dutton, Ont. NOL 1JO

Phone # - 519-762-3423

Tara Hills Stud Farm

13700 Mast Rd.

Port Perry, Ont. L9L 1B5

Phone # - 1-877-828-6057
Representative Image.

Defence Expo 2018, the largest congregation of defence manufacturers in the country, witnessed signing of 40 memorandums of understanding (MoUs), according to a report.

Sixteen MoUs were signed by defence public sector undertakings while seven business-to-business agreements were inked between India and Russia.

"DefExpo provided great opportunity for bilateral meetings with international and national delegations participating in the event," the report said.

Over 50 such bilateral meetings were held at various levels including by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, her deputy in the ministry Subhash Bhamre, Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and other senior officials of the ministry

Bilateral meeting with countries such as the US, UAE, Israel, UK, Russia, France, Philippines, Finland, Czech Republic, Ukraine were also held.

The tenth edition of the Defence Expo was held from April 11 to April 14 at Thiruvidanthai in south Chennai.
07:22 PM IST

Narendra Modi addresses a public meeting in Bengaluru:

BJP is a grounded party which strives to work for the interests of the common man. We do not indulge in mahakaavyas, we make promises and fulfill them. Our manifesto is in the form of a set of promises-- to end corruption, to provide sufficient water for irrigation, for getting higher price for crop produce, for skilled development and for employment. We have made a promise to provide a conducive environment for entrepreneurship. We have made a promise to provide safety to the women of Bengaluru.

And in the first meeting that the party addresses after ovrthrowing the Siddaramaiah government, the roadmap for these promises will be prepared.


India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves with Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka June 6, 2015. Modi arrived in Dhaka for a two-day state visit to Bangladesh. REUTERS/Rafiqur Rahman

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will share the dais for the inauguration of Bangladesh Bhawan here on May 25, officiating vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati University, Sabujkali Sen said today.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will also be invited to the programme, Sen said.

Modi will also attend the convocation ceremony of Visva-Bharati University. It would be his maiden visit to the varsity after becoming its 'acharya' or chancellor.

As per the rules of the university, a prime minister is its chancellor and the president of the country its 'paridarshaka' (visitor), who appoints the vice-chancellor.

"We received the confirmation from the respective offices of both the countries today. The prime minister will give away degrees to students during the convocation of Visva-Bharati University, while he along with Hasina will be present during the inauguration of Bangladesh Bhawan," Sen said.

Bangladesh Bhawan will house a library of books published in that country and a museum which will showcase its fight for freedom from the erstwhile West Pakistan.

Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, whose family were 'zamindars' (land owners) of Silaidaha (now in Bangladesh), had started the Visva-Bharati University in 1921 with the proceeds of the Nobel Prize he had received in 1913.

It was granted full university status in May, 1951 by the Government of India. Tagore's eldest son, Rathindranath Tagore, was its first 'upacharya' (vice chancellor).
'Wall of Separation' Virginians Need Not Apply

Contact: Matt Waters, 757-254-4813, mw@mattwaters.com ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 4, 2018 / Standard Newswire / -- Libertarian nominee for US Senate, Matt Waters, voiced his support for GOP Candidate Ivan Raiklin's lawsuit against John Findlay, executive director of the Republican Party of Virginia, and others.Waters said, "The Constitution has a few simple requirements in order to run for the United States Senate: that you be thirty years old, a resident of the state, and a citizen for nine years.""The state of Virginia, and in particular the two political parties, have added several additional and nearly impossible requirements in order to run for statewide office: you must collect 10,000 signatures, 4,400 must be from each one of Virginia's 11 congressional districts, and all signatures must be from registered voters.""In order to accomplish these additional burdens to run for office, the Republican and Democrat parties have erected a 'Wall of Separation' between the voters and their chosen candidates. Make no mistake, what Republicans and Democrats are saying to Virginians is: 'Regular citizens, whose career is not shameless self-promotion, raising taxes or running up the debt, they are not welcome to run for office.'""Shame on the GOP for playing politics and excluding one of their own in the primary. But this is not new for the Virginian Republican Party. The GOP in Virginia has a long history of double-dealing and back-stabbing. One need only point to Lt. Col Oliver North's race for Senate, and the abysmal treatment to Lt. Gov. candidate Mike Farris. Both were rejected by the Establishment GOP and lost their bids for office.""It is my hope that Ivan Raiklin's lawsuit prevail over the special interests in Richmond who have actively worked to keep ordinary people out of the political process."Waters' campaign is actively collecting signatures from registered Virginian voters."The ballot access process costs candidates, at a minimum, $25,000. My guess is ninety percent of Virginians are excluded because of this unreasonably high threshold to run for office. And its a sad day for liberty when a regular guy like Raiklin plays by the rules, and appears to have been sent packing by the GOP. The Libertarian Party welcomes all people, regardless of their status."Matt Waters can be contacted at 757-254-4813 or by email, mw@mattwaters.com . The campaign website is MattWaters.com
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah

Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "Punjab, Puducherry, Parivar- Congress" jibe against his party, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today called BJP a "prison, price rise and pakoda" party.

"Dear Modiji, Heard you spun a new abbreviation 'PPP' today.

Sir, we have always championed the 3 Ps of democracy --- 'Of the People, By the People, For the People'," Siddaramaiah said in a tweet shortly after Modi's attack.

"While your party is a 'Prison', 'Price Rise' & 'Pakoda' party. Am I right, Sir? #NijaHeliModi," he said.

"Nijaheli" in Kannada means tell the truth.

All guns blazing, Modi today mounted a scathing attack on the Congress over corruption, and asserted it will become "Punjab, Puducherry, Parivar" Congress after its defeat in the Karnataka Assembly polls.

"After May 15 (when poll results will be declared), Indian National Congress will be reduced to 'PPP Congress'-- P for Punjab, P for Puducherry, and P for Parivar (family)," Modi told an election rally in Gadag, where he predicted the state's ruling party would be decimated in the elections.

The Chief Minister also hit out at Modi's attack regarding increase in assets belonging to some Congress legislator/Minister.

"Sir, Your CM candidate took bribe in a cheque. One ofyour Reddy friends G Janardhana Reddy conducted Rs 500 Cr wedding for his daughter at the height of demonetisation....," Siddaramaiah tweeted.

Modi today addressed four rallies in Tumakuru, Gadag, Shivamogga and Mangaluru in poll-bound Karnataka, where assembly election is scheduled for May 12.

Siddaramaiah asked Modi to talk about "something relevant" to the people of Karnataka and suggested topics such as expensive diesel and petrol besides job creation.
All guns blazing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today mounted a scathing attack on the Congress over corruption, and asserted it will become "Punjab, Puducherry, Parivar" Congress after its defeat in the Karnataka Assembly polls.

With the D-day for the polls drawing closer, Modi upped the ante against the Siddaramaiah government, alleging it has become a "corruption tank" for the Congress with a pipeline connected to Delhi, "where the money reaches directly".

He also accused the top Congress leadership of auctioning tickets, party positions and even the chief minister's post.

"After May 15 (when poll results will be declared), Indian National Congress will be reduced to 'PPP Congress'-- P for Punjab, P for Puducherry, and P for Parivar (family)," Modi told an election rally in Gadag, where he predicted the state's ruling party would be decimated in the elections.

He accused the Congress of "auctioning" party tickets and posts, and recalled how a string of scams rocked the erstwhile UPA government.

"After the helicopter scam, coal scam, CWG scam and many others, the Congress has now started a tender system... there is tender for ticket distribution, for selecting leaders, for choosing even the chief minister.

"Their leaders in Karnataka have been told by those above them that the person who promises to send the highest amount of money to Delhi every month will become the chief minister," he alleged.

Modi said despite a string of electoral losses in Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Tripura the Congress was not as worried as it is now when defeat stares it in the face.

"I tell you why... Because their ministers and leaders in Karnataka have built a tank here. A part of money looted from people is taken home and the rest is put in that tank. The tank is linked to Delhi through a pipeline which carries the money directly to Delhi.

"They are worried about what will happen to the party if this government goes. Be alert, be awake. If the Congress comes to power, its government will do nothing but loot," he said.

Modi said to fill the "corruption tank", the Congress has created a network of extortion mafia, and it is worried what will happen to that.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was once again in Modi's line of fire, with the prime minister calling his government "seedha rupaiah sarkar" (government that takes bribe).

"Money is bad," he noted, recalling what saint poet Shishunala Sharifa once said. But for Karnataka's Congress government, it is "Baap bada na bhaiya, sab se bada rupaiya(when it comes to money not even your relations are important)."

"Your Chief Minister has changed the saying itself... Baap bhi bada, bhaiya bhi bada aur us se bhi upar rupiya; seeda seeda rupaiya (Relations are important and money is even more important)," Modi said.

Speaking about the contentious Mahadayi river issue over which Goa and Karnataka are locked in a protracted dispute, Modi claimed, the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi had said during Goa Assembly elections in 2007 that her party was "committed" to not allowing Karnataka its share of water.

"Now that they are out of power in Goa, they are instigating people of Karnataka on the Mahadayi issue... their job (atkana, latkana, bhatkana) to block, leave things hanging fire, and mislead people. Instead of finding a solution to Mahadayi dispute, Congress government sent it to a tribunal," he said.

Earlier addressing an election rally in Tumakuru, Modi alleged that the Congress and JD(S) have entered into a "secret" pact for the Karnataka polls.

"If anyone is protecting the Congress, it is the JD (S).... Congress and JD(S) have a secret understanding... an understanding behind the curtains," he said.

Modi said the Congress, which ruled the country for decades, with "one family" in power for most part, neglected the poor and farmers.

"Garibi, garibi, garibi (poverty, poverty, poverty) was their constant rant. But once the son of a poor mother became the prime minister, they clammed shut... now they don't talk about poverty," he said, and asked voters to "punish" the Congress for Karnataka's better future.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi speaks during an interview with Reuters in Islamabad

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said the upcoming general elections would be conducted by "aliens", triggering a sharp reaction from the Election Commission which advised him to stay away from making "irresponsible statements", according to a media report.

The remarks indicate that the government is not expecting the upcoming elections to be transparent. The term 'aliens' has probably been coined for the first time in place of 'angels' and 'invisible forces' used in the past, Dawn News reported.

Abbasi's words about "aliens holding election" echoed the remarks made by ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif two days ago: "Our contest is not with Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan but with the aliens".

"Elections will be held by aliens, but even then we [Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz] will participate in it," the prime minister said in an informal chat with journalists during a reception hosted by Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq for members of the lower house.

His comments drew a sharp reaction from the Election Commission.

ECP spokesman Altaf Khan said that the commission was fully prepared to hold the elections in line with its mandate under Article 218 of the Constitution. Under the Constitution and the Elections Act 2017, the ECP was fully independent in discharge of its legal and constitutional duties, he added.

Khan said people occupying important office should desist from making such "irresponsible statements", adding that such statements were merely based on assumptions and rumours and amounted to ridiculing the Constitution, the report said.
Investigators with the Federal Trade Commission found seven funeral homes in the Odessa and Midland area failed to comply with price disclosure requirements.

The FTC, which did not disclose the names of the funeral homes, reported discovering violations during undercover inspections last year of what is known as the Funeral Rule. The rule requires funeral homes to give customers an itemized price list at the beginning of an in-person discussion about funeral arrangements.
The death of a 10-month-old puppy on a United Airlines flight March 12 was caused by suffocation, according to a new report.

The cause of death was detailed in a necropsy from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., ABC 7 reported.

The death of the frenchie, Kokito, captured headlines around the globe after its owner was told by a flight attendant at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport to put the dog and its carrier in an overhead bin. By the time the plane landed at New York's LaGuardia, the puppy was dead.

LOCAL RESPONSE: Harris County DA investigating puppy's death

"He was smart, intelligent," owner 11-year-old Sophia Ceballos told ABC 7. "He was one of a kind."

The airline claimed that while the passenger told the flight attendant there was a dog in her carrier, "our flight attendant did not hear or understand her, and did not knowingly place the dog in the overhead bin."

"We have spoken to the family, our crew and a number of passengers who were seated nearby," the airlines said in a statement March 14. "As we stated, we take full responsibility and are deeply sorry for this tragic accident. We remain in contact with the family to express our condolences and offer support."

United refunded the family's money for their tickets and in-cabin pet fee. The airline also altered its pet policy starting in April. United will start issuing brightly colored bag tags to customers traveling with in-cabin pets.

The dog's family is now considering a lawsuit against the airlines, ABC 7 added.

Fernando Alfonso III is a digital reporter at Chron.com. Follow him on Twitter at @fernalfonso.
Guilty -- Abortionist Takes Surprise Plea Deal That Includes Jail Time in Death of Abortion Patient

Contact: Troy Newman, President, 316-683-6790 ext. 111; Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Vice President, 316-516-3034; Both with Operation Rescue, info.operationrescue@gmail.com



QUEENS, N.Y., May 4, 2018 /Standard Newswire/ -- In a move that shocked the court, Robert Rho accepted a previously offered plea bargain and admitted his guilt to Felony Negligent Homicide immediately after the judge announced that the jury had reached a verdict in this three-week trial.



Rho will be sentenced and will surrender into custody on July 26, 2018, after which he will serve between 16 months and four years in prison for killing Jaime Lee Morales during a horrifically botched second trimester abortion.



"Robert Rho killed Jaime Morales and has now grudgingly admitted his crime. He will pay for that crime in prison, so we are satisfied with the outcome even though we had hoped for a conviction on the more serious charge," said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue.



Rho was on trial for Second Degree Manslaughter, a Class C Felony that carried a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.



"I suspect Rho took the plea deal once he realized the jury was about to convict him," said Newman.



The plea agreement required Rho to admit his crime in court, which he was reticent to do. At first, he simply stated that he had lacerated the victim's cervix, repaired in twice, then sent her home where she died unexpectedly.



That statement was insufficient to meet the terms of a confession.



Finally, under questioning from his defense attorney Jeff Lichtman, Rho admitted through clenched teeth that he killed Morales.



Earlier, on this third day of jury deliberations, the jury had told Judge Gregory Lasak that they could not reach an agreement on a verdict. Judge Lasak instructed them to go back and continue deliberations to see if they could finally come to an agreement.



Hours later, a verdict was indeed reached, but Rho's acceptance of the plea bargain agreement meant that the verdict would never be known.



The Morales family was upset that they had endured a full three weeks of trial where the reputation of their daughter was attacked, only to be denied a jury verdict.



"We have great sympathy for the Morales family for the loss they have suffered. Their grief was only compounded by Rho's selfish and erratic behavior that first denied them the life of their loved one, then denied them the closure a verdict would have brought," said Newman. "I pray that during his incarceration he might reflect on the harm he has caused and come to repentance through Jesus Christ."



For more in-depth coverage, visit www.operationrescue.org/.



About Operation Rescue

Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation and has become a strong voice for the pro-life movement in America. Click here to support Operation Rescue.


No School for Menstruating Girls: Old ...
This article was first published on NerdWallet.com.

College students without a financial safety net are in a tough spot when unexpected costs arise.

The chances their parents can pick up the bill are not as high, says Sara Goldrick-Rab, a professor at Temple University in Philadelphia and founder of the Wisconsin HOPE Lab, a research center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Its not for lack of families wanting to; they dont have it.

A 2018 national survey led by Goldrick-Rab found that over a third of university students out of over 20,000 surveyed said they were food insecure, or had had limited or uncertain access to food in the previous 30 days. And 36% of those students said they were housing insecure in the last year, which means they had trouble paying housing bills or had to move frequently.

Recognizing that a financial crisis can force a student to withdraw from classes, about three-quarters of colleges and other postsecondary schools offer some kind of help, according to a 2016 survey of emergency college aid programs by the professional association NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Programs include loans and small cash grants, dining hall vouchers and food pantries, and scholarships to complete a semester.

The impact can be significant. We found that if you can alleviate their need in one place, its going to free up their finances to support other things like tuition, books, housing or rent, says Stan Jackson, director of student affairs communications and marketing initiatives at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.

Here are resources for students who need emergency help. Depending on your schools policy, you may have to provide documentation of your financial need.

Emergency financial help

Go to your schools financial aid or student affairs office to ask about emergency programs, which could include grants, completion scholarships, emergency loans or vouchers. Usually this money can pay for tuition, housing, books, supplies and transportation.

For example, at Grand Rapids Community College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, assistance is available for students who face emergencies such as losing their job, eviction or utility shut-off. The fund has provided students with over $78,000 in grants and loans since 2014, according to Dave Murray, a school spokesperson.

Emergency food

If you dont have consistent access to food, contact your schools student affairs office to learn about programs such as food vouchers, scholarships, free meal plans, access to SNAP benefits and food pantries.

At the University of Georgia, where Jackson says 10% of the population is affected by food insecurity, students can apply for yearlong food scholarships that award meal plans. Theres also a campus food pantry.

Food pantries usually stock nonperishable foods, but some may also have fresh food and items such as cleaning supplies and hygiene products, says Clare Cady, co-founder and director of the College and University Food Bank Alliance, which has 626 member schools.

The food pantry at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, provides about 20,000 meals per semester, says Nicole Hindes, assistant director of the universitys human services resource center. Hindes says free dining hall vouchers are the most heavily utilized program.

They can spend time studying with their friends and not feel out of place meeting at the dining hall, Hindes says. The food pantry is more cost-effective, but the food assistance program is one that students like and resonates with them.

Urgent housing

Few schools have emergency housing, and options are often limited.

There really isnt a good housing solution, says Daphne Hernandez, a University of Houston researcher who is conducting a study of food scholarship effectiveness at Houston Community Colleges. Four walls and a roof is a little more difficult than food.

Find out from your schools housing or student affairs office if there is an on-campus emergency residency program. Some schools set aside dorm rooms. The office of student affairs at your school may also point to off-campus housing solutions including short-term sublets, apartments, youth shelters or room shares.

Financial aid

Emergency college aid programs tend to be short-term fixes that arent intended to replace federal aid. Be sure to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, each year. You may need to appeal if you dont receive enough aid or an unexpected situation arises, such as unemployment, medical expenses or the death of a caregiver.

To appeal your aid offer, even midyear, contact your schools financial aid office. Be prepared to:

Detail your circumstances.

Ask the office to reconsider your aid award.

Provide any documentation to support your claim.

This article was written by NerdWallet and was originally published by The Associated Press.

Anna Helhoski is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: anna@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @AnnaHelhoski.

The article Where College Students Can Find Emergency Money, Food and Housing originally appeared on NerdWallet.
1 Biker shootout: Prosecutors in Texas have dismissed 15 more cases relating to the 2015 shootout in Waco involving rival biker gangs that left nine dead and 20 others injured. McLennan County prosecutors said theyre dismissing the cases while focusing on others with a higher level of culpability. More than a dozen other cases were dismissed in February and officials said last week that only about 25 cases will be prosecuted out of the more than 150 people indicted on felony charges of engaging in organized criminal activity. Police arrested 177 bikers following the mayhem at a restaurant involving members of the Bandidos and Cossacks motorcycle clubs. Law enforcement officers monitoring the gathering also fired on the bikers.

2 Impeachment: Missouri lawmakers will convene in an historic special session later this month in the capital, Jefferson City, to consider impeaching Republican Gov. Eric Greitens following allegations of sexual misconduct and misuse of charity resources for his campaign. Republican House and Senate leaders said they had gathered more than the constitutionally required signatures of three-fourths of the members of each chamber to call a special session that will start on May 18. The petition tells lawmakers to consider the upcoming recommendations of an investigatory committee on potential disciplinary actions against the governor, which also could include lesser reprimands than impeachment.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot Diaz has withdrawn from a writers' festival amid allegations that he had forcefully kissed a woman and showed aggressive behavior toward others.

Writer Zinzi Clemmons said the incident happened when she was a 26-year-old graduate student. She had invited Diaz to speak at a workshop, but Diaz "used it as an opportunity to corner and forcibly kiss me," Clemmons wrote on Twitter. Other female writers have since come forward, accusing Diaz of mistreatment and misogynistic verbal abuse.

Diaz, who won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao," and his agent, Nicole Aragi, did not respond to emails from The Washington Post requesting comment Saturday. In a statement to The New York Times, he said: "I take responsibility for my past. That is the reason I made the decision to tell the truth of my rape and its damaging aftermath. This conversation is important and must continue. I am listening to and learning from women's stories in this essential and overdue cultural movement. We must continue to teach all men about consent and boundaries."

Sydney Writers' Festival announced Diaz's withdrawal from the dayslong event, which ends Sunday.

"As for so many in positions of power, the moment to reckon with the consequences of past behaviour has arrived," the organization said in a statement. "Sydney Writers' Festival is a platform for the sharing of powerful stories: urgent, necessary and sometimes difficult. Such conversations have never become more timely."

Diaz is the latest in a long parade of well-known men to be accused of inappropriate sexual behavior. The accusation from Clemmons, who teaches writing at Occidental College in Los Angeles, also comes as the publishing industry reels from allegations against other prominent authors. On Friday, the same day Clemmons went public with her story, the Swedish Academy announced it will not award the Nobel Prize in literature in 2018 following a sexual misconduct scandal.

Clemmons first confronted Diaz during a live Q&A session Friday at the Sydney Writers' Festival, where Diaz was a panelist. Clemmons stunned the crowd after she grabbed a microphone, not bothering to introduce herself, and questioned Diaz about the incident six years ago, when she was a graduate student at Columbia University, people who witnessed the exchange told BuzzFeed.

Clemmons also asked Diaz about a recent New Yorker article, in which Diaz revealed he had been raped as a child, and whether it was meant to preempt misconduct accusations against him, according to BuzzFeed. Writer Alexander Luft, who watched the exchange, said on Twitter the audience "seemed to instantly rally around Diaz" and wanted Clemmons to "stop questioning him."

Luft told BuzzFeed that Clemmons began walking out of the venue while she and Diaz were still talking.

Clemmons's agent did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

After Clemmons elaborated on her accusation on Twitter, writer Monica Byrne responded in a series of tweets with more allegations. Byrne said she was once invited to a dinner where Diaz was also present, and the two had an argument about issues women in publishing face. Byrne described the encounter as "virulent misogyny" and said Diaz shouted the word "rape" while talking to her.

Carmen Maria Machado, also an author, also said Diaz "went off" on her for 20 minutes in front of an audience after she asked him about his book, "This is How You Lose Her," during a Q&A session at a book tour.

"He raised his voice, paced, implied I was a prude who didn't know how to read or draw reasonable conclusions from text," Machado wrote on Twitter.

In a lengthy blog post, author and former Boston Globe reporter Alisa Valdes said she was castigated after she spoke out more than 10 years ago about Diaz's mistreatment of her.

Valdes said she met Diaz when she was an aspiring novelist in her 20s. She said Diaz told her he would help her career and convinced her to sleep with him. Valdes did, she wrote, thinking they were "soul mates," "two bright rising star Latino writers" together.

"It was painful and upsetting. I had admired him, and thought he cared about me, but he was just using me for . . . I don't know what for, honestly. Just using me. He had no intention of ever introducing me to anyone in publishing, and he never did," Valdes wrote.

EJ Dickson, a deputy digital editor for Men's Health Magazine, said the accusations against Diaz aren't a surprise.

"Everyone in the literary world/the media knew this, or suspected it," Dickson wrote on Twitter. "And yet, when Junot Diaz published his New Yorker Essay - a pre-emptive strike if there ever was one - we gave him nothing but plaudits."

In the New Yorker piece, "The Silence: The Legacy of Childhood Trauma," which was published in April, Diaz said he was raped when he was 8 by a grown-up whom he "truly trusted."

"More than being Dominican, more than being an immigrant, more, even than being of African descent, my rape defined me. I spent more energy running from it than I did living . . . The rape excluded me from manhood, from love, from everything," he wrote.

The New Yorker did not respond to a request for comment.

Quill Books & Beverage, a bookstore in Westbrooke, Maine, and Duende District, a pop-up bookstore, have both announced they will stop carrying Diaz's books.

Diaz was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New Jersey. His first novel, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao," was published in 2007 and won the Pulitzer Prize the following year. He is also a creative writing professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment, but a university official told The Post that MIT had not known of the allegations against Diaz.

Other male authors faced misconduct allegations over the past months.

Jay Asher, author of the young-adult novel, "Thirteen Reasons Why," parted ways with his agent after his name came up in online conversations about harassment. In a lengthy statement posted on Twitter in February, "Maze Runner" author James Dashner, who was dropped by Random House following allegations of mistreating women, said he never intended to hurt another person and he takes the accusations seriously.
FORT WORTH, Texas - A prominent Southern Baptist leader whose comments about spousal abuse set off a firestorm last week said in an interview Friday that he couldn't "apologize for what I didn't do wrong."

Wearing a black cowboy hat as he led graduates down the aisle, Paige Patterson set off laughter at Southwestern Baptist Seminary's commencement as he joked about quarreling Baptists. Patterson's advice to abused women not to divorce has set off a huge public backlash among evangelicals - but not at the conservative Texas seminary where the 75-year-old is president.

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, which does not ordain women but offers them classes in homemaking, this week fired a PhD seminary student from his $40,000 job for simply tweeting about the Patterson debate, telling him he was "indiscreet" and that his decision to speak publicly about the dispute "does not exhibit conduct becoming a follower of Jesus" and shows he was not properly deferring to "those placed in authority over you."

As some wondered this week whether the seminary trustees could remove its president, Patterson appeared to double down on Friday, saying in an interview that "allegations have been given on me all my life," adding that he was being falsely accused but declining to provide examples. During the ceremony, Patterson sat front and center in a red velvet chair casually twirling his black glasses before addressing the graduates without directly addressing the controversy.

Patterson's comments about divorce, which took place in 2000 but were widely circulated last weekend, caused Southern Baptist leaders to scramble to denounce domestic abuse. The most surprising remarks in the recording came when Patterson tells the story of a woman who came to him about abuse, and how he counseled her to pray for God to intervene. The woman, he said, came to him later with two black eyes. "She said: 'I hope you're happy.' And I said 'Yes . . . I'm very happy,' " because her husband had heard her prayers and come to church for the first time the next day.

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, numerous powerful men have come under scrutiny over sexist treatment of women. But Patterson, who has long held a special status within the nation's largest Protestant denomination for his role in a conservative takeover of the convention going back decades, is known for not backing down from positions.

After his 2000 comments were published on a blog, he stated that while he would never recommend divorce, he has advised abused women to leave their husbands. Though Patterson issued a statement earlier this week with his trustees that did not mention resignation or retirement, two seminary graduates who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the trustees of the seminary, who control Patterson's future, have been divided over how to handle its controversial president who some say has a pattern of poor behavior.

Patterson, in the interview, referred to the PhD student who was fired. "If you are going to be problematic and you're indiscreet, you'll be fired," he said.

Nathan Montgomery, a PhD student in the philosophy program at the seminary, who recorded the meeting where he was fired, was told that his tweet did not exhibit loyalty to the seminary and that it did not reflect the institutional voice.

"Public disagreement does not align with Scripture," a document outlining Montgomery's termination states.

Montgomery, 31, said he also lost his tuition-free arrangement with the seminary, which was $7,000 a year. He has been working for the seminary in dining services since he began there in 2011, and has been the catering kitchen manager for the past two years.

On Tuesday, he retweeted a blog post from Ed Stetzer where Stetzer, the executive director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, recommended Patterson retire. In his blog post, Stetzer listed a series of actions by Patterson that have raised concerns among Southern Baptists.

One reason why Patterson's comments have generated such backlash is because he is slated to give the sermon at Southern Baptists' upcoming annual meeting in Dallas in June, considered a high honor for any pastor. If the question is still on the table, Patterson would have to decline to preach, or the entire convention would have to vote to rescind the honor, so some Southern Baptists worry the issue will drag on for weeks. When asked whether he still plans to give that sermon, Patterson said, "I have no comment," he said. "I try to follow the Lord as much as possible, and he's said not a word."

In his blog post, Stetzer, a Southern Baptist, highlighted how it puts the convention in a tricky spot.

"If Paige Patterson preaches at the SBC, he will, because of his past work, get a standing ovation," Stetzer wrote in a blog post for Christianity Today. "Every news story will point to that moment . . . and say that Southern Baptists don't take abuse seriously. . . . It's a message to women that we must not send."

In Montgomery's tweet promoting Stetzer's blog post, he said he felt like he should say something publicly, but he said he didn't expect anything to happen.

Patterson said in the interview that Montgomery had "a long history," but declined to provide specifics. The document that lists reasons for Montgomery's termination cited just one previous incident, which Montgomery said was a misunderstanding over catering for Patterson's wife. He said he has never been given any warnings.

Montgomery still hopes to stay at the seminary, where he expects his PhD will take another four years to finish.

"I'm for the school," he said while he sipped a Starbucks iced tea. "This is not a personal attack."

Some students, however, support Patterson's position on abuse and divorce. R. Patel, 29, who received his degree in preaching on Friday, said he too would encourage women not to divorce and instead separate from an abusive spouse.

"I was disappointed by the firestorm on Twitter," he said. "I consider Dr. Patterson my hero of the faith."

Some Southern Baptists say Patterson's comments reflect larger attitudes about women within the seminary and Southern Baptist circles. Southern Baptists hold to a theology of complementarianism, the belief that men and women are created as equal but have differing roles-specifically in the church and home.

Some more extreme adherents of complementarianism believe that women should not work outside of the home. This belief is held by many at Southwestern seminary where women are not permitted to teach men or oversee them professionally, and female students are allowed to get specific degrees that enable them to teach other women.

Rebecca Neyhard, a graduate of the seminary who worked in public relations from 2009 to 2011 where she wrote about the seminary's homemaking degree, said Patterson's recommendation that abused women should return to their husbands was an idea she heard repeated in her systematic theology class, from an Old Testament class and from a women's ministry class.

"To counter such a 'feminist idea,' no-fault divorce, the attempts were shotgun-wide, and one of them was the idea that abused women should partake in the sufferings of Christ, or be like God loving humanity and being continually rejected by him over and over," Neyhard wrote in an email. "Just as long as they stay together, they promote the one man, one woman marriage ideology that was so important to the movement."

Patterson has given other advice to abused women since those comments in 2000. In a sermon he delivered in 2013, Patterson suggested women who have had "a problem in your home" should not bring their case to a judge because it could get in the way of that judge becoming a Christian.

"Settle it within the church of God," he said. "And if you suffer for it, and if you were misused, and if you were abused, and if you're not represented properly, it's okay. You can trust it to the God who judges justly."

He then prayed, "Lord, may we make up our minds that we won't take our troubles to the press, we won't take our troubles to the government, we won't take our troubles anywhere except to the people of God and beyond that to the Lord Jesus."

Another sermon has stirred up questions over whether Patterson's objectifies women. In 2014, Patterson used a story in one of his sermons about an interaction he witnessed. In the story, a 16-year-old girl walked, and Patterson said, "she was nice." As she walked by them, one young man commented, "man is she built." A woman nearby slapped her hand over the young man's mouth and scolded him. Patterson said he responded to the woman, "Ma'am, leave him alone. He's just being biblical," he said to audience laughter. When asked about that sermon, Patterson on Friday declined to comment.

Patterson's comments about a woman being "built" is part of a series of faux pas and it's time for him to retire, Stetzer said on Friday.

"That's a wink and a nod to a sexual reference," said Stetzer, who noted that he has a 16-year-old daughter. "If I had a youth pastor who made that joke, I'd fire him on the spot. That's creepy."

And in 2010, Patterson called out female seminary students for not doing enough to make themselves pretty, saying, "It shouldn't be any wonder why some of you don't get a second look."

The backlash among Southern Baptist women to Patterson's comments, who do not usually hold formal leadership roles in the convention but are hugely influential, has been fierce. Most notably, Bible teacher Beth Moore, who attends a Southern Baptist church and has openly spoken of her own past abuse by a family member as a child, has been tweeting about sexism this week. On Thursday, she published a blog post outlining the sexism she has faced within evangelical circles.

" . . . [E]arly October 2016 surfaced attitudes among some key Christian leaders that smacked of misogyny, objectification and astonishing disesteem of women and it spread like wildfire," she said, referring to the month that Donald Trump's "Access Hollywood" tapes where he bragged about sexual abuse, came out. Patterson endorsed Trump from the chapel stage, according to a graduate who was present.

The last time the SBC issued a resolution about domestic abuse was in 1979. In 2011, it issued a resolution on marriage, citing concern for the high rates of divorce among Southern Baptists. "We do not serve those who are hurting from divorce by speaking to them only in therapeutic terms rather than in terms of both repentance and forgiveness," the resolution states.

- - -

The Washington Post's Michelle Boorstein contributed reporting.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit London on July 13. This trip has been long delayed: In part a result of his frosty relationship with British Prime Minister Theresa May, but also due to the threat of widespread protests from Britons who hold overwhelmingly negative views of the American leader.

One would think the president would attempt to mend bridges ahead of the trip, but on Friday, as he addressed the National Rifle Association convention in Dallas, Trump said a knife crime epidemic in London had caused a hospital in the center of the city to become "like a war zone."

"I recently read a story that in London, which has unbelievably tough gun laws, a once very prestigious hospital - right in the middle - is like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds," Trump said about half way through his 50 minute speech. "Yes, that's right, they don't have guns. They have knives and instead there's blood all over the floors of this hospital. They say it's as bad as a military war zone hospital."

The president used the rising number of knife attacks in Britain while speaking in support of gun rights in the United States.

"Knives, knives, knives," Trump added as he made a stabbing motion.

"London hasn't been used to that. They're getting used to it. Pretty tough," Trump said. "We're here today because we recognize a simple fact - the one thing that has always stood between the American people and the elimination of our Second Amendment rights has been conservatives in Congress willing to fight for those rights. We're fighting."

Trump's comments immediately drew a backlash from Londoners on social media. Jim Pickard, the chief political correspondent for the Financial Times wrote on Twitter that it was "almost like [Trump] wants London to detest him," while BBC radio host Jeremy Vine asked: "If everyone with a knife in London swapped it for a gun, wouldn't things be much worse?"

Charlie Falconer, a lawyer and representative of the left wing Labour Party in the House of Lords, compared Britain's murder rate to the U.S. rate and added: "Trump lies on everything."

"4.88 per 100000 murdered in US per annum, 0.92 per 100000 in UK. Implication UK has similar murder rate to US except knives not guns obviously false," he tweeted.

While Britain's murder rate is indeed far lower than the United States, there has been anxiety in the British capital recently over a wave of knife attacks that have left some young men dead. A number of British outlets reported last month that the murder rate in London had overtaken New York City's in February and March of this year - with 31 of the 47 murders in London at that point in 2018 committed with knives.

However, the comparison is less revealing that it may seem: New York City has experienced a dramatic drop in murders over the past decade, and its murder rate is now at a historic low. A spokeswoman for London Mayor Sadiq Khan told Reuters last month that while he was concerned about violent crime, "our city remains one of the safest in the world."

It was unclear what hospital in London the president was referring to when he spoke on Friday. In the past, some have cast doubt on the anecdotes he has used to tell disparaging stories about European capitals - for example, the identity of his friend "Jim," a wealthy American who apparently refuses to travel to Paris because of crime fears of whom the U.S. president has spoken of several times, remains a mystery.

However, some British journalists suspect Trump may have been referring an interview with Mark Griffiths, the lead surgeon at Barts Health NHS Trust in East London, that aired on the BBC on Thursday. The interview with Griffiths was subsequently written up by the British tabloid the Daily Mail and the U.S.-based website Breitbart.

In his interview, Griffiths had expressed concern that the age of victims of both knife and gun crime who were treated at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel appeared to be getting lower and that he was routinely treating children between ages 13 and 15. The surgeon suggested that colleagues had compared their work at the hospital to previous experience at Camp Bastion, a former British military base in Afghanistan.

On Twitter, Griffiths responded to Trump's comments by suggesting that the U.S. president had missed the point and extending an invitation to visit his hospital.

In a statement, Karim Brohi, director of London's major trauma system and a trauma surgeon at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, East London, said his hospital had "cut the number of our young patients returning after further knife attacks from 45 percent to 1 percent."

"There is more we can all do to combat this violence, but to suggest guns are part of the solution is ridiculous," Brohi continued. "Gunshot wounds are at least twice as lethal as knife injuries and more difficult to repair."

There was also anger from families affected by knife crime. One woman, whose 20-year-old daughter had been stabbed to death in 2003, told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that she was "horrified and offended" by Trump's comments and that since he made the remarks on Friday she had received a number of phone calls from other families affected by knife and gun violence who felt the same.

"Mr. Trump may be a businessman, and the U.S. does see guns as big business and money is important to them, but we are mothers and have lost our children to violence," Bhupinder Iffat Rizvi told the Daily Telegraph.

Trump has family ties to Scotland and has spoken warmly of his hopes to visit Britain. He has faced widespread criticism in the British capital for comments he made about Khan, the London mayor, in the aftermath of a terrorist attack last year and for retweeting anti-Muslim messages from a far-right activist a few months later.

Though Trump does have some vocal admirers in Britain, the majority of the country views him negatively - a poll conducted earlier this year found just one in 10 Britons thought he was a good or great president, 67 percent of the country said that he had been "poor" or "terrible."
CLEVELAND - President Donald Trump used a roundtable on taxes here Saturday to campaign for a Republican Senate candidate and to assail undocumented immigrants for taking advantage of U.S. laws he derided as weak.

Though billed as an official White House event, and therefore funded with taxpayer money, Trump was overtly political in his remarks ahead of Tuesday's primary election. He celebrated his own poll numbers, repeatedly attacked Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and urged Ohioans to elect Rep. James Renacci, R-Ohio, who is running against Brown.

"We need your vote, we need your help, so go out and help Jim," Trump said, with Renacci seated by his side. "Get it done."

Veering off the planned topic of taxes, Trump had especially harsh words for immigrants who entered the United States illegally. He accused them of taking advantage of "catch-and-release" policies, accused many of not showing up for their immigration court dates and suggested they did not deserve a trial.

"It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen," Trump said. "You catch them and then you release them. This is a Democrat rule, Sherrod Brown."

He went on to describe the policies as "ridiculous," saying: "We have thousands of [immigration] judges. You think other countries have judges that give them trials?"

"These are the laws we're suffering with," the president added.

Trump reiterated his campaign promise to build a border wall between the United States and Mexico, and said this nation needs secure borders "even if we have to think about closing up the country for a while."

Trump was critical of elected officials in California who have taken steps to protect undocumented immigrants there. He singled out Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, a Democrat who drew Justice Department scrutiny for tipping off the Bay Area immigrant community there that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were planning raids.

"That's called total obstruction of justice," Trump said.

Trump heard testimonials from several Ohio residents during the small roundtable on how the tax law the he signed last December had provided relief for their businesses and their families.

Sherry Sheely, who runs a furniture and appliance store in North Lima, told Trump, "Thank you for making furniture great again and thank you for making America great again."

The event was closed to the public, but a few dozen demonstrators gathered outside the Cleveland Public Auditorium and Conference Center to protest Trump's visit.

Sherrie Scarton of Berea, Ohio, was among the protesters. She said she was a Republican but left the party because of Trump's campaign.

"I am an evangelical Christian, and everything he does, all his laws and policies, are against what Jesus Christ would do," she said.

Inside the conference center, Trump insisted that his presidency is "going much better than people even understand."

"The poll numbers are pretty good," Trump added. "They actually say that I'm popular. Can you believe it? Of course, the fake news. Fake news! . . . I get nothing but bad publicity."

Trump tried to drum up support for Renacci in part by tearing down Brown. He said the Democratic senator "does not think the way we think" on immigration, health care and other issues. And he warned Ohioans not to think of Brown as an independent voice, but rather as part of "a block" of Democrats in Washington.

Brown spokesman Preston Maddock said in a statement responding to Trump: "Sherrod is fighting for Ohioans every day - including working with this administration and his Republican colleagues in the Senate when it's best for Ohio workers."

Also during his visit Saturday to Cleveland, Trump attended a fundraiser for the Republican National Committee. The event, held at the Ritz-Carlton hotel downtown, drew about 250 donors and raised roughly $3 million for the committee, a spokesman said.

Reporters traveling with Trump requested access to hear the president's remarks to donors at the fundraiser, but were denied by White House officials.

- - -

Rucker reported from Washington.
South Jacksonvilles Concert in the Cornfield appears to be over.

Village trustees did not make a motion at their meeting Thursday to continue the concert series after event co-chair and Trustee Paula Belobrajdic-Stewart said she did not want to plan this years concert.

Village President Harry Jennings said he didnt see how the concert could be held this year.

Its going to be too late to find another location for a concert in the village this year, he said. The farmer who owns the land where we have held the concerts was waiting for the boards decision. We have looked at a variety of possible replacements for the concert, including some smaller community events throughout the summer.

The village held the concert for about eight years and had featured such popular country music acts as Luke Bryan, Craig Morgan and Locash.

Belobrajdic-Stewart said she was not interested in volunteering to help with the concert because she doesnt believe she has support from Jennings.

I was surprised, yet pleased, at the lack of a motion [to hold the concert], she said. Its not a secret how my mayor feels about me as a trustee. We all sat through a committee meeting where he repeatedly called me incompetent. In my opinion, this shows a pure lack of professional decorum.

This is not about me as a trustee, but rather as a resident volunteering to help the village with the concert, Belobrajdic-Stewart said. If my mayor has no confidence in me as a trustee, why in the world would I think he supports me as a volunteer. Too many hours are put in by so many people that the concert would never be successful without the support of the village president.

At the beginning of the trustees meeting, Pat Manker and her son, Tyson Manker, expressed concern over a flooding issue at their property on East Pennsylvania Avenue.

Utilities Superintendent John Green told the Mankers that a culvert in front of their property will be replaced within the next week and that should alleviate the water problem.

Under the mayors report, Jennings appointed Chris Norton to the board of trustees. Norton replaces longtime trustee Steve Waltrip, who resigned in January.

Norton, who has lived in South Jacksonville for 16 years, works at Nestle.

I agreed to join the village board because I want to assist the residents with any problems that may arise, Norton said.

In board action, trustees approved:

 Setting weight restrictions of 14,000 pounds, or 7 tons, on all village streets, unless otherwise designated.

 Making the part-time code enforcement officer position a non-department-head position.

 Awarding a $10,000 tourism grant to Prairie Land Heritage Museum for its steam show.

 Awarding a $1,500 tourism grant to a group sponsoring boat races at Lake Jacksonville.

 Raising salary caps for the police chief, utilities superintendent and office manager by $5,000 for each position.

This does not mean those positions are receiving raises at this time, Jennings said. It simply provides room for future cost-of-living increases.

Greg Olson can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1224, or on Twitter @JCNews_Greg.
President Donald Trump will host South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House later this month as part of preparations for the planned summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the White House said Friday.

The May 22 meeting "affirms the enduring strength of the United States-Republic of Korea alliance and the deep friendship between our two countries," press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.

Trump's meeting with Kim is expected later this month or in early June. Moon held his own summit with Kim on April 27, at the heavy militarized border between the two Koreas. That session was considered among the last steps before Trump could schedule a face-to-face meeting with Kim.

Another step may be the release of three Americans held in North Korea, which would be a significant show of goodwill from Kim. Trump's lawyer, Rudy Guiliani, had predicted their release this week, and Trump suggested it may be imminent.

Trump said Friday that the date and time for his session with Kim are set and would be announced soon. The meeting would be an extraordinary development after more than a year of insults and escalating tension between the United States and nuclear-armed North Korea.

"I think you're going to see very good things," Trump said. "As I said yesterday, stayed tuned."

The White House also denied Friday that Trump has ordered the Pentagon to present options for withdrawal of U.S. forces from South Korea.

Moon came to power last year with a promise to try to improve North-South relations. He made a bold gesture with the invitation to North Korea to send athletes and a delegation to the Winter Olympics, held in South Korea earlier this year. Trump has taken credit for jump-starting diplomacy by giving Moon his "blessing."

South Korean officials made an unusual trip to North Korea after the February Olympics, and then carried an offer to meet directly to Trump in March. Trump stunned nearly everyone involved by agreeing on the spot.
The San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel is suing the San Antonio Independent School District to try to block a contract that transferred an elementary schools operations to a New York-based charter school network, the Texas State Teachers Association announced Friday.

The association said the suit was being filed Friday afternoon in state district court in Bexar County. It had not been received by 5 p.m., said Donna Kay McKinney, Bexar County district clerk.

The San Antonio Alliance is a joint local affiliate of the TSTA and the Texas American Federation of Teachers. The union has vehemently fought the SAISD partnership with Democracy Prep since January, when it was first publicly announced as a way to save Stewart Elementary School from closing.

Under the charter network, Stewart teachers become at-will employees. Teachers said Stewart employees would lose protections and benefits. They also objected to Democracy Preps discipline policies and the English as a second language program that is slated to replace Stewarts bilingual program next year.

The lawsuit names SAISD Superintendent Pedro Martinez and each of the districts seven trustees. In a copy provided by the TSTA, it alleges SAISD violated a provision of the Texas Education Code that states campus personnel must be consulted regarding the provisions to be included in a contract that allows an open-enrollment charter school to operate a campus.

SAISD trustees approved the contract with Democracy Prep in March, citing a desire to improve academics at Stewart, a Southeast Side school with a primarily low-income student body that has failed to meet state standards five years in a row. If Stewart fails again this year, the state could close it down or appoint a board of managers to run the entire school district. The charter partnership could stave off intervention for two years if approved by the Texas education commissioner.

Martinez began negotiating with Democracy Prep early in the school year to take over Stewart, according to the lawsuit. The SAISD board voted in January to pursue a contract with the charter network. In the complaint, the teachers union says Stewart staff were not able to see the contract until after the board approved it two months later, and the administration and board did not consult with Stewart employees about the contracts provisions before its approval.

School teachers, staff, our students parents and the community were ignored in the districts haste to turn over a neighborhood campus to a New York charter company with no ties to our community, Alliance President Shelley Potter said in a statement.

SAISD district spokeswoman Leslie Price said in an email that the district has not seen the lawsuit, but that we believe that the process the District followed in entering into the agreement with Democracy Prep was in accordance with Texas law.

The union is asking for a temporary injunction to prevent hiring and other actions related to Democracy Preps contract to operate Stewart, followed by the contracts nullification and a permanent injunction against its execution.

Alia Malik is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of her stories here. | amalik@express-news.net | @AliaAtSAEN
A man is dead after he was dragged more than 100 feet by a hit-and-run driver late Friday in a Gulfton-area parking lot, according to police.

The pedestrian was crossing the shopping center lot near Renwick and Bellaire around 10 p.m. when a black Ford SUV ran him over and dragged him about 130 feet. It's unclear if the crash was intentional.
A motorcyclist led Texas Department of Public Safety troopers across county lines Friday night before getting arrested.

The chase began in western Bexar County and continued for about an hour.

RELATED: Suspect in fatal shooting in San Antonio apartment shouts defense while being taken to jail

Around 10:45 p.m., the motorcyclist passed through the crime scene of a head-on wreck that occurred earlier that night near 1604 and Highway 90.

Troopers arrested the suspect in Atascosa County, but it's unclear what charges he's facing.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com | Twitter: @FaresInSA
There is a lawlessness rampant in the land, but it isnt emanating from the Trump administration.

The source is federal judges who are making a mockery of their profession by twisting the law to block the Trump administrations immigration priorities.

If the judges get their way, there will, in effect, be two sets of laws in America  one for President Donald Trump and one for everyone else.

In this dispensation, other presidents, especially Democratic presidents, get a pen and a phone. Trump gets a judicial veto  even when he is simply trying to undo the unilateral moves of his predecessor.

OPINION: Not all Dreamers should get legal status

This is the clear implication of the latest decision against Trumps rollback of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. U.S. District Court Judge John Bates in the District of Columbia held that Trumps decision was arbitrary and capricious. If nothing else, the judge is an expert on arbitrariness. He would force the administration to begin granting new DACA permits if it doesnt explain to his satisfaction the decision to end the program.

This would make some sense if Trump were stretching to defy a legal regime duly passed by Congress. He is not. That is what President Barack Obama did.

Because Congress declined to pass the DREAM Act, Obama implemented a version on his own. He justified DACA as prosecutorial discretion and to this day denies that he rewrote the laws. But if that is true  and its the only legal defense of DACA  there is nothing to stop Trump from reversing it via his own pen and phone.

Prosecutorial discretion must work both ways, or the law is a ratchet always working against immigration enforcement.

RELATED: Dreamers must get out of their own way

Especially given how Obamas defense of DACA as prosecutorial discretion was a transparent rationalization. It wasnt as though immigration authorities were coming across so-called Dreamers during traffic stops and deciding that pursuing removal would be a poor use of time and resources.

No, DACA set up a shadow immigration system outside of and in defiance of congressional enactments. This is why DACAs sister program, DAPA, which would have applied to a wider population of illegal immigrants, was rightly blocked in the courts.

All the same arguments that sank DAPA should apply to DACA, but once Trump is part of the equation, all the rules change. Bates wants to hear a more extensive argument from the administration on why DACA is illegal. More to the point is the fact that there isnt any remotely plausible case that it is unlawful to apply the law to illegal immigrants.

Obama himself long maintained that he lacked the authority to issue a unilateral amnesty for Dreamers. Weve gone from everyone assuming that the president cant act in defiance of the immigration laws to judges insisting that a president must act in defiance of the immigration laws.

MORE: Border wall would be monument to appeasement

Books have been written about the coming descent of the U.S. into fascism, but evidently no one who promotes or buys these tomes cares about the black letter of the law, at least not when it doesnt suit their political interests.

The complaints on the right, meanwhile, about an unelected deep state trying to destroy the president are overdone. Yet here is an unelected branch of government overstepping its constitutional bounds to frustrate a core priority of a president who ran and won on the issue of immigration. This is corrosive of faith in our system, counter to the rule of law, and sophomoric on the part of men and women who are supposed to be neutral arbiters of justice.

The saving grace of the judiciary is that the Supreme Court, as of now, takes its responsibility more seriously. The oral arguments suggest that the court will, despite absurd rulings below, uphold Trumps travel ban.

This is something, but it doesnt remove the shame of those judges who, when it comes to Trump, substitute the logic of #resistance for common sense and the law.
It is encouraging to see a renewed interest in establishing a needle exchange program in Bexar County as part of the local fight against the opioid abuse epidemic.

Needle exchange programs have a controversial history, but medical experts and multiple studies have long acknowledged them for reducing harm when it comes to injection drug use.

There have been repeated failed attempts to get such a program going for more than a decade, but now a local task force set up to combat the opioid epidemic is hoping to resurrect the idea. It has much merit.

Unlike a previous attempt at setting up a local syringe exchange that went nowhere due to opposition by the then district attorney, this one has the support of the outgoing district attorney and the two candidates seeking to replace him in November, staff writer Jasper Scherer reports.

OPINION: The secret to S.A.'s 300 years  we're nice

A needle exchange program is about harm reduction by allowing drug users to hand in their used syringes for new sterile ones.

It is not about encouraging risky behavior.

Needle exchange programs make for good public policy. Texas is the only state without a legalized needle exchange program, and its time to rethink that position.

A 2014 survey by the North American Syringe Exchange Network found that, at that time, there were 204 exchange programs in the United States scattered across 33 states and 116 cities.

In the last couple of years there have been more communities coming on board, bolstered by a January 2016 move by Congress removing a ban on the use of federal funds for needle exchange programs. The federal ban had been in place since 1988.

The main opposition to needle exchange programs comes from those who say such programs condone and help facilitate the use of illegal drugs.

The reality is that abusers who inject drugs will get their needles one way or another. Providing them safer avenues of access helps prevents the spread of communicable disease for all of us and provides an opportunity to get them help in overcoming their addiction.

Medical experts are worried that as the opioid epidemic grows, there will be an increase of injection-related opioid drug use. Their concern is that this might promote the transmission of blood-borne infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis and bacterial endocarditis through needle sharing. It is a well-founded concern.

It is estimated 10 to 20 percent of people who abuse prescription opioids will graduate to the use of opioids or heroin through injection, the Kaiser Family Foundation reports.

The statistics regarding the abuse of opioids in the United States are deeply troubling. In 2016, there were an estimated 2.1 million people with an opioid disorder in this country and nearly 12 million others who misused opioids that year. At the same time the number of deaths attributed to opioid overdoses is rapidly increasing.

Across the country, 115 people died per day of an opioid overdose in 2016, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of CDC data. That same year, there were 1,375 opioid-related overdose deaths in Texas, a rate of 4.9 deaths per 100,000 persons.

The last time Texas seriously attempted to institute a needle exchange program, it was shot down by then-Attorney General Greg Abbott, who issued an opinion in 2008 that basically said there was no immunity for possession of drug paraphernalia. That meant those operating any such programs, even through a governmental entity, could face prosecution under state drug laws for dispensing syringes.

Last session, state Rep. Toni Rose, D-Dallas, introduced House Bill 3256 proposing pilot needle exchange programs in Harris, Travis, Bexar and Dallas counties. As with similar proposals in the past by the late state Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio, the legislation failed to gain traction.

Texas needs to change direction on this if efforts to get ahead of the opioid epidemic are going to be successful.
The United States offer to lift sanctions on Zimbabwe could be on the verge of collapsing after Washington expressed irritation at the slow progress by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to draw up the reforms needed to ensure free and fair elections.

In damning comments made at least three months ahead of key presidential and parliamentary elections, US Democratic Senator Chris Coons warned it was possible that the US would drop out of the deal to end sanctions if Mnangagwa continued delaying democratic reforms meant to clear the way for a free and fair poll due between July and August.

Coons said he was optimistic after meeting Mnangagwa last month that an agreement had been reached.

A five-member delegation of US Senators visited Zimbabwe from April 6 to 8, consisting of Senators Coons, Jeff Flake, Cory Booker, Michael Bennet and Garry Peters, all members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to assess the political situation in the country, and said Mnangagwa promised he would produce reforms and, ultimately, elections acceptable to all.

But Coons said Mnangagwa was not walking the talk in ushering democratic change as promised, which will result in the lifting of sanctions.

President Mnangagwa, both in our personal meeting, which was positive and terrific and very long, and in public statements, both in the press conference afterwards and in an editorial published in the New York Times has committed himself to democracy, to free and fair elections, to protecting human rights, towards returning to a rules-based, open economy, Coons told CGTN Africa.

If he takes those steps, sanctions relief should be forthcoming from the United States and Senator Flake and I would take the action necessary in the American Congress to accomplish that.

But, frankly, after what was a very encouraging meeting a few weeks ago, weve seen no concrete steps in response. The amount of time left before the election is shrinking, so the importance of taking prompt, concrete steps to demonstrate the presidents commitment to democracy is becoming more and more important.

He said Mnangagwa should ditch the rhetoric and start implementing electoral reforms.

Thereve been some encouraging initial meetings with opposition parties but no concrete steps. So whether you look at EU (European Union) Standards, AU (African Union) Standards, Sadc standards, there are standards for free and fair elections, that dont vary significantly. I just urge Mnangagwa and his administration to take concrete steps, soon, Coons said.

On prospects of lifting sanctions imposed on Zanu PF officials, Coons said, Relieving sanctions would provide significant economic lift for Zimbabwe, both because it would then encourage foreign direct investment, re-establishment if robust economic ties, and it would bring engagement with the Western world for Zimbabwe which has been an increasingly isolated challenged and impoverished country, over the decades of former president Mugabes rule.

The visit by the Congressional Delegation came at a time when Senators Coons and Flake introduced a bill to lay the framework for US relations with the new government in Zimbabwe.

The proposed legislation sought to update the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 (Zidera) and set steps Zimbabwe needs to take to have targeted sanctions lifted.

With ousted former president Robert Mugabes relations with the West having been toxic for most of the past two decades, the US government has to date been renewing its targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe and the countrys then top leadership.

But last month, Washington introduced a Bill which amends the biting Zidera, which introduced tough sanctions against Mugabe personally, as well as many of his senior officials and State entities.

The new Bill, now referred to as the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Amendment Act of 2018, does not only contain conditions which are specific to Mnangagwas new dispensation  but if these conditions are met, will see President Donald Trumps administration completely removing the current sanctions and re-establishing wholesome relations with Harare.

On their visit to Zimbabwe, the delegation met civil society, political parties and representatives of government including Mnangagwa.

According to the Bill, the US will fully embrace Zimbabwe if Mnangagwas government implements a raft of measures which include setting up an independent electoral body; allowing Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to vote; this years elections being both free and fair, and taking place without the involvement of the countrys military.

Other conditions that are included in the new Bill are that the government releases without cost to all registered political parties print and digital formats of the biometric voter registration roll.

The US senator said Washington was ready to help revive Zimbabwes economy.

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Symphony hands over prizes among winners of different campaigns

Maksudur Rahman, Senior Director (Business Operation) of Symphony Mobile poses for a photograph with the winners of different campaigns of the company at a prize giving ceremony in the city recently.

Business Desk :

Symphony Mobile rewarded the winners of Valentine's Day and 21st February campaign across the country handing over smartphones.

Symphony Mobile's Senior Director for Business Operation Maksudur Rahman handed over the prize to the winners at a ceremony in Dhaka recently, said a press release recently.

Symphony's campaign, titled "Single Achi", a unique campaign focusing the single persons began on February 8 and ended on February 14, 2018. Around 15,000 participated in this campaign and out of them six were selected as winners through a lottery. The 'Single Achi' campaign was divided into seven categories.

Mehedi Hasan from Savar won Symphony Inova smartphone by sharing his experience of eating at restaurants on Valentine's Day. Sunny from Brahmanbaria won Symphony i90 smartphone by sharing an interesting experience of roaming around on Valentine's Day.

Apu from Tangail won Symphony P9+ smartphone by sharing his interesting experience of watching a movie on Valentine's Day.

Palash Saha from Cumilla won Symphony Z10 smartphone by sharing the fun of celebrating "Boshonto" . Priyanka of Dhaka Tejgaon, won Symphony i110 smartphone after sharing her fun experience of shopping alone. Mymensing's Bipu won Symphony P9 (2GB) smartphone by sharing experience of Student Life during Valentine's Day.

Aklima from Brahmanbaria won the mega gift of Dhaka Singapore return air ticket by sharing her interesting experiences of being single on Valentine's Day. Faysal Emon from Ashulia won i90 smartphone by participating and winning the 21st February campaign.01749-604256.
UNDERLYING tensions between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and top military commanders this week publicly exploded in the aftermath of the chaotic and hotly-disputed Zanu PF primary elections which left senior party officials and members warning of a gathering storm of defeat on the horizon at the upcoming general elections

Mnangagwa and the former Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander, retired General Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga are fighting for the heart and soul of Zanu PF and control of the levers of state power.

Mnangagwa was catapulted to power by the military, while Chiwenga, who is also in charge of the Defence and War Veterans ministries, rose to the position of vice-president in the aftermath of the military coup which ousted former president Robert Mugabe last November. Soon after the coup, differences emerged over a series of issues: type of transitional arrangement, positions, appointments, Mnangagwas tenure and control of the levers of state power.

In the chaotic primary elections this week run by the military, many of Mnangagwas key allies were defeated amid internal manoeuvres by the army to consolidate their grip on the party and related political and electoral processes. This angered Mnangagwas political allies who fumed that military commanders in charge were political novices, hence the disastrous primaries.

Mnangagwas special advisor Christopher Mutsvangwa, who is also Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association chair, described Zanu PF national political commissar retired Lieutenant-General Engelbert Rugeje, a Chiwenga deployee to the party, as a political novice. He told him he rejects the Norton primary election results.

Mutsvangwa and Rugeje now personify the battle between senior civilian and top military leaders in Zanu PF and government.

Mutsvangwa also warned Mnangagwa could lose the critical general elections because of the primaries fiasco.

Some of Mnangagwas allies who fell dramatically in the primaries between April 29 and May 1 include Mutsvangwa, Minister of State in the Presidents Office responsible for National Scholarships Christopher Mushohwe, Zanu PF deputy secretary for legal affairs Paul Mangwana and the partys deputy secretary for Youth Affairs Lewis Matutu.

Samuel Mumbengegwi, David Chapfika, Andrew Langa, Abednico Ncube, Douglas Mombeshora and Edgar Mbwembwe are among the bigwigs who also lost. They cited irregularities, chaos and fraud for their defeat.

As previously reported by the Zimbabwe Independent in February, tensions have been gradually intensifying between Mnangagwa and the military clique surrounding him, amid revelations of the armys overbearing influence on the executive.

Official sources say the military is even exercising veto power in some instances, while also overly influencing government and state institutions operations.

This week, the fight manifested itself publicly over the deployment of police in Zanu PF primaries. It later emerged the army had unconstitutionally and unilaterally deployed police without Mnangagwas knowledge and authority. This has widened the rift between the executive and military.

Evidence of the escalating infighting is now awash in the public domain. Mnangagwa has distanced himself from abuse of police and slammed that, effectively calling out the military.

The use of the military, police and other security officers was exposed when Rugejes Zanu PF commissariat deployment plan for the primary elections leaked. The plan reveals heavy presence in the primaries of the military and those with security background who were deployed as heads of the 10 provinces.

The list consists of former Police Assistant Commissioner Tsitsi Sakonda (Harare province), retired Colonel Edgar Dube (Matabeleland South), former Air Force of Zimbabwe Vice-Air Marshal Henry Muchena (Matabeleland North), retired Brigadier-General Ezekiel Zabanyana (Midlands), retired Colonel Munyaradzi Machacha (Masvingo), retired Brigadier-General Etherton Shungu (Mashonaland Central), former Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) director- internal Sydney Nyanhungo (Mashonaland West) and retired Colonel George Nare (Bulawayo). Kizito Kuchekwa (Mashonaland East) and Herbert Madondo (Manicaland), who have security backgrounds, were also part of the team.

Rugejes plan stated that each polling sub-team at a polling point would comprise two police officers, one inside the polling station in charge of security and another outside manning the voting room.

Zanu PF has always used the army and state security agencies for elections, but now the difference is that the military is openly in charge.

In June 2013, the Independent reported that security service chiefs, under the banner of the Joint Operations Command (Joc), which brings together army, police and intelligence bosses, ran Zanu PFs election campaigns.

Muchena and Nyanhungo were embedded in the Zanu PF commissariat department. In 2008 all provinces were under the control and direction of senior army commanders after Mugabe lost the first round of polling to the late MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai who was later forced to withdraw from the presidential election run-off due to a vicious military campaign of violence and brutality.

Some of those involved then were Rugeje; Brigadier-General David Sigauke; Major-General Douglas Nyikayaramba; Brigadier-General Charles Tarumbwa; Major-General Victor Rungani; Vice Air-Marshal Titus Abu Basutu; Brigadier-General Sibusiso Moyo; Brigadier-General Sibangumuzi Khumalo; Colonel Chris Sibanda; Shungu and the late retired Air Commodore Michael Karakadzai.

Mnangagwa this week pushed back against the military, warning the abuse of state security apparatus would not be tolerated.

The President in his capacity as both leader and of a political party and head of government wishes to make it abundantly clear to all and sundry that it is neither the policy of Zanu PF nor the direction of government, through him, to deploy the police or any arm of the security establishment in helping with any party function, list (least) of all as presiding or returning officers in party primary elections, Mnangagwa said.

Any such instances, which might have occurred in the just-ended party primary elections would amount to a breach of Zanu PF policy and certainly a flagrant violation of the laws of the land which must be roundly condemned and stopped forthwith.

Any officials of the party or officers of the security establishment caught abusing arms and personnel of security as alleged will be dealt with severely.

Section 208 of the constitution states that neither the security services nor any of their members may in the exercise of their functions act in a partisan manner, further the interests of any political party or cause or violate the fundamental rights or freedoms of any person.

It also says: Members of the security services must not be active members or office bearers of any political party or organisations.

Mutsvangwa yesterday wrote a scathing letter to Rugeje over the issue, escalating the fight.

This letter is further to my cellphone call of May 2 2018 to you Engelbert Rugeje, National Political Commissar, advising you that I was withdrawing from the polls. I unreservedly reject the results of the just held Zanu PF party polling in Norton. I also refuse to accept your announcement of Langton Mutendereki as the winner. The main reason being the unconstitutional use of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, a state agency as election returning agents, the letter reads.

These policemen were principal players in uninhibited rigging as well as wholesale denial of the act of voting to legions of bona fide party members.

Tensions between civilian leaders and the military rose after the army rejected war veterans secretary-general Victor Matemadandas proposed appointment as Minister of War Veterans and Zanu PF political commissar.

Sources said Mnangagwa was forced to change his administration deployments under military pressure as initially he preferred appointing Kembo Mohadi as vice-president in charge of Defence, Security and War Veterans. The sources also said Mnangagwa also had plans to appoint Oppah Muchinguri as a vice-president ahead of Chiwenga, but this was blocked by the army.

The Defence and War Veterans portfolios were later seized from Mohadi and given to Chiwenga, while Mnangagwa became in charge of security; the CIO, demonstrating a fight over the control of the levers of state power and the future trajectory.

 Zimbabwe Independent

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While launching the Zanu-PF election manifesto at the Harare Conference Centre (HICC) on Friday afternoon, President Emmerson Mnangagwa quelled rumours doing rounds claiming that Vice President Kembo Mohadi has died.

Mnangagwa confirmed that Vice President Kembo Campbell Dugish Mohadi is still not feeling well and could not attend the launch due to his deteriorating health.

.the Vice President and second secretary Cde K D Mohadi in absentia. He is not feeling too well. We wish him a quick recovery, Mnangagwa told the party delegates who attended the launch of the manifesto yesterday at the HICC.

Last month, Chairperson of the Mines and Energy Portfolio Committee Temba Mliswa revealed that Mohadi was in South Africa were he is receiving medical attention. He is suffering from an undisclosed illness.

Mohadi was scheduled to appear before the portfolio committee in his capacity as former State Security as well as Home Affairs Minister, to answer questions on the alleged disappearance of $15 billion worth of diamonds from Chiadzwa.

The VP Mohadi is not feeling well and he is outside the country right now, but he has said that when he feels better he will actually appear before the committee to speak on the diamond issue, Mliswa said, adding that the committee wished him a speedy recovery.

Vice President Mohadi also missed Zimbabwes independence celebrations on 18 April last month.

In 2016, Mohadi appeared at South African-based Malawi prophet, Shepherd Bushiris Enlightened Christian Gathering church where he sought divine intervention.

During the service, Bushiri singled out the Beitbridge East legislator, warning him that he was under attack from unnamed detractors.

Bushiri went on to hand the former Home affairs minister a white handkerchief saying anytime you feel something happening around you use this handkerchief to pray. Miracles will begin to happen around you.

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Umaru Musa YarAdua, (August 16, 1951 - May 5, 2010) was declared winner of the controversial presidential election which held on April 21, 2007.

Sworn in on May 29, 2007, YarAdua spent three years in power battling with his health challenges until death eventually won the battle.

He left Nigeria for Saudi Arabia to receive treatment for pericarditis. During his absence ex-President Goodluck Jonathan assumed the position of acting president after a vote by Nigerias National Assembly.

Yaradua returned to Nigeria on May, 2, 2010, died on the 5th and was buried on the 6th, in his hometown in Katsina according to Islamic rites.

READ ALSO: 6 POWERFUL people hiding the true nature of Buhari's health (LIST)

Today Saturday, May 5, marks the 8th year of his passing and Legit.ng has compiled some of the most touching tributes to the late president.

1. Jonathan paid a glowing tribute to his former boss.

2. He was a man with integrity.

3. Nigeria was better during his administration.

4. Yar'Adua respected the rule of law.

READ ALSO: 7 years after: 7 reasons Nigerians will always remember Yar'Adua

5. He would have been the greatest president.

6. His death caused Nigerians good governance.

7. If death had not snatched him, Nigeria would have been better today.

8. His memory lives on.

9. A great leader Nigerians did not enjoy.

10. He will be remembered as the only president with integrity Nigeria has ever had.

11. He was a leader who put service above ambition.

12. Gone but still fresh in our memories.

13. His good works will continue to be cherished.

Nigeria is upside down - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Thursday, May 3, received 165 Nigerians who voluntarily returned from Libya as they landed late night at the cargo wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the returnees arrived aboard a chartered flight operated by Buraq Airline with registration number 5A-DMG.

READ ALSO: Melaye jumped from vehicle because he was being tear-gassed by police - Senator

The returnees comprised of 68 female adults, six female children and as well as 89 male adults and one male infant.

They were handed over to the South West Zonal Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Yakubu Suleiman by the Head of Mission in Nigeria, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Ms Enira Krdzalic.

Krdzalic noted that IOM in collaboration with the European Union (EU) had repatriated 7,746 Nigerians from Libya under its voluntary return and rehabilitation programme.

According to her, 600 returnees have been rehabilitated already, while another 200 are to be rehabilitated.

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She urged the Nigerian government to improve efforts towards positively engaging the youths by partnering with more international agencies to create employment opportunities.

Krdzalic stressed the need to sensitise Nigerians to the dangers of irregular migration in the quest for seeking greener pastures outside the country.

Legit.ng earlier reported that the federal government repatriated 242 Nigerian migrants stranded in Libya on Tuesday, November 28, following series of messages of their predicament circulated.

Mass deportation: Tales of woes from Libya - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, is set to pick a new Olori

- Six ladies are said to be contending for the vacant position, two are said to be pregnant

- The monarch's estranged queen, Olori Wuraola shares on social media the collapse of their marriage in August 2017

In Yoruba land, a king without a wife loses honour and respect and that means the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, cannot stay too long without a queen to be by his side in his palace.

Legit.ng exclusively gathered that the first class monarch whose queen left him in 2017 is working seriously hard in getting a befitting replacement for his estranged olori. It was also gathered that the contest to win the heart of the king is hot as ladies of means and beauty are trying to outdo themselves. They are said to come in different shapes and complexion and also from different states.

In all, Legit.ng scooped from a source close to the palace that the contestants have been screened down to six while the king is suspected to have more affection for two out of the six ladies.

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6 beautiful ladies hustle to win the heart of Ooni of Ife, 2 allegedly have upper hands

One out of the ladies is said to be based in Canada, another is said to be based in UK, another is said to be an indigene of Ondo state while another is said to have come from Ijebu in Ogun state.

Of the six ladies, the Ooni was said to have presented two of the ladies to the people of Ile-Ife at different occasions during some recent public events in the ancient town. The monarch was said to have raised their hands up while he asked his people if they would like to have them as their queen.

The lady from Ondo state had a chance at being presented to Ife people some months back while the lady from Ijebu was presented to the people during the recently concluded Olokun festival that was held on Sunday, April 29. She was said to have come to the event with her father. They both arrived together at the palace in a Rolls Royce with a customised plate number.

Another source close to the palace disclosed to Legit.ng that one of the criteria given to become an olori is pregnancy as the king is not ready to marry a woman who will not be able to bear him children. So pregnancy comes first before wedding.

From our investigation, two of the ladies are rumoured to be in the family way already so the king might be having a double wedding soon and it might be more because as a king, he is entitled to marry as many women as he desires.

Legit.ng gather from yet another source that a woman of 45 years who has kids was initially among the contenders for the king's heart. She was said to always come with different gifts for palace staffs while coming to see the king.

READ ALSO: Nigerian man falls in love with beautiful lady in 3 weeks, shares introduction photos

Ooni of Ife Oba Enitan Ogunwusi and his estranged wife, Olori Wuraola

The Ooni of Ife became single again after his estranged queen, Olori Wuraola, took to social media, Instagram, to announce the dissolution of their traditionally contracted marriage in August 2017. Their union lasted 17 months and it produced no child. Shortly after announce the break up of their marriage, Olori Wuraola reverted back to her maiden name, Zaynab Otiti Obanor. She dropped the Yoruba name WUraola given to her by the king but still parades and addresses herself as a queen using the title Her Highness Queen Zaynab.

Immediately the marriage breakup was announced, arrangement was made by both the king's family and his estranged Olori's family where the bride price paid by the king during their traditional wedding was returned to his family.

There is light at the end of the tunnel - Ooni of Ife on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng
- A mob reportedly attack the Delta state's commissioner for lands, survey and urban development

- He was allegedly beating up by youths over allegation of land grabbing

Delta state's commissioner for lands, survey and urban development, Chika Ossai, was reportedly attacked by a group of angry youths in Umusadege, Kwale, Ndokwa West local government area over an allegation of land grabbing.

According to a report by Sahara Reporters, the commissioner had gone to the community with some officials of his ministry and was parceling out plots of land to his friends and cronies when some youths in the area got wind of the development and immediately mobilized to the scene to confront him.

The commissioner was eventually rescued from the angry youth by officials of his ministry who accompanied him and other people in the area.

READ ALSO: We spend Nigeria's money on the people, not steal it - Osinbajo

A youth leader said: "Chika was lucky if not the intervention of some persons he would have landed in the hospital. Ask people about Chika, they will tell who he is, he is a chronic land grabbing commissioner. Because he wants to run for the position of state house of Assembly, he has decided to be using peoples lands for political patronage. Chika is too corrupt and he want to represent us in the State House of Assembly come 2019.

"Go to Asaba, you will be told the history of his land grabbing exploit. Chika is on rampage, using government mercenaries in grabbing lands from innocent individuals. He came to do same in Umusadege community and got what he never bargained for. Chika is a big disappointment to Ndokwa nation. All he cares about is to use his office to corruptly amass wealth. Who was him before his appointment.? But come to his home town you will be surprised of how he has amassed wealth."

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Joshua Lidani, the senator representing Gombe South, was held hostage by protesting members of his constituency.

A live Facebook update by an activist Ibrahim Wala on Monday, April 2 confirmed that the incident occurred when Senator Lidani paid an unscheduled visit to Talasse town, the headquarters of Balanga Local Government Area to meet with political associates.

Street gist: Should the Nigerian senate be scrapped? - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- A total of 35 firms expressed interest to establish modular refineries in Nigeria

- Less than half got the approvals from the department of petroleum resources as only 13 were given licenses

- The government hopes to use the modular refineries to stop illegal refining of crude and also create employment in the Niger Delta region

Out of the 35 firms that expressed interest to establish modular refineries, 13 have been given licenses by the Nigerian government.

Maikanti Baru, the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) made the announcement at the Offshore Technology Conference 2018 Nigeria Oil Industry Award Dinner in the United States, where he was the special guest of honour and received an award.

According to him, the corporation and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources were collaborating to encourage the establishment of modular refineries in the Niger Delta to encourage job creation.

Baru stated that in the months ahead, the dream of transforming Nigeria from a net exporter of crude oil to a net exporter of petroleum products would become a reality.

He said he was committed to achieving the December 2019 target set by the federal government to end the importation of petroleum products into the country.

READ ALSO: There is no president in Nigeria that has ever managed the economy like Buhari - Gov Ajimobi

On efforts being made to refurbish Nigerias four existing refineries in Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna, the NNPC GMD said there is an ongoing arrangement with the original builders of the refineries to return them to at least 90% capacity utilisation before the 2019 deadline.

He stated that the process for companies interested in the rehabilitation of the refineries using a contractor-financing model had been completed and successful and the companies for the different projects would be announced soon.

This model is expected to be a self-sustaining financial model with near zero reliance on the federal government funds. For smooth running and implementation, we are also changing the operating and commercial framework of the refineries to make them work efficiently and be commercially viable, he said.

In an earlier report by Legit.ng, the the minister of petroleum resources, Ibe Kachikwu, said that the proposed modular refineries for Delta and Rivers states were not meant to address the current refining challenge faced by Nigeria.

He said the modular refineries are expected to only produce an average 2,000 and 10,000 at most capacity per refinery while the average consumption of fuel by Nigeria stands at 630,000 barrels per day.

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On modular refineries; modular wasnt supposed to provide a sufficient solution to your product needs, modular are on the average between 2,000 and 5,000 maybe 10,000 at most capacity per refinery.

"Your consumption is about 630,000 barrels per day, that is not the essence of modular, what modular was supposed to do for us is provide work within some of these communities where people are busy doing illegal refining," he said.

Former NNPC group managing director Andrew Yakubu in court over fraud allegations - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- Ahead of the APC ward congress in Rivers state, irate youths vandalized the secretariat of the party in Port Harcourt

- One death was recorded as the police fired gun shots to scare the youths

- Chris Finebone, publicity secretary of APC in Rivers blamed some party leaders for the violence

One person died in Port Harcourt on Friday, May 4, as unidentified persons, suspected to be political thugs vandalised the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) located at the Old Government Residential Area in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

The Rivers command of the Nigerian Police quickly intervened by deploying tear-gas to stop further destruction of the partys secretariat. Gun shots were fired into the air to scare riotous members and in the process one death was recorded.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that APC members aspiring for various positions at the Ward levels had come to the party secretariat to pick their forms before the incident.

A ward chairmanship aspirant told NAN that he was unable to pick the form after paying the required amount through the bank. He said that trouble occurred after a long wait by the aspirants.

As you can see, most of us that are vying for different positions in our wards are here to pick the form but nobody is here to address us. We were told that sales of forms will commence by 3 pm but up till 5:30pm we didnt see anybody attending to us, he alleged.

NAN learnt from witnesses that violence broke out following the long wait. The partys secretariat was vandalised.

Efforts made to get reaction from the police did not yield result.

Chris Finebone, publicity secretary of APC in Rivers via a text message said that what happened at the secretariat was an act of wanton destruction that should be condemned by all.

We regret that party leaders who have been canvassing for elections turned around to demand for consensus arrangement only to turn around to prevent the process of election through violence. We know them and time will prove them wrong, Finebone alleged.

There are 319 wards across the 23 local government areas of the state.

The ruling party fixed Saturday, May 5, for the ward congress while it fixed the local government area (LGA) and state congresses for May 12 and May 19 respectively.

In Adamawa, over 10, 000 forms were said to have so far been issued to candidates for the Saturday ward congress in the state. Alhaji Ahmed Lawan, the state organizing Secretary of the party, made this known Friday, May 4, in Yola while briefing newsmen on the exercise.

Legit.ng reported that Lawan said while women and physically challenged candidates were given the forms for free, others had to pay N10,000 for chairmanship and N2,000 for other positions.

Meanwhile, President Buhari on Friday, May 4, arrived his country home, Daura to participate in the party's ward congress at Sarkin Yara A ward slated for Saturday, May 5. Sarkin Yara A consists of 15 polling stations and 26 party executives.

The presidential jet conveying him touched down at Umaru Musa YaAdua Airport, Katsina state at exactly 4:28 pm and shortly after, President Buhari was conveyed in a police chopper to Daura.

APC is the worst party in Nigeria, I regret being a member on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
The Defence Adviser to the United Kingdom in Nigeria, Brigadier Charles Calder, has donated some books to Army War College Nigeria as part of the United Kingdom military pledge to support the college course programme.

The UK Defence Adviser while making the presentation at the Army War College Nigeria Conference Room to the Commandant Army War College Nigeria Maj Gen EJ Enenche, stated that the books are meant to broaden the intellectual insights of the participants of the college on security imperatives within and outside the country as well as sharpen their intellects, analytic skills and cognitive capabilities.

Brigadier Charles Calder and Major Gen EJ Enenche. Photo source: SK Usman

Brigadier Calder further said that the collaboration and partnership efforts of the United Kingdom was focused on the War Colleges in Nigeria because the colleges are the back bone of dealing with security challenges in the country. He said that there will be no limit to the support in ensuring joint operation planning and leadership packages.

READ ALSO: FG approves 13 modular refineries - NNPC GMD Baru

Maj Gen EJ Enenche while receiving the books thanked the UK Defence Adviser Team on behalf of the college community for the kind gesture.

Some of the books presented by the UK army. Photo source: SK Usman

He said the donation of the books is an extension of a standing relationship which will continue to improve from strenght to strength. He noted that the donated books would add to the body of knowledge and improve scholarship in the college and by extension the Army.

The books cover science of war, strategies of war, history and imperatives of globalisation among others.

United Kingdom defence adviser donates books Nigeria Army War College

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Legit.ng earlier reported that the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Major General M Mohammed, has warned officers and men of the Nigerian Army to avoid getting involved in politics.

General Mohammed enjoined them to remain disciplined and ensure peace and stability across the country, adding that it was unconstitutional for soldiers to get involved in politics.

Nigerian Air Force operations against Boko Haram - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Newspaper
- Thirteen victims of human trafficking have been rescued by NAPTIP

- The victims, all women, were rescued from a hotel in Abuja

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on Friday, May 4, sealed up Amazonia Guest House at Dagri in Gwagwalada, FCT, and rescued 13 women suspected to be victims of human trafficking.

NAPTIPs assistant director of intelligence, investigation and monitoring, Tina Ugwu told The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after the operation that that two suspects including the Manager of the lodge have been arrested.

READ ALSO: United Kingdom defence adviser donates books Nigeria Army War College

Ms Ugwu alleged that one Hafeez Abdulsalam who had been on NAPTIPs watch list and was a suspected trafficker in the South-West who specialises in trafficking young girls to Saudi Arabia was the person that brought the girls from various states to Abuja.

NAPTIP officials at the hotel. Photo source: Akahi

"From our findings, Abdulsalam is a major recruiter of young girls to Saudi Arabia and Dubai because he has been on our Osun States office watch list.

The investigation is still ongoing, we will study all the things we recovered from the hotel and then charge the suspects to court, she said.

A picture of the hotel where the victims were rescued. Photo source: Akahi

One of the victims, who gave her name as Rokibat, 22 from Oyo state told NAN that her aunt in Saudi Arabia told her mother to bring her to Saudi through Abdulsalam to be engaged in Housemaid job.

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She explained that she met with Abdulsalam in Osogbo who took her to a hospital for medical checkup in preparation for the journey before she was brought to Abuja.

Another victim, Rodiya 23, from Lagos state Mr Abdulsalam who is a family friend allegedly promised to take her to Saudi Arabia to earn a living since she was not doing anything.

Rodiya explained that Abdulsalam took her to a hospital in Osogbo for medical test and then brought her to Abuja to process her international passport for the journey to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Another victim from Kwara said older sister introduced her to Mr Abdulsalam.

The arrested suspect, Abdulsalam who also spoke to NAN, claimed that the company he worked for known as Western Royal Manpower Solution was legal and registered company known to the federal government.

The suspected trafficker declined further comments.

In a related news, the Benin zonal command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested eight suspected human traffickers.

The zonal commander, Nduka Nwanwenne, told journalists in Benin on Wednesday, April 11, that the traffickers were arrested in the past three months.

He said that a total of 138 people were rescued by the agency within the period and that 124 of the trafficked people were already reunited with their families.

Suspected cannabis traffickers reject Police accusations - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
Not revulsion towards migrants, US should help to make countries safe not to flee

AT LEAST 1200 migrants from Central America, mostly Honduras, headed on foot to the US border. Honduras in recent times has been riddled with political unrest and gang wars. However, President Trump, in line with his extreme disgust for immigrants, on last Tuesday said that the military will be sent to guard the US - Mexico border. By dispatching the military to the border Trump may prevent entry of the vulnerable refugees but this is not a solution. This is not the way the people of many South American small nations expect America to behave.

Rather we were impressed that Mexico, despite a binge of domestic ordeals opened its borders to embrace Honduras refugees.

Trump and his people along with the US Administration must come to acknowledge that - people as refugees do not flee their countries out of enjoyment - they flee because to save their lives, seek protection and security. Additionally, it would be wrong to assume that all migration takes place because of immigrants seeking jobs, citizenship and other facilities.

It's time that the US directly or indirectly gets involved into the growing deteriorating political and security situations inside its neighbouring South American nations. The US also needs to identify the reasons why many from those countries are being forced to immigrate, and most importantly it should positively intervene to jointly address their internal predicaments. It is expected that the US policy makers would jointly address corruption, political and economic instability to have gripped countries like Honduras - if the US can help in changing their situation the spree of illegal entries to the US would automatically end.

Not that the US hasn't interceded to solve problems among the South-American countries before but in recent times the US policy towards Latin America is a clear attempt to exclude extraterritorial rivals from the hemisphere as a way to 'defend the United States'. This line of thinking is absolutely wrong. We do not expect it to be possible for America or any other country to allow them to come in from the countries unsafe for living, but what should certainly be possible for America and others not to tolerate brutal regimes creating immigration problems for other countries.

We must have an international order not to bear with human rights violation anywhere. This is the obligation created by the UN Charter and the Declaration Of Human Rights.






- A former national chairman of PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, recently defected to the APC

- He reconciled with Governor Shettima of Borno state after years of not being at loggerheads

- Shettima thanked Sheriff for returning to the party, saying he is willing to work together with him

Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has said he left the Peoples Democratic Party due to the misunderstanding he had when he was national chairman of the party.

Sheriff who recently defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) said this at a meeting of the stakeholders of the party in Borno state on Friday, May 4, The Punch reports.

He called on all supporters of the party in the state shun selfish interests and come together to achieve success for the party ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Sheriff attended a meeting of the stakeholders of the party in Borno state on Friday, May 4.

READ ALSO: President Buhari arrives polling unit for APC ward congress in Daura

Sheriff said: I rejoined my great party, the APC, following the misunderstanding we had in PDP when I was the national chairman. But I had to come back home and rejoin the APC, which is the party I helped to form.

I am joining the APC as an ordinary member, and I want to call on all and sundry to support the leadership of Governor Kashim Shettima and the APC in the state.

The former governor and his estranged political godson, Borno state governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, reached a truce, calling on members of the APC to work in unity.

According to Sheriff who defected from the PDP recently, the APC is his home

Sheriff, who is Shettimas predecessor, dumped the APC for the PDP in 2015, when the relationship with his successor broke down. Some months back he lost the chairmanship of the PDP to Ahmed Makarfi, after a fierce court battle.

Also speaking at the meeting, Governor Shettima urged all the delegates to elect credible leaders at the state congress holding on Saturday, May 5, so as to move the party forward.

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He promised not to interfere with the congress, saying he did not have a preferred candidate.

Report of Sheriff's defection to the APC emerged last week. Media reports had suggested that Sheriff was billed to visit the APC national secretariat, on Thursday, April 26, to officially announce his defection.

Reacting to the planned defection, a statement sent to Legit.ng by the national publicity secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated that whilst the party was happy to receive new members, membership cards are not issued at the national secretariat.

Legit.ng reported earlier that a truce was reached between Shettima and Sheriff; as the former and the state leadership of the APC agreed to allow the ex governor and his allies rejoin the ruling party.

VP Osinbajo at the Business Forum in Abuja: APC-PDP stand-off gets even more heated on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- Governor Bello has called on party members to work toward a peaceful congress

- The governor said a strong foundation for the party could only be built on fairness, justice, equity and transparency

Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger state, on Saturday, May 5, in Minna, has called on members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and stakeholders in the state to work for peace, progress and unity of the party.

Bello made the called when he received members of the APC wards and Local Government Congress Committee on Saturday in Minna.

He called on the members of the party to be united and ensure fairness, justice and accountability in building enduring foundation for the party.

READ ALSO: Public officials playing sick in court to avoid judgment - Sagay

We are building a structure that will outlive us, and the only way to do that is to build foundation of fairness, justice, equity and transparency, he said.

He urged stakeholders at the state, local government and ward levels to remain steadfast in promoting the ideals that would ensure the consolidation of the gains of the party.

Earlier, Chief Ray Murphy, Chairman, APC Ward and local government congresscommittee, urged stakeholders to support the policies and programmes of the party.

He said that the support would move the party to greater height at all levels.

We are not in Niger state to create division but rather to ensure consensus building, he said.

He advised stakeholders to see the congress as an opportunity to further strengthen the party.

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Legit.ng earlier reported that there are indications that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is compiling a unity list of a new set of its National Working Committee (NWC) members.

Governors who are perceived to be loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari are believed to have finally endorsed former Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, for the chairmanship of the party.

The governors who include Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna state), Yahaya Bello (Kogi state), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun state) and Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo state), reportedly endorsed him after extracting commitments from him not to be controlled by any leader other than President Buhari.

Should President Buhari seek reelection in 2019? on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Nigeria
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) today, Saturday, May 5, unveiled two Mi-35M helicopter gunships that the federal government had since ordered from Russia.

The induction ceremony was conducted as part of the activities of the 54th anniversary of the NAF which is currently ongoing in Kaduna state.

NAF unveiled two Mi-35M helicopter gunships

The new helicopters are meant to boost the Nigerian military internal security operations in the country.

The new helicopters were ordered from Russia by the federal government

The helicopters had arrived Nigeria on Monday, April 30 at the NAF Base Makurdi.

READ ALSO: Pro-Buhari govs, Sarakis group reportedly reach agreement with Oshiomhole

The induction ceremony was conducted as part of the activities of the 54th anniversary of NAF.

The newly inducted helicopters, which are capable of night fighting, are all brand new and are the most sophisticated in the Mi-series of helicopter gunships.

The newly built helicopters are capable of night fighting.

They are however, the second batch of the fleet of Mi-35M helicopters, the procurement of which the current federal government initiated in 2015.

The helicopters will help NAF to combat insecurities in Benue and other states.

The induction of the helicopter gunships would go a long way in adding impetus to the current efforts at combatting the security challenges in Benue state and other parts of the north central region as well as other forms of criminality facing the country.

NAF unveiled two Mi-35M helicopter gunships in Kaduna

In addition, with the induction of the additional Mi-35M helicopters, the on-going counterinsurgency operation in the northeast will receive a boost.

NAF unveiled two Mi-35M helicopter gunships in Kaduna

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The NAF had taken delivery of the first batch of 2 brand new Mi-35M helicopters in December 2016, and they were inducted aftwerwards.

Legit.ng earlier reported that nine engineering/armament personnel of the Nigerian Air Force were winged today, Friday, May 4, as part of activities marking the Service 54th anniversary.

In a brief ceremony at the Nigerian Air Force Base Kaduna, the newly decorated officers were hailed for their contributions to the successes of the NAF.

Nigerian Air Force winged 10 flying officers - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
Some gunmen suspected to be assassins have reportedly killed a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jeremiah Ogboveta, who was contesting for the chairmanship of a ward in the partys congresses currently on-going.

Ogboveta, according to Vanguard, was contesting for Jeremi ward III in Ughelli South local government area of the state.

READ ALSO: Pro-Buhari govs, Sarakis group reportedly reach agreement with Oshiomhole

The report quoted security sources as saying that the incident happened in the morning of Saturday, May 5, the date fixed for the exercise.

Legit.ng earlier reported that President Muhammadu Buhari is also participating in the ward congress, but he is doing this in Katsina state.

The president, on Friday, May 4, arrived his country home, Daura to participate in the exercise at Sarkin Yara A ward slated for Saturday, May 5.

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Sarkin Yara A consists of 15 polling stations and 26 party executives. According to Leadership, the presidential jet conveying him touched down at Umaru Musa YaAdua Airport, Katsina state at exactly 4:28 pm and shortly after, President Buhari was conveyed in a police chopper to Daura.

At the time of this report, the president had arrived the polling unit Sarkin Yara A Ward of Daura local government area of Katsina state for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ward congress.

President Buhari on 2019 presidential election: will you vote for him? | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Saturday, May 5, in Katsina state emphasized that the driving force for seeking public office should be to serve the people, improve their lives and not for frivolity or personal ambition.

In a statement signed by Malam Garba Shehu, one of his spokespersons, Buhari spoke at the on-going ward congress of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) held at Bayagida Model Primary School, Daura, Katsina state.

According to the statement, the president also maintained that the passion to serve and see real changes in the lives of Nigerians informed his choice to join partisan politics in the first place, and this, he said, inspired him to contest elections in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015.

READ ALSO: Pro-Buhari govs, Sarakis group reportedly reach agreement with Oshiomhole

The president added that his decision to seek a second term in office was borne out of a deep passion to serve Nigerians, and not for personal gains adding that his administration had already started the process of ensuring fairness, justice and equity, in spite of challenges, and would work hard to consolidate on the gains.

I am not in politics for fun, frivolity or to amass wealth, I have always been driven by a deep sense of commitment to make a difference to lives of our people.

After my retirement from the army, or forceful retirement, I sat back and watched as events unfolded on the political turf, and realised the country needed an intervention for fairness, justice and inclusion of Nigerians in the issues that affect their lives, he said while calling for patience, maturity and orderliness as the 2019 elections calendar begins to unfold.

He urged political parties, candidates and the electorate to put the country first and always remember that victory ultimately belongs to God.

After going to the court so many times to challenge results of elections in 2003, 2007 and 2011, and going up to the Supreme Court, I concluded that ultimately it is God who determines who will win elections, and in 2015 I got here, NAN quoted him as saying.

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In his own remarks, Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina state said the process of electing the leaders of the party at the ward level was hitch-free, orderly and based on the constitution of the APC.

What we have here are our leaders that were chosen based on consensus and we are happy that it reflects the will of the people and the APC constitution.

We followed the process to also ensure that there is affirmation, he said.

Legit.ng earlier reported that President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday, May 5, urged the party executives elected in his Sarkin Yara A electoral ward to discharge their responsibilities with fear of God and in accordance with the party constitution.

President Buhari on 2019 presidential election: will you vote for him? | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
Popularly referred to as Mama Boko Haram, a human rights lawyer and mediator, Hajiya Aisha Wakil revealed on Saturday, May 5, that insurgents that have terrorized parts of Nigeria will someday surrender their arms and return home.

Daily Sun reports that Wakil spoke at a fund raising for her NGO in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, saying the insurgents were willing to give up their arms.

READ ALSO: Cleric makes prediction about Buhari 2019 re-election

She assured that they will soon return home.

All my sons in the bush will come home and surrender for peace, she reportedly said assuring that she will continue to support efforts to return peace to the troubled state.

I will not relent in my mediating role to ensure everybody in Boko Haram bondage is released, she promised.

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She said the Complete Care and Aid, her organisation, was established to care for victims of the insurgency, including orphans and displaced persons.

According to the report, Wakil said that the foundation would always intervene in the areas of education, health care and psycho-social support.

Legit.ng earlier reported that Wakil said the Boko Haram group was ready to dialogue with the federal government.

Since I came back, I have been on their neck. They have now agreed to come out and discuss with the government and bring back the girls.

I am for the Chibok girls and all the captives. They are ready for peace. This is what they told me.

I think they might post some information on YouTube within 24 hours," she had said.

Exclusive: Freed Dapchi Girl Recounts Her Ordeal with Boko Haram (Nigeria Breaking News) Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- The APC ward congress in Imo turned violent as thugs allegedly invaded the venue

- The deputy governor of the state allegedly escaped being attacked

- Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu, former secretary to the state government, Jude Ejiogu were among those who escaped

What should have been the ward congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo ended in violence on Saturday, May 5, with deputy governor of the state, Prince Eze Madumere, allegedly escaping attack by thugs.

The incident reportedly happened at the partys secretariat in the state.

According to Vanguard, Governor Rochas okorochas son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, said that there was a swap of congress committee that was supposed to conduct ward congresses in the state.

READ ALSO: Saudi Arabia agrees with Vatican to build churches

The report mentioned Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu and a former secretary to the state government, Jude Ejiogu, as among those who allegedly escaped attacks.

The report said Madumere and others were at the APC secretariat as part of the preparation for the partys congress.

The atmosphere was later calmed through the efforts of security agencies.

It was learnt that the members of the party were still at the Imo police command headquarters, trying to resolve the alleged swap of congress committee.

The report said tension rose when it was allegedly learnt that the committee that was to conduct congress in Imo state was moved to Anambra.

Accordingly, as discussions were still on, some groups in Ngor Okpala local government area as well as Ehime Mbano said to be loyal to be loyal to the present government held their own congresses.

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We are trying to sort out some issues. There was a swap. The people that supposed to conduct the congress in Imo were moved to Anambra and the Anambra people moved to Imo. And we want them to properly hand over, Nwosu reportedly said at the police command.

Legit.ng earlier reported that as some political analysts had feared in recent times, the primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti state was stalled on Saturday, May 5, following an escalate violence that forced members to scamper to safety.

The exercise was stalled as a result of the tensed environment which forced security personnel shooting sporadically to calm nerves and ensure peace.

Nigerian youths reply to President Buhari over 'lazy' comment | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
Yves here. In addition to the state of the Labour Party being of interest to our UK reader, the struggle over its direction is also instructive for bona fide progressives who are seeking to wrest control of the Democratic party from the Clintonistas and other corporate interests.

Perhaps Im missing something, but the UK press appears to be trying to turn solid gains by Labour in local elections by spinning it as a failure against more optimistic expectations. When I read criticism that Labour didnt win in Chelsea and Kensington, it was hard for me to take the standard set for success seriously. Even if that was a target, having lived near that area when it was less posh than now, that strikes me as nuts.

This tweet is a bit unclear: this was the best result for Labour in London since 1971:

So, on this line yesterday was the best local election results for Labour since 1971: 2018 Corbyn 35%, May 35%; 2014 Miliband 31%, Cameron 29%; 1998 Blair 38%, Hague 32%; 1994 Smith 40%, Major 28%; 1990 Kinnock 44%, Thatcher 33%; 1986 Kinnock 37%, Thatcher 34%.  (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) May 5, 2018

BBC vote projection has put Labour as the largest party if this was a general election. How on earth will Corbyn recover from this devastating result  pic.twitter.com/nqR2UOvpbW  Matt Turner (@MattTurner4L) May 4, 2018

However:

As things stand Lib Dems have gained more seats than Lab (66-58). That definitely wasn't in the Corbyn-surge script.  Rafael Behr (@rafaelbehr) May 4, 2018

But as Lambert said, Fair argument, assuming the surge script wasnt ginned up too.

By Paul Rogers, professor in the department of peace studiesat Bradford University, northern England. He is openDemocracy sinternational security adviser, and has been writing a weekly column on global security since 28 September 2001; he also writes a monthly briefing for the Oxford Research Group. His latest book is Irregular War: ISIS and the New Threat from the Margins(IB Tauris, 2016), which follows Why Were Losing the War on Terror( Polity, 2007), and Losing Control: Global Security in the 21st Century(Pluto Press, 3rd edition, 2010). He is on Twitter at: @ProfPRogers Originally published at openDemocracy

In spite of the remarkable and thoroughly unexpected success of the Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour Party in the 2017 general election, there remains bitter opposition to him and what he stands for within the parliamentary party. It comes out whenever he is under pressure, as with the Salisbury poisoning, the bombing of Syria and the anti-semitism controversy, so much so that among ordinary Labour members there is considerable anger as they see backbenchers latching on to such issues primarily for attacking Corbyn and his team.

What adds to this in their minds is that it comes on top of the relentless pressure from right-wing media outlets, one more reason in their view why he deserves support  not interminable attacks from some of his own backbenchers.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the whole topic, there is still a question that has not been adequately answered  why is there this deep and almost visceral opposition to a leader who remains massively popular in his own party away from Westminster and which, under his leadership, has nearly tripled in size?

Much of the reason lies not with a deep ideological divide, though that might play a part, but with the personal circumstances of many Labour MPs who have found the political rug pulled from under them. Previous certainties have disappeared and have been replaced by a political climate that makes little sense.

For them, in short, this cant be happening or at least shouldnt be happening. They have faced not a double whammy but six shocks, all in the space of less than three years, half of them in a single devastating three-month period in the summer of 2015. Appreciating this more fully may make for a better understanding of what has happened in the parliamentary party and also provide a pointer to the future.

The origins of the current mood go back to the election of Ed Miliband after Labours 2010 election failure. For most centrist Labour MPs (the great majority at the time) this was too much of a shift to the left, especially as their obvious candidate, his brother David, had been blocked by trade-union voting power. The subsequent five-year coalition government was not a happy period for them, but with the start of 2015 general election campaign there seemed a prospect of happier times with polls pointing to a narrow Labour victory or at least a hung parliament with Labour the largest party.

Labour MPs come in all shapes and sizes of politics, motivation and ambition, but embedded in the great majority of them is the hope of personal advancement. This should come as no surprise since it goes with the territory and may well be combined with a strong sense of justice and a genuine commitment to wider society. Indeed these apparent opposites are readily joined in a reasonable belief that change can only come with access to the levers of power.

When the 2015 election was called there was not so much a hope as an actual expectation that Labour would be in power in some form. For inexperienced but ambitious MPs, the prospect would be a first step on the ladder of advancement, for more senior members it might be a cabinet seat or even one of the great offices of state, and for some the prospect of an eventual tilt at the top job. True it would be under the worryingly if mildly leftist Ed Miliband, but that tendency could always experience progressive moderation as realities expressed themselves.

The first shock was the dashing of these hopes as David Camerons Conservative Party exceeded expectations and won an overall majority. This was a real a punch in the gut, but there was at least one saving grace in that with Miliband resigning immediately after the election Labour might now get an acceptable social democrat to lead it out of the quasi-leftist wilderness. For many Labour MPs it might therefore turn out to be a matter of ambition postponed rather than dashed.

The second shock was the subsequent leadership election in which a rapidly growing party membership turned the world upside down and elected Jeremy Corbyn, of all people, as the new leader. He was a decent enough man in the view of most Labour MPs but definitely part of a way-out fringe of leftist radicals that in no way represented the party as these MPs knew it, and would surely be an electoral disaster.

Behind this lay the third shock  not just being out of office but being in a party with a membership greatly supportive of the new leader who offered centrists little chance of personal advancement. In particular, for mid-career Labour MPs it was no longer ambition postponed but ambition hopelessly dashed. So resentful and oppositional was the mood in Westminster in autumn 2015 that people close to Corbyn had reason to believe that plenty of Labour MPs would much prefer to lose a general election than win it under Corbyn.

What made it even more difficult for such MPs to take was that the very nature of the Labour Party was changing beneath them. Just about all of the central control of the Blair era was disappearing and it could simply not be put down to a coterie of militant infiltrators, however comforting that explanation seemed. There simply werent several hundred thousand hard leftists in the country coming suddenly from nowhere. Something else was happening which could not readily be understood.

Worse was to come later on with two more shocks. The fourth in the series was the failed 2016 Labour party coup attempt after the Brexit referendum, followed by Jeremy Corbyns even more dominant performance in the subsequent Labour leadership election. This made it absolutely clear that he had a deeply embedded popularity that would take an utter political earthquake to shake (see Jeremy Corbyn: the future not the past, 28 April 2016).

That provided the fifth shock  the extraordinary general-election campaign in 2017, starting with Labour up to fifteen points behind and with Theresa May expecting to win by one of the largest landslides in history. That outlook held in the early weeks of the campaign and was boosted by the Conservative successes in local-government elections a month before polling day. Then, and against all expectations, things began to change and a few commentators began to suspect something happening below the surface (see The Corbyn crowd, and its message, 18 May 2017; and Corbyn, and an election surprise, 26 May 2017).

By the final week of the polls Labour was on a roll, boosted by a popular election manifesto, a weak Conservative performance and, above all, the ability of Jeremy Corbyn to attract a level of popular support shown by crowded campaign meetings wherever he went. After all, when was the last time that a potential prime minister in Britain had people climbing trees, lampposts and on to roofs at a political meeting, obliging the police hurriedly to close roads?

So look at it from the position of your suspicious Labour members of parliament. For them the real significance of last years election was that it was the final nail in the coffin of opposition to Corbyn  against all the odds he had turned out to be electable!

Where does this leave the party now, and how does it relate to the persistent criticism that Jeremy Corbyn has experienced from his back-benchers over the past two months, moderated only in the short-term by the current Conservative disarray over the Windrush scandal and Brexit disarray?

The early signs are that many Labour MPs still cannot come to terms with the changing nature of the party but, far more important, they cannot face up to the admittedly difficult prospect that they are no longer in tune with a wider mood in the country. If this is moving anywhere it is in the direction of Corbyns vision rather than that of Blair. For many Labour MPs that is the sixth and biggest shock of them all.

Will they come round and accept the new political landscape? Many will, if grudgingly, but others will not. This leaves a problem for the Corbyn team because if Labour does get into power, the opprobrium heaped on Corbyn by dominant right-wing media interests will be hugely intensified. He will need all the help he can get and this will require a much more united parliamentary party.

That is primarily the responsibility of those MPs who still wont support him, but it may be aided if the Corbynistas seek a little more understanding of the attitudes and feelings of those MPs.
Dear patient readers,

I have an oddball request. Do any of you have meaningful experience in developing or reviewing scripts for automated phone surveys or phone prompt systems? I have an example Id like to have someone knowledgeable evaluate. If you are game, please e-mail me at yves-at-nakedcapitalism.com with Phone script in the subject line.

Kilauea: Fresh eruptions from Hawaii volcano BBC

Massive sinkhole in New Zealand exposes earth from 60,000 years ago Inhabitat. Shane: This piece was derived from one in The Mirror, but the Inhabit one has a longer, better video, which is worth watching.

Minnesota experiment upends notions about how plants will offset rising CO2 MinnPost (Chuck L)

Greenhouse gas feedback loop discovered in freshwater lakes PhysOrg (David L)

Gmails Self Destruct Feature Will Probably Be Used to Illegally Destroy Government Records Motherboard

Abbott Recalls 465,000 Pacemakers for Cybersecurity Patch RAPS

The nocebo effect: Is Googling your symptoms making them worse? CBC (Dr. Kevin)

Pharmas broken business model  Part 2: Scraping the barrel in drug discovery LinkedIn (UserFriendly)

North Korea

Brexit

Both tweets rom AFXH. You have to read the first one in full (as in click through) to see how ridiculous this isalthough if youve merely been to Morocco (as I have been), youd know how ludicrous this is: 1. This is Andrea Jenkyns explaining the huge range of opportunities for Gibraltar in Westminster Hall last year. pic.twitter.com/5gd9AMo1zd  Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) September 8, 2017 Posted in our group today  it resonates with many of our members. pic.twitter.com/Qd3JoQEVz7  In Limbo (@InLimboBrexit) May 4, 2018

Britain thrilled with its shitty voting choices again Daily Mash. Gotta love this:

One party offers a wretched Brexit mess overseen by obvious idiots. The other offers some good things but in a clueless, unconvincing way while sort of doing Brexit anyway. Excuse me if I dont sprint to the polling station.

Labour MPs could oust Tories and form a government in coalition with SNP if local election results were replicated in a general election, says BBC poll expert John Curtice Daily Mail

New Cold War

Media Use Disinformation To Accuse Russia Of Spreading Such Moon of Alabama (Kevin W)

French Unions & Students Mobilize Against Reforms: Another May 68? Real News

Syraqiatan

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

Tariff Tantrum

Trump Transistion

Democrats target union workers who regret Trump vote Reuters. EM: Without a candidate having a credible pro-labor message, good luck with that targeting. Sounds to me like the Dem establishment is once again taking the union vote for granted.

They Voted for Obama, Then Went for Trump. Can Democrats Win Them Back? New York Times (UserFriendly). What the Dems refuse to get is part of Trumps appeal is he is still, unabashedly, very much from the wrong side of the tracks. Even though Trumps father had money, Trump (unlike Jamie Dimon) is still a guy from Queens, still a guy who loves gold and marble. For him to be acceptable to the Democrats, he was supposed to do all the Right Things to be upper class in America: hire a tasteful decorator, collect art, join the board of a top-drawer power-broking charity. Trump could care less. That is very attractive to working class voters.

Im done with trying to understand Trump supporters. Why dont they try to understand me? McClatchy . UserFriendly: This is why Democrats will lose forever.

Mayo Clinic launches massive medical records overhaul Minnesota Public Radio News (Chuck L)

A Tidy Way To Smother Movements Shadowproof (UserFriendly)

The Fascist Right Is Bloodied and Soiled SplinterNews (UserFriendly)

Michigan says Flint water is safe to drink, but residents trust in government has corroded The Conversation

Kill Me Now

PR boss Jennifer Palmieri: We reduced Hillary to a female facsimile of a male president Guardian. This was in Water Cooler, but is worth flagging for its Help me factor. Hillary has always been Hillary. Palmieri has become a oversized Hillary Mini-Me, including the more she says, the deeper she digs her hole. PlutoniumKun: Ignore the stupid soft-soap article, read the BTL comments  they eviscerate the article and the subject. Shows the Guardians readers understand what the Guardian does not.

To Sue Goldman Sachs, You Have to Be Willing to Hang OnFor a Long, Long Time Bloomberg. The pattern Chen-Oster describes, independent of the borderline assault, is widespread on Wall Street. Men poach on womens business in a way theyd never dare to with other men, and the adminisphere stands pat. As a boss said when it happened to me,Its easier to steal someone elses business than develop your own. And no, he didnt stop it from happening either.

Sorry Elon Musk, theres no clear evidence Autopilot saves lives ars technica

Teslas Musk calls Wall Street snub foolish but defends his behavior Reuters (Kevin W)

Class Warfare

Antidote du jour. Kittie Wilson, e-mailed April 20, via Lawrence, R, who also sent the note below:

It is with extraordinary sadness that I must tell you that Kittie Wilson, Our Precious Loon Lady, who had and an incredible zest for life passed away May 3. Kittie really enjoyed doing the weekly All Things Pleasant. What started out as a communication among a few friends on the Lake, turned into a weekly column about nature and what is good in the world eventually reaching thousands all over the world. She loved getting your feedback, both my email and in person. I had thirty unbelievable years of marital bliss with her. There will be a memorial service followed by a Grand Reception, May 18. I hope that those of you

who dont live in the UK or South Africa or some other far flung place might be able join us at this upbeat event. Sincerely, Kitties beloved husband, John Wilson * * * Kittie Wilson, Our Precious Loon Lady Kittie Wilson, Our Precious Loon Lady, died on May 3, with her loving husband by her side after putting up a very vigorous fight against a very aggressive cancer. A memorial service to celebrate Kitties zest for the world of nature and her exceptional ability to convey that to others will be held at the First Baptist Church in New London, Friday, May 18 at 2:00 PM. A grand reception will be held following the service at The Lake Sunapee Country Club. Kittie was born July 7, 1949 in Bangor Maine to Patricia Duncan Moore and William Burnett Moore. She lived most of her life in New Hampshire. After graduating from Epsom High School, Kittie attended Plymouth State University where she received a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education and also her Masters Degree in Education. She also received a teaching certificate for advanced studies in Gifted and Talented Education from the University of Connecticut. Kittie spent her entire career of 31 years in the Kearsarge Regional School District, where she taught the third grade for fifteen years and then developed the well-known and respected Mindstretch Program which she taught in all of the districts elementary schools for the next 16 years. In 1993, she received the Krista McAullife Award as the States best teacher which included a years sabbatical, a time which she used to teach and demonstrate the Mindstretch program at 85 different schools throughout the state. Kittie had a passion for the outdoors and all things in nature. In retirement she worked very hard to maintain the quality and neighborliness of Pleasant Lake. This lead to her passion for protecting loons, a threatened species in New Hampshire. She became an avid and very talented photographer of nature, but particularly of loon and loon behavior. She received the Loon Preservation Committees Spirit of the Loon Award and the EPAs Meritorious Lifetime Achievement Award for all of her endeavors to protect loons. She was a noted speaker about loon behavior throughout the state. Kittie is survived by her loving husband John of 29 years, her brother Michael Moore and his family, her sister Karen Johnson and her family, her step-son Jeb Wilson and Aberfeldy and Macallan. Memorial contributions can be made to the Loon Preservation Committee, PO Box 604, Moultonborough, NH 03254, but Kittie also loved flowers. There never were too many

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
Snatching rampant because police do not feel strong to put fear in their minds

NEWS media reported that snatchers are ruling the city roads in broad daylight and after dusk, though police in groups have a visible presence in most roads. The snatchers and organized criminals do not fear of the nearness of law enforcers and escape after snatching valuables suddenly. There is a reality that the snatchers are known and well-connected and the police are not ready to feel strong to put fear in the minds of the snatchers. Crimes have become more political than criminal.

Unemployment among the young ones is not taken as a responsibility by the government. So, the young ones also seek political connections to get their livelihood through safe crimes on the street or otherwise. It is undoubtedly ashamed for the police that criminals do not fear police. The police become unusually active after the crime and feel free to arrest indiscriminately to calm the general public. The police also get the advantage in the way that the court will not release them on bail for the truth to come out.

Sometimes, the snatchers also become violent. At least two people were killed and some others injured in the recent months. On January 26, housewife Helena Begum was run over by a car of snatchers as she fell under its wheels when muggers pulled her bag in Dhanmondi. The same day, muggers also stabbed a youth in Hazaribagh and took away Tk 20,000. An SSC examinee was also stabbed by snatchers on January 31 in Jatrabari. Even policemen are not safe from them. A gang killed an ASP of Highway police who was picked for mugging. Besides, two police officials were stabbed by muggers when they tried to catch members of a gang in Hazaribagh area in January. Most victims don't file cases to avoid further trouble by way of retaliation. They prefer to remain silent because filing of the cases hardly brings any result.

The Police Headquarters' database shows judgments in 213 cases in connection with mugging involving 589 accused delivered from January to September 2017. Only 88 accused were punished in 41 cases. It is to blame the court but we must also blame the police to act under pressure to show that criminals have been arrested.

The police must show professional integrity and courage not to rush to arrest people unless they have credible evidence. The court cannot punish anybody without evidence. The police are also not keen to prove cases in the court; they are satisfied to keep the arrested ones in jail without bail.

Our criminal justice system is thus safe for criminals and dangerous for the innocent ones.
South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) started construction of the Philippine Navys first of two future guided missile frigate. The steel-cutting ceremony was held on May 1st at the HHI shipyard in Ulsan.

South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) started construction of the Philippine Navys first of two future guided missile frigate. The steel-cutting ceremony was held on May 1st at the HHI shipyard in Ulsan.

Steel-cutting ceremony for Philippines Navy first frigate at HHI Ulsan shipyard



The ceremony was attended by Hyundai Heavy Industries President Hwan-Goo Kang, Philippines Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Philippine Navy Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad, and Defense Undersecretary Raymundo Elefane.



Hyundai Heavy Industries is set to launch the vessel in May next year and deliver it to the Philippine Ministry of Defense in the second half of 2020. HHI will start construction on the second frigate in September this year and deliver it in the first half of 2021. The contract for the two frigates was awarded to Hyundai Heavy Industries in October 2016.

Philippines Navy future frigate



These new frigates are variant of Hyundais own HDF-3000 FFX-I Multipurpose Frigate. According to specifications provided by Hyundai, the Philippines design features a length of 107m, a beam of 12m and a hull draught of 4m. The platform has a standard displacement of approximately 2,600 tonnes.The propulsion consists in four diesel engines in Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD) configuration.



The frigate has a range of 4500 nautical miles, a maximum speed of 25 knots and is capable of carrying ASuW, AAW and ASW missions. According to HHI, it is designed to have excellent operational performance and survivability, especially in rough sea conditions such as typhoons and tropical climate.



Servowatch Systems scope of supply comprises an IPMS control and monitoring package for the vessels propulsion plant, electric power plant, auxiliary/ancillary system. Battle Damage Control System (BDCS) and On-board Training System (OBTS) are also to be included in scope of IPMS.

The frigates sensor systems will consist in:

 Hanwha Systems Naval Shield Baseline 2 Integrated combat management system (CMS)

 Hensoldt TRS-3D Baseline D multi-mode phased array C-band Radar

 Airbus MSSR 20001 Identification Friend of Fore (IFF) System

 Leonardo Selex ES NA-25X Fire Control Radar

 Harris Model 997 medium frequency active/passive ASW hull mounted sonar

 Hanwha Systems Link P Tactical Data Link (derived from Link K)

 Elbit Systems Elisra NS9300A Electronic Support Measure (ESM)

 Safran PASEO NS Electro-Optical Tracking System (EOTS)

 Servowatch Integrated Platform Management System

The frigates weapon systems will consist in:

 1x Hyundai Wia 76mm main gun

 1x Aselsan SMASH 30mm RWS as secondary weapon

 4x LIGNex1 SSM-700K C-Star anti-ship missiles

 2x MBDA Simbad-RC VSHORAD launchers (2x Mistral missiles each)

 2x SEA Ltd. TLS-TT Shipboard tirple Torpedo Launching System for LIGNex1 K745 Blue Shark torpedoes

 8x vertical launch system (VLS) cells for surface to air missiles (to be determined)

 2x Terma C-Guard decoy launchers



The frigates are fitted with a helicopter pad and hangar to accommodate an AW-159 Wildcat Anti-Submarine Helicopter.
New federal court documents obtained by the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit reveal the Navy believes it suffered a massive hit to its reputation as a result of the fraud committed by Justin Hubbard, a former employee of Tetra Tech, the company it hired to clean up radiation at the Hunters Point Shipyard in San Francisco. The site is slated for parks, shops and thousands of homes.

In a victim impact statement submitted to the court during the sentencing proceedings for Hubbard, the 48-year-old former radiation control technician supervisor who pleaded guilty last year to falsifying documents associated with the cleanup, Laura Duchnak, the Navys Director of Base Closure, said the uncertainty surrounding Tetra Techs work has caused a complete loss of trust in the Navy by the local community.

Duchnak estimates it has set back the planned transfer of the property by a decade. She said the delay has caused ire and frustration by San Francisco city officials, members of congress and local activists. The scandal has brought on negative media attention and caused residents who moved into new condos next to where the cleanup is taking place to worry about their safety, she said.

The development of [the Hunters Point Shipyard] was supposed to revitalize the community and provide jobs and affordable housing; all of that is now on hold indefinitely as the Navy and the regulatory agencies have determined that Tetra Techs work is unreliable, Duchnak said.

Earlier this year, after reviewing of all of Tetra Techs radiation cleanup records, the Navy found nearly half of the data had inconsistencies and that much of it was likely fraudulent. The Navy is now coming up with a plan to resample the entire shipyard for radiation, essentially redoing of all of Tetra Techs work.

The Navy paid $272 million to Tetra Tech for 12 years of work. Duchnak said the cost of the required rework is likely to rise as high as $578 million. That amount of money would buy a new combat ship, she said.

Duchnak said the scandal has caused regulatory agencies to lose trust in the Navys ability to implement its radiological remediation program, and that the EPA no longer has confidence in the work performed by Tetra Tech.

A federal judge sentenced Hubbard and fellow radiation technician supervisor Stephen Rolfe to eight months in prison on Thursday for falsifying cleanup records. Both men admitted to substituting clean dirt for the soil samples they were supposed to be testing in an effort to fake the results of the cleanup.

According to court records, a health physicist for the EPA wrote in a declaration that when the suspect areas were resampled, it was determined that excessive levels of radiation remained after fraudulently being deemed clean by Tetra Tech employees, including Hubbard. The areas were subsequently cleaned up.

NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit first exposed in 2014 that the Navy caught Tetra Tech mishandling soil samples and falsifying data, and that the company disciplined two supervisors and retrained workers. At the time, the company said it took corrective action and had not had a recurrence of fake soil samples.

While Hubbard and Rolfe are the only two Tetra Tech employees who have pleaded guilty to falsifying federal records, court documents explain that the investigations had been pending for a number of years and involve a number of other targets. It is unclear if investigators are looking into other employees.

In court records, Hubbards attorney said he made a grievous error while working far from his Boulder City, Nevada home and that he was lonely, tired and discouraged with a difficult crew that had to be hired from several zip codes in the immediate vicinity of Hunters Point. He said Hubbard regrets what he did every single day. He no longer works in the remediation industry.

A company spokesperson told NBC Bay Area on Thursday that Tetra Tech supports the action of the Department of Justice.

Tetra Tech vehemently rejects this type of activity and will pursue all legal actions available to it to recover the harm that the actions of these former employees have caused to Tetra Tech, the Navy, and the local community. We have zero tolerance for violations of established protocols and procedures on any project site, the company wrote in a statement.

If you have a tip for the Investigative Unit, email theunit@nbcbayarea.com or call 888-996-TIPS.
A driver whose sedan collided with a self-driving vehicle owned by Waymo has been cited for running a red light, police in a Phoenix suburb said Saturday.

Chandler Police Department spokesman Seth Tyler said that the Waymo-owned Chrysler minivan was in manual mode and slowing for the red light when the collision occurred Friday.

Police had said initially that the Waymo minivan was in autonomous mode with a person in the driver's seat.

Tyler said that investigators determined the accident occurred after a Honda sedan ran the red light and swerved to avoid a vehicle that had the green light.

The Honda then went across a raised median and into opposite-direction traffic lanes where the collision occurred, Tyler said.

The Honda and the Waymo vehicle had significant damage, and Tyler said the Waymo driver had injuries that required hospitalization.

Tyler did not elaborate on the Waymo driver's injuries but Waymo said in a statement that it was "concerned about the well-being and safety of our test driver and wish her a full recovery."

The company also said its mission is to make roads safer. It released a video of the moments before the collision.

Neither driver's identity was released.

Waymo is Google's self-driving car spinoff.

The safety of self-driving technology has come under recent scrutiny. A pedestrian in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe died in March after she was struck by a self-driving Uber vehicle. It was the first death involving a fully autonomous vehicle.

The second incident occured on Mountain View, California, highway when a Tesla Model X crashed onto the side of the railing, killing the passenger.
In California's first incumbent-free race for governor since voters switched to a top-two primary system, nearly two dozen candidates are jockeying for a spot in the runoff, including five Democrats and two Republicans with deep pockets or experience in politics.

For now, the contest is a race for second place.

Democrat Gavin Newsom is widely viewed as the front-runner, better known and better funded than his rivals looking for one of two tickets to the general election.

Newsom announced plans to run for governor in 2018 almost immediately after winning re-election as lieutenant governor four years ago and has been running ever since to replace Jerry Brown, who is barred by term limits from seeking a fifth term.

"He's beaten his opponent to the punch, be it on ideas, be it on message, be it on money. Being first. Every Democrat in the race seems to be playing catch up to him," said Bill Whalen, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and speechwriter for former Republican Gov. Pete Wilson.

While they'll all be on the same ballot, they're speaking to very different voters. Democrats are debating who is best qualified to stand up for California against President Donald Trump. Republicans are relentlessly hammering taxes and immigration.

Among Democrats, no issue has motivated the party's base like single-payer health care  a plan to provide government-funded insurance to everyone in the state. Newsom has staked out the left lane, aligning himself most firmly with single-payer supporters while his principal rivals  Antonio Villaraigosa and John Chiang  say they support the concept but insist Newsom is selling voters a fantasy with too many political and legal hurdles to pass anytime soon.

Newsom, a former San Francisco mayor, has leaned heavily on his 2004 decision to issue marriage licenses to gay couples in San Francisco, which threw gasoline on a simmering culture war 11 years before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled gays and lesbians could not be barred from marriage.

"I've got a record of taking risks. I've got a record of being bold, and I just feel like that's what you're going to need in your next governor," Newsom said. "Not recklessness, but risk-taking."

An April poll by the Public Policy Institute of California showed Newsom with a commanding lead, supported by 26 percent of likely voters. Republican businessman John Cox was second at 15 percent, followed by Villaraigosa at 13 percent and GOP state Assemblyman Travis Allen at 10 percent. Chiang and former schools superintendent Delaine Eastin were in the single digits while 22 percent of voters said they were undecided in the survey of the 867 likely voters. It had a margin of sampling error rate of 4.4 percent.

Meet the California Gubernatorial Debate Candidates

An accountant and former attorney who owns thousands of apartment units, Cox has emphasized his business experience and what he calls the corrupt influence of special interests.

"The people running are a bunch of politicians," Cox said. "And I think people want better management and a change in direction, and that's what I'm going to give them."

Villaraigosa, the former mayor of Los Angeles and state Assembly speaker, is focused on energizing Latinos, less affluent Democrats and unaffiliated voters struggling to share in the state's rising prosperity.

"You can't be the sixth largest economy in the world ... with the highest effective poverty rate," he said. "We've got to address the high cost of living."

State Treasurer John Chiang promises sober-minded, no-drama competence, calling himself "the progressive who can balance a checkbook."

Chiang emphasizes his experience in all of California's elected financial positions  treasurer, controller and member of the Board of Equalization, which collects taxes and mediates disputes over tax bills. He also has jabbed at public adultery scandals that clouded the mayoral tenures of Villaraigosa and Newsom.

"I'm not going to do anything to embarrass the office or the people," Chiang said.

Eastin, who served as state schools chief for eight years ending in 2003, has found enthusiastic support among supporters of Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign, who see an authentic candidate fighting hard for progressive priorities.

Amanda Renteria, a former congressional aide and senior adviser to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, stunned observers as a late entrant to the race earlier this year in February. Renteria, who is Latina, said the state needs new faces and voices in leadership.

Cox and Republican Assemblyman Travis Allen of Huntington Beach have relentlessly attacked a recent increase in the gas tax and California's "sanctuary state" law that restricts cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. The issues have energized the GOP base in a state where Democrats significantly outnumber Republicans, although Allen has taken the most aggressively pro-Trump stance.

Both also backed competing efforts to repeal the gas tax approved by lawmakers. Allen's effort fizzled, while voters may decide on Cox's in November.

The fight between Cox and Allen raises the prospect that the November contest could feature two Democrats  a first in California and a scenario that worries some Republicans who fear conservative voters may sit out the election if there are no Republicans in the highest profile races. That could hurt Republican U.S. House candidates.
A couple of Bay Area international airports are preparing to offer nonstop flights to Hawaii through Southwest Airlines.

The Mineta San Jose International Airport and Oakland Metropolitan Airport are awaiting regulatory approvals to gain nonstop service to four Hawaii islands along with Sacramento and San Diego International airports.

Southwest first promised to offer the nonstop service a couple of years ago, and on May 3 the company announced theyd be moving forward, seeking Federal Aviation Administration approvals. Though the process can take up to a year, the company plans on beginning to sell tickets soon.

Southwest plans to fly to four Hawaiian islands  Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the island of Hawaii  all which will also be part of a possible interisland service.

"The way we plan to serve Hawaii requires us to share these initial details now so that our facilities in the airports will be ready for all that we intend to offer," Southwest President Tom Nealon said Thursday. "We're on-track with our plans to sell tickets this year and are respectfully engaged in the process to receive FAA authorization to operate between the mainland and the Islands."
The Trump administration said Friday that it is ending special immigration protections for about 57,000 Hondurans, adding them to hundreds of thousands of immigrants from other countries battered by violence and natural disasters who are losing permission to be in the United States.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's widely anticipated decision not to renew temporary protected status for Hondurans means an estimated 428,000 people from several countries face rolling deadlines beginning late this year to leave or obtain legal residency in other ways.

Hondurans will have until Jan. 5, 2020, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said.

President Donald Trump  who wants to curtail legal immigration and has been cracking down broadly on illegal immigration  and his supporters note that the protections were never meant to be permanent.

Immigrant advocates decried the move and contend that ending the status will drive people underground who have been establishing roots in the U.S. for years or decades, including having American-born children.

For Hondurans, the program known as TPS has been in place since 1999 after Hurricane Mitch devastated in the Central American nation the year before.

The administration says conditions in Honduras have improved, while advocates argue that it still hasn't fully recovered from the hurricane and is now plagued by rampant violence.

Trump, his opponents argue, is effectively adding tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people to the ranks of those in the U.S. without legal status.

Marta Connor, a 50-year-old union organizer in Southern California who has lived in the U.S. for decades and has three American-born children, said before the announcement that she wasn't leaving, regardless of the administration's policies.

"One thing I can tell you is I am not going to Honduras," she said, noting that many of the asylum-seeking migrants in a caravan that recently reached the U.S.-Mexico border are from Honduras. "If they are coming, why am I going over there?"

"There is no way I will go back," Connor said.

Around 437,000 immigrants hailing from 10 countries have had temporary protected status, a designation created in 1990 to allow people from countries affected by natural disasters like earthquakes or man-made disasters like war to have a short-term safe haven. Only a few thousand still have that status.

Those with it have generally been able to work and with permission, travel outside the U.S. and return.

Countries are added to the list as circumstances warrant, with renewals coming usually around every 18 months. While some countries have been taken off the list, others have stayed on it for extended periods, which critics say turns the program into default amnesty.

Under Trump, the Department of Homeland Security has terminated the program for Sudan, Nicaragua, Nepal, Haiti, and notably El Salvador, which accounted for more holders of the special status than any other nation.

They have been given deadlines to leave or gain legal status if possible, starting in November for Sudan and throughout 2019 for the other countries. Several groups are suing to stay in the U.S.

The protections have been extended for 6,900 Syrians who already have them, but the administration has said it won't take on new applicants. Decisions are upcoming for South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen, which cover fewer than 1,700 people.

Daniel Sharp, legal director at the Central American Resource Center in Los Angeles, said he doesn't believe most immigrants with the status will leave after setting down roots with U.S.-born children, jobs and homes.

"People don't want to go back to being undocumented, but I don't think you are going to see a ton of people returning to their countries of origin," he said.

El Salvador actually had the protections twice, the first time in the early 1990s until December 1994. It's estimated that about 150,000 people were covered then.

Cecilia Menjivar, a University of Kansas sociology professor, said that while exact numbers are unknown, it's clear many stayed in the U.S. when the program ended. Some got permanent residency through family sponsorship, but immigration law has changed since then that "there are fewer avenues for legalization," she said.

Ramba Regmi, 53, a native of Nepal who's been in New York City for close to two decades, doesn't know what she's going to do. She spent many of those years without legal status after overstaying a visa but got protections after an April 2015 earthquake in Nepal killed more than 8,000 people.

With the legal authorization the program provides, she was able to go from working in a nail salon to owning one, where she employs three people. She financially supports her husband and adult children in Nepal, which she says still hasn't recovered from the earthquake.

"I never thought this was going to end, so what can I say?" Regmi said after the government declined last week to renew protections for about 9,000 Nepalis. "This is very difficult."
On a day where President Donald Trump addressed the National Rifle Associations convention in Texas, a letter from a suburban teenager brought Senator Dick Durbin to a local high school.

The letter from Oak Lawn Community High School student Adem Osmani invited Durbin to his school, and the senator accepted as 100 people showed up to hear a discussion about how to curb gun violence in schools.

The invitation, which Durbin says is one of many that hes gotten since the Parkland High School shooting, shows him that students like Adem are striving to make their voices heard.

I think young people who share my feelings on gun safety can be more powerful than any National Rifle Association, Durbin said.

Meanwhile, the president addressed gun owners at the NRA Convention, and he mentioned Chicago as a reason why stricter gun laws arent necessarily the answer. We all know whats going on in Chicago, he said. Chicago has the toughest gun laws in our country.

The president also lobbied for arming teachers, saying that his administration strongly believes in allowing highly trained teachers to carry concealed weapons.

Senator Durbin challenged the president, saying that he didnt live up to his words after the Parkland shooting.

He challenged politicians all across the country and said dont be afraid of the NRA. What hes said since then hasnt been encouraging at all, he said.
Stamford police are searching for a person who dumped a dog in the water that was found dead with its leg tied together with a shoelace at Czescik Marina in Stamford on Wednesday.

Stamford police said they were called to the marina around 3 p.m. The caller told police he found the dog near Pier C Slip #32, and the animal was covered in mud.

The dog is male and appears to be an American Pitbull Terrier around 7 years old, black and white, with a white stripe down the front of his face. The dog appeared malnourished, police said.

Police are offering a $3,800 reward for any information on the dog's owner or who may have bound and left the dog. Anyone with information should contact Sgt. Christopher Broems at 203-589-3546.
A group of 26 cyclists started a 400-mile journey from Connecticut to Washington D.C. Saturday. Team 26 pedaled with a purpose; to convince Congress to get tough on gun violence.

We thought Sandy Hook was going to be the tipping point, and yet it just happens over and over, said Laura Feinstein.

The Sandy Hook reading teacher lived through the mass shooting at her school. Her three decades in education changed in a moment on December 14, 2012.

Lockdowns have just become part of the norm, which is heartbreaking, said Feinstein.

Surrounded by members of Team 26 dressed in Sandy Hook green, Feinstein was one of half a dozen speakers who shared their stories as part of a call to Congress to take action to end gun violence. She was joined by a mother from Utah who lost her youngest daughter in a shooting and 19-year-old Tyler Saurez, who performed a song in memory of his aunt, Sandy Hook principal Dawn Hochsprung.

The biggest message I think is just to listen to each other. I think the overall message is that thats what everyone wants. We all want to be listened to, Suarez said.

This year, were carrying with us a petition thats been signed by over 250-thousand Americans, said Team 26 Leader Monte Frank.

The team first pedaled off for Washington in 2013, to remember the 26 students and teachers killed at Sandy Hook, and call for change from the lawmakers they met along their two-wheel tour.

Its bigger than that now. Its not just about Sandy Hook, its all the other places, you know Parkland, and the slow massacre thats happening in our cities. Weve got to stop this madness, said Frank.
Two Fort Worth teachers whose 13-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor want to change a school district policy that rejected their request for paid time off to take care of her.

Thirteen-year-old Grace Kirby went to the doctor in March with elbow pain and in a bizarre twist, learned her elbow was fine, but she did have a rare kind of brain tumor.

Her parents  teachers Bruce and Jill Kirby  couldn't believe it.

"There's only like 15 known cases in the world and she's the 16th, Jill Kirby said.

Soon, the then-12-year-old would undergo risky surgery, and face a tough recovery.

Her mother, a second grade teacher at Lily B. Clayton Elementary School, asked for 10 days off, using a bank of sick leave donated by other teachers. She had already used the maximum number of her own sick days.

"I've been working for the district for 23 years and I just kind of assumed I would get it so I was in shock when they said no, Jill Kirby said.

The Fort Worth Independent School District said according to policy, she didn't qualify. And neither did her husband, who teaches physical education at nearby Daggett Elementary.

"I mean I just can't imagine what would qualify, what's above and beyond this, Bruce Kirby said.

In a short written statement, Fort Worth ISD said it followed its policy and the law. It said it could not discuss specifics of Kirbys case.

"We don't ask for a lot, Jill Kirby said. We just thought we'd get those few days to spend with our girl."

After the surgery, Grace could barely walk, or sit up, or eat.

"That's something you don't leave your kid alone to do, Bruce Kirby said. I mean, who would leave their kid in ICU or at the house, who needs therapy like that?"

According to district policy, employees can use the sick bank to cover conditions that are "catastrophic" or "terminal."

Grace's condition may have been "catastrophic."

But it wasn't considered "terminal."

"I get she's not terminal because she's not going to die from this, thank goodness, but for me it was very catastrophic," Jill Kirby said.

The catch? The policy only covers immediate family members, like Grace, if they are terminal  not catastrophic.

The parents ended up taking some days off but didn't get paid for it.

"It just makes me sad, Jill Kirby said.

Amid their challenges, people in their hometown of Aledo and fellow teachers have rallied to support them.

Friends are raising money online and by selling wristbands.

"I would just like the district to think about changing its policy so other families don't have to go through it because it's hard, Jill Kirby said.

In the end, Grace's tumor turned out to be benign and she is recovering. She plans to go back to school next week.

Stephen Poole, executive director of the United Educators Association, an association which represents Fort Worth teachers, said the district acted according to its policy.

Fort Worths policy is more generous than many surrounding districts, he said. Many others approve such benefits only to employees who are seriously ill and not their family members.
Govt responsible for CHT bloodshed: BNP

Staff Reporter :

The BNP on Saturday has made the government responsible for recent bloodshed in Chittagong Hill Tracts.

"Naniarchar Upazila Chairman Shaktiman Chakma and five others' murder in Rangamati and Union Parishad Chairman Sirajul Haq's brutal death in Narsingdi are the hideous examples of this government's misrule and failure to protect lives of people," said BNP Senior Joint-Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi in a news briefing at the party's Nayapaltan central office.

He said, "The government is responsible for the recent bloodshed in Rangamati and Narsingdi. The killing is taking place across the country in view of the spreading of the illegal arms and rearing of the criminals."

The BNP leader criticised the incumbent Election Commission for not taking any action in response to the BNP's complaints about absence of level playing field in Gazipur and Khulna.

He said, the incumbent Police Commissioner of Khulna and Police super of Gazipur are key obstacles to fair polls in the two cities.

He reiterated the party's demand to withdraw them from Khulna and Gazipur in the interest of the fair polls.

BNP Vice-Chairmen Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain, Chairperson's Adviser Dr. Mamun Ahmed, Publication Affairs Secretary Habibul Islam Habib, Assistant Office Secretary Munir Hossain and Assistant Publicity Secretary Asadul Karim Shahin, among others, were present.




Albertsons Inc. is being sued Thursday by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) after one of its San Diego stores allegedly discriminated against Hispanic employees by implementing a no-Spanish policy.

According to the EEOCs lawsuit, around 2012, the store developed an unwritten policy that prohibited Hispanic employees from speaking Spanish around non-Spanish speakers, including when speaking to Spanish-speaking customers and during breaks.

Employees caught speaking Spanish would be publicly reprimanded by store managers, according to the EEOC. Despite numerous employee complaints, the store did not change its policy, forcing employees to transfer, the EEOC said.

It is extremely important for workers to feel safe in coming forward to report harassment," EEOCs San Diego office director Christopher Green said. "It is equally important for employers to make certain that harassment is investigated and addressed appropriately.

The EEOC alleges the store's conducts and policies violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Employers have to be aware of the consequences of certain language policies, said Anna Park, regional attorney for EEOCs Los Angeles District Office, which includes San Diego County in its jurisdiction. Targeting a particular language for censorship is often synonymous with targeting a particular national origin, which is both illegal and highly destructive to workplace morale and productivity.

The EEOC said it has attempted to reach a settlement with Albertsons before filing legal actions against the grocery chain.

In a statement to NBC 7, an Albertsons' spokesperson said the chain values the diversity of its customers and employees.

"While we cannot comment on this pending litigation specifically, Albertsons does not require that its employees speak English only," the statement reads. "Albertsons serves a diverse customer population and encourages employees with foreign language abilities to use those skills to serve its customers."

Albertsons Inc is one of the largest grocery chains in the U.S, employing around 280,000 people across 35 states, according to its website. The company operates under 19 well-known banners, such as Albertsons, Vons, Safeway and Pavillions.
What to Know An autopsy found Olya Langille, 18, died of an accidental overdose.

She was found dead in the Fort Lauderdale apartment of an emergency room doctor.

Fort Lauderdale police said her death is still under investigation but they have no reason to suspect foul play in the March 26 overdose.

A young woman was found dead in the Fort Lauderdale apartment of an emergency room doctor after a night of drinking, drugs and sex, according to a police document.

An autopsy found Olya Langille, 18, died of an accidental overdose. Cocaine, ecstasy, fentanyl and Xanax were the drugs found in her system.

Fort Lauderdale police tell NBC 6 her death is still under investigation but they have no reason to suspect foul play in the March 26 overdose.

Langilles family and friends are distraught about her death and want answers about what happened in the hours before she died.

Its all so surreal right now, said Leslie Maxson, a longtime friend of Langilles mom, Jeanne. She says she watched Olya grow up.

Im still having a hard time grasping all the sadness and all the upset that weve had in her family and my own family because of her loss, Maxson said from her Jupiter home.

Maxson says Olya moved to South Florida to work on yachts.

She was very excited. It was a new adventure for her, she said.

A 911 call at 9 a.m. on March 26 brought police and paramedics to a high-rise apartment building on North Federal Highway, not far from Las Olas.

The call came from Dr. Naval Parikh.

Parikh told the officer who arrived that he met Olya at Blondies at Fort Lauderdale Beach. He said they had several drinks and went back to his apartment where they snorted cocaine, smoked marijuana and had consensual sex, then fell asleep.

He said he moved to sleep on a living room sofa, leaving Langille in the bed.

He said he heard her snoring at 3:00 a.m., but when he awoke at 9:00 a.m., he said she was unresponsive and he called 911.

The officer reported finding several small zip-lock bags containing suspect cocaine and/or heroin, and a suspected drug pipe, in a drawer of a nightstand in the master bedroom where Olya was found dead in the nude.

There is no follow-up information on if what was found was tested to determine what it was.

Olyas friends and family say they are concerned to learn the details of her final hours, especially that her death was in the home of a 41-year-old doctor.

He had the responsibility to take care of her and make sure she was okay, Maxson said.

NBC 6 found Parikh had privileges at Broward Health North and has been reporting to work since March 26.

When NBC 6 called his office they said he works in the emergency room. A Broward Health spokesperson said they only learned of the womans death in the doctors apartment when told by NBC 6. In response, they provided this one sentence statement: "We take these allegations very seriously and have arranged alternative coverage for this physicians patients pending further investigation.

Parikh has not responded to our efforts to reach him regarding the death.
Two men followed a woman into her apartment building, then attacked her and robbed her of about $200, police said.

The 63-year-old grandmother was coming home from the grocery store shortly after 5 p.m. on April 29 and returning to her building on Leggett Avenue in the Longwood neighborhood of the Bronx, her son-in-law told NBC 4 New York.

She opened three doors and the men followed her inside, he said.

The men pulled out a knife, wrestled her to the ground and cut off her handbag, the NYPD said.

The woman suffered a small cut on her hand and was treated at Jacobi Medical Center, police said.

The suspects fled on Southern Boulevard, police said. No arrests have been made.
If you want to bust a racing curse, call Bob Baffert.

The white-haired trainer smashed a jinx that stood for 136 years when Justify splashed through the slop to win the Kentucky Derby by 2 lengths on Saturday.

Not since Apollo in 1882 had a colt won the roses without racing as a 2-year-old.

Now, Baffert is in position to make another run at the Triple Crown. Three years ago, he trained American Pharoah to the sport's first sweep of the Derby, Preakness and Belmont in 37 years and just the 12th ever.

Records and streaks are made to be a broken and Baffert is certainly on a tear.

The Derby record for most wins by a trainer is within Baffert's grasp, too. With his fifth victory, the 65-year-old snapped a tie for second and trails only Ben Jones with six.

Justify is just as impressive. The imposing chestnut colt with the blaze running from his eyes to the tip of his nose improved to 4-0  winning his races by a combined 21 lengths. The favorite won for the sixth year in a row, the longest such run since the 1970s.

Mike Smith earned his second Derby victory, becoming at 52 the second-oldest winning jockey. Bill Shoemaker was 54 when he won with Ferdinand in 1986.

Smith crossed the finish line at Churchill Downs with only a few specks of mud on his white and green silks in the rainiest Derby in the race's 144-year history. Nearly 3 inches fell on the crowd of 157,813 throughout the day.

"Amazing horse," Smith said. "He's got that 'it' factor. He is so above average, he's got unbelievable talent and he's got a mind to go with it. He was loving this stuff."

Smith's silks were nearly spotless after he kept 5-2 favorite Justify near the lead throughout the race. He gunned Justify out of the No. 7 spot in the starting gate  something Baffert said had to happen  and the colt's early speed helped hook leader Promises Fulfilled from the start.

"When he got away clean, then I thought we had a chance," Baffert said. "We had to get away. Then Mike took his time."

They set a blistering pace through the muck, going a half-mile in 45.77 seconds.

"It was an unbelievable performance by the winner, on this track, going that fast," Derby trainer Dale Romans said. "He never stopped. He may be a super horse."

Entering the final turn, Justify took the lead and kept on going to the finish under Smith's left-handed whip.

Justify ran 1 miles in 2:04.20. He paid $7.80, $6 and $4.40.

"I was just in awe of the performance," Baffert said. "He just put himself up there with the greats."

Good Magic returned $9.20 and $6.60, while Audible was another head back in third and paid $5.80 to show. Audible was the best of trainer Todd Pletcher's four entries.

Good Magic  last year's 2-year-old champion and Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner  was the only horse to have a serious shot at Justify turning for home. Good Magic, under Jose Ortiz, drifted out while Justify and Smith kept a clear and straight inside path.

"Justify looked like a big monster," said Chad Brown, who trains Good Magic. "We thought he was the horse to beat and it was true."

Justify won his career debut on Feb. 18 at Santa Anita under 23-year-old Drayden Van Dyke. Baffert, sensing he had a special horse, knew he needed a rider who could handle the pressure of the Triple Crown trail and reached out to Smith.

They teamed to win Justify's second race on March 11 in the mud, foretelling his ability to handle what he would face at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.

Justify announced his presence nationally last month in the Santa Anita Derby, with a front-running, three-length victory over Bolt d'Oro, who ended up 12th on Saturday.

"He's the most beautiful horse," Baffert said. "He has that presence about him. Every day at Santa Anita everybody says, 'Who is that?'"

They'll be talking about him leading up to the Preakness in Baltimore on May 19.

"The winner was brilliant," Derby trainer Steve Asmussen said. "It'll be exciting to see Justify go on."

The victory was worth $1,432,000 to owners WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, Starlight Racing and Head of Plains Partners. They bought Justify for $500,000.

Instilled Regard, an 85-1 shot ridden by Van Dyke, was fourth, followed by 6-1 second choice My Boy Jack, Bravazo and Hofburg. Lone Sailor was eighth, then Vino Rosso, Baffert-trained Solomini, Firenze Fire, Bolt d'Oro, Flameaway, Enticed, Promises Fulfilled, Free Drop Billy, Noble Indy, Combatant and Magnum Moon.

Mendelssohn, trying to become the first Europe-based horse to win the Derby, finished last. The $3 million purchase was beaten by 53 lengths for Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien.

"He got beat up out of the gate and proceeded to check on the first turn and was never in a good place," jockey Ryan Moore said. "The race was over for him then."
Attorney Marissa Bluestine has worked on many appeals of old homicide convictions across Pennsylvania.

Its her job, after all, as a lawyer with the Pennsylvania Innocence Project.

Then she started digging into several cases of convicted murderers who are all connected through arrests by a group of homicide detectives in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In each of the cases, some serious issues arose about their arrests, confessions and eventual convictions, Bluestine told NBC10 Investigators.

"The first one or two, you say  thats not possible, that didn't happen. But when you start to hear it from three, four, five, six," she said, "then you start to have some questions."

She started putting the pieces together while working on Shaurn Thomass case. His murder conviction was eventually vacated when a witness admitted he lied when interviewed by the Philadelphia District Attorneys Conviction Review Unit.

A year before Thomas conviction was overturned, another Philadelphia man who served decades in state prison, Anthony Wright, was freed after getting a re-trial. In Wrights case, DNA testing "conclusively excluded" him from the murder hed been charged with committing.

Then a judge threw out a murder conviction against another man, Jimmie Dennis.

Now, another man, Willie Veasy, who remains in jail 26 years after his 1992 murder conviction, is asking the DAs office to re-examine his case. The chief of the conviction review unit confirmed her office is looking into Veasys case and his claims of a forced confession, a blind eyewitness and a rock-solid alibi.

Learn more about Willie Veasy's story here >>



A common thread that emerged is the Philadelphia homicide detectives who handled Veasys case and the others that have since been overturned. Wright and Dennis are suing the City of Philadelphia and a group of detectives, claiming they obtained confessions after violence, planted evidence and coerced witnesses.

A former homicide detective, Jim Trainum, who now lectures detectives on how to avoid obtaining false confessions, reviewed the cluster of cases handled by the detectives named in the Wright civil lawsuit. He said there appears to be enough evidence to warrant reviews of "every single one of the cases" the detectives ever worked.

Bluestine agreed, calling an examination of forced confessions from murder suspects in the late 1980s and early 1990s "as big as any investigation has been. Potentially the biggest in Philadelphia."

Willie Veasy hopes Bluestein and Trainum are right.

"I can't believe I'm actually incarcerated for something I didn't do," Veasy told NBC10 in a phone conversation from Graterford Prison in Montgomery County.

Veasy's interrogation was cited in the 2016 lawsuit that led to the exoneration of Wright. The suit claims a now-retired detective who interrogated Veasy may have forced him into signing a confession by using physical violence including kicking him in the crotch.

Bluestein also uncovered a new admission by a key witness in Veasy's trial. That witness admitted in a sworn statement to a University of Pennsylvania professor that she is legally blind and was at the time she testified to seeing Veasy commit the crime.



The witness, whom NBC10 is not identifying, had agreed to speak about the case, but later changed her mind and declined comment.

Willie Veasy has been in prison since 1992 after he was convicted of murder in the death of a man in the Franklinville section of North Philadelphia. Veasys case is back in court after an attorney with the Pennsylvania Innocence Project found holes in multiple facets of the original trial.

An alibi provided by Veasy's former boss potentially punches another hole in the prosecution's case.



Seth Schram was Veasy's manager when they both worked at a Houlihan's restaurant in Jenkintown. Schram said Veasy's timecard from the night of the murder indicated he was at the restaurant when the crime occurred.

The restaurant, now a Chili's, is seven miles from the crime scene at Seventh and Russell streets. It's a drive that takes 30 minutes.



He said there is "zero" possibility Veasy could have clocked in and then went to Seventh and Russell streets that night without anyone noticing.

"That did not happen. Not in Houlihan's restaurant on a Friday night," Schram said.

Veasy said he has renewed hope that he'll get another day in court.

"A lot of times it still seems like its a dream," Veasy said. "The justice system has definitely failed me, and for some reason its been like that for years.
A toddler is dead and her mother is being questioned about what led to the child's apparent drowning in a bathtub inside the family's Northeast Philadelphia home, sources tell NBC10.

The 2-year-old girl was found unconscious just before 6 p.m. Friday by her father inside the home along the 1000 block of Wilbur Street, police said. He called for help and was holding the baby in his arms when paramedics arrived, law enforcement sources said.



She was rushed to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital and pronounced dead a short time later.

Sources say homicide detectives believe the mother, who apparently has been suffering from mental distress, may have drowned the child.

The mother is being questioned at the Philadelphia Police Homicide Unit.


Prosecutors have filed eight new charges against a California father accused of shackling and starving some of his 13 children, alleging that he lied on government forms about their schooling.

The Riverside County district attorney's office said Friday that David Turpin was charged with eight felony counts of perjury related to paperwork he filed yearly with the California Department of Education certifying his children were receiving a fulltime education in a private day school.

John Hall, a spokesman for the district attorney's office, said one charge was filed for each year the paperwork was completed from 2010 to 2017.

Turpin and his wife Louise previously pleaded not guilty to torture, child abuse and other charges in a case that has drawn international attention since the couple's 17-year-old daughter escaped the family's Perris, California, home in January and called 911.

Authorities said evidence of starvation was obvious, with the oldest sibling weighing only 82 pounds, and the children were shackled as punishment, denied food and toys and allowed to do little except write in journals.

Turpin, who appeared in court briefly Friday wearing a sage green button down shirt and yellow tie, didn't enter a plea to the new charges during a brief hearing in Riverside. His attorney declined to comment after the hearing.

The couple, who are each being held on $12 million in bail, is due back in court May 18 and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 20.

State records show Turpin listed the family's home address in Perris, California, as the site of a private day school.

The children, who were removed from the home and initially hospitalized, ranged in age from 2 to 29.
Republicans from across the Golden State gathered in San Diego this weekend for the California Republican Party Convention.

While Democrats dominate the State Legislature, a pair of gubernatorial candidates with San Diego ties is fighting to take back the Governors seat.

A vocal group of conservative activists spent their morning rallying outside the Convention in support of Gubernatorial Candidate Travis Allen.

Ill tell you right now, we repeal this Gas Tax. This is Jerry Browns $52 billion tax that hurts the poorest the very most, said Allen.

Allen is an Orange County Assembly Member who grew up in Chula Vista. Hes also a loud opponent of Californias Sanctuary Law.

Last year I had legislation to actually defund every sanctuary jurisdiction in the State of California, Allen said.

From the loud rally outside to the more businesslike networking inside the Convention, the States Republican are hoping the issues of taxes and immigration will give them momentum going into the June Primary.

Democrat Gavin Newsom is seen as the favorite in the Governors race, but the latest polls show Allen, and fellow Republican John Cox getting a huge boost in support.

I think people are recognizing that we need to come out of this convention united and strong and turn this state around, said Cox.

Cox is from Rancho Sante Fe and is currently second in most polls. Hes hoping his business background will help him get the States Republican endorsement.

Im a businessman. Ive held people to account. Ive made budgets. Ive worked on solutions to problems. Politicians talk, they dont get results, said Cox.

There was a bit of a disruption Saturday when anti-Semitic Senate candidate Patrick Little, who has praised Adolph Hitler, was thrown out of the convention. Little, who is challenging Sen. Dianne Feinstein, advocates for limiting the number of Jews in government. State GOP spokesman Matt Fleming said Little has never been an active member of the party and the GOP condemns anti-Semitism and all bigotry.



Delegates will vote on Sunday and then the California Republican Party will announce their endorsements.
A Texas man accused of committing robberies in several states was shot by police in Vermont Friday night.

Authorities say six officers confronted 46-year-old Mark Triolo of Lewisville, Texas, in Brattleboro around 9 p.m. Friday. While attempting to arrest Triolo, three officers and one state trooper fired their weapons at the suspect.

Triolo is a suspect in two armed robberies Friday night in Vermontone at a gas station in Weathersfield and the other at a market in Westminsterand in the robbery of a Vergennes market on May 1.

The first robbery occurred at a Sunoco shortly before 8 p.m., while the second robbery was reported at Allen Brothers store at 8:26 p.m.

Triolo fled from police when they attempted to talk with him after locating his vehicle, identified as a 2007 Kia Sorento with Texas license plates. The suspect was then confronted outside his vehicle on Black Mountain Road at which time the shooting occurred.

The three officers that fired their weapons have been placed on paid administrative leave. It's unclear if the state trooper was also placed on leave.

"This standard procedure exists in order to allow those officers to manage and work through the stress that is involved with such an incident and to facilitate their mental and physical health," said Brattleboro Police Chief Michael R. Fitzgerald in a news release.

The officers involved in the shooting have been identified as Brattleboro Sergeant Chase Stanley, Officer Michael Cable, Officer Sean Wilson, and Vermont State Trooper Jason Lengfellner, according to the Vermont Department of Public Safety.

Brattleboro Police Sergeant Adam Petlock and Vermont State Police Trooper Joshua Gagnon were also on scene at the time of the shooting but they did not discharge their firearms.

Police are working with the Windham County State's Attorney and have notified the Attorney General's Office, which is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings.

No officers were seriously injured during the incident.

The shooting and armed robberies are under investigation.

There are also active warrants for Triolo's arrest in Texas and New York. Following a robbery of a Queensbury, New York gas station on April 30 in which Triolo was identified as the suspect, the Warren County Sheriff said Triolo has a long history of violent behavior.


Ten years ago, less than half the student body at East Boston High School graduated within four years. Today, they've reach a historic high in the number of students leaving with a diploma.

"I think, often, we get a lot of negative press, and I just really hope that people can see the incredible work that our students put in," said Meredith Hubbell, who teaches English as a second language to students from other countries.

Of the 1,300 students enrolled, more than 700 are considered English Language Learners (ELL), which means they need to gain proficiency in English. Despite that challenge, the schools four-year graduation rate increased to nearly 75 percent last year, a milestone they attribute to an increased focus on the students who are typically working while attending school.

"They're here from Honduras, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Columbia," Hubbell explained. "Some of my students are living alone and are supporting themselves entirely their own."

Additional classes that allow students who are behind in their studies to catch up have also helped. Credit recovery courses, as they are called, have often been the reason many students complete their education.

"We were having a lot of dropouts before, where now we are having a lot of kids stay and want to graduate," said teacher Alexis Pellegrin.

Factors beyond the school's control, whether it be violence or instability at home, have also made the daily obligations of school more challenging. That is why Hubbell and her peers have made it their mission to ensure school removes them from those scenarios and provides some hope.

"I have one student whose brother was killed yesterday," Hubbell said. "Everyone is working so hard to be here, to have different opportunities and to have a life that feels safe and supported where they have an educational outcome they wouldn't otherwise have."
Lightning kills 3 in Sunamganj, Rajbari

At least three people were killed in separate incidents of lightning strike in Sunamganj and Rajbari districts on Saturday.

In Sunamganj, a farmer and a female student of Islamganj Degree College were killed by lightning strike in Gourararang union of Sadar Upazila.

The deceased were identified as Md Ekhlasur Rahman, 45, son of late Abdul Khalek of Vati Safela village and Eka Rani Das, 18, daughter of Radhika Ranjan Das of same village in Gaourirong union of Sadar upazila.

Officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station Md Shahidulla said a thunderbolt hit them while the farmer was cutting paddy and Eka was taking food for her father at Joalvanga haor area around 2 pm, killing the girl on the spot and severely wounding the other. Later, Ekhlasur succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital.

In last two weeks at least 16 people were killed in the district, according to the sadar hospital source.

In Rajbari, another farmer was killed in lighting strike while he was returning home from a local market in charmajlishpur village of Ujanchar union in Goalanda in the afternoon.




Local and state officials responded to a bomb threat at the Dudley District Court in Dudley, Massachusetts on Friday morning.

A phone call originally came into the Framingham State Police Call Center around 7:45 a.m. warning of a possible suspicious device at the court on West Main Street.

The building was evacuated and searched by emergency responders, court officials and members of the Massachusetts State Police and Worcester Police Department Bomb Squads. Federal officials from Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also called in.

After the search was conducted and nothing suspicious was found, the court reopened just before 11 a.m.

While nothing suspicious was found, the matter remains under investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Dudley Police Department at 508-943-4411.
It all started with a fire. It started small, but it quickly spread inside a private car lot in Whitman, Massachusetts.

"Shocked, I was shocked," Laural Anderson said.

The fire started early Tuesday morning. According to Whitman Police, investigators quickly determined the fire was intentionally set.

Soon, the reports started coming in. A nearby restaurant was vandalized. A furniture and two cars at a gas station were, too.

"That was all bashed in, a mess over here," Elaine Drosos, co-owner of Venus Cafe, said Friday night. "Seeing as we've been in business for over 50 years and nothing like that has ever happened, not cool, why would you do something like that?"

"At first, I wasn't sure if it was something personal, and then, we did find a bunch of places got hit," she added.

Police arrested two people and charged them in connection with the fires. Investigators say they're still looking into the vandalism cases.

"I'm glad they are caught," Drosos said. "I'm glad that Whitman did its due diligence and I had faith in them."
Authorities are asking for the public's help finding a missing teen girl from Plainfield, New Hampshire.

Police say 15-year-old Celia Barnett was last seen around 2 p.m. Friday at Lebanon High School.

The girl is described as being 5 feet tall and about 135 pounds. She has brown, curly hair.

Barnett was wearing jeans, a turquoise backpack and a red and blue J2 ski jacket with a skier on the back Friday. Police say she could have a bright blue raincoat or a black drawstring bag, as well.

Anyone with information is asked to call Lebanon Police at 603-448-1212.
A 53-year-old Rhode Island man faces numerous traffic charges and one count of drunken driving after he drove the wrong-way on Route 25 in Bourne this morning, according to police.

Scott Koziol of Rumford was arrested after his 2003 Chevrolet pickup truck struck a police cruiser, which was positioned in front of the truck to protect oncoming traffic from a collision. The truck rolled into the front bumper of the cruiser, causing minor damage.

No injuries were reported.

Police said they arrested the driver at about 12:05 a.m. They were initially alerted of the erratic driving in the area of the Bourne Rotary. Police said Koziol was spotted on Route 25 East by Trooper Jeremy Lockwood, who attempted to stop the truck.

Police said the Koziol ignored the cruiser and continued on. Koziol got a second opportunity to stop the truck as it crossed back over to the roadway and was able to stop the truck.

Koziol was released on $40 bail. He was scheduled to be arraigned in Wareham District Court Monday on charges of operating under the influence of liquor, negligent operation of a vehicle, and a marked-lanes violation.
Police are investigating an alcohol-related car crash last night in Bath, NH, that left a young male passenger dead when the car he was riding in lost control and struck a tree.

The 28-year-old driver, identified as David B. Aldrich of Woodville, NH, has been charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, according to police.

Police say Aldrich was driving a 2011 Chevrolet Cruz westbound on Route 302 when the vehicle approached a curve. The vehicle left the roadway, striking a tree. Police said there were two juvenile passengers, identified only as male and female occupants.

All three were taken to Cottage Hospital in Woodsville for treatment. The male passenger died at the hospital. both the driver and female passenger were later taken to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center for additioanl treatment.

Police said Aldrich will be required to appear in Grafton Superior Court before May 21st to answer to the charge. Local and state police are investigating the crash. Police said anyone who may have witnessed the crash should email investigator Greg Dube at the New Hampshire State Police-Collission Analysis and Reconstruction Unit at greg.dube@dos.nh.gov.
What to see at this year's Newbury Spring Festival

Ballet Central

The festival opens at St Nicolas Church with a newly-commissioned work played by the renowned Philharmonia Orchestra under the baton of Edward Gardner (below), recognised as one of the most talented conductors of his generation. Bringing the fortnight of musical excellence to a close, on the third Saturday, an all-Mozart finale, with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, featuring Newburys very own, home-grown Spring Festival Chorus, themselves celebrating their 20th anniversary.

Orchestral Concerts

The orchestral concerts always open and close the festival at St Nicolas Church. On May 12, the exciting young cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason will play the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Edward Gardner.

The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and soloists close the festival with the great Mass in C minor by Mozart, which will also feature the Newbury Festival Chorus.

There is also a concert in the middle of the festival which sees the return of the great pianist John Lill, who will play Beethoven Piano Concerto No 1 with festival first-timers Flanders Symphony Orchestra.

Bernstein Revealed

To mark the forthcoming centenary of the birth of the American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein (pictured below), musical director Jason Carr and West End star Sophie-Louise Dann come to Combe Manor to celebrate the musical superman with an evening exploring his life and times.

Bernstein was as happy working on the Broadway stage as he was the great concert halls of the world. The evening will be compered by broadcaster Edward Seckerson, who conducted one of the last major interviews with Bernstein before his death.

It will feature songs from West Side Story, Candide and On The Town.

Piccadilly Dance Orchestra

An evening of glitz and glamour will have you dancing in the aisles when the Piccadilly Dance Orchestra (below) open the Corn Exchange programme on May 12.

Celebrating its 30th year, this leading jazz orchestra presents its Anniversary Gala Concert, transporting you back to the Charleston of the 1920s and the classic songs of the 30s. You will be able to hear timeless classics by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and George Gershwin among others.

Choral Music

There is nothing like choral music to heighten the senses and there is a feast of it at the festival this year. In addition to Sansara at St Martins Church, East Woodhay, Ex Cathedra (below) will be returning with a special 40-part programme of music from both Elizabethan Ages at Douai Abbey.

One of the greatest masterpieces of all time, the Bach Mass in B minor will be performed at Holy Cross Church in Ramsbury by baroque collective Solomons Knot, who perform the work from memory without a conductor. On the final night in St Nicolas Church you can hear the Mozart Mass in C minor, one of the composers greatest works.

Come and Sing

Everybody, young and old, is welcome to sing Gilbert and Sullivans HMS Pinafore on Sunday, May 20. In the first half, from the comfort of your seat, you will rehearse well-known songs, before being joined by costumed soloists for a performance in the second half. Anything can happen and often does.

Concerts for children and families

There are concerts for children of all ages. The very young always enjoy Sound Beginnings where, in a relaxed environment lasting

just under an hour, they are introduced to the ballet Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev, arranged for two pianos and engagingly narrated by Richard Morris. Older children might enjoy Travelling by Tuba, where they can enjoy a voyage through the weird and wonderful world of this fascinating instrument. The cabaret act Graffiti Classics is popular for all ages with their hilarious all-singing, all-dancing show.

Joe Stilgoe

Joe Stilgoe returns to Newbury with a show devoted to one of his greatest heroes  Gene Kelly.

He celebrates the output of the man who revolutionised not only dance on screen, but also screen musicals. Joe will perform popular songs from musicals such as Singin in The Rain and An American in Paris.

Kabantu

Kabantu are a group from Mancester who put together different sounds from around the world in a creative and imaginary way. Rewriting the rule book, they might take vocal harmonies from South Africa and mix them with Celtic reels and Brazilian samba and yet still create an exuberant and joyful sound.
A program that will focus on Russia will be offered May 10 at 6:30 p.m. in Southbury.

Sergei Kambalov, of Middlebury, and Joseph Baxer, of Kent, will address historical context, explore current issues and imagine future possibilities with Russia at the Southbury Public Library.

Baxer is president of the United Nations Association of Connecticut, former executive director of the Intercultural Institute of Connecticut and U.S. representative to the United Nations for the London-based NGO, Strategies for Peace.

He holds doctorates in psychology and theology, along with advanced degrees in philosophy and sociology, having studied at the Gregorian University, Oxford University, Graduate Theological Foundation, Harvard, and the Catholic University of America.

He has led seminars and lectured internationally on conflict resolution and cross- cultural dialogue, participating in international peace missions to Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya and Nicaragua.

Baxer has traveled and spoken extensively in Europe, the Middle East, South America and the Philippines.

An ordained priest with the American Catholic Church, he has ministered in multicultural churches, directed a large inner-city homeless shelter/rehabilitation center, and in Rome, Italy, collaborated in the leadership of an international Church Order.

His latest book, An Intercultural Life, is available in English and French.

Kambalov retired from the United Nations on Dec. 31, 2010.

His last position was the executive coordinator of the United Nations Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development. Kambalov joined the United Nations in 1989 as a member of the author team of the World Economic and Social Survey. Prior to joining the United Nations in 1989, he was a first secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, and before that he worked in academic research on international economic relations.

He has several academic publications, including a book on economic sanctions as a tool of foreign policy.

Born in Riga, he grew up in Novosibirsk.

He graduated magna cum laude from the Department of Economics of the Moscow State University and has a Ph.D. in international economics from the Diplomatic Academy in Moscow.

Kambalov is a patented inventor.
Bloodshed in CHT

Tribal groups taking lives for establishing supremacy, extortion: Drive one to arrest culprits

Md Joynal Abedin Khan :

Different tribal groups have become desperate for establishing supremacy and collecting extortion in the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) that being considered as the key cause of bloodshed in the three hill districts.

The groups, desperately engaged with sequel clashes and taking lives and damaging assets, are actually against the Peace Accord 1997.

Running battle for supremacy among the armed groups has turned Khagrachhari, Rangamati and Bandarban into a valley of death.

At least 16 leaders and supporters of Jono Sanghoti Somity (JSS), JSS (Larma), United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) and UPDF (democratic) were killed in gunfights, grenade attacks and brush firing in last 30 days, while over 1000 killed in last 20 years, said our local correspondent quoting intelligence sources.

Most of the victims are leaders and activists of United People's Democratic Front (UPDF), Parbatya Chattogram Janasanghati Samity (PCJSS)-Santu and PCJSS (reformists).

Sources said, the hilly people have to pay extortion to the tribal armed cadres if they want to start any type of type.

Recently, law enforcers have compiled the rate of extortion between pro-peace accord PCJSS and the anti-accord group UPDF, they said.

These groups even collect toll on per cubic feet wood and per hundred bamboos.

The militant outfits fix toll of different rates depending on wood, bamboo or professional varieties. For each bunch of banana, a farmer has to pay Tk 6 and Tk 10 to PCJSS and UPDF respectively, according to them.

PCJSS collects toll at 12 percent and 6 percent on selling of each cow and goat, while the UPDF charges Tk 200 for each cow and Tk 100 for each goat. A professional fisherman has to pay Tk 40,000 and Tk 50,000 annually to PCJSS and UPDF respectively. Others also have to pay according to their list of subscription, they added.

Security expert Major General Abdur Rashid (retd) warned, "The local groups may take up arms against the state in future, if the authorities fail to tackle the situation with an iron hand right now."

He suggested frequent special drives to seize weapons from the tribal groups.

"After signing a peace treaty on December 2, 1997, Shantu Larma, along with about PCJSS 1,200 activists, pledged to establish peace in the area. But PCJSS is trying to eliminate the UPDF from the hills and that's why they are killing our men," said a UPDF leader.

A PCJSS leader said at least 400 activists of his group have been killed since signing of the peace accord in 1997.

Chakma circle chief Devasish Roy said that volunteers are assaulted by the law enforcers in several times in the hilly areas.

Monti Chakma, President of Hill Women's Federation, Rangamati unit, said indigenous women are being raped frequently by the armed terrorists.

"The government is serious about the armed activity and murders by local groups, we'll take measures according to the government's directions," said Alamgir Kabir, Superintendent of Police of Rangamati.

The law enforcers ready to tackle the armed groups' activities, the SP said.

We are conducting the drive to arrest the terrors to stop the conflicts among the groups, he said.








Neuropathic pain is the chronic, pathological pain that continues even when the cause of pain is removed. Causes include damage to nerve cells and medicines used to treat cancer. A collaboration between research groups from Indiana University in Bloomington, USA and Turku Centre for Biotechnology in Finland has discovered a novel therapeutic that appears to interrupt the signaling cascades in the body required for multiple forms of neuropathic pain.

Neuropathic pain is extremely common, affecting up to 5-10% of the population globally, and no cures or effective treatments are currently available. Moreover, chemotherapy-induced pain can be so extreme that it causes some patients with cancer to discontinue treatment and greatly impairs quality of life in survivors.

Prior to this study, researchers were aware that pathological pain is triggered by a biological pathway that is activated by binding of the excitatory transmitter glutamate to receptors called NMDARs. This process then triggers activation of an enzyme neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) that generates nitric oxide gas that plays a role in aberrant pain sensation. However, experimental drugs designed to block either the NMDAR receptor or the nNOS enzyme can cause intolerable side effects, such as memory impairment and motor dysfunction.

Now, researchers from Indiana University in Bloomington, USA and the Turku Centre for Biotechnology in Finland have demonstrated that an experimental molecule reduces neuropathic pain in rodents resulting from either nerve damage or a common chemotherapy drug.

The team in the University of Turku in Finland was able to design the molecule after discovering that a protein, NOS1AP, that is downstream of nNOS, triggers several biological pathways that are associated with abnormal glutamate signaling, including neuropathic pain.

The Indiana University group demonstrated that an experimental molecule designed by the Turku group to prevent nNOS signalling to NOS1AP reduced two forms of neuropathic pain in rodents. These forms of pain develop as result of either chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel or nerve damage.

The treatment also disrupted markers of nociceptive signaling in the spinal cord when the test drug was injected at that site into mice. Importantly, the NOS1AP inhibitor did not cause typical motor side effects observed with previous experimental molecules that directly target NMDARs.

- Importantly, the chemical that prevents this signalling did not cause the negative side effects observed in previous experiments. Our studies suggest that the nNOS-NOS1AP interaction site is a previously unrecognized target for pain therapies", says Professor Andrea Hohmann from the Indiana University in Bloomington.

The results suggest that the protein NOS1AP might be a valuable novel target in the development of more effective medicines to treat neuropathic pain.

- NOS1AP should be studied in more detail to find the best way to prevent this protein from contributing to chronic pain, said Senior Researcher Michael Courtney from the University of Turku.
A researcher at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has found that the use of stimulants, such as methamphetamine, can negatively affect the health of HIV-positive persons even when they are adhering to medical treatment.

"Stimulant use may accelerate HIV disease progression through biological and behavioral pathways," said Adam Carrico, Ph.D., associate professor of Public Health Sciences and Psychology. "But if we can identify the biological pathways, then we can develop new approaches to optimize the health of active stimulant users who are living with HIV."

Carrico was the lead author of a study, "Recent Stimulant Use and Leukocyte Gene Expression in Methamphetamine Users with Treated HIV Infection," published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. The collaborative study, conducted with researchers at the University of California San Francisco, University of California Los Angeles, and New York University, involved epigenetic analyses of samples from 55 HIV-positive, methamphetamine-using men who were receiving effective anti-retroviral therapy.

"We found a differential expression of 32 genes and perturbation of 168 pathways in recent stimulant users, including genes previously associated with the HIV reservoir, immune activation, and inflammation," said Carrico.

Carrico has done extensive research on strategies to boost the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS anti-retroviral therapy with individuals who use stimulants. "Anti-retroviral therapy is often successful in suppressing HIV in the blood," he said. "However, the virus typically remains in reservoirs, such as the lymph nodes and inside some immune cells."

This study indicates that stimulants affect pathways in the immune system that allow HIV to become more active and could expand the reservoir. "The differences in gene expression we observed in recent stimulant users are like flipping switches that turn on parts of the immune system that expand the HIV reservoir," Carrico said.

Carrico said the study's findings could be helpful in the ongoing quest to find a cure for HIV. "Maybe these pathways can help us to understand how we can 'wake up' the virus and pull it out of hiding; some of these pathways could become targets for potential biomedical treatments targeting the HIV reservoir," he said.

"We are now testing behavioral interventions in San Francisco and Miami that are designed to reduce stimulant use in people living with HIV," Carrico said. "Hopefully, decreasing the use of stimulants like methamphetamine will allow for better control of the HIV viral load and could even directly improve the immune system."

Carrico was also lead author of a second study, "Substance-Associated Elevations in Monocyte Activation Among Methamphetamine Users with Treated HIV Infection," now in press in the journal AIDS. In 84 virally suppressed HIV-positive, methamphetamine-using men his team found that those with evidence of recent stimulant use displayed greater soluble CD14 (sCD14). This is a clinically relevant marker of monocyte activation that predicts faster clinical HIV progression and cardiovascular disease.

Carrico's research program at the Miller School focuses on developing and testing interventions that address the biopsychosocial vulnerabilities to optimizing HIV/AIDS prevention in substance users. This summer, Carrico will present his study findings at the University of Cape Town, where he will serve as a visiting scholar.
A new comparative study showed the advantages of using donor decellularized muscle to promote functional tissue regeneration at the site of bulk skeletal muscle loss due to trauma or surgery. Compared to an autologous muscle graft, a decellularized muscle matrix used to repair medium- and large-sized defects in rats resulted in enhanced muscle function recovery, muscle regeneration, and the formation of new neuromuscular junctions, as reported in an article published in Tissue Engineering, Part A, peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Tissue Engineering website until June 4, 2018.

The article entitled "Decellularized Muscle Supports New Muscle Fibers and Improves Function Following Volumetric Injury" was coauthored by Barbara Boyan, PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Richmond and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta and colleagues from VCU and Musculoskeletal Transplant. Foundation, Edison, NJ and University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The researchers demonstrated less scar tissue formation and more new neuromuscular receptors using a decellularized muscle matrix than either a rat muscle autograft or collagen plugs to repair large muscle defects.

"This article demonstrated the potential of decellularized tissue grafts for use as scaffolds in tissue engineering applications," says Tissue Engineering Co-Editor-in-Chief Antonios G. Mikos, PhD, Louis Calder Professor at Rice University, Houston, TX.
Agartala/Kohima/Itanagar: The cash drought in most of the ATMs of the northeastern states has caused a lot of inconvenience for the people in the past few days.

Senior bank officials said that the delay in supplying of remittances by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in Guwahati caused the note crisis in most of the ATMs.

"We should put fresh notes in the ATMs to run the apparatus smoothly. Currently, the bank has old notes and we have asked the RBI in Guwahati to supply fresh notes of different denominations urgently," State Bank of India (SBI) Regional Manager Dipak Chowdhury told IANS.

He said, "We expect that the situation would be normalised by mid next week. This is a temporary phenomenon."

Reports of cash scarcities in the ATMs in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Mizoram in the first week of the month have left the public in a state of anguish.

An SBI official in Itanagar said that the bank had to make an internal arrangement of cash from rural branches to urban branches to address the cash deficit.

Dimapur SBI Assistant General Manager Debjyoti Dutta said that the short supply of notes from the RBI aggravated the situation and hardships to the people.

"RBI would be disbursing the cash for Nagaland soon and ATMs would likely be refilled immediately. However, at the bank branches, there was still cash-at-hand to manage everyday transactions," Dutta said.

A bank official in Imphal said that the shortage was also due to the "overdraw" of cash out of ATMs.

An official of the United Bank of India (UBI) said that the ongoing problem is also due to RBI's introduction of rationing system in supplying cash to commercial banks.

"The RBI has been distributing cash to commercial banks in northeast India on a pro-rata basis that means disbursal of cash in proportion of total number of bank account holders of a state and that of number of bank branches in the region," the official added.

As the bank officials publicly clarified about the cash crisis in ATMs, various rumours also forced people to rush in ATMs and banks to withdraw money.
Chennai: Wage revision talks between Indian Banks' Association and the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) failed on Saturday in Mumbai as the offer by the former was meagre, said a leader of a bank union.

He also said the unions may resort to agitation including strikes.

The UFBU is the umbrella body of bank unions in the country.

In a statement issued in Chennai, D.T. Franco, General Secretary, All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC) said, "The initial offer of the Indian Banks Association was meager which was totally rejected by the constituents of the United Forum of Bank Unions.

"Bank employees and officers are already paid very low compared with the Government employees as well as the private sector," he said.

Wages for bank employees have to be revised from November 1, 2017, he said.

According to Franco, the UFBU has decided to send a detailed communication to the Government immediately followed by a nationwide demonstration on May 9.

"It was also decided that Unions will go for two days strike if the government/IBA does not respond immediately," he said.
Gurgaon: Amid the usual hustle bustle of the millennium city, Irshad takes a break from his job and arrives at a nearby ground. Its yet another Friday, but Irshad is hesitant as he spots policemen in the vicinity.

It all began on April 20 when a group of men gathered at the ground to offer Friday prayers but were disrupted by men shouting Jai Shri Ram, who asked the namaazis to dismiss. The video went viral and a week later, on April 26, six men were arrested for violence.

This Friday, there is an unusual calm in the area, which has given rise to Irshads hesitation as he prepares for juma.

Not a single man can be found on that plot in Wazirabad village near the high rise Ardee City, where Irshad usually offers namaaz.

In the wake of the April incident, policemen have been deployed in the area. This is the second time that they had to offer namaaz with nearly six police officers guarding the area. The first time they saw the police team on the ground was on April 27, a day after the arrests.

Irshad and the others, who have arrived at another nearby plot to namaaz, know that the policemen have come for protection but cant ignore their presence.

Its odd. We have been peacefully offering our prayers for more than a decade now and have never had issues. Now also we have had no incidents of violence but with cops surrounding us is weird, Irshad says.

This plot of land has close to 200 people coming in for their namaaz every Friday. Since last week, however, Irshad and the others said that the number had increased.

We think those who offered their prayers on the other plot (where the violence took place) have moved here, says the imam who had conducted the namaaz.

Another man says that he was asked by someone to not enter that plot. I was merely crossing that plot to get here but someone on a bicycle told me not to go there. I dont know who he was, the man says.

The men assembled on this plot near sector 57 said that the villagers in the area had always helped them with water facility for their namaaz.

The owner of this plot is also kind and has told us that we are free to conduct our prayers, the imam adds.

There is a mosque nearby but it is always full. The mosque conducts the Friday prayer in two batches yet is always full, the imam further says, adding that hence many Muslims are forced to offer prayers outside.

As more men pour into the plot to offer their namaaz, policemen, including lady officers, start moving outside the plot of land to give the men more space on the plot. One of the top officers says that everyone in the department knew who was behind such attacks on Muslims.

These people from right wing organizations like VHP, Bajrang Dal and RSS keep saying why Muslims are offering prayers on public land. That is their problem. Kehte hai woh apne ghar mai pooja karte hai, toh Musalmaan log kyu nahi kar sakte (they ask why Muslims cant offer their prayers inside their houses like most Hindus do), the official says, on condition of anonymity.

Irshad, however, has a different take on things. Islam has survived even when it wasnt practiced so much. People used to offer their namaaz in secrecy. It will continue, he says. Another man joined in. But lets face it, even if we want to build a mosque, its a huge task. We cant build a mosque just like one builds a temple, the man says.

If one gives trishul or a sword to a person, instead of books or a job, this (insecurity and violence) will happen. I dont think the government wants to have employed people, Irshad adds.

(Names of all people have been changed to protect their identity)
Guwahati: Assam police inspector, Bhaskar Kalita, officer-in-charge of Bordumsa police station in Tinsukia district, was killed in an encounter with militants late Friday night. Nine bullets were pumped into Kalita while he led an operation against ULFA (Independent) militants along the Assam-Arunachal border.

On receiving inputs about ULFA(I) militants holed up inside a house at Bordumsa town, a team of Assam police led by Bhaskar Kalita and senior officers launched a joint operation with Cobra battalion of CRPF. The team identified the house, and an intense firefight ensued between the militants lodged inside the house and the security forces that resulted in the death of our brave officer, said Director General of Assam Police, Kuladhar Saikia.

Meanwhile, search operations have been intensified with Assam police suspecting that there might be fatalities on the side of militants. Villagers in the area reportedly fled from the encounter site last night. Security forces have cordoned off the area and combing operations are on.

We are ensuring that they cant escape. All security agencies along the border and entire Tinsukia district have been alerted, said Assam DGP who reached Bordumsa Saturday morning.

Police said Bhaskar Kalita was posted in Bordumsa counter-insurgency area for a second term on personal request. The 35-year-old officer who was commissioned in Assam Police in 2008 hails from Azara in Kamrup district. He leaves behind his father, wife and two twins  a son and daughter aged 3 years.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, while condemning the incident, has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 20 lakh to the family of the deceased officer.

Bhaskar Kalita was wearing a bulletproof jacket and took nine bullets during the gunbattle. Police are still waiting for the post-mortem report and suspect that a few shots could have been fired from a Tavor X95 assault rifle.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sonowal has ordered an inquiry into the alleged faulty bulletproof jackets that were worn by Assam police officers in the combat operation.

On the other hand, eminent journalist Dhiren Chakraborty called ULFA(I) Chief, Paresh Baruah, a criminal, saying it is because of ULFA that Assamese youths are suspected to be involved in insurgency.

Two days ago, Assam police apprehended ULFA(I) cadre, Manoj Asom, from Charaideo district and seized 70 rounds of live ammunition from his possession.

(With inputs from Porishmita Gogoi Baruah)
Police must protect people from killers and not talk about arrestees later

Just a day after the killing of Shaktiman Chakma, Chairman of Naniarchar Upazila Parishad in Rangamati, another five people were shot dead in the hill district on Friday. The five, including a Bangalee driver, were on a microbus full of political leaders and activists headed for Hugurmara area of the Upazila to attend the funeral of Shaktiman.



Unidentified gunmen ambushed them in Betchhari area around 12:15pm, also leaving seven others injured. Tapan Jyoti Chakma, 50, alias Borma, President of UPDF (Democratic); Sujon Chakma, 28, General Secretary of Mohalchhari Unit Pahari Chhatra Parishad (PCP), and Pronok Chakma, 23, a member of Jubo Samiti, died on the spot. Setu Chakma, 30, another member of Jubo Samiti, and driver Md Sajib, 32, died on their way to hospital.



With Shaktiman and yesterday's five, at least 17 people were killed in Khagrachhari and Rangamati over the last six months. Of them, nine were from UPDF, two from PCJSS-MN Larma, four from UPDF (Democratic), and one was a UPDF supporter. UPDF (Democratic) is a breakaway faction from the United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF), a political party of hill people opposing the CHT Peace Accord of 1997. Shaktiman was a Vice President of PCJSS-MN Larma, a group which, according to sources, recently formed an alliance with the UPDF (Democratic).PCJSS-MN Larma came into being after Santu Larma-led Parbatya Chattogram Jana Sanhati Samiti (PCJSS), which had signed the peace accord with the government, split during the past caretaker rule in 2007-08. Following the killing of Shaktiman, his fellow activists said it was an act of the UPDF, an allegation the party has rejected.



Though the situation in the hills was relatively calm for the last three years following a "secret meeting" of UPDF and PCJSS, violence returned after the rise of the UPDF (Democratic), local political activists claim. On November 15, 2017, the faction announced its separation from UPDF at a press conference in Khagrachhari.

Conflicts continued between PCJSS and UPDF until the beginning of 2015, when a resolution was finally reached following the "secret meeting". By this time, hundreds of activists had already been killed. Besides, during the last caretaker rule, PCJSS split and PCJSS-MN Larma established control over Khagrachhari district and three to four upazilas of Rangamati. Enmity ensued between the two factions.



Both UPDF and PJCSS have lost over 500 members due to conflicts arising due to the failure of the government to fully implement the Peace Accord. But the police have made no headway in gathering intelligence to figure out the reasons for the killings which have continued unabated since 2007. This can't be expected of the police. As the Administrators of law and order they are supposed to make legitimate investigations to figure out the reasons for the murders.



But their continued inaction over the last ten years has emboldened factions within the various CHT groups to kill each other with impunity. This is a destructive road which will lead to continued violence in the CHT. It's about time our security forces used modern forensic techniques coupled with intelligence gathering to find out the real killers. We don't want the repeat of the arrests of BNP leaders behind the killings of Cesare Tavare--inaction then led ultimately to the Holey Artisan killings. There has to be a better way to figure out murders than arresting innocents and keeping them locked up until they can get bail.



But of course proper investigations are only a beginning. The root causes, and the main cause of discontent among the indigenous people of CHT, is the failure of the government to fully implement the Peace Accords, even though the government claims to have implemented 48 out of the 72 clauses. While the Bengali Muslim population was only around 2 percent in 1947, it is currently unofficially at around 65 percent. Such a massive increase speaks volumes about the massive land grabs which have taken place within these years. Unless these actions are corrected the Jumma people will become a minority in their own land--and this will continue to give rise to further conflicts.
New Delhi: Twelve Banaras Hindu University students, including a female student, allegedly abused and injured varsity chief proctor Royana Singh after she asked them to wait outside her office. However, the students denied allegations, saying the injury was an accident.

According to Singh, the incident occurred on Wednesday evening when scores of students barged into her office with black flags and were sloganeering. Later, they resorted to verbal abuse, vandalism and tried to strangulate her.

I was in my office in a meeting along with my colleagues when 20-25 students barged into the office. They abused me and shot a video on their mobile phones. I told them that I will meet after five minutes, but, a female student set a timer on her watch. After five minutes, they began banging my cabin door and a piece of glass fell on me while I was working on my computer, the proctor told CNN-News18.

Singh further said that she was forced to call the police when she got injured on her left forearm. After station officer Sanjeev Mishra arrived at the spot to pacify the students, she filed an FIR.

The female student tried to strangulate me, while others vandalised my office. They tore official documents and even stole some, she alleged.

When asked why the students had gathered at her office, Singh said that the issue dates back to September 21 last year when students were lathicharged inside the university premises during a protest against the rising eve-teasing incidents on the campus.

The students wanted me to apologise for speaking to a news TV channel regarding the September 21 incident, she said.

"I had spoken to a certain media house regarding the incident and told them that a big car carrying pizza and cold drink had entered the campus to sponsor the protest against the administration. I had also, said that the pizza were being served to outsiders who had infiltrated the protest. Our BHU students usually remain hungry for hours when they protest, Singh said, while recalling the infamous BHU molestation case.

She further said, This is also mentioned in the Justice Dikshit report and we have also seen the footage of the same. However, the students refused to listen to me and threw a paper weight at me. I have received internal and external injuries.

The proctor said that she will also report the matter to the inquiry committee and continue to fight the case. However, she will not stop the students from writing their exams or attending classes.

Meanwhile, the students named in the FIR have denied any physical assault against Singh.

A girl student, who is named in the FIR, told CNN News18, We had gone to meet Royana Singh in her office regarding her statement to a TV channel, but, we were not allowed inside her cabin. She was in a meeting with some people. The guards told us to wait in the gallery outside her cabin. We were told that she will meet us in five minutes, after which she denied the meeting.

Explaining that any harm to her office was accidental, she said, When one of us tried to knock on her door, a small piece of glass broke and fell. The guards didn't allow us to meet her and we left. The following morning we learnt about the FIR.

Denying all allegations of inflicting harm to Singh, she said, "We haven't caused any harm to her. The CCTV footage of her office can be referred as proof.

Taking on Singhs allegations of a sponsored protest, the student said, She (Royana Singh) must make the video public to substantiate her claims that outsiders were involved and the protest was sponsored.
Mumbai: In possibly a first, a judge of the Bombay High Court sat till the early hours of Friday to finish pending matters.

Justice S J Kathawalla has been burning the midnight oil since the last one week to reduce pendency and finish hearing matters before the month-long summer break kicks in from May 5.

While his court room number 20 has been functioning till midnight over the last one week, on Friday, breaking all the records, the room was packed till 3:30am with litigants and advocates. He heard more than 135 matters since morning, 70 of which were urgent matters.

Hiren Kamod, an advocate who was in the court till the early hours said: "His dedication and commitment to work is unmatched. I was among the last three to leave the court room at 3:30am. It was packed with lawyers, litigants and court staff and nobody complained because most matters were moved for urgent hearings."

He added that most lawyers and litigants had appeared for matters relating to arbitrations, Intellectual property rights and commercial matters, which is part of his current assignment.

"He finished his entire board. He sat from 10am to 3:30am in the court room and took just a 20-minute break. He was tirelessly sitting in one place, sharp and attentive till the end. It's commendable. I was appearing in an Infringement of trademark matter in which got an injunction order against the defendant in the wee hours," added Kamod.

Justice Kathawalla, 59, was sworn in as an additional judge at the HC in 2009 and became permanent judge in July 2011. His commitment for work has been lauded by many and disapproved by some.

A retired HC judge on condition of anonymity said, "There are judges who have disposed of a large number of matters before 5pm itself. If the judge decides to sit so late, it puts a lot of pressure on the court staff working with him."

However, KPP Nair, who had worked with Kathawalla for seven years as his secretary, said, "I have worked with 15 judges but nobody can match the energy and vigour of justice Kathawalla. He dictates small orders inside court itself and lengthy orders are taken to chamber where he dictates and the order is prepared immediately. I have also gone to his home on Sundays for dictation." He adds that what makes Kathawalla stand out is his justice-oriented mind and that serving the people has been his priority.

Nishad Nadkarni, one of the advocates who was at the court room till 3am, said, "It's historic no doubt and a welcome move. People complain of pendency all the time and what better way to combat the problem than this. We were happy to be appearing for matters till late since most were urgent. We have complete faith in justice Kathawalla. He ensured on Friday that he completed the ad-interim board. In each of the matters, I got an order and relief."

Justice Kathawalla, despite working in till the early hours of the morning, returned to his chamber at 10:30am on Saturday to finish his pending work.
New Delhi: Was it the medical negligence that spoilt his looks? Three decades on, the Supreme Court has agreed to examine whether a TV actor should be compensated by around a dozen doctors who treated him.

A bench of Justices J Chelameswar and Sanjay K Kaul has set up a board of specialists in AIIMS to ascertain the claims regarding negligent medical care.

Mrinmoy Dutta moved a writ petition in the top court, seeking damages on account of medical negligence. He also filed an appeal against an order of the National Consumer Commission that had shot down his plea for compensation.

Dutta, who has acted in some Bengali TV serials and movies, appeared in person before the bench and argued himself.

He submitted that it was only because of botched up nasal surgeries and treatments that his facial looks had been affected and his acting career took a hit.

Dutta added he was being treated since 1986 but he has restricted his claim of compensation to the doctors who attended to him since 2005.

He made around a dozen doctors, mostly from Kolkata, parties to his petition and demanded a compensation of more than Rs 1 crore which included interest.

Interestingly, the bench agreed to ascertain whether it was medical negligence that affected his career and thus his fundamental right to earn livelihood.

"To proceed further in the matter, there has to be first a determination as to whether there was any medical negligence, if any, and if so, by whom," said the bench, asking Dutta to make available all the materials since 1986.

The determination, it said, would require expertise in the subject and thus the only way would be to have a Board of doctors of the requisite specialization who would look into the complete material to determine medical negligence, if any.

"We consider it appropriate that a Medical Board should be constituted of the requisite specialists by the Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. The board of specialists doctors will examine Dutta and shall submit the report within three months. If the board consider it appropriate to suggest a course of treatment,

that may also form part of the report," directed the court.

Following the order of the court, the AIIMS director has constituted the board.

The bench had asked for the final evaluation report in July to proceed further.
New Delhi: An imposter created a fake Facebook profile of Central Board of Direct Taxes and Customs Chairman Vanaja N Sarna and was extorting money from people, News18 has learnt.

The CBDT office received numerous complaints regarding the matter. The allegations in the complaint were that the CBDT chairman has been threatening them on Facebook and demanding money.

The profile also asked the victims to deposit the sums of money at a bank account in the name of Vinayak Dilip Behelkar and provided other details like the account number, IFSC code, etc.

The screenshots of the chats of the profile with the victims was also provided to the police.

"The imposter is using my name, credentials, pictures on the Facebook profile, which is fake, for nefarious ends and extorting money," said the CBDT chairman.

After receiving the complaints, the chairman first came to know about the fake profile on 10th April this year and has been internally enquiring on the profile since then.

On May 4, Sarna met Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik and gave her complaint. The police chief transferred the matter to the Special Cell unit and an FIR under section 384 (extortion) of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act was registered.

Further probe in the matter is on.
IIT Indore Recruitment 2018 application process to fill vacancies for the post of Associate Professor and Assistant Professor has begun on the official website of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Indore - iiti.ac.in. IIT, Indore has not disclosed the number of vacancies; however, the Centres, Disciplines and Schools for which it is inviting applications are listed in the official advertisement. Interested and eligible candidates must apply for the relevant post on or before 31st May 2018 by following the instructions given below:

How to apply IIT Recruitment 2018?

Step 1  Visit the official website  iiti.ac.in

Step 2  Click on Faculty Appointments under Recruitment on the right side of home page

Step 3  Click on Apply Online under Advertisement for Recruitment of Faculty Members at IIT Indore

Step 4  Fill the application form to Register

Step 5  Click on Login and enter your registration credentials

Step 6  Fill the application form and complete the process

Step 7  Download the confirmation page and take a print out for future reference

Direct Link - http://ofa.iiti.ac.in/index.php/faculty

IIT Recruitment 2018 - Vacancy Details:

Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor - The applicant must possess a Ph.D. degree with 1st class or equivalent in the appropriate branch / relevant areas of specializations and with outstanding academic and research record. He/She must have at least 3 years of post-PhD Research/Teaching/Industry experience. Applicants must go through the official advertisement to ascertain their eligibility and understand the complete matrix: iiti.ac.in/Careers/faculty_pdf

Age Limit:

Assistant Professor  The age of the applicant must be below 35 years.

Associate Professor  The age of the applicant must be below 45 years.

Age relaxation rules applicable as given in the official advertisement.

Pay Scale:

Associate Professor - Rs.1,39,600 per month

Assistant Professor (Grade I) - Rs.1,01,500 per month

Assistant Professor (Grade II) - Rs.70,900 per month

Selection Process:

The shortlisted candidates will be selected on the basis of an Interview.
Lucknow: Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Saturday described the controversy over the portrait of Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) as unnecessary and suggested it could be removed keeping in mind "public sentiments".

"The portrait of Mohammad Ali Jinnah was installed before independence in the AMU and so there is nothing wrong in it, but it can be removed if the public sentiments are against it," the minister of state for social justice told the media in Lucknow.

Violence had taken place in the AMU campus, after the varsity students objected to the protests by right-wing group Hindu Yuva Vahini on the campus, demanding the removal of Jinnah's portrait from the students' union office.

On the BJP leaders visiting Dalit houses and sharing meal with them, Athawale said, "Although having dinner will not benefit Dalits, but this is a good initiative for strengthening relations between Dalits and upper castes."

Asked about the Supreme Court's recent ruling that allegedly diluted the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the minister said he would request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring an ordinance on this issue.

"The law (SC/ST Act) was enacted by the Parliament... The government has submitted a review petition and, if the need arises, I will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring an ordinance for the purpose," the Union minister said, adding that 90 per cent cases of atrocities against Dalits were true.

The leader of the Republican Party of India (A) said his party wanted to contest 30 seats in the Karnataka Assembly polls and support the BJP on the remaining.

He said his party would back the BJP candidates in Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and try to bring Dalit votes under NDA kitty. The SP-BSP alliance will have no impact in the elections, Athawale said.

Condemning the recent incidents of BR Ambedkar statues being vandalised in the state, he said the state government needs to take strict action. "It is an effort to defame the Yogi government," he added.
New Delhi: Barely over a month after JNU professor Atul Johri was arrested for allegedly sexually harassing eight University students, another JNU assistant professor has been booked for thrashing, harassing and threatening a female student of school of social sciences.

The accused professor has been identified as Rajbeer Singh, who is an assistant professor at the Centre for studies in science policy, centre for social sciences.

An FIR under section 354 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code was lodged against him on Wednesday, although the complaint was given to police on February 9 this year. A police officer said that the professor is yet to be arrested.

In the FIR, accessed by CNN-News18, the female student alleged that on February 9 this year, when she and her fellow students went up to Singh to ask him to support a strike at the University that day, he got aggressive and started beating and pushing the girl.

"We were speaking very politely, maintaining some distance from him but he got angry and started beating me. He thrashed me and pushed me by keeping his hand on my chest. When my colleagues tried to pull me up from the ground, he went up to beat them too," the student alleged.

The student further alleged that the professor then threatened her that if she or any of the other students told anyone about the incident, she would have to face dire consequences.
Banihal: Here in the summer grasslands, inside a light blue tarpaulin tent, Fatima (name changed) spends her nights gazing at the skies and thinking if she can ever afford to return to Kathua after six months, where bitter memories of her minor daughters brutal death and a hostile neighbourhood awaits her.

Fatima feels betrayed and emotionally broken over the events that followed the rape and murder of her 8-year-old daughter by people who have been her neighbours for years in Rasana village of Kathua district.

On Monday, the apex court will hear the Kathua rape-murder case in the backdrop of multiple pleas being filed both by families of the victim and the accused.

Fatima wants the case to be heard in a fast track court and accused hanged.

The family of the accused backed by many lawyers, politicians, social and volunteer groups in Jammu, however, wants the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the matter afresh.

They have alleged that the Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch  that produced a chargesheet against eight persons for plotting, executing and destroying evidence of the heinous crime  had picked up random people and forcefully extracted confessions from of them.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and police chief S P Vaid, a Jammu native, have praised the Crime Branch for doing a fair and thorough investigation.

The Crime Branch has produced a chargesheet in a local court listing gut wrenching details that shook the nation and provoked international condemnation.

According to investigations, the girl was abducted, held captive for days, drugged, raped and then brutally murdered by the accused men, which includes a juvenile.

While Jammu has been the epicentre of somewhat belligerent politics and heightened tension, Fatima's family and a few others from the nomadic Bakerwal community last month quietly slipped out for the Valley meadows with their livestock. The Bakerwals from Jammu plains trek through the stunning Valley to graze sheep, goat and horses for six months. They return to their settlement once the cold sets in.

The first of their many halts across the Pir Panjal in Banihal is a small village known for the 2.5 km surface tunnel that links Jammu with Kashmir.

It was a living hell in Rasana. My child's bruised dead face kept flashing before my eyes. It would choke me, so we decided to leave earlier than usual, cries Fatima, even as a few Bakerwal women gather to hear her but seemingly lack the courage to console her.

Those who have done this horrible thing to my daughter are demanding a CBI probe. People like Sanji Ram, Deepu, the lawyers and even the women related to these accused are demanding CBI probe. What for? Aren't they shocked themselves, she shouts.

She breaks down repeatedly and still goes on to say, Do I have no right to ask for justice. I am the one who is wounded, have lost everything, including my small daughter's izaat (honour) and jaan (life).

Some people are playing mischief to deny us justice. I fear to even think what would happen if the culprits are released. They will never allow us to go back, she tells News18.

If they are set free, all four of us  me, my husband and two other children  would be shot dead.

She wondered why people were out to subvert justice by holding rallies and issuing statements in favour of the accused.

The Bar Council of India, too, recently favoured a CBI probe into the incident and gave a clean chit to Kathua lawyers who had disrupted the police from filing a chargesheet in the court.

A self-appointed fact finding committee comprising retired district judge from Nagpur Meera Khadakkar, Supreme Court lawyer Monika Arora, journalist Sarjana Sharma, assistant professor at Miranda House Sonali Chitalkar and social activist Monica Agarwaal submitted a report on Friday before Home Minister Rajnath Singh, again, favouring a CBI probe. The committee chose to meet the families of the accused, Mehbooba Mufti, minister for tribal affairs, but not the victim's family.

Worse, the state BJP unit uploaded a video on its official website of an advocate questioning the Crime Branchs investigation and arrests made in the case.

The BJP axed two senior BJP ministers last month triggering a mammoth Cabinet rejig. The new Deputy CM, soon after his appointment, said there was no issue if the case was handed over to CBI, sparking tension between in the Mehbooba-led PDP-BJP coalition government.

But that is of little or no concern to Fatima and her family. She says she prays and hopes the court listens to her and delivers justice.

I want to sleep. I want to dream of my little girl smiling and herding the horses, she says, pointing towards the lush green hills. She would be happy here. The lower Munda point fascinated her, she recounts.

Abida, Fatima's mother, (name changed) says she did not travel with her family this year but chose to be with Fatima instead as she needs her support.

She has gone crazy. I cannot leave her alone, she says, adding, Will we get justice?
New Delhi: Vandals on late Friday morning defaced the door of the chapel inside Delhi Universitys prestigious St Stephens College with a pro-Hindutva slogan that read, Mandir yahin banega (The temple will be constructed here). Moreover, the cross outside the chapel was also defaced.

Sources said the graffiti on the door was first noticed by students on Friday evening and as of Saturday morning the work had begun to get rid of the slogans.

A St Stephen's student who did not wish to be named, said, "Some students had already noticed the graffiti on Friday, but I noticed it when I was out for an early morning jog on Saturday. After a while, I saw that the staff had started to remove the slogans. By Saturday afternoon, all signs of the slogans were gone."

The writing may have gone unnoticed for hours since regular classes have been suspended owing to the impending Delhi University examinations. News 18 reached out to St Stephens College Principal John Verghese for a statement, but he was unavailable for comment.

While the door of the chapel read Mandir yahin bangea (The temple will be constructed here), the cross outside the church had the words Im going to hell written on them. Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) Presidet Rocky Tusseed expressed concern over the matter and said they would raise the issue with the concerned authorities.

There is an attempt to divide students of the country along religious lines. The same script of Aligarh Muslim University (where an 80-year-old portrait of Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah created a controversy) is playing out here as well, Tusseed said.

The Congress-affiliated National Students Union of India (NSUI) also issued a statement.

St Stephen's College has been a shining beacon in granting excellent quality education to students and has played a pivotal role in shaping young minds that have gone to positively influence policy making decisions. Such an incident brings harm to the very fabric of the institution and to the spirit of the idea of India for which it stands. This incident is condemnable and strict actions should be taken against those who are found guilty, NSUI media in-charge Neeraj Mishra told News 18.

The ABVP, too, called for action. ABCVP Delhi state secretary Bharat Kumar said, Whoever is responsible for this must be brought to book. ABVP condemns this act of vandalism.

According to Rajesh Kumar, member of DUs Executive Council, said, We absolutely condemn this incident. Such incidents have increased after the current government took office. Their attitude towards education is anti-social justice. That is why such incidents take place, to distract from all the ways in which they are destroying higher education. Whoever is found responsible must be punished.
Patna: Bihar Tourism Minister Pramod Kumar had inaugurated a private Muzaffarpur-Delhi bus service on April 30, just two days before a bus plying on the same route toppled and caught fire, injuring 13 passengers.

Soon after the incident, Transport Minister Santosh Nirala asserted that all Delhi-bound buses were plying illegally on tourist permit and has landed his cabinet colleague Pramod Kumar in trouble.

Authorities cracked the whip on bus operators immediately after the accident on Thursday in East Champaran. Most bus operators have since gone underground.

However, in a major embarrassment, Kumar can be seen posing in pictures during the bus inauguration ceremony of bus agency Jai Gurudev. A banner in the background reads: "We are happy to inform that Jai Gurudev travels is starting a regular bus service from Muzaffarpur to Delhi and honorable tourism minister Pramod Kumar will flag off the bus."

Pramod Kumar told News18, I accept that I flagged off the bus as it was 'not a tourist bus'. But I have done nothing wrong. The operater told me that they had the permit to run the bus.

When asked about Nirala's statement that the state government had not issued any bus permit for Delhi, he said, "Bus operators obtain permits from all transit states. The owner of the bus I inaugurated told me that he had availed permits from Bihar, UP and Delhi government, separately."
Achievment and failures of DSCC, DNCC

Reza Mahmud :

When the two mayors of Dhaka are marking three years in offices on Sunday, the city dwellers are evaluating their failures and achievements.

They also observed that many civic problems remained unresolved though they took to the offices three years ago.

DNCC Mayor late Annisul Huq and DSCC Mayor Muhammad Sayeed Khokon were sworn in on May 6, in 2015.

DNCC Mayor Annisul Huq passed away on November 30 last year.

The acting Mayor Osman Gani works to execute late Mayor Annisul Huq's working plans.

Experts and people from different parts of the cities are evaluating the two mayors' achievements and failures.

They assessed that the DNCC mayor late Annisul Huq attained some great achievements like evacuating the Tejgaon's illegal truck stand.

The influential musclemen grabbed huge land for years and people thought that that might not be evacuated any more.

But the mayor evacuated ignoring the protest of the motor labourers and grabbers.

In the same way he freed vast lands and pavements in Mirpur, Gulshan and other areas of his jurisdiction from the illegal grabbers.

He also made the pavements useful for the pedestrians in the DNCC areas.

Many beautification works also made the DNCC areas standard.

He also expanded the streets in his jurisdictions.

When contacted, Mesbahul Islam, the Chief Executive Officer of DNCC told The New Nation yesterday, "Our late mayor Annisul Huq had a dream to develop city. He started his work as per plan. But he passed away. The acting city mayor is now working to fulfill his dream."

He said some work like evacuation of Tejgaon illegal truck stand and beautifications will be remembered for long.

Besides these, the citizens from DNCC areas are critical of some failures like mosquito menace, traffic gridlocks, water loggings, and lack of play grounds for children, want of amusement parks and walking spaces. The rugged streets are also creating problems for the residents.

About these, Mesbahul Islam said, those problems are not failures of the DNCC.

Some works are under process. Some issues are not only the matters of city corporations. As an example, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha's permission is needed to build a park.

"If the RAJUK does not give us land, then how can we make parks?" he said.

The DSCC mayor Muhammad Sayeed Khokon also has some achievements, according to city dwellers.

He has started clean Dhaka campaigns along with distinguished persons.

He placed wastebins on the streets for use by the streetwalkers and shopkeepers.

The DNCC also did it, but DSCC has a larger number of wastebins.

The Mayor tried to evacuate street vendors from Gulistan, Baitul Mukarram, Motijheel and adjacent areas to make the footpaths free for pedestrians.

He was able to keep those footpaths free from hawkers at least for few months.

The hawkers came back and made the footpath their business places again.

However, the police and city corporation officials are trying to evacuate the illegal hawkers from pavements.

But the street vendors used to come back hours after the evacuations.

Nearly every day the police, city corporation officials and hawkers play hide and seek.

When contacted, Khan Muhammad Billal, the Chief Executive Officer of DSCC told The New Nation yesterday, "Our mayor is trying the best to make the city green, clean and more livable. We have some achievements. Some works are also under process."

He said, the problems like waterlogging, traffic gridlock, mosquito menace and lack of parks will be solved soon as the work are going on in planned way.






Aligarh: After the violence over Muhammad Ali Jinnahs portrait at Aligarh Muslim University, another portrait of his surfaced in a city college washroom on Saturday.

Some unidentified people had put up Jinnah's portrait in the men's restroom of DS College. While cleaning, the workers spotted it and alerted the authorities, who immediately swung into action and had the controversial portrait removed.

"Some people had come from outside and put up this portrait on our premises. This is an attempt to vitiate the atmosphere. We do not stand for this and removed the portrait immediately after we saw it," said Dr Hem Prakash, Principal, DS College.

Earlier on Wednesday, violence broke out at the after some protesters belonging to Hindu Yuva Vahini and other right-wing outfits tried to barge into the varsity premises demanding removal of a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah displayed on the campus.

A spokesman of the varsity strongly condemned the "trespassing" by Hindu Yuva Vahini activists who were raising "highly objectionable and inflammatory slogans".
New Delhi: The photograph of a Pakistani girl sketching a map of her countrys flag was printed on the cover page of a booklet meant to promote Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in Bihars Jamui district.

Jamui district magistrate (DM) Dharmendra Kumar has ordered a probe to ascertain how the photograph came to be printed on about 5,000 notebooks that were distributed among schoolchildren in December last.

The picture shows a smiling girl of about five sitting in a chair and drawing a flag of Pakistan on a lined notebook page that was then used for 'Swachh Jamui Swasth Jamui'. The photo was earlier used by UNICEF in Pakistan to spread awareness about the importance of educating girls, said the officials.

It is a grave error, and it was not spotted earlier. The proposal to print the notebooks was approved by then district magistrate Dr Kaushal Kishore, said Sudhir Kumar, the district coordinator of Swachh Bharat campaign.

The blame game has already begun.

A Patna-based printing press, Suprav Enterprises, had printed the said booklets and claims that there was prior approval from the district administration to use the picture.
New Delhi: Fourteen people were arrested over the alleged gang-rape and burning of a minor inside her home in Chatra in Jharkhand on Friday, police said.

According to local media reports, four youngsters had kidnapped the girl from the house on Thursday night while the rest of the family had gone out to attend a wedding. They reportedly took her to a deserted spot and raped her.

The girls family raised the issue in the panchayat on Friday morning. The panchayat, or village council, rather than reporting the case to the police, asked the accused to settle the matter by paying the girls family Rs 50,000. They were also asked them to perform 100 sit-ups.

Enraged by the diktat, the four accused went to the girls house, where they first thrashed the family members and then set the victim on fire, the girls parents said

The brutal gang-rape and murder comes at a time when public anger over the failure of the government and police to stem a series of sex attacks on minors has boiled over
Mumbai: Even as politicians continue to make headlines with the latest fad of breaking bread with Dalits, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Saturday said the political class should desist from patronising the backward community and that untouchability won't simply go away by leaders having food at Dalit homes.

Paswans remark comes even as several BJP leaders are being accused of indulging in Dalit tourism. UP BJP MLA Suresh Rana was faced with a lot of criticism after reports of him bringing his own food and water during similar dining session at a Dalit home.

Paswan on Saturday said while Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intentions were right, reports of untoward incidents have put a "question mark" on his work.

"You can have food at anyone's house, but you cannot patronise them, like Lord Ram having food at Sabri's house; it is wrong. We have been in politics for a long time and had food at houses of many people, but we never asked anybody's caste. Pitying them is wrong, and thinking that eating with Dalits will eradicate untouchability is not right," he told reporters here.

The consumer affairs, food and public distribution minister was answering a question on whether BJP leaders having food at Dalit homes was mere "tokenism".

"Instead, there should be an effort to solve their basic problems such as (lack of) education, atrocities and development," he said.

Asked what advise he would give to the BJP in view of the "resentment" among backward communities and farmers ahead of the elections, Paswan, who heads the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), said Dalits, tribals and minority communities form a significant section of the society.

"The BJP has made the SC/ST Act stronger, and this year's budget was 'farmer-oriented' with an increase in Minimum Support Prices. The BJP is working for them, only the perception needs to change," he said.

"The PM's intention is right, but reports of some untoward incidents put a question mark on his work," he added.

On reported dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the Supreme

Court's recent ruling, the Union minister said the NDA government was confident that the apex court would do a rethink and maintain the original provisions.

The Centre has filed a review petition against the SC judgment which prohibited automatic arrests under the Act.

If the Supreme Court does not reverse its judgment, the government will issue an ordinance to uphold the rights of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Paswan added.

(With PTI inputs)
Lucknow: Two more children were mauled to death and two others injured by stray dogs in UPs Sitapur, three days after three kids were killed by a pack of canines.

The incident occurred on Friday when seven-year-old Geeta had gone to an orchard to collect mangoes in Mahsinghpur village, while 12-year-old Virendra had gone to attend natures call in Budhanapur village.

According to official records, 11 children have been killed so far, including the two deaths on Friday. However, according to local residents, almost 17 children have been killed till now by around 100 dogs in the radius of 20 kilometres, ranging from Khairabad and Sitapur Kotwali.

Geeta, daughter of Sushil Shah from Mahsinghpur village, was killed by a pack of feral dogs while she was gathering mangoes in an orchard near her house around 6.30 am. Eleven-year-old girl Rinki, daughter of Tejpal, was also injured in a similar attack in Chaubeypur village, Khairabad station house officer Sachin Kumar Singh said.

Sitapur Kotwali SHO Dharmendra Singh Raghuvanshi said, Apart from Virendra in Budhanapur, seven-year-old Vinal was injured in Peerpur village.

The dog menace continues even as Sitapur district administration and a four-member team of dogcatchers have been combing forested zones.

On Tuesday, a pack of stray dogs had killed three kids aged between 11 and 12 years in separate incidents across Tikaria, Gurpulia and Kholia in Sitapur.

All the four villages where attacks took place on Friday morning are located within 18 kilometres from the previous places of attack.

Speaking to reporters on the issue, Sitapur City Magistrate Harsh Dev Pandey said, All the victims were probably alone when they were attacked by feral dogs. The villagers rushed to their aid as soon as they heard their cries, but failed to save them.

Enraged villagers have now started hunting down canines on their own in the area and have also threatened to launch a mass stir against the district administration for failing to put a stop to the menace.

Residents claim that the canine menace in Sitapur district started after many slaughterhouses were shut down.

The feral dogs used to get meat from these slaughterhouses. However, the abattoirs were closed or shifted to other places, the dogs started attacking children, a villager said.
When Sikkims Pawan Chamling set a new record by becoming Indias longest serving Chief Minister of a state, overtaking former West Bengal CM Jyoti Basu, he attributed the feat to the love of his people and his deep sense of commitment to serve.

Twenty four years is quite the milestone for a politician of a regional party.

Back in 1993, Pawan Chamling formed the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), which has been ruling the north-eastern Himalayan state for nearly two-and-a-half decades, and he remains the partys unanimously elected president till date.

Chamling was sworn in as the Chief Minister for the first time on December 12, 1994. The 68-year-old leader has won five consecutive legislative Assembly elections, equalling Basus achievement and is looking to complete his fifth term which Basu couldnt on account of failing health and passed on the mantle to Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.

Sikkim is scheduled to hold its state polls in 2019 with opposition parties, including the newest entrant  Bhaichung Bhutias Hamro Sikkim, accusing the state government of promoting rampant corruption.

I have more to do. I want to use my position to serve the people of Sikkim and fulfil their hopes and aspirations, find roads to development, said Chamling, while recently addressing the media at his official residence in Gangtok.

Chamling, though, can claim credit for a host of achievements that have cemented his position amid his people  it was under his leadership that Sikkim was declared the Cleanest State in India (2016), the First Fully Organic State (2016), Best State in Transparency and Accountability (under MGNREGA for 2017), Best Tourism Performing State in Northeast since 1998 and a state with the Best Working Conditions for Women (2016) among many other accolades.

The Chief Minister, however, believes that his biggest achievement has been in the maintaining of peace in a bordering and geo-politically sensitive state.

When the rest of the world is looking for peace, you will find it in my state. And this itself is development, said Chamling.

Pawan Chamlings career has had its ups and downs, and in the midst of it all, his popularity kept soaring. Chamling joined politics in 1973 and was elected to the Sikkim Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1985.

On September 9, 1992, Pawan Chamling, then a rebel Sikkim Sangram Parishad MLA, had lit a candle during the zero hour of the Assembly as a mark of protest against an autocratic government. He went underground for three months in 1993, but was still carrying out political activities. After a series of major political upheavals in Sikkim, Chamling formed the SDF on March 4, 1993. He has never looked back since the party kept on winning the 2004, 2009 and the 2014 state Assembly polls.

When I think of how Sikkim looked 40 years ago, and how it looks now since my tenure as Chief Minister for 24 years, I find it soul-satisfying. We are an example for others to follow  theres no insurgency, no discrimination in my state, said Chamling.

Chamling recently said that Nepali communities in India have not received "as much respect and dignity" as was extended to other citizens. He now demands the granting of Scheduled Tribe status to 11 Sikkimese-Nepali communities, an issue which has been lying unresolved for over 40 years.

There have been times when newly inducted Union Ministers in Delhi would ask if I come from Nepal. I would tell them I came along with Gautam Buddha to India. The Nepali community in India is still struggling with identity crisis, said Chamling.

Pawan Chamling has received more than 60 awards, honours and prizes from national and International agencies and institutions since 1987.

(With inputs from Prakash Adhikary)
Ujjain: Faced with severe criticism from Dalit organisations, the district administration in Ujjain has quashed an order asking Dalits to 'intimate the administration' a few days in advance about weddings in the community.

The Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Mahidpur, Jagdish Gome, had recently issued an order asking Dalit families to intimate the police in case of a marriage function or 'baraat' procession in the area. The officer had also instructed the panchayat secretary of the village to spread the information.

The SDM based his apprehensions behind this order on the recent incident in which a groom was forced to get off his horse and was beaten up by villagers during his marriage procession in Naag Guradia village, Mahidpur in April.

The order, however, did not go down well with the Dalits and other backward communities.

As opposition gathered steam, newly appointed collector, Manish Singh, revoked the contentious order.

However, sources in Ujjain, claimed that it was a concern from ex-collector Sanket Bhondwe, who had sought suggestions over the Naag Guradia incident that led to the SDM issuing the controversial order.

Commenting on the controversy, BJP spokesperson Rajpal Sisodia, claimed that the administration only aimed at maintaining social harmony during marriages in Dalit families. He said that he had a word with the Ujjain collector Manish Singh who later quashed the order in view of the protests that followed. Sisodia blamed the Congress for fuelling social feuds.

Retaliating to the BJP's allegations, Youth Congress President Kunal Chaudhary shifted the onus of on BJP of fomenting hatred and destroying the social fabric of the country.
Mumbai: A 22-year-old woman, who was on her way to a hospital in a local train, delivered a baby girl on Thane railway station platform, making it the third successful delivery by railways Emergency Medical Rooms.

Zeba Parveen Ansari had boarded a local train from Titwala to visit Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkophar on Friday evening. However, her contractions intensified at Thane station, following which doctors of Emergency Medical Room attended her and took her to platform number four with the help of GRPF, where Ansari delivered her baby around 12:15 am on Saturday.

According to a relative, the woman had returned home after visiting the hospital on Friday, but experienced labour at 7 pm. Her husband and mother-in-law then decided to take her to the hospital. But by the time they could arrive at the hospital, Ansaris labour pain intensified and her girl was born at the station.

Soon after the delivery, the mother and newborn baby were shifted to the nearby Thane Civil Hospital for further treatment.

Emergency Medical Room (EMR), or One Rupee Clinics, have been set up at the select stations on the Central Railways suburban section to provide emergency help to rail accident victims and give medical treatment to the general public.

These clinics charge just Re 1 per patient for their services, which are currently available at 12 stations, including Dadar, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Thane, Wadala Road and Mulund.

The EMR's handled their first delivery at Ghatkopar station in July 2017. The second such case was attended at Dadar station in October 2017.
Meghan Markles parents will meet with Queen Elizabeth II and other royals before her May 19 wedding to Prince Harry and will have special roles in their daughters wedding, a palace spokesman said Friday.

At the wedding, the royal couple also plan to honor the memory of the late Princess Diana, Harrys mother, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997.

Officials didnt predict the weather  springtime in England can be glorious or horrid, sometimes on the same day  but they outlined plans for a celebration designed to spread from the privileged environs of Windsor Castle throughout Britain and the world, via television and the internet.

Here are some of the plans disclosed by Harrys press secretary, Jason Knauf, during a briefing at Buckingham Palace:

MEGHANS PARENTS TO MEET THE QUEEN, TAKE PART IN WEDDING

Markles divorced parents, Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland, will arrive during the week before the May 19 wedding so they have time to meet Harrys family.

Knauf says they will visit with the queen, her husband Prince Philip, Harrys father Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, and with Harrys brother Prince William and his sister-in-law Kate.

Ragland will travel with her daughter by car to Windsor Castle on May 19 and Thomas Markle will walk his daughter down the aisle of St. Georges Chapel for the ceremony.

Knauf says Markle is delighted that her parents will be by her side. He did not say whether Markles half brother and half sister will attend the wedding.

PRINCESS DIANAS FAMILY WILL HAVE A ROLE AS WELL

The press secretary says Harry is keen to involve his mothers family in the wedding and that all three of Dianas siblings will be present. One of Dianas two older sisters, Jane Fellowes, will give a reading during the ceremony to represent Dianas family.

NO MAID OF HONOR

Markle, an American actress who came to prominence in the TV series Suits, will not have a maid of honor during the ceremony.

Harry has chosen William as his best man.

YOUNG BRIDESMAIDS AND PAGE BOYS

Knauf says all the bridesmaids and page boys will be children. That may mean a role for Prince George, 4, and Princess Charlotte, 3, the children of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge. But dont bother looking for Prince Louis  born in late April  as the youngest prince will not attend the wedding.

DONT ASK ABOUT THE DRESS

Palace officials are determined that the style and designer of Markles wedding gown will be kept secret until the moment she gets out of the car to walk into the chapel. They say this tradition is very important  but that wont keep speculators from trying to guess who has received the most important dressmaking assignment of the year.

SEPARATED THE NIGHT BEFORE

The press secretary says Harry and Markle will spend the night before the wedding apart. They have been living together in recent months since announcing their engagement. They will spend their first night as a married couple in Windsor Castle.

GOOD WISHES FOR PRINCE PHILIPS HEALTH

Palace officials say theyre hopeful that 96-year-old Prince Philip, Harrys grandfather, will be well enough to attend the wedding festivities . The queens husband has been recovering from hip replacement surgery and has not participated in any public events since being discharged from the hospital in mid-April.

FOLLOW THE WEDDING AT HOME

The palace plans to publish the Order of Service on its website the morning of the wedding so people watching it on television will be better able to follow whats taking place inside the church.

DELAYED HONEYMOON

Knauf would not reveal where the newest royal couple will spend their honeymoon, but he said they wont be leaving right after the wedding. Instead they plan to make their first public appearance as a married couple during the week following the ceremony. In the past, they have traveled in Africa together.
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Keval Arora, Rajesh Tailang, Blake Allan

Director: Hansal Mehta

In his new film Omerta, director Hansal Mehta seeks to dive into the mind of a cold-blooded terrorist, the real-life Omar Saeed Sheikh, played superbly by Rajkummar Rao. As the story unravels, we see how a highly-educated, British-bred Pakistani gets radicalized into becoming an icy murderous agent, currently serving life imprisonment in a Karachi prison for the killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002.

Omar, who was accused of having connections with Osama bin Laden and the 9/11 bombings, was one of three men released after the Indian Airlines Kandahar hijacking by the Taliban in 1999. Mehta, as you can see, has a fascinating subject at hand  a young man who becomes such an Islamic fundamentalist that he drops out of the London School of Economics and leaves his comfortable home in England to train in a terror camp in Afghanistan where he is shaped into a diabolical terrorist.

What the director is interested in is the ticking of an insidious mind. We see how Omar meticulously plans the kidnapping of the four foreigners in New Delhi, casually striking up conversations, hanging out and winning their confidence. Mehta painstakingly builds up a portrait with details  like the glass of milk Omar drinks unselfconsciously while others lug beer, or the way he switches in a split-second from the friend playing chess, to a steely-eyed assassin. The film explores this again in the way he wins over Daniel Pearl, luring him as a helpful contact. One of the films most stomach-churning scenes is the one in which the journalist is killed. Mehta shoots this so skillfully, the violence here is both invisible and yet all-pervasive.

The screenplay jumps back and forth in time, going back to a young Omar, disturbed by the war crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims, and how he convinces his reluctant father that he must go serve his brothers and sisters. Omerta pieces together the protagonists story like a clever jigsaw puzzle, but its also true that we are never fully sucked into his life. There are portions that drag despite the 6-minute run time because Omars motives dont feel convincingly explored and the backstory involving his father is weak.

What works is the directors chemistry with his leading man. Mehta reunites with Rajkummar Rao after their work together in Shahid and Aligarh. Its expected of Rajkummar to sink his teeth into and slip under the skin of any character, and he does that with this deliciously meaty role. The inconsistent accent notwithstanding, the actor plays a sociopath with an iciness that will stay with you  watch that smile as he's taken away in handcuffs, or the way his eyes bore into his victims.

Im going with three out of five for Omerta. You might see it as the other side of the same coin that is Shahid. The making of a man deeply affected by similar incidents, but one who chooses a different path.

Rating: 3 / 5

What's your reaction to Omerta?

Write your review of Omerta
N Korea summit plans set: Trump

The Washington Post :

President Donald Trump offered his latest teaser Friday for a historic U.S. summit with North Korea: The time and place have been set but he's not saying when and where.

The White House did, however, announce the details of a separate meeting later this month between Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, as the U.S. administration pushed back on a report that Trump is considering the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the allied nation.

Trump and Moon would meet at the White House on May 22 to "continue their close coordination on developments regarding the Korean Peninsula" following last Friday's meeting between Moon and Kim Jong Un. They will also discuss the U.S. president's own upcoming summit with the North Korean leader, a statement said.

Earlier this week, Trump expressed a preference for holding the "big event" with Kim in the demilitarized zone or DMZ between the two Koreas, where Moon and Kim met. He also said Singapore was in contention to host what will be the first summit of between a U.S. and a North Korean leader.

"We now have a date and we have a location. We'll be announcing it soon,"

Trump told reporters Friday from the White House South Lawn before departing for Dallas. He's previously said the summit was planned for May or early June.

A meeting with Kim seemed an outlandish possibility just a few months ago when the two leaders were trading threats and insults over North Korea's development of nuclear weapons. But momentum for diplomacy has built this year as the rival Koreas have patched up ties. In March, Trump unexpectedly accepted an offer of talks from Kim after the North Korean dictator agreed to suspend nuclear and ballistic missile tests and discuss "denuclearization."

According to South Korea, Kim has said he'd be willing to give up his nukes if the United States commits to a formal end to the Korean War and pledges not to attack the North. But his exact demands for relinquishing weapons that his nation spent decades building remains unclear.

Trump said that withdrawing U.S. forces from South Korea is "not on the table." Some 28,500 U.S. forces are based in the allied nation, a military presence that has been preserved to deter North Korea since the war ended in 1953 without a peace treaty.

"Now I have to tell you, at some point into the future, I would like to save the money," Trump said later as he prepared to board Air Force One. "You know we have 32,000 troops there but I think a lot of great things will happen but troops are not on the table. Absolutely."

The New York Times reported that Trump has asked the Pentagon to prepare options plans for drawing down American troops. It cited unnamed officials as saying that wasn't intended to be a bargaining chip with Kim, but did reflect that a prospective peace treaty between the Koreas could diminish the need for U.S. forces in South Korea.

At the inter-Korean summit last Friday, held on the southern side of the DMZ, Moon and Kim pledged to rid the peninsula of nuclear weapons and seek a formal end this year to the Korean conflict where the opposing sides remain technically at war more than six decades after fighting halted with an armistice.

But for Trump to contemplate withdrawing troops now would be a quixotic move as he enters into negotiations with Kim whose demands and intentions are uncertain. Two weeks ago, shortly before the inter-Korean summit, Moon said that Kim actually wasn't insisting on a longstanding demand for the withdrawal of U.S. troops as a precondition for abandoning his nukes.

National security adviser John Bolton, who met his South Korean counterpart Chung Eui-yong in Washington on Friday, called the Times report "utter nonsense."

During his presidential campaign, Trump complained that South Korea does not do enough to financially support the American military commitment. In March, Washington and Seoul began negotiations on how much South Korea should offset the costs of the deployment in the coming years. Under the current agreement that expires at the end of 2018, the South provides about $830 million per year.

Before Trump meets Kim, Washington is looking for North Korea to address another persistent source of tension between the adversaries: the detention of three Korean-Americans accused of anti-state of activities in the North.
Over 50 winners boycotted the National Awards this year after learning that President Ram Nath Kovind will be presenting awards only in 11 categories while the rest of the winners will receive their trophies from I&B Minister Smriti Irani, and MoS Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

Several technicians, as well as filmmakers and actors, protested against it, saying that it has been a tradition that the President himself gives away the awards in all categories at the National Awards ceremony. While technicians alleged that they are being denied their moment of glory, filmmakers called this a symbol of institutions (like National Awards) breaking down.

Many even took to Twitter to express their disappointment, including veteran sound mixer, Resul Pookutty, who tweeted:

If the Govt.Of India cannot earmark three houres if its time, they should not bother us giving us #NationalAward. More than 50%of our sweat you take it as entertainment tax,the least you could do is respect the values we hold dear!  resul pookutty (@resulp) May 3, 2018

Resul Pookutty won an Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire in the Best Sound Mixing category in 2009. Academy Awards, like most award shows, also happens to begin with the technical awards saving the 'big' awards like Best Actor, Best Director and the Best Picture for the last. On most occasions, the Academy picks out the presenter of an award based on the 'importance' of the award.

In fact, it is not just the Academy, closer home, pick any award show be it the Filmfare Awards, Stardust Awards or IFFA, they all follow the same pattern. Unfortunately, the presenters for technical awards in these shows are mostly obscure B-grade actors/actresses or worst still, sponsors of these shows. It's a sad truth that not just in India, but across the world, film technicians always get a raw deal when it comes to getting recognition for their work. The red carpets are rolled out for stars and as they pose and smile and hundreds of cameras zoom in and focus on them, the technicians are reduced to dressed-up unknown faces in the background.

However, National Awards has been different from the popular award shows and technicians expect more from it. The primary reason for this expectation is that in the past, National Awards has never made them feel less important. For 65 years, National Awards has been a platform that has given recognition to good work in cinema, irrespective of whether the work is onscreen or off-screen.

Technicians have always received awards from the President, which have not only been a moment of personal glory and pride for them, but also a sign of encouragement for all technicians in the Indian movie business. However, this year, the gap between the technical categories and onscreen (and popular) categories was apparent. President Ram Nath Kovind gave away awards in only 11 'major' categories and attended only the second half of the ceremony. Apart from Best Editing, no award in the technical categories was presented by the President.

So far, National Awards has also been a champion of the underdog regional film industries that always get overshadowed by Bollywood. Apart from National Awards, there is no other award show that takes into consideration all the small and big regional movie industries in India alongside Bollywood. When a regional film bags a National Award, it isn't just a win for the filmmaker and his team, but also for the entire movie industry he represents. However, The Telegraph reports that this year, in a letter addressed to the President and the government, some artists wrote, " at the end of the day we feel dejected rather than honored for our work".

The office of the President is surprised by this 'sudden protest'. They claim it is a matter of protocol that has been laid down since Mr Kovind took office and had specified that the President would not attend any ceremony for more than an hour. While there is no arguing government protocol, unfortunately for the National Awards jury, it takes away from all the good works they have done for years.

In India, while most of the award shows are often bashed in the media for being rigged, National Awards have held a place of prestige and credibility for years. By recognizing regional cinema as well as technicians in the same manner as it recognizes mainstream Bollywood or big regional movies, it has shown that it is neither 'classist', nor 'elitist' in its approach and its first prerogative has always been to encourage good cinema. However, unfortunately this year, with only 11 awards being presented by the President, whether the organizers and the jury likes it or not, they have to now put up with the allegations of the awards being 'elitist' and 'classist', which recognizes onscreen and popular categories more than technical ones.
New Delhi: The Election Commission-appointed surveillance teams have seized suspect cash, jewellery and other inducements worth over Rs 120 crore in the poll-bound Karnataka, a senior official said on Saturday.

Cash amounting to over Rs 67.27 crore, over five lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 23.36 crore, gold valued at 43.17 crore and other items such as pressure cookers, sarees, sewing machines, gutkha, laptops and vehicles, among others, worth about Rs 18.57 crore, have been seized, he said.

The official said Rs 32.54 crore in cash, out of the total seizures of Rs 152.78 crore, has been released after verification.

The figure also includes seized narcotics worth more than Rs 39.80 lakh, according to official data since the declaration of the elections for the Karnataka Assembly.

The seizures have been made by various surveillance, police and Income Tax department teams that have been deployed in the state by the poll panel to check the use of black money and illegal inducements, the official said.

The state will go to polls on May 12. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 15.
Gadag/Tumakuru/Shivamogga: Launching a sharp attack on the ruling Congress in three consecutive rallies in Karnataka on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the party will be reduced to Punjab, Puducherry and Parivar and coined a new name for the party  PPP Congress.

Karnataka CM Siddarmaiah was quick to retort to the PPP jibe and sent out a tweet saying, "Dear Modi, Heard you spun a new abbreviation PPP today. Sir, we have always championed the 3 Ps of democracy - Of the People, By the People, For the People. While your party is a Prison, Price Rise & Pakoda party. Am I right, Sir?"

Siddaramaiah ended his tweet with #NijaHeliModi, which translates to "tell the truth".

With only a week left to the D-day in Karnataka, Modi upped the ante against the Siddaramaiah government, alleging it has become a "corruption tank" for the Congress with a pipeline connected to Delhi, "where the money reaches directly".

He also called the party and the Gandhis liars while addressing the third rally at Shivamogga and said that they are in the business of lying.

Modi also accused the top Congress leadership of auctioning tickets, party positions and even the chief minister's post.

"After May 15 (when poll results will be declared), Indian National Congress will be reduced to 'PPP Congress'-- P for Punjab, P for Puducherry, and P for Parivar (family)," Modi told an election rally in Gadag, where he predicted the state's ruling party would be decimated in the elections.

Dear Modi , Heard you spun a new abbreviation PPP today. Sir, we have always championed the 3 Ps of democracy - Of the People, By the People, For the People.While your party is a Prison, Price Rise & Pakoda party.Am I right, Sir?#NijaHeliModi Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 5, 2018

He accused the Congress of "auctioning" party tickets and posts, and recalled how a string of scams rocked the erstwhile UPA government.

"After the helicopter scam, coal scam, CWG scam and many others, the Congress has now started a tender system... there is tender for ticket distribution, for selecting leaders, for choosing even the chief minister.

"Their leaders in Karnataka have been told by those above them that the person who promises to send the highest amount of money to Delhi every month will become the chief minister," he alleged.

The Chief Minister also hit out at Modi's attack regarding increase in assets belonging to some Congress legislators and ministers. "Sir, Your CM candidate took bribe in a cheque. One of your Reddy friends G Janardhana Reddy conducted Rs 500 Cr wedding for his daughter at the height of demonetisation....," Siddaramaiah tweeted.

Siddaramaiah asked Modi to talk about "something relevant" to the people of Karnataka and suggested topics such as steep diesel and petrol prices besides job creation.

Modi said despite a string of electoral losses in Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Tripura the Congress was not as worried as it is now when defeat stares it in the face.

"I tell you why... Because their ministers and leaders in Karnataka have built a tank here. A part of money looted from people is taken home and the rest is put in that tank. The tank is linked to Delhi through a pipeline which carries the money directly to Delhi.

"They are worried about what will happen to the party if this government goes. Be alert, be awake. If the Congress comes to power, its government will do nothing but loot," he said.

Modi said to fill the "corruption tank", the Congress has created a network of extortion mafia, and it is worried what will happen to that.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was once again in Modi's line of fire, with the prime minister calling his government "seedha rupaiah sarkar" (government that takes bribe). The Congress leader, too, continued his attack on PM Modi and the BJP even as Modi continued with his rallies.

In a series of tweets, the Karnataka CM wrote: "So, please talk anout something rlevant to the people of Karnataka. 1. Why is diesel & petrol so expensive when international crude oil prices are half of what they used to be before 2014? 2. Instead of advising the youth to sell pakodas why dont you focus on job creation."

"Money is bad," he noted, recalling what saint poet Shishunala Sharifa once said. But for Karnataka's Congress government, it is "Baap bada na bhaiya, sab se bada rupaiya(when it comes to money not even your relations are important)."

"Your Chief Minister has changed the saying itself... Baap bhi bada, bhaiya bhi bada aur us se bhi upar rupiya; seeda seeda rupaiya (Relations are important and money is even more important)," Modi said.

Speaking about the contentious Mahadayi river issue over which Goa and Karnataka are locked in a protracted dispute, Modi claimed, the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi had said during Goa Assembly elections in 2007 that her party was "committed" to not allowing Karnataka its share of water.

"Now that they are out of power in Goa, they are instigating people of Karnataka on the Mahadayi issue... their job (atkana, latkana, bhatkana) to block, leave things hanging fire, and mislead people. Instead of finding a solution to Mahadayi dispute, Congress government sent it to a tribunal," he said.

Siddaramaiah hit back at PM Modi in a tweet and said, "Why don't you intervene and call a meeting of three CMs?"

Earlier addressing an election rally in Tumakuru, Modi alleged that the Congress and JD(S) have entered into a "secret" pact for the Karnataka polls.

"If anyone is protecting the Congress, it is the JD (S).... Congress and JD(S) have a secret understanding... an understanding behind the curtains," he said.

Modi said the Congress, which ruled the country for decades, with "one family" in power for most part, neglected the poor and farmers.

"Garibi, garibi, garibi (poverty, poverty, poverty) was their constant rant. But once the son of a poor mother became the prime minister, they clammed shut... now they don't talk about poverty," he said, and asked voters to "punish" the Congress for Karnataka's better future.

(With PTI inputs)
Bhopal: In a surprising development, the BJP in Madhya Pradesh has opened its doors for Independent MLA from Seoni, Dinesh Rai Munmun. Rai is known to court controversy and had called a BJP woman MP a vishkanya in the past, he even mocked Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for underdevelopment of his constituency.

Around midnight, BJP state head Rakesh Singh and minister Sanjay Pathak addressed the media at party headquarters in Bhopal, briefing them about the induction of Rai.

Considered close to Congress party chief Kamal Nath and Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha, Rais inclusion into BJP is seen as the first setback to Nath soon after he assumed office amid much fanfare on Tuesday.

A few days earlier Nath told the media that he was in touch with some BJP dissidents who could be given entry to the Congress at an appropriate time.

Congress latched on to the opportunity to attack the BJP. The party released an old video of Rai in which the MLA from Lakhnadaun in Seoni was openly speaking against CM Shivraj over lack of development in his constituency.

Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi questioned the manner in which Rai was inducted in the BJP and said the Shivraj Chouhan may claim to be a champion of women rights but his party has embraced a man who insulted a senior BJP woman leader twice.

The former BJP MP Neeta Pateriya had in August 2017 lodged a police complaint against Rai accusing him of using derogatory language against her. Rai, whose brother had won election as president of Lakhnadaun Nagar Palika, had called Pateriya a vishkanya during a rally.

Acrimony had prevailed between the two in 2014 when Rai wiped his hands with the sari of Pateriya who was sharing the stage with him alongside other BJP leaders. A miffed Pateriya had complained to then BJP minister Gaurishankar Bisen but Rai had played down the incident as a prank he tried on the ex-MP calling Pateriya his bhabhi.

The two while taking part in BJP chief Amit Shahs rally decided to bury the hatchet. I hope my new party colleague would be more cultured according to BJP tradition, said Pateriya. Rai seemed to agree and said the past needs to be forgotten.

Congress holds two Assembly constituencies in Seoni, with Rai and BJP in control of the remaining two. Sources said Rais inclusion will give the BJP an upper hand in the district.

Interestingly, the tussle ahead of the Assembly polls seems to be in the Mahakaushal region of MP from where both BJP and Congress chiefs hail. Rai also comes from the Mahakaushal region.
With less than a week to go for polling in the Karnataka Assembly elections, BJPs firebrand MP Shobha Karandlaje brings the narrative back to cow protection, and how the Lingayat issue will backfire on the Congress. Speaking to News18s Deepa Balakrishnan, Karandlaje also shunned any suggestion that the BJP is sidelining its state leaders.

Here are edited excerpts:

One of your manifesto promises is about the re-introduction of cow slaughter bill. What prompted this?

Our government even last time introduced this cow slaughter bill. But the Governor rejected that and sent it to the President. We want to protect our cows, we want to protect farmers by doing organic farming. Yeddyurappaji worked towards organic farming even during the tenure of our government in Karnataka last time. It is in the interest of our feelings. Cow is our 'shraddha' so we want to protect cows.

So, this is an emotive battle?

It is not an emotive battle. Whatever Mahatma Gandhi said we want to implement.

Going by the pulse on the ground now, with just days to go for polling, how much of an influence will the Lingayat factor be?

Lingayats and Veerashaivas are together for centuries. Siddaramaiah tried to divide them, but this will boomerang on Siddarmaiah. They together support Yeddyurappa and want him as the CM.

So they will vote en masse now?

Yes, they will vote en masse vote for Yeddyurappaji. They will not even see the candidates, this time no candidates are important for Lingayats. Their target is that Yeddyurappa should become CM.

Yeddyurappas son Vijayendra not getting a ticket, will it affect the party in old Mysore region?

When Yeddyurappaji is there, nobody else matters. I think Vijayendra is also travelling in that region

But it has raised questions.

No, I dont want to comment, I don't want to answer.

But it raised questions that state leaders are sidelined by your national leadership.

This is not true. Yeddyurappa is our leader. All national leaders are focussed on Yeddyurappa. He is the tallest mass leader, that's why all candidates expect him to come (to campaign in their constituencies). He has addressed 120 sabhas. He is the crowd-puller.

Congress has repeatedly alleged that in the BJP state leaders are not relevant.

In Congress, the focus is on no other leader except Siddaramaiah. Congress leaders are unhappy about dictatorship and arrogance of Siddaramaiah.

Are you worried about the prospect of a hung Assembly?

Not at all, we will get a majority and reach our target. We suddenly saw criticism of the JDS by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, just two days after he praised former PM and JDS chief Deve Gowda. About Deve Gowda, he (PM Modi) told about the culture of India. Rahul Gandhi should learn thisto respect elders. On Thursday, the PM said JDS cannot form their government on their own. That's true, any Kannadiga will tell you that. What PM Modi said is the truth.

But your doors are open for talk with the JDS?

Not at all. On our own, we will get the majority.
Voters pose outside a polling booth in Karnataka.



People were seen standing in queues to cast their votes in the early hours itself, factoring in that the temperature may go up later in the day. Also, it has been raining in different parts of south interior Karnataka for the last couple of days during the evening hours.



Senior citizens were seen in good numbers standing in queues at various polling stations to cast their votes early.



State BJP chief and party's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa, and Pradesh Congress Committee G Parameshwara were among the first to cast votes in Shikaripura in Shivamogga and Yaggere in Tumakuru respectively.



Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda along with wife Chennamma cast their votes at Paduvalahippe in Hassan district. Film actors Ramesh Arvind, Ravichandran, also scion of Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar were among the prominent personalities to cast their votes early today.



There are reports about delay in polling due to some technical issues with the electronic voting machines (EVMs) from different parts of the state.



Election for the Jayanagara seat in Bengaluru has been countermanded following the death of BJP candidate and sitting MLA BN Vijaykumar.



The Election Commission has also deferred the polls for Rajarajeswari Nagar constituency to May 28 after a massive row erupted over a large number of voter ID cards being found in an apartment.



Suspecting something fishy, both Congress and BJP have pointed accusing fingers at each other in the matter. "Today people of Karnataka are standing in queues to create history & show the nation the way to liberal, progressive, peaceful & compassionate politics & governance. I thank them for their support & wish them well," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted.



Over 2,600 candidates are in the fray-- more than 2400 men and and over 200 women. The total voters including service electors according to the 2018 final rolls are 5,06,90,538, of whom 2,56,75,579 male voters, 2,50,09,904 female and 5,055 transgender voters.



Officials said 58,008 polling stations have been set up across the state, of which 12002 have been designated as "critical", with over 3,50,000 polling personnel on duty. Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the smooth conduct of polls that will go on till 6 pm.



"82,157 people have been deployed for poll duty that includes DSPs, home guards and civil defence, and forest guards and watchers," Karnataka DGP Neelamani N Raju said. This also includes about 7,500 personnel from states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Kerala and Goa, she said, adding, central forces have been deployed.



One among the interesting aspects of this election is that four candidates who have served as Chief Minister of Karnataka are in the fray-- Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (Chamundeshwari and Badami), B S Yeddyurappa (Shikaripura), H D Kumaraswamy (Chennapatna and Ramanagara) and Jagadish Shettar (Hubli-Dharwad Central.)
New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi on Sunday demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the BJP giving tickets to those allegedly involved in corruption, including its chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa.

With only a week left for the Karnataka elections, the Congress president put out a video titled "Karnataka's Most Wanted" on his Twitter account to highlight the issue. The video had photographs of Modi and other BJP leaders with the party's election candidates, including former ministers who have cases of corruption registered against them.

"Dear Modi ji, You talk a lot. Problem is, your actions don't match your words. Here's a primer on your candidate selection in Karnataka," he said in the tweet. "It plays like an episode of 'Karnataka's Most Wanted'," he said, using the hashtag "#AnswerMaadiModi".

The video says, "Dear PM, Will you speak for 5 minutes on 8 tickets to the Reddy Brothers Gang? Making someone who has 23 cases of corruption, cheating, forgery, your CM candidate?."

"When will you speak on your top 11 leaders facing corruption cases?" the video says, carrying pictures and names of BJP leaders Sriramulu, Somashekhar Reddy, TH Suresh Babu, Katta Subramanya Naidu, CT Ravi, Murugesh Nirani, ES EN Krishnaiah Shetty Malur, Shivana Gauda Nayak, R Ashok, Shobha Karandlaje, who are candidates in the upcoming polls.

It goes on to accuse Modi of "putting a lid on 35,000 crore illegal iron-ore mining scam of the Reddy Brothers." Taking a dig at the prime minister, the video says, "Awaiting your reply! "PS: You can refer to a paper for answers."

The reference is to Modi's earlier remarks that Gandhi cannot speak for even five minutes without referring to notes.

This was Modi's response to the Congress chief's challenge to face him in Parliament when he alleged that the prime minister cannot stand for 5 minutes in Parliament if he allowed to speak for 15 minutes. The Karnataka Assembly elections are slated for May 12 and results will be out on May 15.
Lucknow: The BJP once again faces stiff competition in Uttar Pradesh as the formula for a joint opposition candidate is taking shape in Kairana and Noorpur bypolls, which are due later this month.

On Friday, vice president of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Jayant Chaudhary, landed in Lucknow to meet with Samajwadi Party National president Akhilesh Yadav.

The closed-door meeting took place at the residence of Akhilesh Yadav and lasted for almost three hours.

Anil Dubey, spokesperson of RLD, made it clear that both the parties will contest the upcoming bypolls and 2019 Lok Sabha polls together.

Dono party saath mil kar up-chunav aur Lok Sabha chunav ladengey (Both the parties will contest the by-elections and 2019 LS polls together), said Dubey.

Senior leaders and sources in the SP suggest that Akhilesh Yadav might announce the candidate for Kairana and Noorpur bypolls in a day or two.

Samajwadi Party was the runner-up in Kairana in 2014.

Congress too batted for a joint opposition candidate for Kairana and Noorpur bypolls.

Although Congress has a good support base in Kairana, the party will like the opposition to put up a joint candidate against BJP. This will be better than showing individual strength in by-elections, said Raj Babbar over phone.

Meanwhile, by saying that the Bahujan Samaj Party will not play an active role in the by-elections, party president Mayawati has made it clear that it is unlikely to field any candidate in upcoming bypolls.

However, SP Spokesperson Sunil Singh Sajan insisted that the pact between SP and BSP is strong and will be intact for Kairana bypolls as well.

At present SP and BSP are in a mutual understanding and some BJP people are spreading rumours that there is no alliance. I guess they are scared by their defeat in Gorakhpur and Phulpur. We are very much in alliance and understanding with BSP is firm at the moment, he had said.

The by-elections to the two constituencies will be held on May 28 and the counting will be conducted on May 31.
The Undead Archives

I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world.
The campaign for the Karnataka Assembly elections has entered the last lap. The bigwigs from all the three major players  BJP, Congress and JD(S)  are in the southern state to make the final push. News18 takes a look at the factors that may decide the final outcome.

IT IS A WAVELESS ELECTION

The one thing that normally strikes you whenever there is a perceptible anger or anti-incumbency against a ruling government is that people usually talk about it. Even if they dont talk to you on camera, once the flashlights are switched off, they tend to open up. This time there is no perceptible anger or anti-incumbency against Siddaramaiah. There may be local level anger against sitting MLAs but not against the CM. Which is why the battle for Karnataka is going to be an aggregate of mini battles in 224 constituencies. Those are the hardest to predict.

SIDDARAMAIAH ASSUMES MANTLE OF PAN-KARNATAKA HERO

Win or lose, Siddaramaiah has come into his own in this election. From positioning himself as a Kannada mascot to the trolling of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter, Siddaramaiah has positioned this as a battle of himself versus the rest. He is setting the agenda, others are being forced to respond to him. He has been out-thinking, out-tweeting and out-strategising the BJP. And it also helps that the opposition has not been able to find any allegations of personal corruption against the CM, which the saffron party, unfortunately, cannot say about their own CM candidate BS Yeddyurappa.

MODI IS STILL BJPS BIGGEST CALLING CARD

Till 10 days ago the BJPs campaign in Karnataka was looking like a train that was coming off the wheels. A state leader who was lacklustre, a general who simply couldnt come to terms with the local dynamics of the election and the infighting amongst their own. Thats when Modi happened. He straightaway drew both huge and responsive crowds which is perhaps why the BJP has increased the PMs rallies from 15 to 21. If BJP has a fighting chance in Karnataka, it is thanks to him.

BJPS CRUCIAL MISTAKES IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS

While the BJP campaign seems to have regained some mojo in the last two weeks thanks to Modi, they have also made some critical mistakes. For one, denying Yeddyurappas son a ticket has sent a very negative message both among BSY supporters as well as some sections of Veerashaivas that even if BJP were to come to power BSY would not be CM for a full five-year term. The buzz in the community is BSY could be replaced closer to the 2019 general elections.

RETURN OF THE REDDY BROTHERS

No matter how the BJP spins it, no matter what incremental gains theyll get in and around the Bellary region of 10 to 15 seats, the fact is the return of the Reddy clan is going to hurt the BJP. It makes senior leaders of the party like PM Modi and Amit Shah look hypocritical when they say zero tolerance against corruption and yet 8 members of the Reddy clan have been given tickets.

LINGAYAT CARD IS NOT WORKING FOR CONGRESS

This was billed as Siddaramaiahs last-minute masterstroke to divide the biggest vote bank of the BJP. Unfortunately for him, this strategy is showing little dividends on the ground. Most Lingayats are unhappy at the artificial division created between them and Veerashaivas. Lingayats, particularly in North Karnataka, are far more bothered about local issues than minority religion status.

DEVE GOWDA WILL CONTROL KEYS TO VIDHAN SOUDHA

To me, he is the most important figure. If JDS ends up with any more than 40 seats it will automatically align with the BJP and form the next government. If JDS has less than 40 then it means the Congress has the best shot at coming back to power. By praising Deve Gowda, PM Modi has uncannily played into the Congress narrative that JDS is the B team of the BJP. Other than hardcore Vokkaliga supporters, who are solidly behind JDS, other fence sitter voters may think twice if a vote for JDS is indirectly a vote for BJP.

KANNADA IDENTITY TRUMPS POLARISATION POLITICS

By highlighting issues of a separate flag, removal of Hindi signages on Namma Metro and primacy for the Kannada language in Karnataka, Siddaramaiah has successfully managed to blunt the Hindutva polarisation of the BJP. Communal polarisation, like the kind we saw in Uttar Pradesh, will not work in Karnataka other than in the three coastal districts. Which perhaps explains why UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had a tough time in rallying the masses in Karnataka. His rallies hardly had the kind of resonance they did in Gujarat

INDIRA-AMMAS GRANDSON RISES

Rahul Gandhi has played second fiddle to Siddaramaiah for much of this election. But his rallies too have been attracting substantial crowds, just like they did in Gujarat. His oratory has also improved substantially. On the bus ride from Shimoga to Davengere, the entire road was lined up with people on either side who had come to see Indira-Ammas grandson. Indira Gandhis resurrection after the Emergency began from Chikmagalur. People in these parts dont seem to care too much about dynastic politics.

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE DALIT-MUSLIM CONSOLIDATION

This is a factor that will never get captured in TV discussions or pre and post-poll surveys. But given the recent events around the country involving persecution and violence against Dalits and Muslims, there could be a very strong undercurrent against the BJP. If these two communities, who make up close to 35 percent of the population, come together, this election is as good as over. Plus Owaisi and Mayawati are not major factors in Karnataka so theres little fear of them undercutting Congress votes in a big way.
Chennai: Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha and disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha met DMK chief M Karunanidhi and party's deputy chief M K Stalin on Friday, with Tamil Nadu's main opposition party saying that the issue of alliance was discussed to oust the BJP regime.

Stalin, answering a question on the possibility of joining hands with the Congress to defeat the BJP, said the aim of all of us is to oust the BJP regime."

"We discussed with whom we could have an alliance to achieve our aim, he said after the meeting.

Stalin, who is the leader of opposition in Assembly, told reporters that his recent meeting with the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao too had the same goal of easing out the saffron party-led regime at the Centre and to forge a combine to make that happen.

The meeting of the leaders and Stalin's assertion on alliance assumes significance as the Congress is DMK's key ally in Tamil Nadu.

Following Rao's meeting with Stalin and the DMK leader hailing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's efforts in bringing together anti-BJP forces, many in party circles had questions about the durability of ties between the DMK and the Congress.

The DMK leader said the visiting leaders told him that the BJP needed to be reined in and for that to happen, a cohesive action was needed.

We are in favour of their view and are happy about the meeting, he said.

Yashwant and Shatrughan met Stalin at his Alwarpet residence and discussed the national and Tamil Nadu political scenario, according to the DMK.

Later, the two went to the residence of the nonagenarian DMK chief at Gopalapuram and enquired about his health.

Former Union Ministers belonging to the DMK, A Raja and TR Baalu, were among the party leaders who were present.

Yashwant Sinha, who had recently quit the BJP after launching a political action group Rashtra Manch,' hit out at the government, saying his visit was part of efforts to bring together forces that were against the dispensation at the Centre.

Shatrughan Sinha, too, had led a group of politicians to Yashwant Sinha's political platform.
Washington: China is "very spoiled" by trade wins over America, US President Donald Trump said late Friday, as a top business delegation headed back to America after high-stakes talks with Beijing.

The two days of talks were aimed at forestalling momentum towards a looming conflict between the world's two largest economies, with both sides prepared to pull the trigger on tariffs that could affect trade in billions of dollars of goods.

"Our high-level delegation is on the way back from China where they had long meetings with Chinese leaders and business representatives," Trump wrote in a tweet.

"We will be meeting tomorrow to determine the results, but it is hard for China in that they have become very spoiled with US trade wins," he added.

The American president has accused China of unfair trade practices that have driven up the US goods deficit with the Asian giant. Washington has also alleged "theft" of American intellectual property by China.

The discussions promised a potential off-ramp for the trade conflict. Trump has threatened to levy new tariffs on $150 billion of Chinese imports while Beijing shot back with a list of $50 billion in targeted US goods.

"Both sides recognise there are still big differences on some issues and that they need to continue to step up their work to make progress," China said in a statement released by the official Xinhua state news agency.

"The two sides exchanged views on expanding US exports to China, trade in services, bilateral investment, protection of intellectual property rights, resolution of tariffs and non-tariff measures."

It added that they had reached "a consensus in some areas", without elaborating. The agency said both sides had agreed to establish a "working mechanism" to continue talks.

Beijing has promised reform on several fronts in recent months -- including lifting foreign ownership restrictions for automakers and allowing foreign investors to take controlling stakes in financial firms.

But a list of US demands presented at the talks in Beijing showed these steps fall far short of expectations in Washington.

The demands included cutting China's trade surplus with the US by at least $200 billion by the end of 2020, lowering all tariffs to match US levels, eliminating technology transfer practices, and cutting off state support for some Chinese industries, according to Bloomberg News.

The White House called the discussions "frank" while making no mention of continuing the negotiations.

"There is consensus within the Administration that immediate attention is needed to bring changes to United StatesChina trade and investment relationship," a White House statement said.
Tijuana, Mexico: Seventy men, women and children poured through a U.S. port of entry early Friday to seek asylum, the largest single group yet accepted by U.S. officials from the caravan of Central American migrants that enraged President Donald Trump.

Fleeing Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, the migrants were among the last who had planned to ask for asylum, bringing the total to 228 who have crossed the border since last weekend.

The nearly 400 migrants who reached Tijuana last week faced wrenching dilemmas about whether to enter the United States and request asylum, beginning an indefinite and complex process that could end in deportation. Many decided to stay in Mexico for now.

After a month-long, 2,000-mile journey, their arrival at the border was hotly anticipated. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions beefed up legal resources on the border this week to handle people from the caravan.

Trump had urged that the caravan to be detained and repeated his call for stronger border security Monday morning, writing on Twitter, "Our Southern Border is under siege."

The Trump administration said on Friday it will end temporary protections on January 5, 2020 for up to 57,000 Honduran immigrants who arrived in the United States in the wake of Hurricane Mitch two decades ago. Temporary protection is different than the asylum status being claimed by members of the caravan.

Just after 9 a.m., the migrants lined up to enter the long passageway between the countries. In single file, they walked straight through, mothers carrying teddy bears in one hand and small children in another.

Among them was Irma Rivera, 31, with a son in her arms and a daughter prancing ahead.

They had walked this route on Friday, led to the U.S. gate with a large group of migrants only to be turned back.

As they reached a bend in the walkway on Friday, the view opened onto American soil and a large U.S. flag.

"Where is the wall? I want to climb Trump's wall," said the boy, four years old. His mother laughed, tears glistening. There was no wall in sight, only a chance to join a long-lost brother in Texas and begin a new life.

Her husband, a farmer, was killed late last year in El Salvador by a gang of farmers he had denounced for robbing his land, she said.

In Mexico outside the port of entry, the remaining migrants were joined in a makeshift camp by other would-be asylum-seekers who had come seeking information and donations.

Meanwhile, the caravan's organizers scrambled to collect migrants' names to track their dispersal across U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) centers after they exit the port of entry's detention facility in coming days.
Seoul: North Korea went forward in time by 30 minutes on Saturday, state media said, to match its clocks with those of the South following last week's inter-Korean summit.

Leader Kim Jong Un promised the move during the meeting at Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula when he and the South's President Moon Jae-in pledged to pursue denuclearisation and a peace treaty.

"The time-resetting is the first practical step taken after the historic third north-south summit meeting to speed up the process for the North and the South to become one," said the official KCNA news agency.

In Panmunjom, Kim had said he found it a "painful wrench" to see clocks at the summit venue showing different times for the two neighbours, KCNA reported earlier.

Kim expressed "his resolution to unify the two times... as the first practical step for national reconciliation and unity", it said, and the North's parliament on Monday adopted a decree to put the move into effect from today.

Seoul welcomed the decision as a "symbolic move" towards better inter-Korean ties.

North and South are now vastly different societies, one a democratic member of the OECD club of developed countries, and the other an impoverished, hereditary one-party state left isolated by its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

But it was only in 2015 that the Koreas' clocks diverged when Pyongyang put itself back 30 minutes to return to the time zone used in the peninsula before Japan colonised it in 1910.

As of today, Seoul, Pyongyang and Tokyo are all in the same time zone.

North Korea is not the only country to have used the time 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 officially keeping to Beijing time despite the sun rising and setting two hours later than in the capital.

Most time zones around the world are an hour apart, but some have smaller differences - Myanmar is half an hour behind next-door Thailand, while Nepal sets itself 15 minutes ahead of India to assert a difference from its giant neighbour.

And despite lying on Europe's western edge, mainland Spain has been in the same time zone as central Europe since 1942, when Francisco

Franco's fascist government adopted it to line itself up with Nazi Germany.
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said the upcoming general elections would be conducted by "aliens", triggering a sharp reaction from the Election Commission which advised him to stay away from making "irresponsible statements", according to a media report.

The remarks indicate that the government is not expecting the upcoming elections to be transparent. The term 'aliens' has probably been coined for the first time in place of 'angels' and 'invisible forces' used in the past, Dawn News reported.

Abbasi's words about "aliens holding election" echoed the remarks made by ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif two days ago: "Our contest is not with Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan but with the aliens".

"Elections will be held by aliens, but even then we [Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz] will participate in it," the prime minister said in an informal chat with journalists during a reception hosted by Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq for members of the lower house.

His comments drew a sharp reaction from the Election Commission.

ECP spokesman Altaf Khan said that the commission was fully prepared to hold the elections in line with its mandate under Article 218 of the Constitution. Under the Constitution and the Elections Act 2017, the ECP was fully independent in discharge of its legal and constitutional duties, he added.

Khan said people occupying important office should desist from making such "irresponsible statements", adding that such statements were merely based on assumptions and rumours and amounted to ridiculing the Constitution, the report said.
Moscow: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and more than 1,000 anti-Kremlin activists were detained by police on Saturday during street protests against Vladimir Putin ahead of his inauguration for a fourth term as president.

Navalny had called for demonstrations in more than 90 towns and cities across Russia against what he says is Putin's autocratic, tsar-like rule.

"We will force the authorities, made up of swindlers and thieves, to take into account the millions of citizens who did not vote for Putin," Navalny said beforehand.

Putin overwhelmingly won re-election in March, extending his grip over Russia for six more years - a tenure of 24 years that would make him Moscow's longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

Navalny, who was barred from running in the election on what he says was a false pretext, was detained soon after showing up on Moscow's Pushkin Square, where young people chanted "Russia without Putin!" and "Down with the Tsar!".

Video footage showed five policemen hauling him to a waiting van by his arms and legs, a scene that was repeated dozens of times with his supporters. Moscow police said he had been detained for organising an unsanctioned rally.

"Nothing Will Change"

Navalny, who has been detained and jailed numerous times for organising similar protests, had managed to address his supporters briefly, saying he was glad they had shown up.

One protester in Moscow, donning a rabbit's mask with the legend "Tsar of the Animals" said he was unsure what the protest would achieve.

"I have the feeling that people are gathering just to let off steam and that nothing will change," said the 31-year-old man called Alexander, who declined to give his surname.

OVD-Info, a rights organisation that monitors detentions, said it had received reports of police detaining over 1,000 people across Russia, nearly 500 of them in Moscow. It cited its own sources at the Moscow protest as saying pro-Kremlin Cossacks had beaten protesters with leather whips, sparking a fight.

A police spokesman said around 1,500 people had protested in Moscow, the Interfax news agency reported. Reuters reporters estimated the crowd numbered several thousand.

Protests also took place in the Far East, Siberia and St Petersburg. In the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, around 1,500 km (900 miles) east of Moscow, a Reuters reporter saw more than 1,000 people protesting, some shouting "Down with the Tsar!"

Father of the Nation

Putin, 65, has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000.

Backed by state TV and the ruling party, and credited with an approval rating of around 80 percent, he is lauded by supporters as a father-of-the-nation figure who has restored national pride and expanded Moscows global clout with interventions in Syria and Ukraine.

The authorities regard most of the protests as illegal, arguing that their time and place was not approved beforehand, and that the police have a duty to protect public order.

Putin has dismissed Navalny as a troublemaker bent on sowing chaos on behalf of Washington. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, a close Putin ally, has called Navalny a political charlatan.

Putin is due to be inaugurated on Monday in a Kremlin ceremony heavy on pomp.

With more than 56 million votes, almost 77 percent of the total, his March election win was his biggest ever and the largest by any post-Soviet Russian leader, something he and his allies say gave him an unequivocal mandate to govern.

European observers said there had been no real choice in the election, and complained of unfair pressure on critical voices. Critics like Navalny accuse Putin of overseeing a corrupt authoritarian system and of annexing Ukraines Crimea illegally in 2014, a move that isolated Russia internationally.
Geneva: A member of a Swiss clinic set to help Australia's oldest scientist end his life has said it is an "atrocity" that Australia had not allowed the 104-year-old to die at home.

David Goodall, who caused a stir two years ago when his university tried unsuccessfully to have him declared unfit to be on campus, does not have a terminal illness but says his quality of life has deteriorated and that he wants to die.

"But because he is not terminally ill... he has to travel to Switzerland," said Ruedi Habegger, a co-founder of Eternal Spirit, one of a range of foundations in Switzerland that assist people who want to end their lives.

"This is the atrocity of it all. This old man... should be able to die at home in his bed, like we can do here in Switzerland," he told AFP in an interview.

Goodall is due to end his life at Eternal Spirit's clinic near Basel on May 10.

Assisted suicide is illegal in most countries around the world and was banned in Australia until the state of Victoria became the first to legalise the practice last year.

But that legislation, which takes effect from June 2019, only applies to terminally ill patients of sound mind and a life expectancy of less than six months.

Assisted voluntary death

According to Swiss law meanwhile, anyone who is of sound mind and who has over a period of time voiced a consistent wish to end their life can request so-called assisted voluntary death, or AVD.

"If a completely healthy person comes and says, I am of sound mind and I have decided to die, the reason is none of your business, theoretically," Habegger said.

He pointed out though that it was very uncommon for healthy people to ask to die, and said most doctors would balk at taking part in the process if they did.

The vast majority of the some 80 people who turn to Eternal Spirit each year to die are elderly, sick and in pain, he said.

The average age of people who receive AVD from the foundation is 76, with the youngest being 32 and the oldest -- until now -- 99.

'Very Resentful'

"I don't want to go to Switzerland," Goodall told broadcaster ABC before he set off on his final voyage last Wednesday, adding that he had to "to get the opportunity of suicide which the Australian system does not permit".

"I feel very resentful," said the honorary research associate at Perth's Edith Cowan University.

He flew first to France, to visit his son, and will travel on to Switzerland next week.

"If all the doctors' appointments and everything goes the way we expect it to go, then he will be able to have his AVD... on Thursday," Habegger said.

Eternal Spirit is advocating for all countries to introduce systems like the Swiss one, allowing people to choose to die "in dignity".

Unlike the largest assisted suicide association in Switzerland, Exit, which only caters for Swiss residents, the foundation -- which runs on annual membership fees from its more than 1,100 members -- counts 75 percent foreigners among its AVD patients.

It covers all AVD-linked expenses for Swiss members, but foreigners are expected to pay for any necessary medical examinations and procedures prior to the act, which can be pricey in Switzerland.

Exit International, which helped Goodall make the trip, launched a GoFundMe campaign to help upgrade the scientist and his helper to business class on their flight to Switzerland, and quickly raised more than Aus$20,000 (US$15,000).

Swiss AVD patients usually choose to end their lives at home, but for foreigners Eternal Spirit has a clinic with homely furnishings and enough rooms for relatives and friends who want to be there in the final moments.

Habegger said Goodall was travelling with a friend, who would be with him until the end.

'Short and Peaceful'

In assisted dying, the person must be physically capable of carrying out the final deed themself.

Most Swiss foundations ask patients to drink sodium pentobarbital, an effective sedative that in strong enough doses causes the heart muscle to stop beating.

Since the substance is alkaline and burns a bit when swallowed, Eternal Spirit has instead opted for intravenous infusions.

A professional prepares the needle, but it is up to the patient to open the valve that allows the short-acting barbiturate to drip into the saline solution.

A video is shot of the patient stating their name, date of birth and that they understand what they are about to do.

The camera keeps rolling as they open the valve and the footage is used as evidence that they willingly took their own life.

"Then we shut off the camera, because the rest is intimate, private," Habegger said.

It usually takes 20 to 30 seconds for the person to fall asleep. "Then they go deeper and deeper, until the heart muscle relaxes," he said.

"It is not a heart attack. It is not a painful process. The heart just stops beating." Within a minute and a half, it is usually over, Habegger said.

"It is short and peaceful."
DANBURY - If youre vague about the whole vaping thing, chances are you have no clue about Juul pods.

And who could blame you? The fast-moving vaping industry has made todays electronic cigarettes so discreet, so cheap and so sweet that they bear almost no resemblance to the tobacco kids lit up a generation ago.

And that concerns educators and health advocates, who worry that the youth appeal of e-cigarettes will hook a new generation on nicotine at a time when schools have nearly vanquished cigarette smoking from stairwells, bathrooms and playgrounds.

No one knows what is going to happen to this generation in 10 years, says Dan Donovan, principal of Danbury High School, where vaping incidents are up 49 percent over last year. Nicotine is a very addictive substance.

Todays way to vape is with a Juul - a flat, pen-sized device with a small rectangular pod that holds nicotine-infused liquid. The Juul vapor is less detectable than cigarette smoke, making it easier to conceal in school.

Popular Juul flavors include mango, creme brulee and cool cucumber.

It doesnt really taste like cucumber, says Brittany Lombardi, 21, buying a Juul pack at Twilight Vapor in Danbury. It tastes like sweet water.

Hearing Lombardis story, its easy to understand how Juul has become the dominant brand in Americas $4 billion vaping industry, growing from 5 percent of the e-cigarette market in 2016 to 55 percent of the market today, according to Nielsen Research.

I used to smoke cigarettes and this is how I quit, with the Juul, said Lombardi. Its easy, its definitely more cost-effective, and compared to regular cigarettes, it is definitely better for you.

While health organizations and anti-smoking groups might argue with Lombardis health claim, their main objection is that leading vaping brands such as Juul appeal to kids as much as adults.

The youth appeal is no accident, critics say.

Juul involves gimmicks and promotions like T-shirts and hoodies and backpacks that are clearly aimed at children, said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who has called on the Food and Drug Administration to crack down on underage vaping. It involves candy flavors and colors that are aimed at children, and if the FDA fails, I think these companies should be taken to court and stronger laws should be adopted.

Blumenthal says the battle is being lost.

E-cigarettes are the most common tobacco product used by kids, according to the federal government. An estimated 10 percent of high school students vape nationwide. In Connecticut, 7 percent of high school student use e-cigarettes.

Nicotine exposure during brain development can disrupt the growth of brain circuits that control attention, learning and susceptibility to addiction, according to the Surgeon General.

Blumenthals call for a crackdown follows FDA action at the end of April, when the agency warned convenience stores, gas stations, vape shops and online retailers not to sell Juul products to children under 18 years old. The FDA also ordered Juul to turn over design and marketing documents to determine whether children were being targeted.

In response, San Francisco-based Juul Labs announced it would spend $30 million on a campaign to combat underage vaping.

At the same time, the FDA is being sued by the American Heart Association and other organizations for postponing its plans to regulate the e-cigarette industry.

Under a rule established in 2016, vaping companies were required to submit their products for FDA review by last August, but that deadline has been moved to 2022.

The reason: the FDA is keeping an open mind about the potential of vaping to wean smokers off cigarettes. FDA Chairman Scott Gottlieb said in March that he didnt want to snuff out the potential for innovation before we really have the proper opportunity to evaluate it, the Associated Press reported.

Meghan Martins, Danbury High Schools associate principal for instruction, disagrees.

Vaping and Juul is just the newest method for ruining your lungs, said Martins, adding that high schoolers are shocked to learn that there are trace amounts of formaldehyde in vaping liquid.

While there are no long-term studies about the effects of formaldehyde and other chemicals inhaled during vaping, the practice is thought to be less of a health risk than cigarette smoking, which is linked to lung cancer and heart disease, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

The same CDC cautions that all nicotine poses a health risk, especially on the developing brain of adolescents, and that the underage use of e-cigarettes is strongly discouraged.

Meanwhile, Danbury and some suburban school districts are adjusting to the spike in Juuls and other vapes with an information campaign.

At John Barlow High School in Redding, for example, where vaping cases jumped to 36 in 2017 from 2 cases in 2016, administrators are sending out more information to families in the school newsletter.

In Danbury, the high school sets up a vaping table displaying confiscated e-cigarettes during school events.

We were getting such an influx of kids that have these (vapes) that we now make them do their two days of in-school suspension and we make them write me a letter explaining the pros and cons of vaping, said Donovan, who runs the largest high school in the state. We give them materials to read and research, because no one is looking at this. No one knows what is in this stuff.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
Looking for the vulture assist with Neolithic burials

1 year ago
NORWALK  Growing up, Chaz Bethel-Brescia wasnt aware that people viewed his family differently until third grade.

Thats when his peers started to press him about how it was possible for him to be born if he had two moms.

He felt like he was met with the same question later on, when his teacher crossed out moms in his assignment and corrected it to mom. Or when he had to fill out forms that asked for information about his mom and dad.

Having other people not understand the concept of having a sperm donor or gay parents made me feel almost invalidated and instilled some insecurities in me, he said. It made me doubt myself a lot.

But now, the Norwalk High School senior said the experience of being raised by two moms has helped him grow into his own version of manhood instead of letting his peers or society define it for him.

He wrote about this experience in his college admissions essay, challenging social expectations that seem to equate manhood with demonstrating authority or not showing emotion. This did not reflect his experience growing up as the only male in the household, with two moms and a younger sister.

Perhaps the expectations of males in society should be redefined: Acquiring authority through pursuing passion. Manifesting manhood through sophistication. Earning reputation by showing respect. Demonstrating strength through vulnerability, he wrote.

This essay helped Bethel-Brescia get into all 10 of the schools he applied to, including four Ivy League schools  Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Yale University and Princeton University, the school he chose  and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This a rarity at Norwalk High School, according to Dan Sullivan, head of the schools guidance department.

Sullivan said the essay is the best hes read in his 20 years as a guidance counselor at the school.

Chaz is in a very rarefied era here in that, Sullivan said. And we want there to be other Chazes coming up, and see that he did it and that other kids can do it.

For Bethel-Brescia, receiving 10 college acceptance letters served as a form of validation  of the work ethic and passions he developed from a young age and of the person hes become today.

The list of activities and accomplishments on his resume helped tell his story: vice president of his senior class, member of the schools volunteer club, and a longtime pianist, bassist, percussionist and vocalist.

This process has definitely made me realize my own worth as an individual and that I shouldnt doubt myself, he said.

I was just about to say that, his mother Tina Brescia chimed in. You can stop doubting now.

Bethel-Brescia said he is proud to put Norwalk on the map and to represent the city and its diversity at Princeton University, his dream school.

He credits his moms for providing the right environment that allowed him to discover who he is as a person without any pressure or restraint.

His mother Phyllis Bethel said they noticed his motivation and drive early on, and tried to encourage his academic and extracurricular pursuits as much as possible.

Both of them work as music therapists at the Music Conservatory of Westchester.

We always thought that hed be able to write his own ticket before he went to school, Bethel said. But getting in was such a relief when he got into all those schools.

Bethel-Brescia looks forward to doing his best at Princeton, where he wants to further his studies in the STEM field and earn a minor in music. Im hoping to learn a lot, grow as a musician, challenge myself, grow as a person and not to doubt myself as much during that process, Bethel-Brescia said. I know now the next journey is just beginning.

Correction: An earlier version misstated that Chaz Bethel-Brescia is the co-editor-in-chief of the school newspaper and co-president of the Spanish National Honor Society.

skim@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2568.
Looking to get out of the states this summer?

According to travel site Kayak.com, median airfare to European cities is the cheapest it has been in three summers. "Across the board, low cost carriers and new flight routes are making travel across the pond even easier (and less expensive)," the site reports.
Anyone who went to Eastern Connecticut State University or who has been to Willimantic has seen the famous Frog Bridge. And now a national site has taken notice.

The site 24/7 Wall St. recently named the Frog Bridge Connecticut's "strangest roadside attraction."

"Officially, it's the Thread City Crossing, but it's known as the Frog Bridge because of the four copper frogs on each end of the steel bridge over the Willimantic River.

The frogs commemorate 1754's The Battle of the Frogs, a story about a large-scale death of frogs fighting over the last water in the middle of a drought. The frog deaths were loud enough to convince residents that the French and American Indians coming to town to slaughter them. The invaders never came, and the frog battle became a part of Willimantic history," the site writes.

But this is certainly not Connecticut's only oddity. Click through to see some unique sites and things to do in Connecticut.

RELATED: 15 strange things to know about Connecticut



In 2017, Wild Bill's Nostalgia Store in Middletown was named Connecticut's most overrated "tourist trap."

Some of the store's attractions include PeeWee Herman's bike, a picture of PT Barnum, a non-working fun house, sculptures and the famous jack-in-the-box. The store is also featured in Atlas Obscura, Road Side America, Road Trippers and other sites and travel books. Page said they don't advertise the store, but rely soley on word of mouth and press.
EAST HAVEN  The fifth and final East Haven police officer was released from the hospital early Saturday after being injured in an explosion Wednesday in North Haven, according to a press release.

Lt. Joseph M. Murgo, a spokesman for the East Haven Police Department, said the unidentified officer is resting comfortably at home with family.

The officer was among nine cops  five from East Haven, three from North Haven and one from Branford  who were injured in an explosion at 385 Quinnipiac Ave. Their injuries were non-life-threatening but consistent with being in close proximity to the blast and range from concussions to leg injuries, Murgo previously said.

Police were called to a residence at 385 Quinnipiac Ave. Wednesday around 2 p.m. to respond to a domestic violence report.

Officers developed information that determined a tactical team response was needed due to a man barricading himself inside the home, where he had held his wife for the last few days, according to North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda.

A regional tactical team, consisting of North Haven police officers and police officers from surrounding towns, responded to the scene and attempted to enter the residence and make contact with the suspect. As tactical team members were attempting to enter the residence, a significant explosion in the barn behind the home occurred, injuring the nine police officers.

The remains of a body were found Thursday morning. The identity of the deceased is pending identification and next of kin notification.

Connecticut State Trooper First Class Kelly Grant, a spokeswoman for state police, said the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.
EL PASO RESTAURANTS

El Paso in Metairie, at 601 Veterans Memorial Blvd., will have the band Weathered at 7 p.m. El Paso, 3010 Holiday Drive in Algiers will host a party from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. with the Echo Monsters performing at 6 p.m., a DJ all day, a pinata and face painting. Admission is free.
Huawei launched the P20 devices back in March. The devices, the P20 Pro , in particular, have received critical acclaim for their fine cameras. While they've gone on sale around Europe, they're only just making their way to North America. The P20 and P20 Pro are finally available in Canada, with pre-orders currently ongoing.

For obvious reasons, the devices will not be available in the US. Huawei has all but bowed out from that market after the events of the past few months. Canada is open to the company's advances, though, and will allow sales without any issues. There were reports a while back that all major carriers would take the P20 devices under their banners but only Rogers and Fido have the devices listed right now.
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DAKAR, Senegal  Chads military said Saturday that its soldiers in Mali had killed Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the mastermind of the January seizure of an Algerian gas plant that left at least 37 foreign hostages dead.

Mr. Belmokhtars death was announced on state television in Chad, but has not been confirmed elsewhere.

Today, Saturday, at noon, Chadian armed forces on mission in Mali totally destroyed the principal base of the terrorists and narcotraffickers in the Ifoghas mountain range, Chads military spokesman, Gen. Zakaria Ngobongue, said on national television. He said several terrorists, including the chief, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, had been killed in the operation.

Soldiers from Chad are fighting Islamist militants as part of an international force led by France that is seeking to oust the militants from northern Mali.
My advice, personal advice, is if you have something to hide, this is the wrong business to get into, Mr. Cuomo said on Friday, in remarks to reporters in Lower Manhattan.

Shortly after, Ms. Nixons camp shot back, calling Mr. Cuomo a corrupt hypocrite for not disclosing his tax return in 2010, when he made his first successful run for governor. In his remarks, Mr. Cuomo said he had filed an extension and offered a summary of his taxes in 2010, and his campaign aides said he had released his returns in many other years, including his time as governor.

By days end, the Cuomo campaign was pointing to a statement from committee members of the state Democratic Party  which the governor controls  that calls on any statewide candidate vying for the Democratic line on the ballot to be required to release 10 years of tax returns.

Earlier in the week, Mr. Cuomos campaign had seized on a report in Politico that said a foundation started by Ms. Nixon and Ms. Marinoni had given to several groups in past years that have now endorsed her for governor.

The foundations 2017 return shows that it gave money to disparate groups  such as those fighting cystic fibrosis, doing nonprofit theater and the Girl Scouts  including $15,000 to the Public Policy and Education Fund, which is an affiliate of Citizen Action of New York. That group has endorsed Ms. Nixon.

Ms. Nixon gave $52,875 in charitable donations, personally or through her foundation, in 2017. Mr. Cuomo gave $11,000, all to a homelessness group, HELP USA, that he founded.

Cynthia readily admits that she has been very fortunate, and is now among the higher earners in the state, said Rebecca Katz, a senior strategist to Ms. Nixons campaign. Unlike Andrew Cuomo, she doesnt pretend to be middle class.
It would be very damaging if anything was publicly disclosed about these sites at the present moment for the simple reason that the sites have not approached the owners of these properties for approval, said Charles King, the president of Housing Works. Mr. King is also chairman of a group created to run the injection sites, called Research for a Safer New York.

Officials have identified four needle exchange programs that are expected to host the injection sites: a Housing Works site on West 37th Street in Midtown, a location in Washington Heights, one in the Longwood section of the Bronx and one near Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Mr. King and executives of some of the other groups involved allowed that the injection sites may yet be placed in different nearby locations.

Mr. de Blasios plan would proceed only if it receives authorization from the State Health Department. The city is asking state health officials to designate the program as a research project, which would be licensed to operate with narcotics during a one-year pilot program.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo noted on Friday that his father, Mario M. Cuomo, had taken a similar step as governor in the early 1990s when he first allowed needle exchange programs to operate in the state. The needle exchanges began at that time to combat the spread of infectious diseases, including AIDS, among drug users.

The goal is a laudable goal, Mr. Cuomo said, referring to the objective of averting overdose deaths. How you get there is obviously the question. There are legal questions that are involved, there are community questions, law enforcement questions.

He said that the health department would review the mayors plan, but he added, It violates the federal law, which is something you have to deal with.
It is not hard to see why such a scandal would attract so much attention. Of the many #MeToo revelations, the most shocking have been those in which abusive behavior was concealed and enabled by a facade of decorum and decency. The Swedish Academy, whose patron is the Swedish king and whose 18 members are chosen for life (the king recently changed the rules to let members resign), epitomizes such propriety.

Yet it is often the very respectability of the aggressor or the institution that discourages women from reporting sexual assaults, as was the case in Sweden. By the same token, the greater the reputation, the deeper the fall once the truth is revealed.

The Swedish Academy faces a tough task cleaning up the mess, but it will survive. The greater question is whether this self-perpetuating academic elite can recover the credibility that gave its Nobel Prize its standing.

There has long been some doubt whether 18 Swedes, no matter how erudite, can comb through the literature of so many cultures and so many languages and select the best. But so long as the academy maintained an image of integrity and neutrality, the award maintained its luster. How much of that will survive will not become clear until 2019, when the academy plans to name two winners, and by which time it will have to provide a full accounting of what happened.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is Germanys premier front-line jet fighter. This week, Der Spiegel reported that just four of the Luftwaffes 128 Typhoons are combat ready. You read that right: four. Also, not one of the German Navys six submarines is in a condition to put to sea, and only 95 of its 244 battle tanks are operational. At this point, Luxembourg could probably conquer Germany.

Should anyone seriously care that Germany, with the worlds fourth-largest economy, would be unable to defend itself in the event of war, much less fulfill its treaty obligations to NATO? Not if all you can think about is how Donald Trump is going to squirm out of one potentially incriminating lie by inventing another.

But Vladimir Putin undoubtedly cares, and so does Trump. Its a toxic combination.

Germanys persistent, deliberate military weakness is a reminder of just how unprepared much of the world is for the continued unraveling of global order, characterized by two pronounced trends: emboldened dictatorships and risk-averse, inward-looking democracies.

About the former: Bashar al-Assad continues to advance against his opponents in Syria, despite last months feckless U.S. missile strikes. The Kremlin reportedly intends to supply Assad with advanced antiaircraft systems to defend against Israeli attacks. Israel is bracing for war with Iran and its militant proxies in Lebanon, even while it is being savaged in the media for defending its border fence with Gaza.
A lawyer for Mr. Sawyer, Kelly Green, said that common sense  not just legal precedent  would argue that Mr. Sawyers acts did not add up to attempted murder, a crime that can carry life in prison.

Jack simply had thoughts about committing these crimes, wrote in his journal about committing the crimes, wrote his fantasy plans, and he purchased a gun, Ms. Green said. The average person on the street can understand that all of that is not good, but its not an attempted murder.

The first signs of a problem in Fair Haven appeared on Feb. 14, an afternoon when images of the school shooting in Parkland were beginning to spread across the nations televisions. A parent told the police that Mr. Sawyer, who had left Fair Haven in 2016, had returned and had bought a gun. In court documents, police wrote that they knew Mr. Sawyer had made threats against the school two years earlier, but did not see evidence of anything new, and decided not to hold him at that point.

A day later, a teenage girl warned the police that Mr. Sawyer had described the Parkland shooting as fantastic, and wrote to her, in a Facebook message, Just a few days ago I was still plotting on shooting up my old high school.

With that, the police detained Mr. Sawyer and questioned him for hours. They said they seized a shotgun, ammunition, the journal and books about the massacre at Columbine High School from his car. According to a police affidavit, Mr. Sawyer told them that he had left a residential program where he had been getting treatment for depression and anxiety and that he had stopped taking medication that was prescribed to him. The police said he also told them that he intended to carry out a shooting at his former school.
WASHINGTON  A federal judge in Virginia sharply challenged on Friday the special counsels case against Paul Manafort, suggesting that prosecutors had pursued fraud charges in hopes of gaining evidence that might incriminate President Trump or even topple him from office.

You dont really care about Mr. Manaforts bank fraud, Judge T. S. Ellis III said during a court hearing in Alexandria. You really care about getting information that Mr. Manafort can give you that would reflect on Mr. Trump and lead to his prosecution or impeachment or whatever.

Mr. Trump immediately seized upon the judges comments as proof that the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, is out of control. In a speech on Friday afternoon to the National Rifle Association in Dallas, he cited the judges critique. Ive been saying that for a long time, he said. Its a witch hunt.

He described the judge as very special and highly respected, and Mr. Manafort, who served as his campaign chairman for five months, as a good person who worked for him only briefly.
WASHINGTON  Two top F.B.I. aides who worked alongside the former director James B. Comey as he navigated one of the most politically tumultuous periods in the bureaus history resigned on Friday.

One of them, James A. Baker, was one of Mr. Comeys closest confidants. He served as the F.B.I.s top lawyer until December when he was reassigned as the new director, Christopher A. Wray, began installing his own advisers. Mr. Baker had been investigated by the Justice Department on suspicion of sharing classified information with reporters. He has not been charged.

The other aide, Lisa Page, advised Mr. Comey while serving directly under his deputy, Andrew G. McCabe. She was assailed by conservatives after texts that she had exchanged with the agent overseeing the investigation into links between President Trumps campaign and Russia were made public. In the messages, they expressed anti-Trump views but took aim at Hillary Clinton and other political figures as well.

The decisions by Mr. Baker and Ms. Page to leave the bureau were unrelated. Mr. Baker said in a telephone interview that he would be joining the Brookings Institution to write for Lawfare, its blog focused on national security law.
In interviews on Wednesday and Thursday, Mr. Giuliani insisted that the president had reimbursed Mr. Cohen for the $130,000 hush payment  and then paid him another $330,000, if not more  which was in direct conflict with the longstanding assertion by Mr. Trump and the White House that he did not know about the hush money or where it came from.

In an interview with The New York Times on Friday, Mr. Giuliani sought to clarify his statements by saying that he did not know whether Mr. Trump had known that some of the payments to Mr. Cohen had gone to Ms. Clifford. Its not something Im aware of, nor is it relevant to what Im doing, the legal part, Mr. Giuliani said.

Mr. Giuliani acknowledged that politically, it could be troublesome. Politically, everything matters, but I dont see a problem here, at least not legally, he said.

A lawyer for the Trump Organization declined to comment, and a spokeswoman for the organization did not respond to an email about Mr. Weisselberg.

The president has said that he would view any investigation into his finances or those of his family as a violation, though he was referring to the investigation into Russia by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III; the investigation into Mr. Cohen is being run by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York.

The payment to Ms. Clifford is a part of that investigation. The circumstances surrounding it had become all the murkier this week after Mr. Giuliani gave an explanation of how the funds to Ms. Clifford were accounted for that contradicted all those that came before it.
Vice President Mike Pences physician abruptly resigned on Friday with no public explanation, part of a bitter feud that has led to a shake-up in the small medical office that is responsible for treating President Trump, his family and other White House officials.

The White House Medical Unit has come under scrutiny in recent days after Dr. Ronny L. Jackson, Mr. Trumps primary physician whom he selected to be secretary of veterans affairs, withdrew from consideration amid allegations that he overprescribed medication and was drunk on the job. The president vigorously defended Dr. Jackson, a Navy rear admiral, saying he was a good man who had been falsely accused and treated unfairly.

This week, CNN reported that one source of damaging accusations against Dr. Jackson had been Jennifer Pena, Mr. Pences physician, who drew up memos last fall alleging misconduct by the presidents doctor, including a violation of medical privacy laws and threatening behavior.

On Friday, Mr. Pences office issued a short statement confirming the departure of Dr. Pena, but did not elaborate on the reason, suggesting that the matter was not handled by the vice presidents staff.
Mr. Trump had previously told reporters that he had no knowledge of the payment made to the actress, Stephanie Clifford, who performs as Stormy Daniels. But Rudolph W. Giuliani, one of the latest additions to the presidents legal team, said on Fox News late Wednesday that he had documentation showing that Mr. Trump had personally repaid Mr. Cohen.

Mr. Giuliani indicated that he came forward with the allegations to prove that no campaign finance laws had been violated. But his remarks, which continued in a series of interviews and television appearances on Thursday, may have exposed the president to legal and political danger.

On Friday, the president undercut Mr. Giulianis statements, saying that Mr. Giuliani, a former mayor of New York, was new to the legal team and would get his facts straight.

Additional Reading

As President Trump revamped his legal team, tensions continued to rise between the Justice Department and Republicans in Congress.

Mr. Trump hired on Wednesday Emmet T. Flood, the Washington lawyer who represented President Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial, to join his legal team. He replaces Ty Cobb, the White House lawyer who had pushed for Mr. Trump to cooperate with the special counsels inquiry.
Sara Danius, the first woman to be chosen as the academys permanent secretary, essentially its chief administrator, quickly severed its ties with Mr. Arnault and his organization, known as Forum. She also commissioned an investigation by a law firm to look into the academys financial and other support for Forum.

Ms. Danius was not rewarded for her efforts. Several of her allies quit in frustration, and last month her adversaries forced her out of the top post, although she remains a member of the academy. On the same day, Mr. Arnaults wife, the poet Katarina Frostenson, also stepped down.

Ms. Daniuss demotion prompted mass protests by critics who said that a woman had been scapegoated for the sexual misconduct of a man, and punished for trying to introduce openness and accountability to a group that preferred to close ranks.

With the academy depleted, and its secretive workings exposed to unflattering scrutiny, the Nobel Foundation, which manages the industrialist Alfred Nobels legacy and oversees all of the awards, stepped in to warn that the scandal risked tarnishing the prizes as a whole.

The crisis in the Swedish Academy has adversely affected the Nobel Prize, Carl-Henrik Heldin, chairman of the Nobel Foundation, said in a statement early Friday. He said that while the award was intended to be given yearly, it should be postponed when the group choosing winners had a problem so serious that a prize decision will not be perceived as credible.

Now humbled, the academy says it has a long way to go to rebuild trust.

Confidence in the academy from the world around us has sunk drastically in the past half year, the acting permanent secretary, the literary scholar Anders Olsson, told Swedish Radio on Friday, and that is the decisive reason that we are postponing the prize.

Another member, the historian Peter Englund, wrote in an email: I think this was a wise decision, considering both the inner turmoil of the academy and the subsequent bloodletting of people and competence, and the general standing of the prize. Who would really care to accept this award under the current circumstances?
Welcome to the Weekend. Weve made it to May, yes, May. Perhaps you are going to a Kentucky Derby party or maybe just enjoying a couple of work-free days. No matter what youre doing, we have plenty to occupy your mind. So get reading!
Saturday is Cinco de Mayo, a day often mistaken in the United States for Mexicos Independence Day. In fact, the holiday had its origin more than 50 years after the date associated with the countrys independence. So heres what you need to know about Cinco de Mayo, including its evolution into a major economic driver for business owners and beverage companies across the United States.

What is the significance of Cinco de Mayo?

Cinco de Mayo, which isnt widely celebrated in Mexico, commemorates an underdog victory over France in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The victory was galvanizing for the Mexican forces  and for those supporting them from afar  but it was short-lived, as France later occupied Mexico for a few years. Still, Cinco de Mayo continued to be celebrated in Puebla and, perhaps more significantly, by Mexican-Americans north of the border.

So when is Mexicos Independence Day celebrated?

The countrys Independence Day is Sept. 16, now a national holiday. On that day in 1810, a priest named Miguel Hidalgo implored Mexico to revolt against Spain, leading to the War for Independence, which ended in 1821.

When did Cinco de Mayo gain popularity in the United States?

In the early 1960s, many Mexican-American activists entrenched in the countrys growing civil rights movement used the day as a source of pride. Close to two decades later, in 1989, an ad campaign by an importer of beers like Modelo and Corona was introduced around the day. The campaign was initially targeted toward Latinos but eventually broadened with print and TV ads. This year, Coronas website featured a ticking Countdown to Corona de Mayo in the hours leading up to May 5.
In the earlier years, the answer is stupidity, Mr. Buffett replied. But then Mr. Buffett added that his friendship with Mr. Gates has grown over the years, and he has stayed away from investing because of the inference that could be drawn.

And Amazon and Alphabet...

Mr. Buffett has famously avoided investing in tech companies because he didnt understand them. But one investor wanted to know if Mr. Buffetts stance is evolving. Beyond Apple, the questioner pointed out that Amazon and Google parent Alphabet have the characteristics of companies Mr. Buffett typically likes to invest in: strong brand names and little competition.

Heres the reason Mr. Buffett gave for not investing in Amazon:

The truth is that Ive watched Amazon from the start, and I think what Jeff Bezos has done is something close to a miracle. The problem is if I think something will be a miracle, I tend not to bet on it.

As for Alphabet, Mr. Buffett said that he had made a mistake. He said he was unable to conclude that at Alphabets present prices, its prospects were far better than the prices indicated.

He then explained that he didnt invest in Apple because it was a tech stock. I went into Apple because I came to certain conclusions about the value with which the capital was being deployed and about the ecosystem, he said.

The discussion did lead to one of the more humorous exchanges of the meeting:

Mr. Munger: Ive been to Google headquarters. It looks to me like a kindergarten. Mr. Buffett: A very rich kindergarten.

One thing Mr. Buffett and Mr. Munger arent fans of? Cryptocurrencies.

Warren Buffett and Charles Munger saved their harshest words for cryptocurrencies.

Cryptocurrencies will come to bad endings. Mr. Buffett said, responding to an attendee from Ukraine.

Mr. Buffetts main argument against cryptocurrencies is the same one he has made about gold: They are not a productive asset. That means the value of cryptocurrencies is determined solely by what someone is willing to pay for it.

If you had bought gold at the time of Christ and you figure the compound rate on it, its a couple tenths of a percent, Mr. Buffett said.
Ms. Marcario placed a call to her executive team and informed it that she had approved the lawsuit. Patagonia was suing the president.

The President Stole Your Land

Since that week in December, the feud between Patagonia and the Trump administration has continued to simmer.

Mr. Bishop invited Mr. Chouinard to testify before the Committee on Natural Resources. Mr. Chouinard declined the offer, calling any hearing a macabre celebration of the largest reduction in public lands in American history, and the committee part of a failed Orwellian government.

Mr. Bishop replied to Mr. Chouinard with a tart letter of his own. Although it is your right, living in a bubble isnt healthy, nor is it conducive to a robust discussion on important matters of public policy, he said. In an email, the committees press secretary said Mr. Chouinard was still welcome to testify.

Then in March, The Times published an article that showed oil and gas interests were central to the Trump administrations decision to shrink Bears Ears. After that, Patagonia updated its website yet again. The new copy: The President Stole Your Land and You Were Lied To.

The decision was nothing more than a political favor, Ms. Sheehy, the companys vice president of environmental activism, wrote in a blog post. The redrawing of boundaries was deliberate, and directly influenced by an industry that spends millions of dollars lobbying the government to get what it wants.

The Trump administration has not formally responded to the lawsuit filed by Patagonia and the other plaintiffs. Heather Swift, a spokeswoman for the Interior Department, said in an email that claims that the redrawing of boundaries was motivated by oil and gas interests were patently and demonstrably false.
The skills required to figure this stuff out are not the skills of a forensic chef, he said. Theyre the skills of a journalist asking questions. How did you make this? I dont have that tool, how can I do it at home? Is it really necessary to add the fairy dust? (Watch restaurant chefs closely, he says, and youll realize the real fairy dust is more salt or butter, or both.)

The goal is to find recipes that readers will want to cook. That comes down to finding a balance among a recipes ingredients (how many, how unusual, how expensive), steps (how many, how complicated) and payoff (how delicious, how wonderful).

If a dish makes an impression on him and seems as if it could be made at home, Mr. Sifton gets to work. He often asks the chef behind it for a recipe, he asks lots and lots of questions, and he cooks it.

When possible, he shadows the person who created the dish, as he did with the chef Angie Mar of the Beatrice Inn on a recent Monday in her West Village restaurant. Together, they made a pan-roasted chicken in cream sauce, with morel mushrooms, thats on her spring menu.

At first glance, the dish may seem a little elaborate for the home cook. It calls for cognac, Madeira wine, cream, and morels  luxuries that most people wouldnt typically reach for. But Mr. Sifton says he was drawn to it because its reminiscent of a smothered chicken dinner  American comfort food  and the fancier flairs can be justified. The morels could be substituted for another wild mushroom, while the cognac and Madeira will keep on the shelf long enough that they could be put to use again.
The House That Jack Built

Much like Terry Gilliams long-gestating The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, Lars Von Triers latest feature was nearly going to be famous for not showing at Cannes. The uncertainty arose because Mr. Von Trier had been banned from the festival for comments he made in 2011 about Hitler. His film will screen out of competition. Mr. Von Triers newest provocation evokes pure, twisted id: A serial killer (Matt Dillon) undertakes five murders as if they were art. Uma Thurman, Bruno Ganz and Riley Keough also star.

The Image Book

A few years ago at Cannes, Jean-Luc Godard drew wild applause midfilm for the 3-D experiments of Goodbye to Language. The feat proved that a new film by the 87-year-old Mr. Godard remains an event, and after he missed the last edition, the 2018 lineup at last features his latest venture into the poetics of pure cinema. The film reportedly addresses the present and past of the Middle East, but as ever, the real draw is Mr. Godard.
Ms. Husson is one of the three female directors in the 21-film competition at Cannes, which runs through May 19. In the past, the festival has drawn criticism for gender imbalances in its lineup. And this year, other urgent political struggles also enter the spotlight.

[READ MORE: What to Watch for at the Cannes Film Festival]

If anything could define its 71st edition  which is being held on the 50th anniversary of the May 1968 protests in France against President Charles de Gaulles government, when the festival shut down after days of sit-ins  it is the impossibility of compartmentalizing movies during turbulent times.

The 2018 competition, for example, also has the latest film from Irans Jafar Panahi, Three Faces. Yet for years, Mr. Panahi has been confined in his home country by the Iranian government. He has a Russian counterpart in Kirill Serebrennikov, director of Leto, a competition film about rock n roll in Russia during the 1980s. Mr. Serebrennikov, an acclaimed theater director, has been under house arrest in Moscow.

Even in the weeks since the announcement of this years lineup, fresh political dramas emerged. Wanuri Kahius Rafiki (Friend) was banned in her home country, Kenya. The film, the first Kenyan selection in Cannes history, portrays a romance between two young women, taboo and illegal in that country.
Well, I guess Ill start at the beginning.

The opening words spoken in Wang Bings film He Fengming: A Chinese Memoir are humble ones. But what follows is a record of cataclysmic times in postwar China, recounted by Ms. He, a survivor of forced labor camps. She methodically speaks of how it happened, how she was separated from her husband, all while seated in her cluttered, dimly lit, utterly ordinary home.

The result is by turns shattering and sedate  a testimony that one critic called both a cry of pain and a sigh of relief.

He Fengming screened at Cannes in 2007, the same year as 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days and No Country for Old Men. Now Mr. Wang returns to the festival with a work that gives voice to more living veterans of history like Ms. He. Dead Souls, his new documentary, has its world premiere this week, clocking in at 8 hours 15 minutes.

The only objective is to obtain, from their memories, the knowledge of the people who can no longer speak of what they went through, Mr. Wang said in an interview.
Why are black women at higher risk for hemorrhage, hypertension and blood clots? The editorial talks about poverty and lack of access to health care. But why? Racism is also mentioned. If we think upstream, it seems clear that racism is the root cause of the disparity black women face. Id love to see more discussion about how to reduce racism to improve health care outcomes.

One key seems to be to make the health care work force more diverse. To better care for black women, we need more black doulas, nurses, midwives and doctors.

SHOKO ODANI, SAN FRANCISCO

To the Editor:

Best practices outlined by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have already been instituted all over the country. Doctors and nurses have been weighing blood-soaked sponges in every delivery and rolling hemorrhage carts for those resulting in excessive bleeding. That is good practice, but it does not seem to have affected the maternal death rate.

As for the use and financing of doulas, its a good idea, but do not expect much effect in the statistics.

Perhaps the country should take a new and more humane approach. It should start compensating fairly the doctors who labor in the inner cities with heavy loads of sick and uninsured patients. These doctors are well trained to treat pregnant women with diabetes and hypertension, but they get burned out trying to pay the student loans and make ends meet.

And what about the hospitals in poor neighborhoods? They are underfunded, understaffed and undersupplied.

This is rich country. We must find a way to stem the spiraling of the maternal death rate of its women of color.
I attended several of my gay friends weddings to people of the opposite sex, and I sat across from them years later when they grieved over the end of their marriage. They might have changed the way they identified, but they felt a longing for intimacy with someone of the same sex that simply could not be met by their spouses. Some white-knuckled their way through the rest of their lives in these marriages, often with secret hookups that left them deeply ashamed, sometimes suicidal. Others eventually ended their marriages, and they despaired over the pain they caused their spouses and children.

These stories never show up in the short videos on ex-gay ministries websites. Ex-gay organizations create emotional short films with earnest young people who talk about hope and redemption, and then they quietly remove the videos when these very same people come out years later with the truth about themselves that they tried to suppress. In fact, thats what happened to me.

Equally important, the narrative that people find freedom from homosexuality through Jesus fails to acknowledge the existence of the thousands of people who identify as L.G.B.T.Q. Christians. Sexual and gender minorities do not have to choose between their faith and queerness: Both parts of their complex identities belong, and the two actually inform each other. Im engaged to a woman named Amanda Hite, and our shared passion for Jesus is central to our relationship.

In addition to the countless Christian denominations that affirm the beauty of same-sex relationships, there are also organizations like The Reformation Project teaching a message of inclusion in conservative Christian communities. They were moved to support same-sex relationships because of their understanding of Scripture. While many conservative Christians actively work against the flourishing of L.G.B.T.Q. people, they dont represent all Christians.

I feel compassion for the people who will attend the Freedom March on Saturday. The videos on their Facebook page feature young people who say they left a lifestyle of anonymous sex, drug addiction and despair. But I have a lot of L.G.B.T.Q. friends, and I dont know any who would describe their lives in that way. My community comprises queer pastors, psychologists, professors and entrepreneurs. Some of them are married, some are celibate, many are sober, and all of them are extraordinary human beings.

I cant help wondering whether the young people in the videos found themselves in destructive cycles because of the shame they carried from the teaching they heard growing up. Its hard for me to believe they would seek to rid themselves of their God-given desire to love someone of the same sex if it werent for the leaders in their communities who fail to consider the possibility that theyre wrong about the value and dignity of L.G.B.T.Q. people made in the image of God.

As several Christian leaders have already said: If the gospel someone preaches is not good news for the marginalized  for people of color, those with disabilities, immigrants and L.G.B.T.Q. people  then its not good news for anyone. The message the organizers of the Freedom March preach is certainly not good news for people like me. But I have found the Gospel of Jesus  the one who drew near to the outcasts and touched the despised with his own hands  to be very good news to me as a lesbian Christian. I want those attending the Freedom March to know this good news is for them, too.
As Donald Trump entered the second year in office, he seemed determined to destabilize his administrations fragile status quo. He pushed out a cluster of advisers, replacing them with people he liked watching on TV. He forged ahead on his long-promised policy of trade war. He decided to take the starring, summit-organizing role in his own North Korean brinksmanship. And he stepped up  well, or just continued, its hard to make quantitative judgments  his rhetorical war against the Robert Mueller investigation.

For those of us who feared disaster from this presidency but saw the first year as a period when Trump was relatively constrained, his Im in charge here! pivot was a worrying phenomenon. But its the nature of the Trump era to confound all expectations, so naturally what followed the Cohn-Tillerson-McMaster exits and the tariff announcements and the stock market wobbles was  the most politically successful six weeks of Trumps presidency to date.

Now successful is a relative term: Our president is still deeply unpopular, still under investigation and embroiled in scandal, still unable to push a substantial agenda through the Congress, still likely to see his party lose the House of the Representatives in November.

But allowing for the low bar, March and April brought a lot of good news for Donald Trump. For one thing, his basic political position has improved: Hes up to 44 percent job approval in the RealClearPolitics average and 41 percent in FiveThirtyEight, some of the highest numbers since the beginning of his administration. And his partys situation has improved too, with the Democratic generic ballot lead no longer large enough to guarantee a wipeout of the G.O.P.
DUBLIN  In 1983 the Irish people voted to give a fertilized egg the same right to life as the woman who carries it. Feminists tried to stop it. We argued that crisis pregnancies were a reality of womens lives and that we needed the right to choose how to deal with them. We said that the constitutional amendment on the ballot, which made abortion illegal unless the mothers life is in danger, would harm women. We marched and chanted Get your rosaries off our ovaries. A Catholic bishop pronounced that the most dangerous place for a baby was in a womans womb.

We lost, overwhelmingly. But Ireland has changed. On May 25, the Irish people will vote on whether to repeal the Eighth Amendment. This time I think we can win.

Contraception had not long been legalized in Ireland in 1983. There was no divorce. The Roman Catholic Church was enormously powerful. I was working at a rape crisis center in Belfast, in Nothern Ireland, and six of us packed into a Mini and crossed the border into the republic to take part in the campaign against the amendment. In Donegal, the most northern county in the Republic, we handed out a poster featuring a drawing by the artist Kathe Kollwitz, of a mother pulled every which way by her needy children. Its life that needs amending, not the constitution, it said. A boy hissed at us that we should be raped and made pregnant. Our posters were flung to the ground.

In Carndonagh, a small town in Donegal with a steep main street dominated by a large Catholic church, two nuns took down our poster and told us to go back to where we came from. Donegal had one of the highest majorities for the amendment in the country.
The fight isnt really between two men. Its between two takes on what matters most in this messy world. I might as well be blunt: Its between the high road and the gutter. McCain has always believed, to his core, in sacrifice, honor and allegiance to something larger than oneself. Trump believes in Trump, and whatever wreckage he causes in deference to that god is of no concern.

Trump is in every single way the opposite of John McCain, Bob Kerrey told me recently. He may be the opposite of every president we ever had. Kerrey and McCain both served in Vietnam, they overlapped in the Senate and they stay in touch. So Kerrey knows that Trump has caused McCain no small measure of anguish, but less because of Trumps crassness and the daily tragicomedy of his administration  this, too, shall pass  than because of the impact on democracy. It could be enduring, and it could be profound.

Thats why a patriot like him could never sit this one out.

Trump finds McCains biography and example threatening; that was obvious in an insult in the summer of 2015, just a month into Trumps presidential campaign. At a forum in Iowa, Trump mocked McCains many years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam  years during which McCain refused offers of release because he didnt want to be a tool of North Vietnamese propaganda  by saying: Hes not a war hero. Hes a war hero because he was captured. I like people that werent captured.

McCain brushed it off. He never mentioned it, Gen. David Petraeus, who sits on the board of the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University, told me. I raised it with him one time. I said, I just want to assure you that everyone I know  and I  regard you as an extraordinary hero. He said: I know. Its nothing.

Its all too easy, in the context of Trump, to idealize political leaders who came before him and airbrush their flaws. McCain has his share, including the occasional rashness reflected in his selection of Sarah Palin as a running mate in 2008. Did she help pave the way for Trump? What a cruel irony if so.
But such episodes of conviviality aside, the students and the workers were fighting for radically different things. Bernard Vauselle, who worked at Sud Aviation in St.-Nazaire, made clear to me that in 67 and 68 it was really the bread-and-butter demands we were interested in, not the political demands. Seemingly small issues mattered enormously to the workers, according to Mr. Vauselle, such as an official recognition of their unions. Before the uprising, he told me, union supporters had to distribute our tracts outside the factory, but afterward we entered the factory and had our own office.

The workers I spoke with told me that their first act when occupying a factory was to clean and secure the machinery, something they did out of pride. What could such workers possibly make of the slogan Never work, a popular piece of student graffiti?

Mistrust of the students ran deep among the workers, as did a lack of comprehension. Colette Danappe, who worked at a factory outside Paris, spoke to me of the fear and disgust the students inspired in her. Driving to a demonstration with her husband and some friends, their car was suddenly surrounded by students brandishing paving stones. I had the scare of my life, she told me. She was also upset when the students set cars on fire: Id say to myself, You save all your life to buy something and then someone destroys it.

The gulf between the workers and the students is nowhere more evident than in two gatherings that occurred at the tail end of the uprising, in mid-June. On June 10, a Maoist high school student named Gilles Tautin drowned while fleeing the police outside a Renault factory in Flins, one of the last hot spots of the uprising. The next day, Pierre Beylot, a worker at a Peugeot factory in Sochaux, was shot and killed by the police. If you watch footage of the funeral of Mr. Beylot, no students appear to be in attendance.

Likewise, if you watch footage of Mr. Tautins funeral, there appear to be no workers. Indeed, the General Confederation of Labor, a Communist-led trade union, had issued orders that its members not attend the Tautin funeral, wanting to end the strikes and not risk any further disturbance. That workers followed this order, including those not in the union, speaks volumes about the distance between the two groups.

All this goes far in explaining how and why May 68 failed. But if we speak only of the May of the students and the May of the workers, we omit a third May  an anti-May that ultimately carried the day, and that the students failed to take into account. On May 30, 1968, half a million people paraded on the Champs-Elysees in support of President de Gaulle. You would never know it from the conventional accounts of May 68, but this march was perhaps the largest demonstration of the period. The France that the students were rebelling against, that they thought was all but dead, turned out to be very much alive  and eager to put the students back in their place.
The Arkansas lynch mob that burned a black tenant farmer at the stake in 1921 observed common practice when it advertised the killing in advance so spectators could mark the grisly event on their calendars. The organizers notified newspapers early in the day that they planned to kill Henry Lowery as painfully as possible, giving editors time to produce special editions that provided the time, place and gruesome particulars of the death to come.

Historians have paid scant attention to the role that the white Southern press played in the racial terrorism of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which saw thousands of African-Americans hanged, burned, drowned or beaten to death by white mobs. This issue surfaced in dramatic fashion recently when the nearly two-centuries-old Montgomery Advertiser printed a front-page editorial apologizing for lynching coverage that dehumanized black victims. The apology coincided with the recent opening in Montgomery, Ala., of a memorial to lynching victims, and it sets the stage for a timely discussion of a deeply dishonorable period in Southern press history.

The bloody celebration at which 500 jeering spectators saw Henry Lowery burned to ashes was held at Nodena, Ark., on Jan. 26, 1921. Among those in attendance was a reporter for The Memphis Press whose story  under the headline Kill Negro by Inches  validated the barbaric proceedings and cataloged the victims suffering in lurid detail, noting that Lowery remained stoically silent even after the flesh had dropped away from his legs and the flames were leaping toward his face.

Lowery had been charged with a wanton act of murder for killing his white landlord and the landlords adult daughter. The renowned lynching investigator Walter White later reported that Lowery had drawn a pistol only after being shot by the landlords son and physically attacked by the landlord himself in a dispute over wages. In the eyes of the lynching state  where an African-American could be put to death on a white persons whim  the impulse toward self-defense was often viewed as a crime when it came with a black face.
Houston  Washington is not a swamp and never was. Would that it were. (The tale that the Capitol was built on a drained swamp is apocryphal, Im told.) The political expression drain the swamp has been traced back to Socialists in the early 1900s, during a time when swamps were drained to reduce the populations of malaria-carrying mosquitoes. For over a century, politicians have used the phrase to go after the perceived bloodsuckers of their day  lobbyists, corrupt officials, wasteful spenders. But after having killed half the wetlands in our country, we should not want to drain any more swamps.

Granted, the swamp is not well suited for human habitation, but humans depend on it all the same. It filters water, removing the excess nitrogen created by agricultural runoff. It supports hundreds of species, which in turn support hundreds of others. It absorbs floodwaters. The loss of wetlands  driven by development and rising sea levels  played a major role in recent flooding on the East and Gulf Coasts.

The swamp is also the perfection of paradox. A marsh with trees. Water. Land. Both and neither.

The use of swamp as a pejorative ignores all of this, while reflecting an ecological ignorance and a general disparagement of the swampier regions of the country, particularly in the South. Denigration of the South often gets a pass in our society, indulged in even by those dependent on the Souths political good will. That is to say, some of my best friends live near swamps.

In popular culture, swamp folk are depicted as not only illiterate but also nearly unintelligible. They are outlaws and bootleggers and, in our older mythologies, witches, ghosts and runaway slaves. Everyone knows alligators frequent swamps, and what good follows that primeval foe? Swamps are reminders of an unconscious past before subdivisions and municipalities, a threatening wilderness of spontaneous fires smelling of decay. To drain them seems almost a mercy.
The administration of Donald Trump  who had a child out of wedlock after cheating on his first wife, and is in a legal battle with a porn star who says she had sex with him not long after his third wife gave birth  is promoting abstinence with a zeal perhaps never before seen from the federal government.

Mr. Trumps Department of Health and Human Services is quietly advancing an anti-science, ideological agenda. The department last year prematurely ended grants to some teen pregnancy prevention programs, claiming weak evidence of success. More recently, it set new funding rules that favor an abstinence-only approach. In reality, programs that use creative ways to educate teenagers about contraception are one reason teen pregnancy in the United States has plummeted in recent years.

The administration is promoting a just say no approach to adults as well as to teenagers. Its poised to shift Title X family planning dollars  funds largely intended to help poor adult women around the United States get birth control  toward programs that advocate abstinence outside of marriage, as well as unreliable forms of birth control like the rhythm method (though the health agency might have to reverse course if either of the lawsuits filed against it last week by Planned Parenthood and other womens health advocates are successful).
We in the commentariat complain about President Trump, but were locked in a symbiotic relationship with him.

News organizations, especially cable television channels, feed off Trump  like oxpeckers on a rhinos back  for he is part of our business model in 2018. As long as our focus is on Trump, audiences follow.

Its not optimal to have as president an authoritarian who denounces journalists as enemies of the people, but he has given us a sense of mission and a Trump bump. Every time he denounces us we get more subscriptions.

(If youre reading this, President Trump, Id appreciate a good, thunderous excoriation. Youve gone after Maggie Haberman, Don Lemon and Chuck Todd, but youve publicly denounced me only once  and so incoherently that I couldnt print out a quote to impress my kids. Next time youre on Twitter, how about firing off something concise like: Crackpot Krisitofff is the WORST lying reporter at the FAILING NYTimes EVER!!!)
There are just three finishes of flatware (polished steel, matte black and matte gold) and three styles of glassware (wine, tall, short). We dont want to overwhelm our customers with choices, Ms. Duryea said.

Dishes and glasses are sold in sets of four, running $44 for a set of small bowls to $60 for a set of wineglasses. Orders have far exceeded expectations, Ms. Duryea said; most of the ceramics and flatware have been sold out for over a month but will be back in stock soon.

Pinterest Over Emily Post

This is a booming time for the $2.25 billion tabletop industry, according to Joe Derochowski, a home-industry adviser for NPD Group, a market-research firm. Sales are down slightly in dollars but up in units, suggesting shoppers are gravitating toward more-casual pieces.

More than four out of five meals were prepared and eaten at, or carried from, home in 2016, while Americans ate in another persons house 38 times, six more than in 2015, according to NPD. Purchases made surrounding a housewarming or kitchen remodel were 50 percent higher than all wedding-related occasions, including showers, for the 12 months ending February 2017. Three or more months after someone buys new appliances, they often shop for tabletop pieces. Its the dessert to the meal, Mr. Derochowski said.

Moreover, when people between the ages of 25 and 35 graduate from their Ikea bargain-priced box sets, they dont feel beholden to the same etiquette standards as their parents, said Andrew Corrie, the founder of Canvas Home, a New York-based home goods retailer. Todays shoppers are getting their inspiration from Pinterest, not from Emily Post.
None of this is to say that these changes have been an unqualified good for women and other marginalized people. Seizing more control over the material often requires women to work more for less. Niche queer and feminist productions tend to serve smaller audiences and pay less, too. And a new law ostensibly passed to crack down on sex trafficking also risks sending all sex work underground, forcing women to again work through intermediaries and walk back the freedoms they have gained online.

Even social media exposure is a double-edged sword, as women in pornography have to work overtime to combat mainstream stigmas. And of course, whenever women rise, a male backlash awaits. For women, making it in porn is more of a hustle than ever.

But even that has its way of challenging stereotypes. Its harder and harder to argue that porn performers are desperate people lured in by easy cash and coerced into submission. Theres just too little money in it  and women have to work too creatively to make it  for that to stand.

The past few years have shown a glimmer of whats possible in porn. Now, as Ms. Hearts said, were just waiting for these old white men to die off.

Molly Matalon, an artist and photographer in Los Angeles, received her B.F.A. in photography from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
Last May, a familiar routine took place on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Katy Perry ascended the red carpet at the annual Costume Institute gala looking like the bride of Frankenstein in her red John Galliano dress and veil. Jennifer Lopez wafted by in sky blue Valentino, flanked by her favorite Yankee of all time and the founder of the design house responsible for making her gown.

By contrast, the entrance of the private equity guru Stephen A. Schwarzman and his wife, Christine, was inconspicuous.

He wore a simple black tuxedo. She had on a shimmering gray Versace gown.

Nevertheless, journalists called out their names. Cameras continued to flash. And obnoxious questions followed about which cost more, the party the couple was waltzing into or the one theyd recently held in Palm Beach, Fla., in honor of Mr. Schwarzmans 70th birthday.

I think this one, Mr. Schwarzman said, although it was hard not to wonder if this guess was a measure of reality or wishful thinking. Certainly, the Met had no live camels in the entryway to the party space. Nor did Gwen Stefani serenade Anna Wintour to the reported tune of $500,000.
On Thursday, a weeklong walkout by teachers in Arizona resulted in a major victory, as the states governor approved a 10 to 20 percent wage increase and a significant investment in public schools.

That followed a roughly $6,000 salary increase that Oklahoma teachers won by threatening a walkout (and later following through). Which in turn came on the heels of a 5 percent raise for teachers in West Virginia, who had shut down schools for almost two weeks.

The teachers were intent on making a statement. No funding, no future! they chanted in Oklahoma. And their mantra seemed to carry the day.

That all this took place in so-called right-to-work states, where the power of unions is limited, raises some interesting questions: Do weak unions go hand-in-hand with more effective political activism? Would strong organized labor prevent teachers from getting their way? After all, in Wisconsin, a state where unions were famously powerful, public sector workers suffered a historic defeat at the hands of Gov. Scott Walker in 2011.
While most millennial restaurateurs are populating the Right Bank of Paris with trendy neo-bistros, Baieta is swimming up-Seine. The first restaurant from Julia Sedefdjian, who earned a Michelin star at 21 years old as the chef at Fables de la Fontaine, planted itself on the Rive Gauche in March, foregoing an Instagram-oriented atmosphere for a firm focus on what matters most: the food.

Just one side-eye at the neighboring tables sea bream tartare with lemongrass cream floating on lobster-infused coconut milk and I wondered how customers could concentrate on anything else. The reserved, minimalist decor certainly wasnt distracting, but deviated from the restaurants of Ms. Sedefdjians contemporaries who aim to replace the stuffiness of higher-end restaurants with an ostentatiously cool setting.

Baieta also attempts to democratize haute cuisine with a relatively inexpensive fixed weekday lunch menu (a starter and a main for 29 euros, about $36), and the friendly young staff and cheerful logo erases any pretentious airs.

Ms. Sedefdjian and Baietas co-founders, Sebastien Jean-Joseph (sous-chef) and Gregory Anelka (manager), met at Les Fables de La Fontaine, where Ms. Sedefdjian became the youngest Michelin-starred chef in France at the time, in 2016. We wanted to create the place where we would want to go when the three of us go out, Ms. Sedefdjian said. Where we can eat well for not too much money, and where we feel at ease, at home.
As early as 1990, entities controlled by the billionaire brothers Charles G. and David H. Koch were given a seat on a committee to pick candidates for a professorship that they funded, the records show. Similar arrangements that continued through 2009 gave donors decision-making roles in selecting candidates for key economics appointments at the Mercatus Center, a Koch-funded think tank on campus that studies markets and regulation. The appointments, which also created faculty lines at George Mason, were steered to professors who, like the Kochs, embraced unconstrained free markets.

More recently, in 2016, executives of the Federalist Society, a conservative national organization of lawyers, served as agents for a $20 million gift from an anonymous donor, and were given the right to terminate installments of the gift at their discretion. Emails disclosed by the university show that Federalist Society officials were also involved in hiring discussions and had suggested a student for admission. In turn, a professor at the law school wrote the society asking for help securing recommendations for prestigious federal judicial clerkships for students active in the society.

Following a period of deep cuts in public funding, the documents and related emails raised broad questions about whether universities that rely heavily on private donors can remain free from the influences of contributors who may be pursuing commercial, political or philosophical agendas.

In academia, such influence is viewed as inappropriate, partly because it may pressure professors to produce biased research, undermining the credibility of their work and spreading incorrect information to students. That may be particularly problematic in the interpretation of data and construction of models in areas of economics that affect federal tax policy or regulation.

Bethany Letiecq, an associate professor in the Human Development and Family Science program at George Mason and president of the universitys chapter of the American Association of University Professors, said the documents demonstrated that the school had ceded our authority and autonomy to one of the wealthiest industrialists in the world.
This year, Colorado State University has reported finding multiple examples of racist graffiti and signs or fliers linked to extremist hate groups around campus. Last summer, a paper noose was found hanging in a residence hall.

In the statement, Dr. Frank said the school was trying to reach the brothers to reimburse them and offer to bring them back as V.I.P. guests. The school also needed to undertake broader changes aimed at inclusivity, he said.

What the Gray brothers experienced is not uncommon for many minorities, who report finding their very presence in some situations wrongly interpreted as a threat. Last month, two black men were arrested while waiting for a meeting in a Philadelphia Starbucks, sparking widespread criticism of the coffee chain and the city police.

During the 911 call on Monday, the woman who called said the brothers were definitely not a part of the tour, describing their behavior as odd and their clothing as bearing dark stuff. She accused them of lying by not giving their names or honestly answering when she asked what they wanted to study.

Later, she appeared to express some doubt, saying that its probably nothing and that she felt ridiculous. But she could not shake her suspicion, she said.

If its nothing, Im sorry, but it actually made me like feel sick and Ive never felt like that, she said. Her name was withheld by the campus police.
DALLAS  In a carpeted sea of guns  and knives and holsters and bullet-splat earrings  Charlie Harwood stopped in his tracks as the presidents son brushed past him at the 147th annual meeting of the National Rifle Association.

My hats off to you, Mr. Harwood, 66, a retired engineer from Dunlap, Ill., said to Donald Trump Jr. I dont know how your family puts up with it.

The encounter, while brief, managed to capture the prevailing spirit of the four-day convention, which drew roughly 75,000 attendees to Dallas from across the United States: being pro-gun and pro-Trump, feeling on the attack and under attack, all at once.

We love our guns, Mr. Harwood said. We love our president. We love our country. We want the nonsense to stop.
On the Republican side

President Donald J. Trump won Ohio by eight points and the Republican Party has dominated state politics for three decades, but only two major newspapers there made an endorsement in the Republican primary this year. They both backed Mr. DeWine.

The meager number of endorsements is in some ways a feature, not a bug, of the Ohio media landscape. The editorial boards of two of its largest papers, The Columbus Dispatch and The Toledo Blade, do not make primary endorsements, and a third, The Cincinnati Enquirer, doesnt endorse candidates at any stage of an election, representatives for those papers said.

But those that did liked Mr. DeWine. The Plain Dealer, in Cleveland, cited his experience and practicality. He has held a long list of government positions, including United States senator, member of the House of Representatives, Ohio attorney general and Ohio lieutenant governor.

The Akron Beacon Journal also endorsed Mr. DeWine. It called him testy and evasive but said he had the experience and capacity to learn that is required of a successful governor.

But The Vindicator, in Youngstown, excoriated him and declined to make an endorsement in the Republican race. It said it refused to endorse Mr. DeWine because he dropped the ball on a major public-corruption case in their city in 2014.
CLEVELAND  President Trump kept China in his sights on Saturday, using a visit to the industrial Midwest to promote his hard-line trade tactics, while the White House rebuked the Chinese government for demanding that foreign airlines change how they refer to Taiwan.

Were going to have to rework trade with China, he said to an enthusiastic crowd of about 600 in a theater here. It cant go on like that.

Mr. Trump noted that a high-level trade delegation had just returned from meetings in Beijing, and that the administration would consider the next steps in what has become an increasingly bitter confrontation over steel tariffs and Chinas theft of American intellectual property.

Just before he spoke, the White House issued a statement sharply criticizing the Chinese government for requiring United Airlines, American Airlines and other foreign carriers to refer to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as part of China on their websites and in other materials.
Hes on the floor, hes in the building and hes in the caucus room, she said. Nobody should have to go through this.

Mr. Miccarelli did not respond to interview requests left at his Capitol and district offices and through his spokesman. The spokesman, Frank Keel, said the fact that the House had taken no punitive action was an acknowledgment that the case against him was weak.

They have not moved to do anything because theyre baseless allegations, Mr. Keel said.

Mr. Miccarelli, from Delaware County in the southeast corner of the state, has been in office since 2009, but he recently said he would not seek re-election. He wants to serve out his current term, ending on Nov. 30, when he will become eligible for a pension and lifetime health benefits for his family. He recently married.

Hes handling it like a gentleman, Mr. Keel said of the Statehouse situation, noting that there had been no brushes with Ms. Toohil and her plainclothes guard since the order of protection was imposed. I think he just believed, If I announce I wont seek re-election, maybe the pressure will ease off. Unfortunately for him, it hasnt, because these two vindictive women seem hellbent on destroying the guys entire life.

Mr. Miccarelli and Ms. Toohil were once a golden couple in the House of Representatives. Deployed to Iraq with the National Guard a few months after winning his first race, Mr. Miccarelli returned to the General Assembly in late 2009 as a war hero. The next year, Ms. Toohil, a youthful lawyer from Luzerne County in northeast Pennsylvania, knocked off the Democratic majority leader in her first race, helping Republicans take control of the House.

In her basement office in the Capitol, during her most extensive interview to date on the subject, Ms. Toohil pulled one tissue after another from a box on her desk. Her account of Mr. Miccarellis actions were consistent with the report of House Republican legal staff, which found the two women credible.

Ms. Toohil said she decided to file a complaint with the House in February, more than five years after the relationship with Mr. Miccarelli ended, because she had heard from the second woman, who dated Mr. Miccarelli after she did, that he had sexually assaulted her.
RAIPUR, India  The Indian authorities on Saturday arrested 15 people in connection with the gang rape and killing of a teenage girl, the latest in a recent string of high-profile crimes against women that have set off heated debates about the handling of sexual assaults in the country.

The authorities said a group of men raped the 16-year-old girl multiple times after kidnapping her from Chatra, a village in the state of Jharkhand, in eastern India, while she was attending a family members wedding on Thursday.

When the girl was let go the next day, the authorities said, village leaders imposed a fine of about $750 on Dhanu Singh Bhuiyan, the young man who was said to have orchestrated her abduction.

That ruling angered Mr. Bhuiyan and some of the other men in the community, and they beat the girls family for complaining about the treatment of their daughter.
Hundreds of Korean Air workers wearing protested in the center of Seoul late on Friday, demanding the ouster of the airlines chairman, Cho Yang-ho, over the behavior of two of his daughters who held senior posts at the company.

One of the sisters, Cho Hyun-ah, became notorious for a nut rage incident on one of the airlines planes that saw her briefly jailed.

The other, Cho Hyun-min, ignited fresh outrage last month, when she was accused of throwing a drink over an advertising executive at a business meeting.

In a country where workers are often expected to show unquestioning loyalty, their cases have become a focus of public impatience with the family-run conglomerates known as chaebol that dominate South Koreas economy, and over what some people see as unchecked bad behavior by the rich and powerful.
In this staunchly patriarchal culture, women are often subservient to men. Japan consistently ranks low among developed countries on gender equality in health, education and the economy and has one of the worlds worst records for women in politics.

For models working in Japans art world, it is difficult to make demands of a male artist.

I can imagine that as a male photographer who is more than 70 years old, he unconsciously has the perspective towards women that he can do whatever he wants, said Yukie Kamiya, head of the Japan Society Gallery in New York, speaking of Mr. Araki. Male power is such a common understanding, and women dont have much of a voice.

Kaori, who trained in Paris as a dancer, began posing for Mr. Araki after meeting him at a party in 2001.

She said he paid her 100,000 yen (about $930) to pose in the studio wearing a kimono or performing dances that Mr. Araki would photograph. For nude projects, he took her to so-called love hotels and paid her about 50,000 yen for each assignment.

But she said he also called her for impromptu, unpaid sessions where he took photos while she walked in a park or sat in a bar at his command.

It was not enough to make a living. Asked how she supplemented her income, Kaori demurred. I dont want to say, she said.

In public, Mr. Araki described her as his muse, but she said he did not tell her when or where the work would be published or exhibited, and she had no say in how the images were composed. For him, a muse means someone who doesnt speak or have any of her own opinions and just keeps obeying his orders, she said.
Consumed by anxiety and depression, Mr. Bissonnette told police he contemplated suicide at 16. He developed an alcohol problem. He wanted to become a pilot but got a job at a call center instead.

After Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, a Muslim, attacked the Canadian Parliament in October 2014, Mr. Bissonnette bought his first gun. It was one of several he would purchase legally, omitting his psychological problems from application forms, according to Marc-Andre Lamontagne, a psychologist who interviewed him in prison.

Six weeks before the mosque attack, Mr. Bissonnette told Mr. Lamontagne he went to a Quebec City shopping center to kill people and himself, but couldnt go through with it.

He had fantasies to do something big so that people would not laugh at him after his death, so that people would remember him, Mr. Lamontagne said.

At the Quebec mosque, its windows still pocked with bullet holes, the Muslim community is still struggling to come to terms with the attack and their fear and grief.

The mosques president, Mohamed Labidi, said anti-Muslim incidents intensified before and after the attack. Before the killing, a severed pigs head was left on the mosques doorstep. When he announced plans to build a Muslim cemetery on city land six months after the attack, his car was set on fire.

He blamed far-right groups and anti-immigrant trash radio hosts for creating a toxic climate.

Amir Belkacemi, the son of Khaled Belkacemi, said his father had come to Canada from Algeria in the 1990s to escape terrorism, only to become ensnared by violence here. Still, he said he had no intention of leaving the place he calls home.

Quebec didnt create the monster Alexandre Bissonnette, he said. But the Islamophobia here gave him his motive.
This regime is a regime thats an authoritarian regime, said one protester, Roselyne Gonle-Luillier, a judge. We are in a soft dictatorship and we have concerns about guarantees of individual freedoms and the guarantee of fundamental rights.

Mr. Macron won the presidency on a wave of disillusionment with Frances traditional parties, beating Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front party, in a runoff. But many voters are disgruntled with the policies he has pursued since taking office.
Just six weeks after Frances leading newspaper, Le Monde, pronounced that the country was bored, too bored to join the youth protests underway in Germany and in the United States, students in Paris occupied the Sorbonne, one of the most illustrious universities in Europe.

The day was May 3, 1968, and the events that ensued over the following month  mass protests, street battles and nationwide strikes  transformed France. It was not a political revolution in the way that earlier French revolutions had been, but a cultural and social one that in a stunningly short time changed French society.

In the history of France it was a remarkable movement because it was truly a mass movement that concerned Paris but also the provinces, that concerned intellectuals but also manual workers, said Bruno Queysanne, who, at the time was an assistant instructor at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, one of the countrys most prestigious art and architecture schools.
Critics of Ms. Vestager include leaders of American tech companies who have crossed her and who take issue with both her approach and her facts; Republicans in Congress; some members of the Trump administration; the Wall Street Journal editorial board; and groups like the Business Roundtable, a conservative-leaning, pro-business collection of American chief executives.

Apple is especially aggrieved. In 2016, Ms. Vestager ordered Ireland to reclaim 13 billion euros in back taxes, or about $15.5 billion, saying that the company had illegally received a tax break that was not available to others. Apple has begun paying the money into an escrow account, but both the company and Ireland have appealed the decision. They say it ignores how much tax Apple has already paid to Ireland, misrepresents the tax rate the company is subject to there, and reflects either a willful misreading or an ignorance of tax law.

Critics also accuse her of grandstanding, and of displaying bias against American companies.

I think she has this vision of what the law should be, and it seems to me that when this radically affects major companies that are headquartered in the U.S., you might want to have more of a dialogue with the U.S. regulators and the U.S. government about it, said Joe Kennedy, a senior fellow at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a nonprofit think tank based in Washington.

Both Timothy D. Cook, Apples chief executive, and Sundar Pichai, Googles chief, have traveled to Brussels to argue their cases in person, apparently in vain. Last June, Ms. Vestager fined Google 2.4 billion, or about $2.8 billion, after concluding that it had unfairly used its search engine to favor its services over those of its rivals. It was the largest such penalty in the European Commissions history, and more than double similar fines levied by the United States.

Last May, she fined Facebook 110 million, or about $131 million, after concluding that it had misled the European authorities about its acquisition of the messaging service WhatsApp. And in January, she fined the American chip maker Qualcomm 997 million, or about $1.2 billion, saying it had abused its market dominance to shut out competitors.

For the moment, the attention is on data privacy, and whether it is possible to regulate how technology companies share and profit from users personal information.
MOSCOW  Thousands of demonstrators turned out in Russia on Saturday as part of nationwide protests two days before Vladimir V. Putins inauguration for a fourth term as president.

In Moscow, the police clashed with protesters, turning a central square into a swirl of swinging nightsticks and shoving matches.

Protesters chanted, Down with the czar! And some wore paper crowns as a taunt against Mr. Putins lengthy rule, now extending longer than any Russian leader since Stalin.

A group that monitors arrests, OVD-Info, reported that by Saturday evening, the police had arrested 703 people in Moscow and about 1,600 throughout Russia. Among those arrested on Saturday was the opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny, who had organized the rally, Russian news agencies reported.
LONDON  If anyone had any hope that President Trump would adopt a more conciliatory tone toward Britain before his visit in July, it was dashed on Friday, when he appeared before a National Rifle Association conference in Dallas and took a jab at Londons crime rate.

Knives, knives, knives, knives, he said, mimicking a stabbing motion as he defended gun ownership in the United States.

Saying that Americans rights to carry guns were under siege, he said: I recently read a story that in London, which has unbelievably tough gun laws, a once very prestigious hospital right in the middle is like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds.

Appearing to link the wave of knife crimes in London to a ban on guns, he added: They dont have guns. They have knives, and instead theres blood all over the floors of this hospital.
Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman in Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious. None other than the great war reporter Robert Capa was the uncredited still photographer for this film, although of course there's no way of knowing if he took this particular picture. But he might have.



[2018 note: Watching B&W movies and paying attention to the visuals is an excellent way to improve your feel for B&W tonalitythose old cinematographers were masters of lighting and of their filmstocks. You might also want to read this fascinating exchange about Roger Deakins' cinematography for the Coen brothers' The Man Who Wasn't There from the DVD commentary. And may I just add that I would love to see a coffee-table book of beautiful B&W stills from old movies, including a few of the masterful promo shots and actor portraits done as stills. There are a few more comments and a good example in this post. That would be a beautiful book...but maybe only in my head. MJ]

A question I posed on TOP in December of 2006 about readers' favorite black-and-white movies quickly racked up a near-record number of comments.

I tallied the results (no trivial task, eithersee what I do for you?) which are presented below. Note that readers made what they wished of the question; I'm sure some people nominated great films, some people nominated favorites, and others paid more attention to the actual cinematography and the use of monotone. It's all good.

I've arranged the results in order of the number of mentions a film got, and then, within each category, alphabetically. In some cases I added the year of release to avoid confusion with remakes or other films of the same title, and for consistency I've generally listed the titles in their original languages with the common English-language title, if it's known by one, in parentheses. For simplicity's sake I haven't italicized all the titles in the main list. You should be able to find all of the titles on the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com).

Of special mention are Sunrise, a silent film that got two votes, and In Cold Blood, which is B&W but also in Cinemascope. A few "finds" among little-known films may be Eric von Stroheim's Greed (although it's not available on DVD yet [2018 note: it is now, under the original title]), Alphaville, and The Battle of Algiers. For obvious reasons I disallowed movies shot partlyor all!in color; however, the runaway runner-up not on the list is no doubt Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samourai, which got a whopping three votes despite the fact that it was shot in very subdued Eastmancolor. And, finally, the Special Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Louis Malle's Ascenseur pour l'echafaud (Elevator to the Gallows) which is not only in B&W, but has music by Miles Davis, a plot that turns on a B&W photograph, and the movie includes a scene in a darkroom! Can't beat that.

My only personal comment is that I see a subscription to Netflix in my futureI've seen nine of the top ten (gotta go rent The Third Man) and I consider myself fairly cinematically "literate," at least with older classics, but haven't seen anywhere close to half these films.

Thanks to everyone who participated. And if you see any mistakes in the list, please let me know.

[2018 notes: An old film that deserves special mention for particularly lush B&W tonality, although it's a truly weird movie, is Jean Cocteau's 1946 Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la bete) with cinematography by Henri Alekan.

One film I particularly liked that I discovered from this list is Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief (Ladri di biciclette).

A sentimental favorite that, improbably, combines slapstick comedy with nostalgic wistfulness for bygone summertimes is Jacques Tati's lovely M. Hulot's Holiday (Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot)I feel like I spent many childhood summers at that place, and I don't even know where it is.

Peter Bogdanovitch's Paper Moon also didn't make our list (although his The Last Picture Show did), but I love Laszlo Kovacs' B&W cinematography for that one.

And if you've never seen Akiro Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai), for heaven's sake run, don't walk. A bucket-list movie without question. I'm not a "repeat watcher" of movies, but I've seen Seven Samurai three times.

And looking forward to the fourth. MJ]

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TOP Readers List of Great Black-and-White Films

Citizen Kane (14)

The Third Man (13)

Casablanca (7)

Dr. Strangelove (7)

Breathless (6)

Raging Bull (6)

Shichinin no samurai (The Seven Samurai) (6)

Schindlers List (5)

Der Himmel uber Berlin (Wings of Desire) (4)

Manhattan (4)

Nosferatu (4)

Touch of Evil (4)

La Dolce Vita (3)

Eraserhead (3)

Good Night and Good Luck (3)

M (3)

The Maltese Falcon (3)

Paths of Glory (3)

Psycho (3)

Rashomon (3)

Le Salaire de la Peur (Wages of Fear) (3)

Sin City (3)

Stagecoach (3)

Stranger than Paradise (3)

Throne of Blood (3)

Alphaville (2)

Ascenseur pour l'echafaud (2)

The Battle of Algiers (2)

La Belle et la bete (Beauty and the Beast) (2)

Creature from the Black Lagoon (2)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2)

Double Indemnity (2)

Down By Law (2)

Ed Wood (2)

Elephant Man (2)

High and Low (2)

High Noon (2)

Hud (2)

Ikiru (2)

Jules et Jim (2)

Ladri di biciclette (The Bicycle Thief, Bicycle Thieves) (2)

Metropolis (2)

Night of the Hunter (2)

Noz w wodzie (Knife in the Water) (2)

One, Two, Three (2)

To Kill a Mockingbird (2)

Pather Panchali (2)

pi (2)

Rebecca (2)

Some Like It Hot (2)

Sunrise (2)

Them (2)

12 Angry Men (2)

Yojimbo (2)

Young Frankenstein (2)

Angel-A

El Angel exterminador (The Exterminating Angel)

Angels with Dirty Faces

Aparajito

Az En XX. szazadom (My Twentieth Century)

Battleship Potemkin

The Big Sleep

The Blob

Bob le Flambeur

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

C'est arrive pres de chez vous (Man Bites Dog)

Charulata

Dead Man

D.O.A. (1950)

Double Indemnity

8 1/2

Les Enfants du paradis

Fort Apache (cited for innovative IR photography)

Frankenstein (1931)

The Grapes of Wrath

The Great Dictator

Greed

La Haine

A Hard Days Night

Hidden Fortress

Hiroshima Mon Amour

The Hustler

Ibun Sarutobi Sasuke (Samurai Spy)

In Cold Blood (cited for being in Cinemascope)

Jalsaghar

Key Largo

The Killing

King Kong (1933)

Kiss Me Deadly

Kurutta kajitsu (Crazed Fruit)

The Lady from Shanghai

The Ladykillers (1955)

The Last Picture Show

Laura

Lolita

The Long Voyage Home

Lord of the Flies (1963)

Lost Horizon

The Magnificant Ambersons

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

The Man Who Wasnt There

The Manchurian Candidate

Meshes in the Afternoon (short)

Mighty Joe Young (1949)

Misummer Night's Dream (1935)

Modern Times

My Darling Clementine

Night of the Living Dead Night

Mail (1936)

Notorious

Of Mice and Men

On the Waterfront

Orpheus

Ostre sledovane vlaky (Closely Watched Trains)

Persona

Les Quatre cents coups (The 400 Blows)

Rocco e i suoi fratelli (Rocco and His Brothers)

Sasom i en spegel (Through a Glass Darkly)

The Scarlet Empress

Scrooge (1951)

Seppuku

Soy Cuba / Ya Kuba

La Strada

The Stranger

Stray Dog

A Streetcar named Desire

Sunset Boulevard

Sweet Smell of Success

Tokyo Monogatari (Tokyo Story)

Tsubaki Sanjuro (Sanjuro)

The Wrong Man

Have fun!

Mike

(Thanks to all the readers in 2007 who contributed to this)

Original contents copyright 2018 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)

Featured Comments from:

bruce alan greene: "All good films in the list. As an aside, watching digital reproductions of B&W films often give a very different impression than that was produced in the the cinema when the movies were new. I have been lucky enough (and old enough) to see some studio prints of some of the classic films on the list. A studio print is generally fewer generations down from the original negative than the copies that appeared in cinemas. Sometimes it is struck from the original camera negative. And if you really want to see the tonality of these films, seeing these prints projected is certainly the way to see them. I have yet to see any digital reproduction of a B&W film that comes close to reproducing the dynamic range and tonalities of the original prints projected in a theater. And, the digital reproductions have also been re-interpreted as well.

"Sad to say that one of my favorite B&W films, To Kill a Mockingbird, is available today only as a restoration from damaged release prints as I believe the negative was destroyed in a fire at the studio. And this restoration doesn't look anything like the beautiful imagery that audiences originally viewed and that I saw in the 1980s. So, if you ever get a chance to see an original print of any of the films on the list, in a theater, do it!!!"

[Bruce is a Hollywood cinematographer. Ed.]

Bob Rosinsky: "Having seen 95% of the films on the list, it's hard to rate the best of the best black and white cinematography (my personal favorite is The Third Man). A few more: Ashes and Diamonds, Director Andrzej Wajda; Diabolique, Director Henri-Georges Clouzot; Wages of Fear, Director Henri-Georges Clouzot; The Triumph of the Will, Director Leni Riefenstahl (scary content, innovative cinematography); Double Indemnity, Director Billy Wilder; Nebraska, Director Alexander Payne; Repulsion, Director Roman Polanski; Jules and Jim, Director Francois Truffaut; Stalker (B&W and color), Director Andrei Tarkovsky."

Rob: "One of my all time favorite films, never mind just B&W, is The White Ribbon (2009). It is a German masterpiece by Michael Haneke. The cinematography is splendid. Also Ida (2013), a Polish film by Pawlikowski. This is one of those films that you can watch for the visual beauty alone. Finally, anyone who is serious about independent, classic and foreign films has got to check out Filmstruck, which is a streaming service put out by TCM that you can get bundled with the Criterion Collection. It is my favorite streaming service. My wife and I watched a restored version of Chaplin's Modern Times that looked like it was made in 2016, not 1936."

Mike replies: Several readers have mentioned Ida privately to me. It hadn't been made when this list was first published.



Max Cottrell: ""Ida" was made in 2014 by Polish director Pawe Pawlikowski. Netflix: 'Raised in a Catholic orphanage during the Nazi occupation of Poland, Anna is poised to join the order when she learns she has a surviving aunt. But visiting the woman before taking her vows uncovers some inconvenient truths about her heritage.' The cinematographer must surely also be a B&W photographer. Stunningly well shot. I have watched it at least six times, shared it with non-photog friends, and purchased a copy. Not that easy to watch, but very rewarding, especially if you are engaged in spiritual practice."

[Here is the Amazon link for Ida. Ed.]

Aaron C Greenman: "Hands down the most beautifully filmed black-and-white film Ive ever seen is Idaevery frame is a beautiful still photograph. I recommend to everyone to watch it todaya wonderful film."

Andrew Lamb: "What? Did none us vote for Rules of the Game directed by Jean Renoir, which features Hank Carter as a butler (he was also assistant director)? ['Hank Carter' = Henri Cartier-Bresson Ed.] From a photographic point of view, the film is noteworthy for its use of extreme depth of field, aided by special wide-angle lenses made by Kinoptik (think they're still going). This technique pre-dates Citizen Kane by a couple of years. Renoir also made a short film, based on a Maupassant short story, One Partie de Compagne, which has some of the most lyrical B&W imagery I've seen in a film."

Paul De Zan: "The current Blu-ray release (2011) of Citizen Kane is an absolute revelation, the finest transfer of a classic film I've seen. It gives the movie a stunning immediacy I've never felt seeing it in a theater, which I have many times. Highest possible recommendation. Use the TOP Amazon link now!"

Mike replies: Is this the one you mean?

Paul De Zan replies: " I have this set (which includes the very good documentary 'The Battle Over Citizen Kane'), but the disc is the same in both the release you reference and the newer '75th Anniversary' packaging; if it were not, Amazon reviewers would scream bloody murder."

Rex Harrison and Gene Tierney in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir from 1947,

an allegory of impossible pairings

Peggy C.: "I did not know of your blog until only a few years ago or your list would have included the 1947 film, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The cinematography was by the great Charles Lang. I re-watch it several times a year now that I have the DVD. The lighting and tonality are just amazing. This film is the single most important reason for my love of B&W photos and films."

Mike replies: I started watching it on Amazon Prime last night, Peggy, thanks to your recommendationjust the sort of antique movie I like to look at for the cinematography. I have dim memories of the TV series. Lang's B&W tonalities are classic.

Richard Newman: "I am amazed that neither of Ingmar Bergman's great B&W films, Wild Strawberries and The Seventh Seal were even mentiobed, or, even more, Sergei Eisenstein and Ivan the Great. Three movies with great cinematography by two great directors."

[There are many more good recommendations in the Comments section. Ed.]

Richard S.: "Glad to see Grapes of Wrath on the list. I starting watching that on TV during a boring Sunday afternoon's channel hopping and ended up completely transfixed.

"Some years ago I knew someone who worked for the British Film Institute, and that year they did a Film Noir calendar; I framed and hung around half of the B&W stills they'd used in the calendar, they were so good."

Grizzlymarmot: "Somehow the list is missing an impressive number of great comedies. Perhaps in their recollections your readers stereotype B&W as menacing or dramatic. The patterns in 42nd Street are mesmerizing. Chiaroscuro makes It's a Wonderful Life wonderful. Mirror scene in Duck Soup; falling buildings by Buster Keaton; stunts by Harold Lloydcomedy demands the most precise work. B&W is also the most glamorousSome Like it Hot is in the list but where is Greta Garbo or Jean HarlowB&W is perfect for creating glamor."
Do you have a New Years resolution? If not, here's something for you

OnePlus to launch its Smart TV on September 26: Offers, features and what will be the cost?

Mom is now a smartphone fan, want her to try Samsung Pay says Sanjay Razdan

A common feature in the BJP, Congress manifestos are the smartphones

India

oi-Staff

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Smartphones have found its way into both the manifestos released by the Congress and BJP. Under this category, the Congress sought to target the students while the BJP promised the same for the women from BPL families.

The Congress in its manifesto said that if voted to power it would provide free smartphones to students in the age group of 18 to 23. The BJP on the other hand said smartphones would be given to women from the BPL families.

The Congress in its manifesto assured free laptops to students of classes 10, 11 and 12. The BJP on the other hand said free laptops would be given to all students enrolling in colleges.

The Congress said in its manifesto that free education would be provided too all in government schools till Class 12. The BJP said that free education would be given to all students till degree except in professional courses.

On the irrigation front, the Congress decided to spend Rs 1.25 lakh crore. The BJP bettered it by Rs 25 lakh and said it would spend Rs 1.50 lakh crore.

The BJP also sought to take Siddaramaiah on the issue of canteens. While Siddaramaiah set up Indira canteens, the BJP says if voted to power it would set up 300 Mukhya Mantri Annapoorna canteens across the state.

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
And justice for all on May 15, says Modi

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Coming down heavily on the Siddarmaiah-led Congress government over the killing of BJP workers in Coastal Karnataka region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said "Let May 15 come and the justice will be done."

Modi addressed his third rally of the day in Mangaluru's Nehru Maidan and began his speech in Tulu. Such was the enthusiasm among people at the rally that they did want an interpreter to translate the speech and Modi said, "So you do not want an interpreter, okay I will speak to you directly." Modi then launched a scathing attack on the Congress government and said that several BJP workers were killed in the region "just because there was a difference in ideology".

"In this region (Coastal Karnataka), several BJP workers were killed. Just because there is a difference of ideology, will you kill them? Wait for May 15, all those responsible for killings would be brought to book..I assure family members of those workers killed that wait till May 15, law will act," he said.

The BJP has been criticising the Congress government on the issue, saying many Hindu activists have been killed under Congress rule in the state.

He said that BJP's aim is to serve the nation, while that of Congress is to serve a family.

"Congress is all about a family. They work only for one family. I work for the nation, and the nation is my family..Look what they did to Devraj Urs. When he opposed power being passed from mother to son, Congress sacked him. Anyone who opposes the family is sidelined," he said.

Modi said law and order had deteriorated under the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka, adding that rule of "Mafias" has been flourishing in the state.

""New kinds of Mafias flourishing in Karnataka under the Congress regime. Sand mafia, Mining mafia, Transport mafia..etc etc, All this will end after May 12," he said.

He also highlighted how the Congress had ruined the country during it long-ruling period in the country since independence. He said Congress was in power for most of the time in 70 years after independence, and asked, "What did they do for the poor and the farmers."

"Rajiv Gandhi had said when Rs 1 is released from Delhi then by the time it reaches villages only 15 paise remains. I want to ask Congress where remaining 75 paise used to go when it used to be your government from Centre to Panchayats," Modi said.

[Karnataka Elections 2018: PM Modi plays Mahadayi card in Gadag rally]

He said there used to be time when the Congress would send 400 plus MPs to Parliament, but it was their deeds that has left them in this state now.

He also slammed the Congress for criticising every move of his government without getting into merits of the decisions. "Everything that Modi does must be criticised, this is the attitude that the Congress has adopted," the PM said.

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Story first published: Saturday, May 5, 2018, 20:24 [IST]
As Karnataka poll date nears, Lingayat issue runs completely out of steam

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The Lingayat issue was supposed to be a key factor in the Karnataka Assembly Elections. However, as polling date gets closer, the issue has run completely out of steam. Political analysts say that the BJP did the right thing by not speaking about it.

Speaking about the issue would lead to a major debate and the BJP would have walked right into the trap set by the Congress. In most Lingayat dominated areas, it is a non-issue. The people are more interested in getting the water crisis solved or other issues pertaining to development.

Going by the various poll surveys, there is an indication that it is a talking point, but would not dent the BJP's vote bank. The Congress would have been aware of this and the decision was taken more with an intention of confusing the BJP. The intention was to restrict the BJP to the Lingayat dominated areas so as to ensure that other parts of the state are not entirely focused on.

The first couple of days into the elections witnessed debates centred around just this issue. The BJP at first said that this was an attempt to divide the Hindus. However, later into the campaign, it ensured that the narrative was changed.

The other point that needs to be noted here is that the over-emphasising the issue has angered the rest of the communities, especially the Vokkaligas.

Some would argue that with so much emphasis being given to the Lingayats, there is a good chance that there would be a back-lash from the Vokkaligas. This has been a traditional vote bank of the JD(S) and Congress. The JD(S) has already picked up the Lingayat issue and is portraying Siddaramaiah as anti-Vokkaliga. The Vokkaligas are a dominant community and their votes do shape the outcome of any election.

If the Vokkaligas who are loyal to the Congress change track and go with the JD(S) then the state is looking at a hung house. In this context, I would see a BJP-JD(S) government in Karnataka, a source following the developments closely said. The anti-Vokkaliga campaign launched by the JD(S) against Siddaramaiah is now being debunked by the Congress. M Siddegowda who quit the JD(S) to join the Congress said that the Vokkaligas do not indulge in caste politics and will back Siddaramaiah.

Leading psephologist, Dr. Sandeep Shastri says that traditionally the Vokkaligas vote has seen a three way split and a large chunk of its has gone to the JD(S). At one level, the emphasis by the Congress on the Lingayat factor could have an impact for it in terms of Vokkaliga votes.

Dr Shastri however says that the Congress focus is on the OBC, Dalit and minority votes. On the other hand the BJP has been very clever in not over-emphasising on the Lingayat issue. They have stuck to the point that the Congress is dividing Hindus. If you look at the BJP's presence and expansion in the old Mysore region, then an important focus of the party has been on the Vokkaliga votes. It would not be right to say that the BJP has not taken cognisance of the Vokkaliga votes.

The JD(S) on the other hand depends on the Vokkaliga votes. In 2013, they put up a reasonably good show thanks to their performance in the old Mysuru region barring Bangalore urban and rural. In this region, a majority of the seats went to the JD(S) and the Congress failed to bag many. The BJP is making a conscious effort to make inroads further into the old Mysuru region. With this spreading, it is early to say how much of an impact will the Lingayat vote have on the Vokkaligas especially in the old Mysore region, Dr Shastri also points out.

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Story first published: Saturday, May 5, 2018, 17:48 [IST]
N. Oregon Coast History: Tsunami Tragedy Started Cannon Beach's Sandcastle Festival

Published 05/04/2018 at 4:55 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff





(Cannon Beach, Oregon)  This year, on June 9, the 2018 Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest will celebrate 54 years of crowd-pleasing and wowing. The small town tradition has become big time industry over those decades, but the strange truth of it is that the Oregon coasts most high profile festival owes its existence to something rather tragic.

It was a tsunami that triggered the beginnings of the festival of sand sculpturing.

Its also apparently switched official names over the years. Recent references and publicity have it labeled Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest, but earlier references show it as Cannon Beach Sandcastle Day Festival.

The Sandcastle Day Festival began in 1964, not long after a tsunami washed out the bridge between the town and Highway 101. An earthquake in Alaska caused that destructive wave, which wrecked parts of Seaside, other parts of the Oregon coast, and killed four children down in the Newport area.

The lack of a bridge left Cannon Beach locals a little stir crazy for awhile, but even once it was rebuilt, residents found the tourists werent coming back. By early summer of 1964, Cannon Beach held the first Sandcastle Day Festival to help get them to return to town.

The first one was a low-key event featuring mostly local sand sculptors, put together by Margaret Atherton, daughter Billie Grant and Marian Crowell. It was designed specifically for kids and families, and one of several efforts to draw tourists back to town.

The second, in 1965, was more focused and a bit more publicized. A local newspaper article at the time touts the event happening on July 29. Judges will be Gerald Gower, Cannon Beach mayor; Francis of the Cannon Beach Commercial Club; Frank Lackaff, local artist, and Mrs. Paul Dueber, the article says.

The prize that year was $10. Gower Street was clearly named after the then-mayor: its the road that leads to the main access to Haystack Rock in midtown.

Summer fun on the Oregon coast would never be quite the same.

After that, the Sandcastle Day Festival was usually planned around days with the lowest tides, which would happen in May, June or July. By the 80s it had grown to national and international fame, even featured on Good Morning America. At one point, representatives from Cannon Beach were asked to help set up similar contests in San Francisco and North Carolina, and in 1984 the city of South Brighton in Australia asked for their assistance as well, according to documents from the Cannon Beach History Center & Museum.

Since then, it has grown to enormous proportions and become one of the pivotal events of summer on the Oregon coast. It still is based on lowest tides, scheduled around that occurrence in May, June or July  although it has generally happened in June in recent years.

In 2014, on its 50th anniversary, the Cannon Beach Chamber put together a commemorative book called "50 Years of Sandcastles in the Making," showing historical photographs and all the posters of previous years festivals. These are still for sale: call the chamber at 503-436-2623.

Also that 50th year, Oregon Parks & Recreation Department recognized the festival as an Oregon Heritage Tradition, only one of 11 events around the state get snag that honor. See cannonbeach.org for full festival info. Cannon Beach Hotels / Lodging for this event - Where to eat - Map and Virtual Tour





















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Ramdas Athawale condemns violence at US Capitol, says he will talk to Trump over phone

One by one they will resign: Athawale on Maharashtra ministers

Athawale dubs controversy over Jinnah portrait 'unnecessary'

India

pti-PTI

Lucknow, May 5: Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Saturday described the controversy over the portrait of Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) as unnecessary and suggested it could be removed keeping in mind "public sentiments".

"The portrait of Mohammad Ali Jinnah was installed before independence in the AMU and so there is nothing wrong in it, but it can be removed if the public sentiments are against it," the minister of state for social justice told the media in Lucknow.

Violence had taken place in the AMU campus, after the varsity students objected to the protests by right-wing group Hindu Yuva Vahini on the campus, demanding the removal of Jinnah's portrait from the students' union office.

On the BJP leaders visiting Dalit houses and sharing meal with them, Athawale said, "Although having dinner will not benefit Dalits, but this is a good initiative for strengthening relations between Dalits and upper castes."

Asked about the Supreme Court's recent ruling that allegedly diluted the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the minister said he would request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring an ordinance on this issue.

"The law (SC/ST Act) was enacted by the Parliament... The government has submitted a review petition and, if the need arises, I will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring an ordinance for the purpose," the Union minister said, adding that 90 percent cases of atrocities against Dalits were true.

The leader of the Republican Party of India (A) said his party wanted to contest 30 seats in the Karnataka Assembly polls and support the BJP on the remaining. He said his party would back the BJP candidates in Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and try to bring Dalit votes under NDA kitty.

The SP-BSP alliance will have no impact in the elections, Athawale said. Condemning the recent incidents of BR Ambedkar statues being vandalised in the state, he said the state government needs to take strict action. "It is an effort to defame the Yogi government," he added.

PTI
BJP manifesto assures to restore freedom of Hindu temples

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The BJP finally released its manifesto on Friday with a host of promises for farmers and the oppressed. There is a heavy dosage of Hindutva in the manifesto and the party made it clear that it would appoint only Hindus as members of temple administration boards.

The BJP had heavily criticised the Siddaramaiah government while accusing it of interfering in the administration of temples. The BJP says that there will be no interference by the government in the administration of temples.

Further, the party has promised to recommend a ban on the Popular Front of India and Karnataka Forum for Dignity. Both these organisations have been behind the killings of several Hindu leaders. The National Investigation Agency too had recently submitted a report to the Home Ministry about the activities of the PFI in particular.

The BJP also promised to set up an office of the National Investigation Agency in Mangalore. This has been a long-standing demand by Hindu activists.

Another interesting point that the BJP made in its manifesto was to bring back the Prevention of Cow Slaughter Bill. This project was disbanded by the Siddaramaiah government which led to immense protests by the BJP.

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
Attack on CRPF jawans in Jammu and Kashmir: One martyred, four injured in terror attack

Srinagar: 3 terrorists killed, 3 security personnel injured in encounter

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Three terrorists were killed and three security personnel injured in an encounter between security forces and terrorists in Chattabal area of Srinagar on Saturday. Bodies of three terrorists were recovered along with 3 AK rifles and ammunition.

There is a heavy police deployment in the area. A police official said a CRPF officer suffered minor injuries during the gunfight and was admitted to hospital. "One person, identified as Adil Ahmad Yadoo, was brought to the SMHS hospital, where the doctors declared him brought dead.

A police official said a CRPF officer suffered minor injuries during the gunfight and was admitted to hospital.

3 terrorists have been killed, 3 security personnel have been injured. It was a clean operation, there has been no damage to the building. I thank the people of Srinagar for their cooperation: Ravideep Sahi, IG CRPF on Chattabal encounter #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/iEVMNBj3kG  ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2018

According to Greater Kashmir, SSP Srinagar Imtiaz Ismail Parray said a joint team of the state police and the CRPF laid a cordon at Gasi Mohalla area of Chattabal following inputs about the presence of some militants.

(With PTI inputs)
How can highways be blocked perpetually, asks Supreme Court; says executive's duty to implement law

What are the farmers protesting about? We have stayed the farm laws says SC

'Death sentence kills criminals not the crime', say Nirbhayas killers

India

oi-Staff

By Oneindia Staff Writer

The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on a review plea filed by Nirbhaya's rapists and killers. The plea said that the two condemned convicts, Vinay Sharma and Pawan Gupta are young and belong to poor families.

The convicts asked the Supreme Court to spare them the death sentence. They were seeking a review of the 2017 verdict by which they, along with two others, were awarded death penalty in the sensational December 2012 gangrape cum murder case.

The lawyer of the convicts, AP Singh claimed they were "not habitual offenders and have no criminal records, so the court must allow them to be reformed."

Singh also said the death penalty has been abolished in many countries. Execution kills criminals and not the crime, he argued. He also claimed his clients were underage when they were arrested.

Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said, "Death penalty exists in the statute."

The convicts told the Supreme Court that there were discrepancies in Nirbhaya's dying statements and she didn't name the accused.

Special Public Prosecutor Sidharth Luthra countered that all their arguments had been considered by the Supreme Court when it confirmed death sentence in May 2017.

The convicts had challenged the Delhi High Court order which had sentenced them to the gallows, after terming the December 16 incident as a "rarest of the rare" case.

Earlier, the trial court had also sentenced all the four convicts to the death penalty.

The paramedic student was gang-raped on the intervening night of December 16-17, 2012 inside a moving bus in South Delhi by six people and severely assaulted before being thrown out on streets naked. The girl died of her injuries on December 29, 2012, at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.
ISI created TRF to give itself, Lashkar plausible deniability for attacks in J&K

J&K: Kashmiri Pandit businessman, 2 others killed as terrorists carry out multiple attacks

Home Minister Amit Shah likely to visit Jammu and Kashmir, his first visit after Aug 2019

Lashkar off-shoot TRF kills 3 civilians in J&K, says more to come

J&K Deputy CM's cavalcade meets with accident, one cameraman dead

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

One of the vehicle's in Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta's cavalcade met with an accident on Saturday in which a cameraman was killed. The accident occurred in Greater Kailash area of Jammu.

The deceased cameraman of state's Information Department has been identified as Suram Singh. The driver and four passengers were among the injured.

The Deputy Chief Minister has expressed grief over the incident and termed it as "unfortunate".

"It was an unfortunate accident. Our party workers rescued everyone but Suram Singh ji, a cameraman with Information Department died in the accident. My condolences to his family," he told ANI.

Ruling out rash driving, Gupta said the accident took place as the driver lost control of the vehicle.

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Story first published: Saturday, May 5, 2018, 17:41 [IST]
Karnataka: Will Congress not allow Kumaraswamy to be CM for full 5-year term?

Is it chief minister Kumaraswamy or chief manager of Congress Ktaka ATM? BJP has an answer

All is well between Congress, JD(S)? Kumaraswamy meets Rahul as Karnataka waits for full cabinet

JDS supporters oppose actor Darshan's campaign in Chamundeshwari

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah faced another round of embarrassment as JDS supporters opposed star campaigning in Chamundeshwari assembly constituency. Janata Dal (Secular) supporters protested against Kannada actor Darshan's campaign for CM Siddaramaiah at Naganhalli village. Hence, actor Darshan had to cut short his campaign.

CM Siddaramaiah is contesting from Chamundeshwar against sitting MLA GT Deve Gowda of JDS.

According to reports, when asked about JDS supporters protest against the actor's campaign, CM Siddaramaiah said, "I came to know that a Zilla Panchayat member had called Darshan for the campaign. But I don't know about the incident."

It may be recalled that CM Siddaramaiah faced an embarrassing moment during a campaign rally in Chamundeshwari when a Dalit Gram Panchayat member Mariswamy, said he would not vote for Siddaramaiah.

Last month, Gram Panchayat member Mariswamy embarrassed Siddaramaiah by expressing his displeasure for his anti-Dalit moves while the CM was campaigning in Halekesare village.
Karnataka elections: Mitron, which Modi mudra is the best?

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Oneindia Staff

Bengaluru, May 5: Sorry, we forgot Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stopped using the word mitron (friends) in his speeches after some "anti-nationals" made fun of the oft-repeated term. These days, Modi woos voters by addressing them as "bhaiyo aur behno" (brothers and sisters) in his trademark style.

It's quite a gender neutral phrase to mesmerise a crowd in Karnataka too, where his Hindi is too pure for Kannada sensibilities and the likes of Ananth Kumar are busy translating the PM's speeches for prospective voters. Or, are his speeches, which always begin with Kannada and then slowly meander into Hindi, are lost in translation?We say "no", Kumar is doing a decent job, even though he pauses and fumbles at times to catch up with Modi while translating Modi in poll-bound Karnataka.

The issue of Kannada pride has been shrewdly stirred ahead of the elections by the incumbent Siddaramaiah government as it gleefully succumbed to the violent demands of the pro-Kannada groups to remove Hindi signboards from Bengaluru's metro stations to promote the local language. The Congress CM also unveiled a new flag for Karnataka recently, which is awaiting approval from the Centre.

When Siddaramaiah can go this far to protect Kannada pride, can Modi be left behind?

As Modiji understands local sentiments well, he is going to great lengths to invoke revered Sir M Visvesvaraya in almost all his speeches to target his bete noire Rahul Gandhi who badly failed to correctly pronounce the Bharat Ratna awardee's name.

The PM made a late entry into Karnataka to campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled next week on May 12. He arrived in Karnataka on Tuesday and since then every day he's attending at least three to four rallies as his charter plane hovers from one corner of the state to another.

Initially, the saffron party had planned 15 rallies for Modi, now his rallies have been increased to 21 in Karnataka. The sudden change in decision to increase the number of his rallies could be well-gauged from the fact that the BJP is perhaps worried that the Congress has an upper hand in the state polls.

Every day, the people of Karnataka are having a good dose of Modi. In rallies after rallies, he raises his voice to a pitch-high, then slowly brings it down and then again let it go wild to reach the last man in the crowd. His hand gestures are also to be looked into carefully. Sometimes he spreads his arms like Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan does, then he points his finger to an invisible person whenever he raises an accusation against Rahul or Siddaramaiah or else he will just put his hands in his waist to rest and look around at the crowd.

In all his theatrics, the people of Karnataka are wondering why Modiji has given tickets to eight politicians belonging to the camp of scam-tainted mining barons, Reddy brothers, from Bellary. The people of the state are equally worried over the BJP's choice of its chief ministerial candidate, BS Yeddyurappa, who too has been privy to multi-billion mining scam in the state.

The voters of Karnataka are confused as on the one hand Modi talks against the Congress' corruption and on the other hand gives tickets and position of pride to Reddy brothers and Yeddyurappa.

The people of Karnataka, who dearly love peace and harmony, are not at all amused to see chief minister Yogi Adityanath leaving Uttar Pradesh during a "stormy" time to campaign in the state and create communal division.

The voters of Karnataka also want PM Modi to talk about rising crimes against women and high fuel prices across the country, among other burning issues. But is Modi ready to stop his unending Mann Ki Baat? Is the PM ready to listen to the voice of Karnataka?

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Story first published: Saturday, May 5, 2018, 13:50 [IST]
Maharashtra: After raping a 3-year-old, accused threatens to kill victims family

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Oneindia Staff

Mumbai, May 5: While the horrific Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua gang-rape and murder case is still garnering headlines across the world, rapes of minors continue to haunt India. The latest is the case of rape of a three-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Bhosari.

According to reports, the victim was raped by a 20-year-old man. After committing the heinous crime, the accused also threatened to kill the family if they dare to report the case to the police. Finally, the accused was arrested and the police sent him to a three-day custody. A probe in the case in on stated a report by ANI.

"A 3-year-old girl allegedly raped by a 20-year-old man in Bhosari. Accused allegedly threatened the family to kill them if they approached the police. Police case registered, accused arrested & has been sent to 3-day police custody. Further investigation underway. #Maharashtra," tweeted ANI.

A 3-year-old girl allegedly raped by a 20-year-old man in Bhosari. Accused allegedly threatened the family to kill them if they approached the police. Police case registered, accused arrested & has been sent to 3-day police custody. Further investigation underway. #Maharashtra  ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2018

In Jharkhand, a 16-year-old girl was gang-raped on Thursday, and on Friday, the culprits burnt the victim alive inside her home.

In the last few weeks, cases of rapes of minor girls have been reported from almost every corner of the country with mind-boggling frequency. Angry citizens of the country protested on roads in various parts of the country over the horrific rape cases reported from Kathua and Uttar Pradesh's Unnao.

Both the cases caught the attention of the nation because of its barbarity and open support for the accused from a section of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). After its "studied silence" over crimes against women, especially minor girls, the Narendra Modi government approved the ordinance to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping girls under 12 recently.

The ordinance has got mixed reactions as many feel that laws hold no meaning if the authorities do not bring cases of rape to justice. Recently, a six-month-old infant was raped and killed in Madhya Pradesh's Indore. A school-going girl in Assam was also raped and set on fire recently. The girl has died. A three-year-old girl was recently raped in Chhatarpur, Chhattisgarh.
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Muslim family prints special cards for Hindu marriage invitees in Uttar Pradesh

India

pti-PTI

Sultanpur (UP), May 5: A Muslim family in a nondescript Sultanpur village got special cards printed for the Hindu invitees to their daughter's wedding. Sending a strong message of communal harmony.

Two sets of cards were printed separately for the Hindu and Muslim invitees for the wedding of Mohammad Salim's daughter, Jahana Bano, with Yusuf Mohammad on April 29 in Baghsarai village here.

"Around 250 to 300 cards were printed for the Muslim guests in traditional Islamic style, while 130 to 140 cards were printed for the Hindu invitees in the shape of a calendar (scroll) with the pictures of gods and goddesses," Mohammad Salim's son and the brother of the bride, Azad, told PTI.

Besides the pictures of Ram and Sita, the invitation card also had a "kalash" (pitcher), "diya" (earthen lamp), banana leaves and even a "pooja thali" (plate) with coconut, flowers and fruits -- all auspicious symbols for Hindus -- printed on it.

"It was the idea of the entire family...we have friends among the Muslims as well as the Hindus and the invitations had to be sent to them," Azad said.

"There was no objection to the special cards either from our relatives and friends or the groom's family," he added. To a question on whether the family would follow the practice in the future, Azad said.

"There is nothing wrong in it...it's only a gesture, welcoming them..." Mohammad Salim said he would be happy if this gesture helped bridge the gap between Hindus and Muslims. "It is a goodwill gesture for my Hindu brothers. If we show respect to their gods, they will definitely show respect to the Muslim community," he added.

PTI
"Naamdar doesn't know the pain of kaamdar," says PM Modi in Shivamogga

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed second the third election rally in Shivamogga, the home district of former Karnataka CM BS Yeddyurappa on Saturday. BJP MLC KS Eshwarappa was also present.

PM Modi said, "Congress is following the divide and rule policy of British. Who is responsible for propagating communalism in the state."

About attacks on BJP workers in the state, PM asked, "Who gave support to the ones who killed BJP workers in Karnataka. Who gifted PFI and SIMI and other violent organisations to Karnataka? And shockingly, they even classify criminals on the grounds of caste."

In his tirade against the Congress, PM Modi said, "Spreading lies has become a business for the Congress. Wherever they go, they spread lies among people. Congress starts from 'C' and corruption also starts from 'C'. There is no difference between the two."

PM Modi raised an objection to ruling party's attack against BS Yeddyurappa. He said, "Congress uses foul language for Yeddyurappa Ji, makes baseless allegations against him ignoring his age, contribution to society and experience in politics. Yeddyurappa Ji used to visit houses of poor people and Congress mocked that too. This was an insult to the poor."

"Congress made fun of Swachch Bharat campaign, construction of toilets. Naamdar doesn't know the pain of kaamdar (worker)," he added.

He urged the people of Shivamogga to elect a BJP Government in elections for all-round development of Karnataka.

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Story first published: Saturday, May 5, 2018, 17:56 [IST]
With killing of 2 more Lashkar operatives, number of terrorists gunned down in J&K this year is 78

Sameer Tiger aagaya the Army shouted before killing Kashmirs dreaded terrorist

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Sameer aagaya, shouted an Army personnel before a major encounter broke out in Kashmir. This was the dreaded Sameer Tiger of the Hizbul Mujahideen who was gunned down in an encounter by security forces last week.

Meanwhile the situation remains tense at Pulwama, the home district of the slain terrorist. While thousands attended his funeral, Army personnel remained on a state of high-alert. Several youth were also picked up for trying to put up posters of the terrorists in a bid to hail him as a martyr.

The Army worked on actionable intelligence before it gunned down the terrorist who was becoming a menace in the Valley. When the Army cornered him in a house, he began opening fire. The house was then set ablaze before Sameer was gunned down.

A close aide of Burhan Wani, he was tasked with taking the Kashmir battle to the second level. Under his leadership, several youth had been recruited and it may be recalled that recently a picture of him holding an M4 Carbine had surfaced.

He was a dangerous terrorist who had been trained locally. He was a known face on the social media and would post several controversial statements urging the youth to raise arms. He was among the top 11 terrorists of the Valley and also part of the infamous team that Wani had built. Tiger was one of the last surviving terrorists of the team and on Monday he was gunned down by the Army.

Just hours before he was killed he had threatened Major Rohit Shukla of the 44 Rasthtriya Rifles. The video in which he made the threat was circulated by the social media team of the Hizbul Mujahideen. In 2016, he was booked for stone pelting. He was 21 at that time.

He rose in the ranks of the Hizbul Mujahideen soon and had gone on to become a lethal terrorist. He was graded A++ by the Army and was on the hit-list for long.

In the video clip, Tiger is heard handing out a threat to Major Shukla. He says, "If you have drank your mother's milk then come forward." Hours later the Major and Tiger was face to face with each other. Major Shukla took Tiger down, but in the bargain suffered bullet injuries. He has been admitted at the 92 Base Hospital in a critical condition.
Karnataka: Will Congress not allow Kumaraswamy to be CM for full 5-year term?

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All is well between Congress, JD(S)? Kumaraswamy meets Rahul as Karnataka waits for full cabinet

Siddaramaiah hits back at Modi's 'PPP' jibe, says BJP is Prison, Price Rise & Pakoda' party

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddarmaiah on Saturday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'PPP' jibe at the Congress party and said BJP is a 'Prison', 'Price Rise' and 'Pakoda' party.

Modi had earlier today day said that Congress would be reduced to "Punjab, Puducherry and Parivar" after May 15, the day when results of Karnataka elections would be declared.

"After May 15 (when poll results will be declared), Indian National Congress will be reduced to 'PPP Congress'-- P for Punjab, P for Puducherry, and P for Parivar (family)," Modi told an election rally in Gadag, where he predicted the state's ruling party would be decimated in the elections.

Retorting to this, Siddarmaiah tweted, "Dear Modi avare (Ji), Heard you spun a new abbreviation 'PPP' today. Sir, we have always championed the 3 Ps of democracy - 'Of the People, By the People, For the People'. While your party is a 'Prison', 'Price Rise' & 'Pakoda' party. Am I right, Sir?"

Modi said despite a string of electoral losses in Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Tripura the Congress was not as worried as it is now when defeat stares it in the face.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke about Mahadayi river issue while addressing public meeting Gadag district on Saturday.

"Sonia Gandhi told asked the people of Goa to vote for Congress if they don't want Mahadayi river water to be released to Karnataka," PM said. "We are committed to resolving the issue with consultations," he said.
What are the farmers protesting about? We have stayed the farm laws says SC

Sparks fly as Judiciary-Centre face off on judges appointments

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

There were sparks in the Supreme Court as a blame game between the judiciary and the executive over delay in sending recommendations and appointing judges to high courts came out in the open.

Attorney-general K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, faced the court's heat for what it called delay of up to three months in clearing appointment of judges recommended by the collegium.

Venugopal's attempt to put the blame on the collegium for recommending just a handful of names for high courts, that are functioning with just 60 per cent of their sanctioned strength, backfired on him.

"Tell us, how many names (recommended by the Collegium) are pending with you," a bench comprising Justices Madan B. Lokur and Deepak Gupta asked Venugopal.

When the A-G said, "I will have to find out", the bench retorted, "This is the problem with you (Centre). When it comes to attacking judiciary, you have the data. But when it comes to the government then you say you don't have the figures."

Justice Lokur said "non-recommendation did not give the Centre the liberty to sit over names that have been sent to it long back. We want to know as to how many collegium proposals are pending with the government."

The top court's remarks assume significance as the Centre, after almost three months of Collegium's recommendation, returned for reconsideration the file of Uttarakhand high court Chief Justice K.M. Joseph for elevation as a Supreme Court judge.

The exchange of words between the bench and government's top law officer took place when the court took up a transfer petition filed by a resident of Manipur.

The petitioner who lost a case before a single judge bench in Manipur has approached the top court to allow him to challenge the order against him before the Guwahati high court.

The petitioner claimed that he could not file an appeal in Manipur HC because there are only two judges there, one of whom had delivered the judgment against him. There is no full-time chief justice in Manipur too when he filed the petition.

The A-G informed the bench that the SC collegium had on April 19 sent recommendation for appointment of Manipur chief justice. "I spoke with the government authorities and they have promised the appointment would be notified shortly," he said.

Justice Lokur asked the A-G, "In Meghalaya, there is only one judge against four. Even Tripura has just two against four. The recommendation was also made for Meghalaya. What happened to that? People of Northeast are suffering. What are they supposed to do?

Should they approach Supreme Court to get their cases transferred to other high courts and spend money to hire lawyers there?"

The A-G then blamed the collegium for not making enough recommendations. "We may appoint one more judge in Meghalaya. But that does not resolve the problem. Collegium has to look at the future. Recommendations need to be made keeping in mind vacancies that will arise six months later," he told the judges.

Venugopal cited figures to point out that high courts have 40 per cent vacancies. "Recommendation is the only way to fill them up. Collegium does not send us the names and the government is told it is being tardy in processing," he said.

Justice Lokur told the A-G the court did not wish to go into the larger picture. "We cannot tell the collegium what to do. Also, here we are concerned only with the Northeast. You file an affidavit to tell us how much time will you take to make the appointments in Northeast. File an affidavit in the next ten days," the court told the A-G.
It may take 2-3 years for the creation of theatre commands

The cat and mouse game in Kashmir, recruitments surge, so have the killings

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The Indian Army is confident that the number of infiltrations from Pakistan would come down this year. There has been a constant vigil along the border which has built immense pressure on the Pakistani terrorists.

While on one hand the number of terror recruits has shot up, on the other the Army has also managed to gun down over 50 terrorists in the past four months. An important kill was Sameer Tiger, the chief of the Hizbul Mujahideen in the Valley who was also part of the Burhan Wani brigade.

The worry however is the surge in number of local recruitments. At least 45 youth have joined terror groups this year, statistics prepared till mid-April reveal.

According to the top brass of the security establishment in the state, Shopian and Kulgam in south Kashmir have emerged as a major hub by respectively accounting for 12 and 9 of the 45 youths.

The other areas of south Kashmir which have witnessed youths taking to terrorism are Anantnag (seven), Pulwama (four) and Awantipura (three). Moreover, unconfirmed reports, which were in the process of verification, suggest that three more from Pulwama had joined terror groups, officials said.

Similarly, in north Kashmir, one youth from Handwara, two from Kupwara, one each from Bandipora and Sopore and one from Srinagar have disappeared in the recent past and are suspected to have joined terror organisations, they said.

This includes Junaid Ashraf Sehrai, 26, an MBA degree holder from Kashmir university, and son of Mohammed Ashraf Sehrai, who took over as chairman of Tehrek-e-Hurriyat from Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Teherik-e-Hurriyat is a pro-Pakistan amalgam of separatists groups.

The list also includes a 26-year-old PhD scholar Mannan Bashir Wani hailing from Kupwara, officials said. Wani was studying in the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

According to officials, every funeral of a terrorist spawns at least two additions to the ranks of terror groups.

"It has become a bottom less pit. We engage, counter, eliminate or make them surrender and the very next day, social media gives us proof of birth of another militant. This vicious cycle needs to be broken," said a senior army official who is engaged in anti-terror operations.

Ruling party politicians from south Kashmir have reportedly abandoned their ancestral homes and housed themselves in well-fortified accomodations in Srinagar or Jammu. Efforts to seek their comments on the situation in their constituencies did not yield any result as they were reluctant to be drawn into any debate related to it.

A senior politician, who did not wish to be named, said: "Never has this situation arisen when space for mainstream politicians has shrunk to this extent. It is a scary situation".

Security agencies believe that in April there has seen a conspicuous rise in the number of locals joining various terror groups after 13 local terrorists were killed in encounters with security forces in Shopian and Anantnag.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been quite vocal about PDP-BJP government's alleged failure in checking the rising trend of youths joining terrorism.

"Mehbooba Mufti's biggest and least talked about failure has been the massive jump in the numbers of young Kashmiri men joining the ranks of militant organisations," he had tweeted earlier.

On more and more locals joining terror groups, he had said, "...Is no one in a position of power in Delhi alarmed by this because I certainly am!"

Police has approached many parents requesting them to ask their children to surrender on the assurance of a normal life. The story remains unchanged, says a senior police official, who adds that many a times parents express their helplessness.

Appeals have been made by Mehbooba Mufti as well as state police chief SP Vaid and senior army officers but in vain.

"We cannot keep a finger on any particular reason for the spurt in number of youth joining militancy. However, It could be growing influence of pan-Islamisation and religious indoctrination in which unemployment emerges as a catalyst for a quick reaction to pick up a gun," says a senior security official.

The first four months of 2018 has already witnessed 100 deaths, including 55 terrorists, 20 security personnel and 25 civilians. Of the 55 terrorists killed, 27 were locals whereas the rest were described as foreigners by security agencies in the press handouts issued post-encounters.

In 2017, a total of 126 youths had picked up guns. It was the highest number since 2010, according to a recent data presented in the state assembly and Parliament.

There has been a steady rise in the number of youth taking up arms in the Valley since 2014 onwards as compared to 2011, 2012, and 2013.

In 2010, 54 youths had joined terror groups while in 2011, the number came down to 23 and further dipped to 21 in 2012 and 6 in 2013. In 2014, the number shot up to 53 and in 2015, it reached 66 before touching the highest mark of 88 in 2016, the data showed.

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Story first published: Saturday, May 5, 2018, 15:55 [IST]
How can highways be blocked perpetually, asks Supreme Court; says executive's duty to implement law

What are the farmers protesting about? We have stayed the farm laws says SC

'The Supreme Court is one', says CJI Dipak Misra

India

oi-Staff

By Oneindia Staff Writer

The Supreme Court is one, Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra said amidst a raging crisis in the judiciary.

Speaking at a function to bid farewell to Justice RK Agrawal, the CJI said, "As has been told, the Supreme Court is one. The Bar fosters us, nurtures us and on every occasion, I have told the young members of the Bar, be the guiding angels."

"Whatever your status is, whatever your stature is; it is the duty of the judges to show respect to the members of the Bar despite their age or status. I personally and individually feel so and do so," he said at the function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).

Justice Misra praised Justice Agarwal and called him the pride of the Supreme Court.
Widespread rain, thunderstorms likely over Kerala, Karnataka in next five days

Thunderstorm alert: These four states likely to be hit

India

oi-Staff

By Oneindia Staff Writer

A fresh warning about thunderstorm and squall hitting West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh today has been issued, the home ministry said and noted that 124 people were killed while more than 300 injured in five states due to thunderstorm and lightning in the last two days.

The maximum casualties were reported in Uttar Pradesh where 73 people were killed, while 91 others were injured.

Most of the deaths and injuries in the state took place in Agra region, a home ministry spokesperson said.

In Rajasthan, altogether 35 people were killed and 206 injured, while eight people were killed in Telangana, six in Uttarakhand and two in Punjab. Nearly 100 people were injured in Telangana, Uttarakhand and Punjab.

Following the thunderstorms, power supply was cut off in many areas as squall uprooted trees and snapped electricity cables. At least 12,000 electric poles were uprooted and 2,500 transformers were damaged in the affected states in the last two days.

The home ministry spokesperson said a fresh warning has been issued about possible thunderstorms accompanied with squall which may hit four states - West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

A thunderstorm accompanied with squall is very likely at isolated places over Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura.

Isolated places in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Sikkim, Odisha, northwest Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rayalaseema, north coastal Andhra Pradesh and interior Tamil Nadu and Kerala are very likely to experience thunderstorm along with gusty winds.

The home ministry has also issued an advisory for tomorrow saying thunderstorm accompanied with squall are very likely at isolated places in Uttarakhand, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, SubHimalayan West Bengal and Sikkim.

A thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds is very likely to occur at isolated places in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Gangetic West Bengal.

Heavy rains are very likely at isolated places in Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura. Dust storms are very likely at isolated places in Rajasthan, an official said.
'Time Congress told the truth on whose B-team the JD(S) is', says Modi in Tumakuru

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Narendra Modi yet again emphasised on the fact that the Congress was a sleeping government in Karnataka. Addressing a mega rally in Karnataka, Modi sought to strike a chord with the voter by starting his speech in Kannada at Tumakuru around 50 kilometres from Bengaluru.

He said that he is overwhelmed with the kind of reception he got in Karnataka this time. "This is in fact bigger than the reception I got here in 2014", he said. Modi at the beginning of his speech invoked the blessings of Siddaganga Mutt which is located in Tumakuru.

Modi said that the Congress rakes up the poor card only at the time of elections. After the elections, it is never spoken about and this has been the case since the time of Indira Gandhi.

However this card is not working for them ever since the country elected the son of a poor mother as the PM, he also said while referring to himself. The Congress has ruled for so long and that too by one family has done nothing for the farmers. Had they worked for the farmers would there be so many suicides? It is only at the time of elections, they speak about the farmers.

Not our b-team:

Modi sought to clear the air about the alleged alliance with the JD(S) which has been in the news for long now. Deve Gowda criticised me in 2014. Gowda criticised me, but I always respected him said, Modi. He said he would commit suicide if I became the PM. I had, in fact, advised him against that and referred to him as a great leader whose services were needed for the people.

I want to expose the Congress here, Modi said. They are telling lies about a JD(S) alliance every single day. Why is the JD(S) being called our B-team? Who is in an alliance at the Bengaluru corporation, Modi asked? The Congress must tell the truth and stop making a fool out of the people, Modi further added.

Takes Congress on:

Our government is working on several projects to preserve water. River linking is important and it was a dream of Atal Vajpayee. The dream we are fulfilling now, Modi said. He also said that the linking of the Hemavathi and Nethravathi would be beneficial to many including the people of Tumakuru.

Coconut is a major crop in Karnataka. What is the Congress government doing to help the coconut growers? Does the Congress care? They only care about filling the coffers of their ministers, Modi also added.

Tumakuru is under the smart city project. We have given funds to the Congress government, but it has not been utilised by this corrupt and sleeping government said, Modi.

We came up with direct transfer benefit scheme through Aadhaar. People started getting money directly in their bank. Prior to this middlemen would loot the Rs 80,000 crore meant for the needy.

The time has come to punish the Congress and bring the BJP to power under the leadership of Yeddyurappa. The farmer will benefit immensely as Yeddyurappa is a leader of the farmers, Modi added while winding up with the slogan, 'Sarakara badalisi, BJP gellisi.' ( Change the government, make BJP win)

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
Will Modi accept Siddaramaiahs 5-minute dare to do corruption charcha on Reddy bros?

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Oneindia Staff

Bengaluru, May 5: Welcome to battleground Karnataka, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and incumbent chief minister Siddaramaiah are engaged in a very engaging "dare game".

First, it was Rahul at a public rally in Karnataka challenged PM Modi to give him a chance to speak for 15 minutes in Parliament on various issues, including corruption. After days of silence, Modi replied to Rahul in Karnataka. Instead of accepting the dare, the PM taunted the Congress president "to speak in any language" for 15 minutes about the achievements of the Siddaramaiah government without referring to a piece of paper.

Again, Modi's challenge is yet to be accepted by Rahul, but immediately the Karnataka CM hit back at the PM with a vengeance. "I challenge you to speak about the achievements of BS Yeddyurappa's Govt in Karnataka for 15 minutes by looking at a paper," Siddaramaiah hit Modi hard with the no-holds-barred tweet.

If that was not good enough, as Modi in various public platforms accused the Siddaramaiah government of being corrupt, the Karnataka CM on Saturday tweeted to throw another dare at the PM. This time, Siddaramaiah wants Modi to speak for five minutes on the "ethics of using Reddy brothers to win an election".

"Dear PM @narendramodi avare, I am glad you have made corruption an issue in this Election because that is your weakest point. You are making baseless allegations of corruption about our Govt. Can you speak for 5 minutes on the ethics of using the Reddy Bros' to win an election?" another hard-hitting tweet by the CM.

Dear PM @narendramodi avare, I am glad you have made corruption an issue in this Election because that is your weakest point.



You are making baseless allegations of corruption about our Govt.



Can you speak for 5 minutes on the ethics of using the Reddy Bros to win an election? pic.twitter.com/UPTNypEQ32  Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 5, 2018

The BJP has given tickets to eight politicians belonging to the camp of scam-tainted mining barons, Reddy brothers, from Bellary in the state. Although the BJP is trying its best to keep itself away from the Reddy brothers at public platforms, the most powerful Gali Janardhana Reddy was seen at various BJP rallies in the recent past.

On Friday, the Supreme Court said that mining baron Janardhana Reddy, who is out on bail, cannot campaign in his home-turf Bellary for the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled on May 12. The results of the elections will be declared on May 15.

Now, it would be interesting to see if PM Modi will accept the latest dare by Karnataka CM and speak on corruption allegations against the BJP.
India, US on same page on many issues relating to Afghanistan: EAM Jaishankar

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Afghan forces retake Kohistan from Taliban

International

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Kohistan district in Afghanistan's Badakhshan province, which had fallen to the Taliban on Thursday, was on Saturday retaken by the government forces, reported TOLO news.

Afghanistan Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish told TOLOnews that the Taliban suffered heavy losses in the military operation. He said the operation will continue to clear all the district from militants.

On Thursday, Taliban fighters captured the remote Kohistan district in northern Afghanistan after a fierce fight with Afghan police forces that left five police and militiamen dead.

Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense (MoD) had said Friday that security forces are fighting the Taliban to retake Badakhshan's Kohistan district, said reports.

The Taliban took control of Kohistan shortly after the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) reported that out of 407 Afghan districts, the Taliban had control of 59 districts while Afghan government forces and the Taliban were fighting for 119 districts. The government of Afghanistan controls only 229 districts, according to SIGAR.

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Story first published: Saturday, May 5, 2018, 21:45 [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

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Gun violence has zero effect on Trump as he backs gun rights in Dallas

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

Even as calls for gun control and rallies against gun violence intensified in the United States, the country's President Donald Trump seems to be little touched.

During a speech in Dallas in Texas on Friday, May 4, Trump reiterated his strong backing for the gun rights and commitment towards the mid-term elections.

Trump, who was speaking at the annual meeting of the National Rifles Association (NRA), at the Dallas's convention centre, said the Second Amendment rights that allow the people of the US to keep arms were "under siege" but he would not allow them to be under siege as long as he remained the president.

"We cannot get complacent. We have to win the mid-terms," he said. Trump had a big support among the gun owners during the 2016 presidential election and he is also banking on them to win the mid-term polls in November this year.

Trump did not mention about the gun violence in Florida in February which loss of 17 lives and was followed by massive 'March for Our Lives' rallies that were led by students and joined by people of eminence but rather played down the role of guns in violence, citing a hospital in London, UK, where violence was carried out with knives since guns were outlawed.

Vice President Mike Pence also spoke in support of gun rights before Trump. He even told the NRA members that they have two friends in the White House who stood for the Second Amendment without any apology.

Trump though had promised regulation of gun laws in the wake of the Florida shooting though nothing concrete came up.

Trump's words in Dallas saw angry reactions from the gun control advocated who accused the president of bending in front of the NRA instead of ensuring people's safety despite repeated pleas.

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Story first published: Saturday, May 5, 2018, 15:49 [IST]
Why US engaging with Pakistan on Afghanistan is a cause of worry for India

If journalists are not shielded in Afghanistan, we might not see another Ahmed Rashid again

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

Even as US President Donald Trump laid down his Afghanistan strategy last year by increasing the number of American troops in the war-ravaged country; threatening Pakistan to pay the price if it did not in terrorists taking shelter on its territory and asking India to play a bigger role in Afghanistan to double the pressure on Islamabad to act in favour of the American interests.

But despite these measures and tough talks, Afghanistan's reality hasn't changed and instead, it has deteriorated further. Blasts have become a regular feature in the life of the Afghans and the casualties have already touched record levels. However, the killings of 10 journalists in a blast in Kabul earlier this week perhaps constituted the biggest worry over how things are going ahead (or back) in the war-torn country where the American forces have been functioning since October 2001.

The deliberate attacks on journalists in Afghanistan are a clear-cut approach to derail its democratic build-up.

But targeting journalists means the fourth pillar is under attack and that can potentially destroy the line of communication between Afghanistan internal scenario and the outer world. The terror attacks on journalists also deliver a terrible blow to the 'local'. i.e., reporters who know the ground reality better and can dig out details from zones that might otherwise be difficult for foreign correspondents to access. Journalists being soft targets, it also becomes that much easier for the terrorists to target them.

And if steps are not taken to protect the media from these terror attacks, then we might not see ever again a journalist like Ahmed Rashid braving all odds to report from Ground Zero and bringing to us the terrifying yet fascinating realities that exist deep within severely battered countries like Afghanistan. That will indeed be a sad day for journalism as well as the global movement for democracy.

But with the international community failing to reach a consensus on how to give peace a chance in Afghanistan, the task of providing shelter to journalists looks all the more daunting.

According to Reporters Without Borders, 34 journalists have been killed in Afghanistan in the last two years. It shows things haven't improved despite calls for renewed efforts from the heads of state of the US, Afghanistan and Pakistan to strive for peace.

The parties involved in Afghanistan have far too conflicting interests and this has given the terrorist elements all the freedom to thrive.

While the US has targeted Taliban and refuses to speak with them, Russia, China and Pakistan have backed the Taliban to defend their own interests - be it thwarting the Islamic State or other terrorists (in case of Russia and China) or India (in case of Pakistan).

As long as these state actors have no consensus on their Afghanistan policy, the non-state actors will have little reason to stop executing their own sinister plans.

The government of Afghanistan has remained perennially weak - politically and militarily - and that has been another major concern for the anti-terror forces in that country.

The internal tussles, corruption, military weakness to tackle the terrorists, etc. have meant that the US has to stay in the country and its presence makes it all the more difficult for achieving an all-encompassing peace.

Kabul's ordinary relations with Islamabad have not helped things either and even Pakistan's closest ally China has not been able to make them bridge the differences.

And as the Taliban continue to regain control over the majority of Afghanistan, pushing the government's relevance to the corner, the entire crisis returns to square one.

With so many loopholes to plug, it seems virtually impossible for the international community to resolve the Afghanistan crisis even as the war in that country is in its 17th year. And the failure of the political leadership leaves the media uncovered and vulnerable.
Exit polls indicate no clear winner in Israeli elections: Will it end the Netanyahu era?

Israeli PM Netanyahu briefs PM Modi on Iran's 'nuclear breaches'

International

pti-PTI

Jerusalem, May 5: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached out to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to update him on the recent developments in Iran nuclear deal.

A statement from Netanyahu's media advisor yesterday said the Israeli Prime Minister spoke to three key international leaders, including Modi, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and British Prime Minister Theresa May.

He discussed regional issues with the world leaders and also updated them on the important material that he revealed regarding the Iranian nuclear archive, the press release stated.

Netanyahu had earlier told the media that he would share the archive of more than 100,000 documents said to have been obtained by Israel's espionage agency Mossad from a Tehran warehouse, which allegedly proves Iran's past clandestine efforts to assemble nuclear weapons. "The leaders of the E3  Britain, France, and Germany  said they want to see the material.

They're very interested in seeing what we discovered," Netanyahu told journalists in his Jerusalem office. Intelligence professionals from London, Paris and Berlin are coming to Jerusalem later this week to examine the material Israel presented, he said.

The Israeli Premier spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to update them about the Mossad's findings on Monday.

"I told Putin that he's welcome, too, to see the material. I also invited the leader of China and [Yukiya] Amano (the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency)," Netanyahu said.

In a sensational presentation on Monday evening, Netanyahu showcased an enormous trove of Iranian documents that he said proved the existence of Iran's nuclear Project, Amad, which Tehran claimed to have frozen in 2003.

In a daring operation, Mossad agents are said to have managed to obtain and smuggle into Israel 55,000 paper documents and 183 CDs with another 55,000 documents from what looked like a "dilapidated warehouse" in Tehran earlier this year.

Israel has expressed hope that the "irrefutable findings" would help shore up international community's longstanding suspicion that the Islamic Republic was investing great efforts in building a nuclear weapon.

There has been speculation in the Israeli media that close ally United States will pull out of the Iranian nuclear deal on May 12 and impose sanctions against the Islamic Republic "based on the reactions coming from Washington on the proof gathered by Mossad".

Commenting on the expectations, Netanyahu gave a guarded response saying, "The decision is President [Donald] Trump's decision alone. He's a leader who knows to take decisions, and he takes them".

Trump, a fervent critic of the seven-party agreement, has long threatened to walk away from the landmark deal unless its European signatories and Congress reconcile his concerns.

The US President is said to be unhappy about key aspects of the "insane" pact. He has complained that the deal fails to restrict Iran's nuclear activities for long enough and to stop the country's development of ballistic missiles.

A dramatic uptick in oil prices in recent weeks has partly been driven by mounting expectations that Trump will soon pull out of the 2015 accord. The Iran nuclear deal framework was a preliminary framework agreement reached in 2015 between the Islamic Republic of Iran and a group of world powers - P5+1 (meaning the five permanent members of the UNSC and Germany) and the European Union.

Some critics have downplayed the claims by Israel and termed Netanyahu's press conference "theatrical" arguing that the existence of Iran's clandestine nuclear weapons programme was already known and detailed in an IAEA report from 2011.

Israeli officials have refuted such critics saying that the world now has much more detailed knowledge of what went on there with "evidence of a whole different level".

PTI
Kuchibhotla murder: Widow of Indian-techie can stay in US for now

Kansas shooting: Srinivas Kuchibhotlas killer gets lifer

International

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

A US Navy veteran who killed Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla in a racially motivated hate crime at a bar in Kansas City last year has been sentenced to life in prison.

In March this year, Adam Purinton, 52, had pleaded guilty to the charges of murdering Kuchibhotla.

He was charged with first-degree murder of Kuchibhotla, 32, and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the shootings of his friend, Alok Madasani, and a bystander, who chased Purinton after he fled the Austin's Bar and Grill in Olathe city on February 22 last year.

Purinton, yelled, "Get out of my country," before shooting Kuchibhotla, who later died from injuries sustained in the attack.

A federal judge in Kansas yesterday sentenced Purinton to life in prison for the first-degree murder of Kuchibhotla and 165 months imprisonment for each of the other two murder charges.

Kuchibhotla is survived by his wife Sunayana Dumala, who welcomed the court's decision.

"Today's sentencing in the murder of my husband will not bring back my Srinu, but it sends a strong message that hate is never acceptable," a statement by Dumala said. "I want to thank the District Attorney's office and the Olathe police for their efforts to bring this man to justice", the statement also read.
Over 1,100 Palestinians injured in Israeli firing, tear gas attack

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

The ongoing Palestinian protest at the Gaza-Israel frontier turned worse on Friday, May 4, when Israeli forces fired at the demonstrators who targeted a border terminal, leaving 1,100 people injured.

Among the wounded, around 82 people were injured in live fires while 800 fell ill by gas inhalation after the Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters, Reuters cited doctors as saying.

The Palestinians have been conducting protest march at the Gaza border since March 30 which is historically known as 'Land Day' and it was set to culminate with the Nakba (Catastrophe) Day on May 15, which is observed a day after Israel's independence that came in 1948. Palestinians mourn the day since they were uprooted in masses to make way for the Israeli state in 1948.

Israel has been retaliating with full force against this protest, killing several, including a Palestinian journalist. According to the Reuters, at least 43 Palestinians have been killed in the army shooting over the past one month.

The protesters, however, remained defiant and used their limited resources like slingshots to target Israeli devices like drones, Reuters reported, adding that several Palestinians also entered Kerem Shalom, an industrial crossing point located on the border, and claimed to have burned rooms used by Israel. Israel countered by saying the damage was limited to the Palestinian side.

The Israeli Army said the protesters were damaging pipes that carried fuel and gas from Israel into Gaza Strip, the Reuters reported cited its statement as saying.

The Israeli Army has faced criticism over using live fire against the protesters and in its defence, it said the action was being taken only when the protesters reached the limits.
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

Trump to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in at White House on May 22

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

While the world is eagerly waiting for the meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in another few weeks, it was officially announced on Saturday, May 5, that Kim will meet his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in at the White House on May 22, AP reported.

It has been said that Moon will brief Trump on the meeting that he had with Kim at the border truce village of Punmumjeom on April 27. Both the Koreas made a joint declaration to end the Korean War fast and denuclearise the Korean Peninsula. They, however, could not come up with a specific deadline for the same.

Trump's meeting with Kim is due in some time as the president announced that the date and venue for the same have already been decided.

Moon recently backed the idea of Trump getting the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts towards defusing the tension in the Korean Peninsula.

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Story first published: Saturday, May 5, 2018, 16:02 [IST]
India, US have 'one mind, one approach: US Deputy State Secretary on Afghanistan

Hope India, US will be able to resolve differences over S-400 deal: Sherman

US-China trade talks end: Western media pessimistic; Chinese pat Beijings back

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

While the western media did not air optimism over the just concluded trade talks between the delegations of the US and China in Beijing on Friday, May 4, saying there was "scant progress" with "no deal and no date set for further talks, as the United States stepped up its demands for Chinese concessions to avert a potential trade war", the Chinese media was not as disappointed about the two-day high-profile meeting and even praised Beijing over its strong show vis-a-vis the Americans.

China's Xinhua News Agency said the US and China had candid, efficient and constructive talks and sounded optimistic over a stable China-US trade relationship saying both were committed to settling their relevant economic and trade issues through dialogue.

China's Global Times patted on Beijing's back in an op-ed titled 'China shows maturity amid US trade demands' saying China remained firm and won the leverage to safeguard its interests.

"The results have been distinctly different from the initial unreasonable demands of the US. This is the result of China's countermeasures. The US voluntarily sent a delegation to Beijing, including all its major trade officials, in contrast with its 301 investigation and tariff threats on $100 billion worth of Chinese products.

Our high level delegation is on the way back from China where they had long meetings with Chinese leaders and business representatives. We will be meeting tomorrow to determine the results, but it is hard for China in that they have become very spoiled with U.S. trade wins!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2018

Sources close to the negotiations said Chinese delegates responded strongly to US demands in the past two days, standing firm on the moral high ground to safeguard free trade and a multilateral trade mechanism. China demonstrated its resolve to the US that China will never trade its core interests," the Global Times article said.

The op-ed said while the trade disputes between the two countries were seen as a "trade war" with the US taking an aggressive stand but China exhibited a "strong will and tenacity beyond the imagination of the US and the world".

It also said Beijing broke Washington's "psychological advantage and consolidated its position".

It said though the US and China could not arrive at an agreement to end the trade tussle but were willing to carry forward the talks.

While the US delegates were led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the Chinese were led by Vice Premier Liu He.
Collapse of Kabul will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history: Donald Trump

Will Trump remove US troops from S Korea? Issue raises questions ahead of Kim summit

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

The New York Times's report on May 3 that US President Donald Trump sought preparations from Pentagon to reduce American troops in South Korea, one of its closest allies in the Far East, has affected all concerned sides, especially ahead of the widely anticipated talks between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The report is also of significance at this time since Washington and Seoul are in the middle of negotiations of an agreement to share the costs of the deployed troops for Trump has always maintained his reservation over the US paying for the umbrella covering its allies across the world.

Sensing the impact that the NYT report could have on the proceedings, both the US and South Korea objected to it saying it was untrue. While Trump's National Security Adviser John Bolton rubbished the report more than once, the Blue House or the official residence of the South Korean president also said the report did not say it right.

The reduction of the troops was not a bargaining chip in Trump's talks with Kim, the NYT cited sources who informed about it as saying but rather a logical conclusion after the two Koreas entered into a peace treaty. It also said that complete withdrawal of 28,500 US troops from the Korean Peninsula was unlikely and cited the sources as saying that a reconsideration of the size and configuration of the troops was the call of the hour, irrespective of the rapprochement with North Korea.

Trump himself remarked that withdrawing US forces from North Korea was "not on the table," AP reported. He, however, reiterated later that he would "like to save the money" sometime in the future.

Trump has been stressing since his presidential campaign that North Korea grew its nuclear weight despite the American forces' presence in South Korea and also that Washington was not getting adequate compensation for maintaining those troops stationed mainly to defend Japan, another of the US's close ally in the region.

On April 27, when US Secretary of Defense James Mattis was asked whether it would be necessary to maintain the American troops on the Korean Peninsula if indeed there was a peace treaty, he said that was part of the issues that the US would be discussing with its allies first beside North Korea.

The issue of a possible reduction of American troops from the peninsula becomes significant ahead of the Trump-Kim talks because if Trump really removes the troops to save his money, it could generate serious reactions in South Korea and Japan whose security is closely related with it. Nobody yet knows which way Kim would eventually go about his promises on denuclearisation and a prior removal of troops would make it all the more uncertain.

Besides, Trump has been dealing with Kim from a position of strength so far. If he indeed concedes troop reductions for North Korea's denuclearisation, then the message going out to the world could be not as positive as it seemed earlier.

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Story first published: Saturday, May 5, 2018, 15:23 [IST]


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From Paul Craig Roberts Website

I find myself wondering if Russia understands the Washington criminal with whom Russia is so desperate to negotiate peace and understanding.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov is excited that Trump has invited Putin to the White House "to jointly curb the arms race."

Of course the US military/security complex wants to curb an arms race in which Russia is 30 years ahead. Will the Russian government in all its delusions and romanticized view of the US and its vassals again be sucked into meaningless agreements that leave Russia exposed to annihilation?

How can Russia expect any agreement with Washington or any European country to mean anything when in front of Russia's very eyes the US, alone in the world, is breaking the agreement the US made with Iran with regard to Iran's enrichment of uranium?

Why does Lavrov want to negotiate another agreement with Washington that Washington will break as it has every other negotiated agreement with Russia since the Clinton regime. Does the Russian Foreign Ministry find it difficult to learn from experience?

Russia has the winning hand, but does not know how to play it. The caution with which the government operates encourages more provocations, whereas a more decisive policy would discourage provocations.

Washington interprets Russia's conciliatory behavior as weakness, and now also so does the tiny country of Israel. Believe it or not, Israel has issued an ultimatum to Russia. Israel, a country so small that it can be wiped out by conventional weapons alone, has now ordered the world's primary military power to get out of the way of Israel's illegal military attacks on Syria.

A country that can be given an ultimatum by Israel, whose army was twice routed and utterly defeated by a small Lebanese militia, has no respect in the West. This is Russia's problem. Even the militarily impotent British talk about going to war with Russia as if that is a riskless undertaking.

As long as the Russian government conveys indecisiveness and weakness in its responses to extreme provocations, the provocations will continue to push the world to World War 3.
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From Alternet

This is a bait-and-switch to divert attention from more troublesome issues.

The professional election law world is aghast that President Trump's latest attorney, Rudy Giuliani, told Fox News that Trump reimbursed his legal fixer, Michael Cohen, for the $130,000 payment that Cohen made to silence Stormy Daniels about their alleged affair just before the 2016 election.

Giuliani's admission, which was confirmed by Trump in a tweet, has prompted media outlets like the New York Times to report that Trump was caught in another lie, and that the president and Cohen could be fined by the Federal Election Commission for breaking laws intended to inform voters about their candidates for high office.

"Trump's admission that he later repaid Cohen for the hush money destroys any argument Cohen could have made that the payment was out of his own money as an independent expenditure," Trevor Potter, president of the Washington-based Campaign Legal Center, a former Republican FEC member and Stephen Colbert's favorite go-to guy for explaining election laws, said Thursday.

"This is a reminder of why disclosure and reporting laws are on the books in the first place: if these transactions were properly reported by the Trump campaign in October 2016, it would have triggered public attention to the issue, and would have given voters relevant information that could be factored into their decision-making," Potter continued. "It is important for the FEC to take this matter seriously and open an investigation."

But urging the FEC to act is akin to using a water pistol to put out a forest fire. The body has been hobbled by partisan gridlock and unfilled appointments and has had little impact of the rough and tumble of campaigns in recent years. You can bet that Giuliani knows this and what is really going on is a deliberate attempt to divert attention from the escalating Mueller probe of the Trump campaign's collusion with Russia to the yawn-inducing world of campaign finance oversight.

Potter, of course, is completely correct that campaign finance laws are intended to help the public understand who they are voting for and to prevent political corruption. He said on Thursday that Trump, via Giuliani, has now put himself squarely in the sights of federal campaign regulators who will likely end up fining him.

"With this latest explanation, President Trump finds himself between something of a rock and a hard place," Potter explained. "If this payment was a $460,000 loan from Michael Cohen, as Rudy Giuliani claimed, Trump was required to disclose it in the financial disclosure report that he filed in June 2017 with the Office of Government Ethics. The law required him to disclose any loan that was greater than $10,000 at any time during 2016 or the first half of 2017. He didn't disclose it and, if the omission was intentional, he could be subject to civil or criminal penalties."

So why are Giuliani and Trump positioning themselves for an FEC investigation and fine? Apart from diverting the news away from the Mueller investigation, Trump can tweet a big "so what," because, as it turns out, other campaigns -- including Barack Obama's 2008 effort -- violated FEC rules and faced big six-figure fines.

"President Obama's 2008 presidential campaign has been fined $375,000 by the Federal Election Commission, one of the largest fines levied against a presidential campaign," USA Today reported in January 2013. "The fines are related to missing reports for nearly 1,300 last-minute donations, totaling nearly $1.9 million. In the 20-day period before an election, candidates are required to file notices within 48 hours of receiving contributions of $1,000 or more."

It's not exactly news that the president is a serial liar, serial adulterer and is willing to pay to settle legal disputes. Regarding Giuliani's admission about reimbursing his fixer Cohen and Trump's tweet affirming it, take note of why it's a shrewd move for the president's legal team.

Not only can Trump say that Obama did something bad, muddying the waters he's in by raising false equivalencies. But as important, it took the FEC more than four years to fine Obama -- issuing that historic fine after the next presidential election was over. (In case anyone needs reminding, Obama was re-elected in 2012.)
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From Our Future

The German sociologist Georg Simmel, way back in 1900, likened grand concentrations of private wealth to stars in the sky. These days, here in our second grand global Gilded Age, the more appropriate celestial analogy might be the black hole.

The more wealth concentrates in a precious few pockets, we've come to understand, the more the resulting concentration sucks out from the rest of society. What exactly gets sucked out from below? Money, of course. But much more as well. Grand concentrations of wealth at the economic summit suck up talent.

The latest case in point: the career of the world-class designer Frank Stephenson. This 58-year-old has already made a creative impact on us. A decade ago, one business media outlet dubbed him one of our time's "most influential automotive designers."

Stephenson first made his mark as a designer for Ford in Germany, working on the Escort, a motor vehicle for distinctly average families. He went on to BMW, where his creativity brought us the widely beloved MINI Cooper, a pricier but still affordable -- at least for the upper middle class -- compact.

A half-century ago, in a considerably more equal world than we have today, a designer as accomplished as Stephenson would have ended up at a world automaker serving the mass market. His talents would have brought smiles and maybe even some joy to millions of average car-buyers.

But in our staggeringly unequal contemporary world countless talents like Stephenson tend to go down a quite different career path. They end up serving society's richest.

Stephenson would move on from the MINI Cooper to the corporate auto empire that boasts the high-end Ferrari and Maserati brands. Among his projects: the Maserati Quattroporte, a "race-bred luxury sedan" that now starts at over $100,000. Stephenson did, to be sure, also do designing for that empire's more pedestrian Fiats, but his career was clearly revolving ever closer to grand fortune. His next stop would be McLaren Automotive, the maker of vehicles that retail for over $1 million.

Stephenson now has a new gig. He's just signed on with Lilium, a German electric flying car start-up. Lilium is positioning itself as a transportation disruptor. By 2025, the company predicts, people will be able to hail a Lilium on-demand air taxi that can lift off and land vertically -- and fly passengers close to 200 miles on a single electric charge.

Lilium is also positioning itself as a benefactor for all humankind, not just the "very wealthy." Stephenson is buying into that positioning. Lilium's flying cars, he's telling the press, "will be designed to be for everybody, not just a privileged segment of the public."

But imagining a world where flying cars offer an affordable, mass-market alternative to ground transport takes some doing. Lilium's flying taxis seem almost certain to become just another convenience that allows the rich to bypass the inconveniences of modern life.

In a better -- more equal world -- talents like Frank Stephenson would be addressing those inconveniences directly instead of figuring out how the wealthy can best do end runs around them.

We see this same "black-hole" dynamic in every sector of modern life. Businesses of every sort are rushing to get sucked into the orbit of grand fortune. Last week, around the same time that Lilium was hailing the hiring of Frank Stephenson, banking giant Goldman Sachs was celebrating the hiring of a financial-industry superstar to head up a good chunk of its private wealth management operations.

Goldman Sachs is now feverishly competing with the world's biggest financial institutions for greater market share among the world's richest households. Goldman alone currently has 700 staff dedicated to serving the financial needs of families worth at least $40 million.

"The world," Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein gushed this past February, "seems to be growing rich people faster than we can grow advisers to cover them."

Goldman's private wealth management staffers, Bloomberg reports, each generate $4.5 million of revenue. Staffers at banks that service ordinary households can't come anywhere close to generating revenues that stratospheric. At least not honestly. So their employers -- banks like Wells Fargo -- put them to much more lucrative dishonest labor.

In Iowa last week, community groups from across the United States gathered at the Wells Fargo annual meeting to protest the bank's predatory practices on everything from mortgages to car loans.

Top execs at Wells Fargo, George Goehl of People's Action noted at the protest, "have proven that they can't do business without cheating, racism, and investing in violence."

"We have the power," added Cherie Mortice of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, "to stand up against the greedy financial giants and corporate elites who rig the economy for their own benefit."
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From WSWS

A federal judge with deep, longstanding connections to the national security apparatus assailed Special Counsel Robert Mueller during a court hearing Friday, declaring that the real purpose of the anti-Russia investigation was to generate material that would lead to Trump's "prosecution or impeachment."

Federal District Judge T.S. Ellis III was hearing a motion brought by the attorney for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, seeking the dismissal of his indictment for bank fraud on the grounds that such charges were outside the scope of Mueller's investigative authority.

Defense attorney Kevin Downing argued that because the allegations against Manafort relate to actions many years before the 2016 elections, at a time when Manafort had no relationship with Donald Trump, Mueller had no basis for investigation.

Ellis eagerly embraced this argument, telling prosecutor Michael Dreeben, "You don't really care about Mr. Manafort's bank fraud. You really care about what information he might give you about Mr. Trump and what might lead to his impeachment or prosecution."

"That's what you're really interested in," Ellis continued, appearing to lose his temper, according to press accounts.

Remarkably, Dreeben did not explicitly disavow the intention to oust Trump from the White House, merely replying that the investigation had to "follow the money."

Ellis returned to this issue several times during the court hearing, but ultimately indicated he would make a decision on whether to dismiss the charges against Manafort at a later date. Trial is tentatively scheduled for July 10.

At one point in the proceedings, Manafort's attorney pointed out that the investigation into Manafort's work as a political consultant in Ukraine dated back to 2005 and had been conducted by the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. This probe was then absorbed into the Mueller investigation.

Judge Ellis responded, "I don't see how this indictment has anything to do with anything the special prosecutor is authorized to investigate." He then repeatedly interrupted Dreeben as he sought to explain the connection between the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 elections and Manafort's activities in Ukraine a decade earlier.

"It covers bank fraud in 2005 and 2007?" Ellis asked. "Tell me how. How does that have to do with links or coordination with Russia and Trump?"

Referring to his own long tenure of the bench -- he was appointed a federal district court judge by Ronald Reagan in 1987, and has had senior (effectively part-time) status since 2007 -- Ellis said that he knew that prosecutors hoped to pressure Manafort into implicating the president.

"The vernacular is, 'to sing,'" the judge said, adding that the danger was, "they may not just sing, they may compose."

Ellis also attacked the sweeping scope and unaccountable character of the special counsel investigation. "We don't want anyone in this country with unfettered power. It's unlikely you're going to persuade me the special prosecutor has power to do anything he or she wants," he told Dreeben. "The American people feel pretty strongly that no one has unfettered power."

He asked Dreeben why the special counsel had decided to refer the criminal investigation into Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen to the US Attorney in New York rather than keep it in house, answering his own question as though he were Mueller, because the Cohen probe didn't "further our core effort to get Trump."

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From Gush Shalom



Golda Meir

(Image by flickr.com) Details DMCA



Ben-Gurion said about her: "The only thing Golda knows how to do is to hate!"

Golda Meir did not hate me. That would be an understatement. She detested me.

The way I speak, the way I dress, the way I look. Everything.

Once, in the middle of a speech in the Knesset (I believe it was about allowing the Beatles to appear in Israel) I interrupted myself and said: "Now I want to answer MK Golda Meir."

"But MK Meir has not said anything!" the chairman objected.

"I am not answering an interjection," I explained. "I am answering her grimaces!"

And indeed, Golda was grimacing, every muscle of her face proclaiming her detestation.

THE THIRD chapter of Raviv Drucker's interesting series about Israel's first Prime Ministers was devoted to her.

Levi Eshkol died in February 1969 of a sudden heart attack. Jokers insisted that it was the result of the 74-year-old leader marrying a woman 40 years his junior.

There were plenty of popular candidates to succeed him, but -- what a pity! - none was a member of the ruling Labor Party (Mapai). So, out of nowhere, Golda Meir was chosen. She was not even a minister at the time.

Then a miracle occurred. On the eve of her coming to power her popularity rate in the polls was near zero. Overnight, it rose to over 80%.

During the following years, her authority was unlimited. There was no explanation for it. She had no personal power base, no personal political organization. She dominated the state with the sheer power of her personality.

I vividly recall one scene. In 1973, a new president of the state had to be elected. Golda was intent on having her candidate, a worthy university professor called Ephraim Katzir, elected. The opposing candidate was a worthy person, too.

At the same time, the Knesset was about to enact a new law concerning the method election results were translated into the actual size of the factions. Called by us "the Bader-Ofer conspiracy," it was designed to benefit the largest factions and hurt the smallest, one of which was mine.

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The other night I watched Left Behind on YouTube. Watching Nicholas Cage is always a treat. I expected the film to be science fiction, but it turned out quite differently. For, besides the great actor, there was another - God.

A few months ago, my wife and I watched mother! in a local theater. In less than two hours, we saw God, Adam and Eve, Abel and Cain, Mary and Jesus!Why do Americans make religious films? They're a nation of fundamentalists. Indeed, the word comes from there.

In fact, fundamentalism is everywhere: there's Muslim fundamentalism, Jewish, Hindu, Christian and Buddhist fundamentalism. Why?

Every secular religion has failed. The death of the Soviet Union signaled the demise of Marxism, which had pinned all hopes in this world. Nationalism, that supremely secular religion, wilted in the world. Bangladesh, for instance, was founded on the myth of Bengali unity. However, the people proved very Islamic. Even ten years ago female students in my class used to wear jeans and shirts. Now many of them wear hijab. Even nine-year-old girls wear hijab.

The latest religion, democracy, which is a very this-worldly aspiration, has decayed. Russia was supposed to be the prototypical democracy. Democracy there lies dead. And the most successful economy in the world, the Chinese, has never been a democracy.

In Bangladesh, democracy came in 1990, after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was a donor-sponsored affair. The donors had been propping up General Ershad as a counterweight to communism. When that threat disappeared, they pushed him aside. There were only three democracies in Africa in 1989; in 1991, there were thirty. I remember how the corridors of Dhaka University pulsated with Marxist ideas in the 1980s. My Marxist teachers gave up their political beliefs and went to America to do their PhDs. In fact, back then, you weren't an intellectual if you weren't a Marxist. Now, an intellectual is someone who believes in democracy.

The demise of communism ushered in democracy - and this was a tragic transition. Violence flared: in Bangladesh, two political parties emerged, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by the widow of a former military dictator, Khaleda Zia, and the Awami League, led by the daughter of a former civilian dictator, Sheikh Hasina. These two women unleashed their thuggish parties on the streets and innocent lives were lost. During the last anti-government agitation, bystanders were burnt to death (whether by the opposition or the ruling party nobody knows).

To check the rigging of elections by the ruling party, it was decided that a caretaker government would supervise all elections. This prompted the parties to rotate in power - as the western donors wanted. But these elections were themselves rigged (see The Economist). The European Union and western organizations said that the elections were free and fair - just because they wanted the parties to transfer power every five years, and for the country to be declared a fully-fledged democracy. Bangladesh is ruled by foreign powers; the country has never ruled itself.

The caretaker government couldn't stop the violence, which reached a peak in 2006 when the army took over. The country breathed a sigh of relief. The western donors allowed military rule seeing that violence had got out of control. However, they would not brook military rule for long. In 2008, the army handed power over to the secular Awami League instead of the religious BNP. The days of the caretaker government were over.

There are no issues in Bangladeshi politics. All issues -such as capitalism versus socialism - have been settled. The only issue left was religion. The Awami League had been the party of nationalism and secularism. The BNP began to stand for Islam.

Secularism in Bangladesh does not mean this-worldliness. The word cannot be translated into Bengali. In Bengali, the word means 'neutrality between religions': the state would promote all religions equally. Pakistan, of which Bangladesh had been its eastern part, was founded as a country for Muslims. The Awami League stood against Islam, and the country splintered. Today, Bangladesh is a deeply religious country, especially among the middle classes. When the BNP was in power, it persecuted the minority Hindus. Indeed, Bangladesh is ripe for a fundamentalist makeover.

Whenever a strongman is removed from power in a Muslim country, fundamentalism takes over. Democracy has sapped the state, which is seen today as weak and ineffective. (There have already been fourteen lynchings this year in Bangladesh.) People turn to the other world. Even in a secular society like Malaysia, a single fanatical party can infect the whole democratic practice.With the advent of democracy in Burma, Buddhist fundamentalism reared its head and resulted in the ethnic cleansing of Muslim Rohingyas who poured into Bangladesh - and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi uttered not a word of protest. Countries like Kazakhstan and Tajikistan have successfully fought fundamentalism. In Egypt, a military ruler has routed the fundamentalists. Before the sanctions on Iraq, the mosques used to be empty; after the sanctions began to bite, the mosques filled up. Sanctions killed 1.7 million Iraqi children (The Economist), enough to turn the sternest atheist otherworldly. And the current legislators had nothing better to do than ban alcohol.This is how western civilization has turned secular states into religious ones.

In the 1960s in Pakistan, military strongman Ayub Khan had the guts to annul the Islamic law of intermediate marriage: this required a divorced woman to marry another man before she could remarry her former husband. Now, any woman in Bangladesh (a former part of Pakistan) can remarry her divorced husband. More recently, a statue of Lady Justice was erected on the Supreme Court premises. Muslim civil society reacted with outrage. The government had to remove the statue. This is redolent of the Taliban and Islamic State destroying ancient monuments. The change 'twixt now and then.

I observed earlier that fundamentalism is everywhere. There is, however, one notable exception: Western Europe, home of the Enlightenment. But it is not the Enlightenment alone that makes Europeans secular (in that case Americans too would be secular). It is the power of the state: the state spends more than 40 per cent of GDP; the state makes it almost impossible to fire workers; this results in high unemployment because firms don't hire if they can't fire, but the unemployed get generous benefits. The reverse is true in America, where the state is kept deliberately weak. Losing your job, according to Paul Samuelson, causes half as much stress as losing your spouse. Also, the European Union has launched a heroic effort to throttle nationalism where it was born,

The secularism of the Awami League is peculiar, to say the least. Awami Leaguers are not only against Islam, they are pro-India and pro-Hindu. They are not secular. Their religion is Hinduism, which naturally makes them unpopular. If there were a free and fair election today, the opposition BNP would win hands down.

Western donors know that. After the extremist massacre of non-Muslims in an upscale restaurant in the capital and the death of all the jihadis involved, they realized the fissile nature of a Muslim polity. On the other hand, donors want to spread democracy. How will they square that circle? In my opinion, western donors will continue to back the ruling Awami League even if that means no democracy.
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Sure things don't exist in international relations, but we seem to be witnessing an impending settlement of the nearly 70-year-old Korean War. Kim Jong Un recently became the first ruler of North Korea to officially visit the South, where he conferred with president Moon Jae-In. De-nuclearization and a peace treaty look like real possibilities. Kim is also working out plans for a summit with US president Donald Trump.

Who gets the credit? According to Moon and to 19 Republican members of the US House of Representatives, Trump is the man of the hour and deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for bringing the two Koreas to the negotiating table.

Well, maybe so. There's a lot to happen yet -- the peace process is approaching, as Winston Churchill might say, the end of the beginning rather than the beginning of the end -- but the thaw undeniably came immediately after, and therefore can plausibly be attributed to, months of bellicose rhetoric from Trump. If things work out, he should indeed get a good deal of credit.

But frankly I'm not sure why he would want the Nobel Peace Prize, given that trophy's tarnished history. Four past presidents have won the prize. It's not obvious that any of them really deserved it.

Theodore Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for his mediation work in the Russo-Japanese war. But as late as four years prior to winning the prize, he had busied himself overseeing the butchery of somewhere between 250,000 and a million civilians (as well as 16,000 fighters) in the Philippine-American War.

Thirteen years later, after campaigning on his promise not to take the US into World War One and then promptly doing so at the cost of 116,000 American lives (and no telling how many additional and unnecessary deaths among the forces of other countries), Woodrow Wilson won the prize for his work in establishing the League of Nations.

Most people think of Jimmy Carter, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, as the peacenik of American presidents. It's true that he avoided taking the US directly to war as president, but he oversaw and continued or escalated US support for regimes and actions (such as the Indonesian invasion of East Timor) that resulted in hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of deaths.

And then, of course, there's Barack Obama. He received the prize almost immediately after his election to the presidency and before he had time to do anything of substance. Having received it, instead of going out and earning it, he continued the wars started by his own predecessors and started new ones of his own.

The Nobel Peace Prize is, so far as I can tell, an annual tribute to political hypocrites who make war while talking peace. South Korea's president is quoted by his office as saying "It's really President Trump who should receive [the prize]; we can just take peace." If the peace comes about, any credit accruing to Trump should buy him something more worthwhile than such a bloodstained trophy.
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From Counterpunch

In mid-May, super-war hawks Donald J. Trump (worried about the Mueller investigation), John Bolton, Trump's new unconfirmed national security adviser, and new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, are likely to pull out of the Iran nuclear accord. This would open the way for Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his Congressional allies to push for armed conflict with Iran.

"Don't do it," declare our allies, Britain, France, and Germany -- signatories to the Iran accord along with China and Russia. "Don't do it," say former secretaries of state and secretaries of defense from both Republican and Democratic administrations. "Don't do it," says Trump's own Secretary of Defense, Jim Mattis, and Trump's chief of staff, General John Kelly.

"Don't do it," say outspoken former top Israeli national security and intelligence officials berating Netanyahu.

All of the above say Iran is in compliance with the accord's demand to stop its nuclear arms program and allows thorough inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency. All parties agree that if Trump disrupts this accord, even more havoc will break loose in that volatile region. This is what both Israel and some Persian Gulf nations may desire, as long as the U.S. bears the burden of this reckless action and plunges into another deep quagmire to add to those in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.

You'd think that the Israeli government couldn't play Uncle Sam a sucker to fight yet another war -- this one against Iran with American soldiers and money. But the three warmongers, named above, are driving U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Unfortunately, Congress regularly disregards its constitutional duties and follows the lead of AIPAC lobbyists.

Both Trump and Netanyahu paint Iran as the most dangerous terrorist state in the world. Really? It wasn't the Iranian regime that illegally cost over one million Iraqi civilian lives and blew that country apart. It was George W. Bush and Dick Cheney becoming major war criminals whose actions cost the lives of over 5,000 American soldiers, injured or made sick well over 100,000 more, and wasted trillions of dollars continuing to this day.

Iran wants its sphere of influence. The country has memories. For example, in 1953, the U.S. overthrew Iran's democratically elected prime minister and reinstalled the dictatorial Shah who ruled despotically for the next 26 years. In 2002, George W. Bush targeted Iran, Iraq, and North Korea, referring to them as the "axis of evil." Iran saw what he did to Iraq and didn't want to take chances by surrendering its security perimeter.

The U.S. has Iran militarily surrounded on its eastern, western, and southern borders. Israel has working spies in Iran, creating secret sabotage and mayhem. Israel, which has illegally bombed civil war-wracked Syria (no threat to Israel) dozens of times, has recently hit locations known to have Iranian advisors to Bashar Assad, Syria's ruler, while fighting ISIS, along with U.S. forces there. Iranians have been killed in these raids.

So who is the aggressor here? Unlike Israel's many invasions and military incursions, Iran, a poor country, has not invaded any country for over 250 years. Iraq's dictator invaded Iran in 1980, with U.S. backing, costing Iran an estimated 500,000 lives.

No country, save the U.S. Empire, has the chutzpah that Netanyahu possesses because he knows the U.S. government and the mass media will embrace his expanding push for U.S. militarism in the Middle East.

Note the interview by NPR's Steve Inskeep of Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., Ron Dermer, on May 1, 2018. Inskeep was trying to be firm with Mr. Dermer, who was going beyond any evidence that Iran possesses a nuclear weapons program.

The ambassador was showcasing the theft of old Iranian documents from an Israeli nighttime raid on an Iranian warehouse. (The New York Times called these documents about a long-suspended program "Mr. Netanyahu's Flimflam on Iran"). When that ploy didn't work, he tried to tell Inskeep that Iran will get to a nuclear bomb by staying with the deal because existing restrictions will be removed someday and the existing inspections are "a joke." He also condemned Iran for violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The ambassador's flailing accusations could have, but did not, set the stage for Inskeep to ask the following obvious question:

"Mr. Ambassador, Israel has long had a nuclear weapons program, with an estimated 150 or more nuclear bombs at the ready. Also, your country has rejected belonging to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty so you can avoid any international inspectors provided by this global agreement. Your critics would say, 'Who are you to complain about Iran, which is afraid of not only your bombers made in America, but also your large nuclear bombs and warheads?'"

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On Wednesday, May 2, Trump defiantly tweeted that the four dozen questions Special Counsel Robert Mueller wants to ask him are "a setup & trap." This was in sharp contrast to his tweet back in January, "I'm looking forward to it." The "it" was testifying before Mueller. Just what changed in the five months to cause Trump to dig in his heels? In a word, nothing. The January tweet was nothing but another big smokescreen from a man who has practically rewritten the script on how to duck, doge, obfuscate, and flat out lie on the Mueller probe. Trump will do everything legally possible not to testify. He'll accompany that with a well-tuned media and public barrage of acid words and slurs at Mueller and anyone and anything connected with the probe. Trump is not stupid. He didn't need his ever-changing pack of attorneys to tell him that anything he said to Mueller is fraught with mountainous legal perils for him. He also didn't need to see the leaked questions to know that. Why else, months after Mueller publicly declared he wanted to talk to Trump there is no date set for him to testify, or timetable for setting one. There still isn't.

From day one, the prospect of him testifying set off a mad legal scramble behind the scenes by him, and his attorneys to weasel out of giving any testimony. In the months before Trump's public boasted about testifying, Mueller laid the groundwork for what, if any case, could be made against him for collusion by pecking away around the edges. He indicted several key Trump campaign and administration associates. He indicted 13 Russian nationals, and in the process blew open the details of how Russia pulled off its elaborate, and wide-ranging presidential election scam. He then followed that up by wringing a guilty plea to lying to investigators from a top-notch New York attorney about his work for a Ukrainian firm knee deep in the election scam. This guaranteed the likelihood of more plea deals from, and indictments of, those involved in some way in the scam. However, these maneuvers were just the legal and public warm-up act to the main event. That was getting Trump to talk.

The Mueller probe has always had one publicly stated official purpose and one privately unstated purpose. The official purpose is to determine if, and how, Russia meddled in the 2016 election. The FBI, CIA, and NSA in separate reports in January 2017 firmly established that it had. Then President Obama followed that up by ordering an investigation into the extent of Russian election meddling. The indictment of the 13 Russian nationals a year later simply fleshed out the details of the meddling. Even Trump in between lambasting the investigation as a "hoax' and shouting "no collusion," "no collusion," was careful to add that he had never said that the Russians "or someone" hadn't put their dirty fingers in the 2016 presidential election. So, there was little left to say about that part of the probe.

The unstated purpose for the probe is to determine if Trump, or someone operating at his behest, knowingly or unknowingly, had their hands in the Russian scheme. This is the thorny issue that has hung over the probe from the start. It is clearly established that the Russians set up their elaborate election fraud campaign to wreck Hillary Clinton's campaign. It did a pretty masterful job at it by spreading malicious gossip, lies, and hit pieces all over the public and media landscape about her. The aim was to ensure that Trump got in the Oval Office.

If that could be proven, then the question would be would Mueller bring charges against him? Legal experts have been furiously debating that point. The Nixon-Watergate and Clinton cases are cited to show that he could be indicted. Watergate prosecutors argued that Nixon could have been indicted for his role in the Watergate break-in. There was evidence that independent counsel Kenneth Starr did prepare a memo that then President Clinton could be indicted on issues involving the Lewinsky scandal. The greatest shield Trump would have beyond the constitutional quibble over indictment was precedent. No sitting president has ever been indicted, simply because it would cause monumental political and legal havoc and paralyze the chief executive and by extension the government. That didn't mean, however, it couldn't happen; even traditions can be broken.

Trump is very much aware of that potential danger. This is the major reason he's employed every legal dodge not to give face-to-face testimony to Mueller. He's dredged up the "bad precedent" argument to make the claim that a sitting president talking to a prosecutor in a potential criminal case could hamstring the presidency. The only valid point about this is that Mueller is a prosecutor and sitting down with him to testify would be adversarial and for a president, embarrassing. And since, Trump is an unabashed liar and story-changer to suit his purposes, there's the added danger that Mueller could nail him for lying to a federal prosecutor.

Trump will move heaven and earth to make sure that doesn't happen. This means saying no to a sit-down with Mueller every way he can and every chance he gets.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His forthcoming book is, Why Black Lives Do Matter (Middle Passage Press). He is a weekly co-host of the Al Sharpton Show on Radio One. He is the host of the weekly Hutchinson Report on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles and the Pacifica Network.
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From Consortium News

I first encountered Trotskyists in Minnesota half a century ago during the movement against the Vietnam War. I appreciated their skill in organizing anti-war demonstrations and their courage in daring to call themselves "communists" in the United States of America -- a profession of faith that did not groom them for the successful careers enjoyed by their intellectual counterparts in France. So I started my political activism with sympathy toward the movement. In those days it was in clear opposition to U.S. imperialism, but that has changed.

The first thing one learns about Trotskyism is that it is split into rival tendencies. Some remain consistent critics of imperialist war, notably those who write for the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS).

Others, however, have translated the Trotskyist slogan of "permanent revolution" (turning a bourgeois revolution into a working class one) into the hope that every minority uprising in the world must be a sign of the long awaited world revolution -- especially those that catch the approving eye of mainstream media. More often than deploring U.S. intervention, they join in reproaching Washington for not intervening sooner on behalf of the alleged revolution.

A recent article in the International Socialist Review (issue #108, March 1, 2018) entitled "Revolution and counterrevolution in Syria" indicates so thoroughly how Trotskyism can go wrong that it is worthy of a critique. Since the author, Tony McKenna, writes well and with evident conviction, this is a strong not a weak example of the Trotskyist mindset.

McKenna starts out with a passionate denunciation of the regime of Bashar al Assad, which, he says, responded to a group of children who simply wrote some graffiti on a wall by "beating them, burning them, pulling their fingernails out." The source of this grisly information is not given. There could be no eye witnesses to such sadism, and the very extremism sounds very much like war propaganda -- Germans carving up Belgian babies in the First World War.

The Issue of Sources

It raises the issue of sources. There are many sources of accusations against the Assad regime, on which McKenna liberally draws, indicating that he is writing not from personal observation, any more than I am. Clearly, he is strongly disposed to believe the worst, and even to embroider it somewhat. He accepts and develops without the shadow of a doubt the theory that Assad himself is responsible for spoiling the good revolution by releasing Islamist prisoners who went on to poison it with their extremism. The notion that Assad himself infected the rebellion with Islamist fanaticism is at best a hypothesis concerning not facts but intentions, which are invisible. But it is presented as unchallengeable evidence of Assad's perverse wickedness.

This interpretation of events happens to dovetail neatly with the current Western doctrine on Syria, so that it is impossible to tell them apart. In both versions, the West is no more than a passive onlooker, whereas Assad enjoys the backing of Iran and Russia.

"Much has been made of Western imperial support for the rebels in the early years of the revolution. This has, in fact, been an ideological lynchpin of first the Iranian and then the Russian military interventions as they took the side of the Assad government. Such interventions were framed in the spirit of anti-colonial rhetoric in which Iran and Russia purported to come to the aid of a beleaguered state very much at the mercy of a rapacious Western imperialism that was seeking to carve the country up according to the appetites of the US government and the International Monetary Fund," according to McKenna.

Whose "ideological lynchpin?" Not that of Russia, certainly, whose line in the early stages of its intervention was not to denounce Western imperialism but to appeal to the West and especially to the United States to join in the fight against Islamist extremism.

Neither Russia nor Iran "framed their interventions in the spirit of anti-colonial rhetoric" but in terms of the fight against Islamist extremism with Wahhabi roots.

Organic U.S.-Israel Alliance

In reality, a much more pertinent "framing" of Western intervention, taboo in the mainstream and even in Moscow, is that Western support for armed rebels in Syria was being carried out to help Israel destroy its regional enemies. The Middle East nations attacked by the West -- Iraq, Libya and Syria -- all just happen to be, or have been, the last strongholds of secular Arab nationalism and support for Palestinian rights. There are a few alternative hypotheses to Western motives -- oil pipelines, imperialist atavism, desire to arouse Islamist extremism to weaken Russia (the Brzezinski gambit) -- but none are as coherent as the organic alliance between Israel and the United States, and its NATO sidekicks.

It is remarkable that McKenna's long article (some 12 thousand words) about the war in Syria mentions Israel only once (aside from a footnote citing Israeli national news as a source). And this mention actually equates Israelis and Palestinians as co-victims of Assad propaganda: the Syrian government "used the mass media to slander the protestors, to present the revolution as the chaos orchestrated by subversive international interests (the Israelis and the Palestinians were both implicated in the role of foreign infiltrators)."

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India Automotive Emission Control System Market 2025: Outlook, Insights, Trends, Size, Forecast, Opportunity, Demand Analysis

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Market HighlightsFunctional Near-infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a device designed to detect changes in the concentration of oxygenated (oxyHb) and deoxygenated (deoxyHb) haemoglobin molecules in the blood, a method commonly used to assess cerebral activity. fNIRS is a type of functional neuroimaging technology that offers a relatively non-invasive, safe, portable, and low-cost method of indirect and direct monitoring of brain activity.The report includes profiles of major players in the industry. Company profiles include detailed information about business strategies, product portfolio, recent developments and regional positioning of these manufacturers. The report also provides in-depth analysis about market competition and positioning of key market players along with their market winning strategies.Detailed Sample Copy of Updated Analysis @Top Industry Players:This report studies the global FNIRS Brain Imaging System market, analyzes and researches the FNIRS Brain Imaging System development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, like: Hitachi, Shimadzu Corporation, NIRx, ISS, Biopac, Techen, Artinis, Gowerlabs, Spectratech.Key Benefits This report provides a quantitative analysis of the current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the global FNIRS Brain Imaging System market from 2018 to 2023 to identify the prevailing market opportunities. The key countries in all the majors regions are mapped based on their market share. Major countries in each region are mapped according to their revenue contribution to the global industry. Market player positioning segment facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of market players. The report includes in details the analysis of the regional as well as global market, key players, market segments, and application areas, and growth strategies.Request Discount on this repots @Market SegmentMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia) Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, covers Desk Type Portable TypeMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided into University Hospital Research InstitutionBrowse Report @About Future Genic ReportsFuture Generic Reports is a market research and consulting organization, offering premium collection of market research reports, custom research and consulting services to corporations, no-profit organizations and government institutions across the globe.The wide range of information is presented by a team of well-trained researchers of specific sectors through exhaustive research. We deliver premier market research services that cover all industry verticals, including chemicals and material, automotive, healthcare, electronics & semiconductor, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals and technology and media.We believe in building an eternal bond with our clients through offering them inclusive research study meeting their specific requirements. Our services are tailored specifically to our clients by proposing them the potential outcome, based on our in-depth analysis and insights for exploring the growth strategies through providing the best possible decision for quality production.Contact us:Future Generic Reports244 , Madison AvenueNew York City, NY - 10016United StatesToll Free +1- 844-445-2861Email: sales@futuregenicreports.com
Bank ABC, a leading player in the regions banking industry, has appointed Alex Leenen, a financial industry veteran, as the Group Chief Operating Officer based at its head office in Bahrain.

In support of the Group Strategy, Alex will be responsible for the delivery of the key support areas across the Group, including Group Operations, Group IT, Corporate Communications, and Digital Banking and Retail, said a statement from the bank.

In addition, he will oversee the Functional (currently COO Treasury and COO WB) and Country COOs, who will each have a direct reporting line to Alex, next to their reporting line to their respective Functional Heads and local CEOs.

Leenen is an experienced international banker, having served with Deutsche Bank for more than 25 years, variously in the UK, Germany, The Netherlands and the Middle-East.

During his tenure his roles have included those of Head of Global Transaction Banking (MEA), Country CEO Netherlands, Global Chief Operating Officer Transaction Banking as well as Chairman of the Sub-Sahara Africa Business Forum.

Leenen will be a member of the Group ManCom, and will directly report into the Deputy Group CEO.

On the appointment, Sael Al Waary, the Deputy Group CEO said: "Leenen is, first and foremost, a banker who is passionate about providing top quality services and support to external and internal customers alike and I am confident that the experience that he brings will be an asset to the entire group."

Group CEO Dr Khaled Kawan said: I look forward to working closely with Leenen in reinforcing our franchise across our core geographies and enhancing the service delivery for our expanding client base."

His directly relevant experience will prove invaluable as we continue our strategic transformation, he added.

Bank ABC is a leading player in the regions banking industry and provides innovative wholesale financial products and services that include corporate banking, trade finance, project and structured finance, syndications, treasury and financial markets products and Islamic banking.

It also provides retail-banking services through its network of retail banks in Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria.-TradeArabia News Service
Global Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine Market 2018-2025 Komatsu, DMG MORI, OKUMA, GILDEMEISTER

Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine Market

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http://www.qymarketstudy.com/report/global-heavy-duty-plano-milling-machine-sales-market-4562

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QYMarketStudy include new market study "Global Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine Market" examines the performance of the Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine market 2018. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail. Firstly, the report covers the top Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Top Manufacturers Analysis and Sellers are DMG MORI, GILDEMEISTER, MAZAK, OKUMA, Komatsu, DOOSAN and Others.The Global Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine Market 2018 report includes Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine market Revenue, market Share, Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine industry volume, market Trends, Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report. It shows manufacturing capacity, Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine Price during the Forecast period from 2018 to 2022.Request Sample:Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine Market By Application are Automotive Industry, Aerospace Industry, Electronic Industry and Other.Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine Market By Type are Horizontal Milling Machine and Vertical Milling Machine.Further, the Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine industry, Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine market revenue worldwide.Finally, Heavy Duty Plano Milling Machine market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:QYMarketStudy.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We have a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of the technology industry.Contact Us:3626 North Hall Street (Two Oak Lawn),Suite 610,Dallas, TX 75219, USAContact No. +1-214-661-1669Web:Email: sales@qymarketstudy.com
Worldwide Cell Culture Market is anticipated to develop at CAGR of 10% from 2018 to 2025

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https://www.xpodenceresearch.com/Reports/Cell-Culture-Market

Market Scenario:The global cell culture market was valued at USD 11,210.7 million in 2015 with a CAGR of over 10% over the forecast period. Increasing R&D activities of healthcare, biological, and stem cell applications has enhanced the demand of molecular biological activities which is further projected to persist a vibrant aspect for market growth. . The introduction of advanced technologies such as rDNA technique, proteomic & genomic shaping, and genetic engineering has made the cell culture technology as an indispensable tool.Increasing cases of chronic diseases has led to the firm growth of cell culture technology applications in drug discovery, cancer diagnosis and biologics production. Rising growth in the number of regulatory approvals for cell culture-based vaccines and increasing funding for cell-based research will also influenced the market positively. Furthermore, growing application of single-use technologies and rising demand for mAbs are few factor projected to spur the market growth. . Additionally, affluence from various applications such as genetic engineering, research model systems, and continuous research related to cellular functions and stem cell research is also expected to drive the cell culture process globally.Request a Sample Report @Key Players:Prominent participants of the cell culture technology include Sartorius, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Merck, Corning, Sigma-Aldrich Co., LLC, Promocell, General Electric, Eppendorf and Becton, Lonza, and Dickinson & Company. The industry players are majorly focused in the development of 3D cell culture methods that are considered to be the improved version of two dimensional cell cultured methods which is further expected to propel the development and growth of the industry globally.Culture Systems segment holds the significant share in 2015Cell culture media segment is expected to have brisk development owing to growing trend for Animal Derived Component Free (ADCF) media. Technical innovations in functionality & designs of cell culture devices and firm recognition for mechanized culture methods by various prominent players are key aspects encouraging the growth of instruments segment.Culture systems segment is projected to contribute majorly as the devices in the segment have fundamental impact to any cell culture technology. Culture systems include culture plates, T-flasks, culture bags, bioreactors, roller bottles, and centrifuges. Furthermore, spheroid development and complex bioreactors advancement has provided several opportunities for introducing 3-D cell cultures contrasting to the traditional 2-D cell cultures.Biopharmaceuticals segment is expected to generate major revenue in the application segment followed by vaccines production owing to mass culture of animal cells, particularly mammalian for viral vaccines and biotechnological products.Industry Analysis:Cell culture technology includes several complications including raw material supply and fully traceable botanical extracts. Also, growing attention on certifying regulatory compliances associated with environmental sustainability can impede the efficacy of the technology. To overcome these complications, in 2017, researchers from News Medical Life-sciences swayed towards culture model development which can be used for initial treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) which is considered to be the major cause for vision loss and is more prevalent in elderly people.The cell culture technology application has enhanced to the extent where the orthodox manual small scale production and cultures handling is not enough to surpass the demand for new age production. . This has led to the growth of computerized large-scale cell culture processes capable of fabricating high throughput cell cultures in larger quantities with excellent purity.Few other factors spurring the growth includes rise in life sciences research, cell based technology advancement, cumulative cell based production, and mounting demand of cell based therapies. Though, extensive cost involvement in cell culture research, lack of awareness for diagnosis technologies, and high contamination risks may hinder the market growth. Furthermore, optimization & handling of cell-based protocol in vitro studies will defies the market growth.Broadly, the market has been segmented on the basis of products and application. The product segment is further bifurcated into consumables and instrument segment. Consumables segment includes media, reagents, and sera, while instrument segment includes incubators, pipetting instruments, culture systems, centrifuges, cryostorage equipment and biosafety equipment. Based on application segment, cell culture technology has various applications in cancer research, drug development, biopharmaceuticals, vaccine production, tissue culture & engineering, gene therapy, and toxicity testing.Market Segmentation:The global Cell Culture market is segmented on the basis of application and geography. Based on applications the global Cell Culture market is classified as telecommunications, industrial sector, and others. The global Cell Culture market is segmented based on regions as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. North America is estimated to hold the major share in the global Cell Culture market and is expected to remain dominant the forecast period. Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth in the global Cell Culture market over the analysis period.North America holds largest share in overall marketNorth America dominates the global cell culture market share owing to the instant development of automated cell culture processes, and rise in stem cell therapy application. Cell culture technology has major application in Canadian & U.S. life science laboratories majorly for cellular expression, cultivating monoclonal antibodies, pluripotent stem cell research and cryobanking responsible for more than one third revenue generation.In Asia Pacific region, particularly in Japan, automatic single cell examination and segregation systems for advanced stem cell therapies are also projected to spur the cell culture market over the forecast period. Furthermore, increasing investments in pharmaceutical and healthcare sector and growing support from non-government and government bodies is also anticipated to boost the industry growth.Access Report Details @About us:Xpodence Research have the most extensive collection of market research reports of many categories. Xpodence Research provides the best market research solution for every industry by publishing the best possible results of great market research firms worldwide. For every particular problem, theres a particular solution, so according to the customer needs, we provide the best possible results to them from different market research organization, whether its a Custom Research or Syndicated Research reports because the product that wins is the one that bridges customers to the future, not the one that requires a giant leap.Every organization, whether it is related to Pharmaceuticals, Technology, Eatables, Consumable Goods and many more demands a market research results so that they can take important decisions for more productivity and better output in this swift world. Xpodence Research gives the best possible outcome, perfect forecast, analysis and insights of market research in the form of report which is beneficial for various organisations and also to the manufacturing companies in taking the best decisions for quality production.Contact us:Xpodence Research244 , Madison AvenueNew York City, NY - 10016United StatesToll Free +1- 844-445-2861Email: sales@xpodenceresearch.com
Worldwide Quartz Market | Projected to Grow high CAGR | Forecast till 2023

Quartz market

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BusinessIndustryReports.com has new research report on the global Quartz Market. The global Quartz Market is growing continuously and expected to grow healthy CAGR by Forecast year 2023Quartz Market is a mineral composed of silicon and oxygen atoms in a continuous framework of SiO4 siliconoxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical formula of SiO2. Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust, behind feldspar.Quartz Market crystals are chiral, and exist in two forms, the normal -quartz and the high-temperature -quartz. The transformation from -quartz to -quartz takes place abruptly at 573 C (846 K). Since the transformation is accompanied by a significant change in volume, it can easily induce fracturing of ceramics or rocks passing through this temperature limit.Quartz Market are many different varieties of quartz, several of which are semi-precious gemstones. Since antiquity, varieties of quartz have been the most commonly used minerals in the making of jewelry and hardstone carvings, especially in Eurasia.Premium Sample Report Available atThe 'Global and Chinese Quartz Industry, 2013-2023 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Quartz industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Quartz manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Then, the report explores the international and Chinese major industry players in detail. In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2013-2018 market shares for each company. Through the statistical analysis, the report depicts the global and Chinese total market of Quartz industry including capacity, production, production value, cost/profit, supply/demand and Chinese import/export. The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis. The report then estimates 2018-2023 market development trends of Quartz industry. Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and current market dynamics is also carried out.The study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global Quartz capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2023);Focuses on the key Quartz manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future.Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis.To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region.To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the marketTo analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the marketTo strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.Key StakeholdersQuartz ManufacturersQuartz Distributors/Traders/WholesalersQuartz Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsComplete report on Global Quartz Market Size, Status and Forecast 2023 is spread across 115 pages and provides exclusive vital statistics, data, information, trends and landscape details in this niche sector. Get Direct Copy of this Research Report @Major Table of Content1 Global Quartz Market Research Report 20182 Global Quartz Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Quartz Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)4 Global Quartz Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)5 Global Quartz Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global Quartz Market Analysis by Application7 Global Quartz Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 Quartz Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Quartz Market Forecast (2018-2023 )13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 AppendixKey questions answered in the report:What will the market growth rate of Quartz market in 2023 ?What are the key factors driving the global Quartz market?What are sales, revenue, and price analysis of top manufacturers of Quartz market?Who are the distributors, traders and dealers of Quartz market?Who are the key manufacturers in Quartz market space?What are the Quartz market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the global Quartz market?What are sales, revenue, and price analysis by types and applications of Quartz market?What are sales, revenue, and price analysis by regions of Quartz market?What are the market opportunities, market risk and market overview of the Quartz market?More Inquire atAbout usBusinessIndustryReports.com is digital database of comprehensive market reports for global industries. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined - we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Media ContactBusiness Market ReportsPune  Indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940
GiftaLove.com Announces the Availability of Mothers Day Express Delivery Services!

https://www.giftalove.com/same-day-delivery/mothers-day

https://www.giftalove.com/mothers-day

GiftaLove.com is acclaimed for rendering with ample of ranges for wonderful gifts, cakes and flowers with efficient nationwide and worldwide gifts delivery services. Currently, the portal is announcing the availability of Mothers day express delivery services for the customers.New Delhi, India : For the celebration of Mothers Day, this is undoubtedly the best time of the year to start the preparations for the festival of motherhood. Also, this is the best time of the year to do Mothers Day gift shopping as well. Thus, GiftaLove.com, Indias popular online gift store has come up with its exclusive range of Mothers Day gifts online that is catering to the distinctive gifting needs of the customers with its extensive range of gifting solutions online. In addition to the ease of widest gifting solutions for Mothers Day 2018, the portal is also offering services for Mothers Day express Delivery services online.The celebration of Mothers Day brings a day of opportunity for everyone to honor mothers unconditional love and care as well as pay respect to motherhood. Gifting brings in the joy of sharing happiness and expressing thankful gratitude to dearest mother and motherhood.On a conversation regarding the facility of Mothers day express delivery, the official representative of the portal stated, At GiftaLove.com, we have been offering the extensive range of Mothers day gift to the customers for over a month of time but now when the day of Mothers Day celebration is round the corner, it is the right time for people to avail Mothers day express delivery (). It is the exclusive delivery service that we offer for people to avoid the festive rush that further causes delay in gifts delivery in India. The Mothers day express delivery services assure the reach of the gifts to the specified address within 24 hours of the order placement.In the wide range of Mothers day express delivery; there are plenty of choices for gifts that are heart winning and impressive too. People can buy Heart Shape Cake, combo of flowers with chocolates, glass vase mixed flower arrangement, basket of lovely roses, Good luck plant, combo of roses with cake, Red Velvet Cupcakes, Rose with sweets, Hampers of roses with chocolates and cake, Bouquet of chocolates, designer flower bouquets and plenty of other attractive gifting options online.Apart from the extensive Mothers Day Gifts collection, GiftaLove.com also caters to the demands of the customers for Birthday cakes, romantic flower arrangements, anniversary flowers, unique personalized gifts, spiritual gifts, birthday gifts, chocolate hampers, soft toys, anniversary cakes, cosmetic hampers, good luck plants, home decorating items and plenty of other attractive gifting options online.For more information about mother's day gifts, visit atGiftaLove.com is the name for Indias prominent and popular online gift store that caters the customers with extensive line of gifts, flowers and cakes for everyone and every time. During this time of the year when Mothers Day is just few days ahead, the portal has introduced services for Mothers day express delivery. Thus, people can now send Mothers Day gift to momma with speedy delivery services across India. For more details about the range of products as well as services, visit at the website of the gift store.Company Name: GiftaLoveContact Person: SoniyaEmail:- support@giftalove.comPhone:- 8882001155Address:- Mayur Vihar Phase -1City: New DelhiCountry: India
Global Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges Market 2018-2025 DeFelsko, Siemens, Olympus, Checkline, Huatec

Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges Market

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http://www.qymarketstudy.com/report/global-ultrasonic-wall-thickness-gauges-market-4590

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QYMarketStudy include new market study "Global Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges Market" examines the performance of the Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges market 2018. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail. Firstly, the report covers the top Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Top Manufacturers Analysis and Sellers are GE, Siemens, SONOTEC, DeFelsko Corporation, LaserLinc, Olympus, EPK, Checkline, Cygnus Instruments, Systec Controls, Tritex NDT, Huatec Group, TMTeck Instrument (TMTeck).The Global Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges Market 2018 report includes Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges market Revenue, market Share, Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges industry volume, market Trends, Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report. It shows manufacturing capacity, Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges Price during the Forecast period from 2018 to 2022.Request Sample:Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges Market By Application are Refinery, Chemical Plant, Steel Industry, and Others.Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges Market By Type are Protable Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges and Stationary Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges.Further, the Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges industry, Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges market revenue worldwide.Finally, Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauges market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:QYMarketStudy.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We have a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of the technology industry.Contact Us:3626 North Hall Street (Two Oak Lawn),Suite 610,Dallas, TX 75219, USAContact No. +1-214-661-1669Web:Email: sales@qymarketstudy.com
Global Drone Flight Simulators Market Forecast Analysis 2018-2025 L3 Technologies, Thales, Boeing, Microsoft

Drone Flight Simulators Market

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http://www.qymarketstudy.com/report/global-drone-flight-simulators-market-4629

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QYMarketStudy include new market study "Global Drone Flight Simulators Market" examines the performance of the Drone Flight Simulators market 2018. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Drone Flight Simulators market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Drone Flight Simulators market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail. Firstly, the report covers the top Drone Flight Simulators manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Top Manufacturers Analysis and Sellers are CAE, L3 Technologies, FlightSafety International, Thales, Rockwell Collins, Boeing, Textron, Microsoft.Request Sample:The Global Drone Flight Simulators Market 2018 report includes Drone Flight Simulators market Revenue, market Share, Drone Flight Simulators industry volume, market Trends, Drone Flight Simulators Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report. It shows manufacturing capacity, Drone Flight Simulators Price during the Forecast period from 2018 to 2022.Drone Flight Simulators Market By Application are Civilian and Military.Drone Flight Simulators Market By Type are VR Drone Fight Simulator and AR Drone Fight Simulator.Further, the Drone Flight Simulators report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Drone Flight Simulators industry, Drone Flight Simulators industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Drone Flight Simulators Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Drone Flight Simulators research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Drone Flight Simulators market revenue worldwide.Finally, Drone Flight Simulators market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:QYMarketStudy.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We have a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of the technology industry.Contact Us:3626 North Hall Street (Two Oak Lawn),Suite 610,Dallas, TX 75219, USAContact No. +1-214-661-1669Web:Email: sales@qymarketstudy.com
Global Shot Blasting Machines Market Size 2018-2025 Rosler, Pangborn, Siapro, Kaitai, Wheelabrator

Shot Blasting Machines Market

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http://www.qymarketstudy.com/report/global-shot-blasting-machines-market-4635

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QYMarketStudy include new market study "Global Shot Blasting Machines Market" examines the performance of the Shot Blasting Machines market 2018. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Shot Blasting Machines market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Shot Blasting Machines market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail. Firstly, the report covers the top Shot Blasting Machines manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Top Manufacturers Analysis and Sellers are Wheelabrator, Rosler, Sinto, Pangborn, Agtos, Goff, Siapro, Kaitai, Qingdao Zhuji, Qingdao Huanghe, Longfa, Ruida, Fengte, Taiyuan.Request Sample Report Shot Blasting Machines Market:The Global Shot Blasting Machines Market 2018 report includes Shot Blasting Machines market Revenue, market Share, Shot Blasting Machines industry volume, market Trends, Shot Blasting Machines Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report. It shows manufacturing capacity, Shot Blasting Machines Price during the Forecast period from 2018 to 2022.Shot Blasting Machines Market By Application are Automotive, Aerospace, Shipbuilding, Foundry and Others.Shot Blasting Machines Market By Type are Hanger Type, Tumblast Machine, Continuous Through-feed, Rotary Table and Others.Further, the Shot Blasting Machines report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Shot Blasting Machines industry, Shot Blasting Machines industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Shot Blasting Machines Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Shot Blasting Machines research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Shot Blasting Machines market revenue worldwide.Finally, Shot Blasting Machines market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:QYMarketStudy.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We have a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of the technology industry.Contact Us:3626 North Hall Street (Two Oak Lawn),Suite 610,Dallas, TX 75219, USAContact No. +1-214-661-1669Web:Email: sales@qymarketstudy.com
Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-2025

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Aortic aneurysm is a medical condition, in which aorta, gets enlarged. Abdominal and Thoracic are two categories of aortic aneurysm. These conditions can lead to abdominal pain, low blood pressure, loss of consciousness or even death. Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is a minimally invasive surgical method to treat abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysm. It is an alternative to open surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), which makes it relatively safe and less time consuming. However, not all patients suffering from aneurysm are suitable for EVAR. Also, it is difficult to treat aneurysm near or on the kidney using EVAR.Request a sample copy of this report:Increasing demand for minimally invasive surgeries to treat various medical conditions to boost growth of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) marketAccording to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, 2016, the number of patients opting for endovascular aneurysm repair has increased significantly during 20052012. For instance, in 2005, the percentage of patients in the U.S. suffering from aneurysm opting for EVAR was around 50%, which increased to 75.4% in 2012. A similar pattern was observed in England. Increasing consumer inclination towards this revolutionary procedure is attributed to it being a minimally-invasive method of treatment that requires minimal stay in hospitals, smaller incisions, less scaring, and aids in rapid recovery. This is expected to aid in growth of the market.North America is expected to hold a dominant position in global endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) market over the forecast periodNorth America accounted for the largest share in the global endovascular aneurysm market in 2016, owing to increasing prevalence of aneurysms and rising geriatric population, which is more prone to this condition. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, 2016, 278,921 patients underwent repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm in the U.S. during 20052012. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2014, aortic aneurysms led to death of 9,863 in the U.S. Moreover, aneurysm is more prevalent is geriatric population i.e. 50 years and above. According to the U.S. Population Reference Bureau, the population aged 65 years and above is expected to increase from 46 million in 2014 to over 98 million by 2060. With increasing geriatric population, prevalence of aneurysm is also expected to increase. Europe is expected to be the second largest market for EVAR. This is owing to implementation of the National Health Service program across the U.K. This involves screening for various disease conditions among the populace in the region. Successful implementation of this system has in turn led to fast detection of abdominal aneurysm especially in the U.K., Italy, and Sweden. This helps in early diagnosis of disease, thereby, increasing demand for AAA treatments such as EVAR.Access Table of Content (TOC) Of the Report:Key players operating in endovascular aneurysm market include Medtronic plc. Cook Medical, Gore Medical, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Terumo Corporation, Boston Scientific Corporation, Abbott Laboratories, Volcano Corporation, C.R. Bard, Spectranetics International BV, Cordis Corporation (Johnson and Johnson Co.), and St. Jude Medical Inc.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Insulin Delivery Devices Market - Global Trends, and Forecast to 2025

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nsulin Delivery Devices Market - InsightsInsulin is vital for people suffering from type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. In the past, patients with diabetes had to inject insulin using large glass syringes and reusable needles, both of which needed sterilization by boiling after each use. Improvements and innovations has led to development of insulin delivery devices such as pens and insulin pumps. Furthermore, insulin analogs have become available that enable both continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion(CSII) using an insulin pump and insulin therapy using multiple daily injections (MDI) to more closely match physiologic insulin patterns. Type or dosage of insulin can be changed, to meet the individual needs of the patient. Insulin can be packaged in vials (bottles), cartridges or prefilled pens. The cartridges are used with pen injectors whereas the vials are used with syringes.Request a sample copy of this report:The global insulin delivery devices market was valued at US$ 11,326.9 million in 2017 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 11.3% over the forecast period (20172025).Increasing prevalence of diabetes is expected to drive growth of the insulin delivery devices market over the forecast periodIncreasing prevalence and incidence of diabetes is a major factor driving the insulin delivery devices market growth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2014, about 29.1 million people in the U.S. have diabetes with a healthcare burden of around US$ 245 Bn and with an estimated 4.69.2% of pregnant women affected by gestational diabetes. Moreover, the Australian government launched National Diabetes Strategy (201620), for an action to prevent diabetes and support the people living with diabetes. Thus, rise in government initiatives to support diabetic patients is expected to favor growth of the insulin delivery devices market.Development of systems and devices for improved drug delivery is expected to be factor for growth of the market. When compared with vial and syringe regimens, insulin pens offer a greater clinical efficacy, improved quality of life, and increased dosing accuracy, particularly at low doses. Thus, introduction of insulin pen devices has aided patients with diabetes mellitus in easier and more convenient treatment regimens. For instance, in January 2014, Novo Nordisk launched the NovoPen Echo in the U.S. market. This is the first and only pen device available in the U.S. with half-unit dosing and a memory function that can record the dose and time passed since the last injection.Advancements in technology in devices is a factor fueling growth of the insulin delivery devices marketIncreasing awareness and growing demand for insulin delivery devices for diabetes control are factors contributing towards the market growth. North America, followed by Europe are the largest markets for insulin delivery devices. Increasing prevalence of lifestyle associated diseases, implementation of awareness programs regarding diabetes, and higher adoption rate of advanced medical devices contributes towards the growth of the market in North America. For instance, in 2010, according to Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, insulin pumps were more widely used on the American side of the Atlantic than on the European side. As a result, insulin pumps is expected to gain demand quickly during the second half of the forecast period. Furthermore, In 2016, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention in partnership with the Emirates Diabetes Society and Ministry with AstraZeneca Gulf, has launched Circle of Care, an education and support Programme aimed to improve the well-being of people in the UAE living with or at risk of developing type 2 diabetes thus expected to boost the growth over the forecast period.Ask for customization:Key players in the market are focusing on developing next generation devices to remain competitive, while seeking ways to enhance their design capabilities. For instance, in October 2017, Eli Lilly and Company announced its plans to invest US$ 72 million in an insulin manufacturing project at one of its Indianapolis facilities. The investment will be used to replace an existing insulin vial filling line and allow Lilly to meet growing demand for its insulins - including Humalog (insulin lispro) and Humulin (human insulin) - while upgrading to state-of-the-art technology and preparing for its insulin pipeline.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Diabetic Foot Ulcers Treatment Market  Insights

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Diabetic foot ulcers is a common condition in diabetic patients. It is a disabling disorder, which might lead to amputation of the leg. Mortality due to diabetic foot ulcers is high and chances of recurrence of cured foot ulcers is also high and this in turn leads to increasing demand for proper treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Diabetic foot ulcer is caused due to neuropathic and vascular changes in the patients with diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus, which also leads to chronic foot wounds due to minor trauma or pressure. The treatment for diabetic foot ulcers is divided into five stages: stage 1, which is a normal foot; stage 2, high risk foot; stage 3, an ulcerated foot; stage 4, an infected foot; and stage 5, a necrotic foot. It is important to prevent the development of diabetic foot ulcers in stage 1 and 2 while stage 3 require urgent treatment management for foot ulcers.To understand Research Methodology, please click:Rising prevalence of diabetes is a major factor driving growth of the diabetic foot ulcers treatment market. As According to WHO, The number of people with diabetes has risen from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. According to a report published by Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2017, over 100 million of the adults in the U.S. are suffering from prediabetes or diabetes. The report has also stated that another 84.1 million have prediabetes conditions, which if not treated may lead to type 2 diabetes within five years. Furthermore, the CDC stated that between 60% and 70% of the people with diabetes suffers from diabetic neuropathy annually, where the nerves of the feet and legs are mostly affected.The global diabetic foot ulcers treatment market was valued at US$ 1,209.4 million in 2017 and is expected to witness a robust CAGR of 29.4% over the forecast period (20172025).Rising prevalence of diabetes is expected to favor growth of the diabetic foot ulcers treatment market in the near futureNorth America accounted for the largest share in the global diabetic foot ulcers treatment market, followed by Europe, in 2017. This is attributed to increasing prevalence of diabetes in North America. According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2015 and 1.5 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed among people aged 18 years and older.Furthermore, CDC partnered with various organizations to launch programs to create awareness about diabetes. For instance, CDC established National Diabetes Prevention Program in 2010, which provides a framework to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes efforts in the U.S., where this program is still active and effective.In Asia Pacific region, the diabetic foot ulcers treatment market is expected to exhibit a high growth rate over the forecast period. This is owing to increasing number of population suffering from diabetes. For instance, according to The International Diabetes Federation, there were 382 million people with diabetes in 2013, of which over 60% of the people live in Asia, with almost half in China and India combined.Technological advancement in treatment of diabetic foot ulcers is expected to drive growth of the diabetic foot ulcers treatment market.Introduction of several novel wound healing agents, which are administrated as a topical ointment or spray or injected directly into the wound is expected to favor growth of the diabetic foot ulcers treatment market. For instance, in August 2017, ViroMed started phase III trial of its VM202 gene therapy for non-healing diabetic foot ulcers and concomitant peripheral artery disease (PAD).Ask for customization:Furthermore, development of various device such as shock wave, for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers is also expected to favor growth of the diabetic foot ulcers treatment market in the near future. For instance, in December 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave approval for marketing of SANUWAVE Health, Inc., Dermapace System, which is a first shock wave device intended to treat diabetic foot ulcers.Some major players operating in the global diabetic foot ulcers treatment market include 3M Healthcare, Coloplast A/S, B.Braun Melsungen AG, Acelity L.P. Inc., Smith & Nephew Plc., Medtronic Plc, ConvaTec Inc, and Molnlycke Health Care.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
The American University of Sharjah (AUS) recently hosted the Robotics and 3D Printing in the Construction Industry Showtime, which concluded the series of workshops focused on the promotion of the Sharjah Construction Industry Innovation Challenge Program.

The programme is a co-operation project of the AUS, Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) and the Oulu University of Applied Sciences, aimed at developing a world-class innovation system in Sharjah.

The exhibition highlighted the technological innovations that accelerate the development of the construction sector in line with the requirements of the 21st century and the national directive to increase economic diversification in Sharjah and the UAE, said the organisers.

Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of AUS Enterprises (AUSE) and SRTIP highlighted the significance of the exhibition in determining the success of the sessions in introducing the Sharjah Construction Industry Innovation Challenge Program.

The program is important as it focused on exploring the best ways to apply 3D printing techniques within the construction sector locally and regionally, he stated.

Al Mahmoudi emphasized that the success of this initiative is an important addition to the efforts aimed at enhancing Sharjah's leadership on the global innovation, development and knowledge landscape, in line with the directives of HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council, Ruler of Sharjah, in making scientific research and innovation an everlasting culture in the emirate.

"The collaboration between the AUS, Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park and the Oulu University of Applied Sciences has produced remarkable results in enriching knowledge and sharing of expertise in the 3D printing industry, which is expected to contribute $300 billion to the global economy by 2025," noted Al Mahmoudi.

"We look forward to our international partnerships and initiatives to enhance the role of Sharjah as a leading hub for robotics and 3D printing in the construction sector. We will continue to consolidate channels of effective communication with Oulu University to transform our aspirations into developing a world-class ecosystem that supports innovation in construction field and 3D printing in UAE," he added.
Ebola Vaccine Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-2025

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Ebola virus disease (EVD) causes viral hemorrhagic fever. It is a life threatening disease, which is spread to humans from animals. Direct contact with body fluids of infected person is one of largest causes of spread of this infection. Symptoms of Ebola disease include high fever, vomiting, sore throat, diarrhea, headache and muscular pain, and in few cases, internal or external bleeding. Although, there is no cure for Ebola virus disease, symptomatic treatment such as maintaining electrolyte balance, imagining required oxygen level, and treating infectious condition might help in improving patients health. Most of vaccines to prevent Ebola virus disease are under different developmental stage.To understand Research Methodology, please click:Increasing number of Ebola cases in affected regions and new vaccine development for this are expected to be factors driving growth of the marketIncreasing mortality rates due to Ebola is expected to be a major factor for growth of the market. According to World Health Organization, in January 2018, around 50% people infected with EVD, have died. African countries such as Siberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, and Mali, Nigeria were affected with EVD. In 201416, outbreak in West African countries such as Siberia, Leone, and Guinea, lead to deaths of around 11,300 individuals. Some cases were observed during 201416 outbreak in the U.S., Spain, Italy, the U.K. among people that travelled to affected African countries and people who came in contact with infected patients. In May 2017, WHO declared outbreak of EVD in Democratic Republic of Congo. There is still fear about potential outbreak of EVC in vulnerable regions of Western Africa which earlier faced EVD outbreak due to gaps in public health infrastructure.Various institutes and pharmaceutical companies are focusing on developing vaccines against EVD.According to study published in the journal, The Lancet, in December 2016, rVSV-ZEBOV also known as V920 vaccine, which is jointly developed by Newlink Genetics and Merck and Company, was found to be effective in protection against EVD in phase three trial. rVSV-ZEBOV uses strain of Zaire Ebola virus. Merck is planning to file for final marketing approval of its EVD vaccine with the U.S. FDA in 2018. Moreover, it produced 3,00,000 vaccines, in case of fresh outbreak in vulnerable regions. Various key players are focusing on developing vaccines for EVD, in order to expand its market share. For instance, GlaxoSmithKline developed CAd3-ZEBOV vaccine, derived from chimpanzee adenovirus and was tested by National Institute of Allergic and Infectious Disease, which started its phase three trials in February 2016. Janssen Pharmaceuticals Ad26-ZEBOV is an experimental vaccine under development and currently in phase one. In 2014, Novavax Inc. developed Ebola vaccine by using its proprietary recombinant technology.Access Table of Content (TOC) Of the Report:GAVI is an international organization (global Vaccine Alliance) paid US$ 5 million to Merck & Company in 2016 for procurement of the vaccine (V 920 vaccine). Key players in the global Ebola vaccine market are Merck and Company, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, GlaxoSmithKline, and Novavax Inc.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Gouty Arthritis Market Size, and Share - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-2025

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Gouty arthritis is characterized by intense joint pain due to deposition of uric acid crystals. Symptoms of gouty arthritis include redness and swelling of joints and intense pain. The condition can be treated with the help of medication. Uric acid is deposited either due to its excess intake or bodys inability to process it leading to inflammation of joint sites such as ankles and toes or wrist. Untreated gouty arthritis may damage joints or kidney as excessive accumulation of uric acid crystals would lead to kidney stone, kidney failure. In most cases, it is observed with other metabolic diseases or conditions such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes.Access Table of Content (TOC) Of the Report:High prevalence of associated chronic diseases to provide growth to gouty arthritis marketOther comorbidities such as hypertension is often associated with gout. As per study published in Journal of Rheumatology in 2014, around 75% of gouty arthritis patient were reported to be suffering from hypertension. Therefore patients suffering from chronic disease are at high risk of developing gouty arthritis .High prevalence of gouty arthritis is expected to drive the growth for global gouty arthritis market. According to study published in British Medical Journal in 2017, prevalence of gouty arthritis is 1% to 10% globally. Furthermore, factors such as increasing consumption of high protein food worldwide, linked with gouty arthritis and increasing awareness amongst people for early treatment of disease are the factors boosting growth of gouty arthritis market.However, lack of awareness among the medical fraternity regarding effective treatment of the condition, especially in emerging economies creates a hindrance for gouty arthritis market growth. For instance, there is different opinion on whether to use urate lowering agents in acute gouty arthritis, urate lowering agent lowers serum urate levels for the dissolution of urate crystals, which is done either by reducing the production of serum uric acid or by promoting its excretion. Moreover, high costs associated with treatment therapy in chronic gouty arthritis hinders the growth of gouty arthritis market.North America holds dominant position in gouty arthritis marketRegional segmentation of gouty arthritis market by Coherent Market Insights consist of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. North America is expected to dominate gouty arthritis market, owing high prevalence of gouty arthritis in the U.S. According to Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 54.4 million patients annually suffered from some form of arthritis from 2013 - 2015, in which gouty arthritis carries significant share. According to clinical guidelines for gout published in Annals of Internal Medicine in 2017, about 3.9% of U.S. adults older than 20 years reported about gout at least once in lifetime. Furthermore, increasing geriatric population is driving growth of the market, owing to high prevalence of gouty arthritis in patients above 40 years of age.Request a sample copy of this report:New and effective therapies to treat gouty arthritis are expected to fuel growth of gouty arthritis market. For instance, in 2015, Astra Zeneca received FDA approval for novel molecule lesinurad (Zurampic), lesinurad is a urate transport inhibitor which inhibits URAT1, a protein responsible for reabsorption of uric acid in kidneys, given in combination with xanthine oxidase inhibitor helps achieve target serum uric acid level. Asia Pacific region is gaining significant traction in this market, owing to increasing number of patients suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease or chronic kidney disease, which are rising incrementally as stated by WHO factsheet 2012,this is owing to established fact that around 75% hypertensive patients had gouty arthritis as study published in Journal of Rheumatology in 2014.Major players operating in the gouty arthritis market include AstraZeneca plc, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd., Novartis AG; Savient Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Merck& Co. Inc., Teijin Pharma Ltd., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, JW Pharmaceutical Corporation, and Nippon Chemiphar Co. Ltd.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Over-the-Counter Drugs Market - Global Competitive Analysis

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Over-the-counter drugs, also known as non-prescription drugs, are available in pharmacies and other retail stores and can be used without being prescribed by a doctor. These drugs are critical components of the pharmaceutical industry as they are highly potent and have the capability to show effective results for simple diseases. The number of competitors diving into the large pool of pharmaceutical industry are increasing day-by-day making the industry a promising venture for new comers to capitalize upon. This review will help to attain a competitive analysis of developments such as strategic alliances, mergers and acquisition, joint ventures as well research and innovation leading to product development with respect to over-the-counter drugs market. According to Consumer Healthcare Products Association, the total U.S. sales for OTC medicines accounted for US$ 34,327 million in 2017.Request a sample copy of this report:Competitive Analysis - The top 10 players operating in the global over-the-counter drugs market include:Pfizer, Inc.,Novartis AGGlaxoSmithKline PlcBayer AGSanofiGlenmark PharmaceuticalsMerck KGaATeva PharmaceuticalsJohnson & Johnson Services, Inc.Boehringer IngelheimPfizer, Inc. - Pfizer, Inc. is a global leading manufacturer and distributor of over-the-counter drugs, managing its commercial operation through two major business segments namely, Pfizer Innovative Health and Pfizer Essential Health. OTC drugs contribute to a major part of Innovative Health Segment, comprising annual revenue of US$ 29,197 million in 2016. The company OTC drugs portfolio includes over 40 products, whereas the leading OTC brands that generated significant revenue for Pfizer included Advil (Ibuprofen capsules for migraine) and Centrum (Multivitamin Tablets), in 2016. Moreover, the company collaborated for the license of Nexium OTC rights under the exclusive agreement with AstraZeneca Plc made in 2012, Pfizer paid US$ 93 Mn to AstraZeneca in April, 2016 as accrued milestone payments as per the norms of the agreement. Pfizer, Inc. adopts strategies such as entering into partnerships and collaborations with companies that adopts incorporation of novel, proprietary drug-delivery technologies as well as unique ingredients of the OTC drugs to expand their OTC product portfolio to retain their significance in global over-the-counter drugs market.Novartis AG - Novartis AG, is widely known for its research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of healthcare products across the globe. Novartis operates its drugs business through two major operating channels Innovative Medicine and Drugs manufactured by Sandoz which is a subsidiary of Novartis, has contributed to positioning the company as one of the top players in global Over-the-counter drugs market. In March 2015, Novartis OTC and GlaxoSmithKline Plc created a combined consumer healthcare business named GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Holdings Ltd, as a completely new entity, for which Novartis has an interest of 36.5% in the investment and profit shares and the resulting pre-tax income from this alliance was valued at US$ 5.9 billion in 2016. The company also markets and manufactures its products through Sandoz. Sandoz specializes in OTC medications for allergy and pain relief and is available in pharmacies across the world. The channel focuses on business expansion and distribution in the Central & Eastern Europe region, including Germany, as the company believes European region to be an integral part of the business and a potential market for growth of companys business.GlaxoSmithKline Plc - GlaxoSmithKline, one of the renowned giant in pharmaceutical industry and over-the-counter drugs market is a global science-led company headquartered in Europe, which develops and manufactures pharmaceutical products, including vaccines, health-related consumer products, and over-the-counter medicines. The consumer healthcare business of GlaxoSmithKline is operated through its subsidiary named GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Holdings Ltd. the subsidiary is split into two equal businesses, namely Over-the-counter Medicines and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), across four major categories of Oral Health, Wellness, Skin Health, and Nutrition. The companys consumer healthcare business segment recorded annual sales of US$ 5,023 million in 2016, of which Europe contributed to the major share of around 30.4%, with U.S. accounting for 24.4% of the share. The company adopts strategy of expanding the business in a growing marketplace thereby developing products that responds to the challenges in Over-the-counter drugs sector that includes educating the users to prevent adverse side effects of these drugs when consumed inappropriately and others. The company also focusses on providing products at a sustainable price to help increase customer adoption and allow access to several patients around the world.Bayer AG - Bayer AG is a global life science company that has a history of over 150 years in areas of healthcare and agriculture. The company operates its business through four major segments namely, Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Health, Crop Science, and Animal Health. Over-the-counter drugs contribute to a major revenue share of the consumer health segment, which accounted for US$ 7,179.19 million in 2016. The company caters to the users of over-the-counter drugs market through Consumer Health segment that includes major non-prescription drugs and products in the dermatology, gastrointestinal, analgesic, cold, allergy, and sinus, and sun protection categories. The consumer health segment is responding to the challenge in public health care system with mainly non-prescription (OTC) brand products by providing the consumers with their corresponding self-care solutions that are easily available at the pharmacies and online drug stores. The core brands leading to organic growth of the companys segment include Aspirin, Aleve, Canesten, Dr. Scholls, Coppertone, Elevit, Bepanthen, Alka-Seltzer, and Berocca. The company is investing in geographical expansion to strengthen its presence in the U.S. Brazil, Russia, and China through marketing innovations and novel digital offerings. For instance, the company introduced a number of new product line extensions in the U.S. of its existing brands, including ClariSpray in the Claritin portfolio added in April, 2016. The extension of Alka-Seltzer product family with the addition of Alka-Seltzer Plus as an OTC medicine for treatment of cold. Successful strategic implementation and new product development by the company is expected to significantly affect the growth of global over-the-counter drugs market.Have a doubt? Speak to our analyst now!Sanofi - Sanofi is a global life science company based in France (Europe) that is aimed towards improving healthcare access to people. The company operates its business through two major segments namely, Pharmaceuticals and Vaccines. The company operates its over-the-counter business as a part of a major business segment named Consumer Healthcare (CHC). Sanofi focuses on partnerships and acquisitions to expand its consumer healthcare business. For instance, Sanofi completed acquisition of Boehringer Ingelheims CHC business in 2017, expand the companys global footprint and product portfolio. In February 2017, Sanofi sold 5 of its over-the-counter drugs to Ipsen SA on closure of its asset swap with Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH. Ipsen SA was entitled for a payment of US$ 98.70 million to purchase the deal from Sanofi. The total revenue of the companys consumer healthcare segment was valued at US$ 4,141.31 million in 2016. The company reported of good performance and growing sales in developing regions such as New Zealand and Australia. The major brands in the companys OTC segment include Allegra, Doliprane, Essentiale, Nasacort, Maalox, Dorflex, and LactacydThe global over-the-counter drugs market is highly competitive, owing to increasing adoption of personal healthcare and self-medication due to rising awareness among the people regarding health precautions and basic drug knowledge. Under such conditions, the competitors experience performance pressure in terms of pricing. Market players are thus focusing on development of OTC drugs in cost-effective way that will help to cater price-sensitive customers, in turn, significantly maintain and subsequently increase profit margins, especially in emerging economies.Following is the Impact Analysis of the strategies employed by the competitors and its impact on the revenues and sales in the global over-the-counter drugs market.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices Market

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Non-invasive blood glucose monitoring devices measures blood glucose levels in patients suffering from diabetes, without puncturing the skin, or causing pain or trauma. The frequent change in blood glucose levels in diabetic patients has to be tracked by the glucose monitoring device. Glucose monitoring devices can be invasive or non-invasive but the non-invasive blood glucose monitoring devices market is increasing due to the need of an economic, compact, painless and convenience for the patients to use. Non-invasive glucose monitoring holds great promise for improving diabetes management by providing better and pain-free blood glucose measurement leading to expansion of non-invasive blood glucose monitor market in the forecast period.To get detailed table of content (ToC), please click:Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices Market DriverThe global non-invasive blood glucose monitoring devices market is expected to be boosted by the increasing diabetes prevalence. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), in 2014, diabetes mellitus is a worldwide epidemic disease affecting 422 million people and seventh leading cause of death in US. The glucose concentration of diabetic patients fluctuates significantly throughout the day which can lead to serious consequences like kidney failure, strokes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, blindness and coma. These demand the technologically advanced devices for frequent monitoring of blood glucose levels. Moreover, the invasive techniques of blood glucose monitor are painful and expensive as compared to non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device, this makes non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device as the device of choice amongst the patients. Furthermore, the high percentage of prediabetes patients, a condition were blood glucose levels are high but not sufficient to detect the diabetes, will also propel the non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device market in the forecast period. According to NIDDK, in 2015, 33.9% of US adults are estimated to be prediabetes, at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.Traditional glucose detection device based on electrochemical sensors which requires a small amount of blood sample by finger pricking makes the method inconvenient and painful, which demanded emergence of non-invasive blood glucose monitor device. Currently, non-invasive blood glucose monitors are under great technological advancement to overcome this challenges in currently available glucose monitor. For instance, in March 2018, Nemaura Medical Inc. developing the wireless sugarBEAT, a non-invasive blood glucose monitoring system, received positive results from European clinical trial program which makes a significant milestone towards commercialization of sugarBEAT in the UK, followed by other territories upon achieving CE approval. Furthermore, research institutes and universities are also engaged in developing novel non-invasive blood glucose monitor device. For instance, in February 2018, the researchers from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) developed a smart lens. The smart lens has inbuilt pliable, transparent electronic glucose monitor which can detect the glucose levels using tears of eyes. Moreover, in same year, Glasgow University developed a wearable sweat-monitoring sensor which uses pH levels of patients sweat. Furthermore, rapid advancements in smart-watches and smartphones will also propel the non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device market.Request a sample copy of this report:Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices- Regional AnalysisOn the basis of region, the global non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America is expected to be dominant region with respect to non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device market due to high prevalence of disease in geriatric population which is 25.2 % in US population as per American Diabetes Association of year 2015.Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices Market - CompetitorsThe major players for non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device market are Abbott Laboratories, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Integrity Applications, Inc., Bayer Healthcare, Pendragon Medical, Animas Technologies, Omron and OrSense.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Hepatitis C Drugs Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-2025

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Hepatitis C virus is a blood-borne virus that infects liver cells, resulting in illness that ranges from mild and transient effects such as easy bleeding, fatigue, yellow discoloration of skin and eyes, and others to chronic and serious life-threatening conditions such as liver cirrhosis, liver cancer or liver failure. Hepatitis C virus is transmitted through needlestick injuries, organ transplant from a carrier, sexually or from infected mother to fetus. Globally, hepatitis C virus exists in six distinct forms based on its genotypes amongst which Type 1 is the most common form representing around 60 -70 per cent of global infections. Hepatitis C is diagnosed by blood tests for estimating viral load and genotyping, and liver damage tests such as magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), transient elastography, and liver biopsy. Antiviral drugs, which inhibits protease or polymerase enzyme of virus is one of the treatments available for infection caused due to hepatitis C. Currently, no vaccines are available for the prevention of hepatitis C virus and this provides scope for the market players to expand their company portfolio.To get detailed table of content (ToC), please click:Hepatitis C drug market DriverAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2017, around 71 million people were infected by chronic hepatitis C worldwide. Furthermore, WHO considers Eastern Mediterranean and European regions to be the most affected regions with the prevalence rate of 2.3% and 1.5% respectively. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 2.7 million to 3.9 million people in the U.S. suffer from hepatitis C. This increasing prevalence of hepatitis C will drive growth of hepatitis C drug market. Furthermore, this blood- borne virus is easily transmitted by sharing injection equipment, transfusion of infectious blood, sexually or from infected mother to infant, which will further propel growth of hepatitis C drug market.The governmental initiatives for patients to receive expanded drug coverage is also expected to drive growth of the market. For instance, in 2018, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care of Ontario announced that all patients are eligible for Ontario Drug Benefit (ODP) irrespective of severity of their disease. In the same year, Thunder Bay group, HIV / AIDS / hepatitis C education and support services provider, expanded its access to medicines, as a result of successful negotiations between the provinces and drug manufacturers.There are significant number of drugs available for Hepatitis C over the past few years and is expected to increase over the forecast period due to large number of drugs in pipeline. Hepatitis C drug market is revolutionized by direct acting antivirals (DAAs), which aid in the development of highly effective, INF-free hepatitis C drug regimen in contrast to standard treatment. The pipeline consists of dual as well as triple DDA combinational therapy against hepatitis C virus. A combination of drugs is more effective for the treatment of hepatitis C as compared to single regimen. For instance, in 2016, Gilead submitted a new drug application to the U.S. FDA for the fixed-dose combination SOF/VEL/voxilaprevir for treatment of HCV genotypes 16. Moreover, in January 2017, EMA granted assessment of SOF/VEL/voxilaprevir combination. Furthermore, in 2017, the U.S. FDA approved AbbVies Mavyret, a combination of glecaprevir and pibrentasvir for the treatment of hepatitis C. Hepatitis C drug market is hindered due to high medication cost and denial for Medicaid patients.Request a sample copy of this report:Hepatitis C Drug MarketThe major players in hepatitis C drug market include Merck & Co. Inc., Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Roche, Gilead Sciences Inc., AbbVie Inc., Johnson & Johnson, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Clostridium Difficile Diagnostics and Treatment Market  Insights

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Clostridium difficile is a disease caused by bacteria. Symptoms of the disease includes diarrhea, nausea, colon inflammation, and others. Clostridium difficile infection affects older adults, and according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2015, clostridium difficile infection is the most common healthcare-associated infection. Furthermore, frequent use of antibiotic medication is also responsible for clostridium difficile infection, as antibiotics kill normal flora (good bacteria) and allow for multiplication of C. difficile bacteria. Common symptoms of clostridium difficile infection include watery diarrhea, dehydration, fever, nausea, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Life threatening symptoms of the disease includes abdominal distension, severe abdominal pain, and profuse diarrhea. Clostridium difficile infection management includes diagnosis of the infection using various tests and medication therapies using antibiotics such as Vancomycin and Fidaxomicin.Request a sample copy of this report:Rising prevalence of clostridium difficile infection is expected to boost growth of the market over the forecast periodIncidence of clostridium difficile infection has been witnessing an increase in the recent past, due to clostridium difficile infection recurrence and antibiotic resistance. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2015, around half a million people in the U.S. suffer from clostridium difficile infection in a year. Moreover, according to National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), an estimated 37,900 patients were suffering from clostridium difficile infection in Canada in 2012. A review and meta-analysis of studies published in National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), 2016, conducted in China between 2010 and 2016 showed significant incidence of clostridium difficile infection in China. Furthermore, according to Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System 2017 Report, clostridium difficile infection may be a consequence of commonly prescribed antibiotics for unrelated infections. According to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2015, antibiotic resistant bacteria are highly prevalent in G7 countries. This high presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria may lead to increasing incidence of the infection, which in turn is expected to aid in growth of the global clostridium difficile diagnostics and treatment market.The global clostridium difficile diagnostics and treatment market was valued at US$ 1,272.2 million in 2016 and is expected to witness a robust CAGR of 8.2% over the forecast period (20172025).Robust pipeline of various therapies is expected to boost growth of the clostridium difficile treatment market over the forecast periodStandard antibiotic drugs such as metronidazole, Vancomycin, and Fidaxomicin have been used for the treatment of clostridium difficile infection (CDI) since the recent past. Currently, there is no alternative therapies apart from antibiotics available for the treatment of clostridium difficile infection and only option available is surgery (in severe cases), fecal microbiota transplant, and probiotics in case of recurrent clostridium difficile infection. However, Manufacturers such as Rebiotix, Inc., Synthetic Biologics, Inc., Da Volterra, Crestovo LLC, and Immuron Ltd. have various microbiome therapeutics (new class of drugs) in pipeline for clostridium difficile infection indication. Rebiotix, Inc. has RBX7455 capsule in Phase 1 clinical trials, Synthetic Biologics Inc. has SYN-004 (ribaxamase) in Phase 2 clinical trials, and Da Volterra has DAV132 in clinical trials for antibiotic induced clostridium difficile infection. If these drugs show success in clinical trials, it could provide an alternative therapy for conventional antibiotics for treatment of the disease. Furthermore, probiotics are also gaining traction as they allow growth of natural flora through restoring natural balance of bacteria in the gut. Manufacturers such as Pfizer, Inc. and Valneva are working on developing novel vaccines for the treatment of CDI. For instance, Pfizer, Inc. has recombinant TcdA and TcdB PF-06425090 vaccine in phase 2 trial and Valneva has VLA84 in phase 1 trial.Ask for customization:However, low awareness about clostridium difficile infection symptoms and associated effects is expected to restrain the growth of the clostridium difficile diagnostics and treatment market over the forecast period.Some major players operating in the clostridium difficile diagnostics and treatment market include Roche AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Merck & Co., Pfizer, Inc., Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Alere, Inc., Trinity Biotech, Summit Therapeutics, Baxter International Inc., Sanofi S.A., Novartis AG, and AstraZeneca Plc.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Botulinum Toxin Market - Global Industry Insights, and Forecast till 2025

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Botulinum toxin is a product produced by naturally occurring Clostridium botulinum bacteria. This bacteria is found in soil and marine sediments and can produce harmful neurotoxin botulinum toxin. Botulinum toxin is a blocking agent which inhibits the release of certain neurotransmitters, specifically acetylcholine, from the endings of the motor nerves. There are about eight types of botulinum toxin named from type A to H. Botulinum toxin type A and botulinum toxin type B are majorly used in cosmetic procedures for the treatment of various facial conditions, its commercially marketed under the brand name Botox. Botulinum toxin type A and B are also used in medical applications for treatment of various diseases such as dystonia, chronic migraines, and spasticity.To get detailed table of content (ToC), please click:Botulinum Toxin Market: DriversFrequent approvals of novel botulinum toxin products for different indications are expected to drive growth of the Botulinum toxin market in near future. For instance, in 2016, Ipsen S.A. received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its Dysport (abobotulinumtoxinA) injection indicated for the treatment of pediatric lower limb (PLL) spasticity in children of age two years and older. In 2017, company received the FDA approval for same product to use in adults. In 2017, Allergan plc. received FDA approval for BOTOX Cosmetic (OnabotulinumtoxinA) for new indication in forehead lines, and previously the product has been approved for the treatment of , crow's feet lines, and glabellar lines. With this approval company has expanded the indication of its product in the temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe forehead lines associated with frontalis muscle activity in adults. In 2014, Allergan Inc. received approval for its BOTOX (Botulinum toxin type A) from Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in U.K. BOTOX was approved in the U.K. for treatment of ankle disability due to lower limb spasticity associated with stroke in adults. In 2016, Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd received approval for its botulinum toxin Nabota in Mexico and India. Nabota was introduced by Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd in South Korea in 2014. In 2015, Merz North America, the U.S. subsidiary of the global Merz Pharma Group, received U.S. FDA approval for Xeomin (incobotulinumtoxinA) indicated for the treatment of upper limb spasticity (ULS) in adult patients. Furthermore, increasing trend of botulinum toxin in cosmetic procedures is also expected to increase the growth of botulinum toxin market in near future. For instance, according to a report published by American Society of Plastic Surgeons in 2016, around 7,056,255 cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures were performed with Botulinum toxin Type A (Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin), there was an increase of 4% in procedures as compared to 2015. Increasing number of procedures with botulinum toxin along with increasing approved indication is expected to drive growth of the global botulinum toxin market.Botulinum Toxin Market: Regional analysisNorth America is expected to hold a dominant position in the global botulinum toxin market, owing to increasing trend of cosmetic procedures in the region. For instance, according to a report published by American Society of Plastic Surgeons in 2016, around US$ 16.4 billion was spent on cosmetic procedures in the U.S. and in 2017, around 7.2 million botulinum injections were used in the U.S. for cosmetic procedures. Increasing number of cosmetic procedures in the key region of North America is expected to drive the growth of the botulinum toxin market in near future. Furthermore, Asia Pacific is expected to show rapid growth in botulinum toxin market, owing to increasing R&D and approval of novel products in China. For instance, in January 2018, Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., a Korean company, received approval from the Chinese authorities to conduct clinical trials for botulinum toxin Nabota in China.Request a sample copy of this report:Botulinum Toxin Market: Key PlayersKey players operating in global botulinum toxin market includes Ipsen group, Allergan Plc., Medytox Inc., Merz GmbH and Co. KGaA, US Worldmed, LLC, Lanzhou Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., Revance Therapeutics, Inc., and Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Major players in market are involved in strategic collaborations to develop new products. For instance, in February 2018, Mylan N.V. and Revance Therapeutics, Inc. underwent strategic collaboration and license agreement for the development and commercialization of a proposed biosimilar to BOTOX (onabotulinumtoxinA). Furthermore, key players are focusing on receiving approvals of its product in key market to expand their presence in global market. For instance, in February 2018, Medytox Inc. filed a new drug application with the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) to its botulinum neurotoxin product Meditoxin in China.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Eye Anatomical Model Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-2025

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Eye anatomical model refers to the type of reference models that are used to study the internal and external structures of the eye. These models are majorly used by educational institutes and optometry departments by professors to explain the internal and external anatomy of the eye in detail. These are also found to be used by professional healthcare providers such as ophthalmologists as well as opticians to educate their patients regarding various eye deformities and procedures to be undertaken in cases of eye surgeries. The eye anatomical models are available in multiple enlarged sizes as compared to the human eye that allows the doctors, patients, and potential optometrists an opportunity to determine and perform surgical procedures on the smallest of the anatomies in the actual human eye with a clear and detail understanding. These eye anatomical models are available with attachments for easy rotation and viewing. These are also available in the form of dissectible models and patient information cards to learn about various eye conditions and treatment options.To get detailed table of content (ToC), please click:Market DynamicsRising number of ophthalmic diseases leading to increasing patient consultation and number of ophthalmic surgeries is expected to propel growth of eye anatomical model market in near future, as these models would be used increasingly by doctors and healthcare staff to provide information to their respective patients. According to latest global blindness and vision impairment figures published by IAPB Vision Atlas in 2017, 1.1 billion people suffer with vision impairment and can be cured with the help of spectacles. Moreover, according to The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) 2017, 89% of the visually impaired patients are residents of low and middle income countries. This leads to rising demand for demonstration models such as eye anatomical models to explain the patients about disease condition and spread awareness, mostly in these regions with low literacy rates. Additionally, rising number of optometry schools and institutes are also responsible for growth of eye anatomical model market. For instance, according to Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, 21 new optometry schools received registration in 2014 in the U.S. with over 13,000 new student enrollments. However, availability of substitutes such as charts and information cards are expected to hinder the market growth.Regional InsightsOn the basis of region, the global eye anatomical model market by Coherent Market Insights is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America holds the dominant position in the global eye anatomical model market, owing to rising number of patients suffering from visual impairments and extensive research in the field of ophthalmology. For instance, according to National Institute of Health 2015, 3.2 million people in the U.S. suffered with visual impairment. On the other hand, Asia Pacific market is expected to witness significant traction, owing to increasing number of organizations conducting educational programs for the common populace with the help of live demonstration incorporating eye anatomical models. For instance, the L.V Prasad Eye Institute in India served a patient pool of 2,552,444 patients across India, of which 50% received eye care services and the remaining were educated regarding various eye deformities and surgical procedures related to eye disorders.Request a sample copy of this report:Competitive AnalysisKey players operating in the global eye anatomical model market include 3B Scientific, SOMSO, GPI Anatomicals, Erler-Zimmer, Edutek Instrumentation, Sakamoto Model Corporation, Honglian Medical Tech, Xincheng, Kanren and others. The market players are showcasing their models at various conferences and educational fairs, in order increase its customer base and thus, increase their sales. For instance, SOMSOan anatomical model making companypresented its products at the 11th DZG Annual Meeting in September 2017, held in Griefswald, Germany.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Drugs Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook and Opportunity Analysis 2017-2025

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Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is a type of staphylococcus aureus, which became resistant to methicillin, amoxicillin, penicillin, oxacillin, and other such commonly used antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus harbors on the skin and nasal passage of about one third of the world population, which comprises around 33%, as per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) review 2015. MRSA can be classified into two types, based on mode of infection  Hospital Associated MRSA Infection (HA-MRSA) or community-associated MRSA infections (CA-MRSA). Staphylococcus aureus leads to skin infections such as boils, pimples, impetigo, abscesses or certain life threatening conditions such as septicemia (blood poisoning), pneumonia (lung infection), osteomyelitis (bone infection), endocarditis (heart valve infection), urinary tract infection, and septic bursitis (formation of small fluid-filled sacs under the skin). Growth of the methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) drug market is driven by increasing product pipeline and increasing adoption of organic and inorganic strategies by key market players.Access Table of Content (TOC) Of the Report:Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Drugs Market  DriverIncreasing number of pipeline products for the treatment of methicillin resistance staphylococcus aureus infection is expected to fuel growth of the Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) drug market during the forecast period. For instance, in 2014, Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc., received US FDA approval for its new antibiotic, Sivextro, available in both the forms  injection as well as oral, to treat skin infection caused by gram positive bacteria including MRSA. Moreover, new route of administration are experimented by market players to treat MRSA infection. For instance, in 2018, Destiny Pharma received investigational new drug application from FDA for its new candidate, XF-73, a dicationic porphyrin molecule based nasal gel, to combat with post-surgical infections of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). These increasing number of product approvals is expected to aid in growth of the MRSA drugs market over the forecast period.Moreover, funding programs by healthcare organization will also propel drug discovery and development program, in turn leading to growth of the MRSA drug market. For instance, in 2017, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics (CFFT)a non-profit drug discovery and development arm of Cystic Fibrosis Foundationawarded US$ 5 million to Savara Inc., a clinical-stage specialty pharmaceutical company, for the development of AeroVanc, vancomycin hydrochloride inhalation powder, intended to treat MRSA lung infection in individual with cystic fibrosis.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Drugs Market  RestraintGrowth of the methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) drugs market is expected to be hampered by growing bacterial resistance. Further patent expiration of currently existing drugs will lead to large revenue losses to key players due to introduction of low cost generic drugs. Declining patient burden further restrains growth of the methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) drugs market. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) studies, hospital associated MRSA infection has declined up to 54% between 2005 and 2011. This can be attributed to increasing awareness for personal and public hygiene.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Drugs Market - Regional AnalysisGeographically, global methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) drugs market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Africa. North America holds dominant position in methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) drugs market, owing to increasing research and development studies by key market players to come up with new drug. For instance, in 2016, Allergan plc received US FDA approval for Dalance in injectable form for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Asia Pacific is expected to witness fastest growth over the forecast period. This is due to larger patient pool and increasing market players strategies to expand their geographical reach in this region. For instance, in 2017, Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. entered into licensed agreement with Shenzhen China Resources Gosun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for geographical expansion of Basilea's antibiotic Zevtera, broad spectrum anti-bacterial, which can address MRSA, in China, Hong Kong, and Macao.To get holistic SAMPLE of the report, please click:Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Drugs Market  CompetitorKey market player in methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) drugs market are Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd., Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc., Melinta Therapeutics, Inc., Theravance Biopharma, Allergan, Merck & Co., Xellia Pharmaceuticals ApS (owned by Novo Holdings A/S), King Pharmaceuticals Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer), and PF Prism C.V. Players in the market are focusing inorganic growth strategies in order to enhance its market share and remain competitive in the market. For instance, in 2017, Melinta Therapeutics, Inc., acquired the infectious disease business from The Medicines Company. The acquisition includes three marketed products, one of which is Orbactiv, an injectable MRSA drug.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Medical Aesthetics Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2018-2026

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Medical aesthetics is an area of medicine, dealing with aesthetics, well-being, external appearance, visible skin changes, and image of the patient. Medical aesthetics involve high-technology skin care procedures that represents the fusion of beauty and healthcare services. Procedures for these involves use of advanced technologies to enhance aesthetics of the person. Demand for anti-aging products and procedures is increasing significantly, owing to increasing focus of patients to look young and improve their appearance, especially by people aged 50 years and above.To get detailed table of content (ToC), please click:Medical Aesthetics Market: Market DynamicsIncreasing surgical procedures for enhancing personal appearance is a major driver for the global medical aesthetics market growth. For instance, according to International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), in 2015, women had over 18 million non-surgical and surgical procedures performed, that is around 85.6% of the total aesthetic procedures performed worldwide. The top five surgical procedures performed on women in 2015 were: breast augmentation, liposuction, eyelid surgery, abdominoplasty, and rhinoplasty. Furthermore, men had over 3 million non-surgical and surgical procedures, comprising around 14.4% of the total. The top five surgical procedures performed on men were: eyelid surgery, liposuction, gynecomastia surgery, rhinoplasty, fat grafting, and ear surgery. Male patients are increasingly focusing on undergoing aesthetic procedures, owing to better results with reduced downtime and discomfort. According to another ISAPS report, Botulinum Toxin continues to be the most common form of procedure, women and men undergo. A total number of over 4.6 million procedures are conducted on both the sexes of Botulinum Toxin. Procedures of Hyaluronic acid increased 6.5% from 2014 to 2015, whereas breast augmentation continues to be the most common surgical procedure among women with a 10.4% rise from 2014 and eyelid surgery is prevalent among men.Furthermore, increased demand for minimally invasive and non-invasive procedures, high demand for reconstructive and augmentation surgeries, and increased adoption of laser-based devices is expected to drive growth of the medical aesthetics market during the forecast period. For instance, number for Liposuction surgery increased by 5% in 2016 as compared to previous year. In the recent past, dermatologists frequently recommend minimally invasive surgeries, due to more effectiveness, fewer post-surgery side effects and complications coupled with shorter recovery spans, eventually fueling growth of the medical aesthetics market.Facial aesthetics segment accounted for the major revenue share in 2017, owing to rising demand for facial aesthetic treatments and non-invasive cosmetic procedures. Another factor affecting growth of market is rising geriatric population demanding these procedures, and new product launches. Medical spas and clinics segment is anticipated to exhibit highest growth during the forecast period due to growing number of medical spas and clinics and rising number of skilled professionals performing aesthetic procedures, coupled with increasing preference for minimally invasive and non-invasive aesthetic procedures.However, social stigma associated with aesthetic procedures and stringent safety regulations governing these procedures can negatively impact the medical aesthetics market growth to some extent.Request a sample copy of this report:Medical Aesthetics Market: Regional InsightsRegional segmentation of medical aesthetics market by Coherent Market Insights, includes North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America medical aesthetics market is expected to hold a dominant position, due to increasing aesthetic procedures in the region. According to American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of medical aesthetics procedures performed in the U.S. has significantly increased. In 2016, people in the U.S. invested over US$ 15 billion on combined non-surgical and surgical procedures, with non-surgical accounting for 44% of all the procedures.Latin America and Asia Pacific are expected to be lucrative markets for medical aesthetic products, owing to growing medical tourism, increasing middle class with high disposable income, and rising awareness about ones aesthetic appeal. For instance, according to a statistics, India issued more than 0.17 million medical visas in 2016, including for follow up treatment, as against 0.12 million in 2015. According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) report, in 2016, the top five countries  the U.S., Brazil, Japan, Italy, and Mexico  accounted for around 41.4% of the worlds cosmetic procedures, followed by Russia, India, Turkey, Germany, and France.Medical Aesthetics Market: Competitive AnalysisMajor players operating in the medical aesthetics market include Cynosure, Inc., Allergan, Inc., Alma Lasers, Ltd., Mentor Worldwide LLC, Lumenis Ltd., ZELTIQ Aesthetics, Inc., PhotoMedex, Inc., Galderma S.A., Syneron Medical, Ltd., and Solta Medical, Inc. The industry is fragmented and highly competitive in nature with many local players competing with international players.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Oger International, a French construction engineering, design and project management group and subsidiary of crisis-hit Saudi Oger, said it has been acquired by a Jordanian investor Ala Al Khawaja through his French company AMK Capital Investment.

This acquisition coincides with the end of the job protection plan and the conclusion of the business protection procedures endorsed by the Bobigny Court on February 15, it stated.

Oger International now begins a new chapter in its history with the full acquisition of its capital by the new shareholder, said its top official.

"A new chapter in our history can now be written, a more serene chapter, one that is future-oriented and is full of new challenges of the sort we love at Oger International," remarked Omar Joseph Baroud, the chairman and CEO of Oger International.

"The know-how and in-depth expertise that have made our reputation for 40 years will find more diversified and more stable fields of application. The French and European markets once again become our priority, but we continue to fly the French flag in the Middle East and Africa, where we still successfully develop numerous opportunities," stated Baroud.

After the acquisition in 1968 by the Campenon Bernard Group, Oger specialised in high-rise buildings with the construction of towers in the La Defense business district of Paris (the CB12 tower for IBM, the B20 for AGF, the Neptune as well as the Manhattan tower).

Since then, Oger International has been exporting French managerial, technological and architectural know-how throughout the world in a partnership approach with local construction players on a wide variety of projects: hotels, hospitals, universities, housing, offices, international headquarters and private projects.

In 2016, the default of its largest client in the Middle East plunged Oger International into a process of reorganisation under a protective regime (debt freeze for 18 months), with the objective of addressing its temporary cash flow difficulties and reorganizing the company, noted Baroud.

The new shareholder, Al Khawaja is a top Jordanian investor active in a wide variety of sectors in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the US. He is the main shareholder or holds stakes in the banking, telecommunications, cinema and hospitality industries.

At present, Al Khawaja is diversifying his investments in the field of construction, said the top official.

Aware of Oger International's operational qualities and human capital, he participated in the restructuring of its debt and acquired all the shares constituting Oger International's share capital, while fully adhering to the 2019-2021 strategic development plan led by the company's Management, Al Baroud.

The new shareholder undertakes to support Oger International's business and development, he added.

Oger International has reorganised itself according to 2 principles: diversification of clients and a solid foothold in France.

Four regional divisions (France and Europe, Africa, Middle East and Saudi Arabia) and three business units (architectural/interior; fluids-electricity; structure-infrastructure) are the backbone of the company's activity, said Al Baroud.

A development committee was set up with the necessary means to deploy Oger International's new strategy.

On the 2018 outlook, Al Baroud said it looks promising with bright opportunities in the construction industry, thus benefiting Oger International in riding the wave of success and growth.

Oger International has set itself voluntary targets - including regaining of its leading position in the construction engineering market and diversifying its clients, sectors and geographical areas of operation - to be achieved by 2021, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Low Bed Trailer Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 20182025

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A low bed trailer is utilized in various applications and has the capability to carry loads up to 12 feet high. A low bed trailer is majorly used to carry oversized cargo such as industrial equipment, bulldozers. The high spending for infrastructure development in the emerging economies such as China and India is a key driver for the global low bed trailer market. For example, for road construction, China invested US$ 207 billion in 2015 and built 49,000 miles of expressways. Similarly, for the development of 35,000 km of roads across the country, the Indian government released funding of US$ 45 billion. The 14000 km will be developed for feeder route and 21000 km will be for economic corridor. Moreover, the Indian government also released the fund of US$ 65 billion for the upgrade of two lane national highway to four lane national highway. Hence, this increasing investment of the road construction have increased the demand of transportation of heavy manufacturing equipment has fueled the market of low bed trailer globally. In addition to this, the increasing adoption of mass reduction technology by the OEMs for the fleet trucks for increasing demand of fuel efficiency also become one of the major driver for the growth of the global low bed trailer market. Improved aerodynamics, low rolling resistance, use of low-rolling-resistance tires, idling reduction technologies are some of the new technologies adopted by the OEMs which helps to improve the fuel efficiency of the trailers.Request For Sample Copy of this Research Report :Low bed trailer Market Outlook  North America holds the largest market of the global Low-bed trailer market.On the basis of geography, global Low-bed trailer market is classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. Asia pacific holds the dominant position in the global Low-bed trailer market in 2016 and is projected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. The increasing infrastructure facilities such as production halls, bridges, public buildings, roads and many more in Asia pacific countries such as India, China has increased the demand of specialized equipment and manufacturing structures and machines provides the growth opportunity to the Asia pacific low bed trailer market. For example, for highway network the china government have a target to build 3 million km by 2020Key companies of global Low bed trailer marketKogel Trailer GmbH & Co.KG, Bernard Krone Holding SE & Co. KG, Wabash National Corporation, Bockmann Fahrzeugwerke GmbH, Dennison Trailers ltd, Great Dane Trailers, Humbaur GmbH, Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company are some of the key companies of the global Low bed trailer market.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit Our New Website:
Renewable/Bio Jet Fuel Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook And Opportunity Analysis, 2018-2025

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Bio jet is an aviation fuel made from renewable and naturally derived raw materials. It is mixed with petroleum jet fuel and is suitable for use in a jet engine. Biojet fuels have lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to petroleum jet fuel. A major challenge for the bio jet market, however, is the lack of a viable source for the production of biofuels on a commercial scale which has resulted in the current high bio jet fuel prices, which is leading to the airline companies not buying bio jet fuel on a large scale.Request For Sample Copy of this Research Report :The need for the use of environmental friendly jet fuel in order to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation sector is a major driver for the bio jet market. The first test flight with bio jet fuel was completed in 2008 by Virgin Atlantic. Despite the need and airline support for bio jet, producers struggle to make renewable fuel cost-competitive with fossil fuels. Currently, biojet fuel is supplied through segregated logistics which leads to higher costs thus reducing its demand.Currently blends of up to 50% bio jet fuel produced by either the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process, the Hydro generated esters and fatty acids (HEFA) process or Synthesized Iso-Paraffins (SIP) are used with petroleum jet fuel as aviation fuel mandated by ASTM. HEFA is around 40% more expensive than petrojet, while renewable jet fuels produced by other methods are 60-70% more expensive than conventional petro jet fuel. Hence, bio jet fuel produced by HEFA is found to be more cost effective than other production methods.The bio jet fuel market is the largest in North America due to its reliance on the fast growing aviation market. The U.S. civil aviation sector accounts for a substantial share in the aviation bio jet market. The planned expansion of aviation biofuel producing industries, along with the support of the Federal Aviation Administration a national authority with powers to regulate all aspects of civil aviation are expected to increase the consumption of biojet fuels in this region. Initiatives taken by various organizations such as SAFN, MASBI are working towards developing cheaper and efficient bio jet fuels. The US Department of Agriculture(USDA), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the Navy executed an MOU to invest up to US$ 510 million along with the private sector to produce drop-in renewable jet fuel to power military and commercial transportationIn Europe, Oslo Airport became the first airport to offer jet bio-jet to all carriers through its usual supply mechanism in 2016. In the Netherlands in 2013, KLM, SkyNRG, Neste Oil, Schiphol Group, Port of Amsterdam and the Dutch government developed the BioPort Holland supply chain with an aim to boost the bio jet market in Europe. The EU Biofuels Flightpath has a target of producing two MM tones of renewable jet fuels every year by 2020, which is roughly 3%-4% of total jet fuel use in EuropeEmerging countries in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America region, such as India, China, and Brazil are expected to be major players in providing feedstock for aviation biofuel in the future. Also, China aims at reaching 7.5 billion gallons per year of aviation biofuel which will significantly boost the growth of the aviation biofuel market by 2020. In Australia, SkyNRG is working with Brisbane Airport since 2013 to convert it into the first bio port in the Asia-Pacific region.In January 2014 major companies such as Boeing, Etihad Airways, Takreer, Total along with Masdar Institute of Science and Technology teamed up for 'Biojet Abu Dhabi- Flight Path to Sustainability' developing a regional, sustainable aviation biofuel industry for the Middle East. In Africa, South African Airways with the help of SkyNRG, Boeing were able to fly the first biojet fuel in 2016.The aviation industry is one of the strongest and fastest growing transport sectors. Due to the growing share of aviation to greenhouse gas emissions and orders issued by various governing bodies the upcoming bio jet market has a lot of potential to grow in the near future. However the bio jet market needs a continuous supply of feedstock at sufficient quantities and at low cost. It needs to be priced competitively with petroleum jet fuel. The increasing competition by other biofuel producers for feedstock will affect feedstock prices, thus hampering the growth of the bio jet fuel market. For the global commercialization of bio jet fuel the aviation sector will need to efficiently use the existing downstream infrastructure to lower transport and production costs. Key players operating in the global bio jet fuel market include Honeywell International Inc., Red Rock Biofuels, Targray Technology International Inc., Vega Biofuels, Argent Energy, GEVO, KFS Biodiesel GmbH & Co. KG, PetroSun, Inc., Shirke Energy, Archer Daniels Midland Company.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit Our New Website:
Artificial Intelligence Software Market worth 13.89 Billion USD by 2022 and the market is set to grow at an impressive CAGR of 75.37%

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Artificial intelligence (AI, also machine intelligence, MI) is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence (NI) displayed by humans and other animals. In computer science AI research is defined as the study of "intelligent agents": any device that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chance of successfully achieving its goals. Colloquially, the term "artificial intelligence" is applied when a machine mimics "cognitive" functions that humans associate with other human minds, such as "learning" and "problem solving".The global Artificial Intelligence Software market is valued at 478 million USD in 2016 and is expected to reach 13.89 billion USD by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of 75.37% between 2016 and 2022.The Global Artificial Intelligence Software Market report presents a comprehensive study of the global Artificial Intelligence Software market by assessing the growth drivers and restraining factors at length. This detailed study of important factors assists the market participants in understanding the issues they will be facing while functioning in this market over a long period of time.Get Sample copy of this report @:Companies Profiled in this report includes, Google, Baidu, IBM, Microsoft, SAP, Intel, Salesforce, Brighterion, KITT.AI, IFlyTek, Megvii Technology, Albert Technologies, H2O.ai, Brainasoft, Yseop, Ipsoft, NanoRep(LogMeIn), Ada Support, Astute Solutions, IDEAL.com, Wipro.The Artificial Intelligence Software is undergoing a lot of advancements since past few years. The application industry and its usage has also increased with time. This has become a major factor stimulating the growth of the global market. This software comes with much reliability in the method of operation, accuracy in results, much less time to give the output, and consistency are some of the driving forces behind the growth of the market.The major players of the Artificial Intelligence Software market are identified across regions, and their offerings, distribution channels, and regional presence are understood through in-depth discussions. Also, average revenue generated by these companies, segmented on the basis of region, is used to arrive at the overall market size. This overall market size is used in the top-down procedure to estimate the sizes of other individual markets through percentage splits from secondary sources directories, databases, and primary research.Avail 20% Discount on this report @:Furthermore, based on geography, the market is classified into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa and Latin America. For these regions, charts are included, which displays their past and present growth trajectories, and projected future. The performance of each region and countries constituted in it are contributing to the expansion of the global Artificial Intelligence Software market. In-depth study provided for all these regions will assist market players of any size to wisely strategize their plans in an attempt to maximize their return-on-investment.To know more about this report @:Reason to Access Artificial Intelligence Software Market Research Report:Artificial Intelligence Software Market is segmented on the basis of various parameters. The factors which are impacting the markets growth are studied in detail. The report also presents overall weaknesses which companies operating in the market must avoid in order to enjoy sustainable growth through the course of the forecast period. Besides this, profiles of some of the leading players operating and encouraging in the growth of the global Artificial Intelligence Software market are included in the study. Additionally, using SWOT analysis, markets weaknesses and strengths are analyzed. It also helps the report provide insights into the opportunities and threats that these companies may face during the forecast period.Table of ContentsGlobal Artificial Intelligence Software Market Research ReportChapter 1 Artificial Intelligence Software Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic Impact on IndustryChapter 3 Global Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by RegionChapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by RegionsChapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Global Market Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12 Global Artificial Intelligence Software Market ForecastChapter 13 AppendixWe at IT Intelligence Markets conduct intensive market research and generate detailed reports about the products and services offered in the IT domain. Our team is devoted to providing custom reports that are taylor-made to suit the customers requirements. We make sure to keep our customers updated with the latest market dynamics as IT industry is undergoing sea change intrinsically & extrinsically by forces such as regulatory fluctuations, rapidly evolving consumer preferences, and newer technologies. Not only do our market research analysts scrutinize market requirements but also track competitors relentlessly for obtaining the most updated scenario of the market.Survey No-9/4,Flat# 6,Panchshil Park,Ganpati Marg,Nigidi, Pune 411044Email: sales@itintelligencemarkets.comPhone:+91 976-460-7607
Worldwide Content Delivery Network (CDN) Security Software Market with valuable insights of the Industry including CAGR (+32%), Competitive Strategies, Latest Trends and Major Players ruling the market

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A content delivery network or content distribution network (CDN) is a geographically distributed network of proxy servers and their data centers. The goal is to distribute service spatially relative to end-users to provide high availability and high performance. CDNs serve a large portion of the Internet content today, including web objects (text, graphics and scripts), downloadable objects (media files, software, documents), applications (e-commerce, portals), live streaming media, on-demand streaming media, and social networks. CDNs are a layer in the internet ecosystem. Content owners such as media companies and e-commerce vendors pay CDN operators to deliver their content to their end users. In turn, a CDN pays ISPs, carriers, and network operators for hosting its servers in their data centers.The Content Delivery Network (CDN) Security Software market estimate is anticipated to develop at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of +32%.The Global Content Delivery Network (CDN) Security Software Market report presents a thorough analytical overview of the past and present state of the market and, with the help of present data, trends, competition, and regulatory framework gives a forward-looking perspective of the way the market will develop over the course of the next few years. Along with qualitative and qualitative details pertaining to the markets key elements, an overview of the chief macro and micro economic factors that will enable companies to the market to surmount competition are also examined in great details.Get Sample copy of this report @:Companies Profiled in this report includes, Akamai Technologies (US), Amazon Web Services (US), Arbor Networks (US), ChinaCache (China), Cloudflare (US), Distil Networks (US), Limelight Networks (US), Microsoft (US), Nexusguard (US), Radware (Israel), StackPath (US), Verizon Digital Media Services (US).These vendors are analyzed based on attributes such as their product profile, product introductions, SWOT analysis, and contact information. Each of the key players in the market is revealed in terms of their basic company data, key competitors, and presence of manufacturing bases. These players are also described according to their offerings in product types and technologies, the production costs, revenue generated, and overall price of these solutions.The Content Delivery Network (CDN) Security Software is gaining pace and industry have started understanding the benefits of analytics in the present day highly dynamic environment. The market has witnessed several important developments over the past few years, with mounting volumes of data and the shift from traditional analysis platforms to self-service analytics being some of the most prominent ones.Avail 20% Discount on this report @:The report provides key statistics on the market status of the global Content Delivery Network (CDN) Security Software market manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry. Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Then, the report explores the major industry players in detail. This section of the report offers the company profiles, product specifications, capacity, production value, and the market shares for each company.The report studies the global Content Delivery Network (CDN) Security Software market, analyzes and researches the development status and estimate in North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East & Africa and Latin America. The key players some of the time confronts major - difficulties and limitation in the market, which is expected as the hindering factor in the growth of the global market.To know more about this report @:The report also presents a thorough overview of the competitive landscape of the global Content Delivery Network (CDN) Security Software market and the detailed business profiles of the markets notable players. Threats and weaknesses of leading companies are measured by the analysts in the report by using industry-standard tools such as Porters five force analysis and SWOT analysis.Reasons to Buy the Report: This report includes the Content Delivery Network (CDN) Security Software market sizing in terms of value on the basis of type, application, and geography. The value chain analysis and key strategies adopted by the market players have been provided for the Content Delivery Network (CDN) Security Software market. Major drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges for the Content Delivery Network (CDN) Security Software market have been provided in detail in this report. The report includes illustrative segmentation, analysis, and forecast for the Content Delivery Network (CDN) Security Software market based on its segments and subsegments.Table of ContentsGlobal Content Delivery Network (CDN) Security Software Market Research ReportChapter 1 Content Delivery Network (CDN) Security Software Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic Impact on IndustryChapter 3 Global Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by RegionChapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by RegionsChapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Global Market Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12 Global Content Delivery Network (CDN) Security Software Market ForecastChapter 13 AppendixWe at IT Intelligence Markets conduct intensive market research and generate detailed reports about the products and services offered in the IT domain. Our team is devoted to providing custom reports that are taylor-made to suit the customers requirements. We make sure to keep our customers updated with the latest market dynamics as IT industry is undergoing sea change intrinsically & extrinsically by forces such as regulatory fluctuations, rapidly evolving consumer preferences, and newer technologies. Not only do our market research analysts scrutinize market requirements but also track competitors relentlessly for obtaining the most updated scenario of the market.Survey No-9/4,Flat# 6,Panchshil Park,Ganpati Marg,Nigidi, Pune 411044Email: sales@itintelligencemarkets.comPhone: +91 976-460-7607
Who would turn down free money? According to the Motley Fool, approximately 20% of workers with matching 401(k) retirement plans are effectively dismissing free money by making a significant mistake with their contributions.

Approximately three-quarters of companies with 401(k) plans offer a matching program where the employer contributes an equal amount to the employee's contribution up to a certain limit. The employer's matching contribution is extra money that you receive simply by contributing to your retirement account  in essence, free money. If you don't contribute to the matching limit, you are bypassing the opportunity to add this free money to your tax-deferred retirement funds.

Matching programs may offer dollar-to-dollar matches or percentage matches. According to 2015 data from the Deloitte Annual Defined Contribution Benchmarking Survey, the most common matching program is a 50% match up to 6% of employee contributions (used by 18% of plan sponsors), followed by a 100% match up to 6% (used by 12%).

Under these programs, if you made $40,000 and contributed 6% of your salary ($2,400) to your retirement plan, your employer would contribute an extra $2,400 under a 100% match and $1,200 under a 50% match.

Now, assume that you only contribute 3% of your $40,000 salary into your 401(k) plan. Your employer would then contribute $1,200 under a 100% match and $600 under a 50% match  and you would leave an equivalent amount on the table, unclaimed.

Failing to take full advantage of an employer-matching program applies a double hit to your retirement funds. Not only are you turning down money that you could have claimed, you are also losing out on the compounding of those funds over time.

The Motley Fool provides an example of an employee making $100,000 per year at an employer offering a 50% match in contributions up to a 5% limit. If you contribute up to the 5% limit, you will be adding $5,000 annually and your employer will kick in another $2,500. Assuming a 7% annual return on your investments, your nest egg will reach $708,000 in thirty years.

Contrast that with a 3% contribution. You will be contributing $3,000 each year and your employer will be contributing $1,500. You've refused an extra $1,000 annually and contributed less to your own retirement. Using the same growth assumptions as above, your nest egg will be approximately $425,000 in thirty years. That's a potential drop of $283,000. How would your plans for retirement change with a $283,000 drop in funds?

Does your employer do automatic enrollment on a 401(k) program? Check the program rules. The default contribution level for automatic enrollment is usually different from the matching contribution limit. (Typical automatic enrollment levels are 3% of salary.)

You must request that your employer raise your contribution to the required matching limit  and if you can afford it, there's nothing wrong with maxing out your 401(k) to the total dollar contribution limit ($18,500 for 2018 with an additional $6,000 catch-up contribution if you are over age fifty).

In some cases, it may be reasonable for a short time not to contribute to the matching limit of a 401(k) program. If you are paying down excessive debt, especially high-interest debt such as credit cards, the benefits may be worth missing out on an employer match  for a while. Those exceptions are few.

Take full advantage of any 401(k) matching program, at least up to the matching limit. Adjust your budget if necessary to devote the sufficient amount of your pay to the 401(k). When retirement arrives, you'll be very glad that you did.

Regardless of where you plan to retire, the number one factor in ensuring that you can retire on your terms is your 401(k). Make sure that your 401(k) is maximizing its potential with this free analysis that checks your fees, fund mix, and other factors to help you hit your retirement goals.

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Over the years, the Daily News has printed several photo features during Michigan Nurses Week to draw attention to the profession of nursing.

Many of these photos are from those features.
Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Co., is collaborating with craft brewery Oskar Blues to produce the industry's first printed collation shrink packaging in the United States for the beer company's 24-can variety cases.

The packaging was created along with plastics converter Berry Global and Ampacet - a leader in color masterbatch technologies. Oskar Blues piloted the packaging in 2017, which has resulted in more than 300 percent growth through national retailers.

The shrink solution serves as secondary packaging that wraps corrugated trays, replacing previous shrink-wrapping that held two 12-pack cartons together. The collated shrink packaging continues to feature Oskar Blues' branding and design. The brand's new packaging has generated:

 40 percent cost savings

 64 percent reduction in secondary packaging materials usage

 73 percent fewer trucks delivering packaging materials to Oskar Blues

Oskar Blues, part of the CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective, the ninth largest craft brewer in United States according to the National Brewers Association, expects to see 46 percent energy savings and 51 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions based on an environmental impact assessment by Allied Development.

The headquarters of the brew-pub is located in Colorado, and it also operates breweries out of North Carolina and Texas.

"Moving to collated shrink packaging for our 24-can variety packs results in business growth, sustainability benefits and strong shelf appeal," said Jeremy Rudolf, operations manager, CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective. "Our primary focus is the quality of the beer we brew, but we also continuously evaluate options to evolve in other areas, and enhance our sustainability profiles with innovations like this new packaging solution."

Oskar Blues' packaging shift comes at a time when demand for collation shrink continues to rise as brands seek more cost-effective, sustainable secondary packaging solutions. The rapidly-growing craft beer industry is a logical area for growth in collation shrink secondary packaging.

"Craft beer companies like Oskar Blues are agile and willing to try innovative, creative ways to differentiate their products in an increasingly crowded marketplace," said Ritika Kalia, end-use marketing manager, Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics. "Brewers have a strong opportunity to leverage the benefits of collation shrink for secondary beer packaging, from cost savings to sustainability."

After initial equipment investment, film costs less per unit packaged than traditional materials, reducing warehouse storage space and the need for raw materials.

"The ability to print on collation shrink film is essential for applications where branding is so important," said Markay Doane, product line director, Berry Global, Inc. "More and more companies see its potential, given the opportunity to achieve cost and sustainability goals while still capturing consumer attention with strong branding and shelf appeal."
Work will soon begin on South Saginaw Road, Waldo Avenue and Bay City Road in Midland in preparation for the ultimate closure of a public portion of South Saginaw Road.

Starting sometime this month, there will be lane closures on Saginaw Road south of Mark Putnam Drive, and work will begin on Bay City Road and Waldo Avenue. Despite the lane closures, Saginaw Road will continue to be open to traffic until September. Upgrades are also underway on Waldo Avenue and Bay City Road, which will experience periodic closures but mainly will remain open during the construction process.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Kelly Dame.

Friday, May 4

1:09 a.m. - Police made arrests for drunken driving and on a warrant at East Indian and State streets.

Thursday, May 3

1:32 a.m. - A Larkin Township woman, 39, was arrested at her home for domestic assault.

8:20 a.m. - A Homer Township woman, 40, was arrested on a warrant in that township.

8:40 am. - Police assisted parole agents in the 200 block of West Ellsworth Street.

11:29 a.m. - Deputies were sent to a report of threats at an Edenville Township home.

3 p.m. - Deputies responded to a 911 hang up call on state land in Edenville Township and found two men, one of whom had accidentally dialed 911, after getting stuck. The two had help on the way.

4:20 p.m. - A Midland Township man, 38, reported receiving a phone call from a person informing him he owed $600 on a past credit card and the police would be sent to arrest him if he did not pay. The man realized the call was a scam and did not pay any money.

9:09 p.m. - Officers investigated a hit and run traffic crash in the 4000 block of Wellness Drive.

9:12 p.m. - A Saginaw man, 38, was arrested in Mount Haley Township for driving while his license was suspended.

9:55 p.m. - A Geneva Township woman reported a man she did not know approached her as she was exercising on a roadway in that township Monday and asked if she needed a ride. The man left after she told him no. She has not seen the man again.

10:19 p.m. - Police investigated a hit and run accident in the 6800 block of Eastman Avenue.

Wednesday, May 2

3:30 a.m. -- Deputies assisted Bay City Police officers who located a vehicle that was believed to have been taken from a Lincoln Township home by juvenile females without permission. The girls and the vehicle were returned.

4:19 a.m. -- A Saginaw woman, 22, was arrested in Lee Township for driving while her license was suspended. She was warned for speeding and improper lane usage.

5:47 a.m. -- Deputies were sent to a Jerome Township neighborhood for a report of a person using a flashlight to look at vehicles. The area was checked and the person was not found.

7:55 a.m. -- Police were sent to an assault in the 3700 block of Chestnut Hill Drive.

8:14 a.m. -- A Homer Township address was broken into. A door was damaged, and a $200 television was stolen. There are no suspects.

9:34 a.m. -- Officers responded to a hit and run traffic crash in the 7300 block of Eastman Avenue.

1:17 p.m. -- Police investigated a hit and run traffic crash in the 7000 block of Eastman Avenue.

1:37 p.m. -- A passerby reported seeing a 3-year-old boy unattended along West River Road in Jerome Township. As a deputy was responding, a neighbor alerted the boy's grandmother, who was looking for him. He had walked outside as she was tending another child. The boy was returned, and Child Protective Services was contacted.

2:13 p.m. -- An Ingersoll Township man, 48, was arrested for domestic assault at his home. A report is being forwarded to the prosecutor's office.

3:29 p.m. -- An Ingersoll Township man, 57, reported someone fraudulently charged $183.67 to his credit card.

4:07 p.m. -- A deputy was sent to Lincoln Township for a report of trespassing.

5:22 p.m. -- A motorist was arrested for driving while license suspended after a crash at George and East Buttles streets.

7:35 p.m. -- Foot prints were found around a Larkin Township home, and the rear sliding door screens were open. The home was not entered, and nothing was stolen.

8:02 p.m. -- A Lee Township woman, 45, was cited in that township for driving while her license was expired.
Samsung Electronics Levant has announced its partnership with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Jordan, and inaugurated an Air conditioning (AC) Lab at Wadi Seer Vocational Training Centre.



Samsung Electronics Levant rehabilitated the labs infrastructure by equipping it with state-of-the-art devices, in addition to working closely with UNRWA to create a shared training programme. Some 200 students will benefit from the AC Lab annually, said a statement.



Designed to support students who have completed secondary school (Tawjihi), the AC Lab will offer programme participants a two-year course of practical, hands on use of the latest AC technologies, it said.



Samsung Electronics Levant will work through its distributor UPB (United Pioneering Business) to secure field training opportunities for students. Furthermore, UNRWA will offer one training programme each semester and will graduate 24 students per cycle, it added.



Changsup Lee, president, Samsung Electronics Levant, said: We are proud to partner with UNRWA. We believe in the significance of technical education and vocational training.



Through the training programmes that will be launched in cooperation with UNRWA, students will be able to acquire the necessary skills and expertise to qualify them to join the labour market, he said.



Through the corporate citizenship projects we establish with various institutes, we strive to create impactful partnerships aimed at transforming the educational experience. Classes will become more interactive, and will create interactions that will prepare students for future employment, he added.



The Director of UNRWA Operations in Jordan, Roger Davies expressed his gratitude to Samsung for its support.



Davies said: I hope that this will be the first step in a long partnership, highlighting the significance of the donation on the academic environment and students practical experience.



This is the first renovation on the lab since its establishment in the 1960s. We hope that students will benefit from it for years to come. Without a doubt, providing the latest technology and equipment is essential to improving student ability, he added.



This will broaden their knowledge base with cutting-edge technologies, and will enhance their job opportunities in the labour market, concluded.



The AC Lab is not the first corporate citizenship venture for Samsung in Jordan, Samsung Electronics Levant has cooperated with various educational institutions to create specialized technology labs aiming to elevate the educational experience by delivering devices and solutions that help students learn with the latest technology available, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
To the editor:

We wish to express our endorsement and continuing support for the Midland Public Schools' (MPS) Superintendent, Board, and Bond projects. We were privileged to serve on the MPS Board for a combined 60 years as well as to lead the Committee to Support 21st Century Learning that helped to explain the proposal and resulted in the successful passage of the millage underwriting the bond. While the vast majority of citizens continue to have full faith and confidence in the leadership of the schools, a few have expressed disappointment alleging promises are not being kept and that money is being saved that should be spent.

The MPS website has listed considerable information demonstrating that the projects are in fact following plans and assuring all that most of the over $5 million in current savings are a result of purchasing less expensive but equivalent technology that was unavailable at the onset of the project. Furthermore, claims that local contractors have limited participation in the projects are unfounded. About 92 percent of the contracts and $39 million of $46 million in construction expenditures to date have been awarded to mid-Michigan contractors.

We invite interested citizens to visit the MPS website (https://new.midlandps.org/) and click on the "Bond Update" links for the facts regarding the bond projects. You'll find that the projects are being managed with the appropriate level of fiscal prudence and stewardship that will continue our long tradition of providing excellence with outstanding learning opportunities for all of our children.

Richard Dolinski, Ken Mault

Rick Ohle, Jerry Wasserman

Midland
The Last O.G. is about how people rebuild their lives in spaces where they've been erased.



30 Rock's Tracy Morgan has something good here. The Last O.G.a show that miraculously exists on TBStakes some time to hit its stride, and when it finally does, you wonder why you haven't seen Morgan more often in TV. Created by Jordan Peele (Get Out), The Last O.G. is part gentrification comedy and part family drama.

Tracy Morgan plays Tray, an ex-convict who is released after 15 years in prison. He's clever and brutally honestmaybe even to a fault. He's set in his ways, unable to connect with gentrified Brooklyn, gasping at gluten-free options and dog hotels. From this alone, The Last O.G. sets ups a clever premisewhat exactly do you do when everyone else has moved on?

Morgan, within the very first three episodes, targets mass incarceration, gentrification, interracial relationships, and familiar sitcom tropes. These themes that are often framed in political dialogues and are treated with a type of whimsy other black comedieslet's say Black-ishfail to offer, that is, without tending to air on heavy-handed posturing. The Last O.G. is more uncouth; Tracy Morgan is charming and sinister. It's clear, too, that the show has no problem making some people mad. Most of the humor in the first episode is about Tray's fear of prison sex, most of the jokes involving Morgan's butt and various automobiles. Morgan knows when to curse, when to look confused, and when to do his signature smirk on command; his comedic timing, supported by the equally-entertaining Shay (Tiffany Haddish), elevates the sloppier parts of the show's writing.

There are a few instances where The Last O.G. revels in Morgan's bravado in lieu of moments where emotional depth is needed to relay the bigger, more pronounced theme in the show: dismantling the deadbeat dad trope. The show relies on Morgan's cartoonish voicewhich sounds like he's chewing on a bar of soap mid-sentenceto make comedy out of situations that would otherwise leave Tray homeless in real life. It's oddly endearing in the sense that Tracy Morgan is learning how to use the internet while serving chai lattes to beard-loving hipsters.

And just like Brooklyn, Morgan has a way of feeling old and new all at once. The Last O.G. has a healthy serving of sitcom tropes, but it's raw, feeding off of Morgan's energy that, for the most part, saves the show from being another sitcom that's edgy for the sake of being edgy.



The Last O.G. is about how people rebuild their lives in spaces where they've been erased. The show does a good job of communicating how class still operates in Brooklyn despite its newly renovated facade. Tray is offered a barista position at a local coffee shop courtesy of one of his former plugs, and watching him try to acclimate to the sterilized and politically correct agendas of Brooklyn's finest hipsters is revealing as it is comical.

Cedric the Entertainer is perfect as the oafish improv instructor Miniard, a manlike Traywho has big dreams of making it with none of his youth to spare. Tray doesn't realize the stakes are no longer that serious, the precinct down the block not that dangerous, and the kids on the skateboards unemployed artist types. To him, flirting is a lot more aggressive and jobs are easy to land just as long as you have passion. The Last O.G. has fun exaggerating his perspective and the nostalgia of a New York that doesn't exist anymore. Get past the shifty tones in the first three episodes and the show will reward you for your loyalty. A real O.G. stands by his word.

POPDUST Score: 

Shaun Harris is a poet, freelance writer, and editor published in avant-garde, feminist journals. Lover of warm-toned makeup palettes, psych-rock, and Hilton Als. Her work has allowed her to copyedit and curate content for various poetry organizations in the NYC area.

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When you think of Barbie, what image comes to mind?

Chances are it was something like a skinny, white, blonde woman with a hot pink convertible and a boring guy by her side who is simultaneously a chef, a flight attendant, and an astronaut. And it's an image that has been criticized throughout the entirety of its sixty years of existing. In 2016, a team at Mattel set out to rework this idea to remake Barbie inclusive in light of the evolving climate of body positivity. But are they too late?

Courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival

Academy Award-nominated director Andrea Nevins (The Other F Word and Play It Forward) was there to document this entire process, from initial conversation to design to the final execution. Interviewing a slew of feminist thinkers, writers, and activists in the process, we are told a story of how the dolls have influenced generations of girls in gender and role play in both positive and negative ways. We are also forced to look at the impact of what a change for the doll could have for children and for the failing toy company.

The story starts with founder Ruth Handler coming up with the idea for the dolls from watching her daughter, Barbara, play with her paper dolls as if they were adults, as well as her travels to Europe where she saw 11.5-inch dolls that resembled women being sold in pornography stores. Both of these concepts sound a little ridiculous, but they were the images that sparked Handler to draw up the first sketches and create the original prototype for what would soon become one of the most popular toys in the world.

Courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival

Over the years, we have seen that Barbie has evolved. Eventually, she got more outfits, and a boyfriend, and a lot of friends too. But the conversation in the Mattel offices when we meet the team working for the company is how to improve the brand after the bad press it has increasingly gotten since the start of the second and third wave feminist movements. Women gathered in the streets to yell, "I am not a Barbie doll," and told press sources they would not let their children play with them. This has carried into today, where sales are declining.

The brilliance in the editing of this film comes in the plan to implement "Project Dawn," which will include prototypes for Barbies of all shapes and sizes. While hearing the historical feminist contexts as well as understanding the development of the Barbie brand, we also hear from the current employees of the company: one in design who is spearheading the campaign, and another in charge of press and marketing who is fighting back. Nevins allows us to empathize with each of them equally, so when the team ends up coming together, it's emotionally rewarding. Many in the theater were actually tearing up.

Courtesy of Mattel

The spectrum of responses to the dolls in the process is also fascinating. While some at the company think it's brilliant, others question whether or not consumers will argue the effort is too little too late, or if they will say mean things about the "curvy" body dolls that will promote bullying, or if parents will be angry that all of the dolls no longer take the same shoe size. It sounds like a metaphor for how we deal with change for anything.

The juxtaposition of the various sides of the arguments for and against the change really give the viewer the opportunity to decide for themselves what they think of the change, whether it is the little girl who is happy to hold a doll that finally looks like how she thinks she will grow up and look, or a bigger woman who scoffs at curvy Barbie for barely resembling a size 12 (smaller than the average American woman), or in the middle and something like most of the Mattel workers where they know this is overdue but it is a step in the right direction.

Courtesy of Hulu

The documentary captures many angles of this story, which I think most have pigeon-holed when they walk in the door. You will need to drop that thought when you sit down. You will need to open your heart to being sympathetic to a piece of plastic molded with breasts and a butt. Believe me, it sounds wild, but Nevins will eventually have you crying over this thing, and you won't mind.

Find out more about Tiny Shoulders here.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Showers early then scattered thunderstorms developing later in the day. High 81F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy during the evening followed by cloudy skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.
Dubai-based global marine terminal operator DP World has launched a new cruise passenger terminal at its unit in Limassol, Cyprus.

The new terminal at DP World Limassol was inaugurated by Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades; Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Vassiliki Anastassiadou; the Mayor of Limassol, Nicos Nicolaides, of Cyprus, and DP World Group Chairman and CEO, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem in the presence of a large gathering of 300 officials.

With the launch of operations at the terminal, Cyprus will now see the largest cruise ships in the world visiting the country for the first time.

It provides world-class facilities and services for passengers and features seven pods with a total floor area of 8,205 sq m. The terminal is designed to facilitate both Transit (day call) and Turnaround (home porting) services.

In addition, the East berth with a length of 480m and depth of 11m is able to handle the largest cruise vessels in the world.

At DP World Limassol, the terminal is separated into three principal areas; Cruise; Oil and Gas logistics zone; and Domestic/transit trade area. This allows DP World Limassol to offer additional services and operations that support the Cyprus economy.

The Oil and Gas logistics zone is 100,000 sq m with a 430-m berth and has been awarded with full environmental impact assessment and relevant permits.

Current occupation is at 30 per cent, and has been used to support recent ENIs successful Cyprus EEZ offshore drilling campaign. Exxon Mobile has also nominated DP World Limassol Oil and Gas zone as its planned drilling logistics base.

Addressing the gathering, Anastasiades said: "The Cyprus Government is particularly pleased for the highly experienced international and local partners, DP World who will ensure the success of Limassol Port in the coming decades."

"The Port of Limassol is one of the largest commercialisation projects in Cyprus to date. It serves as a model for the Republic of Cyprus and its ongoing efforts for a prosperous future as a modern centre for investment, trade and services," he added.

Speaking at the launch, Bin Sulayem said: "Today is a celebration of the teamwork and collaboration in creating a new front door for tourists coming to Cyprus. We are proud to be part of a strategic partnership with the Government and the city of Limassol to realise this national asset, one that will help develop the growing tourism sector still further."

"Our aim is to be the port of choice in the Eastern Mediterranean and we want to create infrastructure that enables sustainable growth of the local economy and for Cyprus," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Writings on the Wall

This week I am going to talk about the race for governor, but first I want to mention booster shots. Last Wednesday, I went to the university  Read more
One of 2,000 awardees, University of Guam biology major Jerilyn Calaor, was offered the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, which recruits high-potential, early-career scientists and engineers and supports their graduate research training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, according to the NSF.

As support for graduate study that leads to a research-based master's or doctoral degree in a STEM field, GRFP fellowship will grant Calaor three years of financial support within a five-year fellowship period with a $34,000 annual stipend and $12,000 cost-of-education allowance to the graduate institution.

Calaor will be graduating from UOG with a bachelor of science in biology with a minor in chemistry in the 2018 Fanomnakan, or spring, semester.

She plans to pursue her doctoral degree in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Program at Iowa State University during the 2018 Fanuchanan, or fall, semester, where she hopes to conduct research related to invasive species as part of her doctoral studies.

She believes ISUs strong ecology and evolutionary biology curriculum would help her achieve this goal and enable her to collaborate with Haldre S. Rogers, a conservation biologist known for her invasive species research on Guam.

I have always taken an interest in environmental studies and research, Calaor said. Coming here to UOG and majoring in biology, my focus has always been in environmental research.

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Calaors resume is armed with research and fellowship programs that she feels has prepared her for doctoral studies, to include her participation in the 2016 Native American Pacific Islander Research Experience in Costa Rica, the 2017 Harvard University Forest Summer Research in Ecology Program, and a fellowship from the Ecological Society of America  Strategies for Ecology, Education, Diversity, and Sustainability program.

Harvard Universitys Forest Summer Research was tied into the SEEDS fellowship, she added. Just having those two under my belt, I feel like it has given me so much opportunity and has really prepared me for a career in ecology.

She hopes to conduct meaningful research on Guam and mentor a younger generation of ecologists after completing her doctoral program.

One day, hopefully, I would be able to become a professor here  to kind of give back and be a mentor figure, Calaor said. Much like the professors here have inspired me to go into this, Id like to be that to someone.

More than 12,000 applicants from all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories applied for the program  a program representing the nations oldest, continuous investment in the U.S. STEM workforce, the NSF states.

Do not be afraid to apply, said Calaor. We are as competitive as everybody else out there.
Nancy Lindborg, president of the United States Institute of Peace visited the corporate headquarters of PREMIUM TIMES in Abuja while on a working tour of Nigeria. During the visit, Ms. Lindborg and members of her entourage  Chris Kwaja and Oge Onubogu  fielded questions from Bisi Abidoye, Festus Owete and Lois Ugbede on her mission in Nigeria, the various conflicts confronting the country and how they can be resolved. Excerpts:

PT: How long have you been in Nigeria?

Lindborg: I arrived in Nigeria Sunday and I leave Sunday. So, I will be here for a week.

PT: What exactly have you come to do in Nigeria?

Lindborg: Nigeria has been a priority country for the US Institute of Peace. We have worked here for a decade and a half and it has been a priority country for a number of years for the obvious reasons. Nigeria is a very important country, its an ally of the United States. It has enormous potentials but it continues to have roaring conflicts that will impede its ability to be the power house that it can be and the world needs it to be. USIP was founded by the US congress 35 years ago in the early 80s as a non-partisan, independent federal institute. So, we are not a part of any administration; we work directly with the Congress and with the mission of working with partners around the world to apply the best research and training and policy practice for preventing and resolving violent conflicts. We have worked with partners here in Nigeria for a very long time on interface mediation approaches, looking at various ways to conduct dialogues and we are currently working on research to help inform the best ways to prevent electoral violence. We support the northern governors symposium and senior civil society working group. So the purpose of my trip is to see how that is going.

PT: We have been having some bits of violence almost in all parts of our country, particularly the Middle Belt region where herdsmen have been killing indigenes of some communities. We also had those killings in the North West like Zamfara State and some other places. Earlier in the year we also had some crisis in Rivers State. I thought you came because of some of these challenges.

Lindborg: I was here two years ago and there were different conflicts then and we started our work, working with the pastors and imams as they are known, in Kaduna and Plateau States because of communal clashes that were occurring then. The conclusion of course is that there are chronic conflicts that affect Nigeria that require looking at  what are the ways to enable communities to better solve their own problems? But there are also some structural policy issues that continue to contribute to conflicts. That informs how we work and how we support different partners. We have just been to Plateau State and Adamawa State. Its been a great opportunity to meet with affected communities, to meet some of the partners, to see what the states are doing because obviously states have critical roles to play. Were fully focused on how to engage with the states which have a lot of responsibilities, resources and powers to help address, to prevent and resolve these conflicts.

PT: Youve been here for days now. Talking about issues of violence, what are your findings or what have you discovered so far that are strange and you really want the world to know?

Lindborg: Its not strange but I do think that I will want the world to know. I think it is very encouraging to understand the how resilient and how resourceful Nigeria is at the community level. We have had a chance to meet with communities both in Plateau and Adamawa States who are both affected by the Boko Haram violence as well as the herders-farmers violence. And in talking to them, with a little bit of help, they are seeking to solve their problems. There are a lot of traditional methods of reaching across. I heard from an Imam yesterday how the community came together somewhere to fight off Boko Haram; the Imams, the pastors, organised their community to retake their town after it was attacked by Boko Haram. We have also heard of the traditional way of resolving the herder-farmer conflicts where they would meet, discuss, (and) resolve these issues. But what we also see is that there are new problems with the introduction of criminality, addition of small arms so that its harder for some of those community mechanisms to work. And there are sometimes deeper structural issues that require the states to solve the problems  resource scarcity that is exacerbating the herder famer conflicts, demographic pressures etc.

PT: You talked about structural problems. What basically are these structural problems?

Lindborg: Structural problem means there is need for solutions at a more governmental level. For example, we have supported the senior civil society working group of very eminent thoughtful people here in Nigeria. They came up with a paper of recommendations that they brought to the ECOWAS Conference on Trans-humans that just concluded today and talked about things for the need for state support for ranches, for corridors for the herders, those kinds of solutions that are beyond the community level. And really one of the key structural issue is the security services. It is what we are hearing, that there is lack of confidence in both the justice system and in the police or the military because of instances where justice isnt served or where the military have committed human rights violations. So, the communities dont trust the security services and when you dont have citizen security, you have a lack of trust in the government. More importantly, when you dont have a functioning justice system, people often take justice into their own hands in ways that may not be completely fair.

PT: Apart from supporting the senior civil society group, are there other areas of intervention USIP is going to make with a view to reducing the level of violence in our country?

Onubogu: USIPs work in Nigeria is really focused on three areas  strengthening inclusion, strengthening community security and helping to enrich the narrative about Nigeria. Under our work where we strengthen inclusion we do the work with state governors as Nancy has mentioned in trying to bridge the gap between policy makers and at the state level, in bringing together the working group for peace building and governance which is this senior eminent people of senior civil society members. The key thing here is not being a voice to replace the voice of the people but being able to create a structure that can amplify the concerns from the community level and ensure that those who make policies and are supposed to make the policies actually address the true needs of citizens. Apart from that underneath that whole notion of trying to strengthen the inclusive decision making process, we have this preventing election violence research. As the country moves towards the elections in 2019 it is important to understand the opportunities that exist for building peace and any potential risk and how to address them. And that is why USIP has taken this approach to try to come out with information that is timely. We do not seek to do this on our own. We work in partnership with civil society organisations here in the country and with government officials as well trying to ensure there us sustainability in the activities that we carry out. Underneath the notion of strengthening security as have been mentioned, security is a really important factor in Nigeria today. We work with community actors and domestic security actors specifically the police at the community level and bringing these communities together to identify the issues that cause violent conflicts in their communities and coming up with ways to solve these problems on their own, not having us dictate what the solutions are but having them come up with solutions. If you are familiar with Jos, this is an area that has seen its own fair share of violent conflicts over time. The third thing, in response to your question, is that this trip has been a wonderful opportunity to gather information that will enrich the narrative about violent conflicts in Nigeria and inform those who are working towards addressing the issues about the importance of engagement at the community level, the community resilience that were able to observe and witness, the coming together of communities and the importance of having state government play an important role in addressing the needs of citizens.

Lindborg: Let me give you an example because I had a great opportunity to see this in action. When we were in this community just outside the city of Jos, where a couple of years ago there was so much distrust between the youth and the police and anger that they burned down the police station. We began working with members of the community, local government leaders, the police, the youth, women groups and traditional leaders, to have a dialogue where they were able to sit and hear about what were their concerns, their challenges, and it created a different sense of trust between all these various actors. So, when we went on Tuesday, we had this wonderful meeting first with the traditional leaders, with police officers, women and youth and then we all moved to the site of the burned down police station which they collectively have now chartered a plan for how to rebuild. So they will take the responsibility, the youth, the traditional leaders who had not previously worked together and they are doing this on their own. Its their initiative. The police officers are equally engaged. We met later with the police commissioner. Given the platform and some facilitation on how to have some dialogue they have taken this forward. They have come up with a solution and created a pathway further that will give more security to the community. That has created a whole new different way of thinking about each other.

PT: Is there anything you are putting in place to ensure the actors take these things seriously?

Lindborg: One of the things that we have been able to see and to work on is  how do you connect the citizens voice to the local government and how do you help the state hear them and deliver on democracy. We had an excellent meeting with both the Kaduna Peace Building Commission and the Plateau State Peace Building Agency. These are entities that have been set up by the governors. In Plateau state it is legislated. So they are now in law. They are both slightly different structures but they are commissioned to address some of the drivers of the conflicts that have erupted over the years in those two states. We met with the governors as well and heard his vision in Plateau State and a number of commissioners and they, I believe, understand the importance of taking seriously what is driving the conflicts. As long as you are in conflict you will be hindered in moving forward. So its actually in their interest. We also had a meeting with the deputy governor and a number of commissioners in Adamawa State. We were looking at what is the right structure to set up in their state to accomplish the same mechanism of hearing and responding to community voices and be able to understand the co drivers of conflict and mobilise answers for that. So we have a philosophy that we have to work from the top down to the bottom and bottom up and that is from the community up to the state down. Then there is the national down and actually there is also the regional because some of these problems are fundamentally regional, especially talking about some of the herder issues, the trans-humans as we discussed, the flow of small arms. So you have to connect the sub. You cant only have dialogue at the community level but that is an important part. That is an important part that often gets overlooked. Then you need to connect it with the action and policy and the action of these other levels.

PT: Would you be visiting other states like Benue, Kogi that are also affected by this violence?

Lindborg: Well, we were in Plateau state. Last time I was here we were in Kaduna and we have partnership and activities in both states.

PT: How do you choose the areas you go to?

Kwaja: You can define the Middle Belt in two ways. There is the cultural Middle Belt and there is the geographical Middle Belt. If you use the geographical Middle Belt, Adamawa and Plateau States fit within that categorisation because of the stretch. In terms of the similarities based on that geography its as if you are in one state, both in terms of the makeup of the topography, in terms of makeup of the people, in terms of the nature of the economy that is agrarian. They rely on agriculture for survival. Now if you look at the nature and pattern of killings and conflict, violence attached, they are all the same. The difference is Benue, Kogi in name but in terms of the location and pattern, its the same. Which means if you want to respond to that issue, you need a response that understands this trend and dynamics because we have not been able to do that we focus on one state. Its easy for criminals to move to the other states. The question is: Why are Adamawa and Benue States important? You need to look at the map, the way River Niger and Benue are structured, the fertile nature of that whole axis creates condition for herders to move and when they move, that is a place that gives you water all year round. There is nothing like there is no water in June, there is no water dry season. They have water from January to December because of the Benue River. So whoever stays along that area will not leave and because of that you will see the shrinking of the Lake Chad is also impacting on the livelihood within Borno state. Borno and Taraba share border with Adamawa State. So whoever is moving around the Benue valley, must surely touch Benue.

For us in USIP we think there is a whole lot of opportunity for us. The first point is locating individuals we think their voices will be very important, not just because they are elders but because of the positions they have occupied and they still occupy in Nigeria and when they speak, it carries weight. For instance, the Sultan and the Archbishop Onaiyekan. They were the first two individuals that started the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council. Now the senior working group is an opportunity for us to reinforce that voice by first expanding that platform, getting other individuals like General Martin Luther Agwai who is also on board, Professor Ibrahim Gambari who has been permanently involved in resolving conflicts over this kind of issues. As we do that the first point is how do we strengthen state capacity to respond to these issues? We discovered that trust is one fundamental issue and that is one point they both raised. If you look at the trust issue  first, how do we reestablish trust between the communities, the farmer and the herder? And the two of them dont even trust the state. They are fighting but they also have one enemy  the state. They all look on the state for justice. So, the point for us is we are also working with the senior working group to ensure that the issue of justice as a precondition for addressing impunity is something that government takes very serious.

We have been doing a lot when it comes to writing and you have been publishing some of our works. Even the last one we did, the memo we sent to the president on the farmers/herder clashes. The very first day you published it, that night General Dambazzau (Interior Minister) responded that he got it. The next day, the governor of Kaduna State presented it before the National Economic Council. On the basis of that the senior working group was invited to participate in the ministerial conference on trans-humans in the context of the farmer herder conflict that ended yesterday, which was organised by ECOWAS and the ministry of inferior. For us that was important. Just today we were with ECOWAS and they said some of the recommendations from the memo were captured and inserted in the final document that ECOWAS is releasing very soon as an outcome of the conference. For us that is a major success in terms of how we are able to amplify these issues. We are not just amplifying the voices of people, we are also amplifying the issues in terms of how deep they are and why governments need to respond to them.

PT: With your work and advocacy so far do we expect these issues to end soon? Is the end of these crises in sight?

Kwaja: The point you need to ask is  when they put these initiatives, do they look at the issue of sustainability of the initiatives because most of the initiatives have been reactive and ad-hoc and short term. Now when you have that kind of approach, nothing will work. For example, you say there is conflict in Benue, you bring in Operation Cat Race. What has been happening with all the DSS reports we have been having over insecurity? And none of these conflicts happens spontaneously. There are early warning signs, none of them happens spontaneously. Which means there is something wrong with the early warning system. That is also part of the discussion within the context of the senior working group, informing some of the responses and advice we are providing the advice we are providing.

Onubogu: Going back to the Plateau State Peace Building Agency and Kaduna State Peace Building Commission earlier mentioned, I think these are two areas that are trying to address that. They are still in the early stage and I think working with them through the work of the senior working group and other technical assistance that could be given would help with cultivating that understanding about being proactive when it comes to responding to conflict rather than being reactive. And I think that is what we have seen over time in Nigeria  a reaction to violent conflict rather than looking at ways to address the root causes or the drivers of the crises.

PT: How do you address the political factor that seems to be complicating the conflicts?

Onubogu: Well, by the nature of our job as we have explained earlier, USIP is a nonpartisan organisation. So when we come into an environment and we view the nature of the conflict, we identify partners that are we can work with irrespective of whatever their political backgrounds are or the political views are. But partners that can come together to dialogue and find solutions to different issues. So we stay out of the politics, we dont involve ourselves with the politics.

Lindborg: This is the heart of why in many countries..Part of the answer lies in ensuring that you have systems that there are free and fair elections, for example that you have citizens who are informed and engaged. These are long term processes but they are key parts of the longer term solution. So for example one of the important aspects of the Plateau State Peace Building Agency is that it is legislated so that it should survive whoever is in power in that state because it is there by law. The other thing I wanted to just say to your question is to add that peace, as we say all the time, is a process. You have to create the sustained systems and mechanisms that enable constant focus and vigilance and this is true for any country in the world that when you take your eye off that it is when grievances spill over into violence. We are very clear about the fact that there will always be conflict. Conflict can even be transformational. We have seen where big social movements that are based on disagreement and grievances have transformed countries but when you dont have the mechanisms for managing those conflicts that is when they turn violent and tear societies apart and undercut precious development gains. So it is about having the mechanisms and systems for managing the conflict so it can be productive rather than violent.

PT: Is there anything you are doing about Boko Haram situation in the north east?

Onubogu: One of the things we have done is looking at research and seeing how that research can be applied and put into practice. One of the things that we have done through working with partners in Nigeria is that we have been able to conduct research across several states in north eastern Nigeria, and engaging with communities to understand how they were able to fight back Boko Haram and to also understand what processes they had put in place to ensure that these communities stay resilient to the factors that could disrupt them. And I think that is where the research has been very useful. We have been able to use that information, to use those who are applying different programmes, be it on the security side or on the civil society side. So, that is the extent of our work  directly engaging and looking at the Boko Haram crisis. Another area of our work is this engagement with the state governors. In October of 2016, we had a symposium at Washington DC where we had governors who represented certain states across Nigerias north. We also had the minister of interior represent the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the symposium and some members of the working group as well. That meeting was an opportunity for folks to really take a step back and begin to ask the hard questions  what is really driving the crisis in the north east? And sometimes that is not something that we do because as I mentioned earlier we often react to crisis. Boko Haram didnt just appear. It took a while for Boko Haram to become what it is today. So that was an opportunity for the participants in that symposium to take a step back and really begin to understand  what are the drivers of this conflict? What are the practical ways that we could go about addressing some of them? What are some of the issues we can speak about? And I think it goes with some of the things we say at USIP that while peace is a process, peace is also practical. Sometimes these solutions are right there and we tend to ignore them or overlook them. So, coming from that symposium was where the conversations of how you really begin to institutionalise the process. Security is important, a military response is important but the military response alone cannot bring about sustainable peace. You also have to start thinking about transition, how do you transit from military to civilian? What role do the police play? What role do the justice system play? How do you reveal the justice system in an area or community that has been in a system like this? So that is where USIP research comes into play and we are currently conducting research on a lot of these things that would continue to inform the work of those who are working to directly address the issues.

PT: Are you saying that some of those decisions reached and adopted at the 2016 Symposium had have been applied?

Onubogu: At least one of them is with the Plateau State Peace Building Agency. When the governors were in Washington DC in 2016, one of the things that they resolved to do was to try and set up or strengthen the institutions at the state level to effectively respond to conflicts. One of the examples that that was raised, the Plateau State governor specifically spoke about the peace agency and the fact that it was still in its infancy and they wanted to learn how they could strengthen that agency. And the other governors who were in the room said wow, okay this is something that we can also implement in our own states. So, shortly after the symposium, the Kaduna State Government also took steps to set up the Kaduna State Peace Building Commission. As Nancy mentioned, we were in Adamwa State and there were discussions about setting up something similar. Same with the Borno Government. I think from that symposium, they realised that state governments are just as powerful as the president and they are citizens of the states and they are the closest in contact to the people. So they have to take steps rather than always waiting for the national to deploy security to address conflicts within their states.

Lindborg: They are on the front line to be more responsive to citizens in a way that creates a state society relationship and increase the citizens trust.

PT: To curtail violence some people have called for the creation of state police. Do you favour the creation of state police in Nigeria? Secondly, are you collaborating the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution in Nigeria?

Onubogu: To answer your last question, yes we engage with Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution in Nigeria. Professor Osita Osita (the DG) who runs the institute is a good colleague of USIP. So, we engage with them, run ideas by them as we try to implement our programmes. The things in the memo that was spoken about we also shared with the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution. And also we work with the Plateau State Peace Building Agency and Kaduna Peace Building Commission. There is also engagement with the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution here to ensure that they are collaborating, that there is coordination and that folks are not duplicating activities

Kwaja: For me, the issue might not be about state police first as a response but about how we decentralise policing. These are two different formulas. In decentralising policing, that is when you begin to look at the workability of state police or in fact you say we need to look at the present police structure with a view to ensuring that the state governments play a major role in how they operate. One of the recommendations in the 2014 National Conference was about decentralising state police in a way that allows for a particular rank within the police to be employed from within the states and governors have the power to appoint certain officers within that area and then there are limits. Maybe you say from the rank of deputy superintendent and above let the federal government handle but from this rank down let the state handle both in terms of appointment, recruitment and funding.
Jotun, the regions leading paint manufacturer, has launched a wonderful world of colour, innocence and imagination for kids.

Based on the theme A World of Wonders, this collection explores boundless imagination and the unexplored fairy tales of children.

The new collection has been inspired by the most inspiring artists, inventors, explorers and dreamers of our times: Children.

Three magnificent themes derived from the vivid imagination, unique opinions, mature advice and favourite colours of kids.

Sky Rainbow, The Three Little Colours, and Dinosaurs & Lollipops are the themes crafted by interpreting and translating childrens stories into a fresh and delightful collection to decorate their rooms in ways that are as limitless as their imagination. The colours of the latest Kids Collection are essentially created by kids and curated by Jotun.

Rana Khadra, Colour and Creative Manager, Jotun, Middle East, India and Africa, said: "At Jotun, we believe a colourful room can be so inspiring to a child. We discovered How children become the best storytellers once you fuel their imagination. For them yellow is not just a colour. It is daffodils dancing in an open field, a builders hat blown by the wind, a big flying school bus and the belly of a busy bee."

"Perhaps, youll be pleasantly surprised by how much you can learn from a child. We certainly were. We listened to childrens lovely stories which became the inspiration behind our 3 wonderful themes," he noted.

"Behind all of the creative colours and stories, and making them come to life is Jotuns Fenomastic Wonderwall. This innovative paint finish sustains its luxurious silky finish. While maintaining each of the imaginative colours vivid and accurate, this paint also offers superior washability and long-lasting appearance allowing kids to express their creativity and giving parents beautiful walls every day," stated Khadra.
That greenish water over there is our only source of water in this village, Idris Adamu Danjaka said.

A man of about 60 years, he was referring to the water in a dam the Nigerian government built in Danjaka, a village in Kunchi Local Government Area of Kano State. The dam was built as a constituency project of a federal lawmaker but was not completed.

The only other place we can get water from is a broken rock, which most people cannot access because it is dangerous to climb the rock, Mr Adamu told Premium Times reporters tracking the projects.

Another resident of the village who identified himself as Bala said, The water is not clean but we drink it, cook with it and do other domestic things with it. This community lacks almost everything. No water, no hospital?

A major development challenge in Nigeria is that social infrastructure such as potable water supply, electricity, health care facilities, good road networks and others have not kept pace with population growth. And because the countrys population is growing at a rate unmatched in most other parts of the world, its infrastructure deficit is widening.

According to data from the United States-based Population Reference Bureau, Nigeria is the seventh most populous country in the world with a projected population of over 195 million people and 206 million people by 2020. By 2050, Nigeria will only be behind India and China, as its population would have outstripped that of the United States, currently the third most populous country with 326 million.

Access to potable water is a major problem, as over half of the population in Africas largest economy still drink from rivers, streams and ponds. Although the problem is more pronounced in rural communities, city dwellers are also not spared of it.

Many in urban Nigeria who cannot install their own boreholes rely on water vendors, who largely operate without public agencies ensuring the safety of the water they dispense for domestic use.

The United Nations Children Funds (UNICEF) and other health agencies have repeatedly warned that poor water supply is the cause of cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery and other water-borne diseases, which are the major causes of deaths in under-five aged children.

In a bid to ensure access to safe water across the world, the United Nations in 2015 launched a new set of Sustainable Development Goals, including 17 goals the world aims to meet by 2030. Goal 6 is: Ensure Access to Water and Sanitation for all.

OVER N110 MILLION CONSTITUENCY PROJECTS

In pursuit of SDG Goal 6, the House of Representatives in 2016 allocated funds for the construction of solar-powered boreholes in some communities. These were captured in the 2016/17 federal budgets as constituency projects of members.

Lawmakers inserted the constituency projects in the federal budgets to ensure that all constituencies across Nigeria feel government presence through tangible projects. The projects have been controversial since their conception and are characterised by corruption, especially as the lawmakers determine the projects and work with the relevant government agencies to execute them, including by nominating the contractors.

The abandoned earth dam in Danjaka, Bumai Kunchi local government area in Kano state

Over N110 million was approved under these projects for the construction of boreholes or earth dams in some communities in Kano and Kaduna states. It is not clear how much was released, although constituency funding for the National Assembly are mostly released in full.

Beneficiary communities in Kaduna include Sabon Gida, Gonin Gora, Hayin Dogo, Ungwar Boro, Kudenda and Ungwar Yelwa in Chikun Local Government Area, and Kofar Gayan in Zaria LGA.

In Kano, they include Danjaka in Bumai Kunchi LGA, Gwale and Kano Municipal.

PREMIUM TIMES visited some of the beneficiary communities in Kano and Kaduna states. The visits exposed that these projects have either not been implemented or do not have the desired impact, as households still rely on unsafe water for drinking and other domestic purposes.

The first sight in some of the communities are of women and children going to or returning from streams, holding or balancing on their heads buckets, basins or jerrycans. In some, people could be seen drawing water from wells.

Chikun/ Kajuru in Kaduna State is represented by Umar Yakubu Barde, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who has been in the House of Representatives since 2003.

For Kano Municipal, the representative is Danburam Abubakar Nuhu, a member of the ruling All Progressives Party (APC).

Kaduna State

Sabon Gida in Chikun LGA of Kaduna state was the first community visited by Premium Times. Its constituency project is a solar-powered borehole constructed in 2017 and for which N10.5 million was approved in the federal budget for that fiscal year.

The borehole is not functioning well because since its construction, only about 10 people get water from it daily, the village head, Ali Yahaya, said in what would later emerge as the refrain by residents of the few so-called beneficiary communities in which the projects were executed.

We have over 120 houses and this borehole is our only source of potable water. People that cannot get water from the borehole go to the stream. Some have wells or their neighbours have. They get water there to drink and for other domestic needs, he said.

Ibrahim Jaafaru, the village secretary, said no official had been around to check the condition of the borehole since it was constructed.

Since 2017 no official or even the people that worked here have come to check the condition of the borehole they mounted. Most people in this community no longer bother to go to the borehole because they already know they will not get water. They go straight to the stream from their homes and those that have wells get water from there, he said.

A resident who identified herself as Gloria also spoke with our reporters in the same vein.

Since my family relocated from Aba to Kaduna some years ago, my children suffer from one illness to the other. It was difficult getting use to drinking stream water and sometimes well water.

So when they brought the borehole, we were very excited because at least, it will provide us with clean water and also save us the trouble of walking long distances to the stream.

Our excitement did not last long because we realised the borehole cannot serve any purpose. It was only on one or two occasions I managed to get water from the borehole. It is either the water has finished or one pipe is broken. So our only reliable source of water now is the stream and sometimes, well, she said.

In Gonin Gora, the contractors started construction of the borehole but never completed it. Some residents said the contractors were last seen April 2017.

Some people came to construct the borehole but it was not completed, a resident, Samson Tanko, said. They fixed the engine but it was stolen about three months later. Since then, it has been like this. Even before the engine was stolen, the borehole was not functioning, the solar was not fixed and no generator was provided to power the borehole, he said.

The village secretary, Abu Yusuf, said the only functional borehole in the community was constructed by the Emir in 2012.

The people that constructed this borehole did not come to the village head before they started working. So when we heard that the engine was stolen, we didnt bother to do anything about it because we were not involved from the beginning. Before the engine was stolen, the borehole was not functioning yet. People in this community get water from the well or the borehole over there, constructed by the Emir in 2012, he said.

Although N10.5 million was also approved for a borehole in Hayin Dogo community, the project was not executed. The last borehole, which was constructed in 2006 is no longer functioning.

The community chief, Yusuf Ayanda, said, We do not have a borehole in this community. Our people get water from wells and those that do not have go to the stream.

A resident, Maryam Yakubu, said We get water from our wells or from the stream.

Kudenda in Sabon Gari ward of Chikun LGA is a community of about 53,000 residents. N10, 5 million was also approved for a solar-powered borehole in the community but the project was not completed. Residents said the construction started in mid-2017 but was soon abandoned.

The Sarkin or head of Kudenda, Gabriel Galadima, said he was not informed before the contractors started work, so he saw no point getting involved.

The people in charge of the borehole are government officials, they came into the community and did not even inform the head of the community. They just went ahead to construct a borehole. And to make it worse, they couldnt complete it. They make lots of promises when it is time for election, but they never fulfill them, he said.

When the contractors came in 2017 to construct this borehole, they broke our shops, claiming they are too close to where the borehole will be mounted, Michael Awodiya, who runs an electronics shop in the village said.

Despite destroying our shops, the borehole was not completed. It is really painful that those in government are doing this to us, he said.

Another resident who identified himself as George said, Our shops were cut half way just to get access to pipe for the borehole but the borehole was never completed. If they knew they are not ready to complete it, why start it in the first place? Why inconvenience us for no major purpose.

The boreholes seen by our reporters in in Anguwan Boro are private-owned, although N10. 5 million was approved in the federal budget for a solar-powered borehole there too.

All the boreholes you see in this community are private-owned. Some are owned by churches while others were constructed by private individuals, a resident who gave his name as Baba said.

When there is enough water the owners allow people to fetch from the boreholes.

Since our representative in the House was elected, we have not seen or heard from him. He made lots of promises during the election campaign but he is yet to fulfil his promises. We are waiting for him to start his campaign for 2019, because that is the only time we can see him, he said.

Anguwan Yelwa has a solar-powered borehole constructed in 2017 but it is not functioning. It was courtesy of the 2016 federal budget but as in Gonin Gora, residents said the engine was stolen three months after it was mounted.

Barde Solomon is the son of the Sarkin or village head. The Sarkin was not involved from the beginning, he said. He was not informed before the borehole was constructed so when the engine was stolen, he was not aware until the police got involved. The police are investigating the incident and some arrests were made.

He said residents get water from a private-owned borehole. He (the owner) gives water to people freely, so the people has now turned it to a public borehole. That is the only publicly accessible borehole in Anguwa Yelwa, he said

The last time a public borehole was constructed in Kofar Gayan, a community in Zaria LGA, was 2015, residents said. In the 2016 federal government budget, N10. 5 million was approved for a solar-powered borehole in this community as a constituency project of their representative in the House.

If any borehole is to be constructed in this community, I will be aware of it because I am a plumber and we have a group which shares information, a resident, Shittu Saidu, said. The last borehole here was constructed in 2015.

A resident, Abdulrazaq Abdukarim, said The only borehole I know of in this community is almost 15 years old. It was constructed by Mustapha Bawa, who died some years back. Our only source of water is the stream and sometimes we buy water from mai ruwa (water vendor), he said.

Kano State

For Danjaka, a community in Bumai Kunchi LGA, N15.5 million was approved by the federal government for the construction of an earth dam. But the project has been a source of sadness to the residents. The dam was half-way done when it was abandoned. The water has since dried up.

Idris Adamu Danjaka, a former chairman of PDP in Bumai ward, said The dam was constructed but the water has since dried up. In 2017, I heard that some people were constructing a dam, so I went there to check. I realised that the dam is not up to what can be used, as the level of water is too low.

Mr Adamu, who is the APC treasurer in Bumai ward said: We heard on radio that the Honorable said he has done the project and the people in the environment are enjoying their farming but it is a big lie. The only thing we are to benefit from this government is this dam, yet it is not functional. Since its construction, no one person has benefited from it.

I have been monitoring this project from the beginning and I begged the contractors to dig it deeper but they refused to listen. So we have decided to write to the Kano state governor to come to our aid, he said.

Haruna, a resident of the community said, When they came, we begged them to dig it deeper but the workers said no poor man could tell them what to do. Our village head pleaded with the Honorable to work on the dam and make it functional but we are yet to hear from him.

In the 2016 federal government budget, N15 million was approved for 10 hand- pump boreholes in Gwale Federal Constituency in Kano State. Residents all said none was delivered.

The abandoned earth dam in Danjaka, Bumai Kunchi local government area in Kano state

No borehole was brought to this constituency that I am aware of, Albati Gomasalatan, said.

All those people in the House are lairs, they make promises and deceive us to put them there. We trusted them but they have disappointed us, he said.

There is no way a borehole will be brought to this constituency and we will not know about it, another resident, Nasir Saheed, said.

We know everything going on around us, so if 10 hand-pump boreholes were brought, we will be aware of it. So I can boldly tell you that no hand-pump boreholes here, he said.

In Kano Municipal, the hand-pump boreholes allocated to five wards were also not delivered. The son of the district head, Abubakar Hassan, said, Right from time, the Honorable does not do any of these projects. They lack respect for the people in the community and the district head. They do not even come to the district head to inform him of the projects meant for the community. No hand-pumps were brought to us in this community. The people in this community gets water from wells or streams, he said.

PREMIUM TIMES efforts to get full details of the constituency projects and the contractors were unsuccessful.
About 29 per cent of healthcare facilities across Nigeria have no access to safe water and toilets, the founder of Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA),Toyin Saraki, said quoting a WHO report.

Mrs Saraki, wife of Senate President Bukola Saraki, at the launch of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) global water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) campaign in Abuja on Friday said a WaterAid survey in the country also revealed that half of primary health facilities do not have handwashing facilities in delivery rooms.

According to her, researchers, in an analysis of 129,000 healthcare facilities in the developing world, found more than 65 per cent of facilities lack both running water and soap for handwashing.

Mrs Saraki said due to this, the global health and development communities can no longer watch in silence while mothers and newborns die from preventable and unnecessary complications.

She said the launch of WBFAs campaign follows the UN Secretary Generals call to action on WASH in healthcare facilities in March.

The launch coincides with the WHOs Save Lives: Clean your Hands campaign day, which takes place on May 5 each year.

May 5 is also International Day of the Midwife, with the theme this year being, Midwives leading the way with quality care.

Mrs Saraki said the unavailability of running water and soap in the health facilities endangers not only patients and staff but presents a danger to the society.

This is health facilities become unable to contain diseases. Pregnant women and newborns are thereby placed in huge danger and at risk of sepsis, which is a leading cause of death in hospitals, she said.

WBFA is partnering with Global Water 2020 and others to improve WASH facilities at healthcare centres and schools around the world.

Mrs Saraki said WBFA works with midwives to ensure that mothers and babies are safe from birth through to age.

Without adequate WASH facilities, however, midwives all over the world are unable to safely carry out their crucial work  and to lead the way with quality care.

Mrs Saraki said the campaign will champion the improvement of WASH facilities in schools. The physical environment and cleanliness of schools significantly affects the health and well-being of children, she added.

Too often, they are spaces where disease spreads quickly, without hand-washing facilities, soap or suitable toilets. Together, we will create a world where all children go to school and all schools provide a safe, healthy and comfortable environment where children grow, learn and thrive.

As we join the international community on May 5th in observing World Hand Hygiene Day and International Day of the Midwife, it is clear that the themes of both days are deeply interconnected, she said.

The WHO Country Representative, Wondi Alemu in his remarks said health facilities must concentrate on patient safety and handwashing in all facilities, including in primary healthcare.

Implementing hygiene standards in health centres will bring down disease transmission. We must prioritise hygiene, he said.

John Oldfield, a principal at Global Water 2020, said they were inspired and motivated by the Secretary Generals Call to Action for WASH in healthcare facilities, and by the initiative of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa.

We have high hopes that Mrs Saraki and her team at WBFA will be able to significantly accelerate progress in Nigeria and elsewhere, and midwives are perhaps the key to success, he added.
Former military head of state, Abdulsalami Abubakar, has advised Nigerians and all registered political parties to promote peace as the country prepares for 2019 general elections.

Mr Abubakar gave the advice when he received a delegation of the Northern Leaders and Stakeholders Assembly (NLSA) who paid him a visit in his Abuja home on Saturday.

The former head of state said peace was paramount, saying: If there is no peace, there is no nation; if there is no peace, there wont be any politicking.

So, it is absolutely necessary for each and everyone of us to put hands on deck to ensure that there is peace in the country.

All these senseless killings, senseless criminality that is going on wont serve any purpose. Please, lets join hands and make sure that we give peace a chance.

Mr Abubakar said once citizens make peace, they can always solve their problems.

On his advice to government towards solving the problem of killings in the country, the former head of state told journalists that everyone had a role to play in addressing the issue of insecurity.

I wonder at people when they start asking these questions. You, I and every Nigerian have a role to play to bring peace to this country.

Government is not only in the Villa, we are. Everybody being represented is part and parcel of this government.

These criminals, are they Nigerians or they are foreigners? If they are foreigners, have we reported that they are coming into the country? Are we giving intelligence?

And if they are Nigerians, are they not our brothers and sisters? Dont we know them? Have we exposed them? So each and every one of us has a role to play.

Mr Abdulsalami advised Nigerians to keep praying for Gods intervention and mercy on Nigeria for criminality to stop and for peace to reign.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the delegation earlier visited Yakubu Gowon, a former military head of state.

The NLSA chairman, Tanko Yakasai, told journalists that the visit was to inform the former heads of state about the assembly and solicit their support.

Mr Yakasai said the assembly was non-partisan but would be involved in political discussion about the future and fate of the country.

He, however, said the assembly had nothing to do with 2019 general elections.

Every member is free to support candidates of his choice and join any political party, Mr Yakassai said.

A member of the NLSA and former Minister of Women Affairs, Inna Ciroma, also said the delegations visit to former presidents and heads of state of northern extraction was to seek their support and blessings.

Mrs Ciroma disclosed that Mr Abdusalami had agreed to be one of the groups patrons.

All the leaders that we have visited have advised that all the Northern groups must unite. There is no need to have different northern groups.

They have all asked that we unite and ensure that all the groups are united, she said.

Mrs Ciroma said the assembly was not about 2019, but about the unity and progress of the north.

(NAN)
The crisis rocking the All Progressive Congress in Ebonyi State may continue as two factions of the party held parallel ward congresses in the state on Saturday.

Two parallel factions had emerged after the maiden congress of the party in 2014 with one faction led by Ben Nwaobasi as the chairman while the other faction had Eze Nwachukwu as its chairman.

Both factions also operate separate offices with members of the state working committee of the party pitching their tents with different factions.

Also both factions have been in court since 2014 over the leadership of the party.

Saturdays congress was expected to usher in peace and unity in the party but it seems to be the same old story of factionalisation.

From the meeting of the Ajayi Nicholas-led congress committee in Abakaliki on Friday night, it was obvious that the congress will be anything but free, fair and devoid of any irregularities as stakeholders complained of being edged out.

But Mr Nicholas assured of a level playing field.

The committee chairman said that he would meet with the leaders of the party with the aim of arriving at a consensus.

He added: If they fail, we will invoke the powers of the national chairman of the party and conduct the election according to our conscience, he had said.

However, on Saturday, Mr Nwaobasis faction allegedly held a parallel congress in various wards in the state.

Mr Nwobasi however alleged that the seven-man committee, led by Ajayi Nicholas, was hijacked by the group loyal to Mr Nwachukwu.

He said: The committee arrived and went to the factional secretariat, anchored by the state vice chairman, Eze Nwachukwu who elevated himself as the acting state chairman who was foisted on the Party by the National Secretariat to please the minister.

Reacting, Mr Nwachukwu said there was nothing like parallel congress or faction in the party as he was the only recognised chairman of the party hence all the members of the seven-member committee worked with him.

He said there was consensus in most of the local governments in accordance with the party constitution but that four local governments had yet to agree to a consensus.

He listed the four local governments as Ikwo, Ebonyi, Onicha and Ishielu.

He said if the stakeholders in the four local governments fail to reach a consensus, the Congress Committee will fix a convenient date to hold the congress for them.
The congresses in the 366 wards of the Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress held Saturday under a largely peaceful atmosphere.

Some party members, however, disagreed with the process and accused the leadership of manipulation.

In Agbado Oke Odo local council, accreditation of eligible voters started at about 1.30 p.m. at Ward C in Aboru-Ifesewapo was peaceful amidst a heavy presence of police officers.

Augustine Arogun, the council boss, lauded the peaceful conduct of the congress in the locality.

This is one of the largest wards where we have a lot of votes in Agbado Oke Odo LCDA, Mr Arogun said.

You can see from the way we have been conducting ourselves that it has been peaceful so far. People came out en masse to vote for their delegates and the ward executive.

At Ward A in Mushin local government, Toyin Aremu, a party official, told PREMIUM TIMES there was no record of fighting or violence.

They have announced the result to the members of the party at the congress, its left for the leaders and some of the excos to monitor at the collating centres, said Mr Aremu, National President, APC Change Volunteer.

The people do not need to come to where they are collating it; after they have announced the result in their various wards where they have held the Congress, the returning officer will then take the result to the headquarters.

The Spokesperson of the Lagos chapter of the APC, Joe Igbokwe, said apart from some minor issues here and there, the congress in his ward was peaceful.

There are little, little issues that we have that we are trying to thrash out before we go into the main collation, Mr Igbokwe, who was at the Agunbiade Ward in Itire-Ikate local council, told PREMIUM TIMES.

This is a local, bottom line election, it is not a big deal, its not supposed to be as elaborate as you people are thinking. Everybody wants to hold one position or the other, that is the problem we are having, nobody wants to be pushed to the background.

A fight broke out at Ward C in Badagry local government after some members claimed that the list to elect the executive members was manipulated.

The timely intervention of police officers from the Badagry Division prevented the situation from degenerating into a full-blown chaos.

A party member told NAN that the list had been manipulated by party officials.

The Congress cannot hold because we believe that the list has been compromised and we wouldnt fold our arms and allow anyone to manipulate things. We would prefer it nothing holds than allowing this to happen, he said.

As at about 4 p.m., the Ward Congress was yet to start in Badagry West local council.

The party members who converged at various centres waited in vain for officials of the APC to conduct the Congress.

In Ward B and C, the centres were filled with APC members who waited endlessly for the conduct of the exco elections.

The party member said they reported at the venue of the exercise as early as 7 a.m. and the exercise had not yet begun as at the time of this report.

Also, at Olorunda local council, party members were still expecting officials to conduct the elections and material have not yet arrived.

Fouad Oki, the APC Vice Chairman, Lagos Central, described the ward congresses in his locality as a charade.

Really there was no congress because it is still the same thing, said Mr Oki, who was recently reportedly suspended by the state leadership of the party.

A situation where you have returning officers, people who voted in their wards dont have the election results posted in the election sheets in their presence. Election sheet is now filled by the ward congress committee, they now hand over to a returning officer at the local government level who will now take the result to Acme (the party secretariat) to submit.

Mr Oki accused party officials of manipluation and in-puting names of winners of the congresses into a result sheet from an already pre-determined list.

On the result sheet, you are supposed to write the name of the contestant, number of accredited voters, total number of votes cast, the question is how would you in one ward have 5,851 members of the party? Which ward in Lagos State will you have 5,851 members?

Mr Igbokwe, however, said there is nothing wrong with having a list of preferred contestants as long as a consensus was reached.

If you have consensus, its allowed, Mr Igbokwe said.

Where you are looking for about 20 officers that will form the exco at the ward level, you now start picking 20 ballot boxes? These are the lowest of the elections.

These things are allowed so long as they agree because the leaders would have sat down to do these things. Where we dont have consensus, that is why some of them are still delaying till this time.

Sometimes it takes time to achieve a consensus but its always the best.
Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has warned that if Nigeria must live, the killings around the country must stop.

Mr Adeboye said this when he paused his sermon at the churchs May Holy Ghost Service at the Redemption Camp last night to call on the congregation of thousands of people to join him in praying for the end of killings in the country.

He also said when a bishop of another church asked him who would win the 2019 election, he replied that unless the killings stopped the 2019 elections may not hold because people would be scared to go out to vote.

When people are not sure about their safety how would they go out in parts of the country where killing is rampant to vote, he said.

He, however, explained that the threat to elections was his personal reasoning and not a prophecy.

Recalling the effect of the killing of 17 people, including two priests in Benue State last month, he said it threw him into a sad mood, prompting his wife, Folu Adeboye, to ask him in Germany, where they were holding a programme of the church, why he was not his usual cheerful self.

As a leader people from various denominations call Daddy, the 27 people killed were my children who were in a church or returning from a church programme, he said he told his wife, who had not heard the news then. As a father, I naturally became sad over that.

Two priests and 15 other people were killed in an attack by armed herdsmen who invaded St. Ignatius Quasi Parish Ukpor-Mbalom in Ayar-Mbalom community of Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue on a Tuesday morning. No fewer than 100 houses in the community were also razed in the attack.

A week after, about 10 people who were returning from morning mass were murdered by suspected herdsmen in military uniform in Naka, Gwer West Local Government Area.

The attacks have continued in Benue and many other parts of the country. In March, Mr Adeboye visited Benue State, where he expressed displeasure with the mindless killings of people in the state and other parts of the country. He confessed he wept when he saw the people weeping over the loss of lives and property.

Of course, no man of God will see a mass burial anywhere and not feel the pains of the people affected, he said
President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the party executives elected in his Sarkin Yara A electoral ward to discharge their responsibilities with fear of God and in accordance with the party constitution.

Mr Buhari made the call in Daura on Saturday after participating in the APC Ward Congress in his constituency.

He said throughout his political career he had been a loyal party member who respected the rules and the regulations of his political party.

I call on you to fear God in whatever you do as we would transit to the next world and account for our deeds before our creator, he said.

He said his administration was determined to uphold the provisions of the constitution and the rule of law, stressing the need to play politics with decency and decorum.

Earlier in his remarks, Gov Aminu Masari commended the president for finding time to attend the congress in spite of his tight schedule.

He described the presence of the president as a clear demonstration of his commitment to party rules and the regulations.

He called on Nigerians to continue to pray for peace and stability of the nation as well as respect the constituted athourities for socioeconomic progress of the nation.

Ahmad El-Marzuq, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney -General of the state, who organised the ward congress, said the election of officials was done through consensus, which is in line with the partys constitution.

Mr Marzuq commended the president for ensuring strict adherence to party rules,.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Aliyu Mani, the incumbent ward Chairman, was returned as the Chairman, Ibrahim Halilu as Deputy chairman, and Rufai Aliyu as Secretary, among others.

NAN also reports that the congress was conducted under the supervision of INEC officials.

The Sarkin Yara A comprises 15 polling units.

(NAN)
Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has stated that no other president in the country has managed the nations economy better than President Muhammadu Buhari.

The governor spoke in Ibadan on Friday evening while receiving members of the National Congress Committee of APC at the Government House.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the committee led by Musa Aliyu were in the state for the ward congress of the APC scheduled to hold on Saturday.

I read Economics and Finance, and there is no economic theory that we have not read. The most important part of all the economic theory is leadership.

And Nigeria is lucky to have that leadership. There is no president in Nigeria that has ever managed the economy like Buhari, he said.

Mr Ajimobi, who described the APC as the greatest party in Africa, said Mr Buhari was the most credible president that Nigeria has ever produced.

I was in one of Buharis delegation to London and when he was asked to speak he said I have no money to distribute. All I have been selling is my integrity, he said.

The governor said Mr Buhari has been able to maintain that integrity till date.

Politics is just a game that if God plays it, some people will abuse Him no matter the performance. I use to tell the president anytime I meet him not to worry people are abusing him.

I told him that people abused Prophet Muhammed and Jesus Christ, who are godsent not to talk of us ordinary human beings. That is why God has created the world a binary one, he said.

Mr Ajimobi promised that the congress committee would not be influenced, assuring them of their support.

Earlier, Mr Aliyu said the committee was in Ibadan on a national assignment of the party, which he said the committee would do satisfactorily.

He said the party was known for internal democracy, adding such was the cardinal principle preached by Mr Buhari, the leader of the party.

We intend to work closely with the local chapters in achieving the desired success, so that the party will come out strongly, he said.

NAN reports that on the committee were Usman Ibrahim, Mohammed Ibrahim, Halima Jabiru and Fola Olasehinde.

Also in attendance were Akin Oke, Oyo State APC Chairman and some House of Representative members from Oyo State.

(NAN)
President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday in Kaduna inaugurated two Mi 35m combat helicopters to boost the attack capabilities of the Nigeria Air Force (NAF).

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the helicopter were delivered to Nigeria by Russaia in April.

NAN also reports that the President was represented by the Minister of Defence, Brig-Gen Muhammad Dan-Ali (Rtd) at the NAF base in Kaduna during celebrations to mark the 54th Anniversary of the Air Force.

The theme of the year 54 event was, Enhancing Nigerian Air Force Operational Capacity for Timely Employment of Air Power in Response to Contemporary Security Challenges.

Mr Buhari said the NAF was established in April 1964 to achieve full complement of the countrys military defence system.

As a young Army officer, I took part from the beginning to the end in our tragic civil war and I know the role the young NAF played in the prosecution of the civil war.

NAF has undergone several developmental stages and the government over the years acquired various weopons system to enable the NAF to effectively perfom its roles.

He said the most recent platforms added to NAF inventory by the current administration include, Super Mushsak, the recently delivered Mi 35 Helicopters, the Daimond and various helicopters .

We have also approved the purchase of Super Tucano aircraft.

He added: With the acquisition of these new weopons platforms, there arose the need to train personnel to man and maintain the new aircraft types.

The President also disclosed that within the last two years NAF enlisted and recruited over 5,000 personnel to adequately boost its human capacity, which was in line with his administration efforts of creating jobs for unemployed youths.

Mr Buhari said role of military as an enabler of national development cannot be overemphasised as the efforts would be futile if national security is not first guaranteed.

Let me once more commend the gallant men and women of the Nigerian armed forces and other security agencies for their tireless efforts in defeating Boko Haram and other threats to our nation.

The president saluted the efforts of the current leadership of NAF for performing its assignments wonderfully well.

Earlier the the Chief of Air Staff, Sadiq Abubakar, said the growth of the NAF since the inception of the current administration has been particularly outstanding.

Mr Abubakar said 12 grounded aircraft had been reactivated and personnel strength increased by 7,500 men and 400 officers.

Two Commands and two new Branches have been established and new platforms acquired and inducted into service to meet the evolving security challenges we are faced with, he said.

The air chief said the gap between force projection and fence protection has been substantially bridged with 79 training of about 1000 Special Forces.

He said the special forces have been deployed as part of the intervention force to deal with the lntemal Security challenges of the North Central geopolitical zone.

Some of the forces are deployed in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara, working with other security agencies to deal with Internal Security challenges. By next week, another batch of the special forces will be deployed to the newly established Quick response wing at Nguroje in Taraba State.

In addition, we are putting finishing touches to infrastructure in Keran Plateau State, lpetu ljesha in Osun state, Doma in Nasarawa and Agatu in Benue State to deploy elements of these forces.he said.

Mr Abubakar said NAF remain committed to supporting the vision of the government of ensuring a secured and prosperous Nigeria.(NAN)
The Police Command in Delta has confirmed that a chairmanship candidate died in the All Progressives Congress ward congresses in Ughelli South Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

The commands spokesman, Andrew Aniamaka, said Jeremiah Oghoveta, was stabbed to death during the exercise at Jeremi Ward 3, Okwagbe.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the deceased was stabbed to death by one Tete Pippah.

Mr Pippah was said to have attacked Mr Ogheveta during an argument that ensued when the deceased accused him of hijacking the electoral materials meant for the congresses in the area.

It was further learnt that the deceased and the alleged assailant belonged to different factions of the party in the area.

Also, there were reported cases of ballot-box snatching during the exercise at Ogor and Orogun Wards 1 and 2 in respectively Ughelli North LGA.

It was learnt that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were not present for the exercise in Ward 5, Ovu in Ethiope LGA.

Sources told NAN that the leaders of the ward decided to conduct the election for the candidates, using Option A4 after waiting in vain for the INEC officials.

One of the three contestants for the chairmanship reportedly stepped down, leaving the contest for the other two candidates.

Reacting to the protest that greeted the outcome of the exercise, a former labour leader who is from the area, Frank Kokori, told journalists that the issue would be resolved amicably.

Acccording to him, the contestants are brothers.

Another chieftain of the party in the state, Otega Emerhor, described the exercise at Evwreni Ward 8, Ughelli North LGA, as peaceful.

According to him, APC is poised to entrench the principle of internal democracy in order to have a stronger party that can take over the state in 2019.

Based on the reports that I have got concerning the exercise, things went on smoothly and peacefully, he said.

(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.




"This plane will delight guests of all ages from San Francisco to New York and beyond," said Natalie Bowman, Alaska Airlines' managing director of brand marketing and advertising. "Like all of us at Alaska Airlines, many of our guests have anxiously awaited Incredibles 2. We're honored to take this incredible family to new heights and share the imagery with travelers across our expansive route network."

Decked out in their Incredible super suits, the Parr familyBob, Helen, Violet, Dash and baby Jack-Jackspans the fuselage. Guests boarding the Incredibles 2 plane will see a logo when they board. An image of the raccoon from the film, Jack-Jack's nemesis, will delight guests seated over the wings.

"These characters are among the most celebrated characters in the Pixar family," said Incredibles 2 producers Nicole Grindle and John Walker. "After waiting 14 years to see them on the big screen again, fans will love seeing them on their Alaska Airlines plane, too."

The unique design is a collaboration between DisneyPixar and Alaska Airlines. The Incredibles 2-themed 737-800, tail number N519AS, begins flying throughout Alaska's route network Sunday. With a cruising speed of 530 mph and sporting larger-than-life images of the "Supers," the plane will visit fans throughout the country via transcontinental routes and flights to Hawaii.



Disney fans can follow @AlaskaAir on Twitter and facebook.com/alaskaairlines to learn about promotional activities leading up to the June 15 release of Incredibles 2.

Alaska's Disneyland Resort-themed planes include the "Spirit of Disneyland II," launched in 2009; and the "Adventure of Disneyland Resort" Cars Land at Disney California Adventure plane, which made its debut in 2013.

Download a high resolution copy of the plane at https://www.relayit.net/pickup.php?c=5Ls4wvfDMcSwLkfd89Jzp8sGBd5jw4qnrrn2.

About Incredibles 2

In "Incredibles 2," Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) is called on to lead a campaign to bring Supers back, while Bob (voice of Craig T. Nelson) navigates the day-to-day heroics of "normal" life at home with Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell), Dash (voice of Huck Milner) and baby Jack-Jackwhose super powers are about to be discovered. Their mission is derailed, however, when a new villain emerges with a brilliant and dangerous plot that threatens everything. But the Parrs don't shy away from a challenge, especially with Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) by their side. That's what makes this family so Incredible.

Written and directed by Brad Bird ("Iron Giant," "The Incredibles," "Ratatouille") and produced by John Walker ("The Incredibles," "Tomorrowland") and Nicole Grindle ("Sanjay's Super Team" short, "Toy Story 3" associate producer), DisneyPixar's "Incredibles 2" busts into theaters on June 15, 2018.

About Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines and its regional partners fly 44 million guests a year to more than 115 destinations with an average of 1,200 daily flights across the United States and to Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica. With Alaska and Alaska Global Partners , guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 900 destinations worldwide. Learn about Alaska's award-winning service at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

SOURCE Alaska Airlines

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"The leaders of Skal International in the United States want to recognize annually major contributions by an individual who has helped to grow tourism to and within the United States as part of our role as a tourism leadership group comprised of members from all segments of the travel industry," said Burcin Turkkan, president of Skal International USA and a member of the Skal Club of Atlanta, Georgia.

"Fortunately, we did not have to look too far to find the right first recipient," she said. "Chris Thompson has distinguished himself by guiding a first-class team of professionals at Brand USA, who promote the United States around the globe. Under his leadership, Brand USA has produced two outstanding IMAX movies with global distribution: 'National Park Adventure' and 'America's Musical Journey.' Chris is a consummate leader and well respected throughout the tourism world, both here and abroad."

"We are very proud of him and are thrilled that this first award goes to a long time Skal member, as Chris has been a "Skalleague" in Tallahassee and Jacksonville, Florida and now in Washington, DC. His recognition will set the standard at the level we seek for future awardees. Having Chris with us at the North American Skal Congress, where he shared his message of welcoming the world to the United States, could not have been better."

On hand for the award presentation were Susanna Saari, Skal International president from Turku, Finland, and Daniela Otero, Skal International CEO, from Torremolinos, Spain.

"It's an honor to have my peers recognize me in this way," Thompson said. "The members of the North American Skal club have supported me and guided me in so many ways throughout my career, and to be the first recipient of the National Tourism Leadership Award is humbling."

"I am proud of the work we are doing at Brand USA to promote the United States as a premier travel destination," Thompson added. "The USA remains as aspirational as ever, and I look forward to welcoming all of you to the USA next year for the 2019 Skal North American Congress."

Thompson has guided the expansion of Brand USA in its role as the coordinating force behind the marketing of the United States as a premiere travel destination in the global marketplace. Brand USA, which began with 14 founding partners and today has a network of more than 800 worldwide partner organizations.

During his more than 30-year career, Thompson served as president and CEO of the Tallahassee (Florida) Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and he later joined Visit Florida, where he became its chief operating officer in 2003, and president and CEO, six years later.

Thompson is currently on the board of Destinations International, and he is a member of the Advisory Board for the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute, a part of the Department of Tourism, Recreation and Sport Management at the University of Florida.

About Brand USA

Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, was established by the Travel Promotion Act as the nation's first public-private partnership to promote the United States as a premier travel destination and to communicate U.S. travel policies and procedures to worldwide travelers. The organization's mission is to increase international visitation to the USA in order to fuel the U.S. economy and enhance the image of the United States worldwide. Formed as the Corporation for Travel Promotion in 2010, the public-private entity began operations in May 2011 and does business as Brand USA. According to studies by Oxford Economics, over the past four years Brand USA's marketing initiatives have helped welcome 4.3 million incremental visitors to the USA, benefiting the U.S. economy with nearly $30 billion in total economic impact, which has supported, on average, 51,000 incremental jobs a year.

For industry or partner information about Brand USA, visit TheBrandUSA.com. For information about exceptional and unexpected travel experiences in the United States, please visit Brand USA's consumer website VisitTheUSA.com (global).

About Skal International USA

Skal is a professional organization of tourism leaders around the world, promoting global tourism and friendship. It is the only international group uniting all branches of the travel and tourism industry. Its members, the industry's managers and executives, meet at local, national, regional and international levels to discuss and pursue topics of common interest. SKAL International USA is currently the largest National Committee in Skal International with 2,000 members and 49 clubs nationwide. For more information on SKAL International and SKAL USA, and to find out more about membership, go to www.SkalUSA.org.

Media Contacts:

Skal International--USA Brand USA Stephen B. Richer Colleen Mangone 228-596-7004 202.603.1543 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Skal International USA

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MIAMI, May 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL;NYSE: CUK), the world's largest leisure travel company, today officially opened its second cruise terminal at the Port of Barcelona with an inauguration ceremony attended by government, business and community representatives. The ceremony included Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation; Julio Gomez-Pomar Rodriguez, secretary of state for infrastructures, transport and housing for the government of Spain; Enric Millo, government delegate in Catalonia; Ricard Font, secretary of infrastructure and mobility for the government of Catalonia; Agusti Colom, councilor of tourism, commerce and markets for the Barcelona City Council; Jose Llorca, chairman of Puertos del Estado; and Sixte Cambra, president of the Port of Barcelona.

During the ceremony, the company revealed that Helix cruise center will be the name of its new 12,500 square meter state-of-the-art terminal. At over 46 million euros, the Helix terminal and the company's existing terminal at the port represent Carnival Corporation's largest combined terminal investment in Europe.

Designed by Catalan architecture firm Batlle i Roig Arquitectura, the company's newest cruise terminal reflects modern and graceful architectural style with straight lines, creating a contemporary and comfortable guest environment designed to enhance the embarkation and disembarkation process for cruise guests.

Also making its debut shortly will be the port's first public parking facility, providing guests embarking on cruises with access to nearly 300 parking spaces. In addition, the Helix terminal will accommodate Carnival Corporation's new class of next-generation "green" cruise ships that will be fully operated by liquefied natural gas (LNG), the world's cleanest burning fossil fuel.

"After years of working closely with our extraordinary partners in Barcelona, including the port, its support network of local businesses and the city, we are absolutely thrilled to introduce our world-class Helix cruise center to welcome guests from around the world to Europe's best-loved cruise port and to Barcelona, one of the world's greatest cities and regions," said Giora Israel, senior vice president of global ports and destination development for Carnival Corporation. "As the world's largest cruise company with more than 100 ships that sail to over 700 destinations across the globe, our goal is to provide our guests with extraordinary vacations, and we are confident that our new terminal will help us enhance the overall experience for our guests. The terminal stands as a tribute to the remarkable appeal of Barcelona and the entire country as one of the world's most beautiful, vibrant and compelling destinations. We are proud of the work that has been accomplished together with the port, city, government, business and community. We now look forward to working with the port of Barcelona and its community partners to make the cruise terminal a highly efficient and customer-friendly operation."

"We have a long history of working with Carnival Corporation and its cruise line brands," said Cambra, president of Port of Barcelona. "We appreciate their strong commitment to our great port, city and region, and we are excited about the new Helix cruise center, which is already earning rave reviews as one of the world's most spectacular cruise terminals. We appreciated the opportunity to work closely with Carnival Corporation. In every aspect, and particularly in its innovative and sustainable approach, this is a world-class cruise terminal that further enhances our reputation as one of the best ports in the world."

"In a city and region known for its inspiring and beautiful architecture, it is exciting to have Carnival Corporation's stunning Helix cruise center grace the Port of Barcelona as our newest landmark," said Font, secretary of infrastructure and mobility for the government of Catalonia. "We appreciate Carnival Corporation having such a positive impact on our local economy and employment and for making such a significant investment in our region  the company's commitment underscores our shared enthusiasm that Barcelona will always be one of the top destinations in the world."

"Barcelona needs operators strongly committed to its visitors, but also to the city," said Colom, councilor of tourism, commerce and markets for the Barcelona City Council. "We need operators with whom we can work side by side to improve the sustainability and the social return that tourist activity generates in the city, reducing to the maximum its externalities. We are already collaborating with the port and the Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA) in this direction, and it will be essential to also have the active involvement of important cruise line operators, such as Carnival Corporation, who have clearly opted for Barcelona, to have a port for the city, more straightforward, open and much more citizen."

The Helix cruise center, located on the port's Adossat wharf, is a tribute to extraordinary local expertise, talent and vision, as Carnival Corporation teamed with local officials and companies to design and build one of the world's most spectacular and functional cruise terminals.

Eight brands from Carnival Corporation  AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn and P&O Cruises (UK)  visit Barcelona throughout the year, with six of those eight brands operating full or partial homeporting in Barcelona in 2018. Carnival Corporation is expecting to accommodate over one million passenger movements at the port in 2018, with 289 calls by 38 different ships.

Carnival Corporation guests who visit Catalonia can take advantage of a variety of excursions, such as strolling the Girona historic quarter or visiting the multi-peaked rocky range of Montserrat and its Benedictine abbey, and exploring attractions within or around Barcelona, such as Gaudi Crypt in Sant Boi de Llobregat or Poble Nou and its beaches.

Carnival Corporation, Port of Barcelona Team Up for Improving Air Quality

Carnival Corporation's deployment of LNG-fueled ships to the port supports the pioneering Air Quality Improvement Plan proposed by the Port of Barcelona in November 2016 to effectively reduce emissions from port activities. Last year, Barcelona became the first cruise port in the Mediterranean with facilities to supply cruise ships with LNG. In total, Carnival Corporation currently has agreements in place to build nine fully LNG-powered cruise ships across four of its nine global cruise brands in coming years.

In addition to its ships that will pioneer the use of LNG, the company has been an industry leader with another environmental technology breakthrough, making exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) highly functional in the small confines of a cruise ship. Currently Carnival Corporation has more than 60 percent of its fleet outfitted with the systems, which significantly improve air emissions by reducing sulfur compounds and particulate matter from exhaust. Further, about 40 percent of the fleet was equipped with cold ironing capabilities by the end of 2017, enabling ships to use an alternative power source in port where available.

Cruise Industry's Positive Economic Impact Extends to Local Jobs and Spending

The construction of Carnival Corporation's second cruise terminal at the Port of Barcelona secured local employment for up to 150 people through its work with local contractor companies Vopi 4 S.A., Elecnor S.A., Project Facilities Management SL and their subcontractors, as well as gangway manufacturer Adelte S.A.; specialist seat manufacturer Figueras International Seating, which designed a new bench specially for the terminal; and the existing team of local architect and engineering firms Batlle i Roig Arquitectura, Static Engineering and PGI Engineering.

The Port of Barcelona was recognized as the best global turnaround port by the trade magazine Cruise Insight  a distinction it has received several times in recent years. More than half of cruise passengers visiting the Port of Barcelona begin and end their journey there, which is a major economic benefit for Catalonia and the city. According to a 2016 study from the University of Barcelona, cruise passengers who begin or end their cruise vacation in Barcelona on average spend 2.8 days in the city before or after their trip and spend around 230 euros per day.

According to the updated study, cruise activity at the Port of Barcelona generates an annual turnover of 790 million euros in Barcelona, contributing 411 million euros to the gross domestic product (GDP) of Barcelona. The study also shows that cruise activity at the port generates 6,809 jobs and has other positive effects on the local economy such as the increase of activity at Aeroport del Prat. The company's positive economic impact will increase with the launch of Carnival Corporation's Helix cruise center.

Carnival Corporation operates five additional global ports, including Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic; Puerta Maya in Cozumel, Mexico; Grand Turk Cruise Center in Turks and Caicos Islands; Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras; and Long Beach in California. Carnival Corporation also operates two private island destinations in the Caribbean, Princess Cays and Half Moon Cay. In total, Carnival Corporation cruise ships visit over 700 ports of call around the world.

About Carnival Corporation & plc

Carnival Corporation & plc is the world's largest leisure travel company and among the most profitable and financially strong in the cruise and vacation industries, with a portfolio of 10 dynamic brands that include nine of the world's leading cruise lines. With operations in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia, its portfolio features Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises (Australia), Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard, as well as Fathom, the corporation's immersion and enrichment experience brand.

Together, the corporation's cruise lines operate 103 ships with 234,000 lower berths visiting over 700 ports around the world, with 19 new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2018 and 2023. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.

In 2017, Fast Company recognized Carnival Corporation as being among the "Top 10 Most Innovative

Companies" in both the design and travel categories. Fast Company specifically recognized Carnival Corporation for its work in developing Ocean Medallion, a high-tech wearable device that enables the world's first interactive guest experience platform capable of transforming vacation travel into a highly personalized and elevated level of customized service.

Additional information can be found on www.carnival.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.princess.com, www.seabourn.com, www.aida.de, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.pocruises.com, and www.fathom.org.

SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc

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NEW ORLEANS, May 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into LSB Industries, Inc. (NYSE: LXU).

Throughout November 2014 and June 2015, the Company repeatedly assured shareholders that its most significant construction project was "on time" and "on budget." Then, between July and November 2015, the Company revealed significant increases to the estimated costs and completion time on three different occasions, expanding the total capital expenditures by more than $335 million. The Company's actions, directed by its executives, have exposed it to substantial financial losses as well as significant litigation, including a lawsuit by a subcontractor to the project alleging, among other things, the Company's role in misleading prospective lenders as to the true progress and cost of the project by directing that work be improperly performed, which in turn resulted in even higher expenses and longer delays in order to remedy. The Company has also been sued in a securities class action lawsuit for failing to disclose material information, violating federal securities laws. The court in that case denied the Company's motion to dismiss, allowing the case to move forward.

KSF's investigation is focusing on whether LSB's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to LSB's shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws.

If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of LSB shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-lxu/ to learn more.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

Contact:

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner

[email protected]

1-877-515-1850

206 Covington St.

Madisonville, LA 70447

SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

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LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- At a Cinco de Mayo and Kentucky Derby celebration in Louisville today, Patron Tequila revealed the 2018 Patron "Margarita of the Year:" the Verde Margarita.

The search for this year's Patron "Margarita of the Year" began on International Margarita Day (February 22) when Patron invited seven top bartenders from around the world to design their own interpretations of the Perfect Margarita. They each used a variety of fresh flavor combinations inspired by their local region to showcase the versatility of one of the world's most beloved cocktails, and then consumers across the globe were invited to taste the drinks at Patron events, and visit MargaritaOfTheYear.com to download the recipes and prepare them at home, and vote for their favorite. On April 16, the three margaritas with the most votes were named as finalist contenders:

"Salted Plum Margarita," with Patron Silver Tequila, Patron Citronge Orange liqueur, Umeshu (Plum wine), plum preserves, lemon and mint, created by Morita Masako from Osaka, Japan

with Patron Silver Tequila, Patron Citronge Orange liqueur, Umeshu (Plum wine), plum preserves, lemon and mint, created by from "LA Margarita," with Patron Reposado Tequila, Patron Citronge Orange liqueur, lime, lychee syrup, ginger syrup and chia seeds, created by Jorge Ortega from Los Angeles

with Patron Reposado Tequila, Patron Citronge Orange liqueur, lime, lychee syrup, ginger syrup and chia seeds, created by from "Verde Margarita," with Patron Silver Tequila, Patron Citronge Orange liqueur, elderflower liqueur, agave syrup, fino sherry, celery and lime, created by Jose Luis Leon from Mexico City

After the top three finalists were announced, consumers were invited to vote for the winning "Margarita of the Year" online. With over one million votes cast from 75 countries, the Verde Margarita took home the title as the fan favorite margarita for 2018. The winning cocktail was announced at a Patron 'Ritas & Roses event today, onboard the Patron Tequila Express vintage rail car that traveled this week to Louisville to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby (happening on the same day this year.)

"As we say at Patron, 'we didn't invent tequila, we just perfected it,'" says Lee Applbaum, Patron's Global Chief Marketing Officer. "The 'Margarita of the Year' program was born from that very sentiment  a mission to collaborate with the most innovative and skilled bartenders who seek perfection behind the bar. Bartenders like Jose Luis Leon continue to push boundaries and ignite palettes all over the world; 'Margarita of the Year' is a salute to that talent and drive."

Inspired by Mexico City, the Verde Margarita combines flavors of Patron Silver, together with celery and elderflower. To enjoy the Verde Margarita, look for it on the menu at your favorite bar or restaurant, or simply follow this recipe at home:

Ingredients

2 oz Patron Silver

.75 oz Patron Citronge Orange

.75 oz Elderflower liqueur (such as St. Germain)

.5 oz Fino sherry

.5 oz Agave syrup

1 Lime wedge

1 Celery stick

1 Pinch salt

Celery spear & edible flower for garnish

Sugar, maldon salt & celery salt rim

Method

Rim a highball glass with a mix of sugar, maldon salt & celery salt. Combine ingredients in a blender with crushed ice and blend until a slushy consistency is achieved. Pour contents from blender into glass. Garnish with celery spear and edible flower before a well-deserved siesta.

"Being selected as one of seven bartenders to vie for the title of 'Margarita of the Year' was incredible, but being crowned the global fan favorite is so amazing. My goal was to design a cocktail that truly represented my hometown of Mexico City, while incorporating unique and flavorful ingredients that awaken the senses and magnify the high-quality and complex flavor of Patron Tequila," says Jose Luis Leon, who received the coveted "Margarita of the Year" trophy to proudly display at his bar in Mexico City.

To find downloadable recipes for all seven of the #MargaritaOfTheYear contenders, and to view videos, bartender interviews, and cocktail demonstrations (all shot on location at the Hacienda Patron distillery in Jalisco, Mexico earlier this year), please visit MargaritaOfTheYear.com. The site also includes discussion of the margarita's (often debated) history, as well as conversations and stories about the evolution of this famous classic cocktail.

Click here to download high-res images of the margaritas, the bartenders, and recipe cards.

About Patron Tequila

From hand-harvesting the highest-quality 100 percent Weber Blue Agave, to the traditional, time-honored distillation process and individual labeling, numbering, and inspection of each bottle, Patron Tequila is crafted with meticulous precision and care. Though Patron has grown to become one of the most-recognized and respected luxury spirits brands in the world, it is still exclusively produced in the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, in the same small batches and with the same commitment to quality and craftsmanship. For more information about Patron tequilas and liqueurs, please visit www.patrontequila.com. The perfect way to enjoy Patron is responsibly.

SOURCE Patron Tequila

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"The diversity of research showcased at PAS reflects how dedicated my colleagues at Montefiore and Einstein are to improving the lives of the children we care for in our hospitals, outpatient practices, schools and community," said Daphne, Hsu, M.D., interim chair of pediatrics at Montefiore and Einstein and physician-in-chief at CHAM. "I hope their work inspires clinicians around the country and the world to provide children with care that is always based on cutting edge scientific evidence."

Some of the research presented by Montefiore Einstein physicians and scientists includes:

Project RedDE: Reducing Missed Diagnoses of Depression in Adolescents: A Virtual Quality Improvement Collaborative

Heather O'Donnell, M.D., Sunday, May 6  8:30am. Platform presentation  Convention Center 802A

Adolescent depression is a common, but often missed condition. Investigators from primary care pediatric practices across the country worked together on a quality improvement effort that has shown a significant reduction in missed diagnoses of adolescent depression.

Sexting and Teen Boys and Girls: Associations with Sexual Abuse and Violence

Kanani Titchen, M.D., Sunday, May 6  12:00pm. Platform presentation - Convention Center 201A-D

A study of 555 boys and girls found that one in five boys and one quarter of girls had sent a sext, and that sexting is associated with sexual abuse.

MEDRITES  Improving the Discharge Medication Process in a Tertiary Care Children's Hospital

Kaitlyn Philips, DO, Tuesday, May 8  11:30am. Platform presentation  Convention Center 701B

A quality improvement effort led by CHAM investigators tackled how to standardize the hospital discharge medication process, leading to a 47 percent improvement in parental knowledge and adherence to discharge medications.

Associations Between Participation in After-School Activities (ASA), Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Severity, and School Functioning Among Children with ADHD

Nicole Brown, M.D., Saturday, May 5  1:15pm. Poster #337  Convention Center Exhibit Hall DE

Children with ADHD are at high-risk for poor school attendance and adverse school behaviors. However a study of more than 4,000 children found that participation in after-school activities can lower risk of moderate to severe ADHD and missed school days.

Associations between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Asthma Severity, and Emergency Room Visits in Children with Asthma

Nicole Brown, M.D., Tuesday, May 8  7:30am. Poster #532 - Convention Center Exhibit Hall DE

Researchers examined associations between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and parent-reported respiratory difficulties, asthma severity, and emergency room visits in a national sample of 4,030 children with asthma. They found that high ACE scores are associated with increased risk of respiratory difficulties, parent-rated moderate to severe asthma, and emergency room visits in children.

Determinants of Ambulatory Follow-Up after an Asthma Hospitalization in an Urban Minority Population

Kaitlyn Philips, DO, Tuesday, May 8  7:30am. Poster #531 - Convention Center Exhibit Hall DE

Asthma is a leading cause of pediatric hospitalizations. To prevent hospitalizations and readmissions, CHAM investigators looked into frequency of outpatient visits, and found that only 2/3 of children hospitalized for asthma attended a 14-day follow-up appointment. They were surprised to find that regular outpatient visits in the year after hospitalization did not reduce the likelihood of future readmission.

Researchers for each of the above studies, as well as other Montefiore and Einstein faculty, are available to speak with media.

In addition to research presentations, Montefiore Einstein faculty are leading career development sessions and workshops, including one on Saturday, May 5 on one of the most pressing topics of our time: the role of pediatric providers in improving firearm safety.

Several Montefiore Einstein faculty will also be receiving awards and recognitions during the meeting:

Kaitlyn Philips , D.O., will receive the Academic Pediatric Association Research Award for Best Abstract by a Fellow for MEDRITES  Improving the Discharge Medication Process in a Tertiary Care Children's Hospital platform presentation.

, D.O., will receive the Academic Pediatric Association Research Award for Best Abstract by a Fellow for platform presentation. Anne Fuller , M.D., will receive the Society for Pediatric Research Fellow Clinical Research Award for Top Clinical Abstract for her poster Material Hardships and Health Care Utilization among Low-Income Children with Special Health Care Needs.

, M.D., will receive the Society for Pediatric Research Fellow Clinical Research Award for Top Clinical Abstract for her poster Rahil Briggs , Psy.D, Founder of the Pediatric Behavioral Health Integration Program at Montefiore Health System and Associate Professor , Department of Pediatrics & Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Einstein, will receive the Academic Pediatric Association's Health Care Delivery Award during the APA Membership Meeting.

About Montefiore Health System

Montefiore Health System is one of New York's premier academic health systems and is a recognized leader in providing exceptional quality and personalized, accountable care to approximately three million people in communities across the Bronx, Westchester and the Hudson Valley. It is comprised of 10 hospitals, including the Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and close to 200 outpatient care sites. The advanced clinical and translational research at its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly informs patient care and improves outcomes. From the Montefiore-Einstein Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology and vascular care, pediatrics, and transplantation, to its preeminent school-based health program, Montefiore is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system providing coordinated, comprehensive care to patients and their families. For more information, please visit www.montefiore.org. Follow us on Twitter and view us on Facebook and YouTube.

About Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Albert Einstein College of Medicine is one of the nation's premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. During the 2015-2016 academic year, Einstein is home to 731 M.D. students, 193 Ph.D.students, 106 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and 278 postdoctoral research fellows. The College of Medicine has more than 1,900 full-time faculty members located on the main campus and at its clinical affiliates. In 2015, Einstein received $148 million in awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This includes the funding of major research centers at Einstein in aging, intellectual development disorders, diabetes, cancer, clinical and translational research, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Its partnership with Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital and academic medical center for Einstein, advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. Through its extensive affiliation network involving Montefiore, Jacobi Medical CenterEinstein's founding hospital, and three other hospital systems in the Bronx, Brooklyn and on Long Island, Einstein runs one of the largest residency and fellowship training programs in the medical and dental professions in the United States. For more information, please visit www.einstein.yu.edu, read our blog, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and view us on YouTube.

SOURCE Montefiore/Albert Einstein College of Medicine

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Huas debut novel, A River of Stars (Ballantine, Aug.), follows a tenacious Chinese factory clerk named Scarlett Chen who escapes an illegal maternity home in L.A. and flees to San Franciscos Chinatown.

How did your work as a journalist inform this book?

Ive long been writing about Asia and the Asian-American communitygetting to know American Chinatowns and also going into the countryside in China, visiting factories, getting an understanding of what drives people to leave the countryside and the impact that has on villages where everyone of working age leaves for cities. That was the backdrop of all of my reporting.

What gave you the idea for a story about maternity centers used to claim U.S. citizenship?

When I was pregnant with my twins in Southern California, I began hearing about these maternity centers. Neighbors would complain about pregnant women coming and going. It sounded like a brothel in reverse. I began to find out about the phenomena of wealthy Chinese coming here to give birth in these centers. I became interested in what could drive someone to give birth so far away from your family. Its the most vulnerable time of your life. I was also fascinated by the notion of having all these pregnant women together in one place. When youre in a house of pregnant women, who gets to be queen? Although the books plot sprang from my imagination, Ive since learned that there is often conflict between the expecting mothers within the centers. No one gets to be special.

Is Mama Fang, who runs a maternity center, based on a real person?

No. But there is an archetype in Chinese literature of the smooth talking dealer who brokers deals. To me, she is the modern version of the striving wheeler-dealer that could make a center like this work.

These centers often skirt the law, so how are they still able to operate?

Even though the Feds issued search warrants and tried to shut many centers down, there are still websites that advertise the services. Just yesterday I saw an ad of a pregnant belly Photoshopped with an American flag and the words why would you DIY your American birth? Ive seen reports that Russian mothers are now getting in on it. There have been reports about South Korean and Turkish mothers. For all thats happening in this country, American citizenship is still highly prized.

Parts of the book are simultaneously distressing and funny. How do you incorporate humor into a narrative like this?

One pregnant woman running is a tragedy, but two pregnant women running becomes comedy. So much of being pregnant is being humiliatedyour body isnt the same, youre swollen, youre giant. You survive it by being able to laugh at yourself.
Books focused on giving tools to aspiring activists and would-be protest leaders (especially directed at girls) or turning a spotlight on double standards, discrimination, or inequality are flooding the bookshelves. Weve assembled a partial list:

Anger Is a Gift by Mark Oshiro (Tor Teen). Oshiro runs the popular Mark Does Stuff website, where he analyzes books and media. His debut novel for young adults is an anthem for millennials raised on hashtag activism.

Art Boss by Kayla Cagan (Chronicle, Oct.). This companion to Piper Perish (Chronicle, 2017) follows the art student to New York City, where she and new friend Grace, a budding activist, wonder if art can change the world.

Girls Resist!: A Guide to Activism, Leadership, and Starting a Revolution by KaeLyn Rich (Quirk, June). A how-to guide for young activists from the editor of Autostraddle, a pop culture website for queer and feminist women, which includes tips on everything from talking about issues with family to organizing direct action.

Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl at a Time by Tanya Lee Stone (Candlewick, 2017). This companion volume to the film of the same name chronicles the story of nine girls in the developing world who seek an education to rise out of poverty.

A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti (S&S, Sept.). A girl tries to outrun her demons in this novel from National Book Award finalist Caletti about the impact of gun violence, everyday sexism, rape culture, and overcoming guilt.

Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World Ed. by Kelly Jensen (Algonquin, 2017). Poems, stories, comics, art, and more from 44 contributorsincluding Roxane Gay, Mindy Kaling, and otherschart their individual paths toward finding feminism.

Hope Nation: YA Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration Ed. by Rose Brock (Philomel). In a collection of personal essays about facing defeat, humiliation, and isolation with hope, a number of contemporary YA writers offer contributions, including Angie Thomas, Jason Reynolds, Julie Murphy, and more.

How I Resist: Activism and Hope for the Next Generation Ed. by Maureen Johnson (Wednesday Books). This collection about keeping sight of hope when things feel hopeless includes contributions from authors and celebrities including Javier Munoz, Lauren Duca, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and more.

I Have the Right To by Chessy Prout and Jenn Abelson (S&S). Prout was a freshman at a prestigious New Hampshire boarding school when a senior boy sexually assaulted her as part of a ritualized game of conquest. She tells her story of seeking justice and healing in this gut-wrenching memoir.

Just Mercy by Bryan A. Stevenson (Delacorte, Sept.). Stevenson offers a YA adaptation of his acclaimed adult bestseller examining the broken U.S. justice system.

Legacy by Jessica Blank (Putnam, Jul.). In this novel set in Washington state in the 1990s, 17-year-old Alison joins a radical environmentalist group to protect redwoods from loggers.

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu (Roaring Brook, 2017). Texas high school student Vivian has a feminist awakening and leads her friends in a campaign to fight double standards and rampant sexism in this novel from Mathieu.

#NeverAgain: A New Generation Draws the Line by David Hogg and Lauren Hogg (Random House Trade Paperbacks, June). The Hogg siblings, who survived the mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., trace the birth of a new, student-led movement to restrict guns.

Nevertheless, We Persisted: 48 Voices of Defiance, Strength, and Courage Foreword by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Knopf, Sept.). Actors, activists, athletes, musicians, and teens talk about the power of persistence.

Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America Ed. by Amy Reed (Simon Pulse, Aug.). This anthology of 21 essays from major YA authors touches on a powerful range of topics related to growing into womanhood in todays America and that coming-of-ages intersection with race, religion, and ethnicity.

People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins (S&S, Sept.). In her latest YA novel addressing tough issues, Hopkins tackles gun violence and white supremacy.

Period: Twelve Voices Tell The Bloody Truth Ed. by Kate Farrell. (Holt). In this collection, writers of various ages, race, and gender identities share stories about their periods.

Period Power by Nadya Okamoto (S&S, Oct.). Harvard student Okamoto offers a manifesto on menstruation and why we can no longer silence those who bleed.

Putting Peace First: Seven Commitments to Change the World by Eric David Dawson (Viking, Aug.). The founder of the Peace First Challenge offers young people step-by-step guidance on how to fight injustice, right wrongs, and make their communities better places to live.

The Revolution Handbook by Alice Skinner (Poppy, June). From social media activist-illustrator Skinner comes an irreverent yet instructive guide reminiscent of Wreck This Journal to help young readers think about what they can do to change the world one page at a time.

She the People Ed. by Molly Dillon (Schwartz & Wade, spring 2019). Ten young women who came of age in the Obama era explain how they were inspired to enter the world of government by his administrations inclusive, feminist policies.

Steal This Country: A Handbook for Resistance, Persistence, and Fixing Almost Everything by Alexandra Styron (Viking, Sept.). Inspired by Abbie Hoffmans classic Steal This Book, Styrons primer offers how-to advice on organizing, marching, rallying, petitioning, voting with ones wallet, volunteering, and more.

Strong Is the New Pretty: A Guided Journal Just for Girls by Kate T. Parker (Workman, Oct.). From the author and photographer of the bestselling Strong Is the New Pretty comes an interactive journal for girls to discover and celebrate their own strengths. Each page features a writing prompt addressing a girls sense of self, dreams, emotions, and inspirations.

The Ultimate Survival Guide to Being a Girl by Christina De Witte (Running Press, Aug.). This feminist teenage girls guide to body image, puberty, friendship drama, and self-care by 21-year-old Instagram comic artist (@chrostin) and recent teenager De Witte covers issues such as online harassment, discrimination, and the gender pay gap.

We Are Not Yet Equal: Challenging Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson and Tonya Bolden (Bloomsbury, Sept.). Andersons examination of our nations history in White Rage is adapted for a YA audience by Bolden, an award-winning nonfiction writer for young readers.

We Are Displaced by Malala Yousafzai (Little, Brown, Sept.). Nobel Peace Prize-winner Yousafzai tells her story of dislocation as an Internally Displaced Person to show what it means to lose your home, your community, and the only world youve ever known.

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices: Words and Images of Hope Ed. by Cheryl Willis Hudson and Wade Hudson (Crown, Sept.). Fifty influential childrens book creatorsincluding Jason Reynolds, Jacqueline Woodson, and Kwame Alexanderoffer their own responses to the following prompt: In this divisive world, what shall we tell our children?

You Are Mighty: A Guide to Changing the World By Caroline Paul, illus. by Lauren Tamaki (Bloomsbury). A call to arms for young activistsno matter the goalthis book shares success stories from young people who found everyday means to achieve change.

For more of the latest developments in the YA category, see our 2018 Spotlight on YA.
Fear is a powerful emotion, and its driving current trends in YA publishing. Political activismhow-to guides and novels about the most potent social issues of the dayare prominent this year, including a forthcoming novel from bestselling author Ellen Hopkins, People Kill People (S&S, Sept.), who says her fans want to be part of the dialogue about change. If I can in some small or large fashion encourage their passion, I will have accomplished an important goal, Hopkins says. Hopefully one where people dont live in daily fear of whats around the corner or stalking their schools, churches, concerts, or Waffle Houses.

Immigrants and first-generation Americans are also confronting fear head-on with memoirs and novels that tackle highly charged political topics such as assimilation, Islamophobia, and what its like to live in the U.S. illegally with the day-to-day worry that youor your parentsmight be detained and deported. Holt is releasing a YA edition of actress Diane Guerreros 2016 memoir for adults (retitled My Family Divided, July), which details her Colombian parents deportation when she was age 14, because it has already found its way into the hands of tweens and teens. There are so many kids from immigrant communities who are experiencing this fear, she says. The fear has always been there, but its never been as strong as it is now.

And for those seeking a way to practice dealing with fear, teen thrillers are in high demand. Agent Rosemary Stimola, who sold Karen M. McManuss sinister One of Us Is Lying into 38 countries, says it makes sense that in a world full of scary things, YA writers would dive in headfirst: Facing fears and crossing physical, social, cultural, racial, and psychological boundaries, YA novels have come of agenot just reflecting the world, but looking to change it.

YA Authors Respond to Teen Activism

We asked editors and agents to take the pulse of some of the latest trends in YA fiction and nonfiction, including the growing number of anthologies and novels addressing timely topics of social justice.

YA 2018 Booklist: Historical Rebels

YA books spotlight extraordinary women throughout history.

YA Books Explore the Immigrant Experience

A plethora of new books for teens explore the first-generation experience.

YA 2018 Booklist: First-Generation Tales

YA fiction, nonfiction, and memoir tackle themes of immigration and cultural division.

Teen Thrillers on the Rise

We spoke with a number of agents and editors about the resurgence in teen thrillers and the factors contributing to this development, from both inside and outside of the publishing world.
We asked editors and agents to take the pulse of some of the latest trends in teen fiction and nonfiction.

One remarkable feature of Donald Trumps constantly surprising tenure is this: he is a professed nonreader whose presidency just might launch a thousand books.

It seems like there was a groundswellmaybe as soon as the day after the electionin every publishing house, with everyone asking What can we do?  says Blair Thornburgh, senior editor at Quirk Books. My mind went immediately to teenage girls. Teenage girls are really powerful, but they are not always given the tools they need to direct their power. She hopes the direction they nseed will come from the book that ensued from her brainstorm: Girls Resist! by KaeLyn Rich, a handbook for would-be activists.

The same urge to do something hit YA author Maureen Johnson on Nov. 9, 2016. It was a man the barricades kind of feeling, says Johnson, who took to Twitter wondering if other YA writers would be willing to put together some kind of protest anthology. Sara Goodman, an editor at Wednesday Books, saw Johnsons tweet and immediately responded, Lets do it! Eighteen months later, the result is How I Resist: Activism and Hope for the Next Generation, edited by Johnson: a collection of essays, comics, poems, even sheet music, contributed by a pantheon of YA stars, with all proceeds benefiting the ACLU.

Like the others, Alexandra Styron, author of Reading My Fathera memoir about her father, William Styronadmits she kind of fell apart after the election, but says it took her a couple of months to figure out what she needed to do about it. I had been working on fiction that I cared about artistically but which didnt feel relevant anymore, says Styron, the mother of two teenagers, both of whom volunteered for Hillary Clintons campaign. I know a lot of other mothers of teenagers who felt like I did, like we had somehow let our kids down. One morning in early 2017, The proverbial light bulb went off, she says. I knew I wanted to write a book about activism for teenagers. I pitched it to my agent, and two weeks later, it went to auction and sold to Penguin. Steal This Country: A Handbook for Resistance, Persistence, and Fixing Almost Everything (Viking) debuts in September. I wrote it in five months because there was a lot of pressure to have it out before the midterm [elections].

Who would have ever predicted that books about youthful political activism might become publishings next big thing? Next month Random Houses (adult) trade paperback division will publish #NeverAgain: A New Generation Draws the Line by siblings David and Lauren Hogg, who survived the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Bloomsbury is reaching out to would-be activists as young as 10 with You Are Mighty: A Guide to Changing the World by Caroline Paul, illustrated by Lauren Tamaki. The YA offeringswhich kicked off last year with Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World (Algonquin), edited by Kelly Jensen, and Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl at a Time by Tanya Lee Stone (Random/Lamb)are numerous (see a list of 2018 titles.)

Publishers are also offering YA adaptations of adult bestsellers that address big social problems: Delacorte will release a YA version of Bryan Stevensons Just Mercy, an examination of the broken U.S. justice system in September; Tonya Bolden has written an adaptation of Carol Andersons White Rage for teen readers, titled We Are Not Yet Equal: Challenging Our Racial Divide (Bloomsbury, Sept.).

Building the Perfect Handbook

Thornburgh began her project by searching already published titles for the kind of handbook she envisioned. Most of what she found felt dated. A lot of them were, Recycle! or Lets have a bake sale!  she says. Thats what I grew up reading but things have so changed.

She turned to KaeLyn Rich, a writer whose work she had admired on Autostraddle, a pop culture website for queer and feminist women. Rich writes a column for the site, titled Be the Change, which focuses on organizing strategies, something shes been doing for more than 16 years. Her full-time job is director of the Genesee Valley Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union. Ive read the classic and contemporary community organizing manuals and those, while dear to me, are mostly written by men, often white men, Rich says. Theres this huge gap in activism leadership development for women and girls, by women and girls, despite the fact that women and girls have been movement leaders throughout history.

Girls Resist! walks teens through the nitty-gritty of running a campaign, protesting a policy, or helping to get out the vote. This is a chock-a-block handbook, Thornburgh says. I learned a lot of things just by editing it.

Paul, who had a bestseller with adult title The Gutsy Girl, also wanted to give young women practical advice on how to engineer change. She grew up in a politically active household where refusing to eat grapes or lettuce was a family act of solidarity with underpaid farm workers. Even when she became an adult, she recalls her mother telling her in hushed tones that if I did not vote that year, I was not welcome to Thanksgiving because people died for the [right to] vote, she says.

In You Are Mighty, Paul offers step-by-step guidance on the right way to go about getting attention for a cause or overturning an injustice. I remember my own nine-year-old passion about things like littering and mistreatment of animals. The feelings were powerful, and real, she says. I badly wanted guidance on how these injustices could change.

Similarly, Styrons Steal This Country, capitalizes on her ownand her teenage childrens frustration with the current political climate and their deep desire to move the country in a different direction. Divided into three sectionsthe why, the what, and the howStyron provides background on the history of protest movements; a bit about some of the big issues young people care deeply about, including immigration, climate change, and racial justice; and practical tips on how to stage a walkout or a march, or just how to talk to relatives or other adults with different or opposing views. Kids care about more than we give them credit for, she says. But they need a template for how to get what they want, they need information, and they need a toolkit.

Seeking Inspiration

Some of the forthcoming volumes are less about how-to than about keeping the faith and continuing the fight. We are in an untenable situation, and teens know it, says Johnson, whose anthology collects essays, poems, a song, and comics from writers, poets, and actors on the topic of resisting despair and nurturing hope. Instead of just melting down and planning trips to Disney World, we all need coping strategies.

Finding a way forward is also the aim of Hope Nation: YA Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration (Philomel), edited by Rose Brock, a collection of personal essays about overcoming defeat by YA writers including Jason Reynolds, Julie Murphy, and Angie Thomas. In September, Knopf will release Nevertheless, We Persisted: 48 Voices of Defiance, Strength, and Courage, foreword by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the title referring to the now famous words uttered by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, after he prevented Sen. Elizabeth Warren from reading a letter by Coretta Scott King on the floor of the Senate during confirmation hearings for Attorney General Jeff Sessions. His declaration, She was warned.... Nevertheless, she persisted, has become a battle cry for many.

Novel Approaches

The current climate has also inspired plenty of fiction writers. Mark Oshirowho analyzes books and media on his website, MarkDoesStuff.comwrote Anger Is a Gift (Tor Teen), his debut YA novel, which his publisher bills as an anthem for teens and millennial raised on hashtag activism. Inspired by real-life events, Oshiros story recounts a teens path to protest, ignited first by his fathers murder at the hands of a police officer and then by the way he and his classmates were being treated like criminals at their own school, with random locker searches and a constantly shifting set of rules.

Ellen Hopkins, who has written more than a dozen novels that address complex and painful topics that teens face, takes on gun violence in People Kill People (S&S/McElderry, Sept.), a topic she says shes been wrestling with since the Columbine massacre, where two students killed 12 of their classmates and a teacher. The writer in me wants to comprehend the whys,  Hopkins says. The human in me wants to help mitigate an escalating problem, and I believe writing about it can have a definite impact on a generation seeking revolution. The time for activism is absolutely now, and my readers are engaged and demanding change.

National Book Award finalist Deb Calettis next novel, A Heart in a Body in the World (Simon Pulse, Sept.), also addresses the topic, featuring a girl who literally tries to outrun her sorrow over gun violence through a cross-country trek.

Reaching Aspiring Activists

Editors agree that, though the subject is timely and important, marketing these books will require creativity. YA novels will work their way into well-established channels, but YA nonfiction is a tougher sell in the bookstore environment, where that particular section can be dominated by memoirs by YouTubers.

We hope the proverbial gatekeepers embrace [Girls Resist!], because they do have a big impact on whats available, says Quirks Thornburgh. Libraries will probably not be a problem because a lot of teen librarians are feeling the same feelings as teens.

The key, Thornburgh believes, is to make the book attractive. She hired Italian artist Giulia Sagramola to illustrate with a contemporary sensibility. Some of the books I had [when I was younger] were just so dorky, she says. No teen would have bought them for themselves.

Rich says she will work to get the word out through social media channels, by speaking at high schools, and by working directly with the awesome girl activists she already knows. I hope it reaches girls who are just finding that fire in their gut, that hot blue burning that screams, Im not going to take it anymore! and gives them the tools to take action, she says. I hope it ignites and fuels the girl resistance: huge, bright movements and tiny, intimate, vital revolutions.

For more of the latest developments in the YA category, see our 2018 Spotlight on YA.
Jessica Spotswood grew up just outside of Gettysburg, Pa., the site of the deadliest battle of the Civil War. She inherited her love of history from her father, who has a whole study of books about presidents and statesmen and generals, but all of them men, she recalls. So when she first thought of putting together an anthology of historical fiction, the topic that popped into my head immediately was girls, all girls: disabled girls, girls of color, queer girls.

Spotswoods first anthology, A Tyranny of Petticoats (Candlewick), was so successful she was commissioned to do another. The Radical Element: 12 Stories of Daredevils, Debutantes & Other Dauntless Girls, edited by Spotswood (Candlewick), collects stories from a dozen YA writers about girls of many colors and cultures standing up for their beliefs. I knew I wanted more #ownvoices stories about girls from throughout history, Spotswood says, so she e-mailed writers of color whose work she admired, even if they hadnt written historical fiction before. I was convinced they would have a good story in them. She wasnt disappointed.

Others are doing similar work, seeking to highlight the unheralded accomplishments of lesser-known women throughout history. Heres a list of some recent and forthcoming titles:

The A-Z of Wonder Women by Yvonne Lin (Little, Brown). This illustrated compendium celebrates some of historys most amazing and accomplished women.

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu (First Second). This humorous book of sequential art geared toward teens profiles female role models, some world famous, others more obscure.

Code Girls: The True Story of the American Women Who Secretly Broke Codes in World War II (young readers edition) by Liza Mundy (Little, Brown, Oct.). Mundys book recounts the true story of women recruited by the U.S. Army and Navy to learn the top secret science of code breaking.

History vs. Women by Anita Sarkeesian and Ebony Adams (Feiwel and Friends, Oct.). Sarkeesian, founder of Feminist Frequency, along with scholar Ebony Adams tell the stories of 25 remarkable women, from Mongolian wrestlers to British prime ministers, who defied the odds to shape history.

Rad Girls Can: Stories of Bold, Brave, and Brilliant Young Women by Kate Schatz, illus. by Miriam Klein Stahl (Ten Speed, July). In this follow-up to Rad American Women AZ and Rad Women Worldwide, the author/illustrator duo illuminate the lives of teen girls of historical importance.

For more of the latest developments in the YA category, see our 2018 Spotlight on YA.
HMH Goes Deep with Davies

In a North American rights acquisition, Lauren Wein at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt bought Kate Daviess debut, In at the Deep End. The novel, which HMH called a frank, funny, and racy romantic odyssey, has already sold in the U.K. and Germany; it follows a Londoner who, after a stretch of celibacy, realizes, HMH said, she may have simply been looking for loveand just as importantly, satisfactionin all the wrong places. Sally Wofford-Girand at Union Literary represented the British author on behalf of Judith Murray at Greene and Heaton.

TV Scribe Takes NF Book to Simon & Schuster

Chad Sanders, writer and cocreator of the forthcoming BET scripted dramedy The Archer Connection, sold a book titled Black Magic to Emily Graff at Simon & Schuster. Sanders was represented by Eve Attermann at William Morris Endeavor. The Archer Connection follows the travails of a young black tech whiz named Archer Grant. The nonfiction book, which S&S said explores black genius and excellence, is based on interviews Sanders conducted with more than 50 black leaders, from artists to entrepreneurs. Elaborating, the publisher said the book will examine the lessons learned from blackness that can be wielded to advance in an unjust world. Graff took North American rights in the agreement.

McMeel Nabs Another Instagram Poet

Christopher Poindexter sold a poetry collection called Old Soul Love to Patty Rice at Andrews McMeel. Poindexter has more than 340,000 followers on Instagram and struck the deal with the publisher that arguably started the craze for so-called Instagram poets. (In 2015, Andrews McMeel released Milk and Honey by popular Instagrammer Rupi Kaur; that book has sold millions of copies to date, and a 2017 follow-up has been a big bestseller.) J.L. Stermer at New Leaf Literary & Media sold world rights to the book, calling it a collection of Poindexters most popular Instagram pieces, which all explore the many shapes and forms of love. Old Soul Love is set for fall.

HarperTeen Buys Thriller from French

Gillian French, an Edgar Award finalist for the 2017 novel Grit, re-upped with HarperTeen for a new thriller titled The Missing Season. Rosemary Brosnan took North American rights to the novel from Alice Tasman at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. The thriller, according to Tasman, is set in the authors home state of Maine, in a fictional town called Pender. Its there, Tasman continued, that an unfortunate Halloween tradition has developed: a child goes missing on the holiday every year. Though the towns adults are quick to offer excuses, Tasman said, the Pender kids know whats behind it: a horrific monster they call the Mumbler. The book is set for May 2019.

Briefs

For her eponymous imprint at Penguin, Kathy Dawson took world rights to two middle grade novels by Gail Shepherd. Bob Diforio at D4EO Literary represented the author and said the first book in the deal, The True History of Lyndie B. Hawkins, is a coming-of-age story set in Tennessee about Lyndon Baines Hawkins, daughter of a veteran, whose love of history, especially family history, puts her in direct opposition to her fusspot grandmother.

Kensingtons John Scognamiglio nabbed world rights to two hardcover mysteries by Peter Colt. The first book in the deal, a debut called The Off-Islander, is set in Boston circa 1982 and centers on a Vietnam veteran and PI named Andy Roark. Kensington said Roark is a new sort of detective in a cinematic setting that is moody and provocative. Colt is a police officer who lives in New England.

Bloomsburys Ben Hyman bought world English rights to Tom Standages A Brief History of Motion. Standage (A History of the World in 6 Glasses), a deputy editor at the Economist, was represented by Katinka Matson at Brockman. The book, Bloomsbury said, is the civilization-spanning story of how each new dominant mode of transportation restructures the world around it, with a focus on the transformative adoption of the automobile and its lessons for the future.

For his Make Me a World imprint at Knopf Books for Young Readers, Christopher Myers took world rights to Gravity by Sarah Deming. The YA novel, the publisher said, is about an Olympics-caliber female boxer who comes of age physically and emotionally in a neighborhood gym. Gravity, set for fall 2019, was sold by Alyssa Eisner Henkin at Trident Media Group.

For more childrens and YA book deals, see our latest Rights Report.
To Catch a Killer

Ill be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara, who died in 2016, chronicles her search for the identity of the Golden State Killer. It pubbed February 27, and two months later, the Sacramento County sheriffs department made an arrest in the cold case. The renewed attention boosted Dark to the #7 spot in the country, with its best weekly print unit sales to date.

(See all of this week's bestselling books.)

Blossoming Sales

The #1 book in the country is Magnolia Table, the first cookbook from Joanna Gaines, who, with husband Chip Gaines, owns the Waco, Tex., restaurant of the same name and stars on HGTVs Fixer Upper.

Book buyers were hungry for more recipes, landing two other food-focused debuts on our list. At #11 in hardcover nonfiction, Once upon a Chef is by Jennifer Segal, who writes the blog of the same name and is a culinary school grad and former professional chef.

Three notches below, in The Best Cook in the World, journalist and All Over but the Shoutin author Rick Bragg offers a memoir

including recipes from the kitchen whiz of the title: his momma. Our starred review called the book a testament that cooking and food still bind culture together.

Media Matters

A trio of prominent journalists debut with booksone fiction, two nonfictionthat examine historical and current political events.

In hardcover fiction at #4, The Hellfire Club by CNN chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper is, our review said, an intriguing if uneven political thriller set during the McCarthy era.

Debuting at #5 in hardcover nonfiction is War on Peace by Ronan Farrow, a New Yorker journalist and former State Department official. In his searching expose, our review says, Farrow proposes that war has eclipsed diplomacy as the main instrument of U.S. foreign policy with dire consequences.

Jonah Goldberg, senior editor at the National Review and author of Liberal Fascism and The Tyranny of Cliches, enjoyed his best print debut week to date with Suicide of the West, at #9 in hardcover nonfiction.

New & Notable

Leah on the Offbeat

Becky Albertalli

#3 Childrens Frontlist Fiction

This sequel to 2015s Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda centers on Simons best friend, who is a senior in high school, a drummer, and bisexual. Simon, which won the William C. Morris YA Debut Award, has sold 247K print copies since its release and spawned a movie adaptation, Love, Simon, which opened in March.

Top 10 Overall

Rank Title Author Imprint Units 1 Magnolia Table Joanna Gaines Morrow 169,416 2 A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo Twiss/Keller Chronicle 116,414 3 A Higher Loyalty James B. Comey Flatiron 86,474 4 The Fallen David Baldacci Grand Central 32,400 5 Twisted Prey John Sandford Putnam 28,159 6 The Midnight Line Lee Child Dell 24,780 7 Ill Be Gone in the Dark Michelle McNamara Harper 23,939 8 Oh, the Places Youll Go! Dr. Seuss Random House 20,718 9 12 Rules for Life Jordan B. Peterson Random House Canada 19,078 10 Dog Man and Cat Kid (Dog Man #4) Dav Pilkey Graphix 13,737

All unit sales per Nielsen BookScan except where noted.
Fiction

La forma del agua

(The Shape of Water)

Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus

Urano, dist. by Spanish Publishers

ISBN 978-84-92915-99-6

This is an otherworldly love story from filmmaker del Toro, about an amphibious man and a janitor, set in the U.S. in 1963 against the backdrop of the Cold War.

La mujer en la ventana

(The Woman in the Window)

A.J. Finn

Grijalbo

ISBN 978-1-947783-53-9

In this suspenseful novel, an agoraphobic woman believes she has witnessed a crime next door.

Luna llena en las rocas

(Full Moon in the Rocks)

Xavier Velasco

Oceano, dist. by IPG

ISBN 978-607-527-317-4

Velascos novel approaches the world of night clubs, dive bars, and other hellholes with a mixture of morbidity and complicity.

Una novela criminal

(A Crime Novel)

Jorge Volpi

Alfaguara

ISBN 978-1-947783-33-1

This winner of the 2018 Alfaguara Novel Prize tells the story of the Cassez-Vallarta case, which for many years shocked Mexican society and generated a diplomatic dispute between France and Mexico.

Nonfiction

Cazando a El Chapo

(Hunting El Chapo)

Andrew Hogan and Douglas Century

HarperCollins Espanol

ISBN 978-141-85-9779-5

Hogan, a former DEA agent, tells the story of his eight-year hunt for El Chapo, a drug kingpin who evaded the law for more than a decade.

Desnudo

(Naked)

Jomari Goyso

HarperCollins Espanol

ISBN 978-141-85-9793-1

Goyso, a television personality and stylist to the stars, tells his story for the first time.

En el cuarto oscuro

(In the Darkroom)

Susan Faludi

Spanish Publishers

ISBN 978-84-339-7998-8

After feminist writer Faludi learned that her 76-year-old father, who was long estranged and living in Hungary, had undergone sex reassignment surgery, she began an inquiry into the meaning of identity in the modern world and in her own family saga.

Mi ayuno intermintente

(Fasting)

Cecilia Ramirez Harris

HarperCollins Espanol

ISBN 978-071-80-8518-6

Harris aims to adapt the old technique of fasting to our time, for those who want to restore or maintain their health and lose weight. The author focuses primarily on a method known as intermittent fasting.

Resistencia

([em]Endurance)

[/em]

Scott Kelly

Vintage Espanol

ISBN 978-0-525-56314-3

This memoir from the astronaut who spent a year aboard the International Space Station offers an account of his remarkable voyage, of the journeys off the planet that preceded it, and of his formative years.

La linea se convierte en rio

(The Line Becomes the River)

Francisco Cantu

Vintage Espanol

ISBN 978-0-525-56402-7

Cantu goes behind the headlines, investigating the violence on both sides of the U.S.Mexico border.

Children/YA

El lector

(The Reader)

Amy Hest, illus. by Lauren Castillo

Spanish Publishers

ISBN 978-84-9145-134-1

Hests book celebrates reading and good friends, and Castillos illustrations, with their saturated colors, capture the wonder of a magical day.

Espaguetis en un panecillo de perro caliente

(Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun)

Maria Dismondy

Cardinal Rule, dist. by IPG

ISBN 978-0-9976085-1-9

This story aims to empower children to do the right thing and be proud of themselves, even when other children point out how different they are.

La nevera de Maddi

(Maddis Fridge)

Lois Brandt

Flashlight, dist. by IPG

ISBN 978-1-936261-97-0

Brandts book addresses issues related to poverty and includes a list of ways children can help fight hunger.

Olor a perfume de viejita

(The Smell of Old Lady Perfume)

Claudia Guadalupe Martinez

Cinco Puntos

ISBN 978-1-941026-06-0

Chelas fathers sudden illness causes her to miss school. She feels very small. Then, just when everything seems back to normal, tragedy teaches her that shes not that small at all.
The president is about to send a delegation of trade officials to China, led by Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin and including chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, and Peter Navarro, head of a trade policy shop in the White House. As readers of these pages are well aware, I have often been critical of Navarro's bizarre economic theories and Lighthizer's destructive approach to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and his wanton attraction to tariffs. But in this instance, I am pulling for Lighthizer and Navarro  assuming they stand up for their hard-line stance regarding Chinese high-tech protectionism.
Athens, GA (30605)

Today

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. Thunder possible. High 76F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms in the evening, overcast overnight with occasional rain likely. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
Contributed photo

WASHINGTON  The next performer in St. Johns Concert Series is classical pianist Jackson Merrill on Sunday, May 6 at 4 p.m., at St. Johns Parish House, 9 Parsonage Lane.

Merrill is recognized as one of the most gifted young pianists in New England. A native of Florida, since his arrival in Connecticut, Merrill has quickly attracted an enthusiastic following for his inspired performance and distinguished technique.
When Ricky McGinn's mother came to watch her son die, she put on her Sunday best.

Wearing her floral dress and pearls, she fought to stand up from her wheelchair and press her hands against the glass outside the Huntsville death chamber.

Almost 20 years later, that's what Michelle Lyons remembers most about McGinn's death - those wrinkled hands, that look of desperation.

For some of the executions she watched, Lyons doesn't remember anything. In her time at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, she saw more than 200 people put to death - and at some point they started to blend together.

Or at least, they would have blended together were it not for the journals of meticulous notes she kept on the dozens of men and women she watched die during her time in Huntsville - first as a reporter, then as a spokesperson. For more than a decade, the bubbly Galveston native was the unlikely face of the nation's largest prison system, and busiest death row. Like any good reporter, through it all she kept notes - files and files of notes.

But now, she's laying it all bare in a memoir, starting with her days at the Huntsville Item. Lyons took over the prison beat there in 2000, when Texas set a grim record of executing 40 men and women in one year.

A few years later, she jumped the fence and became a TDCJ spokesperson, a job that also required witnessing executions. Ultimately she resigned over time sheet disputes, then later sued the department. And it's all detailed in "Death Row: The Final Minutes," a 320-page read out this month in the U.K.

It's haunting, dark and hard to put down.

Houston Chronicle: So first of all - why now? There's been a lot of discussion around whether the death penalty is dying and at times it seems there's a waning interest the topic. Why was this the time to write an expose about the prison system and death row?

Michelle Lyons: It wasn't meant to be an expose - it was just me recounting my own experiences witnessing executions. Overall my opinion of the death penalty didn't so much change; it was just that it had a cumulative effect on me. I think the biggest takeaway from the book is that when I was young and started out as a journalist, everything was very black and white, I had no issue with witnessing. I was pro-death penalty. I was able to go in, witness, leave, compartmentalize, done. And as the years went on and I had more and more execution experiences under my belt and more life experiences, more things nagged at me and it became harder and harder to do.

HC: This comes across as utterly you - as obscene, angry and vulnerable as you are in conversation. Did you have any hesitations about putting out something so raw?

ML: It's scary. Because in some ways it's almost like having a diary and then making that diary available to the world. It feels so incredibly vulnerable - but it's really the only way to be honest. Some of it's uncomfortable for me, especially some of the entries from the earlier days. I feel like I come across very abrasive and I wish I could go back and change some of that but I can't - that's who I was, that's what I was.

HC: I know you say it's not an expose. But at the least this is very critical of the prison system and certain people in it. Are you worried at all about fallout from this?

ML: Honestly, no. The things that I depict and recount are exactly as they happened. The only controversial portions of the book pertain to my departure from the agency, and obviously that was a very tough time for me. But everything I'm recounting is as it happened. It's not just my recollections.

HC: You started working on this with Larry Fitzgerald, another longtime face of the prison system. He died last year before the book came out, but there's also long passages included in his voice. I'm curious what your writing process looked like for this?

ML: Larry and I began working on it in 2017, when Larry had become ill. Larry had actually begun taking notes and jotting down and we had a ghostwriter who did interviews and because I knew that Larry was very ill, I traveled to Austin and recorded him for many hours. These are our words and thoughts.

HC: You relive, in detail, years of trauma - you detail crying after executions, you have that scene with the chaplain instructing prisoners how to die best, you recount hearing the chemicals gurgling into the line in one execution. Was this hard to write?

ML: Some parts were harder than others. I was very good about taking notes during and after the executions and some of it I had actually forgotten about. Some have always stuck with me. The scene about the man there alone on the gurney with the single tear running down his face has never left me. It was amazing to me all the details I have in my notes. I have an entire file cabinet - and it's all pretty dark.

HC: Clearly you've figured out some coping mechanisms for things not very many people deal with - what does coping look like for you? How do you take care of yourself?

ML: This book, that's my way of taking care of it.

But what made it so incredibly difficult was that - I'm gonna get emotional here - was that I just started feeling so bad for everybody. I used to be so good at just going in there and doing my job, but I just started feeling so broken-hearted for everyone. You've got this victim's family, the parents who lost a child. And then you have in the inmate's family, about to watch their child die. And then you have the chaplain with their hand on a man who's dying.

At the core I still believe the death penalty is an appropriate punishment for some, but I felt bad for everyone there and then I felt bad for feeling bad, because I felt like it wasn't my right to feel bad.

HC: It seems like there's been some shifts at the department since you left, and since Larry left. What do you think his view of TDCJ today would be?

ML: He would absolutely be disgusted. Larry 's philosophy was that the agency should operate as transparently as possible, because just about everything the agency does is funded by taxpayer money.

HC: That job - and reporting before it - was clearly a huge and defining part of your life for a long time. Do you miss it, still?

ML: No.

HC: We started this off with a question about the timing in relation to whether the death penalty is dying but I guess that is based on the premise that it is. We've already seen five executions this year, Texas is trying to get approved for expedited appeals, and President Donald Trump is suggesting the death penalty for drug dealers - do you think we're going to see any sort of resurgence?

ML: The short answer is no. I think that in Texas, we have seen a decline in the death penalty and I think probably the biggest factor in that has been the introduction of life without parole. I think that prior to having that as an option there were so many instances where a jury felt uncomfortable with the idea that for certain crimes an inmate may one day be released into society because the crime was just that bad - but they didn't have the option for life without parole.

HC: Your book is hard to put down - but it's also a really dark read. How did you hope to make the reader feel in writing this?

ML: I didn't really set out for it to have any particular tone. It was really just me trying to tell the story of my experience, witnessing all these executions. Unfortunately it is a dark topic. I would hope that my personality comes through. My personality can be a little bit dark, but I also have a pretty quirky and wicked sense of humor and I hope that that shines through. I hope that the fact that I've been resilient comes through. It's really just about the fact that it was a struggle. It was a tough job. And I came out of it forever changed - but I came out of it.
A Crimean activist has been sentenced to two years in prison over pro-Ukrainian comments made on social media, a ruling that activists say is unprecedented.

Ihor Movenko was found guilty of extremism by the Russia-controlled court in Sevastopol on May 4.

The charges stem from comments Movenko posted in the "Crimea is Ukraine" group on the social network VKontakte in 2016.

If Im not mistaken, this is the first time someone has been imprisoned for comments made on social media, said Darya Sviridova of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union.

"Obviously, a Ukrainian citizen is being persecuted for taking a pro-Ukrainian position on occupied territory," Sviridova added.

A lawyer for Movenko, Oksana Zheleznyak, said the ruling would be appealed.

Movenko was beaten in Sevastopol in September 2016 while riding a bicycle that displayed a sticker with the symbol of the far-right Azoz battalion.

Movenko suffered serious injuries in the attack, but police never investigated the incident.

Following the assault, Movenko was detained in December 2016 by Russia-installed security authorities in Crimea and charged with extremism on social media.

Since Russias annexation of Crimea in March 2014, the human rights situation has reportedly deteriorated on the Ukrainian Peninsula.

Human Rights Watch has called Crimea a "black hole" for human rights.
Officials in the German city of Trier have unveiled a controversial monument to political philosopher Karl Marx to mark the 200th anniversary of his birth in the city.

Some 4,000 people were on hand on May 5 to see the 5.5-meter-tall bronze statue, which was donated by the government of China.

Anticommunist rightists, victims of communism, supporters of the banned Chinese Falun Gong movement, and members of the antimigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party marched in protest.

At the same time, Marxist groups including the leftist Die Linke and German Communist parties marched to protest "capitalism and exploitation."

A heavy police presence kept the marchers separated and no incidents were reported.

The deputy head of the German branch of the PEN writers' association requested that the unveiling of the statue be postponed until Chinese poet Liu Xia has been released from house arrest and allowed to leave China.

Marx, the father of communism, wrote that societies develop through class struggle which would only end with the establishment of a classless communist society based on common ownership of the means of production.

According to the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, created by the U.S. Congress in 1993, more than 100 million people have been killed by communist regimes in the Soviet Union, China, Cambodia, and other countries.

Based on reporting by dpa and AP
The Pentagon has launched a new naval command to bolster the U.S. and NATO presence in the northern Atlantic Ocean, citing an increased Russian presence in those waters.

"The return to great power competition and a resurgent Russia demands that NATO refocus on the Atlantic to ensure dedicated reinforcement of the continent and demonstrate a capable and credible deterrence effect," Johnny Michael, a Pentagon spokesman, said on May 4.

The new NATO command "will be the linchpin of trans-Atlantic security," he said. Outlines of the plan were approved at a February meeting of NATO defense ministers as part of a broader effort to ensure the security of the sea lanes and lines of communication between Europe and North America.

The Pentagon's decision reflects growing worries across Europe and within NATO about Russia's increased military presence and patrols in the Atlantic region.

Russia has increased its patrols in the Baltic Sea, the North Atlantic, and the Arctic, NATO officials say, although the size of its navy is smaller now than during the Cold War era.

Despite evidence that Russia's weak economy forced Moscow to slash military spending by 20 percent last year, Czech Army General Petr Pavel, the chairman of NATO's Military Committee, told RFE/RL in an interview that NATO still must build up its defenses.

"Russian military capabilities, both conventional and nuclear, are significant," he said. "And we simply cannot be blind to an increase of defense capabilities in all services, all domains. That's why we have to react."

Under the new plan, the United States will set up NATO's new Atlantic Command headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, where the Pentagon is also offering to host a proposed NATO Joint Force Command.

Russia 'More Assertive'

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in February that "we have seen a much more assertive Russia, we have seen a Russia which has over many years invested heavily in their military capabilities, modernized their military capabilities, which are exercising not only conventional forces but also nuclear forces."

He said the new Atlantic Command will be vital for the alliance to be able to respond. NATO also created a new logistics command, which is expected to be located in Germany.

At the same time, the U.S. Navy is re-establishing its 2nd Fleet command, which was eliminated in 2011 in a move to save costs.

Admiral John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, said the move comes as the security environment "continues to grow more challenging and complex" now that "we're back in an era of great power competition."

The Navy said the command will oversee ships, aircraft, and landing forces on the East Coast and northern Atlantic Ocean, and will be responsible for training forces and conducting maritime operations in the region.

Restarting the command was one of several recommendations in a Navy study done following two deadly ship collisions last year that killed a total of 17 sailors.

The command will begin operations July 1. It will report to U.S. Fleet Forces, and will initially include 11 officers and 4 enlisted personnel. Those numbers will eventually increase to more than 250 personnel, the Pentagon said.

With reporting by AP and Reuters


In the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, 35 people were detained on May 5 following clashes between protesters and riot police. The demonstration in Krasnoyarsk was part of a nationwide series of protests organized by Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny ahead of President Vladimir Putin's inauguration for a fourth presidential term.
MOSCOW -- Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny and hundreds of other protesters have been detained by police at an unsanctioned demonstration on May 5 in Moscow, part of a nationwide series of protests organized by Navalny ahead of President Vladimir Putin's inauguration for a fourth presidential term.

Navalny was taken into custody shortly after arriving at the rally on Pushkin Square in the center of the Russian capital where riot police carted away other protesters while some were beaten by pro-Putin vigilantes.

Video showed police carrying a struggling Navalny out of the square, holding him by the legs and arms.

Navalny ally Ilya Yashin told the Interfax news agency that Navalny had been charged with the administrative offense of disobeying a police officer. He could face up to 15 days in jail.

According to the independent police-monitoring group OVD-Info, some 1,612 people have been detained in 26 cities nationwide in connection with the rally.

Some of those detained were reportedly minors.

In Moscow alone, the number of detainees was 703.

Another 233 protesters were also detained in St. Petersburg.

Moscow police issued a statement saying that "about 300" people had been detained in the capital. No official figures were given for the country as a whole.

'Not Our Tsar'

Media reports said that the number of protesters in Moscow was in the thousands. Police said the crowd numbered some 1,500 people, but officials routinely downplay the size of opposition protests in Russia.

About 1,000 people are estimated to have participated in the rally in St. Petersburg.

Under the slogan "He's not our tsar," Navalny, 41, had called on supporters to take to the streets ahead of Putin's May 7 inauguration to protest what Navalny says was Putin's autocratic rule.

In a post on Twitter on May 4, Navalny called Putin "a craven old man."

"We will force the authorities, comprised of swindlers and thieves, to take into account the millions of citizens who did not vote for Putin," Navalny said on May 4.

Rallies were expected in up to 90 cities and towns on May 5, including Moscow and St. Petersburg, although few have received authorization from local officials.

Putin is due to be sworn in for his fourth term as Russia's president on May 7, extending an 18-year reign that his supporters say has lifted the country "from its knees" and is denounced by his opponents as a corrupt, calcifying authoritarian kleptocracy..

Navalny, who has organized large street protests and published numerous reports documenting alleged corruption among Russia's ruling elite, was barred from running in the March presidential election due to a conviction on financial-crimes charges he contends were fabricated.

'Absolutely Unlawful'

Authorities in Moscow had warned Navalny supporters about taking part in the planned protest in the Russian capital, calling it "absolutely unlawful."

In Moscow, riot police detained some protesters, while men, in traditional Cossack dress, were seen beating some of the demonstrators as a police helicopter flew above the crowd.

AFP reported that tear gas had been briefly used.

Among the crowd on Pushkin Square were pockets of pro-Putin supporters, many of them young men.

Pro-Putin activists shouted "Our country, our rules" and "We are for Putin."

Police with megaphones ordered protesters to disperse and warned that "impact munitions" might be used. Riot police in phalanxes contained protesters while other officers moved in to make detentions.

As videos and photos of police roughly manhandling unresisting protesters flooded social media, Moscow police spokesman Vladimir Chernikov was quoted as saying "the police and National Guard today acted strictly in accordance with the law, competently and calmly."

"Unfortunately, as we expected, there were provocations on the part of the organizers of the unauthorized rally," he added, according to Interfax.

Earlier, in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, 35 people were detained following clashes between protesters and baton-wielding police.

In Yakutsk, 75 protesters were detained by police at the rally there, according to a Navalny supporter.

In Novokuznetsk, police detained 26 protesters taking part in the rally there.

Additionally, 164 were detained in Chelyabinsk and 63 in Tolyatti. Detentions were also reported in Kaluga, Samara, Barnaul, Penza, Blagoveshchensk, Kurgan, Tver, Yekaterinburg, and other cities.

Like Navalny, many of the protesters are being charged with the administrative violation of disobeying police and are being released pending hearings.

Pavel Chikov, head of the Agora rights group, posted on Telegram that Moscow police were preventing lawyers from communicating with detainees.

'Fundamental Freedoms Under Threat'

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert posted on Twitter that the United States "condemns Russia's detention of hundreds of peaceful protesters and calls for their immediate release."

"Leaders who are secure in their own legitimacy don't arrest their peaceful opponents for protesting," she wrote.

A spokeswoman for European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini issued a statement saying the police reaction in Russia threatened "the fundamental freedoms of expression, association, and assembly in the Russian Federation."

"Even if some of the demonstrations were not authorized in the location where they took place, this cannot justify police brutality and mass arrests," the statement said, adding that the EU expected Russia to "release without delay peaceful demonstrators and journalists."

On the eve of the protests, Navalny supporters were detained by police in several Russian cities including St. Petersburg, Krasnoyarsk, Krasnodar, Tambov, Kemerovo, and Cheboksary.

In Yekaterinburg, police searched Navalnys regional headquarters and confiscated leaflets advertising the May 5 rally.

A coordinator for Navalny the southern city of Volgograd, Aleksei Volkov, wrote on Twitter that students at local schools were forced to sign papers acknowledging that they could face serious consequences, including expulsion, if they take part in the rally.

With reporting by RFE/RLs Russian Service, Current Time TV, AFP,, Interfax. and Reuters




A northern Afghan district that was briefly seized by the Taliban has been recaptured by government forces, a regional official told Radio Free Afghanistan.

Badakhshan Province Governor Faisal Begzad said on May 5 that government forces recaptured the Kohistan district from the Taliban after about an hour-long battle earlier in the day.

The Taliban launched a surprise attack on May 3 on the Kohistan district, which is located along a route to the provincial capital, Fayz Abad.

Abdullah Naji Nazari, a provincial council member, said on May 5 that the captured district was the third under Taliban control in Badakhshan, which has about two dozen districts.

Last month, the Taliban announced the start of their annual spring offensive.

With reporting by AP and thenews.com.pk
UFA, Russia -- On April 20, Kristina Abramicheva, who heads the Alliance of Heterosexuals and LGBT for Equal Rights in the Bashkortostan capital, Ufa, posted an alarming warning on her Facebook page.

"In Ufa there is a hunt for gays going on under the name of Saw," she wrote. "It is a classic scheme: acquaintance through the Internet, harassment, filming, blackmail, and extortion. Although there have been victims and people have been appealing to our Alliance for legal and psychiatric help, the story is being hushed up and victims and witnesses are being forced to sign nondisclosure orders [by the authorities]."

Sometime in mid-March, Abramicheva told RFE/RL, her activists noticed online announcements touting "Saw: A Homophobic Game" and featuring an image of a character in the horror-film series Saw. The announcements declare the opening of the "Bashkir Season" on hunting LGBTs from March 3 until June 30.

"More homophobia, more frame-ups, more violence," the announcement proclaims.

Some of the announcements declare that "more than 50 of Chechnya's best homophobes" have come to Bashkortostan, a reference to widespread reports beginning in April 2017 that security forces and vigilantes in Chechnya were rounding up and persecuting gay men. More than two dozen suspected gay men were reportedly killed in the North Caucasus republic during the crackdown, although Chechen officials denied the reports and even the existence of gay men in Chechnya at all.

"We have had isolated incidents of attacks on gays in [Bashkortostan] since at least 2007," Abramicheva said. "But now this has become a mass phenomenon. We are talking about dozens of cases."

"Victims are afraid to go to the police because they don't want information about themselves made public," she added, explaining why she felt it was important to go public with this information.

'What Is The Point Of You?'

Ivan, an Ufa resident who asked that his real name be withheld, is a 26-year-old bisexual man who says he was a victim earlier this spring.

He said he met a man on a gay online forum who called himself Aleksei. After chatting for some time, the two agreed to meet for tea on the evening of March 17.

They went to an apartment on an upper floor of a high-rise apartment block. After a few minutes, however, the doorbell rang and Aleksei returned with another man he introduced as Ainur.

"Aleksei instantly stuck me with some sort of injection in my back and I began to feel as if I was drunk," Ivan recalled. "Ainur...began insulting me, called me a pederast, and said, 'There is a point to naturals, but what is the point of you?' He said that I was less than nothing and cursed me."

Next, Aleksei and Ainur tied Ivan to a heating battery and began hitting and kicking him. No one responded to Ivan's screams.

"The next day I went to the police and wrote out a complaint against the two guys," Ivan said. "I was called back for questioning a couple of times, but I understood that there was no point in expecting any real action from the police. My testimony wasn't enough."

Tense Situation

Ivan has since left the Bashkir capital and is living in another city.

"The situation in Ufa is tense right now," Ivan said. "The people there are a little wild and unsympathetic. It even seemed to me that those guys who attacked me were not just homophobes but were something close to [gays] themselves who behaved like animals. Lately I have seen on the [gay] forums how people are attacking one another, trolling each other, undermining one another. Recently one guy wrote that his friend is HIV-positive [giving his name]. Yesterday someone posted the passport date of one of the guys on the forum."

Activist Abramicheva says "the main thing is to bring the problems of the LGBT community out into the public sphere, but no one is willing do that."

She worries that the violence might escalate.

"We have had information that some response is being prepared since there is no hope that the police will do anything," she said. "How that might end up, I'll need to figure out."

Written by RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson based on reporting by RFE/RL Tatar-Bashkir Service correspondents Regina Khisamova and Artur Asafyev.


A U.S. federal judge has challenged Special Counsel Robert Mueller's authority to bring charges against Donald Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, suggesting that prosecutors were only using the case to force him to provide evidence against the president.

At a tense hearing on May 4 in Alexandria, Virginia, Judge T.S. Ellis III stated that tax- and bank-fraud charges against Manafort had nothing to do with Mueller's probe into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 U.S. election or tried to obstruct justice.

"I don't see what relationship this indictment has with what the special counsel is investigating," said Ellis, who was appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan.

In the hearing, Manafort's lawyer, Kevin Downing, contended that a special counsel should be tightly focused on what he investigates and that charges should be dismissed if Mueller lacked authority to bring them.

Government lawyer Michael Dreeben argued that the special counsel has a broad mandate and that the case against Manafort was justified because of his connections to the Trump campaign and to Ukrainian and Russian officials.

Manafort is alleged to have hidden from U.S. tax authorities the tens of millions of dollars he earned advising pro-Russia politicians in Ukraine from 2006 to 2015 -- including Ukraine's pro-Russian former president, Viktor Yanukovych, who was ousted by street protests in Kyiv and fled Ukraine in 2014.

In his comments on May 4, the judge suggested, a possible remedy would be to hand the case against Manafort back to regular federal prosecutors rather than the special counsel. Ellis withheld his ruling and will issue a written ruling later.

In a speech in Dallas, Trump praised Ellis as a "highly respected judge" who said what "I've been saying for a long time."

Manafort also faces separate charges in Washington, D.C., where he is accused of conspiring to launder money and failing to register as a foreign agent when he lobbied for the pro-Russia Ukrainian government.

Manafort's lawyers made similar arguments to have the D.C. case dismissed as well. The judge has not yet ruled on the motion.

Manafort has denied wrongdoing. Trump has denied he colluded with Russia during the 2016 campaign or that he obstructed justice. He has called Mueller's investigation biased and a "witch-hunt."

With reporting by AP and Reuters


Federal crime, Cozumel Facebook user selling baby parrots

Cozumel, Q.R.  Young parakeets are being sold on social media by an individual on the island of Cozumel.

While the purchase, sale and possession of parakeets has been prohibited since 2008, a social media page is selling baby parakeets for 450 peso.

A user on a Facebook page identified as Bazar de las Mamitas was selling six baby parrots for 450 peso each, something that is a federal crime in Mexico.

Noel Anselmo Rivas Camo, a biologist and member of the Cozumel Birding Club, explained that the most common way people find these birds to sell is by smuggling them from the continental area.

Noel Rivas said that all three species of parrots found on the island are protected by the Official Norm. He added that many of these birds have been found in boxes or hidden in the luggage of people who arrive to Cozumel by sea.

Local biologist, Angel Rafael Chacon Diaz explained that in Mexico, there are 22 species of parrots and macaws of which 95 percent are threatened with extinction.

He says that in the absence of federal environmental authorities, the sub-directorate of Ecology of the City of Cozumel must act by collecting information and initiating the procedure to generate a complaint to environmental authorities.

Chacon Diaz says that illegal trafficking, along with the destruction of its natural habitat, are the main causes of the deterioration of these wild birds.

In October 2008, the decree amending the General Wildlife Law and prohibiting the capture of parrots and macaws from Mexico was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation making it a federal crime to buy or sell parrots in the country.

In March of this year, municipal and federal authorities in Playa del Carmen investigated a pair who were seen exploiting a toucan by offering tourists a photo opportunity with the bird.
Lifeless body of man found in Cancun Hotel Zone

Cancun, Q.R.  The body of a man has been found in a mangrove area of the Cancun Hotel Zone.

The discovery was made Friday morning when a passerby saw the body and reported it to authorities. Ministerial police arrived on scene, verifying one deceased male who they said, had a bullet wound.

Reports say someone called Emergency 911 at around 9:00 a.m. after seeing the body of a lifeless man in an area along Kilometer 26.5 of Boulevard Kukulcan.

Preliminary reports alleged that the body was that of an execution. Municipal, federal and ministerial authorities along with Gendarmerie personnel moved in to cordon off the area and conduct investigations.

The site was guarded by the federal police while the body was transferred to the Forensic Medical Service.
Previously deported man arrested again in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Q.R.  A previously deported man has been arrested in Playa del Carmen who police found was wanted in the United States.

Judicial authorities in the United States had been on the hunt for a man identified only as GGR. Quintana Roo state police located the man along the citys popular Fifth Avenue Thursday after he was unable to produce sufficient identification.

Although the man claimed to be from the Mexican state of Chihuahua, he was found carrying identification from Denver, Colorado.

According to their report, state elements were performing surveillance and crime prevention on Fifth Avenue of Playa del Carmen when they came upon the man. Officials of the Ministry of Public Security took him into custody when they learned he was wanted in the United States.

GGR was handed over to Mexican immigration who passed him along to US authorities. According to reports, GGR had been arrested in the past for similar offenses and in December of 2017, had also been deported by Mexican immigration authorities.

The arrest was part of a collaboration by Mexican Immigration officials and the Consular Agency of the United States.

In March, Keven Esterly, the 45-year-old American man accused of running away with 16-year-old Amy Yu, was also arrested in Playa del Carmen. Both Esterly and Yu were returned to the United States.
US plans to prohibit spouses of H1-B visa holders to work in America

Expressing disappointment over the US plans to prohibit spouses of H1-B visa holders to work in America; India today hoped that the Trump administration would take "corrective actions" on the issue.



The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations which require theoretical or technical expertise.



The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.



"The US decision to put certain restrictions on visas is quite disappointing and we hope that the US will take corrective actions," Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said here at an event organized by American Chamber of Commerce in India.

Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu

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The Trump administration is planning to end allowing spouses of H1-B visa holders to work legally in the US, a top federal agency official has told lawmakers. The move could severely impact thousands of Indians professionals working in America.



Prabhu said India has already communicated its concerns to the US and "we would like to have the reality put into perspective that Indian companies in the US are contributing significantly in the growth of the US economy".



IT professionals in the US increase productivity in the economy and improve services. "We feel that the US must understand the concern of India."



He said that on trade matters too, India has flagged its concerns.



"On trade matters, we have communicated to the US that India is a fast-growing economy with FDI (foreign direct investment) regime more and more participatory," he added.



Prabhu, who also hold aviation portfolio, said that India would be buying cargo as well as passenger airplane and the US could tap this opportunity.



The US has imposed customs duties on certain steel and aluminum products. India has sought exemption from this as it exports these goods worth about USD 1.5 billion per year.



The US is putting certain conditions on trade front which has created issues at both bilateral and multilateral levels."



"I think we need to put this behind as growth in global trade would benefit all," the minister said.



The bilateral trade between the countries has increased to USD 64.52 billion in 2016-17 from USD 62.11 billion in the previous fiscal.
Centre Seeks Stay of Supreme Court Order on SC/ST Law

The Centre today demanded a stay on the Supreme Court order on the SC/ST Act, with the top court saying it was "100 percent" in favor of protecting the rights of these communities and punishing those guilty of atrocities against them. The observations by a bench of Justices A K Goel and U U Lalit came after the Centre, represented by Attorney General K K Venugopal, sought a stay on the Supreme Court order in the matter. He said the apex court cannot make rules or guidelines which go against the law passed by the legislature. Venugopal also pointed out that the SC/ST verdict had resulted in the loss of life and the case be referred to a larger bench. Justifying its March 20 order, the bench said while deciding on the verdict on the SC/ST Act, the top court had considered every aspect and all the judgments before reaching a conclusion.

The bench said it was "100 percent" in favor of protecting rights of SC/ST community and of punishing those guilty of atrocities against them. The Centre had moved the apex court on April 2 seeking review of its judgment by which safeguards were put on the provisions for immediate arrest under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The apex court had on April 27 decided to hear Centre's plea seeking review of its March 20 verdict on the SC/ST Act but had made it clear that it would not entertain any other petition in the matter.

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Justices A K Goel and U U Lalit

In his written submission filed in the top court, the Attorney General had said that the verdict has "diluted" the stringent provisions of the Act, resulting in "great damage" to the country by causing anger and a sense of disharmony among the people. The government, in its review petition, has told the apex court that its judgment would violate Article 21 of the Constitution for the SC/ST community and sought restoration of the provisions of the Act. The apex court had on March 20 said that on "several occasions", innocent citizens were being termed as accused and public servants deterred from performing their duties, which was never the intention of the legislature while enacting the SC/ST Act.

Several states were rocked by widespread violence and clashes following a 'Bharat Bandh' call given by several SC/ST organizations protesting the top court's March 20 order, that claimed eight lives. While hearing the Centre's review plea on April 3, the top court had asserted that "no provisions of SC/ST Act have been diluted" and clarified that additional safeguards had been put in place "to protect the fundamental rights" of innocents. It, however, had refused to keep the March 20 verdict in abeyance till it decided the Centre's review petition.
PM Narendra Modi

Claiming that the Congress and the JD(S) have entered into a "secret" pact for the Karnataka Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday H D Deve Gowda's party was "protecting" the Congress. Addressing an election rally here, Modi alleged that the Congress, for years, spoke about poverty eradication only to garner votes, while neglecting farmers and the poor. "Poll surveys, political pundits...everyone is saying the JD(S) cannot defeat Congress. They cannot form a government. If anyone can change the government in Karnataka, it is the BJP. "If anyone is protecting the Congress, it is the JD(S)... Congress and JD(S) have a secret understanding...an understanding behind the curtains," Modi, who lavished praise on JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda only a few days ago before training his guns on him, said. The Congress, Modi demanded, make it clear if it had a secret understanding with JD(S) or not. He said it was with the support of Deve Gowda's party that the Congress had its mayor in Bengaluru.

HD Deve Gowda

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"Why are you hiding this? Congress should have the courage to speak out the truth to people." Modi, however, insisted he still has respect for Deve Gowda, who had announced before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls that he would commit suicide if he became the prime minister.The prime minister said despite Deve Gowda opposing him when he came to the southern state of Karnataka for campaigning during the Lok Sabha elections, he said the JD(S) leader should live for 100 years and serve the society. Modi had showered praise on Deve Gowda at a rally in Udupi last Tuesday and castigated Congress president Rahul Gandhi for "insulting" the former prime minister. But two days later at a rally in Bengaluru, Modi asked people not to "waste" their votes by backing Deve Gowda's party as it was going to finish "a poor, distant third" in the elections. Modi said the Congress, which ruled the country for decades, with "one family" in power, for the most part, neglected the poor and farmers

Rahul Gandhi

"Garibi, garibi, garibi (poverty, poverty, and poverty) was their constant rant. But once the son of a poor mother became the prime minister, they clammed shut...now they don't talk about poverty," he said. He alleged the Congress was responsible for the backwardness of Tumakuru. The farmers, he said, were suffering because of the policies of successive Congress governments at the Centre and in the state. "Congress needs to be punished for ensuring Karnataka has a better future," Modi said.
National Green Tribunal

The National Green Tribunal today said it would examine whether the proposed alternate landfill sites at Sonia Vihar and Ghonda Gujran areas here are located on the Yamuna floodplains. A bench headed by acting NGT Chairperson Justice Jawad Rahim, which did not issue notice on the pleas filed by rebel AAP MLA Kapil Mishra and others, directed them to file a brief note within a week mentioning the grounds on which they were opposing the setting up of the two landfill sites. "We will examine and consider if the two sites fall on the Yamuna floodplains. We will be considering all the issues," the bench, also comprising Justice S P Wangdi, observed. Besides Mishra, AAP spokesperson Dilip Kumar Pandey and others have also sought directions to restrain the DDA from allotting an area of 130 acres at Sonia Vihar and a 50-acre plot at Ghonda Gujran to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) for handling and processing waste.

The sites were proposed as the existing site at Ghazipur was saturated. The order came after the green panel was informed by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) that a similar matter was pending in the Supreme Court. Advocate Balendu Shekhar, appearing for EDMC, said Ghazipur landfill site has got saturated and there was an urgent need for an alternative landfill site to avoid any untoward incident. The lawyer told the bench that land was identified after NGT's indulgence when a chamber meeting was held where senior DDA officials had assured the tribunal about the availability of these sites. He said the DDA had granted in principle approval for these sites based on the recommendations of Central Pollution Control Board and National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).

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Ghazipur landfill is among the main garbage dumping spots in the national capital

Advocate Ritwick Dutta, appearing for Mishra, alleged that the EDMC had concealed information that these sites were part of the active floodplain of Yamuna river and fell under the O-Zone as per Master Plan of Delhi, where no development can take place. He said the two sites were rejected twice by the Principal Committee, formed to see the execution of Yamuna cleaning, which had decided that these sites were unsuitable. The NGT, however, questioned the petitioners and said the issue of landfill sites in the national capital was going on since long and why have they approached it at this juncture. The matter was listed for next hearing on May 21. While Mishra had alleged that EDMC has with a "malafide"intention not revealed that these sites are part of the active floodplain of Yamuna river and fell under the O-Zone as per Master Plan of Delhi where no development can take place, the petition filed by Pandey and others had said the project will adversely affect the eco-system of the area as there were several densely populated colonies and villages nearby.

"The entire area is low lying goes under deep waters during monsoon rains and the groundwater table being very high, it suffers from aquifer flooding during high floods in river Yamuna. The ground conditions make its development as landfill site not only illegal but also susceptible to flooding risks. "That with respect to the site in Ghonda Gujran, it can easily be surmised that it is in Zone O, as the site is said to be opposite the Usmanpur Village. And since the only open space opposite the Usmanpur Village is in the active river floodplain in Zone O, clearly the site is most unsuitable and impermissible as per the Siting Criteria under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 which is statutory in nature," Mishra had said in his plea.

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National Environmental Engineering Research Institute

The plea, filed by Pandey and others, had said the "mindless setting up of a land-fill site adjacent to the Yamuna, a natural water resource will be affecting the integrity of the flora and fauna of the water resource, which would affect overall ecology of the area which resulted in the bad health condition of the people who are living nearby allotted land". It had said the approval given on the basis of recommendations of the Central Pollution Control Board and NEERI is based on wrong facts and it violated the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016. "Restrain the DDA from allotting the lands in question falling within the active floodplain of River Yamuna, i.e. 130 acres in Sonya Vihar and 50 acres in Ghonda Gujran for the purpose of developing Solid Waste Management facility. "Impose heavy penalty and direct penal action against officials of EDMC for wilful and deliberate concealment of material facts before this tribunal," the plea had said. The DDA had earlier told the tribunal that based on the reports of the CPCB and NEERI and its analysis, an area of 88 acres at Sonia Vihar and a 42.5-acre plot at Ghonda Gujran can be given to the EDMC for handling and processing waste.
Dakota aircraft

A restored Dakota joined the Indian Air Force today in an induction ceremony at Hindan air force station, more than four decades after the aircraft fleet was phased out following an illustrious service record. The Dakota DC-3 VP 905 was formally inducted into the IAF at a grand ceremony at Hindan where a key was received by the Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal B S Dhanoa from Air Commodore (retd) M K Chandrasekhar whose son and Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar bought and restored the aircraft. Dhanoa dubbed Dakota as a "special" aircraft in the history of the Indian Air Force and added that its "reliability and ruggedness" were proved by its journey back home from the UK where it was restored. The Dakota was accepted by the Chief of Air Staff from the Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar on February 13 this year. The aircraft was bought by the MP from "scrap" and got restored in the UK. The restored Dakota rechristened as 'Parashuram' will join the 'Vintage Fly' of one each of Tiger Moth and Howard raised at Hindan air force station. The aircraft commenced its journey from the UK on April 17 to India with a joint crew of IAF and Reflight Airworks.

Dakota aircraft bought and restored by MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar

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It flew a total of 9,750 km during its ferry en-route halts in France, Italy, Greece, Jordan, Bahrain, and Oman, and finally landed on Indian soil at air force station Jamnagar on April 25. It reached its final destination Hindan on April 26. Air Commodore(retd) MK Chandrasekhar was granted special permission by the Defence minister to fly on board the aircraft from Jamnagar to air force station Hindan. "This historic flight of the Dakota DC-3 VP 905, across seven countries, was a commemoration of the service provided by this venerable aircraft to the nation," the Air Force said in a statement. The Dakota popularly known as the Gooney Bird was the first major transport aircraft inducted in the fledgling Indian Air Force. It was at the forefront of operations from 1947 to 1971. The aircraft played a crucial role in Kashmir operations in 1947 war and Bangladesh war. After 1971, the Dakota was replaced by Avro HS-748. The Dakotas were phased out and some of them were handed over to the BSF that used them up to 1978.
Cong having jihadi mindset, alleges UP CM

Hitting the campaign trail in poll-bound Karnataka to mobilize support for the BJP, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today asked the people to reject what he called the "divisive" politics and "jihadi mindset" of the Congress. At a rally here, he accused his Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah of playing the "most corrupt innings" that divides the society. "I have come here to call upon you to outrightly reject the divisive politics of the Congress, the jihadi mindset of the Congress, its policies of supporting terrorism and corruption," Adityanath said. Targeting Siddaramaiah, he claimed that "jihadis" killing 23 BJP workers in the state in the last five years was a "proof" of the Congress party's alleged divisive politics. "Today the Congress government in Karnataka and its chief minister, who is playing the most corrupt innings, are making the worst effort to divide the society. Their divisive politics supports terrorism," he said. Adityanath said he had come to put a brake on the "divisive" policies of the Congress in the state.

Siddaramaiah and Yogi Adityanath

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Seeking to draw a comparison between UP and Karnataka, Adityanath said no jihadi element can raise his ugly head in his state. "This government does not seem to be standing in favor of farmers, traders, citizens and BJP workers and does not seem to be doing justice to them. The government is encouraging anarchy," the UP chief minister said. He also took a dig at Siddaramaiah over farmers' suicides and said their interests had been ignored due to the "indifferent" attitude of his government. "Today the Siddaramaiah government is using Karnataka as its automated teller machine. Thus, I have come here to tell you that Congress-free Karnataka is the need of the hour," Adityanath said Citing Ramayana, he said when Lord Rama was wandering in the woods, he found his most loyal devotee Hanuman in this southern state.



"It was Hanuman who was instrumental in establishing Ramarajya," Adityanath, who is also the pontiff of the Gorakhnath Math in UP, said. "We belong to the tradition which does not believe in dividing society. It unites north with south, east with the south. We always saw India as a united nation for we believe in "Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat" (one India, best India)," he said.
Emma Watson

Emma Watson is a Hollywood star and has done many films like Hary Potter, Beauty & the beast and many more. Emma Watson tweeted in support of Indian lawyer Deepika Singh Rajwat, who is fighting the case of a minor girl whose rape and murder in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir sent shockwaves globally on Friday. She shared an article about How the Kathua rape case law is a force to reckon with and wrote: All power to Deepika Singh Rajawat.The article shared by Watson brings attention to Rajawats confident and professional demeanor as she is flanked by men who are not staring at her. The British actor has been a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and she has actively dedicated her efforts towards the empowerment of young women.

Tweet by Emma Watson

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She was reportedly held captive inside a temple and was sedated before being raped, tortured and murdered. Rajawat has been representing the family of the eight-year-old girl whose body was recovered from Rassana forest in Kathua on January 17, a week after she went missing while grazing horses in the forest area.The case is ongoing in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. Rajawat has been in defiance against her own colleagues in the Jammu Bar Association who allegedly warned her against taking up the case.
Disclaimer  As the manufacturer (TVS Motor Company) has blacklisted Rushlane from its events/rides as a consequence of decisions based on restrictive practices, company sales figures are attributed to freely available media material.

Hero MotoCorp

Hero MotoCorp reported a 16.5% increase in sales in April 2018. During the past month, the company sold 6,92,022 units as against 5,95,706 units sold in April 2017. However, the highest monthly sales ever reported by the company was in March 2018 when 7,30,473 units were sold. FY18 fiscal also closed with the highest yearly volumes at 75.0 lakhs, a 14% increase YoY.

The companys 8th manufacturing unit at Chitoor, Andhra Pradesh has also commenced which will see the companys installed capacity go up from 92 lakhs to 1.1 crore units. 4 new launches are also being planned for FY19. These include Xtreme 200R and XPulse motorcycles and two scooters Duet 125 and Maestro Edge 125. With these new products and forecasts of normal rainfall this year, the company looks ahead to added sales in the months ahead.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India domestic sales in April 2018 crossed the 6 lakh mark for the first time. Domestic sales during the past month stood at 6,35,811 units as against 5,51,732 units sold in April 2017. Scooter sales also increased 15% in April 2018 with 4,23,527 units sold as against 3,68,550 units sold in the same month of the previous year. Motorcycle sales grew at 16% from 1,83,182 units sold in April 2017 to 2,12,284 units sold in April 2018.

HMSI now targets double digit growth in FY19 with investment to the tune of INR 800 crores. The company will be launching one new product and 18 models will be upgraded while expansion of networks will touch 6,000 by the end of this year.

TVS Motors

TVS Motors has reported a 24% increases in sales in April 2018. The company sold 3,04,795 units in the past month as against 2,46,310 units sold in April 2017. Total two wheeler sales increased 21.7% with 2,93,418 units sold in April 2018 as against 2,41,007 units sold in April 2017. Scooter sales increased from 81,443 units sold in April 2017 to 89,245 units sold last month, a growth of 9.6% while motorcycle sales increased 3.8% from 99,890 units sold in April 2017 to 1,31,704 units sold in April 2018.

Taking total exports into account, TVS exported 61,798 units in April 2018, a surge of 53.6% as compared to 40,221 units exported in April 2017. Only two wheeler exports increased 46% from 35,485 units exported in April 2017 to 51,814 units exported last month. TVS Motors expects steady growth in the future both where domestic sales and exports are concerned.

Bajaj Auto Limited

Bajaj Auto has noted its highest ever exports in April 2018. Domestic sales increased 29% to 2,29,464 units in April 2018 from 1,77,887 units sold in April 2017 while exports grew by 22% from 1,51,913 units exported in April 2017 to 1,85,704 units exported last month. Total sales increased 26% to 4,15,168 units sold in April 2018 as compared to 3,29,800 units sold in the same month of the previous year.

Motorcycle sales in domestic markets increased 24$ from 1,61,930 units in April 2017 to 2,00,742 units sold last month. The company also noted an 80% surge in commercial vehicle sales in domestic markets from 15,957 sold in April 2017 to 28,722 units sold in the past month.

Royal Enfield

Royal Enfield posted 27% growth in domestic sales even as exports dipped 1%. The Chennai based automaker sold a total of 76,187 units in April 2018 which included domestic and exports. Domestic sales in the first month of the 2018-19 financial year stood at 74,627 units, up 27% as against 58,564 units sold in the same month of the previous year. Exports decreased marginally from 1,578 units exported in April 2017 to 1,560 exported last month.

Among the company lineup it was noted that the Royal Enfield Classic 350, Thunderbird 350 and Bullet 350, all in the 350cc category noted strong demand among buyers in the country with growth of 24% from 56,349 units sold in April 2017 to 70,111 units sold in the past month. Sale of bikes in the 350-535cc categories which included the Royal Enfield Himalayan, Classic and Thunderbird 500 saw an increase in demand by as much as 60% to 6,076 units in April 2018. The company has set apart investment to the tune of INR 600 crores for expansion of its Vallam Vadagal plant in Tamil Nadu, and its Oragadam facility, while upcoming launch of the new Continental GT 650 and Inceptor 650 will also bring in more sales in the months ahead.

Suzuki Motorcycle India

Suzuki Motorcycle India saw sales increase by 43.8% in April 2018. The company sold 52,237 units in domestic markets in the past month as against 36,073 units in the same month of the previous year. Overall company sales stood at 58,577 units out of which 6,340 units were exported.

Suzuki Motorcycle India now looks ahead to the launch of the GSX-S750 bringing in more sales in the months ahead. This motorcycle in the middleweight street fighter segment is priced at INR 7.45 lakhs. The company is in the process of expanding its presence in India with 512 company dealerships and 1,057 touchpoints across the country.
Yemeni army inflicts heavy losses on Saudi enemy troops over Friday [05/May/2018] br> SANA'A, May 5 (Saba) - Yemeni army and popular forces launched several attacks against positions of Saudi enemy troops and mercenaries in several fronts over Friday, inflicting heavy losses on them, according to military reports obtained by Saba on Saturday.



In Asir region, the army forces repelled an infiltration of the Saudi-paid mercenaries toward Mandaba area, in conjunction with an artillery shelling on their gatherings, which resulted in several dead and wounded in their ranks.



The mercenaries' infiltration was accompanied by more than 15 air strikes without any field progress.



Meanwhile, the army's artillery and missile forces bombed mercenaries' gatherings in al-Qulal al-Sood and customs at Aleb outlet, as well as hitting a Saudi military bulldozer by a guided missile off the same outlet.



In Jizan region, gatherings of Saudi soldiers and mercenaries were shelled in Walam compound, al-Mahdaf and Mahttam sites and in al-Mazab camp, as well as destroying a military vehicle of Saudi army and killing its crew in west of southern Mabkhara.



In Taiz province, the army fighters carried out an offensive on positions of Saudi-paid mercenaries in the western coast front, killing and injuring several of them, as well as destroying two military armored vehicles and killing all those were on board at the same front.



A military bulldozer belonging to the mercenaries was destroyed with a guided missile in north of Khalid camp in Moza district.



In Marib province, several of mercenaries were killed and wounded in an attack targeted their sites in Serwah district, in addition to burning of a military vehicle and two machine guns and seizing military equipment.



In Jawf province, the aggression coalition's mercenaries suffered losses in their ranks and gear as a resulted of an offensive targeted their sites in Waqaz area of Maslob district.



In Hajjah province, the army's artillery bombed mercenaries' gatherings in north of Medi desert and destroyed a military vehicle belonging to them, as well as burning a Saudi Abrams tank with a guided missile in Harad district.



BA



Saba
Plant scientists have taken the crucial last steps in a 60-year quest to unravel the complex chemistry of Madagascar periwinkle in a breakthrough that opens up the potential for rapid synthesis of cancer-fighting compounds.

The team in the laboratory of Professor Sarah O'Connor at the John Innes Centre have, after 15 years of research, located the last missing genes in the genome of the periwinkle that are devoted to building the chemical vinblastine.

This valuable natural product has been used as an anti-cancer drug since it was discovered in the 1950s by a Canadian research team.

A potent inhibitor of cell division and used against lymphomas and testicular, breast, bladder and lung cancers, it is found in the leaves of Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus).

Until now, the complex chemical mechanisms the periwinkle uses in the production of vinblastine have not been fully understood. Consequently, access to its life-extending chemistry has been laborious -- it takes approximately 500 kg of dried leaves to produce 1g of vinblastine.

But the new study -- lead author Dr Lorenzo Caputi -- which appears today in the peer-review journal Science, uses modern genome sequencing techniques to identify the final missing genes in the pathway.

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This research also identifies enzymes that build vinblastine precursor chemicals, which include catharanthine and tabersonine. These can be readily chemically coupled using synthetic biology techniques to give vinblastine.

"Vinblastine is one of the of the most structurally complex medicinally active natural products in plants -- which is why so many people in the last 60 years have been trying to get where we have got to in this study. I cannot believe we are finally here," said Professor O'Connor.

"With this information we can now try to increase the amount of vinblastine produced either in the plant, or by placing synthetic genes into hosts such as yeast or plants."

Its attractive white or pink flowers have made the Madagascar periwinkle a popular ornamental plant in homes across the world.

But for decades it has been the focus of increasingly competitive research probing its natural chemistry and potential pharmacological activity.

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Professor O'Connor also pointed out that this new study builds on the work of numerous other research groups around the world who contributed to the elucidation of the vinblastine pathway over the years.

Having assembled the genetic pathway and the formidable chemical structures, the team are now in a position to use the information to create more compounds much more quickly using synthetic biology techniques.

Professor O'Connor anticipates that her group or another in this competitive field will be able to produce microgram quantities of vinblastine or its precursors vindoline or catharanthine in the next 12 to 18 months.

The John Innes Centre team were joined in the research by the Courdavault group based at Tours, France.

They employed modern sequencing and genomic techniques along with some traditional chemistry relying on a blend of intuition and some literature dating back to the 1960s and 70s.

In total the team counted 31 steps in the chemical chain from the primary chemical precursor to the final product, vinblastine.

One molecule in the chain so volatile that Dr Caputi came to know it as "angry-line" instead of its true scientific name dihydroprecondylocarpine acetate.

The full findings can be found in the paper: Biosynthesis of the Vinblastine and Vincristine Precursors, Caranthine and Tabersonine, in the journal Science.
Plant cells share a strange and surprising kinship with animal neurons: many plant cells have proteins that closely resemble glutamate receptors, which help to relay nerve signals from one neuron to another. While plants lack a true nervous system, previous studies have shown that plants need these glutamate receptor-like proteins (GLRs) to do important things such as mate, grow, and defend themselves against diseases and pests.

A study led by University of Maryland researchers suggests a new model for how GLRs function in plant cells. Working with Arabidopsis thaliana pollen cells, the researchers found that GLRs form the basis of a complex communication network inside individual plant cells. Their findings also suggest that GLRs rely on another group of proteins, called "cornichon" proteins, to shuttle GLRs to different locations and regulate GLR activity within each cell.

With the help of cornichon proteins, GLRs act as valves that carefully manage the concentration of calcium ions -- a vital aspect of many cell communication pathways -- within various structures inside the cell, the study found. The research, which could inform many new studies of cell-to-cell communication in plants and animals alike, is featured on the cover of the May 4, 2018, issue of the journal Science. Researchers from the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia in Portugal and the Universidad Nacional de Autonoma de Mexico co-authored the study.

"Calcium concentration is one of the most important parameters inside all cells. It is so well regulated that it allows cells to encode information. Put another way, calcium is the lingua franca of cell communication," said Jose Feijo, a professor of cell biology and molecular genetics at UMD and the senior author of the study, noting that calcium is also vital to the function of animal neurons. "Our results suggest that GLRs play a role in this basic communication system in plants, and we also propose a mechanism for how the system works in plant cells."

The similarities between GLRs and animal glutamate receptors suggest that the proteins date back to a common ancestor -- a single-celled organism that gave rise to both animals and plants. However, Feijo noted some important differences between GLRs and their counterparts in animal neurons.

To begin with, glutamate -- the most common neurotransmitter in the human brain -- does not play a major role in the plant system. Also, while glutamate receptors are known to sit on the outer surface of animal neurons, some of Feijo's earlier experiments suggested that GLRs might instead be located on various structures inside plant cells.

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"This would be the only way to consistently explain the results we were getting," Feijo said. "Our results suggest that GLRs are indeed redistributed to other compartments inside plant cells, forming a complex network that cooperates to regulate calcium concentrations and enable calcium signaling. This is a novel insight that opens completely new avenues to understand calcium signaling in plants."

Feijo and Michael Wudick, a postdoctoral researcher in cell biology and molecular genetics at UMD and lead author of the paper, suspected that plant cells use a specific mechanism to control the locations of GLRs throughout the cell. This led Wudick to investigate cornichon proteins, which are linked to the activity of glutamate receptors in animals. Initially identified in fruit flies, cornichon proteins are named for the pickle-like appearance that a specific cornichon gene mutation imparts to fruit fly embryos, Feijo said.

In their experiments with Arabidopsis pollen cells, Feijo's team found that cornichon proteins actively shuttled GLRs from one location to another within the cell, enabling various compartments inside the cell to maintain different calcium ion concentrations. Cornichons also act as gatekeepers for GLRs, switching the receptor molecules off and on like a valve in response to changing conditions inside the cell.

All told, the team's results suggest a model for plant cell communication that is unlike anything found in animals. While animal neurons use glutamate receptors to conduct signals from cell to cell, Feijo suggested that plants depend on communication strategies that operate at the single-cell level.

"Why should plants have receptors like the ones that make neurons work? Our results support the idea that individual plant cells have a level of autonomy that animal cells do not," Feijo said. "Each plant cell has its own immune system, for example. And they have more communication channels to deal with the fact that they are stuck in place. Every flowering plant has more GLRs than animals have glutamate receptors. Our proposed model for plant cell communication suggests one reason for this abundance of GLRs."

Further progress toward decoding plant communication could result in reliable tests to diagnose diseases, nutrient deficiencies and other maladies in plants, Feijo said. Such measures could help to ensure food security, as climate change and other stressors begin to take a toll on major agricultural crops.

Feijo also noted that a deeper understanding of GLRs could reveal new insights into animal glutamate receptors and their defects, which could be the cause of some neurodegenerative conditions.

"Some researchers have suggested that neurodegeneration is caused by over-active glutamate receptors. This is not settled, but there are some conditions in both humans and dogs that have been linked to mutations in glutamate receptor genes," Feijo said. "It is possible that our model could help investigate these conditions. The advantage is that our protocol is very easy to use."
Body-worn sensors used at home and in clinic by people with mild Alzheimer's to assess walking could offer a cost-effective way to detect early disease and monitor progression of the illness.

A pilot study involving Newcastle University, UK, has revealed low-cost wearable devices could improve clinical trial efficiency and encourage research investment.

Identification of clinical biomarkers, such as changes in walking characteristics and behaviours, are known to be important factors when looking at early warning signs of dementia.

Findings of a feasibility study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, shows that wearable sensors offer a good way to assess changes in how a person walks and also can be used for continuous 'free-living' monitoring of gait during everyday activities.

Experts say this method has the potential for affordable, multi-centre and home-based monitoring that benefits patients, clinical management and the efficiency of clinical trials.

Changing dementia research

Lynn Rochester, Professor of Human Movement Science at Newcastle University, leads the gait and wearable technology research across multiple sites in the study.

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The human movement laboratory at the Clinical Ageing Research Unit, based at the Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle University, is dedicated to the investigation of gait, balance and mobility.

Professor Rochester said: "How someone walks is not routinely used in clinical trials because the tools needed are typically restricted to specialised labs and one-off testing, missing subtle fluctuations in symptoms.

"Wearable sensors at home and in the clinic have the potential to change dementia research. The ability to assess gait and walking behaviours in all aspects of life is a major step forwards in data collection.

"Free-living gait analysis at home is particularly useful as it allows objective observation of an individual's day-to-day activity. It also has the benefit of providing continuous data over a prolonged time that may be more sensitive than one-off assessments.

"This is an exciting project to be involved in. Gait assessed in this way could contribute to delivery of more cost-effective clinical trials and may encourage investment and increase the number of such studies in the future."

The feasibility study is part of the 6.9m Deep and Frequent Phenotyping Project, funded by the National Institute for Health Research and the Medical Research Council.

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This is the first major clinical study based on Dementias Platform UK and the results could be game changing for research in this area.

Potential diagnostic tool

Six centres from the National Institute for Health Research Translational Research Collaboration in Dementia initiative, including Newcastle University, recruited 20 patients with early Alzheimer's disease.

Volunteers wore a small wearable sensor on their lower back. They carried out walking tasks in the laboratory and then went home wearing the sensor for a week, carrying out everyday tasks.

Gait is emerging as a potential diagnostic tool for cognitive decline. The tools to quantify gait in the clinic and home, and suitability for multi-centre application, have not been examined until now.

Findings show data for comprehensive and clinically appropriate measures can be obtained for walking behaviour and pattern, and gait characteristics relating to the pace, timing, variability, and asymmetry of walking.

Experts have concluded that it is feasible to assess quantitative gait characteristics in both the clinic and home environment in patients with early onset Alzheimer's disease with body-worn sensors.

Professor Rochester said: "Body-worn sensors can provide an enriched picture of an individual's gait function and walking activities that could act as a complimentary diagnostic tools for clinicians.

"Clinical use of body-worn sensors in annual health assessments could track gait changes over time and act as a red flag for cognitive impairment."

Further research is needed to assess the potential of free-living gait as a useful complementary diagnostic marker for dementia.

Targeting people early

An estimated 46.8m people worldwide were living with dementia in 2015, and with an ageing population in most developed countries, predictions suggest this number may double by 2050.

Alzheimer's disease starts long before it is noticed by those with the disease or their doctor. Previous studies have shown changes to the brain as early as 10 to 20 years before symptoms arise.

If experts can identify the biomarkers present in this very early stage, there may be the chance of treating the disease earlier, which is vital to prevent damage to people's memory and thinking.

The Deep and Frequent Phenotyping Project, led by the University of Oxford, is working with eight universities and the Alzheimer's Society, also receiving support from biopharma companies.

New biomarkers will be used alone and alongside tests such as brain imaging and assessment of memory and other cognitive functions. They will allow the researchers to recognise the early stages of the disease and those who may be suitable for trials of possible treatments.
Following the landmark SPRINT trial, there is a growing body of evidence for reducing systolic blood pressure targets, resulting in the development of new US guidelines. However, this has led to many questions about the impact of such fundamental changes in blood pressure management, and whether they should be implemented in other constituencies. Two new studies published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology assess the benefits and costs of incorporating these more aggressive goals into clinical practice.

The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) published in 2015 was a randomized, controlled, open-label trial conducted at 102 clinical sites in the US. It compared an intensive systolic blood pressure target of 120 mmHg to the current standard target of 140 mmHg in individuals at high cardiovascular risk and without diabetes. It was halted early after interim analyses showed patients in the intensive arm showed a significant decrease in fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events and death from any cause.

Based on these statistically-significant findings, as well as the growing global body of evidence showing a strong association between lower systolic blood pressure targets and a reduction in cardiovascular events, an intensive systolic treatment target of <120 mmHg for selected high-risk patients was adopted into the Hypertension Canada clinical practice guidelines in 2016.

In Fall 2017, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) issued new guidelines for high blood pressure that redefined hypertension as a blood pressure equal or above 130/80 mmHg, as well as lowered the blood pressure treatment goal for the general American population. However, there has been fierce discussion on both sides of the 49th parallel where to go from here.

In the first of the new studies, Alexander Leung, MD, MPH, from the University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, explained that, "The generalizability of the SPRINT intensive blood pressure treatment strategy to the Canadian population remains unknown. Uptake of these recommendations into clinical practice is expected to have broad implications on healthcare policy, resource utilization, and clinical outcomes and may pose certain challenges such as more frequent clinic visits, increased drug costs, increased rates of adverse events, and other heightened healthcare expenditures."

Dr. Leung and colleagues report on a cross-sectional study, using population-based, nationally representative data, to estimate the prevalence and characteristics of blood pressure in Canadian adults between the ages of 20 and 79 meeting SPRINT eligibility criteria. They found that 1.3 million (5.2 percent) Canadian adults met the criteria. If fully implemented, lowering the systolic blood pressure target to <120 mmHg in SPRINT-eligible high-risk individuals would prevent 100,000 deaths annually, but would substantially increase the proportion of Canadian adults receiving initiation or intensification of treatment for high blood pressure. Over 180,000 people, who were not previously considered to have hypertension or need for antihypertensive therapy, would be included. In addition, around 750,000 older individuals (or one in five) above the age of 50 currently treated for high blood pressure would require more medication to reduce their blood pressure further.

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"Adopting intensive systolic blood pressure targets would result in a large number of individuals with treated hypertension being relabeled as inadequately controlled, as well as a significant proportion of the general population not previously considered to have elevated blood pressure being reclassified as requiring blood pressure lowering therapy," noted Dr. Leung. "Such a change would have far-reaching implications on healthcare resource utilization, public policy, and healthcare delivery."

In the second study, Remi Goupil, MD, MSc, from the Hopital du Sacre-Coeur de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and colleagues examined the differences between the 2017 Hypertension Canada and 2017 American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) blood pressure guidelines.

"The 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines present a paradigm shift in the definition of high blood pressure, while updating treatment initiation thresholds and blood pressure targets," said Dr. Goupil. "This has led to many questions about the impact of such fundamental changes in blood pressure management, and whether it should be implemented in Canada."

The investigators assessed the number of individuals with a diagnosis of hypertension, blood pressure above thresholds for treatment initiation, and blood pressure below targets using the CARTaGENE population-based cohort. CARTaGENE is a population-based cohort designed to study demographic, clinical, and genetic determinants of chronic diseases. Individuals from the province of Quebec were randomly selected, based on provincial health registries, to be broadly representative of the general population. In total, 20,004 individuals 40-69 years old were selected in four distinct urban areas.

Analysis showed that adopting recommendations from the 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines in Canada would result in a substantial increase in diagnoses of hypertension and of individuals requiring drug treatment in Canadians aged between 40 and 69. It would also result in a change in blood pressure targets in a high proportion of hypertensive patients already receiving treatment. This would represent approximately 1.25 million more individuals with hypertension, and 500,000 more individuals requiring antihypertensive treatment.

"Switching to these new guidelines would result in a higher prevalence of hypertensive individuals in Canada and an increase in the number of people that would need to be treated," remarked Dr. Goupil. "Almost one in five individuals needing treatment would have a different blood pressure target from one guideline to the other. These changes would greatly impact the lives of millions of Canadians and result in a significant increase in the economic burden of this condition, with uncertain effects on cardiovascular complications."

In an accompanying editorial, Ross Feldman, MD, Medical Director of the WRHA Cardiac Sciences Program, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, points out that undertaking these more aggressive goals should be based on frank discussions with patients outlining both benefits and risk, and that management should be based on automatic office blood pressure (AOBP) readings, as used in the SPRINT trial, which may well correspond with higher ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) readings. Dr. Feldman is past President of the Canadian Hypertension Society and Hypertension Canada and has been involved in the Canadian hypertension guidelines since 1991.

"Regardless of the guidelines we use, in the post-SPRINT era there are more patients than ever who can expect clear benefit from applying lower targets for their blood pressure control -- but with increased risk of adverse effects. These studies remind us that on a public health basis, getting the guidelines right does matter. For every adjustment in blood pressure targets, there are benefits and there are costs -- both for patients and in our publicly-funded healthcare system, for all Canadians," remarked Dr. Feldman.

However, Dr. Feldman also points out that more important than any of the fine details of a guidelines process is the effectiveness in their dissemination and implementation. "It is better to have suboptimal guidelines that are followed than it is to have 'perfectly' crafted and up-to-date guidelines that are ignored."
Agroecology is a better alternative than large-scale agriculture, both for the climate and for small farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to researcher Ellinor Isgren from Lund University in Sweden. This agricultural model preserves biodiversity and safeguards food supply while avoiding soil depletion.

"We must consider other, alternative models for developing agriculture, particularly in countries that have not already transitioned to large-scale rationalisation. Large parts of the world's soil have already been degraded by depletion and excessively resource-intensive agriculture", says Ellinor Isgren, a researcher at the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies.

She maintains that today's intensive, large-scale agriculture brings a major environmental impact in the form of soil depletion, high use of pesticides, high energy and water consumption and reduced biodiversity. Large areas are often cultivated with one or only a few different crops, making this type of agriculture vulnerable to pests, diseases and climate change.

Large-scale agriculture also requires major investments in the form of machinery, grains and seed, while utilising little labour. This means that poorer farmers in many African countries are excluded from the advantages of intensive agriculture: technological development, increased food production, access to the agricultural market and general economic growth.

"A development that excludes a large number of small-holders creates income differences and a divided society. From a social and fairness perspective, transition to large-scale agriculture is not a positive technological conversion for the whole of society", she says.

In her doctoral thesis, focusing on Uganda, Ellinor Isgren proposes agroecology as a possible alternative for small farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The model is based on each farm being an integrated ecosystem, in which crops, plants and animals interact to create favourable conditions for cultivation. This alternative is knowledge-intensive, requiring farmers to have a lot of knowledge about the functioning of various components in the ecological system, as well as an ability to create synergies between plants, insects, crops and soil fertility. The model also rests on traditional farming methods.

"If farmers use the model correctly, they can increase their yields and ensure their food supply while preserving biodiversity and reducing their impact on the climate and soil depletion. They also become less vulnerable to climate change as they grow many different crops and improve the soil structure", she says.

Further benefits are that the system does not require major resources in the form of machinery, pesticides and fertiliser, as the cultivation model is mainly organic, so even poor small-holders can farm in this way.

There are also good conditions for scaling up the model for sale to domestic and international markets. This would require more research and better collaboration between various agricultural institutions to develop knowledge of how different ecosystems function together and how local conditions affect the fertility of plants and crops. Initiatives are also needed to train farmers in how to apply an agroecological model.

"There is currently no political will in Uganda to push development of the agricultural sector. This has left the market open to private investors and strong financial interests in the form of seed and pesticide companies", she says.

At the same time, there is growing interest in alternative models of agriculture in the civil sector, and she believes that a change could occur through that channel.

"Agroecology is a real alternative to conventional agricultural production, and a model that safeguards both the climate and social development. However, it requires civil society to push for change from the bottom up in Uganda, and for markets worldwide to transition to supporting alternative ways of farming the land", she concludes.
The nation's aging infrastructure requires massive investment. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates the U.S. needs to spend some $4.5 trillion by 2025 to fix the country's roads, bridges, dams and other infrastructure.

Imagine if engineers could build structures with materials that do not degrade over time. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have proposed a new simulation technique that could help engineers do just that.

Mohammad Javad Abdolhosseini Qomi, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, and engineering graduate student Ali Morshedifard have developed a numerical method to simulate the molecular aging process in amorphous materials, such as concrete and glass. This technique could help researchers not only better understand how materials weaken with age, but also develop materials that maintain their strength indefinitely. Their work appears this week in Nature Communications.

According to the researchers, aging originates at the atomic and molecular levels. Because of this miniscule scale, it's nearly impossible to track microscopic changes over long periods. "In computer simulation of materials, you would have to simulate a quadrillion time steps to capture only one second of behavior. That would not even get us close to the time scales relevant for aging phenomena, which are in the order of years and decades," explained Qomi.

In their incremental stress-marching technique, Qomi and his graduate student subject the material's molecular structure to cyclic stress fluctuations, and then follow the material's response to such perturbations. "Hydrated cement is composed of disk-like globules at the nanoscale. We serendipitously found that these globules gradually deform under sustained load, but the deformation comes to a stop after a certain period. We also found that the collective behavior of globules gives rise to a non-asymptotic deformation, which we believe to be at the origins of creep in cementitious materials. It was fascinating to see atomic origins of viscoelastic and logarithmic deformation under constant stress," said Morshedifard, the paper's lead author.

Qomi and his research team plan to apply this new technique to explore the relationship between the composition and texture of structural materials and their time-dependent behavior.

"The Federal Highway Administration spends more than $80 billion a year to fix bridges that degrade as a result of aging phenomena," Qomi continued. "Understanding how structural materials age is the very first step toward designing reduced-aging materials that can potentially save taxpayers money."
A transgender woman is suing San Francisco, saying her rights were violated when a city employee refused to let her use a womens restroom on city property during an organized event and later called her a freak and a fing man.

In response, the citys lawyers question the truthfulness of the womens claims  but say theyre legally irrelevant, even if accurate, because Californias anti-discrimination laws dont apply to the employee or the work she was doing. The woman and a transgender rights organization say the lawyers position is in jarring conflict with San Franciscos self-promoted image as a beacon of enlightenment and equality.

Tanesh Nutall was attending a city-sponsored training session in February 2016 when she encountered the employee, who worked for the Department of Police Accountability, an oversight agency formerly known as the Office of Citizen Complaints. She said she was so traumatized by how she was treated that she suffered a nervous breakdown and left her job with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, where she had worked as an AIDS educator and transgender program manager.

Nutall is involved in two lawsuits against the city, one on her own behalf and one by the state Department of Fair Employment and Housing, both alleging violations of state discrimination laws.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

In a court filing seeking dismissal of the state agencys lawsuit, City Attorney Dennis Herreras office argued that the laws prohibiting discrimination based on sex and sexual orientation apply only to businesses and state-funded programs, and not to the San Francisco Department of Police Accountability or its staff.

Nutalls allegations of mistreatment are at best a gross misconception and at worst a frivolous and vexatious claim, lawyers from Herreras office said. But even if her account is accurate, they maintained, the Department of Police Accountability is not a business establishment and does not receive state funding earmarked for the program or activity where the alleged discrimination took place.

The Transgender Law Center said it is shocked.

Theyre claiming that the city of San Francisco ... has the right to discriminate against trans community members who walk into government buildings, said Jill Marcellus, spokeswoman for the law center. This is an alarming departure from the public face that San Francisco presents as a leader on trans rights.

Nutall, 52, had a similar response.

San Francisco was known for supporting trans issues, she said in an interview Friday from Sacramento, where she and her husband moved in November. Its devastating to know that they would take that type of stance.

John Cote, a spokesman for Herrera, replied: San Francisco respects the rights of all individuals. Its a misreading of our filing to suggest that were arguing that San Francisco doesnt have to comply with nondiscrimination laws. Were saying that the statute that the state filed under to get money from San Francisco taxpayers does not apply to this situation.

Cote also said the Department of Police Accountability apologized to Nutall and provided additional training to the employee, who since then has left the department.

That prompted Nutall to ask, If nothing was done wrong, why would you apologize?

A Superior Court judge has scheduled a hearing Tuesday to decide whether the Department of Fair Employment and Housing can proceed with its lawsuit. A federal judge will hold a hearing May 14 on the citys motion to dismiss the separate suit by Nutall, who is represented by the Transgender Law Center.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

The incident occurred while Nutall was attending a San Francisco Public Health Department training session on working with poor or traumatized clients in a city building at 25 Van Ness Ave. According to the states lawsuit, she went to use the restroom during a break, saw another woman entering and asked her to hold the door.

The woman, who was later identified as the city employee, replied, No, this is a womens restroom, and quickly closed the door, the suit said.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Nutall went back to the training room and asked for help from the instructor, private consultant Natalie Thoreson. As the two approached the restroom, the suit said, the same woman was leaving and told Thoreson, Yes, this is a womens restroom, and that is a f-ing man. She then turned to Nutall and called her a f-ing freak, the suit said.

Thoreson told the woman that what she did was unacceptable and asked for her name, but the woman ran down the hall, the suit said. It said an office manager and a security guard who witnessed the encounter refused to identify the woman but handed Nutall a piece of paper and suggested that she prepare a complaint.

But when she tried to file her complaint, the Transgender Law Center said, the San Francisco Human Rights Commission refused to look into it because Herreras office told the commission it could not investigate a city agency.

Nutall, who says she has identified as female since age 18, said she was clearly wearing womens clothing the day of the confrontation, which happened shortly after she had undergone breast surgery. She said the incident destroyed her self-confidence.

I felt like what this person called me, she said. The more I tried to shake this feeling, the worse it got. ... I could not stop hearing this womans voice in my head.

A recovered drug addict, she said she resumed taking prescribed medication, went on sick leave, then quit her job and found she could no longer afford to live in San Francisco, either financially or emotionally. The city, where she and her husband had lived since 2010, was a fairy tale where she no longer felt comfortable walking down the street, she said.

Nutall said she and her husband were briefly homeless in Sacramento but now manage a suburban boarding house.

I feel safe here, she said.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@BobEgelko
Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press

Oakland on Friday joined Californias lawsuit against the Trump administration over the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census, arguing the inquiry would result in an undercount of the immigrant-rich city and reduce the federal funding it receives.

Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker noted in the complaint that more than a quarter of Oakland residents are foreign born and about 15 percent are not citizens. Those figures were gleaned from the U.S. Census Bureaus American Community Survey, which is separate from the census and asks about citizenship status. It goes to more than 3.5 million households each year, but doesnt have the same impact on congressional apportionment or allocations of federal resources as the 10-year count.
Board of Supervisors President London Breed suggested renaming Portsmouth Square in honor of late Mayor Ed Lee, former Mayor Willie Brown pitched Lottas Fountain, and others suggested renaming Kearny Street.

Now, with the backing of Lees family, the Chinese community is gathering signatures in support of renaming the International Terminal at San Francisco International Airport in honor of Lee.

This is the one that everyone is going to rally around, said Chinatown Community Development Corp. Deputy Director Malcolm Yeung.

One big reason is the support from Lees widow, Anita, and daughters Tania and Brianna Lee.

Organizations on board with the Ed Lee International Terminal include the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Chinese Six Companies and several of the citys Chinese family associations.

We are deeply grateful and moved by the wishes of the community, Anita Lee wrote in a letter to the supporters of the idea.

Yeung said the International Terminal was a natural pick.

Ed Lee was the citys first Chinese American mayor, and he was a symbol of reaching out to the Pacific, Yeung said.

Naming honors at the airport have long been a touchy political subject.

Five years ago, then-Supervisor David Campos introduced legislation for a ballot measure to rename SFO after late board member and gay rights icon Harvey Milk. But some felt it was being done to generate national gay support for an upcoming Campos run for the Assembly. The effort fell flat.

Fast-forward to April when the board, as a consolation prize, finally voted unanimously to rename Terminal One for Milk.

In Lees case, however, the backers have made a point of not involving any city politicians.

We dont want it becoming part of any mayoral campaign, Yeung said.

Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

About-face: Word that San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott is being considered for the chiefs job in Los Angeles caught just about everyone by surprise.

Scott didnt give a heads-up to Mayor Mark Farrell, members of the Police Commission or even his command staff.

When Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck announced in January that he was preparing to retire, we asked SFPD spokesman Sgt. Michael Andraychak whether Scott  who had been a deputy chief under Beck  would be interviewing to succeed his old boss.

No, the chief is happy where he is at and plans to live up to his commitment to the people of San Francisco to be the chief of this department, Andraychak said.

When we reached out to Andraychak last week, we instead heard back from department Communications Director David Stevenson, who responded the same way he has in the past, saying only the chief is focused on this city and its Police Department.

Farrell tells us the chief didnt even bring up the speculation over the Los Angeles job when they met Wednesday, the same day the Los Angeles Times quoted unnamed sources as saying Scott was invited for an interview.

Chief Scott is doing a great job for the city of San Francisco, so its no surprise that other cities would be interested in talking to him, Farrell said.

Especially Los Angeles, where Scott served for 27 years before Mayor Ed Lee brought him up to San Francisco 18 months ago to succeed Greg Suhr.

Scott was so popular in Los Angeles that a 50-member Southern California law enforcement delegation led by Beck flew up to attend his swearing-in.

Even then, insiders were speculating on how long Scott would stay.

From the get-go, word was that Beck would be retiring and that Scott was just passing through, said former Police Officers Association President Gary Delagnes.

Scott privately downplayed the speculation, even calling POA President Martin Halloran after Beck announced his planned exit to make it clear he wouldnt be applying for the post.

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.

We had thought the chief had a full and complete commitment to the San Francisco Police Department, so for him to interview for any agency outside, including the LAPD, we find it surprising and disappointing, Halloran said.

Police Commissioner Petra DeJesus said it would be very concerning if Scott left while the department was still undergoing reforms recommended by the U.S. Justice Department.

Others at City Hall, however, note that times have changed and that Lees death in mid-December  coupled with the prospect of two mayoral elections in the next 18 months  has every department head in the city on edge.

And chances are, they would be interviewing with anyone who called.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

Golden welcome: Two dozen inspectors from around the country spent the week hanging off the Golden Gate Bridge for a close-up look at how the 81-year-old icon was faring.

The inspectors hung from ropes, dazzling tourists as they rappelled down the bridges 746-foot-tall towers, while at the same time providing video for online watchers.

Everything went very smoothly, said bridge spokeswoman Priya Clemens. The weather cooperated, and they were able to wrap up the work on time.

Better yet. there were no delays in traffic caused by rubberneckers.

In return, the inspectors got a Bay Area welcome  one of their vans was broken into at their hotel in San Rafael, with thieves making off with their harnesses and equipment.

San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@ sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross
My advice to President Trump is shut up and take the Fifth.

The questions that Special Counsel Robert Mueller intends to ask  about collusion, about obstruction, about so many things  show that Trump has no choice but to button up.

Lets have a look at a few of the queries that Trumps lawyers reportedly transcribed after hearing from Muellers team:

What did you do in reaction to then-FBI Director James Comeys testimony before the House Intelligence Committee on March 20, 2017? What did you think and do about his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee a few weeks later?

Regarding the decision to fire Comey, when was it made, why was it made, and who played a role in the decision?

What did you mean in your 2017 interview with NBC reporter Lester Holt when you said this Russia thing was on your mind when you fired Comey?

You cant answer questions like that without slipping up, unless you have a computer for a memory or a background of running legal mouse mazes and always getting to the cheese. Neither description fits Trump.

Screw it up as a regular citizen, and you can be charged with lying to a federal agent or obstruction of justice. Do it as president, and you may find yourself trying to fight off impeachment.

Just ask Bill Clinton.

The ever-combative Trump, who lives in his own reality, isnt wired to survive such an open-ended grilling. Plus, hes just not that smart.

His best bet is to refuse to talk to Mueller and hope the special counsels subpoena threat is a bluff. If its not, and he loses the inevitable court fight, take the Fifth.

Will he do it?

I doubt it. He cant help himself. He loves to talk way too much.

Rudys return: Ill say one thing for Rudy Giuliani  he certainly knows how to make an entrance.

The onetime New York mayor returned to the public stage as Trumps newest lawyer with a strategy aimed at extricating the president from the bear trap he finds himself in because of $130,000 in hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels.

His thinking seemed to be that at some point, it was going to come out that Trump supplied the money to keep Daniels quiet about their alleged one-night stand. So lets just get it over with.

Was Trump on board with the strategy? Who knows? He could have been fine with it on Wednesday and furious on Thursday.

Chief shuffle: The L.A. police chiefs job is open, and Im guessing that our Chief Bill Scott, who spent 27 years in the Los Angeles department, is in play.

The Los Angeles Times reported as much, and I didnt hear any denials up here. That means theres a decent chance that whoever is elected San Francisco mayor on June 5 is going to be looking for a new chief on June 6.

Common sense: My annual talk before the Commonwealth Club the other night was my first in their new digs along the Embarcadero. The green room is comfortable, the lobby area for photo taking is fabulous, and the entryway overlooking the waterfront is picture perfect. The only thing lacking was vitamin V.

One person asked me why Mayor Mark Farrell is doing so much in his short time in office. Is he setting himself up for a run at a full term sometime down the line?

You might say he has the Newsom gene, I said.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Whats the Newsom gene?

Born to run and run and run.

Retool race: I have a recommendation in the mayors race. My recommendation is that after this year, we drop ranked-choice voting and go back to the top-two primary and a runoff.

That way, we could focus on two candidates and gauge their ideas side by side. They would stand or fall on their own merits. Under the ranked-choice system, in which candidates can run as teams, that doesnt necessarily happen.

Movie time: Avengers: Infinity War. A total and complete superhero ripoff. The movie was so bad that it had to be released in every movie house in the world on the same date, because it wouldnt have the legs for day two.

If you do see it, feel free to step out at any time to make a call, get more popcorn or hit the bathroom. You wont miss a thing.

Status scooters: As I was having lunch at Le Central the other day, three customers rolled up separately on electric scooters and parked them in front of the restaurant. One of the three was wearing 3-inch Christian Louboutins.

A fashionable ride indeed.

Want to sound off? Email wbrown@sfchronicle.com
Alex Holmes was heading home in his Tesla Model X one June night last year, using Autopilot to let the vehicle steer itself on Interstate 5 in the Los Angeles area, when it abruptly veered to the right.

He snapped the Model X back into its lane, and his startled wife asked if he or the SUV were responsible for the sudden shift. He told her it wasnt him.

Ive got to send that to Tesla, Holmes said.

Since Tesla first introduced Autopilot in 2015, drivers have sometimes noted unexplained swerves and lane changes, discussing them with each other online or, in several cases, complaining about them to the federal government. Holmes posted a dashcam video of his June 2017 incident in a forum for Tesla owners.

Autopilots performance has come under increased scrutiny since a Tesla Model X, steering itself, slammed into a freeway median on Highway 101 in Mountain View in March, killing its owner.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle 2015

Relatives of the man, Apple engineer Walter Huang, said he had complained of the vehicle veering toward that same median before. The family is now preparing to sue Tesla, arguing that Autopilot is defective. Tesla has argued that the crash could not have happened if Huang had been paying attention, as Tesla advises all drivers using Autopilot to do. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

When Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled Autopilot in October 2015, he emphasized that the system would constantly learn from all the cars running it, pooling their data and gaining experience, much like a human driver would.

The whole Tesla fleet operates as a network  when one car learns something, they all learn it, he told reporters at the time. People should see the car actually improve with each passing week, even without a software upgrade, because the data is continually improving.

Autopilot has now gone through two major iterations, with an expanded hardware suite introduced in October 2016, and numerous software upgrades. The most recent upgrade, issued in mid-March, has received positive reviews for improved performance.

And yet, the issue of unexpected veering, drifting and lane-shifting has popped up repeatedly. The most recent driver complaint to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning Autopilot, filed April 22 by an unidentified Los Angeles driver, said the drivers Tesla had abruptly veered toward a bridge abutment in August, and added that similar problems had happened multiple times.

The way Autopilot suddenly swerves out of the lane should not be considered normal, the driver wrote.

After the recent Mountain View crash, another driver posted video online showing his Tesla, on Autopilot, veering toward the same median where Huang died. Teslas are a common sight on that stretch of Highway 101, at the junction of Highway 85, so cars running on Autopilot should have plenty of experience with it.

I see the same things: The car makes the same mistake in the same place, and its not learning, said Dave Sullivan, manager of product analysis at automotive market research firm AutoPacific. The car doesnt necessarily know whats right from whats wrong yet.

The company's Autopilot program has also been hit by executive turnover. Last month, Tesla's top Autopilot executive, Jim Keller, left the automaker for a position at Intel, becoming the third senior Autopilot leader to depart in the last two years.

Tesla insists that Autopilot makes its cars substantially safer, although the company does warn buyers at length about the systems limitations.

During a conference call last week to discuss the Palo Alto companys latest quarterly earnings, Musk bristled at recent news coverage questioning Autopilots safety, saying such reports mislead drivers and could even put lives at risk. Tesla, he said, would start publishing quarterly reports on Autopilot safety, although he did not discuss what data would be included.

Its really incredibly irresponsible of any journalist with integrity to write an article that would lead people to believe that Tesla autonomy is less safe, because then people might actually turn it off and then die, he said.

He also emphasized a point that researchers and entrepreneurs in the fast-growing field of self-driving cars have often made: Even fully autonomous vehicles will not completely eliminate accidents. Autopilot is not full autonomy, although it has been viewed as an important step in that direction.

The thing thats tricky with autonomous vehicles is that autonomy doesnt reduce the accident rate or fatality rate to zero, Musk said. It improves it substantially.

While Autopilot can handle many of the tasks of freeway driving  keeping in lane, switching lanes, adapting speed to surrounding traffic  Tesla insists that drivers pay attention while using it.

The system monitors whether drivers have their hands on the wheel and warns them when they dont. That hasnt stopped some drivers from abusing Autopilot, including a British man who lost his license after he engaged Autopilot on the M1 highway and climbed into the passenger seat to relax.

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Tesla owner manuals list, in detail, situations in which Autopilot may not work properly.

Faded lane markings can throw it off, as can direct sunlight interfering with the cars cameras. Sharp curves in the road, hills, construction zones, toll booths, seams in the pavement and weather conditions that cut visibility all can hamper Autopilots performance.

While a sudden swerve or lane shift may seem unexplained to the driver, it may represent the car reacting to one or more of those conditions.

In the dashcam video posted by Holmes, the car starts to shift lanes as it approaches an overpass that appears to be undergoing renovation or construction. Broad lines of what may be dust cut from his lane to the right, and Autopilot, which relies heavily on cameras to interpret its surroundings, may have been following them.

It was, in fact, in a construction zone, and the reason for the car swerving was valid, said Holmes, a former tight end for the Miami Dolphins and now co-CEO of Wild Hair Media.

While most companies developing self-driving technology use lidar  a laser version of radar  to scan a cars surroundings, Tesla doesnt. Musk argues that expensive lidar systems wont be needed once the systems that interpret visual information from cameras become sufficiently refined. Autopilot relies on a suite of cameras, radar and ultrasonic sensors.

On another drive, Holmes Model X in Autopilot almost clipped another vehicle. And yet Holmes, who describes himself as the biggest Tesla fan ever, uses Autopilot almost every day. Despite those two incidents, hes come to trust it, even though he still pays attention.

Driving in L.A. is tough in traffic, he said. Its a lot easier to not worry about it.

David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DavidBakerSF
Editor's note: The Mountain View City Council is due to vote the evening of Tuesday, June 26, on whether to place an employer tax on the ballot. The latest tax models under consideration would charge Google up to $3.3 million annually -- less than the largest amount contemplated when this article was originally published in May.

Mountain Views mayor, Lenny Siegel, says it has too many good jobs and not enough transit.

The solution: Slapping a multimillion-dollar tax on Google, by far the citys largest employer.

The tax, which may end up on the November ballot, could charge Google as much as $5.4 million annually, according to one option under discussion. Other large businesses in Mountain View like software firm Synopsys and financial software maker Intuit would pay thousands of dollars more each year, with a tax based on how many employees they have.

Employment is growing faster than we can house people and provide transportation for them, Siegel said at a City Council committee meeting Thursday to discuss the issue. Businesses shell out vast sums anyhow, he said: They have to pay (higher) salaries because they cant find workers, or they pay the tax.

The idea of such a tax isnt new. San Jose, Redwood City and Sunnyvale have them. But even broaching the idea can provoke clashes with businesses. A 2016 proposal by a former Cupertino mayor to charge large companies $1,000 per employee failed amid opposition from businesses.

Last week, Amazon suspended plans to build an office tower in its hometown of Seattle as it waits for the City Council to decide whether to impose a business tax based on the number of workers. It is also considering subleasing out another large space in the city, rather than adding Amazon employees there, for the same reason. The two projects together had been expected to add 7,000 jobs in the city.

Mountain Views tax could also drive workers away, said Kimberly Burham, a managing director for the Penn Wharton Budget Model, a University of Pennsylvania research project that analyzes public policys fiscal impact. Companies could add jobs in nearby cities that do not have the tax. Over time, that location becomes a less significant part for that business, she said.

Though the majority of Googles Bay Area workforce is in Mountain View, the companys offices sprawl across the region, with plans in the works to expand in San Francisco, San Bruno, Sunnyvale and San Jose.

Siegel says the colossal growth of Google, which has more than 23,000 employees in Mountain View, has pushed some companies out of the city. You want to make sure we have a climate that welcomes startups and growing companies, he said.

Google and Synopsys declined to comment. Intuit said, without addressing the proposed tax specifically, that we support the City of Mountain View and the decisions made for the broader community.

If Mountain View moves forward with the new tax, it would need approval of the City Council and voters. The city could approve a measure for the November ballot in June. A council committee on Thursday discussed a model that would assess flat fees for smaller businesses and charge larger firms progressively more.

Many companies in Mountain View currently pay a $30 annual business license fee, regardless of staff size. That flat rate, which the city also wants to increase for small employers, raises roughly $250,000 a year for the general fund from the thousands of businesses registered in the city.

The state Department of Finance lists Mountain View with a population of 81,527, and the census says that 69,307 people work in the city. The city said that 3,661 businesses have officially reported that they have 64,442 workers.

Siegel is leaning toward a tax that could raise $10 million  of which Google could pay roughly half. That proposal, potentially the most lucrative of several under consideration, would be far more expensive for big businesses than the similar taxes already in place in Sunnyvale and San Jose. For example, a business with 1,001 employees would pay $147,255 under the Mountain View proposal. That same business would pay $11,769 in Sunnyvale and $60,135 in San Jose, according to Mountain View city data.

Other tax structures could raise less, although one critical question still under discussion is whether to cap the amount the largest businesses  read, Google  would pay. The particulars are still being discussed and are likely to change.

Tony Siress, CEO of the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, said the city should worry about losing jobs to neighboring Sunnyvale.

He also expressed concern for smaller businesses that are just large enough to be charged based on the number of workers. He pointed to Pure Storage, a cloud data-storage company that has 950 employees, according to city data.

If we dont pay close attention, we could lose (those businesses), or they may not show up here in the first place, Siress said at the recent committee meeting.

San Francisco, which used to have a payroll tax, now charges business taxes based on gross receipts. The city collected $702 million in business tax revenue in its most recent fiscal year. Ted Egan, San Franciscos chief economist, said a per-employee tax is seen as more regressive than a payroll tax.

There are also concerns over how Mountain View will spend the tax money. Carl Guardino, CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a trade association focused on public policy, said his members prefer that the revenue go toward a specific use. We are not antitax, but we are pro accountability, he said.

Tech companies in the Bay Area have contributed money for transportation improvements  like Googles funding of the Mountain View Community Shuttle  but generally it is not nearly as much as communities want, which is why taxes based on workforce size are gaining support.

If one city takes this action and it does well on the ballot, I think that would encourage other cities to look at this measure, said Rod Sinks, Cupertinos vice mayor. Barry Chang, a Cupertino councilman who pushed unsuccessfully for such a tax during a stint as mayor, said he plans to raise the concept at a City Council meeting next month  with worsening traffic as a prime incentive.

Siegel, the Mountain View mayor, said he would like to see most of the tax money go toward transportation. But he is open to also using some of the revenue for housing and other problems. If the city uses the tax for a specific purpose like transportation, it would require two-thirds voter approval in November. If the money were for general use, the tax would need approval from a majority of voters. In a recent city-funded survey of more than 1,300 voters, 67 percent said they would support an employer tax going toward general use.

Mountain View resident Donald Letcher told council members that the per-employee tax is perhaps the only fair new tax that would be viable in the city for residents, because it would address the increased traffic caused by employers like Google.

The city is considering three measures that could be placed on the ballot, including a tax on retail sales of cannabis and a higher tax on hotel guests. Council members said that they would favor putting two of the three on the November ballot, and Siegel thinks the employee tax will be one of them.

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My personal belief is that the shortage of housing and the lack of good transit is more of a threat to the operation of our tech companies than the tax at the level that we are proposing, he said.

Wendy Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: wlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thewendylee

Mountain Views largest employers

Google 23,324

Symantec 2,789

El Camino Hospital 2,500*

Synopsys 2,377

Intuit 2,370

Microsoft 1,200

LinkedIn 1,177

Samsung 1,100

*Nonprofits and medical facilities would be exempted from the proposed business tax increase.

Source: City of Mountain View
So which is it: Are people fleeing California and the Bay Area for cheaper housing, or swarming here for high-paying jobs?

The answer is: both. A flurry of recent population reports have painted a confusing picture.

If you look just at domestic migration  people moving around the country  the Bay Area lost about 46,000 people more than it gained during the year that ended July 1, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released March 22. That net loss was nearly twice as big as the previous year and marked a turnaround from earlier years, when more people were coming to the Bay Area than leaving.

The national media pounced on this data  throw in some one-way U-Haul prices and dubious survey results  and declared that the Bay Area is losing its appeal, and fast. They made it sound like the highways are jammed with people trying to get out of the Bay Area right now, said Patrick Carlisle, chief market analyst with Paragon Real Estate Group. He summarized the coverage in a report, Will the Last One Leaving Please Turn Out the Lights?

So if people are leaving the Bay Area in droves, why are home prices still soaring and why arent there more houses for sale?

Now Playing: Bay Area residents are leaving for these US cities. Video: Ted Andersen, SFGATE, Getty

One thing these stories mostly failed to mention is that net immigration  people coming from and leaving for other countries  is still positive in the Bay Area. About 58,000 more people came here from abroad than left last year, surpassing the nearly 46,000 who decamped for other states. (The census estimates included the nine-county Bay Area and three neighboring counties.)

Another reason is that people moving here tend to have higher incomes than people moving out, and so are better able to absorb the ridiculous cost of housing.

Linda Crowe moved from the Bay Area to Boston for a job three years ago, but moved back in December because she missed her friends and community. I worked my entire career in technology, and a lot of my professional network was here, she said. And the weather is so much nicer here.

She landed a job with IBM, and bought a home in San Franciscos Cole Valley. It helped that she sold her home in San Carlos a year and a half ago, after renting it out the first year and a half she was gone.

Crowe said housing is somewhat cheaper in Boston, but I make more money here. Salaries are significantly higher in the Bay Area, particularly in the technology sector. They have to be.

California has had net domestic out-migration for a much longer period. Since at least 1991, it has lost more people to other states than it has attracted almost every year, according to the California Department of Finance.

Net immigration over that period has been consistently positive  in the hundreds of thousands per year  but it wasnt always big enough to outweigh domestic out-migration. In 2005 through 2010, the state lost more people to other states and countries combined than it gained each year. But its total population has still grown each year since at least 1991, thanks to natural increase  births minus deaths.

Its impossible to say definitively why people move out of the area, since theres no exit poll. A report released last week tried to explain why California, by its calculation, lost nearly 1.1 million more people to other states than it gained from 2006 to 2016.

The report, prepared by Beacon Economics for San Francisco think tank Next 10, looked at housing, migration and employment trends.

It concluded that the main driver for net out-migration appears to be high housing costs, not high state income taxes. Thats because the vast majority of people who moved out of California were concentrated in lower-skilled, lower-paying fields, namely sales, transportation and food preparation. People moving out probably paid little or no state income tax because Californias tax structure is highly progressive.

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

People moving into the state are higher-income and better educated. Theyre much more likely to pay state income tax and better able to afford a home in California, which had the nations highest median price in 2016.

California has seen a net inflow of residents who earn more than $50,000 annually, have bachelors or advanced degrees, and work in high-skilled occupations. This is especially true for the Bay Area, where high salaries and abundant job opportunities outweigh the high cost of living, the report said.

Most places want their working-age population to expand, because economic growth is the sum of growth in the labor force plus productivity growth, said economist Mike Englund of Action Economics.

California benefits from an inflow of younger people (thanks largely to immigration) because they have a future in the labor force. But if a regions infrastructure does not match the population, problems ensue.

In the Bay Area, housing creation has lagged far behind population growth, which is why home prices and rents are skyrocketing and people are commuting longer distances to work.

But it can also go the other way. If you build an infrastructure for 1 million and the population drops by half, you still have all the infrastructure to maintain but fewer people to pay for it, Englund said.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Detroit, he said, was a classic example of a city designed for one population and ending up with another. During the recession you could pick up homes in Detroit for $1.

Its enjoying something of a resurgence now. LinkedIn, based in Mountain View, said last week that it has leased a historic 74,500-square-foot building in Detroit and will expand its workforce there from about 40 to 120 over the next two years.

Although California and the Bay Area still have growing populations, the recent spike in domestic out-migration is raising concerns. The federal tax law passed in December could encourage people to move from California and other higher-tax states to lower-tax states, because the new law severely limits the federal deduction for state and local income and property tax.

In addition, changes to (federal) immigration policy would likely reduce the growth we get from international migration, said Jed Kolko, chief economist with job site Indeed. A big drop in immigration, however, might be offset by less domestic out-migration because fewer people would be competing for housing, and home prices and rents might drop.

The top five states for outbound Californians in 2016 were Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, according to Next 10. These states created an average of 231 new housing units for every 1,000 new residents from 2011 to 2016. California added just 209.

California is permitting roughly the same number of housing units as Florida, despite having approximately 18 million more residents, the report said. It added that the housing shortage would be even worse if there were no domestic out-migration.

After retiring from a career in technology, Jim DeStefano, 71, sold his San Jose home in December and moved to Fort Myers, Fla. He said he wanted a better quality of life and a less liberal environment.

Property taxes are higher in Florida, he said, but housing costs about one-third what it does in the Bay Area.

Moving was stressful, and expensive, but worth it, he said. I havent seen one iota of graffiti, no litter on the streets. I havent seen a homeless person.

Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kathpender
Oaklands favorite son, Marshawn Lynch, appears to be quietly putting the pieces in place for his forthcoming Emeryville restaurant and lounge, Rob Bens, despite months of silence surrounding the project.

After posting last year about hiring waitstaff, experienced cooks and bartenders to work at the restaurant, the restaurant has apparently kicked up the hiring pace over the last few months.

Inside Scoop has spoken to several chefs and kitchen workers in the East Bay who confirmed they have been hired by Lynch and his team, but declined to comment because the project is in its infancy. Others  like Roberts Kirk, formerly the chef at Full House Cafe in Oakland  have taken to Facebook to announce their involvement.

For a quick recap of how we got to this point: Lynch took over Emeryville soul food restaurant Scends last summer and decided to name his new project after his childhood friend Robert Benjamin.

A new Facebook page was made last month with the Rob Bens logo, but it does not contain any posts. The Type-47 liquor license for 3627 San Pablo Ave. was formally transferred to Lynch last month, which means the running back is officially the owner of the business.

Meanwhile, the departing Scends, and its fried chicken, fish and homespun sides, found new life in San Leandro as Scends II. The new spot opened in March.

With Lynch making progress on his restaurant, the Bay Area continues to become a hotbed for sports/food world crossovers. And wed be remiss if we didnt identify the leader of this trend as Ayesha Curry. The restaurateur, chef, author and general sports-adjacent firebrand, added to her growing portfolio with the launch of a wine called Domaine Curry. (Click here to read Esther Mobleys review of Currys big, rich, very ripe Napa Cabernet.)

Its hard to imagine Lynch has Curry-like dreams of taking over the food world, but his upcoming restaurant does do one thing particularly well: remind all of us how the Oakland native wants to invest in his own community.

Stay tuned for further details.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

Rob Bens: 3627 San Pablo Ave., Emeryville

Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@JustMrPhillips
For one night on May 20, 1980, the Northpoint Theater in San Francisco and surrounding neighborhoods became a campground, a barter economy and a revival meeting.

Moods were strong as The Empire Strikes Back was set to open the next day.

The new Star Wars movie is great, said a few dozen people in San Francisco yesterday, about three hours before theyd seen it, wrote The Chronicles Steve Rubenstein.

The Bay Area was the chosen home of Star Wars creator George Lucas, and opening day for his movies has always been a huge event. The opening screenings of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi were so big, that The Chronicle wrote stories for each just to cover the lines outside.

When the first film opened in 1977, the Coronet Theatre lines stretched so far around the block, that the queue to buy tickets and queue for ticket holders sometimes connected on the other side.

Ive never seen anything like it, Coronet Manager Al Levin told The Chronicle. Were getting all kinds. Old people, young people, children, Hare Krishna groups. They bring cards to play in line. We have checker players, we have chess players; people with paint and sequins on their faces. Fruit eaters like Ive never seen before, people loaded on grass and LSD. At least one guys been here every day. Its an audience participation film. They hiss at the villain, they scream and holler at everything else. When school gets out, the kidsll go crazy.

(The Chronicle a few years ago published an oral history covering that scene.)

While Star Wars was a surprise  up until opening, even the studio thought it would be a flop  The Empire Strikes Back was one of the most eagerly awaited movies in history.

Recently discovered photos of the line show that a full community formed on the sidewalk outside the Northpoint, with cliques and unique fashions styles, with some attempting to establish rules.

One fan near the front of the line for the first showing at 11:15 a.m. placed poster board on the brick wall of the Northpoint with a sort of Star Wars lineholders Bill of Rights.

Although friends will be visiting us, we are not letting anyone join us in line, and suggest you dont either, one fan wrote on a large sign, taped on the brick wall outside the theater. Each person you let in line causes someone else to wait 2 hours. May the force be with you!

Cosplay isnt visible yet, but several fans are wearing Star Trek and Star Wars patches and logos on their jackets. The group is a surprisingly diverse slice of San Francisco, by age, gender and racial demographics.

Rubenstein, who still works at The Chronicle in 2018, interviewed one fan who had a bootleg script, and was passing it on to others.

The ending has some loose ends, John Tackett said. But Im glad nobody gets killed.

(Yoda, Im guessing he surmised, died by natural causes.)

By the time Return of the Jedi came out in 1983, the Coronet was the Star Wars theater for the city  and it remained a mecca for Star Wars sequels and re-releases until it was demolished in 2007.

The first day of Return of the Jedi was a particular madhouse, with parents letting their children skip school to wait in line, and a shoving match breaking out over ticket holders who were trying to cut. Two San Francisco Fire Department inspectors were sent to take charge of crowd control.

But as much as the drama would build in the lines  the gas station on the corner near the Coronet reported a 70 percent drop in business  there were few complaints leaving the theater.

Despite the confusion, and the high price of tickets  $5.50 a piece  the first performance in San Francisco of Jedi appeared to be a smashing success, The Chronicle wrote in 1983.  As one high school student put it before the performance, Even if its not as good as you think its going to be, you make it as good as you think its going to be.

Peter Hartlaub is The San Francisco Chronicles pop culture critic. Email: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @PeterHartlaub

Podcast

Solo: A Star Wars Story star Alden Ehrenreich joins host Peter Hartlaub in The Chronicles archive podcast studio to talk about the new film and his Bay Area ties. Listen to the latest episode of The Big Event: www.sfchronicle.com/podcasts
Michael Short/Special to the Chroincle

SAN DIEGO  California Republican Party officials banned Patrick Little, the neo-Nazi who ran a strong second to Sen. Dianne Feinstein in a recent poll, from registering Saturday at the party convention and had security officers escort him from the gathering.

As Little was led from the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, he was kicking and dragging an Israeli flag on the ground, said GOP consultant Luis Alvarado, who witnessed Littles removal. That doesnt represent our values.
Davida Coady never gave up on people, even after they gave up on themselves.

She mortgaged her house to create the first of 10 alcoholism treatment centers in the East Bay, known as Options Recovery Services. And when she wasnt treating clients there, she was visiting prisons and teaching inmates how to counsel one another out of addiction.

I was completely hopeless, but she believed in me, said her husband of 16 years, Tom Gorham, who met his future wife while he was sitting in a Berkeley jail cell.

Coady died Thursday of ovarian cancer in an Alamo hospice. She was 80.

A coal miners daughter and a self-described physician activist, Coady was born in Berkeley and graduated from Berkeley High School, the University of the Pacific and Columbia Medical School. She also earned a masters degree in public health from Harvard University.

A medical school semester in Africa ignited her passion for practicing medicine in developing countries. She worked in Haiti, Guatemala, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Cambodia and India. During this time, she struggled with alcoholism, which inspired her to help others fight it. She built a free clinic in Venice (Los Angeles County) and helped establish a health system for California farmworkers.

In the 1990s, she worked as an emergency room doctor at Childrens Hospital Oakland, where she treated abused children.

I never saw a physically abused child where alcohol or drugs werent involved, she wrote in her memoir.

In 1998, while counseling inmates at the Berkeley jail, she met Gorham, a trucker who described himself as a round-the-clock alcoholic with nearly 300 arrests and 47 stays in the Santa Rita jail.

She cared about me more than I cared about myself, Gorham said.

The couple married four years later and together worked to expand Options Recovery Services into a large network of treatment centers and halfway houses in Oakland and Berkeley that have helped about 10,000 clients. Gorham is its executive director.

The couple also worked with prison inmates throughout California, setting up alcohol and counseling programs at San Quentin and other prisons.

In her spare time, Coady enjoyed attending the opera, playing the piano, riding trains and taking long car trips on the back roads of California.

Among her friends and longtime admirers was actor Martin Sheen, who supported her many programs and who visited her shortly before her death to read aloud to her from her recently published memoir, The Greatest Good.

She is survived by her husband. A memorial celebration will be held next month at Northbrae Community Church in Berkeley.

Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF
Ron Ordonez can trace his decades-long love affair with lowrider cars to growing up in San Franciscos Excelsior and Mission districts.

The colorful vehicles, with their gleaming rims and bouncing hydraulics, used to cruise through the streets every weekend, Ordonez said. He remembers the first time he got up close to one, and the driver asking if he wanted a ride before flipping on the hydraulic system.

It looked like a normal car, nothing fancy, but then it suddenly dropped down to the ground, Ordonez said. And I was hooked from then.

On Saturday, Ordonez was at home among fellow enthusiasts at the fifth annual Cinco de Mayo lowrider show hosted by John OConnell High School in the Mission. About 100 restored classics filled the lot in celebration of lowridings ties to the district as part of a fundraiser for the school.

Jailene Medina, a 2016 OConnell graduate who started the fundraiser, said she grew up in the lowrider community and wanted to organize an event that brought the neighborhood together.

Back in the day, the lowriders would take up all of Mission and 24th, down to 16th, Medina said.

The event also serves as a memorial to Sandy Cuadra, an activist who died of cancer in 2013. Vince Mabutas, Cuadras cousin, said that she was deeply invested in both the Mission neighborhood and the lowrider community.

The car show fundraiser, which raises about $4,000 each year to pay for student activities, allows the school to remain connected with the community, Assistant Principal Amy Abero said.

With San Franciscos tech boom, Mabutas said, hes noticed the Mission neighborhood changing quickly. New arrivals move in, but they dont invest in the community in the same way as longtime residents.

If youre going to move here, you gotta give something back, said Mabutas, who was born and raised in the Mission. I see people come here and give nothing.

Lowriding in San Francisco was at its peak in the 1970s, Mabutas said. But it declined after a period of police crackdowns, where the car enthusiasts were often accused of being gang members. But in the past 20 years, Mabutas said, theres been a revival of the car clubs cruising in the Bay Area.

Cesar Iglesias, a member of the New Temptations Car Club in Daly City, said that his club has always been received with enthusiasm every time they drive through the city.

Well cruise through the Mission and then up to Pier 39, he said. People love us.

Iglesias and his fellow lowriders treat their cars as a labor of love. Hes invested more than $30,000 into his car, purchased in Concord about 13 years ago before he stripped it down to redo everything from the engine to the hydraulics.

Ray Goldstein, 71, said he came to the show after reading about it online. A self-described vicarious car fan with no car of his own, Goldstein pointed to a plum-colored Plymouth Deluxe as an example of how much work is invested in the cars on display.

That car over there is older than I am, Goldstein said.

The car in question, a 1947 model, belonged to Renato Gonzalez, who bought it 20 years ago and renovated every inch of it. A car enthusiast since he was a child, Gonzalez now works on the Plymouth with his 10-year-old son.

His hands are small, but he can do all the work, Gonzalez said. Its a family thing.

Annie Ma is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ama@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @anniema15
Peter Coutts hadnt been seen in close to 20 years when the coffins were found on his old farm.

A group of Stanford students, walking to campus one April day in 1908, noticed a cluster of boxes up ahead. As they drew closer, it was unmistakable what they were: nearly a dozen coffins, uprooted by an unkind grave-robber.

Nine were wood. Inside, just a handful of bones. One was a small affair, big enough only for a toddler. And the 11th coffin was metal and air-tight, sealing inside a young woman so securely that, though long-dead, she looked like she was sleeping.

A beautiful, magnificently dressed woman had been found on the Stanford campus, the San Francisco Call proclaimed. Perhaps her discovery would reveal the secret of the mysterious disappearance years ago of the dashing, talented woman.

All around the Bay Area, the news was met with great excitement. Maybe, at last, locals would find out what happened to the strange, wealthy French family who disappeared one day without a trace.

---

The rumors about Peter Coutts started right away.

The Frenchman, as he became known in Palo Alto lore, was an imposing man, tall with a mane of white hair. When he arrived in the area in the mid-1870s, he bought 1,600 acres of what is today part of the Stanford University campus. On it, he began building an estate he envisioned would rival any baronal seat in Europe, complete with a mysterious turret and series of tunnels beneath the property.

The huge land transaction set tongues wagging. Where had Coutts seemingly bottomless wealth come from? And why was the deed made out in the name of his childrens pretty young governess, Eugenie Clogenson?

The contemporary gossip is recorded in San Francisco newspapers, which reported the following tale as fact, more or less. Coutts was an assumed name, they said, taken when he fled Europe after the Franco-Prussian War. With him, hed brought five million francs, stolen from the French army when he was a paymaster. Some workers on Coutts Palo Alto estate whispered theyd been contacted by the French vice consul in San Francisco, who was working to determine if Coutts was his missing army paymaster. The tunnels under his property were escape routes in case the authorities closed in on him.

As for the mysterious Miss Clogenson, she was surely Coutts lover. One San Francisco Call story speculated that with her fine manners and elegant bearing, she might be Eugenie de Montijo, the recently deposed empress of France. In any case, Coutts invalid wife hated her.

As the Coutts family settled down in the area, they did nothing to dispel the rumors swirling around them. While the locals talked, they steadily bred one of Californias finest and most famous herds of cattle. They hosted parties. The children, Albert and Marguerite, played on the farm. And Peter Coutts retreated often to his Medieval brick tower, to do God knows what.

Then one day in 1882, the family was gone. They left no forwarding address, no instructions for what to do with the property. French authorities had finally found him, neighbors speculated.

No one was entirely surprised when they heard Coutts had died in a French prison.

---

And so ended the story of Peter Coutts  until 50 years later, when his granddaughter finally emerged, not from hiding but from her ordinary life in Los Angeles.

In a blockbuster 1930 revelation to Stanford officials, she confirmed one part of the story: Her grandfathers name wasnt Peter Coutts. It was Jean Baptiste Paulin Caperon. But he was no crooked paymaster on the run; he was a political dissident seeking asylum.

France in the late 1860s was far from serene. The nation was roiling under Emperor Napoleon III, with many advocating for an end to the constitutional monarchy. Coutts was the editor of La Liberte, a newspaper advocating for the overthrow of the royal family. When the political climate became too dangerous, he left for America.

He returned occasionally, at least once in 1880. A New York ship record shows the Coutts family  Peter, wife Elisa and daughter Marguerite  plus Eugenie Clogenson, returning to New York City on a passenger vessel from Liverpool. The document lists their birth countries as Switzerland. Coutts' granddaughter revealed the Peter Coutts identity was taken from a deceased cousin living in Switzerland.

As for Clogenson's name on the land deed, there was a simple explanation for that, too. Coutts feared that in the event of his death, his family would be saddled with a deed that didn't bear their legal names. Keeping things in Clogenson's name was easier.

One large mystery, however, remains unsolved. No one is quite sure what happened to Clogenson, and it's not even a sure thing that her corpse was the one found on the old Coutts farm in 1908. When the coffin was discovered, it bore the stamp of a San Francisco coffin-maker. But the maker's records had all burned in the wake of the 1906 earthquake.

Given her expensive dress  and the disappearance of Clogenson from historical records after the mid-1880s  it seems likely it was her. How and when she died is lost to history.

---

Coutt's famous turret, today known as the Frenchman's Tower, held no secrets either. His granddaughter explained the unusual structure was built as a library; Coutts loved to read and had an extensive rare book collection.

And there was no clandestine escape through the tunnel system (which, by the way, were mundane irrigation tunnels). After the end of the French monarchy, Coutts and his family decided to move back home. Their land was sold to Leland Stanford, who used it to create his university.

Coutts and his family moved to Marseilles, where he died a quiet, ordinary death.

"Gradually, nature has returned Coutts' or Capuchin's lake to wild pasture and crumbled his tunnels," the Chronicle wrote in 1952. "But his ghost walks still over his dried lake's bridge and hovers inside his fortress tower."
A man was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a teenage girl at gunpoint and attempting to assault a UC Berkeley student in April, Berkeley police said.

Officers arrested Alphonzo Lamont McInnis, a Berkeley resident, on Thursday. He was booked into Berkeley City Jail.

The first attack happened April 19, when a minor who police described as high school age was walking on the 1500 block of Addison Street. A man pressed a gun into her side and told her not to scream, then sexually assaulted her in the yard of a residence, authorities said. Berkeley police began an investigation, and McInnis was identified as a suspect, police said in statement released Friday.

No arrests were made at the time.

On April 28 at 4:30 a.m., a man attacked a UC Berkeley student near the intersection of Channing Way and College Avenue. He chased the woman to the Unit 1 dormitory, where he allegedly pulled out a handgun and attempted to force her between buildings. She continued running and the suspect pursued her to the entrance of Slottman Hall, where she managed to get through the front door, police said.

The struggle was caught on surveillance video, which the UC Berkeley Police Department released to the community.

After our detectives reviewed the video, it became clear that McInnis was responsible for this attack as well, the Berkeley police said.

McInnis is to appear in court Monday morning on charges including sexual assault, kidnapping to commit robbery and a parole violation.

According to the Berkeleyside news website, McInnis was arrested in 2014 for a string of gas station robberies in Berkeley, and served time in state prison.

Sophie Haigney is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophie.haigney@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophieHaigney
BEIJING  For the past decade or so, China has defied the truism that only free and open societies can innovate. Even as the Communist Party has kept an iron grip on politics and discourse, the countrys technology industry has grown to rival Silicon Valleys in sophistication and ambition.

President Xi Jinpings tilt toward strongman rule could put all that to the test.

As Xi starts his second term, the Chinese government, which once viewed the Internet primarily as a threat to its stranglehold on information, is harnessing big tech companies capital and knowledge to realize its broader goals for the country.

At a time when the Trump administration is moving to counter Chinas tech prowess, Beijings heavier hand could pose its own threat to the countrys competitiveness, and to the innovation that has transformed Chinese firms into global heavyweights.

For Chinas government, WeChat, the countrys most popular messaging and social media service, has become a key tool for policing what people say and do. Political activists have reported being followed based on WeChat conversations; chat records have turned up as evidence in court. E-commerce titan Alibaba, meanwhile, is helping city authorities manage traffic.

The police have used technology from WeChats parent company, Tencent, to monitor crowds at public events. JD.com, Alibabas main rival in online shopping, is helping Chinas military upgrade its procurement and logistics systems, state media reported recently. (A JD.com spokesman said, however, that its military cooperation was limited to the procurement of goods available to all customers on its site.)

In scientific research  a focus for Xi as economic growth becomes harder to sustain  tech giants have joined with government institutes to run labs in fields like quantum computing, deep learning and human-computer interaction. Soon, Chinese citizens may even be able to use their accounts on Tencents and Alibabas apps as digital versions of their national ID cards.

U.S. tech firms also do business with governments, of course. And they, too, are sometimes asked to hand over user data to law enforcement agencies.

But in the United States, disagreements can be hammered out in court. Chinas judiciary is controlled by the Communist Party. Making themselves useful to the government is often the price that Chinese firms must pay for regulatory and financial blessings  even for the very right to exist as a business.

If you see the situation clearly and are able to move in sync with the state, you will get great support, Wang Xiaochuan, CEO of Internet search company Sogou, said in a recent interview with Phoenix Satellite Television. But if its in your nature to say, I want freedom, I want to sing a tune different from the states, then you might suffer, more so than in the past.

Phoenix subsequently removed that portion of the interview from its website. A Sogou spokesman declined to comment.

Chinese tech companies have found a variety of ways of moving in sync with Beijing. Last year, they injected money into a struggling state telecom carrier, precisely the kind of company they had long sought to disrupt.

Regulators picked Tencent and Ant Financial, an Alibaba corporate sibling, to build credit-scoring databases, though their role in those efforts has since been curtailed. Still, their systems and data would be key, analysts say, for Chinas ambitions to build a broader social credit system that would track peoples financial activities, police records and other public behavior.

Until recently, Tencents website said its cloud services helped the Communist Party standardize and streamline party-building work. But that page was removed after the New York Times asked Tencent about it. The original Web address now points to a page that describes how Tencent can help local governments manage data.

Hes scared the absolute bejesus out of everyone, which doesnt normally work in tech, said Ryan Manuel, a fellow at the University of Hong Kong, referring to Xi, who has been more willing than past leaders to purge officials and arrest high-profile businessmen. That fear is the antithesis of creativity.

In areas such as supercomputers, satellite navigation and drones, Xi has pushed Chinese companies to work alongside the military to chase breakthroughs. At a speech last month in Beijing, Xi said that the Internet and information technology represented the most dynamic and promising area for civil-military integration, according to the state news agency Xinhua.

Chinas Internet titans have already been roped into the governments plans to lead in artificial intelligence. Alibaba was designated, in November, as the national champion for developing smart city infrastructure. Tencent was picked to fill that role in medical imaging; search giant Baidu is to lead for self-driving cars. A fourth company, iFlytek, was named to spearhead voice recognition.

Divvying up an industry before it has matured risks stifling competition, though. And shoehorning companies into specific activities could discourage them from exploring others.

Having the state define and pick winners and losers is not how long-term sustainable innovation really happens, said Tai Ming Cheung, a professor at UC San Diego who studies technological development in China.

Countries that have tried it, from the Soviet Union to Japan, havent really fared well over the long run, Cheung said.

For Chinas tech giants, working with Beijing has become more important for another reason: Xi has tightened Chinas controls on the Internet and moved with remarkable force against companies that step out of line.

Sina Weibo, a service that resembles Twitter, lost some of its appeal as a raucous forum amid a coordinated crackdown early in Xis tenure on what regulators called rumor-mongering. Last month, regulators clamped down on Bytedance, one of Chinas most successful startups, shutting down its humor app and ordering it to clean up vulgar content on several of its other apps.

As a result, tech potentates are trying harder than ever to keep the leadership happy.

On the third floor of a gleaming Tencent high-rise in Shenzhen, the Communist Party makes its presence within the company literal.

A chart on the wall shows how many employees are party members (more than 8,000 this year). Another display lists the monthly schedule for employees party education. (This months offering: training sessions on New Era, New Thought, New Journey.)

Tencents mascot, a jaunty winking penguin, appears throughout with a hammer and sickle on its chest.

Growing numbers of tech industry leaders have also joined the National Peoples Congress, Chinas rubber-stamp Parliament, and the Peoples Political Consultative Conference, an advisory group.

In December, Jack Ma, Alibabas executive chairman, announced that the company had started a $1.5 billion poverty relief fund. At a news conference before this years legislative session, Pony Ma, Tencents chief executive and a returning member of the congress, offered suggestions for improving schools and health care.

The general secretarys remarks were very sophisticated and contained a lot of information, Pony Ma said after discussing innovation with Xi, according to state media, using one of Xis official titles. I filled a full six pages with notes.

Ma continued: This is a new opportunity for the rapid development of our innovative companies.

Raymond Zhong and Paul Mozur are New York Times writers.
HONG KONG  A gadget maker. An online delivery service. And the electronic payment company owned by tech giant Alibaba.

These are among a spate of Chinese companies expected to open their doors to ordinary investors in Hong Kong over the next year through public listings, following a loosening of rules by the citys stock exchange. If many of them end up listing in Hong Kong, then China will have accomplished a major goal: keeping its hugely successful tech boom at home.

The flurry of big-name Chinese companies potentially choosing to stay home, rather than go abroad, in search of funding is part of a broader push by China, which has sought to develop homegrown champions in an array of sectors. But the new regulations, which allow companies to retain more control, have also been criticized as an encroachment by Beijing on Hong Kongs legal system and corporate governance standards.

Xiaomi, the gadget maker, announced Thursday that it would list in Hong Kong, the first company to do so following the rule changes.

Its decision represents a victory for Hong Kong, which missed out on blockbuster stock offerings by Alibaba and other rising Internet companies in mainland China in recent years. It is also a win for Beijing, which has embarked on a campaign under President Xi Jinping to nurture the development of new industries in technology and lure back homegrown stars that listed overseas in years past.

I think it rather stuck in the throats of the leadership in Beijing that large companies had to go overseas to list and not in Hong Kong, which they view as part of home, said David Webb, publisher of the financial and corporate governance website Webb-site and a deputy chairman of Hong Kongs Takeovers Panel.

There has been somewhat of campaign to bring companies home and remove them from foreign jurisdictions, said Webb.

While Hong Kong is officially a special administrative region within the Peoples Republic of China, and has a separate legal and financial system, Beijing sees it as a part of the mainland. Some of Chinas biggest and most exciting technology startups, like Didi Chuxing, the ride-sharing rival to Uber, and Ant Financial, the financial arm of Alibaba, are making plans to go public over the next year.

In the past, Chinese entrepreneurs like Jack Ma of Alibaba chose to list their shares in markets like New York where they could operate as if their companies were still private. They were able to offer so-called dual-class shares, which give shareholders little say in the operations of the business.

Until last week, Hong Kong, which has stricter rules than New York, had not allowed such listings. In its filing Thursday with Hong Kongs stock exchange, Xiaomi appeared to be taking advantage of the new rules.

The company, whose low-cost smartphones have won a loyal following not just in China but in other emerging markets like India as well, said it would raise an unspecified amount from the public in order to fund the development of new smartphones and other devices like household gadgets. The money will also help Xiaomi pursue expansion overseas.

It could raise as much as $10 billion, according to two people with direct knowledge of the company but not authorized to speak on the record. That would make it the second-largest listing by a Chinese technology company since Alibaba.

As part of the listing, which could come as soon as June, Xiaomi will offer dual-class shares, which allow for weighted voting rights. This will mean that Lei Jun, Xiaomis founder, chairman and chief executive, will have the ultimate say over the companys operations, rather than investors who buy its shares, even if they end up owning more stock than he decides to hold onto.

This share structure will allow the company to benefit from Leis vision and leadership while allowing him to maintain its long-term prospects and strategy, Xiaomi said in its filing.

The decision by the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong to allow dual-class shares just one week ago has sparked fierce debate here. For the exchange, not allowing companies to list with such a structure meant it missed out lucrative listings like Alibabas $25 billion initial public offering. Alibaba opted to list in New York instead, where several large technology companies like Facebook and Googles parent Alphabet operate with dual-class shares.

There is no question that Hong Kong is under tremendous competitive pressure, Richard Li, the Hong Kong stock exchanges chief executive, wrote in a blog post following the decision. We are at the precipice of a gold rush of new economy companies from China, and its vital that we position ourselves to benefit from this development.

But some in the citys investor community had pushed hard to prevent Hong Kong from changing its rules, arguing that it will mean less rigorous corporate governance.

There should not be unequal voting rights as they could allow management or minority share owners to override the wishes or best interests of majority shareholders for personal benefit and compromise accountability, leading to potential entrenchment issues, Mary Leung, head of advocacy for Asia at CFA Institute, an association of investment professionals, said in a statement.

Some big institutional investors have criticized Hong Kongs stock exchange for throwing out tighter regulations in a bid to compete with rivals.

Li did not respond to a request for comment. But in his blog post he said that the exchange was introducing additional safeguards to protect investors against the potential misuse of power, including more corporate governance requirements and certain limits on founding shareholders in these structures.

Alexandra Stevenson is a New York Times writer.
In route news, Southwest will fly to Hawaii from four California cities; Air China trims its San Jose schedule; United, American, British Airways and Norwegian all start new Europe routes this week; Frontier adds another six routes and two new cities; Lufthansa affiliate Eurowings begins a new U.S. route; and two Asian carriers will deploy new aircraft to the U.S.

Southwest Airlines announced this week that it would fly from four California cities to Hawaii: Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento and San Diego starting in 2019. A couple weeks ago it said it would fly to four Hawaiian airports: Honolulu, Lihue, Maui and Kona. It also said that it plans to offer intra-Hawaii flights. That's about all we know at this point-- we are still waiting for Southwest to connect the dots and provide schedules, fares and start dates. Its PR strategy seems to be releasing small bits and pieces of information at a time to keep us all in a state of eager anticipation. Stay tuned for more niblets of info as they come.

As part of a summer schedule adjustment, Air China is reducing flight frequencies on some of its long-haul routes out of Shanghai Pudong. That includes the airlines Shanghai-San Jose route, where it will trim its schedule from three flights a week to just two effective June 9. The airline uses an Airbus A330-200 on the route.

Early May is the time when airlines large and small add service to Europe, and this year is no exception. Heres a quick summary of the latest additions:

>In addition to Uniteds new San Francisco-Munich seasonal service that we mentioned last week, the carrier this week also started flying other seasonal routes to Europe, including Washington Dulles to Madrid; Chicago OHare to Edinburgh and Rome; and Newark to Glasgow, Porto (Portugal), and Stockholm.

>At American Airlines, summer seasonal flights to Europe that started this week include Philadelphia to Prague, Philadelphia-Budapest, and Chicago OHare-Venice. (Seasonal Europe routes from last year that didnt make the cut at American this summer include Boston-Paris, New York JFK-Zurich and JFK-Manchester.)

>British Airways this week started up the only non-stop service from Nashville to Europe, operating five flights a week to London Heathrow with a 787-8. And next week (May 8), BA will replace one of its two daily 747 flights between Chicago OHare and LHR with an Airbus A380  the first regularly scheduled A380 at OHare.



>Norwegian Airs newest U.S. routes include Boston to Paris CDG, which started this week with three flights a week; and New York JFK to Amsterdam, which will kick off May 7 with four flights a week. The airline this week also boosted its Los Angeles-Paris schedule from four flights a week to six. Norwegian is using 787-9s on all those routes. Meanwhile, Norwegian announced this week that effective October 29, it plans to increase its schedule between New York JFK and London Gatwick from two flights a day to three.

More for you Planespotting: Boeing 787 Dreamliner vs Airbus A350

American Airlines also announced this week it will introduce new service next winter to several island destinations, including a daily 787-8 flight from its Chicago OHare hub to Honolulu beginning December 19. On December 22, American will kick off year-round Saturday-only service from Charlotte to Eleuthera and Marsh Harbour in the Bahamas; from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Aruba; and from Miami to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Also on December 22, American will begin winter season Saturday-only flights from OHare to Aruba; Grand Cayman; Nassau, Bahamas; and Providenciales in the Turks & Caicos.

In the latest of its many route announcements, Frontier Airlines said it will add six more markets and two new cities to its network this summer. That includes two flights a week starting July 7 between Austin-Salt Lake City (increasing to three a week August 12); four flights a week between Sacramento and Denver beginning August 1; and four flights a week between Sacramento and Las Vegas as of August 12. New seasonal service includes three flights a week between Denver-Santa Barbara beginning August 21; four a week between Raleigh-Durham and Detroit starting July 8; and four a week between Raleigh-Durham and Minneapolis-St. Paul starting July 9.

Eurowings, the leisure-oriented subsidiary of Lufthansa Group, has kicked off new service from New York JFK to Dusseldorf. The flight operates six days a week (except Tuesdays) with a 10:30 p.m. departure from New York, using a three-class, 300-passenger Airbus A340-300.That includes 18 business class seats with a 180-degree recline.

Japans All Nippon Airways (ANA) said it will start flying its first Airbus A380 super-jumbo in the spring of 2019 and will put it onto the Tokyo-Honolulu route. The upper deck will have eight first class, 56 business class and 73 premium economy seats, while the all-economy main deck will have 383 seats. ANA noted that in the rear of the main cabin, it will introduce the couch seat concept. Each couch is comprised of three or four seats and passengers are able to lie on the seats by folding up the leg rests. In addition, passengers will receive a dedicated mattress that will provide them with further comfort, ANA said. Bar counters will be available for each class of service, and in the back of the main deck, the A380 will have a multi-purpose room where new mothers will be able to tend to their babies and passengers will be able to change before arriving at their destination, the airline said.

Airlines continue to roll out next-generation aircraft on their most popular long-haul routes. The latest announcement comes from Koreas Asiana Airlines, which will deploy a new Airbus A350-900 on its New York JFK-Seoul Incheon route starting October 28. The A350 will replace a 777-200ER. Asiana also flies an A350 between Seoul and SFO.

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A Lafayette chef was charged with four counts of second-degree robbery on Friday for allegedly stealing $18,000 from a bank in Orinda, officials said.

Officers from the Orinda Police Department responded to a report of a robbery at the Citibank on Orinda Way at 10:56 a.m. on Wednesday. Officials said the robber, later identified as 54-year-old Valentino Luchin, was armed and fled the scene after the teller handed him cash.
NEW YORK  First technology changed the way people document and follow fashion, accelerating the publics connection to the runways via Facebook and Twitter. Now a second layer of tools is altering how consumers process trends and emerging themes. Curatorial social media platforms like the Bay Areas Pinterest and Polyvore allow users to sort looks and group favorites from shows as well as follow other users takes.

The way something like Twitter allows news to spread more quickly, Polyvore allows trends to become clear faster, observed Jess Lee, CEO of the Mountain View social commerce portal. Earlier this month, during New York Fashion Week, Polyvore hosted a style lounge at SoHo House for community members to meet in person. A select few, including Gabrielle Pedriani, Minnie Romanovich and Marisa Dalpiaz, viewed runway shows and created Polyvores signature collage sets of trends and individual pieces.

But anyone with a smartphone can take a picture at a runway show (or grab one if youre not there in person) and present their view on where the look fits into the developing fashion story. This ability to instantly create a visual narrative is part of an overall mentality Millennials have embraced.

Call them Generation Curate: They dont just want fashion news faster, they want to create and receive refined and specific information. If selecting the sources of your social media feeds doesnt provide enough of a filter, perhaps theres a user on two of the most popular platforms, Polyvore and Pinterest, whose output precisely fits your taste. If you cant find one, that user can always be you.

Millennials are group- and experience-centric and like the exposure these platforms give them, said Macys Josh Saterman, vice president/fashion director whose focus was Millennials (he has since been promoted to VP of design, research and development for mens and childrens fashion). Fashion is an important component of the tendency toward curatorial thinking, but only part of the equation.

Its a kind of lifestyle fusion were seeing, he said. Its workouts, its recipes, its creating overall experiences that fashion is a part of. A customer now looks to something like Pinterest for inspiration. That mashup of designer to street style is all there in one source.

The platforms themselves are also aware of their roles in disseminating trends from fashion weeks and potentially informing purchasing decisions. Pinterest spokeswoman Mithya Srinivasan highlighted the companys collaboration with model and blogger Olivia Palermo, who pinned her favorite looks from various fashion weeks (her Pinterest following is over 103,000), as well as fellow Millennial and model Soo Joo Parks guest pinning role for the New York Times. Parks Fashion Week Favorites board has 31,000-plus followers.

Partnerships like the one with Palermo are partly a result of a major increase in fashion pinning. Last year there were 2 million fashion pins a day, Srinivasan said. This year, its increased to 5 million. This enormous database of human-generated content we bring to the fashion consumer continues to grow. Its certainly given this generation an opportunity to present themselves in a certain way, too.

Lee also views the Polyvore community as a democratizing influence. In the past, the center of power for trends was in the hands of a very few people at magazines and newspapers, and now with social media, anyone can get their opinions out there. If they have the right taste level, Lee says, they can rise to the top.

Nicole Lippmann, 31, an aspiring stylist and fashion student at City College of San Francisco, is one such candidate. She describes the collage format as like having a magazine in my head when she uses it for work and fashion assignments.

She believes Millennials use of this kind of social media is part of a shift in thinking. Members of our generation think of themselves as individual brands  these platforms help clarify and promote our brands, she says, in addition to adding voices to the fashion discourse. As a Polyvore Bay Area community correspondent  whose community handle is stylistnikilips  Lippman has over 3,500 followers (with 1.5 million-plus set views) and has created sets on themes ranging from pencil-skirted office fashion to Jump Street throwback overalls.

Im a very conceptual thinker, Lippman says. For a generation raised on creating individualized learning and work situations (think the flexibility of startup office culture), the way these platforms are accessible to different thinking styles is part of the appeal, she says.

Ultimately, Polyvores Lee says, this quicker trend incubation could force the fashion industry to look more closely at its production cycle, so the clothes seen on runways are in stores sooner.

Silicon Valley has always been about disrupting and speeding up cycles, Lee says. This is just another example of real-world application.

Tony Bravo is a San Francisco freelance writer who covered New York Fashion Week for The San Francisco Chronicle and SFUnzipped (www.sfgate.com/style). E-mail: style@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @tonybravosf
When tourists come to San Francisco on vacation, if they opt to stay at an Airbnb, the options are as diverse and colorful as the Bay Area itself.

How an agoraphobic artist travels, only using Google Street View

The Los Altos Hills Airbnb Beyonce rented for 2016 Super Bowl triples in price to $30k

From converted cupcake trucks to self-described "hobbit huts," travelers have a wide variety of accommodations to choose from when planning a trip to the Bay.

Click through the slideshow above to see some of the quirkiest Airbnb listings in the Bay Area.

The San Francisco-based company claims it has more than 3 million listings in 191 countries.

But its emergence as a dominant player in the tourism industry is not without controversy. Many blame the vacation rental service for driving up the cost of housing in cities like San Francisco.

San Francisco tried to regulate the growing vacation rental industry by forcing hosts to register with the city and imposing a 90-day annual limit on short-term rentals. However, an April report by the San Francisco Budget and Legislative Analyst's Office found that more than a quarter of San Francisco homes listed on Airbnb violated the 90-day limit.

In May, Airbnb struck a deal with San Francisco to ensure more hosts get registered, with the goal of universal registration by January 2018. The deal will help the city enforce the 90-day limit and other terms of the vacation-rentals agreement.

Despite the ongoing controversy, Airbnb's business model seems to be working. The company predicts it will earn $3.5 billion by 2020, Fortune reports.

Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at amartichoux@sfchronicle.com.
An arbitration board ruled on terms of the new three-year San Francisco police contract on Friday, denying attempts by the city to speed up police reforms while giving the rank-and-file 3 percent yearly wage increases.

The San Francisco Police Officers Association and the citys Department of Human Resources have been negotiating the new contract since October, and after the sides failed to reach an agreement, the talks went to an arbitration board in April.

Fridays award  which addressed seven issues, including wage increases, officer retention, salary steps and negotiations over police reform implementations  is a binding deal.

The new police contract is required to go to the Board of Supervisors before being signed July 1. The deal will be the first full contract between the city of San Francisco and the police union since 2007.

Mayor Mark Farrell, whose office oversaw the union talks, called the awards pay increases fair and equitable.

Our police officers have a difficult job and they deserve our respect and support, he said in a statement. I am grateful for the men and women of the police department who work every day to ensure the public safety of our city.

The arbitration board, though, ruled 2-to-1 in favor of the police union on one of the most contentious issues: future negotiations over the implementation of city police reforms.

In 2016, the Justice Department issued 272 recommendations to the San Francisco Police Department after a top-to-bottom review after several controversial police shootings.

The police union has said many of the reforms affect working conditions, and therefore must be negotiated and then sent to arbitration if no agreement is reached.

In the contract proposal, the city included a section that sought to limit the unions right to draw out the implementation of reforms through such proceedings.

The offer came as part of a broad effort by city leaders and community groups that have long fought for police reform.

Ultimately this was a disappointment, said Anand Subramanian, senior director at PolicyLink and member of the No Justice, No Deal coalition, which fought to have police reforms included in the new contract. We did the best we could under these situations.

Gary Delagnes, a consultant for the police union, said the reform proposal would have violated the collective bargaining rights of the many fine men and women who spend their careers keeping San Franciscans safe.

Arbitration board member David Weinberg, who ruled in favor of the police union on the reform proposal, still praised the citys effort, saying it represents a very well-meaning attempt by the city to help promote the implementation of the DOJ report.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
With a net worth of more than $86 billion, Bill Gates is known for being one of the richest people in the world. But theres a lot more you probably dont know about the Microsoft co-founder.

Gates was born in Seattle in 1955 and discovered his passion for technology early on. In school, he met long-time friend and future co-founder Paul Allen. Together, they launched another small-business venture before coming up with the idea for Microsoft.

Related: 5 Life Lessons From Bill Gates, One of the Most Influential Philanthropists on Earth

Until he realized his desire to pursue computers, Gates had planned to become a lawyer and studied pre-law at Harvard. He eventually dropped out, launched Microsoft and met his employee and future wife, Melinda. Today, Gates is not only a self-made billionaire and tech leader, but hes also a philanthropist, an author and even a knight.

Check out these 27 surprising facts about Bill Gates.

Additional reporting by Nina Zipkin

Image credit: Joe McNally | Getty Images

1. Gates developed his first computer software program at 13 years old.

After spending a few years in public school, Gates later attended the Lakeside School, a private preparatory school in Seattle. It was there that Gates discovered his passion for computer programming and met Paul Allen, who became his close friend and later Microsoft co-founder. He also developed his first computer software program at age 13. Using BASIC computer language, the program was a tic-tac-toe game in which players could compete against the computer.

2. Gates fixed his high schools class scheduling software so he was in all-girls classes.

The Lakeside School recruited Gates to help code its class scheduling system. Gates took advantage of his new task and his coding abilities, and he and his long-time pal and later Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen tweaked the schools scheduling software and placed Gates in all-girls classes.

"Paul did the computer scheduling with me. Unfortunately for him he was two years ahead of me and he was off to college by then. So I was the one who benefited by being able to have the nice girls at least sit near me, Gates shared with BBC.

Image credit: Bruce Glikas

3. Gates and Allen formed a business partnership before Microsoft.

From the moment they met in middle school, Gates and Allen became friends -- likely because of their common interest in computer programming. While in school, the two formed a company called Traf-O-Data. They put together a small computer based on an Intel 8008 chip that measured and analyzed traffic data for the Washington state highway department. Gates and Allen made about $20,000 from the venture, but it slowly dissolved as Allen went on to work for Honeywell in Boston and Gates enrolled at Harvard.

4. He almost had a perfect SAT score.

Its hardly shocking that the genius got a near-perfect score on his SATs. Gates scored a 1590 out of 1600 on the college entrance exams.

5. Gates originally studied law in college.

In 1973, Gates began studying pre-law at Harvard University, planning to follow in the footsteps of his lawyer father. Although by his sophomore year, Gatess plans changed and he began taking some of the schools most rigorous math and science courses. Then, two years into his Harvard career, Gates dropped out to pursue Microsoft.

6. Gates was arrested twice for his driving.

In 1975, in his Porsche 911, 19-year-old Gates was arrested for speeding and driving without a license. But he didnt learn his lesson -- two years later, Gates was arrested again in Albuquerque, N.M., for another traffic violation and for driving without his license.

Theres speculation that the generic user icon in Microsoft Outlook 10 is actually a silhouette of Gatess mugshot.

7. His wife, Melinda, used to work for him.

After graduating from Duke University in 1986, Melinda Gates landed her first job at a startup -- Microsoft.

I just thought, Oh my gosh. I have to work at this company. They are changing the world. And if I get an offer, theres no way Im not going to take it,  Melinda told CBS News.

Melinda scored the job, and shortly into her time working there, she made a great impression on the boss.

Related: Warren Buffett and Bill Gates's Top Secret to Success

I met her at a New York City sales meeting, Bill told CBS. And then it was only a week or so after that, that I went up to her in the parking lot and asked if she wanted to go out.

Image credit: Bloomberg | Getty Images

8. He was once the youngest billionaire ever.

Gates made his first billion in 1987 at the age of 31, making him the youngest billionaire ever at that time.

9. On his wedding day, he rented out every room at the hotel.

To ensure privacy, Gates rented out all 250 rooms at the Manele Bay Hotel in Lanai, Hawaii, where his wedding party was staying. At the time (1994), Gates was the second-richest person in America. Taking an extra precaution to keep the media and paparazzi from flying overhead, Gates reportedly hired all of the helicopters on Maui, too.

10. He used to memorize his employeess license plate numbers to keep tabs on them.

Youd think a simple punch card or check-in system might suffice -- not for Gates. Gates memorized the license plates of his employees so he would know when they arrived at and left work.

I knew everyone's license plate, so I could look out in the parking lot and see when did people come in, when were they leaving. Eventually I had to loosen up, as the company got to a reasonable size, he revealed in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs program.

11. Gates bought Leonardo da Vincis Codex Leicester manuscript for $30.8 million.

Besides his private plane, Gatess other big splurge was Leonardo da Vincis Codex Leicester manuscript, which dates back to the 16th century. In a 1994 auction, Gates won the manuscript for $30.8 million, making it the most expensive book in the world. Gates sometimes puts the book on loan to museums.

12. In 1995, Gates became the richest man in the world.

In July 1995, at 39 years old, Gates became the richest man in the world with a fortune of $12.9 billion. He has since lost that title a few times, but he held the top spot on the Forbes Worlds Billionaires real-time ranking in March 2017.

13. He got pied in the face during a trip to Brussels.

During a 1998 trip to Brussels, Belgium, Gates was on his way into a meeting with more than 400 Belgian educators, business leaders and government officials. Upon entering the building, Gates was struck in the face with a pie. After the incident, Belgian prankster and personality Noel Godin took responsibility for the prank, and Gates didnt press charges.

"The pie wasn't even that good," a Microsoft spokesperson reported Gates as saying.

Image credit: Bloomberg | Getty Images

14. Bill and Melinda Gates run the largest private foundation in the world.

The couple launched the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000. With donations from major investors, public figures and celebrities such as Warren Buffett, Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Jack Nicklaus and Big Sean, it has become the largest private foundation in the world. In 2015, it reported a $39.6 billion trust endowment.

15. He was knighted by the Queen.

In 2005, Gates received an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth of England for his charitable work and achievements in technology. Gates and his wife, Melinda, met the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace for the ceremony, during which he received his KBE title -- Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Gates is unable to be referred to as Sir because he is not a British citizen.

16. The number-one thing on his bucket list is not dying.

In 2013, Gates held an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit. During the session, Gates was asked if he had anything left on his bucket list. His response? Dont die

Related: How Bill Gates Became a Leadership Legend

17. His bedtime routine involves reading  and washing the dishes.

Even the richest man in the world makes time to complete his house chores. In a 2014 Reddit AMA, Gates shared that he washes his familys dirty dishes every night. He even finds the task enjoyable. Other people volunteer but I like the way I do it, he said.

In addition to washing the dishes, another part of Gatess bedtime routine involves reading for an hour. Even if its late into the night, he makes sure to get in a solid 60 minutes before bed, because for him, Its part of falling asleep, he once told The Seattle Times.

18. If he could have a superpower, it would be more energy.

In their 2016 annual letter, Bill and Melinda shared the superpowers they wished they could have. The first things to come to mind for the average person might be x-ray vision, invisibility or time travel -- but Melinda and Bill said they wanted more time and more energy.

Bill said he wished for more energy, explaining that many people underestimate the importance of energy access -- from turning on a light switch to pressing the power button on a laptop. Without access to energy, the poor are stuck in the dark, denied all of these benefits and opportunities that come with power.

19. Bill and Melinda Gatess favorite number is 122 million.

In their 2017 annual letter to Warren Buffett, who donated a chunk of his fortune to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the couple wrote that 122 million is their favorite number. It is the number of childrens lives that have been saved since 1990 as the mortality rate has declined.

Image credit: Matthew Stockman | Getty Images

20. To disguise himself, Gates wears a hat.

To ward off any unwanted attention, Gates resorts to an old-school tactic -- wearing a hat. During a 2017 Reddit AMA, Gates was asked if he ever disguises himself in public.

"I sometimes wear a hat, Gates wrote. For example when I did college tours with my son I wanted the focus to be totally on him. A lot less people recognize me when I have a hat on or else they realize I am trying to be incognito.

21. Bill and Melinda Gates are giving $10 million to each of their kids.

As of March 2017, Forbes reports Bill Gatess net worth to be $86.6 billion. Thats why it comes as a surprise that he and Melinda are planning to give only $10 million to each of their three kids. Its a massive figure to most of us, but its pocket change for this billionaire. Most of the Gatess fortune will go to charitable foundations, including their own Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

22. He doesnt do his own grocery shopping

During a visit to the Ellen Show, host Ellen DeGeneres put Gates through his paces to see if the billionaire, who by all rights is very knowledgeable about the state of the world, could guess the prices of everyday grocery items. When was the last time the Microsoft founder set foot in a store to do his own shopping? Long time ago, he admitted. Spoiler alert: He very sort of passed the test, with a little help from the audience.

23. He typically doesnt do big purchases, with one exception.

In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Gates shared that even after he became a billionaire, he always erred on the side of caution. I always wanted to have enough money in the bank so that even if our customers didnt pay us for a year, we could still keep paying everybody and do the R&D, he said. While Gates confessed to not having particularly extravagant tastes, he said that he has used his fortune for some transportation-related purchases -- a porsche in the early years and a plane for Gates Foundation travel. But there is one whimsical exception to the rule. We have a trampoline room in our house. The kids like that. Indoor trampolines. I recommend it, Gates said. Its a room with a very high ceiling.

24. He wishes he had been more socialable during college.

During an April 2018 Q&A session at Harvard, which Gates dropped out of in 1975, a student asked the Microsoft co-founder: "What is something that you regret doing, or maybe not doing, at Harvard?"

The billionaire responded, "Well, I wish I had been more sociable." He added, "I wish I had gotten to know more people. I was just so into being good at the classes and taking lots of classes."

He also revealed that Steve Ballmer, who would become CEO of Microsoft after Gates stepped down, would drag Gates out to party.

"I was so antisocial I wouldn't have even known they existed, but Steve Ballmer decided I needed some exposure to, I guess, drinking," Gates said. "So, I would go to those events and that was highly educational."



25. Mr. Gates Goes to Washington?

In a recent interview, the entrepreneur and philanthropist shared that during a conversation with President Donald Trump around the potential for a universal flu vaccine, he got an unexpected job offer. I mentioned: Hey, maybe we should have a science adviser, he recalled in conversation with science website Stat. He said: Did I want to be the science adviser? In the end, Gates courteously had to decline. Thats not a good use of my time, he said.

26. He thought about getting into politics.

Gates's dad was a lawyer, and the Microsoft co-founder considered following in his footsteps when he was in high school. In 1972, when Gates was 16, he spent the summer in Washington, D.C., to work as a congressional page. He was tasked with delivering legislation to the floor of the House and documents to the offices of various congressional representatives. The experience ultimately gave him the clarity to realize that the world of politics wasnt for him and led him down the path of pursuing business and technology.

27. He has some serious real estate.

Gates has a home in Medina, Wash., called Xanadu 2.0, named after the the mansion belonging to the title character in Citizen Kane. That fictional estate was relatively luxurious, and Gatess is no slouch in that department. It took seven years and $63 million to build the 66,000 square foot space, which houses a reception room, six kitchens, 24 bathrooms, a library with rare manuscripts, a home theater, a trampoline room and a stream thats home to salmon and trout. Plus, computer screens around the house can display any artwork youd like.

Related:

Bill Gates Got an Offer to Be Trump's Science Advisor and 26 Other Weird Things We've Learned About Him

Meet the Famous Retirees of the Business World

Tech Entrepreneurs Move Towards Philanthropy: 5 Most Charitable Business Leaders



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
A woman in Aurora, Colorado was cited by police officers Thursday after allegedly damaging a microwave at a 7-Eleven by placing a urine sample in the microwave, causing the urine to "explode."

According to a report from the Aurora Police Department obtained by 9 News, officers cited Angelique Sanchez, 26, who was found waiting for a physical and urinalysis at a health clinic a half-mile north of the 7-Eleven.

The report states that Sanchez entered the 7-Eleven and placed something in the microwave, but after a few seconds, the clerk heard a "loud bang."

RELATED: KGO's Mike Shumann announces resignation after jacket theft

The clerk told police that she saw Sanchez exit the store immediately after the explosion, and that there was "yellow liquid dripping from the microwave and the smell was unquestionably urine."

The clerk demanded that Sanchez clean up the mess, but Sanchez simply "wiped out the microwave onto the floor" and left the store.

This prompted the clerk to call the police, who were able to locate Sanchez at the health clinic waiting for the tests for a future job. According to the report, Sanchez told an officer that "she had cleaned up the mess and did not understand the problem."

"When I reminded her that urine blew up where people prepare their food, she told me it was not real urine," the officer wrote in the report.

MORE: The mysterious true story of the baffling man whose farm became Stanford

This is not the first time that urine has exploded in a 7-Eleven microwave after someone tried to heat up a urine sample.

Last year, police in Oregon responded to similar incident at a 7-Eleven when a "suspicious object" exploded in the store's microwave. Police evacuated the area and even brought in an explosives unit, only to learn that the "suspicious object" was really a urine sample wrapped in a hand warmer.

"It appears that whoever was on his/her way to do a drug test did not feel that it was warm enough, so they decided to microwave it at 7-Eleven," Beaverton Police Spokesperson Mike Rowe said at the time.
SANTA CLARA (BCN)

The city of Santa Clara is making extra efforts to ensure transparency in campaign funding for city elections after "dark money" was funneled into the 2016 City Council race, city officials said today.

Santa Clara officials said the city is the first mid-sized city in California to take action for "maximum fairness and transparency in local elections" by requiring the disclosure of political campaign contributions used to pay for ads and other methods to influence elections.

The City Council Ethics Committee led the effort to stop another occurrence of "dark money" funding, which targeted special interest issues in the 2016 City Council election.

The new law will have robust guidelines so voters have a better understanding of who is spending money and how much money is spent on candidates running for office and on ballot measures.

Santa Clara city councilmembers on April 24 unanimously approved conceptual terms of the new finance regulation.

The regulation requires contributors of $100 or more to any organization that spends money to affect a city election, either for or against, a city office or ballot measure, to report their identities to the city, according to city officials.

The council will take final action to enact the city-specific regulation at their May 15 meeting.

Currently, state rules do not require nonprofit multipurpose organizations to disclose campaign contributions and the identity of their donors if those organizations raise less than $50,000 during a 12-month period.

Violation of the new disclosure rules can lead to prosecution and civil action by a resident for an injunction and damages.

It can also lead to the disqualification of an elected official who benefited from the contribution from voting on a matter in which the contributor has a financial interest, among other penalties.

For those who have a contract with the city or a city agency, violations of the rule will be considered a material breach of contract and grounds for terminating the contract, Santa Clara officials said.

"Our city experienced 'dark money' in the past election and it created an undesired layer of distrust and concern from our voters that we absolutely had to address," Mayor Lisa Gillmor said in a statement. "This new regulation will allow voters to know who is funding efforts and provides the mechanism for the city to crack down on those who violate it."

The law is meant to augment state law, the California Government Code and the California Fair Political Practices Act, according to city officials.

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Oakland, Fremont and four other local governments in the state today joined California Attorney General Xavier Becerra's lawsuit challenging President Trump's plan to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.

The suit, which was filed in federal court in San Francisco on March 26 on behalf of the people of California, alleges that such a question could discourage non-citizens from participating in the census.

It also claims that the citizenship question is unconstitutional because the U.S. Constitution requires an "actual enumeration" of the full population, regardless of their citizenship status.

Becerra said in a statement that census counts are indispensable to local and state governments because they determine the need and funding for critical services, including disaster relief, public health, police and fire protection, school, transportation and housing development.

Los Angeles County and the cities of Long Beach, Stockton and Los Angeles also joined Becerra's suit today.

Becerra said, "California's fight to secure an accurate census of our nation's vibrant and diverse population has just been bolstered by our cities and counties. We welcome their partnership and look forward to working together."

Fremont City Attorney Harvey Levine said, "The plan to revive the citizenship question, not used since 1950, is bound to cause an undercount of those living in our city. With federal programs relying on the census count, our community will be cut off from funding intended for the most needy and vulnerable among us."

Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker said, "It is no secret that the Trump administration is dead set on reducing the voting power and federal funding for states like California and cities like Oakland whose residents overwhelmingly did not cast their votes for the current occupant of the White House."

Parker said, "The addition of a citizenship question clearly is a pretext for achieving that goal" and alleged that "this outlaw administration is attempting to undercount and disenfranchise diverse communities like Oakland and California."

Parker added, "The citizenship question will deprive California of federal funds to which it is entitled and which are critically needed."

On April 3, the city of San Francisco joined six other cities and 17 states in another suit challenging the citizenship question that was filed in federal court in New York City.

The city of San Jose filed a similar suit on April 17 in federal court in San Jose and another suit has been filed in federal court in Maryland by seven residents of Maryland and Arizona.

A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice has said the department looks forward to defending the suit of the citizenship question.
BERKELEY (BCN)

A parolee was arrested Thursday on suspicion of several sexual assault offenses that occurred in Berkeley in April, police said today.

Alphonso McInnis, a Berkeley resident, was arrested at 2:12 p.m. in the 1900 block of University Avenue and booked into jail for the alleged sexual assaults and for allegedly violating the terms of his parole.

He allegedly grabbed a girl from behind in the 1500 block of Addison Street on April 19, covered her mouth and pressed a gun into her side before walking her into the side yard of a home and sexually assaulting her.

Then in the early morning hours of April 28, he allegedly attacked a University of California at Berkeley student in the vicinity of College Avenue and Channing Way, chasing her to a residence hall and used a handgun in an attempt to push her in between two buildings.

She escaped and fled, according to police, but he allegedly chased her and a second physical struggle ensued at the entrance of Slottman Hall. The victim escaped a second time, and got to safety inside the hall.

The alleged struggle was caught on camera.

Based on the video evidence, investigators suspect that McInnis is responsible for both alleged offenses.

Police are asking anyone who may have additional video evidence of the alleged Addison Street assault to come forward and call the sex crimes detail at (510) 981-5716.

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RICHMOND (BCN)

A 23-year Richmond Police Department veteran who was fired amid accusations of leaking a document and lying about it will be reinstated, according to a city official.

"Following a hearing on April 6 ... I found there was insufficient evidence to support the charges that gave rise to the disciplinary action against (Capt. Mark Gagan)," Richmond City Manager Bill Lindsay said in an email to the mayor and City Council today.

Lindsay added that Gagan "will be reinstated to his former position of police captain as soon as reasonably possible."

Gagan lost his job Nov. 22 after an internal investigation sparked by a complaint from Richmond City Councilman Eduardo Martinez. The councilman approached Richmond Police Chief Allwyn Brown in late 2016 to find out who leaked a police report suggesting that Martinez was intoxicated when he reported a robbery.

Martinez was robbed in October after an event in Point Richmond at the Riggers Loft, a wine bar in Point Richmond. He drove two miles to the Marina Bay Inn and Suites and called police.

The police report on the incident said the councilman drove a city-issued car and smelled of alcohol, though he wasn't given a sobriety test. Somehow, the report ended up in the hands of a local TV station, which ran a story.

Gagan denied leaking the report, but lost his job nonetheless. He was accused of leaking the report and lying about having done so during the internal investigation.

Gagan said of his exoneration, "I am so relieved. I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders. I needed to clear my name."

He added, "There are a few things that have to be worked out before I'm back to work, but the biggest hurdle has been overcome."

Gagan added, "I am so grateful for the continual support I had throughout this yearlong ordeal."

Richmond Police Chief of Staff Lt. Felix Tan did not respond to an email requesting comment.

Martinez said, "I never thought Gagan would have done something like that. It's just not the Gagan I know. I'm glad he is back on the force. To me, he has always been the exemplary community policeman."

David Brown, the chair of the city's civilian police review commission, said, "Mark Gagan is a valuable asset to the people of Richmond and the Richmond Police Department. I look forward to working with him on his return."

As news of Gagan's exoneration spread, a number of people applauded the decision on the Facebook page, Everybody's Richmond California.

Ellen Gailing, a 38-year resident of Richmond said, "Mark Gagan has always been an asset to our community and the RPD. This has made my day!"

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Grassroots organizers from the Philippines are touring the U.S. to raise awareness about repressive conditions under Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte despite losing one of their speakers, organizers said Friday.

Jerome Aladdin Aba, a human rights advocate from the Philippines, was to be a guest speaker in the Stop the Killings Speaking Tour. When Aba arrived at San Francisco International Airport April 17, he was denied entry to the U.S., and he claims he was forced to strip naked in front of an industrial fan and provided with a gun and a hand grenade.
PACIFIC GROVE (BCN)

The 2018 Walk of Remembrance, a walk honoring the lives of early Chinese-American settlers, is slated to take place this afternoon at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History in Pacific Grove.

The Monterey Bay Lion Dance Team will lead the walk, beginning at 1 p.m. at the museum at 154 Forest Ave. and proceeding to Lovers Point, then along a bike trail to a village where a Chinese fishing village once stood.

Pacific Grove Mayor Pro Tem Robert Huitt and Gerry Low-Sabado, a fifth-generation descendant of people who lived at the fishing village, will take part. Low-Sabado will speak about her quest to tell her ancestors' Chinese-American story, and there will be a question and answer session.

Visitors to the museum can also visit an exhibit that tells the story of the Chinese fishing village.

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BEIJING  To the world, Chinas President Xi Jinping presents himself as a champion of free markets. At home, hes leading a campaign to promote the works of communist philosopher Karl Marx, who 150 years ago famously warned of the dangers of global capitalism.

Marx was Correct, declared a slickly produced TV special thats part of a state media campaign rolled out by Xis administration last week seeking to popularize Marx among younger Chinese raised in an era of market-style economic reform. The campaign featured a catchy theme song, dramatic readings, and an article titled Say Hi to Marx showing an illustration of the white-bearded Marx making a V-for-victory sign.

Today, we commemorate Marx in order to pay tribute to the greatest thinker in the history of mankind and also to declare our firm belief in the scientific truth of Marxism, Xi said in a speech Friday prominently displayed across state media platforms.

Its all about cementing the power of Xi and the ruling Communist Party and combatting liberal Western democratic concepts thought to threaten its rule, using a legacy dating way past the 1949 Chinese revolution, analysts say.

The promotion of Marx dovetails with a drive to Sinicize culture, religion and ideology by instilling social control through the teachings of the ancient philosopher Confucius, said Perry Link, an American expert on Chinese literature and politics.

Neither embrace has anything to do with intellectual content and everything to do with bolstering political power today, Link wrote in an email.

The Marx media blitz is mainly for domestic consumption. On the global stage, Xi is striving to cast his country as a modern champion of free trade. Last year, he became the first Chinese president to attend the World Economic Forum, a glitzy gathering of champagne-sipping globalists at a Swiss Alpine resort in Davos.

The Marxism mantra faces an uphill battle, though, given the widening gulf between the communist leadership and Chinese youth who tend to be enamored with celebrity gossip and irreverent social satire that goes viral across social media before it is censored.

Its extremely hard to push Marxism in modern China especially in this internet era. What it presents is severely unrealistic, said Zhang Lifan, a Beijing political analyst.

The new campaign is timed to coincide with the bicentennial of Marxs birth and the 170th anniversary of the publication of the Communist Manifesto.

Christopher Bodeen is an Associated Press writer.
PARIS  Under the close watch of French police, thousands of protesters in Paris danced, picnicked and railed against President Emmanuel Macron at a party marking his first year in office.

Police fired tear gas at troublemakers on the margins of the largely festive protest Saturday. Authorities deployed 2,000 officers to the event after violence and ransacking scarred a May Day protest in the French capital last week.

Stop Macron! read placards at Saturdays rally in front of Paris famed Opera Garnier. Demonstrators then marched through tourist-filled neighborhoods toward the Bastille plaza in eastern Paris.

Organizers of Saturdays march, the far-left party Defiant France, planned the event around the anniversary of Macrons May 7, 2017 election. He was inaugurated a week later, and quickly moved forward with broad changes to Frances labor rules to increase the nations global competitiveness.

Protesters are angry at reforms led by Macron, a centrist former investment banker, such as cutting some worker protections and increasing police powers.

This regime is a regime thats an authoritarian regime. We are in a soft dictatorship and we have concerns about guarantees of individual freedoms and the guarantee of fundamental rights, said protester Roselyne Gonle-Luillier, a judge.

Macron won the presidency on a wave of disillusionment at Frances traditional parties, beating far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in a runoff. But many voters are disgruntled and fear that he his dismantling the French way of life.

What we want specifically is to resist, show him (Macron) our anger, show him that there are some French people who did not vote for him, do not agree with what he is trying to do, said Sylvie Brissonneau, who will soon retire.

One of Macrons reforms is raising taxes for retirees.

Macron was far from the demonstration Saturday, wrapping up a visit to New Caledonia as the South Pacific archipelago prepares to vote on whether to break free of French rule.

France would not be the same without New Caledonia, Macron said, but he was careful not to openly campaign for the territory to stay French when it holds an independence referendum in November.

The territory east of Australia has about 270,000 inhabitants. New Caledonia already enjoys a broad degree of autonomy, but is an important part of Frances overseas holdings that stretch from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean and the northeast coast of Canada.

Jeffrey Schaeffer is an Associated Press writer.
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School teachers and principals are "drowning in paperwork", costing them critical time for preparing classes and threatening their core job of educating children, research has found.

A University of Sydney study of more than 18,000 public school teachers and principals across NSW found 97.3 per cent reported an increase in administration duties over the past five years. More than 95 per cent were spending more time on analysing and reporting data.

While their paperwork has dramatically increased, teachers and principals say administration and curriculum support from the NSW Department of Education has decreased. This has led teachers to do an increasing amount of work at home to avoid the extra burden having an impact on students in the classroom.

Susan McGrath-Champ, left, Associate Professor in Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney, and Joan Lemaire, NSW Teachers Federation deputy president.

Susan McGrath-Champ, Associate Professor in Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney Business School, said an online survey conducted early this year showed increasing workloads were limiting the capacity of educators to give their "fullest attention" to teaching and learning.
Mr Worrall said it was the expectation of what you have to provide in an exhibition of this value. "Jewellery and paintings are very different," he said. "If you steal a Van Gogh, you can't sell it anywhere because everyone knows that that's the Van Gogh that is missing. Whereas jewellery is very portable and easily changes hands, so there's perceived to be much greater risk around jewellery of the size of the works that has meant that security is so high." In a career spanning three decades, Mr Worrall said the security logistics around this exhibition were "like nothing that I've dealt with". The show has been three years in the making and does not fail to disappoint.

But the security wasn't the only challenging aspect. "It's been a really tricky show to pull together," Mr Worrall said, as about one-third of the pieces have come from private collections. "Traditionally you just write to lenders and they write back, and you're generally dealing with institutions that know about loaning objects to a gallery. This is a totally different ball game to most of the exhibitions that we do. "That has been the challenging bit - how do you write to the Queen to ask for seven pieces of Cartier jewellery that are in her personal collection?" "We got a lot of advice from people we hadn't worked with before about how do you approach people to get things from their personal collections."

Mr Worrall said the gallery wrote to the keeper of the Queen's collection who in turn spoke to the Queen. "We got a letter back, middle of last year, from the keeper of the Queen's collection. The most amazing letter I've ever received, on the royal letterhead, explaining that they'd met with Her Majesty and Her Majestys dresser to work out what jewellery she will be wearing between May and September 2018, and she's really happy to say that she's loaning five of the seven works you've asked for." Mr Worrall said the Queen was "incredibly generous" in what she loaned to the National Gallery of Australia, including pieces like the Halo tiara Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge wore on her wedding day. Adam Worrall with the tiara the Duchess of Cambridge wore on her wedding day. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong When the packing boxes arrived housing the Queen's personal jewellery, inside, Mr Worrall said he was amazed to find the pieces in their original Cartier packaging.

"When you commission [jewellery like] a tiara, they actually make you the most beautiful Cartier box that perfectly supports the work inside. It articulates when you open it, so when you open the lid of the box a little flap actually lifts up the tiara a little bit, so it's facing you when you open the box and you can easily lift it out." "That was so exciting to see that these had been so beautifully cared for that the original packing they would have been given to the original owner in still existed and travelled around the world." The Queen's Cartier on show in Canberra also includes the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace she wore in the 1950s for the portrait that usually hangs in Parliament House, of Her Majesty pictured among touches of wattle. The Queen has loaned pieces from her personal collection to the show, including the Halo Tiara. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong The portrait is on loan to the gallery, appearing beside the necklace.

"It's the first time in 60 years that that portrait and that necklace she was wearing have actually been brought back together and displayed together since the painting was painted. Australians have seen that painting at Parliament House, it's the painting of the Queen that is on display, so to have it here in the National Gallery is great and to have it with the necklace is even more extraordinary." Mr Worrall points to some of his favourite pieces around the exhibition - which tend to be the ones with the largest gems. He admitted that three years ago, he was "a total non-jewellery fan". A special tour of the Cartier workshop in Paris changed that for him. "I had no understanding of what fine jewellery was, but going through the workshop really transforms your understanding of what great jewellery is. "I became a bit of a convert pretty quickly."

While there has been public skepticism levelled at the exhibition, Mr Worrall said the gallery was confident that the works belonged there. "The artistic skill required to make what they make is equivalent of any great artist around the world. You can see it in the quality of the work they do." One thing was for sure, the security measures in place meant Mr Worrall, for once, gets a sound night's sleep. "Because of the level of security involved, I am quietly confident that this exhibition is absolutely safe when I go home at night," he said. "Everything in the exhibition is locked behind glass, this is rare for me. I have greater concern over a big painting show where it's easier for someone to trip over and put their hand out if they fall and put it through a great Italian masterpiece or something like that. This exhibition is totally secure, I have no concern about that at all."
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size It is perfect Sydney beach weather and a public holiday but Akira Isogawa is working. The celebrated Japanese-born designer is in his creative headquarters, a former factory in the inner west suburb of Marrickville, and he has a lot going on. Downstairs, seamstresses are breathing life into his latest fashion range, a vivid collection which will premiere on the catwalk of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia on May 17. Upstairs, curators from the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences have been sifting through the hundreds of garments that make up Isogawas archives. The museum plans to host a December exhibition, and publish a book, to celebrate the designers retail milestone of 25 years. Amidst this and the roar of planes (we are under the Sydney Airport flight path), Isogawa is doing his best to concentrate on our interview  a discussion about his life, work and what its like being eternally surrounded by fragments of beauty. Suddenly, it sounds as though heavy rain is hitting the steel door of his warehouse. Someone is weeing, the 53-year-old says with an apologetic giggle. A nearby building hosts dance parties and when hes working late, which is not uncommon, this sort of activity happens all the time. Isogawas new fashion range is based on prints from 1980s vintage textiles, which seems to slightly surprise him: I never thought 80s was old enough to be vintage really because if you lived the 80s, does that make you vintage too? His concept revolves around a girl marooned on a tropical island who is a bit dishevelled  all the clothes that she is wearing are a little faded. Her garments are beautiful and she is stylish, accessorised in edgy adornments such as ear-cuffs, handcuffs and rings fashioned from silver and pearls  a new jewellery collection Isogawa created with Sydney designer Jan Logan. But fashion is not on the girls mind.

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She is thinking how is she going to survive? Isogawa says, pinpointing a sense of survival [in] the current mood, generally speaking. And being in business for so long  I feel, My God, I survived. Loading In fact, since Isogawa arrived in Sydney from his birth city of Kyoto in 1986, he has done much more than that. He studied design at East Sydney Tech and in 1993 opened his first boutique (which he quietly closed last year) in Woollahra. Three years later he showed at the inaugural Australian fashion week. By 1998 he had hit Paris and was presenting twice-yearly collections on the international scene. He branched into costume design (think Sydney Dance and the Australian Ballet) and homewares (such as designer rugs) and attracted accolades (one of which saw him in 2007 crowned Australias first Fashion Laureate) and attention from cultural institutions. Exhibitions took place everywhere from the National Gallery of Victoria to Sydneys Museum of Contemporary Art and, thanks to Australia Posts 2005 Australian Legends series, he even appeared on a stamp. Isogawa was one of six designers on a 2005 Australian Legends stamps series. How all this happened is intriguing given that high fashion is a landscape of peacock provocateurs. Yet Isogawa comes across as ego-free, only mildly engaged by social media and relatively uninterested in trends. His beautifully crafted designs are timeless and his approach unusual. As he puts it: A garment can transcend, giving it a soul. Stories swirl around him. Of the fashionista who has every Akira garment she buys copied, so she can wear the replicas and archive the originals. Of the early catwalk show when Isogawa realised he couldnt afford shoes so he dressed all his models in bright red socks. Of the later show, when he uncharacteristically lingered on the catwalk, apparently lapping up the applause. To some, it seemed Isogawa was finally accepting acclaim rather than hiding. In fact, he had almost broken his leg the night before and was in such pain he couldnt walk away.

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Isogawa: "There is no compromising." Credit:Louise Kennerley Isogawa doesnt do things the easy way. He has long-time creative collaborators (key among them stylist Kelvin Harries and artist Christiane Lehmann) but no business partner, and there is evidence of strain. When asked if he owns this warehouse, he responds by saying, Its mortgaged, laughingly putting both hands to his throat as though he is throttling himself, and adding, Yeah. So. Thats how it is right now. Nonetheless, in terms of the vision  there is no compromising or surrendering. Those words do not exist. It helps that Isogawa needs only five hours sleep a night and possesses a formidable work ethic, something he puts down to his upbringing. Although he draws the line at discussing his personal life, about which he will say no more than that he has a partner and lives in Sydneys Surry Hills, he is happy to rake over the past. As he does so, another theme emerges  that of being an outsider. Isogawa's mother, Tomiko, and items from her sewing kit. Credit:Louise Kennerley Isogawa was born on December 25, 1964 into a Kyoto family where tradition was everything, discipline was high, expectations were fierce and much remained unsaid. Isogawas mother, Tomiko, never talked about the fact that her own mother, the long-term mistress of a rich businessman who lost her home when her lover died, adopted out Tomiko at the age of four. Isogawas father, Hisao, belonged to a clan that was profoundly protective of its bloodline. Isogawas had lived in the same location for hundreds of years but male heirs were in short supply. The birth of Akiras brother, Takeshi, in 1960 was a big deal, marking the first child of its generation who could carry on the family line.

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I remember seeing pictures of my grandmother holding him at a Shinto shrine and blessing him, says the designer who recalls realising there was no such photograph of him. I dont think they bothered, he says. It would have cost them a lot of money to do that so they would have kept a record of it. But I couldnt find it, so they didnt do it. He shakes his head. They didnt do it. Isogawa with his family crest, worn on his mother's kimono. Credit:Louise Kennerley Neither Takeshi nor Akira were what their parents expected. The young Takeshi was violent and disruptive so by the time the introverted Akira was born their mother had quit her job in the Japanese bureaucracy to spend more time at home. She started a home-based drycleaning business, and Akira grew up surrounded by kimonos, refusing to do sport and spending his time drawing. Since I was little, I knew I didnt fit in, he says. I remember being told by my brother when I was in primary school, You are strange, really strange  He told me, Do you know you are not part of our family? You were found under the bridge. His father was quite absent  he always worked, Isogawa says. Hed often come home at midnight or 1am  often really drunk. One night I got up and I went to the bathroom, it could have been two in the morning and he was sleeping in the hallway. I thought he was dead. High school did nothing to alleviate the sense of entrapment. One of the cleverest boys committed suicide by jumping from a school window.

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He always had the best mark, we couldnt believe it, says the designer. But he would have [been under] an enormous amount of pressure. The teenage Isogawa became enamoured by designer clothes (walking into Kyotos Comme des Garcons store proved pivotal) and rebelling. By 20 he was working as a waiter in a karaoke bar, desperate to get away. He arrived in Sydney on a working holiday in February 1986 with little money and no English. He quickly discovered the Recreational Arts Team, an eclectic group now credited as pioneers of Sydneys dance party culture, and started designing costumes for their so-called RAT parties. Some of those he met then remain friends to this day. In 1987 he briefly returned to Kyoto and realised I wont survive there. "Unbelievable": Naomi Campbell in an Akira dress, Vogue Australia 1997. Fashion journalist Marion Hume discovered his work 10 years later, shortly after she arrived in Sydney from London to edit Vogue Australia. Hume put supermodel Naomi Campbell in a beautiful red Akira dress, had the image shot by top international photographer Peter Lindberg and ran it on her new magazines cover. It was a turning point in my career, it exposed me to the world stage, says Isogawa. I find that is more unbelievable than when I think about that than what is happening now.

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Don Cummins was the lead official responsible for decommissioning Lake Mokoan when he was chair of Goulburn Murray Water - Australia's largest rural water corporation, controlling about 70 per cent of Victoria's stored water and operator of the giant Hume Dam on the Murray - from 2004 to 2007. "It was losing 55 gigalitres [billion litres] a year into the atmosphere" through evaporation, Cummins tells Fairfax Media. "It was only about 12-foot deep." Public debate was intense; even some farming families who had been evicted to make way for the dam in the 1970s were opposed to the decommissioning. "It was a rare victory - one for the environment," he says, adding that "the cost was enormous". On a recent visit, the wetlands were resplendently green amid a worsening drought that is spreading across northern Victoria and southern NSW amid record hot temperatures. For the January-April period, rainfall for the Murray-Darling Basin is running at 86 millimetres, or half the average level, according to Blair Trewin, senior climatologist with the Bureau of Meteorology. That's the driest start for the basin since 2005, but for Victoria overall, it's been 51 years since the first four months of any year have been this dry.

'A case of bastardry' That Tuesday's scheduled vote should coincide with a worsening dry spell only heightens anxiety about which way the result will go. Back in February, the Greens and crossbench senators managed to secure Labor's support to disallow 70 gigalitres of water savings earmarked for the northern section of the basin. This time around, the amount at stake nearly 10 times larger - at 605 gigalitres a year - and draws in the nation's key food bowl regions, such as the NSW Riverina and the Goulburn Valley. The Murray River winds through the Murray Valley National Park. Credit:Nick Moir

And unlike the northern basin, the stench of alleged water theft and widespread non-compliance in NSW - revealed last July by ABC's Four Corners - is largely absent. Jamie Pittock, a researcher at the Australian National University and a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, says the plan's issues for the southern basin are - if anything -worse, because the parties "are playing by the rules, more or less". "The southern basin is a case of bastardry by the state governments to deliberately undermine, or stop key elements of the basin plan," Pittock says. "In many respects, it's much more dangerous to the future of the basin than the cowboys in the north." 'A positive effect' Certainly, all agree the southern basin is highly regulated, with canals dotted at regular intervals with solar-powered meters, and a closely monitored water market.

Sam Birrell, chief executive of the Greater Shepparton Committee, is concerned such compliance might not be so assured in the future if the changes to the plan get blocked in the Senate next week. "Id be amazed if that got disallowed," Birrell tells Fairfax Media. The initial implementation of the plan in 2012 brought out "a lunatic fringe" that he hopes doesn't return. Loading "Right-wing groups [were] driving tractors up and down the street ... It was real militant," he says. The 36 projects linked to the plan amendments are "really positive projects, that use water better for the environment", he says. "Theyll have a positive effect on the river and the forest around - the Goulburn and the Murray [rivers] arent in a bad condition", compared with some parts.

Birrell, who grew up on a property beside the Goulburn at Murchison, says "everyone believes in the river". His region, though, has already given up too much in water buybacks and other changes, and can't afford further cuts in its access to water. Our fear with the MurrayDarling Basin Plan is that so much water has gone from permanent licences here," he says. "We feel were at a tipping point, if [another] significant amount of water left this region, next time we get to a dry period ... theres not enough in the pool for the farms that need to buy," he says. The losses could "get to a point where the dairy industry, in particular, just cant stand that. 'Process remains broken'

The politics ahead of the vote are clear at the state level but less so at the federal one. Lisa Neville, Victoria's water minister, has her sights set on nine environmental projects in her state. Some include the use of pumps and pipes to support water to wetlands - some of which are supposed to be protected under international conventions. "I have written to all Victorian senators asking them to support the 605-gigalitre [amendment] and its projects, and I am confident that it will be supported," Neville said. According to Birrell, Neville "has been a really strong advocate for this region on these matters ... with, I suspect, little political advantage to her". A November state election is one near-term factor. Support from Suzanna Sheed, an independent MP based in Shepparton, could be crucial if the results of the polls are close. Neville's NSW counterpart, Niall Blair, has been more low-key this time around. After February's senate vote to disallow the northern basin changes involving 70 gigalitres in annual savings, he vowed to extricate his state from the overall plan.

"NSW under my stewardship will now start the process of withdrawing ourselves from the plan," Blair said at the time. Blair said his government's position remains unchanged and that as long as the northern basin review remains disallowed - involving those 70 gigalitres in savings - "the process remains broken". "Should these amendments be disallowed by the Senate [on Tuesday], the basin plan is simply not implementable," he said. David Littleproud, the federal agriculture minister - perhaps unusually for a Nationals MP - is seen as something of a villain in Shepparton even though he has been pushing for the plan amendments. Their failure in the Senate next week would "restart the water wars and cause great uncertainty in country communities", he told Fairfax Media.

Federal Labor's vote will be key, and its water spokesman Tony Burke is expected to negotiate right up until the Senate division. Labor wants a firm commitment of 450 gigalitres of water promised for the environment, and "more certainty" that the 36 supply projects will deliver the results, among other demands. "Labor is not seeking to re-litigate the plan nor is Labor seeking to undermine the independence of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority," Burke says. 'No reason to rush' The role of the authority, in fact, is among the more contentious issues. The body has repeatedly stated its support for the amendments "which it recommended based on a rigorous, CSIRO-approved methodology, [that is] independently reviewed and verified". Changes to the Murray-Darling Basin will be put to a vote in the Senate. Credit:Nick Moir

However, as reported by Fairfax Media, the authority has itself raised many concerns about the risks some of the 36 projects could fail to deliver their promised environmental returns and may even counter gains made by previous investments. For instance, the structural changes to the Menindee Lakes - alone intended to account for about one-sixth of the 605-gigalitre savings - involve environmental risks that must be mitigated, according to the Wentworth Group which analysed the authority's own assessments. Lake Cawndilla, for example, is hailed by the authority as a key resource for the golden perch, but "there is potential for adverse ecological impacts" from the related project, the authority said. "It's a prime case of a key environmental asset, in the case of the golden perch, being stuffed up by a state government focused on these [Sustainable Diversion Limit] projects to reduce water recovery for [the use of] irrigation," Pittock says. Similarly, the $54 million already spent on the Great Darling Anabranch Project could be undermined by the new project, the authority found, according to documents released by an order for production sought by Rex Patrick, the SA Centre Alliance senator.

Senator Patrick said the reluctance of the authority - and the governments - to reveal the business cases of the projects should give the public reason to demand a postponement in any vote to alter the basin plan. "There is no reason to rush this," he says. 'Condemning all of their ... wetlands' The Goulburn, though, presents another issue that reveals how poorly the current plan is operating. So-called constraints prevent pulses of environmental water - often bought back from farmers at the taxpayers' expense - from overflowing the banks of rivers and getting to the remaining flood-dependent ecosystems such as the red gum forests. These include national parks along the Goulburn. Despite having a pool of $140 million to help shore up infrastructure or compensate landholders affected by short-term floods, it only takes a handful of landholders to object to prevent over-bank flooding. "By not allowing managed floods higher than the Goulburn bank, theyre essentially condemning all of their floodplain wetlands to being lost, to drying out and becoming terrestrial forests or farmland," Pittock says.
Elyse Knowles wears Acler for Myer. Credit:Lucas Dawson Photography

In case you hadn't realised, Australian labels are in hot demand. Just last week, actress Blake Lively posted a photo of herself in a new-season Zimmermann dress, while Meghan Markle may have helped save Oroton when she wore one of its bags, with a Camilla and Marc blazer no less, a couple of weeks back.

And in less than a week's time, all eyes will be on Australia, specifically Sydney, for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia, where some of the country's top labels, as well as plenty of newbies, will show what they have in store for later in the year. Here are the brands to watch.

Acler

Powered by the Adelaide-based duo of Kathryn Forth and Julia Ritorto, the three-year-old brand has become a favourite of the Australian celebrity set, including Nadia Bartel. With a style credo typical of much more established labels, Acler's resort range will no doubt include feminine yet structural pieces, and a ruffle or two. More recently, the pair have focused on the brand's shirting, one of its best-performing categories. Other celebrity fans include Halle Berry and Hailey Baldwin.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that fashion loving folk flock, camp overnight and fight to get into any type of product launch that involves Kanye West's brand, Yeezy.

That is now fake news.

Back in 2016, Australian fans of the rapper and fashion designer queued for more than five hours at a time on a Bondi street before they were able to buy official merchandise of his Pablo tour.

On Saturday at 9am-sharp, West's latest collaboration with Australian sportswear brand 2XU went on sale.

Fanfare and mass hysteria were forecast.
For heroine Offred of The Handmaid's Tale, the trigger was the smell of bread in the kitchen. For Marcel Proust, a miniature sponge cake dipped in tea led to one of the greatest works of French literature. For celebrity chef Maggie Beer, the thought of a childhood feast of golden syrup dumplings made her "whole body smile".

It floods my mind with memories of afternoons of BMX riding and Rubiks Cubes. Credit:Jennifer Soo

And for you, the sensory trigger could be hot buttered toast, tuck shop fish-and-chips or your nonna's spaghetti and meatballs.

These are all examples of food nostalgia  the powerful link between the sights, tastes and smells of food and your most treasured memories. The food manufacturers know it. And they exploit it, tapping into the delicate interplay between sense and memory to sell the taste of your childhood back to you.

"Search for websites with the word 'candy' combined with 'vintage', 'retro', or 'nostalgia', and it becomes readily apparent that many people use candy as a pathway to the past," wrote John S. Allen, author of The Omnivorous Mind: Our Evolving Relationship with Food.
One of the designs for Parliament House that didn't make the cut. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos With the existing parliament house bursting at the seams, and the dismissal of Gough Whitlam in 1975 sparking a revival in the Australian political process, archives curator Laura Cook says the late 1970s saw a renewed interest for a more permanent home for parliament. "During the five-year period [after Whitlam's dismissal] there was a revival in the interest of an Australian symbol of parliament," she said. From 1975 the National Capital Development Authority spent four years planning for a new, and more permanent, Parliament House, with a design competition announced in April 1979. Dr Cook says 961 architectural firms registered for the competition, each paying a $50 deposit and in return receiving a large blue book from the authority, outlining the process and the future significance of the building.

National Archives curator Dr Laura Cook with the original first-stage designs for Parliament House. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos "The brief was so exact and descriptive. It had to cover everything from the loading dock, to storage space for toilet paper, to then also creating a symbol of democracy for the Australian people," she said. While almost 1000 firms registered for the competition, just 329 submitted an entry for the first stage, which required a report as well as 10 drawings of the plans. Just five designs were selected to advance through to the next stage, meaning some of the world's best architects missed out, including a design by renowned Australian architect Harry Seidler. Among the designs that didn't make the cut were a spaceship-looking parliament, when if seen from above, looked like a giant map of Australia, complete with a bridge extending to a standalone Tasmania.

Out of the five that went through to the next stage, two of the firms were Australian, one from the UK, one from Canada and one from the US, however, all the teams had to have at least one Australian citizen. One of the finalist's designs for Parliament House. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos If a design from a finalist firm from London, Bickerdike Allen Partners, had won, Parliament House could have looked reminiscent of a building out of Blade Runner, with a whole lot of concrete involved. "All the finalists had the greatest potential to be further developed and the architects had a sympathetic approach to the natural environment," Dr Cook said. In the end, it was this sympathetic approach that saw New York firm Mitchell/Giurgola & Thorpe take out the top honours.

'A big respect for Griffin' Guida said one of the main focuses of the building was accessibility. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong While many people think that Parliament House is underground, Harold Guida sees it in a different way. "It's a building with a grass roof in the middle. That form of making a landscape with the building is a very unusual one in architecture," he says. "We had a big respect and regard for [Walter Burley] Griffin's plan for Canberra, and we wanted to engage with the plan and the city."

Designed by Romaldo Giurgola, the plan for Parliament House was announced as the winner on June 26, 1980. Originally asked to be a panellist to select the winning design, Giurgola declined the offer, wanting to submit his own design for the national capital. As a design co-ordinator, Guida was responsible for meeting with all the project's different teams to ensure a unified design. "The design process was difficult, the parliament had lots of different uses and lots of functioning groups," he says. Guida worked as a design coordinator during parliament's construction. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

"It required a fair bit of attention to keep consistency but to also allow symbolic differences to occur as you move throughout the building. "What we intended was the front entrance to be without steps, so it gave access to parliament to the public where they could engage in the process." It was the design's openness that curried a lot of favour with the assessors, who praised its accessibility in their final report for the selection process. "It properly reserves the top of the hill for the use and enjoyment of the people of Australia," the report reads. "So far from the new Parliament House glowering down, forbidding and inaccessible, people will walk and children will clamber and play all over its roof.

"A further attractive feature of the winning scheme is its simple imagery. It is capable of naive graphic representation: children will not only be able to climb on the building, but draw it easily too." The report said the design kept with Griffin's original plan for Canberra, as well as being non-intrusive. "Visitors can penetrate the heart of the building without intruding on users' activities or compromising security," the report says. "Security should be able to be maintained with a minimum of overt "police presence"." Construction began on the project in 1981, with a deadline of Australia Day, 1988, with the initial pricetag expected to cost $220 million. It would eventually open on May 9, the anniversary of the opening of Old Parliament House, with the final costings at more than $1 billion.

Changing plans The original report estimated that up to 800 construction workers would be on site at any one time during the building phase. It's estimated that10,000 people were involved in the construction of Parliament House in some way. Construction of Parliament House started in 1981. Contractor Dave Cavill was one of them, who worked on the project in steel fixing from May 1982 until 1987. "I worked all over the western side of the building, which was all of the Senate chamber and all of the Senate offices," he said.

"Our job was fixing the reinforced steel before all the concrete was poured into the columns. We had an average of around 12 people working in the team, but on some days it would be in the thirties." Due to the size of the construction, both the design and the construction phases were undertaken at the same time, meaning the architects had to work quickly to keep ahead of the building efforts. For Cavill, it meant that plans for the nation's parliament were constantly changing. "You would get a drawing for a particular design in the morning, and then it would be superseded by plans in the afternoon, and this almost happened daily. Apart from that, it was a normal construction," he said. The original cost of Parliament House was slated at more than $200 million. The final price tag was $1 billion.

However, the build wasn't entirely without problems, Cavill said. Parts of the project were built using American standards instead of Australian standards, making some of the fire doors initially too narrow. The building also ended up being one metre higher than planned, with digging into Capital Hill stopped just short of the original target in order to meet the 1988 deadline "Some of the doors they initially contained, because when it went to tender, it didn't specifically say that it had to be asbestos free in the contract," Cavill said. "So for a while, all the fire doors in the building contained asbestos and they all had to be replaced." While Cavill said he's worked on many major building projects in Canberra, Parliament House remained one of the most significant.

"We're all very proud of the work we did up there. It was a huge thing," he said. Queen Elizabeth II attends the opening of the new Parliament House in Canberra on May 5, 1988. Credit:Fairfax Archives Open to the public From the moment it opened on May 9, 1988, Parliament House was already an instantly recognisable icon in Canberra. The Canberra Times reported more than 25,000 Canberrans attended the opening, with the Queen officially unlocking the building.

Among the guests of honour were then-Prime Minister Bob Hawke, then-Opposition Leader John Howard, with the national anthem sung by Yvonne Kenny, and John Farnham being among the official guests inside the building for the reception. The opening was also marked by a flyover of 12 RAAF jets, as well as a 21-gun salute. While he initially lived in the US during his early years as an architect, Harold Guida now calls Canberra home and still works closely with the building. "We helped to design the new fences and security modifications in the building over the past couple of years," he said. "Like many things that have changed in the world since 1988, security is one of the most important aspects of public buildings everywhere in the world now."
When video footage emerged a couple of weeks ago of the appalling deaths of Australian sheep while en route to the Middle East, it triggered widespread community outrage and sparked a growing wave of calls for a ban to live animal exports.

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Now, more images have surfaced from the same journey, and they show in even more graphic detail the absolutely hellish conditions these animals died in. But they also show the plight of the crew who were left to - literally - clean up the stinking mess.

The footage, filmed last August by a whistleblower and provided to Animals Australia, shows sheep carcasses disintegrating in the hands of workers. The men wear gumboots but no protective gear, standing in a deep slurry of animal waste.

Our reporter Latika Bourke spoke to former live export vet Lynne Simpson, who said the state of the carcasses showed the extreme heat the sheep endured before being "boiled to death".
Jane* was brought up as a devout Mormon in Melbourne. "From the age of 12, you get probing questions about whether you have any unclean thoughts," she said. "You get told you should be ashamed of having any sort of sexual thoughts or being inquisitive. Loading "To be honest, I lied  I wasn't going to be telling this man (a Mormon bishop), who is friends with my parents, that I had sexual thoughts." Before they can attend the Mormon temple  an important religious milestone  children must undergo so-called "worthiness interviews" with bishops, who are akin to lay preachers.

A church handbook for senior religious figures, seen by The Age, lists matters for discussion with children, which include "moral cleanliness" and "refraining from any kind of sexual activity", including pornography. Later as a teenager, Jane started dating a young Mormon man. She says she was beaten and raped by him but was told by church authorities not to go to police. "You are taught that being impure sexually is next to murder, it would be better to die fighting off a rape than to be raped," she said. 'I drank the Kool-Aid' Shawn was raised a Mormon and travelled overseas as a missionary.

"I drank the Kool-Aid when I was a Mormon, everything the Mormon Church said about sexuality and sexual values I followed 1000 per cent," he said. Ex-Mormon, Shawn Credit:Dominic Lorrimer He moved to Australia at 21 as an "extremely devout" Mormon before an "epiphany" several years later led to him to question his faith. From a young age, Shawn was asked by Mormon leaders if he kept the "law of chastity" and if he was being sexually pure. At 18, when he was about to go to the UK as a missionary, he was asked "point blank" by a church leader whether he had a "masturbation problem". The leader had a day job as an engineer, and no training in psychology. Shawn was consumed by "immense" shame and guilt and would confess to a senior church figure every time he masturbated. He was asked to check in weekly.

"I had no idea about sex at all," he said. Shawn says he believed that sex was "evil" and when he started dating a fellow Mormon he was asked explicit questions. When a senior church leader found out he had intimately touched his girlfriend, he took that to a higher religious figure in the church. 'Sharing feelings' A representative of the church in Australia defended the questioning of children about sexual purity and said there were times when a discussion of "moral cleanliness" was appropriate.

"They [church leaders] are counselled to not be unnecessarily probing or invasive in their questions, but should allow a young person to share their experiences, struggles and feelings," the spokesman said. When a church leader meets a child or young person they are encouraged to ask a parent to be in an adjoining room. After public pressure from current and former Mormons, the church's headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, recently tweaked its policy to allow a parent or adult to be in the room with the young person if they "prefer". It did not stop children from being interviewed one on one. A therapist and wife of a Mormon bishop, Julie de Azevedo Hanks, recently told The Salt Lake Tribune the questioning about sex was "intrusive" and "inappropriate." In no other situation would a parent allow or encourage their minor child to have sexual conversations with an adult,'' she said.

The church spokesman said leaders are told to seek professional assistance when they hear of abuse. "We condemn any inappropriate behaviour or abuse, regardless of where or when it occurs." People gather for a mass resignation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City in 2015 after the church targeted gay members and their children. Credit:AP Power imbalance The recently completed royal commission into child sex abuse in Australia received 18 allegations of abuse relating to Mormon institutions. In correspondence to the royal commission, obtained by the Sunday Age, one Mormon man wrote in graphic terms about his experience of "worthiness interviews" and the "humiliating" process.

"As you can imagine there is a major power imbalance having a child sit across from a male adult who is 'called of God', being asked to give an accounting of their 'dirty' habits," he wrote. He criticised the church's "obsessive" emphasis on questioning children and listed typical questions that are asked in interviews including whether children looked at pornography or masturbated. Commissioner Andrew Murray said in response that he had read with "considerable concern" the account of "abuse" from the Mormon man. 'Have you done this?' Stephanie McLean said her interviews were not as graphic as some others.

Other Mormons describe a process of "bishop roulette", where the questioning was more or less explicit depending on who your leader was. "I had to go through the interviews," McLean said. "I had those same questions, have you done this? Have you done that?" She said that once she had done her worthiness interviews, she was able to go to Mormon Temple and participate in the baptisms of dead people, including people she did not know. Mormons believe they should share the "blessings" of baptism with dead people who were never baptised as Mormons while living. That is often their ancestors. Mormons believe the dead can then choose to accept or reject the baptism in the afterlife.

Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin and Jewish Holocaust survivors are among those posthumously baptised as Mormons. I was dunked 20 times in 15 minutes,'' McLean said. Mormonism, she said, was "really a full immersion experience, they want you there all the time" including many hours before school and on weekends. ''It's highly conditional. You can't just be an Easter and Christmas Mormon, it doesn't work that way." *Jane's name has been changed to protect her privacy.
With its liquor stores, bars, clubs and pubs, including the infamous Coogee Bay Hotel, this beachside suburbs makes it easy to quench your thirst.

But a proposal to build a Dan Murphy's bottle shop on the site of the former Randwick Rugby Club has divided residents, angered the council and led to three court cases.

Woolworths successfully argued in the Land and Environment Court that a proposed Dan Murphy's liquor store in Coogee would not adversely affect the neighbourhood. Credit:Endeavour Drinks Group

In the latest judgment, the Land and Environment Court sided with Woolworths, which owns Dan Murphy's. Senior Commissioner Susan Dixon accepted expert evidence that there was an inconclusive link between the consumption of alcohol and violence.

There is no conclusive correlation between domestic violence as a consequence of the consumption of alcohol, or any satisfactory evidence before me to distinguish between alcohol consumed at or on premises or a packaged liquor venue, she said.
The girls will spend the next six months on the orthopaedic ward while Mrs Luk and her husband Bernard commute to their Glenhaven home to care for their eldest daughter Lana, 9. Metal pins drilled into the girls' skulls were fixed to the halo device, which was then connected to weights on a pulley system that will be increased to gradually stretch out their spines. Further spinal fusion surgeries will fix their vertebrae in place. Mrs Luk said the day of the surgeries was nerve-wracking but "magnetic, cheeky, adventurous" Maddy and "quiet observer" Briella were soon "back to their normal selves". "I think all in all [the girls] have been about as accepting of it all as they could be. I guess they have their own coping mechanisms."

The Luks were living in Hong Kong and Lana was one when they were told at their 14-week scan their second child could have Down syndrome. Tests later showed skeletal abnormalities. Nicole Luk said her daughter Briella, 4, was soon back to her normal "quiet observer" self soon after surgery. Credit:Louise Kennerley "There are about 200 possible genetic causes for that kind of thing and at the time we didn't know exact diagnosis," Mrs Luk said. Mrs Luk said it was a worrying time because some of those conditions were lethal. The couple was given the option to terminate once doctors diagnosed Maddy with diastrophic dysplasia. "We knew if it was a condition that was compatible with life that it's just a physical disability, a physical difference and ... the life potential is still great despite those challenges.

"Knowing that it could've been far worse helped us to accept the physical disability because we just wanted [Maddy] to live and have a good life, and she does." Briella and Maddy will offer each other "company and commiseration" during their months-long stay at The Children's Hospital at Westmead. Credit:Louise Kennerley The disorder is an autosomal recessive condition, which means both parents carry a mutated gene. Each of the Luk's children had a 25 per cent chance of being affected. Briella was born with the condition almost three years later. The sisters will have to be monitored as their bones continue to grow to adult size and face more medical procedures, but are otherwise healthy.

"A lot of people might look at us and feel sorry for us, and I understand," Mrs Luk said. "But I don't want people feeling sorry for us. My kids are happy and in many ways just normal kids. That said, I do believe more research

needs to be done into ways to improve their quality of life, both physically as well as socially. The family supports the Jeans for Genes initiative, which this year marks its 25th anniversary. Funds raised go directly to the Children's Medical Research Institute's research into conditions that affect children including genetic diseases, cancer and epilepsy. Institute director Roger Reddel said there were more than 6000 known inherited conditions and one in 20 children was born with some kind of birth defect or inherited disease.

He said rapid advances in diagnosing genetic conditions had been "very powerful for families" and researchers were developing technologies to treat, and even cure, some diseases. Nicole, Maddy, Briella, Lana and Bernard Luk at their Glenhaven home before the girls' surgery. Credit:Louise Kennerley "I don't want to give false hope for everybody and some people would be rather sad to know in some cases it won't be fast enough for them. "For the community as a whole there's a lot of hope and cause for optimism." Mrs Luk said the family focused on treating the girls' bodies as they were, and she was grateful for doctors and surgical options that meant they could lead a long life as pain-free as possible.
I hope both the government and the industrial commission remember this article ("Bite, punch, throw: violence against ambos soars", April 29) next time our paramedics seek a pay rise. There is no doubt that ice is the scourge of our modern day society.

Peter Miniutti, Ashbury

Illustration: Matt Golding

Environmental neglect

No one is fooled by the government's belated pretence of concern for the Great Barrier Reef ("Budget package to allocate half a billion dollars to reef", April 29). Due to their climate change denial, irreparable damage has been done to this world heritage site. If they were genuine, the Adani mine proposal would have been scrapped as well. Now that the last budget before the election is due, we are supposed to forget their neglect and believe they now care about the environment. We have been conned too often by the Turnbull government, and this is too little too late to restore our trust
Beijing: China has denied allegations that its forces targeted US military aircraft with high-powered lasers near its military base in Djibouti, resulting in minor injuries to two American pilots.

On Friday, the US accused China of mounting a campaign of harassment against its forces in the Horn of Africa by using military grade lasers to disorient its fighter pilots.

The port of Djibouti, an arid Horn of Africa nation with less than 1 million inhabitants, has become a military outpost for the US, China, France, Italy and Japan. Credit:AP

The Pentagon issued a formal complaint, demanding that Beijing investigate a series of incidents in recent weeks in the skies above Djibouti, where China and the US operate military bases just kilometres apart. The Pentagon said the incidents represented a serious threat to US airmen and warned them to exercise caution when flying near certain areas.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China had informed the US that "after strict verification, we have told the US side that what they alleged is absolutely untrue".
On December 5, 2017, Anna and Frank flew from their home in Adelaide to George Town, Malaysia's second largest city, on the island of Penang. Anna with husband Frank Jenkins. It was a trek the pair made at least once a year. Anna's 102-year-old mother, in care, had taken a turn for the worse and the couple had headed over to see her. On December 13, Anna visited a local dentist. She didn't take her phone with her. After her appointment  no drugs were involved in her treatment  Anna asked staff to call her an Uber, so she could go and visit her mum. Frank, who is suffering the early effects of dementia, had stayed at the couple's hotel.

About 4 kilometres away from her mother's care home, Anna asked the driver to stop on Jalan Scotland  a busy road, in a busy city, just before 5pm  and got out of the Uber. It was the last time anyone saw her. What happened next has been a catalogue of incompetence, frustration and missed opportunities. In the hours and days following Anna' disappearance, the Malaysian police  at least according to the Jenkins family  have bungled key aspects of the investigation, reducing the likelihood the Adelaide mum will ever be found again. As Steven tells it: "I was concerned immediately about how the Malaysian police were handling the case".

CCTV footage was not checked. Witnesses, such as the Uber driver, the dentist and even Anna's husband were not interviewed. The Malaysian police didn't even turn up for meetings with the family about the case at first. No search was conducted of the area near where Anna disappeared. The family, increasingly concerned, called in Panoptic Solutions, an Australian-based security and risk management company. Panoptic Chief Executive Troy Claydon says at first the company took a softly-softly approach as "we didn't feel it was right to interfere" in the police investigation. "In hindsight, we should have gotten involved earlier ... they [the police] have spoken to 10 witnesses in five months," Claydon says.

"Im not happy with Malaysian police. The fact is that we are now at a 140-odd days and we still dont have any information. We are in a position where we have no leads, and no idea, how a 66-year-old has disappeared in peak-hour traffic in a busy area. One of the posters distributed in Malaysia. "It has gone past incompetence. I would say they have been negligent." In the months since Anna first went missing, Steven has made four trips to Malaysia to search for his mum. His sister, Jen Bowen  a single mum with two kids, who works full-time and has now become their father's primary carer  has made one trip, too. On his most recent trip to Penang alone, Steven and the staff at Panoptic working on the case visited 51 police stations on the island and on the Malaysian mainland, as well as hospitals, hotels and churches to search for Anna.

Though diligently chasing down tip-offs from helpful locals, they found nothing. He also dropped off 350 fliers to the Malaysian police, and asked they be distributed in and around polling stations ahead of next Wednesday's national election. He is hopeful this might turn up new leads. Deputy Superintendent of Police Helmi bin Sulaiman  the head of the Penang police's criminal investigation team  was defensive when quizzed by Fairfax Media about the case. "We recently held a meeting with the family and we talked about three new efforts we can do to find her. We have interviewed 10 witnesses on the case, public witnesses. But we can't give out any information or updates related to the case to the press, I suggest you contact the Australian embassy or the family of the missing person," was all he would offer about the ongoing investigation. So what does Claydon think happened to Annapuranee Jenkins?

"As it stands, we are unable to discount any theory due to the lack of evidence," he says. The possibilities, Claydon says, include suicide, kidnapping, voluntary disappearance, a mental breakdown followed by a tragic accident  "but where is the body?"  or even a religiously-motivated attack. Anna had no history of mental illness and was of sound mind, her son says. She did face challenges, Steven concedes  she was caring for her husband, Frank, and worried about the health of her mum  but there was no sign she was depressed or looking for a way out. "I will never give up hope," Steven says.
After three years of fighting, the belligerents finally exhausted themselves roughly along the same 38th parallel from which hostilities began. By then over 3 million people were dead. I shrink  I shrink with a horror that I cannot express in words, General Douglas MacArthur told the US Senate, just after president Harry Truman had sacked him as commander of the United Nations allies. I have never seen such devastation. I have seen, I guess, as much blood and disaster as any living man, and it just curdled my stomach the last time I was there. When the armistice was signed both armies were ordered to move back 2000 metres from their fighting positions, and the zone between them was cleared of human habitation and became the DMZ. South Korean soldiers (foreground) and North Korean soldiers (background) stand guard in the Demilitarised Zone. Credit:AP In the dead heart of the DMZ, just north of Seoul, is the so-called Joint Security Area (JSA), administered by the United Nations, where North Korean and South Korean troops stand, quite literally, face to face. It is here that the armistice was signed, where prisoners of war were exchanged; here where the two Korean leaders met so remarkably last week, and here where Trump proposes meeting Kim for talks.

If things work out, there is a great celebration to be had on the site, he said during a press conference on May 1. Youre there, youre actually there. CNNs North Korea correspondent has reported that Kim has agreed to the location, though no formal statements have been made. To get to the JSA from Seoul you drive an hour or so north along a highway built hard and wide enough to move a mechanised army at pace to a checkpoint placed, weirdly, by a fun park outside the city of Paju. When Fairfax Media visited recently, K-pop blared from a rollercoaster and a little tourist train tootled around a memorial to the American dead and a statue of Truman while military choppers prowled overhead. US President Donald Trump has suggested the DMZ as a possible venue for his talk with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Credit:AP Daytrippers from Seoul ignored stacks of concertina wire and watchtowers dividing them from the north as they enjoyed the last mild days of autumn. Later in an interview the action movie director Yang Woo-seok told me he believed South Korea was awash in kitsch culture because to contemplate the place too deeply - to really consider the coiled potential violence of the place - was to consider annihilation. Easier to look away.

From there it is a short drive to Camp Bonifas, headquarters of South Koreas JSA security battalion. These are the soldiers selected to face off against their North Korean foes on the line of demarcation that runs through the centre of the DMZ inside the JSA. (No, you cant discuss the geography of this place without collapsing into military jargon.) The members of the JSA Battalion are uniformly tall and broad. They wear aviator shades and immaculate uniforms. They move with a fast, clipped swagger, and on the line they stand in a fist-clenched taekwondo stance. At Camp Bonifas is a visitors' centre where old enmities are lovingly preserved. There is a fabulously detailed diorama of what is known as "The Axe Murder Incident", in which two US soldiers felling a poplar tree that was obscuring the view from their observation post were killed by North Korean soldiers with their own axes in 1976. This prompted Operation Paul Bunyan, which a propaganda video at Camp Bonifas describes as the most extensive tree-clearing operation in history. A diorama of The Axe Murder Incident" in the Joint Security Area. Credit:Nick O'Malley The White House felt that the North Koreans needed to see American grit and the trees needed to go, but the threat of massive escalation was real. Before the tree-fellers headed out into the JSA, nuclear-armed B-52s were readied and the US military global alert was lifted to DefCon 2, its second-highest setting.

The fatal axe is said to be on display at a North Korean museum across the border. There have been other showdowns, other demonstrative killings, in the JSA. Days after Fairfaxs visit in November last year Oh Chong-song, a driver working for the North Korean general staff, bolted across the line of demarcation that runs through the centre of the JSA to escape into the south and was shot down by his comrades. South Korean soldiers managed to rescue him and he was flown on a US military helicopter to a hospital where he survived surgery for his five gunshot wounds. It is only a few minutes' drive from Camp Bonifas into the heart of the JSA and the demarcation line along which sit the famous temporary huts that the UN built for negotiations over half a century ago. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is photographed by North Korean soldiers during a trip to the demilitarised zone. Inside they have the close air and architectural banality of a demountable classroom. One is bisected by a plain-looking conference table, placed carefully over the line of demarcation so that negotiators from the north can sit in the north and those from the south in the south.
Delhi: Foreigners, Australians among them, are eyeing up an opportunity to help save the Taj Mahal from pollution after India's Supreme Court ordered the government to search abroad for experts to stem the damage to the building.

The white marble 17th century icon in Agra is pock-marked with brown and grey patches. Last Tuesday, two Supreme Court judges, on seeing the latest pictures, threw up their hands in despair at government apathy.

Indian workers clean discolouration on the Taj Mahal in December. Credit:AP

"Earlier it was turning yellow and now it is becoming brown and green  it seems you are helpless," they said.

"You can get help from experts from outside to assess the damage done and restore it. There seems to be lack of will and expertise," was how the two justices rebuked the authorities.
Washington: The US Justice Department has declared former Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn, indicted on four felony charges in Detroit in the company's diesel emissions scandal, a fugitive who faces an arrest warrant.

Martin Winterkorn, former CEO of Volkswagen, pauses during the re-opening of a VW showroom in Berlin in 2015. Credit:Bloomberg/File

Winterkorn, 70, a German citizen, was indicted in March on fraud and conspiracy charges, but the case was only unsealed on Thursday.

David Ashenfelter, a spokesman for the US District Court in Detroit, confirmed a warrant for Winterkorn's arrest has been issued.

As long as Winterkorn remains in Germany, the warrant is unlikely to have practical impact because Germany does not extradite its citizens to the United States.
Georgetown, SC (29440)

Today

Rain and scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. High 79F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to cloudy skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.
A Delta 2 at Space Launch Complex 2W at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Firefly Aerospace will take over the pad after the final Delta 2 launch later this year for its Alpha and Beta small launch vehicles.

WASHINGTON  Firefly Aerospace, a small launch vehicle developer, has won approval from the U.S. Air Force to take over a launch pad at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base used by the soon-to-retire Delta II.

In a May 1 statement, Texas-based Firefly said the Air Force had issued a "Statement of Support" to transfer Space Launch Complex 2 West (SLC-2W) at Vandenberg to the company for use by the company's Alpha and Beta launch vehicles.

SLC-2W, which has been in service for more than 50 years, is currently used by United Launch Alliance's Delta 2 vehicle. That rocket is slated to make its final launch this September, carrying NASA's ICESat-2 Earth science satellite.

Brad Obrocto, director of launch operations at Firefly, told SpaceNews that the company expects to take over the pad shortly after that final Delta 2 launch. "We will also be working with the range to detail requirements for all systems that will be involved with launches from SLC-2W," he said. "We will be working closely with our partners in the USAF and NASA to ensure a smooth and successful transition."

He said that the company expects to maintain much of the existing infrastructure at the site, with "minimal rework" needed to support Alpha launches. The biggest changes, he said, will involve the installation of a launch pedestal for the vehicle's transporter erector, which rolls the vehicle out horizontally to the pad and then raises it vertically for launch. There will also be refitting of fluid and instrumentation interfaces at the pad.

"Converting an active government launch site to commercial operation is substantially less complex and costly than the greenfield development of a new launch site, saving Firefly years of facility development and substantial [capital expenditure] dollars," Obrocto said in the statement. He declined to disclose the cost of the renovation of the pad.

Assuming the final Delta II launches on schedule, Firefly expects to take over the pad in time for a first Alpha launch in the third quarter of 2019. The company expects to be able to perform monthly launches of the vehicle by the end of 2020.

Firefly Space Systems started testing engines for its Alpha small launch vehicle last September. (Image credit: Firefly Space Systems)

Alpha is a two-stage vehicle using liquid oxygen and kerosene engines also under development by the company. The vehicle is able to place 630 kilograms into a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit, accessible from SLC-2W. It can also place up to 1,000 kilograms into low-inclination orbits from other sites.

That performance is significantly higher than many other small launch vehicles in development, whose payload capacities tend to be no more than a few hundred kilograms, and in some cases down to dozens of kilograms. "We think a one-metric-ton launcher is a sweet spot," Tom Markusic, chief executive of Firefly Aerospace, said during a panel at the Satellite 2018 conference here March 12.

Markusic said Alpha was sized to compete with India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which has been a popular choice for small satellite launches. "My belief is if I can match them on cost," he said of the PSLV, customers "will choose us because we'll be much more convenient."

A test of a single engine from the Firefly Alpha aerospike rocket looks like a work of art in this photo, posted to the company's Twitter account on June 10, 2016. (Image credit: Edwards Media, Austin TX)

Firefly is developing a second vehicle, called Beta, which is similar to the Alpha but with the addition of two first stage booster cores, analogous to SpaceX's Falcon Heavy and ULA's Delta IV Heavy. Beta will be able to place up to 4,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit and 400 kilograms into geostationary orbit.

While SLC-2W will be modified to also support Beta, the company hasn't announced when it will be launching. "We are presently assessing market demand to determine the first launch date of the Beta vehicle," Obrocto said.

In addition to SLC-2W, Firefly is looking at other launch sites to reach low-inclination orbits. Obrocto said those sites include Cape Canaveral, the proposed Spaceport Camden on Georgia's Atlantic coast, and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia. He said the company should make a decision "in the near future" on a site.

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
NASA's InSight Mars lander launch may be visible to millions of spectators across Southern California during its predawn launch in May 2018. This United Launch Alliance map shows the range of visibility for the launch.

Update for May 5: NASA's InSight Mars lander has successfully launched into space. Read our wrap up here: NASA's InSight Launches to Probe Red Planet's Deep Interior

Residents across Southern California can witness the launch of new lander bound for Mars before dawn on Saturday. NASA is hoping for good weather to launch the mission, called InSight, on its nearly seven-month journey to the Red Planet.

The InSight Mars lander will launch Saturday at 7:05 a.m. EDT (4:05 a.m. PDT/1105 GMT) on Saturday from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. This will be the very first time that an interplanetary mission will launch from Vandenberg, which is located 9.2 miles (14.8 kilometers) northwest of Lompoc, California. [Where to Watch NASA's InSight Mars Lander Launch from California]

Even if you don't live in Southern California, you can still watch InSight's launch live; just tune in on Space.com here, beginning at 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT), courtesy of NASA TV. But if you will be in the visibility area, read on to see what to expect early Saturday.

A bright arc before dawn

NASA's InSight Mars lander launch may be visible to millions of spectators across Southern California during its predawn launch in May 2018. This United Launch Alliance map shows the range of visibility for the launch. (Image credit: United Launch Alliance)

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will loft InSight toward Mars. Because the Atlas V will launch on a southward path after liftoff, spectators in Southern California, from Santa Barbara through Los Angeles and San Diego, should get a good view of the rocket rising into space.

Early risers should concentrate their view toward the north-northwest as the rocket traces a bright arc across the western sky.

The weather forecast is currently favorable for the launch, indicating generally clear skies, a light north-northwest wind and air temperatures hovering within a few degrees of 50 Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). NASA officials have warned thatearly morning fog could obscure visibility for spectators close to the launch site.

The fog should top out at 600 feet (180 meters), so if you plan to watch InSight's launch in person, a viewing spot above that 600-foot mark, like a hill or ridge, may be a good bet.

Mars is looking good, too!

This NASA map shows the location of Mars at 6 a.m. your local time on May 5, 2018, the same day NASA will launch the InSight Mars lander to the Red Planet. Mars will be near the moon, with Saturn also visible. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

And, incidentally, Mars itself is becoming an increasingly prominent object in our night sky as it gets set to make an exceptionally close approach to Earth by midsummer. [How to See Mars During the InSight Lander Launch]

Currently, the Red Planet rises around 1:30 a.m. local time. A few hours later, before the break of dawn, it can be readily found in the south-southeast sky, glowing with a brilliant and steady orange-yellow light.

Mars is currently shining at a magnitude -0.5 on the brightness scale used by astronomers (negative numbers indicate brighter objects). Among the stars, only Sirius and Canopus are brighter.

But as Mars continues toward opposition  its closest point to Earth this year  it will only get more dazzling. Currently, Mars is 76 million miles (123 million km) from Earth.

But on July 30, the Red Planet will be the closest it has come to Earth  35.8 million miles (57.6 million km)  since 2003. By July 30, Mars will visible from dusk to dawn and shine nine times brighter than it does now!

Finally, if you're up before sunrise on Sunday morning, the moon will make for a striking sight, with Mars around 2 degrees to the lower right of Earth's satellite.

Looking for clues

The 1,380-lb. (625 kilograms) InSight Mars lander is, in essence, a laboratory focused on investigating the interior and subsurface of Mars. The name "InSight" is not quite an acronym, but more of a compression of the mission's full title: Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport.

InSight mission scientists hope to answer several questions, such as just how thick the Martian crust is and how much heat is released from just beneath the surface. Scientists also hope to get a good idea as to just how large Mars's core might be and check on any seismic activity, or "marsquakes," that might periodically occur.

InSight is the first Mars mission built to study the Red Planet's structure. In addition, two smaller cubesat satellites, each about the size of an attache case, will travel on the same mission and will relay transmissions from the Martian surface back to Earth.

An artist's illustration of NASA's InSight Mars lander on the Red Planet. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Launch window

If other issues postpone the launch, NASA has additional opportunities over the next five weeks to get InSight off the ground before the end of the current orbital alignment between Mars and Earth, which is favorable for such missions. Even with delays, however, InSight's arrival date at Mars will remain the same: the Monday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 26.

Built by United Launch Alliance, InSight's Atlas V rocket has an excellent record over these past 16 years, having launched a number of commercial, scientific and military payloads. Versions of an Atlas V launched the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in August 2005 and the New Horizons probe to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt in January 2006.

Visit Space.com Saturday for complete coverage of the InSight Mars lander launch.

Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmer's Almanac and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for Verizon Fios1 News, based in Rye Brook, N.Y. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying NASA's InSight Mars soars into space after launching from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California before dawn on May 5, 2018.

InSight Launches to Mars

Ben Smegelsky/NASA

NASA's InSight Mars lander lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on May 5, 2018 at 7:05 a.m. EDT (1105 GMT). See photos from the historic launch here. [Full Story: NASA's InSight Mars Lander Launches to Probe Red Planet's Deep Interior]

Meet InSight

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Here's an artist's view of what NASA's InSight will look like on Mars. The probe's launch on May 5, 2018 was just the first leg in a 6-month journey to the Red Planet.

On the Launchpad

NASA/Charles Babir

InSight launched atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Here, the rocket stands atop Space Launch Complex 3 at its Vandenberg Air Force launch site in California. May 5 was a foggy day for launch.

Above the Clouds

Cory Huston/NASA

NASA's Mars Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations (InSight) mission lifts off on an Atlas V rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on May 5, 2018.

Liftoff into a Red Sky

NASA

A mission bound for the Red Planet lifts off into a red sky as light from the rocket's flame illuminates the thick fog.

Liftoff!

NASA

The Atlas V rocket with the InSight lander on top fires its engines for a smooth, on-time liftoff.

Ascent

Bill Ingalls/NASA

NASA's Mars Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations (InSight) mission lifts off on an Atlas V rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on May 5, 2018.

The Rocket's Yellow Glare

NASA

The Atlas V rocket's engine burns brightly in the predawn sky in this view from the rocket booster.

Go, Atlas V, Go!

NASA

The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying NASA's InSight Mars soars into space after launching from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California before dawn on May 5, 2018.

Marsbound

Bill Ingalls/NASA

Smoke billows from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California shortly after liftoff of the Atlas V rocket with NASA's InSight Mars lander on board.

A Colorful Burn

NASA

The Atlas V's rocket flames glow with a hint of teal and pink in this view of InSight's launch.
SpaceX's CRS-14 Dragon capsule is released into space by the robotic arm on the International Space Station on May 5, 2018. Dragon will return 4,000 lbs (1,800 kilograms) of science samples and gear to Earth.

A SpaceX Dragon cargo ship is returning to Earth today (May 5) with more than 2 tons of NASA gear from the International Space Station. The capsule's splashdown capped a busy day for NASA, which began its weekend with a launch to Mars.

The Dragon capsule left the space station this morning at 9:23 a.m. EDT (1323 GMT) when it was released by the orbiting laboratory's robotic arm. The spacecraft is packed with over 4,000 lbs. (1,800 kilograms) of experiment samples and other gear to Earth for NASA, and is returning to Earth two days late.

SpaceX and NASA initially scheduled Dragon's return for Wednesday (May 2), but rough seas at the capsule's splashdown zone prompted a delay to await better sea conditions. Dragon splashed down today at 3:03 p.m. EDT (1903 GMT) in the Pacific Ocean. The spacecraft's splashdown area was located 400 miles (643 kilometers) southwest of Long Beach, California, off the coast of Baja California, NASA officials said.

"Good splashdown of Dragon confirmed, completing SpaceXs third resupply mission to and from the @Space_Station with a flight-proven spacecraft," SpaceX representatives said via Twitter.

Just hours before Dragon left the space station, NASA launched the InSight Mars lander from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight launched atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at 7:05 a.m. EDT (1105 GMT) to begin a 6-month cruise to Mars. The spacecraft is scheduled to land on the Red Planet on Nov. 26.

"It's been a big day here at @NASA!" NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine wrote on Twitter. "@NASAInSight successfully launched and is on its way to Mars! @SpaceX is now bringing critical science investigations home from the @Space_Station."

Dragon launched to the space station April 2 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to deliver 5,800 lbs. (2,630 kilograms) of experiment gear and other supplies for the station's six-person crew. This is SpaceX's 14th cargo delivery mission for NASA, and the second flight of this Dragon capsule. (It last flew in April 2016 on an earlier station cargo flight for NASA.)

On this return trip, Dragon is carrying a wide variety of science gear, including mice that have been living in special habitats on the station to study the health effects of space travel. Other samples of plants, insects and human tissue are also aboard inside freezers.

Dragon is also returning NASA's Robonaut 2 robot, which was designed to help astronauts with their daily chores in space. Robonaut 2 broke down in 2014 and is being returned for analysis and repair.

See more

The space station's crew appeared to have a bit of fun while packing Robonaut 2 for its trip home. NASA astronaut Ricky Arnold donned Robonaut 2's head like a mask for a bit of Twitter photo fun.

"...to seek out new life and new civilizations," Arnold wrote on Twitter.

Arnold is one of six space travelers on the space station's current Expedition 55 crew. Joining him on the mission are NASA astronauts Scott Tingle and Drew Feustel, astronaut Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev and Anton Shkaplerov of Russia's Roscosmos space agency. Shkaplerov is commander of the station's crew.

Editor's note: This story was originally posted at 9:45 a.m. EDT and was updated at 5:25 p.m. EDT reflect the successful splashdown by Dragon.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.




Previously on Barry, Barry and Taylor pulled off the Bolivian stash house job, the detectives made further progress with Ryan's murder case, and Barry ignored Fuches' orders and didn't kill Taylor, instead possibly bringing him into the assassin fold.



The episode opens with Barry, Fuches and Taylor waiting to take out the Bolivian leader, but Fuches is decidedly not as on board with Taylor's addition to the group as Barry wants/needs him to be. After increasingly ridiculous suggestions on what they should do, Fuches tells Barry that he needs to kill Taylor sooner rather than later, otherwise Barry's life may be in jeopardy. Fuches once again tells Barry that after this life, there is no possible way he can go off an be an actor. There is no escape from being a hitman and he just needs to accept that this is how it's going to be. With a second season on the way, I just can't see how Barry will end up listening to that advice. He definitely hasn't so far any way.



Inside the stash house, Hank and Goran inspect their new digs and make plans on what they can do to make it their own. They're jubilant at taking down their enemies (or more like Barry/Fuches doing such a good job of it) but their happiness is cut short when Vacha confesses that he's been following Barry and taking pictures of him regularly.



Why would you do this?

He killed my brother.

Okay you need to let that go.

How do you think Barry will manage to take down the Bolivians and keep himself safe? Do you think Barry will ever be able to stop being a hitman? Let me know in the comments.

He asks to kill Barry in order to avenge his brother's death, but Goran says Barry is not to be touched, and the photos need to stop as well. It's so dark that in order to stop him from killing Barry, Goran suggests that he chops up all the dead Bolivians in the stash house and disposes of them. Given the ominous music and look at the picture of Sally, he may be following orders but it doesn't mean he won't still be screwing with Barry.Barry meanwhile has a bit of downtime with Taylor, which Taylor is using to watch porn, right in front of Barry. Barry wants to do a bit of recon on the mission but it seems like Taylor isn't overly interested. Instead, with moaning in the background from the TV, Barry suggests something which isn't a total surprise; Taylor takes over from him as Fuches' main hitman and Barry can retire. Taylor point blank says no though, because he just doesn't like Fuches. Taylor asks him why Barry wants to leave if Fuches is so great (seeing as Barry is trying to hype him up to get Taylor on board), and as Barry fumbles through an explanation, Taylor suggests he just straight up kills Fuches and frees himself. This is clearly something Barry hasn't considered, and he allows himself a moment to do so before he discards the idea. Fuches is family and he just won't do it. Taylor however gives him half the money from the stash house job and once again says that he should take the money, kill Fuches and live his dreams. This leads Barry to have yet another one of his day dreams, wherein his teenage son finds a picture of him and Fuches, and he says he doesn't remember who Fuches is. Barry looks disturbed by his thoughts, but whilst he's in the bathroom, Taylor takes it upon himself to put the stash house money in Barry's bag, taking out Gene's book and his materials for theatre class in the process.And it turns out that Barry doesn't have his Macbeth script on him, which he quickly realises when he opens his bag and finds a bunch of dirty money in his place. He goes to the bathroom to hide it, but that doesn't help with the fact that he's probably not off book for the scene and will have to fumble his way through it. He manages to remember his first line, just, but Gene is once again not impressed with his performance and tries to get Barry to actually act with Sally instead of just saying his lines. What follows is an incredibly awkward scene where he tells Sally over and over that he loves her. Sally isn't into it, but Gene tries to teach Barry that he has to listen to how she speaks and then change how he speaks in return, and so he keeps repeating 'I love you' in different tones. Gene may think they're just acting, but Barry seems to finally get the message that pursuing Sally is fruitless because she's just not really into him, and it hits him hard.As he's leaving theatre class, Barry checks his voice messages and once again, Taylor is being less than subtle on them. Barry has had enough, and clearly rings Taylor ready to chew him out, but changes his mind at the last second. He lets Taylor know that whilst they were great on the stash house job, he wants to work solo on the plane job. Taylor's probably too high and out of it to realise what's going on and might not know what he's agreeing to, but Barry certainly doesn't know that.Back at the theatre, Sally asks Gene if she can be given a different role; that of Macbeth himself. Gene tells her it's too reckless and doesn't understand why she would want to do that, but when she confesses that her agent has dropped her, he seems to be more understanding. Meanwhile, as they're discussing this in the office, Vacha has found his way inside and on the stage. It was obvious he wasn't suddenly going to drop his revenge campaign, but there must just be something about that stage, as once he steps foot on it, he can't help but sing. Gene tries to deter Sally from changing roles again, but Sally argues that she's the best actor in the class by a long mile and this is something that she needs and wants. Gene gives in to her, but only on the condition that Barry is still her scene partner. She agrees to his terms and goes to leave, but as she does she's closely followed by Vacha. Vacha who then runs straight into Detective Moss, where he is clearly startled. It's somewhat frustrating how close she is to the truth if she'd just open her eyes and see it (especially seeing as she no longer thinks the killer goes to the acting class). Vacha follows Sally out of the building and to her car, but is stopped by Detective Moss who questions why he's there to begin with. She questions his accent, and reaches as if to go for her gun. Vacha, knowing he's been made, runs for it. She follows him to his car where he proceeds to open fire on her. As he runs out of bullets, Moss shoots back and takes out the windows of his car and also lands a shot on him. She approaches him with caution, and it appears he's been shot in the stomach. Before he can do much of anything though, she puts a few more bullets in him that makes it pretty obvious he won't be going anywhere but the morgue any time soon. So much for revenge.Back at the theatre, Moss and Loach find the money that Barry stashed in the toilet earlier that episode. With a dead Chechen and dirty money on their hands, Moss berates herself for giving up on the connection that she knew in her gut existed. Loach figures out the connection between Moss and Gene when Gene shows up at the theatre with food and heart eyes for Moss. She tearily apologises and lets him know it's over, and tells him that they should get to work.At Barry's hotel, Taylor shows up ready for the job. Barry tries to get him to leave but when he walks him out the door he definitely gets a surprise; Taylor has told people about what they're going to do and now instead of Barry doing this solo, he's doing it with three other people. Taylor sure is a loose cannon, and Fuches was absolutely right about him being a threat to Barry. One of the guys shows off his gun, and in the process manages to pull the trigger. Barry, feeling like he has no other choice, goes with them and tries to get them away from the public immediately. Taylor however has read Gene's book and has been completely inspired by the idea of 'making the unsafe choice' so much so that he goes completely off book with the plan Barry devised and instead storms straight towards the Bolivians and their plane. It turns out to be a costly mistake as he's shot dead before he can even get close to them.
Algiers, May 5, 2018 (SPS) - Algerian authorities rejected Wednesday as "completely baseless" Morocco's allegations in the aftermath of the cut of diplomatic relations with Iran, over the alleged Teheran's support of the Polisario Front implicating "indirectly Algeria."



Morocco's ambassador to Algiers was received Wednesday by the secretary general of the ministry of Foreign Affairs who expressed "Algerian authorities' rejection of the completely baseless statements, made by its Foreign Minister while announcing the breakdown of diplomatic relations between Morocco and the Islamic Republic of Iran, and which indirectly implicate Algeria," said the spokesman of the ministry of Foreign Affairs Abdelaziz Benali Cherif.



The Foreign Affairs' spokesperson responded to the allegations made, the day before, by Morocco's minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nasser Bourita, who announced at a news conference in Rabat that Morocco had decided to cut diplomatic relations with Iran over its "support" to the Polisario Front, the legitimate and only representative of Western Sahara people.



The Polisario Front, which dubbed "big lie" Morocco's allegations of military relations between the Polisario and Iran, defied Rabat to produce evidence for its "false allegations."



Polisario Front's coordinator with MINURSO (UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara), M'hamed Khadad, said Rabat acted out of political opportunism to "circumvent the resumption of direct political negotiations called for by the United Nations" for the settlement of Western Sahara conflict through a referendum on Saharawi people's self-determination.



Khadad denied any military relations with Iran, saying "the Polisario Front has never had military relations, has never received arms and has never had military contacts with Iran or Hezbollah".



Iranian authorities said the accusations are "completely baseless, far from reality and wrong."



They stressed that "one of the most fundamental principles of the Islamic Republic of Iran's foreign policy in its relations with other governments and countries in the world has been and continue to be deep respect for their sovereignty and security as well as non-interference in the domestic affairs of other states."



Lebanese Hezbollah also rejected Morocco's accusations, saying it was regrettable that Rabat had given in to foreign "pressure."



The Lebanese political party invited "Morocco to look for more convincing argument to sever its ties with Iran." (SPS)



062/SPS/APS
Algiers, May 5, 2018 (SPS) - Sahrawi ambassador to Algiers Abdelkader Taleb Omar said Friday that Moroccos decision to break off its diplomatic relations with Iran under a fictitious pretext was an evidence of its biased for a given side to gain its support and protection from any possible decision concerning Western Sahara.



In a reply to a question on the decision of Rabat to break off the diplomatic relations with Teheran under the pretext that Iran supports the Polisario Front- according to the statement of the head of the Moroccan diplomacy Nacer Bourita, the Sahrawi ambassador underlined that Morocco which has recently said that the empty-chair policy and the breaking off of the diplomatic relations were pointless, takes today an opposite position.



After calling for its membership of the African Union and reestablishing its diplomatic relations with Cuba while knowing that these parties support the Polisario Front, Morocco adopts today an opposite position by breaking off its diplomatic relations with Iran under a fictitious pretext, arguing that Teheran supports the Polisario Front, said the Sahrawi ambassador.



The Sahrawi diplomat, who denied Moroccos allegations according to which Iran supports the Polisario Front, underlined that there is no military relation between the Polisario Front and its army with Iran and Hezbollah.



By deciding to break off its relations with Iran, Morocco tries to form an alliance with some sides to gain their support in the face of a possible decision concerning the Sahrawi issue, added the ambassador. (SPS)



062/SPS/APS
STAMFORD  Discussions to replace one of the citys three iconic cylindrical towers with a luxury apartment block are set to take place, some two years after the idea was first proposed.

An application before the Zoning Board Monday includes seven action items, all needed to build the new 400-unit complex being proposed by Miami-based Lennar, the largest home builder in the U.S. Some of those plans may prove controversial, including one to pay $4.6 million to St. John Urban Development Corp. to renovate the other two round towers in compensation for the construction of a new residential building that would lack affordable units.

The 45-page proposal calls for replacing the old 17-story tower with a mixed-use building  with 15 stories of apartments, and street-side retail  across from city hall. Developers also seek to put in fewer than the required number of parking spots.

Lennar, which is in contract to buy the parcel, writes in the application that the new building as proposed will have no adverse affect on traffic, will help maintain 240 affordable units in the other St. Johns structures and provide amenities including a fitness center, club room, yoga room, pool and fire pit where Tower A now stands.

Greg Belew, who oversees Lennars properties in the tri-state area, said the requests are standard for a development of this size.

None of these asks are unusual, he said in an interview. Everybody in the city that weve talked to ... is conscious of the fact that this will be a drastic improvement.

The proposals are slated to go to Zoning Board public hearing Monday night in city hall.

Though vacant for three years, and considered by some to be a blemish on citys sprouting skyline, the old tower was once heralded as a part of a majestic trio built to address Stamfords housing crisis, according to stories published in The Advocate when the buildings went up.

St. Johns towers were designed by Victor Hanna Bisharat, architect of the Landmark Square Tower, the downtown Marriott and High Ridge Office Park.

A ride up the contractors elevator reveals a breathtaking view of Long Island Sound and the island itself, rimmed with sand, and of the other sides of the city, which will some day have other beautiful buildings to show off, all designed by Victor H. Bisharat, The Advocate wrote in 1970.

The building was once a sign of the citys drive to create affordable units  it was built to house the low-income residents displaced by urban renewal and by other government acts, according to The Advocate.

The landlord was required to keep the rents affordable until 2010, according Lennars current application with the city. The other two towers, which have tenants, have remained affordable since the restriction ended.

Questions about how many affordable units should be included in any new building have resulted in heated exchanges between board members and developers at recent public meetings.

A similar proposal in the South End by Building and Land Technology that would fund renovation of existing homes in lieu of providing affordable units in two planned apartment towers recently garnered harsh feedback from several Planning Board members.

This is a racist proposal, said alternate Planning Board member Claire Fishman. They want to get out of having lower class people in their housing.

Belew said sending money to St. John was always part of the deal to redevelop Tower A.

Its really a function of the original seller of the property, he said. These funds are badly needed by (St. John Urban Development Corp.) to keep those affordable units in place.

barry.lytton@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2263; @bglytton
The rumours over which designer would be creating Meghan Markles wedding dress have reached a fever pitch in recent weeks with everyone from Erdem to Alexander McQueen and Burberry in the ring.

The dress, which Ms Markle will wear for the ceremony and also at the reception immediately afterwards, is reported to cost 100,000 and will be paid for by Prince Harry and his family.

Burberrys ex-designer Christopher Bailey is now said to be odds favourite as the creator of Ms Markle's second wedding dress, which she will change into for the private evening reception at Frogmore House.

Royal wedding dresses through the years

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For some, the revelation that it's Ralph & Russo is not entirely shocking, given that Ms Markle chose to wear a black dress with a sheer mesh top and gold leaf adornment by the luxury label for her official engagement portraits with Prince Harry last year.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's official engagement photo (Alexi Lubomirski via Getty Images) / Alexi Lubomirski

And after they showed a Spring/ Summer 2018 collection at Paris Couture Week back in January that was full of bridal-appropriate designs, we suspected that Ralph & Russo might be the brand to get the call up.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle engagement announcement 1 /27 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle engagement announcement Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Eddie Mulholland-WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle photo call today on the announcement of their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AP Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace PA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AP Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Reuters Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Sky News Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace PA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, London, after the announcement of their engagement PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave following a photocall after announcing their engagement in the Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walk away after posing for the media in the grounds of Kensington Palace AP

So who are Ralph & Russo?

Australians Tamara Ralph (a fourth-generation dressmaker from Sydney) and businessman Michael Russo met in London in 2006 and fell in love.

The brand they founded in 2007 with just a few hundred pounds and a single sewing machine, Ralph & Russo, now make bespoke gowns for a 1,000-strong client list of the worlds wealthiest and most influential.

Partners in love and work (her domain is the atelier, his distribution and retail) and now permanently based in London, the design duos reputation grew so rapidly that by 2012 they were dressing Angelina Jolie for the red carpet; in 2013 Beyonce commissioned them to make the outfits for her Mrs Carter world tour. That year, the couple were also the only fashion industry representatives on Fortune magazines list of the 40 most successful business people under 40.

Ralph & Russo SS18 couture show Paris / AFP/Getty Images

In December 2013, Ralph & Russo was accepted into fashions most coveted club, the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, becoming the first British brand since 1915 to be admitted to the official programme of Paris Haute Couture Week. By 2014, the brands value was estimated in the region of nine figures and these days the company is said to have 400% year on year growth.

Ralph & Russo SS18 couture show Paris / AFP/Getty Images

Based out of a beautiful six-story Maison in Mayfair, where they see customers by appointment only, the company also has an 18,000-square-foot atelier in a non-descript sixties office block a 10-minute drive from Mayfair where 150 white-coated artisanstwice the number employed at Chanels atelier in Parisbead, embroider and sew together Ralphs fantastical creations.

A single dress will take at least six weeks and 30-odd pairs of hands, while an elaborately embroidered and embellished bridal gown from their SS16 show took over 50 couturiers 6000 combined hours to create. This goes some way to explaining why Ralph & Russos finished garments start at 50,000 for the simplest of day dresses and can reach 500,000 for evening dresses.

Ralph & Russo AW17 couture show Paris

In December 2014 the pair made an unusual and progressive move for a couture brand when they launched a boutique in the Superbrands section of Harrods (where they are consistently the top selling brand). There customers can buy couture off the rack and have it tweaked to fit them in a process that takes three weeks rather than the usual three months. They have also diversified very successfully into handbags, shoes and ready-to-wear with menswear on the horizon.

Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo at their SS18 show / AFP/Getty Images

Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo  now engaged  have managed the Herculean task of establishing themselves as a modern British couture house on par with the major Italian and French luxury brands, and all in less than a decade. For Ms Markle to have chosen such a dynamic, young British brand - and the only officially recognised couture house in the UK - is testament to her commitment to supporting British industry.
A motorist abandoned an allegedly stolen van on London Bridge and leapt into the river after being pursued by police.

The van driver reportedly crashed the vehicle into cars and a bus before leaping out and into the river as he was chased by officers.

He was rescued from the River Thames and placed under arrest, Southwark police officers said.

Met Police officers were called to the bridge in central London at about 8am on Saturday morning and the Marine Police Unit and London Ambulance Service also attended.

The incident is not being treated as terrorist-related, Southwark police officers said.

One witness, tweeting under the name Harvey, shared a picture of the scene with the caption: Oh my god, an accident on London Bridge. Whats going on?

Another, posting under the name Syam Kumar, added: One guy parked his van in front of our bus on London Bridge and jumped into the river. And the van hit our bus. Front glass shattered.

In another tweet, he said: He just stopped the van in front of the bus. It rolled down the slope and hit the bus. The front left tyre was flat and it looked like he drove that way for a very long distance.

The Southwark police official account tweeted: #LondonBridge is currently closed, this is due to a theft of a van which has resulted in the driver falling into the River Thames.

He is now out of the water and under arrest. Officers remain on scene. No one reported injured. Not terror-related.
A man has been shot by police after three people were stabbed in the city centre of The Hague.

A large area of the Dutch city was cordoned off by police after the incident close to its main train station on Saturday afternoon.

Police said the three victims have been taken to hospital after the incident, which happened at about 3.30pm.

The suspect was shot in the legs and was also being treated in hospital, a spokesman added.

Dramatic video has emerged on social media appearing to show the moment police shot the alleged attacker.

Police said the man was known for "confused" behaviour while some reports suggested the attack may have been carried out by an extremist.
A pedestrian is fighting for life after he was hit by a cyclist outside a busy London Tube station.

Emergency services rushed to the scene of the incident near Camden Town station shortly after 6pm on Saturday.

Police, paramedics, and Londons Air Ambulance all attended the scene in Camden Road.

A man, aged in his 30s, had been in collision with a bicycle and suffered a head injury, police said.

He was rushed to a north London hospital in a critical condition.

A spokeswoman for the Met Police said: The pedal cyclist stopped at the scene. He was not injured.

No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.
D onald Trump is facing a fierce backlash from Londoners after claiming an unnamed hospital in the capital has become a war zone due to knife crime.

The US president told a pro-gun rally that the prestigious hospital had blood all over the floors as he compared Londons stabbing epidemic to shootings in the US.

He told the National Rifle Convention (NRA) in Dallas: "I recently read a story that in London, which has unbelievably tough gun laws, a once very prestigious hospital right in the middle is like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds.

"Yes that's right, they don't have guns they have knives. And instead there's blood all over the floors of this hospital. They say it's as bad as a military war zone hospital.

His comments quickly sparked outrage in the UK, where thousands of people were already planning on taking to the streets to protest his visit on July 13.

Croydon Central MP Sarah Jones labelled Mr Trumps speech a disgrace.

Do we have a problem in the UK with rising knife crime? Yes we do. Is it any way comparable to off-the-scale US gun violence? No of course not. He should be ashamed, she said.

TV presenter Piers Morgan, a friend of the US president, said: Guns are more dangerous than knives, Mr President.

Thats why more people died from guns in America TODAY than have been murdered by knives in Britain this YEAR.

Author Peter Jukes wrote: "Come to Central London and you'll find it a lot more peaceable than US cities. And our murder rate is a fifth of your per capita, because guns are banned everywhere."

Scores of Londoners also took to Twitter to criticise the presidents comments, with many arguing US gun crime was not comparable with Londons knife problems.

When was the last time we heard a guy with a knife killing multiple school kids, wrote one.

Another added: Its no wonder theyll be mass protests when he comes (sic).

Mr Trump is believed to have been referencing comments made by Dr Martin Griffiths from the Royal London Hospital. He told the BBC: Some of my military colleagues have described their practice here as being similar to being at [Camp] Bastion.

We routinely have children under our care, 13, 14, 15 years old are daily occurrences, knife and gun wounds.

At least 38 people in London have lost their lives to knife crime so far this year, the Met confirmed.

In his speech, Mr Trump also argued that the Paris terror attack could have been prevented if more people were armed.

Trump mimics Paris terrorists at NRA rally

"The terrorists would have fled or been shot and it would have been a whole different story," he said.
J eremy Corbyn and Theresa May both claimed the local council elections as a success as the results suggested neither has broken the electoral deadlock that led to last Junes hung parliament.

Analysis by the BBCs election guru Sir John Curtice suggested the two main parties were neck-and-neck overall in terms of national vote share.

Votes in the local elections equated to a 35 per cent share for both Labour and the Conservatives, which could leave Mr Corbyn as the leader of the largest party in a hung parliament if repeated at a general election,

On Friday, Mrs May shrugged off a difficult week as Prime Minister as she hailed Conservative "success", while the Labour leader pointed to "solid" progress despite failing to secure key targets.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn arrives to vote in local government elections in London / REUTERS

On Saturday morning, Mr Corbyn said in a video message that the local election results had left Labour well placed to win the next general election despite the partys failure to capture key targets from the Tories.

'Success': Theresa May hails the local election results in Dudley / REUTERS

MPs and Jewish campaigners on Friday lashed out after voters punished Mr Corbyn in top election target Barnet for his failure to crack down on anti-Semitism.

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For Labour, Barnet was a missed open goal, with the council moving from no overall control to a Tory majority of 13, and the Conservatives gaining seven seats as Labour lost five.

Labours failure was blamed squarely by furious MPs on its leader, for not tackling problems of anti-Semitism in the ranks of his Left-wing supporters.

But despite the ongoing row over anti-Semitism and the lack of eye-catching victories, there were signs of progress for Labour.

The party gained control in Tower Hamlets from no overall control and the party claimed that even without snatching authorities in the capital from the Tories, the results amounted to the party's best showing in London since 1971.

Local Elections 2018 - In pictures 1 /17 Local Elections 2018 - In pictures Mayor of London Sadiq Khan during the count at Wandsworth Town Hall Lucy Young Elizabeth Campbell speaks to the media after the Conservatives maintained control of the council for Kensington and Chelsea following a count at Kensington Town Hall, Londo PA Supporters of the British Conservative Party react during the count at Wandsworth Town Hall after local government elections in London Reuters Volunteers count ballot papers at Wandsworth Town Hall after local government elections in London Reuters The logo of campaign group Justice 4 Grenfell is beamed onto Kensington Town Hall as voted at the local election are counted Justice 4 Grenfell/PA Emma Dent Coad MP following the announcement of the results for the local council elections iat Kensington Town Hall, London PA Labour party candidates and their agents embrace following the announcement of the results for the Maida Vale ward at Lindley Hall, Westminster, London PA Supporters of the British Conservative party react during the count at Wandsworth Town Hall after local government elections in London Reuters Mayor of London Sadiq Khan visits Wandsworth Town Hall after local government elections in London Reuters Labour MP Emma Dent Coad fast asleep then wakes up during the count Jeremy Selwyn Labour MP Emma Dent Coad fast asleep then wakes up during the count Jeremy Selwyn British Conservative Party politician Justine Greening gives an interview at Wandsworth Town Hall after local government elections in London Reuters Count volunteers sort ballot papers at Kensington Town Hall, London as counting begins across the UK in the local council elections PA Elizebeth Campbell leader of RBKC at the Local Election Count this morning Jeremy Selwyn Labour supporters in conversation during the count in Barnet Nigel Howard Conservative supporters in conversation during the count in Barnet Nigel Howard Candidates and their associates watch count volunteers sort ballot papers at Lindley Hall, Westminster, London, as counting begins across the UK in the local council elections PA

In the last of the 150 results declared, Labour's sweep of 42 of the 45 seats in Tower Hamlets also represented a serious defeat for Aspire, the party backed by disgraced former mayor Lutfur Rahman, which won no seats.

The polarisation within British politics was laid bare by an analysis for the BBC conducted by election guru Professor Sir John Curtice.

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Votes in the local elections equated to a 35 per cent share for both Labour and the Conservatives, which could leave Mr Corbyn as the leader of the largest party in a hung parliament if repeated at a general election.

But critics said Labour's chances in targets such as Barnet - won by the Tories - had been damaged by the anti-Semitism row, while Mr Corbyn's response to the chemical weapons attack in Syria and the Salisbury poisoning were also questioned.

Labour MP Ian Austin told BBC Radio 4's Today he met voters who "are concerned about Jeremy", adding: "His response to recent events in Salisbury or Syria have not given them much confidence, I think the anti-Semitism crisis has made us look like a nasty party they don't want to vote for."

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But Mr Corbyn's ally, shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon, told the programme: "It's very rare in these local elections that people have been - when I have been knocking on doors - raising Jeremy's leadership in a negative way.

"Some do, some people raise it in a positive way, but nothing unusual compared to any other period of door knocking I have been doing in Labour's history, whoever is leader."

Local elections 2018: The final results

Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson acknowledged the Jewish community had "sent us a message" and said the party had to learn lessons when it came to dealing with anti-Semitism in its own ranks.

Labour MP Chuka Umunna called for an internal inquiry into the party's campaign, warning that the results cannot leave it confident of success at the next national poll.

Tony Blair's former spin doctor Alastair Campbell told Today: "We are in mid-term in the middle of these disastrous Brexit negotiations against a Government that is reaching new definitions of incompetence.

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"We should be destroying this Tory party."

And ex-home secretary Jacqui Smith said "banging on" about progress in the capital risked creating the impression that Labour was a "London-centric party which doesn't understand or care about the seats needed" to win an election.

Ukip suffered a bloodbath, with dozens of councillors culled and its own general secretary comparing the party with the Black Death.

But the Liberal Democrats enjoyed success, ousting the Tories in Richmond upon Thames in south-west London - leader Sir Vince Cable's back yard - and neighbouring Kingston, while a more unexpected victory came for the party in South Cambridgeshire.

With results in from all 150 councils:

Labour had a net gain of 82 seats and controls the same number of authorities as before the vote.

The Tories suffered a net loss of two councils and have 96 fewer councillors.

The Liberal Democrats put on an extra 76 seats and gained control of four extra councils.

For the Prime Minister - just days after suffering the resignation of home secretary Amber Rudd and amid ongoing difficulties over Brexit - the results will come as a relief despite the loss of scores of councillors.

On a visit to Wandsworth she praised campaigners' efforts in seeing off a Labour challenge which had seen the streets flooded with activists, including members of the Corbyn-backing Momentum campaign.

"Labour thought they could take control, this was one of their top targets and they threw everything at it, but they failed," said the Prime Minister.

Labour said that tight results in four Wandsworth wards meant it missed out on victory by just 141 votes.
A pro-choice movement has hit out against an anti-abortion march scheduled for this weekend.

The Abortion Rights group said: "Although 'March for Life' try to present a shiny, family friendly appearance, in reality, it is made up of extreme anti-women outside abortion clinics."

The pro-choice movement said it was organising a counter protest in a "peaceful suffragette style" to counter the March for Life. Labour MP Stella Creasy will speak at the March for Choice organised by the Abortion Rights group.

The March for Life is set to take place on Saturday at 1.30pm and finishes at Parliament Square.

On Facebook, 250 people have confirmed they will be attending while over 400 others have pledged an interest.

The march will include speeches by members of the March for Life group followed by a prayer vigil.

Pro-life demonstrators ahead of the key vote by Ealing Council / PA

Kerry Abel, chair of Abortion Rights told the Standard that some of those associated with March for Life have links with Britain First and "shouldn't come to a day they call the fight for life".

In response, March for Life UK told the Standard: "March for Life UK is an organisation that works to bring together various pro-life groups around the country as well as raising awareness of the hurt and damage abortion causes.

"The pro-life groups who we connect with work in different ways to provide help and support to women/couples in crisis pregnancy situations (during pregnancy and beyond, for as long as they need it) as well as help for those who suffer after abortions."

Last month a west London council became the first in the UK to implement an exclusion zone outside a local abortion clinic.

Pro-choice demonstrators gathering outside the Marie Stopes clinic on Mattock Lane / PA

Staff at the Marie Stopes clinic said their clients had been harassed by groups who stand on the footpath outside the facility.

The marches come just weeks ahead of a referendum in Ireland on the eighth amendment.

Ireland goes to the polls on May 25. They will be asked whether they want to retain the eighth amendment of the constitution which gives equal rights to the mother and her unborn child.

The current law, introduced in 1983, does not allow for abortions in cases of rape, incest or foetal abnormality.

If the amendment was given the go-ahead, the Government would then table draft legislation that would allow for unrestricted abortion up to 12 weeks into pregnancy.
M eghan Markle will walk down the aisle in a 100,000 hand-stitched wedding dress designed by Ralph & Russo, reports say.

The former Suits actress has chosen British couturiers Ralph & Russo to make the first of two gowns she plans to wear when she marries Prince Harry in Windsor on May 19, the Daily Mail reports.

It is said that she will walk down the aisle at St Georges Chapel in front of 600 guests and an estimated billion TV viewers wearing a hand-stitched, heavily beaded design.

Kensington Palace said on Friday that Prince Harry will not see the wedding dress until the moment she walks into St Georges Chapel.

Ralph & Russo SS18 show in Paris / AFP/Getty Images

Ms Markle will also wear the dress for the reception immediately afterwards which is being hosted by the Queen in St Georges Hall at Windsor Castle, the newspaper reports.

She will reportedly change into another design for the private evening reception at Frogmore House.

The Daily Mail quoted a source as saying that Prince Harry and his family will meet the cost of the 100,000 dress.

Ms Markle wore a sheer black chiffon and tulle gown designed by Ralph and Russo for the official engagement photos back in December. It featured a sheer black top with gold leaf embroidery and a full black silk organza skirt.

Royal wedding dresses through the years

Australian designers Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo founded the brand in Britain in 2007. Labels Burberry, Victoria Beckham, Alexander McQueen, Jenny Packham and Erdem had all been rumoured as frontrunners to be chosen to design Ms Markles dress.

The wedding dress revelations come after Kensington Palace revealed on Friday that Ms Markles father Thomas will walk her down the aisle after she has travelled to the church in a car with her mother Doria Ragland. She will meet her father at the chapel before he walks her down the aisle.

Kate Middleton wearing a Alexander McQueen wedding dress in 2011 / Getty Images

Mr Markle, 73, and Ms Ragland will arrive in the UK in the week of the wedding so they can meet and get to know the royal family.

Mr Markle, a Hollywood lighting director who lives in a retirement community in Mexico, was married to Ms Ragland for nine years before they split in 1988.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle engagement announcement 1 /27 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle engagement announcement Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Eddie Mulholland-WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle photo call today on the announcement of their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AP Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace PA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AP Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Reuters Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Sky News Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace PA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, London, after the announcement of their engagement PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave following a photocall after announcing their engagement in the Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walk away after posing for the media in the grounds of Kensington Palace AP

Kensington Palace said it was very important her parents both play a key role in the wedding. The announcement came despite claims from Mr Markles son, Thomas Markle Jnr  who is Meghans half-brother  that their father had not been invited.

It was also revealed that Ms Markle will not have a maid of honour like the Duchess of Cambridge did with her sister Pippa Middleton when she married Prince William in 2011.

Diana favourite Catherine Walker & Co talks royal dressing

Prince George and Princess Charlotte are expected to be involved in the wedding as page boy and flower girl.

Their new baby brother Prince Louis  born on April 23  will not be there.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle 1 /78 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend The Endeavour Fund Awards at Mansion House Samir Hussein/WireImage Oprah Winfrey interviews Duke and Duchess of Sussex PA Media Misan Harriman Prince Harry and Meghan Markle kiss on the steps of St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle after their wedding in St George's Chapel PA Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of Sussex holding their son Archie during a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mrs Tutu at their legacy foundation in cape Town, on day three of their tour of Africa PA Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle announce their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 Reuters Prince Harry and Meghan Markle embrace following the polo at Coworth Park on 7 May 2017 Rex Features Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle announce their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during a walkabout on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet Pony Major Mark Wilkinson and regimental mascot Cruachan IV during a walkabout on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 at Nathan Philips Square on 25 September 2017 in Toronto, Canada Reuters Prince Harry with girlfriend Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto PA Prince Harry with girlfriend Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto Getty Images Prince Harry arrives with girlfriend actress Meghan Markle at the wheelchair tennis event during the Invictus Games in Toronto Reuters Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 at Nathan Philips Square on 25 September 2017 in Toronto, Canada Getty Images Prince Harry with girlfriend Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto Getty Images Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto Karwai Tang/WireImage Prince Harry arrives with girlfriend actress Meghan Markle at the wheelchair tennis event during the Invictus Games in Toronto, Ontario Reuters Meghan Markle attends the Opening Ceremony of the 2017 Invictus Games at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada PA Meghan Markle on the cover of Vanity Fair Peter Lindbergh exclusively for Vanity Fair Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 Getty Images Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle announce their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Larking around: Harry and Meghan pull faces in footage not shown in the BBC engagement interview BBC Meghan Markle visits Nottingham for her first official public engagement with fiancee Prince Harry Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at the Nottingham Contemporary in Nottingham, to attend a Terrence Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair on their first official engagement together PA Meghan Markle arrives at the Terrance Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair at Nottingham Contemporary Getty Images The royal brothers and their partners on Christmas Day. AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle listen to a broadcast through headphones during a visit to youth-orientated radio station, Reprezent FM, in Brixton PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive in Brixton EPA Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle visit Reprezent 107.3FM in Brixton Getty Images Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle visit Reprezent 107.3FM in Brixton Getty Images Loved up: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit Cardiff Castle EPA Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle attend a street dance class during their visit to Star Hub in during their visit to Star Hub on January 18, 2018 in Cardiff, Wales. Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will visit the people of Edinburgh Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive to attend the annual Endeavour Fund Awards PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive to attend the annual Endeavour Fund Awards Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a reception for young people at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images rince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle meet a Shetland Pony as they arrive at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Frank Augstein/AP Meghan Markle during a walkabout on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speak with patrons at the Social Bite in Edinburgh AP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham PA Meghan Markle arrives for a visit in Birmingham on International Women's Day PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham Splash News Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet members of the public on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet members of the public on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham PA The Reverend Canon David Stanton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave after attending a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbet AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a reception with delegates from the Commonwealth Youth Forum at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ride in an Ascot Landau along the Long Walk after their wedding PA Meghan Markle walks down the aisle in St George's Chapel PA Harry and Meghan leaving Windsor Castle for the glamorous evening reception PA Harry and Meghan leaving Windsor Castle for the glamorous evening reception PA Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex head back down the Mall to Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour on June 9, 2018 Getty Images Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex talk to members of OneWave, an awareness group for mental health and wellbeing at South Bondi Beach on October 19, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex are seen during the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in Sydney, Australia, 27 October 2018 EPA Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visits the Hubb Community Kitchen to see how funds raised by the 'Together: Our Community' Cookbook are making a difference at Al Manaar, North Kensington on November 21, 2018 in London Getty Images Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Britain's Prince Harry unveil a plaque to officially open Number 7, a 'Feeding Birkenhead' citizens supermarket and community cafe, at Pyramids Shopping Centre, as part of a visit to Birkenhead, northwest England, Monday Jan. 14, 2019 AP Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visits the National theatre in central London on January 30, 2019 AFP/Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a visit to the Bristol Old Vic theatre, which is undergoing a multimillion-pound restoration PA Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (L) and Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, reacts as they visit Bristol Old Vic theatre in Bristol, south-west England on February 1, 2019 AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (R) and Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (C) help volunteers in the kitchen as they pack food parcels to go in the charity outreach van during a visit to One25 charity in Bristol, south west England on February 1, 2019 AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive to attend the annual Endeavour Fund Awards at Drapers Hall in London on February 7, 2019 AFP/Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of Sussex try some food during a cooking school demonstration at Villa des Ambassadors in Rabat on the third day of their tour of Morocco PA Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duke & Duchess of Sussex, pet a horse at the Moroccan Royal Federation of Equestrian Sports in Rabat on February 25, 2019 AFP/Getty Images Meghan Markle wearing a short Reiss dress on International Women's Day AFP/Getty Images Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend a Commonwealth Day Youth Event at Canada House, where they meet young people who demonstrate a Canadian spring tradition of making maple taffy (maple syrup cooled on snow to make sweets) on March 11, 2019 in London Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave following a Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London PA Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess Of Sussex attend a Commonwealth Day Youth Event at Canada House on March 11, 2019 in London WireImage Members of Britain's Royal family leave after attending the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey AP The Duchess of Cambridge (left) talks with the Duchess of Sussex (right) as they attend the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, Richard Pohle/The Times/PA Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex hold their baby son in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle, Berkshire on 8 May 2019 REUTERS Archbishop Desmond Tutu kisses the forehead of baby Archie as his mother smiles on warmly Reuters The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a visit to the Auwal Mosque, the oldest mosque in South Africa, on day two of their tour of Africa. PA Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend a roundtable discussion on gender equality with The Queens Commonwealth Trust (QCT) and One Young World at Windsor Castle Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex at The Fields of Remembrance in Westminster Abbey Jeremy Selwyn pixel8000

It is hoped 96-year-old Prince Philip will be fit enough to attend the wedding as he recovers from a hip replacement last month.

All three siblings of Princess Diana  Lady Sarah McCorquodale, Lady Jane Fellowes and Earl Spencer  will be at the ceremony and Lady Jane will give the reading.

Royals and guests will wave the couple on as they get into a landau for a 25-minute procession through the streets of Windsor after the service.
D onald Trump's defence of US gun policy and claim that a London hospital has blood-covered floors amid a spate of knife crime are "ridiculous", a leading trauma surgeon said today.

Speaking at a pro-gun rally, the president described the capital as having "unbelievably tough gun laws", but said it is "getting used to" stabbings.

Professor Karim Brohi, a trauma surgeon at the Royal London Hospital, said it was "ridiculous" to suggest guns could help combat knife violence in the city.

The US president has faced a furious backlash from Londoners after describing an unnamed prestigious hospital in central London as like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds.

"Yes that's right, they don't have guns, they have knives. And instead there's blood all over the floors of this hospital. They say it's as bad as a military war zone hospital," he said.

Making a stabbing motion with his hand, Mr Trump then said: "Knives, knives, knives."

Donald Trump pretends to shoot with his hand while speaking about the Paris shootings at the NRA convention in Dallas / EPA

It is not clear which specific hospital Mr Trump was referring to, but another trauma surgeon at Royal London, Doctor Martin Griffiths, spoke out last month of the problems of both gun and knife crime, saying some of his military colleagues had likened working there to their time at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan.

He spoke to BBC Radio 4 about young victims of violence after a spate of deadly crime in the city, which meant the number of suspected murders in March was higher than that of New York.

A family friend leaves a candle at a temporary memorial, set up at a spot near to where 18-year-old Israel Ogunsola was stabbed to death in Hackney, north London / AFP/Getty Images

In a statement following Mr Trump's comments, Professor Brohi said: "Knife violence is a serious issue for London. We are proud of the excellent trauma care we provide and of our violence reduction programmes.

"The Royal London Hospital has cut the number of our young patients returning after further knife attacks from 45 per cent to 1 per cent.

"There is more we can all do to combat this violence, but to suggest guns are part of the solution is ridiculous.

"Gunshot wounds are at least twice as lethal as knife injuries and more difficult to repair.

Leading trauma surgeon Doctor Martin Griffiths speaks at a meeting held by by the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee / London Assembly

"We are proud of our world-leading service and to serve the people of London."

Dr Griffiths responded to Mr Trump on Twitter with an image suggesting the president had missed the point, adding that he was "happy to invite Mr Trump to my prestigious hospital".

Mr Trump's comments come ahead of a visit to the UK in July, although a trip to London has not been confirmed.

Mr Trump told the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention in Dallas, Texas: "I recently read a story that in London, which has unbelievably tough gun laws, a once very prestigious hospital right in the middle is like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds.

"Yes that's right, they don't have guns, they have knives. And instead there's blood all over the floors of this hospital. They say it's as bad as a military war zone hospital."

Making a stabbing motion with his hand, Mr Trump then said: "Knives, knives, knives."

He added: "London hasn't been used to that, they're getting used to it. It's pretty tough."As of April 6, Scotland Yard had launched 55 investigations into suspected murders in 2018.

At least 35 of those killed were stabbed to death.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Sir Ed Davey said despite a rise in crime in the capital, Mr Trump's remarks are "nevertheless ridiculous".

He said: "To defend America's shocking gun laws by revealing his ignorance of Britain should alarm even his apologists in the Conservative Party."

He challenged Theresa May to confirm she would explain to Mr Trump during his trip here that "the UK's strict gun laws have been key to keeping gun crime much lower than in America, and that the recent rises in knife crime have not been caused by our gun laws".

The London Mayor's office declined to comment on Mr Trump's latest remarks.

Sadiq Khan has previously clashed with the US president over Mr Khan's response to terrorism.

Mr Trump also argued during his NRA speech that the Paris terror attack, which left 130 people dead, could have been prevented if more people were armed.

Mr Trump will make a working visit to the UK on July 13, but details of his trip have not yet been confirmed.
F rance has hit back at Donald Trump after he suggested arming civilians could have stopped the 2015 Paris attacks, in a speech in which he mimicked shooting the victims.

Speaking to the National Rifle Association on Friday, Mr Trump made a gun gesture with his hand and repeatedly shouted boom as he simulated the mass shootings that left 130 people dead.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian expressed his "firm disapproval" of President Trump's remarks and vigorously defended France's gun controls.

In a statement, Mr Le Drian said gun violence statistics "do not lead us to reconsider France's choice on this issue." Gun violence death rates are much higher in the US.

Donald Trump pretends to shoot with his hand while speaking about the Paris shootings / EPA

Mr Le Drian continued: "Free circulation of weapons in society does not constitute a rampart against terrorist attacks, to the contrary, it can facilitate... this type of attack."

It marks Frances strongest criticism of the Mr Trump since the countrys leader Emmanuel Macron took office a year ago.

Donald Trump compares London hospital to 'war zone'

Mr Macron recently made the first state visit to the US of any world leader since Mr Trump became president.

On Friday, Mr Trump referred to him as a "great guy" before pointing to France as an example of a country with tough gun laws.

"No one has guns in Paris," Mr Trump said, adding that the Paris victims were killed by "a small group of terrorists".

He referred specifically to an attack by Islamist militants at the Bataclan concert hall, where 90 of the 130 victims of the Paris bomb and shooting rampage died.

"If one employee, or just one patron had a gun, or if one person in this room had been there with gun, aimed at the opposite direction, the terrorists would have fled or been shot," Mr Trump said.
I ncredible images have emerged showing the moment a NASA spacecraft blasted off to Mars on a mission to explore the deep interior of the red planet.

The Mars InSight lander was fired into space on a powerful Atlas 5 rocket which launched on Saturday from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

It launched at about 4.05am Pacific time (12.05pm UK time) and is the first interplanetary mission to take off from the west coast of the US.

Photos shared by NASA show the rocket fire up its engines, smoke billowing from its base, before taking off on its mission.

NASA Insight rocket launches

The Insight lander will take more than six months to reach Mars and start its unprecedented geologic excavations.

It will land on a broad, smooth plain close to the planet's equator called the Elysium Planitia. That will put Insight roughly 373 miles from the 2012 landing site of the car-sized Mars rover Curiosity.

The rocket fires up its engines (NASA/Bill Ingalls) / (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Once settled, the solar-powered InSight will spend two years  about one Martian year  plumbing the depths of the planet's interior for clues to how Mars took form with the hope of finding out more about the origins of the Earth and other rocky planets.

InSight's primary instrument is a French-built seismometer, designed to detect the slightest vibrations from "marsquakes" around the planet.

The NASA spacecraft takes off on its mission to Mars (NASA/Bill Ingalls) / (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The device, to be placed on the surface by the lander's robot arm, is so sensitive it can measure a seismic wave just one-half the radius of a hydrogen atom.

Scientists expect to see a dozen to 100 marsquakes over the course of the mission, producing data to help them deduce the depth, density and composition of the planet's core, the rocky mantle surrounding it and the outermost layer, the crust.

Nasa's stunning images of eclipse from International Space Station 1 /12 Nasa's stunning images of eclipse from International Space Station The stunning pictures were posted on social media by astronaut Paolo Nespoli They reveal a new perspective of the eclipse that swept across the United States as millions of Americans watched in wonder on Monday. NASA He posted them on social media with the caption Voila!... no words needed. As millions of people across the United States experienced a total eclipse as the umbra, or moons shadow passed over them, only six people witnessed the umbra from space Nasa Flight Engineer Randy Bresnik took still images of the eclipse as seen from the unique vantage of the Expedition 52 crew. This image made from seven frames shows the International Space Station, as it transits the Sun during a partial solar eclipse on Monday, August 21. NASA/Joel Kowsky The Moon is seen passing in front of the Sun during the solar eclipse from Ross Lake, Northern Cascades National Park, Washington NASA The Bailey's Beads effect is seen as the moon makes its final move over the sun NASA An image of the Moon transiting across the Sun during the eclipse The last glimmer of the sun is seen as the moon makes its final move over the sun during the total solar eclipse on Monday (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani) This full-disk geocolor image from GOES-16 shows the shadow of the move covering a large portion of the northwestern US An image of the moon travelling across the face of the Sun during Monday's spectacle

Instruments on the lander will dig deeper into Mars than ever before  nearly 16 feet  to take the planet's temperature.

Meanwhile, a special transmitter on the lander will send radio signals back to Earth, tracking Mars' subtle rotational wobble to reveal the size of the planet's core and possibly whether it remains molten.
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Mrs. Doina Cornea, the most fragile and yet strongest moral strength of Romania's 20th century's last two decades, has left us for a world where she won't have to protest anymore. She used to be, all by herself, the civil society of a country that didn't even know the definition of this notion and for two decades, she kept our place, everybody's place in front of Europe and of the entire world, may God whom she believed in with devoutness repay her and give her the peace and rest she deserves,' poetess Ana Blandiana, an anti-communist dissident herself, told AGERPRES.

'This is troubling news, because Mrs. Doina Cornea used to be an example of verticality, strength, moral firmness. Her courage might seem reckless if we think that she has voiced certain extremely tough truths for the communist regime, in a period in which the people obviously were afraid of any kind of attitude firstly after the terror unleashed by the (political police) Securitate in Romania,' historian Marius Oprea told AGERPRES.

Doina Cornea will forever remain an example for the young generations of what means courage, decency and balance, said the Senate's President Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, adding that she has supported the values she believed in - democracy, freedom of thought and speech.Former Prime minister and European Commissioner Dacian Ciolos on Friday wrote on his Facebook page that the anti-communist dissident Doina Cornea made him acknowledge what endurance and determination in front of a totalitarian rule means, but also that 'nothing is too much to defend one's freedom'.'Her belief and those who withstood the system, that nobody could take away the thought of freedom, could be passed further if only we assume what we are and what we used to be to the very end. If we assume that we could change when we understand better what happens around us, so the ones who come could assess the price of freedom properly,' said Ciolos.The Institute for the Communism Crimes' Investigation and the Romanian Exile's Memory (IICMER) feels sorry for the passing of Doina Cornea, former dissident of the communist rule. Former member of the IICMER's Scientific Council in 2006-2009, Doina Cornea became a symbol of the fight against the Ceausescu rule, on Friday informs a message by the said institute, sent to AGERPRES.'The moment of passing of Mrs. Doina Cornea I have lost a true friend. Sadly we say good bye to the one who used to be a constant militant of the Romanian-Hungarian dialogue. Her ceaseless fight for the democracy's values and her opposition during the communist period, have been and will forever remain exemplary. May God rest her in peace!' Kelemen Hunor wrote on his Facebook page.'She was called the Iron Lady of the Romanian anti-communist resistance. Perhaps she would've deserved a life hero title. Because modesty used to have a name, we called it simply Doina Cornea. Now, at her passing we pray for her forever rest. God forgive her!' said the Romanian Ombudsman Victor Ciorbea.The anti-communist dissident Doina Cornea passed away overnight Thursday at 88, in her home, after a long illness.
Greenlands election in late April was largely a vote on independence  a crucial and unifying issue. Whatever the ultimate composition of the ruling coalition, the secession from Denmark seems to be a foregone conclusion. Six out of seven political parties support the idea and they won. A referendum will also offer a thumbs-up. The Greenlandic people have been inspired by Icelands example and want to make their home, the largest island in the world, a member of the family of independent nations. Some suggest that independence could be declared by 2021.

Greenland left the EU in 1984 while not leaving the Kingdom of Denmark  an EU member state. This was an unprecedented situation. There was no mechanism in place in those days for pulling out of the bloc but this island did it. This proves that Scotland and Northern Ireland could find a way to remain simultaneously parts of the UK and the EU if they wanted to. Theres no need for hard choices; they could have both.

Greenland was granted home rule in 1979 and self-rule in 2009. Denmark's constitution recognizes its right to become a sovereign nation but it would then lose the subsidies it receives from Copenhagen, which make up about 60% of the islands annual budget.

Greenland isnt green. Roughly 80% of its land is covered by ice, but that percentage is diminishing each year, paving the way for crops and scenery that brings in tourists. Iceland has recently made big strides toward becoming a tourist destination. Greenland could take a page out of its book.

Tourist infrastructure and mining can help bring Greenlanders closer to their goal of becoming a self-sufficient country. Rare-earth elements could turn it into a diplomatic flash point. Chinas influence is strong and will probably grow, as Greenland badly needs foreign investment.

But in that case it would have to leave NATO, casting doubt over the fate of the US Air Force base in Thule, which is a component of NORAD and the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System. Last year the US completed a significant upgrade of that site. The island is going to leave Denmark and NATO at just about the same time that the US Navy is accelerating its plan to beef up its Arctic capability.

The melting ice offers more than just new economic opportunities. It is also revealing the danger to the environment posed by a US top-secret Cold War military base where toxic agents were stored. The site was abandoned in 1967 under the assumption that it would remain eternally frozen. Now it is rising to the surface as its ice covering melts. This problem is not making the local population more warmly disposed to the US. The idea of the two countries working together militarily is not popular. Former Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vittus Qujaukitsoq believes that "The American presence has been nothing but trouble, nothing but environmental pollution, and it has created a crisis of trust between Greenland and Denmark."

Once it loses Greenland, Denmark will no longer be an Arctic state, but China could have a proxy vote in Arctic matters, as Paula Briscoe, an analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations, put it. As an independent state and a new member of the Arctic Council, Greenland will have to cooperate with Russia, the world leader in icebreaker construction. Moscow can share its wealth of experience finding profit in the region  something Greenland will badly need. The Russian-Chinese relationship is warming up in the Arctic, and Greenland could benefit from that. Once it is independent, it will not have to abide by the sanctions against Russia, thus paving the way for a thriving economic relationship with that country, spurred by the lucrative opportunities that are emerging as the snow continues to melt.

Greenlands independence will no doubt inspire secessionist movements in Denmark (such as the Faroese independence movement) and across Europe, where aspirations for independence are on the rise. Scotland, Catalonia, Basque, Flanders, Veneto  the list can go on. With the opportunities for economic prosperity about to open up and the relations between the Arctic Five regulated by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Greenland will not have to choose between the West or the East. It could freely define its own national interests and do the right thing as interpreted in Nuuk, not in the capitals of the NATO member states. Equipped with a reliable base of resources, it could take the best from its Arctic partners, Russia, China, Australia, or anyone with a lucrative deal to offer. Greenland will be able to make its own decisions as to whether it needs other nations military bases on its territory that only make it a target in the event of an armed conflict that doesnt concern Nuuk.
The resolution was moved by PPP lawmakers Fakhr Azam Wazir and Ziaullah Afridi under the sub-clause (C) of Article 53 read with Article 127 of the Constitution and sub-rule 1 of the Rule 11 of the rules and procedures of the K-P Assembly.

Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, Wazir claimed the speaker did not have support of enough MPAs to hold his port any longer hence he should take another vote of confidence from the house.

Summoning a session of the provincial assembly on May 14, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has fixed the resolution on top of the agenda.

If the resolution is backed by one-third of the assembly members, a secret ballot will be held to re-elect the speaker. The PPP lawmakers require simple-majority to dethrone Qaiser.

Since the K-P assembly currently has three vacant seats, the simple majority number rests at 62 out of 124 MPAs.

The ruling PTI is in a fragile position in the K-P assembly ever since the partys chairman had accused around 18 lawmakers of indulging in horse-trading during Marchs Senate elections.

The party had subsequently issued show-cause notices to the lawmakers and warned them of expulsion.

Moreover, the PTIs parliamentary ally Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) amicably parted ways with the ruling party on Thursday. Losing the seven members of the JI has further shaken the ground the provincial government is standing on.
Both factions of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P)  PIB and Bahadurabad groups  are set to organize a joint power show at Liquatababs Tanki Ground today (Saturday) in response to Pakistan Peoples Partys (PPP) April 29 public meeting at the same venue.

Bahadurabad and PIB factions of MQM-P have on Thursday agreed to mend their deteriorating relations in the wake of successful power show staged by PPP in MQMs bastion Liaquatabad.

The top brass of both factions of the party including Farooq Sattar, Amir Khan and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui separately visited Tanky Ground on Friday to review preparations for the public meeting.

Flanked by partys members, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui of the Bahadurabad group told media that August 22 development had shaken the foundations of decades-old party.

Dr Farooq Sattar, who led a rally to Tanky Ground, said that those who were trying to create cracks in the ranks of MQM-P would split themselves.

Amir Khan also reached the ground but did not meet Dr Sattar.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders on Saturday urged the Pakistan Peoples Party to hold rallies and vowed to defeat the party everywhere.

Lambasting the PPP at a joint MQM-P rally at Liaquatabad's Tanki Ground in Karachi, where the PPP held its own rally a week ago, MQM-P PIB leader Dr Farooq Sattar said the party had "challenged us in our homes".

Criticising the PPP, Sattar said the people of Sindh were trapped in a vicious "wheel of cruelty". "It is not just the Muhajirs, or the Urdu-speaking. It is the people of Sindh, everyone is trapped in this wheel of cruelty and [quota system]."

He added that "seeds of hate" were sowed against the people of Sindh. "The defeated [labourers] are still living the life they were living decades ago," he said, and called on the masses to reject the feudal system and the landlords.

Sattar said that despite the hardships and differences, MQM-P vote bank remained the same.

"No matter the hardships, struggles, differences, our vote bank and our support base will stay the same. MQM-P vote bank was one yesterday, and it is one today," he asserted.

Sattar told the crowd that he would not declare those who left the party "traitors" and that more would return to the party than those who left it.

He said he took the reins of the party on August 23, 2016. "I promised to build the party on non-violence. I promised we will make an educated party."

MQM-P Bahadurabad leader Khalid Maqbool thanked the participants and said the people of Liaquatabad had "once again saved the MQM" and that Liaquatabad remains the centre of struggle against dictatorship.

"We [MQM-P] are united.. [we have] one vision, one direction," he asserted.

"Today, I want to question all [four] pillars of the state, what are Muhajirs getting punished for?" he questioned.

Slamming the PPP, Maqbool said the opponent party only spread hate in its rally last week.

"We are Mustaqil Qaumi Musibat for you, [but] we are Mustaqil Qaumi Mohabbat for the [helpless]," he added.

He further pointed out that the MQM-P rally is not meant to announce any manifesto tonight. "Today's rally is to express our emotions," he said.

MQM-P member and Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar, aiming directly at the PPP, said the party has ruined Sindh during its decades-long rule and is now out to destroy Karachi as well.

"Bilawal is still learning, he doesn't know the facts," Akhtar said about the PPP chairman.

"He [Bilawal] is being fed dreams of becoming a future minister," the mayor continued.

MQM-P's Amir Khan said he is a Muhajir and will always be a Muhajir. "Sindhi, Balochi, Pakhtuns, all are present today at the rally," he said.

MQM-P always competed against propaganda: Sattar

MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar earlier today said that his party never had competition with any political party, rather it had always been "competing against propaganda."

Sattar, who heads the PIB faction, was speaking to reporters ahead of leaving for the rally. He also denied the party had any link to pamphlets spreading hatred on the basis of ethnicity.

"Our rally tonight is very important. We have united as one setting aside all our differences, Sattar said, adding that they have to work towards betterment and self-accountability in the party.

He said that the rally would also be a protest against water and power shortage in Karachi.

MQM-P's Kamran Tessori and Ali Raza Abidi reached the venue of the rally ahead of Sattar. In an informal conversation with reporters, Tessori said he was honoured to be with his party members, while Abidi called on the Bahadurabad faction to accept Tessori.

Earlier today, Amir Khan along with other party leaders visited Tanki Ground to review preparations. PPP will get their reply today, Khan told the media.

Today, the people will let us know if PPP will ever hold a rally at Tanki Ground or not, he said, maintaining, The popularity of MQM has not decreased.
The years-long video card rivalry between AMD and Nvidia has largely been a positive thing for customers. The constant attempts at one-upmanship from both companies have resulted in better products and more options for PC enthusiasts.

However, Nvidia may have taken things a step too far back in March with the launch of the "GeForce Partner Program." According to the company, the GPP was intended to give gamers "full transparency into the GPU platform" they were being sold. As HardOCP discovered in an in-depth investigation though, there may have been a much less savory side to the program Nvidia hadn't revealed.

In short, Nvidia appeared to be pushing their OEM partners -- such as Gigabyte, MSI, and Asus -- to attach their gaming brands exclusively to Nvidia products as a condition for joining the program.

Nvidia reportedly planned to offer GPP partners marketing development funds and "launch partner status" as incentives for joining. Naturally, choosing not to join the GPP would put a company in a disadvantageous position in relation to their competitors.

As an example of the situation, if Asus wanted to join the GPP, they could only use their well-known and trusted Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand on Nvidia cards. The company's AMD cards would need to receive different, lesser-known branding.

Interestingly, that's precisely what happened in April: Asus slapped new "AREZ" branding on their AMD GPUs. This move prompted many, including AMD, to believe Asus had opted to follow Nvidia's rules.

It now seems the controversy surrounding the GPP has become too much of a headache for Nvidia to deal with.

In a blog post released today, Nvidia's Director of Partner Marketing John Teeple announced they are officially pulling the plug on the GPP. In the following blog post excerpt, Teeple briefly explains Nvidia's original intentions with the program and the company's decision to cancel it:

With GPP, we asked our partners to brand their products in a way that would be crystal clear. The choice of GPU greatly defines a gaming platform. So, the GPU brand should be clearly transparent  no substitute GPUs hidden behind a pile of techno-jargon. Most partners agreed. They own their brands and GPP didnt change that. They decide how they want to convey their product promise to gamers. Still, today we are pulling the plug on GPP to avoid any distraction from the super exciting work were doing to bring amazing advances to PC gaming.
"We have decided to accept the resignation of the President of the Council of Ministers, Guido Bellido, whom I thank for his services," said President Pedro Castillo. | Read More
The banks needed to find more capital. Sure, they could cut dividends, but no bank CEO who values his job wants to risk the ire of Australian shareholders by doing that. So it was time to sell the family jewels - something Ive argued was akin to sacrificing tomorrows opportunities for a sugar hit today (can you say "climate change"?). A cynic might suggest that a bank CEO whose remuneration was tied to this years profits and share price could be persuaded to give up a lot of tomorrow for a little today. Only a cynic, though.

The second shoe, of course, is the royal commission. The tale of woe has been astounding, and, if the commission has anything to do with it, will have many more chapters before this particular book is finished.

Whod be in wealth management? Well, whod be a vertically integrated advice and funds management business with a complicated and convoluted remuneration structure and that has a - potentially - somewhat conflicted and opaque incentive structure?

Not the banks, thats for sure. ANZ has already jettisoned one such ancillary business. CBA and NAB are either considering or in the process of selling theirs. And not before time.

Meanwhile, bank shares are down by around one-fifth from their high points of recent years. Flattening capital-city house price growth hasnt helped, of course, but the combination of damned if you do (the royal commission wont be kind) and damned if you dont (wheres the growth going to come from?) makes for a tough story for bank shares.
They didn't speak for almost two years after a messy and very public split, but Geoffrey Edelsten and Gabi Grecko are giving things another go after realising they never stopped loving each other.

The Melbourne-based medic, 75, and the Florida-born model-turned-rapper, 28, who first met on SugarDaddy.com in 2014, reunited at Christmas when she got back in touch and gave him an ultimatum: make peace or divorce.

Reunited: Gabi Grecko and Geoffrey Edelsten. The pair at the Brownlow Medal in Melbourne in 2014. Credit:AAP

"We spoke a lot about things that happened, the fights that were in the media, things that he said and I said. We both said horrible things," Grecko told Fairfax Media from her apartment in New York.

Speaking from Melbourne, Edelsten added: "It's a massive U-turn ... Gabi has matured a lot. She is a much nicer person  it makes me feel sad that we had that hiatus."
Even the Cannes Film Festival, now in its 71st year and as monumental as ever, has caught the combative mood of these woke times: this year, the talk leading up to the world's grandest cinematic event is all about the fights, controversies and political stand-offs.

From his palace on the Riviera, festival director Thierry Fremaux is battling with Netflix, fending off a rogue Portuguese producer trying to block his closing-night gala and trying to negotiate with the government of Iran, which won't let dissident filmmaker Jafar Panahi out of the country to attend his own premiere.

Wanuri Kahiu's film Rafiki, about two teenage girls who fall in love, was banned in her native Kenya.

This goes way up the food chain. The French authorities, according to the festival, are making a diplomatic approach in a last-ditch effort to get Panahi across the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, another competition filmmaker is under house arrest in Russia on trumped-up charges and a new talent from Kenya has just seen her film banned and condemned in her home country. The festival is pitching in for them too. It's all a far cry from frocks on the red carpet.

Some critics have suggested that Cannes is looking a bit like Berlin this year, albeit with better weather. Berlin Film Festival has always been its more politically engaged cousin, with social initiatives such as kitchens run by refugees, a conscious brief to give unknown directors and marginalised cultures a platform, and a jeans-or-whatever dress code.
Many of the projects supposed to offset changes to the $13 billion Murray-Darling Basin Plan contain environmental risks and may even nullify previous outlays costing tens of millions of dollars, according to assessments by the basin authority itself.

The concerns are revealed in documents secured by federal senator for South Australia Rex Patrick and analysed by the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists.

Victoria and NSW stand to grab the lion's share of more than $1.3 billion of federal funding if amendments to the basin plan get passed in the Senate on Tuesday. The money will bankroll 36 projects that the basin authority says can deliver 605 billion litres in annual environmental water savings.

Lake Eildon is a key source of water for the Goulburn River, one of the most important in the Murray-Darling Basin. Credit:Peter Hannam

Jamie Pittock, a member of the Wentworth Group, said some of the projects were "outrageously expensive".
Our parliaments are the fulcrum of the challenge to find the best balance between individual liberty and community safety; a struggle involving ever-changing threats and timeless human rights. People have reason to fear terrorism and other serious crime, but to do so overly is to cede the battle.

Peter Dutton is in charge of the massive Home Affairs ministry. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Rationality should be our guide. It is reasonable, for example, that the Coalition government will include in the budget this week funding to install full-body X-ray scanners at domestic airport screening points. It is also considering tighter restrictions on liquids and other items in carry-on baggage, both justifiable measures.

But our elected representatives, even those who profess to champion freedoms, are often rudely ready to grab undue sway over our lives. George Orwells seminal, chilling warning against such intrusion by Big Brother in his novel 1984 is as apposite as ever.

So is the declaration in the 1980s by then president of the United States Ronald Reagan that the most terrifying words in the English language are, Im from the government and Im here to help. (He did not coin the phrase, but made it globally renowned.)
A mother who disappeared from Townsville along with her twin daughters four years ago has turned up, with the girls, in northern NSW.

Catherine "Cassie" Watter, 45, and her daughters Isabelle and Bronte, 10, were located safe and well in Taree on Friday morning after four years in hiding.

The children's grandmother, Heather Doubleday, said she was relieved to hear from her daughter after four years of silence.
Trials of new technology that NSW plans to implement to spot drivers illegally using their mobile phones have also captured motorists in 80-to-100km/h speed zones who are texting with both hands, eating, reading and using illegal drugs.

A man illegally using nitrous oxide (known as nanging) while driving down a highway at 100km/h was among those captured on camera in scans of about 100,000 drivers across Australia.

A man prepares to inhale nitrous oxide while speeding down the highway. Credit:One Task

Another driver was seen texting with both hands, said Alex McCredie, the director of One Task, which conducted the tests. Others were snapped with both hands off the wheel and in the air, with pets in their laps or unrestrained, doing their makeup, and reaching for objects.

One Task's surveillance found illegal mobile phone use was endemic, with between 5 and 7 per cent of drivers in every city using them while driving at high speeds.
Dad found Watkins Butcher at the top of Russell Street where he bought six T-bones for sixpence each. Monty said the butcher had thrown in an ox tongue - considered a luxury in Poland - and he chuckled lightly as he recalled his mother saying: An ox tongue! Well, now I know we are welcome. Schumacher Shoes reflects a long retail history. As I looked around the store, I saw a Meritus Lighting Award presented to the Rudov family in 1960 by the Victorian Branch of the Illuminating Engineering Society of Australia for their innovative showroom and window display lighting. Miniature Sioux moccasins on sale at Schumacher Shoes, which will close at the end of this financial year after decades in Flinders Lane. Credit:Vicki Drozdowski In the showcase, I saw a display of miniature moccasins given to the family by the German shoe company Sioux in the 1950s.

Experienced in the rag trade, Monty's parents began tailoring suits and ensembles made from wool and Thai silk in Fitzroy and later Flinders Lane. Without a retail outlet, they visited hotels and businesses to sell their garments but also took to the road and sold their clothes out of a suitcase. This took them to Albury in NSW, where they quickly learnt that even during the Great Depression there was money on the land. In 1930 they opened their first retail clothing store: Rudov Modes in Dean Street, Albury, where they specialised in selling womens formal wear to graziers and townsfolk. In the workroom above they also manufactured maternity wear made from a combination of wool and washable terylene to sell downstairs. In 1939, the family moved back to Melbourne to open the Christine Bradley Boutique in Collins Street. Here Abraham and Esther engaged a local French designer to design womens evening gowns and wedding attire which they would tailor and sell out of the store. Abraham "Jack" Rudov strides proudly along Dean Street, Albury, close to his store, Rudov Modes.

One evening that year, four-year-old Monty overheard his parents arguing with his uncle, who wanted to return to Poland to fetch his wife and two daughters. Esther said: Dont go back, well bring them out where theyll be safe. She knew the danger as she had gone back to Poland and Germany the year before to settle her fathers estate. She had also gone to Paris to buy dresses for the Albury store. She was in Berlin during the Night of Broken Glass, Kristallnacht, when Jewish shops were smashed and plundered on November 9 and 10, 1938. In spite of this, Montys uncle boarded the ship and was in passage when World War II broke out. Monty said: Uncle reached Germany but disappeared, never to be seen again. Esther Rudov models one of the Parisian dresses she brought back from her 1938 trip to Poland and Germany.

Monty spoke with deep pride and affection about his mother: Mum went back to Germany not once but twice: once in 1938 and again in 1945, just after the war had ended. In 1945 Esther was on a quest to find her brother and his family. After months of going through displaced persons' lists which took her from Germany to France, she finally found her 18-year-old niece Selina, known as Tsesha, in Paris. This is when she learnt of the familys fate. In 1940, her sister-in-law and two nieces had been rounded up with the other 160,000 Lodz Jews by German officials and kept in a barbed-wire camp called the Lodz ghetto. As early as May 1940, the Germans established factories in the ghetto and used Jewish residents as forced labour. In 1944 the ghetto was liquidated and all but a few hundred of the remaining Jews, including Esther's sister-in-law and nieces, were transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Selina, then 18, not long after she was liberated from Auschwitz-Birkenau. Esther Rudov brought Selina and her Russian-Jewish husband back with her from her 1945 trip to a shattered Europe. Monty said: The only one to survive was my cousin, Selina, whom mum brought back to Australia. In total, mum and dad repatriated 12 family members as well as many non-family members to Australia both before and after the war, and all of these people have contributed greatly to Australian society. In 1959 Abraham and Esther opened Schumacher Shoes, originally in Collins Street but moving to the current store in Flinders Lane in 1975. Monty chuckled as he noted that it had all started in Flinders Lane with the tailoring business and this is where it will all finish, before the end of the financial year. My brother and I were still tailoring and selling garments to boutiques and Myer when we established the shoe shop, he said. Dad intended retiring, so we hired a store manager.

Monty laughed again as he recalled his fathers three-week retirement. The Rudov family in Melbourne, clockwise from top right: David, Esther, Abraham and Monty. Mum and dad argued for three weeks straight, he said. He was out of bed and ready for work on the Monday morning of what would have been his fourth week with his feet up. "Jack" Rudov spent the last 11 years of his life at Schumacher Shoes, dying in 1970. That is when Monty and his brother took over, and Monty has been at the store serving customers with hard-to-fit feet for some 48 years. Inside Schumacher Shoes, a fixture in Flinders Lane since 1975. Credit:Vicki Drozdowski
A motorcyclist has died after being struck by a bus in Melbourne's north on Saturday.

The eastbound rider and the Public Transport Victoria bus collided at the corner of Miller and High streets in Preston just after 2pm.

Emergency workers at the scene of the fatality in Preston on Saturday afternoon. Credit:9News

The 58-year-old man from The Basin was treated at the scene but later died in hospital.

No one else was injured.
The federal government apparently wants the academic testing scores of Australian school children to rise. They want our children to do far better compared to other nations as local results sink below competitors like Kazakhstan, Bulgaria or Cyprus.

What they seemingly do not want is to ask some pretty fundamental questions about what education is for. Or what an adequate 21st-century education  at every level from pre-school to postgraduate  should be?

Cramming for exams narrows thinking. Credit:Christopher Pearce

How and where are children considered in all this? Not just their results but their wellbeing and enthusiasm to learn?

The government and their consultants also seem reluctant to look too far into the reality of life for teachers, upon whom the burden and joys of education devolve.
There is one big question Scott Morrison does not want to answer about the tax cuts he will reveal on Tuesday night.

Will the government honour its rule of allowing any improvements in tax revenue to be banked on the budget bottom line?

This is the rule imposed after the global financial crisis to guard against political decisions that spend any revenue gains that are otherwise needed to produce a surplus. The question goes to the heart of the debate on whether the country can afford the new income tax cuts.
Seoul: North Korea readjusted its time zone to match South Korea's on Saturday and described the change as an early step toward making the long-time rivals "become one".

A man adjusts his wristwatch in front of a clock of the Pyongyang Station in Pyongyang, North Korea, early on Saturday. Credit:Kyodo News/AP

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un promised to synchronise his country's time zone with the South's during his April 27 talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. A dispatch from the North's Korean Central News Agency said that promise was fulfilled Saturday by a decree of the nation's Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.

The Koreas used the same time zone for decades before the North in 2015 created its own "Pyongyang Time" by setting its clocks 30 minutes behind South Korea and Japan. It said at the time that it did so to root out the legacy of Tokyo's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, when clocks in Korea were changed to be the same as in Japan.
If anyone had any hope President Donald Trump would adopt a more conciliatory tone toward Britain before his visit in July, it was dashed on Friday when he appeared before a National Rifle Association conference in Dallas and took a jab at London's crime rate.

"Knives, knives, knives, knives," he said, mimicking a stabbing motion as he defended gun ownership in the United States.

Saying that Americans' rights to carry guns were "under siege," he said: "I recently read a story that in London, which has unbelievably tough gun laws, a once very prestigious hospital right in the middle is like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds.

"They don't have guns. They have knives, and instead there's blood all over the floors of this hospital."
Paris: Under the close watch of French police, thousands of protesters in Paris danced, picnicked and railed against President Emmanuel Macron at a "party" marking his first year in office.

Police fired tear gas on troublemakers on the margins of the largely festive protest on Saturday. Authorities deployed 2,000 police to the event after violence and ransacking scarred a May Day protest in the French capital earlier this week.

"Stop Macron!" read placards at Saturday's rally in front of Paris' famed Opera Garnier. Demonstrators then marched through tourist-filled neighborhoods toward the Bastille plaza in eastern Paris.

Organisers of Saturday's march, the far-left party Defiant France, planned the event around the one-year anniversary of Macron's May 7, 2017 election. He was inaugurated a week later, and quickly launched broad changes to France's labor rules to increase the nation's global competitiveness.
Nabi Ayla, Lebanon: The Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah and its allies expect to emerge stronger from a parliamentary election on Sunday, a result that would affirm Iran's regional ascendancy from Tehran to Beirut.

The group, classified by the US as a terrorist organisation, is backing a former spymaster and friend of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who was once one of Lebanon's most powerful men, to suceed Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri.

A Beirut Ferris wheel is used in the election campaign of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri , left. Credit:AP

Jamil al-Sayyed rose to become Lebanon's feared intelligence chief during Syria's 15-year domination of the country after its 1975-90 civil war. He quit in 2005, weeks after Hariri's father and former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri was assassinated. He spent the next four years in jail until he was released without charge over the killing.

Now 68, the retired general is running in the first parliamentary election since 2009.
Jeep Buyers Guide





SEE ALSO: The Auto Channel's Jeep Buyers Guide 1997-2019: Specs, Prices, Reviews, Opinion, Comparisons

What Is Jeep?

Jeep is an automobile marque (and registered trademark) of FCA. It is the oldest off-road vehicle (also sport utility vehicle - SUV) brand, with Land Rover coming in a close second. The original vehicle which first appeared as the prototype Bantam BRC became the primary light 4 wheel drive car of the US Army and allies during the World War II and postwar period. Many vehicles serving similar military and civilian roles have since been created by many nations.

The first jeep prototype (the Bantam BRC) was built for the Department of the Army by American Bantam in Butler, Pennsylvania, followed by two other competing prototypes produced by Ford and Willys-Overland. The American Bantam Car Company actually built and designed the vehicle that first met the Army's criteria, but its engine did not meet the Army's torque requirements. Plus, the Army felt that the company was too small to supply the number needed and it allowed Willys and Ford to make second attempts on their designs after seeing Bantam's vehicle in action. Some people believe that Ford and Willys also had access to Bantam's technical paperwork.

Quantities (1,500) of each of the three models were then extensively field tested. During the bidding process for 16,000 "jeeps", Willys-Overland offered the lowest bid and won the initial contract. Willys thus designed what would become the standardized jeep, designating it a model MB military vehicle and building it at their plant in Toledo, Ohio.

Like American Bantam, Willys-Overland was a small company and, likewise, the military was concerned about their ability to produce large quantities of jeeps. The military was also concerned that Willys-Overland had only one manufacturing facility: something that would make the supply of jeeps more susceptible to sabotage or production stoppages.

Based on these two concerns, the U.S. government required that jeeps also be built by the Ford Motor Company, who designated the vehicle as model GPW (G = governmental vehicle, P showed the wheelbase, and W = the Willys design). Willys and Ford, under the direction of Charles E. Sorensen (Vice-President of Ford during World War II), produced more than 600,000 jeeps containing their cost slightly above 300 dollars per unit, due to its mass-production system economy. Besides just being a "truck" the jeep was used for many other purposes.

The jeep was widely copied around the world, including in France by Hotchkiss et Cie (after 1954, Hotchkiss manufactured Jeeps under license from Willys), and in Japan by Mitsubishi Motors. There were several versions created, including a railway jeep and an amphibious jeep. As part of the war effort, Jeeps were also supplied to the Soviet Red Army during World War II.During the jeep's service in Korea the name was referred to as "Just Enough Essential Parts" by the troops due to the very basic design.
Melissa Barrera isnt from here. While she now lives in Los Angeles, she was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, went to NYU for college, then returned to Mexico to pursue her acting career. So, when she was cast as one of the leads in the new Starz show Vida  in which East Los Angeles also plays a very prominent role  she made a point to try to get a sense of the neighborhood by wandering around and saying hi.

Everyone was so friendly, Barrera, 27, told me when we met in a Los Feliz cafe early one sunny weekday morning. When I stopped to ask a few men for directions to this famous raspado place after lunch  in Spanish, obviously  they were like, Mija! Si, claro! They gave me directions, and one of them was like, Im going in that direction. Do you want a ride?

I should add here that Barrera is alive and well. Tanya [Saracho, the shows creator], was like, Why would you get in the car with someone you dont know? she recalls. This was also my first question. But for Barrera, the moral of the story is that the spirit of the Mexican community is that we just stick together. If you feel like you have something in common with someone, its like, I got your back. Not only did she get a ride to the raspado place in a red Corvette, but she got invited to a family barbecue where she met the guys grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and little nieces and nephews. Then someone figured out shed been on the popular Mexican soap Ventaneando and everyone wanted to take a picture with her.

Christopher Kane dress, $1,565 at Christopher Kane. Photo: Daria Kobayashi Ritch. Styled by Rebecca Ramsey. Photo: Daria Kobayashi Ritch Photo by Daria Kobayashi Ritch. Styled by Rebecca Ramsey.

Balenciaga black and white shirtdress, $3,200, at 148 Mercer St. Celine slipper mules, $710 at 870 Madison Ave. Photo: Daria Kobayashi Ritch. Styled by Rebecca Ramsey.

Barrera studied musical theater in college, so its fitting that her career in Mexico began with the musical reality show La Academia. After three months on that show, she landed her first telenovela, which she thinks of as her actors boot camp. Everything is fast, she said. You go from crying to laughing to being angry to running to crying again. Its crazy. You get to learn how to control your emotions a lot more, and by controlling, I just mean manipulating. And because the soaps would only shoot until 5:00 p.m., shed do theater in the evenings: Theater always was like my fuel. It kept me sane.

Vida is set in a community thats rarely depicted as a community, rather than a place to escape from. Barrera plays Lyn, the younger of the two sisters, who both return to Los Angeles after their mothers death. The neighborhood they find is not the one they left  its being rapidly gentrified, for one thing, and has pockets (including their mothers bar) that are openly queer. Emma and Lyn learn that their mother was in debt, and predatory developers swoop in to take her property off their hands for cheap  but the pair decides not to sell.

Simone Rocha taffeta fish dress, $1,385 at 71 Wooster St. Celine slipper mules, $710 at 870 Madison Ave. Photo: Daria Kobayashi Ritch. Styled by Rebecca Ramsey. Photo: Daria Kobayashi Ritch Photo by Daria Kobayashi Ritch. Styled by Rebecca Ramsey.

Simone Rocha taffeta fish dress, $1,385 at 71 Wooster St. Photo: Daria Kobayashi Ritch. Styled by Rebecca Ramsey.

Saracho told me she initially envisioned Lyn as someone with long, beautiful hair, cinnamon skin  a goddess with an it factor that you cant buy. Barrera has lighter skin, and had shorter hair and a sportier style when she first saw her, but otherwise revealed herself to be perfect. I was trying to go for a more indigenous Lyn  but I got the best Lyn! Saracho says. She describes Barrera as a joy to work with, fun and insightful. And her work ethic is amazing, Saracho says. She grew up doing telenovelas  they shoot 80 scenes a day, they have to know their lines. She never complains.

Still, Barrera says, her first day on-set was daunting. Traffic was stopped across four lanes and there was [a] huge crane that had a little  I dont even know what it was. So many things that Ive never seen before in my life. Im like, Wait, is that  is all that for us?

As the first primetime cable show told from the point of view of queer Latinas, Vida has a lot of stereotypes to contend with, as well as a heavy burden of representation  starting with the issue of what makes a person or neighborhood Mexican, and what counts as Mexican enough. Barrera is the only member of the cast who is Mexican but not American. Meanwhile, her character is the only one who doesnt speak Spanish. I kind of like that, she says. I think its important to expose the fact that the language is being lost in second-, third-, fourth-generation Latinx-Americans. There was an inherent shame that came with whoever, your grandparents, that came over. They wanted the best life for their kids and that meant being fully American. That meant speaking English perfectly so that they werent ostracized or they didnt feel like an outsider. Ive talked to so many people that I run into that are Mexican-American or Cuban-American or Puerto Rican-American and they tell me that in their house, they werent allowed to speak Spanish. Their parents were like, No. You have to talk in English. So, they lost it.

Weve always been stereotyped, Barrera says. But these stories and these voices that have been put to the side are now the center of a story. She describes the experience of making Vida as eye-opening  theres a feeling on the set that the project is greater than any one of the careers involved. I feel like, you move to L.A. and you get your first job and youre like, Oh my God. Youre so excited for yourself. But for me, I couldnt even think about that. I was like, Okay, this is a responsibility. I am representing a community that I feel a part of but I dont actually belong to. As Barrera points out, its very different to be a Mexican than it is to be a Mexican-American; a designated other in both cultures, an exile at home in the hybrid. But in the end, we share that history and that culture and the traditions because everything that you see on the show, the senoras, the food, the words, the slang, the language, everything  I feel like its mine.

Simon Miller top, $295 at Simon Miller. Miu Miu knit shorts, $640 at 11 E. 57th St. Photo: Daria Kobayashi Ritch. Styled by Rebecca Ramsey.

Production Credits Photos by Daria Kobayashi Ritch

Styled by Rebecca Ramsey

Hair by Whitney Schield at Atelier Management for Oribe

Makeup by Tami Shirley at Atelier Management for Charlotte Tilbury

Fashion Assistant Christonya Kinsey

Lead Image Credit: Prada poplin shirt, $780 and brocade dress, $2,620 at Prada. Celine hoop earrings, $930 at 870 Madison Ave.
Dr. Ronny Jackson departs the U.S. Capitol in Washington on April 25, 2018. (Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images)

White House Doctor Who Smeared Trump Veteran Affairs Pick Resigns

Dr. Jennifer Pena, physician to Vice President Mike Pence, who initiated a slew of allegations against Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson, former physician to President Donald Trump, has resigned.

Jackson, a physician for three presidents, was nominated by President Donald Trump to head the Veteran Affairs Department.

But then Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) circulated a list of anonymous allegations against Jackson, including claims that Jackson created a hostile work environment and in some instances behaved unprofessionally. Tester said the allegations came from Jacksons current and former colleagues.

Jackson called the allegations completely false and fabricated, but still withdrew, saying the situation had become a distraction for Trump.

The main allegations came from Dr. Jennifer Pena, according to four administration officials accounts, told to investigative reporter Sara Carter.

Pena has been with the White House Medical Unit since 2014 and was last year assigned by the unit as a physician to Pence.

Pena has had a long-standing feud with doctor Jacksonshes very jealous that hes been consistently promoted. This isnt about being a whistleblowerthere are other procedures for that. She went up to the hill and she spoke with approximately twenty-five Democratsshes a holdover in the White House and didnt want Jackson to be nominated, one of the officials said.

None of the allegations have been substantiated. On the other hand, some of the allegations have been checked and denied by the Secret Service and the White House. Also, many people whove known and worked with Jackson have since stepped out, denying ever having seen any of the alleged behavior.

Theres also no sign any of the allegations have shown up during the FBIs thorough background checks on Jackson.

Pena has also leaked to CNN internal documents regarding her dispute with Jackson from last fall.

Alyssa Farah, press secretary for the vice president, told CNN the dispute involved Pences wife Karen, and Penas complaint about it was appropriately referred  to the proper channels.

The second lady has been briefed on all the facts related to a private matter regarding her health care. She is grateful for the professional care she received from all White House medical personnel who resolved the matter quickly. She considers the matter closed and has no further comment on the situation.

Pences office learned of Penas resignation on Friday, May 4, Farah said in a statement to Fox News.

Jacksons name was also brought up in a report by the Navys Medical Inspector General in 2012, when he led the White House Medical Unit (WHMU). Staffers said he exhibited poor leadership and contributed to a poor climate, though the report put heavier blame on then-physician to the President, Navy Capt. Jeffrey Kuhlman.

[M]ost feel that Capt. Jacksons failures were primarily due to the destructive rapport with Capt. Kuhlman and that he has not had the opportunity to lead the WHMU without hindrance or support, the report concluded.

Jackson, 50, has worked as a presidential physician since the George W. Bush administration and has been the lead doctor for Trump as well as former President Barack Obama. He is well-liked by both Republican and Democratic administration officials.

Jackson has resigned from his job as the top White House physician.

The Iraq war veteran took on a higher profile when he gave a long and glowing account of Trumps health at a news conference in January after his first presidential medical exam.

The Veterans Affairs Department has long been under fire for the quality of healthcare it provides veterans. During his election campaign, Trump vowed to clean it up.

Trump fired former Veteran Affairs Secretary David Shulkin in March after concerns about unauthorized travel expenses.

Trump has criticized Tester for smearing the physician.

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, Trump tweeted on Saturday morning, April 28.

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!

Testers seat will be contested in the Nov. 6 midterms. Trump carried Montana in the 2016 elections with over 56 percent, compared to Hillary Clintons less than 36 percent.

Trump told Fox & Friends over the phone on Thursday that he liked Jackson as a candidate in part because he isnt a politician. After this experience, however, he said his new candidate, yet to be announced, has political capabilities.

Ivan Petchoukov and Reuters contributed to this report.

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When researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported that Uber and Lyft drivers made a profit of only about $8.55 an hour, many people saw that revelation as proof that the ride-hailing innovators don't pay fair wages.

The study factored in fuel, insurance, maintenance and other costs to determine that 54 percent of drivers were making less than the minimum wage in their states. Perhaps even more shocking, about 8 percent of drivers were actually found to be losing money by working for one of the companies.

Related: How to Define Company Values the Way One of Entrepreneur's 'Top Culture' Winners Does

It's perfectly reasonable to see that information and assume that Uber and Lyft are taking advantage of their drivers, but a truly fair wage is not as simple as it might seem.

Startups frequently want to offer strong candidates the moon, but limited budgets and resources can prevent that dream from becoming reality. Even large corporations have trouble balancing employee pay with the value team members contribute to their bottom line. The bigger a company gets, the more likely it is to have employees dedicated to administrative tasks -- including HR, data entry or public relations -- that don't provide a clear return on investment.

On top of this, attracting top graduates could require offering competitive wages that surpass those of tenured employees -- which creates a risk of alienating experienced team members. So, given these issues, what exactly is a fair wage?

Related: How to Set Salaries

Compensating for cultural contributions

Although every successful company has measurable key performance indicators like production and quality, those indicators are not the only way to gauge an employees contributions. Someone could easily surpass those metrics while creating a toxic work environment, for example. And overpaying toxic employees creates hostility and resentment, causing other employees to inevitably jump ship. Research from the Harvard Business School found that toxic employees cost businesses an average of $12,489.

While companies are wasting money on these team members, there are other employees whose contributions are less obvious. They might be indispensable to a companys culture, for instance, raising everyone elses productivity while not showing much on paper for themselves.

Its up to the companys management and owners, then, to ultimately decide what the company values. In many ways, standardized annual increases (or other payment based on tenure) are completely unfair. If anything, veteran employees are more likely to stagnate and oppose new processes that might benefit the business. Thats clearly more of a burden than a benefit.

Creating a competitive market

Employment is like any other market exchange. Wages are value-for-value pay for performance. Each party offers something the other party wants, accepting in payment something he or she values more. Its the same reason were willing to pay $4 for a bottle of water at an airport or a stadium -- we value the water more than the money.

To convince people with specific skills to share their time and expertise, employers must offer compensation thats competitive with the local market. Customers generally have a better experience shopping at Costco than Walmart, partly because Costcos average hourly wage is $12.92, compared to Walmarts $9.41. Costco also offers a superior benefits package that enables it to retain highly skilled employees. There is, nevertheless, no universally "right" way to structure a business or compensate employees.

Instead, its important to figure out what makes your team members tick. Value is subjective, and each employees preferences will vary. Some people aim for jobs that pay the most, some want ownership in the business and others are looking for a certain kind of work environment.

Startups are good at offering non-monetary payments -- attractive benefits and perks -- because they have to if they want to retain employees. That doesnt always mean they understand that different people are attracted to different forms of compensation. So, again, what's a "fair" wage?

There are three important steps to ensure youre offering employees one:

1. You've tailored a compensation package to each employee. When creating product offerings and business models, entrepreneurs excel at performing market research and personalizing offers. This mindset should carry over to employees, too.

The 2018 Compensation Best Practices report by PayScale found that top-performing organizations it studied conducted ongoing employee research, which included market and individual job studies. The message? Its imperative to understand the job market to retain top-performing employees.

2. Benchmark with other firms. Employees inevitably will check how their pay stacks up against their industry peers', so companies need to stay on top of any trends. If your company pays workers $15 an hour, but the going market rate is closer to $20, it's likely you could lose employees who are (justifiably) focused solely on money. Keep an eye on your local competition to ensure you keep pace.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics maintains a database of salary data by industry and location. Its a great place to determine how much workers earn in all regions of the country. The internet is awash with various salary comparison tools, so be sure to use them.

3. Determine employee-opportunity costs. Money makes the world go around, but its not everyones sole motivator. Many companies offer perks that draw employees in but are not necessarily a dollar-for-dollar cost.

Netflix, for example, offers unlimited parental leave to its employees. And, Airbnb provides an annual $2,000 stipend to encourage employees to travel and stay at its listed properties. These perks and incentives cost the companies less than the value received, and they can be a major asset for recruiting and retaining top talent.

Overall, employment is like any other aspect of business. People have limited time and are looking to trade their skills and resources to a company that can offer them meaningful compensation. While Lyft and Uber drivers are not getting rich, there are plenty of people eager to do the job.

Related: How Salary Transparency Empowers Employees -- and When Not to Use It

So, ask your next driver why he or she does it, and you will likely hear tales about the flexibility to work around a busy schedule; or the ability to earn money during time that otherwise would be wasted: or the opportunity to just get out of the house. For some people, those advantages may actually be worth more than the extra dollars they could make in a less flexible work environment.

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NORWALK  Amid the drama that surrounds illegal immigration, DACA, and The Wall, its easy to forget that this debate is about real people with real stories. Sometimes, heart-breaking stories.

But for members of the Social Action Team of St. Pauls on the Green, the immigration debate is background noise. They just want to help children.

Every week, five or six tutors arrive at each of the Norwalk high schools to tutor high school kids who are Students with Limited and/or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE). Most of them arrived in the U.S. within the last year; some arrived last month.

Often, they appear at the US border without adults. Immigration locates a sponsor - usually a relative - and sends them to live with the sponsor. Many kids seek refuge because of violent experiences in their home countries and fear for their lives.

These kids are dealing with a lot, explained Helene Becker, Director of English Language Learning in the Norwalk Public Schools. Theyre faced with an unfamiliar language in an unfamiliar situation. Some are living with a relative they hardly know, and often they have experienced trauma.

When the influx of unaccompanied children began showing up in the Norwalk schools in 2015, Becker said, We knew we needed a program for them, but we didnt even know what their needs were.

But now, newcomers are enrolled in the Norwalk International Academy, a program specifically designed for SLIFE kids. Many have missed significant amounts of school and need help before they can enter the regular English as a Second Language program.

When Brien McMahon teacher Lisa Heimerle knows the St. Pauls tutors will be there, she prepares a special lesson for the students in her math class. When the tutors enter the room, the kids give big hellos.

Heimerle divides the class into groups, gives each group a pile of index cards with questions on them, and a tutor or the teacher or the Spanish-speaking paraprofessional is assigned to each group. They begin their math review.

I have to keep going back to the basics, said Heimerle. You need to build a foundation because math is dependent on language.

Tutor Bob Gioletto reads the first card to his group: write and spell the numbers 11-18. The kids struggle but finish the task. Next, write and spell the multiples of ten. The kids seem confused.

Lets go up to the board, Gioletto says so they can all work together.

Tutor Mary Verel, retired guidance counselor at Norwalk High School, asks her group to write 180,725 in words. This is very hard for the kids.

Lets name the columns of each number, going backwards. Ones, tens, hundreds ... She asks, Whats the number and how do you say it?

One group has no adult, but the kids are helping each other figure out 2,301,629. In this group, one boy has only been in Norwalk for two weeks and one girl arrived two days before this class. With the help of Cecelia Hatton, the Spanish-speaking paraprofessional, they write the words in English.

This is ESL Math Foundations, a course designed to prepare students for ESL Algebra the following year. I had to build the curriculum from scratch, said Heimerle. Because my experience was math grades 7-12, I knew where they had to be, but I have to be creative in how I communicate the information. I have to marry the math and the language.

The St. Pauls Social Justice team has been tutoring for two years. Its so rewarding, said Verel. The kids have endured so much, but you would never know it. They are so resilient.

Bob Gioletto, Social Justice Team leader at St. Pauls, said he knows the tutors make a difference. We try to be consistent. We have a core group of six that usually come. For the ESL Summer Academy, Gioletto lined up 12 people to tutor every day. All of the kids in the summer program went into the ESL mainstream classes in the fall, he said.

Gioletto recalled one tutor who doubted her own effectiveness. But as they walked down the hall in BMHS, said Gioletto, a student from the previous year saw her and gave her a big. long hug. Still want to quit? Gioletto asked.

Becker said the Norwalk International Academy is a work in progress. There are currently Foundations classes in math, English and science, but the district is planning for more depth. A committee is working to create an English Language Learners (ELL) Career Pathways program.

Because of the special challenges this population faces, internships in specific careers that do not require a college education could help the kids enormously.

Eventually, Becker said, they may go to college, but they may not be ready right away. We want them to leave high school with a viable income and career path.

But even now, there are victories. One boy, Heimerle recalled, came to her class with no English at all. Within two years, he exited the Academy program, moved into the ESL program, and is now in all mainstream classes. When you see how far they come, its a boost of positivity, she said with a smile.
The video is disturbing, and if it is all there was to this story, it would have been bad enough.

Recorded by a tourist in a South African safari park last weekend, the footage shows a lion drag a man from a tour truck - his neck in its jaws.

The animal drags the man behind a bush while one onlooker sobs hysterically and another pleads for a rifle. The footage ends as the sound of gunshots and screaming cut across the 120-acre Marakele Predator Center.

Those images, however, do not explain the sad context of the Saturday attack.

The man dragged from the truck was the park's owner, Michael Hodge, who had moved to South Africa with his family because he loved lions so much, local news outlets reported. The 72-year-old had bottle-raised the lion who attacked him and cared for it all his life, a full decade.

Hodge now lies in a hospital bed, traumatized, and may never know why Shamba turned on him. The lion Hodge loved was shot dead to save his life.

South Africa has in recent years become somewhat notorious for its lion hunts, in which rich tourists can pay thousands of dollars to kill drugged animals that have no chance to flee.

The Marakele Predator Center was nothing like that. No hunting was allowed, News 24 reported. Instead, visitors could camp a few miles from the town of Thabazimbi, in scrubland backdropped by South Africa's northern mountain ranges, among lions, Bengal tigers, meerkats, mongooses and marmoset monkeys.

"Your bed will truly vibrate with the lions roar!" the center's website informed prospective volunteers.

Hodge had once been a trader in England, and his wife a hairdresser and shop owner, the Manila Bulletin wrote in a travel article. The couple and their two children moved to South Africa in late 1990s, the Bulletin wrote, to make a business of Hodge's dream of living among lions.

"His first lion, Nina, who now lives opposite the tigress sisters, was queen of his household until she grew too big," the Bulletin wrote. "Nina slept in Mike's bed, washing his face and giving him a spit-bath at 3 a.m."

He bottle-fed a baby Shamba in 2008, CBS News reported, two years before the Marakele center opened for business.

In a photo for the center, he and his wife, Chrissy, pose grinning - she snuggling a cub, Michael with a monkey wrapped around his neck.

When the Bulletin's travel reporter visited in 2013, she wrote, "I could see nothing but endless tall grass and dry scrub."

She heard Shamba and the other golden lions roar in the distance, and kissed a half-ton tiger through a gap in the electrified fence.

Visitors traveled inside the gates in what the Hodges called the "Lion Mobile," she wrote. "They tied dead chickens to a cage on wheels, where they locked in visitors, before driving inside the enclosure Nina shares with their two hand-raised males, Freddie and Shamba."

The tourists then gaped as lions climbed all over the truck, wild animals feeding just inches from their cameras.

It was at the end of a similar excursion inside the gates on Saturday, News 24 reported, that something went terribly wrong.

When the tourist began recording, Shamba was standing in the grass a few yards from the Lion Mobile. A man on the other side of a fence, outside the gates, appeared to be calling to the lion and throwing bait into the grass to lead him away from the truck.

A park employee told CBS News this was standard procedure: An employee would lure the lions away from the vehicle, and Hodge would then open the gate and drive the tourists out of the enclosure.

"Mike does this regularly," a family spokeswoman told News 24. "Shamba mysteriously turned around on Saturday."

In the video, the lion is seen sniffing at the grass, as if considering something, then continuing to walk away from the truck.

A friend of Hodge's told the Sun a strange smell seemed to be upsetting the lions that day.

"Shamba, come on," the man outside the fence called, before throwing another piece of bait onto the grass.

"Come on," he said, and the shutter of a camera clicked.

When Shamba walked many yards into the distance, Hodge got out of the truck and walked into the video frame.

He, too, considered an object in the grass, kicked it, then turned back toward the truck.

Then he started to run.

It took Shamba just three seconds to close the distance between them. Hodge nearly made it back inside the vehicle's cab, but the lion pulled him to the ground, clamped his jaws down near Hodge's neck and dragged him back into the enclosure, as if he weighed nothing.

Inside the cage on the back of the truck, people screamed and yelled.

"Help! Help! Help!"

"Shamba! Shamba! Shamba!"

"Get a gun."

The lion briefly dropped his prey in the grass and backed off a few feet as Hodge writhed there. Then Shamba grabbed him again and pulled Hodge behind a bush, out of the camera frame.

"Shoot!" a man shouted, followed by a gunshot, and soon a second and third, and more.

Nothing stirred behind the bush. A woman who had been pleading for someone to help Hodge began to sob.

"Get a rifle," a man said. "Somebody get a rifle, just in case."

The video went on for another minute or so, until a male lion - it is unclear whether it was Shamba or another animal - wandered into the frame and looked at the cage full of terrified people and then at the men who still called to Shamba from outside the fence.

The lion stood passively in the grass, as if unsure what to do.

"Please, somebody help him," a woman said.

"Is anybody getting a rifle?" a man said.

While the video does not show it, News 24 reported that one of the employees outside the fence shot and killed the lion to save Hodge's life.

His jaw had been broken and his neck gashed in several places, but Hodge was recovering in a hospital Wednesday and apparently doing well. In a photo published by the Sun, he is grinning, and bloody bandages cover his neck.

Despite the pose, his family told News 24, Hodge remained traumatized by the sudden aggression and subsequent death of the lion he had once fed from a bottle.

"I think he is trying to put up a brave face," family spokeswoman Bernadette Maguire told the media outlet, "but he is really battling to come to terms."

---

https://youtu.be/whz9bafVvFE
Avion

In a world where business leaders are quick to rattle off their resumes and tell you how ungodly successful they are, it is refreshing to meet a guy who laughingly refers to himself as "not a very smart guy."

That's Ken Austin, the very funny and, yes, extremely successful founder of Tequila Avion. Since its creation in 2009, the brand has been the star of an HBO show, won all kinds of awards at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and in 2014, sold a significant majority stake to French beverage giant Pernod Ricard for a reported $100 million.
NORWALK  After years of uncertainty, the Norwalk Head Start program has found a sturdy hand to guide it into the future  at least, thats the hope.

The city announced on Friday that the Connecticut Institute for Communities will be taking control of Norwalks embattled Head Start program.

Since 2003, the Danbury-based organization has sponsored the successful Head Start of Northern Fairfield County program, which serves more than 350 children throughout Danbury, Bethel, Brookfield, Newtown, New Fairfield, Redding, Ridgefield and Sherman.

With the CIFC, the citys Head Start program is getting an organization with a proven track record, said Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling.

We are finally going to have what we consider to be a stable Head Start program, Rilling said. Now, we have an organization, which has a history of a successful program, and we can finally put some stability into the process and help it grow.

According to a federal review conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2014, the CIFC was found not only to be in compliance with every federal directive but its programs were also deemed substantially above the national average in classroom assessments. They received another perfect score in the review before that, too.

The Administration for Children and Families, a division of HHS, selected CIFC to run the Greater Norwalk Head Start program following a nearly yearlong search for sponsors.

All of us at CIFC are delighted that the Administration for Children and Families has made this award, said James Maloney, the president and CEO of CIFC. As a very experienced Head Start/Early Head Start sponsor, CIFC will assure that our Greater Norwalk Head Start program delivers the high-quality services that the Head Start children and families of the Norwalk service area deserve.

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, heralded the decision as a breath of fresh air for a program that has had a tumultuous past.

Over the last 10 years or so, weve had a little bit of volatility in the management of the Head Start program here in Norwalk, and of course weve had communities that very badly need that program, Himes said. Its great that Norwalk will finally get the solidly-run, well-administered Early Head Start and Head Start program it deserves.

Started in 1965 by the federal government, Head Start provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families. In recent years, however, control of the federal program in Norwalk has changed hands numerous times.

After years of managing the program, a federal audit of the nonprofit Norwalk Economic Opportunity Now found the organization had mismanaged Head Start funds provided by the federal government. NEON is now defunct after declaring bankruptcy following the investigation into the use of federal monies.

The Norwalk Housing Authority began running Head Start at Nathanial Ely School and Ben Franklin Center in February 2014, several months after the program was taken away from NEON, but the NHA also lost control of the program in early 2016.

Since then, the program has been under federal interim management by the Community Development Institute, a temporary agency contracted by the government to run the program until an adequate replacement could be found. The Colorado-based group has provided interim training, technical assistance, project management, and organizational development services to public and private agencies across the country for more than 40 years.

The CIFC is now set to take over the program, newly renamed the Greater Norwalk Head Start Program, starting on July 1, 2018.

Under the new leadership, the Greater Norwalk Head Start Program will be extending its footprint across Norwalk, Weston, Wilton, Westport and New Canaan with new programming features.

In addition to full-day Head Start for 3- and 4-year-olds, the newly-revamped program will also extend its services to include infants as young as 6 weeks old and toddlers under the age of 3 as a part of its new Early Head Start program.

We know that kids who go to Kindergarten without previous preschool or early Head Start programs start off about a year and a half behind. By getting kids into programs at an earlier age, we can help to bridge that gap, said Monica Bevilacqua, the director of early learning at CIFC, who will be overseeing the newly-expanded Norwalk program.

The program, which will run on a full-year schedule, will offer nine classes for a total of 156 kids. According to Maloney, at least 60 children will be enrolled in full-day Head Start  20 of whom will be funded by the state  and up to 80 children will be enrolled in part-day Head Start.

To help CIFC with startup costs, Maloney said the citys new Head Start program will receive about $100,000 on top of the roughly $1.6 million in federal funding.

Weve fought hard over the years to expand quality early learning programs throughout Connecticut, and were so excited to see Connecticut Institute for Communities help over 150 kids from the greater Norwalk area  including 16 toddlers and infants in the Early Head Start program  benefit from these federal dollars, said U.S. Senators Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., in a joint statement.

Norwalk will also provide approximately $400,000 to the revamped program per the Head Start Act, which requires any selected organization to use non-federal funds to match 20 percent of the total approved program cost of nearly $2 million.

Includes prior reporting from staff writer Kaitlyn Krasselt.
ICICI Bank Ltd. engages in the provision of banking and financial services, which includes retail banking, corporate banking, and treasury operations. It operates through the following segments: Retail Banking, Wholesale Banking, Treasury, Other Banking, Life Insurance, General Insurance, and Others. The Retail Banking segment includes exposures of the bank, which satisfy the four qualifying criteria of regulatory retail portfolio as stipulated by the Reserve Bank of India guidelines on the Basel III framework. The Wholesale Banking segment deals with all advances to trusts, partnership firms, companies, and statutory bodies, by the Bank which are not included in the Retail Banking segment. The Treasury segment handles the entire investment portfolio of the bank. The Other Banking segment comprises leasing operations and other items not attributable to any particular business segment of the bank. The company was founded on January 5, 1994 and is headquartered in Mumbai, India.

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AXA SA operates as a holding company, which engages in the provision of insurance and asset management services. It operates through the following segments: France, Europe, Asia, AXA XL, the United States, International and Transversal & Central Holdings. The France segment consists of Life & Savings and Property & Casualty activities, AXA Banque France and France holdings. The Europe segment consists of Life & Savings and Property & Casualty activities in Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom & Ireland, Spain and Italy. The Asian segment consists of Life & Savings activities in Japan, Hong Kong and Asia High Potentials as well as Property & Casualty activities in Hong Kong and Asia High Potentials. The AXA XL segment consists of Property & Casualty activities at XL Group, as well as AXA Corporate Solutions Assurance and AXA Art. The United States segment includes Life & Savings activities in United States, as well as Asset Management services offered by AB. The International segment consists of Life & Savings and Property & Casualty activities in 14 countries within Europe, Middle East, and Africa & Latin America as well as in Singapore, in Malaysia and in India. The Trans

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4 hours ago

California oil spill renews calls to ban offshore drilling

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California has been a leader in restricting offshore oil drilling since the infamous 1969 Santa Barbara spill that sparked the modern environmental movement, and the latest spill off Huntington Beach is prompting fresh calls for an end to such drilling. That's easier said than done, even in California.

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EDMONTONThe United Conservative Party is hosting its first general meeting this weekend where members are expected to vote on a series of resolutions that will steer the policy direction of the newly formed party.

As the public waits to see what will come from the meeting, here is a brief overview of who is behind the party and how the UCP came to be.

What is the United Conservative Party?

The United Conservative Party (UCP) was formed when the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta (PC) merged with the Wildrose Party on July 22, 2017.

The UCP is led by Jason Kenney and serves as the official Opposition in the Alberta Legislature, holding 25 seats.

How did the UCP party begin?

Wildrose Party Leader Danielle Smith and eight other party members  Rob Anderson, Rod Fox, Jason Hale, Gary Bikman, Bruce Rowe, Blake Pedersen, Bruce McAllister and Jeff Wilson  crossed the floor to join the PC party in December 2014.

Though at the time some remaining Wildrose members resisted merging the party, that changed after the Alberta New Democratic Party rose to power in the 2015 election, securing 54 of 87 seats in the legislature. In July 2016, current UCP Leader Jason Kenney campaigned for leadership of the PC party on a platform of uniting the PCs and Wildrose.

Kenney was elected leader of the PC party in March 2017.

After successful negotiations with Wildrose Party Leader Brian Jean  who had previously been opposed to the idea of a merger  the text of a possible merger was released in May 2017.

Both parties held internal votes on July 22, 2017, where 95 per cent of both memberships supported a merger of the two parties.

Nathan Cooper, Wildrose MLA for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, was elected interim leader on July 24, 2017, and the new United Conservative Party was registered with Elections Canada on July 31, 2017.

Who leads the party now?

Jason Kenney became leader of the UCP after a leadership election on Oct. 28, 2017, winning more than 60 per cent of the vote.

Kenney was elected MLA for Calgary-Lougheed on Dec. 14, 2017, winning a byelection triggered when MLA Dave Rodney resigned to give the UCP leader a chance at a seat in the legislature.

Who is Jason Kenney?

Jason Kenney was born in Oakville, Ont., on May 30, 1968, and raised in Wilcox, Sask.

Kenney went to high school at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, a private Catholic high school, and St. Michaels University School, an independent school in Victoria, B.C.

He went on to study philosophy at the University of San Francisco, a Jesuit institution, but did not finish his degree.

Kenney left the university and began working with the Saskatchewan Liberal Party, starting a political career that would span three decades.

In 1989, Kenney was hired as the first executive director of the Alberta Taxpayers Association, and was named president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation in 1990.

Kenney was first elected as a Member of Parliament for Calgary-Southeast with the Reform Party of Canada in 1997, when he was just 29 years old.

He continued to represent the riding as an MP until the riding was abolished in 2015, serving with the Canadian Alliance and Conservative Party of Canada at that time.

Kenney then represented Calgary-Midnapore from October 2015 to September 2016, when he vacated the seat to run for leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta.

In 2006, Kenney was made Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Kenney was named Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity in 2007, serving as the Harper governments representative to ethnic Canadians.

From 2008 to 2013, Kenney served as federal Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, where he focused his attention on tightening Canadas immigration system.

Kenney was made Minister of Employment and Social Development in 2013 and Minister of Defence in 2015.

Kenney has been widely praised for his work ethic and his ability to build connections with various ethnic and cultural communities across Canada, launching Asian Heritage Month in 2009.

What are some of Kenneys positions on key issues?

In 2011, as Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Kenney imposed a niqab ban barring the wearing of face veils during citizenship ceremonies. This decision was struck down in court.

With a long-standing commitment to social conservatism, throughout his career Kenney has voted for restrictions on abortion, voted against same-sex marriage and advocated for a parents right to know if their child joins a Gay Straight Alliance at school.

As a staunch fiscal conservative, Kenney isnt afraid of making cuts. As immigration minister, Kenney made cuts to the Federal Health Program, which provided refugee claimants temporary access to health care. His cuts were later reversed by the Liberal government.

Determined to stop abuses of the federal Temporary Foreign Worker program, as Minister of Employment and Social Development he oversaw a reform of the program in 2014. The success of these reforms, however, is a matter of ongoing controversy.

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EDMONTONSome students at the University of Alberta are gearing up to launch their second satellite into space.

This time to fight forest fires.

Spurred by the devastating Fort McMurray blaze that tore through northern Alberta two years ago, AlbertaSat, a group of student space enthusiasts, is building a homemade cube satellite to monitor and study wildfires  from the first signs of smoke to the scorched earth left behind.

Led by project manager Callie Lissina, 21, the team of 50 is planning to launch the craft in 2021.

We were looking for a mission that could give back to the community, Lissina said. Some of us had relatives or friends who were affected directly by that disaster.

Widely considered to be the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history, the Fort McMurray wildfire, which struck on May 1, 2016, tore through almost 600,000 hectares of northern Alberta and forced more than 80,000 residents to leave their homes.

The satellite, dubbed Experimental Albertan 2, or Ex-Alta 2, will have cameras equipped to detect factors that signal or contribute to forest fires.

We take images that monitor the amount of moisture in plants, or tell when snow melts or when snow is falling, so we know which areas are dry and where the ground is likely covered in kindling, added Lissina, a third-year mechanical engineering student.

The data will be used to help government agencies and firefighters plan and execute responses to wildfires.

On Friday, the Canadian Space Agency announced $250,000 in funding for the group, as well as 15 others across the country as part of the agencys CubeSat Project, a national initiative helping students to participate in real-life space missions.

A cube satellite is a small, square-shaped device that looks like a Rubiks Cube and weighs roughly one kilogram. Both AlbertaSat satellites are made up of three connected cube satellites.

CSA astronaut Jenni Sidey made the announcement via teleconference from the University of Manitoba that looped in grant winners from all across the country.

Building technology that can survive and operate in harsh environments requires knowledge, ingenuity, guts and true grit, Sidey said. What better way to learn about space engineering than to design, build, launch and operate your own satellite?

Once launched, the satellite will join AlbertaSats first spacecraft, which is currently orbiting the planet to collect data about space weather, like solar flares, that can damage communication systems here on Earth.

Launched from Cape Canaveral in April 2017, Ex-Alta 1 was the first all-Albertan satellite launched into space.

Logan Fairgrieve-Park, 21, joined the team at the tail end of the Ex-Alta 1 project, but plans to be more involved in the technical construction this time around. As a third-year physics student, he is responsible for the system that controls the satellites orientation in space.

We do a lot of theory, and I know that so much of what everyone learns can actually be applied tangibly, and not just learning for the sake of learning, Fairgrieve-Park said. I really wanted to apply some of the skills I have learned, and also learn to network, communicate better and work as part of a team.

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EDMONTONAs 12-year-old Rosie Makore runs across the northern Tanzania Serengeti, she is risking her life and taking a chance she may never see her family again.

But she, along with other girls her age, is taking a stand against female genital mutilation (FGM), aided by fellow survivors of cutting.

Director Giselle Porteniers film, In the Name of Your Daughter is making its North American debut at NorthwestFest (formerly Global Vision) in Edmonton on Sunday. The trailer for the film opens with Makore running, spliced with happier images of a community celebrating and dancing. Both Portenier, and a 26-year-old survivor of cutting, Yasmin Mumed, will be in attendance and speaking at the event.

When young girls are educated about the lifelong harmful and devastating effects of genital mutilation they dont want to go through it, Portenier said. Some of these girls try to talk to their parents and say, please I dont want to go through this.

All risk, no benefit

FGM can be classified in four groups: clitoridectomy where the clitoris is partially or fully removed; excision where the clitoris and labia minora are removed and the labia majora may also be removed; infibulation, where the vaginal opening is sealed by cutting and repositioning the labia minora or majora; and a fourth type where the genital area is pricked, pierced, incised, scraped or cauterized.

Girls in Tanzania as young as eight years old have the choice between being mutilated and remaining in their community, or running away with the possibility of never seeing their family again. There are no health benefits, but the risks of cutting are great, including severe pain, bleeding, infection, urinary and menstrual problems, shock, long-term psychological problems and death.

A hopeful film

Portenier said her film is not another film about African victims, but a celebration of little African warriors.

It is equally heart-wrenching and hopeful.

Despite the difficulty of the topic, she wanted to make a film people would feel comfortable watching. Since 2010, she has kept a Google alert for FGM and when she heard about the safe homes run by Rhobi Samwelly in Tanzania, Portenier knew she could make a hopeful film.

Female genital mutilation is the most egregious human rights abuse perpetrated on girls and women in the world today, she said. Its sexual violence in its extreme form and not enough people know about it.

FGM is an abuse of fundamental human rights, Portenier said, but some people think because it is a cultural practice in some communities that it should be allowed to continue.

By being so concerned about respecting the cultural sensitivities of the adults, we risk sacrificing the human rights of the children, Portenier said. I know for a fact that girls in Canada are being taken back to their home countries to undergo genital mutilation.

Tool for change

Based on the government documents she has seen, she estimates there are 80,000 survivors of FGM in Canada, with thousands more girls living in Canada at risk.

There are more than 200 million girls and women alive today who have undergone cutting, according to a report from the World Health Organization released in January and from data released by UNICEF.

She said there are no protocols in Canada to educate and protect children from the harms of FGM.

The practice transcends religion. Of the girls who show up at the safe houses in Tanzania, one-third are Christian, one-third are Muslim and one-third are from traditional faiths. There is also a branch of Judaism that practice FGM.

Portenier hopes her movie will be shown in schools across Canada and across Tanzania.

Im really hoping it will be a tool for change, she said.

The film was funded partially by her own money. The initial filming costs were paid for by an Indiegogo campaign by more than 400 people in 30 countries.

Supporting indie filmmakers

NorthwestFest program director Guy Lavallee said at least half of the films in the now 11-day festival were submissions, including, In The Name Of Your Daughter.

I was rather blown away by it and everyone on the screening committee who watched it had a similar reaction to it, Lavallee said. Then the fact that it was Canadian and was submitted to us was icing on the cake. Thats what were trying to celebrate.

The more festivals filmmakers can get into, the better chance they can continue to make movies, Lavallee said adding film festivals are the new distribution method for independent cinema.

Go to any multiplex this weekend, and sure theres 18 screens, and no exaggeration, 12 of them are showing Avengers: Infinity War, Lavallee said. I have nothing against Avengers: Infinity War. Trust me, I love mainstream blockbuster movies. Its harder for those smaller films to get into theatres anymore.

In The Name Of Your Daughter will be playing following a short film Love Survives at Metro Cinema at 8712 109th St. at 6 p.m. on Sunday.

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Harvey Weinstein has asked an Ontario court to dismiss a sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by a Toronto actress, arguing in court documents that he denies each and every one of the womans allegations.

The actress, who cannot be named, alleges the disgraced Hollywood producer performed oral sex on her without consent in 2000, and, in a subsequent meeting where she says she was expecting an apology, attempted to stick his tongue down her throat.

None of the allegations in the lawsuit filed last year have been proven in court.

Weinstein filed a statement of defence in March disputing the actresss claims.

Mr. Weinstein denies that there was any sexual assault, sexual battery, harassment or infliction of mental injury or any other wrongful conduct against (the actress) as alleged, his Canadian lawyers argued in the written documents.

Mr. Weinstein, therefore, asks that this action be dismissed, they add.

In her statement of claim, the actress asked the court to order Weinstein to pay $2 million in aggravated and punitive damages and another $2 million in general and special damages for alleged sexual battery, intentional infliction of mental injury and civil conspiracy.

Weinstein countered in his defence that he denies that the plaintiff has sustained the injuries and damages alleged in the statement of claim.

The damages are excessive and too remote, his statement of defence added.

Weinstein also argued that the case should not be subject to a Canadian law that bans time limits for filing lawsuits over alleged sexual assaults and sexual misconduct in which the alleged perpetrator is in a position of trust or authority or the alleged victim is financially, emotionally, physically or otherwise dependent on the perpetrator.

Under Ontario law, a plaintiff generally has two years from the time of an alleged incident to sue someone, but legislation passed in 2016 abolished any time limitation for filing a lawsuit for a matter relating to sexual violence.

The actress said, in her lawsuit, that she had a small part in a movie being shot in Toronto by Weinsteins then-company Miramax, and Disney, at the time of the alleged sexual assault.

She has named both companies, and a woman who worked as Weinsteins assistant at the time, in her suit.

Weinstein, an Oscar-winning film producer, faces sexual harassment and sexual assault allegations from several women.

He was fired from the Weinstein Company, the film studio he co-founded with his brother in 2005, in October 2017, days after The New York Times published a story detailing some of the allegations against him. Weinsteins representative Sallie Hofmeister has said Weinstein denies all allegations of non-consensual sex.
The novelist Junot Diaz was in a relaxed and playful mood on a panel at a writers festival in Australia on Friday, until he received an unexpected question near the end of the session.

The writer Zinzi Clemmons stood up. Without identifying herself by name, she asked Diaz about a recent essay he had published in the New Yorker detailing the sexual assault he experienced as an 8-year-old boy. She then asked why he had treated her the way he had six years before, when she was a graduate student at Columbia.

An uncomfortable murmur arose from the audience at the Sydney Writers Festival, according to attendees.

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Nobel literature prize shelved for 2018 by sexual assault scandal

Hours later, the confrontation erupted into a major scandal in the literary world, when Clemmons repeated her accusations in front of a wider audience, on Twitter. Clemmons, who teaches writing at Occidental College in Los Angeles, said in a tweet that when she was a graduate student, Diaz had forcibly kissed her. Her claims swiftly set off other accusations of abusive and inappropriate behaviour by Diaz.

As a grad student, I invited Junot Diaz to speak to a workshop on issues of representation in literature, she wrote on Twitter. I was an unknown wide-eyed 26-year-old, and he used it as an opportunity to corner and forcibly kiss me. Im far from the only one hes done this to, I refuse to be silent anymore.

Clemmons said she believed Diaz had tried to pre-empt accusations like hers by writing the autobiographical essay in the New Yorker last month in which he said he had been raped as a child by an adult he trusted. In the essay, Diaz said that after the assault, he began to suffer from depression and uncontrollable rage, and later had troubled relationships with women and problems with fidelity.

In a statement provided through his literary agent, Nicole Aragi, Diaz didnt address the specific accusations, but said he took responsibility for his past behaviour.

I take responsibility for my past, he said. That is the reason I made the decision to tell the truth of my rape and its damaging aftermath. This conversation is important and must continue. I am listening to and learning from womens stories in this essential and overdue cultural movement. We must continue to teach all men about consent and boundaries.

Diazs publisher, Riverhead Books, did not respond to a request for comment. The New Yorker declined to comment. A spokeswoman from MIT, where Diaz teaches writing, declined to comment, noting that she was still learning about the situation.

Clemmons, in a statement to The Times, said: Junot Diaz has made his behaviour the burden of young women  particularly women of colour  for far too long, enabled by his team and the institutions that employ him. When this happened, I was a student; now I am a professor and I cannot bear to think of the young women he has exploited in his position, and the many more that would be harmed if I said nothing.

The tweet from Clemmons, whose debut novel, What We Lose, was published by Viking in 2017, prompted allegations of verbal abuse from other writers.

The short-story author Carmen Maria Machado, responding to Clemmons tweet, said Diaz had become angry with her when she was a graduate student and had argued aggressively with her for an unusually long time after she criticized one of his characters relationships with women.

Another writer, Monica Byrne, said that when she was 32, she had sat next to Diaz at a dinner and that he had yelled in her face after they disagreed. It was completely bizarre, disproportionate and violent, she said on Twitter. She added that she had heard stories worse than her own.

Diaz is the latest author to face claims of harassment and misconduct, and is perhaps the most prominent. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New Jersey, he has been celebrated as one of his generations most gifted and inventive fiction writers. His novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2008, and drew rapturous reviews. He received a MacArthur genius grant in 2012. He recently published his first childrens picture book, Islandborn.

The publishing industry has been struggling to deal with the fallout from sexual harassment scandals in recent months, as allegations against authors have led to cancelled book deals, boycotts by bookstores and even pulped books. Some publishing houses have added morals clauses to their contracts, which allow publishers to cancel deals if an author is accused of harassment or other unethical behaviour. On Friday, the Swedish Academy announced that it will delay the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature until next year, because of a sexual harassment scandal that has engulfed the academy after one of its associates was accused of sexual assault.

Earlier this year, several prominent childrens book authors and illustrators, among them James Dashner, Jay Asher and David Diaz, faced harassment accusations from multiple women. Dashner and Asher were both dropped by their literary agents, and Diazs illustrations for a forthcoming book were scrapped. After several women accused novelist Sherman Alexie of sexual misconduct in an NPR report, Alexie asked his publisher to delay the paperback publication of his memoir, and declined to accept the 2018 Andrew Carnegie Medal for nonfiction.

It was not immediately clear what career repercussions Diaz might face after the accusations. Some booksellers, including Quill Books & Beverage in Westbrook, Maine, and Duende District, a pop-up bookstore, said they will no longer sell his books.

The allegations against Diaz came as a shock to some in the literary world, but other responses to the news on social media suggested that there had long been rumours about his behaviour toward women. Several prominent writers, including Cheryl Strayed, Alexander Chee, Celeste Ng, and Jesmyn Ward responded to Clemmons tweet, expressing sympathy and support.

Everyone in the literary world/the media knew this, or suspected it. And yet, when Junot Diaz published his New Yorker essay  a pre-emptive strike if there ever was one  we gave him nothing but plaudits, EJ Dickson, an editor at Mens Health Magazine, wrote on Twitter on Friday.

In his New Yorker essay, Diaz noted that the abuse he experienced as a child had never stopped affecting him, writing, No one can hide forever. Eventually what used to hold back the truth doesnt work anymore. You run out of escapes, you run out of exits, you run out of gambits, you run out of luck. Eventually the past finds you.
He was the most eligible bachelor in the world  famous from birth and encrusted on the public consciousness ever since his appearance at the very public funeral of a fallen parent.

She was an out-of-left-field choice of bride, promptly turned into a chameleon of history, a target of jealousy by some, and a photo-ready icon by the media.

The right couple at the right time, their courtship would rivet, their union funnelled into a Midas marriage.

2018?

Nah, think back to 1996 when one John F. Kennedy Jr.  a Mr. Right who was also Mr. Rich and Famous  took Carolyn Bessette as his wife, with her WASPy mystique and Hall-of-Fame hair.

In the same way as todays rise of a new royal duo has taken a stranglehold on pop culture  with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle receiving the mantle of Couple of the Moment, and Meghan, in particular, thrust into a stratosphere that had eluded her when she was a mere actress on the cable drama Suits  the stateside arc of JFK Jr. and Carolyn can be seen as something of an original run. In their soap-ready union, a new dynasty was born  though a doomed one, to be sure.

The media played the marriage as a Cinderella story at the start, as Kennedy biographer Edward Klein has written, casting Carolyn as the commoner who had found true love with Prince Charming. The man who could have had any woman in the world had chosen as his bride one who was not rich or famous or noble by family background.

Immediately made a plaything of the paparazzi, and embraced by the fashion whos-who, Womens Wear Daily crowned her a modern style icon, heir to Jackie O, her deceased mother-in-law, while the likes of Ralph Lauren were so besotted by the blond, minimalist new Kennedy that he famously instructed his aides at the time, Every time you design something, or create something, think of Carolyn Bessette.

All of which cant help but echo now, when brands crow about the Meghan Effect, but also because, in the snakes-and-ladders of celebrity culture, the meaning of Carolyn isnt lost on Meghan herself.

Everything goals is how Harrys fiancee described her favourite wedding gown: a wildly influential slip silk dress designed by Narciso Rodriguez for Carolyn Bessette. (Could it be a clue to what shell wear to her own nuptials?)

Growing up in the U.S. at an age when Carolyn was it  and when she undoubtedly would have been affected by her tragic death in a plane crash, along with her husband, in 1999  Meghan has taken further inspiration from the American royal of another sort, as close clothes-watchers note. There was her look, for instance, during her first official outing, post-engagement announcement, fiance in town, in Nottingham  a long tan skirt/black high-neck knit/leather boots number identical to an outfit that Carolyn once rocked.

But its not the only thing shared across the expanse of time. See: a meta-awareness about their own respective image-making. In the same way, Meghan, pre-Harry, was an actress and already a habitue of red carpets, and Carolyn, pre-JFK Jr., was a stylist for celebrities  both, in their respective ways, flaunting a skill set that already involved an innate understanding of visual cues.

She would guide them through the collection, tell them what looked good on them, and advise them on how to put it all together, once shared Paul Wilmot, the erstwhile VP for public relations for Calvin Klein, where Carolyn toiled.

Establishing herself as the perfect saleswoman for important clients like the television correspondent Diane Sawyer, the socialite Blaine Trump and the actress Annette Bening, Wilmot went on, she sold millions of dollars of clothes over a period of time.

Having known Meghan while she lived in Toronto, shooting Suits, Im reminded about first hearing of her when she started her now-defunct lifestyle blog, The Tig. She was already thinking about branding, in the same so many enterprising people in showbiz do these days, making an effort to let fans in on her adventures in food, travel and style.

In other words: both Carolyn and Meghan were students of celebrity long before being completely subsumed by it.

And while both are obviously singular products of their time  Meghans biracial provenance obviously gives her story an extra oomph in the context of the British royals, and she seems more woke at first gleam  there are other similarities. Like Meghan, Carolyn was a product of a broken home, but also like her, shed learned the codes of blending in. Indeed, what people sometimes construed as a trust-fund vibe in Carolyn was a misreading of the more subtle nuances of Americas class structure.

Its also interesting how the narratives were spun around both starry couplings, Meghan-Harry and Carolyn-John-John. Carolyn, tough as a bandit and swore like a sailor, was someone JFK Jr. couldnt tell what to do, and was said to be a primary attraction for him. Famously, she waited weeks to give him an answer when he proposed  reminiscent today of one of the recurring themes around Meghan, that she is definitely the one wearing the trousers in their relationship, as a royal insider has quipped to People.

Like Meghan, Carolyn possessed another quality that attracted John, Peoples 1988 Sexiest Man Alive, who hated to be thought of as square. She is the hippest person I ever met, Jean-Louis Ginibre, the Paris-based publisher behind JFK Jr.s short-lived magazine George, once said, She is totally au courant. Very bright ... she can focus on one person for 10 to 20 minutes and be totally involved with this person.

How is Meghan getting along with her sister-in-law-to-be, Kate? Oh, and hows she being absorbed by the royal clan at large? This drumbeat of conjecture today tracks, too, with the travails of Carolyn, everything about her then decoded, like when she had dinner with her husbands aunt, Lee Radziwill. Friends reported that she sought counsel on being a Kennedy from her sister-in-law, Caroline, while others reported a chillier relationship between the two.

And, well, history certainly threads in ever-interesting ways when you stop to consider that both Harry and JFK Jr. were figures similarly thrust onto history as lads: the latter famously saluting his fathers presidential coffin; the other, a ginger-haired prince seen walking in dire silence with his brother and his dad as they paid last rites for a mother who had been dubbed the peoples princess.

Frozen in their twin tableaux of grief, Harry, like John-John, in the 90s, enjoyed the role of lovable rogue in varying ways, all the while never quite losing the root-ability factor with the public. Both honed in on a special status ascribed to them as younger siblings with less stakes and responsibilities.

Where Meghan is concerned, the May 19 bride has, alas, much to cautionary-tale from the fate of Carolyn. Hounded by the media, while faced with the pressure of going from a normal existence one moment to something akin to being a sort of prisoner the next, she  as writer Ann Gerhardt once observed  eventually became studiedly boring. While blond and as coolly alluring as ever, she popped up seldom, spoke in public even less and always, when making an entrance, allowed her husband to grip her hand tightly.

Carolyn was much seen, in other words, but rarely heard. Something that is inevitably going to happen (nay, already has!) to a woman who chooses to join The Firm, as the British monarchy is known. Already, Meghans voice has been circumvented, if you consider her command-performance exit from social media, on which she had once kept a lively presence.

It is here where the example of Carolyn further echoes: because shed quit her job, and effectively had nothing to do all day but hang out in their Tribeca loft where there was no back door, Carolyn had a choice between being stuck at home and running the press gauntlet, and, increasingly, she chose the former. Carolyn once stayed inside for two weeks, various reports crawled. She wound up spending so many of her last days effectively bemoaning her fate as the wife of Americas most famous man, as gossipist Liz Smith once put it.

At this point, Meghan seems to be of a different fibre  at ease with the public, and coming into her role with a lot more life experience that Carolyn had. But who can foresee what life can be under this amount of scrutiny?

Ultimately, though, its the photos that rarely lie, and even now, the images of the young Kennedys summon up a cauldron of sexual attraction.

The magnetism between Harry and Meghan seems fairly undeniable, too, as a writer for Tatler recently tutted: Just look at his body language. Gone is the larky, Jack the Lad, Prince Hal on a night out with Falstaff, rattling-good-fun royal. Instead, theres a touchingly cow-eyed devotion in evidence, all mooning love and a willingness to hand his heart and soul over to the one he loves.

Correction - May 24, 2018: This article was edited from a previous version to remove a photo for legal reasons.

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HALIFAXDozens gathered in Grand Parade Saturday to mark the International Day of the Midwife, and to push the Nova Scotia government to expand midwife services in the province.

Jennifer Roos, a birth doula, led an opening meditation and yoga sequence to begin Saturdays rally.

Roos said Nova Scotian women are being denied an important part of pre and postnatal care because of the lack of midwives in the province.

Women dont have an option here to what [sort of] care they want, Roos said.

My husband is from the Netherlands and in Europe its really different. Most pregnancies, in a good part of Europe, are followed by a midwife, unless youre considered high risk. Just to have the choice, if thats the care you want, is huge.

Nova Scotia has 12 full-time registered midwife positions and only eight of those are filled. The positions are concentrated in Halifax, Antigonish and the South Shore, leaving large gaps where midwives arent available to those who may want them.

Just 2.8 per cent of births in Nova Scotia were assisted by a midwife in 201516, according to the Canadian Association of Midwives.

Midwives are medical professionals that specialize in the birth process. They are trained to provide care throughout the entirety of the pregnancy process as well as up to six weeks after birth, something Roos thinks is extremely important.

A week after youve given birth, its not really fun to take a jaunt into the hospital with your newborn baby. Its much nicer to have them come to your house and check on you and the baby, she said.

Roos said the number of doulas in the province has risen because of the lack of midwives, but that while doulas are a helpful part of prenatal care, they arent able to provide the same level of care as midwives.

If something comes up in an emergency situation with the mother or the baby, they are trained to take care of that, she said.

A doula is there for the emotional, physical and intellectual support, so we dont do anything medical. Were just there to support the mother and the father, to help them get through the birth and to teach them prenatally about the birth process and their options.

Renee Meuse Bishara, one of the organizers of Saturdays rally, is the chair of the Midwifery Coalition of Nova Scotia, which has fought for increased midwifery services for the last 30 years.

The goal from the beginning was for every woman to have access to midwives in the province, Meuse Bishara said. Thirty years later were still fighting for that, were still wanting to see that access from one end of the province to the other.

Meuse Bishara said the coalition has tried to speak to Health Minister Randy Delorey about the issue, but has been unable to set up a meeting to discuss their concerns.

We feel that the Nova Scotia Health Authority needs to have a strategic plan for the expansion of the midwifery program, but also the funding needs to come from the government, she said.

Lisa Roberts, NDP MLA for north end Halifax, has tried to fight for the midwife program from inside the Nova Scotia Legislature.

Midwives also, in their work, have been incredibly flexible and dedicated because they really believe that this is important, Roberts said.

Its the work of birthing our next generation in a way that respects women and respects womens right to choose the kind of birth that they want to have.

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SAINT JOHN, N.B.Floodwaters in southern New Brunswick continued to rise Saturday as homeowners in the Saint John area packed walls of sandbags in an effort to hold back the waves.

Kevin Whalen was stacking sandbags behind his sons home near Dominion Park in Saint John Saturday  adding to the 2,200 sandbags already in place.

All around the house weve made different dikes. Its a work in progress, he said.

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A gravel berm and the wall of sandbags were holding back water that was about a metre deep, while high winds created waves that crashed against their defence.

Whalen said there had been a steady stream of volunteers who have helped stack sandbags or bring food.

He said even Premier Brian Gallant had been there the day before.

He was really working. He helped me move a deep freeze, Whalen said.

Its unbelievable how people have come together.

Dave OBrien, a city employee in Saint John echoed the comments about volunteers as he filled sandbags at a works department depot a few kilometres away.

It makes a huge difference. The whole community is coming together. Its great to see, OBrien said.

Even young children were joining their parents to help fill sandbags for people who needed them.

Ive filled four so far, said young Macullam Stevens.

Greg MacCallum, director of the provinces Emergency Measures Organization, has urged people in at-risk areas to evacuate their homes as water levels are expected to rise over the weekend.

The Saint John River hit 5.43 metres above sea level in Saint John on Friday, and EMO said it would likely exceed that on Monday, when forecasts say it could reach 5.9 metres  1.7 metres above flood stage.

By Friday afternoon, the entire ground floor of the Saint John Marina, about 5,000 square feet, was already covered in water.

The Canadian Red Cross says 309 households  or 747 people  have registered to say they have evacuated from their homes.

Meanwhile, Emergency Measures officials in Fredericton said Friday it appeared the floodwaters on the Saint John River have crested, but warned they will remain high into next week.

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A man died in Milton when a tree fell on him as high winds and thunderstorms wrought chaos across the GTA, disrupting power and transportation.

Winds up to 110 km/h caused the tree to fall on two men, ages 28 and 18, who were clearing trees near 20 Side Rd. and 4th Line in the Halton Hills area, Halton police said.

The 28-year-old was pronounced dead on the scene. The 18-year-old was rushed to Hamilton General Hospital with critical injuries.

Paramedics in Hamilton found a man in his 50s without vital signs under downed power lines. He was pronounced dead after hydro was shut off and they were able to reach him. Witnesses told police the man had been trying to clear wires from the roadway.

The severe weather put the GTA at a standstill on Friday evening. Environment Canadas earlier warning said wind gusts up to 110 km/h caused damage throughout the region.

Toronto Pearson Airport temporarily suspended all flights because of the weather. Some delays were still expected as regular operations resumed.

A Toronto Hydro spokesperson told the Star that more than 68,000 people experienced power outages, mainly because of trees that had brought down hydro poles and wires. The public was advised to be mindful of fallen wires and to report any wires and damage to 911 and Toronto Hydro.

Alectra, the electricity utility for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, tweeted that it had close to 100,000 customers without power due to downed power lines and poles.

Hydro One reported power was out for more than 160,000 customers throughout southern and central Ontario due to both winds and thunderstorms. Crews were mobilized throughout Toronto and the GTA, with additional crews responding to the hardest hit areas.

Public transportation is affected throughout the region as well. A Metrolinx spokesperson, Vanessa Barrasa, said the entire train network was affected.

There are power outages throughout our entire network, Barrasa said. There are trees blocking lines, and many of the crossings arent working, so the trains cant switch tracks. The UP Express is completely halted.

Barrasa said Metrolinx, the TTC and regional emergency services were working to try to fix the situation, but it was not known when train service would be up and running fully again.

Anne Marie Aikins, another Metrolinx spokesperson, had tweeted that a UP Express glass panel at Pearson was smashed.

In Richmond Hill, reports showed eight hydro poles down on Bayview Ave., south of St. Johns Sideroad.

Toronto police blocked vehicle and pedestrian traffic on Church St. between Dundas St. and Gould St. and also initially closed High Park, due to the extreme winds, before later reopening it.

Members of the public posted videos on Twitter of construction cranes spinning wildly in the wind.

The OPP closed the Burlington Skyway bridge in both directions because of the winds, but it, too, reopened as the winds died down.

Hamilton police blocked pedestrian access to a sidewalk on a downtown thoroughfare after a large chunk of siding was ripped off the side of a building. Several poles and wires were down as well.

Just after 4 p.m., a man was struck by a metal awning blown off a convenience store at Bloor and Dovercourt by high winds.

Michael Ianni said he was walking out of the store with his friend when they heard a loud noise and saw the awning start to fall. They moved to avoid it, but saw it fall on the man behind them.

Paramedics said they responded to a call at that location and transported a man in his thirties, who sustained minor injuries, to a local hospital.

Environment Canada cancelled its wind warning for Toronto just after 9 p.m.

With files from the Richmond Hill Liberal and The Hamilton Spectator

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Torontos auditor general is urging the city to get tough with deadbeat residents and companies who owe taxpayers a staggering $577 million in unpaid provincial offences fines.

About two-thirds of people fined for such things as speeding, trespassing, alcohol infractions and violating bylaws voluntarily pay up, Beverly Romeo-Beehler says, but Toronto cannot afford to let the deadbeats off the hook.

Given that the city is faced with constant pressure to find funding for crucial programs and services, it is important that those who owe debts to the city pay them, the auditor wrote.

Her report says the citys court services division is overlooking ways to get payment from people guilty of things like non-criminal driving offences or violating bylaws that govern animal control, excessive noise and more.

Of $577 million from more than two million offences, $421 million is owed to the city, $63 million is to be collected by Toronto on behalf of the province, and $93 million is to pay for collection agencies if the city needs to use them.

Three-quarters of the fines were levied more than five years ago.

Romeo-Beehler says the city needs a methodical, consistent and timely approach to collecting unpaid fines, including effectively using available collection tools, looking for new ones, and modernizing its use of data and technology.

Among Romeo-Beehlers recommendations:

Ensure that, when possible, drivers licences are suspended for non-payment of driving-related fines and, in other cases, the fines are added to offenders property tax bills.

Seek legislative change to help with licence plate denial, which does not always apply if the debtor is not the registered owner of the vehicle used in the offence, or for companies cited for commercial motor vehicle offences.

Ensure legal requirements are fulfilled so the city can garnish wages, or sell and seize property to recoup fines.

Follow the lead of other jurisdictions that use Canada Revenue Agency programming to grab income tax refunds to cover outstanding fines.

Speed up referral of overdue accounts to seven private collection agencies, which have recovered $18.5 million for the city out of almost $300 million assigned to them over about three years.

A separate report tabled by the auditor general Friday left advocates outraged over Romeo-Beehlers recommendation that Toronto get out of the child-care business by transferring 52 city-run centres to the non-profit sector.

Councillor Janet Davis, a longtime champion of child care, challenged the auditors focus on savings: potentially $28 million annually, Romeo-Beehler estimated.

The city of Toronto childrens services division has to concern itself not just with value for money, but value for children, Davis said.

Municipally run centres are among the highest quality in the city, largely due to the higher proportion of fully trained staff, and the generous wages and benefits they receive, she said.

Those good wages  an average of $33.75 an hour versus about $22 per hour in the non-profit sector  are why parent fees are higher.

With files from Laurie Monsebraaten

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The peaceful apprehension of accused murderer Alek Minassian moments after the citys worst mass killing in memory has shone a spotlight on a crucial skill in modern policing: de-escalation.

As Toronto police Const. Ken Lam received worldwide recognition for his no-force arrest after last months North York van rampage, police leaders including Chief Mark Saunders lavished praise in equal parts on Lam and his de-escalation training  education thats become central to reducing fatal police encounters.

But a new government-commissioned report exposes what police experts have long warned: de-escalation training is widely inconsistent across the province, with the quality, amount and type of instruction dependent on time and resources that many police services lack.

The patchwork leaves some officers less equipped to calmly resolve tense situations, meaning even partners sitting side by side in the same car may not have the same skill set, one training expert told the Star.

Also revealed in the report is the alarming perception that the Ontario Police College, where every new recruit attends mandatory training before being sworn in, is failing to teach basic de-escalation, with instruction on the vital skill superficial and lacking in complexity.

The report, prepared by a team of researchers at the University of Toronto Mississauga, concludes that the government should standardize and increase training provincewide. Its recommendations include developing mandatory annual de-escalation training for every sworn officer and a revamped, evidence-based curriculum at the Ontario Police College.

Based on research, we recommend a paradigm shift in policing: a movement away from a focus only on weapons and tactics to a focus on the individual officer, reads the report, led by psychologist Judith Andersen, who studies police training and officer stress response.

Steve Summerville, a former Toronto police officer and longtime use-of-force instructor who was not involved in the report, has been long raising the alarm about training, saying provincial standards focus far too much on the wrong aspects of policing.

There is more proficiency demanded of your expertise with a firearm than there is with talking people down, Summerville said in an interview.

The areas that we use the least are mandated the most.

Andersens report was commissioned by the provincial Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services in the wake of multiple coroners inquests into police-involved deaths, which have consistently called for improved training. It also responds to a damning 2016 report by Ontario ombudsman Paul Dube that homed in on training as a root cause of police-involved deaths, saying there was an urgent need for change.

It is literally a matter of life and death, Dube said when the report was released. Police training, he said, has been neglected in this province for too long.

The ministry has already announced plans to establish a new police framework this summer that will see enhanced de-escalation training delivered consistently across the province, though no details have been released.

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Changes are expected to include increasing the duration of basic training at the Ontario Police College. Dubes report found Ontario constables receive far less training than elsewhere in Canada  12 weeks compared with 24 for RCMP recruits.

Dorijan Najdovski, a spokesperson for the ministry, said Andersens report is being carefully considered  as we continue to move forward with addressing each of the ombudsmans recommendations. It will be used by the ministrys expert committee, which was established to create a new training curriculum, he said.

In the policing context, the term de-escalation refers to tactics intended to resolve a hostile or tense encounter by using the least force possible, ideally none. Training on de-escalation emphasizes verbal communication, encouraging officers to, where possible, build a rapport by asking the person questions, or telling them that they are there to help.

Officers are discouraged from taking actions that might ratchet up tension, such as yelling or pulling out their gun prematurely, and instructed to change their approach if necessary  for instance, not repeating the same directive such as drop the knife if its not working. Throughout, officers are taught to seek time and distance, two central de-escalation aids.

De-escalation tactics can be applied in any encounter, but are especially important during police interactions with people in crisis  such as someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis, or is drunk or high on drugs.

Research shows training is most effective when it is taught in a combination of ways, starting with traditional classroom lectures through to whats called scenario-based learning, which includes instructors or actors role-playing situations often inspired by real encounters.

Scenario-based learning gives officers an opportunity to respond to realistic situations, and introduces the real physical stress responses in police that can help them retain their training, rather than having stress first experienced in real-world encounters and interfering with performance, Anderson writes.

The report recommends the province require scenario-based learning as part of annual training.

But a review of training at 19 police services across Ontario, including urban, rural and First Nations agencies, found there are significant hurdles to providing de-escalation training, predominantly scenario-based learning.

In general, the report says, researchers saw positive signs, including that de-escalation was the most prominent and consistent theme in training observed in 2017. The majority of agencies across Ontario want their officers to receive additional training on de-escalation, and larger police services are beginning to offer their own.

That includes Toronto police, where an extra day of instruction on de-escalation was added to its in-service training following the fatal police shooting of Sammy Yatim by Toronto police Const. James Forcillo in 2013.

However, some of these training initiatives are taking bits and pieces of their curriculum from other programs, some of which may not be based on tested research.

Hence the need for the ministry to provide standardized curriculum, reads the report.

At other police services, going above and beyond the ministrys standard annual recertification, which focuses on weapons training, is seen as a luxury.

It was often stated that the use of force trainers were doing the best they can under their current financial and staffing restrictions, the report states.

At one unnamed police service, an unexpected cost meant there was no budget for training in 2017, so the bulk of it was delivered via a PowerPoint presentation, with a scenario intended to teach de-escalation training lasting about two minutes.

Andersen and her team conducted more than 2,000 interviews with police officers, including use-of-force instructors  the latter uncovering a common opinion that the Ontario Police College is not meeting its training obligations when it comes to de-escalation.

The training recruits receive is superficial at best and many felt it was lacking in depth and complexity, the report states. It was not uncommon to hear use of force trainers state the college needs a complete overhaul.

A full examination of the training provided at the Ontario Police College was not within the scope of Andersens report, but it recommends a thorough, scientific review be conducted followed by the development of a new curriculum.

Terry Coleman, a former Moose Jaw police chief who is now a public safety consultant, says hes heard similar criticisms of the college for years. Its vital that a proper foundation for policing be built during basic training, he said.

If we dont start off police officers in the right way, we cant expect them to continue in the right way, Coleman, who was not part of the review, said in an interview.

Both he and Summerville applauded the central recommendation that de-escalation training be required and standardized.

As it stands, Summerville said, two officers, sitting side by side in the same car, may or may not have the same level of training, presenting a safety risk to both the officers and the public.

Without provincial de-escalation standards, the members of the public cannot know what they will receive if they seek police help.

If you call 911 because of family member is in distress, you have to say to the dispatcher, please only send officers who have received de-escalation training.

Recommendations in the report

That the Ministry of Community Safety create a standardized, eight-hour annual course on de-escalation and critical decision-making for all sworn officers. The course would be delivered at every police service each year. It also recommends that annual use-of-force training be increased to 16 hours from eight, with the extra time being dedicated to de-escalation and decision-making.

The ministry should develop a standardized assessment of de-escalation skills following that training.

The ministry should mandate a review of the curriculum at the Ontario Police College, then develop a new evidence-based training program developed both by academics and police.

A Train the Trainers program should be developed to ensure those who will be teaching the new de-escalation training are themselves adequately trained. This should occur before the rollout of province-wide training. Instructors teaching use of force and de-escalation should have to recertify every two to three years.
A man died in hospital after being struck by falling scaffolding during the wind storm Friday, Toronto police said.

Around 5:45 p.m., scaffolding fell on a man standing in the laneway at College and Yonge Sts., said Gary Long, spokesperson for Toronto police.

Police were called to the scene by witnesses, and the man was taken to hospital by paramedics.

He later died from his injuries in hospital.

The Ministry of Labour investigated the construction site on Saturday morning to ensure there were no other risks to safety on site.

With files from Clare Rayment

Editors note: This has been updated from a previous version with new information from police that the person killed wasnt a worker on the construction site.
An Ontario fire chief was struck and killed by a vehicle late Friday night in Etobicoke.

Pat Bourguignon, of Schreiber, Ont., was returning to his hotel from the annual Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs convention when he was hit at around 11:55 p.m. in the intersection of Attwell Dr. and Dixon Rd.

He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Bourguignon was a volunteer firefighter for 39 years at Schreiber, a township near Lake Superior, and had been the fire chief since 2009.

No charges have been laid. The driver of the vehicle has been cooperating with the police.

The fatal collision took place amid power outages across southern Ontario due to extreme weather conditions and strong winds, reaching a high of 110 km/h.

Mallory Cunnington, Toronto Hydro communications coordinator, said the power was out in the Attwell Dr.-Dixon Rd. area around midnight.

At that time, we were responding to approximately 68,000 customers without power scattered across the city, Cunnington said.
RIVERSIDE, Calif.Prosecutors have filed eight new charges against a California father accused of shackling and starving some of his 13 children, alleging that he lied on government forms about their schooling.

The Riverside County district attorneys office said Friday that David Turpin was charged with eight felony counts of perjury related to paperwork he filed yearly with the California Department of Education certifying his children were receiving a full-time education in a private day school.

John Hall, a spokesman for the district attorneys office, said one charge was filed for each year the paperwork was completed from 2010 to 2017.

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Turpin and his wife Louise previously pleaded not guilty to torture, child abuse and other charges in a case that has drawn international attention since the couples 17-year-old daughter escaped the familys Perris, Calif., home in January and called 911.

Authorities said evidence of starvation was obvious, with the oldest sibling weighing only 82 pounds, and the children were shackled as punishment, denied food and toys and allowed to do little except write in journals.

Turpin, who appeared in court briefly Friday wearing a sage green button down shirt and yellow tie, didnt enter a plea to the new charges during a brief hearing in Riverside. His attorney declined to comment after the hearing.

The couple, who are each being held on $12 million in bail, is due back in court May 18 and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 20.

State records show Turpin listed the familys home address in Perris, Calif., as the site of a private day school.

The children, who were removed from the home and initially hospitalized, ranged in age from 2 to 29.
DENVERColorado State University is inviting two Native American teenagers pulled from a campus tour by police back to the school, saying it will pick up the tab for them to travel there for a VIP tour with their family.

The school also released body camera footage Friday showing two police officers searching the teens pockets and recordings of two phone calls made to police by a woman who described the teens behaviour as really odd but also said she may be paranoid.

The school said it would refund the money that 19-year-old Thomas Kanewakeron Gray and his 17-year-old brother, Lloyd Skanahwati Gray, spent to travel to the school for last Mondays tour.

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Two young men, through no fault of their own, wound up frightened and humiliated because another campus visitor was concerned about their clothes and overall demeanour, which appears to have simply been shyness. The very idea that someone  anyone  might look like they dont belong on a CSU Admissions tour is anathema, university president Tony Frank wrote in an email to students and staff Friday.

The university is taking several steps to prevent a similar situation from happening again, including the use of lanyards or badges to identify tour guests.

Thomas Kanewakeron Gray said police stopped him and his brother while the tour group was inside a gymnasium. He described the officers questioning as aggressive.

The video footage shows the brothers  one wearing a T-shirt and the other a hooded sweatshirt  walking in a group and down a set of stairs when an officer approaches and directs them to step aside, saying he and another officer  who is not visible in the video  are going to check the teens pockets.

The younger brother has his hands in his pockets, and police officers ask him to take them out.

At first, the officer visible in the video asks the Greys short, focused questions, including whether they were part of the tour group and why they didnt co-operate when others asked them their names.

The reason we stopped you and talked to you is because someone from the group called and said you guys just kind of came into the group, the officer said. They also said they tried to ask you guys questions and you didnt want to answer questions.

The older teen quickly responds, explaining that they had arrived late for the tour and that his younger brother is shy. The younger teen offers to retrieve the email confirming their tour reservations.

Yeah, yeah, do that, and then well get you out of here, the officer shown in the video said.

The other officer adds: People were just worried because you guys were real quiet and they didnt know who you were because you guys didnt show up with parents or any of that stuff.

By then, however, their tour group had moved on without them and the brothers left the campus in Fort Collins, a city of about 160,000 people and 105 kilometres north of Denver, and returned home to New Mexico.

I think its pretty discriminatory, Thomas Kanewakeron Gray said Thursday. Me and my brother just stayed to ourselves the whole time. I guess that was scaring people; that we were just quiet.

According to the recording, the caller told a dispatcher that the teens arrived late in the tour and wouldnt respond to questions about their names or what they wanted to study at the school.

They are not, definitely not, a part of the tour, said the woman, identified in a police report as a 45-year-old white woman from Colorado. And their behaviour is just really odd. And Ive never called, ever, about anybody. But they joined our tour. They wont give their names.

The woman also said during the call that the teens were lying the whole time, but doesnt offer specifics to support the claim, except to say that one of them laughed when she asked what they were studying. She also repeatedly told the dispatcher that her concern could be completely paranoid and apologized if its nothing.

Other than saying the teens were wearing all black clothing with dark stuff on it, the caller did not physically describe them until questioned by the dispatcher. She said she believed they were Hispanic, and described their clothing as having a weird symbolism or wording on it.

It appears at least one of the brothers was wearing a T-shirt of a death metal band called Cattle Decapitation. On its Facebook page, the band offered the teens free guest list spots to our shows for life.

The callers name was redacted in the police report, along with the teenagers names.

The teens mother, Lorraine Gray, said Friday that she remained infuriated over the incident, and questioned the police handling of it, as well as the callers decision to report her sons.

What do their clothes have to do with anything? Why would you be worried about a persons clothes? the mother said.

Gray says one of the officers who questioned her sons later told her in a phone call that maybe the incident would teach the teens to speak up for themselves in the future.

She said the family has received apologetic messages from the university and is aware of its offer to return to the school for a VIP tour. However, she said they are not ready to respond, given that she and her sons have not had the opportunity to fully discuss the situation.

The younger son is a senior at Santa Fe Indian School, which is about a 30-minute drive from the family home and where he stays in a dorm during the week with other Native American students from tribes across the United States.

The older brother is a student at Northern New Mexico College in Espanola and hoped to transfer.

The siblings saved until they had enough money to drive the roughly seven hours from the familys home in Santa Cruz, New Mexico, to Fort Collins for the tour.

The older brother said the school was their first choice, because of its proximity to Denver, where they could attend concerts. The brothers, both Mohawk, are musicians, and study contemporary and traditional music.

The brothers ordeal marks the latest in a series of incidences nationwide spotlighting treatment minorities often face in everyday circumstances, including the arrest of two black men at a Starbucks in Philadelphia who were handcuffed and taken to jail after a worker said they had refused to buy anything or leave.
OLATHE, Kan.A Kansas man who opened fire last year in a suburban Kansas City bar, killing an immigrant from India in what federal prosecutors have called a hate crime, was sentenced Friday to life in prison.

Adam Purinton, 52, was sentenced for premeditated first-degree murder in the Feb. 22, 2017, death of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, a shooting that stirred fears that immigrants were facing more violence after President Donald Trumps election. It also attracted international attention, especially in India, where officials publicly wondered if their citizens were safe in the U.S.

Witnesses said Purinton, who is white, uttered racial slurs at Kuchibhotla and his friend, Alok Madasani, both 32, as they enjoyed an after-work drink at Austins Bar and Grill in Olathe, Kansas. He was asked to leave but eventually returned and yelled Get out of my country! before firing at the men. A third man, Ian Grillot, was wounded when he tried to intervene.

Read more:

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Under terms of a plea agreement, District Judge Charles Droege sentenced Purinton to the maximum sentence on each of the three charges, and ordered them to run consecutively. Purinton was given two sentences of about 14 years for wounding the two men and wouldnt be eligible for parole for 77.5 years, The Kansas City Star reported.

Kuchibhotla and Madasani immigrated to the U.S. as students and were working as engineers at GPS-maker Garmin at the time of the shooting. Madasani told detectives that the gunman asked the men if their status was legal before he opened fire, according to a court affidavit.

Purinton still faces federal hate crime charges for the shooting and is scheduled for a change of plea hearing May 21.

None of the victims or their family members attended Fridays sentencing.

But Kuchibhotlas widow, Sunayana Dumala, said in a statement directed to Purinton that she wished he could have seen beyond her husbands skin colour to the beautiful and kind-hearted person underneath it.

She said the couple was looking forward to raising a family in the dream home they had found in Kansas.

We were supposed to be together for lifetime but now the thought of having to live life alone and the hardships that come with it is unbearable, she wrote.

Dumala said her husband was working on several large contracts at Garmin when he was killed and those contracts will provide jobs to many people. Imagine how much more he could have achieved and contributed to the community if not for your anger and hatred.

I hope in the years that you must spend in the jail you will one day realize the magnitude of your mistake and work toward your penance, she said.

After the shooting, Purinton drove 110 kilometres to Clinton, Missouri, where he confessed the shooting to a bartender at a restaurant.

In a written statement filed when he pleaded guilty in March, Purinton said he accepted full responsibility for the grievous harm he caused the victims, their families and the community.

I hope that this plea might, in some small way, help reduce the suffering that I have caused them all, he said in his statement.

Purinton, a Navy veteran, was a regular customer at Austins. Neighbours in the Olathe neighbourhood where he lived told The Associated Press that he became a drunken mess following his fathers death about two years before the shooting and had physically and mentally deteriorated.

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President Donald Trump spoke Friday with the parents of American college student Otto Warmbier, who last summer died after 17 months in captivity in North Korea, offering emotional support ahead of his planned summit with dictator Kim Jong Un.

The President offered a warm message to the family during their conversation, according to sources familiar with the call, the latest in his administrations personal outreach. Ottos parents, Fred and Cindy Warmbier, have sued North Korea in federal court, charging the Kim regime brutally tortured and murdered their son.

The call comes as Trump has offered hints that three other Americans who remain prisoners in North Korea could be freed as part of the summit preparations.

Read more:

Otto Warmbiers mother says she will draw attention to North Korea abuses to ensure her son didnt die in vain

Otto Warmbiers parents sue North Korea, alleging barbaric treatment in sons death

Otto Warmbier was jerking violently, howling in return from North Korea, parents say

A lot of good things have already happened with respect to the hostages, Trump told reporters on Friday. And I think youre going to see very good things. As I said yesterday, stayed tuned.

Trump has made Warmbiers case a key element of his administrations maximum pressure campaign, castigating the North for its treatment of him during speeches at the United Nations, the general assembly in Seoul, and the State of the Union address. Fred Warmbier accompanied Vice President Mike Pence as part of the U.S. delegation to the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Warmbier was detained in Pyongyang after participating in an organized tour in December 2015 and was held captive 17 months, after being charged with spying for the United States and being coerced into making an on-camera confession. His parents have stated that all the charges against him are categorically untrue. Warmbier returned to his hometown of Cincinnati in a coma and died a few days later.

In a statement about the lawsuit, Fred Warmbier said his son was taken hostage, kept as a prisoner for political purposes, used as a pawn and singled out for exceptionally harsh and brutal treatment by Kim Jong Un. Kim and his regime have portrayed themselves as innocent, while they intentionally destroyed our sons life. This lawsuit is another step in holding North Korea accountable for its barbaric treatment of Otto and our family.

Trump is planning to meet Kim by mid-June to discuss North Koreas nuclear weapons program. He said Friday the administration has finalized a date and location but declined to disclose those details.

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LONDONSome British doctors and legislators reacted angrily Saturday to President Donald Trumps pro-gun comments at an NRA convention comparing a London hospital to a war zone because of knife crime.

Trumps provocative comments are expected to increase concerns about his planned first presidential visit to Britain on July 13.

Dr. Martin Griffiths, a surgeon at the Royal London Hospital, tweeted he would be happy to invite Mr. Trump to visit his hospital and meet with Londons mayor and police chief to learn how the city has reduced violent crime.

Dr. Karim Brohi, another Royal London surgeon, said Trumps position makes no sense.

There is more we can all do to combat this violence, but to suggest guns are part of the solution is ridiculous, Brohi tweeted. Gunshot wounds are at least twice as lethal as knife injuries and more difficult to repair.

At the NRA convention Friday in Dallas, Trump said Britain has tough gun laws but that one London hospital is awash with blood because of knife wounds.

They dont have guns. They have knives and instead theres blood all over the floors of this hospital, Trump said. They say its as bad as a military war zone hospital ... knives, knives, knives.

Labour Party lawmaker Sarah Jones tweeted that Trumps speech was a disgrace.

U.K. knife crime nowhere near your off-the-scale gun deaths, she said.

Trump spoke as London is experiencing an increase in knife-related violence.

At the NRA convention, Trump also suggested that a co-ordinated extremist attack on Paris in 2015 that claimed 130 lives would have been far less deadly if Parisians had been carrying guns to protect themselves.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian expressed his firm disapproval of Trumps remarks and vigorously defended Frances gun controls.

Free circulation of weapons in society does not constitute a rampart against terrorist attacks, to the contrary, it can facilitate this type of attack, he said in a statement Saturday.

The U.S. president plans a one-day stop in Britain as part of a working visit. He has been invited for a state visit to be hosted by Queen Elizabeth II, but no date has been set for that ceremonial event.

Trump has riled many Britons in the past by suggesting Muslim extremists have made some British cities unsafe. He also drew criticism from Prime Minister Theresa May, a conservative, and other political leaders for retweeting anti-Muslim videos originally posted by one of the leaders of the far-right Britain First group.

Trump has criticized Londons Metropolitan Police and Mayor Sadiq Khan, a Muslim, on several occasions.

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SRINAGAR, IndiaIndian troops killed three suspected rebels during a gun battle Saturday in the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir, while police blamed insurgents for killing three other men during a day of violence and protests in the disputed region.

Counter-insurgency police and paramilitary soldiers staged a morning raid on a cluster of homes in a densely populated neighbourhood of Srinagar after getting a tip that militants were hiding there, police said. Troops asked the trapped militants to surrender but they instead started shooting and sparked a gun battle, police said.

As the militants and government troops exchanged gunfire, anti-India protests and clashes erupted in several places. Hundreds of demonstrators tried to reach the site of the standoff and threw rocks at troops in a bid to help the rebels escape.

Read more:

Anti-India protests erupt in Kashmir after deadly fighting between rebels and government forces

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Police and paramilitary soldiers fired shotgun pellets and tear gas to stop the protesters, and at least one protester was run over and killed by a police armoured vehicle. As the anti-India protests and clashes spiralled, shops in the city shuttered and authorities switched off mobile internet services to make organizing protests more difficult.

Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim it in its entirety. Rebels have been fighting Indian rule since 1989, demanding Indian-controlled Kashmir be made part of Pakistan or become an independent country.

Most Kashmiris support the rebels cause while also participating in civilian street protests against Indian control. In recent years, mainly young Kashmiris have displayed open solidarity with rebels and sought to protect them by engaging troops in street clashes during military operations. Last year, at least 29 civilians were killed and hundreds were wounded during such clashes.

During Saturdays fierce confrontation, demonstrators chanted pro-rebel slogans such as Go India, go back and We want freedom. Police said they were investigating the death of the man killed in what they called a road accident.

Top separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq called the young mans death a murder and he and others called for a general strike on Sunday in protest of the days killings.

How a murder was committed by the forces today and then brazenly denied! Is there no sense of humanity left in India? Farooq wrote on Twitter, as he also uploaded a video that shows an armoured vehicle knocking down a youth.

Injuries were reported to at least two protesters, three journalists, three soldiers and a police officer.

S.P. Vaid, police director-general, told reporters that Saturdays operation that killed the three militants was a clean one. The armed confrontation was the first this year in the heart of Srinagar.

Later Saturday, thousands in Srinagar participated in the funerals of a slain rebel and the civilian. While the civilian was buried in his neighbourhood graveyard, thousands marched while carrying the rebels body to Srinagars main martyrs graveyard, where hundreds of Kashmiri militants and civilians killed in decades of fighting have been buried.

Meanwhile, gunmen abducted two men from their homes in northern Hajin town late Friday. Their bodies, riddled with bullets, were recovered early Saturday.

Gunmen also entered a civilian home in Sopore area and sprayed bullets at the residents, police said, leading to death of a young man. His wife was critically wounded.

Police accused militants for carrying out these killings, though no rebel group has claimed responsibility.

Kashmiris make no secret of their fury at killings by government forces, which regularly trigger bloody protests and demands for freedom from Indian rule. But the reactions are far more complicated, tangled in fear and loyalty, when residents accused of being informers are targeted.

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On an August morning in 1951, two American women met for the first time in the corridor of the Hotel Berchielli in Florence.

Ninalee Allen, who was known as Jinx, was a vacationing nursery-school teacher. Ruth Orkin was a freelance photojournalist who, after chatting with Allen, asked if would she would pose for a photo essay about women travelling alone.

Jinx agreed, and they set off on what Jinx called a photographic lark. As they came to the Piazza della Repubblica, 15 men were loitering. Some were leaning on a wall. Two sat on a motor scooter. Nearly all were staring at the 6-foot-tall Allen. One leered and grabbed his crotch.

Read more: An American Girl In Italy

Orkin snapped Allen twice walking that testosterone-charged gantlet. The first time, Orkin told the New York Times in 1979, Allen clutched at herself and looked terribly frightened.

I told her to walk by the second time, as if its killing you but youre going to make it,  she said.

The final shot, American Girl in Italy, captured Allen with her head tilted slightly up, her eyes cast a bit down and her right hand holding onto her sweater. For the rest of her life she insisted that she had been enjoying herself and had not felt harassed. Indeed, she said, she had imagined herself as Beatrice in Dantes The Divine Comedy, striding past the men with dignity, refusing them her glance.

The last thing you would do would be to look them in the eye and smile, she said in an interview with the Guardian in 2015. I did not want to encourage them. This image has been interpreted in a sinister way, but it was quite the opposite. They were having fun, and so was I.

Both women insisted they had come upon the men at the piazza serendipitously, and that nothing had been posed.

Ninalee Allen Craig  as she had been known since her second marriage, which ended in divorce  died of complications of lung cancer Tuesday in Toronto, her stepson, Alex Passi, said. She was 90.

Craig revelled in her starring role in the photograph, which was first published in Cosmopolitan magazine with travel tips and other photos of her from the Florence shoot and became Orkins most popular picture in a distinguished and successful career, especially after it was reproduced as a poster in the 1980s.

When the photograph was celebrated in 2011 at the Stephen Bulger Gallery in Toronto, Craig smiled at the suggestion that the mens behaviour had concerned her.

Italian men are very appreciative, and its nice to be appreciated, she told the Toronto Star. I wasnt the least bit offended.

She was born in Indianapolis on Nov. 6, 1927, and grew up in Bronxville, N.Y. Her father, W. Rowland Allen, was personnel director for a department store, and her mother, Mary (Church) Allen, was a homemaker.

At Sarah Lawrence College, where she studied art, she earned a bachelors degree. She then taught at a nursery school in Manhattan.

After six years as an advertising copywriter at J. Walter Thompson in Manhattan, she married Achille Passi and moved to Milan. They divorced, and she returned to New York and to copywriting at William Esty & Co. Her second marriage, to R. Ross Craig, a Canadian steel executive, also ended in divorce.

In addition to her stepson, Passi, she is survived by two other stepsons, David and Robert Craig; a stepdaughter, Gaye Craig; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Craig and Orkin met in Paris soon after their earlier encounter in Florence, and more photographs were taken. They remained friendly until Orkins death in 1985 at 63. Craig was also friendly with Orkins daughter, Mary Engel.

Jinx was the kind of person who, the minute you met her, was in your life forever, Engel said in a telephone interview. She was just an amazing, larger-than-life person.

In an article looking back at American Girl in Italy, Craig said she encouraged young people to follow Orkins example.

Youve got to be alert and quick as Ruth was, she was quoted as saying. She had the camera in her hands night and day. She was always thinking and looking. She lived to shoot pictures.
WASHINGTONU.S. President Donald Trump offered his latest teaser Friday for a historic U.S. summit with North Korea: The time and place have been set but hes not saying when and where.

The White House did, however, announce the details of a separate meeting later this month between Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, as the U.S. administration pushed back on a report that Trump is considering the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the allied nation.

Trump and Moon would meet at the White House on May 22 to continue their close co-ordination on developments regarding the Korean Peninsula following last Fridays meeting between Moon and Kim Jong Un. They will also discuss the U.S. presidents own upcoming summit with the North Korean leader, a statement said.

Read more:

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Earlier this week, Trump expressed a preference for holding the big event with Kim in the demilitarized zone or DMZ between the two Koreas, where Moon and Kim met. He also said Singapore was in contention to host what will be the first summit of between a U.S. and a North Korean leader.

We now have a date and we have a location. Well be announcing it soon, Trump told reporters Friday from the White House South Lawn before departing for Dallas. Hes previously said the summit was planned for May or early June.

A meeting with Kim seemed an outlandish possibility just a few months ago when the two leaders were trading threats and insults over North Koreas development of nuclear weapons. But momentum for diplomacy has built this year as the rival Koreas have patched up ties. In March, Trump unexpectedly accepted an offer of talks from Kim after the North Korean dictator agreed to suspend nuclear and ballistic missile tests and discuss denuclearization.

According to South Korea, Kim has said hed be willing to give up his nukes if the United States commits to a formal end to the Korean War and pledges not to attack the North. But his exact demands for relinquishing weapons that his nation spent decades building remains unclear.

Trump said that withdrawing U.S. forces from South Korea is not on the table. Some 28,500 U.S. forces are based in the allied nation, a military presence that has been preserved to deter North Korea since the war ended in 1953 without a peace treaty.

Now I have to tell you, at some point into the future, I would like to save the money, Trump said later as he prepared to board Air Force One. You know we have 32,000 troops there but I think a lot of great things will happen but troops are not on the table. Absolutely.

The New York Times reported that Trump has asked the Pentagon to prepare options plans for drawing down American troops. It cited unnamed officials as saying that wasnt intended to be a bargaining chip with Kim, but did reflect that a prospective peace treaty between the Koreas could diminish the need for U.S. forces in South Korea.

At the inter-Korean summit last Friday, held on the southern side of the DMZ, Moon and Kim pledged to rid the peninsula of nuclear weapons and seek a formal end this year to the Korean conflict in which the opposing sides remain technically at war more than six decades after fighting halted with an armistice.

But for Trump to contemplate withdrawing troops now would be a quixotic move as he enters into negotiations with Kim, whose demands and intentions are uncertain. Two weeks ago, shortly before the inter-Korean summit, Moon said that Kim actually wasnt insisting on a longstanding demand for the withdrawal of U.S. troops as a precondition for abandoning his nukes.

National security adviser John Bolton, who met his South Korean counterpart Chung Eui-yong in Washington on Friday, called the Times report utter nonsense.

During his presidential campaign, Trump complained that South Korea does not do enough to financially support the American military commitment. In March, Washington and Seoul began negotiations on how much South Korea should offset the costs of the deployment in the coming years. Under the current agreement that expires at the end of 2018, the South provides about $830 million (U.S.) per year.

Before Trump meets Kim, Washington is looking for North Korea to address another persistent source of tension between the adversaries: the detention of three Korean-Americans accused of anti-state activities in the North.

Trump hinted that the release of Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak Song and Tony Kim was in the offing, but again was sparing on the details.

Were having very substantive talks with North Korea and a lot of things have already happened with respect to the hostages, and I think youre going to see very good things. As I said yesterday, stay tuned, Trump said, referring to an earlier tweet on the issue.

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Medical disorder series, May 1

The Star investigation regarding performance records for doctors is a sterling piece of research and writing.

The reports raise questions. Why is it necessary for Ontario patients to turn to the Star for information about medical performance? Why must Ontario patients rely on foreign jurisdictions for information about safe access to Ontario licenced doctors? And why, in a country with federal health care, do patients from one province have more secure access to medical performance than others?

The Star investigation reveals threatening lapses in providing safe access to medical care. The detail is startling, full of hiding behind privacy rules at the expense of patient safety. It is nothing more than luck that more serious damage has not happened. And we all know about luck  it eventually runs out. Is our medical assurance part of the Ontario gaming corporation?

Please ask each candidate wanting to be our next premier what action will they take to ensure Ontario patients have secure information to make sound decisions about who looks afters us.

Don Graves, Burlington

Kudos to the Star investigative team that dug up the dirty secrets of Canadian-trained doctors who returned to practice in Canada despite their sordid history of disciplinary action and malpractice payouts in the U.S.

Sadly, our broken system of checks and balances allowed them to keep their history secret.

The year-long project by the Star, which painstakingly collected MD rosters from medical regulators in all 50 U.S. states and 13 Canadian provinces and territories, yielded rich dividends.

It is shocking that the number of flagrant crimes committed by these devious doctors did not prevent them from practising under the radar in Canada, often because they dodged the authorities by simply moving from one jurisdiction to another.

When a physician is deemed guilty of professional misconduct in the U.S., the Federation of State Medical Boards enters the decision into a central repository. Canadian provinces urgently need such co-ordination and oversight.

Despite these concerns, it is comforting to know that the vast majority of doctors in North America live up to the high standards of their profession.

However, it was concerning to learn from Teresa Boyles article that the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, responsible for dispensing disciplinary action, is currently swamped by a glut of trivial complaints that make it extremely difficult to adjudicate more serious violations and render decisions in a timely manner.

It is time for Canadian government and health-care stakeholders to come together to save lives.

Rudy Fernandes, Mississauga

As a physician, I was disappointed at the timing of your series about bad doctors. May 1 is Doctors Day in Ontario.

In our profession, it represents a rare opportunity to step back from the frantic pace and often deep sadness inherent to our lifes work. Amidst the suffering, death and endless hours in an overwhelmed and underfunded health-care system, it can sometimes be difficult to remember how important it is to continue fighting.

Following the horrific attack in Toronto last month, Doctors Day was an especially salient reminder of the tragic, yet heroic work many of us do every day.

There is no question there are bad doctors among us. The Stars investigation into the unspeakable crimes committed by some physicians against vulnerable patients is important, necessary work, and it should be commended. But on behalf of the many thousands of compassionate, dedicated and exhausted doctors struggling to keep Canadians healthy, might I gently suggest that May 1 was not the day.

Dr. Richard Osborne, Credit Valley Hospital, Mississauga

Physician college clogged by cases, May 1

To condone that more complaints against our doctors should be outright dismissed would be a colossal failure of a system marketed as accountability, oversight and protection of the public.

Recently, my family received notice that our second appeal of a College of Physicians and Surgeons decision had failed. As reported in the Star in June 2014, my father Michael Green died in August 2013 after a minor elective procedure.

Our family decided to file a complaint, as we believed then, and remain convinced today, that it reasonably appears to have been a fatally wrong decision by his doctors that precipitated the stroke that led to his death.

However, despite the unfavorable and unpalatable outcome that we experienced, to further erode an already questionable, unwelcoming, unbalanced, broken system and condone the dismissal of legitimate complaints, sometimes against doctors who already have a history with the medical-safety regulator, would in no manner serve the public, and would instead do grave harm to public confidence.

That a retired judge suggests saving money is the solution to an overworked system misses the forest for the trees.

Jeff Green, Toronto

Good luck complaining about your doctor. It may take six months to have your issue addressed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

And if thats not bad enough, figures from three years ago indicate provincial governments were funding the legal defence of doctors to the tune of $200 million per year.

If thats still not bad enough, the provincial government reimburses membership fees paid by doctors to the Canadian Medical Protective Association, the legal insurer to doctors.

For doctors, it doesnt get much better: we pay them to practice, we pay to defend their malpractice and, to top it all off, any malfeasance is zealously guarded in secrecy by the College.

All of it stinks. Why is this not a provincial-election issue?

Tibor Szakall, Thornhill
Hubris, and fantasy, Editorial, May 3

After a leaked video of PC Leader Doug Ford pledging to developers that, as their premier, hed allow them to build on the Greenbelt, Conservative candidates in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area were flooded with angry constituents objections.

Realizing he risked losing seats crucial to his election, Ford attempted an ungainly flip-flop. He claimed that after consultations with the people of Ontario, he wouldnt touch the Greenbelt.

Mr. Ford equates consultations with widespread public outcry against secret deals with developers. Will he favour us with more consultations on other backroom deals he has concealed from us?

Penny Gill, Dundas, Ont.

Herein lies the rub. The Star criticizes Doug Ford for saying the people spoke and he listened about the Greenbelt. You then lecture him on responsible government.

Unfortunately, you ignore recent history. Eighteen months ago, the people spoke to the responsible government about hydro rates. The government, on the cusp of an election, replied by lowering rates. Your editorial on March 1, 2017 (Plan to cut hydro rates is a reasonable response to real pain) praised the government response.

After praising the government for a decision in response to the people, you have no right to lecture Doug Ford in the same circumstance.

Alan McDonald, Trenton, Ont.

First, PC Leader Doug Ford would sell parts of the Greenbelt. Then, Ford would not sell parts of the Greenbelt. Now, Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynne will expand the Greenbelt. What next: NDP Leader Andrea Howarth declaring all undeveloped land in Ontario a provincial park? And we wonder why the public are cynical when it comes to politicians.

Greg Sheehan, Mississauga

PC Leader Doug Fords promise to open up the Greenbelt for development and his subsequent reversal days later was politically clumsy, but he deserves credit for abandoning a bad idea.

As is often the case for politicians, Ford is being criticized for flip-flopping on an idea, as if this is a sign of weakness or an indication of being untrustworthy.

But consider the alternative. Would we really want a politician to stubbornly stick to a bad idea just to avoid being accused of flip-flopping? Dont we want leaders who, when confronted with the error of their ways, will change their position?

David G. Williams, Toronto

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VANCOUVERA massive lice outbreak at several fish farms on the west coast of Vancouver Island is killing wild baby salmon, which will have devastating effects on nearby forests and the regions ecotourism industry, say conservationists.

The warning comes as test results show that salmon at several fish farms in Clayoquot Sound, near Tofino, are infected by up to 30 lice.

Thats 10 times higher than the mandated limit, which stipulates when farmed salmon need to be treated. The limit is in place so lice populations dont get out of control and start infecting wild baby salmon as they swim past the farms.

Stan Proboszcz, scientific adviser to a conservation charity called the Watershed Watch Salmon Society, said the young salmon that have recently hatched in rivers near the farms are now migrating downstream and out to the ocean. Along their migration, they are contracting sea lice from these ocean fish farms and are likely to die.

One adult louse has a potential to kill one of these baby salmon, Proboszcz said.

But photographs and samples from the past week show the young fish are infected with 10 to 20 lice.

These are dead fish swimming, said Alexandra Morton, an independent biologist studying the impact of salmon farms on wild salmon, who took the photos.

Due to government regulations, salmon farms must report how many lice their net-pen fish are infected with. Results from March and April show that fish at several farms in the area, operated by Cermaq, are infected by more than three lice, with some locations reporting 18 to 34.

Bonny Glambeck, a campaigner for environmental non-profit Clayoquot Action, said an outbreak of this magnitude could wipe out a significant number of young salmon.

We havent seen anything like this in Tofino before, Glambeck said. These wild juvenile salmon will not survive to spawn and reproduce.

When salmon dont survive long enough to mature in the ocean and return upstream to reproduce, the impact to local ecosystems and the economy is devastating, said Glambeck. Wild salmon feed more than 200 different species in the area, including bears, and a strong wild salmon population is also important to the ecotourism industry.

The forest itself will starve, Glambeck said, noting that fish remains fertilize the forest soil and feed the large trees the Clayoquot area is famous for.

Already, salmon runs are low. According to Clayoquot Action, the nearby Kennedy River saw no sockeye return to spawn last fall.

In April, the federal environment commissioner Julie Gelfand reported the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) wasnt doing enough to protect wild fish from diseases carried by fish farm salmon.

The DFO should have expected this to happen, Morton said, because research from nearly two decades ago indicated sea lice were a threat to wild baby salmon.

The DFO and Cermaq did not respond to interview requests before deadline.

Tessa Vikander is a Vancouver-based reporter covering identity and inequality. Follow her on Twitter: @tessavikander

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VANCOUVERMultiple studies in Vancouver and Toronto have found that a treatment involving magnetic pulses around the brain has been proven extremely successful in treating depression, but it is not yet covered under the Medical Services Plan.

Two recent studies have found that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can effectively treat certain types of depression that have been resistant to medications. The treatment is non-invasive, and involves a coil-like machine being placed on top of the head, which delivers magnetic pulses to the brain. Multiple sessions are needed for the treatment to be effective.

The psychiatrists involved in the study report significant improvements to patients treatment-resistant depression  with nearly 30 per cent of patients going into remission where they experience little or no depressive symptoms.

We see that the mood improves, the ability to enjoy life gets better, sleep and appetite gets better, and there is a very significant is the decrease in suicidal ideation said Fidel Vila-Rodriguez, a psychiatrist and the principal investigator for the study at UBC.

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Getting into spats with co-workers? Try mindfulness, UBC study says

In April, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in collaboration with UBC found that effective treatment of rTMS could be administered in just three minutes, compared to the 37 minute sessions they previously thought was needed. On Thursday, another study conducted at CAMH showed 40 per cent of people reported they no longer experienced suicidal thoughts after receiving the treatment.

But this treatment is yet to be covered by MSP, despite growing evidence that it can work.

rTMS is available out-of-pocket at a few clinics in Vancouver, including a clinic at the Mood Disorders Association of B.C. (MDABC). There, the treatment costs a total of $750. A spokesperson at the MDABC said patients can pay about $30 per session.

Making the treatment available to more people could significantly improve outcomes for a lot of patients, Vila-Rodriguez said. A 2008 study revealed that over one in five adults in B.C. experience depression, with numbers expected to increase steadily.

Vila-Rodriguez said he had submitted a proposal with the Doctors of BC for it to be included in the provincial plan, but that proposal was rejected. The treatment is covered in Quebec and Saskatchewan.

Im puzzled, I dont fully understand, he said. I would hope this new robust evidence would provide some scientific rationale to reconsider that position.

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VANCOUVERVision Vancouver, the civic party that has held power for the past 10 years in Vancouver but slipped hard in a recent byelection, has decided to run a mayoral candidate  the party just doesnt know who yet.

The decision, announced late Friday afternoon, is a blow to Green Party Councillor Adriane Carr, who hoped to run for mayor but only if she could get the support of Vision Vancouver, OneCity and the Coalition of Progressive Electors.

Shauna Sylvester, a former member of Vision who decided to run as an independent candidate for mayor, also hoped to unite left-leaning parties.

Gregor Robertson, who has been mayor since he was first elected under the Vision slate in 2008, announced in the fall of 2017 that he would not seek re-election.

The Vision Board spent many weeks carefully discussing various scenarios, including the options of endorsing an independent candidate, or a candidate from another party, and their ability to run a competitive, city-wide campaign, wrote Michael Haack, Visions co-chair.

However, with less than six months to the election, none of the potential candidates emerged as a consensus choice, nor to date has been able to secure cross-party support, which would be essential to the success of an independent campaign.

Vision has instead made the choice to open mayoral nominations for the upcoming municipal elections in October.

OneCity announced they would not be supporting Carr for mayor via Twitter on April 28. On Thursday, Carr said she had yet to hear a final decision from COPE. While public opinion polls have shown that Carr is Vancouverites favoured choice for mayor, Carr said she would not run without support from other parties.

If Vancouvers left-wing parties cannot find a way to co-operate, they risk splitting the vote and handing a win to the centre-right Non Partisan Association. Thats what happened during the October 2017 byelection for one council seat, when Vision came in a dismal fifth and the NPAs Hector Bremner won with fewer votes than the combined totals of independent Jean Swanson and the Greens Pete Fry.

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EDWARDSVILLE  A judge Friday order an Alton man accused of eight counts of sexual conduct with a 7-year-old girl held without bail after authorities tracked him down in California.

Randal E. Bell, 57, of the 1100 block of Main Street, Alton, stood slumped with his head down and wearing a modesty suit as he stood before Associate Judge Clarence Harrison.

Bell did not look at the judge and did not speak, only nodding his head as the judge asked if he understood the proceedings. A modesty suit is a jail term for a one-piece article of clothing used for people who are considered a suicide risk. Bell turned and walked slowly toward the door after the judge ordered him held.

Bell is facing possibly multiple mandatory life sentences after he was charged with four counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a 7-year-old girl and four counts of aggravated sexual abuse of the same victim.

The predatory criminal sexual assault counts are Class X felonies, punishable by a mandatory life term because Bell was previously convicted of the same crime.

Normally, predatory criminal sexual assault of a child is a Class X felony, punishable by a prison term of between six and 30 years in prison. The mandatory life sentence would be because he was previously convicted of predatory criminal assault of a child in Macoupin County in 2010. He was released from Big Muddy Correctional Center Sept. 1.

He is accused of five different acts of sexual assault of the child, a household member, between Sept. 1 and Nov. 20. He was ordered held without bail on those charges. He was also charged with five counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse on the same victim for various other sexual acts.

Authorities said the defendant and victim are not in the same family. The child disclosed the crimes to a school official and that person reported the crimes to Alton Police and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, both of which conducted investigations. The victim also gave an interview at the Madison County Child Advocacy Center.

In the Macoupin County case, Bell pleaded guilty in March 2010 of predatory sexual assault for committing an act of digital penetration of a 9-year-old girl in 2008. The Macoupin County case was charged as a Class X felony. Bell was sentenced to the minimum sentence of six years by Judge Kenneth Deihl. He was required to serve 85 percent of the six years.

Reach reporter Sanford Schmidt at 618-208-6449.
BETHALTO - Mark N. Hillin, 46, of the 200 block of Roosevelt Drive, Moro, was charged Friday with felony theft.

He allegedly stole in excess of $500 from the Eagle Pride Booster Club between May 4, 2015 and Sept. 31, 2017. Bail was set at $20,000.

ALTON - Aaron W. Newell, 38, of the 400 block of Whitelaw Avenue, Wood River, was charged Wednesday with unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

He allegedly possessed less than 15 grams of alprazolam on Tuesday. Bail was set at $15,000.

EAST ALTON - Nancy D. Parker, 45, of the 1300 Monroe, Alton, was charged Wednesday with unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

She allegedly possessed less than 15 grams of amphetamine on April 27. Bail was set at $25,000.

WOOD RIVER - Melissa S. Konozasky, 32, of the 3200 block of Seminary Street, Alton, was charged Thursday with unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

She allegedly possessed less than 15 grams of alprazolam on March 14. Bail was set at $15,000.

WOOD RIVER - Laura K. Brown, 47, of the 200 block of South 13th Street, Wood River, was charged Thursday with unlawful use of a debit card.

She allegedly obtained cash by using the card of another woman on Feb. 12. Bail was set at $15,000.

WOOD RIVER - Stephen L. Rudd, 24, of the 100 block of East Maple Street, Hartford, was charged Thursday with unlawful possession of methamphetamine.

He allegedly possessed less than five grams of the drug on Wednesday. Bail was set at $20,000.

EDWARDSVILLE - Alonzo D. Garrett II, 28, whose address was not available, was charged Friday with three counts of burglary.

He allegedly entered three different vehicles in the 6000 block of Center Grove Road on April 25 with the intent to commit a theft. Bail was set at $75,000.

EDWARDSVILLE - Reginald L. Newtall, 37, of St. Louis, was charged Friday with unlawful use of vehicle identification.

He allegedly bought a set of license plates, knowing the plates had been removed from the vehicle for which they were originally assigned. Bail was set at $25,000.

ROXANA - Chad A. McAdams, 38, of the 200 block of West County Road, Jerseyville, was charged Friday with burglary.

He allegedly entered a vehicle in the 100 block of Central Avenue on Friday with the intent to commit a theft. Bail was set at $20,000.

ROXANA - Ashley L. Morgan, 32, of Streator, Illinois, was charged Friday with unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

She allegedly possessed less than 15 grams of cocaine on March 17. Bail was set at $15,000.
Not so long ago when I was in Hong Kong, I could see the West Kowloon District across from where I wasthe Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Past the Victoria Harbour, the skyline and across the bay, in the distance, on reclaimed land, one could see a huge signage that screamed M+.

M+ is home to a future world of culture. Funded totally by the government, the site is being developed into one of the most buzzing areas for culture in the world with parks, museums, theatres, exhibition spaces, food courts and other commercial spaces that speak nothing but culture. The idea germinated in 2008, with an upfront endowment of $21.6 billion. The project is taking off in phases, with most of the spaces for cultural activity already in place and one of the most spectacular operas taking off last year at its opera house. The total cost of M+ is expected to be more than $63 billion. It is expected that the authorities would make nearly $100 billion from the commercial activities alone that would sustain the cultural spaces and activities within.

On my return to Kerala, I imagined Aspinwall House in Fort Kochi from the other side of the backwaters, Vypin. Well, in comparison to Kowloon Cultural Hub, it is only a drop in the ocean, and revolves around a single event, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. However, we had created borderless and non-hierarchical expositions with minuscule amounts compared with any other international operations. But, a fruitful beginning has been made.

Going back to Hong Kong, I have been attending the last three iterations of Art Basel Hong Kong, and I am always eager to see the wide range of contemporary art from around the world one gets to see there. Especially Encounter, which as I have mentioned earlier, is a large-scale project commissioned by Art Basel Hong Kong and is curated by Alexie Glass Kantor, director of Artspace, Sydney. This time she had invited 16 artists, one of whom was Subodh Gupta.

One of my duties at Art Basel Hong Kong is to be part of a jury to shortlist and later select a winner from among the individual projects shown by the 23 galleries participating in the Discoveries sections of the events.

We have shortlisted three artists for this years BMW Art Journey Los Angeles-based artist Gala Porras-Kim, Lahore-based Ali Kazim (represented by Jhaveri Contemporary, Kazim drew a lot of attention) and Berlin-based New Zealander Zac Langdon-Pole. Each artist will be invited to submit a proposal for an artistic project that involves a journey to anywhere in the world.

This edition of Art Basel HK had a large Indian participation compared with the earlier yearsChemould Presscot, Espace, Experimenter, Jhaveri Contemporary, Nature Morte, Sakshi, SKE, Vadehra, Tarq, and Icon Gallery (NY) and Kavi Gupta (Chicago) from abroad.

It was also a proud moment to attend the Asia Societys Game Changer Awards ceremony. Asia Society is a global non-profit organisation and is a leading force in forging closer ties between Asia and the west through arts, education, policy and business outreach. This year, Asia Society honoured the artistic excellence and pioneering contributions to the arts of Subodh Gupta, Shirazeh Houshiary, Ju Ming, and Park Seo-Bo.

Like at any event of such a scale, one can do several things at Art Basel Hong Kong: attend Asia Art Archives Special Conversations and talks (it was good to hear the legendary Guerrilla Girls), visit some fantastic exhibitions, and curated exhibitions at the Para Site; and browse through all art magazine and art news paper stands. UBS and Davidoff VIP Lounges were ideal places to hold meetings.

Astha Butail, BMW Art Journey awardee of 2017, had a great presentation of her research and installations. She had a short conversation with Dr Thomas Girst, BMWs global cultural head. We are truly making our presence felt on the global front. Back home? Well, thats another story all together.

editor@theweek.in
The adage that failures can teach many lessons seems quite...
Recently, at an event, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi was asked whether corruption was the main issue in 2014. This was her reply: Yes, that was an issue, but it was highly exaggerated. In the case of 2G, for instance, you must have seen what happened recently. The CAG then came out with some humongous sum of money. How come the person who was in charge of that institution was given a very cushy job right after [ by the government?]

The reference in the answer was evidently to me. I wondered what is the cushy job entrusted to me? I have done four part-time assignments, post my retirement. Three of these have been entrusted to me by the Supreme Court.

The first was the courts direction to do a special audit of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple and its properties. The assignment was obediently accepted, undertaken and completed by me on a totally pro bono, basis with no monetary or other benefits derived for services rendered. It was also with deep dedication and abiding faith in Lord Padmanabhaswamy, whom my family and I have worshipped, from the day I joined the Kerala cadre.

Later, the Supreme Court appointed a three-member committee, headed by former chief justice of India R.M. Lodha, to oversee the functioning of the Medical Council of India for at least a year. I was a member of that committee which completed its tenure in May 2017. None of the members of the committee have accepted any remuneration from the MCI or government for this assignment.

In January 2017, the Supreme Court directed me to chair a committee of administrators to oversee the functioning of the BCCI. I am undertaking that assignment. However, since the court has not decided on the terms of appointment as yet, and though the BCCI is a private body, none of the four administrators have drawn any remuneration or sitting fee. In fact, two have already left.

Illustration: Bhaskaran

In the budget speech of 2015, the finance minister had stated the governments intention to set up a Banks Board Bureau (BBB) which will search and select heads of public sector banks, and help them with innovative financial methods and instruments. This was intended to be an interim step towards establishing a holding and investment company for banks. In due consideration of my long experience in the department of financial services, and since I had also served on the boards of the State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, ICICI Bank, IDFC, IDBI, and the Life Insurance Corporation, I was requested by the government to chair the first BBB along with some experienced financial experts and bankers as members. Members were entitled only to sitting fee for meetings. However, since I had served as CAG, I was precluded from taking up any appointment with the government after demitting office. So, to avoid any odium on the government or on myself, I offered to undertake the two-year assignment on a purely pro bono basis. This part-time assignment has no attendant perks such as housing, HRA, vehicle or any other benefits. The quantum of work put in by the bureau has been substantial and its recommendations have been submitted to government. The two-year term of the present set of members expired on March 31, 2018. I have not drawn even a rupee from the government. The assertions made by me are verifiable. The bureau, being a public body, is covered by the RTI Act, and, hence, anybody can seek clarifications on the aforementioned facts stated by me.

I leave it to the readers whether this part-time, pro bono engagement can, by any stretch of imagination, be called a cushy job. I had seen the futility to voice my protestations on the post being cushy, and, felt, it was only proper for me to set the record straight. I do not fault Sonia Gandhi for this; she must have been briefed inaccurately.
This summer the British Museum, at least in a miniscule form, will have moved to Delhi for a brief holiday. On display will be India and the World: A History in Nine Storiesan exhibition, grand in design and size, the kind that Delhi hasn't witnessed for a while before.

Adapted for an Indian context from the popular BBC radio show A History of the World in a 100 Objects, the exhibition has taken a long four years to move from idea to exhibition. Epic both in terms of scale and sizeit brings under one roof 200 objects. There is the British Museum's contributions of course, but beyond that, close to 20 museums and private collectors from India have come together to pool in their works.

The exhibition comes at a time when there is a certain obsession about India's place in the world. History may offer a view but is deeply contested and a minefield. This exhibition, then, is tangible proofwithout the loaded aspects of the colour of historians. To quote Hartwig Fischer, director, British Museum, there has never been a more important time to view India on the world stage,'' says Sabyasachi Mukherjee, director general of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) who has been at the heart of this project.

This is also probably the first time that there has been such a mass migration of objects from the British Museum to India. The most travelled piecethe Townley Discoboluswhich is a sculpture in marble of a disc thrower, displayed right at the entrance of the CSMVS won't be travelling to Delhi. There have been weight issues apparently, he's just too heavy.

The curators have been on a treasure hunt across India to find objects for this exhibition. The Department of Archaeology in Telangana has provided a turban-shaped panel on Buddha renouncing his kingshipin limestonethat is exquisite. Dating back to 150 AD, the panel is a detailed depiction of Siddhartha leaving the palace and his decision to give up the thronesymbolised by him throwing the crown up in the air. The divine people in heaven are welcoming his decision, while on earth the common people are crying, says Mukherjee.

There is a lot to choose from. Soul Housesfrom Egypt part of the British Museum collectiontiny pyramids for the common (read poor people). Built out of clay, a little over a foot in size, this is the aam aadmi's preparation for eternity. There is the dancing girl from Mohenjodaroan iconic statue that is much smaller in real life. And, the beautiful agate bull with golden horns that was found in Haryana and dates back to the Harappan period of about 1,800 BC. This was part of a necklace.

(L to R): Statue of a woman from the British Museum; dancing girl figurine dating back to about 2,500 BC, Mohenjodaro (from National Museum, New Delhi)

The exhibition started out in Mumbai where the objects arrived by air in three or four consignments. A whopping 2,00,000 people in Mumbai came to see the exhibitionthe largest crowd that the museum has seen apart from mummy exhibition from Egypt which of course is always fascinating and macabre. It is hoped that Delhiites will come out to brave the summer heat to learn a little bit of history.

How do you look at Indian history in a global context?'' asked Mukherjee. This was a question that was in my mind. How do you showcase Indian art and culture in the backdrop of what is happening around the world. Even when we teach, we learn about the Indus valley civilisation, where cities were being built. But what was happening in Mesopotamia and Egypt where pyramids were being built?''

This exhibition aims to give visitors a chance to understand the confluence of culture, how India was influencing the world and how the world was influencing India. It is a conversation of objects, cultures, religions and human minds.

The exhibition is divided into nine sectionseach representing a different strand of historyShared Beginnings (1,700,000 years ago to 2,000 BC), First Cities (3,0001,000 BC), Empire (600 BC  AD 200), State and Faith (AD 100750), Picturing the Divine (AD 2001,500), Indian Ocean Traders (AD 200-1,650), Court Cultures (AD 1,5001,800), Quest for Freedom (1,800Present), and Time Unbound.

The exhibition has been curated by Jeremy David Hill and Beatriz Cifuentes Feliciano, from the British Museum, along with Naman P. Ahuja, professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. The exhibition will be on view till June 30 at the National Museum.
India today asked ADB to invest in fintech and health startups to help improve the quality of life in Asia while sharpening focus on infrastructure lending by ensuring loan disbursals within a year of request.

Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) should factor in the number of poor people in a country while deciding resource allocation.

He was speaking on the sidelines of ADB's annual board meeting. The multilateral lender is making efforts to create 'Strategy 2030' to sustain its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty and to achieve sustainable growth in Asia and the Pacific.

"ADB should continue to place its primary focus on infrastructure creation, energy, communication, transportation, cities, rivers cleaning.... New technologies ... is the new revolution  the digital age. While agriculture and industrial age will continue to exist, and we should not ignore that the digital age is going to shape up our future. ADB should become a facilitator of ushering in digital age in Asia. It should invest in innovations, in startups and venture capitals to help countries produce goods and services using technologies in digital age.

"It should invest in fintech, healthtech and other ways in which public services can be delivered to people of Asia to improve their quality of life," Garg said.

Urging the ADB to undertake more direct attack on poverty reduction, malnutrition illiteracy, including digital illiteracy, and health, he said ADB needs to review its administrative processes for delivering its finance and services to help realise its vision.

"For this, first, ADB should encourage adoption of country systems. Many countries in the region, including India, have sound country system and social and environmental safeguards. We would do well to adopt country systems for procurement safeguards and other fiduciary policies," Garg said.

Cautioning the ADB against adopting differentiated approach while lending to countries, the secretary said, "We do not believe differential pricing will either add to its capital, which is not needed at this moment, or lead to any significant revenue. Therefore, probably, pursuing this idea may not be very advisable."

He said ADB should factor in the number of poor people living in the country, besides income inequality and geographical imbalances, for resource allocation.

India is a founding member of the ADB and is currently the fourth-largest shareholder and the largest borrower of ADB sovereign lending since 2010. The multilateral lender has so far committed sovereign loans totalling USD 35.9 billion to India.

ADB should also introduce more targeted intervention in low income and poverty-concentrated geographic pockets, Garg said.

He added that keeping pace with the evolving needs of the developing member countries, ADB should substantially expand its private sector operations, especially equity financing and investment in new instruments of financing, like infrastructure investment trust.

Garg also called for speeding up processing of proposals and undertaking effective business process reforms.

"We should aim at delivering project financing within one year of it being posed. ADB may also need to post more international staff from headquarters to resident missions. ADB should open its missions in major business locations," he added.

He also suggested ADB to be a partner in the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to promote clean and renewable energy. The ISA is a treaty based inter-governmental alliance of 121 sunshine-rich countries.
From a high profile corporate banker to someone who has no qualms about talking on shit and faecal matter, Naina Lal Kidwai surprises with the way she addresses these issues. While women are known to juggle several roles, Kidwai is probably a level ahead. She advises a private equity fund, mentors women, works on sanitation and plays an active role in FICCI, all this after having retired as HSBC's India head in 2015. It would actually be wrong to say "retired". At 61, her day is packed like any other corporate CEO and she frequently shuttles between Delhi and Mumbai. In an interview with THE WEEK, she talks about her work with India Sanitation Coalition and her latest book, Survive or Sink. And as the slug line says, it is really the action agenda for sanitation, water, pollution and green finance.

Her passion for sanitation is evident when she talks about some of the work that is happening on the ground. As opposed to a lot of experts who are filled with criticism on these subjects, she comes across as a very positive person. While lauding the Swachh Bharat Mission and increase in the number of ODF (open defecation free) districts, she says that the next step has to be treatment of waste, specifically the faecal waste. "Cities like Delhi treat only 30-40 per cent of the sewage. If we don't tackle the problem of treatment, it would be most expensive failure in the history," she says.

As a nature lover, she enjoyed watching birds on the banks of the Yamuna during her college days but is now deeply pained to see the river becoming a sewer for Delhi's untreated waste. The solution, she says, is in FSTPs (Faecal sludge treatment plants) which have been quite successful in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia. These plants can be set up in apartment complexes and run affordably.

Her book also documents the role of private sector in ensuring hygiene and sanitation. In fact, one of the main purposes of India sanitation Coalition (ISC) is to galvanise support from private players on these issues. "A beginning was made when they started looking at the issue of toilets in schools. But we need more of them. Today, 180 corporates have come in and they are mostly big firms. We need smaller companies to also join in this movement", says Kidwai.

The first Indian woman MBA graduate at Harvard is synonymous with women empowerment and has a whole lot of perspective to offer on issues of women in corporate world or women on boards. While most companies rue the lack of enough women directors, Kidwai bluntly denies it. "There are enough capable and interested women out there. You just need to give them an opportunity. The boys club in corporate boardrooms is surely changing but very slowly," she says.

Despite the headwinds, she is still optimistic about India's banking sector. "NPAs have gone up but that's true for every bank. The banking system is very secure. Look at the capital adequacy ratio of Indian banks; they are way ahead of global peers. There have been frauds and frauds happen everywhere. What we really need to make sure is to have zero tolerance for failure.. at whatever level it is," she signs off.
Two persons were abducted and later shot dead allegedly by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said today.

Militants barged into the houses of Ghulam Hassan Dar alias Hassan Rassa and Bashir Ahmad Darboth residents of Gulshan Mohalla, Shahgund Hajin in north Kashmir's Bandipora districtlast night and abducted them, a police official said.

At about 3:30 am today, the militants shot both of them dead, he said.

The bodies were found by the locals near a mosque at Raheem Dar Mohalla, Shahgund, the official said.

Hassan (45) was reportedly an uncle of Ahmed (26)a driver by profession.

Preliminary investigation suggests the involvement of outlawed terror outfit LeT in the incident, the official said.

A case has been registered and investigations taken up, he said.
How many armies can claim to have scored decisive military victories over guerillas and insurgents? You can count them on your fingers, for anti-guerrila wars have almost always ended either in defeat of conventional armies or in political settlements.

One army that can claim to have scored a complete military victory over an irregular adversary is the Malaysian Army. Though a small force of about 80,000 officers and men, they still carry, and have since refined, the lessons and tactics they developed while fighting the Malayan Emergency of the 1950s.

Currently, about 90 troopers and sappers from 4 Grenadiers and 3 Engineer Regiment of the Indian Army are jungle-training with the Malays in the first ever Indo-Malaysian exercise. They are learning how to make meals out of jungle plants and animals, how to make fire out of bamboo reeds, and how to live and fight in the jungle terrain where guerillas hide, strike and hide again.

The Malays have a lot to teach the Indians in the two-week Harimau Shakti 2018 (Harimau is Malay word for tiger), the first phase of which started on April 30 at Wardieburn Camp, Kuala Lumpur. The key to jungle operations is the ability to survive in the testing jungle conditions, making use of the available resources, informed Col. Aman Anand, the Indian Army spokesman from Wardieburn Camp. Various techniques of survival in jungle being practised by Malaysian Army was demonstrated. The officers and NCO instructors of Malaysian Army explained the various aspects including pitching of hammocks, construction of jungle huts, employment of booby traps and animal traps.

What impressed the Indians most was how the Malay troopers light fire using a unique sponge-like material collected from the bark of a tree. This material, taken from the fishtail palmtree can be used for lighting fire even in pouring rain. They also showed how to survive in the jungle using locally available resources and cooking of food with local ingredients. The repository of knowledge on survival skills and the vast operational experience in jungle operations of Malaysian Army was evident in these interactions, said Col. Anand.

India Malaysia Joint Military Exercise

The Malays had their anti-guerilla experience under the British during what came to be called the Malayan Emergency of 1948-60, which was actually a national liberation war. It was described as an 'emergency' because insurers would not have compensated plantation and mine owners if it had been labelled a 'war' or 'insurgency' which it was.

Malaysia, then called Malaya, was a British colony, when the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA), the armed wing of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), began attacking rubber plantations, mines and police stations, derailing trains and burning workers' houses. The guerillas were ethnic Chinese who set up sanctuaries in the jungles and would pressure the local people for food, supplies, recruits, and money.

As the British Malayan Army and the Commonwealth forces, under Lieutenant-General Harold Briggs, took to operations, they isolated the guerillas from the villages in the periphery of the jungles. This deprived the guerillas of their sources of food, and also created a sense of security among village population, who now were more willing to provide information.

General Gerald Templer who succeeded Briggs, followed the strategy and tactics that had been developed by Briggs. Templer placed great emphasis on the need to win the hearts and minds of the locals, a term still used and a tactic still practised by the Indian Army in Kashmir. As Templer said in 1952, The answer lies not in pouring more soldiers into the jungle, but in the hearts and minds of the Malayan people The shooting side of this business is only 25 per cent of the trouble and the other 75 lies in getting the people of this country behind us. He also raised a number of Malay battalions which helped unite the racially divided Malayan people against the insurrection.

Newly arrived troops from Britain, and the locally raised Malay troops were taught how to live and fight in the jungle. Finally the insurrection was crushed, and political independence followed in 1957. In 1960, the Emergency was declared to be over.

The army of the independent nation, still steeped in British traditions, carried the lessons of the war. The Malay troops further developed the tactics during the second insurgency of the 1980s.
Pro-Hindutva slogan, 'Mandir Yahi Banega' - Temple will be constructed here  was found written on the main door of the chapel of Delhi's St Stephen's College. An 'Om' symbol along with the words 'I'm going to hell' was also found on the cross situated behind the St Stephen's College chapel.

According to media reports, students at St Stephen's College on Friday evening noticed the chapel inside the college premises vandalized. The inflammatory quote was scribbled in capital letters in black ink across the main door.

Students union president, Sai Aashirwaad said inflammatory quotes were cleared today by the college administration.

The cross outside the chapel was also defaced and had the words "I'm going to hell" written on them.

| via Twitter

Some students suspect this could be a prank to spread the idea of divisive politics and influence formative minds of a prestigious college.

The college administration had announced preparatory holidays for students from April 28, with only those having practical exams attending the college.

With inputs from PTI
The political parties in Karnataka are engaged in a battle for one-upmanship over each other as election day draws closer. As the campaign will come to an end on May 10, the BJP's main campaigner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will still be sending a message to the electorate of the state, albeit in an indirect way.

The prime minister will be hundreds of kilometres away in Nepal on May 11. During his two-day visit, Modi will be visiting two key temples associated with Hinduism: Janakpur and Muktinath. Janakpur is known as the birthplace of Lord Ram's wife Sita. There, along with Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Oli, Modi will also inaugurate Ramayana circuit. Later, Modi will travel to Muktinath Temple to pay his respects. Muktinath is one of the key temples considered sacred by the Sri Vaishnava sect.

While the campaign would have ended in Karnataka, Modi's temple visits are likely to be extensively covered by TV channels. The polling will be held on May 12. The current state elections have been dominated by both Congress and BJP leaders visiting the numerous mutts in the state in order to woo different communities. Modi's temple visits in Nepal will reinforce his image as a Hindutva icon.

As an astute politician, Modi has been carefully using his foreign visits for having an impact on domestic audiences. His Nepal visit is likely to send a message to the electorate in the state, which is facing a divide over the issue of separate religion status for the Lingayats. The BJP had termed giving of minority tag for Lingayats as a move to divide Hindus.

Will the optics of his Nepal visit have any last minute message for the Karnataka electorate? The jury is still out.
In a sudden political development, West Bengal police on Saturday arrested Srinjoy Roy, brother-in-law of BJP leader Mukul Roy, from Delhi. He was brought back to Kolkata later in the day.

Srinjoy, a resident of Bijpur in North 24 Parganas, is accused of taking money from a few jobless youths promising them of jobs during Roys tenure as Union railway minister.

He was produced before a court in North 24 Parganas where he has been sent to 12 days of police custody.

The FIR has also named Roy as an accused. He, however, is enjoying central security of Y-plus category involving CRPF security men.

The incident allegedly happened almost six years back in 2012 when Roy was appointed the railway minister of the UPA 2 government replacing his former colleague, Dinesh Trivedi, who had earned Mamatas wrath for increasing train ticket fare.

The complaints were registered only a fortnight ago with Bijpur police station in Kankinara of North 24 Parganas.

An officer at Bijpur police station said Srinjoy was asked to come to the station for interrogation. But he fled to Delhi. We received permission from the higher authorities to go and arrest him from Delhi. We did accordingly, said the officer.

Roy, a former Trnamool Congress leader, reacted sharply to the arrest of his brother-in-law calling it a revenge politics.

If it (job scam) had happened, why it took years for Bengal police to lodge an FIR? Mamata Banerjee is trying to hold me back. She would be unsuccessful, said Roy.

He dared the chief minister to arrest him.

I challenge her police to arrest me. She would not be spared because she was then the leader of my party. I will fight the case in the court of law, said he.

Jyotipryo Mullick, a state cabinet minister and a TMC leader from North 24 Parganas, refused to be drawn into this.

Police have done their work. If somebody has committed any crime, he will have to face the law. Government has got nothing to do with it, said he.

Meanwhile, Roy on Saturday spoke with senior leadership of the BJP in Delhi and apprised them of the current situation.

A BJP leader said, Party would give all kind of legal support to Mukul Roy in this regard. Even the railway minister has been asked to find out whether any such allegation was lodged in their office then or not.
On April 23, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu dismissed a notice submitted by opposition MPs belonging to the Rajya Sabha for an impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Naidu, who is also chairman of the Upper House of Parliament, took just two days to do it. That same afternoon, the Congress announced that it would certainly challenge Naidu's decision in the Supreme Court.

However, almost a fortnight later, there is no sign yet of the Congress moving the Supreme Court for a judicial review of Naidu's decision to dismiss the Opposition's initiative for an impeachment motion against the CJI.

According to an eminent lawyer-politician in the Congress, the party is adopting a 'wait and watch' policy with regard to using the option of moving court on the rejection of the impeachment notice. The higher judiciary is currently engaged in a tussle with the Centre over the elevation of Justice K.M. Joseph to the Supreme Court. Why should we do anything that digresses from this? he asked.

The import of this statement is that the principal opposition party wants to see how the confrontation between the judiciary and the Centreon the issue of the government allegedly sitting on recommendations of the Supreme Court collegium for appointments to the higher courtsplays out.

The message going out, as a result of the clash between the government and the SC collegium with regard to appointment of judges to the higher courts, is of the Narendra Modi government seeking to arm-twist the judiciary and impinge upon its independence as a reaction to the apex court having struck down the Parliament-approved National Judicial Appointments Commission. The NJAC, which was termed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, would have given the executive a direct say in appointment of judges.

The Congress does not seem to be in a mood to aggressively pursue the matter in the Supreme Court. And an added reason for this is that a section of the party believes that going in for a judicial review of Naidu's decision on the impeachment move would not be a politically astute thing to do. The move would backfire on the party and also make it appear as an adversary of the judiciary, it is felt.

However, another senior leader said that the party will not back off from its declaration that it will go to court to challenge Naidu's rejection of the impeachment notice. He asserted that it would be taken to its logical conclusion as the basic issue was that of the independence of judiciary being in peril.
Tension and chaos gripped Srinagar on Saturday after three militants were killed in a five-hour-long encounter at Chattabal with security forces, which triggered protests. A boy who was part of one such protest, was crushed to death by a police vehicle at Noor Bagh.

Three security personnel were injured in the encounter that started after the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the state police and CRPF cordoned off a militant safe house at Gasi Mohalla, Chattabal, on Saturday morning.

The hiding militants from Lashkar-e-Taiba fired a volley of bullets at the CRPF, injuring an officer. The officer, who was injured in the right foot, was evacuated from the spot under heavy covering fire by the SOG and CRPF.

The encounter created panic in the area, forcing residents, mostly men, to flee.

Inspector General of Police S.P. Pani said the militants had taken shelter in an under-construction house. He said they were engaged and neutralised in a joint operation by SOG and CRPF.

Three Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed, he said. Three AK-47 rifles and ammunition were recovered from the site. Two of them seem to be foreigners, while the third was a local.

The news of the encounter created tension in the city, causing markets to shut for the day.

Scores of vehicles were caught in traffic snarls at many places especially at the bypass in Srinagar.

Many schools closed early for the day as a precautionary measure. Some parents told THE WEEK they received calls from schools that their children would be reaching home earlier than usual on Saturday.

The encounter led to clashes between the youth and police at Chattabal, Kaksarai, Safakdal, Noor Bagh and outside Sheri-e-Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital(SMHS).

The police fired tear gas to disperse protesters at several places. The protesters were raising pro-freedom slogans and pelted stones at police. Photojournalist Umer Asif, who regularly contributes photos to THE WEEK, was injured while covering a protest near SMHS. His upper jaw received seven stitches despite wearing a helmet.

A young protester, who was part of a group pelting stones, was crushed to death by a police vehicle at Noor Bagh.

The police's attempt to cover up the apparently deliberate running over of a protester found no takers as a video clearly showed the vehicle turning towards the boy, hitting him and then crushing him to death.

A police spokesman described the incident as One person, identified as Adil Ahmad Yadoo, was brought to SMHS hospital whom doctors declared brought dead. Medical bulletin suggests that the person died due to a crush injury in a road traffic accident at Noorbagh. Citizens may not pay heed to rumours.

We will take action according to the law,'' Pani said, when asked about the video that captured the police vehicle mowing down the boy. This incident happened near the Cement Bridge; there's a police bunker vehicle that is involved in the road accident.

He said the police has taken cognisance of the incident and whatever action was warranted under the law would be taken.

When asked whether the driver of the vehicle has been suspended, Pani said, It's a road accident; it is not a deliberate thing. We have registered an FIR and legal action will be taken.

The video of the incident, recorded by residents in the area, showing a police vehicle mowing down the boy, has gone viral on social media.

The incident has left people across Srinagar and outside shocked and infuriated.

After the encounter started, mobile internet services were suspended in Srinagar. This is the second time that an encounter has taken place in Srinagar after militants tried to storm a CRPF camp at Karan Nagar on February 14. One CRPF man and two militants were killed in that encounter.
A US Navy veteran who killed Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla in a racially motivated hate crime at a bar in Kansas City last year has been sentenced to life in prison.

In March this year, Adam Purinton, 52, had pleaded guilty to the charges of murdering Kuchibhotla.

He was charged with first-degree murder of Kuchibhotla, 32, and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the shootings of his friend, Alok Madasani, and a bystander, who chased Purinton after he fled the Austin's Bar and Grill in Olathe city on February 22 last year.

Purinton, yelled, "Get out of my country," before shooting Kuchibhotla, who later died from injuries sustained in the attack.

A federal judge in Kansas on Friday sentenced Purinton to life in prison for the first-degree murder of Kuchibhotla and 165 months imprisonment for each of the other two murder charges.

Kuchibhotla is survived by his wife Sunayana Dumala, who welcomed the court's decision.

"Today's sentencing in the murder of my husband will not bring back my Srinu, but it sends a strong message that hate is never acceptable," Dumala said in a statement.

"I want to thank the District Attorney's office and the Olathe police for their efforts to bring this man to justice," she said.
A member of a Swiss clinic set to help Australia's oldest scientist end his life has said it is an "atrocity" that Australia had not allowed the 104-year-old to die at home.

David Goodall, who caused a stir two years ago when his university tried unsuccessfully to have him declared unfit to be on campus, does not have a terminal illness but says his quality of life has deteriorated and that he wants to die.

"But because he is not terminally ill... he has to travel to Switzerland," said Ruedi Habegger, a co-founder of Eternal Spirit, one of a range of foundations in Switzerland that assist people who want to end their lives.

"This is the atrocity of it all. This old man... should be able to die at home in his bed, like we can do here in Switzerland," he said in an interview.

Goodall is due to end his life at Eternal Spirit's clinic near Basel on May 10.

Assisted suicide is illegal in most countries around the world and was banned in Australia until the state of Victoria became the first to legalise the practice last year.

But that legislation, which takes effect from June 2019, only applies to terminally ill patients of sound mind and a life expectancy of less than six months.

According to Swiss law meanwhile, anyone who is of sound mind and who has over a period of time voiced a consistent wish to end their life can request so-called assisted voluntary death, or AVD.

"If a completely healthy person comes and says, I am of sound mind and I have decided to die, the reason is none of your business, theoretically," Habegger said.

He pointed out though that it was very uncommon for healthy people to ask to die, and said most doctors would balk at taking part in the process if they did. The vast majority of the some 80 people who turn to Eternal Spirit each year to die are elderly, sick and in pain, he said.

The average age of people who receive AVD from the foundation is 76, with the youngest being 32 and the oldestuntil now99.

"I don't want to go to Switzerland," Goodall told broadcaster ABC before he set off on his final voyage last Wednesday, adding that he had to "to get the opportunity of suicide which the Australian system does not permit".

"I feel very resentful," said the honorary research associate at Perth's Edith Cowan University.

He flew first to France, to visit his son, and will travel on to Switzerland next week.

"If all the doctors' appointments and everything goes the way we expect it to go, then he will be able to have his AVD... on Thursday," Habegger said. Eternal Spirit is advocating for all countries to introduce systems like the Swiss one, allowing people to choose to die "in dignity".

Unlike the largest assisted suicide association in Switzerland, Exit, which only caters for Swiss residents, the foundation -- which runs on annual membership fees from its more than 1,100 memberscounts 75 per cent foreigners among its AVD patients.

It covers all AVD-linked expenses for Swiss members, but foreigners are expected to pay for any necessary medical examinations and procedures prior to the act, which can be pricey in Switzerland.

Exit International, which helped Goodall make the trip, launched a GoFundMe campaign to help upgrade the scientist and his helper to business class on their flight to Switzerland, and quickly raised more than $15,000.

Swiss AVD patients usually choose to end their lives at home, but for foreigners Eternal Spirit has a clinic with homely furnishings and enough rooms for relatives and friends who want to be there in the final moments.

Habegger said Goodall was travelling with a friend, who would be with him until the end.

In assisted dying, the person must be physically capable of carrying out the final deed themself.

Most Swiss foundations ask patients to drink sodium pentobarbital, an effective sedative that in strong enough doses causes the heart muscle to stop beating.

Since the substance is alkaline and burns a bit when swallowed, Eternal Spirit has instead opted for intravenous infusions.

A professional prepares the needle, but it is up to the patient to open the valve that allows the short-acting barbiturate to drip into the saline solution.

A video is shot of the patient stating their name, date of birth and that they understand what they are about to do. The camera keeps rolling as they open the valve and the footage is used as evidence that they willingly took their own life.

"Then we shut off the camera, because the rest is intimate, private," Habegger said.

It usually takes 20 to 30 seconds for the person to fall asleep. "Then they go deeper and deeper, until the heart muscle relaxes," he said.

"It is not a heart attack. It is not a painful process. The heart just stops beating." Within a minute and a half, it is usually over, Habegger said. "It is short and peaceful."
Nowadays a section of [police] officers [in Tripura] are scared of contempt of court. I control the police. The way the officials are reacting is as if contempt of court is a tiger. I want to assure all of you that I am the tiger. Biplab Kumar Deb Tripura chief minister

Change in fashion killed my career. Women started wearing such short clothes, there was nothing left to pull. Ranjeet veteran actor, who played a rapist in many Bollywood films

When I started writing in the 1950s, there were no such things as literary festivals in India. Even book launches were rare. Those days writers were anonymous. We werent visual, we werent seen because there was no television, there was no internet. Ruskin Bond author

The BJP is the biggest jumla [false promise] party in the country. It is the party that has only lies and hatred to offer. If you speak against them, they will unleash central agencies against you. The BJP is a party of a dancing dragon. It doesnt follow human rights and democratic rights in states where it is in power. Mamata Banerjee West Bengal CM
Wasabi by Morimoto, Indias first authentic Japanese fine dining restaurant, at Mumbais iconic Taj Mahal Palace, is extravagance personified. As we walk in for dinner on a weekday, a spectacular view of the moonlit Arabian sea adds sparkle to its quiet and dimly lit interiors.

Despite being reasonably experimental with food, we must admit that the thought of Japanese cuisine did seem a bit daunting. But, the food is sensational, to say the least. The extremely knowledgeable and courteous staff, always ready to strike up a conversation, suggest some of the signature dishesshirokuro garlic sushi roll and mushroom truffle kamameshi rice.

Siddharth Mittal, assistant manager of the Mumbai outpost, has an interesting insight into their sushi roll, made of garlic shoots with a garnish of truffle caviar and tiny bits of black garlic. The black garlic sprinkled here is nothing but white garlic aged for two and a half years. A kilo of black garlic costs nothing less than Rs 70,000, he says. The kamameshi rice, which has a generous serving of mushrooms, seems undercooked. The rice is undercooked, at 95 per cent, to keep the flavour of the accompanying truffle from being killed by the otherwise mushy rice, explains Mittal.

Most of the items on the menu are designed by chef Masaharu Morimoto, known as Iron Chef. He is credited with bringing Japanese cuisine to India. The portions are quite filling, and most of the dishes are mind-blowing. The chicken tsukune is based on the robatayaki style of cooking, introduced three months ago at the restaurant. Similar to a barbecue, robatayaki involves cooking food at varying speeds over hot charcoal. It is every bit as crunchy as the chef promises. The dessert, kuro goma mille feuille (a fresh caramel Hokkaido chocolate ice cream), is a treat for the eyes as well.

As the bill arrives (a five-figure sum), Mittal smiles and says, Think that you are paying for the food you actually had sitting in Japan itself. Because with a seven-day cycle, we make sure to bring to you the finest and freshest Japanese food that can be made available, and 70 per cent of it is our incurred cost. On a parting note, the staff, in a trademark Taj hospitality gesture, volunteers to click pictures for us and gifts us half-a-kilo cake. Sweet, no?
Toast to the coast: Sandeep Sreedharan at Curry Tales | Janak Bhat

About two years ago, Sandeep Sreedharan, 45, quit his job as a management consultant and started a blog called Esca Brahma. Esca means food in Latin and Brahma means creation. People get curious about the name, its kind of glocal, he says.

For Sreedharan, who hails from Mahe, food had always been a passion. He started cooking when he was in class five, and is now one of the most sought-after chefs in Mumbai. Among other accomplishments, he has created a new cuisine called Modern Coastal, in which he has taken the flavours from the coast, starting from his hometown, and has applied some of the worlds best techniques to them. To add balance, he also included the concept of yin yang and ayurvedic principles. Food is all about balancenutritional, textural, colour and flavour balance, and that is what I wanted to bring out, he says.

About six months ago, he started Curry Tales, his first casual fine-dining restaurant, to popularise southwestern coastal cuisine. We have aspirations to take this to Singapore, Dubai and New York. Curry Tales is a universal name and works everywhere. And, you have that small tagCurated from Homesand that gives you homely, simple food.

Clearly comfortable with Kerala food, Sreedharan says there are a lot of options within the cuisine. People think that Kerala food is very spicy, very oily, but thats not true. Kerala isnt just about beef and porotta or about fish curry rice. In fact, Kerala is divided into five or six distinct cuisines, ranging from what the Syrian Catholics cook to what Palakkad Brahmins cook to what the Travancore rajas cook to what the Jews cook, to what the Portuguese and the Arab descendants cook, he says.

However, he doesnt want to represent just Kerala, and so traversed the Karnataka and Konkan coasts, too. He ate with his friends there, in their homes, the food prepared by their mothers and grandmothers. And, whatever he felt he could bring to the mainstream, he did.

All our masalas come from a mill in Kerala and so do the spices, so that there is consistency. When you use top quality ingredients, you have to use much less. - sandeep sreedharan, owner, curry tales South High is an owner-driven restaurant; the owners themselves have compiled the menu from the different regions of south India, along with chefs from the region.

In six months, Curry Tales has seen a menu change three times. Among the popular dishes is the squid sukha, which has Bunt community spices (from Karnataka) and coconut; the prawn dry fry, which is prawns marinated and shallow fried with a thin coating of rice powder; and the prawn pulao, which uses Kaima rice from north Kerala. The garam masala he uses is based on a recipe that is 150 years old. All our masalas come from a mill in Kerala and so do the spices, so that there is consistency in terms of supply and flavour, says Sreedharan. When you use top quality ingredients, you have to use much less. Instead of five elaichis, you need just two, he says.

Our lunch arrives. Everything is cooked in coconut oil. His fish pollichadu receives much praise. It arrives piping hot, wrapped in a plantain leaf with sliced onions. Accompanying it is a dosa. The vegetarian paneer version, which I tried, is also excellent.

Next, we try the crispy bhindi pachadi, which is his recipe. It is yoghurt-based, with ash gourd, and the bhindi is not in the pachadi, but on top. It is done that way to add texture, something Sreedharan loves experimenting with. By adding contrast or freshness, the dish just evolves, he says.

Sreedharan wants to create a gourmet company focusing only on coastal food with different concepts and products. Whatever you do, people should be able to reach you, he says. So, you have the high-end fine dining that I do, and you have this [Curry Tales], my first casual dining restaurant. I am coming up with a quick service restaurant and an affordable fine dine, which will be an aspirational brand. We plan to open 12 to 14 of them across India, five in Mumbai and one in Goa, he says.

Of bonds and flavours: Joshua DSouza and Neha Manekia at the Curry Brothers | Janak Bhat

The Curry Brothers, run by chef Joshua DSouza, 35, and his wife, Neha Manekia, 36, opened in June 2016. It started out as a delivery service providing home style, regional Indian cuisine. The proximity to the Currey Road station and the fact that their food was all about family and friends made them zero in on the name The Curry Brothers. While their delivery service continues in Lower Parel, they started a sit-down restaurant by the same name in Bandra last August.

While DSouza was born and raised in Bahrain, Manekia is a Bandra girl who comes from a Khoja Muslim community. DSouza went to a culinary school in Goa before returning to Bahrain, and his expertise is in Goan and regional food. Manekia studied psychology and human resources in the US, and went on to work at the Ritz Carlton in Los Angeles before moving to the Gulf. On returning to India in 2011, they started a catering company, Silverspoon, which delivers European food for private parties and events for an extremely elite clientele. However, they soon decided to go back to their roots, offering Goan and Khoja cuisines. They also added a few other cuisines to their repertoire. Just by virtue of the cuisines we specialise in, there is a huge focus on coastal food. [We serve] Kerala cuisine, some Malvani food, and Goan and Bengali cuisines, says Manekia.

The couple is big on clean eating and a lot of the fresh produce comes from their own farms in Alibag. Also, as everything is made from scratch, it doesnt give diners the feeling of restaurant food, because it is all home-style food, nor does it leave them feeling bloated, sick and heavy, says Manekia. We would rather sell fewer portions of something that is spectacular, she says. If you cant feel good about what you do, it is going to show in the food.

We have a tonne of popular dishes such as our vegetarian Goan kaldeen, which is a coconut-based, yellow, light gravy that really goes well with rice, says DSouza. We also do a small side dish called beans poriyal, which is a south Indian version of cabbage foogath, a Goan dish, usually had during Lent. While the beans poriyal is all about sauteed beans in coconut oil to which a little bit of fried coconut and salt and mustard are added, the cabbage foogath contains cabbage and turmeric, which are sauteed in a pan.

They also have a starter called kasundi fish, in which the fish is marinated with kasundi, the Bengali mustard sauce, to make it spicy. The heat comes from the mustard and chilly powder used, and we serve it with grilled vegetables, which are also done in kasundi, says DSouza.

Southern delights: Suraj Shetty at South High | Janak Bhat

Says Manekia: Food has always been an integral part of our lives. We just found a way to do what we do today.

Suraj Shetty, 46, and Krishnappa Karkera, 59, are the cofounders of South High, a south Indian restaurant with a bar, in Lower Parel. The 80-seater, 2,500 square-foot restaurant has a traditional look, with hand-painted designs and artwork that adorn the wall. We wanted an earthy look and feel to the place, besides a few south Indian cultural things and wordings on the wall, says Shetty.

Started a year ago, Shetty is clear that South High is an owner-driven restaurant; the owners themselves have compiled the menu from the different regions of south India, along with chefs from the region. Shetty stresses that they serve not only south Indian, but coastal cuisine as well.

The place is already a huge hit thanks not just to its location, which attracts the office crowd and shoppers from neighbouring malls, but also the fact that it is a south Indian restaurant with a bar.

South High offers an all-day dining menu with a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian idlis and dosas. They also have a sadhya (a fixed vegetarian limited menu), which is only available for lunch. However, there is the option of ordering from their a la carte menu, which allows you to dip into their seafood section. They have crabs, fish tava fry as well as different kinds of prawn dishes. Another speciality is the fish mallipuram, which people enjoy with appams, neer dosa and idiappams. In the evenings, it becomes the perfect place where people can enjoy a quick drink or two from their extensive wine list.

While there, seek out their mixologist Santosh Garg for some refreshing mocktails. We had a tall, slim jar of imli soda, which was perfect to quench our thirst on a hot, April day. Besides tamarind, lime juice and sugar syrup, it also had a hint of chilli, and was topped up with soda. Mixed with secret spices, chaat masala and black salt, it also had crushed ice and was served in a 240ml jar.

Then came the Coorg idlis, cut up in triangles and dunked in a red paste. The base for the paste was made from tomato, onion and garlic tossed in spices. It was served with coconut chutney, garlic chutney and sambar.

The restaurants vegetarian thali | Janak Bhat

Muthukrishnan Nadar, head chef, says the mango meen curry surmai from his native Tamil Nadu is a big hit thanks to the homemade masala containing onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, coriander, chillies and curry leaves, which are roasted and made into a puree. Tamarind water and raw mangoes are sliced and added to it later. Served with idiappam, dosas or even Mangaluru or Champa rice, people simply love devouring it, he says. The Mangaluru fish gassi and prawn gassi are also popular. Their prawn thokku from Tamil Nadu, tava fry surmai from Bengaluru and Kerala tava fry surmai with a specially prepared green masala are also big draws, says Nadar.

Chef Aloysius DSilva, 40, calls himself a hardcore Bandra boy, whose family has been living in the same old ancestral bungalow, off Carter Road, for four generations. The DSilva family are big foodies and my love for cooking came from my father, an engineer who loved to cook, says the chef, who is also known as Aloo. After studying at Rizvi College of Hotel Management, in Mumbai, DSilva travelled the world on cruise liners. When he returned, he associated himself with some famous restaurants, started his own catering company, and opened a small 20-seater cafe called Villa Vandre. Now, he has joined A.D. Singhs Olive Group, and is handling the food side of the newly launched chain Lady Baga.

The vision of Lady Baga is to be an 1980s beach shack, like in Goa. The restaurant decor has been done by A.D. Singhs wife, Sabina. The old beach shacks were different from the beach shacks of today, says DSilva.

As for the menu, he says that though there are a few twists and turns, the food is distinctly traditional Goan. Before Lady Baga opened, DSilva did extensive research on Goan cuisine and culture. In fact, he had to coax some older Goan ladies to part with their recipes. Goa has two cuisinesHindu and Catholic. They have the same dishes, but the Hindus eat spicier food as compared to the Catholics, whose food is more sweet and sour. While they both have Xacuti (a Goan curry) and mackerel curry, the Hindus dont eat beef and pork as much, says DSilva.

The menu is seasonal, as Everything is seasonal in Goa, says DSilva. During monsoons, nobody ventures out into the rough seas and so fish isnt available. People eat a lot of dry fish, salted fish and crab, which are easily gotten from their fields.

The abc of sea: DSilva at Lady Baga | Bhanu Prakash Chandra

For the summer menu, DSilva uses fruits such as ice apples, jackfruit and even has a pomelo salad. It is a fruit that is green outside and when you open the whole thing out, it is pink in colour, says DSilva. And, we do salt, pepper, crushed peanuts, lime and grated mango with it. Apart from salads, there are also 12 vegetarian and 14 non-vegetarian starters. He says this is because when people come here, they think Goa and want to enjoy a drink or two along with a snack in the evenings. There is the vegetable take on the traditional shrimp rissoi, which is a very Portuguese Goan sort of snack, stuffed with filling, crusted and served with a dipping sauce, says DSilva.

To add variety to the Goan cuisine, which has more meat and fish, DSilva has added a vegetable substitute to some dishes. We try some of his kokum and chilli pumpkin, which he says is a a meaty, wholesome, vegetable. Made with kokum, it also has onions, chillies and a hint of coconut milk. It takes you straight to Goa. Then, we try the aubergine and green bean ambotik, a hot, sweet and sour masala, usually made with shark or mussels.

He also does a jackfruit sambhar. The sambhar here is not the south Indian dish, but an everyday masala that Goans use. DSilva gets his key ingredients, such as vinegar, kokum and black jaggery, from Goa. The vinegar of Goa makes all the difference, he says. Some use the cane vinegar, but the local toddy vinegar is something else. They take an earthen tile from a house, make it red hot, and when the toddy is in a large jar, they toss the hot tile in and keep it closed. It ferments for three to four months, turning sour and becoming vinegar.

When it comes to Goan food, people usually focus more on the main course than the appetisers. However, the success of Lady Baga shows that Goan food has moved on from its cafe days and has acquired the restaurant status. The bestsellers among the main course items are their fish curry, prawn curry, vindaloo and rawa fried bombil. But, one of the dishes that stand out is the king fish recheado, a red masala preparation which is sweet, thanks to the black jaggery, and which gets its heat from the chillies and its sourness from the Goa vinegar.

Ulavacharu, located at Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad, is named after a brown-hued horse gram soup. Started five years ago, the restaurant has become busier by the day. A major reason for this is that it serves its famed seafood through the day. The restaurant, which recently opened its second branch, has been consistently rated the best for Andhra food by critics. With good reason.

We taste the Godavari royyala vepudu, one of the popular seafood dishes. It is delectable. Each prawn we savour has an underlying sweetness. We source the prawns from the Godavari region of coastal Andhra. These prawns come from rivers and not from aqua farms. That is why they are sweet, says Kiran, the manager.

The chepala pulusu, too, stands out. It is spicy fish with gravy cooked Nellore style. It goes best with steamed rice. The spicy and tangy taste makes it my favourite here, said K. Krishna Rao, a businessman and a regular at the restaurant.

The fish fry is also a fast-selling appetiser. It is one of the few dishes that is mild, yet tasty. Their signature chicken dish, raju gari kuda pulao, has been copied by many new eateries. Similarly, their pachi mirchi kodi pulao, which has green chillies and prawns, is high on taste as well as presentation.

With Rahul Devulapalli
A man suspected of armed robberies from Kansas to Vermont, including one Monday in Queensbury, was shot multiple times by four Vermont police officers and one state trooper late Friday, soon after two more robberies, Vermont State Police said.

The suspect, Mark Triolo, 46, of Texas, was not carrying a weapon when he was shot in the legs and torso during a confrontation in a wooded residential area in Brattleboro, Vt., police said. Officers later found an unloaded pellet gun in Triolo's vehicle, according to an account in a news release from Vermont State Police. As of Saturday afternoon, Triolo remained hospitalized in stable condition at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, N.H., the agency said.
Albany

The president of Syracuse-based Pioneer Companies said Friday afternoon that early bids on the Quackenbush Square project in downtown Albany came in 40 percent above budget, forcing a rethink of the entire development.

"It was 'Oh, my gosh, stop the train, let's regroup,'" said Melissa Zell, president and chief operating officer of Pioneer. The bids "came in way over budget. Significantly over," she said.

Zell said everyone involved in the project will meet Tuesday to see where costs can be reduced and what changes need to be made to get the project back on track.

But the massive 1.7-acre hole on Broadway just north of the Albany Visitors Center isn't likely to be filled anytime soon. While Zell said she hoped construction would begin sooner rather than later, much tweaking of the scope of the project needs to be done before work can begin.

And she said Pioneer's estimate of the cost to build the two apartment buildings, parking garage, hotel and retail space was $85 million to $90 million, not the $21 million that's been previously reported. "I wish it were just $21 million," she said.

Pioneer officials hadn't responded to earlier requests for comment. On Friday, the Times Union reported that it appeared work had been suspended at the site following completion of an environmental remediation project and that there was no indication when it might resume.

"There was always going to be a lag between the cleanup and the start of construction," she said. But the company hadn't expected the lag to last this long.

The hotel and garage plaza designs were nearly complete, and bids went out in January and February. It quickly became clear costs would be too high.

Since then, the company and its partners have looked at such things as whether the extended stay Hyatt House hotel with its large living spaces should instead be a different Hyatt brand, with smaller rooms, although the number would remain the same, at about 136. "For us, we really need to be above 120" to make the hotel work, she said.

The number of apartments in the two buildings may change as well.

"The last iteration was 181 units," she said. "This number has been up and down. That's one of the things we're looking at."

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Zell said an apartment building in Syracuse that Pioneer developed attracted more empty-nesters, who filled the larger units, than expected. The building had targeted millennial adults, those between 22 and 37, who typically rent smaller apartments.

Zell said Pioneer wants to move ahead with the Albany project. The company has already invested millions  it paid $3.8 million for land acquisition alone  and now faces additional engineering and design costs.

"We already have a huge investment in the project. We are committed to building it," Zell said.

Pioneer hasn't yet applied for any tax breaks with the Albany Industrial Development Agency, officials there said Friday.

At Tuesday's meeting, "we're hoping to go through and finalize our list of changes," she said. "I think that by June 1 we're going to have a better idea of what our schedule is."
KNOX  A 10-year-old Knox boy was charged with felony arson and criminal mischief after authorities say he set fire to his bedroom Friday.

Fire companies were dispatched to the house on Filkins Lane at 12:08 p.m. for a structure fire. When they arrived, sheriff's deputies and fire personnel saw smoke and fire coming from inside the home. Everyone had made it out by the time emergency responders arrived.
ALBANY  Actress and activist Cynthia Nixon's tax returns show that she has contributed widely to a number of environmental, educational, and social service groups, as well as smaller community organizations like the Montauk Public Library and an independent hospice program in Amherst, Mass.

Nixon, challenging Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the Democratic nomination this fall, released her personal tax returns Friday morning, as well as those of her charitable foundation and her business, two weeks after the two-term governor released his, citing the complexity of her tax filings for the delay.

Nixon's foundation, Nixon-Marinoni Family Foundation, was set up in 2009 with $1 million and has since donated almost $350,000 to 101 organizations, her campaign said.

By contrast, Cuomo has consistently given about 10 percent of his income, or between $10,000 and $20,000 a year, to a homelessness organization that he founded and is run by his sister.

Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, the presumed GOP nominee in this year's gubernatorial contest, has donated $1,000 in shoes, clothes and furniture to a Poughkeepsie-based organization last year, according to his 2017 returns revealed to reporters on Thursday.

Nixon's total charitable giving in 2017 totaled $52,875 $44,896 from her foundation, and $7,979 in additional giving. Her largest contribution of $15,000 went to Public Policy Education Fund a charitable fund associated with the Alliance for Quality Education and Citizen Action, which have endorsed Nixon. North Star Fund, which supports grassroots organizations, received $5,000. Concerned Citizens of Montauk, and environmental organization, received $2,500 from Nixon in 2017.

Smaller donations benefited individual homeless service organizations, like the Houston-based A Simple Thread, which makes care packages for the homeless ($500) and Manhattan's Trinity Place Shelter ($100) which houses LGBTQ youth.

Nixon files returns in seven states due to residual income she receives from acting roles, some from many years ago. She takes a $400,000 salary from the company she incorporated to manage her acting jobs, the Fickle Mermaid Corp, which received $1.9 million in gross receipts last year.

Nixon's wife Christine Marinoni earned $128,092 from her job as a senior adviser for Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration in 2017. She resigned from that job earlier this year before Nixon announced her run.

The couple list two dependents, sons Charles Ezekiel and Maxime, and sold one of their two properties last year. The condo sale in Montauk, which Nixon has owned for five years, has brought in an additional $185,621 profit.

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Earlier Friday morning, Cuomo blasted Nixon for not abiding by the tradition of releasing her returns in response to a question about her charitable contributions to organizations that were quick to endorse her bid for governor of New York, creating a rift in progressive circles.

"You have to start with the facts. And you don't have the facts because you haven't been given the facts. Tell us who you give the money to, when and why," Cuomo told reporters at an unrelated press appearance, calling for his opponents to release 10 years' worth of returns.

Nixon's camp hit back, saying that Nixon's total contributions to community organizing groups over the past several years is "less than the price of a ticket to one of Andrew Cuomo's pay-to-play fundraising events," calling the second-term Democrat "the King of pay-to-play."

"Instead of unleashing more desperate, unhinged attacks on charities for low-income New Yorkers, Andrew Cuomo should focus on cleaning up the corrupt cesspool he's presided over in Albany, and return every dollar of the millions in conservative, corporate money he's gobbled up," Cynthia senior strategist Rebecca Katz said.

Hours after Nixon's campaign enabled reporters to sift through her many piles of tax documents for the past year, the New York State Democratic Committee put out a resolution backing the governor's call for all gubernatorial candidates to release 10 years worth of returns.
ALBANY  Democrats and Republicans on the state Senate's Higher Education Committee were getting angry last June.

On the second-to-last scheduled day of the legislative session, the committee was meeting to fulfill its statutory duty to confirm appointments, including one of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's nominees to the CUNY Board of Trustees. This was one of more than 100 appointments being sped through the state Senate's final week of work.

After senators posed a series of on-topic questions to the CUNY appointee, Bronx Democratic Sen. Gustavo Rivera started to vent about the "ridiculous" process when it was his turn to talk.

"It does a disservice to the process  it does a disservice to the very qualified individuals  that we are being asked to take this into consideration almost at the end of session," Rivera said.

The complaint didn't fall on deaf ears: "The committee and the nominees should have the respect that they deserve, rather than having it jammed at the end of session," said Committee Chair Ken LaValle, R-Long Island.

A bipartisan chorus of committee members echoed the frustration, but Sen. Pamela Helming, a Republican from the Finger Lakes, questioned the seriousness of their complaints if they continued to rush through the governor's appointments.

"I wonder, by participating in this process, if we aren't sending a message that, 'Hey, this is OK and we'll continue to work in this manner,'" Helming said.

Almost a year later, Senate Republicans are sending a different message to the governor.

In a letter to the governor's counsel sent last month, Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan outlined the creation of a two-tier process for handling nominees.

Under the policy, the Senate would no longer consider nominees to paid or policy-making positions on the same day they're submitted to the Senate. Additionally, nominees to unpaid or non-policy-making positions must be submitted at least a month before the last scheduled day of the legislative session in order to be considered by the Senate.

The state Constitution requires certain judicial and department head appointments from the governor be approved by the Senate. Additionally, state laws have grant the Senate a check on other appointments, like the SUNY Board of Trustees.

"The statutory duty to consider nominations on advice and consent is a charge that the Senate takes with the utmost seriousness," Flanagan wrote. "These changes are intended to allow the Senate to consider the breadth of nominations received by the governor in a more transparent and deliberative manner."

The new process would have prevented, for example, the late-night consideration of Joe Lhota to run the MTA, one of the state's most complex and important entities.

The Senate received Lhota's appointment from the governor on the final scheduled day of the 2017 session. Later that evening, members of the Senate Finance Committee crammed around a webcam to interview him from his residence.

Sen. Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat, argued that the last-minute appointment of Lhota was intentional on the part of the governor's office and resulted in potential conflicts of interest going unnoticed.

Playing politics

The letter from Flanagan came shortly after the eight members of the Independent Democratic Conference abandoned their "majority coalition" with the Senate Republicans, and while Cuomo had been actively campaigning to flip control of the chamber.

"That's the Republican Senate leadership saying they are going to play politics and interfere with government operations," Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi said. "Now they are even adopting Trump's federal political tactics."

The timing was not lost on Krueger, who said, "There is obviously politics attached to this."

Sen. Joe Griffo, an Oneida County Republican, disregarded the optics of the letter, arguing that this was an important issue that needed to be resolved and had been a concern of members since last year. "I get the timing politically, with everything that's going on," he said. "(But) that wasn't done in retribution."

Krueger also raised concerns about the Senate's past practice of holding up appointments or putting them through excessive layers of review. She pointed to the drawn-out confirmation of then-Assemblyman Pete Grannis to head the state Department of Environmental Conservation in 2007. "Republicans wanted to hold him up, so they delayed for weeks and the hearings kept going," she said.

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During Cuomo's first seven years in office, there were no examples of egregious delays by Senate Republicans, who have largely worked in partnership with the governor until recent months.

Regardless of appointments being rushed or delayed, Blair Horner, executive director of the New York Public Interest Research Group, said that "political games" should be kept out of confirmations.

"They should take the time they need to do it right," Horner said, arguing against the "warp-speed" confirmations that have marked the end of many legislative sessions.

New approach

Griffo believes there is a better way forward. He studied the confirmations in other states and the U.S. Senate to craft the recommendations he made to Flanagan last year. He began implementation of this new approach with the Senate's Energy and Telecommunications Committee, which held nearly five hours of hearings for seven of the governor's appointees last June and included a series of questions about independence and communicating with the Legislature that Griffo hopes will become standard for all nominees.

"Many believe that this should be a much more deliberative process than it has been in the past," he said during a hearing he held last year for the nominee to chair the state Public Service Commission.

Griffo said proper vetting takes time, and pointed to the process of judicial appointees  who often go through multiple committees in one day before reaching the floor for the final vote  as particularly problematic.

With seven weeks left in the legislative session, it remains to be seen if the governor's office will go along with the new guidelines from the Senate. The governor's office declined to comment on their appointment plans, but noted that they have a rigorous appointment review process and acknowledged it can be a challenge to fill certain positions.

There are at least a dozen important posts that need to be filled before the Senate goes home in June, including seats on the SUNY board, Workers' Compensation Board, Board of Parole and Public Service Commission.

The expiring seat on the Board of Parole could be challenging to fill, as Senate Republicans have been highly critical of the board's decisions recently, including the release of Herman Bell, and believe the parole system is broken in New York.

"The state Senate under my leadership will reject any Parole Board nominees put forward by Governor Cuomo who share his vision of putting the rights of violent convicted criminals ahead of the rights of law-abiding citizens," Flanagan said in a statement.

David.Lombardo@timesunion.com  518.454.5427 - @Poozer87
National Grid is working to restore power to more than 45,000 customers in the wake of Friday night's windstorm.

The more than 1,100 separate outages remained at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday, according to the utility's outage map. Especially hit were towns around the Great Sacandaga Lake in Saratoga and Fulton counties and pockets of Washington and Warren counties.

The Albany area had about 500 customers without power.

The utilities NYSEG and RG&E, subsidiaries of Avangrid also continue their restoration efforts. As of 12:30 p.m., there were 30,000 outages to homes and businesses in a wide area of New York state served by the utilities. Some of the hardest hit areas include Rensselaer and Washington counties. For outage restoration information, click here

There are more than 1,000 personnel responding. "Crews and contractors including additional resources brought in to assist with restoration efforts will continue to respond until every customer impacted by this weather event has been restored," Avangrid said.

The high winds that approached gusts of 60 mph in some places felled trees and electric lines across the Capital Region area, at one point leaving over 100,000 customers without power. Several roads were blocked as crews and even private citizens went to the task of clearing limbs, branches and trunks throughout the night.

Most roads had reopened by the early morning, including a section of Route 5S in Rotterdam Junction and Route 9P in Malta. A tornado watch ended at about 10 p.m.

The day's ups and downs included a top reading of 84 degrees at 1:45 p.m., which dropped to the low temperature of 58 for the day at 11:59 p.m. The high was short of the 91-degree record for May 4 of 91 degrees, but well above the average of 66.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who toured the damage in Washington County Saturday, directed the National Guard to deploy personnel to the county to help emergency responders with tree and debris removal.

Department of Environmental Conservation rangers and State Police helped local firefighters rescue a woman trapped under a large tree at Rock Pond near Putnam Pond Campground in Ticonderoga, Essex County, according to Cuomo's office.

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Also, the DEC, Department of Homeland Security and village mayor decided to open the gates at the lower locks and village dam at Saranac Lake to control water releases. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for southeastern Franklin County and northwestern Essex County until 4:30 a.m. Sunday due to rain and snowmelt.

"In the wake of yesterday's storms, we will ensure that all impacted areas receive the help and resources they need to restore power and return to normalcy," Cuomo said in a statement. National Guard and state agency personnel will remain in the field working with local partners until recovery efforts are complete, he said.

Though Saturday has been dry, the weather service some showers can be expected Sunday.

Monday will see dry and cool conditions with highs in the upper 40s to lower 60s with lows Monday night in the 30s to lower 40s.

Highs should be in the 60s to lower 70s Tuesday, and a few degrees warmer for Wednesday, the weather service says.
Sen. Thomas F. O'Mara's commentary "Opinion on the web: Pipeline opponents miss the big picture," April 25, presents an argument that is specious on three counts.

First, he notes that President Barack Obama lauded natural gas. Since Obama is not a scientist, why is this relevant? Perhaps he was acting out of political motivations. In any case, he got it wrong.
[May 04, 2018]

MACQUARIE INFRASTRUCTURE SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER Reminds Investors with Losses in Excess of $100,000 of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit Against Macquarie Infrastructure Corporation - MIC

NEW ORLEANS, May 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until June 25, 2018 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Macquarie Infrastructure Corporation (NYSE:MIC), if they purchased the Companys shares between February 22, 2016 and February 21, 2018, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.



Get Help

Macquarie investors should visit us at https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-macquarie-infrastructure-corporation-securities-litigation or call to speak to our claim center toll-free at (844) 367-9658.







About the Lawsuit

Macquarie and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On February 21, 2018, the Company disclosed negative Q4 results, including earnings per share well below analysts estimates and a substantial dividend cut, attributing the dismal performance to declining demand in a specific fuel oil product, revealing for the first time the significance of that specific product to its business segment, despite prior statements touting the stability and strong performance of that segment.

On this news, the price of Macquaries shares plummeted from $63.62 on February 21, 2018, to $37.41 on February 22, 2018.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. ClaimsFiler's team of experts monitor the securities class action landscape and cull information from a variety of sources to ensure comprehensive coverage across a broad range of financial instruments.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.
[May 04, 2018] BRF S.A. SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER REMINDS INVESTORS WITH LOSSES IN EXCESS OF $100,000 of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit Against BRF S.A. - BRFS

NEW ORLEANS, May 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until May 11, 2018 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against BRF S.A. (NYSE:BRFS), if they purchased the Companys securities between April 4, 2013 and March 2, 2018, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Get Help BRF S.A. investors should visit us at https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-brf-sa-securities-litigation or call to speak to our claim center toll-free at (844) 367-9658.



About the Lawsuit BRF S.A. and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (i) BRF employees bribed regulators, among others, to unduly influence results of inspections to conceal unsanitary practices at the Companys food processing plants; (ii) the discovery of the foregoing conduct would foreseeably subject the Company and its officers to heightened regulatory enforcement and/or prosecution; and (iii) as a result of the foregoing, BRFs financial statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. ClaimsFiler's team of experts monitor the securities class action landscape and cull information from a variety of sources to ensure comprehensive coverage across a broad range of financial instruments. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

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From phones to smart speakers to virtual reality, Google has a lot of irons in the fire. And Google I/O, the company's annual developer conference, is where it gives us a glimpse at just what it's planning to do on those various platforms.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Google I/O 2018 kicks off today, and a lot of the talk will focus on developer-focused tools. But there will plenty of hints and glances at what you can expect from Android and its ecosystem of products in the near future. Here's what to expect at the event, from more details on this year's major Android update to additional Google Assistant capabilities, and a look at an upcoming Android TV device.

When Is Google I/O?

Google I/O begins today (May 8) and runs through Thursday (May 10). For the third consecutive year, it's being held at the Shoreline Amphitheater, a short walk from Google's main Mountain View campus.

When Can I Watch the Keynote?

The Google I/O keynote  where most of its major announcements happen  begins at 1 p.m. Eastern (10 a.m. Pacific) today (May 8). That keynote is scheduled to last 90 minutes, but given how much info Google tends to pack into its conference kickoff, expect things to run over. Google's shared its livestream schedule here, and it appears the keynote will broadcast from that page as well.

A second keynote on Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. EDT targets developers. Expect a deep dive into any new developer tools Google plans on unveiling at I/O. This keynote is scheduled to be streamed, too, if you really want to immerse yourself in the nuances of coding.

In recent years, the second day of I/O has featured a keynote on Google's virtual-reality efforts, but that's not on the agenda this time around. Instead, Google is changing things up with what it describes as "a series of keynote sessions which take a broader look at how the technology we build can impact the world around us." Topics includes sessions on machine learning and medicine, the future of artificial intelligence and design.

What Can I Expect from I/O 2018?

Those keynote sessions Google has listed provide a clue: machine learning and artificial intelligence have figured prominently into Google's plans of late, and this year's I/O looks to continue that focus.

As for specific Google efforts, expect to hear something about any of the following topics.

Android P: Although a shipping version of the next Android OS won't arrive until late summer, Google uses its developer get-together to roll out a new developer preview. That trend is all but certain to continue at I/O 2018.

(Image credit: Google)

Google has already released one developer preview of Android P, which focuses on major decision changes to the mobile operating system. Among the highlights thus far are support for notch-based phone interfaces  all the better for supporting those iPhone X clones in the works  and new privacy features. Look for Google to elaborate on those features  especially privacy in the wake of Facebook's struggles with the same issue  while unveiling new Android P capabilities.

Google Assistant and Google Home: Speaking of Android P, the current developer preview suggests tighter integration between the mobile OS and Google Assistant. That could mean letting app makers integrate the assistant into their software. Google has had some success in this regard with third-party devices: this week, it announced that its digital assistant is now in 5,000 smart-home devices, though that's a drop in the bucket compared with the number of products that support Amazon's rival Alexa assistant.

Last year's Google I/O introduced us to Google Lens, the image-recognition technology that's since rolled out to all Android phones as well as the iOS version of Google Photos. We could be in line for a Google Lens update, as LG hinted at new Google Lens features being revealed at the developer conference when it unveiled its G7 ThinQ phone this week.

In addition to phones and third-party devices, Google Assistant can be found in Google's smart-speaker lineup. Considering that Google Home first got a preview two years ago at I/O as well as an update last year, it wouldn't be out of place to find out about additional ways Google plans to challenge Amazon's Echo lineup for smart-speaker dominance.

AR and VR: The absence of the VR-specific keynote of recent years doesn't mean Google's putting its virtual-reality ambitions on the back burner. The Google I/O agenda is packed with AR and VR sessions that just happen to be away from the spotlight of the keynote stage.

There's certainly plenty for Google to discuss. Last year, the company pumped the brakes on its Project Tango effort to bring a hybrid of VR and AR to smartphones, concentrating instead on ARCore to help develop more AR-centric apps for Android. Expect an update on that effort, along with any improved changes and enhancements to Google's Daydream VR platform.

(Image credit: Google's Daydream View headset (Credit: Tom's Guide))

On the VR front, Lenovo's Mirage Solo with Daydream support just went on sale, which is one of the first true stand-alone VR headsets. The $399 headset supports six degrees of motion and a faster processor than the cheaper $199 Oculus Go, but Google has a lot of catching up to do with Oculus when it comes to VR apps and games.

Auto News: Android Auto is Google's platform for connecting your Android phone to the dashboard of your car. Recent I/O conferences have rolled out improvements to Android Auto, and Google's agenda for this year's event includes an intriguing teaser. One of the Android Auto sessions promised "a brand new media experience for Android Auto"  we're expecting to hear more details in the main keynote.

The day before the I/O keynote, Google announced that it would share some Android Auto updates improved at helping developers deliver a better in-car experience, including enhanced media search and group messaging. Meanwhile, Volvo said it planned to add Google services including the Google Assistant, Play Store and Maps into future versions of its infotainment system. We'd expect to see a demo of that this week.



Android TV: Last month, images of an Android TV dongle briefly popped up on the web, suggesting that Google might come out with a Google Assistant-enabled streaming device that supports its Android TV platform. I/O would seem to be as good a place as any to confirm that this product exists as well as go over any other improvements to Android TV.

MORE: Chromecast vs Fire TV Stick vs Roku Stick: Face-Off

Wearables: Google's wearable OS was more or less MIA at last year's I/O, but that figures to change this year, after a few signs of life for Android wearables in recent months. For starters, there was a name change, with Android Wear becoming Wear OS in March. More recently, Google beefed up the integration between Wear OS and its assistant, with upcoming changes adding smart suggestions and audio feedback. Wear OS watches are also going to support third-party actions via Google Assistant. Look for Google to elaborate on these changes.

Android Things: Google has multiple sessions scheduled for Android Things, its embeddable operating system for smart devices, leading to speculation in the weeks before I/O that it would get more than just a mention in the keynote. In fact, a day before the keynote, Google announced that Android Things was ready to be added to devices. That's good news for products like the already-announced Lenovo Smart Displays that will be powered by Android Things, and we'd expect Google to have more information about this smart device platform now that it's ready for prime time.



Other Topics: The I/O agenda includes a session on what's new for Android apps running on Chrome OS. Google Photos could also be in for an update, or at least a preview of changes planned for Google's photo-sharing software.

Last month, Google unveiled plans to overhaul its oversize collection of messaging apps. Google could use the I/O spotlight to talk up its Chat platform and the Rich Communication Services messaging standard.

This article was originally posted May 5. We've updated it with new information regarding how to stream the keynote on May 8.


We already know that people nowadays prefer crossovers and SUVs to sedans. So, what do automakers do? Create SUVs in different shapes and sizes. Indian automaker Mahindra is known for building Jeep-like vehicles, and it recently unveiled a Willys Jeeps doppelganger called the Roxor, which looks like a sure-shot. The best part - Its for sale in the U.S., and its built in Detroit, Michigan! Read on to know more.

It carries the genes of its forefathers...

Towing capacity is about 3,490 pounds, and rear payload capacity is only 349 pounds

The Roxor looks exactly like the CJ-7 - the rounded fenders, the 90-degree cut at the rear, filleted corners, shape of the hood, outlined grille, etc. This is due to Mahindras history; their first offering back in 1940s was essentially a Willys CJ-2A shipped to India as a CKD and sold under the Thar moniker.

The specifications are spot-on for an off-roader: a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission with a low-speed transfer case. However, it produces a mere 62 horses to carry the 3,035 pounds of curb weight. Towing capacity is about 3,490 pounds, and rear payload capacity is only 349 pounds. Top speed is limited to 45 MPH. According to Anand Mahindra, the Chairman, the Roxor will come with 900 color options! Nope, thats not a typo. Starting prices for the two trim levels, according to Mahindra, will range from $15,549 to $18,999.



Our Take

Roxor is that mini-truck one would buy for the pleasure, and not for utility.

Off-roaders are generally perceived to be the big, macho, ladder-on-frame vehicles that can conquer the highest peaks and tread the toughest paths; but here we have a tiny vehicle with off-roading powers available for less than $20,000. So, would it be right to say that Mahindra has created a niche segment here? This is not the car one can take out for long road trips, or for someone who is a mile-muncher. Roxor is that mini-truck one would buy for the pleasure, and not for utility. Let us know what you feel about the Roxor in the comments section below.

References

Read more Mahindra news.
Business is good for McLaren these days, at least as far as sales achievements are concerned. On the heels of posting its best-ever sales year in 2017 with 3,340 units, the British supercar brand has unlocked a new achievement: it just sold its 5,000th unit in North America. The 5,000th car is a Silica White McLaren 570S Spider that was purchased by Dr. Gary Leach of California this past week.

The automaker already has 22 retailers in North America, and there are plans to increase that total significantly in the coming months and years.

Its incredible to think that in just seven years, McLarens popularity has exploded in North America. The British automaker started selling its cars in the region in 2011 with the MP4-12C. Sales started tepidly, but soon enough, it picked up momentum as McLaren introduced new models like the 650S, 675LT, P1, 570, and most recently, the 720S. As more and more North American customers bought McLaren models, the British automaker made a breakthrough in 2017 when it sold a record number of models in North America.

"We are experiencing unprecedented growth in the North American market from just a handful of cars in 2011 to more than 1,200 retail sales here last year," Tony Joseph, McLarens North America President, said. "We are taking steps to ensure that our presence and customer service is at the cutting edge of the luxury performance car market."

Last year alone, McLaren sold 3,340 models all over the world, the third straight year it reported record sales numbers. Of that total, 1,234 models went to North America, becoming the region with the most sold McLarens in 2017. With that title, its fitting that the automakers 5,000th unit went to a customer in North America.

Moving forward, McLaren expects sales to continue trending north. The automaker already has 22 retailers in North America, and there are plans to increase that total significantly in the coming months and years. McLaren also opened a Regional Distribution Center in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania last November. The facility is the first of its kind outside the companys base in the U.K.

With the facilities in place and the demand continues to soar, it wouldnt be surprising if North America continues to set itself apart as the biggest market for McLaren. That should play into the hands of the automaker, which is planning to launch at least 12 new modes in the next four years as part of this Track 22 business plan. If demand for McLaren models continues to soar in the Americas, dont be surprised if the 10,000th unit gets shipped in the region, too. Who knows, it might happen as early as 2020.

References

Read our full review on the 2018 McLaren 570S Spider.

Read more McLaren news.
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Protests in Armenia that began in March of this year culminated in resignation of Serzh Sargsyan from the post of prime minister. Acting government headed by Karen Karapetyan is still in power, but after leader of protests Nikol Pashinyan wasn't elected to the post of prime minister, protests continued with renewed force. The ruling Republican Party understands that this process will eventually lead to early parliamentary election, and it will be better for them to organize elections themselves, without giving control over this process to "people's candidate."

A new elite will begin to form in Armenia in the short term, if not this week. It will determine new composition of parliament and government. Before the announcement of early elections and election race itself, we can expect a fierce fight between political parties and blocs, especially since resignation of Serzh Sargsyan lead to reset of relations between main political actors. Now political history of Armenia enters a qualitatively new phase.

In geopolitical context, processes that take place in Armenia are unpredictable and steps of main geopolitical centers in the country and the region will be tactical. The main issues that concern expert community are, among others, further geopolitical orientation of Armenia and influence of the change of power on process of settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Geopolitical orientation of Yerevan has been considered pro-Russian for many years: Armenia is a full fledged member of the EAEU, the Customs Union and the CSTO, Russia's state concerns are monopolies in energy and transport sectors, migrant workers annually send hundreds of millions of dollars to Armenia. Due to closed borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan (due to the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict), Armenia doesn't have access to oceans and only has access to Georgia and Iran. Sanctions against Iran and low level of cooperation ties make access to Iran basically useless. Armenia's main trade partners are Russia and the EU, access to which is provided by Georgia. Vulnerability of Armenia's economy comes from transport isolation, since most of the commodity turnover with Russia depends on weather conditions on the Georgian-Russian border. On the other hand, security factor has always more important for Armenia compared to economic one. This factor made Serge Sargsyan join the EAEU and the Customs Union in September of 2013.

It should be recalled that current leader of the protest movement of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan was an author of legislative initiative on withdrawal of Armenia from the EAEU in 2017, which was blocked by the republican majority at that time. Along with Russian direction, Armenian foreign policy improved relations with the EU and the US. A new agreement was signed with the EU, the largest diplomatic mission of the United States in the entire post-Soviet space operates in Armenia, two Armenian parties: the Republican Party and the Heritage Party are members of the European People's Party.

In other words, leader of protests and the most likely candidate for the post of prime minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has no personal "history" with Russia and statements about inevitability of alliance with Russia and membership in the EAEU and the CSTO are tactical and he may back off after elections and formation of a new government. Representatives of the Republican Party reminded Pashinyan of his last year's statements, trying to show population the lack of consistency in his views.

A crack in relations with Armenia can affect the entire perimeter of Russia's regional policy. Considering difficulties in relations between the US and Russia, as well as the presence of "hawks" in the US government, gradual withdrawal of Armenia from Russia's orbit can be considered as one of the measures aimed at weakening Russia's influence in the region. It's also important to recall statement of the US ambassador to Armenia about possible multi-billion investments in alternative energy, which will help Armenia's energy sector to become less dependant on Russia.

Settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and internal Armenian processes were inextricably linked for 25 years. Resignation of the first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan, transfer of power to leader of the Karabakh separatists Robert Kocharyan, and then to Serzh Sargsyan, who also took part in the Karabakh events, the Armenian parliament shooting of 1999, when speaker of the parliament and prime minister were killed; 2016 Yerevan hostage crisis, resignation of the Hovik Abrahamyan's government in the fall of 2016 - all os these are milestones in the history of Armenia, which had effect on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement process.

Negotiation process intensified after the meetings between Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan in October of 2017 and foreign ministers in January of 2018. After the January meeting, a time-out was taken due to transition of Armenia from presidential to parliamentary form of government, as well as presidential elections in Azerbaijan. Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia's foreign minister spoke about new ideas that were discussed at the negotiation table and could be discussed after elections.

But negotiations require two legitimate sides. As of today, there's still a period of uncertainty in Armenia, which will likely end in continuation of confrontation or announcement of early parliamentary elections. But the settlement process can't move forward without participation of one of the sides, and Armenia can't participate in negotiations in the short term. On the other hand, there's a justifiable concern that government that will be formed in Armenia after early parliamentary elections will begin negotiations without taking into account existing developments, proposing its own agenda.

There's no doubt that there will be loud populist, maximalist promises from political parties and leaders regarding the settlement of this conflict during election of new prime minister and possible election campaign. Representatives of the army, basically participants in the Karabakh movement, may also participate in this process, trying to influence Armenian voters through provocations on the contact line between armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the occupied territories of Nagorno-Karabakh. Such provocations will lead to response of Azerbaijan's army.

In the end, first of all, change of power in Armenia and process of final formation of the new government will negatively affect intensity of the settlement process. In this context, activity of international mediators, in particular co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, the United States and France - is very important. But the question is, will co-chairs continue to pursue coordinated position, like they did before, in particular after the escalation in April of 2016, or events in the region and in the world will affect this platform.

Second of all, there were always provocations on the contact line, however, in current realities of Armenia they will be perceived more emotionally and can lead to unpredictable consequences. When it comes to political crisis in Armenia, Azerbaijan wants new authorities to soberly assess realities of the region, since the country can't develop with closed borders in the west and the east, which are also its longest borders that make up 75% of all borders of the country. Any provocations on the contact line will receive response.

Third of all, in the short and medium term, geopolitical situation in the South Caucasus region will be subject to desire of involved parties to change balance of power in the region in the context of growing contradictions in the Russia-US and Iran-US formats.
A state of emergency is the exceptional power of a government to suspend certain rights or freedoms where some eventusually war, disease or natural disasterthreatens to undermine the very fabric of the state in question.

What is the legal basis for it?
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"Honestly, I think the only thing that will help is for tourism to be affected. If money dries up, that will get the powers moving, such as they are, or can. People should talk about it, communities need to be the first step. The whole "informer fi dead" mentality needs to change, or this stuff will continue."

It has affected tourism. Just the mention of the lockdown in MoBay last winter caused many people to cancel booked trips in Negril...my friends who own and manage hotels lost customers who were booked in January and February. As far as "informer fi dead", well, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that to change in Jamaica or anywhere else in the world where there is gang and organized crime violence. True, praying doesn't do much except make ME feel like I might be contributing (sad, but true admission). The stakeholders in Negril have been BEGGING for the army to come in for quite a few years now. When I was in Negril this winter I noticed the vibe was different, like something was being "done" - new cameras on the street on the West End, more of a police presence...so the bad guys took their crap to the hills and outlying areas of Negril.

Toespot: If I'm remembering your posts correctly your 35 days per year in Jamaica are spent within the walls of a resort. There's nothing wrong with that but you can't claim to know anything about life in Jamaica or the runnings on the street. I get that you are scared to leave the resort but putting fear in people based on such limited knowledge is a tad irresponsible. I'm there for three months each year, I stay in a residential neighborhood and I do not walk around in fear though I mind my P's & Q's - in the 30 years I've been coming to Jamaica I always have, making alterations to my roll over the past 10 years or so. I'm never in fear for my life...but I'm careful with my stuff :)
Re: Length of stay for solo traveller in august / day trip ideas

14. Re: Length of stay for solo traveller in august / day trip ideas

"Dull, grey, overpriced hell hole full of narrow minded, over confident and utterly underwhelming people.

This is how you described it in the other threat. Now you are saying "It's not terrible, it's just....meh."

Make up your mind.

"Or perhaps Syrians are a bit more well travelled so they know what a rubbish city actually is."

Wow, you need to start learning a bit more about the world.
My daughter goes to school in Charlotte. She did take the train once this year from Charlotte to Raleigh to visit her sister, because she does not have a car at school. It took 4-5 hours each way. Worked okay, but driving would have been quicker. The train makes many stops in small towns along the way.

For a distance from Charlotte to NYC, I would price airfare. Maybe fly to DC take a train to NY and then fly NYC to CLT or vice versa. Over 3 weeks I would spend at least 5 days or more in DC. Without a car anything between Charlotte and DC would be too problematic.

Washington has good public transportation and many many museums that are free so touring is relatively inexpensive. If you're not American some of the history and government museums and sites may not be of as much interest. My son was there recently with a group from China and found the tour they received of the US capitol seemed to assume way too more knowledge of US history than they had.

New York has many sights, but is very pricey.

Charlotte, itself would maybe take 3-5 days to be a tourist in, but if he's going to school there he will probably get a chance to do that during the year. May make friends with cars, etc. Charlotte has just gotten a light rail line, but it's long way from the subway system you're used to in NYC.
Please noted that some of them can speak English well. Hope you tell him the right pole to pick up.

The fare will be plused 10.000VND for airport fee. Do not get surprise if he says more than the number on the metre clock.

Cheer - Vietnam With Locals
Hi,

Appreciate your comments on the itinerary below:

We are travelling in group of 3 in the last week of June. Planning as follow:

Fly to Osaka (arrived at night)

Day 2 - Osaka

Day 3 - Osaka

Day 4- Rent a day for Kobe day trip (total 4 nights in Osaka)

Day 5 - Drive from Osaka to Fushimi Inari (40 mins) - Night in Nagoya

Day 6 - Drive from Nagoya to Takayama (2 hr 10 min), visit Shirakawa (Night in Takayama)

Day 7 - Drive from Takayama to Takeyama Kurobe Alpine route (Night in Takayama)

Day 8 - Drive from Takayama to Tokyo (4 hr 20 min)

Day 9 -11 - Tokyo

Please advise if the above itinerary is ok and whether it is safe to drive per the route indicated as well as if weather permits.

WE are keen on good food and onsens, appreciate if you can advise any good valued ones. Thanks

Thanks

EL

Day

stay 4 nights - will be driving to Kobe day trip
- Suspected al-Shabaab militants attacked a quarry in Shimbir area

- Three quarry workers are said to have been killed in the attack

- Three others were left with serious injuries following the attack

- Police are pursing the suspected attackers

Three quarry workers are feared dead while three others are nursing serious wounds after being attacked by suspected al-Shabaab militants in Mandera County.

TUKO.co.ke learnt on Friday, May 4, the terrorists attacked the quarry in Shimbir, Mandera South on Thursday evening at around 5.30pm.

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READ ALSO: DP Ruto was set-up to be embarrassed, Gideon Moi ally says

County Commissioner Kutswa Olaka confirmed the attack but did not disclose the number of casualties, explaining officers were still pursuing the attackers and securing the area.

Those injured during the attack were rushed to Mandera Referral Hiospital. Photo: Afya Smile Kenya

Those injured were rushed to Mandera Referral Hospital where they are receiving treatment.

READ ALSO: Gideon Moi blamed for blocking Rutos planned meeting with ex president Daniel Moi

Police confirmed the incident on Friday, May 4, revealing 150 quarry workers had been rescued by a combined team of National Police Service and Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers.

The attack comes barely two days after authorities rescued 13 Kenyan youth from Lamu and Kilifi counties undergoing training by the terror group.

The youngmen aged between 18 and 34 years were rescued after their parents recorded statements with the police, stating their children had been taken for training after being lured with job offers.

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Top 5 Facts About Uhuru Kenyatta - Raila Odinga Pact - on TUKO TV

Source: Tuko
Syrian rebels on Friday were surrendering their heavy weapons after reaching a new deal with the government for a central swathe of territory. As Daily Mail writes in an article "Syria rebels hand over arms in new deal with regime: monitor", opposition fighters agreed with regime forces and their allies to a ceasefire deal earlier this week for parts of Syria's central provinces of Hama and Homs, including the rebel towns of Talbisseh, Rastan, and Al-Houla.

"The fighters are handing over their heavy and intermediate weapons to Russian and regime forces for the second consecutive day," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. It included artillery and machine guns, said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Observatory. "Once the handovers are finished, the rebels who want to leave will be evacuated out with civilians," Abdel Rahman told AFP. Rebels and civilians will be granted safe passage to the rebel-held town of Jarabulus, in Aleppo province, and the neighbouring province of Idlib which largely escapes government control, according to state news agency SANA.

It said the deal also provided for the return of government institutions to the three towns and the reopening of a key highway. That highway runs from the capital Damascus, through Homs, and onto second city Aleppo, in the north. Securing it has been a major target for the regime's military operations. The area in Homs was part of a "de-escalation zone" agreed one year ago by opposition supporter Turkey and regime allies Iran and Russia. The four zones initially saw a reduction in shelling but violence has since escalated.

One of them, Eastern Ghouta, was recaptured last month by the Syrian government after a blistering two-month offensive that ended in forced evacuations of rebels and civilians there.

Jaish al-Izza, one rebel faction present in the Homs zone, has said it rejects the agreement and pledged to remain deployed on its front lines. The agreement comes after several days of intermittent clashes and regime reinforcements to the area. It is the third such transfer deal for Homs province, after thousands were bussed out in a pair of agreements for the city itself.

Such negotiated withdrawals have brought swathes of territory back under government control during the country's seven-year war, most recently near Damascus. Another evacuation deal was underway on Friday in rebel-held areas south of the capital. SANA reported buses were entering the towns of Yalda, Babila, and Beit Saham to take opposition fighters and civilians north to rebel territory. It was the second day of transfers for the towns. Around 1,650 people, including rebels and civilians, were bussed out on Thursday and reached northern Syria the following morning, according to the Observatory.
- CS Adan Mohamed revealed 31,000 pairs of fake P2 pills were among counterfeit products seized

- He urged brand owners to report cases of fake goods to relevant offices

- Mohamed said majority of counterfeit goods originate from China

- Recently, the government confiscated fake goods worth up to KSh25 M

Kenyan women were put on high alert after the government confiscated fake contraceptives in circulation.

This comes even as government intensified crackdown on counterfeit products in the country where goods worth up to KSh25 milion were intercepted.

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In a Twitter post by CS for Industrialisation Aden Mohamed seen by TUKO.co,ke, on Friday May 5, the CS divulged some of the seized products included 31,000 pairs of fake P2 contraceptives that would have been lethal to Kenyans.

READ ALSO: Muimbaji Harmonize amfanya Lilian Muli kububujikwa na machozi ndani ya studio za Citizen TV

CS Aden Mohamed said some of fake products seized included 31,000 pairs of fake P2 pills. Photo: Aden Mohamed/ Twitter

"Some of the confiscated products included 31,000 pairs of fake P2 contraceptives that would have posed a great danger to the health and lives of thousands of Kenyans," read his post.

"I also inspected 5 containers at the Inland Container Depot with counterfeit electronics, leather products and medical items worth up to KSh25 million that were intercepted in the past week by," he said.

The Industrialisation boss said the counterfeit goods would be destroyed and their owners as well as clearing agents tracked down and charged accordingly.

READ ALSO: Nairobi's deadly three-gang robbers gunned down, a month after they killed a police officer

The CS disclosed majority of counterfeit products come from China. Photo: Aden Mohamed/ Twitter

"We will be constructing destruction facilities at the ports in Mombasa and Nairobi to destroy all intercepted counterfeits at points of entry, to avoid any cases of them making their way into the country after capture," he said.

Adan divulged that according to data, majority of these products originate from China through the port of Dubai.

He said the government is extending inspection efforts to keep an eye on those sources and also collaborate with the Chinese government in countering the menace.

READ ALSO: Nairobi county government issues deadly Polio virus type 2 alert

He urged brand owners to report cases of fake products to relevant authorities. Photo Adan Mohamed/ Twitter

He appealed to every brand owners, both local and foreign, who may find their products being counterfeited to report to concerned agencies for appropriate action.

Adan was speaking at Embakasi during the official launch of ACA Kenya offices at points of entry in the country.

According to the Industrialisation boss, the offices will be an integral part of in renewed efforts to crack down on counterfeit goods that mainly come through Kenyan ports.

This comes barely two months ago after Population service Kenya (PSK) issued a worrying notice on counterfeit condoms which put users to the risk of contracting Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) flooding the market.

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. Tuko news.

Top 5 Facts About Uhuru Kenyatta - Raila Odinga Pact - on TUKO TV

Source: Breaking News
- One of Sonkos ardent supporters has apologised for campaigning for him

- Njoroge said he did not know Sonko was incompetent when he urged friends to vote for him

- He said Sonko was blaming imaginary cartels for his inability to deliver his pledges

As the national forgiveness drive kicked off by President Uhuru Kenyatta during his State of the Nation Address sweeps across the country, a key campaigner for Mike Sonko apologised for convincing Nairobians to vote for the Governor.

David Njoroge, who vigorously campaigned for Sonko to clinch the Governors seat in the 2017 elections, took to his Facebook page to tender his apology.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens Read

In a post seen by TUKO.co.ke, Njoroge regretted he did not know Sonko was incompetent for the Citys big job.

READ ALSO: Muimbaji Harmonize amfanya Lilian Muli kububujikwa na machozi ndani ya studio za Citizen TV

Filling of a pothole on a Nairobi road in an initiative launched by the governor. Photo: Mike Sonko/Facebook.

READ ALSO: Sonko's adopted son develops complications years after bullet was removed from his head

He cited the failure by the Governor to clear garbage from the city and blaming unknown cartels for his inability to deliver his campaign promises.

"I apologise to all whom I influenced to vote for Mike Sonko. Please forgive me. The guy is incompetent to the core and is daily blaming 'imaginary cartels' in his head for his massive failure. Jamaa ni vipindi tu (hes only show off) Facebook live, he said in the post.

Sonko has over the time been blaming cartels working hard to derail his development agenda and announced during Labour Day celebrations that he was tired of the criticism.

READ ALSO: Government warns Kenyan women against fake pregnancy prevention pills in the market

A section of a badly dameged Tom Mboya Street in Nairobi. Photo: David Njoroge/Facebook.

However, his critics continue to question his development track record since he assumed office.

Sonko has developed a habit of flooding his Facebook page with posts of his activities from meetings to clearing garbage to filling potholes but still, residents cant feel them.

READ ALSO: Breakdown of how Kenya Power distributes your KSh 500 when you buy tokens

City residents have constantly complained of badly damaged roads and clogged drainage especially during this rainy season.

Some streets and avenues in the CBD are impassable if the photos being shared on Social Media platforms is anything to go by.

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.co.ke
- COTU boss claimed his life was in danger

- He said hitmen were planning to eliminate him

- Atwoli said he was not scared of death as he had lived his life fully

- The trade unionist warned the hitmen would be met with equal force

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Kenya Secretary General Francis Atwoli said he does not fear death after reports hitmen had been sent to eliminate him.

He said he had lived his life to the fullest and dying was not a big deal insisting killing him would be a waste of time.

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Speaking to journalists in Kisumu in a video posted by KTN, Atwoli said the government had moved with speed to protect him.

READ ALSO: Muimbaji Harmonize amfanya Lilian Muli kububujikwa na machozi ndani ya studio za Citizen TV

COTU boss Francis Atwoli claimed his life was in danger. Photo: COTU/Facebook.

He warned the hitmen would be met with more force saying he has a big army in the name of workers he represents and his Luhya community whom his killers should be ready to face.

To eliminate me is full waste of time because Ive had my good life, Ive had my own life, Ive been everywhere in the world, Ive had anything that a human being can have and I want to thank God for that. So I am not afraid of anything, he said.

READ ALSO: Webuye hospital grapples with puzzle of baby dumped at facility by mother

Atwoli is known for his combative approach to matters and does not fear to tackle anyone.

With his signature mshenzi (stupid) slogan, Atwoli spares no one who crosses his path and he recently went for Majority Leader in the National Assembly Aden Duale over Bills on the floor of the House.

He told off National Super Alliance (NASA) co-principals Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula over their politics.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Rejected for naming son Uhuru Kenyatta | Untold stories - on TUKO TV

Source: Tuko Breaking News
- Miguna Miguna announced he will be back in Kenya mid May

- He said High Court had ordered the government to facilitate his return unconditionally

- Miguna was forcibly ejected from the country in March

- His earlier attempts to get into the country caused a major standoff at JKIA

Fiery lawyer Miguna Miguna who was unceremoniously bundled out of the country in March has announced his return.

The controversial politician took to Facebook to announce he would return to Kenya on Wednesday, May 16, from Canada.

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"I'm returning to Kenya on May 16. I am a Kenyan citizen by birth. The High Court has ordered Fred Matiang'i, George Kihalangwa, Joseph Boinnet and Kinoti 13 times to issue me with a valid Kenyan passport and facilitate my return to Kenya as a Kenyan unconditionally," his post seen by TUKO.co.ke read.

READ ALSO: Muimbaji Harmonize amfanya Lilian Muli kububujikwa na machozi ndani ya studio za Citizen TV

Miguna Miguna announced he will be back in the country in a week's time. Photo: Miguna Miguna/ Facebook

He went on to claim the High Court had ordered Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, Immigration PS George Kihalangwa, Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet and DCI boss George Kinoti over 10 times to issue him with valid Kenyan passport and facilitate his return unconditionally.

READ ALSO: Miguna Miguna lookalike excites Kenyans and the video is just hilarious

Miguna claimed the High Court has ordered the government to facillitate his return. Photo: Miguna Miguna/ facebook

According to prior reports by TUKO.co.ke, the fiery politician was forced to spend several nights at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after immigration officers denied him entry to the country.

READ ALSO: How Kenyans reacted to Migunas airport drama

Desperate attempts by his lawyers to come to his aid were thwarted after they were kicked out of JKIA as they attempted to serve police and immigration officers with court orders.

However, attempts by the vocal lawyer to remain in his motherland were thwarted as he was forcibly bundled into a Dubai bound plane on Wednesday, March 28, evening despite numerous court orders in his favour.

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Miguna Miguna's return: Chaos at Jomo Kenyatta Int. Airport (JKIA) | Tuko TV - Kenya New:

Source: Tuko.co.ke
- Millie Odhiambo was overwhelmed by emotions during her address in Parliament

- She revealed she was deeply troubled by the aftermath of 2017 General Election

- The legislator was responding to President Uhuru's apology to Kenyans

Vocal Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) legislator Millie Odhiambo stunned many after she was overcome by emotions in Parliament as she responded to President Uhuru Kenyatta's apology.

The outspoken Suba Member of Parliament (MP) was inconsolable as she addressed the National Assembly in regard's to Uhuru's State of the Nation Address.

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In a video by KTN News on live Parliament proceedings, on Saturday, May 5, Millie applauded the Head of State for his courage and upheld his move to ask forgiveness from Kenyans for his past mistakes.

READ ALSO: Tabia 5 za wanawake za kushangaza kanisani

Millie Odhiambo revealed she has been deeply troubled by the aftermath of last year's General Election. Photo. Millie Odhiambo/ Facebook

However, the fiery MP, who once hurled insults at the president, revealed that she was deeply troubled by the nature of Kenyan politics, which has caused several deaths of innocent Kenyans, due to political intolerance.

"But unless as a leadership we are genuine and honest and address the issues that actually touch this country, then we will one day go the Rwanda way. Let's stop playing politics with this nation, let's be genuine about things that touch Kenya," said the politician in the video seen by TUKO.co.ke.

The combative ODM politician revealed the reason why she has been silent in recent times saying she has been traumatised by events during the last year's heated General Election.

READ ALSO: William Ruto follows Uhuru's cue, apologises to anyone he may have wronged

Millie urged her fellow politicians to put Kenya first or risk going the Rwanda way. Photo. Nation.co.ke

"A lot of people has been asking why I'm quiet. When you see me quiet, it's because there are things that are touching me at a very personal level. I'm a politician yes, but I'm also a human being," she said.

She appealed to her fellow politicians both in the Senate and Parliament to put the country's interest at heart even when playing politics.

"What is touching me is when I remember, a little boy who was shot dead in this country, what touches me is when I remember people who were shot in front of me in this country,"

READ ALSO: Never again should Kenyans die for the sake of politics - Uhuru declares during State of the Nation address

"If we don't take action as a country, we are going to take this country in the wrong direction, that is what has made me quiet," said Millie overwhelmed with emotions and resorted to crying uncontrollably, as her awed counterparts watched helplessly.

Watch the touching video below:

This comes barely days after Uhuru took the lead for healing and reconciliation and apologised to Kenyans while committing to rebuilding bridges and set the county on the right direction.

Deputy President William Ruto followed his boss's footsteps and asked Kenyans for forgiveness for any offence he could have committed.

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Top 5 Facts About Uhuru Kenyatta - Raila Odinga Pact - On Tuko TV

Source: Tuko.co.ke
- Police offered cash reward for any leads that will help in the arrest of the suspects

- The 5 men attacked ex-NCBDA official at Boulevard Hotel in Nairobi

- This was after they analysed photos and videos taken during the attack

- The goons disrupted the leaders meeting claiming they were out to tarnish Sonko's name.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) conducting investigations on the attack of Nairobi Central Business District Association (NCBDA) leaders offered rewards for any leads on the whereabouts of the goons.

The officers who viewed the clips and analysed the photos taken during the attack offered a cash reward of KSh 500,000 .

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READ ALSO: Tabia 5 za wanawake za kushangaza kanisani

The officers viewed the clips and analysed the photos taken during the attack offered a cash reward of KSh 500,000 . Photo: National Police Service/ Facebook

READ ALSO: Goons attack Nairobi business leaders who were issuing statement on city's poor state

In a Facebook post seen by TUKO.co.ke on Saturday, May 5, the suspects will also face charges of assault and malicious damage to property.

"The suspects whose images are attached are wanted by Police to answer to charges of Robbery with Violence. The suspects who have since gone to hiding attacked and robbed Timothy Muriuki at Boulevard Hotel," read the Statement.

READ ALSO: Moses Kuria declares war on goons who attacked Nairobi business leaders

The officers viewed the clips and analysed the photos taken during the attack offered a cash reward of KSh 500,000 . Photo: National Police Service/ Facebook

"A cash reward of Ksh.500,000 will be offered to anyone with information leading to their arrest," it read on.

The authorities launched investigation into the incident following public outrage, and after it emerged the goons injured NCBDA ex-chairman Timothy Muriuki during the dramatic attack.

READ ALSO: I have nothing to do with attack of Nairobi business leaders - Sonko responds

The officers viewed the clips and analysed the photos taken during the attack offered a cash reward of KSh 500,000 . Photo: National Police Service/ Facebook

They claimed to have been sent by Governor Mike Sonko to unleash terror on the leaders and stop them from releasing their report saying they were out to tarnish Sonko's name.

Sonko however disassociated himself from the goons and demanded for action claiming there was no way he could have sent them.

The officers viewed the clips and analysed the photos taken during the attack offered a cash reward of KSh 500,000 . Photo: National Police Service/ Facebook

The governor also sought to clarify that Muriuki is a good friend of his and therefore he had no reason to send people to assault and humiliate him.

The officers viewed the clips and analysed the photos taken during the attack offered a cash reward of KSh 500,000 . Photo: National Police Service/ Facebook

Story by Lucky Omenda, Nairobi County

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During the period from April 16 to 29, the OSCE SMM recorded almost 8,300 ceasefire violations along the contact line in eastern Ukraine.

This is stated in the report of the OSCE SMM based on information received as of 19:30, May 2.

"Between April 16 and 29, the OSCE SMM recorded almost 8,300 violations of the ceasefire regime along the contact line in eastern Ukraine, which was 10% less than in the previous two-week reporting period. A marked increase in the level of violence was observed on April 24-25, when 30% of the total number of recorded violations of the ceasefire regime happened," the report reads.

A number of civilian casualties was recorded, namely: 6 people were killed and 17 people were injured. The total number of civilian casualties confirmed by the SMM since the beginning of the year has reached 74 people, in particular 18 were killed.

The SMM continued to facilitate access to the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) for Voda Donbassa water company employees; it, again, heard ceasefire violations in the area despite security guarantees.

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Three Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in the Joint Forces Operation area in eastern Ukraine over the past day.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Spokesperson Dmytro Hutsuliak said this at a press briefing on Saturday, May 5, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"One our serviceperson was wounded in enemy shelling, another one suffered combat injuries. Also, when conducting engineer operations, one serviceperson was wounded in the explosion of an unknown object, he said.

Hutsuliak also added that the wounded soldiers were immediately taken to military hospitals. Two soldiers are in moderately severe condition, the state of health of another defender is good, said Hutsuliak.

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During the period from May 2014 to March 2018, at least 355 civilians were killed and 1,456 were injured in mine explosions in the territory of Donbas controlled by Ukraine.

Ukraines Ministry for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons informed this, citing data collected by the Ministrys branches in Donetsk and Luhansk regions and confirmed by local governments, the Governmental portal reported.

"Between May 2014 and March 2018, at least 355 civilians were killed and 1,456 were injured by mines and explosive remnants of war in the territory of Donbas controlled by Ukraine," the Ministry for Temporarily Occupied Territories informed.

According to the report, a total of 178 civilians were killed and 1,108 people were injured in mine blasts in Donetsk region, while 177 civilians were killed and 348 were injured in Luhansk region.

The data include only confirmed cases and may be revised in case of new information.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has just concluded an official visit to South Korea became the first foreign head of state to come to Seoul after the leaders of South and North Korea decided to make peace and bury the war axes. As Daily Sabah writes in an article "Turkey proves to Seoul it is a friend to those in need", Erdogan and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in decided to further enhance relations between the two "brotherly" countries and deepen their strategic partnership according to a joint communique issued by the presidential palace in Seoul. Thus they will speed up cooperation in technology, trade, education and defense as well as in other areas.

Turkey and Korea have also agreed to enhance their cooperation in all international forums including the United Nations and MIKTA, which is a loose partnership created by Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Turkey and Australia, at the foreign ministers level. Seoul and Ankara have agreed to carry this partnership to a higher level and turn the MIKTA into a forum attended by heads of state.

While at the state level these important developments were taking place the Korea-Turkey Friendship Association meeting in Seoul showed that Turkey has some very prominent friends in the Korean capital ranging from former ambassadors to business people to artists and academicians. These people are striving in the heart of Korea to boost friendship with Turkey and thus show that the real friendship is actually at the level of the people which is permanent and very valuable.Sang Ki-Peik, an 88-year-old veteran is a monument showing the depth of Turkish-Korean friendship. Ki-Peik served as young Korean soldier with the Turkish brigade during the Korean War and when the war was over the Turkish government invited him to Turkey and gave him a university scholarship. Ki-Peik graduated from the prominent Political Science Faculty in Ankara and later became a Korean diplomat who served more than a decade in Turkey. When he retired he came back to Korea and also worked with the Turkish embassy.

Meanwhile, it is clear that South Korea needs all the support it can get from its friends. During the recent crisis that erupted with North Korea, which started testing nuclear bombs and missiles, it became very clear to Seoul and even to Tokyo that the Americans who are supposed to be the mentors of South Korea and Japan are forcing a hard bargain under business minded President Donald Trump. Trump clearly antagonized the North Koreans, threatening them with a massive attack, which left the Koreans and the Japanese extremely vulnerable.

So the South Koreas, with the help of the Chinese managed to subdue the North Koreans and bring them back to a more manageable position that did not please Washington. Thus, Turkey is now showing solidarity with Seoul and once again displaying it is a friend to those in need.
Ukraine has made a payment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a total of 257.25 million special drawing rights ($368 million) to repay the main debt, the press service of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has told FinClub.

The payment was made on May 4. Three days earlier, on May 1, Ukraine paid the IMF $80.7 million. The NBU expects to attract about $2 billion from the IMF in the beginning of the third quarter of 2018. op
Ukrainian Railways Ukrzaliznytsya and the railway company from Hungary plan to launch Mukachevo-Budapest train.

"It will be possible to reach the most picturesque capital of Europe by a comfortable train without transfer. PJSC Ukrzaliznytsia and MAV-START nemzetkozi utazasok plans to launch direct Mukachevo-Budapest train. We have just concluded negotiations with our Hungarian colleagues. They are ready to provide a rolling stock that will run along the European railway lines that link the two cities," acting head of Ukrzaliznytsya Yevhen Kravtsov wrote on Facebook.

He noted that the company planned to reconstruct the railway station in Mukachevo and to build up a powerful hub for travels to the EU countries.

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The veterinary services of Ukraine and the United States have agreed to continue close cooperation and intensify bilateral communication to effectively address the issues of mutual interest.

This is reported by the press service of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection.

"The delegation of the Veterinary Services of the United States Agriculture Department has visited Ukraine this week. The purpose of this visit was to discuss a number of issues of mutual interest for the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection and the corresponding U.S. agency. During the visit, the representatives of the American delegation held a series of meetings with the chairman of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection Volodymyr Lapa, the experts of the food safety and veterinary medicine departments and the international cooperation office," reads the statement.

During the meetings, the American side initiated a discussion on technical adjustments to a number of veterinary certificates for the imports of certain types of goods into Ukraine, in particular pet food, feed additives, poultry, technical gelatin (not for food use), milk and dairy products . The fruitful technical discussions between the experts are expected to result in the adoption of appropriate decisions in the near future.

In turn, the representatives of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection raised the issue regarding the status of consideration of the Ukrainian application for the export of domestic poultry, the accreditation of which has been going on for the last two years. The American side informed that the technical departments of the United States had already made a technical assessment, and a verification visit to Ukraine was planned to be made to Ukraine in the short term.

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Ukraines Ministry of Economic Development and Trade has reported that the volume of Germany's technical assistance to Ukraine exceeded 500 million euros for 20 years.

This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade.

"The volume of international technical assistance of Germany has exceeded 500 million euros for 20 years. As of today, 27 projects with a funding volume of 250 million euros are in active phase, and they are executed by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Reconstruction Credit Institute (KfW)," the report reads.

The largest amount of assistance was directed to the priority areas, namely: 106.5 million euros to the restoration of Donbas and support for internally displaced persons and 92.8 million euros to the regional development, decentralization, good governance.

It is also reported that new projects are being prepared, in particular, on development of social infrastructure and housing support programs for internally displaced persons, development of municipal infrastructure in eastern Ukraine, with an approximate amount of support of 49 million euros.

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The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine has sent a note of protest to the Russian Federation because of the detention of a Ukrainian fishing vessel off the coast of Crimea.

Spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry Mariana Betsa wrote this on Twitter.

Ukraine protests in the strongest terms the unlawful detention this morning by the Russian Federation of a Ukrainian fishing vessel and its crew in the vicinity of the Crimean coast, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Earlier, the FSB of the Russian Federation stated that the Ukrainian fishing vessel was arrested off the coast of Crimea (West of Cape Tarkhankut) on Friday because of illegal fishing.

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The stance of Ukraine's partners, including on the anti-Russian sanctions, is extremely important for the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said this in an interview with the German magazine Focus, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"I look forward to close cooperation with the US and the EU in the deployment of the UN peacekeeping mission, as well as better coordination in the issue of sanctions. They are an important lever for making Russia sit down at the negotiating table and implement the Minsk agreements," the President said.

As Poroshenko noted, he intends to meet on May 10 with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who recently visited the United States. Ukraine lately received the Javelin missile systems from the United States. "We are talking about defensive weapons. We will definitely not attack Russia, but we will use every opportunity for our own defense," Poroshenko stressed.

According to him, a peacekeeping mission could become a much-needed breakthrough that would ensure security for holding free and fair elections in eastern Ukraine.

At the same time, Poroshenko expressed doubts that Russia could put forward new initiatives on Donbas conflict settlement after the re-election of Vladimir Putin. "If Putin constantly promises things that he does not fulfill, why should we wait for new proposals?" the President of Ukraine said.

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The Kremlin-controlled Gagarinsky district court of Sevastopol city in Crimea sentenced Ihor Movenko to two years in prison after convicting him on extremism charges.

According to the court's ruling, Movenko was convicted under Part 2 of Article 280 of the Russian Criminal Code ("public calls for extremist activities") for posting several comments in the Crimea is Ukraine group on VKontakte social network, Crimea.Realities portal reports.

December 16, 2016, resident of Sevastopol Ihor Movenko was detained and taken to the department of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation.

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More than 10,000 tourists visited the Palanok Castle in the city of Mukachevo in western Ukraine last weekend.

According to First Deputy Mayor of Mukachevo Rostyslav Fediv, these are record-breaking figures for the historic site.

"From April 28 to May 1, the castle was visited by 10,524 excursionists, which is the highest attendance of the castle over the years of independence of the country. The largest number of tourists, almost 4,000, visited the castle on Sunday," the official said.

At present the restoration works and improvement of the castles territory have been resumed, he added.

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Will Europe find a collective response to Russia's hybrid war?

The crisis in EU-Russian relations began in the spring of 2014 - after Russia annexed Crimea and unleashed the war in eastern Ukraine. On the one hand, Russia has repeatedly stated that it will not ask for the cancelation of sanctions and that it is not interested in the collapse of the EU. But the actions suggest otherwise - Russia is gradually taking measures to split and weaken the EU countries, deprive Ukraine of support. After all, in the absence of a single vision, it is very easy to get permission for the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and achieve a weakening or complete lifting of sanctions.

Western Europe, which is just beginning to understand the real threat of a hybrid war, is still not ready to admit that democratic values and high ideals that have been cherished and strengthened for many years have already turned into tools in the struggle against Europe itself.

Over a dozen states and "state entities" have appeared in different parts of the world over the past decades. The first ones were created mainly after the collapse of such countries as the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, whereas others were formed due to separatism, annexation or occupation of territories. Russia achieved significant "success" on the European continent in this regard. The scenarios realized in South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Transdniestria, Crimea and Donbas are different and similar at the same time.

If we do not go deep into the theory of the state and international legal aspects, then, roughly speaking, states become states, having historical background and after being recognized by the international community. Historical background is rather a blurred concept, but recognition by other states is a concrete step clearly defined by international law. That is why Russia wants "DPR/LPR" to be recognized, although, like Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nauru, which at one time recognized the "independence" of the occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia, it is not recognizing the "republics" itself. The appearance of "diplomatic" activity, not anywhere in Africa, but in Western Europe, is created for this purpose. The so-called "DPR" tried to open its "honorary consulates" in Helsinki, Turin, Athens, Ostrava, and Marseille. The trial on the "consulate" in Marseille is still ongoing and being delayed. It is unlikely that French judges will help implement this dirty scenario. At the same time, devotion to the letter of the law is not entirely in the interests of France itself, because the postponement of court sessions for various reasons leads to the fact that the so-called "DPR consulate" continues to operate on the territory of the country, creating a very dangerous example for others.

It is also surprising that the "honorary consulate" consists of only the French themselves who are not the last people in society, as well as those who support them. They travelled to Donbas and Crimea and again plan to go there in early May to mark the "independence" of the "DPR" and "deepen France's relations with Crimea." An "official delegation" includes the head of the so-called "DPR consulate in France," Hubert Fayard, a "representative of the DPR consulate in France," Christian Camisuli, a "financier of the DPR consulate in France," Jean-Francois Gindrey, counselor of the Bouches-du-Rhone department Christine Pujol, counsellor of the Aix commune in the Limousin region Christian Borelli, Marignane Mayor Eric Le Disses and his special adviser Jacques Clostermann, who even has the title of "honorary citizen of the DPR." Some of these people were or are in public service in France. They might take vacations and go to the occupied city of Sevastopol, this time to officially open the France Friendship Crimea agency, which has already been declared a "new stage in political, economic and cultural relations between France and Crimea."

The question of who pays for the travel of French citizens to occupied Donbas and Sevastopol, who pays for leasing the premises of the "consulate" and how altruistic and useless their actions are is also very relevant. Of course, this is far from the level of former PACE President Pedro Agramunt, who, with other MPs, was flying on a Russian military aircraft to Syria, as well as the level of representatives of the French parliament, such as a member of the National Assembly, Thierry Mariani, who traveled with his colleagues to the occupied peninsula and said that Crimea belongs to Russia. Private visits, freedom of movement and expression of will...

Separatism has now become a widespread and dangerous phenomenon in Europe. Wealthy regions want to manage their budget, so they want to secede, as was the case with Catalonia and prosperous regions in the north of Italy. Less wealthy regions are striving for self-determination, even though they live on subsidies from the state. The issue concerns, in particular, the French islands of Corsica and New Caledonia. There is also the Basque Country in Spain, Scotland, Flanders in Belgium, South Tyrol, and even Bavaria in Germany. All these regions are or may become carriers of separatism under certain conditions. Large-scale support for separatist ideas is now very unlikely in Bavaria or South Tyrol. At the same time, in Catalonia or Corsica it's enough to pick up the slogans, and millions of people will take to the streets and then vote for independence.

If we take this into account, it's interesting to model the situation  how would it be seen if German or Spanish parliamentarians, representatives of local government, visited New Caledonia or Catalonia and supported secession in their statements? What would be the reaction of the central governments of European countries if their territories seeking independence or autonomy would open "honorary consulates" in other countries, simulating foreign policy activities? Does the opening of an honorary consulate of the Basque Country in Munich or an honorary consulate of Corsica in Rome seem unrealistic? It seemed so until the "DPR" had begun "diplomatic" activity in Europe and in fact received tacit consent, because despite the Vienna Convention, its "honorary consulate," registered as a public organization, but only with a well-modeled name, operates in Marseille.

Another inalienable part of the hybrid war was literature, theater, and cinema. These are instruments of subtle influence on intellectuals, on those who, by virtue of their education, will not believe in cursed boys and the destruction of snigers. But books and films - believe it. I will not speak for other countries, but in France it is very noticeable. The French are by nature prudent and intelligent people, but are ready to actively defend their rights (from where all these strikes and endless protests) and respects alternative points of view, especially those based on their own experience. The main thing is to correctly represent these points of view and experience.

Literature, theater, and cinema have become another integral part of the hybrid war. These are tools of subtle influence on intellectuals, on those who, by virtue of their education, will not believe in "crucified boys" and the "killing of bullfinches." However, they will believe books and films. I cannot say that about other countries, but it is very noticeable in France. The French are prudent and intelligent people, but are ready to actively defend their rights (through all these strikes and endless protests) and respect alternative points of view, especially those based on their own experience. The main thing is to correctly represent these points of view and experience.

A book by DPR fighter Zakhar Prilepin titled "Letters from Donbas. Everything that should be resolved" was presented to French readers at the Paris Book Fair this year as such an "alternative point of view." The "DPR" militant was presented as a "chronicler" of the war, an impartial eyewitness of those events. Only Ukrainian activists who came to the forum dared to tell the truth about this author, accusing Pridepin of murdering Ukrainians.

Another well-known "alternative point of view" is a film by Paul Moreira "Ukraine: The Masks of the Revolution" on which the film director filed a lawsuit against Ukrainian journalist Anna Jaillard-Chesanovska. She translated materials for the movie and accused Moreira of bias.

Other "alternative points of view" include a philosophical novel by Belgian lawyer and writer of French origin Eric Cusas "The Heart of Christian" ("Coeur de Chretien"). But this is not only a plot against Ukraine, but against the whole European community. Eric Cusas, a long-time favorite of the Kremlin, an active right-wing anarchist and EU-skeptic, convinces readers in his novel that the European Union, as a global institution, has lost its relevance and is steadily moving to a decline and that the situation could be remedied by the creation of a new model of a global Europe. There was nothing special at first glance, but an evening debate at which the book was presented was organized by a "French-Russian working group," non-profit association "Cercle du Bon Sens," which not only promotes the strengthening of French-Russian friendship, but also holds anti-Ukrainian events. For example, last year, "Cercle du Bon Sens" together with the "Donetsk French-Russian Institute of the DPR," held a round table discussion "Plumes d'Octobre rouge" ("Red Feathers of October"), during which participants discussed "fake" Ukrainian borders, denied the existence of Ukrainians as a nation, and called them "Little Russians." The head of the organization, Anna Gichkina, intended to open an "honorary consulate" in Strasbourg, similar to the one operating in Marseille, in the city that is the home to the governing bodies of the Council of Europe, the PACE, the ECHR and the European Parliament.

This again shows how subtle and veiled the methods of hybrid warfare may be. After all, neither "tea" nor "conversations" bring anything terrible... at first glance. Where did translator and scientist Gichkina find the funds for organizing such events at expensive restaurants in Strasbourg to promote anti-Ukrainian and now also anti-European ideas? That's a rhetorical question...

Weak initial attempts at outlining and defining a hybrid war and its "weapons" are observed in Europe. The spread of false information, influence on electoral processes and cyberattacks are already noticeable. In particular, the PACE at its latest session passed a resolution under a report "Legal challenges related to hybrid war and human rights obligations." Yes, this is a move forward, but this document, which, in comparison with its absence, is already a breakthrough, and compared to how the events "on the front" of the hybrid war are developing, is a quiet whisper with an expression of "anxiety," complaints about "legal asymmetry" and conducting a hybrid war in the "gray" zone or "on the brink" of the law. The most tragic is that for Western Europe, where honesty, respect for the law and democratic principles are an integral part of the consciousness and perception of everyone, these same high principles are being turned into weapons in the hybrid war. Indeed, how can one punish and oppose what was not defined, what was not legally adopted, what is beyond the high principles and concepts of a developed society. But is it possible to judge the barbarians under democratic laws, which they despise so stubbornly?

Here the insight is inevitable. There is already an example. Britain has become the first country in Europe to feel the non-hybrid blow of the hybrid war - after attempted murder of the Skripals. Others have drawn conclusions from this disappointing lesson. The collective expulsion of Russian diplomats may be followed in the foreseeable future by the creation of a G7 group, which, according to Boris Johnson, "would look at Russian malign behavior in all its manifestations, whether it's cyberwar, whether it's disinformation, assassination attempts, whatever it happens to be, and collectively try and call it out." However, there is no time for reflection and searches. There is only time for action.

Olha Budnyk, Strasbourg
Organizers of the event, the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, emphasized that further cooperation between the EU and Moscow was impossible under the current circumstances.

The European Union should put more economic pressure on Russia and assist Kyiv in having its prisoners of war still held in eastern Ukraine by pro-Moscow separatists and regular Russian Army units released, European Parliament Members Anna Fotyga and Kosma Zlotowski said on May 3 in Brussels.

The Polish parliamentarians also accused European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker of being a friend of Russia and betraying European values for the sake of economic interests, New Europe reports.

Their comments came as part of a discussion on the economic and human costs of Russias Aggression in Ukraine, which attracted a great deal of attention from Brussels policy-makers and the media.

Having given a platform to the victims of the ongoing armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has cost 10,300 lives since April 2014, the organizers of the event, the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, emphasized that further cooperation between the EU and Moscow was impossible under the current circumstances.

Read alsoUkraine's envoy: "DPR" and "LPR" want 80 fighters in exchange for 15 Ukrainian hostages"Within a few months of the (2008) war in Georgia coming to an end, the leaders of the free world decided to go into deeper relations with Russia. There were warnings from Tbilisi that the aggression would continue and the next country might be Ukraine but at that time, (the Wests) economic interests, unfortunately, took precedence," said Fotyga, who added that any new dialogue with Russia must be prefaced by the EU putting more economic pressure on Moscow in order to compel the Kremlin to fulfil the Minsk Accords that were signed in 2015, and which call for an immediate ceasefire and the release of POWs held in eastern Ukraine by Russian-backed forces.

A group of 45 MEPs recently signed a letter calling for further EU sanctions on Moscow and expressed concern with Junckers personal position on the war in Ukraine, as he "openly" admits to being on friendly terms with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I think it is improper when the President of the European Commission calls himself a friend of Putin. Russias policy is still aggressive, and we have to put more pressure on the Kremlin to free prisoners that are illegally detained by terrorists in eastern Ukraine and force them to withdraw from Ukrainian territory," said Fotyga.
Italy and Greece have failed to properly log and register around two-thirds of the irregular, illegal, and asylum seeker migrants pouring over their borders, the Dutch have claimed. The systematic shortfalls have undermined the European Unions (EU) open borders Schengen system and acted as a massive pull factor, the Netherlands migration minister, Mark Harbers, has said.

As Breitbart writes in an article "Italy and Greece Accused of Waving Irregular Migrants Through Borders", in a letter seen by The Times, he questioned the claim of the European Commission that the registration and fingerprinting of migrants arriving in Greece and Italy has reached a rate of almost 100 per cent. Ninety-five per cent of irregular migrants and asylum seekers arrive from other Schengen states, he wrote. Only one third have been registered previously. This means about two thirds still manage to enter and travel through other member states undetected and unregistered, despite all measures taken to improve registration.

The failure to register such migrants, who go on to claim asylum in other nations, has left the Netherlands unable to follow the EUs Dublin agreement rules and return them to the country via which they first entered Europe. The Netherlands ends up granting protection to large numbers of asylum seekers who consciously refuse to apply for protection in the member state of first arrival, Mr. Harbers added. Giving asylum seekers this de facto choice of which member state they want to settle in is in itself a pull factor.

Last week, it was reported that Greece is once again being overwhelmed by migrants surging across its land border with Turkey, in scenes compared to the height of the 2015 migrant crisis. The country bore the brunt of the 2015 influx, which saw over 815,000 illegal migrants cross the Aegean Sea in boats. The number of illegal migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Italy has also recently doubled in the space of a month. In January, more than 4,800 made the journey, double the figure from the previous month of December in 2017.
Earlier, top prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko said that "the ball is on the U.S. side" claiming Ukraine cannot finish its investigation without information from the FBI probe.

Top Senate Democrats are pushing Ukrainian officials to explain allegations that theyre not cooperating with special counsel Robert Muellers investigation because they fear U.S. President Donald Trump.

The three senators  Robert Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Durbin and Patrick Leahy wrote a letter Friday to Ukraine Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko, expressing concern about a recent New York Times report quoting Ukrainian government officials saying its relationship with the U.S. and Trump administration is too valuable to jeopardize in any way, according to The Washington Times.

As strong advocates for a robust and close relationship with Ukraine, we believe that our cooperation should extend to such legal matters, regardless of politics, the senators wrote. Blocking cooperation with the Mueller probe potentially cuts off a significant opportunity for Ukrainian law enforcement to conduct a more thorough inquiry into possible crimes committed during the Yanukovich era.

This reported refusal to cooperate with the Mueller probe also sends a worrying signal  to the Ukrainian people as well as the international community  about your governments commitment more broadly to support justice and the rule of law, the senators wrote.

The letter also includes questions the senators have about Mr. Lutsenkos office allegedly preventing the issuing of subpoenas to collect evidence and interview witnesses in four open cases related to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yevhen Yenin said U.S. law enforcement officials had not applied to the Prosecutor General's Office for assistance in their investigation into possible wrongdoings by Donald Trump's ex-campaign chief Paul Manafort.

"Neither the FBI nor [Robert]Mueller turned to the PGO with any requests for legal assistance in connection with the Manafort case," Yenin wrote on Facebook.

In turn, People's Deputy Volodymyr Ariev, who was referred to in the NYT piece, stated that his words were pulled out context.

Moreover, Ukraine's Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko said he hoped to join forces with the FBI on an investigation relating to Manafort.

Asked by Reuters about progress on these investigations, Lutsenko said he was told in autumn by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that they had launched their own probe and could not provide information at this stage.

"The ball is on the U.S. side... (we) can't finish our investigation without their results, because we need some information," he said. "I am going to have negotiations with FBI officials and will talk about a joint investigation group with them."
In turn, President Petro Poroshenko said he condemns manifestations of anti-Semitism reported at rallies in Lviv and Odesa.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine rejects any insinuations and accusations over the alleged increase in the number of anti-Semitic manifestations in the country.

"Ukraine consistently condemns any manifestations of intolerance or public anti-Semitic appeals," reads the statement by MFA Ukraine.

"Law enforcement agencies investigate and prosecute everyone guilty of such violations," the ministry said.

Read alsoMisunderstanding: Prominent Jewish leader comments on U.S. congressmen's claim of anti-Semitism in UkraineThe statement notes that "such shameful provocations are often inspired by the Kremlin regime, which is trying to stir the political situation and once again throw a shadow of anti-Semitism on Ukraine."

"According to the Congress of National Communities of Ukraine NGO's national minority rights monitoring group, no cases of anti-Semitic violence were recorded in Ukraine in 2017, while according to a poll by PEW Research Center, the level of anti-Semitism in Ukraine is the lowest across Central- Eastern Europe," the foreign ministry reported.

In turn, President Petro Poroshenko said he condemns manifestations of anti-Semitism that were reported at rallies in Lviv and Odesa.

Earlier, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine expressed disappointment over manifestations of anti-Semitism in Odesa and Lviv.

Read alsoVyatrovych comments on U.S. congressmen's letter on "anti-Semitism" in UkraineOn the evening of May 2, the "March of Ukrainian order" was held in Odesa, organized nationalist movements, Head of the local "Right Sector" unit Tetiana Soikina called for the city "to belong to Ukrainians, not Jews."

Odesa Police Department launched an investigation into public anti-Semitic appeals.

Earlier, U.S. congressmen Ro Khanna and David Cicilline led over 50 House Republicans in pushing for the U.S. State Department to exert diplomatic pressure on Poland and Ukraine for recent incidents of anti-Semitism.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine rejected accusations, saying that they consider it inadmissible for any Ukrainian or foreign citizens to be discriminated, intimidated or persecuted for belonging to another religion, nation or culture.
Movenko believes that his persecution is actually a result of him trying to press charges against an attacker who on September 7, 2016, assaulted him over a pro-Ukrainian sticker on a bicycle.

The court of Sevastopol sentenced a 40-year-old Igor Movenko to two years in prison for a comment he made for the "Crimea-Ukraine" community in VKontakte social network.

Movenko was found guilty of public calls to extremism, Dozhd reports.

According to the man's lawyer, Oksana Zheleznyak, the prosecutor requested a probation period but the court went for a tougher sentence on her defendant. The lawyer now says she plans to file an appeal.

The criminal case was launched in April 2017 over the comment published in the summer of 2016.

As noted by "Mediazona", the commentary supposedly "expressed Movenko's pro-Ukrainian position, which Zheleznyak confirmed without specifying the nature of the comment made.

Read alsoCrimean attacked for Ukrainian symbols faces jail term for seeking justiceAs UNIAN reported earlier, citing KHPG, Movenko believes that his persecution is actually a result of him trying to press charges against an attacker who on September 7, 2016, assaulted him over a pro-Ukrainian sticker on a bicycle.

The man who brutally assaulted him claimed to be from the police, though he did not show any ID. The Crimean Human Rights Group later did in fact identify him as Volodymyr Sukhodolsky, who had served in a Berkut special force unit before becoming a turncoat in 2014. He is now working for the Russian police.

There is no evidence that a criminal investigation was ever launched over the attack, though Movenko himself ended up fined two thousand roubles for the sticker because it included a logo of the Azov Battalion officially banned in Russia.
The enemy employed 122 mm artillery.

At about 20:00 Kyiv time on Friday, May 4, Russian-terrorist forces once again shelled civilian houses in Zaitseve.

The enemy employed 122 mm cannons in the attack that damaged a number of civilian households, according to the Joint Forces Operation Staff press service.

Rescue and repair teams were deployed in the settlement, the report adds.

Also, over the past day, hostilities continued in the areas of Sokolniki, Maiorsk, Avdiyivka, Novhorodske, and Starohnativka. Ukraine forces reported five instances of the enemy using five times the weapons banned by Minsk agreements.

Read alsoJoint Forces Operation: Donbas militants suffer losses in past day"Active defense by joint forces hindered the plans of the enemy who suffered losses," the report reads.

According to Ukraine intelligence, militants in the past day have 3 KIAs and 3 WIAs.

In the same period, three Ukrainian troops were wounded. All of them have been evacuated to the hospital, with no threat to their life reported.
First detentions have already been reported.

Protest rallies titled "He's not our tsar" launched across Russian cities, set up by supporters of the Russian opposition's Alexei Navalny on Sunday.

In addition to the rally's main slogan, protesters carry posters saying "Enough lies" and "Enough war," according to Meduza.

Rallies agreed with municipal authorities were held in Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Magadan and Irkutsk.

In Barnaul, where people took to a local park and thus required no permit, police detained several participants. According to the activists, protesters were accused of "interfering" with another event involving schoolchildren. At least 10 people were detained.

Read alsoElection violations in Russia unable to prevent Putin's winToday, rallies are also to be held in a number of Siberian cities, including Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Ulan-Ude.

In Krasnoyarsk, a coordinator of Navalny's Staff, Yana Gerasimova, was detained just ahead of the rally, being accused of organizing an uncoordinated event.

As UNIAN reported, the inauguration of the re-elected President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, will be held on May 7.
Participants claim law enforcers slammed hard down on the crowd, employing truncheons.

"He's not our tsar" rallies that rolled across Russia ahead of Vladimir Putin's inauguration saw more than a thousand protesters being detained by police forces.

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who stands behind today's protests, has also been detained in Moscow.

According to media reports, some 475 people were detained in Moscow, 164 in Chelyabinsk, 75 in Yakutsk, 63 in Togliatti, 53 in St. Petersburg, 49 in Krasnodar, 35 in Krasnoyarsk, 28 in Kaluga, 26 in Novokuznetsk, and 19 in Samara.

OVD-Info reported detentions in Barnaul, Blagoveshchensk, Voronezh, Penza, Kurgan, Tver, Kemerovo, Yekaterinburg and Tomsk.

A total of 1,029 people were taken to police stations, says meduza.io.

One of the eyewitnesses, Ilya Azar, shared his impressions of the rally in Moscow: "The police were harsh, actively employing truncheons despite their "tourist police" patches. There were many detentions (please, visit the [World] Cup). Protesters were beaten not only by police, but also by various 'comrades' sporting St. George ribbons, as well as 'Cossacks' (including, with whips). In general, the rally saw more 'civil defense' forces and other regime supporters than ever before," he wrote in a social network.

Also, according to media reports, parents are not allowed to underage detainees in Moscow.
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Pakistan on Saturday, proposed Asian Development Bank (ADB) to further strengthen its resident missions to oversee the operations of projects more effectively and augment the locally deficient capacities.

MANILA (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th May, 2018 ) May 5 (APP):Pakistan on Saturday, proposed Asian Development Bank (ADB) to further strengthen its resident missions to oversee the operations of projects more effectively and augment the locally deficient capacities. "The ADB may also further strengthen its capacity to support social sector, help expand private sector, operations including Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs), enabling development member countries to address these challenges," Secretary of Economic Affairs Division, Syed Ghazanfar Abbas Jilani said, who is heading Pakistani delegation, while addressing the 51st annual meeting of board of Governors of the ADB here. He said the recent initiatives in CAREC and the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will contribute to improve regional connectivity, build modern infrastructure, and create enormous job opportunities in the whole region. In this regard, he said the ADB's continued technical and financial assistance was highly commendable and would enhance regional connectivity and trade between CAREC member countries. Jilani said many of the development member countries had continued to face challenges caused by entrenched poverty and vulnerability, global economic uncertainty, climate change and environment degradation, urbanization and aging, therefore, it was imperative for ADB to build on its strength to support infrastructure financing and regional integration. "The 21st century has distinctive characteristics with a shift from industrial economies to knowledge-based economies, today Asia is ready to leave this momentous transformation.

If the potential of our economy is fully harness through appropriate policies and plan of actions, Asia will certainly play a far greater role in world affairs in promoting global well being," he added.

He said in the realization of ADB's vision of poverty free prosperous Asia pacific region, "I would like to specifically mention that we had useful discussion on the strategy 2030 early this morning which will continue to engage us till its finalization later this year". He also appreciated ADB president's role in introducing reforms and initiatives which were being implemented by the ADB leadership. "I would also like to appreciate the expansion of ADB's operation during the recent years by mobilizing more financial resources through the merger of ADB's Asian Development Fund and ordinary capital resources facilities as well as arranging co-financing from other bilateral and multi-lateral partners." He said, "special importance are the ADB's policy-based programme loans that proved pivotal in supporting the reform agendas of the developing member countries". He said the government of Pakistan also "appreciates the proposal regarding the project readiness technical assistance loan with advance facilities." "We would emphasize augmentation of support for public private partnership to address the evolving needs and operating environment of developing member countries as well as leverage for the funding for the development needs," he added. He said result based lending was another very effective modality initiative by the ADB in the year 2013 and he hoped that the share of result-based lending would continue to enhance.
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ISLAMABAD, May 4 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th May, 2018 ) :Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting Ms Marriyum Aurangzeb said democracy in the country would not gain strength in an oxygen tent and the government could not be run when it was made dysfunctional and paralyzed.

She was speaking in the Senate in regards to clash between the police and journalists on Thursday. Marriyum said she had presented interim report about the incident in the house and the final report would be presented later identifying the people responsible for the episode.

The minister said freedom of speech was being granted by choice notwithstanding the fact that it was not a choice but a fundamental right. She said the most heinous censorship in the history of the country was in vogue at the moment, difference of opinion was being stifled and certificates of patriotism were being awarded by choice.

Marriyum said people were also subjected to mental torture and freedom of speech was allowed selectively. The minister further said the democratic voices were being gagged, opinions of civil society were being suppressed and the articles contributed by the journalists were not being allowed to be published.

She said even the voice of the thrice elected prime minister was often muted. Marriyum said when Bhutto was sent to gallows, the newspapers came out with blank pages. She said the difference after 40 years was that the newspapers were made dumb and the tv channels were being silenced.

Marriyum said she as Information minister felt ashamed over the permeating situation and had mulled over the prospect of resigning several times. However, she observed that for how long they would continue to resign out of fear and helplessness and prime ministers would continue going home? She asked as to why that phenomenon could not be resisted collectively? The minister said the situation was so grave that even an article by former senator Afrasiyab Khattak was not allowed to be published.

She said there were also attempts in the offing to divide the media. The minister lamented that her name was excluded from the committee formed to select chairman PEMRA saying that she would be busy in issuing statements therefore she should be removed from the committee.
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Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal Saturday said enemies of Pakistan were sponsoring terrorism activities to create unrest and sabotage China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project

ISLAMABAD,(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th May, 2018 ) :Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal Saturday said enemies of Pakistan were sponsoring terrorism activities to create unrest and sabotage China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

Talking to a private news channel, he said, since banned outfits were not organized in the country, foreign funded targeted activities against Hazara community in Quetta was conspiracy to create chaos.

"Such activities are planned across the border," he said. He said Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government took security of the country as a challenge in 2013 and achieved success by improving overall situation of law and order throughout the country.

Law enforcement agencies were fighting on front-line and rendering sacrifices of lives in line of duties in Balochistan, he said adding that terror related incidents had declined due to efforts jointly made by the Federal and provincial governments.

The minister said security had been beefed up in the province besides enhancing capacity of the police there. "Work on fencing our border with Afghanistan is being completed on fast track as it is a permanent solution to stop illegal movement on the border," he added.
Cruise ship Prince Vladimir arrived in Sochi from Sevastopol to begin the first trip with tourists on board, the Sochi seaport reports.

Prince Vladimir entered the port of Sochi, its departure to Crimea is scheduled for tomorrow," TASS reports.

Recall earlier it became known that the first trip of Prince Vladimir was postponed due to the ship's malfunction.
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Saturday rebutted a news item appearing in a section of press about closure of cases against politicians in Sindh, terming it "absolutely baseless and based on half-truth.

ISLAMABAD, May 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th May, 2018 ) :National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Saturday rebutted a news item appearing in a section of press about closure of cases against politicians in Sindh, terming it "absolutely baseless and based on half-truth." "It was attributed in media that all cases against politicians particularly those belonging to a certain political party have been closed by NAB in Sindh, which is not correct," said a press release issued here.

The NAB said it was attributed in media that MNA Faryal Talpur that no allegation could have been proved against Faryal Talpur, therefore, the cases against her have been closed. "The fact is that NAB has never instituted any case against Faryal Talpur, whereas an inquiry was initiated in 17.1.2016 against her husband on the basis of a complaint on the allegations of accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income, proceedings of which were carried out under National Accountability Ordinance 1999 in which records regarding his wealth were collected and along with recording of statements of individuals acquainted with the facts, defence of Mir Munawar Ali Talpur was also recorded.

The findings of the inquiry could not reveal the charges which went through the scrutiny of the highest forum i.e. Executive Board and the case was closed on 21.12.2016 on the basis of the fact that no incriminating evidence could come on record.

Mir Munawar Ali Talpur was found to be in possession of assets made through his known sources of income," it said. It was reported in media that case of accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income against Sohail Muzaffar aka Tappi was closed by the NAB, while the fact is that no case against this individual was ever initiated against him.

"However, on the basis of oral accounts revealed in a case related to allotment of lands in Karachi, on his alleged role of influencing Govt. functionaries, he was included in the inquiry proceedings and notice was issued to him." It was attributed in media that cases against Sohail Anwer Siyal had been closed by NAB, which is incorrect information.

"The fact is that the complaint against him on the allegations of accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income is under process." It was said in media that cases against Jam Khan Shoro were closed and he was not included in the inquiry proceedings subsequent to NAB's raids on Local Govt.

Department. The NAB clarified that no case had ever been initiated against him, however, a complaint was received against Jam Khan Shoro regarding usurpation of land in Hyderabad for which preliminary probe is underway to ascertain whether a formal inquiry on his role in it can be initiated.

Commenting on another case, the NAB said had initiated an inquiry against Zia Ahmed Lanjar on the allegations of assets beyond known sources of income and money laundering, which was completed on the basis of preliminary incriminating evidence and thorough legal scrutiny.

The case is under consideration for conversion into an investigation for filing a reference. The NAB also clarified that Mukesh Kumar Chawla no case had ever been instituted against Mukesh Kumar Chawla, nor any substantive complaint against him was ever received.

Regarding case of illegal appointments in education Department against Pir Mazhar ul Haq, the NAB said factual position was that the was made during tenure of his office, in which he was included in inquiry proceedings about appointments made only in Karachi.

"Such appointments allegedly were around 2600, whereas no evidence was on record whether those alleged appointees were not ever working, nor was any salary released to any such appointee.

Also, there was no evidence that such attempt of offence was made by the alleged Minister.

Whereas, illegal appointments of Education Department made in other districts of Sindh were thoroughly inquired and investigated, followed by filing of five references in competent court which are under trial.

The References include Districts Mirpurkhas, Matiari, Tando Muhammad Khan, Jamshoro and Hyderabad (filed by NAB Karachi). Those appointments, as per the evidence, were made by the respective District Recruitments Committees and appointing authorities who have been sent up for trial." The NAB also made it clear that no cases were instituted against Ikram Dharejo and Mahar Brothers of Ghotki.

Clarifying another case, the NAB said there were seven cases (five inquiries, two investigations) against Manzoor Qadir Kaka involving illegal allotments of amenity plots, illegal consolidations of lands, illegal appointments in SBCA, illegal approvals of building plans etc, which are under process.

However, the references will be filed after complete process of legal scrutiny. "Therefore, presenting an incorrect picture regarding cases against the accused does not confirm to the facts as narrated above.

" The NAB said in categorical and clear terms that cases are initiated on the basis of complaints. In order to prevent the alleged from an unnecessary ordeal of proceedings followed by various complaints, a preliminary probe is undertaken to ascertain the veracity of contents of complaint and genuineness of complainants during complaint scrutiny and verification.

The concept of Combined Investigation Teams (CITs), thorough appreciation of prosecutable solid evidence under legal scrutiny at multiple tiers, due process of law, affording of full opportunity of defense to the alleged and decisions by way of consultative mechanism under high powered Boards are just few instances of transparency in process of initiation and completion of investigative cases, which sometimes consumes more time than usual in sending up cases for trial.

The NAB files references on the basis of cases sufficiently made out on irrefutable solid evidence as per the standards and principles set out by NAB Law, Cr.PC and Evidence Act; and not on the basis of assumptions, presumptions or consideration of reputation of the alleged.

This, undoubtedly rules out the attribution to the NAB of initiation and disposals of cases on political grounds or any other considerations as Chairman NAB Justice Javed Iqbal not only believes but also implemented "Accountability for All" policy across the board due to which NAB sun is shining across the country.

It was ascribed in media that August State institutions and public has been dismissive of NAB's performance which is absolutely baseless. As a matter of record, the NAB's performance has been appreciated by national and international institutions like PILDAT, Transparency international and World Economic Forum.

Today conviction rate of NAB's cases is the highest (77%) amongst other investigating agencies and more than 290 billion recoveries made by NAB and all were deposited in national exchequer which is a record achievement.

Due to proactive anti corruption strategy of NAB, the number of complaints lodged by general public has been increasing manifold from the previous year, which is reflective of growing confidence reposed by public in NAB.
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ISLAMABAD, May 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th May, 2018 ) :Chief of General Staff, Turkey, General Hulusi Akar Saturday visited Air Headquarters here on Saturday. The visiting guest was received by Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

A smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Air Force presented the Guard of Honour. Later on, he called on Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan in his office. Both the dignitaries discussed matters of professional and mutual interest.

General Hulusi AKAR appreciated the professionalism of PAF personnel. He also lauded PAF's role in fighting the war against terrorism and expressed his desire to learn from its experiences. The air chief highlighted that both the countries enjoy cordial and brotherly relations and reiterated his resolve to further enhance the existing cooperation between the two countries.

He also assured continued support in the field of aviation and military training to Turkish Air Force.
Croatian Red Cross (HCK), the largest humanitarian organisation in the country, on Saturday celebrated the 140th anniversary of its establishment by a parade through Zrinjevac Park in the centre of Zagreb.

ZAGREB, May 5 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th May, 2018 ) :Croatian Red Cross (HCK), the largest humanitarian organisation in the country, on Saturday celebrated the 140th anniversary of its establishment by a parade through Zrinjevac Park in the centre of Zagreb.

The organisation's president Josip Jelic said that the Croatian Red Cross conducted 19 activities on a regular basis plus 41 programmes which were carried out by 131 local branches across the country.

Red Cross soup kitchen serve 530,000 meals annually.

Jelic spoke about the 100,000 Croatian citizens who receive social welfare payments and who need assistance from charities. HCK Executive Director Robert Markt spoke about the beginnings of the work of the association in 1878 when first associations of volunteers were set up in Zadar, Dubrovnik and Zagreb.

The celebrations of the 140th anniversary are being held under the auspices of President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, parliament, government and City of Zagreb.
An environmental campaign will take place in all municipalities across Macedonia on Saturday, including the cleaning of illegal landfills, removal of communal waste, cleaning of streets and parks

Skopje, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th May, 2018 ) :An environmental campaign will take place in all municipalities across Macedonia on Saturday, including the cleaning of illegal landfills, removal of communal waste, cleaning of streets and parks.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev will pay a visit to Dojran municipality and take part in the campaign, organized by the Association of Local Self-Government Units (ZELS). "The City of Skopje and municipalities across the country put the commitment for cleaner and healthier environment among their top priorities," said ZELS president and Skopje mayor Petre Silegov.
Bangui, Central African Republic, May 4 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th May, 2018 ) :An aide to South Sudan's ambassador to Central Africa was shot and killed apparently by mistake in Bangui on Friday, by men from the Central Office for the Suppression of Banditry (OCRB), government sources told AFP.

The incident took place after the OCRB men spotted the unnamed aide with a weapon in his car and gave chase, shooting him as arrived at his home in the Sudanese diplomatic compound, the sources said.

Central African President Faustin-Archange Touadera went to the scene of the shooting to apologise for the shooting which appeared to be a "blunder" by the OCRB men. The city remained tense on Friday after at least 24 people died on Tuesday in attacks that targeted a church and a mosque.

Around 170 people were also wounded, sparking fears that one of the world's most unstable countries would plunge once more into a bloody sectarian conflict.
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A Saudi delegation is on the strategic Yemeni island of Socotra in a bid to defuse tensions which erupted after the United Arab Emirates deployed troops there, Yemeni state media reported.

Aden, May 5 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th May, 2018 ) :A Saudi delegation is on the strategic Yemeni island of Socotra in a bid to defuse tensions which erupted after the United Arab Emirates deployed troops there, Yemeni state media reported.

The UAE is a key partner in a Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting Huthi rebels since 2015 to restore Yemen's internationally recognised government to power. A Yemeni government source told AFP the UAE deployed forces in Socotra without informing the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, which controls the island.

Socotra, which has been spared the violence that has ravaged mainland Yemen, sits at the exit of a bustling shipping lane that leads from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean. A site of global importance for biodiversity and sometimes referred to as the "Galapagos of the Indian Ocean", it lies around 350 kilometres (220 miles) off Yemen's southern coast.

The delegation led by Saudi general Ahmed Abderrahman al-Shiri met on Friday with Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher in the presence of an Emirati official, Saba news agency reported. It said the delegation was informed by the Yemeni government and Socotra officials "of what has recently happened on the island".

Talks also focused on "tensions that have existed in Socotra since the prime minister and his delegation arrived" on the island on Wednesday, Saba said. The government source said the UAE forces arrived in Socotra as the premier landed in the island for a visit.

That sparked anger among residents who argued that there were no Huthi rebels on the island to justify such a deployment, the source added. Although the UAE has been a pillar of the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Huthis, it has recently taken its distance from Hadi, analysts have said.

The UAE has worked closely with the Yemeni army and trained southern troops, but also backs separatists who wrenched control of the south from Hadi in January. Meanwhile the UAE state minister for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash on Friday highlighted in a tweet on Friday the "historic links" between his country and Socotra.

"We have historic and family links with the residents of Socotra and we will back them during Yemen's ordeal which was sparked by the Huthis," he said. The Yemen war has claimed nearly 10,000 lives since Riyadh and its allies joined the conflict in March 2015, triggering what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
The advisory body, set up by the bishops and religious congregations will monitor responses to the clerical sex abuse scandal

Australias Catholic bishops and religious congregations have established a new advisory group to help with monitoring the Catholic Churchs ongoing response to the child sexual abuse scandal.

Archbishop Denis Hart of Melbourne, who heads the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said the new Implementation Advisory Group will monitor the response to the findings of the Royal Commission, as well as the recommendations of the churchs own Truth, Justice and Healing Council.

In a statement published on Thursday, Archbishop Hart and Sr Ruth Durick, president of Catholic Religious Australia, said three key groups will now be working together to take forward the work arising from the Royal Commission and the work of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council.

These are an independent not-for-profit company called Catholic Professional Standards Ltd, a National Redress Reference Group and the Implementation Advisory Group.

The chair of the new advisory group has been named as Jack de Groot, CEO of the St Vincent de Paul Society in New South Wales. He said the role of the group is to provide leadership by influencing all Catholic organisations  whether lay, religious or episcopal  in ensuring that we move to build a healthy culture that lives from a theology that has learned the lessons of the child abuse tragedy.
A particularly severe dust storm on Thursday ravaged parts of the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, causing deaths, injury and damage or loss to property.

The Catholic Church of India has expressed its grief at the loss of life and and property, and injury caused by a particularly severe dust storm on Thursday in parts of the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The Catholic Church condoles the death of our brothers and sisters who were caught unaware as natures fury took hold of large parts of North India, said press release on Saturday signed by Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, the Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), and Fr. Paul Moonjely, the Executive Director of Caritas India, the social arm of the Catholic Church in India.

We express our solidarity with the injured and the suffering, they wrote.

The Home Ministry said the storm also caused eight deaths in southern Telangana state and another eight deaths in northern Uttarakhand and Punjab states.

The CBCI and Caritas said they are already out in the field trying to help needy people, and offered to join hands with the efforts of the government and other agencies in relief operations.

The Catholic Church made it an occasion to invite all to reflect on the issue of climate change, which is manifesting itself in natural disasters, as pointed out by Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si.

Please find below the full text of the press release:

CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE OF INDIA (CBCI)

The Catholic Bishops Conference of India expresses its profound grief and sorrow at the terrible and unimaginable havoc wrecked by the severe dust storm that has ravaged parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. It is reported that more than 150 people have lost their lives and hundreds others are injured and thousands left without shelter. The damage has been the worst seen in 20 years, according to officials with India's Meteorological department. They have also issued warnings that more bad weather is to come, with severe thunderstorms expected in several places in northern India over the next few days.

The Catholic Church condoles the death of our brothers and sisters who were caught unaware as natures fury took hold of large parts of North India. We express our solidarity with the injured and the suffering.

The Catholic Church is already out in the field through her Wing of Mercy and Charity, Caritas India. While trying to help people without discrimination of faith, or class, wherever it is possible for us to reach out, Caritas India, for more precise operations, is specially concentrating on the districts of Agra in Uttar Pradesh and Jayour in Rajasthan. We appreciate the efforts being put in by the Government and its agencies to provide immediate help and relief to the affected and extend our hand of partnership to the Government. Even as people are trying to build up their lives, we are concerned about the health situation in the areas affected. The Catholic Bishops Conference expresses its ardent desire to work with the Government and all like-minded agencies to provide relief and help in all possible ways to the suffering people.

This is also an occasion for all of us to think and reflect seriously on the issue of climate change, as indicated by Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si and which is more and more manifesting itself through natural Disasters. According to experts, while dust storms are quite common in North India, the extraordinary dust and thunderstorms are connected to the rapid rate of desertification in several Indian states. The environment ministry says a quarter of the country's land is undergoing desertification - while independent experts put the figure much higher. Increasing desertification would mean more intense and damaging dust storms. Environmentalists have predicted that droughts will become more severe in this part of South Asia with climatic changes.

The Catholic Church invites men and women of good will everywhere to join it and others in providing succour and assistance wherever needed. If you wish to join us you may get in touch with Caritas India at director@caritasindia.org or our person in the field Mr. Anjan Bag at 9831065890.

We pray for all those affected and also for all who are actively or through contributions helping the people in dire distress. May the Almighty bless us with his abundant graces and mercies.

Jai hind!

Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas SFX

Secretary General,

Catholic Bishops Conference of India

Fr. Paul Moonjely

Executive Director

Caritas India
Russia's most widely known opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, has been released from police custody, after he and hundreds of his supporters were detained Saturday during demonstrations in Moscow and 90 other cities to protest Vladimir Putin's inauguration to another six-year presidential term.

Navalny said in a tweet that he was released early Sunday morning.

On Saturday, within minutes of Navalny's arrival at a protest in central Moscow, he was arrested along with his ally, Nikolai Lyaskin.

Baton-wielding riot police  and even men dressed in traditional Cossack uniforms  repeatedly waded into the Moscow crowd of mostly younger Russians to make arrests.

Aleksei Aleksandrov, a correspondent for Current Time, a Russian-language television show produced by VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was briefly detained at the demonstration in Moscow. He reported that police were beating protesters with batons and kicking and pushing journalists. Aleksandrov said he could not remember such harsh actions by police in previous Navalny protests.

The independent monitoring group OVD-Info estimated that 1,300 people had been detained nationwide by police, who dubbed the protests "unsanctioned." Nearly half the detentions occurred in the capital alone, OVD-Info said.

In the hours before his appearance, Navalny  barred from running in the March presidential race  stayed at a secret location to avoid being detained before he reached the protest in Pushkinskaya Square. He was dragged off by his arms and legs to a van by five policemen as protesters chanted "Russia without Putin" and "Down with the Tsar."

Navalny was later charged with inciting an unauthorized rally.

Wearing a hat labeled "We are the Power," opposition activist Svetlana Safronova, who participated in the Moscow protest, insisted that under Putin, Russia had become a totalitarian regime. "Everything that is good in our laws, they ignore and break," she said. "They're criminals."

A nationalist youth movement organized a counterprotest in Moscow, attempting to block Navalny's supporters from gaining access to Pushkinskaya Square. Some chanted "Putin-Russia" and "No to Maidan," a reference to the Ukrainian street revolution of 2014 that toppled the country's pro-Russian government.

Maksim Slavin, a spokesman for the radical pro-Putin National Liberation Movement, said his members were there to show that Putin supporters represented the true voice of the people.

Russians, he insisted, would do anything to prevent a street revolution like those that had taken place in neighboring Ukraine or, more recently, Armenia.

"We're against any change in power through unlawful means.  You should do it through referendums, changes in the constitution, or elections," Slavin said.

'In a dead end'

But one activist told a crowd in the city of Khabarovsk, "Putin has already been on his throne for 18 years! We've ended up in a dead end over these 18 years. I don't want to put up with this!"

In St. Petersburg, anti-Putin protesters were prevented from reaching the city's central square.

In Yekaterinburg in the Urals, 1,500 kilometers from Moscow, local reporters estimated that about 1,000 people turned out to protest. There also were reports of protests in Siberian towns. Monitors reported that police arrested about 150 people in Krasnoyarsk, in eastern Siberia, and another 75 in Yakutsk.

In the March election, Putin, who has been either president or prime minister since 1999, won against seven weak challengers with almost 77 percent of the vote. It was the largest margin by any post-Soviet Russian leader, which the Kremlin argues demonstrates his "father of the nation" status and his clear mandate to govern.

One of Putin's challengers, however, described the voting as a "filthy election."

International observers criticized the poll, saying there had been no real choice in the election and complained of widespread allegations of ballot rigging. Russian election officials described the violations as "minor" but said they were investigating.

Despite Putin's overwhelming election win, Monday's inauguration ceremony will be a simpler affair than his previous three swearing-ins. The Russian TV station Dozhd reported Saturday that Putin would forgo driving in a presidential motorcade through central Moscow, avoiding the awkward scenes in 2012, when the capital's streets appeared almost empty.

During Monday's inauguration, Putin will stay within the Kremlin's grounds, taking his oath of office in the Andreyevsky Hall. He is due to step outside the hall to thank party volunteers who worked on his election campaign.

'Take to the streets'

Navalny, who has been repeatedly detained over the years for organizing anti-Kremlin protests, had urged supporters all week with online messages to protest Saturday, saying, "If you think that he's not our tsar, take to the streets of your cities. We will force the authorities, made up of swindlers and thieves, to reckon with the millions of citizens who did not vote for Putin."

In an effort presumably to head off the protests, Russian police raided the homes of Navalny's supporters on Friday and detained some.

"Activist Ilya Gantvarg was detained in St. Petersburg last [Friday] night," said an Open Russian Foundation press release reported by Interfax.

The Open Russia document also said one of its own members, Viktor Chirikov, was detained in the city of Krasnodar, and that an employee of Navalny's staff was detained in her own backyard in Krasnoyarsk.

"She was taken to a court right from home ... tentatively [to be charged] in connection with the May 5 action," the group said.

In a recent interview with VOA's Russian service, Leonid Volkov, Navalny's chief of staff, had warned that a crackdown was imminent.

"The authorities have been and continue to be afraid of protests. They are trying everything they can  threats, warnings, promises to shatter [the opposition]  it's always the same," he said.

"Politically speaking, they just can't afford to have a large-scale protests in Moscow," he said.

Navalny's regional headquarters in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg were raided early Friday. Police confiscated promotional materials to be used at Saturday's rally.

According to a report by Radio Free Europe, a Navalny organizer in the southern city of Volgograd tweeted that local students had been "forced to sign papers acknowledging that they could face serious consequences, including expulsion, if they take part in the rally."

Navalny, who organized massive street protests to coincide with Putin's 2012 re-election, was barred from the presidential ballot because of a conviction on financial crimes charges he contends were fabricated.
Foreign Ministers of Germany and France, Haiko Maas and Jean-Yves Le Drian, will exchange views on the relations with Russia on the eve of the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Moscow.

The meeting of the foreign ministers will be held in Berlin on May 7th.

"A few days before the visit of the French President, the ministers will exchange views on the conduct of that demanding dialogue that we intend to support with Russia. It addresses a number of aspects of our relations: the EU-Russia relations and the importance of European unity, full implementation of the Minsk agreements in order to achieve settlement of the conflict in the east of Ukraine, " the statement published by the French Foreign Ministry reads.
Boko Haram fighters have attacked villages in the Far North region of Cameroon leaving at least a dozen dead, several soldiers wounded and the villages torched in a large operation involving hundreds of attackers, some of whom used villagers as human shields.

Children gathered in little groups along the road shout to welcome the Cameroon military in Mabanda, a northern village on the border with Nigeria. It is one of the villages that suffered the latest Boko Haram assaults this week.



43-year old village elder Alihou Idrissu says groups of fighters infiltrated the faithful praying in Mosques and sellers and buyers on their market day Wednesday.



He says one group of eight armed men invaded the Mosque while they were praying and ordered the Imam and all Muslims present to lead them to a nearby Cameroon military post. He says those who objected were killed.



Idrissu says the militants operated for over two hours and killed at least 14 villagers whom they accused of failing to inform Boko Haram when Cameroon army arrived in their village ahead of raids on the insurgents' strongholds in the Sambissa forest last month.



Jean Pierre Ndanga, a Cameroon military officer in Mabanda says they found it extremely difficult to fight back because the invaders were using villagers as human shields.



He says when he ordered his troops to get down from their military jeep and move towards hundreds of villagers they saw marching towards the Mabanda village square, they suddenly heard gunshots and immediately understood that Boko Haram fighters were using the people as shields. He says he and many of the troops were wounded as they struggled to retreat to protect the villagers.



Jean Pierre was rushed to the Mabanda health center alongside dozens of injured military and villagers. Laboratory technician Dieudonne Besong says they attended to all of the wounded without discrimination.



He says many villagers had their lives saved thanks to the immediate intervention of health workers. He says four seriously wounded villagers were given the same surgical treatment as wounded military men.



Cameroon's military says the militants fled to neighboring Nigeria after the attack but at least 7 of the insurgents were killed.



Cameroon's semi-arid far North region has been a target of Boko Haram suicide bombings and raids for close to nine years as the Islamist insurgency spilled over the border from Nigeria, killing at least 25,000 in the Lake Chad basin shared by Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger.



The UN Refugee Agency estimates approximately 26 million people in the Lake Chad region have been affected by the Boko Haram violence, and more than 2.6 million displaced.
Peanuts are the most common cause of fatal food-induced anaphylaxis, or severe allergic reaction. But British scientists have found a better way to monitor a significant food hazard by developing a more accurate blood test, and it's five times cheaper than the existing one. VOA's Mariama Diallo reports.
The Supreme Court in Russias Chechnya region Friday rejected an appeal of the extension of the pretrial detention of the chief of a human rights group. That means Oyub Titiyev, the director of Memorials Grozny office, will remain in jail until at least June 9.

The 60-year-old Titiyev has been in pretrial detention in Chechnya since his arrest January 9 on a charge of marijuana possession, which he and his supporters say was fabricated.

He was stopped and detained by police while in his car. Chechen authorities later said drugs had been found in his vehicle. Titiyev and Memorial, the only human rights group with a presence in Chechnya, contend the marijuana was planted in his car.

Other activists, similar cases

According to Western human rights activists, Chechen police systematically plant drugs on critics of Chechnyas pro-Moscow leader, Ramzan Kadyrov.

In 2014, following public criticism of Kadyrov, activist Ruslan Kutayev was sentenced to four years in prison on drug-possession charges that he flatly denied. In 2016, journalist Zhalaudi Geriyev of the Caucasian Knot website was also arrested on drug charges and sentenced to three years in prison. He remains in custody.

Speaking with VOAs Russian Service directly from Titiyevs hearing in Grozny, Tatiana Lokshina, Russia Program Director of Human Rights Watch, said Kadyrovs anger against the Memorial chief is a result of U.S. sanctions placed on him in 2017 in accordance with the Magnitsky Act.

Cases against the most prominent rights activists in Chechnya, she said, can come only from the highest levels of power in the republic.

Right before the new year, when Kadyrov lost his Instagram account because of the U.S. sanctions against him for violating human rights, his right hand, Chechen parliamentary speaker Magomed Daudov, instantly made very aggressive statement on local television ... blaming so-called human rights defenders behind [the sanctions], she said.

Instagram had for years been Kadyrovs preferred mode of public communication, a matter of Kadyrovs image, of his prestige, Oleg Orlov, a Memorial founder, told the Guardian in January. When he feels offended, nothing else is important to him, whoever gets in his way must be destroyed.

Titiyevs arrest came on the next business day, the very first working day after the New Year's holidays.

Just a week after Titiyevs arrest, Kadyrov himself, also speaking on Chechen television, utters a fierce monologue, calling human rights defenders enemies, explaining that he will show how he will break their spine, Lokshina said. In my opinion, this entire chain of events and statements can hardly be regarded as a coincidence. Everything is quite clear here.

Western governments and human rights groups in Russia and abroad have demanded Titiyevs immediate release, saying the case against him is politically motivated.

If convicted, Titiyev faces up to 10 years in prison.
A mining company in South Africa said Saturday that seven workers had died and six had been rescued after an earth tremor caused a rock fall at a gold mine.

The Sibanye-Stillwater company said 13 miners were trapped at the Masakhane mine in Driefontein after the 2.2-magnitude quake Thursday.

The company said the six who were rescued were in stable condition in a hospital. It said the company, the South African mining ministry and others would investigate the incident so that preventive measures could be put in place.

South African labor officials have expressed concern about the safety record at Sibanye-Stillwater facilities. Earlier this year, about 1,000 miners were trapped at another Sibanye-Stillwater gold mine for nearly a day after a power failure.
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China's foreign ministry is denying the Pentagon's accusations that its forces targeted U.S. military aircraft with a high-powered laser near a Chinese military base in Djibouti. It's the latest reported flare-up between the Chinese and U.S. militaries, as VOA's Bill Gallo reports.
Russians angered by the impending inauguration of Vladimir Putin to a new term as president protested Saturday in scores of cities across the country - and police responded by reportedly arresting more than 1,600 of them.

Among those arrested was protest organizer Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who is Putin's most prominent foe.

Police seized Navalny by the arms and legs and carried the thrashing activist from Moscow's Pushkin Square, where thousands were gathered for an unauthorized protest.

Police also used batons against protesters who chanted "Putin is a thief!" and "Russia will be free!"

Demonstrations under the slogan "He is not our czar" took place throughout the country, from Yakutsk in the far northeast to St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad on the fringes of Europe.

The protests demonstrated that Navalny's opposition, although considered beleaguered by Russian officials and largely ignored by state-controlled television, has sizeable support in much of the country.

"I think that Putin isn't worthy of leading this country. He has been doing it for 18 years and has done nothing good for it," said Moscow demonstrator Dmitry Nikitenko. "He should leave for good."

OVD-Info, an organization that monitors political repression, said late Saturday that at least 1,607 people had been detained at demonstrations in 20 Russian cities. It said 704 were arrested in Moscow alone, and another 229 in St. Petersburg.

Moscow police said about 300 people were detained in the capital, state news agencies said, and there was no official countrywide tally.

"Let my son go!" Iraida Nikolaeva screamed, running after police in Moscow when they detained her son. "He did not do anything! Are you a human or not? Do you live in Russia or not?"

Navalny was to be charged with disobeying police, an offense that carries a sentence of up to 15 days, news reports said, though when he would face a judge was not immediately clear. Navalny has served several multi-week stretches in jail on similar charges.

In St. Petersburg, police blocked off a stretch of Nevsky Prospekt as a crowd of about 1,000 marched along the renowned avenue. Video showed some demonstrators being detained.

Putin is to be inaugurated for a new six-year term on Monday after winning re-election in March with 77 percent of the vote. Navalny had hoped to challenge him on the ballot but was blocked because of a felony conviction in a case that supporters regard as falsified in order to marginalize him.

Navalny has called nationwide demonstrations several times in the past year, and their turnout has rattled the Kremlin.

Saturday's protests attracted crowds of hundreds in cities that are far remote from Moscow, challenging authorities' contention that Navalny and other opposition figures appeal only to a small, largely urban elite.
Indian troops killed three suspected rebels during a gunbattle Saturday in the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir, while police blamed insurgents for killing three other men during a day of violence and protests in the disputed region.

Counterinsurgency police and paramilitary soldiers staged a morning raid on a cluster of homes in a densely populated neighborhood of Srinagar after getting a tip that militants were hiding there, police said. Troops asked the trapped militants to surrender but they instead started shooting and sparked a gunbattle, police said.

As the militants and government troops exchanged gunfire, anti-India protests and clashes erupted in several places. Hundreds of demonstrators tried to reach the site of the standoff and threw rocks at troops in a bid to help the rebels escape.

Police and paramilitary soldiers fired shotgun pellets and tear gas to stop the protesters, and at least one protester was run over and killed by a police armored vehicle. As the anti-India protests and clashes spiraled, shops in the city shuttered and authorities switched off mobile internet services to make organizing protests more difficult.

Conflicting claims

Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim it in its entirety. Rebels have been fighting Indian rule since 1989, demanding Indian-controlled Kashmir be made part of Pakistan or become an independent country.

Most Kashmiris support the rebels' cause while also participating in civilian street protests against Indian control. In recent years, mainly young Kashmiris have displayed open solidarity with rebels and sought to protect them by engaging troops in street clashes during military operations. Last year, at least 29 civilians were killed and hundreds were wounded during such clashes.

During Saturday's fierce confrontation, demonstrators chanted pro-rebel slogans such as "Go India, go back'' and "We want freedom.'' Police said they were investigating the death of the man killed in what they called a "road accident.''

Top separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq called the young man's death a murder, and he and others called for a general strike on Sunday in protest against the day's killings.

"How a murder was committed by the forces today and then brazenly denied! Is there no sense of humanity left in India?'' Farooq wrote on Twitter, as he also uploaded a video that shows an armored vehicle knocking down a youth.

Injuries were reported to at least two protesters, three journalists, three soldiers and a police officer.

S.P. Vaid, police director-general, told reporters that Saturday's operation that killed the three militants was a "clean'' one. The armed confrontation was the first this year in the heart of Srinagar.

Funerals held

Later Saturday, thousands in Srinagar participated in the funerals of a slain rebel and the civilian. While the civilian was buried in his neighborhood graveyard, thousands marched while carrying the rebel's body to Srinagar's main martyrs' graveyard, where hundreds of Kashmiri militants and civilians killed in decades of fighting have been buried.

Meanwhile, gunmen abducted two men from their homes in northern Hajin town late Friday. Their bodies, riddled with bullets, were recovered early Saturday.

Gunmen also entered a civilian home in the Sopore area and sprayed bullets at the residents, police said, leading to death of a young man. His wife was critically wounded.

Police accused militants for carrying out these killings, though no rebel group has claimed responsibility.

Kashmiris make no secret of their fury at killings by government forces, which regularly trigger bloody protests and demands for freedom from Indian rule. But the reactions are far more complicated, tangled in fear and loyalty, when residents accused of being informers are targeted.
Indonesia will host Islamic scholars from Afghanistan and Pakistan on May 11 for trilateral talks aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the Afghan war.

An Afghan presidential aide, Akram Khpalwak, revealed the date Friday night following meetings with leaders in Jakarta.

President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, perceived as a neutral actor in Afghanistan, proposed the trilateral religious meeting in January.

Renowned scholars from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Indonesia will participate in this conference, discussing peace and stability in Afghanistan, Khpalwak said in a series of tweets.

A 20-member delegation of Afghan Ulema (Muslim scholars) will attend Trilateral Ulema Conference on Friday, he added, and praised Indonesias sincere efforts in Afghan peace process.

Goal is 'mutual agreement'

Indonesian leaders say they hope the discussions will result in a mutual agreement, or a fatwa (edict), persuading the Taliban to end its violent campaign and enter into peace negotiations with the Afghan government. They also expect insurgent officials to attend the conference.

But the Taliban has already rejected the proposed conference and urged Islamic scholars not to attend it.

In a statement issued in March, the insurgent group alleged the gathering was being arranged to legitimize the presence of infidel invaders in Afghanistan, a reference to U.S.-led international troops in the country. It said the deceptive effort is aimed at presenting the sacred jihad against the foreign occupation as unlawful.

Do not afford an opportunity to the invading infidels in Afghanistan to misuse your name and participation in this conference as means of attaining their malicious objective, the statement warned.

Pakistan welcomes meeting

About 87 percent of Indonesias estimated population of 260 million people are Muslims, making it the largest Muslim-majority country in the world.

Afghan officials have sought the support of Indonesian Islamic scholars to rally against the Talibans religious justification of their war as being against the foreign infidels and their hirelings.

Pakistan, which is accused of covertly helping the Taliban, has welcomed and supported the Indonesian trilateral meeting.

Islamabad denies any links with the insurgents and maintains peace in the neighboring country is key to Pakistans own stability.

Taliban rejects invitation

The Taliban has refused to stop fighting and hold peace talks with the Kabul government until all foreign forces leave Afghanistan.

The Islamist insurgency currently controls or contests nearly half of the countrys 407 districts and has intensified battlefield attacks in recent weeks. Afghan forces, backed by U.S. airpower and military trainers, have also stepped up counter insurgency operations around the country.

There are fears of record bloodshed in Afghanistan this year. Hostilities have already claimed nearly 1,000 civilian lives in the first four months of 2018.
Thousands of Iranian Kurds from a northwestern border city made a defiant gesture against the government Friday by attending prayers with a cleric who supports their 20-day-old protest movement.

The residents of Baneh in Irans Kurdistan province drove by car to a mosque several kilometers from the city to join the prayers led by local cleric Mohammad Adibi.

People who attended the service and shared images of it with VOA Persian said Adibi encouraged the worshippers to continue peacefully participating in a general strike that has paralyzed Banehs economy since April 15.

WATCH: Iranian Kurds Pray with Imam Who Supports Their Strike

Residents began the strike to protest Tehrans blockade of border footpaths that they rely on to import goods from Iraqi Kurdistan for sale in Banehs thousands of stores. Adibi told the worshippers that he agreed with their demands for the government to re-open the footpaths used by porters, or kolbars, to carry Iraqi goods. He said the months-long blockade has hurt Banehs people.

Local activists said the higher-than-usual attendance at Adibis prayer service represented a boycott of Banehs Iranian government-appointed Friday imam, or prayer-leader, Jamal Karimi. It was not clear how many people attended prayers at his mosque on Friday.

WATCH: Day 20 of General Strike in Baneh, Iran

Residents said Banehs internet remained cut off for a third day and special police maintained a strong street presence Friday to try to deter people from continuing the strike. But they said Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps troops who appeared Wednesday left the next day and did not return.

Iranian Kurds also reacted on social media to an endorsement of the Baneh protest movement from a prominent Iranian figure  exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi.

The U.S.-based son of Irans last ruling shah made the endorsement via Twitter on Thursday, saying: The strike by the people of Baneh is a bright example of solidarity and courage that all of us should learn from.

He said resistance and civil disobedience is the key to toppling the cult of racketeers, his term for Irans Islamist leadership that ousted his father in a 1979 revolution. Pahlavi ended his tweet by writing: In tomorrows free Iran, with one anothers help, the beautiful land of Kurdistan will become one of the main hubs of tourism and commerce.

An Instagram post of Reza Pahlavis tweet by VOA Persian drew more than 5,000 likes and 1,000 comments.

Some comments were negative, with users saying they do not like Reza Pahlavi because his father, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, authorized the execution of Iranian Kurdish separatist leader Qazi Muhammad in 1947. But most Instagram users who posted comments welcomed the support of Reza Pahlavi for the Baneh strike.

Sanctions

Since December, Iran has seen frequent public protests against local and national authorities and business owners accused of mismanagement, corruption and suppressing freedoms. Iranian leaders have deflected corruption accusations and other complaints by accusing foreign powers of instigating the protests, without providing evidence.

In an interview with VOA Persian at a Washington forum hosted by the Heritage Foundation on Thursday, the research groups Middle East senior fellow James Phillips said the current wave of unrest does not match the scale of 2009s mass anti-government protests in Tehran, but does incorporate many more cities. He said that if the U.S. follows through with threats to re-impose nuclear-related sanctions on Iran, there could be even more economic grievances for Tehran to deal with.

Speaking to VOA Persian at the same event, American Foreign Policy Council senior vice president Ilan Berman said the protests need a coherent set of demands and leaders in order to progress.

Otherwise, they will continue to be examples of opposition to the regime, but not examples of a way forward, he said.

Other analysts at the forum told VOA Persian that they support congressional efforts to pass the Iranian Leadership Asset Transparency Act, a bill that would require the U.S. Treasury Secretary to publish reports about the estimated financial assets of senior Iranian leaders suspected of corruption. The bill passed the House in December and has been taken up by a Senate committee.

Ayatollah's wealth

American Enterprise Institute Scholar Michael Rubin said Irans people deserve to know the scale of the wealth accumulated by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his associates.

That money should be redistributed to the people that earned it, rather than simply being accumulated by people who use the facade of religion to mask their own corruption, Rubin said.

Foundation for Defense of Democracies senior adviser Richard Goldberg said the U.S. should not only disclose the wealth of Iranian leaders, but also seize their assets. He said Washington should send this message to Irans ruling clerics: You are not using your assets to better your people, you are using them to better yourselves and pouring them into countries that have nothing to do with Iran, like Syria and Yemen. Iran has intervened in civil wars in both nations by supporting Syrias President Bashar al-Assad and Yemens Houthi rebels.

Michael Lipin and Farhad Pouladi of VOAs Persian Service contributed from Washington.
Kuwait blocked the U.N. Security Council on Friday from issuing a U.S.-sponsored statement sharply criticizing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for what Washington called vile anti-Semitic slurs and baseless conspiracy theories.

Kuwait is the Arab representative on the 15-member council and two diplomats said it opposed the press statement on grounds that it was not comprehensive. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because consultations were private.

Abbas issued an apology earlier Friday over remarks in his speech Monday to the Palestine Liberation Organization parliament, which was sharply condemned as anti-Semitic by Israel, the U.S., U.N., European Union and others.

In the lengthy speech, he said it was the Jews social function, including money lending, which caused animosity toward them in Europe. He also described the creation of Israel as a European colonial project, saying history tells us there is no basis for the Jewish homeland.

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley was sharply critical of the Security Councils failure to respond.

Disgusting anti-Semitic statements from the Palestinian leadership obviously undermine the prospects for Middle East peace, she said in a statement. When the Security Council cannot reach consensus on denouncing such actions, it only further undermines the U.N.'s credibility in addressing this critical issue.

The proposed statement, obtained by The Associated Press, would have expressed the Security Council's firm and unequivocal rejection of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denialand called on Abbas to refrain from anti-Semitic comments.

The draft would also have recalled that anti-Semitism has historically contributed to threats to international peace and security, mass atrocities, and widespread violations of human rights.

The U.S. circulated the statement Friday as several thousand Palestinians staged a sixth weekly protest on the Gaza-Israel border.

The protests every Friday are part of a campaign organized by Gaza's Hamas rulers aimed, in part, at breaking a decade-old blockade of the territory that imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic militant group took control there in 2007, and at 70 years of Israeli occupation of land the Palestinians want as their state.

Since late March, 40 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,700 wounded by Israeli army fire.

Last week, Haley accused Hamas of using women and children as human shields but made no mention of deaths or injuries to Palestinians by the Israeli military.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the U.N., said in a letter to the Security Council and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres late Friday that more casualties in the latest protests reinforce the sense of despair and anger in the face of what he called this ruthless occupation.

As tensions continue to rise and humanitarian and security conditions to deteriorate, the urgency of addressing this dire situation and bringing it back from the brink thus cannot be understated, he said. Time is of the essence and the international community must act without delay.
About 6,000 people from more than 20 US cities are expected to take part in the Immortal Regiment public action in the coming days, TASS reported.

The most populous procession will be held on Manhattan on Saturday, Igor Kochan, the president of the Russian Youth of America society and the coordinator of the action told TASS.

"The Immortal Regiment processions will be held in different American cities on different days, since May 9 [Victory Day in Russia and in most parts of the former Soviet Union - TASS] isnt a day off here," Kochan said. "But the biggest processions are expected on May 5 and May 6."

The list of the cities where the Immortal Regiment will be held includes some places where the action has been held previously, too. They are New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, and Miami. The new places are Kansas City, Birmingham, Houston, Phoenix, and Vancouver in Canada.

"We expect the most populous action this year since the Immortal Regiment first appeared on American soil," Kochan said. "We hope some 6,000 people will come."
French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged the "pain of colonization'' Saturday during a visit to New Caledonia that was rich with symbolism and emotion as the South Pacific archipelago prepares to vote on whether to break free of French rule.

Wrapping up a three-day trip, Macron said, "France would not be the same without New Caledonia''  but he was careful not to openly campaign for the territory to stay French when it holds an independence referendum in November.

The territory east of Australia has about 270,000 inhabitants including the native Kanaks, who represent about 40 percent of the population. New Caledonia already enjoys a broad degree of autonomy, but is an important part of France's overseas holdings that stretch from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean and the northeast coast of Canada.

Activists remembered

Macron paid homage Saturday to 19 Kanak independence activists killed 30 years ago after taking police hostage in a cave on the New Caledonian island of Ouvea. Four soldiers were also killed.

It was the first time a French president took part in the annual ceremony marking the May 5, 1988, event.

Children of Ouvea sang the French Marseillaise and the Caledonian anthem at the site of the police station occupied by the independence activists. Macron then visited the burial site of the 19 killed and spoke with victims' families.

"I am glad and proud that the president came,'' said Micheline Ouanema of the Takedji tribe, whose husband was among those killed.

Macron also met with a group that protested his participation in the ceremony, the Gossanah collective, but decided not to lay flowers at the site to show respect for their anger.

Later, Macron handed over two documents from 1853 that declared New Caledonia as a French possession. At the same site in 1998, then-Prime Minister Lionel Jospin signed the accords that paved the way for this year's referendum.

"We are no longer in a time of possession, but a time of choice, and collective responsibility,'' Macron said.

In a closely watched speech addressing the referendum, Macron said, "We will not forget the pain of colonization. We must recognize the place of each person, to look directly at each other.''

Macron insisted that he would not take sides in the referendum. Some in the loyalist camp criticized Macron's trip as favoring pro-independence partisans.

Past electoral results and recent polls suggest voters will choose to remain in France in the November 4 referendum.

Warning against friction

Macron warned against letting the referendum fuel local tensions.

"The day after [the vote], each will have to work together,'' he said.

While he didn't urge voters to stay French, he insisted that developing deeper ties with the South Pacific  where France also has ties thanks to French Polynesia  is an important part of his global strategy. Macron arrived in New Caledonia after a trip to Australia, where he sought to boost military and economic cooperation.

"France is a great power thanks to all its territories,'' he said, calling his country "the last European country in the Pacific.''

France's African and Asian colonies mostly broke free in the 1950s and 1960s. The vote in New Caledonia is the first time a self-determination referendum is being held on a French territory since Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, voted for independence in 1977.

The Indian Ocean island of Mayotte, which chose to remain French in the 1970s, voted in 2009 for closer ties with the mainland.
Demonstrators have taken to the streets in at least a dozen southern Ethiopian towns this week to protest the federal government's renewal of a license for a mining company that they say jeopardizes local residents' health and economic well-being.

The protesters, in the restive Oromia region, criticize a 10-year license for Mohammed International Development Research and Organization Cos., or MIDROC, to continue mining gold at a site near the town of Shakiso and the Lega Dembi river.

The demonstrations followed the April 27 report of the license renewal for MIDROC, which has operated the mine since the late 1990s. The company is owned by African-born billionaire Sheikh Mohammed Hussein al-Amoudi, detained since November in what Saudi Arabia calls an anti-corruption sweep.

"Demonstrators are very angry. They are blocking roads and demanding change," Dulacha Lafe, administrator for the local Goro Dolaa district, told VOA in a phone interview on Monday, when the protests began. He said local authorities "understand and agree with their concern. However, we don't have the power to solve the problem. [The] Oromia regional government and the federal government should help us out. The license should not have been renewed at all."

Some high school students skipped classes this week to join in the anti-mining protests, which have erupted periodically over the years. A Shakiso resident, who asked VOA to withhold his name out of fear of retaliation, said Friday that some students "were beaten because of protesting and asking for their constitutional rights."

Abdu Kadir, an inspector for the local Guji district government, told VOA: "Some schools have been closed for a few days, and today students are back in class. Nobody is arrested or anything."

Chemicals blamed for ailments

Protesters contend that chemicals used at the mine contaminate the water and air, sickening humans and animals with everything from respiratory illnesses to miscarriages, birth defects and disabilities.

"Mothers are having miscarriages every single day," Abebech Elias, a health care provider from the Shakiso area, told state-owned Oromia Broadcasting Network in a report that aired Tuesday. "I am not seeing this in other places, only around the mining site."

Also in that report, MIDROC's environmental protection expert, Ahmed Mohammed, said the company used chemicals including hydrogen cyanide. "[E]ven a small amount" of hydrogen cyanide "can contaminate water and can cause serious consequences," he said. He did not specify the amounts used in MIDROC's operations, nor what safety precautions, if any, the company had taken.

MIDROC did not respond to VOA's attempts to reach it by phone and via its website.

The website MiningFacts.org explains that cyanide, "in the form of a very dilute sodium cyanide solution, is used to dissolve and separate gold from ore.  Cyanide is toxic in large doses and is strictly regulated in most jurisdictions worldwide to protect people, animals and the aquatic environment."

Local residents are concerned not only about health but also economics, said Galchu Halake, a community leader and one of the protesters in Arkalo town.

"They want the license to be revoked since the company has been mining gold for export without contributing to the local economy or the society's well-being," Galchu said.

Bacha Faji, a spokesman for Ethiopia's Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas, said the renewed contract's terms direct a share of the company's earnings to local communities.

"Two percent of the income the company generates will go to locals," Bacha said in an interview with the BBC this week. He said that decision followed a government investigation "into what the company was doing for the past 20 years" and factored in local grievances.

Those include concerns about mining-related environmental degradation, health risks, displacement of housing and "the failure to hire local labor," the international organization Human Rights Watch noted in a 2016 report.That report focused on Ethiopian security forces' crackdowns, including "the killings and mass arrest of protesters" over gold mining and other issues.

In April 2016, Badada Gelchu was shot and killed at his home in Shakiso after participating in demonstrations against the gold mine. His family told VOA then that security agents "went to his house and killed him, accusing him of organizing the protests in our area."

Skeptical of deal

Addisu Bulala, a leader of the opposition Oromo Federalist Congress party, expressed skepticism about MIDROC's renewed license. Speaking with VOA by phone, he mentioned televised reports showing children with deformities allegedly linked to contaminants from mining.

"Until today, there's been no compensation, no change. ... No one is charged for crimes committed" involving environmental pollution, Addisu said. "This is basically selling the community for dollars. Our party is concerned deeply, and no responsible government would allow this."

Oromia regional officials are "not accepting" the federal mining ministry's licensing decision, said Negeri Lencho, spokesman for the regional government. "Even if the [ministry] says it conducted an investigation, we have no idea of the findings. They did not share the results. It is disrespectful to us and our people. ... They admitted the lack of transparency and agreed to figure this out together."

Negeri said the regional government was conducting its own investigation into MIDROC's mining practices and environmental impact.

"We want our people to understand that, as a regional government, their concerns and questions are ours, too," he added.

Ethiopia still is under a state of emergency imposed in February after the surprise resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. His successor, Abiy Ahmed, confirmed in April, is the country's first prime minister from the Oromo ethnic group, which has long sought equal representation in government.

Contributors to this report include Namo Dandi, Tigist Geme, Sora Halake and Tujube Hora of VOA's Horn of Africa service.
A toughening of already draconian Kremlin policy on everything from gay rights to political activism is driving a record number of Russians to seek asylum in Europe and the United States, according to multiple Russia experts.

Responding to a recent RFE investigation of data compiled by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Russian political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin attributed the 40 percent uptick in Russian asylum-seekers since 2017, the highest since the earliest years of the post-Soviet era, to a dramatic tightening of restrictions on everything from social media dialogue to personal lifestyle choices.

Screws are tightening everywhere, citizens are already imprisoned for reposting on social networks, Oreshkin, a political scientist and fellow with the Washington-headquartered Wilson Center, told VOA.

In Russia, very few people are completely safe, and those who feel threat for themselves are different people  homosexuals or political activists, he added. They are not subject to propaganda, they are not worried about what they are told on TV, they care about what is discussed in the narrow circle to which they belong. Therefore, the extreme anti-Americanism that has flourished in the country for several years doesnt affect them. And if you leave, its better to go to the United States.

Asylum applications

Or Europe. Although last years 2,664 new Russian asylum applications in the United States represent a 268-percent increase since 2012, when President Vladimir Putin officially resumed power, EU immigration data show Germany alone saw 4,885 first-time applicants, roughly a third of the 12,600 Russians who sought a toehold on the European continent.

While neither USCIS nor EU statistics disclose specific reasons that compel individual applicants to seek asylum, successful candidates must provide proof of an immediate threat to their well-being as a result of discrimination based on race, religion, sexual orientation or affiliation with particular social or political organizations.

Its easy to understand them, said Oreshkin, suggesting the imminent launch of Putins third official six-year presidential term provides no indication of change.

They look at whats happening with, for example, director Kirill Serebryannikov, or people from Alexei Navalnys staff, or with gay people in Chechnya, he said. They come to understand that the situation will not improve, but only worsen.

Serebryannikov, director of Moscows famed Gogol Center, remains under house arrest on state embezzlement charges that, he and his supporters say, stem from a politically motivated crackdown on Russias arts community ahead of the March presidential election.

Supporters of anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny, who was barred from the presidential ballot because of a conviction on financial crimes charges he contends were fabricated, were detained Friday ahead of Putins inauguration events.

Although restrictive Kremlin policies of 2018 arent formally inscribed as legal statutes, Oreshkin said, they are distinctively implicit and nonetheless mandatory.

No protesting the authorities; no staging impermissible performances; no engaging in memorial activities in the North Caucasus and the like, he said, referring the recent jailing of Oyub Titiyev, the head of the prominent human rights group Memorial, which aims to expose atrocities of post-Soviet wars and an Islamist insurgency that spread to predominantly Muslim regions such as Chechnya and Dagestan.

Not everyone is ready for this, Oreshkin said. Therefore, people sometimes just run, leaving behind what they have acquired to save their lives.

Creative class leaving, too

According to Lev Gudkov of the Levada Center, Russias only independent national polling agency, it is not only asylum-seekers who are looking for a better life beyond Russias borders, but emigres of various stripes.

Even mature, white-collar professionals that privately feel an incompatibility with Putins political regime are leaving, however they choose to justify their decision because they care about their children, their professional interests, a more ecologically sound environment, whatever, he said.

But as Oreshkin points out, all departures come at a long-term political cost for the entire country. While Putins Kremlin wont shed a tear over departing rights activists and homosexuals, he said, the steadily increasing flight of open-minded thinkers risks further marginalization of Russia on the world stage.

We risk winding up on the global periphery, where bright people cannot find a place, he said. Then we will have to say that our people are inventing something in the USA.

Take Pavell Durov, founder of the politically embattled Telegram Messenger app, who now resides in London, he said. How can he go back? There are many such people.

The Berlin Institute of Population and Development recently called Russia a vanishing power, predicting that by 2030 its population will be reduced by 15 million people.

On the eve of Putins May 7 inauguration, Kremlin officials refused to comment on the USCIS data. Putin press secretary Dmitry Peskov waved off questions posed by reporters Friday, uttering something about a sea of false information in the world today.

This story originated in VOAs Russian Service.
Investigators working for special counsel Robert Mueller have interviewed one of President Donald Trump's closest friends and confidants, California real estate investor Tom Barrack, The Associated Press has learned.

Barrack was interviewed as part of the federal investigation of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

The specific topics covered in questions from Mueller's team were not immediately clear.

One of the people who spoke to AP said the questioning focused entirely on two officials from Trump's campaign who have been indicted by Mueller: former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Manafort's onetime deputy, Rick Gates. Gates agreed to plead guilty to federal conspiracy and false-statement charges in February and began cooperating with investigators.

A second person with knowledge of the Barrack interview said the questioning was broader, including financial matters about the campaign, the transition and Trump's inauguration in January 2017.

Barrack's spokeswoman, Lisa Baker, declined to comment.

Barrack has rare access and insight into Trump going back decades, since their days developing real estate. Barrack played an integral role in the 2016 campaign as a top fundraiser at a time when many other Republicans were shunning the upstart candidate. Barrack later directed Trump's inauguration.

Barrack, a wealthy real estate investor with close ties to several Mideast leaders, met Trump in 1988 when he negotiated the sale of the Plaza Hotel in New York to Trump. Barrack's publicist in 2016 described the men as having since "solidified a lifelong friendship between themselves and their families.''

Barrack employed Gates last year, wrapping up operations on the Presidential Inaugural Committee, before Gates was charged by Mueller.

Barrack spoke glowingly of Trump in a CNBC interview in early 2016.

"He's one of the kindest and actually most humble friends that I've had,'' Barrack said. "I have so much respect for him because at this point in his career, wandering into the milieu was not easy, and he's changed the dialogue of the debate.''

Barrack also was among the featured speakers at the Republican convention where Trump formally received the nomination.

Days after Trump's victory in November 2016, Barrack told CBS This Morning that Trump was like an ultimate fighter during the campaign who used "whatever tools necessary to convey a really disruptive message.'' Barrack said America would see "a softer, kinder'' Trump now that Trump had won the presidency.

Mueller's investigators have interviewed dozens of witnesses in the probe into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election. They have also secured the cooperation of former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn and former Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos.

But few witnesses have as much insight into the president's lengthy business career and all facets of his campaign and administration as Barrack.
Eligible voters across Afghanistan are registering for upcoming parliamentary and provincial elections while politicians try to shore up their alliances in preparation.



Afghan Second Vice President General Abdul Rashid Dostum, a prominent Afghan Uzbek-ethnic leader and high-ranking government official who lives in exile, has become a pivotal figure for opposition rivals.



Dostum's lean toward incumbent President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani in disputed presidential elections in 2014 strengthened Ghani's campaign. Since the general was accused in a criminal case more than a year ago, however, he has been in exile in Turkey, and some analysts say the court case against him was politically motivated.



Several photos that circulated Friday on Facebook show Dostum in Ankara standing in the middle of a dozen prominent Afghan politicians and some of their representatives while holding their hands in a gesture of solidarity ahead of the long-awaited elections.



The former influential governor of northern Balkh province, General Atta Mohammad Noor, attended the meeting and touted the new alliance late Friday.



With talks concluded on the formation of a "great national alliance of Afghanistan," it is to be officially announced in Kabul, wrote Noor on his Facebook page and posted some photos taken at the meeting.



"This alliance would execute to strengthen and reform the government, as well as to play an essential and leading role in provincial, parliamentary, and presidential elections," said Noor, explaining their goal. "The alliance attempts the elections to take place transparent, fair, and free of fraud," added General Noor.



The new alliance appears to be a reboot of a previous alliance called "High Council to Save Afghanistan" established last year in Turkey with participation of many of the same politicians. Based on the photos posted on General Noor's Facebook page, though, the new effort signals nationwide expansion with increased ethnic diversity.



According to Noor's post, the group includes representatives of most major political parties of various ethnicities, such as Pashtoon, Tajik, Hazara, and Uzbek.



The new alliance was formed some three weeks after the registration of eligible voters began. The Afghanistan Independent Elections Commission reported Friday 1 million voters to date have enrolled for the elections.



With just seven days left in the enrollment period, insecurity in some parts of country has hampered the registration process. The head of the Afghanistan Independent Elections Commission, Gula Jan Abdul Badie Saiyad, says the idea of extending the registration process is under discussion.



Afghanistan parliamentary and provincial elections are set to take place on October 20, after a long wait and disagreement among current officials of the Unity Government of Afghanistan.
Three suicide bombers on Friday attacked the residence of Gen. Abdul Raziq, Kandahar Police Chief in Boldak district, provincial authorities told VOA.



The attack took place late Friday night. Officials said Afghan security forces killed all three assailants before they could reach their target.



The attack reportedly began with a suicide bomber detonating his vest at the entrance of the security checkpoint leading to the police chief's residence. Two other militants, who had suicide vests as well, engaged the security guards for an hour before they were gunned down.



Local authorities said two members of the Afghan police also were killed in the attack.



Gen. Raziq was in Kandahar city during the attack. He said his family members are safe.



Raziq told VOA that authorities had intelligence about a possible attack on his residence and already had taken the necessary security measures.



"Law enforcement had tips about the possible attack. The first attacker was on a motorbike and detonated his bomb at the security checkpoint. The remaining two attackers were gunned down by the security forces," Raziq said.



This is not the first time Raziq comes under attack. He has survived several suicide attacks since becoming the police chief for southern Kandahar province.



No group has claimed immediate responsibility for the attack.
Afghan Taliban fighters captured the remote Kohistan district in northern Afghanistan after a fierce fight with Afghan police forces that left five police and militiamen dead.

A local member of provincial council said the Taliban then set fire to a court building and fired rockets at a police building, destroying it.

Unfortunately, Kohistan district of Badakhshan came under control of enemy yesterdays evening and we retreated, Javid Salim, spokesperson for Afghan Special Forces in the north and northeastern zones of Afghanistan, told VOA.

He added that Afghan forces outside the district were planning to attack and take back control of district.

Tahira Sabah Alimyar, a member of the Badakhshan Provincial Council, told VOA that in addition to destroying the two buildings, the Taliban also cut telecommunications in the district.

A Taliban spokesperson, Zabihullah Mojahid, said 11 Afghan security forces were killed, including four senior military officers. Mojahid also claimed that Taliban fighters destroyed some Afghan military equipment.

The Taliban took control of Kohistan shortly after the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) reported that out of 407 Afghan districts, the Taliban had control of 59 districts while Afghan government forces and the Taliban were fighting for 119 districts. The government of Afghanistan controls only 229 districts, according to SIGAR.

In other violence in western Afghanistan, a military police officer shot to death three fellow soldiers and escaped the region.

Jilani Farhad,a spokesperson for the Herat governor, told VOA that the soldiers belonged to Public Discipline Unit.

The incident took place in Boriabaf village in Herat's Pashtoon Zarghun district.

Mirwais Bezhan in Balkh and Khalil Noorzai in Herat contributed to this report.
The U.S. Navy is reinforcing its presence in the Atlantic Ocean with the resurrection of a naval command in response to increasing assertiveness by Russia's military.



The Pentagon announced Friday the Navy was re-establishing the 2nd Fleet, almost seven years after it was disbanded for cost-savings and organizational reasons.



"This is a dynamic response to the dynamic security environment," Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson told reporters aboard the carrier George H. W. Bush. "So as we've seen this great power competition emerge, the Atlantic Ocean is as dynamic a theater as any and particular the North Atlantic."



The 2nd Fleet, which will be based in the mid-Atlantic waterfront city of Norfolk, Virginia and begin operations on July 1, was disbanded in 2011. Since then, there has been a sharp increase in Russian naval activity in the North Atlantic and in the Arctic. Russia has also become more assertive in conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, resulting in escalating tensions between Washington and Moscow.



Earlier this year, the Pentagon announced a new national defense strategy that prioritizes Russia and China. It was the latest sign of shifting priorities after more than 15 years of fighting terrorism.



The Pentagon also said Friday it has offered to host a proposed NATO Joint Force Command at its naval base in Norfolk. A new logistics command is expected to be located in Germany.



A blueprint of the plan was approved by NATO defense ministers at a February meeting, as part of a larger effort to protect the security of sea lanes and communication lines between Europe and North America.
The U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) said Friday that a small number of its forces might leave Iraq following a decision to shut down its ground forces command headquarters, known as the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command (CJFLCC).

The coalition announced the shutdown of the headquarters on Monday during a ceremony in Baghdad. It said the decision marked the end of major combat operations in Iraq and Syria against IS and a change in the responsibilities of the coalition.

The efficiencies gained by headquarters consolidation will enable a slight reduction in personnel within the theater of operations, U.S. Army Colonel Thomas Veale, a spokesman for the coalition, told VOA.

Veale said the change would consolidate the coalitions missions to advise and assist the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) under a single headquarters.

This reflects the coalitions commitment to eliminate unnecessary command structures as the nature of its support to the ISF evolves from supporting and enabling combat operations to the training and development of self-sufficient Iraqi security-related capabilities, he added.

5,000 U.S. troops in Iraq

The exact number of coalition forces in Iraq is unknown, but the U.S. has said it currently has an estimated 5,000 forces in the country.

Veale said that number will gradually decrease over time as the ISF demonstrates increased capability and capacity.

The Iraqi government declared victory over the Islamic State terror group last December when the militants lost control over their last pockets in western Anbar, near the border with Syria.

Comments about the withdrawal of coalition forces were made openly in February when Iraqi government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi said the battle against IS has ended and so the level of the American presence will be reduced.

Shift in focus

At the same time, the coalition declared it was shifting its focus in Iraq away from supporting Iraqi combat operations to sustaining military gains against IS in the country.

Colonel John Thomas, a spokesman for the U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, at that time told VOA that a small number of troops had shifted from Iraq to bolster a campaign against militants in Afghanistan.

More recently, Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency reported last week that an unknown number of French troops had left their positions in Iraq's Nineveh province to go to northeastern Syria, where the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are engaged in an operation to oust IS remnants from their last strongholds in Deir el-Zour province.

The next phase

Emboldened by the achievements over IS, Iraqi officials say they have entered the next phase in their relations with the coalition and other allies who helped them defeat the terror group.

The commitment and professionalism of all the men and women from all the coalition nations has been of the highest order, and Iraq is immensely grateful for their sacrifice and dedication in this task, Iraqi Brigadier General Yahya Rasool Abdullah said during the coalition announcement Monday.

We look forward to taking the partnership forward with the Combined Joint Task Force, and a friendship that will endure for years to come, he added.
The U.S. National Security Agency gathered more than 534 million records of telephone calls and text messages from Americans last year, more than three times the number collected in 2016, according to a new report.



The report, released Friday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, shows the dramatic increase occurred during the second full year of a new surveillance system that was unveiled after Congress passed legislation in 2015 that attempted to limit the NSA's ability to collect such records in bulk.



The spike in the agency's collection of records coincided with increased use of other surveillance methods, sparking concern about potential government intrusion into the lives of American citizens.



Despite the sharp increase in the total number of records captured in 2017, they are far less than the billions of records collected each day under the NSA's previous bulk surveillance system, which was uncovered by former agency contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked classified information.



The NSA records include phone numbers and the time a call or text message was made but not the content of the communications.



The Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not explain the reasons behind the sharp increase, leaving many privacy advocates confused and alarmed.



"The intelligence community's transparency has yet to extend to explaining dramatic increases in their collection," said Robyn Greene, an attorney with the Washington-based Open Technology Institute.



Office of the Director of National Intelligence spokesman Timothy Barrett said the federal government "has not altered the manner in which it uses its authority to obtain so-called detail records, telecom data logging who and when contact was made.



The NSA said numerous factors may impact the number of records collected, according to Barrett. They include the number of court-approved selection terms, which could be a phone number of someone who is a potential subject of an investigation, or the amount of historical data retained by phone service providers.



The report also said there was an increase in the number of foreigners living outside the U.S. who were singled out under a warrantless Internet surveillance program that lawmakers renewed earlier this year. That program is known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act



Just over 129,000 foreigners were targeted in 2017, an estimated 45 percent increase over the past five years.



U.S. intelligence agencies maintain Section 702 is vital to the country's security but privacy advocates contend the program captures an unknown number of incidental communications from U.S. citizens who were not being targeted.
The Immortal Regiment march was held today in Ankara. The event was attended by several dozen citizens of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other CIS countries.

According to the chairman of the Association of Russian Culture in Ankara, Larisa Lutkova-Turkkan, the action is being held in the Turkish capital for the third time. The route of the procession ran along the Dikmen park to the avenue of friendship Moscow-Ankara laid in 2009. A field kitchen was created there. The Association of Russian-speaking Youth arranged a concert of songs of the war years.
NASA is supposed to be a risk-taking organization, he said. But every time we would mention accepting risk in human spaceflight, the NASA people would say, But, oh, you have to remember the scar tissue and they were talking about the two shuttle disasters. They seemed to have become victims of the past and unwilling to try anything new, because of that scar tissue.
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President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev signed the law on ratification of the protocol, which allows the U.S. to transport special equipment to Afghanistan through the Caspian ports, AKIpress reported citing local media.

The document was signed on September 21, 2017 in New-York. Kazakh authorities believe that the protocol will have a positive impact on development of the transit system and continue strengthening logistics infrastructure of Kazakhstan.

The cargo for the U.S militants in Afghanistan will be supplied from Georgia and Azerbaijan via the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan by the proposal of the American side. Then it will go to Uzbekistan and Afghanistan by train.
A potential US withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal is fraught with the most negative scenarios and is hardly something to look forward to, French President Emmanuel Macron told the German weekly newsmagazine Der Spiegel, Sputnik reported.

This means that we would open Pandoras Box, which is tantamount to war. I dont think [US President] Donald Trump wants war, Macron said in an interview which appeared in Fridays issue of the magazine.
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Most of the participants of the 2nd session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which ended in Geneva yesterday, confirmed their support to the sustainable implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action for the Iranian Nuclear Program (JCPOA). A relevant message is published on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"The overwhelming majority of states have confirmed their support for the sustainable implementation of the JCPOA, which has become one of the key elements for maintaining stability of the nuclear non-proliferation regime and strengthening the international security in general," the message reads.
The leader of the protest movement and the only candidate for the post of Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan told what he will do if he is elected as a head of state.

According to the oppositionist, he will try to form a government of national accord.

Pashinyan added that there are several options for the composition of the future Cabinet, and the final choice will depend on the current political situation.

"When I see that there are full-fledged conditions for holding genuinely democratic, legitimate and transparent elections, I will resign," RIA Novosti quotes him as saying.
WESTPORT  Westport Dental Associates has been in town since 1963. In 2016, they moved to their new home on 329 Riverside Drive. The new office was featured on the cover of a Sidekick magazine, which highlighted the mix of century old reclaimed barn wood with sleek cutting-edge technology create an inspired patient centric environment.

Westport Dental Associates is pleased to announce the addition of our new associate, Kimberly Anne Farrell, DMD, MDSc, FACP (Fellow of the American College of Prosthodontists, a Board Certified Prosthodontist).

Dr. Farrell earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania, served as a resident at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, and received and her Prosthodontics Implant/Surgical Certificate and Master of Dental Sciences from the University of Connecticut. More recently, Dr. Farrell has been an Assistant Clinical Professor and part of the Surgical Faculty at the University of Connecticut, lecturing and overseeing clinical procedures as well as a member of the Surgical Faculty for Prosthodontic Residents.

Dr. Farrells extensive experience in all aspects of treatment planning, implant placement, sinus lifts, pre-prosthetic surgeries, and bone augmentation procedures makes her a perfect addition to our team at Westport Dental Associates. Her expertise will allow us to provide our patients with the surgical placement of dental implants to complex restorative treatment plans.

Dr. Farrell has been active in leading various research studies and publications. In her free time, Dr. Farrell is a licensed personal trainer and aerobics instructor and enjoys spending time with her husband Mike, and their German short haired pointer, Nelli.

Tempur-pedic announces opening of Westport store

WESTPORT  Tempur-pedic Flagship has announced the opening of its flagship store located at 188 Post Road West, Westport.

Tempur-pedic is the Winner of the most recent JD Power And Associates award.

Our goal is providing every customer with an informative presentation about our fantastic Tempur-pedic products, answer their questions and help them make the best, most informed decision about their sleep system. We are also proud to say that our recent JD Power Survey has found that our customers have the highest satisfaction rate (95 percent) in the industry, said Store Manager Moe Elbakry.

Free comic day

Six stores in southwestern Connecticut are signed up for Free Comic Book Day, sponsored annually the first Saturday in May by Diamond Comic Distributors and allowing enthusiasts to go home with a free comic book from among 50 titles.

Local participants this year include Alternate Universe in Milford; Cave Comics in Newtown; the Comic Mint in Stamford; Gamers Gambit in Danbury; Heroes Comics & Cards in Norwalk; and Heroes 4 Sale in Southbury.

This years titles include comics featuring The Avengers, Doctor Who, Pokemon, Disney and Star Wars to name a few. For a full catalog of available titles, participating stores and other information, visit Freecomicbookday.com.

Gamers Gambit is among the stores offering other events in connection with Free Comic Book Day, in its case a costume contest for kids and adults.

Pitney Bowes records revenues increase, profits

STAMFORD  Technology firm Pitney Bowes saw its quarterly revenues grow and notched a profit as it benefited from a recent acquisition, according to its latest earnings report released Wednesday.

First-quarter revenues for the Stamford-based company hit about $983 million, an 18 percent increase from the same period in 2017. Its profits reached about $54 million, compared with a profit of $65 million a year ago.

The growing returns showed the impact of Pitneys $475 million acquisition last October of Austin, Texas-based Newgistics, which specializes in parcel logistics.

The headline for the quarter is our company continues to move to growth, and our strategy is delivering results, Pitney CEO and President Marc Lautenbach said in an earnings call Wednesday.

Despite the growth, Pitney shares closed at Wednesday at about $9, down 10 percent from their Tuesday closing total.

Among other indicators, commerce solutions revenues jumped 73 percent from a year ago, to $381 million, powered by the addition of Newgistics.

Small- and medium-sized business solutions revenues dropped 8 percent to about $423 million, as returns from both North American and international mailing declined.

Software solutions revenues grew 4 percent, to about $82 million. The returns would have declined without the implementation of a new revenue-reporting standard.

Our SMB business got off to a slow start, performing below expectations our software business had no large deals in the quarter, Lautenbach said. That said, both businesses are off to solid starts, and we expect these businesses to improve in the second quarter.

Pitney announced Monday it had agreed to sell its Document Messaging Technologies production-mail business and supporting software for $361 million to investment firm Platinum Equity. Production mail saw quarterly revenues rise 9 percent, to $97 million.
WESTPORT  Although the November elections are still seven months away, nearly 50 energized Democrats gathered in the Library Public Meeting room to consider strategies for Democratic Party success in the 2018 election.

Nationally recognized political media consultant Will Robinson of the New Media Firm was the featured speaker at the April 30 event entitled, How Democrats Can Win in 2018, sponsored by The Democratic Women of Westport, the Westport Democratic Town Committee, and the Wilton Democratic Town Committee.

Theres a war going on right now and its not something we can afford to let someone else fight, Robinson said, noting that in light of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election and a changing media environment, Democrats need to modernize their strategy for connecting with voters.

The right wing has more Russian bots and online activists promoting its agenda and content compared to the left, Robinson said. Our problem is not just the bots. Its not just the cyborg. They have a whole network of activists who post their stuff and move their stuff around, and to be honest with you, we dont, Robin said, adding that many Democrats dont like the contention of posting about politics, but need to begin engaging online in order to win over voters.

Every single one of us can do something with this and communicate and talk to people because if we dont do it, Breitbart is the one who is going to be communicating that, Robinson said. People trust their friends more than media sources, such as newspapers, so Democrats should use social media to discuss political topics with friends and do so not just in a one-off post, but continuously in multiple posts over time in order to engage in continued conversations with friends who may have opposing views.

Im feeling scared but empowered, Becky Martin, co-chair of The Democratic Women of Westport, said after the event. Democratic Selectwoman Melissa Kane concurred. What really spoke to me was the truth that its really about the basics of campaigns and retail politics  getting people to engage, even through social media, Kane said.

svaughan@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2638; @SophieCVaughan1
Kind and caring Breda was always thinking of others
The principal of the Yerevan Monte Melkonyan school No. 11, Ruzanna Azizyan, resigned after the protests of pupils and parents demanding her resignation.

At a meeting of the teaching staff at the school, a representative of the city administration told that the principal had applied for dismissal to the mayor of Yerevan, Taron Margaryan, Interfax reports.

Yesterday, children, their parents, teachers and human rights activists staged a protest action demanding to dismiss the principal, who did not allow students to come to the protests of the candidate for the post of Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, by force leaving them in school.
When Clemantine Wamariya was six years old, she bid her parents and brother a hurried goodbye and fled the Hutu massacre of Tutsis in her native Rwanda. She then spent the next half a dozen years on the run, from one militia or another, from one refugee camp to another and from one African country to another. She was constantly hungry, dirty, sad and scared, and filled with dread that her 15-year-old sister Claire, who had been entrusted with her care, would abandon her.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 5/5/2018 (1250 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When Clemantine Wamariya was six years old, she bid her parents and brother a hurried goodbye and fled the Hutu massacre of Tutsis in her native Rwanda. She then spent the next half a dozen years on the run, from one militia or another, from one refugee camp to another and from one African country to another. She was constantly hungry, dirty, sad and scared, and filled with dread that her 15-year-old sister Claire, who had been entrusted with her care, would abandon her.

In 2000, when she was 12 years old, Wamariya was granted asylum in the United States and her life completely changed. With the support of a Chicago-based church and the kindness of strangers, she went from having absolutely nothing to having a warm bed, three meals a day, a private-school education and shopping trips to the mall.

But as Wamariya so eloquently writes in her extraordinary memoir, The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After, in spite of these trappings of ordinary life, she was never able to escape her past, quell her fears or appreciate her safety and security.

The trauma of her early life simply made that impossible, and impacted her new life in countless ways. It shaped everything she thought, did and observed, as well as her relationships with everyone she encountered, including teachers, boyfriends, surrogate mothers and the sister who had protected her and looked after her for so long.

This unforgettable memoir, written with journalist Elizabeth Weil, shifts back and forth in time  between Wamariyas vivid recollections of the squalour and uncertainty of her years on the run to her teenage years in Chicago and the challenges she faced adjusting to American life.

But whether Wamariya is recounting how it felt to be a six-year-old standing in a rushing river and pounding lice out of her clothing or a high school student questioning her teachers interpretation of the word genocide, she is unflinchingly candid, courageous and even contrary.

"I did not understand the point of the word genocide then. I resent and revile it now," she writes. "The word is tidy and efficient. It holds no true emotion. It is impersonal when it needs to be intimate; cool and sterile when it needs to be gruesome."

The word genocide, she continues, belies the myriad individual experiences of those it seeks to categorize and the myriad individual stories that make up those experiences.

In Wamariyas memoir, those stories are plentiful, complex, horrifying and often unbelievable. They also are vital in helping the author comes to terms with her past, embrace her future and forge an identity not limited by her refugee experience.

But the stories are vital for another reason as well, for it is through the stories of children who have suffered and who have lost everything that complacent adults are most likely to be spurred into action. And action is needed to help the millions of people worldwide with no place to call home.

Sharon Chisvin is a Winnipeg writer.
For decades, police say, the DNA of the Golden State Killer sat in evidence storage  a unique genetic fingerprint that could identify definitively the man who killed 12 people and raped 45 women across California between 1976 and 1986.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 5/5/2018 (1250 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For decades, police say, the DNA of the "Golden State Killer" sat in evidence storage  a unique genetic fingerprint that could identify definitively the man who killed 12 people and raped 45 women across California between 1976 and 1986.

And for decades, those samples were basically useless to investigators, who ran into the same wall that has frustrated police since the invention of DNA forensics: a genetic fingerprint is not much good unless you know whom it belongs to.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Between 1976 and 1986, the violent and elusive individual known as the East Area Rapist and later as the Original Night Stalker and the Golden State Killer, committed 12 homicides, 45 rapes and more than 120 residential burglaries in multiple California communities. He often wore ski masks such as the ones shown here in evidence at the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.

Whoever the killer was, he apparently was not one of the millions of convicts, offenders and arrestees in the FBIs national DNA database. The genetic samples from all those crime scenes identified the Golden State Killer merely as a big flashing question mark.

Until this week  when police announced they had broken through the wall and identified Joseph James DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer suspect using an ingenious technique that thrills law enforcement officials and disturbs privacy advocates: they tracked their suspect through his family tree.

Police said they checked the crime scene DNA against one of the genealogy sites that have lately become popular  databases filled with the profiles of people who have volunteered their genetic codes in the hope of discovering their relatives and ancestors. GEDmatch, a free service, confirmed police used it to identify DeAngelo.

The suspected Golden State Killer was not in this database, either, but it didnt matter. A distant relative of his was, police say, and that persons DNA partially matched evidence related to the serial killer. Instantly, the pool of suspects shrank from millions of people down to a single family.

Detectives then used traditional investigative techniques to narrow the family members down to one suspect: DeAngelo, 72, a former police officer who lived within a few miles of many of the attacks.

If DeAngelo is indeed one of the most notorious serial killers in U.S. history, then his arrest last week is a milestone in the short history of familial DNA searches  a technique that is still on the fringe of forensic science and that some people think ought to stay there, lest it turn us all into potential informants.

Others, however, hope it could lead to a world where no criminal ever feels safe, lest some distant cousins DNA one day lead police to his door.

Police began exploring DNA fingerprinting in 1985, a year before the Golden State Killer raped and bludgeoned his last known victim. It was used to help convict Florida rapist Tommie Lee Andrews two years later, Time magazine reported  then, a string of other criminals, until it became commonplace for police to obtain DNA samples from suspects to use as evidence in court.

Randy Pench / Sacramento Bee Joseph James DeAngelo, the suspected Golden State Killer, is arraigned in a Sacramento, Calif., court on April 27, 2018.

The FBI created a database of DNA profiles in the 1990s, and police lined up to check their evidence samples against it, hoping that their suspect might be an ex-convict, already imprisoned or otherwise in the system. The method even allowed police to solve cold cases, some of them investigated long before DNA testing existed.

But the database was little help if the person tied to the DNA wasnt already in it.

One of the first cases in which a family members genes led police to a suspect was in Britain. The 1988 mutilation and murder of Lynette White on Valentines Day was one of the countrys most notorious unsolved cases, the BBC reported. Three men had been wrongly imprisoned for the crime. A massive police hunt had failed to turn up the real killer.

But in the early 2000s, police found a new DNA sample at the crime scene "under layers of paint on a skirting board," the BBC reported. The sample didnt match any profile in Britains national database, but it partially matched with a 14-year-old boy whose DNA was on file after an altercation with police.

The boy had been born after the murder, obviously, but he unwittingly led police to his uncle, who promptly confessed to the killing.

Its only in the past few years, as millions of people have submitted DNA samples to ancestry websites, that police have used familial DNA searches in ways that read like science fiction.

Take the case of the "Canal Killer," a double slaying in Phoenix that had gone unsolved since the early 1990s. The suspects DNA was on file, but matched no one in the FBI database.

Then, in late 2014, the Arizona Republic wrote, police met a genealogist at a conference and told her about the case. Investigators eventually sent the genealogist, who did not live in the state, a profile of the Canal Killers DNA sequence.

Two months later, the newspaper wrote, the genealogist emailed police the suspects likely last name  Miller.

This was not some psychic intuition, the Republic reported, but the result of searches the genealogist ran on Family Tree DNA and Ancestry.com, two of the most popular databases.

That family name led police within weeks to suspect Bryan Patrick Miller. They secretly collected his DNA  possibly from a discarded bottle or trash, the Republic wrote - and arrested him, alleging he had the same genetic fingerprint as the Canal Killer.

On the more dystopian side of the spectrum, Wired reported on a filmmaker named Michael Usry, who was accused of a 1996 murder in Idaho Falls nearly 20 years after the fact  coincidentally the same month that Phoenix police got their break in the Canal Killer investigation.

Usry, a teenager at the time of the killing, was picked up in December 2014 by police at his doorstep in New Orleans, Wired wrote. He was interrogated by an FBI agent and spent a month under suspicion  all because the killers genetic code was similar to his fathers, whose DNA sample had been obtained by Ancestry.com.

But unlike Miller and DeAngelo, Usrys DNA test ruled him out as a suspect. His father was one of many false positives that plague familial DNA testing, Wired wrote.

"He seemed like a really good candidate," an Idaho Falls police sergeant told the New Orleans Advocate after Usry was cleared. "But weve had that happen before."

Familial DNA searches, in fact, had an 83 per cent failure rate in a 2014 British study, Wired wrote. This is part of the reason that many warn against the practice, even as law enforcement agencies master its uses.

"The technique is arousing fierce objections from privacy advocates, who maintain that it turns family members into genetic informants without their knowledge or consent," Ellen Nakashima wrote in the Washington Post in 2008, long before the popularity of genealogy sites exploded.

Since then, Wired reported, Maryland and the District of Columbia have banned familial DNA searches, while the method is regulated in several other states, including California, where police used it to track down the Golden State Killer suspect.

"You allow that low-quality potential evidence to start being searched in these unregulated databases," Stephen Mercer, a former public defender who helped pass the ban on familial search in Maryland, told the Post. "Youre casting a wide net of suspicion over many, many people."

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Aware that their millions of customers dont necessarily want to inform on their relatives, some genealogy companies actively resist handing over data to police, STAT wrote this week.

23andMe, one of the earliest and most popular DNA search companies, has refused all law enforcement requests, the outlet wrote. So has Ancestry  at least since 2014, when police used its database to erroneously accuse Usry of the 1996 Idaho Falls murder.

California investigators did not use either of those sites to find the family of the Golden State Killer suspect. Rather, they reportedly ran their old evidence through GEDmatch, a relatively small, free service that allows users to upload and analyze their DNA sequences.

"We understand that the GEDmatch database was used to help identify the (suspected) Golden State Killer," the company said in a statement. "Although 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."

Its precisely those other uses that now, after the sensational break in a 40-year-old serial killer case, excite and alarm so many people.

 Washington Post
This article was published 5/5/2018 (1250 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Francine Bahati is the founder of Queenfidence Cosmetics, a line of lipsticks that are gluten-free, paraben-free and vegan-friendly.

One of her most popular shades is called Fearless, but that didnt exactly describe her state of mind Dec. 23, 2017, as she was getting set to host her official launch party in a conference room at the Travelodge Winnipeg East.

Because it was so close to Christmas, Bahati was scared "the whole world" would be at the mall, and nobody would show up. So as the line of women and teenage girls waiting to purchase her lipstick grew longer and longer, the 27-year-old entrepreneur almost had to pinch herself, to be certain what she was witnessing was actually taking place.

"This business had been a dream of mine since I was a little kid so to finally have it all come true and have people actually spend money on my product? Well, I must have used the word amazing 100 times that night, to express how I was feeling inside."

Francine Bahati, founder of Queenfidence, a new cosmetic line, hopes her new company will inspire other newcomers to Canada to dream big. (Photos by Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press)

Bahati was born in Kiliba, a town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, near its border with Burundi. In 2002, she and her family were forced to flee their home as a result of the Second Congo War, a bloody conflict that displaced 2 million Congolese and, with an estimated 5.4 million casualties, has been described as the deadliest conflict worldwide since the Second World War.

"Our dad, who worked in a sugar factory, had to leave first when the Congolese soldiers started assuming power in our region of the country," Bahati says, seated in a West Broadway coffee shop a few blocks from where she lives. "Until we got a letter from him, telling us he had safely reached Uganda, our neighbour to the east, we werent sure whether he was dead or alive."

Upon receiving the news, Bahati, along with her mother, five sisters and two brothers "basically ran" from their hometown to Goma, a city in the northeast part of the DRC. There, members of the Red Cross helped them reach Kampala, Ugandas capital city, where Bahatis father was awaiting their arrival.

While many people in their situation were forced to live in refugee camps in western Uganda, Bahatis parents opted to remain in Kampala, where, for the next 10 years, a dozen family members, including an aunt and uncle, made do in a "ramshackle" one-bedroom apartment, on the outskirts of the city of 2 million residents.

Life was difficult, Bahati says. Without pillows and mattresses, her family slept on makeshift piles of clothes donated to them by neighbours. And because all the money their father earned working part-time in a nearby church went to food and rent, it was impossible for all eight siblings to attend school, she says.

"Because you had to pay (to go to school), we told our dad to send the youngest ones only, as that was all he could afford," says Bahati, who often heard people she passed in the street chiding her, saying she and her sisters should prostitute themselves to help her parents make ends meet.

"Of course that was never an option. All the time, we used to tell ourselves today things might not be good, but we know that tomorrow they will be better."

During the decade Bahati spent in Uganda, there were two things she relied upon to maintain some degree of normalcy in her life. The first was music: she and her sisters found refuge in singing, she says, and, after being "discovered" by members of their church choir, they were finally able to attend school themselves, thanks to the generosity of their fellow parishioners. (Bahati and three of her sisters eventually formed a pop group, the Bahatizz, a play on their surname, which enjoyed some success in Uganda with their debut single, Dont Give Up.)

Second, she had a soft spot for makeup.

"As a young girl in Congo, I witnessed my mothers sense of fashion and beauty," she says, taking a sip of her double-double. "Obviously my mother couldnt afford to buy makeup items for my sisters and me when we were in Kampala, but I improvised by using palm oil  an African cooking oil  as lipstick and lip gloss, and chalk as face powder."

With the assistance of Hospitality House Refugee Ministry, Bahati and her family were able to leave Uganda for Winnipeg, where some of their relatives had already settled, in 2014. While the citys Congolese community granted them a warm, Winnipeg welcome, the weatherman wasnt quite as accommodating, she says with a laugh.

"We arrived here Dec. 4 and it was the first time any of us had seen snow, except for in the movies," she continues. "People from Hospitality House tried to warn us, telling us it was going to be cold, but nothing could have prepared us for how cold cold actually was. Even though I had a jacket and thought I was dressed warmly, I remember asking somebody, Do people really live here year-round? How do they survive? "

One of the first things Bahati did was attain her Grade 12 equivalency through an adult-education course. Following that, she completed a legal assistant course at Robertson College, all the while working various part-time jobs, making sure to put a few dollars aside every payday to save for her ultimate dream, her own cosmetics company.

"There was about two years of research involved, plus lots of back and forth with different manufacturers and chemists," she says. "Some of the things I didnt like about other peoples lipstick were how you needed to reapply it every four hours, or how, when you took a drink of your coffee or whatever, it stayed on the glass or mug. Thats what I wanted to eliminate, as well as make something natural that didnt involve animal products, testing on animals or anything like that."

Bahati said there were about two years of research involved.

Bahati offers five shades of lipstick, all of which are suitable for any skin tone, she says. The University of Winnipeg student (she intends to graduate with a bachelors degree in psychology in 2019) draws inspiration for new hues while walking around her favourite spots in town, namely Assiniboine Park and The Forks.

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"Were so lucky in Winnipeg to have four distinct seasons, and each season has its own shades," she says, answering, "Oh my gosh, definitely" when asked if Winnipeg feels like home. "So yeah, when Im out and about, Im always wondering what shades go best with the whites of winter, or the greens of summer."

Sure, Bahatis ultimate goal is for Queenfidence to be a runaway success and to have her products "in every retail store you can think of." But there is a second aim she is even more excited about, which is to have Queenfidence serve as an inspiration for new Canadians, to show them no matter how dire their lives might have been in the past, theres always something better waiting around the corner.

"We know there are people who have come to Canada, just like us, who have lost all hope. Theyve already been through so much and when they get here, they tend to set their bar low. I want my story to serve as a point of reference for them  that they should always set their bar as high as possible. I want Queenfidence to stand for self-positivity and perseverance."

For more information, and to see where Bahatis lipsticks are available for sale, go to www.queenfidencecosmetics.com.

Odette Bahati (left) and Francine reveal two of the five different shades of Queenfidence lipsticks.

david.sanderson@freepress.mb.ca
A protest action against the socio-economic policy of French President Emmanuel Macrons government started on Saturday afternoon in Paris, TASS reports.

It marks the first anniversary of Macrons presidency.

The main event of the action is a rally that started on the Place de l'Opera in the center of Paris at 12:00 Paris time (13:00 Moscow time). A large group of protesters is expected to head for the Place de la Bastille soon. Double-decker buses are also running through the city today, in which protest organizers are shouting out slogans to "join efforts for the common goal and go the whole way."

According to Paris prefect Michel Delpuech, about 2,000 policemen and gendarmes are keeping order on the city streets today.
OTTAWA  A moment of indiscretion at a conference last summer kicked off nine months of trepidation in high-ranking military and political circles over the future of Southport Airport, the Free Press has learned.

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This article was published 5/5/2018 (1250 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  A moment of indiscretion at a conference last summer kicked off nine months of trepidation in high-ranking military and political circles over the future of Southport Airport, the Free Press has learned.

Last August, the head of the air force said he would prefer consolidating pilot-training operations in Saskatchewan, sparking worries hed compromised his staffs ability to impartially determine the fate of 350 jobs in Portage la Prairie.

At a reception following his retirement Friday, Lt.-Gen. Michael Hood said his remarks werent meant to cause a stir.

"The only comments I ever made were at a private lunch. And the fact that someones reporting something on that is of great disappointment to me," Hood said, moments after handing over the Royal Canadian Air Force to a new commander.

On Aug. 10, 2017, Hood expressed strong support for pulling pilot training out of Manitoba, moments before taking the stage at the annual Aerospace, Defence and Security Expo in Abbotsford, B.C.

Bill Ryan, business development manager for KF Aerospace, which runs the training at Southport, was at the table.

Ryan and others said Hood suggested consolidating pilot-training operations at CFB Moose Jaw would save money, and Hood preferred keeping the training on the site of a military base.

Currently, RCAF trains most of its pilots at both the Saskatchewan base and the Southport facility, which was created as a non-profit when the military closed CFB Portage la Prairie in 1992.

The contract runs until 2027 and a request for tenders is expected next year.

Conservative defence critic James Bezan was concerned the air force commanders remarks would undermine his staffs ability to conduct a fair assessment of different bids. He co-wrote a letter to Hood asking him to reconsider.

"If its not broke, dont fix it," Bezan said. "The system that weve had right now has worked really well."

Multiple sources said Hoods comments, and the concern it would prejudice an open bidding process, contributed to him retiring earlier than expected. However, some said his high rank did not leave room for advancement.

The only higher position within military ranks is chief of the defence staff, a position few expect to be vacant in the near future.

Bezan, who is the MP for the Interlake region, doesnt know whether his letter contributed to Hoods retirement; that wasnt the intent, he said.

"This isnt a personal attack in any way, shape or form on Hood. This is about us holding government to account, and making sure the best interests of our constituencies, as well as the Armed Forces, is being considered in this contract," Bezan said.

Southport CEO Peggy May said military officials told her earlier this year they were hoping for a single company for its pilot-training contract, which will be put up for tender by late 2019.

On Tuesday, the two firms that co-ordinate the training announced a merged subsidiary, which will allow them to make a unified bid to continue operating out of both Southport and Moose Jaw.

KF Aerospace co-ordinates training at Southport while CAE does the same in Saskatchewan; they have formed a join subsidiary called SkyAlyne.

May believes that deal bodes well for Southport.

"There shouldnt be concern for the local population because the contract that we have currently doesnt run out until 2027," May said on Thursday, between meetings in Ottawa with officials. "We have a little bit of time here to get through the process."

Ryan said military officials have reassured him Southport, and any other facility, will have a fair shake. "The impression we have is that the decision hasnt been made yet," he said.

Though the military will choose whether it will train pilots at one or two locations, Bezan said SkyAlyne would make a compelling argument to keep the current two-base arrangement.

"Its in the best interest of the RCAF to maintain its program at Southport, because any infrastructure needs that happen there will be built by industry, and not come out of the defence budget," he said.

"A lot of people commute (from Winnipeg) to their jobs and their good, high-paying work. And we have to make sure that we protect those jobs."

He also said keeping the current arrangement could help the military address a growing need for pilots. Bezan obtained documents earlier this year through an access-to-information request showing "severe" short-staffing, as military pilots opt for commercial jobs.

On Friday, members of the RCAF paraded Hood to his final inspection and speech as commander, in front of scores of dignitaries at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa. He passed a symbolic tapestry onto Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger, who took over as head of the air force.

Meinzinger wouldnt specify how he sees Southports role in the future, but said pilot training "will be a key part of our capital program, as we move to the future. I look forward to engaging in that particular area."

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Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has asked Portage residents to advocate for the base, and federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer voiced support for the status quo. For months, Tory MP Candice Bergen has been quietly advocating for Southport.

In response, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has stressed officials will look at the best option possible through a fair process.

Hood suggested on Friday Manitobans dont have to worry about the future of the Portage facility.

"We havent closed any doors on anything. So, this thought, that somehow were excluding the possibility of Southport, is simply not true."

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
OTTAWA  The emergence of yet another First Nations consortium hoping to take over Churchills mothballed port and washed-out railway has riled up those already in takeover talks with the federal government.

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This article was published 4/5/2018 (1251 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  The emergence of yet another First Nations consortium hoping to take over Churchills mothballed port and washed-out railway has riled up those already in takeover talks with the federal government.

However, the president of a new group, called iChurchill, says it has the corporate savvy and enough local buy-in to send grain, wood and possibly oil out of the Port of Churchill.

"We see a lot of potential and a lot of value in these assets; theyve been very underutilized," Louis Dufresne said in a phone interview from Calgary, where iChurchill holds a service office.

Late Thursday, iChurchill announced its existence in a news release, stating it had "entered into an acquisition agreement" to take over Omnitraxs assets in northern Manitoba.

That was news to Ottawa, the consortium of groups aiming to take over the line, and the billion-dollar firm partnering with both.

Dufresne said the agreement encompasses the port, railway and all employees, but that the cost negotiated is confidential. He said iChurchill would bring "significant commercial activity," by exporting grain and then ramping up to include commodities such as minerals, fertilizer, paper and wood pellets.

Many of iChurchills leaders have experience in the oil sector. Dufresne said exporting oil was an idea, and noted petroleum has already come in and out of the Port of Churchill.

"Were very committed to making the assets viable."

In 2013, Denver-based Omnitrax briefly proposed transporting crude oil through the port just weeks after the Lac-Megantic, Que., rail disaster, prompting strong opposition from the community.

A similar proposal last August by an Alberta politician was met with scorn by locals.

Thursdays release said iChurchill would put up tenders for repairs to the railway "in the coming days."

Omnitrax Canada head Merv Tweed suggested thats a bit premature, writing Friday his firm has only signed a letter of intent.

"In recent days, we have also received letters of interest from several other Canadian companies. As of this moment, no transaction has been completed. We are continuing discussions with a number of interested parties."

The office of Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr said the federal government was caught off-guard by the iChurchill announcement.

Since September, Ottawa has been trying to craft a viable business plan with Missinippi Rail and One North, who joined competing bids last summer to take over the railway and port.

"The government of Canadas negotiating team has not had discussions with iChurchill," wrote Carrs spokesman, Alexandre Deslongchamps.

In November, Ottawa announced the billion-dollar firm Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. was involved; the company runs the Saskatchewan grain company AGT Food and Ingredients Inc., including its railway.

Fairfax head Paul Rivett issued a statement Friday, saying the company was all-in on those talks.

The "historic arrangement" is "committed to negotiate in good faith with Omnitrax to immediately repatriate ownership" of the railway and port, he said. The company said it had heard rumblings of iChurchill, but had never been contacted.

Churchill Mayor Mike Spence, who co-leads One North, said he first learned about the group through media reports.

"There is great urgency to arrive at a negotiated agreement as soon as possible," he wrote Friday. "I remain confident a transfer of ownership and restoration of rail service can move forward this spring and this remains my No. 1 priority."

This isnt the first time Omnitrax has inked a deal with a First Nations group.

Before becoming grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, Arlen Dumas signed a May 2017 takeover deal with Omnitrax, but it required Missinippi Rail to secure $20 million in federal funds, which Ottawa only learned about through media reports.

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Dufresne said iChurchill would only reach out to the federal government once it has solid plans, and wouldnt comment on Ottawas existing takeover talks.

"Its a healthy, competitive environment," he said.

He said work has been going on behind the scenes for months, and iChurchill aims to seal a deal by mid-June. The iChurchill website was created Feb. 1, according to the global domain registry.

He also said he heard support from locals when visiting "earlier this year."

Dufresne said iChurchill is being led by Peguis Chief Glenn Hudson, who is also in charge of rallying support from communities along the Hudson Bay Railway.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
The federal government has increased the cap on Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program applications.

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This article was published 4/5/2018 (1251 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The federal government has increased the cap on Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program applications.

The economic immigration program has been around since 1998, and is designed to attract and keep job-ready skilled workers and active investors to Manitoba. It has been credited with keeping the economy growing in a province with an aging population.

The 14 per cent increase in the number of applicants -- to 5,700 from 5,000 -- approved by the federal government for Manitoba this year was noted by Education and Training Minister Ian Wishart in the provincial legislature April 26, during a budget estimates session.

The Tories had been looking for such an increase since it formed government, said a spokeswoman for Wishart, the minister in charge of immigration.

Nominees are chosen based on a system that awards points for things such as having a close relatives in Manitoba, in-demand job skills, and English-language proficiency. Those who are selected often have spouses and children who accompany them to Canada.

Most of those arriving are from India, followed by nominees from the Philippines, China and Nigeria.

"Demand is huge," said World Gateway Immigration owner and director Zora Singh Kainth, who speaks four languages and specializes in immigration from India.

"Indians feel there are lots of business opportunities in Manitoba," said Kainth, who came to Canada through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program in 2008 thanks to relatives who sponsored him.

He was a mechanical engineering instructor in India. After arriving in Winnipeg, he became a licensed immigration consultant and now has 10 employees. "I felt there are lots of immigrants looking for help."

What kept him from leaving Winnipeg for a warmer, more populous place in Canada?

"It was the social connections, people were friendly and there was lots of opportunity," said Kainth.

Prospective provincial nominees from India want to set down roots in Manitoba for the same reasons, he said.

"The economy is stable and Indians prefer to stay with their families" who sponsored them, Kainth said. "People feel that even though Manitoba is cold, the opportunities are not as high in other provinces."

Manitoba has the fourth-highest retention rate of provincial nominees in Canada, at close to 90 pert cent, just behind Alberta, Ontario and B.C.

According to Wishart, nominees are staying in Manitoba for many reasons, including its strong economy, low unemployment, partnerships with employers, post-secondary institutions and rural communities, as well as effective immigrant employment services such as Manitoba Start.

Since Kainth arrived, there have been changes to the nominee program, he said.

A $500 application fee was imposed a year ago and, in April, it was expanded to include a new international education stream. It offers faster nomination pathways for graduates of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs who are completing internships that support industry innovation.

Post-secondary international students who graduate in Manitoba and find longer-term jobs in high-demand occupations they trained for no longer have to work for six months before applying to the nominee program to become permanent residents.

"It's a very popular program and a very good program," said Pawan Singal, a researcher and director of the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at St. Boniface Hospital. "I bring people for training to my lab to do their PhD or post-doctoral work who follow up on the nominee program to become permanent residents."

Since the nominee program began, Singal said he's had 10 people come though his lab, and another 20 of his relatives successfully apply, get accepted and resettle in Manitoba.

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"All are doing very well. Not one person is unemployed," said Singal who immigrated to Canada from India after receiving a master's degree in biophysics at Punjab University in 1970.

"People who are coming in are motivated. Some are skilled or highly skilled, others are not as highly skilled but they are determined."

Finding 5,700 provincial nominee applicants won't be difficult, he said. "I won't be surprised if that gets used up every year."

The province needs immigration or rising birth rates, otherwise it will stagnate, said Singal, who credits the nominee program with keeping Manitoba growing.

"We will continue to pursue higher numbers," the spokeswoman for Wishart said in an email Friday.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/5/2018 (1251 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF) president David Chartrand says hes reluctantly giving the provincial government another week before launching legal action.

Chartrand didnt get the meeting hed demanded with Crown Services Minister Cliff Cullen over Premier Brian Pallisters order in March that Manitoba Hydro axe a $67.5-million deal with the MMF. However, Chartrand said in an interview senior staff from all three organizations met Friday, including deputy minister Grant Doak, and the government has promised a response in writing to the MMF on Monday or Tuesday.

"I have to follow the tripartite committee," he said. "Im pushing for a meeting with Cullen by May 11. Well do everything in our power to show were not the bad guys."

If nothing happens to satisfy the Metis by Friday, Chartrand said, the federations legal team will go to court to seek a judicial review to throw out Pallisters order to Hydro and restore what the MMF believes is a binding agreement. "There are no more excuses."

Cullen issued a statement Friday afternoon: "Members of the tripartite steering committee have been meeting during the two-week period, with a meeting as recently as today, to define the issues under the Turning the Page agreement. This work has to occur prior to a meeting of the minister, MMF president, and Manitoba Hydro. Given that this work is continuing, we will allow the steering committee to complete their work, which should happen in due course. A meeting will be scheduled thereafter."

Under Turning the Page, Manitoba recognizes the Crown has a duty to consult with Metis when any proposed Crown decision or action might adversely affect the exercise of the Aboriginal rights of Metis.

Chartrand said he was very unhappy to read a Free Press story this week quoting Cullens statements in the ministers estimates hearing, in which Cullen continued to dismiss the deal between Hydro and the MMF as a non-binding proposal which cabinet completely rejects.

Chartrand was also angered by Cullens comments that the MMF does not speak for all Metis people in Manitoba.

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"Why didnt he say so when I was sitting in the room?" at their last face-to-face two weeks ago, Chartrand said. "His statements are quite  Im trying to find a nice word."

"Thats what upsets us in Indigenous politics: I do represent all those people. The premier doesnt represent all Manitobans because they dont all vote Conservative?" he said. "Were going to deal with that  Im not finished with that."

In the deal the federation reached with Manitoba Hydro, the MMF agreed not to oppose the proposed $453-million electrical transmission line to Minnesota, in return for $67.5 million paid over 50 years. Chartrand emphasized Friday the deal covered land-entitlement rights as part of the reconciliation process in other projects both current and future: "This is not the Minnesota transmission line only, its bigger than that."

Cullen told his estimates hearing last week, while he honours Turning the Page, it doesnt give Hydro and the MMF the authority to reach agreements. Pallisters cabinet stopped a proposal, and not a done deal, he said.

Hydro said there are no top-level meetings set. "The tripartite steering committee continues discussions. A meeting has not been scheduled yet. No other information is available at this time," Manitoba Hydro media relations officer Bruce Owen said Friday.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca
On April 18, my wife and I were returning from our winter home in Texas. We had just crossed the South Dakota border into North Dakota, heading north on Highway 29 back to Winnipeg.

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This article was published 5/5/2018 (1250 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

On April 18, my wife and I were returning from our winter home in Texas. We had just crossed the South Dakota border into North Dakota, heading north on Highway 29 back to Winnipeg.

A semi-trailer was just ahead of us, and it threw up a piece of debris from the highway. Our speed at the time was approximately 125 km/h. This piece of debris took out my right front tire, but I managed to steer the car to the side of the highway without incident.

I was calling a tow truck, when a South Dakota sheriffs officer pulled up behind us. He identified himself as Sgt. Prouty of the Union County Sheriffs department. He asked if he could be of assistance to us. After noting the flat tire, he offered to change it for us.

Taking in the fact the back of the vehicle was packed with our belongings and the temperature and weather conditions (blowing sleet and -1 C), he assisted me in pulling out the suitcases, boxes, etc., to get at the tire. He then jacked up the car, pulled off the flat and proceeded to install the spare. We had just about finished when the tow truck arrived, about an hour after calling them.

All the nasty things we hear about some police officers in the news, I feel this officer went well beyond the expectations of his job. His only comment was: "We are here to serve, as well as protect the community."

 Dennis J. Slack
The massive Pineland Forest Nursery may not be the last asset the Manitoba government led by Premier Brian Pallister attempts to sell off.

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The massive Pineland Forest Nursery may not be the last asset the Manitoba government led by Premier Brian Pallister attempts to sell off.

The Tories are looking at other provincial facilities and deciding whether there are more responsible ways to spend taxpayers money, an aide to Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen said Friday.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen said the Tories are assessing assets owned by the province for their value to taxpayers.

"Since Day 1, we made a commitment to review programs and services across government to ensure Manitobans receive fair value for their tax dollars," said Pedersens press secretary, David von Meyenfeldt.

"As we continue to explore opportunities for the province to operate in a more cost-effective way, we will use evidence to determine whether it makes sense to seek alternative service delivery solutions that ensure smart spending and responsible use of Manitobans money."

The Manitoba Government and General Employees Union said Friday there are no tangible reports of other facilities being up for sale or privatization, however, one official said, "The hatcheries make the most sense as a next target."

Von Meyenfeldt said on Friday there are no plans at this time to change or discontinue operations at the Whiteshell and Swan Creek fish hatcheries.

Pedersen announced Thursday the province is closing Pineland by Dec. 31 and invited private bids to buy the site and use it as a buyer sees fit, suggesting it could be used to grow cannabis. Marijuana is expected to be legalized in Canada later this year.

The 65-year-old Pineland site near Hadashville (about 100 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg) grows millions of seedlings a year and stores trees for reforestation of every indigenous species in Manitoba. It is also home to research projects, including the University of Winnipegs 30-year study on climate change.

The site has 67 greenhouses on seven acres, with an adjacent 300 acres of growing area.

The province said after Pineland is shuttered, it will buy seedlings through tender from private nurseries.

"Oh my goodness, these guys are just going full-speed ahead on selling off assets," NDP environment critic Rob Altemeyer said Friday. "This is horrible news."

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Altemeyer said Pedersen must ensure Manitoba retains and protects Pinelands store of seeds of trees indigenous to each part of the province.

"We could lose all of the genetic legacy here. It needs to be kept in the public realm," the NDP MLA said.

Altemeyer said the province must also require any potential buyer to guarantee scientific research already being conducted on site must be allowed to continue.

"Make the (request for proposals) a little less dumb and make the new owners aware they cant mess with the scientific research going on there," he said.

"Its like theyre ripping parts out of an engine and selling them for what they can get, without knowing what those parts do."

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca
A group of University of Manitoba students found out Friday their work someday will boldly go where few have gone before.

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A group of University of Manitoba students found out Friday their work someday will boldly go where few have gone before.

The U of M team is one of 15 groups of post-secondary students the Canadian Space Agency announced will receive funding to participate in the CubeSat project. A news release says grants range from $200,000 to $250,000.

CubeSat is a new national student space initiative in which teams of students from across Canada will design, build and operate their own mini-satellite (CubeSat) that will be launched into space. Theres at least one representative from each province and territory.

Canadian astronaut Jenni Sidey was the guest host of Fridays announcement. Sidey, who has a PhD and was an assistant professor at the University of Cambridge in England, said she was impressed by the winners selected by the CSA.

Sidey later told reporters she read through all of the proposals  and each one takes a different approach.

"We have things that are measuring kind of unique agriculture initiatives in Canada. We have one thats looking at novel quantum physics applications. We have climate change measurement. We even some cultural projects  which were really excited about launching," Sidey said.

Two masters students from the U of M science department will be led by Philip Ferguson, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the Winnipeg school. Theyll also be collaborating with representatives from the University of Winnipeg, York University in Toronto, and the space club from Ecole Stonewall Centennial School in the Interlake School Division.

Ferguson said collaborating with the space club  made up of Grade 8 students  was a natural fit, because he has previously worked with the teacher who runs the program, and because "children are never too young to think about a career in space."

The U of M team plans on placing mineral samples inside the satellite, studying how they age in space.

"That way, when we get them back on Earth, we have some idea of where they came from," Ferguson said, later adding the group had received lunar samples from NASA, which will also go in the pod.

Theyll study the rocks by placing them in a 10-centimetre square section of the CubeSat that will expose the minerals to the harsh vacuum of space. There are cameras inside the satellite to record the progression over time.

Ferguson said there are ground stations in Winnipeg and at York University which will receive data from the satellite as it passes over them. However, he said, those passes are for only a short period of time, meaning part of the teams challenge will be finding ways to analyze data on the satellite itself.

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Sidey told reporters the CSA also will be collecting the data from the 15 satellites.

"Data collection is really the bread and butter of science and exploration. We want to learn as much as we can, not only to improve space exploration, but also to improve life here on Earth," she said.

A CubeSat is slightly bigger than a Rubiks Cube, and is battery-powered, but also uses solar panels. Every satellite is to be launched from the Japanese module of the International Space Station.

Ferguson said the U of M satellite will be in orbit "for a few years."

The satellites will take about two years to finish construction and testing. Theyll be launched in 2020-21.

nicholas.frew@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @n_frew6
Alongside the spring melt, conversation has ramped up on border crossings from the United States. Alberta MP Michelle Rempel calls some border crossings unplanned immigration and worries about how discussion may switch from how we do immigration to if we do immigration.

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Opinion

Alongside the spring melt, conversation has ramped up on border crossings from the United States. Alberta MP Michelle Rempel calls some border crossings "unplanned immigration" and worries about how discussion may "switch from how we do immigration to if we do immigration."

Whether we like it or not, some immigration will inevitably be "unplanned" since refugees are fleeing unexpected circumstances. This is all the more important given that Canada has legal obligations to assess just how we should treat persons at our borders.

Canadians need to understand what the law really says about refugee protection to assess Rempels proposal to designate the entire Canadian land border as a port of entry. The Conservative immigration critic wants to trigger the Safe Third Country Agreement and return asylum seekers to the United States regardless of where they cross.

She suggests this new approach is needed so that "illegal" crossings do not undermine Canadian support for immigration. However, persons asking for refugee protection are not crossing illegally.

Canada resettles some refugees through an orderly process, including more than 33,000 Syrian refugees in 2016. Yet less than one per cent of the worlds 17 million refugees were resettled anywhere in the world that same year.

The Canadian government has the discretion to determine refugee resettlement numbers and immigration numbers. Our immigration policy, however, cannot plan how many people ask for refugee protection at our borders.

As a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, Canada has an obligation to assess a persons refugee claim no matter how they entered Canada. If someone enters Canada and meets the refugee definition  a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group  Canada cannot simply send that person away.

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It is not accurate to call all land border crossings "illegal" as Rempel suggests. Under Canadian law, anyone who claims refugee protection cannot be charged with an offence related to coming into Canada pending the hearing and determination of their protection claim. This law aligns with a long-held principle of international law, set out in the Refugee Convention, recognizing that refugees sometimes make desperate choices to find safe haven.

Under the Safe Third Country Agreement, refugee claimants who try to enter Canada from the U.S. at a designated land border are not allowed in because they are expected to seek protection in the U.S. Canada is abiding by this agreement to the letter, even as a legal challenge proceeds through the Federal Court. We are among those who have called for the suspension of the agreement, given the questionable safety of refugee claimants in the U.S. under President Donald Trumps leadership.

Lets think about this: Canadas land border with the United States is almost 9,000 kilometres long  the longest international border in the world. Canada cannot patrol every inch. There will always be routes into Canada, but they are more dangerous under Rempels plan. Grandmother Mavis Otuteye, 57, died while trying to cross into Canada in May 2017. Seidu Mohammed lost his fingers to frostbite crossing into Manitoba in December 2016. His claim for refugee status in Canada was accepted and hes now working to make a life in this country.

Irregular crossers currently present themselves to border officials to make their claims immediately after they cross. If presenting themselves will instead trigger their removal, those who do successfully cross the border will remain hidden and control over the border will lessen.

The so-called "loophole" in the Safe Third Country Agreement is in fact a practical recognition that it is difficult to track precisely how and when people arrive in Canada and it is more important to ensure they make a refugee claim if they do arrive. Rempels proposal is not only based on inaccurate understanding of the law, but is also a step away from security for both Canadians and asylum seekers.

Shauna Labman and Jamie Liew are refugee and immigration law professors at the University of Manitoba and University of Ottawa, respectively.
A Russian official described Moscow and Tehran as two scientific and cultural superpowers which need to promote bilateral cooperation, Iran Daily reports.

There are many grounds for Russia and Iran to expand bilateral scientific ties, Ramazan Abdulatipov, Special Envoy of the Russian President for Humanitarian and Economic Cooperation with the Caspian States said in a meeting held Saturday in this Iranian capital city, IRNA reported.

Recently, he said, a scientific conference was held with participation of the two countries with an aim of expanding academic and scientific cooperation, Abdulatipov said in the meeting with Iranian Minister of Science, Research and Technology Mansour Qolami.
The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in Australia held public meetings entitled Organise Resistance to Internet Censorship! Free Julian Assange! in Sydney, Melbourne and Newcastle this week.

The meetings were convened in response to the World Socialist Web Sites call for the formation of an International Coalition of Socialist, Anti-War and Progressive Websites to oppose Internet censorship and imperialist preparations for war.

The first meeting, held at the University of Sydney on April 29, was attended by over 70 people, including workers and retirees, as well as students from various universities. For many who attended, it was their first SEP event, having heard about it via social media, posters and street campaigns or campus speak outs by IYSSE members (see: Australian workers and youth speak after public meetings).

SEP assistant national secretary Cheryl Crisp chaired the meeting. She pointed out that increasing efforts to censor the Internet were driven by the deepening political and economic crisis of facing capitalist governments everywhere, attacks on workers living standards, and the preparations for war, led above all by the US and its imperialist allies.

SEP national committee member Zac Hambides reviewed the massive worldwide increase in Internet use over the past 20 years, particularly among young people, and the growth of WSWS readership since its establishment in 1998.

This growth, Hambides noted, paralleled the expansion of the international working class, particularly in the emerging economies, such as China, India and South and Central America, as well as increased social inequality and immense distrust in the corporate media and governments of every political colouration.

The censorship measures taken by Google, Facebook and other giant Internet companies and governments, he said, were an anti-democratic attempt to block access to the WSWSs socialist perspective, and anti-war and progressive web sites.

SEP national secretary James Cogan reviewed the broader political context in which Internet censorship had emerged and the reckless US-led preparations for war against China and Russia.

Cogan told the meeting that senior US intelligence officials had been systematically calling for stricter control of the Internet, warning that this was essential for the survival of American capitalism. He cited one such comment: Civil wars dont start with gunshots, they start with words We all must act now on the social media battlefield to quell information rebellions that can quickly lead to violent confrontations.

The speaker said increasingly worried articles were being published by American corporate media outlets about how US teachers, starting in West Virginia, were using Facebook and other social media to organise industrial action independently of the trade union bureaucracies.

Cogan reviewed the history of the persecution of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, including calls by US politicians for his assassination, and the Ecuadorian governments recent decision, under pressure from Washington, to isolate the anti-war journalist.

The persecution of Assange, the speaker said, cannot be separated from the broader offensive by capitalist governments to silence all dissent. He pointed out that CIA director Mike Pompeo, who is now the US Secretary of State, last year labelled WikiLeaks as a non-state hostile intelligence service.

Cogan reviewed the pernicious role played by Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who falsely claimed in 2010 that Assanges activities were illegal and promised that her government would do everything to assist Washington silence the Australian citizen and shut down WikiLeaks.

Cogan told the meeting that the contemporary attacks on freedom of speech and Internet censorship followed a reactionary tradition. He cited the comments of Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels that if you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it and give me control of the media, and I will turn any nation into a herd of pigs.

The ruling class today, the speaker said, is determined to deny the population access to the truth, so they can be manipulated to any end, above all, for war.

Access to the socialist perspective provided by the WSWS and the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) is necessary for the development of political consciousness and an international political organisation to mobilise the working class to put an end to capitalism, the source of imperialist war, Cogan said.

The world must be transformed on the basis of a socialist program, involving the expropriation of the transnational banks and corporations that dominate over world economy, into public ownership and democratic control. The global communications systems, including the Internet, must be transformed into public utilities.

Cogan concluded by calling on all in attendance to participate in the ICFIs 2018 international online May Day rally on May 6, and apply to join the SEP, the Australian section of the ICFI.

The other meetings were held on Thursday evening. At the University of Melbourne, the speakers were Cogan and Evrim Yazgin, the IYSSE president at that campus. The meeting at the University of Newcastle was addressed by SEP national committee member Oscar Grenfell and Robert Campion, the secretary of the IYSSE club. The final meeting in the series will be held in Brisbane, the Queensland state capital, on May 20.

The SEP meetings provoked serious discussion as audiences grappled with the political implications of issues raised in the reports. Over $3,200 was donated to the SEPs monthly fund and more than $300 of Marxist literature was sold.

Questions ranged from more details on Facebook censorship, to the possible use of alternative search engines, the names of individuals and organisations who previously supported Julian Assange but had abandoned him, and what individuals could do to defend him.

Cogan explained that an open letter defending Assange in 2010 had been signed by the editors of all the major newspapers and television news services in Australia, as well as lawyers, artists, leading Greens politicians, the pseudo-left and others. These layers had turned sharply to the right in the seven years since then and are either openly hostile to Assange or refuse to say a word in his defence.

A student attending the Sydney meeting asked whether humanity faced an Orwellian future if censorship of the Internet continued. Her question provoked an important discussion, with contributions from other SEP members.

The working class faces great dangers, Cogan said, but there was a way to prevent an Orwellian future and the descent into barbarism. That was in the struggle to build the ICFI, the only political party fighting in defence of basic democratic rights and for a socialist and internationalist program.
After violent clashes erupted during the May Day rally in Paris, allegedly between police and members of the anarchist Black Bloc organization, the French government is pledging to step up police deployments and work more closely with the trade unions to strangle political opposition.

As the march was starting, clashes broke out between around 1,000 hooded individuals and the police forces, who fired tear gas and two water cannon at the protesters. A McDonalds and a Renault car dealership were torched, and the security forces proceeded to carry out mass arrests. Of 276 people detained on Tuesday, 102 were placed in preventive detention; including 22 legal minors and nine foreign citizens (Belgian, Swiss and Colombian), according to police reports.

The governments account raises more questions than it gives answers. It is remarkable that 1,200 hooded people could have reached the protest site, particularly as groups like the Black Bloc are monitored and thoroughly penetrated by police. Interior Minister Gerard Collomb admitted as much when he reported, There was someone with a Security File at the demonstration.

No clear or definitive account has emerged of the May Day clashes; it is unclear who gave the orders that provoked the violence, which is generally reactionary and serves only the interests of the state by providing a pretext for repression. But what is clear is that the ruling elite is seizing upon this to reinforce police operations against social protest. In this current situation, this means an escalation of repression of university blockades and the rail workers strike, and closer state collaboration with the union bureaucracy to shut down strike activity.

On May 1, President Emmanuel Macron wrote on Twitter: I condemn with absolute firmness the violence that took place today and debased the May Day parades. Everything will be done to identify those responsible for these actions and to hold them to account.

Laurent Wauquiez, leader of the right-wing party, The Republicans, tweeted: Failure of the security state. We must urgently re-establish our authority: all support to security forces who face these hooligans.

Marine Le Pen of the neo-fascist National Front (FN) declared: These far-left militias should have been dissolved a long time ago. But the problem is that left-wing governments feel well disposed towards them, by now we can even say they are complicit.

Collomb promised to have even more security forces out on the streets during the next protests. He said he could not promise that he would not ban political organizations.

Claiming that the police force is not able to search protestersalthough police did precisely that on multiple occasions during mass protests against the Socialist Party (PS) labor lawCollomb also called on the trade unions to collaborate more closely with the authorities: We must think about a solution together with the trade union organizations. Collomb added the somewhat bizarre remark that if the trade unions want that there be no more of this (violence), maybe they should get along with us.

These statements constitute a warning for workers. Reinforcements of police powers, under an increasingly authoritarian state regime in France since the imposition of the state of emergency in 2015, are squarely aimed at the working class and its opposition to Macrons policy of austerity and militarism. Current and planned social attacks are designed to free up hundreds of billions of euros earned through the sweat and blood of workers and hand them over to the banks, the army, and the plans for war.

In the wave of imperialist wars since the Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union and the first Gulf War against Iraq in 1991, military tensions have reached the point of a direct military confrontation between NATO and Russia over the issue of a NATO war against Iran and Syria. The bombing of Syria by Macron and his alignment with Trump on Iranian and Syrian issues underscores that French imperialism is determined to join in the imperialist re-division of the Middle East.

Fifty years after the May-June 1968 general strike, however, the bourgeoisie is deeply concerned over rising social opposition in France and around the world, which threatens to upset its war plans. Fearing an international unification of workers struggles against austerity and war, just as a strike movement also develops in the American working class, particularly the teachers, it is far less worried about the damage caused by the protests Tuesday than by the rising strike struggles.

This is why the government is not stressing its plans for a return to intrusive searches of protesters, but its collaboration with the union bureaucracies and the dissolution of political organizations.

For workers and youth who are in struggle, this is a warning: The struggle must be taken out of the hands of the unions. If workers do not organize independently of the union bureaucracies and their political allies, like the New Anti-capitalist Party, these forces will work with the government to strangle the rail strike and, more broadly, all forms of social protest in the working class.

In 2016, when police repression of protests against the Socialist Partys (PS) labor law did not suffice to end the movement, the union bureaucracy used the threat by PS Prime Minister Manuel Valls to ban protests to put an end to the movement.

The trade unions are trying to organize discussions with Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, and they will use the press campaign against the May Day rally to attempt to gradually end the rail strike. They have already accepted talks with Philippe, who said his preconditions for talks were accepting the end of the rail workers statute, the ending of the National Railways (SNCF) monopoly, and the SNCFs conversion into a private company.

Currently, the statements of the leading union bureaucrats suggest seeking an end to the rail strike. The new general secretary of the Workers Force (FO), Pascal Pavageau, demanded on Sunday that there be a moratorium on the rail reforms, so that discussions on the plan could go forward with serenity. Otherwise, we will never get anywhere.

CFDT leader Laurent Berger, who will meet with Philippe on May 7 at Matignon palace together with officials of the Stalinist General Confederation of Labor (CGT) and Solidarity-Unity-Democracy (SUD), said he was hoping for a discussion about the real content of the issues. He said, The exit from the conflict, its first of all trains that start circulating normally again, but its also rail workers who dont feel humiliated, saying nothing about whether rail workers demands would be met.
Teachers is Pueblo, Colorado will begin a strike on Monday, the first strike by teachers in the state since 1994.

The Colorado Department of Labor issued a memo May 2, to both the Colorado Education Association (CEA) and Pueblo City Schools (District 60), stating that it will not intervene with the planned teacher strike, which was approved by teachers 471-24 in April.

Teachers in the city located south of Denver have been staging protests for weeks, including organizing sick-outs that have forced schools to close. On Wednesday, the district threatened consequences for further job action, stating, [W]e have been notified by the leadership of PEA [Pueblo Educators Association] and PPEA [Pueblo Paraprofessional Educators Association] that they intend to call for a District-wide strike, presumably within the week and potentially in violation of state law.

It declares that members of the professional staff who use excused leave to participate in either sick-outs or a strike will be subject to a full salary-deduction for each day of absence based on the staff members current daily rate of pay. Also, during any period of salary deduction, staff members will be subject to a suspension of benefits.

The salary-deductions will impact the teachers heavily. They are some of the most underpaid teachers in the country and cannot afford to lose any pay in a state where the cost of living is increasing.

However, teachers are determined to fight. If I need to lose my pay for however long it takes, I've kind of been planning on it, my wife and I have been planning for it, we've got money scrolled away, we've got resources, Jim, a Pueblo teacher told a local NBC affiliate.

A bill introduced in the Colorado House during the walkouts last month, threatening teachers with injunctions, fines, and possible jail time, has been pulled since widespread publicity drew fire from educators and students.

As in other states that have been centers of opposition from teachers, the unionin this case, the CEA, the state affiliate of the National Education Associationhas done everything it could to prevent a walkout. The series of sickouts have been initiated by rank-and-file teachers, not the union.

Now that the union has been forced to call a strike, it is limiting it to Pueblo, isolating the relatively small group of teachers not only from teachers throughout the countryas the unions did in West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizonabut even from other teachers in the state of Colorado.

The union is also limiting teachers demands to a meager two percent pay increase, which the school district is claiming it cant afford.

Last month, the school board rejected a third-party suggestion for a tiny cost of living increase. The Fact-Finding study, an annual study funded by District 60, suggested a two percent cost of living raise along with increased contributions to teacher health insurance plans. The plan would have cost the school district an extra $1.2 million.

The situation in Colorado also exposes the unions claims that the crisis of public education is due solely to the policies of Republicans, and that the solution is to elect Democrats. The Colorado House of Representatives is controlled by Democrats, and Democrats hold the governorship as well as a large minority in the Senate.

As in the Republican-controlled states of West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona, the public education funding crisis in Colorado is the result of the state government bowing to the wishes of big energy and the military industry located in the state, to keep taxes down and boost corporate profits.
Schools reopened across Arizona on Friday, as teachers returned to work following the betrayal of their courageous week-long strike by the unions, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, and the nominally independent union front group, Arizona Educators United.

The deal is virtually identical to the proposal of Republican governor Doug Ducey that teachers rejected before the strike began, and meets none of the main demands of teachers or support staff.

The unions sellout is the latest in a series of betrayals of strikes by teachers, including in West Virginia and Oklahoma. They have worked to isolate the expanding strike wave on a state-by-state basis. The unions were all the more determined to end the Arizona strike yesterday, with teachers in Pueblo, in neighboring Colorado, set to walk out on Monday. On May 16, teachers will shut down schools across North Carolina, after thousands of teachers have already called off work.

Teachers spoke to the World Socialist Web Site yesterday and denounced the sellout of the strike by the Arizona Education Association and AEU.

Amy, a seventh- and eight-grade teacher in Mesa, told the WSWS that the union had been determined to stop the strike on Wednesday when the teachers got really angry and began to take the power away from the union leaders.

Amy noted that on Tuesday, the AEU had instructed teachers to return to work on Thursday. They didnt send out a poll or survey. I thought: How do you know were ready?

Amy (right) and her colleague

The teachers were chanting angrily on Wednesday, circling inside and outside the capital. The union leaders werent anywhere to be seen. Then later in the afternoon, the AEA and AEU leaders appeared, and broke us all into districts. Our leader was super agitated. They told us to vote on returning to school. He tried to guilt us into it. He said the certified workers were not getting paid for the day off, and that we were depriving them of money by not going back to school.

We thought, this is ridiculous! Why are you making us feel bad when were out here fighting for them?! My school actually put together a GoFundMe page and raised $1,500 to give to our certified staff.

I started making negative comments about him to the people around us. People were listening  We all voted to not go back to work on Thursday. This really freaked the union leaders out.

Amy explained that the following day, as teachers arrived at the capitol, the AEU and AEA had a whole new spin. It was like a pep rally at high school: They said it was historic. The punch line was, go back to your schools, welcome your students.

Within 30 minutes, teachers began receiving emails that schools were reopening the following day. They had to have coordinated it the night before, she said. There was also a news conference. They told the media to come. It was an agreement with the school districts and the legislature to put an end to it before the teachers completely take the power away from us. Its disgusting. A lot of us felt betrayed by the union.

I said to my colleague: What would happen if someone else had the microphone, and said, we are not done; we have not got what we want. It would have been totally different. I heard snippets of others in the crowd making pissed-off comments, like whats going on?

Amy rejected the lie promoted by the AEU and AEA, that the strike had to be brought to an end because teachers risked losing public support. It had become extremely powerful, she said. The public were all behind us. We had the momentum and the numbers to tell them: Take your budget, and we will stay out of school until you make it what we want. But the union and AEU said: Weve gotten as much as we can.

Instead, the unions insisted that teachers could only vote for Democrats in November. The slogan, Remember in November was really heavily promoted, Amy noted. Then today they kept putting things on the Facebook saying this is Red for November. Voting will not do anything. The legislators have been taking $1 billion from education funding since 2008.

When the union and AEU announced the shutdown of the strike, however, there was no alternative organization, independent of the union and democratically run by the teachers, that could take the strike into its own hands. This allowed the unions to impose their sellout despite widespread opposition.

Amy said that everyone was following those who had been our cheerleaders, but that they turned on us and we didnt have any way to bring it back together. She said that a rank-and-file committee, which the World Socialist Web Site called for from the beginning of the strike, is what needs to happen. You need to have multiple voices all along the stage so that no one individual is really leading it; its the group leading together.

It needs to be nationwide strike. Thats what it would take. And it needs to be just run by the teachers: a teacher force doing it, and the parents getting involved. Theyre actually interested in their children and grandchildren getting a public education. It could be huge for teachers through all the nation to all strike together and refuse to stop until we get what we want.

I think that the workers are more powerful than the state and even the federal government. The majority of America is the working class. They [the ruling class] are a very small population. If the workers united, together, were a much more powerful force than the small minority thats wealthy that dominates our country. But we could be a dominating force just in sheer numbers. Were the ones that struggle. Were the ones that fight every daynot them. And we produce all of the wealthfor them.

Amy said she had heard about the upcoming online May Day Online Rally being held by the World Socialist Web Site. I plan on being there. Im interested in hearing what you have to say.

Roger, a teacher in western Phoenix, told the WSWS, There are a lot of people who are upset. We won nothing. Its the same deal that essentially we went on strike against. We did all this effort to make the biggest strike in modern history and then went home.

On Tuesday night, I look on my phone and Noah [Karvelis], Dylan [Wegala] and all the others from the AEU were on video saying, were going back to school on Thursday. I thought: What?!

Roger said that he had heard rumors that the union would sell us out by using a ballot initiative to channel teachers opposition. An Oklahoma teacher hit me up and warned that in Oklahoma, the unions convinced them to go back to school and say, vote Democrat in November. Then sure enough, thats what happened.

Roger said that while the drive for the strike came from rank-and-file teachers, who at every school began organizing on their own, the AEU had piggy-backed on that and tried to get everybody to join the union.

The union now is just pay dues and vote Democrat, he said. The Democrats were trying to embrace us in the capitol. But when Obama was president, his secretary, Arne Duncan, was all about private schools.

Roger said he thought there needed to be a united struggle by the whole working class. Its not just teachers; its everybody, he said. Its every person, in every job. They dont get paid enough; they dont get enough benefits. We have to organize and strike. It would be revolutionary. When we were in the legislature, what was going through my mind the whole time was: If this was a representative democracy, these people would listen to us. But its not.

Roger said he intended to attend the upcoming International Online May Day Rally hosted by the WSWS. I want to hear what you guys have to say.
The Russian Embassy in Armenia issued a statement in connection with the statements of some Russian citizens and individuals on the situation in Armenia. It is posted on the website of the diplomatic mission.

"We remind that the events taking place in the Republic of Armenia during the past few weeks are exclusively internal issues of the Republic of Armenia and its citizens," the message reads.

The embassy added that in its activities to build and maintain allied relations between Russia and Armenia, the Russian side in general and the embassy in Yerevan in particular proceed not from private opinions of individuals, but adhere to the positions voiced by the press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitriy Peskov, and the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.
A federal judge with deep, longstanding connections to the national security apparatus assailed Special Counsel Robert Mueller during a court hearing Friday, declaring that the real purpose of the anti-Russia investigation was to generate material that would lead to Trumps prosecution or impeachment.

Federal District Judge T.S. Ellis III was hearing a motion brought by the attorney for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, seeking the dismissal of his indictment for bank fraud on the grounds that such charges were outside the scope of Muellers investigative authority.

Defense attorney Kevin Downing argued that because the allegations against Manafort relate to actions many years before the 2016 elections, at a time when Manafort had no relationship with Donald Trump, Mueller had no basis for investigation.

Ellis eagerly embraced this argument, telling prosecutor Michael Dreeben, You dont really care about Mr. Manaforts bank fraud. You really care about what information he might give you about Mr. Trump and what might lead to his impeachment or prosecution.

Thats what youre really interested in, Ellis continued, appearing to lose his temper, according to press accounts.

Remarkably, Dreeben did not explicitly disavow the intention to oust Trump from the White House, merely replying that the investigation had to follow the money.

Ellis returned to this issue several times during the court hearing, but ultimately indicated he would make a decision on whether to dismiss the charges against Manafort at a later date. Trial is tentatively scheduled for July 10.

At one point in the proceedings, Manaforts attorney pointed out that the investigation into Manaforts work as a political consultant in Ukraine dated back to 2005 and had been conducted by the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. This probe was then absorbed into the Mueller investigation.

Judge Ellis responded, I dont see how this indictment has anything to do with anything the special prosecutor is authorized to investigate. He then repeatedly interrupted Dreeben as he sought to explain the connection between the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 elections and Manaforts activities in Ukraine a decade earlier.

It covers bank fraud in 2005 and 2007? Ellis asked. Tell me how. How does that have to do with links or coordination with Russia and Trump?

Referring to his own long tenure of the benchhe was appointed a federal district court judge by Ronald Reagan in 1987, and has had senior (effectively part-time) status since 2007Ellis said that he knew that prosecutors hoped to pressure Manafort into implicating the president.

The vernacular is, to sing, the judge said, adding that the danger was, they may not just sing, they may compose.

Ellis also attacked the sweeping scope and unaccountable character of the special counsel investigation. We dont want anyone in this country with unfettered power. Its unlikely youre going to persuade me the special prosecutor has power to do anything he or she wants, he told Dreeben. The American people feel pretty strongly that no one has unfettered power.

He asked Dreeben why the special counsel had decided to refer the criminal investigation into Trumps personal attorney Michael Cohen to the US Attorney in New York rather than keep it in house, answering his own question as though he were Mueller, because the Cohen probe didnt further our core effort to get Trump.

He suggested that he might order a similar referral in the Manafort case, removing it from the special counsels investigation and returning it to the Eastern District of Virginia. Manaforts attorney Downing indicated his support for such a move, which would end any leverage by the special counsel over his client.

Ellis also demanded that prosecutors turn over a full, uncensored version of the August 2, 2017 memorandum in which Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein defined the scope of the Mueller investigation. He said the full memo could be presented to him under seal, and would be withheld both from Manaforts defense team and the public.

Manafort has been indicted in two separate federal jurisdictions, first in the District of Columbia, relating to failure to register as a foreign agent (for the government of Ukraine), and in Virginia, for a series of bank fraud, conspiracy, income tax fraud and failure to report overseas bank accounts.

The judge in the DC court rejected a civil suit brought by Manafort challenging the special counsels jurisdiction, but is considering a motion to dismiss the charges similar to that brought before Ellis. Trial on those charges is tentatively set for September 17.

The outbursts by Judge Ellis are one more expression of the extraordinary political tensions building up within the American state. Ellis is a longtime ally of the national security stateas are all federal judges in the Eastern District of Virginia, which includes the Virginia suburbs of Washington DC, where the Pentagon and the CIAs headquarters in Langley, Virginia are located.

In the course of his three decades on the bench, Ellis has handled some extremely high profile and sensitive cases. He was the trial judge for John Walker Lindh, the so-called American Taliban, a young American student who traveled to Afghanistan to study Islam before the 9/11 attacks, and was captured after the US invasion and occupation of the country.

Lindh was tortured by US forces, then brought home to face murder charges in the death of a CIA agent killed by Taliban prisoners during an uprising. Although Lindh had no connection to the death, he ultimately pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding the Taliban and carrying explosives. Ellis sentenced him to 20 years in prison. With good behavior at the federal Supermax facility in Florence, Colorado, Lindh now has a projected release date next year, on May 23, 2019.

Ellis also presided over several espionage cases, including the prosecution of Larry Franklin, an intelligence analyst convicted of passing secrets to Israel, as well as the failed prosecution of two employees of the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC who were the go-betweens with Israeli intelligence.

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Political warfare in Washington enters new stage following firing of former FBI deputy director

[19 March 2018]
The famous rock musician, System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian will arrive in Armenia on May 7th, the candidate for the post of Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, wrote on his page in Facebook.

"I am glad to report that Serzh Tankian will arrive in Yerevan on May 7th, at 20:05. Prepare for the powerful meeting, "Sputnik-Armenia cites the message.

Recall that from the very beginning of the mass protests in Armenia, there were rumors about the imminent arrival of Tankian
U.S. President Donald Trump offered his latest teaser for a historic U.S. summit with North Korea: The time and place have been set but hes not saying when and where.

The White House did, however, announce the details of a separate meeting later this month between Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, as the U.S. administration pushed back on a report that Trump is considering the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the allied nation, Globalnews.ca reported.

Trump and Moon would meet at the White House on May 22 to continue their close coordination on developments regarding the Korean Peninsula following last Fridays meeting between Moon and Kim Jong Un. They will also discuss the U.S. presidents own upcoming summit with the North Korean leader, a statement said.

Earlier this week, Trump expressed a preference for holding the big event with Kim in the demilitarized zone or DMZ between the two Koreas, where Moon and Kim met. He also said Singapore was in contention to host what will be the first summit of between a U.S. and a North Korean leader.

We now have a date and we have a location. Well be announcing it soon, Trump told reporters Friday from the White House South Lawn before departing for Dallas. Hes previously said the summit was planned for May or early June.
FILE PHOTO: The CBS television network logo is seen outside their offices on 6th avenue in New York, U.S. on May 19, 2016. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo

By Munsif Vengattil and Jessica Toonkel

(Reuters) - CBS Corp <CBS.N>, which is in tough merger talks with Viacom Inc <VIAB.O>, topped revenue and profit estimates on Thursday, helped by healthy ad sales and higher revenue from affiliate and subscription fees.

The New York-based company, whose shows include "Big Bang Theory" and "NCIS" reported strong results as it and Viacom, which are both controlled by Sumner Redstone and his daughter Shari, have begun tough negotiations over price and management of a combined company.

Shares of the company were slightly higher in after-hours trading.

CBS executives declined to comment on merger talks with Viacom on the analyst call Thursday, and Chief Executive Leslie Moonves was upbeat about the company's ability to continue to grow based on its current strategy of increasing revenue outside of advertising.

"The strategy that we have laid out for you is clearly working and the good news is that there is much more to come," Moonves said on the call.

The owner of the most-watched U.S. television network said affiliate and subscription fees revenue  which includes revenue from cable and satellite TV operators and from online streaming providers, including its own All Access offering  rose 16.3 percent in the first quarter.

More than two-thirds of subscribers to CBS' online streaming offerings are electing to pay more for the services to watch them without ads, said CBS Chief Operating Officer Joseph Ianniello, on the call.

"This number should only increase," he said, which should help reduce dependence on advertising for revenue.

Advertising revenue rose 8.1 percent to $1.73 billion and CBS executives said they expected continue growth in advertising beyond 2018.

CBS reported net income from continuing operations of $511 million, or $1.32 per share, in the first quarter ended March 31, up from $454 million, or $1.09 per share, a year earlier.

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Excluding one-time items, CBS reported a profit of $1.34 per share, beating analysts' average estimate of $1.19, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

CBS said revenue rose 12.5 percent to $3.76 billion. Analysts on average had expected revenue of $3.64 billion.

(Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru and Jessica Toonkel in New York; Editing by Bernard Orr and Lisa Shumaker)
Thomas Kanewakeron Gray, 19, and his 17-year-old brother Lloyd Skanahwati Gray saved up their money to drive seven hours from Santa Cruz, New Mexico, to Colorado State University in Fort Collins on Monday, taking the familys only car so they could go on a college tour.

Shortly after they arrived late, police pulled the brothers from the group, CNN reported. The reason: the mother of another prospective student said they made her nervous, CNN said.

I think its pretty discriminatory, Thomas said on Thursday, according to the Associated Press. Me and my brother just stayed to ourselves the whole time.

Thomas said police stopped them while the admissions tour was inside a gymnasium on campus, the AP reported. He claimed the officers questioned them aggressively, patted them down and would not release the brothers until they proved that had reserved spots for the school tour. By then the tour group had moved on, the AP reported, and the boys returned to New Mexico.

Thomas Gray

In a Facebook post, the brothers mother, Lorraine Kahneratokwas Gray, gave more details about the incident.

The officer patted down both of them, then asked my 17 year old  to empty his pockets, Lorraine wrote, although she was not present at the time of the incident. When he tried to do as the officer asked, he then yelled at my son to keep your hands out of your pockets. Apparently this happened several times before my son finally said in frustration, which one do you want me to do? 

University officials responded to the incident in a statement provided to PEOPLE.

This incident is sad and frustrating from nearly every angle, particularly the experience of two students who were here to see if this was a good fit for them as an institution, officials said in the address. As a University community, we deeply regret the experience of these students while they were guests on our campus.

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In an interview with KOAT, Lorraine said Colorado State was her sons dream school.

It breaks my heart, because they didnt do anything to warrant that, Lorraine told KOAT. Theyre walking on their own ancestors land, so it breaks my heart.

The brothers are both Mohawk, according to the AP. Thomas is a student at Northern New Mexico College in Espanola and hoped to transfer to Colorado State, the AP reported. Lloyd is a senior at Santa Fe Indian School.

The incident comes shortly after two black men were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks last month after being racially profiled. The men settled claims with the city for $1 and will work with the city and a nonprofit organization to fund a $200,000 grant to benefit high school students in the city, CNN reported.
The biological mother of Kamiyah Mobley, the teen kidnapped from a Florida hospital as an hours-old newborn and raised for 18 years by her abductor, gave emotional testimony during the kidnappers sentencing.

It doesnt heal now. Im still hurting. When youre reaching out to my child, that is my child, Shanara Mobley said in court Thursday. I am your mother, Kamiyah! I am your mother.

Gloria Williams, the woman who kidnapped Kamiyah in 1998 and raised the girl as her own for 18 years, pleaded guilty in February to kidnapping and interference with custody. Kamiyah is now 19.

She struck a plea deal on the day her trial was set to begin, which calls for her to serve between zero and 22 years.

On Thursday, Mobley described how in 1998, hours after giving birth to her daughter, Williams posed as a nurse and said she had to take the baby to have her temperature taken. Mobley was 16 at the time and said she trusted Williams because the woman had spent hours getting to know the mother and child before the kidnapping.

When she realized her baby had been kidnapped, Mobley said that she went into a panic.

Im screaming and Im hollering and cussing, she testified, adding that she began to have suicidal thoughts afterward.

Kimayah Mobley

Kimayah Mobley, Gloria Williams

I always thought about my baby every day, every day, every day, Mobley said. I would catch myself in my car crying, in bed crying, taking a bath crying, doing something with her siblings and crying.

She saw no sign of Kamiyah for years. Williams raised her and renamed her Alexis Kelli Manigo.

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

On Friday, the second day of her sentencing hearing, Williams took the stand to testify in her own defense.

She addressed the moment she told Kamiyah she had kidnapped her and that authorities were after her, saying, [Kamiyah] wanted me to run.

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Kamiyah is not scheduled to testify, however, she has given a sworn statement that will be read in court.

In 2016, Williams stepdaughter allegedly called the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and left an anonymous tip that would lead investigators in the womans direction. She was arrested on Jan. 10, 2017, at her home in Walterboro, South Carolina.

When first interviewed by police, Kamiyah refused to believe the woman she thought was her mother had kidnapped her. In later interviews, she acknowledged that she had been abducted.

Gloria Williams

Prosecutors previously released letters that Kamiyah and Williams exchanged with each other since Williams arrest. The letters provide intimate insight into their relationship.

I just want everything to go back to normal, Mobley wrote to Williams in one letter. I want you home, I need you home.

I love you no matter what, Kamiyah wrote to Williams. There is nothing or no one who can change that.
Photo credit: Getty Images

From Esquire

(Permanent Musical Accompaniment to the Last Post of the Week From The Blogs Favourite Living Canadian)

Yeah, it was just about as bad as you imagined it would be.

This president*, after a week of calamitous news regarding his alleged relationship with an adult-movie actress, and in desperate need of both a distraction and a friendly audience, goes to Dallas to addressthe national convention of the NRA. Its like the boob-bait-a-lanche of all time.

"Thanks to your activism and dedication, you have an administration fighting to protect your Second Amendment and we will protect your Second Amendment. Your Second Amendment rights are under siege, but they will never ever be under siege as long as I am your president."

You just said they were already under siege, Knocko.

"Kanye West must have some power, because you probably saw, I doubled my African-American poll numbers. We went from 11 to 22 in one week, thank you, Kanye. When I saw the numbers I said that must be a mistake, how did that happen?"

If Kanye West showed up unannounced on their lawns, most of this audience would call the police.



Senate Democrats like Jon Tester, you saw what happened there, what he did to one of the finest people in our country, what he did to the admiral? What he did was a disgrace."

That cinches it. Jon Tester has no chance of being re-elected to the Senate from Texas.

Sometimes, I think Lewandowskis job is to pull the string in the back of the president*s neck so he can speak.

I dont know what the hell is going on here, but, given the track record of Scott Walker, the goggle-eyed homunculus hired by Koch Industries to manage their midwest subsidiary formerly known as the state of Wisconsin, Im fairly sure that, at some level of the government, theres some penny-ante graft afoot. From the WaPo:



And to independent economists, it's a mystifying piece of tax policy that has no clear long-term economic purpose and few, if any, recent comparable examples, given that tax breaks are traditionally incorporated for tax filing season - not in the months before an election. This is really weird. I have never heard of anything like this, said Richard Auxier, who tracks state tax policy for the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank. Scott Drenkard, a tax expert at the Tax Foundation, a right-leaning think tank, was also puzzled. This is definitely odd and unique. I havent seen anything like it before," he said. "Its political catnip, but its hard to see how it improves economic outcomes.

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It's literally a guy saying, 'I'm Scott Walker running for reelection, have some money!'" said Mandela Barnes, a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor in Wisconsin. Everyone I've talked to sees it as a blatant payoff.

Well, yeah. And your point is?

Photo credit: Getty Images

Major kudos to Nancy Kaffer of The Detroit Free Press for catching Michigans government at some serious finagling regarding the states proposed work requirement for Medicaid. They have managed to find a way to knuckle poor minority citizens while appearing to be generous.

Because although HB 897 threatens to end Medicaid benefits for hundreds of thousands living elsewhere in the state, it includes exemptions for people who live in counties with an unemployment rate of more than 8.5%, like the ones Schmidt represents. Live in Detroit? You're out of luck. The city's unemployment rate is higher than 8.5%, but the unemployment rate in surrounding Wayne County is just 5.5% - meaning Detroiters living in poverty, with a dysfunctional transit system that makes it harder to reach good-paying jobs, won't qualify for that exemption. The same is true in Flint and the state's other struggling cities. Get that? Rural residents of up-north counties with high unemployment are protected; urban Michiganders who live in high-unemployment cities in more prosperous counties are left to twist.

Whats the most obvious difference between the people in rural, up-north Michigan and the citizens of Detroit? Hmmm, lemme get back to you on that.

Weekly WWOZ Pick To Click: Fine Brown Frame" (Nellie Lutcher): Yeah, I still pretty much love New Orleans.



Weekly Visit To The Pathe Archives: Heres something from the Geneva Peace Conference in 1954, and a look at the man who was going to bring peace to Indo-China. Here he is meeting with John Foster Dulles, to allay our fears that France was going to give way to the Reds too easily. This video did not age well, but history is so cool, anyway.

If you read nothing else this weekend, read Jamelle Bouies moving account of the recent opening of the National Memorial For Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. The guy behind the memorial, which attempts to honor all those who were killed through extrajudicial murder, is Bryan Stevenson, who has done more of gods work in this country than any three other people you can name. We need a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in a lot of areas in this country, but were never going to get one because, you know, Exceptionalism.

But, as Jamelle points out so eloquently in Slate, maybe this quiet place is what well have to pass for one.

Why dwell on this painful period of American history? Why fight to bring this unspeakable violence into the national consciousness? And why work to integrate it into public memory when lynching remains an incredibly fraught metaphor for racial conflict, with heavy symbolic baggage that weighs on any conversation around the subject?

The answer is straightforward. We live in a moment when racism-explicit and unapologetic-has returned to a prominent place in American politics, both endorsed by and propagated through the Oval Office. And in that environment, a memorial to racial terrorism-one which indicts perpetrators as much as it honors victims-is the kind of provocation that we need, a vital and powerful statement against our national tendency to willful amnesia. The victims of lynching and racial terrorism deserve a memorial that makes plain the scale of the offense and the magnitude of the crime. The communities in question deserve a chance to reckon with the weight of their history. And Americans writ large need an opportunity to grapple with this period as we struggle to understand a present that contains disturbing echoes of our not-too-distant past.

Is it a good day for dinosaur news, Guardian? Its always a good day for dinosaur news!

Thought to have lived between 66 and 100m years ago the gull-like bird, known as Ichthyornis dispar, was first written about in the 19th century by American palaeontologist Othniel Marsh after fossil remains were unearthed in the US. These revealed that the animals body was similar to modern birds in many respects. But there was a startling difference: it had jaws which housed sharp teeth. The findings astonished experts who recognised that the creature offered crucial insights into how todays birds came to be. However, the skull was far from complete.

It was flying around eating probably fish, shellfish and other things, plucking them out of the water with its abbreviated little pincer-tip beak and then tossing them back into its mouth and crunching down on them with its powerful dinosaur-like jaws, said Bhullar. The animals brain meanwhile was relatively large compared to its body size, a feature found in birds today. That, said Bhullar, scotches the idea that a large brain evolved at the expense of space for jaw muscles. I think the reason the bird brain is large basically is to deal with the demands of flight, he said.

Anybody whos ever stumbled into Joes Crab Shack has seen allegedly evolved humans eating shellfish in much the same way-a vestigial reminder that dinosaurs lived then to make us happy now.

The Committee had no doubt that this weeks Top Commenter of the Week would come from the post about Willard Romneys most recent tussle with human speech. And Top Commenter Dan Gauss, who is only pawn in game of life, did not disappoint, drawing inspiration from a cinema classic:

him love hot dog and Sheriff Bart

A laurel and hardy handshake, and 81 Beckhams to you, Hedy.

Ill be back on Monday to see whether Rudy Giuliani has finalized arrangements for the president* to begin serving his sentence. Be well and play nice, ya bastids. Stay above the snake-line, or Im sending you for BBQ with Willard.

Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook page here.

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South Korean President Moon Jae-in will be making a visit to the White House later this month ahead of the historic summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The White House made the announcement Friday evening. Moon is scheduled to arrive in Washington, D.C. on May 22.

"President Donald J. Trump will welcome President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea to the White House on May 22, 2018," the White House said in a statement. "This third summit between the two leaders affirms the enduring strength of the United States-Republic of Korea alliance and the deep friendship between our two countries.

"President Trump and President Moon will continue their close coordination on developments regarding the Korean Peninsula following the April 27 inter-Korean Summit," the statement continued. "The two leaders also will discuss President Trumps upcoming meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un."

PHOTO: South Korean President Moon Jae-in attends a luncheon in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 27, 2018. (Jon Gambrell/AP)

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N. Korea leader gets favorable marks in the South

South Korea's Blue House, the presidential office, said largely the exact same thing as the White House in its statement.

"Mr. Moon and Trump will reaffirm a strong alliance between Korea and the United States and deep friendship between the two countries at this summit," a spokesperson said.

Trump's planned trip to meet with Kim has yet to be announced, but he told reporters before his trip to Dallas Friday afternoon for the National Rifle Association's 2018 Summit the date and location was worked out and would be announced soon.

"The trip is being scheduled," Trump said "We now have a date and we have a location, well be announcing soon."

PHOTO: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in raise their hands at the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, South Korea, April 27, 2018. (Korea Summit Press Pool via Reuters)

Trump also hinted Friday that good news is coming on the three Americans currently being held as prisoners by North Korea. Kim Dong-chul, a business man in his mid-60s, has been detained in North Korea for two years. Kim Hak Song and Tony Kim, both of whom worked at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, have been detained for about one year.

"We're doing very well with the hostages, we're in constant contact with the leadership, we're in constant contact with North Korea," the president said on the tarmac at Andrews Air Force Base after also addressing North Korea on the South Lawn of the White House.

ABC News' Jordyn Phelps contributed to this report.
Heads of village administrations and councils of elders of Armenian regions actively support protests against self-nomination of former President Serzh Sargsyan to the post of Prime Minister, led by the leader of the Yelk opposition party, MP Nikol Pashinyan.

Leader of the Armenian opposition published photos of documents sent to him from various rural administrations on his Facebook page. In them, leaders of communities declare their support of popular movement and of the "Velvet revolution".

Citizens of Armenia have great expectations from Nikol Pashinyan and his new government, since there are problems in the field of agriculture, which must be resolved as soon as possible.

For example, head of the Khachaghbyur rural administration Sergo Galstyan said that village is joining the "Velvet revolution", while the council of elders of Noyemberyan unanimously supported appointment of Pashinyan to the post of Prime Minister of Armenia.

During special session of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Armenia, held on May 1, the only candidate for the post of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan didn't receive enough votes to be elected.

55 MPs of the RPA parliamentary faction voted against his candidacy. The next voting is scheduled for May 8, and this time Nikol Pashinyan is once again the only candidate. The RPA assured that it won't hinder his election this time, moreover, members of the party will support Pashinyan.
An Ohio man has been arrested after flying out to Florida with the intention of smoking a joint with President Donald Trump.

Tyler Jon Marrone, 27, of Columbus, Ohio, flew out to Palm Springs International Airport on April 18, hoping to meet up with the president at his Mar-a-Lago resort, reports WPTV-TV.

Marrone had made the journey on the same day that Trump was hosting Japanese president Shinzo Abe in Palm Beach.

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According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office arrest affidavit, Marrone purchased his plane ticket after finding a credit card and "thought it was a gift from God, reports WPLG.

Deputy Kathleen Zeranski's said Marrone had "full intentions of driving to Mar-a-Lago and walking onto the property" to speak to the president as well as "smoking a joint with him.

wptv-tyler-marrone_1525357645186_85743318_ver1

Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office

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Marrone told police he wanted to speak to Trump about the static and frequency feedback that I constantly hear emanating from my basement and from fans and in my head.

He was arrested at the airport after being flagged up by the U.S. Secret service following comments he made about Trump.

After being stopped by authorities, he was also found to be in possession of a white substance which later proved to be methamphetamine.

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Marrone told officers he was carrying "self-prescribed Adderall in his bag and was arrested for drug possession.

Marrone was found to meet the criteria for Florida's Baker Act law, which means he can be involuntarily committed for a mental health assessment, reports KFOR-TV.

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This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
Mikayla Sharrieff, India Skinner, and Bria Snell were the only all-black, all-female team to make the NASA high-school science competition finals. But 4chan trolls sabotaged the online voting process because of their race. Click to read more.

Sadly, for all the wonderful things social media has brought us, the anonymity of the internet still enables trolls to torment others with hateful comments. Trolls, in fact, were behind a recent attempt to sabotage three black female students participating in a NASA science competition.

Mikayla Sharrieff, India Skinner, and Bria Snell, three high school juniors from Washington, D.C. made it to the final round of NASAs high-school science competition, known as the Optimus Prime Spinoff Promotion and Research Challenge (OPSPARC). The three students were the only all-black, all-female team, and they made the finals for engineering a filter to detect contaminants in school drinking fountains.

But sadly, despite the students ingenious creation, trolls on 4chan  the same website that photoshopped an image of Emma Gonzalez tearing up the Constitution  tried to hack the contest. According to NBC, the 4chan posters argued that the teams supporters only voted for them because of their race. In response they asked followers to vote for other contestants and even use programs to cast fake votes. NBC reports that one poster described the plan as NASA getting forcibly redpilled about minority collective voting power.

On April 29th, NASA was forced to prematurely end public voting because of the hackers. In a statement issued on May 1st, the organization announced the decision.

Unfortunately, it was brought to NASAs attention yesterday that some members of the public used social media, not to encourage students and support STEM, the organization wrote on its website, but to attack a particular student team based on their race and encouraged others to disrupt the contest and manipulate the vote, and the attempt to manipulate the vote occurred shortly after those posts.

As avid users of Twitter, we fully embrace the use of social media support for votes on our OPSPARC Challenge. We closed voting due to malicious hacking attempts to change the vote. All votes received before that point are legitimate and will be counted! https://t.co/lJXdTZaKm4  NASA Goddard (@NASAGoddard) May 1, 2018

NASA concluded that it supports outreach and education for all Americans. And thankfully, the organization revealed that it had retained a record of the votes before they were tampered with.

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On April 30th, Sharrieff tweeted a statement about the hacking, thanking the teams supporters.

Thank you so much for your support ?? pic.twitter.com/NVBzyydmbj  mikayla. (@Mmmikaylaaa__) April 30, 2018

According to the competition website, the three winning teams will be announced in early May. The champions will receive a trip to NASAs Goddard Space Center in June.

The fact that these amazing young scientists were the target of hate for their race is sickening, but were relieved that NASA was able to stop these trolls. Well be keeping our eyes out for the OPSPARC winners and crossing our fingers for Skinner, Snell, and Sharrieff.
Not every bride has a royal wedding.

And not every woman wears a crown on her big day. But while Meghan Markle may be just a commoner like the rest of us right now, royal tradition suggests that she will wear a sparkling diamond tiara for her May 19 marriage to Prince Harry at Windsor Castle. The question, then: which tiara will she choose to top off her wedding look? The royal family has quite a collection of diadems at their disposal, many delicate pieces dating back decades  if not a century or more  and carrying the weight of tradition in their cold, hard, priceless diamond hearts. Yet rarely do tiaras see the light of day: they are only brought out for certain state occasions and weddings, like that of Kate Middleton to then-fiance Prince William back at the royal wedding in 2011.

Assuming that Markle follows in Middletons footsteps, heres our rundown of Markles headwear options, based on whats available to her in the royal vault.

Spencer Tiara

Princess Diana, Princess of Wales, in November 1986 during a visit of Bahrain.

The Spencer Tiara is actually owned by Princess Dianas family, the Spencers, not the royal family. It was a favorite of the late Princess Di, with its romantic curlicue design of diamond tulips, stars and scrolls crafted from a few other pieces of jewelry combined into this tiara form  in fact, Diana wore it on her own wedding day to Prince Charles back in 1981, giving it some extra symbolism. (Her sisters also donned it for their nuptials.) It was last known to be in the possession of Dianas father, the Earl of Spencer, and has not been worn since Princess Dianas death in 1997, although it has appeared publicly as part of exhibitions and could potentially be loaned out for Markle.

Cambridge Lovers Knot Tiara

Diana, Princess of Wales wears the Cambridge Lover's Knot tiara (Queen Mary's Tiara) and diamond earrings during a banquet on April 29, 1983 in Aukland, New Zealand.

The Cambridge Lovers Knot Tiara is one of the most dramatic of the options in the royal arsenal, with its memorable Art Deco curlicues and height. It has an illustrious history: crafted by court jewelers Garrard in the early 1900s for Queen Mary, its design is based on a centuries-old Gothic Revival tiara first owned by Princess Augusta of Hesse. That piece is in a separate private collection, but this replica is now in the possession of the Queen, who has loaned it to both Diana and Kate over the years after wearing it herself earlier in her own reign. It consists of a mix of upright pearl drops and diamond arches, some of the pieces borrowed from other tiaras. The Duchess of Cambridge wore it as recently as 2017 at Buckingham Palace, and it was a favorite of Princess Dianas for formal occasions. But many believe that Markle may not go this route, because it is so flashy.

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Lotus Flower Tiara

Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) sits between Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, (L) and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II during State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in London, on October 20, 2015, on the first official day of Xi's state visit.

The ornate Lotus Flower Tiara was also designed by Garrard London in the 1920s of pearls and diamonds. It was a reworked wedding gift for the Queen Mother, who had a necklace dismantled and rearranged into this tiara form. She then passed it down to her daughter Princess Margaret, who wore it often and lent it to her daughter-in-law for her own wedding before it returned to the royal family vault, presumably around the time of her death in 2002. More recently, the Duchess of Cambridge has put it on display for occasions of state, including a 2013 ball and a visit from Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015 for a Buckingham Palace banquet. Its distinguished by the delicate lotus-shaped floral motif that makes up its signature curvy shape, making it a light but regal piece.

Strathmore Rose Tiara

The elaborate Strathmore Rose Tiara dates back to 1923, according to royal jewelry experts. It was originally a gift from the 14th Earl of Strathmore to his daughter Elizabeth upon the occasion of her marriage; she ultimately became Queen Mother, as her husband was crowned King George VI following their marriage. Since then, it has been worn sparingly by the royal family. But it is striking in design, featuring rose prongs set with rose-cut diamonds.

The Queen Mothers Cartier Bandeau

One of my top choices for Meghan's wedding tiara is this sleek, sparkling bandeau from Cartier https://t.co/G8RWIujn7y pic.twitter.com/nv2ItdHMBG  Ella Kay (@courtjeweller) January 13, 2018

The Queen Mothers Cartier Bandeau Tiara is actually comprised of a set of bracelets, some of them also fitted with rubies, emeralds, and sapphires; for the tiara, the wearer chooses three pieces, according to Town & Country. The current Queen has been known to wear some of the different bracelet components individually over the years. It would be an unusual choice for Markle, but also a sleeker option than some of the more fanciful tiaras floating around the royal vault.

Queen Marys Fringe Tiara

If Meghan Markle is looking to make a bold statement, Queen Marys Fringe Tiara is bound to stand out: it features a stately series of vertical rows of diamonds. Originally owned by Queen Mary according to the Royal Collection website, she lent it to her daughter-in-law Elizabeth for her wedding day. It was crafted from a diamond necklace that Queen Victoria gave to Queen Mary for her wedding back in 1893. It remains contemporary in design: minimalist in structure, maximalist in sparkle.

Out of the running: The Cartier Halo Scroll Tiara

Their Royal Highnesses Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge exit following their marriage at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011 in London, England.

This is the one tiara we know Meghan Markle wont be wearing on her walk down the St. Georges Chapel aisle. The Cartier Halo Scroll Tiara, referred to as the Halo Tiara, was donned by Kate Middleton for her 2011 nuptials to Prince William at Westminster Abbey. It was a gift from the Queen Mother to Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her 18th birthday. But it will not be within Markles reach for her spring wedding, as the Queen has loaned it out to the National Gallery of Australia for a Cartier jewelry exhibition on display from March 30 through July 22.

Of course, its also entirely possible that Markle will choose one of the lesser-known sparklers from the extensive royal jewelry vault, transform a different piece as recent Queens have been wont to do, or even show up with a new tiara altogether. Well find out on May 19.
We already know the identities of the funniest Avenger (Iron Man), the most soulful Avenger (Vision), and the strongest Avenger (Thor  no wait, Hulk  no, definitely Thor). Thanks to Jimmy Kimmel Live, we now know which of Marvels supergroup is the most artistic Avenger. In the run-up to the record-setting release of Avengers: Infinity War last week, Kimmel hosted the cast of that all-star comic book blockbuster in rotating groups and challenged them to an unofficial game of Win, Lose or Draw in which they had to sketch their Marvel-ous alter egos.

Of course, because this game was for charity  specifically the Starlight Childrens Foundation  there are no losers. In fact, we declare everyone involved in this hilarious stunt a winner, from the actors to Kimmels staff for dreaming it up. That said, now that their adorably amateurish drawings have been available for auction for the past week  head to Charitybuzz to scope out the results and place your bid  not all of these heroes are created equal to potential bidders. Take Tom Hiddleston, whose devilish sketch of the mischief-minded Loki currently boasts highest-bid status. If you ask us, he got one of his doubles to drive up the price.

Some of the Avengers sketches available as part of a Jimmy Kimmel Live charity drive. (Photo: Charitybuzz)

Bringing up the rear, sadly, is War Machine. Don Cheadles minimalist sketch of Tony Starks comrade-in-iron only stands at $650. Thats gonna earn him a lifetime of ribbing from Tony  as if hes not already enduring that.

More Avengers images benefitting for a charity auction benefitting the Starlight Childrens Foundation (Photo: Charitybuzz)

Even though bidders seem to like Lokis sketch best, hes not exactly an Avenger; though we would argue that he emerges from Infinity War as a hero. And while Downeys Iron Man portrait is the most detailed, theres ample visual evidence that he totally cheated.

Our vote for most artistic Avenger must go to Tom Holland for his dynamic portrait of Spider-Man, which, he revealed, is inspired in part by O.G. wall-crawler Tobey Maguire. From improvising whole speeches to drawing comic-book-ready portraits, Holland can do whatever a spider (man) can.

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Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc arrives at the companys annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., May 5, 2018. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

Berkshire HathawayVice Chairman Charlie Munger says he expects to see single-payer healthcare in the United States, just as soon as the Democrats take both houses of Congress and the White House.

During a question-and-answer session with attendees at the Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting, Munger took an opportunity to slip in his prediction in response to a query about the Berkshire-Amazon-JPMorgan enterprise that is intended to provide healthcare to its 840,000 employees.

I suspect that eventually when Democrats control both houses of Congress and the White House that we will get single payer medical care and I dont think itll be much more friendly than any of the PBMs, Munger said.

PBMs are Pharmacy Benefit Managers, or companies that administer prescription drug plans for more than 266 million Americans who have health insurance from a variety of sponsors.

The American Pharmacists Association describes PBMs as a third-party administrator of prescription drug programs. PBMs are primarily responsible for developing and maintaining the formulary, contracting with pharmacies, negotiating discounts and rebates with drug manufacturers, and processing and paying prescription drug claims.

If the United States were to turn toward a single-payer system it would mean that the government would provide healthcare for citizens rather than them buying individual insurance plans through private companies as they do now.

That would likely leave many health insurance companies as well as pharmacy benefit managers out in the cold, a fate Munger seemed less than heartbroken to see.

I wont miss them, he said of the PBMs.

Berkshire is working to change the way its employees get healthcare through a partnership with Amazon and JPMorgan announced earlier this year. The companies say they are seeking to find solutions that enhance care for the more than 800,000 people they collectively employ.

Dion Rabouin is a markets reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter: @DionRabouin.

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Sofia (AFP) - Britain is backing a French plan to create a European military intervention force as a way to maintain strong defence ties with the EU after Brexit, a minister told AFP on Saturday.

The British junior defence minister Frederick Curzon said London was "very keen to support" French President Emmanuel Macron's plan for a force that could be deployed rapidly to deal with crises.

The force, known as the European Intervention Initiative, would be separate from other EU defence cooperation, meaning there would be no obstacle to Britain taking part after it leaves the bloc.

"We're very keen to support President Macron in this initiative," Curzon told AFP as he arrived for a meeting of EU defence ministers in Sofia.

"We look forward to sitting down with our French colleagues to work through the ideas that they have formulated for a more efficient and joined up security and defence system across Europe. We think it has a real part to play."

Twenty-five EU countries signed a major defence pact in December, agreeing to cooperate on various military projects, but it is not clear whether Britain would be allowed to take part in any of these after it leaves the bloc.

London has always resisted moves to create anything resembling an "EU army" but it has also stressed it wants to continue to have close security ties with the EU after Brexit.

Curzon said the intervention initiative could play an important role in this.

"It certainly will help to achieve what we are looking for, which is a deep and special partnership with our European colleagues in defence and security," he said.

The EU this week announced plans to spend nearly 20 billion euros on defence in its budget for 2021-2027, most of which will go on research and developing new military technologies for the bloc.

But December's defence cooperation agreement, known by the acronym PESCO, did not go far enough for France because it did not include plans for an intervention force.

French Defence Minister Florence Parly told the Munich security conference in February that the planned force would be able to "respond to a threat in the EU's immediate neighbourhood, particularly the south".

Parly held talks with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on the sidelines of Saturday's meeting to explain the plan, which has reportedly attracted interest from nine countries including Italy, Spain, Germany, Denmark and Estonia.
Berlin (AFP) - Catalan separatists, meeting in Berlin, vowed Saturday to attempt once again to get their leader-in-exile Carles Puigdemont reinstalled as president of the Spanish region while adding that they don't want to hold fresh elections.

"We don't want new elections," said Eduard Pujol, spokesman for Puigdemont's Together for Catalonia grouping.

However an attempt will be made to install the former Catalan president by May 14 at the latest, he added after talks with Puigdemont after talks in Berlin.

Puigdemont was sacked by Madrid after Catalonia made a declaration of independence last year following a regional referendum not sanctioned by the Spanish government.

The Catalan independence leader then left for Belgium where he lives in self-imposed exile. An earlier attempt to get him reinstated was blocked by a Spanish court.

Puigdemont was detained in Germany in March after Spain issued a European arrest warrant against him. He was later released on bail.

On Friday the pro-independence Catalan parliament backed a law allowing him his investiture while abroad, something the Spanish government has ruled out.

Ines Arrimadas, leader in Catalonia of the anti-independence Ciudadanos party, has rejected this "Puigdemont law", describing it as "tailor-made for a fugitive".

Since he fled Spain Puigdemont has been a divisive figure among the separatists.

On Saturday the influential grassroots independence group ANC announced the results of an opinion poll, saying that most of its members support the return of the "legitimate president".

However, if this proves impossible, ANC supporters want a new government formed without a return to the ballot boxes.

The regional parliament must elect a new president by May 22 or organise fresh elections.

If Puigdemont is not reinstalled, his supporters will propose that ANC leader Jordi Sanchez, currently imprisoned im Madrid over the failed independence bid, be given the job.

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But last month Spain's Supreme Court rejected a request by Sanchez to be let out of jail and sworn in as regional head.

If that option proves impossible "we will open the door to another alternative," Pujol told reporters in Berlin, adding only that "none of the names you have speculated about are on the table".

The Spanish press has mentioned economist Elsa Artadi, who is an ally of Puigdemont.
Viet Nams shrimp industry is expected to gain an export value of US$4.8 billion in 2018 due to the many advantages of exports promotion, experts said. VNA/VNS Photo

HA NOI  Viet Nams shrimp industry is expected to gain an export value of US$4.8 billion in 2018 due to the many advantages of exports promotion, experts said.

These advantages from existing mechanism and policies include a programme on sustainable development of the fisheries economy during 2016-20.

Under the programme, the shrimp industry will actively produce varieties of black tiger shrimp and white leg shrimp to meet the demand of market demand.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as other State management agencies have removed many obstacles in export procedures to create favourable conditions for export enterprises.

The shrimp sector now has many favourable conditions with the Governments higher attention, including opening of material production centres and solutions on supplying raw material, according to a representative of Minh Phu Seafood Corp, Viet Nams largest shrimp producer.

Regarding the export market, according to the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the global economy is expected to recover strongly, especially in major markets such as the US, Europe, Japan and China, which is the basis for forecasting a higher demand of seafood in those markets this year.

In addition to this, a series of bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) will open up more opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises to boost seafood exports to those markets, the association said.

For instance, VASEP expects shrimp exports to South Korea to increase strongly in future due to the support in tariff as a result of the FTA signed between Viet Nam and South Korea, reported dautuchungkhoan.vn.

Another favourable factor is that other shrimp-exporting countries are facing difficulties in production and exports.

The representative of Minh Phu Corp said Vietnamese shrimp exports must face the strong competition from India and Indonesia. The corporation has a strategy in place to match the product quality with those markets as well as increase value-added products.

VASEP reported that Viet Nams shrimp export value reached $700 million in the first three months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 18 per cent. This was a good beginning for the fisheries sector.

In 2017, Viet Nam gained $3.85 billion in seafood export value, a year-on-year surge of 22 per cent, with large contribution from white shrimps at $2.5 billion.

Last year, Viet Nam exported shrimps worth $1.48 billion to the European Union, $1.41 billion to the US, $1.3 billion to Japan, $1.2 billion to China and $780 million to South Korea. - VNS
By Anthony Deutsch AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Chemical weapons inspectors have returned from a mission to the Syrian town of Douma, where they took samples and interviewed witnesses to determine whether banned munitions were used in an attack last month, a diplomatic source said on Friday. A team of experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons returned to the Netherlands on Thursday night after going to Damascus on April 14, the source said on condition of anonymity. The suspected chemical attack prompted missile strikes by the United States, France and Britain on April 13 against several alleged chemical weapons facilities in Syria. The OPCW is investigating the deaths of dozens of people in Douma, an enclave in Ghouta on the oustskrts of the Syrian capital, on April 7. The United States and its allies say they were caused by chemical weapons, possibly a nerve agent, used by forces of the Russian-back government of President Bashar al-Assad. Inspectors visited two sites of alleged attacks and took samples, which will be split at their laboratory in the Netherlands before being forwarded to affiliated national labs for testing. Test results are typically returned within three to four weeks. The OPCW will not assign blame. The inspectors were also expected to have taken samples from canisters found at the scene that are believed to have contained toxic agents dropped from airplanes or helicopters. Russia and Syria last week held a briefing for states belonging to the OPCW to support Moscow's assertion that no chemical weapons were used in Douma and the attack was staged by rebels. The briefing was boycotted by several OPCW member states, who denounced the Russian event as "a crude propaganda exercise" intended to undermine the OPCW's work. Britain, the United States, France, Germany and others, said in a statement that all material gathered so far supported their theory that chemical weapons were used in Douma. The information gathered to date is "unassailable," they said at the time. Medical NGOs having found traces of chemical agents and authenticated photo and video evidence reinforces the theory of gas intoxication by hundreds of victims. The World Health Organization has also expressed concern "at reports from its partners of patients exhibiting signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals. A joint United Nations-OPCW investigation concluded last year that Syrian government forces used sarin nerve agent and chlorine in several attacks. The joint mission ended in November after Russia repeatedly blocked U.N. Security Council resolutions that would have extended its mandate. (Reporting by Anthony Deutsch; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
By Yawen Chen and Karl Plume

BEIJING/CHICAGO (Reuters) - China's major ports of entry have ramped up checks on fresh fruit imports from the United States, five Chinese industry sources said, which could delay shipments from U.S. growers already dealing with higher tariffs as Sino-U.S. trade ties worsen.

Fruits were among 128 U.S. goods that China slapped with more expensive import tariffs in retaliation for U.S. levies on Chinese steel and aluminium as trade tensions between the world's two biggest economies flared this year.

A U.S. trade delegation led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is in Beijing for talks with Chinese officials. The two sides are expected to discuss an array of U.S. complaints about China's trade practices, from accusations of forced technology transfers to state subsidies for technology development.

Since last week, Beijing has dispatched quarantine experts to major ports including Shanghai and Shenzhen to make more thorough on-site checks for disease and rot, a source based in Shanghai with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

"China has resumed the practise of inspecting every batch of U.S. fresh fruit," the source said, adding that inspectors had previously checked only around 30 percent of shipments. China had dialled back the checks in November 2017.

Since Monday, all U.S.-originated fruit shipments have been subject to up to seven days of quarantine check on arrival in Shenzhen, said an industry source based at the port in China's south.

Previously, customs officers in China had let shipments through while they conducted sample checks.

Several containers of oranges imported by the source's company from the United States have been intercepted this week, the Shenzhen industry source added.

China's customs office could not be immediately reached for comment outside business hours.

Several batches of U.S apples have failed quarantine inspections and will be returned to the United States, the Shanghai source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

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Washington-based Chelan Fresh sales manager Bryan Peebles said he had heard of some shipment holdups, but that his export business, which includes apples and cherries, was not affected in recent weeks.

"There has been news of detaining of fruits  citrus and a little bit of apples," he said, adding that exporters will get a better handle on any heightened scrutiny when the year's first California cherry exports arrive in China this week.

The United States sold $18 million (13.2 million) of fresh apples to China in 2017 out of $872 million in total exports, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The more thorough inspections came as the cherry season on the U.S. West Coast kicked off. Shipments from Washington state typically begin in June.

"We're crossing our fingers and toes that everything will get worked out in the next month. China's a big market for us," said Randy Eckert, export sales manager for Washington-based Yakima Fresh LLC.

If the measures remain in place, he fears a "domino effect" of cancelled orders by China and a rush by U.S. cherry growers to resell the perishable produce domestically or to other importers such as Canada.

Likely days-long delays during the height of cherry shipping season this summer will raise the risk of spoilage at ports of entry, said Keith Hu, director of international operations for the industry group Northwest Cherry Growers.

"During the peak of our season, there is no way that they will have enough refrigerated storage for our cherries. The chances that our cherries will be destroyed under the sun is far greater," he said. "We're looking at alternative markets."

China is the third-largest export market for fresh cherries from the United States. U.S. exporters shipped $119 million of fresh cherries to China, just under a third of total shipments worth $605 million in 2017.

Fruits have previously been a casualty of bilateral trade spats. Several years ago, China banned some imports of Philippine fruits as bilateral ties deteriorated over a maritime territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

One Chinese online retailer that imports and sells U.S. cherries has suspended plans to promote U.S. fruits, a source at the company said.

(Reporting by Yawen Chen in BEIJING and Karl Plume in CHICAGO, additional reporting by Ann Saphir in San Francisco; editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Phil Berlowitz)
While the trade deficit that the United States has with China gets all the headlines, the understanding deficit that the U.S. has with China is more significant and fundamental, more difficult to balance, and may have a longer-term negative impact if we dont make our best efforts to reduce it.

To better know China, Americans need only follow the direction and roadmap of Chinas development. In his speech at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China last October, President Xi Jinping coined a phrase about Chinas future course  new era  and defined the nations goal for development as becoming a strong modern socialist country by 2050. In his more recent speech at the Boao Forum for Asia in April, President Xi explained how we will get there. He made it clear to all that the door to China will only open even wider. This reform and opening is a strategic choice made by China irrespective of any external pressure or influence. Our new era is about people-centered and domestic development, rather than some geopolitical plan. This fact is widely misunderstood in the U.S., which often views China as competitive, even confrontational.

Some people in the U.S. argue that the United States policy of engagement with China has failed, given that it has not changed China. This makes no sense. Does engaging China necessarily mean changing China? Why is it that only by changing China could the U.S. claim success?

The U.S. policy of engagement and cooperation with China was designed to serve its own interest rather than doing charity work. As President Richard Nixon had said in a report to Congress we shall deal with the Peoples Republic of China Confident that a peaceful and prospering China is in our own national interest. The China-U.S. relationship has served this interest quite well. The importance of developing a sound and stable relationship has so far been recognized by all American Presidential administrations.

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In addition to all the bilateral benefits we have gained from this relationship, we have also seen its positive impact in the broader region of the Asia-Pacific and across the world. For instance, thanks largely to the good relations between our two countries, the Asia-Pacific is on the whole peaceful and stable. Even problems like the Korean nuclear issue are under control. Plus, our two countries have also helped to make the Asia-Pacific one of the main engines of global economic growth.

Naturally, there are differences between China and the U.S. But we must distinguish between kinds of differences. On matters concerning sovereignty, territorial integrity and national reunification, there is no room for compromise, and there is a red line. On economic and trade issues, solutions should be worked out through dialogue and consultation, with mutual respect and a balanced approach to addressing the concerns of each side, in order to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

The economic and trade disputes between China and the U.S. is a manifestation of the understanding deficit. China does not seek a trade surplus. The trade deficit that the U.S. runs with China is a result of many factors. For instance, in making a $499 iPhone, Chinese companies collectively can only make a profit of $6.50. However, in trade statistics, all $600 are counted as Chinas export to the U.S. Also, the U.S. government is restricting the exportation to China of certain high-tech products. If these bans were not in place, revenue would then come back to the U.S. from sales made to China, and the deficit would be more balanced.

We believe that the trade imbalance indeed needs to be addressed, but we should not make false attributions or wrong prescriptions. The protectionist and economically nationalist approach leads to no solution. A trade war is absolutely a wrong choice, which will only destroy trade itself. We hope the China-U.S. discussion on trade issues scheduled for early this month will be productive and fruitful.

This editorial is in part adapted from the Ambassadors remarks at the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies on April 17.
Two former key advisers to ex-FBI director James Comey are leaving the bureau.

James Baker, who served as the FBIs top lawyer and was one of Comey's closests aides before being reassigned under current director Christopher Wray, resigned Friday, reported The New York Times.

Baker will be writing for the Broookings Institution's Lawfare blog, focussed on national security matters.

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Lisa Page, who served as a legal adviser to Comey and his deputy, Andrew McCabe, is also resigning, according to the report.

Page had been criticized by Republicans after text messages emerged between her and FBI special agent Peter Strzok, in which they voiced disdain for then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, as well as for Hillary Clinton and other politicians.

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She reportedly briefly worked on Special Counsel Robert Muellers probe into alleged collusion between the Trump team and Russia, before returning to work with the FBIs legal team.

Trump has cited the emails Page exchanged with Strzok as evidence of bias in the FBI and the Russia probe.

CNN citing sources familiar with the matter reported that the two resignations were not related.

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Comey, who was sacked as FBI director by Trump last year and has been strongly critical of the president, in a statement praised Baker.

"Jim Baker represents the best of the Department of Justice and the FBI. He has protected the country and the rule of law throughout his career and leaves an inspiring legacy of service. He is what we should all hope our kids become, a person of integrity," said Comey.

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Trump's decision to fire Comey has come under renewed scrutiny this week, after former New York mayor and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said that the president had made the decision because Comey refused to announce that Trump was not under scrutiny from the Russia probe.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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Dr. Vaagn Andikyan, a gynecologic oncologist at Connecticuts Danbury Hospital, had never seen anything like it.

A 38-year-old woman had been referred to Andikyan after rapid weight gain  nearly 10 pounds a week over the course of two months  prompted her to seek medical attention. By the time she got to the hospital, a three-foot-wide, 132-pound ovarian tumor was taking up her entire abdomen. The tumor wasnt cancerous, but it had caused her legs to swell so much that she couldnt walk, leaving her wheelchair-bound. She was severely malnourished because of its position over her digestive tract, and her intestines had been pushed into her chest. She was desperate for relief.

I was very cautious. Nobody wants their patient to have a negative outcome, Andikyan says. What gave me a second wind was that we wanted to help the patient. When you have this internal feeling that youre helping, positive thinking helps you to achieve your goal.

In the end, a team of almost 25 Danbury clinicians  including surgeons, cardiologists, gynecologists, physicians assistants, anesthesiologists, nurses, operating room technicians and office staff  worked together to develop a treatment plan. On Valentines Day 2018, doctors carried out a five-hour surgery, which involved removing the tumor and reconstructing the patients abdomen all in the same procedure.

The outcome, Andikyan says, surpassed anyones hopes. Not only was the tumor removal successful, but the team was also able to spare her uterus, one ovary and most of her fallopian tubes, preventing early menopause and preserving her ability to get pregnant. Had they waited even a week or two longer, Andikyan says, the patient might not have made it.

Because the tumor was benign  as is common with very large masses  the patient is not expected to have any lingering health issues, Andikyan says. Shes totally fine. She should be back to her baseline, Andikyan says. Im very proud of our hospital.

The tumor is among the largest ever recorded. Though a few ovarian tumors weighing more than 300 pounds have been reported in the past, most are significantly smaller. A 50-pound tumor, Andikyan says, would typically be considered very large, making a 132-pound lesion exceedingly rare.

No one knows, really, why certain benign tumors get so big, Andikyan says, adding that Danburys laboratories are conducting genetic tests on the tumor. Maybe in the future well know why these benign tumors get so big, so fast.
People protest outside the San Diego County Administration Center ahead of a meeting where the supervisors voted to support the Trump administration's lawsuit challenging California's so-called sanctuary statute: REUTERS/Jennifer McEntee

A backlash to Californias new sanctuary law protecting immigrants from deportation has formally spread to the northern part of the state.

Elected officials in Tuolumne County, which encompasses part of Yosemite National Park, passed a resolution repudiating a recently passed law that limits interaction between local law enforcement and immigration authorities.

The vote made Tuolumne County the third in California to officially push back on the law, following more-populous Orange County and San Diego County in southern California. Both of those states went further, voting to join the Trump administration's lawsuit challenging the law.

Multiple cities have also registered objections to the law, with the conservative beachside enclave of Huntington Beach suing the state for stripping powers from local governments.

The resolution rejects the sanctuary jurisdiction label for Tuolumne and says the county does not have any intent of hindering enforcement of immigration laws by federal authorities.

Largely this is a political statement that we dont support the concept of sanctuary entities, county supervisor Karl Rodefer said.

Republicans hold a significant edge in the area, and voters there chose Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton by a wide margin.

In rallying against the measure, dissenters throughout California have aligned themselves with Mr Trump Sanctuary jurisdictions are a favourite target for the president, who derides them for flaunting the law - California, and Governor Jerry Brown, in particular.

During a visit to southern San Diego County earlier this year to survey border wall prototypes, Mr Trump assailed California for putting the entire nation at risk.

Theyre the best friend of the criminal, Mr Trump said. Thats what exactly is happening. The criminals take refuge in these sanctuary cities and its very dangerous for our police and enforcement folks.

After attorney general Jeff Sessions announced the lawsuit against California, Mr Brown said the administration was going to war with California and suggested the challenge was a product of a White House under siege from special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian election meddling.

We know the Trump administration is full of liars, Mr Brown told reporters.


Bogota (AFP) - Cuba will host peace talks between the Colombian government and leftist ELN rebels aimed at ending a five-decade conflict after Ecuador bowed out as host, negotiators said Saturday.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is trying to conclude a peace agreement with the country's 1,500-strong last active rebel group, similar to the one signed with the larger FARC guerrillas in November 2016. The FARC has since become a political party.

Five other countries -- Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Norway and Venezuela -- have vouched for the dialogue.

"After jointly examining the options to renew dialogue as soon as possible," Colombian government and ELN negotiators will resume talks "in Havana starting next week," a joint statement read.

"We hope to move forward quickly," added Santos.

On April 18, Ecuador said it was suspending its role as guarantor of the peace talks between Colombia and the National Liberation Army guerrillas, which have been hosted in Quito since early 2017.

Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno told Colombia's RCN television that he wanted to end Ecuador's role following a flareup of violence along their common border.

Moreno's remarks came as Ecuadoran and Colombian troops pressed a hunt along their respective sides of the border for a small band of ex-FARC rebels turned criminals responsible for the kidnapping and murder of a three-man Ecuadoran journalist team.

However, peace talks with the ELN are being held against the backdrop of a more hostile political context in Colombia, after hardline conservatives opposed to peace with the rebels have gained ground in recent legislative elections.
Details for a landmark meeting between the two leaders will be revealed soon - REUTERS

Donald Trump claimed removing US troops from South Korea was "not on the table" yesterday but conceded he would "like to save the money" in the future.

The comments come ahead of his landmark meeting with Kim Jong-un - the first between a US president and a North Korean leader.

America has maintained a military presence on the peninsula since the Korean War ended in 1953 without a peace treaty.

North Korea has long sought the removal of US troops as one of its condition for denuclearisation.

Mr Trump said yesterday that Kim had not asked for the troops to be removed, suggesting the leader has relaxing his demands as he turns to diplomacy after a year of escalating tensions.

"You know, we have 32,000 troops there... But troops are not on the table," Mr Trump told reporters.

He added: "Now, I have to tell you, at some point into the future, I would like to save the money."

Mr Trump has previously said the United States should consider reducing the number of troops in South Korea unless the country shoulders more of the cost.

Officials in the Pentagon have also hinted that a peace treaty between the two Koreas could diminish the need for the US soldiers currently stationed in South Korea, according to US media.

The plans were reported by the New York Times on Thursday night, citing several people briefed on the deliberations.

However on Friday morning John Bolton, Mr Trump's new national security adviser, dismissed the report.

"The New York Times story is utter nonsense," he said. "The President has not asked the Pentagon to provide options for reducing American forces stationed in South Korea."

The US president revealed that the time and place for the summit has been set, the details of which would be announced "soon".

He has previously suggested the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea would be an appropriate site for the momentous occasion.

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Mr Trump said he expected a "lot of great things will happen" as he seeks to convince the rogue state to scrap its nuclear weapons programme.

The president also hinted that three Americans imprisoned in North Korea could soon be released.

"We're doing very well with the hostages," he said.

"We're in constant contact with the leadership. We are in constant contact with North Korea".

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shake hands for the first time at the truce village of Panmunjom Credit: REUTERS

Then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo, before taking office as US secretary of state, met Kim last month and reported the North Korean leader was not demanding the withdrawal of all US forces as a precondition for a summit with Mr Trump.

South Korea said on Wednesday the issue of US troops stationed in the South was unrelated to any future peace treaty with North Korea and that American forces should stay even if such an agreement is signed.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker delivering a on Karl Marx in Germany today (Reuters)

The founding father of communism and the conservative former leader of a tax haven could barely be further apart politically.

Which is why there has been so much surprise  and indeed controversy  over the decision of Jean-Claude Juncker, the ex-Prime Minister of Luxembourg and current European Commission President, to speak at an event to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Karl Marx.

Members of the US Congress and MEPs from formerly communist-ruled eastern Europe appealed for Mr Juncker to pull out of the commemoration in Trier, the German town where Marx was born on May 5, 1818.

But their protests didnt persuade Mr Juncker, who today went ahead with his speech at the opening ceremony of a new exhibition on the personal life and political works of Marx.

Mr Juncker described Marx as a philosopher who thought into the future had creative aspirations and addressed criticism of his legacy.

Today he stands for things, which is he not responsible for and which he didnt cause, because many of the things he wrote down were redrafted into the opposite, he told an audience of a few hundred people in a local church.

One has to understand Karl Marx from the context of his time and not have prejudices based on the review.

Turning to Marxs influence on modern politics, Mr Juncker said it was the task of our time to improve social rights.

The European Union is not a flawed, but an unstable construction, he said.

Unstable also because Europes social dimension until today remains the poor relation of the European integration. We have to change this.

Mr Juncker was also keen to stress that Marx was lucky in life as he was born in Trier.

Marxs birthplace is situated on the border with Luxembourg and Mr Juncker was made an honorary citizen of the town during his 18 years in charge of the Grand Duchy.

An 18 foot tall statue of Karl Marx gifted to the town of Trier by China (Getty)

That was the reason behind his invitation by Malu Dreyer, the social democrat leader of the Rhineland-Palatinate region, according to a spokesperson for the Commission president.

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The geographic rather than political reasoning for his participation in a programme of events which also includes the unveiling of an 18-foot-tall statue of Marx (a gift from China) didnt placate critics of the decision.

Three US Congress members wrote Mr Juncker this week, imploring him to pull out of the event.

Violence and Marxism go hand in hand, they said in a letter send on behalf of the Victims of Communism foundation.

Marxs defenders often say he cannot be held accountable for what communist regimes did long after his life and death; but Marxist dictators who massacred their own people were applying communist ideology to political practice,

There have also been protests from EU member states formerly ruled by communists.

MEPs from Hungarys ruling Fidesz party, which remains part of the same centre-right political group as Mr Juncker despite an increasingly strained relationship, protested against his decision yesterday.

Marxist ideology led to the death of tens of millions and ruined the lives of hundreds of millions, they wrote. The celebration of its founder is a mockery of their memory.

A European Commission spokesperson made a statement in anticipation of such criticism when Mr Junckers attendance was confirmed last week.

After decades of experience in politics at a national and European level, president Juncker is very well aware of the historical facts and sensitivities, she said.

Whatever peoples views on Karl Marx are, I think that nobody can deny that Karl Marx is a figure who shaped history in one way or the other.

Not speaking about his would come close to denying history.

MORE: Ex-EU chief Barroso says Brexit proves bloc is not like the Soviet Union
Istanbul (AFP) - Four Turkish opposition parties Saturday announced they had formed a coalition to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in snap elections on June 24.

After the landmark vote, a new presidential system agreed in an April 2017 referendum will come into force, which the opposition says will give the head of state authoritarian powers.

The main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP), the IYI (Good) Party, the conservative Saadet Party (SP) and the Democrat Party (DP) formed the Alliance for the Nation to stand against the People's Alliance of Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

The opposition alliance will only jointly contest the legislative election. Three parties in the bloc are fielding their own candidates for the presidential election.

Should Erdogan win, he will receive another five-year mandate which would allow him to press on with a transformation of Turkey that began when he first became prime minister in 2003.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which is strongly hostile to Erdogan, has named charismatic former leader Selahattin Demirtas as its presidential candidate even though he is currently behind bars.
HCM CITY  HCM Citys Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority (HEPZA) is working to add more land for supporting industries, according to the citys Department of Industry and Trades Centre for Supporting Industry Development.

Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park has dedicated around 80 hectares for 56 supporting industry businesses, while Le Minh Xuan 3 and Mechanical Vehicle industrial parks are focusing on improving infrastructure in preparation for businesses.

Meanwhile, other industrial parks are working on compensation for land clearance.

HEPZA is also pushing for the construction of factories; Tan Thuan export processing zone has finished two factories, one of which is being rented by a car parts manufacturer. Other industrial parks are working on procedures to lease their factories.

This is part of HCM Citys plan to develop its supporting industry and meet its goal of 45 per cent of national demand for manufactured inputs by 2020.

HCM Citys supporting industry has not been growing as quickly as others, and is affecting the citys economic development as a whole. Around 95 per cent of the citys supporting industry businesses are small to medium sized.

Every year, the city has to import billions of dollars worth of materials and components.  VNS
By David Beasley

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Georgia executed a man convicted of stealing a car from an off-duty prison guard he met at a Wal-Mart in 1996 and murdering him with a blast to the head from a sawn-off shotgun, a state official said.

Robert Butts Jr., 40, was put to death by lethal injection on Friday at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Center in Jackson. He became the 10th inmate put to death this year in the United States.

Butts was convicted of murdering Donovan Parks in an area southeast of Atlanta, according to court records.

Butts and an accomplice, Marion Wilson, carjacked Parks and Wilson pulled the victim by his tie out of the car and onto the pavement. Butts then shot him in the head, the records said.

The two tried to sell the car at a shop in Atlanta that strips down vehicles, but were turned down. Afterward, they set fire to the car, court records said.

The execution was originally scheduled for Thursday but the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles issued a stay on Wednesday to consider the case further. Late on Thursday, the board lifted the stay, allowing the execution to proceed.

Lawyers for the death row inmate had asked the state clemency board to spare his life and sentence him to life in prison. They said the accomplice was the trigger man and that the tainted testimony of jail house informants, who said Butts told them he pulled the trigger, was used in his trial.

Robert Butts did not shoot and kill Donovan Parks, they wrote.

Two of three cell mates have admitted to lying when they testified in court that Butts confessed to the killing, the clemency petition said.

The lawyers also launched a last-minute appeal on Friday with the U.S. Supreme Court, which was rejected.

The state has argued that he was duly convicted and deserves to die for his role in the brutal killing.

Wilson was also sentenced to death for his role in the killing and is appealing his case.

(Reporting by David Beasley; Additional reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas; Editing by Peter Cooney, Dan Grebler and Nick Macfie)
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani was still pedaling as fast as he could to bring his version of the Stormy Daniels payment saga in line with President Donald Trumps  but he also insisted that the president was not angry with him. He said he loves me, Giuliani told The Washington Post.

Trumps lead attorney told the Post in an interview Friday evening that he and the president had a long conversation about Giulianis surprise Stormy Daniels reveal on Fox News, adding: We wanted to get everyone on the same page.

Giuliani previously told Fox host Sean Hannity Wednesday that Trump reimbursed the $130,000 in payment that Trumps attorney Michael Cohen gave to the adult film star. Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has maintained that she had an affair with Trump and that she was paid hush money. Trump has insisted in the past he knew nothing about the payment.

The president initially appeared to support Giulianis version of events in tweets Thursday, but then on Friday said Giuliani needed to get his facts straight.

Giuliani repeated to the Post an earlier statement he made Friday, emphasizing again that he was discussing on Fox News my understanding of these matters, and not what the president knew at the time.

To acknowledge that he had discussed the issue with the president and revealed details of that conversation on national TV could jeopardize attorney-client privilege with the president, the Post pointed out.

JUST IN: Rudy Giuliani issues statement "intended to clarify the views I expressed over the past few days." https://t.co/IjJDf0JZaQ pic.twitter.com/5HUS1HMIED  ABC News (@ABC) May 4, 2018

Giuliani insisted that he was informed about the payment from co-counsel, from reading documents, from conversations I had.

It wasnt all from talking to the president, he added.

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Giuliani also appeared to be saying that while Trump reimbursed Cohen for the payment to Daniels, he may have been unaware that he did so.

I dont think the president realized he paid him back for that specific thing until we made him aware of the paperwork recently, he told NBC Friday. Giuliani said the president responded, Oh my goodness, I guess thats what it was for.

Rudy Giuliani says President Trump seemed surprised to hear about Stormy Daniels reimbursement.



Giuliani said the president responded, "Oh my goodness, I guess that's what it was for. https://t.co/PmQJxRiqYy  NBC News (@NBCNews) May 4, 2018

He told the Post that the president reimbursed Cohen by paying him $35,000 a month in 2017 for legal work for the previous year. Giuliani called it a straight-out bill, explaining that if Trump didnt pay it every month, he paid it many months.

The monthly bill was paying down the expenditures . . . It was not a loan, Giuliani added. Some of it was for taxes, some of it was for incidental expenses. It covered things that might come up.

Giuliani has said that the Daniels payment was not a campaign expenditure to make certain she didnt talk  even though she was paid shortly before the presidential election and the alleged affair occurred in 2006. Giuliani said the money was paid to protect Trumps family.

Also on HuffPost

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
A handcuffed Utah man seriously injured himself Thursday when he flipped and nosedived off a second-floor balcony after fleeing a courtroom.

The entire spectacle was recorded in surveillance footage at the Spanish Fork courthouse, where Christopher Clay Rudd was making an appearance on drug charges, according to the Associated Press.

Officials said Rudd made the shocking move as he suddenly darted out of the courtroom and made the terrifying leap.

In the video, a courthouse official can be seen attempting to catch Rudd as he flips over the ledge.

After smashing into the floor, bailiffs come to Rudd's aid as he appears dazed on a blood-spattered floor.

Rudd, 35, reportedly broke a leg, his pelvis and fractured his skull.

A police spokesperson said it wasn't clear whether Rudd was trying to cause himself harm.

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Stay with Yahoo Finance for comprehensive coverage of Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway.

Billionaire Warren Buffett says hes sticking with Wells Fargo (WFC) despite the myriad scandals that have engulfed the company over the past few years. In response to a question during Berkshire Hathaways annual shareholder meeting on Saturday, Buffett said he still likes Wells Fargo for a number of reasons, but mainly its because of his previous experience with troubled companies.

Buffett referenced previous investments hed made in American Express, Geico and Salomon Brothers as companies that had made big mistakes, but worked hard to turn things around.

I see no reason why Wells Fargo as a company  going forward is in any way inferior to other big banks in which it competes, Buffett told attendees.

He noted that he still likes the company as an investment and stands behind chief executive Tim Sloan, noting that Sloan is correcting mistakes made by other people.

Berkshire Vice Chairman Charlie Munger even stepped in to compare it to mistakes made by ousted Weinstein Co. head Harvey Weinstein, the now-disgraced Hollywood producer.

I think Wells Fargo will come out stronger than if these leaks had never come out, Munger said. I think Harvey Weinstein has done a lot for improving behavior too.

A Wells Fargo branch is seen in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, U.S. REUTERS/Jim Young

The bank is clearly aware of their bad behavior and as a result, Munger said, If I had to say which bank is going to behave the best in the future it might be Wells Fargo out of all of them.

Responding well to errors of judgment is a key to smart business, but perhaps even more important is getting ahead of bigger problems that could happen in the future, both men argued.

Mistakes, Buffett said, are going to happen, you try to minimize it. An ounce of prevention isnt worth an ounce of cure, its worth a ton of cure.

Wells Fargo is being held back by the Fed

The Federal Reserve accused Wells Fargo of widespread consumer abuses and leveled an asset growth restriction on the bank last year. The bank admitted employees created millions of fraudulent accounts for real customers in an effort to hit aggressive sales targets. The company also reportedly sold unneeded auto insurance to as many as 570,000 customers.

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Wells Fargo will be restricted from growing its assets beyond its current $2 trillion level until it can prove it has improved internal controls and risk management as a result of the Fed restrictions. Berkshire still owns more than 482 million shares of Wells Fargo stock representing roughly 9.9% ownership of the company, according to the most recent shareholder letter.

I see no reason to think that Wells Fargo going forward, is other than anything other than a large bank that had an episode, Buffett said.

In fact, Buffett even gave a guarantee in his repose, though it may not have been the one that shareholders were hoping for.

I will guarantee you that we will get some unpleasant news at Berkshire [going forward], Buffett said. The question is what will we do about it.

Dion Rabouin is a markets reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter: @DionRabouin.

Read more:

Investors are ignoring a massive source of growth thats soon to come, expert says

Currency experts cant figure out whats going on with the dollar

Interest rates wont get much higher, analysts say
By Tom Perry and Laila Bassam BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah and its allies expect to emerge stronger from a parliamentary election on Sunday, a result that would affirm Iran's regional ascendancy from Tehran to Beirut. The Western-backed Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, Lebanon's leading Sunni, is meanwhile battling to limit losses he is expected to suffer in the first parliamentary election in nine years. He is nevertheless expected to form the next government. A majority for the Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies would underline a balance of power already tilted in favor of the heavily armed Shi'ite group, and the diminished role of Saudi Arabia in a country where it once held big sway. Classified as a terrorist group by the United States, Hezbollah is an arch foe of Israel which is deeply alarmed by Iran's growing influence in the region, including Syria where Hezbollah has been fighting since 2012. The Lebanon vote is to be followed on May 12 by an Iraqi election that is also set to underline Iran's reach, with one of three pro-Tehran Shi'ite leaders set to become prime minister. An anti-Hezbollah alliance led by Hariri and backed by Saudi Arabia won a majority in parliament in 2009. But it has since disintegrated and Saudi Arabia has turned its focus to confronting Iran elsewhere. The vote for the 128-seat parliament is being held according to a complex new law that has redrawn constituencies and replaced a winner-takes-all system with a proportional one. The seats are divided according to a sectarian quota. Analysts believe Hariri will still emerge with the biggest Sunni bloc. But his position as the dominant Sunni is being challenged like never before by both Hezbollah allies and wealthy businessmen running as independents. One of the key Sunni battlegrounds is west Beirut, long a Hariri stronghold. In a speech on Thursday, Hariri said the eight rival lists challenging his Future Movement there amounted to a Hezbollah conspiracy. The intense Sunni rivalry ignited street violence in west Beirut on Thursday, forcing the army to deploy. Hezbollah has also been campaigning furiously, reflecting the uncertainties of the new law that has put once safe seats at risk. Its leader has urged a big turn out. U.S. MILITARY AID A parliament heavily tilted towards Hezbollah will cause concern in Western countries, notably the United States which arms and trains the Lebanese army. Analysts expect more than half the seats to be won by Hezbollah and allies who see its weapons as an asset to Lebanon. But they will not win the two-thirds majority that would allow them to pass big decisions such as changing the constitution. Hariri inherited his political role after the assassination of his father, Rafik, in 2005. A U.N.-backed tribunal has charged five Hezbollah members over the killing. Hezbollah, which is part of Hariri's government, denies any role. His political network in Lebanon has been shaken over the last several years by the collapse of the construction firm Saudi Oger, which generated billions for the Hariri family and was seen as a vehicle of Saudi support for Future. The polls open at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) on Sunday and close at 7 p.m. (1600 GMT) and unofficial results are expected to emerge overnight. Parliament is expected to reelect Shi'ite politician Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, as speaker. President Michel Aoun, a Maronite Christian allied to Hezbollah, must then nominate as prime minister the Sunni with the greatest backing among MPs. Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement, Berri's Amal Movement and Walid Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party are expected to nominate Hariri as prime minister. Hariri has said the next government must be formed quickly to press ahead with economic reforms that donor states and institutions are seeking to release billions of dollars of finance pledged in April for the struggling economy. Lebanon must urgently address one of the highest public debt levels in the world at more than 150 percent of GDP. (Writing by Tom Perry, Editing by William Maclean)
Tegucigalpa (AFP) - Honduras expressed regret Friday that around 60,000 of its citizens living and working in the United States are losing special protection status under tougher migration changes brought in by President Donald Trump.

The US Department of Homeland Security announced in a statement that it was ending the so-called Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Hondurans, but giving 18 months' time, to January 5, 2020, "to allow for an orderly transition."

Trump's government has already announced it is terminating the TPS category for citizens from El Salvador, Haiti, Nepal and Nicaragua. That status will cease to apply for them on different dates next year.

The Honduran Foreign Ministry said it recognized the end of TPS was a "sovereign decision," but added it "deeply regrets the cancellation of the TPS program."

Those migrants living in the United States under the soon-to-be-scrapped TPS will have to find other ways to retain legal US residence or face being returned to their countries of origin.

The United States accepted more than 100,000 Hondurans under the temporary protection status given in 1999, following devastation caused in Honduras by Hurricane Mitch the previous year.

US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said it had "determined that the disruption of living conditions in Honduras from Hurricane Mitch that served as the basis for its TPS designation has decreased to a degree that it should no longer be regarded as substantial."

Trump's administration has taken a harder line against migrants, especially those coming from Latin America over the US southern border with Mexico.

The US president has repeatedly vowed to have a wall built along the border, and last month sent hundreds of National Guard troops to bolster monitoring along the frontier.
Libreville (AFP) - A new interim government was installed in Gabon on Friday, three days after the former administration resigned over delays in holding legislative elections, a presidency official told AFP.

The incoming government will remain in office until the elections, delayed since December 2016, are held.

There is still no date for Gabonese voters to go to the polls.

On Monday Gabon's constitutional court dissolved the national parliament and called on the government to step down, criticising its failure to organise the legislative elections.

According to the court, the government should have organised the twice-delayed polls by the end of April.

The government duly resigned on Tuesday.

The new interim government, which has 40 ministers and deputy ministers, includes seven opposition figures.

With no parliament in place, the government now refers solely to the President Ali Bongo.

The legislative elections are unlikely to take place before July at the earliest, according to commentators.

Bongo's re-election in 2016 led to opposition accusations of electoral fraud and days of deadly violence. He took over power from his father Omar Bongo, who had ruled for 41 years until his death in 2009.

The country has large oil, mineral and tropical timber resources, and its per-capita national income is four times greater than that of most sub-Saharan nations.

But about a third of its population of 1.8 million still live below the poverty line -- the result, say experts, of inequality, poor governance and corruption.
Tehran (AFP) - The Iranian government "does not approve" of the judiciary's recent blockage of the Telegram messaging app, President Hassan Rouhani said Saturday.

"The recent blocking and filtering of Telegram was not implemented by the government and the government does not approve of it," read a post on Rouhani's Instagram account.

A Tehran judge on Monday ordered telecoms companies to "totally block" Telegram after accusations that the app has allowed armed opposition groups to fuel unrest and has not cooperated with counter-terrorism efforts.

The move highlighted differences of opinion between the government of reformist Rouhani, elected to a second term in 2017, and ultra-conservatives who control the judiciary and security services.

Telegram is the Islamic republic's most popular social network with some 40 million users, around half the population.

Iran's telecoms minister responded to the ban by saying it was "impossible to block citizen's access to information".

Social networks Facebook and Twitter are also blocked in the Islamic Republic but accessible via virtual private network (VPN) software which can circumvent internet blackouts.

The judiciary wants to prevent this in the case of Telegram.

Authorities temporarily banned the app during a wave of protests in dozens of Iranian cities early this year, saying it enabled foreign-based "counter-revolutionary" groups to stir tensions.

Rouhani's Instagram post suggested that the judiciary's decision was "contrary to democracy" because it would have ignored some "legal proceedings".

"If at the very top of the system, a decision has been made to restrict or block communications between people... the people must be informed," it read.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in mid-April that he would no longer use Telegram, shifting instead to domestic services.

Rouhani quickly followed suit and issued a directive banning the government and administration workers from using foreign messenger apps to communicate.
Russia and Iran will draw closer together and develop deeper ties if President Donald Trump pulls out of the Iran nuclear deal, a Russian official said Friday.

Trump has suggested that he may reimpose sanctions on Tehran starting May 12, a move that would effectively destroy the Iran deal. The Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed in 2015 by the U.S., Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom and Germany, agreeing to lift economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on Iran's development of nuclear technology.

Washingtons European allies have been advocating to keep the deal and have suggested that certain aspects of it could be re-negotiated to please Trump. But Russian officials have noted that the U.S. and Europeans cannot renegotiate the deal without Moscow, and are now suggesting that Russia would maintain its part of the agreement, which lifted international economic sanctions against Iran. That would transform Russia into one of Irans most important allies, and would cement an alliance that could sideline U.S. influence in the Middle East.

Trending: Idaho State University Lost Enough Plutonium to Build a Dirty Bomb

"It might even be easier for us on the economic front, because we wont have any limits on economic cooperation with Iran. We would develop bilateral relations in all areasenergy, transport, high tech, medicine," Vladimir Yermakov, director general of the Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control at Russia's Foreign Ministry, told reporters Friday about the potential for Trump pulling out of the agreement.

If the United States breaks an international agreement backed by U.N. Security Council resolutions, it will be the United States that should suffer the consequences. Neither Iran nor China nor Russia nor the European states should lose out," Yermakov added, suggesting that the U.S. would be isolated by Trumps decision.

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Mikhail Klimentyev/AFP/Getty Images

Russia and Iran have already successfully sidelined the U.S. in Syria and managed to pull NATO ally Turkey further away from Washington in the process. Officials from all three countries have been meeting to coordinate policies on Syria without the U.S. or Western allies. In January, Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Iran and stressed that cooperation between the two countries could isolate the U.S.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in Moscow to discuss regional issues, the Israeli prime minister said in a statement on Saturday. Israel has been lobbying world powers to "fix or nix" a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran as a May 12 deadline set by President Donald Trump approaches. Israel is also concerned that Iran is establishing a military presence in Syria, and it has attacked Iranian targets there. Since intervening in the Syrian civil war on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad in 2015, Russia has generally turned a blind eye to Israeli attacks on suspected arms transfers and deployments by his Iranian and Hezbollah allies. But when Moscow condemned an April 9 strike that killed seven Iranian personnel, and blamed Israel, it set off speculation in Israel that Russian patience might be wearing thin. On Thursday, Israels defense minister reminded Russia of his governments decision not to join Western sanctions against it, and asked that Moscow reciprocate with a more pro-Israel approach to Syria and Iran. Netanyahu and Putin spoke by phone on Monday after the Israeli prime minister presented what he said were Iran's secret nuclear files which document it having worked toward developing atomic weapons in the past. [L8N1S81NS] U.S. and Israeli officials said the information showed Iran had lied about its past work to develop nuclear arms but intelligence experts said there was no smoking gun showing that Tehran had violated the nuclear deal under which it curbed its atomic program in return for relief from economic sanctions. Trump has given Britain, France and Germany a May 12 deadline to fix what he views as the deals flaws - its failure to address Irans ballistic missile program, the terms by which inspectors visit suspect Iranian sites, and sunset clauses under which some of its terms expire - or he will reimpose U.S. sanctions. Moscow has repeatedly said it wants the Iran nuclear deal left intact. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday Russia would deem any changes to the deal to be unacceptable. (Reporting by Maayan Lubell; editing by John Stonestreet and Stephen Powell)
Viet Nam has many opportunities to develop a digital economy, but the countrys legal framework on cross-border data flows is still "unopened", according to the Asia Cloud Computing Association (ACCA). Illustrative Photo doanhnhanviet.net.vn

HA NOI  Viet Nam has many opportunities to develop a digital economy, but the countrys legal framework on cross-border data flows is still "unopened", according to the Asia Cloud Computing Association (ACCA).

The Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) and ACCA jointly organised a workshop on cross-border data flows to improve the framework for digital economic development on Thursday.

Lim May Ann, ACCA executive director, announced the report "Cross-border data flow: A review of the regulatory enablers, blockers and key sectoral opportunities in five Asian economies: India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines and Viet Nam" at the meeting.

The report provides an overview of the legal status of data management in the five economies and its impact on economic development in general and small- and medium-sized enterprise development in particular.

Mai Liem Truc, former deputy minister of Post and Telecommunications, said Vietnamese telecommunications and internet in the past 20 years has grown equivalently to countries in the region and the world in terms of services.

Viet Nam is also a country with high rate of internet users, more than 50 per cent of its population.

That created a big impact on the digital economy in Viet Nam, he said.

However, the ACCA representative said regulatory requirements could pose challenges for cross-border data service providers, leaving them to consider entering the Vietnamese market.

In addition, it may affect businesses wishing to use the tools and services provided by cross-border data and cloud computing service providers, which play an important role in the development of digital businesses in Viet Nam.

Lim May Ann said the Vietnamese government should take a cautious approach to ensuring the development of a cyber security environment does not inadvertently limit and inhibit the growth of the potential of digital economy in particular and Vietnamese economy in general.

Truong inh Tuyen, former Minister of Trade, said policies should serve the development of digital economy and not to be introduced to obstruct its development.  VNS
Jeremy Corbyn thinks Labour can win the next election

Jeremy Corbyn thinks Labour are well placed to win the next general election.

Following the local election results, the leader of the opposition hailed the partys progress.

A mixed set of results left both Labour and the Tories claiming success, with the Conservatives holding on to crown jewel authorities in London including Wandsworth.

In a video message, Mr Corbyn hailed victories in Plymouth and Kirklees, and added: We have made progress in the places we need to win in the next general election.

In London we have achieved the best result since 1971, missing out on winning the flagship Tory borough of Wandsworth by a whisker.

Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn poses by a sign after voting in local elections at a polling station at Pakeman Primary School on May 3, 2018 in London, England. (Getty)

We are well placed to fight and win the next general election whenever it comes.

For Labour, despite the ongoing row over anti-Semitism  which may have damaged the effort in key target Barnet, which was won by the Tories  there were signs of progress and analysis suggested the two main parties were neck-and-neck overall in terms of national vote share.

In the last of the 150 results declared, Labours sweep of 42 of the 45 seats in Tower Hamlets also represented a serious defeat for Aspire, the party backed by disgraced former mayor Lutfur Rahman, which won no seats.

The rift in British politics was laid bare by an analysis for the BBC conducted by election guru Professor Sir John Curtice.

Votes in the local elections equated to a 35% share for both Labour and the Conservatives, which could leave Mr Corbyn as the leader of the largest party in a hung parliament if repeated at a general election.

Critics said Labours chances in targets such as Barnet  won by the Tories  had been damaged by the anti-Semitism row, while Mr Corbyns response to the chemical weapons attack in Syria and the Salisbury poisoning were also questioned.
The mother of a woman who was stolen from a hospital as a newborn broke down in tears as she testified in court this week.

"I am your mother!" Shanara Mobley shouted to her biological daughter in a Florida courtroom as Gloria Williams was preparing to be sentenced, 20 years after kidnapping Mobley's newborn baby.

The outburst came as, in an odd twist, Shanara's long lost daughter, who's taken the name Kamiyah Mobley, asked the court for leniency against Williams. Shanara Mobley, meanwhile, has asked for the maximum sentence, WJAX reports.

Kamiyah, now 19, was taken from a Jacksonville hospital on July 10, 1998. She was then raised by Williams in South Carolina.

"It doesn't heal. I'm still hurting. I am your mother, Kamiyah. I am your mother!" Shanara Mobley said as she gestured to her daughter, with whom she was reunited in January 2017.

On Friday, Gloria Williams wept on the stand.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "As for Kamiyah, I never meant to hurt you."

Shanara Mobley, and Kamiyah's biological father, Craig Aiken, say they were shaken by their daughter's kidnapping.

"That day she took Kamiyah, she destroyed me and Shanara," Aiken told the court.

Williams was arrested last year after the teenager tried to apply for a driver's license and her real identity came to light. Williams pleaded guilty to kidnapping and interference with custody in February.

If she gets the maximum sentence, she could serve up to 22 years in prison.

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Have you looked up the Kentucky Derby odds for the most-anticipated horse race in 2018 yet?

Kentucky Derby Odds

Source: Shutterstock

If not, weve got you covered as Justify, trained by Bob Baffert, is the favorite to win the whole thing with 3-1 odds. The event will take place tomorrow, Saturday, May 5 on Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

The rest of the Kentucky derby odds include UAE Derby winner Mendelssohn (5-1), who can become the first European-trained horse to win the U.S. event. Seven other horses are going off at 12-1 odds or lower.

InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips

However, odds dont guarantee who the winner will be as last years champion Always Dreaming was a 6-1 underdog to win the event and still managed to snatch the gold. Some experts suggest that the dark horse (no pun intended) in the race may be My Boy Jack, whose odds are pretty dreadful at 30-1, but betting on this one could give you quite a handsome return on your investment.

My Boy Jack captured the victory at the Lexington Stakes over Telekinesis in April and beat Combatant in the Southwest Stakes in February, two other horses battling for Kentucky Derby supremacy. The horse also took third in the Louisiana Derby between the two events.

Keith Desormeaux trained the animal, which has finished in the top three in four straight races and could surprise some gamblers Saturday.

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Tijuana (Mexico) (AFP) - The last of a group of 228 Central American migrants who had camped out on the US-Mexican border after crossing Mexico in a caravan have entered the United States to request asylum, activists said Friday.

The asylum-seekers were the most visible remnants of the "Migrant Way of the Cross," a caravan that set out from southern Mexico on March 25 with more than 1,000 people, infuriating US President Donald Trump.

After Trump demanded Mexico stop the migrants and ordered the National Guard to the border, the caravan quietly dispersed.

But a large group including many families with children traveled en masse to Tijuana, across the border from San Diego, and insisted on being allowed to enter the United States to request asylum, in accordance with international law.

After letting them through in a trickle over the course of several days, US border officers granted entry to the last 83 members of that group on Friday, said Alex Mensing, a member of People Without Borders (Pueblo Sin Fronteras), the organization behind the caravan.

"We're hoping they won't have their children taken away. (US authorities) have been separating families, which is unjust," said Mensing.

He said the migrants were fleeing brutal violence at the hands of powerful street gangs that have given countries such as El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala some of the highest murder rates in the world.

"We're also hoping they won't be detained indefinitely... because the US has signed international agreements saying that legal asylum-seekers who do not present a flight or security risk must be given the right to a hearing," he said.

The Trump administration has warned that any migrants making false immigration claims will be prosecuted.

The caravan is an annual tradition dating back to 2010, aimed at drawing attention to the plight of destitute Central Americans crossing Mexico in search of a better life.

Mexico came under intense pressure from Trump, who also threatened to axe the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) -- which he called Mexico's "cash cow" -- if the caravan was not stopped.

Instead, the Mexican authorities gave the migrants temporary visas to decide if they wanted to seek refuge in Mexico, go home or keep trudging toward the United States.
Beirut (AFP) - Lebanon's president said Saturday on the eve of parliamentary elections that he was confident the vote would bring a more proportional government to power, even if his party lost seats.

Sunday's legislative vote will be Lebanon's first since 2009, after parliament agreed on a new system last year that replaced majoritarian mechanisms with proportional ones.

In an interview aired on BBC Arabic Saturday, President Michel Aoun said he was "completely content with the law."

"We may lose some seats in some districts and win others elsewhere," said Aoun, who is 84 and long headed the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM).

But the new law would lead to "100 percent accurate representation," he said.

The FPM has for years been allied with Iran-backed powerhouse Hezbollah, usually against Prime Minister Saad Hariri's Saudi-backed Future Movement.

But Lebanon's major political players have always ruled through consensus, which leaves little to chance and often slows the pace of progress.

That won't change with the new elections, Aoun said Saturday.

"The style we work in is consensual decision-making. This may lead to some slowness but it saves us problems," he said.

"If we win, we all win together. And if we lose, we all lose together," said the head of state.

Despite the reformed law, there is little hope that political newcomers will make a breakthrough against Lebanon's entrenched ruling elite.

Weeks of campaigning passed without major security incidents across a country threatened by spillover from the conflict in neighbouring Syria.

Hezbollah, which stands to hold on to and potentially expand its clout with Sunday's elections, is fighting in the war on behalf of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Some have feared its activities could once again drag Lebanon into a conflict with Israel, which has struck Hezbollah and Syrian government forces several times.

Story continues

Aoun sought to allay those fears, saying on Saturday: "Responding (to Israel) from here is still rhetoric."

He said the movement, branded a "terrorist" group by the US, is not just Lebanon's problem.

"The issue of Hezbollah's involvement in Syria is linked to the Middle East. Hezbollah can not just leave the conflict, because it is now part of the balance of power," he said.

Aoun dodged a question by the BBC on whether he would visit his Syrian counterpart by saying he had not been invited.
By William James

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party avoided a wipeout in London local elections and eked out gains in Brexit-supporting regions elsewhere, results on Friday showed, denting the Labour Party's hopes of a big win.

The elections are a gauge of public support for May as she faces a possible revolt in parliament over her strategy for leaving the European Union.

With almost all results declared, May had avoided the widespread losses that would have weakened her authority over Conservative MPs ahead of tests of her plans to take Britain out of the EU customs union as it quits the bloc.

"These results are as good as any government party after eight years in power could expect," said Tony Travers, a professor at the London School of Economics Department of Government.

"They'll be a relief for May and the Conservative Party as a whole because they're suggestive that, despite the fact the Conservatives are in an on-and-off civil war over Brexit, the Labour Party's problems are possibly worse."

Against a backdrop of heightened expectations for Labour, Thursday's ballot also hinted at the limitations of its recent resurgence under veteran socialist Jeremy Corbyn.

CONSERVATIVE BASTION HOLDS

May's party kept control of Wandsworth council - a low-tax Conservative stronghold since the time of late prime minister Margaret Thatcher that had been one of Labour's main targets.

"Labour will have to do far, far better than this in local elections in future to suggest they are convincing the electorate more generally," Travers said.

The makeup of 150 local government authorities, responsible for the day-to-day provision of public services, was at stake.

The Conservatives also held on to Westminster, London's political district, indicating that their losses in the capital would come in at the lower end of the predicted range.

May, appearing relaxed and smiling, visited Wandsworth on Friday morning. "Labour thought they could take control, this was one of their top targets and they threw everything at it, but they failed," she said.

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Ruling parties typically suffer at local elections and surveys had predicted losses in London for the Conservatives after eight years in power. May is negotiating an exit from the EU that 60 percent of the capital rejected at the 2016 Brexit referendum.

Results elsewhere in London's 32 boroughs showed only a small swing to Labour, unlikely to give May a serious headache.

Corbyn has endured fierce criticism over the handling of anti-Semitism within his party. Critics also say he misjudged his response to military action in Syria and a row with Moscow over the poisoning of a former Russian spy in southern England.

Despite intensive campaigning, Labour saw the Conservatives win back control of the London borough of Barnet, which has the largest Jewish population of any single council area.

DELIVERING BREXIT

Outside London, the Conservatives regained control of councils in the pro-Brexit regions of Peterborough and Basildon, largely at the expense of the anti-EU UK Independence Party.

UKIP has suffered leadership issues and struggled for new purpose since achieving its main aim at the 2016 referendum.

"The Conservative Party has been reminded tonight that the electorate that it now has is disproportionately a 'Leave' electorate," polling expert John Curtice told the BBC.

"Therefore, above all, it seems to me that what the Conservative Party has to be able to do in the coming weeks and months is to deliver on Brexit in a way that will satisfy the aspirations of 'Leave' voters."

May's party did lose control of the highly prized council in the Trafford area of the northern city of Manchester - its only foothold in a important economic region, dominated by Labour, where the Conservatives have spent years trying to win support.

The results offer the most complete snapshot of public opinion since an election last year in which the Conservatives suffered unexpected losses, leaving May weakened and her party arguing openly about Brexit.

In a national parliamentary election, the results would translate to a hung parliament, with Labour holding 283 seats, compared with the Conservatives' 280, but falling short of an outright majority, according to a BBC projection.

The Conservatives also lost control of two south-west London councils - Richmond-upon-Thames and Kingston-upon-Thames - which backed remaining in the European Union in 2016 and were won by the pro-European Lib Dems.

May will remain under pressure from rival Conservative factions: those who want to keep close ties with the EU by staying in the customs union, and others who say anything short of a clean break is a betrayal of the Brexit referendum result.

(Reporting by William James; Additional reporting by Andrew MacAskill and Alistair Smout; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Guy Faulconbridge)
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are set to marry on May 19. (Photo: Peter Nicholls / Reuters)

Meghan Markle is not going to have a maid of honor by her side at the royal wedding on May 19, Kensington Palace confirmed Friday.

She has a very close-knit circle of friends and she didnt want to choose one over another, a palace spokesman told People magazine. All have been actively involved in helping her prepare for the day and will be there in the days beforehand. Shes very happy to have their support.

Previously, it was thought that Markle would have her longtime BFF Jessica Mulroney as her maid of honor.

Instead, Markle will have page boys and bridesmaids in her wedding party, according to a statement from Prince Harrys press secretary on Friday. More information about the names of the page boys and bridesmaids will be released in the next few days, and we expect to see Prince George and Princess Charlotte on the list.

William Hanson, a British etiquette expert, told HuffPost that its not unusual for a bride to go without a maid or matron of honor.

Its at the brides discretion so no etiquette faux pas has been committed here  some former royal brides have also forgone appointing anyone in this role, he said. And typically, British royal weddings include children as the page boys and bridesmaids.

But maybe Meghan was mindful of 2011s maid of honour and doesnt want anyone or any body part upstaging her on her big day? Hanson added, referring to Pippa Middleton somewhat upstaging her older sister, Kate, on her wedding day.

The then-Kate Middleton with her sister, Pippa, on Kate's big day on April 29, 2011. (Photo: Kurt Krieger - Corbis via Getty Images)

Prince Harry announced last week that he asked his brother, Prince William, to be his best man. Harry served as Williams best man at his 2011 nuptials to the Duchess of Cambridge.

The Duke of Cambridge is honoured to have been asked, and is very much looking forward to supporting his brother at St George's Chapel, Windsor on May 19th. pic.twitter.com/mQ0eh7Q0pR  Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 26, 2018

The palace also announced on Friday that Markles parents, Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland, will fly to Windsor a week before the wedding to meet and spend time with the rest of the royal wedding. People magazine confirmed with the palace that this will be the first time Prince Harry and Markles father meet in person.

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Markles parents will also both both have major roles in the royal wedding.

On the morning of the wedding, Ms. Ragland will travel with Ms. Markle by car to Windsor Castle. Mr. Markle will walk his daughter down the aisle of St Georges Chapel, an update from Prince Harrys press secretary said. Ms. Markle is delighted to have her parents by her side on this important and happy occasion.

It was previously speculated that Markles mother would walk her down the aisle.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Michael Avenatti, the lawyer representing adult film star Stormy Daniels (real name Stephanie Clifford), claimed there were extensive communications between the attorneys arranging the infamous hush payment, showing it had everything to do with the election.

Days before the presidential election in November 2016, Clifford signed a non-disclosure agreement in exchange for $130,000 to keep quiet about an alleged affair with President Donald Trump a decade earlier. She was preparing to sell her story to the press. Trump denies the affair and knowledge of the hush payment until media reports of its existence emerged.

The NDA was arranged by Trumps longtime attorney Michael Cohen, who is now under investigation by federal prosecutors looking into the payment, which he made from his own funds and was later reimbursed for by the president. Clifford was represented by the attorney Keith Davidson.

Trending: I Grew Up In Foster CareUntil My Dads Gave Me The Family I Always Dreamed Of | Opinion

Trump and Cohen deny any links between the payment and the election campaign. If such a connection exists, it would potentially put the payment in violation of campaign finance law if deemed to be a contribution in-kind, because it is both undeclared and excessive.

Michael Avenatti

REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

There were extensive communications between Michael Cohen and Keith Davidson in October 2016 relating to the timing of this payment and the need for the payment to be made prior to the election, Avenatti said on MSNBCs The Last Word Thursday night.

Extensive communications relating to the need for the payment to be made, when it was made, and as it related to potential influence on the election. Period.

Everyone involved in this transaction around the time knew the importance of the payment as it related to the election. So any claim that the payment had nothing to do with the election is completely bogus. There's no question it had everything to do with the election.

Story continues

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Both Cohen's attorney and Davidson did not respond to requests for comment.

Rudy Giuliani, who is on Trumps legal team, revealed that the president had repaid Cohen the $130,000 over several months in 2017, appearing to contradict his claim to have had no knowledge of the hush deal. But Giuliani later said Trump was only told the money was for expenses, leaving him unaware of the payment to Clifford.

Giuliani also flatly denied there had been any campaign finance violation because the money came first from Cohens own funds, and was then reimbursed by Trumps personal money.

If we had to defend this as not being a campaign contribution, I think we could do that, Giuliani said on Fox & Friends. This is for personal reasons. The president had been hurt personally, not politically, personally so muchand the first ladyby some of the false allegations."

However, Giuliani then said: "Imagine if that came out on October 15th, 2016, in the middle of the last debate with Hillary Clinton...Cohen didn't even ask. Cohen made it go away. He did his job."

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_ BREAKING: @MichaelAvenatti tells @Lawrence there were communications the payment to Stormy Daniels had to be made in advance of the 2016 election. pic.twitter.com/6V8DomUguH  The Last Word (@TheLastWord) May 4, 2018

Larry Noble, senior director and general counsel at the Campaign Legal Center, told CNN that a loan or advance of money to a third party is an in-kind contribution that must be reported by the campaign and is subject to contribution limits.

A loan that exceed $2,700 from one person is an excessive contribution, even if eventually repaid. In-kind contributions are generally subject to the same limitations and reporting requirements as any other contribution, Noble said.

However, when someone pays a third party for the benefit of the campaign, the campaign had to know about it or otherwise accept it for the campaign to have accepted he contribution.

Acceptance happens when the campaign physically accepts the tangible property or, when the campaign, the candidate or another agent of the campaign is involved in the transaction.

Cohen is suing Clifford for breaching the NDA. But Cliffords lawyer Avenatti argues it is null and void as Trump did not sign the deal, though he was a party to it.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
The Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek, Michigan, paid tribute to Star Wars Day on May 4 with their animals telling a story of a zoo far, far away.

In a video shared on the zoos Facebook page, resident lion Shelby can be seen interacting with an R2-D2 made out of a water container while Raj, the snow leopard, is fighting between the Force and the Dark Side. Also seen are the zoos African painted dogs getting in some lightsaber training. As of writing, the video has over 1,000 shares on Facebook. Credit: Binder Park Zoo via Storyful
It was often believed, especially in the United States, that people would be killed in great numbers in the city of Sai Gon at the end of the American War.

An American woman who stayed on in Viet Nam says there was no such thing.

Instead, people celebrated the end of the war and the beginning of a new country.

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.

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.





GLOSSARY

Thursday (April 30, 2015) was the 40th anniversary of the full American pullout from Viet Nam.

An anniversary is a birthday.

We hear a lot about those who fled and the suffering they endured.

To endure suffering means to live through it.

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.

An assumption is a story that is believed, based on putting things together in search of a logical answer.

A bloodbath is a battle in which many people are killed and injured.

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.

Propaganda is news and information that is presented in such a way that it encourages those who read it or listen to it to think in a certain way.

Extensive means widespread.

If something is effective, it works.

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).

To yield power means to give up power and let someone else take it over.

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.

A civil rehabilitation programme is a programme that involves helping ordinary people, who were not in armies but are affected by war, to become ready to once again live normal lives.

But we learned later that the transition had been peaceful.

A transition means a change.

So when the Americans were putting people on helicopters at the embassy, we stayed.

An embassy is a special office of a countrys government, in another country.

There were bombs, rockets, artillery and random rifle fire by scared soldiers in the last days.

Artillery is heavy weaponry that flies through the air to reach its target.

Random means here and there rather than in any orderly routine.

America also was testing other less conventional weapons until the very end.

Conventional means ordinary.

The United States also tested agent orange and white phosphorus on the Vietnamese population.

Agent orange is a chemical that was used by the Americans in the American War. It destroys plants and also harms people. It caused enormous suffering in Viet Nam.

White phosphorus is a chemical that can easily cause fire and smoke to come about.

Saigons population had been mostly shielded from the war until the end, while those who lived outside the city suffered for years and years.

Shielded means protected.

In April 1975, the danger and the war reached Saigon and the residents panicked.

Residents of a place are people who live there. When people panic, they become nervous.

The next morning, the streets of Saigon were jammed with relieved people, out sightseeing and curious to meet the arriving soldiers.

When streets are jammed they are so crowded people cannot move.

Relieved means pleased that bad times are over.

South Vietnamese soldiers in Saigon discarded their uniforms, turned in their weapons at improvised collection centres, and joined the crowds.

To discard something means to throw it away.

Impoverished means poor.

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.

To observe something means to see it.

But there were no firing squads; there was no murder, no torture.

Torture is cruel physical suffering, often given to people in order to get information from them or to punish them.

The new Government was committed to reconciliation as the only way to unite the country and make progress.

To be committed means to be dedicated.

Reconciliation means bringing people who were enemies to be able to tolerate one another or even become friends.

To unite a country means to bring its people together

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.

Refugees are people who have had to leave their homes because it is not safe.

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.

Antagonism means bad feelings.

To alienate someone means to have nothing to do with them.

The United States embargo caused tremendous suffering.

An embargo happens when a country refuses to have anything to do with another country, especially when it comes to trading and doing business.

Viet Nam, once a major rice producer, had needed to import rice during the war due to the destruction of rice fields.

To import rice means to buy it from another country.

The destruction of fields means destroying fields.

Much of that wealth had been acquired during the American war and through contacts with Americans.

Acquired means got.

The post-war effort tried to reconstruct the country and to redistribute wealth.

Post-war means after a war.

To reconstruct a country means to build it up again after it has suffered damage.

To redistribute wealth means to hand it out, once again.

But the new government tried to avoid retribution and there was no killing of enemies.

Retribution means punishment.

WORKSHEET

Find words that mean the following in the Word Search:

Something that did not happen in Sai Gon. The time that Quang Ngai was controlled by the South Vietnamese. The time that Quang Ngai was controlled by the North Vietnamese. A gas that people breathe. A country from where people fled the Khmer Rouge.

o i m o y r u j s g u d x t b s e n i g h t e l y p h t p d y t j o y p g a s i k g a r t l o s e i v b o b r y a r l c n e h f d u r t e e n a b s a o s r i d g e b p g f o b e b o o k a c m s l i t z e r l a n d m b r w c a m b o d i a r

ANSWERS:

 Duncan Guy/Learn the News/ Viet Nam News 2018

1. Bloodbath; 2. Day; 3, Night; 4. Oxygen; 5. Cambodia.
Model Gigi Hadid has apologized following critiques leveled at a Vogue Italia cover that featured her with a noticeably darker skin tone.

The Steven Klein-lensed cover debuted on Thursday on Vogue Italias Instagram, instantly attracting backlash from social media users who were quick to point out that Hadids cover look was drastically different from what she looked like in real life and other editorials. Many felt strongly about the apparent editing of the photo, with some calling out Hadid and the publication for doing blackface due to the extent that her skin tone was darkened in the highly stylized image.

is vogue italia trying to tell me that this is gigi hadid??????? pic.twitter.com/yS8N6i18Al  veronika (@chloegirI) May 3, 2018

Sozzani's Vogue Italia made history with The All Black Issue, calling out the lack of diversity in the industry. Farneti's Vogue Italia gave us black face GiGi Hadid. Shame. pic.twitter.com/fayrtJxG0g  A.???? (@septemburissue) May 2, 2018

Gigi Hadid and Justin Martin for Vogue Italita. their natural skin tone is whiter than white so tell me why they appear so dark on the cover? whats the point? @vogue_italia pic.twitter.com/wjp3wEABIU  sometimes (@dovetomyariana) May 2, 2018

Hadid took to social media on Thursday to address the backlash and to offer an apology.

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Please understand that my control of a shoot 1. is non existent in terms of creative direction 2. ends completely when I leave set, and anything done to a photo in post is out of my control fully. The bronzing and photoshop is a style that S.Klein has done for many years and I believe was what was expected from the shoot (to show me in a different way creatively). BUT, although I understand what VogueItalias intentions were, it was not executed correctly, and the concerns that have been brought up are valid. I want to address this for those who were offended by the editing/retouching/coloring of the cover. Please know that things would have been different if my control of the situation was different. Regardless, I want to apologize because my intention is never to diminish those concerns or take opportunities away from anyone else, and I hope this can be an example to other magazines and teams in the future. There are real issues regarding representation in fashion  its our responsibility to acknowledge those issues and communicate through them to work towards a more diverse industry.

Hadid posted her response over a photo of herself leaving the Vogue Italia photoshoot so that her followers could see how much she was bronzed for the shoot.

This isnt the first time that Hadids appearance in Vogue Italia has stirred up controversy; in 2015, an editorial of her with deeply tan skin and sporting an afro was also critiqued.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  The mother of two Native American teenagers who campus police pulled from a college tour in Colorado after a parent reported feeling nervous about them said she believes her sons were victims of racial profiling and she feared for their safety after learning about the encounter.

In an interview Thursday with The Associated Press, Lorraine Kahneratokwas Gray described receiving a frantic phone call from her son, 19-year-old Thomas Kanewakeron Gray, about the incident at Colorado State University.

He and his 17-year-old brother, Lloyd Skanahwati Gray, had saved enough money to drive roughly seven hours from the familys home in Santa Cruz, New Mexico, to Fort Collins to tour the campus, she told the AP.

I felt they had been the victim of racism and that they werent safe there, she said in a post this week on Facebook.

She later told the AP, I dont think they even grasped the magnitude of what happened to them until we talked.

The brothers had joined the tour on Monday after it started, and their mother  who had stayed home in New Mexico  said she learned afterward that the two had been quieter than others in the group during the walk through campus, which apparently prompted one woman to call police.

When they told me that on the phone  I couldnt wrap my head around that, their mother said. What do you mean, its because they were quiet?

Colorado State University officials said in an email to students that it is reviewing what happened to try to avoid similar situations or handle them more appropriately.

The incident is sad and frustrating from nearly every angle, particularly the experience of two students who were here to see if this was a good fit for them as an institution, the email said. As a university community, we deeply regret the experience of these students while they were guests on our campus.

During the tour, a campus police officer approached the brothers and confirmed they were part of the admissions tour, according to the school.

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The mother said the older brother had been able to show the officer an email on his phone confirming their spots on the tour.

By then, however, their tour group had moved on without them and the brothers left the campus and returned home to New Mexico.

The university officials said a parent called police about the brothers. According the email, the tour guide did not know that campus police had been called or responded.

Gray described her sons as teenagers who like to express themselves through contemporary music and traditional songs. The family is Mohawk, and lived in upstate New York before moving to New Mexico, the mother said.

The older brother is currently a student at Northern New Mexico College in Espanola and has been talking about transferring to Colorado State University for the past year, his mother said. The younger brother is a high school senior at Santa Fe Indian School.

They decided maybe theyll go to school together and make it a great bonding experience, Gray said. They missed a day of school for this tour, and then for it to not even be completed . Its shameful on so many levels.

___

Associated Press writer Colleen Slevin contributed to this report from Denver.
NASA's InSight lander and two tiny satellites are on their way to Mars.

An Atlas V rocket  which also launched NASA's Curiosity rover to the red planet  lofted the payload into space on Saturday at 7:05 a.m. ET from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base.

SEE ALSO: Tiny satellites named Wall-E and Eva are about to take a trip to Mars. Will they survive?

The InSight lander, designed to unlock the secrets of Mars' interior, will spend about six months traveling to Mars, trailed by the two cubesats.

This was the first Mars mission launched from Vandenberg, situated next to the Pacific Ocean.

And we have liftoff! #Mars, here I come! 6 months and counting to the Red Planet. pic.twitter.com/wBPYdZVUlt  NASAInSight (@NASAInSight) May 5, 2018

Typically, rockets sending spacecraft to Mars launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, taking advantage of the Earth's eastward rotation to give the rockets added thrust.

But in this case, NASA says the Atlas V is powerful enough to launch without this added help, and the Air Force base currently has more availability than NASA's facility out east.

Once InSight arrives at Mars, it will parachute down through Mars' thin atmosphere, which is the most perilous part of the journey.

The InSight lander sits atop the Atlas V rocket inside the nose cone, or fairing.

Image: NASA

One NASA scientist described the precarious maneuver as "six minutes of terror," as spacecraft generally enter the atmosphere at some 12,000 miles per hour. After deploying a parachute, the spacecraft has to almost perfectly fire "retrorockets" seconds before the lander hits the ground.

If all goes as planned, the lander will settle down on the red Martian dirt and deploy geological-monitoring equipment to measure earthquakes on Mars, or "marsquakes."

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This will give scientists a better understanding of Mars' cooled interior and how rocky planet's formed in an our early solar system. This includes drilling nearly 16 feet into Mars surface to deploy a temperature probe.

An artist's conception of the Mars InSight lander with its heat flow probe deployed.

Image: NASA

The lander, about the size of a car, will also release a dome-shaped instrument (which is about the the size of a large microwave), called SEIS, which is the actual seismometer, which measures earthquakes.

It's an extraordinarily sensitive device, capable of sensing small Martian temblors and even meteorite impacts that hit on other parts of the planet.

Scientists are confident Mars has been largely dead geologically for most of its history  unlike lively lava-spewing Earth  but it's still unknown what's truly happening beneath its frigid, rocky surface.

"Scientists know that Mars has low levels of geological activity. But a lander like InSight can also reveal just how active Mars really is," the space agency said.

A breakdown of the Atlas V-401 Rocket. The payload, carrying the InSight lander and the two cubesats, is shown in the upper right.

Image: Nasa

While the InSight lander measures Mars' geologic activity, the two little cubesats will stay above Mars.

If the pair of briefcase-sized satellites collectively called Mars Cube One make it to Mars, NASA scientists will test if they're able to relay information from the InSight lander back to Earth.

If successful, the cubesats would illustrate that sending small satellites to accompany missions to other planets is possible, which would substantially reduce the cost of building and launching craft to outer space.

Both the InSight lander and the cubesats will arrive at Mars in November.
Vandenberg Air Force Base (United States) (AFP) - NASA on Saturday launched its latest Mars lander, called InSight, designed to perch on the surface and listen for "Marsquakes" ahead of eventual human missions to explore the Red Planet.

"Three, two, one, liftoff!" said a NASA commentator as the unmanned spacecraft blasted off on a dark, foggy morning atop an Atlas V rocket at 4:05 am Pacific time (1105 GMT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, marking NASA's first interplanetary launch from the US west coast.

The $993 million project aims to expand human knowledge of interior conditions on Mars, inform efforts to send explorers there, and reveal how rocky planets like the Earth formed billions of years ago.

"This is a big day. We are going back to Mars," said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine after the launch.

"It is important for our country. It is also important for the world and it really establishes American leadership in a lot of ways."

About an hour and 40 minutes into the flight, the spaceship separated from the upper stage of the rocket, as planned.

"I'm on my own now," said the US space agency Twitter account, @NASAInSight.

"This marks the beginning of my six-month journey to #Mars."

If all goes well during the 301 million mile (485 million kilometer) trip, the lander should settle on the Red Planet on November 26.

InSight is short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport.

NASA chief scientist Jim Green said experts already know that Mars has quakes, avalanches and meteor strikes.

"But how quake-prone is Mars? That is fundamental information that we need to know as humans that explore Mars," Green said.

- French-made seismometer -

The key instrument on board is a seismometer, called the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure, made by the French Space Agency.

After the lander settles on the Martian surface, a robotic arm is supposed to emerge and place the seismometer directly on the ground.

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"For us, InSight is perhaps not the ultimate but a very, very important mission because we are going to the hear the heartbeat of Mars with the seismometer we put on board," said Jean-Yves Le Gall, president of France's Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), in an interview on NASA television after liftoff.

The second main instrument is a self-hammering probe that will monitor heat in the planet's subsurface.

Called the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package, it was made by the German Space Agency with the participation of the Polish Space Agency.

The probe will bore down 10 to 16 feet (three to five meters) below the surface, NASA said, 15 times deeper than any previous Mars mission.

Understanding the temperature on Mars is crucial to NASA's efforts to send people there by the 2030's, and how much a human habitat might need to be heated under frigid conditions, said Green.

The temperature at the landing site for InSight is frigid, and expected to range between -148 F and -4 F (-100 Celsius to -20 Celsius).

Daytime summer temperatures near the Martian equator may reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees C), but then plunge by night to -100 F (-73 C).

"It is an important part of knowledge of how this planet is evolving," Green said.

"We have to be able as humans living and working on Mars to survive that."

A pair of mini-spacecraft also deployed successfully from the rocket.

Known as Mars Cube One, or MarCO, the briefcase-sized satellites "will fly on their own path to Mars behind InSight," and test tiny new deep space communications equipment, NASA said.

- Two Earth years -

The solar and battery-powered lander is designed to operate for 26 Earth months, or one year on Mars, a period in which it is expected to pick up as many as 100 quakes.

"Hopefully it will last a lot longer than that," said Tom Hoffman, InSight project manager from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The spacecraft was initially supposed to launch in 2016 but was delayed after temperature tests showed a problem with part of the seismometer, which engineers have since fixed.

InSight aims to be the first NASA spacecraft to land on Mars since the Curiosity rover in 2012.

"There is nothing routine about going to Mars, especially landing on Mars," said Stu Spath, InSight program manager at Lockheed Martin Space.
Fog is the only technical concern ahead of the launch - Getty Images North America

Nasa is counting down to the long-awaited launch of its latest Mars lander, InSight, designed to perch on the surface of the Red Planet and listen for "Marsquakes."

The spacecraft is scheduled to blast off atop an Atlas V rocket at 12:05pm (UK time) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Foggy weather was the only technical concern ahead of the launch, and Nasa safety officers said on Friday that the usual visibility constraints might be waived so the launch could proceed.

The 734m project aims to expand human knowledge of conditions on Mars, inform efforts to send human explorers there, and reveal how rocky planets like the Earth formed billions of years ago.

If all goes as planned, the lander should settle on the Red Planet on November 26.

Its name, InSight, is short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport.

Nasa chief scientist Jim Green said experts already know that Mars has quakes, avalanches and meteor strikes.

The Mars InSight probe in artist's rendition operating on the surface of Mars Credit: Reuters

"But how quake-prone is Mars? That is fundamental information that we need to know as humans that explore Mars," Green said.

The key instrument on board is a seismometer, called the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure, made by the French Space Agency.

After the lander settles on the Martian surface, a robotic arm is supposed to emerge and place the seismometer directly on the ground.

The second main instrument is a self-hammering probe that will monitor the flow of heat in the planet's subsurface.

Called the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package, it was made by the German Space Agency with the participation of the Polish Space Agency.

The probe will bore down 10 to 16 feet (three to five metres) below the surface, Nasa said, 15 times deeper than any previous Mars mission.

Understanding the temperature on Mars is crucial to Nasa's efforts to send people there by the 2030s, and how much a human habitat might need to be heated under frigid conditions, said Green.

Story continues

Daytime summer temperatures near the Martian equator may reach 20C, but then plunge by night to -73C.

"It is an important part of knowledge of how this planet is evolving," Green said.

"We have to be able as humans living and working on Mars to survive that."

Mars Curiosity Rover | Top six discoveries

The solar and battery-powered lander is designed to operate for 26 Earth months, or one year on Mars, a period in which it is expected to pick up as many as 100 quakes.

"Hopefully it will last a lot longer than that," said Tom Hoffman, InSight project manager from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The spacecraft was initially supposed to launch in 2016 but had to be delayed after temperature tests showed a problem with part of the seismometer, which engineers have since fixed.

InSight aims to be the first NASA spacecraft to land on Mars since the Curiosity rover in 2012.

"There is nothing routine about going to Mars, especially landing on Mars," said Stu Spath, InSight program manager at Lockheed Martin Space.

"On Saturday morning, the anticipation and excitement is going to be second to none."
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week, the premier's office said, ahead of a possible US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

The Wednesday meeting will discuss "regional developments", Netanyahu's office said, and follows the Israeli leader's unveiling of "proof" of Iran's alleged past military nuclear ambitions.

A televised presentation by Netanyahu on Monday was followed by phone calls to world leaders, including to Putin, in which the two discussed the Iran nuclear deal, as well as the situation in Syria.

Israel has been accused by Syria of carrying out deadly strikes in its territory, most recently on April 9 and April 30, which killed Iranians as well as Syrian soldiers.

Putin -- whose troops are backing the Syrian regime -- has called on Netanyahu not to destabilise the situation further, as Israel looks to prevent Iran and its Hezbollah proxy cementing their military presence.

Russia meanwhile has reiterated its support for the Iran nuclear deal, with Putin telling Netanyahu it was "of primary importance for ensuring international stability and security" in their Monday phone call.

US President Donald Trump and his Middle East allies argue that the agreement, approved by Barack Obama, was too weak and needs to be replaced with a more permanent arrangement and supplemented by controls on Iran's missile programme.

Trump has threatened to abandon the agreement when it comes up for renewal on May 12, demanding his country's European allies "fix the terrible flaws" or he will re-impose sanctions.

Netanyahu has repeatedly called for the accord -- which Iran signed with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- to either be altered or scrapped.

He says the agreement does not prevent Tehran from eventually obtaining nuclear weapons and says the lifting of sanctions has increased Tehran's ability to finance proxy militants in the Middle East.

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In his elaborate televised presentation, Netanyahu accused Iran of lying about its nuclear ambitions, while not providing evidence that Israel's main enemy had actively worked to obtain an atomic weapon since the 2015 agreement between Tehran and six world powers.

Iran has always denied it sought a nuclear weapon, insisting its atomic programme was for civilian purposes.

Besides Putin, Netanyahu discussed the Israeli findings and the Iran nuclear deal with his Australian, British and Indian counterparts, as well as with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
In a symbolic move meant to showcase North Koreas willingness to pursue a permanent peace treaty with South Korea, Pyongyang set its clocks 30 minutes forward on Friday (Saturday, Korea time) to sync up its time with Seoul.

The time change was made almost exactly one week after North and South Korean leaders held a historic inter-Korean summit in a town near the Demilitarized Zone between their two countries. During the meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in committed to denuclearizing the Korean peninsula and attempting to make peace for the first time since the two countries split following a war in the 1950s.

South and North Korea confirmed the common goal of realizing, through complete denuclearization, a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. South and North Korea 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, the two leaders wrote in a joint statement.

Trending: Trump Will Invite Colin Kaepernick, Kanye West To Race Summit Talks, Outside White House Adviser Says

Since then, the two sides have removed loudspeakers from the border area that for decades blasted propaganda into the demilitarized zone. But changing the time on the clocks is the first symbolic gesture made only by Pyongyang. North Korea had originally changed its time by half an hour to demonstrate its independence from South Korea. Now, North Korean state media has suggested changing the clock was the first step toward reunifying the Korean peninsula.

"The time-resetting is the first practical step taken after the historic third north-south summit meeting to speed up the process for the North and the South to become one," said the official KCNA agency.

Don't miss: Vladimir Putin's Critic Navalny Arrested In Rally Against Russia's 'Tsar'

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Still, the process toward complete reconciliation will be a long one. Numerous surveys also show that there is limited appetite in South Korea for reunification.

At the time of the summit, the South's presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan said Kim offered to adjust the time systems. "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," The North Korean leader said, according to Yoon. "Since it is us who changed the time standard, we will return to the original one. You can make it public."

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
Former President Barack Obama endorsed U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Friday, wading into her re-election fight against a fellow Democrat.

He urged Californians to return "one of America's most effective champions for progress to the Senate," in a statement released by Feinstein's campaign.



Feinstein is seeking her fifth full term in Washington. She's facing a challenge from state Sen. Kevin de Leon, who argues she hasn't done enough to stand up to President Donald Trump. The state's June 5 primary will send the two highest vote getters to the general election, regardless of party. No prominent Republicans are running, opening the path for a contest between Democrats.



De Leon's campaign didn't immediately comment on Obama's endorsement, but announced backing from Spanish-language newspaper La Opinion.



Obama and Feinstein have worked together for a dozen years, first during his brief time in the U.S. Senate then during his presidency. Feinstein supported Hillary Clinton in the 2008 presidential primary, and after Obama secured the nomination Feinstein lent the two her Washington, D.C., home for a brief meeting.



Feinstein later served as the chair of Obama's first inaugural ceremony.



Obama, in his statement, cited their work together on affordable health care, climate change and gun control.
Associate Dr Tu Sy Sua, from the University of Transport, speaks to Vietnam News Agency on how to create a level playing field between traditional taxis and companies that employ app based taxi technology.  VNA/VNS Photo

Associate Dr Tu Sy Sua, from the University of Transport, speaks to Vietnam News Agency on how to create a level playing field between traditional taxis and companies that employ app based taxi technology.

What do you think about the presence of companies using taxi technology in Viet Nam such as Uber or Grab?

I should say, at first, the presence of app based taxi technology in our country was warmly welcomed due to various reasons, particularly the application of advanced technology for passengers in calling an Uber or Grab.

Advanced taxi technology has brought about many advantages to its users, including the shortening of waiting times and cheaper fares. What is even more important is that the taxi technology has frequently offered promotions to their clients. These are the key reasons why taxi technology has received high appraisal from its customers.

The other reason is the transparency in the taxi fare. Passengers dont have to be worried about being over charged, passengers know in advance the fare they have to pay, and the names of their drivers.

These are some of the reasons why app based taxis have been welcomed by many Vietnamese.

In short, the development of app based taxi technology is the right direction to go nowadays.

Many Vietnamese enterprises have recently decided to pour their investment in the taxi technology industry following Grabs acquisition of Ubers Southeast Asia operations. Do you have any comments on this situation?

Following Grabs decision to buy Ubers Southeast Asia operations, many Vietnamese enterprises, including traditional taxi companies, have poured money to invest in advanced software technology, similar to that of Grab or Uber. In other words, a tough competition among taxi fleets using advanced technology has been initiated. Of course, customers will go to companies which offer better services and lower fares. In other words, the survival of a taxi company using advanced technology depends on the benefits enjoyed by its passengers, and the benefits offered to the drivers.

These benefits must be harmonised in a fair and healthy business, for all subjects engaged in the taxi technology business.

At present, traditional taxis in Viet Nam are subjected to 13 business conditions. Meanwhile, the taxi technology, in its two year pilot operation, has not been subjected to any management mechanism. A case in point is that more recently in Ha Noi, tradition taxis are not allowed to operate in a certain roads during the rush hour, while app based taxis are not subjected to such restrictions.

Another benefit enjoyed by Grab specifically is that their tax duties have not been fully calculated.

Meanwhile normal taxi companies have argued that the taxi technology companies have often offered promotions to their clients. Such actions are not fair to traditional taxi companies and they even go against the law on competition.

Under the Vietnamese law, passenger transport is a conditional business, as it relates to the passengers safety.

So what should the Government do to ensure a level playing field for both normal taxis and app based taxis?

Traditional taxi fleets have been subjected to very strict laws and regulations. I dont think app based taxis should be subjected to the same laws and regulations as traditional taxis, although it is very important that they have logos for identification, as well as metres.

In my opinion, we need harmonised solutions for both the traditional taxi and the app based taxi. Both should consider their passengers as the centre of their business. They need to harmonise their interests in the spirit of transparency and accountability.

At present, a legal framework for the traditional taxi has already been available for many years. So, what we have to do now is to develop a legal framework for app based taxis using modern technology. All we want to do is to develop a level playing field for both taxi fleets, in the interest of their passengers. -- VNS
Former President Barack Obama, pictured here being greeted by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in San Francisco in November 2013, has endorsed the longtime senator in her re-election bid. (Photo: Jason Reed / Reuters)

Former President Barack Obama endorsed Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in her re-election bid, Feinsteins campaign announced Friday.

Its Obamas first endorsement in a Senate race this year.

Im proud to give Dianne Feinstein my strong endorsement for her reelection to the United States Senate, Obama said in a statement. Shes always been an indispensable leader for California, and we became dear friends and partners in the fight to guarantee affordable healthcare and economic opportunity for everybody; to protect our planet from climate change, and our kids from gun violence.

President Obama had the grace, wisdom and even-handedness that we quickly came to expect from a president  and that were now so sorely disappointed by its absence, said Feinstein of the former presidents endorsement. Ill do my level best every day to build on President Obamas accomplishments and carry his torch forward, no matter the obstacles that stand in our way.

Obama is the latest high-profile Democrat to back Feinstein in her first serious challenge from a member of her own party. While the longtime senator has won support from former Vice President Joe Biden, California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) and fellow Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Feinsteins most competitive Democratic opponent, state Sen. Kevin de Leon, has garnered support from some of the states leading progressive groups and activists. He boasts endorsements from powerful labor groups, including the Service Employees International Union and the California Nurses Association, as well as progressive PAC Democracy for America and many of his colleagues in the California State Legislature.

We have a great deal of respect for President Obama. His endorsement of Sen. Feinstein is likely a reflection of the time they spent working together while he was in the White House, said de Leon spokesman Jonathan Underland. Luckily, the deciding votes in this race are in the hands of the people of California, not Washington D.C.

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Due to Californias primary system, in which the top two vote recipients advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation, theres a strong possibility that Feinstein and de Leon will face off in November.

Feinstein, who was elected to the Senate in 1992 and is the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, currently leads de Leon in the polls by 26 points. Her campaign coffer has also eclipsed de Leons  at the end of March, Feinstein had $10.4 million in the bank, compared with de Leons total of $672,000.

Despite trailing in the polls and funds, de Leon, who until recently served as president pro tempore of the California Senate, hopes to seize on growing progressive frustration with Feinstein, arguing that the senators views no longer represent those of her constituents. Feinstein has faced some criticism from the left for not standing up to President Donald Trump enough and for being too moderate. Protesters frequently pop up at her public events as well as outside her San Francisco home, and in February she failed to secure her own partys endorsement at the California Democratic Party convention. No candidate received a high enough percentage of the conventions vote to warrant an endorsement.

De Leon has raised his own political profile by spending much of the last 18 months publicly opposing Trumps political agenda. Last year he helped pass legislation to make California a sanctuary state and has introduced a bill to protect the state from the rollbacks of environmental regulations pursued by the Trump administration.

Feinstein, perhaps pressured by de Leons challenge, has inched to the left on several issues in recent months. In March, she said she was very wary of Gina Haspel, Trumps nominee for CIA director, after initially praising Haspels career. (Haspel has faced scrutiny for her ties to brutal interrogation tactics used by the CIA on terrorism suspects.)

And earlier this week, Feinstein said she opposed federal crackdowns on Californias legal marijuana market. It marked a major reversal for the senator who has long opposed legalizing pot for recreational use.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Mahmud Abbas earlier appeared to suggest Jewish behaviour, including money lending, led to their persecution in Europe - REUTERS

Mahmud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, apologised Friday over alleged anti-Semitic comments that drew global condemnation.

"If people were offended by my statement at the Palestinian National Council, especially people of the Jewish faith, I apologise to them," he said in a statement, days after appearing to suggest Jewish behaviour, including money lending, led to their persecution in Europe.

The English-language statement added he wanted "to reiterate our long held condemnation of the Holocaust, as the most heinous crime in history".

"We condemn anti-Semitism in all its forms, and confirm our commitment to the two-state solution, and to (living) side by side in peace and security."

It did not specifically apologise for his claim about Jewish persecution.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman immediately rejected the statement on Twitter.

Mr Abbas "is a pathetic Holocaust denier who wrote a doctorate about Holocaust denial and then a book about Holocaust denial," he said, citing past works that had already led to accusations of anti-Semitism.

"His apology is not accepted."

Mahmoud Abbas attends the 23rd session of the Palestinian National Council at the Ahmad Al-Shukairy Conference Hall in the Presidential Office in Ramallah, West Bank on April 30 Credit: Anadolu

Monday's comments sparked global anger, with the United States, United Nations, European Union and others criticising them, as well as Israeli leaders.

In a rambling speech to hundreds of Palestinian officials, the 82-year-old said for centuries Jews in Europe were "subjected to a massacre every 10 to 15 years. But why did this happen? They say 'it is because we are Jews'."

He then cited "three books" written by Jews as evidence that "hostility against Jews is not because of their religion, but rather their social function," adding he meant "their social function related to banks and interest".

He also reiterated claims that Israel was a colonial project encouraged by European leaders who wanted to be rid of their Jewish populations.

International criticism

Story continues

Mr Abbas has made similar comments before but his speech at the Palestinian National Council sparked global condemnation.

"Apparently the Holocaust denier is still a Holocaust denier," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday on Twitter.

David Friedman, US ambassador to Israel, said Mr Abbas had reached a "new low", while President Donald Trump's envoy Jason Greenblatt said "peace cannot be built on this kind of foundation".

Foreign officials also said Mr Abbas's words undermined his call for an independent Palestinian state.

United Nations envoy Nickolay Mladenov said on Twitter Mr Abbas had expressed "contemptuous anti-Semitic slurs".

"Denying the Jewish connection to the land & its holy sites stands in contrast to reality."

Netanyahu regularly argues that the reason there is not peace between Israel and the Palestinians is the lack of a real partner for them to negotiate with.

He has called on Mr Abbas to recognise Israel as a Jewish state.

The Palestinians point out Israel continues to expand settlements throughout the West Bank, while maintaining a crippling blockade of Gaza.

The controversy comes as the ageing Mr Abbas sought to use the Palestinian National Council to reassert his dominance of secular Palestinian politics.

Unlike his Islamist rivals Hamas, who control Gaza and with whom Israel has fought three wars since 2008, Mr Abbas's political grouping has recognised Israel.
The Kentucky Derby and fancy hats go together like Carrie Bradshaw and a pair of Manolo Blahniks.

Fashion has played a major role in the Louisville event since its inception in 1875. Women would coordinate all aspects of their outfits, from their hats and dresses to their bags and parasols, according to Ellen Goldstein, a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology who spoke to NBC Connecticut about the derby in 2013.

To go to a horse racing event was really a regal affair, she said. It was just as important as going to a cocktail party, or a ball.

Over the years, though, its the hats that have really caught our attention. Women and men go all out with their derby headwear, sporting everything from flamingos to horses and bundles of flowers atop their heads.

Below, check out some of the wildest hats the Kentucky Derby has ever seen:

A race fan at the derby at Churchill Downs on May 3, 2008.

A woman wears a massive hat on May 6, 2017.

Tony Offlutt of New Albany, Indiana, wears a huge derby-themed hat at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2002.

A woman wearing a festive hat at the derby on May 2, 2015.

A race fan displays her hat before the derby on May 3, 2008.

Former ice skaters Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir arrive on the red carpet before the Kentucky Derby in 2014.

A race fan wearing a festive hat looks on from the infield prior to the derby on May 3, 2014.

A woman wears a fancy hat at the derby on May 5, 2012.

A race fan on May 3, 2008.

A race attendee on May 4, 2013.

A patron wears a decorated derby hat before the derby in 2016.

A race fan displays her hat on May 3, 2008.

Tami Purcell of Knoxville, Tennessee, wearing a festive hat at the derby on May 3, 2014.

A race fan drinks a beer as he wears a horse hat before the 2008 derby.

Brittney Graham wears her personally designed derby hat on May 5, 2007.

A woman wears a massive hat on at the 2017 derby.

A derby hat from 2004.

The classic mint julep glass sits atop a derby hat worn by a race fan in 2005.

Derby fan George pictured in 2005. He had worn the same derby hat for 24 years.

A race fan in 2008.

A woman wearing a festive hat looks at the 2015 derby.

Col. Charles Matasich (left) and George Holter (right), wearing two of the most photographed hats at the 1997 Kentucky Derby.

A woman wearing a festive hat looks on ahead of the 2017 derby.

A woman wears a fancy hat at the 2012 derby.

A woman watches preliminary races before the 2017 derby.

A patron wears a derby hat at the 2017 Kentucky Oaks race, which takes place at Churchill Downs the day before the Kentucky Derby.

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The Duchess of York, later Queen Mary, with her children Prince Edward, later the Duke of Windsor (right), and Prince Albert, later King George VI, in 1906.

The Duke of Kent, younger son of King George V and Queen Mary, at Epsom races for the Derby stakes on May 24, 1939. He is with his wife, Marina, Duchess of Kent, who was the daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece.

Princess Anne at Horse Trials with members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the U.K., 1968.

Princess Anne At The Great Children's Party In Hyde Park, London, 1979.

Princess Diana greets people in Wales, 1981.

Diana, Princess of Wales, during a visit to Guildford Cathedral on Dec. 21, 1981.

Diana, Princess of Wales, visits University College Hospital in London in December 1982. She wears a John Boyd hat and a velvet suit by Caroline Charles.

Sarah, Duchess of York, and Princess Margaret attend Ascot in 1987.

Sarah, Duchess of York, wears a large blue and white hat during a visit to Fort Edmonton, Canada, in July 1987.

Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother at All Saints Church in Windsor, 1987.

Princess Beatrice of York rides in the carriage procession at Trooping the Colour on June 16, 2007, in London.

Princess Beatrice attends the wedding of Peter Phillips to Autumn Kelly at St. George's Chapel in Windsor on May 17, 2008.

Kate Middleton attends the wedding of Lady Rose Windsor and George Gilman at The Queen's Chapel, St. James' Palace, on July 19, 2008, in London.

The future Duchess of Cambridge at the Naming Ceremony and Service of Dedication for the Atlantic 85 Lifeboat "Hereford Endeavour" at Trearddur Bay Lifeboat Station at Anglesey on Feb. 24, 2011, in Bangor, Wales.

Sophie Winkleman, Lady Frederick Windsor, exits following the marriage of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, in London.

Princess Beatrice leaves Westminster Abbey following the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on April 29, 2011.

Princess Eugenie of York leaves Westminster Abbey following the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on April 29, 2011.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, travel down The Mall in a horse-drawn carriage as they attend the Trooping the Color parade on June 11, 2011, in London.

The Duchess of Cambridge leaves Canongate Kirk on the afternoon of the wedding of Mike Tindall and Zara Philips on July 30, 2011, in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The Duchess of Cambridge visits the Canadian Museum of Civilization to attend a citizenship ceremony on July 1, 2011, in Gatineau, Canada.

The Duchess of Cambridge on board the Royal Barge "Spirit of Chartwell" during the Diamond Jubilee Thames River Pageant on June 3, 2012, in London.

The Duchess of Cambridge travels in a horse-drawn carriage down The Mall during the annual Trooping the Color ceremony on June 16, 2012, in London.

The Duchess of Cambridge and Queen Elizabeth II smile as they visit Vernon Park during a Diamond Jubilee visit to Nottingham on June 13, 2012.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, attends the Commonwealth Observance Service at Westminster Abbey on March 10, 2014, in London.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, leaves a memorial service for Sir David Frost at Westminster Abbey on March 13, 2014, in London.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, travel down The Mall in a horse-drawn carriage during Queen Elizabeth II's Birthday Parade on June 14, 2014, in London.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, arrives by carriage at Royal Ascot on June 20, 2017, in Ascot, England.

Queen Elizabeth II visits HMS Sutherland on Oct. 23, 2017, at London's West India Dock as the ship celebrates the 20th anniversary of her commissioning it.

Queen Elizabeth II attends the traditional Easter Sunday service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on April 1, 2018.

Anne, Princess Royal, attends the 2018 Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 12, 2018, in London.

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Seoul (AFP) - Hundreds of angry Korean Air employees took to the streets in Seoul demanding the overthrow of the firm's controversial controlling family Friday, after police failed to secure an arrest warrant for one daughter over allegations she sprayed juice over a business associate.

A series of scandals have put Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho and his family among the country's most notorious super-wealthy and sparked a rare outburst of hostility from the firm's employees.

Chanting "Cho family must step down!" around 400 Korean Air staff members, their families and other protesters gathered at Gwanghwamun in central Seoul late Friday.

The family first shot to international infamy in 2014, when Cho's oldest daughter Cho Hyun-ah forced two Korean Air flight attendants to kneel and beg for forgiveness after she was served macadamia nuts in a bag rather than a bowl.

She ordered the Seoul-bound flight back to the gate so one of them could be ejected in an incident quickly dubbed "nut rage".

Her younger sister Cho Hyun-min recently emerged into the unflattering limelight with her own tantrum -- dubbed "water rage" -- when she allegedly splashed fruit juice over a business associate.

The Gangseo police station in Seoul said Friday it was seeking an arrest warrant for Cho, who was accused of assault and obstruction of business.

But the request was dismissed by prosecutors.

The fruit juice accusation hit a nerve within the Korean Air workforce, prompting hundreds of staff members to join an online chat room to allege Cho family misdeeds against employees and domestic staff.

Loyalty is prized in South Korea and it is rare for employees of major conglomerates to publicly turn against company owners.

Many of the protesters on Friday were dressed in work uniforms or in all black, with their faces covered by sunglasses or Guy Fawkes masks for fear of being identified by their employer. Many declined to be interviewed by the media.

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"There are many people from the company's HR team here to keep an eye on what we do and say," said one Korean Air pilot in uniform, but with his face covered by a mask.

"The owners are living in clover while the employees are suffering from extreme stress," he added.

Many protesters carried signs saying "Cho, you are fired!" and "Cho Yang-ho out!".

Lee Tae-hoon, a student, told AFP: "They were scared to speak up for a long time but have now found the collective courage to do so. I hope they can bring change."

- Clan controversy -

Police said in a statement that Cho Hyun-min was "denying her criminal actions", but "a review of the probe including testimonies by victims and witnesses as well as recorded audio files point to alleged crime".

Korean Air had attempted to influence the victims, police added, and there were concerns Cho could destroy evidence if she was not detained.

The 34-year-old has apologised in front of journalists and TV cameras but denied any wrongdoing during police questioning.

Police said last week they also investigating allegations that the sisters' mother Lee Myung-hee had abused employees verbally and physically.

The family are also accused of using Korean Air planes to smuggle luxury goods into the country to avoid import duties and customs authorities raided their residence and the airline's headquarters last week.

Chairman Cho Yang-ho -- who last year faced accusations of embezzling company funds, although prosecutors rejected a request for his arrest -- apologised for the "immature" behaviour of his daughters, both of whom resigned from their executive posts.

Cho's Hanjin is among the country's 15 biggest business groups, and as well as Korean Air it owns logistics and transport firms, and has interests in information technology and hotels.

It used to own Hanjin Shipping, once one of the world's biggest shipping firms, which was declared bankrupt last year.

At the protest in Seoul Park Chang-jin, the flight attendant berated by Cho's older daughter for the macadamia nuts said the demonstrators were not trying to "harm".

"We are here because we love Korean Air and to make it better," said Park, who is seeking damages in a court battle against the firm, claiming he has faced discrimination since the incident.
President Donald Trump told the NRA convention on Friday that knife crime in London has gotten so bad, one hospital was like war zone. But the doctor who may have inspired that comment says the President missed the point entirely.

FBI crime data also shows London had a lower murder rate than every major American city in 2017  in most cases, far lower.

Dr. Martin Griffiths, a trauma surgeon at Londons Barts Health NHS Trust, in April said colleagues who had served in the military likened the hospitals daily case load  including an influx of children who were victims of violent crime  to that seen at Camp Bastion Hospital, in Afghanistan.

Trump appeared to repurpose that comment while speaking to 8,000 NRA members in Dallas on Friday, referring to the prevalence of knife violence in the U.K., despite the nations strict gun laws. Most guns were banned there in 1997.

They dont have guns. They have knives and instead theres blood all over the floors of this hospital, Trump said. They say its as bad as a military war zone hospital  knives, knives, knives. London hasnt been used to that. Theyre getting used to that. Its pretty tough.

Shortly after Trumps speech, Griffiths tweeted his disapproval. Happy to invite Mr Trump to my (prestigious) hospital to meet with our mayor and police commissioner to discuss our successes in violence reduction in London, he wrote.

Happy to invite Mr Trump to my (prestigious) hospital to meet with our mayor and police commissioner to discuss our successes in violence reduction in London @SadiqKhan @metpoliceuk @NHSBartsHealth #WindrushAwards pic.twitter.com/G4vYqTkfbL  Martin P Griffiths (@martinpgriff) May 5, 2018

Dr. Karim Brohi, a trauma surgeon at the Royal London Hospital and the director of Londons major trauma system, also said in a statement Saturday that, while knife violence is a serious issue in London, to suggest guns are part of the solution is ridiculous. Gunshot wounds are at least twice as lethal as knife injuries and more difficult to repair.

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It is true, however, that London has seen a recent spike in knife-related crimes. Thirty-one of the 47 murders committed in London this year, as of early April, used knives, Reuters reported. That spike in knife violence has led to reports that Londons murder rate now outpaces that of New York City, a city of similar population  and, as Reuters reported, London did see more homicides than New York in both February and March of this year.

But despite the recent spike, the BBC notes that London remains safe compared to American cities. In 2017, Londons murder rate per 100,000 people was 1.2. New York Citys rate was nearly three times higher, at 3.4. Baltimore, the deadliest American city in 2017, had a murder rate more than 45 times higher than Londons, according to FBI data. San Diego, the big city with the lowest murder rate in the U.S., still had 2.2 murders per 100,000 people, according to an analysis from USA Today.

Data also suggests that, while U.K. homicide rates have risen over the past four years, they are still well below rates from decades earlier.

All the same, the U.K. has recently made efforts to curb knife violence, and forbids anyone from carrying a knife greater than three inches long in public without a good reason. In April, after the statistics comparing London and New Yorks homicide rates were publicized, London Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted that, There is never a reason to carry a knife. Anyone who does will be caught, and they will feel the full force of the law.
By Lola Jacobs

Nine passengers were killed in what appeared to be a stalled plane accident upon returning to Puerto Rico from Georgia on Wednesday (May 2). As of Thursday, authorities identified and the dead as Puerto Rican National Guard airmen, the Washington Post reports.

The deceased were identified by the Associated Press Pilot Maj. Jose R Roman Rosado from Manati, 1st Lt. David Albandoz, a Puerto Rico native whod been living in Madison, Ala., Maj. Carlos Perez Serra from Canovanas, Senior Master Sgt. Jan Paravisini, who was also from Canovanas, Master Sgt. Mario Brana, a Bayamon-born flight engineer, Master Sgt. Victor Colon of Santa Isabel, Master Sgt Eric Circuns, a Rio Grande loadmaster and Senior Airman Roberto Espada of Salinas.

The crew flew in a C-130 cargo plane to Savannah for maintenance and was setting out for Arizona at around 11:30 a.m. It had only traveled approximately a mile from its starting point before taking a nose-first dive into a state highway intersection and exploding into a billow of fire and black smoke, seen for miles beyond its location. The plan was intended to be retired once it landed in Arizona.

Col. Pete Boone, Georgias Air National Guard spokesman, said at a news conference regarding the crash that the plane was built in the late 1970s and was in Georgia for what he called routine maintenance. According to Boone, the military investigation was centered on the question of whether the crash was related to the crafts age or the maintenance.

But Boones colleague made a contradictory statement in succession. Adjutant General Isabelo Rivera said that the plane was old and in disrepair as of Wednesday, per the Post. Of Puerto Ricos 156th Airlift Wing, destroyed by Hurricane Maria last fall, Rivera called two inoperable and the one that crashed on Wednesday was allegedly scheduled for retirement at its destination in Arizona. The spokesman, Boone, neglected to confirm this at Thursdays news conference. The planes that we have in Puerto Rico  its not news today that they are the oldest planes on [National Guard] inventory, he said to the Associated Press. This pains us.

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The same C-130 served as a rescue craft. It was used to relocate stranded Americans from the British Virgin Islands when Hurricane Irma hit last year, AP wrote. But days later, the 156th Airlift Wing, based in Puerto Rico, was wrecked by Hurricane Maria. It continued to move supplied from the U.S. to Puerto Rico.

The storm depressed Puerto Ricos landscape and economy in September, and its still working to recover. Many are still without electricity and revenue distribution is a source of contention. Puerto Ricos May Day March on Tuesday was a response to the general inattention of the peoples issues and requests; there was violence including tear gas and the heaving of projectiles. Again, the people felt unnoticed.

The ruined unit will see more grief and the island will continue to weep after nearly eight months of lament.

This post Puerto Rican National Guard Airmen Identified In Fatal Military Plane Crash first appeared on Vibe.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markles royal wedding at St. Georges Chapel is only a few short weeks away at this point (May 19), and Kensington Palace is keeping the public updated on all the latest details, including her parents roles in the wedding.

Press Secretary Jason Knauf announced that Markle will not have a Maid of Honor because she has a very close-knit circle of friends and she didnt want to choose one over another.

Today we have provided an update on the Wedding of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle.



Read the full statement here: https://t.co/bhrPnJtrNm  Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) May 4, 2018

Many royal wedding enthusiasts had their sights set on Markles future sister-in-law Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge as the Maid of Honor. Others speculated that if the maid of honor title didnt fall on Kate Middleton, it would have gone to Markles friend Jessica Mulroney. According to Vanity Fair, Mulroney is Meghan Markles secret wedding planner and one of her best friends.

Meghan will NOT have a Maid of Honour. Says a Palace aide, She has a very close knit group of friends and did not want to choose one over the other. They have all been actively involved in helping her prepare for the day.

But do expect Page Boys and Flower Girls!  Omid Scobie (@scobie) May 4, 2018

Although Markle will not have a Maid of Honor, Prince William and Kate Middletons children Prince George and Princess Charlotte are expected to have official roles during the ceremony. George and Charlotte were a page boy and bridesmaid at Aunt Pippa Middletons wedding in 2017. Newborn royal baby Prince Louis Arthur Charles is probably too young to be a page boy.

On April 26, Kensington Palace announced that Prince William will serve as Prince Harrys Best Man, just like the Harry did for his brothers wedding in 2011.
The Secretariat of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee has decided to dismiss Phan Thi My Thanh, Deputy Secretary of the provincial ong Nai Party Committee, from all of her Party positions.  VNA/VNS Photo

HA NOI  The Secretariat of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee has decided to dismiss Phan Thi My Thanh, Deputy Secretary of the provincial ong Nai Party Committee, from all of her Party positions. The measure comes as a disciplinary measure for her wrongdoings while serving in different posts in the southern province.



The Secretariat also proposed that the Party civil affairs delegation of the National Assembly consider removing Thanh, who is head of the National Assembly deputy delegation of ong Nai, from her position.



It made the decision after mulling over proposals of the Party Central Committees Inspection Commission at a meeting in Ha Noi on Friday, which was chaired by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.



The Secretariat concluded that Thanh lacked responsibility while performing her duties while serving as Director of the Department of Industry of ong Nai Province from 2003 to January 2009. She did not direct the construction of infrastructure of the Thong Nhat textile factorys condominium, although money had been collected from households on her order. She also agreed to let the Department of Industry send the remaining money of the project to the Tan Mai Wood Company.



After assuming another post, Thanh was said to have not handed over the project to her successor, leading to prolonged mass complaints, affecting the local security situation, causing serious consequences, and undermining the prestige of State management agencies.



Furthermore, while working as Vice Chairwoman of the provincial ong Nai Peoples Committee from June 2011 to September 2014, Thanh signed many documents of the provincial Peoples Committee, but did not refer to advice from specialised departments and sectors, ultimately violating laws and the work regulations of the provincial Peoples Committee.



According to the Secretariat, Thanh broke the democratic centralism principle when she signed a decision in July 2014 to approve investment in the ong Nai River encroachment project without reporting to and collecting opinions from ministries and centrally-run sectors.



She also signed decisions of the provincial Peoples Committee that gave favourable conditions to her familys business to carry out projects in the fields that she was in charge of. Thanh was even found to have given inaccurate reports on the projects workload and progress with a view to steer profit towards her familys business.

Thanh also seriously infringed regulations on external affairs, using her diplomatic passport to go abroad for leisure and personal affairs on many occasions, and failing to report her excursions abroad to her agency as required.



The Party Central Committees Secretariat said Thanhs violations and shortcomings were very serious, and caused discontent among officials, Party members and local people. They also negatively affected her prestige and that of the local Party organisation.  VNS
Mr Manafort has pleaded not guilty to the charges he faces: Getty

Special counsel Robert Muellers office has requested 70 more blank subpoenas as it prepares for the trial of Paul Manafort, President Donald Trumps former campaign manager.

Mr Mueller has requested the subpoenas in a Virginia court where Mr Manafort is facing various charges, including bank fraud and money laundering. The two page court filing does not offer many details about the nature of the subpoenas, but does request that each individual appear at the federal courthouse on July 10, the day Mr Manafort's case is set to begin

Mr Manafort has pleaded not guilty, and has attempted to get the charges thrown out by arguing that the charges relate to incidents that are out of Mr Muellers purview.

The 70 new blank subpoenas follow after Mr Muellers team requested 35 other blank subpoenas in April. The new subpoena requests have been confirmed by the special counsels office to several news outlets.

It is respectfully request that the Clerk of said Court issue subpoenas as indicated below for appearance before said Court at Alexandria Virginia, in the United States District Court at 10:00 oclock am, on 10th day of July, 2018, then and there to testify on behalf of the United States, court filings from the April request read.

Mr Manafort, who's charges include accusations of money laundering, tax evasion and fraud, has been deemed a substantial flight risk by US District Judge Thomas Shelby Elliss III, who will hear the case in July.

In a court filing addressing that matter, Mr Shelbe wrote: Specifically given the nature of the charges against the defendant and the apparent weight of he evidence against him, defendant faces the very real possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.

Mr Manafort was first charged last October, and was indicted with further crimes in February.

The charges stem from Mr Muellers investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, although it is not clear that the charges Mr Manafort faces directly relate to the campaign of Mr Trump, or to Mr Manaforts work for that campaign.

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Mr Manafort is a well known political operative, who has international ties from his time working as a political operative in Ukraine. He is also well known to Republicans in the United States.

Mr Manaforts lawyers have said that the charges against Mr Manafort fall outside of the 2016 election, and therefore should not be considered.

The conduct alleged here was not discovered because of the special counsels investigation into alleged coordination; nor was it demonstrably related to that investigation, court filings made on Mr Manaforts behalf say.
President Donald Trump has allegedly instructed the Pentagon to reduce the U.S. military presence in South Korea, The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing unidentified officials involved in the discussions.

The Pentagon has denied knowledge of any plans to address Trump's request at a press briefing. The South Korean presidential office also told reporters in Seoul that a White House National Security Council (NSC) official rejected the report.

"A key official from the White House NSC has said the report is not true at all," South Korean president Moon Jae-in's spokesperson Yoon Young-chan said in a statement quoted by Yonhap news agency on Friday, just as South Korea's national security adviser Chung Eui-yong flew to Washington to meet U.S. counterpart John Bolton.

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05_04_USFK

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

The issue of what will happen to the roughly 28,500 troops stationed on the peninsula will continue to be a pressing matter despite tensions in the area diffusing, with increased diplomatic exchanges between the two Koreas, the U.S. and China.

Trump's ambivalence toward U.S. military presence in South Korea has surfaced in numerous reports in recent weeks. NBC reported on Monday that chief of staff John Kelly "strongly and successfully" dissuaded Trump from ordering the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula ahead of the Winter Olympics in February.

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Trump has long questioned whether Seoul is contributing enough toward the protection granted by the American military. He recently discussed the topic in a speech at fundraiser in Missouri, according to an audio recording leaked to The Washington Post in March, in which he said, "Let's see what happens" with regard to the presence of U.S. troops.

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The Department of Defense has repeatedly cited the "iron-clad" commitment to the U.S.-South Korean alliance, but, when asked about American military presence in South Korea last week, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis avoided giving a straight answer. "Well, that's part of the issues that we'll be discussing in the negotiations with our allies first and, of course, with North Korea," he said.

05_04_Mattis_DMZ

Jung Yeon-je/AFP/Getty Images

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The presence of U.S. strategic assets on the peninsula is also under discussion, according to a report in The Korea Times on Friday, citing unidentified officials saying that Washington and Beijing are considering the withdrawal of the anti-missile defense system known as Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) from South Korea.

South Korea is the country with the third-largest presence of U.S. troops in the world. Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 40 miles south of the South Korean capital, is the American military's largest overseas base. Despite Trump's claims of South Korea not paying its fair share, Seoul contributed 91 percent of the $10.7 billion needed for Camp Humphreys recent expansion.

Seoul has made clear it does not link the presence of American troops to a possible peace treaty to formally end the 1950 to 1953 war with North Korea, seeing the U.S. military as a stabilizing force in the region. North Korea too has reportedly agreed to their continuing presence on the peninsula.

While officially taking an anti-U.S. stance, North Korea has long come to see the American military as having a role to play as a "stabilizing power," as then North Korean leader Kim Jong Il told then Secretary of State Madeline Albright during their historic meeting in 2000.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
Three Americans held in a North Korean prison will be released today, Rudy Giuliani, a member of President Trump's legal team, said Thursday.

"We got Kim Jong Un impressed enough to be releasing three prisoners today," the former New York mayor told Fox & Friends.

Giuliani made his proclamation hours after President Trump made reference to the three Americans in a tweet that reflected optimism the case of the Americans would soon be determined.

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"As everybody is aware, the past Administration has long been asking for three hostages to be released from a North Korean Labor camp, but to no avail," Trump tweeted. "Stay tuned!"

The three men  Kim Hak-Song, also known as Jin Xue Song; Tony Kim, also known as Kim Sang-Duk; and Kim Dong-Chul  have been relocated within the secretive nation and are getting medical treatment ahead of the planned release, according to multiple media reports.

The development comes as tensions have eased between the U.S. and North Korea. A meeting between Kim and Trump is in the works, and Trump has said details could be released within days.

The two leaders also have toned down their sharp rhetoric. Trump, who has referred to Kim in the past as "little rocket man," suggested last week that Kim is "very honorable."

Talk of the release also comes less than a week after a historic summit between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in at which Kim pledged to shut down his nuclear testing site within weeks.

Moon and Kim also agreed to work on a plan to formally end the Korean War that was ended under a temporary armistice in 1953. North Korea's leader has said a formal end to the hostilities, along with a pledge from the U.S. not to attack his nation, would essentially eliminate Pyongyang's need for a nuclear arsenal.

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Last year, U.S. college student Otto Warmbier died after being imprisoned in North Korea. He was jailed after trying to steal a propaganda sign from a hotel in the country. When he was released in June back to his family, he was in a coma and unresponsive.





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Scott Pruitt is certainly enjoying his newfound access to federal funds, even more than most of Donald Trump's other cabinet appointments. From bringing a massive security detail on family vacations to taking first class flights to avoid angry commoners to a potentially illegal $43,000 private phone booth, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency is racking up scandals.

This past week saw a deluge of bad news for Pruitt, mostly focused on all the exorbitant travel he's done since his appointment. The New York Times found that Pruitt enlisted a lobbyist to plan his December 2017 trip to Moroccoshortly after the trip, the Moroccan government hired the lobbyist for $40,000 a month. And late Thursday night, the Washington Post reported that Pruitt has been actively using his office for travel plans, often picking the destination first and then finding a reason to go there:

After taking office last year, Pruitt drew up a list of at least a dozen countries he hoped to visit and urged aides to help him find official reasons to travel, according to four people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal agency deliberations. Pruitt then enlisted well-connected friends and political allies to help make the trips happen.

Those well-connected friends and political allies then got perks from Pruitt, like when he tried to invite Leonard Leo, executive vice president of the conservative Federalist Society, to join him in an environmental policy meeting with Vatican officials in Rome. And soon after taking office, he told his aides that a trip to Israel was his highest priority, which he justified thanks to help from Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson. The Post goes on:

This is the problem with Pruitt, said Virginia Canter, executive branch ethics counsel for the nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Hes basically acting as a lobbyist for all of his friends.

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Unsurprisingly, Pruitt seems to have been using his official positions as one big spa package well before he joined the Trump administration. Early Friday morning, Politico released a story claiming that during his time as Oklahoma attorney general, Pruitt multiple times reimbursed himself for campaign expenses. And he did it in such a deliberately vague way that it's hard to discern if they're legal or not. Per Politico:

During his attorney general bids, records show Pruitt made purchases and then received reimbursement from his campaignsometimes thousands of dollars apiecerather than having the campaign pay directly for expenses like renting a vehicle or purchasing a meal. When purchases are made directly, the campaign filings would show more details about who received the payments.

Instead, dozens of entries on Pruitt's 2010 and 2014 campaign finance filings show payments to him but don't have the same level of detail, making it difficult to tell if the purchases were legitimate.

Even though less flagrant grifting has sunk other cabinet members, Pruitt seems likely to weather the storm. He's a valuable asset for Trump in appealing to white evangelical voters, particularly for a president who struggles so much with the basics of faking piety. Pruitt's even justified his mission to pollute and hoover up national resources with shaky Bible references, saying back in February, "The biblical world view with respect to these issues is that we have a responsibility to manage and cultivate, harvest the natural resources that weve been blessed with to truly bless our fellow mankind."

Note that he omits any reference to conservation or preservation: in Pruitt's theology, Christianity is the same as consumption. So in that way, he's certainly being a faithful steward with all those taxpayer dollars he now has his hands on.
A crash involving a Waymo self-driving car occurred in Chandler, Arizona, on Friday afternoon. A picture posted by Twitter user Matt Jaffee showed the aftermath of the incident, including a damaged Waymo vehicle and another damaged car which Chandler Police have identified as a Honda sedan.

The accident was not a malfunction of the Waymo vehicle, according to Detective Seth Tyler, the Public Information Officer for the Chandler Police Department.

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The Waymo vehicle was in the wrong place at the wrong time, Tyler told Newsweek. "That silver Honda passenger vehicle collided with the Waymo vehicle."

According to Tyler, the Honda swerved to get away from a third vehicle that appeared, causing the collision. Tyler reported that the Waymo vehicle was moving "at a relatively low speed."

"The Waymo vehicle was in autonomous mode and had an occupant sitting in the driver's seat," Tyler told Newsweek. "She sustained minor injuries."

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Tyler also mentioned that in a video posted by KNXV-TV, a person walking in and out of the other silver sedan after the crash appeared to have a bandage on their hand.

According to Tyler, there were no serious injuries.

Waymo CEO John Krafcik spoke about the cars ability to avoid crashes as recently as this March, less than a week after pedestrian Elaine Herzberg was killed in an accident involving an autonomous Uber SUV.

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Krafcik insinuated that with a Waymo car, such an accident would not have occurred.

I can say with some confidence that in situations like that one with pedestriansin this case, a pedestrian with a bicyclewe have a lot of confidence that our technology would be robust and would be able to handle situations like that, Krafcik said in Las Vegas at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention according to The Washington Post.

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Waymo began its self-driving car business in 2009, at which point it was a part of Google, according to the company website. A safety report available on Waymos website states that Safety is at the core of Waymos mission" and outlines the processes that the company goes through to ensure passengers' safety.

Waymo did not immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
Kim Jong-un has reportedly given orders for the official to be assassinated - KBS via APTN

North Korea has launched an international manhunt for one of its most senior counter-espionage officers, who disappeared in late February and is believed to have defected, possibly to Britain, according to a media report in South Korea.

The official has been identified as a Mr Kang, a colonel in his 50s with the Ministry of State Security and responsible for monitoring dissident and espionage efforts in Russia, China and south-east Asia.

He disappeared from the Zhongpu International Hotel in the Chinese city of Shenyang on February 25, sources in China and North Korea told the Seoul-based DailyNK news website.

The hotel was previously known as the Chilbosan Hotel and was operated jointly by the North Korean and Chinese governments. The hotel has reportedly served as a key base for North Korean hackers operating in China.

The sources claim Mr Kang had been in charge of directing intelligence-gathering and ground operations, as well as overseeing the obtaining of data for North Koreas nuclear programme by arranging covert exchanges between scientists.

Kim Jong-un | A history of executions - family, allies and rivals

The report added that he is understood to have fled with a large amount of foreign currency and a machine capable of printing American dollars.

Mr Kang was considered to be among the elite of North Korean society because he is a direct descendant of Kang Pan-sok, a key figure in the regimes history as a leader of the guerrilla campaign against the Japanese occupiers in the 1930s.

Given his lineage and his knowledge of North Korean espionage efforts, the sources claimed at least 10 of Pyongyangs agents had been dispatched with orders directly from Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, to assassinate him before he can be granted asylum in Europe.

In numbers | North Korean defectors

Despite presently being unable to locate Mr Kang, the search is still under way, the DailyNK reported. It is presumed that he has gone to France or Great Britain.

Another source said Mr Kang had defected after members of Group 109 - charged with rooting out foreign media smuggled into North Korea - searched his sons home and found documents that indicated he had secretly earned money while stationed overseas. Summoned to Pyongyang to explain himself, Mr Kang instead chose to flee.

His family, however, are still in North Korea because the authorities changed the rules permitting senior officials to be accompanied by their immediate family after Thae Yong-ho, his wife and two children defected from Pyongyangs embassy in London in 2016.
Federal and local officials said a six-month investigation into drug trafficking and illegal guns in York County led to seven people being charged.

The effort was called Operation Ratchet Fire, which are street names for drugs and guns.

At York City Hall on Thursday, police showed the firearms that have been taken off the streets. They include 15 pistols and an assault-style rifle. Six of the firearms were confirmed stolen. Heroin and cocaine were also seized.

U.S. Attorney Dave Freed said the crackdown on drugs and illegal guns isn't over.

"We're going to continue to target the most violent criminals in this county, the ones who are eligible for federal prosecution," Freed said.

York Mayor Michael Helfrich again called on the community to help the city fight drugs and gun violence.

"All of us want a peaceful city," Helfrich said. "There's nobody that wants their kid shot."

A federal grand jury in Harrisburg indicted the following people:

- Francisco Rivera-Rivera, 26: One count of conspiracy to distribute heroin, one count of possession of a firearm in further of a drug-trafficking crime, one count of felon in possession of firearm, one count of possession of a stolen firearm, four counts of distribution of heroin.

- Axel Pena-Reyes, 24: One count of conspiracy to distribute heroin, two counts of distribution of heroin, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, marijuana, cocaine base and cocaine hydrochloride.

- Jessica Curet, 37: One count of conspiracy to distribute 100 grams of heroin, six counts of distribution of heroin, two counts of distribution of cocaine base, one count of felon in possession of firearm.

- Christopher Cruz-Ortiz, 23: One count of conspiracy to distribute heroin, nine counts of felon in possession of firearm, five counts of possession of a stolen firearm, one count of distribution of heroin, three counts of possession of a firearm with obliterated serial number.

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- Jaiell Montalvo, 19: One count of felon in possession of firearm, one count of possession of a firearm with obliterated serial number.

- Deondre Densby, 35: One count of felon in possession of firearm, one count of possession of a stolen firearm.

- Edwin Garbrial Ramos-Reyes, 37: One count of being a felon in possession of firearm.
Tampa (AFP) - SpaceX's unmanned Dragon cargo ship splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, the company said, a few hours after leaving the International Space Station Saturday carrying 4,000 pounds (1,800 kilograms) of gear.

"Good splashdown of Dragon confirmed, completing SpaceXs third resupply mission to and from the @Space_Station with a flight-proven spacecraft," tweeted the company owned by Elon Musk around 1900 GMT.

The white supply vessel detached from the orbiting outpost at 1323 GMT, fired its engines three times and slowly began its journey to Earth.

"Release confirmed," commentator Rob Navias said on NASA TV, noting that separation occurred as the ISS was 256 miles (411 kilometers) above the Earth, passing over just south of Australia.

"Dragon is safely on its way."

The spacecraft is bringing back a host of science experiments, including lab mice that were studied in orbit to see how their bones changed in weightlessness.

"Other critical biological samples preserved in science freezers, such as plants, insects and human tissue, have also been transferred into Dragon for retrieval and analysis," said a NASA statement.

SpaceX's Dragon is currently the only cargo ship designed to return to Earth intact. The other US commercial supply ship, Orbital ATK's Cygnus cargo carrier, burns up on re-entry to Earth's atmosphere.

The cargo ship arrived at the ISS April 4 after launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with 5,800 pounds of food, supplies and science experiments to enable the study of thunderstorms, anti-cancer drugs and technology to remove debris in orbit.

The mission was the 14th for SpaceX under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to resupply the space station over multiple years.
National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan speaks at the meeting, which took place ahead of the fifth session of the 14th National Assembly (NA) slated for mid-May yesterday. VNA/VNS Photo Trong uc

CAN THO  Food hygiene and safety and counterfeit products were top concerns of voters in My Khanh Commune, Phong ien District in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Can Tho during their meeting with National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan yesterday.

At the meeting, which took place ahead of the fifth session of the 14th National Assembly (NA) slated for mid-May, the voters also expressed their concern and voiced their views on the construction of dykes along the Can Tho River, pensions, public health care, personnel streamlining procedures, tourism development policies and the upgrade of Lo Vong Cung (arc-shaped road) into a national historical relic site.

The NA head, in response, said a project on building dykes on the Can Tho River and developing tourism is in the pipeline, scheduled to be implemented in 2019 with total investment of some VN500 billion (US$22 million) sourced from official development assistance (ODA).

She also pledged to suggest the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development help Phong ien district tap its potential and strength to become an ecological tourism region.

In another meeting with Ngan in the afternoon, voters in Ninh Kieu Districts An Binh Ward expressed concerns focusing on education, namely the process of renewing textbooks, school violence and negative interactions between teachers  students and teachers  parents.

The NA leader recalled a number of relevant stories that are not in line with Viet Nams laws and traditional ethics, saying that those were responsibilities of families, schools, and society in addressing the issue and in educating younger generations.

Answering a query on the withdrawal of corrupt assets, Ngan said the NA was revising the anti-corruption law so that punishments would be imposed on the right people for the right violations and lost assets would be recovered.

She informed the voters on punishments for involvement in making and trading fake goods; law-building amid global integration; and the NAs responsibility in monitoring the enforcement of the Law on Environmental Protection.

She also mentioned the Politburos conclusion aiming at building Can Tho into a smart and modern city to drive growth in the Mekong Delta region.

Also yesterday, Sen Lieut General To Lam, Minister of Public Security, had a meeting with voters in inh Bang Ward in the northern province of Bac Ninhs Tu Son Town.

The voters expressed to Lam their concerns on compensation for land acquisition, wrongdoings in the issuance of health insurance cards, drug crimes, industrial waste and the management of plant protection chemicals.

Lam assured to voters that their concerns would be raised at the upcoming NA meetings.  VNS
Zachary Keck

Security, Asia

Could the Army's best tank be headed to Taiwan?

Taiwan Wants American M1 Abrams Tanks. And the Reason Is China.

Taiwan is once again interested in purchasing Abrams tanks from the United States.

This week the Hong Kongbased South China Morning Post reported that Taiwans Minister of National Defense, Yen Teh-fa, told a legislative panel that Taipei is still interested in purchasing U.S.-made M1A2 Abrams tanks. Citing Taiwans United Daily News, South China Morning Post said that Taiwans Defense Ministry is initially interested in buying two battalions (or 108) of M1A2 tanks. Ultimately, the Taiwanese military hopes to purchase even more tanks from Washington.

Yen said that the tanks would provide the last line of defense against a Chinese invasion. Besides immediately improving Taiwans combat readiness, he indicated that the sale would also involve technology transfers that could enhance the country's domestic arms industry.

The M1A2 is the third iration of the M1 Abrams tanks after the original and the M1A1. Washington first authorized production of the M1A2 tank in 1990, according to Military.com, and it first entered into service in 1992. The same source notes that the M1A2 has a similar exterior to its predecessor, with the biggest change on the outside of the tank being the redesigned Commander's Weapon Station (CWS) and the addition of a Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer on the left side of the turret forward of the loader's hatch.

Recommended: The Fatal Flaw That Could Take Down an F-22 or F-35.

Recommended: Smith & Wesson's .44 Magnum Revolver: Why You Should Fear the 'Dirty Harry' Gun.

Recommended: 5 Best Shotguns in the World (Winchester, Remington and Beretta Make the Cut).

There are major changes inside the M1A2 tank, however. Perhaps most notable is the addition of the Inter-Vehicle Information System (IVIS), which allows for the continuous and automatic exchange of information between vehicles. The M1A2 tanks can travel at speeds of up to 42 miles per hour. As far as armaments go, the tanks main gun is a 120mm XM256 Smooth Bore Cannon with forty rounds. Supporting arms include two 7.62mm M240 coaxial machine guns and one 12.7mm machinegun.

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Taiwan has long been interested in purchasing M1A2 tanks from the United States. According to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report, Taipei first asked for the tank in the early part of the George W. Bush administration. Although President Bush initially deferred the decision on the tanks, he ultimately approved it in late 2001. The CRS report adds that in the fall of 2008, the U.S. Army briefed Taiwans army on the M1A2 tank and an upgraded M8 armored gun system. By early 2009, Taiwans army estimated the total cost of under 150 new tanks at about US$2.9 billion.

This initial request appeared to bog down among other priorities from Taiwans Ministry of Defense. Taipeis interest was renewed during the Obama administration as the United States began winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This prompted Washington to explore selling some of the surplus Abrams tanks it no longer needed due to a decreased operational tempo. In 2015, Defense News reported that The Taiwan Army has a requirement for two to four battalions of surplus US Army M1A1/M1A2 main battle tanks, but this is still in programming stages. The same article also noted, however, that the tanks are not given a high priority with Taiwan's mountainous interior and low coastal wetlands. Bridges are also a problem as many in the rural areas are too weak after years of earthquakes to handle the 60-ton M1 tank. There were also concerns in Taiwan that the countrys military lacked sufficient training grounds for the tank, as more of its land was given to civilian industries.

Still, Taiwans renewed interest in the Abrams comes as something of a surprise. Taipei had announced in October 2017 that it would locally upgrade its U.S.-made M60A3 main battle tanks. At the time, Defense News and others noted that these upgrades indicated that Taiwan appears to have conceded defeat in its quest to acquire surplus M1 Abrams tanks from the United States. The contract for the upgrade was worth $6.57 million and called for upgrading approximately 450 M60A3 TTS tanks. The upgrades include installing a 120mm weapon to serve as the tanks new main gun. The M60A3 first entered into service in the United States in the 1970s.

Besides the M60A3 tanks, Taiwan also operates 400 CM-11 Brave Tiger tanks. These have been described as a hybrid M60 chassis fitted with the turret from the older M48 Patton and the fire control system of the M1 Abrams. There has also been talk of upgrading the CM-11 tanks after the upgrades of the M60A3s are complete. The CM-11s are even older than the M60A3s. Taiwans army also has some lighter tanks like the M-48 and CM-12, which is a modified M48A3.

Besides the United States, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait currently operate the M1A2 tanks while other countries have older versions of the Abrams.

Zachary Keck (@ZacharyKeck) is a former managing editor of the National Interest.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

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A teacher was sent home from school for wearing a Just Pray t-shirt. (Photo: Getty Images)

The governor of Alabama is rushing to the defense of a teacher in her state who was told to change out of her Just Pray t-shirt because it was against the schools dress code.

Religious liberty is a cornerstone of the freedoms we enjoy in our country, Governor Kay Ivy said in a May 2nd statement. For a teacher to be disallowed from wearing a shirt that exhorts others to pray, especially for a child suffering from terminal cancer, is simply unacceptable. The right to express ones religious beliefs, including prayer which was often invoked by George Washington himself, is not lost when one enters the schoolhouse door. I am committed to protecting religious freedom for everyone, including our teachers and school children.

Alabama teacher told to change shirt that had "just pray" on ithttps://t.co/2pqEtpkLSq pic.twitter.com/cet7b9h1ye  WBRC FOX6 News (@WBRCnews) April 30, 2018

Chris Burrell, a third-grade teacher at Pearl Haskew Elementary School in Mobile, was sent home from school on Apr. 23rd for wearing a t-shirt that read Just Pray. According to Alabama Today, Burrell, in a now-deleted Facebook post, explained that she wore the shirt as a shoutout to Aubreighs Army, which exists to support an 11-year-old girl with brain cancer.

Getting sent home from work today to change my Just Pray shirt, wrote Burrell, who declined Yahoo Lifestyles request for comment. I purchased this shirt to raise money for #AubreighsArmy. I thought it was fitting to wear today since my kids were testing. I didnt think twice about it. I wasnt trying to promote religion, it was just my Monday feel good shirt. In my 15 years of teaching, this has never been an issue. My heart hurts.

Join me in prayer today at 11:00 for Aubs MRI. We need good results! #webelieve #beatthismonster #justpray Posted by Aubreigh's Army on Wednesday, February 7, 2018

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Martha Peek, superintendent of Mobile County Public Schools, did not return Yahoo Lifestyles multiple requests for comment. But she did tell Fox10 TV, So at the point of looking and seeing pray on it, the principal said, Can you put on a sweater or something? knowing that there are other people who object to that we have to be cognizant of everyones beliefs or everyones thoughts in a public school.

Peek added that students and teachers are not allowed to wear clothing that reflects their religious beliefs, and that the principal who sent Burrell home was unaware of Aubreighs Army. Were totally supporting her, said Peek, I think that this was just an unfortunate connection there, but still the principal would have had to exercise her judgment.

However, in the Mobile County Public School System handbook, there is no mention of clothing that promotes religion.

Yahoo Lifestyle could not reach a representative from the Alabama branch of the American Civil Liberties Union for comment, but the national organization often defends students who wish to express their faith at school. In Virginia, for example, the ACLU successfully forced two public middle schools to reverse a ban on wearing rosary beads, and in North Carolina it supported the case of a 6-year-old who wished to read a poem containing the word God at a school assembly celebrating Veterans Day. In New Jersey, the ACLU stepped in again to support a student who wanted to wear an armband that read LIFE due to her religious beliefs.

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Glasgow (AFP) - Tens of thousands of people, many waving the Saltire flag and beating drums, marched through the streets of Glasgow on Saturday in support of Scottish independence.

Police estimated around 35,000 people turned out for the five kilometre march from Kelvingrove Park to Glasgow Green, while organisers "All Under One Banner" put the attendance around 60,000.

The annual march has been growing in size since Scotland voted against independence by 55 percent in 2014, from a few thousand to around 20,000 last year.

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's nationalist First Minister, has threatened to hold a second independence referendum if Scotland's powers are curtailed after Brexit.

Keith Brown, one of Sturgeon's most senior allies who is standing to be deputy leader of the Scottish National Party in June, attended Saturday's march.

"I've been on these kind of marches for the best part of 35 years and I've never seen a crowd like this," he told AFP.

Brown suggested a second independence referendum could be held as early as 2019.

"We have to wait and see what Brexit brings and we will know that very soon -- perhaps in October," he said.

"At that point, we need to make sure that we are working non-stop for whenever the referendum happens.

"I have said it could happen in a year's time or two years time. The crucial point is that we are ready for it when it comes."

Veteran nationalist Bobby Watt, 73, brought his 13-year-old granddaughter Holly Noble to march.

"I joined the SNP in 1966 and now we're coming to a head," he said.

"You could see on the march that it's the youngsters that are here so it looks good for the future."

Clutching a Scottish piper teddy bear, Elaine Thomson, 53, told AFP: "I'm not here campaigning for myself, because I don't think I'll benefit, but my grandchildren possibly could and I am out doing this for them."
Aden (AFP) - A Saudi delegation is on the strategic Yemeni island of Socotra in a bid to defuse tensions which erupted after the United Arab Emirates deployed troops there, Yemeni state media reported.

The UAE is a key partner in a Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting Huthi rebels since 2015 to restore Yemen's internationally recognised government to power.

A Yemeni government source told AFP the UAE deployed forces in Socotra without informing the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, which controls the island.

Socotra, which has been spared the violence that has ravaged mainland Yemen, sits at the exit of a bustling shipping lane that leads from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean.

A site of global importance for biodiversity and sometimes referred to as the "Galapagos of the Indian Ocean", it lies around 350 kilometres (220 miles) off Yemen's southern coast.

The delegation led by Saudi general Ahmed Abderrahman al-Shiri met on Friday with Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher in the presence of an Emirati official, Saba news agency reported.

It said the delegation was informed by the Yemeni government and Socotra officials "of what has recently happened on the island".

Talks also focused on "tensions that have existed in Socotra since the prime minister and his delegation arrived" on the island on Wednesday, Saba said.

The government source said the UAE forces arrived in Socotra as the premier landed in the island for a visit.

That sparked anger among residents who argued that there were no Huthi rebels on the island to justify such a deployment, the source added.

Although the UAE has been a pillar of the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Huthis, it has recently taken its distance from Hadi, analysts have said.

The UAE has worked closely with the Yemeni army and trained southern troops, but also backs separatists who wrenched control of the south from Hadi in January.

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Meanwhile the UAE state minister for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash on Friday highlighted in a tweet on Friday the "historic links" between his country and Socotra.

"We have historic and family links with the residents of Socotra and we will back them during Yemen's ordeal which was sparked by the Huthis," he said.

The Yemen war has claimed nearly 10,000 lives since Riyadh and its allies joined the conflict in March 2015, triggering what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
(Reuters) - U.S. and Chinese negotiators will end two days of talks on Friday to try and avert a trade war over thorny technology transfer issues amid expectations that they will not reach a breakthrough deal but will at least agree to keep talking. U.S. President Donald Trump's threatened tariffs are seen as likely to continue their march toward activation. The following are key dates in the tense trade standoff between the world's two largest economies: Early to mid-May: U.S. Senate Banking Committee and House of Representatives Financial Services Committee are expected to finalize their versions of legislation to strengthen national security reviews of foreign acquisitions and tie-ups with U.S. companies and make it harder for Chinese firms to acquire sensitive technologies. Timing for final passage is unclear. May 11: U.S. Trade Representative's deadline for submission of written public comments on Trump's first round of proposed tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods, including electronic and machinery parts, television sets and autos. May 15: USTR holds public hearing on its $50 billion tariff list. The agency has received requests from 83 individuals and groups to testify. May 18: U.S. Treasury Department deadline to propose investment restrictions to address China's state acquisition of sensitive U.S. technologies under the "Section 301" intellectual property probe. May 22: USTR deadline for submission of public hearing rebuttal comments, ending the tariff comment period. May 22: End of 60-day consultation period for the United States to try and settle World Trade Organization complaint against China over technology licensing requirements. The United States could then request dispute settlement panel to adjudicate. June 1: New deadline for Canada, Mexico and European Union to reach agreements with USTR on permanent exemptions from steel and aluminum tariffs. June 9: End of 60-day consultation period for China to try and settle WTO complaint against the United States over its steel and aluminum tariffs. China could then request a dispute settlement panel to adjudicate. Early to mid-June: Following analysis of public comments on tariffs, USTR may revise its tariff list. Sometime after that, the tariffs will be ready for activation, but Trump will decide whether to impose them. Unknown: USTR will reveal its next threatened tariff list of $100 billion worth of additional Chinese goods to levy. USTR is expected to go through another 60-day comment period with a public hearing before activating these tariffs. July 1: U.S. "fast track" trade negotiating authority law expires. The Trump administration intends to seek a three-year extension, which is automatic unless Congress blocks it with a disapproval vote. Second half of 2018: WTO dispute settlement panel is expected to notify parties of its decision in Chinas "market economy" case. Beijing has challenged the European Unions decision to continue treating China as a non-market economy in determining anti-dumping duties. Publication of the decision, which could shake the WTO's foundations, could come months later. The United States also treats China as a non-market economy and supports the EU's position. (Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Ottawa (AFP) - Toyota announced Friday it would invest Can$1.4 billion ($1.09 billion) in two factories in central Canada where the Japanese manufacturer plans to build its largest hybrid hub in North America.

Ottawa will support the investment with Can$110 million in Toyota's Cambridge and Woodstock plants in Ontario, a statement from the office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

"Once complete, Canada will be the North American hub for the RAV4 and home to Toyota's largest hybrid vehicle production in North America," said a joint statement from the Canadian government and the automaker.

Trudeau, who paid a visit to the Cambridge plant earlier, hailed the "smart decision that further establishes our country as the place where cars of the future are built."

"We welcome Toyota's decision to invest in our highly skilled workforce and expand its presence in Canada," he added.
(Corrects year in first paragraph to 2020)

By Mica Rosenberg

May 4 (Reuters) - The Trump administration said on Friday it will end temporary protections for immigrants in the United States from Honduras on Jan. 5, 2020, leaving potentially 57,000 people vulnerable to deportation.

It is the latest in a series of decisions by President Donald Trump to shut down temporary protected status (TPS) granted to immigrants after natural disasters or violent conflicts that would prevent them from safely returning to their home countries.

Trump has denounced a "caravan" of migrants, mostly from Central America, that has crossed Mexico seeking entry into the United States in San Diego. Many say they are fleeing violence and political unrest at home and hope to claim asylum in U.S. immigration courts.

Marlon Tabora, Honduras' ambassador to the United States, said the conditions did not exist in the country to repatriate tens of thousands of people. "These families have lived in the United States for 20 years and re-integrating them into the country will not be easy if they decide to return," he said.

Hondurans are the second largest nationality with TPS to lose their status, which was granted to the country - along with Nicaragua - in 1999 following the devastation of Hurricane Mitch.

The government said it had conducted a review and found "conditions in Honduras that resulted from the hurricane have notably improved." The 18-month timeline to end the program would allow "individuals with TPS to arrange for their departure or to seek an alternative lawful immigration," the Department of Homeland Security said in a news release.

In January, the Trump administration ended TPS classification for some 200,000 Salvadorans, which had allowed to live and work in the United States since 2001. Their status will expire in 2019.

TPS critics have complained that repeated extensions in six- to 18-month increments of the status, sometimes for decades, has given beneficiaries de facto residency in the United States.

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In November, then-acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke set a deadline of six months to make a decision about TPS for Honduras, which is one of the most violent countries in the Western Hemisphere and recently has been convulsed by protests following a contested presidential election. Duke is no longer in charge, replaced by Kirstjen Nielsen.

Most of the other countries that have come up for TPS review have been terminated except for Syria, which is in the midst of a devastating war. The administration also recently ended the program for Haiti and Nepal.

Karen Valladares, the director of the National Forum for Migration, a non-governmental organization in Honduras, said people still are choosing to leave because of gang and drug-related violence and lack of economic opportunities.

"There have not been concrete improvements in the security situation," Valladares said. In some ways, "Honduras is worse off than when they left." (Reporting by Mica Rosenberg in New York; Additonal reporting by Gustavo Palencia in Tegucigalpa; Editing by Bill Trott)
By Steve Holland and Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has all but decided to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear accord by May 12 but exactly how he will do so remains unclear, two White House officials and a source familiar with the administration's internal debate said on Wednesday. There is a chance Trump might choose to keep the United States in the international pact under which Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief, in part because of "alliance maintenance" with France and to save face for French President Emmanuel Macron, who met Trump last week and urged him to stay in, the source said. A decision by Trump to end U.S. sanctions relief would all but sink the agreement and could trigger a backlash by Iran, which could resume its nuclear arms program or "punish" U.S. allies in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon, diplomats said. Technically, Trump must decide by May 12 whether to renew "waivers" suspending some of the U.S. sanctions on Iran. One of the White House officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was possible Trump will end up with a decision that "is not a full pullout" but was unable to describe what that might look like. A presentation by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday about what he said was documentary evidence of Tehran's past nuclear arms program could give Trump a fresh argument to withdraw, even though U.N. inspectors say Iran has complied with the terms of the deal. Iran has denied ever seeking nuclear weapons and accuses its arch-foe Israel of stirring up world suspicions against it. The pact between Iran and six major powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States - was among former U.S. President Barack Obama's signature foreign policies but has been described by Trump as "one of the worst deals I have ever witnessed." The White House official said Trump was "most of the way there toward pulling out of the deal but he hasn't made the decision" and that he "seems poised to do it but until a decision is made by this president it is not final." Top aides are not seeking aggressively to talk Trump out of withdrawal because he seems intent on it, a second White House official said. EUROPEANS LOSING HOPE Trump gave Britain, France and Germany a May 12 deadline to fix what he views as the deal's flaws - its failure to address Iran's ballistic missile program, the terms by which inspectors visit suspect Iranian sites, and "sunset" clauses under which some of its terms expire - or he will reimpose U.S. sanctions. While European officials continue to work toward such a "fix," they believe the odds are against reaching one. One of the main sticking points has to do with the "sunsets," where the United States in effect wishes to find a way to extend some of the limits on Iran's nuclear program beyond their expiration dates under the agreement. The source familiar with the debate said U.S. negotiators are hamstrung by the fact that they do not really know where Trump's "red line" is and so they cannot tell the Europeans what would secure Trump's blessing. Trump could refuse to renew the waivers but give new U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo time to negotiate more with the Europeans, exploiting the deal's dispute resolution mechanism or the time before the most draconian sanctions take effect. Several sources familiar with the negotiations said that if Trump pulls out, a question for the Europeans will be whether this would be the start of a much harder U.S. line toward Iran, including military confrontation. "The Europeans are not keen to be dragged into a regional conflict by the U.S.," said one source familiar with the talks. Two U.S. intelligence officials said they were particularly concerned about Iranian retaliation in harder-to-trace actions such as cyber attacks on the United States or its allies and attacks on soft targets by people without obvious ties to Tehran. Such attacks are considered more likely than actions that might trigger a U.S. military response against Iranian nuclear and military targets. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Arshad Mohammed; additional reporting by John Walcott, Jonathan Landay and Lesley Wroughton; editing by Yara Bayoumy and Grant McCool)
Viet Nam treasures its strategic partnership with Japan and considers Japan an important and long-term partner, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. VNA/VNS Photo Thong Nhat

HA NOI  Viet Nam treasures its strategic partnership with Japan and considers Japan an important and long-term partner, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Phuc made the remarks while receiving Fumio Kishida, Chairman of the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan, in Ha Noi yesterday.

The PM stressed that since their inception 45 years ago, relations between Viet Nam and Japan have recorded comprehensive, strong and practical growth in all fields, while political trust between the two nations remains at a high level.

For his part, the Japanese official said he was happy to see that Japan has become a leading foreign investor in Viet Nam again with a record number of over 1,700 businesses investing in the Southeast Asian country.

Phuc and Kishida also spent time discussing the maintenance of security, peace and stability in the region.

Also yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh hosted a reception for Kishida, during which he and the Japanese delegation also exchanged in-depth opinions about Japanese ODA-funded projects in Viet Nam.

Kishida also met Politburo member, Chairman of the CPV Central Committees Organisation Commission Pham Minh Chinh, who stressed that co-operative relations between the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan played a very important role in promoting political trust and cooperation between the two countries.



Chinh, who is also President of the Viet Nam-Japan Friendship Parliamentarians Group, hosted a reception for Japanese Deputy Minister of Environment Arata Takebe, who is also Deputy Secretary-General of the Japan-Viet Nam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, on the same day.  VNS
President Donald Trump did his best to explain why the U.S. needs lax gun control laws by re-enacting the November 2015 terror attacks in Paris during a speech Friday before the National Rifle Association.

So the president reenacted the Bataclan shooting during his speech at the NRA convention... pic.twitter.com/ypBaddy7qK  Josh Billinson (@jbillinson) May 4, 2018

So lets talk about guns, shall we? Trump said to the NRA crowd in Dallas. France has strict gun control laws, the president said, and thats why terrorists were able to kill 130 people and injure hundreds more on Nov. 13 three years ago.

We all remember more than 130 people, Trump said of the attacks. Two hundred and fifty people had horrible, horrible wounds. I mean, they never mention that, but they died in a restaurant and various other close-proximity places.

The majority of those killed were shot at the Bataclan theater during a rock concert.

In case people have forgotten the carnage of that day, Trump then used finger guns to really drive his point home.

They took their time and gunned them down one-by-one, Trump claimed about the terrorists shooting style. Boom. Come over here. Boom. Come over here. Boom.

Trump also brought up the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 dead earlier this year. He called for the arming of teachers as a way to prevent more such tragedies. Meanwhile, guns were banned at the NRA event because the Secret Service thinks thats a better way to protect the president.

The worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history  last October in Las Vegas when 58 people were killed and more than 800 more were injured  did not come up in Trumps remarks. The culprit was a U.S. citizen who was able to stockpile an arsenal of guns and ammo that he then unleashed on a music festival crowd from a high position at the Mandalay Bay Hotel.

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The millions of Americans affected by gun violence  not to mention the Parisians who were slaughtered in 2015  deserve more empathy than Trump showed on Friday. But few should be surprised by his lack of it.

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President Donald Trump and his new personal attorney Rudy Giuliani think Americans are stupid as they almost regularly alter their narrative about how adult film star Stephanie Cliffordalso known as Stormy Danielswas paid, according to the attorney representing her.

Lawyer Michael Avenatti chastised the president and the former New York City mayor on Friday after both appeared to roll back their explanation of the $130,000 payment to Clifford over the last few days.

Avenatti, who frequently challenges Trump on Twitter, was responding to the statement Giuliani issued Friday afternoon in order to clarify comments hed made over the last few days.

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Mr. Giuliani and Mr. Trump are making it up as they go along. Never before has that old adage been more appropriate: Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive - W. Scott. How stupid do they think all of us are? #basta, Avenatti tweeted.

The lawyer has maintained his attacks on Trump for months now, and even suggested the president would be forced to resign over the payment to Clifford.

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Giuliani shocked the political world when he told Fox News Wednesday that Trump had reimbursed attorney Michael Cohen, who arranged a nondisclosure agreement and payment with Clifford less than two weeks before the 2016 election.

Giuliani made several statements that legal experts and the presidents critics said could prove problematic to Trump. Most claimed that Cohen ostensibly made an illegal campaign contribution that benefited Trumps victory.

In his latest statement, on Friday, Giuliani reiterated his stance that the payment to Clifford was not a campaign violation and that the payment was made to resolve a personal and false allegation in order to protect the presidents family. He added: [The payment] would have been done in any event, whether he was a candidate or not.

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Giuliani also went after former FBI director James Comey, calling him an inferior executive officer, and saying Trump had the constitutionally granted powers to fire him. Comeys dismissal was reportedly one aspect of the special counsels investigation into the Trump campaigns alleged collusion with Russia to win the 2016 election.

Trump told reporters Friday that Giuliani had only started to work for him the day before, and that the former federal prosecutor will eventually get his facts straight.

The president also said he had never denied having knowledge of the payment to Daniels, despite video of him issuing a denial to reporters aboard Air Force One last month.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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Curt Mills

Politics, North America

Pompeo is ceremonially sworn in at the State Department in Washington

Talk of a reboot abounds at Foggy Bottom.

Trump Makes First Ever State Department Visit, Welcomes Pompeo

Nearly a year-and-a-half into his administration, President Donald Trump made his first ever visit to State Department headquarters in Washington on Wednesday, participating in the swearing in of his friend Mike Pompeo as secretary of state.

It was the culmination of a half-year of intrigue about whether Trump would install Pompeo, formerly the CIA director, to the position. Now the nations top diplomat, Pompeo has dived into his work, visiting North Korea and Kim Jong-un before he was Senate-confirmed, and embarking on a Middle East trip this week.

Before his official swearing in Wednesday morning, Pompeo gathered State employees in Washington and addressed them, pledging to reestablish the departments swagger. He also made veiled criticisms of his predecessor, Rex Tillerson, whose personal relationship with the president collapsed, prompting his ouster.

Mike, President Trump said. Has earned my deepest respect and admiration and trust.

Trump said Pompeo has his absolute confidence. He added, in a nod to Tillersons short-lived tenure: And youll see why over the coming years.

It has been a remarkable ascension for Pompeo, a former congressman from Kansas who was not in Trumps inner circle during the campaign.

Barely on Trumps radar at the beginning, he has been swiftly elevated since election night 2016first as CIA director, following a sterling interview with the then president-elect.

Later, Pompeo began doubling as Trumps close confidant.

At an event at the St. Regis last year, the then-director emphasised that he traveled across the bridge most mornings from the CIAs headquarters in Virginia to personally deliver the president his intelligence briefing.

The event was hosted by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, which has fast become the Trump administrations go-to think tank on Iran.

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In the coming days, Pompeo will lead a national security team advising the president on whether to finally pull out of the Iran deal or not.

Pompeo was formally sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence.

Other cabinet members spotted: Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and Health and Human Services Secretary Acosta, among others.

According to the White House, at least 13 cabinet secretaries attended.

Mr. President You have entrusted me with a weighty and awesome responsibility to serve the American people, Pompeo said.

Pompeo has made a point of trying to buoy the damaged morale of State Department personnel, widely seen as at a nadir following Tillersons fraught tenure.

Pompeo recycled the swagger line.

As Ive said, and Ill elaborate more, I want the State Department to get its swagger back, Pompeo said, in front of a nodding Trump.

You all know this essential work, Secretary Pompeo said. Thats youre here. Its why Im here. I look forward to doing this together. Thank you all so much for the warm welcome.

Curt Mills is a foreign-affairs reporter at the National Interest. Follow him on Twitter: @CurtMills.

Image: Reuters

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Trump gives self-regarding speech to cheering crowd while NRA chief Wayne LaPierre says midterms represent the march for our freedom

Donald Trump attempted to issue a rallying cry to Republicans with a wide-ranging political stump speech at the annual NRA meeting in Dallas on Friday, making clear he would fight Novembers midterm elections with a staunch defense of gun rights.

We cannot get complacent, Trump said. We have to win the midterms.

Though hundreds of thousands of Americans marched for stricter gun laws after the Parkland school shooting, the only march that matters is the march to the polls on election day, a defiant Wayne LaPierre, the NRAs executive vice-president, told NRA members. He announced that the group now had approaching 6 million active members.

Election day 2018 is the march for our freedom, LaPierre said, to a roar of support from the audience. Less than two months ago, school shooting survivors organized hundreds of thousand of Americans at hundreds of protests across the country in what they called a March for Our Lives.

Though Republicans have majorities in both houses of Congress, Trump said that was not enough to pass the legislation he wanted. Increasing Republican representation in Congress in Novembers midterm elections was essential.

Trump said he was warned earlier: You know, going to the NRA convention and speaking today, that will be very controversial, it might not be popular. You know what I said? Bye-bye, gotta get on the plane. You have to do the right thing.

Were all fighting battles, but I love fighting these battles, Trump said, to cheers, after a long description of what he called the witch-hunt of the investigation into Russian election interference and links between his campaign and Moscow.

An enthusiastic crowd repeatedly delivered standing ovations as Trump praised his policy accomplishments, and discussed low unemployment, his praise from Kanye West, and his negotiations with North Korea.

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Weakness gets you nuclear war, Trump said, to cheers. Thats what gets you nuclear war.

Its not (just) about the money. In 2017, the NRA spent at least $4.1m on lobbying  more than the $3.1m it spent in all of 2016. But for comparison, the dairy industry has spent $4.4m in the same period, according to the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP). The National Association of Realtors, one of the biggest spenders, has paid out $32.2m lobbying on housing issues.

The NRA has plenty of cash to spend. It bet big on the 2016 US elections, pouring $14.4m into supporting 44 candidates who won and $34.4m opposing 19 candidates who lost, according to CRP.

But the real source of its power, I believe, comes from voters, said Adam Winkler, a UCLA professor of constitutional law.

The 145-year-old organization claims 5 million active members, that number is disputed, but whatever its actual size, membership is a powerful tool, said Robert Spitzer, a professor at the State University of New York at Cortland.

They have a very powerful ability to mobilize a grassroots support and to engage in politics when most Americans can barely be bothered to vote, he said. And because so few Americans do those things, if you get a bunch of people in a locality who are all prepared to go out to a meeting they can have a big effect." Read more

More than 70,000 NRA members were expected to attend the convention. But the event also drew protests, including one staged by Manuel Oliver, the father of one of the 17 people shot dead at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in February.

Before Trumps speech  as the president told reporters on Air Force One he had attracted a record crowd  and after, NRA leaders expressed fear of such post-Parkland activism.

What they really want is for you to be afraid to publicly associate with this organization, Chris Cox, the NRAs chief lobbyist, warned the auditorium early on Friday afternoon. They dont want you to go to a Friends of NRA dinner. They dont want you wearing an NRA hat or putting an NRA sticker on your car or truck. In the face of their bitter hatred, there has never been a more critical time for us to stand tall.

It was a strikingly defensive note for a leader of an organization that has played offense for years, railing against Democratic politicians, liberal billionaires and the Hollywood stars who advocate for gun control, even as it has succeeded in blocking any stricter federal gun laws.

LaPierre, the NRAs brash leader for decades, also described the NRA as under attack in a new way.

The fact that youre all here means you must have missed the news. Havent you heard the NRAs in big trouble? Were finished? Were on the run? Were losing? LaPierre asked the crowd.

If were so dead, why are so many thousands of you here in this hall right now?

Mike Pence and Wayne LaPierre applaud Trumps speech. Photograph: Lucas Jackson/Reuters

LaPierre claimed that the NRAs membership had grown even as gun control advocates said they were attracting bigger groups of local activists after the Parkland shooting, and hundreds of thousands of protesters seeking gun control laws massed in Washington DC and across the country.

The NRAs membership is at an all-time high, approaching 6 million active members, and thousands more are joining every day, LaPierre said. Were growing more powerful at a record rate.

The gun rights group, which does not provide independent verification of its membership numbers, has previously claimed more than 5 million members.

You have never stopped fighting for our beloved constitution. Incredible people, thank you Donald Trump

They gaslight tragedy, LaPierre said of the NRAs opponents, who now include grieving teenage survivors and parents of victims of a recent school shooting. They exploit victims to advance their ultimate agenda: kill the NRA and napalm the second amendment right out of existence.

On Friday, Trump greeted a cheering Texas crowd with a fond we love you. He made no reference to his previous remarks supporting gun control measures. Your second amendment rights are under siege but they will never ever be under siege as long as Im your president, he said.



After Parkland, Trump suggested in a public meeting that he would support gun control measures. He also publicly warned lawmakers in early March that they should not be afraid of the NRA. Some of you people are petrified of the NRA, Trump said. You cant be petrified.

Some gun rights supporters saw the remarks as a betrayal. After a private meeting a day later, Cox tweeted that the president and Vice-President Mike Pence did not in fact support gun control.

Gun control laws were futile, Trump argued, pointing to a terror attack carried out with guns in Paris, in a country with strict gun laws.

You know what? he asked. We are going to have to outlaw immediately all vans and all trucks, which are now the new form of death for the maniac terrorists  so lets ban immediately all trucks, all vans, maybe all cars. How about cars? Lets not sell any more cars.

Trump reiterated his support for arming teachers and hardening schools, although he said he was concerned about fortifying schools so intensely that even law enforcement officials might find it hard to get inside.

Pence, in his address, said more to acknowledge the toll of American gun violence.

We live in a time when mass shootings have claimed hundreds of lives  shocking the conscience of our nation, Pence said. We will not rest and we will not relent until we end this evil in our time.

But he also blamed the media for distorting the gun debate by focusing too much on a few villains rather than the many heroes who use their guns to prevent violence.

Start telling the whole story to the American people about firearms in this country, Pence said, to sustained applause. We should be a nation that recognizes the people who save lives much more than the people who take them.

He reassured NRA members that they were one of the most potent forces for good in the United States of America.

Trump echoed that line. The people in this hall have never taken our freedom for granted, he said, and you have never stopped fighting for our beloved constitution. Incredible people, thank you.

One more time for the media who thinks were down and out, Cox said to the cheering crowd as Trump left the stage, and they roared.
Dallas (AFP) - US President Donald Trump rallied gun owners in Texas Friday, summarily rejecting calls for stricter laws despite a high school massacre in Florida that fuelled public demands for change.

Making a pilgrimage to the National Rifle Association's annual meeting in Dallas, Trump tackled head-on the controversy over his visit, which comes three months after a classroom bloodbath that shocked the world.

Political advisors, he said, had told him not to go, to which he responded "bye, bye, got to get on a plane," prompting extended cheers.

"We have to do the right thing," he said.

It is the second year running that Trump has addressed the gun-toting, hat-waving jamboree, but the first time since the school massacre in Parkland, Florida.

Trump made only brief allusion to the February 14 high school rampage in Parkland, signaling a return to politics as normal, as his Republicans head into sharply contested mid-term elections.

"Our hearts break for every American who has suffered," Trump said, while dismissing calls for curbs on civilians' ability to buy semi-automatic weapons.

"It's not enough to simply take actions that make us feel like we are making a difference," he said. "In America we trust the people to be wise and to be good."

Trump's warm up act, Vice President Mike Pence, went as far as to say there was too much coverage of the sorrow of mass shootings and not enough of "good guys" with guns.

The White House duo instead doled out red meat to their political base, trashing the "fake news" media and the "witch hunt" Russia investigation, endorsing Republican election wannabees and praising the "great American flag."

Public demands for stricter gun control measures soared after 17 people were shot dead in Parkland, with students mobilizing hundreds of thousands of people in Washington March 24 for a mass display of outrage.

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But the Republican-controlled Congress has taken little action and polls indicate public sentiment in favor of stricter gun laws is cooling, as it has after previous mass shootings.

Aides promised a stemwinder of a speech -- with one eye on the electoral calendar -- and Trump delivered.

Just a 10 minute walk from the plaza where his predecessor John F. Kennedy was shot dead, the 45th president vowed that the right to bear arms would "never ever be under siege as long as I am president."

He slammed countries like France and Britain, which have tough gun laws, claiming attacks and stabbings could have been prevented if only citizens were armed -- at one point mimicking the assailants in the Paris Bataclan attack of November 2015 picking out their victims: "Boom! Come over here. Boom! Come over here."

Trump had flirted with tougher gun laws in the wake of the Parkland attack, but under pressure from donors and facing a Democratic landslide in Congressional elections this November, he quickly backtracked.

- A political force -

The four-day NRA gathering in Dallas brings together hundreds of exhibitors as well as special events for members like the "Leadership Forum" where Trump gave his address.

With more than five million members, the NRA is long established as a powerful political force in the United States and fierce defender of the constitutional right to bear arms.

Since the massacre in Parkland, Trump has made clear he would not back a ban on assault rifles, a key demand of the student protesters.

Instead he has proposed a ban on "bump stocks," devices used to convert semi-automatic weapons into automatic-like weapons by accelerating their rate of fire.

Bump stocks were used by the gunman who mowed down 58 people at a country music concert in Las Vegas in October, the deadliest such attack in modern US history.

The president has also voiced support for student protesters calling for the minimum age for gun purchases to rise from 18 to 21, a position the NRA opposes.

Controversially, though, Trump also advocates arming teachers as a first line of defense against school shooters, echoing the NRA's claim that "the best way to stop a bad guy with a gun is good guy with a gun."

The organization exerts outsized influence in Congress and state legislatures by financing the campaigns of supporters and targeting opponents.

After the Parkland massacre, the outpouring of emotion indicated that the political environment might be changing, putting the NRA on the defensive.

A Gallup poll in early March found that some 67 percent of Americans believed gun laws should be stricter, a 15-year high in the firm's surveys.

But by mid-April a Marist poll found that the percentage of people for whom gun policy will heavily influence their vote in November had fallen to 46 percent from 59 percent in February.
President Donald Trump had a lot to say about guns at this year's NRA convention. But the facts are more complicated than he let on. (Photo: NICHOLAS KAMM/Getty Images)

In his address at the National Rifle Associations annual Dallas convention Friday, President Donald Trump swerved to thank Kanye West for supposedly doubling his African-American poll numbers before getting right to the point: Lets talk about guns, shall we?

The president then proceeded to dole out some questionable information on guns, gun control and people who carry guns.

Here are the highlights.

Claim: 98 percent of mass shootings happen in gun-free zones.

The statistic Trump cited comes from the Crime Prevention Research Center, which claims that, in a span of more than six decades, 98 percent of mass shootings occurred in gun-free zones.

Take it with a big grain of salt: The study was authored by John Lott, a gun rights advocate and author of a recent controversial New York Times op-ed on background checks. The meaning of the statistic heavily depends on how both mass shooting and gun-free zone are defined.

An official definition of mass shooting doesnt exist, and theres a lot of debate over which incidents count and which dont. The FBI stipulates that three or more people must be killed for the term to apply, but Lott defined it as four or more deaths in public. By doing so, he discounted private residences where domestic violence-related shootings have occurred. He also did not count shootings that were part of another crime, such as a robbery.

Theres also no official way to define gun-free zone, which may apply to places where civilians cant carry firearms but officials can. The way Lott chose to define it in his research is questionable; for example, he considered military sites like Fort Hood to be gun-free zones, even though guns are clearly present there.

That gun-carrying civilians lead to crime prevention is an old NRA talking point: A good guy with a gun stops a bad guy with a gun. Experts strongly dispute this idea. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concluded in 2005 that no link between right-to-carry laws and changes in crime is apparent in the raw data.

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PolitiFact deemed the statistic Trump cited Friday only half-true.

Claim: Some teachers should carry guns to prevent mass shootings.

There is no sign more inviting to a mass killer than a sign that declares that this school is a gun-free zone, Trump said at the convention, repeating his proposal to arm some teachers and school security guards.

HuffPosts Rebecca Klein spoke to teachers and law enforcement officials about Trumps idea and found many of them were against it, including the national teachers unions. Many worried that such a policy would do more harm than good and lead to a lot of students being injured by accident at school.

Anyone who hasnt received the extensive training provided to law enforcement officers will likely be mentally unprepared to take a life, especially the life of a student assailant, Mo Canady, the executive director of the National Association for School Resource Officers, said in a statement.

Claim: Chicagos strict gun laws are evidence that gun control doesnt work.

We all know whats going on in Chicago, but Chicago has the toughest gun laws in our country, Trump said Friday.

Trump and others in the pro-gun crowd have long held up crime rates in Chicago as evidence that gun control doesnt work. Although both Illinois and its largest city do have strong gun laws, Chicago is a short drive from both Wisconsin and Indiana, where laws are significantly weaker. Studies have found that most of the guns used in crimes in Chicago come from out of state, with many coming from much farther away.

Beyond that, Trumps comments ignore the fact that homicides and shootings in Chicago have actually been on the decline for more than a year. In 2017, Chicago had the ninth-highest homicide rate of any U.S. city.

Claim: The Bataclan massacre mightve been prevented if more Parisians had guns.

Paris, France, has the toughest gun laws in the world, said Trump, going on to explain how a small group of terrorists armed with AK-47s brutally killed more than 130 people in the French capital in 2015.

If one employee or just one patron had a gun  the terrorists would have fled or been shot, and it wouldve been a whole different story.

This is another of Trumps favorite talking points, which hes been using since the November 2015 Bataclan massacre.

Putting aside for a second the absolute chaos that might have ensued if an arena full of armed concertgoers had decided to open fire on their assailants in the pitch dark, Trump is also leaving out some broader context.

With its strong gun laws, the overall firearm death rate in France is about one-quarter of what it is in the U.S. Although violent crime is not unheard of in Paris, the city experiences just a fraction of the homicides that an American city of a comparable population does. Gun homicides also appear to be primarily an issue among rival criminal gangs.

Claim: Criminals will use knives if they cant use guns  just look at London.

I recently read a story that in London, which has unbelievably tough gun laws, a once very prestigious hospital right in the middle, is like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds, said Trump. Yes, thats right, they dont have guns, they have knives, and instead theres blood all over the floors of this hospital.

Were not really sure what Trumps point is here. If hes noting that all violence is not gun violence, then sure. But the fact that Londoners are making it to hospitals to receive care is significant. Knives tend to be less lethal than guns, and its far easier to injure or kill larger numbers of people, often indiscriminately or unintentionally, by shooting than it is by stabbing.

A recent study in the U.S. found that more gunshot victims are dying before reaching the emergency room than they were a decade ago, even as trauma care has improved. One theory for this trend is an increasing intensity of violence, suggesting people may be getting shot more times, at closer range, with higher-caliber rounds, or simply while farther from the nearest hospital.

Theres no saying how much worse the problem would be in London if it were as easy to get a gun there as it is in the U.S.

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President Donald Trump has slammed the gun laws of major US allies, claiming foreign countries could better protect their citizens  and possibly stop terrorist attacks  by loosening their gun control laws.

In a speech to the National Rifle Association (NRA) Leadership Forum, Mr Trump sought to reassure members of the USs largest gun rights lobbying group of his support for the Second Amendment, after briefly expressing support for gun control measures in the wake of a school shooting in Florida.

In his keynote address on Friday, the president suggested members of the NRA could have stopped a recent terrorist attack in Paris if they had been in the crowd. Calling Frances gun laws the toughest in the world, he described how terrorists had brutally shot and killed 130 people in the 2015 attack.

But if one employee or just one patron had a gun  or if one person in this room had been there with a gun, aimed at the opposite direction  the terrorists would have fled or been shot, and it would have been a whole different story, he said.

In the UK, too, Mr Trump said things would be different if gun laws were loosened. He recounted a story he had heard about a central London hospital that looked like a military war zone hospital because of all the stabbing victims it admitted.

Yes thats right, they dont have guns, they have knives, he said to cheers.

London hasnt been used to that, he added. Theyre getting used to it. Its pretty tough.

The US murder rate is seven times higher than other high-income countries, including France and the UK, according to a 2016 study published in The American Journal of Medicine. The rate of gun murders is 25.2 times higher.

Mr Trump also alluded to the van attacks that have killed dozens of people in France, the UK and several other countries in recent years. He joked that Democrats who wanted to ban guns should ban cars too, because they are the new form of death for the maniac terrorists.

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We will never give up our freedom. We will live free and we will die free, he said, rallying attendees for the 2018 midterm elections. Weve got to do great in 18.

Mr Trumps speech came in the wake of the 30th mass shooting in the US this year  a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, in February that left 14 students and three faculty members dead. An armed security guard stationed outside the school failed to confront the shooter and stop the massacre, surveillance video has shown.

Mr Trump made no mention on Friday of the gun control measures he had proposed in the wake of the Parkland shooting, including banning bump stocks and strengthening background checks  all measures the NRA opposed.

Instead, the president played up his plan to arm teachers, as well as mentioning the $2m he allotted to school safety improvements and mental health assistance.

Your Second Amendment rights are under siege, but they will never, ever be under siege as long as Im your president, he told the crowd.

Mr Trump has previously suggested preventing school shootings by arming teachers, giving highly skilled school employees licences to carry concealed firearms. He repeated the idea in his speech on Friday, as did Vice President Mike Pence.

Firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens makes our communities more safe, not less, Mr Pence said, criticising the media for failing to cover instances in which gun owners saved lives.

Mr Pence cited the example of Stephen Willeford, a Texas native who opened fire on the man who went on a shooting spree in the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs last November. The vice president failed to mention that Mr Willeford confronted the gunman only after he left the church, where he murdered 25 people, including a pregnant woman.

Mr Willeford was honoured with a lifetime membership to the NRA earlier in the day.

Heading to the forum on Friday, Mr Trump addressed comments by the newest addition to his legal team, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Mr Giuliani recently told Fox Newss Sean Hannity that the president reimbursed his lawyer for a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels  a payment Mr Trump has claimed he knew nothing about.

Boarding the Marine One helicopter to Dallas, Mr Trump chalked the comments up to Mr Giulianis inexperience.

Were not changing any stories, Mr Trump said, adding that Rudy had just started and he wasnt totally familiar with everything.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May on Saturday on issues including the Iran nuclear deal, a week before the president is to decide whether Washington will leave the pact, the White House said. Trump is set to decide by May 12 whether to withdraw from the 2015 Iran deal, in which the Islamic Republic agreed to curb its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump has all but decided to withdraw, White House officials said on May 2. Still, Trump could figure out a way to stay in the deal between the Islamic Republic and six world powers: Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States. Britain, France and Germany agreed that the deal is the best way of stopping Tehran from getting nuclear weapons, May's office said in late April. French President Emmanuel Macron urged Trump to stay in the deal when he met with the president in Washington last month. In the call with May, Trump "underscored his commitment to ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon," the White House said. The two also talked about nuclear issues in North Korea. "As planning continues for his upcoming meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, President Trump emphasized his goal of a denuclearized North Korea," the White House said. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is traveling to Washington on Sunday for a two-day visit, when he will meet Vice President Mike Pence and national security adviser John Bolton, for talks on Iran, North Korea, Syria and other issues, Britain said. "The UK, the United States, and European partners are "united in our effort to tackle the kind of Iranian behavior that makes the Middle East region less secure - its cyber activities, its support for groups like Hezbollah, and its dangerous missile program, which is arming Houthi militias in Yemen," Johnson said in a statement. Trump is slated visit the United Kingdom in July. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Richard Chang and Jonathan Oatis)
With a resurgent Russia, the U.S. announced Friday that it will re-establish a fleet of its Navy that it abolished nearly seven years ago as a cost-cutting measure.

The U.S. Navys Second Fleet will be sent to the North Atlantic Ocean again, as the Pentagon plots ways to combat Russias revanchist tendencies. According to the Pentagon, the Second Fleet will now have operational and administrative control over ships, aircraft and landing forces on the East Coast and the northern Atlantic Ocean.

Our National Defense Strategy makes clear that were back in an era of great power competition as the security environment continues to grow more challenging and complex, Chief of U.S. Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson said on Friday.

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The U.S. National Defense Strategy for 2018 called attention to Moscows forays into neighboring territories and stated that Russia has violated the borders of nearby nations and pursues veto power over the economic, diplomatic, and security decisions of its neighbors.

Late last year, U.S. allies said Russia was patrolling the North Atlantic and may be looking to cut underwater Internet cables for espionage or sabotage purposes. Officials in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. claimed that Russias activities in the North Atlantic were more prevalent than at any time since the Cold War.

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We have seen an extraordinary increase in Russian submarine activity over the last couple of years in the North Atlantic, U.K. Defense Secretary Sir Michael Fallon told the British House of Commons last year.

Viktor Chirkov, the head of the Russian Navy, has publicly said that the number of Russian submarine patrols have increased by around 50 percent over the past five years as Moscow extended its military activities into neighboring Ukraine and later Syria. Russian ships and submarines often travel through the North Sea on their way to the Western Mediterranean as a result of Moscows involvement in Syria.

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This article was first written by Newsweek

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HCM CITY  Farmers in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of An Giang switched to growing other crops on 20,000ha of paddy fields during the 2017-18 winter-spring crop, earning big profits and managing to cope with climate change.

The fields are mostly in mountainous areas, and thus far from irrigation sources or infertile.

They grew soy bean, honeydew melon, corn, red chili, vegetables and other crops.

Pham Cong Tao, one such farmer in Tan Chau Districts Phu Loc Commune, grew oriental onion in his 4,000 sq.m field and earned a profit of around VN80 million (US$3,500) per crop.

The production cost of planting the onion is higher than rice, but the profits from it are four to six times higher than from rice, he said.

Besides, the switch saves him plenty of water and he does not have to worry about drought, he said.

His field is situated in an area of the commune earmarked for growing vegetables and other crops, which has good roads enabling easy transport of the produce.

In any case, traders come to his farm to buy and harvest the oriental onion by themselves, he said.

Many farmers in Phu Tan Districts Tan Trung Commune are harvesting soybean and reaping a bumper harvest.

The communes safe vegetable co-operative team planted 45ha of soybean in the 2017-18 winter-spring crop and has harvested 38ha so far.

Nguyen Van Minh, one of the co-operative team members, said he has been instructed in soybean farming by the commune Farmers Association and the Phu Tan District Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau.

His 22,000sq.m soybean field yielded a profit of VN150 million ($6,600) in the 2017-18 winter-spring crop, he said.

Vo Chi Tam, chairman of the Farmers Association, said to restructure agriculture local authorities have supported farmers in their switch to other crops in recent years.

Many farmers in the commune have shifted to soybean, he said.

Tran Anh Thu, director of the province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the province has been encouraging farmers to grow other crops on infertile rice fields.

Growing sesame, green bean, corn, soybean, and certain other crops enables farmers to adapt to climate change and ensures a big profit, he said.

An Giang plans to have 40,000ha of specialised areas in its city and every district and town for growing vegetables and other crops by 2030.

It plans to develop those areas through a co-operation model to guarantee outlets for farmers and ensure they use advanced farming techniques.

It also plans to improve the quality of co-operatives and co-operative teams in the specialised areas, and prioritise roads and irrigation facilities there.

It will increase the use of advanced techniques such as automatic irrigation in net houses in those areas, with the crops grown to Vietnamese good agricultural practices standards.

The province will also focus on developing small- and medium-sized enterprises that grow vegetables and other crops and tie up with companies that buy their produce.  VNS
By Stanley White MANILA (Reuters) - The United States will argue for higher lending rates and weaning some countries off development lending at an Asian Development Bank meeting this weekend, a U.S. Treasury official said on Friday. The proposed changes at the ADB's annual meeting are similar to reforms the United States argued for at the World Bank last month that led to an increase in lending rates for developing countries with higher incomes. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump had chided the World Bank's lending to higher-income countries such as China, saying they should "graduate" to non-concessional loans. "Some of the reform priorities that we pursued at the World Bank a few weeks ago are also things that we are prioritizing in the strategy discussion here," a senior U.S. Treasury official told reporters on the sidelines of the ADB meeting in Manila, the Philippine capital. "Among those is a commitment to improving and developing a differentiated pricing strategy that encourages countries to seek financing from markets, rather than the bank, when those alternatives exist," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He did not specifically name China, but said countries now have better access to capital markets and the ADB should wean them off its development loans. Washington also preferred that taxpayer money go to the poorest countries, the official added. The ADB, a Manila-based development lender whose major donors are Japan and the United States, finds itself at a crossroads as its members gather to debate a new strategy to run until 2030. Founded in 1966 with a mandate to lift hundreds of millions of Asians out of poverty, the ADB has 67 member countries ranging from struggling Bangladesh and Pakistan to booming China and India. China is trying to assert itself on the global development lending stage with its "One Belt, One Road" infrastructure initiative, and the creation of a new development lender called the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). U.S. Treasury officials had complained at a World Bank meeting last month that the bank was lending too much to China and other bigger emerging markets. The bank agreed to reforms that will raise borrowing costs for higher-middle-income countries, including China. "China is forecast by IHS Markit to become a high-income country before 2023 under the World Bank per capita income thresholds, signaling that World Bank and ADB lending to China would inevitably be scaled back," said Rajiv Biswas, Asia Pacific chief economist for IHS Markit. "It is likely that China would also seek to play a greater role...providing development financing for developing countries, rather than as a recipient of development assistance." China's new programs could become serious rivals to the ADB and the World Bank, some economists say. China's moves to expand its international influence also come amid heightened trade policy tension with the United States. ADB President Takehiko Nakao, however, has played down the threat of competition between the ADB and AIIB, instead emphasizing ways the two can cooperate. (Reporting by Stanley White; Editing by Darren Schuettler)
By David Lawder and Sue-Lin Wong

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - The Trump administration has drawn a hard line in trade talks with China, demanding a $200 billion cut in the Chinese trade surplus with the United States, sharply lower tariffs and advanced technology subsidies, people familiar with the talks said on Friday.

The lengthy list of demands was presented to Beijing before the start of talks Thursday and Friday between top-level Trump administration officials and their Chinese counterparts to try to avert a damaging trade war between the world's two largest economies.

A White House statement did not mention specific demands, but said the U.S. delegation "held frank discussions with Chinese officials on rebalancing the United StatesChina bilateral economic relationship, improving Chinas protection of intellectual property, and identifying policies that unfairly enforce technology transfers."

The statement gave no indication that U.S. President Donald Trump would back off on his threat to impose tariffs on up to $150 billion in Chinese goods over allegations of intellectual property theft.

The delegation was returning to Washington to brief Trump and "seek his decision on next steps," the White House said, adding that the administration had "consensus" for "immediate attention" to change the U.S-China trade and investment relationship.

China's state-run Xinhua news agency described the talks as "constructive, candid and efficient" but with disagreements that remain "relatively big."

Tariff threats have roiled stock markets in recent weeks, but the inconclusive outcome of the Beijing talks did little to stop a rally in U.S. shares prompted by jobs data that eased fears of faster Federal Reserve rate hikes. Stocks in Shanghai <.SSEC> ended 0.5 percent lower while they fell 1.3 percent in Hong Kong. <.HSI>

Trump told reporters in Washington that he was determined to bring fairness to U.S.-China trade.

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"We will be doing something one way or the other with respect to what's happening in China," Trump said. He added that he had "great respect" for China's President Xi Jinping. "That's why were being so nice, because we have a great relationship."

China during the meetings asked that the United States ease crushing sanctions on Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp <000063.SZ> <0763.HK>, people with knowledge of the matter said.

Washington's demand for a $200 billion cut from China's U.S. goods trade surplus doubles Trump's previous request for a $100 billion cut. China had a record U.S. goods trade surplus of $375 billion in 2017.

Trump has also demanded "reciprocity" between U.S. and Chinese tariffs, frequently complaining about China's 25 percent car tariff while the U.S. equivalent is 2.5 percent.

The U.S. team, led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, demanded that China lower tariffs to levels no higher than those imposed by the United States, two people familiar with the demands said. The delegation also asked China to halt subsidies for advanced technology linked to its "Made in China 2025," the sources said.

At the heart of the dispute are U.S. allegations that Chinese joint venture requirements and other policies force American companies to turn over their intellectual property, costing them billions of dollars annually and giving China's state enterprises an edge in the race to develop new industries crucial to future growth.

China denies such coercion. Its 2025 industrial plan seeks to upgrade China's manufacturing sector to more advanced products, including information technology, semiconductors and aircraft.

"I think the U.S. is asking for the impossible. Reducing the deficit by $200 billion by 2020 is quite an unrealistic demand, but it may also be a negotiation tactic to start high first," said Tommy Xie, economist at OCBC Bank in Singapore.

BEIJING OFFERS

China offered to increase U.S. imports and lower tariffs on some goods, including cars, according to the sources. But Beijing asked the United States to treat Chinese investment equally under national security reviews, refrain from new restrictions on investments and halt a proposal to impose 25 percent tariffs under its "Section 301" intellectual property probe.

China also offered to reconsider anti-dumping duties on U.S. sorghum, according to a proposal it submitted.

Xinhua said there had been exchanges of opinion on intellectual property protections, expanding U.S. exports and bilateral services trade. It gave no indication of what actions might be taken but said the two sides committed to resolve their trade disputes through dialogue.

U.S. negotiators agreed to bring up the ZTE sanctions with Trump after new representations from the Chinese side, Xinhua said. ZTE was hit last month with a seven-year ban on American companies selling components and software to it after the U.S. Commerce Department found ZTE failed to comply with an agreement to settle breached U.S. sanctions on Iran.

"My impression was that (the talks) didn't go well given the rhetoric," said Kevin Lai, senior economist at Daiwa Capital markets in Hong Kong. "I think the divide is still very big."

In an editorial on its website, widely read Chinese state-run tabloid Global Times cited people close to the talks as saying the Chinese "hit back hard" at U.S. criticism, letting them know that China would not give in.

The United States has proposed tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods under its "Section 301" probe. Those could go into effect in June following the completion of a 60-day consultation period, but activation plans have been kept vague.

China has said its own retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, including soybeans and aircraft, will go into effect if the U.S. duties are imposed.

(This story refiles to insert dropped 'a' to correct first paragraph to read 'drawn a hard line'.)

(Reporting by Sue-Lin Wong and David Lawder; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Grant McCool)
(Adds quote from spokeswoman, details)

By Roberta Rampton

WASHINGTON, May 3 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is postponing his plans to travel to Brazil this month in order to ensure foreign policy resources are focused on President Donald Trump's coming talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Pence's spokeswoman said on Thursday.

"The Vice President is delaying his trip to Brazil in order to ensure all diplomatic and national security resources are available as President Trump plans for his historic talks with the Kim regime," said Alyssa Farah, Pence's spokeswoman.

No exact date or location has been announced for Trumps meeting with Kim but it is expected to take place in late May or early June. Pence did not want divert any attention from the talks, Farah said.

Pences trip had been expected to include a stop in Manaus, a city near the border with Venezuela. The Trump administration has been critical of Venezuela's government and has been weighing new sanctions against it.

Pence had also been scheduled to visit Rio de Janeiro on May 30 and meet with Brazilian President Michel Temer and cabinet ministers in Brasilia on May 31, a Brazilian government source told Reuters last month.

"The vice president looks forward to traveling to Brazil in the near future and will continue to work closely with U.S. allies in Latin America to further strengthen our important alliances in the region," Farah said. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Frances Kerry)
Talks in Beijing between Steven Mnuchin and Liu He end in significant disagreements over certain issues

Steven Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross head to the meet Chinese officials in Beijing on Friday. Photograph: Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images

Tensions between the US and China increased on Friday as it emerged US officials had handed Beijing a list of demands including a $200bn cut in its trade deficit and an end to state subsidies on strategic industries.

The two days of talks in Beijing between Steven Mnuchin, the US treasury secretary, and Liu He, the vice-premier, ended on Friday after weeks of escalating rhetoric between the two nations.

A statement released by the official Xinhua news agency described the talks as frank, efficient and constructive but added that there remained significant disagreements over certain issues.

No joint statement was released and according to The Wall Street Journal the Chinese too made demands - calling on the US to stop threatening to impose $150bn in tariffs on imports and ease national-security reviews of Chinese investments.

A document handed to Chinese officials described the trade relationship between the two countries as significantly imbalanced. The USs trade and services deficit with China was $337bn last year, according to US data, and the Trump administration is pushing for a $200bn cut in that deficit by 2020.

Such a cut would double Donald Trumps previous calls for a $100bn cut. On the campaign trail and in office Trump has repeatedly attacked Chinas trade policies, accusing the country of raping the US with its policies.

The US also called for China to immediately stop providing subsidies to certain industries. China must end some of its policies related to technology transfers, where foreign companies are forced to hand over key technologies in exchange for access to China, a key source of tension underlying the dispute, the list says.

Mnuchin also wanted assurances that China would not to retaliate against US measures currently being pursued against it. For instance, the US says China should agree not to target US farmers or agricultural products, and not oppose, challenge or otherwise retaliate when the US moves to restrict Chinese investment in the US in sensitive sectors.



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China has already announced tariffs on some US agricultural goods and threatened to others.

Analysts said the Chinese were likely to view the aggressive posture struck by the US as unreasonable and akin to bullying, potentially making it difficult to tone down friction over such issues.

Yu Miaojie, professor at Peking Universitys National School of Development, described some of the demands as like lions opening their mouths.



When it comes to negotiations, both sides can provide a list of requests and we will seek common ground while reserving our differences, Yu said. If one side provides a list with unreasonable requests, the Chinese government is unable to accept it.

The trade talks come as the Trump administration is pursuing an increasingly aggressive line on trade. It has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and threatened to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta).

On Thursday over 1,000 economists  including 14 Nobel laureates  wrote to Trump warning that his hardening stance on trade threatened to repeat the mistakes the US made in the 1930s, when the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act triggered a trade war that is widely seen as one of the catalysts for the Great Depression.

Associated Press contributed to this article
Aircraft carrier USS Enterprise before being officially decommissioned at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia - AFP

The Pentagon has announced it is re-establishing a naval fleet that will bolster the US and Nato presence in the Atlantic Ocean, amid rising tensions with Russia.

Outlines of the plan were approved at the February meeting of Nato defence ministers, as part of a broader effort to insure the security of the sea lanes and lines of communication between Europe and North America.

"The return to great power competition and a resurgent Russia demands that Nato refocus on the Atlantic to ensure dedicated reinforcement of the continent and demonstrate a capable and credible deterrence effect," said Johnny Michael, a Pentagon spokesman. He said the new command "will be the linchpin of trans-Atlantic security."

The decision reflects escalating worries across Europe and within Nato over Russia's increased military presence and patrols in the Atlantic region. Under the new plan, the US will set up Nato's new Atlantic Command headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia.

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in February that "we have seen a much more assertive Russia, we have seen a Russia which has over many years invested heavily in their military capabilities, modernised their military capabilities, which are exercising not only conventional forces but also nuclear forces."

NATO | Member countries

He said the new Atlantic Command will be vital for the alliance to be able to respond. Nato also created a new logistics command, which is expected to be located in Germany.

At the same time, the US Navy is re-establishing its 2nd Fleet command, which was eliminated in 2011 in a move to save costs. It was merged with the navy's Fleet Forces Command.

HMS Queen Elizabeth - on board the Royal Navy's new warship: in pictures

Admiral John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, said the move comes as the security environment "continues to grow more challenging and complex."

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The command will oversee ships, aircraft and landing forces on the East Coast and northern Atlantic Ocean, and will be responsible for training forces and conducting maritime operations in the region.

HMS Queen Elizabeth - on board the Royal Navy's new warship: in pictures

Restarting the command was recommended in the Navy study done following the two deadly ship collisions last year that killed a total of 17 sailors.

The destroyer USS Fitzgerald struck a commercial ship off the waters of Japan in June, killing seven American sailors. The destroyer USS John S. McCain collided with an oil tanker in coastal waters off Singapore in August, killing 10 US sailors.

The Navy concluded that the two crashes, as well as a third collision in May and a ship grounding, were all avoidable, and resulted from widespread failures by the crews and commanders, who didn't quickly recognise and respond to unfolding emergencies.

Nato | Who pays?

A report called for about 60 recommended changes to address the problems. They ranged from improved training on seamanship, navigation and the use of ship equipment to more basic changes to improve sleep and stress management for sailors.

The command will begin operations July 1. It will report to US Fleet Forces, and will initially include 11 officers and 4 enlisted personnel. Those numbers will eventually increase to more than 250 personnel.
Mr Manafort's lawyers have argued that the case should be thrown out: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

A federal judge considering the charges brought against former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort has sharply criticised the case, questioning whether special counsel Robert Mueller has exceeded his prosecutorial powers by bringing it.

I dont see what relationship this indictment has with anything the special counsel is authorised to investigate, said US District Judge Thomas Shelby Ellis III in the Easer District of Virginia on Friday.

The judge said Mr Mueller should not have unfettered power in his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, and that the charges brought against Mr Manafort did not come from the time period Mr Mueller had been tasked with investigating.

Its unlikely youre going to persuade me the special counsel has unfettered power to do whatever he wants, Judge Ellis, who was appointed to the bench by Republican president Ronald Reagan, said.

Mr Manafort has tried to have the charges thrown out, with his lawyers making the argument that the case is out of Mr Muellers investigatory scope, but this is the first time a judge has appeared to agree with that position.

Kevin Downing, Mr Manaforts attorney, has argued the charges should be dropped because the original FBI investigation into the political adviser dated back to 2014, meaning the allegations did not arise from Mr Muellers probe.

Michael Dreeben, the deputy solicitor general who is currently working with Mr Muellers office, admitted the Russia probe had inherited the investigation into Mr Manafort, but said that they do have the investigatory scope to cover the allegations.

Our investigative scope does cover the activity in the indictment, Mr Dreeben said.

Cover Bank fraud in 2005 and 2007? Tell me how! Mr Ellis responded.

Mr Manafort faces several charges including bank fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering, and has pleaded not guilty.

Mr Muellers investigation has requested more than 100 blank subpoenas ahead of the coming trial of Mr Manafort, assuming that the charges are not thrown out.

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Mr Manafort has previously been deemed a flight risk by Mr Ellis, who wrote in a court filing addressing the matter: Specifically given the nature of the charges against the defendant and the apparent weight of the evidence against him, defendant faces the very real possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.

Before working on Mr Trumps campaign, Mr Manafort was a well known political operative in Republican circles, and had previously worked in a similar role in Ukraine.
Chicago (AFP) - A man in the US state of Kansas who shot dead an Indian immigrant while shouting "get out of my country," was sentenced Friday to life in prison.

Adam Purinton had previously pleaded guilty to the racial slur-filled, drunken attack in February last year at a suburban bar and restaurant in the Midwestern state.

Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, was killed in the assault in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe. His friend Alok Madasani, also Indian, was injured along with a bystander, Ian Grillot, who tried to intervene.

The 52-year-old Purinton received the maximum punishment for the murder, and two sentences of 165 months each for the attempted murders, the prosecutor's office said.

While Purinton would be eligible for parole in 50 years, he was likely to spend the rest of his life in prison.

He is also facing federal hate crime and firearms charges, which could result in the death penalty. Purinton has pleaded not guilty in the federal case.

- International outrage -

Witnesses told US media that Purinton screamed racial slurs and shouted "get out of my country!" at the two victims, before opening fire inside Austin's Bar and Grill.

Kuchibhotla and Madasani were aviation systems engineers for GPS manufacturer Garmin. Madasani later said the two close friends met regularly at the bar.

Purinton was captured later in the day at a restaurant, where he had allegedly boasted of killing Middle Easterners, according to the Kansas City Star newspaper.

He was charged with three counts -- one charge of premeditated first-degree murder and two charges of attempted premeditated fist-degree murder -- and pleaded guilty in March after reaching a deal with prosecutors.

The shooting came a month after President Donald Trump was sworn into office -- and ignited international outrage amid concerns of rising racial prejudice following the Republican's divisive election campaign.

With thousands of Indians visiting the United States every year for work or study -- especially high-skilled tech workers via H-1B visas -- the attack triggered shockwaves overseas.

In the weeks after the attack, Indians were concerned that animus against immigrants was on the rise in the US.

Hundreds of mourners had marched through the Kansas City suburb in memory of the victim and also honored Grillot. They held a vigil with Hindu, Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh prayers.
China is said to have deployed missiles to the Spratly Islands: TED ALJIBE/AFP/Getty Images

The White House has issued a warning to China over its increased military presence in the hotly contested South China Sea.

"We're well aware of China's militarization of the South China Sea," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters, adding that there would be near-term and long-term consequences for the country.

She did not specify what those consequences might be.

Ms Sanders was responding to reports that China had recently deployed missiles to three of the Spratly Islands  fortified outposts in the South China Sea where Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei have also claimed sovereignty.

The missile deployment has not been confirmed, but Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Friday that deploying "necessary national defense facilities" to the islands was within China's rights.

"It has nothing to do with militarization," Ms Chunying said at a press briefing. "The US constantly strengthens its military deployment in the South China Sea ... they should consider the consequence of this.

China has built up its presence on the islands more than any other country in the area, installing air bases, radar systems, and defence capabilities. On Tuesday, Chinas aircraft carrier conducted drills with fighter jets in the area for the first time.

The anti-ship missiles that China is said to have installed in recent weeks can strike surface vessels within 295 nautical miles, according to CNBC. The surface-to-air missiles can reportedly strike aircraft, drones, and cruise missiles within 160 nautical miles.

If the reports are accurate, they would be the first missiles deployed to the area.

The US and other world powers have cautioned against the militarisation of the sea, which is a vital shipping channel and is thought to possess sizeable natural gas and oil deposits.

Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop expressed concern about the news on Friday, telling Sky News that if the reports were correct, it would be contrary to China's stated aspiration that it would not militarize these features.

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The Philippines gave a more muted response, owing to their recently developed close relationship and friendship with China.

We are confident that those missiles are not directed at us, said Harry Roque, a spokesmen for President Rodrigo Duterte, according to Reuters. Be that as it may, we would explore all diplomatic means to address this issue.

News of the deployment came amid heightened tensions between China and the US, as President Donald Trump threatened to impose some $50bn in tariffs on China  and President Xi Jinping threatened to retaliate in kind.

The US has also increased its freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea under Mr Trump. China claims these operations are a violation of its sovereignty, and has threatened to step up their military presence in response.

US Navy Admiral Philip Davidson warned of Chinas growing military presence in the area last month, telling the Senate Armed Services Committee that the country is now capable of controlling the South China Sea in all scenarios short of war with the United States.

"The only thing lacking are the deployed forces, he said. Once occupied, China will be able to extend its influence thousands of miles to the south and project power deep into Oceania.
HCM CITY  Lac farmers in Vinh Long Provinces Vung Liem District are enjoying a bumper harvest and high prices.

Lac, a species of sedge used to make mats and other handicraft products, has a yield of 10-15 tonnes per hectare in the district, up a tonne from previous crops.

Traders are buying it at VN15,000  18,000 a kilogramme, VN 1,500  2,000 higher than during the last crop.

Nguyen Kim Ba, who has 2,000sq.m of the sedge in Trung Thanh ong Commune, said there is more sunlight this time, creating better conditions for the plant.

As a result, the quality of the lac is also high and traders are keen to buy them, he said.

He has earned a profit of VN10 million (US$440) this time, he said.

Nguyen Van Tam, a local trader, said the price of lac is high because supply cannot meet demand.

He buys one to two tonnes daily and sells to mat making villages in other provinces like Tien Giang and ong Thap.

More than 1,000 households in Trung Thanh ong Commune have had good incomes after switching to grow lac on their infertile paddy fields.

Lac provides four to five harvests a year and is easy to grow.

The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Vinh Long has around 306ha under the crop, mostly in Trung Thanh ong and Thanh Binh communes.

Trung Thanh ong, the districts largest lac planting area, has 227ha.

Besides providing stable incomes to farmers, the sedge also creates jobs for people who have to harvest, split, dry and spin the plant and weave mats, according to the district Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau.

Huynh Van Vu, chairman of the Trung Thanh ong Peoples Committee, told Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper that farmers in the communes ai Hoa, ai Nghia and Phu Nong hamlets have converted all infertile paddies into lac fields.

The profit from lac is six times that from rice.

The commune has nearly 3,000 people, or 70 per cent of its workforce, whose jobs are related to the crop.

Labourers earn VN60,000 -70,000 ($2.6 - 3) a day from harvesting, splitting, drying, and spinning it.

The district will encourage farmers to grow lac in zoned areas and saltwater-contaminated areas, according to the bureau.

Authorities would continue to identify buyer companies to guarantee outlets for products made from lac, it added.  VNS
TNI Staff

Security,

The deployment of the missiles is a massive provocation.

Why China's New Missiles in the South China Sea Should Scare the Navy and Air Force

China has reportedly deployed surface-to-air missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles to on Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef and Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands chain in the South China Sea. That is in addition to Chinas recent installation of jamming equipment in the region, which is designed to disrupt communications and radar systems.

The Chinese land-based anti-ship cruise missile is believed to be the YJ-12B, which would allow China to strike surface vessels within 295 nautical miles of the reefs. The long-range surface-to-air missiles are the HQ-9B, which can engage targets at ranges of 160 nautical miles. Intelligence assessments say the missile platforms were moved to the outposts in the Spratly Islands within the past 30 days, according to sources who spoke to CNBC on the condition of anonymity.

The White House is threatening consequences for the Chinese actions. "We're well-aware of China's militarization of the South China Sea," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters. "There will be near-term and long-term consequences."

The Pentagon is also raising concerns about the Chinese missile deployment. Moreover, the Pentagon suggested that Beijing actually benefits from Americas military presence in the region. "We have been very vocal about our concerns about them militarizing these artificial islands," Defense Department spokeswoman Dana White said. "China has to realize that they have benefited from the free navigation of the sea and the U.S. Navy has been the guarantor of that."

The addition of the land-based YJ-12B variant cruise missile could pose a significant challenge for U.S. forces. The Missile Defense Alliance describes the weapon as capable:

The YJ-12 poses a number of a number of security concerns for U.S. naval forces in the Pacific and is considered the most dangerous anti-ship missile China has produced thus far. The danger posed by the YJ-12 comes from its range of 400 km, making it the longest-ranged ACBM ever engineered, and its ability to travel at high rates of speed (up to Mach 3). This makes it difficult for Aegis Combat Systems and SM-2 surface-to-air missiles that protect U.S. carrier strike groups to identify and engage the missile since it can be launched beyond their engagement ranges, which greatly reduces the U.S. Navys time to react. Protection against the YJ-12 is even more difficult due to its cork-screw-like turns which allow it to evade final defenses. With the combination of Chinese Flankers, YJ-12s can potentially reach up to 1,900km which could cause an even larger problem for the U.S. than Chinas DF-21D ASBM. Deployment of the YJ-12 and the development of related ASCMs also demonstrates Chinas desire to field anti-access and area denial capabilities in case of future conflict.

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Meanwhile, the HQ-9Bwhile not as capable as the Russian S-300V4 and S-400is a formidable anti-aircraft weapon system. In operational planning terms, the HQ-9 should be treated as equivalent to early model SA-20 variants, with the caveat that the different acquisition radar package will impose unique planning requirements, especially in terms of EWSP and SOJ requirements, Carlo Kopp wrote in Air Power Australia. The possibility of FT-2000 anti-radiation rounds being mixed into HQ-9/FD-2000 TEL payloads presents a series of operational risks all of its own. The high mobility of the HQ-9 family of weapons will present similar SEAD/DEAD challenges as seen with late model SA-10, SA-20 and SA-21 variants, especially if a disciplined hide, shoot and scoot doctrine is followed by HQ-9 operators. Chinese sources claim that the HQ-9 family of systems employ much newer computing technology than imported Russian S-300PMU/PMU1/PMU2 systems. This suggests a equal or superior computing capability for signal processing, data processing and guidance support. The HQ-9 family of systems should not be underestimated - they will be credible equivalents to the SA-20 family of systems.

The deployment of the missiles is a massive provocation. If these missile systems remain on Chinas Spratlys bases, no amount of diplomatic rhetoric will placate other South China Sea countries and extra-regional powers like the United States, Japan, and Australia, Steven Stashwick wrote in The Diplomat. It seems likely that China will gage the reaction to this deployment to assess whether, or at least how quickly, it can deploy even more capable force-projection systems to the islands, like fighter and bomber aircraft, and conventional ballistic missiles capable of striking ships and bases at even greater distances, even beyond the South China Sea.

Read full article
Over the course of just two months, a 38-year-old woman suddenly developed a 132-lb. tumor in her ovaries.

The Connecticut mom underwent surgery at Danbury Hospital in February to remove the painful, fast-growing tumor that had swelled to be three feet wide after going up an additional 10 lbs. each week.

When I first walked into the examination room, I found this 38-year-old malnourished patient with a weight of 350 pounds and an extensive tumor that was about 100 centimeters [39 inches] large. I saw fear in the patients eyes. She was so hopeless, because she had seen several other doctors, and they were unable to help her, the patients doctor, gynecologic oncologist Vaagn Andikyan told CNN. Her legs were so swollen that she was unable to walk. Ive seen leg swelling, but Ive never seen leg swelling of this magnitude.

Pre-surgery

Dr. Andikyan told Time that he put an extra level of care into the surgery, and prepared a group of 25 workers  from surgeons to nurses to anesthesiologists  for the treatment.

I was very cautious. Nobody wants their patient to have a negative outcome, Dr. Andikyan said. What gave me a second wind was that we wanted to help the patient. When you have this internal feeling that youre helping, positive thinking helps you to achieve your goal.

And the five-hour surgery  where doctors removed the tumor and reconstructed her abdomen  exceeded his expectations, Dr. Andikyan said. They managed to remove the tumor while leaving her uterus, one ovary and most of her fallopian tubes intact, which means she still has the possibility of getting pregnant again and will not go into early menopause.

Post-surgery

Though the tumor turned out to be benign, Dr. Andikyan said the patient could have died if they had waited just a week or two more to perform the surgery. Instead, she should fully recover.

Luckily, she did not require any additional treatment, he told CNN. Shes back to a normal life, shes back to work, and when I saw her in my office, I saw smiles, I saw hope, and I saw a happy woman who is back to her normal life and her family.

Though this tumor was rare and extreme in size  doctors estimate it was one of the top 10 or 20 largest ever removed worldwide  they advise that women see a doctor if they have any odd pains.

If theres any complaining about stomach fullness or discomfort or indigestion, its really important to bring it to the attention of your doctor or health care provider, Dr. Linus Chuang, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology for Western Connecticut Health Network, said.
From the supervisors

The youth apprenticeship process is not only new to the students, but the three employers who hired them as well. Supervisors from Pexco Aerospace, CubCrafters and Triumph Actuation Systems share their thoughts.

Steven Meiser, machine shop supervisor, Pexco Aerospace

 On why youth apprenticeship is valuable: This is a stepping stone. Youre not going to leave here being a journeyman machinist, but this is the first step to being one.

 What apprentice Brad Ethier is bringing to the job now and the benefit of his job experience: Hes helping out and making parts. It relieves the workload of the other guys. In the long run, hell have a better idea of whats going on and what to expect.

Robert Detloff, fabrication plant manager, CubCrafters

 On why youth apprenticeship is valuable: The younger the mind, the more adept the mind is in soaking up new information, new concepts and new practices. We need to give these opportunities at the youngest age possible.

 On how apprentice Trevor Mackey benefits from the experience: He wants to be an engineer. His quality of engineering work is going to be orders of magnitude better because he spent time building the things other people designed. When he designs things, hell know to design them in ways that will be effective for manufacturers.

Zack Chouinard, shop floor supervisor, Triumph Actuation Systems

 The value of youth apprenticeship: There seems to be a shortage of skilled or qualified applicants. This is a good way to introduce these younger students to the industry. This is an option that can keep them from working at less-than-desired jobs.

 On apprentice Osborne Rogers progress: He seems to be developing his skills well. Hes at the point now where he pretty much comes in and works on his own.

Interviews are underway for the next class of youth apprentices, said Christopher Nesmith, career and technical education director for the West Valley School District.

Nesmith said several tweaks have been made to the program, including having the applicants interview at the hosting companies  company representatives came to West Valley High School last year  and pushing for apprentices to start working earlier  by early summer  to ensure they will complete 2,000 hours of work in a timely matter.

Five companies will be hosting one youth apprentice each, including the three that worked with the first group of apprentices. New to the program is Magic Metals and Rankin Equipment, both in Union Gap.

In the long term, Nesmith is reworking the pre-engineering class at West Valley Junior High School to ensure that future youth apprentices will have sufficient manufacturing, engineering and design skills when they are ready to be a youth apprentice in high school. Among the efforts is reworking the schools shop area to include various computer-automated machines.
HA NOI  The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has asked airlines, airport authorities and air traffic management officials to tighten supervision to ensure aviation safety.

The request follows recent incidents in the sector, particularly the Vietnam Airlines flight landing incorrectly in a runway that has not yet been put into use at Cam Ranh International Airport in the central province of Khanh Hoa .

Under the instructions dated May 2, the CAAV asked Vietnam Airlines pilots to make thorough preparations before flights, including studying the structure of the landing airport. They are also required to make contact with the air traffic control station of the airport to get meteorological information as well as landing methods and runway guidelines as early as possible.

The pilots must strictly adhere to aviation regulations, double check important information and report unusual signs that may confuse the pilot and threaten safety.

On April 29, Vietnam Airlines flight VN-7344, which departed from HCM City at 2:00pm carrying a seven-member crew and 203 passengers, touched down on a runway that was under construction at Cam Ranh Airport in Khanh Hoa Province at 2:53pm the same day. No one was hurt in the incident. All crewmembers and air traffic management employees in charge of the flights have been suspended during an investigation.

Following the incident, Vietnam Airlines held an emergency meeting to review all operations at Cam Ranh Airport as well as in other airports to avoid similar incidents in future.

A team has been set up to work closely with the CAAV and competent agencies to investigate the case, Vietnam Airlines said.

According to the new instructions, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam and Cam Ranh Airport were ordered to strengthen supervision of the investor and contractor in ensuring security and safety of the runway construction project. Measures must be applied immediately to warn flights landing in the airport of the condition of the runway  which is under construction, it stated.

The Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation and the air traffic control unit of Cam Ranh Airport were requested to intensify monitoring of aircrafts movements from the time they approach the airport for landing until they exit the runway.

On April 11, Vietjet Air flight VJ627 departing from a Nang City to HCM City had to fly back to its departure city after engine problems.

The CAAV said the occurrence was a severe breach of air safety and has opened an investigation into the incident.  VNS
Hundreds of Gypsies have been flocking to Israel for conferences following an Israeli scholars discovery of a biblical connection between Jews and Gypsies. According to Shmuel Avukia of the community of Kokhav Yaakov, one of the organizers of these conferences, the Romani people are the lost descendants of the Israelite tribe of Simeon.

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A few years ago, I began studying the biblical texts thoroughly, says Avukia, who has been researching the Jewish-Gypsy connection for several years now. Not just on the surface, what we read in the Torah portion every week, but really thoroughly. And thats where I stumbled upon the Romani issue.

Jewish-Gypsy meeting. There was a huge response

I discovered very interesting things about their connection to the Jewish people. It was really big, and I started talking about it a bit on Facebook and on the Internet and there was a huge response. I received many reactions and I decided to take it one step further and create the Jewish-Gypsy Forum.

The Gypsies know they are of Jewish descent

The forum convened in Jerusalem for the first time in early December 2017. About 60 Romani tourists from France arrived in Israel for a series of meetings with Avukia and other forum members. Together, they created a symbol combining a Star of David and the spoked wheel featured in the Romani flag.

Jewish-Gypsy meeting in Israel (Video: ATSIGANA) (: ATSIGANA )

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During the gathering, Avukia presented the findings of his research, which concluded that the Romani people are descendants of the tribe of Simeon.

The Gypsies know that they are of Jewish descent, but they have no proof. I believe that together with my research and things well learn about the Romani community, its traditions and its sources, well be able to piece things together.

I am in touch with representatives of Romani communities from France, Finland, Spain, Russia and even the United States

In a lecture to the Romani delegation, Avukia said the first verse he found pointing to Jewish-Gypsy connection is from the Book of Genesis: Esau said, Then let me leave some of my men with you. According to Avukia, deeper interpretations of the verse, and mainly of the world leave, might be a reference to other things apart from the literal meaning.

If we have proof, we cant ignore it

Since publishing his findings, Avukia has been contacted by thousands of members of the Romani community, and hundreds of them have already visited Israel for additional gatherings.

I am in touch with several representatives of Romani communities from France, Finland, Spain, Russia and even the United States, he says.

What drove you to search for a Jewish connection that has never been proven?

We see a historical connection between the people. The Nazis, for example, sought to annihilate only two peoplethe Jews and the Gypsies. And there are other historical contexts too. I think if we have proof that we have found a lost tribe, we cant ignore it.

We see a historical connection between the people

Has any rabbinical authority confirmed your research?

Im currently working on a video and on a book that will present all the evidence and the full research. Afterwards, well present it to the rabbis and to halachic authorities.

I assume they wont accept it.

Clearly, most people will try and toss it away, but Im following Jewish logicits only that which seems impossible that happens in the end, like the establishment of the State of Israel. It was a dream that seemed imaginary, but here we are.

Its clearly a process, and were only at the beginning of the road and we have to do it smartly and slowly. But if its the truth, it will materialize in the end.
As more and more Israelis return from extended rips to India and Thailand, the number of Asian restaurants in the country has mushroomed. Even acclaimed chef Sharon Cohenof Shila and Cafe Europa famewas bitten by the bug, opening the unpretentious Florentin House in the neighborhood of the same name. There he installed one of his most talented proteges, Ortal Rosenberg, as the chef in charge of the kitchen in this casual outpost.

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There are seven specialty cocktails, most featuring Asian spices, such as the sweet and mellow daiquiri with ginger and galangal. Our waitress, however, recommended the house margaritawhich turned out to be as good as you would find in any Mexican restaurant. There is a more than adequate menu of alcoholic drinks, with wine, beer and sake subcategories.

The menu devoted to pan-Asian cuisine comprises three sections: 13 appetizer-style dishes, primarily dim sum and buns; six first courses (two of them based on raw fish); and six main courses, including one soup. According to Chef Ortal, it is not unusual for diners to build a tasting menu solely from the first category.

Thus, we started with the Shumai steamed shrimp and scallop dumplings, accompanied by four condiments: chao chao (chili with garlic), soy sauce with ginger, sriracha, and a sesame seed and seaweed mixture. It was great fun dipping the delicate dumplings filled with tasty seafood into the different condiments.

Dim Sum (Photo: PR)

Next was the Shanghai beef and rice noodles, which came in the unusual form of half dumpling and half bao (steamed bun). These deceptively light treats practically melted in mouth.

Our last item in this category was the soft shell crab bun: the flash-fried Vietnamese delicacy with spicy aioli and pickled onion in steamed bread is then wrapped in an outer layer of crisp lettuce. This just may the best Asian bun I have had in Israel.

Crab bun (Photo: Buzzy Gordon)

In the second category, we had the red tuna long tail nigiri, alongside dabs of pumpkin chutney, black garlic, and wasabi. The freshness of the raw fish was evident, and enhanced nicely by the imaginative condiments.

Red tuna long tail nigiri (Photo: PR)

The beef tenderloin nigiri, meanwhile, was an interesting change of pace: the razor-thin slices of reddish pink meat draped over mounds of rice were surprisingly succulent.

Our main course was the seafood soup: a crab bisque fortified with coconut cream and studded with shrimp, mussels, calamari, asparagus and broccoli. The noodles were not Asian but rather Italian fettuccine made from scratch, completing a masterpiece of fusion.

Seafood soup (Photo: Buzzy Gordon)

The separate dessert menu lists four creative desserts with Asian accents, such as the satisfying rice pudding with kaffir lime, lemongrass, coconut cream and seasonal fruit.

The chef personally recommended the warm date cake topped with sheeps yogurt ice cream and sprinkled with caramelized pecans and walnuts; the delicious warm cake and cold ice cream were served in a superb molasses and whiskey sauce.

Date cake topped with sheeps yogurt ice cream and sprinkled with caramelized pecans and walnuts (Photo: Buzzy Gordon)

Those wishing to enjoy Florentin House cuisine at reduced prices will be pleased to learn that dishes are 1+1 from 10pm. There is also a discounted business lunch.

Florentin House the Restaurant. Not kosher. Florentin St. 6, Tel Aviv. Tel. (03) 616-4449

Kab Kem: Drinks and Thai bites

Kab Kem boasts a pedigree no less impressive than that of Florentin House: its parent is the venerable Thai House (Bayit Thailandi), widely acknowledged as one of Tel Avivs top Thai restaurants.

The focus of Kab Kem is spelled out right in its signage: drinks and Thai bites. The decor is dominated by a long, fully stocked bar, and dishesladen with protein and vegetables, and light on carbsare designed to go with the extensive alcohol menu of both Western and Asian spirits.

There are five specialty cocktails, accented with Thai herbs. The tom yum margarita, a Thai interpretation of the Mexican classic, is exactly as described: herbaceous and spicy. Ditto the Kapaochili-infused vodka with palm sugar and basil leavesthat is labeled tangy and spicy.

The menu sections are: From the sea; Beef, pork and more; Som Tam (three papaya salads); Hot from the wok; and Noodle dishes. In addition, there is almost a full page of vegan and vegetarian tapas.

Our waiter agreed to serve us a representative tasting menu, after we told him we eat everything but offal. We also assured him we can handle spicy: the menu uses chili pepper icons (from one to fours) to symbolize the degree of heat characterizing each dish.

He started us off with Pla Khemraw Mediterranean sea fish with ginger, chili and corianderand Goong Che Nahm Plablanched crystal shrimp with mint, garlic and chili.

Goong Che Nahm Pla (Photo: Ben Yuster)

Both dishes were beautifully presented; and while the former was unremarkable, the latter was an ideal balance of mild and spicy: the fragile yet flavorful shrimp virtually evaporated on the tongue, as the chili gradually left a pleasant tingle of heat in the mouth.

Pla Khem (Photo: Buzzy Gordon)

Moving on to the next category, we were served two regional specialties, starting with Sai Hua, seasoned beef sausage from Chiang Mai. This is a more complex dish than your ordinary sausage: the tasteand heatcontinues to build for as longand even afterthe meat is in your mouth.

The Nahm Tok Moo, which hails from Isan province in northeastern Thailand, consists of pork belly slices seasoned with mint, coriander and dried chili. Interestingly, it was served with sticky rice, which is usually reserved for desserts.

Nahm Tok Moo (Photo: PR)

Pork belly and sticky rice were both reprised in the dish called Som Tam Moo Krop, which revolved around the distinctive Thai papaya salad. The juxtaposition of warm, fatty pork with the cool, crisp papaya added up to a pleasant counterpoint of flavors, temperature and textures.

Nam Tok Moo (Photo: Yafit Simcha)

There is no dessert menu, but the three on offer were explained by the waiter. The signature dessert is the creme brulee with pineapple, executed perfectly: a light and richly sweet delight.

Creme brulee with pineapple (Photo: Buzzy Gordon)

A more authentic Asian dessert is the tapioca noodles in coconut cream with melon and water chestnuts. The tapioca in the form of noodles rather than beads is a novelty, and the liquidy dessert manages to be refreshing while staying sweet.

To enjoy Kab Kem for less money, visit between 6pm and 8pm, when some dishes are available in half-size portions, at reduced prices. (Note: Unlike the ordinary menu, the menu of discounted dishes is in Hebrew only.)

Kab Kem. Not kosher. Lincoln St. 11, Tel Aviv. Tel. (03) 688-9960
UNITED NATIONS - Kuwait blocked the UN Security Council on Friday from issuing a US-sponsored statement sharply criticizing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for what Washington called "vile anti-Semitic slurs and baseless conspiracy theories."

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Kuwait, a non-permanent council member that represents the Arab Group of countries on the 15-member council, objected to the draft statement, arguing that Abbas had already apologized and that it was one-sided, diplomats said. Two other diplomats said it opposed the press statement on grounds that it was not comprehensive.

Security Council statements are adopted by consensus of all 15 members.

Palestinian President Abbas (Photo: Reuters)

issued an apology earlier Friday over remarks in his speech Monday to the Palestine Liberation Organization parliament, which was sharply condemned as anti-Semitic by Israel , the US , UN, European Union and others.

In the lengthy speech, he said it was the Jews' "social function," including money lending, which caused animosity toward them in Europe, not their religion. He also described the creation of Israel as a European colonial project, saying "history tells us there is no basis for the Jewish homeland."

US Ambassador Nikki Haley was sharply critical of the Security Council's failure to respond.

"Disgusting anti-Semitic statements from the Palestinian leadership obviously undermine the prospects for Middle East peace," she said in a statement. "When the Security Council cannot reach consensus on denouncing such actions, it only further undermines the UN's credibility in addressing this critical issue."

The proposed statement, obtained by The Associated Press, would have expressed the Security Council's "firm and unequivocal rejection of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial" and called on Abbas "to refrain from anti-Semitic comments."

The UN Security Council (Photo: AP)

The draft would also have recalled "that anti-Semitism has historically contributed to threats to international peace and security, mass atrocities, and widespread violations of human rights."

The US circulated the statement Friday as several thousand Palestinians staged a sixth weekly protest on the Gaza-Israel border.

The protests every Friday are part of a campaign organized by Gaza's Hamas rulers aimed, in part, at breaking a decade-old blockade of the territory that imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic terror group took control there in 2007.

Since late March, some 40 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,700 wounded by IDF fire.

Last week, Haley accused Hamas of using women and children as human shields but made no mention of deaths or injuries to Palestinians by the Israeli military.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, said in a letter to the Security Council and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres late Friday that more casualties in the latest protests reinforce the "sense of despair and anger" in the face of what he called "this ruthless occupation."

"As tensions continue to rise and humanitarian and security conditions to deteriorate, the urgency of addressing this dire situation and bringing it back from the brink thus cannot be understated," he said. "Time is of the essence and the international community must act without delay."
Irans hardliners are preparing to bring President Hassan Rouhani to heel if US President Donald Trump scraps Tehrans nuclear deal with major powers, officials and analysts believe.

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Trump has threatened to abrogate the 2015 agreement by not extending sanctions waivers when they expire on May 12, if Britain, France and Germany do not fix its terrible flaws.

This sets the stage for a resurgence of political infighting within Irans complex power structure, Iranian officials said.

Iranian President Rouhani (Photo: AFP)

While the spotlight is on Trumps eventual decision there will be a display of unity in Tehran, a senior Iranian official told Reuters, on condition of anonymity.

But when the crisis is over, hardliners will try to weaken and sideline the president, the official said.

Nor can the president expect any weakening of Irans system of clerical rule as a result of the uncertainty surrounding the nuclear deal, meaning Rouhani will be in a no-win situation, said a relative of Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

For Rouhani the stakes are high. If the deal falls apart, he could become politically vulnerable for promoting the 2015 accord, under which non-nuclear sanctions were lifted in return for Tehran curbing its nuclear program.

It will also lead to a backlash against the moderates and pro-reformers who backed Rouhanis detente policy with the West ... and any hope for moderation at home in the near future will fizzle out, said political analyst Hamid Farahvashian.

It is a delicate balance. Khamenei knows that Iranians, many of whom took to the streets earlier this year to protest against high food prices, can only take so much economic pressure.

Weakened

But the establishment does not want too much of an opening to the West, despite the likely economic benefits. A weakened Rouhani, unable to push such policies, is likely to serve out his term, which ends in 2021, another senior official said.

His removal would be a sign of weakness for the system. It would harm its legitimacy abroad, the official said. But he will be blamed and pressured for the economic malaise.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei (Photo: AFP)

Khamenei gave guarded backing to Rouhani when he opened the door to nuclear diplomacy with world powers in order to end Irans economic and political isolation.

But the Supreme Leaders aversion to the United States remains a formidable barrier to any diplomatic solution now, so a Trump withdrawal would make it hard for Rouhani to pursue better relations with the West.

The internal politics will make it difficult, if not impossible, for Rouhani to pursue detente with the West and make concessions in return for economic gains, said another Iranian government official.

The European signatories of the deal have tried to persuade Trump not abandon it because they want to keep trading with Iran.

Despite threats to walk away if Trump buries the deal, several Iranian officials said that as long as Tehran was not excluded from the global financial and trading system it could consider respecting the accord.

Guards

But many foreign firms are hesitant to invest in Iran, worried by unilateral US sanctions imposed over human rights violations, terrorism, and the dominant role of the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Irans economy.

That is another area where Rouhani is exposed. He has sought without much success to curb the economic activities of the IRGC in order to attract foreign investment.

But under the command of Khamenei, the IRGC has ignored the governments attempts to limit its involvement in the economy.

Commander of the IRGC Mohammad Ali Jafari (Photo: AP)

If the nuclear deal collapses, what power Rouhani has to limit that involvement will decline further, boosting hardliners who want to see the presidents powers reined in.

The IRGC has done well since the sanctions relating to the nuclear deal were lifted, using front companies with no obvious link to the Guard to serve as a conduit for investors returning to Iran.

If sanctions are reimposed as a result of the collapse of the nuclear deal, the Guard is well placed to evade them.

Considering their vast business network and political and military influence, the IRGC will be back to the business of evading sanctions as they did for years in the past, said a western diplomat in Tehran.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (Photo: AP)

The IRGC stepped in when European oil companies abandoned energy projects after the United States and the European Union imposed sanctions in 2012.

Sepah (the IRGC) is an asset for Iran. They protect Iran whenever needed ... They rescued the economy when the enemies wanted to crush us with sanctions, said a hardline politician who declined to be identified.

If European investors yield to Americas pressure and leave Iran, then Sepah will take over, he said.

Concerns over possible Israeli military action against Irans nuclear facilities have empowered the IRGC, which runs security at home and abroad.

But experts believe that even under the umbrella of an emboldened IRGC, hardliners might hesitate to apply harsh policies, fearing a revival of the anti-government protests in January that showed the establishment was vulnerable to popular anger fuelled by economic hardship.
Former US secretary of state John Kerry reportedly met with Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at the UN two weeks ago in an effort to salvage the nuclear deal signed between world powers and Tehran, the Boston Globe reported on Friday.

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According the Globe, which cited a person who was briefed on the meeting, this was the second time in about two months the two had met in an effort to prevent the deal, which they both negotiated during the Obama administration, from falling apart.

Their first meeting was on the sidelines of a Munich conference in February. According to the New Yorker, during that first meeting, which it said was attended by others involved in the nuclear deal, Kerry quietly urged the Iranians not to abandon the deal or violate its terms - whatever the Trump Administration does.

Kerry and Zarif during a meeting in 2015 (Photo: Reuters)

Irans foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi, quoted by IRNA, said that Zarif has always met on the sidelines of such international summits with attending personalities and elites ... in the framework of preserving Iranian interests.

Zarif had met on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference with John Kerry and Ernest Moniz, foreign and energy ministers of the previous US government, who have a critical attitude towards Trump Administration policies," Qasemi said.

US President Donald Trump, who succeeded Obama, has threatened to abrogate the 2015 agreement by not extending sanctions waivers when they expire on May 12, if Britain, France and Germany do not fix its terrible flaws.

While Iran has accepted curbs on its nuclear work - which it says is for purely peaceful purposes - it has repeatedly refused to discuss its missile program, something the United States and European countries have called for.

Iran says its missile program is defensive, and that it is not related to the nuclear deal with world powers.

Kerry has reportedly been on an aggressive shadowy campaign, going through his contacts from his time as the secretary of state to try to pressure the Trump administration from the outside.

He met last month with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and in New York, as well as spoke on the phone to European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, the Globe reported.
Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister's wife, has reportedly offered to pay the state NIS 50,000 at most as part of a settlement to avoid being indicted in the so-called "residences affair," Channel 2 reported on Friday evening.

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Mrs. Netanyahu's legal team reportedly made the offer to Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and State Attorney Shai Nitzan during a meeting on Wednesday.

Sara Netanyahu is suspected of ordering private meals worth tens of thousands of shekels a month from high-end restaurants with the state footing the bill, according to a draft of an indictment set to be filed against her.

Sara Netanyahu (Photo: MCT)

Mrs. Netanyahu is facing charges of fraudulently obtaining benefits under aggravated circumstances, fraud and breach of trust.

Channel 2 journalist Amnon Abramovich reported details from the meeting.

Later, Mrs. Netanyahu's attorneys complained to Mandelblit and Nitzan that information from the meeting was being leaked online. "Things that were said here are already out there, in the media," they said.

"This is wrong, I'm asking everyone not to leak," Mandelblit said in response.

Until the attorney general reaches a decision on whether to indict the premier's wife, both parties will attempt to bring the investigation into her alleged impropriety surrounding her conduct at the prime minister's official residence to an end, with an admission to most of the details in the draft indictment and a sizeable fine paid to the state's coffers. However, Mrs. Netanyahu will not accept responsibility for the offenses.

Attorney General avichai Mandelblit (Photo: EPA)

According to Mrs. Netanyahu's defense team, she had "no awareness she may have been committing criminal offenses." She had placed her trust with the finance and administration officials of the Prime Minister's Residence and Prime Minister's Office, they claimed, and did not delve deeply into the details of how her orders were being carried out.

It is for that reason, they argued, that she had committed no offenses and did not encourage anyone to commit them a crime. In addition, since Mrs. Netanyahu is not a public servant, she was not aware of the regulations limiting her in ordering meals from restaurants and chefs, they claimed.

Lastly, Netanyahu's attorneys claimed that since she was not a public servant, Mrs. Netanyahu could not be charged with fraud and breach of trust.

According to the indictment, from the beginning of September 2010 at the latest and until March 2013, Sara Netanyahu acted in conjunction with former deputy director-general of the Prime Minister's Office Ezra Saidoff to create a false impression according to which no cook was employed at the prime minister's official residence in Jerusalem.

Ezra Saidoff (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The pair allegedly colluded to circumvent regulations that stated that if no cook was employed at the official residence, "prepared cooked food could be ordered to the residence according to need."

In so doing, the pair supposedly sought to obtain state financing both for employing the cooks working at the residence and for ordering ready-made meals and chefs to cook at the residence.

Funding for hundreds of meals from chefs and restaurants was thus allegedly obtained, costing the public NIS 359,000.
A pile of straw was set ablaze in the fields of Kibbutz Afikim in the Jordan Valley on Friday night in what is being described as the latest incident of "agricultural terrorism."

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The damage caused by the fire was estimated at hundreds of thousands of shekels.

In recent years, Farmers in northern Israel have been suffering from attacks on their agricultural equipment and fields, mostly in the form of arson - a trend that has only increased in recent months.

Field set ablaze in Kibbutz Afikim (:     )

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Hundreds of bales of straw, which were piled up and waiting to be transported to haylofts in Kibbutz Afikim, were set on fire on Friday night. While firefighters were rushed to the scene, the straw was completely burned, and it took hours to put out the flames.

Fire consumes crops in Kibbutz Afikim (Photo: Emek HaYarden Regional Council)

The Emek HaYarden Regional Council, where the kibbutz is located, called on the Agriculture Ministry and the Public Security Ministry to take action to stop this trend, rather than just make threats.

"This is the ugly face of agricultural terrorism," said council head Ido Greenbaum. "A field of wheat that someone had put a lot of work into growing, harvesting and gathering was vandalized with fire within seconds. The agriculture minister and the public security minister must start showing results to their actions. The endless talk we've been hearing is just not cutting it."

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked addressed the matter this week during an inauguration ceremony for a civil prosecution in the north, saying cooperation between the criminal and civil prosecution could help promote the fight against agricultural terrorism.

Burned harvester (Photo: Galilee Development Company)

Several days before Passover, two big and expensive harvesters were set aflame in the Jordan Valley. The angry farmers launched a protest across the country, bringing the burned harvesters along. When they wanted to display them near an Agriculture Ministry exhibition in Beit Dagan, they were removed from the place.
Former London mayor Ken Livingstone , who has been suspended from the British Labour Party after making anti-Semitic comments, claimed Friday morning that Zionists had collaborated with the Nazis in the 1930s.

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In an interview with Sky News, Livingstone admitted that the controversy over Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn 's failure to curb anti-Semitism in the party contributed to its poor performance in the local elections in Britain on Thursday.

However, he insisted that allegations he said Adolf Hitler was a Zionist were "smear" and then made further anti-Semitic remarks.

Ken Livingstone on Sky News

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"You only have to go on Jerusalem's Holocaust website. One of the documents you can download about the deal the Zionists did with Hitler in the 1930s. Hitler wanted to get all the Jews out of Germany, and the Zionists wanted to move them all and create a Jewish state in Palestine, and so they collaborated. They didn't like each other, but they collaborated," Livingstone claimed, insisting he was merely "stating a historical fact."

The Labour Party needed only two seats to win London's Barnet borough, but they lost to the Conservative Party.

Ken Livingstone (Photo: Reuters)

The defeated Labour councilor in Barnet, Adam Langleben, said the fact Jewish people felt they could not vote for Labour based on "their safety" was a source of "shame" for the party.

"Every Jewish Labour household we visited, people said, 'not this time,'" Langleben told The Guardian. "Activists were being told, 'this is a racist party, an anti-Semitic party,' doors were slammed in their faces."

"We as Jewish Labour activists were told we were endorsing anti-Semitism. The reason we have lost here is the inability to deal with this issue and to tackle anti-Semitism," he charged.

He called on party leader Corbyn to visit Barnet and apologize "to Jewish Labour activists, to Barnet Labour and to the Jewish community here so we can start the healing process."
HCM CITY  Leading business groups in the Asia Pacific region recently set up a comprehensive cooperation programme called M2030 that aims to raise awareness about and funds to combat malaria in the region.

M2030 is based on the initiatives of international healthcare organisations, companies, leading groups and the public, in a unique partnership that aims to eliminate malaria in Asia by 2030.

Under the programme, companies and groups target approaching 46 million people in the region in the next three years, and hope to raise a million dollars for the fund for malaria prevention in the region.

Even small gestures made by companies and consumers, like buying certain goods each day, will also contribute to preventing malaria, which affects many families in developing countries.

Participating companies will use the logo M2030 on all their products and information channels.

The profit earned from products with the logo M2030 will be contributed to The Global Fund to support countries where the fund operates.

Companies and organisations taking part in the programme are Indonesias Tahir, Thailands DT Families; Shoppee, an online shopping platform, Dentsu Aegis Network and Yoma Strategic Holdings of Myanmar.

Malaria is one of the most dangerous diseases in the world, with a child dying every two minutes. The number of malaria cases has fallen over the last 15 years. Doctors, however, have warned that there is resistance to medicine in Southeast Asia.  VNS
German rapper duo Kollegah and Farid Bang, whose music came under criticism for anti-Semitic lyrics, said Thursday they plan to visit the AuschwitzBirkenau Nazi extermination camp in Poland next month.

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Last month, the twowhose real names are Felix Blume and Farid El Abdellaouiwon the prestigious Echo award, Germany's top music honor.

The decision to award them with the prize caused outrage in Germany. One of their songs, "0815," includes the lyrics: "My body is more defined that those of Auschwitz inmates," as well as the line: "Commit another Holocaust, come with a Molotov cocktail."





German rapper duo Kollegah and Farid Bang win Echo award (Photo: AFP)

Earlier this week, the state attorneys in Dusseldorf announced they were investigating the duo for hate speech after two people pressed charges against the rappers.

German rapper duo Kollegah and Farid Bang (Photo: AFP)

Kollegah and Farid Bang said they plan to visit Auschwitz on June 3 after being invited there by the International Auschwitz Committee.

The organization's executive vice-president Christoph Heubner told German media that the visit "will not be a show, but a confrontation with the reality and history of this place."

Heubner added it's important "that every person is ready to learn and overcome anti-Semitic prejudices," noting the visit would also be "a signal to their many fans."
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and hundreds of anti-Kremlin activists were detained by police on Saturday during street protests against Vladimir Putin ahead of his inauguration for a fourth presidential term.

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Navalny had called for people to take to the streets in more than 90 towns and cities across the world's largest country to register their opposition to what Navalny says is Putin's autocratic Czar-like rule.

Protest in St. Petersburg (Photo: Reuters)

Putin won a landslide re-election victory in March, extending his grip over Russia for six more years until 2024, making him the longest-lasting leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin who ruled for nearly 30 years.

Navalny, who was barred from running in the election against Putin on what he says was a false pretext, was detained soon after showing up on Moscow's central Pushkinskaya Square where young people chanted "Russia without Putin" and "Down with the Tsar."

Footage of the detention posted online showed five policemen carting him off to a waiting van by his arms and legs.

Alexei Navalny arrested

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Navalny, who has been detained and jailed for organizing similar protests in the past, had managed to briefly address several thousand people beforehand, saying he was glad people had shown up.

Reuters reporters saw riot police systematically detaining other protesters in Moscow, some of them harshly, before bundling them into buses. In St Petersburg, protesters were prevented from reaching the city's central square. Pavel Kuznetsov, a 72-year-old pensioner wearing a T-shirt depicting Putin wearing a crown with a line through it, said he and others had turned up in Moscow to protest against what he said was an election designed to keep a dictator in power. Pavel Kuznetsov, a 72-year-old pensioner wearing a T-shirt depicting Putin wearing a crown with a line through it, said he and others had turned up in Moscow to protest against what he said was an election designed to keep a dictator in power. "We've come out here to demonstrate against the puppet elections," he said. "We've come out here to demonstrate against the puppet elections," he said. (Photo: AP) OVD Info, a human rights organization that monitors detentions, said it had received reports of police detaining over 350 people across the country. The largest number of arrests as of Saturday mid-afternoon was in Chelyabinsk, where 97 people were detained. In a protest in Yakutsk in the far northeast, 75 were detained but all have since been released. OVD Info, a human rights organization that monitors detentions, said it had received reports of police detaining over 350 people across the country. The largest number of arrests as of Saturday mid-afternoon was in Chelyabinsk, where 97 people were detained. In a protest in Yakutsk in the far northeast, 75 were detained but all have since been released. Protests took place in the Far East and Siberia as well. Protests took place in the Far East and Siberia as well. (Photo: EPA) In the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, around 1,500 km (900 miles) east of Moscow, a Reuters reporter saw a crowd of more than 1,000 people protesting, some shouting "Down with the Tsar!" In the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, around 1,500 km (900 miles) east of Moscow, a Reuters reporter saw a crowd of more than 1,000 people protesting, some shouting "Down with the Tsar!" Putin, 65, has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000. Putin, 65, has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000.

Backed by state TV and the ruling party, and credited with an approval rating of around 80 percent, he is lauded by supporters as a father-of-the-nation figure who has restored national pride and expanded Moscow's global clout with interventions in Syria and Ukraine.

The authorities regard most of the protests as illegal, arguing that their time and place was not agreed with them beforehand.

Putin has dismissed Navalny, who was barred from running in the presidential election on what he said was a trumped up pretext, as a troublemaker bent on sowing chaos on behalf of Washington. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, a close Putin ally, has called Navalny a political charlatan.

Putin is due to be inaugurated on Monday in a Kremlin ceremony heavy on pomp and circumstance.

With almost 77 percent of the vote and more than 56 million votes, his March election win was his biggest ever and the largest by any post-Soviet Russian leader, something he and his allies say gave him an unequivocal mandate to govern.

However, European observers said there had been no real choice in the election, and complained of unfair pressure on critical voices. Critics like Navalny accuse Putin of overseeing a corrupt authoritarian system and of illegally annexing Ukraine's Crimea in 2014, a move that isolated Russia internationally
Greek police announced Saturday they had opened an investigation into the desecration the previous day of Jewish graves in the Nikea cemetery, which is in the southwestern suburbs of Athens.

"Marble grave markers were damaged in the Jewish part of the cemetery of Nikea," a police spokesman told AFP, without giving more information.

Photos posted on the Facebook page of the President of the Central Jewish Council, Minos Moissis, show at least two broken tombstones.
A unique delegation of Holocaust survivors, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officers and American supporters of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) has recently completed a journey from "Holocaust to Independence, in Poland and Israel in cooperation with the IDF Witnesses in Uniform project.

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More than 150 FIDF supporters, together with 50 officers representing all IDF units, were able to experience the significant journey on the 70th anniversary of Israel's independence together with Holocaust survivors. The Holocaust survivors who participated in the mission were joined by their children and grandchildren, and thus constituted the story of three generations of heroism and victory.

This annual mission to Poland and Israel, the largest so far, began its visit in Poland in the city of Krakow and the Jewish ghetto. They visited the Auschwitz and Birkenau camps and the death pits in Tarnow. Following this, the delegation arrived in Israel to mark the Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror and Israel's 70th Independence Day.

Arrival ceremony at Ben-Gurion Airport (Photo: YNET)

The delegation was led by FIDF National President Peter Weintraub and FIDF National Director and CEO Maj. Gen. (Res.) Meir Klifi-Amir, and joining them were FIDF National Chairman Arthur Stark, FIDF National Vice President Bobby Cohen, FIDF Executive Director in Israel Brig. Gen. (Res.) Effi Idan, IDF delegation commander and Israeli Air Force (IAF) Air Support and Helicopter Division Head Brig. Gen. Nir Nin Nun, and Rabbi Yoel Fuchs. FIDF National Chairman Emeritus Nily Falic also joined them in Israel.

"One ends the mission with a renewed appreciation for the contribution of the IDF and its soldiers, as well as the FIDF members who support them," said Allen and Dorothy Calvin of San Francisco, California, who joined the delegation for the second year in a row and this year decided to bring their seven grandchildren with them.

"I wanted them to get a real understanding of the Holocaust that can be experienced on such a journey, said Allen. When you are standing on the grounds of Auschwitz, listening to the IDF chief cantor, Lt. Col. Shai Abramson, and walking arm-in-arm with IDF soldiers down the two-mile road, you get hit with a reality that you dont get any other way. This journey provides a unique perspective that people like me usually do not have access to. This is the legacy I would like to give my grandchildren.

Leon Shear, a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor from Ohio, also took part in the delegation. Leon was born in Poland and saw his mother and sister being sent to the gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau, and besides his brother, who also lives in the United States, his whole family was murdered in the Holocaust.

"I survived two years in Auschwitz, but it feels as if time stopped there. Returning here with IDF soldiers fills my heart with a spirit of new hope, said Shear, who came on the mission with his son Howard and his grandson Jeremy.

This historic nine-day delegation traced the modern history of the Jewish people through the memories of Holocaust survivors and the eyes of IDF officers, said FIDF National Director Klifi-Amir.

It told the story of our near-extinction in Europe, the creation of the state of Israel 70 years ago as the Jewish homeland, and the new generation of Jewish defenders who safeguard our legacy today. Marching tall and proud into the dreadful Auschwitz-Birkenau camps together with IDF officers and the survivors who somehow endured there, all while flying the Israeli flag, sends a powerful message to the world that we will never forget; Never Forget is the guarantee of Never Again. Thanks to a strong IDF  one of the worlds most moral armies  we can make sure that the Holocaust cannot and will not ever happen again.

This mission comes at a crucial time, and is one of the last opportunities for survivors to return to Auschwitz and tell of its horrors, said FIDF National President Weintraub. We passed through the gates of hell, ignoring the false promise that work will set you free, where countless Jews suffered from unimaginable cold, hunger, and despair. We were surrounded by those who survived within the camps walls, and also by those who make sure their stories are not forgotten  the brave soldiers who protect their legacy: the state of Israel and the Jewish diaspora.

Joining the delegation was also IAF pilot and Holocaust survivor Lt. Col. (Res.) Arie Oz, who arrived with his son, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Shir Oz and his grandson, Lt. Maayan, who currently serves in the IDF Air Defense Command.

Arie was born in Germany in 1936 as Harry Klausner. In 1942, at the age of six, he was separated from his mother and sent to a village in the Netherlands, where a local Christian family hid him. In the attic, through a small window, he saw the planes of the Allied Forces passing over the house on their way to attack the enemy and the bridges connecting the two countries. There, in the attic, he dreamed of flying and decided he would be a pilot.

Arie survived the Holocaust, and after the war he immigrated to Israel. In 1956 he completed his IAF pilot course and became a pilot in, and later commander of, the IAFs 120th squadron. Arie participated in Israel's wars and took part in significant missions such as Operation Entebbe and Operation Solomon.

The delegation's activities began with a festive dinner at the Sheraton Krakow Hotel. This opening dinner provided an opportunity for participants to get to know each other, and friendships were formed, and continued to grow strong throughout the mission.

The first day of the delegation, Friday, opened with a fascinating encounter with Holocaust survivor Eva Lavi, now 81, the youngest child on Schindler's list, who joined the delegation. Lavie, who until the age of eight survived the Krakow ghetto and Auschwitz, was finally saved with her parents by Oskar Schindler. On International Holocaust Remembrance Day this past January, Lavi proudly told her story on the UN stage, accompanied by her family.

The delegation then met with Oskar Schindler's relative, Rosemary Schindler, who demonstrated how one person can make a tremendous change in the world.

The delegation visited the city of Tarnow, which was once vibrant and had a thriving Jewish community. The IDFs chief cantor, Lt. Col. Abramson, led singing and prayer at the site which used to be a synagogue, but of which all that remains are the four pillars that held the Hechal.

The group visited the Forest of Bucina, where more than 800 Jewish children were murdered in a mass grave. The Nazis shot them and they fell one by one into a huge pit. The delegation held a ceremony in their memory, which included reciting the Mourners Kaddish and lighting memorial candles.

On Shabbat, the delegation held a morning prayer at the Isaac Synagogue, in which Holocaust survivors and IDF soldiers took part. Afterwards the group had lunch at the Galicia Jewish Museum and then toured the well-preserved Jewish ghetto, where many buildings look exactly like they did during the Holocaust.

Following dinner at the Sheraton Krakow Hotel, Malcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, spoke briefly to the participants, noting the IDF's strength, which is always evident, especially around Holocaust Remembrance Day, and that the IDF is the insurance policy of the entire Jewish people.

Abramson, together with the IDF's rabbinical choir, led the Havdalah ceremony with emotional singing that swept the participants.

On Sunday, the delegation visited the Auschwitz concentration camp and the Birkenau extermination camp. The guided tour was particularly difficult for some of the participants, but all agreed that it is crucial that every Jew visits this place, to see with their own eyes the evil Nazi machine.

FIDF supporters from Miami on the tracks leading to Auschwitz-Birkenau on April 15 (Photo: Shahar Azran)

To return to these terrible places  where they abused, starved, and murdered our brothers and sisters  was tragic. To visit the place in which Dr. Mengele conducted horrific experiments, to enter a gas chamber with signs of Jewish hands etched in the walls, to see with our own eyes the huge piles of clothes, shoes, glasses, suitcases, and hair of Jews.

It will take time until the members of the delegation, myself included, will digest everything we have seen and experienced on the Polish land. There is no doubt that the presence of the Israeli officers was a welcome source of light in this emotionally unbearable journey.

On Monday the group woke up with a sense of hope and joy in the heart. This was the day they left Poland and made their way to Israel, our land, our homeland. On the El Al plane, which FIDF chartered for the mission participants, the atmosphere was joyous and vibrant. People sang songs in Hebrew and danced in the aisles. The highlight of the flight was when it was decided to have an impromptu Bar Mitzvah celebration for Shear, who at 91 had never celebrated his bar mitzvah. In a special ceremony, with a Torah scroll and under the guidance of the military rabbi, Leon made the Jewish rite, and his singing was the symbol of the Jewish journey from Holocaust to freedom.

Auschwitz-Birkenau survivor Leon Shear celebrating his bar mitzvah on the FIDF flight from Poland to Israel on April 16 (Photo: Shahar Azran)

When the delegation landed at Ben-Gurion Airport, an exciting ceremony was held on the tarmac, which included singing and dancing. The delegations commander, Nin Nun, spoke and summarized the journey, saluted the Holocaust survivors and gave them a special pin.

FIDF National Chairman Emeritus Nily Falic congratulated the participants and noted the great importance of the journey in Poland, where the participants focused on the past and that now, upon their arrival in Israel they will experience the present and see the glorious future of the State of Israel, the people of Israel, and the IDF. The group traveled directly from the airport to Jerusalem, where they held a festive dinner at the King David Hotel.

On Tuesday the group traveled north to visit a Golani training base. They met with officers and soldiers, and were given the distinct privilege of viewing a special exhibition that emphasized the activities of the unit. After having lunch with the soldiers in the military dining hall, the group returned to Jerusalem.

The FIDF delegation with IDF soldiers from the Golani Brigade on April 17 (Photo: Shahar Azran)

On the eve of Memorial Day, they attended the official state ceremony at the Western Wall, in the presence of President Reuven Rivlin, IDF Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, and many other dignitaries.

On Wednesday, the delegation visited Israels official memorial site for fallen soldiers from the armored corps at Latrun, where, among the memorial wreaths, FIDF representatives laid a wreath on the memorial wall in memory of the fallen soldiers. From there they went to the 9/11 Living Memorial in Jerusalem.

In the evening, when Israels 70th Independence Day celebrations began, the delegation celebrated overlooking the illuminated Old City of Jerusalem. Fifty IDF combat veterans, who had received college scholarships thanks to FIDFs IMPACT! Scholarship Progam, took part in the party.

Afterwards, some of the participants in the delegation went to Safra Square and Zion Square to experience the special holiday atmosphere with the masses of the Israel and even enjoyed late-night falafel before the sunrise.

On Thursday, Independence Day, the delegation visited the base of the IDFs elite 8200 intelligence unit, where they met with the base commander, officers and soldiers, sang, danced and dined at a festive meal especially donated for the occasion.

In the afternoon, the delegation visited the presidential residence, where they met the country's senior diplomatic staff, and were photographed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin.

In the evening, a festive closing dinner was held at the King David Hotel, which included a fundraising session which raised $ 2.1 million to be used toward academic scholarships for combat soldiers.

Later, a joyous dance party was held with the officers who took part in the journey to Poland. At the end of the event, which lasted until the wee hours of the night, everyone thanked Shmuel Zaksenberg, the owner of the travel and tourism company "MOSAIC" for the excellent service that he and his team gave to the delegation, paying attention to every small and large detail alike. Am Israel Chai!
Police in Malaysia said they have located a van alleged to have been used as the getaway vehicle for the pair of assassins who killed engineer Fadi Albatsh, Malaysian newspaper New Straits Times reported.

The Malaysian chief of police told journalists that findings pointed to the suspects moving to a van after escaping on a motorcycle.

The police chief added that the weapons used to kill Albatsh were sent to a forensics laboratory, but the exact nature of the weapons was not divulged.
A spiraling controversy over anti-Semitic comments and conspiracy theories has roiled the city government, seemingly getting worse with every public attempt to ease the tensions.

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The issue nearly derailed a Washington City Council meeting Tuesday morning and resulted in the resignation of a city official who organized a disastrous "unity rally" that featured a speaker who called all Jews "termites."

At the heart of the debacle is City Councilman Trayon White, who ignited a firestorm on March 16 by posting a short video on his Facebook page claiming that an unexpected snowfall was because of "the Rothschilds controlling the climate to create natural disasters."

Washington DC City Councilman Trayon White was embroiled in a controversy surrounding anti-Semitic remarks he had made (Photo: Facebook)

White said he was unaware the Rothschild theory could be construed as anti-Semitic. The first-term African-American councilman reached out to try to mend fences, but several of the gestures seem to have made things worse.

He attended a Passover Seder and met with Jewish community leaders for breakfast over bagels and lox. He went on a guided tour of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum but abruptly left halfway through without explanation.

Then video surfaced from a February meeting of top city officials that showed White floating a similar conspiracy during an innocuous presentation about the University of the District of Columbia. White posed a question centered on the claim that the Rothschilds controlled both the World Bank and the federal government.

The video shows city leaders in the room, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, awkwardly laughing it off and moving on, but the footage further upset Jewish community leaders.

White asked a question at a meeting of DC officials regarding the Rothschilds' alleged control of both the World Bank and the federal government (Photo: Facebook)

Then a further revelation: White had contributed $500 from a fund meant for his Ward 8 constituents to a Chicago event for Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam.

Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam have a decades-old history of overtly anti-Semitic rhetoric. The Nation of Islam also does significant social and charitable work in black communities and retains some respect among those who don't share their views.

Last week, supporters of White held a rally outside City Hall organized by a member of the city's public housing authority board. At the rally, a representative of the Nation of Islam called one of two Jewish DC council members a "fake Jew."

The rally prompted calls for the resignation of Josh Lopez, the mayoral appointee who organized it. White did not attend the rally.

The events came to a head Tuesday morning before the council's regular session. A pre-session breakfast meeting ran an hour long as council members debated how best to respond to the rally and whether to call for Lopez's resignation. A local rabbi who was there as an observer shouted that the council members should be ashamed of themselves.

The council members then held an impromptu press conference outside the building where City Council President Phil Mendelson said that "intolerant speech ... has no place in our city."

The press conference held by Washington DC's councilmembers (Photo: AP)

As the council returned inside and resumed its normal meeting, news broke that Lopez had resigned.

Bowser's office had called for Lopez to apologize but not resign, but she accepted the resignation and issued a statement calling for unity going forward.

Repeated attempts to contact White for comment were unsuccessful. On Tuesday in City Hall, White pushed past a reporter who tried to ask him a question.

City officials hope the immediate controversy will die down with time, and White doesn't face re-election for another two years. The councilman may still face some sort of public censure if his contribution to Farrakhan is judged as a minor campaign finance violation. But the public and personal scars from the past few weeks could linger.

"Yes, it got personal," said Councilman Jack Evans. "I hope that relationships can be repaired, and they will be, and we will move on."

There's also the issue of White's relationship with the local Jewish community.

"I sincerely think he was just repeating conspiracy theories he had heard somewhere," said Rabbi Batya Glazer, who had met with White on the issue. "It does mean he has an obligation to clarify what his position is."

The controversy has also poked at some long-dormant societal sore spots. The Rothschild conspiracy theory has persisted for decades on the fringes of both black and white culture in America.

"Conspiracy theories are very dangerous ... because they exacerbate splits that already exist," said Andre Perry, who studies race and urban policy for the Brookings Institution. "This isn't about one city council member. This is about how susceptible we are to tribalism that is created by a lack of trust in one another."
CAIRO  Yemen's formal alliance with the UAE may be coming to an end after the latter deployed forces to a Yemeni island, without prior consultation with Yemen's exiled government, a senior Yemeni official said Saturday.

Over the past few days, the UAE has deployed some 300 soldiers, along with tanks and artillery, to the island of Socotra, which is recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site, heightening tensions between the two allies.

"The government had no idea whatsoever," the official said.

The UAE is a major pillar in a Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in northern Yemen, under the banner of restoring the authority of self-exiled Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
Malaysian police revealed Saturday that the two assassins who killed Palestinian Hamas engineer Fadi Albatsh used a van to escape the scene of the assassination, after leaving the motorcycle they used to get there behind.

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Royal Malaysia Police Inspector General Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the vehicle was awaiting the killers, and that they later escaped to another country in the region. The Malaysian police was reportedly investigating whether they had escaped to Thailand.

Albatsh (R) explaining Gaza's problem

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The weapons used to kill engineer Fadi Albatsh may have been found, Malaysian police said

The Malaysian chief of police added that weapons that may have been used in the hit were sent to a forensics laboratory, clarifying it was still unclear whether they were indeed used in the killing.

"Police have exposed the weapon," he said, "but I cannot yet divulge more details until a report on the matter is received."

Lastly, Harun revealed that the assassins used fake passports from Serbia and Montenegro to enter Malaysia, adding passports of other countries may have also been used.

Albatsh, 35 at the time of his death, was shot to death April 21 at around 6am by two unknown assailants riding a motorcycle, as he was making his way from his Kuala Lumpur home to a nearby mosque.

Inspector General Mohamad Fuzi Harun added the 2 hitmen were using fake passports from Serbia and Montenegro (Photo: AP)

The engineer, originally from the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, worked at the isolated enclave's electricity company before leaving for Malaysia. He received his bachelor's degree from the Islamic University of Gaza, and a doctorate from a Malaysian university after moving to the country in 2011.

He was considered outstanding in the field of electrical engineering and has won numerous awards for his work. According to his resume, he had worked in areas that may relate to installing transmitters on drones.

He was buried in Gaza on April 26. "Albatsh had always hoped for a martyr's death," Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh said at his funeral. "We shall sever the arm that was sent to rid of this knowledge."

Hamas leader Haniyeh said at his funeral Albatsh had 'always hoped for a martyr's death'

"Albatsh returned to Gaza in spite of the opposition of (Defense Minister Avigdor) Lieberman. We thank Malaysia, Egypt and anyone who helped in returning him to Gaza," he added.

"It's an honor for Palestine, Gaza and Jabalia for Fadi to have hailed from there. Blood is the fuel of our lives and assassinations are the path to martyrdom. We shall prevail," the Hamas chief vowed.
A vehicle convoy will slowly make its way starting 8am Sunday from Umm al-Fahm to the Jerusalem Government Quarter in protest of endemic violence in the Arab sector.

The convoy is expected to reach its destination near 1pm.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Wednesday to "discuss regional developments," a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office Saturday said, marking the leaders' first meeting since Russia blamed Israel for an airstrike in Syria last month.

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In addition, Putin invited Netanyahu to participate with the Russian leader in the annual march marking the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, after which they will convene in the Kremlin.

The meeting was confirmed following a phone conversation between the two this past Monday, in which they had agreed to meet as soon as possible.

PM Netanyahu (L) will meet Russian President Putin in Moscow Wednesday (Photo: Kobi Gideon/GPO)

This will mark the two leaders' eighth meeting in the past two years. During the period, they spoke at least 12 times on the phone.

Before arriving in Russia, Netanyahu will embark for Cyprus Tuesday, for a tripartite meeting with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

Russia blamed Israel in early April for the strike, saying in a statement by the Russian army that two Israeli fighter jets carried out the attack on the T-4 Airbase near Homs. Later on, a Russian statement said, "Syrian air defense intercepted five out of eight missiles that were fired from Lebanese airspace."

Following the strike, the Israeli ambassador in Moscow was called into the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry to provide clarifications. The prime minister also spoke with President Putin on the phone, with the latter asking Netanyahu to put an end to further airstrikes in the war-torn country, as they may further destabilize it.

Footage of the attack

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On the Israeli side, growing concern could be noted surrounding the possible sale of the Russian-made S-300 aerial defense system to Syria. A Russian diplomat said two weeks ago that Israel contacted Russia asking for the system to not be provided to Syrian President Bashar Assad's army.

Russian daily Kommersant quoted experts that said Israel may respond negatively to such a decision, going so far as to bomb the area in which they are stationed.

Yedioth Ahronoth military commentator Ron Ben-Yishai noted recently that the head of the Russian General Staff Col.-Gen. Sergei Rudskoi's affirmation of the sale of the S-300 system to Syria should be taken seriously, not merely because the Russians wanted to exact a painful price against American , Western and Israeli interests in the region but also because Russia will leverage any situation to increase its foreign currency intake at the expense of its allies' distress.

The Russian S-300 system (Photo: AP)

The S-300 aerial defense system is more advanced and efficient than any other antiaircraft system currently in Syrian hands. The system is capable of intercepting not only planes but also ballistic and possibly even cruise missiles at ranges of more than 150 kilometers and at extremely high altitudes.

While Syria sought to procure the system from Russiawith Iranian financingRussia has thus far refrained from finalizing the sale under American and Israeli pressures
HA NOI  A special task force has been set up to strengthen social order and security at transit points and in buses during peak hours in the capital city of Ha Noi.

The force is a collaboration of the inspection centre under Ha Noi Transportation Corporation (Transerco) and the Ha Noi criminal police division.

Pickpocketing has become an acute problem in the city in the past few years.

However, it is not easy to deal with this kind of crime as most of the criminals involved in bus robberies are drug-addicts, while some of them suffer from HIV, said a representative of Transerco, adding that the criminals fight back fiercely when being arrested and do not refrain from using tricks.

Since its establishment, the task force has conducted inspections and caught many thieves, most of whom have criminal records.

Pham Manh Hung, head of Transercos inspection centre, said pickpocketing cases are gradually decreasing, thanks to the efforts of the competent task force.

Thieves usually target those passengers who are not careful with their valuables, he was quoted by Giao Thong (Transport) newspaper.

The task force will focus on crime hot spots, including bus transit points, crowded bus stops and buses, Hung said.

A hotline has also been set up in the companys buses to help the competent agency get feedback on the quality of public service, he added.  VNS
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit published a video Saturday evening showing Hamas faking injuries and using women and children to mask its terror activities during the weekly border protests, intentionally making it harder for the IDF to retaliate while "creating a false pretense and misleading international public opinion."

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The spokesperson's unit also once again accused Hamas of using mass protests on the Gaza Strip's border as cover for throwing explosive charges and grenades and attempting to infiltrate Israel.

IDF footage of faked injuries, children at border protests (:  ")

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During the violent riots that once again plagued the strip Friday, the army said a Palestinian mob set fire to gas and fuel pipelines and damaged fences and gates on the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing.

IDF Spokesperson's Unit footage showed a man faking an injury during border protests (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

The property damaged was intended to serve the people of Gaza, the army noted, and was placed there by Israel as well as other countries.

"This violence, which directly impacts the welfare of the people of Gaza," an IDF statement said, "is being led by the Hamas terror group, which tries to create a false pretense to which it drags and endangers its own civilians."

A grenade thrown by Palestinians at IDF forces (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

"Hundreds of trucks bearing equipment and goods have gone through the Kerem Shalom crossing every week for years, while gas and fuel were funneled into the strip for the use of its citizenry. By (harming them), Hamas is working against the interests of Gazans and deteriorates their situation for its own ends," the statement concluded.

Border rioters, using slingshots, managed to down two IDF surveillance drones used to monitor activities in the protesta simple Phantom 3 drone and a more advanced Matrice type drone.

IDF drone intercepted by border rioters

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The IDF made clear that the scout UAVs were only used to document the border disturbances and that there was therefore no fear of classified intelligence being gathered from them.

The protesters published documentation of the downing of one of the drones, which was followed by cheers of joy and chants of "Allahu Akbar" (God is the greatest).

The Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing on fire (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

A little after 4pmwhen the protests beganthick, heavy smoke started to billow in the protest's hotspots as a result of burning tires. In the early afternoon, the IDF warned rioters near the fence against attempting to breach it as some did in last Friday's demonstration.

Gas pipelines were torched during the protests (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

"We do not want the situation to deteriorate," the IDF told protesters using loudspeakers. "We urge children against approaching the fence and advise adults to keep the children away from the fence and to do so yourselves, because we are ready for any eventuality.

"If you're thinking of doing what you did last Friday, you're making a mistake. We have forces on all nearby mountains, snipers and monitors. You have been warned."
Six Palestinians were killed Saturday evening in an explosion in the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza strip. Four of the casualties belonged to Hamas's military wing.

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Gaza media reported the explosion was a "work accident," meaning the terrorists were killed when explosives they were dealing with went off.

An explosion in Deir al-Balah claimed the lives of 6 Palestinians, 4 of whom were reportedly members of Hamas's military wing

While Palestinians searched the area for survivors, Hamas's military wing blamed Israel for the blast, calling the incident in a statement a "deplorable Zionist crime" perpetrated against its fighters.

"During a complicated security and intelligence operation conducted by Qassam Brigades to investigate a serious and a grave security incident conducted by the Zionist enemy against Palestinian resistance, a deplorable crime took place against our Mujahideen in the area of Zawayda in central Gaza Strip," it said.

Hamas provided no further details.

One of the victims of the explosion, as per Palestinian reports, was a commander of an engineering unit in the central strip division, while another was a communications commander for the same division.

Smoke rising from the blast

A Gaza source told Ynet, meanwhile, that the casualties were members of an engineering group that attempted to dismantle an Israeli rocket that had not detonated. As they were working to defuse it, it went off, he added.

The blast rocked Gaza near 7:30pm, with Reuters television capturing a pillar of smoke rising above the village of Zawayda near the coast of Gaza, far from the border with Israel where tensions have escalated in recent weeks.

The explosion's aftermath

Denying any culpability for the explosion and consequent deaths, "The IDF is not involved in this incident in any way," a military spokesman said.

Reuters contributed to this report.
The override power will go up to a vote in the Ministerial Legislation Committee Sunday despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to postpone it by another week in order to hold further talks on the matter with his coalition partners.

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The vote had already been postponed once last week, following Prime Minister Netanyahu's meeting with Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut.

A Likud source estimated Netanyahu will not veto the vote, saying, "Netanyahu is sponsoring the law himself and asked for the postponement only to rope in all coalition members and present the bill with wall-to-wall governmental support."

PM Netanyahu (R) request a postponement on the override power bill vote, but was denied by Bayit Yehudi's Shaked (L), Bennett

The override power initiative became a top priority for nationalist lawmakers following uncertainty over the fate of illegal African migrants in the aftermath of a series of failed deals for their deportation. Initially floated as a possible remedy for the crisis, the power is intended to limit the High Court of Justice's ability to strike down Knesset laws by passing them again with a preordained significant majority of MKs.

"It seems the only ones harming the chances of the bill's passage are those who can't rein in the impulse to make another headline and rake in some political capital," the source added.

When the override power bill is approved in the ministerial committee, it will go up to the Knesset Plenum for a first reading vote.

Netanyahu contacted Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked over the weekend asking to delay the vote. A source close to Shaked said it will take place as planned, as did Bayit Yehudi Chairman Naftali Bennett, who announced no postponement will be made.

"We'll be bringing the override power to a vote this coming Sunday, and are expecting the prime minister's support," Bennett tweeted.

Debate between coalition partners centers around the number of lawmakers needed to recertify a bill struck down by the court. While Bennett and Shaked stuck to their demand of a 61 MK majority, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and Chief Justice Hayut maintained a 70 MK majority was needed.

The Ministerial Legislation Committee's itinerary showed it will be voting on three privately-sponsored bills on the matter, all by Bayit Yehudi parliamentariansNissan Slomiansky, Motti Yogev and Bezalel Smotrich.
News

Washington, DC - President Donald J. Trump met yesterday with Attorney General Sessions, Secretary Nielsen, Director Coats, General Kelly, Ambassador Bolton, Don McGahn, and Director Wray to discuss the Administrations efforts to bolster the security of the Nations election systems, including enhanced protections against malign foreign influence.

The Administration is focused on working with State and local election officials to ensure that every Americans vote counts and is counted correctly. The President received an update about current Federal election security-related efforts, including information sharing and best practices like using paper ballots, issuing security clearances, and conducting security assessments. He also reiterated his guidance that election security is national security. The Trump Administration will continue to provide the support necessary to the owners of election systems  State and local governments  to secure their election processes.
Being a jobless graduate in Ghana is a very terrible experience. Day in and day out, thousands of jobless men and women in Ghana send in several applications to online recruitment portals just to try their luck on possible job openings.

The government has expressed interest in creating jobs for the teeming youth in the country. In fact, there has been the launch of the nation builders corps which will see 100,000 jobs dished out to help reduce the rate of unemployment which stands at 11.9 percent.

READ ALSO: It was all a movie: Woman caught in 'pant-removing' photo clears air

This article explores the painful experiences most unemployed men in Ghana go through.

1. The 'lazy tag.

It is a trend for unemployed persons in the country to be tagged as lazy. It even gets worse when you are a man. This is mainly because unlike women, most men are believed to have a special trait that helps them have an advantage over their counterparts.

2. Advances

It is a clear fact that, men in the country suffer advances from their fellow counterparts especially when it comes to some prospective female employers demanding some favors from their prospective workers. All in the name of getting a job we tend to have these men suffer the pain of sexual advances from their prospective female workers.

3. The victim in power struggle

The power play is also one of the main issues that most unemployed men continue to face. It is a fact that most female employers have power plays with their fellow men in cases they get employed. This struggle is what often gets these men mostly without jobs.

4. Exploitation and abuse

It is no denying the fact that many Ghanaian men suffer the pain of exploitation and abuse during times of employment or even seeking for a job. The abuse and pain of wanting something in return are what always drives them away from the act.

5. Empty lies

Most guys are said to be having issues of unemployment mostly when we have issues of these persons being tagged in the negative light.

6. Spiritual superstition

We live in a superstitious world and more so things get so serious when unemployed men get the ill perception of either being evil or having to have chewed their opportunities away.

Check out some of the trending news in Ghana in YEN.com.gh's video below:

What do you make of this? Share your views on this with us in the comments section. Have a hot story or scandal to share with YEN.com.gh? Send it to us on Facebook now!

Source: Yen
- A Nigerian has been arrested for peddling narcotics from Ghana to his country

- Michael Ede was caught with 209 parcels of "wee"

- He pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to 10 years behind bars

An Accra High Court has jailed a Nigerian who was caught transporting parcels of "wee" to his home country.

Michael Ede was caught in his way to Nigeria with 209 parcels of "wee" but it has been two years since he was made a remand prisoner. This was reversed during the Justice For All Programm (JFAP) sitting which happened at the Akuse Local Prison in the Eastern Region.

READ ALSO: Video of Obinim making a woman carry bag of cement in exchange for lotto numbers goes viral

The court ruling orders that all 209 parcels of "wee" would have to be burnt in the presence of the Courts Registrar, the District Police Commander in Somanya and the Police Investigator.

Meanwhile, Ede was however not pleased with the sentence meted out to him saying he thought he would be given a lesser punishment but the court explained to him that the sentence meted out to him was the minimum.

READ ALSO: Here are all the female celebs who dated "broke" men and regretted it big time

The trafficking of narcotics remains one of the huge security challenges in the country. As it stands now, Ghana remains of the entry points for drug peddling in Africa as traffickers mostly use the porous borders as points of entry.

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 Facebook or Instagram now

Source: Yen
YEN.com.gh has sighted a video yet another viral video of the founder and leader of the International Godsway Church (IGWC) Bishop Daniel Obinim.

In the video, 'Angel' Obinim, as he also known, claims to be communicating directly with his master in heaven.

The controversial Obinim is seen angrily exchanging words with the invisible creature in a strange language in the presence of his church members.

READ ALSO: From her pregnancy till now - Nana Aba Anamoah's baby daddy spills all the beans on radio (AUDIO)

According to him, he was being interrogated and accused by the master for not ensuring that he and his partner, Angel Gabriel, did not properly execute their heavenly duties.

Explaining that it was no fault of his to his master he said, Father ask him, yes you can ask him, Gabriel. Yes because I went there with Angel Gabriel. I went there with him.

Obinim continued to speak in the heavenly language, as he claimed. This time in a more angry tone.

READ ALSO: Nana Ama McBrown finally reacts to rumours that she's 'forcing' her husband to love her

While translating the scenario to one of his interpreters, Obinim said his boss in the spirit world had expressed displeasure because he expected him to do exceptionally well on one of the tasks with Angel Gabriel.

Daniel Obinim was insistent that what seemed to be a bad event was no fault of his since the one he sent refused to go on the mission and now the blame has been put on me.

If not for my boss who says he has forgiven me, I would have had issues in the spiritual.

READ ALSO: 4 female celebrities who sponsored broke men and regretted it big time

However, he promised to take revenge since he is also an angel.

Ordinarily, such an act from a pastor should raise eyebrows but for followers of Obinim, this should be just one of those things.

READ ALSO: Former Tiger Eye crew member 'exposes' Anas' secrets

For a man actually calls himself an 'Angel', it should be no big deal if he communicates with his fellow angels

Check out some of the trending news in Ghana in YEN.com.gh's video below:

READ ALSO: Video of Obinim making a woman carry bag of cement in exchange for lotto numbers goes viral

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh?

Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now

Source: Yen
- A man and his nephew have been arrested for assaulting a pastor at Sankore

- The man attacked the pastor for asking him to render an account of church revenue in his possession

- The pastor who managed to run away with his elders after the attack to report the matter to the police suffered a deep cut under his left eye

A man identified as Agya Osei and his nephew, only identified as Kofi, have been arrested by the Sankore police in the Brong Ahafo Region for assaulting Bismarck Mensah, head pastor of the Mosama Church International at Sankore.

According to reports, Osei and his nephew subjected the pastor to severe beating for asking him (Osei) to render accounts of the churchs revenue which was in his possession.

Pastor Bismarck Mensah

The pastor and some elders of the church, Daily Guide reported, went to Oseis house in a peaceful manner to ask him to render the accounts to them.

READ ALSO: Former Tiger Eye crew member 'exposes' Anas' secrets

But he became angry and without any provocation, allegedly descended on his pastor with the help of his nephew.

The attack, which is said to have happened on May 3, 2018, at about 8:00 am, was reported to the police and the pastor was later issued with a medical form to attend hospital.

Pastor Mensah is currently nursing a deep cut he sustained on the lower side of his left eye.

READ ALSO: From her pregnancy till now - Nana Aba Anamoah's baby daddy spills all the beans on radio (AUDIO)

According to the report, Brong-Ahafo Regional Police PRO, Chief Inspector Kinsley Oppong, has confirmed the incident.

The police chief explained that Pastor Mensah and his elders took to their heels and reported the assault on them to the Sankore police, who later arrested and detained Osei and Kofi for questioning.

The case is still under investigation after which the suspects will be arraigned before court, he reportedly assured.

READ ALSO: Look inside Jackie Appiah's millionaire mansion and view photos of her luxurious cars

Check out some of the trending news in Ghana in YEN.com.gh's video below:

READ ALSO: Video of Obinim making a woman carry bag of cement in exchange for lotto numbers goes viral

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
Ghana's star actress, Jackie Appiah, recently acquired a new powerful car - a Maserati.

The popular entertainer quickly took to social media to celebrate her new acquisition.

Jackie Appiah shows off her Maserati

The episode typifies how successful Jackie has become since she started acting over 15 years ago.

Jackie Appiah

She has become one of the stars of the Ghanaian movie industry, which has been dubbed "Ghallywood".

The 35-year-old has been acting since she was a teen in the early 2000s.

She hit the limelight after starring in the television series "Things We Do for Love" .

The actress has appeared in scores of movies, including Perfect Picture, Turning Point and Beyonce.

Jackie has made a lot of money from movies, endorsement deals and the several businesses deals that she has invested in.

The money helps her to finance expensive vacations abroad.

Here is a photo of Jackie in New York, USA.

And she is chilling on a plane.

Here is another photo of her in a plane.

READ ALSO: Breaking star actress reported pregnant.

Jackie also treats herself to the latest dresses, bags and other fashion accessories.

See how she stuns in the African print wear.

The actress drives a Range Rover and other very expensive cars, including a Mercedes Benz V8 G-Wagon.

Here is another photo of the glorious G-Wagen.

Jackie also lives in an expensive house.

The house features prominently in many of the pictures she shares on social media.

Here is Jackie having fun in the house.

READ ALSO: 4 female celebrities who sponsored broke men and regretted it big time

Jackie is fun, brilliant and inspirational, and we wish her all the best.

READ ALSO: Osebo reveals how Nana Aba Anamoah forced him to abandon his son (AUDIO)

Use the comments section below to share your views on this story.

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 Facebook or Instagram now.

Source: Yen
By May. 01, 2018



August 16, 7 pm



The Civilian Conservation Corps in Southern IL and Western KY

Presented by Kay Rippelmeyer, author of Giant City State Park and the Civilian Conservation Corps & The Civilian Conservation Corps in Southern Illinois

The Civilian Conservation Corps in Southern Illinois, published in February 2015, received the superior achievement award for scholarship from the Illinois State Historical Society in 2016.



September 13, 7 pm

Children of Promise

With Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Bill Cunningham

Cunningham is the author of the acclaimed best seller, On Bended Knees. He has written six books on regional history, all of which chronicle the struggles for justice in western Kentucky since the Civil War.



November 15, 7 pm

The History of Fort Campbell

Led by John O'Brien, Post Historian at Fort Campbell

He will discuss the historic ride that took Fort Campbell from a "Giant Bachelor City" to a "World-Class Army Home."



December 6, 7 pm

19th Century Steamboats Built at Communities along the Lower Ohio River

Presented by Robert Swenson, emeritus SIU Associate Professor of Architecture, retired architect, and Heritage Preservation Consultant.

He received the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois State Historical Society. He will share research about the over 260 steamers known to be built at Smithland, Paducah, Metropolis, Mound City, and Cairo beginning in the 1820s through the 1930s.



All programs are free & open to the public.



For more information, contact Bobbie Wrinkle at 270-442-2510 ext. 119 or email bwrinkle@mclib.net



PADUCAH, KY - McCracken County Public Library, 555 Washington St. in downtown Paducah, will host the Evening Upstairs series, offering a wide variety of interesting speakers:
Opry Mills Shooter Charged With Criminal Homicide

Advertisement

By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 04, 2018 | NASHVILLE, TN

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 04, 2018 | 11:54 AM | NASHVILLE, TN

Nashville's Opry Mills shopping mall reopened for normal business hours Friday morning with an increased police presence, after one young man ended a fight with another by fatally shooting him Thursday in the mall.



Police identified the victim as Demarco Churchwell and the suspected shooter as Justin Golson, both 22 years old.



Golson was in police custody and being interviewed by investigators Thursday evening.The Metro Nashville police department tweeted Thursday night that Golson would be charged with criminal homicide.



According to authorities, Golson worked at the mall at a shoe shining kiosk, and knew Churchwell. He reportedly told police that their feud originated from a fight with one of Churchwell's relatives in March.



According to NewsChannel 5, the shooting happened in a hallway near Auntie Anne's Pretzels and Old Navy. The 22-year-old shooter reportedly ran outside to a ticketing booth, laid the gun on the counter and told them to call 911. He was ordered to lie on the ground by a retired California police officer who now lives in Tennessee.



The Tennessee Highway Patrol said several of its troopers happened to be in a parking lot at the mall performing motorcycle training. A tweet by the highway patrol says those troopers present immediately responded and helped Nashville police secure a perimeter around the mall. The Nashville Fire Department also helped at the scene.



Frightened workers ran for the exits after the gunshots, then huddled outside as emergency vehicles converged on the scene.
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Last Great Queen? is a book by Unity Elias Yang that reflects on the role played by British Empire in world history.

Yaounde, Cameroon  May 4, 2018  Unity Elias Yang is surely one of the most gifted writers to have ever come from Cameroon, Central Africa. He is known to write freely on a widely range of topics such as political matters and physical sciences. Unity Elias Yang also excels in writing childrens books. Some of his notable works include The Third World, Where Is It?; Your Babys long journey to school; A Global State through Democratic Federal World Government; Little Anita visits the Bank; Womens and Childrens Chambers of Parliament: Democratizing representation centuries after Aristotle and Children and Citizenship class 1 to 6.

In his latest book Last Great Queen? Unity Elias Yang focuses on the importance of British monarchy and the positive role that it has played in shaping up the world over last several hundred years. In his book, he has argued that Elizabeth II is the last representative of a great royal family that shaped up the world in which we stand in. The British monarchy is certainly different from all the other royal families in the world. It is therefore no wonder that that the pre-colonial Kings of Cameroon felt strongly motivated to approach Queen Victoria and apply to her so that in turn they might colonize them.

Being a part of the British Empire certainly came with its own share of advantages. While the monarchy is considered to be rather outdated in modern times, it certainly did play a special role in making sure that the various nations of the world had a strong backbone and structure based on which they can thrive. From the very beginning, Elizabeth II has been a great model of feminine elegance and excellence. She has served as a major example to young people who might come from humbler backgrounds but should regard themselves as princes and princesses of the families in which they all have been born.

Queen Elizabeth II knew from the very beginning the great task she had in front of her and how she was destined to become the ruler of a large kingdom. She believed in training herself appropriately for her role as the right kind of training can enable a person to accomplish any goal in life. She had the courage and fortitude to go ahead and marry the first person that she loved, even being part of a family where many marriages are performed purely due to political reasons. In this way, she became the ideal role model for young women all over the world who should marry the person that they love. Queen Elizabeth also trained as a driver and a car mechanic, in spite of her wealthy and affluent royal background.

This speaks a lot about her character and shows that she had the courage to go through the training in skills that are traditionally considered to be a mans domain.

To know more about Unity Elias Yang, visit http://unityyang.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Unity-Elias-2068669773410781/

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About Unity Elias Yang:

Unity Elias Yang is a gifted author from Cameroon who has written the book Last Great Queen?, a book that showcases the life of Queen Elizabeth II.

About Toplink Publishing

Toplink Publishing offers highly scalable platforms that are growing quickly, positioned to become the global leader in accessible and strategic publishing and marketing solutions. For new book/books to publish or publicize ones published work, contact by calling 1-888-375-9818.

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Contact Person: Unity Elias Yang

Email: Send Email

Phone: 888-375-9818

City: Kelly

State: North Carolina

Country: United States

Website: https://www.toplinkpublishing.com/
Longview, Texas  5 May, 2018  Rose Electric celebrates five years of serving customers in Longview, TX. The company has been providing a high-quality service at an affordable price to both commercial and residential customers in the region. The company has won many accolades from a majority of its clients during these five years. Longview has its own share of electrical contractors. But all of these service providers are not created the same. There was a void in the field for high-quality electrical service providers. Rose was able to fill this void by providing a quality service to all their clients in the area. In fact, Rose Electric employs some of the best electrical contractors in the industry today. The company is dedicated to serving their clients with integrity. They are the preferred and most widely used electrical company in the region. The company is familiar with everything needed to offer the customer an effective and high-quality electrical service.

Rose Electric employs a highly qualified and experienced team of electrical contractors in the industry. They will ensure that the customer knows what is going on every step of the way. The professional contractors will never leave you in the dark. The customer service of the company is excellent. In fact, many customers have reviewed them highly. Many of them have said that Rose offers one of the best customer services compared to their competition in the area. Any customer choosing Rose wont regret their decision later on.

Many customers in Longview think that hiring an electrical contractor would cost them an arm and a leg. In fact, it used to cost them an arm and a leg in the past. But Rose Electric was able to provide a superior service at an affordable price. The customer doesnt have to break the bank to hire an electrical contractor from Rose Electric. That is why they are considered the preferred electrical service of a majority of customers in Longview and East Texas.

Rose offers a wide variety of electrical services such as electrical lighting, remodel services, new construction, and electrical 101. Rose Electric has no problem in dealing with any type and size of a project  whether residential or commercial. Whether the customer wants residential electrical installation and repairs or commercial electrical repairs and installation or new construction electrical installation  Rose Electric is there for the customer morning, evening and night. Many of the customers of Rose are repeat clients. That is because of the excellent service provided by Rose. If a customer is searching for a reputable and experienced electrical company in Longview TX  there is no better service provider than Rose Electric.

The company plans to add more services to their repertoire in the future. In fact, Rose Electric plans to be the number one electric company in the state of Texas in the next five year period.

About The Company

Rose Electric is a high-quality service provider operating in Longview TX. They employ highly skilled, qualified, and experienced technicians in the industry. The company operates 24/7 to ensure that all customers are served in the region. Call the expert team at Rose Electric today for all your electrical requirements in the region!

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Company Name: Rose Electric Company

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Phone: 903-290-0663

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Website: http://www.rose.contractors/
(CBS) - Many Americans are set to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this weekend as well as some local restaurants around the North State.

Cinco de Mayo is a date observed for Mexicos unlikely victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, according to USA Today.

Celebrants can enjoy the deals on Saturday at several national chains.

Applebees is offering $1 margaritas and $2 draft Dos Equis.

Chilis has $5 draft beers, Presidente margaritas and tequila trifecta ritas, as well as free chips and salsa, are also available with the My Chilis Rewards Program.

While Buffalo Wild Wings is celebrating both Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby with $3 domestics and $4 shareables, mint juleps will also be available.

Cinco de Mayo ranks ahead of Valentines Days, New Years Eve and St. Patricks Day for restaurant revenue, according to CBS News.

WHAT OTHERS ARE CLICKING ON:
(Please see addendum)

Study: Increased Rates of Cervical Cancer in Sweden Linked to Increase in HPV Vaccinations

By Brian Shilhavy

Editor, Health Impact News

A new study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics examined cervical cancer rates among women in Sweden and discovered a link between increased cervical cancer rates among women aged 20-49 during a two-year period between 2014 and 2015, corresponding to increased HPV vaccination rates in this population group, years earlier, when mass HPV vaccinations started in Sweden.

Women above the age of 50, during this two-year period, saw no significant cervical cancer increase and were likely too old to have been vaccinated with the HPV vaccine.

Since the study casts doubt on the efficacy of the HPV vaccine, and, in fact, links the vaccine to increased cancer rates, it is highly unlikely you will read about this in the U.S. corporate-sponsored media, where nothing negative about the blockbuster HPV Gardasil vaccine is allowed.

The study was conducted by Lars Andersson, PhD, from the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the Karolinska Institute in Solna, Sweden.

Dr. Andersson states that:

when the Swedish media discussed the increase in the incidence of cervical cancer, the health authorities were unable to explain the increase.

So Dr. Andersson discussed the possibility that mass HPV vaccination rates actually could be the cause of increased rates of cervical cancer:

HPV vaccination could play a role in the increase in the incidence of cervical cancer. About 25% of cervical cancers have a rapid onset of about three years including progression from normal cells to cancer. Therefore, an increase may be seen within a short period of time. Gardasil was approved in Sweden in 2006. In 2010, the vaccination of a substantial number of girls started. In 2010, about 80% of the 12-year-old girls were vaccinated. Combined with 59% of the 1318-year-old girls vaccinated through the catch-up programme in the same period, one can say that most girls were vaccinated. Thus, the oldest girls in the programme were 23 years old in 2015; and this is well within the younger age group shown in Fig. 1.

Dr. Andersson points out that even the FDAs own analysis of Gardasil in 2006 showed a higher risk of premalignant cell changes from the vaccine in certain groups that had already been exposed to some HPV strains:



Read more here.

Addendum

Controversy has arisen around the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics article because the author had submitted under a false name to escape professional persecution. After consideration the the journal's editors decided not to retract the article and made the following statement:-

On May 8, the KI informed us that its department of physiology and pharmacology did not have any person of this name and requested us to remove the name of the institution. So, on the same day a correction was carried out and the name of KI was removed and duly intimated to KI.

Since then, we have investigated and learned the identity of the author. The author has said that he used a pseudonym because he believed the use of his real name would have invited personal repercussions from those opposed to any questioning of vaccines.

This deception of the journals editors is unacceptable. The author could have asked the editors for confidentiality, giving the reasons. Editors may choose to publish articles without revealing the true name of the author, if it is determined that the circumstances justify it.

However, we considered the matter and decided to keep the article on the site as the issues raised by it are important and discussion on it is in the public interest. The authors true name is withheld at his request.
South Australian Young Labor Recognises Armenian, Assyrian, Greek Genocide

Adelaide -- South Australian Young Labor (SAYL) has passed a motion recognising the Armenian Genocide and the rights to self-determination of the Armenians of the Republic of Artsakh at their meeting in Adelaide on Thursday 3rd May 2018, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU). The motion, which also recognises the Genocide of Assyrians and Greeks, was moved by Jason Byrne.

Recognising the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides, standing in solidarity with the Armenian People of the Republic of Artsakh Preamble: April saw global remembrance and rallies about the 103rd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, as well as the genocide of Assyrians and Greeks, which represents one of the darkest chapters in the 20th Century. The forced deportation and murder of 1.5 million Armenians, and approximately 1 million Assyrian and Greeks between 1915 and 1923 by the Ottoman Empire, through death marches and military actions aimed to wipe the their culture off the map. The Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides have been denied and enabled by governments and political bodies across the world who do not recognise the systematic violence and suppression perpetrated against the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek people for more than one hundred years ago. In 2009, the South Australian Parliament passed a motion that recognised the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides and called on the Federal Government to do the same. Unfortunately this genocidal policy and continued denial has created an environment in which anti Armenia rhetoric and action can continue to this day. In particular Azerbaijan has adopted a similar policy against the Armenian population of the Republic of Artsakh (formerly known as the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh) and regularly violates the ceasefire and hinders the peace process. Motion: SAYL recognises the forced deportation and murder of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek peoples as meeting the internationally recognised benchmarks for classification as Genocides. SAYL supports the motion passed by the South Australian Parliament in 2009, including calls for the Federal Government to recognise the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides. SAYL Stands in Solidarity with the indigenous Armenian population of the Republic of Artsakh supporting their right to self determination and their efforts to reach a lasting peace in the region. Action: SAYL delegates will vote in favour of recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides in debates at AYL National Conference. SAYL will work to foster meaningful links with the people of the Republic of Artsakh to create a lasting bond between SAYL and the Republic.

It reads: "SAYL recognises the forced deportation and murder of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek peoples as meeting the internationally recognised benchmarks for classification as Genocides." "SAYL supports the motion passed by the South Australian Parliament in 2009, including calls for the Federal Government to recognise the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides." "SAYL stands in solidarity with the indigenous Armenian population of the Republic of Artsakh supporting their right to self determination and their efforts to reach a lasting peace in the region." ANC-AU Executive Director, Haig Kayserian welcomed what he called "a groundbreaking motion". "This motion is groundbreaking, because while we have had state youth branches of both of Australia's major parties recognise the Armenian Genocide, this is the first that also recognises the right to self-determination of the Republic of Artsakh," Kayserian said. "We thank South Australian Young Labor for standing on the side of truth and justice on the Armenian Genocide and for standing with the Armenians of Artsakh." Hilary Wigg, the President of SAYL, said: "I think it's shameful that governments across the globe, including our own Federal Government, do not recognise the tragedy that was faced during the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek genocides." She added: "SAYL supported Australia when facing a dark chapter in its history, with the Stolen Generation apology. With this motion, we call on Turkey to do the same, to end the cycle of denial and deliver justice to the Armenian people who suffered what can only be described as a genocide." Byrne, who moved the motion, said: "It's really important that countries like Australia recognise these atrocities as genocide, because otherwise crimes like this will be repeated with impunity and the perpetrators will never be brought to justice." On the historic recognition of the Republic of Artsakh, Wigg said: "We also stand in support of all people's right to self-determination, including the indigenous Armenians of the Republic of Artsakh who democratically chose their independence after the fall of the Soviet Union." The motion contains the following action for SAYL: "SAYL will work to foster meaningful links with the people of the Republic of Artsakh to create a lasting bond between SAYL and the Republic." Wigg also commented on the recent protests in the Republic of Armenia, which has increased hopes for major reforms: "I have been briefed by the Armenian National Committee that the people of Armenian have recently exercised their democratic right to protest including a general strike to bring much needed reforms to the country. We stand in solidarity with people of Armenia." Read the full motion below:
Marysville, CA (95901)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 54F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 54F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Flipkart declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

Bloomberg said that under the proposed deal Japan's Softbank Group would give up its 20 percent stake in Flipkart.

Mumbai: Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart has agreed to sell 75 percent of the company to US retail behemoth Walmart for about $15 billion, a report said Friday, in what would be a blow to rival Amazon.

Bloomberg News said Flipkart's board had agreed the sale. Flipkart declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

There has been months of speculation that Walmart was preparing to buy Flipkart to take on Amazon which is aggressively expanding in India, one of the worlds key online markets.

Flipkart is India's largest e-commerce group on the basis of sales but has been fighting off a huge challenge from Amazon since the US conglomerate entered the country in 2013.

Amazon boss Jeff Bezos has committed $5 billion to grabbing a big slice of Indias e-commerce pie after failing to make inroads in China.

Indias e-commerce sales hit $21 billion last year according to market research company Forrester and are expected to soar as its population of 1.3 billion people make greater use of increased net access.

Bloomberg said that under the proposed deal Japan's Softbank Group would give up its 20 percent stake in Flipkart.

The report said the deal could be announced soon, however it added that it was not yet certain.

Indian media said this week that Walmart was moving closer to striking a deal with Flipkart even as Amazon was trying to negotiate its own deal.

Reports quoting unnamed sources said Amazon was willing to value Flipkart higher, at around $22 billion, but that all of Flipkarts major investors were leaning towards Walmart.

Flipkart, Amazon and Walmart have all repeatedly declined to comment on the talks.

Flipkart was founded in 2007 by former Amazon employees Sachin and Binny Bansal. As well as Softbank it is also backed by New York-based fund Tiger Management.
Monsantos GM cotton seed technology went on to dominate 90 perc ent of Indias cotton acreage.

New Delhi approved Monsantos GM cotton seed trait, the only lab-altered crop allowed in India.

New Delhi: Monsanto Co has appealed to Indias Supreme Court against a ruling by the Delhi High Court which decreed last month that the worlds biggest seed maker cannot claim patents on its GM cotton seeds, a company spokesman said on Friday.

The Delhi High Court last month concurred with Indian seed company Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd (NSL), which argued that Indias Patent Act does not allow Monsanto any patent cover for its genetically modified (GM) cotton seeds.

Monsanto has appealed to the Supreme Court, said a Monsanto India spokesman.

In the Supreme Court, well maintain our stand that agricultural products, including seeds, cannot be patented in India, said Narne Murali Krishna, a company secretary for NSL. The judgement of the Delhi High Court has already vindicated our stand.

New Delhi approved Monsantos GM cotton seed trait, the only lab-altered crop allowed in India, in 2003 and an upgraded variety in 2006, helping transform the country into the worlds top producer and second-largest exporter of the fibre.

Monsantos GM cotton seed technology went on to dominate 90 perc ent of Indias cotton acreage.

But for the past few years Monsanto has been at loggerheads with NSL, drawing in the Indian and US governments, Reuters revealed last year.

The fate of the biotechnology industry rests on the decision of the Supreme Court, said Ram Kaundinya of the Federation of Seed Industries of India, an industry body formed by the local units of foreign companies such as Monsanto, Bayer, Dupont Pioneer and Syngenta.

The decision of the Delhi High Court has made biotechnology companies cagey about investing in their businesses because they apprehend that they will lose patents on their expensive technologies, said Kaundinya.

After last months court ruling, nearly 107 patents could be deemed void, said Kaundinya.

Seed makers are now scaling down and shelving their research projects, said Paresh Verma, chief of research at Shriram BioSeed Genetics India Ltd.

Its a fluid situation and weve decided to reduce our research expenditure, said M. Ramasami, chairman and managing director, Rasi Seeds.

Without the protection offered by the Patents Act, it is not clear how technology providers would be able to monetise their investments, said S. Nagarajan, managing director and chief executive of Metahelix Life Sciences Ltd.
Ranveer, who is having the time of his life in Switzerland, will shoot for the Rohit Shetty film in a month.

Mumbai: Ranveer Singh is a self-confessed fan of larger-than-life heroes and the actor found the perfect opportunity to be one in Rohit Shetty's cop drama 'Simmba'.

The actor says the film felt like "home territory" as he got a chance to show his "herogiri".

"My home territory is 'Simmba' which is (full of) herogiri. It is something that I always wanted be, which is an action hero. As a kid you fantasize about those larger-than-life characters, dialogues, big action sequences, muscles and all. With this film, we are clear that we are making a high octane, front-footed entertainer, which is big on comedy, drama and romance. It is a quintessential entertainer," Ranveer told PTI.

Shetty is known for his masala entertainers while Ranveer is famous for his quirky, vivacious personality and their collaboration feels like a union made in heaven.

"I feel lucky to be collaborating with him. I admire and respect him. There is nobody who does this genre better than him. It is sad that some of the exceptional work that he does in terms of craft goes unnoticed because he does these big commercial films. I have been watching his work closely. His craft is matchless, like how he stages a scene... He is an immensely gifted filmmaker," the actor said about Shetty.

Ranveer, who spoke at the launch of Carrera's global campaign #DRIVEYOURSTORY, believes his fans are also excited to see this combination.

The shooting for the film will begin in a month.
All Omerta needed from Mehta was a little more passion, some more focus.

Rating:

Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Rajesh Tailang, Rupinder Nagra, Timothy Ryan Hickernell, Daljit Shawn Singh

Director: Hansal Mehta

When done well, ambiguity can be the stuff of great cinema, one that keeps its hook into us for years.

And as the films worldview, it can be the hallmark of political maturity, the fact that it is ones own rather than an ideological outlook borrowed from a state, a party, some people.

Hansal Mehta is not lacking in ambition. And his politics is always interesting. It makes us think.

But somewhere, since his laser-sharp Shahid, his grip over his own stories has been loosening.

In pursuit of either a brilliant cinematic moment or a powerful message, he loses tract of the story he wants to tell, and his message gets lost in his muddled telling.

Omerta is an honourable film, but it often looses track of itself as it goes off on tangents so obscure and weak.

If a lesser actor were carrying it, Omerta would have been insufferable.

Rajkummar Raos taut, sharp performance shines bright and gives the film heft and personality it otherwise lacks.

Omerta opens with a dark screen and a scream. We dont know who screamed, where.

The film tells the story of British-born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh (played here by Rajkummar Rao), now 44 and waiting for a response to his plea against his death sentence in Karachi Jail.

It tracks his journey from LSE to kidnapping four foreigners in Delhi, getting arrested by Delhi police, being one of the three militants freed in exchange for the lives of passengers on board the hijacked IC-814 by the then BJP government, going on to kidnapping and then killing Daniel Pearl, and making crank calls to Pervez Musharraf from jail.

Posing as Pranab Mukherjee during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, he threatened war, leading Pakistan to scramble military aircraft over Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

It doesnt get more dramatic than that. Hansal Mehta has said in interviews that he wanted to explore and depict evil as a human characteristic, but since he is not, thankfully, a jingoistic white film director from America, his Indian lefty-liberal leanings show in his telling of this story.

There is cause, and jihad is its effect. Theres no justification, of course. But its a link thats exploited by others.

While exploring Omars hatred for America, Britain and other Anglo-Saxon nations, his screenplay and film are unable to see it in isolation.

And while this is where his films politics is refreshing and interesting, its also where it gets lost.

Mehta is in control when he shows Omar as a man made up of contradictions  an intelligent, modern young man who is also a devout Muslim, a man attached to his father but also chuffed by his own cunning, a man so charming and yet so diabolic.

It helps that Rajkummar Rao is able to show then all at once, whether when posing as Rohit Verma in Delhi, or luring Daniel Pearl into his net in Pakistan.

But as the film explores the causes behind his hatred for America and infidels, and travels to Bosnia through newspaper clips, it is inept and dull.

Omars anger and hatred, born out of atrocities committed far away but internalised, thanks to a certain bend in his personality and some indoctrination, is not explained with imagination and drama. Its documented through a protest here, a news item there.

There are many stories, tangents the film could have explored.

Omar was also, allegedly, an MI6 recruit who went rogue. Theres been talk of dysfunction, anger and violence since his school days.

Mehta doesnt stick with all the facts available, and his own creative story telling lacks punch.

There is always Palestine, Kashmir.

But Bosnia, howsoever significant and honourable, is a dead zone in an Indian film, especially if its given to us only through headline clippings.

Omerta has some lovely, very powerful moments. But because of this aimless wandering it keeps sinking, repeatedly.

The ambiguity Mehta is fond of is embedded in the title of his film as well.

Omerta is an Italian word that literally means among the mafia, but is the code the mafia live by  keeping silent and not cooperating with the police against their own.

The mafia, yakuza, uniformed Armymen, spies  this code is followed and honoured by all. Because telling is a sign of weakness, cowardice.

I found this liberal confusion was interesting as far as the politics of the film was concerned. But it could have, should have been translated into something more. It could have been used to tell the stories on both sides with a bit more passion and details.

Rajkummar Rao has said in interviews that while preparing for his role, he found himself almost lauding the Paris attacks of November 2015. Well done, he found himself saying.

Rajkummar Rao brings a scary rigidity to the spine, jaw and intent of his character that is telling and scary.

His accent is perfect, and there are many. His Hindi as an Indian-Britisher is distinct from his Urdu when hes in Pakistan.

He pulls off some very intense scenes, including the ones with Daniel Pearl. The killing, butchering scene is really tough to watch. And tougher to forget.

Rajkummar Rao gave it his all.

All Omerta needed from Mehta was a little more passion, some more focus.
Teaching suspended for 5 days after row over portrait of Jinnah.

Lucknow: Internet services in Aligarh have been shut down till Saturday midnight even as students of the Aligarh Muslim University continued to stage a dharna at the Baba Syed gate.

Teaching in AMU has been suspended for five days following escalation of tension on the campus on the issue of Jinnahs portrait in AMU Students Union office.

Media persons were also attacked by a section of AMU students on Friday. The students blamed the media for not showing their side of the story and projecting them as wrong doers.

The AMU students are demanding action against right-wing activists who clashed with AMU students on Tuesday, seeking removal of the portrait of Mohammad Ali Jinnah from the office of the AMU Students Union.

The agitating students are also demanding a case of sedition against BJP MP Satish Gautam who had written to the AMU vice-chancellor, seeking removal of the Jinnah portrait.

In an official statement , AMU officials clarified that the protest by students was against the attack by right wing activists and was not related to the Jinnah portrait.

Meanwhile, Aligarh district magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh has ordered a magisterial inquiry into Tuesdays clashes and has asked ADM (Finance) to conduct the probe within a fortnight. Welcoming the magisterial inquiry, former Aligarh Muslim University media consultant Dr. Jasim Mohammad has said that Indian Muslims or the AMU community has no relations with ideology of Muslim League or founder of Pakistan Mohammad Ali Jinnah and they are against division of country. Security has been beefed up further at AMU after Hindu Jagran Manch activists Amit Goswami and Saurabh Chaudhary declared that they would enter the AMU Students Union office and removed the portrait of Jinnah.

In a related development, SP MP Pravin Nishad further fuelled the controversy over Jinnah when he said on Friday that the contribution of Mohammad Ali Jinnah in the freedom struggle was no less than that of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
BJP chief dares Cong to win state, says its fort is too strong to fall.

BJP President Amit Shah along with Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh, Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar and others in Bhopal on Friday. (Photo: PTI)

Bhopal: Bharatiya Janata Party national president Amit Shah on Friday threw an open challenge to Rahul Gandhi to ensure victory of Congress in Madhya Pradesh in the forthcoming Assembly elections, saying, BJP is too strong in MP to be defeated.

BJPs fort in MP is too strong to fall. I dare Mr Gandhi to win power for Congress in MP (in the upcoming Assembly elections, due in November this year), Mr Shah said while addressing party workers here.

Mr Shah said he was throwing the challenge to Mr Gandhi since the latter had recently expressed confidence that Congress was returning to power in MP in the year-end elections.

Congress is too weak in MP to take on BJP. Our party is in such a strong foot in the state that even a booth level worker can defeat a Congress stalwart here, he said.

He took a jibe at the recent reshuffle in MP Congress ahead of assembly elections, saying, Raja- Maharajas or man from corporate house cannot ensure victory for Congress in MP.

He was apparently referring to scion of Gwalior royal family Jyotiraditya Scindia who has been appointed as campaign committee chairman of Congress and industrialist Kamal Nath who has been made president of the partys MP unit.

He also made it clear that BJP would go to forthcoming assembly elections in MP under the leadership of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Our victory march will continue. We will win in Karnataka and then in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, he said.
Kuchibhotla's murder, which happened month after Trump's inauguration, lead to serious concerns among Indians in US.

Srinivas Kuchibhotla is survived by his wife Sunayana Dumala, who welcomed the court's decision. (Photo: File/ AP)

Mumbai/Kansas: A US Navy veteran was sentenced to life in jail for killing Srinivas Kuchibhotla, the Indian techie from Hyderabad. The engineer was killed at a bar in the city of Olathe in Kansas last year. The murder was a racially motivated hate crime and the tragic death had sparked international outrage.

"Get out of my country!" 52-year-old Adam W Purinton yelled before firing shots at 32-year-old Srinivas Kuchibhotla and his friend who were at Austin's Bar and Grill in Olathe city on February 22 last year. Kuchibhotla died after he was taken to a hospital, while his friend Alok Madasani was injured. Another man, Ian Grillot, who tried to intervene was also shot.

The attack, which happened just over a month after President Donald Trump's inauguration, led to serious concerns among Indian families in the US and brought the spotlight on hate crimes targeting Indians.

US President Donald Trump was also criticised for not speaking against the incident. However, he raised the issue later in an address to the Congress. In January this year, Kuchibhotla's wife Sunayana Dumala was invited to Donald Trump's first State of the Union address.

Adam W Purinton received the maximum punishment for the murder, and two sentences of 165 months each for the attempted murders, the prosecutor's office said. While Purinton would be eligible for parole in 50 years, he was likely to spend the rest of his life in prison, reported news agency AFP.

He is also facing federal hate crime and firearms charges, which could result in the death penalty. Purinton has pleaded not guilty in the federal case.

In March this year, Adam W Purinton had pleaded guilty to the charges of murdering Kuchibhotla.

Purinton was charged with first-degree murder of Kuchibhotla and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the shootings of his friend, Alok Madasani.

In March this year, Adam W Purinton had pleaded guilty to the charges of murdering Kuchibhotla. (Photo: AP)

Sunayana Dumala welcomed the US court's decision and said, "Today's sentencing in the murder of my husband will not bring back my Srinu, but it sends a strong message that hate is never acceptable."

"I want to thank the District Attorney's office and the Olathe police for their efforts to bring this man to justice," she added.

Kuchibhotla, who grew up in Hyderabad, moved to US to study engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso. Later, he bought a house, got married and planned to start a family, his wife had said.

Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani were aviation systems engineers for GPS manufacturer Garmin. Madasani had later said the two close friends met regularly at the Austin's Bar and Grill, where the incident happened.

Purinton was captured later at a nearby restaurant, where he had allegedly boasted of killing Middle Easterners, according to the Kansas City Star newspaper.

(With inputs from agencies)
Crowds chanting pro-freedom slogans clashed with police and CRPF at several locations across Srinagar including near the encounter site.

Police resorted to teargas shelling in SMHS Hospital Srinagar in Kashmir to disperse the crowd who were resisting seizure of a dead body of a civilian. The civilian was crushed to death by security forces vehicle during protests near gunfight sight in capital Srinagar, of Kashmir. The gunfight broke out between militants and security forces in Gasi Mohalla area of Srinagar. (Photo: H U Naqash)

Srinagar: Normalcy was affected in parts of Srinagar after three militants and a civilian were killed in an encounter and subsequent street clashes in Chattabal, a congested area of Jammu and Kashmirs summer capital, on Saturday.

Inspector General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Ravi Deep Sahi, announced that all the three militants trapped inside a private house in Gasi Mohalla of Chattabal have been killed in the fire fight with security forces. He added that their identity was being ascertained.

J&Ks Director General of Police, Shesh Paul Vaid, confirmed it in a tweet. He wrote on micro-blogging site, Encounter concluded in Chattabal Srinagar. Three bodies of terrorists recovered in a clean operation by J&K Police & CRPF. Well done boys.

Earlier reports had said that one of the two militants holed up inside the house has been gunned down during a fire fight raging in Gasi Mohalla. The body of the slain terrorist has been spotted but not retrieved yet as an exchange of gun fire with his accomplice is still underway, said a police officer.

Earlier reports had said that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) district commander for Srinagar Merajuddin Bangroo is among the two gunmen trapped inside a private house in the locality.

The security forces had laid siege to the area around dawn following inputs about the presence of the LeT commander and his close associate. The search operation soon turned into an encounter after the militants hiding in the house fired upon the search party of the security forces including J&K polices counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Srinagars SSP Imtiyaz Ismail Parray said, As the security forces tightened the cordon and search and zeroed in on the house where militants were hiding they (militants) fired at them triggering encounter in which as assistant commandant of the CRPF was injured.

Soon surging crowds chanting pro-freedom slogans clashed with police and CRPF at several locations across Srinagar including near the encounter site. A protester identified as Aadil Ahmed Yaddo was critically injured when a security forces vehicle ran over him in Safa Kadal area in close vicinity of Chattabal, the witnesses said.

He was rushed to nearby Sri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS) where he succumbed to his injuries. A huge crowd which had assembled outside the hospital tried to take the corpse of the youth along but the police immediately swung into action, fired teargas canisters into the crowd and seized the body, the witnesses said. CRPF spokesman Rajesh Yadav said the vehicle which hit the youth did not belong to it.

The J&K police tweeted, One person identified as Aadil Ahmad Yaddo was brought to SMHS hospital whom doctors declared brought dead. Medical bulletin suggests that the person died due to a crush injury in a road traffic accident at Noorbagh. Citizens may not pay heed to rumours.

A video clip placed on social media shows the youth being hit by a security forces's vehicle during stone-pelting at Noorbagh. Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also added the clip to a tweet in which he said "How a murder was committed by the forces today and then brazenly denied! Is there no sense of humanity left in India?"

How a murder was committed by the forces today and then brazenly denied !

Is there no sense of humanity left in India? #AdilMurdered https://t.co/dWeFKPZtiK pic.twitter.com/PgwhbBOBOD  Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) May 5, 2018

After the video went viral on social media, the police issued another statement which read: Apropos the incident that took place at Noorbagh this morning in which one person namely Aadil Ahmad Yaddu died in a road traffic accident. In this regard a case has been registered at Police Station Safakadal under relevant sections of law and proceedings have been initiated against the police vehicle/ driver which was involved in the accident.

As the word about the death of the civilian spread, several other parts of the City also erupted. Clashes between stone-pelting crowds and the security forces were underway, at least, at half a dozen places across the summer capital. This has led to the closure of market places whereas vehicles too have been withdrawn from roads. Many schools have been closed and students sent home as a precautionary measure. The authorities snapped high speed mobile internet services to avoid rumour mongering. An official said, 4G and 3G services have been suspended in Srinagar to prevent the spreading of rumours on the social media.

The police took Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik, into preventive custody while another separatist leader and Kashmirs chief Muslim cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest on Saturday, hours ahead of their scheduled press conference in Srinagar. Malik has been lodged in Citys Kothibagh police station after the police picked him up from his residence at nearby Maisuma.

The duo along with Syed Ali Shah Geelani had, after holding a closed door meeting at Geelanis residence on Thursday, said that they would be addressing a press conference at a City hotel on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a report from southern Pulwama said that militants shot at and critically wounded Special Police Officer (SPO) Showkat Ahmed Dar near a filling station in Rahmoo area of the district. He was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival, the police said.

Earlier gunmen had shot dead a resident and his nephew in Shahgund area of Hajin in the northern district of Bandipora. The police said that militants abducted Ghulam Hassan Dar (45) alias Hassan Rassa and his nephew Bashir Ahmad Dar (26) from their houses at Gulshan Mohalla of Hajin during the intervening night of May 4 and 5. The terrorists barged into the house of Dar and that of his nephew and abducted both of them. At about 3.30 am today (Saturday) the terrorists shot both of them dead, a statement issued by the police here said. It added that the bullet-riddled corpses of the victims were found by the locals near a mosque in the areas Raheem Dar Mohalla.
The A-G informed the bench that the SC collegium had on April 19 sent recommendation for appointment of Manipur chief justice.

New Delhi: Sparks flew in the Supreme Court on Friday as the blame game between the judiciary and the executive over delay in sending recommendations and appointing judges to high courts came out in the open.

Attorney-general K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, faced the apex courts heat for what it called delay of up to three months in clearing appointment of judges recommended by the collegium.

Mr Venugopals attempt to put the blame on the collegium for recommending just a handful of names for high courts, that are functioning with just 60 per cent of their sanctioned strength, backfired on him.

Tell us, how many names (recommended by the Collegium) are pending with you, a bench comprising Justices Madan B. Lokur and Deepak Gupta asked Mr Venugopal.

When the A-G said, I will have to find out, the bench retorted, This is the problem with you (Centre). When it comes to attacking judiciary, you have the data. But when it comes to the government then you say you dont have the figures.

Justice Lokur said non-recommendation did not give the Centre the liberty to sit over names that have been sent to it long back. We want to know as to how many collegium proposals are pending with the government.

The top courts remarks assume significance as the Centre, after almost three months of Collegiums recommendation, returned for reconsideration the file of Uttarakhand high court Chief Justice K.M. Joseph for elevation as an apex court judge.

The exchange of words between the bench and governments top law officer took place when the court took up a transfer petition filed by a resident of Manipur.

The petitioner who lost a case before a single judge bench in Manipur has approached the top court to allow him to challenge the order against him before the Guwahati high court.

The petitioner claimed that he could not file an appeal in Manipur HC because there are only two judges there, one of whom had delivered the judgment against him. There is no full time chief justice in Manipur too when he filed the petition.

The A-G informed the bench that the SC collegium had on April 19 sent recommendation for appointment of Manipur chief justice. I spoke with the government authorities and they have promised the appointment would be notified shortly, he said.

Justice Lokur asked the A-G, In Meghalaya, there is only one judge against four. Even Tripura has just two against four. Recommendation was also made for Meghalaya. What happened to that? People of Northeast are suffering. What are they supposed to do? Should they approach Supreme Court to get their cases transferred to other high courts and spend money to hire lawyers there?

The A-G then blamed the collegium for not making enough recommendations. We may appoint one more judge in Meghalaya. But that does not resolve the problem. Collegium has to look at the future. Recommendations need to be made keeping in mind vacancies that will arise six months later, he told the judges.

Mr Venugopal cited figures to point out that high courts have 40 per cent vacancies. Recommendation is the only way to fill them up. Collegium does not send us the names and the government is told it is being tardy in processing, he said.

Justice Lokur told the A-G the court did not wish to go into the larger picture. We cannot tell the collegium what to do. Also, here we are concerned only with the Northeast. You file an affidavit to tell us how much time will you take to make the appointments in Northeast. File an affidavit in the next ten days, the court told the A-G.
The saffron party also offered foreign study tours to farmers to Israel and China to study agricultural practices.

Bengaluru/Hubballi: Reaching out to farmers, the BJPs manifesto for the Karnataka Assembly polls released on Friday promised allocation of Rs 1.5 lakh crore for irrigation projects and waiver of farm loan up to Rs 1 lakh borrowed from nationalised and cooperative banks even as Congress president Rahul Gandhi dismissed the document as a poorly crafted fantasy built around a weak plot.

The BJP manifesto, unveiled by BJP state unit president and the partys chief ministerial candidate B.S. Yeddyurappa, offered free laptops for college students, free smart phones for women from BPL families, an anti-corruption helpline in chief ministers office and 300 new Annapoorna Canteens for affordable meals.

The manifestos special focus on farmers was evident from a proposal to launch a Rs 5,000 crore Raitha Bandhu Market Intervention Fund to cushion farmers against the effects of price fluctuations. The saffron party also offered foreign study tours to farmers to Israel and China to study agricultural practices.

The BJP also sought to send a strong anti-corruption message through its polls promise of enacting a Karnataka Whistleblower Act to protect those exposing corruption.

The party also promised to release a white paper on the financial health of the state under the Congress rule.

For women voters, the BJP has offered a Vivaha Mangala scheme under which Rs 25,000 and 3 gm of gold will be gifted to brides of families living below poverty line (BPL). The party also promised sanitary napkins for BPL women at Rs 1 under the Stree Suvidha scheme.

A Go Seva Ayog aimed at cow protection would also be revived, the party said.

BJP MP and state leader Shobha Karandlaje said that the manifesto was prepared after consulting over three lakh people.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi hit out at the BJPs poll promises. The BJP Karnataka manifesto, inspired by Narendra Modi, is a poorly crafted fantasy built around a weak plot, that has nothing unique to offer voters. If youve read the Congress manifesto, dont waste your time on this one, said Mr Gandhi in a tweet.

Rating: 1/5? Recommendation: Avoid, he said, while rating the BJP manifesto.

The Congress manifesto for the Karnataka Assembly polls, released on April 27, promised to create one crore jobs and spend Rs 1.25 lakh crore on irrigation over the next five years if re-elected to power. The party promised to make Karnataka malnutrition-free and vowed to create of 15-20 lakh jobs every year. It also offered free sanitary napkins for girl students in government colleges and shared a vision for promoting the IT sector and offer subsidy to start-ups.

At a rally in Gadag district, Mr Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has often called the Siddaramaiah government corrupt and a 10 per cent sarkar, saying that he had no moral right to speak about corruption when he himself shared the dais with several ex-jailbirds among BJP leaders during his campaign in the state.

The Reddy brothers have looted the state exchequer to the tune of Rs 35,000 crore. The amount they have looted equals the funds utilised by the UPA government at the Centre across the country under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mgnregs) to provide employment to rural labourers, he said, adding that although the Congress had jailed the Reddy brothers for their involvement in corruption, Mr Modi had released them after coming to power.

The money looted by them belongs to the farmers and should have been used to waive off their loans. The farmers, workers and all the poor are with the Congress as it practices what it preaches, the Congress president said, promising to set up more food processing industries to help farmers and fetch them a good price for their produce.

As for Mr Modis criticism of him, Mr Gandhi said he did not believe in making personal attacks against the Prime Minister of the country. I always speak about Mr Modi with respect without using bad language. This is the history and culture of the Congress, he said.

Lashing out at the BJP for its failure to generate employment as promised, he claimed Karnataka was the main centre of job creation in the country and this had been acknowledged by Mr Modi himself and a few of his Cabinet colleagues.
The CM said that police should have seized all licensed weapons from people in the area before going ahead with the demolition drive.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that the government had also decided to confer Himachal Gaurav Award on the woman officer posthumously. (Photo: File)

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday admitted lapses in the demolition drive in Kasauli during which assistant town and country planner Shail Bala Sharma was shot dead by a hotelier.

"The government has taken all possible steps after the firing. The accused has been arrested, ex-gratia grant of Rs 5 lakh has been announced for the family of the woman officer and her family would get full salary as drawn by her for the remaining period of service. A status report will be submitted to the Supreme Court on May 9," he said during an informal chat with a group of media persons.

The government has already instituted an inquiry into the lapses to be conducted by the Divisional Commissioner of Shimla. The Solan Superintendent of Police and the Parwanoo Deputy Superintendent of Police have been transferred and two station house officers concerned have been sent police lines, he added.

Sharma was killed by Vijay Singh, the owner of Narayani Guest House, when she was leading a Supreme Court-mandated demolition drive against illegal structures on Tuesday.

Singh was arrested from the Mathura-Vrindavan area on Friday.

The chief minister said that police should have seized all licensed weapons from people in the area before going ahead with the demolition drive.

The Himachal Pradesh Police said that the weapon used to kill the assistant town and country planner had been recovered. "The .32 bore revolver used in the crime by Vijay Singh was recovered on Friday," Solan officiating Superintendent of Police (SP) Shiv Kumar told reporters.

He said that the accused had hidden his licensed pistol in the forest area near his Narayani guest house.

The chief minister assured that the government would implement the orders of the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal regarding demolition of illegal constructions and removal of encroachments in letter and spirit and no laxity on this account would be allowed.

He said that the government had also decided to confer Himachal Gaurav Award on the woman officer posthumously.

The chief minister also called on the governor and briefed him, while state police chief SR Mardi met the governor to apprise him about the incident.
It is understood that the practice of sending the awards through post is not new and is an accepted government practice.

The late Vinod Khannas son Akshaye Khanna and wife Kavita Khanna received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award from the President on his behalf.

New Delhi: For the 55-odd award recipients who had boycotted the 65th national Film Awards and refused to accept the honours from anyone other than the President, theres no escape. The directorate of film festivals (DFF), the organiser of the awards ceremony, will now be sending the citation, medal and cheque to the awardees through Speed Post.

The 65th National Film Awards ceremony was held on Thursday evening with more than one-third of the recipients staying away from the prestigious ceremony as a mark of protest against President Ram Nath Kovind not giving away all the honours.

It is understood that the practice of sending the awards through post is not new and is an accepted government practice.

In previous years also when the award recipients did not turn up at the ceremony due to some reason, health or otherwise, the DFF forwarded the awards to the awardees respective addresses, sources added.

However, while each year the number of absentee award recipients used to be in single digit, this year the number stands at approximately 55 due to the boycott call by a section of award recipients.

Hours ahead of the award ceremony, 66 awardees had threatened to boycott it. They also sent a signed letter of protest addressed to the DFF.

About 55 recipients stayed away from the ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan while 80-odd received the awards, first from the information and broadcasting minister Smriti Irani and her deputy Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and later from the President.

For the first time, the award ceremony was organised in two phases. In the first phase, the awards were presented by the I&B minister and her junior minister while in the second phase the President conferred awards on 11 recipients.
Security forces launched a search operation in Tabela Chattabal in Safakadal following inputs about presence of terrorists.

Encounter underway in Srinagar's Chattabal area where two terrorists are holed up inside a house. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Srinagar: One of the two terrorists holed up in a house at Srinagar's Chattabal area has been gunned down by security forces on Saturday morning.

An encounter broke out in the morning between security forces and terrorists where two terrorists were hiding inside the house.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Tabela Chattabal in Safakadal following inputs about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.

"The search operation turned into an encounter after the hiding militants fired upon the search party of the security forces, who retaliated," the official said.

"The gunfight is still on," the official said, adding that further details were awaited.

One CRPF personnel was injured during the encounter with terrorists.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
In his first meeting with Xi at Hubei Provincial Museum, Modi said it was his second visit to Hubei province, surprising Chinese officials.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to step up cultural exchanges by promoting people-to-people links and unleashing the vitality of the two emerging economies. (Photo: AFP | File)

New Delhi: For once the Chinese officials were caught napping by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his informal summit with President Xi Jinping in Wuhan, China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui revealed.

During his first one-on-one meeting with President Xi at the Hubei Provincial Museum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his host that this was his second visit to Hubei province, surprising the Chinese officials, who otherwise keep a track of all bilateral and official visits minutely.

"We didn't know that Prime Minister Modi had visited Wuhan earlier," Luo told the participants of a seminar on the two-day informal summit between the leaders of India and China held in Wuhan city from April 27.

PM Modi told Xi that when he was the Gujarat chief minister, he had an opportunity to visit central China's Hubei Province on a study tour to learn about the massive Three Gorges Dam. PM Modi was the Gujarat chief minister from October 2001 to May 2014

"The speed with which you constructed this dam and its scale inspired me. So I came on a study tour and spent a day at the dam," PM Modi had told Xi.

As the world's largest hydropower project, the Three Gorges project is a multifunctional water control system on the mighty Yangtze river. It comprises a dam stretching 2,309 meters long and 185 meters high, 32 hydropower turbo-generators, a five-tier ship lock and ship lift system.

Luo said China took special care to provide an enabling and comfortable environment for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Wuhan, with the ambassador himself carrying with him table clothes from Gujarat and Assam tea for the visiting dignitary.

While sharing some of the efforts made by the Chinese leadership to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi feel at home in the central Chinese city, over 1,000 km from Beijing, Luo said President Xi Jinping has met the Indian premier 13 times in the last five years of his first term.

Luo said Chinese officials came to know that Prime Minister Narendra Modi liked table clothes from Gujarat. "So we decided to use them during the informal summit."

"We didn't serve Chinese tea to Prime Minister Modi but Assam tea," he said.

During the summit, the two leaders agreed to build on the rich cultures of the two great oriental civilisations and harness the rich human resources of their combined population of 2.6 billion.

President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to step up cultural exchanges by promoting people-to-people links and unleashing the vitality of the two emerging economies.

For this, the two sides have agreed to establish a high-level cultural and people-to-people exchange mechanism, the envoy said.
The decision of launching a new party was kept in abeyance as a court case is pending.

New Delhi: Taking on Nitish Kumar on his home turf, the new Loktantrik Janata Party, backed by rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, will hold a massive show of strength in Bihar in just a couple of months after its launch on May 18. The rally which will be a showcase of sorts for the Grand Alliance and is likely to be attended by top leaders of the Opposition like Congress President Rahul Gandhi and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav besides leaders of the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Left.

Sources said that the new party planned to contest the Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan Assembly polls scheduled to be held by the end of this year as part of the Grand Alliance led by the Congress and the launch at the Talkatora Stadium in Delhi will be followed by a huge membership drive. The target is to get 10 lakh members.

While eight-time MLA and former chief of Janata Dal (United) in Rajasthan Fateh Singh would be the president, Maharashtra leader Sushila Morale would be the secretary of the new party. Other posts like members of the National Council would be filled up after the launch.

The decision of launching a new party was kept in abeyance as a court case is pending. However, we realised that many party workers, who did not want to go with NDA, were veering towards the Lalu Yadav-led Rashtriya Lok Dal. A recent example being of ex-Speaker Uday Narain Choudhary, who left the JD(U) recently and was likely to join the RJD, a senior party leader said.

In Karnataka also our candidate had to fight on Congress symbol as we did not have a party then, he added.
The chief ministers of Sikkim and Mizoram did not attend the meeting but govt sources said both states were represented by other representatives.

New Delhi: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, on Friday, met chief ministers of most of the north-eastern states at a meeting on Friday that focused on connectivity issues within the region and links between the region and south-east Asia. The chief ministers of Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, and the Deputy Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh attended the meeting. The chief ministers of Sikkim and Mizoram did not attend the meeting but government sources said both states were represented by other representatives. Sources said the chief ministers of Sikkim and Mizoram could not attend because of certain reasons. Incidentally, Mizoram is currently the only Congress-ruled state in the region. In a statement, the MEA said, The meeting deliberated on the North Eastern regions intra-regional and sub-regional surface and air linkages, focusing on seamless connectivity with its contiguous neighbourhood. Continued development of relevant infrastructure both within the state and at international borders was also discussed with a view to enhancing trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people ties.

The MEA added, This meeting followed up on an earlier meeting chaired by EAM with the Governors of the North Eastern States in November 2017. EAM stated that state governments of the Northeastern region were active stakeholders in Indias Act East Policy. Greater connectivity and economic integration of Indias North East with its eastern neighbours was considered a key focus area for growth and development of the region. Indias Act East Policy had received a major boost following the ASEAN-India commemorative Summit.

On the participants at the meeting, the MEA said, Smt. Sushma Swaraj, minister for external affairs chaired an interactive session with chief ministers of north-eastern states on Indias Act East Policy in New Delhi on 4 May 2018. Dr. Rajiv Kumar, vice-chairman, Niti Aayog; Sarbananda Sonowal, chief minister of Assam; N. Biren Singh, chief minister of Manipur; Conrad Sangma, chief minister of Meghalaya; Neiphiu Rio, chief minister of Nagaland; Biplab Kumar Deb, chief minister of Tripura and Chowna Mein, deputy chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh and Gen. (Dr.) V. K. Singh (Retd.), minister of state for external affairs participated in this meeting.
Continuing his tirade against the Congress, he claimed that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will lose in both his constituencies.

'Don't rest now. If you think that somebody isn't voting, go to their homes, tie up their hands and legs and bring them to vote in favour of Mahantesh Doddagoudar,' he said. (Photo: ANI)

Belagavi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Karnataka chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa on Saturday advised people to tie hands and legs of the non-voters and make them vote in favour of Mahantesh Doddagoudar, BJP candidate from Kittur.

Addressing a public gathering Belagavi, also former Karnataka chief minister Yeddyurappa said, "Don't rest now. If you think that somebody isn't voting, go to their homes, tie up their hands and legs and bring them to vote in favour of Mahantesh Doddagoudar."

Continuing his tirade against the Congress, he claimed that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will lose both in Badami and in Chamundeshwari.

"Siddaramaiah will lose in Chamundi he will also lose in Badami against Sri Ramulu, Congress is now was sinking ship. That is why I am requesting you to vote in favour of the BJP," he added.

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.
Woman's body was cut into three pieces, with head found floating at a distance, while torso and legs were floating separately.

The police officer said it is suspected that the woman was killed somewhere else and her body was dumped in the canal after cutting it into three pieces to conceal her identity. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: Parts of a woman's body were found floating in a canal in outer Delhi's Mianwali Nagar on Friday, the police said.

The body was cut into three pieces, with the head found floating at a distance, while the torso and the legs were floating separately, they said.

The torso was wrapped in a blanket and then covered by a sack, but the legs were not covered in any cloth, a senior police officer said.

The police were informed about the body around 4 pm.

The police officer said it is suspected that the woman was killed somewhere else and her body was dumped in the canal after cutting it into three pieces to conceal her identity.

It appears that the woman was in her 20s, the officer said, adding they are focussing on identifying the victim.

"We are checking the database of missing people and have also informed police stations across Delhi to inform us if any woman, in her 20s, was reported to be missing in the last few days.

"Since the area where the body was found is bordering Haryana, we are also trying to ascertain whether the woman belonged to that state," he said.

The officer said once the woman is identified, the post-mortem will be conducted.

It will help ascertain the extent of her injuries and whether she was sexually assaulted before being killed, the police officer said.
The demonstration was organised by the Chandni Chowk District Congress Committee under the leadership of Mohd Usman.

Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken with party leader Haroon Yusuf and others hold a protest in New Delhi on Friday to save the Red Fort after the Union governments recent agreement with a private entity for its upkeeping. (Photo: Bunny Smith)

New Delhi: The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, under the leadership of its president Ajay Maken, held a demonstration in front of the Red Fort to protest against the Modi governments conspiracy to sell the historic heritage monument to a private party for its maintenance.

Mr Maken said all the assembled Congress workers contributed Rs 5 each as a symbolic protest into a box kept at the venue and the money thus collected will be sent to the Prime Ministers Relief Fund. He said if the need be, the Congress workers of Delhi will contribute Rs 5 crore every year which will be sent to the PM the money he needs for the maintenance of the Red Fort every year, but his party will not allow the Red Fort to be sold to anybody. The demonstration was organised by the Chandni Chowk District Congress Committee under the leadership of Mohd Usman.

At the suggestion of Mr Maken, former Delhi minister Haroon Yusuf made the first contribution of Rs 5 to the donation box. DPCC chief spokesperson Sharm-istha Mukherjee, who is also the president of the Delhi Pradesh Mahila Congress, was also present at the spot. ex-MLAs Prahlad Singh Sahni and Kanwar Karan Singh, Municipal Councillors Aalley Mohammed, Prerna Singh and Sultanabad.

Addressing the demonstrators, Mr Maken exhorted the Congress workers to keep the fight on to protect the historic Red Fort from being sold to the Dalmia group. He said it was indeed very shameful that the Modi government, which could spend Rs 3,000 crore for self publicity, cannot find Rs 5 crore for the maintenance of the heritage monument like Red Fort, which is part of the great cultural history of the country.

Mr Maken said the Red Fort is not only a cultural heritage but also a symbolic sign of the country which has been printed on the Indian currency. He said it was the same Lal Quila from where Bahadur Shah Zaffar, Rani Laxmibhai and Tantya Tope mounted the fight against the British in 1987 for independence. He said the Red Fort is such a symbolic sign that the people of India sacrificed their lives to capture it from the British and mount the Indian national flag.

Mr Maken said when the British captured the Red Fort on 20 September, 1857, the Congress workers unleashed a relentless fight lasting 90 years to free India from the British rule, and flew the Indian national flag atop Lal Quila after gaining Independence. He said it was the same Lal Quila where court hearings used to be held against the revolutionaries of the country, and they were branded anti-nationals in the prouncements.

Mr Maken said after Independence, the first Prime Minister of the Country, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, mounted the Indian national flag atop it and addressed lakhs of people of the country from there. He said on 15th August every year, the Prime Minister of the countrywho may be from any political partyaddresses the people of India from the Red Fort as Lal Quila is a symbol of great heritage and culture of the country.

Mr Maken said there cannot be a more bankrupt situation than a conspiracy to mortgage, lease or sell the Red Fort or signing an MoU for lack of funds for its maintenance. He said the Congress party will not tolerate such anti-national decision by the Modi government and the manner in which it fought to drive out the British from the country, it will use all its might to thwart any move to hand over the Red Fort to the Dalmia group.
Death penalty cold-blooded killing in the name of justice.

New Delhi: Two of the four Nirbhaya killers, who are facing death sentence in the December 2012 gangrape incident, pleaded for mercy and urged the Supreme Court to commute their capital punishment into one of life imprisonment.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices R. Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan reserved verdict on the review pleas filed by three of the four convicts  Mukesh, Vinay Kumar, and Pawan Kumar. The fourth convict, Akshay, is yet to file any review of the May 2017 judgment confirming death sentence to the accused. The court had concluded arguments advanced on behalf of Mukesh in December 2017. The court had earlier stayed their execution pending disposal of review petitions.

On Friday, counsel A.P. Singh, appearing for Vinay Kumar and Pawan Kumar, submitted that the two petitioners are very young and hail from poor families. He said that the capital punishment confirmed by the apex court must be reviewed. The counsel argued that death penalty has been abolished in most of the countries and that it is a cold-blooded killing in the name of justice.

Seeking mercy, the counsel argued that execution kills only the criminals and not the crime. He also brought to the notice of the court that the two accused were juveniles when they were arrested. The counsel argued that the convicts are not habitual offenders and have no criminal records. He said that the court must allow them to be reformed. He also told the court that a lot of discrepancies were found in the three dying declarations of the victim and that Nirbhaya didnt name the accused at all.

When the counsel sought four weeks time to file the review in respect of accused Akshay, the court said that already sufficient time had been granted and no further time will be allowed.

Countering the arguments, senior counsel Sidharth Luthra, appearing for the Delhi government, pointed out that all these submissions were already made during the appeals, which had been rejected.

He also said that two of the convicts were not juveniles and the trial court confirmed this.

The apex court, in its May 2017 judgment, had described the gang rape as a tsunamic shock. It said in the instant case, the brutal, barbaric, and diabolic nature of the crime is evincible from the acts committed by the accused persons. It also said that the nature and manner of the crime devastated social trust.

The 23-year-old para-medical student, who had gone with her friend to watch a film, was brutally assaulted and raped by six persons in a moving bus in South Delhi and thrown out of the vehicle with her male friend on the night of December 16, 2012.
Gives him ten days for the payment of Rs 5 lakh as surety.

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday granted bail to Chhagan Bhujbal, a senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, in a money-laundering case.

Bhujbal  who has spent 781 days behind bars  had been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Maharashtra Sadan scam and the Kalina land case on March 14, 2016.

Justice P.N. Deshmukh allowed him to be released and granted him ten days for the payment of Rs 5 lakh as surety.

Shalabh Saxena, Mr Bhujbals lawyer, said, We filed the bail plea on the sole ground that the apex court struck down Section 45 (1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which imposed strict conditions on the granting of bail to persons arrested under provisions of the PMLA.

Sujay Kantawala, the counsel appearing for Mr Bhujbal, contended that he was entitled to bail after the Supreme Courts removal of Section 45 (1) of the PMLA.

He said that the PMLA court had made a mistake by rejecting Mr Bhujbals bail application after considering materials that only needed to be brought up at the trial stage.

Justice Deshmukh, while granting Mr Bhujbal bail, imposed certain conditions. Mr Bhujbal must surrender his passport to the court and attend court on trial days, and he is not to tamper with any evidence or witnesses.

Activist Anjali Damania, who had filed a public interest litigation alleging corrupt practices by Mr Bhujbal and his family, tweeted, Shri Chhagan Bhujbal granted bail by Mumbai High Court. NCP seems to be celebrating. But I would like to remind them that this is only a BAIL. He has NOT been acquitted. All charges against him have been established and it is a matter of time before he goes back to prison.
Two people were killed after the floor of a public toilet caved into septic tank in a chawl in Bhandup on April 28.

Two people were killed after the floor of a public toilet caved into septic tank in a chawl in Bhandup.

Mumbai: In the backdrop of the death of two persons due to a toilet collapse in Bhandup last Saturday, several corporators have demanded a structural audit of old toilets in the city. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) should also allow corporators to use their funds for the repair of toilets to avoid such incidents, they said.

Two people were killed after the floor of a public toilet caved into septic tank in a chawl in Bhandup on April 28. The issue was raised in the BMC House on Friday by Shiv Senas Vishakha Raut, who demanded that the BMC should make a specific policy for the repair and maintenance of city toilets.

The Bhandup toilet mishap has brought to fore the issue of old toilets, whose construction quality is substandard. The repairs of about 22,000 toilets are pending and some of them are in very poor condition. The maintenance and repairs of these toilets should also be carried out properly under the policy, she said.

Shiv Sena corporator, Trishna Vishwasrao said, The BMC should carry out the structural audit of toilets that are more than 20 years old. Several toilets are in a dilapidated condition and their suction tanks have not been cleaned for several years, making them dangerous.

Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar had visited the spot of the incident couple of days back and also met the relatives of the deceased.
Mr Modi will also attend the convocation ceremony of Visva-Bharati University.

Santiniketan (WB): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will share the dais for the inauguration of Bangladesh Bhawan here on May 25, officiating vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati University, Sabujkali Sen said on Saturday.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will also be invited to the programme, Ms Sen said. Mr Modi will also attend the convocation ceremony of Visva-Bharati University. It would be his maiden visit to the varsity after becoming its acharya or chancellor.

As per the rules of the university, a prime minister is its chancellor and the president of the country its paridarshaka (visitor), who appoints the vice-chancellor.

We received the confirmation from the respective offices of both the countries today. The prime minister will give away degrees to students during the convocation of Visva-Bharati University, while he along with Hasina will be present during the inauguration of Bangladesh Bhawan, Ms Sen said.

Bangladesh Bhawan will house a library of books published in that country and a museum which will showcase its fight for freedom from the erstwhile West Pakistan.

Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, whose family were zamindars (land owners) of Silaidaha (now in Bangladesh), had started the Visva-Bharati University in 1921 with the proceeds of the Nobel Prize he had received in 1913.

It was granted full university status in May, 1951 by the Government of India. Tagores eldest son, Rathindranath Tagore, was its first upacharya (vice chancellor).
Mr Patil ruled out the possibility of tribal minister Vishnu Savara being fielded in the election.

Mumbai: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday denied claims that the BJP had neglected the family of late Palghar MP, Chintaman Vanaga.

Mr Fadnavis told reporters, Chintaman Vanaga was our senior leader and we always respected him. There might be confusion among family members. We were thinking of fielding his family members in the by-poll, and I spoke to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on the phone and requested him for his support.

However, when reporters asked Mr Fadnavis as to whether the BJP would still support Chintaman Vanagas son if the Sena fielded him in the Palghar by-election, Mr Fadnavis replied, We expect that the family members will not take any steps against the interests of the BJP.

Meanwhile, revenue minister Chandrakant Patil informed that the party was speaking to members of the Vanaga family about who could be given a ticket in the Palghar Lok Sabha by-poll. Mr Patil ruled out the possibility of tribal minister Vishnu Savara being fielded in the election.

Chintaman Vanaga has been a MLA and MP for 35 years. It is wrong to say that the party neglected the family. Still, we are talking to the family members about who could be given a ticket now, said Mr Patil.
Royal bride will wear hand-stitched, beaded USD 135,000 wedding dress made by British couturiers Ralph & Russo.

Meghan will change into another dress for a second, black-tie evening reception thrown by Prince Charles at Frogmore House in the grounds of Windsor Great Park.

It can now be finally revealed that Meghan Markles hugely anticipated wedding dress will set the Royal Family back 100,000.

Multiple royal and fashion industry sources have revealed the actress has opted for British couturiers Ralph & Russo to make the first of two gowns she plans to wear on May 19.

She will wear the hand-stitched, heavily beaded design to walk down the aisle at St Georges Chapel in front of 600 guests  and an estimated billion TV viewers worldwide  as well as for the reception being held afterwards by the Queen in St Georges Hall at Windsor Castle.

Another source has claimed that the dress would cost around 100,000 pounds, which will be met by Prince Harry and his family privately.

News of her dress came as Kensington Palace revealed new details about the wedding, including that Harry, 33, and Meghan, 36, will not go on honeymoon until later in the summer and will conduct their first public engagement as man and wife days after their wedding.

According to sources, Harry has been kept in the dark about Meghans dress and does not even know who is designing it as he wants it to be a complete surprise on the day.

Ralph & Russo have been odds-on favourite for the commission since Meghan wore a 56,000 semi-sheer black evening dress from the label for her official engagement portrait.

Earlier this week, their team visited the Royal School of Needlework, which was responsible for the bespoke lace on the Duchess of Cambridges wedding dress and has a long association with the Royal Family.

Meghan will change into another dress for a second, black-tie evening reception thrown by Prince Charles at Frogmore House in the grounds of Windsor Great Park.

British company Burberry and its outgoing chief designer Christopher Bailey or beloved royal label Erdem are tipped to create this dress.


ICYMI: Over at The Federalist this past Friday, Ethics and Public Policy Center Fellow Luma Simms reviews Pope Francis and the Caring Society. As noted in my April 18 review, the collection of essays includes perceptive and educational insights from Actons own Samuel Gregg as well as many others, including Phillip Booth.

The authors of the essays in Pope Francis and the Caring Society understand Catholic social doctrine well. Here they attempt to understand and interpret the current pope in light of all that has already been articulated by the church. They are economists, theologians, historians; with expertise and irenic engagement, they support Pope Francis call to care for the poor, the marginalized, and the environment.

They do not shrink from discussions of wealth inequality, consumerism, oligarchy, crony capitalism, greed, and the plundering of the environment. But they also engage the pope critically, especially on the questions of capitalism and redistributive socialism. They do not begrudge crediting him when he is right, nor do they hesitate from a healthy critique of his understanding of the market.

The mind is conditioned by circumstances, and Pope Francis was shaped by his social, economic, and political milieu in Peronian Argentina. Samuel Gregg, in his essay, does a fine job expounding on that history. Authors Andrew Yuengert, Gabriel Martinez, Lawrence McQuillan, and Hayeon Carol Park are unrelenting and evenhanded in their critique of both our current economic problems, how capitalism has done and can do damage when not bounded by a moral society (as both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI had asserted), and on Pope Franciss sometimes ill-informed views on wealth creation.
As for the suggestion that Cariappa was badly treated by Congress governments, the facts suggest otherwise.

Its no secret that politicians love to score points against their opponents and rivals. You can see the thrill in their eyes. They clearly revel in it. So imagine how embarrassing it must be when they seek to correct or foot-fault an opponent but end up getting their facts wrong and, instead, reveal they dont know what theyre talking about. This happened so often on Thursday that it exceeded a laughing matter. It seemed almost pathetic.

Most of the mistakes were by the Prime Minister but the Congress, in its riposte, stumbled almost as badly. It all began when the PM used his Karnataka rallies to claim that the Congress had humiliated important sons of the state like Gen. K.S. Thimayya and Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa. To reveal the multiple errors he made, lets see what the PM said about each of these officers and then compare that to the actual facts.

First, speaking about Gen. Thimayya, the PM said: 1948 mein Pakistan se yudh jeeta... General Thimayyaji ke netritv mein. Lekin us parakram ke baad, Kashmir ko bachane waale General Thimayya ka us samay ke Pradhan Mantri Nehru, aur us samay ke Raksha Mantri Krishna Menon ne baar baar apmaan kiya tha. Aur isi kaaran, General Thimayya ko apne pad se samman ke khatir isteefa dena pada tha. (In 1948, it was under... Gen. Thimayyas leadership that the war against Pakistan was won. But after that victory, the saviour of Kashmir, Gen. Thimayya, was repeatedly insulted by then Prime Minister Nehru and then defence minister Krishna Menon. And it was for this reason, his honour, that Gen. Thimayya had to resign from his post.)

Unfortunately, theres very little in this statement thats actually correct. In 1948 Gen. Thimayya was not Army Chief. That was Gen. Roy Bucher. At the time Thimayya was a divisional commander with the rank of major-general. He first headed the Jammu and Kashmir Force and then Sri Div. Above him was the corps commander, Lt. Gen. S.M. Shrinagesh, and the Western Army commander, Lt. Gen. Cariappa. Second, though its correct Gen. Thimayya played a critical role in the Kashmir war, he wasnt then or shortly thereafter humiliated by either the then PM or Krishna Menon. Third, Mr Modi is wrong in claiming Krishna Menon was defence minister in 1948. That was Sardar Baldev Singh.

In fact, a cursory look at Thimayyas career shows how the Nehru government rewarded him for his good work. In 1953 Nehru appointed him to head the United Nations Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission in Korea, a very prestigious appointment. After he distinguished himself in this post, the Nehru government awarded him a Padma Bhushan in 1954. Three years later he became Army Chief, allegedly superseding two officers, Lt. Gens. Sant Singh and Kulwant Singh.

Theres no doubt that while serving as Army Chief in 1959 he had differences with the government over its reluctance to accept Pakistan President Ayub Khans offer of a Joint Defence Arrangement and offered to resign, but Nehru persuaded him to withdraw his resignation and Thimayya did so. He continued as Army Chief till May 1961.

Unfortunately, while trying to set the record straight, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala made glaring mistakes of his own. In a tweet reported by NDTV, that apparently he soon deleted, Mr Surjewala claimed from 1957 to 1962 Thimayya was Indian high commissioner in Britain. Those, in fact, were almost his exact dates as Army Chief in Delhi. The high commissioner was, of course, V.K. Krishna Menon.

Now lets come to what the PM said about Field Marshal Cariappa and how he also got that wrong. The PM claimed: Field Marshal Cariappa, 1962, Bharat aur China ki ghatna, aaj bhi itihas ki tawarikh mein darj hai aur unke saath, Field Marshal Cariappaji ke saath kya vyavahar kiya gaya (Field Marshal Cariappa, 1962, India-China war, is in the annals of recorded history. How he was treated, Field Marshal Cariappaji). Once again, this is almost entirely wrong.

Gen. Cariappa was not Army Chief during the 1962 India-China war. He had retired nine years earlier. In fact, it was his fourth successor who was Army Chief when the war broke out.

As for the suggestion that Cariappa was badly treated by Congress governments, the facts suggest otherwise. Although Nehru and Cariappa had differences in 1951 over the fact that the latter, as Army Chief, would often air political views, at the end of his four-year term he was sent as high commissioner to Australia, thus starting a tradition of posting retired Army chiefs as ambassadors that continued into the 1980s.

More important, 33 years after his retirement, Rajiv Gandhi promoted Cariappa to Field Marshal. Given that Field Marshals technically never retire but remain on the active list, this also meant Rajiv Gandhi broke with Army convention to elevate Cariappa after over three decades of retirement. No one could have conferred a greater honour.

So whats the conclusion? Clearly in his enthusiasm to suggest Congress governments have ill-treated the military heroes of Karnataka, the PM has got practically all his facts wrong and ended up embarrassing himself. If only Mr Surjewala had kept quiet, the mistakes would have been entirely on one side.

But how lucky Mr Modi is that most newspapers and television channels didnt pick up on his errors and make merry with them. I suspect thats because they didnt realise these were dreadful mistakes.
Whether AMU should have a portrait of Jinnah can be debated without unnecessarily glorifying the founder of Pakistan.

There are two entirely separate issues for consideration in the ongoing unrest at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) regarding the portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah hanging since 1938 in the student unions office. First, should a portrait of a man who actively worked for the Partition of India, created Pakistan, and stoked hatred between Hindus and Muslims, be hung in the university? And, second, if not, what is the best way to have an earlier wrong rectified?

I say these are separate issues because if you dont make the distinction you are likely to fall like a ripe apple in the lap of the Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) goons who protested against Jinnahs portrait. In fact, Samajwadi Party MP Praveen Nishad, who just won the Gorakhpur byelections, did exactly that. Protesting the behaviour of HYV members, he began, on TV, to praise Jinnah, comparing him to Gandhi and Nehru. This was music to the musclemen of the HYV. It was precisely the reaction they wanted. It fulfilled their principal agenda to establish that they were nationalists, and those opposing them were anti-nationalistic followers of Jinnah, and quite deserving to be banished  as they often say to all those who oppose them  to Pakistan.

Whether AMU should have a portrait of Jinnah can be debated without unnecessarily glorifying the founder of Pakistan. Some people can argue that this portrait was installed in 1938, when Jinnah was given a life membership of the universitys students union. This was prior to his becoming such a prominent pawn in the British game of divide and rule, and the proponent of Pakistan. It is also true that until the communal fires were ignited by Jinnah and his ilk, the gentleman was a prominent name among those fighting for Indias independence  a fact acknowledged then by no less a person than Mahatma Gandhi. In fact, even in the midst of the current turmoil in AMU, Swami Prasad Maurya, a BJP minister in UP, lauded Jinnah saying that his contribution to the freedom struggle cannot be ignored. History, even when it deals with people whom we now denigrate, cannot be entirely erased. There is, for instance, a prominent building in Mumbai still called Jinnah House, and a portrait of the Quaid-e-Azam hangs even now in the hallowed precincts of the Mumbai high court, in recognition of his being one of the leading lawyers of his times. If this is the case, why remove a portrait metaphorically gathering dust since 1938 in AMU?

Equally, however, there can be good reasons for AMU to consider whether the portrait needs to be removed. Whatever Jinnahs earlier contributions may have been, he is, for most Indians  even if not for all historians  the main villain in the movement for the Partition of India. In achieving this goal, he spewed communal venom, and happily colluded with the British. He is not by any stretch of imagination someone who deserves a place of respect for Indians. As distinguished poet Javed Akhtar tweeted, it is a matter of shame that AMU still honours him with a portrait.

There can thus be two ways to look at what the HYV protestors were demanding. But there are no two ways in strongly condemning the manner in which they acted. Consider the facts. On May first, BJP MP Satish Gautam wrote to the vice-chairman of the AMU asking why a portrait of Jinnah was adorning the walls of AMU. The letter itself cannot be faulted, but what followed certainly can. The very next day hoodlums of the HYV  an organisation founded by Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of UP  barged into the AMU campus, and clashed with university students, leading to 41 people being injured  some seriously  of which 28 were students and 13 policemen. By most accounts, these goons were armed, including with lethal weapons. Most shockingly, eyewitnesses say that the police stood as mute spectators as these thugs ran amuck. After all, how could they act to reign in members of an organisation set up by the chief minister himself?

Whatever the merits of the case with regard to the Jinnah portrait, who has given the license to the HYV to take the law into its own hands? Why have its members suddenly made an issue of a portrait installed since 1938? Is the timing entirely coincidental, or is it part of a larger agenda to stoke communal hatred and division? And, even if their cause has legitimacy, why could they not wait until the university provided a reply to the letter sent by Mr Gautam? Why has not a single FIR been registered by the police against those who perpetrated this violence? Why has Yogi Adityanath not strongly condemned this hooliganism by members of his own organisation? Has he forgotten that he is now the chief minister of a state, not an activist of an ultra-right wing organisation of self-anointed protectors of Hinduism? And, was it a coincidence that the violence was unleashed inside the campus just moments before former vice-president Hamid Ansari was to visit the university?

These are exceptionally important questions. Jinnah may have been an enemy of the nation, as UPs deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya indignantly proclaimed. But, so are members of organisations like the HYV, if they believe that they have the ordained right to usurp the law and resort to violence against anybody who disagrees with them. There are reports that HYV worthies have stormed into churches in Gorakhpur and elsewhere and disrupted services. In Gurgaon, Haryana Muslims offering namaz on Friday were stopped by Hindutva outfits that went around the city shouting slogans like Jai Shri Ram and Bangladesh wapas jao. Jinnah died long ago. But are we seeing the spirit of communal divisiveness that he represented being reincarnated in the behaviour of right-wing goons in the name of Hinduism, even as authorities mandated to uphold law and order remain mute spectators? What kind of anarchy is this, and where will it lead to? That is the central issue in what is unfolding now at AMU.
In his words: "I am just a professional writer, which means I don't do blogs and try and get money for whatever I write."

British home secretary Amber Rudd resigned one of the premier ministries of the British state this week.

I would twerk

For any jerk

For us dancing girls, its just work

Men adore a shaking bottom

I cant for the life of me see whats got em

So excited by wiggling spheres!

Egyptian dancers train for years

To turn their bellies

Into jellies.

Animated flesh is all

A primitive males mating call.

 From The Ballad of Meethu by Bachchoo

A resignation: the resolve of decency. An appointment: the indication of broad-minded policy as well as a determination to right the wrongs that were inadvertently done. British politics at its finest!

Or at its sometimes-perfidious worst?

British home secretary Amber Rudd resigned one of the premier ministries of the British state this week. Prime Minister Theresa May immediately appointed one Sajid Javid in her place.

Rudd said it was the decent thing to do as she had inadvertently misled Parliament. Sajid Javid stepped into the breach announcing a plan to deal with the injustices that had been exposed, leading to the upheaval.

What the hell is all this about? Decency? Honour?

Gentle reader judge for yourself. Heres what happened:

In the 1950s a ship called the Empire Windrush brought Jamaicans to settle in England and take up the less savoury employment that the British working class was reluctant to do. That good ship and a hundred others brought immigrants from the islands, which were still part of the British Empire.

Among them were several families with children who are today in their 60s and 70s having lived, worked and paid taxes in Britain all their lives. Those who were born in the 1950s and 1960s to the Windrush generation also inherited this name. Being from the then Empire they needed no visas and their entry at the ports of disembarkation was recorded and filed in the home office.

In 2010, Theresa May was home secretary in David Camerons government. There was a hoo-haa at the time on immigrants from the European Union burdening with their presence, Britains housing, social services and even British culture.

Ms Mays home ministry set targets for the denial of services to, the detention and even deportation of illegal immigrants. Under her dispensation the records of entry of the Windrushers at British ports were destroyed  in a malicious or simply bureaucratic act.

In 2016, Britain voted in the European Union (EU) referendum. To stay or not to stay, was the question. Though no statistic can reveal the precise motivation of any voter, surveys and the Brexit campaigns propaganda point to the possibility that the majority of leavers voted to keep Johnny foreigner out. There is no denying that the referendum brought out a wave of expressed xenophobia.

Ms May, who voted to remain, promptly changed sides and stood for the Prime Ministership of the government to steer Brexit. We must believe she was not motivated by naked opportunism, but purely by the compulsion to serve the democratic will of the people.

Ms May appointed Amber Rudd, who comes from a background of failed financial-fund directorships. Ms Rudd also failed in 2016 to disclose, as required of all MPs, two directorships in companies in the Bahamas that enable British citizens to dodge paying tax. Do-number paisey ki dalaal as we would say in Mumbai.

Then the Windrush revelations hit the press and emerged through the Opposition in Parliament. British citizens of the Windrush generation couldnt prove their citizenship as the records of entry had been destroyed and they were consequently being denied access to the National Health Service and welfare benefits. Some were being treated as illegal immigrants, detained and even deported.

Ms Rudd was asked questions in Parliament about this un-British policy. Elderly British citizens were being victimised to fulfil a numerical target for the apprehension and deportation of illegal immigrants. Ms Rudd was asked plainly if she knew about the targets set by Ms May for deportation etc. and denied in Parliament knowing about them.

The Guardian newspaper then published a leaked memo proving that her civil servants had put papers alluding to the targets before her. She said she hadnt seen them. A bout of temporary blindness?

Then a memo written by her to the PM promising a general rate of deportations was also leaked. She desperately tried to hold on to the office by apologising for not knowing and promised the nation she would instruct the home office to stop persecuting black British citizens in this way.

Then on the weekend, threatened with further questioning and further revelations, she resigned.

Was she pushed to do this in the hope that the questioning would stop and not get to Ms May, the initiator of the targets and the treatment and deportation which no properly democratic government could condone?

Ms May immediately elevated Sajid Javid, the banker son of a Pakistani immigrant and the Asian equivalent of the Windrush generation, to the home office ministry  a bit of not-so-astute image manipulation  an Asian Brit to clear up the racial mess?

Nevertheless sections of the press are asking whether the country should tolerate as PM the architect of a policy that has treated British citizens in this way? Should Theresa May resign?

A subsequent public survey did conclude that a vast majority of Brits thought the Windrush scandal was unfair, un-British and intolerable.

To be fair the British public has, apart from a small number in each generation, shunned open racism. In 1968 Enoch Powell made a bid for the leadership of the Tory Party with his Rivers of Blood speech which predicted that the Black man would gain the whip-hand over the White man! He didnt find much support. A union of meat-porters and a faction of London dockers demonstrated in his support. No one else. The whip remains in the White mans hand.

I joined a demonstration of 15,000 Asian workers and we marched down Birminghams streets denouncing the speech. I dont know if the on-lookers understood what we were demonstrating against, because the Punjabi accents rendered the demonstrating slogan as Eee-nuk-a-pole Hai Hai! Still, it felt good.
Both Lenovo Mirage Solo and Mirage Camera are available for purchase now.

Back in January, Google announced the Lenovo Mirage Solo, the first standalone virtual reality headset that runs Daydream. Alongside it, they also unveiled the Lenovo Mirage Camera, the first camera built for VR180. Designed with VR capture and playback in mind, these devices work great separately and together. And both are available for purchase now.

More immersive

The Mirage Solo puts everything you need for mobile VR in a single device. You don't need a smartphone, PC, or any external sensorsjust pick it up, put it on, and you're in VR in seconds.

The headset was designed with comfort in mind, and it has a wide field of view and an advanced display thats optimized for VR. It also features WorldSense, a powerful new technology that enables PC-quality positional tracking on a mobile device, without the need for any additional sensors. With it, you can duck, dodge and lean, step backward, forward or side-to-side. All of this makes for a more natural and immersive experience, so you really feel like youre there.

With over 350 games, apps and experiences in the Daydream library, there's tons to see and do. WorldSense unlocks new gameplay elements that bring the virtual world to life, and more than 70 of these titles make use of the technology, including Blade Runner: Revelations, Extreme Whiteout, Narrows, BBC Earth Live in VR, Fire Escape, Eclipse: Edge of Light, Virtual Virtual Reality, Merry Snowballs, and Rez Infinite. So whether youre a gamer or an explorer, theres something for everyone.

Point and shoot VR capture

Alongside the Mirage Solo, Google also worked with Lenovo to develop the first VR180 consumer camera, the Lenovo Mirage Camera. VR180 lets anyone capture immersive VR content with point and shoot simplicity. Photos and videos taken with the camera transport you back to the moment of capture with a 180 degree field of view and crisp, three-dimensional imagery.

Theres no better place to relive your VR180 memories than in the Lenovo Mirage Solo headset. And with support for VR180 built into Google Photos, you can easily share those moments with your friends and familyregardless of what device they have.
Cook and Cue are regular attendees of a media mogul conference held each year in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Apple sued Qualcomm early last year, contesting the San Diego-based chipmakers licensing practices and asking for those rebate payments back.

Qualcomm Inc can depose Apple Incs services chief Eddy Cue in addition to Chief Executive Tim Cook, a magistrate judge in the US District Court for the Southern District of California ruled on Friday, part of the chipmakers effort to determine whether Apple worked with Samsung to focus regulatory scrutiny on Qualcomm.

The access to Cue is important because Qualcomm alleges talks between executives at Apple and its rival Samsung Electronics Co Ltd were central to its decision to cut off Apple from a stream of nearly $1 billion in licensing rebate payments.

Apple sued Qualcomm early last year, contesting the San Diego-based chipmakers licensing practices and asking for those rebate payments back. Qualcomm then sued Apple for patent infringement in several countries. As part of the disputes, Qualcomm is also seeking to ban the import of some iPhones it believes are violating its patents.

In the lawsuit in Southern California filed by Apple, Qualcomm has alleged that at a conference in Idaho in 2015, a top Apple executive encouraged Samsung to get aggressive in asking South Korean antitrust regulators to pursue action against the chipmaker.

Cook and Cue are regular attendees of a media mogul conference held each year in Sun Valley, Idaho. The Apple executive in question, Qualcomm alleged, explained that a regulatory ruling on Samsungs home turf would be Samsungs best chance to force Qualcomm to change its licensing practices.

Qualcomm did not name the Apple executive cited in its filings. However, the conversation between Apple and Samsung is important because Qualcomm alleges it amounted to Apple wrongfully inducing a regulatory action against Qualcomm.

Qualcomm said such a move violated a cooperation agreement it had with Apple and that it stopped sending rebate payments to Apple because of that and other violations of the agreement.

Apple has argued in court filings that it cooperated with requests from regulators and that Qualcomm improperly retaliated against it for doing so.

Though Qualcomm is known as a chipmaker, its profit has been driven by a patent licensing business. Some of Qualcomms practices caused conflicts with customers such as Apple and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, as well as with regulators in China, Korea and the United States. Qualcomm has begun changing some of those practices to become more regulator friendly, its executives have said.

Apple declined to comment, and Samsung and Qualcomm did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Self destructing emails can help governments in destroying official records, with no way of recovering them.

Not too long ago, Google had announced a self-destructing feature for Gmail, which allowed users to set an expiration period for a particular mail. While that excited several users who wanted their messages to stay in someones inbox for a limited period of time, it raised a major concern  what about those having intentions of misusing the feature?

As reported by Motherboard, several people are concerned about various government organisations across the world misusing the feature to their benefits. In a letter to Googles Sundar Pichai, National Freedom of Information Coalitions President Malcolm J. Leary says, As more local and state governments and their various agencies seek to use Gmail, there is the potential that state public records laws will be circumvented by emails that 'disappear' after a period of time. The publics fundamental right to transparency and openness by their governments will be compromised.

Therefore, to retain transparency in governments across the world, Leary suggests that Google should disable the feature for government Gmail ids, i.e. government employees wont be able to set self-destruct on their emails and anyone mailing to a government employee wont be able to set self-destruct on that mail.

Its not yet known whether Google will be doing something to reserve peoples right to a transparent governance. Self-destruct for Gmail was introduced a few weeks ago as a part of new confidential mode for GSuite members. The confidential mode also allows the sender to restrict the number of ways the receiver can interact with the message.

(source)
Trump has accused China of unfair trade practices that have driven up the US goods deficit with the Asian giant.

'Our high level delegation is on the way back from China where they had long meetings with Chinese leaders and business representatives,' Trump wrote in a tweet. (Photo: AP File)

Washington: China is "very spoiled" by trade wins over America, US President Donald Trump said late Friday, as a top business delegation headed back to America after high-stakes talks with Beijing.

The two days of talks were aimed at forestalling momentum towards a looming conflict between the world's two largest economies, with both sides prepared to pull the trigger on tariffs that could affect trade in billions of dollars of goods.

"Our high level delegation is on the way back from China where they had long meetings with Chinese leaders and business representatives," Trump wrote in a tweet.

"We will be meeting tomorrow to determine the results, but it is hard for China in that they have become very spoiled with US trade wins," he added.

The American president has accused China of unfair trade practices that have driven up the US goods deficit with the Asian giant. Washington has also alleged "theft" of American intellectual property by China.

The discussions promised a potential off-ramp for the trade conflict. Trump has threatened to levy new tariffs on USD 150 billion of Chinese imports while Beijing shot back with a list of USD 50 billion in targeted US goods.

"Both sides recognise there are still big differences on some issues and that they need to continue to step up their work to make progress," China said in a statement released by the official Xinhua state news agency.

"The two sides exchanged views on expanding US exports to China, trade in services, bilateral investment, protection of intellectual property rights, resolution of tariffs and non-tariff measures."

It added that they had reached "a consensus in some areas", without elaborating. The agency said both sides had agreed to establish a "working mechanism" to continue talks.

Beijing has promised reform on several fronts in recent months -- including lifting foreign ownership restrictions for automakers and allowing foreign investors to take controlling stakes in financial firms.

But a list of US demands presented at the talks in Beijing showed these steps fall far short of expectations in Washington.

The demands included cutting China's trade surplus with the US by at least USD 200 billion by the end of 2020, lowering all tariffs to match US levels, eliminating technology transfer practices, and cutting off state support for some Chinese industries, according to Bloomberg News.

The White House called the discussions "frank" while making no mention of continuing the negotiations.

"There is consensus within the Administration that immediate attention is needed to bring changes to United States-China trade and investment relationship," a White House statement said.
Addressing a seminar on 'Wuhan Summit: Sino-India Relations and its Way Forward', Luo said BRI would benefit all countries, including India.

The BRI, a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013, has become a major irritant in bilateral ties. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi/ Beijing: China on Friday said it was "quiet normal" for it to push ahead with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a sticking point in Beijing's ties with India, but maintained that the two "major powers" could find a way to cooperate, especially after the Wuhan summit.

Addressing a seminar on 'Wuhan Summit: Sino-India Relations and its Way Forward', Luo said the BRI would benefit all countries, including India, in the age of globalisation.

The BRI, a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013, has become a major irritant in bilateral ties.

The BRI also includes the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which India opposes as it goes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

India had also boycotted 2017s Belt and Road Forum organised by China in Beijing.

"We seek common development through connectivity," Luo said as some Indian lawmakers, scholars and journalists raised the issue of the BRI during the seminar addressed by China's envoy on the outcomes of the April 27-28 informal summit between Chinese President Xi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said it was "quite normal" for China to push for the BRI among countries in the region, while describing India as a "major power" as well as an emerging market.

Luo also said that China wanted to share the fruits of its economic development with other countries and those like the US and the UK have benefited from China's growth.

Soon after the Wuhan summit ended, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou had said there was no fundamental difference with India on the issue of "inter-connectivity" and Beijing will "not be too hard" with New Delhi on the issue of the BRI.

"We feel that there is no fundamental difference between China and India on the issue of supporting inter-connectivity," Kong had told the Chinese media.

"The Indian side does not exclude this cooperation. It is also continuing to advance on interconnection."

"As for whether India accepts the expression Belt and Road, I think it is not important and China will not be too hard on it," he had said.

He had also referred to India's participation in the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) corridor which is also part of the BRI.

Another highlight of the informal summit, a "very special event" in Chinese diplomacy, Lu said, was the decision of President Xi and Prime Minister Modi to undertake a joint economic project in war-torn Afghanistan.

Referring to the unresolved boundary issue, the Chinese ambassador said it was a matter leftover from history and it cannot be resolved overnight.

The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488 km long Line of Actual Control (LAC).

While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covered Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.

During the Wuhan summit, Luo said, both sides have agreed 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.

Further, the two leaders have agreed to use the Special Representatives' Meeting on the boundary issue 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 tranquillity.

Luo said China and India would also address the issue of trade imbalance and Beijing would open up its market for more Indian products.

He cited Beijing's announcement yesterday to exempt import tariffs for 28 drugs, including all cancer drugs, from May 1.

This, the envoy said, was good news for India's pharmaceutical industry and medicine exports to China.

"I believe this will help reduce trade imbalance between China and India in the future," he said.

While the bilateral trade reached USD 84.44 billion in 2017, a new landmark, the trade deficit too continued to remain high at USD 51.75 billion - registering a growth of 8.55 per cent year-on-year in 2017.

President Xi and Prime Minister Modi also discussed the Korean peninsula and relations with the US as well as Russia, Luo said.

He said both sides have agreed to promote more active regional and international cooperation.

During the wide-ranging informal talks, the two leaders have agreed to cooperate in offering innovative and sustainable solutions to global challenges such as epidemics, natural disasters, climate change and terrorism, he said.

As the 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 and increase the representation and say of developing countries and emerging markets.

Both leaders also agreed to support the multilateral trading regime, oppose protectionism and work for an open, inclusive, balanced and win-win economic globalisation that benefits all.
Murtaza Bhutto was member of a terrorist organization Al-Zulfiqar and he used to torture and kill his rivals.

Islamabad: Former Pakistan military ruler Pervez Musharraf on Friday that if Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was alive, he would have never allowed his daughter Benazir Bhuttos marriage with Asif Ali Zardari.

In an interview with a Pakistani television channel, Mr Musharraf said that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto did not like the Zardari family and he always tried to refrain from making any relation with them. He alleged that Mr Zardari killed Mir Murtaza Bhutto outside his residence in 70 Clifton in Karachi in 1996 amid strict security arrangements, adding that Murtaza Bhutto hated Mr Zardari as he once shaved off his moustache by himself. Murtaza Bhutto was member of a terrorist organization Al-Zulfiqar and he used to torture and kill his rivals.

The former army chief said that the involvement of Saudi Shah Abdullah in plane hijack case saved fromer Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as he was sentenced to death by anti-terrorism court. He was given life imprisonment and exile instead, he continued.

On the nuclear tests carried out during Nawaz Sharifs tenure, Mr Musharraf said that if the former PMs statement regarding being offered US dollars to not hold atomic tests was correct then the American government would have exposed the reality until now. Responding to a question, he said, Abdul Qadeer Khan, who founded the uranium enrichment program for Pakistan s atomic bomb project, touched my knees and asked for apology when I showed him the evidence related to his suspicious activities. I asked him to seek forgiveness from the entire nation on television, he asserted.
JeM commander Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar claimed responsibility for April 26 grenade attack in the Tral township of Pulwama district in J&K.

The Jaish-e-Mohammed has been banned in Pakistan since 2002, but it continues to train terrorists in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and provides them weapons to create troubles in Jammu and Kashmir. (Photo: ANI | Representational)

Karachi: Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed has directed its cadres to step up and intensify its ' Jihad ' in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a gathering at its Markaz known as Beteha Masjid in Karachi city, JeM commander Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar claimed responsibility for the April 26 grenade attack in the Tral township of Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rauf said in his speech, "During ongoing `Daura Tafseer', news of JeM cadres fighting at battlefronts (in J&K) was pouring in. On April 25 JeM cadres were engaged in fighting against the enemy and were killed the day after (April 26). Their funeral processions were being carried out and meanwhile, another team of JeM launched attack to take avenge of killings of cadres on the previous day".

Such statements by JeM from Pakistan have exposed Islamabad's malicious designs in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rauf motivated cadres and told them not to forget the real motive for and behind `Jihad'. He said, "At the battlefront, there is no dearth of `Mujahideen', who have been waiting in queues to enter into J&K to kill the enemy.

The Jaish-e-Mohammed has been banned in Pakistan since 2002, but it continues to train terrorists in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and provides them weapons to create troubles in Jammu and Kashmir.

Having maintained close relations with the Taliban and al Qaeda, it has carried out several attacks primarily in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rauf has asked its cadres to mentally and physically ready to join cadres at battlefield. "The war of jihad' is entering into an extremely dangerous phase, where enemies would be trying to eliminate Mujahideen from well inside their own locations. Time is likely to come when mujahideen and others will have to take shelter in forests and plan strategy of survival".

From January to April this year, 55 terrorists have been killed by the security forces in the Kashmir valley. A majority of these terrorists were from Pakistan who crossed the border to create disturbances in Jammu and Kashmir.

On several occasion, India has accused Pakistan for sheltering terrorists and providing them open space to wage `jihad in the Kashmir Valley.
The students paid homage to the 325 great masters who donated their bodies. The service marked the beginning of a three-day ceremonies that ended today with the cremation of corpses, sponsored by the king. Since 2015, more and more Thais have enlisted in the registers of donors, following the example of an important monk.

Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies)  The medical students at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, the country's oldest and most prestigious university, took part in a solemn ceremony for the extreme greeting to the corpses who helped them refine their skills in dissection and knowledge of anatomy.

Two days ago, the students paid homage to the 325 great masters who donated their bodies to medicine, contributing to the training of the future doctors. Dressed in the university uniform, they offered flowers and incense to the memory of the dead, gathering themselves in prayer around the numerous coffins (photo).

We do not really know these people but, for me, they are close friends ... We spent a lot of time together - said 21 year-old Paspimol Kositchaiwat, a sophomore student - We needed to study their bodies and today is the day when we thank them. Rituals in honor of the corpses donated to medicine are a common practice in Thailand, a ritual that combines elements of Hinduism with the Buddhist faith.

During the ceremony at the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, while a brahmin priest prayed, the second year students held jasmine garlands in their hands and prayed for their "anatomical helpers," whose remains were wrapped in cloth and plastic.

The service marked the beginning of a three-day cerimonies that ended today with the cremation of corpses, sponsored by the king. Tanvaa Tansatit, an associate professor in the university's surgical training center, reports that cremations was held in 26 different temples in Bangkok. "In the medical field, we need bodies donors, so it's important for us to thank the people who have agreed to do it," says the professor.

The number of Thais registered in the donor lists increased in 2015, after an important monk agreed to donate his body after death to a medical school.
Pope Francis meets with 100,000 members of the Neocathecumenal Way, together with 16 cardinals and 90 bishops. Representatives of dozens of Asian countries were present in the rally. The pontiff comments on Jesus words: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations (Mt 28, 19). Benediction of crosses, handed in to 34 members sent on mission ad gentes. Some of Rome parishes communities are sent on mission to Italian capital peripheral areas.

Rome (AsiaNews)  Thanks for having listened to the Lords call, to live the Gospel and evangelise, thanks to Kiko Arguello, who has initiated the Neocathecumenal Way fifty years ago ; thanks to God, for His love and fidelity, and most of all, thanks to all those who are to depart on mission. In this manner, Pope Francis introduced his speech pronounced during the Neocathecumenal Way rally that gathered more than 100.000 members to celebrate its 50th foundation anniversary.

The Pope arrived by 11 am on his open-top jeep, passing through Tor Vergata esplanade, in Rome suburbs, blessing the crowd that gathered on both sides waving all worlds countries flags. The celebration was attended by 16 cardinals and 90 bishops from all over the world.

The meeting with the pontiff was preceded by Neocathecumenal chants. Later, there were greetings to each cardinal and groups from all over the world. In the case of Asia, there were representatives from Japan, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, South Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, India, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Middle East countries joined too, with the presence of Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Emirates, Lebanon and Iraq.

When the meeting reached its end, Pope Francis blessed the crosses that will be handed in to people in charge of the 34 new missio ad gentes, to which dozens of the Ways families will be sent to. Popes message focused mainly on the mission, the evangelisation, which is today Churchs priority.

Therefore, the Pope devoted to commenting Jesus words Therefore go and make disciples of all nations (Mt 28, 19). Go the Pope remarked-. But in life, we are strongly tempted to stay, to avoid assuming risks, to content in having the situations under control. It is easier to stay home, surrounded by our beloved ones, but this is not Jesus way.

To go, you must be light. To proclaim, it is necessary to renounce. Only a Church that renounces to the world is capable to proclaim the Lord. Only a Church that is free from attachments to power or money, free from triumph and clericalism, is plausible to testify that Christ liberates man.

Go is the verb connected to mission, but He says something else: the verb is conjugated in the plural form. The Lord does not say that you go on your own, then you... but that this you is meant to be you go together... go together! He who walks alone is not fully missionary, but only those who walk together, who are together.

The pontiff then commented on the words make disciples: this is the mission. He does not say: conquer, occupy, but make disciples, that is, share with everyone the gift you were given, the encounter of love that has changed your life. This is the missions core: to testify that God loves us. And that with him, real love is possible, that love that makes you give your life wherever you are, whether it is in your family, at work, being consecrated or married.

This making-disciples dynamics is completely different from proselytism. The announcement strength, so that the world may believe, is all in here. What counts is not arguments to convince, but a life that attracts; not the ability to impose oneself, but the courage to serve.

Finally, he focused on of all of nations: When Jesus says of all he is intended to remark that every nation has a place in his heart. No one is excluded.

Just like parents do, who see not the defects and lacks of their children firstly, but their sons and daughters or what they are, and within this light they embrace all their troubles and difficulties, the same goes for the missionaries when they are faced to people loved by God. They do not put on the first place the negative aspects or the things that should be changed, but they see with the heart, with a look that appreciate, with a respectful approach and a trust full of patience.

Love people cultures and traditions he concluded- without applying pre-established models. Do not take off from schemes and theories, but from concrete situations: then, it will be the Holy Spirit to give form to the announcement, according to its times and ways. And the Church will grow upon its image: a unity within peoples gifts and charismas diversity. Dear brothers and sisters, your charisma is a great gift from Gods, for the Church of our time. Lets thank the Lord for these fifty years.
State lawmakers in both Kansas and Oklahoma have approved legislation to grant legal protections to faith-based adoption agencies that cite their religious beliefs for not placing children in gay and lesbian homes.

The Kansas Senate approved a bill early Friday morning, 24-15, that would prevent faith-based agencies from being barred from providing foster care or adoption services for the state if they refuse to place children in homes violating their sincerely held religious beliefs. The House had approved it late Thursday, 63-58.

There is no homosexual agenda  I was told that, when people were saying that there was one, and now we find out, there is an agenda, said Kansas state Sen. Steve Fitzgerald, a conservative Leavenworth Republican.

Kansas Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer supported his states legislation, with his administration arguing with the spin that it would encourage faith-based groups to place more abused and neglected children in state custody.

The Oklahoma bill cleared the GOP-controlled Legislature over the boisterous objections of Democrats. At one point, the chambers presiding officer threatened to have a member forcibly removed and was sent to the desk of Gov. Mary Fallin, who has not said whether she would sign it.

TechNet, representing some of the biggest names in tech, including Apple and Google, sent a letter to lawmakers in both states opposing their measures. Critics in Kansas worried that it would make the state look backward and even suggested it could hurt the economy.

Texas, Alabama, South Dakota, Virginia and Michigan already have such laws in place. Michigans ACLU chapter took the state to court last year over its adoption law, and the case is still ongoing..
Joseph Luiz can be reached at 395-7368 or by email at jluiz@bakersfield.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @JLuiz_TBC.
MOSS POINT, Miss. -- Moss Point police have a man in custody after he turned himself in Friday evening.

According to police chief Brandon Ashley, David Oneal Jones turned himself in to Moss Point police on Friday evening around 7:30 p.m.

He is now in the custody of the Jackson County Adult Detention Center.

Jones is accused of shooting a man in the leg on Wednesday near Tanner Street.

Officers responded after they received a call around 3:50 p.m. on Wednesday from a victim suffering from a single gunshot wound to the leg.

After canvassing the area locating witnesses and collecting evidence at the scene, the victim, 32-year-old Ricardo Deloach told officers he was shot by a black male suspect -- later identified as Jones.

Investigators, according to Ashley were able to locate and recover the rifle which was used during the incident, at a residence on Lilly Circle. The rifle is a SKS 7.62 caliber which was reported stolen from a resident of Moss Point in 2017.

Deloach required surgery and is listed in guarded condition at this time. Jones, 30, is at large, has an outstanding felony arrest warrant for aggravated assault and should be considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information about this crime, is asked to contact Detective Mark Peters or the Moss Point Police Department at 228-475-1711. You may also contact Crime Stoppers at 800-787-5898 or visit the Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers website at mscoastcrimestoppers.com
Bubbly Rose

Galen Glen Winery is best known for its Gruner Veltliner and Riesling, both considered world class, and to a lesser extent Chambourcin, a hybrid that a number of eastern Pa. wineries have turned into their signature grape.

But the trick these days for many wineries is diversification and offering something for everyone's tastes, part of the story behind a Bubbling Rose that will be released Saturday. Off-dry, it will be priced at $14.99. Here's the skinny on that: Impossibly thirst-quenching effervescence that bursts with lip smacking cherry and mandarin orange. Everything tastes better with pink - from tapas to the main entree.

Also being released is a 2017 Chardonnay, at $12.99, with the following tasting notes: Naked in style and lush with the musky fragrance of a midsummer night. Tantalizing apple and lime make it a wonderful partner with semi soft cheeses, chicken, shrimp and clams.



One of the winery's fans is internationally known reviewer Stuart Pigott, who recently offered a number of reviews of Pennsylvania wines for JamesSuckling.com. Here are the sentiments he offered on several Galen Glen wines, including the points he scored each of them.

93 POINTS, GRUNER VELTLINER LEHIGH VALLEY STONE CELLAR RESERVE 2014

With delicate aromas of exotic fruits and sauteed zucchinis, this powerful and richly textural dry white has a lot of energy at the long intense finish. Effortlessly carries 13.5 percent alcohol. Perhaps the best Gruner Veltliner made to date in the United States. Drink or hold.

92, RIESLING LEHIGH VALLEY STONE CELLAR FOSSIL VINEYARD 2016

The peach, nectarine and pineapple nose is stunning. With an impressive concentration and a crisp, mineral finish, this wine is a serious competitor for the top Rieslings from the Finger Lakes in Upstate New York. Made from sustainably grown grapes. Screw cap. Not released yet, but it should hold through at least 2025.

91, GRUNER VELTLINER LEHIGH VALLEY 2016

Thanks to its pepper and sweet vegetal aromas, this wine could easily be mistaken for a Gruner Veltliner from the Austrian Danube. Medium body with great balance of slight creaminess and lively acidity. A long and almost silky finish. Made from sustainably grown grapes. Screw cap. Keep or hold.

91, RIESLING LEHIGH VALLEY STONE CELLAR GJT VINEYARD 2015

Another impressive dry riesling from this producer. Has plenty of stone fruit and a racy acidity that pushes the finish along. Made from sustainably grown grapes. Better from 2018.

90, GEWURZTRAMINER LEHIGH VALLEY STONE CELLAR 2016

With its bouquet of yellow roses and smoke, this is a classic Gewurztraminer with moderate alcohol percentage that manages to avoid being either bitter, hot or sweet at the finish. Made from sustainably grown grapes. Screw cap. Drink or hold.

89, GRUNER VELTLINER LEHIGH VALLEY STONE CELLAR BRUT NATURAL 2014

The white-pepper aroma of this juicy yet bone-dry sparkling wine makes it stand out from the crowd. And it may indeed be the only sparkling Gruner Veltliner on the East Coast! Very clean. A slightly short finish. Made from sustainably grown grapes. The first vintage of this wine. Drink now.

89, CABERNET FRANC LEHIGH VALLEY STONE CELLAR 2015

I love the hints of violets and fresh herbs in the nose of this vibrant, youthful red. The dry tannins are present without being dominant, but it is fairly cool and lean at the finish. With a bit more depth, it would have scored higher. Made from sustainably grown grapes. Drink or hold.

88, RIESLING LEHIGH VALLEY SEMI-DRY 2016

Plenty of apples and a genuinely medium-dry balance. This is a very well made Riesling that slips down easily and will complement a wide range of lighter dishes. Made from sustainably grown grapes. Screw cap. Drink now.

Finally, the winery is planning a special Gruner Veltliner tasting on May 19 and 20. Here are the details on that:

From zippy to luxurious, let Galen Glen lead you on a tasting through the styles of Gruner Veltliner. We'll feature our very best - explosive Gruner Brut Sparkling, friendly Gruner Vinology, internationally acclaimed Gruner Reserve and debut Gruner from the 2017 vintage. In the spirit of Gruner's homeland, Austria, a miniature pork schnitzel will accompany the pairing. Join us for this extraordinary experience with the Troxell family to discover why the grape they pioneered in the US is poised on the brink of stardom!

Must be 21 or older.

Purchase tickets for Saturday, May 19:

12:30 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/meet-gruner-veltliner-pennsylvanias-sexiest-grape-tickets-45263053010

2 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/meet-gruner-veltliner-pennsylvanias-sexiest-grape-tickets-45574999049

Purchase tickets for Sunday, May 20:

12:30 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/meet-gruner-veltliner-pennsylvanias-sexiest-grape-tickets-45420636346

2 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/meet-gruner-veltliner-pennsylvanias-sexiest-grape-tickets-45575061235
UPDATE [May 4, 2018, 7 p.m.]

George H.W. Bush has left the building! The hospital building that is.

Bush family spokesperson Jim McGrath said Friday evening that the president was released from Methodist Hospital in Houston and is doing well.

BREAKING: Per Bush family spokesperson Jim McGrath, President George H.W. Bush has been released from the hospital and is doing well! #goodnews pic.twitter.com/0kTeK7xTjC  Spectrum News Austin (@SpecNewsATX) May 4, 2018 <_script charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js">

He was hospitalized shortly after his wife Barbara's funeral, on April 22.

ORIGINAL STORY [May 2, 2018]

HOUSTON -- Former President George H.W. Bush will stay in a Houston-area hospital, at least for one more day.

Wednesday, a family spokesman said Bush continues to regain strength and doctors are pleased with his progress.

The 93-year-old was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital on Sunday, April 22, one day after his wife's funeral. Bush has a form of Parkinson's disease and a history of pneumonia, but it was an infection in his blood that sent him to the hospital this time.

Family spokesman Jim McGrath said the former president still hopes to travel next month to his family's home in Maine where he spends the summers.

CONTINUING COVERAGE:

George HW Bush hospitalized just under a week after Barbara's death

Former President George HW Bush to remain in hospital
DADE CITY, Fla.  Pasco County held its annual Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service Friday. It was a chance for law enforcement, families, and the community to come together to honor those lost locally and nationwide.

Law enforcement agencies from across county attended

134 officers killed in the line of duty nationwide in 2017

Im glad the community does this. Im glad that its been able to shed light on a lot of other fallen officers and their families, said Sandy Harrison, daughter of fallen Pasco County Sheriffs Capt. Charles Bo Harrison.

Next month marks 15 years since Harrison, promoted from lieutenant posthumously, was fatally shot while sitting in his patrol car.

We still have Capt. Harrisons car in our impound lot, said Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco. I saw it the other day, and its one of those things that brings you back to realize these were heroes in our community.

Law enforcement agencies from across the county were in attendance. Theresa Kondek, widow of fallen Tarpon Springs Police Officer Charles Kondek, said the support shes received from the public and especially the law enforcement community isnt limited to events like Fridays ceremony.

Weve never been alone, and its nothing for me to come home and have flowers at my door or to have someone visit one of my kids or bring them flowers. So, Im grateful for that, Kondek said.

It never stops for these families. Every special event, their loved ones not here, said Gov. Rick Scott.

Sheriffs office spokesperson Kevin Doll noted at the beginning of the ceremony that 2017 was a deadly one for law enforcement, with 134 officers killed in the line of duty nationwide.

Gov. Scott and other speakers spoke about the importance of continuing to support their families. He said an amendment will be on the ballot this fall that would offer family members of fallen law enforcement and military free tuition.

In the meantime, families said theyll go on remembering those theyve lost.

We miss him. Its easier, but it never goes away, said Harrison.
The 11,000-member local union in Las Vegas, Nev.Clark County Education Association (CCEA)broke ties with its state and national union last week.

The split with the Nevada State Education Association and the National Education Association was over money and a dispute over how to reach union goals, reports the Nevada Independent .

We have officially broken away from them, CCEAs executive dirctor John Vellardita told the newspaper. They are an ATM machine. They expected educators in Clark County to subsidize the entire state and its operations for a flawed political agenda that doesnt advance public education in the state.

CCEA informed members in an announcement on its website that it would reduce their union dues by 40 percent, from $33.78 per paycheck to $21.25.

The break comes amid a surge of statewide teacher strikes and as unions across the country await a Supreme Court decision on whether or not unions could continue to charge dues to nonmembers .

Whats more, the National Education Association has suffered similar breaks from local unions in recent years, including in Memphis , Tenn. and in Carmel, Ind .

In response to CCEAs break for independence, the NSEA and the NEA created another local: the Nevada Education Association-Southern Nevada.

The NSEA promised in a press release that members who switched to the new local would keep their benefits and gain the strength of the largest union behind them.

NEA-SN is the true voice of educators in Southern Nevada, said Clark County teacher Sarah Sunnasy in the release. We are member led, member run, and the only union connected to 3.1 million education professionals through the NEA.

On Twitter, the Nevada State Education Association claimed that there was such an overwhelming response to the newly formed local that it had to order more membership forms.

More membership forms are on order! An overwhelming response to the new member-led, member-driven teacher and education professional union, NEA-SN! pic.twitter.com/gJdWvl9Uu2  NEASNV (@NEASNV) May 1, 2018

To encourage members to join the new NEA-Southern Nevada union, NSEA president Ruben Murillo invoked the success of nationwide walkouts to secure teachers higher pay and better benefits. Nationally, a wave of education protests is shutting down schools in right to work states, spotlighting the focus on public education funding, educator salaries, and working conditions, he said. The new members of NEA-SN will have their voices heard in a collective manner with the NEA and NSEA in advocating for whats best for public education, here in Nevada and nationally.

CCEA told its members in the announcement about the break from the state and national union that they would get an email telling how to transfer to the new local, but that the new union has no collective bargaining rights, and was created to compete with CCEA, the exclusive bargaining representatives for all [Clark County School District] licensed educators.

CCEA claimed the email was a trick to get members to think that NEA-Southern Nevada is actually their new local. This new NEA-SN is not recognized and can provide no real services to members, the announcement read.

See also:
Posted Saturday, May 5, 2018 1:30 am

Memorial Day is right around the corner, and area churches and cemeteries are setting dates for decoration services and business meetings.

Reynolds Cemetery

The annual Reynolds Cemetery work and cleanup day will start at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 5. Anyone interested in helping clean up the cemetery is encouraged to attend.

In case of rain, a makeup workday is scheduled for 8 a.m. Saturday, May 12.

Donations to help with the maintenance and mowing expenses of the cemetery are greatly appreciated. Donations can be made out to Reynolds Cemetery Fund and mailed to Kristy Sharp, secretary and treasurer, at 1828 U.S. Hwy. 65, Buffalo, MO 65622. Donations also may be taken to or mailed to OBannon Bank, PO Box 890, Buffalo, MO 65622.

The cemetery relies on donations to maintain its upkeep.

For more information, contact a board member  Kelly Brazil at (660) 525-9225, Jeff Ortner at 733-1033 or Bill Sharp at 399-3350  or Kristy Sharp at 328-9403.

Enon Missionary Baptist

Enon Cemetery will hold decoration services at 11 a.m. Sunday, May 13, at Enon Missionary Baptist Church with Bro. Jeremy Horn preaching the sermon.

A basket lunch will be served around noon followed by a brief business meeting. Bro. Kip Baker will share the sermon during the afternoon service.

Everyone is welcome.

For more information, call Dan at 838-4599.

Pleasant Hill

Decoration day services will begin with Sunday school at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 20, at Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church.

Bro. Mike Bruce will bring the morning message with lunch served at noon. The Viles family will sing during the afternoon service.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Antioch Cemetery

Antioch Cemetery of Pittsburg is seeking donations to help with the maintenance and upkeep of cemetery grounds.

The cemetery relies on community support, and all donations are greatly appreciated.

Donations may be sent to Antioch Cemetery Association, 27749 State Highway 64, Polk MO 65727.

To have a decoration service added to this list, call 326-7636 or email news@bolivarmonews.com.
Posted Saturday, May 5, 2018 1:00 am

Community Blood Center of the Ozarks will host two upcoming blood drives in Polk County.

Area blood reserves currently are critically short of O-negative and B-negative blood types.

First is a blood drive from 1 to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 10, at Citizens Memorial Hospital, 1500 N. Oakland Ave., Bolivar.

Next is a blood drive from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, May 11, at Pleasant Hope High School, 303 N. Main St., Pleasant Hope.

To be eligible to give blood, you must weigh at least 110 pounds, be in good health and present a valid photo ID.

For more information, visit cbco.org or call 1-800-280-5337.
Posted Saturday, May 5, 2018 3:52 pm

Polk Countys Rep. Mike Stephens, R-Bolivar, has joined a growing number of Missouri lawmakers calling on Gov. Eric Greitens to voluntarily step down.

In a statement issued Friday evening, Stephens said he believes the governor should resign.

In light of the recent revelations concerning our governor and future legal problems they will cause, I no longer believe that Gov. Greitens can effectively lead our state, Stephens said. There comes a time in public service when personal ambitions must be put aside for the good of the people. I call on him to resign.

The statement came one day after Missouri legislative leaders announced they had gathered enough signatures on a historic petition calling for a May 18 special session to consider impeaching the governor.

Its signatures included those of Stephens and Sen. Sandy Crawford, R-Buffalo.

Greitens has been criminally charged with felony invasion of privacy and felony computer tampering.

The announcement was made during a Thursday joint press conference called by Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard and House Speaker Todd Richardson and broadcast via social media.

This was not a decision made lightly and certainly not without great deliberation, Richardson said, adding the action required the signatures of three-fourths of members of both the Senate and General Assembly.

The special session is set to take place the same day the legislature concludes its regular session.

Area residents weigh in

News of calls for the governors resignation and the upcoming special session sparked social media debate over the weekend among Polk Countians.

Several residents called for Greitens to have his day in court.

These legislators dont want the man to have his day in court knowing full well hes not been found guilty of anything whatsoever, Bolivar resident Philip Canole said via Facebook.

Bolivars John and Janice Powell warned others to beware.

You that throw stones may be the next one to step on someones toes, they commented. Give the man his day in court. Because if its your turn, youre going to be wanting a fair shake.

A fair shake is exactly what an impeachment is, Cathy Cox of Bolivar responded. He has the right to defend himself. And impeachment does not mean he will be removed from office. That comes only by vote after the articles of impeachment, the investigation, the defense, etc. If indeed he behaved as is alleged, you really dont want someone of that character making decisions.

Via social media, Fair Play resident Brenda Hatfield predicted the governor will not resign.

He will not resign for an affair they both contributed to  50 Shades of Grey movie role playing, she said. Its done and over. Move on.
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Living Gospel Equality Now: Loving in the Heart of God: Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
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Digital Editor
Although a mask may filter tiny particles as advertised, face size and shape as well as movement can lead to leakage as high as 68 per cent, researchers report in Occupational & Environmental Medicine. Even if the filtration efficiency of the mask is high, and the mask fits the person initially, the mask may not continue to give a good fit as the person goes about their daily activities  walking, talking, and more, said senior study author Miranda Loh, an environmental scientist at the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh, Scotland. ...
Question: Does the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), an official position regards to recently restarted Neemrana dialogue, does it have a position, first of all, at all? Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar: We have seen the reports which have come in the section of press.

This is a meeting between two civil societies, this is meeting which is part of people to people exchange and if you recall I have mentioned in the past that the functional exchanges between the two sides have continued and is actually a part of normal process between the two countries. So there is nothing new ...
Ramsajeevan Prajapati, 42, started working under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in 2005 to support his family of nine. He was promised he would get paid every eight days.

However, he said, he has not received wages in six months, or the Rs 2,000 due to him from the preceding year. Prajapati, who previously worked as a labourer at the local market in Mavai village in Uttar Pradeshs Banda district, has been taking loans to get by. When he complains to officials about delayed wages, he is asked to continue working so that his pending ...
How much did demonetisation really affect the economy of Karnataka? And how much is it going to affect its politics? For Mangaluru, the move was pure and unmitigated disaster. In the first few months, construction was halted and finally came to a complete stop. It was traumatic.

Mangaluru is the biggest city in Karnataka after Bengaluru. Things are limping back now. But builders here have still not recovered their losses and continue to feel the pinch said Vishwanatha, professor and chairman at the economics department of the Mangalore University. Moreover, ...
President Donald Trump on Friday said the date and location have been set for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, building suspense for the unprecedented talks, as South Korea said it would oppose a withdrawal of US troops from the area. The White House has said the first meeting ever between sitting US and North Korean leaders could take place in the coming weeks. Trump is to push North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. The demilitarised zone, or DMZ, between North and South Korea, and Singapore are among the top choices being considered for the summit. Trump this week ...
Billionaire Warren Buffett on Saturday said it was not likely that the US and China would come to loggerheads on trade, saying the two countries would avoid doing something extremely foolish. The United States and China are going to be the two super-powers of the world, economically and in other ways, for a long, long, long time, Buffett said at Berkshire Hathaway Incs annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. We have a lot of common interests and like any two big economic entities, there are times when theyll be ...
Posted 5/4/18

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 in Bolivar. Bryan E. Flueckiger, M.D., in 
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway Inc Vice Chairman Charlie Munger are answering five hours of questions from shareholders, journalists and analysts at Berkshire's annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. The weekend known as "Woodstock for Capitalists" is unique in corporate America, a celebration of Buffett's success at a conglomerate whose businesses range from Geico insurance to the BNSF railroad to See's candies to Ginsu knives. Below are the comments from Buffett, the "Oracle of Omaha," on a wide range of topics: ON ...
At least seven miners were killed in a cave-in at the Masakhane gold mine here on Saturday.

This comes after a 2.2 magnitude earthquake struck the city on Thursday, trapping 13 miners underground, CNN reported.

According to Sibanye-Stillwater mining company, six of them were rescued and are undergoing treatment at a hospital.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his condolences, adding that an investigation has been launched for the same. He vowed for a permanent solution to address the "unacceptable" death rates in mines in the country.

"As government and South Africans at large, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased workers, among whom are workers from neighboring states including Mozambique," President Ramaphosa said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Sibanye-Stillwater added, that a "thorough investigation" by management, the country's Department of Mineral Resources and others will be undertaken.

"All efforts will be made to ensure to prevent incidents of this nature occurring in the future," the company said in a statement.

Although South Africa is a leading producer in gold, the safety of miners has been a long-term concern and criticised by many.

In February, over 900 miners were rescued from Beatrix gold mine in Theunissen city, following a loss of power after a thunderstorm.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Pakistani girl's photo on the cover page of a booklet meant to promote 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' in Bihar's Jamui district has landed the officials in a soup.

The photo features a 5-year-old sitting in a chair and drawing a flag of Pakistan on a lined notebook page. It was later revealed that the photo was originally used by UNICEF in Pakistan to spread girl education awareness.

The District Coordinator of Sanitation and Water Sudhir Kumar later said that the picture was a "mistake."

Taking cognisance of the matter, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered an inquiry to ascertain why the error went unnoticed.

The booklet was printed by Suprabh Enterprises printing press in Patna.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three terrorists were killed and three security personnel got injured in an encounter that took place in Chattabal area of Srinagar on Saturday.

Inspector General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Ravideep Sahi confirmed, "Three terrorists have been killed, three security personnel have been injured. It was a clean operation. There has been no damage to the building. I thank the people of Srinagar for their cooperation."

The encounter broke out early morning.

In a similar incident, two policemen and one civilian were injured after terrorists hurled a grenade at a police station here in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam.

(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 Saturday said Congress and Pakistan have amazing telepathy.

In a tweet, Shah said, "Congress and Pakistan have amazing telepathy. Yesterday Pakistan Government remembered Tipu Sultan, whose Jayanti Congress marks with fanfare and today Mr. Mani Shankar Aiyar admires Jinnah. Be it Gujarat or Karnataka polls, I fail to understand why Congress involves Pakistan!"

Pakistan on Friday remembered 18th-century ruler Tipu Sultan on his 218th death anniversary.

"Revisiting an important & influential historical figure, Tiger of Mysore - Tipu Sultan on his death anniversary. Right from his early years, he was trained in the art of warfare & had a fascination for learning," tweeted the Pakistani Government.

Though the Pakistan government tweeted about the Mysore ruler on his death anniversary, it has also come at a time when Karnataka is set to witness elections in a week.

Popularly known as Tiger of Mysore, he has become a controversial figure in India, especially since 2015, when the BJP and the Congress engaged in a war of words over the birth anniversary celebrations of Tipu on November 10.

BJP considers the historical figure a 'Muslim tyrant' and describes him as 'anti-Hindu', 'anti-Karnataka' and 'mass murderer', while the Congress consider him as the first freedom fighter who fought against the British.

Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah is also in the news in India.

In Aligarh, some groups have protested against the portrait of Pakistan's founder at the office of Aligarh Muslim University student union's office.

The matter hit the headlines after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Aligarh MP Satish Gautam questioned the portrait's presence in the AMU student union office.

On Thursday, 28 students and 13 cops were injured in a clash which broke out between AMU students and the police.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court has fixed May 24 as the next date of hearing for a petition filed by Flinstone Technologies Pvt. Ltd. with regard to staying Reserve Bank of India (RBI) strictures related to conducting with individual and entities dealing in virtual currencies.

A single judge bench of the high court was hearing a petition filed by Amit Lakhanpal, Director, Flinstone Technologies.

In his petition, Lakhanpal claimed that a circular issued by the RBI last month has made trading in virtual currencies impossible and is spreading panic among investors.

Lakhanpal informed the high court that Flinstone Technologies Pvt. Ltd. was conducting its under the trade name of Money Trade Coin (MTC), which was experiencing a bull run in the first few months after its launch, but adverse actions by certain financial institutions on January 24, 2018, followed by the RBI's April 6 circular had affected commercial operations of all virtual currency companies in India.

"When we started our business, we wrote to all relevant ministries and officials to ensure that our business model was in line with all statutory guidelines. But these arbitrary decisions by regulators and certain financial institutions have jeopardized our business interests. Today, we have been made to look guilty in front of our investors for no fault of ours," Lakhanpal said in his petition to the high court.

In its April 6 notification, the RBI said, "Reserve Bank has repeatedly through its public notices on December 24, 2013, February 01, 2017 and December 05, 2017, cautioned users, holders and traders of virtual currencies, including Bitcoins, regarding various risks associated in dealing with such virtual currencies.

In view of the associated risks, it has been decided that, with immediate effect, entities regulated by the Reserve Bank shall not deal in VCs or provide services for facilitating any person or entity in dealing with or settling VCs.

Such services include maintaining accounts, registering, trading, settling, clearing, giving loans against virtual tokens, accepting them as collateral, opening accounts of exchanges dealing with them and transfer / receipt of money in accounts relating to purchase/ sale of VCs.

Regulated entities which already provide such services shall exit the relationship within three months from the date of this circular.

These instructions are issued in exercise of powers conferred by section 35A read with section 36(1)(a) of Banking Regulation Act, 1949, section 35A read with section 36(1)(a) and section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, section 45JA and 45L of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and Section 10(2) read with Section 18 of Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007."

Flinstone Technologies Pvt. Ltd. has demanded quashing of this RBI circular, terming it as "arbitrary, unfair and unconstitutional."

It has also urged the high court to issue notices to the finance ministry and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council.

Flintstone Technologies has pleaded that in the interest of investors the RBI should mandate KYC (Know Your Customer) norms and anti-money laundering guidelines instead of imposing complete prohibition on access to banking.

Senior advocate and former union minister Salman Khurshid is representing Lakhanpal and Flinstone Technologies Pvt. Ltd. in this case.

The Delhi High Court said Friday it will hear Lakhanpal's petition along with a petition filed by the Ahmedabad-based Kali Digital on May 24.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former United States President George H.W. Bush has been discharged from Houston Methodist Hospital, his spokesperson Jim McGrath informed on Friday.

"President @GeorgeHWBush was discharged from @MethodistHosp after treatment for an infection. His doctors report he is doing well and is happy to return home," McGrath tweeted.

On April 22, the 93-year-old was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after contracting the life-threatening infection that spread to his blood, just days after the death of his wife Barbara.

He was later shifted to a regular patient room at the hospital.

Bush's wife and the former US first lady, Barbara Bush passed away on April 17 in Houston, at the age of 92.

Bush, a Republican, served as the 41st US President from 1989 to 1993. He also served as the 43rd US Vice-President from 1981 to 1989.

His eldest son, George W. Bush also served two terms as the 43rd US President from 2001 to 2009.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Gujarat branch of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday arrested Kirit Paladiya for stealing bitcoins from his partner.

"We have arrested Kirit Paladiya who is the mastermind of the conspiracy," said Deputy Inspector General of CID crime Dipankar Trivedi while speaking to the media.

According to the police authorities, Paladiya stole 176 bitcoins worth over Rs 9 crore from his partner, Shailesh Bhatt.

Also, Amreli's Superintendent of Police Jagdish Patel, Amreli local Crime Branch inspector Anant Patel and two other constables have been arrested for being involved in the case.

Meanwhile, seven policemen involved in the case are still on the run.

According to Shailesh Bhatt's complaint, a CBI officer, Sunil Nair, in February had called and warned him to stop dealing in crypto-currencies as it had been banned by the government.

Bhatt's complaint mentioned that Nair had taken Rs 5 crore from him for not filing the case.

During questioning, Bhatt had told that he, along with Paladiya, was kidnapped by Amreli police soon after their arrival in Gandhinagar on February 11.

His complaint stated that he was taken to a farmhouse wherein inspector Anant Patel and some other policemen assaulted him to make him transfer 176 bitcoins and Rs 32 crore to the police.

But, according to DIG Trivedi, Paladiya asked Bhatt to transfer the coins onto his account so that he could forward the same to the police authorities on the context of saving their own lives.

"Later on, we got to know that Paladiya never really had the intention of transferring the bitcoins but to keep it in his possession," the DIG added.

Paladiya sold 34 bitcoins from the 176 he had in his possession. After selling, he transferred 15 percent of the money (Rs 1.32 crore) to his accomplices in the police department which included Jagdish Patel, Anant Patel and several other constables; and another 15 percent (Rs 1.32 crore) to middlemen.

DIG Trivedi also informed the media that the name of former Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, Nalin Kotadia, came up during their investigation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday met the family and relatives of the nine-year-old girl who was raped by a 60-year-old man in Guntur on May 2 and announced Rs 5 Lakh ex gratia for her.

He has also announced help for her studies.

"Government will hold rallies across the state on Monday to create awareness among public. Stringent punishment will be imposed on those who commit such heinous crime," Naidu said.

On May 2, a nine-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 60-year-old man in Guntur.

After the rape incident was reported on Wednesday, the local residents of Gurazala, Guntur, on Thursday staged a protest at Bhahma Naidu statue and demanded justice for the nine-year-old victim.

Appala Naidu, Superintendent of Police, Guntur had told ANI that police received a complaint on Wednesday that a nine-year-old girl was raped by 60-year-old neighbour, who is working as rickshaw puller.

"The accused has fled away. There were few injuries on the victim's body," he had said.

He further informed that police teams have been deployed to search for the accused person.

In the recent past, there has been a surge in sexual crimes against minor girls.

Taking cognizance of such crimes, President Ram Nath Kovind, on April 22, promulgated the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, for effective deterrence against the commission of rape.

The ordinance seeks the death penalty for the rapists of girls below 12 years of age and stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape particularly of girls below 16 years, thereby strengthening the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed has directed its cadres to step up and intensify its ' Jihad ' in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a gathering at its Markaz known as Beteha Masjid in Karachi city, JeM commander Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar claimed responsibility for the April 26 grenade attack in the Tral township of Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rauf said in his speech, "During ongoing 'Daura Tafseer', news of JeM cadres fighting at battlefronts (in J&K) was pouring in. On April 25 JeM cadres were engaged in fighting against the enemy and were killed the day after ( April 26). Their funeral processions were being carried out and meanwhile, another team of JeM launched attack to take avenge of killings of cadres on the previous day".

Such statements by JeM from Pakistan have exposed Islamabad's malicious designs in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rauf motivated cadres and told them not to forget the real motive for and behind 'Jihad'. He said, "At the battlefront, there is no dearth of 'Mujahideen', who have been waiting in queues to enter into J&K to kill the enemy.

The Jaish-e-Mohammed has been banned in Pakistan since 2002, but it continues to train terrorists in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and provides them weapons to create troubles in Jammu and Kashmir.

Having maintained close relations with the Taliban and al Qaeda, it has carried out several attacks primarily in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rauf has asked its cadres to mentally and physically ready to join cadres at battlefield. "The war of jihad' is entering into an extremely dangerous phase, where enemies would be trying to eliminate Mujahideen from well inside their own locations. Time is likely to come when mujahideen and others will have to take shelter in forests and plan strategy of survival".

From January to April this year, 55 terrorists have been killed by the security forces in the Kashmir valley. A majority of these terrorists were from Pakistan who crossed the border to create disturbances in Jammu and Kashmir.

On several occasion, India has accused Pakistan for sheltering terrorists and providing them open space to wage 'jihad in the Kashmir Valley.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
guest column

Today, on the International Day of the Midwife, we not only commit to celebrating midwives as they lead the way with quality care, but to giving them a platform to inform global health policy. As frontline healthworkers at the heart of each community, midwives are best placed to advise Governments, leaders and agencies on the critical changes needed to improve health outcomes.

I am proud therefore that the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), of which I am the Global Goodwill Ambassador, has launched a 'Midwifery Leaders Showcase.' This initiative tells the stories of midwives all over the world in a series of featured interviews. In doing so, ICM seeks to demonstrate the dynamic and diverse roles that midwives play in shaping policy, leading civil society organisations, influencing professional practice and creating a better and brighter future for women, newborns and their families. It also features the Wellbeing Foundation's own much-missed and dearly departed Felicity Ukoko.

When I advocate for midwives leading the way with quality care, I try to give an idea of the innovation that WBFA midwives bring to their role. Such innovation is often difficult to articulate in a concept note, or to narrowly define. Our antenatal and postnatal classes save lives in Nigeria and focus on helping mothers and children to survive and thrive, an approach that is well documented. Our midwives, however, together with their colleagues all over the world, go above and beyond that duty, and use developments in technology and inter-connectedness to do so. The WBFA WhatsApp group gives WBFA midwives the platform to answer questions from concerned mothers 24 hours a day, dispelling fears and reacting to emergencies. They have also become counsellors and friends, advising on topics from FGM to gender-based violence. I know that on more than one occasion they have sternly informed a husband or partner of the importance of an expectant mother of attending an antenatal class.

The holistic role of midwives makes their experiences uniquely important, but must be part of wider investment in healthcare standards and infrastructure. The publication of the UNICEF report "Every Child Alive" earlier this year provided a stark reminder of the progress that must be made. It found that five newborn babies die every minute across the world  meaning 2.6 million tragedies every year. A shocking 80% of these deaths can be prevented by access to skilled midwives, clean water, breastfeeding within the first hour and good nutrition.

Following the UN Secretary General's call to action on WASH in healthcare facilities in March, and to coincide with the WHO's 'Save Lives: Clean your Hands' campaign day and International Day of the Midwife, the WBFA has launched a worldwide campaign to improve hygiene in healthcare centres, in partnership with Global Water 2020 and others. In Nigeria, the WHO found that 29% of healthcare facilities do not have access to safe water and toilets, whilst a WaterAid survey revealed that half of primary health facilities do not have handwashing facilities in delivery rooms. Pregnant women and newborns are thereby placed in huge danger and at risk of sepsis, which is a leading cause of death in hospitals. Without adequate WASH facilities, midwives all over the world are unable to safely carry out their crucial work.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Health Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.

Midwives operate most effectively with a Universal Health Coverage system. As a global UHC advocate, I believe that investment in high-quality and accessible healthcare will transform nations. The benefits go far beyond health  it allows young people to reach their potential, protects against epidemics, reduces inequality and stimulates the economy. The announcement this week from the Senate President of Nigeria that one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) is set aside in the 2018 budget to boost the provision of basic primary healthcare services across the country is a welcome step in the right direction.

On the International Day of the Midwife, I call on all Governments to invest in frontline healthworkers and the facilities they need to save lives. Midwives will always lead the way with quality care: it is time we empowered them to do so, wherever they work.

Toyin Ojora Saraki is the Global Goodwill Ambassador, International Confederation of Midwives Founder-President, Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) ,
The cashew industry in Kerala has lately been facing a crisis, as over 90 percent of the factories have shut down, leaving lakhs of workers unemployed.

Kerala's Kollam district, which is known as the headquarter of cashew processing and exporting, housed more than 700 factories, which has now reduced to only 10. The number of employees working in this sector is nearly 300000.

The factories were a source of livelihood for many women in the district, who say they are ready to compromise on their wages if the units are reopened.

Sudharma, a former worker at a cashew nut processing unit told ANI, "I used to get about Rs 3,000 each month. I am simply sitting now. We hope the company will reopen. Owners said they were in crisis due to the increase in wages directed by Kerala government. We are ready to work on lower wages."

Another former worker at a cashew nut processing unit in Kalluvathukkal, Girija said, "I used to work in peeling section. We got wages according to weight of the cashews we processed, which was hiked from Rs 16/kg to Rs 36/kg. There were more than 640 workers in our company."

Meanwhile, the Indian Trade Union Congress (INTUC) held the state government responsible for the crisis.

"In the last six months, cashew factories in Kerala closed due to wrong policies of governments. The industry provides job to over 3 lakh people in and around Kollam. Some people want to spoil this industry by imposing unnecessary compliance and formalities," INTUC president R Chandrasekharan said.

He also raised the issue of obsolete machinery at the cashew factories and wages below the minimum wage, "They (factory workers) get only Rs 350 while state government announced Rs 600 as the minimum wage. There has to be separate dispensation for this sector."

A new trend has come to shift cashew industries to other states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Karnataka. There is no protection from government in spite of repeated requests from trade union and common people," Chandrasekharan added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Scores of young Pakistani girls have revealed their horrific tale as to how they were lured into marrying British-Pakistani nationals, who later blackmailed them by shooting videos of their first wedding night.

According to The Nation, victims spilt the beans about such marriage scams being run in areas like Pakistan's Mirpur where accused British nationals woo girls into considering marriage to them on promises of having a great life abroad.

The victims' families were also duped by these fraudsters, as revealed at a recent press conference held at the Kashmir Press Club in Mirpur.

According to those addressing the press conference, an entire gang of British-Pakistani nationals led by Mumtaz also known as 'Taja Pehlwan' targetted young girls, especially in Mirpur. Mumtaz himself developed intimate relationships with some of these girls, assuring them of a good life abroad if they married him.

More than 15 girls were reportedly targeted by this group. The men used to marry them and then shoot intimate videos of their wedding nights. Later, these girls were threatened by their respective spouses with release of these videos online.

Some of these Pakistani men even refused to take their wives abroad and would have several wives at any given point of time and, if any of them sought divorce, they would be charged with false cases of theft.

This way, Mumtaz managed to marry seven girls, Anzar five and Muhammad three. Two of Mumtaz's family members were also involved in this marriage-scam.

The girls after long periods of torture and sexual abuse were finally able to narrate their ordeal at the press conference.

The accused are currently absconding. Victims also revealed that Mumtaz is heading a drug-peddling gang with the support of his nephews Muhammad Ali and Anzar Ali.

The girls said they were forced to participate in illegal drug operations too and asked parents to be vigilant about such human trafficking attempts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Black Panther actor Martin Freeman is all set to become a part of spy thriller 'The Operative'.

The actor will play a former spy handler in the espionage tale opposite Diane Kruger, reports Hollywood Reporter.

Freeman will play Thomas, a former handler to Kruger's character, Rachel, recruited by Israeli intelligence agency Mossad to go undercover in Tehran. The only clue to Rachel's whereabouts is a cryptic phone call she places to Thomas, who is then summoned from Germany to Israel by Mossad.

With Rachel's life immersed in her assignments as part of a vast espionage effort against Iran's nuclear programme, Thomas must retrace her steps to determine what threats she may now pose to their operation, while also working to protect her. Cas Anvar was earlier cast as Farhad, Rachel's love interest, briefs Hollywood Reporter.

The project will be launched to foreign buyers in Cannes by BLOOM as it handles the international sales of 'The Operative'.

The Operative was adapted from the Israeli book The English Teacher, written by former Israeli intelligence officer Yiftach Reicher Atir and based on real-life stories of Mossad operatives.

Written and directed by Yuval Adler will be co-produced by Le Pacte's Jean Labadie.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amidst the row over presence of Muhammad Ali Jinnah's portrait in the student's union office of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), the head of All-India Muslim Mahasangh on Friday announced a reward of Rs 1 Lakh for destroying Jinnah's posters.

Speaking to ANI, Farhat Ali Khan said that no organisation in Pakistan must be having photos of Indian leaders who fought for independence, and the vice versa should be followed in India.

"I appeal everyone to tear and burn down posters of Jinnah and people like him. I announce a reward of Rs 1 Lakh cash for the one who burns down the poster," Khan said.

The Muslim Mahasangh chief further stated that Muslims in India hate both Jinnah and Pakistan.

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Aligarh MP Satish Gautam was the first to question the portrait's presence in the office, which has been there for decades.

The matter soon escalated as protests took place outside the university campus, followed by clashes between AMU students and the police, on Thursday.

On Friday, Section 144 of the CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) was imposed in Aligarh and internet services were suspended to prevent the communal flare-up.

The internet services in Aligarh will remain suspended till 12:00 am (06 May 2018).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan hit out at Odisha Government stating that it has failed to popularise the Chilika Lake on a global scale.

Addressing a gathering in Mangalajodi district on Saturday, he said, "Chilika Lake is such a popular tourist spot, but Odisha Government and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik have failed to provide popularity to the attraction on a global scale."

Pradhan was in Mangalajodi to attend Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat Scheme under Gram Swaraj Abhiyan.

Further training guns at Odisha Government he said that it also failed to provide basic amenities to the people of the state.

"The government has also failed to provide basic amenities to the people of the state. Whereas Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to provide all facilities in every village of India such as fuel, water, electricity, house and every basic amenities", he added.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has confirmed death sentences for 11 "hardcore terrorists", the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, in a statement, on Saturday.

Special military courts found them guilty of killing 60 civilians and security forces in recent years.

In addition to this, three convicts have also been awarded imprisonment.

The killed 60 included, "36 civilians, 24 Armed Forces/Frontier Constabulary/ Police Officials and injuring 142 others," according to a statement issued by Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The ISPR is the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

All 14 convicts, who were members of banned organisations, admitted their offences were awarded death sentences.

The trials are closed to the public but defendants are allowed to hire lawyers, according to the reports.

Arms and explosives were also recovered from their possession.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A group of Sikh hardliners held a protest outside the United Nations office in Geneva to demand the release of Sikh militants arrested in India.

The protest was held at the behest of Pakistan and was planned by the Sikh Federation (UK), an organization that acts as a sympathizer of a separatist movement in India.

These Sikhs who migrated to UK and other parts of Europe decades ago, have a history of being involved in some or the other terrorist activity in India.

The protesters put up banners near the Broken Chair to show their support to terrorists, including Harminder Singh Mintoo, the chief of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), who recently died of heart attack in the Nabha Jail in Punjab.

As per the police files, Mintoo had the backing of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, which had been providing him with logistics to carry out terror activities in Punjab. He had over ten terrorism-related cases in Punjab and other places against his name.

Sikh protesters in Geneva also demanded the release of Jagtar Singh Johal, a British Sikh activist, who was arrested last year for his alleged connection with a spate of targeted killings of Hindu leaders, including Jagdish Gangneja in 2016, Ravinder Gosain in October 2017 and pastor Sultan Masih in July 2017.

Police are of the view that Johal is behind these murders and was also providing funds and arranging arms for the Khalistan Liberation Force.

The posters outside the UN also include the name of Jagtar Singh Tara, the mastermind behind the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, who is now in police custody.

Two other accused -- Gurpreet Singh Gurdaspur and Gurdev Singh Jajja - have been deported from Thailand on various charges in the recent past.

Pakistan is making an all out effort to revive the Khalistan Movement in Punjab by providing logistic and financial support to separatists settled in UK, Canada, the United States and Europe.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Minorities in Pakistan are facing persecution by the state and non-state actors, says Dr.Iftikhar Ayaz, Ambassador of the UK-based Universal Peace Federation.

Recently, members of the Hazara community were targeted in a sectarian attack in Quetta, capital of Pakistan's Balochistan province.

In Pakistan, targeted killings of minorities have continued as are they being attacked by Taliban, Islamic State, and other Sunni Muslim militant groups for their religious beliefs. Hazaras, whose population is around half a million in and around Quetta are a mainly Shi'ite Muslims.

Another community which has been facing persecution in Pakistan is Ahmadiyya.

Since, Pakistan is home to the largest population of Ahmadis in the world, they have been facing persecution by Muslim fundamentalists, who consider them as non-Muslims.

Dr. Iftikhar Ayaz, ambassador of Universal Peace Federation, Ahmadiyya Community said, "The important point to understand is that the Human Rights Charter assures every human being the freedom of religion. Which is very important and it must be respected by all states and regimes and also the countries. It is no use of emphasizing trying to pressurize people in trying to accept one faith and reject the other".

He added, "The would not accept it, and Ahmedia community is a peaceful community everywhere in the and one of the fundamental teachings of the Ahmedia community is to remain loyal to the government of the day."

Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan is facing discrimination since 1984, when the then President of Pakistan Muhammad Ziz-ul-Haq brought Ordinance XX in the Constitution.

The legislation restricted the religious freedom of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, prohibited the reading and writing of the Quran and building mosques.

It also prohibits calling themselves Muslim and threatened prison terms for any individual who in any manner whatsoever outages the religious feelings of Muslims.

"In 1984, Zia (Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq) came and he said this is not enough, we have to paralyze and cripple the Ahmedis, so that they cannot even move, so he came up with the Ordinance twenty. He also added Article 298B, under which an Ahmadi can be imprisoned for three years or fined fifty thousand rupees", said Dr. Ayaz.

A majority of people facing blasphemy charges are from the Ahmadia community.

The Lahore based Center for Social Justice estimated that at least 1,472 people have been charged with blasphemy from 1987 to 2016. Of the 730 Muslims charges, 501 were Ahmadis.

Dr. Iftikhar Ayaz said, "The Blasphemy laws, as I told you, if I said that I am an Ahmadi and I am a Muslim, then that is Blasphemy, and I could be hanged and nearly 53 of our Ahmadies have been charged under the Blasphemy laws and lot of them have been locked in black cells waiting for their deaths".

Pakistan has forever, been an intolerant country, especially for the religious minorities, whether they are, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians or even the Ahmadiyyas.

This is worst human rights violations which the international community needs to review.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hectically campaigned against the Congress in Karnataka.

He addressed four election rallies in Tumakuru, Gadag, Shivamogga, and Mangaluru and launched an all-out attack on the Congress party, which is ruling Karnataka that is going for polls on May 12. The results will be declared on May 15.

Apart from launching a frontal attack on the ruling Congress in every rally, Prime Minister also highlighted the Union Government's various schemes like Ujjwala Yojana, Direct Benefit Transfer, and Jan Dhan Yojana.

'Congress, JD (S) in tactic alliance'

Prime Minister Modi started his Karnataka campaigning by addressing an election rally in Tumakuru wherein he said that the Congress party and H.D. Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) are in a 'tactic alliance'.

"People of Karnataka need to know the tacit alliance between Congress and JD(S)...they pretend to fight as opponents in Karnataka, but, in Bengaluru, the JD(S) supported a Congress mayor, who is sitting in the office. What is the deal between these two parties," the Prime Minister said.

He added that for years the Congress party kept reiterating "Gareeb, Gareeb, Gareeb" but nothing came out of their 'rhetoric'.

He said the Congress party has only made empty promises to the farmers, however, in reality, their "negligence towards the agriculture sector is very well known".

Questioning the Rahul Gandhi-led party, Prime Minister said the former never did anything to solve the problem of water in Tumakuru.

"Why are the people of Tumakuru not getting water from the Hemavati River? The Congress government lacks concern for the farmers," Prime Minister said.

Prime Minister Modi said his government has worked on irrigation projects on which no work had happened for 30 years.

He said the Centre is also mulling on ways to increase coconut exports, which was never thought about by the Congress.

'Congress will become PPP Congress'

Addressing his second rally in Gadag, Prime Minister exuded confidence that people of Karnataka will defeat the Congress that will make the grand-old party a regional one called PPP Congress - Punjab, Puducherry and Parivar Congress.

"Congress has lost in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, UP, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura...people across India have rejected the Congress," Prime Minister Modi said.

He even accused the Rahul Gandhi-led party of following "tender system in ticket distribution for the polls."

"Whoever promises to send most money to Delhi, all get the CM-ship in Congress," the Prime Minister alleged.

'Congress' 'C' and Corruption's 'C' same'

During Shivamogga rally, Prime Minister Modi cornered Congress and its President Rahul Gandhi over corruption and said there is no difference between Congress' 'C' and Corruption's 'C'.

Attacking Gandhi over his statement on corruption, the Prime Minister said, "See the audacity. Congress President says in Karnataka that we will not let thieves sit in Legislative Assembly. Why don't they tell about the Congress leaders sitting as MLAs & Ministers in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, whose almirahs and bed sheets were found laden with notes?"

Without naming Gandhi, Prime Minister Modi asked him to reveal who is looting minerals and who is showering love on them.

He also accused the Congress of giving protection to the sand mafia in Shivamogga.

Prime Minister Modi also highlighted that how a Congress leader's wealth has increased from Rs 74 crore in 2008 to over Rs 800 crore in 2018.

The Prime Minister also lambasted at the Congress for insulting the Bharatiya Janata Party's Chief Ministerial candidate B.S. Yeddyurappa and appealed the people to take revenge when they go to vote.

He also said that the Congress party during its rule used to only talk about increasing the number of LPG cylinders but his government has already provided LPG connection to poor in the remote areas of the country.

'Karnataka results written on walls'

Addressing his last rally of the day in Mangaluru, Prime Minister Modi said the results of the Karnataka election are clearly written on the walls as the people of Karnataka would help form a BJP government in the state with an absolute majority.

"If anyone can defeat Congress, it is Bharatiya Janata Party. JD(S) is standing very far. I request you to bring BJP to power in Karnataka," he added.

Taking a jibe at the Congress party, he said that whenever they lose a state election they tend to blame the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).

With just a week left for the Karnataka Assembly elections, the BJP has intensified its campaign across the state and pressed the full force of its star campaigners in the state.

Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to address 15 rallies over a period of five days.

Apart from the Prime Minister, BJP President Amit Shah also addressed series of public meetings on Saturday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The security has been beefed up at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami's residence in Chennai after a bomb hoax call.

As per the sources of Tamil Nadu police, a hoax bomb threat was also issued to actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth's residence.

The police said that they received two phone calls from an unknown person on Saturday from the same number at around 1:50 pm and 6:27 pm. The person threatened to plant a bomb at the residence of the Chief Minister and Rajinikanth.

After receiving the call, the police sent a bomb squad to Palaniswami and Rajinikanth's residence but no bomb was found there.

After tracing the number, the police found that the call was made from Cuddalore district.

An investigation into the matter is underway.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tamil Nadu Minister D. Jayakumar on Saturday said that the government will provide financial assistance to the students travelling to neighbouring states to appear for Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

The minister said that financial assistance to 5000 students who are travelling to neighbouring states would be given.

"It's very bad that CBSE did not provide any information to the students appearing in the NEET exams that they have to appear outside the state, even though there are 5,000 students from Tamil Nadu. Government has announced financial assistance for them," said the Tamil Nadu Minister on the same.

CBSE which issued admit cards to Tamil Nadu students allocated the examination centres in states like Kerala, Karnataka and Rajasthan.

Acting on this issue, Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said that every possible help would be provided to Tamil nadu students coming over to the state.

"Kerala govt has directed all the district collectors and district police chiefs to arrange help desks at all major railway stations and bus stations in the State to provide necessary help for NEET candidates". Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan on tweeted on Friday.

Meanwhile, Kerala government acting upon the words of the state Chief Minister has opened help desks at railway and bus stations in Ernakulam district, in order to help students arriving from other states of the country to appear in NEET examinations.

58 examination centers have been set up. Medical booths have also been set up.

The NEET exam will take place on May 6.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
United States President Donald Trump on Friday said that his African-American poll numbers bumped up in the last week and thanked rapper Kanye West for it.

"By the way, Kanye West must have some power, because you probably saw I doubled my African-American poll numbers. We went from 11 to 22 in one week, thank you Kanye," Trump said at the National Rifle Association's (NRA) annual convention, according to CNN.

He further poked fun at the pollsters saying that even they thought there was a mistake.

This comes after West tweeted his support to Trump and even flaunted his "Make America Great Again" cap on the micro-blogging site, in late April.

President Trump had thanked him at the time too, and quoted his tweet to say, "Thank you Kanye, very cool!"

Recently, West sparked outrage over social media after he said that the enslavement of African Americans over centuries may have been "a choice".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China and the United States have managed to reach some agreements over their bilateral trade after the culmination of the third California-China Business Summit on Friday.

As reported by China's state-owned Xinhua News Agency the two countries have agreed to set up a working mechanism to ensure steady communication.

On the sidelines of the Business summit, China's Vice Premier Liu He held a bilateral talk with United States Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. They discussed common concerns regarding economic and trade issues.

They agreed on resolving economic and trade issues through dialogue and deliberation.

They further discussed the issue of increasing US trade exports to China, bilateral trade service, two-way investment, protection of intellectual property rights and imbalanced tariff rates.

Both the US and China recognised the need for hard work to continue their bilateral relations.

They also agreed on building up a corresponding work mechanism to ensure solving the trade disputes.

The business summit was co-organised by Los-Angeles-based China Week and Milken Institute.

Earlier in the day United States President Donald Trump took to his Twitter account to announce the return of the US delegation from China as he said that the outcome of the trade summit would prove difficult for China.

"Our high-level delegation is on the way back from China where they had long meetings with Chinese leaders and business representatives. We will be meeting tomorrow to determine the results, but it is hard for China in that they have become very spoiled with U.S. trade wins!", Trump tweeted.

The US delegation was being led by Steven Mnuchin while China was represented by Liu He. The summit culminated on May 4.

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Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday morning emplaned for a five-day visit to South America's Guatemala, Peru and Panama, commencing from tomorrow.

Bilateral trade and investments are expected to be mainly discussed during the visit.

During the visit, the Vice President is scheduled to hold meetings at the highest levels in the three countries.

Further, he will interact with a score of respective parliamentarians of Guatemala, Peru, and Panama.

This will be the Vice President's first overseas visit after assuming office. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Jasvantsinh Sumanbahi Bhabhor, four Members of Parliament and senior officers of the Government of India, as said in a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on May 3.

A range of bilateral issues including the strengthening of institutional mechanisms for political interactions, multilateral matters, trade and commerce, investments, information technology, capacity building, traditional medicines, space, defence, and culture are expected to be discussed during the visit.

Vice President Naidu will also visit various eminent universities of the three countries and further meet members of the Indian diaspora residing in the three countries.

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Ahead of the general elections in Pakistan, former president Asif Ali Zardari said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) may forge an alliance with Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The PPP and PTI earlier joined hands in the Senate elections.

"Necessity is the mother of all inventions. There was a necessity in the Senate and if there is a necessity we will do it [form an alliance] and if not we are willing to sit in the opposition or form the government," Zardari said while addressing a gathering in Lahore, Geo TV reported.

"They (PTI) haven't seen the Prime Minister House.They are in a hurry to get power," the PPP co-chairman added.

He also slammed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for weakening the country's democracy, " Nawaz turned into Prince Saleem and became our undoing."

The general elections in Pakistan are due to be held in the last week of July or first week of August.

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At least 19 Syrian government forces were killed fighting the Islamic State over the past 24 hours in an attempt to capture the last IS-held enclaves in the southern outskirts of Damascus, a Britain-based war monitor reported on Saturday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the fighting had been taking place since Friday around the IS-controlled Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk and in the adjacent neighbourhoods of al-Hajar al-Aswad and al-Tadamon.

The war monitor, cited by EFE, claimed that forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad had managed to seize the majority of the al-Hajar al-Aswad neighbourhood, but IS militants counterattacked and pushed them back.

The fighting, which is still ongoing, was accompanied by bombings from warplanes and artillery against the IS positions.

According to the SOHR, since the start of the government offensive on April 19 to recapture IS-held territory south of Damascus, a total of 142 Syrian government soldiers have been killed, including six soldiers who were taken prisoner and then executed, while the IS lost 111 combatants.

The IS took control of Yarmouk camp in 2015, and the UN has said the thousands of civilians still living there remain "without access to adequate food, safe water, electricity or essential services".

--IANS

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At least five Palestinians were killed and six wounded on Saturday evening in an explosion in a house Gaza Strip, security officials and eyewitnesses said.

Doctors at the emergency room of al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza Strip said they received the bodies of five Palestinians who were killed in an explosion in a house in the town and six others were wounded.

Ashraf al-Qedra, the Gaza health ministry spokesman, told Xinhua that five were killed and six wounded, adding that doctors are trying to know the identity of the dead people.

Security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, and eyewitnesses said that a huge blast occurred in a house of a Hamas militant in the town, which was a result of bomb that had suddenly exploded.

Hamas security forces closed the area and only allowed for ambulances and paramedics to enter to evacuate the casualties in the house which were badly damaged and caused damages to neighbouring houses.

However, the security said that a group of militants were trying to defuse an old Israeli missile that haven't exploded, adding that the missile was fired on central Gaza Strip during the large-scale Israeli war waged on the Gaza Strip in 2014.

--IANS

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The cash drought in most of the ATMs of the northeastern states has caused a lot of inconvenience for the people in the past few days.

Senior bank officials said that the delay in supplying of remittances by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in Guwahati caused the note crisis in most of the ATMs.

"We should put fresh notes in the ATMs to run the apparatus smoothly. Currently, the bank has old notes and we have asked the RBI in Guwahati to supply fresh notes of different denominations urgently," State Bank of India (SBI) Regional Manager Dipak Chowdhury told IANS.

He said, "We expect that the situation would be normalised by mid next week. This is a temporary phenomenon."

Reports of cash scarcities in the ATMs in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Mizoram in the first week of the month have left the public in a state of anguish.

An SBI official in Itanagar said that the bank had to make an internal arrangement of cash from rural branches to urban branches to address the cash deficit.

Dimapur SBI Assistant General Manager Debjyoti Dutta said that the short supply of notes from the RBI aggravated the situation and hardships to the people.

"RBI would be disbursing the cash for Nagaland soon and ATMs would likely be refilled immediately. However, at the bank branches, there was still cash-at-hand to manage everyday transactions," Dutta said.

A bank official in Imphal said that the shortage was also due to the "overdraw" of cash out of ATMs.

An official of the United Bank of India (UBI) said that the ongoing problem is also due to RBI's introduction of rationing system in supplying cash to commercial banks.

"The RBI has been distributing cash to commercial banks in northeast India on a pro-rata basis that means disbursal of cash in proportion of total number of bank account holders of a state and that of number of bank branches in the region," the official added.

As the bank officials publicly clarified about the cash crisis in ATMs, various rumours also forced people to rush in ATMs and banks to withdraw money.

--IANS

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A first-year student of an Ayurvedic college in Haryana's Yamunanagar was abducted and allegedly sexually assaulted in Gurugram for four days by a man known to her, police said on Saturday.

The victim's family hails from Faridabad and they are currently living in Gurugram, while the girl was staying in a college hostel in Yamunanagar.

According to the police, the victim came in contact with Dharmender, a.k.a Dhaman, two months ago in Gurugram and they were in touch on the phone.

The accused called her on April 13 and citing an incident, threatened he would defame her in the college. The girl asked the accused to come to Yamunanagar bus stand for a "talk" police.

The victim said as she reached the bus stand, she was pushed into an SUV and raped in a Gurugram PG facility located in the Naharpur Rupa area on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway.

"I was dropped near my college on April 17. I narrated the whole story to my mother after the accused started blackmailing me," the victim said in her complaint.

Gurugram Police PRO Ravinder Kumar said that a case had been registered and a manhunt has been launched for the accused.

--IANS

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China is reflecting on Marxism as the country observes the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth Saturday, when the Second World Congress on Marxism opened in Peking University, where Marxism started to spread in China.

The second World Congress on Marxism kicks off in Peking University in Beijing on May 5, 2018. [Photo: people.cn]

More than 120 Marxist scholars from 30 countries gathered at the university and shared their ideas on Marxism.

The first World Congress on Marxism was held in the university in 2015.

"Marx was a giant thinker, not for the 19th century, but even more for understanding our contemporary times," said Egyptian economist Samir Amin at the congress, set to conclude Sunday. "No other attempt to develop an understanding of society has been as fertile."

The development of China in recent decades is a remarkable example of how only the creative adaptation of Marxism to specific national conditions can solve the great problems of contemporary societies, said Emir Sader of Rio de Janeiro State University.

"China's successes in this direction are a central reference for other nations to face their problems, not only from the results achieved by China but also by the need of each nation to apply Marxism appropriately to its own conditions," Emir said.

During the congress, scholars are expected to discuss topics including Marxist theory and global cooperation and governance, Chinese philosophy, China's modernization.

Marxism also got the nation thinking, as a series of activities were held to mark 200th anniversary of Marx's birth.

On Saturday morning, the site of the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Shanghai was full of visitors eager to catch a glimpse of the first Chinese translation of The Communist Manifesto.

"Marxism lit the way for the entire humankind, and now in this new era, Marxism combined with the reality in China still gives us the strength to strive forward," said Xu Ming, deputy curator of the site-based museum. "We should apply the scientific principles and spirit of Marxism in our great causes and dreams."

Gulufuhaali Abduwali, a Uygur student at Xinjiang Normal University in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, said that he is an enthusiastic participant in classes on Marxism. He particularly remembers his experience of visiting Jinggangshan, the heartland of the CPC's early revolutionary activities in east China's Jiangxi Province.

"I was thrilled to see how Chairman Mao led the Red Army towards victory with Marxism as his belief," he said. "Step by step, they laid a solid foundation for a good life for the future."

Gulufuhaali said he wants to become a college teacher.

"I want to help ethnic students understand the essence of Marxism so as to make contributions to our country, and to the stability of Xinjiang," he said.

On Friday, a grand gathering was held in Beijing to pay tribute to the "greatest thinker" of history. The People's Daily hailed Marxism's crucial role in China's modernization in an editorial. "While the world has come to a crossroads, China is unfazed... Marxism is key to China's stability and development," it said.
Angry protesters demanding a CBI probe into Kathua rape and murder on Saturday stoned BJP Minister Sham Lal Choudhary's cavalcade on Jammu-Pathankot highway.

The protesters tried to block the highway when the state Minister's cavalcade was passing and did not stop, the angry protesters pelted stones at the cavalcade.

Families of the accused have been demanding CBI probe into the horrendous abduction, rape and murder of an 8-year old in Rasana village of Kathua district.

The state Crime Branch has already presented a charge sheet in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate Kathua against eight accused.

Two BJP ministers, Choudhary Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga had to resign from the cabinet following their participation in a rally that was held in support of the accused.

--IANS

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Union Minister for Road Transport and Water Resourceas Nitin Gadkari on Saturday announced that the Central government will sanction Rs 2,000 crore for inland waterway on Godavari River.

He asked Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to come forward to take 10 percent equity each in the special purpose vehicle to be formed by the ministry to execute the project.

Gadkari was speaking at a function to lay foundation stone for four infrastructure projects in Hyderabad.

He said Godavari waterway project will transform the economies of the three states. Stating that a feasibility study has already been completed, the minister said he will order a Detailed Project Report (DPR).

Gadkari was confident that the work on this project can start this year and asked the Telangana government to submit the proposal.

The length of the National Waterway 4 will be 1,184 km from Nasik, where Godavari starts to Bhadrachalam in Telangana to Rajahmundry. It proposed to be extended to Krishna River from Wazirabad to Galagali for another 628 km.

Stating that he has so far ordered infrastructure works worth Rs.10 lakh crore, the minister said there was no dearth of money and he was ready to take up the project by mobilising funds including loans in foreign exchange at two percent interest.

Gadkari said that inland waterways are his dream project, which can double the exports by reducing the logistics cost by 50 percent. He believes this will boost industry and provide employment.

He said work on Buckingham canal and Swarna River waterway had already started. Ganga River will have four multi-modal hubs and this could facilitate transportation of goods from Varanasi to Southeast Asia, Bangladesh and Myanmar. He believes this can transform the economy of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Earlier, Telangana's Industry and Municipal Administration Minister K.T. Rama Rao said since Telangana is landlocked state, it needs help in developing inland waterways. He said the Godavari waterway could facilitate movement of a ship from Bay of Bengal to Maharashtra via Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The minister said barrages being built under Kaleswaram project will have the provision to take ships to Godavari.

--IANS

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Launching an all-out attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday claimed that the party was desperate to win the May 12 Karnataka assembly elections, as it was worried about what would happen to its leaders in Delhi if it lost at the hustings.

"Having lost elections in several states where it was in power earlier, the Congress is desperate to win in Karnataka. It is worried about losing the state, as it is worried about what would happen to its leaders in Delhi," he said at a huge BJP rally in the state's Gadag.

Saying the Congress would be reduced to Punjab and Puducherry if it loses in Karnataka, he said at another rally that opposing him had become the only agenda of the Congress.

"For the Congress, only one family is everything. For me, 125 crore Indians are my family. Opposing me has become the only agenda of the Congress. Be it any subject, the Congress objects to everything," he said at a rally in Mangaluru.

Accusing the Congress of spreading lies, he said the party was unable to digest if anyone spoke truth.

Blaming the state government for the alleged murders of about 30 BJP workers and Hindu activists in the coastal region over the last four years, Modi wondered if killing people over political difference was the democracy the Congress practiced.

Taking head-on the two rival parties, he charged the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) with being in tacit alliance for the assembly polls while pretending to fight.

"The people of Karnataka have right to know about the alliance between Congress and JD-S because they pretend to fight in some parts of the state while being together," said Modi at a party rally at Tumakuru, referring to both's tie-up in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

Modi's surprise attack on the JD-S came four days he praised its supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and lashed at Congress President Rahul Gandhi for insulting the latter by terming the JD-S as the "B team" of the BJP.

He also said that his BJP was the only party "that is capable of bringing change in the government and to the state of Karnataka and its people" under the leadership of its Chief Ministerial face B.S. Yeddyurappa.

Charging the Congress of politicising the Mahadayi river water sharing with Goa, Modi told the gathering at Gadag that the state's ruling party was misleading the people on the issue, which was before the Supreme Court and the Inter-State Water Dispute Tribunal.

He however, did not refer to the Cauvery river water dispute Karnataka has with its other neighbouring state (Tamil Nadu) even after the Supreme Court on Thursday directed it to release 4 TMC (thousand million cubic) feet of water by this month-end.

Karnataka has been asking Goa since 2001 to release 7.6 tmcft of the river water to meet the drinking and irrigation needs of its people in the four drought-prone districts of Gadag, Bagalkote, Belagavi and Dharwad.

Addressing a mammoth rally at Shivamogga in Malnad region earlier, Modi said the BJP's mantra was to be with all the people and work for the development of all.

"While 'sabka saath, sabka vikaas' is our mantra, the Congress believes in divide and rule philosophy. It divides people on the grounds of caste. What's more, it even classifies criminals on caste basis," he said.

Noting that spreading lies had become a business for the Congress, Modi alleged that wherever its leaders go, they spread only lies among people, and attacked for still criticising demonetisation.

Campaigning for the BJP across the state for the third time since May 1, Modi addressed the four rallies in the state's northwest, central and coastal regions.

--IANS

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The brother of a senior CPI-M leader in Kerala on Saturday was remanded to judicial custody for two weeks, a day after after he was arrested following complaints of cheating against him, officials said.

P. Sateeshan, brother of P. Sasi, former political secretary to the late three-time Chief Minister E.K. Nayanar, was arrested on Friday on charges of cheating, after two women approached the Casaba police station in Kozhikode to file a complaint.

The women also staged a protest and demanded a case of cheating be registered against him.

Following the complaint, a few other cases of duping others with promises of providing jobs at a state government organisation and the upcoming Kannur international airport surfaced.

On Saturday, he was presented at a court which remanded him to two weeks' judicial custody, officials said.

According to the women, Sateeshan used to impress people by pretending to talk on his mobile phone with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other top party leaders. Through this modus operandi, he is believed to have cheated several people.

Sasi, however, has denied any relation with his brother for the past over two decades, and washed his hands off the matter.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Kerala secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said Sateeshan is not a CPI-M member and hence, they do not have any responsibility.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala told the media that Vijayan's name is being used by his party people to cheat people.

--IANS

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Terming the decreasing fertility rate among the indigenous inhabitants of Sikkim as "alarming", state Governor Shriniwas Patil has, however, lauded the Pawan Chamling government for making timely policy interventions to check the trend.

"The demographic profile of Sikkim has changed over the last four decades. Percentile data of the communities, and their growth rate, for last few censuses, gives clear indication of a trend.

"Constantly decreasing fertility rate among the indigenous inhabitants of Sikkim throws an alarming picture," Patil said while addressing the valedictory session of the Sikkim Summit for Tribal Status 2018 here on Friday.

Patil said the increase in overall population of the state in successive census was not proportionate.

"The data shows that the increase in the overall population in the state in the successive census, is not proportional at all, especially among indigenous Sikkimese. The scenario might have social, economic and educational reasons which will have sharp ramifications for next few decades, if not addressed in earnest," he said.

The Governor expressed concern that there could be a demographic shift.

"It may also take the from of demographic shift which may adversely affect indigenous communities. I am happy that government has come out with some timely policy interventions to check the decreasing fertility rate among Sikkimese," he said.

The governor said the 11 Sikkimese Nepali communites, who have not been granted Scheduled Tribe (ST) status so far, deserve constitutional protection and recognition.

He said while Sikkim has been regarded as a land of ethnic diversity with 20 different communities having their own customs, culture, language and costumes, they all were living in harmony.

"There is an established similarity among all community, that all invariably are Adescendents of forefathers who were nature worshippers.

Patil said over the years he has observed that the left out communities, which are a majority in the state's demography, have a distinct identity.

"The socio-cultural dynamics and economic marginalisation serve as the basis of recognition of any community as special category under the provisions of the constitution of India.

"Therefore, it is justified that all communities within the territory of Sikkim by virtue of their distinct identity, and profile, should get their due, and get recognised as scheduled tribes," he said.

--IANS

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Three militants and a civilian were killed on Saturday during a gunfight and subsequent clashes in Srinagar, police said.

A senior Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer told reporters here all the three holed up militants were killed in the gunfight with the security forces in Chattabal area's Gasi Mohalla locality.

Security forces, including the police and the CRPF surrounded the area following a tip-off about the presence of the militants.

The militants belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit.

"Their identities were being ascertained," the officer said.

The civilian identified as Adil Ahmed Yadoo was killed after being hit by a vehicle during clashes by residents in Safa Kadal -- a densely populated downtown neighbourhood on the banks of Jhelum.

Locals have alleged that a CRPF vehicle ran over Yadoo but its spokesperson Rajesh Yadav refuted the claim.

"There was no CRPF vehicle in the area and the allegation is baseless," Yadav told IANS.

He was taken to the S.M.H.S hospital in a critical condition where doctors pronounced him dead.

A CRPF officer was wounded in the gunfight while three photo-journalists sustained injuries while they were covering the clashes.

Schools and colleges suspended class work as tension spread in the city. Markets and other business shut down.

Authorities have suspended mobile Internet services in Srinagar district and brought down the speed of fixed line broadband connections.

--IANS

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Four South Korean Buddhist temples were recommended for addition to the Unesco World Heritage list, the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said here.

South Korea submitted an application last year for seven mountain temples to be listed, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The state agency said on Friday that Unesco's International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) recommended only four.

The final decision will be made at the World Heritage Committee meeting in Bahrain next month, with the listing most likely to be made.

The temples will join the list of other Unesco World Heritage sites in South Korea, such as the Changdeok Palace in central Seoul.

--IANS

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Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday announced sanctioning of Rs 5,500 crore for laying regional ring road around Hyderabad.

The 363 km proposed ring road is expected to ease the traffic problem in and around the city.

The minister also announced Rs 1,700 crore for Telangana under Central Road Fund (CRF) and asked the state government to submit the proposals for sanctioning.

He made the announcements while laying foundation for four road projects here.

The Minister said he was also sanctioning another Rs.1,000 crore for four laning of 68 km stretch Mednoor-Bodhan-Nizamabad.

Gadkari advised the Telangana government to develop four satellite cities to ensure that Hyderabad's infrastructure is not further burdened. He suggested that the state take steps like operating electric buses. He also underlined the need to switch over to alternate fuel to check pollution and reduce cost of transportation.

He noted that in the last four years, the central government increased the length of national highways in Telangana from 2,443 km to 5,514 km.

Telangana's Municipal Administration Minister K. T. Rama Rao sought Centre's help for Strategic Road Development Project (SRDP).

Under this project, the state is developing 54 junctions in Hyderabad by building flyovers, skyways and elevated corridors at a cost of Rs 23,000 crore.

Rama Rao said works worth Rs 3,000 crore had already started while works worth Rs 4,000 crore will be launched soon.

He also urged Gadkari to use his good offices with Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman for handing over 100 acres of defence land to build an elevated corridor in Secunderabad.

Rama Rao, who is son of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, said the Defence Ministry was unfortunately not cooperating with the state government though it was offered 600 acres of alternate land.

Gadkari laid the foundation stone for a flyover at Amberpet, an elevated corridor at Uppal on Hyderabad-Warangal highway, six laning of Aramgarh-Shamsabad section of National Highway 44 between Hyderabad and Bengaluru and rehabilitation and upgradation of National Highway 765D from Hyderabad outer ring road to Medak. The four projects are estimated to cost Rs 1,500 crore.

--IANS

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Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Saturday said the government will not dilute the SC/ST Act and that is why it has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court, adding that if required, it may bring an ordinance to uphold the rights of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) communities.

"The government will not dilute the the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. In a high-power committee, it was decided to keep SC/ST Act intact," the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said at a press conference here.

The Minister also announced the government decision to provide 15 kgs of grain per month per student at below poverty line (BPL) rates to hostels for SCs, STs, Other Backward Classes (OBC) and minority communities.

This will be, however, also applicable to the General category hostels where two to three students are from SC, ST, OBC and minority communities.

Paswan applauded Maharashtra government for doing good work and said: "...as far as Aadhaar is concerned, following 88 per cent seeding, 50 lakh bogus ration cards have been eliminated and now only genuine beneficiaries are getting the ration."

He said the Centre was taking several steps to help out the sugar industry which was facing depressed market sentiments and crash in sugar prices. "The liquidity condition of the sugar mills has been adversely affected, leading to accumulation of cane price dues of farmers to the tune of Rs. 19,000 crore."

"The Union Cabinet has approved financial assistance of Rs. 5.50 per quintal of cane crushed in sugar season 2017-18 to sugar mills to offset the cost of cane, in order to help sugar mills to clear dues of farmers," the Minister said.

"Further, to facilitate and incentivise export of surplus sugar by mills, the government has allowed Duty Free Import Authorization (DFIA) Scheme in respect of sugar. Besides, in a bid to give boost to Ethanol, there is a proposal to reduce the GST slab. The GST Council in its meeting held in New Delhi on Friday recommended to reduce the GST rate from 18 per cent to 5 per cent."

--IANS

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A special team of Cyber Crime Cell in Haryana's Faridabad has arrested four people from a fake call centre who were involved in an organized online job fraud to cheat unemployed youth, particularly south Indians, a Haryana Police spokesman said here on Saturday.

Police recovered mobile phones, laptops and computer systems from their possession.

The arrested have been identified as Naveen Gandhi of Faridabad, Abhishek Singh alias Pankaj, a native of Uttar Pradesh presently residing in Faridabad, Harpreet Singh of Delhi and Dheeraj Singh Mehta of Uttrakhand, living in Delhi, the spokesman said.

The accused used to take record of applicants from job portal 'shine.com' to contact them on phone promising a job in airlines and hotels at abroad and duped them by taking money into their bank accounts as fees, he added.

"They used to target south Indians mostly so that anyone could not trace them due to far distances," the spokesman said.

He said that accused had also created a commercial mail identity in the name of 'jetairlines.com' to cheat innocent people. "For this purpose, they also used Jet Airways logo while sending emails to the applicants," he added.

A case under IT Act has been registered against them at police station Faridabad, the spokesman said.

--IANS

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Hundreds of mourners on Saturday carried the body of the militant who was killed in a gunfight with security forces to Jamia Masjid in the old city's Nowhatta area for funeral prayers.

Belonging to Fateh Kadal area of the old city, Fayaz Ahmad Hammal was killed along with two other militants, believed to be foreigners, in a gunfight with that took place in Chatabal area of Srinagar.

Tension gripping the old city areas was palpable as authorities did not make any deployment in areas during the funeral procession of the slain militant.

Authorities have decided to avoid any face off between the mourners and the security forces which became obvious after no restrictions were imposed during the funeral procession.

--IANS

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The ruling JD-U on Saturday expressed its displeasure over the central government's attitude towards Bihar and blamed it for injustice to the state, including not granting the special category status.

"Why injustice is being done to us? What crime we have committed? The Centre has no proper attention towards Bihar," said senior Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader and parliamentarian R.C.P. Singh, considered close to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the party president.

Without naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singh said in an all party meeting in the state assembly that if a commitment can be made to Andhra Pradesh then why not to Bihar which is more backward.

Singh said that central government has forgotten Raghuram Rajan committee report that has recommended to priority should be given to the backward states in granting special package and special status.

This is for the first time a senior JD-U leader has expressed unhappiness with the central government led by its ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since the party joined hands with the BJP and formed the government in Bihar after dumping Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress.

In the all party meeting called to discuss the 15th finance commission, the leaders of ruling JD-U, opposition RJD and Congress have requested the central government to accord special status to Bihar without delay.

"Issue of demand of special status was raised in the meeting of all party and it was unanimously decided to put pressure on the central government to grant it to the state," RJD leader Shivanand Tiwari said.

The all-party meeting was chaired by Speaker of the state assembly Vijay Kumar Choudhary. Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav were not present in the meeting.

Choudhary, in his address, said that demand of special status to Bihar should be included in the memorandum of 15th finance commission that will be sent to the central government.

Besides declaration of special package by Prime Minister Modi should be mentioned. "The Centre should give genuine rights to the state," he said.

Last month, ahead of Modi's visit to Motihari to participate in the concluding ceremony of Champaran Satyagraha centenary celebrations, JD-U leader and former Minister Shayam Razak said: "Modi should grant special status to Bihar as promised during his visit."

In March, Nitish Kumar said he had not given up the demand for special status to Bihar "for even one second" since he first raised it in 2005.

--IANS

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The simmering discontent triggered by the demand for removing a portrait of Mohammad Ali Jinnah from a hall, has now blown up into a full-scale confrontation between Hindutva elements and the agitating students of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

The controversial portrait is hanging in AMU Students Union Hall archive building.

Internet services have been suspended. Teachers affiliated with the AMUTA and women students have joined the protest marches.

Noted historian Irfan Habib has said Jinnah was part of history and by removing his portrait one could not alter history. Other senior faculty members and office bearers of the teachers' body have also echoed similar sentiments.

The AMU students union leaders spearheading the current agitation have demanded firm action against those who vandalised the premises and entered the campus to create tension, resulting in violence that injured a dozen students.

The whole campus has become a cantonment with heavy deployment of PAC, RAF and the local police. The additional director general of police held several rounds of talks with senior district officials on Friday. The dharna and demonstrations continue as Hindutva groups are adamant on their demand which is being opposed by the AMU students and teachers.

Meanwhile, AMU has clarified that the students are protesting to press for their demand for immediate action against the so called Hindutva activists who barged into the campus and for judicial enquiry into incidents of Lathi-charge and other demands as contained in their memorandum given on May 2. A spokesperson said that the students' agitation is not related to the portrait of M.A. Jinnah.A

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Tariq Mansoor, along with his wife, Dr Hameeda Tariq, for the second time visited the injured students admitted in the University's Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC) and enquired about their treatment and health. The students were injured in a police lathi-charge while they were on their way to lodge an FIR at the Civil Lines Police Station against those who barged into the campus and disturbed the peace.

The Vice Chancellor also visited Bab-e-Syed where students are staging a sit in for fulfillment of various demands.

The state government, according to a prominent ex-student Jasim Mohammad, former media adviser to the VC, has already ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incidents. Jasim said the Indian Muslims or the AMU community has no relations with ideology of the Muslim League or Jinnah and they were against the division of the country.

Jasim Mohammad told IANS the episodes began with a letter written by Aligarh MP Satish Kumar Gautam where had demanded the Vice Chancellor to remove Jinnah's portrait. "Later a group of 10-14 armed activists of the Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV), accompanied by policemen, came to the University Circle and moved towards the Bab-e-Syed where they attacked security guards and students. Extra police force came and took the HYV cadres into custody but released them from the Civil Lines Police Station. When the AMU students moved towards the police station to get their FIR registered and protest against the release of the HYV cadres, the police lathi-charged them and fired teargas shells, due to which many students received serious injuries," Jasim Mohammad said.

Hesaid that UP Chief Minster Yogi Aditya Nath has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the entire incident. He said that the police officers who released the HYV cadres should be identified and punished. "The inquiry should also find out whether the former Vice President of India, Mohammad Hamid Ansari, was also a target of Hinduvadi goondas," he said

Meanwhile the AMUTA observed black Friday. In a resolution, after considering the seriousness of the situation arising out of "malicious acts of fringe elements spreading hate and communal harmony," it condemned the police brutalities and excessive use of force on peaceful AMU students, and demanded transfer of the police officers involved in the episode.

The local MP, Gautam and the Hindutva groups continue to press their demand for immediate removal of the Jinnah portrait.

The situation continues to remain tense as both sides appear poised for a long-drawn battle.

(Brij Khandelwal can be contacted at brij.k@ians.in)

--IANS

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A former driver of convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on Saturday recorded his statement against the sect chief in a special CBI court here in connection with the murder of a journalist in Haryana's Sirsa town in October 2002.

Khatta Singh had recently moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court to get his statement recorded.

His statement was recorded in the CBI court for over two hours.

He had earlier given a statement in favour of the sect chief in the murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.

Later, Khatta Singh said that he did it under "threat and pressure" from the sect chief.

Khatta Singh, who used to drive the sect chief's car and was considered close to him, told the court that Ram Rahim had ordered the killing of the journalist allegedly by the functionaries of sect.

Ram Rahim is lodged in the Sunaria jail near Rohtak following his conviction in two rape cases on August 25 last year. The CBI court had convicted Ram Rahim on two counts of rape of his female disciples.

Ram Rahim's conviction had led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa in Haryana, leaving 41 people dead and over 260 injured.

He was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment by the CBI court on August 28.

Chhatrapati was shot at in October 2002. He died in November, after battling for life in a hospital for a few days. The sect chief is facing another murder case involving former Dera manager Ranjit Singh.

Ranjit, who was believed to be privy to a number of wrongdoing inside the sect headquarters, was shot dead in July 2003.

--IANS

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A former US Navy veteran has been sentenced to life in prison for killing Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla in a racially motivated hate crime at a bar in Kansas city in 2017.

Adam Purinton, 51, was sentenced on Friday in Johnson County District Court, where he pleaded guilty in March to a charge of first-degree murder for killing Kuchibhotla. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted first-degree murder for shooting Kuchibhotla's co-worker Alok Madasani and American man Ian Grillot, who had come to the aid of the two men.

Purinton hurled racial slurs saying, "get out of my country" and "terrorist" before firing shots at Kuchibhotla and his friend at a bar in the city of Olathe on February 22, 2017. Kuchibhotla died after he was taken to a hospital while Madasani was injured. Grillot was also shot.

He left the bar after the shooting and was arrested some 70 miles away in Clinton, Missouri, at an Applebee's restaurant after allegedly telling a bartender he shot the victims.

Under terms of the plea agreement in the case, District Judge Charles Droege sentenced Purinton to the maximum sentence on each of the three charges, and ordered them to run consecutively, the Kansas Star reported.

Purinton will not be eligible for parole for 930 months -- or 77.5 years -- and he acknowledged in court documents that the sentence "will ensure I die in prison".

"Our goal is to make sure that he never walks in the community again, that he spends the rest of his life in the penitentiary, and I believe this sentence will achieve that result," Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said.

Federal hate crime charges were pending against Purinton, that could mean death penalty. He is scheduled to enter a plea in that case on May 21.

Before Friday's sentencing, Assistant District Attorney Aubrey Sample read a written statement addressed to Purinton, from Sunayana Dumala, Kuchibhotla's widow. Dumala said she hoped Purinton would one day realize the "magnitude of your mistake".

"I learned from the cops that the murder of of my husband was premeditative and racially motivated," she wrote.

"In the few minutes that you have seen Srinu you built so much hatred for him that you decided he did not deserve to live ... I wish you had the ability to see beyond my husband's skin colour and the beautiful and kind-hearted person underneath it," she said.

Purinton did not comment in court on Friday. But in a written statement filed at the time of his plea, he said he accepted full responsibility for the "grievous harm" he caused the victims, their families and the entire community.

"I hope that this plea might, in some small way, help reduce the suffering that I have caused them all," he said.

--IANS

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British author, medical journalist and television host Michael Mosley feels Indian actress Shilpa Shetty is a phenomenal enthusiast, and says it would be fun to work with her on some project.

Mosley met the actress and had a session with her when he visited India on the first anniversary celebration of Sony BBC Earth earlier this year.

"I really enjoyed meeting Shilpa and she is phenomenal enthusiast. We swapped a lot of health ideas and I think we have a lot in common," Mosley told IANS.

Any plans to work with her?

"It will be great fun to do something together because I come with a scientific and academic background and she has enormous experience in food and fitness," added Mosley.

On his bond with India, he said: "I was born in Kolkata but at the age of 2, my family had moved from India. So essentially, there are no memories. But I have some beautiful pictures of me and my brother playing and enjoying our time in Kolkata. I will always cherish them. I don't get a chance to visit often but absolutely love India, its culture and the food."

His show "Trust Me I'm a Doctor" also airs in India on Sony BBC Earth.

--IANS

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Militants killed a special police officer (SPO) in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Wednesday.

SPO Fayaz Ahmad was fired at in Zazripora village.

"He was shifted to a hospital where the doctors said he was dead on arrival," the police said.

SPOs are engaged on a fixed monthly emolument by police to fight insurgency. In most cases, the SPOs are not trained in handling firearms.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday blamed the Congress party for politicising the issue of Mahadayi river water sharing with neighbouring Goa.

"Congress is misleading people in the name of Mahadayi and is only politicising the issue. During a 2007 Goa Assembly poll campaign speech, then Congress President Sonia Gandhi had assured Goa that Mahadayi river water will not be shared," recalled Modi addressing a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally in Gadag, about 380km from Bengaluru.

Speaking at Goa's Margao city, Gandhi had in 2007 told people that the Congress was committed to not allow the sharing of Mahadayi water with Karnataka.

The Congress was only showing its "true colours" by politicising the issue ahead of the upcoming May 12 Karnataka Assembly polls, alleged Modi in his 45-minute speech in Hindi, translated into Kannada by BJP's Lok Sabha lawmaker from the state, Pralhad Joshi.

Accusing the ruling Congress of "looting" the southern state and being "indifferent" to the depleting natural resources, Modi alleged that the party had set up a huge tank in Karnataka to store the looted money, with a pipeline to Delhi to fund the party.

Having lost elections in several states where it previously held power, the Congress was desperate to win Karnataka, Modi said.

"Congress is quite worried about losing Karnataka because if they lose power in this state, they're concerned about what will happen to the party's leaders in Delhi."

If the Congress lost Karnataka after the vote count on May 15, the party would be reduced to "Punjab, Puducherry Parivar Congress", the Prime Minister mocked.

The 77-km-long Mahadayi originates at Bhimgad in the Western Ghats in Belagavi district and flows into Goa and joins the Arabian Sea off the West Coast.

Although the river flows 29km in Karnataka and 52km in Goa, its catchment area is spread over 2,032km in the southern state as against 1,580km in the western state (Goa).

Karnataka has been asking Goa since 2001 to release 7.6 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of the river water to meet drinking and irrigation needs of its people in the four drought-prone districts namely -- Gadag, Bagalkote, Belagavi and Dharwad -- in the state's northwest region.

BJP President Amit Shah in February told a media briefing in Kalaburagi, about 630km north of Bengaluru, that the party was committed to resolving the water sharing issue with Goa if they won the ensuing election.

"I guarantee the people of Karnataka that we will resolve the Mahadayi water issue with Goa if we win the ensuing assembly election. We will find a solution soon after coming to power in the state," Shah had said.

Modi is on his third visit to the poll-bound state this month to campaign for the party and its candidates ahead of the assembly polls. He will address two more rallies in Shivamogga and Mangaluru later in the day.

--IANS

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Rabat, May 5 (IANS/MAP) Morocco and Romania have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) here to cement diplomatic cooperation and a bilateral agreement in the area of training.

Under the MoU, signed by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and his Romanian counterpart Teodor Melescanu on Friday, the two parties agreed to hold regular consultations to review their bilateral relations.

In accordance with the MoU, the parties will exchange views on international and regional issues, including international political developments and regional conflicts or disputes, with a view to enhancing the positive role of the UN and other organizations in alleviating problems facing the international community.

As for the cooperation agreement, it was signed between the Moroccan Academy of Diplomatic Studies (AMED) and the Romanian Diplomatic Institute with the aim of establishing and consolidating mutual cooperation in the training of young diplomats as well as the exchange of experiences, information and documentation.

Melescanu praised the Moroccan-Romanian ties, based on "mutual respect" and the willingness of both countries to develop their relations in trade. He said Morocco remains Romania's most important trading partner in Africa and the Middle East.

For his part, Bourita expressed his country's willingness to deepen bilateral cooperation with Romania as well as triangular cooperation in favour of the African continent.

--IANS/MAP

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NASA's InSight mission to study the deep interior of Mars blasted off to the Red Planet on Saturday aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base.

"Humanity's next mission to Mars has left the pad! NASAInSight heads into space for an approximately six-month journey to Mars where it will take the planet's vital signs and help us understand how rocky planets formed," NASA tweeted soon after the launch at 7.05 am (4.35 p.m. India time).

InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, will study the deep interior of Mars to learn how all rocky planets formed, including Earth and its Moon. The lander's instruments include a seismometer to detect marsquakes, and a probe that will monitor the flow of heat from the planet's interior.

InSight will be the first mission to peer deep beneath the Martian surface, studying the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listening for marsquakes, which are seismic events similar to earthquakes on Earth.

It will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet's deep interior.

The findings of Mars' formation will help better understand how other rocky planets, including Earth and its Moon, were created.

--IANS

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Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao is among the more active opposition leaders at the national level who are trying to form an alliance against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and Sharad Pawar are the others. But they appear to work in fits and starts and not in a sustained manner.

Sonia Gandhi, for instance, has hosted a dinner for the opposition leaders, Mamata Banerjee has met Rao and had a telephonic conversation with the DMK's M.K. Stalin while Pawar organised a "save the Constitution" rally in Mumbai.

But there is little to indicate that they have got their acts together in the sense of preparing an agenda or formulating a plan of action with public meetings and use of the social media, the latest tool in the war of ideas.

Rao has been somewhat more energetic, having taken the trouble to fly down to Kolkata to talk to the West Bengal Chief Minister, travelling to Chennai to meet M. Karunanidhi and Stalin and meeting Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav in Hyderabad. But none of these informal contacts is likely to give the BJP sleepless nights.

There has, however, been a slight forward movement with Rao dropping his earlier reservations about the Congress, arguing that no one is untouchable. When he met Mamata Banerjee, he was firm about keeping out the Congress from the so-called federal front, but Mamata was not so sure. Later, she said that the Congress could be a part of an anti-BJP front but not as a leader.

It may well be that much of the talk about the constituents of the front is aimed at presenting an inflated picture by the regional parties of their importance in order to play an assertive role when the time comes for getting down to serious business.

At the same time, it is obvious that neither Rao nor Mamata Banerjee has the stature to play a leading role at the national level. The latter has also undermined her own capacity for fair governance by failing to control -- willingly or inadvertently -- the rowdy party cadres during the ongoing panchayat elections in West Bengal.

It is also clear that the reservations which the two Chief Ministers have voiced about the Congress stem from their earlier close and not always happy association with the party, which probably makes them believe that they will again be sidelined if the Congress becomes a part of the front.

Yet, it is impractical to think in terms of a non-BJP, non-Congress group as the regional parties do not have nationwide relevance although they may be politically strong in their respective states.

It is imperative, therefore, for them to concede that a party like the Congress, with a pan-Indian image, if not presence, will be in a better position along with the others to present an alternative to the BJP, which, too, is perceived as a "national" party despite its weaknesses south of the Vindhyas.

It is absurd to claim, therefore, as Rao and Asaduddin Owaisi of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen have done, that since both the Congress and the BJP have "failed", the time has come for the regional parties to offer a "qualitative" change in the style of governance. Any such move will be tantamount to handing over success to the BJP on a platter.

Much will depend on how the Congress fares in the forthcoming elections in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. There is little doubt that if its strike rate is high, the party can reclaim its position as the natural leader of an anti-BJP formation. Otherwise, it will have to resign itself to taking a back seat.

For the present, the Congress is trying to bring its former ally, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), to its side. The long conversation which Rahul Gandhi recently had with Pawar points to such a move. It is also known that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is with the Congress.

Furthermore, the Congress has a potential ally in Akhilesh Yadav, although Mulayam Singh is not a friend. Neither is Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Mayawati as her decision to align with the Janata Dal-Secular in Karnataka and the Indian National Lok Dal in Haryana shows.

One fear of the regional parties about the Congress is its arrogant tendency to dominate once there is a tie-up. It is a habit born of more than a century of prominence in Indian which the party hasn't been able to shed even in its present weakened condition.

As Pawar once said, the Congress is like a zamindar (land owner) who has lost much of his land, but still regards the surrounding terrain as his own.

The party's dependence on the Nehru-Gandhi family is another negative factor because few of the other parties are willing to kowtow to the dynasty as the Congressmen habitually do.

The Congress will also probably be unwilling to play a secondary role under the leadership of another party. Clearly, opposition unity will not be easy to achieve.

(Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst. The views expressed are personal. He can be reached at amulyaganguli@gmail.com)

--IANS

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Five to six lakh acres of government land in Punjab is under illegal occupation, a cabinet sub-committee of of the state has pointed out.

Faced with this alarming situation, the cabinet sub-committee formed to ensure maintenance of Government Assets and Lands has sought a record of all government-owned lands from all the government boards, departments, corporations and other government institutions.

Committee chairman and state Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who held a meeting of the committee here on Saturday, said that as per the disclosures made in the meeting the total value of the government land under illegal occupation in Mohali district (adjoining Chandigarh) alone exceeds the debt of Punjab which is over Rs 210,000 crore.

"If the lands of such nature are identified in the whole state then it can lead to the rejuvenation of the Punjab from economic point of view," he said.

Former Director General of Police Chander Shekhar, who attended the meeting, disclosed that a total of 5 to 6 lakh acres of government lands are under illegal occupation throughout Punjab.

Presenting the facts and figures pertaining to Mohali district alone, he said that official records stated that out of a total land of 2,585 acres in Mohali district, 2,435 acres was under illegal occupation.

Sidhu said that it has been decided to constitute a committee of experts headed by retired Justice S.S. Saron and Chander Shekhar to free these government lands from the illegal occupation.

"In order to know the status of the government owned lands in the state, the cabinet sub committee has sought the record from all the departments/boards/corporations and other government institutions regarding the lands related to them and has also sought the details with regard to the aspect that how much land is under illegal occupation, how much land is under litigation and how much is laying unutilized," he said.

--IANS

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Jennifer Pena, the White House physician assigned to Vice President Mike Pence, has resigned, according to his office.

"The vice president's office was informed today by the White House Medical Unit of the resignation. Physicians assigned to the vice president report to the White House Medical Unit and thus any resignation would go entirely through the Medical Unit, not the vice president's office," Alyssa Farah, Pence's press secretary, said in a statement to CNN on Friday.

The development comes after CNN reported on Tuesday that Pence's doctor privately raised alarms within the White House last year that President Donald Trump's doctor Ronny Jackson may have violated federal privacy protections for a key patient -- Pence's wife, Karen -- and intimidated the Vice President's doctor during angry confrontations over the episode.

A White House official later told CNN they felt Pena had misrepresented the extent of Jackson's actions.

Trump nominated Jackson to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, but Jackson withdrew his nomination last week amid burgeoning allegations of professional misconduct.

Though he returned to the White House Medical Unit, Jackson is no longer Trump's attending physician.

Pena also later wrote in a memo of feeling intimidated by an irate Jackson during a confrontation over the physician's concerns.

The physician informed White House officials of being treated unprofessionally, describing a pattern of behaviour from Jackson that made the physician "uncomfortable" and even consider resigning from the position.

Current and former co-workers accused Jackson of abusive behaviour and professional misconduct.

--IANS

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Launching a fresh attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday questioned his silence on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders facing corruption charges.

"Dear Modi ji, You talk a lot. Problem is, your actions don't match your words. Here's a primer on your candidate selection in Karnataka," Gandhi tweeted along with a video asking if the Prime Minister will speak for five minutes on the eight tickets to the "Reddy brothers gang".

The video plays like an episode of "Karnataka's Most Wanted".

"Making someone who has 23 cases of corruption, cheating, forgery your CM candidate? When will you speak on your top 11 leaders facing corruption cases," it questioned.

The clip named B. Sriamulu, G. Somashekara Reddy, T.H. Suresh Babu, Katta Subramanya Naidu, C.T. Ravi, Murugesh Nirani, ES EN Krishnaiah Shetty Malur, K. Shivanagouda Naik, R. Ashok, and Shobha Karandlaje as the 11 BJP candidates facing crimnal cases.

"Putting a lid on the Rs 35,000 crore illegal iron ore mining scam of the Reddy brothers. Waiting your reply. PS: You can refer to a paper for answers," it said.

The attack came ahead of polling for the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, to be held on May 12.

The results will be declared on May 15.

--IANS

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Filmmaker and actor Rajat Kapoor has quit smoking.

An excited Rajat on Friday took to Twitter and wrote: "chhoot gayi (left it), chhoot gayi (left it), cigarette chhoot gayi (left cigarette)"

This is not the first time he has given up smoking, having previously done so in 2014.

On the work front, Rajat was last seen on the silver screen in "Pari". The horror film, which also stars Anushka Sharma and Parambrata Chatterjee, was directed by Prosit Roy.

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'Officer' has nothing to do with 'Taken': RGV

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma says that his upcoming film "Officer" has nothing to do with the Hollywood film "Taken".

"I once again want to clarify that 'Officer' is nothing to do with 'Taken' except for Nagarjuna playing a cop and having a daughter there's absolutely no similarity," Varma tweeted.

The director says he always saw Nagarjuna as an "intense action hero".

"I am so happy to see people loving him in this space," he added.

RGV has also directed Nagarjuna in films like "Antham", "Govinda Govinda" and "Drohi".

"Officer", a cop thriller brings the actor and director duo back together after a gap of over two decades. The film is slated for release on May 25.

"Taken", which released in 2008, is an action thriller film starring Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Katie Cassidy, Leland Orser, and Holly Valance

It revolves around an ex-Secret Service agent, whose teenage daughter is abducted by human traffickers while on a trip to Paris. With almost no information on her whereabouts, he travels to Paris to find and save her.

--IANS

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Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny was detained by police at a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin here on Saturday.

Thousands of demonstrators denouncing Putin's inauguration into a fourth term gathered in the capital's Pushkin Square. Navalny was taken into custody by police shortly after arriving at the rally where riot police carted away some protesters while some were beaten by pro-Putin supporters, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.

Videos showed police carrying a struggling Navalny out of the square by the legs and arms.

According to a Guardian report, the unauthorised protest was part of nationwide demonstrations taking place under the slogan: "He is not our tsar."

Navalny has called for nationwide rallies to protest against Putin's inauguration on May 7.

At least 150 people were arrested in Krasnoyarsk, in eastern Siberia and a further 75 in Yakutsk, the capital of a diamond-mining region in northeast Russia.

The arrests came after police detained a number of Navalny's supporters across Russia on the eve of the protests.

With the fourth term as the Russian President, Putin extends his 18-year reign that his supporters say lifted the country "from its knees" and is denounced by his opponents as a "corrupt, calcifying autocracy".

Navalny, who has organized large street protests and published a series of reports alleging corruption in Russia's ruling elite, was barred from the presidential ballot in March due to a conviction on financial-crimes charges that he called "fabricated".

--IANS

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After the 'Yuva Halla Bol' protest here against irregularities in Staff Selection Commission exams, Swaraj India leader Anupam on Saturday warned of a "massive nationwide movement against the anti-youth government" if reforms were not undertaken.

In a letter to Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh, he also questioned the Narendra Modi government's "insensitivity" towards the demands of young aspirants protesting against the alleged scam in SSC for over two months and made some specific suggestions for reform.

Apart from the demand to replace private vendor Sify, he raised the issues of of normalisation, age reckoning to be done from January 1, two compensatory attempts and upper age limit to be extended to 32 years for interview posts and 30 years for non-interview posts in general category.

The letter also mentioned the pending demand for an independent and time-bound Central Bureau of Investigation probe into all exams conducted by SSC.

Noting the protestors under the umbrella of 'Yuva Halla Bol' have been demanding reforms in upcoming examinations, Anupam said that the SSC has notified the Combined Graduate Level Examination-2018 without incorporating any of the reform suggestions.

"Now country's youth want a dialogue and a hearing from the government but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government do one-way communication," he said, warning that if the "key issues still remain unaddressed, youth across the country will be forced to initiate a massive nationwide movement against the anti-youth government".

--IANS

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US President Donald Trump will meet with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in at the White House on May 22, ahead of the real estate mogul's summit with North Korea's Kim Jong-un, the administration said on Friday.

"This third summit between the two leaders affirms the enduring strength of the US-Republic of Korea alliance and the deep friendship between our two countries," White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.

Trump and Moon will "continue their close coordination" on issues regarding the Korean peninsula and will discuss the inter-Korean summit that took place on April 27, as well as the US president's upcoming summit with the North Korean leader, Efe reported.

Earlier on Friday, Trump said that a time and a place had been set for the meeting with Kim, although he did not provide any details.

The inter-Korean summit came after years of heightened tensions between the two countries, raising hopes that a lasting peace and a denuclearization of the peninsula could soon become a reality.

The US President also expressed optimism regarding the release of three US hostages held in a North Korean prison, saying "you're going to see very good things".

The Kim and Trump meeting will be the first between the leaders of the US and North Korea, nearly 70 years after the start of the 1950-1953 Korean war.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US Navy has said it is re-establishing its Second Fleet to bolster the American and NATO presence in the Atlantic Ocean amid increasing tensions with Russia.

Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson made the announcement on Friday during a change of command ceremony in Norfolk, Virginia. He said the fleet, which was disbanded in 2011 for cost-saving and structural reasons, would oversee forces on the US East Coast and North Atlantic, the BBC reported.

He said the National Defence Strategy, published earlier this year, made it clear that the era of great power competition had returned. Countering Russia and China was a a priority, according to the strategy.

"Our National Defence Strategy makes clear that we're back in an era of great power competition as the security environment continues to grow more challenging and complex," Adm. Richardson said in the announcement.

"That's why today, we're standing up Second Fleet to address these changes, particularly in the north Atlantic." The fleet will be based in its previous home -- Norfolk.

He said that the fleet would "exercise operational and administrative authority over assigned ships, aircraft and landing forces".

According to the NATO officials, Russia has increased naval patrols in the Baltic Sea, the North Atlantic and the Arctic. Its submarine activity "was at its highest level" since the Cold War.

Ties between Russia and the West have deteriorated amid allegations of Russian meddling in 2016 US presidential elections, Moscow's support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal, for which the UK blames Russia.

--IANS

soni/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Wage revision talks between Indian Banks' Association and the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) failed on Saturday in Mumbai as the offer by the former was meagre, said a leader of a bank union.

He also said the unions may resort to agitation including strikes.

The UFBU is the umbrella body of bank unions in the country.

In a statement issued here, D.T.Franco, General Secretary, All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC) said: "The initial offer of the Indian Banks Association was meager which was totally rejected by the constituents of the United Forum of Bank Unions.

"Bank employees and officers are already paid very low compared with the Government employees as well as the private sector," he said.

Wages for bank employees have to be revised from November 1, 2017, he said.

According to Franco, the UFBU has decided to send a detailed communication to the Government immediately followed by a nationwide demonstration on May 9.

"It was also decided that Unions will go for two days strike if the government/IBA does not respond immediately," he said.

--IANS

vj/vd

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The Delhi Police arrested a wanted Uttar Pradesh gangster here on Saturday for his involvement in various crimes including the murder of a Ghaziabad-based builder.

Harinder Pradhan, a resident of Gautam Budh Nagar was arrested after police teams tried to stop his car but it sped on and hit barricades in south Delhi's Pul-Prahaladpur at the Mehrauli-Badarpur road.

"Pradhan was involved in the murder of the Ghaziabad builder, Moti Goyal, on April 15 following a dispute over a property in Noida. He had hired two contract killers to kill Goyal," Deputy Commissioner of Police Chinmoy Biswal said.

"We received a tip-off that Pradhan would be heading towards MB road. When stopped, Pradhan started firing at the police," Biswal said.

Two police personnel were injured in the encounter. They were admitted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre with non life-threatening injuries.

A pistol and carbine were also seized.

--IANS

sp/ksk/vm

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It was what a film director would have described as a perfect take. "You are a beginner," he said, grinding his teeth in simulated anger. "These are your days to learn." A measured pause; he then emoted. "And you are insulting a former Prime Minister, a senior-most leader?"

This was chastising Rahul Gandhi, the Congress President. In the course of a fierce three-way election campaign, Rahul Gandhi, prompted by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, described the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) as the B team of the Modi tore into Rahul.

The manner in which Modi leapt to Dewe Gowda's defence raised eyebrows. The outburst cast the JD-S as a party which had the BJP's sympathies.

If this creeping murmur reached Muslim enclaves which were once Congress vote banks, a section of the Muslim vote which would otherwise have travelled towards Gowda, would check itself. This would be ironical given that the "S" in JD-S stands for secular.

After the demolition of the Babari Masjid in 1992, the disenchanted Muslim vote, walking out of the Congress fold, was waylaid by regional parties. In Karnataka, this vote took respite under the JD-S umbrella.

In these circumstances, is the Congress delusion, of being the "only" national alternative, sustainable when a pan-Indian quantity like Muslims is permanently averse to it in the states? To overtly woo Muslims, Congress leadership has been advised, risks loss of Hindu vote in direct proportion to the saffron in the air. Congress avionics are now conditioned entirely by these weather conditions. Such abject dependence on the weather will have its logic. There will be occasion when the flight will not take off at all.



Now, the post-Babari shortfall has to be made up by holding on assiduously to the Hindu vote. This requires the kind of Hindu cohesion the Congress is not geared for. If it plugs upper caste haemorrhage, the lower castes flow out into regional receptacles.

It cannot do what the BJP does: Pose the Muslim as the unstated other for Hindu consolidation. The Congress simply steers clear of the Muslim like one would steer clear of trouble. It differentiates itself from the BJP, though. It has a distinct self-image: It's the party of "good Hindus". It does not endorse the lumpenisation associated with "street" Hindutva or the BJP.

It is a difficult pirouette. How do you project yourself as a squeaky clean Hindu without criticising excesses in the name of the cow, love jehad, Muslim youth languishing in jails without trial. National monuments like the Red Fort will now be handed to cement magnates for repair and maintenance and so on.

All right, the BJP erects its "hard" Hindu edifice "othering" the Muslims. How does the Congress delineate its "soft" Hindu outlines? Is there clarity or is it all hazy and vague?

Modi chastised Rahul for bad-mouthing Gowda. Rahul found it so important to come clean on the subject that he agreed to give his very first newspaper interview since he became Congress President in December to Karnataka's Deccan Herald group of newspapers.

He said he was not attacking Gowda at all; he was only inviting Gowda to explicitly declare whether he was on "that side or this side". An epic ideological battle was on between the Congress and the BJP. Choose one.

What was the urgency for him to seek this clarification? In fact, it is all the more puzzling because Modi's intervention was designed to soften Gowda towards the BJP -- it was like an olive branch to the JD-S. If amplified, this would have the effect of the Muslim vote shifting away from the JD-S towards the Congress. Why would Rahul need to neutralise conditions for this possible outcome? Well, it was a gamble. Rahul needs an outright victory with a safe margin. In a house of 224 he needs well in excess of 113 seats. Muslim support might help.

Conventional wisdom in Bengaluru gives Congress 95 to 100; BJP 85 to 90 and JD-S 35 to 40 in a hung house. This is dicey -- for the Congress. Deve Gowda, as kingmaker will immolate himself but not make the Chief Minister.

The moment Rahul looks for an alternative to in order to keep Gowda in good humour, a new game will have begun.

If Congress wins outright, the credit must go to Siddaramaiah, whatever self-serving message the Congress coterie in New Delhi coaxes out of the result. In a state historically dominated by Vokkaligas and Lingayats, has brought under one umbrella the upwardly mobile Kuruba (Shepherd) community as one powerful group. By accepting a demand by a section of the Lingayat community (the late Gauri Lankesh, for instance) that they are "outside" the Hindu fold, he has created mild disruption in the Veer Shaivite, Lingayat ranks. BJP's Yeddyurappa, a Lingayat, will face that music.

By replicating, Jayalalithaa's canteens, selling subsidised rice and pulling out every implement in the populist tool kit, Siddaramaiah has cast a wide net to ensnare the voter. At a time of Rahul's frenetic temple-hopping, Siddaramaiah's irreligious, Lohiaite persona is refreshing.

What profit for Siddaramaiah to remain affiliated to the Congress if he sees regional actors play a greater role in post-2019 calculations? Who knows, he may like to consolidate his regional base. Siddaramaiah is not the only one who is basically averse for a ride in a messy coalition just months before 2019. Suppose Modi calculates that Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh can be bunched with 2019 to his advantage? That is why any long-term player will not be enthusiastic about the unstable Karnataka gaddi. But the eager bearer son of Deve Gowda, H.D. Kumaraswamy, is aching to ascend the throne even for a few months with BJP support, Gowda's denials notwithstanding.

From the Bengaluru throne, the Gowdas, BJP, everybody will then train their guns on Siddaramaiah. It is Catch 22 for all.

(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.)
US billionaire investor Warren Buffett said on Saturday that the world depends on the US and China for progress, dismissing concerns that the two countries' trade tensions could potentially escalate into a trade war.

Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, made the remarks in response to a Chinese investor's question about US-China trade relations at the Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholders meeting, Xinhua reported.

"The US and China are going to be the two superpowers of the world, economically and in other ways, for a long, long, long time," Buffett said.

"We have a lot of common interests, and like any two big economic entities, there are times when there'll be tensions, but it is a win-win situation when the world trades," the investor said.

Both Democrats and Republicans in the US believe in the benefits of free trade, he said.

The benefits of free trade are huge, and the world is dependent on it in a major way for its progress, Buffett said.

The investor also implied that he is willing to invest more in China this year.

He is turning 88 this August, and eight, he said, is a very lucky number in China. This could be the time to acquire something in China, Buffett said.

Berkshire Hathaway currently has a stake in China's automobile manufacturer BYD. Buffett said the investment "has being doing so well lately".

--IANS

qd/

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The other day, I found Babu Lal, the old dhobi, looking very moody as he went about his work. It was sweltering and he was in a shack with a plastic roof, ironing clothes with his ancient coal iron, but even so, he looked more despondent than usual. Was everything well, I asked.

At first he said it was. He had just returned from his village in Uttar Pradesh, he said. Just then his son arrived on his motorcycle, wearing skinny jeans and a snazzy pair of shades. Something seem to snap quite visibly in the old dhobis head, and he told me what was on his mind. Something very ...
After sitting up well into the night preparing a presentation for her bosses at Procter & Gamble, Mansi Madan Tripathy began to wait next morning for her childrens nanny to arrive. Tripathy, then global head for P&Gs Gillette business, had planned to reach office by 7.45 am; so she prepared her five and seven year-olds to be alone till the nanny arrived.

The Boston cold was harsh  and soon there was a snow storm. On her way out she picked up a shovel to clear the snow and rolled out her car. As she drove on, she could see the nannys car approaching from the ...
Mr Modi has come straight from the Wuhan summit with the Chinese President, where he no doubt spoke in his mother tongue when he convinced the premiere to concentrate on dhokla rather than Doklam.

Emboldened by his persuasive faculties, he came to Karnataka and straightway challenged the pitiable Rahul Gandhi to speak in his mothers mother tongue for 15 minutes, that too without looking at a paper. This is a fair challenge because the PM, a polymath, would have then understood Gandhis crisp Italian and gone back to reread Dante, Lampedusa and Calvino in the original; readings he ...
Over 1.20 lakh students from Kerala will appear for tomorrow's National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), being conducted by the CBSE for medical and dental courses.

About 1,20,792 candidates will appear for the test from the state in 226 centres spread across thedistricts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Alapuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kannur.

The CBSE has issued strict guidelines and dos and don'ts for those appearing for the test.

Candidates have been asked not to carry stationery items like bits of paper, geometry box, pencil box, plastic pouch, pen scale, writing pad, eraser, mobile phone, blue tooth inside the examination hall.

A strict dress code, banning wallets, goggles, handbags, belt, cap and ornaments, pendants, badge and brooch, shoes and heels has also been imposed.

In Thiruvananthapuram, 24,000 students would appear for the test in 34 centres, an official press release said.

The government has put in place all steps to ensure that candidates are able to appear for the test without any hassles, it said.

Students from neighbouring Tamil Nadu have already started arriving for the test.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also directed all District Collectors and district police chiefs to arrange help desks at major railway and bus stations in the state to provide necessary help to candidates appearing for the NEET.

Revenue and police authorities have also been directed to ensure hindrance free travel and other facilities.

Last year, the test had kicked up a controversy with a candidate from Kannur alleging that she was forced to remove her inner wear, while some others had to shorten sleeves and cut the pockets of their jeans.

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Two coal mines today collapsed in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province, killing at least 18 people and injuring six others, officials said.

A mine in Marwar area near provincial capital Quetta collapsed due to gas explosion and about two dozen miners were trapped inside.

Deputy Commissioner Quetta Farrukh Atique told PTI that that 16 people have died in the collapse.

"We have recovered all the 16 bodies from the rubble caused by the collapse in the coal mine," Atique said.

"We have also rescued six workers who are trapped in the rubble and have sent them to hospital for treatment but one miner is still trapped under the rubble" he said.

Rescue officials said a dozen of the dead miners belonged to Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

"The collapse apparently took place because of a gas explosion and the miners working at that time were trapped inside. Some died on the spot while others who were badly injured breathed their last under the rubble," Atique said.

Chief of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Muhammad Tariq also confirmed that 16 miners had been killed.

"So far 16 dead bodies and six injured miners have been recovered from the mine," he said.

In another incident, at least nine miners were trapped in a mine of Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) near Quetta, an official said.

He said the rescue workers recovered two dead bodies and two injured miners, while efforts were on to recover another five workers who remain trapped.

Mining is considered highly dangerous in Pakistan where dozens of miners die each year due to lack of modern mining facilities, training and equipment.

According to the Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation (PCMLF), about 100 to 200 labourers die on average in coal mine accidents every year.

Last month, at least 11 miners died in two separate mining incidents in Darra Adam Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Jhelum district of Punjab.

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Two persons were abducted and later shot dead allegedly by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said today.

Militants barged into the houses of Ghulam Hassan Dar alias Hassan Rassa and Bashir Ahmad Dar - both residents of Gulshan Mohalla, Shahgund Hajin in north Kashmir's Bandipora district -- last night and abducted them, a police official said.

"At about 3:30 am today, the militants shot both of them dead," he said.

The bodies were found by the locals near a mosque at Raheem Dar Mohalla, Shahgund, the official said.

Hassan (45) was reportedly an uncle of Ahmed (26) -- a driver by profession.

"Preliminary investigation suggests the involvement of outlawed terror outfit LeT in the incident," the official said.

"A case has been registered and investigations taken up," he said.

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Guilty -- Abortionist Takes Surprise Plea Deal That Includes Jail Time in Death of Abortion Patient Contact: Troy Newman, President, 316-683-6790 ext. 111; Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Vice President, 316-516-3034; Both with Operation Rescue, info.operationrescue@gmail.com



QUEENS, N.Y., May 4, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- In a move that shocked the court, Robert Rho accepted a previously offered plea bargain and admitted his guilt to Felony Negligent Homicide immediately after the judge announced that the jury had reached a verdict in this three-week trial.



Rho will be sentenced and will surrender into custody on July 26, 2018, after which he will serve between 16 months and four years in prison for killing Jaime Lee Morales during a horrifically botched second trimester abortion.



"Robert Rho killed Jaime Morales and has now grudgingly admitted his crime. He will pay for that crime in prison, so we are satisfied with the outcome even though we had hoped for a conviction on the more serious charge," said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue.



Rho was on trial for Second Degree Manslaughter, a Class C Felony that carried a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.



"I suspect Rho took the plea deal once he realized the jury was about to convict him," said Newman.



The plea agreement required Rho to admit his crime in court, which he was reticent to do. At first, he simply stated that he had lacerated the victim's cervix, repaired in twice, then sent her home where she died unexpectedly.



That statement was insufficient to meet the terms of a confession.



Finally, under questioning from his defense attorney Jeff Lichtman, Rho admitted through clenched teeth that he killed Morales.



Earlier, on this third day of jury deliberations, the jury had told Judge Gregory Lasak that they could not reach an agreement on a verdict. Judge Lasak instructed them to go back and continue deliberations to see if they could finally come to an agreement.



Hours later, a verdict was indeed reached, but Rho's acceptance of the plea bargain agreement meant that the verdict would never be known.



The Morales family was upset that they had endured a full three weeks of trial where the reputation of their daughter was attacked, only to be denied a jury verdict.



"We have great sympathy for the Morales family for the loss they have suffered. Their grief was only compounded by Rho's selfish and erratic behavior that first denied them the life of their loved one, then denied them the closure a verdict would have brought," said Newman. "I pray that during his incarceration he might reflect on the harm he has caused and come to repentance through Jesus Christ."



For more in-depth coverage, visit www.operationrescue.org/.



About Operation Rescue

Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation and has become a strong voice for the pro-life movement in America. Click here to support Operation Rescue.



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Two Dubai-bound men have been apprehended at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here today for allegedly trying to smuggle out foreign currencies worth Rs 23.33 lakh by concealing it under bakery items, CISF officials said.

S Khan and Javed Ali were intercepted by CISF personnel after noticing that they were carrying something wrapped in black tapes and kept under some snacks in their bags, officials said.

A thorough search of the two passengers led to the recovery of an assortment of foreign currencies, including Riyals and Dirhams, to the tune of Rs 23.33 lakh, the officials said.

The passengers were travelling to Dubai via Kuwait from the IGI airport.

Since the two men could not furnish any valid reason for carrying the foreign currency, they and were handed over to the Customs Department, a senior official of the security force said, adding this seems to be a case of currency smuggling.

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Two residents of Uttar Pradesh were arrested today while they were smuggling six matured bulls in a specially built air-conditioned container of a truck here, police said.

The bulls were hidden in the container of a truck, police said, adding the animals were brought from Punjab and were being taken to somewhere in UP.

An activist of an animal rescue organisation informed police about it.

A police team rushed to the Haryana-Punjab border near Ambala city and put a checkpost on the highway to stop the truck carrying bulls.

But the truck driver attempted to flee from there and hit a few vehicles passing through the highway, police said.

Later, police after a chase succeeded in stopping the truck.

When police opened the truck's container, the six bulls were recovered from it.

Police sent the bulls to a gaushala here and took the truck driver and his accomplice in its custody.

A case had been registered against two of the occupants of the truck container including the driver.

The matter was being investigated, police said.

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In a major catch, customs officials have arrested 28 Turkmenistani nationals, including 22 women, for smuggling gold worth about Rs 4.5 crore at Delhi airport.

The seizure was done in two cases yesterday.

In first case, 23 passengers were intercepted after their arrival from Turkmenistan.

Their personal and baggage search resulted in recovery of gold weighing about 15.5 kgs collectively, Additional Commissioner of customs at the airport, Amandeep Singh said.

They were carrying gold in the form of multiple gold rings intertwined and crudely given the shape of chain and bracelet, he said. The value of gold, which has been seized, is Rs 4.44 crore in this case.

In another case, five other Turkmenistani passengers were intercepted after their arrival at the airport.

They were found to be carrying 1.9 kg gold in the form of multiple gold rings intertwined and crudely given the shape of chain and bracelet, Singh said.

The value of the gold in this case is Rs 55.4 lakh.

All the 28 Turkmenistani passengers, including 22 women, have been arrested, Deputy Commissioner (customs) at the Delhi airport, Anees Cherkunnath said.

In total, 17.4 kgs of gold worth about Rs 4.5 crore have been seized, he said.

It is a major seizure by the customs officials at the airport. The team of customs officials that intercepted these passengers and seized the smuggled gold included Joint Commissioner Anubha Sinha and Assistant Commissioner S K Pandey among others.

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Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF personnel foiled a possible terror strike today killing three Lashker-e-Taiba militants in the outskirts of the city this morning after a four-hour-long operation, officials said.

Four security personnel were injured in the gunfight but all of them are stated to be stable.

The militants, according to the police, were planning to carry out the strike ahead May 7, when state government offices were to reopen in Srinagar after shifting from Jammu, the winter capital of the state.

The operation was launched in the wee hours at Chattabal, in the outskirts of the city, when personnel of Special Operations Group (SOG) of the state police and Quick Action Team (QAT) of the CRPF cordoned off an under-construction building in the area following an input that three militants were holed up inside the premises.

"Our first aim was to ensure that civilians around the area were safe and after ensuring that, police and CRPF personnel moved into the building and were fired upon by the terrorists holed up there," Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Range) Swayam Prakash Pani said here after the operation.

The gunfire was effectively replied and in the ensuing operations, all the three militants were killed, he said, adding four security personnel were injured in the incident. All of them are were stable now.

The operation was swift and over in four hours with no collateral damage, Pani said, adding "On the basis of the materials recovered from the site, it was found that the terrorists belonged to the outlawed Lashker-e-Taiba."



One of the three militants was identified as Fayyaz Ahmed Hammal, who has been active for past one year.

Officials said he is an illiterate, about 30 years of age and a resident of Khanka-e-Mohalla in downtown of the city. He was involved in some cases related to weapon snatching and terrorising people.

Police officials believe that Hammal, who was earlier working at a printing press and an active stone pelter, had been tasked to bring the two other militants, believed to be Pakistanis, to the city for carrying out an attack.

The other two, according to doctors, were suffering from gangrene, a disease which is a result of frosbite that militants get while infiltrating from across the region in extreme cold conditions.

Besides three AK rifles, a huge quantity of ammunition, including five magazines each, and a medical kit were recovered from the militants, police said.

Tension mounted in the city over the death of a man as the locals alleged that he was shot dead by the security forces.

However, the post-mortem report said the man was hit by a speeding vehicle and there was no bullet injury, police said.

"A man, identified as Adil Ahmad Yadoo, was brought to the SMHS hospital, where the doctors declared him brought dead. According to the medical bulletin, he died in a road accident at Noorbagh," a police spokesman said, adding that the place was nearly four to five km away from the encounter site.

"In this regard a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and proceedings have been initiated against the police driver and the vehicle seized," a police spokesman said.

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The Madras High Court has observed that the dismissal of an accident claim plea by a tribunal in Namakkal citing lack of territorial jurisdiction to award compensation, was more shocking than the mishap itself and ordered Rs 10.25 lakh be paid to the family of the victim, a retired teacher.

Justice S Vimala made the observation while allowing an appeal by the family of the victim against the dismissal of the petition by the principal district judge in Namakkal.

"It is clear that the claims tribunal at Namakkal ought not to have dismissed the claim petition even though a specific defence has been taken by the insurance company with regard to the lack of territorial jurisdiction," the high court judge said.

In the absence of the insurance company showing any prejudice, the dismissal was unwarranted, she said.

"The dismissal of the claim petition is more shocking than the accident itself," she added.

Justice Vimala ordered a compensation of Rs 10.25 lakh to the family of the deceased, Duraisamy.

He had met with an accident on April 7, 2012 in Namakkal and succumbed to the injuries while in hospital.

His legal representatives claimed a sum of Rs 15 lakh as compensation for the death.

The tribunal had said the claimants were residents of Tiruchirappali district, the place of the accident was also within the jurisdiction of the district and the insurance company had its business at Mayiladuthurai.

Considering the fact that the tribunal at Namakkal did not have jurisdiction in the case, the principal district judge did not consider the claim petition on merit and dismissed it.

Justice Vimala refused to accept the insurance firm's contention that the deceased suddenly crossed the road in his eagerness to meet his son-in-law and met with the accident.

"No material has been placed to substantiate the same. Therefore, this court concludes that the accident took place only on account of the rash and negligent driving on the part of the driver," she said.

Justice Vimala directed Oriental Insurance Company Limited, Mayiladuthurai to deposit the compensation amount along with interest at 7.5 per cent per annum, from the date of the petition in the tribunal till the date of deposit, within four weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of the judgement.

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UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today visited the areas ravaged by Wednesday's dust storm in Agra district, where he took stock of the damage and assured the victims and their families of all necessary help.

The chief minister, who reached Agra last night cutting short his Karnataka poll campaign after the opposition targeted him for his absence from the state, went to the SN Medical College hospital and the district hospital this morning to meet the people injured in the dust storm.

The chief minister visited several villages in Khairagarh tehsil here, the worst affected in the dust storm that left a trail of death and destruction, disrupting power lines, uprooting trees and claiming the lives of over 40 people in Agra alone.

Cheques to survivors and members of the bereaved families were distributed. Consoling the affected families, the chief minister said that district officials have been told to provide relief under various state and central government schemes, including homes under Prime Minister's Avaas Yojna.

Adityanath, who conducted an aerial survey of the affected areas, said more than 800 electric poles were damaged, causing disruption of power supply.

After visiting half a dozen villages, the chief minister told reporters that relief material and cheques for financial compensation had been promptly distributed.

"The victims will be given all necessary help so that they can stand on their own feet as soon as possible," the chief minister, who had drawn flak for staying away from his state even after a storm claimed 73 lives there, said.

He was earlier scheduled to campaign in Karnataka till Saturday noon for the May 12 assembly elections.

Parts of western UP were battered in the Wednesday's storm which also struck the adjoining Rajasthan districts. Forty-three people died in Agra district alone. Altogether, 124 people were killed and over 300 others injured in five states due thunderstorms and lightning in the last two days.

"I am sorry your CM is needed here in Karnataka," Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has had a running battle on Twitter with his UP counterpart, had posted.

"I am sure he will return soon & attend to his work there," the Congress leader tweeted.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, while condoling the deaths, had said in a tweet, "CM should immediately return to UP leaving aside campaigning in Karnataka. People have elected him to resolve the problems of their state and not for politics of Karnataka.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association of Maharashtra today demanded judicial probe into the violence on the varsity campus earlier this week, and called for "strictest possible action" against the culprits.

"An environment of growing intolerance has been created in society due to politics of hatred and division. The attack on AMU was deliberate and state-sponsored as goons entered the university waving and firing pistols in the presence of police and media," Tanweer Alam, president of the the association, said here.

Violence broke out at the AMU campus on May 2 as the row over Muhammad Ali Jinnah's portrait on the campus triggered a right-wing protest.

At least six people were injured when police lobbed teargas shells to disperse AMU students who demanded arrest of the protesters who had earlier barged into the campus.

Alam alleged that when AMU students and staff handed over some of the accused to police, they were released without the registration of an FIR.

"The same police brutally lathi-charged AMU students who were protesting peacefully. Such a state-sponsored assault on the university and students is highly condemnable and it was black day for our democracy," he said.

The police had been provided with evidence in the form of CCTV footage, he said.

"It was shameful that police were supporting goons. We demand a judicial probe into the whole incident and urge the Centre and state government to take necessary and strictest possible action against the perpetrators of the crime and its conspirators," Alam said.

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Delhi Police has registered a case against a Jawaharlal Lal Nehru University (JNU) professor for allegedly assaulting a woman student.

The incident comes a month after another JNU professor Atul Johri was booked for sexually harassing eight women students at the varsity. He was subsequently arrested and granted bail.

A city police official said an FIR was registered against Prof Rajbir Singh on May 2 following a complaint by a woman student.

The complainant alleged that she had gone to talk to Singh on February 9 and was waiting outside his chamber. She alleged that the professor thrashed her and another male student who came to help her, the police said.

Meanwhile, the professor has filed a counter complaint alleging that he was manhandled and stopped from entering his chamber by some students, they said.

The police added that the incident took place when the students were protesting against the administration for introducing 75 per cent compulsory attendance.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Archaeological Survey of India today withdrew a controversial letter it wrote to the Executive Officer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams managing the famous Lord Venkateswara shrine, on the feasibility of declaring it and other sub-temples as protected monuements.

ASI Director General Usha Sharma informed the TTD executive officer (EO) Anil Singhal that the letter, written by the ASI's Amaravati Circle office in Vijayawada, was being withdrawn immediately after it caused a stir.

In addition to the Lord Venkateswara shrine, the TTD administers 12 other important temples.

The Centres move evoked sharp reaction from the Andhra Pradesh government, which said the ASI's decision gave rise to suspicions.

The BJP, however, denied any such move by the Centre and said it was only "misleading lies" being spread by "vested political groups."



"After the ASI letter came out in the open today, the DG called me over phone and said their Vijayawada office wrote the letter without her knowledge.

She clarified that the Government of India had no intention of taking over the TTD temples and I thanked her for that," Singhal told reporters in Tirumala.

In a letter to the TTD Executive Officer yesterday, the Superintending Archaeologist of ASI's Amaravati Circle in Vijayawada said a communication has been received from "our directorate" to "examine the feasibility of declaring TTD and its group of temples at Tirumala as protected monuments."



This was "keeping in view their antiquity and historicity."The superintending archaeologist requested the TTD EO to provide information on the surrounding temples under TTD and also "cooperate with the ASI officials approaching you" to collect information and take photographs.

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K E Krishna Murthy, who is holding charge of the Endowments Department, said in a statement that the "Centre's move" to take over the TTD temples gave rise to suspicions.

He asserted that the TTD and the state government were capable of protecting the TTD as well as the temples under its control.

Reacting to the issue, BJP national spokesman and Rajya Sabha member G V L Narasimha Rao tweeted that there was no truth in reports that the Centre was mulling take over of the TTD temples.

"Minister of Culture, Govt of India (GoI) told me there is no question of GoI taking over Tirumala/TTD or any temples or mosques. Only when a state govt requests intervention, Centre considers such a request.

Please stop misleading lies being spread by vested political groups," he said in the tweet.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bank employees' unions have rejected the 2 per cent salary hike offer made by Indian Banks Association (IBA) and threatened to go on strike to press their demand.

Wage revision for Bank employees are due from November 1, 2017.

The initial offer of the IBA was meagre 2 per cent, which was totally rejected by the constituents of the United Forum of Bank Unions, AIBOC General Secretary D T Franco said in a statement.

UFBU comprises of 9 employees and officers union.

In the meeting held today IBA's unjust offer of 2 per cent was rejected by United Forum of Bank Unions, National Organisation of Bank Worker's vice president Ashwani Rana said.

In the last wage revision IBA provided an increment of 15 per cent.

It has decided to send a detailed communication to the government immediately followed by a nationwide demonstration on 9th May, 2018, AIBOC said.

It was also decided that unions will go for two-days strike if the government or IBA does not respond immediately, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The forecast says the system will move westward over Florida tomorrow with locally heavy rains and gusty winds for portions of the Bahamas and South Florida.

Storm watchers in the Carolinas are "keeping a careful eye' on a subtropical disturbance over the Caribbean and the Bahamas that is expected to reach the Florida Straits by Saturday, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service said Thursday night".

Tropical Storm Arlene formed in April 2017.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially begins on June 1. The size of each circle is set to 2/3 of the historical forecast errors over the past 5 years.

Watch News 6 and stay with ClickOrlando.com for updates.

The NHC said the formation chance through 48 hours is low at near zero percent and a formation chance through five days is also low at near zero percent.

In 2012, two tropical storms occurred in May - Alberto and Beryl.

The World Meteorological Organization retired hurricane names "Harvey", "Maria", "Irma" and "Nate" due to the death and destruction caused by these intense storms a year ago. This is the most names retired in one season since 5 hurricane names were retired in 2005.

Hurricane season is just around the corner, but could it begin sooner than expected?

The region will remain in an unsettled weather pattern for most of next week.
China's National Museum today opened an exhibition to mark the 200th birth anniversary of Karl Marx, as the ruling Communist Party is celebrating the day in a big way reiterating its adherence to the German philosopher's socialist ideology.

Marxism has strong influence in China where students begin learning the theories of Marx and Lenin in middle school.

China, the world's second-largest economy after the US, has seen decades of market-driven growth.

The exhibition titled "The Power of Truth" features Marx's life, Chinese versions of Marxism and Marxism-themed contemporary art.

On display are



manuscripts by Marx, Engels, Lenin, documents, books, photos and 70 Marxism-themed art pieces.

The exhibition was sponsored by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and a history research institute under the department and China Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

The exhibition will run for three months, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

The CPC is celebrating Marx's 200th anniversary in a big way reiterating its adherences to socialist ideology enunciated by Marx.

President Xi Jinping yesterday defended as "totally correct" the ruling Communist Party's adherence to Karl Marx's theory of socialism for 97 years, saying it has profoundly changed China from the "sick man of Asia" to the second-largest economy of the world.

"There might be setbacks in the development of socialism in the world, but the overall trend for human society development has never changed, and it will never change," Xi told a special function here organised to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth.

"Marxism has not only profoundly changed the world, but also China," Xi said.

As a mark of its respect for Marx, China sent his giant statue to be erected in his birthplace Trier in Germany to celebrate his 200th birth anniversary.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two days after the family of late BJP MP Chintaman Wanga joined the Shiv Sena ahead of the by-election necessitated by his death, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said the family had had some "misunderstanding".

The BJP was their family and they were "welcome anytime", he added.

Wanga was one of the senior-most BJP leaders in the state who had contributed immensely for the party's growth, Fadnavis said, speaking to reporters here.

By-election to Palghar Lok Sabha constituency is scheduled for May 28.

"The party has sympathy for the family. We had almost finalised that somebody from the family will be given ticket to contest the Palghar by-election necessitated due to Chintaman Wanga's death," he said.

"I had spoken to Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray seeking support to the candidature of a member of the Wanga family around April 27-28. Thackeray welcomed the decision to give ticket to a family member, assured help and said that senior Sena leader (and state cabinet minister) Subhash Desai would discuss the issue with me," Fadnavis said.

He and Desai did hold talks about Sena's role in the by-election, but the talks remained inconclusive, Fadnavis said.

The chief minister said that on April 27 or 28 he got a message from Wanga's son, seeking appointment. "I immediately replied, asking him to come and meet me. I told my office to give him time after May 3, the last date of filing of nominations for the Legislative Council polls.

"On May 3 evening, I got to know from TV that the family met Uddhav Thackeray saying that they were neglected by the BJP and they have now joined the Sena," Fadnavis said.

He said BJP leaders were in touch with the family. "How this misunderstanding was created...I am looking into it. May be due to local politics, some people told them that the family was not being considered for the by-election," he said.

"I am confident that the family will not do anything that will hurt the BJP. The BJP is their family. They are welcome anytime," Fadnavis said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior Congress leader Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan has written a letter to the Saudi Arabian Consul General asking the Saudi government to reduce airfare and visa fees for Muslim pilgrims travelling to perform Umrah.

Khan, who has been Maharashtra Minority Affairs minister in the past, in his letter mentioned that the Saudi government had hiked airfare for the economy class from Rs 35,000 to Rs 52,000 and had fixed visa charges, for second time pilgrims, at Rs 35,000.

These hikes, he said, were affecting pilgrims and was making them disheartened.

"Both airfare and visa fees directly affect Indian pilgrims as majority of them are either poor or are from the the middle income group," Khan said in his letter.

"Indian Muslims are disheartened at having to bear an extra amount of approximately Rs 68,000. Due to this, several pilgrims may not be able to perform one of the holy rituals of Islam," Khan said.

Khan urged the Saudi Arabian government to seriously consider the request of Indian Muslims.

"I have demanded that the Saudi government reduce the airfare and visa fees," Khan told reporters here.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union minister Ramdas Athawale today described the controversy over the portrait of Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) as unnecessary and suggested it could be removed keeping in mind "public sentiments".

"The portrait of Mohammad Ali Jinnah was installed before independence in the AMU and so there is nothing wrong in it, but it can be removed if the public sentiments are against it," the minister of state for social justice told the media here.

Violence had taken place in the AMU campus, after the varsity students objected to the protests by right-wing group Hindu Yuva Vahini on the campus, demanding the removal of Jinnah's portrait from the students' union office.

On the BJP leaders visiting Dalit houses and sharing meal with them, Athawale said, "Although having dinner will not benefit Dalits, but this is a good initiative for strengthening relations between Dalits and upper castes."



Asked about the Supreme Court's recent ruling that allegedly diluted the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the minister said he would request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring an ordinance on this issue.

"The law (SC/ST Act) was enacted by the Parliament... The government has submitted a review petition and, if the need arises, I will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring an ordinance for the purpose," the Union minister said, adding that 90 per cent cases of atrocities against Dalits were true.

The leader of the Republican Party of India (A) said his party wanted to contest 30 seats in the Karnataka Assembly polls and support the BJP on the remaining.

He said his party would back the BJP candidates in Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and try to bring Dalit votes under NDA kitty. The SP-BSP alliance will have no impact in the elections, Athawale said.

Condemning the recent incidents of BR Ambedkar statues being vandalised in the state, he said the state government needs to take strict action. "It is an effort to defame the Yogi government," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An army man along with six others have been taken into custody for allegedly cheating job-seekers by promising them jobs in defence and IT firms after collecting money from them, police said today.

V Ramanjaneyulu, working as Naik at the Artillery Centre Golconda area here, along with six others were nabbed after police raided different locations including a fake job consultancy office, a release from Hyderabad police said.

They allegedly collected money and cheated unemployed youths after promising them jobs in Armed forces, Indian Railways besides software jobs in MNCs.

They established a fake job consultancy for the purpose, the release said.

Police seized three laptops, one printer, fake rubber stamps of the Indian Army besides fake appointment orders/call letters of the Army and original educational certificates of 33 candidates, it said.

"Ramanjaneyulu used to attract unemployed youths saying that he is having good rapport with senior army Officers andcan appoint the candidates in the Indian Army without writing any examinations and demanded Rs 2.5 lakh from each candidate," police said.

As per preliminary investigation, several job aspirants were cheated, but only two complaints have been lodged.

Further investigation is on, police added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A local court today directed the Goa



Police to begin a preliminary inquiry into a complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly encouraging bribery during the Goa Legislative Assembly elections last year.

During a series of election rallies in Goa between



January 7-8, Kejriwal had reportedly appealed to voters to "accept money from the Congress and BJP candidates, but vote for the AAP".

Judicial Magistrate First Class at Mapusa, Shantishri Sinai Kudchadkar directed the police to start preliminary inquiry into a case filed by Returning Officer Gurudas Desai, who alleged that Kejriwal had promoted bribery during his election speeches.

In January, 2017, the Election Commission had ordered the police to file an FIR against Kejriwal following which local poll officials lodged a complaint with Mapusa police.

The returning officer had then approached the judicial magistrate first class in Mapusa in December, 2017 with a plea that an offence under section 171 (B) (inducement to voters) and 171 E (bribery) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) be registered against the AAP supremo.

The AAP had contested 39 out of 40 seats in last year's Goa Assembly polls.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chennai Super Kings are virtually through to the Indian Premier League play-offs after a comprehensive six-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore, courtesy a superb bowling effort from the spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Harbhajan Singh.

Jadeja (3/18 in 4 overs) and Harbahajan (2/22 in 4 overs) wreaked havoc as RCB could only manage 127 for 9, largely due to efforts from Parthiv Patel (53 off 41 balls) and Tim Southee (36 off 26 balls).

On a tricky pitch, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (31 no off 23 balls) picked up Yuzvendra Chahal for some special treatment with three huge sixes as CSK knocked off the required runs in only 18 overs to move to 14 points from 10 games.

Another win in the next four matches will guarantee CSK a spot as 16 points has always been a cut-off for play-off qualification.

RCB's sloppy fielding also contributed to their downfall. At 80 for 4 in the 13th over, CSK were in a spot of bother but Parthiv as usual was shoddy behind the stumps, dropping Dwayne Bravo (14 off 17 balls) off Murugan Ashwin.

Ashwin was also unlucky when Chahal dropped Bravo at deep extra cover as the all-rounder along with his skipper added 48 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket stand.

For Virat Kohli, it is turning out to be yet another disappointing season as RCB once again stare at an imminent exit with only three wins from nine games.

Earlier, Jadeja and Harbhajan choked the run flow in the middle overs apart from snaring wickets at regular intervals to peg back RCB. In all, CSK bowled 54 dot balls (equivalent to 9 overs), which also proved to be a key factor.

While it was a collective bowling effort by CSK, Jadeja and Harbhajan conceded only 40 runs between them with prize scalps of Kohli and AB de Villiers in their kitty.

Jadeja got rid of the Indian captain with an armer which breached Kohli's defence. The ball skidded through the two-paced surface where batting exactly was not easy.

In the very next over, de Villiers was stumped trying to reverse-sweep Harbhajan and RCB never recovered from the twin blows.

Parthiv did score a half-century but the dismal show of the other batsmen hurt them dearly.

Save Parthiv and Southee who ensured a 120-run plus total for the visiting team, none of the other batsmen could even reach double digits.

With the ball not coming onto the bat, both Jadeja and Harbhajan also bowled slower through the air to make life more difficult for the batsmen.

New ball bowlers Lungi Ngidi (1/24 in 4 overs) and IPL debutant David Willey (1/24 in 4 overs) also used their variations to good effect. Ngidi bowled a lot of slow cutters.

Parthiv hit five boundaries and two sixes but he was guilty of not being able to rotate the strike as he time and again failed to read Ngidi's slower ones.

He finally gave a return catch to Jadeja as he was not able to check his stroke. Mandeep Singh on the other hand tried to sweep and gave a catch in the deep.

Tottering at 89 for 8, it was Southee who took it upon himself, adding 38 runs for the ninth wicket with Mohammed Siraj, whose contribution was a mere three runs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The opposition Congress-led UDF and the BJP today slammed the Kerala government over alleged lapses in a police probe into the custodial death of a man here last month, alleging that the CPI(M)-led dispensation was trying to shield the "real accused".

The two parties also announced separate agitations across the state, demanding a CBI probe into the death of Sreejith in police custody in Varappuzha and seeking justice for the families of the people killed under "mysterious circumstances" recently.

In separate press conferences, the Congress and BJP also referred to the recent incidents, including the alleged killing of a foreign tourist in a mangrove forest in Thiruvananthapuram and the death of a 30-year-old tribal man from Kerala after allegedly being beaten up by a mob.

Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennthala said the UDF would picket collectorates in all districts and the secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on May 8 to protest against the "increased incidents of custodial deaths and killings of innocent people under the LDF rule".

"It is a case of custodial torture and death. I don't think a probe by the police would be fair in a case in which policemen are the main accused. To ensure justice for Sreejith's family, the government should hand over the probe to CBI," he said.

Alleging that the government was trying to shield the real accused in the case, he demanded that the role of top officials,including the Circle Inspector,Deputy Superintendent of Police, then rural SP and Ernakulam district leadership be investigated.

"Such a brutal custodial death has never occurred in the history of Kerala. But the government is trying to sabotage the investigation," he alleged.

The senior Congress leader also said the upcoming Assembly bypoll in Chengannur constituency would be an assessment of the performance of the LDF government.

BJP state secretary B Gopalakrishnan told reporters that the party would organise a "Chalo Varappuzha" march, seeking a CBI investigation into Sreejith's death.

The march, which would start on May 7 from the residence of a deceased tribal man, Madhu, at Attappady in Palakkad district, would reach Sreejith's village Varappuzha in Ernakulam district the next day, he said.

The BJP also alleged that top police officers and CPI (M) district leadership had a role in the custodial death.

Sreejith, who was taken into custody in connection with the death of a 55-year-old man, died in a private hospital on April 9.

His relatives had alleged that Sreejith had died after being tortured in custody.

However, the police rejected the charge, saying that Sreejith was suspected to have suffered injuries during a clash before he was taken into custody.

Five people, including a circle inspector, a sub- inspector and three members of the now disbanded Rural Tiger Force were arrested by a Special Investigation Team in connection with Sreejith's death.

It was an RTF team which had taken Sreejith into custody from his house.

The Kerala government has decided to give a financial aid of Rs 10 lakh to Sreejith's family.

It has also offered a job to his wife in a state-run institution as per her qualification.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A special court here today granted bail to seven persons including four Deputy Commissioner-rank officials of Mumbai Customs in a bribery case, even as the CBI moved the Bombay High Court seeking their further custody.

While the central agency said it wanted to unearth the larger conspiracy, the special CBI court judge, P K Sharma, said it was making "mountain out of a molehill".

The agency arrested the four Customs officials and two others on May 1 for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 50 lakh from an importer to clear his two consignments. They were remanded in CBI custody for three days. Another person was arrested later.

The special court yesterday remanded all of them in judicial custody even as the CBI sought their further custody.

The agency today moved the Bombay High Court, seeking custody of the accused.

As the bail pleas of the accused came up before the lower court later in the day, the CBI told the judge that it had moved the high court.

Judge P K Sharma said he was not concerned with that application and asked the CBI to file a reply to bail pleas.

The CBI lawyer said it needed more time to investigate the case as it is part of a larger conspiracy in which higher officials could be involved. The accused didn't cooperate during the initial CBI custody, the lawyer said.

The judge, however, noted that the investigation was substantially over, and said it appeared that the prosecution was making "mountain out of a mole(hill)".

The agency will need some time for obtaining sanction from the government to prosecute the Customs officials, and the accused cannot remain in jail in the meanwhile, as the offence is not punishable with death or imprisonment for life, he said and granted bail to all the seven accused.

In its petition in the high court today, the CBI sought custody of the accused till May 13.

"This is a case of larger conspiracy, wherein all three Preventive and Intelligence units of Customs -- Rummaging and Intelligence, Marine and Preventive Wing, and Special Intelligence and Investigation Branch -- have a criminal meeting of mind to obtain illegal gratification in the guise of helping importers," the petition said.

Preliminary investigation revealed involvement of customs house agents who helped the accused in collection and laundering of the bribe amount, and these agents were to be apprehended and "bribe amount of Rs 11 lakh" paid to one of them was yet to be recovered, the CBI said.

The probe also revealed that some of the imported goods were pilfered by Customs officials, the CBI said in the petition, which came up before Justice Bharati Dangre.

Justice Dangre posted it to May 7 for hearing.

On May 1, the CBI arrested deputy commissioners Mukesh Meena, Rajeev Kumar Singh, Sandeep Yadav and Sudarshan Meena.

It also arrested Manish Singh, a superintendent, and a private individual named Nilesh Singh. Another Customs officer, Akshat Rathod, was arrested later.

Nilesh Singh was arrested while accepting Rs 5 lakh, a part payment of the bribe, at Customs Colony in Powai, allegedly at the behest of Mukesh Meena, the CBI had claimed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress attacked the ruling BJP today over a report that Dalits in a Madhya Pradesh district will have to inform the police in advance if there is a marriage in their family, saying that they are being treated as "second-class citizens" in the country in the current dispensation.

"It is very strange and shameful that this is happening in independent India. The Dalits have been treated as second-class citizens under the BJP government," senior Congress leader P L Punia said at a press conference here.

According to media reports, Dalits in Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh will have to inform the police three days in advance if there is a wedding in their family in villages under their jurisdiction, the Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh said.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue, Punia said Modi is doing "Ambedkar jaap (chant) drama", at a time the violence and discrimination against the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes by BJP workers are continuing unabated.

"The atrocities against Dalits now have reached ridiculous heights, reminiscent of the horrid practice of untouchability and ghettoisation," he said, citing various instances of harassment and atrocities committed against the Dalits under the ruling BJP.

Commenting on reports that a Dalit boy was mercilessly thrashed in Meerut recently, Punia hit out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, alleging that atrocities against the SCs have gone up in the state since he came to power.

"Under BJP's watch, a Dalit suffers an atrocity every 12 minutes. Every day, 6 Dalit women are raped," he said, citing National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data.

Even 5 BJP parliamentarians have had expressed dismay and anguish on the "absolute ill-treatment" to the SC/ST community in the country, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Juan Carlos Cruz, James Hamilton and Jose Andres Murillo spoke to reporters Wednesday after spending five days with the pope at his Vatican hotel.

"Pope Francis formally asked us for forgiveness, in his own name and on behalf of the universal Church", the three said in a statement released Wednesday in Rome.

The Pope appointed Barros a bishop in 2015 over the objections of residents of the southern city of Osorno.

Cruz said he didn't press the pope on what he knew or when.

Francis long defended Barros and claimed he had received no evidence of sex abuse or testimony from supposed victims, despite allegedly receiving a letter from Cruz in 2015 detailing the abuses he claimed he suffered. Their press conference was broadcast live in Chile, a sign of the unprecedented nature of their hours of meetings with the pope. Cruz explicitly accuses Barros, who had been a protege of Father Karadima, of carrying on an openly homosexual relationship with the priest and of being present for the abuse of the boys around him.

Francis invited the survivors to the Vatican after apologizing for "grave errors" in his handling of a Chilean sex abuse scandal. They said abuse and cover-up are not just sins "but crimes and corruption that do not end in Chile but are an epidemic".

"I believe that he was honest", Cruz said.

In a statement, the men said they saw the "friendly face" of the church this week, after having been treated for 10 years as "enemies" of the Chilean hierarchy.

"We will never know the full truth", Hamilton said, "but now he is very well informed because he wanted to be really well informed". "We consider them guilty of covering up".

While Errazuriz is retired from his former post as archbishop emeritus of Santiago, Chile, he still plays a key role by sitting on the pope's inner council of nine cardinals who advise him on the reform of the Roman curia.

Pope Francis said it is wonderful to watch how young men in the Swiss Guard pay attention to others and show such care and concern toward visitors and pilgrims, especially those most in need.

"For nearly 10 years we have been treated as enemies because we fight against sexual abuse and coverup in the church", Cruz said, reading a statement on behalf of the group.

"But I also acknowledge that there are a lot of people within the Church, the indispensables, who do a lot of work in favor of the victims too", he said.
Senior AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today said drug mafia is still an issue in Punjab and the party will not hesitate in naming those involved in it.

During the assembly elections last year, AAP had made drug trade a major poll issue.

To a question, Sisodia said, "Drug mafia is still an issue in Punjab... I am telling you that (illegal) mining is an issue, drug is an issue and the party is fighting against these issues."



"Whichever (drug) mafia comes (before us), we will take name. We will take names of all those (involved in drugs)," he told reporters while answering a barrage of questions on Kejriwal's apology to Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia.

Sisodia, who is also the party's Punjab affairs in-charge, said, "Our party is fighting against drug mafia. The stand of mine or Arvind Kejriwal on (SAD leader Bikram Singh) Majithia is not relevant. Rather the stand of the Amarinder Singh-led government on Majithia is relevant."



"You (media) should ask the government why it did not put drug mafia behind the bars. Tendering an apology by Kejriwal or not seeking apology does not lead to arrest of drug mafia," he said.

Sisodia's statement assumes significance against the backdrop of Kejriwal tendering an apology to Majithia in March for accusing him of being involved in drugs trade during the Assembly polls. The AAP national convener's apology had pushed the state unit of the party into a crisis after many state leaders expressed disappointment and condemned the move.

Terming Kejriwal's apology a part of the AAP's strategy, he claimed that according to feedback of party workers, people of Punjab had clearly understood the party's strategy.

"Wherever we are active, our issue is farmers and we want to fight for farmers whose crop got damaged because of fire caused by electric wire. We want to fight for those people whose children study in government schools and those who were being looted by paying hefty fee to private schools. It was part of our strategy," he said.

"People in Punjab are upset with corruption and loss of crop because of fire. People of Punjab are not upset with Kejriwal's apology," he said.

To a question on Sukhpal Khaira expressing disappointment over Kejriwal's apology to Majithia, Sisodia said, "It is the party's internal democracy and we respect everybody's viewpoint."



He also said the party has not accepted the resignation of Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann from the post of AAP's Punjab unit chief.

Asserting that the party had analyzed its weakness that led to its drubbing in assembly polls last year, Sisodia said, "We know what were our weaknesses and we have improved our party by analysing them."



Lauding the role of state leadership including the leader of opposition for playing an effective role of main opposition party in Punjab, he said, "Because AAP raised an issue, the Amarinder Singh government had to drop his one minister from the cabinet. The AAP, being in opposition, will raise every important issue in the state."



Earlier, Sisodia held a meeting with state leadership of AAP, including the MLAs, and also inaugurated the party's state office at Mohali.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With the economic centre of gravity shifting to the APAC region, Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Takehiko Nakao today committed to "reinventing" the bank to meet the challenges of a transforming Asia.

In his opening address at the 51st annual meeting of the ADB, Nakao said the multilateral lender is developing a new long-term 'Strategy 2030' which will renew its commitment to eradicate poverty in the region and expand vision to achieve a prosperous, inclusive, resilient and sustainable Asia and the Pacific (APAC).

"Today, the economic centre of gravity is shifting to Asia and the Pacific, and almost all our developing member countries have advanced to middle-income status. Yet, large challenges remain, and new ones are emerging," Nakao said.

"There is still persistent poverty. We must address rising inequality, growing environmental pressures, and rapid urbanisation. Aging in some countries and an increasing youth population in others present opportunities as well as challenges," he added.

Stating that ADB plans to complete the process of formulating the 'Strategy 2030' by mid-2018, he said the multilateral lender will pursue differentiated approach for lending to various developing member countries.

"Our task ahead is to reinvent ADB and meet the challenges of a transforming Asia and the Pacific," Nakao said.

Highlighting 10 priorities in 'Strategy 2030', Nakao said ADB will foster regional cooperation and integration, building on its experience in sub-regional cooperation initiatives since the 1990s in Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific.

"We will promote regional public goods such as transportation and logistical networks, and protection against communicable diseases. We will support a regional approach to energy security, education, tourism, and financial stability. ADB will cooperate with existing and emerging international and regional initiatives," he said.

Earlier in the week, addressing a press conference, Nakao had said the Manila-based bank is looking at ways on how to fund the 'One Belt One Road' initiative, which would connect China with the rest of Eurasia and is also open to collaborate with China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

The ADB was founded in 1966 and was mandated to lift people out of poverty and fund projects which will benefit society at large. Since its inception, ADB has been led conventionally by a Japanese governor, with larger quantum of funding coming from Japan and United States. The ADB has 67 member countries, including 48 from the Asian region.

Nakao, in his opening address at the ADB board of governors meet, said implementing the 'Strategy 2030' will require a stronger, better, and faster ADB.

"We will continue to use our financial resources efficiently and creatively... We will expand our presence on the ground. We will modernise business processes to speed up our services to clients. A 'One ADB' approach will break down silos and bring together expertise across ADB. We will continue to work with a wide range of partners," he said.

India is a founding member of the ADB and is currently the fourth-largest shareholder and the largest borrower of ADB sovereign lending since 2010. The multilateral lender has so far committed sovereign loans totalling USD 35.9 billion to India.

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Egyptian police have arrested an atheist blogger who was previously detained for promoting his views, a rights lawyer said today.

Sherif Gaber was in police custody today and set to be questioned by the prosecution tomorrow, Gamal Eid, head of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, told AFP.

"He has been arrested and should be questioned tomorrow," Eid said. It was not immediately clear when Gaber was arrested.

In late March, Gaber tweeted that "some Muslim lawyers" filed a complaint against him with the attorney general.

"I'll probably get arrested in the next few days, but I don't want you to get mad," he wrote.

Gaber was detained in 2013 for allegedly promoting atheism.

Promoting atheism can be punished in Egypt under a law that bans "insults to religions".

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Government land under illegal occupation in Mohali district alone is worth more than Punjab's entire debt, which is pegged at Rs 2.10 lakh crore, minister Navjot Singh Sidhu said today.

Punjab's Local Government Minister said if such pieces of land are identified across the whole state, it could rejuvenate its economy.

A cabinet sub-committee, formed for the maintenance of government assets and land, met here today.

The panel headed by Sidhu has sought details of government-owned land from boards, departments, corporations and all other state institutions, a press release said.

The minister said the panel has learned that records of these departments do not match with that of the Revenue Department.

He instructed that this has to be rectified, the release said.

A committee of experts headed by former judge S S Saron and former Director General of Police Chander Shekhar is being formed to give advice to the panel on freeing government land.

Chander Shekhar said at the meeting that five to six lakh acres of government land is under illegal occupation throughout Punjab.

Ministers for rural development and revenue also attended the meeting.

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A high-level American trade delegation led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin returned from China after having "frank discussions" with Chinese officials on rebalancing the bilateral economic relationship.

The US delegation and the Chinese side, led by Vice Premier Liu He, also in charge of the economy and a Politburo member of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met Thursday and yesterday.

According to the White House, the US delegation affirmed that fair trade will lead to faster growth for the Chinese, United States, and world economies.

A trade spat between the top two economies of the world began last month with Trump imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports into the US from China, which also retaliated by imposing additional tariffs worth about USD three billion on 128 US products.

The two countries have not yet implemented their tariff increases to reach a negotiated settlement.

"The delegation held frank discussions with Chinese officials on rebalancing the United StatesChina bilateral economic relationship, improving China's protection of intellectual property, and identifying policies that unfairly enforce technology transfers," the White House said in a statement.

"The United States delegation affirmed that fair trade will lead to faster growth for the Chinese, United States, and world economies," the statement read.

Other members of the delegation included Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Assistant to the President for Economic Policy Larry Kudlow, and Assistant to the President for Trade and Manufacturing Policy Peter Navarro.

They will now brief the President and seek his decision on next steps, the White House said.

"The size and high level of this delegation illustrates the importance that the Trump Administration places on securing fair trade and investment terms for American businesses and workers," it said.

The White House said there is consensus within the Administration that immediate attention is needed to bring changes to United StatesChina trade and investment relationship.

The US goods and services trade with China totalled to an estimated USD 648.2 billion in 2016 in which China had a lion's share with about USD 478.9 billion exports. The US exports to China stood at USD 169.3 billion, according to US trade figures.

The US, the world's largest economy, has a trade deficit of almost USD 500 billion with China, the world's second largest economy.

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that little progress was made during the visit.

"The US and China asked one another to make sweeping concessions in trade talks, failing to bridge sharp divisions and raising the chances that each government will slap tariffs on tens of billions of dollars of the other country's exports, the daily said.

While the US asked China to cut its trade surplus by USD 200 billion; China sought to get Washington to ease national-security reviews of Chinese investments.

"Instead of reaching common ground, the talks ended inconclusively Friday," the daily reported.

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Five people were killed in an explosion in the central Gaza Strip today in what was thought to be an accidental blast, residents and the health ministry said.

Gaza's health ministry confirmed five people were killed and three others wounded in what residents said appeared to be an accidental explosion in the Az-Zawayda area of the central Gaza Strip.

The blast comes after weeks of deadly protests and clashes along the border between Gaza and Israel, but there was no indication the explosion was the result of an Israeli strike.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said she was not aware of the incident. Authorities in Gaza, run by Islamist movement Hamas, had not provided any further details on the blast.

Some explosions in the past in the Gaza Strip have resulted from the accidental detonation of explosive materials belonging to militant groups.

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Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) Society has called for an all-party meeting to discuss protecting the tourism sector, a key revenue and employment generator for the state, from the impact of frequent hartals that inconvenience tourists and undermine tourism promotion efforts.

"There were views from different quarters that hartals adversely affect the tourism sector and that public opinion should be mobilised to overcome this situation.It is a welcome sign," said Baby Mathew, KTM President, in a release here.

He requested political parties and organisations to take the initiative to form a consensus on this issue.

"Apart from excluding the tourism sector from hartals,the government should give priority to protect tourists and institutions in this sector during hartal days," he said.

The KTM Society is a non-profit organisation that includes multiple industry stakeholders working together to promote tourism in Kerala and strengthen the tourism economy.

KTM also welcomed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's call to treat tourism as an essential service like hospitals, newspapers and milk delivery, and similarly exempt them from the purview of the hartal shutdowns.

Minister of State for Tourism Alphons Kannanthanam had also voiced his support for such a move, as did CPI(M) State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and KPCC President M M Hassan.

Jose Pradeep, Secretary, KTM, said the statements of the Chief Minister and of various party leaders "are highly encouraging for the possibility of a consensus opinion to form regarding the exclusion."



Elaborating on the extent of damage the industry and the economy suffer because of the shutdowns, Baby Mathew said the tourism sector contributes crores of Rupees to the states economy and employs tens of thousands of people.

"Hartals leave visitors to Kerala in the lurch and shut down services, gravely affecting the sector and consequently our economic progress. We are very happy to see the Chief Minister is aware of, and understands the situation and we fully back his suggestion," he said.

Baby Mathew noted that 'Flash hartals' that catch tourists unawares and threaten their freedom of movement are also on the rise in Kerala.

"While we promote our state as 'God's Own Country' overseas, it greatly damages our efforts when we cannot even ensure basic freedom of movement to travellers within our state," the KTM president said.

If this situation prevails, entrepreneurs and investors would hesitate to start new ventures in Kerala, he said.

Tourists, who are stranded due to lack of food and transportation during hartal days, would not show any interest in visiting Kerala again, he added.

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The Himachal Pradesh Raj Bhawan today lodged a complaint after receiving an audio clip in which a person is purportedly heard threatening Haryana bureaucrats by impersonating a Governor House official, the advisor to the governor said.

On receiving the audio recording and after going through its contents, Raj Bhawan officials cross checked with officers, after, Advisor to Governor, Shashi Kant Sharma, said.

He said a police complaint has been filed and the matter is being investigated.

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Human Rights Watch today urged Dubai authorities to reveal the whereabouts of a princess and daughter of the ruler, saying her case could constitute "enforced disappearance".

In a March video, 32-year-old Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum announced she was fleeing the emirate because of mistreatment and restrictions imposed by her family.

She said she was the daughter of Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashed Al-Maktoum and an Algerian mother, Horriya Ahmed, and that she had tried to escape in previous years.

But the following month a source close to the Dubai government said the runaway princess had been returned to the emirate.

"What I can confirm is they took her and she was brought back," the anonymous source told AFP by phone on April 17.

In a statement today HRW said Dubai authorities must "reveal" her whereabouts and "clarify her legal status".

"Failure to disclose the whereabouts and status of the princess could qualify as an enforced disappearance, given the evidence suggesting that she was last seen as UAE authorities were detaining her," the US-based rights group said.

It cited a witness saying authorities in the United Arab Emirates had "intercepted Sheikha Latifa on March 4, 2018, as she tried to flee by sea to a third country, and returned her to the UAE".

"Sheikha Latifa, who told friends that she wished to flee restrictions imposed by her family, has not been seen or heard from for two months," it said. That raised "serious concerns about her safety and well-being, two friends said," HRW added.

"UAE authorities should immediately reveal the whereabouts of Sheikha Latifa, confirm her status, and allow her contact with the outside world," said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW's Middle East director on Saturday.

"If she is detained she needs to be given the rights all detainees should have, including being taken before an independent judge." Latifa's cause has been taken up by a UK-based group called Detained in Dubai.

The group said Latifa tried to flee Dubai by ship, but the vessel was intercepted on March 4 less than 80 kilometres (50 miles) off the coast of India. It said a Finnish woman and friend of the princess was among foreigners on board.

The source close to the Dubai government said last month that the Finnish woman and two French men, one with dual US citizenship, participated in the escape attempt and were wanted in Dubai on previous charges.

"It is a domestic issue that transformed into a soap opera that transformed into a rampaging scheme to tarnish the reputation of Dubai and Sheikh Mohammed," the source said.

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The Uttar Pradesh Police said today it has arrested a man and seized illicit liquor worth Rs seven lakh from his truck in Kairana town in Shamli district.

The vehicle was intercepted at a check-post in the town last evening, Circle Officer Rajesh Tiwari said, adding that the liquor was hidden inside fruit crates.

A man has been arrested in connection with the incident, he said. During interrogation, the man told the police that the liquor was smuggled from Haryana to Uttar Pradesh.

The Shamli district administration has launched a drive against illicit liquor ahead of Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll on May 28.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 5)  President Rodrigo Duterte, in his keynote speech during the 51st Asian Development Bank (ADB) meeting said that the Philippine economy will grow faster during his administration.

"Over the next few years we aspire and expect to sustain a growth rate of 7 [percent] or better," Duterte told the attendees of the regional bank's conference.

The country's economic growth breached the 6 percent mark on July of 2015 and it hasn't gone lower than that since. It was at an average of 6.7 percent for 2017.

Socioeconomic Secretary Ernesto Pernia, during a speech delivered on April 6 this year, said that the government is targeting an annual GDP growth rate of 7 to 8 percent from 2018 to 2022, the end of Duterte's term.

"This will enable us to achieve and sustain our goal of bringing down the poverty rate to only 14 percent by 2022, or at least hopefully," Duterte said during his ADB speech.

"Build, build and build", and we link, link and link, that is the battle cry of the moment," he added, citing the administration's aggressive infrastructure plan that aims to promote inclusive growth outside the Metro Manila region.

To achieve the target growth rate, Duterte cited transportation, infrastructure, protection of civil order, the fight against corruption and of course the war against illegal drugs as priorities. The war on drugs, he said, would be "within the limits of what the law allows but as it always has been, relentless."

As for foreign policy, Duterte said that the shift in focus to countries other than the United States is meant to align with these developmental priorities.

"We will exert all efforts to build a truly inclusive economy that benefits our people for the next few years; [it] will be an interesting time for the region," Duterte said. "It is a time when Asia will lead the world and provide examples to other developing countries. The ADB will play a key role in this process."

He thanked the bank for being the third largest source of development assistance to the Philippines as of December 2017. He said that the Philippines currently has 14 active loans and 17 grants with the Bank, amounting to $2.51-billion and $12.30 million respectively. All-in-all, the ADB's assistance to the Philippines amount to 213 public sector loans amounting to $16.85 billion and 28 grants amounting to $82.6 million.

"Because of ADB's efforts and assistance through grants and financing, the Asian-Pacific Region to which the Philippines belongs, is fast emerging as home to the most vibrant economies in the world," Duterte said. "Indeed, the Asia-Pacific Region is poised to take its place as a hub around which other countries spin."
A driver of Jammu and Kashmir Police was detained by police for allegedly running over a youth at Noorabad area in the outskirts of Srinagar city today, officials said.

After registering a case under section 304-A of Ranbir Penal Code (whoever causes the death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide), police detained the driver of the vehicle and legal action was being taken, a police official said.

Tension mounted in the city over the death of a man as the locals alleged that he was shot dead by the security forces.

However, the post-mortem report said the man was hit by a speeding vehicle and there was no bullet injury, police said.

"A man, identified as Adil Ahmad Yadoo, was brought to the SMHS hospital, where the doctors declared him brought dead. According to the medical bulletin, he died in a road accident at Noorbagh," a police spokesman said, adding that the place was nearly four to five km away from the encounter site.

"In this regard a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and proceedings have been initiated against the police driver and the vehicle seized," a police spokesman said.

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The Bombay High Court today



directed the Maharashtra government to list down the steps taken by it to implement previous orders of the court on tackling malnutrition in the state.

A bench of justices Naresh Patil and G S Kulkarni earlier this week gave the directions while taking note of the information given by petitioners that over 300 children in the tribal areas across Maharashtra had died between September, 2017 and January, 2018 due to malnutrition and related causes.

The court also directed the state to file a status report on the medical facilities, including primary health care centres, and the number of doctors present in tribal areas like Melghat and Nandurbar.

Directing the government to take immediate steps to provide necessary medical aid to the residents, especially the children in such areas, the bench also directed its counsel to take instructions on how the funds allocated by the state and the Centre for tribal welfare were being used.

It also sought details of the packaged food and raw food grains that the state claimed to be providing for residents and children in these areas.

The court was hearing a bunch of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) highlighting a rise in malnutrition deaths and illnesses among those living in Melghat region of Vidarbha and other tribal areas in Maharashtra.

Different benches of the Bombay High Court had passed several orders on the issue over the last two years, directing the government to ensure that people in the tribal areas get adequate nutrition, health care, sanitation and education facilities.

During the last hearing, the petitioners - some activists and NGOs - working in the tribal areas informed the bench that 318 children had died due to malnutrition and lack of medical care between September, 2017 and January, 2018 in Melghat and its neighbouring areas.

The government claimed before the court that the situation in these areas had "improved considerably" and that it was taking all possible remedial measures.

The bench, however, took note of the petitioners' arguments that despite previous orders of the court, tribal areas in the state continued to grapple with inadequate medical facilities.

"318 children from Melghat and its nearby areas succumbed to various diseases and ailments, and for want of proper medical care and aid. The learned Assistant Government Pleader submits that the situation has considerably improved and the state is monitoring and providing necessary backup services to these areas," the bench said.

"However, the petitioners inform that the tribal areas around Melghat and Nandurbar continue to face apathy and are still deprived of proper medical care and necessary infrastructure facilities," it added.

"A status report be placed on record. And in the meanwhile, the state shall take immediate steps to provide necessary medical aid to the residents of the subject areas. It must also focus its attention on the children," the bench said.

It directed the state to organise medical camps, appoint doctors at least on contract basis, and arrange for vehicles to ensure that doctors and assistant medical staff reach these areas whenever necessary.

In October last year, a bench led by then chief justice of Bombay HC Manjula Chellur had rapped the state government over its failure to provide adequate nutrition and medical aid for the tribal children.

The bench had also passed a detailed order directing the state to inform the court of how the funds received for tribal areas were being utilised.

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A man and a woman were found killed at Sangma village in Padra tehsil of Vadodara district today, police said.

Saurabh Tolumbia, the District Superintendent of Police, said, "The victims have been identified as Pravinaben Patel andNatubhai Panchal.

The bodies, with injuries caused by sharp weapons, were found in a field, he said.

Police were awaiting the autopsy report, he added.

Panchal, a retired employee of the Gujarat Electricity Board, was in the business of metal fabrication, the SP said.

As per the preliminary probe, Patel, who knew Panchal well, had given him the work of fabricating an iron gate for her field fence, he said, adding that further probe was on.

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Two miscreants today snatched Rs 6 lakh from a woman here, police said.

The incident happened near Samrat Cinema in the city, a few meters away from the Madhupatna police station, the police said.

The woman's mobile phone was also in the bag, the Inspector of Madhupatna police station, Tereskova Mohapatra, said.

An investigation has been initiated, a police officer said, adding that efforts were on to nab the culprits.

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A mistake was made in including the name of a living person in the list of "Hindu martyrs" sent to the union home minister, BJP Lok Sabha member Shobha Karandlaje said today, blaming Congress for trying to revive an "old issue" over which she had expressed regret.

"I had expressed my regret at this lapse last year. I hadmistakenly included Ashok Pujari's name in the list of BJP and RSS workers who were killed after Siddaramaiah assumed charge as Chief Minister."



"I had brought this mistake to thenotice of the central government," she told PTI over phone.

Karandlaje, an MP from Chikkamagaluru-Udupi, was locked in a controversy after reports emerged about her having included Pujari's name in the list of '23 Hindu martyrs",which she sent to Home Minister Rajnath Singh on July 8 2017,demanding an NIA probe into the killings of RSS/BJP workers in Karnataka.

A controversy had broken in July last year itself over her faux pas, for which she had expressed regret.

Pujari, who lives in a remote village in Udupi district, was attacked by masked people on September 20, 2015 and hospitalised.

He had recovered after about a month.

Targeting the Siddaramaiah government over being "soft" on "Jehadi forces", the BJP has made the killings of Hindu activists a major issue in its political discourse.

Karandlaje said even former deputy chief minister R Ashoka had admitted that there was mistake in the list which was brought to the notice of the central government last year.

Asked who were behind raking up the old issue, Karandlaje said it is the "malafide intentions" of Congress to raise this old issue to divert the people's attention from the'unholy electoral understanding' between Congress and SDPI-PFI.

"The Congress wants to divert the issue of their unholy electoral understanding with SDPI and PFI. Therefore, they areraking up this old issue," she said.

Social Democratic Party of India is the political wing of Popular Front of India, an Islamic outfit.

Karandlaje said that instead of politicising the issue, Congress leaders should visit Pujari, who was "nearly killed" and try to help him.

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Taking on Congress leaders for attacking BJP's chief ministerial candidate for Karnataka B S Yeddyurappa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today they were talking "rubbish" about him.

Addressing an election rally here in Yeddyurappa's home district, Modi said political differences and rivalry may exist, allegations and counter-allegations made, but restraint must be exercised while speaking.

"The kind of language they are using....baseless allegations they are making ignoring his age and commitment to the society.

"All kinds of 'anap shanap' (rubbish) language is being used...I want to tell the people of Shivamogga to ensure that Congress candidates lose their deposit, Yeddyurappa's insult is avenged," he said with the Lingayat strongman seated on the dais.

He also hit out at Congress leaders for making "fun" of Yeddyurappa's visit to homes of people belonging to the deprived sections, saying it amounted to ridiculing the poor.

Modi's defence of Yeddyurappa came following relentless attacks by Congress leaders, including its president Rahul Gandhi, who raised questions over the BJP declaring a "corrupt and tainted" person its chief ministerial candidate.

Calling the Congress "power hungry", Modi said it followed the British policy of divide and rule.

He accused the Congress of dividing the society in the name of caste, tradition, and region.

"I want to ask the Congress and its leaders do you do the right thing when you make a distinction between criminals on the basis of caste, sect and tradition? Is it right to say a criminal is innocent on the basis of sect and tradition?



"I want to ask Karnataka's Congress government who gave protection to killers of innocent BJP workers from the abc of communalism--PFI, SIMI and others....these alphabets of violence....who gave this saugat (gift) to Karnataka?"



The BJP has been alleging 'jihadi elements' were killing its workers and were being protected by the Congress government.

Attacking Congress over alleged corruption, Modi said one of its ministers in Karnataka had assets worth Rs 75 crore in 2008 that grew to Rs 250 crore in 2013 and to a whopping Rs 800 crore now.

"Look at Congress's model of vikas (development), one of itsministers told the Election Commission while filing nominations that his assets grew from Rs 250 crore to Rs 800 crore in five years. Whose money isthis? Isn't this the money of people," he said, apparently referring to energy minister D K Shivakumar, whose house was raided by Income Tax authorities a few months ago.

The prime minister also mocked Congress president Rahul Gandhi over his assertion that his party would not allow thieves to get elected despite Modi's efforts.

"Tell us first about MLAs and minister from whose almirah, bed, and bathroom walls money was recovered, jewellery came out....who are they? who sent them to Assembly? who has given them ticket again?" Modi asked.

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West Bengal Police has arrested BJP leader Mukul Roy's brother-in-law from New Delhi for allegedly duping railway job seekers, a senior official said today.

Mukul Roy is a former Trinamool Congress MP.

Roy's brother-in-law Srijan Roy was arrested from New Delhi airport late last night by a team of police from Bizpur police station in North 24 Parganas district on the basis of complaints which were filed around six years ago, the police officer said.

"Srijan Roy has been arrested for taking money from several people on the pre-text of providing them jobs," a district police official said.

Various charges under different sections of the IPC including 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using a forged document as genuine), including others have been slapped against the arrested accused.

The accused was produced at a district court today and was remanded to 12 days of police custody, he added.

Describing the arrest as "political conspiracy", Mukul Roy, who was the Union railway minister in 2012 when the cases were lodged against his brother-in-law, said he himself was the actual target of the move.

"This is a conspiracy hatched by Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee against me and my family members. She is resorting to such things because she is afraid of the Bharatiya Janata Party. I am the real target of this conspiracy," Roy said.

The BJP leader said he would fight such conspiracies "politically".

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A 37-year-old man, allegedly involved in the killing of a realtor in Greater Noida, was arrested from MB Road in Southeast Delhi after a brief exchange of fire with police today.

Harender Nagar was arrested around 5.30 PM after a brief encounter with the police, said Chinmoy Biswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast Delhi).

A carbine and a pistol, along with 12 live cartridges, were recovered from him, the police officer said.

Nagar is the alleged mastermind of the sensational murder of realtor Moti Goyal at Sector 49 of Greater Noida on April 16, according to the police.

A specific input was received that Nagar was headed towards Mehrauli via MB Road in a white car. A police picket was erected near Kaya Maya Ayurvedic Hospital and the vehicle was signalled to stop, the police officer said.

On seeing the police team, the driver tried to speed away. It was followed by a brief exchange of fire in which the accused used his pistol to fire at policemen. The policemen retaliated with two shots and finally managed to overpower him, the officer added.

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Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today left for his first official foreign visit to Guatemala, Panama and Peru, to strengthen relations with these countries.

During his six-day visit, he would hold meetings at the highest levels in all three countries. He would also interact with parliamentarians, university students and meet members of the Indian diaspora.

India attaches significant importance to friendly relationship with the countries in this region," Naidu said in an official statement.

"Strengthening institutional mechanisms for political interaction, multilateral matters, trade and commerce, investments, information technology, traditional medicine, space, defence and culture will be some of the key issues for deliberations. I look forward to a fruitful visit, he said.

Ambassadors of Guatemala, Panama and Peru were present at the airport to see off the vice president on his maiden visit abroad.

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The National Conference (NC) today accused the PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir of promoting of hate to hide its alleged failures on all fronts.

"J&K is at the crossroads of history with opportunistic alliance presiding over its destiny, the politically matured people will have to change the discourse by isolating reactionary elements," said NC state vice president Rattan Lal Gupta



Highlighting the crucial role played by the people of Jammu in promoting and sustaining secular ethos even during the most testing times, Gupta called for a "decisive battle against divisive forces, who have taken central stage by exploiting regional and religious sentiments to further their myopic and nefarious agenda."



"This can be possible only by forging unity and further strengthening the bonds of amity," he said.

Gupta said the challenges being faced by Jammu and Kashmir were manifold, especially in the wake of "hate politics" being promoted by the PDP-BJP coalition, as a shield to hide its "failures on all fronts".

"Communal is against the secular ethos of Jammu and Kashmir and those perpetrating it are doing a disservice to the people," he said, adding that his party would continue to cleanse degenerated political atmosphere by strengthening the secular fabric, which is corner stone of the state.

The senior NC leader accused the PDP-BJP government of plunging the state into unprecedented political uncertainty by failing to maintaining law and order, adopting anti-people policies and indulging in of hate.

"The present dispensation has failed in meeting challenges faced by the state," he said.

Gupta made a fervent appeal to the people for maintaining peace, amity and tranquillity, saying this will be a befitting rebuff to the divisive forces.

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